[FairfieldLife] Duped into thinking you could fly?
Did you fall for the hype about being able to levitate? Are you angry about the cash you lost chasing that dream of flying? Do your friends and acquaintances now laugh at you for being so credulous? Good news! You may be entitled to compensation. Energy drink "Red Bull" settled two class-action lawsuits this week, agreeing to pay $13 million because their famous slogan 'Red Bull gives you wings' isn't true. Anyone who bought a drink from January 1, 2002 to October 3, 2014 is eligible to receive a $10 cash payment - regardless of whether there was a receipt for proof. Here's one of the ads they ran. If people can now sue for such obviously idiotic claims it only goes to show what a dumbed-down society we are living in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K31dg86OmuM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K31dg86OmuM
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English?
Re "Why doesn't someone make a movie about the Levellers?" Your wish is granted. Winstanley is a British film made in 1975. Real-life activist Sid Rawle played a Ranter (English Revolution period anarchist-type group). Uber-hippie Sid Rawle helped me set up a squat in Kentish Town in the mid seventies! You can see the movie for free here. (Re English accents: Gwyneth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon are both flawless.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW12-yt2o6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW12-yt2o6A
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English?
Still here and now.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English?
Sorry - I replied too fast. Re "Still there?": No, we stayed at the squat for two years then we got a letter from the owner saying that he was returning from Africa, that he'd heard the place was occupied, and could we please vacate the premises shortly. We did exactly that - so he never lost out from us using his house and we left it in good order. Would all be illegal now of course but was still allowed then. And we thought at the time that we were just continuing the Levellers work . . .
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English?
This is the Sid Rawle (R.I.P.) I mention. At Stonehenge in real life! And if you go to the 53:15 mark in the Winstanley film you'll see him in fine ranter mode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW12-yt2o6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW12-yt2o6A
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English?
Where is your allotment-squat then? The last place I squatted was an abandoned hospital in Wood Green. I was a late joiner and the only room left to take was the operating room with the surgical table still fixed in the centre. It gave me the creeps so I soon moved on. Also, the place had a very bad vibe with groups into black magic(!) and no sense of community to hold everyone together. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Sorry - I replied too fast. Re "Still there?": No, we stayed at the squat for two years then we got a letter from the owner saying that he was returning from Africa, that he'd heard the place was occupied, and could we please vacate the premises shortly. We did exactly that - so he never lost out from us using his house and we left it in good order. Would all be illegal now of course but was still allowed then. And we thought at the time that we were just continuing the Levellers work . . . Excellent, a lot of my friends did squatting and they always looked after the places. We all ended up in a nice empty pub once and planned our anti-poll tax campaign from the saloon bar. Ah, happy days. Am currently squatting a bit of land and have divided it up between friends into allotments. Worked well for a few years but interest is waning and the place is getting overgrown, great sense of achievement when we started though. We were the new diggers. Shame it's all illegal now, kids these days don't know what they're missing!
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English?
Squatting has been popular in the UK since the 14th century - following the Black Death! Lots and lots of dead people and acres of unoccupied land = living people move in. Until a few years ago the Law took the view that trespassing is a civil offense, not a criminal one. Provided the squatters did not break-in or otherwise damage the property, police were powerless to remove them. Landlords had to apply for an eviction order and could not remove the intruders by force. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : you will have to explain that to us crass and crude Americans, I never heard of such doings as this - and it was legal at one time? Who changed the law and why wasn't it illegal to begin with? From: salyavin808 To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, October 20, 2014 3:24 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Sorry - I replied too fast. Re "Still there?": No, we stayed at the squat for two years then we got a letter from the owner saying that he was returning from Africa, that he'd heard the place was occupied, and could we please vacate the premises shortly. We did exactly that - so he never lost out from us using his house and we left it in good order. Would all be illegal now of course but was still allowed then. And we thought at the time that we were just continuing the Levellers work . . . Excellent, a lot of my friends did squatting and they always looked after the places. We all ended up in a nice empty pub once and planned our anti-poll tax campaign from the saloon bar. Ah, happy days. Am currently squatting a bit of land and have divided it up between friends into allotments. Worked well for a few years but interest is waning and the place is getting overgrown, great sense of achievement when we started though. We were the new diggers. Shame it's all illegal now, kids these days don't know what they're missing!
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English?
Didn't know Wally Hope but his name came up a lot among the revellers at the Windsor Free Festivals. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : This is the Sid Rawle (R.I.P.) I mention. At Stonehenge in real life! I recognise him and know the name from somewhere. I think he pops up in the biography of anarchist group Crass who lived in a commune in Epping forest. All friends of Wally Hope, did you know him? That was one sad story... And if you go to the 53:15 mark in the Winstanley film you'll see him in fine ranter mode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW12-yt2o6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW12-yt2o6A Excellent rant. Shall bookmark for a quiet evening.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English?
Re "How could you get in unless you broke in? And, how did they keep warm in winter, etc. If a house was unoccupied around here, the first thing happens is the power gets cut off. Did they just use candles and kerosene heaters??": You've got me now! I'm afraid I was very bad. You can't legally break in. But if a house was secure people did indeed break in. If the police asked what happened you just said you'd found a window already broken when you arrived. How could they disprove that? When we broke in to our house in Kentish Town we asked the Sid Rawle's commune at Chalk Farm for help in settling in. They sent over a guy called Mervin (if I remember his name aright) and he connected us to the water main and connected us to both the electricity and gas supplies (all highly illegal). For the two years I lived there we never paid any bills - no rent, no rates, no heating - as we were off the official record. Astonishing that the power companies couldn't detect that we were siphoning off juice. There were popular books on sale, like Alternative London (sample page below), that also showed people how to sidestep the security measures of the power companies. I'm sure they are much harder to overcome today. You'll be glad to learn that over the years since then I've more than paid my share towards the profits of our rip-off energy companies. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : How could you get in unless you broke in? And, how did they keep warm in winter, etc. If a house was unoccupied around here, the first thing happens is the power gets cut off. Did they just use candles and kerosene heaters?? From: "s3raphita@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, October 20, 2014 4:23 PM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English? Squatting has been popular in the UK since the 14th century - following the Black Death! Lots and lots of dead people and acres of unoccupied land = living people move in. Until a few years ago the Law took the view that trespassing is a civil offense, not a criminal one. Provided the squatters did not break-in or otherwise damage the property, police were powerless to remove them. Landlords had to apply for an eviction order and could not remove the intruders by force. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : you will have to explain that to us crass and crude Americans, I never heard of such doings as this - and it was legal at one time? Who changed the law and why wasn't it illegal to begin with? From: salyavin808 To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, October 20, 2014 3:24 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Why do people sound American when they sing in English? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Sorry - I replied too fast. Re "Still there?": No, we stayed at the squat for two years then we got a letter from the owner saying that he was returning from Africa, that he'd heard the place was occupied, and could we please vacate the premises shortly. We did exactly that - so he never lost out from us using his house and we left it in good order. Would all be illegal now of course but was still allowed then. And we thought at the time that we were just continuing the Levellers work . . . Excellent, a lot of my friends did squatting and they always looked after the places. We all ended up in a nice empty pub once and planned our anti-poll tax campaign from the saloon bar. Ah, happy days. Am currently squatting a bit of land and have divided it up between friends into allotments. Worked well for a few years but interest is waning and the place is getting overgrown, great sense of achievement when we started though. We were the new diggers. Shame it's all illegal now, kids these days don't know what they're missing!
[FairfieldLife] Re: Revolution by Russell Brand review
Re the comment "I don't pay any attention to Russell Brand (who can take anyone seriously who found Katy Perry attractive or interesting enough to marry?) . . ." Well Perry does manage 650,000,000 hits for just one of her songs on YouTube so I'm guessing lots of people do find her attractive and glamorous enough! But as for Brand: take a look at this car-crash interview he gave on BBCtv last week. He comes over as a deranged, arrogant, incoherent, manipulative twerp. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqsFp0J22Hc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqsFp0J22Hc
Re: [FairfieldLife] Growing Up TM
Re "I resorted to an old trick: Talk about the weather.": Gee, is this guy English? That's what we do. At the moment it's quite warm for October but it gets dark early . . . Re "pork tenderloin sandwich": I like Yank food (burgers and what-have-you) but I'll draw the line at a pork tenderloin sandwich thank you. "Boca burgers" never made it across the Atlantic but sound more appetizing. Re "There’s John Lennon signing jai guru deva in “Across the Universe,” drawing out what should be a silent a": Is that right? I know that "Jai Guru Dev" is the correct masculine form but Lennon went for the "Deva" variant - the feminine version - as it went better with the song. Good for him. In that case - ie, accepting that we're saying "I give thanks to Guru Dev(a)" or even "victory to the greatness in you" in the feminine form then the "a" should *not* be silent, no? (Don't spoil one of my favourite Beatles' songs!)
[FairfieldLife] When meditation goes bad
The Dark Night Project at Brown University has been investigating some common psychological issues that can arise with many people who set out on the meditation path. Common problems include those who enjoyed that sense of enhanced sensual awareness on a retreat but then found the sensory overload alarming in everyday life; disorienting experiences of depersonalization; and manic emotional states. As the effects can last for some years the neuroscientists at Brown University are trying to find out why some people find meditation plain sailing while others enter the "dark night". (The link is to the second of two transcripts but it deals more usefully with the problems that can arise following meditation than the first interview which is more background info.) http://www.buddhistgeeks.com/2011/09/bg-232-the-dark-night-project/ http://www.buddhistgeeks.com/2011/09/bg-232-the-dark-night-project/
[FairfieldLife] Seeing into one's true nature
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[FairfieldLife] Re: When meditation goes bad
Re "A very nice person, trying to make sense of things.": Yes, there are recordings of her on the Web and she comes over as a concerned, humane individual prepared to do the hard work that explaining these anomalies will require. Transpersonal psychologist Stanislav Grof also helped set-up a "Spiritual Emergency" hotline and advice center to help those encountering difficulties on the spiritual path. Got to be an improvement on the TMO's "something good is happening".
[FairfieldLife] Re: When meditation goes bad
The issue touched on in the linked article about those who return from a retreat (or a rounding course) to quotidian reality and find the adjustment hard to make actually raises an interesting question: the reason why the vast majority of humans pacing our city streets are *not* awakened, enlightened beings is that their low-level consciousness is perfectly adapted to the conditions of modern life. We need to shut out so much from awareness because otherwise we'd be inundated with signals we haven't time to process in our busy, anxious, over-stressed world. Perhaps those who hit the bottle or the tranquiliser pills are on to something . . .
[FairfieldLife] Cutting-edge science
From Lilly's The Center of the Cyclone: "Professor Bazett taught me this unequivocally. When he wanted to find out what the end organs (the sensitive endings within the skin) were, he performed experiments with a cold bath alternating with a hot bath to determine the temperature-sensitive endings in the foreskin of his penis. He marked these with ink, had himself circumcised and found through microscopic sectioning and staining techniques the end organs responsible for the sensations that he had recorded." Makes you wonder how many of today's scientists have the right stuff to expand our knowledge of the world!
