Zen Habits “We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.” - Thich Nhat Hanh By Leo Babauta I’m not a Zen monk, nor will I ever become one. However, I find great inspiration in the way they try to live their lives: the simplicity of their lives, the concentration and mindfulness of every activity, the calm and peace they find in their days. You probably don’t want to become a Zen monk either, but you can live your life in a more Zen-like manner by following a few simple rules. Why live more like a Zen monk? One of my favorite Zen monks, Thich Nhat Hanh, simplified the rules in just a few words: “Smile, breathe and go slowly.” However, for those who would like a little more detail, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve discovered to work very well in my experiments with Zen-like living. “Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” - Shunryu Suzuki Do one thing at a time. “Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water.
Faith of Our ForeFathers December 2006 The Founders are once again in vogue. More than 35 books have been published about them just since January according to Gordon Wood, the foremost authority on that era. One of the sub topics of these books concerns the depth of the religious convictions of these men, particularly the Big Six: Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and Adams. Authors coming from a conservative religious perspective believe that the Founders were highly religious and that the religious convictions of these men have been underestimated or deliberately ignored. Conversely, many liberal academics are equally fearful that the Religious Right is creating an inaccurate and distorted view of the Founders to promote their current political agenda. Major Founders George Washington Washington was clearly a "child of the Enlightenment" and as such was not a particularly religious person. Like most of the other Founders, Washington firmly believed in "the Hand of Providence." Benjamin Franklin
Holocaust Timeline Jump to: 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1933 January 30, 1933 - Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany a nation with a Jewish population of 566,000. February 22, 1933 - 40,000 SA and SS men are sworn in as auxiliary police. February 27, 1933 - Nazis burn Reichstag building to create crisis atmosphere. February 28, 1933 - Emergency powers granted to Hitler as a result of the Reichstag fire. March 22, 1933 - Nazis open Dachau concentration camp near Munich, to be followed by Buchenwald near Weimar in central Germany, Sachsenhausen near Berlin in northern Germany, and Ravensbrück for women. March 24, 1933 - German Parliament passes Enabling Act giving Hitler dictatorial powers. Terms of use: Private home/school non-commercial, non-Internet re-usage only is allowed of any text, graphics, photos, audio clips, other electronic files or materials from The History Place.
Anarchism: For & Against by Albert Meltzer Table of Contents Introduction Inalienable Tenets of Anarchism The Class Struggle Organisation and Anarchism The Role of an Anarchist in an Authoritarian Society Bringing About the New Society The Marxist Criticism of Anarchism The Social-Democratic Critique of Anarchism The Liberal-Democratic Objection to Anarchism The Fascist Objection to Anarchism The Average Person's Objection to Anarchism Introduction The Historical Background to Anarchism It is not without interest that what might be called the anarchist approach goes back into antiquity; nor that there is an anarchism of sorts in the peasant movements that struggled against State oppression over the centuries. In particular, we may cite three philosophical precursors of Anarchism, Godwin, Proudhon, and perhaps Hegel. Godwin is the father of the Stateless Society movement, which diverged into three lines. The third school of descent from Godwin is simple liberalism, or conservative individualism. The Class Struggle
All About Anarchism This classic statement of anarchism was written by a diverse group of anarchists in Cardiff around 1980 and it is an interesting historical record of the optimism of mainstream anarchist thought at that time. There is probably more rubbish talked about anarchism than any other political idea. Actually, it has nothing to do with a belief in chaos, death and destruction. It is no accident that the sinister image of the mad anarchist is so accepted. The alleged necessity of authority is so firmly planted in the average mind that anarchy, which means simply 'no government' is almost unthinkable to most people. Yet there are a limitless range of possible societies without the State. Various sorts of anarchists have differing ideas on exactly how society ought to be organised. Another common misunderstanding from those who know slightly more about it, is that anarchism is a nice daydream, a beautiful but impractical idea. Even the 'good' things that the State does are actually harmful.
Constitution Myths Have you ever heard someone say, "That's unconstitutional!" or "That's my constitutional right!" and wondered if they were right? You might be surprised how often people get it wrong. A lot of people presume a lot of things about the Constitution. One critique of this page is that it is full of nit-picks. The Air Force The Constitution was ratified in 1787, long, long before the advent of the airplane. Congressional Districts Congressional Districts divide almost every state in the United States into two or more chunks; each district should be roughly equal in population throughout the state and indeed, the entire country. The Electoral College The concept of the presidential elector is certainly in the Constitution, but never is the group of people collectively referred to as "The Electoral College." Executive Orders Executive Privilege Executive privilege is a right to withhold information from the legislative and judicial branches by the President or by one of the executive departments.
Never Talk to the Police By Dave Hitt on Mar 31, 2010 in Featured, Police State What’s the best response when a cop asks you something? Silence, or a short, polite non-answer. Shut up. You should be polite and calm whenever dealing with any armed person. These videos made the rounds about a year ago. In the first part of the first video a fast talking law professor gives you detailed reasons why you should never talk to the police. This is part two, where a former police officer fills in the details. Here are some practical examples of how to legally preserve your rights in an encounter with police: Ok, after all that heavy duty stuff, we need a breather.