The Real Meaning Of Peace

"There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

"Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

Quote of the Day

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing in at someone else -- You are the one who gets burned."

Electric Universe

"The Electric Universe model is a coherent "Big Picture" of our situation in the universe, spanning many disciplines. It highlights repeated electrical patterns at all scales that enable laboratory experiments to explain the strange, energetic events seen, for example, in deep space, on the Sun, and on Jupiter's moon, Io. The Electric Universe works backward in time using observations rather than forward from some idealised theoretical beginning. It provides simple answers to problems that are now clothed in fashionable metaphysics and mysticism. It is more interdisciplinary and inclusive of information than any prior cosmology. It points to practical possibilities far beyond the limits set by current science.

The Electric Universe model grew out of a broad interdisciplinary approach to science. It is not a technique taught in universities. The Electric Universe is based more on observations and experiment than abstract theory. It recognizes connections between diverse disciplines. It concludes that the crucial requirement for understanding the universe is to take fully into account the basic electrical nature of atoms and their interactions. Strangely, this is not the case in conventional cosmology where weaker magnetism and the infinitely weaker force of gravity rule the cosmos. Such a simplification may suit a theoretical physics based on electrical neutrality of matter in Earthly laboratories but it does not apply in space where plasma dominates."

Further Links :
Main Site
Thunderbolts Pic of the Day
Book and video

Quote of the Day

"In his ignorance of the whole truth, each person maintains his own arrogant point of view."

PANSPERMIA – Life Everywhere

Here is the latest newsletter from Michael Tellinger :

PANSPERMIA – Life Everywhere



I have often wondered why so many depictions of aliens from space carry such resemblance to us humans. All those who claim to have been abducted, or those who have been contacted by aliens, mostly describe them in very similar fashion. The strange thing is that these aliens seem to have features similar to humans and not some other insect-like monster from space. Is it because the individual who claims to have seen these aliens may simply be hallucinating? Or could it be the influence of mass media and the many movies which have graced our screens depicting aliens mostly in a humanoid form? Or could there possibly be a more logical or possibly even scientific explanation for this curious phenomenon? Since we have come to know that the Earth is not the centre of the universe, we can start opening our minds to new possibilities. But like many things we 'seem' to have dis covered in the last two centuries on Earth, we find out that they have already been discovered by our distant ancestors. It is especially true for the subject of astronomy. The ancient Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese and Americans, all had a superior knowledge of the cosmos to us. They knew things about the planets and our solar system which we only rediscovered in the latter parts of the 20 th century.



One such cosmic phenomenon which was reintroduced into modern cosmology in the 1970's was the ancient Greek concept of Panspermia. This word can be translated as 'seeds everywhere' and its first recorded advocate was a Greek philosopher known as Anaxagoras of Clazomenae in Asia Minor, born about 500 BC. He was from a noble family, but wishing to devote himself entirely to science, he gave up his property to his relatives and relocated to Athens, where he lived in intimacy with Pericles. Shortly before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War he was charged with impiety, which was, 'denying the gods recognized by the state'. He not only had the honor of giving philosophy a home in Athens, where it flourished for a thousand years, but he was the first philosopher who introduced a spiritual principle which gives matter life and form. Anaxagoras laid down his doctrine in a prose work entitled 'On Nature' of which only fragments are preserved. Anaxagoras postulated the idea of independent elements which coexist in space and air, creating life. He called them 'seeds'. They are the ultimate elements of combination and are indivisible, imperishable 'primordia' of infinite number, and differing in shape, color, and taste. Later writers referred to these seeds as 'omoiomereia' which was an expression of Aristotle, meaning 'particles of like kind with each other and with the whole that is made up of them'.



It is fascinating how the ancient 'gods' seem to make their appearance in the strangest places at the strangest times. And while we are trying to unravel the origins of humankind, a completely different subject, we find that our protagonist's life was greatly influenced by the ancient gods who must have had a great hold over the Greek authorities. The fact that a philosopher was jailed because he disobeyed the gods, goes a long way in supporting the outlandish theory that these gods must have had a real hold over the ancient Kings. In "Slave Species of god" this subject is covered in much greater detail and we find out that their control was absolute.



When panspermia was reintroduced in the 70's by a handful of serious scientists, it was met with loads of criticism and the kind of ridicule which has been experienced by most visionaries throughout human history. But fortunately they could point to Louis Pasteur who in 1864 shocked the scientific world with his landmark experiment, disproving the concept of spontaneous generation. Pasteur's discovery also had a practical impact on medicine, proving that germs are the primary causes and carriers of disease.



If this principle had been accepted as the fundamental theory on the origins of life way back then, today we may still be unsure how life on Earth began, BUT at least we would approach the question differently. We would assume that life here had to be 'seeded' somehow and we would investigate the possible mechanisms for such seeding. Is it possible for bacteria and other microscopic organisms to come to Earth from space? Can they survive harsh conditions, radiation, extreme temperatures for long periods of time? Maybe even millions of years? All this has now been proven beyond any doubt and generally accepted by the scientific world.



But to argue the possibility of life arriving on Earth from space requires some proof of life in space…and if it does exist, how does it reach Earth…and once it has reached Earth what kind of role can it possibly play in the creation of life, evolution or the speeding up of evolution.



This is what Hoyle and Wickramasinghe proved in the early 70's. By using spectroscopic analyses of light from distant stars, they showed that there was evidence of life in the interstellar dust. This dust exists throughout space as leftover matter from the creation of stellar systems and contains microscopic organism like bacteria. It is also possible that there may be viruses and other organic material present in this so-called dust. It got there as a result of cosmic collisions of space bodies like planets and even supernovas, which is when a star explodes spreading its content over vast distances of space. By definition this really means that the universe must be filled with life of all kinds.



Given its size and age of the universe, there have been cosmic collision occurring for billions of years and life must exist everywhere throughout space. Space dust settles on Earth every second of every day, carrying with it all kinds of organisms, sometimes deadly to humans.



This also means that comets, asteroids and meteors become the carriers of life as they travel through space picking up these microscopic organisms, which could even include larvae and spores. When they crash into planets like Earth, they deposit these seeds of life, initiating a whole new chain reaction of evolution and life. There will be much more information available when the results from NASA's Stardust project are revealed.



Read more about NASA's Stardust project: http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html



Michael Tellinger

May 2006.

www.slavespecies.com

Love

A long time ago, before the world was created and humans set foot on it for the first time, vices & virtues floated around and were bored, not knowing what to do. One day, all the vices and virtues were gathered together and were more bored than ever.

Suddenly, Ingenious came up with an idea:

"Let's play hide and seek!"

All of them liked the idea and immediately Madness shouted:

"I want to count, I want to count!"

And since nobody was crazy enough to want to seek Madness, all the others agreed. Madness leaned against a tree and started to count:

"One, two, three.."

As Madness counted, the vices and virtues went hiding. Tenderness hung itself on the horn of the moon... Treason hid in a pile of garbage... Fondness curled up between the clouds...and Passion went to the centre of the earth.... Lie said that it would hide under a stone, but hid at the bottom of the lake... whilst Avarice entered a sack that he ended up breaking.

And Madness continued to count: ....

"seventy nine, eighty, eighty one..."

By this time, all the vices and virtues were already hidden - except Love. For undecided as Love is, he could not decide where to hide. And this should not surprise us, because we all know how difficult it is to hide Love.


Madness:

"...ninety five, ninety six, ninety seven..."

Just when Madness got to one a hundred ......... Love jumped into a rose
bush where he hid. And Madness turned around and shouted:

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

As Madness turned around, Laziness was the first to be found, because
Laziness had no energy to hide. Then he spotted Tenderness in the horn of the moon, Lie at the bottom of the lake and Passion at the centre of the earth.

One by one, Madness found them all - except Love. Madness was getting desperate, unable to find Love. Envious of Love, Envy whispered to Madness:

"You only need to find Love and Love is
hiding in the rose bush."

Madness grabbed a wooden pitchfork and stabbed wildly at the rosebush. Madness stabbed and stabbed until a heartbreaking cry made him stop.


Love appeared from the rose bush, covering his face with his hands. Between his fingers ran two trickles of blood from his eyes. Madness, so anxious to find Love,
had stabbed out Love's eyes with the pitch fork.

"What have I done! What have I done!"
Madness shouted. "I have left you blind! How can I repair it?"

And Love answered:

"You cannot repair my eyes. But if you
want to do something for me, you can be my
guide."

And so it came about that from that day on, Love is blind and is always accompanied by Madness.

Thought of the Day

If you want to have friends, you must be friendly. If you want to make peace, you must be peaceful.

Chromosome Fusion

The latest newsletter from Michael Tellinger :

"Evidence of DNA manipulation in our distant past?

The Human Genome Project has dished up some real surprises to scientists. The first surprise was the vast percentage of the human DNA that is inactive. It is estimated that at least 97% of our DNA is in actual fact a waste of space, as it does not contain any active genes that actually carry the code for any of our physical makeup. Then within the genes there are Introns – parts that do not carry any code; and Exons - sections that carry some sort of genetic code. The full length of our DNA is made up of some 20 000 genes that have now been identified. These genes carry the blueprint for the structure of our entire body. What is very puzzling is the fact that Homo sapiens, as the supposed pinnacle if civilized evolution on this planet, should have such large parts of unused DNA. We seem to have the longest DNA molecule among all other species, but we use the smallest part of it in proportion to the other species. In other words, all the other creatures use much more of their DNA than humans do. Some species use as much as 98% of their DNA.

This flies directly in the face of the principles of evolution. Humans should have the most complex and evolved DNA of all creatures, to have reached levels of civilization seemingly much higher than any other species on Earth over millions of years of evolution. What is even more curious is the predicted number of genes in species. The numbers seem to increase steadily from basic organisms to the most advanced. We would expect that humans should end up having most genes, but strangely this is not the case. Here are some examples of the predictions for total number of genes in species. Fruit Fly 21 000; Zebrafish 50 000; Chicken 76 000; Mouse 81 000; Chimp 130 000; Human 68 000.

Can you see the problem here? The Chimp is our closest know genetic relative and yet it has almost twice as many genes as humans. And then we get to the anomaly of the chromosomes. Our DNA is broken up into 23 pairs of chromosomes. By comparison, all apes have 24 pairs. One would expect that Homo erectus, our immediate evolutionary precursor would then also have had 24 chromosome pairs.

Just one year ago on 6 April 2005, researchers from the National Human Genome Research Institute announced that "A detailed analysis of chromosomes 2 and 4 has detected the largest "gene deserts" known in the human genome and uncovered more evidence that human chromosome 2 arose from the fusion of two ancestral ape chromosomes" as reported in Nature. It is also the second largest chromosome we possess and it seems to make no sense why 2 primordial chromosomes should have merged to make us human, if this new chromosome gives us no apparent advantage for survival.

So when we read in the Sumerian tablets that humans were cloned as a sub-species between Homo erectus and a more advanced human-like species that arrived on Earth some 400 000 years ago, it suddenly makes a little bit more sense. The tablets describe how our maker removed certain parts of the "Tree of life" to trim the ability of the new "creature" and how they struggled to make the perfect "primitive worker" so that it could understand commands but not be too smart to question their existence. Similar suggestions of genetic cloning are made in The Koran and Hindu Laws of Manu.

The Koran:

• Ya Sin: "Is man not aware that We created him from a little germ?"
• The Believers - God says almost verbatim what the Sumerian tablets tell us. "We first created man from an essence of clay; then placed him a living germ in a secure enclosure. The germ we made a clot of blood, and the clot a lump of flesh. This we fashioned into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh…"

Laws of Manu:

• 19. But from minute body (-framing) particles of these seven very powerful Purushas springs this (world), the perishable from the imperishable.
• 20. Among them each succeeding (element) acquires the quality of the preceding one, and whatever place (in the sequence) each of them occupies, even so many qualities it is declared to possess.


Notice the reference to "We" by the creator. The cloning of humans as a more primitive worker or "lulu amelu" suddenly does not seem so far fetched and the strange genetic anomalies seem to support some genetic manipulation in our distant past. The modern-day researchers go further to say that this "fusion" of our chromosome 2 is what makes us human.

Are we getting closer to proving that humans were created by his MAKER as slaves to work in the early gold mines on Earth? It certainly seems like it."

'Hobbit' hominids

This is an interesting find that adds to my previous post that may bring more of the puzzle pieces together:

"'Hobbit' hominids trigger giant row

Thu, 01 Jun 2006

Anthropologists have traded new blows over the remains of dwarf humans whose discovery on a remote Indonesian island blasted a hole in theories about the Ascent of Man.

Dubbed "hobbits" after the wee folk of J.R.R. Tolkien's tale, the hominids, discovered in 2003, measured only about a metre tall and had a skull about the size of a grapefruit.

The bones of at least nine individuals were found in a cave in the island of Flores, lying in sediments carbon-dated to around 18 000 years old. Near these remains were sophisticated stone tools and butchered animals, including a now-extinct miniature elephant.

Their discoverers claim the hominid, which they have honoured as Homo floresiensis, was a separate species of human who descended from Homo erectus, which is also the ancestor of modern man.

That assertion ignited a fierce row.

If true, it would mean that Homo sapiens, who are believed to have been around for 150 000 — 200 000 years, would have shared the planet with rival humans far more recently than anyone had thought.

And it would raise the vexing question as to whether H. sapiens and H. floresiensis interbred, which would presumably have left "hobbit" genes in our genetic code today.

In the past months, the scientific journals have blazed with debate. The exchange has sometimes seethed with barbed accusations about denial of access to the Liang Bua cave and to the now-famous fossils themselves.

Three weeks ago, primatologists led by Robert Martin of the highly regarded Field Museum in Chicago savaged the Flores claims as "media hype" and — the thermonuclear insult in anthropology — as bad science.

Martin said the Flores hominids were not a separate species but quite simply Homo sapiens who suffered from a pathological condition called microcephaly, which results in a small brain and body.

And he rubbished the notion that the large, complex tools found in the cave could have been created and used by a species with such tiny brains.

Given the dating of these tools, only H. sapiens, who presumably came to the cave after the pint-sized hominids had left or died out, could have had this ability, he said.

The rebuttal has been almost instant.

In a paper published on Thursday in the British science journal Nature, a team led by Adam Brumm of the Australian National University in Canberra take aim at what they call "lingering doubts" about the tools.

Their team — who include Mike Morwood, a University of New England professor who directed the original dig — examined 507 artefacts found at Mata Menge, 50 kilometres from the Liang Bua cave and dated as more than 800 000 years old.

Even though hundreds of thousands of years separate the Mata Menga and Liang Bua artefacts, there are remarkable similarities in the flint tools, in the choice of material and the angle and shape of the blade.

For Brumm, this means that H. floresiensis picked up the tool-making skills from their ancestors, H. erectus, who lived on Flores before changes in food supply forced the hominids to gradually downsize, becoming the little people found in 2003.

The study fires an appropriately lapidary volley at Hobbit-doubters.

"Pronouncements that H. floresiensis lacked the brain size necessary to make stone artefacts are... based on preconceptions rather than actual evidence," it says."

View Article Here

More on Slave Species

I quote the other interesting comment on Slave Species of God here as well :

"Michael Tellinger has started a monthly newsletter where he sends out information of the latest discoveries regarding the topics he talks about in his book. I found a few articles this week myself on Google news that slowly makes the puzzle of our murky past seems like it is not so far fetched after all?? I strongly suggest that you go to the Slave Species website and subscribe.

I include the article from the Washington post to wet your appetite. Keep exploring.

HUMAN ANCESTORS MAY HAVE INTERBRED WITH CHIMPANZEES

When Nick Patterson of MIT and his colleagues at the Broad Institute compared the genes of humans and chimps, they found that one of the chromosomes -- the female sex chromosome X -- was 1.2 million years younger than the others. It appeared the two species shared a common ancestor who gave them both their X chromosomes, and did so more recently than the ancestors who gave them all the other chromosomes.
The best explanation, the scientists think, is that ancient humans and chimps broke away from each other not once, but twice. The first time was more than 6.3 million years ago. The second time was at least a million years later. What probably happened was that some of the evolving human ancestors bred with the evolving chimps. This was perhaps not as strange as it seems, for although there were some physical differences between the two groups, "the early humans must have looked pretty much like chimpanzees," said Mallet, the London geneticist.

Males have only one X chromosome, which is necessary for reproduction. As is often the case with hybrids, the male offspring from these unions would probably have been infertile.

But the females, which have two X chromosomes, would have been fertile. If some of those hybrid females then bred with proto-chimp males, some of their male offspring would have received a working X from the chimp side of the family. They would have been fertile -- and with them the hybrid line would have been off and reproducing on its own.

The evolutionary clock indicates this happened no more than 6.3 million years ago, and perhaps as recently as 5.4 million years ago. In that case, the fossils of older species -- such as Toumai, or Sahelanthropus tchadensis, a proto-man from Chad that had a humanlike brow and probably walked on two feet -- must have belonged to descendants of the first human-chimp divergence.

That line must have died out. If it had not, modern man's X chromosome would look as old (or nearly as old) as the other chromosomes.
"I think the most interesting thing [is] this idea that long, extended gene flow seems to have occurred and that this might be a creative mode of evolution," said David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School. He is one of the authors of the study, which appears in today's issue of the journal Nature.
The idea that new species emerge in a slow and stuttering fashion was favored by Charles Darwin, Mallet said. But in the early part of the 20th century, biologists came to favor the idea of clean breaks, with the "pure" lines of emerging species being stronger and fitter than hybrids.
In fact, Mallet said, about 10 percent of animal species are capable of interbreeding with related species, even though the number that do so in any population is very small.

By David Brown Washington Post Staff Writer - Thursday, May 18, 2006"

Slave Species of God Revisited

I have recently been honored by a few great posts on my previous reference to Michael Tellinger's book "Slave Species of God". I have read through to whole book and couldn't wait to pass the information on. I will be reading through the boook again. It has some great content for the free mind. Please note as well that Michael has his own great website now. Click here to go there. I repeat some of the post content here :

"podcast intro - Slave Species of God

Hi Everyone please come and have a listen to my first Pod cast .Its an introduction to my book and will help get you into the debate that the book is stirring up around the world.

Podcast Intro to Slave Species of God

just copy and paste it into your browser

best wishes

Michael Tellinger"

Discarding of nonsensical worries

Once upon a time, there were two monks who went on a pilgrimage across the country together. One day, they came to a river bank and saw a beautiful girl who was unable to cross the river.

Seeing her difficulty, the elder monk volunteered to carry her across the river on his back while the younger one looked on in consternation.

When the sun went down, the monks came upon a dilapidated shack and decided to stay there for the night. The elder monk quickly fell asleep while the younger one twisted around, unable to calm his mind. Finally, he woke up the elder monk and reprimanded him for what happened during the day, "As monks, we are supposed to keep away from women. I am really ashamed and troubled by what you did today!"

The elder monk looked at his friend and a smile broke up on his face, "Oh, so that has been bothering you! Brother, I have left the girl behind by the river bank, why are you still carrying her around?"

A mouse's tale

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
"What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning.

"There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said,
"Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me.
I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The pig sympathized, but said,
"I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray.
Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap
catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught.
In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital,and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever
with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.
To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.
So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember --
when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life.
We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

Because I'm here

An old man was sweeping the yard in a courtyard under the scorching sun.

Another man passed by and asked him, "How old are you?"

The old man replied, "I'm seventy-seven."

"You are so old! Why are you still working so hard here?"

"Well, because I'm here."

"But why are you working under the scorching sun?"

"Because the sun is there."

Act without worrying about the results, and strive for excellence without dwelling on it.

Ridding ourselves from stress

“In this modern world, people are constantly saying, "Life is too stressful!" Why are people so stressed out? How can we rid ourselves of stress? Students feel stressed because of heavy schoolwork; parents feel stressed because they have too many chores and family obligations; policemen feel stressed because they have too much work; and workers feel stressed and are unhappy because their work hours are too long.

Stress—it is the same for everyone, regardless of age. We all feel the impact of stress in our daily lives. Tenants cannot afford to pay rent at the end of the month. Parents think their children do not listen to them and feel pressured by the task of raising them. Actually many things around us contribute to stress in our daily lives; for instance, stress from disappointments, obstacles, poverty, our jobs, ailments, relationships, and even death. Stress is everywhere. There are even sources of stress inside us; for example, stress from feeling emptiness, jealousy, depression, hatred, ignorance, evil thoughts, and vengeance. Taken together, the stresses of everyday life seem insurmountable.

However, stress does not only result from negative matters. Good things in life can also be stressful, such as stress from possessions, beauty, power, gratitude, success, and so forth. The seemingly endless universe is limited, but stress is truly limitless. Some people are overwhelmed by stress and yield to physical fatigue, poor motivation, suicidal tendencies, or mental confusion. If you would like to rid yourself of stress, the following are some recommendations:

1. Enhance your knowledge and wisdom by observing and learning from what happens around you. By gaining further knowledge and deepening your understanding, you can reduce stress.


2. Be optimistic, cheerful, and carefree. Open your heart as wide as the ocean, so you can embrace the universe. Be optimistic about everything and do not overburden yourself, and you will eventually alleviate stress.


3. Develop the ability to let go. Like a piece of luggage, carry it only when you need it. However, when you do not need it, put it away and let go. Do not compare or calculate, and you will eventually dissipate stress.


4. Befriend stress. Be willing to accept stress as a part of you and a part of life. Why bother fighting it?


5. Make use of every opportunity to rest and go with the flow. When you do not ask for stress or resent it, stress will eventually disappear.


6. Place more emphasis on enhancing patience, compassion, and wisdom by cultivating the self. Let us train ourselves to challenge and take on stress. Then, it will eventually be dispelled.

All in a Thought

“Our minds are not limited by time and space. Our mind is our master, for from our minds arise views. If we change our views and outlook on life, we can change our destiny. A thought can change tears into smiles; it can transform foolishness into wisdom. A thought of compassion to help others elicits the mind of sages, but a thought of jealousy to hurt others brings forth the mind of the wicked. A thought of selfishness to profit oneself can only result in limited accomplishments, but a thought of initiative to benefit others can attain limitless merit.

Throughout history, a simple thought has changed the destiny of many countries. Kings and emperors have risen and fallen as a result of a single thought, and their countries have followed suit. In this world, many people change their entire lives on the basis of a hasty decision. Many take their own lives for lost love, leaving their families in pain and grief, while some steal and kill for profit, bringing others great harm, and ruining their own lives as well. All of these things can happen in a single thought.”

When we have no worries everything is possible and our mind is an ocean, but when we have trouble on our minds, our world becomes very small and focused.

Karma and Effect

“Where is justice in nature when only the fittest survive? Where is justice in society when the wealthiest and the most powerful have all the advantages? In this world, it seems natural for the strongest to exert undue power over the weakest. It is no surprise that the rich oppress the poor, the smart ridicule the dumb, the old bully the young, and the healthy insult the disabled. Where do we find justice in all of this?

Someone once said, "Unreasonableness cannot win over reason, rationality cannot take precedence over law, legality cannot defeat power, and nothing is more superior than universal truth." What is the universal truth that reigns over everything else? It is the law of karma, based on the principle of causation. No matter who or what you are in life, no one can escape karma or death, for the law of cause and effect applies equally to every living being. Karma or volitional activity bears fruit in accordance with whether one's actions have been wholesome or not. It is a natural process, unsupervised and undisturbed by any supernatural power or force. By increasing our credit balance of good deeds, we alone have the ability to modify the course of karma.

Therefore, it is imperative that everyone understands how karma works, for true justice resides in karma. Neither money nor power can alter the course of karma; neither fame nor fortune can change the result of karma. A doer of bad deeds will always reap the fruit of retribution, while a doer of wholesome deeds will always reap the fruit of goodness. In the end, no one is exempt from the universal truth of karma and causation.”

Law and Order

“In a country of law and order, in an organization of rules and regulations, nothing is more important than respect for and adherence to the rules. A traffic light is of no value if everyone chooses to ignore it. A crosswalk is of no use if everyone chooses to overlook its existence. Only when we stop for a red light or for a pedestrian can traffic lights and crosswalks serve as a means for public safety and a symbol of law. As law-abiding citizens, we must abide by the law and any of its representations, without lapse. As law-abiding citizens, we must act in accordance with the law, without reminder. For without rules and regulations, our nations will not prosper, society will be lawless, and our character will be flawed and weakened.”

Magnanimity

“Few people in the world today are willing to practice the art of forgiveness in appreciation of the beauty of magnanimity. Instead, they choose to take their anger out on innocent victims or severely punish those who have wronged them. If a parent cannot forgive a child's wrongdoing, how can there be love in the family? If a teacher cannot react properly to a student's mistake, how can there be respect in the classroom? If a judge cannot decide a case justly and swiftly, how can there be faith in the legal system? If a policeman cannot be fair and honest, how can there be trust in the police force?

How then can we dissolve hatred and animosity? It is only through loving-kindness and compassion that we can find room in our hearts to forgive others. It is only through our willingness to let go of resentment that we can find a way to magnanimity. Words alone will not bring about change. It is only with hearts that are both tolerant and forbearing that we can inspire others to follow our lead and realize the beauty of forgiveness.

Those who cannot forbear in small matters will spoil great undertakings" is an old saying that we should take to heart. In order for society to have peace and harmony, each and every one of us must practice the virtue of forbearance and learn to appreciate the beauty of magnanimity. We must not harbour grudges toward others; we must not turn every situation into a federal case. If we can have a heart of forgiveness for our families and friends, our employers and employees, and our governments and society, the world will be a wonderful place to live in, a place of goodness and kindness.”

Important Day

"Even when you are uncertain, do not use this one day wastefully. It is a rare treasure to value. Do not compare it with an enormous jewel. Do not compare it with a dragon’s bright pearl. Old sages valued this one day more than their own living bodies. Reflect on this quietly. A dragon’s pearl may be found. An enormous jewel may be acquired. But this one day out of a hundred years cannot be retrieved once it is lost. What skillful means can retrieve a day that is passed? No historical documents have recorded such means. Not to waste time is to contain the passage of days and months within your skin bag, without leaking. Thus sages and wise ones in olden times valued each moment, day, and month more than their own eyeballs or the nation’s land. To waste the passage of time is to be confused and stained in the floating world of name and gain. Not to miss the passage of time is to be in the Way for the Way."