[FairfieldLife] Re: 'Conscious Sedation'
Re " It begins with me taking two different sedative-hypnotics, an hour before the procedures, in the morning, on an empty stomach . . . The doctor came in, quickly gave me four shots of novocaine, into the left side of my mouth, then began sliding an IV into a vein on the top of my hand.": WTF!? When I've had root-canal treatment (or crowns) I was simply injected with a local anaesthetic. After a five-minute wait the dentist got on with it. (Maybe you had an abscessed tooth, which can up the ante?) For me the part of visiting the dentist I dread is when they clean my teeth. That electric tooth-polisher with the rotating circular pad always tickles my gums and tongue and I inevitably start giggling and spluttering. The dentist usually has to give up! On my way out I do get funny looks from the other anxious patients in the waiting area who probably read me as an S&M devotee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB7R0ZxNgC4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB7R0ZxNgC4 ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : No, it isn't the latest single by Paris Hilton. This is what the state of consciousness (SOC) is called, that I experienced, during my recent dental visit (two crowns and a root canal). It begins with me taking two different sedative-hypnotics, an hour before the procedures, in the morning, on an empty stomach. My wife drove me down to the oral surgery office. I was immediately led to a chair, and reclined. The doctor came in, quickly gave me four shots of novocaine, into the left side of my mouth, then began sliding an IV into a vein on the top of my hand. I remembered wanting to tell him how it didn't hurt, and then I was ...consciously sedated. The next thing I remember was staring at a large framed screen, like an Etch-A-Sketch, only it filled my vision, and the frame was a mix of art deco and futuristic. The entire thing looked like it had been spray-painted a matte gold. I stared at it a long time (10 minutes? 2 hours?), then hands began reaching into the screen, from the side. They were also colored gold. The perspective was like having eyes down my throat, looking up. I continued to come to, slowly, and could follow voice requests, to, "open wider". I was aware enough to determine linearity of my experience, but that was all. Afterwards, the doc said I fell asleep and was actually snoring. In addition, the hypnotics prevent the brain from forming memory pathways during the experience, so I literally have very, very little memory of an over three hour procedure. It happens again in a week, for the right side, sans root canal, thank God. PS It has been raining buckets all day long.
[FairfieldLife] Re: 'Conscious Sedation'
Re " It begins with me taking two different sedative-hypnotics, an hour before the procedures, in the morning, on an empty stomach . . . The doctor came in, quickly gave me four shots of novocaine, into the left side of my mouth, then began sliding an IV into a vein on the top of my hand.": WTF!? When I've had root-canal treatment (or crowns) I was simply injected with a local anaesthetic. After a five-minute wait the dentist got on with it. (Maybe you had an abscessed tooth, which can up the ante?) For me the part of visiting the dentist I dread is when they clean my teeth. That electric tooth-polisher with the rotating circular pad always tickles my gums and tongue and I inevitably start giggling and spluttering. The dentist usually has to give up! On my way out I do get funny looks from the other anxious patients in the waiting area who probably read me as an S&M devotee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB7R0ZxNgC4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB7R0ZxNgC4
[FairfieldLife] R.I.P. Acker Bilk
"Trad jazz" English clarinettist Acker Bilk "dropped the body" today. His Stranger on the Shore has to be a serious contender for the most-beautiful popular music release ever. (And the first No. 1 single in the US by a British artist!) Fantastic tear-jerker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jzx664u5DA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jzx664u5DA
[FairfieldLife] Re: R.I.P Jack Bruce
Yep another fave goes down. Bruce also co-wrote most of Cream's hits. This one still knocks me out . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hftgytmgQgE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hftgytmgQgE
[FairfieldLife] Re: Complete fabrications
Re " He already had Jemima Pittman at his beck and call and Jemima was a lot better looking in a sari. ": Ye Gods! I see that Jemima Pitman is now Raj Rajeshwari (Lady Administrator) for Great Britain. Must ask her for the saucy details next time we meet. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : On 11/2/2014 7:55 PM, curtisdeltablues@... mailto:curtisdeltablues@... [FairfieldLife] wrote: --In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, mailto:no_re...@yahoogroups.com wrote : should anyone be relatively new to this group it would be good to understand that at present it is full of complete fabrications about Maharishi. Stuff that is just completely manufactured with imaginative abandon, having no basis of any kind in reality. It would be a big waste of anyone time to bother to try counter it all. Do your own research before you believe anything you see here, it is almost entirely nonsense. and utterly dishonest. M: Excellent point. This link may help people trying to get the facts. > This book by Judith is almost a complete fabrication. The truth is that the Maharishi kicked Judith out for cheating on him with that Swedish guy - the guy that knocked her up - when she was supposed to be going with Mahesh. So, I don't blame him for ditching her after she broke up that guy's marriage and wrecked his family with three kids. I don't understand what a little guy like Mahesh would see in a big gal like that anyway. He already had Jemima Pittman at his beck and call and Jemima was a lot better looking in a sari. Go figure. > http://robesofsilkfeetofclay.com/ http://robesofsilkfeetofclay.com/
[FairfieldLife] Re: The More Proper Pronunciation of Maharishi
Re "Yet as with the proper mantra but with improper pronunciation also no wonder people go crazy. Care that you not mangle proper names in usage. ": Is English not your mother tongue? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Maharishi; in Sanskrit it is more correctly said, “Ma-ha-ri-shee”. More properly this decidedly is Not pronounced, Mahahorsie Ignorant Americans and many westerners not knowing any better use a hard “s” which is too often flat or broad and wrong. The Vedic is a softer “s”. The Vedic 'r' is retroflex too, which is very unAmerican. However, the seemingly affected version that one may hear around the TM movement which sounds somewhat European is more correct. Now, as like with bija mantras and properly adjusted pronunciation it is also important how you use the mantra. Yet as with the proper mantra but with improper pronunciation also no wonder people go crazy. Care that you not mangle proper names in usage. Jai Guru Dev, -Buck
Re: [FairfieldLife] early book on Maharishi
Re "Which came first: the deities or the concept of absolute and relative?": My mind has gone completely blank.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Slander
Re "It is against the FFL rules to slander someone.": Grammar police. "Slander" is defamation when speaking ill of someone. It's "Libel" when the slurs are printed.
[FairfieldLife] Exposed: Magicians, Psychics and Frauds
Free-to-view BBC documentary chronicling magician James Randi's debunking of faith healers, fortune tellers and psychics, including spoon-bender Uri Geller and tent-show evangelist Peter Popoff. Interesting. http://tinyurl.com/l2s7q9t http://tinyurl.com/l2s7q9t
[FairfieldLife] Re: Marshy Effect is REAL!!!
Old joke: Interviewer says to a voter: “If I put a gun to your head and told you to choose between the Democrats and the Republicans, what would you say?” Voter: “Pull the trigger.” ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : I take it all back - the Marshy Effect is really really real! This article is proof positive that the ME is alive and working overtime in Iowa!!! http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/03/joni-ernst-pig-castrator-iowa-win-senate-republicans?CMP=ema_565 http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/03/joni-ernst-pig-castrator-iowa-win-senate-republicans?CMP=ema_565 http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/03/joni-ernst-pig-castrator-iowa-win-senate-republicans?CMP=ema_565 Former pig castrator Joni Ernst poised to win Iowa Senat... http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/03/joni-ernst-pig-castrator-iowa-win-senate-republicans?CMP=ema_565 Republican once considered an obscure one-term state senator has the momentum in Iowa despite suffering the ridicule of her rivals View on www.theguardian.com http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/03/joni-ernst-pig-castrator-iowa-win-senate-republicans?CMP=ema_565 Preview by Yahoo
[FairfieldLife] Re: Exposed: Magicians, Psychics and Frauds
This documentary now posted to YouTube. Should work for FFLifers in the States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGceOvdyiS4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGceOvdyiS4
[FairfieldLife] Re: Exposed: Magicians, Psychics and Frauds
That last link on YouTube blocked by BBC! New post here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4LM5VpjJoQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4LM5VpjJoQ
[FairfieldLife] Iowa goes Red
Republicans take control of the Senate as Joni Ernst wins her seat. If you want to know what the future of America will be like imagine how it feels to be a castrated hog.
[FairfieldLife] Re: The first philosopher...
[FairfieldLife] Re: One for the real science nerds here (as opposed to faux science nerds)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nptDP35Tb0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nptDP35Tb0
[FairfieldLife] The USA today
Shocking footage showing what life is really like in the States. Enjoy your cup of hot snow . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJoQOQHQ8oA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJoQOQHQ8oA
[FairfieldLife] Re: The USA today
Turns out this video is a fake - still damned funny of course. The video, titled "How Americans Live Today," features an English voiceover purportedly translating the original Korean narration. The phony translation describes hyperbolic scenes of Americans being forced to live in tents and eating melted snow in order to survive. The man behind the farce? British travel writer Alun Hill, who doesn't speak a word of Korean. The original video from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency apparently depicts the failure of European democracy. The fact that it's so easy to take it as genuine is sufficient indictment of the regime.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Movie mini-review: "Interstellar"
Re "the real "lesson" being taught in this film is that humans are pretty much fucked unless some unspecified someone/something (be it alien or theistic) provides a mystical Woo Woo way to save us.": Which, interestingly, is also the message of 2001. One big difference between 2001 and this movie (judging by your comments) is that the characters in Interstellar have emotional issues whereas in 2001 the characters have no emotional affect at all - which is what helps give Kubrick's film a hypnotic quality. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : I've figured out one of the reasons I was not knocked out by the movie, BTW -- deus ex machina. Given the basic plot (which I will not reveal), the real "lesson" being taught in this film is that humans are pretty much fucked unless some unspecified someone/something (be it alien or theistic) provides a mystical Woo Woo way to save us. I think this is dumb, on pretty much all levels. It's like Nabby, waiting for Maitreya. It's a belief system that actually *prevents* humans from taking steps to save themselves. From: "Bhairitu noozguru@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, November 7, 2014 5:31 PM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Movie mini-review: "Interstellar" Having seen the trailer I thought of the film as another one of Warner Brothers "agenda" movies. This may well not pan out for WB because people are getting a little sick of being manipulated by such movies. But there may be enough bored people to get a good turnout at the box office this weekend even if they don't like the movie. WB is in deep shit and having to lay off people. But that's nothing as it is happening to a lot of major corporations. The foolish elite never learned the lessons that even Henry Ford knew that if you want to sell product the public better have money to buy it. The attempt of the global elite to turn the masses into chickens in coops hopefully will fail miserably. After all who are they to dictate to us how we should live? On 11/07/2014 02:20 AM, TurquoiseBee turquoiseb@... mailto:turquoiseb@... [FairfieldLife] wrote: I'm still trying to decide whether I liked this movie or not. It was certainly a visual treat, once we got past the visions of Earth As Neo-Dustbowl About To Die and out into space. And as I'd heard, it was certainly chock full 'o homages to "2001," not the least of which is a spaceship-docking scene that really rocked the socks off of "CGI state of the art." I guess my main reservation is that Christopher Nolan seems to have spent the lion's share of the movie trying to inspire in me a profound emotional reaction to the father-daughter story he spent so long developing, and none of that effort succeeded. If I was supposed to be all teary-eyed at the end, I wasn't. If I was supposed to be all inspired, I wasn't. And I can't really tell you why yet...I must ponder the film and think about it further and maybe I'll be able to come up with an answer. A minor part of the reason may have been that so many of the actors in the film -- Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine, John Lithgow, Matt Damon, and others -- seemed to MUMBLE their way through the entire film. I found myself constantly having to look at the subtitles (which for me were in Dutch) to figure out what they were saying. Go figure. The basic black hole plot was pretty intelligent SciFi, with few completely cringeworthy moments, but if I have to make excuses for a SciFi movie that was trying so desperately to grab me emotionally by saying that nothing struck me as terribly awful scientifically, something is just not quite right. I'll keep pondering it and try to come up with some reasons for why I'm as underwhelmed as I am... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePbKGoIGAXY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePbKGoIGAXY
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies
Re "Orange Sunshine was pretty mellow": I'll second that - though "mellow" when we're talking about acid is still pretty mind-blowing compared with, say, "pot" . . . One thing that strikes me about current perceptions of the sixties is that young people today are presented with two "narratives": 1) the mods/swinging London/Beatlemania/aren't-we-all-having-fun-now story - which has some truth to it; and 2) those self-congratulatory reminiscences in which veterans smugly relate how they paved the way for the rise of feminism/racial equality/PC - which also has something to be said for it. What's missing out is the fact that the late sixties/early seventies where actually pretty scary! You really felt that society was tearing itself apart and that all bets were off as far as the future was concerned. Still, that sense of possibility was invigorating! ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Orange Sunshine was pretty mellow, Owsley's Purple Haze was rather mind shattering and pure Sandoz very creepy. Psilocybin was hallucinogen without paranoia (LSD probably had that side effect due to stuff it was cut with). The drug I stayed away from was cocaine. I can thank Johnny Cash since he claimed it gave him a "deviated septum" and none us in my band wanted that. In 1970 I gave George Lucas a copy of "Autobiography of a Yogi" and he told me he was going to read it. Guess he did. On 11/07/2014 07:35 AM, Share Long sharelong60@... mailto:sharelong60@... [FairfieldLife] wrote: Richard, I was a long married, suburban housewife during the early hippie movement. Funnily enough, my hubby and I got our marijuana from a guy stationed at Ft. Meade! Go figger indeed. I was too scared to do LSD, thank God! From: "'Richard J. Williams' punditster@... mailto:punditster@... [FairfieldLife]" mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com To: Richard J. Williams mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, November 7, 2014 8:35 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] The Birth of the Hippies [1 Attachment] We attended class and listened to Stephen Gaskin every Monday evening for several months back in 1970. He gave lectures at the Family Dog and hundreds of people would gather to get high and listen to his words of wisdom. Gaskin is the first person to explain to me what karma means. A few weeks later I was able to use that word in a sentence talking to Travis Rivers about the SF Oracle newspaper. Stephen Gaskin, R.I.P. This was the early days when if you had read Yogananda's book you were considered to be advanced spiritually. By then I was reading Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines. Go figure. For those who were too young or weren't born yet, have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be in the first wave of hippies that crested in the late 1960s and early 70s? Here is a nice report: Stephen Gaskin leads the Monday Night Class at the Family Dog in 1970 (Photo: Gerald Wheeler) http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/07/holy_hippies_book_tells_story_of_1971_pot-fueled_b.php http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/07/holy_hippies_book_tells_story_of_1971_pot-fueled_b.php
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies
Re "Cocaine DEFINITELY sucks": Amen to that. Like you I only tried it a few times and the after-effects were a warning I heeded. Ditto speed. God knows what I'd have felt like after a methamphetamine binge (the drug of choice today) - pretty sure I'd be suicidal.
