2009.11.17 07:00 - in praise of TV Practice

The Guardian for this meeting was Riddle Sideways. The comments are by Riddle Sideways.  The title was also selected by Riddle.  You'll just have to read on to understand this wonderful new mindfulness practice that is presented.

Riddle Sideways: good morning arch
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, it is morning here.......and good morning Riddle
Riddle Sideways: Yes, it is morning here too, but it sounds more greeting then 'good night'
Archmage Atlantis: The earth revolves.placing different faces to the sun........as I talk to more people, I become more aware
Riddle Sideways: yes, it is an enlarged awareness of people on the other side of a spinning globe
Archmage Atlantis: Agree
Riddle Sideways: chatting next to each other here

Riddle Sideways: I did a very different practice last night
Archmage Atlantis: Tell me of it, that has value to me
Riddle Sideways: Well, I am getting sick (too many sickies around me) and I took the night off
Riddle Sideways: got in bed and watched TV
Archmage Atlantis: smile
Riddle Sideways: with a notepad of paper
Archmage Atlantis: the body of RL remains as a teacher
Riddle Sideways: There was the most ... (not sure of word) interesting, thought provocking... show on
Riddle Sideways: In the 60's there was a 13 epi show called "The Prisoner"
Riddle Sideways: incredable show
Riddle Sideways: I have rewatched it many times
Riddle Sideways: well... somebody has made a new updated (re cheapened) show of it
Riddle Sideways: with commericials that allow me to write down my thoughts of what it is doing to my mind
Archmage Atlantis: We all think of our time here as a golden age
Archmage Atlantis: And the learning passed forward as less

It does appear this Riddle does not listen/acknowledge what others are writting.

Widget Whiteberry: good morning
Riddle Sideways: hi widget
Archmage Atlantis: So, your thoughts?
Riddle Sideways: well too many thoughts because there were 3 1 hour shows back to back and I wrote at every commercial
Riddle Sideways: one of those thoughts was what you mentioned
Riddle Sideways: my age was the golden age
Archmage Atlantis: Brilliant, I am impressed
Riddle Sideways: and they cheapened it's memory and passed only the commerical value
Archmage Atlantis: Commercials as PaB time, chuckles

Widget Whiteberry: what is the subject, please?
Riddle Sideways: Widget, we were talking about watching a remake of a favorite TV show with pencil and paper
Riddle Sideways: The Prisoner
Widget Whiteberry: watching with pencil and paper?
--BELL--
Widget Whiteberry: The Prisoner .... I have a vague memory .... I remember that! (help from Wiki)
Riddle Sideways: the original was a study in personal, human and societal mind control, expansion, explorations, twists.
Widget Whiteberry nods
Widget Whiteberry: are you one of the writers?
Riddle Sideways: I was watching a tv with pencil and paper to write thoughts every 10 minutes during commericals
Widget Whiteberry: ah, a kind of practice
Riddle Sideways: like taking a break every 15 min
Riddle Sideways: only about a 60 sec break every 10 min

Archmage Atlantis: I do nor write often, but lately my thought patterns have begun to organize their learning
Widget Whiteberry nods
Riddle Sideways: nods, but knows I need to take notes for review
Riddle Sideways: for any upcoming exams :)
Widget Whiteberry: what do you notice Archmage?
Archmage Atlantis: Ah, an opening to share
Widget Whiteberry: yes, please
Archmage Atlantis: h
Riddle Sideways: yes

The logger did not keep the formatting :(
It was down the chat so nicely.

Archmage Atlantis: This
Archmage Atlantis:
ziggarat Clarity as Insanity
The ziggarat is built
it stands in the world of dreams
The past is brought forward
To guide the future
All gods and Gods are called home
All the female force is gathered
The birthing shall begin a new creation

Widget Whiteberry: Good day, Zen
Riddle Sideways: hi Zen
Zen Arado: Hi Widget, Arch, Riddle
Zen Arado: I haven't seen you for a long time Widget
Archmage Atlantis: Hello Zen
Widget Whiteberry: nor I you, Zen
Zen Arado: was at conversation cafe I think
Zen Arado: just meditatin here today?

[should show that much silence had passed ...]

