Friggin' Awesome

http://storycorps.net

7

1/7 = 0.14285714285714285714285714285714...
2/7 = 0.28571428571428571428571428571428...
3/7 = 0.42857142857142857142857142857142...
4/7 = 0.57142857142857142857142857142857...
5/7 = 0.71428571428571428571428571428571...
6/7 = 0.85714285714285714285714285714285...
8/7 = 1.1428571428571428571428571428571...
9/7 = 1.2857142857142857142857142857142...
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.
.
13/7 = 1.8571428571428571428571428571428...
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255/7 = 36.428571428571428571428571428571...
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Anybody know of numbers other than 7 that share this property? I suspect there must be, but i'm lacking in creativity. I thus submit my inquiry to the vacuity of the blogsphere.

Command and Conquer

Bill Moyers continues with his staggeringly clear and cogent commentary on the current condition of American media. Moyers, in my opinion, represents a dying breed of journalists who had the instinct/balls to dig deeper then press releases and report on the issues at the foundation of the news, and at the same time managed to speak to folks across the political spectrum. While it seems that there is plenty of good investigative journalism going on at present, it has the disturbing aroma of something being preached to the choir. Moyers made the threat in passing during this speech that he was considering returning to broadcast journalism. There would indeed be worse fates.

The new pope's view on Buddhism

(The Tablet, 18 September 2004) In March 1997 Ratzinger offered a similarly harsh judgement on Buddhism, calling it "an auto-erotic spirituality" in an interview with a leading French newspaper. Buddhism, said Ratzinger, "seeks transcendence without imposing concrete religious obligations".

Apparently the new Pope has not done much in the way of researching Buddhist doctrine. There are more vows available to lay Buddhists than there are mullets at a monster truck rally. I suppose that from a Catholic viewpoint, Buddhism might appear lax because the Buddha's teachings came in the form of advice rather than as declarations of "fact" concerning the nature of the universe, eternity, and one's immortal soul, predicated on the proposition that the individual is forever flawed. So, granted, it is a bit more laid back in its PR. However, it seems to me that the application of Buddhist psychology is one of the most rigorous and demanding processes an individual can undergo, precisely because of the manner in which it is presented. As the teachings come in the form of advice it becomes incumbent upon the indvidual practitioner to apply to principles to their own experience, to develop mindfulness of one's psychological state and to test the validity of the ideas put forth. The quote from the Buddha, "You are your own Protector," highlights this notion. In Buddhism you are left with yourself, in a state of honesty. You do not have a weekly ceremony to demonstrate your membership in the club, you do not have individuals that assure you they know the truth and as long as you do as they tell you, you are guaranteed entrance into paradise. You are left with yourself, which from my vantage point is the most honest approach to psychological evolution.

eeeerrrrrrrrrrrhhrghghhh

what the hell is it about ex-girlfriends and wanderlust and berry seeds that get stuck in your molars and cubicles, particularly cubicles... I work at a technology funhouse with a whole gaggle of people who are inspired(/ing) who have masters in Social Work and Political Science and who work here because they believe that non-profit orgs are crucial for a revival of substantive political participation, even if they don't agree with the particular causes of the non-profits we work with, (walking embodiments of Voltaire's most famous missive.) But the stress of occupying a cubicle will show at times. People betray this through a certain hush in their voice when answering the phone, that forced tone of "Alright, everything is OK. I'm here to help." I'm continually in awe of our ability to rationalize. Indeed, it provides a different vantage point when calling support hotlines... I dare say I'm becoming somewhat of a connoisseur of the undertones that follow a person who is desperately trying to contextualize their experience. More as it develops

Spiritual Technology

Disk Drives Make Good Prayer Wheels
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Right now, your hard drive is serving as a Mani wheel, because there are several copies of the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" on this page, and they are all stored on your hard drive in the cache for your browser.

On her page titled "Click Here for Good Karma" Deb Platt suggests:

"To set your very own prayer wheel in motion, all you have to do is download this mantra to your computer's hard disk. Once downloaded, your hard disk drive will spin the mantra for you. Nowadays hard disk drives spin their disks somewhere between 3600 and 7200 revolutions per minute, with a typical rate of 5400 rpm. Given those rotation speeds, you'll soon be purifying loads of negative karma."

Delicious Egocentrism

So, I don't typically write about the events of my life on this blog: 1.) because for as long as I can remember I have be overwhelmed with the notion that everybody knows what I know and 2.) Why would you care? However through consideration over the past few days I have deduced the #1 is illogical, albeit generous and #2 has been reversed through a number of emails requesting information as to what I am doing with my life.
With that in mind, I went to a training yesterday for Hospice Austin. For those unfamiliar with hospices, it is a different approach to treating people who are in the terminal stage of an illness that promotes pain reduction and spiritual and emotional support in their home as opposed to aggressive medical treatments in a hospital setting.
The thinking behind my choice with hospice was complex. When I first interviewed for the position, the volunteer coordinator's first question was "Why on earth would you want to volunteer with a hospice?" Indeed a reasonable question, seeing as the volunteer experience can be a draining one. However, for folks fond of Buddhist psychology, it represents a great opportunity. On one hand you are able to provide support for individuals who are dealing with some heavy issues and on the other it provides a potent meditation on the transience of life. I would recommend the experience for folks seeking out shite like that.
OM MANI PADME HUM