When the sun shines,
it shines without any discrimination;
it shines on every point of the country,
every nook and corner.
We should be like that.
--the Dalai Lama

Never give up on something you can't go a single day without thinking about.
--Anonymous

(I am suspicious of the word "never". It goes right in with "always" and "should". And I notice that after a while, the thought occurrences of a person who is gone do decrease. Maybe never completely gone, but at least not so torturous. I do however think that this quote, as a mantra, is destructive by encouraging obsessive thought, and will impede the process of letting go, and hence I apologize for posting it. I just had to.)

The Guru Papers
Masks of Authoritarian Power
by Joel Kramer and Diane Alstad

This book was particularly formative for my thinking.  I believe the first time I read it was about a decade ago, though it's been out longer.  I've recently loaned it to a friend and every time I pick it up I run across another awesome thought.  Basically it starts out looking at gurus, who they are and what they do, and why.  The tail end of the book is about authoritarianism, and the nuts and bolts of how people fall prey to bosses that don't even pay them.  It was partly this book that programmed me to be hyper-aware of the word "should".  I'm ready to re-read it, soon as I get it back...and have the time.

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be,
and you help them become what they are capable of being.
--Goethe

**download her notes and print body composition charts, timeline
( notesCollapse )

I disagree with Mitt Romney. In his speech this morning he said that we should not elect or reject anyone based on their faith. I reject this statement. This is not the same thing as having religious tolerance. ( Let me explain.Collapse )