Peace

Merry Tibetan Buddhist Christmas

Peace on earth, good will to men. [And women. ]

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness,

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering,

May all beings never be apart from the great happiness free from suffering.

May all beings remain in the great evenness of mind
free from passion, aggression and ignorance.

RIP Teddy Kennedy -- Teddy Jr.'s Eulogy Part Two

RIP Teddy Kennedy -- Teddy Jr.'s Eulogy Part One

RIP Teddy Kennedy

Beautiful, beautiful piece on Teddy Kennedy by RJ Eskow, at HuffPo.


Obama's speech at Teddy Kennedy's funeral, here.



And here's some nasty business from the so-called "pro-life" crowd, criticizing Cardinal Sean O'Malley.

News for Fetal Sentimentalists: Mom's BF Tortures Five Year Old in Dryer (Among Other Things)

One is working long hours at the trauma industry factory, and is hard-pressed to blog thoughtfully and depth-fully these days. So if one has any blogging time at all, a sure-fire hit is to Google "child abuse" and "news" because there are always lots and lots of grownups torturing the postborn!

I heard this story last night on the local news. And the funny thing was -- when I Googled "child abuse" and "news" this morning, the story didn't come up. Nor when I Googled "child abuse" and "news" and "New Hampshire."

It finally came up when I Googled "New Hampshire" and "dryer."

Manchester – A man is accused of choking and punching his girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter and putting her in a clothes dryer . . . In court, police prosecutor Lt. Robert Cunha sought to maintain the high bail set following Zawadzki’s arrest, saying the photos of the child’s injuries showed “an egregious assault on a 5-year-old girl."

The affidavit supporting Zawadzki’s arrest said the child’s mother had left her in the care of her boyfriend Monday night and the boyfriend’s explanation for the child’s injuries were that he had to slap her for being fresh and that the child had fallen in the shower when reaching for a shampoo bottle.

According to the affidavit, police spoke with the child after her mother reported the assault yesterday. The girl said Zawadzki became angry with her and choked her with his hands around her neck, lifting her from the floor as he did so. She said he hit her in the face and head and punched her in the legs before putting her in the clothes dryer and spinning the tub with his hands.

In court today, Cunha said the physician who examined the child said the injuries were the worst she’d seen. Police described the injuries as bruising to the child’s face, shoulder, legs, buttocks and vaginal area, as well as a swollen upper lip.

But still, let's save our compassion for the preborn, shall we? Because, you know, there's never enough compassion to go around.

The Third-Worlding of America: GOP Runs Death Panels for the Working Poor

RAM usually goes to help the poor in Africa.

But, after 8 years of Bushist fascism, America is the new Africa.

The new third world is here at home.

Oh lookee! Working adults with no access to health care, weeping because they find, having waited in line for days to receive charity health care, that they have high blood pressure.

But they can't afford a doctor. And they can't afford the pills.

In the wealthiest country in the world.

Ain't that a shame?

Hey, Joe -- can you play a few bars of "Serfin' U-S-A"?

Michael Jackson Dies, Denial About MJ's Hx of Childhood Abuse Lives On

So there was a thread recently on a liberal blog I admire, mourning Michael Jackson.

When MJ's history of being an adult survivor of childhood abuse was mentioned, it was first minimized ("45 years ago many parents used corporeal (sic) punishment") and then all mention was banned, having been framed as if mentioning an innocent child's victimization by his own father were "speaking ill of the dead."

When we cannot speak honestly of what actually happens in families, we become complicit in allowing abuse to go on, unseen.

Robert Aitken Roshi Needs Help

Zen master Robert Aitken Roshi is 91 now, and in frail health; he lives in the USA, a country where health care is a luxury. 'Nuff said.

Warning: Graphic Video Tehran: wounded girl dying in front of camera

I apologize for posting this -- and oddly enough, it went up before I had even finished working on it -- but it is important to note that the Iranian regime has apparently gone with "shoot to kill" now.

The whole world is watching, and this sad video could not be more eloquent, could it?

Update: now we know her name was Neda.
Update 2: Later coverage here.

Neda

Roger Cohen.

Matthieu Ricard: Habits of Happiness

Hello Dalai

Nearly 16,000 people turn out for the Dalai Lama at Gillette Stadium.

How Much Can a Koala Bear?

(Antidote to stories about child abuse, christian fisting, and Dick Cheney's inner life.)

Sydney Morning Herald: Love in a Time of Bushfires

Donation link to the RSPCA, Victoria, Australia.