Shiva Shamhu Bam Bam

Bolo Shiv. Shiv.

Shambhu Bam Bam

Bam (X4)

Are Gao Re…

Nam Har.Dam,

Ye Nam Har.Dam

Jab.Tak Hai…

Bhayi Dam Me Dam,

Hayi Dam Me Dam

Bolo Shiva Shiva

Shambhu Bam Bam

Bam (X4)

Bheem.

Bhayankar,

He Brabhu

Shakar. Swami

He Prabhu

Shankar. Swami

He

Vishveshwar.

He

Parameshwar.

Ishwar.

Antar. Yami

Ye Dhun. Hai…

…,

Uttam Anupam,

Uttam Anupam,

Sare jag. Ke…

Yahi Peeta Param,

Yahi Peeta Param

Bolo Shiv. Shiv.

Shambhu Bam Bam

Bam (X4)

Are Gao Re…

Nam Har.Dam,

Ye Nam Har.Dam

Jab. Tak Hai…

Bhayi Dam Me Dam,

Hayi Dam Me Dam

Bolo Shiv. Shiv.

Shambhu Bam Bam

Bam (X4)

Shiv. Akam.

Hai,

Daydham.

Hai,

Shiv. Kanam.

Hai Saiyam (X2)

Shiv. Ji Hai Mukti,

Shiv. Ji Hai Shakti

Shiv. Ji Hai Bhakti

Ka Sangam (X2)

Shiv. Mahima

Mat. Samjo

Kam,

Mit. Jayenge

Duniya Ke

Gam,

Bolo Shiv. Shiv.

Shambhu Bam Bam

Bam (X4)

Are Gao Re…

Nam Har.Dam,

Ye Nam Har.Dam

Jab. Tak Hai…

Bhayi Dam Me Dam,

Hayi Dam Me Dam

Bolo Shiv. Shiv.

Shambhu Bam Bam

Bam (X4)

So today we went for our 35 week check-up. Doc says my squishy is already just under 3kg! I’ve decided that because I don’t want anyone to try and break me open to get her out if she gets stuck I’m going to go for a sunroof option (C-section). I know that some women manage to have perfectly healthy babies even up to 5kg naturally, I just don’t think I have the hips for it and I’m not taking any chances, so we’ll go with instinct on this one…

I still want Squishy to decide when she’s ready to be born so I’m not letting the doctor yank her out early. My original due date is the 1st of January and we’ve tentatively scheduled the operation for the 2nd – since NO ONE seems to think that I’ll make it till then before she decides it’s time to make an appearance. So…the plan is to have a C-section once I go into labour – whenever that might be. In the meantime she can focus on fattening up without any concern for getting stuck on the way out.

I can’t believe that in a month or less I’ll hold my daughter in my arms, for real. It’s going to be a very big moment. Even though my life has changed so drastically over the last 30 weeks since I found out I was pregnant, I think that will be the moment that feels most significant of all. Life as I know it will never be the same again.

This has been one crazy week. I have no energy…in fact I’m tired just thinking about everything that’s happened. Most of it has to do with all the last minute scuttles and arrangements for the baby shower tomorrow, and of course the last of the nesting. Let it be known that my poor mom is a super-star! I don’t even know where to begin thanking her for all the effort she’s put into this and into welcoming Squishy to the world. She is going to be a really cool grandma.

Right…no loooong ramble from me tonight. I’m going to try and get some decent shut eye before the party tomorrow because I don’t want to fall asleep in my fruit juice. Lastly, just thought I’d mention that my feet really are spectacularly swollen – cankles I haz them!!! :-| legend has it that if you put bricks under the foot end of your bed when you sleep they won’t swell up. But then again another legend says if you put bricks under the head end of your bed you won’t wake up with heart burn either. This leads me to believe that the best sleeping position for a pregnant woman is bent in the shape of a U with all ends in the air and the belly at the bottom? If I still had any balance left and didn’t need to get up a million times a night I’d consider sleeping in a hammock for sure!

Anyhoo, I’ll leave my bed level for now. It’s only a few more weeks of puffer feet anyway.

Where I live in the Bay Area we plant trees and gardens, roses and vines, but it’s all in denial over the fact that our landscape is more desert than anything else – green in the spring and yellow brown the rest of the year.  However, drive a few hours north, past the Golden Gate Bridge and the beautiful Marin Headlands, past the vineyards that used to be apple orchards (who earn forgiveness for destroying acres of fruit trees by turning brilliant fiery hues in the fall) and you’ll stumble upon western Sonoma County.  Here you’ll see green that stays green, even into the summer, and little creeks and springs that dot the landscape that’s been left mostly wild.  The picturesque old farmhouses and Victorians are gorgeous, but it’s the greenery that takes my breath away.  Everywhere you look, the world is wet and alive.

Thanksgiving was not an event I was anticipating with any joy this year.  My life has fallen apart and my family half-knows, half-doesn’t, so relatives spent the day avoiding my gaze or looking at me like I was that sick horse who was due to be shot, but no one could bring themselves to tell me.  However, after dinner (served at 2 as was my grandmother’s family’s tradition) we always go on a long walk down a country lane.  It’s the same walk we’ve taken for years, but it still always thrills me.  Now that my kids are old enough to run ahead and tend to themselves, I get moments here and there to indulge my bliss:  taking pictures.  For those sweet, fleeting moments I am happier than I know how to express, my mind sparkling with color and line, composition and depth.  In those moments, I don’t need a fancy camera (mine’s a point-and-shoot, no SLR, no fancy lenses – just me and a shutter) and I don’t need an audience…I reach that perfect state of being/not-being at one with the world around me.

I took over 300 photos yesterday, mostly of cousins and children who are growing too fast, so I try to catch little pieces to save and keep dear.   However, I’d like to share a few I took of the wild – the wet, green world outside, a world of farms and streams and secret gates that I’ve always longed for.  Perhaps one or two will inspire you, remind you of a place far away from door-buster sales and the voracious need to spend and acquire and own and consume.  This is a place to just be, and in being, be simply perfect as you are:

]]> http://nirananda.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/experience-of-wholesomeness/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:08:22 +0000 vgrig http://nirananda.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/experience-of-wholesomeness/

“In Nirananda state there is no duality left

– is Advaita, is one personality.

That is, you are completely integrated…”

“Ego stops us from understanding where we stand and to know who we really are.”

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Ahau, in common Mayan usage, means lord, flower. Its symbol is the sun. Its energy brings qualities of ascension, language of light, limitless bliss, solar mastery, wholeness, and unconditional love.

Ka, tone 2, holds the purpose and intent for polarity, challenge, the reflecting mirror of  the other, and partnership.

Yellow is the color of the South. Its element is earth. Its vehicle of expression is the body.

So, the message for today is:

Talk a walk today and spend a moment standing quietly on the earth with the sun on your face. If the sun isn’t shining where you are, see it in your mind’s eye behind the clouds and imagine its rays shining through to your pineal gland and lighting you up within every cell of your body. Limitless light pours through your brain, your throat, your heart, your hands, your feet, and every particle of you. Today is an opportunity to digest any challenge with the perfect light that is your higher self, your soul, your solar heart, your divine light and love. As you look around today and see evidence of polarity and separation from Source, allow yourself to see those as simply signals on the dashboard–places to feed with love and grace. We are all One. Loving ourselves in the matter brings love to the whole planet.

hurry up snufkin

(Synopsis of a talk give by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj in Chandigarh, India, on November 15, 2009)

There is only one thing that every living desires: happiness. There is variation and variety everywhere in the world. There are 8.4 million forms that a soul could enter and they are all unique. Some of these reside in water, some in the air, some on the earth. All living beings are born from one of 4 ways – some are born from a womb, some from eggs, some from moisture and some from the earth. If we take humans, out of 7 billion people on the earth, not even two people have the same features or fingerprints. What variation there is in this world!

Regardless of this, all embodied beings desire only one thing: happiness. Why? Have we never experienced happiness? We have indeed. We experienced this from our mother, father, husband, wife and other relations. We experienced this from sense objects. We saw from our eyes and felt happy. We heard with our ears and felt happy. We ate something and felt happy. Daily we are experiencing happiness. This is a fact. No one can deny this.

But this happiness has two defects. First, it is limited. There is always a greater happiness beyond your current experience of happiness. When you become aware of the greater happiness, your current happiness ends. A poor person got a motorcycle. While driving, he felt happy. He saw a car approaching and when its tire hit a puddle of water, it threw mud all him. He thought, “What’s the use of this motorcycle! Now if I had a car…” The joy of owning a motorcycle came to an end. This happens in every area of happiness. When you see a happiness you think better than your own, your current happiness ends.

A person studies hard in the university for four years to earn a degree to get a good job, and finally he finds one. His boss scolds him harshly on the very first day of work. He thinks, “What is this? Is this what I studied for?” His happiness comes to an end. He thinks, “One day I will take over his position.” Even if he does do this, he will still have another boss above him. So what we actually desire is unlimited happiness, a happiness beyond which there is no greater happiness.

Secondly, the happiness we desire should always remain. Worldly happiness steadily decreases and comes to an end. A mother’s son has disappeared. She is in a state of great distress. All night long, her anxiety causes her to wake up every hour. Her son was found and returned to her. She embraced her child with great joy. She hugged him a second time, but now her happiness was reduced. A third hug produced less happiness. By the fourth hug she said, “Go outside and play.”

Why does this happiness reduce? We receive happiness from our other loved ones, which also reduces until we say, “How did I get such a mother? Does anyone have such a father as mine? I have wasted my life on this kind of spouse!” and so on. The very thing that was a source of happiness becomes a source of sorrow.

What we actually desire is a happiness which is unlimited and remains forever. But what is the cause of this desire? There must be a few who desire unhappiness. Absolutely not! Every living being, from an ant to the creator Brahma, all desire happiness. But why is this? Because each and every living being is a part of God, who is the form of unlimited happiness.

God has uncountable names. Out of these, one name is ananda, supreme divine bliss. We are a part of that. We are not this physical body. Each of us is an individual soul, and this is why we desire God’s ananda. Apart from God and us, there is also all of ‘this’ – the world. There are three – you, the individual soul, He, Who is God, and all else, the world or Maya.

You have received so much of worldly happiness. You experience it every day in so many ways and everyone has experienced and knows its nature. Yet everyone remains unhappy. The more wealth a person possesses, the more unhappiness he feels. The richest billionaire, the most beautiful woman or man, the most powerful governmant official – each is surrounded by personal bodyguards. Neither they nor their children can go out in the public by themselves. Many continuously worry that someone may try to kill them. Why? For their wealth or due to their power. This fear causes great suffering.

In fact, there are two great sufferings that are important to understand.

(Continued in Part 2)

For a few, this may be the last time they step out of the Royal Exhibition Building (REB) after completing their last exam of their University life. For others, this may their last paper for the semester. Whichever the case may be, everyone is relieved that the exams are over.

f/3.5, 1/250 sec

Fall 2006 and Fall 2009 have been very different from one another, in terms of who I saw on a daily basis, what I spent most of my time doing, the thoughts that occupied my mind… completely different places in life, though only three years apart.

But something that these seasons have in common, and that I am happy to be experiencing again is the constant thought in my mind of how grateful I am to be in my current situation. Thankful for many blessings.

In 2006, I was spending my first quarter at UCLA, and I was in awe of everything. Though I had not found my close-knit community of support yet, I knew I was in a great place and I could not believe that I was a part of it. The architecture, the professors, the “college-y” feel of potlucks and eating on the roof of our apartment… it was great. I was doubtful that I deserved to be there, but I would continue along until someone told me otherwise.

This year, I am once again just… amazed. Just as I believed that UCLA was the best place I could be at that time, I fully believe in Greendot, and am proud to be a part of one of their schools. In a year when jobs have been so scarce, especially in my field, I thank God that he provided not only some bottom of the chain job at a terrible high school, but an important position with a wonderful organization that serves an area of great need.

Between my job and my grad school, I do experience a lot of stress. Today, my headache from a hard work week has not subsided. And yet I am thankful for the stress. Because the stress means that I have been given the opportunity to educate and be educated, which is exactly what I want. I am very much still trying to figure it out, but I was chosen to be here and I am grateful, thank you, Jesus!

Going beyond work and school, I am grateful for other provisions:

-Moving to Long Beach, which includes:

-Opporunities to love and be loved by:

-All of the great fun I had this year, such as:

-The fact that my parents and I are going to load our food contributions into our car this evening and enjoy a good meal in Diamond Bar.

Healing Circle by phone
Tuesday, December 1st
9 pm Central, UTC -0600

Please join me for a new circle.  We can meet on the teleconference line like we do for our usual phone circles, but this will be a bit different.  After aligning with your true self and connecting with your wholeness, you have the opportunity to engage your own power to transform yourself and your life. Then you can expand that love to include the others in the circle…and perhaps even further.

It is all about recognizing each other as the divine beings we are and sharing unconditional love.

• Move through illusions
• Embody a fuller expression of truth
• Create a more joyful reality

If you can’t join by phone, please email me with whatever specifics you would like to focus on and we will include you in the circle.

Contact me for the phone number and conference code.

I look forward to connecting with you!

Love,

Dawn

I love the movie, “Sunshine”

In a totally abstract fashion,  the way Cliff Curtis as “Searle”. Is completely blown away by the power of the visual experience looking into the sun,  ”for me”  translates to something like the  ”mystical  experience” that I had while skydiving.

The clip bellow is a trance piece ” Alex M.O.R.P.H. – Sunshine (Nitrous Oxide Mix)” made by djmarkr1972 who does a fantastic job mixing Sunshine imagery with the track. He’s done a great job and brings the thing  together to amplify “Searle’s” experience in a totally hypnotic and powerful way.

Quem nunca viu a famosa imagem de fundo do Windows XP? Muitos até têm em seus computadores.
Nunca quiseram saber sobre a história desta foto? Uma fotografia conhecida em todo o mundo graças à Microsoft.
O autor desta foto é Charles O´Rear, que trabalhou durante décadas para publicações como a National Geographic, mostrando a qualidade do seu trabalho.
A imagem que dá as boas vindas ao Windows, chamada Bliss (alegria ou felicidade) foi feita por O’Rear em 1995, tomando uma serena colina do Vale de Napa. Felizmente, a colina que mostra esse precioso tapete de grama verde, estava nessa plenitude graças a um pequeno desastre. Esses montes são geralmente cobertos com videiras, mas na primeira metade da década de noventa uma praga da filoxera forçou a eliminar grande parte dos vinhedos, mudando temporariamente a paisagem ao ser plantada com grama.
Essa situação temporária foi uma bênção para O’Rear, que tirou a fotografia com sua câmera em um dia, quando viajando em uma estrada próxima.
Atualmente, uma vez terminada a crise nos vinhedos do Vale de Napa, as uvas voltaram para a terra e a paisagem idílica que foi fotografada em 95 tem um aspecto muito diferente, que na realidade, é pouco atraente como papel de parede.

. ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ .

Quién nunca vio la famosa imagen de fondo de Windows XP? Incluso muchos la tienen en sus computadoras.
Nunca se preguntaron sobre la historia de esta imagen? Una fotografía conocida en todo el mundo gracias a Microsoft.
El autor de dicha fotografía es Charles O´Rear, quien ha trabajado durante décadas para publicaciones como National Geographic, donde se aprecia la calidad de su trabajo.
La imagen que daba la bienvenida a Windows, titulada Bliss (gozo o felicidad) fue realizada por O´Rear en 1995 tomando como objetivo una suave colina del Valle de Napa. Por suerte, la colina que muestra ese precioso continúo de pasto verde, se encontraba en plenitud gracias a un pequeño desastre. Esas colinas suelen estar cubiertas de vides, pero en la primera mitad de los noventa una plaga de filoxera obligó a eliminar gran parte de las cepas, cambiando el paisaje temporalmente al ser plantado de pasto.
Esa situación temporal fue toda una bendición para O´Rear, que tomó la fotografía con su cámara un día en que circulaba por una carretera cercana.
Actualmente, pasada la crisis en los viñedos del Valle de Napa, las uvas han vuelto a las tierras y el idílico paisaje que fuera fotografiado en el 95 cuenta con un aspecto muy diferente, en realidad resulta poco atractivo como fondo de pantalla.

Picking up Evan at school today and seeing their art project reminded me that I wanted to take a moment to post about how thankful I am for all that we have.  First, a bit about his project:  They gave the kids all sorts of magazine clippings that they could pick out and stick on their “I’m Most Thankful For…” sheet.  Evan’s is about how you’d imagine a 3 yr. old’s to be – but I still found it funny.  It includes some obvious ones, like a house, car, shoes, candy…but also includes a shower, raisins, flowers, and a baby boy.  If we hadn’t just had a discussion about how he wants a baby brother, I may have just glossed over this and thought, How cute, he’s thankful for Hazel!  So I inquired a bit, and yes – he’s thankful for Hazel.  But, he also still wants a baby brother.  After we explained to him the other day that babies take a long time to grow (Remember how long it took mommy to grow Hazel?), and that mommy needs a break from growing babies, he informed us that HE would be willing to grow his baby brother.  Now, that’s a whole other discussion.

So, I am incredibly thankful for 2 healthy, beautiful children.  For Evan’s wit, imagination & and sense of humor, for Hazel’s sweet personality, smiles & joyous nature.  I am thankful for a husband who loves me, even when I act like a crazy-can’t-handle-it-all mom, and works hard so that I am able to stay home for our family and find out if I really can handle it.  I’m thankful for our family – we’ve really lucked out having 2 families that are short on the craziness and big on the fun & love!   I’m thankful for our house and where we live, it’s just an idyllic neighborhood and state.  I’m thankful for our friends – old,  new, close & distant – they keep us sane & laughing!  My list could go on, but I wanted to at least throw out the beginning of it to encourage everyone to spend a minute to reflect this week.  We all have SO MUCH to be thankful for – have a wonderful holiday!

And may you all have kitchen helpers that are this cute:

We are here to assist in every way possible
here to assist you in your unfolding and in understanding exactly what it is source desires to experience through you in you and as you
we are here to assist you in looking deeply within your heart to ascertain what it is you are here to experience
yes
what it is you truly want to do be and have
this is the freedom of choice that you are here to experience as the unique creation you are
indeed we have tried to give you as much as possible
but you must realize to embody all that you have been given you must experience certain things
you must undergo certain circumstances and you must be put through situations that assist in your growth
for these experiences assist in your growth when you practice what you have received
yes
that is most important to recognize in becoming aligned from moment to moment
practice will assist in your alignment and it is up to you to maintain that alignment
through your attention
through your intentions
and through your focus
receive all that source has for you in this moment
and let the reservations go
let them go and be free to allow source to move freely through you now
let the energy of source move through your body let it cleans your mind
focus your attention on your heart center and feel love
feel passion feel good flowing and pulsing through your heart growing and widening its reach until you feel it overtaking your entire being and cleansing all resistance all blocks and all limitations
free yourself from the conditioned thinking that has brought about the conditions you do not want
and allow the power and freedom of source to fill you with clarity confidence and love
know that you are a child of the most high
you are a child of love of life
of liberty
you are a child of God and as such
you are in nature God
in nature love and in nature liberty
give your full attention to this moment and let go of distractions let go of the pestering thoughts filled with fear and tension
and relax into the vibration of love
now you are aligned with the vibration that brings peace joy love bliss and every good thing into your life
know that with this vibration with this frequency you can receive guidance for every step you need take to bring about the best and highest for all concerned
know that there is power there is peace there is joy there is freedom
just for you
yes
a path uniquely present for you to walk
and still being a part of the whole a part of the balance
important for you to be exactly all that you are here to be in order to assist the rest of life in its best and highest unfolding
yes
your good depends on your alignment
yes
your good depends on your alignment
for your perspective of what is is tied to the degree to which you are aligned with source
your consciousness raises to that frequency allowing you to perceive from the perspective of source to some degree
when you align
you increase the degree to which you see from the perspective of source through practice
continue consistent practice and surrendering yourself to connecting with source as often as you are able
this is the secret to fulfilment
all else follows
this is seeking the kingdom, the presence the alignment of God
and all these things will be given as well
all these things being the desires of your heart
the truth of why you are here
understand and do

- Morning stream of consciousness writing from John Stringer

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“It’s Only the Beginning”

November 24th, 2009

“Is this the real life / is this just fantasy … open your eyes / look up to the skies and see”

In addressing the fall finale of ABC’s science fiction series V, I quote Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody for two reasons. The first is an excuse to link to the gleeful and wondrous Muppets version of the song released to YouTube today (if you need a better justification, let’s go with corporate synergy). The second is that the opening lines of this classic song feel like they capture the basic condition of most of V’s characters when these spaceships descended upon them. The very nature of science fiction that is roughly set in our own world is the question of whether the supernatural elements are “for real” in the sense that they should be trusted, which is perhaps what V has been missing since it debuted a mere three weeks ago. For a show about a race of aliens descending on humanity, the show has jettisoned the period of reflection in favour of drawing a line in the sand between skeptics who form a resistance against them and believers who freely choose to walk among them.

The logic behind the relative speed at which this has been accomplished is found within “It’s Only the Beginning,” which lives up to its cheeky title by confirming that, yes, this four-episode premiere event of sorts hasn’t actually managed to accomplish much of anything. In the show’s haste to define the characters quickly in order to bring in enough plot to tide people over until March (when the show is most likely to return), they forgot to show these characters struggling to come to terms with the Vs and the promises they offer to the world, and as such this finale has nothing to fall back on. The plot twists we see are intriguing (as the premise has not been the show’s biggest problem) if we care about the characters, but by separating the interesting individuals from the interesting stories (outside of Morena Baccarin’s Anna) the show has never tapped into the binary between these two cultures and the potential that lies within this premise.

Accordingly, it’s a good thing for the show’s creative future that it is only the beginning, although whether the series’ ratings future will be able to survive a rocky start is yet to be determined.

The purpose of the “X Hours Earlier” Chyron is to create suspense, wondering both how the episode gets to the moment in question and wondering how the moment is resolved. It’s meant to make an episode feel more exciting by providing an immediate sense of suspense, or showing a character acting in a way that makes you really curious just what we’re about to see. So, when V is trying to take what would normally be just a simple episode and turn it into a fall finale that will need to sustain the show for months, it makes sense for them to use a device like this (likely instituted in post-production) in order to manufacture some additional interest.

However, this particular example is over in only eighteen minutes, and it ends up more a sort of narrative shortcut than anything else. The episode partly resolved around a lack of trust between the members of the resistance, in particular Erica and Ryan, so the brief glimpse of Ryan apparently shooting down Erica previews this theme. However, this early in the show’s run, we don’t care enough about these characters to find this overly concerning, and we certainly weren’t overly concerned about whether Georgie was going to die. This device is potentially effective, sure, but it requires that we care enough about the characters and that we see enough plot to make it worthwhile. And this example failed on both of these fronts, as there wasn’t enough surprising about Ryan and Erica’s situation (they barely know each other) to make it really stand out, and the rush to get to that moment made it even more worthless.

That’s how I felt about a lot of what V offered in these first four episodes, sequences that would be far more compelling if we cared about the people taking part. I think the idea of an impressionable teenager being sucked in by the aura of the Vs would be compelling had they cast an actor with range and given them realistic scenes to play with the characters around them, as opposed to simply falling in lust with a P.Y.V. I think the idea that there are traitors within the V, forced to turn against each other to maintain their secrecy, would have been far more effective if we hadn’t just met those characters last week and this week respectively. And the idea of a LIZARD BABY would be intriguing if it wasn’t the only interesting thing to come from a character who I refer to as “Ryan’s wife” because even remembering his name is a relative challenge.

In an interview I read earlier this week, new producer Scott Rosenbaum indicated that he intends to maintain the general trajectory of the series when it returns in the new year, but that how it is executed will be significantly darker. And I think this is the right trajectory, as the problem with the show is more in how these stories are being executed than in the basic premise. The idea of the Vs using our paranoia over vaccines to their advantage is an intriguing idea, but it was so poorly executed that it had almost no impact. The storyline made no sense: as I understood it initially, the idea was that the Vs were infiltrating the flu vaccine supply in an effort to stir paranoia that would drive people to get their own vitamin shot instead (which laid some sort of groundwork for future research or something). However, instead, the show argued that the vitamin shot was a placebo, a smokescreen to keep health officials distracted while the R6-tainted vaccine went out into the public and created chaos. The former is a bit overly complex, but it at least feels like a necessary means towards an end. The latter is a small scale attack when we know a large scale attack (see: the collection of Flying Vs in the conclusion) is possible, which makes it convoluted to the point of frustration.

There are scenes here that are quite effective, but almost all of them surround Morena Baccarin’s Anna and the V’s technology that the show isn’t interested in really investigating that carefully. While we’re watching Scott Wolf get checked out, it’s obvious that he’s going to have some sort of medical condition, but when they eventually announced that they have added the fourth dimension to the medical process (time) it made me imagine more enjoyable applications of that technology within this world. It’s not a good sign for a show when I’m wishing that we could have a Minority Report-style medical procedural, but I kind of wish we had more time there and less with the FBI-style investigations. The elements of the show that have the most potential interest are to this point out of the reach of every human character but Tyler, and considering he is the least interesting character that does the show very little good.

Any show that deals with a duality as clear as human/V is going to need to investigate the differences between them, and the problem right now is that the middle ground (the point of conflict or convergence) is a long-term goal for Erica and a convoluted grand scheme being kept a secret for Anna. And while it might eventually be really engaging, the show is currently not situated to actually show us that conflict, spending too little time amongst the V society (where Baccarin is the show’s strongest link) and not working enough to connect the humans together in a compelling fashion. Learning that Tyler is Ryan’s wife’s patient is the sort of thing that the show tried to play as a reveal, but was just a contrived way to pretending as if the show really had its ducks in a row, a point which I would most likely contend.

This is not a terrible show, nor is it one without redeeming qualities. “It’s Only the Beginning” features some legitimately compelling scenes, like the great sound design in the skinning sequence, but it never feels like it stops on them long enough to really make a difference. In all fairness to the show, the four episode opening meant that it would likely have never had enough time to really get me involved with the show and its characters, but those four hours were not particularly well-executed even within that context. If this was a four-hour long presentation pilot, designed to convince a network that there is potential here with some production changes, then I’d call it a success. As it is, though, it’s a show that never quite understood its appeal, and has no clear sense of identity to fall back on.

As such, when we leave on a cliffhanger of a series regular bleeding out, the suspense isn’t in whether he’ll live or die but rather whether the show will sink or swim.

Cultural Observations

• There was a lot of talk about how the show is becoming more overtly political, with health care being used as a weapon much as critics of Obama’s health care stance argue it will be should the bill before Congress goes through, but I thought that the V strategy is so convoluted that even their dabblings into human society seem hokey and supernatural to me.
• The sequence of Anna offering “Bliss” to the Vs around the world (and some humans as well, it seems) was sort of just “there,” which makes me think that it, like LIZARD BABY (must always be written in all caps), was a callback to the original series.
• Personally, at this point, I would have made Tyler’s role in the larger V plan apparent so that a) we can figure out what it is that they see in him that we as an audience don’t and b) so that the character can have something interesting associated with him, as opposed to just some vague strategy.
• The idea that the V ships fly in Flying Vs immediately made me think of another more interesting story about V/Human integration: The Mighty Vs. Make it happen, people.

