Posted on June 20, 2008
mission accomplished!
Did you know?:
Yesterday’s New York Times reported that Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP along with other smaller companies are negotiating no bid contracts with the Iraqi Oil Ministry to service Iraq’s largest oil fields. Now, is really the time for president Bush to roll out that “Mission Accomplished” sign.
FollowPosted on June 17, 2008
lobbying the government
If I told you that corporations, unions and other interests spent $90 million lobbying Washington in 2007, would it surprise you? Sounds like it’s not enough, right? What if I told you it was $790 million. You’re right, still not enough. How about a record $2.79 billion (let me write that number out for you 2,790,000,000 dollars) spent on lobbying the federal government? This money is not some sort of charitable contribution. I’m sure the groups that are spending all that money consider it an investment. And the return on their investment comes from “We the People”. A New York Times article stated that the Center for Responsive Politics, a watch dog group, came up with the 2007 figure. The $2.79 billion was up $200 million over the 2006 spending. Why are these groups spending all that money? It’s obvious; it’s money that puts the “special” into “special interests”. To say the least, this spending is obscene.
Why wasn’t this headline news? Why wasn’t this an issue during the primary campaigns? Why isn’t something being done about the selling of America? Because you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Posted on June 16, 2008
eating
This is the first post under the topic of eating. This is something we all do, for most of us, every day. I am very conscious of what I eat. Unfortunately, I fail to be as aware to the fact that I am eating. Once I start putting food in my mouth, I lose all consciousness and engage in a feeding frenzy. I can go long periods without eating, sometimes up to 12 hours. When I finally do sit down to eat, I make up for the meals I’ve missed, and then some.
Science-wise there should be a mechanism in my stomach that talks to my brain. When my stomach is empty it tells my brain to put some food in my mouth. After I’ve put a substantial amount of food in my mouth the same mechanism should tell my brain that the stomach has had enough. My mechanism tends to be slow to react. By the time my brain knows my stomach has had enough, I’ve had more than enough. This is where consciousness comes in. If I focused on chewing more thoroughly, if I concentrated on eating more slowly, it would give my mechanism more time to inform my brain and then I wouldn’t eat so much.
So much of Zen is rooted in ancient China and Japan. As I learn more about how my body and even more, how my brain works, Zen becomes more and more relevant. With all the scientific knowledge we have available in the twenty-first century I believe Zen moves beyond faith and into a factually based awareness of body and mind. Think about it. The first thing that happens when you join any weight loss program is awareness. Being conscious of what you eat and how you go about eating it, is dieting. Consciousness, awareness, eating healthy is all about being in the moment and paying attention. Eat yourself fitter.
