The word dharma has origins in both Hinduism and Buddhism. It is translated as “essential quality or character, as of the cosmos or one’s own nature.”
The well-known Buddhist saying, “This too shall pass” is usually utilized to encourage someone through a difficult time or loss. But the essential meaning is far broader than just advising that the unpleasantness of life shall pass: all things shall pass, the joys as well as the sorrows. Peace may come in embracing the wholeness of this truth.
While most of us would concur that we’d rather not have to deal with difficulty, it is undeniable that it is a part of life; the dharma of difficulty is that it is omnipresent. But accepting challenges and obstacles (instead of running from them or avoiding them) can make for a richer life experience than striving merely for a comfortable stasis.
Many spiritual teachings promote the idea that all our external circumstances are merely outward reflections of our inner state of being. Unfortunately, this concept is far too easy to abuse, as in asking volatile questions such as, “Do victims of natural disasters or other horrific misfortunes somehow bring the malice upon themselves? (The answer, in my opinion, is a resounding no.) If we significantly narrow our focus to the realm of that which is within our personal responsibility, I believe the insight of the aforementioned precept can prove itself to be true.
When I consider a person or circumstance to be difficult, I am often projecting some aspect of myself onto either or both of these. I prefer to think of myself as kind and unselfish, but if it’s significantly annoying me that someone is behaving in a petulant, self-serving manner, then maybe what’s really bothering me is that I’m seeing an aspect of my own nature unflinchingly reflected in his or her actions. If a challenge or obstacle in my path seems daunting, it is easy for me to forget that I am the one that invited the challenge to begin with, in response to a realization that the status quo was stagnant or otherwise unsatisfying.
As much as we would like to, we don’t get to pick and choose the precise way the situations of our lives unfold. As John Lennon presciently wrote, “Life is what happens to us when we’re busy making other plans.” But if we start from a place of self-responsibility — again, for only those things that exist in that realm — ultimately, it can be far more productive than merely seeing ourselves as the victims of the choices we’ve made.
Hello Crasstalk. Hope you are having a wonderful day. Here are some cartoons. Try not to spill Cheerios on the couch.
Buttercup is such a bad ass. Have a wonderful day.
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Guys, we’re having some connectivity issues. I’m 80% certain its our host’s DNS server. It seems to be really slow. IntenseDebate will probably act slower too, so just be aware and don’t compulsively refresh if the page is taking a long time to load. Thanks!
As Japan races against time to get its Fukushima nuclear reactor under control, questions are being raised about quality of leadership in this time of crisis. As of this writing, the alert level of the reactor has been raised to 5 point (out of 7, on par with the Three-Mile Island incident), there are about 15,000 people dead or missing and another 440,000 people in evacuation centers. From the regions north to those surrounding Tokyo, residents are trying to go about their lives while worrying about their relatives, fearing dire radiation poisoning, trying to find non-existent food in stores, hastily planned rolling blackouts that have been implemented by the government to save energy, limited train service, limited bank service, no fuel for heat and transport, and an ever-present fear of aftershocks. Cities located further out like Osaka, Kobe, and beyond are trying to deal with a sudden influx of people trying to escape the areas deemed affected by the radiation
Prime Minister Naoto Kan
Clearly, this is a time when people are looking to strong leadership to help them find strength and hope. Prime Minister Naoto Kan doesn’t seem to be that person. Up until this earthquake, popular opinion of Kan was in the 20-percentile range and it looked likely that he was going to resign despite statements to the contrary. Kan came into power by a historical defeat in 2009 of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) by the Democratic Party (DPJ) to take the leadership. There were high expectations and the defeat was in answer to the recent economic crash. Up until then, the LDP had controlled the government for 54 years with the exception of a short time in 1993. The defeat was momentous.
When the earthquake struck, Kan quickly sent troops into the worst affected areas and shut down reactors that posed a risk. However throughout this crisis, the general public sentiment, and indeed, that of the world has been that Nagata-chou has not been forthcoming with critical information regarding nuclear safety. For starters, there has been a striking lack of frequent, direct communications from the Prime Minister, allowing the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano to be the face of the government. He has been the link for people who are grieving and has grown so popular (and thus reinforcing the unpopularity of Kan) that there has been concern on the part of the public that he has been “too much” the face of the crisis. Twitter channels have popped up with hashtags such as #Edano_nero (Edano, go to sleep) and #Kan_okiro (Kan_wake up). Part of the reason for the huge connection he has stirred within people is because he has not been the standard politician, favoring instead to speak directly and not with a script. Kan has yet to go to the affected area, saying that he is considering going next week, almost two weeks after the tragedy.
But despite that, are they giving enough information? One of the main reasons being considered is that there is a possibility that the government has been withholding information because it has not wanted to induce mass panic. The average Japanese in Tokyo has now been required to go back to work and is trying to resume life as usual. However, countries like the US, France, Hong Kong, and Germany have been sending in charter flights for people wishing to go to Osaka or leave the country entirely. When the head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions, Gregory Jaczko commented on the danger level due to the lack of water in the cooling pools of the number 3 and 4 reactors, Edano, avoided comment. According to the New York Times on March 17th,
Japanese officials did not flatly deny Mr. Jaczko’s comments but hedged. Asked about the level of water in the No. 4 reactor, Yoshitaka Nagayama, a spokesman for Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, said: “Because we have been unable to go to the scene, we cannot confirm whether there is water left or not in the spent fuel pool at Reactor No. 4.
The technical nature of the issue perhaps compounded the Japanese news media’s tendency to shield the government. Reporters who cover agencies and ministries are organized in press clubs that have cozy ties with officials and decide what to report — and what not to. The lack of attention received by Mr. Jaczko’s comments was consistent in the news media.
The position of the government is that they’ve been honestly conveying information despite an admission that they might’ve gotten it out more effectively earlier on. Kan had blown up at Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), the plant’s operator for not providing sufficient information.
In all, the government reaction has been seen as a crisis in lack of forethought and mismanagement. While, the double hit of earthquake and tsunami might have seemed impossible, it is baffling that no one had the forethought to make a causal connection and make plans accordingly. Hopefully, the government will use this as a wakeup call and step up to become one that the people want so desperately to believe in.
Shoes. We all wear them. Although we might prefer to go shoeless much of the time, the realities of city streets, real jobs, and public bathroom cleanliness force us to slide our poor feet into something that forms a protective layer between them and the rest of the world.
What we put on our feet says a lot about us. Our shoes may be utilitarian or wildly impractical. Shoes are a terrific expression of our sartorial style, often serving as the reverse of the proverbial cherry on top of a sundae – a little wink and a smile far away from our faces. But they also tell tales of our purpose and intentions, of where we have been and where we might be heading.
Whether you collect them, covet them or abuse them, we want to see them. Show us your shoes.
(NOTE: just don’t use the word “shoes” in your reply. It trips up in the spam filter. Kthxsmooches.)
Just follow these helpful tips for image sharing, adapted from previous Photo Phriday instructions:
This is the magic computer code you use to make pictures appear: [img src=”PHOTO URL HERE”]. NOTE: Replace the brackets with the carrots < >.
And it’s a URL, not photo file. Crasstalk doesn’t accept files from your hard drive – only from the Internet. You can upload your photo to Facebook, Flickr, TinyPic, or any other online photo hosting site to generate a URL for the photo.
Also, be sure to add a few words of text with your picture so it doesn’t get tripped up in the site’s spam filter.
To pick up an image online, right click (or ctrl-click on a Mac) on an image and select “View Image.” Copy-and-paste the URL and plug it into the img src html code.
To upload the pictureyou found, this is what you type (again, replacing the brackets with the greater than and less than symbols < >):
For many years (and possibly still, but I doubt it), he did specials on MTV to promote his albums which were called AlTV, wherein he’d turn MTV into his own personal channel. While the majority of the show was Al presenting unusual and surreal videos, both his own and by others, these were interspersed with parodies of other MTV segments (back when they were primarily a music video channel), including interviews with rock stars. Al interviewed the same rock stars by brilliantly mashing up footage from real MTV interviews (sometimes using bits that would normally be edited out) with his own bizarre and sometimes even audacious questions, including asking them their, often very negative, opinions of his own albums and regularly bringing up his pet, Harvey the Wonder Hamster.
Well, folks, it’s Friday! That means, as promised, we’re going to give you a Comment Of the Week.
A few other things, first, though:
Are you getting your weekly does ofrap music? Good.
Also, make sure you’re ready for the second day of the NCAA Tournament.
