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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31286413101583028142014-10-04T19:02:56.121-07:00Span404 entriesHudson404http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-64240118760034735172009-03-26T21:52:00.000-07:002009-03-26T21:53:22.604-07:00Summary 404
I wasn't sure what to expect coming into Span 404. I have always had an interest in watching movies and figured it would be kind of interesting to be able to learn how to analyze film. At first I found it a little intimidating to express my own thoughts about a film because I wasn't really sure where to begin. But as the term progressed I felt more comfortable about it. I had a better sense of direction in terms of what to look for and how to convey these interpretations via the 'blog' or in class. The first half began with analyzing films created in Mexican cinema and it was interesting to see the progression of the film history and the fact that it had so much history. It was great to see that the quality of filmmaking rivaled with that of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:City>. My favorite movie that we watched in the first half would have to be Los Olvidados. It was my first time watching it and don't think it will be my last. These movies allowed the filmmakers to share their visions of <st1:country-region st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region> through film and allowed viewers, such as myself, to understand a little better the struggles and achievements <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> has done over the years. The second half of the course allowed me to view the perspective of a filmmaker from outside of <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></st1:place>. The 's' word was introduced at one point as it became more prevalent of the attempts some filmmakers made to try and construct a <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></st1:place> using 'stereotypes' in some cases. It is important for these movies to be accurate because these films get across to foreign cinemas that reach a much larger audience. Many people don't get a chance to visit <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> so the only perspective they have of it is through the movies. Overall, I found Span 404 to be very enjoyable and fun. It's not everyday where you can go to class and watch a movie. But the nice thing about it was being able to discuss it later and to get the different perspectives and opinions that other people had about the films. Thanks Jon for making it a fun class and I wish everyone all the best!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Hudson404http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-66903467657610220872009-03-24T23:08:00.000-07:002009-03-24T23:09:22.930-07:00Traffic
This is my second watching Traffic and like the first time I really enjoyed it. What I find to be really interesting is the many different stories going on at the same time; you have all different sides of the drug trafficking problem being brought to light. The film deals with issues of cross border drug smuggling, the dilemmas facing the justice system and the end results of the people affected by the drugs. It provides an insight on the aspect of the justice system and fighting crime to the rehabilitation and counseling of drug users. On the one side you have the law enforcement agency in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> having to deal with corrupt police and army officials. Because the police earn less wages they resort to making some extra on the side with 'entrepreneurial activities" as Benicio Del Torro had said in one if his scenes. Benicio's character struggles with his conscience of being involved with corruption and upholding the law. And on the other side you have the main stories going on with the judicial aspect and their priority to tackle the drug problem. They have to deal with fact that they are dealing with very creative and resourceful criminals that know that the law can end up siding with them. You have the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> police who do the ground work to enforce these laws as they take down the drug dealers. They show the struggles they deal with to bring these criminals to justice as they put their lives on the line only to see that their work was in vain as they are let off. You also have the drug dealers themselves with their families living like one of our neighbors and how they deal with this lifestyle. And ultimately you have the end users and their struggles; in this case the drug czars own family. It shows the ugly side of the issue of drug use and how it breaks down a person and a family. Ultimately one of the film's messages comes down as <st1:country-region st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region> being the origin of the problems in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> and that they are the only ones that suffer which isn't true. The movie fails to show that the people in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> (and in other countries for that matter) are also affected by these problems and suffer the same reality occurring in any place where drugs are readily available. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Hudson404http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-86089518751608664922009-03-19T01:19:00.001-07:002009-03-19T01:19:56.500-07:00Tres Amigos
It has been a long time since I have seen The Three Amigos and I really enjoyed it again! It kind of brought a lighter side to the films that we have watched so far as many of them centered on difficult themes. I find that this film was the comedy version of the Wild Bunch because of the many elements that were in that movie found their way into the Three Amigos like the Germans being involved in the gun smuggling who are seen as tough gunslingers. The film also has some common plots like the villagers in distress who seek out the help of outsiders and also rescuing the girl in distress. But as they attempt to rescue her they're plan at first fails and the girl seems to give some better ideas to plan the escape out. It was interesting to see the contrast of the portrayal of the women in the , which they seemed to be strong and respected, but at El Guapo's they are not as respected and seen as object to El Guapo and his gang. The movie does exaggerate quite a bit with the Amigos wardrobe and also the scenes where they break out in dance, which obviously indicates the distance they are trying to make between a real western and the comical version. Another shot was the background that was obviously a canvass of a sunset during the scene where they are outdoors gathered around the camp fire joined by some animals.. As many of the westerns always have a character that is the ultimate bad guy in Three Amigos El Guapo is portrayed as the clumsy hardened criminal who is the leader of a gang who are just as clumsy. The villagers seemed to need direction and courage to stand up to El Guapo and are given a plan by the Amigos to confront their fears. A great part of this scene is when Martin Short delivers the battle cry to get everyone motivated about conquering an individual's personal "El Guapo". <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

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Hudson404http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-16273722106095297112009-03-10T23:37:00.000-07:002009-03-10T23:38:24.197-07:00Wild Bunch
This is my first time watching the Wild Bunch and I thought it was an excellent movie. It's the type of movie that keeps you interested from start to finish because of the strong acting and storyline along with great action and suspense. The movie showed a lot of violence that must have been quite graphic for its time in the 60's as the director tried to give a realistic portrayal of how they used to live in that era, which was set in the early 1900's. From the beginning sequence when they robbed the bank to the general cutting Angels throat which subsequently leads into the graphic gun battle of the soldiers massacre and their own death at the end of the movie, there was no shortage of violence. I found an interesting element in the movie when they decide to deal with the general to steal American weapons from the train. It kind of brought to the forefront the issue of arms dealing and how it can affect a regions stability. The idea that money can impair Pike's conscience to decide to equip an army after he has seen first hand the abuse Mapache has done to his own people such as to the villagers in Angel's town. But also as he provides weapons to the general he does agree to Angel's terms to allow him to take some weapons for the villagers for his share of his money as Pike sees the town's right to defend themselves. And as the terms of the sale are spearheaded by the German advisors it shows that all parties are interested in attaining advanced weaponry to later get the upper hand in their agendas.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

I read that the film used some cinematography that was advanced for its time with the use of multi-angle editing with wide angle camera lens which was central for the live action and outdoor shots, such as the scene where just after Pike threatens to blow up the weapons the camera later pans above the canyon to capture the generals soldiers ride off on both sides to retreat back to the camp. This scene captures the grand landscape in the background and the canyon below as you see the soldiers ride quickly. And also the shot of the "long walk" as they make their way back to Mapache's to get Angel. Another element in the movie was the kind of feeling that the end of an era was upon Pike and the gang and the sense that they new it as he was looking for his last big job to call it quits. He uses a great line "We've got to start thinking beyond our guns. Those days are closing fast" which sums up what they are feeling and coming to the realization that times are a changin. You kind of sense it when Pike has kind of lost his touch as he tries to mount the horse he looses his footing, but also when they check out Mapache's automobile as they inspect it with such fascination and also the new form of weaponry they find intriguing when they first see the machine gun. Along with the "old ways" was that loyalty that Pike finds so important. The way Pike decides to agree and help the general to steal the arms in order to avoid a confrontation for Angel with the general, or when the four decide to go back to save Angel from being killed, when Pike mentions Deke's loyalty to the railroad as he pursued him and when Pike has the dream when he realizes he had dishonored his fellow gang member Deke after he leaves him behind during the raid. They all had a sort of 'code of honor' among them which was fading with the times.<o:p></o:p>
Hudson404http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-10254705877199713412009-03-04T18:42:00.000-08:002009-03-04T18:43:32.697-08:00Touch of evil
Touch of evil had a few clichés from the old style sleuth and caper movies of the 50's. The dialogues seemed to be more complex and dramatic as the use of different filming styles such as the angles and crane shots. Made it seem definitely a more American style of filming compared to the other films we have watched. Even the sheriff, Quinlan, tends to get the odd close up of the camera on him, sort of a way of showing his size and intimidation. Also, seems to be a limited use of film score as more audible background music such as the car radios are heard when the cars drive by. Mike Vargas was an interesting character. He attempted to solve a bombing case during his honeymoon and the real story ends up being his attempt to bring down Sheriff Quinlan and at the end they don't even find out who planned the bomb. Even Quinlan had his own agenda as he felt threatened by Vargas as he was cramming his style as his reputation was taking a hit. A lot went unanswered and too many different scenes going on without much explanations. What I found interesting was the fact that they made Charlton Heston look Mexican and when he spoke the director made the attempt to drown him out with ambient noises, like loud music or people talking out loud so as to not hear his accent when he spoke Spanish. He would say a couple of words but you wouldn't hear him say much else. There was also the cue used by the other characters to tell him to speak in English as a way to cut off his Spanish speaking lines. What I also found rather interesting was the methodical approach the gangsters took. They seem to take their time and like to play around with Mike Vargas' wife Susan. They seem to be preoccupied with involving the wife into the affairs when they could just go right to Mike. Like when the gangster tells her to follow him also at the hotel where she stays by herself. What I found to be really weird is that hotel clerk who kind of acted and sounded creepy. She is in a strange place and why would she want to stay by herself and why her husband would leave her alone…so much for a honeymoon. What was hard to follow was to the extreme lengths they went to try and frame the wife as they tried to frame her and also take her credibility away. Why didn't they just take Mike Vargas out of the picture as they had so many attempts? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Hudson404http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-8736120146132112582009-02-25T21:51:00.001-08:002009-02-25T21:51:41.670-08:00Que Viva Mexico
I found the Que Viva Mexico to be an interesting film even though it seemed a little disorganized in terms of the storyline. It appeared to be made as a documentary in the first half which showed the traditions and lifestyles in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> and the other half about a story of a man trying to get his fiancée back and fighting alongside the other peasants against the landlords. As a soviet production it seemed as though they focused on showing the strength of the Mexican people as they banded together when needed and showed they're solidarity and loyalty amongst themselves during a time of necessity. In a way I felt that the filmmakers were trying to find a common ground in order to be able to relate this as a form of communism. Because the film was essentially made for a Russian audience, it was almost an attempt to show their countrymen that communism exists in different places and in different forms and that there should be a sense of pride because of that. It can almost be considered as a form of propaganda. Another interesting element was the way the film depicted a kind of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> where the men and women worked and were found side by side; that a sense of equality was shown, except for the second part of the movie where the upper class took advantage of the girl. Compared to the other movies that we have watched where either the man or woman were depicted as dominant or weak, in this one they showed each other to be alike. Like the one scene where the guy's daughter went alongside with the other cowboys to hunt down the rebels. She was out there firing that gun showing that she can be just as effective and courageous as the others, although she does end up getting killed.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

An interesting component in the Que Viva Mexico is the limited use of dialogue and when there was some, mainly from the narrator in Russian; sounds seemed to be re-produced in the studio. The presenter did mention that the movie was incomplete and that some elements had obliviously been added such as the scene during the bullfight as a camera was mounted on a bull to produce the sensation of bulls' perspective and that the viewer was riding the bull. One last thing to mention is my curiosity with the fascination with the skulls and faces and as to why the camera seemed to do a lot of close ups of them. <o:p></o:p>
Hudson404http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-29034131190468453652009-02-11T08:48:00.000-08:002009-02-11T08:50:55.512-08:00Batalla en el cielo
Overall, I did not like Batalla en el cielo. The fact that is it was almost a border line pornography film kind of helped with determining my opinion because it lacked dialogue and overall story telling; you didn't really know what people were thinking or why they were acting the way they were. The movie mainly relied on the cinematography with the visual shots as there were many facial and body close-ups. It's like the director wanted to put you in the persons place to see what one would see in real life. Like when Marcus would lose his glasses and all he saw was a blur, then the camera would become blurry. And when that would happen the focus was then on the audio as certain sounds would resonate louder than others, such as the clocks to possibly act as symbols to give clues or hidden meanings the filmmakers wanted to use. The director looks like he wanted to use a different style to maybe have a shock value to get audiences talking. With a lack of script you were focused on trying to read peoples body language and use the environment to help set the mood. In a way, the audience would be the one making up the storyline as they interpreted it themselves. This film, as a few films we have watched so far, has again centered mainly on a negative story from start to finish. It showed the misery of a couple living a miserable life when their kidnapping victim ends up dead. The constant close-ups of Marcus and his wife kind of made things eerie as it first gave an impression that they were desperate people, along with the long pauses of them staring at each other, kind of made things awkward as you weren't sure what to make of it. It didn't help advance the storyline as it didn't help explain why they did the kidnapping or how the child died and kind of put us in a moment in their lives as we interrupted their misfortunes and watched their life unfold. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

A few scenes that I did not quite understand were when Marcus ends up killing Ana. He leaves her place and walks into the hallway and pauses where he wets himself and then decides to walk back into her place and kills her. Because there is no reasoning why he did this one could only assume that maybe when she used the words when she was seeing him off, "you will always be in my heart" that maybe that angered him as that was the same thing his wife used and that his wife meant more to him than her and felt betrayed by the girl. Another possibility could be that when he said that he was going to turn himself in that he expected a better reaction from her, because it looked like she didn't care much and sort of wanted him to leave the apartment quickly with not much concern. <o:p></o:p>
Hudson404http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-79252637171803008522009-02-04T19:42:00.000-08:002009-02-04T19:51:50.020-08:00El callejon de los milagros
El callejon de los milagros was a very confusing and sad film. It reminded me of Los Olvidados where the whole film revolved around peoples misfortunes in life. As in the movie Mecanica Nacional, the father shows he is the central figure and mistreats his family by mishandling his son Chava and also his wife Eusebia, whom he verbally and physically attacked after she confronts him about the affair, but then shows his weak side as he cries for his son on her lap after he runs away. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

 It can be mentioned that the men were depicted as being machismo as they treated the women in their lives and women in general like trash, such as Don Ru who cheats on his wife ,the jeweler Don Fidel to Alma as he tries to marry her, Jose Luis to Alma as he forces her into prostitution, Chava to the landlady, Susanita, for taking her money, Chava to his own wife as he attempts to pick up Alma's friend right in front of her, the husband Guicho to Susanita for marrying her for the money as he steals from her, and even Alma herself to Abel as she misleads him. It seems everyone attempted to screw each-other over as scandals broke out everywhere. The director seems to have attempted to make a soap opera (like tres destinos) in a film format and made it in a way to serve the appetite of popular culture that are intrigued by the exaggerated and scandalous plots and story lines. The issue of classes and self-worth was a central theme as the mainly lower-middle class characters in this film believed that wealth was important to attain for the purpose of both living well off and also having social status in society as in the case of Alma. <o:p></o:p>

What I found to be quite profound was the very end of the movie. One could sense that <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Alma</st1:place></st1:City> did not truly love Abel and that she was misleading him the whole way. She lied when she said that she had waited for him, as she almost got married right after he left and went into prostitution at her own free will. She was promised a good life and was lied to by Jose Luis. It seems that only true person who was loyal was Abel for not breaking his promise but he ends up broken hearted and dead. I think that the director wanted to show that both sexes, not just men, can treat each with just as much disregard. <o:p></o:p>
Hudson404http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-20976798246212695442009-01-28T15:14:00.001-08:002009-01-28T15:14:26.158-08:00Mecanica nacionalIt took me a little while to get into the movie as I wasn't sure what to make of the style of filming as the camera shots and scenes were sort of confusing. I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of dubbing of the characters voices and that a few scenes, especially when they were all at the field having the get together and it also looked like some parts were shot in a studio with some trees and countryside looked artificial.
This film is quite different from the previous movies that we have seen in terms of the women not being seen to be in a powerful role. The men are seen to be macho and controlling of their women and the marchioness is emphasized in the older men showing with typical ball cap, big cars, guns, alcohol, men all gathered around telling their points of views and stories, while women watching and talking about their husbands. And there was sort of a double standard going on where the women get blamed and accused easily of flirting and would end up getting treated badly but it seemed it was ok or defined differently when the men did it so they could get away with it. It also showed an aspect of the father as a hierarchy figure within the family as showing an extreme loyalty to family values and upholding his strictness by scolding the daughter and wife for their actions and also shows his weaker side as being passionate to his mother. The director possibly tried to portray the views he had of how culture and society was being portrayed at the time in the 70's and used the different generations sharing the same space as a way to compare these differences. The old ways with the older generation and how they try to teach their children, but now these children have more resources and advantages than their parents so they have different views and also the influence of the free spirit 70's which adds extra pressure on changing attitudes and views. I also noticed a difference in comparing los olvidados where there was not a sense of community or happiness, whereas in Mecanica nacional, it portrays the community as strong and together with concern and respect for each other like in the scene where everyone put aside their differences and came together to give their respects to the deceased mother in the field and on the drive back to town.Hudson404http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-56403577246403994322009-01-20T23:56:00.000-08:002009-01-21T00:25:11.139-08:00Los olvidadosLos olvidados had quite the negative tone from start to finish just as was mentioned at the beginning of the movie. This film depicted a raw and explicit image of the day in the life of impoverished youth in the slums of Mexico City but to an exaggerated extent to possibly send the message to really get the point across to the audience; give something for them to talk about and then the social issues are understood. For example, the film didn't just show youth stealing apples or ripping off stores, it when as far as to show a blind man and disabled man getting pushed around, humiliated, and robbed. This was to show how brutal and heartless these characters really were. This film had a few elements similar to Aguila o sol such as the issue of social class being the central theme, both dealing with the lesser class, but it is important to note that Aguila o sol showed the two social classes of the have's and have not's where in Los olvidados it was entirely the have not's . Also, the main characters in both films not having strong family values, especially the lack of father figures, and the use of dream sequences to act as a sobering experience for change to Polito and Pedro. That would be most of the similarities to the two films as there were more differences in terms of direction and tone. The main difference that sticks out is the fact that Los olvidados has a negative tone from start to finish and has no happy, or at least, positive ending. Polito gets his father and saves his friendships, whereas Pedro ends up dead. The problems that are faced at the beginning are not resolved and just as there was a hope for a positive outcome, such as in the case of Pedro's mother finally accepting her son or when Pedro is attempting to change his life to a positive direction, tragedy and misfortune strikes and no silver lining is considered. The character of El Jaibo is shown to be the consistent and persistent criminal who has a bad intention in every judgement he makes. As Pedro attempts to better himself and to win over his mother, El Jaibo is there to lure him back. An example of this is during the slow motion dream where Pedro is yearning for his mothers' affection and acceptance and when she offers him the meat, there is El Jaibo nearby who takes his food away and ultimately ruins his dream. One last thing to mention was the fact that I did not like Don Carmelo, the blind man. At the beginning of the movie, where he gets roughed up, I felt bad for him and thought he would be a fighter for justice but towards the end he is like the criminals he despises as he did not have any morals in him. The way he treat Ojitos and the girl Meche and his view on justice, which was to kill the criminals, made him just as bad.Hudson404http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-63379661079916024392009-01-13T22:41:00.000-08:002009-01-13T22:53:31.647-08:00Águila o SolThe film Aguila o sol was filmed in a way that made for some confusing scenes that did not help out with the films storytelling and which aided to disrupt the flow of the plot. It starts off with the three children, Polito, Adriana and Carmelo being abandoned in a convent when they are born and then they later escape at which during this time Don Hipólito, Politos father decides to search for his son. After this the story explains the direction of the lives of the three children which result in them staying together performing in theatre. When the film explains more about their adult lives it is then that some confusion occurs. It seemed that certain scenes focused too much on the great costumes of the cabaret dancers, Adriana singing abilities and the stand-up acts performed by Polito and Carmelo which all took away from the plot. What I found to be poorly filmed were the camera shots when it would turn to the crowd for their reaction of the comedic acts.
The ending was also confusing. The dream sequences where Polito dreamt of losing his friend Carmelo and love Adriana did not fit in well with the storyline as the dream comes about from his concern of losing his girlfriend after listening in on a conversation about her potential as a solo performer. As he wakes up he realizes he did not lose his friends but then also is introduced to his father who was searching for him.
One of the concerns I had during the end of the movie which wasn't clarified was that whether the Politos father was in awkward position since he had assumingly had shown interest in Adriana. And whether or not Adriana decides to go onto performing alone or would the three of them continue on performing together.Hudson404http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128641310158302814.post-46223820731631313522009-01-11T14:57:00.000-08:002009-01-11T15:00:01.439-08:00Span404 self introductionMy name is Jordi and I am currently a 2nd year student at UBC.
I am pursuing a BA in arts majoring in Spanish.Hudson404http://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Refusing to yield an inch to the Opposition, Advani ruled out asking the Gujarat government to rescind its order lifting the ban on government employees participating in the outfit's activities. "There is nothing wrong with the RSS. The plus points in me are from the RSS and my parents," he said, replying during a discussion in the Rajya Sabha.
Warning the BJP's allies that the party was not prepared to compromise on the issue, Advani said: "When the Janata Party began attacking the RSS (on the dual membership issue), they started undermining their own interests." The Telugu Desam, the BJP's most influential ally, and the MDMK have opposed the Gujarat order.
Amid the tough posturing, Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi, who has had a difficult time refereeing the aggressive opponents, invited Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to his office in an effort to find a solution acceptable to all.
According to their plan, the Speaker will leave it to the House to decide through a voice vote the rule under which a discussion should be held. The Opposition is insisting on Rule 184 which allows voting, while the government is agreeable to a general discussion under Rule 193. The standoff crippled the Lok Sabha for the fifth consecutive day today.
The BJP is against Rule 184 as it would amount to accepting the Opposition stand that the RSS is a political outfit against the country's interests. "The battle is a long-drawn one, and we cannot afford to lose it in the initial stages," said a BJP Cabinet member.
