The news today was talking about rebalancing our budget to have less military and more diplomatic efforts. That raised the question...
How many diplomats can we buy for half of the military budget?
Google to the rescue...
Half the US military budget is more than 250 billion dollars.
We want our new diplomats to be effective, so we will give each one a $5 million dollar annual budget. That works out to 50,000 new diplomats and their teams.
There are 195 countries in the world.
That is 256 new diplomat offices in each country in the world.
That is a lot of well connected persuasive people spending 1.28 billion dollars in each country.
If they are active, dedicated and hard working, I bet they could have a heck of an effect on our relationship with each country.
Our half sized military would still be the largest in the world by a huge margin, but it wouldn't have much to do.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Anchor
Without the anchor that holds the string, the kite can't fly.
Culture is such an anchor.
Technology is another.
They are some of the things we love to hate because they are so coercive and demanding. They are also the wind beneath our wings; foundations upon which we build better, smarter, more interesting lives.
Culture is such an anchor.
Technology is another.
They are some of the things we love to hate because they are so coercive and demanding. They are also the wind beneath our wings; foundations upon which we build better, smarter, more interesting lives.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
My awesome power
There is an old spanish proverb that says
Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.
As they get stronger, habits can certainly trap you and be very hard to break. But habits are also who you are. They are your personality and your skills.
Another analogy would be...
Habits are first pathways in the woods, then superhighways.
Our neural system, the holder of our habits, is plastic. It is always being reshaped by what we do. It is fun for me to realize that, by having the patience and persistence to form new habits, I can constantly reshape who I am.
What an awesome power!
Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.
As they get stronger, habits can certainly trap you and be very hard to break. But habits are also who you are. They are your personality and your skills.
Another analogy would be...
Habits are first pathways in the woods, then superhighways.
Our neural system, the holder of our habits, is plastic. It is always being reshaped by what we do. It is fun for me to realize that, by having the patience and persistence to form new habits, I can constantly reshape who I am.
What an awesome power!
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Time; friend or foe?
We have a love/hate relationship with time. Each life is given such a tiny piece if time that we hardly get a chance to learn how to make friends with it.
Time is the most powerful thing in the universe.
It can work for you and/or it can work against you.
Its most powerful attribute?: Time is relentless; it just keeps on happening.
Our lives are so short that we keep chopping time into little pieces so we can get a lot done. We tend to under appreciate the other way of getting a lot done... As long as time keeps happening, set it up to work for you more than against you.
I'm trying to learn how to prioritize things in my life to help make time more friend than enemy.
A lot of it starts to sound like good old fashioned advice that we love to ignore...
Never pay interest
Have others paying interest to you
Don't be impatient about buying stuff
Reduce situations where things are decaying, rotting, or any other situation where things constantly get worse.
(A stitch in time saves nine)
Create more situations where things are drying, curing, ripening, soaking, or whatever makes things better.
Build my capital by setting things up so that time creates food, energy, comfort and friends.
Time is the most powerful thing in the universe.
It can work for you and/or it can work against you.
Its most powerful attribute?: Time is relentless; it just keeps on happening.
Our lives are so short that we keep chopping time into little pieces so we can get a lot done. We tend to under appreciate the other way of getting a lot done... As long as time keeps happening, set it up to work for you more than against you.
I'm trying to learn how to prioritize things in my life to help make time more friend than enemy.
A lot of it starts to sound like good old fashioned advice that we love to ignore...
Never pay interest
Have others paying interest to you
Don't be impatient about buying stuff
Reduce situations where things are decaying, rotting, or any other situation where things constantly get worse.
(A stitch in time saves nine)
Create more situations where things are drying, curing, ripening, soaking, or whatever makes things better.
Build my capital by setting things up so that time creates food, energy, comfort and friends.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Cosmic thoughts filled the night.
Last night, I felt compelled to watch a bunch of videos about parallel universes and 11 dimensions. It came on the heels of a lot of reviewing a radical insight about how the universe might work that came to me 2 or 3 years ago.
Among other things, it accidentally explains the origin of inertia, gravity, dark matter and dark energy. It also points out how we have many dimensions; parallel, orthogonal, and every angle in between.
Something is welling up inside me that feels like those insights will play a practical part in some upcoming design decisions.
Lynn just pointed out that she has been having cosmic thoughts all night too; portals and light travel. That is interesting because most of my night thoughts were about photons and how light travels.
Among other things, it accidentally explains the origin of inertia, gravity, dark matter and dark energy. It also points out how we have many dimensions; parallel, orthogonal, and every angle in between.
Something is welling up inside me that feels like those insights will play a practical part in some upcoming design decisions.
Lynn just pointed out that she has been having cosmic thoughts all night too; portals and light travel. That is interesting because most of my night thoughts were about photons and how light travels.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Imperial empire?
OK, it's bugging the heck out of me so I need to rant a bit.
I was listening to a talk about school lunches; how lousy they are and how much money we don't spend on them. She mentioned that we spend huge amounts of money every day for prisoners, but not for our kids.
I looked up how much money we actually do spend on prisoners and re-learned a bunch of nasty statistics.
: The US has 4.6% of the world's population but we have nearly 50% of the prisoners.
: What's worse...
Department of corrections data show that about a fourth of those initially imprisoned for nonviolent crimes are sentenced for a second time for committing a violent offense. Whatever else it reflects, this pattern highlights the possibility that prison serves to transmit violent habits and values rather than to reduce them."
Add to that the fact that our military budget is substantially larger than the rest of the world combined, and we have to ask...
WHO ARE WE, REALLY?
The war on drugs is one of the major causes of our high prison population. If we could stop our war mentality and focus more on a justice mentality, we would need far fewer drugs, and prisons, and international unrest.
I was listening to a talk about school lunches; how lousy they are and how much money we don't spend on them. She mentioned that we spend huge amounts of money every day for prisoners, but not for our kids.
I looked up how much money we actually do spend on prisoners and re-learned a bunch of nasty statistics.
: The US has 4.6% of the world's population but we have nearly 50% of the prisoners.
: What's worse...
Department of corrections data show that about a fourth of those initially imprisoned for nonviolent crimes are sentenced for a second time for committing a violent offense. Whatever else it reflects, this pattern highlights the possibility that prison serves to transmit violent habits and values rather than to reduce them."
Add to that the fact that our military budget is substantially larger than the rest of the world combined, and we have to ask...
WHO ARE WE, REALLY?
The war on drugs is one of the major causes of our high prison population. If we could stop our war mentality and focus more on a justice mentality, we would need far fewer drugs, and prisons, and international unrest.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Lesson of the week; Justice
Justice, revenge, punishment, rehabilitation, correction, deterrence equity, fairness
Every once in a while I try to understand justice. What do we mean when we say "justice"?
I think our civilization is confused by the concept of justice.
Every once in a while I try to understand justice. What do we mean when we say "justice"?
I think our civilization is confused by the concept of justice.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
I met a spirit
During a massage, while I was floating in other dimensions, I met an entity who explained to me that she was the spirit of a complex and populous world. I was even seeing images of a very busy citadel, full of many interacting forms of life.
As we conversed, she explained a little about how every civilization has its own spirit. How diverse her population was. How the ruling class is outnumbered 10 to 1 by the helper class. She said, "We are very much alike, you and me."
The meeting illustrated and underscored the facts that I had been talking about only a few hours earlier. Our body consists of 100 trillion cells. Of those, less than 10 trillion have our dna. The other 90 trillion cells belong to other life forms; bugs that inhabit our body, doing the basic work that keeps us alive.
It was kind of a fun trip.
As we conversed, she explained a little about how every civilization has its own spirit. How diverse her population was. How the ruling class is outnumbered 10 to 1 by the helper class. She said, "We are very much alike, you and me."
The meeting illustrated and underscored the facts that I had been talking about only a few hours earlier. Our body consists of 100 trillion cells. Of those, less than 10 trillion have our dna. The other 90 trillion cells belong to other life forms; bugs that inhabit our body, doing the basic work that keeps us alive.
It was kind of a fun trip.
Perfect Rant
Perfection is an evil spirit that, if not used carefully can devour happiness.
Perfection is the enemy of good.
I never thought I would write an essay putting down the concept of perfection, but here I go. I was raised with the concept that striving for perfection was (mostly) a good thing. As a young man I struggled with the concept and definition of perfection.
I tried to achieve perfection in my crafts. It drove me to work harder, but it never made me happy, because it never was truly achieved. Over the years, I observed that some of the best perfectionists were also alcoholics who were struggling to keep their life together. Eventually I picked up the hints that perfect is an ego driven fantasy. Perfect is a narrow point of view.
What is better than perfect; more practical, more productive, more mature, more inclusive?
Excellence. The careful balance of the many dimensions that enter into any real life challenge.
Willingness to make mistakes in the pursuit of that excellence.
Dedication to truly getting better.
Accepting that you are getting better.
Sticking to it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing. ~Harriet Braiker
A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault. ~John Henry Newman
Nothing that is complete breathes. ~Antonio Porchia,
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in.
~Leonard Cohen
Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best. ~Henry van Dyke
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without. ~Confucius, Analects
When you aim for perfection, you discover it's a moving target. ~George Fisher
You see, when weaving a blanket, an Indian woman leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket to let the soul out. ~Martha Graham
A good garden may have some weeds. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732
I cling to my imperfection, as the very essence of my being. ~Anatole France (Jacques Anatole François Thibault), The Garden of Epicurus, 1894
Perfection is the enemy of good.
I never thought I would write an essay putting down the concept of perfection, but here I go. I was raised with the concept that striving for perfection was (mostly) a good thing. As a young man I struggled with the concept and definition of perfection.
I tried to achieve perfection in my crafts. It drove me to work harder, but it never made me happy, because it never was truly achieved. Over the years, I observed that some of the best perfectionists were also alcoholics who were struggling to keep their life together. Eventually I picked up the hints that perfect is an ego driven fantasy. Perfect is a narrow point of view.
What is better than perfect; more practical, more productive, more mature, more inclusive?
Excellence. The careful balance of the many dimensions that enter into any real life challenge.
Willingness to make mistakes in the pursuit of that excellence.
Dedication to truly getting better.
Accepting that you are getting better.
Sticking to it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing. ~Harriet Braiker
A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault. ~John Henry Newman
Nothing that is complete breathes. ~Antonio Porchia,
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in.
~Leonard Cohen
Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best. ~Henry van Dyke
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without. ~Confucius, Analects
When you aim for perfection, you discover it's a moving target. ~George Fisher
You see, when weaving a blanket, an Indian woman leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket to let the soul out. ~Martha Graham
A good garden may have some weeds. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732
I cling to my imperfection, as the very essence of my being. ~Anatole France (Jacques Anatole François Thibault), The Garden of Epicurus, 1894
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
If attention is the currency of life, why?
That question popped up (It may be the first time) while I was easing into the bathtub.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Guest Editorial
original story from la times
Dear United States, Welcome to the Third World!
