thelerner

I remember reading an article on how it rains more on weekends. The notion was considered patently obsurd because its not like the weather knows what day it is. But nonetheless it was statistically true. Smog built up from Monday to Friday from higher driving, tended to cause rain on the weekends. Less driving and the weekend rain tended to keep rain from coming til the following weekend. As I recall it was by no means an absolutist kind of thing, but it was a statistically and logically proven example of how we influence the weather. I also read that the weather was skewed after 9/11 by not having hundreds of 1,000s of flights in the air for the next few days. The con trails that spread and cover so much sky were gone and affected slightly the weather. When I did business Gerber Baby products an executive said that the little baby jars they sold would reach past the moon by now. A coca cola exec I was with said the volume company did the equivalent of draining Lake Michigan every year or two. Human production is staggering. I think its probably the cause and ultimately the solution to our problem. Michael

tsk tsk, you don't get that its a transvestite wearing a coconut bra? M

We all have to draw it somewhere. Ofcourse I draw a line, that being-face brains and nervous system, then I walk past it. Actually I think mega farming is ultimately a good thing. Without it much of the current population would have to flip coins and heads loses - there life. Its not about the crap and processed food that I willingly and happily eat. There I only hurt myself, yet tingle my taste buds. Its about hurting other animals. Its not human love, but I can't help but think all mammalian mothers feel a sense of love toward their children. I'm willing to call them lesser beings. I declare myself of a higher order then they are, and I have the knife fork and cell phone to prove it, but I'm not so far advanced that I don't see a kinship and connection w/ them. I grow grape tomatoes, and you know what they say when I spray them w/ pesiticides? "Thank you for keeping those nasty bugs off of us. And by the way MORE FERTILIZER", in a chorus of little squeaky voices. Thats what I think they'd say if they had little mouths and if I did spray them. Actually I don't, spray them. So...its 4 out of 136 on my list of guilty things. I'll get a Wendy's single no mayo, instead of a double. I'll go to a farm, scratch a cow behind the ears and have someone else hit it w/ a bat. As I say, unevolved. What can WE do? heck the solution is easy enough. Go vegetarian and buy mostly organic. Its the implementation thats the rub. Trunk posted on an amazingly small super productive home stead. Part of the self sufficiency movement, its a dozen or two posts down. Michael

Its not the 'eating the dead animal' that concerns me. Its the raising in questionable, often crappy (or extremely crappy) conditions, giving it a short unnatural life, then herding it off to a slaughter that it may find emotionally distasteful. That seems worse then picking a carrot out of the ground. Are we really using lessons from quantum physics to bypass personal responsiblity of actualizing a chain of events that cause pain and death to other animals? I eat meat and enjoy it, but do have the sense it is less evolved. I see a sliding scale involved, hunted better then free range, free range better then mega farmed, mega farmed better then mass starvation, mass starvation better then cannibalism, cannibalism better then last nights tofu casserole etc. Michael

Hey trees, I get "That page is expired" Which parasite should I be looking for? These days I have 3, though someday I hope to upgrade them to symbiotes. Michael

man tends to be more rationalizing then rational. Michael

I should clarify. I think its a moral weakness for Me, because it goes against one of my internal philosophies, ie the simple one of 'don't hurt things unneccesarily'. I think what comes out of a persons mouth has more influence on their karma (path?) then what goes into it. Michael and if Buddha was alive today, he'd xxx a xxx

(o) O O < ~~ Hows this face? third eye open Michael

I'm a fellow omnivore. I think eating meat is a moral weakness. Its number 4 on my list of 136. I've got veggie friends. Some have long ethical, biological and social defenses. A girl I went out w/ summed it up well and simply, "Don't hurt things that you don't have to". Thus she didn't eat meat or wear leather. The 'plant feels pain' argument is extraordinarily weak. Even those who can make it with a straight faced have to admit that a pound of beef is gotten through eating a dozen of pounds of plant life. So, I guess I'm saying, feel the love, share the guilt, pass the mistreated, slighted rotted, carbonized animal flesh. Michael

Eh, I expect Sean doesn't work hard at this stuff, he plays hard at it. He enjoys the stuff, practice for the fun of practice (uh right Sean?). You have to enjoy the process. Working on the edge might be uncomfortable, a few minutes more, staying w/ discomfort, mental, emotional a few minutes more, but then you let it go. Release . We can't be afraid of enjoying life. IMHO desire is great, but don't be too attached to it. My attitude is "It would be nice, but if not, fine" Let the universe decide. The most Skillful Means, is turning practice into a game. These days I have a mantra, "Something wonderful is about to happen, watch watch watch". Michael

