Daily Thoughts & Issues

IN THIS ISSUE:

SEPTEMBER 29

Days left until the next millennium 01.01.3001

Photo of the Week
Patrick Morrow/Adventure Photos & Film
Achieve Your Dreams

September 29 - Birthday of Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207), Sufi saint and poet. He believed the soul is one with Deity, and thought ecstatic experience of Deity could be attained with music, whirling dance, and changing Deity's holy names. The Mystic's Wheel of the Year (See tomorrow's issue.) * Carrot Sunday: On the Sunday afternoon before Michaelmas, Scottish women once went to the fields to pull carrots, which, when found forked, indicated fertility and good luck. The finder then presented this charm as a gift to the unmarried man of her choice. Carrots were further employed to find a suitable mate at local Michaelmas dances, where women hid them nearby or even carried a few along with them into the gathering. Forgotten English * The first public appearance of Greater London's Metropolitan Police occurred amid jeering and abuse from disapproving opponents (1829). Public sentiment turned to confidence and respect in the ensuing years. The London police officers became more affectionately known as "bobbies". Scotland Yard, the site of their first headquarters near Charing Cross, soon became the official name of the force. * Discovery (US) 1988, after numerous reschedulings, launched from Kennedy Space Center with a five-member crew and landed on Oct 3 in California. It marked the first American manned flight since the Challenger tragedy in 1986. * Invoking the Platt Amendment, which authorizes U.S. intervention, the U.S. assumes military control of Cuba (1906). * Salyut 6 (USSR) 1977. Soviet space station launched this date. It stayed in space for four years, during which 31 spacecraft docked with the space station. It burned up when it reentered Earth's atmosphere after nearly five years. * Michaelmas, the feast of St. Michael and All Angels in the Greek and Roman Catholic Churches. * The first seven deaths, including that of a 10-year-old child, occurred as a result of the individuals unknowingly taking Tylenol capsules that had been deliberately contaminated with cyanide (1982). After a California man was poisoned taking Tylenol laced with strychnine, Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of the product, recalled all capsules of the pain-reliever, some 264,000 bottles. Many lawsuits resulted. The killer has never been identified. * Veterans of Foreign Wars established (1899).* Birthdays: Enrico Fermi, Trevor Howard, Horatio Nelson, Michelangelo Antonioni, Bryant Gumbel, Hersey R. Hawkins, Jr., Jerry Lee Lewis, Larry Linville, Ian McShane, John MacBeth Paxson, Lech Walesa.

DAILY THOUGHTS

The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter model - partners in retirement who will not rest until they find a way that their energies can be harnessed and rewarded for meaningful work in the society - is predictive of life in the sixties after the year 2000. New Passages

In spite of everything that was done to me and my race, in spite of the adversity and the bitter memories, again we rise. Maya Angelou, poet and writer. African American History

Six-year-old Gloria brought home a checklist of her school deficiencies. Her mother, exasperated, said, "I don't want to see another one of these brought into the house."  Several months later, Gloria's teacher asked the mother why she had not responded to her notes. The mother asked Gloria where they were and was told, "You said you didn't want any more of those brought into the house."  Children do take things literally. Dr. Buff's 365 Day Parenting Calendar

Soul work doesn't require grand revelations, superior interpretations, or ultimate conclusions. On the contrary, slow, steady exploration of the person's imagination of his situation allows the soul to show itself. Soul Mates

I love it when he presses up against me while we're dancing and I can feel his erection. - Kelly, 34. I love it when her tongue darts around my earlobe. - Kevin, 26 Best of 1001 Sex Secrets Every Man & Woman Should Know

As long as we can believe that godhood is an impossible attainment for ourselves, we don't have to worry about our spiritual growth, we don't have to push ourselves to higher and higher levels of consciousness and loving activity; we can relax and just be human. The Road Less Traveled

Attitude is everything. Achieve Your Dreams

Things to Be Happy About: Buying flowers for home. Plate-size cinnamon buns. Fall track meets. 14,000 Things to Be Happy About

Insist on doing it yourself. Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me

 Create your own reality. When you begin to live your life understanding that what you make of it is up to you, you are able to design it according to your authentic choices and desires. If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

The color green has been a symbol for homosexuality throughout history. In pre-modern France it often was worn by mignons, who were usually bisexual or gay men. During the nineteenth century, it was common to see gay men in Paris wearing a green cravat, and twentieth-century Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca, in his Ode to Walt Whitman, identifies gay men as having a "green stare."  Gay & Lesbian Calendar (Editor: There was also the homophobic reaction in the 50's and 60's that those who wore green and yellow on Thursdays were gay.)

The traditional evaluation games people play are awkward and emotionally exhausting. In Win/Win, people evaluate themselves using the criteria that they themselves helped to create up front. And if set up correctly, people can do that. With a Win/Win delegation agreement, even a seven-year-old can tell for himself how well they are keeping the yard "green and clean." Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

 Making a Zoo Visit Last: As my children learned about the animals at the zoo, we took a photo of each one. We got double prints and laminated them with clear contact paper. We put each animal's name on the appropriate photo, and used them as flash cards or to play Concentration, Go Fish, and letter games.

Right now, take two minutes of silence before you do anything else. Close your eyes and take a couple of long, slow, deep breaths. These could be the most rewarding moments of your day. Make them golden. Simplify Your Life

Elephant Sway. While standing with feet should width apart and with knees slightly bent, begin to curl forward while bending from the waist. Bend over as far as is comfortable for you without straining. Allow your arms to just hang down naturally in front of you. Very gently, sway from side to side, shifting your weight from foot to foot. Don't forget to breathe slowly throughout the exercise.  Stress Busters

Suggest that your wife and daughters spend a girls' night in and you head out. They can rent a movie, pop popcorn, turn the lights down low, and pretend they're in a theater. They'll definitely have fun. (Editor: If you have sons, you might takeoff somewhere for the night for your own adventure.) To Do Today

Putting off an easy thing makes it hard, and putting off a hard one makes it impossible.  Win the Day!

El zafiro (safFEEroh) Sapphire. Ella tiene ojos de zafiro. She has sapphire eyes. Living Language

TODAY'S ISSUE: CATASTROPHE

Wish love we can triumph over illness, ignorance, misery, and even the catastrophes of nature. - Ernesto Cardenal.

Some parents see the birth of a child who is obviously different - one with Down's syndrome or spina bifida, for example - as tragedy. Parents for whom children are a direct mirror of their own success may see such a child as a failure, rather than as a special opportunity for love.

Children aren't investments or possessions; they are beings as unique and previous as we are, entrusted o our care for a few short years. A child with special needs challenges us to realize our human potential fully: our generosity, our creativity, our ability to transcend our own egos. We can't see the whole intricate pattern of the universe, but we can trust in the rightness of our placement within it.

Whatever their shapes or their capacities, our children belong to themselves. They may never share our tastes or our values. All we're promised is that if we love unconditionally, we'll be loved in return.   Family Feelings

Hey Man: Did you make a difference yesterday? Let us know at Contact Us. Birth is never a catastrophe; every child is a joy. Family Feelings Want to make a difference but you don't know where to start?

 

BOOK OF THE WEEK

eaarth: Making a life on a tough new planet by Bill McKibben. Twenty years ago, the author offered one of the earliest warnings about global warming. Those warnings went mostly unheeded; now, he insists, we need to acknowledge that we've waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. Our old familiar globe is suddenly melting, drying, acidifying, flooding and burning in ways that no human has even seen. We've created, in very short order, a new planet, still recognizable but fundamentally different. We may was well call it Eaarth. That new planet is filled with new binds and traps. A changing world costs large sums to defend - think of the money that went to repair New Orleans, or the trillions of dollars it will take to transform our energy systems. But the endless economic growth that could underwrite such largesse depends on the stable planet we've managed to damage and degrade. We can't rely on old habits any longer. Our hope depends, the author argues, on scaling back - on building the kind of societies and economies that can hunker down, concentrate on essentials, and create the type of community (in the neighborhood, but also on the Internet) that will allow us to weather trouble on an unprecedented scale. Change - fundamental change - is our best hope on a planet suddenly and violently out of balance. Times Books, www.henryholt.com, 2010 ISBN 978-0-8050-9056-7

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

September is Baby Safety Awareness, Children's Eye Health & Safety, Children's Good Manners, Christmas Seal, Cholesterol Education, Fall Hat, Gay Square Dance, Library Card Sign-up, Little League, Organic Harvest, Pediculosis Prevention, Piano, Pleasure Your Mate, Project Aware, Prosperity Creation, School Success, Sea Cadet, Self Awareness, Self-Improvement, Shameless Promotion, and Sickle Cell Month.

9/15-10/15: Hispanic Heritage Month. 8/29-9/4: National Sobriety Checkpoint Week, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, www.madd.org; 9/1-7: Childhood Injury Prevention; Self-University Week. 9/4-10: Full Employment Week, Mental Health Workers Week.. 9/5-9: Play Days. 9/9-16: National Five-A-Day Week. 9/10-16: National Suicide Prevention; Substitute Teacher Appreciation; National Brainstorming and Mind Mapping; Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week: 9/14-20 Dementia Awareness Week (Australia) 9/17-23: *Constitution; Balance Awareness; Love a Mensch; Farm Safety and Health; Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Rehabilitation Awareness; Single's Week. 9/19-25 - Prostate Cancer Awareness Week; 9/23-30: Banned Books, Religious Freedom Week. 9/23-29 - Deaf Awareness, National Dog Week; 9/23-24: Family Health & Fitness. 9/10: Swap Ideas Day. 9/17 *Citizenship Day. 9/19: International Day of Peace. 9/22: National Centenarians, Proposal Day. 9/23: Kiwanis Kids', *National Hunting & Fishing, Smash Out Suicide Day, 9/24: *Gold Star Mother's, National Good Neighbor, World Heart Day. 9/27: Ancestor Appreciation Day. 9/28: Cabrillo Day

* Means a Presidential Proclamation has been made.

 *    *    *
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.
Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy Statement
Menstuff® Directory
Menstuff® is a registered trademark of Gordon Clay
©1996-2023, Gordon Clay