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies
Aldous Huxley quote (1931): "So far as I can see, the only possible new pleasure would be one derived from the invention of a new drug — of a more efficient and less harmful substitute for alcohol and cocaine. If I were a millionaire, I should endow a band of research workers to look for the ideal intoxicant. If we could sniff or swallow something that would, for five or six hours each day, abolish our solitude as individuals, atone us with our fellows in a glowing exaltation of affection and make life in all its aspects seem not only worth living, but divinely beautiful and significant, and if this heavenly, world-transfiguring drug were of such a kind that we could wake up next morning with a clear head and an undamaged constitution — then, it seems to me, all our problems (and not merely the one small problem of discovering a novel pleasure) would be wholly solved and earth would become paradise." Sounds great - but I suspect that humans are so constituted that changing our brains with chemicals is always going to have unwanted side-effects. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : I used to buy Ritalin over the counter, in Macau, and did a fair amount - Yuck. Couldn't get weed, but any big pharma drug was there for the taking. Bad situation. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Re "Cocaine DEFINITELY sucks": Amen to that. Like you I only tried it a few times and the after-effects were a warning I heeded. Ditto speed. God knows what I'd have felt like after a methamphetamine binge (the drug of choice today) - pretty sure I'd be suicidal.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Movie mini-review: "Interstellar"
Re "Putin could invade and take over Europe ": Putin is a prize dick all right. But isn't it more likely that a serious conflict would kick off in the Pacific with that moron in charge of North Korea, and with China and Japan squaring up to each other. Completely agree with you about the money thing. As the Americans already have all that hardware and expertise the least the Europeans could do is up the amount of cash they give to NATO. Although, as the chart below shows, the UK, France, Germany and Italy together spend more than twice what Russia spends on defence. And Russia's military equipment is hopelessly outdated and badly maintained - though Hitler made that same (mis)calculation! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures Rank Country Spending ($ Bn.) % ofGDP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal) World share (%) World total 1747.0 2.4 100 3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia Russia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armed_Forces_of_the_Russian_Federation 87.8 4.1 5.0 5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Armed_Forces 61.2 2.2 3.5 6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom UK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Armed_Forces 57.9 2.3 3.3 7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany Germany http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundeswehr 48.8 1.4 2.8 11 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy Italy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Armed_Forces 32.7 1.6 1.9 ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : On 11/7/2014 10:38 AM, TurquoiseBee turquoiseb@... mailto:turquoiseb@... [FairfieldLife] wrote: It's like Nabby, waiting for Maitreya. It's a belief system that actually *prevents* humans from taking steps to save themselves. > Non sequitur. The truth is, you are screwed if you are living in Europe. Putin could invade and take over Europe in a few weeks if he wanted to and there's nothing anyone could do about it, short of starting WW III. Because the Europeans wouldn't pay for their own defense they are now dependent on the U.S. to protect them. But, for how long - it's been almost 70 years since we came over there to liberate Europe - how long can the U.S. be expected to be their protector? Maybe it's time for Europe to pay it's own way so we can bring our troops home. "In one form or another, these states are preparing for war. Eventually, one or many – but most likely the Poles – are going to push back against Russian aggression in Ukraine..." 'While Americans Mull Over the Election, Other Countries Prepare for War' http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2014/11/07/While-Americans-Mull-Over-Election-Others-Prepare-War http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2014/11/07/While-Americans-Mull-Over-Election-Others-Prepare-War
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies
Re the comments about Huxley and meditation: yes he knew all about the different styles of meditation but towards the end of his life (alongside his continuing interest in psychedelics) he came to advocate Jiddu Krishnamurti's teaching as being more helpful than structured meditation sessions. In his last novel Island the mynah birds are trained to repeat "Attention" and "Here and Now". “Here and now, boys,” the bird repeated yet once more, then fluttered down from its perch on the dead tree and settled on her shoulder. The child peeled another banana, gave two-thirds of it to Will and offered what remained to the mynah. “Is that your bird?” Will asked. She shook her head. “Mynahs are like the electric light,” she said. “They don’t belong to anybody.” “Why does he say those things?” “Because somebody taught him,” she answered patiently. What an ass! her tone seemed to imply. “But why did they teach him those things? Why ‘Attention’? Why ‘Here and now’?” “Well …” She searched for the right words in which to explain the self-evident to this strange imbecile. “That’s what you always forget, isn’t it? I mean, you forget to pay attention to what’s happening. And that’s the same as not being here and now.” “And the mynahs fly about reminding you—is that it?” She nodded. That, of course, was it. There was a silence.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Speaking of Afterlives...
Re "I always read the one-star reviews on Amazon.com first which usually reveals whether the author of the review is coherent or a raving maniac. A bad review reveals whether the author of the review, who does not like the book gives reasons for not liking it beyond simply not liking it or not understanding it.": You have exactly described my own modus operandi. Saved me a lot of wasted time and money. The reviews that drive me bat-shit crazy are those five-star ones in which all the reviewer tells us is: "I bought the book as a present for my brother and he loved it" "The book arrived quickly and was in good condition and well packaged" "I haven't read it yet but I loved the movie and I'm sure it will be fantastic".
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies
Re "The last line is quite literally magic.": *Exactly* what I thought when I copied it in! Off-topic, but re our exchange about 2001:a Space Odyssey: on a radio show today devoted to film-soundtrack music the movie came up for discussion and the presenter mentioned that whereas silence is rare in film (as the sounds of popcorn-munching audiences detract from the illusion) in 2001 Kubrick dared to allow long periods of quiet - which also contributes to that hypnotic element I mentioned. Here's a quote from the web on that subject: "The first spoken word is almost a half hour into the film, and there's less than 40 minutes of dialogue in the entire film (duration 161 minutes). Much of the film is in dead silence (accurately depicting the absence of sound in space), or with the sound of human breathing within a spacesuit." ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Thanks for finding this. Lovely passage, perfectly written. The last line is quite literally magic. From: "s3raphita@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, November 8, 2014 5:48 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies Re the comments about Huxley and meditation: yes he knew all about the different styles of meditation but towards the end of his life (alongside his continuing interest in psychedelics) he came to advocate Jiddu Krishnamurti's teaching as being more helpful than structured meditation sessions. In his last novel Island the mynah birds are trained to repeat "Attention" and "Here and Now". “Here and now, boys,” the bird repeated yet once more, then fluttered down from its perch on the dead tree and settled on her shoulder. The child peeled another banana, gave two-thirds of it to Will and offered what remained to the mynah. “Is that your bird?” Will asked. She shook her head. “Mynahs are like the electric light,” she said. “They don’t belong to anybody.” “Why does he say those things?” “Because somebody taught him,” she answered patiently. What an ass! her tone seemed to imply. “But why did they teach him those things? Why ‘Attention’? Why ‘Here and now’?” “Well …” She searched for the right words in which to explain the self-evident to this strange imbecile. “That’s what you always forget, isn’t it? I mean, you forget to pay attention to what’s happening. And that’s the same as not being here and now.” “And the mynahs fly about reminding you—is that it?” She nodded. That, of course, was it. There was a silence.
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies
"Also anyone who believes that Huxley was advocating the world depicted in Brave New world should read his prologue to Brave New World Revisited. BNW was a warning not a plan.": Yes, but . . . Orwell's 1984 was a warning - no one ever wanted to create that kind of set-up. Brave New World is also a warning - but what makes it on the button is that people *do* want to create many aspects of that society. Because being beautiful, staying young, having lots of guilt-free sex, relaxing with side-effect free soma drugs, etc, etc does have *some* attraction if you are human and are plain-looking, feeling the effects of age, inhibited sexually and getting anxious. Because Huxley was also a human being he shared those fantasies and his attitude towards his Brave New World was more nuanced than people usually understand. The crux is this: if you *did* suddenly find yourself living in that very BNW (let's say younger and more becoming than you are in reality!) and you were given the choice of being tele-transported back to your current situation in 2014 would you return?
