Last Woman Standing

Generally women in politics are an unattractive lot. Margaret Thatcher, Ruth Kelly, Diane Abbott and Hazel Blears. A veritable chamber of horrors. Physically and personally. The exception to the rule is the 'Last Woman Standing'. Step up Ms Harman.




Harriet Ruth Harman (born 30 July 1950) is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Camberwell and Peckham, (go girl!) and was MP for the predecessor Peckham constituency from 1982 to 1997. She was the Interim Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 11 May to 25 September 2010, until Ed Miliband took over the role.(How topical is Wiki)

She was previously the Member of Parliament for Peckham from a by-election in 1982 until its abolition. In 2007, she became the Deputy Leader and Party Chair of the Labour Party, and served in the Cabinet as Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal, and Minister for Women and Equality from 2007 to 2010. Following the resignation of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister and Labour Leader, Harman became Party Leader and replaced Conservative Party Leader David Cameron (who became Prime Minister) as Leader of the Opposition. She served in both roles until the Labour party elected Ed Miliband as permanent Leader. She is also the current female MP with the longest period of continuous service in the House of Commons.

She was born in London to the Harley Street physician John Bishop Harman FRCP and his wife Anna (née Spicer), a solicitor. Her parents both came from non-conformist backgrounds — her grandfather Nathaniel Bishop Harman was a prominent Unitarian and the Spicer family were well known congregationalists. Her aunt is Elizabeth Pakenham, Countess of Longford, and her cousins include the writers Lady Antonia Fraser, Lady Rachel Billington, and Thomas Pakenham.

She was educated at the independent St Paul's Girls' School and the University of York, where she gained a BA in Politics. Between 1978 and 1982, she was legal officer for the National Council for Civil Liberties and as such was found in contempt of court by Mr Justice Hugh Park in the important civil liberties case Harman v The Home Office (the conviction for contempt being upheld on appeal), before becoming MP for Peckham in a by-election in 1982. However, Ms Harman won the day when she took her case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and successfully argued that the prosecution had breached her right to freedom of expression. In the field of public law, Harman v United Kingdom is still a well-known case that is cited in textbooks.(As I said..Go Girl!)

Harman made a return to the front bench after the 2001 general election, with her appointment to the office of Solicitor General, thus becoming the first female Solicitor General. In accordance with convention, she was appointed as Queen's Counsel, although she was never a barrister, had no rights of audience in the higher courts, did not obtain them and never presented a case during her time as Solicitor General, or at all.

Harman announced her intention to stand for Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party when John Prescott stood down. On 27 November 2006 Patrick Wintour reported that she had commissioned an opinion poll that had found that she would be more popular with the electorate than any of the other likely candidates. She used this point to argue that she should become the next Deputy Prime Minister in an interview with the BBC.

Harman did not have the support of any major unions, and helped to fund her campaign for deputy leadership by taking out a personal loan of £10,000 and a £40,000 extension to her mortgage. Harman failed to report some donations and loans on time, and was subject to an Electoral Commission inquiry for breaches of electoral law. The commission said that her "failure to report on time is a serious matter" though the case was not handed over to the police.

On 24 June 2007, in what was a close contest Harman was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. Alan Johnson had led in all but the first of the previous rounds, but when second-preference votes had been redistributed after the fourth round, Harman stood elected with 50.43% of the vote to Johnson's 49.56%.

Harman has supported the Labour government and voted with the party in all but a few instances. She supported the Iraq War, although during the Deputy Leadership campaign, she said that she would not have voted for it had she been in full possession of the facts, specifically about the lack of concrete evidence of weapons of mass destruction.

Leader of the Opposition
Following the resignation of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party on 11 May 2010, Harman, automatically became the temporary Leader of the Party as well as the Leader of the Opposition. Although she is effectively acting in the role, by the terms of the party's constitution she is the leader of the party, albeit on a temporary basis, as was the case with Margaret Beckett in 1994.

She immediately announced that she would remain Deputy Leader rather than standing for election as Leader. She explained this decision by asserting that “you can’t run for leader at the same time as being deputy leader”. As Leader of the Labour Party on an interim basis, she also became Leader of the Opposition, entitling her to the salary and government car that come with the role.

During the nomination round of the 2010 Labour Leadership Contest, she backed Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. She later said that this was to prevent the election from being all-male. She stated that she intends to remain neutral throughout the contest and that "This is a very crucial period and we have got five fantastic candidates. All of them would make excellent leaders of the party."

There are lots of things I find distasteful about Ms Harman. But she is pretty impressive. Not too proud to admit her mistakes, not too scared to take a risk, obviously not worried about being challenged or ridiculed. Ms Harman has done an excellent job as caretaker for the Labour Party and it is a shame she decided against running for Leader of the Opposition. And she looks great for 60!

The Waking Moment

The snippets of a dream

That lingers tantalisingly close

Before evaporating

and taking with them

All traces of clarity

The fleeting idea

That incomplete thought

Almost revealing

Secrets that bind

The waking moment

That ‘in-between’ stage

Of being tethered

Yet being free to roam

Doing The Lambeth Walk

Yesterday I spend the day in bed feeling unwell and in between falling asleep and laying awake feeling very sorry for myself I watched an old black and white film. I was disappointed to wake up and find that I had missed the original 'Gaslight' but pleased that I had woken up in time for the second feature of the day and snuggled down under the covers to watch 'Waterloo Road'. I kept waiting for Vivian Leigh to appear and it was some time before it dawned on me that this wasn't the film I had been expecting -Waterloo Bridge - but a different film altogether.

Any time you're Lambeth way,
Any evening, any day,
You'll find us all
Doin' the Lambeth Walk. Oi!
Every little Lambeth gal,
With her little Lambeth pal,
You'll find 'em all
Doin' the Lambeth Walk. Oi!

'Waterloo Road', http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037447/ set in 1944 and starring John Mills, is the story of soldier Jim Colter (John Mills) who, on hearing rumours about his wife and local bad boy Ted Pervis (Stewart Granger) goes AWOL from his regiment to sort it all out. The star for me was, as ever, London. Although bombed, grey, smokey and grim there were parts that I recognised from my childhood. I have no idea if they filmed some of it in Lambeth Walk but it was eerily familiar. I lived in Lambeth Walk as a child and the bombsites, the grey terraced houses, even the market with 'J Sainsburys' in the background all looked as I remembered it. My Aunt Nell worked in that Sainsburys behind the cheese counter. I was run over by a car down that market, which in 1965 was bad luck, considering how few cars there were on the road in those days. I lost the half a crown I had just been given (and was rushing to the sweetshop to spend) when I was hit by this car. It was going slowly -on account of it being a busy market - but the driver took me and my mum straight to St Thomas' Hospital. In the film the local GP (Alastair Sim)) has his surgery down the market and it looked exactly like our family doctors in Lambeth Walk. The film deals with the problem of being apart from your partner for extended periods of time. From the difficulties faced by Fred and Ruby (Ruby, played by the wonderful Alison Leggatt) who pass in the night, thanks to incompatible shifts and Jim and Tillie who have to deal with the far greater trauma of being separated for months at a time, with no guarantee that Jim will ever return, let alone the prospect of their own home and family. The film isn't a weepie, not like Waterloo Bridge, which is a real tear jerker, but I was glad of that. Having cried uncontrollably the other night at the end of 'The Pursuit of Happiness' I had vowed to only watch comedies from now on.

It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that? Christopher Gardner

Out of curiosity and being bored from staying in bed but too weak to get up I later Googled 'Waterloo Bridge'. It mentioned something called a Billiken, a cuteish, if somewhat cheeky looking lucky charm.



Wiki:

The Billiken was a charm doll created by an American art teacher and illustrator, Ms. Florence Pretz of St. Louis, Missouri, who is said to have seen the mysterious figure in a dream.[1] In 1908 she patented the Billiken who was elf-like with pointed ears, a mischievous smile, and a tuft of hair on his pointed head. His arms were short and he was generally sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him. One point on Billiken luck: To buy a Billiken gives the purchaser luck, but to have one given to you is better luck.[2] The Billiken was auspiciously named after the newly elected President of the United States, William Howard Taft.[verification needed] (The manufacturer of the dolls, Horsman Dolls, Inc., had earlier enjoyed success with the Teddy bear: a toy named after the previous president, Theodore Roosevelt.) The Billiken was one of the first copyrighted dolls and the first likenesses of the Billiken, banks and statues, were produced in 1909. After a few brief years of popularity, like many other fad toys, the Billiken faded into obscurity. The Billiken should not be confused with baby-like Kewpie figures that debuted in the December 1909 Ladies' Home Journal. The Billiken made its Japanese debut in 1908. A statue was installed in the uppermost level of the original Tsutenkaku Tower as it was opened to the public in 1912. When the nearby Luna Park was closed in 1925, the tower's Billiken statue disappeared. In 1980, a replacement statue made its appearance in a new Tsutenkaku Tower that was built in 1956. It was elevated to almost god-like status and became so popular that he was considered to be another god of luck in addition to the traditional seven Japanese gods of luck.
Seven Gods of Good Luck

Ebisu 恵比須

God of Fishermen, Good Fortune, Commerce, and Honest Labour.

Virtue = Candor

Fair Dealing. Popular among fishing folk, sailors, and people in the food industry.

Daikokuten 大黒天

God of Earth, Agriculture, Farmers, Wealth, Prosperity, Flood Control, The Kitchen.

Virtue = Fortune

Popular among farmers, agricultural businesses, & traders.

Benzaiten 弁財天

Goddess of Music, Fine Arts, Beauty, Eloquence, and Literature.

Virtue = Amiability

Only female among the seven. Popular among artists, musicians, and writers.

Hotei 布袋

God of Contentment and Happiness.

Virtue = Magnanimity

known as the Laughing Buddha; rubbing his stomach is said to bring good luck;

Popular among bartenders and all classes of people. Among the seven, the best known outside Japan.

Fukurokuju 福禄寿

God of Wealth, Happiness, Longevity, Virility, and Fertility.

Virtue = Popularity

Popular among watchmakers, athletes, others.

Jurōjin 寿老人

God of Wisdom & Longevity.

Virtue = Longevity.

Popular among teachers, professors, and scientists.

Bishamonten 毘沙門天
God of Treasure, Bringer of Wealth, Defender of the Nation, Scourge of Evil Doers, Healer of Illness.

Virtue = Dignity

Popular among soldiers, doctors, and certain Buddhist monasteries; the only member of the Shitenno worshipped independently.

Santen 三天

In Japan, there is another goddess (of Hindu origin) named Marishiten who is revered as a tutelary deity of the warrior class. In later centuries, she was worshipped as a goddess of wealth and prosperity among merchants. She was counted along with Daikokuten 大黒天 and Benzaiten 弁財天 as one of a trio of "three deities" (Santen 三天) invoked for good fortune during the Edo period. Marishiten is a member of the TENBU group, but her worship has been largely supplanted by Benzaiten.

Sanmen Daikoku
三面大黒天

In Japan’s Muromachi Era (1392-1568), an esoteric three-headed form of Daikokuten emerged that combined the head’s of Daikokuten, Benzaiten, and Bishamonten. All three are members of the Seven Lucky Gods. This 3-headed version of Daikokuten is is believed to protect the Three Buddhist Treasures (the Buddha, the law, and the community of followers). This iconography is very similar to another kitchen deity named Kōjin-sama. As the three-headed deity, Sanmen Daikoku awards followers with wealth and virtue.

It is strange how a link to 'Waterloo Bridge' brought me back to the virtues. Maybe it is a sign? Of what I don't know? To be more virtuous?

Sin Abandoned

Those who excel in virtue have the best right of all to rebel, but then they are of all men the least inclined to do so. Aristotle

No more visiting sin. I wish I had never started with this sin thing. Having had the misfortune to be brought up a Catholic 'sin' featured heavily in my childhood. All babies, we were taught, are born with the Original Sin (something to do with Adam and Eve), described in simple terms as a big black mark on their souls. Once they are born it is a race against time to have them baptised as if they had the misfortune to die before this happened their soul would go straight to a place called Purgatory. We said lots of prayers for the babies in Purgatory. It seemed everything was potentially sinful and from the age of around 7 we had to confess our sins weekly in the Confessional Box. 'Father, I have sinned. It has been 7 days since my last confession' (does this count as child abuse?). We would then be given a penance to do, in accordance with the severity of our sinning that particular week. (Definitely child abuse) and although I knew from an early age that none of it made any sense I thought that I just wasn't getting it and that meant I would bypass the luxury of Purgatory and go straight to Hell. Now, with the luxury of a life lived wellish and the experiences gained I realise that I had 'got' it but lacked the vocabulary to tell my elders what I thought about sin. Which was that sin is actually a load of bollocks.

This is why I wish I hadn't started with the sin thing. It was meant a bit of fun but it is making me angry. Take Purgatory for instance:


Purgatory's role:

In addition to accepting the states of heaven and hell, Catholicism envisages a third state before being admitted to heaven. According to Catholic doctrine, some souls are not sufficiently free from the temporal effects of sin and its consequences to enter the state of heaven immediately, nor are they so sinful as to be destined for hell either. (this includes still born babies, on account of the 'original sin', the Catholic Church has sin all sown up you see). Such souls, ultimately destined to be united with God in heaven, must first endure purgatory— a state of purification. In purgatory, souls "achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven." Temporal punishment and eternal punishment are incurred by mortal sin, but eternal punishment is remitted by the sacrament of reconciliation (known also as the sacrament of penance or confession). The remaining temporal punishment may be remitted by sufferings in this life, indulgences, or time after death in Purgatory.

So Catholic parents and teachers in Catholic school teach their children this stuff. Thats without the drivel the priest preaches every Mass.

I was going to write about the 'sin' of pride. Pride is one of the deadlies and although I hear it comes before a fall you would run the risk of being criticised for having none at all. There are, hopefully, moments in everyones life when they are proud of an achievement, either their own or a that of a loved one.

Wiki on sin:

In Western Christianity, "sin is lawlessness" and so salvation tends to be understood in legal terms, similar to Jewish law. Sin alienates the sinner from God. It has damaged, and completely severed, the relationship of humanity to God. That relationship can only be restored through acceptance of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross as a sacrifice for mankind's sin.

In Eastern Christianity, sin is viewed in terms of its effects on relationships, both among people and between people and God. Sin is seen as the refusal to follow God's plan, and the desire to be like God and thus in direct opposition to him (see the account of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis). To sin is to want control of one's destiny in opposition to the will of God, to do some rigid beliefs.

In the Russian variant of Eastern Christianity, sin sometimes is regarded as any mistake made by people in their life. From this point of view every person is sinful because every person makes mistakes during their life. When a person accuses others of sins they always must remember that they are also sinners and so they must have mercy for others remembering that God is also merciful to them and to all of humanity

Judism regards the breaking of any of the divine commandments to be a sin. Judaism teaches that sin is an act, and not a state of being. Sin is any thought, word, or deed that breaks Gods law by omission or commission.

Islam sees sin as anything that goes against the will of Allah. Islam also teaches that sin is an act and not a state of being. The Qur'an teaches that 'the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless the Lord does bestow His Mercy'

Hinduism have a different and more enlightened view:

In Hinduism, the term sin is often used to describe actions that create negative karma by violating moral and ethical codes, which automatically brings negative consequences. It is different from other religions like Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the sense that sin is not a crime against the will of God, but against Dharma, or moral order, and one's own self.

and let's hear it for the Buddhists -

Buddhist ethics is consequentialist in nature and is not based upon duty towards any deities. It is founded upon compassion for all sentient beings and upon the duty to cause their happiness and to prevent their suffering. The well-being of all sentient beings is seen as an end-in-itself and not a means towards any transcendent end. Buddhist ethics therefore closely corresponds to secular ethics and there is no Buddhist equivalent of the Abrahamic concept of sin. (Good old Buddhism!) Buddhism recognizes a natural principle of Karma whereby widespread suffering is the inevitable consequence of greed, hatred and delusion. Buddhism therefore seeks to end suffering by replacing greed with selflessness, hatred with compassion and delusion with wisdom.

