In Rome 493 BC, during a particularly arduous debt crisis and class struggle, the entire labor force withdrew from the city and encamped on a neighboring hill. The Elites (or Patricians, as they were known) maintained power and control - but of silent streets and empty businesses. There was no one left to handle the daily tasks that kept the Great Empire running. It was a brilliant tactic on the part of the plebs (the Roman equivalent of the 99%) and led to the creation of new officials, Tribunes of the People whose sole purpose was to protect the interests of the public.

Fast forward to 2011 and The Occupy/Anonymous Movements and the climate doesn't seem unfamiliar to that of Ancient Rome - greed, corruption, scandal. The public is vocally seething with frustration and blatant outrage at current socio-political events:  the recent revelations of Goldman Sachs duplicitous management tactics, the inexcusable, contemptible financial bail out of corrupt lending houses on Wall Street, the Federal governments continued misappropriations of the American people's tax dollars. Unfortunately, unless the current group of uprisers can encourage the growth and solidarity of the average American into the millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions

Reflections, Resolutions, and Romans

Although many of us love an excuse to enjoy a glittery, champagne-laced celebration there are those among us who tremble at the idea of relinquishing another year to the annuls of the past. Change, uncertainty, letting go...these inevitabilities can loom heavy for some.

I'm not one of those people.

I relish the 'new.' New job? Start tomorrow. New location? Pack my bags. New year? Clock's a-tickin'. I'm like a well traveled golden retriever who leaps at the first hint of a road trip (snout out the window, ears traversing the wind) when it comes to adventure, and that's all the unknown is really...a new adventure. So wipe the slate, shake the Etch-A-Sketch, and rip that last page off the calendar! Change is good.

I'm on the fence about resolutions, however. On one hand, I'm all about reevaluating the year that's passed and the areas in my life that need 'tweaking,' yet, on the other hand, compiling a list of goals that seem perfectly reasonable but in reality are as likely to be accomplished as a pig sniffing out truffles in Dubai just seems, well...sadistic.

This year, I'm more inclined to resolve not to do things as opposed to tossing more on the pile. The notion of limiting technology and 'unplugging' appeals to me greatly. I miss the feel of pen to paper and have decided to embark on a path of, dare I say...handwriting personal correspondence. On stationary, no less. With stamps. We used to call them 'letters.'

Not interrupting, not making assumptions, and not scrutinizing my children are right up there. But mostly, the sheer bliss of not feeling the need to prove anything, not stressing over other people's opinions or perceptions, and not obsessing over circumstances in life that are beyond my control are my 'Resolution Trifecta.' I'll save you having to purchase the Cliff Notes...most of life is beyond our control. Continue to cling to the illusion that "it's all within your power" if you enjoy funding big Pharma in the form of a lifetime prescription of Xanax.

There is a remarkable and satisfying emancipation from expectation that comes with enlightenment and maturity. The gnawing sense of urgency to keep chasing after some mythical, socially contrived ideal of success dissipates and in it's place is a serene well of perspective and acceptance.

Typically, we get too encumbered with all the fluff instead of what's relevant. And trust me, there's enough fluff to make the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man blush.  A little shift is all that's really needed to sharpen our focus on what's crucial. 

One of my favorite Stoics said it best:

                  "If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself,  
                    but your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment."

I love those Romans, but none more than Emperor and philosopher, Marcus Aurelius. And every year at this time of reflection, I reach for my very weathered, tattered copy of his classic "Meditations," from which I continually glean new insight, like that little marvel above and this here other one for example:
          
                 "Think of your many years of procrastination; how the gods have repeatedly
                   granted you further periods of grace, of which you have taken no advantage.
                   It is time now to realize that your time has a limit set to it. Use it then, to
                   advance your enlightenment; or it will be gone, and never in your power again."

I know...profound. For me, the experience of revisiting the great Caesar's tome is like watching "The Godfather" for the eighty-second time and discovering a new revelation into the psyche of Michael Corleone. Here you thought you had Mikey all wrapped up and then - BAM! - quick as you can whack Moe Green, a neglected snippet of the human condition lays itself bare like the dead fish in Sonny's lap.

Remember, it's easy to get caught up in nonsense. Instead, why not enjoy the transition, look forward to what's around the corner, and ditch those pesky resolutions. Y'know..."leave the gun...take the cannoli."

Happy New Year.











