quinta-feira, 26 de julho de 2007
DoubleTake TV
Just discovered this site myself and looks to have a lot of promise! It's called DoubleTake TV and it is full of inspirational videos about individual Bahá'ís from around the world who have decided to make a difference in their communities. There are some really nice stories here and hopefully the idea will take off and grow! Check it out!
quinta-feira, 19 de julho de 2007
TAM Flight 3054
I'm sure by now you have heard the sad news about the crash of TAM Flight 3054 at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, with 187 confirmed deaths at this time and 8 still unaccounted for - the worst tragedy in Brazilian aviation history. If not, you can read about it here in English or Portuguese. The Brazilian Bahá'í News Agency (ABEN) forwarded a prayer from 'Abdu'l-Bahá for the consolation of the families of the victims and I thought I would share it here, in both Portuguese and English.
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Ó serva amada de Deus! Embora a perda de um filho seja verdadeiramente de partir o coração e transcenda os limites do que o ser humano pode suportar, ainda assim, a pessoa dotada de conhecimento e compreensão tem o convicção de que o filho não foi perdido, mas ao contrário, passou deste mundo a outro, e ela há de encontrá-lo no reino divino. Essa reunião será por toda o eternidade, enquanto aqui neste mundo a separação é inevitável - e traz consigo uma dor pungente.
Louvado seja Deus por teres fé, estares com a face volvida ao Reino sempiterno e creres na existência de um mundo celestial. Portanto, não fiques desconsolada ou abatida; não suspires, não lamentes nem chores; pois a perturbação e o luto afetam-lhe profundamente a alma no domínio divino.
Esse amado filho, do mundo oculto assim se dirige a ti: ''Ó Mãe bondosa, rende graças à Providência divina por eu haver sido libertado de uma pequena e sombria gaiola e, tal qual as aves dos prados, haver alçado vôo ao mundo divino - um mundo espaçoso, iluminado e perenemente feliz e jubiloso. Por isso, não lamentes, ó Mãe, nem te consternes; não sou dos perdidos, nem fui obliterado ou destruído. Livrei-me da forma mortal e hasteei meu estandarte neste mundo espiritual. A essa separação seguir-se-á eterna comunhão. Tu me encontrarás no céu do Senhor, imerso num oceano de luz''.
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Seleção dos Escritos de 'Abdu'l-Bahá)
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O thou beloved maidservant of God, although the loss of a son is indeed heart-breaking and beyond the limits of human endurance, yet one who knoweth and understandeth is assured that the son hath not been lost but, rather, hath stepped from this world into another, and she will find him in the divine realm. That reunion shall be for eternity, while in this world separation is inevitable and bringeth with it a burning grief.
Praise be unto God that thou hast faith, art turning thy face toward the everlasting Kingdom and believest in the existence of a heavenly world. Therefore be thou not disconsolate, do not languish, do not sigh, neither wail nor weep; for agitation and mourning deeply affect his soul in the divine realm.
That beloved child addresseth thee from the hidden world: 'O thou kind Mother, thank divine Providence that I have been freed from a small and gloomy cage and, like the birds of the meadows, have soared to the divine world--a world which is spacious, illumined, and ever gay and jubilant. Therefore, lament not, O Mother, and be not grieved; I am not of the lost, nor have I been obliterated and destroyed. I have shaken off the mortal form and have raised my banner in this spiritual world. Following this separation is everlasting companionship. Thou shalt find me in the heaven of the Lord, immersed in an ocean of light.'
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá)
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Ó serva amada de Deus! Embora a perda de um filho seja verdadeiramente de partir o coração e transcenda os limites do que o ser humano pode suportar, ainda assim, a pessoa dotada de conhecimento e compreensão tem o convicção de que o filho não foi perdido, mas ao contrário, passou deste mundo a outro, e ela há de encontrá-lo no reino divino. Essa reunião será por toda o eternidade, enquanto aqui neste mundo a separação é inevitável - e traz consigo uma dor pungente.
Louvado seja Deus por teres fé, estares com a face volvida ao Reino sempiterno e creres na existência de um mundo celestial. Portanto, não fiques desconsolada ou abatida; não suspires, não lamentes nem chores; pois a perturbação e o luto afetam-lhe profundamente a alma no domínio divino.
Esse amado filho, do mundo oculto assim se dirige a ti: ''Ó Mãe bondosa, rende graças à Providência divina por eu haver sido libertado de uma pequena e sombria gaiola e, tal qual as aves dos prados, haver alçado vôo ao mundo divino - um mundo espaçoso, iluminado e perenemente feliz e jubiloso. Por isso, não lamentes, ó Mãe, nem te consternes; não sou dos perdidos, nem fui obliterado ou destruído. Livrei-me da forma mortal e hasteei meu estandarte neste mundo espiritual. A essa separação seguir-se-á eterna comunhão. Tu me encontrarás no céu do Senhor, imerso num oceano de luz''.
