Men’s Interests

Peering outward from behind a mottled screen of vines and leaves, the Green Man does not speak or sleep; he waits. His meaning and his origins are largely lost to time — the Green Man wasn’t named till 1939. We know, however, that this type of enigmatic figure was the work of artists, anonymous craftsman whose unsigned work adorns the crevices and walls of medieval cathedrals. This year we will appropriate the Green Man and the primeval spell he casts on our imaginations for a modern purpose. Our theme concerns humanity’s relationship to nature. Do we, as conscious beings, exist outside of nature’s sway, or does its force impel us and inform the central root of who and what we are?

Tickets to this year’s Burning Man will be made available on January 17, 10AM PST at http://tickets.burningman.com. The theme is The Green Man.

According to Larry Harvey there were some problems with ticket purchases last year. People logged on before the tickets went on sale and the system crashed. He says they’ve addressed the problem and hopes for a more positive experience this year. He says:

I really don’t want to be too hard on anyone. When you are isolated and feel frustrated it is very easy to lose your temper. But isn’t it ironic that all of the sturm and drang about getting there first, about competing with thousands of other consumers, should arise among a group of people who are dedicated to a non-consumerist event that is devoted to cooperation and collaboration.

If our first allotment of $195 tickets sells out, a second gate will silently slide open, offering another 10,000 tickets for $225 apiece. Finally, when the last gate is automatically triggered, yet another 10,000 tickets will be available at $250.

During the wait for your place in line, if your neck gets tense, if you begin to pound the keyboard, please rest assured - you’re not alone nor need you be alone. There is a place that waits for you in Black Rock City.

Join Parents Magazine and Beliefnet in examining today’s spirituality and parenting by taking this survey.

Visit MAXIM’s 2006 Hometown Hottie Kerry in this video.

Meditation for a Happy New You from Beliefnet.com

You can say goodbye to the hostilities and grudges of the past that fester inside you, and keep you from surrendering to all that is life-affirming and new. You can embrace lightness and freedom. You can begin again. And what better time to start than now? Begin by dimming the lights or lighting a candle. Sit in a favorite spot or get cozy in your chair, and take a few deep breaths. Let us begin.

Listen to the meditation.

From a single dad in the Yahoo Single-Parents- group, about a day in church with his daughter:

When she was five, I dressed her up in her Sunday best and headed off to Mass. This is the really long Mass a week before Easter. Of course she wouldn’t sit still through the long Mass and I kept having to whisper and sign to her to be still.

Eventually she had enough and when I whispered her to be quiet, she yelled “NO!� at the top of her voice. Unfortunately this also coincided with the priest asking “Do you renounce the devil and all his works?�

Everyone turned to see the devil child and the priest stared down from the pulpit and yelled back “YES!�

I had to pick up my devil child and take the walk of shame down the aisle and out of the church. It took me a couple of weeks to pluck up the courage to return to that church.

Being a single dad is interesting at times.

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I enjoy Beliefnet.com because it respects all religions, as I do. I came across a section called Preachers & Teachers, “nuggets of wisdom, inspiration, and advice,” and it sure is.

from DivorceWizards:

Free shared parenting plans are available on SharedParentingWorks.org.

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Excerpt of this article from beliefnet.com:

“…You’d be amazed,â€? said the Old Man, “If you knew how many thousands of times I’ve sat in this chair and listened to woeful sentences beginning with those two words. ‘If only,’ they say to me, ‘I had done it differently—or not done it at all. If only I hadn’t lost my temper, said that cruel thing, made that dishonest move, told that foolish lie. If only I had been wiser, or more unselfish, or more self-controlled.’ They go on and on until I stop them. Sometimes I make them listen to the recordings you just heard. ‘If only,’ I say to them, ‘you’d stop saying if only, we might begin to get somewhere!’”

The Old Man stretched out his legs. “The trouble with if only,” he said, “is that it doesn’t change anything. It keeps the person facing the wrong way—backward instead of forward. It wastes time. In the end, if you let it become a habit, it can become a real roadblock—an excuse for not trying anymore…

“Do you have such a phrase to recommend?”

“Certainly. Strike out the words ‘if only’; substitute the phrase next time…”

This is a survey about the regrets people have in life. A regret involves feeling bad about something you wish you had done differently. Sometimes people regret things they DID DO, and other times they regret things they DIDN’T DO. In this survey you’ll be asked to record three different regrets, answer some brief questions about those regrets, and answer a few questions about yourself.

This survey will take approximately 5 to 8 minutes to complete. When you are finished, the web page will automatically summarize the responses of other anonymous participants for you.

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: Overcoming Regrets, Mistakes, and Missed Opportunities

regret relationships music video survey

“Oh yes, yes, yes, ahhhh, oh, oh, oh, yes, yes, yes!”

Yes, you read that right. Anti-war activists Donna Sheehan and Paul Reffell, of Baring Witness, are organizing a day of orgasms for peace.

Learn more in this SF Chronicle article. Excerpt:

Living on their houseboat off the Marin County coast, anti-war activists Donna Sheehan and her partner, Paul Reffel, concocted a way for the world to communally create a lot of peaceful vibes.

They want everyone to have an orgasm on the same day. On Dec. 22, they’re asking the world to contribute to the Global Orgasm for Peace…Just make sure to think of peace before or after participating.

Once you’ve committed, there’s even a secret sign to show others that you plan to take part: Flash the universal “OK” sign and wink. Or, as it has been redubbed, “The O” sign…

Reffel and Sheehan are not just tossing off this idea. They’re pros at launching global peace demonstrations. In the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq four years ago, Sheehan and a few dozen of her new best friends stripped naked and spelled out “Peace” on a Marin County field. As photos of their naked activism spread, similar so-called Baring Witness demonstrations were replicated dozens of times from Australia to the conservative nether regions of Utah…

Personally, Sheehan’s experiences with the Baring Witness demonstrations opened up new avenues of self-exploration for the 76-year-old artist. Since then, she has learned more about how women can initiate courtship, sex and peace, culminating this year in a book she and Reffel wrote, “Redefining Seduction.”

Will I be seeing your “O” sign on December 22?