A series of mini-mails ....
- http://www.malcolmhorton.com/fantasy4.htm from a poster
- Leunigs :)
- Dancing ant
- freaky coincidinks like hubble ... and x-files episode (bambi) ...
Then this ...
Hi Betty
> Hey! > Was that YOUR finger? thumb? print? How'd you do that?! >
Simple
(a) One of the interactive parts of our Museum is a place where you can do your own fingerprints.
(b) Then I enlarged it by about 70% using my scanner - scanners really are neat. You ought to get one! (That works!)
:)
So, my thumb isn't really that big. I enlarged it to make the lines clearer.
> I'm going through some of my Dad's things this weekend. Actually, it's just > his stamp collection. It's actually about 10 times more extensive than I > ever knew. What else didn't I know about him? >
Probably loads. I'm reminded of two quotes - both from movies or telly or somewhere else -
'Do we ever really know anyone?'
&
The second one is from the start of an Aussie movie - can't recall the title and i think I only watched the first 15 mins or so. It started off with a young lady & a young man having a 'deep & meaningful' conversation on the patio that had a telescope and it was late at night. Anyway, she was descibing her father's last days ... and how they'd rarely had discussions of any real depth ... and as he died he turned to her and said 'What was that all about?' - referring to the father-daughter thing, I suppose ... or life in general ...
I'm rambling.
It's another gorgeous sunny day down her - a phenomenal start to May. Can't last but it's nice for the moment.
Have fun going through your dad's stuff - that's something i've often wondered about. Especially with all the stuff I've scribbled on scraps of paper throughout the house. What would any relative make of it if I died sudden-like and they had to sort through it all ...
Ciao
> Later! > Betty > >
- oh yes, plus a little tip about pasting web pages into Word ... so one may edit & alter fonts colour & size etc - options which simply aren't available if one prints from the browser ... :)
Then it arrives ... and i may prune her death descrips but here's the full bit ...
AS BRIEFLY AS POSSIBLE:
AMAZINGLY--OR MAYBE NOT--THE TIBETAN WRITINGS ARE RIGHT ON. I DON'T HAVE THEM AT MY FINGERTIPS AT THE MOMENT BUT THEY TALK ABOUT THE ELEMENTS LEAVING THE BODY. FIRE, WATER, WIND, ETC. I CAN'T BE SURE RIGHT NOW BUT I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE RIGHT ORDER.
WHEN I FIRST READ THAT, I THOUGHT IT MEANT ALL THAT HAPPENS AFTER WHAT WE NORMALLY CALL THE MOMENT OF DEATH. I THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE THE DESCRIPTIONS WOULD THEN JUST EASILY FLOW INTO DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BARDO. SINCE I'VE WATCHED A FEW DIE, I NOW UNDERSTAND THEY ARE DESCRIBING THE DYING PROCESS BEFORE THE LAST BREATH AND THE LAST HEARTBEAT. BUT! THAT IS NOT THE END OF THE DYING PROCESS!
EVEN LONG BEFORE THE DYING ARE BED-RIDDEN, YOU CAN SEE THEIR LIGHT GOING OUT, LITERALLY. IT SOUNDS WEIRD UNTIL YOU SEE IT. THE "FIRE" ENERGY IS FADING. tHEY BEGIN TO PHYSICALLY SHRINK AT THIS TIME TOO.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF PICTURES OF MY FATHER AT THIS POINT.
THEY BECOME MORE AND MORE DETACHED FROM THOSE AROUND THEM. THEY SEEM TO HALLUCINATE BUT CAN BE BROUGHT BACK TO BE PART OF EVERYDAY CONVERSATION.
YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE DETACHING FROM THIS PLANE OF EXISTENCE AND BECOMING MORE AND MORE IN TOUCH WITH ANOTHER. IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF CASES, THE LAST DAY OR 2 THAT THEY CAN STILL SPEAK COMPLETE SENTENCES TO PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, THEY TALK ABOUT SEEING PEOPLE--OR SPIRITS--WHO HAVE DIED BEFORE OR THAT NO ONE HAS HEARD OF BEFORE.
CLOSER TO DEATH THEY GRADUALLY STOP EATING AND, LATER, STOP DRINKING. DEHYDRATION BEGINS. THE WATER ELEMENT EVAPORATES. SOME COMMUNICATION WITH THOSE AROUND THEM STILL HAPPENS BUT BARELY AND MOSTLY ABOUT THINGS IN THE DISTANT PAST OR THINGS THEY SEE OR HEAR THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN.
INTERESTINGLY, THE FEW FLUIDS LEFT IN THE BODY FINALLY SETTLE IN THE LUNGS AND THE BREATH SOUNDS LIKE WATER BUBBLING THROUGH A WATER PIPE. IT IS AN EXHAUSTING WAY TO HAVE TO GET AIR AND THIS USUALLY MEANS 1-3 DAYS ARE LEFT. AT THIS POINT, THEY MAY HAVE A FEVER TOO. THEY APPEAR "UNCONSCIOUS" BUT SOMETHING IS GOING ON INTERNALLY.
DURING THE LAST DAY OR 2, THERE IS MOTTLING OR PURPLE BLOTCHING IN THE LOWEST AREAS OF THE BODY--BUTTOCKS, HEELS, ELBOWS, ETC. WHERE THE BLOOD POOLS BECAUSE CIRCULATION IS STOPPING.
IF YOU WATCH AND LISTEN CAREFUL, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LAST BREATH AND LAST HEARTBEAT ARE A BIT OF A MYTH. THE HEART MAY GIVE A BEAT OR TO 2 OR EVEN 4 MINUTES AFTER WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE LAST. THERE CAN BE A BREATH OR TWO A FEW MINUTES LATER TOO. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT MAKES SENSE TO ME. OF THE MILLIONS OF CELLS IN THE BODY, IT WOULDN'T'T MAKE SENSE THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL BITS OF LIFE WOULD ALL DIE AT THE SAME INSTANCE. SO NOW'S THE TIME TO REPEAT VERSES FROM WHATEVER SPIRITUAL PRACTICE WOULD BE FAMILIAR TO THAT PERSON.
I'VE ALREADY ASKED MY LOCAL FUNERAL DIRECTOR IF HE CAN PROMISE NOT TO TOUCH MY BODY IN ANY WAY FOR 3 DAYS BEFORE CREMATING IT. HE'S HEARD SO MANY WEIRD REQUESTS, HE DIDN'T'T BAT AN EYELASH.
ANYWAY, IN A VERY SHORT FORM, THAT'S DYING.
Okay, here's the reply ... will be sent around may 10 or 11 or so ...
{PASTE in betty77.htm ... think ... }
Here's May 12th effort ... Hi Betty, Well, your email was interesting, to say the least. I saw it in my inbox at 66 kilobytes and I thought wow! that's the biggest ever. Then it seemed as if there was much duplication with the same text being repeated lower down the email. I did a quick comparison and it does seem like the top 'half' was pretty much duplictated in the lower half, which seemed more up to date. Does that make any sense? So I basically pruned the top half away and replied to the second half. Hopefully, nothing terribly earth shattering has been tossed away in the process. Anyway, here goes ... SURPRISINGLY, I'M NOT. I CERTAINLY AM ON THE YAHOO ADDRESS! I THINK IT'S BEEN JUNK-FREE BECAUSE I ONLY USE THE SITE TO MAIL TO A SMALL LIST OF PEOPLE. ONLY TIME WILL TELL. That's a good point. I'm quite the opposite. I get almost ZERO junk mail at my melbpc address and loads at Hotmail because whenever I am asked for an email address, I give the hotmail one. You wouldn't believe the range and quantity of 'unsolicited' emails I receive every day and that's even using the highest 'Junk mail filtering' settings. THE EL NINO GETS AROUND! I HADN'T REALIZED YOU GET TO FEEL THE EFFECTS TOO. FOR US, IT EVEN EFFECTS THE CENTER OF THE COUNTRY, FAR INLAND. THE DRY SPOTS BECOME BONE DRY AND THE WET SPOTS FLOOD. THERE'S A LA NINA TOO BUT IT DOESN'T GET AS MUCH PUBLICITY AROUND HERE.--RIGHT ON CUE, IT JUST STARTING POURING RAIN! It's a similar story over here. The rainfall patterns go all haywire. We might get droughts in places that noramlly experience reliable precipitation and floods in othe places. I believe last time there was even snowfall in Uluru which ahd never been recorded inliving memory. I think some aboriginal legends speak of such an occurence as a 'sign', like the Hopi. Did I ever send you that link about the Hopi & their 8 signs? I HAVE THE DX 3500. IT'S ONE STEP BELOW THE 3600. BUT OFFHAND, I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WAS/IS. Probably not a whole lot. It does look a nice little camera and definitely a stepup from the one I'm employing now. I like your daffodil shots - I have noticed mine is a bit suspect with the brighter colours like white or yellow. So maybe it is at its best in places like the Dandenongs where everything is green and shady. :) DON'T GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT THE VIEWSCREEN. THAT'S WHAT SUCKS THE ENERGY OUT OF THE BATTERY FASTER THAN YOU CAN BLINK YUR EYES! THE/MY DX 3500 DOES HAVE THE VIEWSCREEN BUT IT ALSO HAS A REGULAR VIEWFINDER. I TURN OFF THE VIEWSCREEN AND PRESERVE THE BATTERY THAT WAY. I DO USE IT TO CHECK TO SEE IF I'VE CAUGHT WHAT I SHOT AT IF I'M NOT SURE. They told me in the store I'd get about an hour's use out of the batteries after re-charging. Were they pulling my leg? :) I pretty much use the viewscreen as you described - just to verify if the image is 'okay' & worth keeping. Even then, it's a bit of a guess. Early on, I found that if the viewcreen of the image is toatally white then the camera has had a 'misfire' and i better wipe that 'image' out because if i leave it in there, then any subsequent images I snap won't be able to download to the computer. Just another of the charming glitches this camera has. :) MIND-BOGGLING IS RIGHT. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW I FELT WHEN I HAD NEVER EVEN LAID HANDS ON ONE BEFORE?! Well, neither had I. I had a catalog from a local electronics store and one camera was reduced so I decided to purchase it without doing any more research. Kinda wish I had, now. :) But at the time, I ddn't expect to get into photographising as much as I have in the past 9 months or so. I SEE IT'S FEATURING THE ITALIANS INCLUDING DA VINCI! NOW THERE'S AN INTERESTING CHARACTER! A VEGETARIAN AND ANIMAL LOVER AS WELL AS THE MORE WELL-KNOWN TALENTS HE HAD. You're right there. One of dad's boooks is a huge volume on the life of Da Vinci. EASY FOR YOU TO SAY WHILE YOU'RE OFF TO BOOK SALES AND THE BEACH! :) You have a point. We all like to say 'I know what that's like', don't we. I did use the word imagine rather than 'know' ... :) ME TOO! AND EVERY TIME I FIND "AN ANSWER," IT JUST SEEMS TO GET WORSE. FOR EXAMPLE: IF YOU KNEW YOU HAD ONLY 4 WEEKS TO LIVE, WOULD YOU STILL KEEP WORKING? NO? WHY NOT? BECAUSE YOU WANT TO ENJOY THE LITTLE LIFE YOU HAVE LEFT? THEN HOW ABOUT IF YOU HAD 4 MONTHS TO LIVE? FOUR YEARS? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY LIFE IF ALL YOU HAVE IS 4 WEEKS OR MONTHS, THEN WHY WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO ENJOY EVEN MORE--LIKE 4 OR 40 YEARS WORTH? SO WITH THAT LOGIC, I SHOULD JUST QUIT WORK TOMORROW. I SUPPOSE I SHOULD HELP PAY OF THE HOUSE FIRST. (?) Yes, there's that advice to 'Live every day as if it's your last'. Sounds good but if everyone took it 2 heart, it could be complete chaos! I'm sure there's millions of people who wouldn't turn up for their jobs if this was indeed their last day on the planet. And so, a lot of the things you might like 2 do, like fly to the Bahamas wou;dn't be possible if all the air traffic controllers or travel agents took the day off ... :) I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE WE CAN IMAGE IT. A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WOULD DO AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. LIE AROUND, SLEEP, VEGETATE. OTHERS WOULD BE VERY PRODUCTIVE AND VERY HAPPY. WE WOULD HAVE TO HOPE THAT SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO BE THE GARBAGE COLLECTOR AND SOMEONE ELSE WOULD WANT TO DO THE OTHER JOBS THAT DON'T SEEM VERY POPULAR! We'd just have to give happy pills to all the ones who have the boring jobs. Or teach them depth-meditation so that the mundane suddenly becomes riveting & enchanting. One can imagine such things, so why not. Maybe some day. THERE'S A MILLION JOBS I CAN THINK OF THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. OR MAYBE EACH ONE FOR A MONTH OR SO! ONE I LONG FOR IS TO STUDY HOW FAR EARTHWORMS MOVE AROUND IN THEIR LIFETIME. JUST HOW I'D FIGURE THAT OUT DOES STIR ONE'S IMAGINATION. GLUE RADIO COLLARS ONTO THEM? TATOO NUMBERS ON THEM AND DIG THEM UP? Simple. Just learn earthworm telepathy. :) HERE'S A BIT OF TRIVIA I'M SURE YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: REMEMBER HOW THE FREMEN CALLED THE BIG WORMS IN THE "DUNE" BOOK? I THINK THE THING WAS CALLED A THUMPER. TURNS OUT THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO CALL EARTHWORMS TOO. THEY RESPOND TO THE RHYTHMIC VIBRATIONS OR SOMETHING. I never read 'Dune'. Though I do vaguely remember a screen version where there were some giant worms. I'M STILL TRYING FOR THE FREE LOTTO ON A NIGHTLY BASIS! THERE'S ALSO A LOTTERY POOL AT WORK. I CONTRIBUTE A DOLLAR A WEEK. WE'VE DECIDED WE WOULD ALL QUIT WITH NO MORE NOTICE THAN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET THE CHECK IN HAND. PROVIDED, OF COURSE, THE POT WAS BIG ENOUGH FOR 15 OF US TO RETIRE! WHILE WE ALL CONSIDER IT HALF JOKE AND HALF HOPE, THERE WAS A SURVEY DONE THAT SAID 80 % OF THE POPULATION HERE ACTUALLY DEPENDS ON THE BELIEF THEY'LL WIN AS THE SOLE MEANS OF A RETIREMENT FUND FOR THEMSELVES! I heard of one occasion down here where a guy did something similar - he quit his job and spent up big ... only to discover that an inordinate number of people had won the prize that weeek and he recieved way less than he had initially expected. ONE I ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT WAS THE SIMPLE "HELLO." HOW DID THAT COME INTO BEING? I DOUBT IT WAS FROM FOLKS SAYING "HELL! OH.." TO EACH OTHER. Then there's 'Hi' ... is that a desire that the other person should feel in high spirits ... or just a lazy abbreviation down to a single syllable. 'Hey' seems more common in your part of the globe. We hardly ever use it. Though we have started using 'Have a nice day' a helluva lot recently. It's a nice sentiment, but only if it's genuinely expressed. MORE LIKE MY PRESENCE AT WORK WAS ESSENTIAL TO PUTTING MORE CHAOS IN MY LIFE. I GOT BACK TO DISCOVER MY LONG AWAITED VACATION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FROM MAY 6-10 WAS TO BE POSTPONED DUE TO A REGULATORY INSTITUTION COMING IN TO INSPECT US. I NEARLY LOST IT THEN. I can imagine. :) I know what that's like. I feel your pain. THEN ON TOP OF THAT, I DISCOVERED MY VACATION WAS TO BE FURTHER POSTPONED TO SOME TIME IN LATE JUNE BECAUSE WE SO SHORT STAFFED IN MY PRESENT DEPARTMENT THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DO MY JOB, THE COORDINATOR'S JOB AND LEAD GROUPS ALL DAY BESIDES. WHEN I HEARD THAT I REALLY REALLY NEARLY LOST IT. I SAT THERE AND CONSCIOUSLY DECIDED HOW TO REACT. WOULD IT HELP OR CHANGE THINGS IF I GOT ANGRY OR BEGAN SOBBING? IF I THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE, I COULD HAVE DONE EITHER--OR SOMETHING ELSE--IN A HEARTBEAT. BUT IT WAS CLEAR NOTHING I COULD DO AT THAT MOMENT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I WENT INTO FLAT AFFECT, UNREADABLE. I DID CHECK OUT THE PAPER THIS SUNDAY FOR OTHER JOBS BUT NOTHING. I'M CHECKING OUT THE WEB AGAIN FOR NEW JOBS. Best of luck with your search. I've done a bit of that myself - consciously deciding how to react to various things. The initial impules might be anger or criticism or sarcasm but i can often (not always) turn it around onto some other route. Did I ever send you that 'Vice Versa' link? I have a printout of it on my sofa as a reminder. Here's the link - http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/osho/everyday.htm#anchor54210 {Hopefully, that's the right link. If not just use 'Find on this page' and plug in the phrase. You may need to click on 'Find next' after the first one pops up.} SO HAVE I BUT MY PARENTS WERE THE TYPE THAT SEEMED TO THINK IT WAS A TOPIC THAT WAS NEVER NEVER TO BE DISCUSSED. Mine are pretty much the same, depsite the fact that Mum has worked in nursing homes most of her life, so she must have seen a fair bit of it. Even when I was trying real hard to be an atheist, I used to try to imagine that moment of passing from existence & awareness into what I presumed would be non-existence & obviously non-awareness and it bent my mind. :) ... IF YOU WATCH AND LISTEN CAREFUL, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LAST BREATH AND LAST HEARTBEAT ARE A BIT OF A MYTH. THE HEART MAY GIVE A BEAT OR TO 2 OR EVEN 4 MINUTES AFTER WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE LAST. THERE CAN BE A BREATH OR TWO A FEW MINUTES LATER TOO. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT MAKES SENSE TO ME. OF THE MILLIONS OF CELLS IN THE BODY, IT WOULDN'T'T MAKE SENSE THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL BITS OF LIFE WOULD ALL DIE AT THE SAME INSTANCE. SO NOW'S THE TIME TO REPEAT VERSES FROM WHATEVER SPIRITUAL PRACTICE WOULD BE FAMILIAR TO THAT PERSON. ANYWAY, IN A VERY SHORT FORM, THAT'S DYING. Thanks for your detailed impressions & decriptions. I remember being fascinated by the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' & the descriptions of the bardo even back when I was an 'atheist'. Then there's sudden or unexpected death and you have to wonder if that's a vastly different experience ... SO MUCH OF IT IS INTERNAL AND PRIVATE, HARD TO GUESS. (Yes, like that Omar verse) > http://hometown.aol.com/arslongas/page/index.htm YES BUT IT WAS NICE VISITING THE SIGHT AGAIN! They're some of the best I've seen. And I've found quite a few. I think I sent you malcolm horton's site in one of the mini-emails, but what the heck, here 'tis again - http://www.malcolmhorton.com/fantasy4.htm Several fabulous images at his site. I believe the one I spied on the poster was 'Where Dolphins Dream'. Alex Grey ... I SAW ONE OF THESE ON THE COVER OF A BUDDHIST MAGAZINE! LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND IT. GOT IT! IT WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE! SHAMBHALA SUN MAGAZINE FROM jULY 1999. IT WAS THE KISS AND THE SUB-TITLE ON THE COVER WAS "SEX: IT WORKS ON SO MANY LEVELS." FREAKY COINCIDENCES AGAIN. Yes, a bit freaky. Interesting choice for the cover rather than some of the gorgeous buddhist art I've seen around the place. Did you know the Shambhala Sun has an online presence? :) THE KISS WAS AT THIS SITE! Yeah, all of his stuff is awesome. > Yes, but how do you feel about having green skin? I suppose it would > be a great lesson in not worrying about appearances. YOU KNOW HOW LITTLE KIDS GET ON AN EATING BINGE FOR JUST ONE OR TWO FOODS? I KNOW A LITTLE GIRL THAT GOT INTO EATING NOTINGH BUT CARROTS WHEN SHE WAS STILL SO LITTLE SHE WAS ON BABY FOOD. SHE TURNED ORANGE. ok NOT LIKE A CARROT BUT DEFINITELY ENOUGH TO MAKE HER LOOK PRETTY SCARY! MOM TOOK HER TO THE DOCTOR, NOT HAVING A CLUE WHAT WAS WRONG. SEEMS TO BE THE CAROTENE IN THE CARROTS OR SOMESUCH THING. POINT IS, I SUPPOSE GREEN MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TOO!. AND A NICE COLOR! How was her eyesight!? :) Makes you wonder about critters that have a fairly precise diet on one or 2 foods ... YES, THEY TRY TO DO AIR BURIALS, TRADITIONALLY. OTHERWISE IT'S CREMATION. THE ZOROASTRIANS DO AIR BURIALS TOO BUT THEY DON'T CALL THEM THE SAME THING. THE LATTER PREPARES THE BODY BUT LEAVES IT WHOLE FOR THE SCAVENGERS, VULTURES, ETC. THE TIBETANS LIGHT A FIRE TO SIGNAL THE VULTURES WITH THE SMOKE--WHO'VE LEARNED TO COME VERY QUICKLY. THE BODY IS THEN CUT UP AND THE BONES PULVERIZED SO THAT THE VULTURES CAN EAT EVERY LAST SPECK. POETIC, REALLY. I've read about that. In your book actually. Do they have 'headstones' or other such markers ... THERE'S A GREAT VIDEO TAPE ABOUT THE READINGS AFTER DEATH--AND THE OTHER RITUALS SURROUNDING THAT TIME. IF I CAN FIND IT. GOT IT! "The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Part I (of 2)A Way of Life" narrated by Leonard Cohen, no less! IF I CAN FIND A COPY OF IT, MAYBE I CAN SEND IT TO YOU. You mean Leonard Cohen the singer? I love some of his stuff - I saw him sing 'The Stranger' live on the telly once and it was quite mesmerising ... Do'nt worry about sending it. I'll have a little hunt around down here. I found a few excellent sites about the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' awhile back ... http://www.lycaeum.org/books/books/psychedelic_experience/tibetan.html http://www.near-death.com/buddhism.html I thought there was another but those 2 aint bad ... WHATEVER--IT WORKS WELL FOR YOU! Most of the time it does. Often I'll re-read what is written in my journal & it will bring back something of the way was feeling when i wrote various things. {Of course, that can be a double-edged sword as I've also written some extremely dark (& twisted) stuff while in those abysses (is there a plural of abyss?) and reading that stuff can tend to remind me of how dark things can seem} YES--IF IT'S OBVIOUS. BUT MOST OF MINE HAVE FLAWS THAT ONLY SHOW UP WHEN ENLARGED ON THE MONITOR. LIKE JUST SIMPLY FUZZY. Have you tried the various settings to see if that makes a difference? That's one problem I don't have - if you have no settings you don't have to agonise over whih one 2 use! :) HAVE YOU DONE MUCH DRAWING ON OTHER SURFACES? LIKE PAPER? DO YOU DO SKETCHES? > I doodle occasionally. Usually smiley faces and simple stick figures. > I did dabble once or twice with paint at the rehab program at ERMHA while > I was attending it. At school I did all the science subjects and had little > or no interest in the kinds of things I now find most intriguing. > It's funny the way things turn out. MMMMM. DO YOU THINK YOUR PERSONALITY/PSYCHE WENT THROUGH CHANGES ABOUT THE SAME TIME YOUR INTERESTS WERE CHANGING? HAD ANY CHANGES IN THE WAY YOU PERCEIVE FLAVORS OR SMELLS? THINGS YOU LIKED BEFORE YOU DON'T NOW? Oh, my personality or psyche or whatever you wish to call it has run just about every conceivable gamut there is. I used to be right into sports and now hardly at all. And on the 'spiritual' side of things I've experienced both extremes and each at the time seemed like a permanent fixed state of which I was absolutely convinced. I haven't phrased this little section terribly well. Might be time 2 go 4 a walk or somethin ... I DIDN'T KNOW VEGEMITE WAS AUSSIE. I THOUGHT IT WAS BRITISH BUT ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS A BRIT THAT INTRODUCED IT SO ME--YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS OVERSEAS. I DON'T SEE IT AROUND HERE MUCH. AS I RECALL IT LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING THE DOG SHOULD HAVE DONE OUTDOORS BUT IF IT WAS SPREAD VERY VERY THIN ON A PIECE OF BREAD, IT WASN'T BAD AT ALL. ISN'T IT SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR YOU? Oh yes. It's full of all the B-group vitamins. But you're right - its initial look & smell makes one wonder if it's even edible, let alone good for you. :) > The only dead bodies I've seen were dogs. One morning I was the first > in the house to get up and we had 3 dogs and during the night they must > have eaten snail bait. One hand on their bodies and I knew they were dead. GEEZ! IT MUST HAVE TAKEN SOME TIME TO GET OVER THAT! IF EVER! Well, it was. But even tougher on Mum & Dad as they realised they were somewhat responsible by keeping the snail bait in a huge bag in the room where the dogs slept. (DANG! DID I JUST LOSE A BUCH OF REPLY?! YES I DID!!!! tHIS IS GOING TO DELAY THE FINISH ANOTHER DAY....) Sounds like your PC is giving you a very hard time of it. Might need an exorcism or somehting like that. BUT I HEAR THERE IS EVIDENCE OF FLOODING IN MANY PLACE ABOUT THAT TIME IN HISTORY. I suppose the debate is the extent of the flooding - the volume of water to wipe out all life on the planet except the passengers on Noah's Ark is what's in question. http://mindprod.com/biblestudy.html LOVED THIS SITE! I'M KEEPING IT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE IN "DISCUSSIONS" WITH LOCAL BIBLE THUMPERS. THEY DON'T CALL THIS THE BIBLE BELT FOR NOTHIN'! Well, it's hard 2 have a genuine 'discussion' when one person is rigid & dogmatic. A great test of extending compassion 2 everyone though. A real tought test, actually. I mean, one part of me can recognise that ultimately a person who clings to dogma does so out of fear but it;''s very hard to say that without sounding patronising or insulting. {This may or may not be overly compassionate but back in my anti-religion days, it seemed a blindingly obvious question to ask: 'If the Bible is the ONLY reliable source of God's truth, doesn't that make things seem awfully unfair when you consider how many people in history have lived & died without ever reading it, or those children who happen to have atheist parents etc etc. Let alone the question of if God can inspire the authors of the Bible why couldn't he just transmit his truth directly to everybody rather than using the written word, which is always open 2 interpretation. Again, the phrasing of this section could be tweaked a bit but you get the idea. Oh, I just thought of another - esp for those who believe in Satan - if satan is capable of clouding men's minds and putting them on the wrong track, then how could you ever be sure the Bible itself is not one of his tricks - to make it so confusing & contardictory & open to a myriad of interretations. That's probably enough on this little theme for now. I did write screeds & screeds along similar lines when I was in my atheist phase :) That site echoes many of the objections that ran through my mind at various times} I'LL BE TRANSFERING MORE NOTEBOOK STUFF IF I EVER GET A VACATION! Here's hoping you do. I myself have oodles of free time and there's still mountains of stuff on cassette tapes & scribbled in various places that haven't made their way onto my site just yet. DEFINITELY FREAKY COINCIDENCE! 2 DAYS OF COMPUTER TROUBLE ON THIS END! Maybe someone is trying to tell us something. SOUNDS LIKE HEAVEN TO ME! THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO AND SEE AND LEARN THAT DOESN'T TAKE ANY MONEY.. SEEMS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN YOUR AREA! Yes, I'm lucky in that sense. I'm also lucky there's a social security system and I'm just 'crazy' enough to qualify for it. :) Ron Cobb ... HE WAS NEW TO ME BUT THE STYLE OF THE DRAWINGS LOOKS VAGUELY FAMILIAR. A LITTLE LIKE THE FAR SIDE? YOU KNOW THOSE? HERE'S A FAR SIDE SITE BUT THESE DON'T LOOK AS MUCH LIKE COBB'S AS OTHERS I'VE SEEN. http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/commodity/160/fs.html Great selection of Gary's cartoons! I've always loved his style. On that page, I love the one about the mummy, the scarecrow & his brain and the tapeworms on vacation. :) Funny thing is, there aint that many sites which feature his creations as he informed people they'd be violating copyright. It's an interesting question - personally, I'd have thought the more sites that show what his cartoons are like, the more likely people would be to purchase his books etc. That reminds me, did you like the Doctor Fun site? 8 years of his cartoons! He's QUITE the opposite of Gary in that regard. And yet his cartoons are on a very similar wavelength. Delightfully whacky or just plain weird. In case you missed it, here 'tis again - http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/archive.html As for Ron Cobb, I didn't go into the city this week but I'll see if I can photocopy some of his better cartoons and then scan them for your edification. Some are classics. THE LOCAL LIBRARY IN TOWN IS MEDIUM SIZE BUT WITHOUT ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. VALPO UNIVERSITY HAS AN EXTENSIVE ULTRA CONSERVATIVE COLLECTION OF TEXTS. ONE MIGHT FIND THINGS IN EITHER PLACE GIVEN ENOUGH TIME. THE NET IS FAR FASTER. Yes, what on earth did we ever do without cyberspace? It's like having all the libraries in the world at your fingertips. Okay, not quite the same as being able to sit at a desk and pore over a printed volume but still ... MANY TIME PEOPLE "COME BACK" IN DREAMS. SOMETIMES THE PERSON/DOG LEAVES A MESSAGE THAT THE SLEEPING PERSON COULD NOT KNOW ABOUT OTHERWISE. NOT ONLY THE TYPICAL THING LIKE "A MUSTARD JAR FULL OF MONEY IS BURIED UNDER THE ROSE BUSH" BUT LOTS OF OTHER THINGS TOO. DID I TELL YOU I WENT TO WORK THE DAY AFTER THE FUNERAL WITH NO TIME TO MOURN? AND, AS A RESULT I HAD A DREAM WHERE I FINALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT IT ALL AND CRY? MY PSYCHE WAS GOING TO GET WHAT IT NEEDED IN SPITE OF ME. Looks that way. I've had countless dreams where dogs feature and they're usually appearing as their young & spritely selves but I had a weird one the other night where Shelley was in a bad way and I tried to keep her moving just so she'd hang around a bit longer. Or something like that. I rarely remember the details unless I scribble them down immediately after waking. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE THEORIES OF VIRUS-CAUSED PSYCHOSIS? INHALATION OF MOLD SPORES OR OTHER POLLUTANTS? HORMONE SURGES? I'VE SEEN THIS SORT OF HERE-TODAY-GONE-TOMORROW BREAK WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND IT NEVER MADE SENSE TO ME EITHER. HAD A FEW EXPERIENCES MYSELF, BUT JUST ENOUGH TO GIVE ME A TINY TINY TASTE OF WHAT IT MIGHT BE LIKE. THOSE , SMALL AS THEY WERE, ALSO CAME AND WENT AS IF IT WERE CAUSED BY SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF MYSELF. WE/THEY REALLY DO KNOW SO LITTLE ABOUT THE MIND. You can say that again. Even if you can correlate a change in experience with some chemical change in the brain, you have to ask what's behing that chemical change. It might be an ingested substance like alcohol or LSD or Haloperidol. Or Ayahuasca. :) Then there's hormones & the body/brain's own chemicals ... it's really a wonder anyone stays sane ... :) {I suppose there's also pollutants & pesticides etc in our air/water/food ...} CROP CIRCLES FASCINATE ME. BUT THEN A LOT OF THINGS DO. THERE'S JUST TOO MANY, TOO COMPLEX, IN TOO MANY FAR-FLUNG PLACES TO BELIEVE IT'S A BUNCH OF KIDS PLAYING WITH A BOARD AND A ROPE. THAT'S THE EXPLANATION SOME SO-CALLED EXPERTS TRIED TO GIVE THE PUBLIC. Maybe one explanantion doesn't cover all examples. I've never understood the skeptical view that if you can prove one case is a 'fake' then they must all be fake. Hey, did you get those two excellent crop crcle links I sent in the mini-emails? One was at fusion anomaly, one of our old favourites. The other was over at a site called Gaia Guys - http://www.gaiaguys.net/Field_Forms_1999.htm OUTDOOR ART/SCUPTURES! GREAT ONES TOO!> Yes. I went along to the garden show thinking I might take some shots of lovely flowers & trees, but most of them were of the sculptures. Did you like the fluorescent pink elephant! :)
I actually had to wipe out a surreal shot of the reflected light off the surface of the pond in order to fit the elephant into my limited image capacity. It was a bright sunny day and that makes the images larger in size. I figured I could always come back and get another similar shot of the pond surface but the pink elephant was a one-off event. Then a couple of things dawned on me ... the ripple patterns on the pond's surface would not be the same next time because the water spirals & extra fountains present in the pond were only there 4 the duration of the garden show. Plus, the light being reflected depended on the time of day, the amount of available sunlight and the hue of the autumn leaves on that particular day. So, I'll never know quite what that shot would have been like if I had left it in the camera and then uploaded it to my PC. Oh well, there's always next year's garden show ... and I may have a better camera by then :)
OH YES! AND, YES, IT WAS ANNOYINGLY CLEVER!
That's a rare combination, when you think about it. To be annoying in a clever way. :)
NOT ONLY GORGEOUS BUT THOROUGH! A SERIES OF CLEAR AND WONDERFUL SHOTS FOR DAYS AND DAYS! I NOTICED THESE MONKS WERE WEARING MASKS. I SUPPOSE ONE GOOD SIGH AND A WHOLE SECTION MIGHT BLOW AWAY!
That's what I wondered about while watching the Gyuto monks. Plus the fact that the table had no 'protection' apart from a little rope strung between posts at each corner. Sneezing would also make a huge impact on the design. Might make it more Dali-esque.
THE KISSY YIN YANGS WEREN'T BAD ON THE CREATIVITY SCALE EITHER!
Did you like the joke though? The one about the man who wanted God to teach him how to understand women. :)
YOU'VE GOT ME FILED? UNDER????
Don't get paranoid. It's nothing sinister. I simply have a text file on my computer where I note down sites or photos or books etc that I figure you might be interested in. Then I refer to that file while composing these rambling, nonsensical emails.
NEAR BUT "A MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE" THEY SAY. IT IS TORNADO SEASON SO IF YOU DON'T HEAR FROM ME FOR SEVERAL DAYS, CHECK THE WEATHER. I MIGHT HAVE BEEN BLOWN AWAY.
Or abducted by psychiatric adventurers from another galaxy, looking for interesting specimens of human beings to study. :)
NEWISH STUFF: THE REAL STEVEN HAWKING APPEARED IN A STAR TREK EPISODE I SAW ON THE TELLY THE OTHER DAY! GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR ON THE HOLODECK WITH EINSTEIN AND A FEW OTHERS. DID YOU SEE IT?
I haven't seen that one. Was it 'The next generation' or 'Deeep Space Nine' or 'Voyager', do you recall? It may well be one we haven't seen in Oz. Some of the big series we can be years behind you lucky folks in the U.S. :)
I CHECKED OUT THE TOOLS BOX ABOVE AND CHECKED OUT THE SPELLING CHECKER. IT POINTED OUT EVERY WEIRD >> AND << AND EVERYTHING ELSE. I GOT TIRED OF IT BEFORE I GOT AROUND TO CORRECTING MY SPELLING.
Here's an idea ... you can copy & paste it into Word and then use the spell check and 'Ignore all'
Or just leave the typos in there! Doesn't bother me. Sometimes typos can even enhance the reading experience! :)
MY MUCH MUCH MUCH NEEDED VACATION HAS BEEN POSTPONED YET AGAIN WHILE I HIRE AND TRAIN NEW STAFF. I'M REALLY READY TO QUIT THE WHOLE SHOW.
I can understand that. Everyone has their breaking point and you have to weigh the pros & cons of remaining in that situation versus leaving it.
I HAD TO DRIVE TO SOUTH BEND THE OTHER DAY. THIS TIME I WENT ARMED WITH FRESH (RECHARGEABLE) BATTERIES IN MY TAPE PLAYER AND THE TAPE YOU SENT TO ME. PLAYED THE WHOLE THING FROM START TO FINISH! LOTS OF GREAT STUFF AND ON THE SECOND SIDE I BECAME ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN WHY THE MONKS SOMETIMES SLEEP SITTING UP AND CONSCIOUS DREAMING. I'VE BEEN TOO TIRED TO MAKE THAT WORK FOR ME. LATELY ANYWAY.
Yeah, it is an excellent tape. Was a real experience listening to her speak, after reading about those 12 years she spent in a cave in the Himalayas. If you can do that without going round the twist you'd have to have something going for you. :)
Lucid dreaming ... I've read a bit about it and often i feel quite 'sharp' just before dozin off, but never had much success in that area. In the past, I used to occasionally have dreams where I just KNEW it was a dream and I even decided to leap off tall buildings if i was sick & tired of the dream scenario. :)
I'D BORE YOU TO TEARS FOR A FEW MORE PARAGRAPHS BUT TIME FOR BED!
HOW COLD IS IT GETTING IN OZ?
Not very. Except in the mornings. We've actually had a phenomenal start to May. Over the time records have been kept, our average May temp is 16 Celsius. Well, the first 10 or 11 days of May 2002 would have to be averaging well over 20! We had a 28 and a few near 25 and the coolest being still around 18. And Adelaide has been even warmer with several days up in the thirties, which is a tad warm to be playing football.
Okay, now to my new stuff. Where to start? I better take a quick look at the Betty file. :)
Oh yes, I found some writing that I and others had done at the rehab program back in 1999 (which seems like a thousand years ago somedays). Gilbert's stuff is kinda cosmic like mine at times. Make sure you read the link to 'Sablec', which is one of the best things I've read in a while. Here's the main page I'm talking about -
http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/ermha4.htm
Then I found a couple of John Wyndham sites. One has a brief description of some of his plots. he's written more books than I had initailly thought. I read over the plot of 'The trouble with lichen' and I know I've read the book and enjoyed it many, many years ago but the plot rings no bells. maybe time to read it again if i can lay my hands on a copy.
http://ftp.logica.com/~stepneys/sf/dani/017.htm
http://www.liv.ac.uk/~asawyer/triffid2.html
Your bleeding hearts photos had me hunting the web a bit as well. I found this excellent page ...
http://www.pbase.com/gallery/athiker95/fox_hill_inn_flower_gardens
... and then on another page at the same site, I found these adorable critters ... :)
http://www.pbase.com/image/1584205
Oh yes, the other day, I found an intersting page about the effect of music on plants -
http://www.dovesong.com/positive_music/plant_experiments.asp
Apparently those plants 'fed' a diet of Led Zeppelin & Hendrix died! Makes you wonder ... I mean I quite enjoy the 'Houses of the Holy' album and 'Stairway to Heaven'. Not all of Led Zep's stuff is head-banging hard rock. Hmmm ...
I made that little search after my most recent trip to the museum. They had various music or vocal sounds playing from large speakers in several locations around the place, including the forest gallery. There was also some mention of 'An investigation into the effect of diverse music styles on plantlife'.
That's about it. I thought there were a few more liddle tidbits in my Betty file. Oh, one other thing from our mini-emails. I included that Flaubert quote about human speech because I'd heard a few little excerpts from 'Madame Bovary' the other day. I'd heard of this book before but had no real idea of its contents or theme. Have you read it? Sounds worth checking out at some stage. (Like I don't have several dozen books on my 'Must read that one day' list). There's an online version but you can't read them while sitting on a bus. Unless of course you have a laptop but I don't fancy lugging a laptop around the Dandenongs. :)
Getting a bit silly here, so maybe time 2 sign off.
Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. or as good as can be expected considering recent events & circumstances.
Looking forward to your reply.
Namaste
Geoff
Then a quickie about school for gifted ... and the Leunig interviews ...
Then a few more ... more Leunigs from books ... encyclop of 'unexplained' ... Robina Courtin ... more far side ...
Then this classic ...
----- Original Message -----
Then ...
If there is, it's not obvious to me. Maybe someone's just messing with our
heads. :)
Then ... well FIRST I need 2 paste in the mega-reply ... THEN the interesting mini-emails ... :)
Subject: Here's mud in your eye
Howdy Stranger
Just for a change, I thought I'd stick some of the new stuff at the top of the email. Why don't we start with a few cartoonies? I sent you that Leunig during the week. That came from a little trip 2 the library where I picked a couple of his books off the shelves and opened them at 'random' and photocopied the images that appealed 2 me. Here's the VERY first page I opened up -
http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/leunig/leunig40.jpg
So, I scanned several of the photcopies and you can have a look at them by clicking on the various links on the following page. He does have a unique style & way of viewing things ...
http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/leunig/leunig4.htm
One thing to note - I think I have filled up my allotment at the melbpc website. They only give you 10 megs but it's sans adverts. If you finf some images don't appear, just read the note halfway down the page and that should take you to a site that has adverts but i managed to send all the Leunigs there safely.
Want more cartoons? ... well, a few days ago I got an email from someone who had found my site by plugging the phrase 'enlightened budgie' into a search engine, would you believe. Anyway, he recommended an interesting site that has some very zen-like cartoons & other cool stuff -
http://www.dontworryzendo.com/
Some look vaguely reminiscent of 'Mad' magazine, which i used to read all the time. :)
And our final cartoony site is also highly interesting, featuring the work of Reg Mombassa -
http://www.shootthemessenger.com.au/pre_dec97/a_life_dec97/l_reg.htm
I've seen people wearing T-shirts with these designs on them but never had the chance to read the accompanying text. Reg used to be in a band called 'Mental as Anything' and they had some interesting song lyrics. One was called 'If you leave me, can I come too?' So, I just had to plug the band's name into Google, didn't I ... and came up with these two -
http://www.undercover.com.au/mentals.html
http://www.amiright.com/misheard/artist/mentalasanything.shtml
Another misheard song site! Looks worthy of further poking around ...
Okay, now to your actual email:
Oops, before I do that ... I was looking ove r the Leunig scans/photocopies again and just check out the one called Understand-a-scope. At first glance you might figure from the imagery it was drawn in the past 8 months or so. But honestly, it dates back to March 1984 (he's been at this cartooning caper a while!). Incredibly eeire or downright spooky don't you think? Is he related 2 Nostradamus? Or is it just me ...
Okay, now we really will focus on your last email ...
{One quick note - that animated hallmark card I sent you - I honestly had NOT noticed it was a strawberry plant! Freaky! I picked it for the cute little buzzing insect rather than the plant species.}
Okay, here we go for real ...
WHEN I FIRST DISCOVERED THAT HAPPENED, I HAD A 68 PAGE REPLY BEFORE I CUT IT
DOWN! I WAS HOPING HOTMAIL WOULD BE GLITCH-FREE. RIGHT!
I'd love to see just what you are doing with your email replies over yonder ... or perhaps not. :)
WORSE THAN THE JUNK ON LINE, THE BIG PAIN HERE IS THE MULTITUDE OF TELEPHONE
SOLICITORS. THEY PHONE FROM 9:00 OR 10 IN THE MORNING TO AFTER 9 AT NIGHT.
TRYING TO SELL NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS, LONG-DISTANCE PHONE SERVICE,
CREDIT CARDS--OR ASKING FOR MONEY FOR EVERY CAUSE IN THE BOOK. LUCKILY, MY
COMPUTER IS ON MY ONE AND ONLY PHONE LINE SO THEY CAN'T GET THROUGH TO ME VERY
MUCH!
Do you watch Seinfeld? There's a classic epsiode where he's bothered by a phone salesman and I can't recll exactly how he handled it but it was hilarious ... something like 'I'm a bit busy right now so why don't you give me your home phone number and I'll call you later ... oh, you don't want me to ring you while you're at home? ... well, now you know how I feel' ... somethin like that. :)
I also have just one line and so nobody can ring when the interent is connected. Do you have 'called ID' ?? That's a little gizmo that tells you who is calling you, so you can choose if it's somebody you know & want to chat with ...
> speak of such an occurence as a 'sign', like the Hopi. Did I ever send you that
> link about the Hopi & their 8 signs?
NO, AND I DON'T SEE IT HERE! 
No, I didn't include it, did I. I was reading it just the other day. Next time I'm online, I'll see about finding a link. Or I'll do a quick search now of my journal and see if it rates a mention somewhere or other ...
I found a couple but not being online right now I can't say if they are the specific one I had in mind. And you know how digiligent I am about checking linx before sending emails. :)
Anyways, here they are -
http://www.thebearbyte.com/HopiProFW.htm
http://www.spiritwheel.com/hopi.htm
The one I had in mind speaks of 'This is the sixth sign: The land will be criss-crossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun ...' (meaning white man & hisroads & highways and the mirages they produce on hot days)
Just had another look at the printout I have in my hot little hands and it says 'White Feather, Bear Clan'. So, you might plug those words & Hopi prophecy into good ol' Goggle if you feel that way inclined ...
SPEAKING OF COLOR--AND YELLOW FLOWERS--DO YOU HAVE DANDELIONS THERE? THEY'RE
CONSIDERED WEEDS NOW AND PEOPLE GO TO EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS TO KEEP THEM OUT OF
THEIR PERFECTLY GREEN LAWNS. BUT IN SOME AREAS, AND IN DAYS PAST, THE YOUNG
SHOOTS WERE USED AS YUMMY GREENS AND THE BLOSSOMS WERE USED TO MAKE WINE.
I reckon they're gorgeous! I read somewhere (as a kind of analogy to the mentally ill or other 'outcasts') something along the lines of 'A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been recognised'. Or something like that. You know what I mean.
MAYBE NOT. BUT AN HOUR DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MUCH IF YOU HAVE THE LITTLE INSERT
THINGY THAT LETS YOU TAKE 50 SHOTS AND YOU ARE 10 MILES AWAY FROM HOME AND SEE A
MILLION THINGS TO TAKE PICS OF.
At least you ahve a decent storage capacity. I often fill up the nine or ten image limit verry early on when i am somewhere interesting like Ricketts sanctuary ...
PHOTOGRAPHISING, HUH? I LIKE THAT ONE. I WAS ALL SET TO TAKE PHOTOS THIS
WEEKEND BUT MOTHER NATURE NATURE WAS TRYING FOR THE SECOND GREAT FLOOD OF
BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS.
Do you generally get a lot of rain in springtime? I know it's our wettest time of the year. But at least you know summer is on the horizon after your freezing winter conditions. Hey, do many flowers survive the winter? Or do you just have 2 plant a new lot each summer?
EVER READ BRAVE NEW WORLD? HAPPY PILLS--CALLED SOMA, AS I REMEMBER.
No. That's another book I've read quotes or excerpts from but never gotten around 2 reading the actual book. I believe there was also something similar in one of Asimov's 'Trilogy', which I also haven't actually read. :)
AT LEAST HE WON SOMETHING. PEOPLE DO THAT AROUND HERE AND GET NOTHING. LOTS OF
FOLKS ARE ADDICTED TO GAMBLING IN THESE PARTS.
Down here as well. There are some measures to help the worst addicts but when the govt derive a substantial amount of revenue from gambling, it's often a half-hearted effort. I often wonder about the 'karma' of making money out of people's weaknesses ... tobacco companies ... alcohol ... governments ... those of us who enjoy the governement's services ... hmmm ...
REMINDED ME OF A K. GIBRAN QUOTE:
And a woman spoke, saying, "Tell us of Pain."
And he said:
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun,
so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your
pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted
the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
Thanx. That's yet another book I've read bits & pieces from. :)
I like his thoughts on 'children' ... then again, the whole damn book is brilliant. I've often opened it in bookshops or libraries and read passages now that we have this miracle of cyberspace but never actually purchased a copy.
THERE WAS SOME ALAN WATTS AT THIS SITE TOO!
Yes, I've enjoyed quite a few of the pieces I have read from Alan's pen (or keyboard).
I FIND IT INTERESTING--YOU BEING STARSEED AND ALL--THAT YOU EQUATED ATHEISM TO
NON-EXISTENCE AFTER DEATH. WHY NOT JUST ANOTHER PLANE OF EXISTENCE, WITHOUT A
GOD-FIGURE?
Well, at the time I didn't see myself as a 'starseed' at all. :)
I suppose I was an 'annihilationist'. That's a term from the very first book you & I ever discussed - 'Who are you?' by Chris Butler. I'm getting all nostalgic just thinking about it. You read a few excerpts from my site & even printed some of them, if my memory serves me correctly.
I FORGOT TO MENTION THE PICKING AT CLOTHES AND BLANKETS. SEEMS PRETTY UNIVERSAL
AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY PEOPLE DO THAT. THEY ALSO REACH TO PICK THINGS OUT OF
THE AIR.
Thanx for the info. Makes my life complete. I'm in a bit of a silly mood lately, I'm sure you understand ... and if you don't ...
Might be time for a breather away from this fluorescent screen ...
> Did you know the Shambhala Sun has an online presence? :)
NO, BUT IT FIGURES. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO HAVE A SITE. I'LL DO A QUICKIE SEARCH.
In case you didn't find it, here's the address. It's quite a nifty site. If nifty is a word to be applied to a Buddhist oriented web presence.
http://www.shambhalasun.com/
{Just found an old link to the site which might be an interview with the Daily Lama -
http://www.shambhalasun.com/Archives/Features/1996/Nov96/Dalai%20Lama.htm
{Update: no longer a valid link. Pity.}
> I've read about that. In your book actually. Do they have 'headstones' or
> other such markers
I NEVER HEARD OF ANY. IT WOULD GO AGAINST THE IMPERMANENCE THING, WOULDN'T IT?
You would think so. If you truly believe their 'essence' has moved on into another body ... or nirvana even ...
Actually, that reminds me of a 'funny' thought I had a few weeks back. I could be my own grand-mother! While my Mum was pregnant my father's mother was dying from cancer and she actually did die just before I was born. Makes you wonder ...
YEP! THE SAME! I LOVE HIS STUFF. DARK, DEPRESSING, WRIST-SLASHING MUSIC. BUT
THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT'S APPEALING (BESIDES THE DEPRESSING
STUFF, THAT IS). COHEN SPENT A CHUNK OF TIME IN A ZEN MONASTERY. HERE'S A GOOD
SITE ABOUT HIM:
> http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/
I must remember to check this site out & give you my impression of it. I did have a search a while back for his lyrics. The words to the 'Stranger' song are quite interesting - I wouldn't really call it depressing as such. :)
> {Of course, that can be a double-edged sword as I've also written some extremely
> dark (& twisted) stuff while in those abysses (is there a plural of abyss?) and
> reading that stuff can tend to remind me of how dark things can seem}
IS IT JUST A REMINDER OR DOES IT BRING YOU DOWN A BIT? A LOT?
Like everything else, it depends entirely on what kind of mood I'm in at the time. Sometimes I can read it and remember how deep the abyss is and yet not feel it flooding back. Other times, it can trigger the same kind of feeling over again. I mean if I were totally logical, I'd either not write it down or rip it up once I have written it down, just so it can't re-manifest itself. Does that make any sense, I'm wondering?
YES, I'VE PLAYED WITH THE REGULAR AND CLOSE-UP SETTINGS BUT I'N SURE WHERE THAT
LINE BETWEEN IS. I WILL SAY I CAN GET VERY VERY CLOSE WITH THE CLOSE-UP
SETTING. 3 CM?
That would be nice. My 'close-ups' are invariably blurred. I've seen some gorgeous 'macro' images at various sites and figure they must have really good equipment. Here's one -
http://www.digitalphotocontest.com/photodisplay.asp?photoid=292266
Hopefully that's still a valid link ... {just checked and it is valid and there is NO WAY I could get an image like that with my little camera! The sharpness is exquisite. I'd forgotten what a stunning image it was and what a great site that is.}
THE BIG "THEY" SAY EVERY CELL IN YOUR BODY DIES / CHANGES IN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF
TIME--7 YEARS? SOME SAY THAT'S WHY YOUR TASTES FOR FOODS CHANGE. DO YOU
SUPPOSE IT ALSO EXPLAINS WHY YOUR TASTES IN AREAS OF INTEREST CHANGE TOO?
DIFFERENT BRAIN CELLS?
I have read that about cells, probably in 'Quantum Healing' by Deepak Chopra. That's a weird thought - we keep aging yet most of the cells aren't very old! I also read somewhere that cells 'remember' and store traumas etc. Now where was that article? Haven't read it in awhile ...
***** Can't even recall the title of the article which makes things kinda tough ...
... was it ... nope, I've drawn a complet blank ...
This is what it looks like:
{Obviously Geoff's still in a bit of a silly mood ...}
MADE PERFECT SENSE TO ME. BAD SIGN? THAT THING ABOUT EXPERIENCING BOTH
EXTREMES OF THE SPIRITUAL SIDE. I KNOW I'VE CERTAINLY CHANGED MY VIEWS. IT'S
SUCH A MYSTERY TO ME. HOW COULD I HAVE BELIEVED WHATEVER BEFORE? AND BELIEVE SO
DIFFERENTLY NOW? MORE TO THE POINT, HOW CAN I GET OTHERS TO CHANGE THEIR MIND
TOO? JUST TO OPEN THEM UP A BIT, NOT TO CONVINCE THEM OF WHAT I BELIEVE.
HONEST.
That's pretty much my story as well. When I look at what I believed & thought just 4 or 5 years ago ... it's almost like that was another person entirely. Who knows. Maybe we are both walk-ins. :)
WELL RE-READ THE ABOVE. I JUST WANT TO "OPEN UP" THEIR MINDS. HOW NICE OF ME
TO THINK MY WAY OF THINKING IS SUPERIOR.
Yes - that's something I also wrestle with. I suppose we all do. We all tend to gravitate towards those who have very similar views and tend to think fondest (is that a word? maybe 'most fondly' sounds a bit better) of those whose views are parallel with our own. It seems to take an 'extra' effort to think as kindly towards those who may have adopted the 'opposite' way of seeing things.
{Update: I was sitting around having my dinner later in the evening and a Dave Allen joke popped into my head. Have you seen any of his TV shows? He was very popular down here at one stage. And with a surname like that, it's hardly surprising. Anyway, he told this fabulous joke one night. It's hard 2 do it justice in an email - there really is an art to telling jokes verbally that I haven't really mastered. But I digress ...
It's one of those long jokes with loads of detail and you wonder where it is headed. In brief, there's this man who desperately wants to now the secret of life and he goes around asking lots of people and he hears about this hermit living on a hill who is supposedly the right person to ask. And so he makes the journey to see this old geezer who lives on the top of this hill (and loads of detail about his journey that I can't recall). He finally gets to meet this old guy and he asks him, "What is the secret of life?"
The old guy thinks a bit and finally says, "The secret of life is to never disagree with anyone."
The other man is a bit surprised & maybe a bit annoyed and so he says, with a trace of anger & frustration: "That's not the secret of life!"
To which the old guy replies in a calm, matter-of-fact voice, "Okay. That's not the secret of life."
I love it. Of course, Dave tells it a lot better but it's definitely food for thought. I was thinking just the other day that the times you're LEAST likely to experience peace & tranquility are those occasions of disgreement over something or other. So, it's a case of which is more important - experiencing tranquility or thrashing out a disagreement. That's probably an oversimplification of some human disagreements but it's an interesting (& worthwhile) observation nonetheless. Or at least I reckon it is. You're always free to disagree. :)
Phew. How's that for a little 'update' ...}
{That joke also kinda reminds me of a great Leunig cartoon -
http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/leunig/leunig4.jpg
}
****** Didn't include this but could stick in journal -
Back when i was a 'confirmed' atheist, I used to get furious whenever I would hear or read about anyone who dared beleive something different form me ... flesh out ...
YES. AND I'VE ALWAYS LIKED THE ADAM EVE THING. SO HOW DID THEIR ONLY 2 MALE
CHILDREN PROCREATE? INCEST?
Did you ever see 'Inherit the wind'? Excellent movie - it explores this kind of question. I think one of the lines was 'Where did Cain's wife come from? Did somebody else pull off another creation on the other side of the county?' ...
Yet to be fair, I also read a book called 'In Six days' a couple of years ago. It's the kind of book my 'former self' would never have read voluntarily if you locked me in a room with nothing else ...
Anyway, I found some of its contents quite fascinating, even if I don't necessarily concur with the conclusions drawn. I tapped out a few choice excerpts awhile back ...
http://www.angelfire.com/wv/geoall/sixdays.htm
YEAH. I'VE OFTEN THOUGHT ABOUT THE JOYS OF A "DISABILITY" CHECK IN THE MAIL
EVERY MONTH. I JUST DON'T WANT THE DISABILITY THAT WOULD GO WITH IT. I THINK
THE MAX ONE CAN GET AROUND HERE IS ABOUT $600 A MONTH. IS THAT OVER $1000 OZ
BUCKS?
Well, if you are going 2 have a 'disability', then schizophrenia would be about the most interesting one 2 have. :)
Seriously though, it's an interesting question. One on which I've written a few words over the years. At times, I've even believed that the capacity to stay sane enough & rational enough to hold down most jobs is in itself a 'disability'. Down here, if you have a psychiatric diagnosis like schizophrenia then you qualify for what is called a Disability Support Pension. And I'd have to say for most of the time I've been on it, it's a preety fair call - my moods have been so variable & volatile and just downright weird at times, making the retention of one's sanity a priority and no way i could hold down most jobs. Then there's the fact that stress can trigger 'episodes' and most jobs have some elment of stress associated with them.
Nowadays, I'm not so sure. I still don't think I'm suited to most (conventional) jobs. Then again, I don't think most people are really 'suited' to doing them. They just find a way to compensate maybe better than I do. I'm rambling a bit here. Hopefully, that makes some kind of sense, if not don't worry about it. :)
AND THE RAIN CONTINUES. FLOODING IS SERIOUS NOW AROUND RIVER AREAS--WHICH IS,
THANKFULLY, NOT VALPARAISO. MANY FIELDS JUST PLANTED WITH SEEDS (CORN, SOY
BEANS) ARE NOW A METER UNDER WATER. CHICAGO SUBURBS HAVE STREET UNDERPASSES
THAT ARE FLOODED AND MORE RAIN IS PREDICTED.
It's the end of the world ...
ON THE OTHER HAND. ARIZONA IS SO DRY THERE'S A FOREST FIRE BURNING OUT OF
CONTROL WITH LITTLE RELIEF IN SIGHT.
We often have extremes like that. Melbourne can be in drought conditions and Sydney can be experiencing floods and hailstorms. They actually get twice the rain we do but somehow Melbourne has the reputation for having lousy weather. Go figure.
I MISS THE SMELL OF NEW BOOK PAGES. GLARE IN THE EYES JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE
MAKING IT FOR ME. BUT NOTICE I'M NOT LEAVING THE COMPUTER!
I agree wholeheartedly. Though it is amazing to have access to the amount of 'stuff' on the web. And then you can print it out. So I suppose the ink is pretty 'fresh'. :)
YES BUT SOMETIMES I HAVE NO MEMORY OF A DREAM AT ALL AND THEN SOMETHING WILL
TRIGGER THE MEMORY LATER IN THE DAY. EVER HAVE THAT HAPPEN? MAKES ME WONDER IF
WE ALL COULD IMPROVE OUR MEMORY IF WE COULD JUST FIGURE OUT HAOW TO TRIGGER IT
WITH THE RIGHT CUE.
Yeah. Memory is a tricky thing. The number of times I have tried really hard to remember something without success and then as soon as I focus on something else it will magically pop into my head!
I've had so many incredibly violent dreams - like being in a war movie - that I have been awfully glad to wake up from and discover that it wasn't real. I can see how some people compare death to waking from a dream. Often it is only AFTER you wake up that you realise that something that seemed so very real was in fact 'just a dream'. What's that old nursery rhyme? About rowing your boat merrily down the stream ...
I HAD A "PROBLEM CHILD" IN A CLASS I TAUGHT ONCE. HE WAS 11 YEARS OLD AND
COULDN'T READ. WOULD ONLY EAT CHEESEBURGERS AND COCOLATE PUDDING. VERY
HYPERACTIVE AND VERY UNCONTROLLABLE. SPENT MOST OF HIS WAKING HOURS PICKING HIS
NOSE, MASTURBATING AND MAKING HITTING GESTURES--SOMETIMES WHEN NOTHING WAS THERE
BUT SOMETIMES WHEN THINGS/PEOPLE WERE THERE. HIS PARENTS WERE BECOMING
FRIGHTENED OF HIM AND WORRIED WHAT THEY WOULD DO WHEN HE WAS 16 OR 18. LONG
STORY SLIGHTLY SHORTER, I SENT THEM TO A DOC IT KNEW. REALLY SPECIAL GUY.
ANYWAY, HE DISCOVER THE KIDDO HAD FOOD INTOLERANCES TO WHEAT (HAMBURGER BUNS),
BEEF, (HAMBURGERS), AND DAIRY PRODUCTS (CHEESE AND THE MILK IN PUDDING). A YEAR
LATER HE HAD LEARNED TO READ (MOSTLY ONE SYLLABLE WORDS) AND COULD SIT
REASONABLY ATTENTIVELY FOR ABOUT 30 MINS AT A TIME. NO MORE NOSE PICKING OR
MASTURBATING IN THE CLASSROOM.
HIS CASE WAS UNIQUE IN THE PARTICULARS BUT THIS MD HAD WORKED SIMILAR MIRACLES
BY TAKING PEOPLE OFF ALL SORTS OF THINGS. MOSTLY ALL ARTIFICIAL COLORING AND
FLAVORING (THE STAPLE INGREDIENTS IN ALL CHILDREN'S VITAMINS AND MEDICATIONS),
RED WINE, CHEDDAR CHEESE, AND CERTAIN NUTS. SCIENTISTS SAID IT DIDN'T COUNT
BECAUSE IT WAS ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE BASED ON PUBLIC STORIES AND NOT A DOUBLE-BLIND
SCIENTIFICALLY CONTROLLED TEST. IN OTHER WORDS, IT DIDN'T REALLY COUNT THAT THE
DIETS WORKED!
Makes you wonder, with all the additives people (& kids) are consuming these days! And different people have different sensitivities or allergies to various chemicals or drugs.
Masturbating in the classroom. That would be a tough one to deal with! How laong ago was that? These days he would most likely be diagnosed with ADD or soemthing and medicated into compliance.
But it is a tricky issue - what DO you do with an individual who totally flaunts all of the 'unwritten' (and some of the written) social rules/customs.
> http://www.netsurf.ch/latestvirus.html
THERE'S ONE FOR YOU IF YOU'RE INTEREST IN THE LATEST VIRUS OUT THERE.
I'll try to remember to check it out before I shoot this reply off to you, but you know what I'm like. But in my defence, I have used up today's allotment of online time. :)
Speaking of viruses, I heard about a nasty one the other day called 'KLEZ'. Maybe that's the one your link is talking about. One of our local radio stations has a computer 'guru' come in each week to talk about people's problems (computer-related). They usually stick the tips etc at this address -
http://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/stories/s414234.htm
> Did you like the fluorescent pink elephant! :)
LOVED IT! BUT WHEN I FIRST LOOKED AT IT, I COULDN'T TELL IF IT WAS COMING OR
GOING BECAUSE OF THE TRANSPARENT NATURE OF THE STRUCTURE! MAYBE THAT WAS THE
POINT--CONFUSING PINK ELEPHANTS SEEN (SUPPOSEDLY) WHEN ONE DRINKS AND ALL THAT.
I've heard that, but is it a myth about the pink elephants? I have only become drunk twice in my life and I remember almost nothing except the after-effets being so unpleasant I vowed not to pursue that supposed avenue of 'pleasure' anymore. :)
Maybe one starts 2 see pink elephants when one has killed suficient brain cells? That reminds me of one of the lyrics of 'Mental as Anything' ... I believe it was 'wiping out brain cells by the million, but I don't really care. It doesn't bother me even thought I aint got a lot to spare'.
YOU NEED THAT NEW CAMERA!
Well, actually my surge of taking happy snaps has subsided considerably recently. I tend to do that - get really 'into' something 4 awhile and then get tired of it after awhile.
I NOTICED THAT SKIMPY LITTLE ROPE TOO. I THOUGHT ABOUT IT. DO YOU SUPPOSE THEY
WORK ON IT 6-8 HOURS A DAY ONLY DURING VIEWING HOURS? THAT WULD MEAN THEY WOULD
HAVE 16-18 HOURS TO RE-WORK AREAS IF THEY HAD TOO.
I've no idea. I just find it amazing on a number of levels. Especially when you know it will all we swept up and tossed into the sea at the end!
I'M NOT SURE BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE MORE THAN THAT ONE SHOT BUT I THINK IT WAS
WORF THERE TOO.
That narrows it a bit, but then I think Worf appears in a couple of those series. Have you ever seen him without the Klingon make-up. You wouldn't recognise him apart from that distinctive voice.
{Update - showing how quirky meory is ... I just recalled the title that article about cells. I't 'Yes, cellc do remember'. I haven't checked it in awhile but this might be the address -
http://www.intuition2.com/Cells%20Remember.html
Or I may have pasted it somehwere or other ... yes, I did ... so if that link is defunct, send me a reminder to upload a file called cells.htm to one of my sites. It's an interesting read ...}
DUH! DUMB ME! YOU CHARGE FOR LESSONS?
Not for family & friends. :)
Don't feel too bad. I have used a variety of software over the years and it's really easy to overlook something that is staring you in the face. That's why there are hundreds of computer books on the market, because it's not immediately obvious what a piece of software can do. Plus Microsoft aren't brilliant at producing decent manuals for their products!
AH, THE FREUDIAN SLIPS DISGUISED AS TYPOS!
Yes. O often leave typos in emails or in my writing just to spice it up a little.
Speaking of which, I was looking for humorous misprints just the other day and found a couple of sites. Mainly originating from this search -
http://www.google.com/search?num=30&hl=en&q=funny+misprints
You might get a different bunch from replacing the word 'funny' with 'humorous'. Google is funny that way. :)
MAYBE PEOPLE DO--JUST FROM THE SENSORY DEPRIVATION IF NOTHING ELSE. BUT THEY
WORK IT THROUGH OR SOMETHING. I WONDER IF THEY HALLUCINATE OR SEE VISIONS.
Have you read the excerpts from tenzin's book? It's a great read. She doesn't speak a whole lot about halucinations or visions while in the cave. I had a little bit of a look at those excerpts I typed up - click on this link & scroll down to the paragraph that mentions 'alchemical process which promised the transformation to full-awakening'. You can use 'Edit' and 'Find on this page' to get there quicker, if you don't feel like reading the whole lot ...
http://www.angelfire.com/wv/geoall/tenzin3.htm
{That should be a valid link as it's one of my pages}
YEAH OR STOP WHEN SOMEONE/SOMETHING IS CHASING YOU. SO FAR, I JUST WAKE UP.
BUT IF IT WAS A SCENE FROM MATRIX, OR YOUR MIND-BELIEF-DREAM WAS IN CHARGE OF
YOUR BODY AT THE TIME, WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
Funny you should mention the Matrix! I heard the other day that the sequels were pretty close to being relaeased. Matrix 2 is called 'Matrix reloaded'. So I plugged that in to a seacrh engine and found this site. But it would seem the release date is May 2003 and that aint exactly just around the corner. So now I'm all confused. It sure has taken awhile to get the sequels finished. I believe a fair bit of the filming has been done down here in Autralia. Anyway, here's the link -
http://www.the-matrix-reloaded.com/
I wonder what will be in this one. I almost don't want to read sites like that one which may give away some of the surprises.
> http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/ermha4.htm
THAT SITE NEARLY ENDED THE REPLY! I GOT INTO READING ALL OF IT AND THEN GOING
AFTER THE LINKS TOO! I AM FORWARDING A COPY OF THE ERMHA CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
SURVEY AND I'VE COPIED THE INITIAL 14 PAGES OFF FOR QUOTES. I WAS STRUCK NOT
ONLY BY THE QUALITY OF WRITING BUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE SO HUMOROUS,
ARTICULATE AND CREATIVE. HOW MANY WERE THERE? HOW MANY DOES THE PLACE HOLD?
That stuff dates back to around 1999, which coincided with those surreal seven days I experienced on the psych ward. So, it gave me loads to write about! How many attended the rehab program? Good question. I believe there were well over 100 listed as being clients but most day sessions were only atended by around 6 to a dozen. For many years, prior to 1999, it had been poory financed & the staff did the best they could and I drifted in & out of it as it never quite seemed to be what I needed at any given point. Then they had a huge overhaul in staff (possibly due to poor reviews by the government department in charge of such services) and the Day program leader became David Buller, who I mention in my Ideal Day program & the customer satisfaction survey etc.
Things really picked up for a while and there was a good positive vibe about the place but then within a year or so Dave departed under dubious circumstances that I still don't quite understand and the vibe was gone. So that writing was done in the brief halcyon period of 1999. The writer who worked with us was called Thea and she had a knack of getting the best out of a variety of people. There was a whole bunch of other stuff we wrote that i never grabbed a copy of. Many group poems - where one person would write a line on a sheet of paper then it would be passed along to the next person, folding the paper each time so that all you could see was the previous line. And a whole bunch of other writings that have disappeared into the proverbial. Pity.
But Gilbert's stuff is fabulous. Did you read Sablec the Vulcan? It's only about two pages but he has packed so much into those 2 pages. We kept encourageing him to flesh it out a bit further. It probably means a bit more to those who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia - or those who have worked with them. One of the other staff said Sablec was the best thing they had ever read.
Gilbert was an avid reader (& interpreter) of the Book of Revelations. On his day, he had quite a powerful presence. He used to deliberately deprive himself of sleep to induce mystic (or psychotic) states. He wrote heaps of other stuff I never got to see as well. Maybe it's all lurking somewhere in the universal subconscious ...
OUR CLOSEST INPATIENT UNIT IS A SMALL 14 BED PLACE. TO FIND JUST ONE PERSON WHO
COULD WRITE LIKE THIS WOULD BE MIRACULOUS. HOW MUCH OF IT WAS THE LEADER'S
ABILITY TO GUIDE/TEACH/WHATEVER?
Thea was excellent but if it wasn't already inside the person, you wouldn't be able to coax it out, I suppose.
EXCELLENT WRITE-UP ON THESE BOOKS! THE REVIEWER HAS A WAY OF STATING HIS OWN
OPINION BUT GIVING YOU SOMETHING "TRUE" AT THE SAME TIME. HIS EXPANATION OF WHY
THESE BOOKS DON'T MAKE GOOD (TYPICAL) HORROR FLICKS IS PERCEPTIVE.
Yes, it was very well put together. Have you seen a BBC production of 'The day of the triffids'? That wasn't bad. haven't heard of anyone attempting his other books.
SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CREATIVE SCIENCE FICTION WRITER AND A
CREATIVE PSYCHOTIC? ONE MAKES MONEY AND GETS RESPECT BUT THE OTHER DOESN'T?
Great question. Personally, I'd rank Gilbert's piece right up there with the most imaginative of sci-fi. I have read where quite a number of famous writers (& other artists) would have been diagnosed as having schizophrenia or bipolar. There's a greta book I read from the library once by Kay Jamiso. I think it was called 'Touched with fire' or by fire. She examines this whole question of the relationship between briliiant creative writing & some kind of emotional 'disorder'. She also wrote a book called 'The Unquiet Mind' which has just about the best descriptions I have ever read of mania & depression & what it is like to bounce betweent the two extremes.
THIS TRIFFID ILLUSTRATION REMINDED ME OF CONE SHELLS--THE LITTLE END THAT SHOOTS
THE DART OUT. DEADLY. YOU HAVE THEM AROUND OZ, I THINK. YES? I LEARNED ABOUT
THEM DIVING IN THE RED SEA. THE LOCAL URBAN LEGEND WAS THAT AN AMERICAN (OF
COURSE) WAS SNORKELING AND SAW A PRETTY SHELL. WANTING TO BRING IT BACK, BUT
HAVING NO POCKETS, HE STUCK IT IN HIS SWIMMING SHORTS. THE REST, AS THEY SAY,
IS HISTORY.
Ouch! Makes me cringe just thinking about it! Speaking of nasty critters, I was in the aquarium on the weekend and have you heard of a stone fish? Perfectly named, I must say. It looks just like a stone but then if you look closely it has eyes and is breathing. And should you stand on one ... well, it has 13 poisonous spines on its back! And yes, we also have cone shells ... and blue ringed octopus ... and marine stingers. Great place for a swim!
THE WILLOW AND TURBO SHOTS WERE GREAT--I WONDER WHAT KIND OF CAMERA WAS USED�
From memory, I thought there was some detail listed under each photo, or elsewhere at the site. The quality of camera sure makes a big difference. :)
THIS SITE WAS A TRIP! THESE EXPERIMENTS WERE 30 YEARS OLD. YOU'D THINK THERE
WOULD BE MORE RESULTS FROM THESE FINDINGS BUT MUSIC HAS ONLY GOTTEN MORE
NEGATIVE. DID YOU SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE WAS A LIST OF POSITIMVE MUSIC FROM
CHINA AND INDIA AND CLASSICAL, GOSPEL, ETC? IT SPECIFIED NORTHERN INDIA, NO
LESS. VERY SPECIFIC. I'LL TRY SOME AT WORK. COULDN'T HURT!
AND WHAT ABOUT ALL THE EASTERN INFO ON THE HEALING PROPERTIES OF SOME SOUNDS.
IF PEOPLE KNOW ALL THIS, WHY AREN'T WE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS KNOWLEDGE?!
Good question. You might also ask why some medicine is labeled as 'alternative' despite the knowledge being around for many more centuries than modersn scientific type knowledge. Beats me. We're slow learners.
> http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/ermha4.htm
WHERE DID THAT VERY COOL ILLUSTRATION COME FROM AT THE END?!
I believe that comes from the Mandala Project site - click on it for more details! I believe they had a colection of mandalas & images done by various people, including ankle-biters. It is a very evocative image - I 'see' in it a person putting two hands up and there seems to be a head behind them. It's also a bit reminsicent of Kirlian (spelling?) photography of people's auras.
WE'VE GOT OVER A MILLION ACRES OF FARMLAND UNDERWATER IN THE NEXT STATE NOW.
MOSQUITOES WILL BE ARRIVING SHORTLY, CARRYING WEST NILE VIRUS. IT'S THE LATEST.
IT STARTED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO ON THE EAST COAST AND IS WORKING IT'S WAY
WESTWARD. IT ARRIVED IN INDIANA IN SMALL NUMBERS LAST SUMMER. SMALL NUMBERS AS
FAR AS HUMANS GO BUT IT WAS WIPING OUT BIRDS AND SMALL MAMMALS. I THOUGHT IT
WOULD BE TAKEN AS A WARNING BUT THE GENERAL THOUGHT WAS--ONLY INSIGNIFICANT
ANIMALS...
I hadn't heard about that virus. They're pesky little buggers. Always mutating & evolving. It's a wonder they haven't evolved into a strain that wipes us all out.
I'VE BEEN INTERVIEWING LIKE MAD AT WORK. I'M SHORT SEVERAL STAFF FOR DAY
TREATMENT--HOURS AND HOURS OF GROUP SO-CALLED-THERAPY. I THINK I MUST BE TOO
PICKY. I'VE ONLY HIRED ONE SWEET LITTLE BLOND THAT LOOKS LIKE SHE MIGHT BE OLD
ENOUGH TO DRIVE AND COULDN'T HANDLE ONE PERSON, NEVER MIND A BIG GROUP OF
IRRITABLE MALES IN THE MIDST OF A HORMONE STORM.
SHE'S DYNAMITE! WORKED HER WAY THROUGH UNIVERSITY AS A BAR TENDER. SHE KNOWS
HER PSYCHE AND CAN MANAGE THE AGGRESSIVE ONES WITHOUT ALIENATING THEM.
THE REST I'VE INTERVIEWED DON'T COME CLOSE. THE ONES WHO HAVE RESCUE FANTASIES
ARE MY FAVORITES. THEY'RE GOING TO SAVE THE POOR CRAZY PEOPLE! THANKS BUT I
DON'T WANT THEM AROUND HERE!
Those are some rare qualities. There's a great article about support workers at a site put together by Allan Pinches. You may or may not have noticed it amongst my thousands of 'interesting' links. I met Allan at a big get-together during those brief halcyon days at ERMHA. He liked my ideal day program piece and said it reminded him of 'Walden', which is yet another book I had heard of & never read. Anyways, here's the article in question - you read it and then you think a person would just about have to be a saint to possess all those qualities and saints are pretty hard to come by these days ...
http://home.alphalink.com.au/~alpin/QUALITIES.htm
{Again, that is hopefully still a valid link - Ihave a printout but haven't visited Allan's site in a while - he's also a prolific writer on the kinds of issues I write about ... so if you get a spare week at any stage feel free to potter around his site ...}
LAST TWO DAYS I'VE LISTENED TO ALL THE WAYS AND FORMS PEOPLE WITH A MENTAL
HEALTH DIAGNOSIS EXPERIENCE DISCRIMINATION, HUMILIATION, AND CRUELTY FROM THE
GENERAL PUBLIC. THEN THEY STARTED PROBLEM SOLVING HOW THEY CAN CHANGE THEIR
IMAGE. THEY CAME UP WITH INCREDIBLE SOLUTIONS. SOME WANTED TO DO LECTURES AT
SCHOOLS ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE HALLUCINATING OR
WHATEVER. SOME WANTED TO WRITE ARTICLES FOR MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPER ARTICLES, ETC.
SOME WORKED ON A LETTER TO A WELL-RESPECTED TALK SHOW TO TRY TO GET ON TO CHANGE
PUBLIC IMAGE OF THE MENTALLY ILL. FANTASTIC!
That's something else we discussed a lot at ERMHA during that brief period where things seemed a whole lot brighter. I don't honestly know how you cut through people's preconceptions & prejudices. Maybe in a past life I was equally intolerant or judgemental towards those whose behaviour is 'different' and so I got to expereince it first-hand. I read somewhere or other that it's tough for most people to have genuine compassion for something they haven't experienced personally and I reckon that's pretty true. So maybe we have to wait until enought people have had the surreal experience of schizophrenia and then prejudice will be a thing of the past. May take a few thousand years - let's hope we don't totally wreck the planet before it happens.
I'm only half-kidding. I've met a lot of people about whom it would be tempting to say you'll never get through to them. Except maybe hypnosis by aliens. (That's another quote from the Seinfeld show)
BACK TO MY DENTIST NEXT WEEK. THE TMJ ISN'T GETTING BETTER AND I REALLY CAN'T
CHEW. NO TROUBLE TALKING THOUGH. OR TYPING. YOU'D THINK I COULD TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THIS, BEAR THE PAIN AND LOSE A FEW POUNDS (KILOS). BUT NO. I'VE
DISCOVERED MILKSHAKES, ICE CREAM CREATIONS, YUMMY COUSCOUS DISHES, ETC. GET
COUSCOUS IN OZ?
It's not terribly well known. In fact, off the top of my head, I couldn't really say what it is. I have heard it mentioned occasionally but wouldn't even know if I've eaten it. How's that for vague?
IT ORIGINATED IN NORTH AFRICA--MOROCCO, ALGERIA, TUNISIA. TINY GRAINS OF A
PASTA. MAYBE THE SIZE OF 1/5 OF A GRAIN OF RICE. THROW SOME IN A BOILING
LIQUID, TURN OFF THE HEAT, LET SIT 5 MINUTES, AND JUST FLUFF IT UP WITH A FORK.
USE ANY LIQUID, SPICE UP WITH ANYTHING YOU LIKE, ADD ANYTHING YOU WANT! GREAT
STUFF TO PLAY WITH. IF YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD. WHICH REMINDS ME--THIS
IS FUN:
Thanx for the primer. I had a vague idea it was something like rice or pasta, to which other ingredients could be added.
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/1556706308.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Another link 2 checkout b4 shooting this email off to you. Honestly, I had all your links listed for today's online session but somehow I got distracted by other things. That's most unusual. :)
http://i-cias.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct.pl?couscous.htm
Ditto.
MY MOTHER CONTINUES TO CLEAN HOUSE OF MY FATHER'S THINGS AND I CONTINUE TO BE A
BIT PUZZLED. OK. SO OUT WITH THE CLOTHES, THE STAMP COLLECTIONS, THE TOOLS,
THE BOOKS, THE MUSIC. BUT PHOTO ALBUMS? EVEN ONES OF THE 2 OF THEM TOGETHER?
SEEMS SHE WANTS TO PRETEND HE NEVER EXISTED, THEY NEVER HAD A LIFE TOGETHER.
THEN SHE CAN PRETEND HIS ABSENCE DOESN'T CAUSE ANY PAIN. SHE'S NOT ABLE TO BE
THAT INTROSPECTIVE IF IF SHE WOULD DISCUSS IT. AH, THE MYSTERIES OF THE HUMAN
MIND.
Yes, but then again if we all behaved the same life would be unbearable. Did you see a 'Twilight Zone' episode - one of the earlier B & W ones. I forget most of the details but these aliens came from a planet where everyone had an identical physical appearance. Actually, I recall so few of the details it's hardly worth mentioning. Forget I said anything.
Did your mother have many friends & interests that didn't involve your Dad? Without wishing to be morbid or prophetic, it's amazing how many couples that have been married a long time when one souse dies, the other quite often goes fairly soon after. And that's understandable. My brother worked in England for a couple of years and he said it was amazing just how many tombstones seemed to bear out this eventuality. But I don't want to labour the point.
ENUF?
Just about. :)
Maybe more than enough from me.
PS. NO END TO THE SURPRISES: I JUST TRIED TO SCROLL TO THE TOP OF THIS SO THAT
I COULD COPY AND PASTE IT FROM WORD TO E-MAIL. I CAN'T GET IT TO GO HIGHER THAN
PAGE 3! I'LL KEEP TRYING. I REALLY DO NEED YOUR EXPERTISE HERE ON A REGULAR
BASIS!
Ah yes, but if I was within a stone's throw of Valparaiso then we most likely wouldn't be composing these epic emails back & forth :)
And we might not get along as swimmingly in 'real life'. Who knows. :)
Okay, now let's see if there's any new stuff I can toss into the mix. I suppose I have already mentioned quite a few sites earlier in this telecast. And some of them have many words that could be pored over.
Oh yes, getting back to that site that had the Bible stuff. I had another look at some of it, especially the ones about leprosy. Have a gander at Leviticus, chapter 13. Either in a Bible or in the link provided below. Does it make much sense? From a medical point of view ... with all the ifs and buts? I find it nigh on impossible to follow. I suppose the question being asked at that site is whether this is the kind of clarity & knowledge one might expect if the author was omniscient!
http://www.fourmilab.to/etexts/www/Bible/Leviticus.html
Where else have I been ...
Oh yes, I sent you a mini-email about the movie 'Instinct', didn't I. Well, I had a little look around for any info about the book it's supposedly based on and came upon this little site -
http://www.ishmael.com/index1.cfm
That's about enough for one email, I would have to think.
Hope all's well in your neck of the woods (notwithstanding nasty viruses & work pressures & what have you)
Until we meet again.
Namaste
Geoff
P.S. I did remember to check your links - love the 'Play with your food' image. Is it a book cover? Do you have the book? Do you employ its suggestions?
The couscous site looks informative. And we all need as much information as we can cram into our brain cells.
That same site has an article 'Who is Osama bin Laden?'
http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct.pl?osama_b_laden.htm
Which is remarkable timing as I was watching something yeaterday where they interviewed his brother and asked him that most unsanswerable of questions: "Why do you think your brother became the man he is today?" Apparently other members of the bib Laden family are quite positive & productive citizens. More mysteries ...
The virus site does list KLEZ at the top of its page! Looks very detailed & informative as well.
Boy! The Leonard Cohen site has 700 pages! I'll mark it down for further explorations. Looks excellent.
I also checked the Hopi links and one of them does indeed have the nine signs that are mentioned in Hopi prophecy.
Enjoy all that reading! And get back to me at your leisure. No rush. take your time. I'm not going anywhere. (Oh, unless those aliens come back to whisk me off to some less dysfunctional planet but that's not due for a little while.}
Ciao
Then the mini-emails ...
... well, not as MANY as I had thought ... THIS one is worthy of a mention ...
Hi Betty
If you're really good I might buy you one 4 Christmas. :)
I believe there is an Aussie bookshop online where his books are available.
Not sure how big a slug it would be for postage etc ...
http://www.bookworm.com.au/p100905.htm
Or I might pop down to the library & actually borrow the books so I don't
have 2 fork out money for photocopying. Though it is nice to have the
photocopies once the book is back on the shelves ...
BTW, how many PAGES have you printed out since we started emailing each
other. :)
If you want to print a WHOLE bunch of his, dating back a couple of years,
try here -
http://www.curlyflat.net/otherpage.htm
Ciao
Geoff
Oh, here's one I scanned just yesterday -
http://acaciaward.0catch.com/leunig/leunig53.jpg
Ariverderci
----- Original Message -----
From: "Betty Vania"
Then ...
Hi Betty
Thanx for the e-cards.
Yes, the Buddha card was a bit unusual. I thought he got his final enlightenment by steadfastly sitting under a bodhi tree. I saw a doco once that showed the actual tree.
No, I haven't seen Vanilla Sky & since I don't belong 2 a video rental club, I'll have 2 wait until it appears on the telly in due course.
We had a gorgeous crisp & clear night for the full moon. It looked huge as it rose above the horizon as I was out for my evening walk down by the creek. Almost like you could reach out & touch it.
Funny you should sens a card from the Tibet shop site. I was reading this particular interview a couple of days ago ...
http://www.purifymind.com/daila.htm
They may need to run a spell checker on the filename but it's an interesting read.
Looking forward 2 your reply whenever it arrives.
Namaste
Geoff
Ah ... aint yet pasted the latest in here out of betty77 ...
Howdy Stranger
A JOHN WAYNE QUOTE?! BEEN WATCHING OLD COWBOY MOVIES? YOU HAVE ENTIRELY TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS!
You're right about the time, but I haven't been watching Jown Wayne movies. The phrase just popped into my head, so I used it.
> http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/leunig/leunig40.jpg
THIS VERGES ON BEING SWEET. NOT THE BITE MOST OF HIS STUFF HAS
Maybe Mr Leunig is a man of many moods ... I certainly am ... :)
That one is from his book of common prayer but more on that a bit later. (In case I forget - we had a copy at ERMHA during those days with the writer's group and Dave being day program leader etc. The intro explains what brought him to write it. I may scan or copy it next time I'm over at Springvale library ...)
>http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/leunig/leunig4.htm
THIS IS UNLIKE THE CARTOONS YOU'VE BEEN SENDING OF HIS. I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE "GOD HELP US TO LIVE SIMPLY, TO MOVE SIMPLY�" ONE AND THE LOGIC IN "THE INVENTION OF LAUGHTER." THE DRAWING WITH THE LIVE SIMPLY ONE IS SO INNOCENT COMPARED TO MORE RECENT TOONS OF HIS. THAT BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER SEEMS MORE HOPEFUL THAN HIS PRESENT WORK.
Well, I picked out the ones that appealed to me. He's done countless cartoons over the years. Anyway, the Book of Common Prayer was done about 1981 and from what I remember, he says it was the result of a time of crisis in his life and some people helped him through it and the book was the result. Well worth checking out if you see it in a bookshop anywhere. Probably not terribly likely in your neck of the woods but you never know ...
I loved the Christmas story too ... :)
>http://www.dontworryzendo.com/
OUT OF CURIOSITY, I TRIED A SEARCH ON ENLIGHTENED BUDGIE AND CAME UP WITH A ROCK BAND. DID YOU SEE THE DUCK KOANS AT THIS SITE?
Yes, I did. Mr leunig also incorporates ducks into many of his drawings. Did you happen to notice 'Thoughts of a duck' at one of the links I sent via mini-email? Let's see if i can dredge it up (I'm offline as usual as I type up these words to send 2u)
Ah, you're in luck. Here's the duck -
http://www.curlyflat.net/cartoons/L120102.gif
NO, SOME LOOK EXACTLY LIKE MAD MAGS CARTOONS!
I used to buy it every month without fail, going back maybe 20 years or so ago. Do they still produce it. Some of the send-ups & satires were priceless!
A PLANE HEADED FOR A SKYSCRAPER THAT LOOKS A BIT TOO MUCH LIKE ONE OF THE TOWERS� FREAKY.
I doubt if he drew it with the idea of a plane flying into a skyscraper but that's how it turned out. I'd seen that cartoon b4 Sept 11 but it takes on the freaky aspect after that unbelievable day. Can you believe it's nearly 9 months ago! I heard on the news the other day that 'they' expect a surge in the baby figures around this time! :)
YES AND I'VE USED THE LINE MYSELF WHEN IN THE MOOD. NOW I HANG UP BEFORE THEY GET INTO IT. BUT WHY IS IT THAT OZ GETS SO MANY AMERICAN PROGRAMS? BY THE LOOKS OF THE MOVIES FROM YOUR PARTS, YOU MUST HAVE CREATIVE TV SHOWS BETTER THAN OURS.
We do, but it's a mixed bag. Our sitcoms are generally woeful, for some strange reason. So our most popular comedies are imported ones from the US or England.
THIS WHOLE PROPHECY IS AMAZING!!! NOSTRADAMUS WAS SO VAGUE COMPARED TO THIS!
Ah yes, but the Hopi were living in a very different social environment. No threat of being accused or witchcraft or sorcery if you foretold the future. It would be nice to know exactly what Nostradamus actually did see, before couching it in such cryptic language.
The whole idea of prophecy still bends my mind a bit. I mean HOW can anyone know the future? And if they forese it, what chance is there of changing it ...
NOW THERE'S AN INTERPRETATION OF THE NOAH'S ARK STORY THAT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE! BOTH EMPHASIZE THE RETURN TO AND CARE OF NATURE. WE KNOW WHAT THE RESULTS ARE GOING TO BE IF WE DON'T AND WE (HERE, AT LEAST. THERE?) REALLY SCREW IT COMPLETELY UP AT EVERY TURN. WE ALL BUY INTO IT TO SOME DEGREE. I AM FANATIC ABOUT RECYCLING BUT I STILL DRIVE A CAR WHEN I COULD DO BETTER CONSRVING FOSSIL FUELS, I STILL BUY SOME THINGS IN NON-RECYCLABLE CONTAINERS, ETC., ETC. WE WON'T MENTION THE ELECTRICITY USED TO RUN A COMPUTER THAT WILL BE OBSOLETE IN A YEAR. (MINE'S 4? YEARS OLD)
You're right about that. It's hard not to just be swept along by the status quo, when 'everyone's doing it' ... and in practical terms, it's a little hard to see how to turn it all around. Sure, in the wonderful realm of one's imagination, it's dead easy to change things completely around. But then you think about the reality of how people live and all the vested interests and it can seem like one of those mythical knots that you can't untie. Or unscrambling an egg ...
CAN'T GET MUCH CLEARER, CAN IT?! WHAT'S THAT ONE BY PADMASAMBAVA? ABOUT WHEN THE IRON BIRD FLIES? TIME OUT FOR A SEARCH.
I've heard that expression once before - possibly in an interview with the Daily Lama.
> http://www.dabase.net/buddhism.htm
TRY THAT ONE.
I shall. Hopefully b4 I send this email off to you but you know me ...
2 RECORD-BREAKING COLD NIGHTS IN A ROW! BUT GENERALLY SPRINGTIME IS WETISH. (WETTISH? WET!) THEY SAY: APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS.
I've heard that. Must be a reference to the Northern hemisphere. Down here April showers just make things wet.
SURVIVAL OF THE FLOWERS: D'YOU KNOW THE TERMS ANNUAL AND PERENNIAL? MAYBE NOT IF YOU HAVE RELATIVELY WARM WINTERS. THE ANNUALS ARE KILLED BY THE FREEZE IN THE WINTER BUT THE PERENNIALS DIE DOWN AND COME BACK EVERY YEAR. WHY BOTHER WITH THE ANNUALS? THEY TEND TO BE THE ONES WITH THE MOST SPECTACULAR BLOOMS AND TEND TO BLOOM THE LONGEST DURING THE WARM SEASON.
JUST TO ADD TO THE CONFUSION, THERE ARE NUMBERED GEOGRAPHICAL ZONES THAT CORRESPOND TO THE DEGREE OF FREEZE--HOW COLD IT ACTUALLY GETS. WE'RE ZONE 4. CANADA RUNS ZONES 3 TO 1. ABOUT THE ONLY THING THAT GROWS IN ZONE 1 IS ICE CRYSTALS! SOME PLANTS ARE GOOD TO 30 BELOW ZERO (F) OR ZONE 3, OTHERS TO ONLY JUST BELOW FREEZING. VERY HARDY OR JUST HARDY, AS THE BOTONISTS CALL IT.
Thanks for the education. That's something I've never thought a whole lot about, seeing as how our winters are rarely freezing. Even a cold day in the depths of winter is still likely to hit around 9 or ten Celsius. Our coolest months still have an average of 14 celsius. That's in reference to melbourne, of course. Brisbane has winter temps that are around 20 or so. Which may account for the number of peoples who travel north for the winter. Mum & Dad have just done so. It's a little earlier than usual. I think they have a bit of extra moolah due to selling the house.
TOO MANY BOOKS AND TOO LITTLE TIME!
That's just what I think whenever I walk into a bookshop or library. I mean somebody could have written the greatest book of all time but how would you ever find it. Let alone the question of what would constitute the 'best book ever' ...
I'M NOT SO SURE THOSE GOVERNMENT SERVICES FALL INTO THE SAME CATEGORY. MOST WHO GET FUNDING THAT WAY HAVE EITHER WORKED AND PUT MONEY INTO THE SYSTEM OR HAVE LOTS OF RELATIVES WHO HAVE PUT MONEY IN AND NOT USED IT THEMSELVES. SO GO FORTH AND REAP THAT GOV'T MONEY! MORE POWER TO YOU! HONESTLY, DO YOU THINK YOU COULD HOLD A FULL TIME JOB--EVEN IF YOU WANTED TO?
On a good day, yes. That's my major ongoing frustration - the vast chasm between my best & worst days. That plus the nagging, gnawing feeling that there's 'something' I'm supposed 2b doing but I haven't yet worked out what it is. More on this theme later when we talk about starseeds etc. (If I remember - I'm currently in the middle of preparing my evening meal)
I'm back ...
> Well, at the time I didn't see myself as a 'starseed' at all. :)
SO WHEN AND HOW DID YOU COME TO THAT REALIZATION?
I'm glad you asked. Sit back. Get comfortable. This may take a while ...
I suppose I can trace its genesis back to a fabulous little book I read a couple of years ago. I was in Belgrave killing time before hopping on a bus to Olinda or somewhere like that. Anyway, there was a bookshop in the mian street and the signs said they were having a sale, so I had a wander round the shop. In the humour section there was a little book called 'ET101: The cosmic instruction manual for planetary evolution' by Zoev Jho.
I picked it up and had a flick through its pages as is my habit when trying to determine if I should prchase a book. The first words my eyes fell upon were asking a question along the lines of 'Did you ever secretly wonder if you arrived here from a less dysfunctional place?'
The book was reduced from $20 down to $5 , which was excellent value for a hard cover book. Then the 25% sale they were having reduced it even further. I read a substantial portion of the book while on various buses (and while waiting at bustops) that day and really enjoyed it. The Dandenong hills seemed a very nice setting 2b reading such material. The book has a fabulous blend of wisdom & humour that is a very rare combination.
What has all this to do with your question? Well, that book was the first place I read the expression walk-in and crawl-in. The book so intrigued me that i did a little search on the web to see if anyone else was a fan or whether there was any more info about the author etc. That search led me to a little site which I may heve sent you at some stage. It's a page called 'Are you a Starseed?'. It opens with an appropriate quote from ET101 -
http://www.fromthestars.com/page142.html
After reading the list of 'symptoms' on this page, that's when I seriously started thinking of myself as maybe just possibly being a starseed. Of course, various people have always said I came from another planet. :)
Anyway, I'm glad you asked because it got me checking out the book again. Not many people have heard of it. I did type up a few excerpts (surprise, surprise, I hear you say) and they can be seen here -
http://www.angelfire.com/wv/geoall/et101.htm
I also scanned a few pages from my copy and then the other day I found there was a bit of a 'bug' at the site 2 which I sent 'em. But I fixed that up and you can see the scans (assuming you was interested) at the following link. Some sections have been underlined and because my eyes have been interacting with these pages the scans may have special magical healing properties ...
http://www.dreamwater.net/mira2001/et101/et222.htm
One section that really caught my eye was the 'yo-yo effect' because it uncannily describes what I have been experiencing since Feb 1999. You can see that I underlined the sentence 'Do not mistake this for manic depression'. This make me chuckle because I am sure that if you pop along to your your friendly neighbourhood psychiatrist, he (or she) would immediately say don't be silly that's just a delusion - you're NOT a starseed! You have bipolar disorder and these little pills will fix you right up ... :)
{Or words to that effect}
Another part of the book contains the phrase 'emissaries of the light' and this gave me goose-bumps as the previous book I had read was James Twyman's 'Emissary of Light', where he tells of his amazing experiences with the emissaries in Bosnia.
There, aren't you glad you asked?
Through the week, I had a little look at a couple of the links down the bottom of that page of excerpts. I'd forgotten about many of those places. The Wanderers Forum is interesting, just to mention one of the top of my head.
Well, that's not quite the end of the penny section. I had a little look at those scans again and there's another phrase that leaps out at me. Click on this link and have a little look for the phrase 'perplexing hit and miss affair' on page 31. That describes where I'm at right now with uncanny precision.
http://www.dreamwater.net/mira2001/et101/et3.htm
And even that's not the final comment on this topic. How's this for freaky? I had this sneaking suspicion that I've mentioned the www.fromthestars.com site in one of our earlier emails. Well, I did a text search of the files on my hard drive and lo and behold there is mention of an email I sent you last year where we briefly mentioned that link. But that's not the freaky part. The date on that email is May 25, 2001 and then it is almost precisely one year to the day that your latest email arrives in my inbox asking me when I first suspected i might be a starseed.
> �Actually, that reminds me of a 'funny' thought I had a few weeks back.
> I could be my own grand-mother! While my Mum was pregnant my father's
> mother was dying from cancer and she actually did die just before I was born.
> Makes you wonder ...
HOW MUCH JUST BEFORE? DON'T THE TIBETANS OR THE BOOK OF THE DEAD SAY SOMETHING ABOUT 47 DAYS?
Not sure how much before as Mum & Dad have not told the story very often. (Just like they waited until all their 5 kids were past 30 before mentioning that Mum was at one time determined to become a nun!)
I believe it was not very long before my birth at all that she actually died. So maybe I'm not my grandmother after all. Unless she was also a starseed. :)
SPEAKING OF THE BOOK OF THE DEAD, EVER HEAR OF SOGYAL RINPOCHE'S BOOK:
> http://www.rigpa.org/WIR/TBLD/index.html
IT'S REALLY A BOOK ON LIVING BASED ON THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD CONCEPTS THEREIN. REALLY WORTH THE LOOK.
I have noticed that book in the Dandenong library and I even had a flick through its pages once. Looks like a good read. I also saw a doco about a retreat he conducted in Australia. I think i still have it on video somewhere or other. I'll try & remember 2 checkout the site you mentioned.
YEP! THE SAME� COHEN SPENT A CHUNK OF TIME IN A ZEN MONASTERY. HERE'S A GOOD
I hadn't read that bit in your original original email. :)
I suppose one can detect a Zen-like detachment in some of his lyrics & singin style.
YES, BUT FIRST OF ALL, THIS KIND OF THING HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LOGIC. AND, SECOND, WOULD RIPPING IT UP STOP IT FROM REMANIFESTING? I DOUBT IT.
You're probably right but having the written record has been the catalyst on more than one occasion for the abyss to re-manifest.
WHOA! THAT'S ONE HELLOVA WINNER! I'M INSPIRED TO EXPERIMENT THIS WEEKEND. MAYBE I CAN TACK ON THE RESULTS AT THE END OF THIS. JUST FOR FUN, NOT TO GET A SHOT LIKE THAT!
I loved your poppy shot. I'm not sure if you mentioned whether that was on a closeup setting. Love the friendship Park photo too. You are making it awfully tough not to get a better camera. The differenc in quality is significant. have you had much problem in bright sunlight? Is there a setting for that?
SO THEY JUST REPRODUCE BADLY? SEEMS IF THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST THING REALLY WORKED, AS THE OLD CELLS DIED OFF, THEY WOULD BE REPLACED WITH BETTER ONES, NOT ONES THAT AGED US TO DEATH.
I have heard cells compared with a xerox. If you have a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy, it's never quite the same as the original. So, therewould seem to be a pre-determined limit to how often a cell can replicate. Not a pleasant thought.
I REMEMBER SEEING SOMETHING ON THAT TOO! WHILE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE. WHERE WAS IT!?
I REMEMBER--IT WAS A THING ABOUT TIBETAN MONKS/LAMAS WHO DIE BUT NOT ALL AT ONCE. THE CELLS HAVE THEIR OWN MEMORY, OR SOMETHING. I JUST SAW IT YESTERDAY WHILE LOOKING UP A THING ON MEDITATION. MAYBE I CAN RETRACE MY STEPS.
NOPE. IT'S GONE.
I know the feeling. I can be walking home from the shops and something will pop into my head and I will often write it down if I have some pen & paper in the flap of my backpack. Other times, I think to myself, 'No need to write that down. I'll remember to do that.' That's usually fatal. I'll rememeber that there was 'something' I intended to write down but the details will have flown out the window. Then they will usually fly back in when it's too late. The mysteries of memory.
> {Obviously Geoff's still in a bit of a silly mood ...}
SILLY IS GOOD� CONSIDER SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVES!
Yes. There are many much worse alternatives.
> That's pretty much my story as well. When I look at what I believed
> & thought just 4 or 5 years ago ... it's almost like that was
> another person entirely. Who knows. Maybe we are both walk-ins. :)
MMMMM. IS THERE A TEST FOR THAT?
Yes, there is. Stand on one leg and pat your head while rubbing your stomach.
If you can do that, you are definitely a walk-in.
Actually, I had a little look for walk-in sites during the week and this one popped up -
http://www.walk-ins.com/
>http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/leunig/leunig4.jpg
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE HIS STUFF LIKE THAT. IT'S TO TRUE TO BE GENUINELY HA-HA TYPE FUNNY. BUT IT STILL MAKES YOU GRIN!
I try not to stick labels on people or cartoons, if I can help it. Leunig's stuff is rarely if ever going to give you a side-splitting laugh. Usually a wry grin or a nod or a wink. Or sometimes a sigh ...
> Did you ever see 'Inherit the wind'? Excellent movie - it explores this kind of question.
WAS THAT THE ONE ABOUT THE SCOPES TRIAL--EVOLUTION VERSUS THE BIBLE, ETC?
Yes. The original starred Spencer Tracy as one of the lawyers. I saw a remake which wasn't nearly as good. They spent a lot of time debating Genesis and whether it ought to be taken literally. In the end, they found the guy guilty but fined him one dollar. But I have read somewhere that the movie took some liberties with the 'facts' for dramatic purposes.
YEAH. VERY FEW WITH JUST ABOUT ANY MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS CAN HANDLE THE STRESS OF A FULL TIME JOB. THERE ARE A FEW. THE LILLY COMPANY HELPS SOME GET BACK IN THE WORK FORCE BY GETTING THEM MONEY FOR SCHOOL--HERE--LET ME COPY/PASTE IT:
OCT. 18, 2001--ELI LILLY AND COMPANY HAS ANNOUNCED THAT APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2002-2003 LILLY REINTEGRATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JAN. 31, 2002.
NOW IN ITS FOURTH YEAR, THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM HELPS INDIVIDUALS WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER, SCHIZOPHRENIA AND RELATED SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS ACQUIRE THE EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS THEY NEED TO REINTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY.
"WITH PROPER MEDICAL TREATMENT AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS, PEOPLE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA CAN RESTORE THEIR LIVES AND BECOME CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES," EXPLAINED GINO SANTINI, PRESIDENT OF ELI LILLY AND COMPANY'S U.S. OPERATIONS. "LILLY WANTS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS REINTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY. THIS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS AMONG THE WAYS WE DO THAT."
AN INDEPENDENT PANEL OF JUDGES COMPRISED OF NINE PSYCHIATRIC CARE PROFESSIONALS CHOOSES THE WINNERS BASED ON A VARIETY OF CRITERIA, SUCH AS REHABILITATION INVOLVEMENT AND SUCCESS IN DEALING WITH THEIR DISEASE. THIS PAST YEAR, 76 STUDENTS RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS, MANY OF WHOM ARE "REPEAT WINNERS" SUCCESSFULLY CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION. THEIR LEVEL OF STUDY RANGES FROM HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAMS TO GRADUATE DEGREES IN SUCH AREAS AS ENGINEERING, LAW, PSYCHIATRY, GRAPHIC DESIGN, SOCIAL WORK, ARCHITECTURE, EDUCATION AND CULINARY ARTS. WINNERS ARE ATTENDING SUCH SCHOOLS AS THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, BOSTON COLLEGE, COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF RHODE ISLAND AND THE COOKING INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO.
"ELI LILLY HAS MADE FANTASTIC DIFFERENCES IN MY LIFE, FROM ADVANCEMENTS IN TREATMENTS FOR MY ILLNESS TO EASING THE SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL BURDEN OF COLLEGE AND GREATLY RAISING MY SELF-EFFICACY BY AWARDING ME THE SCHOLARSHIP. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO ME THROUGH LILLY," SAID KRIS ATCHISON, A "REPEAT" REINTEGRATION SCHOLARSHIP WINNER.
"WE WANT EVERYONE TO REALIZE MENTAL ILLNESS IS NOT A LIFE SENTENCE OF WATCHING TELEVISION, DRINKING COFFEE AND SMOKING CIGARETTES ALL DAY. THE NEW ATYPICAL ANTI-PSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS, WITH BETTER SIDE EFFECT PROFILES, ARE KEEPING PEOPLE IN TREATMENT AND ALLOWING THEM TO FOCUS ON GOALS SUCH AS EDUCATION," SAID RALPH AQUILA, M.D., DIRECTOR OF RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY SERVICES AT ST. LUKE'S/ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL CENTER IN NEW YORK AND CHAIRMAN OF THE SCHOLARSHIP JUDGING PANEL. "IT'S GREAT TO SEE SO MANY STUDENTS ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM AND MAKE THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE."
INTERESTED APPLICANTS CAN CALL 1-800-809-8202 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO RECEIVE AN APPLICATION.
LILLY, A LEADING INNOVATION-DRIVEN CORPORATION, IS DEVELOPING A GROWING PORTFOLIO OF BEST-IN-CLASS PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS BY APPLYING THE LATEST RESEARCH FROM ITS OWN WORLDWIDE LABORATORIES AND FROM COLLABORATIONS WITH EMINENT SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS. HEADQUARTERED IN INDIANAPOLIS, IND., LILLY PROVIDES ANSWERS -- THROUGH MEDICINES AND INFORMATION -- FOR SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST URGENT MEDICAL NEEDS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT LILLY IS AVAILABLE AT HYPERLINK
HTTP://WWW.LILLY.COM
Thanks for the info. I'm not sure if there's an equivalent in Australia. Would be great to see more initiatives like that. Is that any relation to the Lilly who did those experiments with dolphins?
GETTING INTO COLD WEATHER IN OZ COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. NOTICE YOU DIDN'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT MY TELESCOPE OVER OUR WINTER.
No. I'd just about forgotten about your telescope. I can't blame you for not wanting to spend hours in freezing temps gazing at the heavens.
YES IT WAS! I'VE HEARD THAT ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DONOR ORGANS TOO. THEIR TASTES IN MOVIES CHANGE OR GENERAL PERSONALITIES CHANGE. DO YOU SUPPOSE THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER RESON RATHER THAN CELL MEMORY? LIKE PART OF THEIR WHAT-WE-CALL-MIND IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT IS THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE BODY? THEN WHEN A PART OF THAT BODY GOES ELSEWHERE, SO DOES A PART OF THEM OR THEIR IDENTITY?
Maybe that's why there's so much rejection of transplanted organs etc. I suppose the same question could be asked of blood donations. What if you get a transfusion from a person who was a completely opposite sort of person from yourself.
THAT WAS FANTASTIC! I LOVED HER ONE RESPONSE OF IT NOT HAVING BEEN BORING! AND THE SHRINKING UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT AFTER DEATH OF A LAMA--THE RAINBOW BODY. DID I TELL YOU HOW MY FATHER STARTED TO SHRINK WHEN HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DYING? AND I DON'T MEAN JUST GET THINNER. HE GOT INCHES AND INCHES (cm) SHORTER TOO! ANOTHER BOOK I'VE GOT TO GET!
It's an excellent read. In fact, that's probably the most extensive excerpts of all the books I have typed up. You can thank Dave Buller (former ERMHA employee) for that one. He rang me up one night saying there was this Buddhist nun being interviewed on the radio and I might find it interesting. So, I taped the interview and then had a look on the web and eventually bought her book ... then Mum & I went along to hear her talk ... and purchased a couple of her tapes for my birthday ... and copied them and sent them to you ... et cetera et cetera ...
Oh, if you want another excellent Buddhist site, here's Lama Zopa. I heard abt him a while back then found this site just the other day -
http://www.lamazopa.com/
NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY TELL YOU, IT WON'T BE LIKE SEEING ALL THE SPECIAL EFFECTS! DO YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE FILMS ON/IN DVD? A FRIEND INVITED ME OVER TO HIS PLACE TO SEE HIS. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! INTERACTIVE MENUS, OUT-TAKES, EXPLAINATIONS, CRYSTAL CLEAR QUALITY PICS�
I have seen a DVD player connected to a large video screen. Certainly adds a new dimension (or two) to the viewing experience. I've always preferred to see movies in a cinema on the big screen with good sound and without the ads.
SO THIS WAS DAY TREATMENT/GROUPS, NOT IN-PATIENT STAY?
It was called psychosoicial rehabilitation or PSR for short. Generally it was a day program for people who have expereinced an inpatient stay recently. I suppose I should use the present tense because it's still in operation. It just doesn't have the presence of yours truly. There are a number of agencies in the state that do this kind of work and they are under the umbrella of VICSERV, which you may have seen referred to in some of my writing. Their annual conference is interesting. They have a neat links page too. It even lists the home page of some dude named Geoff Allen and a few of his suggested links as well.
http://www.vicserv.org.au/links_nf.htm
> Sablec is only about two pages but he has packed so much into those 2 pages. We kept encourageing him to > flesh it out a bit further. It probably means a bit more to those who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia - or > those who have worked with them. One of the other staff said Sablec was the best thing they had ever read.
YOU SEE MORE IN IT WHEN IT'S RE-READ TOO.
I was reading it on a bus one day and burst into laughter. Can't recall what section - maybe the part where he describes Sablec's decision to live amongst the down and outs of society and so he chooses to be a schizophrenic. You can tell it's a while since I read it by that vague description.
Maybe Gilbert is a starseed as well.
I FOUND IT:
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mentalmagazine/message/176
Great link. I checked it out when I first read your email. Did I mention I went along to hear Kay Jamison give a talk at a local university a couple of years ago?
YES, I LEARNED ABOUT THOSE WHEN I BECAME A SCUBA DIVER IN THE RED SEA. BUT THEY JUST SIT THERE--AS YOU SAW. YOU'D HAVE TO STEP ON ONE AND THE SPINES WOULD HAVE TO BE STRAIGHT UP WHEN YOU DID. I THINK IT'S REPUTATION IS WORSE THAN IT DESERVES.
The same applies to stingrays. The guides at the aquarium are always saying you just about have to stand on top of one to get stung. Though they also tell of a bit of poetic justice where a fisherman speared a large ray and then got stung right through his chest and died.
... and marine stingers.
WHAT ARE THOSE? SAME AS STING RAYS? THEY'RE FRIENDLY AND INTELLIGENT.
I elieve the term 'marine stingers' refers to a type of jellyfish. I've heard that if you wear pantyhose their little barbs can't penetrate to your skin.
WE GET CLOSER EVERY DAY. HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE POLAR ICE CAP? IT'S HALF THE ICE IT WAS JUST 10 YEARS AGO!!! 2 HUGE CHUNKS HAVE BROKEN OFF--ONE 140 MILES LONG, I THINK.
I did hear about those two chunks breaking off. Rising sea levels wouldn't be good news for a country like Australia where most of us live in cities on the coastline.
EVEN IF WE DID GET ALONG, I BET I WOULDN'T BE SPENDING THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME WITH YOU THAT I NOW SPEND WRITING TO YOU! I'M AT THIS COMPUTER, AT LEAST A FEW MINUTES, 6 DAYS OUT OF 7.
And I probably would have no need of my Betty file, where I keep a list of things & sites that I think you might find interesting.
YES, IT'S A BOOK, BUT THIS YEAR THEY CAME OUT WITH A CALENDAR TOO. I'M NOT THAT CREATIVE BUT I HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO PLAY WITH MY FOOD TO SOME DEGREE!
That's something I've never really gotten into. Might have something to do with the fact that if we laughed too much or acted up at the dinner table, Dad would dong us on the head with a spoon. I'm not fibbing! :)
WELL SOMEHOW I'VE LOST A FEW PARAGRAPHS I WROTE HERE AT THE END A FEW DAYS AGO. MORE LESSONS IN IMPERMANENCE.
Yes. These emails back & forward have contained many thousands of words & thoughts & sites ... yet how many of them truly stick in the memory. (If any)
ONE WAS WHERE I WAS EXPLAINING JESSIE'S LATEST MOST FAVORITE NEW THING. ONLY OF POSSIBLE INTERST TO YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ONE OF THESE BEFORE:
http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos.fcgi?action=showMyPhoto&albumID=34440443&photoID=38857068&security=WynIQb
--WHOOPS. JUST RE-CHECKED THIS AND NOW IT POPS UP AS AN ADDRESS THAT'S 4 LINES LONG!!(?)
DOES THAT WORK? IT'S ONE OF THE 2 NEW ADDITIONS TO JESSIE CAT'S ALBUM. IT'S AN ARTIFICIAL TREE OF SORTS, HELD IN PLACE BY A SPRING-LOADED ROD AT THE TOP. CARPET COVERED TUBES DIVIDED BY CARPET COVERED LITTLE PLATFORMS. ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT AS STUPID A WAY TO SPEND A FEW DOLLARS AS YOU MIGHT THINK.
I'm offline as I tap out these words, so I can't check the link. But I'd be willing to wager a VAST sum of money that the link won't work. The presence of words such as 'editPhotos.fcgi?action=showMyPhoto&album' means that it refers to YOUR photo manager and since I do not have a password to your photo manager, I can't gain access via that particular link. A link that would work for me would be something like this -
http://community.webshots.com/photo/39321277/39321975nAbZQH
Once you've edited your photos, you need to click on the link that says 'Your public Community page' to determine the link that will work for anyone else. Does that make sense? You may find that you upload an image and it may take 30 mins or so until your public community page has been updated.
But anyway I'll make a mental note to have a look at your albums. Especially the Jessie one. Plus the 'Around North Western Indiana' one.
I've never had cats, though we used to have a couple as family pets when I was growing up.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WHY SHOULD I KEEP ADDING SITES FOR YOU TO LOOK UP WHEN YOUR ON-LINE TIME IS LIMITED AND I CAN COPY AND PASTE. THOUGHT THIS WAS INTERESTING--IT'S A BOOK REVIEW BUT THE SOLUTION TO SCHIZOPHRENIA IS INTRIGUING:
THE MADNESS OF ADAM AND EVE, BY DAVID HORROBIN (BANTAM PRESS, �18.99)
IN BRIEF: AN UNUSUAL TAKE ON SCHIZOPHRENIA. HORROBIN ARGUES THAT THE BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES THAT PRODUCE THE DISEASE ARE, IN PART, WHAT MAKES US HUMAN AND CALLS FOR A NEW HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TREATING SCHIZOPHRENIA BASED ON DIET. A VERY READABLE GUIDE TO EVOLUTIONARY THEORY AND PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS DEVASTATING DISEASE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MEDICAL RESEARCHER FORMERLY AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY AND ST MARY'S HOSPITAL IN LONDON.
I READ SOMEWHERE ONCE THAT TAKING PEOPLE OFF ALL MILK PRODUCTS HELPS A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF SCHIZOPHRENICS TO EXPERIENCE A CURE. EVER HEAR OF THAT?
No, I haven't heard of that one or the book you mention. For the past 3 years or so, I have been off dairy anyway - soy milk, no cheese or butter or even margarine. And physically, since also eating no animal flesh, I've never felt better.
There's certainly an enormous range of theories about what causes schizophrenia and how best to help people through the experience. I wonder if in two or three hundred years time we'll look back on our current state of 'knowledge' in much the same way as we now look back on those who used to believe the earth was flat. It would be nice to have some definitve answers.
THERE WAS SOME OTHER STUFF BUT IT CAN WAIT. THE WEATHER'S GOOD AND THERE'S NOW DAYLIGHT UNTIL AFTER 7:30 pm. I'M OFF TO PLAY OUTSIDE!
Enjoy the sunshine. Ours is diminishing. My evening walks are now taking place after sunset most nights. Gives me a chance to see some possums and the other creatures of the night as I walk down by the creek. That's something I haven't often done in past years.
Okay, now can you handle a few new things, in addition to those already mentioned. Here's an excellent article I found the other day when I plugged the expression 'Daily Lama' into Google ...
http://www.thedailylama.net/Shamballa/Shamballa00.htm
Oh yes, I enjoyed your Mars links from that BBC site. Did you watch My Favourite Martian the TV series? I loved it. And they recently showed the movie version which wasn't bad either. It's amazing how some of those early sci-fi series on TV managed to capture the imagination despite only rudimentary special effects. I'm thinking of Twilight Zone, the early Star Trek, Dr Who etc.
Here's one site I have sent you before but click on the panorama and then on 'Pavement Art'. I was down there last weekend and wished I'd taken my camera but these panoramas do a FAR better job than mine could -
http://www.path.unimelb.edu.au/~bernardk/victoria/virtual/vr/sbank.html
It's just along the river from the aquarium, so I often walk past the pavement art & artists if it's a nice day.
I sent you the Buckley story. I'd be most interested in getting my hands on that particular book. Speaking of great writing, here's a site I found while looking for info on 'The Three Christs of Ypsilanti'. I'm not sure whether I've mentioned that book to you before, but anyway, this piece of writing is some of the best on the subject of psychosis & language I've read in a long time -
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/13304
Okay, one final link for any time you have a few hours to kill. It's a cartoon site I found while looking for Sep 11 links. It is absolutely massive and most of the cartoons can be sent as e-cars as well. In fact, I may well have sent you an e-card. Somehting about comparing Microsoft with a book?
http://cagle.slate.msn.com/greetings/main.asp
Phew.
That's probably enough for one email.
Pleasant dreams.
Namaste
Geoff
P.S. It's now the next morning and so i have a fresh allotment of online time ...
I checked your albums ... some nice shots ... your main community page is
http://community.webshots.com/user/bettyrae
That's the page which lists ALL your albums. I really ought to add it to my faves. People can access it whenever you send an e-card of one of your shots, it will list the album above the image.
The Jessie album is
http://community.webshots.com/album/34440443UquDZE
I like the shots of her 'cat tree'. Nice to see that cat can actually do something other than sleep! :)
Though it is a tad frustrating the way webshots shrinks images ... so I click with the right button and look at 'properties' and then paste the file address into the browser, if that makes any sense. For instance, the full version of the cat tree is -
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/5/70/68/38857068WynIQb_ph.jpg
What else did i have to check before send ing this?
Well the http://www.dabase.net/buddhism.htm site looks worthy of spending some online time.
P.P.S. Just received your latest e-card. It says take your time with your reply. Too late ... it's on its way ...
Nice to hear your weather is curently great. our aint too bad. Some sunshine but a little nippy. :)
Ciao
Now ... see betty-03.htm ... but she's gone all quiet oliver sudden ... :)
From: "Betty Vania"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 9:26 AM
Subject: Re: Guess what! S'more Leunig ...
>
> HI, GEOFF,
> HOW MANY TIMES CAN WE REPLY TO THE SAME E-MAIL?
>
Good question. Do you mean how many times can we reply to a reply to a reply
to a reply of the original and it still makes some kind of sense? :)
> > > >http://www.occultopedia.com/index1.htm
> > >
> >...THERE MUST BE A TON OF WORDS I NEVER HEARD OF.
> >
> >Well, then it's educational. :)
> >
> >We can't be expected to know everything. Though when I was youngster, I
did
> >used to sit & contemplate what the heck it would be like to be an
> >omniscient
> >being. I came to the conclusion it would be boring as there'd be no
mystery
> >or surprise. :)
>
> GROWING UP AS AN ONLY CHILD, IN A HOUSE WITH 3 ADULTS, I USED TO READ THE
> ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITTANICA AND FEEL I WOULD NEVER LEARN ALL I NEEDED OR
WANTED
> TO KNOW! THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE MYSTERY!
> >
Yes, facts alone don't remove 'mystery'. And even conventional
'explanations' leave rooms for the question 'Well, why are things like that
and not some other way?
> > >
> >I've had no luck in locating that Cobb book but here's a bonus Leunig
toon
> >scanned from one of his books. More to follow in my next mega-email. He
> >really is unique.
> >
> >http://member.melbpc.org.au/~grjallen/leunig/leunig42.jpg
>
> TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SITE--DOES IT REMIND YOU OF THAT CARTOON?!
> http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/aug00/mobile.html
> >
>
The freaky coincidinks continue ...
(a) Until a few weeks ago I hadn't heard of Alex Calder & his art. Then I
saw a doco on the telly and he was incredibly prolific. Many thousands of
mobiles & scultures. A fascinating guy ...
(b) After sending you that email linking to that leunig, I flicked on the
tube and one of our 'special' channels has a series of animated Leunigs! I
have several on video if you're ever in the neighbourhood. You would have
thought it might be hard to convert many of his cartoons into one minute
vignettes but they have done a great job. Enough rambling ... the freaky
coindink is that within an HOUR of scanning that Leunig tightrope walker for
my site (and the email to you), guess what ... tonight's little one minute
animated Leunig shows ... a tightrope walker! ... and it's one I had never
sen b4 ... :)
> >
> >Ciao
> >
> >Me
> >
> CIAO!
> ME 2
>
>
>
Me3
> _________________________________________________________________
> MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
> http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
>
>
> OK. NOW WE'RE WAAAAY BEYOND FREAKY COINCIDENCE! IS THERE A MESSAGE IN
ALL
> THIS?
> >