Thursday, May 21, 2009

A Good Knight, and Dangerous

A short while ago I was writing about Robert E. Lee. I don't remember whether or not I posted that writing, but i do know that it got me thinking about chivalry. Lee lived through the time of what might be called a romantic revival of chivalry. After the fall of the South chivalry was still a racial and cultural memory and a literary heritage. Good men continued to practice courage, loyalty, courtesy, and expendability.

In order to understand chivalry it is helpful to understand feudalism. I'm not going to spend time on feudalism now, but will say that it it is a political and economic system which was practiced in Europe, especially Spain and France, from the 9th century to the 15th century.To last for over 500 years in western Europe it had to be a fairly effective system. The Southern plantation system in the first 250 or so years or so of North American settlement could well be called feudalistic.

The cowboy, the mounted man of the range bore, if not swore, 'allegiance to the brand' much as a knight gave allegiances to his liege. The great early cattle ranches were very like feudal estates.

I'll try to remember to continue this later.

Guantanamo

Pretty good Guantanamo speech by the Pres. today. Shorter and more often might be better.

Politicians

Politicians who are not tellings the facts, are not educating us to what they know is effecting our safety and well-being, who are not trusting and honoring us are not ours.

We

If we do not obey our laws, who are we?

If You are a Christian ....

... And you are not considering how to love the people of Alkaida you are not.

Christian Love

Coca production in Colombia has been reduced by loving the people in the area of production.

Cocaine use could be reduced here by loving fellow citizens who are potential or actual cocaine users.

This loving is the kind that the biblical Jesus said any true follower of his would use.

Love in Colombia came in the form of much lacking and much needed roads and schools, as well as the protection of law.

Govern

We are in this boat together.
We are not rudderless.
We can steer our boat.

What is sovereign authority?
Who says you have to pay taxes?
What can you do about it?

Authority is exercised by an author.
An author is a creator and originator.

Who is creating our republic?

Who steers the ship of state?
Who plots the course?
Who selects the ports of call?
Who chooses the cargo?
Who selects and chooses passengers and crew?

Do you have a seat?
Where do you stand?
What is a body politic?
What are you doing with your body?

You are part of more than one community.
A citizen is a person in community.

Politics is the art of civil administration.
The people are the polis and politics is their responsibility.







www.pandaw.com

Check out "Film History" at pandaw.com

What can we learn about Myanmar and Burma?

Think

What do you know about fighting or making war? What have you seen, experienced, or learned of war and fighting? Doesn't it seem that we as human beings fight a person or make war on persons.

What good does it do to to try to fight or make war on cancer, ignorance, terror, drugs? Doesn't it seem to make more sense to try to help the people involved?

"With all your getting, get understanding."

Government

Government is made by people.

Who makes government for you?

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Breathing Exercise

We know that breathing is very important. Still we often don't have well in mind what one old aunt of mine often repeated. "It aint what you do, but the way how ya do it." She didn't usually talk that way. She may have been quoting some old song. The idea is that the way we breathe counts.

Just remembering to take a few deep breaths several times a day may do one a great deal of good.

There are a large number of more formal breathing exxerecises available to us. I think that it is as good idea to find and use a number of them and then to choose two or three of them to practice with some regularity.

Here's one I have called "Crane" for no very good reason that I can remember. If you are in cold country you might start this exercise by rubbing your hands together to warm them. Then continue by placing warmed palms on either side of the naval. Sounds like something I picked up east of Suez, doesn't it?

Exhale slowly and press hands lightly on the abdomen aiming to form a slight hollow. Gently force air out of lower lungs and bring abdomen in.

After exhaling 'completely,' begin to inhale, slowly extending the abdomen outward so that it extends like a balloon. Take two or three seconds to balloon the abdomen outward with downward pressure of the diaphragm.

Repeat 4 or 5 times,

Avoid chest breathing.

We know that the important parts of breathing are inhaling and exhaling. Attending consciously to our inhaling and our exhaling a few times a day may do us a world of good; perhaps as much good as more formal exercises. Still I do believe that formal breathing exercises may add greatly to our well-being.

Miscelaneous Hypertension Notes

There are a variety of symptoms for hypertension and not all of equal value. For example numbness and tingling may not be very good ones. They do occur in hypertension but there could very well be do to other things including dietary or absorption problem es. Numbness and tingling have been cured by correcting a vitamin deficiency. Of course diet may effect blood pressure in other ways.

On the other hand blood vessel damage in the eyes is often a good indicator of long time high blood pressure;especially when there has not been physical trauma to the eyes. The degree of damage may well be a good measure of how long the hypertension has been present or of repeated episodes of very high presser.

The most useful symptom may be a record of pressure cuff measurements with high average pressure. In one clinic, I was hooked up to a gauge that not only continually recorded my pressures and its changes over many hours, but also provided a continual visual display of my pressure readouts across as long wall. To that information it also added a running average. I was impressed at the time by the very large differences in pressure from one second to the next. Just a few words from me caused my pressure to jump.

Monday, May 18, 2009

"Thou Shalt Not Kill"

Thou shalt not kill Mexicans.
Thou shalt not kill pirates.
Thou shalt not kill Englishmen.
Thou shalt not kill prisoners,
Thou shalt not kill Koreans.
Thou shalt not kill pedestrians.
Thou shalt not kill Japanese.
Thou shalt not kill men.
Thou shalt not kill Germans.
Thou shalt not kill women and children
Thou shalt not kill Afghans.
Thou shalt not Kill Republicans.
Thou shalt not kill Arabs.
Thou shalt not kill Lebanese.
Thou shalt not kill Salvadoreans.
Thou shalt not kill Iraqis,
Thou shalt not kill Nicaraguans.
Thou shalt not kill Hondurans.
Thou shalt not kill Iranians.
Thou shalt not kill another human being.
Thou shalt not kill communists.
Thou shalt not kill Jews.
Thou shalt not kill Chinese.
Thou shalt not kill rapists
Thou shalt not kill Taliban
Thou shalt not kill Protestants
Thou shalt not kill Panamanians.
Thou shalt not kill even adolescents.
We could do a better job of avoiding bringing death to humans.

No 'h'

There is no 'h' in the name of the country

Sri Lanka

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I discover, get understanding, enjoy myself, and take care of business.

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