The government believes the Congress will not relent until Monday when the party is to hold a rally here to protest against the Gujarat decision. Sources feel the Congress will come around after that.
Advani ridiculed the Opposition effort to highlight fissures in the ruling alliance. "It is not manipulation which has brought us to this position, but our earnest appeal to people and parties whose ideology may be different but who share our idealism," he said.
But the minister is believed to have told his partners yesterday that if they had their own agendas to be pushed through in their respective states, the BJP, too, had its priorities. Advani said that since the BJP had a majority government in Gujarat, it was "at liberty" to issue circulars.
Asked by a southern ally why the state could not be directed to withdraw the circular, Advani made it clear the Centre had no "jurisdiction" to do so.
BJP sources said such was its "uncompromising" stance on the RSS that its ministers have refused to give in to the Speaker's request to "appreciate" the Opposition's stand.
Sources said a Cabinet minister told Balayogi, who belongs to the Desam, that "for us, the RSS is more important than the House". The Speaker reportedly replied: "By RSS are you referring to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat or something else?"
BJP sources pointed out that the majority of its MPs were from the RSS and would not tolerate any "compromise".
"They have their political careers to think of, they have to fight several elections. If the Sangh does not cooperate, it will leave them nowhere," said a Cabinet minister.
Observers linked Advani's spirited defence today to the fact that he was an MP from Gandhinagar who would "lose face" if he went "soft on the secularists".
A backward caste MP from eastern Uttar Pradesh, rooted in the RSS, echoed the sentiments of the overwhelming majority in the BJP.
"Our top leaders, including Atalji and Advaniji, started off as RSS pracharaks. They showed their commitment to the Sangh earlier when they pulled out of the Janata government on the dual membership issue. If it comes to that this time, we expect them to display the same boldness."
Rachna Bhatia and Heena Koisar were denied entry to a passing-out farewell party held on the campus last evening as they were clad in an "improper dress". Furious at being told to return wearing salwar-kameez, the two students came back with 15 girls from other colleges and barged their way into the campus, beating up whoever challenged them.
They did not even spare principal Madhulekha Vidyarthi. According to eyewitnesses, Rachna and Heena "grabbed" Vidyarthi when she tried to intervene, "twisted her arm and threw her to the ground".
But their classmate Priya Trivedi, who heads the ABVP-affiliated union, bore the brunt of the backlash against culture policing. Priya was rushed to hospital after she fell unconscious. Doctors said her condition had deteriorated and they were not ruling out the possibility of serious internal damage.
The college was closed today and the principal, who has filed an FIR, held a meeting with senior faculty members on the fate of the two students.
The college has given Heena and Rachna 24 hours to "justify" their action and report to the college authorities, failing which they would be expelled.
Police have sent a report to the city magistrate, recommending that the two girls submit a surety of Rs 50,000 each, which is to be forfeited on repeat offence.
The students were taken to the police station last evening and charges of non-cognizable offence were pressed against them. They were handed over to their parents around midnight.
The police said they were trying to hurry up Priya's medical report so they could slap formal charges on the two girls. They did not rule out the possibility of filing a case under Section 307 which deals with attempt to murder.
Heena and Rachna, however, continued their agitation today and led a small band of protesting girls to the college.
Apart from S.N. Sen College, St. Mary's Convent, AND Girls' College and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kanpur have decided to follow the ABVP ban on western dresses. The AND college will include the dress code in its prospectus for the next session.
Sangh supporters had also targeted Valentine's Day revellers in the city last month in a sudden surge of moral monitoring.
The Congress also extracted from the RJD concessions such as power-sharing and formation of a monitoring mechanism.
A formal announcement will be made tomorrow in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, who was in Madhya Pradesh today. The Congress Working Committee will also meet to give its seal of approval.
Though a section of the CWC has reservations on reviving ties with Laloo, it is unlikely to block it as the council is packed with Sonia-loyalists.
However, as part of a damage-limitation exercise, the party high command has summoned a dozen influential state leaders from Patna to Delhi.
They have been called to keep the Bihar legislature party and the state unit intact as the revival of the RJD alliance has not gone down well with some in the state Congress. Twelve of the 23 Congress MLAs have threatened to leave the party if it aligned with Laloo. (Details on Page 6)
With the Congress' support, the chances of the RJD forming a government has brightened considerably. The deal takes the number of MLAs in Laloo's camp, including fringe groups, to 155, seven short of the majority mark.
Laloo hopes that once the Congress announces the alliance, more will cross over to his side. The rival BJP alliance has secured the support of 146 legislators, including that of the JMM and Independents.
The other key features of the Laloo-Congress deal include setting up a task force to curb caste violence and protection of weaker sections and a time-bound programme for economic revival. Laloo has offered the home and finance portfolios to the Congress.
Bihar Congress chief Sadanand Singh, who was summoned from Patna to participate in the discussionss, endorsed the high command's stand of aligning with the RJD. CPM general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet played a crucial role in bringing a rapprochement between the Congress and the RJD.
After three-rounds of protracted negotiations between Laloo Prasad and a Congress team of Manmohan Singh, Madhavrao Scindia, Mohsina Kidwai and Pranab Mukherjee, the two parties prepared a common minimum programme based on "good governance".
However, the Congress' demand to keep "tainted leaders" out was not put on paper as Laloo claimed that a number of cases were "politically motivated."
The Jharkhand issue was responsible for the slow pace of negotiations. A desperate Laloo avoided giving a categorical assurance on creating the state. He, however, budged after speaking to Surjeet and realising that the Congress would prefer to sit in the Opposition instead of accepting his line on undivided Bihar.
Laloo told the Congress team that he was willing to consider the demand for Jharkhand but refrained from giving a firm commitment. For the Congress, Laloo's softening of stand on Jharkhand is crucial as it will help appease the Bihar unit. Sonia had favoured creation of a separate state during the poll campaign.
The first such meeting of former Prime Ministers saw V.P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral sinking differences in a bid to work out whether they could together forge a third front.
"Various dimensions of national life," according to them, require "urgent attention". Therefore, they have come forward to "do something".
Hoping that their first meeting would not turn out to be their last, Gujral said the interactions should continue, adding that a fifth member of the former PM club — P.V. Narasimha Rao — had expressed his willingness to participate in the next round.
Convened at the residence of Chandra Shekhar, the meeting's surprise package was V.P. Singh, who chose to forget how the Samajwadi Janata Party boss had toppled his government to instal his own minority Congress-backed regime in 1990. But then, the spirit of this let's-look-ahead-together move was "Let bygones be bygones".
Apart from the RSS issue that "threatens to divide the nation and the anti-poor economic package", the former premiers also took stock of the criminalisation of politics, the Centre's attempt to review the Constitution bypassing Parliament, rising unemployment and relations with neighbouring countries.
Asked about the meeting's implication, Chandra Shekhar queried: "Can't you wait for some more time? As individuals we cannot do much." He said the group will meet regularly and raise matters of public significance. Asked if they would go to the people, he said, "Maybe, we will."
Sources close to the leaders said they are elated with the recent Assembly poll results in the four states which witnessed the near rout of the BJP and the Congress. According to them, the outcome also showed that regional and secular parties could not be written off.
The leaders urged the Centre to direct the Gujarat government to withdraw its order permitting employees to associate with the RSS as it encouraged politicisation of the bureaucracy.
