Meditate w/Bhikkhu Bodhi, Vesak, sutra study

CLASS INFO: Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 pm (EDT) with Bhikkhu Bodhi

Our Theravada JuBu teacher Bhikkhu Bodhi

Dear Dharma Students, please join us tonight (May 6, 2026) at 7:00 pm for a meditation session over Zoom by clicking here.

Each Wednesday evening, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi leads a meditation session over Zoom. The session consists of a 15-minute vandana (chanting Pali verses of homage) followed by a 45-minute guided meditation.

All are welcome to join. The texts for recitation are attached separately. Please see class page on website (BAUS.org/en) for chanting text. Miss it? Don't worry. This is a recurring meeting from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm (EDT, New York time), Wednesdays.

With metta,

Chuang Yen Monastery/BAUS

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• BAUS (The Buddhist Association of the U.S.)
• 美國佛教會, 2020 Route 301 Carmel, NY 10512
• contact@baus.org

More activities at Chuang Yen Monastery (BAUS)­ for May 2026

Dates: Saturdays, May 2, 9, and 23. Time: 6:30 am to 8:30 am (PT) - 9:30 am to 11:30 am (ET) On Saturdays, Bhikkhu Bodhi leads a full morning program of meditation and sutra study.

May 2nd and 9th is a "hybrid" program in-person and online. The May 23rd class online only this month. The online class can be accessed through Zoom. Please note: To participate in this class, one must register with BAUS ahead of time: Sign up for class with Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Sanctuary Within with Ven. Youmin

Instructor: Ven. Youmin Date: May 10th, time: 10:00 am-11:30 am and 1:30-3:00 pm. Place: Woo Ju Memorial Library. Lead by Ven. Youmin, we will explore the ancient mechanics of the mind through the art of breath, deconstruct the filters of our perception, and gain a definitive framework for stress management. This is more than a lecture, it is a mental operating system upgrade. THE SANCTUARY WITHIN with Ven. Youmin 4/19 & 5/10

VESAK 2026: "Buddhist Christmas" in New York: the Buddha’s Birthday Celebration

Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Place: The Great Buddha Hall at Chuang Yen Monastery. All are invited to celebrate Vesak, commemorating the birth of the historical Gautama Buddha (Shakyamuni). We will recite the Sutra on the Merit of Bathing the Baby Buddha and make a Grand Meal Offering to all the Buddhas. BAUS invites everyone to sponsor the lighting of a blessing lamp or other blessing or memorial services.

• Vesak: The Buddha's Birthday Celebration • May 17, 2026

Group meditation Wednesdays on Zoom

Group Meditation on Zoom w/Bhikkhu Bodhi

Group Meditation over Zoom, Wednesdays, 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Platform: Zoom. Every Wednesday evening, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, Bhikkhu Bodhi leads online group meditation. The session consists of a 15-minute vandana (chanting verses of homage), followed by a 45-minute guided meditation, either on loving-kindness or on mindfulness of breathing.

Temple of Enlightenment (TOE)

• 3070 Albany Cresent Bronx, NY 10463
• TOE Meditation Class and Dharma Talk with Ven. Subodha

Instructor: Ven. Subodha, Sundays, 10:00 am to 11:30 am on Zoom and in person at TOE on Tuesdays from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Location: Temple of Enlightenment Meditation Program. In person only at the Temple of Enlightenment in the Bronx.

Children's Dhamma Class at Temple of Enlightenment in the Bronx, NY

• Bhikkhu Bodhi (BAUS); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

'Dharma Day' at Hsi Lai Temple, LA (1/26)

Serving laba porridge to awaken the Buddha

On Dharma Day, Mahayana Buddhism, which prefers ahistorical Cosmic Buddhas like Amitabha, commemorates the historical Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment and awakening to perfect wisdom. (Theravada Buddhism has a Dhamma Day called Asalha Puja).