Your body

Your body is the only one you going to have, until death parts you from your current way of being. It makes sense then thus to respect your body. One must listen to what your body craves to make it live optimally in this world. The problem is that most people listen to what their mind craves.

People do drugs, too much drinking, smoking, eating etc. All just to pleasure their mind. Meanwhile back at the ranch your body needs none of these things to improve it and these rather degrade its performance. The mind is a sneaky thing and convinces the body it needs it but the poor body must then suffer for the mind's cravings. To achieve control ofver your mind and listen to your body's signals while improve your health and wellbeing. Ignore the mind's protestations as it will only care for itself and not your body.

Sharing

“Unfortunately, in today's society there are too many people who take pleasure in the misfortune of others. Instead of practicing the virtue of shared joy, they choose to criticize at will and impart unwarranted abuse. Instead of praising the charity of others, they remark sarcastically that it is just a drop of water in the vast ocean or it is just a boastful act. It is indeed very sad to see that society in general has become so deprived of amiable feelings. It is not surprising that there are very few virtuous people and even fewer virtuous acts.

What we need to do is to cultivate and practice the virtue of shared joy, to give encouragement and exaltation as often as possible. Instead of feeling jealousy or envy, we should instead feel happy for others when they encounter good fortune. Instead of pity, we should be compassionate and helpful toward those who are less fortunate. Instead of criticizing, we should praise other's good deeds no matter how trivial they might be.”

Humour

"In today's society, a good sense of humour is the foundation of a happy life, the lubricant of a successful relationship.

Only through humour can one be charming and witty; only through humour can one have wisdom and the ability to enjoy what is amusing or comical. However, we must bear in mind that humour is not sarcasm, but a language of wisdom. A humorous gesture conveys an immeasurable amount of genuine affection and concern.

The intent of humour is not to create embarrassment for others by being overly forward, but to bring happiness to others by lightening or dissolving embarrassing moments. Hence, to have a good sense of humour is to have an enlightened mind, a mind complete with ingenuity, vivacity, and intelligence. It is indeed a mental state of unsurpassed carefreeness, without attachments or worries. It is an attitude of complete optimism, when all things past and present can be humorously perceived.

Humour is like a mountain spring, for it can cleanse our minds.
It is like a cloud in the sky, for it can wander at will without obstruction.
Humour is sometimes like a gentle breeze that can soothe a person's pain and misery.
Humour is also like a spring blossom that can warm a person's heart and awaken his or her mind."

Positive Side of Things

"To overlook another's good deeds and publicize his wrongdoings is a common practice in today's society. It is a social disease that needs to be cured by praising the virtues of others instead. Many wonderful things occur in society every day, events that are worthy of our attention. What we really need to do is to promote the good and to instill a sense of morality in a rapidly degrading world."

Time

"For a person who is exhausted, the road is long; for a person who cannot sleep, the night is endless; for a person who does not understand the truth, the reality of birth and death is far-reaching." We must understand that the past will never return, the present is gone in the blink of an eye, and the future is fast approaching and will become the past in a moment. An eminent master once said, "A day's time is more precious than the treasures of the universe."

The Monk - The Last Part - Live Life

Don’t fool yourself that you will start to enrich your mind, care for your body and nourish your soul only when your bank account grows big enough and you have the luxury of more free time. Today is the day to live from your imagination and harvest your dreams. And never forget the gift of family. Few things are as meaningful as being part of your children’s childhood. What good is it to have the biggest house if you have not created a home ? What use it to be famous if your kids down even know their own parent ?

The size of your bank account and the size of your house have nothing to do with living life with a sense of joy and wonder. The world is full of unhappy millionaires. There is a huge difference between making a lot of money and making a lot of life. Even the birds singing outside appear as a gift to the wise person. We all have something that we are meant to do. Your genius will shine through, and happiness will fill your life, the instant you discover your higher purpose and the direct all your energies towards it. Once you are connected to this mission, whether it is being a great teacher of children or an inspired artist, all your desires will be fulfilled effortlessly. You will not even have to try. As a matter of fact, the harder you try, the longer it will take you to reach your aims. Instead, follow your dreams, in full expectation of the bounty that is certain to flow. This will allow you to grow your destiny.

Enjoy your life and enjoy living it each moment. Begin living each day as your last. Starting today, learn more, laugh more and do what you truly love to do. Never sacrifice happiness for achievement.

The Monk Part 5 - Kindness

Your quality of your life is directly correlated to the quality of your contribution to it. A little bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives you roses. When you take care to practice acts of kindness daily, your own life becomes far richer and more meaningful. When you work to improve the lives of others, you indirectly elevate your life in the process. To cultivate the sacredness and sanctity of each day, serve others in some way.

You entered the world with nothing and you will leave with nothing. Thus the only reason for you being here is to give yourself to others and to contribute in a meaningful way.

Build your friendships. Friends add humour, fascination and beauty to life. There are few things more rejuvenating than sharing a belly-bursting laugh with an old friend. Friends keep you humble when you get to self-righteous. Friends make you smile when you are taking yourself too seriously. Good friends are there to help you when life throws one of its little curves at you and things look worse than they seem. One needs to share thoughts with friends on say the latest book you have read.

The Monk Part 5 - Time Management

One must make careful use of ones time. Spend time on improving knowledge, enriching relationships with your family. Spend time renewing, your mind, body and spirit. Direct your time to those activities that count. Not sitting in lunch rooms, gossiping or watching television.

Be wary of time thieves. These are the people that call you at inopportune times or drop by your office just when you are about to collect your thoughts after an hectic morning. Learn to be ruthless with your time – learn to say no. Don’t pickup the phone every time it rings. It is there for your convenience not other people’s. People will learn to respect your time, only if they see you respect it.

The best time to plant a tree was 40 years ago. The second best time is today. Don’t waste even one minute of your day. Stop acting if you have a hundred years to live. And remember to never take life too seriously, one must be able to laugh. Laughter opens your heart and soothes the soul.

Don’t be a prisoner of your past but rather an architect of your future.

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

The Monk Part 4 - Discipline

To improve your mind’s strength and discipline, focus on controlling your thoughts. Thoughts can be controlled and are not as spontaneous as people think they are. Make use of a mantra at least 30 times a day.

For example “I am more than I appear to be, all the world’s strength and power rests inside me”. Blend this mantra with the process of creative envisioning. Go to a quiet place and close your eyes while sitting down. Don let your mind wander. Keep your body still, as the surest sign of a weak mind is a body that cannot rest. Repeat the mantra aloud over and over. While you do so see yourself as a disciplined, firm person, fully in control of your mind, your body and spirit. This technique has been taught by the spiritual teachers of the East for centuries. It is still around today for one reason : because it works.

Start using your willpower on a regular basis. If you don’t feel like doing something – have the willpower to do it. Try maybe to keep silent for a day if possible. This will discipline your mind. Don’t walk the path of least resistance. Build up momentum via smaller victories.

The Monk Part 3 - Soul of the Universe

Don’t be afraid to go into the unknown. Most people are afraid to try something new and don’t know their own potential.

Art of Kaizen : Nourish your spirit. Do the things you fear. Be the person you dream of being.

Life/Luck favours the prepared mind. Satisfied people are more thoughtful then others.
Saying that you don’t have time to improve yourself is like driving a car and not stopping for gas because you are too busy driving.

Follow the following for at least 21/30 days :

1. 5 - 15 minutes of silence on your own. Preferably a beautiful environment. Try and do it the same time everyday as in a ritual. (heart of the Rose)


2. Commune with nature daily, even if it is only a quick walk. Try to be aware of everything in the environment.


3. Do exercise in at least 5 hours of the 168 hour week. Nothing specific but to be just active.


4. Check your breathing 2-3 times (for about a minute) a day to make sure you breathe effectively. Your belly should move out slightly.


5. As you nourish your body you nourish your mind. Eat live natural foods – food that are not dead e.g. vegetables, fruits, grain etc.


6. Lifelong learning and expanding of knowledge. Read regularly for at least 30 minutes a day. Preferably something mind nourishing. Books do not teach you anything new spiritually they simply help you to see what is already in yourself. That is what enlightenment is all about.


7. Get time to know yourself. Think about all you did today everyday.


8. Don’t sleep too much. Six hours is all one needs. One needs quality sleep not quantity. Before you go to sleep don’t watch news or argue or even go over the day’s events in your mind eye. Relax. Drink maybe some herbal tea and listen to soft classical music.


9. Listen to music everyday.


10. Use mantra’s during the day. A mantra is nothing more than a collection of words strung together to create a positive effect. In Sanskrit ‘man’ means mind and ‘tra’ means freeing. So a mantra is designed to free the mind. Example ‘I am inspired, disciplined and energized’. Repeat often.


