old3bob

didn't know this about black cats. (sorry Apech, looks like your white fur dna could change for the better? ) We had a pure black cat for years, she was an excellent cat!

looks like they had some special release agents/soaps besides the water sprays and several other tools to help loosen all those gobs of barnacle type plants from the whales and other animals skin... (yes, apparently the monk seal is almost extinct, except for this one !?)

Condolences for your loss Steve. (as it is sometimes said, "bon voyage" for him)

speaking of the sea here are some sea creatures being helped...incredible

that sounds like a thought....

when thinking stops spirit takes over

she said female cats are normally closer to Tao than often warring tom cats.

and hopefully organs still have all their marbles intact, as for muscles if torn up badly surgeons can hopefully sew them back up. (one example being the ACL)

Ai had this to add: "The brain is often called the "largest sex organ" because it is the central control for sexual arousal, pleasure, and response, directing physical and psychological processes. It regulates libido, emotions like pleasure and safety, and the physical responses of erection, lubrication, and orgasm. Key brain regions like the hypothalamus, amygdala, and cerebellum work in concert with sensory feedback from the body to orchestrate the entire sexual experience."

the physical earth is the body of a great spiritual soul, the earth will evolve to be heaven like through Her and her helpers.

Moral outrage and speaking out against the inhumanity that is beating down on and harming people through out the world means nothing to those who have destroyed their own once decent humanity, in fact the adharmic/demonic driven gleefully laugh at those that still have a decent measure of "live and let live" humanity. Still, speaking out against and revealing such forces does have meaningful impact for those who are watching, listening, and working towards better times but again such is meaningless and an obstruction to those who are very busy in furthering the evils that they have sold out their souls to, fallen for or buried the truths of. (could also happen via insidious mind control and or other forms of coercion, subtle or not so subtle) Dharma is universal and not just a matter of human opinions or religions to define or control.

"non-violent in thought and action" is a core Hindu/yogic precept which is also taught in many other ways. Yet we live in a very violent world where violence is sometimes needed for self-defense. Turn on the news and its mostly reporting forms of violence, with some being minor and some being horrific going on almost 24/7 throughout the world of humanity! How can one really be 100% non-violent (unless truly and fully enlightened with "tough love") when or if using violence in self-defense? "As above so below" is a nice sounding saying yet its apparent that there is violence throughout all the realms "above" (a.k.a. war in heaven or between angles and demons) except for the very highest or purest. Bypassing and or acting above it all is a cop out and not a solution, thus goes the ages old struggle we are in... btw the Book of Revelations is chalk full of unrestrained and great violence besides whatever metaphors or allegory it has...

the transcendent (a.k.a. or also pointed to by other terms) is not bound to or ruled by change, change will never be satisfied or still as the greater reality of the transcendent is...yet our human self must deal with change which it is part of.

the higher one goes the more instantaneously karma can kick in; btw with the flood gates for evil overflowing lately here on earth one may wonder when its karma will give it a kick? ""God" does not interfere with human events", except when or for instance....?

except to themselves....

Gandhi mitigated and at times stopped a great deal of violence in India between warring forces way back when, yet he also said (to paraphrase) that if it comes down to it at some point (like a last resort) then one may very well have to fight or be counted as a coward.

many are saying, "no violence" while taking major actions that inflict serious forms of suffering, harm or injury on others short of direct murder although which may and has in some cases incited murder or resulted in deaths!

Btw, the Bhagavad Gita is plumb full of violence which imo it try's to justify with high sounding rationalization. And for many millions it is scripture but it is not really 'Sruti' which in Hinduism refers to a class of sacred texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, considered to be divinely revealed. Bringing that up would be sure to at least (or worse) upset millions who have invested in it.

Best wishes for your Dad and family, I'd say MD Anderson in Houston, Tx. has some of the best cancer care in the world, if you and your folks are in the process of looking for care options...

Good news for of course in proper context none of that applies to the (pointer of ) Self... or to the Buddhist (pointer) version which follows: "There is, monks, an unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated. If there were not that unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated, there would not be the case that escape from the born — become — made — fabricated would be discerned. But precisely because there is an unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated, escape from the born — become — made — fabricated is discerned."

don't know about "swaggering" but I'm a friendly drunk... (which is seldom now a-days at my age)

I was probably a simple sailor who loved the sea, thus without such secret knowledge, if I had that past life...

I've had that for: (past life who knows?) "The Phoenicians were ancient master sailors, traders, and shipbuilders known for their extensive maritime network across the Mediterranean Sea, founded on technological advancements in shipbuilding and navigation. They used celestial navigation, particularly the North Star, to sail at night and were capable of long-distance journeys, reaching as far as Britain and potentially the Atlantic. Their maritime prowess allowed them to trade goods like famous purple dye, metals, and papyrus, and establish colonies, making them a dominant seafaring power for centuries."

btw, many younger folks may never have heard of the ship Calypso and her crew, but there is this a song in tribute...