Daily Thoughts & Issues

IN THIS ISSUE:

JULY 12

Days left until the next millennium 01.01.3001

Photo of the Week
Brad Lewis/Tony Stone Images
Achieve Your Dreams

July 12 - Independence Day for Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe. * Orangemen's Day, Northern IRE. Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne (1690); Vigil for true peace, justice, religious tolerance, and equal rights for all in Northern Ireland. * Phobos 2 (USSR) sent back the first close-up photos of Phobos, one of two small moons of Mars (1988). * Battle of Kirsk (1943), the largest tank battle in history, took place outside the small village of Prohorovka, Russia where 900 Russian tanks attacked an equal number of German Panther and Porsche tanks. Germany's tanks were larger but lost to the smaller, more maneuverable Russian tanks in close range battle. Hitler ordered a cease-fire with only 300 German tanks remaining strewn over the field. * Ban on German troops with arms which had been in effect since shortly after World War II. It would allow German troops to join in peacekeeping missions of the United Nations or NATO and signaled the change in status. German military units marched in the Bastille Day celebration in Paris on July 14, the first time German troops has\d appeared in France since their occupation that ended in 1945. * The Fourteenth Amendment is ratified, granting citizenship to African Americans. (1868) * The Senate approves a resolution for a 16th Amendment, which established income taxes. (1909) * Birthdays: Joe (Curly) DeRita, Buckminster Fuller, Sir William Osler, Josiah Wedgwood, Van Cliburn (Harvey Lavan, Jr.), Pablo Neruda, Bill Cosby, Richard Simmons, Henry David Thoreau (transcendentalist and naturalist who believed in individualism and living simply in harmony with Nature), Josiah Wedgwood Mel Harris, Jamey Sheridan. And a special to Tom Williamson.

DAILY THOUGHTS

The key to learning the lesson of compassion is realizing that you are in control of the erection of destruction of those barriers that create distance between you and others. You can choose to dissolve those barriers when you want to connect with the heart of another human being. You can also choose to limit others' access to your heart when you need to, by forming judgments that separate you from that which you are judging.  If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

In 1997, British Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed that country's first openly gay cabinet member, Chris Smith, as National Heritage Secretary. Gay & Lesbian Calendar

Birthday of Henry David Thoreau (1817), naturalist and philosopher who believed in individualism and living simply in harmony with nature. The Mystic's Wheel of the Year

The emphasis on performance is the single greatest enemy of a satisfactory sex life. New Passages

From the point of view of soul, identity is not a solitary achievement but a communal experience, always implying a relationships to others. Soul Mates

Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brace in the attempt. - Special Olympics Motto. Achieve Your Dreams

Things to Be Happy About: Rooftop buffets. Reading on the porch. A compliment from a stranger. 14,000 Things to Be Happy About

The fewer promises you make, the more you keep. Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me

The Personality Ethic tells me there must be something out there - some new planner or seminar that will help me handle pressures in a more efficient way. But is there a chance that efficiency is not the answer?  Is getting more things done in less time going to make a difference, or will it just increase the pace t which I react to the people and circumstances that seem to control my life? Could there be something I need to see in a deeper, more fundamental way - some paradigm within myself that affects the way I see my time, my life, and my own nature? Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

How to Handle the Veggies War. Don't worry is your child won't eat vegetables; many children simply don't like them. Most will outgrow this phase. In the meantime, offer your child fruits. Many contain the same nutrients as vegetables. Add veggies to the diet by sneaking shredded carrots or zucchini in spaghetti sauce or casseroles. Parents Tips & Tricks

Moving simplified: When packing books, start with the top shelf of a bookcase, and move from left to right all the way down to the bottom shelf. Take a stack from the shelf and put them right into the box in the same order. Label the boxes by bookcase and by number. Instruct the movers to set up the bookcases in the new house, and to stack the book boxes next to them in numerical order. Start with box number one, and stack the books on the shelves exactly was you packed them, in the same order.  Simplify Your Life

To decrease stress at work, avoid time wasters such as frequent phone interruptions, unnecessary paperwork, poor communication, unstructured meetings, lack of proper prioritizing and inability to delegate. Stress Busters

Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work. - Bette Davis. Win the Day!

