Saturday Links for the Week — December 29, 2007

One of my Christmas 2007 pics.

Let’s go back to ourselves in the present moment: An inspiring post from Patti Digh on being present, every day. That reminds me, it’s time for me to do my next semi-annual list of intentions.

Written Off as a Crazy Person: Jim Kunstler, in his Christmas Eve blog post, recounts how a friend of many years, learning of his position on Peak Oil, basically wrote Jim off as crazy. In a week when my ideas on intentional community, and more specifically those of the poly variety, have been excoriated by more than one friend, I found his response inspiring and delightful, and I dedicate it to my critics, who I love dearly despite their sometimes-visceral disagreements with me:

It was disheartening, of course, to be written off as sounding “like a crazy person” by an old friend. I don’t doubt that his perception is genuine. I’m prepared to live with the disconnect between what my friends believe and what I think. I even reserve a portion of my mind for the possibility that their view may be more realistic than mine — but I won’t torture myself about it. Someday, surely, I’ll meet this old friend again and perhaps he’ll say something like “…things didn’t work out quite the way I expected….”

(Jim’s previous post on why the US financial systems are failing is also worth a read — thanks Jon.)

The Anti-Monogamy Song: Performed by Sarah Burton. Reminds me a bit of Laura Kipnis’ “Against Love”. Glenn, maybe you and I should just shut up and let the women tell it.

A Village is Not an Intentional Community: An interesting distinction between responsible, sustainable community models that are intentional, and those that are not, from Village Forum. Anyone out there tried this type of ‘village’ who can tell us if it’s just (like mine) and interesting and promising idea, or something that actually works?

The Missing Tapes and the Bush/Cheney Torture Agenda: Naomi Wolf chillingly explains what the worst president in the history of the US, and his regime, have to hide. It seems that nothing much has changed since Hoover planned to lock up anyone that didn’t agree with the Truman regime in 1950, without charges or a trial, forever, in military prisons. A nation gone mad.

A Group That Gets the Importance of Wilderness: I’m supporting the Habitat Trust because they’re willing to buy and set aside wilderness areas and not let any humans into them. Thanks to Teresa for the link.

Do It Yourself Music Video: An Alley Somewhere by Scott Andrew. Could this kind of home-made, self-published work be the future of art? (Thanks, Martin.) Meanwhile Karen Shanley points out a fun Christmas music video.

Thought for the Week: The story of Maya’s Veil, summarized by Mariella Rebora:

First there was Brahma, all alone and very bored…
so he decided to create a beautiful goddess to have some company and he created Maya…

he told her that he was bored and wanted to play…
OK she said… but you must promise me you will do whatever I ask you to…
and he accepted…

she asked him to create the sun, moon, stars, earth, water, animals, plants…
then she said, now you must create an intelligent creature able to understand the beauty of your creation…

so he created men and women…
(now close your eyes and wait…)

she took Brahma, cut him into tiny pieces and put a little piece inside the heart of every human…
and she told him…. now the game begins… you will forget who you are, and you will have to find yourself and get together again…

and until today Brahma is still playing the game…trying to remember who and where he is…. trying to get together again.. and he will play until Maya¬¥s veil falls from his eyes….

2 Responses to Saturday Links for the Week — December 29, 2007

Vish Goda says:

December 30, 2007 at 08:33

Hi Dave,I see that you have become a strong advocate of MIC and polyamorous..I believe it is not the systems, but the people, us, who are the root cause of all our problems..It is inevitable that we will grow out of an MIC eventually, even with all its merits..I believe that we must strive to make current systems work for us instead of inventing new ones. The same is true for laws. Why enact new ones when we dont even enforce old ones..Anyway..I thought there was something more urgent that needs our attention and would like to share my views on it with your community:http://alwayson.goingon.com/permalink/post/22456Wish you all a very happy new Year..Vish Goda
patti digh says:

December 30, 2007 at 11:02

dave – many thanks for your very kind words about my post on “now.” I’m glad you found it inspiring… and thanks also for my new addiction, Second Life, where I am deep into beginner’s mind!