Each day, as I do my self-improvement routines, I end each one with my mantra - "Every day in every way I am getting better and better." And I believe that - but sometimes I find myself wondering where the improvement is. There are so many things I want to work on - the technology that will get me out there in the "internet eye" and that is coming along, just slower than I would like. So I just keep telling myself that I am getting better and better and know that all will come to fruition soon.

I know that one thing I really want to work on is getting into a routine. One of the things we all have to think about is what do we want our routine to be. I surely don't want to get back into the routine I had a couple of years ago of eating everything in sight and wondering why I have to diet every six to eight months - and I won't. That will not be a routine for me ever again.

My routine now is to listen to my body and when it tells me I have had enough food, I quit eating and I feel great. It's funny, but when I first started doing this, I felt like I still needed something to eat because I didn't have that awfully cramped, full feeling in my stomach - but as I gave it some real thought, I realized that I wasn't hungry and didn't need to eat any more. Soon - sooner than you might think, eating less was something I could do very easily and I felt great - and I began to reduce my body weight, without going on a structured diet.

Listening to your body is one of the secrets to eating less and weighing less. Another secret is to imagine how you are going to look when you have reached your goal weight. This is called visualization, which is another step in the on-line program, and it works really quite well. Just form a picture in your mind of how you will look when you reach your "perfect body weight" and keep that picture in your mind - especially when you sit down to eat a meal, or each time you have a snack - or go out to eat. With that thought in mind and listening to your body, you are on your way to your perfect body.

Getting back to my old eating routine is not going to happen, because I don't like that routine. And since I have added my exercise program to my daily routine this is where the better and better comes in.

ThinkThinThoughts!

adinear

Posted by Nida Ellis at 1:25 PM

Namu Amida Butsu
Xing Ping

Physical effects:
Stimulates brain activity, increases heart rate, respiration and blood pressure, gives energy and self-confidence.

Governed by:
The Muladhara or Root Chakra

Live with colors you love. They will make you happy

http://www.youtube.com/user/LoveKassandra1

It's a strange notion, blogging. Basically, I can write anything I want? There's no filter. (Well, I suppose there is -- I signed a terms-of-use agreement with wordpress.com. Still, that only seems to only restrict me from gross libel, ridiculous profanity, and a whole host of things I wasn't planning anyway. So, as said, not too much of a filter.)

The statement earlier was a bit exaggerated. I didn't promise myself never to do this. I've merely never really... considered it before. After all, blogging strikes me as an arrogant act -- far more so than a diary. Consider:

With a blog, everything I write is available on the Internet. There's the chance (or, at the very least, the hope) somebody else will read this. Therefore, I'm writing for an audience of (hypothetically) billions. My words could read by (hypothetically) billions of people. Sheer arrogance thinking any of them care even slightly about what I say. 

The real solace comes from knowing I'm the only person who will likely read this. That's a bit more reassuring.

Still, if I'm going to do this,  a mission statement seems essential. I'll start with some basic principals:

1. This is a Internet web log, or "blog" for short.

2. This blog is entitled "Pretty Sure Nobody's Reading This".

3. This blog is freely available on the Internet, courtesy of www.wordpress.com

4. Seeing as this blog is freely available on the Internet, several billion people can view it.

5. There is a hypothetical chance a few of those people may actually read this.

6. Those people who do should be regarded with respect, and should not be fed Internet fluff.

THEREFORE:

1. This blog will be intelligent, as far as the capacity of the author allows.

2. This blog will be insightful, as far as the capacity of the author allows.

3. This blog will be interesting, as far as the capacity of the author allows.

4. This blog will be well-written, as far as the capacity of the author allows.

5. This blog's subject areas will vary, corresponding to the interests of the author. However,

6. This blog will NEVER deal with the personal issues or problems of the author. Frankly, no one on the Internet cares (nor should they). Anything published on this blog will be analytical, intellectual, and/or thoughtful. Blog posts will be aimed at interesting the minds of the readers -- not tugging the heartstrings of the weepy-eyed. 

7. In respect to those friends of the author who might be mentioned, blog posts will NEVER contain personal information about anyone other than the author. All personal friends of the author, if ever referenced, will be referenced by pseudonym. (Names of eminent online writers, journalists, etc. will be used when appropriate.) 

8. Any insights (either by friends of the author or by real scholars) published in this blog will be cited to the appropriate authority -- the author will not pretend to have thought of the ideas himself. It's intellectually dishonest. It's also rude.

9. This blog will never plagiarize. (Though, to be fair, the author does not see why such a thing would be necessary. After all, there are no deadlines to meet or audience members to please.)

10. This blog will not publish "filler material". If the author has nothing to write about, he will not write.

ANY MATERIAL NOT MEETING THE ABOVE CRITERIA WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. DECENCY DEMANDS SUCH.

JULY 7, 2008

See the latest posts at

Mind-Body-Spirit for Health

mindbodyspirit4health.com

Keywords: acupuncture, adhd, alzheimer's, antidepressant, anxiety, biofeedback, blood pressure, BODY, bone density, cancer, chi kung, chronic pain, consciousness, cortisol, depression, diabetes, dna, epigenetic, exercise, gene, genetic, guolin, headache, health, healing, hypertension, hypnosis, immune system, jill bolte taylor, mantra, massage, meditation, MIND, mindfulness, ms, multiple sclerosis, nocebo, opiate, pain, prayer, placebo, qigong, research, rna, SPIRIT, spirituality, stress, stroke, substance abuse, tai chi, tai chi and qigong, thought, yoga

Please see http://mindbodyspirit4health.com

Mind-Body-Spirit for Health

mindbodyspirit4health.com

Keywords: acupuncture, adhd, alzheimer's, antidepressant, anxiety, biofeedback, blood pressure, BODY, bone density, cancer, chi kung, chronic pain, consciousness, cortisol, depression, diabetes, dna, epigenetic, exercise, gene, genetic, guolin, headache, health, healing, hypertension, hypnosis, immune system, jill bolte taylor, mantra, massage, meditation, MIND, mindfulness, ms, multiple sclerosis, nocebo, opiate, pain, prayer, placebo, qigong, research, rna, SPIRIT, spirituality, stress, stroke, substance abuse, tai chi, tai chi and qigong, thought, yoga

Please see http://mindbodyspirit4health.com

Om - Aum - Pranava - Omkara
Oh, the Glories of Om! "Aum" is a variant spelling of "Om". The word can be spelled either way because the letter "o" is regarded as a diphthong consisting of "a" and "u". There is quite a division among people as to how Om is actually pronounced. Many people try to accentuate the “au” sound in aum, trying to make it sound like “ow-m” or “awe-m”. However, “aum” is pronounced “om” as in “home”. The “au” sound is an extremely subtle intonation that naturally arises, when Om is intoned, and can be heard when the pitch is increased. One does not have to accentuate the “au” sound in Om to hear it. Just intone Om as “om” and you will hear it naturally. Just intone the mantra slowly.

Information on Om and all about Om and Aum

Of all the mantras, the most powerful and the significant one is the single-syllabled incantation called the Pranava. This is the OM. The available literature upon the significances of the Vedic mantra is almost voluminous. Nowhere in the world can we meet with a more sacred symbol that has got such a vast amount of significance.

From Vedic times until the present day the word 'OM' has been taken as a symbol and as an aid to meditation by spiritual aspirants. It is accepted both as one with 'Brahman' and as the medium, the Logos, connecting man and God. The entire history of the syllable is in the revelations of the Vedas and in the declarations of the Upanishads.

There is a verse in the Vedas: 'Prajapathi vai idam agra asit' (In the beginning was Prajapathi, the Brahman): 'Tasya vak dvitiya asit' (With whom was the Word): 'Vag vai Paraman Brahma' (And the Word was verily the Supreme Brahman).** This sphota has its symbol in the word OM. The sound of OM is also called 'Pranava', meaning, that it is something that pervades life, or runs through prana or breath.

The very central theme of the Mandukya Upanishad is the syllable OM through which the mystery of Brahman is gathered to a point. The text of this Upanishad first treats OM in terms of the Upanishadic doctrine of the three states of waking, dream, and deep sleep, but then passes on to the 'fourth' (turiya), thus transporting us beyond the typical Upanishadic sphere into that of the later 'classic Advaita Vedanta'. Speaking of OM, the Taittiriya Upanishad says: "Thou art the sheath of Brahman.' That is, OM is the container for the Supreme and, therefore, invoking OM is invoking the Supreme.

In every piece of music there are three aspects, namely (1) the meaning of the song; (2) the laws of music, and (3) the sound of the song. Similarly, on OM there are three aspects. The first is the mere sound, the mere mantra as pronounced by the mouth; the second is the meaning of the syllable, which is to be realized through feeling; and the third is the application of OM to your character, singing it in your acts, and so through your life.

OM represents the Self which is the Supreme Nondual Reality. The Self is known in four states, namely, the waking state, the dream state, the deep-sleep state, and the fourth state called the turiya. All these states are represented in the three sounds of OM (i.e., A, U, M***), and the silence that follows and surrounds the syllable.

The sound A represents the waking state; the sound U represents the dream state, and the sound M represents the deep sleep state. The waking state is superimposed on the A sound because it is the first of the three states of consciousness, and so is the sound A the very first of the letters of the alphabet – in all languages. The dream is but a view within the mind of the impressions that had reflected on the surface of the mental lake during the waking state. Besides, the dream state occurs between the waking and the deep-sleep state, and comes second among the three states of consciousness. And so, U, being next to A in order of sounds, and also since it is between A and M, is treated as representing the dream state. On the M sound of OM is superimposed the deep-sleep state. The comparison between the last sound of the OM and sleep lies in that it is the closing sound of the syllable, just as deep sleep is the final stage of the mind in rest. A short pregnant silence is inevitable between two successive OMs. On this silence is superimposed the idea of the fourth state, known as turiya. This is the state of Perfect Bliss when the individual Self recognises the identity with the Supreme.

In OM, the sounds A, U, and M are called mantras or forms; there is also in AUM the common principle called the amatra-OM, that which signifies the things-in-itself, running through and pervading the threefold phenomena of waking, dream, and deep sleep. The law of memory is that the rememberer and the experiencer must be one and the same individual, or else memory is impossible. So, as we can remember all our experiences in all three planes, there must necessarily be a single common factor which was a witness of all the happenings in all the three planes. There must be some entity within ourselves who is present in the waking world, who moves and illuminates the dream, who is a distant observer in the deep sleep world, and yet who is not conditioned by any of these three realms. This entity, conceived as the fourth state (turiya), is the Real, the Changeless, the Intelligent Principle.

The syllable OM symbolizes both the spheres:(1) the phenomenal, visible sphere of the 'jagat', wherein the manifestations of time and space appear and perish, and (2) the transcendent, timeless sphere of the Imperishable Being, which is beyond and yet one with it. Thus, A the 'waking state', U, the 'dream', and M, the 'deep sleep', and the silence, 'turiya', all the four together comprise the totality of this manifestation of Atman-Brahman as a syllable. Just as the sound M manifests itself, grows, becomes transformed in its vocal quality, and finally subsides into the silence that follows****, so too the four 'states' or components of being ultimately merge into the homogeneous silence of the 'fourth' (turiya). The other three states are transformations of the one experience, which taken together constitute the totality of its modes, whether regarded from the microcosmic or from the macrocosmic point of view.

The A and U are essential to the sound as M, or as the silence (turiya) against which the sound appears. Moreover, it would be a mistake to say that AUM did not exist while the silence reigned; for it would be still potentially present even in the silence. The actual manifestation of the syllable, on the other hand, is fleeting and evanescent, whereas the silence abides. The silence, indeed, is present elsewhere during a local pronunciation of the AUM - that is to say (by analogy), transcendentally during the creation, manifestation, and dissolution of the universe.