11. Build your character. Try and improve your principles : industry, compassion, humility, patience, honesty and courage. Act with integrity. Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be string to live as well as to think.


12. Live a simple life. Focus only on your priorities, those activities that are truly meaningful. Your life will be uncluttered, rewarding and exceptionally peaceful. Reduce your needs.

Even though rituals are built for at least 21 days, true life change is actually spontaneous. The very moment you decide from the deepest core of your being that you will raise your life to its highest level. In that instant, you will be a changed person, one set on the course of his destiny. More energy, less worries, more creativity and less stress in every aspect of your life.
These methods are not a quick fix. They are ageless methods meant to be applied daily. If you stop applying them and return to your previous way of thinking all will be as before.

Within us lies the sun, the moon, the sky and all the wonders of this universe. The intelligence that created these wonders is the same force that created you. All things around you come from the same source. We are all one. All souls flow into one, this is the Soul of the Universe.

When you nourish your own mind and your own spirit, you are really feeding the Soul of the Universe. When you improve yourself, you are improving the lives of all those around you. And when you have the courage to advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, you begin draw upon the power of the universe.

Don’t fear trying these techniques. Failure is not having the courage to try, nothing more and nothing less. The only thing that stands between most people and their dreams is the fear of failure. Yet failure is essential to success in any endeavour. Failure tests us and allows us to grow. It offers us lessons and guides us along the path of enlightment. The universe favors the brave.

The Monk (Part 2)

People spend their whole lives dreaming of becoming happier, living with more vitality and having an abundance of passion. Yet they do not see the importance of taking even 10 minutes a month to write out their goals and to think deeply about the meaning of their lives, their Dharma.

People set financial and material goals. There is nothing wrong with this, if this is what you value. However, to attain self-mastery and inner enlightment, you must set objectives in other areas as well.

To write out your goal will help focus your mind to make it more important than the other 60,000 odd thoughts a day.

5 Step process to achieve a goal (for example losing weight) :

1. Form clear mental image of the outcome. In example every morning after waking up, envision yourself as a lean, fit person, full of vitality and boundless energy. Goals include : Physical, Financial, Personal Empowerment, Relationship and Social. Write them down. Pictures help as well, for example in the goal of being a great father get a picture of womeone who represents this (perhaps your own father). Review this note book daily.


2. Get positive pressure on yourself. In example tell people what you will achieve. Associate your mind with pleasure in achieving good habits and punishment for bad ones.


3. If possible set a timeline to it.


4. Perform activity for 21 days in a row.


5. Have fun while doing it.

Never forget the importance of living with unbridled exhilaration. Never neglect to see the exquisite beauty in all living things. Stay focused on your purpose. The Universe will take care of everything else.

The Monk Who sold his Ferrari

I recently started reading this book after a friend gave it to me. Sofar I have found the following points of interest :

• One would not put toxic waste in one’s garden why do one do it to your mind.


• 60% of thoughts in a day are the same thoughts you had yesterday.


• Most of those thoughts in most people are negative.


• Mind management is the essence of life management.


• One must stop viewing events as positive or negative but rather as lessons. Every crisis may be an opportunity.

Secret of Success : Find what you love to do and put all your energy towards it.
Exercise : Heart of the Rose

1. Quiet room or preferably natural surroundings and a rose.


2. Start to stare at the center of the rose. It’s heart.


3. Notice the rose colour, texture and design. Savour its fragrance.


4. Only think of the rose. The mark of an untrained mind is other thoughts trying to break in. Don’t worry improvement will come quickly.


5. Soon your mind will become strong and disciplined.


6. Practice everyday for at least a month. Start of for at least 5 minutes. After a week or two you should be able to do it for 20 minutes.

Also : Opposition Thinking

1. Make use of opposition thinking. The mind can only handle one thought at a time.


2. If a negative thought enters the mind try and replace it with another thought as quickly as possible.


3. If you worry about something touch something around you to remind you that you still need more time to master your thoughts.

Also : Secret of the Lake

1. Use positive envisioning of yourself.


2. If you want to be the greatest father or mother. Envision yourself laughing and playing with your kids, responding to their questions with an open heart. This positive imagery can help in anything you want to achieve in life.


3. Any negative thoughts must be viewed as a poison to the process.


4. This exercise may be practised anytime throughout the day for a few minutes.


5. Remember every second you spend thinking about someone else’s dreams you take time away from you own.

Remember control your mind or it will control you.

A worrisome thought is like an embryo – it’s start small but grows until it has a life of its own.

Giving good causes and conditions

“Giving good causes and conditions is simply helping others in any possible way. If you water the plants in your garden, they flourish beautifully. If you offer grain to birds, they sing wonderfully. If you give encouragement to students or praise teachers, then you provide them with good causes and conditions.”

“It is through building ties and relationships in this way that we are paving the way to our own success, for in giving others benefits, we are also benefiting ourselves.”

Quran

O yeah... almost forgot found something inetersting on Scott Adams blog comments today. It is 3 side by side translations of the Quran. I should really find some time to read this one day.

Check it out here : Quran Link

.NET

Been very busy learning these days. I haven't found time to really play games, but when I do I play either Cthulhu or Oblivion. Having a bit of a struggle with Cthulhu tough. On Oblivion I was suddenly labelled a murderer. It seemed I had hit one of the friendly soldiers in a battle by mistake and killed him. I could have sweared it was the monster but some invisible judge decided it was me. Now everybody is pissed at me except the Dark Brotherhood - go figure. I think I will have to find a mod to set this right.

Anyways currently I am learning C# and .NET 2.0 and enjoying it quite alot. Currently I am learing remoting in C#. The book I am learning from is Proffesional C# 3rd edition from Wrox Press. It is a very good book even though the text discusses .NET 1.1. I will finish this book before moving on to C# 2.0 books and Web services.

At home I am currently learning to make my own animations in Toon Boom Studio 3.0. It seemed easy in the tutorials but now that I am trying my own original things it is a lot more difficult. It doesn't help that my drawing skills are a bit rusty. I think I 'd better start with a stick man or something. Watch this space.

More Cthulhu

After swotting up some C# for an upcoming project, I went home and talked a bit with the kids and my wife. Didn't get any exercise due some rainy weather and gone to plonk myself down for watching some CSI. My wife and I has worked through the first 2 seasons now and I have ordered the 4th season now (3rd one was out of stock).

Before I went to sleep I tried playing Cthulhu again. But I am at a difficult part now near a jailhouse. One misstep and you're done for... At least I found my first weapon - a crowbar. Kicked the asses of at least two of the stupid townfolk before they got me... To my shame had to go look at a walkthrough to understand what I was required to do near the jail cells. I went wrong by just continuing on and finding a sewer. On the other end of the sewer you find a car but you can't use it until you get the other guy out of his jail cell. Oh well ... will try again tonight.

If the weather keeps I will go jogging tonight. I am currently afraid to venture anywhere near a scale currently.

Rough Week

Ok so a rough week followed the weekend. I hardly had time to blog last week. I had to complete coding on my POS system as well as my Lodge system. Went to see clients on integration with the SAP system. Didn't get time much to play Cthulhu unfortunately. But this was not only due to work. I got Elder Scrolls IV : Oblivion last week. Oh man what a brilliant game. It really pulled me into its world. I have played its predecessor but this one just blew me away. I am very happy that I got the collector's edition - apparently it is sold out all over the world. It's got an actual coin with made according to the ingame currency called septims. The graphics are very good but it is the intrigueing gameplay that makes this game tick. I am currently playing a dark elf spellsword. I have already put 7 hours into the game but have only finished one quest as part of the main quest. this is due to the many side quests this game has. I ofteen just explore some of the wilderness just for the fun of it.

To top this off I got a 10 day trial on Dungeons and Dragons Online to check out. I enjoy the missions of D&D Online and the graphics are not that bad. But I must say it pales in comparison so far to Oblivion. If I had gotten this sooner then the D&D may have been interesting but currently I rather be playing Oblivion.

Hopefully this week will be less rough although one of our developers left for greener (hopefully) pastures. So I am not sure what to expect. Got Guild Wars Factions Pre-Order pack today a well but luckily I won't be playing it until the 27th of April - whcih is just as well as between games, social commitments and work I am currently not getting anywhere...

I had the joy of seeing my 2 sons learning to ride horses last Friday. It was great seeing them learning to stand and balance on a horse. They probably already ride better than me ...

