Sunday, October 23, 2022

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

 


“Wherever you go, there you are.”

— Thomas à Kempis

Friday, September 16, 2022

“Decide what is true, then decide what to do about it.”

 


 

Logic, reason, and common sense are your best tools for synthesizing reality and understanding what to do about it. - Ray Dalio 


Principles are fundamental truths that serve as the foundations for behavior that gets you what you want out of life.


Without principles we would be forced to react to all the things life throws at us individually.  


Embrace the fact that you don’t know everything you need to know.


My success has more to do with knowing how to deal with *not* knowing.


Consistently operate with principles that can be clearly explained.


Decide:

1) what you want

2) what is true

3) what you should do to achieve #1 in light of #2







When I’m wrong, I change my mind. 

When the facts change, I change my mind. 


Wall Street Journal, Jason Zweig wondered about two quotations attributed to Keynes: “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir” and “The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.” 


In an e-mail in 2003, Keynes’ most authoritative biographer, Lord Robert Skidelsky, told investment advisor William Bernstein that he believed they were “both apocryphal.” This week I asked another renowned expert on Keynes, Donald Moggridge of the University of Toronto, if he could identify the source of either of the oft-quoted remarks. “The simple answer,” Prof. Moggridge replied by e-mail, “is there is no evidence.”




Critical thinking is clear, reasonable, reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do. It means asking probing questions like “How do we know?” or “Is this true in every case or just in this instance?” It involves being skeptical and challenging assumptions rather than simply memorizing facts or blindly accepting what you hear or read.


Who are critical thinkers, and what characteristics do they have in common? Critical thinkers are usually curious and reflective people. They like to explore and probe new areas and seek knowledge, clarification, and new solutions. They ask pertinent questions, evaluate statements and arguments, and they distinguish between facts and opinion. They are also willing to examine their own beliefs, possessing a manner of humility that allows them to admit lack of knowledge or understanding when needed. They are open to changing their mind. Perhaps most of all, they actively enjoy learning, and seeking new knowledge is a lifelong pursuit. 


Critical thinking is fundamentally a process of questioning information and data. You may question the information you read in a textbook, or you may question what a politician or a professor or a classmate says. You can also question a commonly-held belief or a new idea. With critical thinking, anything and everything is subject to question and examination for the purpose of logically constructing reasoned perspectives.







Read More:


https://quillbot.com/courses/effective-learning-strategies/chapter/chapter-7-critical-thinking-and-evaluating-information/





Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Carpe diem




Dictum


Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero

(seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the next one)

- Horace




 
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Lao Tzu






MASS PSYCHOSIS - How an Entire Population Becomes MENTALLY ILL






https://youtu.be/09maaUaRT4M




Narcissus the Tiger

 



Tiger admires his Reflection 



Saturday, August 27, 2022

Thursday, August 25, 2022





CARLOS CASTANEDA BOOKS IN ORDER

 
Publication Order of The Teachings of Don Juan Books


The Teaching of Don Juan (1968)

A Separate Reality (1971)

Journey to Ixtlan (1972)

Tales of Power (1974)

The Second Ring of Power (1977)

The Eagles Gift (1981)

The Fire From Within (1984)

The Power of Silence (1987)

The Art of Dreaming (1993)

Magical Passes (1998)

The Wheel of Time (1998)

The Active Side of Infinity (1999)






 
 
Carlos Castaneda was an American author that built a reputation out of the mystery of his person and the enigma surrounding his work. The controversy surrounding Carlos’ books has always revolved around the question of whether they are fact or fiction.

Even though the books were published as fictitious works, many of Carlos’ fans have since come to the conclusion that his accounts of training to become a Shaman under t mysterious Don Juan Matus are actually true and represent an accurate testament of the things Carlos Castaneda endured.

+Biography

Carlos Castaneda was born in Cajamarca, Peru in 1925 to Susana Castaneda Navoa and Cesar Arana Burungaray. Carlos grew up in Peru, though he eventually moved to the United States and became a naturalized citizen in the 1950s.


He eventually met and married Margaret Runyan in 1960, though their relationship has since become the source of debate and controversy. Not only did the pair only live together for six months, but Carlos’ death certificate says that he was never married.

Carlos’ journey to fame began while he was studying anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. As part of his research log, Carlos wrote ‘The Teachings of Don Juan’, a book through which he spoke of his apprenticeship with a Yaqui Indian from Northern Mexico known as Don Juan Matus.

Even after he acquired his Bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. Carlos Castaneda continued to chronicle his supposed tutelage under Don Juan, with each new book exposing new aspects of his training.

According to Carlos, who wrote these books as though they were an accurate account of his life, his teacher recognized him as a leader of sorts amongst seers and that he had some sort of connection to the unknown.

Carlos’ books gained renown because his supporters were certain that they were true accounts of the author’s ascendency as a seer; the books were also recognized for their contribution to philosophy, especially in their description of the practices used to attain increased awareness.

Many an academic scholar attempted to discredit the books, though, with some critics endeavoring to highlight the contradictions between Carlos Castaneda’s claims in the books and anthropological data, not to mention the absence of corroborating evidence to back some of the author’s claims.

However, these challenges to Carlos’ books only worked to grow his reputation as fans and critics alike delved further into his works in an attempt to find some sort of consensus on the debate.

Not that any of these debates mattered to Carlos Castaneda, the one person in the world that could have shed light on the argument. Even though his books had made the author such a popular public figure, Carlos rarely exposed himself to public scrutiny.

In fact, for all the fame that his books elicited, almost everything known about Carlos was little more than speculation, some media sources even going so far as to suggest that the cover portrait Carlos used for his books was just a surrogate.

The few interviews that Carlos permitted did little to clear up the misunderstandings surrounding his person. And after a while, Carlos completely retired from public view, allowing the mystery of his being to drive the popularity of his works.

Carlos Castaneda died in 1998. His death was imputed to his fight with Hepatocellular cancer. Carlos died just as he lived: surrounded by mystery and enigma. A public service wasn’t even permitted, with the author’s body being quickly cremated and his ashes taken out of the country to Mexico.

It took two months for news of Carlos’ death to proliferate throughout the literary world. His passing did little to quell debates about his encounters with Don Juan Matus, with many today still trying to ascertain whether or not don Juan Matus is a real person.

Carlos Castaneda touched many readers with his story of a young hero becoming apprenticed to a Shaman and seeking enlightenment.

+The Teachings of Don Juan 1968

The first book in the Don Juan series tells the amazing story of a young fellow looking to become an extraordinary man of knowledge. The journey he undertakes challenges the reader’s understanding of reality.

This is the most controversial book that Carlos Castaneda has ever written. While some readers view it as a powerful volume filled with unending wisdom, others dismiss it as the rantings of a man stumbling through a psychotropic experience after smoking one too many plants in Mexico.

Fans of Carlos will tell you to forget about all the controversies surrounding this book. It doesn’t matter whether or not Don Juan ever existed or if Carlos actually undertook this supposed journey to attain enlightenment.

What matters is the message hidden within Carlos’ words, the profound writings scattered throughout this short book and the engaging questions the book elicits amongst those who have read it.

It has been claimed that the New Age movement elicited many of its teachings and ideas from the observations Carlos makes in this book. That alone should be enough to prove that this book can transcend its controversy and questions of its authenticity to become an educational tool for the seeking.

+A Separate Reality 1971

The second volume in the Don Juan books finds Carlos returning to Mexico and to the teachings of Don Juan seeking an experience unlike any Western Civilization has ever seen. Carlos rips apart the veil between this reality and the world of magic.

In the first Don Juan book, Carlos finished out his five-year apprenticeship to Don Juan and left. In this book, he comes back to see what more there is to learn from his sorcerer of a teacher.

‘A Separate Reality’ differs from its predecessor in that it doesn’t focus as much on philosophical teachings. Instead, Carlos smokes a lot of mushrooms and reveals the observations he makes on his new journey.

Carlos is learning to become a warrior. It requires that he learn about other sorcerers and make new allies. The book makes an effort to explore reality as it is seen by people, with Carlos highlighting the fact that people generally define their worlds, the words they internalize manifesting as truths over time. 






Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Who owns water? | DW Documentary






https://youtu.be/9edWX7TTsLw



Climate change is causing temperatures to rise. And everyone is consuming more water - whether it’s to make soda, microchips or cattle feed. But our reservoirs are running dry. Investors are buying water rights, prices are going up and farmers are running out of water.

The climate crisis is worsening worldwide. In many countries, increasing drought is threatening not only human survival, but entire ecosystems. Livestock farmers are running out of water. In India, farmers can no longer irrigate their fields. People are fleeing their homes in large numbers. 
Who owns water? Will there be more and more conflicts, even wars, over water? What will happen if our water disappears?

This is a three-part documentary series. Episodes will be released weekly on the following dates:
Part 1: The fight for water - August 10
Part 2: What happens when our water dries up? - August 17
Part 3: Who owns water? - August 24

#documentary #dwdocumentary #water 


____ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary. Subscribe to: ⮞ DW Documentary (English): https://www.youtube.com/dwdocumentary  




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Friday, August 12, 2022

“Wise Men” Co-Authors Evan Thomas and Walter Isaacson on Hiroshima Anniversary




  

“Wise Men” Co-Authors Evan Thomas and Walter Isaacson on Hiroshima Anniversary 


https://youtu.be/qzsIIKqsKRw


On this weekend in 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, snuffing out 70,000 lives in an instant and ushering in the atomic age. 77 years later, the world remains haunted by fallout from the bomb’s invention. Indeed, the United Nations Secretary General this week warned that the world is just one misstep away from nuclear annihilation. To discuss Hiroshima and its implications, historian Evan Thomas speaks with Walter Isaacson.

Originally aired on August 5, 2022.

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Tigers Playing

 







Willie Dixon and The New Generation of Chicago Blues 1977 - Germany






https://youtu.be/lj_gs3V5N2s



Lurrie Bell,
Johnny B. Moore,
Freddie Dixon,
Harmonica Hinds,
Billy Branch
and Vernon Harrington.

Berliner Jazztage - Philharmonie Hall - Sunday 6 November 1977


01.Introduction by Host Willie Dixon 
02.'My Baby Done Changed The Lock On The Door' - Mervyn 'Harmonica' Hinds (vcl,hca) ,William 'Bom-Bay' Carter (g) 
03.'Billy's Blues' - Billy Branch 
04.'I'm A King Bee' - Johnny B. Moore 
05.'How Long' - Freddie Dixon 
06.Unid. Instrumental - Mervyn 'Harmonica' Hinds 
07.'I Am The Blues' - Willie Dixon 
08.'All Your Love' - Vernon Harrington 
09.'Don't Start Me To Talkin' ' - Billy Branch 
10.'All Because Of Your Love' (truncated) - James Kinds 
11.Unid Instrumental - Mervyn 'Harmonica' Hinds 
12.'Somebody Loan Me A Dime' - Dead-Eye Norris 
13.'I'm Ready' - Lurrie Bell 
14.'Going Back To Iuka' - Johnny B. Moore 
15.'Hoodoo Doctor' - Freddie Dixon 
16.'Berlin Wall' - All Performers Grand Finale 
17.'Got My Mojo Working' - All Performers Grand Finale
 
Berliner Jazztage - Philharmonie Hall - Sunday 6 November 1977

 
ALBUM
Gimme the Blues (Live)