Here is a really interesting article on how people view their wealth in relative terms, and the exponential financial success of peers may make rich people most discontent!
Like the story of the 49 coins, those who allow external measures - money accumulation, fame/celebrity, power/influence - to determine their self-worth and joy will suffer from eternal inadequacy/inequality.
This is an article that showed unusual insight and courage, in writing and in life.
I hope every American family tonight got a chance to listen to Michelle Obama’s speech and to see the girls playfully send regards to their Dad.
Her speech should shatter any sown doubts about her patriotism, & her commitment to what is great about America & the American dream. More important, seeing the family interact with such natural warmth should highlight their commonality with all Americans and hopefully uproot vestiges of race-based suspicion.
The only thing better than lyrics from Coldplay’s songs are their actual songs. Chris Martin’s vocals melt and reassemble the soul at once. Here are the lyrics from FIX YOU - but if you haven’t heard the song, you should.
When You Try your best but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse.When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix youAnd high up above or down below
When you’re too in love to let it go
But if you never try you’ll never know
“Just what your worth”Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix youTears stream, down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I..Tears stream, down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I..Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.
COLDPLAY
FIX YOU
An interesting discussion of human rights in the context of Spain’s "Great Ape Project."
A Palestinian truck packed with 4 tons of explosives rammed into the Israel-Gaza border crossing and caused an explosion that was heard 12 miles deep into Gaza and out to Israel. By miracle or defensive design, the bomber was the only immediate casualty as the crossing includes a long tunnel that acts as a buffer (see last picture of this post).
(this picture is of a getaway car that was destroyed by an IDF missile; no pictures were allowed to be taken at the checkpoint/crossing)
Given the war with Hamas in Gaza, I should not be surprised.
But I was sobered up. Darya Shaikh, our US Executive Director, and I were planning to be exactly where the explosion occurred the following day to meet Ezz and Mowaffaq, Palestinian Executive Directors of OneVoice Gaza. They had not been able to get a permit to join our Board meeting, so we were going to meet at the Erez crossing to bring them up to date. I have not gone back inside Gaza since the Hamas coup 11 months ago, but we had received permits to go through the Israeli checkpoint and meet at the end of the tunnel with Ezz and Mowaffaq.
This is the tunnel between Erez/Israel and the Gaza entrance, which was targeted by the Palestinian terrorist, apparently from Islamic Jihad, a 22 year old recruited into a suicide mission.
Like Hotel Rwanda, Beyond the Gates (aka Shooting Dogs) peers into the genocide in Rwanda, here from the eyes of an older priest and a young teacher who witness the slaughter by Hutu militia wielding machetes on Tutsi refugees as UN peace-monitors stand by. Less than 15 years ago this true story took place. After witnessing the inhuman carnage from close, helpless to save a mother and her baby, Joe Connor, the idealistic English teacher, asks Christopher, the exhausted Catholic priest:
Joe: How much pain can a human being take, do you think?
If you feel enough pain, does everything just shut down…
before you die?Christopher: I don’t know, Joe.
Joe: ’cause you’d think that, wouldn’t you? You’d think there’d be some, something in the design, some shut-off valve, if you feel enough pain?
Christopher: I hope so.
Joe: Yeah, God knows. [chuckles] Maybe we should ask him… If he’s still around.
Christopher: I think it’s time we packed our bags.
The UN then begins a withdrawal, evacuating foreigners, but abandoning the compound, and the refugees. What could Joe do? What can the priest do?
This guy, Randy Pausch, is truly inspiring. Make sure you tune in till the end of his presentation.
My sister had a really interesting observation on the modern forms of bondage that we experience, relating to the spiritual aspects of Passover…
Perri Klass wrote a very interesting article on the interplay between modern medicine’s use of anesthesia and its interplay with the far less scientific and more mysterious concepts of consciousness and self. Anesthesia, as he writes, encompasses "the allure and the terror of leaving yourself behind."
