Wondering where to go, wondering what to talk to you, but seem like there is nowhere to go, no place to hide my secret.
Loving you is all I want to do but I never hate anything like this feeling too. It makes me smile but I know that I will be the one who cry.
Until now, I wondering why I still fight to keep the chance. The chance that will make me hurt.
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On the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth (February 12, 1809), the following is the closing paragraph of On the Origin of Species as reprinted in Poems for the Millennium, volume 3, The University of California Book of Romantic & Postromantic Poetry, in the section called “A Book of Origins.” We take it as a meditation – practically a prose poem – on the poetics of evolution and include it there to heal the breech, if it ever existed, between poetry & science.
It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent on each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. These laws, taken in the largest sense, being Growth with Reproduction; Inheritance which is almost implied by reproduction; Variability from the indirect and direct action of the external conditions of life, and from use and disuse; a Ratio of Increase so high as to lead to a Struggle for Life, and as a consequence to Natural Selection, entailing Divergence of Character and the Extinction of less-improved forms. Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.
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Few writers from ancient times enjoy the same level of recognition as Sun Tzu, the famous philosopher and general from ancient China. Quotes from his timeless treatise the "Art of War" appear in popular culture and the whole book is frequently studied by business and military students around the world. Sun Tzu's "Art of War" presents thirteen chapters that describe how to factor in all important variables when trying to win a conflict. The principles can be applied to military problems as well as the challenges of the marketplace or even personal struggles.
The precise dates of the birth and death of Sun Tzu are not known, but history has verified his existence around the year 500 B.C.E. in China. Born of Sun Ping, a senior military officer in the state of Qi, Sun Tzu grew up with an education focusing on military affairs. At the time, it was common for Chinese generals to write about their philosophies of war, but it has been the work of Sun Tzu that has survived the ages. What made his "Art of War" so compelling that it is quite literally still in print 2,500 years after it was first inked onto strips of bamboo?
Part of the resilience of Sun Tzu's ideas comes from his success as a general. Ancient China was a complex chessboard of highly civilized yet warring states, and Sun Tzu enjoyed a respectable career within this challenging environment. Sun Tzu was in the employ of He Lu, the ruler of the state of Wu, who made him a general of the kingdom. In this role, Sun Tzu participated in numerous campaigns. His successes included the destruction of the Yue state, the territorial expansion of Wu, and the occupation of the city of Ying.
His successful application of his strategic thinking surely lent his literary work strength. His "Art of War" is not limited to narrow military concepts such as positioning soldiers on the field. Sun Tzu took into account all the forces acting upon a state. War is a tool of the state, and as Sun Tzu wrote, "War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter of life or death, the road either to survival or to ruin." But this crucial element of state power could not operate independently of diplomacy, politics, economics, geography, and philosophy. Each chapter in the "Art of War" explores these and other factors in detail and teaches that the application of military force must be used with a multidisciplinary approach. Geography is certainly given great emphasis because the actual land that is being fought over underpins military strategy, but it is not the sole consideration for a general.
Among the many sage pieces of advice that one can take away from the "Art of War" is Sun Tzu's insistence that war should not be started hastily, with optimistic assumptions, or without good intelligence. The stakes in war are too high for the state to lose, so therefore it must only employ its military tools when it can achieve victory. The economics of warfare is repeatedly stressed by Sun Tzu because of the heavy toll that maintaining an army in the field extracts from its society. War should not be the first tool that a state uses to gain its desired outcomes because it is so expensive.
In Sun Tzu's final chapter of his book, he opens with a statement that rings very true today as my own country, the United States, finds itself financing a prolonged war. From Chapter 13 "Use of Spies" Sun Tzu wrote:
"Now, when an army of one hundred thousand is raised and dispatched on a distant campaign, the expenses borne by the people together with disbursements of the treasury will amount to a thousand pieces of gold daily. In addition, there will be continuous commotion both at home and abroad, people will be exhausted by the corvee of transport, and the farm work of seven hundred thousand households will be disrupted."
Reading this, I am amazed by how little some things can change even after thousands of years. War is expensive, and its cost radiates throughout the populace supporting the army. This truth dramatically reveals the wisdom that Sun Tzu offered in his writing. From the "Art of War" a reader will gain a clear method for assessing almost any given situation and then planning a route to success. In his discussion of war, Sun Tzu teaches his readers to think about where they are, what they are doing, can they support what they are doing, do they know what they are up against, what is the easiest method for achieving their goals, and so forth. Sun Tzu continually reminds the reader (and during his life no doubt himself) that the state must not think about only what it desires without giving weighty consideration to outside influences. For individuals, this all inclusive way of thinking helps them to surmount the blinders that emotions often place on their actions. Obstacles to victory cannot be ignored. They must be dealt with thoughtfully.