Rough Weekend

Okay so I didn't get to play much this weekend. My oldest son Pierre had is 7th birthday this Sunday 2nd April. My wife Hannelie had to go to work on Saturday and that left only me to get all the stuff ready for Sunday. When I got up Saturday I immediately went to fix the tap that broke on our bath. Then I found out that it is a very old sortof tap and to fix it I had to buy a new tap set as well as the innards 'cause otherwise the taps wouldn't fit. This took me 2 trips to the plumber to sort out. Then I cleaned my desk as well as my kids which took about an hour. We then rushed of to the shop to get the groceries and salads fo the next days braai. Both my kids tagged along and let me tell you - there is a thousand things a 7 year old and a 4 year old can argue about. From the shop whe went to the video shop to get them some cartoons to watch. Then we went on to the butchery to get meat for the braai. Then next over to the ice cream and sweet shop and last stop was the liquor store (for the adults obviously)... Finally I had everything and went home. We ordered a Gladiator jumping castle which was dropped off and the kids went jumping while I tried to bake a cake. While baking the cake I helped my wife's computer to understand that it should have a new version of her office software installed. Whew ! All in a days work. But it was worth it - we had everything the following day...

The Sunday my son Pierre and his brother Jean was up bright and early to enjoy Pierre's birthday. All the people that came was my Mom, my brother Gerhard and his girlfriend, Pierre's girlfriend (also 7) Leoné and her sister as well as her parents Luellen and Melanie, my sister Nadia and her husband Allen and their son Simon. The people who couldn't make it was Pierre's 2 favorite buddies Greyling and also another Pierre at school. Also 1 of our nearby neigbours couldn't make it with their kid. This didn't stop us having lots of fun... It was a great day and my son built up a bit of money to buy himself a radio controlled car - although he did miss getting some presents immediately. Luckily my Mom brought him some cool stuff. We had a great chat with evrybody and ended the day dead tired. So sorry old computer maybe we will play again tonight.

Call of Cthulhu

Finally I got the new Call of Cthulhu game Dark Corners of the earth. Being a horror fan I looked forward to this. There is very little good horrors made these days in movies nevermind games. I got kinda into the the Cthulhu genre of horror by way of the Evil Dead movies following the book of the dead story back to the Necronomicon of H.P. Lovecraft's stories. I find his ideas intriguing although I find his books very difficult to read. He has lots of implications in his stories without all the gore we kind of expect nowadays from horror stories.

Anyways back to the game. I was at first surprised with the blocky designs of rooms and textures. It reminds me of much older games not one released in 2006. The character designs also seem a bit unnatural - I was expecting a bit better from the same company that is bringing out Elder Scrolls : Oblivion. But I know, yes it is a different team and probably an old engine due to the long time it took to be developed. So anyway before I started the game I made sure my kids were tucked in bed and my wife was busy and then I went and switched of the light for a spooky atmosphere. The start of the game is a bit confusing as I couldn't really understand what I was supposed to do. First thought was I had to stop a bunch of guys shooting from inside the house. But rather the game expects you to investigate the bottom floor rather than rushing the assailants. Okay that aside there is one creepy part in this prelude, but nothing to really get me anxious or anything.

So a bit dissapointed I continued the next evening (You'll note I don't play much on a game per night as I have lots of other responsibilities as well). So I arrived at the town InnsMouth. Now I know a bit about this town seeing as I saw the movie Dagon (pretty good horror movie but a bit gory...) which also told about this same town. OK so the town didn't look anything like the one in the movie but I knew there was something going on with its citizens. As a matter of fact only an idiot will be walking around not thinking he/she is in severe danger in this town. Luckily in the beginning the citizens doesn't seem to want you as their next sacrifice. They seem quite placent during the day. You catch glimpses of stuff and get knocked over by something that used to be someone's mom. The story line slowly gets you closer to your yet undeterminable fate. So far that night I can't really say that the game has anything really scary even playing in the dark as I was.

So last night I continued playing and then my idiot of an character actually wanted to go and sleep in this obviously demented town. This is when all hell broke loose. The game doesn't let you go to sleep until you bolted the room's door. No surprise then as you are woken up to a few citizens coming to collect body dead or alive for their next sacrifice. The game makes good use of that feeling of blurriness when waking up - which adds to the tension of getting out of the room as fast as you can before they break down your door.

What follows is probably one of the scariest things I have ever experienced on a computer (expect for a blue screen of death). You have to make your way from room to next room bolting doors and moving cupboards as you go along. This chase is quite a long (I mean this a relative too how long you can stand the tension and not being able to save your game...) and you'll have to do it a few times before getting it right as you need to figure out where to go as well while running shit scared. I read in some walkthrough there is periods you can actually wait a bit and that they don't always actively chase you. But it is so well done you feel like you have to scramble for it the whole time. This obviously makes for stupid mistakes as well (guilty as charged).

Finally I found my way away from the gang and through a warehouse were you gotto walk real slow and hide from the thugs. There also seem some other thing that is looking for you but you look as from its viewpoint so you can never get to see it. The scariness of the game dropped again. I went through some sewers with nothing much horrible in them - just a dead little girl insisting she is alive but always on the other side of an grating you can't get past anyways - so there is no scary "follow me" kindof routine used here. A pity it could have worked well for the game. The sewers hints of something being there but not showing you really anything. You finally meet up with a woman you met before earlier in the game. She somehow has not had any problems with the citizens while living there and go wherever she pleases - which seems quite unlikely. She helps you get into a church that the strange citizens are repelled from. Unfortunately she snuffs it before you can get a bit of cop and feel, so much for the sex scene - oh well ... which leaves you alone in the church.

One funny thing to me about this church was that although the people won't chase you into it, the priest has been crucified and disembowelled inside the church. Now how did they get this right if they couldn't enter ? Anyhow this is where I am currently with the game...

To Blog or not to Blog

Okay here I have been wasting away my blog and not updating it. I decided to start again but rather than having a little wisdom blogged, I thought it better to just blog about stuff I am currently doing. This will allow me in the future and look back at what I did when and what (if anything) I have accomplished. This will make it probably more useful to me than anybody else but what the hey !

Just had to post this little ditty

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

- Ronald Reagan

Quote of the Day

"Listen -- strange women lying in ponds distributing
swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive
power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some
farcical aquatic ceremony."

- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Quote of the Day

"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food."

- W. C. Fields

Quote of the Day

"There's only one way to have a happy marriage and as soon as I learn what it is I'll get married again."

- Clint Eastwood

Quote of the Day

"In Japan, employees occasionally work themselves to death. It's called Karoshi. I don't want that to happen to anybody in my department. The trick is to take a break as soon as you see a bright light and hear dead relatives beckon."

- Scott Adams

Quote of the Day

"The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it's just sort of a tired feeling."

- Paula Poundstone

Quote of the Day

"The moment at which two people, approaching from opposite ends of a long passageway, recognize each other and immediately pretend they haven t. This is to avoid the ghastly embarrassment of having to continue recognizing each other the whole length of the corridor."

-Douglas Adams

Quote of the Day

"Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the drug store, but that's just peanuts to space."

- Douglas Adams

Quote of the Day

"If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands."

- Douglas Adams

Quote of the Day

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."

- Douglas Adams

Quote of the Day

"He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief."

- Sir Francis Bacon

Quote of the Day

"Wives are young men’s mistresses, companions for middle age, and old men’s nurses."

- Sir Francis Bacon

Bet my wife is looking forward to nursing me at old age ...

Quote of the Day

"Silence is the virtue of fools"

-Sir Francis Bacon

You got to love this one after my absence of posting :)...

To Post Or Not To Post

Whoah ! Just look at that It's been almost a month since I last posted... Since I went on a week's vacation, I just got lazy... or is it because a lack of really interesting news out there. Well anyways let me see if I can get back to at least one post a day. Even if it is only a quote.

Scott Adams Creates a Blog

I don't believe it ! The mentor for all office workers right around the world has decided to start his own blog. Now if that is not an awesome news item, I don't know what is. (Do I need to mention that I am a fan of the comic strip Dilbert ?)

Rootkits

Yep after viruses, trojan, malware and spyware comes a new menace - Rootkits. These things actually change the way your operating system works so that your normal spyware/malware detectors can't pickup any problematic proggies running on your system. These things are real nasty and apparently the only solution to really get rid of one is to format the system again. There are a few programs out there that will help you detect these bothersome things.

Check out the article at :
Tech Support Alert

Slave Species of god

I found a new interesting book via fedup.co.za (thanks goes to my wife) that has been written by fellow South African, Michael Tellinger. The first chapter can be downloaded for free.

"Short introduction to Slave Species of god.

While many books have been written around the subject of our human ancestry, Slave Species of god skilfully manages to combine much of the ancient knowledge of lost civilisations to expose the shocking truth about our human origins. The book is easy to read and grabs its reader from the very first chapter. It unravels the mystery of our CREATOR and the creation of "Adam" while it draws a clear distinction between "god" and GOD. It takes its reader on a journey of discovery through 550 pages of astonishing facts. You will be exposed to the earliest human writings and our ancestors some 450 000 years ago, as they plotted the genetic manipulation of the human race. This is probably the most controversial book written by any South African author and will challenge all the newcomers to this genre of literature."

