Connie’s Coffee Talk

While I *try* not to subscribe to an all or nothing philosophy of life, I found many of these principles to be both helpful and wise.  

- Connie 

Something about lions and courage……

“At the end of the sorrowful night
Truth appears and smilingly says,
“Beloved, fear no more.”

- Sri Chinmoy

The material advances of the world do not seem to have reduced the amount of fear that exists in our mind.

When we fear we weaken ourselves and make it impossible to enjoy life as it is supposed to be enjoyed.

To consciously enjoy life we need to throw away fear and retain optimism and a positive attitude to the world.

To live without fear is quite possible.

Self Belief.

When we fear, we consciously weaken ourselves.

If we think of ourselves as an ant, then we will inevitably fear being trampled on.

It is important to maintain faith in ourselves and a sense of self belief.

This is not the pride of self aggrandisement, but belief in our inner self. If we maintain belief in our inner divinity, then we will not fear the world.

Don’t Judge Others (*but hold them accountable*)

When we judge and condemn others, we ironically open ourselves up to being judged ourselves. When we pick up on the faults of others, we unconsciously strengthen these very same faults in ourself.

Often we start criticising others to assert an unconscious sense of superiority over others; we do this partly out of fear.

But, judging others is not a solution to fear; we only make it stronger.

Don’t Focus on Your Weakness / Sin.

If we focus on our ’sins’ and weaknesses, we start to cherish a guilty conscience.

This magnifies our weaknesses and problems, this will only create an attitude of fear.

Instead we need to forget unpleasant experiences; it is sufficient to resolve to avoid repeating mistakes.

We need to move on and think about the good things we are going to do.

When we focus on the negative things we have done we become fearful of their consequences.

Suspend Disbelief

If we separate ourselves from the rest of humanity we will always be fearful.

If we have an attitude of self importance and self reliance, we will fear and mistrust other people.

We should avoid imagining others are thinking ill of us.

The mind frequently thinks of the worst.

But, we have to ignore these thoughts and concentrate on the underlying unity with other people.

Leave Aside Superiority / Inferiority

A lot of fear is based on a false desire to prove ourselves to the rest of the world.

We worry over people’s perceptions and criticisms.

Therefore we give much importance to proving ourselves; this generates constant feelings of inferiority and superiority which creates a climate of subconscious fear in our mind.

Ignore the Fears of the Media.

In daily life there are numerous mediums which seek to play on our fears.

If we uncritically read newspapers from cover to cover, we will become overwhelmed with fear.

Even if we are aware of the nature of newspapers to magnify negative experiences, we can still be subconsciously affected.

Through absorbing ourselves in the consciousness of the news media, it is easy to gain an unbalanced perspective on life and this generates a feeling of fear.

If newspapers highlight 10 problems with the world, we should try to remember 10 reasons to be optimistic.

It is not that we need to avoid reading newspapers; but, we need to be very cautious about being swept up in their world perspective, which inevitably highlights the bad. Satire is a great medicine to the negative attitude of the media.

Take Each Day as It Comes

Most of our worries and fears are generated over imaginary experiences that never happen.

Most fears are based on the future.

Yet our mind is a very poor guide to predicting the future.

Usually things do not turn out as bad as we plan.

The great sages frequently advise us to take each day as it comes and ‘let the morrow worry about the morrow’

It is with good reason; if we can live in the present moment we can easily reduce the impact of fear in our lives.

from the wonderful site:

http://www.srichinmoybio.co.uk/blog/life/living-without-fear/#comment-729

Photo by Pranlobha, Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries

I can’t help it.  I’m just big boned.

and I can’t help that I must have this cat.

More great pics at:

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/captioncall/

Desperado

(for Henry David Thoreau) 

By Viola Ransel

It is moral courage
makes the woman
or man.

Conversely,
physical courage
is quite common.
While he has never had
the moral courage
to take a stand against
“might makes right” itself,
the same man,
raised never to restrain himself
from resorting to force
as a first, and only, option,
still finds himself
hailed a hero
in an inversion
of moral law.

And the woman
with the courage
to live outside the confines
of the kitchen,
the bedroom
and
the nursery
still faces a lingering
label of perversion,
seen as usurping
man’s rightful place
at the apex
of the pyramid
of oppression.

Woman or man,
to take a stand
outside the boundaries,
to color outside the lines
of the stick figure confines
of the rigid roles prescribed
for male and female inmates
of capitalist culture’s
insane asylum
runs the risk of committing
cultural suicide.

Girly men.
FemiNazis.
Real men don’t cry,
have hearts or any emotions,
while real women
have been defined
by only those
obvious displays
of devotion.

Lonely
is the individual
who dares to live as an outlaw
outside the ordinary
where character insists
consistently
on the courage
to be
contrary.

“It is curious - curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare.” - Mark Twain

More terrific writing by Violet Ransel and :
http://www.bestcyrano.org/THOMASPAINE/?p=806#more-806

Poet and part-time actor Viola Ransel is a Senior Contributing Editor with CJO.

 Came across this story recently…..am glad I did.

‘Unbelievable’ sportsmanship in softball game

PORTLAND, Ore. - With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college.

Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.

But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.

She crawled back to first but could do no more.

The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her.

Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.

Then, members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count — an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs.

Central Washington first baseman Mallory Holtman, the career home run leader in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Tucholsky.

The umpire said there was no rule against it.

So Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace put their arms under Tucholsky’s legs, and she put her arms over their shoulders.

The three headed around the base paths, stopping to let Tucholsky touch each base with her good leg.

(more)

As the trio reached home plate, Tucholsky said, the entire Western Oregon team was in tears.

Central Washington coach Gary Frederick, a 14-year coaching veteran, called the act of sportsmanship “unbelievable.”

For Western Oregon coach Pam Knox, the gesture resolved the dilemma Tucholsky’s injury presented.

“She was going to kill me if we sub and take (the home run) away. But at the same time I was concerned for her. I didn’t know what to do,” Knox said.

Tucholsky’s injury is a possible torn ligament that will sideline her for the rest of the season, and she plans to graduate in the spring with a degree in business.

Her home run sent Western Oregon to a 4-2 victory, ending Central Washington’s chances of winning the conference and advancing to the playoffs.

“In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much,”

Holtman said. “It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run.”

I liked what was said at Dorothysurrenders blog:

“Sportsmanship of this caliber is beyond rare in this “I-got-mine” age of multimillionaire superstars with win-at-all-costs egos.

I’d say it’s nearly extinct. Grown men (and women) who get paid like kings (and queens) to play a child’s game get deified for their personal triumphs.

But doing the right thing even when it conflicts with your personal interests is at the core of our basic humanity. We all know the right thing to do, the question is will we do it. Mallory, Liz and Sara showed us what it looks like when you do.

And it is nothing short of beautiful.”

So true.

The beauty of (women’s) compassion and love for others is far too often overlooked and undervalued, but in cases like these we get to see what really means the most.  

Especially to those who can see it.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24392612/

Anti-War Website Operator Threatened 

 

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Thursday, August 7, 2008

The operator of a leading alternative news and strongly anti-war website has become the target of nefarious thugs apparently in the employ of the U.S. government who have continually harassed him and ordered him to shut down his website.

Tom Feeley, owner and editor of InformationClearingHouse.info, has endured public harassment, home invasions, death threats and threats to his family simply for running a website.

Counterpunch writer Mike Whitney has circulated an e mail describing what happened to Feeley in an attempt to draw attention to the matter.

Whitney writes that earlier this week Feeley’s wife was startled to suddenly discover three well dressed men standing in her kitchen who told her that Tom must “Stop what he is doing on the Internet, NOW!”

To emphasize the point, the thug pulled back his jacket to reveal a gun while barking out the warning.

Tom’s wife was hysterical and refuses to go back to the house. She contacted the FBI but was told there was nothing they could do.

According to Whitney, “The well-dressed man told Tom’s wife that he knew where her son lived, what line of work he was in, and how many children he had.”

Subsequently, two men in a parked car a block from Tom’s mother’s house were spotted using laptops and sped off when they were approached by Tom’s son.

A similar incident had happened four years previously, when Feeley was approached by a stranger in the parking lot of Long’s Drug store in Southern California, after being forced to remain in his car by an accomplice who blocked him from opening the car door. The man told him, “You need to stop what you are doing on the web”.

Tom said the man was overweight and had his shirt untucked. Tom was taken aback, but (after collecting himself said) “What the fuck? Who do you think you are telling me what I can do?”

The man answered, “Tom, I’m just giving you some good advice. You should take my advice, Tom.”

[Alex Jones] has experienced similar intimidation tactics on several occasions in the past, particularly the scenario that happened to Tom in the parking lot as well as thinly veiled threats against his family.

In every single instance, the best response is to stand up and be vocal in the face of such harassment.

Mafia-like thugs only continue to feed on those who put up with such treatment.

The most dangerous thing to do is cower and acquiesce to the will of tyrants.

These kind of tactics will only succeed if the thugs think their actions can have any kind of effect.

Every time someone in our movement is intimidated or harassed, we should respond only by re-doubling and intensifying our efforts.

I’ll tell you this about Tom Feeley; he is no bullshitter,” writes Whitney, “He is the “real deal” and completely committed to exposing the mob that is presently running our country.