Now, comment recognition time. Of course, you’re a highly amusing bunch of people, but you knew that. Before giving out the high honor, I’d be remiss if I didn’t recognize pretty much the entirety of Wednesday’s Open Caption thread.
However, there was one comment that seemed to stand out above all those, if only because of the mental imagery it conjures up. Also, because I tend to think that everyone involved has a pretty good sense of humor. So while there was some gentle mocking, I think we can all agree that this line from Momof3’s How to Drink Wine For Free article, from Cicada, gives you something to think about.
Out of context, that sounds mean. Fortunately, the person on the other end of it, Arken, has a sense of humor, which we can all appreciate.
Until next time, darlings. Remember, if you say something funny, or see something funny, email CrasstalkCOW at gmail, and pimp it!
Welcome again to Training Corner! Pull up a chair for another exciting lesson in dog training (cat people, good luck on that. Your columns will be coming). Today, we’re talking about what is often called “dominant” behavior in dogs.
For our purposes, we’ll be talking about the idea that a dog must consider you the “alpha” or “pack leader” in the house. This is patently untrue, though the theory was well-accepted in dog training circles for many years. We now know, empirically, that it isn’t true, just as times have changed and we now know that putting cocaine in a soft drink isn’t the best idea.
“But, EthologyNerd,” you ask, “how is my horrible dog going to listen to me if he doesn’t respect me? Doesn’t he have to think I will rip out his throat if he angers me, as I am the alpha wolf?” Short answer: No, idiot. Long answer: What you think of as “alpha” behavior has very little to do with getting your dog to do what you want it to do. So we’ll debunk a few common misconceptions.
The “Alpha Rollover”
Myth: This is what wolves do in the wild, and a dog is exhibiting submissive behavior when it rolls over and exposes its belly. So you should force the dog onto its back and maybe grab its throat, and then it will understand that you have the power to make it submit to you.
Fact: Wolves do not typically force other wolves into a submissive position except in very specific situations (e.g. feeding and mating). Plus, wolves and domestic dogs are many, many generations removed and their behaviors are now very different. Submission, in dogs, is a consenting behavior (don’t be a pervert). Forcing a dog into a certain position, be it belly-up, laying down, or doing a sun salutation, doesn’t mean it will elicit a certain behavior. It may just anger an especially unwilling dog.
True story: my former boss, a woman who has been training dogs longer than I’ve been alive, did an “alpha rollover” on her feisty Rottweiler when this was still an accepted practice. This dog nearly bit her hands off. Might be different if you did it with a Shih Tzu, but why would you even?
Leash correction and corporal punishment
Myth: when you are training a dog, if you use a choke chain or prong collar, when the dog does something you don’t want it to do, yank up on the leash to issue a correction, so the dog knows it did something bad and you have the power to hurt it. You can see a similar method using a noose leash on Caesar Milan’s program. This also includes other physical punishment such as hitting a dog on the nose or grabbing its mouth and holding it shut.
Fact: Let me pose a question. Which job would you rather have: 1) one where you are praised when you do well, given raises and bonuses when you do very well, and come to work anticipating a great day and wanting to work hard for your rewards, or: 2) a job where you’re berated every time you do something wrong, screamed at when something doesn’t go right even if you have no idea what happened, and get no raises or praise, ever?
This is not a look you want to aim for.
If you chose 2), you’re a masochist. Dogs are not masochists. Basic learning theory dictates that dogs will work harder for a reward than they will if punished. Also, when you punish a dog, they still have no idea what it is they “should” be doing to get a positive response. They’ll listen to you, sure, but out of fear. And Machiavelli aside, it’s not that powerful a motivator if they don’t know what you do want them to do. In fact, it can elicit a fear response and the dog may learn to react to pain with aggression. Worse, if you do it because your friendly dog wants to lick a child or sniff another dog, it may learn to associate the pain of the correction with children or dogs, and voila! You’ve got a much bigger problem.
Leash correction is still sometimes used in very specific situations. However, a novice trainer can cause much more harm than good because the timing of the correction, the placement of the collar, and the duration of the correction all need to be exact and correct; in all, it’s best to avoid it unless you are working with an experienced trainer that also uses positive reinforcement. In addition: incorrect technique, especially if using a “choke chain,” can have lasting physical effects on your dog, including thyroid and trachea damage.
