There is amongst Buddhists in Asia the story of Kwan Yin, sometimes called Kwannon and other spellings of the name... it is said, Kwan Yin had become a Bodhi-sattva... an Enlightened Being, who thereby was allowed to step off the Wheel of Life and Death, to bypass all future suffering in earthly incarnation, and instead to ascend to Nirvana; to the place of perfected All. … [Read more...] about Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese Opposition Leader: The Terra Firma of Burma
UAW & GM Reportedly Reach Tentative Settlement
AP via MSNBC: DETROIT - The United Auto Workers said early Wednesday it has reached a tentative contract agreement with General Motors Corp. that could end a two-day nationwide strike. The union said the deal was reached shortly after 3 a.m. A person briefed on the contract told The Associated Press earlier that the agreement would shift the burden of retiree health care … [Read more...] about UAW & GM Reportedly Reach Tentative Settlement
Burma Dharma: What is the Sound of 20,000 Monks Marching?
Can you imagine 20,000 Rabbi's taking to the streets of Manhattan to protest the treatment of the poor? How about 20,000 Bishops and Cardinals marching in the streets of say, Venice, holding hands? Could you imagine 20,000 Imams marching in Baghdad protesting the deaths of innocents? It would be awe-striking. Such a searing statement. But we don’t need to imagine holy men … [Read more...] about Burma Dharma: What is the Sound of 20,000 Monks Marching?
Tom Purcell: Bullies, Technology and Bullets
Tom Purcell is a columnist syndicated by Cagle Cartoons. Bullies, Technology and Bullets By Tom Purcell Bullying isn't like it used to be. Contemporary bullies are also using technology. They're making nasty cell-phone calls, sending e-mails and text messages and posting embarrassing things on the Internet. The anonymous cowards. When I was a kid in the '70s, … [Read more...] about Tom Purcell: Bullies, Technology and Bullets
Iran Ahmadinejad
Brian Fairrington, Cagle Cartoons … [Read more...] about Iran Ahmadinejad
War Stories
Here is a scene that won’t be part of Ken Burns’ new series about World War II on PBS this week. In 1945, a 20-year-old foot soldier arrives at General Patton’s Third Army in France. Before being sent to a rifle company, he is assigned to stay up every night and on the battalion’s only typewriter, which is not available during the day, copy officers’ notes about … [Read more...] about War Stories
House Vote To Expand Children’s Health Insurance Too Weak To Survive Bush Veto
The good news for those who've backed expansion of children's health care coverage is that it passed after a bipartisan vote in the House. The bad news for them -- and Republicans running for re-election, most likely -- is that many members of the Republican Party have continued the 2007 trend in following the administration's wishes so the vote margin means there won't be … [Read more...] about House Vote To Expand Children’s Health Insurance Too Weak To Survive Bush Veto
Supporter Launches Ron Paul YouTube Video Contest With Money Prize
OK ... perhaps the prize isn't as whopping as America's Got Talent's or American Idol's. But a Ron Paul supporter is insisting that he's launching a Ron Paul video contest on YouTube with the top prize $4,000. Yes, friends, this is indeed the Age Of You Tube. First, you had weblogs where any citizen could be his/her/it's own editor, publisher at a shockingly low cost. The … [Read more...] about Supporter Launches Ron Paul YouTube Video Contest With Money Prize
Republican Watts Calls GOP Front Runners’ No Show Decision On Minority Debate “Stupid”
The n.s. has hit the fan in the Republican Party. "N.S." stands for no shows, the GOP's top, leading candidates who insisted they just could not squeeze in the time to participate in a debate focusing on minority issues. Of course, it's merely a coincidence that it just happened that none of the four big front-runners showed up. And former Rep. J.C. Watts, a charismatic … [Read more...] about Republican Watts Calls GOP Front Runners’ No Show Decision On Minority Debate “Stupid”
Obama Immigration Interview
Immigration Law Profs exclusive interview with the candidate is now available. … [Read more...] about Obama Immigration Interview
Iran President Ahmadinejad
Rainer Hachfeld, Neues Deutschland, Germany … [Read more...] about Iran President Ahmadinejad
Disentangling Perpetrators from Victims
When someone is accused of moral wrongdoing, they have the right to procedural protection and a fair hearing, and should not be presumed guilty of the act without cause. When someone has been morally wronged, they have a right to compensation and restitution, and should not be assumed to be lying about the wrong in absence of specific evidence to that effect (e.g., if I say … [Read more...] about Disentangling Perpetrators from Victims
Center of Attention
A round up of recent posts by various bloggers who either attempt to strike a balanced note on heated debates and controversial issues, or improve our ability to find our own sense of balance by exposing us to new information and different points-of-view. -------------------------- Andrew Sullivan highlights the voice of a pragmatic reader who thinks, for all the hoopla … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
On Defining Dissent, Treason
This weekend, I noticed and posted at Central Sanity what I found to be an intriguing dichotomy: Two attempts to limit the free expression of opinions, one from the left (taking issue with planned protests of Ahmadinejad's Columbia U. appearance) and one from the right (labeling war protestors as treasonous). Yesterday, an anonymous commenter made several points on that … [Read more...] about On Defining Dissent, Treason
Freedom of Speech 1, Ahmadinejad 0
One of the more puzzling traits of the right wing, which waves Old Glory at every opportunity and professes to have a deep and abiding love for America, is how little faith it actually has in the pillars of the American legal and political system when push comes to shove. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the right wing has slavishly supported the Bush's administration's … [Read more...] about Freedom of Speech 1, Ahmadinejad 0
New Jersey: A Garden State of Mind
It took years for New Jersey to wrestle the unofficial Most Corrupt State title from Louisiana and public officials there are determined not to relinquish the crown. Just the other day, in yet another round of government corruption-related arrests yet another passel of mayors and other public officials from three counties were caught accepting payoffs from undercover agents … [Read more...] about New Jersey: A Garden State of Mind
Reading Ahmadinejad: Underlying the Bombastic
I’ve looked at several films of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking. The one below is the one I’ll focus on here. In all the films, he uses repetitive gestures; holding up and pointing with his index finger... unremarkable in itself, but he then ...employs poking motions with that finger, gestures while holding his finger laterally sometimes, upright others, other times … [Read more...] about Reading Ahmadinejad: Underlying the Bombastic
Ahmadinejad Takes a Victory Lap
Given the kerfuffles over whether Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should be allowed to visit Ground Zero and questions over whether there is something strange in the drinking water at Columbia University, it has been easy to overlook that as the Iranian president makes his annual sojourn to the U.S. and the U.N., he arguably has played the fools in the White House . . . for fools. Put … [Read more...] about Ahmadinejad Takes a Victory Lap
The Ahmadinejad Show: Less Horror Show And More Like Crossfire
It was a big "special," aired on TV, radio,sparking hours of talk radio outrage and angry (of course) blog rants. The event: the debut of the one shot made-for-TV special, The Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Show. But was it a horror show? Or more like "Crossfire?" Or containing the nuttiness of the guests on Jerry Springer? The build up to the event -- SURE to ensure maximum … [Read more...] about The Ahmadinejad Show: Less Horror Show And More Like Crossfire
Guest Poet: moveon, speaksout, demslose
Another poetic gem from TMV's favorite poet, Michael Silverstein, aka Wall Street Poet: Anyone with any political savvy understands what Bush has been doing in recent months to keep his Iraq policies afloat: playing The Wizard Of Oz card. Having become so personally unpopular, he's been saying, in essence, pay no attention to that man behind the curtain (me). Focus … [Read more...] about Guest Poet: moveon, speaksout, demslose