metta eating: not ingesting poisons

Organic Diets Lower Children's Exposure to Organophosphorus Pesticides

The Centers for Disease Control have released a new study revealing that switching to organic foods provides children with "dramatic and immediate" protection from toxic pesticides. The scientists tested the urine of elementary school children for 15 days. Children ate conventional foods for ten of the days and ate organic foods for five days. Pesticide levels increased five-fold in the children's urine as soon as conventional foods were reintroduced to their diet. The study concludes, that many children are primarily exposed to pesticides through their diet, and not necessarily through other methods.

Find more study info at the Organic Consumers Assocation

Here is the downloadable report for the nitty-gritty.
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/8418/8418.pdf

tens of thousands ticking away

Like me, you may find it surreal to watch our tax dollars zipping off to Iraq on a real time ticker. Those dollars to wage war and protect "assets" are dollars that result in the premature deaths of human beings - 2,000+ Americans and perhaps 100,000 Iraqis.

Those dollars will not be used for education, affordable housing or food stamps here in the U.S., nor there in Iraq.

The National Priorities Project has html code that you can embed in your blog or website.

what is 'metta'?

Going to the source by looking to a Buddhist sutra on metta is probably the best way to go:

He who is skilled in doing good and who wishes to attain that state of calm (Nibbana) should act thus: He should be able, upright, perfectly upright, obedient, gentle and humble.

Contented, easily supportable (i.e. not a burden to others), with few duties, simple in livelihood. Controlled in senses, discreet, not impudent, not greedily attached to families.

He should not commit any slight wrong, so that other wise men might deplore. May all beings be happy and safe, may their hearts be happy.

Whatsoever living beings that exist; weak, or strong, without exception, long, stout or medium, short, small or large, those seen (visible) or unseen (not visible) and those dwelling far or near, those who are born and those who are to be born. May all beings, without exception, be happy minded. Let no one deceive another nor despise anyone anywhere. In anger or ill will, let them not wish each other harm.

Just as a mother would guard her only child at the risk of her own life, even so towards all beings, let him cultivate a boundless mind.

Let thoughts of boundless love pervade the whole world; above, below and across without any obstruction, without any hatred, without any enmity.

Whether he stands, walks, sits or lies down, as long as he is awake, he should develop this mindfulness. This, they say is the Highest conduct here.

Not falling into (wrong) views, virtuous and endowed with vision (insight), he discards attachment to sensuous desires. Truly, he does not come again; to be conceived in a womb.

By the firm determination of this truth, may I ever be well. By the firm determination of this truth, may I be free from illness. By the firm determination of this truth, may peaceful victory be mine!

I retrieved this from Wikipedia, the open source knowledge encyclopedia ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki