The Reflection Cafe

A PLATFORM FOR THOUGHT AND HUMANITY "In generosity and helping others, be like a river. In compassion and grace, be like the sun. In concealing other's faults, be like the night. In anger and fury, be like dead. In modesty and humility, be like the earth. In tolerance, be like the sea. Either appear as you are, or be as you appear" (Mevlana Rumi) "Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the life-long attempt to acquire it" (Albert Einstein) (Contact Address: reflectioncafe@gmail.com)

Monday, May 28, 2007

'O heart, what a wonderful bird you are'

Gone to the Unseen

At last you have departed and gone to the Unseen.

What marvelous route did you take from this world?

Beating your wings and feathers,

you broke free from this cage.

Rising up to the sky

you attained the world of the soul.

You were a prized falcon trapped by an Old Woman.

Then you heard the drummer's call

and flew beyond space and time.

As a lovesick nightingale, you flew among the owls.

Then came the scent of the rosegarden

and you flew off to meet the Rose.

The wine of this fleeting world

caused your head to ache.

Finally you joined the tavern of Eternity.

Like an arrow, you sped from the bow

and went straight for the bull's eye of bliss.

This phantom world gave you false signs

But you turned from the illusion

and journeyed to the land of truth.

You are now the Sun -

what need have you for a crown?

You have vanished from this world -

what need have you to tie your robe?

I've heard that you can barely see your soul.

But why look at all? -

yours is now the Soul of Souls!

O heart, what a wonderful bird you are.

Seeking divine heights,

Flapping your wings,

you smashed the pointed spears of your enemy.

The flowers flee from Autumn, but not you -

You are the fearless rose

that grows amidst the freezing wind.

Pouring down like the rain of heaven

you fell upon the rooftop of this world.

Then you ran in every direction

and escaped through the drain spout . . .

Now the words are over

and the pain they bring is gone.

Now you have gone to rest

in the arms of the Beloved.

Mevlana Rumi

"Rumi - In the Arms of the Beloved",

Jonathan Star, New York 1997

Picture: dpchallenge.com

Poem: armory.com

Friday, May 25, 2007

Identity and Change in the Network Society

This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation With History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is Manuel Castells, who is Professor of Sociology and Professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of California at Berkeley.

A social theorist, Professor Castells has won the C. Wright Mills Award, and he has received the Robert and Helen Lynd Award from the American Sociological Association for his lifelong contribution to the field of community and urban sociology. Professor Castells has published twenty books and over one hundred articles in academic journals, and co-authored or edited fifteen books. His works are international, comparative, and have been translated into many languages.

His publications include a three-volume trilogy on the Information Age: Volume I: The Rise of the Network Society; Volume II: The Power of Identity, and Volume III: End of Millennium. Anthony Giddens, Director of the London School of Economics, wrote in a review of the trilogy, "It would not be fanciful to compare the work to Max Weber's Economy in Society." And G.P. Zachary, writing in the Wall Street Journal, wrote, "Adam Smith explained how capitalism worked and Karl Marx explained why it didn't. Now the social and economic relations of the Information Age have been captured by Manual Castells." His new book, Reflections on the Internet: Business and Society, will be published by Oxford University Press in 2001.

Background ... influence of parents ... growing up in fascist Spain ... questioning authority ... flight to Paris ... education ... attraction to sociology

Focus of Research ... first teaching position at Nanterre ... 1968 Movement in Paris ... the impact of the sixties ... cultural changes ... the importance of identity

Doing Social Theory ... theory ... empirical research ... social theory ... influences ... comparative and global perspective

The Network Society and Organizational Change ... definition and dialectic ... implications for global economy ... implications for the state ... case of European Union ... The Fed as an actor ... implications for warfare ... technology and bureaucracies

Identity in the Network Society ... the reassertion of identity ... power to exclude ... .digital divide ... case of the anti-globalization movement ... the power of mind ... the women's movement ... battle over images and ideas

Conclusions ... individualism and communalism ... advice for students

Watch Video

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people/Castells/castells-con0.html

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Lovely Faces, Beautiful Smiles (I)

CLICK ON THE PICS FOR LARGER SIZE

Şirinleri daha büyük görmek için resimlere tıklayınız.

