"I don't need a policeman to tell me how  to be good." Ammon Hennacy, (anarchist).

( A friend posted recently on the subject of divine and human authority. That word always triggers a reaction, usually a negative one. Read more.... )

A brave and passionate man will kill or be killed ( Read more... )

There is also the fact that in the age of money-dominated politics, many professional lawmakers do not come from the ranks of the commoner - instead, more and more are wealthy upper-crusters whose cloistered upbringing inside gated communities leaves them wholly unfamiliar with their constituencies.

An Unrepresentative Democracy by David Sirota on ( Read more... )

Reading ( Read more... )

( As a wannabe sage. i had to read this book. I'm sure glad i did. Read more... )

An ocean is greater
than the hundred rivers
that flow into it,
and all it does is wait
to receive what they bring.

If you want to teach people,
don't talk down to them.
If you want to lead them,
find out where they want to go.

People love leaders
who make them feel safe
without smothering them.
They'll always support
a leader like that,
and because he doesn't ( Read more... )

When a Master takes charge,
hardly anybody notices.
The next best leader
is obeyed out of love.
After that,
there's the leader obeyed out of fear.
The worst leader is one who is hated.

Trust and respect people.
That's how you earn
their trust and respect.

The Masters don't give orders;
they work with everybody else.
When the job's done,
people are amazed
at what ( Read more... )

III, 4: Artful condolences

When Lao Tan died, Khin Shih went to condole (with his son), but after crying out three times, he came out. The disciples said to him, 'Were you not a friend of the Master?'

'I was,' he replied, and they said,

'Is it proper then to offer your condolences merely as you have done?'

He said,

'It is. At first I thought he was the ( Read more... )

Another trip to a doctor's office means another opportunity to look at magazines i don't usually read.
This week it was Newsweek for November, 8, 2010..
Among several interesting articles is "Newsweek's Power 50" by Matthew Miller and Andrew Romano
The headline reads as follows: "In the hypercommodified media culture of 2010 , the most influential ( Read more... )

Niki, our nine year old Lab mix snapped at (bit?) a little girl two weeks ago.  We had already concluded  (or Dianne had already concluded) that we needed to restore our positions as pack leaders.  So we bought a new training system (The Perfect Dog) off the TV and started the new regimen yesterday; at the same time I am beginning a self ( Read more... )