Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable, society develops. The ideal economy combines the spiritual and material, and the best commodities to trade are sincerity and love. Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace “‘So you see,’ [Diotima] said, ‘you are a person who does not consider Love to be a god.’“‘WhatContinue reading “Aikido and Rhetoric: Women”
Category Archives: redtailhawk
Ceramics Saturdays: The Ostrakon and Cancel Culture in Ancient Athens
The Agora Museum in Athens is full of these funny little terracotta disks with a hole in the middle, partially glazed in black, with someone’s name scratched through the black glaze. They’re ostraka, and they were used in special elections called to banish certain citizens from Athens for 10 years. Ostracism was used in casesContinue reading “Ceramics Saturdays: The Ostrakon and Cancel Culture in Ancient Athens”
Aikido and Rhetoric: Sacrifice
Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love. Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace Men of Athens, I honor and love you; but I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practiceContinue reading “Aikido and Rhetoric: Sacrifice”
Aikido and Rhetoric: Diplomacy
All life is a manifestation of the spirit, the manifestation of love. And the Art of Peace is the purest form of that principle. A warrior is charged with bringing a halt to all contention and strife. Universal love functions in many forms; each manifestation should be allowed free expression. The Art of Peace isContinue reading “Aikido and Rhetoric: Diplomacy”
People Gardening
So at around 10:10 am every weekday morning, the caretakers at a nearby nursery school pull a wagon stuffed full of adorable toddlers past my kitchen window on the way to the park playground. There are 4 toddlers on each side of the red wagon, facing each other and holding on to a yellow gripContinue reading “People Gardening”
Spreewald Holiday
So, I’m back in the Spreewald for a work/fun retreat with my colleague Birgit and her friends Ruth and Tasja. The weather is drop-dead gorgeous, and so far we’ve biked to town and rented kayaks to paddle the network of canals here. I was in the middle of trying to explain Spreewald to my friendContinue reading “Spreewald Holiday”
Aikido and Rhetoric: Polishing
The only cure for materialism is the cleansing of the six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind). If the senses are clogged, one’s perception is stifled. The more it is stifled, the more contaminated the senses become. This creates disorder in the world, and that is the greatest evil of all. Polish theContinue reading “Aikido and Rhetoric: Polishing”
The Saga of The Soufflé Pancake
A true saga takes you on a ride. It has Mystery. Drama. Poetry. Heartbreak. And it goes on for waaaaaaaay longer than you hoped it would. As with all of my Quixotic quests, I don’t remember how this one began. Does it matter? At this point, everyone who likes to cook has seen a souffléContinue reading “The Saga of The Soufflé Pancake”
Drama Queen: Five life lessons from K-dramas
Here’s a non-comprehensive list of valuable things I have learned so far:
Aikido and Rhetoric: The Gymnasium
The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit. Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace Hence it is incumbent on us to control the character of our activities, since on the quality of these depends the quality of our dispositions. It is therefore not of small momentContinue reading “Aikido and Rhetoric: The Gymnasium”
The Rookery 