Jim D.

Jim is a 70 year old, part time employed, married, caucasion male.

I am listening to the ring in my ears, and the silence beyond it.

The Notcho Mama's Chi is going to be a big seller because everyone will be able to relate. Not only will the customer be able to feel it, they will be able to eat it. MH commented that Martial Artist use their Chi. I have used Fajin, and felt Chi as a tingling sensation, but have never used my Chi to break a board, submit my opponent with a small jujtsu finger lock, warded off incoming force with my Chi, or sliced a man with a kesa giri by using Chi. So, let's have a show of hands from anybody who is willing to tell us how they have used their Chi, and what did that feel like. Please show examples for me. Oh, I tried the sand in the tea cup, blew into the cup, the guy on the other side screamed in pain from the sand belowing into his wide open eyes. He asked me if that was my Chi. I said no, that was sand.

I am a silent partner in a resturante franchise. One investor is Mexican and the other is Black. Well, they want to change the name of one of the resturantes to draw more business. They went back and forth, as I listened. They finally pick a name that satisfied both ethnic groups. The resturante is now called. Notcho Mama's They also sugested adding something to the menue that would be interesting and electrified. Deep fired Chi. Buy one get one free. Today only. Get em while they last.

My carpenter's radio was just playing "Jumpin Jack Flash." I think that I will try going round, and round, and round...then try some "Peter dunkin."

I am listening to dryer going round, and round, and round and...

I withhold my verdict on the last comment. Everytime I was "called on the carpet" I was hoping that I was not going to have to defend myself.

There does not seem to be any forced effort in asking a carpenter what he will charge for the work you are asking him to do and complete.

Today, I failed to pick up an empty plastic water bottle dropped by a person who suffers from Schizophrenia. I felt held back internally to do it right away because I am not his brother's keeper. I am not a servant, or a street cleaner. Now when I take my dog out for her walk, and it is there, I will pick it up and recycle it. I don't need recognition for the deed, nor am I going to bend down to another human being that does not have the integrity to pick up his own waste.

This day is a new day. I walked my dog and felt the oppressive humidity and thought of Florida, and Louisiana when I was in boot camp. The DI's would give us a break by letting us unblouse our fatigue pants and take out out fatigue shirts from inside our pants so that we would not over heat from the strenuous training of the day. You know, through out my life I wanted to be special and seen as special. So, I would say I belonged to this and I study that. It felt good inside and a little superior to others who did not practice what I practice or study what I study. It has occured to me that there are traditionalist who's mission is to pass on the legacy. And there are those that pass on the Form of a style without really sharing the essence or feeling of that which they are trying to pass on. They either can't or want to keep it a secrete. And there are some who just do it for the money. If feeling special helps to get through another day, or another year then fine. But it is better to have those attracted to you because you are who you were intended to be from the beginning. Whether I can feel the energy coming off a person, or an object has not been an advantage other than in sports competiton. But outside of that I just have depended on my senses without mindfulness to feed information to my brain which interprets my experiences as good or bad. I do not want to be special anymore because I have reached the age where it doesn't matter, and never really mattered in the first place.

Ask him if his Wu Style is internal, meaning are the Forms driven by the abdoment and back muscles. Are there quarter body movements, upper body movements? Does he teach the concept of Yin (nonmoving) and Yang (moving). Does he teach how to move the arm and the core body as a unit. Does he teach integration of Internal Discipline into Form Play, Fajin, Cai, Silk Reeling, Tight Compact Form, and Push Hands. If there is a hesitation on any one of these questions, than I would be hesitant on making the commitment.

I am listening to myself masticating.

"And the humans will give no love" ("Horse with no name" America)

Here is a challenge to all the Doa Bums who check our Forums. Can we have a show of hands of those that are taking care of the environment and how so? In other words, who is walking the talk? I will start: If there is a thread in the carpet, I will pick it up and put it in the garbage If I find plastic, or cardboard, or discarded plastic bottles, I will pick it up and recycle it. I recycle the plastic wine bag with the spout on it (box wine). I will rinse out the plastic bag and use siscors to cut of the spout to recycle that. Cigarette butts are thrown in a "butt can" and then thrown in the plastic garbage bag for garbage day. I will take off the hindges on a discarded door, put the door in the garbage, and recycle the hindges

The carpenter has "Get off of my Cloud" on the radio.

We were born on to this Planet. It is a good idea not crap on the place where you live, at least where you are standing. If someone were to ask me what I am, I couldn't truthgully tell them. I am just me living here and in the last phase of my life. I have taken out the garbage, flush the toilet, eat food, breathed in air, let out air, gotten older looking, and the Earth is still here, and will be here in the future, maybe a little different, but not much different. In the final analysis, if we manage to kill ourselves off, there won't be the question of: Who should pick up what!

When the teacher is ready the Universe appears.

"The Truth and nothing but the Truth so help you God"

I think of O.J. Simpson's acquittal.

I am listening to our Microwave, and now the buzzer. There is a soft sound of air pushing through our air ducts. There is tillness beyond that.

Not taking care of this Earth is like feeding out of code milk to your child, and then tossing the empty carton into their crib, expecting them to recycle it.

'turn you will and life over to Jim" was meant humorously. This phrase was true for me in my 20's. But the phrase is a parody on the Step 3 in the 12 Steps of AA. "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over the care of God as we understood Him"

I am watching "the L Word on Show Time."

Yes, the 12 Steps, especially the 3rd Step..."Turn you will and life over to the care of God as we understand it"...was very impactful. I was easy to accept the 3rd step because I was raised Catholic and believed in Jesus and God as Higher Powers. AA was highly influenced by Catholicism in the 1930's when it was developing. The meetings end with the Lord's Prayer. Sometimes I remain silent and sometimes I just join in with the group...they are just words, and I don't want to bring attention to me and my belief system. Was it Plato who was given something to drink that would kill him? If I remember corretly he told his student that if you stand for something than you should be able to die for it. Well, I don't think that anymore. Whoever is in charge of my life, that is what I believe. So, if the Pontius Pilot wants me to throw insence on the fire and say he is God, I will. Life with the absence of torture is a lot better. I am just an organism in the evolutionary chain trying to live one day at a time for as long as I can. Besides, my mutilated body will be dead, and life will go on. According to the Knostic Bible, Jesus may not have been crucified. I could have been a stand in. Seriously. Jesus could have been an Existential thought or concept. I like my 3rd Step...'turn your will and life over to Jim...' that works for me.

I see my neighbors putting stuff out at the curb for recycling. It is amazing how much stuff can be used and discarded in a week. I think that I may be one of few that will stop while I am walking my dog, and pick up a piece of paper, or a plastic container and make sure it gets back into the recycling bin in front of someones house, or mine. The gardeners will just run over these items with their machines. I have suggested to the Home Owners Association to employ their maintenance crews to Police the grounds for disgarded paper and plastic items. No response. So, I do my part to keep Earth free of debris. There is a Buddhist Temple near me. I have never noticed the Abbot or her disciples out there working on the grounds. But yet, the grounds are manicured. Lots of property there...wooded area and open field in front of the Temple. Maybe it is not a requirement to walk the talk.