A Very Nice Soccer Game

I just finished watching a very exciting soccer game between Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart from German Bundesliga, taken place a couple of days ago.  It is full of surprises if you like watching the game while it lasts on ESPN3.

Rest in Peace, Caballo Blanco

See the Book

A couple of years ago, I read Christopher McDougal's fascinating book entitled "Born to Run" and recommended it to some friends and colleagues.  One of those colleagues informed me today in a short email that one of the main characters of the book, Micah True, otherwise known as Caballo Blanco, was found dead in the New Mexico Wilderness.

Money and Democracy

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There are those who strongly believe that power and influence should be bought and sold, without disclosure.  And that it is an extension of the principles of the so-called "free market economics" to allow this to happen. Former influential lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former U.S. Congressman from Texas and House majority leader Tom DeLay, were two die-hard advocates of such a practice.  They are both convicted felons now, for better of for worse!

On Education and its Significance ...

There is a wonderful little book that I read a while ago and refer to every once in a while.  It is by the late Indian philosopher and speaker Jiddu Krishnamurti, entitled "Education and the Significance of Life".  You can read it pretty much in its entirety, online. Here are a couple of passages some from its first few pages that resonate with me:

Happy 74th Birthday Donald Knuth

The Universal Love of Soccer

Source

I have played soccer -- or futbol as it is called in many parts of the world -- ever since I was in the 3rd grade, and continue to this day.  Back then, I was fortunate enough to study in an interesting, experimental, and progressive school in Iran, called Dabestan-e Farhad, under the leadership of a very caring and energetic principal known to all the students as Touran Khanoum. She was, and still is, a fascinating individual with a lot of passion and energy for her job.  One of her main current projects is to oversee the publication of a multi-volume encyclopedia for children and Young People in Persian language.  Here in an interesting article on this work, translated from German into English.   A website is recently established for disseminating news about this encyclopedia. Our principal, Ms. Touran Mirhadi studied child education and psychology and sociology, in Sorbonne, I believe, and took great pains in providing a school that was an inspiration to many of the kids who had the opportunity to study at Farhad, me included.

Ingenious Solutions from Nature

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I often think that the one thing that I can possibly know best in the whole wide world is "myself"(also see an earlier note on how we define ourselves) ... and I have come to realize that there are so many aspects to my thoughts, emotions, behavior, health, physical and mental functioning that are so mysterious to me, let alone what I may possibly know about what I do not consider my "self"!

How We Define Ourselves

On a recent visit to the east coast I took a few books to read on the plane or as time allows.  One of them was a very interesting book that talked about how one might answer the question "Who Are You?".  There are some fascinating passages in this book that need to be contemplated upon over and over again since our modern daily lives have a strange impact that can wipe off the wisdom gained via reading such passages.  

Diet, Health and Medical Industry

Source

Recently, a good friend and colleague recommended that I watch an interesting documentary called Forks over Knives.  I just finished watching it and found it quite informative.  It is a revealing new documentary that examines the connection between a plant-based diet and a significant improvement in health.  Boston's Museum of Science recently had a private screening of the movie and hosted a panel discussion about the message of this movie.

A Simple and Effective Therapy ...

Ken the Violin Maestro

I have often come to realize that the following idea and practice constitute a very simple and effective form of therapy, and thought it might be a good idea to share it here.  You might want to give it a try some time.  Feel free to share your observations, if you happen to try this, and feel like telling others what you've learned.  So, here is the idea:

Funding Public Education in California ...

I am sure many of you have received what could be characterized as a potentially sincere effort, but it actually is a meaningless exercise in futility -- and could very well be a creative attempt by the oil industry and its PR advisers to divert meaningful and constructive actions against their interests and give their opponents an illusory sense of direction and accomplishment.  I am talking about such efforts as No Gas Day.

How About Ending the War ( on Drugs ) ?

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I neither smoke nor drink (Alcohol.)  I consider both generally unhealthy to both the body and the mind.   There are far better ways of getting "high", in my opinion.  For example, engaging in various kinds of sports, listening to a beautiful music, reading, writing or reciting an amazing poem, taking a walk in the nature, watching your kids play their favorite game, spending a night around a campfire, being mesmerized by the beautiful sky at the sunrise or sunset, gazing at the night sky, learning a new skill, finding a truly clever solution to an interesting puzzle, engaging in any creative work or simply doing what you truly enjoy. Yet, I think education, caring and love are much more effective ways of changing the behavior of those we (claim to) care about, than punishment, and imprisonment.  There are also other reasons for legalizing drugs, economy is one of them, protecting civil liberties is another. There are other reasons too.

A Simple Arithmetic Puzzler ...

Gifts for David

Solving mathematical and recreational puzzles have always been a fun pursuit to me, and scribbling solutions to puzzles  that I had come across was often a great way to keep myself busy.  Interestingly enough, I also realized that making puzzles is also a very fun pursuit.  There are some creative people , like Scott Kim, who have made a career out of simply that: creating puzzles for a living!  Cool!  So, here is a very simple and somewhat interesting puzzle that I came up with and shared with my 9-year-old son a short while ago.  It is pretty easy to solve.  So, I have a follow up question to make it a bit more challenging once you have solved the easier version.  It goes like this:

The Blame Game ...

Blame Game and Finger-Pointing

I keep coming back to Steve Roberts' wonderful little book of essays  entitled Cool Mind, Warm Heart.  I read it again recently on a short  trip to the East Coast, back in November.  It contains  numerous words of wisdom applicable to our  current situations and  daily lives, I think.  There is an interesting passage in the book that is quite  relevant to what I'd like to discuss today, "The Blame Game".  In an  essay entitled "It Breaks My Heart To Vote" he says:

Cancer Profiteering, Or Is It Really?