He does not understand why, (as he says) “They are reaching down SO far to get someone who just runs web site”. But, the truth is, they are. Someone wants him to “shut up” and they apparently have the muscle to do it. He knows he is in danger.”

Feeley is ditching his cellphone and maintaining a low profile but to his credit, refuses to cave in to the threats and will continue to publish his website.

Drawing attention to Feeley’s situation is of paramount importance to ensure his protection and also to combat head on attempts to create a chilling atmosphere and intimidate journalists and website publishers.

Original story at: http://www.prisonplanet.com/anti-war-website-operator-threatened-by-armed-thugs.html

Charming Bees and Mary Louise……..

One of my favorite movies is Fried Green Tomatoes. 

I haven’t thought about the film in a long time and today I came across this interview with Mary Louise Parker, who played Ruth in the film. 

Interesting what politicking can go on behind the scenes…..

Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

AE: Ever since Fried Green Tomatoes, obviously, you’ve had a ton of lesbian fans.
MLP: Right on.

AE: Do you ever wish — I know this is a long time ago, but do you ever wish the story line on Fried Green Tomatoes was a little bit more —
MLP: Yes! Well, in some ways I do.

I tried to make it a little bit more articulated at the time, but they didn’t really want to go that way.

And in some ways I wish that it was, and then in some ways I think maybe the audience wouldn’t have gone there, so I don’t know — I have very mixed feelings about it.

Because I tried — I really tried to push it (ie. the attraction between Ruth and Idgie) at the time, and they didn’t want to go there with me.

AE: Who didn’t want to go there?
MLP: [emphatically] No one.

AE: Not even your co-star?
MLP: Oh no, Mary Stuart did, Fannie Flagg did, but not the director, not the producer, nobody else.

AE: Wow, OK.
MLP: But I was really trying to push it, and they were like [shakes head].

AE: Times have changed, I guess.
MLP: Yeah, for sure.

More of the interview at: http://www.afterellen.com/people/2008/7/marylouiseparker?page=0%2C0

While our nation’s budget is scrapped and scraped, vital programs are dismissed as expendable and irrelevant,  from veterans benefits, to our children’s education to our non-existent healthcare (unless of course you have health insurance and then again it’s still unaffordable…..)  

The breathtaking neglect of Katrina, the floods in Iowa and now Missouri, and the many of those once middle class citizens now living with either family members or in their cars? 

Apparently, there remains one priority to our Congress above all else……

US Congress Approves Israel Aid Increase

The US Congress has approved a 170 million dollar increase in security assistance to Israel as part of its new 10-year, 30 billion dollar defense aid commitment to the Jewish state.

The money for Israel was part of a larger supplemental spending bill that included 162 billion dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The legislation gained final approval in a 92-6 Senate vote late Thursday.

America’s pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, welcomed the congressional action, saying it would increase US aid to Israel to 2.55 billion dollars in fiscal year 2009, up from 2.38 billion dollars this year.

“The US commitment to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge is the cornerstone of American policy in the region,” AIPAC said in a statement Friday.

The military aid to Israel reflected an increase in value of more than 25 percent, Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said, describing the package as a considerable improvement and very important element for national security. “ 

—EOE—

 http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080627172738.e1…

Rachel 

There have been a series of individuals and events which have opened my eyes to the realities happening in occupied Palestine, and to the horrific actions and policies being implemented by the Israeli government towards the people living there, and as well to those who actively oppose such policies.   

One such individual was Rachel Corrie.

Please watch this short video.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMO-FQwIRiM

Rachel was a 23 year old activist from Washington State who had a promising future ahead.  

From her early years there seemed to be something special about Rachel.  

There also seemed something special about the quality of education she received, which from an early age, focused on important social and environmental issues which seems unfortunately unique compared to the more standard education model taught in our schools today. 

While most young girls are more concerned with Barbies, clothes and make up, Rachel from what I’ve read seemed to have much bigger concerns on her mind.   

I came across a link which showed an older clip of Rachel when she must have been no older than five or six, giving a grade school speech about poverty and how it affects children in other countries.  

Even at such a young age she was eloquent and poised. 

It was apparent that the issue of ending human suffering was a driving force for Rachel all her life.

Rachel at Capital High School, Olympia, WA

When she was 23, Rachel entered the war torn world of occupied Palestine with a hand ful of other activists from the International Solidarity Movement. 

An ISM protest in Gaza against Israel’s shooting of Palestinian children. On the right, Rachel Corrie

When she arrived,  Rachel and the other activists attended two days of training in non-violent resistance and essentially volunteered to protect and block Palestinian homes that were being demolished by the Israeli Defense Forces.    

Rachel Corrie chats with a Palestinian friend, living in a dire situation in Rafah, Gaza.

