So it's raining today? I love it! Look what stormy weather inspired:
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Real Conservatism
David Cameron, Tory (Conservative) Prime Minister of Britain, just gave a speech to his party conference which, to put it frankly, astounds me. Why? -
"I once stood before a Conservative conference and said it shouldn't matter whether commitment was between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and another man. You applauded me for that. Five years on, we're consulting on legalising gay marriage. And to anyone who has reservations, I say: Yes, it's about equality, but it's also about something else: commitment. Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other. So I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative."
So different from the wingnut, fundamentalist, extremism that masquerades as conservatism in this country. Sometimes I really wish I lived in Europe, that my Swedish grandmother had stayed put.
"I once stood before a Conservative conference and said it shouldn't matter whether commitment was between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and another man. You applauded me for that. Five years on, we're consulting on legalising gay marriage. And to anyone who has reservations, I say: Yes, it's about equality, but it's also about something else: commitment. Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other. So I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative."
So different from the wingnut, fundamentalist, extremism that masquerades as conservatism in this country. Sometimes I really wish I lived in Europe, that my Swedish grandmother had stayed put.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Cartoon of the Day
Pain and suffering, a graphic representation indeed. I found this attached to a discussion of pain at the Wisdom Quarterly website. Interesting in its relations to Dukka, or the First Noble Truth.
"Occupy Wall Street" Group Meditation
At Huffpost Wendi L. Adamek has an interesting article on the flashmob group meditation at the Wall Street protest. She writes,
Yet in these struggling bodies that fall so short of our imaginings, we can sit down and connect with what can't be grasped by imagination. Meditation brings together -- mind and body, simplicity and complexity, self and other. The flashmob meditators mobilized as a group, and words can be said about what they were doing. But meditation also resists enclosure into a single idea. Meditators sit down and cease feeding the cycles of fear, anger and desire. Instead, they sit quietly with fear, anger and desire. They sit with all beings, each other, the Wall Street bankers, the protester, and the moment.
Yet in these struggling bodies that fall so short of our imaginings, we can sit down and connect with what can't be grasped by imagination. Meditation brings together -- mind and body, simplicity and complexity, self and other. The flashmob meditators mobilized as a group, and words can be said about what they were doing. But meditation also resists enclosure into a single idea. Meditators sit down and cease feeding the cycles of fear, anger and desire. Instead, they sit quietly with fear, anger and desire. They sit with all beings, each other, the Wall Street bankers, the protester, and the moment.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
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