April 12, 2008 Stopping michael lipp

Starting and stopping are the hardest things.  Inertia is both physically and psychologically difficult to deal with.  Mostly we talk about starting, but strting one thing often means stoppping something else and stopping is very hard.  I use the analogy of my washing machine.  The final spin cycle shakes my whole house – probably true of the presidency, too.

It’s very clear that solving the climate crisis means stopping many of the things we’re used to.  Establishing a carbon tax as the basic tax will work, but will have far reaching effects.  Better than the alternatives, however… much better – food shortages, droughts, extreme weather.

Stop driving?  We can’t even get people to car pool.  Stop watering lawns?  You’re kidding, right?

We too quickly become habituated.  It takes long, strong laws, enforcement and public relation campaigns.  And we need to start now.  When I say I’m out to have people have joy and satisfaction, I need to look past today.  Immediate gratification does not often lead to long periods of joy and satisfaction.  If I’m out for environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment, I may have to learn how to stop things with joy and satisfaction.

April 4, 2008 Official

1968 was the official end of the 60s.  I don’t know how it will be taught in schools – probably depend on different state government.  But it was the year that the power structure silenced the voices of the people and ushered in Nixon, et al.  King’s killing sort of led int RFK’s killing sort of  had LBJ withdraw which led into the Chicago converntion police riot, which arrested the people’s leadership… We’ve never recovered, though this year’s election may be a resurrection.

I have nothing to say – just my purpose and my mission – to empower people to live lives of joy and satisfaction, in harmony with Earth.  to bring forth environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment for all of us/

March 20, 2008 Politics and Spring??

They’re predicting possibility of snow tomorrow -here in NJ-  Well, I’ve always said that in NJ if you don’t like the weather here, wait a few minutes… And snow on the first day of spring isn’t IthatI unusual, unless it is.

It’s interesting to watch the pundits debate about the impact of Obama’s speech.  I’ve already voted in the primary and I’m clear I’m voting Democratic in the election.  And, if he’s the nominee, I hope people listen to that speech.

Context is decisive – context, the background conversation is always more important than the content.  And the background conversation is, put the past behind us.  We’ve all been hurt by the racial divide – white and black and other hues.  We have to move forward.  So adult in its view and tone; so heartfelt; so real…. so different from his stump speech.  It may catapult him to victory.  I trust his intelligence and I was surprised at his maturity.

Since my commitment is environmental sustainabiity, social justice and spiritual fulfillment for all, I was pleased to find he included all three

March 3, 2008 On the Lamb

Ho Ho.  March has come in like a lamb.  Saturday starts daylight savings time.  Everything happens earlier, warmth, time, Easter.  The primaries might be decided tomorrow for both parties, which means Labor Day, the traditional election campaign beginning, may start in March.  All bewildering.  I generally try to write essays ahead – kind of a literary pay it forward, but this is perplexing.

In one of my boooks, Guide to a Fulfilled Life I’ve collected essays, quotes and poems from my weekly site e-letters.  And I’ve started collecting and editing a second volume – definitely keeping busy – Hey, it’s obviously spring.  I found most of these essays (I’m going back now) were missing poems.  Yesterday I wrote 3.  Really challenging.  But what makes a poem is your assertion.  I’m good at assertion, also declaration, also speaking the future – environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment,

February 5, 2008 A New Beginning?

This bronchial cough knocked me out for days.. I say ‘knocked me out’ but I wasn’t out…I was slowed down..a lot.  But I was able to think, to reassess.  It reduced my self-expression over the super bowl.  But that’s typical of entertainment events – it’s over.  It will come back again and again, certainly in next pre-season, but it has no lasting value.

I wonder whether today will have lasting value — “Super” Tuesday.  The Republican votes can decide their candidate.  The Democrats must continue this nominating process.  So is this a new beginning?  Not. 

What makes an event have lasting value?— enought to cause a new beginning.

January 14, 2007 A Day Off With Football

Sadie died and an old and good friend, — a great man, Les Traband, also died, all I wanted to do was disappear.  And it was a perfect football weekend to vej out.  I didn’t even journal.  Nancy and I went shopping and all was well until I asked her to pick out some sweet potatoes – and she completely broke down.  For the last few months, we fed Sadie sweet potato.  This “sweet potato moment” got to Nancy.

I was okay.  It was football that defied odds and common wisdom.  I’ve been studying team – remember writing a few weeks ago how Dallas was a superior team.  They still were yesterday.  They completely outplayed NY.  If statistics count, NY lost badly.  This game will be seriously studied, as will the Colts, Chargers.  It did not seem that either of those teams could or should win.  So it was delightful to space out into them while we cleaned and restored our house from the ravages of Sadie’s last days. 

An easy formula – keep the body busy with mindless chores and the mind occupied with mindless (but exciting) football and sorrow is put into the background… well, I had a hard time when I put the laudry away and it included her little winter coat… but otherwise, background.  Socks the cat has taken up her new spot on the bed – she didn’t need football; she just knew.

Las night we had our bi-weekly call with the Symposium leaders in our region.  We were able to be with our commitment to environmental sustainability, spiritual fulfillment and social justice.  We noticed, in the cleaning, that ity is unimaginably difficult to rid our lives of plastic — more prevalent than Chinese products.  Even whole foods now sells shopping bags made of recycled plastic.  Great that it’s not permanent waste.

January 10, 2008 Telling Time

I love language – This title can be read 1) as if using a watch 2) a significant time 3) a revealing time.  When I first wrote it I thought a mattering time – then I had to figure out what to say and I caught caught by the multiple meanings.

Well – This is a telling time – It matters.  I found out a few days ago that my next grandchild is a boy.  That matters -  Apparently they can now do a 3-D sonogram.

One of the things that confused me about New Hamphire (I think I’m always confused by politics) – They exit-interviewed undecided voters, many of whom said that it was a last second toss-up between McCain & Obama.  Really?  Do they have the slightest knowledge of  being for the war vs. being against the war?  of  right wing, conservative Republican and left wing, radical Democrat?  I would have (and withhold) an opinion over which of those choices they should pick, which is irrelevant — but that there’s even a last second choice between these polar opposites really blows my mind.  And it’s a telling decision.

I know life would be a lot easier if  acting out of our opinions had no consequences – it would be so much easier to make up our minds – like eating without consequence.

Does this have anything to do with my commitment to environmental stability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment?  Both of thos guys say they’re for all of that.  But I don’t think either of their advisors support any change.