Daily Thoughts & Issues

IN THIS ISSUE:

JULY 14

Days left until the next millennium 01.01.3001

Photo of the Week
Brad Lewis/Tony Stone Images
Achieve Your Dreams

July 14 - Independence Day - Bastille Day - France commemorating the beginning of the French Revolution (1789) * Feast of Father Sky - dedicated to God as Obatala (Yoruba), Inkosi Yezulu (Zulu), Ouranos (Old Greek), Svarog (Old Slavic), Wakea (Hawaiian), Dyaus (Hindu), An (Old Sumerian) & El (Old Canaanite-Hebrew). The Mystic's Wheel of the Year * The 52nd All-Star Game is postponed (1981) due to the baseball players' strike. It is finally played on August 9. * Birmingham (England) Riot (1791) following a dinner celebrating the second anniversary of the fall of the Bastille, an angry mod rioted, the main target of their wrath was the home of scientist (discoverer of oxygen) Joseph Priestley, who was unpopular because of his religious views and his approval of the American and French revolutionary causes. It lasted three days. * Birthdays: Woodrow Wilson (Woody) Guthrie, Douglas Edwards, Gerald Rudolph Ford (Leslie King), Matthew Fox, Roosevelt (Rosey) Grier, Steven Michael (Steve) Stone, John Chancellor, Isaac B. Singer, Ken Murray, Del Angrea Sarto, Ingmar Bergman, Joel Silver, Harry Dean Stanton, Robin Ventura.

DAILY THOUGHTS

 U.S. Supreme Court bans racial segregation in restaurants in Washington DC - 1953. African American History

It is a universal phenomenon that male sexual function ebbs with age. But does this mean a man should expect decline as a natural insult brought on by age?  No. In a man without major physical problems there is enough of a threshold of male sex hormone to allow him to have satisfactory functioning well into his seventies, and for some men, well beyond. New Passages

When he's on top of me, I like for him to hold me down by my wrists - Cynthia, 28. The best times are always the ones when she initiates it - Stephen, 28. Best of 1001 Sex Secrets Every Man & Woman Should Know

The soulful approach to community is not concerned primarily with literally gathering people together, but with fostering conviviality. Conviviality is not the heavy onus of taking responsibility for the rest of the world, but rather the pleasure of living within a web of relationships. Soul Mates

On these hot, hazy, humid and sometimes horrible days of summer, dress children in light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and don't forget to provide lots of liquids to drink. Dr. Buff's 365 Day Parenting Calendar

There is a traditional concept that friendship should be a conflict-free relationship, a "you scratch me back, I'll scratch yours" arrangement, relying solely on a mutual exchange of favors and compliments as prescribed by good manners. Such relationships are superficial and intimacy-avoiding and do not deserve the name of friendship which is so commonly applied to them. The Road Less Traveled

Talent develops in quiet, alone; character is sharpened in the torrent of the world. - Goethe. Achieve Your Dreams

In 1968, the gay comedy Boys in the Band opened off-Broadway in New York City. It continued for 1,000 performances. Gay & Lesbian Calendar

Things to Be Happy About:  Nordic twilight. Sailboats headed out. Long-remembered parties. 14,000 Things to Be Happy About

You'll never catch a frog if you're worried about getting your shorts wet.  Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me

A person with humility has a confident yet modest sense of his or her own merits, but also an understanding of his or her limitations. The moment you think you have seen everything or know it all, the universe senses arrogance and gives you a great big dose of humility. You must give up on the idea that you can ever become so enlightened that you have nothing left to learn.  If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

Easy-Freeze Breast Milk. Every method I used to freeze breast milk was messy, space-consuming, or hard to measure and thaw. Then I heard about the perfect solution: ice-cube trays. Each "milk-cube" holds one ounce. I place the cubes in plastic bags, which I date weekly. They defrost easily in a measuring cup and pour nearly into a bottle. Parents Tips & Tricks

Love is something you do - the giving of self, the sacrifices you make - even for people who offend or do not love in return. Love is a value that is actualized through loving actions.  Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Hanging on to other people's expectations is a surefire way to complicate your life. Letting go of them, and establishing your own priorities, will greatly simplify it. Simplify Your Life

Make life's major decisions with care. The choice of a spouse, job or living environment, for example, can cause great distress if rushed into without adequate consideration ahead of time.  Stress Busters

Count cars to win this game. Before traveling, each player picks a color and then counts the cars that she or he sees in that color. Whoever gets to 20 first wins. Then pick new colors and play again. To Do Today

One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man. - Elbert Hubbard.  Win the Day!

Diez (DYEHS) Ten. Mi programa favorito empieza a las diez. My favorite show starts at ten. Living Language

 

TODAY'S ISSUE: CACTUS WISDOM

The cactus of the high desert is a small, grubby, obscure and humble vegetable. Yet from this nest of thorns, this snare of hooks and fiery spines, is born once each year a splendid flower --- soft, lovely, sweet, desirable, exemplifying better than the rose among thorns the unity of opposites - Edward Abbey.

Every plant has its own wisdom and hence something to teach men. The giant saguaro cacti, stately creatures of the Southwestern desert, are instructive. They stand firm, a quality that is important for men to embody. They also teach us how to set boundaries and keep out unwelcome energies and influences. Some people invade boundaries and need to be held off. Their energy can drain us, leaving us exhausted. When such a person comes toward us, it is good to have internalized the strength and resolve of the cactus, which learns to survive in a difficult environment without losing dignity. The saguaro also teaches us to reach high. Its flowers and fruits can be quite beautiful, shining in the desert.

We humans are quite diverse; we can move from being cactus like, keeping things out, to being sponge like, and absorbing. We have many potentialities within us. Learning the properties of various plants and animals and knowing when to assume them can be valuable. At times we need to be pointed, a task with which the cactus can assist us. The wisdom of the cactus is considerable and unique. Knowledge of the natural external world can enrich our natural internal world. A Quiet Strength: Meditations on the Masculine Soul

Tomorrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Oh, how we underestimate our own wisdom. Then that stranger comes by and reminds us of what we know all along but temporarily forgot because, of course, short-term memory loss is an unavoidable part of living. Of course we understand those new memo-routing procedures at work. We understand the president's new economic plan. We knew you're not supposed to put aluminum foil in the microwave. Deep down, we know. We know that we know, even though we forgot. That tax advice our friend gas us, you know, that bit about mailing your return before April 15?  We knew that. That suggestion Dad gave us about approaching the boss with a smile and a handshake instead of an automatic weapon?  We knew that. The stuff that professor at Joe's party was saying about quantum physics and its relationship to time and matter in a spatial universe?  We knew that, too. We just need a little memory jog now and again. Buried deep in my subconscious lie the answers to life's greater questions. Anybody got a shovel? Meditations for Men Who Do Next to Nothing: and would like to do even less

Hey Man: Did you make a difference yesterday? Let us know at Contact Us. Keep learning. It's never too late to go back to school and learn something new. What Every Man Needs to Know Want to make a difference but you don't know where to start?

BOOK OF THE WEEK

 

Social Work Practice with Men at Risk by Rich Putnam. Treating men as a culturally distinct group, the author integrates key conceptions of masculinity into culturally sensitive social work practice with men. Focusing on veterans, displaced workers, substance abusers, mental health consumers, and other groups that might be unlikely to seek help, he deftly explores the psychosocial development of men, along with the globalization of men's lives, alternative conceptions of masculinity, and special dynamics within male relationships. He bolsters his conclusions with case studies and evidence-based interventions. His cutting-edge research merges four key social work theories and explores how they inform practice with mental health issues, compulsive disorders, addition and violence. By promoting gender equity and culturally competent practice with men, he bridges the gap between clinical and macro practice. The book is a crucial text for educators and practitioners hoping to pursue effective, far-reaching interventions. Columbia University Press, 2010, www.cup.columbia.edu, ISBN 9 780231 143813

SPECIAL URLs

 

MENSTUFF COLUMNS BY AUTHOR

  • The Advice Diva - The Advice Diva - relationship and sexuality issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/advicediva/archive.html
  • Peter Alsop - Song of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/alsop/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - A Man Overboard - Interview of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/overboard/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - Poetry - poetry read on YouTube - www.menstuff.org/columns/baer/archive.html
  • Molly Barrow - Shrink About This - www.menstuff.org/columns/barrow/archive.html
  • Peter Baylies - At Home Dads - on at-home-dad issues that impact fathers who stay at home to raise their kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/baylies/archive.html
  • Tom Blake - Middle-Age Relationships - from an expert on dating after 50. www.menstuff.org/columns/blake/archive.html
  • Mark Brandenburg - Great Fathers - on fathering issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/greatfathers/archive.html
  • Ted Braude - BoysWork - a columnist in the The Detroit Free Press "Body and Mind" section www.menstuff.org/columns/braude/archive.html
  • Armin Brott - A Father's Guide - hosts "Positive Parenting" on radio www.menstuff.org/columns/brott/archive.html
  • Dan Bulf - Get Real - weekly pod cast on men's issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/bulf/archive.html
  • Ken Byers - Transition - on men's life transitions - www.menstuff.org/columns/byers/archive.html
  • Sandra L. Caron - Sex Talk - college students get answers to their questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/sextalk/archive.html
  • Neil Chethik - Relationships - www.menstuff.org/columns/chethik/archive.html
  • Otto & Susie Collins - Susie and Otto - relationship issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/susie&otto/archive.html
  • David Copeland - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Forrest Craver - Spirituality & Social Change - www.menstuff.org/columns/craver/archive.html
  • Layne & Paul Cutright - Powerful Partnerships - relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/cutright/archive.html
  • Ron DesMarais - Cavemen in the Kitchen - great recipes for men - www.menstuff.org/columns/desmarais/archive.html
  • Jed Diamond - Irritable Male Syndrome - www.menstuff.org/columns/diamond/archive.html
  • Doc Love - Women Don't Lie, Man Don't Listen - answers to relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/doclov/archive.html
  • Barry Durdant-Hollamby - Creating Change - creating change in your life - www.menstuff.org/columns/durdant/archive.html
  • Irv Engel - The Real Deal - www.menstuff.org/columns/engel/archive.html
  • Nancy Fagan - Expert Dating Advice - with Nancy Fagan - www.menstuf.org/columns/fagan/archive.html
  • Warren Farrell - Men's Issues: Facts and Perspectives www.menstuff.org/columns/farrell/archive.html
  • Leonard Felder - Wake Up or Break Up - www.menstuff.org/columns/felder/archive.html
  • Marty Friedman - Strong Men, Strong Marriage - www.menstuff.org/columns/friedman/archive.html
  • Kim Garretson - Mansgland - using humor to encourage prostate exams - www.menstuff.org/columns/mansgland/archive.html
  • Lion Goodman - How to get Women to Love You - www.menstuff.org/columns/goodman/archive.html
  • Liz Halliday - In a Man's World - www.menstuff.org/columns/halliday/archive.html
  • Rick Hanson - Your Wise Brain - www.menstuff.org/columns/hanson/archive.html
  • Tim Hartnett - Daddyman Speaks - being a father www.menstuff.org/columns/daddyman/archive.html
  • John Hershey - Blood, Phlegm & Bile: Parenting with Humor - He writes a syndicated biweekly humor column about parenting and family life. www.menstuff.org/columns/hershey/archive.html
  • Gary Hoeber - Psychotherapy as Soul Work, www.menstuff.org/columns/hoeber/archive.html
  • Patrick Houser - Fathers Make a World of Difference, www.menstuff.org/columns/houser/archive.html
  • Paul Joannides - The Guide to Getting It On - on sex - www.menstuff.org/columns/getiton/archive.html
  • Jack Kahn - NOMAS Boston - www.menstuff.org/columns/kahn/archive.html
  • Patrick Kennedy - Seniors - www.menstuff.org/columns/kennedy/archive.html
  • Joe Kort - Gaydar - to increase understanding between gay and het men - www.menstuff.org/columns/kort/archive.html
  • David Kundtz - David Kundtz - presents seminars, workshops, retreats, and conference presentations in the areas of men's emotional health, stress management, and spirituality. www.menstuff.org/columns/kundtz/archive.html
  • Bruce Linton - Dr. Dad - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/drdad/archive.html
  • Ron Louis - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Tom Matlack - Tom Matlack - Good Men Project - www.menstuff.org/columns/matlack/archive.html
  • Wendy McElroy - Wendy McElroy on Feminism, www.menstuff.org/columns/mcelroy/archive.html
  • Robert N. Minor - Minor Details - on GBT sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/minordetails/archive.html
  • Robert L. Moore - Man & Mythology - www.menstuff.org/columns/moore/archive.html
  • Dennis W. Neder - Being a Man - general questions about men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/neder/archive.html
  • Marty Nemko - Worklife - general questions about men and work - www.menstuff.org/columns/nemko/archive.html
  • Eli Newberger - Eli Newberger - general information on men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/newberger/archive.html
  • Linda Nielsen - Embracing the Father - working with the father/daughter relationship. www.menstuff.org/columns/nielsen/archive.html
  • Kathy Noll - Bullies and Youth Violence - working with schools, teachers and parents to end school violence - www.menstuff.org/columns/noll/archive.html
  • Mark Phillips - Stay-at-Home-Dads - helping men maintain that which makes us men, instead of becoming hairy Mom-substitutes - www.menstuff.org/columns/phillips/archive.html
  • Carey Roberts - Socialism & Feminism - is a social commentator on political correctness. www.menstuff.org/columns/roberts/archive.html
  • Perry Rose - Dating, Relationship, Sex
  • Glenn Sacks - His Side - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/sacks/archive.html
  • Trudy Schuett - Domestic Violence - serving the under-represented www.menstuff.org/columns/schuett/archive.html
  • Carl J. Schutt - Circumcision - social commentator on circumcision - www.menstuff.org/columns/schutt/archive.html
  • Hugo Schwyzer - A Pro-feminist's Response - www.menstuff.org/columns/schwyzer/archive.html
  • Michael Shaffran - Men's Issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/shaffran/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • George Simons - Bellicose Veins - is a US specialist in intercultural and gender communication who hangs out in Mandelieu - la Napoule, France, as well as in Santa Cruz, CA. www.menstuff.org/columns/simons/archive.html
  • Andy Smith - Hard Hat Brotherhood - www.menstuff.org/columns/hardhat/archive.html
  • David B. Smith - Fighting Father Dave - www.menstuff.org/columns/smith/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • Reena Sommer - Custody - is an internationally recognized relationship and divorce consultant. www.menstuff.org/columns/sommer/archive.html
  • R. Don Steele - Don Steele - relationship questions answered -
    www.menstuff.org/columns/steele/archive.html
  • David Steinberg - Comes Naturally - on sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/steinberg/archive.html
  • Mary Lou St Lucas - A Mother's Love - www.menstuf.org/columns/stlucas/archive.html
  • Surprise - Surprise Author - From a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Steven Svoboda - Fatherhood, Activism and the Law www.menstuff.org/columns/svoboda/archive.html
  • Michael Taylor - A New Conversation with Men - www.menstuff.org/columns/taylor/archive.html
  • Bruce Van Horn - Yoga for Men - issues around the health benefits of yoga for men - www.menstuff.org/yoga/archive.html
  • Michael Webb - Secrets of Blissful Relationships - on relationship - www.menstuff.org/columns/bliss/archive.html
  • Stuart Wilde - Spirituality - www.menstuff.org/columns/wilde/archive.html
  • Dr.Williams - Sex Health - on sexual health - Dr. Williams, www.menstuff.org/columns/sexhealth/archive.html
  • KC Wilson - On Gender Politics is a social commentator and author. www.menstuff.org/columns/wilson/archive.html

