thelerner

This is a great tribute to Prince- http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-objective-reasons-prince-greatest-musician-ever/ "..For years now, I've been telling people who were bored enough to ask that Prince, hands down, is my favorite guitar player of all time... One of the best examples, and one that's been getting a lot of additional and well-deserved attention in the days since he died, is his solo during the all-star performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. You can see it in the above video. If you want to skip directly to his solo, head to .. "

No answer, but I think it was ever thus. Guys, particularly in there teens and 20's (& its no picnic later) have always felt deprived of sex. As well as the the thought everyone one is doing it.

Warning, this one's R, for either restricted- over 17, or for Ridiculous. I don't know which. but I've been thinking of this for years. Grab a needle, light a candle. Put needle above flame to sterilize it. Wait a few seconds, push the needle through web of skin between your thumb and pointer. Jack Schwarz who was into biofeedback in the 70's used to do this and similar stuff with larger needles. Done with proper mind/body coordination there is suppose to be little or no blood. Its still done on some of the crazier carny circuits. Big note. I've never done it but I've thought about it. As a mind over body exercise. But it is a crazy thing to do.

What helps me stay aligned with the Tao..? Not thinking too much If weight lifting is your thing. A healthy inner drive. Don't let cultural baggage drag you down. Taoism isn't about doing what monks did in 600 AD. Or a set of do's and don'ts. Unless your a religious Taoist, then it kinda is.

There is hope and momentum in taking up a new strategy.

Little synchronicity. Three days ago I was listening to a hypnotic routine that had you imagine your body as emptiness. Yesterday I was listening to a youtube video from a Wim Hof practitioner talk about using the visualization of filling then emptying a balloon in your body, one with a white warm spot in the middle. Emptiness within, feeling the vast emptiness without, is part of a couple of esoteric visualizations.

FWIW From the Stillness Movement system I learned to keep my hands against my lower dan tien when I sat. It just meant moving them from my lap an inch or two. It seems to help warm the area up and develop it.

I do find listening to dharma speeches to be important. Learning from the wise- history, ethics, pitfalls, classics, funny stories.. the things I didn't know, I don't know.. is one of the foundations of practice. I like Infinite Smile podcast, Zencast and listening to Ajahn Brahms many online speeches

It's not just about what they are, its about who we are. Using sulfuric acid on other people degrades us; makes us less human beings. That doesn't mean we play patty cake, it means we follow the rules of war and do our utmost to avoid civilian casualties. There's a whole lot of people in ISIS territory who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Modern warfare where you have a kill rate of 20 civilians to every combatant is a stain on humanity. We have to do better. It starts with not pinning the label inhuman on other groups, so we justify doing inhuman things to them. Let me go further then that though. Let me plead for the lives of ISIS members. addon> Let us not forget that the evil they do is because they bought into the belief that people of other religions and ethnicity are subhuman and animals. We will beat them, there is no doubt. If we hold tight to the idea some groups are animals and subhuman then we've won the war and lost the peace. The worst of there ideology will have survived in us. > In war there is killing, its a necessity. Fight intelligently, avoid civilian casualties, attack there finances, trick them, hound them, cut off there supplies, degrade and punish there allies. Realize 2 years ago these were guys on the street, living there lives, doing no harm, and if you handle things intelligently, 2 years from now many of these ISIS member could be doing the same. Good doesn't mean stupid though, there are war crimes and regular murder, rape etc.,to be answered and paid for. Yet many individuals and families were disenfranchised people drawn to ISIS for the dream of finding a good life in a religious setting. That's the dream/trap that ISIS propaganda set out and it snared 10,000's. Most more stupid then evil, since ISIS made no bones about slavery and genocide of other groups. Still that was 'justified' as a short phase one before paradise set in. These 'ISIS' members do not deserve death or to be called subhuman, probably stupid and naive works better. They don't deserve a get out of jail free card either. They should return under probation, checking in and violations should get them jailed. Those who committed crimes should already be there. Much of there ideology is based on God is on there side and the Caliphate is his ambassador on the earth. Win the war, take away there territory, chain or kill there Caliphate, imprison there top hierarchy, propagandists and jihadist imams and you've gone long way to returning the masses to normalcy.

love this guy:

Welcome to the site. With your interest in the Flying Phoenix system you have 227 pages! of writing awaiting you here, in the Group Studies section . Seems to be a really solid system.

