Enishi

One thing that has always disgusted me whenever a crime or other tragedy is reported is the outpourings on social media calling for criminals to be tortured, castrated or raped forever out of a desire for sheer vengeance, along with calls for the current prison system to be even BIGGER. I can understand such responses if it's just temporary venting, but that kind of approach does nothing to stop crime in the long term.

1. Associates in Graphic Design. Not bad per see, but upon graduating I realized that not only did I not particularly enjoy the work, but my portfolio looked like crap compared to many of my far more determined, talented and outgoing classmates. In addition, we were all emerging into a job market that was already saturated (and based on my research it got even worse when the recession hit). 2. Bachelors in Technical Writing. Once again, better from a career standpoint than your typical money sink liberal arts degree, and I was far better at it than Graphic Design. Still, I had very little passion for the work, and was only using it as a stepping stone so that I would have better options after getting certified to teach English in other countries (an option that ended after meeting my fiance in America). I also graduated right in the middle of the recession, and all the jobs and interviews I found were either unpaid internships or part time work that made less than my current job. Looking back on it now, I was quite lost when I went into both programs. I basically felt pressured to be doing "something, anything!" to escape my current job, and choose subjects that I assumed I would like, or at least be good at, based on a mixture of self-delusion and poor advice from counselors. Much of my failure was my own fault of course, not necessarily the degrees in question. If I had been more determined and had more passion, I might have been able to carve out a niche in those paths. As of now I get far better client feedback and interest from employers after getting certified in Therapeutic Massage and incorporating Medical Qigong. The work in my former degrees didn't entirely go to waste either, as it helped me with designing business cards, resumes and cover letters. I intend to make more use of it down the road as well, even if my "official" job title isn't Graphic Designer or Technical Writer.

It's not transmitted through the physical phone, or electronic blips on a computer screen. Rather, it's transmitted by the INFORMATION that resonates outward when you talk or type. Information isn't just an abstract detail made to describe physical things, but rather a living force onto itself.

If I could like this more then once I would, given that I have strong Metal (or Air in terms of Western systems), and I've spent a long time trying to understand what this means for me. This explanation caused an immediate intuitive "click" in my awareness. The penetrating aspect of Air/Metal is something I've noticed before when doing certain kinds of focusing exercises.

One essay I read awhile back that I often find myself revisiting is The Medical Racket by Wade Frazier. Here's a section on vaccines and Pasteur: http://www.ahealedplanet.net/medicine.htm#germ

Though not without massive bias in some areas the humanities can help you become a more well-rounded person with global awareness. However colleges should really take a more direct and honest approach in terms of helping students grasp the number of job openings that actually require a liberal arts degree relative to the current number of students graduating from said programs.

Hunter gatherers were taller and less subject to degenerative diseases than the early agricultural hierarchical societies who replaced them. They didn't necessarily live longer though given the array of physical hazards they faced, along with the dangers of infectious diseases. Overall I'd say we live longer on average than either group (not sure about height).

The thought that they would have been better together did occur to me when reading book 7 and watching the movie (particularily the dancing scene).

If this was a patriarchal clan where the roles you described were reversed and the women were getting pelted with the rotten taro at the end of the ceremony, what would your reaction be?

Taking things less personally, along with not paying so much attention to my mind's endless need to analyze and categorize.

I think there's definitely more room for better standards of respect and better clarity in how people word their opinions and experiences. For instance saying, "some/many of group x I've encountered in my personal life act like xy" rather than "group x is xy". Also, here's an interesting thought exercise for two inflammatory claims: "Men are pigs/misogynists/hypocrites/cruel/arrogant/unnecessary/inferior/sexually maladjusted/intellectual eggheads/socially inept/dumb." vs. "Women are cruel/misandrists/hypocrites/sexually maladjusted/emotionally reactive/materialistic/socialites/crazy/arrogant." After reading both claims, ask yourself if one bothered you more on an immediate visceral level, and if it did, WHY is that exactly?

I've noticed the same thing, though it's usually white straight males talking about how horrible/sexist/racist other white straight males are. The self-guilt many Westerners carry is toxic.

Thanks! The school I'm attending is the Ann Arbor Institute of Massage Therapy. Purportedly it's one of the better massage schools in the country. Nothing I've seen or experienced there thus far even remotely compares to SM workshops however. Recently we had a weekend of training in Myofascial Release. I'm not quite sure what to think of it yet, it was fascinating learning about fascia but some of the techniques felt incredibly painful when on the receiving end. O.o

I agree, and this is why I've sought to avoid debating with MPG and ignore most of his posts. All that responding to him does is feed into his anger and perpetuate the endless arguments.

For me thus far the difference between Yin and Yang feels like that of Potential vs Actualization, both of which can either combine or be transmuted into one another. It's interesting to make further observations about them, but not as fruitful as experiencing the process as it unfolds. Since they're not "objects" one can't really apply a reductionist approach of trying to analyze them down into smaller and smaller pieces.

This is my approach at the moment. I just started clinical work at the massage school I'm attending. Unfortunately the school specifically prohibits students from practicing esoteric healing or other modalities not taught in their curriculum. Instead I offer that to family or friends I sometimes work on at home. When doing clinical work I do set Intent though to improve the atmosphere of the room and assist my regular massage routine.

I sat for three hours once. It's not something I can force though, it comes and goes depending on how the qi moves me.

I'm also one of the introverted ones who tends to hang back and observe for a long time before getting my feet wet. I also suspect that being extremely introverted and having mild asperger traits has resulted in socialization/conditioning having less power over me while growing up than it did over most. In the past when people talked about society/media forcing them to think or do x my response would be "huh? who? when?" O.o.

If you've grown up in a society with strict hierarchies, I think that the term "matriarchal" automatically conjures up an image that is likely different from what many are longing for on a subconscious level. So far as hierarchy goes, the nurses I work with as a hospital orderly are higher in the organizational hierarchy than me, and they treat me like shit. What many are longing for is a world that is relatively more "matrifocal" where the feminine/masculine are in balance, rather than simply giving people who are biologically female a higher position on the totem pole (but still beneath the bankers). Some Native American tribes are a good example of that.

I think it's important to note that the "ideals" of feminism and the personalities of every day women who self-identify as feminist are often cut from a different cloth than the leading voices among the Movement who now hold positions of power in academia, government or Huffpo and other media outlets. The former can be decent in their personal dealings, while the latter are often contaminated by toxic hatred, self guilt or various power ploys. In that sense, it doesn't address the needs of ordinary men at all. For instance, how often do leading feminists actually try to address problems like men getting disproportionally abused by Divorce/Family court (their usual tactic is to wag the finger of blame at them like a busybody church lady)? That's why a parallel Men's Movement is also necessary.

I wanted to type a more detailed post but I'm busy today so I will have to be brief. I think there are legitimate issues Feminism has shined light on, but in many respects its approach to solving said issues leaves much to be desired, and has been heavily manipulated by the corporate world (along with everything else). There are areas where women are disadvantaged, but there are also areas where your average guy who isn't part of the wealthy global elite is disadvantaged, ESPECIALLY if you have austistic/asperger traits or fall strongly along the IxTx side of the MBTI scale. The error many such men make however is falling for the social conditioning that says you aren't a REAL man unless you're "getting laid" or attracting women on a semi-regular basis, and this is why some develop toxic issues of entitlement and anger. Though I'm uncertain as to whether it's due to innate nature or conditioning, I do notice a general trend of men communicating with more direct words, and women more nonverbal. If you have austistic tendencies, it can be incredibly difficult if not impossible to pick up on nonverbal cues, and thus hard to know whether someone appreciates you approaching them or is creeped out by it. I think part of the solution though is not to bemoan such a state, but to embrace it as this guy did: http://www.celibrate.org/articles/MatthewhasAspergers.php If he was to do chikung as well, the extra energy would bolster his attrativeness as a side benefit, and he wouldn't have to necessarily make the first move as men are often expected to do (my girlfriend approached me initially).

Fascinating, this makes me interested to see the long term results in the wooded area I practice in near my apartment. It's near a location that is a bit ghetto, and people often leave their trash lying around. I'm getting into the habit of bringing a garbage bag and gloves with me to pick stuff up whenever I got out to practice.

Sounds interesting, I'm going to get the book later on today.

Has anyone ever had the experience of qigong/neikung practice helping with learning disabilities like dyslexia or dyscalculia, or other impairments like ADD/ADHD?

Thanks. Someone close to me is suffering from similar challenges and I want to do all I can for them.