Plus

  • Health Tips - on general health - www.menstuff.org/columns/healthtips/archive.html
  • Independent Means - resources for raising financially fit kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/independentmeans/archive.html
  • Numbers - www.menstuff.org/columns/numbers/archive.html
  • Questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/q&a/archive.html
  • Surprise - from a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Words Can Heal - helping children grow up healthy - www.menstuff.org/columns/wordscanheal/archive.html
  • Wuzup?! - National or international events happening this month - www.menstuff.org/columns/whassup/archive.html

AWARENESS EVENTS THIS MONTH

July is Freedom Month. If you enjoy the benefits this country has to offer, you might check out what kind of men it took to found this country. The Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games. Read this! July is Anti-Boredom; National Mobility; Purposeful Parenting: Recreation and Parks; The month of the Muslim new year; Hemochromatosis Screening Awareness; National Foreign Language Month.

June 27 - July 4: Special Recreation Week. June 25-July 1: Deaf-Blindness Awareness Week. June 27 - July 4: Special Recreation Week. Jul 1-8 Music for Life; July 3-Aug 15: Air Conditioning Appreciation Days. Jul 4-10 - Freedom Week. July 8:-14: National Laundry Workers; National Therapeutic Recreation: Take Charge of Change Week. Jul 9-15 - Nude Recreation. July 15-21: *Captive Nations; Legal Revolution; National Plan to Promote Your Business Week. Jul 1 UN Day of Cooperation; International Joke; National Financial Freedom; National Recreation and Parks; National Purposeful Parenting, Jul 2 - I Forgot; Ducktona 500 Day; July 3: Compliment Your Mirror: Stay Out of the Sun Day. Jul 4 - Independence Day (U.S.); American Redneck; Fear from Fear of Speaking ; Independence-from-Meat Day; Sidewalk Egg Frying; Jul 5 - National Family Day, July 7: Father-Daughter Take a Walk Together; International UN Day of Cooperation. July 9: Don't Step on a Bee Day. July 10: Intern Appreciation Day. July 13: Skeptics' Day. July 14: Cow Apprecaition Day. July 15: National Ice Cream; Saint Swithin's Day. July 16: International Town Criers; Naitonal Get Out of the Doghouse Day. July 17: Wrong Way Corrigan Day. Jul 20 - Ugly Truck; Riot Act anniversary. July 21: Rat-Catchers Day. Jul 22 - Ice Cream Cone Day. July 23: Hot Enough For Ya Day. July 24: Cousins; Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day. Jul 27 - *National Korean War Veterans Armistice; Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day. July 29: *Parents' Day. Jul 30 - Father-In-Law Day, National Parent's Day.

* Means a Presidential Proclamation has been made.

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Men are so competitive that we even "out-die" women in all 15 of the major causes of death in the U.S. Most of these deaths are preventable with a positive change in life-style, eating habits, and/or general health care. Let's not strive so hard to hold on to this record. See what you can change now to live a healthier life.
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