Speaking of "Dark Brandon", (an ostensibly bad guy about to to bad things) here is an article from the Wall Street Journal capturing the now ancient, at 81, George Will and his current perspectives on government. Compare Will's wild ravings to Dr. Richardson's perspective on government.
Mr. Will says, “that a market-based capitalist society of spontaneous order—I’m using Hayekian language—is good for the soul. People used to say ‘An armed society is a polite society’—if everyone had a Colt on their hip or a dagger on their belt, they’d be polite to each other. Well I think a commercial society is a polite society.”
Hayekian language? What? If we ALL just treat each other as if we (each) are a deadly threat to (each other) everything will be great??? Now, that is actually the most cogent statement in a wandering article with more ravings from what sounds like a madman.
I read the article twice. The first time I thought the incoherent, outrageously nutty nature of the article might be my own reading depth. So, I read it again carefully.
George Will, never of sound mind, and never a very good writer, but, as a white man able to stay gainfully employed at the Washington Post most likely because he had a rich Dad with some stroke, is positively off the rails as an old man.
To quote Mary Engelbreit, "May we all have the confidence of a mediocre white man." Or, to paraphrase the Hippies, Arming for civility is like f***ing for virginity.
According to the preface of my current favorite cookbook, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen by Hannah Che, the earliest Chinese "restaurants" were Buddhist monastery kitchens who fed travelers. As Buddhists, they did not believe in killing, and preferred not to have knives at table. From that belief, came the practise of cutting food before cooking it, so that eaters need only chopsticks (replaceable by forks in some countries) and spoons.
One of the things I love about being on this forum is what you can learn about different cultures from the many backgrounds here. While I worked in a lot of different countries before retirement I never made it to India. Namaste, was a new word to me, even if I had seen the gesture. Thanks.
Dave Smucker - "Namaste, was a new word to me, even if I had seen the gesture."
It's often how you know yoga class is over: The teacher faces the class with their hands together in a bow and says, "Namaste." Maybe you bow and say it back.
But that's not the only place you'll encounter "namaste." In the years since yoga became commercially popular in the United States, the word has taken on a life of its own. Namaste has found its way onto T-shirts, welcome mats, mugs, socks, pencil cases, and tote bags.
The first part of namaste comes from "namaha," a Sanskrit verb that originally meant "to bend." Deshpande says, "Bending is a sign of submission to authority or showing some respect to some superior entity." Over time, "namaha" went from meaning "to bend" to meaning "salutations" or "greetings."
The "te" in namaste means "to you," Deshpande says. So all together, namaste literally means "greetings to you." In the Vedas, namaste mostly occurs as a salutation to a divinity.
But the use and meaning have evolved. Today, among Hindi speakers throughout the world, namaste is a simple greeting to say hello.
A lot of words we use today have religious roots, but just like "adios," "inshallah" or "goodbye" (an abbreviation of "God be with ye"), it doesn't have to be that deep.
When it comes to yoga, it's a different story. The commercial yoga industry in the United States often uses "namaste" in a way that is almost completely divorced from its use in Hindi. Some yoga websites claim that namaste is "𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴" or "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶."
Having spent time in India and attending daily “services” at a Temple as well as one of my best friends (someone I considered my sister and to her I was her brother), had a PHD and was an American author. Her sole purpose in life was to make Hinduism better understood in the west (aka the USA). She was devoutly Hindu.
Some of your text is correct some not. Namaste to Hindus does speak to the spiritual soul of each of us, speaks to that “light” in each of us. While it gets used as a gesture essentially saying hello (much like Jai Sia Ram), it is not simply meant as a gesture of “greetings / hello” to Hindus. It is meant to acknowledge the oneness of all. As another friend stated regarding it’s meaning, “I honor that place in you, where when you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us”.
You wrote: “In the Vedas, namaste mostly occurs as a salutation to a divinity.” No, not to “a divinity/ a god”. It is a salutation to the divinity in each of us, to the divine nature of all.
Like a voice from the past, your note made a memory pop into my mind of reading that book long, long ago. It made me think. Perhaps it is time to re-read again, and see where it takes me now, some 60+ years later. Thanks for the reminder.
Sharon CORRECTION ‘’I know a lot of young men that are currently off the rails and theY are around George Will’s age.” Please be cordial to us ‘vintage males.’
I am quite fond of a number of vintage males. Though there are a few who get on my nerves (not really connected with the present and think that "the old way of doing things was better"). On the other hand, I see a certain number of mid-life men who are off the rails, and some women who seem to think that cozying up to them somehow validates them as women. That makes me feel ill. What gives me hope is knowing that those people trying to recreate our society in the image of their small minds have to work very very hard to be heard, and fall flat almost every time, because there are more of us than them. Eventually they will realize that. I sure hope it is during my lifetime, because I don't want to miss it.
Annie, I am happy too that the very conservative complain it's hard to get their message out. My own brother,78, is one of them. Last night he sent me a PragerU video decrying this very thing. Secretly, I smiled and laughed and had a moment of hope that their difficulties would continue. But I wrote back (after not watching to the video) that people on both sides of the aisle seem to be having trouble making their message heard. It's no use entering into discussion on political issues with him any longer but I wish him well.
Mary, you handled that well- acknowledged his frustration without buying into it. My brother is easy: he has long been left-leaning, but marred by a comfortable judgmentalism. As his world explanded, he became more aware of how much in common he had with other people he once dismissed and made efforts to get to know individuals, and recognize the richness of their lives.
When he got cancer, he had an excellent oncologist, but had to deal with our non-health-care system, using precious energy to challenge denials and over-charges, he became more and more left. For years now he has been openly socialist. He is a man generous with himself after surviving a cancer that kills most of its victims, and makes himself available to other cancer patients, helping them navigate both the illness and the pitfalls the health care "system". Sometimes he gives support to people as they approach death. I admire this most of all. A reminder of how fortunate we are.
I live in solidarity with you on Colorado's Western Slope! There's a few of us - in fact, the county I live in has gone more Independent/Democrat - so, there is hope! Not so much for Mesa and Montrose counties unfortunately.
Hey Janet! I live in Ouray, so perhaps we may have met at one point! Glad to have knowledge of another HCR sister follower in our area! We've only been here since 2017, and although it is quite red on the Western Slope, it's been encouraging to see purple and blue spots starting to evolve and gain momentum. I hope things work out you can move back to Ouray/Ridgway. Housing is still ridiculous, unfortunately. We feel so grateful to be able to live in this area. Maybe this post will flush out a few more people and we can set a meet and greet of western slope HCR followers! Take care and best wishes on finding a place in Ridgway/Ouray!
There was a time...long ago, so long ago. When most Americans realized that their government was doing all that it could to protect them. Even when their President was of a different party or simply a lunatic. Taking pot shots at the folks who volunteered to protect us is pathetic.
Our military and our intelligence community work 24/7 and often risk their lives for us. What do we do? We watch our big TVs getting numbed by MSM hysterically repeating someone's interpretation of someone's speculation about something they really know little about. We stare and rant at our phones, doom scrolling while we sip our lattes.
A surveillance balloon drifted over our country. Neutralizing its electronics and communication abilities would be within the abilities of many teenage hackers. So it was a terrific harmless side show. But it was the size of two or three buses. So the mature leadership of our country determined the safest place to take it down. And yet, there must be something there to criticize, right?
The "balloon gate" episode is just another way for the GQP traitors to distract Americans from their attempted coup and now their attempt at destroying the financial credibility of their own country.
I think this is a sign of their desperation. Now back to Jill and Joe's dogs, Hunter's laptop and that basement in the pizza parlor.
Have to share this on Face Book and condense it a bit to get on Twitter. GREAT response to the current bunch of "R"s in the House - all of whom need a sound spanking and then public rejection.
