Adventures in Church: Quaker PEACE

Quaker William Penn, 22, in 1666, Penn's Sylvania ("Wooded Land"), Penn State

No, I'm an Eastern Orthodox pilgrim at the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, Ukraine

Indigenous Peoples' History US

The Quakers really are something else. It's not for show, and there are no oats whatsoever (that was some non-Quaker's marketing gimmick), no big buckle hats or shoes, just progressive British-German thinking, which may sound like an oxymoron except that we're nothing in the West if not good at dreaming up lofty ideals.

It must be an extraterrestrial Scandinavian influence of Nordic ETs spreading their liberal views on how human life should be engaged in by Earthlings (in and around Northern Europe).

• World Happiness Report: Who says Scandinavian Finland is the happiest?
• Finland, Finland, Monty Python sings (Northern Finland is in Scandinavia)

Quaker woman preaching, London

How else might one explain their forward thinking in an Old World setting? These thoughts of Enlightenment, egalitarianism, peace, fraternity, and prosperity for all are not the natural inclinations of people who travel -- as Columbus and Crew did -- across the Atlantic to enslave and oppress others.

Quaker Mary Dyer led to execution, 1660

The Quakers did not come to conquer. Though they were about 25% of the "Pilgrims," the European settler-colonial invaders from England, Germany, Spain, and other imperialistic countries, their goal was to survive and thrive in the "New" World away from the constraints of the Old, not by oppression but cooperation.

• Mary Dyer (born Marie Barrett, circa 1611–1660) was an English and colonial American Puritan-turned-Quaker who was hanged in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, for repeatedly defying a Puritan law banning Quakers from the colony. She is one of the four executed Quakers known as the Boston martyrs. More

Who were these mysterious "Friends," and what did they believe in that made them pacifists, independent thinkers, and leave-Europe-behinders? They weren't Puritans, which is a surprising because they are into clean living. And they aren't Amish or Mennonites speaking Pennsylvania Deutsch ("Dutch" that's actually German).

• Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Quakers speaking truth to power
• American Friends Service Committee
• Anyone attracted to Universalist Unitarianism has to love what the Quakers are all about, at least the nonevangelical kind
• Anglo-Saxon migration from Germany to UK
• My country (US) loves war, right Mr. Biden?
• Northern Europe or the Nordic countries?
• Two new wolf packs discovered in Northern California

Advice and Questions for 11th Month: Peace

Colonists (not Quakers), Russian settlers, possibly Molokans, in Mugan steppe of Azerbaijan

.

Dissenter George Fox, Friend

Friends (Quakers) oppose all war as inconsistent with [the Protestant God's] will. As every person is a child of this god, we recognize Divine Light also in our adversaries. Violence and injustice deny this reality and violate the teaching of [the God's son] Jesus and other prophets.

Friends challenge their governments and take personal risks in the cause of peace. We urge one another to refuse to participate in war as soldiers or as arms manufacturers [which is completely inconsistent with principles and teachings of the historical Buddha as well].

Become an instrument of peace. At every opportunity, be peacemakers in your homes, workplaces, and communities. Steep yourself in the power of the universal Spirit [Brahman?]

Examine your actions [karma, intentional deeds] for the seeds of violence, degradation, and destructiveness.

Overcome the emotions that lie at the root of violence and nurture instead a spirit of reconciliation and love. Come to know the oneness [unity, yoga] of all creation and oppose the destruction of the natural world.

Questions

• Do I live in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars?
• How do I nourish peace within myself as I work for peace in the world?
• Do I confront violence wherever it occurs, even when my personal relationships are involved?
• Where there is distrust, injustice, or hatred, how am I an instrument of reconciliation and love?
• What are we doing to remove the causes of war and destruction of the planet and to bring about lasting peace?
• Do we reach out to all parties in a conflict with courage and love?

NOTE: Some questions are intended for individuals. Italicized ones are intended for the Meeting collectively.

• Quackers, Orange Grove Friends Meeting House, Pasadena, CA; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

How I learned to fly (video)

My most brutal wingsuit flight ever | Täschhorn (4491 meters)

(Swiss JoHannes | Wingsuit) After years of dreaming, we finally did the highest possible wingsuit base jump in the Alps, from the top of Täschhorn, Switzerland.

Big hug to Mario for joining me on this mission. I couldn't have done it without him. Thanks, Bro! In total, we climbed for about 9 hours and spent one night at the Mischabeljoch bivouac. It was challenging leaving nothing behind and flying down with all of our equipment.

On the top we have to scramble five pitches to the exit point, belayed gear up. I jumped around 10:30 am during perfect conditions, without thermals (rising heat columns).

But after 40 seconds of flying, my arms were really tired, so I couldn't hold the glide and had to fly more steeply. Unfortunately, it is not getting much better. It is becoming a serious problem as I can hardly feel my fingers holding on.

Now if I could just learn to "fly" on land

Antonia was waiting at the LZ with a cold one. Mario and I landed safely. I don't know what happened to my weak arms... Was it the altitude or the heavy bag? I was exhausted AF and glad we got down safely. What a mission, what a mountain! Source

• Flight data: skyderby.ru/tracks/128771...
• Assorted wingsuit daredevils; Swiss JoHannes | Wingsuit, 9/2/24; Seth Auberon, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Forget Trump, New Right under Vance

Ever since former Pres. DJ became the GOP presidential nominee in 2016, there has been a small but loud group of so-called Republicans in the media and the halls of power who have fervently dreamed of the day when Trump loses his hold on the party.

Until the vice-presidential debate, these MSNBC "conservative" pundits and figures such as former Rep. Liz Cheney and Mormon Sen. Mitt Romney could have hoped that if Trump face-plants this year, the GOP will finally come back to its senses and put them back in charge.

Ohio Senator JD Vance put that theory squarely to bed onstage in New York City.

• WHY VANCE EASILY BEAT WALZ IN DEBATE, SOFTENING HIS IMAGE IN THE PROCESS

Though polling varies, by most accounts, Sen. Vance scored a win over Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (not to mention the biased CBS moderators) with his command of the issues and a surprising affability that even seemed to have Walz charmed at times.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks during the vice-presidential debate at CBS Studios on October 1, 2024, in New York, N.Y. Most pundits agree he defeated his opponent, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Getty Images © Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images

But it was the substance, not the style of Sen. Vance’s answers that should worry the Never Trump crowd. Because Sen. Vance, for maybe the first time, is a major political figure who is not Donald Trump, but who can explain and embody Trump’s populism even in the loftiest forums.

The cover of Time magazine this week acknowledged this with a portrait of Vance and the words, "The New Right" which is, in fact, another term for the changes that Trump has wrought in the GOP.

Trumpian populism, or the New Right, has four essential pillars erected by dumb Donald J. Trump:

1. anti-globalism,
2. a strong border,
3. energy independence, and
4. taking the fight to wokeness.

On all four, JD Vance made the case. The Ohio senator spoke of... More

• RIP Never Trump GOP. Vance’s dominant debate is beginning of the end (Fox News via MSN)
• David French: At the end of the debate, Vance's whole facade came off
• Vance now says Trump won the 2020 election then doubles down on the lie in a new interview
• David Marcus, Fox News via MSN.com, 10/3/24; Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Adventures in Church: Mindfulness Center

The ancient uposatha and the Buddha

The big blue supermoon outside, becoming full tomorrow night on Moonday, had us thinking about the Buddhist lunar observance day (uposatha).

It stands to reason and it used to be that the "fasting day" would be held on the Sunday closest to the full moon. (This month was different due to other events like the great benefactor's birthday, Sri Lanka Day, and an odd cultural ceremony).

Dancers from island of Sri Lanka

Rushing off at 8:00 am Sunday morning, with Alan Watts on the Buddhist Radio (KPFK 90.7 FM, Los Angeles), arriving at the temple after a crowd had gathered.

Everyone was dressed like an islander, reminiscent of Indian garb. The boys had their shirts off like Māori warrior-trainees. The monks were sitting silently to the left of the giant Buddha statue.

Lunar observance Day, Aug. 2024

Eight girls and three boys were bowing to their parents then dancing in the style of kathak or tarian/saman to giant bongo drums as many looked on, including a multimillionaire guest donor, Dr. Walter Jayasinghe. This was the strangest all-day meditation retreat ever. When everyone broke for lunch, it became clear that the lunar observance was last week. This was a Sri Lankan cultural event from an academy Dr. J set up nine years ago.

This is the Rains Retreat ("Lent") period, so every Sunday at 5:00 pm there are two Dharma talks, one in English in the Dhamma Classroom and one in Sinhalese in the main hall. Today's topic was the cultivation of loving-kindness as a meditation subject. The discussion included chanting and culminated with delicious Sri Lankan island-cuisine on the patio. It is a giant center the size and feel of a small hospital.

• Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen B., Crystal Q., Wisdom Quarterly

Vegan party: solstice, full moon ceremony

The full Strawberry Moon is waxing in the east and will reach maximum this week

Welcome the Summer Solstice and Full Moon

The Post Fire in Gorman has caused the postponement. So we are celebrating the Summer Solstice and Full Strawberry Moon above Pasadena.

The location of the party is through the Cosmic Breezeway into Oh Happy Days Vegan Cafe on Lake Avenue, Altadena, LA.

This FREE VEGAN POTLUCK PARTY features live music, meditation, singalong chanting, and socializing with good company with Mc Cody and crew.

• DisclosureFest 2024 is postposed
• Website: DisclosureFest™ info

FREE TO RSVP

• Disclosure Project: DisclosureFest 2024: Summer Solstice, Full Moon Ceremony Party (LA County), Sat, June 22, 2024, 7:00 PM | Meetup
• Nature Center: DisclosureFest 2024: Summer Solstice, Full Moon Ceremony Party (LA County), Sat, June 22, 2024, 7:00 PM | Meetup
• PasaDharma Foothills: DisclosureFest 2024: Summer Solstice, Full Moon Ceremony Party (LA County), Sat, June 22, 2024, 7:00 PM | Meetup

Party is on, but three-day festival postponed due to fire

• 

  Fest is postponed. Stay tuned.
  

  The Post Fire in Gorman impacts Castaic Lake, about 15 miles east. It has shut it down. Post Fire: Brush fire near 5 Freeway in Gorman burns thousands of acres amid Red Flag Warning - ABC7 Los Angeles
• What's so special about this weekend? Thursday is the Summer Solstice, Friday is the Full Strawberry Moon and Lunar Standstill (the 18.6-year lunar cycle) of Luna rising and descending. It's also the Year of the Dragon for transformation (and Hot Ugly Rat Year), so it's a time to manifest.

Why is June’s full moon called the “Strawberry Moon”?

The Indigenous Algonquian and Ojibwe cultures nicknamed this full moon the Strawberry Moon because it marks the month when strawberries are ripe and ready for picking in the northeastern USA. In Europe, people call it the Honey Moon because June is when honey was typically ready to harvest.

“The tradition of calling the first month of marriage the ‘honeymoon’ may be tied to this full moon because of the custom of marrying in June,” wrote NASA’s Gordon Johnston in a blog post. June’s Summer Solstice Strawberry Moon (inverse.com)

What was DisclosureFest going to be?

..

Laura Eisenhower

When did DisclosureFest begin? Years ago, Adrian and his spiritual business partner were on the radio (Coast to Coast with guest host Jimmy Church) talking about bringing a FREE Burning Man, Coachella, Woodstock festival of music, yoga, vegan food, ecstatic dance, yoga, and ET/UFO disclosure to Los Angeles.

What is the disclosure? We're not alone.

Where could it be held? How about a cornfield in DTLA, next to an art colony, by historic Chinatown under the elevated Metrorail train? Yes!

They talked the City of Los Angeles into it, and it went off without a hitch. Eventually, it got so big it moved to Las Vegas like most music festivals eventually do. (There are fewer regulations and hassles there).

See the spectacular Full Moon Ceremony like they have in Buddhist Phuket, Thailand

Founder Adrian, spiritualized nerd

The pandemic slowed it down. But it's a year-round series of initiatives. It centers around the Mass Meditation Initiative as its center with sound baths and other healings.