I've got to do something to get this fat butt moving. I should probably restart. I have a friend who's running a small mellow group. Maybe its an egoey old fart thing. I was never great, but after 13 years, I was better then the average bear, and a Nidan! These days, I'd probably roll like a rock and throw like a girl(sorry ladies). The reality of how far I've fallen urrghh. My kids are doing Shotokan Karate at a nice traditional dojo. Great Sensei, lots of life lessons, strict but happy dojo. But I did my time w/ Karate in high school, now it seems so rigid. I want to find a nice esoteric chi gung school in the Chicago area, there must be some around. Had a bunch of white garbed lunies dancing in circles around a nearby beach last year. If my wife and kiddies hadn't been around I would have no doubt introduced myself and joined them. Maybe I'll just have to keep the stars circling around. Michael

Eh, that Antares isn't so big. I can hold it in the palm of my hand. The biggest stars and galaxies are just pin pricks of light to me, and as each morning approaches I blow them out, one by one. ME, I am powerful but humble too so I let them catch light again come nightfall and let the earth sail around the sun turning and spinning to keep the whole place toasty warm (cept for poles and some mens hearts) Michael

Sexual desire is so powerful and multi-dimensional, physical, mental, even spiritual. It can deeply sooth or burn and scar. To revile it, is like reviling fire. Michael

Hi Jack, Very glad to have you here. Post a thought, great or mundane as a New Post in the Discussion area. In general we try not to get too commercial and sound like an ad, but it would be great to hear about your thoughts and work. Jump into any discussion. Maybe Personal Pages would be an ideal place for an indepth look at what you work. Many Welcomes Michael

I played around w/ Guitar Hero at Best Buy, it rocks, lots of fun. But I have a Nintendo Gamecube. The new Mario Dance game w/ dance pad is quite a bit of fun. So much I bought an extra pad. Michael

Goals are important, both long and short term. Keep your eye on short term goals, but long term goals are a path you walk in, not something to keep your eye on, i.e. don't obsess or even think about constantly, but create a daily discipline that you enjoy that moves you along the chosen path/goal. Michael

You old (green) dogs can teach us new tricks. Don't hesitate to post or jump into a conversation. Michael

My favorite spiritual podcast is the Zen inspired talks of Michael Allistair at InfiniteSmile.org. You can find them in Itunes Podcasts spirituality section as well. Allistair is seems knowledgeable, enlightened, but also very much a regular guy w/ wife, dogs and love of basketball. I mention him in the Review section here. Michael Mayber I'll try that Oxy stuff.

Yup, I think the Draft starts tomorrow. Relax. Other then the majority of people not wanting it, neither does the military or the majority of congress. Things are usually not as dark as you seem to believe. Michael

Best quote so far - Hagar -" This movie is working like a kind of existential anaesthesia; ". The movie "I Love(heart) Huckabees" has been making the rounds on HBO. It show cases the talents of two existential detectives Michael

When a happy, optimistic guy like Hagar raises his voice at something, you have to listen. I think he's raised a good point. For the New Age types living in relative luxury its all very well to say, oh I create my universe through my happy thoughts. But I don't think thats the way the universe operates. We can all agree that we have the power to interpret things as good or bad, pain or pleasure, hope or despair, or the third choice of remaining neutral toward the events happening to us. But its our inner universe we control, not the outter. Controlling the inner game is the baby, thinking we control the universe is the bath water. Stephen Levine, is a meditation teacher who worked w/ the dying. He was in the trenches w/ desperate people w/ real problems. He saw painful death and miraculous healing. He dealt w/ those who bought into the New Age 'I am God" who were very sick, and saw a cruel psychology playing out w/ them when they got worse. They had the double whammy of being very sick and having to think, I guess I'm really choosing this pain and sickness, even I really don't want it. Sometimes they died feeling like horrible failures. Levine thought healing and grace were available, the mind heals, grace is received but sometimes you still die. Illness claims the body, but the death is a good one, a holy one, peace is achieved. I get littered w/ new age Secret formulas emails daily. Heck all I have to do is look above this window. Use this formula, and win the lottery, money falls into your lap mysteriously, woman will love you, men will envy you etc. That will play well to the younger generation, but work hard, work smart, connect w/ people, that is what will make you a success IMHO. Michael

For energy anatomy I like the pictures of Alex Grey. For $15 I bought his calendar w/ 12 pictures. His skeletal systems showing flowing energy are inspiration. He captures the chakras and meridian systems in a way that both anatomical and poetical. You can see his posters at his web site. The calendar seemed to give the best bang for the buck. Michael

I'm sorry I never learned to drive stick. If you can drive stick, you can drive almost anything, heavy machinery, lift trucks, vintage wheels, etc. I don't think anyone even sells stick anymore in the city. Michael

Looks great, the layout is perfect, but I take it, that it is still a work in progress, ie. hitting some corners get you text text text instead of info. If you can link the pyramid to more show me stuff; diagrams or live shows it would be even better. It also reminds me that while you had a problem, or more specifically a misunderstanding w/ Scott, you worked through it til you understood each other and got back to grooving and flowing Michael

Darn you people armed w/ actual facts Michael