Category Archives: culture
[TELEGRAM] Left vs. Right Politics, and Other Perishable Items
“Fill your mind with the meaningless stimuli of a world preoccupied with meaningless things, and it will not be easy to feel peace in your heart.” -Marianne Williamson
Jesus is Calling Us Back to the Present
Photo Credit: flickr/il_tommy. Usage does not represent endorsement by the photographer.
The instant gratification that grew up out of consumerism was like a gateway drug, and it left many of us wanting more. So this culture turned its eyes towards the future, and we learned to fixate on the haze in the distance. Fear makes it even worse. The news piles on
dire projections and grim speculation. Politicians and pundits tirelessly blame the other side. The downsizing of corporate America continues. Reasonable people ask “where will all of this leave me?”
In response, we can become consumed by a quest to find a more secure professional trajectory, or work too hard in order to bolster the savings account, or spend more time and money than we should just to turn the kitchen pantry into an impenetrable stockpile of soup and deodorant.
[TELEGRAM] Combat as an Acquired Taste
Interview with Author Richard Dahlstrom: On Economic Survival, Evangelism, and the Crushing Nature of Adversarial Consumerism
Photo Credit: Ian Ebright | The Broken Telegraph
As our conversation continues, I’m realizing that this idea of intentional living is not just a bunch of words for author Richard Dahlstrom. He seems to be enjoying the moment rather than trying to rush through it. The office we are sitting in is a loft with the usual computer and bookshelf. But there’s also candles burning on top of the space heater, and a pretty impressive climbing wall that he’s made out of a corner of the office complete with climbing holds, carabiners, and what looks like a meditative prayer sheet that’s been tacked halfway up the incline. On the other side of the stairs is a flat, carpeted cubby area that he calls the prayer space, and the books over there have been left open. I can’t find anything in the entire area that has been placed for the sake of appearance.
[TELEGRAM] The Weight is a Gift
Osama Bin Laden is Dead, But This is No Time to Celebrate
Celebration at ground zero. Photo Credit: flickr/David Miller. Usage does not represent endorsement by the photographer.
For some, the news brought an understandable sense of relief, or a bit of overdue closure. Others are viewing the event through a purely strategic lens, believing the kill shot to be an accomplishment only because it will likely avert greater violence in the future. The merits of such reactions are debatable. But those who boldly celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden have fallen for a devilish trick. In an effort to assert moral superiority and to separate from the legacy of the infamous terrorist, they have unwittingly participated in the same hatred that gave birth to his kind of extremism.
Narcissistic Stockholm Syndrome: War Machine
Photo Credit: flickr/Kenny Holston 21. Usage does not represent endorsement by the photographer.
A couple of friends are filling in for me while I’m away on break. This post is written by Jason M. Dye of the blog Left Cheek.
What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?” -Mahatma Gandhi
Someone out there is planning a counter-demonstration to a peace march. Oddly enough, it’s not Boeing, Haliburton, Blackwater, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, nor any of the other war profiteers taking out the banners and megaphones to stymie the influence of the peace activists.
It is a Marine who served in Vietnam.
Please don’t miss the irony of this. Someone who suffered under the direction of war-mongers and profiteers believes that those who oppose the war-mongers and profiteers need to be opposed.
The Strange American Reaction to the Egyptian Uprising
Photo Credit: HBO.com
It took just 18 days of protest to overthrow a cruel dictator of 30 years in Egypt. And with that, 3 out of 4 recent uprisings in the Middle East and Asia have been successful so far. But you wouldn’t know it if you listened to certain segments of the American public. These pro-democratic movements (now spreading to Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Algeria, and further south to the African country of Djibouti) have been met with concern over here. When did hope get the reputation for being naivety in disguise?
Interview with a Special Forces Captain: Was War Worth It, and Can We Leave Now?
Tyler is currently a Captain studying for a Master’s Degree in Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School. He served a year in Iraq as an Infantry platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division, and three tours in southern Afghanistan as a Special Forces Detachment Commander and Operations Officer.
We discussed the cost of war in Afghanistan, and differing exit strategies.
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