these are my feelings at the moment. I dont know which is worse. i am updating on here because even if no one reads it I will feel better. all of  these emotions are floating around in me all at once right now and they are caused by one person and i dont know what to do I really dont.

this person asked me to do something that i dont want to do. Now is it anything bad? no its not its stupid but they told me to do it after saying some very hurtful things to me and i dont know how to even respond. I really cared about this person and I thought they cared about me but its just i am shocked i guess…at the way it was presented to me. i dont know.  to prove a point i want to do what they demanded asked to do but it will make them feel crappy afterwards and you know what i want this person to feel like shit for hurting me but at the same time i dont want them to feel like that. life already sucks for this person they have been threw a lot lately and i get that but that is no reason to take it out on me right? i dont know AND here is the kicker if i dont do it then they dont want to be my friend anymore……what is that? so does that mean they never were my friend in the first place because friends dont do shit like that to each other? i dont know. i mean i am their friend and that is why i didnt want to do what they asked cause i know afterwards they will feel like crap but i dont know….see this is where the whole confused me steps in. i just dont know. do i step away from the whole thing? i dont know. i need to think. i need to figure out how i feel. i need to not think. i mean one thing the person said to me was they dont care they dont care about anything so why is it hurting me then? why am i trying so hard to maintain this friendship if they have already given up? on me …themselves..friends…i mean i dont get it….this is the anger talkign and they dont trust me well maybe i dont care if they dont trust me because they dont care about anything right?

i dont know i feel sick to my stomach over this.

I will do what they demanded asked of me to prove my point that YES I EXIST!! I AM HERE! it just hurts i guess that i should have to do such a thing…it hurts that by me doing what they ask of me when only end up upsetting them and that will also be my fault because i am the one that upset them but i have no choice….

none…

no choice….

option 1-dont do it lose friendship

option 2-do it -they feel like crap as do i and lose friendship.

no choice….

i hate this…hate life now….hate everything….im out i dont know if i will be back other than to post what they asked of me.

// <![CDATA[//

Rumsfeld decision let Bin Laden escape: Senate report

An Afghan soldier looks out over the Tora Bora region Enlarge photo

• An Afghan soldier looks out over the Tora Bora region Enlarge photo
• “Bin Laden and an entourage of bodyguards walked unmolested out of Tora Bora,” …More Enlarge photo
• Rumsfeld argued that too many US troops could jeopardize the mission, the report says Enlarge photo

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Have your say: Al Qaeda

The report, set for release Monday, is intended to help learn the lessons of the past as President Barack Obama prepares to announce a major escalation of the conflict, now in its ninth year, with up to 35,000 more US troops.

It points the finger directly at Rumsfeld for turning down requests for reinforcements as Bin Laden was trapped in December 2001 in caves and tunnels in a mountainous area of eastern Afghanistan known as Tora Bora.

“The vast array of American military power, from sniper teams to the most mobile divisions of the marine corps and the army, was kept on the sidelines,” the report says.

“Instead, the US command chose to rely on airstrikes and untrained Afghan militias to attack Bin Laden and on Pakistan’s loosely organized Frontier Corps to seal his escape routes.”

Entitled “Tora Bora revisited: how we failed to get Bin Laden and why it matters today,” the report — commissioned by Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — says Bin Laden expected to die and had even written a will.

“But the Al-Qaeda leader would live to fight another day. Fewer than 100 American commandos were on the scene with their Afghan allies and calls for reinforcements to launch an assault were rejected.

“Requests were also turned down for US troops to block the mountain paths leading to sanctuary a few miles away in Pakistan.

“The decision not to deploy American forces to go after Bin Laden or block his escape was made by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his top commander, General Tommy Franks,” the report says.

“On or around December 16, two days after writing his will, Bin Laden and an entourage of bodyguards walked unmolested out of Tora Bora and disappeared into Pakistan’s unregulated tribal area. Most analysts say he is still there today.”

Rumsfeld’s argument at the time, the report says, was that deploying too many American troops could jeopardize the mission by creating an anti-US backlash among the local populace.

The report dismisses arguments at the time from Franks, Vice President Dick Cheney and others defending the decision and arguing that the intelligence was inconclusive about Bin Laden’s location.

“The review of existing literature, unclassified government records and interviews with central participants underlying this report removes any lingering doubts and makes it clear that Osama bin Laden was within our grasp at Tora Bora.”

The report admits that capturing or killing the Al-Qaeda leader, accused of orchestrating the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people, would not have eliminated the worldwide extremist threat.

“But the decisions that opened the door for his escape to Pakistan allowed Bin Laden to emerge as a potent symbolic figure who continues to attract a steady flow of money and inspire fanatics worldwide,” it says.

“The failure to finish the job represents a lost opportunity that forever altered the course of the conflict in Afghanistan and the future of international terrorism, leaving the American people more vulnerable to terrorism, laying the foundation for today’s protracted Afghan insurgency and inflaming the internal strife now endangering Pakistan.”

As Obama prepares to announce Tuesday a bold new strategy for Afghanistan, Kerry points out at the beginning of the report that when the United States went to war less than one month after the September 11 attacks, the mission was clear: to destroy Al-Qaeda and kill or capture Bin Laden.

“Today, more than eight years later, we find ourselves fighting an increasingly lethal insurgency in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan that is led by many of those same extremists,” he says.

“Our inability to finish the job in late 2001 has contributed to a conflict today that endangers not just our troops and those of our allies, but the stability of a volatile and vital region.”

If you love exploring the ocean, then why not capture those precious moments with a scuba camera? As well as seeing the spectacular marine life firsthand, you can take some high quality photographs to show to friends and family.

The scuba camera comes in all shapes and sizes; there are many accessories for those who are professional underwater photographers or for those whom this is a serious hobby. It is even possible to buy a scuba camera that is integrated into a scuba mask.

You will find many retailers on the internet and they will provide a lot of information about the products to help you find the right equipment for you. The cost of a camera can vary; you could pay anything from $30 to $500 for the top-of-the-range models. A good camera will be able to perform extremely well on deep dives and will produce high quality snaps.

Many people who use scuba cameras usually also purchase an underwater digital camera housing case. This product is usually made from aluminum or moulded plastic. An underwater digital camera housing case is specifically designed to prevent the scuba camera from the effects of salt water and protect against accidental breakage. It is not necessary to buy an underwater digital camera housing case but it give a lot of people peace of mind that there camera is protected, no matter what happens.

The best way to find the right camera for you is to establish a few facts. You need to know how often you will be using the camera and whether there are any particular depths that you want to go to. The camera must be able to cope with the depth that you intent to dive to. You also need to consider how much you want to spend and whether there are particular brands that you want to avoid.