It's not every day that a superpower makes a bid to transform itself into a Third World nation, and we here at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund want to be among the first to welcome you to the community of states in desperate need of international economic assistance. As you spiral into a catastrophic financial meltdown, we are delighted to respond to your Treasury Department's request that we undertake a joint stability assessment of your financial sector. In these turbulent times, we can provide services ranging from subsidized loans to expert advisors willing to perform an emergency overhaul of your entire government.
As you know, some outside intervention in your economy is overdue. Last week -- even before Wall Street's latest collapse -- 13 former finance ministers convened at the University of Virginia and agreed that you must fix your "broken financial system." Australia's Peter Costello noted that lately you've been "exporting instability" in world markets, and Yashwant Sinha, former finance minister of India, concluded, "The time has come. The U.S. should accept some monitoring by the IMF."
We hope you won't feel embarrassed as we assess the stability of your economy and suggest needed changes. Remember, many other countries have been in your shoes. We've bailed out the economies of Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia and South Korea. But whether our work is in Sudan, Bangladesh or now the United States, our experts are committed to intervening in national economies with care and sensitivity.
We thus want to acknowledge the progress you have made in your evolution from economic superpower to economic basket case. Normally, such a process might take 100 years or more. With your oscillation between free-market extremism and nationalization of private companies, however, you have successfully achieved, in a few short years, many of the key hallmarks of Third World economies.
Your policies of irresponsible government deregulation in critical sectors allowed you to rapidly develop an energy crisis, a housing crisis, a credit crisis and a financial market crisis, all at once, and accompanied (and partly caused) by impressive levels of corruption and speculation. Meanwhile, those of your political leaders charged with oversight were either napping or in bed with corporate lobbyists.
Take John McCain, your Republican presidential nominee, whose senior staff includes half a dozen prominent former lobbyists. As he recently put it, "I was chairman of the [Senate] Commerce Committee that oversights every part of the economy." No question about it: Your leaders' failure to notice the damage done by irresponsible deregulation was indeed an oversight of epic proportions.
Now you are facing the consequences. Income inequality has increased, as the rich have gotten windfalls while the middle class has seen incomes stagnate. Fewer and fewer of your citizens have access to affordable housing, healthcare or security in retirement. Even life expectancy has dropped. And when your economic woes went from chronic to acute, you responded -- like so many Third World states have -- with an extensive program of nationalizing private companies and assets. Your mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now state owned and controlled, and this week your reinsurance giant AIG was effectively nationalized, with the Federal Reserve Board seizing an 80% equity stake in the flailing company.
Some might deride this as socialism. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
Admittedly, your transition to Third World status is far from over, and it won't be painless. At first, for instance, you may find it hard to get used to the shantytowns that will replace the exurban sprawl of McMansions that helped fuel the real estate speculation bubble. But in time, such shantytowns will simply become part of the landscape. Similarly, as unemployment rates continue to rise, you will initially struggle to find a use for the expanding pool of angry, jobless young men. But you will gradually realize that you can recruit them to fight in a ceaseless round of armed conflicts, a solution that has been utilized by many other Third World states before you. Indeed, with your wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, you are off to an excellent start.
Perhaps this letter comes as a surprise to you, and you feel you're not fully ready to join the Third World. Don't let this feeling concern you. Though you may never have realized it, you've been preparing for this moment for years.
Dear United States, Welcome to the Third World!
It's not every day that a superpower makes a bid to transform itself into a Third World nation, and we here at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund want to be among the first to welcome you to the community of states in desperate need of international economic assistance. As you spiral into a catastrophic financial meltdown, we are delighted to respond to your Treasury Department's request that we undertake a joint stability assessment of your financial sector. In these turbulent times, we can provide services ranging from subsidized loans to expert advisors willing to perform an emergency overhaul of your entire government.
As you know, some outside intervention in your economy is overdue. Last week -- even before Wall Street's latest collapse -- 13 former finance ministers convened at the University of Virginia and agreed that you must fix your "broken financial system." Australia's Peter Costello noted that lately you've been "exporting instability" in world markets, and Yashwant Sinha, former finance minister of India, concluded, "The time has come. The U.S. should accept some monitoring by the IMF."
We hope you won't feel embarrassed as we assess the stability of your economy and suggest needed changes. Remember, many other countries have been in your shoes. We've bailed out the economies of Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia and South Korea. But whether our work is in Sudan, Bangladesh or now the United States, our experts are committed to intervening in national economies with care and sensitivity.
We thus want to acknowledge the progress you have made in your evolution from economic superpower to economic basket case. Normally, such a process might take 100 years or more. With your oscillation between free-market extremism and nationalization of private companies, however, you have successfully achieved, in a few short years, many of the key hallmarks of Third World economies.
Your policies of irresponsible government deregulation in critical sectors allowed you to rapidly develop an energy crisis, a housing crisis, a credit crisis and a financial market crisis, all at once, and accompanied (and partly caused) by impressive levels of corruption and speculation. Meanwhile, those of your political leaders charged with oversight were either napping or in bed with corporate lobbyists.
Take John McCain, your Republican presidential nominee, whose senior staff includes half a dozen prominent former lobbyists. As he recently put it, "I was chairman of the [Senate] Commerce Committee that oversights every part of the economy." No question about it: Your leaders' failure to notice the damage done by irresponsible deregulation was indeed an oversight of epic proportions.
Now you are facing the consequences. Income inequality has increased, as the rich have gotten windfalls while the middle class has seen incomes stagnate. Fewer and fewer of your citizens have access to affordable housing, healthcare or security in retirement. Even life expectancy has dropped. And when your economic woes went from chronic to acute, you responded -- like so many Third World states have -- with an extensive program of nationalizing private companies and assets. Your mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now state owned and controlled, and this week your reinsurance giant AIG was effectively nationalized, with the Federal Reserve Board seizing an 80% equity stake in the flailing company.
Some might deride this as socialism. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
Admittedly, your transition to Third World status is far from over, and it won't be painless. At first, for instance, you may find it hard to get used to the shantytowns that will replace the exurban sprawl of McMansions that helped fuel the real estate speculation bubble. But in time, such shantytowns will simply become part of the landscape. Similarly, as unemployment rates continue to rise, you will initially struggle to find a use for the expanding pool of angry, jobless young men. But you will gradually realize that you can recruit them to fight in a ceaseless round of armed conflicts, a solution that has been utilized by many other Third World states before you. Indeed, with your wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, you are off to an excellent start.
Perhaps this letter comes as a surprise to you, and you feel you're not fully ready to join the Third World. Don't let this feeling concern you. Though you may never have realized it, you've been preparing for this moment for years.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Why live resiliently?
Resilient Living isn't just about surviving the storm.
Resilience also lets you dance in the rain.
Resilience also lets you dance in the rain.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Non bondage
Let us live gladly! Quite certainly we are free to do it. Perhaps it is our only freedom, but ours it is, and it is only phenomenally a freedom. 'Living free' is being 'as one is'. Can we not do it now? Indeed can we not-do-it?
It is not even a 'doing': it is beyond doing and not-doing. It is being as-we-are.
This is the only 'practice'.
'All Else is Bondage; Non-Volitional Living' - Wei Wu Wei
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
August Rush
August Rush is a very well done movie. We watched it for the first time last week. I was surprised by how much it connected with me. It might be the only movie that brings tears to my eyes even when I am just mentally reviewing it.
Last night I watched it again. This time in a dark room with big surround sound. It affected me even more because I could see the threads of the story intertwining much earlier. During some scenes I could scarcely breathe.
This movie is not tense or sad. It is the sheer beauty, the excellence of how it is written and executed. But the tears come from deeper. The story is about a musical prodigy and cosmic connections that run through music. Most of us feel those connections. I feel them strongly when I am creating. I have always found tears in my eyes when I spontaneously whistle or play an original tune.
Ever since I have allowed myself to purposely explore the occasional drive to be tied up, my appreciation for beauty and cosmic connections has grown stronger.
Last night I watched it again. This time in a dark room with big surround sound. It affected me even more because I could see the threads of the story intertwining much earlier. During some scenes I could scarcely breathe.
This movie is not tense or sad. It is the sheer beauty, the excellence of how it is written and executed. But the tears come from deeper. The story is about a musical prodigy and cosmic connections that run through music. Most of us feel those connections. I feel them strongly when I am creating. I have always found tears in my eyes when I spontaneously whistle or play an original tune.
Ever since I have allowed myself to purposely explore the occasional drive to be tied up, my appreciation for beauty and cosmic connections has grown stronger.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Naked truth
There is a part of the human body that is specifically designed by God and nature to hang loose in the open air. All the animals and many aboriginal humans quite naturally accommodate that design. Civilized humans don't.
We are so bound up in our hung-up culture that we can scarcely appreciate how good it feels to let our bodies respond naturally to the temperature and the wind. If everyone was comfortable with letting it all hang out, we would have a lot less fungal and yeast infections, and a lot less hang-ups.
We are so bound up in our hung-up culture that we can scarcely appreciate how good it feels to let our bodies respond naturally to the temperature and the wind. If everyone was comfortable with letting it all hang out, we would have a lot less fungal and yeast infections, and a lot less hang-ups.
What will you become?
I was asked what are the greatest lessons that life has taught me. One group that floats to the top has to be...
: Attention is the currency of life.
: You become what you attend to.
: Usually, right here and now is marvelous and beautiful;
Pay attention to that.
: Attention is the currency of life.
: You become what you attend to.
: Usually, right here and now is marvelous and beautiful;
Pay attention to that.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Pending collapse?
The soviet union collapsed 17 years ago. Here is an interesting presentation about comparisons between the US and them.
It is definitely food for thought and unfortunately I agree with most of his observations. The problem I have with it is some of his attitude. I believe that the coming economic problems can be a portal to a much healthier and rewarding life style, if we prepare well and build that life style now, while we can still afford to.
It is definitely food for thought and unfortunately I agree with most of his observations. The problem I have with it is some of his attitude. I believe that the coming economic problems can be a portal to a much healthier and rewarding life style, if we prepare well and build that life style now, while we can still afford to.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Chakra Insight
This morning during a yoga class, we were focusing on the chakras and the colors associated with them.
(image from http://www.innercosmos.com/throat_chakra.htm)
The three lower chakras are all associated with basic drives and physical issues.
As we started with deep red in the root chakra, I was picturing the smoldering hot temperatures it takes to glow red, and associating that with the red hot issues of sex, money and power.
A little farther up the spiritual evolution scale, the next chakra is orange; a more refined, hotter temperature.
The yellow of the next higher chakra can be created with still hotter temperatures.
Sometimes the heart chakra is associated with pink. Pink is a mixture of white light (very hot) and a touch of red. It denotes that the heart is at the top of the lower chakras, with a nod to its roots. The heart is also associated with green, which is the bottom of the upper chakras.
The upper chakras are associated with senses and higher, more spiritual issues.
