The Guardian for this meeting was Riddle Sideways. The comments are by Riddle Sideways. A very pleasent chat between Yakuzza and I. There are some good exchanges toward the end.
But, first I desire to tell you of 2 bird stories. Which could have been emailed to the group, but here they are.
I have known this lady for probably 15-20 years. Her son is only a couple years younger then mine. We have 3 common interests that we shared until today. I had never known ser was a (now retired) high school french teacher. This is a lady who only talked about her son and her husband.
I sat listenning to her new passion. She started volunteering at the SPCA. she started helping animals. This last weeks she has been up north washing birds. Seems there is a sea algae that the sea birds preen off their feathers into their stomachs and it kills them. The birds that live far out to sea are being captured, brought to store and washed. Her eyes were in tears of both joy and sadness. Talking of washing a wild bird. How the wild bird must be traumatized over capture, travel, washing, humans, transport back and release.
Paint those images into your readership.
Second, http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_13753045?nclick_check=1 (might work). Imagine your a farm worker. You find a Golden Eagle dazed and confused in a vineyard. Of course you take it home. Later you take the injured thing to the Rehabilitation Center. Did you know we had a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center? There are people there that know what to do with an Eagle! Did you know that out there in your community amoungst the liers, thiefs, bad guys, politians, car sales people, rapist, murderers and software engineers are caring people? There are people who care about and for the Golden Eagles and the Condors and the sea otters.
BTW - the Aquarium released the Great White Shark they had rescued and had on exhibit for a month.
Yakuzza Lethecus: hey riddleOk, so I observe the bell silence, but do not expect everybody/anybody else to.
Riddle Sideways: Hi Yaku
Riddle Sideways: how are you today
Yakuzza Lethecus: fine thx, just came home and had a package with cheap stuff from china :P
--BELL--
Riddle Sideways: wow, presents
Yakuzza Lethecus: ?
Yakuzza Lethecus: yeah, sure but only because presents don´t have to be taxed up to 25€ :P
Yakuzza Lethecus: in germany
Yakuzza Lethecus: but they wouldn´t even have to declare those gifts
Yakuzza Lethecus: oh
Yakuzza Lethecus: it was
Riddle Sideways: I am not completely understanding
Yakuzza Lethecus: didn´t recognize the bell
Riddle Sideways: s'ok
Riddle Sideways: was this stuff you ordered or somebody sent to you
Yakuzza Lethecus: yes i ordered that
Yakuzza Lethecus: and car charger,fm transmitter and videocable
Yakuzza Lethecus: for my ipod touch
Yakuzza Lethecus: for 12 $ including shipping
Yakuzza Lethecus: it´s ridicouous
Riddle Sideways: ah good, but taxed
Yakuzza Lethecus: not when it´s below 25€ value
Riddle Sideways: shipping and taxes are the most
Yakuzza Lethecus: so no VAT
Riddle Sideways: I been thinking about taxes alot lately
Yakuzza Lethecus: ridiculous
Riddle Sideways: we had an election last week
Yakuzza Lethecus: cal is on the edge of bancrupcy
Riddle Sideways: things that would have been good or bad were simply decided on the taxes basis
Yakuzza Lethecus: new govenor for cal ?
Riddle Sideways: yes, the beautiful state of cal is going down
Riddle Sideways: no gov yet
Yakuzza Lethecus: governor
Yakuzza Lethecus: i chat about those topics too less
Yakuzza Lethecus: i don´t have the proper vocabluar :P
Riddle Sideways: not sure when the govanator is running
Yakuzza Lethecus: what was elected ?
Riddle Sideways: s'ok
Riddle Sideways: just some measures that the government could not / would not decide themselves
Yakuzza Lethecus: i didn´t know that the people can make some decisions directly in cal
Riddle Sideways: my local area is unincorporated part of the county
Yakuzza Lethecus: ah, it wasn´t california
Yakuzza Lethecus: it was ur local area ?
Riddle Sideways: yes, when the decision is too contraversal
Riddle Sideways: legisature puts it on the ballot
Yakuzza Lethecus: i guess thats a good thing to create more acceptance for the decisions
Yakuzza Lethecus: especially when it´s controversial
Yakuzza Lethecus: what did you elect exactly ?
Riddle Sideways: nothing... 52% voted not to made us a city
Riddle Sideways: so nobody got elected to town council
Riddle Sideways: we are going to stay part of a going bankrupt county
Riddle Sideways: rather then try to go it alone on our taxes
Riddle Sideways: there were so many people passionate about it
Riddle Sideways: not sure why it did not matter to me
Riddle Sideways: but, so many were up in arms about it
Riddle Sideways: on both sides
Yakuzza Lethecus: our local town is also brankrupt
Riddle Sideways: the 'no' group went around at night taking the 'Yes' signs away
Yakuzza Lethecus: lol
Yakuzza Lethecus: that´s passionate :)
Riddle Sideways: the 'yes' group spent lots and lots of money
Yakuzza Lethecus: and nothing happened
Riddle Sideways: nope
Yakuzza Lethecus: so all for nothing
Riddle Sideways: yep
--BELL--
Riddle Sideways: that may be the point
Yakuzza Lethecus: i was never active in politics, have you ?
