thelerner

From what I saw, may be fake. The videos aren't very conclusive and lets face it; its the internet. Effecting animals at a distance, that's also somewhat natural. Dogs are extremely responsive not just to big movements but also small ones like facial movements. Scaring wile animals by staring at them, sure, that's what keeps them from being dinner every day. In otherwords, I can't draw a firm conclusion. Not enough evidence, but if I had to guess, the quality and set up of what's shown makes me think .. most likely fake. one mans opinion.

Very nice. The scenes of the flower field have a particularly enchanting 3d effect. Impressive sense of peace, great imagery, good pacing. maybe a little less volume on the aural sound effect. This would be a perfect video if I ever create my hammock in a tent dome project.

You know..there is a middle road. You can enjoy a good meal vegetarian or w/ meat and not be glutton or obese. You can enjoy a glass of wine and not be drunk. You can have good sex and has nothing to do with sleeping w/ different models every night. You can work and it doesn't mean you're a slave. You jump very quickly to extremes. I assume most Enlightened Persons would admit its better not to be a pauper who's starving and freezing on a cold mountain top. There's a middle road where you can find peace, it helps if you stop comparing things against extreme positions, as if the only choices were hermit or MTV reality show.

I was considering writing something skeptical to this. Something along the lines of 'How do you really know that..' but I'm working through Rawn Clarks Archaeous and the practice is about being aware of the different levels of the body, ie physical, mental, astral. I'm not really sure how literal to take it. So I guess I'd better keep my mouth shut, practice and see where it leads.

If you really want to keep it simple. Shaking. 10, 15, 20 minutes. You shake small starting with wrists so that you vibrate and your heels just move off the floor. Or big, shaking at the knee joints, ape style, feel free to Oooo oooo ooo. More formal I like the simple energetic movements from Pan Gu, and the easy form from Michael Winns Fundamental II DVD.

It takes work and discipline but yes, you can. Hmnn like mental shampooing. Quiet, rinse, control, discipline, rinse again let loose.

From what I've seen in my few decades here and the study of history, I'd say no. Still, our 'job' is to live well, not play karmic avenger or waste time in other peoples business. We can never know the full story or what's completely in another heart.

If your goal is enlightenment then spending your time telling others how they should live is probably an anti-enlightenment activity. If someone asks you its one thing, but seems like the person on the side walk shouting out there beliefs whether its end of the world or to become a whatsis, is a person who's a little insecure and seeking validation. I'm incredibly impressed by people on this site who walk the walk. They post what they do and its humbling. Then there are people who walk and shout. I have no idea what, if anything, they practice. They are not very impressive, at least to me. Hell any one can rant rave, paste and copy.

I think JustBHappy nailed it. This goes into my Best of Tao Bums file.

A top yoga teacher told me his teacher/guru told him 5 minutes in an upside pose was necessary every day. He had a long list of reasons why. From brain to thalamus, digestion to vein network. Course he was thinking in terms of head or shoulder stand, but I guess anything upside down is good. Note I don't do it.

Yes, but expect them to rebel like hell and become hardcore right wing fundamentalist republicans when they leave the house. Actually I'm half 2/3rds serious. The Amish can pull it off because they offer a whole package, job, marriage community. You have tofu, veggies and classic books vs their friends Happy Meals, Internet and Cable. As a parent, you learn compromise. Plans and ideals are somewhat jettisoned in the face of necessity and peace. The more you try to control the more systems will slip through your fingers . So you find balance. Like no TV Monday through Friday, and you watch TV w/ your kids so you discuss whats right wrong and ludicrous with them. Stuff like that.

Meh, the history channel presents the Reality TV version of history. Sensationalistic and.. well fictionalized. I'd double check everything they said. They literally had The founding fathers and alien connection. They're why historians cry at night.

That's pretty good. Merge with the spirit of nature.. True without being too abstract. Gives a person something to bite into: Shamanistic without requiring a shaman ie instead of seeking out spirits to answer a question, ponder how nature itself handles it.

The Amish do have a curious tradition of giving teens, usually 16 year olds, a 'free' period to explore outside there strict tradition. This might act to let loose some supression and consciously choose there life style. Note its not the Amish Gone Wild experience as portrayed on TV. "The purpose of Rumspringa Contrary to belief, Amish parents do not “encourage” their youth to leave home and experiment with sinful behaviors—nor do they condone it. At the same time, there must be at least a semblance of free choice in the decision to become Amish. Amish parents may disapprove of their teens’ behaviors, but do not necessarily exercise authority to prevent some of those behaviors. Rumspringa, according to one Amishman who has studied numerous portrayals of the adolescent period, is a time when an Amish youth enters into a more formalized social world, interacting with others in his age group in a variety of settings. Rather than an angst-filled period of existential choice, it is primarily “a time to find a marriage partner”. As opposed to a sinful exploration of the world, typical Rumspringa activities are much tamer. They may include attending church singings, participating in games and activities with one’s “buddy bunch” or “gang” and of course, dating."

Hmnn, judge everything by the standards of reality TV and you find people seem stupider, violenter and sexier then ever. I pitched a show to the Real TV network, called Nuns by day, Jello wrestlers by night, but they turned it down, too tame .

Interesting how in Russia (& most of the world) he's an oddity, one put into a mental hospital at one time, whereas if he was born in India he'd be an 'ordinary' holy man, one of 10's of thousands.

Interesting. Out of curiosity, what deck do you use? I imagine you shuffle the deck, put the 3 cards in the positive side, 3 on the negative and interpret through the usual symbology? In a recent post Rex had a interesting image that had striking images of quabbalah and tarot. Here http://alwaysinsearchoflight.tumblr.com/image/46158325815 Reminds me of Rawn Clark's TMo practice.

Sounds like we'll still have Taowmeow's wit and wisdom around. Just no need to patrol with the site w/ a badge. Thanks for serving and alley cats are pretty hip and there simplicity is deceptive.

Info for this year, unusual theme, even by BMan standards 2013 ART THEME: CARGO CULT Theme by Larry Harvey, text by Larry Harvey and Stuart Mangrum, illustration by D.A. of Black Rock (aka Dominic Tinio) "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." — Arthur C. Clarke Who is John Frum? He is known to us by many names, this Visitor from Elsewhere, dispenser of endless abundance and wielder of mysterious technologies: John Frum, Quetzalcoatl, Osiris, "Bob." His cargo is splendid, his generosity boundless, his motives beyond our understanding. But across the ages and around the world, the stories all agree: one day he will return, bearing great gifts. Our theme this year asks three related questions; who is John Frum, where is he really from, and where, on spaceship Earth, are we all going? "'E look like you an' me. 'E tall man. 'E live long." — Melanesian informant <I get it, its a plane.> Our story begins in Melanesia during World War II. Thousands of American GIs suddenly descended on this South Sea island chain, bearing with them unimaginable riches: magical foodstuffs that never spoiled, inconceivable power sources. Just as abruptly the troops departed, leaving only broken, rusted Jeeps, crumpled beer cans, and the memory of Spam. To the astonished eyes of the natives, this was a miraculous occurrence, and they yearned for the return of abundance. Accordingly, they built totemic sky-craft in an attempt to summon back these Visitors and their legendary leader, the man the Melanesians called John Frum. They had formed a Cargo Cult. This Myth of Return is no less relevant today. To put this in a modern context, what if your electricity went dead and stayed that way -- would you know how to make the current flow again? Can you fix your car if it breaks down, or build yourself a new one? Like the islanders, most of us are many steps removed from the Cargo that entirely shapes our lives. We don't know how it's made, where it's made, or how it works; all we can do is look beyond the sky and pray for magic that will keep consumption flowing. Pavilion design by Lewis Zaumeyer, illustration by Andrew Johnstone Burning Man 2013 will court the return of our benevolent Visitors from Elsewhere by constructing an enormous replica of their sky-craft, hewn from the primitive materials of our backwater planet. Burning Man will stand atop this streamlined structure, majestically revolving like an interstellar beacon. Within this three-decked vessel participants will encounter the Temple of the Navigator, a shrine that features six hand-operated zoetropes that will function as prayer wheels. These will rehearse what little we know, or believe we know, of John Frum's story. A sweeping observation ring surrounding this central chamber will afford panoramic views of both the playa and our city. We feel sure our theme will attract many alien Visitors, and hope this will stimulate our planet's faltering economy. To that end, we invite artists to create altars that may be placed in the vicinity of Burning Man's pavilion. These installations should be portable and easily removable from our burn circle. Participants are encouraged to contribute propitiatory offerings to these Space Age shrines. Artists are also invited to propose homemade interactive technology that may be installed on our saucer's upper Flight Deck (consult our online Art Guidelines for details). "Your spaceship is cramped, and it's beginning to smell like fast food." — Reverend Al Ridenour Burning Man is of course what one makes of it. So we must recognize that a few participants question the literal existence of John Frum1. They believe that cargo culture is unsustainable; no deus ex machina descending from the sky can possibly provide consumers with relief. The only spaceship worth considering is planet Earth. Each and every one of us, it is held, must find our Inner Frum: the first step toward salvation is to give our gifts to fellow human beings. 1It is speculated that when greeting Melanesians, American soldiers would state, "Hi, I'm John from Tallahassee" or "I am Johnny from Detroit." John, being a common name, was remembered, but the various place names were soon forgotten. The only other constant being "from", this word soon morphed into a surname, hence John Frum. However Orthodox Frumites within our community repudiate this interpretation. Note: the Burning Man organization takes no position on religious beliefs.

A good friend of mine who was hard core vegetarian for years switched and began eating meat again. He was feeling weak and getting sick more often the he liked. I think you have to listen to your body. For some optimum health might well include a little fish or animal protein. Some might need it for 'grounding' too. Still I admire vegetarians for a more ethical diet and for millions of people it works well.

This month some members are working through Rawn Clark's Archaeous series. Like most Bardonian Hermetics there's no free lunch, it takes time, but if mastered (an if) take a person into the astral plane, though thats not the main goal. Like most Hermetics its about self knowledge. Whether it takes you there or not, you'll learn some useful tools. Its a series of 16 minute meditations. If you're interested there's information in the Hermetic and Occult sub forum on top.

Friend, thank you for talking about your experience. You studied the Archaeous system for a while, any thoughts or hints on how to get the most out of it? Or like most things its a matter of practicing diligently.

In the near term, 15 to 20 years I think we'll be seeing a switch from coal and gasoline to natural gas for transportation and electricity. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/e91ca04e-a11c-11e2-bae1-00144feabdc0.html Natural gas is a mixed bag ofcourse, burns cleaner then coal, way cheaper to build plants then nuclear but it's gotten through Frackin. Like it or not, its cheap and probably inevitable. The best we can hope for is to keep funding and research for alternative non polluting sources available. There's a letter on the bottom of the article I posted above. I thought it was thought provoking. Here it is, again this isn't me. luctoretemergo | April 9 8:04pm |:

Retirement can get boring. Maybe consider it as a sabbatical and wade back in when it feels right.