• Laba Festival: Congee Porridge Day
• Buddhism in Taiwan (which is not China)

Thanks to a shepherdess (Sujatha) offering him rice porridge, the wandering ascetic Siddhartha regained enough strength to focus on his cultivation, developing the absorptions then insight, purifying calm followed by contemplation (of Dependent Origination). That is how he became the Buddha, the "Awakened One," the supremely "Enlightened One."

 

Ever since then, Buddhists have celebrated the Buddha's Enlightenment Day by offering laba porridge to all.

WHERE?

• Location: Hsi Lai Temple (MAP)
• 3456 S. Glenmark Dr. (Hacienda Blvd.)
• Hacienda Heights, LA, CA 91745

𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 (𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲) Laba Porridge — dine in

• Opening hours: 9:00 am-3:00 pm

𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 (𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘁) laba porridge — to go

• Opening hours: 9:00 am-3:00 pm

1. Everyone is welcome to enjoy laba porridge in the Hsi Lai Dining Hall for FREE. No vegetarian buffet will be provided on this day.

2. For to go orders, cups of laba porridge will be prepared.

• INFO: Dharma Day 2026 at Hsi Lai Temple, LA

Eating, regaining his strength, he awakened.

The Dharma (the Teachings of the Buddha) are one facet of the Three Gems (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), a core aspect of Buddhism. Through this Dharma Day event, we celebrate the Buddha’s Teachings and their impact on our lives.

This day also commemorates the awakening of an Shakyian [Scythian] prince who renounced the world and what transformed him into the Buddha, "the Awakened One" (Shakyamuni, the "Sage of the Shakyas" [or Sakas, Indo-Scythians]).

Cosmic Buddha worshiped in Mahayana

Please join Hsi Lai ("Going West"), the largest Buddhist temple in the Western hemisphere, for a celebration of Buddhist wisdom taught by Buddhism's original teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, and the other teachers who followed after being inspired by him.

Enjoy special presentations, lectures, and theatrical performances, focusing on new understandings, real-world applications, and deeper explorations of the Buddha's teachings of compassion, service to others, and spiritual practice that have blossomed in the world.

Students of Hsi Lai's Buddhism classes are encouraged to apply for time to present what they have learned and gained from following Buddhist teachings: Hsi Lai Temple

• WHAT HAPPENED AT THE RETREAT? Fifty to 60 participants gathered at 8:30 am, registered, offered dana, received instructions, and began to sit.

Hsi Lai Temple One-Day Meditation Retreat, January 24, 2026

Let us cultivate together. Open to all.

The One-day Buddhist Meditation Retreat is intended to be a retreat for those who have at least a basic experience of meditation. This retreat features a regimented schedule of sitting, standing, and walking meditation with instructions and Dharma talks.

Please note that sitting sessions are 40 minutes long. It is recommended that applicants start working on lower body flexibility, especially the hips.

Vegetarian/vegan monastic cuisine served in cafeteria (Hsi Lai Temple)

.

RETREAT DETAILS: ◎ Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026. ◎ Check-in: 8:45 am-9:25 am. (Please be punctual. Orientation begins promptly at 10:00 am) ◎ Time: 9:30 am-5:30 pm PT ◎ Ages: 16 years and older. ◎ Location: Hsi Lai Temple (MAP)

COST?  ◎ OPEN DONATION: We welcome kind donations to cover meal, snacks, facility use, uniform cleaning, and general overhead. Kindly bring donation to check-in on Jan. 24, 2026. ◎ Spots are limited to 50 participants. ◎ This is an in-person retreat: hsilai.us/events/dharma-services/saturday-english-dharma-service

• Hsi Lai Temple, San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles
• Hsi Lai Temple Dharma Services

Climbing Mt. Kailash: healing hot springs

Risking life on thrilling trek up south face of Mt. Kailash to touch the holy rock

Tibet Travel (Tibet Vista) Nov. 15, 2024: After touching the glaciers and rocks on the northwest slope of Mount Kailash, I headed to the south slope to touch her holiest rock and to worship at the 13 stupas [sacred Śarīra reliquaries] nestled inside the mountain's crevices. Two years ago, I made a wish here to promote the beauty of Tibet and its ancient Vajrayana Buddhist [Hindu and Bon] religious culture, and now I have achieved that.

Trek to healing Khambhu Hot Spring, ancient trade village China border

My followers have grown to over 250,000, and more than 1,000 tourists from around the world have learned about and traveled to Tibet through my videos and traveled with me. This trek up the south slope of Mt. Kailash was incredibly thrilling and dangerous. In August, heavy snow fell from the sky, and I nearly slid off the steep and slippery rocks into a valley more than 50 meters (150 feet) deep. I believe my efforts were worthwhile. As a Tibetan guide, I have successfully led tourists from all over the world in over 60 Kora treks around Mt. Kailash. This is my second successful climb to the 13 stupas on the south slope. The 13 stupas, also known as the "Inner Kora of Mt. Kailash," are the holiest sites for Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims.

If YOU wish to explore Mt. Kailash in depth, I can take you there. It may be dangerous, but you can join me on this adventure for passion and faith, right? I believe in you. Contact me at jamyangtour@gmail.com. I will plan it all with you. Contact: Tibet Vista Jamyang Tour phone: +86 13989918639, email: jamyangtour@gmail.com. WeChat: Jamyang-1234.

• WEBSITE: tibettravel.org

ABOUT: I am Jamyang. I have been working as a tour guide with Tibet Vista Tour for 15 years. In 2020, during the Covid-19 global pandemic, I lost my job as a tour guide. With the support of the company, I immersed myself in filming videos and documenting the culture of Tibet. My goal is to share the beautiful landscapes of Tibet, Tibetan culture, and the genuine and enchanting lifestyle of the local Tibetans with people around the world who love and care about my beloved home country of Tibet. If you plan to visit Tibet, be sure to get in touch with me. I can show you the best and most authentic Tibet.

• Jamyang (Tibet Vista Jamyang Tour); CC Liu, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Chemtrails over LA and the OC

What is real? That's the question. Orange County is covered with strange clouds, as is Los Angeles County.

The OC is a crown of sparkling beaches, and one jewel is Dana Point. But it's suddenly overcast and rain is coming out of nowhere (nowhere being chemtrails).

Chemtrails are real?

Documentary filmmaker and activist Matt Landman (actualactivists.com) discusses the sinister motives behind chemtrails and geoengineering.

• Franken Skies
• Actual Activists
• Spero Protection Clothing
• 360 PROSPERITY

Dana Point Harbor - Dana Point, California

Through meticulous research and hard scientific evidence, Chemtrails Exposed reveals how powerful global elites, shadowy institutions, and scientific gatekeepers have manipulated the skies above us. Every applicable government agency and most mainstream media outlets claim chemtrails are just a “conspiracy theory.”

They say the lines in the skies are merely harmless “condensation trails” (contrails) that jet aircraft produce with heat high in the atmosphere, not actual emissions that linger for hours as they spread out and form hazy cloud cover.

They say that anyone who asserts that aircraft are spraying us with toxic materials is “crazy.” If this is so,

• Why do we see anomalous levels of toxins in rainwater and ambient air samples?
• Why are hundreds of scientists and scores of scientific organizations advocating for spraying substances from aircraft and calling it “geoengineering?”
• Why is there a world-famous Ph.D. scientist who has, in a long series of peer-reviewed journal articles, made the case for chemtrails and shown detailed evidence of their harmful effects?
• Why do we have whistleblowers from the U.S. Air Force and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?
• Why is there is a huge, detailed, chronologically consistent body of evidence supporting the fact that the lines in the sky are part of a global weather modification project with roots going back over 100 years?
• This is just scratching the surface. More

Chemtrails Exposed

Chemtrails: Manhattan Project

Researcher Peter A. Kirby studies chemtrail spraying, a covert program of aerosol geoengineering in our skies. The spraying is related to weather modification and much more.