[FairfieldLife] Re: Remember The Future
To respond in kind: here's a (previously obscure) Yank singer who was found busking in Paris but became a star here in the UK after this appearance on British TV. Seasick Steve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNoPNC3ebYQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNoPNC3ebYQ
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies
"The right to be unhappy." At the 2:47:38 to the 2:48:36 mark the man from our future explains to the hippy the error of his ways . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek5vse2_Aq0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek5vse2_Aq0
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies
Re "But if you know Amsterdam at all, can you imagine what *it* will be like in the future? I can. ": As Theo van Gogh and Pim Fortuyn were both murdered for expressing robust views about Islam will your projected novel feature a race war? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Having finished one big project recently and looking for another, I am toying with taking advantage of where I live and writing a scifi story set in a Blade Runner-ish future...but in Amsterdam. We got to see what L.A. had evolved (or devolved) into in "Blade Runner." But if you know Amsterdam at all, can you imagine what *it* will be like in the future? I can. :-) From: "Bhairitu noozguru@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2014 6:09 PM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies If you were writing science fiction what would you be writing these days? On 11/08/2014 11:51 PM, salyavin808 wrote: Cheers, there's a lot of my faves there and a few new ones that I haven't tried. And a couple of those are now on the way to me! ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, mailto:turquoiseb@... wrote : Try this site: http://bestsciencefictionbooks.com/top-25-best-science-fiction-books.php http://bestsciencefictionbooks.com/top-25-best-science-fiction-books.php
[FairfieldLife] Re: A Scientist Reviews Three Types of Meditation
Re "There's not a single person here that'd even test out my imaginings": I'm game! A while back I posted details on FFL of a variant on "TM" that involved effortlessly allowing one's awareness to come back to a relaxed focus of attention (instead of to a mantra/syllable/thought) that I had tried and found effective - though not as effective as using a mantra. I got shouted down! Have you ever come across a meditation technique that is simultaneously as effective as TM and as easy? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Only three ways, eh? Scientist? I have written at length about edifying ways to use the mind -- over a 100 times by my count -- each time a different "technique." And I could do a thousand more. But, seeing as there's not a single person here that'd even test out my imaginings, hey, lucky me, cuz now I don't have to try to teach. I loves me some preachin', but teaching is a chore. No sense even handing out the text books in this class. The strange thing is that I like David's vibe. It's hard to grudge jab at him. I think he's a very successful true believer -- found a way to explain his lifestyle to himself, and not too bothered about how inept his explanation might be to FFLers.
[FairfieldLife] Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape
Although I'm not really a fan of Brian Cox, this BBC documentary (shown tonight, in which he's joined by actor Brian Blessed and scientist Alice Roberts) in which he plays clips of his TV idols from both science fiction and science fact (Bronowski/Feynman/Sagan/etc) is both charming and engaging. If the link I provide to the Beeb website doesn't work for US FFLifers I'm sure the episode will be posted on YouTube shortly - just be patient and search for "Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape" . http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04kzmmk/brian-cox-space-time-videotape http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04kzmmk/brian-cox-space-time-videotape
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies
I forgot! Vlodrop, Holland, is the former residence of Maharishi and is a capital of the Global Country of World Peace. Of course, nothing but peace and love can emanate from the Netherlands . . . Please, please, please, drop in on Vlodrop and let the residents there know, in no uncertain terms, what you think of the current state of the TMO. Then report back to us on how the true believers received you. PS: Children of Men is a great movie. The two scenes where Clive Owen and co are in danger and try to escape by car are masterpieces of heart-thumping film. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : No, because I do not consider it at all likely that a race war will actually erupt here. I am very attuned to the "immigration issue" wherever it takes place in Europe, and my assessment is that the Netherlands does the best job of any country I've been in so far in terms of helping immigrants to "fit in" and, more important, *feel like* they're "fitting in." I would imagine race wars to be more an issue all over the UK and in France rather than here. I remember being in Dublin with my brother and we went to see Alfonso Cuarón http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0190859/'s "Children Of Men" in a theater there, and realizing about halfway through the movie (which is a dystopian view of immigrants being rounded up all over the UK and "sent back where they came from") that we were sitting in an abnormally quiet theater. I looked around, and found that most of the people in the theater were immigrants. They were quiet because they realized that in Ireland they were possibly looking at their "near future," not some faraway "scifi future." I could be all wrong about this, of course. But I live and interact with immigrants every day. In my current Dutch class, I'm the only person from the US. The others are from all over the globe. Many are originally from Islamic countries. All feel Dutch. Go figure. From: "s3raphita@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2014 7:12 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies Re "But if you know Amsterdam at all, can you imagine what *it* will be like in the future? I can. ": As Theo van Gogh and Pim Fortuyn were both murdered for expressing robust views about Islam will your projected novel feature a race war? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Having finished one big project recently and looking for another, I am toying with taking advantage of where I live and writing a scifi story set in a Blade Runner-ish future...but in Amsterdam. We got to see what L.A. had evolved (or devolved) into in "Blade Runner." But if you know Amsterdam at all, can you imagine what *it* will be like in the future? I can. :-) From: "Bhairitu noozguru@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2014 6:09 PM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: The Birth of the Hippies If you were writing science fiction what would you be writing these days? On 11/08/2014 11:51 PM, salyavin808 wrote: Cheers, there's a lot of my faves there and a few new ones that I haven't tried. And a couple of those are now on the way to me! ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, mailto:turquoiseb@... wrote : Try this site: http://bestsciencefictionbooks.com/top-25-best-science-fiction-books.php http://bestsciencefictionbooks.com/top-25-best-science-fiction-books.php
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Faces I Can Look Forward to Seeing Every Day
My father was in the Foreign Office so my experience with pets was that we'd have a dog to play with for a couple of years and then when my dad was posted to a new country my last sight of my beloved hound would be its hurt, forlorn expression as it was driven off in the car of his new owners. Alas, Keo, loyal and faithful friend! It was not me who chose to abandon you! Not recommended, unless you want to induce life-long trauma into your children's psyches . . . ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Maybe think about the life you are giving them as opposed to the life they might have if you don't give them a home. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : I grew up in a petless household because my family's experiment in dog ownership ended before my time when George Washington, a dachshund, grew ornery after my sister kept trying to ride him. My only experience with pet ownership was the 16 years that our household was dominated by cats, and that came to a tragic end, 13 months ago, when we had to put down our most beloved kitty. What's especially sad is that of our 16 years with her, what stands out the most in my memory of her is her final months of declining health. As cute and lovable as those dogs look, all I can think of is the unbelievable pain and heartbreak you will experience when they die. Honestly, I don't understand how people can put themselves through that, pet after pet after pet. This has been Depressing Thoughts, by Alex Stanley Ahh yes, the subject of pet ownership. All I can really say is that it is still worth the sadness at the end of things. Sometimes they die slowly and sometimes they die fast and too young But these little creatures fill one's life with big and small events every single day. Sometimes you find yourself dreading the end, whatever form that end might take, well before it ever happens and then you catch yourself and scold that part of you that isn't loving the present because one is already anticipating the future. I have a particular favorite in my pack of 4 dogs and she is already 12 and we have been through paralysis and back surgery with her ($13K worth of vet bills later) and she is my doting and giving companion who carries my gloves up from the arena after a ride and who takes my ball cap off my head to carry it into where it is hung and who comes to work with me every day to lie next to me for 8 uncomplaining hours and who climbs up onto the bed to lie at my feet all night and who I will, inevitably, have to watch die. It will rip the very heart out of where it beats in me and I will feel bereft and gutted. That is how it is. When you love as deeply as I do for my animals then you have to pay the price when they go. Every time they do they take a piece of me with them just as every time another one shows up in my life they bring a little piece back.
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Faces I Can Look Forward to Seeing Every Day
Re "A small death every time.": Yes, but also your first inkling of what love can be. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : My father was in the Foreign Office so my experience with pets was that we'd have a dog to play with for a couple of years and then when my dad was posted to a new country my last sight of my beloved hound would be its hurt, forlorn expression as it was driven off in the car of his new owners. Alas, Keo, loyal and faithful friend! It was not me who chose to abandon you! Not recommended, unless you want to induce life-long trauma into your children's psyches . . . Terrible for you. Terrible for them. A small death every time. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Maybe think about the life you are giving them as opposed to the life they might have if you don't give them a home. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : I grew up in a petless household because my family's experiment in dog ownership ended before my time when George Washington, a dachshund, grew ornery after my sister kept trying to ride him. My only experience with pet ownership was the 16 years that our household was dominated by cats, and that came to a tragic end, 13 months ago, when we had to put down our most beloved kitty. What's especially sad is that of our 16 years with her, what stands out the most in my memory of her is her final months of declining health. As cute and lovable as those dogs look, all I can think of is the unbelievable pain and heartbreak you will experience when they die. Honestly, I don't understand how people can put themselves through that, pet after pet after pet. This has been Depressing Thoughts, by Alex Stanley Ahh yes, the subject of pet ownership. All I can really say is that it is still worth the sadness at the end of things. Sometimes they die slowly and sometimes they die fast and too young But these little creatures fill one's life with big and small events every single day. Sometimes you find yourself dreading the end, whatever form that end might take, well before it ever happens and then you catch yourself and scold that part of you that isn't loving the present because one is already anticipating the future. I have a particular favorite in my pack of 4 dogs and she is already 12 and we have been through paralysis and back surgery with her ($13K worth of vet bills later) and she is my doting and giving companion who carries my gloves up from the arena after a ride and who takes my ball cap off my head to carry it into where it is hung and who comes to work with me every day to lie next to me for 8 uncomplaining hours and who climbs up onto the bed to lie at my feet all night and who I will, inevitably, have to watch die. It will rip the very heart out of where it beats in me and I will feel bereft and gutted. That is how it is. When you love as deeply as I do for my animals then you have to pay the price when they go. Every time they do they take a piece of me with them just as every time another one shows up in my life they bring a little piece back.