"The Centre should take a sensible view and ask the Gujarat government to withdraw the order," said V.P. Singh.
"The controversy has led to an unprecedented impasse in Parliament," Gujral told reporters. "We are concerned that the same ruling party in some states and at the Centre is presenting different views on the politicisation of civil services."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
From Levi Dylan & The Former Ruins
About Connect
Levi Dylan & The Former Ruins writes folk rock from northern Delaware. The best explanation for what we're about is an account of where we come from, which is nowhere special. But like all places, it's entirely significant for the story of life and death always being written by it and about it.
Growing up, I would ask my father (a literary man) what a certain book, song, or film was "about." If it were a good one, he'd concisely reply, "Life. Death. Sin and redemption. Like all good art." He raised me on Bob Dylan (my namesake), U2, and an overlooked Americana artist named Bill Mallonee (of Vigilantes of Love). He would note that Dylan couldn't (perhaps willfully) sing well by pop music standards, but Dylan possessed something far more essential and rare—a lyrical, prophetic imagination that revealed truth in its plainclothes and its more complex dress. We kids didn't understand any of his songs (except for some gospel-era material), but I at least observed that something should matter in music more than a pretty voice. This was a gap in the wall that led me to discover artists that mattered for reasons other than merely what the eyes see or ears hear.
The Joshua Tree by U2 was the nearest thing to a family mantle piece as we could have owned. It was a center of gravity for us kids, even when we were tuning in to much lesser music. It pulled us back to something historical and transcendental, to a time and place before us and beyond us. We knew our Mom and Dad spun side 1 continually the year before my oldest sister was born. It marked the first year of my dad's lifelong vocation as a teacher. It was beautiful rock music, and we all hoped that "Where the Streets Have No Name" was an indication of what music in Heaven might sound like. U2 made such direct professions and heartfelt profusions that they offended cynicism and produced a sense of music as magic, as a transporting medium into a place of big dreaming and soul searching. U2 permitted me to sing my heart out, though it still sometimes feels extravagant. But our small capacity for such things is no fault but ours.Bill Mallonee admitted himself into art therapy with every song he penned (still does up to the present day), and his unadorned Americana became our family hymnal of a sort. Haunted by doubt and Heaven's Hound, Mallonee sang my sisters and me to sleep at night during late night drives back home from out of state. He kept my father awake at the wheel and awake for us all. Bill's music is deeper in my bones than even I perhaps know. I hope the songs I offer can stand by your side and shed a little light in the coming years.
-Levi Dylan Sikes, February 2017. Newark, DE.


text:
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text:
Thought for the Day: October 1, 2016
Happy "Dasain" to all my friends in Nepal, and all the beautiful people
there. Enjoy your festival. Unfortunately, by no plan of mine, I will be
traveling to America this day and won't be able to join you.
Life offers many challenges, and if we accept them all, we will be
overwhelmed, if we don't accept enough, we will be lazy, and if we
accept the wrong ones, we will grow crooked. So, we must discriminate
worthwhile challenges from those that are not, and take on only enough
to keep us busy without being overwhelmed.
We must be careful not to be drawn into action we may regret later, or
reject worthwhile opportunities because we are lazy. We must be careful
not to underestimate our ability, or overestimate it. Working within our
ability will be much less stressful than working beyond it.
If the tasks we choose are beneficial and tend towards inner growth, it
will be far easier to do than tasks we don't believe in. Look for
challenges that inspire.
Whenever possible, work with a person your equal or better, as this will
encourage you to work at your highest level.
One important point my father drilled into me when I was growing up is
the importance of liking what you do even if it may not be the most
lucrative. Always try and find the tasks that suit your natural inclinations.
* * *
concentration on a symbol or a mantra. This kind of approach is also the
People like to daydream and there is no better way than to recite mantras
hour or more delighting in your own mental state. Such a person is like a
beautiful women delighting in her own appearance in a mirror. Needless
to say, this is undesirable, pleasant though it may be. Analytical and
reasoned meditation comes to the rescue here.
The purpose of logic and reason is to help us develop what is known as
the "right view" without which most will get stuck in a blissed out
quagmire mentioned above. While analytical meditation should not
necessary replace mantra recitation or visualization., it definitely should
be combined with it. Its practice will help us develop understanding
which serves to balance concentration.
There are ongoing debates that have been going on for centuries
concerning the nature of the external world and our relationship to it. Is
the material form we see a solid object or does it dissolve moment by
moment? Is there and eternal soul that transmigrates from life to life, or
not. Are the objects of our thoughts within the mind or outside it? What
is the referent of the word? When we name a cow, for example, are we
referring to an object we have contact with through our senses, or are we
attaching the word cow to a mental image caused by that object, and so
Questions such as the above have engendered lively and involved debate
for centuries. They are the kinds of questions we pose for ourselves
when engaged in analytical meditation. We pose for ourselves questions
like the above and reason about them trying to maintain a train of
thought that stays with the topic without wandering. Then we compare
our line of reason with those found in the texts and see how we did. We
will notice that often our mind drifts from what we are supposed to be
thinking about just like it does in mantra recitation and so forth. We will,
in the beginning, constantly have to bring it back onto the topic of
If we stay with the practice of analytical meditation, we will find that
after some time our mind becomes absorbed in the inquiry and that we
no longer drift about here and there, but rather genuinely enjoy being
absorbed in the inquiry.
* * *
creates stressed boundaries, each division finding reason to think their
own way of thinking is superior to the other. Even though we may be
correct in thinking that technically our "view" is higher than another's,
we should not let this be a cause of division, for we should realize that
the various levels of practice are essential as the capacities of beings
everywhere are not the same.
Many traditions have meditations to help us dissolve prejudices where
they occur. Mahamudra, popular in the Tibetan tradition, is an all
embracing and expansive meditation practice that embraces all
distinctions, whether internal or external, and in doing so rises above
needless discrimination. Many other forms of meditation are similarly
Divisions are only useful when they help us contain our meditation
within particular constraints that enable us to narrow our focus so that
we are not overwhelmed; divisions are not meant to set one view against
the other. If we find ourselves prejudice or biased, we should keep in
mind the purpose of divisions as an aid to meditation and not a cause to
criticize or set one view against another.
* * *
Thought for the Day: October 4, 2016
"It is important to diminish undisciplined states of mind, but it is even
more important to meet adversity with a positive attitude. Keep this in
mind: By greeting trouble with optimism and hope, you are undermining
worse troubles down the line."
The Dalai Lama His Holiness; Hopkins Ph.D., Jeffrey. How To
Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life, Atria Books.
* * *
Consistency is a powerful support for all dharma practices. Our effort
our effort over a long period. Our practice will be erratic, sometimes
practicing, but sometimes feeling a lack of energy. From the start, we
should find a sustainable balance between exertion and laxness and walk
a comfortable yet not relaxed pace. Time is our friend, and we should
use it to pace ourselves, set goals, boundaries, and help us plan our day.
A specific time should always be set for dharma activities, rituals,
meditation, and so forth. Schedules work.
Fickleness should be avoided. Meditating one day and skipping another
will not work and will instead lead to abandoning our practice. The mind
and body respond to a steady application of effort and not otherwise.
Keep your practice simple and sustainable. It is better to take on little
and maintain it, than too much and be irregular.
* * *
Be a support for others and be supported by others. As much as
possible, practice the dharma with other people. Even gathering once a
seekers is mutually supportive. Such a group of people is called a
in Buddhism, and Christ alluded to a similar idea when he said,
"wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am also."
