Points of view

.

And then again:

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom.

What one person receives without working for

Another person must work for without receiving.

The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them

And when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for

That my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.

You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

And this fight is just as relevant today as when the above were written 

Where to help and where to take away

Problem is governments cannot give all that they promise nor tax all that they want to

Governments ever growing, ever spending the taxpayers money

Ever pushing into new areas of control

Taxing everything in sight

And still they never have enough

Time they felt the pain of doing without

Time their share of the cake was cut

That balance talked about above is becoming ever harder to achieve
.
Maybe there never will be a time of equal distribution of wealth
.
Just a perennial  fight over who takes what

Our lessons

And how they work

A little different from some of the things I have been writing recently

So let's start

We are here in this and every life to learn one or two major lessons

If we learn them then we move on

If we do not learn them then we have to keep reincarnating over and over until we do

So let's look at lessons and how they work

We are all presented with real life problems

For example these come in the form of family lessons of, pain, sorrow, jealousy, envy, violence, greed, injustice, sexual problems, dishonesty, sibling rivalry, broken promises, father complex, mother complex, disappointment, betrayal, sexual abuse, drinking problems, inter family feuding........................... and these are just a few of the problems we can have in our family

Your own particular problem will depend on what it is you have to learn

And yes this problem or lesson can last for years and years

Some can be learnt quicker

The way we deal with the problem is the real lesson

Many people will find or seek out what they feel to be the solution most advantageous to themselves

How can they obtain advantage for themselves?

For many others they will cheat

Many will steal or be dishonest or they will lie easily

These people are all about short term advantage for themselves

Other problems in life present situations where we might feel jealous

Where we feel greedy

Problems arise in all sorts of guises

Although the correct approach to solving them is similar in most instances

Or put another way the principles we use to solve problems are similar

They are being honest so that we can have a balanced view of the situation

To control our anger and frustration so that again we can be balanced in our consideration of the situation

To be patient so that we can fully understand what it is

To be accurate so that we do not go off in the wrong direction

To focus so that we do not miss anything

And if we can do these then once it is clear that we have learnt how to deal with the particular issue then we move on to the next one

If we are growing then we never finish having problems

Problems are how we grow

We never finish having problems in any given life

Rather like an onion there is always another layer

Another level of subtlety

However what happens is that they do get more interesting as we go along

Our problems begin to show us the truth of things

The truth of things is where we want to go

Why?

Because once we begin to see the truth of things we can actually begin to contribute

We begin to get wiser

We can see the different aspects of any given situation

We can put things into wider and wider contexts

We learn to compromise

We learn that it is not always necessary to be right in any given situation

We can let go

We can make our contribution

And that people is what we are here for

There is nothing more satisfying than the resonance that comes from helping someone see or understand something

And further along the road being able to help shift their energy

To heal as some call it

Yes life can become amazing

Your choice

Powerlessness

Maybe it's been this way from time immemorial

Powerlessness is the lot of so many

Bidden to do the will or pleasure of others

Seldom having the choice of doing what they want

How many are living lives of powerlessness?

Forever driven to serve others

Actually today most people are

Illusion might say otherwise

We might pretend it is not so

Check your own life

In how many areas do you have the power to say yes or no?

In how many must you accede to the wishes of others?

Modern life has seen the state assume ever more power over our lives

The state of course knows best what we should eat, drink or otherwise consume

We would argue that this has gone too far

However that is the point it does not matter what we think

We have no choice in so many areas of modern life

Powerlessness we would argue is the lot of most

If not the actual experience of most then what they have allowed to become their perception of their own lives

Even those who appear to have power are often frustrated

Frustrated that they do not have the total power they feel they ought to have

So what is important to understand is how to live with this imposed situation

The laws of the land are to be accepted

If you take issue with these then you must be prepared for struggle

Struggle over many years maybe

For most it is easier to accept that the laws of the land are bigger than they are

Maybe there is some wriggle room, maybe not

It is learning how to live in powerlessness that is really important

If you can do this then you can keep your self respect

Keeping our self respect is critical to our well being

We can lose many things in life but losing our self respect is the one of the worst

To keep it is very important

To do so the first step is to check where you are with your own self respect

Might sound like a funny thing to say however many of us do not know

We have never really looked at ourselves in this way

Do so

Do you have respect for yourself?

Are you happy with your own behaviour?

Your values?

Your honesty?

If yes then next check out your power

Do you have choices in your life?

In your decisions?

Where are you stuck?

Where do you have to compromise?

And yes we all have to compromise

Are your compromises morally and ethically sound?

Or are they to avoid trouble?

Often we have not noticed how we accept powerlessness in order to avoid trouble

The path of least resistance

Or so we think at the time

Over time this choice or these choices come back to haunt us

We begin to resent them

We feel angry

Frustrated

We blame others

We get depressed

Yes all of these things and more, they are our experience because we took the easy way out

Now we feel powerless

Taking back power is important for our self respect

Consider doing so

Decide to change your life

Handing power to others is not a good strategy

Take your power back

Where you have to accept powerlessness choose to let go of any anger or hostility

Use the situation to learn some humility

Humility is a powerful lesson to learn in life

Learn to feel OK with the situation

Determine when the time or situation arises you will act to change things

Consider carefully the course of action to be adopted should the situation arise

Then let it go be at peace with the actual scenario you find yourself in

Powerlessness is subtle and so long as you can live with it fine

It is when we realise that we have given away something of ourselves that we should not have given away that the trouble starts

Love of life

Do you love life?

Or are you just running through it at high speed

Like you have no time to appreciate life

Too busy

Too stressed

No time to figure out what it is or is not

Working, shopping, sleeping, eating and so on

You might have decided to do this

You might have found yourself backed into it

Whatever way you found yourself running, running, running

Stop for a minute and reflect

What is love of life?

What is love?

What is life?

Bet you have not asked these simple questions

If you have then look at your answers again now

If not then be warned no one can do this for you

Sure you can read any number of clever articles telling you what they think

That is what they believe or think

And you

What do you think?

Love of life is an amazing place to take yourself

You can only get there once you know what life is and is not

Only when you can see why we have genocide and brutal behaviour

Then you can truly  approach love of life

Your journey

Rushing and running might be OK for a while

Even a longer time

But for life?

Better find a love of life

Cruelty

Is something we see in many places

Sometimes it is hidden

Sometimes denied

Often we ignore it because we feel powerless

Or because we do not want to be involved

We are frightened of the consequences

We are just frightened of being seen to take a stand

People around us say nothing so why should we?

Popular media support actions against it or not maybe they just ignore it

Whatever

We have all at some time or another seen cruelty and done nothing

The question is have you learnt?

Cruelty can only continue if we let it

If we say nothing

Just for the record

Nature does see our actions and our non actions

No you do not get away with being a coward

Karma will bring you face to face with situations where you cannot stay stumn

We all pay for those times where we turned away

Times where morally we should have got involved

Just because something is the other side of the world does not mean we can turn away

Our thought forms and actions must register our disgust

Critical mass of revulsion can produce actions

It is our planet and cruelty anywhere is our business today

Be clear your thoughts add weight

We all have a responsibility to help make this planet a nicer fairer place for everyone on it

We all have contributions to make

Cruelty is unacceptable behaviour

44 years old

Living with her mother

Allows her mother to lock her in the apartment

Hands over the money she earns to her mother

Who might or might not give her any back again

Complains about headaches, depression, nervousness, insomnia and and and

Hard to believe but she has not made the connection with her mother

Her mother is in all senses a vampire

Her mother has her completely under her thumb

Has done since she was a child

The daughter is so used to this that she sees nothing wrong

There are some horror stories we come across in our work

The saddest bit is often the lack of consciousness in many people

Wake up

Look around you

Who gives you a headache?

Who goes on and on?

Who takes your money?

Who uses you, puts you down?

Check out your life

If you are being used and abused then change your life

Only you can do this

Others cannot do this for you

You must stand up and fight

Fight for your life

Literally in the case of the woman above

Sadly we might have been her last chance

However the mother has now taken the daughter's cell phone away from her

No more calls

Just silence and we leave here in a few days

And just where did it go?

Where did that swine flu pandemic go?

Millions were going to die

We were within weeks of  a mega disaster

Now all  of a sudden there is quiet

Some people died

Yes, they do every winter

Every winter some people die of the flu

In fact less have been dying this winter than usual

Interestingly many of those allegedly dying of swine flu actually died from secondary causes

The side effects of the swine flu vaccinations

Side effects that probably caused their weak immune systems to fail

They died

Not much talk about that either come to think of it

So what really happened?

Follow the money

Those making and selling swine flu vaccinations have made a fortune

Was that what it was all about then?

Money?

You guess

Looking really looking happy

Is not for everyone

Many are unable or even unwilling to be happy

Always serious or glum

Their chosen lifelong demeanour

Imagine choosing to be unhappy for life

Never or seldom happy

Never a good word

So look and see what happens when these people are over forty

Yes over forty plus or minus it all shows

Look at the faces of those over forty

Faces tell us so much even if the owner has had plastic surgery

The happy face shows the life lived

The deceitful also shows this life choice just as clearly

Those choosing misery also show this clearly on their faces

Did you notice this?

Did you take it in?

All those lines tell a story

Reading faces is a skill

Really really notice peoples faces

The face tells so much about it's owner real traits

'Tricky Dicky' shows his deceit

As does 'miserable Sam'

All of us show the lives we have lived

Miserable, happy it all shows after forty

Then look at the eyes

The eyes that cannot look at you

The eyes that are continually shifting

Tired eyes

Bloodshot eyes

"Misty eyes"

Shiny eyes

So much can be seen when we learn how to look

The world looks at you most days

What does it see?

Happy?

Or have you got in the habit of hiding your feelings

Hiding your happy maybe

People respond to happy

People like to be with happy people

Make the effort to show your happy face please

Make it a habit even

Your face tells so much about you

The moon

Our closest body in space

In a world where so much is determined by the power of the sun

It is easy to dismiss the more subtle power of the moon

Whether you like it or not the moon has a major influence on us

Imagine if it was not there.................we would feel pretty lonely

We are used to seeing it there, it is a comforting sight

It has many effects on our lives some noticed some unnoticed

The link between the Lunar Cycle and the oceanic tides is well established

Studies by physicists revealed that the moon amplifies the charge in living cells and at the time of the full moon this increases dramatically

Migratory birds follow the patterns of the moon for timing and finding their path of migration

Game birds tend to return to certain locations at the time of the hunters moon

Many religious and traditional festivals are scheduled in line with lunar phases

For example the Chinese New Year is celebrated on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice

For Christians Easter Sunday is the first Sunday on or after the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox

In the air it is well know that passengers are more difficult to handle and there are more incidents at the full moon

Doctors consultations six days after the full moon rise significantly

There are increases in epileptic seizures and bleeding ulcers at the time of the full moon

The association between Lunar phases and mental illness is legendary and in fact the word lunatic comes from the Latin word Luna meaning moon

The British 1824 lunacy act stated that people were liable to go mad when the moon was full

US research found a dramatic rise in admissions to psychiatric hospitals in New York on days of the full moon

Arson attack increase by 100% at the time of the full moon, however arson attacks also increase when there is a drop in atmospheric pressure, which might also be connected with phases of the moon

Murders increase, suicides increase at the time of the full moon

And for sure there are many other subtle effects

And for us?

Be aware that people are more edgy at the time of the full moon

Be more cautious when driving people do thoughtless things at the time of the full moon

People can often be more snappy and irritable

Imagine one day many eons from now the Moon will no longer be there

How will we feel then?

