Voice for Peace
Voice for Peace's JournalAnimals in the lounge
Humans in the lounge, too: I'm looking for helpful stories, suggestions.
I have 3 cats. An old friend has just moved here to share the house & cost of living. Friend has a dog, a beautiful sweet BIG one. We're trying to make a go of it. The cats and the dog haven't yet hit it off, it's been about 2 weeks. Dog is curious but hasn't yet had a taste of the cats. Cats are really nervous and are making themselves scarce and I miss them but I'm also falling in love with the dog. (dammit, I swore I'd never have another dog)
All 3 cats are indoor-outdoor. Very safe outdoor area, lots of good hiding places, they stay pretty close to home. (usually come when I call them). Dog is never loose on property -- if not off on adventures, tied on the side of the house, or closed in their room for the night. Dog is not unhappy. (Landlord requests dog not be loose on property outside.)
When dog comes in and out, we usually give her a tour to sniff around house, as long as cats are outside. So they are all getting used to the others' smells. Sometimes one cat watches dog through the window, and dog watches cat back.
Cats have the entire night to themselves, indoors and outdoors, though they haven't quite figured this out.
Will they ever co-exist without trauma and drama? I don't want poor dog to always be restricted or confined at home.. (she does get out, on lots of walks and runs with her master.)
Is canine-feline friendship even a remote possibility in such a situation? (Cats are all around 3 years, neutered males. Dog is 2.5 year old lab-golden, F)
I had the brilliant idea to get a kitten, for the dog, to bridge the gap between dog and cats. My idea was that the kitten wouldn't have preconceived notions about dogs and would bond. Dog would learn how to speak cat language and become better able to understand the other cats. As kitten matured he would educate the other cats about how to deal
with a big dog. The other cats would learn by watching the kitten grow up that dogs are a cat's best friend.
If anyone has ever done this unsuccessfully, please talk me out of it immediately. Thank you!
A single heart cell has its own beating heart
or at least its own rhythm..
As I understand it: each heart cell has its own beat, when it stands alone.
It may be that each heart cell's rhythm is as unique as a snowflake or
human fingerprint. I have been quite taken by them, since I first saw
one beating. Uniqueness flourishes down to the smallest particle, I'm
sure, even if it can't yet be measured.
So... (correct me if I am wrong) As a part of a working heart, this
multitude of cells synchronize their rhythm with all the others, to
create one heartbeat. Our heartbeat is really made up of a zillion tiny
heartbeats. They synchronize like an orchestra would, and beat as one.
Astounding teamwork. 
There may be rogue cells, of course, trouble makers. Don't want
to conform... would rather kill the host.
Ooh here's a video:
&feature=related
May 20 Annular Solar Eclipse (x-post from New Mexico group)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/106770
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/20/4429739/albuquerque-considered-best-location.html
On May 20th, the first annular eclipse in 18 years will be visible from the United States. Albuquerque, New Mexico is said to be the best urban location to view this "ultimate astronomical event." An annular eclipse occurs when the moon covers most of the sun's disk leaving a thin ring of light around the edge appearing as a "ring of fire."
May 20 Annular (total) Solar Eclipse ALBUQUERQUE considered best location
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/20/4429739/albuquerque-considered-best-location.htmlOn May 20th, the first annular eclipse in 18 years will be visible from the United States. Albuquerque, New Mexico is said to be the best urban location to view this "ultimate astronomical event." An annular eclipse occurs when the moon covers most of the sun's disk leaving a thin ring of light around the edge appearing as a "ring of fire."
The eclipse begins over Asia and, traveling at more than 1,000 MPH, the shadow of the eclipse races to the southeast over parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico before sunset. Locally, viewers will be able to see the annular eclipse for about four minutes just before sunset at 7:33pm in Albuquerque on the western horizon. A partial eclipse will be visible from approximately 6:30-8:00pm Mountain Daylight Time.
The Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau and partner organizations are inviting astronomy buffs and interested star and sky enthusiasts to visit Albuquerque for this rare viewing event.
Seven entities have established viewing and educational events during the week before and on May 20th led by astronomers, graduate students and museum educators.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/20/4429739/albuquerque-considered-best-location.html#storylink=cpy
thanks for sharing your perspectives here
A human life ultimately is defined by the thoughts we think
(my belief) even more than deeds, and the measure of conscience
and compassion we live by. Nobody ever knows what another
person's experience has been. To stay on the safe side, I assume
it has already been hard enough for them and I don't need to
make it any harder.
