Prices start at $2,000 and go up to $6,300, all under $10,000!
The cheapest car in the U.S. today (was the discontinued Mercedes' Smart car at $24,000 then the Nissan Versa at $18,000) is now the Nissan Sentra at $23,000.
Average new car in U.S. costs $50,000.
The model shown here, the Bestune Pony, is only $4,800 (the Playful Pony), the Petite Pony ($6,300)
There's a chemical in dark chocolate (real Theobroma cacao) related to happiness and good sensations. It's also present in mary-jah-wanna, which probably explains why consumers get so clingy and attached to using the herbal substance. This naturally occurring chemical is called anandamide.Ananda, of course, is the name of the Buddha's closest friend and monastic attendant (likely his son with Mriga from before the birth of Rahula with his wife Yasodhara (aka Bimba Devi, according to some Buddhist schools). In Sanskrit and Pali anand means "bliss, joy, rapture." The suffix amide is added: In the usual nomenclature, one adds the term "amide" to the stem of the parent acid's name. For instance, the amide derived from acetic acid is named acetamide (CH3CONH2).
Now, one might be wondering, “What on earth is anandamide, and why should I care?” Well, pull up a chair and grab a square of dark chocolate, because we’re about to embark on a flavor-filled journey into the world of neuroscience and cocoa chemistry. Anandamide, derived from the Sanskrit word ananda, meaning “bliss or joy,” is a naturally occurring compound in our brains. It’s part of the endocannabinoid system, a complex network that helps regulate various bodily functions, including mood, appetite, and pain sensation. In essence, anandamide is the brain’s very own mood-enhancing, stress-busting superhero. But how does this marvelous molecule work its magic? When anandamide binds to specific receptors in our brains, it triggers a cascade of feel-good effects. More
Happiness is literally an inside job, according to scientific materialism, which believes that we are nothing more than material constructs and that the miracle of consciousness is but an epiphenomenon following on the interaction of material objects like cells, chemicals, molecules, and ever smaller atom, electrons, and quarks.
Organized religion errs on the side of spiritualism, believing us to be a "soul," "spirit," or "magical subtlety." These three things are real, but they are not the self any more than consciousness is.
There is nama rupa, "name" (the instructions) and "form" (the carrying out of those instructions in the material sphere). But self (atta) is not that. How else could it be? If it not one, it has to be the other, unless it is both? It is both both and neither.
What we regard as "self" (soul, ego) is mind-and-body, but though mental and physical processes exist and are active, they do not amount to a concrete "self."
The "self" that exists is dependent, temporary, ephemeral subject to Three Characteristics of All Conditioned Things: they are impermanent, incapable of satiating/fulfilling, and are impersonal.
This last characteristic is the one that is impossible to believe, but it is the key to awakening/enlightenment in the Buddha's teaching.
We can see that all things are impermanent, in flux, constantly changing, undependable. We can see that we have never been fulfilled for long; we experience great pleasure but remain hungry, in many cases becoming more hungry for newer and better pleasures.
IF THERE IS NO SELF, WHAT IS THERE THEN? The Buddha answered this question in terms of Dependent Origination (paticca-samuppāda). And it is on account of not seeing this, not grasping, not penetrating this that we have wandered so long in this painful samsara.
Will we fall under the spell of scient-ism, run to religion for shelter, or begin to see what the Buddha was getting at when he encouraged us to strive for calm and liberating-insight?
"Science can prove what it says." Can it? It redefines "happiness" as an endorphin then shows a peptide "walking," and viola, nonmaterialistic Buddhism is wrong? That's how it might seem, but it is not the case. We must look more deeply. Science fails us. And coming and seeing and investigating what the Buddha taught liberates us. Try it.
Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
Change your brain, change your life with this essential classic from New York Times bestselling author Dr. Rick Hanson—now celebrating 15 years in print with more than 500,000 copies sold.
Great teachers like the historical Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, and Gandhi were all born with brains built essentially like everyone else’s—and then they changed their brains in ways that changed the world.
Neuroscience now reveals how the flow of thoughts actually sculpts the brain. More and more, we are learning that it’s possible to strengthen positive brain states.
By combining breakthroughs in science with insights from thousands of years of mindfulness practice, we too can shape our own “Buddha’s Brain” for greater happiness, love, and wisdom.