El mugido (mooHEEdoh). Moo. Me desperaron los mugidos de las vacas. The mooing of the cows work me up.  Living Language

*SPECIAL BIRTHDAY: Tom Williamson (1944) is the tireless, determined, dedicated president of the National Coalition of Free Men, one of the oldest, largest and most consistently active and productive masculinist organizations in America. E-Mail

TODAY'S ISSUE: SACRED SPACE

When I would recreate myself, I seek the darkest wood...the most dismal swamp. I enter the swamp as a sacred space...There is the strength - Henry David Thoreau. Sacred space is where the transcendent, holy and divine can appear. There are many places that become sacred because of what happens there or through the intention of those who gather. A church can be sacred, and so can a grove of trees. For some people an eating table is sacred. A couple's bed can be sacred. A men's lodge is a sacred space. One's work space can be sacred, especially if it is approached and entered with a sacred attitude. A sacred space points beyond itself, to a higher meaning. When one enters that space he feels its difference from other space immediately. Sacred spaces have boundaries, which are important to respect. When those boundaries are violated, the space is endangered. Protecting boundaries is essential, as is expanding them at times to be more inclusive. Earth-loving peoples have a keen sense of sacred space. This sense is one of the many contributions of indigenous people to modern people. Today I will go to a sacred space, one that is familiar to me or that I discover for the first time. I will go without much expectation concerning what might happen. I will just be there. A Quiet Strength: Meditations on the Masculine Soul

Sacred space is a place where human beings find a manifestation of divine power, where they experience a sense of connectedness to the universe. There, in some special way, spirit is present to them - J Donald Hughes. There are places of power in the world where we can feel the very universe resonate with our soul. In these sacred places we draw strength and vision from the spiritual source that flows in and around all things. For some of us sacred space is found in churches, temples and holy sites. Sacred space also occurs in nature, where forces create a special feeling of power and majesty. We can also create our own sacred space - a place to go for spiritual renewal, to feel the power of the spirit, to pray and meditate. Find a place where you will be undisturbed. Bring to its place some of the things that are holy and spiritual for you - a book, perhaps, or an icon. Maybe you are drawn to natural artifacts: gems, feathers, wood. Follow your heart in selecting your sacred symbols. Then spend time in your sacred space. You may wish to share this place with others, but select only those who support and understand your need for sacred space. Use this special place of power as a source of renewal and connection to the spirit. The more time spent there in reflection and contemplation, the more powerful this place will become for you. Today I will visit my sacred space, or commit myself to creating one. A Quiet Strength: Meditations on the Masculine Soul

Spirit of Place:  What makes a place special is how it buries itself inside the heart - Richard Nelson. Place is important - where you were born, where you have been, where you are right now, and where you will be. Explore the main places of your life - physically, emotionally, spiritually. Each of us is drawn to distinct places, depending partly on where else we have been, internally as well as externally. Do you prefer living on a coat, by a river or a lake, in the mountains, in a desert, or on a plain? Do you have a secret place?  Did you have one as a child?  Someplace you once went, or go now, where your soul can manifest itself?  You may want to remember such a place, or imagine one, and transport yourself there now. Many men move around a lot in their lives. Each place has its own ways, its own spirit. Some of these ways seems to resonate more with us than others. Today I will go where I am drawn - to see and perhaps to live. I will stay where I feel the energy is right for me. A Quiet Strength: Meditations on the Masculine Soul

SPECIAL URLs

 