Check it out here :
Slave Species Link

Ananova - Artists erect giant pink bunny on mountain

Now here is a news item worth noting.



"An enormous pink bunny has been erected on an Italian mountainside where it will stay for the next 20 years."

Check it out here :

Ananova - Artists erect giant pink bunny on mountain

Quote of the Day

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.
- Robert Wilensky

Steve Ballmer Event

Went to see Steve Ballmer yesterday at Gallagher Estates in Midrand, South Africa. One thing I can say about him is that he is very aware of competition out there and really is a champion for the future of Microsoft development. He pretty much had everyone hanging on his lips and lots of people clapping at fairly simple features.

I was pretty much impressed though with the new way that Office 12 is going to work. Rather having little factual menus, the whole thing has been revamped to the way people would work. Steve also pushed how us developers will be able to use all the new wonderful features of Vista in our code.

Only problem is - that Vista will probably only have an implementation base as of 2 years from now... but I really look forward to it though. It will make us coders look so much more intelligent with little coding :).

Microsoft business systems future definitely looks great going forward though and they are trying their best to outsmart competition. And as it is directly benefiting Microsoft there is no reason that they won't succeed ... I'm one of the people that is sufficiently impressed on what .NET can do and it's going to be big.

"Steven A. Ballmer is Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Corporation, the worlds leading manufacturer of software for personal and business computing. Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 and was the first business manager hired by Bill Gates. Since then, Ballmer’s leadership and passion have become hallmarks of his tenure at the company.

During the past 20 years, Ballmer has headed several Microsoft divisions, including operations, operating systems development, and sales and support. In July 1998, he was promoted to President, a role that gave him day-to-day responsibility for running Microsoft. He was named CEO in January 2000, assuming full management responsibility for the company, which includes delivering on the company’s mission of enabling people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential."

Mark Shuttleworth on Ubuntu Linux

Found this article on Slashdot :

"Mark Shuttleworth has released a FAQ about Ubuntu's Direction and Intent. It comments on the discussions of funding, of being a Debian-fork or not, of the strange names, and many other 'hot topics' relating to Ubuntu. In his own words: 'This document exists to give the community some insight into my thinking, and to a certain extent that of the Community Council, Technical Board and other governance structures - on some of the issues and decisions that have been controversial.'"

And from the wiki :

"Ubuntu is not without its controversies. This is a good thing (at least IMO) as it suggests we are both challenging the status quo, and taking some risks. Speaking for myself, my motivation for funding and participating in Ubuntu so heavily is in large part derived from a desire to do both of those things, I enjoy shaking up established lines of thinking, and I enjoy taking risks. This document exists to give the community some insight into my thinking, and to a certain extent that of the Community Council, Technical Board and other governance structures - on some of the issues and decisions that have been controversial."

Check it out here :
Ubuntu Wiki

First Live Giant Squid Photographed

The animal—which measures roughly 25 feet (8 meters) long—was photographed 2,950 feet (900 meters) beneath the North Pacific Ocean. Japanese scientists attracted the squid toward cameras attached to a baited fishing line.

Check it out at :
National Geographic Link

Gerrit Badenhorst

Now here is a fellow South African that is a huge success - Gerrit Badenhorst :

"Gerrit is still a full time strongman performer and entertainer doing one-man shows and acts at all kind of venues. The fact that he can do strongman shows and sing simultaneously, proves him to be an asset to any show or function, as he is a true crowd-pleaser and performer. Old and young absolutely adore his performances and outgoing personality."

"Gerrit Badenhorst just released his first CD 'Soen, Soen', translated means Kiss, Kiss. An album with variety, tempo, passion and emotion in English and Afrikaans. The World Strongest Man Anthem is a song which brings International flavour to this album. He was fortunate to sing this song in Holland and Hungary at the International Strongman's contest recently. This song is gutsy, inspiring, motivating and is being played in Gyms and Sporting events internationally."

Check out his website at :
Link To Gerrit's Site

Cosmic Collision

Found these interactive movies on the universe and collisions within.

Check it out at :
Hubble Site Link

Googlize !

I thought of a new word today : Googlize.

I used the word today and the person I was speaking to immediately knew what I meant. The said person was looking for information and then I said "I'm not sure, but have you googlized it ?". The term obviously mean - searching for something via Google. Interested by the term, I thought I will googlize the word googlize, to see if someone also have laid claim to this term. Sure enough there is quite a lot of hits on googlize. So there goes my glory road to fame - but it is interesting that the word has been used by so many people... it may even become a valid word. This would probably be the entry :

goo-gel-ize Pronunciation Key
to search for information through the Google search engine

Although the way Google has been expanding their line-up this term may later be more inclusive...

7, yes 7 ! editions of Windows Vista

Apparently the following Windows editions will be released :

1. Starter Edition, which like XP Starter Edition, is a crippled (and lame) product aimed at the two-thirds world. It will limit users to three concurrent applications, and provide only basic TCP/IP networking, and won't be suitable for most games.

2. The next step up is Home Basic Edition, which is really the sibling to today's Windows XP Home.

3. However, as the name suggests, there's also Home Premium Edition, and this is where we start to split features like hairs and create a gaggle of products. HPE will build on the the Basic Edition by adding, most notably, the next-generation of Media Center capabilities, including support for HDTV, DVD authoring, and even DVD ripping backed up (of course) by Windows DRM. For non-corporate types, this is probably going to be the OS that most people use. It's similar to XP Pro in power, but with all of the added bells and whistles for entertainment. Well, most of them.

4. Windows Vista Professional Edition won't occupy the same spot that XP Pro occupies today, because this time it's truly aimed at businesses. It won't feature the MCE functionality that Home Premium Edition has, but it begins to provide the kind of functionality you'd expect in a business environment, such as support for non-Microsoft networking protocols and Domain support. But don't expect too many businesses to necessarily turn to PE.

5. Microsoft is also planning both a Small Business Edition and

6. an Enterprise Edition, which build upon pro by adding (seemingly minor) features aimed at appealing to each market. SBE, for instance, includes a networked backup solution, while EE will include things like Virtual PC integration, and the ability to encrypt an entire volume of information.

7. Last but not least, there's Ultimate Edition. Hey, I'm just glad that they didn't call it Extreme Edition. Ultimate Edition is a superset of both Vista Home Premium and Vista Pro Edition, so it includes all of the features of both of those product versions, plus adds Game Performance Tweaker with integrated gaming experiences, a Podcast creation utility (under consideration, may be cut from product), and online "Club" services (exclusive access to music, movies, services and preferred customer care) and other offerings (also under consideration, may be cut from product)

Check the rest of the article here :
Windows Vista release link

SitePoint

Found this brilliant programming website. It's called SitePoint ... It has blogs, forums and book information on a variety of subjects - but mostly based around web design/development. They provide the 4 first chapters free on any book. I have read 2 books free chapters already and bought 2 of the books. They seem to have a brilliant way of describing things to make it really easy. Even if you don't buy anything - there is a lot of gen here...

Check out this link :
SitePoint

Quote of the Day

My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is.

- Ellen DeGeneres

How I failed the Turing test

I thought this was a really funny blog entry of a guy struggling to prove his humanity online.

Read it at :
Altered Reality link

The Electric Cosmos

"There is a revolution just beginning in astronomy/cosmology that will rival the one set off by Copernicus and Galileo. This revolution is based on the growing realization that the cosmos is highly electrical in nature. It is becoming clear that 99% of the universe is made up not of "invisible matter", but rather, of matter in the plasma state. Electrodynamic forces in electric plasmas are much stronger than the gravitational force."

Read this site :
Electric Cosmos link

King Kong vs. Pirates

Man ! I am looking forward to this movie from Peter Jackson (Lord of The Rings director). Apparently it's going to have a kickass tie-in PC game as well... I remember the previous King Kong movie, it was great by those days standards.

This article goes about the King Kong movie and Peter's views on movie piracy. He is holding such a tight lid on the movie, that a lot of people won't even see it coming.

Check out this article link :
King Kong link

Quote of the Day

When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.
- Rodney Dangerfield

Rodriguez to launch new CD with concerts

206 Productions, Sugar Music and PT Music are proud to announce that Rodriguez will be launching his new CD compilation, 'Sugarman: The Best Of Rodriguez', with a series of live concerts in Cape Town and London in late September and early October. Rodriguez will be accompanied at these four concerts by a three-piece band comprising Sean Ou Tim (drums), Sascha Sonnbichler (guitar) and David Broido (bass).

Rodriguez and the band will first play two exclusive CD launch concerts at the Independent Armchair Theatre in Observatory in Cape Town on Thursday 29 September and Sunday 2 October.