Buddha’s Brain draws on evidence-based neuroscience to show readers how to stimulate their brains for
more fulfilling relationships,
a deeper spiritual life, and
a greater sense of inner confidence and self-worth.
Using guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, learn how to activate the brain states of calm, joy, and compassion instead of worry, sorrow, and anger.
Most importantly, anyone who implements these practices will foster positive psychological growth that will literally change the way life is lived day-to-day.
This book provides an essential intersection of psychology, neurology, and contemplative practice. It’s filled with practical tools and skills useful every day to tap into the unused potential of the brain and rewire it over time for greater well-being. More
A new discovery in Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza suggests the structure was not just a pharaoh's final resting place, but also a giant power plant.
Scientists blasted the 4,600-year-old structure with electromagnetic waves, a form of radiation that travels though the universe, finding it focused and amplified the energy into specific chambers and around the base.
Electromagnetic waves are used in such research because the radiation interacts with matter in unique ways, allowing experts to probe specific details about a structure's composition, arrangement, and dynamics.
The waves built up as energy in the King's chamber, the Queen's chamber, and an unfinished chamber beneath the structure. Scientists concluded the pyramid may have been a gigantic resonator that was designed to trap electromagnetic waves.
Retired aerospace engineer Christopher Dunn, who has spent years analyze the pyramid, recently shared that research like this suggests there was a greater purpose behind the building the structure.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience in April 2024, Dunn said the Northern Shaft of the pyramid has an appearance similar to a ube-like structure used to transmit microwaves and electromagnetic energy.
"That's a part of the theory in the Giza power plant," he said. "There are two chemicals that are introduced into the chamber, and the chemicals mix, and they boil off hydrogen [to create energy]."
As for the purpose of turning this structure into a giant clean energy power plant, scientists of the study said it's still a mystery -- but the Egyptians may have been much more advanced than anyone thought. More:
April 2025 Full Pink Moon: When to see the micromoon this weekend
(KHOU 11)
April 10, 2025: The Full Pink Moon rises on Saturday, April 12th, 2025, as a rare "micromoon" and Paschal Moon, which matters a great deal to the world's Christians and Astrotheological "Pagans" who celebrate the great rebirth/resurrection now called "Easter." Was it once the worship Esther (Eostre, which gives us the sexual word estrus)? Here’s when to watch it and why it matters for Easter celebrators.
Full moon observance
Moon over Buddhist Burma, Shwedagon Pagoda
Buddhists the world over celebrate the "sabbath" or "lunar observance" (uposatha) according to the four phases of the moon, the planet's cyclical timekeeper. Of these four phases, the full moon phase is of particular importance. Many who may only observe the Eight Precepts and intensive Buddhist practice once a month will choose this phase for their observance. It is a great way to make regular skillful (wholesome, good, profitable) karma. This will be great merit for the future because "karma is everywhere we're going to be." What is the uposatha observance and how does one fulfill it? That is a good question to ask Theravada monastics in the area. They are all over the United States now. May we suggest Western scholar-monk and Pali-to-English translator Bhikkhu Bodhi at the Buddhist Association of the United States (baus.org/en) in Carmel, Upstate New York? It is also New Year's Day on Monday (Moon-day) in Theravada Buddhist Sri Lanka and Buddhist Bangladesh (which still has two thriving albeit tiny Theravada Buddhist communities surviving in Chittagong and the Hill Tracks).
Choanoflagellate colony stained to highlight DNA and other features (Nicole King lab)
Mono Lake’s extreme environment, characterized by high salinity and toxic substances such as arsenic and cyanide, may have driven the evolution of this distinctive species.
.
California discovery may explain evolutionary arising of animals
Microscopic choanoflagellate B. monosierra
(The Brighter Side of News) Mono Lake, nestled in Northern California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada, is a haven for unique life forms [as it fills with water washing down from Yosemite National Park's alpine lakes, most of which evaporates faster than it can be replenished].
Its iconic tufa formations and thriving populations of brine shrimp (aka fly larvae) and alkali flies showcase an ecosystem adapted to the lake's hypersaline, alkaline waters.
Now, researchers from the University of California at Berkeley have identified a microscopic organism in this extreme environment that could illuminate the early evolution of life.
