Browsed by
Category: Viral

Interfaith Fast Today

Interfaith Fast Today

Comments 0 Comment

Today, I am participating in the Interfaith Fast.

Religious leaders from several traditions invite you to join with millions of other Americans participating in interfaith events in your local community on October 7 and 8th, for the breaking of bread, fasting, and breaking our fast together as we covenant together to live out the deepest calling in each of our traditions – the desire for justice and for peace for all people.

If you’d like to participate, do so. You can rsvp on Facebook.

interfaithfast

This fall, in an unusual convergence, many of our faith traditions share a season of sacred self-assessment and self-transformation. This holy season includes the month of Ramadan and the Night of Power (Islam); the High Holy Days and Sukkot (Judaism); the Feast Day of Francis of Assisi and Worldwide Communion Sunday (Christianity), Pavarana / Sangha Day (Buddhism) and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. Some communities of the First Nations have already begun to observe Columbus Day as Indigenous Nations Day, with practices that transform its meaning.

Since each of our traditions recognizes the power of fasting as a spiritual discipline, we call on all people of faith to join in a fast from dawn to dusk on Monday, October 8.

Newsbrief

Virus of the Mind

Virus of the Mind

Comments 0 Comment

Oh, no… I completely missed this song by Heather Nova.

It would have been great to have had “Virus of the Mind” for the dissertation….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqXIhKIOcjU[/youtube]

HEATHER NOVA
South 2001
Virus of The Mind

Well I was watching this talk show the other day
And on it there was this guy and he was saying
When you let other people tell you what’s right
When you leave your instinct and your own truth behind he said
That’s a virus of the mind. that’s a virus of the mind
I guess it’s kind of like losing your sight; for a
Second you think that they might be right, and it
Feeds the doubts you have inside, and it
Almost starts to feel like a crime
To follow your own rhythm and rhyme

Yeah I’m pretty happy living in my own sweet time I’m pretty happy
And I don’t need your virus of the mind

Well I went to this party thing last night
A lot of people I hadn’t seen in a long time
And they wanted to know about my life,
But making me feel like it wasn’t quite right
Like where’s your kids and where’s your car?
I said I don’t have either but I have a guitar
And I ended up feeling like I was a freak
So I found some wine and something to eat
And I talked to a dog to pass the time
Told myself I’m doing fine,
It’s just a virus of the mind
It’s just a virus of the mind

Yeah I’m pretty happy living in my own sweet time I’m pretty happy
And I don’t need your virus of the mind

It’s in the deep of your soul
It’s on the tip of your tongue
It’s the feeling you get when you feel young
It’s in the sound of the beat
It’s in the base of your spine
It’s in your gut reaction, yeah every time
But they tell you what you should have,
They tell you who you should be
It’s in the pictures and ads and in the magazines
I’m kicking it off like a bug in the breeze
’cause is anyone out there inside me?
I said is anyone out there inside me?
I say is anyone?

Conservative Psychological Manipulations

Conservative Psychological Manipulations

Comments 1 comment

These videos by Roy Eidelson examine several ways that American conservatives manipulate public opinion – and how this psychological warfare can be countered and resisted. Not flashy at all – he should probably have someone else do the voiceover – but nicely argued.

“Dangerous Ideas: How Conservatives Exploit Our Five Core Concerns” (above) describes how today’s conservatives have used appeals to our core concerns about vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness in order to further a narrow ideological agenda that actually benefits very few while leaving most of us worse off.

[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=844699642769511518[/googlevideo]

Here he examines these same psychological framings as they apply to war-mongering (special emphasis on Iraq).

“Resisting the Drums of War” describes how the misguided and destructive war in Iraq was promoted by targeting our concerns about vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness. The continued occupation of Iraq–or an attack on Iran–will likely be sold to us in much the same way.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttcV6NIvkqE[/youtube]

My President Will Be…

My President Will Be…

Comments 1 comment

The Progressive Patriots Fund is asking for a word or phrase to describe a quality you’d like you see in our next president.

You can download the ‘My President Will Be…’ sign or make your own. Write down your word or phrase and upload a photo of yourself with your sign.

Here’s Russ Feingold’s video:

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=ivaTo6b2F7M[/youtube]

Thanks to Bob Dylan for the inspiration…

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=5KKmQp8-bog[/youtube]

Morgan’s Meme

Morgan’s Meme

Comments 3 comments

Loz from Sunrays and Saturdays has tagged me for another meme. This is called “Morgan’s Meme” (who knows?)

So the instructions are:

1. Remove the link of the top blog and add your blog at the bottom.

2. Replace the last person’s answers to the questions with 5 of your own.

3. Pass this meme on to five fellow bloggers

************************************************************

What were you doing ten years ago? (Five things)

  • 1. Defending my dissertation proposal, avoiding writing
  • 2. Planning the wedding
  • 3. Reading a lot of Jean Baudrillard
  • 4. Spending a lot of time with my future husband
  • 5. Redefining personal boundaries

What were you doing one year ago? (Five things)

  • 1. Looking for an academic job
  • 2. Having heart palpitations over my student loans
  • 3. Blogging a lot
  • 4. Having a lot more political concerns than I had ten years ago
  • 5. Spending a lot of time with my son

Five snacks you enjoy.

  • 1. Chocolate malted Ovaltine and cookies
  • 2. Grilled cheese and pineapple sandwiches
  • 3. Triscuits with smoked gouda
  • 4. Raspberries with chocolate
  • 5. Fresh bread with crab and spinach dip

Five Songs you know the lyrics to…

  • 1. All for the Best – Godspell
  • 2. God – Tori Amos
  • 3. Free Man in Paris – Joni Mitchell
  • 4. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen (yup, in the car too)
  • 5. Galileo – Indigo Girls

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire.

  • 1. Pay off my student loans
  • 2. Complete Makeover
  • 3. Load up the college fund for Ben
  • 4. Seriously consider the filmed FU tour
  • 5. Be good and decide to bank, invest – a million ain’t that much anymore.

Five Bad Habits.

  • 1. Smoking
  • 2. Impatience
  • 3. Irritability
  • 4. Giggling
  • 5. Holding myself up to impossible standards

Five things you like to do.

  • 1. Read
  • 2. Sing
  • 3. Make love
  • 4. Discuss life and problems and issues
  • 5. Get centered and balanced

Five things you would never wear again.

  • 1. Tutu
  • 2. Leg warmers
  • 3. High heels
  • 4. Mumu
  • 5. Egyptian ceremonial robe

Five favorite toys.

  • 1. The big spinning top with the plunger whachamacallit on top
  • 2. Spirograph
  • 3. Puppets
  • 4. Building discs of clear colored plastic (good for castles)
  • 5. Microscope

Five things you hate to do.

  • 1. Clean floors
  • 2. Acknowledge that I am completely mistaken
  • 3. Realize that I’ve done something of which to be ashamed
  • 4. Say no to my son when he’s looking at me with those sad eyes
  • 5. Feel rejected

Ok, here’s who I’m tagging. This is just a start. Participate if you’d like to, and if I don’t name you, that doesn’t mean you can’t play. I’m trying to avoid always tagging the same blogs.

If you don’t blog but you want to participate, you can post your answers in the comments.