[FairfieldLife] Re: The Faces I Can Look Forward to Seeing Every Day
Even five minutes of loving can make an hour of no love disappear into the present of the loving. What a beautiful thought! ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : What is funny Ann, is that this dog, looks just like my neighbor's dog who is my favorite, and the most special of their three dogs. She was rescued from a crack house by their son, who is a police officer. They named her Mary Jane, and she has herding instincts. Before that was Dutchess, the husky mix who died, and before that was Heidi. The problem is that they keep the dogs outside, all the time, except when it is bitterly cold, so they only seem to live six years, or so. It is not for me to interfere. I am the treat neighbor who gives them fresh roasted (non spiced) chicken treats at least once a day, and prolonged petting. Sometimes even take them for walks. You're a good man Steve. Do what you can. The fact that you care is not a wasted thing. Even five minutes of loving can make an hour of no love disappear into the present of the loving. No small act of kindness is ever wasted. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Maybe think about the life you are giving them as opposed to the life they might have if you don't give them a home. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : I grew up in a petless household because my family's experiment in dog ownership ended before my time when George Washington, a dachshund, grew ornery after my sister kept trying to ride him. My only experience with pet ownership was the 16 years that our household was dominated by cats, and that came to a tragic end, 13 months ago, when we had to put down our most beloved kitty. What's especially sad is that of our 16 years with her, what stands out the most in my memory of her is her final months of declining health. As cute and lovable as those dogs look, all I can think of is the unbelievable pain and heartbreak you will experience when they die. Honestly, I don't understand how people can put themselves through that, pet after pet after pet. This has been Depressing Thoughts, by Alex Stanley Ahh yes, the subject of pet ownership. All I can really say is that it is still worth the sadness at the end of things. Sometimes they die slowly and sometimes they die fast and too young But these little creatures fill one's life with big and small events every single day. Sometimes you find yourself dreading the end, whatever form that end might take, well before it ever happens and then you catch yourself and scold that part of you that isn't loving the present because one is already anticipating the future. I have a particular favorite in my pack of 4 dogs and she is already 12 and we have been through paralysis and back surgery with her ($13K worth of vet bills later) and she is my doting and giving companion who carries my gloves up from the arena after a ride and who takes my ball cap off my head to carry it into where it is hung and who comes to work with me every day to lie next to me for 8 uncomplaining hours and who climbs up onto the bed to lie at my feet all night and who I will, inevitably, have to watch die. It will rip the very heart out of where it beats in me and I will feel bereft and gutted. That is how it is. When you love as deeply as I do for my animals then you have to pay the price when they go. Every time they do they take a piece of me with them just as every time another one shows up in my life they bring a little piece back.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape
Brian and Alice have made some of the best science TV Yes, Alice Roberts is a relative newcomer but has already impressed me - she's as sharp as a tack and obviously thinks for herself rather than following the crowd. Re the clips shown: the Bronowski footage (at Auschwitz) was extraordinary. I've never seen his Ascent of Man but I see it's now available on YouTube so will catch it there. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Although I'm not really a fan of Brian Cox, this BBC documentary (shown tonight, in which he's joined by actor Brian Blessed and scientist Alice Roberts) in which he plays clips of his TV idols from both science fiction and science fact (Bronowski/Feynman/Sagan/etc) is both charming and engaging. If the link I provide to the Beeb website doesn't work for US FFLifers I'm sure the episode will be posted on YouTube shortly - just be patient and search for "Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape" . http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04kzmmk/brian-cox-space-time-videotape http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04kzmmk/brian-cox-space-time-videotape Loved it. It seemed to be over in a flash which is a good sign. I could watch those two natter about stuff all day. I think that between them, Brian and Alice have made some of the best science TV, I shudder to think what'll happen if the BBC loses it's funding and has to compete in the market place and hit a lower common denominator than at present. I think Brian must have been a genuine child prodigy to have understood James Burke, I've got a couple of years on him and my brain died under the intellectual onslaught of Burke's "Connections" series. They should repeat it. In fact, there should be a channel devoted to old programmes like that. There are plenty of channels showing old cop shows and crap comedy stuff. I might start a campaign for more Burke, maybe I'll understand it this time. Or maybe not... Update: Every episode of Connections is on Youtube so I can watch it later
[FairfieldLife] Re: Summary of Scientific Research on Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation and Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi Program
In the article it says: "TM was more effective in reducing mild hypertension than . . . progressive muscular relaxation, a pseudo-meditation procedure (which attempted to imitate the TM technique) . . . ": Progressive muscular relaxation has been used in therapy for a long, long time and therapists who utilised it were *not* attempting to imitate the TM technique or pretending to advocate a "pseudo-meditation procedure". It is exactly what it describes itself as - progressive muscular relaxation. Its continuing use suggests that some people do find it helpful. Re TMO claims that TM has such benefits as reducing blood pressure (and "mild" hypertension at that) I wonder how scientific these claims are. Were they carrying out double-blind tests? Is the lowered blood pressure (in those cases where it happens) to be explained by the simple fact that the sort of people who take up meditation are more likely than a random sample of the population to not be heavy drinkers/smokers/couch potatoes/junk food dieters/ . . . ? (Correlation does not imply causation.) ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Despite the fear of raising anyones blood pressure: TM Research Summary - David W. Orme-Johnson, Ph.D. http://www.truthabouttm.org/truth/TMResearch/TMResearchSummary/index.cfm http://www.truthabouttm.org/truth/TMResearch/TMResearchSummary/index.cfm TM Research Summary - David W. Orme-Johnson, ... http://www.truthabouttm.org/truth/TMResearch/TMResearchSummary/index.cfm Summary of Scientific Research on Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation and Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi Program by Dr. Roger Chalmers Dr View on www.truthabouttm.org http://www.truthabouttm.org/truth/TMResearch/TMResearchSummary/index.cfm Preview by Yahoo
[FairfieldLife] Re: Incredible
Modern art tends to be a turn off for me but this artistic installation entitled Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red has seen the Tower of London's dry moat filled with over 800,000 ceramic poppies (888,246 poppies to be exact - one for each British and Colonial fatality during the War) to create a powerful visual commemoration for the First World War Centenary. It's been an amazing success, attracting huge crowds, as it is both simple and moving. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Look what they've done in England to commemorate the fact that humans insist on war and much blood has been shed. But also see how creative and beautiful this memorial to the horrendous losses can be. Stunning.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Violent U.S. crime drops again, reaches 1970s level - FBI
And why the drop? The article mentions the United States having the highest rate of imprisonment in the world; an aging population; increased use of security cameras; and the pervasive use of mobile phones to take videos. (Some experts have claimed the rise in abortion has reduced numbers being born into the underclass.) Though your link is to an official TMO site I see it doesn't specifically mention the "Maharishi Effect". Perhaps they don't need to as they expect their readers to automatically attribute any good news to greater coherence thanks to the TM-sidhi program. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. violent crimes including murders fell 4.4 percent in 2013 to their lowest number since the 1970s, continuing a decades-long downturn, the FBI said on Monday. World Peace News: Top Stories http://www.globalgoodnews.com/world-peace-a.html?art=14156607629207165 http://www.globalgoodnews.com/world-peace-a.html?art=14156607629207165 World Peace News: Top Stories http://www.globalgoodnews.com/world-peace-a.html?art=14156607629207165 Inspiring News About World Peace From Around the World View on www.globalgoodnews... http://www.globalgoodnews.com/world-peace-a.html?art=14156607629207165 Preview by Yahoo
[FairfieldLife] Re: Synphony of Silence
Thanks for drawing our attention to this title. Judging from the Amazon preview and comments this book looks like it is going to be uncritical and too accepting of the received wisdom within the TMO (alas). But it also clearly goes beyond the rather tiresome, brief, anecdotal stories that usually feature in books like this - all enthusiasm and no reflection. Rather, it has contributors that have actually given some thought to their experiences. I'll definitely be buying it. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : just one the many books that have come out recently showing the incredible depth of Maharishi's knowledge and likewise the profound enlightenment of so many of those who have continued with the spiritual practices he taught them: http://www.amazon.com/Symphony-Silence-An-Enlightened-Vision/dp/1477459286/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=14ENFA3BEH8SG2C3FD0V http://www.amazon.com/Symphony-Silence-An-Enlightened-Vision/dp/1477459286/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=14ENFA3BEH8SG2C3FD0V
[FairfieldLife] Re: Violent U.S. crime drops again, reaches 1970s level - FBI
Here's a camera that can be hidden anywhere Sounds like a peeping Tom's dream come true. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MIFbb0LBXI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MIFbb0LBXI
[FairfieldLife] Re: On the way!
Re "Here is the sound. Can anyone figure it out?": It's Hawkwind for gawds-sake! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPISXvQwm_E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPISXvQwm_E
[FairfieldLife] Married . . . with Children
Mary Magdalene was a "co-messiah", the wife of Jesus and the mother of his children, according to a translation of an ancient manuscript. http://tinyurl.com/mhb2j8b http://tinyurl.com/mhb2j8b
[FairfieldLife] Re: Incredible
Re "I think it is so easy to forget what has been sacrificed for certain freedoms and also for stupid reasons": Sainsbury has produced a Christmas TV ad based on the actual occasion in 1914 when Brit and German troops fraternized on Christmas Day, 1914. It's attracted criticism for exploiting the event for commercial reasons but it seems rather a sweet clip to me. Bars of chocolate (mimicking the design of the one featured in the ad) will be sold in Sainsbury stores with all profits going to veterans' charities. What do you make of it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM
[FairfieldLife] Re: Incredible
Don't forget the Russians! They bore the brunt of the fighting. Civilian and military deaths exceeding 20 million - doesn't bear thinking about. But, yes, good on the Yanks. And they and the Brits were also taking on the Japanese Empire at the same time. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Dream on, without the americans you'd be lost. Or saved, depending on your POW. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ""We shouldn't feel too bad tomorrow if Germany beat us at our national sport. After all, we've twice beaten them at theirs" It seems Sally has forgotten that without the americans engaging in the war the brits would speak german with a funny accent today. Yeah, we got a few colonists to help out, but we'd have been alright though. Fight them on the beaches and all that...
[FairfieldLife] Re: Netherlands: the crime of questioning
Like you I hate "hate speech" laws. There are laws already in place against incitement which can deal with anyone who held aloft a burning brand and said: "Follow me lads and let's incinerate the synagogue". If someone is not advocating violence they should be free to say what they like without having their collar felt by the boys in blue. Wilders thinks that Muslim immigration into the Netherlands is a potential threat; Barry thinks that there is nothing to worry about. Here's an idea: why don't Wilders and Barry have an open debate about the issue? We can listen to what they both have to say and decide for ourselves whose view makes the most sense. I've sometimes idly thought about whether terrorism could ever be justified. (No - WTC assaults or indiscriminately exploding bombs in public spaces are *never* acceptable.) But what about targetted assassinations of agents of the state - magistrates, policemen, politicians . . ? Could that ever be justifiable? I came to the conclusion that in only one case could such terrorism be acceptable: when the individual was forbidden to express his opinions. To submit to a law which proclaimed that you were not allowed to say what you passionately believed in would be to accept being a slave. If anyone tried to stop me from saying what I thought I'd slit their throat from ear to ear. That'll learn 'em. These hate-crime laws are essentially thought-crime laws. If you regard a religion (for example) as "idiotic" then you're implying that an adherent of said religion is an idiot so could be prosecuted for "incitement of popular hatred". And as far as old-skool prejudice goes (blacks/Jews/gays/women), why not let someone make a fool of himself - or damn herself out of her own mouth? We're better off bringing the bigots into the light of day. (Batten down the hatches for troll attack.) ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Netherlands: When the Questions Become the Crime http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4819/netherlands-free-speech http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4819/netherlands-free-speech Netherlands: When the Questions Become the Crime http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4819/netherlands-free-speech More problematic is that it reaches a point where discussion or debate is impossible because the questions themselves become a crime. Such law... View on www.gatestoneinsti... http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4819/netherlands-free-speech Preview by Yahoo
[FairfieldLife] Re: Comet up close!