OH! I thought you were addressing me! and I was going to correct you about the "e" at the end of Chere. I stand corrected, but share your enthusiasm for Snarky HCR. Hmmm... it's an issue. How to encourage more Snark without sacrificing the very quality of dignified restraint that we have come to know and love. Hmmm... Cher Douglas, here. (sans "e")
Yeah, good one! Heather sets up the entire circus of absurdity and turns to us and says, "Live! Snarky Saturday Night!" Good one! Hopefully, when the craziness is finally crushed and HCR returns to being a college history professor she can host Snarky Saturday Night and take on the next foolishness, just not the foolishness of our current batch of fools. Keep it fresh, as long as HCR saves the world soon enough to get through this batch!
With this bunch if clowns we gave running the House of Representatives now, will this foolishness ever stop? I don’t think so. They have yet to put a decent Bill on the floor for a vote. They are still arguing and jockeying on who’s going to serve on what committee, they have no clue what to do with Santos (or whatever his name is), and MTG hadn’t completed barking her orders to McFarty keeping him totally confused, and lost.
I’m liking snarky Heather, maybe we can make it a Saturday tradition???
Thanks as always!
Snarky Heather is like Dark Brandon. Both badly needed for these times.
Casey,
Speaking of "Dark Brandon", (an ostensibly bad guy about to to bad things) here is an article from the Wall Street Journal capturing the now ancient, at 81, George Will and his current perspectives on government. Compare Will's wild ravings to Dr. Richardson's perspective on government.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-right-turned-left-parties-democracy-progressive-conservative-capitalism-marx-history-11675452169?mod=opinion_lead_pos5
Mr. Will says, “that a market-based capitalist society of spontaneous order—I’m using Hayekian language—is good for the soul. People used to say ‘An armed society is a polite society’—if everyone had a Colt on their hip or a dagger on their belt, they’d be polite to each other. Well I think a commercial society is a polite society.”
Hayekian language? What? If we ALL just treat each other as if we (each) are a deadly threat to (each other) everything will be great??? Now, that is actually the most cogent statement in a wandering article with more ravings from what sounds like a madman.
I read the article twice. The first time I thought the incoherent, outrageously nutty nature of the article might be my own reading depth. So, I read it again carefully.
George Will, never of sound mind, and never a very good writer, but, as a white man able to stay gainfully employed at the Washington Post most likely because he had a rich Dad with some stroke, is positively off the rails as an old man.
To quote Mary Engelbreit, "May we all have the confidence of a mediocre white man." Or, to paraphrase the Hippies, Arming for civility is like f***ing for virginity.
OMG! I am laughing so hard at this!!!!!
Me too!
I am quoting you!
Love ME and you for quoting her!
I was never impressed by George Will's thinking.
Hence the tradition of shaking with your right hand & when setting a table turning the edge of the knife facing the plate.. I prefer namaste
According to the preface of my current favorite cookbook, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen by Hannah Che, the earliest Chinese "restaurants" were Buddhist monastery kitchens who fed travelers. As Buddhists, they did not believe in killing, and preferred not to have knives at table. From that belief, came the practise of cutting food before cooking it, so that eaters need only chopsticks (replaceable by forks in some countries) and spoons.
One of the things I love about being on this forum is what you can learn about different cultures from the many backgrounds here. While I worked in a lot of different countries before retirement I never made it to India. Namaste, was a new word to me, even if I had seen the gesture. Thanks.
Dave Smucker - "Namaste, was a new word to me, even if I had seen the gesture."
It's often how you know yoga class is over: The teacher faces the class with their hands together in a bow and says, "Namaste." Maybe you bow and say it back.
But that's not the only place you'll encounter "namaste." In the years since yoga became commercially popular in the United States, the word has taken on a life of its own. Namaste has found its way onto T-shirts, welcome mats, mugs, socks, pencil cases, and tote bags.
The first part of namaste comes from "namaha," a Sanskrit verb that originally meant "to bend." Deshpande says, "Bending is a sign of submission to authority or showing some respect to some superior entity." Over time, "namaha" went from meaning "to bend" to meaning "salutations" or "greetings."