In 1961, Rear Admiral Luis de Florez advocated making weather control as important in scope as the Manhattan Project, which produced the first atomic bomb, according to Kirby.

Patents show how aerosols put into the atmosphere can be manipulated to modify the weather. Chemtrail spraying is now largely done using remotely flown drones because pilots have become a liability, Kirby asserts.

Author, researcher Peter A. Kirby (bio)

As evidence for chemtrail spraying, researchers cite massive amounts of barium and aluminum showing up in rainwater samples taken from around the world. Rather than this spraying being used to combat global warming, Kirby asserts there is a more sinister agenda: It is being conducted by a rogue faction of the U.S. military.

For instance, the epic California drought could be caused by chemtrails to bankrupt farmers, at which point monied interests buy up depreciated farmland. But Kirby believes the chemtrail program may be coming to an end due in part to a military incident in October 2013 allegedly involving nuclear devices near Charleston, South Carolina.

In the aftermath of this event, Kirby predicts certain elements will be purged from the military, including those who run the chemtrail program. See Chemtrails Exposed on Activist Post. More

• Chemtrails Exposed: A New Manhattan Project (2026)
• Chemical trails (persistent aerosol dispersants) are being reported all around the planet. This 2004 research was the first to verify what pilots, air traffic controllers, police, Marines, and tanker crews were reporting. Chemtrails Confirmed reveals the scientists who are working on the project, the Congressman who oversaw America's "exotic weapons" project, and details to understand the synthetic toxic clouds in the sky and the project that produces them.

Chemtrails Confirmed

Chemtrails Confirmed

He defines geoengineering as "the manipulation of the Earth's weather," including the weaponization of the weather to create crises for political or economic gain.

Landman argued that such practices have been covertly going on since at least the late 1800s, referencing a 1891 U.S. government patent for producing rainfall.

"People started to notice it about 30 years ago...when the 'grid patterns' [of aerosol dispersal chemtrails] in the sky started to pick up," Landman explains.

He claims NASA has a daily budget of $80 million for its chemtrail program: "There [are] a lot of nefarious action going on...it's all covert," he states, adding that international participation includes organizations like the United Nations and corporations like General Electric.

He also highlights the UK's recent announcement to invest in geoengineering and the recent reports of England's attempts to dim the sun.

Landman stresses these technologies are toxic, with many methods using heavy metals such as barium and aluminum particulates. He suggests the grand agenda here is to create problems that only the authorities can solve.

Traveling around the world and living large

• [David Icke has stated this countless times: problem followed by prepared solution.]

The Road Map (David Icke)

"They're creating catastrophes so that they can come in and be the heroes with the solution," Landman says. Despite his concerns, he remains optimistic about the potential for change, stating: "We are winning this war...there is a rising consciousness."

He likens the current situation around chemtrails to the earlier battles against GMOs (genetically modified organisms), suggesting that public awareness can promote societal change.

• AUDIO: Geoengineering Chemtrails | Coast to Coast
• Solutions - Activist Post
• Forecast for Dana Point, California | weather.com
• Chris Hedges: Flotillas to Gaza are world’s conscience

• MENU | Nice Burger Vegan
• VIDEO: A star is born: Yoga, dancing; Pilates...

The Buddhist way to give for Christmas

The Buddhist Way to Give at Christmas | No stress, just pure joy

(Buddha's Wisdom) Dec. 23, 2025: What if we could give at Christmas without stress, guilt, or keeping score?

• 🎁 CHRISTMAS DOESN'T HAVE TO FEEL HEAVY.
• DISCOVER HOW BUDDHIST WISDOM CAN TRANSFORM GIVING.

For 2,600+ years, Buddhists have practiced dāna (letting go, giving, sharing, generosity, charity), the art of generous giving that liberates both giver and receiver.

This ancient wisdom offers a profound alternative to the anxiety, obligation, and reciprocity calculations that often shadow modern Christmas giving.

Through Buddhist teachings, human psychology, and everyday Christmas moments, this video shows how giving without attachment changes not only the holiday season…but the mind/heart behind it.

