nerdgirl

Duh! That would be the USA Hmmm ... actually I wasn't thinking of the USA but Pinochet's Chile in which total unrestricted/unregulated free market economics were imposed (i.e,. Keynesian neo-liberalism/Milton Friedman/"Chicago boys") that led to no real economic growth btw 1973 & 1990; an 18% decline in real mean salaries, adjusted for inflation; a 30% decline in median salaries between 1973 & 1990; and increases in poverty, from

Concur strongly with your final assertion. Doesn’t seem to be limited to any racial or geographic or avocation group either. E.g., In (then-Illinois State) Sen Obama’s first Congressional election attempts, he challenged incumbant Illinois Congressional Rep Bobby Rush. Rush used Obama’s position as an instructor at the University of Chicago Law School to label him an “egghead” and an “elitist.” One can observe much the same on this site when “Professor” is used as a pejorative. We do it too. I would speculate it’s exacerbated by late 20th/early 21st Century anti-intellectualism and elevation of the pridefully ignorant jerk as epitome of ‘cool’. So, yes a 'culture' that does not value education -- whether inner city anti-intellectualism or rejection of education for women in religious Islamic states -- tends to have higher levels of poverty. (Interestingly, to me, the more secular Islamic states, e.g., Turkey and Indonesia have higher levels of education for both sexes. The exception is Iran.) VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Another interesting topic, albeit, different from what Peters was referring. Such as? One person's "revisionist" history is often another's truth or hidden history. Most often I’ve encountered “revisionist” used as a pejorative label for those historians who write about and expose facts of our history that we would prefer we not have to hear or acknowledge … & occasionally “revisionist” is re-interpreting history through the author or historian own frame of reference, which may be a-historical, e.g., the controversy surrounding CA Tripps’ The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln – trying to apply early 21st Century mores and homoerotic interpretations to pragmatic behaviors of the 19th and early 20th Century is “revisionist,” and like much of history it says more about the time when it was written (2000-2005) than it does about the Lincoln or his time. Otoh, a recent book that I read, which some might label “revisionist” is Joseph Ellis’ American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic. Ellis also wrote Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, which received the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for History and was adapted as a PBS series. American Creation has a fascinating chapter on the Louisiana Purchase and how President Jefferson acted with extreme executive privilege – to such an extent that would make Pres GW Bush by comparison seem like a proponent of reduced executive power. At the time, there was such opposition from the New England Federalists, who used a strict constitutionalist argument to oppose the expansion of the United States, and Jefferson himself was concerned about how the acquisition would increase executive power and make slavery a federal regulatory or legislative issue rather than perpetuating the Virginia “code of silence.” The concern was so great that Jefferson drafted a proposed amendment to the Constitution to permit the annexation of the Louisiana Purchase (to become the Louisiana Territory) as well as Florida (letter of Jefferson to Albert Gallatin, 13Jan1803, published in Henry Adams, ed. The Writings of Albert Gallatin, 1879). Maybe in some ways that is related to Peters’ comments on the a-history of America: because we don’t (generally) cling to past perceived offenses against us -- such as those of the Anglo-Dutch Wars of 1662-4 & 1665-1667, in which the Dutch recaptured control of New York and New Jersye; we re-interpret history through a modern lens. Hmmm … so perhaps in the end the invocation of the question of “revisionist” history is also an artifact of our a-history. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Heard an interesting and intellectually provocative, im-ever-ho , commentary today by Ralph Peters (LTC USA, ret, foreign area officer; controversial inside & outside the DoD; author and regular columnist for the New York Post) on CSPAN-2 Book tv. In the context of the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, Peters commented that Americans don’t know history and that an occasional benefit is that Americans don’t pervasively hold onto history … and perceived offenses of history. A further consequence, perhaps unintentional, is that Americans focus instead on the future. One could speculate that some part of the reason that Americans don’t focus on our history is because it is so short, compared to the Persians, Chinese, English, or the inhabitants of the area of the former Yugoslavia. (Of course, one can trace the influences on the formation of the US to England, France, Scotland, Native Americans, etc.) If one knows anything about Peters, one appreciates that he is a voracious bibliophile and erudite scholar of history. He’s not saying ‘being dumb about history is a good thing.’ Not at all. One can speculate on how that comparative lack of depth of history has driven the US in very good ways. And how that has impacted our foreign policy choices, particularly in the 20th Century. One of the implicit cautions of Peters’ commentary, as he tied into politics and challenges of the Middle East, is how that might change for US foreign policy in 21st Century. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Interesting - I've been hiking and canoeing in northern Michigan for the last 4 days and I've heard quite a bit. Do you mean the top story on CNN.com “Al Qaeda: Weapons expert among dead”? The top story on MSNBC, “Al-Qaida admits deaths of four leaders: Airstrike likely killed al-Masri, accused of training USS Cole attackers”? Tuesday’s New York Times article, “Bush Praises Pakistan Just Hours After U.S. Strike,” which discussed the initial claims regarding al-Masri’s death? Or the multiple articles in the Washington Post such as this one from Tuesday “Al Qaeda chemist killed in U.S. strike: Pakistani agents” or this one from Thursday’s front page (A01), “Al-Qaeda in Iraq Leader May Be in Afghanistan,” that discussed al-Masri’s recent international travels, the prior claims of his demise, and potential of the claims this time being true? Those stories? Or some other al-Masri? VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Concur. That's re-stating the problem tho', i.e., that average consumers are spending too much. (And saving too little.) We've (more of a global "we") long identified the problem. And for the last 25 or so years, consumerism and demand for new services has driven the US economy - the average consumers have spent largely without negative consequences for the overall economy. (Due to globalization, it's actually been good for the US economy & average consumers.) The crescendo of that 25 years of spending, in which barriers were progressively lifted (used to be called regulatory influences), is the subprime mortage crisis. The US will survive this mess ... perhaps not in the same economic prominence that we've previously had, but the US will survive and most likely prosper relative to most of the planet. It's just likely to be tougher for the average & poor. So how do you get people to spend less? (That's the tough part.) There are two extreme choices along a spectrum of possible policy solutions: control all consumer choices or do nothing. Doubt that you espouse controlling all of people's consumer choices. As long as the number of "average" households being irresponsible was some low number, it was absorbable by the economy. The "do nothing" scenario has the potential to lead to a tipping point in which the entire economy is negatively impacted, along with a lot of average people who didn't make poor decisions. So what's the policy solution? VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

... you hear some caller in this vein: "...well, you know, life just sort of happened to us, we bought a house for $300K, have a HELOC for $50K, then we bought two new cars, owe $40K, and then we cycled credit card debt, and owe $17K." Dave: "what's your household income?" Caller: "oh, about $42K per year." Glad that you posted that anecdotal scenario. The situation in which you describe -- while it may not reflect choices I would prefer -- does not indicate folks who were "poor". $42k/year is not poor. (And given, it's not wealthy either, especially for urban coastal communities.) The poverty line for a family of 2, one definition of "poor", is $14k/y. The bottom 20% of US household incomes is less than $19.2k (per 2007 Dept of Commerce quatriles), another definition of "poor." Median US household income for 2006 was just over $48k/y. The scenario related above may more represent 'average' people, in fact. What do you (general, rather than specific, "you") do about it? Nothing is one option. (What countries' economies most look like that course of action?) How did the 'average'-esque household get to this situation? Less to blame and more to learn so as to try to decrease liklihood of repetition. As we all know pointing out problems is easy. Coming up with and implementing executable solutions is a whole 'nother endeavor. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

There's a great question ... and probably deserves it's own thread in those 11 words. On what do you base that assertion? Because my speculation would not be the same (not quite the inverse either): that the biggest challenges to individuals trying to escape poverty/poor arise from outside circumstances. That is primarily based on having lived in South Central Los Angeles, including during the 1991 riots. To be explicit, the capacity to arise from poverty in the US is *not* independent from one's choices, behaviors, and actions. Rather those choices are necessary, perhaps vital, but not sufficient. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Okay, so are you assertiing that illegal actions are equivalent to (unsubstantiated) legal actions, even tho' you may not agree with them? E.g., if someone is personally opposed to the Space Program & NASA does that justify/make right/make less wrong vandalizing the Space Shuttle? Or how about if someone is opposed to war, does that justify/make right/make less wrong defacing the Pentagon's exterior (ignoring practical limitations on that one for a moment) or refusing to pay taxes? Do unsubstantiated personal disagreements justify other illegal activities? VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I don't know a lot about the process that Extreme Makeover goes through to choose the families since I've never really watched the program, but one of the things I've always liked about Habitat's model is the concept of "sweat equity." Habitat families are required to put in hundreds of hours of work into their own houses. Homeowners make a mortgage payment on their home - it's not a gift. Also, the Habitat houses are fairly modest - we're not talking mansions here, and that's by design. I think it's really apples and oranges to compare the two programs. It’s a valid question – what is the mortgage default or foreclosure rate for Habitat for Humanity efforts? While “Extreme Makeover” may be inspired by the best of intentions, at the close of the day it is a for-profit commercial endeavor. Which is another way of saying I agree with you that comparing HfH w/"Extreme Makeover" is highly problematic. Nonetheless, the underlying query is fair. Some city and state HfHs claim 1% mortgage default rates, which are lower than the general population (just over 2%). One 3rd party assessment noted “The default rate on Habitat mortgages is less than 2% nationwide.” Still better than general population. Here’s a State Bar Association asserting a 1.48% default rate (5 out of 336). Like any other expenditure of private capital, as long as it’s not illegal, people can do whatever they want with their money. Investing in one’s community with a 98%+ success rate doesn’t sound like a bad choice to me. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I absolutely agree with the criticality of the entrepreneurial spirit. I’m a little struck by the assertion, however. Is it really true that small businesses are responsible for the most overall jobs, or do they create the most *new* jobs annually? (And what percentage of small businesses fail each year, i.e., what percentage of annual job loss are they associated with?) For what portion of the overall economy are small business responsible versus growth in the economy? What percent of the GDP? What’s the definition of a small business, i.e., 10, 100, or 500 people? ---- If anyone's interested in (what I thought was) a fantastic read on different styles of capitalism (e.g., US vs Europe vs India vs Russia) & the importance of fostering innovaton, I highly recommend Bob Litan, et al.'s new book Good Capitalism, Bad Capitalism, and the Economics of Growth and Prosperity, which is available to download free in total from Yale Press wiki. Litan currently spends most of his time at AEI. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Concur strongly. Political appointees serve at the discretion of the President ultimately (& the senior executive branch appointees pragmatically). These were not, however, political appointeeships. It ultimately harms both the integrity and the execution of the overall US civil justice system. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Once again, you mistake military budget with combat operations appropriations. If you only fund combat operations, the prominence of the US military as the world’s best – by far – will not last. (E.g., we all remember what percentage of the Soviet GDP was spent on the military in 1989, yes? Funding combat operations does not necessarily create the 'best'.) The nexus between technology and military is not just a speculation but a reality that has often determined the outcome of war and been critical variable in international security: technological research and miltray advantage are intricately tied. Dominance in both conventional and sophisticated military operations by the US has been enabled by technological advantage in precision; speed; stealth; and tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) as compared to adversaries. (See, e.g., Defense Science Board 2006 Summer Study on 21St Century Technology Vectors, February 2007; EA Cohen, “A Revolution in Warfare,” Foreign Affairs, 75, March/April 1996, p. 41; COL TX Hammes, USMC (ret) The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century, (Zenith Press; New Ed edition, 2006)). Equally innovative and more revolutionary capabilities will be required in order to ensure dominance and security in the 21st century—when adversaries span from peer competitor nation-states to disperse insurgencies and lone-wolf non-state actors. During the Cold War, technological superiority was the strategic differentiator for the United States. Scientific and technological innovation have been the backbone of American economic, military, and political power since the advent of the industrial revolution. Federal support for research and development was invigorated by the arguments and evidence put forth in Vannevar Bush’s now-famous report to the President in July 1945. (Vannevar Bush. “Science: The Endless Frontier,” (United States Government Printing Office, Washington: July 1945). At that time, the revolutionary power and security implications of research-driven development of the atomic bomb was palpable to American policy makers, the civilian leadership in the Department of War, and the armed forces. Advances in federally-sponsored technology made the US and its armed forces the most technologically advanced in the world. When the adversary is a non-state actor or insurgency, those strategic differentiators are not as conclusive. (And it's not just US in the 21st Century to experience that.) Having the best military and the best defense in the world is a lot more than funding combat operations. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

You bring up a lot of really good points and there’s a lot of value in what you write … there’s a whole lot underlying, what some might call “truth.” W/r/t the "bafflement" you cite: while my impression is that the original poster is strong, confident, and resolved, one reason why some women (& some men in stalking or abusive situations as well) hesitate and doubt (& there are lots of reasons) is that way too often explicit and implicit messages tell them that the stalking (or by extension, abuse) is *their* fault … rather then the stalker’s fault. It can be insidious. I've had one real-world stalker while in college (who I ended up having to go to court to obtain a restraining order against and again to have it extended) and one on-line stalker. (I'm a self-professed 'nerd', who the hell's going to stalk me?) Been there, done that, got the 't-shirt' ... that I didn't ever want. The response here, while not in consensus on tactics, has been very good. It's a commendable trait of the SC community. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

... & how did they manage to escape Public Affairs review /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Interesting, im-ever-ho, case … which illustrates just how many stakeholders are in play & exert power: Anyone else following the decision of the Navy to procure only 2 Zumwalt-class DDG-1000 ships? At one point the Navy was asking for 32, more recently 7, and just recently announced a reprogramming in the FY09 PBR to procure only the 2 currently contracted (~$3.3B each, although widely assumed will be much higher, estimates range from $7.2B to >$11B each (per OSD Cost Analysis Improvement Group (CAIG), GAO, & CRS), upon delivery). Instead the Navy has indicated that they will procure up to 11 additional (cheaper and demonstrated) Arleigh Burke-class DDG-51 destroyers. That decision was approved by NavSec Donald Winter, CNO ADM Gary Roughead, DepSecDef Gordon England, and DUSD(AT&L) John Young. (Btw: Historically the parallel to the decision in the early 1990s to end the super-sophisticated Seawolf attack submarine in favor of the cheaper, more flexible Virginia-class has been noted.) This decision is a big deal for the Navy, of course. And it’s also a big deal for General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (Maine) and Northrop Grumman's Ingalls Yard (Pascagoula, MS), who have been each contracted to build one DDG 1000. Another large defense contractor, Raytheon (Massachusetts), is contracted to build the DDG-1000's electronic systems. That last one brings in Sen Ted Kennedy, along with other members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and House Armed Services Committee (HASC): “Led by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the dozen senators from Massachusetts, Maine, and elsewhere threatened to hold up other shipbuilding funds if the Navy doesn't provide more explanation for why it won't buy more of the DDG-1000 Zumwalt class of ships after the first two are finished around 2014.” The interest of the Senators Susan Collins (R) and Olympia Snowe (R) from Maine was also piqued [to put it diplomatically]: “Collins, a supporter of the Zumwalt, has said repeatedly that the third Zumwalt is necessary to avoid a drastic workload gap at Bath Iron Works. “Collins questions whether there would be enough work to keep shipbuilders busy if they reverted to the existing model.” So the Navy’s trying to cut expenses and give more capabilities (more ships), and Congress is pushing back – because of the constituents they represent. And it’s not a knock on business … cause the people who work at those businesses are constituents. At the same time to pretend that the incentives to business to make A LOT of money off the program doesn’t exist (i.e., profiteering) would be naïve. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

It's all right there in your message #30. Especially when you suggest that a couple of guys asleep deep underground in the most secure facility on earth is somehow equivalent to losing track of nuclear bombs above ground. Just because this incident occurred in a facility that contains "nuclear" in the name, does not mean that it's a serious breach of nuclear security. John, Please go back & read what I wrote. I cited "loose nukes" as a counter-example of what _would_ qualify as sensationalistic: “Not a ‘loose nuke’ or ‘impending Armageddon’ -- that would be sensationalistic.” And if that was what any media account I have seen stated, I would agree with you. But that's neither what’s been published nor what I wrote. The language that I have used has been exceedingly precise: "self-reported security violation." VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

With you absolutely, no. Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Please cite one statement that I have made which would be characterized as playing the role of "chicken little." Please cite one media source that suggests a "sky is falling scenario." Opinion does not equal fact, i.e, what you asserted in the post to which I responded: "It buttresses the fact that the media is trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill here." VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I forgot the verb! Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Again, spin or fact I do not yet know Please go look at the actual text of the bipartisan bill. There are sections on “Policy,” “Strategy,” “Definitions,” “Findings” & “Required Reports.” There’s nothing on funds. It is not an appropriations bill. In order to appropriate money, an appropriations bill is needed. I don’t know how to write it diplomatically and not be explicitly clear. The quote can be called “spin,” intentionally misleading, creative interpretation; in the end, it's just incorrect. The Blog quote is also less than correct w/r/t Sen Obama's record: here's a partial list of the 152 bills that he has co-sponsored, (again all citations back to the primary data, available through thomas.gov) such as S.1180: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to reauthorize various programs servicing the needs of homeless veterans for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, and for other purposes, S.1194: A bill to direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to establish guidelines and procedures for tracking, controlling, and accounting for individual spent fuel rods and segments, S.2261: A bill to provide transparency and integrity in the earmark process, S.2446: A bill to promote the national security and stability of the economy of the United States by reducing the dependence of the United States on oil through the use of alternative fuels and new technology, and for other purposes, S.3475: A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans, S.AMDT.390 To provide meal and telephone benefits for members of the Armed Forces who are recuperating from injuries incurred on active duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, S.AMDT.2965 to S.2349 To ban employment negotiations to become lobbyists by Members of Congress and required recusal for senior congressional staff while in office, S.AMDT.3144 to S.CON.RES.83 To provide a $40 million increase in FY 2007 for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program and to improve job services for hard-to-place veterans, S.AMDT.3695 to H.R.4939 To improve financial transparency in hurricane recovery by requiring the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to make information about Federal contracts publicly available, and S.AMDT.4224 to S.2766 To include assessments of Traumatic Brain Injury in the post-deployment health assessments of member of the Armed Forces returning from deployment in support of a contingency operation. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

