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Obama-don't-care
The lies that the president told to sell his defective product would land a CEO in big trouble
Shikha Dalmia | 11.5.2013 9:00 AM
The Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius last got a good grilling in Congress about the Obamacare debacle. But if she were the CEO of a company, she might have faced not Congress but a grand jury for launching an unsafe product without proper testing based on a fraudulent sales pitch and misleading information.
Sebelius has admitted that Healthcare.gov—the federal online shopping exchange that is the lynchpin of the program—required one year of successful testing before launch. Instead it got two weeks of failed testing. If an automaker had knowingly put a vehicle on the road without appropriate crash tests, this administration, the self-appointed guardian of consumers, would have taken it to the mat.
But just like a defective car, Obamacare's defective exchange is not just a nuisance; it will destabilize the health insurance industry and jeopardize coverage. Yet the administration's march to enforce its law continues unabated.
The "glitches" in the exchange, many fear, will accelerate Obamacare's insurance death spiral. The folks who'll take the trouble to sign up will be the sick and poor who qualify for subsidies. The rest—especially the young invincibles—will likely go elsewhere, forcing them to raise rates.
But because Obamacare bars participating companies from offering different prices to their exchange and non-exchange customers, these rates will go up for all their customers. This will allow non-participating competitors—that face no similar stricture—to bid away their healthier and wealthier customers.
The participating companies will then face this choice: Stay in the exchange and risk extinction or quit. Either way, exchange patients will have fewer choices and pricier plans compared to non-exchange patients—defeating the whole purpose of Obamacare.
To head off this dynamic, the administration has engaged in what can only be described as deception.
The exchange initially wouldn't let people even window shop without first submitting their income information so that it could offer them subsidized quotes and prevent them from walking away in sticker shock. But when this crashed the website, the administration switched tactics.
The exchange lumped all shoppers into two groups—those under 49 and those over 50. The first group got quotes based on what a healthy 27-year-old would pay and the older group what a 50-year-old pay. The actual prices for specific policies obtained from the websites of insurance companies were much higher, prompting an expert interviewed by CBS, which broke the story, to call this feature "incredibly misleading."
But the administration's lies don't end there.
President Obama had been claiming till as recently as last year that his law would force no one to give up coverage. "If you like your plan, you can keep it." But the administration's own internal communication shows that it knew back in 2010 that 12 to 93 million policy holders might well lose their policies.
That's when Sebelius issued regulations grandfathering policies so long as they didn't change. If insurers so much as inflation-adjusted premiums, they lost their protected status, becoming subject to Obamacare's mandates requiring them to cover everything from maternity services for elderly couples to drug rehab for teetotalers.
All of this prompted even Washington Post's "fact" checkers this week to give Obama Four Pinocchios.
The whole point of Obamacare—aka the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—was to protect patients from greedy insurers who lure them when they are healthy only to use some arcane fine print to jack prices or dump them when they fall sick.
But the administration has engaged in similar subterfuge, showing that the profit motive is not the only corrupter in human affairs. Partisanship, ideology and—above all—a president's need to leave a legacy are even more so.
When companies put profits ahead of people, the government can go after them for fraud and falsehood. But what should people do when the government puts politics ahead of people?
Don't ask this president because Obama-don't-care.
This column was originally published in the Washington Examiner
NEXT: Autocratic Tajikistan President Faces No Real Challenge in Re-Election Bid
Shikha Dalmia was a senior analyst at Reason Foundation.
PoliticsEconomicsPolicyObamacareKathleen SebeliusHealth insuranceHealth Care


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No one can taste an apple for you.
One of the many scholarly references in The Risen is Psychological Commentaries on The Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (6 volumes) by Maurice Nicoll — not the lightest of reading — and only a very small percentage of those interested in awakening from the imprisoned sleep of ego-mind might find these along the way. August is currently re-reading another of Dr. Nicholl's little-known works, The Mark, (1954) and would like to share a few paragraphs of powerful notions. Readers of The Risen may sense a recognition of some of the inward significances here.
"Consciousness is unshareable. Your consciousness is your own, mine is my own. Since consciousness is unshareable, the whole direction of one's life should be towards experiencing everything for oneself, to be conscious to oneself of oneself, to see for oneself and to be able to do for oneself. Only in this way is anything created in oneself, and once created it is one's own and is permanent and real. So everything is fresh, everything is new, everything is untouched and unspoiled by previous explorers ... no one can taste an apple for you. A description of how it tastes is useless. Just in the same way, in everything that really matters no one can really help you. Only your own power of seeing the truth of anything can help you — and it is exactly this power which we seek to throw away in the hopes of finding something easier. In every situation and problem, if we could go deep enough into ourselves — away from habitual reaction — we would know what to do, because we would light upon new meaning, and see the situation transformed."
"We rarely can pursue our own thoughts. The traffic in the mind prevents us. We do not individually join one thing with another, or see the truth of something for ourselves. The rush of associations, the continual reactions to life, are too powerful. Few of us will say we have built much inside. We have not recreated — re-represented — the world but left it in the form of a confused sensory image."
"The facts of life do not penetrate us deeply. The listener is continually misled by them. But some ideas can penetrate to depths that we have not previously known, and stir energies that we have never experienced ... Ideas different from the ideas one acquired from brute-life enter and awaken one's mind. And, listening, the meaning of these ideas gradually unfolds in his understanding. The first stage of a development of his whole being is set in motion. In his intimate conversation with himself he talks to himself in a new way, and the listener in him hears and begins to stir."
"But before any such thing is conceivable, man must feel that there is an internal side of the universe drawn in through the inner senses: that he lives outwardly in nothing but a world of effects whose hidden causes lead into the mysteries beyond all human solution and that in himself there are states unknown to him. For if a man is sense-governed, he is the wrong way round. He thinks sense prior to mind. Nothing internal can then belong to him: he has inverted the natural order. He will then deal with everything, ultimately, by violence. For the sensory object, taken as ultimate and highest reality, can be smashed, injured, blown up or killed. That is why materialism is so dangerous, psychologically. It not only closes the mind and its possible development but turns everything the wrong way round, so much so that man seriously explains the house by its bricks or the universe by its atoms and is content with explanations extraordinarily poor of this quality."
From the Archives: The Dream Continues
[First Published 4/27/08]
Initial immersion in a ten-week metaphysical contemplative endeavour has left me with little chronological time for much else beyond my already demanding day-to-day duties, while expanding psychological time beyond its usual parameters. Many non-embodied entities have found their way into this present sphere of spirit, to watch and guide me, or simply comment on their own studious observations. The only undesirable side-effect is a lot of light bulbs have been blowing out around me. Mental ghosts of seasons past — memories — have also risen in their own subtly tangible ways. My first true love, JGH, is one of these still-embodied ghosts and is spending time with me in the astral realms while the body sleeps. My other true love, the disembodied Tim, observes a personal vow of silence in order to assist me — part of his own commitment toward greater self-understanding and acceptance.
Part of The Risen's title is the word "contemplative" as related to my mediumship experiences. Current contemplations have given rise to many open-ended questions — has often happens — leading me down strange new paths and up stranger old trees of immense girths and heights. Sitting on the end of one of the branches today, I'm reflecting that I really don't know if I know anything. So much of my world changes around me — yet, do I?
Following are some very tiny fragments I've gathered so far (or not so far) from my contemplative experiences, about and with the Risen, to the best of my understanding, and as I now live on this Big Blue Marble. Sometimes I'm not sure I understand the living and changing nature of my own understanding. This will take some time to put into words. The words are subject to change, even if they appear to stay the same. These words are not written in stone, but manifested in the Aethernet. Note that ego is not discussed here. Death is only briefly touched upon.
There is no such thing as "death" – which is a misnomer for the way humans generally perceive a certain kind of life transition. There is only life and living, which never cease. Awareness of life and living can cease.
"Life and living" = immortality.
I am living my immortal life now – it doesn't start after I "die."
Life is one big now. "Now" is eternal, meaning now never ends. It expands.
Feeling the experience of "now" is to touch and then know my immortality. Spirit does the touching. As spirit, I feel this contact with spiritual senses.
Spirit, which seldom seems visible to us, is the prime reality from which all experience arises.
Spirit is what we are. Spirit is who we are. Our Creator Source is spirit. There is only spirit.
Our Creator Source created us, gifting us with the same experiences that It has — but one — which is that we cannot create. Creation is completed. We can, however, manifest anything that pleases us, without restraint or limitation to our heart's content. The creative aspect of manifestation is that of re-creation, or recreation. This implies enjoyment. We cannot create ourselves, but we can re-create ourselves. To be creative is to have fun with whatever it is we're manifesting.
Our Creator Source created us — gave each of us our self — to know Itself and to please Itself. We have been created to be just like our Creator Source, so this means we must freely give as well in order to experience being like our Creator. The only way we can know and please our Creator Source is by accepting this Gift. What we give is our acceptance of Its giving. Our Creator's gift to us is our self. It is also true, then, that we are constantly giving our self to our self. When we accept our self, we are accepting our Source. If we are unaccepting of our self, we are unaccepting of our Source and therefore experience being cut off from self and from Source.
All feelings arise from joy or the lack of joy. Feelings give rise to thoughts, which then give rise to emotions. It's possible to be joyous without emotion. Emotions are brief and transportational. They carry us from one state of mind to another. They can be held and/or extended, which eventually causes discomfort. Hanging onto feelings to keep them from moving, (change) is contraction and eventually causes the experience of suffering. Suffering seeks to expand and cannot be contained indefinitely, and may cause us to experience going out of our mind for relief. The body shuts down in some way when we go out of our mind. Letting go of suffering brings the feeling of relief, which is also expansion.
In my present state of terrestrial being, it appears that I manifest my life by projecting or perceiving; I can also project and perceive simultaneously. The manifested result can be joyous, or not.
This projection can rightfully be called a dream. A dream is an experience that consists of "the ten thousand things" as referred to by Lao Tzu ("ten thousand" is a finite way to verbalize the abstract concept of "infinite"). This experience is a dream because nothing stays at rest, but changes, changes, changes. What doesn't change is our Source, which is Who We Are. At our particular earthly level, where conscious awareness is usually at a very minimal rate of vibration, the changes are primarily very slow, often imperceptible, and fleeting from awareness and in memory. At the Risen level, the changes are immediate and may seem spontaneous and uncontrollable if one is not fully awake.
Reality, as opposed to a dream, is at rest and does not change. Reality is our Source and simultaneously, our core being, from which the ten thousand things — change — the dreaming — arises.
Reality is at once an individualized experience and an embracing-all experience. Awareness of Reality from either position spontaneously gives rise to awareness of dreaming, which is awakening. The dream will continue to manifest whether or not one is sleeping or awake, but one's experience will be vastly different as well, depending on the state of awareness. Conscious awareness, which is an awakened state, allows one to participate consciously and in varying states of freedom within one's dream — essentially, one can change the dreamscape at will. Otherwise, unawake dreaming will seemingly generate a dreamscape beyond one's control, although in actuality, one is still causing the dream to manifest as a direct result of one's feelings and thoughts.
Choiceless awareness is an awakened, restful acceptance of the ten thousand things. This acceptance is also known as serenity. Serenity is the feeling of Reality at rest.
To enjoy something means to put joy into the experience, not get joy out of it. The feeling of directing joy into something is joyful. Joy is the energy we call "life" and is channeled through us and released into the world through us. We are the fountains and joy is the water, and the source of joy is the Creator Source, which is our source. We are joy. We exist as joy.
To know the Creator Source is to know oneself.
There is no such thing as judgment. It's not awaiting us on the other side of this life. Nobody will be there or anywhere to judge us. One can only be one's own judge. And even that is not necessary, so therefore, nothing to worry about. Because judgments change, judgment is not Real.
This projection can rightfully be called a dream. A dream is an experience that consists of "the ten thousand things" as referred to by Lao Tzu ("ten thousand" is a way to verbalize the abstract concept of "infinite"). This experience is a dream because nothing stays at rest, but changes, changes, changes. What doesn't change is our Source, which is Who We Are. At our particular earthly level, where conscious awareness is usually at a very minimal rate of vibration, the changes are primarily very slow, often imperceptible, and fleeting from awareness and in memory. At the Risen level, the changes are immediate and may seem spontaneous and uncontrollable if one is not fully awake.
To know the Creator Source is to know one's self.
Labels: dream, Lao Tzu, Monroe Institute
A Birthday Poem for our dear friends Billie & Marc,
with love from August & Tim:
Life is given to us,
we earn it by giving it.
Let the dead have the immortality of fame,
but the living the immortality of love.
Life's errors cry for the merciful beauty
that can modulate their isolation into a
harmony with the whole.
Life, like a child, laughs,
shaking its rattle of death as it runs.
~ Rabindranath Tagore
And lest we get too serious . . .
When I Am An Old Man I Shall Do As I Please.
I'll Not Cover My Mouth When I Cough Or I Sneeze.
I'll Put On A Shirt That Spent A Week On The Floor.
I'll Eat Five Or Six Cookies And Go Back For More.
I'll Burp And I'll Belch, Pass Gas With A Wink,
I'll Eat From A Dish That Spent Weeks In The Sink.
My Favorite Foods Will Come From A Can,
I'll Eat Every Hour, That Is My Plan.
I'll Forget My Zipper, Now That's Not So Bad,
For All You Know It Might Start A New Fad.
When I Am An Old Man, I'll Say What I Think.
I'll Tell You I'm Tired Of Bellies With Rings.
I'm Tired Of Noses And Tongues That Go Clink.
When I Am An Old Man I Wont Have To Brag,
No Special Colors For Me, I'll Be Starting To Sag.
My Color Is Gray, Has Been For Years.
It's The Color Of Hair That Grows In My Ears.
I Wont Need To Wear Red Or Purple You See,
I'll Admit That I'm Old When I'm One Hundred And Three.
© 2005 Bill Waddell
Flash, Rinse, Repeat
Our friend, Jack, responded in an email to the post about a certain psychiatrist's response to our book, The Risen. This is a presumably licensed professional who professes to use "alternative" methods, some of which reminds one of Victorian-type quackery devices like electromagnetic trusses and womb massagers.
"Save us from the bottom of the food chain in the medical profession. Calling you a fraud is a fragile (i.e., lame) attempt to appear to be open when one is not. Nice try, but those of us who know don't need to be convinced. This is what the "empirical mind" does very successfully. It will reference all experience into previous experience.
"This individual is also in my opinion a hypocrite. Here he promotes unconventional methods in his practice in which I would believe he is compensated. I'm not sure any of these are FDA approved. Below is a is a little excerpt from the "AlphaStim" FAQ page. Oy! "
Question: What causes the metallic taste in my mouth or flashing lights when using CES or treating on or near the head?
Answer: Close proximity to the nerves governing taste or the optic nerve in case of the flashing lights can stimulate these nerves causing the metallic taste or stroboscopic effect. This is not cause for concern and is normal in many patients. The flashing lights will go away when the stimulation is discontinued. If the metallic taste persists, rinse your mouth with water and it will go away.
Can anyone say "side effects" three times quickly? Not until you rinse your mouth out first.
Risen On Earth
Image © Mark Rehorst 2005
[The following is some as-yet unpublished material from a book apparently meant to follow-up The Risen: Dialogues of Love, Grief & Survival Beyond Death. Called "Risen On Earth," as far as I can tell — which isn't very far — it's in the aid of helping us still on the Earth with incorporating some of the ways the Risen experience life in their geography. –August]
The Risen would seem to have a lot of time to do some serious thinking. However, they don't "have time" nor do they sit around thinking. They don't think at all, in the way we think – if there was a word that meant "observe + experience + process x joy" it might begin to touch upon how the Risen use their minds – but not really. Already, one can see here that not only do we on earth engage in thinking, but in "thinking about thinking." Thinking – as we think we know it – is a purely embodied utilization of the human brain. Once fully-transitioned to a Risen state, one is "engaged with Mind." Because there is no "thinking" there is less margin, if any, ever, for error. There is a great deal of margin of error for embodied terrestrial thinking, which is the basis of suffering. Suffering is not pain, for one can have pain without suffering. Suffering is the ego-mind's tongue probing the sore tooth of a simulate self's worry – and remember that worry is about the future. Pain keeps us in the present, which is perhaps why we on the earth tend to learn from pain instead of joy, which the Risen bring to the equation "observe + experience + process."
One error, as a result of thinking, which has evolved to a belief instilled in and transmitted by countless earthly cultures, is that somehow, in some way, suffering is good for us – "it's for your own good." It gives us an invitation to heaven, a ticket to God's private Neverland, where it's believed by ego-mind that we will never have to suffer again. Ironically, this belief does get us into Neverland, for there, we will never be able to be who we really are. True to its nature, the ego-mind believes it has come up with a way to use suffering for its own good, by rationalizing that this is something God wants us to experience. Therefore, we should "offer it up to God" who will then enter us into the lottery in the hopes we might get into Neverland. The more we suffer, the more lottery tickets we get, the more we worry that we won't win, and the more energy we feed into hope. Even more mistakenly — and tragically — because we accept the ego-mind's purposeful misdirection, we retain and transmit to others the belief that "God wants us to suffer." And that God gets mad if we don't suffer — and suffer gladly without any complaints — because this somehow means we don't care about nor love God. Clearly, this kind of sad manipulation is not very god-like, is it?
"Hope" is contained within beliefs, about which The Risen points out ". . . are acceptances of others' second-hand accounts—or hearsay—without our ever having actually experienced them." (p. 39). Beliefs, hope, and suffering keep us out of the present, which is what the Risen experience as "time." It goes on to say in The Risen, ". . . once we've experienced something for ourselves we no longer have to believe in it, because we now know. Having empowered ourselves with experiential knowledge, we are then in a position to choose to change or let go of beliefs." This letting go of beliefs is part of the transitional awakening process to the Risen state, but it can also be a part of our earthly transition process to an awakened state: Risen on Earth.
How to begin to experience time the Risen way, which is to be awake and present to one's continued expansion with Creator Source? We have also developed complex rituals and cultural systems to counter negative thinking, which over the millennia has devolved into any thinking that those authorities over us deem as "inappropriate" or "wrong." So, is there ever "right" thinking? Only if thinking is finite and something within itself. But it's not – thinking is a process, always moving, never static, always needy and seeking for more, more, more – even if "more" is thought to be the goal. But the goal is never reached, so thinking, a circular process, never stops. Once thinking stops, then we have arrived where we started – Authentic Self. And we actually never left Authentic Self to begin with. If we think that to stop thinking is the goal, we will never reach it. This is what K. means when he said in The Risen: "Those of us who are still circling in the slave's walk of hope and are desperate enough to long for something better, a simpler life with less demands and more rewards, are often more aware of ourselves through the medium of our suffering." (p. 225) Here, "ourselves" means the simulate selves, not Authentic Self.
To counter negative thinking, ego-mind has rationalized that we should cultivate positive thinking. This is like embracing anti-violence in order to stop violence. It seems to make sense, a kind of neutralizing effort or balancing out of numbers to reach a null state of rest. But both require thinking, beliefs, suffering. Can more suffering achieve less suffering, or no suffering? Here is the ageless dilemma of power. Power must be manifested through someone, and that someone needs to manifest their power through someone else: master and slave. It can be seen that one is dependent on the other, so who is really master, and who is really slave? Violence and anti-violence are also dynamics of power that are inextricably interrelated, as are authority and obedience. Authentic Self, is inextricably interrelated – or one – with Creator Source, and so has been given sole authority over Itself and dominion over all its manifestations – which are also one with It – and so has no need of such power dynamics. There is only one Power, which cannot be divided. To believe it can or pretend to do so is a delusion of the ego-mind; it does this by manifesting simulate selves.
So we have all kinds of systems, many of which appeared in the 19th-20th centuries, involving "affirmative thinking" such as promoting the opposite of something that only exists in the ego-mind. Instead, here's a suggestion as an alternative to prolonging thinking. Utilize the ego-mind's trick that says we must suffer and then offer it up to God. Whenever a negative thought or belief rises up in our mind, don't counter it, or wrestle with it, or debate or reason or yell at it. Envision, in your mind's eye, a simple but beautiful silver platter floating in the air before you. Imagine putting the thought on the platter and then letting it rise up into the air. Imagine a great big pair of hands coming down and reaching out to take the platter up and away out of site. Say "thank you!" Imagine a voice answering back, "No, thank you!'
If the concept of anti-gravity and heavy things floating is a bit too much for you to imagine, get creative (remember, The Risen defines "creative" as "having fun.") Take the platter and put it into a dumb-waiter, and then push a button (or heave on some pulleys, if you still believe that you have to work hard to make something happen) and send it on up to the next floor above you. You can still yell "thank you" up the shaft if you like, and wait to hear "thank you" back. If you can't come up with anything other than these two suggestions, ask your guides for help – they're waiting. Maybe you can envision one of your guides as a waiter.
After one arrives at the solution to the first error, which is to let go of beliefs, the ego-mind will very likely attempt to counter this by putting forth a second error as "truth." So we have the cultural myth that the really wise and serene people are the ones who sit in caves or monasteries or in some other isolated way, and do nothing but sitting there doing nothing. This originally was meant as a metaphysical allegory, a symbolic representation of Authentic Self, which doesn't need to do anything, because it has no needs. "I need do nothing" is an all-powerful internal realization. Ego-mind, as it has so many other truths, has seized and distorted it for its own fear-based agenda.
But a lot of people have taken this allegory way too literally, and so we have entire cultures and religions that embrace, promote and honor people who sit around doing nothing, and many people strive for this goal. And as we now understand, having a goal and achieving it is not waking up, but staying asleep. One of the first things it says in The Risen is, "Everyone in this (Risen) world is free to do whatever they like and as much or as little of it. Work is play, and play is work—they are indistinguishable from one another." This is a description of creative manifestation. Someone Risen is always engaged in some kind of creative activity; "a little" or "a lot" are relative, but they aren't nothing. It is always up to us, to each individual, to decide about the activity and assign meaning. The Risen don't bother assigning meaning, which bypasses the trap of ending up feeling meaningless because meaning is needed.
In The Risen, Tim shares,
"I sense you wondering about what I do here in my Risen geography. Even 'do' is not the right verb. In fact, verbs aren't used here to begin with—they're only necessary and useful for the machinists and their devices. 'Things' are 'done' with 'devices.' 'Doing' here, where I am, in the way you 'do things' there, would be like using dynamite to create a delicate ice sculpture. It seems correct to say that I am a kind of intern or student, or better yet, a learner. . . (but I'm told that) Earthers will misinterpret 'learner.' The innermost meaning of 'disciple' would come closest, although it is also tainted by misconception and misuse. Not too helpful, is it? I will have to use verbs after all, since your material language, if you have not guessed it by now, is a machine as well, although new spiritual elements are ever-so-slowly trickling back down into it. Fully-spiritual language is non-mechanical, purely organic, and living."
Perhaps this last phrase, "non-mechanical, purely organic, and living" — when added to "observe + experience + process x joy" — brings us a bit closer to how the Risen enjoy the gift of life.
Labels: authentic self, ego-mind, life after death, suffering, thinking
From The Archives: Wake up.
[First posted May 21, 2006]
"Thy thunder, conscious of the new command,
Rumbles reluctant o'er our fallen house."
— John Keats, Hyperion
"Awakening from the dream . . . " — we say that a lot around here, in fact a lot of people have said it for a long time in a lot of ways.
It looks good on paper, but what does is mean? How does one awaken?
We know what being awake is like, so what's the big deal? Or do we just think we know?
Think of the few times — the very few, most likely — when you were so aware of the moment that time was no longer apparent or important and there was no longer any moment. Perhaps you were so happy that the emotion carried you over and beyond some edge without warning at light speed like a roller coaster. The emotion then stopped, but you did not. You were beyond "deliriously happy" or "immeasurably sad" or "scared shitless." You had arrived to a place of all peace and no time. The fact that you can recall these "moments" tells you that you were very aware of being conscious at those particular points of your life.
Each moment that you allow your self to recall these particular points of aware consciousness melts away as these points of reality pour like golden liquid into your present presence. When we're very old and can't or don't want to move much around anymore, we will be able to conjure these golden moments up with expertise, able to live in them more and more. Anyone looking at us will probably think we're not fully "there" anymore. They'd be right, for we'd be fully "here."
What about all the stretches of time between those particular points — can you recall them? Probably not, because you were not very aware of being conscious then — you were "under conscious," or beneath the surface of awakedness. It's darker beneath the surface, there's less light, like having your eyes closed all the time, while watching the projections on your inner eyelids and believing you're seeing reality.
A suggestion: even when we open our eyes, we're still projecting on our inner screens, with the belief that what we're seeing is outside and real.
Many like to think they're on some kind of "path" throughout their life. However, those lit-up points of aware consciousness that you can access now, with all their colours, sounds, smells and textures — are like separate stepping stones -- not a continuous path — with varying lengths of distance between them.
Try this. It will only serve those who have had the experience usually known as "lucid dreaming" — where one's body is sleeping and the consciousness is still traveling — it never stops traveling — but one becomes aware of the consciousness's journey, simultaneously aware that one is not in the body but "must be dreaming." During lucid dream experiences, one is awake — more awake than when one is awake in the body, for the body is a dense filter with special responses and chemicals to dampen most of our awareness. This filter is also known as the ego-mind, or as the Risen say, "the simulate self." There is the experience of hyper-reality in a lucid dream — every thing is "more real" — every thing is experienced as alive. Colours are glowing, sounds are vibrating, the jaw drops from the sheer texture of life in this "dream." One is no longer alone as a living thing, but completely immersed in a sharing with all living things.
There is a tendency to emphasize lucid dreams from the point of one's discovery that one can "control" one's environment in the dream. This may be so, but it's not important, for play is play for its own sake. It's when the lucid dreamer stops trying to control, ceases to struggle, that there arises a very surprising feeling of oh-my-god-this-is-real! juxtaposed with the feeling of oh-my-god-this-can't-be-real!. It is beyond "awe," a sensation which implies fear on some level.
A word for this feeling might be "glee" — a word of ancient Indo-European roots (Sanskrit) — ghel-2 — referring to any colour with a golden shine. This golden light of every colour fills one with amazement and wonder, or "astonishment." "Astonish" carries evidence of incredibly ancient "vocal" origins, meaning a word that arose from pure throat sounds, the kinds of sounds that are caused by emotion, not thought, and perhaps best reflected in our modern word "thunder," which also has the same roots as "glee." Although the modern word "thunder" doesn't sound like thunder, think of the feelings and emotions that arise when you are surprised, without warning, by one of those thunderclaps that shakes the teeth, raises the hair and causes primal pants-wetting. And yet some of us like - nay, love —this kind of storm, for it makes us laugh in maniacal glee, and we live and wait for the next one. Do it again!! Why? It makes us feel alive. A real eye-opener, a wake-me-upper.
This is the same feeling that arises, like an unbidden thunderclap, when one wakes up in a dream, while the dream country still remains all around.
The is the same kind of feeling that must be bidden in order to wake up in this terrestrial dream world, which will also still remain all around.
When this is experienced in enough of certain ways, one will be led to make the next and previously hidden connection, and that is, now that one is lucid in this dream, can one change it?
Cosmic Music and Dances
This past weekend, while taking a run over the winding paths of the almost 200 acres of primitive timber, I came upon a stand of ancient trees that had been blown over in a recent windstorm. They were already being cut up by the parks people. As I counted the rings of the largest oak, I grieved for the great loss and said a prayer of thanks for its life that gave so much to so many for so long — which turned out to be over 300 years. I counted at least 310 rings, but I know I missed quite a few where the saw had blurred the wood.
Three hundred and ten years past takes us to the year 1700, when New York was still an English Colony of 5,000 people (2nd to Boston, pop. 7,000) — Queen Anne is the monarch of England. In that year a law is passed ordering all Roman Catholic priests to leave the colony within three months, upon penalty of life imprisonment or execution. In October 1701, Yale College will be established in Connecticut. Benjamin Franklin will be born in Boston in 1706, a year after slaves in Virginia are assigned the status of real estate. The only real estate being developed on Manahatta was at the south tip of the island — now the Wall Street area — so this oak tree was growing in a true, undeveloped wilderness, which has remained virtually untouched since then.
A little later on another path, I came to the magnificent point at the highest area, which overlooks the Hudson River with a magnificent view down and up-river, as well as the Palisade Cliffs of New Jersey. To my surprise, there was a small poster affixed to the fence that advised a few local astronomers would be gathering in the field there at 8:30 that evening, and invited anyone who wanted to come and see the stars through their telescopes.
That night was one of the windiest nights we've had all year, with gusts over 50 mph, and at dusk, walking the mile back into the woods, I was a bit worried about falling branches and trees. Indeed, yet another tree at the base of the forest had become uprooted just before I passed it. By the time I reached the summit, the air temp was dropping quickly and the wind was howling so loudly that the small group of people already gathered there had to shout over the gale to be heard.
The telescope was impressive, and one just entered in 3 sets of numbers to get a "spherical triangulation" and then its computer moved the lens to pinpoint any star or planet desired. Venus had already risen in the west, and soon Mars and Jupiter were visible as the night grew darker. Although it was interesting to see them through the lens, I was not prepared for the thrill that Saturn sent up my spine. I felt a kind of shock at seeing the actual, glowing rings, as well as a few of its many moons, and was transfixed, unable to process their reality. And as I watched, I realized I was clairvoyantly hearing music — Saturn was humming! It was singing an aria in the never-ending cosmic opera spinning and turning about over our heads — and of which we're an integral part. I hope to return again this weekend for another look and a listen.
A few days later I came across a rather large series of 52 wonderful little books — "Wooden Books", with titles like "The Alchemist's Kitchen" and "Sacred Geometry"; "Platonic Solids", "Dowsing" and "Q.E.D." — I was drawn to and bought "A Little Book of Coincidence" which reveals "the exquisite orbital patterns of the planets and the mathematical relationships that govern them." The Foreword asks, "Is it all just a coincidence, or do the patterns perhaps explain the scientists?"
What an incredible, lovely, weird little book. There's a chapter, "Music of the Spheres" which states that the entire solar system can be viewed as "a tuned quantum structure, with Jupiter as the conductor of the universe." The illustrations are marvelous and enchanting, with many diagram that reveal the magical-but-beautifully true renderings the planets are continuously etching onto space, such as "The Flower of Life" produced by the orbit of Venus as it dances with Earth. The results look just like the Spirograph I had as a kid — and which still is available for kids to this day.
Image Copyright by World-Mysteries.com
[This image (to scale) shows dance of Venus and Earth - each of the fine lines connects both planets over time required to complete 8 orbits by Earth (and 13 orbits by Venus). Orbit of Earth is cropped out.]
Rings of 300 year old oak trees, and rings of a 4.6 billion year old planet! As it often says, and in many ways in The Risen, "worlds within worlds".
New Materialization Film
The Felix Experimental Group reports the newest film of ectoplasmic materialization at our friends, the Montcabirol Circle, seen here in this video of a bit more than 5 minutes, which shows the medium's confinement in the cabinet before the curtains are drawn, and after a few moments of loud, Scottish music (there is a method to the madness) unformed ectoplasmic material can be seen briefly exposing itself, withdrawing for a few seconds to gather more energy, and then forming itself into a hand, which probably belongs to one of the three spirit team members whose hands have managed to materialize and be caught on film. In this case, given his preference for loud and nostalgic Scottish tunes, it's probably that of John Campbell Sloan, a well-known and sometimes crabit direct-voice medium in Scotland during the first half of the twentieth century. Note that the ectoplasm is being displayed against a card - also manipulated by Spirit - to help make it stand out better in the darkness. [If you click on the video, it will take you to YouTube where you can see it a larger version.]
And here is the film of the first and greatly historic materialization event, also of John's hand. Be open-minded and do not attempt to analyze or judge - keep your opinionated ego-mind at bay. Be questioning if you want, but remain open. Here, a board with luminous paper, provided by the earthly team, is brought out and levitated behind the hand to give it more visibility.
For a while, it has seemed that the use of ectoplasm by Spirit for manifestation purposes was on the wane, but now appears to be coming back with more and more frequency. Tim has manifested several times in the arms of August using ectoplasm. The following excerpts from our book may assist in understanding what you're seeing in the videos:
I reached back and grasped his hand. It was definitely a hand, but seemed very small for an adult. Tim tried to pull away from me but I only held on more firmly. As we each pulled in opposite directions his fingers stretched as if made of raw bread dough. Without letting go, I stopped pulling and so did he, and I felt his hand fill out until it felt like a normal, adult-sized hand. (The Risen, p. 262)
and again:
"Yessss," he murmured very faintly, as if with a voice coming not from human vocal cords but sounding like a soft funnel of wind. I reached up and gently grasped his hand, and this time he didn't pull away, nor did I try to turn around. As before, his hand felt just like bread dough and I could feel it moving and swelling as the hand and arm gained shape and strength. Although it didn't feel like a human hand, I knew it was Tim's all the same, and I caressed the fingers softly and carefully as they caressed mine back. I continued to whisper with growing excitement, "Oh my god, it's really you, you're here! " I was ecstatic! (The Risen, p. 271)
Below is a video of what appears to be some stunning film stills of a full materialization event — probably in Brazil, (known for its fervent spiritist communities,) as the brief text accompanying it seems to be in Portuguese, which Babelfish translates, as "Materialization of the fiancé for Grown Jose. Removed of the program Social Vision, transmitted stretch through the Band-Bahia, Saturdays, to 09h (during the summer schedule)."
We note in The Risen that ectoplasm is:
". . . highly plastic and pliable, able to take on the visible form of human bodies and body parts, and even animals and objects. There is a little bit of ectoplasm in everyone. It's rarely able to withstand exposure to sunlight and most artificial lighting, although it has been observed to tolerate red and infrared light more easily, thus rendering it visible in certain circumstances. We know how powerful and damaging sunlight can be, and have seen its effects on goods that have been in shop windows for a period of time or on curtains and rugs, and on our own skin as well. The sun ages our skin slowly over years, but it ages ectoplasm instantly. In experiments where a bright light was shown on ectoplasm, it immediately retracted back into the medium's body, causing great pain and nausea to the medium, and even illness for days. There have even been reported deaths. " p. 169
Some explanation of what you're seeing: this is a full materialization of a woman in spirit. The film demonstrates how they use a closet as the medium's cabinet -- the medium stays inside, in trance, and the cabinet helps gather and store the spirit energy necessary to enable various phenomena; it's rather like a battery. They use a red light to enable the filming, as white light would disable it. (The similarities to a photographic dark room are apparent here.) The medium is shown reclining in a trance state with the ectoplasm beginning to extrude from her mouth. It often comes from other orifices (yes, we know, ewww.)
She has materialized outside the medium's cabinet (the medium is inside and completely unconscious in trance) and stands next to who we believe might be Jose, the man who had been her betrothed at the time of her transition, when they were both much younger. (This is our assumption - there are other men in the film, which is in one language and sounds as if it's being spoken over in another; if anyone can translate what's being said here, please share!)
She appears to be heavily veiled in some muslin-like material, and skeptics often claim this is used to hide a terrestrial embodied person's identity who is committing the fraud. In actuality, this "muslin" is ectoplasm, formed to protect her still-vulnerable body formed by the highly volatile ectoplasm from what little light is allowed to be projected on it. It is also there to protect the medium, for should the ectoplasm be assaulted by too much light (and it doesn't take much), the ectoplasm, which has been gathered by Spirit chemists to extrude from the medium's body, will suddenly disintegrate and try to re-enter the medium's body without proper preparation. This would very likely seriously injure the medium, while ending the manifestation. Note how she briefly demonstrates this effect by exposing her one hand -- which is not yet fully formed, but rather crude and perhaps even without skin, as the body slowly builds into human form, using the ectoplasm as the material. Her "veils" are somewhat artfully formed and draped for a pleasing appearance, which suggests rather a high degree of skill and energy; many materialized spirits can only achieve the crudest of drapings, which sometimes look like a person with a sheet thrown over their head. With time and practice, the sheeting can be reformed to manifest more elaborately and more of the body, which begins to achieve a slightly stronger resistance to the effects of light. In this case, it appears that the medium's team have devised a way to give the materializing spirit control over the lighting, able to dim or increase the brightness of the red light as she needs.
We look forward to more amazing things from the Montcabirol Circle!
For more stimulating stuff, see Victor Zammit's spirited presentation about his investigation and first-hand experience authenticating the modern materialization medium, David Thompson.
Blessing Experiment
One of my guides, Boris Pasternak — here shown in a photograph taken of him next to a spirit-precipitated image of him on a 3x5 card, which was manifested for me at a seance a few years ago — has asked me to ask others to join us in a "Blessing Experiment." Although he's given the brief instructions on what to do, he is either unable or unwilling to tell me what the goal is . . . the Risen love their surprises. He suggests that the goal is open-ended, and therefore, to have no expectations, other than to observe the power of focused blessing and of one's mind.
Briefly, it is asked that everyone join us in sending a simple blessing toward our book, "The Risen" — that's it. So say or think something like, "God-Goddess-Infinite Intelligence-Great Booyah, bless The Risen book — thanks!"
This brevity reminds us of a modern prayer in the New Thought way, which encompasses all the most powerful, primary aspects of true prayer:
"God is good,
So am I.
Thanks, goodbye."
We thank you for joining us in this little experiment, and will share the results, if any, when they appear.
From the Archives: Song Without Words
[First posted 5/17/07]
Tim and I finally got together in the astral somewhere last night while my body slept – although he says we spend a lot of time together, but I just don't remember it, and I'm glad to hear that. I remember us being happy, excited and relaxed with one another. My terrestrial life is full and demanding and pleasantly exhausting, and I'm the first to admit that I could allow myself to relax a lot more – and so I am. This relaxation, this non-contractiveness, is expansive, and opens up my awareness as boundaries fade and dissolve.
It's clear that my new relationship with Boris as a guide has catalyzed and enhanced this expansion of awareness, and allows for new experiences. Many, if not most, of these experiences are taking place within other dimensional geographies, and are following a particular, structured course of interactions with a team of individuals who have welcomed me into their fellowship. I'm the newbie and have no real idea of exactly what this association means – yet – although they've made it clear that while I've reached a certain stage of entitlement, there is a lot of ongoing preparation and learning awaiting me. A certain amount of this is what I'd call "crossing the t's and dotting the i's" – or maybe, more correctly, connecting the dots. Some of this requires me letting go of a lot of my earthly life, mainly the past. Although most of us are seldom aware of it, we spend a great deal of internal (and even external) time re-living past events, holding, touching and tasting happy and painful memories.
This is what Krishnamurti referred to as "psychological time" and it's what manifests the sensations of past and future. When the events and feelings of psychological time are observed without internal comment, it slows down and eventually ceases. Time ceases; there is only now. This causes panic in the simulate self, which needs the sensations of past and future to support its sense of existence, and it is skilled at intervening with any attempt to stop psychological time. Our assignment, should we choose to accept it, is to gently take the simulate self's finger off the button.
Many things are falling into place where my spiritual beingness is concerned, which means movement and growth. Because this growth is not on the physical plane, it's not uncomfortable. Instead, I feel "spiritually light-headed" and a bit mentally breathless.
Tim is taking advantage of my befuddlement because there are currently fewer boundaries of defense, as a result of the lessening of psychological time. I can hear and feel him much more clearly, but this can only happen when I'm able to let go of past memories – I have to cease observing him through the lens of memories of our shared past experiences on Earth. Sadness, nostalgia, and wistfulness arise, and as I observe them, without joining with them, they fade – I must let them go.
Where Tim is, is always "now." This is where we can meet, now. And yet he understands that my memories of him on Earth sometimes still seem to outweigh my non-terrestrial moments of awareness of him as he is now – I still have a need sometimes for the "old Tim". This need is not of unimportance, nor without validity, and thus honoured by both of us, and so he comes to me as that Tim as well. This is comfortable for us and comforting to me. Many languages are used in our relationship, including new ones constantly being formed, as well as communication without language – songs without words. This is a co-creative process and brings us a lot of surprises and joy.
Dialogues Onward, Ho!
Wheat Field with Cypresses (1889) by Vincent Van Gogh
A more beautiful early May morning cannot be imagined right now as I (August) sit here next to the bedroom window of my home, which sits at the foot of a primaeval forest. The lilacs at its edge are in full bloom, and my room is filled with their heady, sun-drenched essence that hints of fresh mown hay and the lazy buzzing of dragonflies to come in the months ahead. Fiona and McHenry insist that the flowery breezes are unavoidably soporific, and so must take their refuge in a total stupor on the bed, and are unable to finish their "chores" (let the record here show that they have no chores, being permanently unemployed.)
It will be on such an infinite lazy summer's day (in August, of course) that I will awaken into my new and forever Risen Home, when the time comes.
As spiritual companions, Tim and I continue to have dialogues with (and sometimes, silly monologues at) one another, and so the book itself is like a living "snapshot" of our relationship. Tim tries to explain this idea of a snapshot as, "looking at the experience from the illusion of being outside the reality." (p. 156) The key word here is "illusion" — as the book itself is not something non-living.
At the beginning of the "The Risen: Dialogues of Love, Grief & Survival" Tim notes,
"This book will take much of its shape from the countless dialogues and other conversational experiences that August and I have had for almost fifteen years. Because they are real conversations and living experiences as well, this book is itself a real and living manifestation. I will also be speaking in the present to him and to you, the reader, as these pages unfold."
It is becoming clear, as readers begin to report back to us about their experiences with the text, that they are beginning to manifest their own living dialogue processes as a result of developing a relationship with various aspects of the material. Here is an example of such a short dialogue that ensued between reader, (SK) and The Risen Collective, (TRC) through August and Tim. SK has been occupied with a health concern of a family member. Any identifying factors have been changed or omitted for privacy and confidentiality.
SK: We are doing OK - both a little anxious, but in a good positive mindset at the moment. One day at a time . . . I am a 'what will be , will be' type person as I know one's physicality is tenuous and transitory - I always retreat to my deeper Self for strength and focus.
TRC: It's hard having a human body - some material on p. 3 mentions this. One day at a time is not a bad approach.
SK: I live in the 'now' and deal with the 'now' - that is enough for me! The future is only in the now as is the past in the now for me. The body's a pain - literally! - why I opted for this incarnated experience has always left me wondering - particularly this aging thing where flesh seems to strangely shift about, increase in size, and found hanging in new positions by morning! Obviously I had no choice about incarnation - this is my preliminary formative experience although "I" feel I've been around a lot longer.
TRC: There was no "option" or "choice" about incarnation; nothing more than the most unimaginable gift!
SK: Self-awareness is the ultimate gift - but for any gift to be truly appreciated - a response of graciousness requiring responsibility is required - and that response is often painful and challenging from a personal growth perspective. Life is difficult - once we accept that fact - life then becomes a little easier! (quoting M. Scott Peck)
TRC: . . . and life was never meant to be difficult.
SK: Rhetorical question? Life is what one makes of it .... my choice. I (have) found that a majority of people I have been involved with throughout my years . . . had expectations that life should have been far 'easier' for them than it was - these were mainly people who were victims, controlled by fear, guilt, and poor self-image. . . The very fact that life is confronting and challenging from an ego perspective - assists in providing insightful clarity and differentiation of one's Authentic Self. It seems to be to be a clarity born of antithesis rather than similarity.
TRC: Nothing rhetorical. We literally mean that life is not meant to be difficult, but we — under the control of the ego-mind — make it so. Life, real life, is incredibly easy, when allowed to flow. Tim hardly remembers life on earth, and the idea that life is difficult or a challenge makes no sense to him now, even when he reviews recordings of his past sojourn on the earth.
SK: My point exactly - It would make sense to me that this 'brief sojourn into flesh' is a minuscule 'flea bite' compared with the reality of the glorious wonderment of our fuller life in Spirit. Thank you Tim for corroborating this fact. Does that, then, predispose that 'growth' in spirit is not conditioned nor determined by any efforts of 'self advancement?'
TRC: Can the self advance itself? No more than a drop of water can separate itself from the ocean, or a gleam of sunlight from the sun. The closer the gleam stays to its source, the more it identifies with it as its self, the more light-filled its experience. Is this, then, growth? One's experience on the terrestrial plane would seem to be one of growth, because one cannot see yet beyond a dimension of self-imposed limitation, which is but a shadowed reflection of the greater light-filled dimension of reality, which most of us will awaken to upon Rising.
SK: You certainly know how to put the 'wow' factor back into one's 'ego sterilized' life - thank you both and The Risen Collective.
TRC: Thank you for demonstrating the "dialogue factor," which The Risen is meant to catalyze.
For those who are currently reading The Risen, and for those who might be considering reading it, as a reminder consider the following words of Tim from the book:
"One of the main purposes of this book is to assist others in enabling themselves to realize contact with the Risen. Many readers will probably try to start with just any chapter or pick selections at random. This approach might give one some interesting thoughts, but resonance will not be affected sufficiently to enable the increase in the vibration levels needed for Risen contact. Every chapter, page, and sentence has been exquisitely orchestrated in a particular Risen manner that will lead one through carefully simplified ideas—guided suggestions, really—and on through to deeper, higher vibrating concepts. Most readers will not even realize this happening, and so it is strongly recommended that they begin at the beginning and not worry about it, just as August and I did." (p. 16)
And then, as Tim is so fond of saying, "Onward, ho!"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


NEW DELHI: Gold prices witnessed a strong fall in futures trade in Thursday's session, hit by a slump in demand at the spot market even as global trend remained supportive.
Silver also plunged in the domestic futures market on reduced orders from industrial units and coin makers.
The MCX Gold was trading at Rs 32,901 per 10 grams, down by Rs 110, while MCX Silver was trading Rs 145 lower at Rs 39,441 a kilo around 10:40 am.
Gold prices edged higher in global markets as soft US inflation data raised expectations that the Federal Reserve will pause rate hikes this year, while investors were looking for developments in trade talks between Washington and Beijing, Reuters reported.
As per the brokerage Motilal Oswal Securities, MCX Gold has support at Rs 32,770-32,700 but has resistance at Rs 33,080-33,150.
The intraday resistance for MCX Silver is at Rs 39,700 while it has support at Rs 39,350-39,250, the brokerage said.


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Ms. Leong-Kok is a Director at Building and Construction Authority, Singapore to present at CoLab!
The transformation of Singapore's Built Environment involves building more effectively and sustainably through a highly integrated and technologically advanced industry. Singapore is shifting towards a design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) approach where buildings can be delivered faster, safer and friendlier to the environment. DfMA harnesses design rationalisation to maximise off-site fabrication and optimise on-site construction. The presentation covers Singapore's co-ordinated efforts and journey towards delivering higher productivity and quality standards through DfMA. Key measures to establish a robust DfMA ecosystem - to generate demand, ensure supply, build capabilities as well as foster a pro-active regulatory regime will be shared.
Leong-Kok Su Ming is Deputy Group Director, Construction Productivity and Quality, Director, Planning & Innovation, Building & Construction Authority, Singapore.
Su-Ming's role is to lead, drive & facilitate transformative changes to design and construction in the building industry, leading to enhanced productivity, and higher quality; underpinning the national drive for improved competiveness globally. She oversees the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive suite of policy packages to drive a sustained eco-system in support of advanced technologies and innovations. In addition, Su-Ming has strategic oversight of efforts to drive high quality standards within the built environment to meet the aspirations of society.
Prior to this, Su-Ming served in roles overseeing the formulation and administration of environmental sustainability legislation as well as green building standards for Singapore. She also oversaw the development of building professionals through a suite of capability development programmes at the BCA Academy, the education and research arm of the Building and Construction Authority.
She is a Registered Architect and currently serves on the Professional Practice Examination Panel on the Board of Architects. She is also a member of the Professional Consultative Committee at the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore. Prior to joining BCA, Su-Ming was practicing as a Senior Architect with CPG Consultants, involved in a variety of institutional building
projects including Terminal 3, Singapore Changi Airport.
She holds a Master of Studies Degree in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge, a Master of Science Degree in Real Estate, a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts Degree, all from the National University of Singapore.
CoLab is the anticipated annual conference of PrefabNZ, its THE prefab and offsite event at the heart of innovative construction #CoLab2018, 7 - 9 March, Auckland. More information on session leaders, programme, site visits and registration click here.


As Asia's first certified eco-friendly five-star, the Orchid Hotel has been the talk of the town ever since it first opened. And it's not hard to see why. The Club Prive rooms and suites are the cream of the crop with 24-hour butler service, complimentary airport pick-up and access to the lounge.
The rooftop swimming pool at the Orchid Hotel has good views over the Mumbai skyline and is perfect on scorchingly hot days, though best avoided altogether during monsoon season. The bar – somewhat confusingly referred to as the 'Moody Magician Merlin Bombay Bar' – can turn into a karaoke saloon with very little notice, and is open until 3am except on Mondays.


Steel isn't just your regular everyday gym. Yes, we have the best facilities and equipment you will find in all of the city of Hyderabad, all spanning over a whopping 12,000 sqft area. But, that's not what we are most proud of. What truly sets us apart is the scientific approach we take towards fitness and the unbelievable results our clients have achieved from it. Our goal isn't just to give you a great body – it is to transform your mindset along with your body, so your mind is trained to give only the best to your health – in terms of your workout, the food you intake and your whole approach to physique transformation.
Can we rely on the conventional BMI or body measurements to determine our body fitness levels? Does the weight and height numbers disclose the actual body composition? If not, then what is the ideal examination to determine the fitness levels?
Our body weight is a combination of muscle mass and fat mass. Two persons weighing the same can have different ratios of these masses. So how do we assess that?
Here's Kunal explaining why the aforementioned conventional body assessment techniques are not reliable in this regard and the right way to go about it. He also briefs us regarding the initial body assessment procedure offered by Steel Gym, and how it is unique, efficient, and highly reliable when compared to the conventional methods.
Kunal's passion for the perfect physique started at a very early age. He was always keen to build a muscular body, except he didn't know too much about training or nutrition at that point. Following the path that everyone else takes, he thought working out harder and eating less would help him get fit. Of course, this didn't result in any improvement or development in his body. This is when he started to realize that his methods were most likely incorrect. Then, he tried another route – he started to approach huge bodybuilders that seemed to know what they were doing. When he started training with them, he realised that most of their bodies were a result of combining great genes with drug usage. Soon, Kunal embarked on a journey to understand the complete science behind fitness and its close companion, nutrition. Steel is a culmination of that knowledge and intensive science behind body transformation that Kunal has discovered over his decade long experience with the fitness industry.
To those that know him well, Zafar Ali Khan has always been a man with an undiminished fire to create something both intrinsic and extrinsic to his being. After completing his formal education, he dived into the technology space, first as a Business Partner culminating in the creation of an IT Organization that continues to grow exponentially across the Globe. While he continued to scale great heights on the basis of his knowledge, the passion of developing his body continued to burn with limited or no guidance.
Zafar took a step back and planned his strategy and expanding his knowledge by partnering and working with some of the legends in body building including, but not limited to Milos Sarcev and Sami Al haddad. Hereon, body building stopped becoming an activity and transformed onto a habit. After working out in different geographies, Zafar realised the need to have a gym in India which customizes body building techniques and became a partner at "Steel" which is a brain child of this thought process where learnings and ideas in the body building arena are given shape. However, his dreams do not stop there.
Zafar is also working towards taking Steel to a Global standing not just as a training facility but as a key enabler and driver of the sport in India.


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Dr. Darryn Willoughby, a professor of health, human performance and recreation and the director of the Exercise and Biochemical Nutrition Laboratory at Baylor University, told us that even in studies where there was an increase in testosterone, it was only around 15–20 percent. "In men with clinically normal testosterone levels, this modest increase will most likely not be anabolic enough to improve exercise performance," he says. So if you have normal testosterone levels, and are simply trying to get an extra edge in gaining muscle, losing weight, or some extra time in the bedroom — you might see some results from taking a testosterone booster. But really, these will be most useful for men with low testosterone trying to get back to a healthy testosterone range.
Researchers at Ball State University found that "strength training can induce growth hormone and testosterone release." (6) Another study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center researched the acute effects of weight lifting on serum testosterone levels. (7) The results concluded that even moderate weight lifting and light weightlifting increased serum testosterone levels in participants.
That said, a group of researchers at the National University of Malaysia did a systemic literature review of longjack, looking for clinical research that demonstrated a relationship between the shrub and testosterone levels. Of 150 articles, only 11 met their inclusion criteria — involving humans and scientifically rigorous. However, of those 11 studies, seven "revealed remarkable association" between using longjack and improving male sexual health, while the remaining four "failed to demonstrate sufficient effects." The team concluded that longjack looks "promising" when it comes to raising low testosterone, and that there is convincing evidence that it works.
Cross-sectional studies have not shown raised testosterone levels at the time of diagnosis of prostate cancer, and in fact, low testosterone at the time of diagnosis has been linked with more locally aggressive and malignant tumors (Massengill et al 2003; Imamoto et al 2005; Isom-Batz et al 2005). This may reflect loss of hormone related control of the tumor or the effect of a more aggressive tumor in decreasing testosterone levels. One study found that 14% of hypogonadal men, with normal digital rectal examination and PSA levels, had histological prostate cancer on biopsy. It is possible that low androgen levels masked the usual evidence of prostate cancer in this population (Morgentaler et al 1996). Most longitudinal studies have not shown a correlation between testosterone levels and the future development of prostate cancer (Carter et al 1995; Heikkila et al 1999; Stattin et al 2004) but a recent study did find a positive association (Parsons et al 2005). Interpretation of such data requires care, as the presentation of prostate cancer could be altered or delayed in patients with lower testosterone levels.
Rumor has it that the Kim sisters' testosterone pill received a reaction that no other product has ever gotten on Shark Tank. Apparently, after watching a presentation from the pair and hearing about how well their product has performed so far, all five judges got into a heated argument over who would make a deal with the two young entrepreneurs. It's been said that the fight lasted nearly an hour before the judges decided to do something that's never been done before. All five Sharks teamed up to invest an unbelievable $2.5 million into the Kim sisters' product!
Afrisham, R., Sadejh-Nejadi, S., SoliemaniFar, O., Kooti, W., Ashtary-Larky, D., Alamiri, F., … Khaneh-Keshi, A. (2016, November 24). Salivary testosterone levels under psychological stress and its relationship with rumination and five personality traits in medical students. Psychiatry Investigations, 13(6), 637–643. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5128352/
There is also solid research indicating that if you take astaxanthin in combination with saw palmetto, you may experience significant synergistic benefits. A 2009 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that an optimal dose of saw palmetto and astaxanthin decreased both DHT and estrogen while simultaneously increasing testosterone.6 Also, in order to block the synthesis of excess estrogen (estradiol) from testosterone there are excellent foods and plant extracts that may help to block the enzyme known as aromatase which is responsible producing estrogen. Some of these include white button mushrooms, grape seed extract and nettles.7
Miscellaneous: Sleep: (REM sleep) increases nocturnal testosterone levels.[142] Behavior: Dominance challenges can, in some cases, stimulate increased testosterone release in men.[143] Drugs: Natural or man-made antiandrogens including spearmint tea reduce testosterone levels.[144][145][146] Licorice can decrease the production of testosterone and this effect is greater in females.[147]


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ABS OriginalsEntertainmentNews Video
'It Was Just Such a Roller Coaster': Sean Garrett Talks Crafting Summer Walker's Album 'Still Over It,' Addresses the Hold on Usher Releasing New Music
Posted byBy Angelina Velasquez	| December 1, 2021 CommentsComments (0)
Hitmaker Sean Garrett has hit yet another stride in his career with the success of Summer Walker's album "Still Over It."
The chart-topping songwriter served as executive producer and has writing credits for nearly every track on the album released Nov. 5. The album marks Summer's second studio body of work but is also her first to debut at No. 1 on the R&B charts, a feat that was last accomplished in 2016 by none other than Beyoncé with her album "Lemonade."
Sean Garrett and Summer Walker. (Photos: @seangarrettthepen/Instagram, @summerwalker/Instagram)
Garrett, who is known throughout the music industry as "The Pen" for inking hit records such as Usher's "Yeah," Ciara's "Goodies," and Summer's current single "Ex For a Reason," spoke with Atlanta Black Star about the process of crafting the latter singer's latest album. Plus for fans chomping at the bit to finally hear new music from Usher, Sean weighs in on what might be holding up the release of his next anticipated album.
How did you working on Summer's project come to fruition?
It was just such a roller coaster. … We [LVRN music company's Tunde Balogon and Garrett] were trying to elevate Summer's profile in reference to her audience. She had already, like, did the urban space, and there's only so many urban stations. She's definitely a humongous social superstar on social media, obviously, but as far as radio is concerned she's a radio artist too, and she streamed really, really well — you can hear Summer Walker music in the morning, in the afternoon, 6 o' clock drive — like, her music can play all the time on the radio.
We had meetings in reference to enhancing her audience. For us common sense was we need rhythmic radio, we need rhythmic stations too, we need to not intentionally cross her over from the perspective of changing her sound, compromising her sound, but enhancing her audience. That's a very tricky thing, you gotta really know what you're doing, and so quite naturally "Ex For a Reason" was a record that she wasn't too fond of, but at the same time you know she was playing team ball as much as Summer gon' play team ball. We just put in a lot of work, and it was really amazing process.
Your name is literally all over this album, just down the track list. When it comes to writing songs for Summer, what did you have to tap into?
You know, I've written countless and countless hit records for females. You know, I'm a mama's boy, I'm a real heterosexual male who loves women and at the same time admire women. I really admire women on a number of levels. I have respect for women. I know they go through a lot dealing with us, and so you know my mom had thirteen brothers and sisters — eight sisters — from the perspective of just knowing some of the dos and don'ts I've just learned a lot from females, and I tend to pay attention to life a lot in reference to what people go through, I tend to care a lot about life and people's feelings.
I'd probably say I'm an emotional guy but at the same time not the type of emotional guy — you I know I would say I'm a sensitive guy — and so I take life seriously. So she is probably one of those same type of people who take life seriously, she cares about her feelings, she loves hard, you know I love hard, she's like my little sister. And so from the perspective of like her hurting, I didn't like to see her hurt, I really didn't, and it was just the perfect match.
What is your favorite record on the album and what is the story behind it?
"4th Baby Mama" definitely one of my favorites from the perspective of, like, Summer did not like the idea of being called a fourth baby mama at all. So she didn't like that one, but then we found a way to sort of match the idea, the song, and ended up keeping my original demo on the record, and then she added her side to it, and it was just crazy. That's what's so beautiful about working with Summer. She got a crazy pen too. It was so cool, because we kind of matched each other's fly, we didn't get in each other's way, she gave me a lot of respect, and I appreciated her for that.
You know, honestly, she's the only person out of all the artists I've ever worked with — as many number ones I've had — to thank me, like, publicly. It was just really thoughtful, and she didn't have to do that, and I love her for that. That was really appreciative. When you work so hard over the years you want to be appreciated, and it felt good.
Sean Garrett and Usher. Photo: @seangarrettthepen/Instagram
When it comes to determining which of his hit records cemented his penmanship in the industry, Sean says matter-of-factly the reigning record is Usher's "Yeah." The single was released in January of 2004, has sold more than four million copies, and is ranked second on Billboard's Hot 100 decade-ending chart for 2000-2009.
Usher's alleged new album, where is it? Are you still involved?
It's on the way. I think Usher — it's the timing of it, and you know Usher's a very precise [individual], he's a thinker. We like to say about our brother, 'Usher, sometimes you be overthinking!' But you know when you get to that level it's got to be right, because when you're at that level anything that's not right is going to be all the way wrong. I think that where he's at in his career it's OK.
It's just like the Summer album. The fans wanted it so bad right now, and they wanted it the way they wanted it, but that's not how it works. You gotta take your time and get it all the way right, because when it's right it'll erupt, so it's coming. And, yes, I'm still working with my brother Usher. We gon' always work together, I love him, that's my brother.
I guess we'll be patient, since we don't really have a say in this.
You know what? You do, you definitely do. We hear you. That's the one thing that fans — I must say everything they say we hear them, we hear y'all. You know you just try to balance it all, and he just did a magnificent stay at Vegas, it was incredible. It's just great to see him do that. It's just an elevation in his career. So, I gotta go over there and get focused, but you know I gave it something that I thought we could have came outside before, but sometimes it be a lot of people, a lot of cooks in the kitchen too. But shout-out to my man Jermaine [Dupri], who I love dearly, he's so incredible. He and I were working on some stuff, you know. It's coming.
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Pizza was not warm enough. The empty space will tell you at the lunch time (12:30) 피자가 식은채로 서빙됐다. 식당에서 식은 피자가 말이 되는가..? 손님이 왜 없는지는 보면 알 것이다. 저녁에는 음식을 잘 해서 사람이 많을지라도, 항상 잘해야지. 진짜 별로였음.
Great menu items..! Crunchy chicken salad HIGHLY recommended! Parking is a little difficult but well worth the trip..
A good ambience destroyed with the food and the taste. Naming themselves an Italian restaurant just doesn't add up, uncooked bread, vegetables there are no recommended dishes. If can avoid or you'll be disappointed.
We were disappointed. The tomato pie was underwhelming. Crust fair. Other pizzas similar. Mostly white sauce. Many other options in town.
I has the clams in red sauce and it was pretty good. The size of the portion was immense and included four garlic knots and a sizable side salad. Not bad for the value.
Delicious, affordable, and in a prime location!
Get quick answers from EST EST EST Pizza & Restaurant staff and past visitors.
Delivery? Minimum or charge for delivery?
We ate in, so I am not sure.


Spoke SF is pleased to present Nymphaea, a solo exhibition by Miami-based painter Tatiana Suarez. For her inaugural solo exhibition at Spoke Art, Suarez has created an ethereal body of paintings and watercolors continuing to explore the tropical world she has constructed for her darkly-sensual feminine figures.
Night blooming water lilies serve as both inspiration for the painting and the title of the exhibition, the new work in Nymphaea inhabit a lush and marshy world. Each of Suarez's figures have a primordial connection to the flora and fauna that inhabit the work with them. The artist's signature style of female portraiture has matured to include a darker, more complex and cultivated expression.
Inspired by the folklore and mythology of her hometown and heritage, Suarez has created a world rich with symbolism and history contained within her paintings. The lotus flowers and lilies, much like the women within the work exude a sense of strength and rebirth, emerging from the murky, uncertain waters.
Please join us for Nymphaea, opening Saturday, March 3rd, with an opening night reception from 6pm - 9pm where the artist will be present. The exhibition will be on view through Saturday, March 24th. For more information or additional images, please email us at SF@spoke-art.com.


Travel should be pleasurable — not stressful. While it's almost inevitable for something to go awry from time to time, you can avoid most issues with a little foresight and planning. Sometimes all it takes is investing a bit more upfront in order to ensure a better travel experience. Take a look at these nine things you should never skimp on when traveling.
Because I live in New York City, I'm generally not afraid of new surroundings, seemingly seedy neighborhoods, or people who look like they might be up to no good. I stay vigilant, of course, but I don't want to let a black cloud of fear follow me wherever I go just because the area doesn't look like it's maintained by Ritz-Carlton. There was a time in the Bahamas, however, that this joie de vivre could've gotten my friends and me into a sticky situation while traveling down a lonely road from one club to another — a mistake I'll never make again. Now I loosen the purse strings and spring for a cab to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.
Finally, we've gotten to the fun part — activities! I'm an activities-oriented guy, and I like to be out and about experiencing everything I can in the short time I have in a location. The problem, however, is that an unforgettable experience can be costly. Still, it's not something on which you should skimp — your fond memories of your trip will last much longer than any tchotchke — and there are ways to make it affordable.
Remember when I mentioned earlier that the preference for high-end flight and hotel accommodations are relative? They still are, and personally this is how I justify splurging a bit on a great experience — I choose to stay in modest digs and fly the cheapest way I can, so when I get to my destination I can have all the fun I want without feeling guilty for spending too much money.
I'm not including accommodations or method of travel on this list because I think those two items are relative. Some people like five-star hotels and first-class seating, while others are perfectly fine in hostels and economy class. To each their own.
What we can all agree on, though, is that decent luggage is an important trip component for several reasons, namely because it needs to hold up against all the wear and tear you'll put it through in your travels. I'm not saying that cheap luggage will fall apart and expensive luggage is bar none, but there is something to be said about brands with a reputation for quality — and that usually comes at a cost.
Personally, I prefer Herschel Supply Co. for my luggage, while my husband likes Tumi. Those aren't endorsements (I don't have any affiliation with either of those companies), but rather suggestions to help inform your future purchase if you're in the market for sturdier luggage.
A lot of people vacation in warmer climates. And why not — there's an abundance of things to see and do when the weather outside is perfect. But before you head out to explore, make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes and socks that can handle a day of walking without killing your feet. These should be the real deal — and definitely not right out of the box. You also want to avoid going sockless. I've worn both canvas slip-ons without socks and flip-flops on heavy walking days, and both footwear choices resulted in bloody, painful feet.
I once went on what was meant to be an unforgettable European vacation that included London, Dublin, and finally, Paris for New Year's Eve. But thanks to Mother Nature and an incompetent, famously low-priced Irish airline that shall remain nameless, my hopes of ushering in a new year in the City of Lights were dashed. The worst part? I was young and dumb and I didn't have travel insurance. Hotel, train fares, and airfare all went out the window — along with my usually jovial attitude. Don't let this happen to you, especially if you're planning a special-occasion trip. Spend the extra money to protect your investment.
When I travel to destinations outside my wireless provider's coverage area, I try to stick with the hotel's free Wi-Fi. If you want to be fully connected — it's not a bad idea despite the faction of people begging us to unplug every once in a while — there's a solution that will cost you a few bucks. Still, it's much cheaper than the fees you may incur from your provider.
"Buying a SIM card upon arrival in a country will cost you little more than $10 to $15 and it's invaluable for all the times you get lost or you're unable to communicate with your cab driver," says Matthew Newton, CEO of Tourism Tiger. "Many small emergencies are solved through the simple asset of a SIM card charged with one gigabyte of data."
My Wise Bread colleagues and I generally try to steer you clear of buying bottled water, but Dr. Irene S. Levine (who moonlights as a freelance travel writer) makes a good case for bottled water when you're traveling.
"There is no reason to take a chance," she says. "Even if tap water is safe to drink, it may have a different mineral composition that is upsetting to your stomach and can potentially ruin your trip. Additionally, don't try to save money by not drinking enough water. When you're traveling, it's easy to get dehydrated either on planes or in hot climates when you're more active than usual."
As someone who prefers tap water, I agree that this is a good practice to adopt, especially when traveling outside the United States. To save money and waste, consider buying a few large jugs of distilled water with which you can fill your permanent water bottle, instead of buying many single bottles the whole trip.
Speaking of questionable local hospitals, they're the very last place you ever want to visit while you're traveling — even worse than jail. If you're ill, spring for quality medical care.
Blogger behind Broke Girl Gets Rich, Chelsea Baldwin, just wrapped up a few years in Asia, and soon she'll embark on an extended stay in South America. As someone who has caught her fair share of stomach bugs while traveling and was subsequently treated at public health facilities, she advises better-quality healthcare as well.
"If the public health care in the country you're visiting is known for its quality, that's fine, but otherwise it's always worth the extra cost to get more attention and better care from a private doctor," she says. "Most American health insurance companies will cover you for emergency situations overseas, but if you think the cost of visiting a private doctor at your destination could get expensive, there are numerous travel insurance companies you can get plans from to help cover you."
I suspect that pre-travel vaccinations are not only overlooked a lot of the times, but probably actively avoided sometimes due to cost and inconvenience. In that case, let's play a game of "Would You Rather?"
Would you rather pay for pricey vaccinations that will help you avoid common illnesses, or would you rather spend your trip becoming besties with a toilet and visiting the very questionable local hospital?
Get the proper vaccinations before you depart. If you can't afford it, don't go. In some cases, it really could be the difference between life and death.
Server responsed at: 04/19/2019 10:28 p.m.


text:
Q: Как изменить знаки всех элементов массива на противоположные? Дано задание:
"1. инициализировать двумерный массив 10х10 случайными числами от -10 до 10 (не включительно).вывести его на экран.
2. изменить знаки  всех элементов массива на противоположные. вывести массив на экран"
Первую часть вроде сделал.
Не могу сообразить, как сделать пункт 2?
public static void main(String[] args)
{
    int[][] second = new int[10][10];
    int min = -10;
    int max = 10;
    for(int i=0; i<second.length; i++)
    {
      for(int j=0; j<second[i].length; j++)
      {
        second[i][j] = (int)(Math.random()*(max - min) + min);
      }
    }
    for(int i=0; i<second.length; i++)
    {
      for(int j=0; j<second[i].length; j++)
      {
        System.out.print(second[i][j] + " ");
      }
      System.out.println();
    }
}

A: for(int i=0; i<second.length; i++)
{
  for(int j=0; j<second[i].length; j++)
  {
    second[i][j] = -second[i][j];
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Irish Cancer Society
Clock up the distance of a marathon this July and support Ireland's cancer patients
Aoife Moriarty
Updated 10:52, 2 JUL 2019
Jumping for joy after clocking up those Marathon in a Month miles (Image: Andres Poveda Photography)
Ever wanted to complete a marathon, but felt it was beyond your current abilities? The Irish Cancer Society's Marathon in a Month campaign might be your chance to start out on a new fitness journey.
This July, why not challenge yourself to clock up 42km in 31 days. Sounds tough? It's doesn't have to be! You can complete the marathon distance at your own pace, by walking, running, hiking, swimming or cycling the distance over the month. The aim of the campaign is to get people moving and reduce their risk of cancer while raising much needed funds to provide free support services for cancer patients. It's a free and easy way to complete your first marathon for a good cause. Plus, it's suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
Those who sign up online , will be given an everydayhero online fundraising page, which links to their fitness app. This allows you to track your progress over the course of July. Last year, hundreds of people across Ireland took part, raising €90,000 for cancer support and research.
Marathon in a Month will raise vital funds for free cancer support services (Image: Andres Poveda Photography)
Mark Mellett, Head of Fundraising at the Irish Cancer Society said, "Sadly more people than ever before are hearing the words, 'You have cancer'. We want to help people take the necessary steps to prevent cancer for themselves and their loved ones. Marathon in a Month is a great way for people to take that first step towards regular exercise, which reduces the risk of cancer, while also raising much needed funds to support cancer patients and fund more research.
"Hundreds of people who didn't see themselves as marathon runners completed Marathon in a Month last year. It's a great way to be a marathon runner at a time and pace that suits you... Please take on the Marathon in a Month challenge this July and make every step matter!''
For more information or to register to participate in Marathon in a Month visit www.cancer.ie/marathoninamonth .


On The Case Open Search Criteria Field, How is the 'From' Field Calculated ?
If a case number is entered all the other search fields become grayed out.
After clicking the Search button, the 'From' field changes to a predetermined date - How is that date calculated?