I’ve Not Been a Good Buddhist

One of the ideas of Buddhism is letting go of your attachments in life. Holding on to those “attachments” leads to suffering. Well, during this political campaign especially, I have become attached to the outcome of this mid-term election. Will the Democrats retain control of the House and Senate or will those Republican/Tea Party “boogie” men & women take control. Will this country stay on the path of progress and reform or fall back into business as usual and gridlock. My shorts have been in a knot.

On the internet, the radio and especially the TV, I am reminded every day of the dangers we are facing from this Democrat or that Republican candidate. This one was a witch when they were younger and that one tied up women and worshiped false idols! It can almost get comical. And perhaps that is what we should be doing is laughing…laughing at all this craziness and the millions of dollars being spent on both sides trying to influence our vote.

Think about it. All this money being spent on these crazy attack ads being spewed back on forth on both sides could be going to fixing this country and solving our problems. Instead, it is being wasted on the pursuit of power and buying influence. It is maddening. My biggest fear is that too many voters have lost the ability to think for themselves, to reason, to evaluate the messages that are bombarding us day and night. How many no longer look for the truth or verify what they are being SOLD? Voters are being swept away in a sea of negativity and fear. In their anger and frustration, they rush to judgment only to awaken the next morning and realize they’ve hung an innocent man, they’ve bought the Brooklyn Bridge. There will be regret and sorrow for what they have done, but too late… the deed is done.

If I were a better Buddhist, I’d go vote and then sit back and laugh and let go. What will be will be. I would deal with the outcome and move on. Life is short. But like I said, I’ve not been a good Buddhist.

Food for THOUGHT…

Vote!




Are we to let the other side define this president and
 all that he has accomplished? Vote!

  With only a few weeks to go before the 2010 midterm elections, Americans have some important choices to make: The Tea Party, The Republicans, or The Democrats. Thanks to the recent Supreme Court ruling, corporations and unions can contribute unlimited funds under names like “Americans for Progress” to campaigns and they do NOT have to say where their money comes from. Karl Rove and Associates, the Koch brothers, Rupert Murdoch and others are busy raising money hand over fist for Republicans and Tea Party candidates and are targeting those races that will shift control of the U.S. Senate and possibly the House away from the reform minded Democrats that swept Barack Obama into office.


There is no denying the rage among voters in this country toward the negative, back-biting partisanship in our nation’s capitol. The economy’s slow recovery, continued high unemployment, rising national debt and foreclosures have fueled this anger. The Democratic Party’s message of reform pales against the onslaught of Right Wing and Tea Party rhetoric spewing forth from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and others. The government is too big! Privatize or do away with Social Security and Medicare! Repeal the new healthcare legislation! Drill baby, drill! Don’t tie the hands of business with needless taxes and regulations and environmental rules! Keep the tax cuts, especially for the wealthy! Let trickledown economics work! Voters are being bombarded with negative, fear-filled messages and calls to throw the bums out!

After 8 years of Neocon Republican control of this nation, ending in the near financial collapse of this country and the world, two unending wars, being the target of worldwide terrorists and losing the respect of our friends and allies, voters have to make some very important decisions in just a few weeks. Do we return control of our government to the right wing Party of No and assorted Tea Party radicals OR do we stay the course and continue on this path of continued reform and hope that things will improve and get better for the average American?

No, I don’t believe that Democrats have all the answers, but what alternatives do moderate Democrats, Republicans, Independents and those of us calling ourselves Progressives have against this onslaught of negative, fear, smears and lies? Where do we go in just a few weeks, if we don’t want this country to step backward, be dismantled, undone and handed over to big business, banks and power brokers? Under Obama, we have made some progress, not as much as I would like, but progress none the less. It has been a hard won progress against a foe that would rather destroy this once great nation rather than compromise or come up with workable solutions rather than anti-everything Obama rhetoric.

With all the money being raised to defeat Democratic candidates in the mid-term elections, there is one thing to keep in mind. The corporations don’t get to vote. They have millions of dollars to influence voters, but WE the people…get to vote! I urge all American voters to consider all the rhetoric, all the messages and all the claims being bought and sold by those special interests groups. Decide if you want America to go forward or backwards and then go vote. Get your friends and family to vote. What we the people decide will determine what we ALL live with.

Food for THOUGHT…

On Being Adopted (Update)

Spike had been my cat for 17 years and Sylvie was Lisa’s cat for 20 years. They made the trip down to Texas together. Once we were in our house, Spike and Sylvie were joined by our foundling kitten, Babs, named after Lisa’s Aunt Barbara. Babs was only 7 weeks old when we heard her cries for help and found her stuck in our fence by the side of the house. To this day, we can’t imagine where she came from or how she got there, but we came to her rescue. After a bath and some food she was exhausted. We left her in the guest bathroom over night and I had decided that a third cat was too many so I had planned to take her to an animal shelter the next day. Fortunately for us, Babs had other plans.


The next morning found us staring at this little, tiny, fluffy charcoal kitten with a loud purr. She leaped and gave us head butts and rubbed against us and she had me hook line and sinker. We had been adopted. Babs immediately took over the house and the two older cats. Babs was fearless in the face of growls and hisses, mostly from Sylvie, who wanted nothing to do with this tiny upstart. On the other hand, Spike found the little kitten more of a curiosity and eventually bonded with Babs. He would let her curl up with him in a chair during cold winter months and the two would have a good snooze. I was astonished one time to see Spike, the old male cat, licking Babs like a mother cat during one of their get-togethers. Sylvie eventually came to tolerate Babs and they became the three cats I vowed we’d never have.

Lisa and I had decided to take our time selecting another cat or cats after the passing of our beloved Sylvie and Spike recently. We considered leaving Babs as our only cat, but we are both gone for long periods of time during the week. So the plan was to check out some of the animal shelters to find a companion for Babs. We thought we should get a kitten since they seem to adapt better than an older cat. But once again fate had other plans.

Calli started coming across the street in the evenings and into our back patio. She was a beautiful, little calico kitten about 5 months old. She had a fluffy tail and a black “mask around her eyes. From the very start she was a lover! She jumped into our laps and nuzzled us with loud purrs and head butts. She could not get enough attention. We suspected that she might belong to the old couple from across the street near the ally. She seemed healthy and well groomed, even though we knew the older couple had health problems. We figured that the nurse or caregiver might be taking care of her. We reluctantly left her outside at night, even though on one of Calli’s visits she went charging for the back door and would have run into our house before we caught her. She was trying folks! There are a lot of cats out at night in our neighborhood and that’s the problem. They get pregnant or worse.

On one of Calli’s visits, she brought a littermate, we named him Sammy. He was also in need of attention, but he turned out to be a bitter and a scratcher. The two of them curled up on our back steps that night much to the dismay of Babs who was looking out the back door window. Calli disappeared for a while after that, but one day while I was home, she came over in the middle of the day. She rubbed against my legs and began purring. We had only seen her at night. When she showed up again that night we suspected she had no home and had to make a decision. Soon, she would go into heat and wind up like so many of the cats in our neighborhood. We took her in.

Calli did not like being closed up in the kitchen at night. She wanted attention! The next morning we took her to our vet and had her tested to make sure she could be around Babs. We would get her shots and spayed at the Animal Defense League later. She checked out so we began what we thought would be a long, gradual process of introduction to Babs. Babs was curious, but she would hiss if Calli got too close. Babs’ whole personality began to change. She would not let either of us pet her and she was skittish. We were being snubbed! Babs resented the new cat big time.

We decided to keep Calli in the kitchen at night so that Babs would have some respite and come back and sleep with us again like the old days. By the second or third night in the kitchen, Calli was having none of it. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, “little miss Houdini” came trotting down the hall and into our bedroom and jumped up on the bed. Calli nuzzled into Lisa’s arm pit and wrapped her little paw around her arm and set to purring. (I wish I had had a camera.) We knew she was not going back to the kitchen.

It has been a week now and Babs is finally coming around. She is acting more like herself and even tried to play with Calli a few times. They both sleep with us at night without any growling or hissing. Calli loves to curl up with us and spread out. She is completely at home. I’ve never seen such an affectionate cat! She was one determined feline. She knew she was our new cat…well before we did.

Welcome to the family, Calli!

Food for THOUGHT…