Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The Benefits of Meditation

Let me first begin with stating that I used to have a very bad temper. I was the type of person that could snap at the blink of an eye, and then do who knows.

Now, being older, the temper has subsided. In large part due to learning to meditate.

My first experience with meditation, was around the age of 16 or there abouts. I had been court ordered to get anger management. And the anger management program I was taking had a machine the councilor would hook me up to. This machine would basically read my brain activity, and it would show this activity on a monitor that was placed in front of me while I was hooked up. The councilor would then have me sit hooked up and watch this monitor showing my brain activity and then as if it was a game, see how low I could make the readings go.

Through practice and the discovery of controlling my breathing while hooked to this machine I was able to bring the readings down on the machine to extremely low levels. It became a pleasant experience each time I went to the clinic.

I then later learned that all I was being taught was meditation. And once I completed my course, I took what I learned there with me, and began applying it in my everyday life. I became calmer and more rational with my anger.

Now, I still use what I learned. But I have also since learned different techniques and advanced my depth of meditation. To the point now, my intent is to enter a trance state, in order to explore astral projection, and higher planes of consciousness.

Now, I think this would be a good time to let you know. That I am not the type of person you would expect to be talking about this sort of thing. I am not some kind of new age, hippie, wiccan, vegetarian tree hugger. In fact if you seen me, you most likely wouldn't expect me to be interested in the things that I am. You would think I'm into nascar, and deer hunting. The saying “Don't read a book by it's cover” really applies to me.

I only mention this as I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me. I am a very rational, and logically thinking person.

I firmly believe that more meditation is needed in this world as a whole. To many people are strung to tight. To many people are to busy running around these days with their day to day lives. People should slow down, take a moment for them selves. You would be surprised at just how much more you would see and be able to accomplish in a day if you were to take 20 minutes of your day, and give it to meditation. Just clear your mind as best you can (this truly takes a lot of practice) and concentrate on your breathing. Try a inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, then exhale for 4 seconds exercise. You'll find just doing the breathing exercise that your mind will clear it's self, and your body will relax to some extent on its own.

Just doing this for 20 minutes a day, I believe you'll find you have a better outlook on life, and that you are more focused, and that you are more aware of your surroundings. It works for me. If and when I find myself in a stressful environment or situation, if I am able to, I take what few minutes I have, to simply focus on my breathing and clear my mind, and relax.

So with that, I think I'll end this one. Give it a try some time. You may be surprised at what you find.

E

Friday, July 27, 2007

Iraqi US Embassy

I think this is kind of old news. But I stumbled upon C-SPAN earlier today channel surfing, when I caught Representative John Duncan R-TN in the US House of Representatives, talking about the new US embassy being built in Baghdad, Iraq.

The Representative was voicing his displeasure about this embassy costing $592,000,000 to build, in a war torn Iraq. When I heard this amount, I was shocked. He then went on to state this will be the largest embassy in the world. With a operational cost of over a billion dollars a year.

Talk about a misallocated source of US tax dollars at work. What does a thing like this say to the Iraqi's? Your country is in total disarray, your infrastructure is totally and completely destroyed and were here building the largest embassy in the world. All at the same time, the Iraqi children are walking to school through sewage, only to arrive at a bombed out school building.

What were these people thinking? This is in the middle of a war, where are brave soldiers are going into combat with out armor at times. I'm honestly surprised the construction area of this embassy hasn't been mortared or targeted by insurgents. I suspect it will only be time before this happens.

It's not like Iraq is going any where. I think we could have waited before doing something like this.

E

What do you think so far?

I'm just after a bit of feedback, on what people think of my lay out thus far on this blog. It's my first one, so any encouragement or advice would be great.

Also, I wanted to add a few guidelines for commenting here. First and foremost, I'm pretty big on freedom of speech. So feel free to say or state anything you like here in regards to the topic at hand. Regardless if you agree or disagree with me, you opinion is valued and appreciated. So there will be NO censoring or deleting of comments here. With the exceptions of spammers, and those that can not speak with out cussing every other word. I don't mind cussing, hell I cuss as much as the next guy. But I wont allow F bombs being dropped every other word. I hope you understand.

So with that out of the way. What do you guys think? Look good? Easy on the eyes? What can I do to make things better? I know, add content. No worries there, it's coming, this is only I think the third day this blog has been up.

E

Thursday, July 26, 2007

George Noory's Ouija Board experiment

Well, George Noory for a month or better has been building up this "experiment" he was going to do on live radio. For anyone that doesn't know. George Noory is the host for a nationally syndicated radio show, that is geared toward the paranormal, in all aspects, be it ghosts, aliens, Bigfoot, psychics, remote viewing, you name it, the show covers it at some point.

So, for a month or better now, George has been "pushing", "selling" what ever you want to call it, this grand experiment. where he and a few respected authors and self proclaimed "experts" on the occult, and the paranormal were going to sit down, and on live radio and conduct and experiment with an Ouija board. Interesting idea! could be good radio. ill tune in.

Well, he starts the night off the evening, with interviewing an author who wrote a book about Aleister Crowley and his connection with the Ouija board. Was a good interview, i rather liked the author (Jerry Edward Cornelius) , he apparently has a large collection of Crowley's books, and personal diaries and this sort of thing. Well once this interview is over, he starts another interview with another man, this man is in the studios as he is one of the participants of the "experiment".

This man decides to try and put a blemish on the previous guy that was interviewed, by saying how the man is miss informed and saying his decent opinion of Crowley is due to the man being a member of the O.T.O. and is a follower of Crowley. He then begins to start spewing the most vile thing's imagined about Crowley. saying hes a Satan worshiper, and sacrificed children, and he was a pedophile, and all sorts of things.

My problem with all this is, this man didn't have a clue about Crowley and his work. he took all the rumors and lies about Crowley and threw them out there in order to make the other author look bad, as if he didn't know what he was talking about. yet it is the this other author, who has this great extensive collection of personal diaries, and books. but i digress, it annoyed me at the time quite a bit. As i have always been interested in Crowley and his work, and am aware of the lies that have been spewed about the man.

Skipping ahead. George then leaves the studio and goes to the appointed control room for the experiment where Rosemary Ellen Guiley a respected author on many aspects of the paranormal is seated at a table with an Ouija board, accompanied by Bruce Goldberg (the basher of Crowley), and an older gentleman named Jordan Maxwell.

He then begins asking each person their opinion on whether or not he should go through with this. Rosemary and Goldberg encourage him. telling him there is nothing to worry about because there is nothing but positive energy present. Goldberg gives a prayer of protection or something. Then he asks Maxwell his opinion on it. And boy do we now get a ear full. This man apparently has been studying the occult for 46 years, I know this, because he was throwing this into everyones face. He begins to tell George how irresponsible the experiment is. An that George is going to be held responsible for anything that happens to any of the listeners due to this experiment. An as i said, he begins throwing the whole I've been studying the occult for 46 years it may be a good idea to listen to someone that knows what their talking about crap. My interpretations of this moment was he was basically saying, these other people don't know shit, and you need to listen to me. which is funny as Rosemary Guiley has written 31 books on numerous subjects in regards to the paranormal, shes also a investigator. yet, she doesn't know what she is talking about, because he has 46 years of experience.

Anyway, this is the beginning of the end. at this point you can tell George is going to back out of the experiment. But, he doesn't tell us this for another 20 minutes. An when the time comes, he does just that. goes into a explanation (more like an excuse) as to why hes decided to back out. An this quite honestly is when it gets a bit silly. As his reasons aren't due to Goldberg's expertise. Oh no no...its much bigger than that.

See apparently numerous friends of George have been having a bit of bad luck. A cardinal was in a car accident (Amityville horror anyone?), a man that had advised him earlier in the month not to do the experiment mother died, on the very day of the experiment, and a couple other things. oh wait wait, i forgot the big one...the earth quake in Indonesia that just happen earlier today.

Apparently George Noory is so egotistical that he thinks tragedy and bad luck cant happen to anyone or any where with out it being his fault. give me a break will you. The gods didn't decide to shake up Indonesia because George Norry was going to play with an Ouija board. The gods, didn't steer some old (probably nearly blind) cardinal into a car accident because George Noory was going to play with an Ouija board. The gods didn't take the life of an elderly woman because George Noory was going to play with an Ouija board.

George Noory please come on down from your cross. accidents and tragedies happen, every day, every hour. For you to sit around taking the blame like some Christ on the cross for all your friends is insulting. It was also insulting for you to give the other excuse that you were protecting all your listeners by not going through with it. Mr. George Noory, you buy these things at Toys R Us.

E

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

The First

Nothing much to say here right now. This posting is mainly to help me get my design in order. yes, its going to stay pretty bland. I dislike bright colors, so i will be sticking with the darker shades, hopefully i can make it comfortable on the eyes.

E