I read a great post this morning that totally fit in with what I was feeling. I tend to dread the holiday season. Not that I don’t enjoy spending time with the family, watching old Christmas specials like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (my FAVORITE) and a Charlie Brown Christmas (2nd FAVORITE), eating my dad’s awesome Yule log (a lovely chocolate cake thing with maple flavored whipped creme…..aaahhhhhh……sorry having a Homer Simpson moment there) and sitting in front of a roaring fire. No, all those things are the essence of the holiday season for me.

What I hate is the shopping, the expectations, the greed, the consumerism, the obsession with STUFF we don’t need. Here is an excerpt from the blog that sums it up better than I ever could.

Go ahead...be a Scrooge for the planet!

There’s only one way to avoid the collapse of this human experiment of ours on Planet Earth: we have to consume less.

It will take a massive mind-shift. You can start the ball rolling by buying nothing on November 27th. Then celebrate Christmas differently this year, and make a New Year’s resolution to change your lifestyle in 2010.” – Twilight Earth

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t give gifts to those we love, but what happened to homemade gifts, baked goods,  offers of services and other intangibles? Therefore I am not participating in the madness that is Black Friday. I will not step into any stores and will ignore the plethora of ads blasted at me from every direction. For once I am so glad I live in the boonies, have no TV and few radio stations that come in clear. Less media means less commercials to tempt me, or my children.

If you are a green organization trying to figure out how to convince people we need less, then definitely read the post I linked too and then try to help promote green gifts. Memberships and donations to green organizations such as your state government’s nongame wildlife program (which in Georgia relies entirely on donations and the sales of license plates), Green America, The Sierra Club or the Arbor Day Foundation who will plant a tree in honor of every donation, are all examples of gifts that not only reduce your carbon footprint, but will help to preserve the planet’s beauty for generations to come.

Another idea for green gifts – potted plants, framed comics from your local newspaper (print or online) that have special meaning, hand-made toys, blankets or scarves, and the list goes on. Last year a friend received a set of coasters made out of pop tops (mostly beer I admit) but they were so cool, and were an excellent form of recycling since many places that take bottles do not recycle the lids.

Want to help get us out of the greedy consumerist mess we are in, try not using your credit cards this holiday season. Be a scrooge, and save the planet.

Hi It’s me. I will call myself ‘me’ for the purpose of our meetings. I want to keep my name a secret. I have my reasons. Guess everybody has some secrets, so excuse me this one minor flaw. I’ts not one of those popular secret’s, which can be stated in simple questions, like for example :  how many drops of water can be found in coca-cola, when Bond got his 007 licence,  how many politicians are required to plug in a VCR and how many firemen they need to guard their safety, how Mother Theresa was able to go on without any sex for ages and why she is so respected by Lady Gaga, who probably is happy to be tickled at least once a day, why the Sun comes up each and every day or where’s Nemo.. No, you won’t find my secret on this list. Why? – you ask. The answer is simple. My secret is connected to identity. Now identity can’t be verified that easy. One question and one answer is never enough..  Yet,  as knowledge is power – identity is the golden key to everything in this world. Revealed, It can open the sturdy garage door of ignorance, revealing shelves of possibilities, and a nice shiny motor based vehicle of 1000 hp (or so) ready to take you places on the big, green map. Identity or Mind are indeed a vast subject.  Not something that you can tell on a single night. The depths of mind are immeasurable, It is a real journey. Let’s call it a trip to the core, step by step, post by post. That’s what this blog will be here for. To study, reveal, tempt, explore the fascinating and artistic world of psyche. The good parts. The bad parts. humane and inhumane. Dark and blissful. The games of mind, here, on the internet. Where people are separated with often hundreds of miles, yet can connect in seconds by a simple click of a button. The trip won’t be usual, but it will be fun. So start your engines…

For the two in attendance, and the millions of you reading across the internet……Lets get ready for RIVALRIES!!!!!!!

The First game i bring to you is the Border War. Anyone who deals with a rivalry knows that its just a straight out fight, and what better to fight over then an Indian War Drum & the Lamar Hunt Trophy. Missouri and Kansas have been fighting this war since 1891. Dan George summed up the rivalry by stating “It’s more than the schools — it’s a state thing going back to the Civil War, when William Quantrill’s Confederate guerillas burned Lawrence and murdered nearly 200 people. Neither Missouri nor Kansas folks have forgotten it.” The series between to the two stands officially tied (going by NCAA, cant stand it when conferences make their own rules and try to change rules mid season to get things swinging their way) 54-54-9 even though there is some controversy over a player being disqualified due to a school booster using funds to persuade him to come to that school (Kansas was the school he played for). This just added more fuel to the fire of this rivalry, which, even though by request of the athletic directors of the schools not to be called this, is the Border War.

 Next on the list we have the  Iron Bowl. For those of you not around the south, the Iron Bowl is THE rivalry of rivalries. When people think of Alabama playing against Auburn, they equate it to things such as the North fighting against the South… The Axis versus the Allies… some even go as far as to compare it as the battle of good and evil. It gets intense around here and some people tend to get hurt while waiting for the weekend or in this horrid case because of CBS wanting to grab some ratings, Friday to come around for the game to be played to give the fans the bragging rights they have truly earned. The series originated in 1893 with the two schools playing against each other in Birmingham, Alabama (that’s where the iron came from) The Crimson Tide currently lead the rivalry 39-33-1. This year’s game will be played at Auburns site where Alabama has lost its last six visits.

Now I bring you “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate”. Words that could only be used to describe the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech game. The rivalry between these two schools also began in 1893.  The heated rivalry goes all the way back to truthfully 1891 when UGA began to mock Tech for its choice of school colors. The fire only burned stronger as time passed by with UGA once again offending the Yellow Jackets in 1919 by having a parade celebrating UGA’s return to football while making fun of Georgia Tech students for continuing to play football during war time. With only 70 miles between the schools (UGA in Athens, and GA Tech in Atlanta) the schools are in constant competition against each other not only for recruits, but for state funding and for recognition from their home state as well. The winning school of the years football game receives the Governor’s Cup Finally, I just really like the name given to this rivalry.

Next up on the Rivalry list we have the Texas Longhorns, and the Texas A & M Aggies. These being the two oldest public schools in the state of Texas, their rivalry is a natural one. Texas and A & M have been competing against each other since 1894, but their rivalry has been adjusted to spread bragging rights based on all sports rather then just football. in 2004 a points system was introduced. Points are awarded for all sports in which both schools maintain an intercollegiate team. Each sport is worth one point, which is awarded to the winner of the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. If the head-to-head matchup ends in a tie, each team receives ½ point. In baseball, the team that wins the regular season three-game series is awarded one point. In sports where the teams meet twice during the season — currently softball, volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball — each contest is worth ½ point. If the universities do not compete in head-to-head regular season competition, the university that places higher at the Big 12 Conference Championship will earn the point. Should the universities tie in Big 12 Conference Championship competition the point will be split between the two schools. In the sport of track and field, multi-school meets do not count as head-to-head competition. There are a total of 19 possible points, with 10 points needed to win. In the event of a 9½ to 9½ tie, the winner of the previous year will retain the title for the following year. Texas currently leads the points run 3-2 with a possible tie of the series pending on the rivalry game this weekend. (if A & M manages to tie the points, according to the rules of point, they will retain the title since they were the previous years winner.)

And for the next big game, we have Virginia Tech at Virginia playing for the Commonwealth Cup. This match up rolls back to 1895 when the schools started playing each other. From what I’ve gathered, aside from just a game between people from really close places to each other, there’s not much to this. With the Va Tech Shooting, the rivalry became even less intense. Many fans on both sides of the rivalry have reported a lessening of hostilities between the two universities while maintaining the same intensity of the rivalry in the wake of the Virginia Tech Massacre. According to The Washington Post “students in both camps are more apt to think of themselves as simply Virginians.” UVa students were amongst the first university students to lend support to the comrades at Virginia Tech in the wake of the shootings. Likewise, the connections between the two university’s populations are often very close. Prior to the 2007 football contest in Charlottesville both college’s bands participated in a joint performance. However, the intensity of the rivalry was still as spirited as ever, with both sides cheering passionately for their own team as a berth to the ACC Championship game was on the line. “…there was the sense among Tech students that fans of U-Va. – an institution founded by none other than Thomas Jefferson – looked down their noses at the mountain-ensconced Hokies of Blacksburg. Hokies were “hicks”; Cavaliers were “snobs.” But after the shootings in April, something changed. U-Va. students and faculty members wrote condolence letters, held a candlelight vigil and even painted the campus’s fabled Beta Bridge with a pro-Hokies phrase.” — Jonathan Mummolo, The Washington Post U-Va.’s student newspaper reported that students in Charlottesville were even sporting Hokie sweatshirts on occasion in observance of the tragedy. The University’s Z Society went so far as unveiling a 65′ x 120′ Virginia Pride flag featuring both UVA and VT logos on it during the annual football game, and it was noted that the two fan bases had never been so close as they were after the shootings. “Since the tragedy, it hasn’t been so odd to see a Wahoo wearing a Virginia Tech sweatshirt. Since April, transfer students haven’t felt so awkward saying they used to attend school in Blacksburg. Truly, Hokies and Wahoos have never been so together.” — Eric Kolenich, The Cavalier Daily.

