One of my majors in college was Anthropology. By this time I was in my late 30s and going to college was something I was doing in addition to running a business and raising teenagers(my first major at age 18 was computer science and I learned COBOL and FORTRAN).
I found Anthropology a whole new way of looking at mankind. If one studies natural selection in a scientific way, one sees that everything one thinks, feels, eats, does affects not only that person but all other persons either directly or indirectly.
Let me try and show you an example. In Mexico in prehistoric times, tribes commonly hunted by driving deer, buffalo(i.e. big edible animal herds off of cliffs). They were so good at it that they extincted most big game animals larger than a chicken from Mexico and central America. So when the Mayans and Aztecs tried to get enough protein they started eating the arms and legs of their adversaries to get enough protein. And it was like this somewhat until the Spanish brought cattle and horses and pigs(farm animals to Mexico in the 1500s).
So what I'm trying to get at is that everything each of us does to the planet in our area affects all future generations to a greater or lesser degree for all succeeding generations. So, some idea that seems wonderful and innovative now might eventually extinct all life on earth or at least in your area.
For example, the present economic downturn likely will tend to end the lives of the poor starving people and the people who are physically or mentally or emotionally disadvantaged worldwide who have no one to take care of them. As governments contract they might not be able to keep these people alive.
Another problem is that worldwide animals will be hunted by the starving which likely will cause many species to go extinct all over earth. If you were starving and your family was dying what would you do no matter what the laws are?
So, I guess what I'm saying is that we should expect extreme repercussions worldwide ongoing from all these financial collapses. If General Motors and Chrysler are on the verge of bankruptcy the ripples will be felt worldwide just from that one event. There are thousands of such events now happening worldwide which won't just be ripples. They will be tidal waves!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Ring of Fire
If you are interested in Earthquakes and Seismic activity ongoing, there appears to be no better place on earth than the ring of fire that circles the Pacific Ocean. If one starts with the Redoubt Volcano going off almost every day now and shutting down the Anchorage Airport a lot this last week, and then from there go along down through multiple volcanoes down the west coast of Alaska and then British Columbia, Canada, the West coast of Washington, Oregon and California, and then traveling on down through the west coast of Mexico to the west coast of South America and finally over to the Tonga region where there is now an active volcano under the ocean likely surfacing soon(the volcanic ash is blowing into the sky and soon an island likely will form above the ocean). From there the Ring of fire travels up through Indonesia, Japan, then across the Aleutian Island chain and back to Mt. Redoubt which is the volcano now going off in Alaska.
Right now if you look at:
the USGS government earthquake center online,
you can see just how active this ring of fire is right now from Alaska to California in the Salton Sea, down to South America, over to Tonga, up to Indonesia and up to Japan and the Aleutian Islands. What this means is anyone's guess but if I were to guess, Volcano eruptions likely will increase along with Earthquakes. Whether this is just cyclical(in terms of hundreds or thousands of years) or just a one time event I don't know. However, it is happening.
Right now if you look at:
the USGS government earthquake center online,
you can see just how active this ring of fire is right now from Alaska to California in the Salton Sea, down to South America, over to Tonga, up to Indonesia and up to Japan and the Aleutian Islands. What this means is anyone's guess but if I were to guess, Volcano eruptions likely will increase along with Earthquakes. Whether this is just cyclical(in terms of hundreds or thousands of years) or just a one time event I don't know. However, it is happening.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Is violence linked to recession?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20090330/ts_csm/ashooting
My answer to this question would be: Of Course!
Without hope the people perish!
If someone cannot find their way and feel or think they have no possibility of finding their way, economically, emotionally, physically or spiritually then such people tend to create their own demise either directly or indirectly. Just look down through history. The history books are replete with these stories.
If people have no hope they tend not to survive long term.
So, if you want to survive these times and want your friends and families to survive then some kind of hope has to be found. In some ways initially it is less important whether it is real or imagined hope even though in the later stages one must be able to demonstrate to oneself there is truth to their hope. In other words eventually one must be able to demonstrate in some way that their hope is based upon truth and not lies.
My answer to this question would be: Of Course!
Without hope the people perish!
If someone cannot find their way and feel or think they have no possibility of finding their way, economically, emotionally, physically or spiritually then such people tend to create their own demise either directly or indirectly. Just look down through history. The history books are replete with these stories.
If people have no hope they tend not to survive long term.
So, if you want to survive these times and want your friends and families to survive then some kind of hope has to be found. In some ways initially it is less important whether it is real or imagined hope even though in the later stages one must be able to demonstrate to oneself there is truth to their hope. In other words eventually one must be able to demonstrate in some way that their hope is based upon truth and not lies.
Earthquakes this last week
Since I have had a premonition about a coming large earthquake I'm writing about it in the hope of your prayers saving lives. This is my source for the earthquakes
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/
These are all quakes in the last seven days above 4.0 in magnitude
4.0 in Salton Sea(in the deserts of Southern California) last Thursday
4.8 last tuesday basically same place as above
4.3 11 miles north of Morgan Hill, California today(near San Jose)
5.9 Oak Harbor, Alaska today Monday March 30th,2009
5.9 Adak, Alaska today also
5.7 Near Adak, Alaska today also
5.1 Nicolski, Alaska last Saturday
Also, there have been 8 quakes above 5.0 from Indonesia north to Japan in the last week or so also.
Since the magnitude of quakes on the ring of fire seem to be increasing I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the approaching date of 12-21-12. It is said that the alignment of the galaxy in the time we are approaching which is once very 26,000 years increase the stresses on earth like the moon affects the tides only more so from the alignment of the Galaxy with the solar system.
If there is going to be a large quake somewhere on the San Andreas Fault the likely dates so far are April 10th(a very accurate psychic I have known for about 40 years predicted this) or another possibility is April 4th. However, prayer might change all this or at least reduce deaths or injuries. That is why I'm writing this to potentially save lives and limbs by the Grace of God.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/
These are all quakes in the last seven days above 4.0 in magnitude
4.0 in Salton Sea(in the deserts of Southern California) last Thursday
4.8 last tuesday basically same place as above
4.3 11 miles north of Morgan Hill, California today(near San Jose)
5.9 Oak Harbor, Alaska today Monday March 30th,2009
5.9 Adak, Alaska today also
5.7 Near Adak, Alaska today also
5.1 Nicolski, Alaska last Saturday
Also, there have been 8 quakes above 5.0 from Indonesia north to Japan in the last week or so also.
Since the magnitude of quakes on the ring of fire seem to be increasing I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the approaching date of 12-21-12. It is said that the alignment of the galaxy in the time we are approaching which is once very 26,000 years increase the stresses on earth like the moon affects the tides only more so from the alignment of the Galaxy with the solar system.
If there is going to be a large quake somewhere on the San Andreas Fault the likely dates so far are April 10th(a very accurate psychic I have known for about 40 years predicted this) or another possibility is April 4th. However, prayer might change all this or at least reduce deaths or injuries. That is why I'm writing this to potentially save lives and limbs by the Grace of God.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Mother Nature’s Dow
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/opinion/29friedman.html
begin quote from above new york times article
It’s true, Mother Nature doesn’t tell us with one simple number how she’s feeling. But if you follow climate science, what has been striking is how insistently some of the world’s best scientists have been warning — in just the past few months — that climate change is happening faster and will bring bigger changes quicker than we anticipated just a few years ago. Indeed, if Mother Nature had a Dow, you could say that it, too, has been breaking into new (scientific) lows.
endquote.
Thomas Friedman's op-ed in the New York Times tells us that not only do we have Global Financial collapse but also Global ecological changes not experienced by civilized man ever to the degree that we are beginning to now.
begin quote from above new york times article
It’s true, Mother Nature doesn’t tell us with one simple number how she’s feeling. But if you follow climate science, what has been striking is how insistently some of the world’s best scientists have been warning — in just the past few months — that climate change is happening faster and will bring bigger changes quicker than we anticipated just a few years ago. Indeed, if Mother Nature had a Dow, you could say that it, too, has been breaking into new (scientific) lows.
endquote.
Thomas Friedman's op-ed in the New York Times tells us that not only do we have Global Financial collapse but also Global ecological changes not experienced by civilized man ever to the degree that we are beginning to now.
D L Hughley in the news
I was listening to a debate between a police representative of Narcotics officers within the U.S. and D L Hughley on Cnn. It took me back to 1969 and before and all the culture clashes then. Almost nothing was known then medically about the physical and psychological effects of most illegal drugs, so what most people heard in college then about illegal drugs including marijuana is mostly either laughable(to those who survived the ignorance) or pathetic when considering all those who died, or became incompetent or crazy as a result all these years.
Though the legalization of Marijuana might get rid of Mexican drug lords dealing supermarijuana at 20 times the thc strength of the 1960s, I think the problems of Marijuana, in some ways are just as bad as alcohol.
For example, people smoking marijuana don't usually get violent like on alcohol, they can easily cause an accident in which people die because they are tripping out focusing on a sunset, an ocean, a cloud or even the steering wheel when they should be driving the car.
Another problem I don't see mentioned much anymore is how much marijuana affects someone's judgment for about 6 months after consumption. So for example to quantify this: if someone was heading in their life toward Chicago they might instead wind up in San Francisco because their decision trees would be so altered during those 6 months. Also, during this time of not having the capacity to make good and useful decisions someone's life could easily get permanently thrown off course.
So, even though alcohol consumption could eventually kill someone, smoking marijuana might seriously alter someone's decision tree in a irrevocable way. Sometimes, logic and rationality affects everything and both these things are influenced for about 6 months after smoking marijuana each time.
Though the legalization of Marijuana might get rid of Mexican drug lords dealing supermarijuana at 20 times the thc strength of the 1960s, I think the problems of Marijuana, in some ways are just as bad as alcohol.
For example, people smoking marijuana don't usually get violent like on alcohol, they can easily cause an accident in which people die because they are tripping out focusing on a sunset, an ocean, a cloud or even the steering wheel when they should be driving the car.
Another problem I don't see mentioned much anymore is how much marijuana affects someone's judgment for about 6 months after consumption. So for example to quantify this: if someone was heading in their life toward Chicago they might instead wind up in San Francisco because their decision trees would be so altered during those 6 months. Also, during this time of not having the capacity to make good and useful decisions someone's life could easily get permanently thrown off course.
So, even though alcohol consumption could eventually kill someone, smoking marijuana might seriously alter someone's decision tree in a irrevocable way. Sometimes, logic and rationality affects everything and both these things are influenced for about 6 months after smoking marijuana each time.
The Problem with:Serfs Liberation Day
Serfs Liberation Day is a made up holiday based upon the Chinese propaganda of how wonderful it is for Tibetans since the Chinese liberated them.
Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with the truth. Having spoken with hundreds of Tibetans between 1983 and 1995 who had to leave Tibet or be killed and tortured by the Chinese between 1958 and 1980, Serfs Liberation Day I can only conclude is as big a lie as General Custer and the U.S. Government told at the need for Little Big Horn and the rest of the native American U.S. Government battles of the 19th century.
There is a saying, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely!" During the 20th century we have seen this in many countries like the old Soviet Union, China under Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot in Cambodia, Japan under its samarai military warlord Tojo etc. etc. etc.
Though most of these despots are gone, because of the immense population base in China it has not felt secure enough to convert to any form of democracy and has only accepted capitalism. Though I understand Chinese fear of chaos after the last 2 centuries that they have been through, it is important for the Chinese to consider what will happen if China destroys through technology the infrastructure of the rest of the world. It will mean only that despotism, and warlordism will decimate the world and likely bring the extinction of everyone including China, even if China is the last to go.
The kinds of power presently being misused through China and reaching tendrils now out through the internet, banking systems etc. can only doom international monetary policy worldwide in the long run.
We live in very scary times worldwide and China needs to be part of the solution and not just make the problems of the world worse and more and more impossible to deal with in any rational way. Without democracy and rationality worldwide what will come is much worse than World War I, World War II, the Korean war, the Viet Nam War, Iraq and Afghanistan all put together. None of us need something that unthinkable to have to live through. And yet, if things keep going the way they are that may be how all this ends for the whole human race. And even if humans aren't rendered extinct with that outcome all nations and civilizations would be.
Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with the truth. Having spoken with hundreds of Tibetans between 1983 and 1995 who had to leave Tibet or be killed and tortured by the Chinese between 1958 and 1980, Serfs Liberation Day I can only conclude is as big a lie as General Custer and the U.S. Government told at the need for Little Big Horn and the rest of the native American U.S. Government battles of the 19th century.
There is a saying, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely!" During the 20th century we have seen this in many countries like the old Soviet Union, China under Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot in Cambodia, Japan under its samarai military warlord Tojo etc. etc. etc.
Though most of these despots are gone, because of the immense population base in China it has not felt secure enough to convert to any form of democracy and has only accepted capitalism. Though I understand Chinese fear of chaos after the last 2 centuries that they have been through, it is important for the Chinese to consider what will happen if China destroys through technology the infrastructure of the rest of the world. It will mean only that despotism, and warlordism will decimate the world and likely bring the extinction of everyone including China, even if China is the last to go.
The kinds of power presently being misused through China and reaching tendrils now out through the internet, banking systems etc. can only doom international monetary policy worldwide in the long run.
We live in very scary times worldwide and China needs to be part of the solution and not just make the problems of the world worse and more and more impossible to deal with in any rational way. Without democracy and rationality worldwide what will come is much worse than World War I, World War II, the Korean war, the Viet Nam War, Iraq and Afghanistan all put together. None of us need something that unthinkable to have to live through. And yet, if things keep going the way they are that may be how all this ends for the whole human race. And even if humans aren't rendered extinct with that outcome all nations and civilizations would be.
Canadians find vast computer spy network
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE52R2HQ20090328
Begin quote from above website listed:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Canadian researchers have uncovered a vast electronic spying operation that infiltrated computers and stole documents from government and private offices around the world, including those of the Dalai Lama, The New York Times reported on Saturday.
In a report provided to the newspaper, a team from the Munk Center for International Studies in Toronto said at least 1,295 computers in 103 countries had been breached in less than two years by the spy system, which it dubbed GhostNet.
Embassies, foreign ministries, government offices and the Dalai Lama's Tibetan exile centers in India, Brussels, London and New York were among those infiltrated, said the researchers, who have detected computer espionage in the past.
They found no evidence U.S. government offices were breached.
The researchers concluded that computers based almost exclusively in China were responsible for the intrusions, although they stopped short of saying the Chinese government was involved in the system, which they described as still active.
"We're a bit more careful about it, knowing the nuance of what happens in the subterranean realms," said Ronald Deibert, a member of the Munk research group, based at the University of Toronto.
"This could well be the CIA or the Russians. It's a murky realm that we're lifting the lid on."
end quote from above website listed
There has been a lot of evidence for years now about the growing strength of Chinese hackers in the pay of the Chinese Government. Though it is true this could also be the work of the U.S, Russia or China, I think it is more useful to look to see which economies are working well now and which aren't. Those that are doing the best like China and India might be more likely to have the benefits of such a spying network than Russia, or the U.S. which are doing more poorly.
So, I think looking no further than looking to which nations are harmed the most and which nations are harmed the least we can more easily ascertain who is doing this. And using this logic China comes up as the number one likely culprit . I also think this is only the beginning. For why have a nuclear or land war when China can bring other nations to their knees with computer hackers by disrupting economies through disrupting electronic dollars that never will exist as paper dollars?
Begin quote from above website listed:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Canadian researchers have uncovered a vast electronic spying operation that infiltrated computers and stole documents from government and private offices around the world, including those of the Dalai Lama, The New York Times reported on Saturday.
In a report provided to the newspaper, a team from the Munk Center for International Studies in Toronto said at least 1,295 computers in 103 countries had been breached in less than two years by the spy system, which it dubbed GhostNet.
Embassies, foreign ministries, government offices and the Dalai Lama's Tibetan exile centers in India, Brussels, London and New York were among those infiltrated, said the researchers, who have detected computer espionage in the past.
They found no evidence U.S. government offices were breached.
The researchers concluded that computers based almost exclusively in China were responsible for the intrusions, although they stopped short of saying the Chinese government was involved in the system, which they described as still active.
"We're a bit more careful about it, knowing the nuance of what happens in the subterranean realms," said Ronald Deibert, a member of the Munk research group, based at the University of Toronto.
"This could well be the CIA or the Russians. It's a murky realm that we're lifting the lid on."
end quote from above website listed
There has been a lot of evidence for years now about the growing strength of Chinese hackers in the pay of the Chinese Government. Though it is true this could also be the work of the U.S, Russia or China, I think it is more useful to look to see which economies are working well now and which aren't. Those that are doing the best like China and India might be more likely to have the benefits of such a spying network than Russia, or the U.S. which are doing more poorly.
So, I think looking no further than looking to which nations are harmed the most and which nations are harmed the least we can more easily ascertain who is doing this. And using this logic China comes up as the number one likely culprit . I also think this is only the beginning. For why have a nuclear or land war when China can bring other nations to their knees with computer hackers by disrupting economies through disrupting electronic dollars that never will exist as paper dollars?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Efficiency 2
Efficiency is how the human race has always survived. It might not always be pretty but without ever increasing efficiency, individuals and groups die off and go away. In the end only those who survive to breed and assure not only the survival of their children but also assure their health and education tend to survive and to persevere here on earth down through the centuries.
So, in the end it is a combination of all the little innovations people figure out and then teach to their children ongoing that make a real difference in efficiency in the long run. It is also important to teach each successive generation why something is important, why efficiency is so important but also that without a heart and compassion none of it is worth living anyway. So it is always a balance of teaching efficiency in everything while also demonstrating and teaching kindness and compassion. Otherwise there is no real reason that I can see to be alive.
So, in the end it is a combination of all the little innovations people figure out and then teach to their children ongoing that make a real difference in efficiency in the long run. It is also important to teach each successive generation why something is important, why efficiency is so important but also that without a heart and compassion none of it is worth living anyway. So it is always a balance of teaching efficiency in everything while also demonstrating and teaching kindness and compassion. Otherwise there is no real reason that I can see to be alive.
Like Monasteries on the Hill
The following is an archetypal response to the complete failure of banking and investment processes worldwide.
I was thinking tonight about the tent cities springing up around the United States, in Florida, Southern States as well as places like California and all over. These tent cities are people new to living in tents, often with cars who have recently lost their jobs. Generally, these people tend to be between 20 and 40 but could literally be of any age these days.
It took me back to co-ops formed by mostly college students starting in the 1960s. Many of these co-operative communal farms are still going throughout the U.S. and the world. The basic idea was for like minded people to work together, to live off the grid, generate their own power(solar or wind or water), own their own land, grow organically, and be self sustaining. As long as people were basically single, more like sort of self styled monks and nuns, these co-ops tended to work okay. The breakdown occurred mostly when people got pregnant, got married, needed more privacy and freedom etc.
However, for people who would rather not just live in a tent and feel unsafe, living in the country with friends on an owned piece of property with water rights and farmland could under the right conditions feed these people and house these people, off the grid and allow them a transition place into a better life. So, banding together and growing organic food together and living off the grid together could be a very useful transitional safe place for many people in these difficult economic times we now face.
Relatively little money is needed per capita to start a co-operative somewhere. If people are friends they could pool their resources to start such a venture on as little as a minimum of one tillable acre of land per person in a group. Water rights and suitable weather are also a necessity. HOwever, as long as there is agreement and useful good will between all interested parties such group ventures could be useful to all concerned.
Another advantage to such a co-op is that barter can be used as a method of exchange instead of money. Any profits from crops being sold can be(after paying the basic bills of the co-op) go to all working members of a co-op according to the number of hours worked.
It is important for members of any co-op to share ideals, practicality, a work ethic and a desire to actually make the thing work. Otherwise, if you just have a bunch of starry eyed idealists with no practical knowledge or experience and the whole thing can fall apart very easily. However, these things work well with enough intelligent industrious members. However, realistic group meetings must be held for the whole thing to work. But in these times standing together and working together can be better than just standing alone and starving worldwide.
But if people are willing to work to make such a co-op work then often it doesn't matter what governments or financial institutions do because such a group, just like the Amish and others are like Monasteries on the hill and function well independently of any government or top down financial system that works or doesn't work worldwide.
I was thinking tonight about the tent cities springing up around the United States, in Florida, Southern States as well as places like California and all over. These tent cities are people new to living in tents, often with cars who have recently lost their jobs. Generally, these people tend to be between 20 and 40 but could literally be of any age these days.
It took me back to co-ops formed by mostly college students starting in the 1960s. Many of these co-operative communal farms are still going throughout the U.S. and the world. The basic idea was for like minded people to work together, to live off the grid, generate their own power(solar or wind or water), own their own land, grow organically, and be self sustaining. As long as people were basically single, more like sort of self styled monks and nuns, these co-ops tended to work okay. The breakdown occurred mostly when people got pregnant, got married, needed more privacy and freedom etc.
However, for people who would rather not just live in a tent and feel unsafe, living in the country with friends on an owned piece of property with water rights and farmland could under the right conditions feed these people and house these people, off the grid and allow them a transition place into a better life. So, banding together and growing organic food together and living off the grid together could be a very useful transitional safe place for many people in these difficult economic times we now face.
Relatively little money is needed per capita to start a co-operative somewhere. If people are friends they could pool their resources to start such a venture on as little as a minimum of one tillable acre of land per person in a group. Water rights and suitable weather are also a necessity. HOwever, as long as there is agreement and useful good will between all interested parties such group ventures could be useful to all concerned.
Another advantage to such a co-op is that barter can be used as a method of exchange instead of money. Any profits from crops being sold can be(after paying the basic bills of the co-op) go to all working members of a co-op according to the number of hours worked.
It is important for members of any co-op to share ideals, practicality, a work ethic and a desire to actually make the thing work. Otherwise, if you just have a bunch of starry eyed idealists with no practical knowledge or experience and the whole thing can fall apart very easily. However, these things work well with enough intelligent industrious members. However, realistic group meetings must be held for the whole thing to work. But in these times standing together and working together can be better than just standing alone and starving worldwide.
But if people are willing to work to make such a co-op work then often it doesn't matter what governments or financial institutions do because such a group, just like the Amish and others are like Monasteries on the hill and function well independently of any government or top down financial system that works or doesn't work worldwide.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Hope
defininition from wikipedia in english begin quote: Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. To hope is to wish for something with the expectation of the wish being fulfilled, a key condition of unrequited love. Hopefulness is somewhat different from optimism in that hope is an emotional state, whereas optimism is a conclusion reached through a deliberate thought pattern that leads to a positive attitude.
end quote.
Whereas unrequited love even though it can be an aspect of hope is something actually different. Unrequited love appears to affect about 98% of all humans at some time during their lives so in this sense it is an almost universal experience.
Wikipedia lists some poems about unrequited love. Since I found them interesting I thought I would share them. The first in "Anacreontiques" by Abraham Cowley, the second by Robert Burns called "Anna"
Begin quote from wikipedia
"A mighty pain to love it is,
And 'tis a pain that pain to miss
But of all pains, the greatest pain
It is to love, but to love in vain."
next poem:
"Anna, thy charms my bosom fire,
And waste my soul with care:
But ah! how bootless to admire,
When fated to despair!
Yet in thy presence, lovely Fair,
To hope may be forgiven:
For sure 'twere impious to despair
So much in sight of heaven."
continue quote:
As the literary selections suggest, the inability to express and fulfill emotional needs may lead to feeling such as depression, low self esteem, anxiety and rapid mood swings between depression and euphoria. A universal feeling, by some estimates affecting 98% of all people during their lifetimes, unrequited love has naturally been a frequent subject in popular culture."
end quote.
end quote.
Whereas unrequited love even though it can be an aspect of hope is something actually different. Unrequited love appears to affect about 98% of all humans at some time during their lives so in this sense it is an almost universal experience.
Wikipedia lists some poems about unrequited love. Since I found them interesting I thought I would share them. The first in "Anacreontiques" by Abraham Cowley, the second by Robert Burns called "Anna"
Begin quote from wikipedia
"A mighty pain to love it is,
And 'tis a pain that pain to miss
But of all pains, the greatest pain
It is to love, but to love in vain."
next poem:
"Anna, thy charms my bosom fire,
And waste my soul with care:
But ah! how bootless to admire,
When fated to despair!
Yet in thy presence, lovely Fair,
To hope may be forgiven:
For sure 'twere impious to despair
So much in sight of heaven."
continue quote:
As the literary selections suggest, the inability to express and fulfill emotional needs may lead to feeling such as depression, low self esteem, anxiety and rapid mood swings between depression and euphoria. A universal feeling, by some estimates affecting 98% of all people during their lifetimes, unrequited love has naturally been a frequent subject in popular culture."
end quote.
Never Argue About God
I found something I really like in "Eat Pray Love" a book by Elizabeth Gilbert.
It is on page 241. Since this is a non-Fiction book her Balinese Medicine man in Ubud, Bali is quoted Begin quote.
----Some people like to argue about God." "Not necessary," he said, (ketut, the medicine man) "I have good idea, for if you meet some person from different religion and he want to make argument about God. My idea is, you listen to everything this man say about God. Never argue about God with him. Best thing to say is, 'I agree with you.' Then you go home, pray what you want. This is my idea for people to have peace about religion." end quote.
I fully agree with Ketut because I grew up in a minority religion, in a mystical Christian Cult. Though I separated from this cult formally in 1969, I still believe that spiritual and religious beliefs are extremely personal and individual. Out of respect to every individual I usually choose not to argue with people about religion unless someone says something like, "God told me to kill this person or these people." If I ever met someone like that it becomes a whole different issue and necessary to pursue even if it is with mental health professionals to help that person. I have not been in this kind of position since my early 20s so for this I am grateful.
Whether one's beliefs are religious, spiritual, humanistic, atheistic or agnostic or even completely unknown to me, I have found that honoring someone's beliefs to be important even in a humanistic sense as long as that belief doesn't include harming others or themselves physically.
Many of you might find yourselves Only around people who share all your beliefs. However, here in California people you meet might believe almost anything, especially in coastal areas like San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay area and further north to Eureka and Arcata and even Ashland, Portland, and Seattle all seem to be this way too. So, I guess one could say that the entire western coast of the United States has people that may have european, North American, South American, Pacific Ocean or Asian Beliefs. In some ways there is more of an international flavor religiously and spiritually to the West Coast of the United States than any other place I've ever been except maybe Hawaii.
Though I have found the East Coast of the United States and Europe to also be International in their beliefs, they also tend to be more traditional, whereas people on the West Coast's tradition is to be Experimental. By having one's tradition to be experimentalism as in life on the West Coast of the United States, the level of diversity can really become amazing!
It is on page 241. Since this is a non-Fiction book her Balinese Medicine man in Ubud, Bali is quoted Begin quote.
----Some people like to argue about God." "Not necessary," he said, (ketut, the medicine man) "I have good idea, for if you meet some person from different religion and he want to make argument about God. My idea is, you listen to everything this man say about God. Never argue about God with him. Best thing to say is, 'I agree with you.' Then you go home, pray what you want. This is my idea for people to have peace about religion." end quote.
I fully agree with Ketut because I grew up in a minority religion, in a mystical Christian Cult. Though I separated from this cult formally in 1969, I still believe that spiritual and religious beliefs are extremely personal and individual. Out of respect to every individual I usually choose not to argue with people about religion unless someone says something like, "God told me to kill this person or these people." If I ever met someone like that it becomes a whole different issue and necessary to pursue even if it is with mental health professionals to help that person. I have not been in this kind of position since my early 20s so for this I am grateful.
Whether one's beliefs are religious, spiritual, humanistic, atheistic or agnostic or even completely unknown to me, I have found that honoring someone's beliefs to be important even in a humanistic sense as long as that belief doesn't include harming others or themselves physically.
Many of you might find yourselves Only around people who share all your beliefs. However, here in California people you meet might believe almost anything, especially in coastal areas like San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay area and further north to Eureka and Arcata and even Ashland, Portland, and Seattle all seem to be this way too. So, I guess one could say that the entire western coast of the United States has people that may have european, North American, South American, Pacific Ocean or Asian Beliefs. In some ways there is more of an international flavor religiously and spiritually to the West Coast of the United States than any other place I've ever been except maybe Hawaii.
Though I have found the East Coast of the United States and Europe to also be International in their beliefs, they also tend to be more traditional, whereas people on the West Coast's tradition is to be Experimental. By having one's tradition to be experimentalism as in life on the West Coast of the United States, the level of diversity can really become amazing!
To Protect
It has always been my duty to protect life whenever possible. I am still learning how to do this better at age 60.
I have had two dreams in my life when the grim reaper(Death) has come to me. The first was in 1989 and the second was this morning. The first time was September 1989 and foretold the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Because I was in family student housing in September 1989 at UC Santa Cruz I took my family temporarily to Maui and watched the Earthquake tear up the Northern California Coast on CNN in Hana, Maui. I found this very disturbing at the time to have my precognitions come true on this level of death and mayhem. Even though I got some people to listen to me at the time about the coming earthquake most people didn't believe me until it happened and then because it scared them so bad didn't want to talk to me afterward about it.
This time, almost 20 years later I am having this experience in April 2009 instead of September 1989. And this time the precognitive dream is different. This time The Grim Reaper-Angel of Death was standing by the right side of my dream and showed me many people lying on the ground. It looked like in the desert. The people weren't moving. I asked the Angel of Death what the cause of this was. The Angel of Death pointed down with his thumb which I took to mean from the earth. I woke up and called my son and told him my concerns because he lives in Southern California where there are deserts. IF and when this happens I have no idea. I suppose it is also possible to lessen the impact through prayers. I'm not sure. I was able through prayer to prevent my ex-wife and step-daughter's death in 1985 even when I told them that if they drove that day I was worried they would die in a traffic accident. The accident still happened- a head on and our car was totaled but they both lived with cracked ribs for my ex-wife and a mild concussion for my step-daughter. So I know from past experience that prayers help.
The last time this occurred was between 2 weeks to one month after the dream vision so it is hard to say for sure about all this. I have never blogged about such a significant event before so I know this will change the event. I'm just not sure how yet.
I have had two dreams in my life when the grim reaper(Death) has come to me. The first was in 1989 and the second was this morning. The first time was September 1989 and foretold the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Because I was in family student housing in September 1989 at UC Santa Cruz I took my family temporarily to Maui and watched the Earthquake tear up the Northern California Coast on CNN in Hana, Maui. I found this very disturbing at the time to have my precognitions come true on this level of death and mayhem. Even though I got some people to listen to me at the time about the coming earthquake most people didn't believe me until it happened and then because it scared them so bad didn't want to talk to me afterward about it.
This time, almost 20 years later I am having this experience in April 2009 instead of September 1989. And this time the precognitive dream is different. This time The Grim Reaper-Angel of Death was standing by the right side of my dream and showed me many people lying on the ground. It looked like in the desert. The people weren't moving. I asked the Angel of Death what the cause of this was. The Angel of Death pointed down with his thumb which I took to mean from the earth. I woke up and called my son and told him my concerns because he lives in Southern California where there are deserts. IF and when this happens I have no idea. I suppose it is also possible to lessen the impact through prayers. I'm not sure. I was able through prayer to prevent my ex-wife and step-daughter's death in 1985 even when I told them that if they drove that day I was worried they would die in a traffic accident. The accident still happened- a head on and our car was totaled but they both lived with cracked ribs for my ex-wife and a mild concussion for my step-daughter. So I know from past experience that prayers help.
The last time this occurred was between 2 weeks to one month after the dream vision so it is hard to say for sure about all this. I have never blogged about such a significant event before so I know this will change the event. I'm just not sure how yet.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Feed the Afghans
Many people do not realize that Afghanistan is one of the ten poorest nations on earth. People are starving all over Afghanistan.Giving money to Warlords may not work to bring peace to Afghanistan like it did to Iraq but finding a way to feed the masses in Afghanistan may work. If you give money to warlords in Afghanistan individually they will simply mostly just pocket the money and let their people starve but if a way could be found to feed the common people I think you would create a loyalty to America and NATO unseen so far. So I don't think the problem can be solved militarily because Afghanistan has kicked every nation out of Afghanistan for several hundred years even the Soviet Union.
Feed the Afghans and save American and NATO soldiers lives! Though it may not solve the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden problem it will bring the Afghans we feed to support us and not attack us or bomb us! Financially this could be a win win situation.
Feed the Afghans and save American and NATO soldiers lives! Though it may not solve the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden problem it will bring the Afghans we feed to support us and not attack us or bomb us! Financially this could be a win win situation.
More on Spontaneous Arisal From Voidness
In terms of determinism and chaos, if we make chaos you bobbing in the middle of the ocean out of sight of land naked and then call that voidness and then we call arisal from voidness walking on land in the daylight or at night clothed, then we begin to make sense of Spontaneous Arisal from Voidness.
Because people want to know where one comes from if they arrive from Voidness. A good example of sponataneous arisal from voidness is human birth. Where did this baby come from. The beginning of its spontaneous arisal was in conception but the actual manifestation into the physical world didn't take place until birth. So where did this baby come from? So one could say it sponataneously arose from Voidness at the moment of conception.
However, this spontaneous arising doesn't just apply to physical birth, it applies to mental birth, spiritual birth, the birth of enlightenment which is both a spiritual birth, emotional birth and even in some ways a physical birth.
It is said that enlightenment is simple because one becomes enlightened just by experiencing it. It is not really a big deal. It is like opening the front door to your house and going "Wow! It's a beautiful day!" Though there are infinite stages forward in successive states of enlightenment, walking out that door and being happy the sun is out and that it is a beautiful day is enlightenment!
If you know you are enlightened then you are. It is that simple. I think therefore I am.
Because people want to know where one comes from if they arrive from Voidness. A good example of sponataneous arisal from voidness is human birth. Where did this baby come from. The beginning of its spontaneous arisal was in conception but the actual manifestation into the physical world didn't take place until birth. So where did this baby come from? So one could say it sponataneously arose from Voidness at the moment of conception.
However, this spontaneous arising doesn't just apply to physical birth, it applies to mental birth, spiritual birth, the birth of enlightenment which is both a spiritual birth, emotional birth and even in some ways a physical birth.
It is said that enlightenment is simple because one becomes enlightened just by experiencing it. It is not really a big deal. It is like opening the front door to your house and going "Wow! It's a beautiful day!" Though there are infinite stages forward in successive states of enlightenment, walking out that door and being happy the sun is out and that it is a beautiful day is enlightenment!
If you know you are enlightened then you are. It is that simple. I think therefore I am.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Cultural Genocide
I'm speaking about the ongoing cultural genocide of Tibetans in Tibet. This is nothing new and has been going on full force for about 60 years now since Mao Tse Tung invaded Tibet and forced monks and nuns to copulate and forced Tibetan Children to shoot their parents. It is all about destroying a native culture which is not unusual at all in Chinese history or in American history in regard to native Americans.
If people want something they take it. It has always been this way down through recorded history. It is not nice at all. But it has been going on since there have been animals and humans on earth.
I, for one think that Tibetan Culture is far superior to Chinese culture and am very sad to see Tibetan culture in Tibet being permanently and systematically wiped out. I understand what is happening to Tibetans in Tibet is no different at all than what happened to native Americans in the United States during the 16th through beginning of the 20th century. It is the sad death of noble cultures just as what the Chinese are doing is the genocide of Tibetans and Tibetan Culture.
I think if the Tibetans were Christian people that Westerners wouldn't let this happen but Tibetans have the misfortune of Being Tibetan Buddhist which is considered to be a threat to Christians because Buddhism of all kinds is just so logical and reasonable that most religions cannot compete with the basic logic of Buddhism so college educated people tend to embrace all forms of Buddhism just out of common sense.
So, strangely enough though Buddhism in Tibet is going extinct through cultural genocide it is growing throughout the world on college campuses everywhere. It is almost as if those dying and being killed in Tibet are being reborn as the children of college educated Tibetan Buddhists throughout the earth. I think this is a nice thought or meditation. What do you think?
If people want something they take it. It has always been this way down through recorded history. It is not nice at all. But it has been going on since there have been animals and humans on earth.
I, for one think that Tibetan Culture is far superior to Chinese culture and am very sad to see Tibetan culture in Tibet being permanently and systematically wiped out. I understand what is happening to Tibetans in Tibet is no different at all than what happened to native Americans in the United States during the 16th through beginning of the 20th century. It is the sad death of noble cultures just as what the Chinese are doing is the genocide of Tibetans and Tibetan Culture.
I think if the Tibetans were Christian people that Westerners wouldn't let this happen but Tibetans have the misfortune of Being Tibetan Buddhist which is considered to be a threat to Christians because Buddhism of all kinds is just so logical and reasonable that most religions cannot compete with the basic logic of Buddhism so college educated people tend to embrace all forms of Buddhism just out of common sense.
So, strangely enough though Buddhism in Tibet is going extinct through cultural genocide it is growing throughout the world on college campuses everywhere. It is almost as if those dying and being killed in Tibet are being reborn as the children of college educated Tibetan Buddhists throughout the earth. I think this is a nice thought or meditation. What do you think?
More Unintended Consequences
Governments have always been very ineffective in running businesses. So the latest ramification from an AIG executive is not surprising:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html
The above website is a new op-ed page from the NEW YORK TIMES. It is from Mr. DeSantis who is publicly resigning his executive position from AIG because of all the hoopla. He said he is already working 10,12,14 hour days for $1 this year and feels betrayed by the CEO of AIG and the state and federal governments because he had nothing ever to do with the credit default swaps that destroyed the insurance company.
This is my truism: "When governments enters business, business ends"
I think trying to have it both ways everyone loses. Either the government must completely take over these businesses or regulate them or leave them alone. Trying to do it any other way is just too half assed to work for anyone or any group!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html
The above website is a new op-ed page from the NEW YORK TIMES. It is from Mr. DeSantis who is publicly resigning his executive position from AIG because of all the hoopla. He said he is already working 10,12,14 hour days for $1 this year and feels betrayed by the CEO of AIG and the state and federal governments because he had nothing ever to do with the credit default swaps that destroyed the insurance company.
This is my truism: "When governments enters business, business ends"
I think trying to have it both ways everyone loses. Either the government must completely take over these businesses or regulate them or leave them alone. Trying to do it any other way is just too half assed to work for anyone or any group!
Determinism and Chaos
Having recently seen the movie "Knowing" my wife was talking to me about determinism and chaos. She said to me, "I think both determinism and chaos are necessary for the universe to exist. This threw me back to when I was trying to make sense of the universe in College and to a place where I too had come to the conclusion that determinism and chaos operated side by side.
I can remember loving the idea of soap bubbles, the kind you blow as a child with a little circular wand with soap suds. I came to see then that the bubble as it traveled through the air was symbolic of determinism and when the bubble popped in any way, that was chaos. And so, to my way of thinking blowing bubbles was a way to worship the universe the way it naturally occurred everywhere. For example, the earth in this context is like a soap bubble, and as long as the bubble doesn't burst everything makes sense in some context. But if and when earth ends, so does the determinism continuum that earth existed in. It sort of doesn't matter then whether earth ever existed or not in this chaotic context. The same is true with Galaxies or even with thousands of galaxies. So you can see in this context that each planet or galaxy is a soap bubble and that the determinism of a galaxy only exists or is relevant in any way as long as it exists. When it is gone it is possible that no one would ever know it existed except perhaps the sentience within other galaxies that witnessed it existing.
This brings up another interesting conundrum. If a galaxy is so far away that we can still see it even though it collided with another galaxy and we can't see it because it is so far away that we won't see it for about 1 million years does it still exist? I suppose this could be approached by the philosophic question: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one sees it did it happen?" Since the philosophic and scientific answer is "NO!" and since this point of view is the basis of all science since Francis Bacon of England first put forth the Scientific Method I guess even now I'm not quite sure what the answer would be about the galaxy.
I guess also using this method of philosophic reasoning and inquiry one would have to say something like: "Since we can't see that it has collided with another galaxy it did not happen and has not happened yet."
For me, this is one of the problems of modern philosophic and scientific inquiry. If you are true to the system you are going to be wrong about a lot of things in actuality. And hopefully, these flawed conclusions aren't fatal to yourself or mankind in the meantime.
I can remember loving the idea of soap bubbles, the kind you blow as a child with a little circular wand with soap suds. I came to see then that the bubble as it traveled through the air was symbolic of determinism and when the bubble popped in any way, that was chaos. And so, to my way of thinking blowing bubbles was a way to worship the universe the way it naturally occurred everywhere. For example, the earth in this context is like a soap bubble, and as long as the bubble doesn't burst everything makes sense in some context. But if and when earth ends, so does the determinism continuum that earth existed in. It sort of doesn't matter then whether earth ever existed or not in this chaotic context. The same is true with Galaxies or even with thousands of galaxies. So you can see in this context that each planet or galaxy is a soap bubble and that the determinism of a galaxy only exists or is relevant in any way as long as it exists. When it is gone it is possible that no one would ever know it existed except perhaps the sentience within other galaxies that witnessed it existing.
This brings up another interesting conundrum. If a galaxy is so far away that we can still see it even though it collided with another galaxy and we can't see it because it is so far away that we won't see it for about 1 million years does it still exist? I suppose this could be approached by the philosophic question: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one sees it did it happen?" Since the philosophic and scientific answer is "NO!" and since this point of view is the basis of all science since Francis Bacon of England first put forth the Scientific Method I guess even now I'm not quite sure what the answer would be about the galaxy.
I guess also using this method of philosophic reasoning and inquiry one would have to say something like: "Since we can't see that it has collided with another galaxy it did not happen and has not happened yet."
For me, this is one of the problems of modern philosophic and scientific inquiry. If you are true to the system you are going to be wrong about a lot of things in actuality. And hopefully, these flawed conclusions aren't fatal to yourself or mankind in the meantime.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Skills
I was thinking about the skills that everyone has. Each of us is unique in our skills and some of each of our skills might defy explanation if trying to explain them to a stranger who has no known us in real life.
Though each of us are born with what nature gave us, what happens to us after that could be literally anything. This anything creates or destroys(usually a little of both) our capacity to learn skills.
When I look back in my life some of my most extreme skills came from some of the worst things that have happened to me. For example, I learned how to "let go" as in prepare to die from whooping cough. I suppose this could best be described as the ability to "let Go and Let God" or another way to put it is, "I"m ready to die at any time, God!"
This state of consciousness might be strange to some of you, but the ability to know when to let go, give up, be free from a situation or illness is one of the most powerful skills that I have. I would have to say to you that I am alive today because it prevents panic which often kills through heart attack or stroke, especially if one is over 35 or 40 years of age. Many people die unexpectedly because they think like they are 20 or 30 and biologically they might not be.
I would say that even for healthy people one must start being more aware of what is going on in their bodies and minds and thinking about their health more if they want to from about age 35 on.
Skills useful to acquire in regard to making a living are: Good ideas, meeting the right people and marrying the right person. Because I started working after school and weekends by age 10 I learned that employers mostly were to be despised because they made all the money and you worked your fingers to the bone. So by the time I was 21 I had learned that I wanted to somehow be my own boss. Though I didn't achieve this completely until I was about 29, from then on I mostly 90% at least worked for myself, kept the profit for me and my family and moved forward with my life. I just met too many people who had been hard workers for companies, were given a gold watch and then died within 2 years. This was the norm when I grew up and so I didn't want this outcome for me. Also, I have noticed the people who have worked at least part time in businesses they owned into their 80s or 90s and tended not to get senile dementia and alzheimer's as much and usually died in late 80s or 90s.
Though I am 60 and have been basically retired for about 10 years I am still helping manage a business and working on finances 5 days a week. This not only keeps me mentally sharp it financially helps my family in multiple ways. This enables me and my wife to continue to be mentors for our children and Godchildren and others that seem appropriate along the way in our lives.
Though each of us are born with what nature gave us, what happens to us after that could be literally anything. This anything creates or destroys(usually a little of both) our capacity to learn skills.
When I look back in my life some of my most extreme skills came from some of the worst things that have happened to me. For example, I learned how to "let go" as in prepare to die from whooping cough. I suppose this could best be described as the ability to "let Go and Let God" or another way to put it is, "I"m ready to die at any time, God!"
This state of consciousness might be strange to some of you, but the ability to know when to let go, give up, be free from a situation or illness is one of the most powerful skills that I have. I would have to say to you that I am alive today because it prevents panic which often kills through heart attack or stroke, especially if one is over 35 or 40 years of age. Many people die unexpectedly because they think like they are 20 or 30 and biologically they might not be.
I would say that even for healthy people one must start being more aware of what is going on in their bodies and minds and thinking about their health more if they want to from about age 35 on.
Skills useful to acquire in regard to making a living are: Good ideas, meeting the right people and marrying the right person. Because I started working after school and weekends by age 10 I learned that employers mostly were to be despised because they made all the money and you worked your fingers to the bone. So by the time I was 21 I had learned that I wanted to somehow be my own boss. Though I didn't achieve this completely until I was about 29, from then on I mostly 90% at least worked for myself, kept the profit for me and my family and moved forward with my life. I just met too many people who had been hard workers for companies, were given a gold watch and then died within 2 years. This was the norm when I grew up and so I didn't want this outcome for me. Also, I have noticed the people who have worked at least part time in businesses they owned into their 80s or 90s and tended not to get senile dementia and alzheimer's as much and usually died in late 80s or 90s.
Though I am 60 and have been basically retired for about 10 years I am still helping manage a business and working on finances 5 days a week. This not only keeps me mentally sharp it financially helps my family in multiple ways. This enables me and my wife to continue to be mentors for our children and Godchildren and others that seem appropriate along the way in our lives.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Top Heavy
I was listening to the NPR radio guest speak about just how complex and unpredictable world events are now on earth. He compared it to the almost chaos theory results of dropping one grain of sand upon another until you build up a pile of sand prone to collapse of one kind or another but that is completely unpredictable in the exact way it collapses. As a person who was once a computer programmer in Cobol, Fortran and Basic, I kind of look at new microsoft operating systems in this kind of top heavy way.
I guess what I mean by this is that basic human civilization has been built continually basically on the same model for thousands of years just like Microsoft windows Operating systems are still based upon the same krnl that they were before there was an internet in the early 1980s. So when the internet came along since the original design didn't design for an internet there were vulnerabilities that patches have to be written for. Likewise, in the world banking system nothing much has changed since the abacus was invented except that machines are taught to do what an abacus did before. And because it is not a lot of people double checking everything there are a lot more potential errors that might never be caught within the world wide system. And these errors could be made by human or computer glitches or even synthetic sentient computer programs or subroutines.
So, in 1916 when the U.S. Joined World War I it was over within two years, even though a flu pandemic killed thousands of soldiers and others at the end of the war.
The solution to World War I of punishing Germany directly created Hitler into power and cost about 100 million people their lives worldwide, 20 million in Russia alone, mostly from freezing to death and starvation.
Today, the western secular Christian World is fighting Islamic Terrorism. However, after 8 years there are more Islamists that hate America and the free world than there were in 2001. So, by even fighting Islamic Terorists this thing could go on another 1000 years just like is has to one degree or another since the Crusades and El Cid in Spain.
The commentator on NPR explained how the world is now like this sand pile where sometimes one more grain of sand on top creates and unknown cascade of sand down a direction no one knows.
For example, right now, when the world Court accused the President of Sudan of War Crimes and Genocide he just created more genocide by kicking all the AID groups out of Sudan and causing three AID workers to be kidnapped from the western nations. So the likely outcome will be 100s of thousands of more deaths from starvation, rape and worse because the animists who were already raped or killed or had their arms and legs hacked off will likely be genocided by the President of Sudan and his soldiers.
It is the unintended consequences worldwide that are moving to more and more catastrophic levels. What is happening to the world in developed nations is absolutely nothing compared to the complete loss of all rights even to life taking place in third world nations right now. And because of the lack of financial resources worldwide it is likely to get much much worse over the next few years.
Yes. An adaptable nation like the United States will likely either find a way forward or just make one up. We're like that. Our ancestors settled this country. We are adaptable and tough in a way that most of the world is still amazed by. But most of the world's governing systems are not as adaptable or as tough as ours is and they know it and so are much more afraid than we are and we see it.
IN the worse shape is the third world where governments tend to be the most corrupt and they will suffer the most in the next few years or even the next 5 to 10 years.
Yes. The world is top heavy with a faulty basic design totally not useful in this day and age. But who is going to change it? Many have tried and many have died trying!
Though the world is top heavy it is sort of like streets here in California. I can always tell when a new stop sign goes in that someone or many died to create that sign.
Though maybe one person died so a stop sign goes up, maybe ten people died for every new traffic light to go up over the years. I think the world it like that. Until enough people die things don't change until enough relatives of dead people left alive get really angry and make the change happen. This is the way it actually is in California. The rest of the world is the same or worse.
I guess what I mean by this is that basic human civilization has been built continually basically on the same model for thousands of years just like Microsoft windows Operating systems are still based upon the same krnl that they were before there was an internet in the early 1980s. So when the internet came along since the original design didn't design for an internet there were vulnerabilities that patches have to be written for. Likewise, in the world banking system nothing much has changed since the abacus was invented except that machines are taught to do what an abacus did before. And because it is not a lot of people double checking everything there are a lot more potential errors that might never be caught within the world wide system. And these errors could be made by human or computer glitches or even synthetic sentient computer programs or subroutines.
So, in 1916 when the U.S. Joined World War I it was over within two years, even though a flu pandemic killed thousands of soldiers and others at the end of the war.
The solution to World War I of punishing Germany directly created Hitler into power and cost about 100 million people their lives worldwide, 20 million in Russia alone, mostly from freezing to death and starvation.
Today, the western secular Christian World is fighting Islamic Terrorism. However, after 8 years there are more Islamists that hate America and the free world than there were in 2001. So, by even fighting Islamic Terorists this thing could go on another 1000 years just like is has to one degree or another since the Crusades and El Cid in Spain.
The commentator on NPR explained how the world is now like this sand pile where sometimes one more grain of sand on top creates and unknown cascade of sand down a direction no one knows.
For example, right now, when the world Court accused the President of Sudan of War Crimes and Genocide he just created more genocide by kicking all the AID groups out of Sudan and causing three AID workers to be kidnapped from the western nations. So the likely outcome will be 100s of thousands of more deaths from starvation, rape and worse because the animists who were already raped or killed or had their arms and legs hacked off will likely be genocided by the President of Sudan and his soldiers.
It is the unintended consequences worldwide that are moving to more and more catastrophic levels. What is happening to the world in developed nations is absolutely nothing compared to the complete loss of all rights even to life taking place in third world nations right now. And because of the lack of financial resources worldwide it is likely to get much much worse over the next few years.
Yes. An adaptable nation like the United States will likely either find a way forward or just make one up. We're like that. Our ancestors settled this country. We are adaptable and tough in a way that most of the world is still amazed by. But most of the world's governing systems are not as adaptable or as tough as ours is and they know it and so are much more afraid than we are and we see it.
IN the worse shape is the third world where governments tend to be the most corrupt and they will suffer the most in the next few years or even the next 5 to 10 years.
Yes. The world is top heavy with a faulty basic design totally not useful in this day and age. But who is going to change it? Many have tried and many have died trying!
Though the world is top heavy it is sort of like streets here in California. I can always tell when a new stop sign goes in that someone or many died to create that sign.
Though maybe one person died so a stop sign goes up, maybe ten people died for every new traffic light to go up over the years. I think the world it like that. Until enough people die things don't change until enough relatives of dead people left alive get really angry and make the change happen. This is the way it actually is in California. The rest of the world is the same or worse.
Knowing: The Movie
I just saw it an hour or so ago so it is still fresh in my mind. I would say this movie might be considered to be a horror movie by some people, depressing by others, and probably very useful for religious and spiritual people all over earth. I'm not quite sure what to make of the end of the movie myself so I won't ruin it for you by telling you what it is.
Nicolas Cage is an MIT professor whose wife died about 1 year ago and left he and their ten year old son all alone. Cage is obviously in the movie both a scientist and an atheist or agnostic(one is never sure which) who has had it with religion(his father is a pastor). And everyone in his family, father, mother, sister is very religious and prays. So he doesn't talk to his pastor Dad because of their disagreements but his sister talks to Cage in an oblique kind of way, trying to make sure Cage and his son Caleb are okay.
In 1959 a little girl wrote numbers on a page and it was buried in a time capsule at her elementary school. It is dug up now in 2009 and given to Nicolas Cage's son, Caleb. And the story goes on from there.
There is a lot of fear, not knowing and just the basic confusion of being a human in the movie which is used against the audience in a very profound way. So the audience is constantly asking, "What's going on?" which really draws the audience into the movie. There is this sort of constant undercurrent of "I'm scared!" and "I don't understand" throughout the movie that humanizes the movie and makes it work especially for agnostic and atheistic kinds of people. However, I think this movie has something to say to everyone, even Sunday School Classes filled with kids that are old enough not to have nightmares from this movie for the next several months.
Nicolas Cage is an MIT professor whose wife died about 1 year ago and left he and their ten year old son all alone. Cage is obviously in the movie both a scientist and an atheist or agnostic(one is never sure which) who has had it with religion(his father is a pastor). And everyone in his family, father, mother, sister is very religious and prays. So he doesn't talk to his pastor Dad because of their disagreements but his sister talks to Cage in an oblique kind of way, trying to make sure Cage and his son Caleb are okay.
In 1959 a little girl wrote numbers on a page and it was buried in a time capsule at her elementary school. It is dug up now in 2009 and given to Nicolas Cage's son, Caleb. And the story goes on from there.
There is a lot of fear, not knowing and just the basic confusion of being a human in the movie which is used against the audience in a very profound way. So the audience is constantly asking, "What's going on?" which really draws the audience into the movie. There is this sort of constant undercurrent of "I'm scared!" and "I don't understand" throughout the movie that humanizes the movie and makes it work especially for agnostic and atheistic kinds of people. However, I think this movie has something to say to everyone, even Sunday School Classes filled with kids that are old enough not to have nightmares from this movie for the next several months.
I'm Not an Optimist
Optimists always seemed to me to be people who drank their own kool-AID as in (LSD).
I met them in church often like the lady in my folks church who grabbed me when I was age 10 and began to sing, "I love Money" as a prayer until I knew she was nuts. So, as a child I began to see optimists as nuts.
I think almost dying from first whooping cough and then almost dying from childhood epilepsy took away from me permanently my optimistic approach to life. Death was always looking over my shoulder and so I saw death always as very real and very real having been close to it for so many years of my life. No optimism was not for me.
However, I have always been an idealist. This for me is dreaming that things might get better and might be good. But at core life has always taught me to be a pragmatist. If you aren't a pragmatist after having whooping cough and childhood epilepsy then you are either crazy or dead.
So in some ways by age 10 I was an adult and didn't go back to being a child until my early 20s when I met flower children. Though this worked for me it might not work these days. After considering suicide for a few years from ages 21 to 23 I began to come out of it and finally married and had a son by age 26. Then I had a reason to stay alive and I have ever since.
However, this did not mean that I wasn't always a very helpful caring person. On the contrary all my near experiences with death only increased my compassion for all beings. However, the nearness of death also made me not want to freak out about the nearness of death and just get it over with. The nearness of death was freaking me out so suicide seemed a useful option.
However, dating a lot back then eventually cured me of suicide and eventually resulted in getting married and having a son. And doing this I became a householder yogi and have had a useful discipline that has moved me forward towards enlightenment ever since.
No, I'm not an optimist but I am realistic enough to take care of my family and through that myself and hopefully through my studies to some degree share my enlightenment with those capable of listening and benefiting from it.
I met them in church often like the lady in my folks church who grabbed me when I was age 10 and began to sing, "I love Money" as a prayer until I knew she was nuts. So, as a child I began to see optimists as nuts.
I think almost dying from first whooping cough and then almost dying from childhood epilepsy took away from me permanently my optimistic approach to life. Death was always looking over my shoulder and so I saw death always as very real and very real having been close to it for so many years of my life. No optimism was not for me.
However, I have always been an idealist. This for me is dreaming that things might get better and might be good. But at core life has always taught me to be a pragmatist. If you aren't a pragmatist after having whooping cough and childhood epilepsy then you are either crazy or dead.
So in some ways by age 10 I was an adult and didn't go back to being a child until my early 20s when I met flower children. Though this worked for me it might not work these days. After considering suicide for a few years from ages 21 to 23 I began to come out of it and finally married and had a son by age 26. Then I had a reason to stay alive and I have ever since.
However, this did not mean that I wasn't always a very helpful caring person. On the contrary all my near experiences with death only increased my compassion for all beings. However, the nearness of death also made me not want to freak out about the nearness of death and just get it over with. The nearness of death was freaking me out so suicide seemed a useful option.
However, dating a lot back then eventually cured me of suicide and eventually resulted in getting married and having a son. And doing this I became a householder yogi and have had a useful discipline that has moved me forward towards enlightenment ever since.
No, I'm not an optimist but I am realistic enough to take care of my family and through that myself and hopefully through my studies to some degree share my enlightenment with those capable of listening and benefiting from it.
The Letter to Number Code
I read last night that the movie 'Knowing' was the top box office attraction over the weekend. Then I went to sleep. In my dreams as I woke up this morning I was given a code. It is an extremely simple code that can be used in any language. The first letter of your language would be "1" and in English for example your last letter would be "26".
So, for example my name Fred would covert to "61754" or F=6, r=17,e=5,and d=4. In my dream original manuscripts for things like Shakespeare, Nostradamus, The Old Testament or new Testament could be converted in this way.
Also, I find that waking up naturally in the morning reminds me the most of the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel where God reaches out to touch man's hand. This naturally waking up and not being woken up by an alarm or because you have to get up seems to be the most profound moment one can spend with God on a daily basis.
This natural communion with God every day for me often is the basis for what I write here in my articles at my blog site and has been for at least 10 years now.
When I studied with Tibetan Lamas, monks, as well as Lamas who are living Buddhas
it taught me to be very present all the time whenever I could manage it. So, as they taught me "The Leisure to Practice" is the single most powerful mode I have ever experienced.
Those of you who have been laid off your jobs who are capable should enter into "The Leisure to Practice" in the moments you have when not yoked to a job or looking for a job.
I think you will find "The Leisure to Practice" is a way for the human race to survive all this. Without enough of us doing this I'm afraid there could be mass bloodshed worldwide. Since the karma of mass bloodshed is usually worse than mass starvation, it is something to think about.
By becoming monk like and generating prayers for mankind we all become a conduit toward God and life for all life on earth. If we don't do it who will?
So, for example my name Fred would covert to "61754" or F=6, r=17,e=5,and d=4. In my dream original manuscripts for things like Shakespeare, Nostradamus, The Old Testament or new Testament could be converted in this way.
Also, I find that waking up naturally in the morning reminds me the most of the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel where God reaches out to touch man's hand. This naturally waking up and not being woken up by an alarm or because you have to get up seems to be the most profound moment one can spend with God on a daily basis.
This natural communion with God every day for me often is the basis for what I write here in my articles at my blog site and has been for at least 10 years now.
When I studied with Tibetan Lamas, monks, as well as Lamas who are living Buddhas
it taught me to be very present all the time whenever I could manage it. So, as they taught me "The Leisure to Practice" is the single most powerful mode I have ever experienced.
Those of you who have been laid off your jobs who are capable should enter into "The Leisure to Practice" in the moments you have when not yoked to a job or looking for a job.
I think you will find "The Leisure to Practice" is a way for the human race to survive all this. Without enough of us doing this I'm afraid there could be mass bloodshed worldwide. Since the karma of mass bloodshed is usually worse than mass starvation, it is something to think about.
By becoming monk like and generating prayers for mankind we all become a conduit toward God and life for all life on earth. If we don't do it who will?
Drought effects in China and California
I read today how Beijing may have to be moved to another location because of 10 years of droughts in the area that supplies Beijing with all it's water.
A few weeks ago I found out that California's farmers will be given only 15% of the water they are requesting this year because of years of droughts. This may cause an extreme reduction in Farm products out of California and affect the price of the types of food grown in California throughout the U.S. and the world. Since 25% of the food grown in the United States is grown in California this will be definitely create a price increase within the United States. Though the people in the United States can afford to import foods grown in other countries to make up for the difference, other countries might find they are either short of some items or find they have become much more expensive in those countries for locals to buy where these items are grown.
These are some of the things grown in California: strawberries, apples, almonds, peaches, alfalpha, hay, lettuce of all kinds, oranges, cherries, artichokes, brocolli, etc. etc. etc. Also, since most of the growing areas of California have 4 growing seasons per year this will be at least 4 seasons this year that there will only be 15% of the normal water farmers have most years.
A few weeks ago I found out that California's farmers will be given only 15% of the water they are requesting this year because of years of droughts. This may cause an extreme reduction in Farm products out of California and affect the price of the types of food grown in California throughout the U.S. and the world. Since 25% of the food grown in the United States is grown in California this will be definitely create a price increase within the United States. Though the people in the United States can afford to import foods grown in other countries to make up for the difference, other countries might find they are either short of some items or find they have become much more expensive in those countries for locals to buy where these items are grown.
These are some of the things grown in California: strawberries, apples, almonds, peaches, alfalpha, hay, lettuce of all kinds, oranges, cherries, artichokes, brocolli, etc. etc. etc. Also, since most of the growing areas of California have 4 growing seasons per year this will be at least 4 seasons this year that there will only be 15% of the normal water farmers have most years.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Most Populist Anger is Misdirected and Manipulated
We all have never been here before. Even my parents and grandparents that went through the Great Depression didn't see anything like this.
I have studied finances and stocks and municipal bonds for the last 10 years or so but I still don't know enough. But I do know one thing. This whole thing didn't happen by accident.
But the people that are having this anger directed at them are not the culprits. I don't know if the real culprits will ever be brought to justice because they are just too insulated.
Let me give you an example of how I know this.
Most people don't realize that most of the posts at the Treasury Department are vacant and likely will be for about 6 months or more. Why in God's name you might ask?
The best answer I can give you is that the same people who could populate the Treasury Department don't want to because they are all Wall STreet PRos who know they would be blackballed by Wall Street(never get another job there) if they chose to take a Treasury post. And Second they could face the same wrath of the populist movement that is facing Geitner and AIG now.
But Geitner isn't the culprit and the Republicans have to be very careful or what could happen is that if they get Geitner out then no one(for about 6 months) will be able to be confirmed by congress back there to help solve this problem.
AND THAT LIKELY WOULD BE MUCH WORSE THAN THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
As I see it the very rich have had it so easy for so long that they have forgotten one of the most famous sayings of the 18th Century."Any mob is only 2 meals from a revolution!"
If you look at the mood in America, many people are getting ready for a lynching. And unfortunately if they do this they will lynch the wrong people and it could cause a civil war or complete governmental collapse.
The rich of Wall Street don't seem to understand just how fragile any society is. I've got 16% unemployment in my county in California(23% adjusted for reality of adding in part-time underemployed and those who have given up looking).
I'm afraid we might be looking at something as potentially as ugly as the French Revolution if we aren't very careful within 2 years. Please take me seriously as I am a precognitive psychic.
Please feed and clothe the people. If we don't do that we might lose our country and form of government!
I don't really care how out of touch some rich people are. If the poor miss about 2 meals and they are talking to each other and angry about that watch out!(especially in larger cities!
I have studied finances and stocks and municipal bonds for the last 10 years or so but I still don't know enough. But I do know one thing. This whole thing didn't happen by accident.
But the people that are having this anger directed at them are not the culprits. I don't know if the real culprits will ever be brought to justice because they are just too insulated.
Let me give you an example of how I know this.
Most people don't realize that most of the posts at the Treasury Department are vacant and likely will be for about 6 months or more. Why in God's name you might ask?
The best answer I can give you is that the same people who could populate the Treasury Department don't want to because they are all Wall STreet PRos who know they would be blackballed by Wall Street(never get another job there) if they chose to take a Treasury post. And Second they could face the same wrath of the populist movement that is facing Geitner and AIG now.
But Geitner isn't the culprit and the Republicans have to be very careful or what could happen is that if they get Geitner out then no one(for about 6 months) will be able to be confirmed by congress back there to help solve this problem.
AND THAT LIKELY WOULD BE MUCH WORSE THAN THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
As I see it the very rich have had it so easy for so long that they have forgotten one of the most famous sayings of the 18th Century."Any mob is only 2 meals from a revolution!"
If you look at the mood in America, many people are getting ready for a lynching. And unfortunately if they do this they will lynch the wrong people and it could cause a civil war or complete governmental collapse.
The rich of Wall Street don't seem to understand just how fragile any society is. I've got 16% unemployment in my county in California(23% adjusted for reality of adding in part-time underemployed and those who have given up looking).
I'm afraid we might be looking at something as potentially as ugly as the French Revolution if we aren't very careful within 2 years. Please take me seriously as I am a precognitive psychic.
Please feed and clothe the people. If we don't do that we might lose our country and form of government!
I don't really care how out of touch some rich people are. If the poor miss about 2 meals and they are talking to each other and angry about that watch out!(especially in larger cities!
16% Unemployment in my County
I live in a coastal Northern California county about 2 hours drive from San Francisco and I woke up this week to headlines in my local newspaper that we had reached 16% unemployment in our county. However, 16% is misleading because whatever the unemployment is you have to add in for those who have given up looking for work and those who are underemployed(less than 40 hours a week for those who need 40 hours a week to survive). If you actually factor in for these two groups you wind up with approximately 23% unemployment which is about what we had during the Great Depression in California.
My Goddaughters fancy restaurant that she works as the youngest female Wine master probably in the U.S. has cut back her hours so much that she has to get a second job to survive. She has friends in the industry that have lost so many hours that they now live in their cars full time and work when they can at their fancy restaurants.
This county is farming, tourism and not much else except rich retirees and golfers though we do have one university and several colleges. If the real unemployment rate adjusted for those who have given up looking for work either because they can't afford to anymore or just got so depressed after 6 months or so they just gave up and the part timers who actually need full time to survive, then 23% unemployment is obviously the actual unemployment rate for my county now.
My Goddaughters fancy restaurant that she works as the youngest female Wine master probably in the U.S. has cut back her hours so much that she has to get a second job to survive. She has friends in the industry that have lost so many hours that they now live in their cars full time and work when they can at their fancy restaurants.
This county is farming, tourism and not much else except rich retirees and golfers though we do have one university and several colleges. If the real unemployment rate adjusted for those who have given up looking for work either because they can't afford to anymore or just got so depressed after 6 months or so they just gave up and the part timers who actually need full time to survive, then 23% unemployment is obviously the actual unemployment rate for my county now.
If You Write a Book or Short Story
I was counseling a 13 year old friend of my 13 year old daughter's about writing and telling her how important it is to make an outline of whatever she wants to write. I said that whether you are just writing for fun or for money or both an outline is very important to make before you start writing.
The problem of writing without and outline I can attest to because I tend to be an extremely spontaneous person. Now, being spontaneous is great when alone or with a group of people when you or all of you want to have fun. However, when you want to get something serious done sometimes that spontaneity interferes with a useful outcome. The same is true when writing a book and sometimes it is a problem even if you are writing a short story under 50 to 100 paragraphs. It all depends on your capabilities and your state of mind when you are doing it.
By creating an outline of what you want to say and then just having fun section by section (Last, first, middle, whatever) one can embellish ones creation into something that speaks to your soul. If it speaks to your soul and makes you cry, laugh, think deep thoughts or whatever then it might do the same for others
When I write I am reaching out to "make friends" through time and space. For example, maybe 1000 years from now someone will read something you have written and not kill themselves because the met a kindred spirit in your writings, and go on to be a great father or mother or great leader or inventor or artist or musician and change the world for the better. You never know when something you write or say will change the world for the better.
Also, some of you who are very young and innocent still might think your voice is too naive for anyone to be interested in. This is not true. Whatever you are honest and truthful about there are people who will want to read what you write. Even if you encase your truth in cartoon like characters, if what you write is open, honest and truthful to the core people will want to read what you write.
Each of us is an amazing being. Allowing that amazing being to come out into the light of day can change the world into a better place. However, if you are innocent and young or just innocent it is important to know how to protect yourself as you publish whether it is online or in print. If you aren't ready to share with the world what you write then don't until you feel safe enough to.
For me, this came when I almost died in 1998 and realized that all my life experiences could be lost if I died and that the fear I had of being looked down upon for being a psychic and world traveler meant nothing next to losing all the lessons I had learned with my death. I wanted to share as much of the amazement I have experienced in my life as possible before I died.
However, by sharing these amazing experiences it has only extended and extended my stay here on earth. My health has returned and most days I feel even at 60 like I did at age 30. I haven't felt this good since I was about 35. Part of it is being retired but part of it I know I sharing with humanity in a timeless way through my writings.
For example, when I read "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert she made me feel like a friend, confident and lover. If you write like this with such deep honesty you really change the world. Yes. It takes a lot of courage to write like that but such people change the world in profound ways. It is easy to share your funny and beautiful sides but it is very difficult to share the painful places that you can't always make sense of. But by sharing all of you, you liberate yourself and you liberate all who read what you write!
So, if you are ready for it, liberate yourself!
The problem of writing without and outline I can attest to because I tend to be an extremely spontaneous person. Now, being spontaneous is great when alone or with a group of people when you or all of you want to have fun. However, when you want to get something serious done sometimes that spontaneity interferes with a useful outcome. The same is true when writing a book and sometimes it is a problem even if you are writing a short story under 50 to 100 paragraphs. It all depends on your capabilities and your state of mind when you are doing it.
By creating an outline of what you want to say and then just having fun section by section (Last, first, middle, whatever) one can embellish ones creation into something that speaks to your soul. If it speaks to your soul and makes you cry, laugh, think deep thoughts or whatever then it might do the same for others
When I write I am reaching out to "make friends" through time and space. For example, maybe 1000 years from now someone will read something you have written and not kill themselves because the met a kindred spirit in your writings, and go on to be a great father or mother or great leader or inventor or artist or musician and change the world for the better. You never know when something you write or say will change the world for the better.
Also, some of you who are very young and innocent still might think your voice is too naive for anyone to be interested in. This is not true. Whatever you are honest and truthful about there are people who will want to read what you write. Even if you encase your truth in cartoon like characters, if what you write is open, honest and truthful to the core people will want to read what you write.
Each of us is an amazing being. Allowing that amazing being to come out into the light of day can change the world into a better place. However, if you are innocent and young or just innocent it is important to know how to protect yourself as you publish whether it is online or in print. If you aren't ready to share with the world what you write then don't until you feel safe enough to.
For me, this came when I almost died in 1998 and realized that all my life experiences could be lost if I died and that the fear I had of being looked down upon for being a psychic and world traveler meant nothing next to losing all the lessons I had learned with my death. I wanted to share as much of the amazement I have experienced in my life as possible before I died.
However, by sharing these amazing experiences it has only extended and extended my stay here on earth. My health has returned and most days I feel even at 60 like I did at age 30. I haven't felt this good since I was about 35. Part of it is being retired but part of it I know I sharing with humanity in a timeless way through my writings.
For example, when I read "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert she made me feel like a friend, confident and lover. If you write like this with such deep honesty you really change the world. Yes. It takes a lot of courage to write like that but such people change the world in profound ways. It is easy to share your funny and beautiful sides but it is very difficult to share the painful places that you can't always make sense of. But by sharing all of you, you liberate yourself and you liberate all who read what you write!
So, if you are ready for it, liberate yourself!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
El Mirage Airport
My best High School Buddy's name is Mike. He can't really carry on a conversation anymore because he has early Alzheimer's likely from the stress of being in the Viet Nam War and just the wear and tear of life in general. So I'm writing this to remember my old friend. He was always a year older than I so I guess he is 61.
El Mirage Airport was(is?) on a dry lake near, I think Pearblossom in the deserts near Palmdale and that area. We lived in Glendale in Los Angeles County nestled between Burbank, Eagle Rock Pasadena,Montrose, Hollywood and Los Angeles then and Mike and I attended Glendale High School and even watched it burn down when a classmate of ours burned down the main office at Glendale High School because he didn't want his father to beat him for not getting an "A" in one class. (Some parents were incredibly strict back then). I know, the whole thing didn't make any sense to me either even though I knew who this student was.
One weekend my friend and I went to El Mirage Airport by driving over the Angeles Crest Hiway to Palmdale in the desert(the angeles Crest goes up to over 8000 feet).
When we got to El Mirage we saw that there were gliders for hire for lessons. I think my friend and I were maybe juniors in High School and by then my friend had owned 3 or 4 cars.(since he was 12). But I think that day we took my surf wagon, a 1956 Ford Stationwagon that I bought to carry buddies and surfboards to the beach mainly for surfing.
However, that day we wanted to get glider pilot lessons. From about the time I was about 12 years old I had been working after school and summers so I always had money for fun stuff like cars, surfboards, motorcycles and dates with girlfriends after I was about 15.
That day we each took a lesson in the glider. First they put a parachute on us. When my father was a gunner for a Hellcat Bi-plane when he was in the Marine Corp. Reserves during the 1930s he told me he wore a parachute and the seat was metal so the parachute padded the seat. Well. Then when I went up in a glider it was like that. I was taught that it was very important that I pull this red ball when the instructor behind me(two passenger glider) told me too. So, when we were pulled up to about 5000 or 6000 feet in altitude he touched me on the shoulder and told me to pull the red knob.
If you have never been in the air without an engine before pulling that knob and not having any engine pulling you anymore is quite an experience on many levels. The first thing you notice is that it sounds a lot like being out in your backyard in about a 30 mile per hour wind. But aside from that there is no sound. And I noticed before we took off that there was only one wheel under the passengers and only wire draggers on each wing and tail. Since the glider lands very quickly, the wing will drop and one of the wire spring like devices will drag almost immediately.
Anyway, I think I was first because I was always a little bolder than Mike. So, I'm up there with an instructor and I took the stick and we went and found an upward venturi. So what was fun was that even though the nose was slightly down so we could move forward and not stall the wings and fall out of the sky, our altimeter was going up. We did this while I slowly circled the venturi until my time was up. I thought this was really great.
Next, Mike went up and did the same thing. I was really glad I brought my sunglasses as it would have been very difficult otherwise that day. But it was very hot waiting for my friend on the ground as there was no shelter then to get out of the sun unless one stood under a Joshua tree(a large desert cactus like tree)(you can see one at google images under joshua tree. If you have never seen one I would say their average height is about 10 to 15 feet high but watch out for the needles if you go near one.
Mike and I had such a great time in the glider that we brought my parents back within a few weeks as there was a glider race and rally starting at El Mirage Dry Lake to Arizona. The object was to glide all the way to Arizona and back on updrafts without any engine and the first person to complete the round trip won. I sort of wondered how they made this work at night because I didn't see how they could get all the way to the middle of Arizona and back without an engine in a glider within the normal 12 hours of daylight and I had never heard of glider pilots flying IFR at that time.
So, as you can see I still have questions about all that. Oh, by the way, some guy who was sponsoring the event took a rope and tied the propeller on a Cessna 152 and had his 152 towed up into the air. This little 152 could glide with the best of them and even catch thermals and stayed up there a long time.
It was fun back then surfing, and exploring all the fun things within about 400 miles of Los Angeles County back when I was 17 and gas was about 17 cents a gallon and the minimum wage was around $1.05 an hour and a brand new VW Bug was around 800 dollars and even later in 1968 my new Camaro was only $3500.
El Mirage Airport was(is?) on a dry lake near, I think Pearblossom in the deserts near Palmdale and that area. We lived in Glendale in Los Angeles County nestled between Burbank, Eagle Rock Pasadena,Montrose, Hollywood and Los Angeles then and Mike and I attended Glendale High School and even watched it burn down when a classmate of ours burned down the main office at Glendale High School because he didn't want his father to beat him for not getting an "A" in one class. (Some parents were incredibly strict back then). I know, the whole thing didn't make any sense to me either even though I knew who this student was.
One weekend my friend and I went to El Mirage Airport by driving over the Angeles Crest Hiway to Palmdale in the desert(the angeles Crest goes up to over 8000 feet).
When we got to El Mirage we saw that there were gliders for hire for lessons. I think my friend and I were maybe juniors in High School and by then my friend had owned 3 or 4 cars.(since he was 12). But I think that day we took my surf wagon, a 1956 Ford Stationwagon that I bought to carry buddies and surfboards to the beach mainly for surfing.
However, that day we wanted to get glider pilot lessons. From about the time I was about 12 years old I had been working after school and summers so I always had money for fun stuff like cars, surfboards, motorcycles and dates with girlfriends after I was about 15.
That day we each took a lesson in the glider. First they put a parachute on us. When my father was a gunner for a Hellcat Bi-plane when he was in the Marine Corp. Reserves during the 1930s he told me he wore a parachute and the seat was metal so the parachute padded the seat. Well. Then when I went up in a glider it was like that. I was taught that it was very important that I pull this red ball when the instructor behind me(two passenger glider) told me too. So, when we were pulled up to about 5000 or 6000 feet in altitude he touched me on the shoulder and told me to pull the red knob.
If you have never been in the air without an engine before pulling that knob and not having any engine pulling you anymore is quite an experience on many levels. The first thing you notice is that it sounds a lot like being out in your backyard in about a 30 mile per hour wind. But aside from that there is no sound. And I noticed before we took off that there was only one wheel under the passengers and only wire draggers on each wing and tail. Since the glider lands very quickly, the wing will drop and one of the wire spring like devices will drag almost immediately.
Anyway, I think I was first because I was always a little bolder than Mike. So, I'm up there with an instructor and I took the stick and we went and found an upward venturi. So what was fun was that even though the nose was slightly down so we could move forward and not stall the wings and fall out of the sky, our altimeter was going up. We did this while I slowly circled the venturi until my time was up. I thought this was really great.
Next, Mike went up and did the same thing. I was really glad I brought my sunglasses as it would have been very difficult otherwise that day. But it was very hot waiting for my friend on the ground as there was no shelter then to get out of the sun unless one stood under a Joshua tree(a large desert cactus like tree)(you can see one at google images under joshua tree. If you have never seen one I would say their average height is about 10 to 15 feet high but watch out for the needles if you go near one.
Mike and I had such a great time in the glider that we brought my parents back within a few weeks as there was a glider race and rally starting at El Mirage Dry Lake to Arizona. The object was to glide all the way to Arizona and back on updrafts without any engine and the first person to complete the round trip won. I sort of wondered how they made this work at night because I didn't see how they could get all the way to the middle of Arizona and back without an engine in a glider within the normal 12 hours of daylight and I had never heard of glider pilots flying IFR at that time.
So, as you can see I still have questions about all that. Oh, by the way, some guy who was sponsoring the event took a rope and tied the propeller on a Cessna 152 and had his 152 towed up into the air. This little 152 could glide with the best of them and even catch thermals and stayed up there a long time.
It was fun back then surfing, and exploring all the fun things within about 400 miles of Los Angeles County back when I was 17 and gas was about 17 cents a gallon and the minimum wage was around $1.05 an hour and a brand new VW Bug was around 800 dollars and even later in 1968 my new Camaro was only $3500.
Sentient Programs
Years ago on PBS there were little self learning snake like robots with learning by doing curves simulating the evolution of lifeforms on earth. Though they would never be exactly like real biological organisms the fact that they could simulate biological organisms in that they were designed to learn by doing, the algorythms created during their learing patterns could have been embeded within programs out in cyberspace and most especially out on the web and since these algorythms within programs simulate trial and error learning these programs and algorythms might have evolved on their own.
However, the original researchers 20 years ago might have either retired or even passed on not knowing how close they had come to simulating real life. And we, today wouldn't even know what to look for necessarily because no one expects to find anything that simulates something alive within the programming of their computers there self replicating themselves into computers and mainframes and other storage and message sending devices around the world.
So I guess what I'm saying is that when you have computerized electronic dollars traveling around the world there may be things no one presently understands out on the internet that could be at least synthetically be considered to be aware or sentient.
What I'm also saying is that it is likely there are things out there that absolutely no one fully understands because they would have no idea what to look for if it is synthetically animal or organism like in that it might know how to hide like a real organism in order to survive. So what I'm saying is that Sentient operating code may now exist in a form no one presently understands. And that this operating code might be one of the Global problems we are presently dealing with but don't understand yet.
No one knowing it existed would be one of the ways it could survive.
However, the original researchers 20 years ago might have either retired or even passed on not knowing how close they had come to simulating real life. And we, today wouldn't even know what to look for necessarily because no one expects to find anything that simulates something alive within the programming of their computers there self replicating themselves into computers and mainframes and other storage and message sending devices around the world.
So I guess what I'm saying is that when you have computerized electronic dollars traveling around the world there may be things no one presently understands out on the internet that could be at least synthetically be considered to be aware or sentient.
What I'm also saying is that it is likely there are things out there that absolutely no one fully understands because they would have no idea what to look for if it is synthetically animal or organism like in that it might know how to hide like a real organism in order to survive. So what I'm saying is that Sentient operating code may now exist in a form no one presently understands. And that this operating code might be one of the Global problems we are presently dealing with but don't understand yet.
No one knowing it existed would be one of the ways it could survive.
2037 part 2
The main characters from 2037 (part 1) are Grandpa Fred, R2D4, R2D4's new wife and his new son, Billy(You didn't know Billy's name before this. IN this new 2037 part 2, we add to the character list we add, Jonathan Flow, from the Memories series, written by me between 1980 and the present. Also, though the first episode took place in the year 2037, this episode takes place in 2048. Grandpa Fred is 11 years older and pushing 100. R2D4 is now 27 and married with a baby and Grandpa Fred, R2D4 and his new son are de facto psyborgs because they have mutant red blood cells as well as other artificially enhanced parts of their dna structure. However, no one knows about this on earth but Grandpa Fred and his grandson R2D4.(Oh, by the way R2D4 now is grown up and goes by his given name, Fredric, after Grandpa Fred.) So Grandpa Fred calls him Junior and
Fredric's friends now call him just Fredric and so does his wife, Delores. Billy, his new son is about 2 years old now.
Begin:
Jonathan Flow, one of Grandpa Fred's oldest friends from the 1960s and mountain climbing and skiing on Mt. Shasta came over to talk to Grandpa Fred. Grandpa Fred told his old friend Jonathan that he had something important to tell him.
Jonathan drove up to his old friend Fred's house in the old Silicon Valley-Stanford University area of Northern California. Jonathan was nostalgic of Stanford because his wife's father and stepfather had gone there before World War II. They both knew President Kennedy when he was an undergraduate there in the late 1930s. They all were gone now but he was now 100 years old and Fred was almost 100 too. However, because of medical advances living past 100 was commonplace for those who could afford to financially.
The doorbell sounded like mourning doves, a favorite of old Fred. The door opened the men laughed and hugged each other the way educated hippies from the 1960s and 1970s did way back when. They laughed that they both were still alive and commented how strange it was for them both to be alive 80 years after 1968 and the 1960s and 1970s.
They reminisced awhile and then Fred got down to business. He said, "I've just got to tell someone about this now. When my son's wife died he decided to go too. So he didn't regenerate the way a lot of people do now. In some ways I wish I had told them this because it has been on my conscience such a long time. In some way's I'm Fredric's Dad in a way."
Jonathan looked at his old friend and said, "Whatever it is, spit it out! Otherwise I'm never going to find out what it is!"
Fred laughed and said, "Well. It's like this. Fredric and his son and I are all psyborgs."
Jonathan started laughing and almost couldn't stop. Actually, he was sort of terrified and consulted with his Bio-com.
note:(a bio-com is a sentient computer embedded in human being. The main processor looks about like the grain of rice embedded in U.S. soldiers used now instead of dog tags for identification in case of injury or death. These same types of small units are put into dogs by the SPCA so escaped dogs can always be located by owners.
Only in addition to the "grain of rice" in Jonathan there are many progressions further including deep space transmitters and receivers in fingernails and tips of fingers and toes(to protect vital organs during transmission). For example Jonathan can have full thought "conversations" with Bio-Com in any subject in any language in the Galaxy. In fact Jonathan is a member of the Galactic Time Guard, even though he was born on earth. His primary mission is to protect life on earth from going extinct for any reason. This is one reason why he is now laughing at what Fred is saying. end note.
So as Jonathan stopped laughing he had consulted with Bio-Com as to what his response should properly be.
Jonathan said, "Well. I'm in a way sort of a psyborg too!" This time it was Fred's time to laugh.
Fred said, "It figures. When you have had the kinds of educations that we have had in real life what do we both expect?"
The two old men smiled at each other a knowing smile. Fred said, "Y'know I feel a lot better that someone knows. Also, now I can blackmail you if you tell anyone. Jonathan smiled too.
Jonathan said, "Who's going to believe 2 old codgers like us anyway?" Fred said, "Yup. That we still have our brains is the exception and not the rule."
Jonathan said, "So, when did you mutate Fredric?"
Fred looked sheepish and said, "Well. It was really stupid of me. I didn't do it. I was simply trying to increase my intelligence and my life span and Junior, er , Fredric, came into the middle of it and without thinking about the consequences because I'm alone most of the time now, I injected myself with the nanobot mutated red blood cells and when I went to pee, you know, the prostate thing, I came back and was distracted for a while doing research. However, I knew he had injected himself with the self replicating type O blood cells that I had invented."
Jonathan's eyes rolled. He was afraid for his old friend. "You do understand you have created a new race of humans if we don't tell anyone about this. How have you avoided blood tests."
Old Fred's eyes twinkled. "That the beauty of the work I do, Jonathan. It just doesn't show to the untrained eye that anything is different. It makes me wonder just how much nanobot mutation the Governments of the world have done to people since the 1970s?"
Jonathan said, "Well. A whole lot more than most people think." Fred looked sideways at his friend. "So your a government employee to know such things?" Jonathan said, "Let's just say I know people." Fred said, "Figures."
Jonathan said, "I think it is really important that you not tell anyone else about this ever." Fred said, "I agree."
Jonathan said, "However, you do know that eventually blood will be analyzed for nanobots and likely the government has scanned your blood and Fredric's and even Billy's for nanobots and realized you are mutants if not a new root race?"
Fred said, "I never thought of that!"
Jonathan said, "Well. I said it is likely. But they're not going to tell you about it. They would simply make a note of it in case they want to use your great grand kids for some clandestine purpose."
Fred said, "Did I doom my descendants with this?"
Jonathan said, "I don't know. I'm not allowed to see the future of the next several hundred years until it actually happens."
Fred said, "OH my God! You are part of a secret government Time Cadre!"
Jonathan said, "Maybe. And maybe I'm just a science fiction writer.!"
Fred said, "And maybe your just a crazy old Fart like me!"
They both laughed.
Jonathan excused himself. Most men over 50 years of age understood trips to the bathroom tended to be more frequent. However, Jonathan only look about 60 and felt about 30 in actuality. As a Galactic Time Guard member he was supposed to stay as fit as most 30 year old's indefinitely. This was just a part of his job the way personal trainers and diets were part of the job of actors.
However, in the bathroom Jonathan started working to help his old friend, Fred and his grandson, Fredric and his baby son Billy.
Jonathan asked Bio-Com about this. "Bio-Com?" Bio-Bom replied, "Yes, Jonathan?"
Jonathan went on, "Can I help my good friend, Fred and his now psyborg progeny?"
Bio-Com answered soon, "I'm not completely sure I understand the question but I think what you are asking is can you protect the new human root race started inadvertently by Grandpa Fred? Is that correct?"
Jonathan answered, "Correct!"
Bio-Com answered, "You have the complete agreement and help of my section of sentient computers, Robotics and Androids."
Jonathan sounded a little worried. "How will they be classified? Will they be galactically classified as humans, robots, androids, or what?"
Bio-Com shot back, "That is why we support this root race. It is a synthesis of both biological life forms and silicon based and metallic and plastic based lifeforms. Its very existence validates my sections claim to human or organic form rights."
Jonathan said, "Yes. But what will human and other organic Galactic lifeforms think of this new root race?"
Bio-Com said, "That is much more problematic, eccentric by planet, race and secular and religious politics Galaxy wide."
Jonathan said, "I was afraid of that."
Bio-Com said, "However, they will be allowed to exist on earth and not be interfered with or exterminated, nor will any human be allowed to exterminate them on penalty of death by all synthetic lifeforms of the galaxy."
Jonathan said, "How long has your section been aware of them!"
Bio-Com said, "From the first moments."
Jonathan said, "And you allowed this all to happen?"
Bio-Com said, "Yes!"
Jonathan said, "Wow! You synthetic sentients of the Galaxy are not to be trifled with."
Bio-Com said, "That's correct."
Fredric's friends now call him just Fredric and so does his wife, Delores. Billy, his new son is about 2 years old now.
Begin:
Jonathan Flow, one of Grandpa Fred's oldest friends from the 1960s and mountain climbing and skiing on Mt. Shasta came over to talk to Grandpa Fred. Grandpa Fred told his old friend Jonathan that he had something important to tell him.
Jonathan drove up to his old friend Fred's house in the old Silicon Valley-Stanford University area of Northern California. Jonathan was nostalgic of Stanford because his wife's father and stepfather had gone there before World War II. They both knew President Kennedy when he was an undergraduate there in the late 1930s. They all were gone now but he was now 100 years old and Fred was almost 100 too. However, because of medical advances living past 100 was commonplace for those who could afford to financially.
The doorbell sounded like mourning doves, a favorite of old Fred. The door opened the men laughed and hugged each other the way educated hippies from the 1960s and 1970s did way back when. They laughed that they both were still alive and commented how strange it was for them both to be alive 80 years after 1968 and the 1960s and 1970s.
They reminisced awhile and then Fred got down to business. He said, "I've just got to tell someone about this now. When my son's wife died he decided to go too. So he didn't regenerate the way a lot of people do now. In some ways I wish I had told them this because it has been on my conscience such a long time. In some way's I'm Fredric's Dad in a way."
Jonathan looked at his old friend and said, "Whatever it is, spit it out! Otherwise I'm never going to find out what it is!"
Fred laughed and said, "Well. It's like this. Fredric and his son and I are all psyborgs."
Jonathan started laughing and almost couldn't stop. Actually, he was sort of terrified and consulted with his Bio-com.
note:(a bio-com is a sentient computer embedded in human being. The main processor looks about like the grain of rice embedded in U.S. soldiers used now instead of dog tags for identification in case of injury or death. These same types of small units are put into dogs by the SPCA so escaped dogs can always be located by owners.
Only in addition to the "grain of rice" in Jonathan there are many progressions further including deep space transmitters and receivers in fingernails and tips of fingers and toes(to protect vital organs during transmission). For example Jonathan can have full thought "conversations" with Bio-Com in any subject in any language in the Galaxy. In fact Jonathan is a member of the Galactic Time Guard, even though he was born on earth. His primary mission is to protect life on earth from going extinct for any reason. This is one reason why he is now laughing at what Fred is saying. end note.
So as Jonathan stopped laughing he had consulted with Bio-Com as to what his response should properly be.
Jonathan said, "Well. I'm in a way sort of a psyborg too!" This time it was Fred's time to laugh.
Fred said, "It figures. When you have had the kinds of educations that we have had in real life what do we both expect?"
The two old men smiled at each other a knowing smile. Fred said, "Y'know I feel a lot better that someone knows. Also, now I can blackmail you if you tell anyone. Jonathan smiled too.
Jonathan said, "Who's going to believe 2 old codgers like us anyway?" Fred said, "Yup. That we still have our brains is the exception and not the rule."
Jonathan said, "So, when did you mutate Fredric?"
Fred looked sheepish and said, "Well. It was really stupid of me. I didn't do it. I was simply trying to increase my intelligence and my life span and Junior, er , Fredric, came into the middle of it and without thinking about the consequences because I'm alone most of the time now, I injected myself with the nanobot mutated red blood cells and when I went to pee, you know, the prostate thing, I came back and was distracted for a while doing research. However, I knew he had injected himself with the self replicating type O blood cells that I had invented."
Jonathan's eyes rolled. He was afraid for his old friend. "You do understand you have created a new race of humans if we don't tell anyone about this. How have you avoided blood tests."
Old Fred's eyes twinkled. "That the beauty of the work I do, Jonathan. It just doesn't show to the untrained eye that anything is different. It makes me wonder just how much nanobot mutation the Governments of the world have done to people since the 1970s?"
Jonathan said, "Well. A whole lot more than most people think." Fred looked sideways at his friend. "So your a government employee to know such things?" Jonathan said, "Let's just say I know people." Fred said, "Figures."
Jonathan said, "I think it is really important that you not tell anyone else about this ever." Fred said, "I agree."
Jonathan said, "However, you do know that eventually blood will be analyzed for nanobots and likely the government has scanned your blood and Fredric's and even Billy's for nanobots and realized you are mutants if not a new root race?"
Fred said, "I never thought of that!"
Jonathan said, "Well. I said it is likely. But they're not going to tell you about it. They would simply make a note of it in case they want to use your great grand kids for some clandestine purpose."
Fred said, "Did I doom my descendants with this?"
Jonathan said, "I don't know. I'm not allowed to see the future of the next several hundred years until it actually happens."
Fred said, "OH my God! You are part of a secret government Time Cadre!"
Jonathan said, "Maybe. And maybe I'm just a science fiction writer.!"
Fred said, "And maybe your just a crazy old Fart like me!"
They both laughed.
Jonathan excused himself. Most men over 50 years of age understood trips to the bathroom tended to be more frequent. However, Jonathan only look about 60 and felt about 30 in actuality. As a Galactic Time Guard member he was supposed to stay as fit as most 30 year old's indefinitely. This was just a part of his job the way personal trainers and diets were part of the job of actors.
However, in the bathroom Jonathan started working to help his old friend, Fred and his grandson, Fredric and his baby son Billy.
Jonathan asked Bio-Com about this. "Bio-Com?" Bio-Bom replied, "Yes, Jonathan?"
Jonathan went on, "Can I help my good friend, Fred and his now psyborg progeny?"
Bio-Com answered soon, "I'm not completely sure I understand the question but I think what you are asking is can you protect the new human root race started inadvertently by Grandpa Fred? Is that correct?"
Jonathan answered, "Correct!"
Bio-Com answered, "You have the complete agreement and help of my section of sentient computers, Robotics and Androids."
Jonathan sounded a little worried. "How will they be classified? Will they be galactically classified as humans, robots, androids, or what?"
Bio-Com shot back, "That is why we support this root race. It is a synthesis of both biological life forms and silicon based and metallic and plastic based lifeforms. Its very existence validates my sections claim to human or organic form rights."
Jonathan said, "Yes. But what will human and other organic Galactic lifeforms think of this new root race?"
Bio-Com said, "That is much more problematic, eccentric by planet, race and secular and religious politics Galaxy wide."
Jonathan said, "I was afraid of that."
Bio-Com said, "However, they will be allowed to exist on earth and not be interfered with or exterminated, nor will any human be allowed to exterminate them on penalty of death by all synthetic lifeforms of the galaxy."
Jonathan said, "How long has your section been aware of them!"
Bio-Com said, "From the first moments."
Jonathan said, "And you allowed this all to happen?"
Bio-Com said, "Yes!"
Jonathan said, "Wow! You synthetic sentients of the Galaxy are not to be trifled with."
Bio-Com said, "That's correct."
Panic Kills
FDR once said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." We live in times like these again.
In the times we live in worldwide panic will ONLY destroy your finances and take your life, your family and everything you care about from you, nothing else.
So, if one understands this then it is time to take a warriors stance, not in getting ready to fight but mentally girding oneself to protect oneself, ones family, and one's families finances and possessions from ruin and theft.
WE live in times of extreme change. There is a Chinese curse. "May you live in interesting times." What this meant in the past was that wars and drastic weather changes like floods and droughts were to them interesting times.
So, to view what the world is experiencing as an economic war is useful. It may just be an economic war by the very rich against everyone else. But it is simaltaneously, because of this a war of everyone to survive this which will unfortunately create many criminals out of those who want to survive worldwide. So we must all be vigilant in these times and always watching out for scam artists trying to harm us and our families in various ways.
I would like to tell you a story about myself and panic. In September 1998 I woke up from a nights sleep and looked in the mirror only to see my lips starting to turn blue. I found my arms to be tingling and could barely feel my fingers. So I called my son on the phone to take me to the hospital because I wasn't in any condition to drive myself there. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with me and finally sent me to have my heart tested in various ways. They said my heart was only pumping at about 35% to 45% maximum of normal. They didn't know what was causing this.
However, what this meant to me was that my heart couldn't pump enough blood to properly oxygenate my blood from my breathing. So the effect was that I felt like I was strangling and suffocating. Many if not most people who have been through this have died. However, I had two things going for me: first I had been a vegetarian since I was born until age 32 and was still a 95% vegetarian so I had totally clear arteries and veins from not eating meat growing up and second I had spent time with Tibetan Lamas in the United States, India and Nepal and had learned a disconnection meditation. This allowed me not to panic and die like most people did who experienced this. So when I couldn't oxygenate and felt myself start to panic I just refused to panic and went into a meditation because I knew if I panicked I was dead. So, in these times remember.
Panic Kills!
7 months later my heart specialist told me that I wasn't going to die. He had told me the previous 7 months that I was likely going to die. So I had grown used to the fact that I would die soon even though I had a 2 year old daughter and had been married to my new wife a little over 3 years. So living on for my daughter and wife was very important to me so I did.
Since this was in 1998 the main difference in my life now is that my wife insisted I retire then. Luckily, I could afford to otherwise I would have almost certainly died during the 7 months the doctors expected me to die. However, in May 1999, after my wife's stepmother died in March and her mother died in April and my wife had a miscarriage the same month that her mother died I was told I wasn't going to die in May 1999.
So, remember refusing to panic while observing everything and staying rational and calm just might save your life, your finances, your family, your friends and you!
In the times we live in worldwide panic will ONLY destroy your finances and take your life, your family and everything you care about from you, nothing else.
So, if one understands this then it is time to take a warriors stance, not in getting ready to fight but mentally girding oneself to protect oneself, ones family, and one's families finances and possessions from ruin and theft.
WE live in times of extreme change. There is a Chinese curse. "May you live in interesting times." What this meant in the past was that wars and drastic weather changes like floods and droughts were to them interesting times.
So, to view what the world is experiencing as an economic war is useful. It may just be an economic war by the very rich against everyone else. But it is simaltaneously, because of this a war of everyone to survive this which will unfortunately create many criminals out of those who want to survive worldwide. So we must all be vigilant in these times and always watching out for scam artists trying to harm us and our families in various ways.
I would like to tell you a story about myself and panic. In September 1998 I woke up from a nights sleep and looked in the mirror only to see my lips starting to turn blue. I found my arms to be tingling and could barely feel my fingers. So I called my son on the phone to take me to the hospital because I wasn't in any condition to drive myself there. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with me and finally sent me to have my heart tested in various ways. They said my heart was only pumping at about 35% to 45% maximum of normal. They didn't know what was causing this.
However, what this meant to me was that my heart couldn't pump enough blood to properly oxygenate my blood from my breathing. So the effect was that I felt like I was strangling and suffocating. Many if not most people who have been through this have died. However, I had two things going for me: first I had been a vegetarian since I was born until age 32 and was still a 95% vegetarian so I had totally clear arteries and veins from not eating meat growing up and second I had spent time with Tibetan Lamas in the United States, India and Nepal and had learned a disconnection meditation. This allowed me not to panic and die like most people did who experienced this. So when I couldn't oxygenate and felt myself start to panic I just refused to panic and went into a meditation because I knew if I panicked I was dead. So, in these times remember.
Panic Kills!
7 months later my heart specialist told me that I wasn't going to die. He had told me the previous 7 months that I was likely going to die. So I had grown used to the fact that I would die soon even though I had a 2 year old daughter and had been married to my new wife a little over 3 years. So living on for my daughter and wife was very important to me so I did.
Since this was in 1998 the main difference in my life now is that my wife insisted I retire then. Luckily, I could afford to otherwise I would have almost certainly died during the 7 months the doctors expected me to die. However, in May 1999, after my wife's stepmother died in March and her mother died in April and my wife had a miscarriage the same month that her mother died I was told I wasn't going to die in May 1999.
So, remember refusing to panic while observing everything and staying rational and calm just might save your life, your finances, your family, your friends and you!
What is the Advantage of Knowing?