This year the fest it is at the Castaic Lake Lagoon in northwestern LA County, 40 minutes from DTLA, out past Magic Mountain. Castaic is a reservoir along the 5 Freeway. It's three days full of music, workshops, yoga, and speakers  Stairway to the Stars including these notables:

• Billy Carson
• Laura Eisenhower
• Baschar
• Jimmy Church (Fade to Black)
• 19Keys
• Gentle Thunder
• and too many more to count
• DisclosureFest™ for info
• Ananda (Disclosure Project: Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen Bradford, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Survival Skills for Self-Reliance (C. Nyerges)

Christopher Nyerges, School of Self-Reliance, 11/23/23; Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Survival Skills and Self Reliance with nature guide Christopher Nyerges

(Adventurers' Club) Streamed live 9/29/22: Nature guide Christopher Nyerges was always interested in living in nature. He was fascinated with people like the Native Americans and Amish who actually did it. After high school, he moved to his grandfather's farm in Ohio and continued his botanical and mycological (mushroom) studies.

He was concerned about the fate of Western culture and believed that we all needed to get back to basics by learning how to make and fix things, how to grow food, and how to employ natural healing techniques. He began teaching wild food and survival skills in 1974 and has taught over 40,000 students.

During this presentation, he shows some of the plants that can provide nutrition and shares some healing methods that are as old as ancient Greek Hippocrates. He is an advocate of frugality and simplicity, making do with less. Not everyone agrees with his approach, but he proves it's possible to survive anywhere. He teaches bushcraft skills to the public through the School of Self-Reliance.

The Dog Bus (video)

USA Today; Mo and Lee Thompson (SWNS); Ashley Wells, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Will you be my miracle savior from certain death of euthanasia? (aspca.org)

Alaskan dog walker takes the internet by storm with her unique | DOG MINIBUS

(SWNS) May 9, 2022. This Alaskan dog walker has taken the internet by storm with her unique DOG MINIBUS. Mo Thompson, 30, and her husband Lee Thompson from Skagway, Alaska, USA, run Mo Mountain Mutts, a dog training, walking and sitting business. The couple take care of up to five different groups every day, with Lee as the bus driver. Mo takes care of her doggie crew. #animals #dog #adventure

Content managed by SWNS. To license for editorial or commercial use, please contact licensing@swns.com 0117 9066550. Subscribe to channel to be the first to see its viral, breaking news videos. #dog #animals #travel #adventure #minibus

Dogs wait for the bus in Alaska to be walked

(USA TODAY) Jan. 13, 2023. These pups are passionately waiting to be walked as they ride the bus or how to turn a dog walking business into big bucks.

• Dog meets humpback whales during boat tour in California

ABOUT: USA TODAY: USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos, and VR. Watch more on this and other topics from USA TODAY: bit.ly/38Tzndx. #Alaska #Dogs #CuteAnimals

Afterlife w/ Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious (video)

Inside Edition 10/12/18; Afterlife Adventures '22; Seth Auberon, Pat Mac (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Deaths of Sid and Nancy leave many unanswered questions, 40 years later

(Inside Edition) First, Sid Vicious sings Sinatra's "My Way." In the 1970s, New York City was crumbling, bankrupt, and riddled with crime, and it was where the punk rockers felt most at home [though the hardcore punks were soon arising in sunny Los Angeles]. They were defined by their disheveled wardrobe and anarchist attitudes. Two well-known punks, one-time Sex Pistols' bassist Sid Vicious and his unpopular girlfriend Nancy Spungen, lived in the Chelsea Hotel. When Nancy was found dead of a stab wound in their room, Sid Vicious was charged with her murder, but the case would never get the resolution many had hoped for. #InsideEdition

Sex Pistols Spirit Box Session. Disturbing EVPs from Sid Vicious come through

(Afterlife Adventures) Summer, 2022. I (Amanda) am trying to get answers from my Spirit Guides about what happened to Sid Vicious (John Ritchie) and his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen.

I'm back with another Spirit Box Session. The Afterlife Adventures Team: Lead Investigator: Amanda. Investigator/Camera Operator: Mathew. #afterlifeadventures #sexpistols #sidvicious #missing #spiritbox #truecrime #missingchild #unsolved #paranormal #ghost #ghosthunting #tarotreading 

Afterlife Adventures Channel. Buy Amanda a coffee then I can do the Spirit Box Sessions 24/7 (buymeacoffee.com/afterlifea7), twitter.com/AfterLifeAdven3

Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell, the Journey

Bill Moyers, PBS; Pat Macpherson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth | Episode 1: "The Hero’s Adventure"

(kinolorber) August 23, 2022. American mythologist Joseph Campbell encourages the audience to discover what excites them and to make that the basis for their personal journeys. Watch Episode 2.  #documentary #tv #tvshow #television #mythology #josephcampbell

Female sex in "Booksmart" (movie)

Annapurna Pictures, May 18, 2019; CC Liu, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Booksmart (final trailer)

IN THEATERS TODAY, MAY 24, 2019 (tickets: tickets.booksmart.movie). Told from a wildly original, fresh and modern, female perspective, Booksmart is an unfiltered comedy about high school best friends and the bonds we create that last a lifetime. Capturing the spirit of our times, the film is a coming-of-age story for a new generation. [We're lookin' at you, Gen Z.]

WARNING: Cuss words, adult content, and nasty pop film quotes!

 

Directed by Olivia Wilde. Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, and Jason Sudeikis. Connect with Booksmart website: booksmart.movie.

NEW Simpsons: "Disenchantment" (video)

Netflix Summer 2018; Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Disenchantment (official trailer)

Misadventure awaits! Disenchantment, the new series from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening (comic illustrator of Life in Hell), premiered August 17, 2018. Watch Disenchantment on netflix.com/in/title/8009... #Netflix #Disenchantment #AbbiJacobson. 

Netflix is the world's leading Internet entertainment service with 130 million memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause, and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments. Online at nflx.it/29BcWb5, Facebook bit.ly/NetflixFamily.

What about SEX or PORN? (video)

Ashley Wells, Seth Auberon, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Dr. Zhana Vrangalova (TEDx Talks, TEDx College of William & Mary 2015); Gary Wilson (TEDx Talks, TEDxGlasgow, 2012)

I got me a man, I'm gonna make it work this time, with plastic, unless he's a porn addict.

.

Is casual sex bad for you?

Casual sex has long been portrayed as a societal sin.* Dr. Zhana Vrangalova (thecasualsexproject.com), a renowned sex researcher, weighs in on the topic.

Dr. Vrangalova is a sex researcher who studies how various expressions of sexuality (casual sex, promiscuity, nonhetero sex) are related to psychological health and well-being.

I think I may need a harem to keep it fresh.

She holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Cornell University and is currently an adjunct instructor at New York University.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. To learn more, see: ted.com/tedx.

• *Sin? It is interesting that we get the Christian term “sin” from archery. It literally means “to miss the mark” not die of guilt or shame.

The Great Porn Experiment

Gary Wilson (TEDx Talks, TEDxGlasgow, 2012)

In response to Stanford Univ. Social Psychology Professor Philip Zimbardo's "The Demise of Guys?" TED talk, Gary Wilson asks whether our brains evolved to handle the hyper-stimulation of today's Internet "enticements."

He discusses the disturbing symptoms showing up in some heavy Internet users, the surprising reversal of those symptoms, and the science behind these 21st century phenomena.

Gary Wilson is host of YourBrainOnPorn.com. The site arose in response to a growing demand for solid scientific information by heavy Internet erotica users experiencing perplexing, unexpected effects such as:

• escalation to more extreme material (gay erotica, bestiality, violence, perversion, rape fantasies, humiliation...)
• concentration difficulties
• sexual performance problems (ED, lack of arousal, numbness, social awkwardness, lack of fulfillment...)
• radical changes in sexual tastes
• social anxiety
• irritability
• inability to stop
• obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

As a physiology teacher with a particular interest in the latest neuroscience discoveries, Wilson was aware that these symptoms might be the result of addiction-related brain changes.

Applying the website's concepts of brain plasticity, many former users have braved withdrawal, reversed their symptoms, and restored normal sexual responsiveness.
 
The site has been linked to from hundreds of threads in forums from over 30 countries, with posts numbering in the thousands.

Gary Wilson blogs for "Psychology Today" and "The Good Men Project" on the extreme plasticity of adolescent brains, the evolutionary context for today's flood of novel cyber "mates," and the neurochemical reasons why super-stimulating Internet delivery has unexpected effects on the brain.

Many thanks to Pat Somers of Slow Moving Pictures for the skillful editing of this video. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations).

• Veggie restaurants in California (happycow.net)
• Vegan eating in Los Angeles, California