The discovery is a single-celled organism called a choanoflagellate, a group that holds special significance in the study of evolution. Although not animals themselves, choanoflagellates are the closest known living relatives of animals.
Their biology offers vital clues about the transition from single-celled to multicellularlife. What sets this particular species apart is its microbiome.
Unlike other choanoflagellates, which typically consume bacteria, this species forms a stable, physical association with its bacterial partners.
This makes it the simplest known organism to host a microbiome, providing researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to study how early interactions between single-celled organisms and bacteria influenced the evolution of complex life, including animals.
This could explain life.
“Very little is known about choanoflagellates, and there are interesting biological phenomena that we can only gain insight into if we understand their ecology,” says Nicole King, a professor of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley and an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. More
Ancient tribal protectors of Mono Lake: Kucadikadi ("shrimp eaters" or "fly people"), Northern Paiute of California
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? It's very simple in reality. Only in theory it's impossible to answer because it's a philosophical paradox or causalitydilemma. The conundrum is a kind of logical fallacy of getting caught up in categories, terminology, and semantics, losing sight of the fact that we as onlookers are the ones creating the arbitrary labels, determining the limits of categories, and making the subjective judgments to include somethings and exclude others.
The dilemma stems from the observation that all chickens hatch from eggs and all chicken eggs are laid by chickens, a situation where it is not clear which of two events should be considered the cause and which should be considered the effect, to express a scenario of infinite regress, or to express the difficulty of sequencing actions where each seems to depend on others being done first.
Wittgenstein would be dismayed. The answer, of course, is the proto-chicken, a creature which is a "chicken" because it lays chicken eggs but is not a chicken because it itself was not born of such an egg. Yet, if it looks like a chicken and clucks like a chicken, it is chicken enough because it does the most important thing, which is to give birth to chickens rather than it itself being born the way "chickens" are thereafter. (The exact same evolutionary question might be asked of Homo sapiens or modern humans. Which came first, the human or the womb? If all humans are born of wombs and all human wombs are produced [only] by humans, we're in the same dilemma. (Neither is completely true, but we begin with this assumption to our detriment).
The excellent thing about this discovery by UC Berkeley, my own alma mater, is that it gets at the reality and avoids the logical trap, causality dilemma, or infinite regress logicians would be caught in. There is a transitional creature that is neither yet fully animal nor solely pre-animal because it has a stable microbiome it has partnered with. Similarly, humans born of a womb and giving birth via a womb must have been preceded by a humanoid creature who did not do both.
Where did animals like us come from? That is the question at hand. If this is how "animals" behave and get defined (born of womb and birthing others via a womb), we will trap ourselves in assumptions and the rules of logic. Once we broaden the category to include the proto-animal, or in this case the choanoflagellate with a microbiome, we can begin to see how things might have gone through an intermediary phase not allowed for, assumed, or understood by our strict logic. So hooray for the transitional creature that yet remains alive to be studied that we might understand these animal bodies we identify with as and cling to as "self."
Joe Rogan, are you surprised? The ancients had biochar tech
Amazonian terra preta or biochar "dark earth," "black earth," nutrient-rich composted dirt and natural fertilizer full of minerals (micronutrients) and colonies of microbes. It is manmade. It is thousands of years old. And one can take the "Amazon rainforest" with them from one place to another, as the jungle expanded to become the lungs of the planet (along with the plankton of the ocean and snowy forest of Siberia). What does research Graham Hancock know? He has written books on what was lost in the Americas most of us have never heard. Just as what the European conquerors found when they arrived in ancient Mexico City and could not believe their eyes (clean streets, canals, markets, cosmopolitan traders, pyramids, trash collection, boats, channels, foods of all kinds), a city bigger than anything in Europe.
Did ETs bring techn, or did plant spirits give it? Extraterrestrials and trans-dimensionals both
Schrödinger's cat: A thought experiment in quantum mechanics
(TED-Ed) Oct. 14, 2014: View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/schrodinger... Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger, one of the founders of quantum mechanics, posed this famous question: "If you put a cat in a sealed box with a [radioactive] device that has a 50% chance of killing the cat in the next hour, what will be the state of the cat when that time is up? Chad Orzel investigates this thought experiment. Lesson by Chad Orzel. Animation by Agota Vegso.