The following week Rodriguez and his band will perform two live dates in London at The Kentish Town and Forum on Friday 7th October and Saturday 8th October. Support acts for all these gigs will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the Cape Town concerts are R120 each and are limited to 250 per show. In order to apply for tickets, please email The Independent Armchair Theatre (info@bastardmedia.co.za). Please include your full name, ID Number and phone number on the email. Only two tickets are available per application.

Tickets for the London concerts are available c/o the Ticket hotline (London 24 hrs) - 0870 060 3777 Tickets are also now on sale at the Jazz Cafe and Astoria, there is no booking fee if you pay cash.
For info about the London concerts please email:
mailto:clem@touchskymedia.co.uk

'Sugarman: The Best Of Rodriguez' is being released in South Africa by PT Music, the independent SA label which has already released Rodriguez' two studio albums, 1970's 'Cold Fact' and 1972's 'Coming From Reality' aka 'After The Fact'. PT Music also recently released new remastered versions of both those albums.

'Sugarman: The Best Of Rodriguez' features 17 tracks mostly drawn from those two albums, plus three songs that only appeared on the previous 'Best Of Rodriguez' collection, and as a bonus track, the extremely rare 1967 single version of "I'll Slip Away" when he was known as Rod Riguez.

For all info about Rodriguez - past, present and future, please consult the official Rodriguez website at http://www.sugarman.org

For more information please contact:

206 Productions:
Josh Georgiou and Alan Freeman
Phone: (011) 728-8417
Mailto:debbie@88.co.za

The Independent Armchair Theatre:
Gil Hockman
Phone 021 447 1514
Mailto:info@bastardmedia.co.za

Sugar Music:
Stephen Segerman
W (021) 423-7635
mailto:sugar@sugarman.org

Heavy Metal Guy

Check out the Heavy Metal Guy animations. From here on life will not be the same :

Heavy Metal Guy Link

The Boys of Iwo Jima

Found the following article on Snopes (which is found as true) that I thought was pretty interesting... definitely worth a read through.

Check out this link :
Snopes Iwo Jima Link

Google Talk has been released

Finally Google's Instant Messenger has been released. It's integrated with GMail and it's easy to use. A small download at 900kb ... It also features voice over internet functionality like Skype.

Get it here :
Google Talk Link

Ancient artefacts abound in Dubai

The discovery of ancient archaeological sites has transformed the simple agriculture city of Al Ain (Dubai) into an important centre of ancient history in the Arabian peninsula. A thriving civilisation existed in that area during the Stone and Bronze Ages, with its distinctive culture and character. Archaeological discoveries in the north of Al Ain a few years ago revealed a part of human settlements that date back to the Stone and Bronze Ages 5000 BCE.

Another important archaeology site is in the Hili area of Al
Ain: this site houses the largest Bronze Age complex. Archaeological finds in this area have been incorporated into the Hili Archaeological Park. Several sites dating back to the Iron Age, about 1000BCE, are also located in the preserved archaeological area surrounding the park.

One of the most impressive monuments in the UAE is Hili Grand Tomb, which is more than 4,000 years old. The tomb, which was discovered in the 1960s, is located in the middle of the park. The remains of a huge ancient cemetery have been discovered in the northern and eastern foothills of Jebel Hafeet that date back between 3200 to 3000 BCE. A team of French archaeologists exploring the area indicated in February that the society in Hili and its surrounding areas thrived about 7,000 years ago.

Article Link here :

Click Me

Google Releases Blogger for Microsoft Word

A new blogging utility for Word that’s free. Pretty handy – I used it to create this post.

“Google announced earlier this week the release of Blogger for Word, a free add-in, downloadable from the Web, that allows users of the Web log service Blogger to post directly to their sites from Microsoft Word.”

Check out article at Mary’s site :
Article Link

Significant Performance Boost For XP

Found this article that was really helpful in providing some useful information on adjusting XP to be a bit faster. There is some great links in the replies as well.

Check it out at :
Performance XP Link

Quote of the Day

A girl phoned me the other day and said "Come on over, there's nobody home." I went over. Nobody was home.

- Rodney Dangerfield

The Hidden Records by Wayne Herschel on the face of Mars, Pyramids ...

If any of you haven't read Wayne Herschel's book yet... Go out and get it ! It has various facts and new revelations he is trying to promote. It's a pity his book came out at the same time as Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code as I believe the cryout against Dan's book basically subdued Wayne's book. I see he is trying to promote it currently in Europe. I believe they can prove one of his theories right as soon as they can start digging in those Martian sands...

Check it out :
The Hidden records

"It contains the long awaited (already televised) solution to the ancient pyramid civilisations. Their records all appear to include an obsession with worshipping the celestial bull of Taurus and beings that came from the sky."

Dungeon Siege 2 is a cummin' !

Man I don't know about you people out there but I have been looking forward to getting this game for a while now and in fact it will be released in the U.S. today. Here is an excerpt of the Action Trip review :

"...but the way I see it, the truly great gaming experience (one that is truly addictive), is that which not only makes you lose track of time, but when you finally peel your eyes away from the monitor, you're still feeling that slight numbness in your body as your mind tries to adjust to the real world. Without sounding too crass, this is pretty much how I felt after I've gotten my first really good and sufficiently lengthy blow job..." - "yes, Dungeon Siege 2 did give me that great buzz that lingers a bit after playing"

phoaarrr that sounds good... I really can't wait :)

Here is some links to reviews :

Games Domain Review 8/10
GameDaily Review 4.5/5
ActionTrip Review 80/100
1UP Review 7/10
Game Zone Review 8.3/10

25 Great Calvin & Hobbes Strips

One of my favorite comic strips. If you haven't read any, you have missed out big time. Check out some of the best strips :

Calvin and Hobbes link

World's Smallest Political Quiz

Try the quiz here :

Quiz link

In case you ever wondered what side of politics you should be on. Take it - it's results are interesting unless you believe there should be no such quiz - in which case you will probably be in the far "right" category...

I've been linked !!

Yay -awesome ! I've been linked by John.

Check it out :

John Walkenbach's Blog

Richard Garriott and the beginnings of space tourism

I didn't know that Richard Garriott started the whole thing on commercial space travel. I am currently replaying Ultima IX (his last Ultima game before moving on) at the moment and was very interested in reading this article. Mark Shuttleworth - one of my fellow countrymen - should be thanking him...

Article link

Dungeon Lords done !

I have just finished Dungeon Lords the other night and thought I'd blog about it. I really enjoyed the game and is probably the first game I have completed in the last 7 years.

The game got some really bad reviews - but I don't know - if you install the patches and enjoy a good dungeon romp, this game is a lot of fun. There are some boring parts especially crossing from one town to another or searching for places (hint : consult a walkthrough).

The graphics are nice but it seems surreal that you are floating through it. You don't affect grass when you walk through it and water stay stagnant as well. Very weird... but like I said the gamplay kicks ass, especially in combat and the dungeon parts.

The music is non existant and the voice overs are terrible. The story seems like a bit of an afterthought placed unto the game, just to send you around from one strange place to another. I also kind of liked the oriental clan that was totally misplaced in this fantasy setting.

Check it out :
Dungeon Lords link

Monks run out of the world's best beer

Arr ! Now this is amusing ... I guess I will never get to taste the world's greatest beer now. And me a beer lover and all.

Reuters link

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Monks at a Belgian abbey have been forced to stop selling their famous beer after it was voted the best in the world and was promptly sold out.

The abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren in western Belgium is home to some 30 Cistercian and Trappist monks who lead a life of seclusion, prayer, manual labor -- and beer-brewing.

A survey of thousands of beer enthusiasts from 65 countries on the RateBeer Web site (www.ratebeer.com) in June rated the Westvleteren 12 beer as the world's best.

But the abbey only has a limited brewing capacity, and was not able to cope with the beer's sudden popularity.

"Our shop is closed because all our beer has been sold out," said a message on the abbey's answering machine, which it calls the "beer phone."

And the abbey has no intention of boosting its capacity to satisfy market demand.

"We are not brewers, we are monks. We brew beer to be able to afford being monks," the father abbot said on the abbey's Web site.

Monk Mark Bode told De Morgen daily: "Outsiders don't understand why we are not raising production. But for us life in the abbey comes first, not the brewery."

J-Walk Blog Link Experiment

Ah! here is a way I might get some attention to my blog (which seems of to bit of a slow start). John Walkenbach my favorite blogger has posted this on his blog...

I am taking part in J-Walk's Blog experiment !

http://j-walkblog.com/index.php?/weblog/posts/attention_bloggers/

The 46 Best-ever Freeware Utilities

Found this really cool page with free utilties, some of which I knew about and some I didn't :

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm

Quote :

"There are a lot of great freeware products out there. Many are as good or even better than their commercial alternatives. This list features my personal pick of the "best of the best."

All these utilities in this list have been featured in past issues of of my free monthly newsletter "Support Alert". More freebies are featured in every new issue. If you are interested in great utilities and freeware you really should consider subscribing. It's free."