The "te" in namaste means "to you," Deshpande says. So all together, namaste literally means "greetings to you." In the Vedas, namaste mostly occurs as a salutation to a divinity.
But the use and meaning have evolved. Today, among Hindi speakers throughout the world, namaste is a simple greeting to say hello.
A lot of words we use today have religious roots, but just like "adios," "inshallah" or "goodbye" (an abbreviation of "God be with ye"), it doesn't have to be that deep.
When it comes to yoga, it's a different story. The commercial yoga industry in the United States often uses "namaste" in a way that is almost completely divorced from its use in Hindi. Some yoga websites claim that namaste is "𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴" or "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶."
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/01/17/406246770/how-namaste-flew-away-from-us#:~:text=So%20all%20together%2C%20namaste%20literally,simple%20greeting%20to%20say%20hello.
Having spent time in India and attending daily “services” at a Temple as well as one of my best friends (someone I considered my sister and to her I was her brother), had a PHD and was an American author. Her sole purpose in life was to make Hinduism better understood in the west (aka the USA). She was devoutly Hindu.
Some of your text is correct some not. Namaste to Hindus does speak to the spiritual soul of each of us, speaks to that “light” in each of us. While it gets used as a gesture essentially saying hello (much like Jai Sia Ram), it is not simply meant as a gesture of “greetings / hello” to Hindus. It is meant to acknowledge the oneness of all. As another friend stated regarding it’s meaning, “I honor that place in you, where when you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us”.
You wrote: “In the Vedas, namaste mostly occurs as a salutation to a divinity.” No, not to “a divinity/ a god”. It is a salutation to the divinity in each of us, to the divine nature of all.
Thanks,
When the Muslims of my acquaintance say "inshallah", they do mean "Gd willing". Just saying.
The light in me honors the light in you.
Exactly.
What 'conservative' thinking is ever not "off the rails". In an Earth focused on evolution and progression, they want to devolve and regress.
Sounds like somebody needs a lesson in the meaning of the phrase "civil society".
Paraphrasing Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward: 2000-1887 (published 1888), every encounter in capitalism is adversarial. (It's a good read!)
Like a voice from the past, your note made a memory pop into my mind of reading that book long, long ago. It made me think. Perhaps it is time to re-read again, and see where it takes me now, some 60+ years later. Thanks for the reminder.
I know a lot of old men that are currently off the rails and they are around George Will's age!
Sharon CORRECTION ‘’I know a lot of young men that are currently off the rails and theY are around George Will’s age.” Please be cordial to us ‘vintage males.’
Keith....you are one of my few male friends that are sane along with the majority of LFAA men. Hugs
I am quite fond of a number of vintage males. Though there are a few who get on my nerves (not really connected with the present and think that "the old way of doing things was better"). On the other hand, I see a certain number of mid-life men who are off the rails, and some women who seem to think that cozying up to them somehow validates them as women. That makes me feel ill. What gives me hope is knowing that those people trying to recreate our society in the image of their small minds have to work very very hard to be heard, and fall flat almost every time, because there are more of us than them. Eventually they will realize that. I sure hope it is during my lifetime, because I don't want to miss it.
Annie I am quite fond of a number of vintage females, especially ones named Annie (Broadway show!)
Annie, I am happy too that the very conservative complain it's hard to get their message out. My own brother,78, is one of them. Last night he sent me a PragerU video decrying this very thing. Secretly, I smiled and laughed and had a moment of hope that their difficulties would continue. But I wrote back (after not watching to the video) that people on both sides of the aisle seem to be having trouble making their message heard. It's no use entering into discussion on political issues with him any longer but I wish him well.
Mary, you handled that well- acknowledged his frustration without buying into it. My brother is easy: he has long been left-leaning, but marred by a comfortable judgmentalism. As his world explanded, he became more aware of how much in common he had with other people he once dismissed and made efforts to get to know individuals, and recognize the richness of their lives.