Credits

http://flickr.com/photos/brandi_22/245827245/
http://dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=437407

http://flickr.com/photos/elifayse/87563891/

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

What Is This I Believe?

National Public Radio

What Is This I Believe?

This I Believe is a national media project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values and beliefs that guide their daily lives. NPR airs these three-minute essays on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

Read/Listen Essays

Being Content with Myself
May 7, 2007 · Massachusetts teenager Kamaal Majeed believes that being content with himself and defining his own life are more important than aligning with any racial stereotypes that his peers may try to force upon him.

An Ideal of Service to Our Fellow Man
April 30, 2007 · From 1954, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein finds beauty in life's mysteries, and says the fate of mankind depends on individuals choosing public service over private gain. NPR's Robert Krulwich reads the scientist's essay.

As I Grow Old
April 23, 2007 · David Greenberger has made a career of talking with old people and sharing their stories in books, magazines and CDs. He believes the elderly friends he's made over time are teaching him how to grow old.

That Golden Rule Thing
April 16, 2007 · Craigslist founder Craig Newmark turned an online forum of ads and discussion boards into a virtual community. He believes its citizens are trustworthy and usually abide by "that Golden Rule thing."

The Deeper Well of Memory
April 9, 2007 · Watching her mother battle Alzheimer's, Christine Cleary feared she might one day forget things she holds dear, including her own late husband. Now Cleary believes memory is more about heart than mind.

To Thine Own Self Be True
April 2, 2007 · On his deathbed, Judith Jamison's father told her to "be good." The acclaimed dancer and choreographer believes upholding her father's dying wish means she must be open, honest and true to herself.

My Personal Leap of Faith
March 26, 2007 · As an engineer, Bill Nunan thought the laws of nature govern the universe. But his faith told him God was in control. Now Nunan believes there is a place for both God and science in his spiritual life.

The Person I'm Supposed to Be
March 19, 2007 · For nearly 20 years, software developer Andy Blowers has battled depression. He now believes depression is encouraging him to shed his weaknesses and become the person he is supposed to be.

The Guts to Keep Going
March 12, 2007 · Amy Lyles Wilson helped her newly widowed mother adjust to life alone, teaching her how to do things her father had always done. It inspired Wilson's belief in "gutsy, wrinkled broads" who have the courage to carry on.

A Potential for Brutality
March 5, 2007 · Growing up in China near the end of the Cultural Revolution, Yinong Young-Xu witnessed cruelty and violence. Now in the U.S., he believes he must avoid exercising the brutality he learned as a child.

Creating Our Own Happiness
February 26, 2007 · Wayne Coyne is singer and guitarist for The Flaming Lips, an indie-rock band he founded. Coyne believes happiness isn't a cosmic coincidence, but something we have the power to make within ourselves.

Sweet Friday
February 19, 2007 · Lena Winkler is juggling five kids, medical school and a pending divorce. She believes keeping a tradition she learned in Eastern Europe can help her and her family through these challenging times.

There Is No Blame; There Is Only Love
February 12, 2007 · When Ann Karasinski discovered her daughter was a heroin addict, she struggled to understand how it happened. Instead of answers, Karasinski found a belief that helps her continue to love her daughter.

A Way to Honor Life
February 5, 2007 · Nurse Cortney Davis frequently encounters grief. For years, she sought to counter it with cheer and consolation, but now she believes grief is to be embraced as a way of honoring of the fragility of life.

Listening Shows Me the Way
January 29, 2007 · Wade Rathke's life is centered on taking action: organizing people into unions and advocacy groups. But he believes that one of his most valuable skills is decidedly less action-oriented: listening.

More Essays

Top 25 Essays

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Home Page

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138

http://thisibelieve.org/index.php