Next up on the list is Pittsburgh playing at West Virginia in The Backyard Brawl. This rivalry rolls back to 1895 when the first game was played. The rivalry basically exists because, you guessed it, the schools are basically in each other’s back yard. Pittsburgh currently leads the series 61-37-3. The 1921 edition of The Backyard Brawl was the first football game to be broadcast over the radio airwaves. Other then the 2007 Pitt team knocking the then number two ranked West Virginia out of the BCS National Championship game, there hasnt really been much to fuel this rivalry then, they’re competing for the same stuff as GA-GA tech.

Another heated rivalry taking place this weekend is the Holy War. The fierce rivalry between the Utah Utes and the Brigham Young Cougars. The big thing that fuels this fire is…..dum dum dum… religion.  Utah is the Mormon capital of the world, so to no surprise, BYU is a Mormon owned school. Utah, being a state owned school, is non-secular. BYU fans accuse Utah fans of being drunks, although many of Utah’s fans are also Mormons, and alcohol is against the Mormon code. Many non Mormon Utes fans love to mess with BYU fans by drinking lots of coffee, swearing and generally going against the Mormon code. The series started in 1895 ( or 1922 according to BYU) Utah leads the series 53-33-4 (or 50-30-4 depending on when it started).  The two schools are approximately 50 miles apart, so its not uncommon for them to constantly compete over recruits, fans and funding. The rivalry began to change in 1993, during Ron McBride’s fourth season as head coach, the Utes won their first game in Provo in twenty-two seasons and their first since LaVell Edwards became BYU head coach. Utah’s kicker, Chris Yergensen, had already missed two out of three field goals on the day. This time, however, Yergensen did not miss and kicked the game-winning 55-yard field goal (the longest of his career) as time expired.After the win, Utah fans and players attempted to tear down the north end zone goalpost at what was then Cougar Stadium. Cougar players returned to the field to protect the goalpost from being torn down. About the incident, Lenny Gomes, a BYU nose guard, said, “Typical Utah bullshit. All those guys think that’s all there is to life. But when I’m making $50–60,000 a year, they’ll be pumping my gas. They’re low-class losers.” The remark is still remembered in rivalry history today.The 1994 season was McBride’s best, as he led the Utes to a 10–2 record and a top-10 finish in national rankings. The Utes and Cougars also staged one of the best matchups in the rivalry’s history, meeting for the first time as top-25 ranked teams. The Utes won the game 34–31, which was coincidentally the same score of their meeting a year before. Utah ran its rivalry winning streak up to three games a year later, with a 34–17 win at BYU. The Utes and Cougars would trade wins and losses the next couple of years, before the 2000 season. During the 1999 edition of the Holy War, Utah recorded its fourth consecutive win in Provo. Early in the fourth quarter, Utah scored a touchdown when quarterback T.D. Crowshaw completed a four-yard-pass to Donny Utu to put Utah up 20–10. In celebration, Utah cheerleader Billy Priddis ran along the visitor’s sideline with a large “U” flag. An unidentified BYU fan ran onto the sideline and tackled Priddis from behind. Priddis turned around and started punching the fan. He landed seven or eight punches before security separated them. About the incident, Priddis said, “”There’s 65,000 fans here, does he think I’m not going to retaliate?” Utah had another undefeated season in 2008 and defeated BYU 48–24. By doing so, they captured another invitation to a BCS game, where they were matched up with the highly favored Alabama. Utah beat Alabama 31–17 for their second BCS victory in five years. BYU’s team slogan in 2008 was “Quest for Perfection,” and T-shirts bearing that slogan were made widely available. However, BYU’s quest for a perfect season ended at TCU, and Utah, who did finish with a perfect record, created red shirts bearing the Utah logo and the slogan “The Quest Perfected.”

This next rivalry is near and dear to my heart as I have an ex-girlfriend who is a big Clemson fan. Naturally I pull for South Carolina (Shout out to my boy Darian Stewart #24) every year since then in the Battle of the Palmetto State. Stick with me people because the next might get long and boring, but it is needed to completely understand where it all came from. Unlike most major college rivalries, the Carolina-Clemson rivalry did not start innocently. In fact, the seeds of bitterness were planted even before Clemson became a college. The two institutions were founded 88 years apart: South Carolina College in 1801 and Clemson Agricultural College in 1889.South Carolina College was founded in 1801 to unite and promote harmony between the Lowcountry and the Upcountry. It closed during the Civil War when its students aided the Southern cause, but the closure gave the politicians an opportunity to reorganize it to their liking. The Radical Republicans in charge of state government during Reconstruction opened the school to blacks and appropriated generous funds to the University, much of which was embezzled. These actions caused the white citizens of the state to withdraw their support for the University and view it as a symbol of the worst aspects of Reconstruction. The Democrats returned to power in 1877 following their decisive electoral victory over the Radical Republicans and promptly proceeded to close the University. Sentiment in the state favored opening an agriculture college so the University was reorganized as the South Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In 1882, the college was renamed to its antebellum name, South Carolina College, which infuriated the farmers because they felt that the politicians had frustrated the will of the people by deemphasizing agriculture education, even though the school still retained the department of agriculture. Benjamin Tillman emerged in the 1880s as a leader of the agrarian movement in South Carolina and demanded that the South Carolina College take agricultural education more seriously by expanding the agriculture department. In 1885, Tillman was convinced of the superiority of a separate agricultural college by Stephen D. Lee, then the President of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi, and subsequently Tillman would accept nothing less than a separate agriculture college in South Carolina. He offered the following reasons why he felt that it was necessary to have a separate agriculture college outside the confines of Columbia:

Mississippi A&M featured practical training without unnecessary studying of the liberal arts.

Mississippi A&M provided poor students work-scholarships so that they could attend the college.

There were too few students who studied agriculture at the College to justify an agriculture college there.

The College was a place “for the sons of lawyers and of the well-to-do” who sneered at the agriculture students as if they were hayseeds.

The students at the College lived a life of luxury as compared with the sweat and toil endured by students at Mississippi A&M.

There was not enough farm land near the College to allow for proper agriculture study.

The Conservatives, who held the reins of power in South Carolina from 1877 to 1890, replied to each point made by Tillman:

The most advanced agriculture educational research was being conducted at the University of California and at Cornell University, both of which combined agriculture colleges with liberal arts colleges. Additionally, a separate agriculture college would be more expensive and result in an inferior product.

The work scholarships attracted the lowest quality of students who only cared about obtaining a college degree, not about an education in agriculture or mechanical studies. Furthermore, there was little advantage of attending a college only to pitch manure and grub stumps.

The constant attacks by Tillman on the College caused many to doubt whether state support for the institution would continue. As a result, the enrollment numbers were not impressive, although the numbers of students taking agriculture and mechanical classes increased from 34 in 1887 to 83 in 1889. Over half of the students at the College were the sons of farmers, though most did not study agriculture as Tillman wished. John McLaren McBryde, President of the College, correctly predicted that most students of an agriculture college would not go back to work the farm after graduation. While some students at the College were the sons of the well-to-do, the majority were poor.Tillman was bolstered in 1886 when Thomas Green Clemson agreed to will his Fort Hill estate for the establishment of an agriculture college. Yet, Tillman did not want to wait until Clemson died to start a separate agriculture college so he pushed the General Assembly to use the Morrill funds and Hatch funds for that purpose. Instead, the legislature gave those funds to the South Carolina College in 1887 which would use them along with a greater state appropriation to reorganize itself as the second University of South Carolina and to also greatly expand the agriculture department. After this victory for South Carolina, in January 1888 Tillman wrote a letter to the News and Courier that he was retiring from public life.It was less than ninety days when Tillman reemerged on the scene upon the death of Thomas Green Clemson in April 1888. Tillman advocated that the state accept the gift by Clemson, but the Conservatives in power opposed the move and an all out war for power in the state commenced. The opening salvo was fired by Gideon Lee, the father of Clemson’s granddaughter and John C. Calhoun’s great granddaughter Floride Isabella Lee, who wrote a letter on her behalf to the News and Courier in May that she was being denied as Calhoun’s rightful heir. Furthermore, he stated that Clemson was egotistical and “only wanted to erect a monument to his own name.”In November, Lee filed a lawsuit in Federal Court to contest the will which ultimately ruled against him in May of 1889.The election of 1888 afforded Tillman an opportunity to convince the politicians to accept the Clemson bequest or face the possibility of being voted out of office. He demanded that the Democratic party nominate its candidates by the primary system, which was denied, but they did accept his request that the candidates for statewide office canvass the state. Tillman proved excellent on the stump, by far superior than his Conservative opponents, and as the Democratic convention neared there was a clear groundswell of support for the acceptance of Clemson’s estate. He was so effective because of his “ability to awaken popular passion and prejudice” when the populace by and large mistook “prejudice for truth, passion for reason, and invective for documentation.” Tillman pitted “the poor against the rich, tenant against landowner, hireling against employer, country against town, all of South Carolina against Charleston and Columbia, upcountry against lowcountry, white against black, do-somethings against do-nothings, and outs against those in power” so that “he could rile them up and then appear as their champion.” In addition, the Conservative leadership was aging and its appeal to the past glories of South Carolina during the antebellum period meant little to the emerging younger generation.Tillman explained his justification for an independently controlled agriculture college by pointing to the mismanagement and political interference of the University of South Carolina as had occurred during Reconstruction. The agriculture college, as specified in Clemson’s will, was to be privately controlled and thus would be able to prevent any “possible invasion by the negroes”. With declining cotton prices, Tillman preyed upon the farmer’s desperation by stating that the salaries of the college professors were exorbitant and it must be a sign of corruption. Consequently, the legislature was compelled to pass the bill to accept Clemson’s bequest in December of 1888, albeit with the tie-breaking vote in the state Senate from Lieutenant Governor William L. Mauldin. Thus was reborn the antagonistic feelings of regional bitterness and class division that would plague the state for decades. Having achieved his agriculture college, Tillman was not content to sit idly by because what he really desired was power and political office. After winning the 1890 election and becoming Governor, Tillman renewed the attacks on the Conservatives and those who had thwarted his agriculture college. He saved the coup de grâce for Senator Wade Hampton III, a South Carolina College graduate and Confederate General during the Civil War, who “invoked Confederate service and honor as a barrier to Tillmanism.” Tillman directed the legislature to defeat Hampton’s renomination for another term in December of 1890, thereby finishing what Sherman had left undone in 1865.While campaigning for Governor in 1890, Tillman leveled his harshest criticism towards the University of South Carolina and threatened to close it along with The Citadel, which he called a “dude factory.” Despite the rhetoric, Tillman only succeeded in reorganizing the University of South Carolina into a liberal arts college while in office. It would eventually be rechartered for the last time in 1906 as the University of South Carolina. However, Clemson Agricultural College held sway over the state legislature for decades and was generally the more popular college during the first half of the 20th century in South Carolina. The rivalry started in 1896. after 106 meetings, Clemson leads, 65-37-4.

Next up, the Colorado State – Wyoming Border War. Nothing is really special about this rival aside from rivalry based on location. Colorado State leads the series 55-40-4. In 1968, the ROTC detachments of the respective schools initiated the Bronze Boot, a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the “Border War” each year. The boot was worn in the Vietnam War by Cpt. Jeff Romero, Sr., a Colorado State graduate and Army ROTC instructor at CSU between 1967 and 1969. Each year leading up to the Wyoming-Colorado State game, the game ball is carried in a running shuttle relay by the ROTC detachment of the visiting team down US 287 to the Wyoming-Colorado state border, where the home team’s ROTC detachment receives it and runs the game ball to the stadium hosting the game. The trophy is guarded by the ROTC unit of the past year’s winning school during the game. Colorado State University leads the trophy series at 21-20.

Off now to the Duel in the Desert and the Territorial Cup. The “Territorial Cup” also known as the “Duel in the Desert” is the rivalry between ASU and UA and is among the nation’s oldest and most heated rivalries, including the oldest trophy in college football. The winner of the game is then given possession of the Territorial Cup until the game is played the next year. In the modern era of the game, it is played on the day after Thanksgiving (and in recent years on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to accommodate network television coverage). The rivalry dates back to before Arizona was admitted as a state, and was a U.S. Territory. In the early history of Arizona, a resentment between the cities of Phoenix and Tucson emerged. The University of Arizona was founded in 1885 as the state’s first university. The same year, Tempe Normal School was founded as a small teacher’s college in the farming community of Tempe, just east of Phoenix. Over the years, Tempe Normal School evolved into Arizona State Teacher’s College, then Arizona State College at Tempe, and eventually Arizona State University. Although both athletic programs have been consistently in the top 20 in the Director’s Cup standings for the past decade, the two schools have featured a difference in athletic strengths. The rivalry started in 1899. University of Arizona currently leads the cup series 45-36-1.

The Bedlam Series is, like most other intrastate rivalries, a rivalry that goes beyond one or two sports. Both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have rivalries with other schools, though most of those rivalries are limited to one or two sports at the most. When the Bedlam Series gained Ford and the Bank of Oklahoma as corporate sponsors, the series became much more formalized. A points system was adopted in order to award a winner of the all athletic competitions combined between the two schools. A crystal bell trophy is awarded to individual Bedlam game winners (such as football), in addition to a trophy for the overall series champion for that year. The “Bedlam Bell” is modeled after the bell clapper in Old Central, the oldest building on Oklahoma State’s campus. For a time, the actual bell clapper was a traveling trophy for the two schools, until the popularity of this tradition waned. Oklahoma currently leads the series 79-15-8 which started in 1904.

Moving on, we have the Washington-Washington State rivalry. This one seems so boring that I’m just going to use the Apple Cup Wikipedia entry to fill this slot in. The Apple Cup is the annual college football rivalry game between the two largest universities in the U.S. state of Washington; the University of Washington (UW) Huskies and the Washington State University (WSU) Cougars. It is traditionally the final game of the regular season and takes place on the Saturday preceding Thanksgiving at Husky Stadium in Seattle during odd years, and WSU’s Martin Stadium in Pullman during even years. From 1950-80 (except for 1954), WSU hosted the game at Spokane’s Joe Albi Stadium. The WSU Cougars won three of these fifteen games in Spokane (1958, 1968, 1972), and have won six of the fourteen played at Martin Stadium (1982, 1988, 1992, 1994, 2004, 2008).Before 1962, the teams played for the “Governor’s Trophy.” The game was renamed the “Apple Cup” in 1962 because of Washington’s famous apple crop. The Apple Cup trophy has been awarded to the winning team ever since. With the recent lengthening of the regular season schedule to 12 games, there was a movement change the date of the Apple Cup from the weekend before Thanksgiving to the weekend following. This would have allowed a bye week sometime during the season. In the 2006 season, both teams played 12 straight weeks without a break, leaving the two teams noticeably fatigued. For the first time, the 2007 edition of the Apple Cup was played two days after Thanksgiving. The Apple Cup has been sponsored by Boeing since 2007.The first rivalry game was held in 1900 and resulted in a tie between UW and WSU. From 1900 to 2008, there have been 101 games between the schools. The Huskies hold a 64-31-6 advantage. UW’s longest winning streak has been eight games, achieved twice: (1959-66 and 1974-81). WSU has never won more than two consecutive Apple Cups, but the Cougars have won back-to-back games on eight separate occasions: (1929-30, 1953-54, 1957-58, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1982-83, 2004-05 and 2007-08). Although Washington currently leads the overall series, the Cougars have taken four of the past five meetings including a double-overtime win in the 2008 meeting. Washington leads the series 64-31-6.

With the Mississippi State vs. Mississippi Egg Bowl I was expecting more of a feud to have started the rivalry then anything else. So, with the same boring info I bring you more Wiki info. Early in the series, Mississippi State dominated, and had only lost five times in the first twenty-three contests. When Ole Miss beat MSU, then known as Mississippi A&M College, 7-6, the Ole Miss fans rushed the field, some trying to tear the goalposts down. A&M fans did not take well to the Ole Miss fans celebrations, and fights broke out. Some A&M fans defended the goal posts with wooden chairs, and several injuries were reported. To prevent such events in the future, students of the two schools created the “Golden Egg”, a large trophy which has been awarded to the winning team each year since 1927. The trophy is a large football-shaped brass piece mounted to a wooden base and traditionally symbolizes supremacy in college football in the state of Mississippi for the year. The footballs used in American football in the 1920s were considerably more ovoid and blunter than those in use today and similar to the balls still used in rugby; the trophy thus, to modern eyes, more resembles an egg than a football. The awarding of the “Golden Egg” was instituted in 1927 by joint agreement between the two schools’ student bodies. Ole Miss leads the rivalry that started in 1901 60–39–6.

Next up we got the Toledo – Bowling Green Battle of I-75. This one is a little more interesting then the last ones (enough that I’m not just going to give you stuff from the Wiki then be done with it.) These two schools are only about 20 miles apart from each other, making the pressure to get recruits and fans from the local area much harder then some others. The winner of the battle is awarded the Peace Pipe Trophy (yep that’s right, a Native American peace pipe). The rivalry between UT and BGSU goes back to 1919. The games were (and to an extent still are) marked by a passionate fan following and a hatred for the respective opponent. In 1935, fans rioted following a 63-0 blowout win by UT and as a result, BGSU removed the Rockets from their athletic schedule until 1947. That year, the smoking of a six-foot peace pipe was instated as a gesture of goodwill between the two teams at half-time of their annual basketball match. The peace pipe would be kept by the winning university until the teams played again the following season. The tradition came to an abrupt and unpleasant end in 1969 when the pipe was stolen from the UT offices. It was never recovered and the thief never caught. In 1980, the Peace Pipe trophy was reinstated when a scale-down replica was fashioned and placed on top of a trophy created by former UT football player Frank Kralik. Kralik donated the trophy to the university to be given to the winner of each year’s football game, which like many other college football rivalries is usually the last game of the regular season for both teams. Nowadays, ESPN annually broadcasts the Peace Pipe game, allowing it to reach a wide audience outside of northwest Ohio. Though the two schools play in different divisions in the Mid-American Conference, they have yet to meet in the MAC Championship Game. Toledo leads the series since the reinstatement of the trophy, 15-14.

With the next teams and their rivalry, I hold little interest in. The fact that they are 12 miles apart and both in the same city, I find entertaining, aside from that, more Wiki read. The UCLA–USC rivalry is the college rivalry between two universities located in Los Angeles, California: the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California.The athletic competition rivalry between the two schools is among the more notable in NCAA Division I sports because both schools are located within the same city. The campuses are only 12 miles apart. The sheer proximity of both alumni and students, and the likelihood of encountering each other and interacting on a daily basis make this one of the most intense college rivalries in the United States. USC is one of the top teams in the country in college football, and recognizes 11 of its teams as National Champions. UCLA has only one team recognized as a National Champion.Quite often, the winner of the football game has won or shared the Pacific Ten Conference title in football. A berth in the Rose Bowl game has been on the line many times as well for both schools. Since the formation of the Pacific Coast Conference in 1916, USC has won or shared 37 conference titles and UCLA has won or shared 17 titles.Washington is third in overall conference titles with 15.Since the 1959 season, when the Pacific 10 Conference was formed as the Athletic Association of Western Universities, through the 2007 season, the schools have won or shared 33 of the 48 conference titles. USC has won 17 championships outright, shared eight and gone to the Rose Bowl or BCS bowl 21 times. UCLA has won six championships outright, shared five and gone to the Rose Bowl eight times. The schools have shared the championship between them three times. Both teams have spoiled conference and national championship runs for the other. USC was already an established national football power under Howard Jones and had begun a major rivalry with Notre Dame when UCLA joined the Pacific Coast Conference in 1929. Los Angeles Times Sportswriter Braven Dyer predicted on the day of the first football meeting on September 28, 1929, “In years to come, this game will probably be one of the football spectacles of the West” USC dominated the early games (so much so, that after the first two games, the series was suspended for five years and they did not play each other from 1931-1935) until UCLA established itself. By the late 1930s, star players such as Kenny Washington, Jackie Robinson, and Bob Waterfield enabled UCLA to be competitive. With the hiring of Hall of Fame Coach Henry “Red” Sanders, UCLA became the more dominant program in the 1950s, culminating in their 1954 National Championship. A famous quote was attributed to Sanders regarding the rivalry, “Beating ‘SC is not a matter of life or death, it’s more important than that.” But Sanders died suddenly of a heart attack, and shortly thereafter, John McKay took over a struggling USC program and returned it to national prominence. For most seasons from the mid 1960s to the end of the 1970s, the two schools were the top powers on the west coast. In the 15 Rose Bowls played from 1966 to 1980, USC or UCLA played in 12 of them. Even with the rise of Don James’ Washington Huskies in the 1980s and early 90s, UCLA or USC still went to the Rose Bowl seven times between 1981 and 1995. In the 1990s and until the hiring of Pete Carroll by USC, UCLA was the dominant team, winning 8 straight from USC from 1991-1998, before USC then won 7 in a row from 1999-2005. The 13-9 win in 2006 at the Rose Bowl allowed the Bruins to keep the record for consecutive wins in the rivalry.

Florida vs. Florida State is the next rivalry on the list. Not much going on here aside from state pushed interstate rivalry. here’s the history: The University of Florida has been fielding an officially sanctioned football team since 1906. Though Florida State University (then known as “Florida State College”) played football for several years around 1900, it became a women’s college in 1905 and remained so until 1947, when the football team was re-established. Almost immediately, pressure began building for the Gators to play the new team in-state. Some believe that it took an act of the Florida state legislature to force the contest to take place. This is not exactly true – a bill demanding a UF vs. FSU football series was proposed in 1955 but was voted down. However, the schools bowed to pressure from state leaders and agreed to schedule a yearly series starting in 1958.One of the conditions that the University of Florida put on the agreement was that the contest must always be held in their home stadium, Florida Field in Gainesville. Since 1964, however, the game site has alternated yearly between the Gators’ field and the Seminoles’ home turf of Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Since 1958 Florida currently leads the series 32-19-2.

Rice and Houston are the next match up in their competition to take home the Bayou Bucket. The Houston–Rice rivalry (also referred to as the UH–Rice rivalry, Rice–Houston rivalry, or the Rice–UH rivalry) is a cross-town college rivalry between the University of Houston and Rice University. The universities are located approximately five miles from each other in Houston’s “Inner loop” area. It is one of the few NCAA Division I cross-town rivalries, especially between institutions that field Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The rivalry has existed in a more official capacity since Houston joined the now-defunct Southwest Conference in 1971, in which Rice was a charter member. Since the breakup of that conference in 1995, the rivalry has continued. In 2005, Rice joined Conference USA, of which Houston was a member, and has again made the rivalry more relevant for conference titles as well. Football is the largest focus of the rivalry and is the sport in which the competition between the two institutions has run the longest. Both teams are part of the NCAA’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and have both been part of the Conference USA athletic conference since 2005. The competition includes an annual regular-season football game between the schools. It has existed since 1971, when Houston joined the now-defunct Southwest Conference, of which Rice was also a member. The winner of the game wins the Bayou Bucket. Houston leads this series 24–9. Although the last Southwest Conference football game was part of the series, the teams did not compete against each other in football from 1996 to 1998 as the universities realigned themselves with other conferences. Although the first official meeting between the teams in football didn’t take place until 1971, a scrimmage took place between the inaugural 1946 Houston Cougars team and the Rice Owls. The Owls, having played football since 1914 and being a part of the Southwest Conference, were a much more experienced and accomplished team than the Cougars. In a front of a crowd of thousands, the Owls easily defeated the Cougars. Made famous from football games between the two rivals, University of Houston students often wear red shirts with the words “Ruck Fice” to UH-Rice games. 5 miles apart from each other.. does that not say, “hey I wanna mess with you and take your recruits fans and basis of how you exist” to you?

Notre Dame and Stanford are next on the list. This rivalry is young and not really considered a major rivalry so there’s not much to it. The Irish have a minor rivalry with the Stanford Cardinal (for the Legends Trophy, a combination of Irish crystal with California redwood). The two teams first met in the 1925 Rose Bowl, then played each other in 1942 and again in 1963-64. The modern series began in 1988 and has been played annually except in 1995-96. Notre Dame leads the series 17-6. When the game is played in Palo Alto, it is usually the last game on Stanford’s schedule (as has been the case since 1999), one week after the Cardinal plays archrival Cal in The Big Game.

I finish up with Arkansas and LSU in the Battle for the Golden Boot, an aged old tradition since 1996. I myself was unaware that this was even a rivalry, but I guess everyone needs a rival. Here’s the background on the two teams playing each other. The Arkansas–LSU rivalry, now known as The Battle for the Golden Boot, is the annual college football sports rivalry game between the teams of the University of Arkansas, the Razorbacks, and Louisiana State University, the Tigers. Although the first game between the two teams occurred in 1901, the rivalry between the teams intensified after Arkansas’ entrance into the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1992, and later in 1996 with the first awarding of the “Golden Boot” and the official titling of the game “The Battle for the Golden Boot”. The game is now generally played on the day after Thanksgiving. The two teams have played 53 times since 1901, and as of the 2008 contest, 17 consecutive times after Arkansas’ induction into the SEC. During that time, LSU has won 33 games of the series while Arkansas has won 19, including the latest meeting in 2008, between the two teams. Arkansas and LSU have twice ended the game in a tie, in 1906 and the 1947 Cotton Bowl Classic. Arkansas and LSU began playing each other in 1901, when LSU claimed a 15-0 victory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Between 1906-1936 (with the exception of 1918) and 1953-1956, the two teams played each other during regular seasons on a yearly basis. In addition, the two teams have played each other at the end of the regular season in the Cotton Bowl Classic twice, on January 1 of 1947 and 1966, the former being the second tie in the series while the latter ended in a 14-7 LSU victory. In 1992, LSU and Arkansas resumed their annual rivalry when Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference after leaving the Southwest Conference. The teams played each other four times in the conference before the introduction of the Golden Boot trophy in 1996. Beginning in 1996, the victor in the rivalry between Arkansas and LSU received the Golden Boot, a trophy that weighs approximately 175 pounds and is generally considered the heaviest “trophy” awarded in all of college football. The trophy itself stands a little over 4 feet tall, is molded out of 24-karat gold, and resembles the outline of the states of Arkansas and Louisiana connected, thus making a boot shape. Since 1996, the game has been set on the day after Thanksgiving, and has been played on alternating years in Little Rock, Arkansas at War Memorial Stadium, which is the secondary home stadium for the Razorbacks, and in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at Tiger Stadium. The series has generally represented an important battle in the SEC Western Division, with either Arkansas or LSU representing the division in the SEC Football Championship Game in many seasons. LSU won the inaugural “trophy meeting” in 1996, 17–7, and for the next six years, the trophy changed hands every meeting, beginning with LSU in 1997. After Arkansas’ “Miracle on Markham” victory in 2002, LSU won the rivalry and the Golden Boot four consecutive times from 2003 to 2006. The trophy returned to Arkansas’ possession on November 23, 2007 when the Razorbacks beat then top-ranked and eventual BCS National Championship game winner LSU 50-48 in three overtimes in Baton Rouge; the victory was the first for former Razorback coach Houston Nutt in five tries in Tiger Stadium. Arkansas successfully defended the Golden Boot again in 2008 with a spectacular come-from-behind victory in the last minute of game play.

Farewell to heartache,

farewell to loss,

as for my own sake,

I must stay this course

Leave love to the untainted,

let them wallow in bliss,

my town shall remain unpainted,

and uninspired by a simple kiss

No more pain from silence,

no more unrequited desire,

I’ll ignore my heart’s insistence,

to re-ignite this fire

As I take the coward’s path,

submit to loneliness and fear,

never shall I taste a lover’s wrath,

nor shed another tear

In our every day conversation, we use words liberally, at times without even knowing what  a particular word would rightly mean. How many times we use,  “my pleasure”, or, “be happy”, without realizing the depth of these words….joy, pleasure, happiness and bliss.

Pleasure, says Osho, is physical, physiological. It is the most superficial thing in life. It is related to the senses, their gratification. All such activities that give pleasure are rooted in the body. The body is the periphery and not the center. And, to live on the periphery- on the circumference is to live on the mercy of all kinds of things that go on happening all around us.

The waves of the ocean are at the mercy of the winds. They appear and  they disappear with the winds. They are not independent- they depend on something. And anything that depends on something creates bondage. Pleasure is dependent on the ‘other’; it does not have an independent existence. If you love a woman, she becomes the source of your pleasure; her absence would make you miserable. If you love a man, his company would add pleasure; his absence would make you sad, unhappy. Bondage is created— a prison, and in prison, there cannot be freedom- independence. If the object of happiness is money, power they also bring about bondage, slavery.

A man accumulates money, it is his pleasure to get more money, and the more he has, the more he wants. And then he is afraid he might lose them. While money gives him pleasure it makes him miserable.

The more we desire and demand, the more is the feeling of being hollow inside, a sense of lacking something. Pleasure is peripheral, it is bound to depend on the outer circumference,; it is only titillation. If food is a pleasure what actually is enjoyed?  It is just the taste. Beyond the taste buds, all food is the same. What might be pleasurable today might not be so tomorrow. If wE eat the same food regularly, everyday, the buds of the tongue become non-responsive to it. We get fed up.

Pleasure keeps us in the state of restlessness, turmoil. So many desires, every desire unquenchable, asking for attention- they drag the attention to different directions. At the end, you get nothing- the whole life is wasted in a struggle- struggle for pleasure. A life which could have been a celebration becomes a long drawn out unnecessary struggle.

Happiness is psychological. Happiness is a little more refined, a little higher. Pleasure is primitive- animal. Happiness is cultured- a little more human, but it is the same game in the world of mind.

The third is joy. Joy is spiritual- totally different from pleasure and happiness. It is inner, it does not depend on circumstances- it is one’s own- inherent. It is not sensation or titillation produced by an object or senses. It is a state of peace, of silence, a meditative state.

Bliss is complete- total. It is neither physiological, nor psychological, nor meditative. It has no adjective, adverb or a description of definition. Pleasure includes happiness, bliss includes joy. Bliss is a natural manifestation when one reaches one’s core, when one is established in one’s own essence. Where ego- the doer is no more, where only silence prevails, where all differences disappear. Pleasure is momentary, based on a situation, guarded by time, bliss is non-temporal- timeless. Pleasure has a beginning and therefore, it has an end, bliss abides forever, it can never come and go. Bliss is not to be invented, it is to be discovered, uncovered, that which is lying within. This is the misery of man- he looks outwards- seeking and searching. Bliss is inside, you cannot find it outside. It was always there, you have not looked at it.

Daras kab daihau Nandakishor.
Oh, Nandakishor Krishna! When will You bless me and I will see You?

Lakhi Ghanshyam shyam ghan nachihain,
kabai mor man-mor.
When upon seeing Your beautiful complexion, which is like a dark rain-laden cloud, will my mind dance like a peacock in joy?

Kabai driganchal chanchal chanchal,
lakhihau hamarihun or.
When will you glance at me with Your mischievous, love-filled eyes, regarding me as Your own?

Kab laihou chit chor morahun,
braj banitani chit chor.
Oh, stealer of the hearts of the maidens of Braja! When will You steal my heart as well?

Kab brajavasini dasini dasini,
dasi banihaun tor.
When will I become Your servant by becoming a servant of a servant of those servants of Yours who reside in Braja?

Kab ‘Kripalu’ tanu-sudhi bisaraihaun, hwai ras prem vibhor.
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji asks in the words of devotee,“When will I lose consciousness of all else and drown in the bliss of Your divine love?”

(Pad kirtan excerpted from “Dainya Madhuri” of Prem Ras Madira, written and composed by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj)

© Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat and Bhakti Bliss, 2009

Little Jar o' Starter

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  I am.  But only because my role is to (1) show up, and (2) eat.  My in-laws always cook a great meal, my husband is in charge of the green bean casserole (gourmet, not gross!) that we are bringing, and he also plays the role of “entertainer” while I kick back and put my feet up.

Yes, I know how lucky I am.

Since I’ve been working nonstop for the last 10 days to roll out all of the Chocolate Advent Calendars for my business, I’m really looking forward to a few hours off.  I’m not saying a day off, because I know the honest truth is I’ll be doing some kind of work on Thursday.  Guaranteed.

So here is what I’m really looking forward to, other than a nice relaxing holiday meal on Thursday–I’m really looking forward to Saturday morning.  Why, you ask?  Because Saturday morning in the fall and winter means Sourdough Waffles (or pancakes, if you like).

Sourdough?  Pancakes?  Yes, really.  My family has been making them from as far back as I can remember.  They ruined me for all other pancakes, and waffles too–they are not heavy, or cakey, they don’t sit in your stomach all day, oh no.  They are light, and flavorful, and not too sweet, and perfect for any topping you like.  Which in my family, is absolutely, unequivocably, without fail, peanut butter.

The one drawback to these yummies is that you do have to plan ahead.  One night ahead.  So mark your calendars!  On Friday evening, make sure you do the following:  (and then I will be back with Part 2, which you will do on Saturday morning).

Sourdough Starter

Sourdough has a long and colorful history, which I am linking to rather than trying to paraphrase.  If you’ve only had sourdough bread, you really have to try the pancake and waffle version–while similar, they are still a whole different animal.  They don’t necessarily have the sour tang of the bread, particularly if you are using a “new” starter, which you are here.  You can keep your starter for weeks and months and years (instructions coming in Part 2), or you can start fresh each time–it all depends on your level of investment in starter maintenance.  I’ve killed many starters over the years, so I have resorted to fresh each time, although I’m going back to the living starter this time, we’ll see how long it lasts!

2 cups flour

2 cups warm (not hot!) water

1 packet (2-1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast

Warm a mixing bowl by filling it with hot water, waiting a minute, and then dumping it out.  Add the flour, warm water, and yeast to the bowl.  Mix gently, just until most of the lumps have disappeared.  Cover with a clean dish towel and place in a nice warm spot; leave to rest overnight, or at least 6 hours.

After your mixture has been allowed to rest at least 6 hours, it should be bubbly and fragrant.  This is called a “sponge”.  You’ll use it for the base of any sourdough item you make.

If you want to maintain a living starter (which is what a true sourdough is made from), mix together your sponge, and then remove 1/4 cup.  This becomes your starter–you’ll store it in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator, and the next time you make a sponge, you’ll use the starter instead of a packet of yeast.

The point of a living starter is to develop a deeper sourdough flavor, which only happens over time.  The key to maintaining your starter it using it!  Make sure to use it at least once a month.  Or, even if you don’t follow through an make anything with the sponge, you can “feed” your starter by mixing it up with flour and water (you can use less, say 1/2 cup of each) and letting it sit overnight, just like with a sponge, and then removing 1/4 to save as starter again.

And of course, you can also make a fresh sponge each time, if you don’t care to maintain a starter.

I am so tired. I don’t think I can do another day without my afternoon nap – and I’m not being dramatic here, just truthful.

Sunday night I couldn’t sleep, partly because of a pretty shitty work email I got and partly because of the disturbing news I saw on Carte Blanche (where the police feel okay raping women, but don’t feel it’s there job to enforce the law and shut down proven brothels?!WTF).

Anyhoo, I flew out of here yesterday in one major foul mood. I didn’t mean to but I had war written all over my face by the time I braved CBD traffic and brisk-waddled into the office. My poor colleague got the brunt of my mood, but he seemed to be okay with it and I felt much better by the time I left a few hours later.

I got home and started scuttling, luckily Freddy showed up and helped me because there were some things I really shouldn’t have been moving and I don’t think I would have waited! (When you go on a mission, you go on a mission right?)

And last night the Sparrow arrived. You might remember a few weeks back he came up to Johannesburg for the day for interviews and that he had a number of offers to choose from after that? Well, he’s going to be staying with us for a month or so till he finds his feet. Hehehe, I’m looking forward to see what he makes of JHB traffic today – it’s the one thing I warned him about extensively before he came up here.

It’s nice to have him around and I really hope this is the break he needs to turn his luck around. Murphy has been squatting on Sparrow’s doorstep this whole year and even yesterday he had more of the same when firstly the people he was going to stay with STOLE his rent and disappeared and secondly he got pulled over in a random road block and fined R1500 for an expired licence (which he is renewing today)!

Anyway, I am bone-weary tired today. Too much excitement, and too much scuttling. I’m going in to work to do some monthly budgets and if I have my way (and it’s very likely that I will!) I’ll be out of there by 12:00 to come home for a swim and a nap.