“The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be.” – Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 8 Dec 1954)
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Thought For the Day: The Real Index of Civilization Is When People Are Kinder Than They Need To Be
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Tagged Civilization, Index, Kind, Louis de Bernieres, Need, People, Real, Thought For the Day
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Like A Dickens Ghost
Like A Dickens Ghost
by Michael Doyle
A distant streetlight offers illumination
A secret peek inside a dreamer's imagination
Suddenly, the curtain is pulled aside
And you can see inside where the demons hide
Funny as it is as to what each day brings
As we chase pipers piping about golden rings
Life comes at us in 3D and highly interactive
While we do our best to keep our hearts attractive
Doing our best to keep things a touch of real
Knowing that each moment has its own feel
It seems that elves fight a little dirty
Even when mischievously being flirty
Angels don't fall from Heaven without a price
And you can't count on anyone to always play nice
All those figures of speech aren't always heaven-sent
Sometimes it comes down to the spiced intent
Tragic destinations magically crawl in late
But some things are meant and worth the wait
Hiding from the sting of the gifts of Christmases past
The whispers of Dickens carry the tune at last
Calling birds seem to have and ring up your number
As the tiredness presses you into your slumbers
You need to be more the fighter and less the lover
When nothing in life spins into play to cover
The mistakes made along the way as you keep on living
Taking the good and bad of those days life is giving
It sometimes seems you have done all you know to do
And still, you need more hours in a day that offers too few
Isn't it funny how we lose ourselves on the way?
We think we're wise but seldom have anything to say
It's best to know that we're all in this together
Leaving it to the Christmas spirit to make life better
(c) December 8, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged 3d, Angels, Curtain, Demons, Dickens, Dirty, Elves, Feel, Figures of Speech, Flirty, Ghost, Golden Rings, Heart, Heaven, Heaven Sent, Illumination, Intent, Interactive, Mischievious, Pipers, Play Nice, Poetry and Poems, Price, Real, Street Light
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First Principles: The Public Cannot Be Too Curious Concerning the Characters of Public Men
“The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men.” -Samuel Adams (1775)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Cannot, Character, Concern, Curious, First Principles, Public, Public Men, Samuel Adams
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Thought For the Day: Even In the Most Beautiful Music, There Are Some Silences, Where Are There So We Can Witness the Importance of Silence
“Even in the most beautiful music, there are some silences, which are there so we can witness the importance of silence. Silence is more important than ever, as life today is full of noise. We speak a lot about environmental pollution but not enough about noise pollution.” – Andrea Bocelli
Happy Chanukah 2023!!
This year with the surge of antisemitism, it is especially important that we Christians stand by the Jewish believers too! We must not let hate and intolerance prevail EVER!
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Tagged 2023, Antisimiticism, Christians, Happy Chanukah, Hate, Intolerance, Jewish Believers, Stand By, Surge, This Year, Thought For the Day
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Chanukah and Antisemitism
In solidarity with the Jewish people around the globe on this first night of Chanukah!
Chanukah and Antisemitism
by Michael Doyle
In what should be a quiet season filled with optimism
It is hard to feel life without a bit of pessimism
Still, menorah lights shine hope into a hopeless night
In a #MeToo moment that is a hate-filled sight
An oppressed people's plight is twisted and manipulated
By cowards pretending bravery against those similarly fated
Two peoples need to somehow learn to coexist and survive
And a bedeviled resistance that lets neither stay alive
With all this joy and sorrow, is life lived despite grief
In a world filled with a dull coldness, survivors seek relief
It's the story of perseverance in the face of unspeakable hate
A rededication of the temple must be had before it is too late
We know that as we join hand in hand, standing as friends
That the forces of intolerance will come to their just end
Even as we see the beasts of Satan follow their baser urges
We hold this hatred back through brotherhood as it surges
The menorahs will continue their visibility in prominent places
As the first night of the Festival of Lights leaves its traces
While the rabbis know it's hard to demonstrate pride in Judaism
In this hate-filled world that is caught up in antisemitism
Here on the first night of Chanukah, the conflict will stay
The light of the shamash signifies the will forward today
And must be lit with courage and belief in the divine light
This reminder of the Jewish obligation begins this night
The miracle of oil burning must flow shining and fully visible
Knowing that the peoples of faith will stand indivisible
Side by side in this celebration of freedom and sanctuary
This symbol of light is God's presence given in His dignity
We stand united as one guardian of the world and universe
To shield and comfort the oppressed from a hatred so perverse
Like the burning bush that speaks the truth that all must hear
We must stand firm, lighting each candle, and quench out fear