If you are new to using a scuba camera, you may wish to read some comments on reviews about certain cameras that are available. You can find this information on many diving and photography websites. These reviews will help you to establish exactly what kind of camera you need to purchase.

Ordering a scuba camera is easy and quick if you do it online. Most retailers have a website and may give a discount because you are buying the item online. Delivery and shipping can be done swiftly and you could have your camera delivered direct to your door within days.

Scuba diving is a fun and energetic activity and allows you to take in the wonder of a world experienced by so few of us. Using a scuba camera could encourage your friends and family into taking up scuba diving themselves so that they can enjoy this magical world too.

1. Creative – I live, breathe and sleep creativity. I have the ability to be creative on demand, as and when required.

2. Passion – I have immense passion and enthusiasm in all I do. Advertising is something I believe in, it is something I see as more than just a job.

3. Perfectionist – I make sure anything and everything I do is done correctly, precisely, and to the very best of my ability.

4. I love Adverting – I don’t think this one needs explaining.

5. Knowledge – I have strong foundations and knowledge of Advertising. I understand how it works, and what it is set out to do.

6. Technology – I have a keen interest in new technologies, and the role they play in Advertising.

7. Social Media – I’m a keen user and consumer of Social Media. I see its potential, and how it integrates itself into the digital world.

8. Friendly and Personable – I’m likable and honest. I enjoy working with others, but also have the ability to work on my own. I am keen on sharing experiences and learning from others.

9. Organized - Whether I have 1 task to undertake or 53, I am organized, prepared, and able to prioritize my time efficiently. I can work under pressure, and always sufficiently meet any deadline.

10. Ability – I have the ability and character to infuse my passion, creativity and knowhow in a very productive and driven manner in order to utilize my skills and proficiency effectively for you and your organization.

Although running to lose weight is not for everyone, but if you are capable of running, then you will find tremendous benefits. To get the most out of your running exercise, it is important that you follow a few, simple guidelines. After all, you want each running outing to be effective, but also enjoyable. The great thing about using running to lose weight is that you can do it wherever you go. Therefore, if you travel, you can still find a place to run. If it were raining, an indoor treadmill would be the ideal solution.

Running to lose weight has been a favorite option for millions of people. Something about getting outdoors in the fresh air is invigorating, boosting a person’s level of energy and clearing the mind. While you could use a number of exercises to drop pounds, running to lose weight works exceptionally well, while building up lean muscle and improving the heart and lungs.

As mentioned, if you are going to use running to lose weight, you want to do it the right way. The information below will help you with the various decisions needing to be made.

Proper Running Attire

While running to lose weight should be fun, if you were not wearing the right attire or shoes, you will find the experience a miserable one. The last thing you want to do is come home with a foot full of blisters or sick from not having enough layers on. It is important to wear clothing that provides ventilation, but also clothing that is not too hot or too cool.

Additionally, we strongly recommend that you invest in two to three pairs of high quality running shoes. Then, alternate the shoes each time you go out running to lose weight. This will make your feet more comfortable while reducing the risk of chin splints.

Carbohydrates and Protein

Before you go out running to lose weight, it is important to fuel the body. For this, you should eat a little bit of carbohydrates about 30 to 45 minutes ahead of time. A great option would be a cup of cooked pasta, topped with a little bit of protein in the form of chicken or cheese.

Safety

Of course, whether you plan to go running to lose weight during the day or nighttime hours, you always want to put safety first. Sure, listening to an MP3 player or iPod makes the time go faster but it also blocks out your hearing. Unfortunately, many people have been attacked while running and listening to music, having been snuck up on from behind. Instead, stay in populated areas, use well-lit roads, parks, or paths, avoid the headphones, and if possible, run with a friend or dog.

Remember, in addition to running to lose weight, you can also incorporate various forms of exercise, breaking up the routine to make it more interesting. For example, you might start running to lose weight on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and then bike, swim, or hike on Tuesday and Thursday.

In addition, for the greatest success, it is imperative that you start on a healthy diet, trying to keep calorie intake between 1,200 and 1,500 daily. By choosing the right foods, especially those high in fiber that will make you feel full, you will actually eat more but with fewer calories

By using running to lose weight, you will easily burn 200 to 300 calories every day. When you add that up over the course of a week, you have lost one to two pounds, which is considered a healthy weight loss goal. Keep in mind that a pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories. Therefore, if you can use running to lose weight along with other exercise options and a diet of fewer calories, you can be certain the pounds will begin to fade.

In addition to enjoying the benefits to the body by running to lose weight, you will also enjoy benefits for the mind. Running is an excellent way to de-stress and relax. Since stress has also been shown to have a direct link to weight gain, by reducing stress, you have just found yet another benefit of this type of exercise.

Related : shoes for cheaps

HP has produced some new netbook models, the HP mini 1000 and the Compaq mini 700. On the whole, they’re pretty much identical, although the 700 will retail at a hundred quid less than its brother at £299.

The HP mini 1000 isn’t the first mini laptop produced by Hewlett-Packard, having aired the HP 2133 mini-note last year. And it was a quite credible effort – standing out from the crowd of Eee PC copycats. The mini-note was in essence a fantastic chassis, although let down somewhat by what was inside; the CPU and battery. So what can the mini 1000 do better?

For a start, HP have shred away the aluminium, replacing it with plastic; disappointing maybe, but it may help take the sting out of the price tag, and incidentally the previously bulky weight which is supposedly nearer 1.1 kilos. In the end this makes sense, since a netbook is supposedly small, light and cheap – if you want a touch of class mixed in as well, you’ll be paying for it – the Sony VAIO TT and Apple MacBook Air both soar well over a grand. HP has also cut the dimensions, making it barely over an inch thick.

The huge keyboard remains, stretching all the way to the edges and far down the main tray. The touchpad as a result is rather narrow and the mouse buttons are located on the side like the Acer Aspire One, which is extremely irritating! Scrolling on webpages is also compromised by the narrow touchpad. That said the keyboards on HP netbooks remain the best out there – so far anyway.

The eviction of the former slow Via C7-M processor can only be a good thing. The replacement industry standard 1.6GHz Intel Atom (with 1GB of RAM) brings the performance on par with other mini laptops. Performance, whilst now improved isn’t the top selling point on the HP though, think keyboard and widescreen.

Speaking of the widescreen, it is 10.1 inch in a ‘media-friendly’ 16:9 aspect ratio. The Compaq 700 however has 10.2 inch in a 16:10 aspect ratio. The difference seems pretty minimalist; it’s hard to justify the £100 premium. The mini 1000 does net an “exquisite onyx casing” though if that tickles your fancy. Other features of the Compaq include a built-in webcam, microphone, WLAN, Bluetooth and optional WWAN.

