Tannishblog

From my observations in life, from the news, from personal experience, I find most people in America seem to be miserable. I spent much of my formative years in such a state, and I think perhaps many others may as well. It's not that they cannot be happy, it's just they don't know how.

If one is raised by well-meaning parents who themselves have little experience in personal happiness, how is one likely to understand the mental mechanisms involved in joy, happiness, peace of mind? Without a roll model, a child lacks such knowledge. If, for example, a daughter lives in a family where much arguing, complaining, or instability occur, what can she be expected to take into her adult life from such an upbringing? To say nothing of the myriad ways children are abused or damaged, just the "little things" like verbal cruelty or consistent bullying by siblings is damaging to a fragile spirit.

Such atmospheres are common in family dynamics. Damaged people, who otherwise function well in society, give rise to damaged children. There are, of course, examples of the cycle breaking upon occasion, yet mostly things perpetuate, or get worse through time. It's a shame.

My experience was along those lines. That's why, while working the backroom in a bookstore, I was attracted to a tome entitled "The Art of Happiness." The cover is graced by a smiling man in maroon robes and glasses, for whom I have since developed a great respect: the Dalai Lama. Written by Howard C Cutler, a psychologist from Arizona, from teachings and stories gathered during a series of interviews, the book takes a fresh perspective of Buddhist wisdom by reinforcing it with modern psychological thought. This book literally changed my life for the better.

Chapter one, "The Right to Happiness," starts thusly:

"I believe the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we are all seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness…"

With these words, spoken beofre a large audience in Arizona, the Dalai Lama cut to the heart of his message…

This outlook was foreign to my experience. Most people I knew, while indeed determined to better themselves, were miserable and stuck that way. They simply don't know how to change. I believe it's reasonable to say most people don't know how to be truly happy.

"But is happiness a reasonable goal for most of us?" I asked. "Is is really possible?"

"Yes. I believe that happiness can be achieved through training the mind."

Training the mind… Another new concept. That is definitely not taught in the Lutheran tradition I inherited. While I vaguely knew of athletes training the mind to over come fear, manage pain, and improve concentration, nowhere did I hear previously that the mind could be trained for happiness - or that it should be. This intrigued me.

In the Dhammapada, the Buddha said:

The mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind, suffering follows,
As the wheel follows the hoof of an ox pulling a cart

The mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind, happiness follows,
As surely as one's shadow.

As for the Art of Happiness - if you feel you might need a primer on the subject, or for a good beginning into Buddhist thought without all the religious trappings, then this is a great place to start. You'll be glad you did!

Crossposted at Democrats.org:

Mushroom clouds of steam are being vented over the intended airing of ABC’s "Path to 9/11."  The heat is generating because of proposed inaccuracies in the 6-hour miniseries aimed at blaming the tragedy on the Clinton white house. Act for Change has this to say:

On September 10th and 11th, ABC is planning to air a "docu-drama" called "Path to 9/11," which is being billed as "an objective telling of the events of 9/11." In fact, the film was written by an unabashed conservative who twists the facts to blame President Clinton.

[…]

Among the latest developments: - Approximately 900 copies went out to conservative bloggers and flat-out refused to send a copy to former President Bill Clinton for review. - The show’s producers have reassured conservatives that "blame on the Clinton team is [still] in the DNA of the project." - ABC has teamed up with Scholastic, Inc — a textbook publisher — to offer this propaganda with an accompanying "study guide" to 100,000 teachers across America.

Blatant propaganda, exquisitely timed 2 months before an election the Republicans are fretting over, combined with a push to alter curriculum across the education spectrum to enforce a program of re-writing history a la the late Soviet Union.

Let’s connect the dots, as provided by Thinkprogress.org:

As you may know, ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Company. Today we are asking you to contact the Chairman of the Board of Disney, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. We need to remind him that 9/11 was a national tragedy, and that politicizing and misrepresenting the facts about 9/11 is wrong.

[…]

Senator Mitchell has a long and distinguished career - both inside and outside government, and he knows how important it is to accurately represent historical events. News reports and our independent research have demonstrated that there are numerous falsehoods and misrepresentations in this docudrama.

