Where Am I Wrong?

Jesus knew that ignorance is a major, perhaps the major source of the hurtful and harmful in man's existence. He choose enlightenment (not punishment) as the cure for ignorance as have most wise and holy persons. The enlightenment he chose included the will to prompt and loving action to right wrongs.

Statements About Democracy

We want and need your comments.
Please say how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

~ Middle of the road democracy includes social, economic, and political equality.

~ Democratic equality is sustained by elements such as excellent education, skill at dialogue, a high level of courtesy and respect among the people.

~ Democracy is ancient bur must be renewed daily.

~ The Roman Republic may have been farther removed from democracy that ours.

~ The Cossack republics of the Ukrain may have been closer to democracy than ours.

~ There have been leaderless groups of, say, 50 or fewer who practice an equitable and effective democracy.

~ There are many kinds of democracy.


What is your favorite kind of democracy? Check Wikipedia or another source for a menu of available democracies.

Another Breathing Exercise

Breathing exercises are often associated with meditation or relaxation. They may help in lowering blood pressure. I might feel better if I'd complete a couple of breathing exercise each. I do attend a bit more to my breathing than I once did and seem to be better for doing so.

Here is a exercise I've tried, but not done regularly. Allow me to address it to you.
a) lie on your back,knees up, feet flat on floor. Support head and shoulders on a pillow.
b) Relax. Breathe slowly and deeply through the nose, allowing the air to fill the lower part of your lungs. In doing so push abdomen downward and upward so that it appears to rise above the level of your chest. See that the air is allowed to flow to the bottom of your lungs.
c) Once the lower portion of your lungs is filled with air, hold the position for a few seconds, and then slowly contract the abdomen and lower the ribs, exhaling strongly at the same time.
d) Try counting to, say, 4 as you inhale, 2 as you hold, and 6 as you exhale.
e) Continue this round for 10 to 15 times.

Within the posts on this site you will find other breathing exercises which might please you.

Cinnamon

Image via Wikipedia

Cinnamon, it seems, may refer to more than one spice. More probably, there have been four species of cinnamon known since classical times. It is most often as type of evergreen tree. In earlier times it was found mostly in southern China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India.

Cinnamon is known as a 'fundamental herb' in classical Chinese pharmacology. It now seems that most types of cinnamon combat the diabetic effects o sugar.

My grandmother's cinnamon toast was probably a wise and healthful idea. It may be a good idea to use cinnamon with sugar whenever it doesn't seem too weird to do so.

Please help me to update us on the health effects of cinnamon. Is "cassia" another name for cinamon?

These Live Sheehans

The famous Stanford historian, James Sheehan, lives on as does his brilliant son,  Michael Sheehan.

Maybe learning a bit about James Sheehan could help put us on the track of some interesting Prussian history. I understand that he has specialized in German History.  A Prussian may be a Baltic Slav more closely related to Norsemen than to Germans, but it seems that Germans have made much of recent Pussian history.

To learn more about Michael check:  http://www.hightechdad.com  

If you are a techie who is interested in a useful way to have your head in the cloud check out:  http://www.gogrid.com

Who Are We?

How do we decide what our will is?
How does one decide?
How do we translate our will to action?
How can we cooperate more effectively?
How can we express our will. if 'we' don't have one?
How do we communicate amongst ourselves?
How do we carry on a dialogue?
How do we discuss our common problems?
How do we clarify a common problem?
How do we tell others what we think individually?
How do we discover what we think collectively?
How do we think collectively?
How do we discover our common will so that we may covern ourselves?
How useless are we if we are quiet?
How are we deciding carefully and in person?
How do we decide matters of life and death?
How do we consider what we might do to live better?
How do we reason together?
How do we understand one another?
How do we participate in our 'we-ness?'
How well can we survive?
How can we do it better?

Prince Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz

Louis L'Amour quotes the Prince:

"Much is not dared because it seems hard;
much seems hard only because it is not dared."

Louis L'Amour Suggested

Louis suggested:
~ that it is easy to find someone to tell you a lot about the country you are passing through;
~ that one read more than one book at a time.

Are any of these men still alive?

~ H. L. Sheehan, British endocrinologist for whom Sheehan's syndrome was named about 1937.

~ John J.Sheehan, (b. 1940), United States Marine Corps general.

~ Michael J. Sheehan, Brig. General, WWII Burma campaign.

Tell Me Some History or Just Some Stories

About these Sheehans who have lived their lives.

• Winfield R. Sheehan, (1883 - 1945), American film producer and executive.
• P. A. Sheehan, (1905 - 1996), Irish journalist, lawyer, author: son of D. D. Sheehan.
• D. D. Sheehan, (1873 - 1948), Irish politician, journalist, and labor leader.
• Jack Sheehan, (1893 - 1987) America baseball player.
• John Sheehan, (1844 - 1885) New Zealand politician.
• Patrick A. Sheehan, (1852 - 1913) Irish Catholic clergyman and author.
• John C. Sheehan, (1915 - 1992), American chemist.

Who should we add to this list?
Who knows something interesting about these people?

Tell Us about These Sheehans

I know a bit about Cindy Sheehan the anti -war activist, but who can tell me something about the following living Sheehans of some fame?
Billy Sheehan, an America rock bassist.
Bobby Sheehan, and American rock bassist!
Casey Sheehan, an American soldier. Related to Cindy?
Edward R. F. Sheehan, American journalist, diplomat, and novelist.
Fran Sheehan, America rock bassist!!
Frank Sheehan, a Canadian politician.
Helena Sheehan, American-born Irish academic and former nun.
James J. Sheehan, an American historian.
James Michael Sheehan, an Australian politician.
Michael Jarboe Sheehan, the current archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
Michael Jerome Sheehan, U. S. Naval Public Affairs Officer, former crew member of Mystery Science Theater.
William F. Sheehan, an America politition.
Neil Sheehan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist.

Who else can we add to this list of live fame?

Citizen, Can You Help Me

• What is citizenship?
• What is a good citizen?
• What is the good of being a good citizen?
• What's in it for me?
• What does ones citizenship have to do with ones relationship to a community?
  

I Had Fun With My Mazda

Most Iranians are informed by the religious reform brought by Zarathustra. He put morality into Religion before Buddha, Jesus, and Mohamed.

He preached that man has the freedom of moral choice. He taught that man did not owe blind obedience, but rather had the responsibility to understand the injunctions of his religion.

He taught that goodness may proceed from good intentions. He supported the value of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.

He valued highly the knowledge of mans inward relationship with truth.

For him the "Supreme Being" is realized as spirit.

He taught that it is man who has responsibility; that it is the good mind that may divine the truth; the mind may divine the false, less false, the less true; the true. The good mind has the ability to approach the truth.

He conceived of god as the Father of the Good and as the Creator of Truth. He announced his relationship with God to be a bit like this " .... the Good Mind instructed me to adore Him; by His Wisdom let Him teach me about what is best." He asks his listeners to " .... ponder well over all things, weigh my words with care and clear thought."

There are those who believe that in Zarathustra was a scientific spirit and a willing to use truth to unlock the source of power in nature.

Zarathustra seems to ask us to resist untruth and materialism, and to embrace freedom.

Rabindranth Tagore seems to have thought highly of Zarathustra's teachings.

Ahura