The Compaq should be hitting the shelves in the next few weeks, right and ready for Christmas. The mini 1000 is to follow in mid-February 2009, preceded a month earlier by the Vivienne Tam Edition mini 1000 which features an attractive feminine flowerlike motif in a rich red colour. Designed for so called ‘fashionistas’ who don’t want to be perceived as a geek as they whip out there netbook – of course you can expect to pay a premium for the privilege. The Vivienne Tam Edition will retail at the same price as the original mini 1000 – £399 – although for fifty quid more you could have your hands on the Eee PC S101.

The Compaq mini 700 is to be sold by network providers with HSDPA included, that is 3G “anywhere” mobile broadband. HP seem to have cracked the netbook specs then – small, cheap (questionable), and light and connected. But it’s a pity about only having 2 USB ports and one port for both sound input and output though. They have however, included a “HP Mini Mobile Drive” – essentially a USB port for special HP USB memory sticks only – really helpful.

None the less, HP have certainly mounted a credible challenge to Asus and particularly other 10 inch laptops, playing to it’s strengths of the keyboard and looks and bringing the performance up to standard with the Atom. The thinness is also a great selling point. Battery life remains at the mercy of the 3-cell battery, with will provide power for around 2 hours 30 minutes use, enough for a film perhaps. Apparently a 6-cell version is in the pipeline – perfection may be near!

See Also : Acer Aspire

1. Sandals are downright fashionable. With styles that cover practically every possible reason and season, sandals never go out of style. In fact, many popular designs and styles of sandals remain lasting fashion statements year after year.

2. With sandals, foot freedom reins. Just ask any college student why they love their flip-flops. Ask a beach-goer how come they’re not wearing tennis shoes. Sandals deliver an enticing balance of being almost barefoot but still having shoes on the feet. It’s a lifestyle really.

3. They deliver comfort like no other. There is just something great about the way sandals tend to break in and conform to the foot – almost like they’re an extension of the feet themselves. Shoes haven’t quite found a way to enter this territory yet.

4. Sandals have health benefits. Many podiatrists actually recommend the wearing of supportive sandals for the healthful benefits they provide for feet. Some sandals work in the same way as custom orthodontics do to really help promote foot correct posture.

5. Forget about the fungus. It’s true; sandal wearers get the added foot health benefit of having cool, dry feet. This means there’s no place to harbor fungus, preventing a fungal foot infection before it can ever begin to take hold.

6. Sandals are usually more affordable. Okay, this one is for the practical-minded, but when it comes down to it, sandals are generally less costly than other types of shoes. It might have something to do with the fact that less material used equals less expense or it could just all be wishful thinking.

7. Try to beat the versatility of the sandal. Poolside, at the beach, backyard, or nowhere even close – just slip ‘em on and slip ‘em off. It’s hard to beat the versatility provided by the always fashionable footwear.

8. Promote balance with sandals. It is really no surprise that sandals have been chosen to help increase and promote balance. Practitioners of yoga have even adapted sandals with individual straps between each toe to encourage an increased sense of balance in the art of yoga.

9. They’re the original footwear from history. Sandals are time tested, having stood the test of time longer than any other form of footwear. The tennis shoe has been around for decades, the boot for centuries, but the sandal has been in use for millenniums. That must speak for something.

10. Sandals show expression. Sure, all kinds of shoes can be fashion-forward. However, no other form of footwear is as conducive to showing off a fun and funky sense of style and spirit like the sandal.

My Links : birkenstock sandals

The winter holidays are a networker’s paradise! November and December are prime season for planting yourself on decision makers’ radar screens and nurturing relationships. It’s a wonderland of fresh prospects and a harvest of contact renewals to connect with key players in your industry. The many corporate events, social occasions, and community celebrations offer myriad opportunities to establish connections, strengthen ties, invigorate relationships, and share ideas.

Maximize Your Face Time

Almost any neighborhood, family, or business gathering may produce a conversation with someone who has information you can mine unobtrusively for leads to new career challenges for yourself and those you know – reasons for more networking!

With so many venues to choose from, be sure to attend the ones where you’re most likely to reach your networking goals: a high probability for face time with individuals who should know about your potential value proposition, unique talents, and interest in taking on new challenges. These encounters could be your big break to chat with current or former employees at your target companies, exchange business cards with an industry leader, or arrange a future meeting with someone difficult to reach.

Prepare Your Pitch

Want to enhance your networking efficiency to generate even better results? Prepare thoroughly in advance! Before you attend an event, prepare a mental list of questions you could be asked and have well thought-out and concise responses ready.

Be prepared to make clear, compelling points that will attract attention, pique curiosity, and put you top of mind. Your delivery has to be memorable to overcome the event’s interruptions and to compensate for a lack of privacy.

Network Comfortably

To further increase your networking effectiveness, focus your efforts on gatherings where you will feel most comfortable and will be able to put your best foot forward. Avoid situations where you might be stressed, rushed, or otherwise distracted from your networking mission. You want to have meaningful conversations that leave a positive impression while picking up insider-only knowledge. Keep in mind networking isn’t just about you and the connections you make. Part of your goal should be to connect those you know to each other.

Remember, the most important thing is to stay focused. You’ll need to be alert and attuned to reap the full benefits of networking purposefully. Don’t overindulge in food or beverages. Conduct yourself professionally at all times.

The ROI is simple: just one meaningful dialogue creates measurable value from every networking event. It’s the quality not the quantity of the relationships you develop that’s important.

Happy holidays and happy networking!

As I sit here and consider the direction in which I desire to take this blog  I have begun to wrestle with the muses.  Deciding on for whom I want to write this blog is going to have a major influence on the content.  I know that this blog is for me.  Another part of me wishes that I would be the type of writer that has strung together momentous thoughts  that the public would cry out for more of this blog, but that is grist for a later blog.  The next thing I know about this process and myself is that I must have boundaries, both on the content and the written page.  Knowing my propensity to chase rabbits down their holes will help me focus my thoughts and lay them out in some orderly fashion.  My reasons for writing this may prove useless at some point and need may become my foundation, but then that is what this is about, isn’t it?

Fellow Music lovers!

How many times has it happened that after a long day at work you feel all bogged down and just then your favorite song plays over the radio and suddenly you are all cheerful. Music is believed to be one of the best mediums of expressions. From operas to rock shows, all genres of music have some emotional quotient. Music can drive a man from feelings of sadness to happiness and at the same time can express pain so vividly as to bring a tear in your eye.

We at Megahertz Music Clinic believe music is a talent which can be inculcated through right exposure and training. Express yourself more beautifully through your own music. Learn a musical instrument to open yourself to the world of musical possibilities. Just 24 Sessions, learn your favorite songs, jam live with a band and get a chance to record yourself at the end of the sessions.

