Hundreds of Los Angeles landmarks are joining WWF's "Earth Hour," an event that hopes to shed light on the importance of energy conservation by turning out the lights. Participants cast a vote for earth by turning their light switches off and cast a vote for global warming by keeping their lights on. More>>
Friday, March 27, 2009
Earth Hour: Lights off in L.A.
Hundreds of Los Angeles landmarks are joining WWF's "Earth Hour," an event that hopes to shed light on the importance of energy conservation by turning out the lights. Participants cast a vote for earth by turning their light switches off and cast a vote for global warming by keeping their lights on. More>>
Do Cars or Clothes Make the Man?
Attracting Attention: Does the car, not the clothes, make the man?
Jeffrey Fazio
Jeffrey Fazio
“Does the male parade his charms with so much pomp and rivalry for no purpose? Are we not justified in believing that the female exerts a choice...? It is not probable that she consciously deliberates; but she is...attracted by the most beautiful, or melodious, or gallant males.”
-- Charles Darwin (speaking on the attraction between peahens and peacocks)
-- Charles Darwin (speaking on the attraction between peahens and peacocks)
They say that clothes make the man. I beg to differ. It’s definitely the car that makes the man, at least when it comes to attracting the opposite sex.
Just like peacocks flaunting their vast array of brightly colored feathers in hopes of attracting the peahen, so too, do human males strut their stuff in fancy and flashy automobiles to attract the eye of their female counterparts.
That’s not to say that every guy with a fancy car is trying to attract women, nor is it trying to say that all women are attracted to flashy cars. But it does happen. A lot of women are attracted to sexy cars and who could blame them? More>>
Court Okays Hallucinogen in Church
Q: What's in this hallucinogenic tea?
A: "Ayahuasca" (Banisteriopsis caapi, yage, psychotria viridis), an entheogen or shamanistic psychedelic derived from an Amazon forest vine and used by indigenous tribes as a sacrament.
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (full text)
Poverty = Happiness
- Does a flashier car make a man look sexier? (GM America)
Questioning the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Government of Tibet in exile, on the subject of poverty and happiness.
- Why do the poorest people on earth tend to be the happiest?
- Why are we as Americans so terrified of not being "rich"?
- Could it be the way we're marketed to?
- Have we equated power and control with bliss?
Marketing, what marketing? It's even embedded in the News (the Info-tainment): The ridiculous question, Does a flashier car make a man look sexier? is full of subtext: "If you buy more expensive consumer products, then you can have love." And love may just get you happiness.
Arrest Yourself for Aung San (Burma)
Arrest Yourself Campaign 2009
Can you give 24 hours of your time forAung San Suu Kyi and Burma?
Here is what we are asking you to do: Pledge to give up 24 hours of your time sometime between now and June 19th in a show of solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma.
For those 24 hours, you will stay at your house (or school, or anywhere you choose) under self-imposed “house arrest”. During your house arrest, invite people to your house or school for a small portion of your “arrest” and hold an educational party about Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma.
We will send you a host packet full of printed materials about Burma that you can use to educate your guests, along with powerful DVD documentaries that you can screen to help people understand the issues and learn more about Suu Kyi and Burma. We will include simple actions that you and your guests can take, such as petitions to sign, and we will even send you Burmese recipes so you can serve a Burmese lunch or dinner if you’d like to.
We are asking that you also use your event as a small fundraiser to help our efforts to free Aung San Suu Kyi and all the people of Burma. It is easy to raise at least $200 — if you invite 10 people, you can ask them to contribute $20 each. Many people can raise much more. Every single donation will be used to help Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma — please click here to see what we’ve accomplished with your donations.
You can even create your own personalized fundraising webpage here - then send the link to friends and family and watch as your thermometer creeps closer and closer to achieving your fundraising goal. All donations through your page will go directly to USCB, but they will be attributed to you and your event.
Many people might like to plan their “arrest” event around June 19th — Aung San Suu Kyi’s 64th birthday. You can do it then, or choose any other time before then.
If we organize hundreds of events, we can educate thousands of people about the struggle for human rights in Burma. Just as the world rallied to free Nelson Mandela and the people of South Africa in the 1980s, we will help free Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma.
Already signed up to host?
Democratic Voice of Burma
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TOP NEWS TODAY
Monks protest against banning of ceremony
Mar 27, 2009 (DVB)–Buddhist monks in central Burma have launched a petition to protest against government restrictions that prevent them from freely conducting a traditional Burmese Buddhist ceremony. - more
Burma leader warns on democracy at parade
Mar 27, 2009 (AFP)—Burma junta chief Than Shwe urged political parties to shun foreign ideologies if they want democracy as the military put on a show of might at its annual parade today. - more
One dead in Rangoon blast
Mar 27, 2009 (AFP)–One person was killed and two others injured in a suspected bomb blast in Burma's commercial hub Rangoon today, on the eve of the country's annual military parade, official sources said. - more
Mar 27, 2009 (DVB)–Buddhist monks in central Burma have launched a petition to protest against government restrictions that prevent them from freely conducting a traditional Burmese Buddhist ceremony. - more
Burma leader warns on democracy at parade
Mar 27, 2009 (AFP)—Burma junta chief Than Shwe urged political parties to shun foreign ideologies if they want democracy as the military put on a show of might at its annual parade today. - more
One dead in Rangoon blast
Mar 27, 2009 (AFP)–One person was killed and two others injured in a suspected bomb blast in Burma's commercial hub Rangoon today, on the eve of the country's annual military parade, official sources said. - more
Poet Kyi Aung dies
Mar 27, 2009 (DVB)-Renowned poet and active supporter of National League for Democracy, Kyi Aung died of heart disease at Mandalay general hospital today. - more
Doctor warns tuberculosis is a greater threat than HIV/AIDS
Mar 26, 2009 (DVB)–A doctor from a leading medical fund has claimed that an over-emphasis on HIV/AIDS in Burma has ignored the threat posed by tuberculosis. - more
Authorities destroy memorial for deceased opposition member
Mar 26, 2009 (DVB)–A stone monument built in memory of a former National League for Democracy chair was demolished by local government authorities on Tuesday, according to his family. - more
Under military rule, even the internet is behind bars
Htet Aung KyawMar 26, 2009 (DVB)–Earlier this month, the Paris-based media watchdog Reporters without Borders published a report entitled "Enemies of the Internet.’ in which Burma was named. - more
Opposition party hails US direct approach
Mar 26, 2009 (DVB)–The National League for Democracy yesterday spoke of their support for the United States’ direct approach to engaging with the Burmese government during a meeting between NLD members and a senior US official. - more
China Applauds Itself On Tibet
"China Applauds Itself Ahead of New Tibetan Holiday"
Stephanie Ho (VOA News, 3/27/09)
Stephanie Ho (VOA News, 3/27/09)
Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu, greets the audience at a ceremony marking "Serf Liberation Day" in Beijing, China, March 27, 2009.
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On the eve of a government-declared holiday to celebrate 50 years of Chinese Communist rule in Tibet, Chinese officials are emphasizing the material improvements made in the lives of ordinary Tibetans.
The Chinese government is applauding itself for overturning Tibet's feudal hierarchy 50 years ago.
In 1959, Tibet's top spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled his homeland and Beijing crushed a failed uprising against Chinese rule. China says this is when it brought democratic reform to Tibet, and it is celebrating the event Saturday with a new holiday called "Serf Emancipation Day." More>>
The Chinese government is applauding itself for overturning Tibet's feudal hierarchy 50 years ago.
In 1959, Tibet's top spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled his homeland and Beijing crushed a failed uprising against Chinese rule. China says this is when it brought democratic reform to Tibet, and it is celebrating the event Saturday with a new holiday called "Serf Emancipation Day." More>>
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Affairs, Debt, War
On the verge of an affairWatch for these signs that a flirtatious friendship has turned into something less innocent.