In war, or other severely intensive life-threatening situations,
the human organism shuts down something fundamental inside.
The feeling self, and conscience, in those moments, are suspended.
The immediate need is survival: sharp action & quick choices.
You don't have the luxury to consider the other people who are
trying to kill you, to wonder if they have children, or if they ever get
sad, or if they believe in the war, or even if YOU believe in the war.
You don't get to know or even consider those things, because the
urge to survive is so powerful.
But back on land, that connection must be restored. It is our built-in
best friend, inside of us. If the connection isn't restored, the
repressed stuff has great power. People tend to become very
unhappy and it can manifest in many ways. Total shutdown
leads people to suicide and murder, madness, illness, megalomania.
And I personally believe that whatever we have tried to shut
away, hide from ourselves, it must be looked at in the light,
and the associated emotions must be felt. If there is grief or
regret, or anger -- these feelings must be released, or we
will always be haunted by them. This is kindness; our own
conscience is a friend, and a tool of healing, even when it's painful.
Somehow in life we are continually asked to look at ourselves,
examine our own errors, correct our path. And keep on going.
When it's too painful, I've found, a torrent of tears has a
way of soothing. Another built-in friend.
Just saw this message re moderation on another forum
I like it.
I thought if something similar was displayed on the DU site,
in a prominent place, people would have a gentle reminder
every time they came to DU and wanted to post... thoughts?
I mean, as a prominent & humble request to all who visit
the site -- so people don't have to go to rules & guidelines to
get this message. It sets a continuous tone for forum discussion.
We are concerned about a recent drift towards vitriol in the RSN Reader comments section. There is a fine line between moderation and censorship. No one likes a harsh or confrontational forum atmosphere. At the same time everyone wants to be able to express themselves freely. We'll start by encouraging good judgment. If that doesn't work we'll have to ramp up the moderation.
General guidelines: Avoid personal attacks on other forum members; Avoid remarks that are ethnically derogatory; Do not advocate violence, or any illegal activity.
Remember that making the world better begins with responsible action.
http://www.readersupportednews.org/opinion2/303-211/10896-fate-of-japan-and-the-whole-world-depends-on-no-4-reactor
This is a great start, thank you!
They also need inspiration to help them care, not just
threat of punishment & deprivation. For many, those consequences
only make them more cruel, and more numb.
This program has been having impact in prisons (you can scroll
down for the video interview w/the prison captain).
It's an approach to inner peace that doesn't involve any belief
system whatsoever, no religion. It starts with just listening to
this man who has a remarkable gift for quickening people's
self-understanding.
This is a short video of him speaking:
The valid premise is that regardless of who we are or what we've
done, there's a part of us which is changeless; there is peace, and
contentment inside of every single human being. Even if they never
know about it, or seek it out, still it's there. It's always been there
from first breath to last. It can be known, and felt.
I have seen hardened grown men weep because for the first
time in their lives they could feel there was a shred of goodness
inside of them. Not that they believed it, they didn't. But they
could feel it and it made them cry.
In this particular program, the behavioural & social changes they're
seeing in inmates are happening from the inside out -- not the other
way around.
How about small c consistently compassionate.
Within every human heart is compassion, joy, love, peace,
wisdom, tolerance -- all of that.
We also have a built in brain-heart connection called
conscience -- to alert us when we are going in the wrong
direction.
This is the divinity inside of us, and it doesn't matter if you
call it God, or if you call it christ, or evolution, or Carol, or
Energy, or Mz, or Allah or allah or Oprah or science or magic.
It is what it is and it doesn't need a name. There is an
ocean of it. If Jesus lived, that's what he was into --
helping people of his time to discover the infinite compassion
within themselves.. NOT to become religious, dogmatic
or submissive; but to become free. Mohammed did
the same thing and so have others. Buddha et al.
The poster speaks of her own heart, and her own
understanding, and calls it small c christian -- and also
that it describes people who may be of any religious or not-
religious persuasion.
Your objection is just about semantics.. what she wrote
was not ridiculous at all.
small c consistently compassionate.
Or big C Caring.
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