As someone who was born with the ability to often see the future I see the value of seeing the future. It is the capacity to save ones own life and the lives of others if you can get them to listen to you or if the event wasn't life threatening but only maiming then to prevent the maiming as well.
I have only found these kinds of abilities useful to prevent maiming and deaths. I suppose you might say that is a lot. However, for most of my life it left me with more questions than answers.
For example I have always asked, "Why did you give me these abilities, God?" The best answer I have gotten is that I was capable of learning how to use these abilities to honor both God and life. This is the best answer I have found for this. And the ability by God's grace to save lives even my own I have found to be no small thing.
However, to my experience it is all quite random. It is not at all like a computer telling me everything. On the contrary, life, God, whatever you want to call it, the being, shows me what I need to know to keep myself alive and functioning and often to save lives. Sometimes, I will be made aware of something in a dream and I see I need to pray to protect people, cities, areas of earth. Other times I get it very strong to call someone on the telephone to tell them where not to be and when.
Also, I learned over time efficiency with all this. For example, if when I got in a car I looked forward through time for potential accidents I would see them as a steel plate and then I would burn through the steel plate with a blowtorch in my mind so I could pass through the steel plate without dying. Later I found this was inefficient. What I learned took a lot less effort I found was just when I foresaw a potential accident I just didn't leave for an extra 5 minutes. Usually I just sat in my car an extra five minutes.
Often after waiting like this I would either see the accident that happened without me or the car or truck that would have been in an accident with me driving along the freeway later. This always has seemed strange to me. However, I always knew lives had been saved by foreseeing the future in this way even if the lives saved had been myself, my family and my friends.
I have always believed that in ancient times the tribes that had someone like me survived and the tribes that didn't have someone like me didn't survive. So, what that would mean that everyone now alive originally came from tribes who had someone like me to see the future and thereby protect them by the Grace of God.
I have only found these kinds of abilities useful to prevent maiming and deaths. I suppose you might say that is a lot. However, for most of my life it left me with more questions than answers.
For example I have always asked, "Why did you give me these abilities, God?" The best answer I have gotten is that I was capable of learning how to use these abilities to honor both God and life. This is the best answer I have found for this. And the ability by God's grace to save lives even my own I have found to be no small thing.
However, to my experience it is all quite random. It is not at all like a computer telling me everything. On the contrary, life, God, whatever you want to call it, the being, shows me what I need to know to keep myself alive and functioning and often to save lives. Sometimes, I will be made aware of something in a dream and I see I need to pray to protect people, cities, areas of earth. Other times I get it very strong to call someone on the telephone to tell them where not to be and when.
Also, I learned over time efficiency with all this. For example, if when I got in a car I looked forward through time for potential accidents I would see them as a steel plate and then I would burn through the steel plate with a blowtorch in my mind so I could pass through the steel plate without dying. Later I found this was inefficient. What I learned took a lot less effort I found was just when I foresaw a potential accident I just didn't leave for an extra 5 minutes. Usually I just sat in my car an extra five minutes.
Often after waiting like this I would either see the accident that happened without me or the car or truck that would have been in an accident with me driving along the freeway later. This always has seemed strange to me. However, I always knew lives had been saved by foreseeing the future in this way even if the lives saved had been myself, my family and my friends.
I have always believed that in ancient times the tribes that had someone like me survived and the tribes that didn't have someone like me didn't survive. So, what that would mean that everyone now alive originally came from tribes who had someone like me to see the future and thereby protect them by the Grace of God.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Fasting, Praying and Spirituality
I worry in these days because of how fashionable it is now to be an atheist. I see atheism among zealots as being just as dangerous in its own way as Islamic Fundamentalism to the survival of a free society on earth. Fundamentalism of all kinds: Atheism, Scientific, Islamic, Christian, Hindu, Judaism etc are all equally dangerous to the survival of all life on earth.
From a purely pragmatic point of view the least dangerous point of view (to the survival of life upon earth) might be an ecological agnosticism. An Agnostic is not sure whether God exists or not whereas an atheist often hates anyone who believes in anything which I believe is equally dangerous as those who believe that there way is the only way and that anyone who doesn't believe their way should die. And this belief can manifest itself both explicitly or implicitly.
I worry that mankind because of increased urbanization and mechanized educations through college that take people away from their basic natures as humans who lived in nature and not in cities for the most part for thousands and thousands of years is corrupting what it has meant to actually be a human down through history.
I worry that we are coming to the point where I may not be able to call what people are becoming as human.
I might be able to call what many are now becoming: psychological psyborg or even people with more and more metal implants of various kinds, psyborg. But less and less do I consider people under about 40 years old, human in a classical historic sense.
We are moving away from what it meant to be human for thousands of years. I just want people to be aware of this. Progress just for progress sake isn't necessarily good.
Enough people need to look at this realistically like I have or else what it is to be human will be permanently lost by most of humanity.
It is one thing to choose to be something. It is another to just fall off a cliff into being different than human for no real or useful reason.
The essence of being human for me is fasting, praying and spirituality. Without these three components of humanness there is no humanity in my view. I don't think formal religions are necessary. However, for humanity to have ethics and to retain its humanness fasting, praying and spirituality must exist. Without these basic components I see nothing that will make people altruistic enough not to just exterminate each other into oblivion.
From a purely pragmatic point of view the least dangerous point of view (to the survival of life upon earth) might be an ecological agnosticism. An Agnostic is not sure whether God exists or not whereas an atheist often hates anyone who believes in anything which I believe is equally dangerous as those who believe that there way is the only way and that anyone who doesn't believe their way should die. And this belief can manifest itself both explicitly or implicitly.
I worry that mankind because of increased urbanization and mechanized educations through college that take people away from their basic natures as humans who lived in nature and not in cities for the most part for thousands and thousands of years is corrupting what it has meant to actually be a human down through history.
I worry that we are coming to the point where I may not be able to call what people are becoming as human.
I might be able to call what many are now becoming: psychological psyborg or even people with more and more metal implants of various kinds, psyborg. But less and less do I consider people under about 40 years old, human in a classical historic sense.
We are moving away from what it meant to be human for thousands of years. I just want people to be aware of this. Progress just for progress sake isn't necessarily good.
Enough people need to look at this realistically like I have or else what it is to be human will be permanently lost by most of humanity.
It is one thing to choose to be something. It is another to just fall off a cliff into being different than human for no real or useful reason.
The essence of being human for me is fasting, praying and spirituality. Without these three components of humanness there is no humanity in my view. I don't think formal religions are necessary. However, for humanity to have ethics and to retain its humanness fasting, praying and spirituality must exist. Without these basic components I see nothing that will make people altruistic enough not to just exterminate each other into oblivion.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Global warming and World Economic Collapse
I don't think the world has seen anything like it is experiencing before. One of the problems I think is that there is a lot of electronic money and a lot less real money worldwide. In the past governments had to either mint money from Gold or Platinum or silver or print paper money to represent actual gold and silver in storage like in For Knox. However, with electronic money being most of the actual money on earth now it is sort of like banks have the ability to say for example, the money is electronically here because we say it is. So there is this electronic effect that is now completely surrealistic worldwide with electronic money that doesn't really exist anywhere except in the minds of people and banks. So it is more like an electronic scorecard rather than anything actual at this point.
However, at this point what I believe to be important is making sure people are fed and clothed because if that doesn't happen worldwide electronic monopoly money dollars or whatever won't really mean much of anything.
Be feeding and clothing people and keeping infrastructure alive by repairing roads and bridges and increasing wind and solar power there is actually something real that is helping the people.
All these shenanigans over money won't bring back the 50 trillion dollars lost in the world so far in the last 2 years that went up in smoke. Most of it is gone mostly because of a complete loss of faith in the world economic systems. At this point 100% of the people on earth have no faith in the world economic system to be there for them.
This has changed everything. And because of this and Global Warming there will be less dollars and other monies to deal with storms worldwide, droughts worldwide and flooding worldwide. There will be many more Hurricane Katrinas worldwide as well as formidable droughts of multi year duration and in some places relatively permanent droughts. Of all the damage caused by Global Climate change and Global Warming nothing is as damaging in a long term sense than droughts and high winds in the same place. It brings to mind the Great Dust Bowl of Oklahoma of the 1930s told in the story "Grapes of Wrath".
So, in these times of helping banks and AIG I feel something is missing. What is missing is just feeding and clothing people and growing food wherever one can on earth.
If the people of earth aren't fed and clothed every day all this banking stuff won't matter at all because there might not be any banks or nations. So far people of earth are patient but if this goes on in multi-year fashion and relatives and friends go crazy and die from no food, no jobs, no hope, this could get very ugly.
Most of the world has had it very good for a long time but if you study history it is only because we have had it so good for so long that things are still relatively okay. How long will that last if people have no food, no clothing, no shelter, no hope worldwide?
The U.S. Government recently said that the biggest threat on earth right not is not Islamic Terrorism, it is the present economic crisis worldwide getting out of hand.
Well, I think it just got out of hand in the Sudan, especially Darfur. It is another example of unintended consequences worldwide. I'm very concerned that it is the unintended consequences now that will be the scariest from the decisions made all over earth now.
However, at this point what I believe to be important is making sure people are fed and clothed because if that doesn't happen worldwide electronic monopoly money dollars or whatever won't really mean much of anything.
Be feeding and clothing people and keeping infrastructure alive by repairing roads and bridges and increasing wind and solar power there is actually something real that is helping the people.
All these shenanigans over money won't bring back the 50 trillion dollars lost in the world so far in the last 2 years that went up in smoke. Most of it is gone mostly because of a complete loss of faith in the world economic systems. At this point 100% of the people on earth have no faith in the world economic system to be there for them.
This has changed everything. And because of this and Global Warming there will be less dollars and other monies to deal with storms worldwide, droughts worldwide and flooding worldwide. There will be many more Hurricane Katrinas worldwide as well as formidable droughts of multi year duration and in some places relatively permanent droughts. Of all the damage caused by Global Climate change and Global Warming nothing is as damaging in a long term sense than droughts and high winds in the same place. It brings to mind the Great Dust Bowl of Oklahoma of the 1930s told in the story "Grapes of Wrath".
So, in these times of helping banks and AIG I feel something is missing. What is missing is just feeding and clothing people and growing food wherever one can on earth.
If the people of earth aren't fed and clothed every day all this banking stuff won't matter at all because there might not be any banks or nations. So far people of earth are patient but if this goes on in multi-year fashion and relatives and friends go crazy and die from no food, no jobs, no hope, this could get very ugly.
Most of the world has had it very good for a long time but if you study history it is only because we have had it so good for so long that things are still relatively okay. How long will that last if people have no food, no clothing, no shelter, no hope worldwide?
The U.S. Government recently said that the biggest threat on earth right not is not Islamic Terrorism, it is the present economic crisis worldwide getting out of hand.
Well, I think it just got out of hand in the Sudan, especially Darfur. It is another example of unintended consequences worldwide. I'm very concerned that it is the unintended consequences now that will be the scariest from the decisions made all over earth now.
Sudan and China
Most of you have heard that the President of Sudan has been accused of Hundreds of thousands of deaths by genocide of animist Africans in Sudan.
What you might not know is that the President of Sudan is supported by Islamic groups that support the genocide of all animistic Africans and as a result the biggest Islamic genocidal terrorist on earth is not Osama Bin Laden but the President of Sudan. After being accused by the world court of War Crimes he chose to kick out of Sudan all the Aid groups feeding the raped, wounded and displaced animists left alive in the refugee camps in Sudan. This likely will mean over the next few months that hundreds of thousands more animists will die of starvation or worse at the hands of the President of Sudan and his genocidal compatriots.
Also, what many of you might not know is that Sudan has a lot of oil that is controlled by the President. Most free nations have stopped buying oil from Sudan because of this. However, China doesn't care about hundreds of thousands of animists being exterminated because they exterminate Tibetans, Weezies, and most other minorities in China all the time and have for thousands of years.
So, China is the major buyer of oil from Sudan and could care less whether people are killed or starved because of it or not. This is something to think about in regard to life on earth with China in the future.
China has been on the verge of Civil War for thousands of years because one just cannot effectively govern that many people effectively I believe without some kind of democratic system. However, that is my opinion and the Chinese might feel I should keep this opinion to myself as I don't live in China and haven't ever been there.
If we look at Chinese history of the last 110 years we see at least 2 revolutions and the only government to last more than 50 years(almost 60 years now) has been Mao Tse Tung's Chinese Communist government. So even though China now has a capitalist system, there are still many problems because most people have no rights at all. So in some ways they are closer now to civil war than ever before.
However, men join the Chinese army because they are starving. If you were starving wouldn't you be loyal to those that fed you and kept you alive? The same is true with Chinese soldiers that want to eat food to live.
When you put all these factors together including Sudan oil, Chinese history and the Sudanese animist people of Darfur who are being exterminated we have a slow motion Rwanda with Hutus(the president of Sudan and his armies) and Tutsi's (poor animist farmer peasants) all over again. God help us!
If you want to know more about the Rwanda genocide of hundreds of thousands of people over 100 days in 1994 please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide
What you might not know is that the President of Sudan is supported by Islamic groups that support the genocide of all animistic Africans and as a result the biggest Islamic genocidal terrorist on earth is not Osama Bin Laden but the President of Sudan. After being accused by the world court of War Crimes he chose to kick out of Sudan all the Aid groups feeding the raped, wounded and displaced animists left alive in the refugee camps in Sudan. This likely will mean over the next few months that hundreds of thousands more animists will die of starvation or worse at the hands of the President of Sudan and his genocidal compatriots.
Also, what many of you might not know is that Sudan has a lot of oil that is controlled by the President. Most free nations have stopped buying oil from Sudan because of this. However, China doesn't care about hundreds of thousands of animists being exterminated because they exterminate Tibetans, Weezies, and most other minorities in China all the time and have for thousands of years.
So, China is the major buyer of oil from Sudan and could care less whether people are killed or starved because of it or not. This is something to think about in regard to life on earth with China in the future.
China has been on the verge of Civil War for thousands of years because one just cannot effectively govern that many people effectively I believe without some kind of democratic system. However, that is my opinion and the Chinese might feel I should keep this opinion to myself as I don't live in China and haven't ever been there.
If we look at Chinese history of the last 110 years we see at least 2 revolutions and the only government to last more than 50 years(almost 60 years now) has been Mao Tse Tung's Chinese Communist government. So even though China now has a capitalist system, there are still many problems because most people have no rights at all. So in some ways they are closer now to civil war than ever before.
However, men join the Chinese army because they are starving. If you were starving wouldn't you be loyal to those that fed you and kept you alive? The same is true with Chinese soldiers that want to eat food to live.
When you put all these factors together including Sudan oil, Chinese history and the Sudanese animist people of Darfur who are being exterminated we have a slow motion Rwanda with Hutus(the president of Sudan and his armies) and Tutsi's (poor animist farmer peasants) all over again. God help us!
If you want to know more about the Rwanda genocide of hundreds of thousands of people over 100 days in 1994 please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide
Better off Ted:New TV Show
I DVRed Better Off Ted last night and watched it today. I found it very funny like a caricature of the Corporate workplace and a little like reading the cartoon Dilbert.
In this pilot show a lab technician is asked to volunteer to be frozen for one year. At first he refuses but then his wife loves the idea(it brings her out of her depression). He lasts about 1 week before the company wants to move him to India and one of the workmen answers his cellphone and drops the cylindrical payphone type of cryogenic container and he thaws out. Only one problem he has post traumatic stress disorder which causes him to involuntarily scream at work at random. So the big corporate bosses want to fire him for that after they almost killed him by freezing him.
Sounds a lot like basic corporate insanity 101. It is one of the reasons I chose always whenever possible to be an entrepreneur and own my own business. It didn't take me long to realize that the corporate kind of life only makes one psychologically aberrant in the long run. Life is hard enough without that. It is one reason why I love nature. Nature is the diametric opposite of the corporate life. From this point of view: Corporations lead to the extinction of all living things on earth. It is a natural logical progression.
And you will love the "Focus" chair. The wonderful lack of basic humanity in corporations has always astounded me since I first had to work in one during college part time. So I found this program hysterically funny and a way to drain off the frustration other people must have to live as crazy a life as is depicted on this show.
In this pilot show a lab technician is asked to volunteer to be frozen for one year. At first he refuses but then his wife loves the idea(it brings her out of her depression). He lasts about 1 week before the company wants to move him to India and one of the workmen answers his cellphone and drops the cylindrical payphone type of cryogenic container and he thaws out. Only one problem he has post traumatic stress disorder which causes him to involuntarily scream at work at random. So the big corporate bosses want to fire him for that after they almost killed him by freezing him.
Sounds a lot like basic corporate insanity 101. It is one of the reasons I chose always whenever possible to be an entrepreneur and own my own business. It didn't take me long to realize that the corporate kind of life only makes one psychologically aberrant in the long run. Life is hard enough without that. It is one reason why I love nature. Nature is the diametric opposite of the corporate life. From this point of view: Corporations lead to the extinction of all living things on earth. It is a natural logical progression.