World's most indebted nationThis island playground for the rich has incurred enough debt to equal its entire economy.
WAR
Tesla Unveils Electric Car
WATCH VIDEO
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – US automaker Tesla Motors unveiled its state-of-the-art five-seat sedan here Thursday, billed as the world's first mass-produced, highway-capable electric car.
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said the company, which last year released a breakthrough two-seater roadster, aims to have its sleek "Model S" sedan rolling off assembly lines by 2011.
The futuristic zero-emission vehicle will be powered by lithium-ion battery packs capable of between 160 and 300 miles (257 and 482 kilometers) per charge. More>>
Cure Cancer
Keep Your Health, Cure that Cancer. Here's How!
Nobel Laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer stated, "I see in Dr. Max Gerson one of the most eminent geniuses in the history of medicine. He has achieved more than seemed possible under adverse conditions. Many of his basic ideas have been adopted without having his name connected with them. He leaves a legacy which commands attention and which will assure him his due place. Those whom he has cured will attest to the truth of his ideas."
Surviving If Worse Comes to Worst
The Visionary Fiat Lux (Zeitgeist Movement)
Envisioning the Economic Crisis
[NOTE: Good advice for earthquake preparedness and fake ET invasions, Amero conversions, martial law declarations, Drug Cartel takeovers, and so on.]
The status quo (things as they are now) will be held up at all costs.
I think people will still go to their jobs, even if they are paid nothing at all. I picture it like an ant colony with a dead queen ant. They will continue doing their jobs. Slowly but surely things will have to change from the inside.
I also see a rise in crime and a split between supporters of the government and non-supporters. Those with a lot invested in the system are likely to support that system. Those not as invested may resort to other methods of survival.
For those, I will introduce the Rule of Three. A human being can go:
- 3 minutes without air
- 3 hours without shelter in poor conditions
- 3 days without water (brain damage after 24 hours)
- 3 weeks without food and (some say)
- 3 months without love.
We NEED these to survive, at least the first four.
I do not see society totally stopping. It's habit-energy for people to go to their day jobs. And I have the feeling that unless it's an extremely fast change, I think there will be a place for physicists, doctors, accountants, and the like to do their jobs. But I doubt that they will be paid very well, if at all.
Some people might not get paid in money. For example, a farm worker might instead get paid in accommodation/food. Another example would be a factory worker making beds might get paid in beds. The foreman might say, "Go sell it." Of course, s/he mean barter or trade it.
In such a situation, there are many beds being pushed in a local area. That means competition with fellow employees, so be prepared.
There will come a time: There will be more than one form of currency. Even without a complete economic collapse, new currencies are beginning to pop up already. So it won't be surprising to find pockets of people paying each other in, say,
- bottle caps
- gold
- Monopoly money
- You name it
It's already happening and has been for some time. (See the Ithaca Hour for a neat example of it in New York).
This does not mean that one can sell a bed for bottle caps and use them to buy chemicals at McDonalds. There's a chance that the government will still exist and "legal tender" will be the normal currency. There are many, MANY forks in the path ahead of us -- like the branches of a fractal pattern.
Survival Tips
I think most cities have a three day supply of food. Large cities require food to be shipped daily to maintain their populations. This means if food stops being shipped in, people are likely to raid grocery stores and hoard.
This will not mean raiding with guns but rather raiding with shopping carts and cash. Guns are a last resort, after the sales. But I don't see that happening. If it does, then the following method of food storing applies: Can Cloning.
If rice and pasta and similar staples are stored up, there's one thing to bear in mind. These things require water, electricity, fuel to cook,. Water may be dirty and unsupported in a crisis. So it's better to get canned food with water inside the can, like ravioli or noodle soup.
Buy a can of soup.
Start a can cloning list.
When that soup is eaten, write it on the list.
Then buy two at the grocery store.
Then when that can of soup is eaten, it goes on the list again.
Now there is one left in the pantry, and TWO more are purchased.
There are a total of three.
Eat another; mark it on the list.
This time, however, buy one can of one soup and one can of another.
In this way food is stored, food one is in the habit of eating. There is no crowding the grocery store raiders being gouged at the market. One lessens the burden on everyone else by being someone who planned ahead.
Label cans to know which ones are older and need to be eaten first.
Water
The water supply may be contaminated or the system may be siphoned off to the city's drains.
The basement is a good place to store 40 gallons of clean water. It's already there inside the water heater. Of course, it was supposed to be cleaned out once a year by flushing from the small valve on the bottom.
It's estimated that one needs one gallon per person, per day to survive.
Does that cover everything? Of course not. There is a ton of information out there. Search for it.
What is Money? Truth will surprise you
An excerpt from "Radical Truth: Knowledge & Revolution," the incredible new four-hour DVD of David Icke's Los Angeles presentation available at sacredmysterieslive.com.
Zeitgeist Movement: New Orientation
Recession's end in sight?The current recession will end sooner than you might think, but more jobs will be lost.
CLICK TO VIEW
Zeitgeist the movie and Addendum have inspired a movement. This orientation explains what we can do now about the global economy, banking collapse, corporate consumerism, and feeling better.
Obama's Economy
Laura Tyson, economic adviser, with Barack Obama (Getty Images).
This handout from Russian advertising agency Voskhod shows a smiling, cartoonish black man flashing the victory sign in front of the US capital building, along with the Russian slogan: "Everyone's talking about it: dark inside white!" Obama ice cream, anyone? Chocolate-vanilla ice cream is one of several Russian products being marketed using Obama even as critics call the ads racist (AFP/Voskhod handout/file).
Zeitgeist the Movie (addendum) explains the answer very clearly.
Make Food Last Longer
Make food last longerHere are storage tips to help produce, fruits, and grains outlive their expiration dates.
VIDEO: Volunteering can lead to paycheck
Volunteering for charities may make you feel good, but it can also help you land your next full-time job. Details
Subterranean Nagas: Aliens on Earth
Nagas (reptilians) are frequently referenced in Buddhist texts. They mixed with humans. Their existence is taken for granted among Hindus, Jains, and indigenous groups around the world (e.g., Australia, Africa, South and Central America). They were once very significant in Christianity, where they are referred to as "dragons." Belief in them fell out of vogue after the crusades and reference to them is now treated as metaphorical.
They remain important in Chinese society. As difficult and contrary to "common sense" (consensus reality) as it may be, these beings are apparently as literal as Buddhism made them out to be thousands of years ago. The following is an eyewitness account by a scientist and former US military employee.
Philip Schneider claims to be an ex-government structural engineer. He was involved in building underground military bases around the United States. He is one of only three people to survive an incident that occurred in 1979 between Grey aliens and U.S. military forces at the Dulce underground base.
For the last two years of his life, Schneider gave lectures about government cover-ups, black ops (secretive operations), and UFOs. Schneider was not willing to prove his allegations (e.g., revealing the entrance to Dulce Base).
His claims received little mainstream notice. But they caused a buzz among UFO investigators. Schneider was found dead in his home on 1/17/96. Some suggest he was murdered because of his revelations.
- More on paranormal and alien related subjects: aliensmajestic.com
Surviving the Economy 101: College Course
"College Offers Course in Surviving Our Bad Economy"
PCC offers class this spring. Surviving the economic downturn financially and emotionally is the subject of a class Pasadena City College will offer this spring. What makes the class unusual is the teaching combination. A psychologist and financial planner team up to teach the course on coping with our bad economy.
The course is offered through Pasadena City College Extended Learning Program. Contact the college for details. Link (Pat Healy, NBCLosAngeles.com).