When he got cancer, he had an excellent oncologist, but had to deal with our non-health-care system, using precious energy to challenge denials and over-charges, he became more and more left. For years now he has been openly socialist. He is a man generous with himself after surviving a cancer that kills most of its victims, and makes himself available to other cancer patients, helping them navigate both the illness and the pitfalls the health care "system". Sometimes he gives support to people as they approach death. I admire this most of all. A reminder of how fortunate we are.
I like Governor Polis. I just wonder how he got elected in a state with voters who would elect Lauren Boebert.
I live in solidarity with you on Colorado's Western Slope! There's a few of us - in fact, the county I live in has gone more Independent/Democrat - so, there is hope! Not so much for Mesa and Montrose counties unfortunately.
Hey Janet! I live in Ouray, so perhaps we may have met at one point! Glad to have knowledge of another HCR sister follower in our area! We've only been here since 2017, and although it is quite red on the Western Slope, it's been encouraging to see purple and blue spots starting to evolve and gain momentum. I hope things work out you can move back to Ouray/Ridgway. Housing is still ridiculous, unfortunately. We feel so grateful to be able to live in this area. Maybe this post will flush out a few more people and we can set a meet and greet of western slope HCR followers! Take care and best wishes on finding a place in Ridgway/Ouray!
Janet. That guy is like acid rain. Corrodes and kills.
OK, I am inspired. Let's snark away!
There was a time...long ago, so long ago. When most Americans realized that their government was doing all that it could to protect them. Even when their President was of a different party or simply a lunatic. Taking pot shots at the folks who volunteered to protect us is pathetic.
Our military and our intelligence community work 24/7 and often risk their lives for us. What do we do? We watch our big TVs getting numbed by MSM hysterically repeating someone's interpretation of someone's speculation about something they really know little about. We stare and rant at our phones, doom scrolling while we sip our lattes.
A surveillance balloon drifted over our country. Neutralizing its electronics and communication abilities would be within the abilities of many teenage hackers. So it was a terrific harmless side show. But it was the size of two or three buses. So the mature leadership of our country determined the safest place to take it down. And yet, there must be something there to criticize, right?
The "balloon gate" episode is just another way for the GQP traitors to distract Americans from their attempted coup and now their attempt at destroying the financial credibility of their own country.
I think this is a sign of their desperation. Now back to Jill and Joe's dogs, Hunter's laptop and that basement in the pizza parlor.
Have to share this on Face Book and condense it a bit to get on Twitter. GREAT response to the current bunch of "R"s in the House - all of whom need a sound spanking and then public rejection.
Thank you, Bill!
Snarky Saturday.. I like it.
Snarkurday!
Yes! Please.
I’m in!
Me too!
Aren't you dreaming up more work for Heather?
She already does more research almost daily and after hours than most do in a week.
Snark on!
:)
Saturday night snark, like swear words sparingly used in a thoughtful letter,is delightful. Bien fait.
OH! I thought you were addressing me! and I was going to correct you about the "e" at the end of Chere. I stand corrected, but share your enthusiasm for Snarky HCR. Hmmm... it's an issue. How to encourage more Snark without sacrificing the very quality of dignified restraint that we have come to know and love. Hmmm... Cher Douglas, here. (sans "e")
Why can’t she call it “ It’s Heather’s LIVE Snarky Saturday Night!”
Yeah, good one! Heather sets up the entire circus of absurdity and turns to us and says, "Live! Snarky Saturday Night!" Good one! Hopefully, when the craziness is finally crushed and HCR returns to being a college history professor she can host Snarky Saturday Night and take on the next foolishness, just not the foolishness of our current batch of fools. Keep it fresh, as long as HCR saves the world soon enough to get through this batch!
With this bunch if clowns we gave running the House of Representatives now, will this foolishness ever stop? I don’t think so. They have yet to put a decent Bill on the floor for a vote. They are still arguing and jockeying on who’s going to serve on what committee, they have no clue what to do with Santos (or whatever his name is), and MTG hadn’t completed barking her orders to McFarty keeping him totally confused, and lost.
I was gonna say that there's no reason to release the Snarken only on Saturdays.