MENSTUFF COLUMNS BY AUTHOR

  • The Advice Diva - The Advice Diva - relationship and sexuality issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/advicediva/archive.html
  • Peter Alsop - Song of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/alsop/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - A Man Overboard - Interview of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/overboard/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - Poetry - poetry read on YouTube - www.menstuff.org/columns/baer/archive.html
  • Molly Barrow - Shrink About This - www.menstuff.org/columns/barrow/archive.html
  • Peter Baylies - At Home Dads - on at-home-dad issues that impact fathers who stay at home to raise their kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/baylies/archive.html
  • Tom Blake - Middle-Age Relationships - from an expert on dating after 50. www.menstuff.org/columns/blake/archive.html
  • Mark Brandenburg - Great Fathers - on fathering issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/greatfathers/archive.html
  • Ted Braude - BoysWork - a columnist in the The Detroit Free Press "Body and Mind" section www.menstuff.org/columns/braude/archive.html
  • Armin Brott - A Father's Guide - hosts "Positive Parenting" on radio www.menstuff.org/columns/brott/archive.html
  • Dan Bulf - Get Real - weekly pod cast on men's issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/bulf/archive.html
  • Ken Byers - Transition - on men's life transitions - www.menstuff.org/columns/byers/archive.html
  • Sandra L. Caron - Sex Talk - college students get answers to their questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/sextalk/archive.html
  • Neil Chethik - Relationships - www.menstuff.org/columns/chethik/archive.html
  • Otto & Susie Collins - Susie and Otto - relationship issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/susie&otto/archive.html
  • David Copeland - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Forrest Craver - Spirituality & Social Change - www.menstuff.org/columns/craver/archive.html
  • Layne & Paul Cutright - Powerful Partnerships - relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/cutright/archive.html
  • Ron DesMarais - Cavemen in the Kitchen - great recipes for men - www.menstuff.org/columns/desmarais/archive.html
  • Jed Diamond - Irritable Male Syndrome - www.menstuff.org/columns/diamond/archive.html
  • Doc Love - Women Don't Lie, Man Don't Listen - answers to relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/doclov/archive.html
  • Barry Durdant-Hollamby - Creating Change - creating change in your life - www.menstuff.org/columns/durdant/archive.html
  • Irv Engel - The Real Deal - www.menstuff.org/columns/engel/archive.html
  • Nancy Fagan - Expert Dating Advice - with Nancy Fagan - www.menstuf.org/columns/fagan/archive.html
  • Warren Farrell - Men's Issues: Facts and Perspectives www.menstuff.org/columns/farrell/archive.html
  • Leonard Felder - Wake Up or Break Up - www.menstuff.org/columns/felder/archive.html
  • Marty Friedman - Strong Men, Strong Marriage - www.menstuff.org/columns/friedman/archive.html
  • Kim Garretson - Mansgland - using humor to encourage prostate exams - www.menstuff.org/columns/mansgland/archive.html
  • Lion Goodman - How to get Women to Love You - www.menstuff.org/columns/goodman/archive.html
  • Liz Halliday - In a Man's World - www.menstuff.org/columns/halliday/archive.html
  • Rick Hanson - Your Wise Brain - www.menstuff.org/columns/hanson/archive.html
  • Tim Hartnett - Daddyman Speaks - being a father www.menstuff.org/columns/daddyman/archive.html
  • John Hershey - Blood, Phlegm & Bile: Parenting with Humor - He writes a syndicated biweekly humor column about parenting and family life. www.menstuff.org/columns/hershey/archive.html
  • Gary Hoeber - Psychotherapy as Soul Work, www.menstuff.org/columns/hoeber/archive.html
  • Patrick Houser - Fathers Make a World of Difference, www.menstuff.org/columns/houser/archive.html
  • Paul Joannides - The Guide to Getting It On - on sex - www.menstuff.org/columns/getiton/archive.html
  • Jack Kahn - NOMAS Boston - www.menstuff.org/columns/kahn/archive.html
  • Patrick Kennedy - Seniors - www.menstuff.org/columns/kennedy/archive.html
  • Joe Kort - Gaydar - to increase understanding between gay and het men - www.menstuff.org/columns/kort/archive.html
  • David Kundtz - David Kundtz - presents seminars, workshops, retreats, and conference presentations in the areas of men's emotional health, stress management, and spirituality. www.menstuff.org/columns/kundtz/archive.html
  • Bruce Linton - Dr. Dad - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/drdad/archive.html
  • Ron Louis - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Tom Matlack - Tom Matlack - Good Men Project - www.menstuff.org/columns/matlack/archive.html
  • Wendy McElroy - Wendy McElroy on Feminism, www.menstuff.org/columns/mcelroy/archive.html
  • Robert N. Minor - Minor Details - on GBT sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/minordetails/archive.html
  • Robert L. Moore - Man & Mythology - www.menstuff.org/columns/moore/archive.html
  • Dennis W. Neder - Being a Man - general questions about men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/neder/archive.html
  • Marty Nemko - Worklife - general questions about men and work - www.menstuff.org/columns/nemko/archive.html
  • Eli Newberger - Eli Newberger - general information on men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/newberger/archive.html
  • Linda Nielsen - Embracing the Father - working with the father/daughter relationship. www.menstuff.org/columns/nielsen/archive.html
  • Kathy Noll - Bullies and Youth Violence - working with schools, teachers and parents to end school violence - www.menstuff.org/columns/noll/archive.html
  • Mark Phillips - Stay-at-Home-Dads - helping men maintain that which makes us men, instead of becoming hairy Mom-substitutes - www.menstuff.org/columns/phillips/archive.html
  • Carey Roberts - Socialism & Feminism - is a social commentator on political correctness. www.menstuff.org/columns/roberts/archive.html
  • Perry Rose - Dating, Relationship, Sex
  • Glenn Sacks - His Side - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/sacks/archive.html
  • Trudy Schuett - Domestic Violence - serving the under-represented www.menstuff.org/columns/schuett/archive.html
  • Carl J. Schutt - Circumcision - social commentator on circumcision - www.menstuff.org/columns/schutt/archive.html
  • Hugo Schwyzer - A Pro-feminist's Response - www.menstuff.org/columns/schwyzer/archive.html
  • Michael Shaffran - Men's Issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/shaffran/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • George Simons - Bellicose Veins - is a US specialist in intercultural and gender communication who hangs out in Mandelieu - la Napoule, France, as well as in Santa Cruz, CA. www.menstuff.org/columns/simons/archive.html
  • Andy Smith - Hard Hat Brotherhood - www.menstuff.org/columns/hardhat/archive.html
  • David B. Smith - Fighting Father Dave - www.menstuff.org/columns/smith/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • Reena Sommer - Custody - is an internationally recognized relationship and divorce consultant. www.menstuff.org/columns/sommer/archive.html
  • R. Don Steele - Don Steele - relationship questions answered -
    www.menstuff.org/columns/steele/archive.html
  • David Steinberg - Comes Naturally - on sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/steinberg/archive.html
  • Mary Lou St Lucas - A Mother's Love - www.menstuf.org/columns/stlucas/archive.html
  • Surprise - Surprise Author - From a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Steven Svoboda - Fatherhood, Activism and the Law www.menstuff.org/columns/svoboda/archive.html
  • Michael Taylor - A New Conversation with Men - www.menstuff.org/columns/taylor/archive.html
  • Bruce Van Horn - Yoga for Men - issues around the health benefits of yoga for men - www.menstuff.org/yoga/archive.html
  • Michael Webb - Secrets of Blissful Relationships - on relationship - www.menstuff.org/columns/bliss/archive.html
  • Stuart Wilde - Spirituality - www.menstuff.org/columns/wilde/archive.html
  • Dr.Williams - Sex Health - on sexual health - Dr. Williams, www.menstuff.org/columns/sexhealth/archive.html
  • KC Wilson - On Gender Politics is a social commentator and author. www.menstuff.org/columns/wilson/archive.html