Catching a Falling Star (Science)
12/08 NASA photo of a black chunk of rock found in the Sudan desert, the first time astronomers have tracked an asteroid from space, through the atmosphere, down to the ground as a meteorite (AP/NASA). Click to enlarge.WASHINGTON – For the first time scientists matched a meteorite found on Earth with a specific asteroid that became a fireball plunging through the sky. It gives them a glimpse into the past when planets formed and an idea how to avoid a future asteroid Armageddon.
Last October, astronomers tracked a small non-threatening asteroid heading toward Earth before it became a "shooting star," something they had not done before. It blew up in the sky and scientists thought there would be no space rocks left to examine. But... More>>
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Buddhist Recollections (anussati)
Devanussati: recollection that devas ("shining ones," angels) were reborn in their superior state due to virtue and wholesome actions (karma).
Anussati (recollection, contemplation, reflection, or prolonged attention) literally means "constant mindfulness." There are eight anussatis. A ninth is kayagatasati and a tenth is mindfulness of respiration (anapasansati).
1. Buddhanussati — reflection on the Buddha as follows: “such indeed is that Exalted One --fully enlightened, endowed with wisdom and conduct, well-farer, knower of the worlds, an incomparable charioteer for the training of individuals, teacher of devas and human beings, omniscient and holy.”
2. Dhammanussati — reflection on the Dharma (doctrine) as follows: “well expounded is the doctrine by the Blessed One to realize by oneself, of immediate fruit, inviting investigation (ehi-passiko: inviting one to come and see) leading to nirvana, to be understood by the wise, each one for oneself.
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3. Sanghanussati — reflection on the virtues of the members of the Sangha. It runs as follows: “of good conduct is the Order of the [enlightened] disciples of the Blessed One; of upright conduct is the Order of the disciples of the Blessed One; of wise conduct is the Order of disciples of the Blessed One; of dutiful conduct is the Order of disciples of the Blessed One. Four pairs of persons constitute the eight individuals, the Order of the disciples of the Blessed One. They are worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation; the Order is an incomparable field merit for the world.”
4. Silanussati — reflection on the purification of one’s own conduct.
5. Caganussati — reflection on one’s own generous nature.
6. Devanussati — reflection on the fact that deities are born in their exalted states (earthly or celestial) on account of their virtues and skillful karma. I too possess such virtues and undertake such karma this endorsing of one’s faith in ones virtues is devanussati.
7. Upasamanussati — reflection on the attributes of nirvana.
8. Maranussati — reflection on the termination of psycho-physical life. Contemplation on death enables one to comprehend the fleeting nature of life. When one understands that death is certain and life uncertain, one tries to make the best use of it: One works for self-development and for the development of others instead of simply living to indulge in sensual pleasures.
9. Kayagatasati — reflection on impurity, namely, the 32 parts of the body: head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, bowels, mesentery. stomach, feces, brain, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, lymph, tears, grease, saliva, nasal, mucus, articular fluid, and urine.” This meditation on loathsomeness, done correctly without aversion, leads to dispassion.
10. Anapanasati — mindfulness of in-and-out breathing (respiration). Ana means inhalation, apana exhalation. This basic form of meditation may be practiced by anyone. It is what the Buddha was practicing, having already mastered the absorptions (jhanas), when he attained enlightenment.
- The Satipatthana Sutra ("Discourse on the fourfold Setting up of Mindfulness") and the Visuddhimagga ("Path of Purification") offer more details on each of these practices.
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Arhat (Arahant) ...
Abhidharma
Acharya
Aggregates (Skandhas)
Aggression (violence, cruelty, hostility, terrorism, war, hate...) (also see Anger)
AIDS/HIV
Altar
Ambedkar
Amitābha
Anātman (Egolesness)
Anitya (impermanence)
Anger (also see Aggression)
Animal Rights [coming]
Arhat (Arahant) ...
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