See the Book

According to the most recent issue (2010) of the Cancer Statistic Report published in American Cancer Society's bimonthly publication CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, cancer is a leading cause of death among the US population, second only to heart disease (which I am currently reading about and hope to write about soon.)  The 2008 issue of this annual report informs us, that in 2005 alone, the total number of deaths in the U.S. due to cancer was upwards of 559,000 people.

Our Addiction to Fossil Fuel

How much pollution is enough?  How much environmental toxins can or should we be willing to expose ourselves to?  It is not so easy to answer this question as pointed out here, but if you ask Oil, Gas, or Coal industry executives, the answer would be much, much more than what we are exposed to currently, I presume!

Sociology, Empathy, War, and Peace

Peace is Every Step

What is Sociology?  Different people have very different takes on the subject, of course.  Here is the way Sam Richards, a Sociologist and Co-Director of Race Relationship Project at Penn State University, explained it recently to an audience.  He demonstrated what he calls "A Radical Experiment in Empathy".  Very interesting!   In a book that just came out entitled Unmaking War, Making Men, which I hope to read soon, Kathleen Barry,  Professor Emerita of Sociology at Penn State University seem to be exploring the subjects of War and Empathy further.  If you have read the book, and feel like it, tell us what you have learned from it and how it made you feel.

Sports Reporting: The Unconventional Way

Go Panthers

In an earlier post I wrote about a recent international friendly between Portugal and Spain, in which the recently crowned World Cup 2010 Champions conceded a sobering 4:0 loss.  Last night, to the dismay of fans and Spain's captain, and outstanding goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, his club team Real Madrid experienced another sobering loss against its arch-rival club FC Barcelona in a fast, entertaining and emotion-packed game in the Spanish professional league La Liga.  It was a beautiful game, with numerous creative moments.  You can watch the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona game in its entirety at ESPN3 (while it lasts, and if you are lucky with the connection and all), or you could watch the game highlights here or elsewhere on the net.

An Important Movie: The Corporation

Have you watched "The Corporation"?  It is highly educational and informative, especially the long version, which includes many interviews and commentaries by the producers and also the discussion with Professor Joel Bakan, author of the book "The Corporation: Pathological pursuit of profit and power." Part of the movie can be watched online.  Here are the first among 23 parts: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.  I think this would make for a far more important and worthy material than what is typically covered in middle and high school social studies curricula.  If you might be interested in supporting the effort of the producers of the movie, you could do so here.

The Story of Stuff ...

Story of Stuff by Fontilica

Most of us have too much stuff, and not enough room for those stuff.  As a result of this imbalance, many embark on a vicious cycle coveting more room to put our stuff in, and then more stuff to fill the available room.  It's crazy!  Late comedian and social critic George Carlin explained this in a very entertaining fashion in here. There is also a related nice little song by Bill Lauderbach entitled "Too Much Stuff" that is worth listening to.

The Struggle for Truth ...

True or False by Scott Kim

What is the truth, and how do we distinguish truth from falsehood?  It is not easy to answer this question.  Some even argue that there is no such thing as objective truth.  Faced with such a dilemma, some settle for what they already believe in, while others keep seeking the truth.  Which camp we are in depends largely on how we are brought up.  I think that the journey is much more interesting than the destination, and hence I hope to be able to not settle and keep the sense of wonder alive.  Another related question is what is Justice? There is a very interesting course at Harvard University on this very subject, namely Justice.

Major Upset for the 2010 World Cup Champions

Portugal 4            -                  0 Spain

On Love, Education and Conformity

William, the Cat

It seems to me that we are a confused species in many ways.  We express our emotions in strange ways.  More often than not, this seems to be the result of being in too much of a hurry, and not letting things take their own proper course.  Also, that we are trying to take short cuts, not realizing that we are in fact going the wrong way!

Peace Train ...

Different performances of the same song entitled "Peace Train" by a great performer over the span of 30+ years.  An amazing artist who underwent some pretty dramatic transformations over time.  Beautiful music, nonetheless.  Enjoy!

A Belated Tribute to Spain Soccer Team

The Spaniard displayed an amazing set of skills in teamwork and sportsmanship during World Cup 2010 in South Africa, and there is no question that they deserve the title. 

Looking forward to Ever More Exciting World Cup 2010 Final Matches ...

Netherlands   3 : 2   Uruguay

Spain-Paraguay: Most Entertaining 2nd Half in the World Cup 2010 So Far

Paraguay    0 : 1    Spain

  

Fun with Reporting World Cup Game Results

Germany   4 : 0   Argentina

Congratulations to Germany for displaying a very dominant game against Argentina.  See the summary report here.  I feel sorry for Argentine fans for their team had a very tough time today.  Well, there was not much they could have done.  Overall a great performance by the Germans.  Very well done.

World Cup 2010 ... Clash of the Major Contenders Begins

One of the most spectacular sports events, World Cup 2010 is getting closer to its climax.  During the first two games of the quarter finals, Netherlands, whose legendary former captain Johan Cruyff failed to help bring home the coveted trophy back in 1974, put the Brazilians out of the tournament to clinch a spot in the semifinals.  They will be facing another South American team, Uruguay, who won in Penalty kicks over Ghana, whom I hoped to emerge the winner as the only remaining nation from the host continent Africa.  This has been an amazingly unpredictable tournament so far.  The other two games of the quarterfinals are set to start in a few hours where Argentina and Germany are going to face off and Spain is going to play against Paraguay.

Being Here and Now!

Isn't it amazing that most of us, most of the time, are living in another time and place than here and now!   In other words, most of the time our lives is wasted.  Reminds me of the following quote from the opening paragraph of an amazing little book by the late Ken Keyes Jr., Handbook to Higher Consciousness: