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 2 Nov 2002 @ 16:02, by craiglang. Neighborhood
For those of us in the northern climes, November brings the cool crisp air of late fall. And with it comes the anticipation of on-coming winter, with its short days and long nights. The late fall skies are cloudier and the days grow short. Leaves turn color and fall. This is a month of changes, as we prepare for both the challenges and the beauty of winter.
This thought kept running through my mind this afternoon as I was raking leaves, enjoying one of those clear crisp sunny days of late fall. It was a joy to be outside.
I've noted that most of the big transitions in my life have happened in November. My last big job change was in November. My father in law passed away four years ago this month. My first marriage fell apart in November as well. In the lives of so very many around me, transitions have seemed to occurr in November - disproportionately often.
Yet today was a beautiful day. A clear blue sky, with a gentle wind from the south. While chilly, it was a joy to behold. It felt good to just do some work on a pretty Saturday afternoon.
Yes, November is upon us - bringing change, chill, and transition. And on this clear, crisp day - nearing the end of the year, there is hope that the coming winter will bring us a new year of healing and awakening. There is hope that the danger of war can become the promise of peace. There is hope that the world-imperiling oil-driven energy economy can gradually begin to be replaced by a solar, wind and fuel-cell driven world - a sustainable one which can allow our world to breathe freely. There is hope that the conscious evolution described by Barbara Marx Hubbard is beginning to reach critical mass - and that an overall awakening is coming upon us. There is hope that changes for the better are beginning in ernest now - taking hold as the old year begins the steady transition toward the new year.
And for me, that hope for the future is symbolized by the crystal blue skies and bright sunshine of a beautiful fall day.
Namaste,
-Craig More >
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 1 Nov 2002 @ 03:17, by ming. Investigation, Intelligence
One of the types of deception that personally makes me the most angry is that carried out by socalled Skeptics.
Not that there's anything at all wrong with being skeptical of outlandish claims. I'm skeptical too when I'm presented with new information that doesn't match my previous experience. And I'm skeptical about my own beliefs, and I'll often look for reasons to revise them towards something better.
But there are very influential Skeptics who aren't really skeptics at all, but rather people who use deceit to protect and perpetuate a certain, very conservative, worldview.
I was about to write a lengthy article about that. But there are others who've said roughly what I'd like to say. See Debunking the Debunkers for example. More >
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 31 Oct 2002 @ 22:44, by ashanti. Neighborhood
* God, I love this place! I have lived in many parts of the world, travelled a lot, but there is just no country like South Africa.
* What makes South Africa the only place to be on the planet right now, is not materially distinguishable. There is poverty, crime, unemployment, AIDS, etc. That's what people see and hear about. But South Africa is the only country in the world that is actively and genuinely working on transforming. That hasn't collapsed into utter depair and cynicism, and given up even trying. Or perpetuating a farce, and keeping up appearances.
* Where the people have Heart. And Love. The smiles on their faces. The friendliness. The sheer spirituality, if you are open to that. It's like a massive aura of angelic love embraces us. The energy is incredible.
* You meet people living in poverty, in shacks. But they have decorated their shacks, and made them beautiful. They welcome you with warmth and love. They have so little but they share it with you. Powerful. They are grateful for every precious day of life they are granted.
* I pray that South Africa never falls into the spoilt, self-indulgent trap of despair and cynicism. That the people of South Africa retain their Innocence, their Warmth, their Wisdom, their Love and their Beauty. For all this was born out of the suffering of the past.
* I thank God/All-that-Is for the privilege of being born here, and of having this as my country. It's not about nationality - it's a spiritual thing. More >
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 31 Oct 2002 @ 16:09, by quidnovi. Visual Arts, Graphics
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31 Oct 2002 @ 10:30, by adi. Paranormal
--Crop Circles: Quest for Truth, a new film from Academy
Award Nominee William Gazecki, opens August 23rd in the U.S.
Check out the website [link]
for images,interviews, trailers, and to find out when the
film is coming to a theatre near you...and
to learn about the mysterious phenomena of Crop Circles. More >
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30 Oct 2002 @ 18:40, by sharie. Developing World
About 15 years ago, I was living in La Jolla, California, and had a lot of friends from the middle east. Armand Simon Simonian was from *Persia*. A lot of my Persian friends wouldn't call their country *Iran* because that's not the homeland they knew growing up. It had changed too much.
Simon explained to me that when the Ayatollah took control of the country from the Shah, the people rebelled against the strict muslim constraints. They weren't used to it. The Shah was more western.
Because the people were rebelling, the Ayatollah and his followers decided to start a war with Iraq, which they then used as propaganda "We've got to band together to fight the invading Iraqi's". It was all a ploy to keep the people from throwing out the Ayatollah.
As he told me this story, it dawned on me that this was the same thing our U.S. government was doing to us, telling Americans that Russia was going to invade us and we had to stick together. I could see the propaganda kept the masses ignorant and allowed those in power to keep raking in our tax dollars into their own pockets.
We're being lied to. Peaceful people all around the world are being lied to.
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 28 Oct 2002 @ 14:59, by ming. Communication
Another great day yesterday of hiking in beautiful nature in Utah while talking about big subjects. And a rather long drive back.
Singularity Watchers are futurists who pay attention to accelerating technological change. Particularly to the growing idea that many accelerating technological trends, such as processing power, artificial intelligence, and nano-technology are heading for a point where advances are practically instantanous, and we humans potentially can no longer keep pace with what we created. There are many different ideas about that, of course. My friend John Smart is very up on these things. Ray Kurzweil wrote The Age of Spiritual Machines. Many smart people are talking about it. I don't know. No doubt that things are accelerating, and most likely that leads towards a point of profound transformation. But somehow I can't get worried about computers becoming smarter than me and taking control. Because I don't think *I* am a computer, for one thing.
Extropians are people I usually get along well with, and there are many fascinating things to discuss. But I don't think I'm an extropian exactly. Extropians tend to be techno-geeks who are very interested in and optimistic about the future, and who usually are very into cryogenics, artificial intelligence, life extension, enhancement of the human body and mind, and quite a number of other things that might allow humans to transcend themselves, primarily in a material kind of way. And I guess it is the material part that I look somewhat differently at. I'm not very concerned about dying and then disappearing. I don't particularly want to download my mind to a computer, other than in the form of a personal organizer, and I certainly wouldn't want to have my body frozen down so I can get it back in a hundred years. I'd rather have a new one next time, and I'd rather be free to be a somewhat different person next time, rather than getting the same personality back. That would be a bit boring. I mean, I'm not THAT great.
I wouldn't mind enhancing my mind and my body with technology, though. I'd like a personal organizer that automatically keeps track of all information in my life. Infrared or X-ray vision would be nice. Shooting out spiderwebs from my hands so I can swing between tall buildings - that could come in handy too.
"The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades" --Timbuk 3 More >
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 26 Oct 2002 @ 17:30, by koravya. Ideas, Creativity
*
The dark waters at the bottom of the pool
are glossed over by the light on the surface.
The Rock is on Fire with invisible flame.
Wind carries the heat to all parts of our flesh.
All Movement is measured and balanced,
so as through the symbol of Tao,
so as through the symbol of Ollin,
The Twin Rectangles
at the Heart of the Aztec calendar stone.
*
The sphere of fire is covered by water,
and through the surface of interaction
emerges the Rock and the Sky.
The Earth is colored Blue
all the way around from the outside,
and the forest is a patch of moss
growing out of the Rock.
The spores of the lichen may cling to the Rock
and may eat the Rock.
From out of the Rock grows Tree-by-the-Lake.
Roots draw water to the Leaf,
where exchange occurs with the Sky.
*
57 More >
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 22 Oct 2002 @ 01:37, by ming. Personal Development
Look at the World Game Institute's What the World Wants chart. It shows the costs of globally eliminating certain major problems that are facing humanity, seen in relation to the global military spending. It suggests that one-third of the $780 billion spent every year on the military could ultimately: Eliminate Starvation and Malnourishment, Provide Health Care & AIDS Control, Provide Shelter for everyone in the world, Provide Clean Safe Water, Eliminate Illiteracy, Provide Clean Safe Energy through Efficiency and Renewables, Retire the Developing Nations' Debts, Stabilize Population, Prevent Soil Erosion, Stop Deforestation, Stop Ozone Depletion, Prevent Acid Rain, Prevent Global Warming, Remove Landmines, Provide Refugee Relief, Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, and Build Democracy. There are detailed plans and budgets as well.
A key breast cancer test can no longer be done in British Columbia, Canada, because a U.S. company, Myriad Genetics, holds a patent on the two genes tested. Myriad wants $3500 for each test, more than 3 times what it previously cost. Gene patents are evil.
My 3 year old daughter got an e-mail today from Broderbund Software advertising a program for preparing her last will and testament. The subject of the message was "Hurry Nadia! Only a FEW DAYS LEFT!" Excuse me?! I'm glad she can't read, or I would have to explain that to her. Mass marketing is stupid. Not to mention, frequently offensive, as it mostly hits the wrong people with stuff they don't want and didn't ask for.
Max and Alana came by today. They met each other online in NCN and really connected. She was in Minnesota, and he flew over from New Zealand to meet her, and they've found a special magic together and are very much in love and are going to get married. They've been driving around the states a bit, and will go together to New Zealand in a couple of days, to live a new life. It is always wonderful to meet people not only that I've only known virtually before, but who really have clicked with each other. And knowing that I had just a little bit to do with that. That alone makes it worth just about any amount of abuse from the few people who're angry that I didn't provide them what they were looking for.
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." --Douglas Adams More >
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21 Oct 2002 @ 16:31, by sharie. Counseling, Psychology
Getting to know your self deep down in the depths of your soul means clearing away all the gunk you were programmed with by the institutions of government, religion, multi-media programming, the unhealthy patterns learned from parents, grandparents, older siblings, and other damaging relationships.
There's a fun way to do this emotional housekeeping:
Look back on your life, and review your favorite music, your favorite movies, and your favorite ways of spending your money over the years. What were the song lyrics you sung over and over, what were the albums and CD's you bought, and why? What were the themes of your favorite movies?
Take a long hard look at what you spent most of your money on? Did you really need to spend that much on housing, your car? What did you invest in? What did you blow your money on?
Take a look at these keys to your inner self, and you'll see things about yourself that you'd never quite looked at before.
Then take a long hard look at the people you spent your time with, and the things you spent your time doing. Were you happy hanging out with your friends, or did you do it just because you felt comfortable with them, or because you all complained about the same things?
What were you guided by? Joy? Complaints? Resentments?
Be willing to open up yourself and look at your motives in life.
And then if you want to create better motives, healthier motives, happier motives, go ahead.
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