 

Brilliant Succinct Analysis

Must-see monologue

When The Truth Becomes A Crime~

Wikileaks maintains no political affiliation.
Wikileaks is not a conservative site.
Wikileaks is not a liberal site.
And Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange is not a criminal. He is not a terrorist. He is not a traitor or the enemy. His is simply someone who became frustrated with corruption, greed, hidden agendas, extortion, senseless murder, and censorship.

Although I can't speak for Mr. Assange, my educated guess would be, that like many of us in the world he became weary of the blatant and audacious lies and misrepresentations that world leaders and governments continually feed the people they presumably represent.

So he called them on it.
And how quickly he got their attention.

Whatever your current opinion of the Assange case, just scan some of the cables at Wikileaks. Do your own research. And ask yourself a few questions. If these global leaders and government sponsored agencies have nothing to fear, nothing that would indict them of possible nefarious activities...then why is one man such a colossal threat?           

Because Sometimes 140 Characters Doesn't Cover It

"Every ambitious would-be empire clarions it abroad that she is conquering the world to bring it peace, security and freedom, and is sacrificing her sons only for the most noble and humanitarian purposes. That is a lie, and it is an ancient lie, yet generations still rise and believe it! ... If America ever does seek Empire, and most nations do, then planned reforms in our domestic life will be abandoned, States Rights will be abolished -- in order to impose a centralized government upon us for the purpose of internal repudiation of freedom, and adventures abroad. The American Dream will then die -- on battlefields all over the world -- and a nation conceived in liberty will destroy liberty for Americans and impose tyranny on subject nations." 
~George S. Boutwell

What's It Worth To You?

I recently read an article on secular humanism where one of the followers was quoted as saying, "If God were really so vain as to insist on being constantly worshipped, then he would not be worth it." and I couldn't help but literally shake my head and wonder, "Do the majority of non-believers really think that the topic of praise and faith are that simple?  Or worse, that the billions who call themselves believers are that simple?"

To think that Christians are called upon to glorify God for the obligation of satisfying His ego is to completely misinterpret the purpose of worship.  God doesn't request that we exalt Him because of some multitude of mythical insecurities on His part or some raging Divine "attitude."  It's quite the opposite.  Like any loving, benevolent figure, Our Father has asked us to remember Him in our hearts and thoughts as a way of keeping us in touch with not only the Divine, but also to bond us to a unified sense of humanity, to remind us that there is more relevance to our existence than our own wants and desires, and that our lives extend far beyond our immediate circle.  When we take time to praise our Creator, we consciously set aside the frenetic (and often frivolous) aspects of our daily routines to reflect on grace and brotherhood and fellowship.  The process of giving thanks to God allows us to dwell within the mystical and ponder feats that otherwise, we may not contemplate, but it also allows us to reach out to our fellow man in a very tangible manner.  It makes sense to me that as human animals, we feel limited by our biology.  When we make room for that which is larger than ourselves, we often feel those limitations subside.

So, for those of us who are believers, praise and reverence to our Creator is a choice.  It's not forced upon us, or demanded.  It's requested...in a whisper and responded to in a resounding joy from a place so deep and mysterious, many of us forget it exists.  We waste so much of our day on tasks that are meaningless (and forgotten almost before we complete them) that being beholden to praise and reflection of God not only seems worth it...but, at least for me - necessary.

Was It All About The Jobs?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44802008/ns/today-books/t/jobs-biography-i-wanted-my-kids-know-me/

I find this article disturbing and heartbreaking.  Being consumed and driven by your work comes with the territory for any respectable CEO of a major conglomerate, especially Apple, and attempting to balance work and family life is a task that most of us struggle with to some degree.  But authorizing your biography for your children so they can know you?  This move seems a tad pathetic and disingenuous to say the least.  If you really wanted your children to know you Steve, how 'bout sitting in front of your Ipad while in your hotel room and spending an hour or so Skyping in the evening catching up?  Why not use any number of Apple film making tools to leave a private, live action diary for the family?  Why not pen a personal journal for them in your own words, in your own hand that remains unpublished?  C'mon...are we really suppose to buy this?  Damn straight we are...that's the whole point, isn't it?  Steve's forthcoming authorized biography is number one on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.  It's a shame really, for someone who professed to be a practicing Buddhist, it seems Jobs clearly glossed over one of the central tenants of the faith -- releasing selfhood or ego.  I suppose being an icon has its price, indeed.