Re "I'm afraid the American technology is these instances is a tad superior. Look at the current Mars mission, if you want to see how it plays out best.": India's space programme has succeeded at the first attempt where others have failed - by sending an operational mission to Mars. The Mangalyaan satellite mission has been budgeted at $74 million, which, by Western standards, is staggeringly cheap. The American Maven orbiter to the Red Planet is costing almost 10 times as much. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : This is what a comet looks like when you are sitting on it:
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Married . . . with Children
Re "The Church has placed at the pinnacle of worship, a woman who became a mother without having sex. I don't think the message is very subtle!": Nice one Share! ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : John, basically the Church has placed at the pinnacle of worship, a woman who became a mother without having sex. I don't think the message is very subtle! From: "jr_esq@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2014 8:55 PM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Married . . . with Children Share, From what I've seen, Catholic women are having sex and children. So, what's wrong with that? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : John, imo the problem with the Virgin Mary is that by being both a virgin and a mother, she is used to denigrate feminine sexuality. Not healthy, to say the least. A cool book I read about Mary stated that she and her parents were Essenes. From: "jr_esq@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2014 1:11 PM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Married . . . with Children Share, We should all keep a close eye on what Pope Francis is saying these days. Some reporters have stated that Pope Francis believes the Virgin Mary is equal to God and that Jesus has been demoted. If true, that would really shake all of the Christian Churches. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Richard and John, imo, what we're seeing now is patriarchal spirituality in its death throes and the re emergence of the feminine divine as co creator. Plus which there may have been another Mary, one who was a prostitute. Or maybe these various Marys, virgin, wife and prostitute are aspects of the collective psyche. From: "'Richard J. Williams' punditster@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2014 6:13 AM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Married . . . with Children On 11/13/2014 1:43 AM, jr_esq@... mailto:jr_esq@... [FairfieldLife] wrote: > This idea is similar to the plot in the Da Vinci Code novel. > For nearly 2,000 years, Mary Magdalene was believed to be a prostitute who repented and became a disciple of Jesus, but, the truth about her is finally emerging. She was almost certainly not a prostitute, but a wealthy woman whose support helped early Christianity to survive. Mary Magdalene could have been Jesus' concubine or even his wife. The Bible doesn't say what her realtionship was with Jesus except that she was a devoted follower and supporter. The early Gnostic Gospels have no hesitation describing the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus. The death of Jesus could have been a plot to deceive the authorities. Maybe it was a robber that was hung on the cross and maybe Jesus escaped with Mary to go live in France. Go figure. Read more: 'Venus in Sackcloth' by Marjorie Malvern Penguin, 1995 > That leaves the people to ask: who were the descendants of Jesus and Mary, and where are they now? Also, the involvement of Mary Magdalene as "co-messiah" would completely change the present Christian theology. As such, I believe the orthodoxy would completely reject the validity of the manuscript. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, mailto:s3raphita@... wrote : Mary Magdalene was a "co-messiah", the wife of Jesus and the mother of his children, according to a translation of an ancient manuscript. http://tinyurl.com/mhb2j8b http://tinyurl.com/mhb2j8b
[FairfieldLife] Re: Chemical-psychology -- now this is my kind of research!
Interesting (really!). Re the original experiment that showed a "readiness potential" occurs in the human brain just before ‘spontaneous’ actions. In fact, this brain event happens even before we are aware of deciding to act.: Well yes, but as many critics have pointed out the kinds of decisions that were being monitored were pretty trivial (eg, choosing whether or not to flex a finger). It didn't involve the kind of hard thinking you'd have to do if you were deciding whether to get married or make a career change. On a more philosophical point: suppose it is true that your brain decides things and you only become aware of what "you've" already decided to do a second or so later? It is still *you* - your deeper self/your unconscious - that made that decision. So what if your conscious self only learns what choice you freely decided upon slightly later? The original research is intriguing but not as world shattering as the scientists involved are claiming. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/neuroskeptic/2014/11/12/rats-free-will/#.VGVxi_nF-Sp http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/neuroskeptic/2014/11/12/rats-free-will/#.VGVxi_nF-Sp
[FairfieldLife] Re: Gorgeous Mosques
Very trippy. I've always preferred the spacious interiors of mosques with their absence of distracting clutter to churches or synagogues or what-you-will. It's as though you yourself have to expand subjectively to fill the void you are placed within; and when the architecture and colours are as seductive as in these photos you feel you are in good hands and can let go safely. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : These are breathtaking, gorgeous, eye of God creations! Thanks for the link - ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : http://culture.viralnova.com/mosque-ceiling/?np=4&ns=14313 http://culture.viralnova.com/mosque-ceiling/?np=4&ns=14313
[FairfieldLife] Re: emergence
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Nice how the light in the sky, the backlit clouds create a dramatic silhouette of the trees. What diversity we are surrounded with. Everywhere you look there is so much worth seeing. I often find myself gazing at the sky to take a break from the claustrophobia of city life! TO one who has been long in city pent, ’Tis very sweet to look into the fair And open face of heaven,—to breathe a prayer Full in the smile of the blue firmament. Who is more happy, when, with hearts content, Fatigued he sinks into some pleasant lair Of wavy grass, and reads a debonair And gentle tale of love and languishment? Returning home at evening, with an ear Catching the notes of Philomel,—an eye Watching the sailing cloudlet’s bright career, He mourns that day so soon has glided by: E’en like the passage of an angel’s tear That falls through the clear ether silently. (Keats)
[FairfieldLife] Re: Netherlands: the crime of questioning
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : While I may agree that trying to stifle free speech is a bad idea, it's good for people to know that this particular Ass Clown has as much credibility in the Netherlands as the now-dead leader of the Westboro Baptist Church did in America. When he supposedly innocently asked "Do you want more Moroccans?" it was *intended* to incite hatred, as he has done more overtly on many other occasions. The question was as "innocent" as asking "Have you stopped beating your wife?" Yes, but the issue is: who decides whether or not Wilders is an Ass Clown; who decides whether or not he has any credibility; who decides whether or not he's inciting hatred? I say that I'll decide for myself, thank you very much. I don't want the state, the law and the police deciding for me. That's why hate-speech laws are essentially illiberal. The Netherlands definitely has a few bigots and Ass Clowns like this one, but *on the whole* common sense tends to win out in the end. It's just that the Ass Clowns capture news headlines and make it seem as if they are more important and more numerous than they are. From: "emptybill@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, November 14, 2014 2:05 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Netherlands: the crime of questioning Netherlands: When the Questions Become the Crime http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4819/netherlands-free-speech http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4819/netherlands-free-speech Netherlands: When the Questions Become the Crime http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4819/netherlands-free-speech More problematic is that it reaches a point where discussion or debate is impossible because the questions themselves become a crime. Such law... View on www.gatestoneinsti... http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4819/netherlands-free-speech Preview by Yahoo
[FairfieldLife] Re: Chemical-psychology -- now this is my kind of research!
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : The research mattered to me, because they were seeing that there's a difference between consciousness and awareness -- BIOCHEMICALLY SPEAKING. This to me is major. To pursue this line of exploration could yield some clear proofs that awareness is ooga-booga that none-the-less 100% controls ALL processes anywhere WITHOUT ANY INSTRUMENTALITY. Pure magic. "Trivial" decisions are use for experimenting, because they can be controlled for variables. The "hard thinking" you're putting on the table differs by degree not kind. Of the thousands of thoughts one might have before asking someone to marry one, all were, presumably, based upon the same mechanisms. Free will can't be said to be "present" if consciousness is absent. For instance, a person in a coma might thrash around and break a vase next to the bed -- by your reckoning, that was a mindful act.and same deal for tons of other examples which folks will disavow as "my purposeful act." And what of all the autonomic processes? Are they too our actions? When I first glanced at your reply I read this sentence as: "For instance, a person in a come might thrash around and break a vase next to the bed". I thought we were being given a insight into your energetic sex life. Clearly the word "mine" becomes the issue. Identity with processes, no matter how subtle, is the primal error. I think I would claim that when, for example, I make a Freudian slip (as I did when I read the sentence above!) it is indeed me who's making the slip; I'm not being compelled by anything outside me (like a gun held to my head). So my take on my identity is that it does include my autonomic processes. It's me who is making my heart beat. "Mine" is indeed the issue. We can get lost in semantic issues here and think we disagree with each other while actually agreeing. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Interesting (really!). Re the original experiment that showed a "readiness potential" occurs in the human brain just before ‘spontaneous’ actions. In fact, this brain event happens even before we are aware of deciding to act.: Well yes, but as many critics have pointed out the kinds of decisions that were being monitored were pretty trivial (eg, choosing whether or not to flex a finger). It didn't involve the kind of hard thinking you'd have to do if you were deciding whether to get married or make a career change. On a more philosophical point: suppose it is true that your brain decides things and you only become aware of what "you've" already decided to do a second or so later? It is still *you* - your deeper self/your unconscious - that made that decision. So what if your conscious self only learns what choice you freely decided upon slightly later? The original research is intriguing but not as world shattering as the scientists involved are claiming. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/neuroskeptic/2014/11/12/rats-free-will/#.VGVxi_nF-Sp http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/neuroskeptic/2014/11/12/rats-free-will/#.VGVxi_nF-Sp
[FairfieldLife] What TM meditators used to look like . . .
. . . before "the suits" took charge. Donovan and . . . . . . Jenny Boyd in 1967. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwgKw8XnJGU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwgKw8XnJGU
[FairfieldLife] Re: Established in Being, let anger take over
Not come across that video before - excellent! Bevan Morris comes across as a one-man circle jerk. And as for MMY's comment that "Australia is a slave of Britain" . . . has he ever met any Aussies? If I were to walk into an Australian pub here in London and tell the clientele that line they'd bust their sides laughing. Priceless.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Established in Being, let anger take over
Not come across that video before - excellent! Bevan Morris comes across as a one-man circle jerk. And as for MMY's comment that "Australia is a slave of Britain" . . . has he ever met any Aussies? If I were to walk into an Australian pub here in London and repeat that line to the clientele they'd burst their sides laughing. Priceless.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Walk in the Sand
Is that Ocean Beach at San Francisco? It sounds idyllic. I love walking barefoot over sandy beaches (unless the sand is baking hot). Maybe pebbly beaches are even better if you want to take the experience to the next level. But then I'm also addicted to reflexology. Reminding your feet that they are supposed to enjoy getting to grips with Mother Earth is definitely one of life's greatest pleasures. And don't get me started on scalp massages. Absolute bliss . . . I've never dared try Shirodhara because I'm sure that I'd become instantly addicted. Anyone ever give it a go? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : I strolled in the park this wonderful sunny afternoon towards Ocean Beach. Once I got there, I decided to take my shoes off to walk on the sand and wade through the water's edge to feel the cold waves touch my feet and legs. Ahead of me were kids playing on the sand and dodging the waves as they rolled in. They too were having fun. According to some internet esoteric gurus, like Santos Bonacci, walking with bare feet on the ground is supposed to be good for the physiology. Ayurveda probably has a version of this idea as well. But I can attest that it felt good afterwards and definitely made me feel grounded on terra firma. Ya'll should try it.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Established in Being, let anger take over
Re "I found it quite entertaining but this is not serious journalism. It's a hatchet job, anyone can see that. I thought Bevan handled the reporter's questions very well, actually. ": Yes, it's a hostile interview but that's what happens out there in the world of serious journalism. If MMY had kept his shit together and answered the questions calmly and sensibly he could have saved the situation. He didn't because 1) he wasn't used to dealing with people who weren't fawning over him, and 2) he hadn't thought through the ramifications of his own proposals. To give MMY some slack, I'm not sure when this tape was recorded and he was probably approaching the end game so we can't expect him to be particularly sharp. Nevertheless he did come across as bad-tempered. Aren't sages supposed to be serene when their end comes? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : I found it quite entertaining but this is not serious journalism. It's a hatchet job, anyone can see that. I thought Bevan handled the reporter's questions very well, actually. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Excellent find, prison boy! That "reporter" came in all arrogant, and muck-raking, wanting to do his hit piece, and Maharishi tells him basically to fuck off, and leave the building! Priceless! Watched it twice. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Great find, Geez. It's quite an experience watching this and listening to Maharishi and many people I know personally, just after reading Sam Harris' new book. Bevan's so insane it hurts to look at him. I love the Australian announcer's way of putting things...it's very dry and witty and Sam Harris-like. For example, standing in front of the MUM sign with the flying dome in the background, saying, "I mean...its surreal...students here studying physics who believe they can *fly*." :-) :-) :-) Rather than lashing out at this news report as we all know some True Believers on this forum are girding their loins to do, I think they'd be better served by actually listening to it again and paying attention. This is not a "hit job." This is what rational people in the real world think of TM True Believers. And they're right. From: "geezerfreak@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 6:03 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Established in Being, let anger take over Wait for the MMY interview 30 seconds in. Maharishi Exposed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGc1yTDU8Fs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGc1yTDU8Fs Maharishi Exposed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGc1yTDU8Fs This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. View on www.youtube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGc1yTDU8Fs Preview by Yahoo