It may be asked as to why this particular word 'OM' should be chosen as the word representative of the 'thought' out of which the universe has become manifested. The answer may be given in Swami Vivekananda's own words: "This OM is the only possible symbol which covers the whole ground, and there is none other like it. The sphota is the material of all worlds, yet it is not any definite word in its fully formed state. That is to say, if all the particularities which distinguish one word from another be removed, then what remains will be the sphota. Therefore, this sphota is called the Nada-Brahman, the sound-Brahman.

Now, every word symbol intended to express the inexpressible sphota, will so particularise it that it will no longer be the sphota. That which particularise it the least and, at the same time, most approximately expresses its nature will be the truest symbol thereof; and this is the OM, and the OM only; because, these three letters A, U, M, pronounced in combination as OM, can alone be the generalized symbol of all possible sounds. The letter A is the least differentiate of all sounds. Again, all articulate sounds are produced in the space within the mouth – beginning with the root of the tongue and ending at the lips – the throat-sound is A, and M is the lip-sound; and U exactly represents the rolling forward of the impulse which begins at the root of the tongue, continuing till it ends in the lips."

If properly pronounced, this OM will represent in itself the whole phenomenon of sound production, and no other word can do this; and this, therefore, is the fittest symbol of the sphota, which is the real meaning of the OM. And as the symbol can never be separated from the thing signified, the OM and the sphota are one. And, as the sphota, being the finer side of the manifested universe, is nearer to God, and is indeed the first manifestation of Divine Wisdom, this OM is truly symbolic of God.

OM thus represents the entire manifested world and the unmanifest, and also that which lies beyond both the manifest and the unmanifest – the Brahman, which is the changeless substratum for the changing objects of the world of experience.

To every mantra, OM, the Pranava, is added on. And without 'OM' no sacred chant has its power. Just as a living body has no vitality when the life-giving breath is not flowing through its veins, so too, a mantra has no life in it without the addition of the Pranava.

Vedantic students generally practise the repetition of and the mediation upon the symbol provided by the Pranava - this is called the Pranava upasana. OM represents, in its silent significance, both the manifest and the unmanifest, which together constitute the entire subtle and gross world. The word loka in Sanskrit is generally translated as 'world', but, in its etymological meaning, it signifies 'a field of experience'.

The entire possibility of experience in life has been terraced by the rsis into fourteen worlds; seven higher lokas and seven lower worlds. There are three worlds in which a limited ego-centre comes to play its game of reincarnation and repeated deaths: these are (1) Bhur-loka, the physical earth; (2) Bhuvar-loka, the world next to the physical and closely connected with it, but constituted of finer matter; and (3) Suvar-loka, the heavenly world. Beyond these are the four other 'worlds' wherein the ego comes to move about and enjoy in its higher evolutionary life, and they are called the Mahar-loka, Jana- loka, Tapa-loka, and Satya-loka.

In the Hindu literature we also find conceptions of other 'worlds' such as Indra-loka, Candra-loka, Surya-loka, Pitra-loka, etc., which are special 'realms of experiences' located within the above regions.

Below these seven 'worlds' there is yet another set of seven 'worlds' called the talas. They are named as Pa-talam, Maha-talam, Rasa-talam, Tala- talam, Su-talam, Vi-talam, and A-talam.

Of these fourteen 'worlds', Bhur-Bhuvar-Suvar, denoting the 'three worlds', are called the vyahrtis. In the Gayatri Mantra, when these vyahrtis are chanted, the meditator can visualise the 'three worlds' as arising from, existing in, and disappearing into AUM. He can subjectively identify them with the waking, dream, and deep-sleep conditions of consciousness, transcending which extends the realms of the Infinite. All of them are represented in the symbol OM. In this sense, the vyahrtis in the Gayatri represent in one sweep the entire 'world' of the subjective and the objective experiences of man.

Excerpted from Swami Chinmayananda
Mantra and Japa - Gayatri Meditation and Life.
Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Bombay, India

Sathya Sai Baba said about Om:

V. MANDUKYOPANISHAD: This Upanishad is the kernel of Vedantha; it is the most profound among all the Upanishads; it is also the chiefest, having the distinction of being recommended as, by itself, enough to lead man to salvation. It is very brief, consisting of just a dozen manthras! They are divided into four sections, Agama, Vaithathya, Adwaitha and Alathasanthi. In the Agamaprakarana, the secret doctrine of Pranava which is the key to self-realisation is expounded. In the second Prakatana, the doctrine of Dualism, the great obstacle to liberation is discussed and rebutted. In the third, the A-dwaitha or non-dual Unity is propounded. The last Prakarana describes certain mutually contradictory non-Vedic doctrines and rejects them.

No sound is beyond the ken of Om; all sounds are permutations and products of Om. Brahmam too is Om, identified by It and with It. The Brahmam, which is beyond Vision, is manifest for the vision as Atma.

The distinctions of Viswa, Taijasa and Prajna are but appearances imposed on the Atma; that is to say the Atma continues the same, unaffected by the waking, the dreaming and the deep-sleep stages of man's existence. This Atma and the Atma which one refers to as 'I' are both the same. The 'I' or the Atma swims like a fish in the river, paying no regard to this bank or that, though the waters are limited and guided by them. In deep sleep, all the vasanas or impulses are suspended and though they still persist, they are not manifest or active. In dream, man follows the impulses and wins satisfaction in the process. All the manifold pulls and attractions of the sensory world, which impel man towards the objects around him, are born during the waking and the dream stages. The mind is full of agitations and these are the fertile fields where the vasanas grow, multiply and strike root. As a matter of fact, it is the agitating mind that causes Creation, that is behind all Srishti.

There is however a Fourth stage, distinct from these three: it is named Thuriya! This stage cannot be described by words or even imagined by the mind, for it is beyond both Buddhi and Manas. The experience is inadequately described as Santham, Sivam, Adwaitham; that is all. It is Peace. It is Grace. It is One-ness. The mental agitations are stilled and so there is no more mind. It is the conquest of the mind, its negation, the A-manaska stage. What a victory it is! For, in deep sleep the Mind is latent; in dream, the Mind is restless with agitations; in the waking stage, it is active and motivating. In all the three stages, Truth remains unknown. The objective world is but a delusion of the agitated mind, the super-imposition on the rope of a non-existent snake. The world is not born, nor does it die; it is born when you are ignorant; it dies when you become wise.

The AUM of the Omkara, representing the Viswa, Taijasa and Prajna aspects of the waking, dreaming and deep sleep stages of existence, have each a particular role in Sadhana. Upasana which A emphasises more, makes one realise all desires; if U is concentrated upon, then Jnana increases and if M is specially dwelt upon in the Upasana, the final merging of the Soul in the Supreme is effected. The Upasaka of Pranava will also earn the knowledge of the Truth of the world and Creation. The Upasaka, therefore, of the Pranava draws unto himself the reverence of all.

The A, U and M proceed from one to the other in the Pranava and finally merge in an A-manthra, a letterless resonance which thins out into silence. That is the symbol of the Santham, the Sivam and the Adwaitham, the merging of the individualised soul in the Universal, after the shedding of the limiting particulars of name and form. This is not all. The Karikas 24-29 of this Upanishad praise Pranava as the cause of Creation. It is extolled as quenching all grief. Why? He who ruminates on he Om, ever aware of its significance can steadily move on to an Awareness of the Real behind all this unreal Appearance, of the Paramatmathathwa Itself. ~Sathya Sai Baba

STOP!

Zacznij wykonywać tę prostą metodę przynajmniej sześć razy dziennie.
Za każdym razem trwa ona tylko pół minuty, zatem całość zabierze ci trzy minuty dziennie To najkrótsza technika medytacji na świecie' Cała sprawa polega na tym, abyś robił to nagle.
Idąc ulicą nagle przypominasz sobie o STOP. Zatrzymaj się, zatrzymaj się zupełnie, żadnego ruchu. Bądź obecny tu i teraz przez pół minuty. W jakiejkolwiek sytuacji się znajdziesz - zatrzymaj się kompletnie i bądź uważny wobec tego, co się dzieje. Po upływie pół minuty ruszaj znów i. powtarzaj tę metodę przynajmniej sześć razy dziennie.
Jeśli nagle stajesz się obecny tu i teraz, cała energia ulega przemianie. Ciągłość twojego umysłu przerywa się. Jest to tak nagłe, ze umysł nie potrafi stworzyć nowej myśli tak szybko. Potrzebujesz nieco czasu, gdyż umysł został zaskoczony.
Gdziekolwiek jesteś, w momencie, gdy będziesz o tym pamiętał, wyszarpnij się swojemu istnieniu i zatrzymaj się. Nie tylko ty staniesz się świadomy. Wkrótce także poczujesz, ze inni stają się świadomi twojej energii, świadomi ze coś się stało.
- nieznane zapukało do ciebie.

"NIE DWA"

Jest to jedna z najstarszych mantr. Kiedykolwiek czujesz się podzielony, niezintegrowany - kiedykolwiek widzisz, że dwoistość wkrada się do twojego istnienia, powiedz sobie w duchu: "nie dwa". Ale powiedz to uważnie, nie powtarzaj w sposób mechaniczny.
Kiedykolwiek czujesz przypływ miłości, powiedz: "nie dwa", w przeciwnym razie nienawiść już czeka, gdyż miłość i nienawiść są jak polówki jabłka. Gdy czujesz nienawiść, powiedz: "nie dwa".
Kiedy jesteś przywiązany do życia, powiedz: "nie dwa". Kiedy czujesz lęk przed śmiercią, powiedz: "nie dwa".
To powiedzenie powinno być twoim zrozumieniem. Powinno być wypełnione inteligencją, przejrzystością, a wtedy poczujesz głębokie wewnętrzne rozluźnienie, poczujesz poszerzenie świadomości.

"JESTEŚ TU?"

Wypowiadaj swoje własne imię, rano, wieczorem, po południu... Nie tylko wypowiadaj je, ale także odpowiadaj na nie. Czyń to głośno, nie obawiaj się reakcji ze strony innych ludzi. Jesteś wystarczająco przestraszony przez innych, tak naprawdę oni już zniszczyli cię lękiem.
Nie obawiaj się, nawet w środku domu towarowego musisz pamiętać, aby wypowiedzieć głośno swoje imię:
- "Zdzisiu, jesteś tu?"
I równie głośno odpowiedz:
- "Jestem, proszę pana!"

TAK

Przez jeden miesiąc podążaj drogą, która mówi TAK". Przez jeden miesiąc nie podążaj drogą, która mówi "NIE" Zacznij współpracować z TAK - jest to droga, dzięki której się zjednoczycie. Zintegrujecie. NIE nigdy nie prowadzi do jedności. Natomiast TAK pomaga, gdyż TAK jest akceptacją, TAK jest ufnością, TAK jest modlitwą. Umieć powiedzieć TAK, jest religijne.
Drugą rzeczą, o której musisz pamiętać to, że "NIE" nie może być wypierane, brutalnie zwalczane - Jeśli je wyprzesz, stanie się silniejsze, pewnego dnia eksploduje i zniszczy twoje TAK. Zatem nigdy nie wypieraj NIE, po prostuje ignoruj.
Istnieje ogromna różnica pomiędzy wypieraniem a ignorowaniem. Ignorować znaczy rozpoznawać NIE i mówić "wiem, ze tu jesteś, ale ja będę podążał za TAK". W ten sposób nie wypierasz, nie mówisz "wynoś się, zjeżdżaj stąd, nie chcę mieć z tobą nic wspólnego" Nie mów nic w gniewie, nie staraj się wyrzucić NIE do swojego podświadomego umysłu.
Po prostu rozpoznawaj NIE, ale podążaj za TAK - bez żalu, bez skargi, bez gniewu.

Ignorowanie to najlepszy sposób, aby uciszyć NIE Jeśli będziesz z nim walczył, staniesz się jego ofiarą, subtelną ofiarą, NIE już wygrało, Gdy walczysz z NIE, mówisz "nie" do NIE.

Przez jeden miesiąc podążaj za TAK i nie walcz z NIE.
Będziesz zaskoczony widząc jak NIE z dnia na dzień staje się marne i chudziutkie, gdyż głoduje, a pewnego dnia zobaczysz, że NIE nie żyje. A gdy nie ma juz NIE, cała energia zaangażowana w NIE jest uwolniona. I ta energia uczyni twoje TAK - wszechogarniającym.
Osho, Budda drzemie w Zorbie

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En cuanto al grupo, el baterista Omar cumplió con su segunda aparición en gran forma, impresionando a más de alguno por su habilidad en los tambores. David resultó un emergente de lujo en el bajo eléctrico (Ya que por problemas personales Martín no pudo presentarse). Gracias a David por aceptar venir de último momento y cumplir a cabalidad con la "chamba". Y del guitarrista Carlos que les digo... se mantuvo en su nivel de siempre, tocando muy preciso y brillante. Sería estupendo que el grupo continuara con estos músicos. Eso dependerá de que sus compromisos con otras bandas les permitan seguir participando.

El material que se estrenó finalmente fue "You Shook Me All Night Long" de AC/DC, además del palomazo de "Crazy Train" de Ozzy Osbourne. El grupo repitió interpretando "Time" de Pink Floyd y gracias a la presencia de David se pudo tocar más material en español como "El esqueleto" de Víctimas del Doctor Cerebro .

Interesados en contratar a Mantra, contáctenme através de este blog y con mucho gusto estaremos en su evento (Memo).

Un lector disfruta más de aquellas obras que descubre en un momento de la vida que favorece una conexión total entre su entendimiento —su sensibilidad, su experiencia— y el tema, el tono o la complejidad que esos textos proponen. Antes o después de ese momento propicio puede que la lectura también se finalice, incluso con agrado, pero sin ese impacto fortísimo que podría traducirla en una experiencia memorable.

Mi acercamiento a Mantra, segunda novela de Rodrigo Fresán, fue lento y desconfiado. Cuando se publicó (2002), yo vivía en México desde hacía ya casi tres años: era un argentino que había llegado al DF sin ningún plan y había terminado escribiendo Bares vacíos (2001), una novela acerca de un argentino que llega al DF sin ningún plan. Por eso, cuando se publicitó el plan pergeñado por cierta editorial transnacional —pagarle a un escritor argentino que vivía en Barcelona para que viajara al DF y escribiera una novela cuyo eje fuera la capital mexicana—, yo desconfié de inmediato: escritura por encargo, pasajes, plazos… Demasiado plan. Yo ya sabía que casi todos los que llegaban al DF, con plan o sin él, terminaban haciendo algo distinto de lo que pensaban.

Hojeé Mantra por primera vez en la librería Gandhi, o quizás fue en El Péndulo. Cuando vi que la primera parte de la novela no transcurría en el DF y que además el personaje principal era un mexicanito que iba a su primer día de escuela con un revólver para jugar a la ruleta rusa en frente de sus nuevos compañeros, me dije: “Uf, el cliché del mexicano loco, peligroso y machote. Mejor no sigo leyendo”. Pero seguí hojeando el libro: a vuelo de pájaro vi que la segunda parte era una especie de glosario sobre la ciudad. Aliterando, me dije: “qué género generoso es la novela: cualquier cosa puede hacerse en su nombre”. Me pareció que muchos términos del glosario también eran clichés, lugares comunes del DF, porque alcancé a leer algunas entradas breves que sí lo eran (“Picante” o “¿Dónde queda?”, por ejemplo). Decidí no leer Mantra: ese libro no podía ser bueno.

Hoy me doy cuenta de que mi primera aproximación estuvo sesgada, aunque creo que ese sesgo a la larga me resultó beneficioso. La Ciudad de México era mi (ir)realidad cotidiana de aquel entonces y creo que ninguna novela por encargo podría haber competido contra la experiencia verdadera, presente y tangible, de (sobre)vivir a diario en la misma metrópoli de la que dicho texto intentaría dar cuenta. Creo que, en esos días, el libro me hubiera desilusionado, porque yo hubiera tenido que pensar: “aquí faltan muchísimas cosas que también son esta ciudad”. Yo vivía en esa realidad contaminada e impura, estaba inmerso en ella, y sólo hubiera podido catalogar al autor como un simple turista empleado por una editorial transnacional, y a su novela como “el chingado libro de un chingado extranjero queriendo ser más mexicano que los mexicanos”.

La cita anterior pertenece a Mantra. También la que sigue: “Los extranjeros que llegan a México suelen encontrar finales más bien infelices”. No fue mi caso, aunque quizá sólo supe irme a tiempo. Tanta cita entrecomillada me delata: sí, al final la leí. Viví cinco años en México, por varios motivos decidí regresar a la Argentina y, dos años después de eso, volví a tener la novela de Fresán entre mis manos, esta vez en una librería argentina. Supongo que por nostalgia del DF, leí Mantra en una hamaca mexicana que colgaba en mi departamento de Córdoba. Creo que ese lugar y ese momento hicieron que disfrutara mejor de esta novela, la cual se suma al amplio abanico de escritores no mexicanos que escribieron una “obra-que-transcurre-en-México”; o escribimos, corrijo, con total y absoluta vergüenza debido al calibre de los nombres que estoy a punto de recordar: Lawrence, Greene, Lowry, Traven, Kerouac y también Roberto Bolaño (con muchos de sus textos, entre los que reina su brillantísima novela Los detectives salvajes).

El comienzo de Mantra se me reveló mucho más atrapante de lo que yo esperaba, quizás, justamente, por mi nueva predisposición. La primera de sus tres partes se me fue en una sola sentada (o hamacada). Para comenzar la segunda parte —la más extensa: un glosario en apariencia tan hipertextual como el Diccionario Jázaro de Pavic, pero mexicano y sin cruces, lunas o estrellas que nos guíen y oficien de link entre un término y otro—, tuve que hacer una pausa y bajar un cambio, aguantar el quiebre narrativo hasta comprender que lo que seguía finalmente no era puro fragmento (puro cut-up), sino una historia que de a poco se podría ir reconstruyendo. Conforme avanzaba en la lectura, la ilusión de hipertextualidad que el formato “glosario” le da a esta segunda parte de la novela fue cediendo terreno ante la certeza de que el autor no espera (ni favorece) un tránsito no lineal por su texto; lo corroboré al notar que muchas veces los títulos de las “entradas” del glosario no son más que pausas formales intercaladas en un relato continuo y bien hilado. Había relato en el fondo, y eso lo agradecí: la novela sí era una novela, no un cuaderno de apuntes de viajes disfrazado, como me había parecido al principio.

Debo decirlo: una entrada de este glosario me provocó el malestar que todo escritor siente cuando lee algo parecido a lo que él mismo ha escrito alguna vez. Hablo de esas coincidencias que —cualquiera que lea y escriba lo sabrá—, suceden de vez en cuando. Dos meses antes de comprar y leer Mantra, yo había publicado un libro —Mapamundi (2005)— con cuentos cuyos personajes son argentinos en el extranjero. La acción de cada cuento transcurre en una ciudad diferente. Uno de ellos (“Vivir en aeropuertos”) ocurre en el DF. Las coincidencias entre ese cuento y la entrada de Mantra referida al Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez son lógicas, lo sé: somos dos argentinos hablando acerca de un mismo lugar en la misma época, pero… igualmente, uno se siente entre sorprendido e incómodo.

La prosa es fluida y experta, precisa o ambigua a voluntad del autor. Creo que el estilo de Fresán en Mantra puede terminar de pintarse con sus propias palabras: “el hombre casi siempre exagera sus conocimientos cuando habla de lo que no conoce” (p. 215); “somos cultos y sofisticados y adictos a los nombres y a las firmas de otros. Manía referencial…” (p. 416); “Yo y mi jodida costumbre de relacionar todo con todo” (p. 413).

La mencionada manía referencial es a veces autorreferencial: en varias partes de la novela hay guiños para quien haya leído obras anteriores de Fresán, como por ejemplo los cuentos de Historia argentina. Otro elemento constructor de la novela son las paráfrasis o reescrituras. Las hay de Cortázar, Lowry y también de Rulfo: la tercera parte de la novela comienza parafraseando Pedro Páramo, en una especie de cover que quiere ser una contribución a la ciencia ficción mexicana, la cual, según Fresán, es casi inexistente toda vez que “poco y nada les importa a los mexicanos el concepto de futuro como tema”. (Quien tenga ganas de discutir el punto, podrá hacerlo fácilmente si antes consulta el libro Los confines. Crónica de la ciencia ficción mexicana, de Gabriel Trujillo Muñoz; Grupo Editorial Vid, México DF, 1999).

Por momentos —cuando Fresán parece olvidarse de la narración, distraído quizás con la tematización de la ciudad en su glosario—, el método de juntar datos y luego combinarlos entre sí hasta la exasperación produce que de a ratos el libro se convierta en un extensísimo artículo de Página/12, de esos que Fresán nos tiene acostumbrados a leer (Uno, Dos, Tres…). Esto sucede sobre todo hacia el final de la segunda parte: la acción ya está planteada, quedan pocos acicates argumentales que motiven la lectura porque uno espera ya la resolución de la trama; hay cierto suspenso, sí, pero como seguimos dando vueltas por la ciudad, la novela se estira y el suspenso se diluye en el cansancio del lector, cansancio que es alimentado también por otros recursos de los que el autor abusa, como el copy-paste del “(a.k.a.)”, con el que verdaderamente llega a ponerse pesado.

Para Fresán, el DF es un “mesías apocalíptico” (“postapocalíptico”, diría Carlos Monsiváis). Es una visión posible. En plan de personificar la ciudad, yo creo que el DF no es más que uno de esos borrachos grandotes, nobles pero llenos de ideas confusas y arranques de violencia difíciles de contener por los meseros de la cantina. Un alcohólico crónico, que por lo general se la pasa cantando o durmiendo la mona, pero que es capaz de madrear a quien lo despierte antes de averiguar la razón por la cual ha sido despertado.

“Aquí faltan muchísimas cosas que también son esta ciudad”: eso es lo que hubiera dicho de haber leído Mantra mientras vivía en el DF. Ahora veo que es inevitable que lo diga en este momento también. El catálogo mexicano de Fresán es incompleto. Además de faltarle muchísimo alcohol, al DF de Fresán le faltan los tianguis (o mercados) y los cordeles estranguladores de sus lonas, al acecho del cuello de cualquiera que mida más de un metro setenta; otros barrios peligrosos (que Tepito no es el único); la mordida (o soborno) instituida como lubricante de las transas urbanas; los chiles en nogada de septiembre y muchas otras delicias del país que confluyen en su capital; el albur, ignorado olímpicamente en la novela; las pulquerías, el barrio chino (¡pinche Martita!) y una infinidad de cosas más. Pero los que crean que por insinuar una lista de “cosas que faltan” —lista que inevitablemente también es incompleta— aquí se pretende restarle valor a la novela de Fresán, no entienden lo que digo y de seguro integran el “Conjunto de las Personas que Jamás Han Pisado el DF”; porque los que conocen la ciudad saben o deberían saber que el DF no cabe en una novela, aunque ésta tenga más de 500 páginas. No hay otra alternativa que seleccionar y omitir.

Más allá de los señalamientos que puedan hacérsele aquí o allá a una obra extensa y compleja como ésta, creo que Mantra es una buena novela, con una narración original y bien planteada. Creo también que es todo lo honesta que puede ser una novela que no nos esconde su naturaleza de obra por encargo, ni sus intenciones, ni su procedimiento. No sé cómo apreciará Mantra alguien que nunca haya estado en el DF o alguien que nunca haya salido del DF; yo estoy contento de haber vivido y salido de esa ciudad para poder disfrutar de esta novela, o de haber disfrutado de esta novela para recordar que alguna vez viví en México.

Keep your eyes, faced forwards, we’ll make our way through the dark
Keep your feet, firm grounded, we’ll take each step as it comes

my current mantra in every respect of life.

Loneliness: Part of the Game Plan

By Tim Alan Gardner

Lonely.

What comes to mind when you hear that word? It doesn't usually conjure up a picture of a stadium with several thousand cheering fans. However, as a counselor, I find that the vast array of emotional responses to the idea of loneliness are as varied as responses to "How do you feel about the Chicago Cubs?" There are, of course, people who couldn't care less about the Cubs, others who are closet-fans (these admit their preference only if the team is winning), and then there are fans. It doesn't matter that it's been almost 100 years since the Cubs won the World Series; they believe that next year will be theiryear.

Regardless of your feelings about the Cubs (or even baseball for that matter), every person falls somewhere on that spectrum. In a far more serious vein, everyone falls somewhere on the continuum of loneliness as well.

Perhaps the idea of being lonely sounds absurd to you. You're surrounded by people everywhere you go. You're married, have kids, and are meaningfully involved your church or small group. Not only do you never see yourself as lonely; you're more likely to be longing for time alone! My friend Blake jokingly put it this way: "I have all the friends I can manage. If I added you, I'd have to get rid of someone else."

Then there are those of you who know well the pain of loneliness, but would never admit it. Telling someone that you feel lonely would make you look like a loser or a weakling. The path you choose to escape the pain of relationship emptiness could range from workaholism to a variety of escapes and even addictions. It could be overindulgence in TV, web-surfing, Internet chat rooms, sports, alcohol, etc. If others express that they are lonely, you may admit to it also—say, in a Bible study, when it feels more like rooting for the winning team with everyone else. But for the most part, you suffer in shame and silence, with that vague, dull hope that maybe "this year" will be a good season.

And then there are those of you who are lonely, know it, and don't care who else finds out. You've "been there, done that, and got the T-shirt." You're desperately seeking a remedy for the ache and will tenaciously track any path that promises an end to your loneliness: changing jobs, churches, or friends; attending any workshop, class, or retreat; joining any group, dating service, or club. In the end, however, your hopes for a cure to the pain seem about as likely as, well, this finally being the Cubs' year.

Those of you who fall into the first or second category may be thinking this article is really just for that third group of individuals. But here's the news: loneliness is a universal dilemma. Whether you're attuned to it or not, it's everyone's problem. Barbara Streisand was wrong—people who need people are not "the luckiest people in the world"; they're the only people in the world.

In the Beginning

You may recall from the Creation story the first "not good" that God uttered: "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him" (Genesis 2:18 NLT). Up to this point, everything God had fashioned was "good," but now, as Adam stood by himself in the Garden, the Creator pointed out that something was missing. Loneliness was present. Before we move on to the answer that He provided, there's an important question here that often gets overlooked: Who created loneliness?

God did.

Think about it: Adam was in the perfect Garden of Eden. Sin still hadn't entered the human race; the first human being had perfect fellowship with God—he could walk and talk with his Creator in paradise. Yet he was lonely. It was at this point that Eve, the Woman, was created to complement Adam, the Man. God's response to the problem of loneliness wasn't that Adam needed to pray more, have more frequent devotions, or give more money to the local church—all important things, but not the answer here. By His own design, God's solution was, amazingly, outside Himself in the form of another person.

If you aren't married and want to be, you might be reading this and immediately jump to the conclusion that marriage is the answer to your struggle with loneliness. But the truth is that if you're married and are looking to your spouse to fulfill all your emotional needs, you'll still be lonely. There's a deeper truth in this opening chapter of the human race's story: Adam and Eve show us our God-formed need to have other human beings with whom we can experience deep, soul-touching, authentic relationship.

Ever since the Garden of Eden, the cry of the human heart has always been this: to know and be known and to love and be loved. We want people to truly know us and love us for who we are. And we long to have someone we can know deeply (warts and all)—someone to whom we can offer the divine gift of choosing to love.

The Quest for Intimacy

Do you have genuine relationships with others who really know you? Or have you settled for pseudo-authenticity, finding safety in relationships where you spend lots of time together but know only surface details of each other's lives?

One sad reality of our current cultural landscape is that many people know more life details about the characters on their favorite TV show than about their neighbors or possibly even the individuals they live with. The illusion is subtle yet powerful: we think that if we know personal details about someone else's life, he or she must know us as well. So, wanting to know more about others—whether talented athletes or fascinating actors—we devour talk shows, magazines, and other media, and think we're experiencing intimacy. One of the great lies of pornography is the illusion that the person posing or performing is doing so just for the spectator viewing the photo or film. Even though this immoral pastime is such an extreme violation of God's desire for our lives, many people pulled into this trap think they're experiencing a sense of intimacy—however false it may be—which is what their heart is longing for.

Don't miss that word: false intimacy. Our Creator designed our hearts and souls to long for true intimacy, not just with Him, but with other people. But genuine intimacy is a two-way street—to know and be known; to love and be loved. Distractions and superficial interaction only temporarily give us the illusion of a meaningful life or even an escape from pain. But our deepest desires can never be nourished by things that lack the power to satisfy fully.

A Complete Plan

Contrary to the "you complete me" mantra of romance novels and movies, before you can truly forge a strong, intimate relationship with another person, you must find your wholeness in God. The apostle Paul writes, "For in Him (Jesus) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete" (Colossians 2:9-10). God didn't design us to need other people in order to be whole. Our wholeness, purpose in life, and salvation—as well as our deepest questions of Who am I? and Why am I here?—are answered in Christ and Christ alone. Then, out of our completeness in Him, we can experience intimacy with others because, from a position of strength in Christ, we are able to give love and acceptance. As God makes us whole, we become capable of offering to others what the world so desperately desires: true, authentic love.

In knowing and being known and in loving and being loved, you and I can literally change the world. We are surrounded by lonely people who are dying to be known, even if they realize that God already knows everything about them and loves them. By giving the gift of authentic relationship, we can, as God's messengers, provide healing and life to others as well as to ourselves.