Plus

  • Health Tips - on general health - www.menstuff.org/columns/healthtips/archive.html
  • Independent Means - resources for raising financially fit kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/independentmeans/archive.html
  • Numbers - www.menstuff.org/columns/numbers/archive.html
  • Questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/q&a/archive.html
  • Surprise - from a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Words Can Heal - helping children grow up healthy - www.menstuff.org/columns/wordscanheal/archive.html
  • Wuzup?! - National or international events happening this month - www.menstuff.org/columns/whassup/archive.html

AWARENESS EVENTS THIS MONTH

July is Freedom Month. If you enjoy the benefits this country has to offer, you might check out what kind of men it took to found this country. The Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games. Read this! July is Anti-Boredom; National Mobility; Purposeful Parenting: Recreation and Parks; The month of the Muslim new year; Hemochromatosis Screening Awareness; National Foreign Language Month.

June 27 - July 4: Special Recreation Week. June 25-July 1: Deaf-Blindness Awareness Week. June 27 - July 4: Special Recreation Week. Jul 1-8 Music for Life; July 3-Aug 15: Air Conditioning Appreciation Days. Jul 4-10 - Freedom Week. July 8:-14: National Laundry Workers; National Therapeutic Recreation: Take Charge of Change Week. Jul 9-15 - Nude Recreation. July 15-21: *Captive Nations; Legal Revolution; National Plan to Promote Your Business Week. Jul 1 UN Day of Cooperation; International Joke; National Financial Freedom; National Recreation and Parks; National Purposeful Parenting, Jul 2 - I Forgot; Ducktona 500 Day; July 3: Compliment Your Mirror: Stay Out of the Sun Day. Jul 4 - Independence Day (U.S.); American Redneck; Fear from Fear of Speaking ; Independence-from-Meat Day; Sidewalk Egg Frying; Jul 5 - National Family Day, July 7: Father-Daughter Take a Walk Together; International UN Day of Cooperation. July 9: Don't Step on a Bee Day. July 10: Intern Appreciation Day. July 13: Skeptics' Day. July 14: Cow Apprecaition Day. July 15: National Ice Cream; Saint Swithin's Day. July 16: International Town Criers; Naitonal Get Out of the Doghouse Day. July 17: Wrong Way Corrigan Day. Jul 20 - Ugly Truck; Riot Act anniversary. July 21: Rat-Catchers Day. Jul 22 - Ice Cream Cone Day. July 23: Hot Enough For Ya Day. July 24: Cousins; Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day. Jul 27 - *National Korean War Veterans Armistice; Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day. July 29: *Parents' Day. Jul 30 - Father-In-Law Day, National Parent's Day.

* Means a Presidential Proclamation has been made.

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Men are so competitive that we even "out-die" women in all 15 of the major causes of death in the U.S. Most of these deaths are preventable with a positive change in life-style, eating habits, and/or general health care. Let's not strive so hard to hold on to this record. See what you can change now to live a healthier life.
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