Moving away from religion and into the realms of logic:

Aristotle and the Nicomachean Ethics:

The Nicomachean Ethics is the name normally given to Aristotle's most well-known work on ethics. The theme of the work is the Socratic question which had previously been explored in Plato's works, of how men should best live. In his Metaphysics, Aristotle described how Socrates turned philosophy to human questions, whereas Pre-Socratic philosophy had only been theoretical. Ethics, as now separated out for discussion by Aristotle, is practical rather than theoretical, in the original Aristotelian senses of these terms. It is partly intended to help people become good, and is not only a contemplation about good living. It is therefore connected to Aristotle's other practical writings, on Politics, which also aim at people becoming good, though from the perspective of a law-giver, looking at the good of a whole community.

Aristotle argues that the correct approach in studying such controversial subjects as Ethics or Politics, which involve discussing what is true about what is beautiful or just, is to start with what would be roughly agreed to by people of good up-bringing and experience in life, and to work from there to a higher understanding.

Taking this approach, Aristotle begins by saying that the highest good for humans, the highest aim of all human practical thinking, is eudaimonia, a Greek word often translated as well-being or happiness. Aristotle in turn argues that happiness is properly understood as an on-going and stable dynamic, a way of being in action, specifically appropriate to the human "soul" (psuchē), in accordance with "excellence" or virtue. If there are several virtues the best and most complete or perfect of them will be the happiest one. An excellent human will be a person good at living life, who does it well and beautifully. Aristotle says that they would also be a serious human being, in the same way that one contrasts harpists and serious harpists. He also asserts as part of this starting point that virtue for a human must involve reason in thought and speech, as this is an aspect of human living.

From this starting point, Aristotle goes into discussion of what ethics, a term Aristotle helped develop, means. Aristotelian Ethics is about what makes a virtuous character possible, which is in turn necessary if happiness is to be possible. He describes a sequence of necessary steps in order to achieve this: righteous actions, often done under the influence of teachers, allow the development of the right habits, which in turn can allow the development of a good stable character in which the habits are voluntary, and this in turn gives a chance of achieving eudaimonia. Aristotle does not however equate character with habit because real character involves conscious choice, unlike habit. Instead of being habit, character is a hexis like health or knowledge, meaning it is a stable disposition which must be pursued and maintained with some effort. However, good habits are described as a precondition for good character. Aristotle then turns to examples, reviewing some of specific ways in which people are generally thought worthy of blame or praise. As he proceeds, he comes to describe how the highest types of praise, so the highest types of virtue, imply having all the virtues of character, and these in turn imply not just good character, but a kind of wisdom. These four virtues which he says require the possession of all the ethical virtues together are:

Being of "great soul" (magnanimity), the virtue where someone would be truly deserving of the highest praise and have a correct attitude towards the honor this may involve.

The type of justice or fairness of a good ruler in a good community.

Practical judgment as shown by good leaders.

The virtue of being a truly good friend.

Put simply, if it is ever possible to put Aristotle simply -

Everyone wants to be happy.

Many do not do what is necessary in order to become happy.

To succeed in the pursuit of happiness, you must be a functional (not dysfunctional) human being.

To be a functional (rather than dysfunctional) human being, you must pursue excellence (virtue) in accordance with your nature.

Moral excellence or virtue is:

Avoiding the extremes of excess (too much) and deficiency (too little).
If you don't pursue the good and avoid extremes and absolute evils, your life will become disorderly, self-destructive, dysfunctional, and unhappy.

Intellectual excellence or virtue is the exercise of the intellect in pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. It is good to become more knowledgeable and more wise; it is bad to wallow in ignorance and foolishness.

You are free to pursue moral and intellectual excellence or not. It is in your own best interest to pursue it because, in pursuing moral and intellectual excellence, you will become more excellent, more functional, and more happy. If, in addition to becoming morally excellent, you also make intellectual excellence your chief goal in life, you will become even happier.

To be happy, you must be a fully-functional (morally and intellectually excellent) human being. Some dysfunctional (un-excellent) people may think they are happy, but they're not (not really). They are deluded. They are living contrary to their own nature and thus cannot find self-fulfillment or peace of mind. They smoke, they drink, they abuse drugs, they abuse sex, they bite their nails, they are subject to road-rage, they disrespect and break the law — in general, they go to extremes (too much here, too little there) and ruin themselves.

In addition to virtue (moral and intellectual excellence) and physiological well-being (e.g., health), which are "internal goods" (i.e., they exist in the self), the successful pursuit of happiness also requires such "external goods" as friends, wealth, political power, and security – i.e., what Aristotle calls "external prosperity." External prosperity and physiological well-being depend to some extent on good fortune, which means that one's happiness can be undermined, at least to some extent, by ill fortune.
I wish I'd concentrated on virtues instead of sins. But there are so many! Two virtues I tick are:

Acceptance - To consider circumstances, especially those that can not be changed, as satisfactory. as I was born in the week of Acceptance I am totally virtuous in this aspect.

Patience - Waiting peacefully. Quiet hope and faith that things will turn out right. The ability to endure delay, trouble, pain or hardship. Last week I said to my grandson 'you have to be patient' to which he replied 'I don't like patience. I like straight away'. A sinner if ever there was one.

In order to be self actualised one would have to be pretty much virtuous. Or tick most of the boxes. Well, two is a start.

Accountability: The willingness to take full responsibility for our choices.

Appreciation: Seeing the good in life. Freely expressing gratitude.

Assertiveness: Telling the truth about what is just, setting clear boundaries.

Awe: Reverence and wonder, deep respect for the source of life.

Beauty: A sense of wonder and reverence for the harmony, colour, and loveliness of the world. Calling on our creativity to add to the beauty in the world.

Bravery: A quality of spirit that enables you to face danger of pain without showing fear. caring

Caring : Giving tender attention to the people and things that matter to us. Listening with compassion, helping with kindness.

Caution: Avoidance of rashness, attention to safety.

Charity: A giving heart, a generous way of viewing others and caring for their needs.

Cheerfulness: Seeing the bright side, looking for the good in whatever happens.

Cleanliness: Keeping our bodies, our thoughts and our spaces clean. An environment of order and beauty brings peace to our souls.

Commitment: Caring deeply about a person, a goal or a belief. Willingness to give our all and keep our promises.

Compassion: Deep empathy for the suffering of others. Compassion flows freely from the heart when we let go of judgments and seek to understand.

Confidence: A sense of assurance that comes from having faith in ourselves and in life. Confidence allows us to trust that we have the strength to cope with whatever happens.

Consideration: Giving careful thought to the needs of others. Holding a decision in a contemplative and thoughtful way.

Contentment: The awareness of sufficiency, a sense that we have enough and we are enough. Appreciating the simple gifts of life.

Cooperation: Working together for a common goal, calling on the different gifts each of us has to offer.

Courage: Transforms fear into determination. Embracing life fully, without holding back, doing what must be done even when it is difficult or risky. Courtesy: Treating others with kindness, tact and graciousness.

Creativity: The power of imagination. Being open to inspiration, which ignites our originality.

Curiosity: A desire to find out and know things.

Decisiveness: Firmness of mind in taking a stand, reaching a conclusion, making a decision. It requires both courage and discernment.

Defiance: Bold resistance.

Detachment: Experiencing our feelings without allowing them to control us. Stepping back and thoughtfully choosing how we will act rather than just reacting.

Determination: Firmness of purpose.

Devotion: Commitment to something we care about deeply. Wholehearted service to our life’s purpose. A great love or loyalty, enthusiastic zeal.

Dignity: Honoring the worth of all people, including ourselves and treating everyone with respect.

Diligence: Doing what needs to be done with care, concentration and single-pointed attention, giving our absolute best.

Discernment: Applying the wisdom of our intuition to discover what is essential and true, with contemplative vigilance. Clarity of the soul.

Discretion: Being discrete in ones speech, keeping secrets.

Endurance: Practicing perseverance and patience when obstacles arise hones our character and educates our souls. We welcome all that we are here to learn.

Enthusiasm: Being filled with spirit. Excitement about life and openness to the wonders each day holds. Acting wholeheartedly, with zeal and eagerness, holding nothing back.

Excellence: Giving our best to any task we do and any relationship we have.

Fairness: Seeking justice, giving each person their share, making sure that everyone’s needs are met.

Faith: A relationship of trust. Belief in the reality of Grace.

Faithfulness : Loyalty to our beliefs, regardless of what happens. Being true to the people we love.

Fidelity: Abiding by an agreement, treating it as a sacred covenant. Complete faithfulness in our relationships.

Flexibility : The ability to adapt and change amid the fluctuating circumstances of life. Going with the flow. Adaptable, able to be changed to suit circumstances.

Focus: Concentrated awareness and effort.

Forbearance: Tolerating hardship with good grace. Not allowing the trials of life to steal our joy.

Forgiveness: Overlooking mistakes, and being willing to move forward with a clean slate. Forgiving others frees us from resentment. Forgiving ourselves is part of positive change. To cease to feel angry or bitter towards a person or about an offence.

Fortitude: Strength of character. The will to endure no matter what happens, with courage and patience.

Friendliness: A spiritual essential. Reaching out to others with warmth and caring. The willingness to be an intimate companion.

Generosity: Giving fully, sharing freely. Trust that there is plenty for everyone. Giving or ready to give freely, free from meanness or prejudice.

Gentleness: Moving wisely, touching softly, speaking quietly and thinking kindly. Moderate; mild, quite; not rough or severe.

Grace: Openness to the bounties of life, trusting that we are held in God’s love through all circumstances. Reflecting gentleness and beauty in the way we act, speak and move.

Gratitude: Freely expressing thankfulness and appreciation to others and for the gifts of life.

Gratitude: Being thankful.

Helpfulness: Doing useful things that make a difference to others. Taking time for thoughtfulness.

Honesty: Being truthful, sincere, open, and genuine. The confidence to be ourselves. sincere; not lying or cheating.

Honor: Living with a sense of respect for what we know is right. Living up to the virtues of our character. Keeping our agreements with integrity.

Hope: Looking to the future with trust and faith. Optimism in the face of adversity.

Humanity: Having an attitude of caring and mercy to all people.

Humbleness: Modest; not arrogant or boastful.

Humility: Being open to every lesson life brings, trusting that our mistakes are often our best teachers. Being thankful for our gifts instead of boastful.

Humor: The ability to perceive, enjoy, or express what is amusing, comical, incongruous, or absurd.

Idealism: Caring about what is right and meaningful in life. Daring to have big dreams and then acting as if they are possible.

Impartiality: Fair.

Independence: Self-reliance. Making our own choices confidently without undue influence from others. Perceiving the truth, with trust in our own discernment.

Industry: Diligent, hardworking.

Initiative: Daring to be original. Using our creativity to bring something new into the world.

Innocence: Guileless, not guilty.

Integrity Standing on moral high ground. Keeping faith with our ideals and our agreements.

Joyfulness: An inner wellspring of peace and happiness. Enjoying the richness of life. Finding humor, even in the midst of hard times.

Justice: Being fair in all we do. Making amends when we have hurt or wronged others. Protecting everyone’s rights, including our own. Fair, impartial, giving a deserved response.

Kindness: Showing compassion. Giving tender attention in ways that brings others happiness. Friendly, helpful, well meaning.

Love: The connection between one heart and another. Attraction, affection and caring for a person, a place, an idea, and for life itself. A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.

Loyalty: Unwavering faithfulness and commitment to people and ideas we care about, through good times and bad. Steadfast in allegiance to one's homeland, government, or sovereign. Faithful to a person, ideal, custom, cause, or duty.

Majesty: Great and impressive dignity.

Mercy: Blessing others with our compassion and forgiveness. Extending our tenderness beyond what is just or deserved.

Mindfulness: Living reflectively and meaningfully, with conscious awareness of our actions, our words and our thoughts.

Moderation : Being content with enough. Using self-discipline to create balance in our lives and to keep from overdoing. Healthy stewardship of our time and resources. The avoidance of extremes in one’s actions or opinions.

Modesty: Self-respect and quiet confidence. Accepting praise with humility and gratitude. A sense of respectful privacy about our bodies.

Nobility: Having high moral standards. Doing the right thing. Keeping faith with our true value as spiritual beings.

Obedience: Following what we know is right. Compliance with the law. Abiding by our deepest integrity and conquering our misplaced passions. Willingness to obey, to be controlled when necessary, to carry out orders.

Openness: Willingness to consider new ideas. Listening to others with humility and sincerity. Being receptive to the blessings and surprises of life. Openness: Ready and willing to talk candidly. Unsecretive.

Orderliness: Creating an environment of peace and order. Planning step by step instead of going in circles.


Peacefulness: Inner calm and tranquility. Giving up the love of power for the power of love. Resolving conflict in a just and gentle way. Freedom from mental agitation; serenity.

Perceptiveness: Clarity of insight. Understanding that is intuitive, discerning and accurate.

Perseverance: Staying the course for however long it takes. Steadfastness and persistence in pursuing our goals.

Prayerfulness: A relationship of faith and gratitude with a power and presence greater than ourselves. A conversation with God.

Prudence: Wise or careful in conduct. Shrewd or thrifty in planning ahead.

Purity: A process of freeing ourselves day by day from influences and attachments that keep us from being true to ourselves and to what we know is right. Physical and spiritual cleanliness.

Purposefulness: Awareness of the meaningfulness of our lives. Living by a clear vision and focusing our energy on the goal before us.

Reliability: Being dependable. Being a promise keeper. Taking responsibility with trustworthiness. Can be trusted to do something.

Respect: An attitude of honoring oneself and others through our words and actions. Treating every person with dignity and courtesy.

Responsibility: The willingness to be accountable for our choices and also for our mistakes. Taking on what is ours to do with strength and reliability. Having control over and accountability for appropriate events.

Reverence: An awareness of the sacredness of life. Living with wonder and faith. Having a routine of reflection.

Righteousness: Living by a code of spiritual rectitude. Impeccable integrity to what we know is right. Calling ourselves gently back when we go off track.

Sacrifice: The willingness to give up what is important to us for what we know is more important. Giving our all for our beliefs. Making our life a sacred offering. Self-Discipline: The self control to do only what we truly choose to do, without being blown off course by our desires. Establishing healthy and ennobling habits.

Sensitivity: Heightened awareness of oneself and others within the context of social and personal relationships.

Serenity: Tranquility of spirit, with trust and faith that all will be well. Peacefulness in the midst of trials.

Service: Doing helpful things that make a difference to others. Investing excellence in everything we do. The contribution we make is the fruitage of our lives.

Simplicity: Straightforward; not complex or complicated. Unpretentious.

Sincerity: Being open and genuine. Our words and actions reflect a truthful heart. Free from pretence or deceit in manner or actions.

Sobriety: Serious, solemn and calm. Free from intoxication.

Spontaneity: Natural, not planned.

Steadfastness: Being steady, persevering and dependable. Having the strength to remain true to our purpose in spite of obstacles that arise.

Steadfastness: Firm, resolute; determinedly unwavering.

Strength: The inner power to withstand whatever comes. Endurance in the midst of tests. Capable of exerting great force.

Tact: Telling the truth kindly. Thinking before we speak, aware of how deeply our words affect others. Discerning what to say, when it is timely to say it, and what is better left unsaid.

Temperance: Moderation in our speech and our appetites. Using self-restraint in the midst of temptation.

Thankfulness: An attitude of gratitude for living, learning, loving and being. Generosity in expressing appreciation. Focusing on the blessings in our lives.

Tolerance: Being open to differences. Refraining from judgments. Patience and forgiveness with others and ourselves. Accepting things that we wish were different with humor and grace.

Toughness: Strong and durable; not easily damaged.

Tranquility: Serenely quite and peaceful; undisturbed.

Trust: Having faith. Positive expectation that all will be well. Having confidence that the right thing will come about without trying to control it or make it happen. Being sure, in the depths of our being, that there is some gift or learning in everything that happens. Having confidence in others; lacking suspicion.

Trustworthiness: Being worthy of the trust others place in us. When we give our word, we stand by it. Keeping our agreements faithfully. Able to be trusted or depended on; reliable.

Truthfulness: Truth is the bedrock of integrity on which we build all our other virtues. An ongoing commitment to live by what is most real and authentic in our own nature. Honesty in all our dealings.

Understanding: Being insightful in our perceptions of ideas and feelings. Listening with compassion and accuracy to others’ feelings.

Unity: Inclusiveness. Finding common ground in our diversity. Seeking peace in all circumstances.

Uprightness: Following what is right and moral. Standing up for honesty and justice. Living in integrity.

Wisdom: Having a discerning mind, based on experience and mindfulness. Making wise decisions based on our deepest intuition.

Zeal: Fervent enthusiasm for what we believe to be important. Living by a strong sense of the value of life and faith.

Finally, for no other reason than being a great song which is on an advert soundtrack at the moment - a song about Baby doing a Bad Bad Thing. Lets hope she isn't a catholic. her penance would be stiff.

Visiting Sin 3

Acedia

Or Sloth to you and me.

My second highest rated sin according to the 'Sin Quiz' -

Wiki

Sloth is defined as spiritual or emotional apathy, neglecting what God has spoken, and being physically and emotionally inactive. Acedia is a Latin word, from Greek, meaning "Carelessness". Sloth can also indicate a wasting due to lack of use, concerning a person, place, thing, skill, or intangible ideal that would require maintenance, refinement, or support to continue to exist. Religious views concerning the need for one to work to support society and further God's plan and work also suggest that, through inactivity, one invites the desire to sin. "For Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do." ("Against Idleness and Mischief" by Isaac Watts)

and I was going to blog about it...

but I really can't be bothered.

Visiting Sin 2

Lust

I took a fun quiz to see which one of the Seven Deadly Sins I was guilty of and was very surprised at the following results:

Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Low
Sloth:	High
Envy:	Low
Lust:	High
Pride:	High

The Seven Deadly Sins Quiz on 4degreez.com

I am relieved to see a low score in 'Envy' given my previous blog and I fully expected to score the highest in 'Sloth'...I can barely raise the energy to turn a page of a book these days after a full on day at work, so I was very surprised to see 'Lust' as my own personal sin. Lusty? Moi?

Lust by Wiki:

Lust is a craving for sexual intercourse, which can sometimes assume a violent or self-indulgent character. In the three major Abrahamic religions, it is considered a sin.

I do not like this description of Lust or all the religious crap that is attached to it so I looked for a more favourable definition and found the following:

Lust - ardent enthusiasm; zest; relish: an enviable lust for life.

Thats more like it. Me to a tee. What is sinful about that eh? In fact it is the opposite of 'Acedia' which is given as a deadly sin on some lists.

Acedia:

Acedia describes a state of listlessness or torpor, of not caring or not being concerned with one's position or condition in the world. It can lead to a state of being unable to perform one's duties in life. Its spiritual overtones make it related to but distinct from depression.

So Acedia is not having enthusiasm or zest. It is Lustlessness. So how come if Acedia is a sin then Lust is also a sin? Surely the Sin Police can't have it both ways? If Lust is a sin then Acedia isn't. If Acedia is a sin, well then, Lust isn't. Is you is or is you ain't a sinner?

Final word this time to Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C:

'Of all the worldly passions, lust is the most intense. All other worldly passions seem to follow in its train'

Visiting Sin

Sin Number One - Envy

I sometimes confuse envy with jealousy - and the other way round - but a useful definition I read is that envy usually involves two people and jealousy three. I (reluctantly) put my hands up to being jealous on occasion but envious? I hope not.

Envy is a nasty, spiteful feeling and people who experience envy on a regular basis are among the unhappiest people in the world. I have a relative (you know who you are) who almost spits blood on hearing that someone she knows has been given a rise/bought a new car/or been on a luxury holiday. Because of the bile envy churns up inside her she lives a life full of twisted sadness and has learnt to enjoy the life of martyrdom and chaos she has created for herself as she feels that is what makes her 'relevant'.

Professional jealousy, eh I mean envy, is simmering away at work at the moment. Imagine the scene; A very clever, bright, confident, knowledgeable and talented person is given a position of huge responsibility at the relatively young age of 32. This person is put in charge of a large group of professionals, most of who have been working together for a very long time, many of whom have an over inflated opinion of their own abilities, none of whom have a fraction of the new managers talent, but are resentful and are so envious they rally together to make life very difficult for the young high flyer. These 'professionals' scheme and plot, they behave in a belligerent manner and do their very best to make the new manager feel wretched. Each one is suffering from an acute dose of envy and collectively they are a powerful harmful force.