Making your dog eat after you or making sure your dog goes after you out the door.
Myth: if you give your dog something it finds valuable first, or let it walk ahead of you, you’re reinforcing the idea that the dog “ranks” higher than you.
Fact: This is still controversial, but again, just because wolves do it doesn’t mean it always makes sense in a dog-human relationship. Your dog knows you’re a human, not another dog. So why do they try and squeeze out the door ahead of you? They’re excited. They like to go outside. This is not an indication of dominance, it’s an indication that they want to go out. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t train your dog to wait on command before going outside; it can be very dangerous to have a dog that dashes out any open door and you should still be the first one out the door to avoid problems.
Likewise, the order in which you feed your dog doesn’t matter; I, for example, feed my dogs at a time that’s convenient for me, as do many people. If your dog begs or tries to steal food, again, it’s not because it thinks it’s the “alpha,” it’s because food tastes great and you haven’t properly trained your dog to sit quietly at human mealtimes. Teaching a dog manners is not about dominance; it’s about training a dog to behave in a way that suits your needs and your household.
Dominance and leadership are the same thing.
Myth: Well, really. We’re all pretty smart here. Are they synonyms? If I punch you in the face and take your wallet, one could argue that I exhibited dominance in our relationship. But does that make me a leader? Not in most jurisdictions.
Fact: “Dominance” is a concept that only exists between members of the same species, and even among them, it is rarely enforced by challenge. Leadership is, in this case, a benign concept. Of course you don’t want your dog to think they’re smarter or better than you. If your last name is Palin, then I wish you the best of luck, as you’ll struggle to best your canine. But for the rest of us, it’s very simple.
You need not rule your dog’s life with an iron fist, or be concerned with your “rank.” Leadership is, essentially, making the animal want to work for you. As the animal with the larger forebrain, it’s your job to show them exactly how they can please you. In fact, unless your dog is doing something dangerous or highly destructive, ignoring or redirecting that behavior will result in “extinguishment” over time. Meaning that yelling or throwing something at your dog still reinforces a behavior, especially if they’re seeking attention.
Leadership is positive.
Part of being a responsible dog owner is training your dog. Many of these alleged “dominant” behaviors stem from owners not setting clear rules. In this case, a dog may “try” to get what they want in a number of dog-specific ways, like mounting, barking in your face, or electing to ignore a known command. In that case, working with a reputable trainer is even more important. But setting limits and rewarding good behavior goes much farther than physical discipline or other types of “pack leader” behaviors some trainers espouse. This is bad science. We know better now. You’d no sooner bite your dog to show him you’re the boss than mount your coworker’s leg to assert dominance over him (hopefully).
Have questions? We’re working on a Q&A column to run occasionally. Email your questions to TrainingCornerNerds -at- gmail.
It’s hard to fit in. You would think that as a pint-sized alien with a very adult sensibility it shouldn’t be so hard, right? Well, that’s obviously not the case if you like eating raw birds, or showing your junk to a couple of Brits in a Winnebago. And what about that misfit guy who gets the gift of a lifetime and is now suave all of a sudden? Has he ever heard of “Never making a deal with the devil?” I would think that’s part of taking the “I’m now awesome” drug 101. And well, no one ever likes lawyers. Those guys are just jackals in loafers. But hardest of them all is fitting into high school. That’s the worst. Well especially if you look like a young Jeff Spicoli. That’s just gotta be extra hard.
Let’s see how they all make it work.
Paul:
So far the reviews aren’t in the toilet! Success. Well, at least if you’re Seth Rogen.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite for the comedy adventure Paul as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien [Seth Rogen] who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever.
What you can expect: More aliens. EVER MOAR! Well, okay. Obviously our fascination with space and the naked men that live there hasn’t abated. No matter how many times we see aliens we always find them to be interesting, I guess. But now this one tells jokes! Seth Rogen will be witty in an off-color way. He’ll say some crass things, and there may be some significant toilet humor. This is Seth Rogen we’re talking about. Some guest appearances by the likes of Jason Bateman, Kristin Wiig, and Bill Hader in addition to Peg and Frost will keep the funny going. We suspect there will be a few heartwarming moments here. Not E.T. heartwarming but enough for the viewer to say, “Aw.” And that may be enough.