To what “facts” are you referring? (1) On the issue: "The facts" are that nuclear security, nuclear surety, and all things related to classified procedures are very serious. This is the 4th incident involving violation of nuclear-related security in the last 12 months & the 3rd within Minot AFB’s commands related to the nuclear complex. Those are facts. Violations of any national security procedures, moreso within the nuclear weapons complex – whether DOE labs, NNSA, or DoD – should be of great concern and seriousness. The underlying danger of the argument you are suggesting is it implies one should be able to selectively pick & chose which classified security violations are important. I doubt that is what you intended. (2) On what basis do you make such a claim about "the media"? Thus far 2 articles have been cited – one from Air Force Times and one AP newswire story. As illustrative 3rd & 4th examples, this single CNN story and single Fox News story typify commercial media stories prominently noting it was a violation of procedures. Not a "loose nuke" or "impending Armageddon" -- that would be sensationalistic. If anything, one might assert is the fact that this is *not* getting enough attention. (And that lack of attention was part of the reason Wynne & Mosely lost their jobs resigned.) By comparison, the 20-something drunk British women on the private plane seem to be getting more attention. But that’s just my *opinion.* VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

It's kinky versus straight. Relative alignment/placement of hydrogens on double-bonded carbon. Cis unsaturated fats (or hydrocarbons) have hydrogen atoms on the same side and are kinky. Trans unsaturated fats have the hydrogen atoms on opposite sides of the double bond and are straight. Kinky doesn't pack as well and is liquid or semi-liquid at room temperature. Straight or partially straight packs better and solidifies at lower temperatures (e.g., Crisco). Saturated fats (& hydrocarbons) don't have cis or trans isomerizations -- the double bonds are saturated w/hydrogens (i.e., all single bonds). And are solids at even higher tempeatures. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Do you al Qa'eda could acquire a nuclear weapon? Again not does al Qa'eda *want* to possess a nuclear weapon. But do you think al Qa'eda has the capability to acquire one and that there also are/were sources from which an assembled nuclear device could be obtained? Not a radiological dispersive device (RDD), aka 'dirty bomb' or a crudely assemble an improvised nuclear device (w/enough highly enriched uranium) … but acquire an assembled nuclear weapon. If yes, from where do you think al Qa'eda would acquire it? Russia? Other former Soviet States that covertly withheld nuclear weapons after the collapse of the Soviet Union? Pakistan? DPRK? The question's not purely out of my squishy gray matter … another on-line discussion forum recently featured the topic “Is It Possible for Al-Qa'ida To Obtain Weapons of Mass Destruction?” (it’s in Arabic; note which side of the screen the scroll bar is situated). The Ana al-Muslim forum is among the oldest Salafist/radical Islamists websites (1996) – basically Speakers Corner for radical Salafist militants across the planet. Membership is estimated at over 60k. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Marc, Can you point to this specific bill? More than once similar assertions that the S.2433 “Global Poverty Act of 2007,” bill does similar have been wholly discredited. Those claims were completely false. See Here and here. Direct support of the Bill’s actual goals -- i.e., interagency coordination on *currently funded programs* in support of & endorsing President Bush’s Millennium Challenge Goals, here by SecState Condoleezza Rice. Please, please don’t believe me. Please don’t take my word for it. Please go look at the text of the bill yourself. The primary data is readily available … & your tax dollars go to making it available through resources like www.thomas.gov: “In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, legislative information from the Library of Congress” and Government Printing Office (GPO) Access, which “contains all published versions of bills from the 103rd (1993-1994) Congress forward.” VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying