This full moon is  ..mmmm I can't find the words... well, it's quite a full moon!!!

 Take heart dear friends, warm blessings to everyone :-)

Today,and again I listened to the music by  H.Górecki (Polish composer) titled  Symphony No. 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs). I felt so sad and touched by it.Felt my soul weeping .

Today I felt like the rock on the sea shores battered by rough waves and felt a lump in my throat as if I have swallowed the poisons of the world and held it in my throat like Siva to benefit others. Why me ?

Om namah Shivay!!! Have a blissful Mahashivaratri everyone!!!

Spring appears to have come really early this year. I think it is nature testing our gullability before a whiplash... probably get a blizzard tonight. I made ice tea outdoors. That is usually good for 6 inches of snow.

Weather is weird. we had times where it was changing so fast it was kinda neat.

go out the front door for the snow. go out the back door for the rain go to the west side for the bright sunny day. NOAA actually had one day's forecast as 43 degrees (F) with snow between 3pm-4pm. I almost did a screen-save on that forecast.

Anyway. with this much good weather it really should snow on Easter. It has two chances this year as well.

Easter is on the 8th (Rome) and the 15th (orthodox). Having Easter before passover always struck me as rather silly. 

The weather here is really lovely, warmer than usual for this time of year, even though we are in the South.  It's been Spring Break here all this week, so very quiet.  I would love to have gone somewhere, done something worth remembering,  but alas...   Too much other stuff going on, not the least of which is a sick cat.  After a battery of tests that all turned out normal, the vet has finally acceded to my diagnosis:  a massive hair ball that he just couldn't shift.  So...  he is spending the day under sedation at the vet's to have said hair ball removed.  I won't go into any further details to spare all of you your delicate stomachs!  :-)    But I certainly hope we can put this unpleasantness behind us (me and the cat, that is).   

After a roller coaster ride of the past two weeks, there is a short lull in the action of my life, soon to pick back up.   A few days after I posted the message below, I had to do one of the most painful things a person must - I had to have a beloved pet euthanized.  What I thought was a hairball in my cat, turned out to be a cancerous tumor.  That was a horrible day, and all the "spiritual thoughts" and esoteric knowledge in the world could not dull my pain that day.  So I just dived in it and let it flow through me and around me.  I miss him a lot, and still feel sad, but every day gets easier to be happy, and not feel like I'm in mourning all the time.  Funny how we humans get so emotionally involved with our animal companions.  Just yesterday I happened to see an article on MSN.com about the psychology of that and why people are often more upset over losing a pet than a human family member. 

But I'm back in gear now, and it's onward and hopefully upward for me. 

 ... yes, music has a magical power... my friend who passed away last week was very fond of "wonderful tonight" by Eric Clapton... 

Hmmmm  Good Friday for Rome and Protestantism.

I will wait until next week. The Orthodox schedule seems a bit more realistic.

So, how to cure the blues while waiting for another job interview result..

 Read some Elaine Pagels? maybe watch a MilleniuM rerun? They do have an episode that opens with Patti Smith's "dancing barefoot" and has a lot of Gnostic overtones. Title is even "Anamnesis".

on 3/16 I wrote:

"Anyway. with this much good weather it really should snow on Easter. It has two chances this year as well."

I was wrong. It is snowing now exactly between the two Easters. It has been great weather for weeks. Nature knew I was onto its trickery. But, it still won the weather war. It got two Easters' at once.... kinda.

Not really sticking much. It is impressive. You can even see the shadow of the flakes falling (sun is out - sometimes).

gads... 8-14" snow tonight through Tues. (x 2.54 for cm).

The flowers are at full-spring+ bloom. Gorgeous here. Interesting...

Another job rejection came yesterday. lots of fun.

w.r.t. climate, the climateprediction.net site is starting an ensemble approach to examine the recent weather variability-extremes to see how anthropomorphic factors have played in. This would mean picking things like the massive heat wave in Russia etc. and examining all effects of the climate to pinpoint the actual causes (i.e. causes of the causes). People might want to help on that. It takes mammoth CPU time to do these. They need help.

In the mean time... take the window air-conditioner out and check the furnace. Will need that for tonight I guess (for a day or 2). If you want to assure that you will get snow, put one of your window air-conditioners in. Nature loves to take aim at an optimist.

I am recovering (or trying to!) from physical over-exertion!  Groan!  But my spirits are in good shape.  Just wish my right shoulder and arm and hand was.  I need to rest it, but there is just too much demanding attention.   

BTW, I like the new green color on the website.  Very cool and relaxing to the eye.

Watching is totally fine!  Just don't ask me to do any projects.  That might definitely get something thrown. >:-)

Today I was browsing on Google plus, looking for any interesting groups to join and was noticing a lack of interesting ones to join that had anything to do with religion, occultism or philosophy. It hit me that I have been neglecting my Theosophical studies, and have been regretting not having that focus of wisdom with me when I become overcome with confusion and anxiety.

This morning, however, I had a moment of inspiration and started writing a piece on the basics of governing systems, for people who might not know how to understand, navigate and utilize the bureaucratic institutions that govern their community and nation.

Has anyone else been inspired lately to write, research or meditate?

 Hi, Stuci!

   ;-)  since last solstice there's a lot of psychic energy in the air :-)

 and YES!!! this is the theosophy we need, the one that empowers us to deal with governments, bureaucracies and all kinds of institutions!!! 

 sorry, friends, I am again engaged in street activism so I may be unable to write much here, but I'll keep on reading!!! :-) 

Did anyone see the eclipse yesterday.  I think it was most visible for folks in the southwestern U.S.  Is that right?   Well, I missed it anyway.  It was cloudy where I was and the timing was wrong me as well. 

Life is busy lately.  Lots of changes to adjust to and several home & garden projects on-going, mostly small-ish, but getting it all coordinated with helpers (my sons!) &/or installers sometimes proves to be more difficult than the actual project.  :-)

But there is always time for reading, reflecting, and enjoying music and bits of serendipity.  A friend sent this to me this morning and it made me laugh, so I share it here:

http://www.mypointless.com/2012/05/pomplamoose-music-bust-your-knee...

These guys have other songs, old classics/favorites, on Youtube as well.  A couple of my faves:  Nature Boy and La Vie en Rose

Life is Good!  Enjoy!

On behalf of all members of Theosophy.Net I take this opportunity to wish Susan and You a very long and happy married life. Have a great celebration!

 Once a year, Anand and me solemny agree, in this precise issue: have a great celebration and a greater year!!! :-)

Congrats to you and Susan!  Have a wonderful time!

For the last six weeks or so, I have been doing home renovation, so I have not known really whether I'm coming or going.  Nothing is back yet where it should be - or very little beyond the basic pieces of furniture.  So much is still boxed up.  But the painting is done and the new flooring was installed last Th, Fr, & Sa.  SO happy to have all that behind me!  Hopefully now I can get things put back and begin to feel sorted out.  I am ready to for some peace and quiet, so that I can take stock, and get a sense of my direction forward from here.  The approach of winter is always a good time to get involved in some new interest or worthy endeavor.

Well - From the South of India ! , Just got shouted down by a client who felt that I was taking too much time over his funding solution - Lost his reason , does not accept the fact that people do not just give away huge sums of money for free or meet the project owner without evaluating the project . One week and he expects me to "materialize'' something like 20 Million Us$ !!!! Wish I  had majored from some school of wizadery

I wish you'd majored in that too, Hari.  Then you could materialize some $$$ for me too!  Hahahaha!  :-)

I saw the link , some consolation it is , every day I have not less than 5 to 6 funding spams . I have lived in Nigeria Joe for a short while - the less said about it the better. 820 Trillion Dollars it seems they have - must be play money !

Deb I wish too , I wish I were the next Sai Baba  or Rajneesh , life would have been more easier . Can you believe that Nigeria is NOT a tourist destination. They do not have tourist spots !.

Joe when it comes to Nigeria I am lost for words , I was in a place called Asaba which is the "capital" of Delta state . Delta State is the richest in terms of natural resources and yet the most impoverished place in Nigeria. Even Lagos is no big deal.

Though I do not understand what Susan has said - somehow it seems very compelling me to believe it sort of would encapsulate my feelings about the place.

I was astounded to see that this capital resembled something that our villages were maybe 50 years back !. THe Christianity that they practice is nothing like I have ever known - It is a blend of Superstition and with elements of Nature worship that is very Crude and with the addition of Voodoo thrown in to "end" a person as they call it . Everyone is a Pastor and runs classes of the Evangelist type with a lot of noise and trying to catch the spirit as if they are human lightning conductors. My driver was a pastor, our HR lady was a pastor, my security guard was a pastor .And I had a very strange experience - I had people working for me who had returned from Denmark, America,Argentina, UK, France , Germany and Mexico. I was quite appreciative of their  love of country which made them come back to ''serve'' in inhospitable conditions despite knowing how the world was outside Nigeria - It did not last long till I found out that all of them were on the run from authorities in those countries - having indulged in extremely nefarious activities. Nigeria is the best place to go to if you are wanted in any other country - nothing works there. Honesty is a welcome exception even grand mothers and small children are dishonest - (by our standards) which just go to prove that these words are relative only - I was seen as someone "less than street smart" and poor in survival skills. I was advised by the Chairman of the company that I was working for in the following manner "Hari , this is NIgeria and you are an outsider , do not make a fuss about theft in the company - just bring it to my notice when in your opinion it goes beyond TOLERABLE limits" You guessed it !!! The bar kept on rising like in the high jump - The Chairman was Called "Chief"' and his cousin was the King of Asaba - the company was being Run on prime government Land and the icing on the cake was that - the government had only a 10% share, Taxes had not been paid for 16 Years ! The Auditor came and enjoyed the hospitality for a week and was paid 200,000 Naira , The tax people came (4 of them) and I was advised from Lahos to pay 60,000 Naira as grease money (15000 x4) - all want away swearing loyalty to me and long life to the Chief .

TGIF!  After quite a few weeks of home repair and renovation (felt like forever!), and a bit of hassling with contractors, I am looking forward to a little R&R.  Going to do a little shopping and take in a traveling exhibit, the Maitreya Project Heart Shrine Relic Tour, an exhibit of sacred Relics of the Buddha and other Buddhist Masters.  Really looking forward to getting out of town for a bit.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Today (12-24-2012) on the PBS channel (here in PA, USA)  there are two shows which may interest people:

1) The Asian and Abrahamic Religions: A Divine Encounter

2) 3 Faiths

Some people may find these interesting...  There always a chance to learn more. Especially when it comes to similarities within the Abrahamic Religions. (A topic that is hard to discuss on this site -- a lot of rather rather strong negativity)

I decided I can make millions by building an infrared advanced warning system to alert me of a kitten attack. It could flash warning alerts for an oncoming attack -- like "One if by Land", "Two if by Air", "Three if by Quantum Leap" (i.e. attack as a Wave Front AND as a single fully embodied Kitten).

I might even get an Ig Nobel prize.

Rainy Saturday here.  Wondering if the rain here has quit, or is this just a temporary lull.  Earlier this morning I would not have been surprised to see Noah and his ark floating by! 

Also wondering if my cat is getting better and what the heck was wrong with him, and does he need to go to the vet. :-/  He is a dedicated chow hound and has been off his feed for a couple of days, although he seems better today, but not back to his old self.  Will give it another day or so and see.

I am finally feeling like the holidays are over and I can begin to think about what I want to do with the next couple of months, aside from working, that is. I don't bother with New Year's Resolutions.  I saw a saying recently that said something like New Year's resolutions are basically a To-Do List for the first week in January.  LOL    That about sums up my opinion on them.

I'm looking forward to unpacking my books. :-)  It's going to be a job find room for them, but I have missed having them at-the-ready.

Today I mowed the Lawn, Did some research on the underlying strata of the pyramids in Alaska and am working on determining the age on when they were formed whether natural or constructed purposefully. the problem I am having with it is the ages I am coming up with would place its formation before the Pliocene?? I would love to visit them in person and take some measurements but alas satellite photos and geologic surveys are most of the data I have to work with. I would like to see the magnetic signature of the masonry used in their construction to determine their relative age. That area of Alaska has been under Ice since the late Oligocene.

I am headed to the Gulf of Mexico tomorrow for some beach time with my parents and sister.  I'll be away until the 17th.  I am running around today, doing errands, ticking stuff off my to-do list.  Can't wait to walk along the sand and wiggle my toes in the Gulf, feel the ocean breeze in my hair and the sun on my face, and and get some of that good energy. 

Beyond that, I will do a lot of lazing around, imbibing, yakking, and reading.  We are all big readers and I'm taking plenty of books.   Oh, yeah - eating seafood too!

Well, I am back.  At least physically.  :-)   My mind is still on the beach!  LOL   My sister and I have decided we could live there, no problem at all.  Had a great week with my dad, slept late, read a lot, shopped, went to the beach, ate a ton of seafood.  Yup. I could get into that on a full time basis.  I'll share a couple of snaps of the beach there.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote "The earth laughs in flowers"
So I'm going into the "Dark Ages" for 3 days to find a Rose in a cave of darkness. Aside from the poetics, I mean a total unplugging, no cell phone no computer no radios, no books, nothing that beeps or shines... just Me, Myself, and Nature (God/Human/Nature type thing if ya know what I mean)

For...

"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine..."
- (Oberon) William Shakespeare

"Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

I'll be back after the 23rd! Enjoy everyone :D

Enjoy yourself, PS.

Basically having a lazy day, enjoying a nice chardonnay, which for me is something 'cause I'm a red wine gal, and trying to approximate a recipe for creamy chicken and brown rice soup I had recently while on a trip.  My lord, it was SO good!   May watch a movie later if my internet will cooperate. Not loving my internet/cable provider lately!  Very spotty connection and lots of ifs, ands, & buts . . . .  :-\

As to SA Poaching (see post by Grant Halliday).. my wife sent me this.

Thought some would appreciate it.

wish there was a thumbs up button for that picture!  for both the sentiment, and that kind of humor. 

Moderator                Comment by John E. Mead just now           Delete Comment            

Just what have I been doing lately...  madly treading water barely managing to keep my head above the waves.   Well, it feels like that.  My instrument panel in my car went out  - actually it comes and goes - and I'm told by the dealership that it's a "bad cluster".  LOL  Did they leave off a last word?  LMAO   Must have, because it's going to be $1000 to fix it.  I'm dubious.  Investigating alternatives.  Aside from that I've been attacked by red bugs, not sure where they came from, unless my cat has shared some with me.  :-(   not digging this at all.  What else...  let's see.   Finished the new patio construction at my house.  Looks very nice.  Occasional deep thoughts drift by.  I try to catch hold of them but they dissolve quickly.  The feeling lingers but not the thought.  Maddening.  And on top of all that, it's October already!  Hmph.

hi Deb -

new cars rather scare me. After a few years the TV, GPS whole Dashboard etc. will give out. Try getting a new Dashboard for a 5 year old car using obsolete parts.. gads. Of course then there is the backseat TV/Video equipment. They have to fit exactly the same space. no way.

I'd pay extra to get analog meters and mechanical switches any day.

My dad - back in the 60's had a pet peeve against car clocks. They always die after a year and were hard to fix. he told the dealer he wanted it left out. no luck of course. It is just a bigger problem now with newer technology.

My hot water heater needed a new Ignition part (piezo-electric). They quit making them for those heaters. I had to call the manufactor and get a special replacement converter to accept the new parts. It is a relay and a Bic lighter - basically/ gads.

How about the touch-screen "start" button for the car...

The auto parking system is scary. Esp. coupled with the smart help system (Satelite or cell-phone based). One signal (police initiated) to your car and it automatically slows down and parks on the side of the road and shuts off. They, of course, wouldn't add that in would they? (remember the roaming bug in all our cell-phones).

oh well.

John

http://itzhakts.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/revocation-of-independence/

not bad..

4pm tea is the sign of a civilized game, BTW

It appears that the US may actually decide to default on money spent.

I think if I call my credit card company, tell them I refuse to recognize various charges, but will keep the merchandise.

Then go to my boss and ask for a pay-cut,  I may be thinking Republican ...  ??.

Is there any new info on that?  I think they may have decided that about 16 trillion+ dollars ago though.. not sure lol... and that's just Public Debt... http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

I almost put up a post putting things in perspective with GNP...

It gets too confusing.  I'll have to track down the recent info from the Congressional Budget office. It is not that bad.. sounds impressive, but it is a bit deceptive.

oh well.

I really don't like politics here, but it is a part of Humanity that seems to be a hindrance to Brotherhood (and Sisterhood is always included in that term on this site).

I saw the following:

According to the US Code (18 U.S.C. § 2384 ), seditious conspiracy is a crime under United States law. The law states in part that,

“If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to… prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States… they shall each be fined or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.”

There is a petition going around to ask the government to apply this to certain members of congress who organized a plot solely to shut our Government down. It took me a day to think about the ramifications if I signed it...  I am too old to care.

Petition site available on request.

John

Today I'm at work, as usual.  It is Monday after all.  I've been reading a book, read a lot of it over the weekend, trying to get it finished before next Saturday for a book club meeting.  The book is The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.  Honestly, I didn't find the book very interesting until about 80 pages in, but then it's not new material for me, but I can see that for the general population it might be new material, a new way to look at things, and perhaps for some it might be helpful.  One thing is interesting, though.  I like seeing how different people explain essentially the same things.  That's important because people are so different.  Some will understand one kind of explanation, but be completely baffled or turned off by another approach.  So.  From that point of view, the book is a good thing.

OK. One more thing for a Monday morning...

The Old Spock vs. the New Spock

The Spock vide is really, really great!

Thanks!

on Eckhart Tolle -

I have seen a lot of hype....

I think he is trying to do a movie. I am not impressed with him. Rather agree with you though. He comes across rather like a fad

(maybe a similar effect like  "The Secret" - New Thought revised - old stuff).

I've read some good quotes from Tolle, haven't seen anything about a movie though.. any links?  How was the book Deb?