PinnedMember-onlyAllowing a Better World for Our ChildrenBeginner’s Mind — "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.” Albert Einstein I teach Mindfulness to adults. My niece teaches Mindfulness to children. Our experiences are extremely different. While the children love the practices and ask for more, the adults are quick to quit when asked…2 min read2 min read
May 10Member-only“You Can Survive a Mass Shooting”“If you are prepared” — I wish the following video was satire, but it is very real. The FBI actually produced this video a few years ago. You can even go to fbi.gov/survive to learn more. It seems that profits from the sales of guns and weapons are just too much to expect the…Propaganda5 min readPropaganda5 min read
May 5Member-onlyWho’ Da Thunk It?Everyday life in the dying American empire — As a child growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, I was raised to believe in the American Dream. My parents had benefited from programs like the GI Bill, and were employed in workplaces with strong unions. …Propaganda5 min readPropaganda5 min read
Published inCoping with Capitalism·Apr 30Member-onlyInundated by PropagandaFrom cradle to grave — PROMPT #1: The first stage in the five stages of change is pre-contemplation. In this stage, an individual or collective is unaware, or not as aware, of a problem and the need to change it. In this stage there is no intention for change. …Capitalism3 min readCapitalism3 min read
Apr 19Member-onlyUnderstanding SocialismDon’t let the US Congress inform your definition of socialism — Most US citizens are naive about the manufacturing of consent, and end up stating opinions that they think are their own, when in fact, all they have done is connect the dots that the ruling elites have so cleverly placed along the paths of their everyday lives. In this land…Anti Capitalism4 min readAnti Capitalism4 min read
Apr 12Member-onlyCarefully Choosing My BattlesBecause I’d rather spend my time on things I can change — “That’s not fair!” Most children employ this phrase several times a day. Expressing frustration when things don’t turn out the way we want, is a normal part of human development. …Peace2 min readPeace2 min read
Apr 10Member-onlyYou Were Never Meant to Succeed in CapitalismThe ruling elite keep power to themselves — Most programs to help the poor, end up making the rich richer. Every time I hear that the State and corporate developers are “revitalizing” an area, I notice that more people end up homeless. Buildings chosen for renovation, with promises of “affordable housing” for the poor, mostly become luxury condos…Anti Capitalism5 min readAnti Capitalism5 min read
Apr 2Member-onlyIf You Don’t Know Yourself, You Can’t Understand OthersLooking inside ourselves for solutions — Each of us, born with a specific DNA pattern and then shaped by our environment and life’s circumstances, has our own unique view of the world. In the words of Anaïs Nin: “We see the world as ‘we’ are, not as ‘it’ is; because it is the “I” behind the…Behavior3 min readBehavior3 min read
Published inCoping with Capitalism·Mar 31Member-onlyThe Myth of NormalA bookclub suggestion via RaWBC — Andrew Gaertner and Laura M. Quainoo created a bookclub for Medium writers, with the hashtag rawbc . That link will take you to some of the reviews of books read over the past months. …Rawbc3 min readRawbc3 min read
Mar 29Member-onlyThe Love of Money and Power Destroys AllAnd greed comes in every color — In his book Dear White America: A Letter to a New Minority, Tim Wise asks “white” America to recognize white privilege, to understand that the story of the United States is the story of white supremacy. He writes of the myth of meritocracy, pointing out that black people and white…Rawbc7 min readRawbc7 min read