The events leading up to 9/11 are too important to play politics with the facts. Please call and email Senator Mitchell today and tell him that telling the truth about 9/11 matters.

Still not convinced? TPM Cafe has the full text of a letter sent to ABC CEO Bob Iger rom Bill Clinton’s lawyers. Read it here. New York Post has more.

Most disturbing is the news that Scholastic, inc. is in on the crime. To distribute "teaching aids" based on inaccuracies in a prime-time "docudrama" in order to grant credibility to the creation of fictionalized history, is… words fail me: Outrageous; Ludicrous; Irresponsible; Stupid; Arrogant…they all apply.

What floors me is how conservatives can think this is appropriate action, as well as how they think they can get away with outright lies. (I know… it’s worked before.) Do we need any more evidence in how desperate some of the conservatives feel? That fact alone makes me happy.

Donklephant asks: Did We Just Lose? How did this story slip my radar? I must have been bamboozled by Paris' hijinks (or is that high-jinx). Or maybe TomKat's baby, or the resurrection of the Princess' death, or some other exceptionally important stuff I dunno…

Whatever; Pakistani capitulation is not getting much traction from the mediasphere that I've noticed. Where are all the pundits, od/ed-ers and sages? Why aren't they dissecting, opinionating, being sagacious over this story? Maybe they're over here.

Crossposted at: Democrats.org  

All sorts of images whirl in me tired brain as I read an article from Washington Post that sums up another frontal assault on our intelligence. From WapPo, imagine that… To our unending surprise, and for our edification, the titles screams: Bush Warns Of Enduring Terror Threat.

I check the calendar. Nope, not November yet. The grain of salt I must take to accept our President's credibility is playing hell with my complexion. Tell me: Why is such a transparent political crapfest still tolerated? Worse - why do people still want to believe? I shake my head.

The third paragraph, where I fear most people stop reading, outlines this choice morsel of crapola:

"Iraq is not a distraction in their war against America" but the "central battlefield where this war will be decided," Bush said in an address before the Military Officers Association of America.

My first thought is recalling a pithy blog entry by Ron Gray at the new Democrats.org site: Bush Needs Terrorism

In this busy political season of lies and treason I'd like to make a comment that I hope my Democratic Party brothers and sisters will make as a major part of their campaign rhetoric and advertisement's … the Democratic Party needs to stress that — George W. Bush needs the terrorists and terrorism as much as the terrorists and terrorism needs George W. Bush; the one could not have achieved what they have without the promotion and assistance of the other. Terrorism needs Bush as much as Bush needs terrorism. They both exist at the level they do now because of each other.

Yep. Parasitic symbiotes.

Another reaction is: "Oh. He's speaking to another military audience, who are getting paid by taxpayers like me, who are being told when and how to applause." And these are officers, career soldiers - their families' income is on the line if they fail to comply. No possible way George can make that kind of speech in a "town hall" setting.

I could go on…

Please. Let's stop the corruption, the blatant political ploys, the rhetoric. My intestines are quivering in revulsion. 2008 can't get here fast enough!

Okay, so I started a blog at Democrats.org. I’ll admit the driving force is to whore my homepage, but also to play along in what promises to be an interesting experiment. Linking Democrats through the web…not exactly a new idea, but to create a central clearinghouse of sorts… this we need.

A problem I see, mostly because I fit the stereotype, is what I call Armchair Activists. We, of the couch-legume genus tend to let inertia keep us in our place. We tend to seek a path of least resistance, whatever we can accomplish by mouse-clicking we will gladly do - especially if it doesn’t involve our wallets. So for yet another community complaint site, this should be successful. Whining is easier than action.

So, to create a truly helpful clearinghouse, one that moves us forward (for a change), more needs doing. That, I surmise, is what the Fundraising link is for, but is it enough? Linking to another like-mined soul, building community, creating a feedback loop of angst only creates a positive outlook if followed up with on-the-street action.

I fear the average Internet junkie is unwilling to make such sacrifices to their lifestyles - even in the short term.

Don’t mind me, I tend to take a negative view of things. Always, though, I welcome the kindness of others to prove me wrong, but for various reasons this rarely happens. But count this Armchair Activist in, all the way from the Island of Blue that is Chicagoland, to see what happens. If you all can fire me up, you can fire anyone. I challenge you.

Hold up! I think I’ve found a blogger who’s more jaded, angrier, and perhaps more "out there" than yours truly!

Didn’t think that was possible, huh?

Democrats.org, in a last-ditch effort (or belated, at least) at organization, launches a set of tools called PartyBuilder, utilizing hotsy-totsy web 2.0 stuff like social networking, search tools, petition tools and blogging, Of course, I checked out the blogs. As the site debuted today, only a couple entries exists. One post, by Thomas T Panto, blew my sock off: Who Owns This Plantation? Some snippets:

WE, the American People (laborers), conceive, design, build, box, ship, sell, buy and pay all the taxes on, all the products.

WHO got the TRILLIONS of DOLLARS that YOU MADE? And WHAT did those DEREGULATED and UNGOVERNED corporations use that money buy ?

WHO purchased your ”Free Press” ? WHO funded your political parties, all their candidates, on both sides, and paid for their Media Time on the stations THEY OWN ?

WHO SETS the WAGES AND the PRICES to keep you working in their military economy?

[…]

America is now Intitutionalized Slavery. While you were busy at work, your children were pldeged, allegianced and indoctrinated to serve THEM for trinkets.

Just the money spent last year to murder the people of Iraq would lift every American out of poverty, and there are still trillions unaccounted for.

This is not the Democracy that the Founding Fathers intended for us to have.

[…]

The ”Wealth” of a government depends on the number of people they have in slavery and how LITTLE they have to feed each slave. The Starch and Sugar they feed you is killing you. When your physical problems occur then their medical pricing will ensure that what ever wealth you have aquired in your life will be consumed to treat your condition, so that your children will not inherit a way out of their slavery.

Phew! Dark, powerful, outrageous… I like it! Although it’s quite sensational, the roots of the issue might be true. We already distrust the Media, multinational corporations, and our own government; it’s a small stretch to connect the dots together. We already know big Brother is watching us, categorizing every purchase, every credit or debit in every bank. If the data wasn’t available, already aggregated, sorted and compartmentalized, would identity thieves have such an easy time of their "craft"?

Mr. Panto offers hope, a bit weakly, as a summation:

How can we save our children ?

Identifying the evil scum controlling our country is fairly easy to do.
They are the ones telling you what to hate, who to hate, and who to invade and murder.

To restore America, select ONLY those candidates who rebel against the use of lies and murder to solve Humanities problems. Those candidates will be underfunded by the owners of Washington and will be misrepresented by the governments controlled media.

Don’t be fooled by their propaganda. Vote only for the candidates who CARE about Living Things, and especially about Humans.

Evil Scum…that kind of rules out a rational debate on the subject. As for the line about "the ones telling you to hate…" Rush Limbaugh comes readily to mind, as does Anne Coulter. This article proves the anger seething barely below the surface of American (dare I say) discourse. Anywhere you look you can find someone angrier that thou.

"EIGHT HOURS FOR WORK, EIGHT HOURS FOR REST, EIGHT HOURS FOR RECREATION!" Thus shouted the banners on September 5, 1882 the first Labor Day parade, held in New York City. Thanks to the efforts of Peter McGuire, son of an Irish immigrant who spent much of his childhood working while his father fought in the Civil War. He went on to organize the first labor union in Chicago: the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America a year earlier.

Congress was reluctant to acknowledge a "Workingmen's holiday," but a wave of support from municipalities crested until it was finally voted a federal holiday in 1894. This, in spite of recognition of the importance of the working class by none other than Adam Smith.

"Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased."

Since then, the US Department of Labor, established in 1913, took this stance:

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership - the American worker.

A cynic would wonder if the original reluctance of government was subsequently reversed for political gains. The whole labor movement is designed to promote the welfare of the average worker, improve working conditions and increase opportunities for gainful employment, yet our "for the people" institutions were slow in the uptake. The same cynic might note that such ideals are rooted in a Christian tradition fundamental to the genesis of our democracy.

Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" ~Matthew 11:28~

"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." ~Ephesians 4:28~

Nonetheless, the Industrial Revolution grew quickly through exploitation of the workers. Entities in public and private sectors, motivated by profit, forgot their moral lessons, to be reminded through the self-organization of the unwashed masses. Only through local governmental structures, closer to the people, was our national political caste forced to pay attention to workers woes.

Since then, unions have had their heyday. Perhaps they've overstepped their humble beginnings and, through hubris over time, strained our economy. Would health care now be so expensive if for generations aspiring doctors hadn't been expected to reap great monetary rewards? How about the automotive industry: would the products of their labors be competitive in a global market if the industry wasn't hobbled by generations of accumulated unionized demands? As robotics take over the assembly line, should auto workers accept a new outlook towards what is fair compensation? Not doing so is perhaps causing them their jobs.

But that was then. Now, the situation is much the same. A few years ago, Norman Solomon dared to ask: What if We Didn't Need Labor Day? He proposed reversing the American media's focus away from the very rich and toward the people who make riches reality.

Labor Day may be a fitting tribute to America's workers. But what about the other 364 days of the year? Despite all the talk about the importance and dignity of working people, they get little power or glory in the everyday world of news media.

What if the situation were reversed?

Once a year, big investors and corporate owners could be honored on Business Day. To celebrate the holiday, politicians might march arm in arm through downtown Manhattan with the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Donald Trump. Executives could have the day off while media outlets said some nice things about them.

During the rest of the year, in this inverted scenario, journalists would focus on the real lives of the nation's workforce. Instead of making heroes out of billionaire investors — and instead of reporting on Wall Street as the ultimate center of people's economic lives — the news media would provide extensive coverage of the workplace.

Indeed. Because this perspective exists, the semi-deification of the wealthy, labor issues from the 18th century still plague workers. Conditions have improved - to a point. Most of us enjoy an air conditioned workplace, a workload that can be accomplished with less than 10 hours overtime weekly, modest health and retirement benefits. Lately, though the bias toward tax breaks for the rich, years of incremental decreases in education funding, increases in the cost of health care, and alarming deductions in retirement benefits and employer contributions to health care, herald a shift in thinking favoring the industrial elite. The balance tilts anew.

Ponder, if you will, how current labor policy has helped you raise your family in the last decade. Has it made things easier? Is your economic situation better that that of your father's or grandfather's? If so, you are in the minority.

The underlying reality of all businesses is people. Without the human factor, business is meaningless. People build the goods, people buy the goods. People benefit from the improved lifestyle. People profit through their ideas, their labor, to the extent that is serves other people. To continue the false assumption of our corporate and political elite - that the driving force of business (and our economy) is money - is to continue to dehumanize an institution that is only possible through continued collaboration between humans. Without people, what's the point? Without a healthy, happy labor force, is any commodity possible?

I missed this week's Friday Night Zen for the first time since its inception. No excuses (although I've thought of some), I'll compensate for the oversight here.As gleaned from the MSN Buddhist community, a poignant poem on duality, life and an acknowledgement of the pervasive suffering of lives lived short of enlightenment - like yours or mine.

PLEASE CALL ME BY MY TRUE NAMES

Don't say that I will depart tomorrow -
even today I am still arriving.

Look deeply: every second I am arriving
to be a bud on a spring branch,
to be a tiny bird, with still fragile wings,
learning to sing in my new nest,
to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower,
to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.

I still arrive, in order to laugh and cry,
to fear and to hope.
The rhythm of my heart is the birth and death
of all that is alive.

I am the mayfly metamorphosing
on the surface of the river.
I am the bird
that swoops down to swallow the mayfly.

I am a frog swimming happily
in the clear water of a pond.
And I am the grass-snake
that silently feeds itself on the frog.

I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones,
my legs as thin as bamboo sticks.
And I am the arms merchant,
selling weapons to Uganda.

I am the twelve year old girl,
refugee on a small boat,
who throws herself into the ocean
after being raped by a sea pirate.
And I am the pirate,
my heart not yet capable
of seeing and loving.

I am a member of the politburo,
with plenty of power in my hands.
And I am the man who has to pay
his "debt of blood" to my people
dying slowly in a forced labor camp.

My joy is like Spring, so warm
it makes flowers bloom all over the earth.
My pain is like a river of tears,
so vast it fills four oceans.

Please call me by my true names,
so I can hear all my cries and laughter at once,
so I can see that my joy and pain are one.

Please call me by my true names,
so I can wake up
and the door of my heart
could be left open,
the door of compassion.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I'm reminded that my suffering is just an echo of the suffering of others; it is not unique. Each of us carried a burden of pain, commensurate to our strength, with which we utilize to gain compassion, to end suffering in others. Without a full knowledge of what hurts us, we cannot move toward its opposite. Our minds must understand what to avoid in order to cultivate its antithesis. Through our pain arises our compassion.

While our Great Democratic Empire is bankrupting itself buying munitions, plumbing the depths of corruption and exploring the permutations of profiteering, the European Space Agency is investing in humanity’s future. For a mere $140 Million, they designed and tested a new space drive in their tiny craft SMART-1, operated it for almost two years by remote, and finally impacted the craft into the surface of the moon to gain data on the mineral composition of a crater aptly named Lake of Excellence.

For the price of The War Against Terrorism (aka TWAT) America could have launched thousands of similar probes, hired an army of remote operators and invented a new industry. Doing so would advance scientific knowledge, scoured our solar system for resources and put to good use money that is otherwise wasted on destruction. It could bring in a new era of exploration, help design systems that could mine planets by remote control, thereby easing the strain on Earth’s diminishing stores.

But no. Our leaders are not so daring. They pretend to herald in a New American Century through failed military tactics of the last century while lining their stock portfolios with paper from the same defense contractors whom are grafting the government dole to benefit shareholders. Mass Murder for Immediate Gains v. Risky Expenditure for Future Profit.

Hmm…Is there such a word as Nationcide?

According to a British organization, the Institute of Public Policy Research, media outlets there are engaging in "Climate Porn" by discussing climate change in a sensationalist manner, by "offering a thrilling spectacle but ultimately distancing the public from the problem."

The report identifies ten different ways of talking about climate change, of which the first two are dominant:

• Alarmism (‘we’re all going to die’): this pessimistic approach refers to climate change as awesome, terrible, immense and beyond human control. It excludes the possibility of real action - ‘The problem is just too big for us to take on’. Alarmism might even become secretly thrilling – effectively a form of ‘climate porn’. It is seen in almost every form of discussion on the issue.

‘A world of climate chaos spiralling out of control’

• Small actions (‘I’m doing my bit for the planet – and maybe my pocket’): the ‘small actions’ approach is the dominant one in campaign communications from government and green groups. It asks a large number of people to do a few small things to counter climate change. The language is one of ease and domesticity with references to kettles and cars, ovens and light switches. It is often placed alongside alarmism. It is likely to beg the question: how can this really make a difference?

‘20 things you can do to save the planet from destruction’

It them commences to suggest a marketing approach to discussing climate change, but it is a public relations group….

I find the term interesting. Just as open expressions of human sexuality are still dogged by vestiges of eighteenth-century Puritanism, (you remember them; they burned witches for entertainment. A fun group.) so too is open expression of anxiety toward the runaway train of consequences of unhindered capitalism and its inherent excesses. What’s a soul to do: rephrase all conversation in a politically-correct manner that downplays our collective shortsightedness toward our actions? Manufacturers would like this very much, thank you. Governments would thank us as well for passing the buck onto yet another generation without taking the difficult steps toward reversal. If it is not indeed too late.

James Lovelock, who discovered depletion of ozone and controversial author of the Gaia theory, thinks it is too late. Washington Post reports on the End of Eden (redux) that we might be experiencing. Reading the article, I’m put to mind other radical thinkers whom were unafraid of announcing controversial beliefs: Socrates and Galileo come readily to mind. Dare I mention Charles Darwin? His ideas are still controversial. So, too, Mr. Lovelock, whom I predict we will treat the same as Galileo in the future.

As to the pornography charge: what’s wrong with a little alarmism? It worked so well preceding the Iraqi nightmare. It motivates people, overcomes the couch-potato inertia and gets through to otherwise thick skulls. No one knows how long humanity has before change is irreversible - we may even have passed that point - so action is needed now. Re-framing the argument will only diffuse the urgency needed. It’s just more status quo.

And that’s the last thing we need.