2011.12.08 07:00 - Surprise birthday party

The Guardian for this meeting was Storm Nordwind. The comments are by Storm Nordwind.

The state of the world.

Bertram Jacobus: hi there storm ! :-) ...
Storm Nordwind: Hi!
Bertram Jacobus: how are you ? long time not seen ... :-)
Storm Nordwind: Fine thank you. And you?
Bertram Jacobus: life in germany seems to be heavy these days - i hear that from more and more people ...
Storm Nordwind: Times are hard I guess
--BELL--
Bertram Jacobus: yes, may be ! so it´s fine that we have worldwide protest movements at least ...
Storm Nordwind: I suspect there are many great things going on, some in the background.
Bertram Jacobus: may be. yes ! let´s see what will come up the next months ! ...
Bertram Jacobus: but if we were spiritually good grounded - all that hadn´t to be a problem i guess ...

Regular practice.

Storm Nordwind: What do you think it takes for someone to be well grounded spiritually?
Bertram Jacobus: i think a regular practice may help best ?
Storm Nordwind: Are all practices equal?
Bertram Jacobus: oh no. there are very strange people who offer practices on the one hand and very serious ones on the other -

What to practise?

Storm Nordwind: I wonder how someone can judge what regular practice to do then.
Bertram Jacobus: it´s like the buddha explained with his "speech towards the kalamer" (excuse my strange english pls) :
Bertram Jacobus: he said, we had to analyze things, as a jeweler analyzes gold
Storm Nordwind waves to Bleu
Bertram Jacobus: hi there bleu ! :-)
Bleu Oleander: hi Storm, Bert :)
Bertram Jacobus: and i think, another method would be to try things out and if good continue, if bad, modify or change -
Bertram Jacobus: a constant process of awareness ...

Ease or otherwise of deciding.

Storm Nordwind: That's a good objective test Bert. I wonder if such objectivity is easy for most people though, especially those who do not have a Buddhist background.
Bertram Jacobus: hi there arch ! :-)
Storm Nordwind: Good morning Arch
Bleu Oleander: hi Arch
Archmage Atlantis: Blessings
Bertram Jacobus: in buddhist terms, it´s the karma which allows to find helpful pactices faster or not so fast
Archmage Atlantis: and
Archmage Atlantis: hello bertie an stormie
Bertram Jacobus: in other terms we could call it fate or chance
Bertram Jacobus: but constant trying, aiming, wanting will help i guess
Storm Nordwind: Without the idea of karma, I've seen some people resent their fate or blame other people for it.
Storm Nordwind: Good morning Riddle.
Bertram Jacobus: hi riddle ! :-)
Riddle Sideways: Hi dear friends
Bertram Jacobus: that would be called, in buddhist terms again, karma as well storm ...

Making things better.

Archmage Atlantis: My ex partner said something wonderful to me
Archmage Atlantis: He said I was always trying to make things better
Archmage Atlantis: It made me cry
Bertram Jacobus: nice arch. i love that
Storm Nordwind: What a lovely thing to say to someone :)
--BELL--
Riddle Sideways: hope to someday have that said about us
Bleu Oleander: hi Riddle :)

Writing your own obituary.

Storm Nordwind: It's sometimes instructive to write your own obituary in advance. :)
Riddle Sideways: sometimes better written too.
Riddle Sideways: then what those others would write of me
Bleu Oleander: though somewhat biased?
Archmage Atlantis: Riddle, your kids are doing that, making things better......at this time in our lives the important thing is to love them, and not judge
Storm Nordwind: The idea, I think, is a kind of empathy exercise - to write what we feel others would say about us at the moment, and see if we like that and would want to change it by thinking, speaking and acting differently in future.
Archmage Atlantis: agree, storm
Bleu Oleander: hard to predict what others would say about us though
Archmage Atlantis: needing to predict, that is an issue of controlling the outcome

An imagined surprise birthday party.