Looking forward to bringing out the musician in you. Drop in for a jam whenever you feel like !

happy listening till then

So why should anyone Do It Yourself shelves, if they just as easily run down to the local furniture store and buy something ready-interested? Is building your own shelves really the right way?

I built most of the shelves in our house, and here are my top three reasons are:

Reason 1: Custom Designs
Almost everything I have developed a special design in one way or another. One of our girls wanted a shelf above her bed that would fit her BarbieDolls in a certain way. The final result was precise in her choice of colors, the exact size she wanted, and with the precise mixture of cubes and open shelves. Finding that would have been in a shop, mission impossible.

Reason 2: Cost Reduction
It is much cheaper to build your own shelves. If I'm making something ordinary, like a normal shelf, I work the design around the dimensions of a standard wooden board and make sure that the pieces are cut so that IRemnants of wood for other projects. The cost for the purchase of a similar shelf in the store than I always save a lot of money.

And I do not always need to buy new wood. One of my current projects is a database that represents around and over the toilet in the bathroom of the children. I do it from an old cupboard, a neighbor was throwing out. (I'm splashing out Hardware Including the new handles) is the whole thing cost me about 13 U.S. dollars. Beat, if you can. And further:this is not a standard project, it's made to measure for particular dimensions, and I just could not just go out and buy something that would take advantage of the space.

Reason 3: pleasure
As well as saving me money and save a tree or two, I get to do a great satisfaction to my own shelf and storage projects. I have a small space in a forest garden and I find it very relaxing to spend one or two hours there, be creative. There is also a funTo do activities with the children, and they are all learning about woodworking, home decor, and how to plan and implement projects in action. These skills, be helpful in the future as they adjust according to the plans, the materials at hand to learn, the budget I have given them, and how much time you have available. It is true, valuable time, and also the five-year-old enjoys it, as determined using real instruments instead of a toy. The children also learn safety and responsibility, it is a win-winSituation!

There you are. When you sit on the fence, not sure if you want to Do It Yourself enter shelves, take a chance. You will get unique designs at a fraction of the cost of buying in the store, and that a lot of fun on the road to have. What more could you want?

diyhomedecor.blogs.thaihealth.net diy-kitchens.blogs.thaihealth.net http://diyhouse.blog.com/

၁။ ေသြဖည္ျခင္းဆိုတာ ပံုမွန္ပဲလို႔စဥ္းစားရင္
1) Deviation is considered normal

၂။ ကို္ယ့္ကိုယ္ကို ျပည့္စံုတယ္ လံုေလာက္တယ္ လို႔ထင္တယ္။
2) We feel complete and sufficient

၃။ ပ်မ္းမွ်ခ်စ္တတ္သူေတြ ေပါ့။
3) We are “mean” lover.

၄။ တစ္ဦးတည္း အဆက္မျပတ္ လုပ္ေနတယ္။
4) Statisticians do it discretely and continuously.

၅။ အၿမဲတမ္း ၉၅ % ေတာ့ မွန္ေနတာပဲ။
5) We are right 95% of the time.

၆။ တစ္ေယာက္ေယာက္ ရဲ႕ ေနာက္ကြယ္က ျဖန္႔ေဝတဲ့ ကိစၥေတြကို တရားဝင္ သံုးသပ္ေပးတယ္။
6) We can legally comment on someone’s posterior distribution.

၇။ ပံုမွန္ေတာ့ မဟုတ္ဘူး။ ဒါေပမယ့္ ေျပာင္းလို႔ရတယ္။
7) We may not be normal but we are transformable.

၈။ ေသခ်ာပါတယ္လို႔ ဘယ္ေတာ့ မွ ေျပာစရာမလိုဘူး။
We never have to say we are certain.

၉။ ရိုးရိုးသားသားေျပာရရင္ သိသိသာသာကို ကြဲျပားတယ္။
9) We are honestly significantly different.

၁၀။ ဘယ္သူမွ ဒီအလုပ္ကို လာမလုဘူး။
10) No one want our jobs.

ဆီေလ်ာ္ေအာင္ ဘာသာ ျပန္ထားျခင္းျဖစ္ပါတယ္။ တစ္ခ်ိဳ႕ ဟာေတြက ဆိုလိုရင္းကို ငဲ့ ၿပီးဘာသာျပန္တာ ျဖစ္တဲ့ အတြက္ တကယ့္ အဓိပၸါယ္နဲ႔ ေတာ့ မတူပါဘူး။ မွားတယ္ထင္လည္း ကိုယ့္ ဟာကိုယ္သာ ျပန္လိုက္ပါ။ စာရင္းအင္းပညာရွင္ ေတြကေတာ့ သေဘာက်ပါတယ္။ အျဖစ္က အဲဒီလို ျဖစ္ေနတာကိုး။
ြြreference:
http://statistica.miur.it/ustat/People/Turchetti/tenreasons.htm

Humourists know that the best jokes are mined from the most serious topics. Morality is no exception.

Moses trudges down from Mt. Sinai, tablets in hand, and announces to the assembled multitudes: “I’ve got some good news and I’ve got bad news. The good news is I got Him down to ten. The bad news is ‘adultery’ is still in.”

(From Plato and a Platypus walk into a bar: page 78)

Nobody likes taking tablets at the best of times so who’s going to take kindly to swallowing tablets of stone, especially when they taste so bitter to so many palates? After all, when was the last time a great religion told us to covet our neighbour’s wife?

The humour lies partly in drawing our attention to the conflict between ‘ought’ and ‘is’ that Susan Neiman discusses so perceptively.  What we should do is so often in conflict with what we would like to do yet we know we ought to like doing what we should: we just can’t seem to get to that point somehow. Commandments are forever over-riding instincts that refuse to go away.

Part of the reason for this is that we have evolved to think in the short term and be unduly influenced by concrete specifics in the here and now, including the stories people tell us as well as what we experience ourselves. We’re particularly poor with probabilities (Dan Gardner’s book, Risk, deals with this brilliantly so I won’t go into that here).

Let’s focus on consequences and time scales. Smoking provides an easy way to illustrate this. The table gives a few pointers in each box just as examples. If I’m a smoker, the short-term costs are virtually invisible: I enjoy my addiction so it doesn’t feel like a cost and buying cigarettes looks like choosing to dispose of my income as I feel like.  The habit tastes sweet for the benefits it brings which I value greatly and are very obvious to me. The distant disasters my present pleasure could well bring seem very remote and unlikely to my primate brain. So I show a callous lack of empathy for my future self whose suffering I don’t trouble myself to imagine. After all, things like that don’t happen to me.

And if that wasn’t enough to make sure that I’ll carry on smoking (or indulging in any other ‘vice’ you care to mention) the same examination of what quitting would feel like stacks the odds even further against giving up. The present becomes soured with discomforts of all kinds while future benefits fade into invisibility in the mists of distance. The gain in disposable income will probably weigh little in my mind compared with the horrible unsatisfied cravings alone, never mind the weight gain and the social costs.

