In his column on The NYTimes.com, Frank Bruni points out that we are in a new era where respect for animals is growing. The phrase "animal welfare" no longer does justice to what is going on. The new emphasis is upon "animal dignity." Here are some examples of this multidimensional movement:
Posted by Frederic Brussat on January 16, 2014
Posted by Frederic Brussat on January 13, 2014
On YesMagazine.org, Jay Walljasper writes about walking as "the wonder drug" that researchers and physicians are recommending to help prevent diabetes, depression, breast and colon cancer, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, obesity, anxiety, and osteoporosis. Adults need 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and children should get 60 minutes a day, seven days a week.
Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on January 7, 2014
In a time when there is so much discord in the world, it is soothing to listen to singers whose voices blend together and bequeath to us music that heals the body, mind, and soul. Don and Phil Everly, known as The Everly Brothers, had their first hit recording in 1957, the single "Bye Bye Love." Their debut album, The Everly Brothers, released in 1958, contained more songs that roared to the top of the charts propelled by their energetic vocals and twanging guitars. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Phil Everly died on January 2 at the age of 74.
Posted by Frederic Brussat on December 31, 2013
In an article on www.Huffingtonpost.com, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is quoted in his first major statement on animal welfare. He is already known for his anti-apartheid activism and his outspoken support of LGBT rights.
The Documented Life
Posted by Frederic Brussat on December 16, 2013
Sherry Turkle has been studying people's use of mobile technology for 15 years. In this article in the New York Times she reflects on a new way of life: "I share, therefore I am." But now what we want to share is pictures. Teens and even younger kids are caught up in possessing a photograph of their experience: "A selfie, like any photograph, interrupts experience to mark a moment." It is a sign of the times that three world leaders, David Cameron of the U.K., Barack Obama of the U.S., and Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, took a picture of themselves in the middle of the memorial service for Nelson Mandela.
Posted by Frederic Brussat on December 9, 2013
In this article in Aeon.com, Robert Twigger writes about the rise of the monopath in our society. The term refers to a person who focuses on one thing and becomes an expert. Such people are widely respected in their professions for having one-track minds. In contrast is the polymath who has read and studied widely in many different arenas.
Posted by Frederic Brussat on November 25, 2013
Terry Tempest Williams is one of S&P's Living Spiritual Teachers who has for years been active in various efforts to save the environment. At the same time, she has written beautiful spiritual books filled with reverence for the natural world and overflowing with wonder.
Posted by Frederic Brussat on October 28, 2013
The Meatless Monday campaign was started in 2003 by an advertising whiz and the John Hopkins School of Public Health to market dietary change. The idea is to cut out meat one day a week to improve health and the environment.
Allison Aubrey reports at NPR.org that Meatless Monday is now active in 29 countries; in the United States more than 100 schools, food service companies, and restaurants have signed on to offer Meatless Monday options.
Posted by Frederic Brussat on September 9, 2013
In a recent article in The New York Times, George Prochnik wrote about philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer's crusade against noise as the archenemy of any serious thinker. He was convinced nobody could have great ideas unless they focused their attention on a subject. But loud sounds distracted him from the work before him. Of course, this advocate of mono-tasking was years ahead of our times where it is nearly impossible to find the silence to think or to read in a world of jets, jackhammers, traffic, cellphones, horns, sirens, and television monitors broadcasting the latest news. Even inside our homes, the motors of our appliances and equipment create a constant stream of noise.
Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on September 3, 2013
Let's stop being so negative about the group that is transforming religion and spirituality in the 21st century. One-fifth of the American public – and a third of adults under 30 – do not identify themselves with a religion. This is a growth from 15% to 20% of the population in just five years, and we have no doubt that similar trends are happening around the world.
Some of this number (6%) describe themselves as atheists or agnostics, and the other 14% say they have no particular religious affiliation. It's this last group that is getting a bad rap.
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About This Blog
Spiritual literacy is the ability to read the signs written in the texts of our own experiences. It is recommended and practiced in all the world's religions. Whether viewed as a gift from God or a skill to be cultivated, this facility enables us to discern and decipher a world full of meaning. More