I realized that the colors associated with those can no longer be created from heat. You get them by differentiating white light (like with a prism).
The insight tells me that the lower chakras are built on fire and heat. When they are working well, we achieve a white enough light for the upper chakras to differentiate into spiritual energy.
(image from http://www.innercosmos.com/throat_chakra.htm)The three lower chakras are all associated with basic drives and physical issues.
As we started with deep red in the root chakra, I was picturing the smoldering hot temperatures it takes to glow red, and associating that with the red hot issues of sex, money and power.
A little farther up the spiritual evolution scale, the next chakra is orange; a more refined, hotter temperature.
The yellow of the next higher chakra can be created with still hotter temperatures.
Sometimes the heart chakra is associated with pink. Pink is a mixture of white light (very hot) and a touch of red. It denotes that the heart is at the top of the lower chakras, with a nod to its roots. The heart is also associated with green, which is the bottom of the upper chakras.
The upper chakras are associated with senses and higher, more spiritual issues.
I realized that the colors associated with those can no longer be created from heat. You get them by differentiating white light (like with a prism).
The insight tells me that the lower chakras are built on fire and heat. When they are working well, we achieve a white enough light for the upper chakras to differentiate into spiritual energy.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
A class you may have taken before existence
No matter what kind of life you choose to become, the program can be summarized like this:
Any form of life is a set of capabilities.
You have no capabilities unless and until you have structure.
All structure is a set of limitations.
You choose a set of limitations.
You explore those limitations as you struggle within them.
This makes you an active part of the universal mind.
Cosmic endorphins will be doled out for your effort.
Shorter summary:
Struggle within your bounds.
Gain direct grace
Any form of life is a set of capabilities.
You have no capabilities unless and until you have structure.
All structure is a set of limitations.
You choose a set of limitations.
You explore those limitations as you struggle within them.
This makes you an active part of the universal mind.
Cosmic endorphins will be doled out for your effort.
Shorter summary:
Struggle within your bounds.
Gain direct grace
Monday, June 16, 2008
May it continue
Lately, I have been struck by beauty. The shapes of clouds, waves of wind in a field of rye, the subtle changing color of the sky, the way Lynn smiles during a romantic movie scene.
Last night I listened to a series of TED talks. When I was done, I sat there for a moment, stunned by the beauty of the lessons they gave me.
Seeing beauty in unexpected times and places is a good habit.
I think I'll keep it.
Last night I listened to a series of TED talks. When I was done, I sat there for a moment, stunned by the beauty of the lessons they gave me.
Seeing beauty in unexpected times and places is a good habit.
I think I'll keep it.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Nice life
Ethan was curious how big the moon was compared to the earth, so we hopped on the web to find out. Naturally that led to him being curious about the size of the sun, then the other planets.
Soon we were watching videos that show the relative sizes of each planet with the sun, then other stars. Ethan would laugh out loud as each new heavenly body dwarfed the ones before it. That brought two bright faced happy and fascinated little sisters poking their heads in and laughing just to support him.
Amber said "That is my life." That is what home life is on a regular basis.
Nice life!
Soon we were watching videos that show the relative sizes of each planet with the sun, then other stars. Ethan would laugh out loud as each new heavenly body dwarfed the ones before it. That brought two bright faced happy and fascinated little sisters poking their heads in and laughing just to support him.
Amber said "That is my life." That is what home life is on a regular basis.
Nice life!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Education isn't something you "get"
It is something you "do".
"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune."
(Jim Rohn)
I have bought into these concepts for as long as as I have been old enough to criticize schools.
"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune."
(Jim Rohn)
I have bought into these concepts for as long as as I have been old enough to criticize schools.
OM Mooo
As I get older, there are more times when my voice resonates deeply in my chest. Now I better understand the ancient practice of chanting "OM" and why the practice seems to be dominated by males. It feels good when that deep voice vibrates every bone and nerve in the chest.
Cows may be on to something.
Many times lately, I just get the urge to belt out a long deep "MOOOOO". It feels even better than "OM". It resonates deeper. It is more expressive. It helps clear cloudy feelings. Maybe cows have it figured out and we are doing it backwards.
This morning I was soaking in the tub. The resonance was wonderful. I was OMing and MOOing to my heart's content. Then I noticed...
When MOOing, the flow of energy is outwards; like expressing emotions. When OMing, the flow is inwards; like learning.
That must be useful insight.
Cows may be on to something.
Many times lately, I just get the urge to belt out a long deep "MOOOOO". It feels even better than "OM". It resonates deeper. It is more expressive. It helps clear cloudy feelings. Maybe cows have it figured out and we are doing it backwards.
This morning I was soaking in the tub. The resonance was wonderful. I was OMing and MOOing to my heart's content. Then I noticed...
When MOOing, the flow of energy is outwards; like expressing emotions. When OMing, the flow is inwards; like learning.
That must be useful insight.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Wind
=====
The pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects it to change.
The leader adjusts the sails.
~John Maxwell~
The winds of change are blowing.
Let's adjust our sails.
The pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects it to change.
The leader adjusts the sails.
~John Maxwell~
The winds of change are blowing.
Let's adjust our sails.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
The life stages of time flies
I was just wondering...
If time flies are the adult stage...
Is there such a thing as time maggots?
and time pupae?
Time eggs:
Little bitty nuggets of time; rich with promise and hope for the future. It is a quiet stage where ideas stay confined and just incubate.
Time maggots:
Ideas hatch from their shell. Forever hungry, they consume enormous amounts of time, recycling it into new body of knowledge. Eventually they get satiated and form...
Time pupae:
Another quiet stage to develop and metamorphise. Eventually they emerge as adult...
Time flies:
This is the adult form, where ideas really take flight. Life gets buzzier as time scatters to the winds. Time flies spread germs of ideas, pollinate, annoy people, feast, travel, procreate. Along the way they find nourishing bodies of time in which they lay their fertile ideas;
More time eggs.
If time flies are the adult stage...
Is there such a thing as time maggots?
and time pupae?
Time eggs:
Little bitty nuggets of time; rich with promise and hope for the future. It is a quiet stage where ideas stay confined and just incubate.
Time maggots:
Ideas hatch from their shell. Forever hungry, they consume enormous amounts of time, recycling it into new body of knowledge. Eventually they get satiated and form...
Time pupae:
Another quiet stage to develop and metamorphise. Eventually they emerge as adult...
Time flies:
This is the adult form, where ideas really take flight. Life gets buzzier as time scatters to the winds. Time flies spread germs of ideas, pollinate, annoy people, feast, travel, procreate. Along the way they find nourishing bodies of time in which they lay their fertile ideas;
More time eggs.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Infested with time flies
Spring gets kinda busy
Inspiration to write ebbs and flows. So does available time.
Suddenly a whole month has gone by and inspiration never intersected with time.
Be that as it may, I do love to write ideas and feelings. Insights that I never expected tend to flow out of the pencil, or the keyboard.
I'm up for some good insight.
Inspiration to write ebbs and flows. So does available time.
Suddenly a whole month has gone by and inspiration never intersected with time.
Be that as it may, I do love to write ideas and feelings. Insights that I never expected tend to flow out of the pencil, or the keyboard.
I'm up for some good insight.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Memes Rule!
Today I was struck with with a certain knowledge that memes have been a major evolutionary force, evolving our genes to better suit their purposes.
Why would our brains be designed so that they latch on to ideas so firmly that they will defend those ideas to the death? Especially when religion gets involved we will argue, and not listen, and even fight a war to defend our ideas, our faith, our way of life.
The main reason I can think of is that memes have been the ruling evolutionary force ever since we first developed the ability to socialize. People who had the ability to handle better memes were more likely to survive. As memes thrived, they shaped things like our big brain and our ability to speak. Now that we have big brains, we are excellent hosts to memes. We are their platform, an arena in which memes can compete.
A meme is just an idea. It can come and go easily. An existing meme could easily be flushed away as soon as another idea comes along. Being thrown out of your battle vehicle at the first bump just won't do, so a seat belt is needed.
It would make sense for memes to evolve us so that our brains hang on to them tenaciously. Then they have a fighting chance. It makes us a much more useful platform.
I am certain of it.
Why would our brains be designed so that they latch on to ideas so firmly that they will defend those ideas to the death? Especially when religion gets involved we will argue, and not listen, and even fight a war to defend our ideas, our faith, our way of life.
The main reason I can think of is that memes have been the ruling evolutionary force ever since we first developed the ability to socialize. People who had the ability to handle better memes were more likely to survive. As memes thrived, they shaped things like our big brain and our ability to speak. Now that we have big brains, we are excellent hosts to memes. We are their platform, an arena in which memes can compete.
A meme is just an idea. It can come and go easily. An existing meme could easily be flushed away as soon as another idea comes along. Being thrown out of your battle vehicle at the first bump just won't do, so a seat belt is needed.
It would make sense for memes to evolve us so that our brains hang on to them tenaciously. Then they have a fighting chance. It makes us a much more useful platform.
I am certain of it.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Real morality
As I woke up this morning, I was wondering about morality.
It seems that morality is all about acting for the long term common good. A moral person cultivates the discipline to overcome short term destructive habits (even though they may be pleasurable) in favor of long term prosperity and deeper happiness.
Our concepts about morality change as we learn and mature. In the 1950s and 60s, driving and burning fuel and fertilizing monoculture crops were all good things. Now our culture is learning that those behaviors are causing huge problems for the future of ourselves individually and our entire civilization. Suddenly those behaviors are the ultimate immorality.
You and I have not substantially changed our fuel consumption patterns. We talk about it, and make gestures toward improving, but the bottom line is not really better. We are not going to allow our grandkids to label us as immoral, so we have to change.
Contemplate this...
Global warming and peak oil are bunk. We don't have to reduce our usage by 90% like experts say. We only have to share better at current levels of usage. Because we are Americans and deserve more than most people, we get to use 150% of the amount of fossil fuels per person compared to the rest of the world. That still means we have to cut down our fuel consumption by a factor of 3.6. That is a 63% reduction from our current levels.
Homework Exercise: Seriously practice using only 27% of the fuel you are used to.
How will you do it?
Later we can contemplate how even this level is not yet near moral.
It seems that morality is all about acting for the long term common good. A moral person cultivates the discipline to overcome short term destructive habits (even though they may be pleasurable) in favor of long term prosperity and deeper happiness.
Our concepts about morality change as we learn and mature. In the 1950s and 60s, driving and burning fuel and fertilizing monoculture crops were all good things. Now our culture is learning that those behaviors are causing huge problems for the future of ourselves individually and our entire civilization. Suddenly those behaviors are the ultimate immorality.
You and I have not substantially changed our fuel consumption patterns. We talk about it, and make gestures toward improving, but the bottom line is not really better. We are not going to allow our grandkids to label us as immoral, so we have to change.
Contemplate this...
Global warming and peak oil are bunk. We don't have to reduce our usage by 90% like experts say. We only have to share better at current levels of usage. Because we are Americans and deserve more than most people, we get to use 150% of the amount of fossil fuels per person compared to the rest of the world. That still means we have to cut down our fuel consumption by a factor of 3.6. That is a 63% reduction from our current levels.
Homework Exercise: Seriously practice using only 27% of the fuel you are used to.
How will you do it?
Later we can contemplate how even this level is not yet near moral.
Storm warnings
Lately I have been making a career of learning about the convergence of peak oil, global warming, and economic depression.
Each is real.
Each is big.
Each is coming to a head very soon.
The convergence of the three is mind boggling.
That is exactly why most people and virtually all governments ignore it.
As people around me start to grasp how real it is, they ask what they can do personally to survive. After contemplating what an individual can do to help, I eventually realized that there is one philosophy that applies to individuals, families, communities, and to civilization as a whole...
The more we know about how to live well without large amounts of water, fuel and store bought food, the more resilient we will be.
Each is real.
Each is big.
Each is coming to a head very soon.
The convergence of the three is mind boggling.
That is exactly why most people and virtually all governments ignore it.
As people around me start to grasp how real it is, they ask what they can do personally to survive. After contemplating what an individual can do to help, I eventually realized that there is one philosophy that applies to individuals, families, communities, and to civilization as a whole...
The more we know about how to live well without large amounts of water, fuel and store bought food, the more resilient we will be.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Truffle power
My goodness!!!!!!!!!
That was the best meal any of us have ever had.
Neil and Tori and Jeanne and Lynn and I were trying to figure out how to freeze the moment; how to savor the incredible experience for just a little while longer.
The back story...
Last week I was mindlessly wondering out loud what a truffle really tastes like. Before I knew it, Lynn had ordered a few truffles over the internet. Now we were faced with the imminent arrival of one of the most exotic and expensive foods in the world, and we had to figure out what to do with it.
They are a fungus, somewhat related to mushrooms, but they smell strongly, like a male pig in rut. With my level of experience, I might have put them in a pizza. Neil came up with the idea of challenging some of the finest chefs in the area to make a wonderful meal with our truffles. Chef Tim Anderson of Iven's on the Bay said yes.
Tonight the five of us showed up for a 5 course meal centered on truffles. The soup was served in a tiny but slightly tall shot glass. No spoon, you drink it. Upon tasting it, we were immediately and unanimously blown away; transported to new world by a subtle exotic and powerful taste experience.
Each of the five courses managed to bowl us over with dish licking, shell scraping tastes.
When the chef showed up, we gave him a standing ovation.
WOW!
That was the best meal any of us have ever had.
Neil and Tori and Jeanne and Lynn and I were trying to figure out how to freeze the moment; how to savor the incredible experience for just a little while longer.
The back story...
Last week I was mindlessly wondering out loud what a truffle really tastes like. Before I knew it, Lynn had ordered a few truffles over the internet. Now we were faced with the imminent arrival of one of the most exotic and expensive foods in the world, and we had to figure out what to do with it.
They are a fungus, somewhat related to mushrooms, but they smell strongly, like a male pig in rut. With my level of experience, I might have put them in a pizza. Neil came up with the idea of challenging some of the finest chefs in the area to make a wonderful meal with our truffles. Chef Tim Anderson of Iven's on the Bay said yes.
Tonight the five of us showed up for a 5 course meal centered on truffles. The soup was served in a tiny but slightly tall shot glass. No spoon, you drink it. Upon tasting it, we were immediately and unanimously blown away; transported to new world by a subtle exotic and powerful taste experience.
Each of the five courses managed to bowl us over with dish licking, shell scraping tastes.
When the chef showed up, we gave him a standing ovation.
WOW!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Searching for how to give more deeply
Flowers and candy and store bought cards are a nice way to open a relationship. They are pleasant and state clearly that you have romantic intents.
In terms of personal relationship, they are safe and cheap. They cost you little personal effort for the huge payback they create. What's not to like?
Showering your love with commercialized safe and cheap tokens is like putting candy sprinkles on an ice cream cone. It is fun for a snack, when your dish is sweet and fat.
The love of my life is more like truffles, fillet mignon, fresh salad, finely seasoned garden vegetables.
She is delicious. She is nourishing. She is good for me.
She deserves better than safe, cheap, commodity tokens.
She deserves my time, my attention, my deepest essence.
Dear Lynn,
I give to you a physical token,
a hand made embodiment of my time and attention.
I give to you my written words,
a deeply felt attempt to condense my love for you and make it more tangible.
I share with you my karma,
a lifetime of good luck by design and effort.
Please be my valentine.
Love, Paul
In terms of personal relationship, they are safe and cheap. They cost you little personal effort for the huge payback they create. What's not to like?
Showering your love with commercialized safe and cheap tokens is like putting candy sprinkles on an ice cream cone. It is fun for a snack, when your dish is sweet and fat.
The love of my life is more like truffles, fillet mignon, fresh salad, finely seasoned garden vegetables.
She is delicious. She is nourishing. She is good for me.
She deserves better than safe, cheap, commodity tokens.
She deserves my time, my attention, my deepest essence.
Dear Lynn,
I give to you a physical token,
a hand made embodiment of my time and attention.
I give to you my written words,
a deeply felt attempt to condense my love for you and make it more tangible.
I share with you my karma,
a lifetime of good luck by design and effort.
Please be my valentine.
Love, Paul
Saturday, February 09, 2008
10 secrets
I really liked these 10 secrets that I stumbled on at God's Thumb.
Secrets for Success and Inner Peace
Secrets for Success and Inner Peace
The First Secret:
Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing.
The Second Secret:
Don’t die with your music still in you.
The Third Secret:
You can’t give away what you don’t have.
The Forth Secret:
Embrace silence.
The Fifth Secret:
Give up your personal history.
The Six Secret:
You can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it.
The Seventh Secret:
There are no justified resentments.
The Eighth Secret:
Treat yourself as if you already are what you’d like to be.
The Ninth Secret:
Treasure your Divinity.
The Tenth Secret:
Wisdom is avoiding all thoughts that weaken you.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Grading on a curve
I am male.
I am hardwired to appreciate curves.
In addition, I specialize in seeing flow; seeing trends.
Even so, I am surprised at how much a curve on a graph can affect me.
A good scary curve in a graph can excite me, and haunt me.
Here is an example (from Wikipedia)
Notice the change in the slope in the last decade. That offends my sense of future.
Another set of curves that speaks volumes can be found here. (Please follow link. He won't let me copy it.)
Notice that the human population curve over 1 million years is absolutely square. Even when zoomed in to the last 1000 years, the curve is extremely close to square. Just follow that upslope and ask how long we can keep this up.
Nothing; no budget, no bacteria, no human population can continue to grow at these rates. Anything growing this fast and this continuously is likely to crash, like hitting a brick wall.
I am hardwired to appreciate curves.
In addition, I specialize in seeing flow; seeing trends.
Even so, I am surprised at how much a curve on a graph can affect me.
A good scary curve in a graph can excite me, and haunt me.
Here is an example (from Wikipedia)
Notice the change in the slope in the last decade. That offends my sense of future.
Another set of curves that speaks volumes can be found here. (Please follow link. He won't let me copy it.)
Notice that the human population curve over 1 million years is absolutely square. Even when zoomed in to the last 1000 years, the curve is extremely close to square. Just follow that upslope and ask how long we can keep this up.
Nothing; no budget, no bacteria, no human population can continue to grow at these rates. Anything growing this fast and this continuously is likely to crash, like hitting a brick wall.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Some math to digest our record budget
3.1 Trillion Dollars!
How do we make personal sense of such large numbers?
3.1 trillion / 301,139,947 = 10,294
The US budget divided by the US population = $10,294 per citizen
$58,480 / 3.14 = 18,624
The median family income divided by the average family size = $18,624 dollars income per family member.
10,294/18,624 = .55
The federal budget equals 55% of the median family income. This is on top of state and local taxes.
Of course, rather than pay that immediately we are charging it (along with interest) to our kids.
Our record budget is 63% larger than 2001, Bushes first year in office. It again includes more money for military while eliminating 151 domestic programs including some education, health and job-training.
Does anyone else see some alarming trends here?
How do we make personal sense of such large numbers?
3.1 trillion / 301,139,947 = 10,294
The US budget divided by the US population = $10,294 per citizen
$58,480 / 3.14 = 18,624
The median family income divided by the average family size = $18,624 dollars income per family member.
10,294/18,624 = .55
The federal budget equals 55% of the median family income. This is on top of state and local taxes.
Of course, rather than pay that immediately we are charging it (along with interest) to our kids.
Our record budget is 63% larger than 2001, Bushes first year in office. It again includes more money for military while eliminating 151 domestic programs including some education, health and job-training.
Does anyone else see some alarming trends here?
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Achieving Grateness
Last night, I overheard Nathan mention that he was grateful for how his life is going. That got my mind wandering down paths about how important it is to be grateful. It sets you in a frame of mind to be accepting and happy. Karma opens opportunities you otherwise might have missed.
After writing the above, I looked up "grateful"...
The root word "grate" is an obsolete adjective that used to mean "agreeable, thankful, pleasing". It has the same Latin roots as "graceful and grace", which originally meant "God's favor or help".
People naturally want to help a grateful person.
A grateful person is naturally happier.
Life long accumulation of help and opportunities grows exponentially like compound interest.
To a student of life, it seems obvious that to achieve greatness, one must first achieve gratefulness.
After writing the above, I looked up "grateful"...
The root word "grate" is an obsolete adjective that used to mean "agreeable, thankful, pleasing". It has the same Latin roots as "graceful and grace", which originally meant "God's favor or help".
People naturally want to help a grateful person.
A grateful person is naturally happier.
Life long accumulation of help and opportunities grows exponentially like compound interest.
To a student of life, it seems obvious that to achieve greatness, one must first achieve gratefulness.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
You will do it WHEN?
Every summer I talk about all the projects we are going to do next winter when things slow down.
Now that it is winter... Has anything slowed down yet?
Now that it is winter... Has anything slowed down yet?
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Digital world
Photons are digital
Atoms are digital
DNA is digital
Voting in a democracy is digital
In all these different scales, amorphous information is encoded into a digital form, making it easier to store, copy, and to act on.
It seems that when life on a given scale gets populous and complicated enough, it eventually finds ways to build a new, higher level structure. That structure often needs to make decisions so that it can act. It must be stable enough to be fair and trusted by its citizens. It formally encodes wishes of its citizens into law.
Atoms are digital
DNA is digital
Voting in a democracy is digital
In all these different scales, amorphous information is encoded into a digital form, making it easier to store, copy, and to act on.
It seems that when life on a given scale gets populous and complicated enough, it eventually finds ways to build a new, higher level structure. That structure often needs to make decisions so that it can act. It must be stable enough to be fair and trusted by its citizens. It formally encodes wishes of its citizens into law.
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