Rainbows

“Facts are not frightening. But if you try to avoid them, turn your back and run, then that is frightening.” Krishnamurti

 

“It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great.” Confucius

 

“Pass, therefore, not today in vain, for it will never come again.” Omar Khayyam

 

I have mentioned before that I have a real problem with prejudiced people. It was hard for me at work today to keep from lashing out at a couple of people who were making ugly remarks about gays and how they should stay in the closet. Considering it was a gay couple who moved me away from an abusive ex-husband and let me stay with them for a couple of months until I could find a place of my own and a full time job to say that the attitude of certain people towards gays makes me see red. It was especially upsetting that one of the people making the remarks is a young mother of two children. Just what this world needs is another generation being brought up in hatred.

 

One of the things that has made me determined to leave this small town after mother goes is the small minded prejudice that I keep encountering. I just get tired of listening to bigots. I want to get back to a larger metropolitan area where I will be among the diversity that I grew up with in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

In an ideal world people would practice what Jesus preached “Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.” I don’t see any qualifiers there do you? Or how about “Man was made in God’s image” I certainly don’t see any qualifiers there either. There is no except for ________ fill in the blank with whatever the current hated group is. God loves us no matter what and when we indulge ourselves in hatred and prejudice towards anyone because of race, color, creed, religion or lack of, sex, sexual orientation, political beliefs, education, class, or any other qualifiers then you are going against God’s word. Even if you don’t believe in God you are still going against common decency and against how a human being has a right to be treated.

 

A person should be treated with respect. Everyone has the right to a decent life for themselves and their families. We are one world and if we intend to continue living on this world we need to learn to get along. Each person needs to examine their own heart and make a conscious effort to over come any prejudices they may have towards others not like themselves.

 

The picture is called Rainbow Birds. A rainbow is made up of all colors and that is why it is so beautiful.

After the Rain

“The heart’s message cannot be delivered in words.” Mu-Mon

 

“Man, have faith in yourself. The soul is the same in every one.” Swami Vivekananda

 

“Consumed with anger, the world is an ugly place. Bathed in happiness, the world is a wonderful place. But, aha! the same world.” Taitetsu Unno

 

“Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.” Dalai Lama

 

“Live a good honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.” Dalai Lama

 

“A balanced and skillful approach to life, taking care to avoid extremes, becomes a very important factor in conducting one’s everyday existence.” Dalai Lama

 

“You have to work. There are thousands of people who will help you. You are never alone. But the main work is on your own shoulders.” Dalai Lama

 

“Peaceful resolution is the only alternative to violence.” Dalai Lama

 

Yes it has been an awful long time between postings for me. I have been battling extreme fatigue and all I have wanted to do for weeks now is sleep. I plan on doing some research tonight and see if I can figure out what is wrong and if it can be treated with vitamins and changes in diet.

 

I have stopped eating at the hospital cafeteria because I think that is what caused by cholesterol to jump way high this time. I am bringing my lunch now and I have noticed that I do feel a bit better. I am eating healthier at home too. I just need to refine the diet so that I am getting more energy from my food and maybe supplementing it with vitamins.

 

I have named my knee brace “Igor” since I walk like Frankenstein’s monster with it. Everyone seems to think that it is really funny. I figured if I have to deal with this thing I may as well have a sense of humor about it.

 

I was reminded several times recently in a conversation that I’m a good part Irish. Of course the way it was presented to me was very condescending and I really was not amused. I have always been very proud of my Irish heritage. The Irish are a people who have suffered much but still managed to keep their sense of humor and their ability to triumph in spite of adversity. If you look at the history of Ireland it is amazing that the Irish have triumphed and are now known as “The Irish Tiger.” There has been so much hatred and violence in that land. Even in this country the immigrants faced prejudice. It wasn’t that long ago that there were signs reading “No dogs or Irishmen allowed.” We have come a long way since those days and I salute my Irish heritage every chance I get. In fact on Match.com I am known as ArtisticIrishGal.

 

We faced some very heavy rains here in the Midwest and we had some road damage here in our part of Indiana. I hope my brother checks the road conditions before we go and see my Aunt this weekend. We haven’t seen her in a long time and I’m looking forward to it.  Aunt Bird has the gentle Irish spirit that I just love.