Consider this: it's hardly by accident that the strongest longings of our heart find fulfillment in living out what Jesus called the greatest of God's laws: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV).

Now that's something to stand up and cheer about.
The Naked Soul by Tim Alan Gardner

I blocked out the "you've never done sales before, it's strange, you're just going to be nervous" thoughts and feelings from my body and mind, and replaced them with "meh, just do it! You gotta at least find out what the job entails. You don't even know what you would have to do! Besides, it doesn't look hard" thoughts. The mantra I was telling myself over and over again while I was working out probably helped too- "I am so grateful and excited that I have a job by the end of this month!"

So what has happened? Yes that's right! I have scheduled a job interview for a sales position at LA Fitness, the gym here in town I go to regularly! My goal is to get a job by the end of this month. UNIVERSE, DO YOUR STUFF!

I'm taking a slightly new approach to many things in my life lately. One of them is applying for a sales position at the gym. Before, I saw sales as something that made me nervous, something that would require mad skills I don't have. The truth is I have what it takes! How do I know this? Well besides having a greater belief in myself and self esteem, and a more recently aquired 'meh, just do it' attitude, I was watching the sales people work. It didn't look so hard to me- the one guy was sitting there playing with a rubber band in his mouth. I can do that!!!

Whether or not this job is the one I'll have by the end of the month remains to be seen with my eyes, but I'm already seeing myself as a new member of the LA Fitness team in my mind!

Above is the hopeful mindthoughts of Christopher Marriott.

All Along the Watchtower

There must be some kind of way out of here
Said the joker to the thief
Theres too much confusion
I cant get no relief
Businessman they drink my wine
Plow men dig my earth
None will level on the line
Nobody of it is worth
Hey hey

No reason to get excited
The thief he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke but uh
But you and I weve been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now
The hours getting late
Hey

Hey

All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Bare-foot servants to, but huh
Outside in the cold distance
A wild cat did growl
Two riders were approachin
And the wind began to howl
Hey
Oh
All along the watchtower
Hear you sing around the watch
Gotta beware gotta beware I will
Yeah
Ooh baby
All along the watchtower

¡Venga, todos a trabajar! Dejemos el berenjenal de la justicia para otro momento. Qué regresen los militares de Afganistán y los que patrullan cayucos para ocuparse de la crisis. Olvidemos la corrupción y el soberanismo. Qué se llame a consulta a todos los embajadores, qué se traigan sus cónsules y agregados ¡Coño, que hay crisis! Olvidemos los planes energéticos, el debate nuclear, la Constitución europea o el carajal educativo. Primero lo primero: la crisis.

Conjuremos nuestras cuitas con la nueva voz cabalística:
Que no se recogen las basuras: CRISIS
Que te fuman en el ojo: CRISIS
Que la Guardia Civil se queda con la farlopa: CRISIS
Que la doble fila te acosa: CRISIS
Que el aire es irrespirable: CRISIS
Que se dan licencias de apertura a amigos: CRISIS
Que un consejero precinta el despacho de otro: CRISIS
¡Balsámico, eh!

¡Pues venga, hombre! ¡A ello! Es la consigna.
Ya no hay 11M para traicionar a los muertos. Ahora hay crisis para traicionar al superávit.
Ya no hay mentiras en el diálogo con ETA. Para eso está la crisis, para engañar al euribor.
Pero algo hemos avanzado, ya no se rompe España. Ahora solo se rompe la economía. Eso sí: mundial.
¿Pero qué coño mira? ¿Qué hace aquí leyendo? Venga, a resolver la crisis.

Jackson and I have been reading a lot about detoxing from effexor.  The long weaning and the cold turkey manner.  We have gathered different information taken from forums where people that went or are going throught the same thing wrote.  Here is a list of things that might help a lot actually:

• St-John Worth: Energy level, mood and mental fonctions.
• Ginger: nausea.
• Valerian: Sleep.
• Amino-acids/glycine: panic attacks.
• Damiana Tea (leaves): mental tonic, relaxant, aphrodisiac.
• Electrolytes: you can find electrolytes in fruits.  It helps for the feeling of hangover.
• Multivitamins:to supplement your diet since you will feel weak.
• Antihistaminic: for the flu-like symptoms.
• Water: Stay really hydrated.
• Eat well: Even if it takes you one hour to eat a meal, eat it

This is Day 2 of my detox and I can tell you that much:  I have troubles to lookat the screen of my laptop, i have trouble to type because I am weak, my head is turning but I know I took the right decision.  I cant wait to have enough energy to do yoga and go for walks even maybe.  I have decided that the mantra for the opening theme song for seasons one, two, and three of Battlestar Galactica is as good as any other mantra to learn.  It is the Hindu mantra, the Gayatri Mantra, taken from the Rig Veda.The words are:

"OM bhûr bhuvah svah tat savitur varçnyam bhargô dçvasya dhîmahi dhiyô yô nah pracôdayât"

which may be translated in various ways but means approximately "may we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the God / so May he stimulate our prayers".  I am really tired right now and I feel like I am going to pass out.  So its enough with this post.  See ya later.

Depois de terem sido divulgados os nomes que farão parte do Barco Rock Fest 2008, dão-se a conhecer os alinhamentos para os dois dias de concertos no palco principal. Assim, na sexta-feira tocarão DELTA WORKS, GOBABYGO, BULOTA, DAPUNKSPORTIF e LINDA MARTINI a fechar a noite.

No dia seguinte, sábado dia 23 de Agosto, abrem a noite os WOKINI, depois MANTRA, PEIXE:AVIÃO, THE VICIOUS FIVE e finalmente os MUNDO CÃO.

De lembrar ainda que nas duas noites anteriores, tocam na tenda Upload os CRATERA, no dia 20 e no dia 21 de Agosto, tocam os HOLY LLAMA.

No final dos quatro dias de festival estão programados DJ Sets, na tenda Upload, para já destaca-se a dupla de DJ's Farol e Kaminari (membros dos PRIMITIVE REASON).