Glaxo funded backers of danger drug

More than nine out of 10 scientists who backed a drug at the centre of a safety scare had financial links to the pharmaceutical industry, a study has found.
.
The disclosure will renew concern about the influence of the multinational companies on patient safety, where a warning about a drug can wipe billions from their balance sheets.
.
The pharmaceutical industry has become adept at manipulating results and selectively withholding unfavourable data that could expose patients to harm.
.
Now it is accused of skewing the debate over one drug, Avandia, prescribed to millions of people around the world with Type 2 diabetes.
.
Avandia, made by the British multinational GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which helps diabetics control their blood sugar levels, was linked with an increased risk of heart attacks in research published in 2007.
.
Since then debate has raged within the scientific community about whether Avandia should be withdrawn from the market.
.
Warnings were issued on both sides of the Atlantic but the drug is still recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) in the UK and taken by tens of thousands of British patients.
.
In the US, internal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) documents leaked to The New York Times last month said 500 heart attacks a month could be avoided in the US if patients on Avandia were switched to a rival drug.
.
A separate investigation by a cross-party US Senate committee was sharply critical of GSK, saying it failed to warn patients of the heart risks earlier.
.
It also said GSK executives had "attempted to intimidate independent physicians".
.
Avandia was one of the biggest selling drugs in the world with sales of more than $3bn (£2bn) in the US alone in 2006.
.
But when the FDA issued a warning following the 2007 research linking the drug with an increased risk of heart attacks, sales plunged.
.
Now the FDA is reviewing the drug for a second time and is due to announce its findings in July.
.
In an internal memo last December, Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's drug centre, wrote that "there are multiple conflicting opinions" about Avandia.
.
Despite this, no review is planned in the UK.
.
The latest study helps illuminate why the scientific opinions on Avandia are conflicting.
.
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota – one of the few US research organisations that does not rely on commercial sponsorship – analysed more than 200 articles published in scientific journals, including original papers, editorials and letters, which commented on the heart attack risk associated with Avandia after 2007.
.
They found almost half (47 per cent) of the study authors had financial conflicts of interest but almost a quarter (23 per cent) did not disclose it.
.
They were discovered by searching other publications by the same author or on the internet.
.
Three authors declared no conflict of interest but did in fact have one.
.
More than nine out of 10 (94 per cent) of the authors who had positive views about Avandia had financial links with pharmaceutical companies involved in diabetes and 87 per cent had financial links with the drug's manufacturer, GSK.
.
In contrast, less than 30 per cent of those with financial links with the industry "expressed unfavourable views" of Avandia.
.
Those authors who were critical of Avandia safety were "largely free of identifiable conflicts of interest", the study says.
.
But of 29 articles strongly recommending the rival Eli Lilly drug, Actos, as a replacement for Avandia, 25 were by authors with financial links to Lilly.
.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, the Mayo Clinic researchers say: "In the heat of the rosiglitazone [Avandia] controversy, patients and clinicians alike were exposed to many arguments on both sides of the debate.
.
How could interpretation of the same evidence result in disparate and impassioned positions?
.
We aimed to determine whether financial conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical manufacturers could be fuelling this fire. From our findings, it appears that the answer is yes."
.
Mohammad Murad, assistant professor of medicine, who led the study, said yesterday he had been disappointed at the low rates of disclosure of financial conflicts of interest, given the clear link between them and the authors' views. "
.
This thing [the influence of financial links] could be subconscious," he said. "
.
We are not saying it is necessarily deliberate.
.
But the implication is that there should be better disclosure.
.
People [with financial links to the companies] should realise they are probably biased and as readers we should be aware of probable bias."
.
He added: "Avandia should probably be withdrawn.
.
There are a lot of other options available now."
.
GSK said seven trials had been completed since 2007 which had failed to show an increase in cardiovascular events linked with Avandia.
.
A spokesperson said: "The science shows Avandia is safe and effective when used appropriately and in accordance with the labelling.
.
The evidence does not establish an increased risk of heart attack.
.
We acted properly and responsibly in the way the clinical trial programme for Avandia was run, in marketing it, monitoring for safety and in the updates we put out.
.
As a company we support open and independent debate."

The spokesperson added that in the interests of greater transparency all research payments made by the company to doctors and institutions would be disclosed from next year.
.
Allegations of intimidation of scientists related to a case involving a US doctor who had included inaccuracies about Avandia in presentations in 1999 which the company had tried to correct. "
.
We had a disagreement which was later resolved.
.
We think it is important to correct inaccuracies and the doctor did correct his statements.
.
We absolutely rebut the idea that there was intimidation or threats."
.
A Diabetes UK spokesperson said: "We would not advise people to stop taking Avandia."
.
Jermey Laurance – Independent
.
Can you believe these people?
.
On the one hand they talk about “greater transparency”
.
On the other they continue to insist Avandia is safe when 2007 research indicated a heart risk
.
Then we have some UK spokesperson saying they would not advise people to stop taking it
.
Why would that be when there are more recent, less dangerous options available?
.
When there is an increased risk of heart attack from using Avandia
.
And there is no review planned in the UK, and why would that be?
.
One other funny thing
.
Only one major newspaper is following this story with any real attention
.
Where are all those journalists who banged on about swine flu and then suddenly went all quiet when there was no pandemic?
.
Why would this not be of equal interest to their readers?
.
What a world we live in

Time in 2010

Quicker than in 2009

Apart from the fact that time is quicker or put more accurately our experience of it is quicker

We can note this on a personal level

Ask our friends

Most young, and old alike experience time to be going so fast today

On a national level the same thing applies and almost without notice problems that slipped by hidden or unnoticed are now popping up into view

Into the public gaze come problem after problem

Until a few years ago governments and large organisations could hide things they did not want us to see

Today this is harder because of the speed of communication

Because of the sheer volume of information, the sheer specialisation of much of it

And for us as individuals?

Keep yourself informed

Join or involve yourself in issues that you care about

Select one that resonates with you

Why?

Because our numerical involvement matters

Opinion polls on which leaders feed is influenced by what we say

We need to talk to each other more

We need to inform each other

We need to be proactive

This is our world

Our problems

We cannot leave our problems to self seeking politicians

Greedy narrow special interest groups

Become more communicative

Karma explained in another way - 3

From the standpoint of a special creation for each entity entering the world, there is vast and unaccountable injustice

From the standpoint of Karma, the strange vicissitudes and apparent chances of life can be considered in a different light as the unerring manifestation of cause and sequence

In a family under the same conditions of poverty and ignorance, one child will be separated from the others and thrown into surroundings very dissimilar

He may be adopted by a rich man, or through some freak of fortune receive an education giving him at once a different position

The Karma of incarnation being exhausted, other Karma asserts itself

A very important question is here presented

Can an individual affect his own Karma, and if so in what degree and in what manner?

It has been said that Karma is the continuance of the act, and for any particular line of Karma to exert itself it is necessary that there should be the basis of the act engendering that Karma in which it can inhere and operate

But action has many planes in which it can inhere

There is the physical plane, the body with it senses and organs

Then there is the intellectual plane, memory, which binds the impressions of the senses into a consecutive whole and reason, which puts in orderly arrangement its storehouse of facts

Beyond the plane of intellect there is the plane of emotion, the plane of preference for one object rather than another

- the fourth principle of the man

These three, physical, intellectual and emotional, deal entirely with objects of sense perception and may be called the great battlefield of Karma

There is also the plane of ethics, the plane of discrimination of the "I ought to do this, I ought not to do that"

This plane harmonises the intellect and the emotions

All these are the planes of Karma or action what to do, and what not to do

It is the mind as the basis of desire that initiates action on the various planes, and it is only through the mind that the effects of rest and action can be received

WQJ

Too little to late

Maybe not

Personally I do not agree with all their actions, however this one I do
.
And hope that you might too
.
Consumers, public health, environmental and farmers groups have long rallied against a few international GM companies having such significant influence over European agriculture.
.
Concerns about growing GM crops include: contamination of organic crops and the environment; their impact on climate due to the excessive need for pesticides; the destruction of biodiversity and local agriculture; and the effects of GM food on public health.
.
EU member states have voiced strong opposition to last week's decision to authorise BASF's potato and Monsanto's maize --
.
Italy and Austria are opposed, and France said it would ask for further scientific research.
.
There is still no consensus on the long-term effects of GM crops.
.
And it is the GM industry, pursuing profits not public well being, that is funding the science and driving the regulatory environment.
.
That is why European citizens are calling for more independent research, testing and precaution before crops are unleashed onto our land.
.
Now, the "European Citizens' Initiative" gives 1 million EU citizens the opportunity to submit policy proposals to the European Commission and offers us a unique chance to drown out lobbyists' influence.
.
Let's raise 1 million voices to put a moratorium on the introduction of GM crops into Europe and set up an independent, ethical and scientific body to research and determine the strong regulation of GM crops.
.
Sign the petition now and then forward it widely if you agree with this issue
.
Please go to Avaaz org
.
Google or other search engine to take you to  "Avaaz org" and see what if you want to add your voice

Karma explained in another way - 2

It must,however, be remembered that there are many tendencies which are not exhausted in the act of incarnation

It may happen that the Karma which caused an entity to incarnate in any particular surrounding,was only strong enough to carry it into physical existence

Being exhausted in that direction, freedom is obtained for the manifestation of other tendencies and their Karmic effects

For instance,Karmic force may cause an entity to incarnate in a humble sphere of life.

He may be born as the child of poor parents

The Karma follows the entity, endures for a shorter or longer time, and becomes exhausted

From that point, the child takes a line of life totally different from his surroundings

Other affinities engendered by former action express themselves in their Karmic results.

The lingering effects of the past Karma may still manifest itselff in the way of obstacles and obstructions which are surmounted with varying degrees of success according to their intensity

WQJ

Karma explained in another way - 1

The first result of Karmic action is the incarnation in physical life.

The birth seeking entity consisting of desires and tendencies, presses forward towards incarnation

It Is governed in the selection of its scene of manifestation by the law of economy

Whatever is the ruling tendency, that is to say, whatever group of affinities is strongest, those affinities will lead it to the point of manifestation at which there is the least opposition

It incarnates in those surroundings most in harmony with its Karmic tendencies and all the effects of actions contained in the Karma so manifesting will be experienced by the individual

This governs the station of life, the sex, the conditions of the irresponsible years of childhood, the constitution with the various diseases inherent in it, and in the fact all those determining forces of physical existence which are ordinarily classed under the terms "hereditary", and "national characteristics"

It is really the law of economy which is in truth underlying these terms and which explains them

Take for instance a nation with certain characteristics.

These are the plane of expansion for any entity whose greatest number of affinities are in harmony with those characteristics

The incoming entity following the law of least resistance becomes incarnated in that nation

and all Karmic effects following such characteristics willl accrue to the individual

This will explain what is the meaning of such expressionns as the "Karma of nations"

and what is true of the nation will also apply to family and caste

WQJ

One at a time

As my daughter said to me recently

She has learnt the hard way that only one can be angry at any given time

In an argument that is

Not a bad observation

If you live with a partner or find yourself in an argument then try to make sure that only one of you loses it at a time

Loses control and reason that is

Simply put one of you needs to be able to see clearly

To be able to prevent things getting totally out of hand

Where the whole relationship is put into the argument

Where divorce, break up, separation are thrown into the argument

Once an argument gets going then things can often quickly spiral out of control

When one of you can see that things are going ballistic

Beyond the possibility of reason

This is when that knowledge of the other partner is critical

Knowing how to step back

Knowing what must be done to prevent nuclear detonation

It might be walking away

Saying nothing further

Holding the other

Whatever your approach base it on knowledge of how best to diffuse or give time for calming down

Oh and if you know how to do that great

................and does your partner know what to do with you when it is your turn?

We hope so

For if both of you enter into a state of lost control then this is where the real damage is done

Winning

Is what competition is all about
.
The match, game or championship
.
And to win in today's hyper competitive world requires an edge
.
All top competitors are excellent at their technical skills
.
All are very fit physically and mentally
.
Most understand the subtleties of their sport
.
All have a strong will to win
.
And yet like all humans they too have 'off days'
.
The true champion is the one who can win in spite of an off day
.
He or she has something the others do not
.
What is that something?
.
Increasingly we can see it on display
.
With better filming and camera work we can see things that were hidden before
.
We can see the stress
.
We can see irritation
.
Smugness on occasion
.
Loss of concentration, mind going walk about
.
Many little things
.
And one of the most important is that we can see the psychology working in real time
.
We can see the strong competitors totally in control of their emotions
.
While in the 'zone' they have total control and are oblivious to other things
.
We can also see when they lose it
.
When they tighten up
.
When they lose some points, make mistakes, concentration wanders
.
Sometimes before our very eyes we see them fall apart
.
So what is happening?
.
They lose their concentration
.
Focus goes
.
Attention wanders
.
Then invisible to the camera or spectator eye their mind starts a dialogue with themselves
.
The mind or entity starts grumbling with the other self
.
Telling himself he should have won the point, the line call was wrong, it was not fair
.
The shot was in not out, and things begin to unravel
.
In many sports we can now see this change occur right in front of our eyes
.
Suddenly the superstar is losing, getting angry, making more and more mistakes
.
To get it back is tough and not many do so
.
The very best yes they sometimes can but for most once they start that dialogue with themselves then no it is gone
.
So now lets look at lesser mortals
..
Think about your own loss of concentration or focus
.
Can you get it back?
.
Or does your mind pull you into negativity?
.
Pull you down into depression?
.
Prod or provoke you into anger
.
This is for all of us an issue because all of us, whatever our life style whatever our life journey
.
All have times when suddenly we get pulled from where we were to another space where irritation or frustration erupt
.
It is in this space that we need to learn to perform
.
To find a way to take back control
.
To banish the demons push them back into their box
.
To continue what we were doing in a more controlled and successful manner
.
Yes be aware they will come back until you take control of your mind
.
The other side of your mind your entities your negative side is there in all of us
.
Just the degree that is different
.
Know that all can be knocked off balance
.
Whatever we do, world champions too

It does not matter if you are winning

It does matter how you learn to recover

How you learn to turn things around

Winning the game of life with yourself is so much more than winning a game

For champions too have to learn the game of life

The tyranny of the hit

Although you might expect people who seek out obscure products to derive more pleasure from their discoveries than those who simply trudge off to see the occasional blockbuster, the opposite is true.
.
It has been found that blockbusters get better ratings from the people who have watched them than more obscure ones do.
.
Perhaps the best explanation of why this might be so was offered in 1963.
.
In “Formal Theories of Mass Behaviour”, William McPhee noted that a disproportionate share of the audience for a hit was made up of people who consumed few products of that type
.
A lot of the people who read a bestselling novel, for example, do not read much other fiction.
.
By contrast, the audience for an obscure novel is largely composed of people who read a lot.
.
That means the least popular books are judged by people who have the highest standards, while the most popular are judged by people who literally do not know any better.
.
An American who read just one book this year was disproportionately likely to have read “The Lost Symbol”, by Dan Brown.
.
He almost certainly liked it.
.
This explains why bestselling books, or blockbuster films, occasionally seem to grow not just more quickly than products which are merely very popular, but also in a wholly different way.
.
As a media product moves from the pool of frequent consumers into the ocean of occasional consumers, the prevailing attitude to it—what Hollywood folk call word of mouth—can become less critical.
.
The hit is carried along by a wave of ill-informed goodwill.
.
So next time you read about how much money a hit has made consider that this is merely showing how successful the strategy of dumbing down is
.
Then the next thought must be and if this continues
.
Where next then?
.
Where next indeed

Our sun is a variable star

For some years now, an unorthodox idea has been gaining favor among astronomers.
.
 It contradicts old teachings and unsettles thoughtful observers, especially climatologists.
.
The sun, explains Lika Guhathakurta of NASA headquarters in Washington DC, is a variable star.
.
But it looks so constant.
.
That's only a limitation of the human eye.
.
Modern telescopes and spacecraft have penetrated the sun's blinding glare and found a maelstrom of unpredictable turmoil.
.
Solar flares explode with the power of a billion atomic bombs.
.
Clouds of magnetized gas (CMEs) big enough to swallow planets break away from the stellar surface.
.
Holes in the sun's atmosphere spew million mile-per-hour gusts of solar wind.
.
And those are the things that can happen in just one day.
.
Over longer periods of decades to centuries, solar activity waxes and wanes with a complex rhythm that researchers are still sorting out.
.
The most famous "beat" is the 11-year sunspot cycle, described in many texts as a regular, clockwork process.
.
In fact, it seems to have a mind of its own.
.
It's not even 11 years, says Guhathakurtha.
.
The cycle ranges in length from 9 to 12 years.
.
Some cycles are intense, with many sunspots and solar flares; others are mild, with relatively little solar activity.
.
In the 17th century, during a period called the 'Maunder Minimum,' the cycle appeared to stop altogether for about 70 years and no one knows why.
.
There is no need to go so far back in time, however, to find an example of the cycle's unpredictability.
.
Right now the sun is climbing out of a century-class solar minimum that almost no one anticipated
.
Our sun has so much more to teach us
.
NASA

Disappearing soil

Fertile soil is being lost faster than it can be replenished and will eventually lead to the “topsoil bank” becoming empty, an Australian conference heard.
.
Chronic soil mismanagement and over farming causing erosion, climate change and increasing populations were to blame for the dramatic global decline in suitable farming soil, scientists said.
.
An estimated 75 billion tonnes of soil is lost annually with more than 80 per cent of the world's farming land "moderately or severely eroded", the Carbon Farming conference heard.
.
A University of Sydney study, presented to the conference, found soil is being lost in China 57 times faster than it can be replaced through natural processes.
.
In Europe that figure is 17 times, in America 10 times while five times as much soil is being lost in Australia.
.
Soil is also a valuable store of carbon and can release the greenhouse gas if it is ploughed or dug up.
.
The conference heard world soil, including European and British soils, could vanish within about 60 years if drastic action was not taken.
.
This will lead to a global food crisis, chronic food shortages and higher prices, the conference heard.
.
Despite better than average farming practices, European soil might last for 100 years if no further damage occurs worldwide, scientists said.
.
In reality, however, increased land pressures aimed at compensating global production losses would likely mean it will run out faster, they added.
.
Last September the government launched new plans to protect the nation's soil which included farmers being asked to use less fertiliser.
.
Britain imports about 40 per cent of all its food it consumes, a figure that has steadily risen over the past few years.
.
Almost £32 billion of food was imported into the UK in 2008 up from more than £27.7 billion the year before.
.
John Crawford, professor of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Sydney, who presented the study, said it was unknown how long soil will last.
.
It could be as little as 60 years and that is a scary figure because it is not obvious that we have time to reverse decline and still meet future demands for food, he said.
.
It is not an exaggeration to say that soil is the most precious resource we have got, and... (we) are not up to the task of securing it for our children never mind our grand children.
.
Prof Crawford, the former chair of the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s Agri-Food Committee, said restoring soil required several factors.
.
These factors include minimum ploughing, improved management and "resting" soil by covering crops which helps replace carbon in soil.
.
It can however, take decades to significantly increase the amount of useful carbon in soil, which helps make it fertile.
.
While organic farming could be part of the answer, he said there was "no clear evidence that we can feed the current population using organic approaches, never mind meeting demands in time".
.
Latest forecasts predict the world's population will grow from 6.8 billion to more than 9 billion by 2050, placing even further pressure on food production and farming.
.
The world last year faced a cereal crisis as wheat stocks dropped to a 30-year low after demand for wheat and rice outstripped supply for the past six out of the previous seven years.
..
This resulted in grain prices rocketing, which sparked civil unrest in many countries.
.
Extreme evidence of how soil is being eroded was seen in September when Sydney was blanketed by its worst dust storm in 70 years
.
Telegraph

Where now?

Humanity stands at a crossroads

We either get our s**t together or we destroy our planet and ourselves

Talks about religion are one thing

Descending into chaos and oblivion quite another

"The shifting of thought is the paramount healer of mankind"

Not my words but those of a Master

"Consciousness is the slowest thing to move in humans"

Again not my words but those of Gautama Buddha

And I think we can all agree that these Masters can see and know more than we do

So in what way do we need to shift our consciousness?

Let me give you some more straight observations by those who know

Man has accepted the center of the creative impulse as his ego

..............and the action of the ego absorbs all tensions

Thus instead of a cosmic action there results a focus of egotism

The creativeness of Cosmos evokes cooperation

The creativeness of Cosmos evokes striving to the far off worlds

The focal point of the ego, rejecting all ordinances of Cosmos, generates causes which affirm the manifestation of isolation

Cosmos attracts dates which are identical with the direction of the Cosmic Magnet

The core of the ego proceeds in isolation

The creativeness of Cosmos manifests boundless cooperation

The attainment of a spiritual step can direct humanity to the source of truth

Only by way of tension and by way of striving may one progress toward evolution

The visible world brings to humanity a concept of the invisible one

and the creativeness of spirit can direct towards cognizance of the invisible

And what you might ask does this mean?

Essentially man is chuntering down the road to oblivion

When the ego is the center of our thoughts and actions it puts us on a downward spiral to extinction

Opening our hearts to our our world and its needs on the other hand can lead us out of trouble

For we are the guardians of our planet

Ever thought of that?

As the only self-reflective consciousness on planet earth it is our duty and job to look after the place

Bluntly put we are responsible

The buck stops with us

We can hardly ask the elephants to do it for us can we?

Yet we behave as if our resources are infinite and the destruction of habitat and environment are just  a shrug of the shoulders

So the above is giving us a clue, no more than that it is saying what we have to do

Drop the ego

Focus on what our hearts tell us we need to do

And do it

Right now that I have said that what are you doing with your ego?

Are you pursuing ever more things, toys, distractions?

Are you enamoured of materialism?

Are you making a contribution?

Are you stuck in your ego?

Then open your heart

Learn to think of others

Get involved

Give a present to everyone you meet, yes everyone, for the rest of your life

The present can be a word, a gesture whatever

Step out of your ego think about that other human what does she need

That woman about to serve me what can I give her?

What would be nice to share?

Do it

With everyone

This will be a first step out of ego

Considering others

Thinking about their needs

Acting upon that thought

Do it

Demographics

A reader wrote after the recent blog on Islam and said :
.
"Very strong words from a moderate, peaceloving man as yourself. What should we do ? talk to them ? fight them ? marry them or reconvert ?
.
Yes indeed, also in Brussels some neighbourhoods are not any more acessible to the police. And the moslim gangs rob and intimidate college students, that is why a high school changed location.
.
One could ask why we " the Westerners " occupy Afghanistan or the Jews act like Nazis in Palestine, or why the Americans created the Taleban to fight communism ( USSR ) , ...
.
To which I replied "Good response and I agree what are we doing there?
.
The current answers are not very convincing and I for one feel we should get out of Afganistan.
.
The Israelis are not doing themselves any favours and time will show this.
.
Regarding Muslims in Europe I feel it is time we said clearly you are welcome to live in our countries provided you accept our norms and try to integrate. If you do not want to or do not accept our norms then go somewhere else. End of story
.
We lived in an area of London where non muslims were intimidated and for sure it was not comfortable to venture after dark, this in my own country. After three years where things were only getting worse we have now moved to another area where I can hear my own language and walk after dark without concern
.
Enough is enough and the problem of them not trying to integrate needs seeing for what it is infiltration of their values and way of life onto an often generous if naive western society
.
We are working in Moscow at the moment where there is also an issue with Muslims from the former republics, however the line here is clear and well understood by all.
.
That was my reply
.
The following has been around for a while and is worth a look, although if the immigrants in question integrated then the birth rate would drop as the women get more education and a greater say in making their own life choices
.
What will be the outcome and who is right we do not know however the issues need addressing more clearly than they have been so far
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9atIjykihkc
.