To listen to Rachel as she was volunteering in occupied Palestine only days before her death, watch the powerful video below:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3JI-axaRF4

On March 16th, 2003 an Israeli soldier driving a bulldozer two-stories high crushed to death 23-year-old Rachel Corrie. 

According to witnesses and photographic documentation, she was killed intentionally.  

Rachel Corrie stands in front of an Israeli army bulldozer wearing an orange jacket so that she can be easily identified and seen.

Rachel as she stands between an Israeli bulldozer and a Palestinian physician’s house in the southern Gaza town of Rafah.

The Israeli bulldozer ran over her and then backed up, crushing her chest and skull.

Friends try to help Rachel as they wait for transportation to the nearest hospital.  However, she was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. 

With five other nonviolent human rights defenders, Rachel had been in front of a family home in Palestine, standing in front of the property in hopes of protecting it from being destroyed.  

That day the Palestinian home was not destroyed. 

However the life of Rachel Corrie was destroyed by an Israeli soldier who crushed her under the weight of the bulldozer. 

“Rachel and a handful of others practicing Gandhian nonviolence in the Gaza Strip had been pleading with Israeli soldiers for two hours not to destroy a Palestinian family home. Suddenly, the Israeli bulldozer operator began driving his giant bulldozer toward the home, Rachel sitting in the bulldozer’s path. Witnesses report that she then stood up on the mound of debris and dirt pushed by the bulldozer blade and looked straight at the operator through the window. He continued, and she was pulled underneath the tractor, its blade crushing her.

He then backed up, running over her again, burying her deeper into the dirt.” 

(www.ifamericansknew.org )

I have been profoundly moved by Rachel’s life, as have thousands of others. 

Her life, and death, have changed me.

I hope Rachel may change you as well.

A quote worth sharing:

“Ironically, Rachel’s killer was granted an honor and privilege few of us will ever know:

He looked directly into the eyes of a humanitarian young woman of utter bravery, deep conviction, and selfless courage.

A person who, when confronted with violence and hatred, refused to strike back to save herself or those she had pledged to protect, but relied instead on the sheer force of her spirit and her firm belief in the sacred principles of International Humanitarian Law.

He saw humanity at its very best.

She was a victim of humanity at its very worst.

Rachel’s body was fragile, no match for a US-supplied armoured Caterpillar bulldozer; it is broken now, her life extinguished.

The goals and visions for which she sacrificed her life, however, are as tough and resilient as was her spirit, and not so easily expunged.

May the tragedy of her death, and the nobility and courage of her life, inspire all High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to do their sacred duty and halt Israeli impunity.”

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1259.shtml

 Navigating the Storms….

These are interesting times indeed.  

Certainly as an activist, things can get very interesting. 

Recently one evening after returning from a dinner with friends,  I was going to post something on my website. 

But there was a slight problem. 

My website wasn’t there.

I clicked on the link again. 

Again, no conniespage. 

Hmmm…….so after a few emails to some folks and a little more diligence I was able to retrieve my site, which apparently had been hacked. 

The good news was it wasn’t too much of a problem to get it up and back on track. 

The not so good news was it was both an inconvenience and an invasive act. 

Lately, I along with others have witnessed a sizable share of website hackings (along with Google censorship) aimed primarily at sites posting information and articles pertaining to Israel and Palestine.    

More specifically such websites confronting the abuses and injustices being directed at the Palestinians who continue to be driven from their homes and from their land. 

The past year or so I have found myself more interested in the Palestine/Israel region and have subsequently learned how pivotal it is to us in America in so many aspects. 

I have found how it directly impacts our own US policy (both domestic and international) in profound ways.   

I have also found embarking on such an informational journey doesn’t come without its own set of consequences, as certainly many others have discovered as well.

Since that time, I began to post information pertaining to that region.  

I learned about Rachel Corrie and other peace activists who have been killed by IDF troops in Gaza.  

I learned about situations happening in Gaza which our American press has all but omitted from its coverage.      

I learned there are those who are not pleased with websites and bloggers posting information on our sites regarding the volatile situation and treatment of Palestinians in Gaza. 

There are those who engage in less than ethical forms of behavior in order to delegitimize, marginalize and/or intimidate others from posting information that our media should be covering.  

I have learned the subject of Israel and the treatment of the Palestinians is a precarious one with some of my friends.  

I have been told that I somehow must “hate Israel” for addressing questions and conflicts of interest regarding the AIPAC lobby and our lawmakers in Washington. 

On one occasion I was addressed as being anti-semitic.  

Like I said, these are interesting times. 

With that said, I have also learned that the topic of Israel and Palestine is fraught with emotion for many and that should be honored. 

However, to discourage and intimidate others from discussing any issue, dishonors everyones freedom of speech and ulitmately, the truth.   

xoxo