Widget Whiteberry: I came late and am not sure of the trajectory for this session - if there is one
Riddle Sideways: well zen I had been going on tooo much about a TV watching practice
Riddle Sideways: thinking that TV might not be so bad if you can bring your mind into it
Zen Arado: not a good practice I think :)
Zen Arado: most of it is mindless
Riddle Sideways: so need to bring mindfulness with us

Archmage Atlantis: Riddle left out that he had been ill with a virus
Riddle Sideways: oh yes that too
Zen Arado: ah you had an excuse anyway
Zen Arado: :)
Archmage Atlantis: One needs all the facts
Riddle Sideways: went to bed, only had energy for TV
Zen Arado: of course
Widget Whiteberry: I remember using a tv show when recuperating - Northern Exposure on the VCR
Riddle Sideways: but found that they put commercials at spots that give one time to reflect
Zen Arado: perhaps there is a place for it then
Riddle Sideways: there is a remake of "The Prisoner" happening now
Riddle Sideways: I remember the original being so deep
Widget Whiteberry: Ifound it a comfort and if I had done what Riddle described, I think I would have found it gratifying
Widget Whiteberry: a place to write from

--BELL--
Riddle Sideways: ignoring the beer and car adverts and writing down how that segment made me feel
Riddle Sideways: or learnt
Riddle Sideways: at first it was "I am mad that they are cheapening a good show"
Zen Arado: like wanting to buy beer and a new car?
Riddle Sideways: there is that too
Zen Arado: they are very effective
Riddle Sideways: if I like the show... should I buy the deodorent
Archmage Atlantis: Funny
Archmage Atlantis: It is only data
Riddle Sideways: later it got to "what was in these writer's heads"?
Widget Whiteberry: data is food for our minds
Riddle Sideways: they must know the original story/show
Zen Arado: it would be interesting to write an article called 'In praise of TV'

Riddle Sideways: take in data for 10 min then write/think for 90 sec
Zen Arado: I tend to focus on negative aspects of it
Riddle Sideways: yes, is very easy to see it's dark side
Riddle Sideways: maybe that is what I am pushing here
Archmage Atlantis: I am very interested in your impressions Widget
Zen Arado: yes Widget
Widget Whiteberry: my impressions of?
Zen Arado: this subject
Widget Whiteberry: hmm
Widget Whiteberry: TV at times for me has been a comfort
Archmage Atlantis: Of whatever you wish to say
Widget Whiteberry: a substitute for community
Widget Whiteberry: a poor one
Widget Whiteberry: a way to lose myself
Widget Whiteberry: SL had displaced it
Riddle Sideways: :)
Widget Whiteberry: so I'm thinking of how the practice
Widget Whiteberry: Riddle and Archmage were discussing
Widget Whiteberry: might apply here
Zen Arado: it would stop you being mindless

 8)

Widget Whiteberry: I often wear a title that says 'SL is* my blog'
Zen Arado: maintain your critical faculty
Widget Whiteberry nods
Riddle Sideways: maybe when the 15 min gong goes off you write more blog entrees
Archmage Atlantis: Widget is not mindless, that was very cruel
Widget Whiteberry: SL engages my creativity and mindfullness
Zen Arado: was only speaking generally
Widget Whiteberry: ah, Archmage, I wasn't hurt by that
Zen Arado: not referring to Widget
Widget Whiteberry: but that was very kind of you
Zen Arado: I meant ppl in general becoming mindless
Archmage Atlantis: 'that is a judgement, that ppl in general become mindless
Riddle Sideways: the usual one to many (TV/Radio/etc.) can be mindless making

Widget Whiteberry: hmmm, sometimes mindlessness has seemed appealing
Zen Arado: yes I see TV watching having that danger
Widget Whiteberry: since what was in my mind was too painful for me to live with
Zen Arado: of course there are very interesting programmes too
Zen Arado: we have very good documentaries on the BBC here in the UK

Widget Whiteberry: I think this conversation is less about TV and more about how we interact with our environments -
Riddle Sideways: the goal of mindlessness, beginner mind, etc. are noble
Riddle Sideways: ah yes, widget
Widget Whiteberry: oh, another meaning of mindlessness
Riddle Sideways: try to interact with the non-interactive?
Widget Whiteberry: often at PaB, I find new meanings for concepts I am familiar with
--BELL--

Zen Arado: so I should be more open and less critical of TV watching
Archmage Atlantis: More open, yes, .....less critcal, no
Riddle Sideways: agree
Widget Whiteberry nods agreement
Zen Arado: surely mindlessness is the opposite to mindfilness?
Widget Whiteberry: I would have thougth so too, Zen
Widget Whiteberry: we need a glossary!
Zen Arado: I find I cannot enjoy some movies because I am too critical though
Zen Arado: all special effects and no story
Riddle Sideways: sometimes that can be your point
Widget Whiteberry: ☆smiles☆
Zen Arado: sometimes we have to suspend our critical faculty a little I think
Archmage Atlantis: bingo