In short, the long-term costs of continuing to smoke and the long-term benefits of quitting have far less impact on behaviour than the short-term costs of stopping and the immediate pleasures of continuing the  habit. And this is true for almost any insistent pattern of behaviour you care to name including those which are morally loaded. Virtue goes against the grain of our animal nature in similar ways.

We are though animals with some very special powers, rational thought being one of the most obvious – well, perhaps not obvious all the time. So, we shouldn’t give up on the idea of giving up our bad habits, as Neiman explains:

You think that what failed in the past will fail in the future?  Kant reminds us of how many sheer technological advances have disproved this old saw. . . . . If we don’t abandon efforts where science hopes we may create technology, how dare we abandon them where morality demands we create justice? . . . Of course ideas of reason conflict with the claims of experience. That’s what ideas are meant to do. Ideals are not measured by whether they confirm reality: reality is judged by whether it lives up to ideals. (Her emphasis.)

(Moral Clarity: page 153)

However, she does not underestimate the difficulty of acting on this realisation.

If you tell yourself that a world without injustice is a childish wish-fantasy, you have no obligation to work toward it. . . . Keeping ideals alive is much harder than dismissing them, for it guarantees a lifetime of dissatisfaction. Ideas are like horizons – goals toward which you can move but never actually attain. . . . . The abyss that separates is from ought is too deep to bridge entirely; the most we can hope to do is narrow it.

(pages 159-162)

And that can seem like a bad bargain — too much immediate discomfort for too little immediate gain once more. However, reason may not be as feeble and error prone as we sometimes think and there may be more at work in the world to push towards virtue than is immediately  obvious. Even if we are not convinced there is a God or that we have a soul that survives death, the way the world works should give us pause for thought.

Philo of Alexandria

Robert Wright’s perceptive analysis, of how morality is essential (and perhaps inevitable) if civilisation is to progress and chaos to be avoided, deserves close attention from both the materially and the spiritually minded, as Neiman’s does also in its different way. It begins to tip the balance against the inertia of bad habits and hints that there is more to life than matter.

The same thread of thinking runs through the whole of his book, The Evolution of God, so a small sample of his argument will have to suffice. One of the most charming facets of this argument, that morality is a social cement that we ignore for long only at the risk of chaos, comes in his discussion of Philo of Alexandria.

The order at work [in the world] is the Logos, and it came originally from God. He set up the world so that mere self-interested learning – the study of cause and effect, and preference for happy effects  – would steer people towards virtue. So when Proverbs reports that ‘whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling,’ we can think of God not as pushing people into pits and pushing stones back on people, but as the one who designed the social ‘gravity’  that brings these effects.

(page 227)

Virtue seems painful, if you accept this line of reasoning, only to those who do not understand its value. The difficult task for education and parenting is to enable developing minds to defer immediate gratification long enough to secure the benefits of self-restraint — benefits that accrue both to the individual and to society. I will return to that issue in a future post, drawing amongst other things on some useful recent material, while recognising that this delay might not help any of us deal with present temptations.

A last thought for now.

Perhaps this perspective, if they would only pause to consider it carefully, would help those who kick against moral constraints, whatever their origin, to understand the words of Bahá’u'lláh when He explains:

3. O ye peoples of the world! Know assuredly that My commandments are the lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures. Thus hath it been sent down from the heaven of the Will of your Lord, the Lord of Revelation. Were any man to taste the sweetness of the words which the lips of the All-Merciful have willed to utter, he would, though the treasures of the earth be in his possession, renounce them one and all, that he might vindicate the truth of even one of His commandments, shining above the Dayspring of His bountiful care and loving-kindness. . . .

5. Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!

(Kitáb-i-Aqdas)

Image : http://www.flickr.com

In order for an individual to recognize that a person, a lie is to say, the person, the psychology of lying, the reason for the action to know and understand.

In fact, that knowledge about the psychology of lying can help you more attentive to the different signs of lying, as well as the mentality that comes with it. This is useful to avoid contact with a feeling of doubt or under emotional stress when you are confronted with it.

Fear

One of the reasons why a person is lying is involved because of fear of possible consequences if telling the truth.

This psychology of lying is quite prevalent in the younger generations when they say hiding something sensitive from their friends and family members – the decision, a lie rather than tell the truth be punished.

It is a sign of the flight of the possible punishment that comes with telling the story, whichTruth.

Self-Image

Improving their own image in the eyes of their friends and families is one of the reasons why people lie. In order to raise their social on a par with others, a person would often create stories, usually in place to ensure that the other party is not thrown out of the limelight.

This psychology of lying is just a temporary increase in the social ladder, and will often be replaced with embarrassment when the truth comesout.

To harm others

Another goal is to attack other people, indirectly, by a lie about them. In fact, this is often seen, felt by prominent individuals in society.

To view the status of the individual or career low, a person is often a lie, the other set in a state of doubt about their own beliefs and truths.

In summary, people may lie due to fear of the consequences if they too tell the truth, to increase theirSelf-image inappropriate or deliberately harm others. The psychology of lying, then you can handle situations where people are not telling the truth.

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Women love designer shoes so much that many women have closets full of them. Others only long for that many and make do with a pair or two. Women’s designer shoes are very costly, so one might wonder why women even want to spend their money on such an extravagance. There are some great advantages to buying and wearing designer shoes. Women who wear them often can tell you all about it.

The most obvious reason people would want designer shoes is the up-to-the-minute styles they offer. All shoe styles will eventually be mimicked by cheap shoe manufacturers. It is only a matter of time. With designer shoes, though, you do not have to wait for a cheap imitation. You can have the real thing as soon as it comes out. Then, you can be the one everyone looks to for fashion tips on buying shoes. You will display your own personal flair with designer shoes that suit you so well they seem made for you.

It might not be as obvious, but designer shoes are much more comfortable than ordinary shoes. If you go to a discount shoe store and try on a pair of cheap shoes, they may hurt your feet. If you like the style, you may buy them anyway, hoping to break them in. The truth is that if the shoes do not fit you when you first put them on, no amount of breaking in is likely to make much difference.

Shoes that are not made in a comfortable fashion are not apt to become comfortable just because you wear them for a week or so. With designer shoes, chances are they will fit right away with no need to try to break them in. This is because designers put much thought and study into putting together a pair of shoes. They do not start working on the end product until they know how the design can be adapted to the feet of real women.

Cheap shoe manufacturers do little to assure that their shoes will be comfortable. They are basically concerned that the shoe fits the description of a ladies’ shoe style and is approximately the right size. Designer shoe manufacturers also bring comfort to the table in the form of better quality materials. When your shoe is well made with fine leathers or other materials, they are more comfortable in every way. This is a great advantage of designer shoes.

If you like to be the center of attention, you will find a huge advantage in buying designer shoes. You might want to emulate your favorite movie star or singer by wearing the shoes that they wear. It gives you a special feeling to know that your feet are just as well-dressed as a celebrity’s. If others know your secret, you will gain status that you would never get from ordinary shoes. There is no other feeling like having something for yourself that celebrity and royalty alike will wear. Accumulate a closet full of designer shoes and you will be the envy of all your friends.

Visit : shoes cheap

Forgive me for I became stagnant for the past few weeks. Had issues with my schedule and started going to the gym, so it pretty much ate most of my time. Lately I figured out that the “girl” I usually speak of in my previous entries didn’t make my heart beat, it was nothing but a hallucination so realistic that my body believes it. Or something really close to that. So I made the top ten things why I do not need a girlfriend/special someone.

TRIVIA: I DO NOT LIKE LABELS.

TOP TEN REASONS WHY I DO NOT NEED A GIRLFRIEND

10. I am busy- tight schedule, gym, school works and (the guts to have) a plan to join the choir.

9. My wallet is on a diet.

8. I have a good number of female friends that she may (and will) be jealous of.

7. I am lazy.

6. I have issues with trust. I doubt every second I am with her.

5. I do not need another mother who watches over me.

4. I have enough inspiration- don’t want more than what I can handle.

3. I don’t want any more heartbreak.

2. I am happy; I don’t see any need for it- I am perfectly alone.

1. I am psychic. I can see the end before we even begin.

Here’s three good reasons to be vegetarian:

1. It aligns with my ethics.
2. It’s good for the animals.
3. It’s good for the planet.

it's good for the planet, pic by sandcastlematt

It’s a win-win-win situation. So why wouldn’t I be vegetarian?

I love animals, dearly. I have difficulty killing spiders, flies, cockroaches and even mosquitos. Wherever possible, I transport them outside or away from where I am living so that they can go on their way. In theory, I subscribe to a ‘do no harm’ Buddhist philosophy.

Okay, in truth, if there are mosquitos buzzing around my head when I go to bed at night I do rather vigorously chase them down and kill them, smacking them into silence where they can neither bite me nor transmit diseases to me.

But I say sorry. Always. I hold remorse and sorrow that my actions have brought about a loss of life and I wish them well into the next life. Does that count for anything?

I am perfectly suited to being a vegetarian. But, so far, I physically have not been able to. I have a rap sheet of digestive issues and allergies that mean I can’t replace enough the necessary proteins that I need. I have tried to be vegetarian–many times. But I always get around two weeks in and feel decidedly ill: weak, incoherent, and craving serious protein. My mind and soul wish to be vegetarian; my body simply does not.

So how can i reconcile this fact? How do I manage being a partial meat eater when every sense and desire inside of me screams to live a life of compassion and ‘do no harm’?

para kanino pa ba ang mga sinusulat ko?
para kanino pa ba itong pag-ibig na alay ko?
para kanino pa ba ang kantang aking ikinakanta?
para kanino pa ba kaya ako nabubuhay?

ngayong wala ka, dapat pa ba akong umasa?
ngayong wala ka, dapat pa ba akong maghintay?
ngayong wala ka, kaya ko ba maging masaya?
ngayong wala ka, kaya ko pa bang magmahal ng tunay?

ngunit, bakit ngayon, pumapatak ang luha?
ngunit, bakit ngayon, tumatangis ang aking dibdib?
ngunit, bakit ngayon, nanginginig ang aking mga laman?
ngunit, bakit ngayon, wala nang sigla ang aking kaluluwa?

bakit hindi na makuhang tumuwa pang muli?
bakit hindi na maitago ang ramdam kong ikinukubli?
bakit hindi na tumigil yaring luhang tangis ng pusong sawi?
bakit hindi na makaundagaga sa kakadama ng mga atubili?

nasan ka na ba?
ngayo’y tingin ko’y lahat ng pangako’y naglaho!
nasan ka ba?
gayong mga sumpa nati’y nawalan lahat ng bisa!
nasan ka na ba?
ngayong lagapak ang aking katauhan!

bakit mo ko iniwang nag-iisa?
ni hindi na sumulat pa,
ni hindi na tumawag pa.
nakalimutan mo na nga ba?
mga hindi mapalitang tawanan nating dalwa?
mga hindi makalimutang iyakan nating dalwa?
hindi mo na nga ba matandaan?
iyong nadaramang init at tuwa kapag ika’y hinahalikan?
iyong nadaramang saya at galak kapag ika’y hinahagkan?
humuhupay na nga ba?
mga alaala nating dalawa?
ang pag-ibig na ating isinumpang walang wakas?
o iwinala na?
ng bago mong pag-ibig?
o sa simula’t sapul pa lang,
balewala na ang lahat?

sa tingin mo ba’y magiging kaibigan pa?
para sa kin hindi na! tinapos mo na!
hindi na muli maibabalik pa!
dahil sa pagiging magkaibigan
hindi ka na akin!
hindi na kita mahahagkan!
hindi ko na mahahawakan ang mga kamay mo!
hindi ko na malalaro ang buhok mo!
sapagkat hindi ko ugaling magsinungaling sa sarili!
lalo na kapag ukol sayo ang aking nadaramang muli!
wala akong nais ikubli!
tandaan mong ikaw ang susi!
sa puso kong iyong iwinawaksi.

pagkatandaan mo, kapag ka’y umalis
ikaw na ang siyang pumaslang sa dating ako
sa yumaong masayahing nakilala mo, ng lahat
hindi na mababago, sapagkat nakaguhit na ito
sa nagitla kong katauhan na iyo ring inalipusta
sa ngalan ng iyong pag-ibig na iyong winakasan na.

The Top Ten Reasons Your House is Not Selling (The number 1 reason)

 1.         The number ONE reason your home is not selling is,  your home is OVERPRICED. Optimistic buyers often say “there’s a buyer for every home.”  What they often leave off is the qualifier “at the buyers’ price.” The fact is that buyers, not sellers, ultimately determine the market value of a home. Overpricing is the most common reason homes do not sell. Price!  When you set a high price it sets an intention in motion. Most real estate agents and most qualified buyers will see your listing within the first 30 days. If it is overpriced by as little as 5% it will be duly noted and interest in your property will wane. Buyers will notice when it has been on the market for a substantial period of time it will become shop worn and potential buyers will start asking the all too common question about overpriced listings “I wonder what’s wrong with it?” If you do not drop your price, and soon, you will be doing what is called “chasing the market.” The other problem is once an offer is made your property may not appraise for the agreed upon asking price, thus throwing another wrench in the works. Often it is overcome by the seller coming down to the appraisal price or the buyer walking away from the deal. Competition to sell a home is high. Price it right to begin with and it will sell.

