When I can, I’m going to start doing a post on the past and, if I can,
the coming week as a regular feature.
As a first point, which is really a bit more than a week old, the latest
response to terrorist threats: turning on mobile phones to prove
they can’t explode (see here,
for instance). Now, I have no doubt that this threat has been detected by
good intelligence work (that has improved
since before the September
9th attacks [2] – clearly, as a number of people have been
convicted), and this is probably a reasonable approach.
However, it cannot be viewed in isolation: it is an example of
incremental creep that is adding to a major
burden on travellers.
As it now is, owing to the aggressive, uninformed approach of security
people years ago, I no longer travel with my Ventolin (I can’t put it through ‘checked’ luggage as it is pressurised) or
my insulin (which I can at least, put in
my ‘checked’ luggage – where did that term come from?). I also used to wear
bangles: I no longer do that because the idiots who plan these security
measures didn’t think of the FACT that some
people need soapy water to get these on or off. Clearly they were incredibly
lacking in life experience – likewise when the restriction on liquids occurred,
as people hadn’t thought about mothers travelling with breast milk.
Now, most of this I just live with
(although the TSA
sexual assaults are such that I will not travel to the USA [I'm too different, and can guarantee I would get extra attention] – nor
will some others), but when this new measure was introduced, a cretin
who was introduced as a security ‘expert’ on some chat or current affairs or
morning programme I had the misfortune to come across while channel surfing,
said “keep travelling, despite this, as otherwise
the terrorists will have won”.
You moron.
The terrorists won when what Bruce
Schneier – a REAL
security expert – terms ‘security theatre’ (see
here [2]
and here)
was introduced – basically by politicians trying to appeal to the lowest common
denominator voter. Ironically, this latest measure is one that I personally
consider justifiable and reasonable, but the comment that the above mentioned
moron made clearly showed that he had no clue about the issues involved – or the
reality of some of these measures. He was just another pretty face playing
at a role to get the ratings up.
And who’s the greater fool – him? The people who hired him? Or those
who listen uncritically …
Now, some thoughts for tonight’s meditation.
Let’s begin with some good news: the election in Indonesia was
basically, despite the grandstanding at this stage by candidates, a good thing:
see here.
Next, I asked where positive energy could be sent to be pre-emptive, and was told the area
around the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, a little south of where I was told last time, but
still on the African continent. In terms of pre-emptive effect on earth
energies, I’m being told around 2,000 km south east of the Cape
of Good Hope.
Other areas that need help are obviously eastern Ukraine, the Middle
East (Israel and Gaza), Syria, Iraq,
South Sudan, Nigeria (the kidnapped
schoolgirls), and the Ebola crisis in west Africa. From news websites, Afghanistan’s
elections, Bosnian
Roma, civil
rights in Kyrgyzstan; and any other place or situation you are aware of –
perhaps send some energy generally to what others are thinking of. My own
nation’s continuing abuse of refugees is something I will add.
Coming up this week, we have International
Criminal Justice Day on Thursday 17th July, and Nelson Mandela Day on Friday
18th July. The UN and the UN Security Council will be considering post-conflict
peace building, the Central African Republic, Sudan and South Sudan, Libya, promotion
of investment in Africa, International Trade Law Standards for Transparency,
Accountability and Good Governance, amongst other matters. Sending positive
energy and clearing negative units will help.
In preparation for tonight’s meditation, I also suggest reading these
links:
On other matters,
PAN is holding ‘Holly Frost’ a bit later this year: see here,
for those of you in NSW. There are also interesting posts on Pagans and Prison,
Maleficent,
a post
on Ronald Hutton’s latest (and Carlo
Ginzburg), Spinster,
Matron, Matriarch, Priestess, Witch, and I’ll leave it at that for
this week.
And now, to end with a few links from the media:
- I find the increase in the numbers of super-wealthy and poor, the occurrence of the ‘working poor’, and the use of legislation such as tax rebates, which is an appeal to greed, of particular concern (and who’s the greater fool here – the politicians for proposing such, or the voters for mindlessly agreeing?): http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/wealth-of-seven-richest-australians-exceeds-that-of-173-million-households-20140707-3bj0q.html;- read the comments as well: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jul/03/electric-shock-preferable-to-thinking-says-study;- this may be a little arguable, but plastic surgery came out of the gross disfigurements created by World War Part One and World War Part Two, and is used for matters such as victims of burns: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/18/plastic-surgery-looks-wellbeing-jeremy-hunt-nhs;- dyslexia: the ‘invisible disability’ (I can think of a few others that fit this criteria); and- I have to agree with this one :) : http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/foo-fighters-dave-grohl-blasts-tv-talent-shows-20140712-zt56m.html;
and from the Zen Habits blog:
[2]
Please see here and my post "The
Death of Wikipedia" for the
reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of
h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as
extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather
engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to
the Galaxy").
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr,
Wéofodthegn
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix
Lux? … Morinehtar?
… Would-be drýicgan
... )
My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.
I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me at 9 PM on Sunday, wherever you are, to meditate for peace), and here for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend learning how to flame, ground and shield, do alternate nostril breathing, work with colour, and see also here and be flexible.
- One size does NOT fit all.
- Don't be mediocre - seek to excel.
- Gnwmythr's Stropping Strap: Occam's Razor only works if the simplest solution is actually recognised as being the simplest, rather than the one that best fits one's bigotries being labelled 'simplest'.
- Our entire life experience, with all the many wondrous and varied people, places and events in it, is too small a sample for statistical reliability about Life.
- May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
- Ban the dream interpretation industry!
- A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
- Being accustomed to interacting via certain rules makes those rules neither right nor universal.
- Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master.
- Expertise at intimacy and emotional happiness is generally not the same thing as spiritual growth.
- Any person, male or female, who has neither a serious health issue, dependents nor an agreement about study. yet expects their partner to work to support them, is, spiritually speaking, little more than a parasite.
- The means shape the end.
- BPLF restraint of uncooperatives is NOT an opportunity for revenge or getting even - even unconsciously.
- As words can kill, the right to freedom of speech comes with a DUTY to be as well-informed, objective and balanced as you can be.
- My favourite action movie of all time is "Gandhi", although I've recently come across "Invictus" and might put that one in to that category. However, I loathe the stereotypical action movie - and, for similar reasons, I loathe many dramas, which are often emotionally violent, more so in some cases than many war films.
- All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...
Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be
stronger [people].
John F. Kennedy (who was
quoting 19th Century Episcopal Bishop Phillips Brooks)
Jesus loves you. Odin wants you to grow up.
We make our decisions. And then our decisions turn around and make us.
F.W. Boreham
Females, get over 'cute'. Get competent. Get trained. Get capable. Get over 'cute'. And those of you who are called Patty and Debby and Suzy, get over that. Because we use those names to infantalise females – we keep females in their 'little girl' state by the names we use for them. Get over it. If you want to be taken seriously, get serious.
Jane Elliott
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing.
(based on
writing by) Edmund Burke
The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.
Albert Einstein
We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children
Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product ... if we should judge America by that -- counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. ... Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile."
Robert F. Kennedy 1968
There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.
John F. Kennedy
If we could change ourselves, the
tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so
does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see
what others do. (Often degraded to “Be
the change you want to see in the world” – see here)
Gandhi
Tags: attitudes, discrimination, energy work, governance, meditation, peace, politics, society,
First published: Sunnudagr, 13th July, 2014
Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Sunday, 13th July, 2014
