SOCIETY & CULTURE

 

 

Valentine's Day - How It All Began

The origin of St. Valentine's day is a matter of some debate. Feb. 14 was the feast day of several Christian martyrs who are credited with being St. Valentine, and each has his own story. The most popular version of the legend describes St. Valentine as a Roman Priest or Bishop who defied Emperor Claudius II (268 - 170 A.D.), when he decreed it illegal for people to marry, or become engaged. The emperor reasoned that marriage distracted men from becoming soldiers and fighting wars. With a soft spot for young people however, Valentine (his real name was Valentinus) secretly married several couples and was beaten and beheaded as a result. To add an even more romantic twist to the tale, it is said that Valentine himself fell in love with his jailer’s daughter and in a final note to her signed, "From Your Valentine", a phrase that remains popular centuries later. Other versions of the story describe the pair as only friends, and the girl as being blind. In this recounting, Valentine is credited with restoring her sight.
posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

Technology of Violence

Early Signs of Fascism?

Q. Why did you decide to bring the word "fascism" into the debate about American empire?
I felt there was a new global political development that needed to be named, and I began thinking in the context of what I call "global fascism," which is something different from the traditional forms of fascism that have existed. The effect of that was to suggest that resistance to this new global development in the United States poses a second kind of danger that is more in keeping with traditional understandings of fascism.

Q. Can you tell us your definition of traditional fascism?
Yes: the convergence of military and economic power on behalf of an ultranationalist ideology that views its enemies - internally and externally - as evil and subject to extermination or extreme punishment.

posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

How to Win the War on Terrorism

By Ted Rall, AlterNet
July 19, 2002

Most Americans were shocked by the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Suddenly, like a bolt out of a clear blue sky, radical Muslims who hated us for no conceivable reason had killed 3,000 innocent people for reasons both mysterious and nefarious. Our response was knee-jerk: we had to get even. The "evildoers," Bush told us, were led by Osama bin Laden. He, and they, lived in Afghan caves. We would bomb those caves, he promised, until America was safe again.


posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

Is It Time for a Job Change?

If you are considering a career change, here is some advice to help you decide whether to make the move.

Most job changers leave because they no longer enjoy their work. If your job is a source of dissatisfaction, the signs are probably clear.

A feeling of dread may start creeping over you every Sunday evening as the work week approaches. While you once bounced out of bed on Monday mornings eager to get to the office, you may now find yourself hitting the snooze bar as many times as possible.

The thought of calling in sick may cross your mind. In fact, going to work may actually make you sick. (More heart attacks occur on Monday mornings than at any other time of the week.)
If your job is no longer something you enjoy, you are not alone. A Wall Street Journal-ABC News poll found that half of all workers polled would choose a new line of work if they had the chance.
posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

Hero or Villain?

My left-wing friends say to me, "Don't knock Tony.  If he fails , think what the alternatives are.""  I know what they mean; Gordon Brown, all tax and no fun, or Michael Howard and his new party , Tories without Talent.  There is not alternative.   God , I sound like Margaret Thatcher.  

Actually, I miss her.  Thatcher was terrifying but you knew what she stood for, and you knew where you stood  in relation to that.

There were no policies in these days , now there is only politics.  Tony will change his mind about everything- from fox hunting to the euro- but the one thing he never changes his mind about is that he is always right.  

Did a Socialist Prime Minister really declare war on a country with no weapons?  Can it be true that our Labour leader " regretted"  the downfall of the right- wing Spanish government  and that he counts gun-toting George , the Superpower thug, as his "friend"?  
posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

Vive la France, Damn it !

What a splendid example we were given this week of how the Bushies totally control how most of the people in this country think and react. The French government said, "non" to preemptive war; Bush stamped his feet, called for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and turned red.
The media immediately began to let loose a massive dump on the French people, their products, their courage and their country. Hell, we would expect that of Republicans -- that's their constant reaction to anyone or anything that won't let them have their own way.

But prominent, and not so, Democrats joined in with the press and Republicans to crap all over France. It was like watching dominos fall over. Bush stomps his foot, the media follows suit and voila! The people respond like sheep. Even Paul Begala on Crossfire joined in and he should have known better.

Why are we so outraged? We aren't French. We don't even know anyone from France. We make our own wine and our cooking would probably choke a horse. But we do know some history. We know who came to our fledgling country's rescue in 1777. We know about the Marquis de Lafayette.

We know the meaning of some French words like
posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

Creative Kids Make Intelligent Adults

Over and over, research shows that kids who receive art lessons while they are young become more imaginative and creative adults. As you may know, creativity is an essential part of intelligence, and is often used as a gauge for measuring IQ.

With increasing demands being placed upon schools, teachers, and youth groups to educate our kids in the three R's, education in the arts has begun to suffer in many areas of the country in favor of the "more important" or "more practical" subjects.
What people need to understand is that art education in schools IS important, and in fact essential to form well-rounded adults. In the business world, for example, people who are creative are much more likely to find success.  Creativity allows for innovation, a vital characteristic in today's business executive. To stay ahead of the game, for example, a business must be able to initiate and adapt to change.  Both of these things are impossible without creativity, which is best learned at an early age.

posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

'De-toxifying' childhood

towards Enlightened Living in a Technocratic World by Richard House, Ph.D., Roehampton University, LondonOn 12 September the Daily Telegraph published an open letter titled 'Modern life leads to more depression among children', signed by over 100 prominent public and professional figures. The letter (see http://ipnosis.postle.net/childhood.htm) expressed grave concerns about the loss of childhood in contemporary life - and the urgent need for an informed public debate about what we might do about it. An accompanying front-page lead story was headlined 'Junk culture "is poisoning our children"', and on the following day, the Telegraph launched an ongoing campaign titled 'Hold on to Childhood'.
     The press story precipitated a reaction that resonated around the world's media channels for days afterwards. This extraordinary story shows just how effective the media can sometimes be in seeding what are crucial public debates; and it could serve as a model for how other progressive causes might get their holistic views out into a public sphere which is not always welcoming of the messages we have to bring.
   
posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

The Dangers of Being Certain

In this incredibly complex and chaotic world we have a strong innate desire to be sure of things. We want a rock to hold onto in the sea of incomprehensible forces that move us. Because of this fear of uncertainty we create belief systems that put the world in order so we can feel comfortable. We become sure of our beliefs. This tendency is limiting at best and dangerous at worst.

First of all, we already come into the world with a limited capacity to perceive what is going on around us. Our eyes only take in a small part of the spectrum of light. Our ears hear a limited range of sound and our other senses are limited as well. Add to this the limitation of language and culture.

As we grow, we begin to think in words. Our spoken language limits what can be thought about and how it can be thought about. There’s an old adage about how Eskimos have a hundred different words for snow. They can think about snow in much greater differentiation because they have more words for it. If there are no words to describe something, we can’t think about it very easily.
posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

The two nations separated by a common language

It took Margaret Mead to understand the two nations separated by a common languageRecent events aside, the Americans and the British have not always seen eye to eye—neither in war nor wardrobe. In fact, during World War II the U.S. and British commands had such a terrible time communicating with one another that in 1943 they commissioned anthropologist Margaret Mead to determine why. The Americans complained that the British were secretive and unfriendly; the British insisted that the Americans were simpleminded and boastful. The allies argued about everything.

Mead discovered that the two cultures possessed fundamentally different world views. One simple way to demonstrate this was to ask an Englishman and an American a single question: What’s your favorite color? American servicemen quickly came up with a color, but the British asked, "Favorite color for what? A flower? A necktie?"

posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

"Why are Arabs always angry?"

a reader recently asked me, in a message filled with sarcasm and thoughtlessness. I refrained from replying right a way, because he seemed little interested in listening. I couldn't help but wonder how he might feel if he himself was an Arab. So, I am writing back.

You are an Arab - imagine that! Imagine for a moment that you are an Arab.

For years you watch Palestinians being slaughtered, their land invaded and reinvaded, and for years witness the United States government block any attempt to punish those who aggressed upon the people whom you call "my people".

Not only have the United States' vetoes at the United Nations Security Council suffocated any initiative to deploy even unarmed observers to provide badly- needed protection for Palestinians, but, thanks to billions of annual US funds, Israel manages to expand illegal settlements and provide its army with the greatest killing machines of all time.
posted on 07 Oct 2009 by editor

Ethics of Happiness

Happiness And Good Life
What is the relation between living a good life and being happy? To many, the good life is a financially prosperous life, and happiness lies in the possession of wealth. Worldly success is what counts, and anyone who is not ‘successful’ in the usual sense is counted a ‘failure.’ Others strive for a life based on honor and public recognition. A good life is made up of hobnobbing with the right people in the right settings, and happiness is a matter of gaining respect. Along with these, there are lives that show by their living a desire for glory or power that inspires great efforts. Others, who are not drawn to wealth, power or glory because of the difficulties involved in attaining them, may choose the pursuit of pleasure. A good and happy life is one in which pleasures outweigh the pains overall. Many questions have been asked about the good life and happiness. People constantly answer those questions with their lives, and we see many different ideas of the good life and happiness playing out in the strivings of human beings to live well and be happy.

posted on 05 Oct 2009 by editor

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