[FairfieldLife] Re: Transcendentalism: Established in Being, live your life
Re "What blows me away are meditators who would live here who would not go up there to meditate at all in the group. ": Yes, I'm sure I'd join a group when meditating if there was one handy. Doesn't David Lynch get local meditators to come to his home to do their morning or evening meditations in a group? Think I've seen footage of that somewhere. There is a downside of course. I can recall some hapless people who had a fit of the giggles during group practice which infected everyone else. It was always surprisingly enjoyable and relaxing when it happened. I've heard it's also not uncommon in Zen monasteries! ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Om, there's a town here full of old meditators who meditate and who don't have a relationship with the TM movement. Lot of meditators would say, "Yes I am a meditator but not that." Waving a hand in the general direction of campus and vedic city to the north of town. This has been a quandary for the reformation of the new movement as it goes forward. Me, i am a satisfied customer. I appreciate meditation very much. I only look to the movement to facilitate the large group meditations here hence i am interested in their welfare i hope they can thrive for all our welfare here. The field effect of the group meditation is quite fabulous to Be in. Spiritual wonders really. They are Enormously spiritual in transcendent experience.What blows me away are meditators who would live here who would not go up there to meditate at all in the group. What an amazing lost opportunity of a lifetime, -Buck in the Dome mjackson74 wrote : Over the time I have been reading your posts here it sounds like you are one of the few you know who have made yourself independent of the TMO and still meditate - aren't there any other former TM'ers you know or like you they do TM but don't do the Movement? awoelflebater writes: My sister still meditates but that's it. And she was a TM teacher since 1970, taught at MIU and has initiated lots of people. She has no interest or use for the Movement but has been meditating for 46 years.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Walk in the Sand
As I said: idyllic. So you've got 200 per cent of life. The experience of inner quiet and a perfect outer world of appearances to match it. You've got no excuse for not being content. But maybe there's a hidden catch. If you do ever find yourself feeling miserable you must also feel guilty as you're showing ingratitude. Whereas the rest of us who have to cope with the daily struggle through the smoke, followed by the daily grind, and then the return to the inner-city hovel can feel dissatisfied with a good conscience. Come to think of it: isn't the Golden Gate Bridge a major suicide spot? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : S3, Yes, that's in San Francisco, CA. Here's a nice pic of the place: Next to this angle shot is a cliff, atop of which is a building called the Cliff House. It was completely renovated just a few years ago. You can have lunch or dinner up there to enjoy the view. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Is that Ocean Beach at San Francisco? It sounds idyllic. I love walking barefoot over sandy beaches (unless the sand is baking hot). Maybe pebbly beaches are even better if you want to take the experience to the next level. But then I'm also addicted to reflexology. Reminding your feet that they are supposed to enjoy getting to grips with Mother Earth is definitely one of life's greatest pleasures. And don't get me started on scalp massages. Absolute bliss . . . I've never dared try Shirodhara because I'm sure that I'd become instantly addicted. Anyone ever give it a go? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : I strolled in the park this wonderful sunny afternoon towards Ocean Beach. Once I got there, I decided to take my shoes off to walk on the sand and wade through the water's edge to feel the cold waves touch my feet and legs. Ahead of me were kids playing on the sand and dodging the waves as they rolled in. They too were having fun. According to some internet esoteric gurus, like Santos Bonacci, walking with bare feet on the ground is supposed to be good for the physiology. Ayurveda probably has a version of this idea as well. But I can attest that it felt good afterwards and definitely made me feel grounded on terra firma. Ya'll should try it.
[FairfieldLife] Race the Tube
This will bring a smile to your face. Some game chap filmed himself leaving a London Underground Tube train, exiting the station and running on to the next station, then past the ticket barriers, and finally back into the same carriage on the train he had just left. I'm impressed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH_Z8Ghuq6E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH_Z8Ghuq6E
[FairfieldLife] Re: Race the Tube
Re "But why?": He has a sense of humour? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : But why? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : This will bring a smile to your face. Some game chap filmed himself leaving a London Underground Tube train, exiting the station and running on to the next station, then past the ticket barriers, and finally back into the same carriage on the train he had just left. I'm impressed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH_Z8Ghuq6E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH_Z8Ghuq6E
[FairfieldLife] Mangalyaan - "Mars craft" in Hindi
From The Telegraph: "India has triumphed in its first interplanetary mission, placing a satellite into orbit around Mars and catapulting the country into an elite club of deep-space explorers. India was particularly proud that MOM (Mars Orbiter Mission) was developed with homegrown technology and for a bargain price of about £45 million - compared with Nasa's £1.5 billion for its Maven orbiter. Getting a spaceship successfully into orbit around Mars is no easy task. More than half the world's previous attempts - 23 out of 41 missions - have failed. India wanted this spacecraft to be a global advertisement for its ability in designing, planning and managing a difficult, deep-space mission." I'm seriously impressed. If India can successfully carry out such a complex operation - and at the first attempt - maybe the first colony on the Red Planet will be a Vedic city! Someone weighing 100 kg on Earth would only tip the scales at 38 kg on Mars so TM "hoppers" could do some convincing-looking levitations when they build their first Dome.
[FairfieldLife] Re: UKIP
[FairfieldLife] Re: UKIP
Yes, Nigel Farage is definitely not house trained and always says exactly what he thinks. He comes across as the loudmouth down the pub. Although I can't imagine that Farage and his party UKIP will make a blind bit of difference if they ever do gain some seats in Parliament I have to confess I'm amused to see the mainstream parties running scared from his populist appeal. One of his constantly reiterated lines is that the Government (of whatever persuasion) is unable to control issues of concern to the electorate - like immigration - as they have ceded control of said issues to the European Union. He is of course absolutely and totally correct and watching Establishment toadies try to wiggle out of his attacks is an object lesson in how hypocritical and dishonest our regular politicos have become. A plague on all their houses!
[FairfieldLife] Re: Bye Bye Dan and Jedi
There are two serious problems with Jews pleading for special protection
against attacks on their religion: 1) those of us who are not Jews and have
long-since adjusted to seeing our own attitudes and beliefs ridiculed by all
and sundry get the message that THE JEWS AREN'T LIKE US. So Jewish
sensitivities only exacerbate the issue rather than allowing us to put the
whole thing behind us back in the Dark Ages where it belongs and getting on
with creating a society where everyone is regarded as an individual to be
judged on what he/she does and says; and . . .
2) once you allow Jews to claim that privileged position then other groups
want a piece of the action. At the moment it's Muslims who are trying to get
anti-Islamic hate laws in place ("Islamophobia = anti-Semitism"). If they
succeed then expect Scientologists to follow their lead.
By the way: the Anti-Defamation League has a nasty reputation for trampling on
free speech. Take a walk through Google and you'll come across some troubling
cases. Poor David Icke (yes, I know he's a fruitcake) had a hard time from ADL
a while back on a book tour. The ADL activists came across as self-righteous
prigs. Take a look here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ypYcZ7qfw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ypYcZ7qfw
[FairfieldLife] Re: Photo series shows how we see people in our minds vs. how they really are
Re "The Jews are very aggressive about any antisemitism and could get someone at Yahoo freaked enough to close FFL down. It may not be right to surrender, but it does avoid the danger not yet come.": And Muslims are very aggressive about "Islamophobia" (you've been watching the news recently, yes?). By following your policy of appeasing Jews and Muslims who decide to take offence at disparaging remarks about their faiths we'll be back in the Dark Ages. The great advantage of the internet is that at long last we've (more or less) circumvented the controls imposed by politicians, priests and policemen to stop us saying what we *really* think. Boy, does that annoy them. Let's keep it that way. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Let's face it, Rick is being practical. The Jews are very aggressive about any antisemitism and could get someone at Yahoo freaked enough to close FFL down. It may not be right to surrender, but it does avoid the danger not yet come. If Yahoo closed FFL, the lost would be significant, but if Rick bans antisemitism, the lost to "the world's ability to have free speech" would be hardly noticed. An easy call for Rick, methinks. Now if the various communities around the world got as aggressively defensive, hoo boy, who could then say anything about anything? Think of all the downtrodden folks who could equally claim the world has smacked them as badly as were the Jews. I've never confronted my Jewish friends about this.might have to do so, cuz this shit's gotta stop. And, hey, for what Israel is doing to Palestine while Jews around the world remain mostly silent, I say they've lost their right to bitch about Hitler. They should go back to dissing the Pharaoh.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Photo series shows how we see people in our minds vs. how they really are
Re "I think it was highly inappropriate for Dan to go all nuclear over Jedi's comment.": Abso-bloody-lutely. I hate it when people call in the censorious brigade (like the ADL) when they encounter views they violently disagree with. By the logic of my liberal (in the old-fashioned sense of the word - not your American bastardization of the term) position I can't approve of Dan or Jedi being banned from FFL of course. And I don't approve. Allow people to say what they think and damn themselves from their own mouths.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Stunning photographs of fairy tale worlds
The photos are indeed striking but the models all have that cold, frozen perfection about them. I much prefer John William Waterhouse's "pre-Raphaelite" style paintings. He used the same model over and over again. No critic today is sure who the girl was but she definitely had that magical, ethereal vulnerability that modern dames lack. For example . . .
[FairfieldLife] Re: Stunning photographs of fairy tale worlds
Here's another painting of that girl. (Note that Waterhouse often used his favourite model in different poses in the same painting - as in this case.) A "stunner", as the Victorians said. He must have been in love with her. She lived in an age when models were scarcely more respectable than prostitutes so I often wonder if she ever realised that she was destined for immortality.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Somebody Rick should interview tells a joke.
LOL In my more paranoid moods I've wondered if our pets - dogs and cats - are really the dominant species on Planet Earth and not humans. They don't have to go to work; we keep them warm and well-fed and ensure they get the best medical attention - all for free. They've got it sussed. Dogs probably pity us. Cats are more likely to regard us with contempt. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Video: A piece of Tara s Keynote Address at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium in March 2010. http://www.frequency.com/video/piece-of-taras-keynote-address-at/190478275?cid=5-3534233 http://www.frequency.com/video/piece-of-taras-keynote-address-at/190478275?cid=5-3534233 Video: A piece of Tara s Keynote Address at the Ps... http://www.frequency.com/video/piece-of-taras-keynote-address-at/190478275?cid=5-3534233 A piece of Tara s Keynote Address at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium in March 2010watch video. View on www.frequency.com http://www.frequency.com/video/piece-of-taras-keynote-address-at/190478275?cid=5-3534233 Preview by Yahoo
[FairfieldLife] Re: Somebody Rick should interview tells a joke.
I'm seriously impressed! That neat Vonnegut tale proves that great minds do think alike . . . The Edison line about his long search for the best electric-lamp filament reminds me of my favourite quote of his: “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” That's actually quite a profound insight. Thanks. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : From: "s3raphita@... [FairfieldLife]" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, October 7, 2014 7:11 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Somebody Rick should interview tells a joke. LOL In my more paranoid moods I've wondered if our pets - dogs and cats - are really the dominant species on Planet Earth and not humans. They don't have to go to work; we keep them warm and well-fed and ensure they get the best medical attention - all for free. They've got it sussed. Dogs probably pity us. Cats are more likely to regard us with contempt. If you've actually ever pondered this, then you have to read this wonderful short story by Kurt Vonnegut: http://tvtolstova.narod.ru/olderfiles/1/Shaggy20Dog.pdf http://tvtolstova.narod.ru/olderfiles/1/Shaggy20Dog.pdf ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Video: A piece of Tara s Keynote Address at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium in March 2010. http://www.frequency.com/video/piece-of-taras-keynote-address-at/190478275?cid=5-3534233 Video: A piece of Tara s Keynote Address at the Ps... http://www.frequency.com/video/piece-of-taras-keynote-address-at/190478275?cid=5-3534233 A piece of Tara s Keynote Address at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium in March 2010watch video. View on www.frequency.com http://www.frequency.com/video/piece-of-taras-keynote-address-at/190478275?cid=5-3534233 Preview by Yahoo
[FairfieldLife] Scientific proof we survive death!
