When they are around cancer, people just don’t talk about their experience. That doesn’t help the fight against cancer – people need to be talking, about the pain, about the success.
Archives for April 2013
Butterflies in Winter
Amongst her repeated subjects is the butterfly. Sitting under a pile of snow and cold darkness here in Minnesota, butterflies seem far away. Their fragile beauty, strong determination (able to fly thousands of miles), and utterly obvious impermanence (most living less than a year) make them great subjects for Buddhist poetry. Here are four of Chiyo-ni’s butterfly haiku. May they inspire dreams, especially for those of us living in the winter darkness right now.
Ebola and AIDS: Is There A Connection? Part One: Equilibrium in Central Africa
These two lethal viral diseases, one rapidly fatal and one progressing slowly over a period of years, occur in animal populations in the same area of central Africa and have presumably entered the human population multiple times during the mllennia since humans appeared on earth. This article argues that the presence of a highly virulent disease like Ebola prevents establishment of HIV in populations by removing immunocompromised individuals before they can infect others.
Is It Me or Is It The Dog?
Most dog owners are proud of their dogs when they are behaving themselves. But it never seems to amaze me how often dog owners blame their dogs for their own fails as trainers. Is it the owner or is it the dog? I’m pretty sure I know who is at fault.
A Honeymoon In Heaven
A couple of hour train trip to Machu Picchu, one of the new Seven Wonders of the Modern World, this hotel is tucked on the slope of an Andean peak, surrounded by immaculate gardens and served by a gourmet restaurant with fine exemplars of both traditional dishes and new Peruvian delights such as world renowned seafood dish, ceviche.
The Battle of York: A Bicentenary To Participate In
The burning of Upper Canada’s capital during the War of 1812, a war that played a significant role in fostering Canada’s identity, is one in which combatants from both sides are still remembered as part of a legacy of 200 years of peace between Canada and the United States. To mark that fateful day of April 27 almost two hundred years ago, both the City of Toronto and the Canadian Armed Forces will hold several events in Toronto’s downtown and along the lakefront.
First Call Out
Darkness bleeds from the walls as I step from bright daylight into the house of death. The hovering ghoulish odour of mortality chokes me. A fierce battle of fight or flight takes place during that one step. Lucky for me, fight wins.
Tarmac Meditations #119: Never Fades Away
I thought about it while running this morning because a flight of F-16s flew over head, their approach heard before they were seen. Even in the peaceful morning rain, the terror that is implied in war planes overhead was palpable. I came back and looked at this and said what the hell, maybe time to put it out there.
Moonrise
A moonrise unlike any you’ve ever seen … simply beautiful!
The 20% Solution
My assignment: cut 20% of extraneous duties out of my life. No musts, no have-tos, only to answer this question: what would two hours of beauty look like?