Storm Nordwind: I used to teach this kind of thing in classes at work...
Storm Nordwind: I'd get people to imagine that a bunch of their colleagues, friends and relatives had planned a surprise birthday party for them...
Archmage Atlantis: Heh, I used to work.......I thought I would work far longer thatn this
Storm Nordwind: maybe 5-10 years in the future...
Archmage Atlantis: The future
Storm Nordwind: and they'd arrived early and were waiting or you...
Archmage Atlantis: the multi-verse
Storm Nordwind: and they'd started to talk about you. What would they be saying?
Archmage Atlantis: TY Storm
Archmage Atlantis: About me they woud say
Archmage Atlantis: He was difficult
Archmage Atlantis: driven
Archmage Atlantis: seeking
Archmage Atlantis: and aware of the holyness of all things
Archmage Atlantis: ty again
Storm Nordwind bows and smiles
Archmage Atlantis: Hello Dash
Storm Nordwind: Welcome Dash
Riddle Sideways: Hi Dash
Bertram Jacobus: hi dash ! :-)
Dash Earthboy: hey y'all
Bleu Oleander: RL calling .... take care all :)
Bertram Jacobus: byee bleu
Riddle Sideways: bye blu
Bleu Oleander: bye bye
Dash Earthboy: bye Bleu
Storm Nordwind: Bye Bleu
Archmage Atlantis: blessings and namaste, Bleu

A real surprise birthday party.

Riddle Sideways: funny, was at a party like Storm is using in the exercise
Riddle Sideways: surprise bday party
Riddle Sideways: and the surpriseee was very late
Riddle Sideways: we all hiding in the house
Storm Nordwind chuckles
Riddle Sideways: started talking, about how did you know her
--BELL--
Riddle Sideways: none really said the deep stuff you mention, Arch
Bertram Jacobus: sry - first life calls - have to leave ...
Storm Nordwind: Bye Bert - good to see you
Riddle Sideways: darn first life
Riddle Sideways: bye bert
Bertram Jacobus: ty ! same same - and may all beings be happy pls ! :-)
Archmage Atlantis: bye Bert.......don't sweat the deep stuff
Bertram Jacobus: ;-)
Dash Earthboy: bye Bert

Why did people hold back?

Storm Nordwind: Interesting Riddle... do you think it wasn't the environment to talk about the deep stuff, or perhaps there wasn't much deep stuff to tell, or that the people were just passing the time and wouldn't be comfortable thinking deeply themselves? In other words, did it say more about them than the person they were waiting for?
Riddle Sideways: probably all
Riddle Sideways: you are asking more eulogy type deep stuff
Archmage Atlantis: Jeez, Storm, that was more complex than I feell capable of
Storm Nordwind chuckles
Riddle Sideways: waiting for any minute does not open up completly

Touchscreens.

Archmage Atlantis: Songn "No woman no cry"
Dash Earthboy: liking that song Arch :)
Archmage Atlantis: My ex got a kindle flame
Dash Earthboy: Trenchtown abounds ;\
Archmage Atlantis: it works for him
Archmage Atlantis: it does not work for me
Archmage Atlantis: odd
Storm Nordwind: !?
Riddle Sideways: was thinking about that Arch
Riddle Sideways: you can type very accurate
Riddle Sideways: and fast
Archmage Atlantis: on a keyboard
Riddle Sideways: the kindle could be propped against something
Archmage Atlantis: not on a screen with visual letters
Archmage Atlantis: I had a lot of difficulty with my samsung ipnone look alike
Dash Earthboy: yah Arch, those screen keyboards haven't worked for me for the last 15 years I've tried them either
Storm Nordwind: The touchscreen revolution (or fad if you prefer) will pass me by!
Dash Earthboy: me too Storm
Archmage Atlantis: It works for some
Dash Earthboy: i'm much more into voice recognition/dictation/commands
Archmage Atlantis: allow them
Storm Nordwind: I worked with them professionally 20+ years ago. I have exceptionally greasy skin - which makes prolonged use of touchscreens impossible!
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, have dragon software
Archmage Atlantis: not working for me
Dash Earthboy: didn't use a stylus Storm?
Riddle Sideways: oh, I thought you meant the reading on screen and holding heavy tablet
Storm Nordwind: Then? No
Archmage Atlantis: I don't talk much
Dash Earthboy: i prefer talking to typing :)
Storm Nordwind: I worked with flight simulators. No stylli on those touchscreens.
Riddle Sideways: use to be very fast with stylus and graffiti
Archmage Atlantis: We are many
Dash Earthboy: :)@Riddle
Archmage Atlantis: With many answers

Quote unquote.

Archmage Atlantis: Sorry but there is a biblical quote that fits in my head here
Dash Earthboy: listens...
--BELL--
Archmage Atlantis: In my father's house there are many mansions, if it were not so, I would not have told you........I can see my Dad saying that......sort of odd......he always was there for me......
Dash Earthboy: snap
Dash Earthboy: i thought that might be the quote ;)
Dash Earthboy: except i think the last part is "if it were not so, I would have told you"?
Storm Nordwind instead thought of "We are Legion" ;)
Dash Earthboy: :)@Storm
Dash Earthboy: yah, devils abound
Archmage Atlantis: getting a bible
Riddle Sideways: which bible :)
Dash Earthboy: i have a few translations on my laptop disk :)
Dash Earthboy: ASV/KJV/YLT
Dash Earthboy: and the Lamsa New Testament
Dash Earthboy: they're good neighbors for the Quaran here too
Storm Nordwind would have to walk to the bookcase... and he'd have the choice that included the interesting Aquarian Gospel too... but he's staying put! ;)
Dash Earthboy: i hear ya Storm...having a couple dozen translations in my bookcase too
Dash Earthboy: whooda thought: Webster's :)
Archmage Atlantis: New English Bible 1970 Set your troubled hearts at rest.
Archmage Atlantis: There are many dwelling-places in my father's house
Archmage Atlantis: if it were not so
Dash Earthboy: familiar with New English Bible, especially New Testament published as "Good News for Modern Man" 1970
Archmage Atlantis: I should have told you
Archmage Atlantis: The thing that separated the Jewish ppl from the pharohs
Archmage Atlantis: was to believe
Archmage Atlantis: ouch
Dash Earthboy: just re-watched "Ten Commandments" movie Sunday :)
Dash Earthboy: 2 DVDs :)
Dash Earthboy: to believe ouch Arch?
Riddle Sideways: :)
Riddle Sideways: painful lesson?
Riddle Sideways: ya'll are so silly
Dash Earthboy: yep
Dash Earthboy: silly me
--BELL--

Lyrics.

Riddle Sideways: to believe in this living, is just a long way to go
Dash Earthboy: good song
Riddle Sideways: not sure why that song quote came out
Dash Earthboy: Bonnie Raitt
Archmage Atlantis: Astropyhyics
Riddle Sideways: jon hyatt
Archmage Atlantis: Pema
Dash Earthboy: and more
Dash Earthboy: :)
Archmage Atlantis: Come gatther round persons, all x the land
Riddle Sideways: and Pharohs did have problem with people that did not think they were g-d
Archmage Atlantis: Admit that the .....no longer can stand
Riddle Sideways: for the times they are a changin
Archmage Atlantis: Admit that sooon we shall be in a new land
Dash Earthboy: :)
Archmage Atlantis: the times, they are achanging
Riddle Sideways: sry, typed it too soon
Dash Earthboy: Come writers & critics who prophecize with your pens
Dash Earthboy: keep your eyes wide...the chance won't come again
Dash Earthboy: but don't speak too soon for the wheel's still in spin
Dash Earthboy: and there's no tellin who that it's namin'
Dash Earthboy: the loser now may be later to win

Recycling time.

Riddle Sideways: ok folks, need to get the recyclin and garbbege' out
Dash Earthboy: bye Riddle?
Riddle Sideways: big part of the week
Riddle Sideways: be safe, keep warm and write home
Dash Earthboy: yah, trash day for me today too
Riddle Sideways: bye
Storm Nordwind: Bye!
Archmage Atlantis: Admit that the waters around youse have grown
Archmage Atlantis: luv u kiddos
Dash Earthboy: bye Arch?
Dash Earthboy: well, Storm...hope you're enjoying the winter there :)
Storm Nordwind: As always, yes :)
Storm Nordwind: Much better winters here than in the UK
Dash Earthboy: guess I'll get on with the day now...pax et bonum
Storm Nordwind smiles and waves