Methane

Millions of tons of methane stored beneath the Arctic seabed is bubbling up to the surface and being released into the atmosphere as the region warms up and the ice retreats, scientists have said.

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The gas is said to be 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide and scientists have warned that it could accelerate global warming.

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It is usually locked in a deep freeze below the sea, but as the ice melts on the surface, small holes, or “chimneys”, appear and the gas escapes.
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Orjan Gustafsson, of Stockholm University in Sweden, who is onboard the Russian research ship Jacob Smirnitskyi, said: “Yesterday for the first time we documented a field where the release was so intense that the methane did not have time to dissolve into the seawater but was rising as methane bubbles to the sea surface.”

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He told The Independent that the team were documenting the “methane chimneys” using an echo sounder and seismic instruments.

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Scientists believe that underground stores of methane have in the past been responsible for rapid rises in global temperatures, changes in the climate and even extinction of species.

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They think that the amount of methane being released from the area of the Arctic along the Siberian continental shelf could equal the emissions from the rest of the world’s oceans put together.

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The preliminary findings of the International Siberian Shelf Study 2008 are being prepared for publication by the American Geophysical Union.

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The Arctic region has risen in temperature by 39.2F (4C) over recent decades according to scientists.

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Telegraph - Independent

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Oh dear

Writing

Has been disappearing since the advent of computers

Texting is the death knell of good writing

People can't even spell

And so the critics argue about the death throes of writing

While it is true that newspapers are in decline in many places

It is also true that in India and other countries they are growing strongly

The number of book titles released is increasing and has been doing so for some time now

So what are we witnessing?

Change

And yet more change

Certainly conventional spelling is under attack from SMS and other forms of texting

However many of the billions around the planet texting each other every day would not otherwise have written anything

Writing would not have been part of their lives

Visual symbols are increasing on packaging

Visual symbols are increasing on electronic devices

We are all familiar with numerous symbols which we take for granted

All of us young and old alike of all nationalities

This was not true even a couple of decades ago

Change moving us along

And writing is basic to many transactions be they buying and selling or communicating

Writing is there in one form or another

So maybe the idea of the demise of writing is a bit premature

Without writing life would be oh so difficult

And if we want to argue about content and style then these too are present in all shapes and forms

Never have so many written so much about so many subjects

Never though have there been so many of us

So maybe all these changes are also a function of there being many more of us

Writing informs us

Writing guides and instructs us

Writing involves us

Without writing our world would certainly be a different place

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Thanks to writing our lives are in many respects more interesting and powerful

Egyptian custom

In days of old,

The marriage service contained an article that the woman should be the "lady of the lord"

and real lord over him, the husband pledging himself to be "obedient to his wife"

for the production of alchemical results such as the elixir of life and the philosophers stone

for the spiritual help of the woman was needed by the male alchemist

But woe to the alchemist who should take this in the dead letter sense of physical union

Such sacrilege would become black magic and be followed by certain failure

The true alchemist of old took aged women to help him, carefully avoiding the young ones

and if any of them happened to be married they treated their wives for months both before and during operations as sisters

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Today women hold the key to mankind's spiritual evolution

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This is not yet understood as little true knowledge about spiritual evolution is available today, particularly in the West

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The time will come when humanity turns again to true spiritual growth and then women will play their intended role

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This can only happen when women understand that they are responsible for their own evolution, just as the same is true for men

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All of us are individual souls and as such responsible for our own journey of evolution

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This journey can only become conscious as and when humanity turns from selfish to altruistic behaviour

Saying and meaning

Men

Gentlemen and why no gentlewoman?

Somehow gentlemen seems a funny name for men who are often nothing of the sort

How many men today qualify for this term?

Meanwhile the other term ladies is also a misnomer for many of the women being called by this description

We slowly alter our language by using terms that over time lose their original meanings

This leads us to have very different understandings of what is said in different communities and parts of the planet

It becomes ever more difficult to know precisely what the other person is really saying

Or meaning

Add in the number of people who do not speak your own language as their first or even second language and we have problems

How many of the problems today are caused by different understandings of what people really mean?

No one really knows although it must be considerable

Maybe time for all of us to stop taking it for granted that when we speak the other person hears what we want them to hear

In particular when men speak with women we need to be attentive that we are indeed communicating accurately

As most know men and women manage to misunderstand each other with alarming frequency

This miscommunication causes all sorts of problems often leading to serious situations

While it is not always possible to be accurate or find the right words most of us have enough words
to say what we want

The problem lies in our perceptions, perceptions formed on faulty or poor information

When we type into our computers we pay attention as our electronic world will not accept sloppy inputs

Or if they are sloppy then we do not get the information we want or pass on the communications we intend

So why in communicating with each other do we not pay the same degree of attention?

The same respect

In communicating with each other too often we are sloppy, not paying attention

Not really listening

Not giving importance to the other

The consequences can be dire if less dramatic than a car crash caused by our inattention

They can be life changing like divorce, relationship breakdown, loss of money and so on

The point?

Simply the effort you put in to many aspects of your life is often equal to what you get out

So why not put the most effort into relationships, which are usually the most important
challenge in life?.

No more sloppy inputs

Lets try to be gentlemen and ladies

No way

Did we descend from the apes

On the contrary they descended from our ancestors

No way did we come from one little old lady in East Africa

Our race, the fifth, started in what is today called the Gobi desert

Two simple statements of fact

And how many of you reading this have ever challenged those two ideas of our descent from apes and our race emanating from East Africa?

Even thought about it

Yet these are two ideas central to our understanding of ourselves

Essentially we are living in basic error about where we come from

And this in turn puts a different twist and slant on much else

Your life can be as dull or interesting as you want to make it

Accepting our cultural stories without question limits your life

The truth is that your life has more peace o f mind once you know and understand the truth

And this truth has been handed down through the ages and is known as the ageless or perennial wisdom

Distorted for different reasons by so many from religious leaders to various interest groups to scientists and politicians all with their own agendas to promote

Only soft echoes of the truth live on today

Echoes that resonate in all of us

That small voice that tells us that life must have more meaning than this

Must have a truth to it somewhere a little more coherent than the present stories we are given

Yes it does

Start looking by challenging these stories

Just because "everybody" knows something does not make it true

Once upon a time "everybody" knew that the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around our little planet

To change that understanding took centuries

To change our understanding of where we came from will probably take just as long as it took to understand that the world is not flat

Funny how history repeats itself

And we sometimes wonder how could they have thought the world was flat?

Were they stupid?

No they just didn't want to listen to those who said that it was not true


And no we did not descend from apes nor did we all come out of Africa

One little thing

Yes just one little thing

And our good feelings go out the window

Wap!

Like they were never here

The end of everything

Day spoilt, life changed ruined even, or so it feels

Misery descends

How can we be that fragile?

Sure it might be bad news

Maybe even very bad news

Something is wrong though when we seriously over react

When our balance with everything else goes because one little thing goes pear shaped

When something hits us we must be able to develop the skill not to fly off the handle or get angry

Nothing goes smoothly for ever

Life might be good for a while it might even be pretty stable

But one of the guarantees about today's world is that nothing but nothing is going to be very stable for very long

And that includes your life

Your relationships

Your work, your everything

So be warned for sure something else will go wrong

That's the way it is on Planet Earth at this time

Things are not stable but you can for sure learn to be more balanced

Put things in better perspective

Take a deep breath and understand that somehow life will move on

It will take effort and or time to sort things out, but yes things will continue one way or another

So finding our balance again protects us from lurching into depression

One little thing might be all it takes to get you going into one of your moods

Learn to find one little pleasure in your life to get you out again, look for one, find one


Immerse yourself in something where you have to be totally involved

Let go of frustration learn to live with disappointment


Life has many up and downs


Downs are as natural as ups although we would all love to believe that this is not really so


It is so therefore just as you learnt control with discipline and will power so learn to let go


This process begins to give you a balance in your emotions

Starts to help you calm down, letting go is a skill so learn it

Learn through deep breaths when things hit you

Learn to enjoy nature

Try yoga and meditation

All of them can help give you the ability to fight letting that "one little thing" set you off again

Origin of Western weeks

The present division of the solar year was made several centuries later than the beginning of our era and our week is not that of the ancients

The septenary division of the four parts of the lunar phases is as old as the world

and originated with the people who reckoned time by the lunar months

The Hebrews never used it for they counted only the seventh day, the Sabbath, though the second chapter of Genesis seems to speak of it

Till the days of the Caesars there is no trace of a week of seven days among any nation save the Hindus

From India it passed to the Arabs, and reached Europe with Christianity.

The Roman week consisted of eight days,

and the Greek or Athenian week was of ten days

This is one of the numberless contradictions and fallacies of Christendom is the adoption of the Indian septenary week of the lunar reckoning

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and also the preservation at the same time of the mythological names of the planets

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HPB

Do these speak to you?

Enjoy these

False friendship is like a parasitic plant, it kills the tree it embraces

He who hath too many friends, hath as many candidates for enemies

Narrowness of mind causes stubbornness; we do not easily believe what is beyond that which we see

A narrow stomach may be filled to satisfaction, but a narrow mind will never be satisfied, not even with all the riches of the world

He who neglects his duty to his conscience, will neglect to pay his debt to his neighbour

Keep thine eyes open, or fate will open them for thee

To feel one's ignorance is to be wise; to feel sure of one's wisdom is to be a fool

Daily practical wisdom consists of four things;- to know the root of truth, the branches of truth, the limit of truth, and the opposite of truth.

All has an end, and will away, truth alone is immortal and lives forever

The faults of others is easily perceived, but that of oneself is difficult to perceive

Thoughts alone cause the round of rebirths in this world; let a man strive to purify his thoughts, what a man thinks, that he is; this is the old secret

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If one man can conquer in battle a thousand times a thousand men, and if another shall conquer himself, he is the greater of the two conquerors

HPB - FW

Let down

Kicked right where it hurts

Caught totally by surprise

Never expected that

Yes one of these shocks can really get the adrenaline going

And then?

How do you hide huge shock or disappointment?

Try to maintain a steady composure for a start

Do not let all your emotions flood out

Try to finish the experience asap without showing your feelings

Why?

Because after cooling down you might want to add or delete something and this is difficult to do if you have already let loose with a flood of your emotions

Bitter disappointment is tough to handle but a violent reaction does not really help

Crying, screaming and shouting can come later when you are alone or away from the other party

And while revenge might sound like a good idea creating more negative karma is not really such a clever idea

Look at what can or should be done, act upon it

Then let it go

Easy to say, hard to do, however the idea of letting it go is fine to start with

The actuality of letting go can come later

And why is this such a good idea?

For a start it helps change your karma in a positive way

It also means that the tension between you and the other party is cut thereby releasing positive energy back to you

Spending a life or long period of time feeling bitter does not do one much good

As someone once said "The best revenge is living well"

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And it is so true that letting go and getting on with life is really the best option

Mini breaks

Are becoming increasingly popular for many reasons

Long holidays are not possible for many people

Mini breaks can be very cheap

They give a good psychological break

They feel longer than a few days

They can be small adventures

They can be exciting or restful

They can give a rest to heightened financial uncertainties

And if you live somewhere where the weather is now more unpredictable than it used to be then a break can be more important to get away from miserable or just plain unpleasant weather

Add in that mini breaks are something nice to look forward to and we can see that they are more than just a break

Mini breaks fill many needs and certainly contribute to our feeling of well being

And when did you last do something different?

When was your last adventure?

When did you last go somewhere new where you have never been before?

If your answer is a long pause while you try to remember then time to book a break

Life goes so fast nowadays we are already approaching the last quarter of the year

So why not plan and book a mini break to somewhere nice?

Says Paracelsus

Paracelsus (11 November or 17 December 1493 in Einsiedeln, Switzerland – 24 September 1541 in Salzburg, Austria) was an alchemist, physician, astrologer, and general occultist

One of his sayings was:

"Faith must confirm the imagination

For faith confirms the will

Determined will is the beginning of all magical operations

It is because men do not perfectly imagine and believe the result, that the arts (of magic) are uncertain, while they might be certainly certain

This is all the secret

Half if not two thirds of our ailings and diseases are the fruit of our imagination and fears

Destroy the latter and give another bent to the former, and nature will do the rest"

Today his teachings and most of his sayings are long forgotten

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Pity because what he says is the truth

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If you can get rid of your fears then fewer health problems will come your way

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Not teaching in the West or much of the East today, but true nevertheless

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While you are young this might not seem important but as you grow older your health will determine your life in so many ways

Help!

Can you ask for help?

Do you know who to talk to?

Who can you turn to?

Who can you trust?

Are you introvert or extrovert?

Do you normally discuss your problems with others?

Or do you bottle things inside?

Lots of questions

Lots of permutations

Important though because as they say "no man is an island"

Meaning there are times when we all need help

Another different point of view

Objectivity

Will you get it?

Depends to a large extent on how those you ask see you

If you frequently bullshit and exaggerate

Then guess what, they will tend to believe that you are probably exaggerating again

If you seldom or never share then how will they know what or who you really are?

A price to be paid then for how you are in normal times

Consider this as payback for your behaviour

If you have created a certain image in peoples minds then this is what they will respond to

We are making the point here that how people see us is how they will respond to us when we are in trouble and need help

All of us need help from time to time and usually there are only a limited number of people we can turn to for help

Determine that from today on that you will present yourself in a pleasant and honest way

Cut out the games you play

And of course before you can do this you need to know your own games

The games you play not only with the world but with yourself

Not easy because you have been doing this all your life

For a start begin considering the needs of others before yourself

Can you do this?

Do you?

Needing help one day is less likely if you are known to be selfish and egotistical

Yes what goes round does come around

So the nicer you are the more likely others will be there for you in your hour of need

Help starts with us helping ourselves

Why did no one tell me?

That life was like this?

Who told you about sex?

Who taught you about love?

Who told you about pain?

Who helped you learn about being an adult?

Who shared with you how to make relationships work?

Actually the list is usually quite long

And when you think about it no one really helped you with many of the most important things in life

Being let down

Being cheated, lied to, betrayed

Abused

Having divorced parents

Having to move so often

And this list could go on as well

So many aspects of our adult lives are untouched by any clear insights or formal teaching

Many of them are admittedly difficult

Many are controversial

Many might be dangerous because they touch upon sensitive areas

We can find excuses but when society depends upon all it's members behaving within norms in order to function we have to wonder why society itself makes so few efforts to address some of these issues

A simple observation is that it is ill equipped to do so

Imagine government civil servants teaching love

Teaching about caring and sharing, no we all agree it would be a nightmare

Absolutely they are ill equipped so better leave them out of it

It does then put the focus on parents, friends and teachers

Friends share because they also are trying to learn, however little items like jealousy and envy often get in the way

Teachers are often under pressure to conform to full syllabuses and have little time or inclination to go into possibly dangerous areas.

Many teachers went from school to university back into school again and so are often light on life experience themselves

So we come to parents

Bless them they fell in love, conceived and raised you as best they could

They were busy trying to make ends meet

Tired often after coming home from work

Think about it most parents have little or no idea themselves

They too muddled their way through adolescence into adulthood

They too received little help with understanding those difficult things of life

Is it any wonder we get things wrong or are clumsy?

So find it in yourself to forgive your parents if they to were clumsy or ill informed

Make it your job to try and do better

Come to think of it isn't that what every generation says?

Life

Elections

In most countries are becoming a farce

Maybe they always were

Maybe we just did not pay attention

Election strategies designed for gullible morons and unfortunately there are plenty of them

And as morons have the same one vote as intelligent humans this already says that appealing to morons is the name of the game in politics

With silly and outrageous promises you can buy the moron vote while the intelligent human will make up his own mind

So naturally politics is now all about ridiculous promises of heaven on earth to bribe the morons

Lie upon lie spin upon spin until most turn away in disgust

And to what end?

We are still governed by self serving politicians who time after time are found stealing, lying cheating and abusing their positions

So the only sanction left is to throw the one lot out and put the others in again

Put another way change the dirty bath water every so often

And that is about the sum total of what can be done apart from joining groups dedicated to promoting electoral reform

Unfortunately different interest groups are assuming or have already assumed control over the various political systems to be found around the world

And when you reach this point something must give

Not that any politician wants this but a choking point of paralysis arrives

Has arrived in many societies today

Meanwhile nature is also stirring

Nature is becoming more assertive and throws in her contribution of forcing change upon us through floods, earthquakes, fires, heat waves, cold spells, diseases, global warming, volcanic eruptions, you name it

Nature today is giving us a wake up call

A new reality approaches as we begin to see how nature exacts her price for our abuse of so many resources

And no it is highly unlikely to calm down again in our lifetimes

It is much more likely to increase as we reach so many tipping points

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Politics cannot provide needed solutions because of it's structure and dynamics

Meanwhile nature is more violent and unpredictable

Thus you have a combination which will produce many unexpected situations

Uncertainty rules

What a time you have chosen to be here on Planet Earth!

And the only realistic thing open to individuals is to learn how to be OK with change

For change is the one constant from now on

And how you are with this will determine how you get along with our brave new world

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Learning to be OK with change is about being OK with yourself

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Being OK with yourself comes with liking yourself

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Being able to chill and accept that you probably cannot change the world but you can be the best you can be every day in whatever comes your way

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Elections we might well ignore, many do

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Now nature on the other hand is not to be taken so lightly and we ignore her at our peril.

Young parents

Are often as selfish as we are

How about that for an opening line?

In a modern me me world parents are also of the me generations

They too think of themselves first

Often having lived totally selfish hedonistic lives

Many have made no sacrifices of any kind until they get married

Some naively do not imagine they will have to even then

Guess why the sparks fly between husbands and wives once the novelties wear off

Guess then why so many marriages break up so quickly

It is easier they believe to continue in life without compromise or the effort of marriage

So better be single again or so they tell themselves

For others the disbelief that it did not work as they wanted it to

Notice the idea as they wanted it to

For those who stayed in marriage usually along come the children

For many it is easier to go on being selfish because their lives are not so affected by the arrival of children

For men this is frequently so as they are still at work and only see children for a short time in the evening and at weekends

For wives who are the careers at home looking after the children life suddenly involves lots of compromise

And this can be quite a shock for young women used to leading life on their own terms

Indeed it can quickly become a tough learning curve when baby does not do as they want

When baby starts the long battle of dominance played out in every generation

For young parents it is a steep learning curve where husband does not get all the attention

Where wife is tired

Where she has her focus on her child not on him

Where suddenly life revolves around the child

Where life has to be juggled to fit in with children

For young parents life is very different

There are pluses too in having children for sure it is truly an amazing experience

For many the reason to be

For many women fulfillment

And for all young parents the chance to re educate themselves through their children

Young parents be warned it all goes so fast

From babies to young children to teens to adults where did it all go?

Suddenly young parents find to their surprise they are no longer young themselves

Where did life go?

A life seems such a long long time while we are young and oh so short once we get older

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Be warned life is a different experience once you get older

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Young parents have no idea of this because of their immersion in parenthood

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Time today is very challenging use it well whatever your life choices

Where next?

For Russia then?

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Still plenty of gas oil and natural resources

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That is true

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A lot is written about Russia and it's relationship to the World

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Not so much is written about it's imploding demographics

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The early deaths of so many males

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The unreformed brutality in the Army

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Or about the younger generations with no memory or interest in events before perestroika

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Not much either about the huge imbalances between those who have and those who have not

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And a near total absence of law

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Life an ongoing struggle for most

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Unremarked, unnoticed, uncared for pensioners trying to survive

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And that might be called the downside of Russia today

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On the other upside if you will a lot is happening

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An explosion of new jobs

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Every new product needs producing, distributing, selling, servicing

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A whole new economy evolving under every one's noses

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A surge in finance and finance related activities, jobs that did not exist ten years ago

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Construction everywhere

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Finally attention being paid to infrastructure

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And IT services leapfrogging older industries and services into new ares of economic activity

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And beyond all these a Russia where it;s citizens are traveling all over the World

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Russians are to be found everywhere today

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Many are emigrating

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Many more are moving in and out of the country

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All are connecting in new and different ways with the World

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All are communicating with colleagues friends and families

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Never in Russian history have so many Russians travelled outside Russia

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Never in Russian history have so many Russians seen so much of the World

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Never in Russian history have so many started living and working outside Russia

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Never before have so many Russians been able to connect with the World through Internet and other devices

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And so?

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Just one thing we can be sure of Russia will not evolve as most people seem to think it will

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And while it is no longer a superpower it will still have an impact on us all one way and another

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Only question is in which way?

Lost time

On computers and electronic devices is something most of us have experienced

A new device with a myriad of mostly useless features

Features that only a techie could love

And yet few manufacturers feel able to drop this equivalent of an arms race

All feel obliged to add yet more fiddly options

And while we wrestle with their features we are of course with our heads down focusing on the device

Our time is spent trying to understand or to get it to work

And then it works and is our life really changed, so much better for it?

Or have we just wasted yet more time on something that we can quite easily do without?

When given a device decide early on do I really want or need this?

When buying a simple question what do I want this for?

Only buy what works for you let go of things in your life that just add clutter and often irritation

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Thinking about it for a moment what does it tell us about each other, the devices we choose?

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There are those who love devices and those that don't

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Those that use them all the time

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Those that use them seldom

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What do they say about us?

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And whether we like them or hate them if they break down then all of us are in trouble

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A world dependent on electrical devices is a vulnerable place indeed

Little points

Moving us towards more happiness

Happiness being an emotion we cannot order happiness up whenever we want

It comes and goes as it will

Or does it?

Not really happiness is in part a function of environment and situation

Another part is us

How we think

Moves us and how we experience life

Giving rise to greater or lesser happiness

As we have said many times happiness is not what we are really after we are really after peace of mind

However today this is about little things that can lead to greater happiness

Keep a gratitude journal, put in it all the things that you can/should/are grateful for

At first this might be hard but if you stick with it you will find more and more things

The habit will help you become aware of how much is right in your life

Focus more on enjoying the moment and worrying less about the past and future.

Stop insisting on always being right

Yes this might not be easy but it will certainly show you how important and helpful this can be

Others will certainly appreciate this shift though!

It will also help you explore other nicer more creative ways of getting what you want

Stop complaining about so many things and situations

For example if you commute stop being irritated by it and make it a looked forward to part of your day where you are free to think and be as you want

When you find yourself off wondering what's happened or might happen bring yourself back to the present with a good, deep breath

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Do this everytime you catch yourself doing this

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It will probably shock you to learn how much of your day you spend doing this

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At home or with family often the things we fight about are really pretty petty so a deep breath and don't engage or answer back

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Consciously become more forgiving.

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Forgive those who have caused you pain, parents in particular often fall into this group

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Forgive them for your difficult childhood

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Take up meditation or yoga in other words anything that calms the mind

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Do things that put you in a flow state

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How you act and how you think helps determine the happiness inside you.

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And when you can do this at will then time to move onto removing the causes of dis-ease or unhappiness

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And so life goes on

Long time separation

Long distance love

Difficult to keep your balance when you love someone and they are in another country or place

Another world almost

Men and women are often different in how they react to this

Often men just get on with their lives, turning to sport or other things that they could not do so much of when they were with their girlfriends

Women often wonder what the man is doing

He being blissfully unaware of this is enjoying being a bachelor

She not hearing from him wonders if he has found someone else

Sometimes yes he has and is busily romancing another woman

When separated over time all things are possible

And being the humans we are most combinations and permutations have been tried

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What to do?

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If you trust each other then weekly calls are usually best

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Every night after a while gets stale and repetitive because there is limit to what you can say that has not been said many times before

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If the woman trusts her man then she is happy working, seeing friends and family being busy

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If he trusts her then he is busy too

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Neither one is worried about the behaviour of the other

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They trust each other

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In this situation though it is not possible to share much more than the flavour of what they are doing

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What you are sharing with each other is obviously different from how you experience things when you are together

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Keeping each other involved with their lives, their dramas and routines

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Main point is to reaffirm their love for each other

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That they care

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That they miss each other

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Try surprising each other in nice ways with flowers, emails, cards even

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But if you find that things are sliding away

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That you no longer care so much, someone else enters your life

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Then is the time to be honest in a clear but sympathetic way

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No brutal words are necessary but honesty is

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Try to explain what has changed

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Do not half do the job

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Be clear that it is finished

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That there is no intent to carry on or try again

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And if you are the abandoned one then get busy

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Accept the new situation and move on

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Not easy so that's why being busy helps to keep our mind off thoughts of the other

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Cynical but true thought it is better to learn before heavy commitments are made

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Before children arrive, mortgages signed and all the myriad other entanglements of relationship

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It take two to say yes

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It only takes one to say no

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Unconditional love means letting go if the other party no longer wants to go on

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Violent aggression and revenge create more negative karma

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Do not look for revenge, let go

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Life will bring other opportunities but maybe not those you expect

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Maybe life will not go as you plan it probably won't

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Life is what it is process

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We do not all have to follow the same patterns in life accept where yours takes you

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Long term separation is tough and yes it can break relationships

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It can also strengthen them as well

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And this finally is what life it is all about............ learning

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Let life be your teacher without regrets, without what if's

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Wonder what is coming next not about what has just finished

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Live for this day now

Saying goodbye

Is something we all do

In fact a lot of life is hallo goodbye

On a daily basis we say hallo and goodbye probably many times

.

Usually without thought

.

Already preoccupied with what we are going to do next

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When we visit airports it seems different

.

When we say goodbye there it is more serious, more defined in a way

.

Often the impending separation is going to be longer

.

The parting is harder

.

Emotions come out

.

Tears maybe

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Whatever, we find ourselves drawn out of our usual hurry and bustle

Is our emotion for our own loss?

Or for our own self pity?

For being left behind?

No matter goodbye however said is in a sense to acknowledgin change

A change in our lives when someone we care about leaves

After they have left how do we feel?

How do we remember them?

How do we carry on?

We can hold on to the memory, but it's tough

Better maybe to let go

Trying to hold that emotion doesn't work over time

Get on with your own life with pleasure

Whether or not they are coming back life is to be lived

Holding on to a sad memory is not helpful

We might all do it sometimes

Decide to move on decide to be busy

Choose not to endlessly think about that person even if you are both in love it is not so clever

Live your own life for that is what we are all here to do

Say goodbye turn around and let go

Derive pleasure from the simple things in your life

Pleasure from being alive

Pleasure that the other one exists and is out there somewhere doing the same maybe

Time passes quicker when we are busy and involved

It drags more when we live in our minds

And anyway goodbye is just a prelude to another hallo

Moscow and Russians

Just got back from another trip to Moscow, which we visit several times a year

And this thought occurred

Most Muscovite's do not secretly want to be Europeans they are quite happy being Russian

Most Muscovite's are not Asian either although a large part of the country is in Asia

Moscow stands alone there is no Paris next door or Frankfurt up the road

The nearest big place is St Peters burg and that's up by the Baltic a fair distance away both in kilometers and psychologically

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Yes Moscow is different, a big buzzy place with a tough climate

A difficult place for most as life is not easy

A fun place for some who have huge amounts of money

A changing place as attested to by the increasing number of powerful motorbikes roaring around Moscow using the city as some kind of GP circuit most summer nights

There are few speed limits and these are very casually observed

As a pedestrian do not believe that those white painted lines are going to help you much

And if it is raining then keep away from the kerb because Moscow drivers think it's some kind of sport to soak pedestrians, that is if they even notice them

What is really so different about Moscow is that it was and still is the centre of power for over seventy nationalities that make up this huge country

One sixth of the world's surface area or thereabouts even after the breakup of the USSR

This gives Moscow a feel different from most other places

Feels like the centre, a capital not just of a country more like of a continent of many countries

And for Russians this exerts a pull

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Many Nationalities, many people drawn to it

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Big place and this is part of the Russian psyche

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Over ten million people live in or around Moscow

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Moscow is growing fast in terms of new buildings, shops, offices and roads

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Many are very big, no fear of size here it fits naturally with the feel of the country around it

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Every Muscovite has friends or relatives who live in Siberia or other far away places

.

Often they go on holiday or visit these places, places Europeans and others have never even heard of

.

Kazan?

.

Yekaterinburg, Magadan or Samara maybe?

.

So Moscow it has its own dynamic

.

Big seasonal moods

.

Now approaching winter the last outdoor parties

.

The last trips to the dacha for many

.

For others a sigh at impending long dark nights and short days

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Moscow has a full on night scene along with grinding lives for many

.

Travel on the metro and you see the stress of urban living etched on the faces

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And those of the visiting village people so obviously from another world

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Yes Moscow is different

.

And yes Muscovite Russians too are different they reckon they are the best, seeing themselves as more urbane, civilised they believe than other Russians

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The pull of both Russia and Moscow on Russians is enormous wherever they go in the World they want to come back to visit

.

Why?

.

Because the energy in Moscow is strong, a magnet if you will which once experienced also pulls outsiders back again

.

So yes Moscow is different and has it's own feel as do the people who are generous and lively

.

And no most Muscovite's do not want to be anything else although all could wish for a nicer climate

.

Just a thought then

Depression today

Affects many millions of people

Those who are confirmed as being depressed by their doctors at least know they are diagnosed depressed

Others suffer from depression but do not really understand or accept being depressed

More are depressed from time to time

Yet others confuse depression with the state of the world or business or their relationship

In other words depression comes in all shapes and sizes

Some signs though

Have you been feeling sad, down in the dumps?

Do you still enjoy (your job, sports, hobbies)?

Do you often feel tired?

Do you have trouble sleeping or do you sleep too much?

Have you been gaining or losing weight?

Do you often feel down on yourself, or that everything is your fault?
.
Do you have trouble making decisions or concentrating on your work?

Do you often feel agitated or like you can barely move?

Do you ever feel that life is not worth living?

Any or some of the above over the last few weeks indicate that yes there is a good chance that indeed you are suffering from depression

Depression is a tough illness and yes it can be called an illness

It is a tough illness because there is no easy cure and no one solution fits all cases

No pill can take you out of it although some might claim to do so

At best allopathic drugs can smooth you out

Unfortunately constant usage frequently brings other problems sometimes worse than the illness itself

Depression is so hard to get out of because once in a downward spiral it is tough to reverse
.
It is possible though and here is a thought

.
All depression is at root fear in one shape or another
.
Locate the fear or fears and you have a chance to reverse or remove the depression

In other words what is the root cause?
.
Fears are usually well hidden for the simple reason we do not like to look at them let alone confront them

So to get at them usually needs help
.
Unfortunately good help is often difficult to find and invariably expensive

What to do?

First step acknowledge that you have or are in depression

Second step engage in all activities that oblige you to stop thinking about your problems
.
Do those things that require full attention and concentration
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Meditate if you know how if not then find ways to bring peace into your mind maybe through music maybe dance, anything again to lift you from your extreme absorption with your problems

Embrace the idea of appreciation for what you have and not a focus on what you do not have

Let go of yesterday and your history it's gone leave it be

Your future is unknown so leave it there without endless worry

Stay in the present moment it's the safest place to be

Depression builds over time so it takes time to undo

Decide to take steps to lead a more active life

Do exercise one way or another it does not need heroic activities rather those that allow you to feel and use your body

Find at least one reason why it is good to be here

Then another

Fight any negative thoughts or self doubt.

Find out what you want in life.

You might well know some of these things the trick though is to find some way to actually bring them into reality, to live them.

Find activities to do to replace negative thoughts or to occupy you when feeling confused,

It is very important to find activities and to do them,

Stay with them as long as possible without over stressing,

If one doesn't help then try another.

Read more, learn how to develop and maintain a positive attitude

Also how to live life and feel confident to start life over for this is often what needs to be done

Starting life over with new habits and forcing those positive thoughts until they begin to emerge by themselves

Accept that your life is not important to anyone else except you and you have to take charge and not live the life of a victim.

You are only a victim until you accept that only you can change your life situation

At this point you are no longer a victim but the responsible party for what happens to you

It can be very distressing listening to other stories of hard times.

Everyone has had bad times so when you are in yours stay away from those who like to add to your gloom

You need to find some activities that occupy your time and thought.

Keep looking and trying, if it doesn't work try something else.

Exercise as much as possible; force yourself to walk

Make commitments to do things with active people, activities leave less time for negative thoughts

Do not spend endless time in discussions and dwelling on the past.

Help people with some activities, or join groups, particularly with children and animals, they don't dwell in the past.

Some people gain comfort from animals and they are never negative!.

Be patient and believe you are not alone in this illness and will lead your own life again.

Over many lives we all experience depression the trick is to decide to get well again

Find the beauty of life it is there just needs you to decide to find it

Keep moving

One way or another

All your life

Why?

Because change is one of the most important things helping us to find and retain good health

It is also an essential modern skill

Learning to move with less pain, to change our lives

Learning to move without stressing out, changing our lives without tension and drama

.

Moving is usually a choice we make

.

Sometimes it is mandated, if so then make it positive where you can

.

Where it is your choice make it for good reasons

.

Reasons of life enhancement

.

Reasons of wanting to grow

.

To experience more of life

.

To learn more about yourself and others

.

Additionally we don't get in such a stale rut if we move

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Sometimes moving is not possible so make it your hobby to travel when you can

.

Then again move in your mind if travel is not possible

.

Moving keeps us healthy

.

Keep moving

I am my parent

Yes this is how it really works

My thoughts and actions in this life shape how I am in my next

My genetics are merely those provided by the parents my profile chooses

My parents are those chosen to give me the best start in life for the lessons I have come to learn in this life

So in a very profound sense I am my own parent as I shape what I become in my new life

My genetic parents give me the start I need

My thoughts and actions now are what determine what happens to me in my new life

My previous thoughts and actions are what determine what I experience now

For the drunkard maybe drunken parents in the next life to experience what it is like to have drunken parents

What goes round coming round if you will

Karma in action

For those who were too busy to give their love or time to their children

They may well have parents in this life who are too busy to give them any attention or time either

And so it goes on karma is very accurate no one may pay for you

It is you alone who reap what you have sown

This is both for good and bad thoughts and deeds

More than half the world already understands that karma rules

Until 553ad Christians did too, when the Church elders decided to eliminate karma and reincarnation and replace it with their muddled teachings

If you look at these teachings they are rather incoherent but certainly there was nothing muddled or incoherent about the power and control it gave them

The absolution of sins is also a Christian idea, which again has nothing to do with the teachings of the founder

Be warned no one may give you absolution for anything you have done

No church no priest may absolve you contrary to current Christian teaching

Only you can undo what you have done

You pay your karma if not in this life then in the next or sometimes even later lives

You and you alone are responsible

Lie and cheat all you like

You pay

So dwell a little on this you are your own parent creating now what you will be and experience in the future

Yes life is not quite as simple as often portrayed in the West

A special breed

Of selfish mothers

Who proudly proclaim how they dedicate their lives to their daughters

As if this is in the interests of the daughter

As if this is somehow admirable

Or what they or their daughters are on this planet to do

Of course it is they who know best

They know how she should behave in any given situation

How she should think

How she should lead her life

With whom she should mix

Who she should marry

Where she should live

And the rest

If you are one such then stop it

Get a life of your own

Your daughter is not here for you to live your life vicariously through hers

Get on with your own life and leave her alone to get on with hers

If she needs or wants your help then let her ask for it when she decides to

Not when you feel she ought to

Do not talk to her every day on the phone

Do not call her

Let your daughter alone

Get on with your own life

And if you are the daughter then understand you are not here to be your mother's plaything

You are here to grow your own spirit

Get on with your own life

Invite your mother to leave you alone to make your own choices

We are here to learn for ourselves

By ourselves

Of course a nice relationship is ideal

Of course you care

But surrendering your autonomy to a selfish woman is not what it is all about

And yes in case you wondered we come across many lives ruined by these mothers