* * *
things "making" us happy, for example. Such an attitude separates us
from it by the very way that we conceptualize it. A better way would be
to assume that the happiness is already within us and only waiting to be
let out.
One of the best ways to increase happiness is to share it. Sharing it does
not mean talking about our latest new thing or bragging about our
accomplishment or some happiness realized in some superficial way, but
rather sharing with another how we were uplifted upon hearing about or
seeing someone else' achievement or sharing the happiness of another in
some other way. We often delight in the joy another felt upon achieving
a goal, and this natural response should be cultivated and shared.
It is said that the very nature of the mind itself is happiness and that it is
merely covered over by our constant thinking and seeking. We need to
let that happiness out. We do not necessarily have to have a reason to be
happy. If the outward turning mind is slowed down it will gradually turn
inward and when it does we will naturally feel happier and reflect that
Believe in yourself. We undermine the fundamental belief in ourselves
every time we chase after something or someone we don't need. The
first step towards discovering happiness is realizing the virtue of
contentment. Rest the mind in itself; there is no need to do anything
else. The happiness will arise without doing anything else and without
support. Share this happiness as much as you like; it will never decrease,
but rather increase the more you share. When you are of a happy
disposition, those around you will feel it and become happy also. Is this
not wonderful, is this not something to strive for?
* * *
The source of all depression and unhappiness can be avoided if we are
We are each, individually, one person, and even when all goes well, our
happiness is limited to one. But, others are many, and if we change our
orientation from self seeking to seeking the welfare of others and
rejoicing in their happiness, we increase our potential for happiness
many fold. Is this not a worthwhile ambition?
With a little imagination we can delight in the accomplishment of
another as if it were our own. Technically, in Buddhist terminology, this
is called "rejoicing in the merit and virtue of others." We do this by
putting ourselves in their shoes and visualizing how happy
must be.
Engaging in this form of meditation will increase our mental dexterity,
and mental dexterity is fundamental to success in all forms of meditation.
In addition, we should always try to help others achieve their worthwhile
aims, even at the cost of putting our own on the back burner. "Put
others first," is a good rule to live by for ever increasing happiness. Try
to help others fulfil their wishes.
Changing our perspective takes time. We have been conditioned to think
in a very narrow framework for most of our lives and changing habitual
tendencies does not happen without effort and time. We have to
undermine old ways of thinking, weed them out, so that new growth can
* * *
An interesting fact about meditation is that there is a caution, a sort of
disclaimer, that applies as well to raw beginners as advanced adepts, and
happiness of a meditative state. For a beginner, it will lead to either
getting stuck on one level or quitting altogether, and for one far along
the path, it can lead from getting stuck in a blissful "heaven" or falling
teacher, it is easy for one not to recognize when one is attaching in a
unwholesome way to meditation. We should always moderate our
meditation. This involves analyzing our attitude towards meditation and
reflecting upon it to see if there are any signs of being "blissed out," or
being self-absorbed, as a beautiful women might be while looking at
herself in a mirror.
Meditation that loses its sense of struggle has also lost its potential to
advance us further on the path. Like anything else in life, the sense of
being challenged should always be there. If it diminishes, we will fall
into complacency, and that will introduce us to other dangers. Being
mindful, humble, and on guard for being a little too comfortable, can go
a long way to assuring we stay on the path and progress.
* * *
Thought for the Day: October 10, 2016
which is the ability to stay with an object, not allowing distraction. You
exercise mindfulness by putting your mind back on its object of
meditation every time it falters, which will happen again and again.
When you become skilled in maintaining mindfulness on the object, you
need to use introspection. As Shantideva's A Guide to the Bodhisattva
Way of Life says, the special function of introspection is periodically to
inspect your activities, whether physical or mental. In the process of
developing calm abiding, the task of introspection is to determine
whether the mind has come, or is about to come, under the influence of
laxity or excitement.
Initially you must forcibly put your mind on the object of meditation
with great exertion; then from time to time you engage the object
without great exertion; then you engage it in a relaxed way continuously;
and finally you spontaneously stay on the object without needing to
make any effort to remove excitement and laxity."
The Dalai Lama His Holiness; Hopkins Ph.D., Jeffrey. How To
Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life Atria Books.
* * *
Conflict is never a good thing. Where there is conflict, there is no
communication. It does not matter if it is conflict with another, or
conflict within oneself, wherever it is present, it is an obstacle and never
an aid. We will talk here about conflict within oneself.
When we feel conflicted, we cannot communicate with ourselves, our
thoughts become muddled and confused, and decisions are difficult to
make. If we analyze what causes conflict within, we will find that most
often it boils down to conflicting desires. We feel pulled in two or more
directions and this stresses us out and we lack the clear direction we so
much need to be at peace.
Few desires, few problems, many desires, many problems. If we wish to
reduce conflict within, a good place to start is simplifying our lives and
finding contentment in the things that we do. In our modern society, we
are conditioned to think that we have to do everything, be part of every
group, have the latest gadgets, drive a new car, and so forth. The world
wants us to think more is better and not less. Abundance rules over
We are but one person, but often think as if we were many. To do
everything on our busy schedule would takes two or three or more "Me"
and maybe still not get everything done or accumulate all we wish for.
Therefore, the first thing is to analyze what we
and discriminate that
from what we
Taking stock of our lives from time to time will help
us towards greater simplicity. Where there is simplicity, contentment
follows, and where there is contentment, conflict ceases and does not
Non-dualistic thinking is essential for peace of mind. We cannot feel we
are being pulled in multiple directions and be at peace. The possibility for
inner struggle is greatly reduced when our lives are simple and we are
content with few desires. Less
more because it is appreciated more.
Having a few friends that we are close to is better than many superficial
relationships. Having a few material things that are deeply appreciated, is
better than many things we cannot relate to. And, few social events that
we relate to, is better than many that we don't. We cannot spread
ourselves out to thin and expect to be happy, but rather be self contained
and content with little.
* * *
earlier this afternoon from Ukiah, about one-hundred ten miles north of
San Francisco. It has been a long day, and it is now 2:45 AM.
One thing about plane and bus rides is they give you time to reflect on
whatever it is you usually don't have time for. I am reflecting on the fact
that all the people on my bus are far more identical to me than different,
although my non-reflective side would think there is a big difference.
But, aside from superficial differences like our work, social status, clothes
and personal likes and dislikes, appearances, and so forth, we are the
same in the most fundamental aspects.
Just as all the other people on the bus seek to be happy, I seek to be
happy. They have families they care about just like I have loved ones I
care about, and that care about me. They do not wish to suffer, nor do
I. They will die as surely as they were born, and so will I, and so forth.
In the most important ways, the people on this bus are far more similar
to myself than different. Understanding this is important to me because it
will help me to feel a genuine concern for their welfare, even as I do my
The more transparent the boundary between self and others is, the more
in tune with reality we will become. It is an illusion to think we are
different from others, and this illusion causes allot of confusion and
missteps in life. We become jealous of others, angry, deceitful towards
them, and so forth, all to our determent, and entirely unnecessarily.
Taking time to contemplate the sameness of self and others can help us
to have a more in tune relationship with others wherein we focus on
similarities rather than differences.
Finding peace in the world depends on how we view ourselves and
others. We can either integrate ourselves with others or isolate ourselves
from them. The choice is ours.