I misunderstood Schrödinger's cat thought experiment for years (Now, I finally get it!)
When will cat lovers strike back?
(FloatHeadPhysics) Why is Schrödinger's cat both dead and alive? It's not! This video looks at what quantum superposition is (and is not). How many mental cats must be mutilated and die in these gruesome thought experiments, which lead to real-life desensitization, vivisection (painful experiments and mutilation of living animals, just as dissection is the cutting up of dead ones), and the "sacrificing" (a euphemism for execution of living subjects after an experiment is concluded and every participant must be murdered to clean up). Though scientists go home and pet their spouse's kitties, at work, dressed in white (lab coats) like a priestly class, they callously commit excruciating atrocities in the name of research and their religion, Science (Scientism).
This is not limited to science. There is a shocking Japanese Buddhist koan (riddle, paradox, lit. "case") about a cat.
Nansen Kills the Cat: a vintage koan
Roshi Philip Kapleau (Zen Bow | Winter 2018, Vol. XL, No. 4, a vintage koan commentary by the Rochester Zen Center’s late founder) edited by Wisdom Quarterly
(Shōkei Andreas Praefcke/Wiki)
Mumonkan Number 14: THE CASE: Once the monks of the Western and Eastern Halls were arguing about a cat. Nansen, holding up the cat, said, “You monks, if you can say a word of Zen, I will spare the cat. Otherwise, I will kill it!”
No one could answer, so Nansen sliced the cat in two.
That evening, when Joshu returned, Nansen told him of the incident. Joshu thereupon took off his sandal, put it on his head, and walked off.
Nansen said, “If you had been there, the cat would have been saved!”
Only riddles and koans. No answers anywhere!
THE COMMENTARY: Just say, what is the real meaning of Joshu’s putting his sandal on his head? If you can give a turning word on this point, you will see that Nansen’s action was not in vain. But if not, beware!
THE VERSE: Had Joshu only been there, he would have taken charge. He would have snatched away the sword, and Nansen would have begged for his life. The two protagonists of this koan, Nansen and Joshu, are two of the great masters in Zen.
Nansen was the teacher of Joshu (Chinese Zhaozhou). Nansen (Chinese Nanchuan) in turn was a disciple of the great Baso (Chinese Mazu).
Nansen’s dates are 748 to 835. He had his head shaved at the age of 9, and at 30 took full ordination vows and devoted himself to Buddhist study for several years.
Finally, he knocked on the door of Zen Master Baso and “forgot all that he had previously learned.” At 47, in the year 795, Nansen built with his own hands a retreat hut on Mount Nansen, from which he took his name.
One of his disciples was the governor of the province, and there’s an intriguing mondo between the two. After the governor had had dokusan with Nansen, Nansen said to him, “When you return to your office in the city, how will you rule the people?”
The answer was, “I will use wisdom to govern them.”
Nansen said, “In that case, every last one of them will suffer.”
What we see here is a sense of self-intentionality which, on the face of it, seems to be a very fine thing: to endeavor to govern with wisdom, compassion. But once you talk about it, it’s already gone. You’re already assured that there won’t be any wisdom or compassion.
You don’t need to set about to govern with wisdom or compassion if you just govern fully, put yourself wholly into any activity: nothing held back, without any notions of being wise or being this or being that. The action will be a true action.
We all have this compassion and innate wisdom, this prajna wisdom, that will emerge once we remove the obstacles to its functioning. More: Rochester Zen Center (rzc.org)
CHAPTERS
00:00 The big misconception about Schrödinger's cat
02:24 A deep perspective on the electron double slit experiment
09:12 An inconceivable tool of the 21st century
10:48 What is quantum superposition (not)?
12:52 Are probability waves real?
14:14 Quantum superposition and measurement
16:42 Electron spin quantum superposition
17:37 The real meaning of Schrödinger's cat!
18:54 How quantum superposition gives us life [because the covalent bonds to form H20 are in superposition and not otherwise interacting]
SPONSOR: This video is sponsored by Squarespace. Head to squarespace.com/floatheadphysics to save 10% off first purchase of a website or domain using code FLOATHEADPHYSICS
Float Head (FloatHeadPhysics, YouTube, Aug. 23, 2024); Sheldon S., CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
In the ever-evolving landscape of anti-aging research, this breakthrough peptide takes center stage for those intrigued by the promise of longevity and the potential to decelerate the aging process.
