Ben Harper & Jack Johnson - My own two hands

What Do You Fear ?

There's so much fear in our lives.

If there's greed for something, or passion for something, there's the fear that you're not going to get it; or the fear that once you have got it, you're going to be deprived of it.

Then there's the fear based on anger. You know that if a certain thing happens it's going to hurt, you're going suffer, so you're afraid of it.

Lastly, there's the fear of delusion, of what you don't know. There's the sense of fear that there may not be any meaning or purpose to life; that it's just pointless suffering.

The purpose of meditation is to dig into the roots of these fears. Ask yourself "What exactly does my happiness depend on?" People will allow their happiness to depend on a whole lot of conditions; their health; the economy, the climate, the political situations, the continued beating of certain hearts.

So what do you do? You learn to look inside. You learn to develop a happiness less and less dependent on things outside, and more and more inward qualities. Since much of our happiness depends on undependable things, meditation points to a dimension beyond the reach of things that could harm our happiness.

The teachings of the Buddha takes you from the ordinary miseries of human life and leads you beyond, to a dimension where there is no misery.

The practice of this learning helps you remove the greed, passion, anger and delusions of your life.

When these are gone, you are left only with happiness.

Who Would You Believe ?

Who would you believe about critical issues?

Let's look at a few of the options: Ned the neighbor, Reg the radio pundit, Paul the politician or Sid the scientist?

From conversations around me, the first three seem to win out over the latter.

What are the qualifications of each? Ned, if he made it through high school at all, perhaps did so with the help of his girl friend -- who has since gone on to become an educator. Reg depends upon inciting ignorance and agitating animus among his listeners. Paul relies on the campaign contributions of the local (and usually polluting) industries in his district.

Sid, however, works in a system set up to reward finding the truth and to punish hiding it. So, as a matter of self-interest, scientists are nudged toward the truth. They suffer a loss of prestige and esteem (and future funding) if someone else fails to replicate an experiment they have used to back up a claim. This is called "peer review."

This past week, Vice President Gore told the Senate that Congress must pass a comprehensive climate bill this year.

Subsequently, Alden Meyer, of the Union of Concerned Scientists said, "Once again, Vice President Gore is speaking the inconvenient truth: It's long past time for the U.S. to join the rest of the world in the fight against global warming, and it's essential for Congress to pass comprehensive climate legislation this year."

Finally, a recent poll among scientists regarding whether there is man made climate change, 92 percent said "Yes".

So who are you going to believe?

Born Again American

The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights are what all Americans live under as the rule of law. Our Founders had it right. Let's see whether we Americans can practice their ideals.

What the Inauguration Meant to Me

Many of my postings revolve around an informed and involved citizenry, and our founding documents: The Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Following these themes, here are a few excerpts from President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address that resonate with me:

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.  On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.  

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history. 

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.  Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man.  Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake.

Recall that earlier generations ... understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please.  Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

Our challenges may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.  These things are true.  They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. 

This is the price and the promise of citizenship."  

The Rancher and Climate Change

I suspect that our ranchers and farmers will recognize the facts of climate change sooner than some.  That's because it's staring them in the face.

Drought conditions in Texas are so bad cattle are keeling over in parched pastures and dying.

Seventy-one percent of the state is now in some stage of drought. The two worst drought designations - extreme and exceptional - covered 15.1 percent of the state. 

Will that rancher care about the warming in Antarctica?

Maybe not, unless his ranch is along the coast.  But homeowners and businesses along all coastal cities should perhaps be concerned.  

Antarctica warming has major ramifications for sea level rise. Research has found that since 1957, the annual temperature for the entire continent of Antarctica has warmed by about 1 degree Fahrenheit. West Antarctica, which is about 20 degrees warmer than the east, has warmed nearly twice as fast.  

Of course as the sea level rises, our coastal towns and cities sink.  

And who is concerned that trees in old growth forests across the West are dying?  The death rate is doubling every 17 to 29 years, according to a 52-year study published in the Friday edition of the journal Science. The scientists conclude this is probably caused by longer and hotter summers from a changing climate.

These were just three articles that I noticed this past week.  How much longer will ideology continue to ignore facts and subvert science?  How does your congressional representative vote on these issues?  Find out -- it's your planet, too.

Pink Floyd - The Great Gig in the Sky

These 3 singers give expression to my heart regarding the past 8 years. Cathartic. Next week's music will be more hopeful.