📿 DISCOVER:

• The ancient practice of dāna and its three stages of joy (before, during, and after giving)
• Why expecting gratitude turns giving into stress
• Why the Buddha said the "gift of Dhamma [the Teaching, Doctrine, Dharma] surpasses all other gifts" and what this means for our Western pagan holiday we call Christmas (Christ's mass)
• The three moods of giving: reluctant, calculated, and free (and which one we're actually practicing)
• The hidden emotional contracts behind Christmas gifts
• How to give, and receive, without pressure, debt, or obligation

🙏 If this changes how you experience Christmas this year, subscribe to Buddha's Wisdom for weekly explorations of ancient practices that address modern life. The next video might be exactly what someone needs

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 Christmas magic meets Buddhist wisdom
• 01:19 The Christmas giving paradox
• 03:19 What is Dāna? The Buddhist art of generosity
• 06:13 The three moods of giving
• 11:01 How to practice dāna at Christmas
• 17:29 The ultimate Buddhist Christmas gift
• 19:30 The one gift experiment

📱 JOIN COMMUNITY: Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (x.com/BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom). ☕ Support the channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom

#Buddhism, #Christmas, #BuddhistWisdom, #Dāna, #MindfulGiving, #StressFreeChristmas, #BuddhistTeachings, #Generosity, #SpiritualWisdom, #christmasgiving #Mindfulness #NonAttachment #HolidayStress #InnerPeace

📚 SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

PRIMARY TEXTS:

• The Dhammapada (verse on the gift of Dhamma)
• Early Buddhist texts in the Pāli canon (teachings on dāna and generosity)
• Accounts of Anāthapiṇḍika's generosity (Vinaya Piṭaka)
• The Buddha's final teaching (Mahāparinibbāna Sutta)

SCHOLARLY CONTEXT:

"Dāna: The Practice of Giving" - Selected Essays from Early Buddhist Texts

"Generosity in Early Buddhism" - Bhikkhu Bodhi's translations and commentaries

"Buddhist Ethics" - Damien Keown (Oxford University Press)

MODERN APPLICATIONS: Studies on mindful giving and psychological wellbeing

Research on gratitude practices and stress reduction

Comparative religious studies: Generosity across traditions

© Buddha's Wisdom - Making ancient wisdom accessible for modern life.

• Buddha's Wisdom (YouTube), Dec. 23, 2025; Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Sheldon S., Crystal Quintero, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

'Buddhist Lent' ends w/ Kathina (10/25-26)

FREE. All welcome. (N. Hollywood)

For the entire month following the Rains Retreat or Vassa, the super meritorious Kathina ceremony is performed at Theravada Buddhist temples (viharas) across Buddhist countries. Los Angeles has countless Buddhist temples from all parts of the world -- on par with the most concentrated number of different Buddhist temples on earth, Bodh Gaya ("Enlightenment Grove"), Bihar, India. But that is an anomaly with spiritual embassies sent from around the Buddhist world (Buddhadom) and only tiny communities to look after them or receive visitors during the high season when weather allows. Los Angeles, however, has Buddhist communities from all over the world and not all of them with their own temples yet built. This week, beginning Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, the Sarathchandra Buddhist Vihara of North Hollywood, has all night paritta chanting. This is with its Mexican American monk (bhikkhu), Ven. Los Angeles Sanatha Vihari Bhikkhu. Their larger Kathina ceremony is on Sunday, with hundreds in attendance, providing free food and dana (charitable support) to the resident and visiting Theravada Buddhist monks. FREE. Wear white as is the Sri Lankan island custom. Lunch and refreshments served. There is also a big Burmese celebration in the San Gabriel Valley on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025:

Burmese Theravada tradition: Pa Auk Tawya, L.A.

The most meritorious giving for lay Buddhists

Buddhism and dana made it to ancient Greece in Gandhara, Bactria, and other outposts.

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Kathina is a Theravada Buddhist festival that comes at the end of the Rains Retreat or "Buddhist Lent" (Vas or Vassa), the three-month rainy season intensive practice period for Theravada Buddhists in South and Southeast Asia:

• Burma (Myanmar)
• Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
• Thailand (Siam)
• India
• Bangladesh (where it is known as Kaṭhina Cībar Dān)
• Cambodia
• Laos
• Vietnam
• Malaysia
• Singapore [2][3].

The Rainy Season during which a monastery may hold its culminating Kathina ceremony is one month long, beginning after the full moon of the 11th month on the Lunar calendar (usually October).

(DIMC) Kathina Chairperson Joy Muriel, Dhammakaya, Thailand

It is a time of practicing letting go, generosity, giving, sharing (dana, donating), a time for lay Buddhists to express gratitude and support to Buddhist monastics (bhikkhus and bhikkhunis) [4][5].

Lay practitioners bring donations (requisites such as robes, food, medicines, necessities) to Buddhist monasteries, nunneries, and temples, especially premade new robes or cotton cloth and dyes for monastics to sew new patchwork robes.

(Global Buddhist Stories) Kathina: A Story About Buddhist Robes

The gift of the Eight Requisites [6] (aṭṭha parikkhārā or atapirikara in Sri Lanka) is also part of the offerings [2][4][5].

Origins at the time of the Buddha

Kaṭhina (also Kaṭina) is a Pali word referring to the sturdy wooden frame used to measure the length and width by which Buddhist monastic robes are cut [7].

(Sravasti Abbey) The significance of the Kathina ceremony, 2016

As the legend goes, 30 monks were journeying with the intention of spending the Rains (Vassa) with the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) [2]. However, the Rains began before they reached their destination and they had to stop at Saketa [2][8].

According to the Buddha's guidelines for Vassa, mendicant (wandering ascetic) monastics should not travel during the rainy season, as this may cause unintentionally harm to crops and insects during the journey [9]. This is an ancient custom that preceded the Buddha but to which the Buddha agreed.

(Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary) Westerner Ven. Ariyadhammika

SBS: Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia

Rains Retreat schedule 2025 (LABV)

As such, wandering Buddhist monastics had to stop [2][8]. They passed their time together without conflict, intensively practicing the Dhamma (the Buddha's Teachings). So afterwards, the Buddha rewarded them by demonstrating a way to practice sharing and generosity.

A lay Buddhist disciple had previously donated pieces of cotton cloth to the Buddha, so he gave these pieces to the group of monks and told them to make it into a sturdy outer robe then offer it as a gift to the one of them who had practiced most in line with the monastic rules.

The frame, called the Kathina, was used to hold those pieces while they were being made into one robe [2][8]. This ancient tradition continues to this day in Theravada monasteries and nunneries around the world. More

• Kathina Ceremony Oct. 18-19, 2025
• All-night paritta chanting on 18th
• Food, festivities, and procession on 19th
• Mindfulness Meditation Center
• (626) 731-8105
• Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara (LABV)
• 1023 N. Glendora Ave., Covina, CA 91724

• The Kathina Ceremony 2010: Scoop (DMC TV, Thailand)
• Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Bangkok, Thailand
• Lễ đón nhận y Kathina do Nhà vua Thái Lan dâng cúng| Giác Ngộ Online (Vietnam)
• Buddhism Reflections; DIMC; Buddhist Global Stories; Sravasti Abbey; Bhante, Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen B. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Hollywood celebrities and child stars

(Factinate) What really happened to tragic teen idol Dana ("Kimberly") Plato from the race-based sitcom Diff'rent Strokes with Gary "Whatcha Talkin' About Willis" Coleman and Todd ("Willis") Bridges?

Sex, kids, 'n Hollywood friends

(Movie Rockstar) When Hollywood actors finally tell the unfiltered truth

Predatory/rapist rock stars?

(Dads CDs) Hollywood rockstars exposed as sexual predators

Dark secret behind 'Black Irish' DNA

Perhaps Hollywood's most famous Black Irish lass.