It's Good News Week. There is scientific evidence to suggest that life can continue after death, according to the largest ever medical study carried out on the subject. http://tinyurl.com/nke93yk http://tinyurl.com/nke93yk
[FairfieldLife] Re: Scientific proof we survive death!
Did you read the article? The medical profession has always claimed that once the heart stops beating then brain shutdown follows almost immediately. This new evidence shows that consciousness continues for longer than previously thought. Our knowledge of this grey area has therefore been increased and our new understanding is, at the very least, suggestive. I recollect that readings from The Tibetan Book of the Dead are continued for *49* days after someone dies to offer encouragement during the "transition". Do those inscrutable Tibetans know something we don't? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Wow, people who are NOT dead, have memories! Who knew. This is full of medical misunderstandings about brain functions and what physical death entails. These Doctors should be ashamed of themselves for such an absurd extrapolation from the facts. At the simplest level we have two things: The state of death and it's corresponding physiology which a person does not get resuscitated from... and every other state where they are. They are different. Why is this so hard for people to understand this unsubtle distinction?
[FairfieldLife] Re: Are Aliens too Distant for Contact?
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Yes, probably so, if the means of communication is through light or radio waves. I enjoyed that moment in the movie Contact where the first TV signal that aliens would have received from Earth was Hitler's speech at the 1936 Olympics. The idea has since been dismissed by scientists as it seems that the transmission signal was very low powered so is unlikely to be picked out amongst all the background radiation in space. But what will their first Earth TV signal be? I Love Lucy? Baywatch? American Idol? Perhaps the best hope is that it's some global warming/ecological doom-laden documentary so that the aliens conclude it's not worth wasting time invading our dying planet. As such, the speed of communication is limited by the speed of light. But it is theoretically possible to contact ETs through telepathic means or lucid dreaming. Why? Because consciousness pervades the entire universe. So, communication through consciousness is faster than the speed of light. IMO, the Srimad Bhagavatam has given us clues of this type of communication in the story relating to Urvasi, the heavenly apsara. She supposedly can be found taking a bath in the region near the Pleiades, which is placed in beginning degrees of Taurus. From my experience, everyone--perhaps, more so for males--can see Urvasi through lucid dreaming when the Moon is transiting the 3rd quarter of Krittika nakshatra. She appears as a beautiful female during a dream.
[FairfieldLife] Re: TM Celebrity!
Low-life material - surely he's looking at prison time unless the girls concerned are unwilling to testify? I was concerned about one aspect though that no one has mentioned: his wife secretly taping the conversation. When someone goes to a therapist (or a priest for confession) it is always understood that the exchange is strictly confidential. If not, who would ever have opened up to Sigmund Freud about their sexual hang-ups and perverse behaviours? To me there's something shocking in the wife's handing over the tapes to the media. Back at home she could have secretly recorded talks with her husband about the abuse - he'd already admitted his crimes to her so it wouldn't have been difficult to obtain incriminating evidence. But can't we keep therapists' couches and priests' confessionals as sacrosanct spaces?
[FairfieldLife] Re: Somebody Rick should interview tells a joke.
Thanks "Buck in the Dome". That was new info for me. It sounds a high-energy period in the life of the TMO. And "Duveyoung": what was the novel you refer to? I've read a couple of Kurt's novels (Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle) but the TM link isn't in either of those. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Yeah, Ol' Kurt loved TM so much he wrote a novel in which a character learned TM, and Kurt DISCLOSED HIS MANTRA IN THE BOOK, and then that character proceeded to GO VIOLENTLY NUTS. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Yeah, Ol' Kurt loved TM so much he wrote a novel in which a character learned TM, and Kurt DISCLOSED HIS MANTRA IN THE BOOK, and then that character proceeded to GO VIOLENTLY NUTS.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Somebody Rick should interview tells a joke.
God Bless You Mr Rosewater (sic) was published in 1965 so predates Kurt learning TM. As salyavin says the novel is Breakfast of Champions (1973). Here's a quote from the novel (warning: mantra info revealed!): When Bunny played the piano bar at the Holiday Inn, he had many, many secrets. One of them was this: he wasn’t really there. He was able to absent himself from the cocktail lounge, and from the planet itself, for that matter, by means of Transcendental Meditation. He learned this technique from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who once stopped off in Midland City during a world-wide lecture tour. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, in exchange for a new handkerchief, a piece of fruit, a bunch of flowers, and thirty-five dollars, taught Bunny to close his eyes, and to say this euphonious nonsense word to himself over and over again: “Aye-em, aye-em, aye-em.” Bunny sat on the edge of his bed in the hotel room now, and he did it. “Aye-em, aye-em”, he said to himself—internally. The rhythm of the chant matched one syllable with each two beats in his heart. He closed his eyes. He became a skin diver in the depths of his mind. The depths were seldom used. His heart slowed. His respiration nearly stopped. A single word floated by in the depths. It had somehow escaped from the busier parts of his mind. It wasn’t connected to anything. It floated by lazily, a translucent, scarf-like fish. The word was untroubling. Here was the word: “Blue.” ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Not sure which novel. H. I think it was the book where Trout's son was a piano player who did TM and at some point someone's face got scraped bloody by being raked along a piano's keys. If I remember rightly, then there also was a very bad presentation of the TM technique...and maybe the son was shouting his mantra aloud at some point theredunno. But at the time I was a true believer, and that book put me off my feed as a Vonnegut fan. Might have been "God Bless You Mr. Goldwater." I believe it was Breakfast of Champions, the character ended up getting beaten to death while meditating, clearly the concept of the Maharishi Effect hadn't been introduced yet ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Thanks "Buck in the Dome". That was new info for me. It sounds a high-energy period in the life of the TMO. And "Duveyoung": what was the novel you refer to? I've read a couple of Kurt's novels (Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle) but the TM link isn't in either of those. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Yeah, Ol' Kurt loved TM so much he wrote a novel in which a character learned TM, and Kurt DISCLOSED HIS MANTRA IN THE BOOK, and then that character proceeded to GO VIOLENTLY NUTS. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : Yeah, Ol' Kurt loved TM so much he wrote a novel in which a character learned TM, and Kurt DISCLOSED HIS MANTRA IN THE BOOK, and then that character proceeded to GO VIOLENTLY NUTS.
[FairfieldLife] Fairfield is 290 miles from the center of the Universe
Don't believe me? Look here: http://wallace-id.com/centeroftheuniverse.html http://wallace-id.com/centeroftheuniverse.html
[FairfieldLife] Re: Swiss To Pay Basic Income 2,500 Francs Per Month To Every Adult
Fascinating experiment. I hope it works out. Giving people a guaranteed, modest allowance should *not* be regarded as a charitable handout. On the contrary, it's a way of emphasising that all of us who are members of a society should be granted some share in that society's wealth as we all are (or should-be) co-inheritors of the capital that our nation has built up over its history. If people then feel that we really are all in this together it has to encourage a shared sense of community - with both the rights *and* obligations (important!) that naturally flow from that sense.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Happy Birthday Rick Archer
I see Rick is a Libran then. From a Google search on Libran characteristics I came upon this extract. Sex with a Libran:Sex is an enchanting, sensual experience, like a sex scene out of a movie. Lots of gentle rubbing, stroking, caressing. Libras make very imaginative and creative lovers. They are good at what they do and they are willing to try something new. Always keep it classy however, Libras are not one for bathroom stall sex. Set the mood with lots of teasing foreplay and create ambiance with candles and scented massage oils.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Happy Birthday Rick Archer
I see Rick is a Libran then. From a Google search on Libran characteristics I came upon this extract. Sex with a Libran:Sex is an enchanting, sensual experience, like a sex scene out of a movie. Lots of gentle rubbing, stroking, caressing. Libras make very imaginative and creative lovers. They are good at what they do and they are willing to try something new. Always keep it classy however, Libras are not one for bathroom stall sex. Set the mood with lots of teasing foreplay and create ambience with candles and scented massage oils.
[FairfieldLife] The divine feminine in a Christian society
Why try to make Christianity more "feminine"? It is surely a lost cause - even women priests don't have the nerve to call themselves "priestesses" which is an honourable name and calling. Isn't it more promising to *supplement* the Christian faith with a goddess cult with its own rituals? Astarte on Fridays and Christ on Sundays makes one a whole human being. Olivia Robertson (who died last November) was high priestess of the Fellowship of Isis, a spiritual organisation devoted to promoting awareness of the feminine aspect of the divine. This trailer is for a documentary (which I've seen and recommend) on her life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1PFYQOn4DI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1PFYQOn4DI
[FairfieldLife] Re: The divine feminine in a Christian society
What you say about the Langudedoc is suggestive. I'm aware of the attempts to link the Cathars with the rise of the troubadours and involvement of Eleanor and her daughter with the development of the courtly love tradition. But the fact that the graft didn't *take* suggests that Christianity is at heart a patriarchal set-up. Trying to feminise it ends up emasculating it and it loses its power. It's as silly as trying to "masculinise" a cult of Isis - you'd just end up with a butch and unappealing goddess. (Yes, I'm aware of Durga and Kali and of Minerva and other female goddesses that kick butt but it's the nurturing-mother goddess archetype we need.) ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote : On 6/27/2014 9:01 PM, s3raphita@... mailto:s3raphita@... [FairfieldLife] wrote: Why try to make Christianity more "feminine"? It is surely a lost cause - even women priests don't have the nerve to call themselves "priestesses" which is an honourable name and calling. Isn't it more promising to *supplement* the Christian faith with a goddess cult with its own rituals? Astarte on Fridays and Christ on Sundays makes one a whole human being. > There is the Languedocian legend of the 'Queen of the South', (Reine du Midi), the title of the countess of Toulosue, the protectrix, identified with the Syrian goddess Anath who in turn is closely linked with Isis and the bird-footed Lilith. Yet another legend is the Meridiana to whom was conveyed the secrets of alchemy to Gerbert d'Auriliac. The name Meridiana is derieved from 'Mary-Diana' thus linking the Magdalene legends in the South of France. Lagudedoc was also home to the Knights Templers in Europe. It's interesting that Bernard of Clairvaux, the founder of the Templers Rule, was devoted to the Magdalene and to the Black Madonna. Bernard commended the knights to the 'obedience of Bethany', the castle of Mary and Martha. Bernard is also noted as the founder of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Notre Dame (Our Lady), i.e., Magdalene. The Templers oath was to 'God and Our Lady', not to the Virgin, but to the Magdalene. The Templers were preoccupied with the idea of the feminine mystery! > Olivia Robertson (who died last November) was high priestess of the Fellowship of Isis, a spiritual organisation devoted to promoting awareness of the feminine aspect of the divine. This trailer is for a documentary (which I've seen and recommend) on her life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1PFYQOn4DI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1PFYQOn4DI