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Seleção dos Escritos de 'Abdu'l-Bahá)
===
O thou beloved maidservant of God, although the loss of a son is indeed heart-breaking and beyond the limits of human endurance, yet one who knoweth and understandeth is assured that the son hath not been lost but, rather, hath stepped from this world into another, and she will find him in the divine realm. That reunion shall be for eternity, while in this world separation is inevitable and bringeth with it a burning grief.
Praise be unto God that thou hast faith, art turning thy face toward the everlasting Kingdom and believest in the existence of a heavenly world. Therefore be thou not disconsolate, do not languish, do not sigh, neither wail nor weep; for agitation and mourning deeply affect his soul in the divine realm.
That beloved child addresseth thee from the hidden world: 'O thou kind Mother, thank divine Providence that I have been freed from a small and gloomy cage and, like the birds of the meadows, have soared to the divine world--a world which is spacious, illumined, and ever gay and jubilant. Therefore, lament not, O Mother, and be not grieved; I am not of the lost, nor have I been obliterated and destroyed. I have shaken off the mortal form and have raised my banner in this spiritual world. Following this separation is everlasting companionship. Thou shalt find me in the heaven of the Lord, immersed in an ocean of light.'
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá)
quinta-feira, 12 de julho de 2007
Playing in Traffic
It's amazing how things you imagine happening are never how you expect them to be when they actually occur. For example, almost killing a pedestrian with your car is not nearly as fun as you would think it would be. Now, we all have seen these clueless pedestrians around. You know the type. The ones who casually stroll out in traffic, certain that everyone will stop for them, oblivious to various red-colored signaling devices, some with the cryptic text "DON'T WALK", others with that odd hand-shaped hieroglyphic. And don't tell me you've never once, just once, though about punting one of them into the stratosphere with your hood. Be honest. Well, maybe you just haven't seen enough of them. There's an epidemic of them here in Brazil. The only thing we have more of than clueless pedestrians is psycho drivers. Needless to say, it's a very bad combination. But I digress...
Anyway, I waas on the way to work Monday, traveling along in the second lane from the left of a divided six-lane one-way avenue, traffic moving smoothly (a rarity), riding the green wave with no worries, when I happen to notice a car slightly ahead of me in the left-most lane moving much slower than I am. This car had just pulled out of a parking lot and entered traffic when I noticed him begin to honk his horn quite vociferously in a very un-Brazilian-like manner. Ah, yes, one of those clueless pedestrians, determining, in her wisdom, that a green light, just at the moment of arrival of a 45-mph green wave of morning-rush-hour cars, was the perfect time to begin a leisurely stroll across a six-lane boulevard.
As the left-hand-lane car, towards which I rapidly approached in the next lane over, continued to serenade her with his one-note melody, something must have turned over at last in her mind. Something like, "hmm... noise... horn... hmm... car... big road... oh, I'm standing in front of an oncoming car!" So, of course, she looked up, saw the car and quickly ran out of its way. Now, let's look at a little math story problem here. You are in the middle of a lane of traffic which contains oncoming Car A. There are two paths to get out of the way of Car A. Path A is one-half lane wide. Path B is five-and-a-half lanes wide, several of which contain other oncoming cars. Which is the best path to get out of the way of Car A? She chose the other path. So, at this point I am maybe two car lengths from the signal, approaching it at 45 mph with a pedestrian now standing directly in front of me.
OK, new story problem. Path B was clearly the wrong choice. You know that now. You are now in the path of much faster oncoming Car B who has just slammed on his brakes at full speed and is sliding along the pavement directly towards you leaving copious skid marks. Do you chose Path C, back across one-and-a-half-lanes, and risk the slower moving car again, or do you chose Path D, and try your luck again with the remaining four-and-a-half lanes? This one is a trick question. Of course the correct answer is none of the above. What you do is freeze in place and stare directly at the careening out-of-control automobile in an effort to use your telekinetic powers to aid in the braking process, because, of course, this method has been so successfully employed by deer, lo these many years.
So, I'm screeching my tires and sliding towards the frozen pedestrian, when I begin to notice an interesting law of physics come into play, namely that a sliding car (even when not on ice) cannot steer. Of course, since the pedestrian is directly in the middle of the lane and a nearly-stopped car is on the left, there's really nothing to steer towards anyway, unless I can fit my car into a four-foot wide gap. It is a small car, but let's get serious, here. This is going to result in either the death or serious injury of a human being (clueless or not, that's gotta be a bad thing), the destruction of a couple of cars, or more likely, both. But somehow, neither of these things happened. I was within about an inch of hitting the car on the left. The pedestrian was, at the last moment, stepping slightly to the right at an all-to-slow speed. Then, I strangely began a sharp spin to the right as another car, also startled by the sudden need to reduce speed, tagged my bumper. I don't think I ever came to a complete stop but somehow miraculously slid past the pedestrian by millimeters as she actually put her hands against the fender and, with the help of that opportune bump, avoided scraping my way down half the side of the car on the left.
