http://www.foodincmovie.com/

Saw this on Colbert, some may be interested in seeing more. :)

Please read the entire post before replying, thank you.

"Recently, a doctor was murdered in his church."

People would generally agree that this statement can make you feel as if something bad has happened.

"Recently, a doctor who aborted pregnancies was murdered in his church."

This statement would raise hackles on different people for different reasons. For pro-lifers, its the abortion part. For pro-choicers, its the death of a man thatcarried out a medical procedure a woman chose to have. Some people think this was a bad man and that its good he was killed. Others think this was a good man and that it was bad he was killed. This statement refers to the same situation as the first statement but would get a much more dramatic reaction from people.

Now, don't go into a for/against abortion rant as a reply to this. That is not the point here. This was an example only.

People make a decision as they read it, was this a good or a bad thing? Was it a mix? What I wonder is, why do we decide these things? Is it nature or nuture to have to decide X is good Y is bad? There's obviously no real answer to this, this kind of question leads to circles of flaming and self righteousness, whatever side you may be on. It may even be a moot point, like trying to argue that God does or does not exist. So what makes you choose?

When we read the statement we feel something inside, a tightness can make us feel something bad happened, a lightness can make us feel something good happened.  But different people will have a different reaction to the same statement. But that seems to be about as far as it goes, a tightness or lightness, to make this a question of physical nature rather than mental nurture.

If something is good to one, why is it not good to all, and vice versa for bad? Does good or bad really exist, especially in nature? Or are we all bullshitting ourselves? If we all truly treasured and nurtured good, would greed be so rapidly destroying our world (both in the ecosystem and how humans treat one another?)

It says, "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWRWAWRWRAWRAWR!"

Which means I feel awesome and strong-tactular and I would like more comic books plz.

And some spaghetti. Which is on the way via my stove.

So who has comics for me?

This is a presentation I gave among the Pagan community in my town tonight. :) Enjoy!

 

“Meditation”

Allison Currie, 2009

I am not here tonight to teach you exactly a specific form of meditation, or train you in any particular method or convert you to any viewpoint. It's my wish to give you an introduction to what meditation is, with its many varieties, so that I pique your interest and inspire you to explore and experience some of these varieties for yourself. No personal experience of mine could ever validate a practice for you the way experiencing it for yourself could. However it is my personal experiences that showed me that this would be the first topic I could talk about at Fireside, and actually feel like I wouldn't be wasting your time.

In your every day life, your mind is a blur with a billion thoughts and decisions. Lists of chores, appointments, clips of conversations you had or are planning to have, ads from the television and songs fly back and forth in a manner comparable to the experience of browsing the Internet. Once in a while, you might find it clear for a moment, quiet, and peaceful, and then that very feeling is shattered the moment you recognize it, name it, and think “I should do this more often...”

Meditation is as a way to reach that blissful state, and to learn not to react, label, and end the feeling. It is a way to learn to just be, and live in the present moment. A large part of learning this non-reaction is to remove your attachment to the past and to your plans for the future. Detachment is not that you don't welcome the future, or that you completely forget the past. Those things are still what they are, but you do not spend all your time focusing on them; you become willing to let them be what they are without wasting time wishing you could change the past or trying to control the future. By detaching from this human concept of time you can live fully in the now, grasping that all you ever are is what you are in this very moment. When the moment changes, and you change with it, you are then that. That's not to say an average layperson is going to live like that all the time, it would be very hard to do so without living like a monk. We still have to interact with the world we live in, but you can set aside time to meditate and help condition the mind more toward detachment so that you are more free to live rather than to waste time in craving.

Another goal of meditation is that it is a tool for sharpening the mind, and in time, learning to calm and clear the mind with simple observation and mindfulness. This can be of particular interest to Pagans who want to focus their energies for ritual with less tendency to react to distractions either internally or externally. Non-reaction is still key in this, learning not to hold onto what you just experienced, whether good or bad, or thinking of what you want or do want to experience in the future. It was explained to me very well at the meditation retreat I went to that non-reaction is simply not reacting to feelings of craving or aversion, and that every reaction falls into either of those two categories. You either do or do not want something to or not to happen to you. So its important to practice non-reaction and not crave pleasurable things and not live in aversion of negative things. And again this isn't to say you never enjoy yourself or avoid doing something dangerous (like walking into traffic perhaps). It's that you do -these things without being hung-up on it, so that you just live in the moment, you are happy in the happy moment and sad in the sad moment, knowing that both are impermanent and will pass in the ebb of constant change we live in. In meditation, when you don't crave the pleasurable sensations and don't react adversely to unpleasurable sensations, (scratching EVERY itch that may come along during your sitting perhaps) then you learn to just BE. :)

There are several methods of meditation, but the basic process is that of sitting upright but without discomfort, not heeding the flurry of chatter the mind makes for you, and focusing your awareness on either a process or an object. Examples would be to focus on respiration, the sensations in the body, chanting a mantra, staring at a dot on the wall or at a deity's statue or poster. Other times you might choose walking meditation rather than sitting, in which the repetitive steps creates a rhythm to focus the mind and creating awareness of being in your body, of simply existing. Tai Chi is another moving meditation where your focus is on awareness of the body and the subtle energies within.

About Posture in Sitting Meditation:

You want your breathing to be clear and easy, so its important to use good posture: sit straight in your seat, shoulders slightly back, and try not to find yourself leaning to one side.

Many people meditate in lotus or cross legged position, but you can also sit on a cushion that raises you firmly about 5-6 inches from the ground, with your legs either crossed or straddled. An alternative to the cushion that some use is a small bench, tilted slightly forward at a light angle to help move the spine into upright position.

I always just rest my hands lightly on my knees, palms up. Others may choose to set their hands palm down or shaped into a mudra. Mudras are a whole other topic, they are a variety ritualistic gestures for a variety of purposes, so I won't get into that.

If you use prayer beads in your meditation by focusing on the repetition of touching one bead at a time, turning the beads in your hand, or counting them, you can also handle though instead of resting your hands.

Being barefoot is optional depending on your tradition. For me it just depends on if I am wearing socks that day or not. :)

Your eyes may be closed, or in some traditions such as Zen you might leave them half open half closed, gazing downward. The main idea is that your eyes are soft and relaxed, so if you are focusing on a dot or a deity image you may want to leave your eyes lightly half closed. The idea is to focus and look without staring a hole through your focus point. Your head should be in a relaxed position but not hanging downward, so as to make breathing easy and natural.

Generally you meditate silently unless you are using a mantra or holding a syllable.

Overall you should be relaxed and comfortable but not in an overly comfortable chair (like an arm chair or bed) that you fall asleep. It's not recommended to lay down for meditation unless you are ill and have to stay in bed.

About Posture in Walking Meditation:

You want to stand with good posture, but relaxed, shoulders back and spine straight for optimal breathing. Most often walking meditation is done very slowly, carefully placing your steps and using awareness to observe every muscle used in the step as your foot rolls down into place. In the west people often use a normal walking speed and focus on the rhythm of the steps to burn calories at the same time, and if you have the awareness and endurance some may use running or jogging to focus on the rhythm of breath and movement for a type of exercise meditation, but most often in the eastern traditions it is a slow easy walk with awareness and precision.

About Breathing in Meditation:

Breath should be your easy, natural breath. Do not force a specific beat or speed in your breathing. Then you can either start by thinking In, Out as you breathe, or focusing on the sensations around the nostrils as the air moves in and out of your nose. Eventually you will want to learn not to have to think In, Out as you breathe, but just be aware of the movement of the air through your lungs, pipe, and nostrils. Consider trying to sense the movement of small hairs, warmth or coolness of air as it comes in and out, or the tingling of the inner walls of the nose.

Time for Meditation:

At the retreat I was told to do meditation for an hour a day... to be honest I don't do meditation for an hour a day, though at first I was able to. I manage to sit for 20-30 minutes but then I give in to the urge to look at the clock and open my eyes, and ruin it. Some people choose only to sit for 30 minutes a day just to relax. Others find it hard to sit longer than 10 minutes so will meditate a few short sessions this way throughout the day. Like any exercise, you'll get better at it with practice and dedication, and eventually you'll be able to sit a little longer than you used to.

Different traditions will suggest different times of day to meditate and different durations, so unless you're following a special tradition then just find what time of day suits you best and try to do your sitting daily. :)

Area For Meditation:

You want to be in a quiet, clean room. The light should be soft but not dark. Some may choose to light incense to set an energy tone to the air you breathe or just for aromatherapy during meditation. (For example, lavender to relax or dragon's blood to empower.)

New age ideas about meditation have produced a number of CDs for “meditation music” but generally this will distract you from the focus on your breathing. If anything, listen to them beforehand to relax but turn off the music or switch to quiet white noise during your meditation so that you focus your mind sharply on your breathing or focal point or mantra.

Ending Meditation, Developing Metta:

Often in traditions, when you have been in that quiet place of mindfulness for a long time, its suggested that you end your meditation with cultivating Metta, or feelings of compassion or loving-kindness, within you, and radiate that outward into the world. Some traditions suggest doing this universally, others suggest that you name specific people or groups of people at a time and send the energy toward them.

For more information on Meditation:

http://www.buddhanet.net/meditation.htm

http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm

http://www.buddhanet.net/xmed7.htm

http://www.buddhanet.net/metta_in.htm

*opens her mouth, and then closes it, as that either sums it up or she doesn't really have an answer and is resisting the urge to prattle*

Well I came back from a creative dead period as a fledgling painter and capable comic artist, so I'd like to come back in the future as a published graphic novelist, prefereably getting a art degree too.

Just because I am in a fair mood. :)


1) What do you love to do in your free time?

Read, meditate, paint, draw, play games.

2) What music helps you relax?

Radio3.cbc.ca They have great variety, and its all modern Canadian music.

3) What movie did you enjoy recently?

The Dark Knight, yes I finally saw it!! It was AWESOME!

4) Who makes you laugh?

Hmm... well lately toast makes me laugh. :p My dog is silly and makes me laugh, random conversation with friends, ironic things in life.

5) Where do you go/ do to recharge?

I go home, I take a nap, and meditate. I picked up a copy of the Dhammapada today, I am finding it very relaxing.

"As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, so the wise are not shaken by censure or praise." Dhammapada VI, (81)

Thank you "Words of Dhamma" program...

I needed this.

Throughout my life I have been the go to girl for advice. For as long as I remember I have been asked about my opinion on things by my peers, and later in life even by my own father (which shocked me actually but I gave it my best shot.) I like to think I give good advice. My husband says I do, and my many satisfied customers seem to affirm this. But is this the same as being a wise person, or just someone with an opinion?

Lately two people have been relying on me to help them through their issues. I walk slowly through the problems with them, trying to help them look at the underlying causes of their problems and the attachment they have to those underlying feelings and tendencies that leads them into their problems. Once these things are identified I can only encourage them to work on detaching from the causes and taking whatever steps needed to stop the cycle.

One of them, after I poured 3-4 continuous hours of sympathy, compassion, and reason into the problem, seemed completely liberated from the problem, and assured me of the steps this person was going to take to make sure not to fall back in. I personally felt quite good, I felt like I had really helped someone, perhaps my ego even started to say No wonder you want to be a teacher, you are so good at guiding others. Look how well you've helped this person, Perhaps you are growing to become wise! Even the person I helped praised and thanked me greatly, feeding this egoic compulsion to suddenly feel "wise".

And then.... the next night... I find out that this person did not take any of the steps, just after I spent an hour and a half on the phone helping the second person (not related to the first person in any way) with their problem. The first person wanted to go over it all once more, attaching to the problem again and repeating the self-pity analyzation cycle I had thought I had helped the person out of, and I just could not do it. I told the person to review our chat history, and that I just had to say no this time, and how I had just been working with person 2. I said that nothing in my perspective has changed, and that I don't appreciate my kindness being thrown into the trash.

My ego, who had built itself up as so lovely and wise over the day leading up to this, was seriously angry. "What is the point of spending all MY energy helping them when they won't take the neccessary steps to do anything beyond the philosophical side of it? They have to do their part!!! I am not drive-thru salvation, the things I pointed out require effort on the part of the person who asked for it!! Dammit, I give GOOD ADVICE! This is why I love E so much, when E comes to me for advice, I give it, and she either takes it or leaves it, but may the gods love her for not coming back to me the next day with the same problem after I gave advice!!"

I went offline, turned off the laptop, and my frustration was taken out cleaning paint brushes from oil painting earlier in the day, oh how clean they are now...

I meditated until my heart could return to a loving place, I read a book, then went to sleep.

This morning, I woke up cranky two hours later than I normally wake up. I had to write this blog entry, and am feeling better now. However, there are questions in my heart still.

What is the value of advice given? When a person takes your advice, your compassion, but is not moved to make any real effort on remedying their situation, was the compassion worth anything at all?

I also see that I had begun to think of myself as a kind of rock or mountain as far as a third party advice giver goes. I try not to react to the dramas of others, but to look at the tale from a neutral view, and be the rock to lean on.

"As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, so the wise are not shaken by censure or praise."

I was shaken to sand by praise and retractions, the rock that I suppose to be is circumstantial. It only is a valid statement when regarding my ability to listen to others' problems, but when it comes to me in general I apparently am still more egoic than I liked to think. Something to work on. I was aware of my self-praise as I gave it, and tried (a little) to detach from it, but obviously I did not detach from it enough.

(This blog was typed in the morning but posted in the evening as the internet was down for a bit.)

It seems there is a growing trend toward vegetarianism now, and that's great! It really is. In that trend there are also people sitting on the fence, calling themselves vegetarian and still eating meat once in a while. For those people (flexitarians) allow me to provide some definitions to keep you from stepping on the toes of vegetarians.

• A vegetarian does not eat ANY meat, including fish. No food with a face! Vegetarians may or may not eat eggs (ovo) or dairy (lacto). Those that do are called ovo-lacto vegetarians, or if they only do one of those they might call themselves ovo-vegetarian or lacto-vegetarian.
• A vegan does not consume any animal products, including buying clothing made from animal products or any other household goods.
• An omnivore is someone who will eat meat, like most of society.
• A pescatarian is someone who eats fish, but no other meat or poultry products.
• A flexitarian (a modern word here) is an omnivore that has greatly cut back on his/her consumption of meat, but still eats it once in a while, so while they may mostly eat vegetarian they are still omnivores due to that once-in-a-while.
  

Sure sure you can go on about how you don't live in labels or whatever, great for you. But in this particular, non-religious case, its important to understand what category you are in so that you don't confuse others.

This is my attempt to help keep this new flexitarian movement from further confusing people about vegetarianism. I've been asked (so many times) "But you still eat fish right?? Won't you at least eat some turkey at Christmas??" to which I say No, vegetarian is vegetarian, not eats-it-at-Christmas!

I've met some people (that fall into the flexitarian category) that aren't bad people, but seem to want the label of vegetarian attached to them for vanity. This kind of thing is only going to confuse people about what vegetarian is (Veggies have been trying for a long time to get more options on restaurant menus, don't kill that for us please!!). They may not be aware of the vanity, but it is the nature of calling yourself something you aren't.

Vegan and vegetarian lifestyles are also often tied into a passion for animal equality and protection of animals or at least trying to advocate humane farming methods (I'm the third part there, humane farming methods). Calling yourself vegetarian and then eating meat anyway is going to be like a slap in the face to people like this. It's like blowing smoke in a non-smokers face. Most veggies won't care if they see you eating meat when they know you're not vegetarian (or if they do care, they're likely to be polite and try to ignore it). It's the lie (that you might not even have realized you told) that is the problem.

So please think carefully about what category you fall into, becoming vegetarian and no longer eating meat means exactly that, no longer eating meat. Period. If you don't honestly live that lifestyle, please identify with the proper category! Vegetarian is not a fashion label or a starbucks cup; it is not meant to boost your ego by making you look good in front of others.

So a bumper sticker yells at me as I sit behind the other vehicle at a stoplight. Kill your television.

What does that mean?

Is it just the removal of the television's influence from your life? Taking up activism to improve the quality of the programming offered? (Which will only really be done by everyone not tuning into the dribble...) Literally taking hammer and gleefully smashing your T.V. to smithereens in the name of anti-consumerism?

It occurred to me that I don't watch much on cable. The news on occassion, and documentaries about obesity and binge eating on TLC. What Not To Wear on the same channel (not really a healthy show to watch when I think of it, considering they are encouraging a form of consumerism and supposed good taste making me wonder if my own wardrobe is up to par and creating a need in their viewers to go spend money on more clothes.). Random tv shows on the cartoon channel at night like Robot Chicken or Morel Orel. (Do I really need to watch these? Doesn't this come from me zombieing out in front of the television at night? They make me laugh but at best they are a cynical or violent humor.)

The TV itself gets most of its use when the Wii is turned on, or an excercise DVD is playing. I tend to play nonviolent games so I don't think gaming (in moderation) is a bad thing, and the excercise DVDs are a good thing for me (You can't go outside to excercise in winter here, its -27*C!!)(-17*F) So you're not going to see me pushing the tele over the balcony and wishing it bon voyage. Besides, that might squish the terrier on the first floor.

If I cancelled my cable that would knock $55.95 off my monthly Shaw bill (I bundled my phone, cable, and internet together but am not on a contract, so really I could cancel the cable part...) Considering we don't make much money in this home that may be a good idea. That money could go toward groceries, rent, or just going out with people for coffee once in a while.

Perhaps removing cable television from my life would cut down on overall spending, with the advertisements for fast food, gadgets, and other unneccesities out of my sight. (Don't you hate when the tv puts up a pizza ad, and suddenly you are craving pizza really bad even though you know you don't need and don't have spare cash for pizza at the moment, because the ad does its job THAT well of making sure you WANT to order in tonight?)

I have a question for you, Gaia: Do you live without viewing TV, perhaps even not owning a TV at all? How does this affect your life? How does this compare to the lives of those around you who do watch television often?

I talked to my husband and we have decided to go ahead and cancel our cable service, I wonder how this will affect me in the end. There was no argument to save the cable that couldn't be answered with "But I use the internet for that anyway," or "But I would prefer to read the graphic novel for that show."