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Playing Catch Up

"Violence is not merely killing another. It is violence when we use a sharp word, when we make a gesture to brush away a person, when we obey because there is fear." Krishnamurti

"A civilization must be judged and assessed, not by the level of power it has reached, but by how it develops and expresses a love of humanity through its laws and institutions." Rabindranath Tagore

I am slowly starting to get caught up on things. I finally got to a doctor who could diagnose what was wrong with my knee. I have a sprained ligament and a brace on it for four weeks or so that I have named "Igor" because it makes me walk like Frankenstein' monster. I have also finally gotten a strangle hold on the sinus infection that has kept me down and out for weeks.

The web site is caught up again and several new pictures have been added. My latest is Wolf Lake that is showcased above.

I have updated my section that has blog recommendations and added my brother Eric's new blog where he is trying to justify moving to Texas. I also have Jerry's blog on the San Jose Sharks and why they still haven't won the Stanley Cup.

I am going to try and write more often here in the blog. Hopefully I'll find some inspiration soon on topics to write about.

For Doctor Who fans the current season is still providing some of the best stories that we have seen in many years. David Tennant is continuing to prove he is the best actor to have played the part. I really wish I could afford to fly to London and see the man at the Royal Shakespeare Theater in Hamlet. I think he is going to be brilliant.

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Honesty

"In the dark I lost sight of my shadow; I've found it again in the fire I lit." A Zen Harvest

"Reaching out to help others may be as fundamental to our nature as communication." Dalai Lama

“Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you”
Billy Joel

I generally tend to avoid politics in this blog as there are so many political blogs out there but as today's description says I am "annoyed" to put it mildly. I am running into more and more dishonestly these days in every aspect of life and today's politics really have me angry.

The frustration has been building at work where I post payments to accounts. We have a new 10% discount policy where if you pay by 10 days after you receive your statement (the due date is right on there) you get 10% off of your bill. I get people who back date their checks to try and take a discount they don't deserve. I have people in collections trying to claim the discount. I have the envelopes that the check was mailed in and I refuse to give these cheaters the discount. Their are honest people who will drive into the office in order to make sure their check is in time. I am NOT going to contribute to dishonesty.

That is why Hillary Clinton will never have my support or vote. If she manages to steal the nomination I will sit out the election. I will not vote for her. Her lies and pushing to sit delegates who broke their own parties rules is disgusting. How can we expect anyone in private life to show honesty if she is an example of dishonesty in public life.

As far as I'm concerned that woman showed her dishonest side when she chose to stay with a serial philanderer for political reasons. It would hurt her political chances if she divorced him. She needed his position as ex-president to further her own political ambitions. I made the sacrifice and left an abusive husband even though I ended up broke, bankrupt and on the verge of a breakdown but I gathered my dignity and courage up an did what was right. Hillary did not.

Her whole campaign has been one dishonest raving after another. Remember "under fire in Bosnia?" Liar. Her whole "a black man is stealing my campaign." Racist. Her campaigning with an adulterer. A traitor to decent women everywhere.

There has been much made in the media about Hillary's feminist supporters. Bull. I am one of many women I know who refuse to support her. I am in her "demographics" according to the media. Maybe the media should try a little investigative reporting for a change and stop buying into political garbage put out by Hillary's machine. Women are not supporting her. We are disgusted with her refusal to bow out gracefully in a campaign she can not win. She is destroying her party and the election with her ego. All she cares about is herself. She is making a mockery of the work that women such as myself do in trying to win a better life for people. To try and push legislation that will clean up the environment. To try and get help for Mother's to go back to school and end the cycle of poverty they are stuck in because dead beat dad's are not supporting the children they create. We are trying to win decent packages to care for our brave soldiers who risk their lives on a daily basis. Hillary can't be bothered. She is in this only for herself. I resent the way from the start that she assumed that she would have my support because she is a woman and as a woman she represents me. No she doesn't. As a woman I repudiate you Hillary and every lie you have told. I repudiate your ego and the damage you have caused. You do not speak for me. I speak for myself.

I was thrilled when a week before the election the sign in the yard across from us came down. It had said "Hillary for President." The new sign says "Obama for President." I love that new sign.

The picture is called Guardian of Freedom. We all need to fight for our freedoms. Their are too many dishonest people out there wanting to steal them from us.