Everyone knows we're born of Tuatha Dé Danann

(Stone and Bone) Who are the black-haired "Black Irish"? What was the Bell Beaker culture that came to the islands and left an imprint?

In the United States, the term "Black Irish" was initially used in the 19th century to derogatorily describe Irish refugees of the Great Famine [1] [a manmade event the British wrought on their hated neighbors].

It later shifted into a term used to describe people of Irish descent who have black or dark-colored hair, pale skin, dark or light eyes, or any other dark feature or coloration. This meaning is not commonly used in Ireland [1], where "Black Irish" more refers to Irish people of actual African descent [4].

The most common use of the term "Black Irish" is tied to the myth that they were descended from Spanish sailors shipwrecked during the Spanish Armada of 1588 [5][6][7][8][9][10] that came to attack England. However, no anthropological, historical, or genetic research supports this story.

Some theorists assert that the term was adopted in some cases by Irish Americans who wanted to conceal interracial unions with African Americans, paralleling the phrase "Black Dutch" which was also used in the United States to hide racial identity. More

Redhead Days Festival, Netherlands

(NY Post) Thousands of redheads celebrate their flaming locks for annual festival in Netherlands

• Mitochondrial DNA comes from mothers

Day 3: Burning Man's 'O*gy Dome' down

The Orgy Dome is down?

Nobody goes to the desert to get all voyeuristic, except these people in a long line to get in.

.

What kind of world do we want?

First of all, what is an "Orgy Dome"? That's kind of hard to explain. It's sort of like this dome, a tent, with an orgy inside, and by orgy we mean a consensual communal experience with probably more sand and grit than anyone would ideally want to be present at a time like this. Bring wipes. Maybe Diddly brand coconut oil, too. No, no, no oil, but water-based lube. And be very MINDFUL. There are Ten Principles to follow in general and special safe practices, consenting obligations, and lots of checking in to make sure everyone is all right and enjoying it.

• "The Orgy Dome"!? (Burning Man)

The Orgy Dome is down for 2025 due to winds.

What happed to the Orgy Dome? The wind at the beginning blew it over, scattered, and destroyed it. The site has an Instagram. Orgy Dome 🌈💜✨ (@orgydome) • Instagram. But Billboard's Instagram states: Burning Man’s infamous Orgy Dome won’t be opening this year [2025] after hurricane-force winds tore the structure apart over the opening weekend. 🌪️ Organizers say they’re safe but unable to repair the dome in time, though they still plan to host smaller workshops on the playa. The storm also destroyed major installations like Ukraine’s 50-foot Black Cloud, marking yet another year of extreme weather challenges at the Nevada summer desert festival.⁠ ⁠ More details on the Dome and other installations that were damaged by heavy winds are at the link in bio. More TMZ confirms it.

Day 3: Trapped in the mud at Burning Man 2025 – Daily Vlog

(Escaping Normal Life) Aug. 27, 2025: Day 3 at Burning Man 2025 turned into pure muddy survival. A massive rainstorm hit the playa, flooding everything and turning Black Rock City into deep, sticky clay mud. I was trapped inside my tent for hours, unable to move my bike or even walk through the sludge.

In this daily vlog, I share what it was really like being stuck in the rain and mud, how I managed to stay (somewhat) dry, and the chaos happening all around camp.

This is what Burning Man 2025 looks like when the weather shuts everything down. If you’re preparing for Burning Man or curious about the real, unfiltered experience of surviving the playa during a storm, this vlog shows the raw reality of what happens when the desert turns to mud.

Venmo: venmo.com/u/escaping_normal_life. Found this video helpful? Consider donating. I currently do not have a Patreon or a YouTube Member page because they take a percentage. Also, Super Thanks takes a percentage on YouTube. So I do have a Venmo that is 100% donated to me. These donations go straight to my channel to purchase better camera gear to make better content.

• LyfeUntethered; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

What is "gifting" (dana)? It is one of the Ten Principles of Burning Man's ethos for better world