Also referred to as Epithalon and Epithalamin, this synthetic peptide has sparked a wave of scientific interest due to its unique properties and the profound implications it holds for health and lifespan extension.
Originating as a synthetic version of Epithalamin, a polypeptide naturally produced in the pineal gland, this peptide has become a focal point in the quest to understand and influence the mechanisms of aging.
The intrigue surrounding this peptide lies in its mechanism of action, particularly its influence on telomerase activity. Telomerase is an enzyme that plays a critical role in maintaining telomere length.
Telomeres, which are protective caps located at the end of chromosomes, gradually shorten with each cell division, a process intrinsically linked to cellular aging.
By stimulating telomerase activity, this peptide, also known as Epithalon, contributes to the preservation of telomere length, thereby offering a potential avenue to slow down the aging process and extend the lifespan of cells. More
ABOUT THE SHOW
Guest Host Lisa Garr (The Aware Show)
Regenerative therapy and peptide consultant Regan Archibald joins Lisa Garr to discuss his unique approach fusing the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create lasting health changes and youthfulness.
Elaborating on the role of peptides (chains of amino acids) in the body, he likened them to "short-term communication proteins" and emphasized their [epigenetic] potential to combat diseases and optimize health.
"We've only scratched the surface," Archibald said, as there are peptides for a variety of applications including endurance, energy, mental clarity, muscle building, and weight loss.
He also notes the importance of understanding how external factors like stress and chemical exposure (to things like Monsanto Corporation's herbicide Roundup, glyphosate, now owned by Big Pharma company Bayer, Inc.) lead to conditions like insulin resistance.
This can contribute to a cycle of cravings and weight gain. He believes that with proper awareness and treatment, such as the use of peptides, society could significantly reduce obesity rates (without Ozempic-style drugs) and improve overall health.
Some peptides can activate genes, and specific ones he advocates for, like thymosin alpha 1, actually enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and boost immune response, Archibald suggests.
Some peptides can function as a "fountain of youth," he continues, highlighting their ability to reverse age-related decline.
Peptides simplify communication within cells, ensuring the right genes stay turned on, he remarks, explaining how, as we age, our bodies produce fewer hormones and peptides, leading to cellular dysfunction. He praised Epitalon, a peptide that lengthens telomeres, stating it can increase cellular replication and extend lifespan.
The discussion also touches on the inadequacies of conventional blood tests, which often miss underlying health issues. Archibald points out that doctors typically run 20-24 markers, but we "run labs that are around 104 different markers" to uncover root causes.
Italian herbal witchcraft (folk Catholicism)
Yes, I can drive stick.
Building on the in-depth folk wisdom Lisa Fazio (therootcircle.com) learned from her immigrant grandparents and local healers in Southern Italy, the second-generation Italian American and experienced herbalist shares herbal traditions and witchcraft practices from the Italian diaspora. She details some of the unique aspects of "Italian witchcraft," which she characterized as "folk Catholicism," a blend of ancient practices and Catholic imprints. Speaking of rituals, particularly those for protection, she outlines how apotropaic magic can be used to ward off evil. Fazio introduces the concept of malocchio, or "the evil eye," explaining that gestures such as the sign of the cross or the horn hand symbol [hang ten, devil's horns, heavy metal mudra] can be used to fend off negative energies. "When you do something that is... a prompt to bring you into your center...you become less susceptible to outside influences," she comments.
European makings of The Craft
Fazio mentions a variety of herbal remedies for different health conditions. Mullein tea can be beneficial for respiratory issues prevalent during cold seasons and is especially effective for dry coughs and mucus expulsion, she says, adding that marshmallow root can soothe respiratory infections and inflammation. On the subject of energy clearing, she delves into the concept of fumigazione, or "fumigation," in Italian folk method. She reveals that various herbs, particularly artemisia (wormwood), may be used for this purpose, as well as different types of sage. Plants offer a dual role in clearing both physical and energetic spaces. Further exploring the spiritual aspect of herbalism, she explains how certain flower essences and plants like garlic, yarrow, rue, and rosemary can protect and bless spaces. They may be used in spray form or burned as incense in smudging.
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