* * *
If you have time to eat, you probably have time to meditate. If you eat
and don't meditate, you are probably not as healthy physically as you
would be if you nourished your mind as well as your body. Physical
health is tied to mental health.
* * *
rejecting them. But, as all of you know, neither blocking or rejecting
thoughts works very well. So, what is the correct attitude that we should
have regarding thoughts?
We are conditioned to think that thoughts are bad and this creates a
negative attitude towards them. This negative attitude towards thoughts
must be changed. Thoughts arise, and thoughts dissolve. This is the
nature of the mind. To criticize this is as bad, is like criticizing fire for
being hot. Therefore, the first step towards correct meditation is to
change ones attitude towards thoughts.
We cannot block thoughts out or cast the away, but we can refrain from
following them, developing them, or delighting in and being entertained
by them. We can accept them as a natural manifestation of our mind
and just watch them rise and fall without any judgment whatsoever.
Watch them as you might watch a play. When we watch a play, we
would never think of going on stage and getting involved with the
actors, but we just watch the play without becoming involved. The
actors can be likened to our thoughts, and we are just a spectator, no
more, no less.
We should be a good witness to thoughts and not let any slip by
unnoticed, but we should not do more than that. Be aware and awake,
and alert, watch the play of thoughts, and you will gradually find the
path of meditation. Relax and refrain from interfering with the natural
interplay of thought and awareness.
* * *
Thought for the Day: October 18, 2016
The dharma is neither "proper" or otherwise; it is just dharma. Yet,
some speak of proper dharma as a way to set their dharma above others.
Qualifying like this is a mistake because either it is dharma or it is not
and if it is, it is proper.
* * *
Thought for the Day: October 19, 2016
Simplicity supports a dharmic way of life. Being content is to have few
desires. Contentment and simplicity go together to create a firm
foundation for spiritual inquiry and growth. If we are distracted by many
desires or have too many things to do, it will be difficult to focus on
practicing the dharma.
Whatever we have in excess should be given away. Simplicity will not
only assure that we will always be prosperous, but it will free our mind
of attachment to our wealth. As for activities, we do not have to do
everything, and if we avoid what is unnecessary, we will be more
focused and enjoy what we do better. Our mind cannot be two places at
once yet we often plan as if it can. When we plan, we should give ample
space between activities so that we can be full present in whatever we
are doing.
A great yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda, was once asked when he
meditated, and he replied that he meditates when he has nothing else to
do. Often, when we find ourselves with nothing to do, we pick up the
phone to chat with someone or run off to do an errand that could be
put off, and so forth, but we seldom think of reciting a mantra or taking
a walk while reflecting on a dharma teaching. Our spare time is often
wasted and could be better put to use. We should take a cue from the
yogi in this regard.
* * *
Thought for the Day: October 20, 2016
There is a big difference from failing after trying your best and failing
task, that very effort will be the cloud with a silver lining that will
comfort us with the thought of knowing we had given it our best. But,
when we fail to achieve because of a lack of effort, we will fall and it
Whenever we fail, it is important to be enthusiastic to try again. But, we
won't have that enthusiasm if we hadn't given it our best. Failure born
of lack of effort breeds despondency, discouragement, and depression.
No one wants to be in that position, so we must always try our best.
Always examine the goal and make sure it is worthwhile and one you
believe in and one that will make you a better person. Once the
worthwhileness of the goal is clearly seen, it will be easier to give full
attention to it.
* * *
The mind is a natural seeker and is always looking for something to
things, events, people, and ideas connected with them. But, if we
discipline ourselves and keep the opportunities to flow out to a
minimum, the mind will gradually turn inward and reflect on itself.
Meditation is the use of various techniques to stem the outward flow of
thought and energy and turn the mind inward. Also,when while
engaging in the world we should practice disciplines that will support
our meditation. These disciplines are mainly guarding our speech from
unnecessary talk, guarding our actions from pursuit of attachments to
things and people, minimalizing all forms of entertainment, and staying
focused in all that we do, without letting the mind drift to other things.
Our active lives are the foundation of meditation. The mind that is well
disciplined in active life, will naturally turn inward after a few months
of practice. If we are squirming on our seat during meditation, don't
blame the meditation practice. The fault is likely to be found in an
active life that does not support meditation.
Meditation is an effort that requires dedicating our three karmas of
body, speech, and mind towards the effort. The boarder between
meditation and active life should be less and less distinct until the two
merge. The more we apply the principles of meditation to our everyday
lives, the quicker we will be able to blend the two worlds into a
seamless whole.
* * *
Words lose their meaning through overuse, which inevitably turns into
lesser extent, compassion. Because this is so, when using these words,
lesser extent, compassion. Because this is so, when using these words,
lesser extent, compassion. Because this is so, when using these words,
lesser extent, compassion. Because this is so, when using these words,
or even thinking about love and compassion, we must define what we
or even thinking about love and compassion, we must define what we
are thinking about or talking about. It may be best to avoid these words
One of the most satisfying gestures we can do in our interacting with
others is care for them or serve them in some way. Caring for and
serving others humbles us and may fill us with a sense of humility, two
highly virtuous mental attitudes. Always look for opportunities to care
and serve others, but avoid pandering to them, as this is offensive.
* * *
appreciate enough when it comes our way. We have an abundance of
striving is reduced, kindness will naturally increase. In other words, we
Many times someone is crying out to us for acknowledgment or help,
yet we are so busy with our affairs that we don't recognize the signal
even when it is right beneath our nose. People may be suffering because
of our failure to understand their needs, needs which we could easily
fulfill if we were more sensitive. Looking after personal interests
hardens our hearts to the exclusion of others, often without our even
Also, we may not appreciate acts of kindness or acknowledge receiving
them when they come our way because we are living so much in our
world we do not see the part others are playing--- even when it is a vital
role. Or, although we see it, we do not recognize the importance of
others in our lives. We become isolated in our world.
We will be much happier if we show our appreciation to all the many
people that play a role in our lives. A smile, a gesture, a few words of
appreciation will bring us closer together and fill us with joy and
* * *
Thought for the Day: October 24, 2016
In the West, we are quite different from our Eastern brothers and
sisters. In Asia, people are more patient and humble, and humility is
felt more readily than it is in the West. As a consequence, dharma
practice is more natural to them, and they make it a lifelong effort. In
the West, we are doers, less patient, and tend to be arrogant. We like to
have things our way and use force rather than patience, and a humble
attitude or humility does not come easily to us. As a consequence of
our approach, although we may begin a dharma practice, it will not
come to us naturally, and because of our lack of patience when the
dharma does not dance to our tune, we will often become impatient
As Westerners entering the dharma, we should slow down and realize
that we don't "do" dharma as we do other things. Dharma practice will
not dance to our tune, but needs patience, and a humble attitude. Force
will not achieve anything at all. We have to let go of all ambitions
regarding spiritual growth and let it unfold as it will without
expectations. If we learn to leave ourselves alone and trust in the
process honestly, we are likely to achieve our aim, not otherwise.
* * *
that sometimes we may neglect well-established practices as we try and
accommodate new practices and teachings. We only have so much new
practices to fall into neglect, and we may inadvertently set ourselves
While it is advantageous to increase our knowledge base and explore
various means of obtaining our goal, we also must treasure and honor
what we have accomplished and not inadvertently let it slip away. We
have to protect what we have by continuously nurturing it and never
for a moment take for granted hard earned gains. Protecting our
practice will involve curtailing any new meditations, teachings, and
rituals so that we continue to build upon well-established disciplines
and teachings we have received from masters we have long
associations with and not simply run after every promising new
Often, we may not recognize our achievement nor how much we are
protected by mantras and rituals we have done for years. We cannot
expect the masters giving teachings to caution us because they are just
focusing on delivering the teaching they are there to deliver. From the
teachers perspective, it is up to each individual to decide how much
time, if any, a student has to devote to a new teaching. Unfortunately,
many students do assimilate new teachings without sufficiently
protecting their established practices.
Often it may be best to go to attend dharma assemblies for the
purpose of receiving blessing from the masters, and no more than that.
Being in the presence of a real master and just hearing his words will
support whatever practice we have without having to practice the
teachings he offers. It is up to each of us to recognize when this is the
case; it is not up to the teaching host.
* * *
Sanskrit, which mean "gathering" and "commitment" respectively.
They are talked about often throughout sutra texts (scriptures attributed
The dharma is to be shared in many ways and to do so we come
together with other
like- minded people to discuss our experiences, meditate, and study
how to practice. Dharma assemblies were common during the
Buddha's time, even as they are today and were not confined to
Buddhism. Christ, for example, alluded to a
when he said,
"Whenever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am also."
When we gather together, it stimulates our imagination and interest,
and our mind becomes engaged and ready to absorb the dharma.
When we are members of a
we have a
or "bond" or
to other
members. This means that we share a
responsibility and sense of duty to help each other in any way we can.
This relationship is primarily a strong aspiration to benefit and support
our other
members, however, it is possible. Of course, we are
supported as well, so being a
member assures that our own
practice and study will be nurtured when we need it and we will be
able to turn to our brothers and sisters in trust.
The path to realization will make us aware of many obstacles along the
way, and we don't have to face these challenges alone. Others are also
facing similar difficulties, and by practicing together we can get a better
picture of these obstacles and the way to remove them. As human
beings it is an illusion to think that we are not dependent on others,
therefore it is better to be proactive and support our
interconnectedness. We do this when we form a
* * *
The time to seek the company of others is more than likely not when
we are lonely, but rather when we are feeling perfectly content in our
The medicine for loneliness is meditation, for loneliness arises when we
disconnect with ourselves, not when we are disconnected with others. It
is difficult to see this because we have been misdiagnosing loneliness so
long, and habitually seek relief in the company of others. But, although
company may provide temporary relief, it will prove unsatisfying in the
end. We must first find joy within before we can truly enjoy the
loneliness as a calling to get together with ourselves through meditation
and not a need to get together with others.
* * *
even when all goes well. But, if we fill our desires as a byproduct of
helping another, then this is satisfying indeed. Being mindful of the
needs of others is to have an altruistic intention. When we only have
our needs in mind, it is, of course, a selfish intention. As human
beings, we are capable of having a broad and expansive focus for
self-centered. By broadening our motivation to embrace the needs of
others, we will feel the joy of having our needs met as a secondary
reward rather than a primary one.
* * *
release from the pain of a relationship gone wrong, whether it be a
opportunity to happen and never harden our heart. We make mistakes
and harm others, and visa verse, and we should accept our human
condition while at the same time vowing to correct our mistakes. We
should always provide opportunities for others to amend the hurt they
may have caused us, and never fail to seek forgiveness from those we
have harmed. Life moves on for those who forgive and are forgiven.
* * *
thousand demons cannot harm a saint. Therefore, don't pay mind to
ghosts, spirits, and demons, but listen to the saints and follow their
If you don't believe in ghosts spirits, and demons, think of them as
afflictive thoughts. If you don't beleive in saints, think of them as the
thoughts associated with self-inquiry. Afflictive thoughts can be many,
but one thought asking the question "to whom do these afflictive
thoughts arise" will, if we are persistent in our inquiry, overturn them.
* * *


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Moped Events Calendar
Branches of the Moped Army hold rallies throughout the year that bring together moped riders from around the nation. This calendar includes those official rallies as well as events held by other moped groups. You can subscribe to the rally calendar in either XML or ICAL format.


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Fall Vegetable Gardening (part 1)
August 26 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pmFREE
Event Navigation
ADULT SEMINAR: Preparing your fall vegetable garden presented by David Rodriguez, Extension Horticulturist for TexasA&M AgriLIFE Extension Service. David will answer your specific questions about your gardening issues. Bring a notebook.
South Texas offers vegetable gardeners two great growing seasons every year. Fall's milder temperatures bring out the best flavors in home vegetable gardens. Insects and disease are less bothersome. And we can grow warm- and cool-season crops.


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Scout Edition - Maneki Neko Lucky Cat Print
Scout Edition - Maneki Neko Lucky Cat Print
The Japanese Maneki Neko Cat is renowned for its lucky charming powers! Traditionally these cat ornaments are displayed in business shop fronts and homes, to encourage good fortune for the family or business. Everybody needs a Lucky Cat in their home
Riso Print, limited edition 100 pcs. Recycled paper. Riso printing is an energy efficient print process. Similar to screen printing process, artwork is burnt onto a master and the master it is then fed through a print drum layer by layer. Please note that each print will vary very slightly, making each one one-off and unique.
Fluroscent green and blue inks.
Size: A3
Design: Guilia Dolci + Scout Edition


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Amazon Reveals April 7 Premiere Date for 'American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story'Posted Thu Mar 16, 2017 at 08:15 AM PDT by Steven Cohen
The docuseries about the Playboy founder will start streaming next month.Continue Reading
Amazon Readies Docuseries about Tennis Player Novak DjokovicPosted Fri Sep 9, 2016 at 03:48 PM PDT by Steven Cohen
The upcoming documentary series will focus on the world's number one tennis player.Continue Reading
Amazon Readies 'American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story' Documentary Series for Prime VideoPosted Thu Aug 11, 2016 at 02:45 PM PDT by Steven Cohen
The new docuseries about the Playboy founder is set to premiere in 2017.Continue Reading
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'Logan Lucky' Review: Soderbergh Gets Silly
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- Weekend Roundtable: The Book Was Better
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Dora Larsen
Holly Low Rise Knicker
Out Of Stock!
We will notify you when this product becomes available.
It's hard work being this cute. Green and white lace knickers. Pair with our Holly Demi Cup Bra.
- soft stretch mesh and elastic that curves to the natural shape of your body
- super fine eyelash lace
Shipping Specifications
- Ships from UK, please allow 3 business days for handling
- If you are a customer located in UK, please allow 5-7 days for shipping
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Binary option trading is an innovative way to earn maximum returns on the funds invested by the traders. You can make the best use of it, by gaining more knowledge about such a trading method. The traders can also take the help of binary options brokers, who have complete knowledge about such trading activities.
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Choose the right broker
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Benefits of such accounts:
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Jobs performed by these experts:
These brokers specialize in providing different types of assistance to their members. They will provide you with all the required information that will help you in uplifting your trading skills. Brokers all over provide different types of services, and all of them are quite important for you. Instead of selecting anyone blindly, it is suggested that you research well and look for the best service provider.
Before you think of trading there are many things that you need to consider. You need to be sure about the money that you intend to invest and also the type of trading activities you would want to get involved with. Such information will help you in understanding what you want and how you want it.
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