The world of ancient China that Sun Tzu lived in might have been simpler in the sense of less technology, but the stakes of warfare were no less important than they are today, and the path to finding victory or success was no easier.
As a very short work, the "Art of War" can be read in an hour or two, but it will give readers something to think about for years. His advice sticks in the head. It might not be easy to follow, but Sun Tzu's famous statement that "every battle is won or lost before it is fought" serves as the ultimate reminder that victory comes to those who plan.
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The Act of Giving is something we all possess! We can smile at a stranger and that is our gift to them. When we dig inside the web of personalities, giving gives us a sense of empowerment and satisfaction.
When you receive a gift you feel special in a good way, you feel like your important. That truly is a wonderful gift to give anyone.
* When was the last time you smiled at a stranger?
* When was the last time you gave yourself a gift?
* When was the last time you did something nice with no thought of what you would get back?
One gift I know I have in my possession is Knowledge and knowledge can lead to power. Every person I share with I am giving them the gift of my knowledge, do I have to share.........no..........do I want to.........yes I do.
When we all do our online interacting, how do we make that other person feel special and important? Are we giving them a Cyber Handshake or Greeting out of the way? Are we commenting
and encouraging? That is one way right now you can share a gift, yes it costs nothing but truly gains a good feeling for that other person. Did you know if you made there day that they would remember you better?
If you can lighten ones persons day and make a lovely impression on them what would you choose to do? Who Are you going to share you Gift with?
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So I just got done reading Joel Osteen's book "Become a Better You". It is a 320+ page book filled with information on, well, as the title suggests becoming a better you. I must say before I write my review here that I am Joel fan. I think he is easy to listen to and has a great message week in and week out.
Now I know many devout Christians do not like Joel for the reason that it is a non-denominational service that implements the works of the bible and Jesus Christ with everyday life such as goal setting, achieving success and so on.
To me I think what Joel is trying to do is absolutely what a lot of people need in this world. I think gone are the days of the teachings of Jesus Christ through brimstone and fire.
I was born to a Catholic family, attended Catholic school from kindergarten to senior year in high school and through those thirteen years, when I say brimstone and fire, they would teach you the works of Jesus Christ through saying that if you don't believe you go to hell, things like that. We can save that conversation for another time though.
For now I want to tell you about what I thought of Joel's new best selling book. It was definitely an easy read. I finished the book in less than two weeks, which for me is quite an accomplishment because for whatever reason I have never been a fast reader. In any event the book is an easy read and well written.
Each chapter clearly outlines a path on how to become better at relationships, life, and work, family you name it. At the end of each section, which is comprised of many chapters each, Joel gives you an outline on what to do to improve your life in those areas he just wrote about. You are given a series of steps to take, and questions to ask others and yourself. It is a nice outline to follow.
The book is filled with a lot of real life examples, not only in Joel's own life but from others that attend his church in Texas and watch his TV program. My thought is using examples to get your point across about anything is always a good way to get your reader's attention.
All in all I would give this book an "A". It was what I expected it to be, had a clear and defined outline on how to get where you want to go, and most importantly it related everything in the book with the teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
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Alan Cohen author of, " Chicken Soup For The Soul," and other inspirational books said that in his work, "Lifestyles Of The Rich In Spirit."
A prominent political figure from a Muslin nation visited one our University recently to speak and answer questions, and I watched the president of that institution challenge him and attack him verbally. There was no peace in the words he used to describe his guest, he had his mind made up that this man represented the enemy and a war of words was in order. It was obvious to everyone that this man and his country were works of the devil and it was our duty to eliminate him first by dehumanizing him, and then by threats of war.
The guest answered the questions as best he could; he knew that the majority of the audience would not accept his words, but he tried to explain his country's position on several topics that struck fear in the hearts of Americans; but our thoughts had already established that this man was someone to hate. He on the other hand, stood his ground firmly and explained his position as clearly as he could given the atmosphere of emotions that surrounded him. He did not claim to hate or want to destroy us, he said he wanted to be our friend; he said that his religion was a peaceful one and that his country wanted to live by their beliefs without interference from other nations. He saw the conflict in Iraq as a senseless attempt to control something that was not under our control; it had been in existence for centuries before we were born as a country and always found a way to resolve its own issues. In the mist of all the anger and resentment he found himself in, he maintain his composure and expressed his feelings about how we had created the situations we found ourselves involved in, and that we were the ones that are forcing other nations to conform unconditionally.
The real issue is not about this man and his country; it is about each one of us. As Alan said, we must find the peace in our hearts in order to heal our separation. If we are motivated by fear, anger, and hatred, that is what we will manifest; the face of this man was that manifestation.