I drove on to the end of the block and pulled off at a gas station where I got out to look at my car, certain there would be dents, scratches, maybe blood, hair, who knows. At these moments, it happens so fast that you're not really sure if you actually hit something or not. The other two drivers, the one I nearly hit and the one who must have also done some seriously fast brake-work to only tap my bumper instead of total both of our cars, came by and each gave a thumbs up and a quick, "nice save." Except for a small mark about a centimeter wide on the bumper there wasn't any damage on my car at all. I have no idea where the pedestrian went. If it were me, I'd have probably been on my way home for a change of shorts and a quick refresher course on solving story problems.
Just another day of driving in Brazil.
Anyway, I waas on the way to work Monday, traveling along in the second lane from the left of a divided six-lane one-way avenue, traffic moving smoothly (a rarity), riding the green wave with no worries, when I happen to notice a car slightly ahead of me in the left-most lane moving much slower than I am. This car had just pulled out of a parking lot and entered traffic when I noticed him begin to honk his horn quite vociferously in a very un-Brazilian-like manner. Ah, yes, one of those clueless pedestrians, determining, in her wisdom, that a green light, just at the moment of arrival of a 45-mph green wave of morning-rush-hour cars, was the perfect time to begin a leisurely stroll across a six-lane boulevard.
As the left-hand-lane car, towards which I rapidly approached in the next lane over, continued to serenade her with his one-note melody, something must have turned over at last in her mind. Something like, "hmm... noise... horn... hmm... car... big road... oh, I'm standing in front of an oncoming car!" So, of course, she looked up, saw the car and quickly ran out of its way. Now, let's look at a little math story problem here. You are in the middle of a lane of traffic which contains oncoming Car A. There are two paths to get out of the way of Car A. Path A is one-half lane wide. Path B is five-and-a-half lanes wide, several of which contain other oncoming cars. Which is the best path to get out of the way of Car A? She chose the other path. So, at this point I am maybe two car lengths from the signal, approaching it at 45 mph with a pedestrian now standing directly in front of me.
OK, new story problem. Path B was clearly the wrong choice. You know that now. You are now in the path of much faster oncoming Car B who has just slammed on his brakes at full speed and is sliding along the pavement directly towards you leaving copious skid marks. Do you chose Path C, back across one-and-a-half-lanes, and risk the slower moving car again, or do you chose Path D, and try your luck again with the remaining four-and-a-half lanes? This one is a trick question. Of course the correct answer is none of the above. What you do is freeze in place and stare directly at the careening out-of-control automobile in an effort to use your telekinetic powers to aid in the braking process, because, of course, this method has been so successfully employed by deer, lo these many years.
So, I'm screeching my tires and sliding towards the frozen pedestrian, when I begin to notice an interesting law of physics come into play, namely that a sliding car (even when not on ice) cannot steer. Of course, since the pedestrian is directly in the middle of the lane and a nearly-stopped car is on the left, there's really nothing to steer towards anyway, unless I can fit my car into a four-foot wide gap. It is a small car, but let's get serious, here. This is going to result in either the death or serious injury of a human being (clueless or not, that's gotta be a bad thing), the destruction of a couple of cars, or more likely, both. But somehow, neither of these things happened. I was within about an inch of hitting the car on the left. The pedestrian was, at the last moment, stepping slightly to the right at an all-to-slow speed. Then, I strangely began a sharp spin to the right as another car, also startled by the sudden need to reduce speed, tagged my bumper. I don't think I ever came to a complete stop but somehow miraculously slid past the pedestrian by millimeters as she actually put her hands against the fender and, with the help of that opportune bump, avoided scraping my way down half the side of the car on the left.
I drove on to the end of the block and pulled off at a gas station where I got out to look at my car, certain there would be dents, scratches, maybe blood, hair, who knows. At these moments, it happens so fast that you're not really sure if you actually hit something or not. The other two drivers, the one I nearly hit and the one who must have also done some seriously fast brake-work to only tap my bumper instead of total both of our cars, came by and each gave a thumbs up and a quick, "nice save." Except for a small mark about a centimeter wide on the bumper there wasn't any damage on my car at all. I have no idea where the pedestrian went. If it were me, I'd have probably been on my way home for a change of shorts and a quick refresher course on solving story problems.
Just another day of driving in Brazil.
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