The Universe is on the side of justice

In every age of history, people have thought the world was about to end.

But I have hope, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

Why Conflict Resolution Works

A lot of systems have been devised to help people take control of interpersonal conflict with the aim of facilitating positive, win-win outcomes. But, is there an underlying essence common to successful conflict resolution techniques? Let’s compare six systematized approaches to conflict resolution, looking for commonalities.

Secret Histories

Some things not taught in history, probably because they muddle up the stories…

The American Revolution: Fighting Against Freedom

During the American Revolution, Britain proclaimed that any American slaves who escaped their rebel masters and made it to British held territory would be freed.* Thousands risked their lives to take the British up on their offer, including some of George Washington’s slaves. Although the French friend of the Revolution, the Marquis de Lafayette, strongly urged Washington to free at least the slaves who fought for the colonists, Washington refused and, after the War, tried to convince Great Britain to return freed slaves to their former masters. The British declined, staying true to their word. Some were kidnapped by slave traders, but many thousands were evacuated by the British first to Nova Scotia and later to Great Britain. The Americans lobbied for years to get the British to pay compensation to the American slave owners who had lost their “property.”

August 15 Peace Projection

Recently, I’ve been practicing a form of the Buddhist Metta Bhavana, or Loving Kindness Meditation. In it, I concentrate on projecting unconditional love and good wishes to all life forms. It feels so powerful that I was thinking it may have a beneficial effect if many people were to synchronize the practice and send powerful thoughts and feelings of love and compassion to specific groups of people.

The Problem with the War on Terror

The problem with the “War on Terror” is that it’s not. It’s not a war on terror, it’s a war on terrorists. It’s the easy way out – attacking people instead of problems. As we kill person after person, we can claim victory after victory without ever winning anything. The war becomes self-perpetuating, even allowing the use of terrorism in fighting terrorists. As the war kills enemies, it creates enemies, which creates more terrorism. Thus the war acts as a living being, ensuring its own survival.

Farm Me

The dentist says I have to have my wisdom teeth extracted. She says there’s all sorts of bone loss and infection and if I don’t have them out I will lose my other teeth and probably die. But I have started an alternative therapy. I have been cultivating fly larvae. I grow them in buckets of stagnant water on my porch. When they hatch into maggots, I scoop out handfuls and fill my mouth with them. The maggots are small enough to crawl into the tiniest crevices surrounding my teeth, even down under my gums through any cavities. They eat all of the bacteria and infected flesh. I am very careful not to swallow them, or too many of them; it’s impossible not to swallow a few.

How the Earth Got Fixed

On Tes’russ, there is but one sentient life form, the uss. There are, however a vast number of diverse organisms that form a complex, interdependent ecological matrix. One of those organisms is the creeky spider. It’s not a spider in the Earth sense of the species, but it looks enough like a small yellow, white and orange spider that humans mistook it for one when they first came across it. It makes a creeky sound when it walks, thus its name. Nobody on Earth paid enough attention to realize that the creeky spider was spearheading an alien invasion.

When is a War not a War?

Tom Tomorrow Nails it (as always)

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For thoughts on Bombing Syria, click the flower:

Click-a-Day to Help Middle School Students

I teach 7th & 8th graders in a non-profit program called JAG (“Jobs for America’s Graduates”). JAG students learn social/emotional, organizational & study skills, as well as communication skills, health and wellness, and conflict resolution. We focus on the skills and dispositions helpful for success in school and careers. We use a student-centered approach that helps to develop leadership skills and good citizenship.

Our funding has run out & we have been entered into a grant contest from the Clorox company. The programs that receive the most votes will get funding.

There are two ways to vote: Visit the site by clicking on this picture, or text 2016pbf to 95248. Will texting work from outside the United States? I don’t know – let me know. The great news is that you can vote once per day until December 19, 2012. Please do!

Advantage to texting: You don’t have to register in order to vote.

Advantage to following this link & voting online: You don’t have to text.

Haverhill JAG. Click to vote for funding.

This is really a terrific program. It encourages middle school students to stay connected to school, and helps them transition to high school. We include a follow-up program to support students in high school. Please help us to keep our commitment to these kids by voting for our program and encouraging others to do the same.

Please reblog this post.

Thank you!

UPDATE: Voting is over; we didn’t win the grant. Thanks for supporting our program and any program you support to make the world a better place.

Advice for Better Living

• Pet your dog or cat for a few more minutes than usual today.
• Volunteer to do community service.
• Take a child to experience something new.
• Try picturing an adult who drives you crazy as the sweet little child s/he was, whom you would love despite his or her flaws.
• If you have a teenage child who is driving you crazy, look at his or her face while s/he is sleeping.
• Invent a better way of writing “his or her,” and “she or he,” and tell me about it.
• Give away a possession you love to someone who would appreciate it.
• If you live a cluttered life, spend an hour today organizing the room you spend the most time in.
• Close your eyes and take three slow, deep breaths.

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Click this word to find meaning within words: