cheJake

Monday, January 29, 2007

Just had my first class as a journalism instructor. Didn't go badly and I will be in a better position for the next class. Twitch in my right cheek has supplanted the soreness that was there. Red spot on my nose appears to be fading. Strong Yoga class with Lucia on Saturday and great raw-food buffet at Joan's afterwards. Transformative feelings ever since. I am a healthy young dynamic man intent on infusing my actions with meaning.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Of pressing interest to many . . .

President Bush makes it known that he is a Christian, as he did this past Christmas, seen on flikr with his family and passing holiday greetings on to the troops in Iraq. The president recognizes that the divide between Christianity and Islam is no gaming matter, despite the money that changes hands between Mac users and mobile Internet subscribers who have turned the business of politics into that of a bookmaker’s. The president has been shopping around for solutions to the ongoing mid-east crises. Online oddsmakers now favor success for the troop surge and call the recommendations of the Baker group a decided long-shot. But the windows of opportunity for a quick and bloodless end to war and conflict may have slammed shut long ago, leaving the weather within the Bush camp decidedly gloomy for some time to come.

As this blogger is keen to remark, women are not alone in raising alarm bells about such pressing concerns as global warming, but their voices are becoming more and more important. Just as sexy devices from Apple such as the ipod or the new iphone are increasingly marketed to women, it is becoming clear that women are not only becoming more tech-savvy, but communicative about global issues as well. Whether downloading an mp3 podcast about web-20, web2.0, the new wii videogame console or the latest youtube video, women are contributing to the world-wide wordpress in more ways than one.

In all of 2006 and so far in 2007, on any given Thursday, 13 of every 15 women in the US and EU will use some form of electronic media.

All this enters the realm of politics with the announcement by Hillary Clinton of her entry into the 2008 US Presidential race. With more and more women plugged-in, they are likely to be better informed and more motivated to participate in the political process. This promises to be good news for Hillary and bad news for Bush, as increased coverage of the Clinton campaign will likely dog the Bush Whitehouse up to the final days of it lame-duck term.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Cash in on the End of the World!


The US invaded Iraq and thereby made a global player out of Iran. By refusing to talk with Iraq's moderates when it had the chance, the US finds itself pitted against a hard-talking anti-US, anti-Israel dude, Achmedinijihad. Iran is developing nukes, all over the country and much of it underground. No problem, says Israel. They'll blow it all up, even if it requires them to use nukes themselves. Talk with the Iranians, said Jim Baker and company. Don't you dare talk with the Iranians, said the Saudi nobles to W and company. So the US addiction to Saudi oil keeps the freedom-loving country in support of an ever-hottening feud that could bring on WWIII (or is it IV?) And the investor class, by and large, is just fine with all this. After all, Capital doesn't care! It simply responds to market realities.

There are, of course, deviants such as I who don't drive cars. I don't eat meat, either. I meditate and practice Yoga and do what I can to love everybody and generate happiness. Or at least I want to. There are others who do a better job at all this than me. But the people that matter spend most of their time destroying the world and themselves with it. Their lifestyles and spending habits, their profit-motives, their alienation from one another, their ignorance and apathy all aids and abets human insecurity and conflict.

The mechanisms of human - and technological - action upon which human beings increasingly depend make the whole picture worse. Indians eat more meat and drive more cars and take more Western pills with each passing year. So does the rest of the world. The rain forest continues to shrink.

Sure there's hopeful signs, too. One in every seven Americans practices Yoga. Meditation and vegetarianism are on the rise. They who are enlightened have the best chance of survival. But oh! What a shame that so many are dying! So much effort is put into planning the next war and so little into planning the next peace. And so little media coverage is devoted to the human endeavors that promote peace.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Perplexion


Faced with some intriguing intricacies. Overslept this morning. Not enough Yoga and meditation. My lead client was disappointed by an error in reporting I sent to him, said a "reputation loss" was the result to the client. I am working to develop two new websites which must be done, but I haven't mapped out effectively when to work on them. I was just offered to teach a journalism class at the local branch of an American University, which is good. Money insecurity clouds the future. But regular Yoga and meditation will improve things all round. Meditation tomorrow morning. I've gotten out of the habit of afternoon meditation, which I can correct. I will do my best to commit to this this week.

And I've got to take steps to get my next Energy column into shape.

But meditation is key to well being. For starters it gets me into the mode of "equanimity" - taking all that life brings without judgment or reaction. Why create a mental phenomenon out of a physical one? Why create difficulties? If a situation crops up other than expected or hoped for, then receive the situation as it is. Surmise what steps need to be taken and implement them. And meditate. Practice Yoga. Do the best with what's available.

Monday:

6: wake and meditate
7: Yoga
9: breakfast
9:30 website issues - develop over content design and send to Tamas, contact dudes for energy bulletin
12:00 leave for lunch

3:00 meditate

Monday will be the most important
day of the week. If I follow the right pattern then, I'll get off on the right track.

Things will be as they will be.