What could annoy: It’s another alien movie. With two alien movies opening back-to-back, moviegoers may have to choose, and it’s possible that Big, Bang, Boom, will still win out over small duck out of water alien story. And well, Seth Rogen. Not everyone finds his sloppy-guy humor funny. It’s like the second generation of Adam Sandler, and that dude’s movies are pretty unwatchable. Here’s hoping Seth keeps it all in the safe zone and leaves more of the silly, less urbane comedy to the Sandler and James duo. We have a feeling Wiig, Hader, and Bateman will be natural scene stealers. Let’s hope they use their talents in the best way possible.
Limitless:
Well apparently there are limits, and these hover somewhere around mediocre.
Aspiring author Eddie Morra (Cooper) is suffering from chronic writer’s block, but his life changes instantly when an old friend introduces him to NZT, a revolutionary new pharmaceutical that allows him to tap his full potential. With every synapse crackling, Eddie can recall everything he has ever read, seen or heard, learn any language in a day, comprehend complex equations and beguile anyone he meets as long as he keeps taking the untested drug.
What you can expect: Much, much posturing by Bradley Cooper. A frenzied roller coaster of a ride that changes aesthetically based upon which state Cooper’s character is in. DeNiro will attempt to give the suspense thriller its gravitas, and Abby Cornish its heart, but it really is all Cooper’s show. From the slick and flashy to the downtrodden and morose, it will be up to Cooper to convey exactly what the character is thinking and feeling as the levels go from mid-range to heightened and then crashing back down to reality.
What could annoy: There may be too much suspension of belief involved, and Cooper’s character may be too slick and stylized to work on a few levels. It’s possible the notion of using drugs in such a carefree manner could feel a bit irresponsible. In addition, where the movie could have more of an impact, and really dig a bit deeper into the aspects of the drug, it’s possible the movie glosses over those parts and uses Cooper’s penchant for comedy to carry the moment.
The Lincoln Lawyer
Hey McConaughey may have a bit of a hit on his hands! Who knew? Well, that’s a reason to wear a shirt, right?
Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln sedan. Haller has spent most of his career defending garden-variety criminals, until he lands the case of his career: defending Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a Beverly Hills playboy accused of rape and attempted murder. But the seemingly straightforward case suddenly develops into a deadly game of survival for Haller. Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Connelly.
What you can expect: Richard Roeper says that it’s a “return to classic court room drama“. Wow, when was the last time we’ve seen that outside of NBC’s cancelled Law & Order series? Surely not in a film in a long time. Viewers may recall that when McConaughey was at his best, before all the romantic comedies wherein he played the same swaggering southern cad, he blew audiences away as the passionate lawyer in A Time to Kill. If he’s bringing half the talent he displayed then to this offering now, than that’s a formula for success.
What could annoy: The screen adaptation of Michael Connelly’s legal thriller could be a big bite for the movie to chew. There may be a few formulaic plot points and a slight level of predictability that could belie the efforts of Matthew McConaughey’s work, but that isn’t the large consensus. So far the critics are lauding the efforts of a chest-covered McConaughey, but very little at this point has been stated about the acting of Cruel Intentions star Ryan PhilliPeePee. The double Pee is obviously trying to jumpstart his flagging career, and the coupling with McConaughey could help with that…that is if moviegoers can overlook all the duds McConaughey has put out lately and go see this film.
Struggling attorney Mike Flaherty, who volunteers as a high-school wrestling coach, takes on the guardianship of an elderly client in a desperate attempt to keep his practice afloat. When the client’s teenage grandson runs away from home and shows up on his grandfather’s doorstep, Mike’s life is turned upside down as his win-win proposition turns into something much more complicated than he ever bargained for.
What you can expect: An emotional journey, and a good story to boot. Seems to be a quiet unobtrusive movie, but buoyed by heart and a wealth of compassion. There are comedic moments that roll off the tongue of Paul Giamatti with ease. He can play the loveable schlubby guy like no one else in Hollywood. Newcomer Alex Shaffer appears to do more than hold his own. He approaches the role with the same vigor as he does wrestling, with zeal and focus. Amy Ryan is always fantastic, and looks to do more of that here. All in all, a great showing by everyone involved.
What could annoy: Watch the trailer. If that doesn’t pull at your heartstrings, you were made in Steve Jobs’ laboratory.