Contact me today if you or anyone you know needs real estate help….
e-Mail michael.hughes@sothebysrealty.com  Direct 303-359-6627         Website:www.bolderrealestate.com

Scuba diving is probably one of the best recreational activities to enjoy on the face of the earth. Some people would even refer to it as a spiritual experience; as the diver is submerged underwater and find inner-peace within the confines of the deep blue sea. Diving also conveys a sense of self-accomplishment due to the challenges that come about during the dive.

Without further ado, here are the top 5 reasons why many certified scuba divers perceive the activity as an enjoyable and fulfilling sport, recreation or profession.

It’s Water, Not Land. This is perhaps another way of saying (for most people that is) to ‘get away from the world’. Scuba diving will prove to be whole new experience for us terrestrial beings by immersing in a new environment different from what we are accustomed to.

Facing Your Fears. It is the notion of plunging into mysterious depths that compels people to break away from their comfort zones. The experience is definitely worth it all; since with scuba diving comes the discovery of our potentials as the diver becomes enthralled over the beauty, stirrings and challenges of the underwater world.

The Challenge and the Adventure. With great adventure comes great responsibility. Thus, you will have to be a certified open water diver, learned in the use of pertinent scuba gear, before you can engage in recreational scuba diving. For every scuba diving certification course completed, the diver merits a higher level of experience and expertise in scuba equipment handling. This issues a license to pursue those long dreamed about adventures, including the dive of historic shipwrecks and the encounter of an amazing underwater landscape.

Being One with Nature. The best type of recreation is one that could provide different avenues to appreciate the bounties of nature. The coral reefs, fishes, dolphins and turtles are just among the multitude of natural attractions a diver will encounter in the conduct of multilevel dives across marine habitats.

Falling in Love with the Ocean. No words could describe how divers feel during the encounter of an amazing marine environment. Thus being a unique experience, non-divers will have to experience marine life itself and define how the entire activity imparts a boost of intense wonder.

So are you in for scuba diving? A great tip to make the most out of the scuba diving experience is to use an Aeris Sport Buoyancy Compensator [http://www.scubasuppliers.com/site/1408308/product/40.130X] device or BCD. This high performance scuba gear promises to provide ultimate flexibility and lightness while coursing through the waters. The BCD also comes with 2 front pockets that allows the store of safety accessories. In the end, it is the ability to sustain neutral buoyancy and flexible movements while coursing through the depths-and with the right scuba gear in tow; that makes scuba diving one enjoyable trip!

1) flexible working

To tell the truth, there are not many other jobs, which offers attractive working conditions, schedules. As a pharmacist, you will control the planning of your work. You can choose from a variety of working hours. For most of the pharmacist with a family, they tend to opt for the regular 9AM to 5PM jobs in food chains and retail stores. For others, can a 7 on and 7 more behind schedule suits them. This works by the pharmacist 7 daysjust a rule for a 12-hour shift. After 7 days of work, replaced by the pharmacist, either resting for the next 7 days or if he or she can choose to work more hours working for other companies. This type of planning is to control, pharmacists who earn more in interest income are.

2) Salary Great Working

Depending on the circumstances and needs of pharmacists in the region, as a rule they can anywhere from $ 75,000 to $ 150,000 per year. That's a lot of money, given the factYou do not need to go to cut through all the training and a pharmacist compared to a journey is a doctor.

3) You always have a job

As I write this, the demand for pharmacists, much more than the supply. Currently, there is a shortage of pharmacists in most areas of the U.S. so therefore pharmacists currently enjoying a period of mobility, stability and flexibility as they pursue their profession.

4) You have greatBenefits

To attract new pharmacists to complete, most companies offer lucrative and attractive retirement and health benefits. These include attractive packages 401k plan, medical insurance and even paid vacation to places like Hawaii and Alaska.

5) You can still involve, to help health and the people

Many students are interested in health care, but the feeling that they are either limited to a doctor or a nurse. Well, as a pharmacist, you will bestill in the life of a patient. Pharmacists are not just people with a bright white lab coat-jacket, the "only count, pour, lick and stick" all day. Rather than this, the pharmacist as an intermediary between the doctor and patient. They advise patients on their medications, contact doctors if drugs or drug-food interactions, contact your insurance to ensure proper billing and to do many things to save people's lives all day long. Of course, these measures are usuallyunnoticed by the stereotypical views of the common people by most pharmacists.

6) You do not have to deal with body fluids

Pharmacist is aware that in a nice clean environment to work. As a rule, do not deal with blood or other body fluids nasty coming out of the system of the patient.

7) Enjoy the dynamics of this profession

Pharmacists can work everywhere from the corner drugstore to the research in collaboration with doctors and nurses at the hospital.There are many career opportunities for pharmacists to pursue. These include (but not limited to) career in community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, research, managed care, drug utilization review, academic professor, pharmaceutical representatives, and even CEO of a major Fortune 500 companies.

From Hogarth's 'The Rake's Progress'

What is Freedom?

This is a topic on which Bahá’u’lláh challenges many of our (mostly Western) assumptions. One such challenge is particularly difficult and particularly important.

Say: True liberty consisteth in man’s submission unto My commandments, little as ye know it. . . . The liberty that profiteth you is to be found nowhere except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth. Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it for all the dominion of earth and heaven.

(Bahá’u'lláh: Synopsis & Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: 123-5)

From His perspective dignity depends upon curtailing our freedom in certain respects. Liberty, in the sense of licence, debases people and they lose their dignity: they need restraints to protect them from their own ignorance. From a spiritual point of view, the best restraints are God’s commandments and obedience to them is true liberty. Licence traps us in the coils of appetite: obedience to God frees us from debasing desires.

Of course, as Eric Reitan makes plain, we must take care that the God that we follow is ‘worthy of worship.’ Other posts on this blog have explored the relationship between our ideas of God and our ideas of good and the implications that relationship has for our conduct. I won’t rehearse them all again here.

Here is one of the paradoxes of spiritual growth. We are prone to licence and cannot transcend this tendency and achieve true freedom except through the power of Divine Assistance which will involve self-restraint.

For far too many of us in the West, for whom dignity has become more or less synonymous with virtually unbridled self-determination, this is an awkward pill to swallow. Depriving ourselves of its medicinal potency will however only make a bad situation worse.

I accept that a significant number of people would not agree that the pill of Divine Assistance, the afterlife and/or a specific religious faith needs  be swallowed at all. We are perfectly capable, many would argue, of improving ourselves and our society without it.