Using force isn't dark nor is protecting others. Inflicting pain unnecessarily, torture, amputations, mass murder personal and impersonal.. that get dark and its exists within me. Not using it, but its there, that impulse to kill them all, torture the rest, and let god sort it out. Its there. I need to know that and keep it in check. To realize its also in others, that it needs to be acknowledged and we should be afraid of it. Not glorify it, or think its macho. A big step towards becoming our worst selves, losing our humanity, is calling others- animals or subhuman, instead of criminals who need to be dealt with. That might involve gentle warnings, loving support to killing them. Karl, for you, since you write people who 'refuse to act rationally', no longer deserve freedom or life. Where do you draw your upper line? Whats your minimum where people lose such rights? I won't insult you or this site by saying its walking on grass, spitting on the side or petty larceny, but what does irrational judgement mean? And who decides, who punishes?

I think you need to go to extremes to justify easily calling people animals and inhuman. I think you're playing by the ISIS playbook, doing the thing they do. There cruelty is based on calling others non-human. Since you ask directly, the people in ISIS are not subhuman or animal. They are criminal. Human beings who are doing terrible, criminal things and need to be stopped and dealt with by our laws. Because of the nature of the situation that is going to be military. I think, my perspective, of recognizing the evil men do, allows me to understand there motives and see within myself such dark potential exists. That it begins when I call start labeling others as animals and subhumans.

In my PPD I mentioned I've been meaning to do a Darebee.com 30 day challenge. They have quite a few exercise programs based on 30 Day, involved some very involved ones. They have dozens of programs from kettlebell to sword to breathing, but most involve body techniques. What's nice is that most are nicely printed single sheets. I've been meaning to get off my ass and start the 3,000 squats/1,000 push ups one. I mentioned it, member Taiji said he'd be doing a darebee Punching protocol that includes lots of pushups. Yada yada.. so I'm creating this New topic so people can talk about the exercise challenge they're taking on. How its going. What's hard, whats worthwhile, what benefits they're getting. Taking on a challenge, doing it daily that is what gong fu is all about, learning and stretching our abilities.

Ah, the only way to win is producing the old 'your family has there knives to there throat' scenario. Very handy, but manipulative.. leading.. silly. You've moved from 'when man refuses to act rationally from choice' he deserves to die(!?) to holding a knife at childrens throats. Is there any degree of extreme you won't go inorder to win an argument? What next have them holding a nuclear grenade inorder to justify killing someone/anyone/everyone who doesn't act according to your definition of rationality? Jeez. I'm no peacnik, yet I can't help thinking the writer is borrowing from the ISIS playbook when he's so fast to label other human beings animals. Before we commit a crime too often we label the other 'animal' or subhuman. Bad habit. back to the OP, its the jobs of saints to try to create peace where there is discord. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Yet we need the people who try, if no other reason then to balance the fearful and psychopaths who call for blood and violence too quickly.

I think this statement is the basis for much evil. The ultimate rationality on why we can treat others badly, indeed murder them. Whereas an atheist, Marblehead states "But really, those who preach peace and love must try, mustn't they?" Back to OP, good (and saintly) doesn't mean stupid. Even the power of love has problems when its going up against psychopaths.

Not a big fan, but I recognize quality, passion and talent. He wrote the music, lyrics, played the instruments, produced the albums, all of it, something thats seems to be getting rarer these days. He had a longer film career then many realize.

It'd be cool to see your ideas visually.

I've heard laughing's purpose in evolution is a to defuse group tension.

No experience with it, but I think you've got the right idea. Starting slowly, real slowly, making sure you have easy wins, and working your way up. That and NLP techniques like imagining happy things then imagining climbing a ladder to get an ice cream. Do that a few times. I bet there's a hypnotic script for it in youtube.. hold on.. not a hypnotic script but.. maybe helpful I like Jason Stephenson's stuff. I'll make them into mp3's. Haven't watched this one, but its on acute anxiety. and remember falling never hurt anyone. Its always the landing

Condensed breathing came up in another thread. I don't know much about it. I assume its related to 'packing' exercises which are considered advanced and/or dangerous. How large an umbrella does the term carry? Is 9 Bottle breathing considered condensed? I do Wim Hof method which has 30 to 40 deep quick breaths followed by a long hold done after exhalation. Would that be considered a form of condensed breathing? Ultimately I'm looking for a definition, styles, warnings, benefits.. pros and cons.

bump. Unfortunately Dentydao hasn't been online lately . I hope he's well and this interview is still in the works.

When I was younger I'd be hit by bouts of melancholy. For some reason the image (or maybe its a saying) that helped me was, we fall from tightrope to tightrope. Not too much consolation there. Yet on a tightrope there's not a lot of choice. Ultimately the way out is looking ahead and putting one foot infront of the other. And if you fall again, there will be another tightrope. Gain balance, face forward, one step, then another. Once you get momentum, balance is easier.

Pangu.