Riddle Sideways: many times we have to adjust our attitude toward [whatever] to enjoy, enrich, abide
Riddle Sideways: or just zone out
Zen Arado: yes it's often a critical preudice that is the worst
Zen Arado: prejudice
Riddle Sideways: for you?
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: I enjoyed a cartoon film lately when someone persuaded me to watch it
Zen Arado: not cartoon - animated
Zen Arado: Ice age 3
Riddle Sideways: and I enjoyed a truely rotten movie with VR friends chatting about it during it
Zen Arado: :)
Widget Whiteberry: a group of friends changes everything
Zen Arado: funny how ppl ridicule me for being in SL because it isn't 'real' and yet they watch soaps

Riddle Sideways: I enjoyed a water polo game though I did not know the rules
Widget Whiteberry: some things I watch with my son and his friends that I would never* watch on my own
Widget Whiteberry: I'm as interested in their reactions and interactions as i am in the program
Widget Whiteberry: but I learn how to watch the show from them
Widget Whiteberry: learn what to pay attention to
Riddle Sideways: being open to spending time with son/friends no matter what they are doing
Riddle Sideways: open to see things their way
Riddle Sideways: a good learning
Zen Arado: yes that is so interesting
Zen Arado: I watched Sponge Bob and enjoyed it with girlfriend's kids
Riddle Sideways: BUT, I draw the line at Nitendo vid games
Riddle Sideways: :)
Zen Arado: yes I never liked vid games
Widget Whiteberry: I played them with my son
Widget Whiteberry: so I would know something of his engagement with them
Zen Arado: their enthusiasm is infectious
Widget Whiteberry: and so he would know that I am interested in his interests
Riddle Sideways: very good
Widget Whiteberry: I saw a lot of movies where things blew up
Widget Whiteberry grins
Zen Arado: yes sharing things
Zen Arado: things always blow up in movies
Zen Arado: especially helicopters
Zen Arado: :)
Riddle Sideways: and humiliate grown ups that can't push the yellow button fast enough
--BELL--
Widget Whiteberry: pratice!
Riddle Sideways: hand them a real guitar and see how they do
Riddle Sideways: Practice!
Riddle Sideways: and be open to it all
Riddle Sideways: do something differant in a differant way
Zen Arado: I used to play guitar
Zen Arado: now I paint abstracts

Archmage Atlantis: Now understand
Archmage Atlantis: you are my grandchildren
Riddle Sideways: and you are ours
Archmage Atlantis: The are my greatchildren
Widget Whiteberry: how so, Archmage?
Archmage Atlantis: They carry forward my memes
Widget Whiteberry: 'your' memes?
Widget Whiteberry: memes you carry or memes you originate?
Archmage Atlantis: Both
Widget Whiteberry: I've never been aware of originating a meme
Archmage Atlantis: Natural selection works there also
Zen Arado: memes replicate themselves maybe
Widget Whiteberry: absent the agency of people?
Zen Arado: maybe using people
Zen Arado: it's only a theory

Widget Whiteberry: like Michael Polan's theory about corn and tulips
Zen Arado: don't know that one
Widget Whiteberry: "Botany of Desire"
Widget Whiteberry: he writes from the perspective of certain plants sucessfully
Widget Whiteberry: engineering our responses to them
Widget Whiteberry: to allow their wide spread propagation
Zen Arado: interesting
Widget Whiteberry: he's a wonderful writer
Widget Whiteberry: apples, corn, tulips and marajuana
Zen Arado: but isn't that just evolution?
Zen Arado: or something more?
Widget Whiteberry: hmm, he looks from a different perspective
Widget Whiteberry: I commend the book to you
Zen Arado: yes sounds interesting
Zen Arado: thanks

Widget Whiteberry: how would evolution apply to an abstract concept like meme?
Archmage Atlantis: More.we are given the tools to our own evolution
Zen Arado: ideas evolve
Widget Whiteberry: which is to say they change
Widget Whiteberry: but I think that's a different use of 'evolve'
Riddle Sideways: please continue, but I need to be RL now
Zen Arado: yes but in a way that ensures their survival
Widget Whiteberry: good day, Riddle
Zen Arado: bye Rubble

Oops, when I walked out of range the recording stopped.
They kept talking (I think), but we have no record of it.