We do not practice what we preach in church each Sunday, we do not follow the teachings of Christ if we attack and fight in order to control. Destroying never brings healing, but forgiveness does. Through all the years of fighting we still do not get the concept of unity; we still put ourselves up on a higher plane of existence; we are disconnected from our source and do nothing but fight in order to reconnect; years of conditioning has made us what we are, a group of wanderers looking for redemption in all the wrong ways. It is us against everything else, when in fact there is nothing else; what we see is a mirror, there for us to remember who we really are.
Alan said something else in his book, " The most significant contribution you and I can make toward world peace is to be peaceful ourselves, to give peacefulness to those whose lives we touch daily, and to forgive ourselves for our errors, to the point at which we love ourselves no matter what we have ever done."
Now is the time for that forgiveness; now is the time to reunite within myself, to be the spirit that expresses the love that fills my heart. I can change and will change in order to be at peace; I ask for help from my source and it is given; I ask for love to fill my body and it is given; I ask to share that love with all life and it is given.
This Russian folk song explains my thoughts:
If the people lived their lives
As if it were a song!
For singing out the light
Provides the music for the stars
To be dancing circles in the night.
Howard (Hal) Thomas Manogue, was born in Philadelphia, and is a forerunner to the Indigo children, a now age term for misfit with an intuitive nature, a desire to know his truth with a gift of giving and sharing. Hal retired from the shoe industry after 35 years of sole searching, and discovered his real soul. He enjoys art, music, philosophy, psychology, nature and people.
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Thomas Mann, a German short story writer-novelist was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929. When his diaries were unsealed in 1975, they told of his struggles with his sexuality and which found reflection in his many works. His Death in Venice (1912) is a short novel wherein perverted love, decay and death result from a breakdown of traditional morals of a celebrated middle-aged writer Aschenbach belonging to Munich.
A dedicated artist with strong moral attitudes, Aschenbach proceeds on a holiday to Venice. In the hotel he finds himself watching a fourteen-year-old boy of Polish family whose flawless beauty and profile recalled a piece of classical Greek sculpture. From then on, after the initial aesthetic response, Aschenbach is lost. Sensuality he has subdued all his life. But now, the conflict between sensuality and intellect keep troubling him all the time. Looking at the boy, Tadzio, fills him with the anguish of love, expressed outside the door of the boy's bedroom. One night, a dream filled with orgiastic Dionysian imagery reveals to him the sexual nature of his feelings for Tadzio. And it leads to following the boy, contemplating, dreaming - spanning the whole gamut of unrest, ecstasy and fear.
Aschenbach's judgment becomes diseased and perverted. Thus, Achenbach's encounter with a silent stranger standing alone at a mortuary at Munich with bellicose gaze straight into the eyes sets his heart throbbing with horror and enigmatic desire. The stranger's white and long lips, exposed gums, red eyelashes over pale eyes, two vertical furrows like horns on his forehead - these give him the mask of death and the marks of the devil. The stranger symbolizes the demonic atmosphere that pervades Aschenbach's progressive decline. He also, in the meanwhile, suffered the bonhomie of a lascivious young-old man, roughed and drunk - all these prior incidences are indicative of his innate moral decadence, and of what he is to become when he follows the boy Tadzio through the 'odour of the sickened city' , Venice.
He (Aschenbach) becomes, with the aid of a cosmetic expert's rouge and hair dye, the old-young fop, and is constantly lured into the sight of the boy, who seems to be aware of his attentions, and, in return, seems also to be encouraging and tempting him.
On a near-deserted beach Aschenbach watches Tadzio for the last time, driven to agony on seeing the boy unsupervised for once, fighting with an older boy where Tadzio is quickly bested. Angrily, Tadzio leaves his companion and wades over to Aschenbach's part of the beach, where he stands for a moment looking out to sea; then turns halfway around to look at his "lover". To Aschenbach, it is as if the boy is beckoning to him. Irrevocably caught in the fatal fascination of the boy's corruptive beauty, he tries to rise and follow, only to collapse back into his chair, and soon after dies of cholera in the silence of his homosexual love.
When news of his death becomes public, the world decorously mourns the passing of a great artist, his artistic reputation remaining unharmed. But the secret of his moral degeneration, too, dies with Aschenbach's death.
Aschenbach had been the 'Apollonian' artist (Apollo, the god of reason and the intellect) who cultivated the classical virtues of restraint, moderation and harmony. But after seeing the beautiful boy his repressed emotional and sexual urges found release in 'Dionysian' lawlessness (Dionysus, god of unreason and of passion), where the developing neurosis led to his unnatural obsession, infatuation, moral collapse, broken health and inglorious death. Achenbach is portrayed as the unheroic hero of the story.
Aschenbach embodies the conflict between Art and Life - between creativity and sicknesses in real life.
Mann, although attacked sarcastically by his enemies for having made paederasty (boy-love) acceptable to the cultivated middle classes, it has been pivotal to introducing the discourse of same-sex to the common culture; Mann probably intending to stress the need for a balanced existence.
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