JedDiamond

WE THE PEOPLE: OBAMA'S SPEECH FOR ALL SEASONS

I’d enjoy hearing from you. Come visit me at www.MenAlive.com         We are clearly at a time of major transition in the world. Joanna Macy says, "Future generations, if there is a livable world for them, will look aback at the epochal transition we are making to a life-sustaining society. And they may well call this the time of the Great Turning." David Korten says we are moving from Empire to Earth Community. For some time I have felt that Barack Obama is the right person to be President at this time in history. I recently received a letter from my long-time friend Kenneth Kelzer (We went to graduate school together way back in 1966) describing his view of Obama and the future of the planet. He agreed to let me publish his thoughts here. More…

Evil: Mine, Yours, and The World's

If you’d like to learn more about men and women and why we do what we do, please visit me at www.MenAlive.com      There’s a lot of talk about "evil" these days. We hear about the "evil empire," "axis of evil," "evil enemies." But what exactly is evil? Wikipedia says that Evil is a broad term used to indicate a negative moral or ethical judgment, often used to describe intentional acts that are cruel, unjust, or selfish. Evil is usually contrasted with good, which describes intentional acts that are kind, just, or unselfish. Social Scientist, Dr. Roy F. Baumeister, in his enlightening book, Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty, helps us recognize the underlying causes of evil in our world and more importantly what we can do to prevent evil from spreading more widely. There’s only one problem with dealing with evil in the world. In order to understand evil, we have to better understand ourselves. More…

Is There An Irritable Female Syndrome?

Please visit me at www.MenAlive.com. Drop me an e-mail at Jed@MenAlive.com      As most of you know I specialize in men’s health issues. My primary professional focus for the last 42 years is to help men and the women who love them. A few years ago I wrote a book, The Irritable Male Syndrome: Understanding and Managing the 4 Key Causes of Aggression and Depression. Based on research I had conducted with over 30,000 males I found that (1) hormonal fluctuations, (2) changes in brain chemistry, (3) increasing stress, and (4) confusion about the male role, all contribute to irritability, anger, and conflict in relationship. Many people have asked me if there is such a thing as "Irritable Female Syndrome." More…

It Took Me 41 Years, But I Finally Made It

I invite you to visit me at www.MenAlive.com or drop me an e-mail at Jed@MenAlive.com     In March, 1967, I was accepted into the doctoral program at U.C. Berkeley. I was still finishing my master’s degree in social work and was the first person to be “fast-tracked” into the new program for promising young students who had the aptitude for PhD level work.      I was young and I was smart and I was dedicated and I was ready to undertake a research project that would make a real contribution to the world. There was only one problem. I had very little experience of life in the real world. More…

Are These the Best of Times or The Worst of Times?

Come visit me at www.MenAlive.com There seem to be two kinds of mid-life people I’m meeting these days. One group tells me this is absolutely the best time of their lives. Though things may have been difficult in the past, life is good now. At 40, 50, or 60 (I’ll be 65 this year and firmly believe I’m just reaching mid-life) these people report that they are finally getting the hang of how to be happy. However, there is another group of people who feel they are on a downward slide and their hope for a better future is slipping away. They are irritable, stressed, worried, and depressed. As a health-care professional, these are the people I worry about the most. Which group are you in? What’s happening to those in the other group? More…

5 Reasons Bush/Cheney Should Still Be Impeached

Come visit me at www.MenAlive.com. I'd like to hear from you. As we move towards the next election we all have a desire to move on. For those who feel the present administration has caused serious harm to America we are looking forward to either Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John McCain becoming the next President of the United States. However, as more information comes to light showing that President Bush and Vice-President Cheney broke the law, there are good reasons to continue to push for impeachment. More…

Why Midlife Is Such A Downer

Come visit me at www.MenAlive.com Throughout the world men and women are most unhappy at midlife. So if you’re feeling low, don't blame your spouse, your job, your kids, your income or lack of it, the President, Vice-President, or any other suspected villain. Middle age is such a low point for well-being most everywhere in the world that it's at the bottom of a U-shaped curve that indicates greater happiness among the young and old. According to an international study of a staggering 2 million people from 80 nations, "You can be almost certain you will follow this U-shaped curve. If you are finding life tough, maybe it's useful to know this is completely normal." Mid-life misery normal? That could put a crimp in sales of anti-depressants. Interestingly, the study found important differences between men and women. More…

How to Keep People Sick and Poor

Come visit me at www.MenAlive.com As debates continue in our attempt to choose the next President of the United States, a lot of attention has been focused health care in the U.S. Some candidates want the government more involved in health-care. Others want the private sector to lead the way. Whichever direction we move, I think we need to keep in mind what is best for the business interests of the country. After all we are a capitalist system and we have proven our worth against world communism. We might not want to speak it too loudly, but let it at least be whispered: Keeping people sick is good for business and encouraging the majority of citizens to pay more and more to keep themselves sick makes good monetary sense for those in power. More…

Heroes for Our Times: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Who Else?

I look forward to your visit at www.MenAlive.com For those of us who are old enough to remember the 1960s they were times of excitement, change, new beginning, and tragic endings. As I think about Martin Luther King, Jr., I am still moved by the courage and strength of this man of peace, protest, and creative action. He lives in all of us who still believe in the inherent goodness of humanity and the hope of a better future for our children and grandchildren. I can’t think of anyone who touched me so deeply or set such a powerful example of the best of what we can become. More…

2008: The Beginning of the End or a New Path for Life?

Come visit me at www.MenAlive.com I had a dream last night, a very strange, disconcerting dream. We were approaching the Presidential election and George Bush and his Republican supporters were concerned that they would lose power and the democrats would win the Presidency. They felt that a democratic-led country would lead to ruin and they believed the only way to save the country was to take the country to war. In the dream President Bush was telling those in his inner circle, "We must protect the country from those who would destroy it. We must do battle with our enemies. Once we are committed to war, the people will rally behind us." More…