And you will love the "Focus" chair. The wonderful lack of basic humanity in corporations has always astounded me since I first had to work in one during college part time. So I found this program hysterically funny and a way to drain off the frustration other people must have to live as crazy a life as is depicted on this show.
How?
How does one fulfill their dreams? How does one find happiness? And for that matter how does one even find the strength to stay alive in this crazy world?
All of these questions I asked as a boy and young man and for that matter throughout my life.
The best answers I have found long term are: "Follow your dreams. Follow your passion. Do what you love. Do what you believe in."
Suffering, mental, physical and spiritual just seem to be a part of everyone's life. But you don't have to let all that get you down. It's mostly a matter of attitude. If you are unfortunate enough to be surrounded by people who are self destructive while you are growing up this can be a problem. However, it IS a potentially surmountable problem if you can at least psychologically separate from them enough to get moving into positivity on your own. At this point during your teens and twenties you can cultivate people who will reinforce your positivity into a good direction. A big part of living your dreams comes from who you surround yourself with. Though loyalty is a really great quality one must balance loyalty with survivability. In other words if your loyalty to self destructive friends is killing you are they worth dying for?
If you can't ask yourself that question then it is likely you won't survive until 30. That is a given. You might say to me I don't want to live past 30. And I fully understand this answer. It was my answer too. However, when I got to be 29 and still didn't trust anyone over 30 I began to see the silliness of thinking like this. And yes, one has to be a little crazy and a little self destructive to want to live past 30. But think of it this way. Our parents and mentors sacrifice their lives for us and almost all of them are over 30. Why do they do that? Because they can see that we are the future. Can any of us be so shallow that we can't see that too, eventually? For our human race to live on some of us must give ourselves to the cause of keeping our race of humans alive. And it doesn't matter whether you are ministers, doctors, lawyers, businesspeople or whatever. What is needed is a way to keep hope alive and to keep moving forward.
How? Follow your dreams. Do what you love. Follow your passion. This is the way it all begins. Anyone who says anything else is only limiting your future in the end.
All of these questions I asked as a boy and young man and for that matter throughout my life.
The best answers I have found long term are: "Follow your dreams. Follow your passion. Do what you love. Do what you believe in."
Suffering, mental, physical and spiritual just seem to be a part of everyone's life. But you don't have to let all that get you down. It's mostly a matter of attitude. If you are unfortunate enough to be surrounded by people who are self destructive while you are growing up this can be a problem. However, it IS a potentially surmountable problem if you can at least psychologically separate from them enough to get moving into positivity on your own. At this point during your teens and twenties you can cultivate people who will reinforce your positivity into a good direction. A big part of living your dreams comes from who you surround yourself with. Though loyalty is a really great quality one must balance loyalty with survivability. In other words if your loyalty to self destructive friends is killing you are they worth dying for?
If you can't ask yourself that question then it is likely you won't survive until 30. That is a given. You might say to me I don't want to live past 30. And I fully understand this answer. It was my answer too. However, when I got to be 29 and still didn't trust anyone over 30 I began to see the silliness of thinking like this. And yes, one has to be a little crazy and a little self destructive to want to live past 30. But think of it this way. Our parents and mentors sacrifice their lives for us and almost all of them are over 30. Why do they do that? Because they can see that we are the future. Can any of us be so shallow that we can't see that too, eventually? For our human race to live on some of us must give ourselves to the cause of keeping our race of humans alive. And it doesn't matter whether you are ministers, doctors, lawyers, businesspeople or whatever. What is needed is a way to keep hope alive and to keep moving forward.
How? Follow your dreams. Do what you love. Follow your passion. This is the way it all begins. Anyone who says anything else is only limiting your future in the end.
Flying and Skiing
Ever since I was a little boy I have been in love with flying and skiing. Oh yes, women were in there too. But after I started having children, that didn't really work as children have to come first if one is to have self respect as a human being.
So, being in love with flying and skiing and the out of doors and mountains, and deserts and oceans is survivable with both inner peace and self respect and integrity.
Though unlike when I was young, financially owning a plane and flying myself around is something I could actually afford to do now. However, since my wife's step brother and his wife and their dog augered into the top of a mountain in Idaho about 5 years ago, I cant' do that to my wife. (That is not to say I won't take a flying lesson here and there because I really want to try landing a seaplane in Canada or Alaska on a river or lake).
My father's youngest brother also died in a plane crash in 1942. He was just about to be drafted into World War II within 2 weeks when a plane came up under him from behind and took off one of his wings. Since it took off both the other planes wings they were just a fuselage and therefore instant toast. However, he had one wing and so spun down like a top into power lines and an old woman who might have got him out went for her hose instead and he burned to death as he was screaming. It must have been awful for both of them.
My father always had World War II Army surplus skis as I was growing up. He also had a longbow and arrows that he shot flying fish with when he chartered a yacht to Tahiti in 1939, as well as a pearl inlaid wooden Tahitian spear he brought back and all sorts of shells you can't get anymore from the South Tahitian seas.
The skis I always eyed there in the garage until I was about 13 to 15 when I could fit the old ski boots and so one day I just picked them up and took them to the mountains with my parents to try them out. They were the old bear trap non-release bindings and I guess this was about 1963 when I was around 15. I can remember being upset that I couldn't afford to go to Mammoth Mountain on downhill Ski trips with friends during my teens. I can remember being very upset about this. However, I always had a girlfriend from the time I was 15 and owned my own car from one month after 16 always even now. So, I have owned at least one car or truck continually since I was 16 and often a motorcycle as well from age 17 until 40. I'm probably going to get another on road off road motorcycle soon as well as I really miss riding way out in the country away from people like I used to.
Finally in 1976 when my son was 2 my wife and I after we moved to Mt. Shasta, California went up to Oregon which didn't(doesn't?) have state sales tax which at that time saved us about 10% on our skis. It also saved that much or more on food so we would take a trip up to buy food in bulk also. It was about 2 hours away from Mt. Shasta by car on Interstate 5. We shopped in Ashland, Oregon. We went to a little ski shop near Lithia Park and bought the newest Cross Country skis that didn't need to be pine tarred then in 1976. These skis lasted until the mid 1980s when I went into a gulch and broke one when I bottomed out too deep. Though I have always rented downhill skis since 1976, I have always owned a pair of Cross country skis. When I broke ski in the mid 1980s I bought some wider skis with metal edges. I had had a few bad experiences when I couldn't get an edge with the 1976 non metal edge skis. One time I had slid sideways several hundred feet and barely avoided hitting a tree because I couldn't get an edge traversing a steep slope.
Though many people like downhill skiing, I(especially when I was young and adventurous) like to be as far from other people skiing as possible in virgin snow. For me, skiing has always been about being alone with God in an amazing environment. And skiing for me, has been like being Jesus walking on water(snow is frozen water). So, the most fun for me has always been skiing on 20 to 50 feet of snow when I could reach down and touch the tops of the highest trees or just reach out my hand and touch the tops of the highest trees even with my face standing.
There is something about mountaineering skiing that is just the best of what it is to be a human. I think starting in my mid thirties I began to feel that skiing was even better than sex because it could last longer(many hours) (even though I didn't feel that way in my 20s).
When I took my first flying lesson I was about 16 or 17 years old. However, before that my father's best friend was one of the owner's of El Molino Mills, a health food organic food milling company in Los Angeles County and his son invented Carob powder to be similar to Chocolate. It is for people allergic to chocolate.
One day I was flying with my father and his friend in his yellow 1949 Stinson. The first time he picked us up at Burbank Airport and we flew north to Santa Barbara. However, on the way back he got involved in talking to my Dad and flew into takeoff airspace for Los Angeles International Airport. So I asked him weren't we getting close to that airliner coming at us(probably a Boeing 707 then). He didn't say anything but pushed the yoke forward into a dive. I got a little scared because I knew this wasn't a World War II fighter plane and wasn't sure it could withstand a dive. Finally after dropping about 5 thousand feet he began to pull out and the wings shook which scared us all for sure. I didn't say much but was glad I had pointed out the airliner coming at us. Later he explained that if we had come within 1000 feet of an airliner like that it would have ripped our wings off from the venturis(wind currents) generated in the wake of that size of a jet.
Another time parents and my Dad's friend,(who passed away around 1969 or 1970) flew with my family to Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear and over Ed's desert retreat nearby. On our way back to Los Angeles County we flew north from Palm Springs through the pass between San Jacinto Mountain and San Gorgonio Mountain where there is usually a lot of wind coming toward Palm Springs through that pass. Ed gave me the controls at my age 12 and taught me how to crab into the wind(fly sideways) in order to keep a true heading without being thrown into a mountain. I suppose it is a lot like sailing a boat in this way of thinking.
Later, when I flew figure 8's when learning to solo I learned how to fly 8's and stay in reference to the ground even with a strong side or headwind. This can be very tricky but necessary if one doesn't want to be blown off course when flying VFR. Though I was never rated IFR I understand the necessity of IFR for flying through clouds without hitting another plane or for flying at night in clouds without any reference points.
I had promised my Dad I wouldn't get a pilot's license until after he had passed on because of his brother dying in 1942 in a plane crash.
Another thing, there is a saying, "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no Old Bold pilots!"
Since I have always been bold at everything in my life, probably not flying without an instructor is a good thing for my family to keep me alive for them.
So, there you have some of the loves of my life, flying and skiing and a little about motorcycles too.
So, being in love with flying and skiing and the out of doors and mountains, and deserts and oceans is survivable with both inner peace and self respect and integrity.
Though unlike when I was young, financially owning a plane and flying myself around is something I could actually afford to do now. However, since my wife's step brother and his wife and their dog augered into the top of a mountain in Idaho about 5 years ago, I cant' do that to my wife. (That is not to say I won't take a flying lesson here and there because I really want to try landing a seaplane in Canada or Alaska on a river or lake).
My father's youngest brother also died in a plane crash in 1942. He was just about to be drafted into World War II within 2 weeks when a plane came up under him from behind and took off one of his wings. Since it took off both the other planes wings they were just a fuselage and therefore instant toast. However, he had one wing and so spun down like a top into power lines and an old woman who might have got him out went for her hose instead and he burned to death as he was screaming. It must have been awful for both of them.
My father always had World War II Army surplus skis as I was growing up. He also had a longbow and arrows that he shot flying fish with when he chartered a yacht to Tahiti in 1939, as well as a pearl inlaid wooden Tahitian spear he brought back and all sorts of shells you can't get anymore from the South Tahitian seas.
The skis I always eyed there in the garage until I was about 13 to 15 when I could fit the old ski boots and so one day I just picked them up and took them to the mountains with my parents to try them out. They were the old bear trap non-release bindings and I guess this was about 1963 when I was around 15. I can remember being upset that I couldn't afford to go to Mammoth Mountain on downhill Ski trips with friends during my teens. I can remember being very upset about this. However, I always had a girlfriend from the time I was 15 and owned my own car from one month after 16 always even now. So, I have owned at least one car or truck continually since I was 16 and often a motorcycle as well from age 17 until 40. I'm probably going to get another on road off road motorcycle soon as well as I really miss riding way out in the country away from people like I used to.
Finally in 1976 when my son was 2 my wife and I after we moved to Mt. Shasta, California went up to Oregon which didn't(doesn't?) have state sales tax which at that time saved us about 10% on our skis. It also saved that much or more on food so we would take a trip up to buy food in bulk also. It was about 2 hours away from Mt. Shasta by car on Interstate 5. We shopped in Ashland, Oregon. We went to a little ski shop near Lithia Park and bought the newest Cross Country skis that didn't need to be pine tarred then in 1976. These skis lasted until the mid 1980s when I went into a gulch and broke one when I bottomed out too deep. Though I have always rented downhill skis since 1976, I have always owned a pair of Cross country skis. When I broke ski in the mid 1980s I bought some wider skis with metal edges. I had had a few bad experiences when I couldn't get an edge with the 1976 non metal edge skis. One time I had slid sideways several hundred feet and barely avoided hitting a tree because I couldn't get an edge traversing a steep slope.
Though many people like downhill skiing, I(especially when I was young and adventurous) like to be as far from other people skiing as possible in virgin snow. For me, skiing has always been about being alone with God in an amazing environment. And skiing for me, has been like being Jesus walking on water(snow is frozen water). So, the most fun for me has always been skiing on 20 to 50 feet of snow when I could reach down and touch the tops of the highest trees or just reach out my hand and touch the tops of the highest trees even with my face standing.
There is something about mountaineering skiing that is just the best of what it is to be a human. I think starting in my mid thirties I began to feel that skiing was even better than sex because it could last longer(many hours) (even though I didn't feel that way in my 20s).
When I took my first flying lesson I was about 16 or 17 years old. However, before that my father's best friend was one of the owner's of El Molino Mills, a health food organic food milling company in Los Angeles County and his son invented Carob powder to be similar to Chocolate. It is for people allergic to chocolate.
One day I was flying with my father and his friend in his yellow 1949 Stinson. The first time he picked us up at Burbank Airport and we flew north to Santa Barbara. However, on the way back he got involved in talking to my Dad and flew into takeoff airspace for Los Angeles International Airport. So I asked him weren't we getting close to that airliner coming at us(probably a Boeing 707 then). He didn't say anything but pushed the yoke forward into a dive. I got a little scared because I knew this wasn't a World War II fighter plane and wasn't sure it could withstand a dive. Finally after dropping about 5 thousand feet he began to pull out and the wings shook which scared us all for sure. I didn't say much but was glad I had pointed out the airliner coming at us. Later he explained that if we had come within 1000 feet of an airliner like that it would have ripped our wings off from the venturis(wind currents) generated in the wake of that size of a jet.
Another time parents and my Dad's friend,(who passed away around 1969 or 1970) flew with my family to Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear and over Ed's desert retreat nearby. On our way back to Los Angeles County we flew north from Palm Springs through the pass between San Jacinto Mountain and San Gorgonio Mountain where there is usually a lot of wind coming toward Palm Springs through that pass. Ed gave me the controls at my age 12 and taught me how to crab into the wind(fly sideways) in order to keep a true heading without being thrown into a mountain. I suppose it is a lot like sailing a boat in this way of thinking.
Later, when I flew figure 8's when learning to solo I learned how to fly 8's and stay in reference to the ground even with a strong side or headwind. This can be very tricky but necessary if one doesn't want to be blown off course when flying VFR. Though I was never rated IFR I understand the necessity of IFR for flying through clouds without hitting another plane or for flying at night in clouds without any reference points.
I had promised my Dad I wouldn't get a pilot's license until after he had passed on because of his brother dying in 1942 in a plane crash.
Another thing, there is a saying, "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no Old Bold pilots!"
Since I have always been bold at everything in my life, probably not flying without an instructor is a good thing for my family to keep me alive for them.
So, there you have some of the loves of my life, flying and skiing and a little about motorcycles too.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Congressman Ackerman and Credit Defaul Swaps
Congressman Ackerman described what a Credit Default Swap is today. I think it is one of the best descriptions that almost anyone can get.
Paraphrased: There are these two guys in a rowboat and a really bad storm comes up and there are sharks all around. The first guy says, "I'm scared!" and the second guy says, "I'll sell you an insurance policy!"
Obviously, the second guy might get a payment from the first guy and be happy about that but in actuality the highest likelihood is that neither of them will survive. This describes just how bad Credit Default Swaps are which are the most like Hedge funds which are probably one of the most risky investments one can make with money outside of getting married.(marriage is 50-50 chance of divorce and possible financial insolvency). If you are in a hedge fund during bad times you have a 90% chance of losing everything even though during good times you might make a fortune. So, hedge funds are the most like a roulette wheel in Las Vegas in good times. Whereas, Credit Default swaps in bad times only destroy everyone in the worlds economy like now!
I think Barney Madoff was running his Ponzi scheme based upon a hedge fund model.
Since hedge funds and credit default swaps are completely unregulated, they both need to be regulated or made illegal, one or the other.
Paraphrased: There are these two guys in a rowboat and a really bad storm comes up and there are sharks all around. The first guy says, "I'm scared!" and the second guy says, "I'll sell you an insurance policy!"
Obviously, the second guy might get a payment from the first guy and be happy about that but in actuality the highest likelihood is that neither of them will survive. This describes just how bad Credit Default Swaps are which are the most like Hedge funds which are probably one of the most risky investments one can make with money outside of getting married.(marriage is 50-50 chance of divorce and possible financial insolvency). If you are in a hedge fund during bad times you have a 90% chance of losing everything even though during good times you might make a fortune. So, hedge funds are the most like a roulette wheel in Las Vegas in good times. Whereas, Credit Default swaps in bad times only destroy everyone in the worlds economy like now!
I think Barney Madoff was running his Ponzi scheme based upon a hedge fund model.
Since hedge funds and credit default swaps are completely unregulated, they both need to be regulated or made illegal, one or the other.
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