Robert Wright’s position on this is interesting. He writes:

Some people will take heart from the idea that to seek a personal salvation linked to social salvation is to align yourself with a cosmic purpose manifest in history, and some won’t (either because they don’t agree that the purpose is manifest or because they don’t care). But however you describe the linkage, whatever the nature of the incentive structure, the linkage will have to be made in a fair percentage of human beings around the world for it to work.

(The Evolution of God: page 441)

What should we use this kind of freedom for?

It is not only for our own benefit that we need to exercise restraint and cultivate virtues. We need to do this to improve society as a whole and build a better civilisation.

All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Say: O friends! Drink your fill from this crystal stream that floweth through the heavenly grace of Him Who is the Lord of Names.

(Proclamation of Bahá’u'lláh)

Unity underpins all the benefits that accrue including the dignity of all.

The Blessed Beauty said: “All are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch.” He likened the world of existence to one tree and all the souls to leaves, blossoms and fruits.  . . . Thus the friends of God . . . must purify their sight, and look upon mankind as the leaves, blossoms and fruits of the tree of creation, and must always be thinking of doing good to someone, of love, consideration, affection and assistance to somebody.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Bahá’í World Faith)

This degree of unity, respect for the dignity of all human beings and perfect justice are interlinked.

When perfect justice reigns in every country of the Eastern and Western World, then will the earth become a place of beauty. The dignity and equality of every servant of God will be acknowledged; the ideal of the solidarity of the human race, the true brotherhood of man, will be realized; and the glorious light of the Sun of Truth will illumine the souls of all men.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks: 7th Principle)

Such a state of affairs will not arise of its own accord:

It is . . .  clear that the emergence of this natural sense of human dignity and honour is the result of education.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Secret of Divine Civilisation)

Virtue and the effort it entails need to be taught. A sense of dignity, other people’s and one’s own, is an essential part of what needs to be taught and will not develop without teaching.

Will this take long?

What implications have contemporary Bahá’í thinkers derived from these ideas?

There are many social evils antithetical to human dignity. Racism is one of the most pernicious. Achieving its eradication will not be simple, quick and effortless.

For too much of history, the evil of racism has violated human dignity. Its influence has retarded the development of its victims, corrupted its perpetrators and blighted human progress. Overcoming its devastating effects will thus require conscious, deliberate and sustained effort. Indeed, nothing short of genuine love, extreme patience, true humility and prayerful reflection will succeed in effacing its pernicious stain from human affairs. 

(BIC Document #01-0321, 2002, Page 2: Bahá’í International Community)

This statement could be applied unchanged with equal appropriateness and force to every corrupt attitude inimical to human dignity. It implies that solutions must be capable of crossing generational boundaries as well as those of class, gender and creed.

Education, then, emerges as an indispensable tool – a tool of active moral learning. To accomplish the broad objectives of ensuring the “full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity” and promoting “understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial, ethnic or religious groups,” education must strive to develop an integrated set of human capabilities-intellectual, artistic, social, moral and spiritual.  There is no other way to raise up positive social actors who are builders of amity and agents of service and probity.

(Bahá’í International Community: Belief and Tolerance)

There are also powerful interactions to consider, not least between the individual and the society of which (s)he is a part.

As a consequence of the deep connection between individual and social well-being, programmes of education need to instill in every child a two-fold moral purpose. The first relates to the process of personal transformation – of intellectual, material and spiritual growth. The second concerns the complex challenge of transforming the structures and processes of society itself.

(Ibid.)

The link between these concepts and the idea of World Citizenship is very clear.

Meeting the challenge to the education system to promote responsible global citizenship, the Bahá’í concept of World Citizenship begins with an acceptance of the oneness of the human family and the inter-connectedness of the nations of “the earth, our home.” While it encourages a sane and legitimate patriotism, it also insists upon a wider loyalty, a love of humanity as a whole. It does not, however, imply abandonment of legitimate loyalties, the suppression of cultural diversity, the abolition of national autonomy, or the imposition of uniformity. Its hallmark is “unity in diversity.”

(U.K. Bahá’í Community: Community Cohesion: a Bahá’í Perspective)

True freedom is not the same as individualism

The Prosperity of Human Kind explores these issues deeply and is worth quoting at length though selectively. It begins on this issue by saying:

Justice is the one power that can translate the dawning consciousness of humanity’s oneness into a collective will through which the necessary structures of global community life can be confidently erected.

And develops this further:

At the group level, a concern for justice is the indispensable compass in collective decision making, because it is the only means by which unity of thought and action can be achieved. Far from encouraging the punitive spirit that has often masqueraded under its name in past ages, justice is the practical expression of awareness that, in the achievement of human progress, the interests of the individual and those of society are inextricably linked. (My emphasis)

And culminates in an insight of astonishing reach and of great relevance to the nurturing and protection of human dignity:

At the heart of the discussion of a strategy of social and economic development, therefore, lies the issue of human rights. The shaping of such a strategy calls for the promotion of human rights to be freed from the grip of the false dichotomies that have for so long held it hostage. Concern that each human being should enjoy the freedom of thought and action conducive to his or her personal growth does not justify devotion to the cult of individualism that so deeply corrupts many areas of contemporary life. Nor does concern to ensure the welfare of society as a whole require a deification of the state as the supposed source of humanity’s well-being.

Goya's 'El Tres de Mayo'

In short, the enthronement of either individualism or state supremacy inevitably devalues human rights and thereby human dignity.

Its summarizing sentence at the end of this particular passage is masterly:

Only in a consultative framework made possible by the consciousness of the organic unity of humankind can all aspects of the concern for human rights find legitimate and creative expression.

In other words, the consciousness of the organic unity of humankind makes true consultation possible: such consultation allows us properly and effectively to express a concern for human rights (and dignity).

Trusteeship

The section ends by discussing a central concept in Bahá’í spiritual administration – trusteeship – and extends its necessary application to the world as a whole.

Since the body of humankind is one and indivisible, each member of the race is born into the world as a trust of the whole. This trusteeship constitutes the moral foundation of most of the other rights – principally economic and social – which the instruments of the United Nations are attempting similarly to define. The security of the family and the home, the ownership of property, and the right to privacy are all implied in such a trusteeship. The obligations on the part of the community extend to the provision of employment, mental and physical health care, social security, fair wages, rest and recreation, and a host of other reasonable expectations on the part of the individual members of society.

Humanity dignity would be guaranteed in such a context. It is all but explicit that without it human dignity would not exist.

In Bahá’í discourse certain key concepts are connected and interdependent. These crucially include: unity, justice, submission to the Will of God, trusteeship, education, the individual, society, civilization, love, patience, consultation, human rights and human dignity.

It will be crucial to the well-being of future generations that as many of us as possible start or continue unpacking their implications without further delay and translating them as rapidly as possible into concerted and focused action.