(c)December 7, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged #MeToo, Antistemitism, Base Urges, Beasts of Satan, Bediviled Resistance, Belief, Brave, Brotherhood, Burning Bush, Celebration, Chanukah, Coexist, Conflict, Courage, Cowards, Dignity, Divine Light, Dull Coldness, Elie Wisel, Encourage, Fate, Fear, Festival of Lights, Forces of Intolerance, Freedom, Friends, God's Presence, Grief, Hand In Hand, Hate-Filled, Heaer, Hopeless, Indivisible, Jewish Obligation, Jewish People, Joy and Sorrow, Judaism, Just End, Late, Light, Light Each Candle, Manipulated, Miracle, Monrah, Neutrality, Oil Burning, Oppressed, Oppressed People, Oppressor, Optimism, Peoples of Faith, Persevereance, Perverse, Pessimism, Plight, Poetry and Poems, Pride, Prominent, Quench, Rabbi, Rededication, Relief, Sanctuary, Season, Shamash, Shield and Comfort, Side By Side, Sihine, Silence, Solidarity, Speak, Stand Firm, Stand United, Stay Alive, Survive, Survivors, Take Side, Temple, Tormented, Tormentor, Trace, Truth, Unspeakable Hate, Victim, Visibility, World and Universe
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Strategic Calculation
In remembrance of December 7, 1941:
Strategic Calculation
by Michael Doyle
It was a risk based on a strategic calculation
That brought the Japanese to their evaluation
December 7, 1941, will live on in its infamy
Taking its place within our nation's memory
It was a stumbled moment of American military negligence
Not a fabled moment created by blind Japanese arrogance
The ambitious slender logic was not folly or mad
However much it has left both nations worried and sad
As we look back from each nation's historical perspective
Though we have long since joined hands and are reflective
Of the lessons that we might learn from that tragic day
Each side has its what if it had turned out another way
Each year, as the clock ticks toward this day, it is said
That the Japanese opinion makers prepare with ominous dread
Pearl Harbor's sting must neither be something forgotten
Or allowed to become something that festers until rotten
Neither wrath nor malice are the truest of American ways
Instead, we are to learn from the past and seek better days
Our historical yardstick once had a great deal less accuracy
Perhaps allow this to become the lesson for our nation's memory
From this lesson comes the knowledge of the need for preparation
And in preparing a stronger nation that is not in isolation
We find ourselves friendly to all, but if need be, ready to fight
This kept as our memory of Pearl Harbor might be about right
(c) December 7, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Accuracy, Allow, American, American Ways, Better Days, Clock, December 7 1941, Evaluation, Fabled Moment, Fester, Folly, Forgotten, Friendly Toward All, Historic Perspective, Infamy, Isolation, Japanese, Just About Right, Learn, Lessons, Mad, Malice, Military Negligence, Nation's Memory, Ominous Dread, Poetry and Poems, Preparation, Ready for Fight, Reflective, Rotten, Slender Logic, Sting, Strategic Calculation, Stronger, Tragic Day, Wrath, Yardstick
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Thought For the Day: If We Don’t Believe In Freedom of Expression For People We Despise, We Don’t Believe In It At All
“If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.” – Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (b. 7 Dec 1928)
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Tagged Believe, Despise, Don't Believe, Expression, Freedom, Noam Chomsky, People, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: The Great Principles of Right and Wrong Are Legible To Every Reader; To Pursue Them Requires Not the Aid of Many Counselors
“The great principles of right and wrong are legible to every reader; to pursue them requires not the aid of many counselors.” – Thomas Jefferson (1775)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Aid, Every Reader, First Principles, Great Pinrciples, Legible, Many Counselors, Pursue, Require, Right and Wrong, Thomas Jeferrson
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Happy St. Nicholas Day 2023!!
The spirit of this day is a celebration of generosity and a very historical person. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a 4th century Greek bishop who also served the church in Finland. While he is the basis of Santa Claus, he was also very involved in church, theological disputes, and the rescue of children from being sold into slavery by impoverished parents who felt they had little to no other choice. As such, if I were to be a Catholic or Orthodox Christian, there is no doubt that he and St. Francis of Assisi would be my patron saints.
But of all the moments in his life that stand out to me, it makes me smile most in a very not so Christian moment in his life. In confronting a lying Gnostic at the Council of Nicaea, in 325, it is said he broke the nose of a particular Gnostic leader who tried to defame the divinity of Christ and otherwise insert errant doctrines into the statement of faith by point of force. I find that very relatable in my own imperfections. And honestly, it rings true that I would likely do this, too. The body of that Gnostic leader is said to have been exhumed and he did indeed have a broken nose.
Other stories about the real St. Nicholas have to do with his providing dowries so that young girls might get married (a common practice of that time) and bringing back at least three children from the dead. It is said that he originally used a mule to deliver presents to local orphanages. When he was transferred to Finland, reindeer were more useful in delivering such gifts. This became entwined with the legends of Santa Claus using reindeer to similarly deliver gifts.
Whatever the case, Nicholas died on December 6 in 343. Today, we remember his death with St. Nicholas Day. We at Aloha Promises Forever wish you and each of you and yours the very best of Happy St. Nicholas Days!
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Tagged 2023, 4th Century, Children, Christ, Church, Defame, Divinity, Dowries, Errant Doctrines, Finalnd, Generosity, Gnosticism, Greek Bishop, Happy St Nicholas Day!, Historical, Impoverished Persons, Mule, Myra, Orhphanage, Reindeer, Rescue, Santa Claus, Slavery, Spirit, Theological Disputes, Thought of the Day
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