As I leave the office each evening, sometimes quite late, the new manager is still working away at her desk creating innovative ways of working, producing work that is exciting and meaningful - both in an attempt to make a difference and to impress the unimpressable. I admire her tenacity but worry it is only a matter of time before she throws in the towel and takes her talent and ideas somewhere else and she is replaced by someone who is bland and non threatening, someone that the envious plebs will take to their bosom and manipulate and feel superior too and their envy will hibernate until someone else with a special 'spark' comes along and awakens it.

If I see a beautiful man or woman I take pleasure in admiring their beauty. If a friend has good fortune I rejoice for them. I would feel disgusted with myself if for one minute I was anything other than admiring or, maybe sometimes, only slightly wistful. But as I said envious - I hope - never.



So whats the difference with feeling envious and being jealous I hear you ask? Jealousy is a ugly emotion, equally vile and abhorrent. Yet you admit to having indulged in that on occasion! Doesn't that make you a bad person? Weak? As despicable as the Envy Churners?

Well...no.

and here's why:

Wiki -

Jealousy is an emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, such as a relationship, friendship, or love. Jealousy often consists of a combination of emotions such as anger, sadness, and disgust. It is not to be confused with envy.

Jealousy is a familiar experience in human relationships. It has been observed in infants five months and older. Some claim that jealousy is seen in every culture; however, others claim jealousy is a culture-specific phenomenon.

Jealousy as an emotion or the impact of jealousy has been a theme of many novels, songs, poems, films and other artistic works. It has also been a topic of interest for scientists, artists, and theologians. Psychologists have proposed several models of the processes underlying jealousy and have identified factors that result in jealousy. Sociologists have demonstrated that cultural beliefs and values play an important role in determining what triggers jealousy and what constitutes socially acceptable expressions of jealousy. Biologists have identified factors that may unconsciously influence the expression of jealousy. Artists have explored the theme of jealousy in photographs, paintings, movies, songs, plays, poems, and books. Theologians have offered religious views of jealousy based on the scriptures of their respective faiths.

So jealousy has inspired people to be creative (as well as destructive I know, but those who go to extremes are fuelled by some combination of emotions and feelings of which jealousy is only one element) and, more importantly, the only person to usually suffer from jealousy is the person feeling it, unlike envy which sends out malevolent waves to others. Jealousy is a destructive emotion certainly but it stems from fear. Left unchecked this fear can manifest itself as jealousy and, unless it results in a crime of passion (note it isn't known as a 'crime of jealousy' - there must be a reason for that), it is pretty much self contained. I suppose I must acknowledge at this point that it has been observed by Bertrand Russell and others that envy can also act as an inspiration and drive people to do better. In a 'keep up with the Jones' way? Now there is an expression you don't hear much these days. I wonder why that is?

Envy, on the other hand, is best defined as an emotion that "occurs when a person lacks another's (perceived) superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it."

Envy can also derive from a sense of low self-esteem that results from an upward social comparison threatening a person's self image: another person has something that the envier considers to be important to have. If the other person is perceived to be similar to the envier, the aroused envy will be particularly intense, because it signals to the envier that it just as well could have been he or she who had the desired object.

Bertrand Russell said envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness (what did I say about my envy enveloped relative?). It is a universal and most unfortunate aspect of human nature because not only is the envious person rendered unhappy by his envy, but also wishes to inflict misfortune on others. UGH!

OK kids, hereth endth the lesson on the first deadly sin. Jealousy not good. Envy BAD. Try not to indulge in the first and do not do the latter.

Final Word goes to Milan Kundera;

'Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace'

Woof Woof

Is You Is Or Is You Ain't?

Five Guys Named Moe

The Stratford Royal Theatre in the East End is a little gem. It has a nice bar in which you can enjoy jerk chicken and listen to a live band, comedy, or a DJ. Drinks are reasonably priced and the food isn't bad. Last night I had a wonderful time watching 'Five Guys Named Moe' which is a real treat from beginning to end. The Six Guys (including Clarke Peters who plays Nomax) are all very good and the audience absolutely loved them. There was a real party atmosphere mainly because of the foot tapping music of Louis Jordan. I didn't want it to end.


Wiki:

Five Guys Named Moe is a musical with a book by Clarke Peters and lyrics and music by Louis Jordan and others. The musical originated in the UK in 1990 at Theatre Royal Stratford East, running for over four years in the West End, and then premiering on Broadway in 1992. It was revived in 2010 at Edinburgh Festival, starring Peters himself, and has returned this year to the theatre in which it originally premiered. The musical won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment. Nomax, whose girlfriend has left him and who is without money, finds Big Moe, Four-Eyed Moe, Eat Moe, No Moe, and Little Moe emerging from his 1930s-style radio to comfort him. They sing the hit songs of songwriter and saxophonist Louis Jordan, whose new slant on jazz paved the way for rock and roll in the 1950s.

Clarke Peters, who has been described as the 'coolest man on earth', is a follower of Brahma Kumaris. No wonder he is so chilled.