Riddle Sideways: yes and no
Riddle Sideways: am embrassed to say, but was very active in the anti-politics movement
Riddle Sideways: went throught a very 'anti' time in youth
Yakuzza Lethecus: anti politics or anti bureaucracy ?
Riddle Sideways: anti-war, anti-politics, anti-establishment
Yakuzza Lethecus: Anarchie!Oh boy, now I can hear all that anarchist podcast steven/stim type stuff :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: i have to say not long ago i didn´t know that there are even deeper thoughts about anarchism
Yakuzza Lethecus: i always thought that it´s about chaos what it´s not
Yakuzza Lethecus: i think i might have to find good lectures about political concepts
Yakuzza Lethecus: i hear a lot of podcasts and lectures on audio
Yakuzza Lethecus: i even heard all of stims tuesday sessions :P
Yakuzza Lethecus: but i remember not that much, even when in situations i remember
Yakuzza Lethecus: you got the link to stims recordings ?
Riddle Sideways: no, could you show me
Yakuzza Lethecus: http://berkeleymonastery.org/steven/
Riddle Sideways: TYBeware,
Yakuzza Lethecus: de nada
Riddle Sideways: it was period when I did nothing in moderation
Riddle Sideways: even did mediation to extreme :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: i try to get too much control, and in fact i guess i feel that i loose so many things in order to control a situation
Yakuzza Lethecus: so thats what i often think about
Riddle Sideways: is good to think your way
Yakuzza Lethecus: i am at work and a coworker counts the time until we can call it a day
Yakuzza Lethecus: and even i do and did that
Yakuzza Lethecus: so i am just not in the moment
Yakuzza Lethecus: so what pap and what mindfullness practice is in general about is very interesting for me but i don´t try to ,,force it"
Riddle Sideways: ah, we notice something in another and then in ourselves
Yakuzza Lethecus: nods
Riddle Sideways: force, control, pushing, etc. don't work and don't feel good
Riddle Sideways: the gift of just receiving
Riddle Sideways: the gift of just giving
Riddle Sideways: and the gift of neither
Riddle Sideways: we breathe
Riddle Sideways: are we "taking" a breath?
Riddle Sideways: has the earth given us air?
--BELL--
Yakuzza Lethecus: i don´t breath deeply very often
Riddle Sideways: without mindfulness (mostly) we breath
Riddle Sideways: sometimes we study the breathing
Yakuzza Lethecus: and some mediation cd´s just showed me that there have been regions of my body i didn´t even thought about unless they were in pain
Yakuzza Lethecus: so most of the time i am in the future or in the past
Yakuzza Lethecus: with my mind
Yakuzza Lethecus: or with something, always busy but never here
Riddle Sideways: yes, and the present (presents, presence) goes on without your mindfulness
Riddle Sideways: if you must control, why can these things go on without you controling them
Riddle Sideways: and so Life goes on. Within you and without you
Riddle Sideways loves that song
Riddle Sideways: as a teen I picked up a guitar and started to play
Riddle Sideways: George Harrison taught me from the radio
Riddle Sideways: then he taught me about more then guitar
Riddle Sideways: all things must pass
Yakuzza Lethecus: i think i don´t have many idol´s and i never had
Yakuzza Lethecus: whats not a good thing
Yakuzza Lethecus: it´s more or less being in a void about understanding whats truely a virture in life
Riddle Sideways: not idol worship... more like hearing what Yakuzza has to teach me about virture
Riddle Sideways: and thanking for the teaching
Riddle Sideways: to hold you up as an example
Riddle Sideways: to try your methods
Riddle Sideways: then go on
Riddle Sideways: B.B. King, Storm, mr. Smith, that guy in the commercial, the glad lady and whatshername have so much to teach me
Riddle Sideways: it may look like we idolize them, but we pass on
Yakuzza Lethecus: thx riddle
Riddle Sideways: sorry, but I must go to RL now
--BELL--
Yakuzza Lethecus: have a good day
Riddle Sideways: would like it to go longer
Riddle Sideways: but
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Ah, Riddle! Thanks for writing about this!! Our local science museum is also a wildlife rehabilitation center, and I once had quite a talk with one of the volunteers about their collaborations with the zoo, etc. One of the animals they care for is blind turkey vulture named Vincent, who has lived there 30 years! Another is yes, a beautiful golden eagle who everyone is afraid to deal with... all that natural power to fly and to hunt, "contained".
There are people everywhere quietly doing Good Work, huh? :)