Baby haiku- half asleep version!

 Fish lips

   seeking tongue

      grasping hands

you seek the comfort of the breast.

 Lungs ablare

   furrowed forehead

       fluttering eyelids

for us tonight no more rest!

The essential question in the healthcare debate

With all the theater involving healthcare reform politics, town halls and such, the real question underlying the healthcare debate is rarely being asked- is healthcare a fundamental right? In a democratic society where we pay taxes, are we entitled to healthcare in the same way as we are entitled to fire protection, law enforcement, a fair trial etc? Does anyone choose to get sick? Just as no one chooses (unless they are an arsonist) to have their house catch fire but still expect the fore brigade to show up. Similarly, the human condition requires that everyone be entitled to healthcare not only when they are sick but also to help prevent them from getting sick in the first place. Denying this basic truth is what has made the healthcare industry into a for-profit nightmare. Not only should all insurance companies be non-profit but universal coverage should be added to the list of basic human rights in any civilized country.

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me 
is true.
I want to know if you can 
disappoint another 
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life 
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone 
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

This is one of my all time favorite poems. In contrast to the "conversational stuff" we ask people at dinner parties, and the superficial identity barriers we create , this poem cuts down the chase to all the things that really matter about a person and life in general. Do we have the courage to ask these questions of not just others, but even of ourselves? 

Hot, Flat and Repetetive

Thomas Friedman plays on the title of his previous bestseller "The World is Flat" to make "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" sound like a sequel. Given that it is on President Obama's summer reading list, it moves up a few rungs on the influential ladder, but really this book just summarizes some really good and progressive ideas that have been floating around for several years. Friedman obviously has access to some pretty amazing sources, and he pumps this book choc-a-bloc full of quotes and stats from "experts" in the field.
He breaks down the climate change crisis into a five aspect analysis which is interesting, especially the chapter on US dependence on petrochemical producing dictatorships. However while expanding on each aspect, he tends to repeat the same point ad infinitum. Basically, what should have been one or two chapters become five in his book .:(
If you get past the monotony of the repetitions and redundant phrases, he does propose some interesting solutions to the climate crisis. I especially like his commentary on the smart grid, energy conservation, and the challenge to the developed world to lead by example rather than dictating environmental standards to the developing world. He does not go into much details about the unique challenges faced by governments in India and China who seek to alleviate millions out of poverty through development, and how to do this in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Overall, the book brings much needed attention to a critical, if not potentially catastrophic issue for our times. It should, however have been half its current size after editing, and is somewhat poorly written given the stature of its author. It may be read by intellectuals like Obama, but may be too exhausting for the people who need to read it the most- the energy gorging average Amercian who drives an SUV, and think that climate change may or may not be real!