Many, many years ago I was a salesman with IBM UK; their office products division. I found it a wonderful job in a great company and was very happy. The annual reward for meeting one’s sales targets was the 100% Club. I seem to recall that at one of these lavish events, one of the guest entertainers was Peter Ustinov. Indeed, somewhere deep in my belongings is an autograph of the great man.
Anyway, as a nice alternative to the posts on Learning from Dogs this past week, here’s a wonderful compilation of interviews of Sir Peter taken by ‘Parky’ otherwise known as Sir Michael Parkinson – ah sweet memories!
Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it.
The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be.
Being alive is the meaning.
Going back to yesterday’s Post, if you either watched in full or dipped into each segment of the film, Prophets of Doom – The American Collapse, it would have been impossible for you not to end up pretty despondent about where civilisation in general, and American civilisation, in particular, has got itself.
The film is probably factually well-based, despite the awful style of the presenter, so it would be a perfectly human response to worry about how close to the precipice we are getting.
Anyway, the following evening we watched a wonderful DVD lent to us by John H, Mythic Journeys. Here’s the official trailer. Watch it, but more importantly listen to the words of the soundtrack, they are inspiring.
If you go to the website, as highlighted, then you will read this about the movie.
Own the award-winning spiritual film that has captivated audiences across the country and has been hailed as a “Masterpiece”, “Profoundly Transformative”, and “Life-Changing”!
Mythic Journeys is not your typical documentary. Like a mythological story it is a multi-layered experience, rich and stimulating interviews with philosophers and spiritual leaders are interwoven with a gorgeous animated tale of a king, a sorcerer, and a mischievous corpse. The film takes the audience on a powerful spiritual journey.
But there’s more to it, as the next video clip underscores. It’s this. As Duncan Campbell explains in the video, change is deeply unsettling for humans.
There is no doubt that millions of people across the world sense that we are in an era of very great change. It deeply undermines our security in the future, whether having any real form of emotional reliance on the future makes any sense anyway. But if we let go of the future, as Terry Hershey so competently voiced when he was here in Payson, then we can pray and love each moment of each day.
Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it.
The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be.
Being alive is the meaning.
This is a quote from Joseph Campbell and, as with so much of his writings, these few words have an import way beyond the face reading of the four sentences. Why am I called to this introduction? Let me explain.
The last few days have been unusually hectic, almost as though my senses have been deliberately targeted by a whole variety of messages. Not planned, you have to understand, just the way it’s been. However, when reflecting on the way these messages have moulded my emotions, it has been very clear that conflicting messages have produced conflicting emotions and that getting to the heart, as in the meaning of it all, requires quiet, contemplative time.
So what I am going to do over the next few days, not over the week-end, is to present each of these elements in the order that they were presented and then, at the end, offer what I hope is a more balanced perspective, i.e. the core meaning.
The first ‘message’ came from watching a 90 minute video highlighted on the web site, Top Documentary Films. The film explored the ways that six prominent Americans thought the ‘American Way’ was heading. Deeply gloomy except for the last 10 minutes or so.
Today’s world has troubles unique to its time in history, from the global financial crisis to technological meltdowns to full scale, computerized global war.
Observing the convergence of such events, contemporary prophets have begun to emerge from obscurity to suggest that these conditions might be signs of the demise of the modern world.
These men are historians as well, using all manner of information and patterns from the past to provide context for where we are going.
Their predictions interpret the current state of affairs in our world as evidence that the America we know may come to an end.
The men proposing these ideas are not crackpots living on the streets of New York; they are intelligent, learned men who come armed with the evidence to back up their claims.
I am now going to include the film, in all its parts, as found on YouTube. Don’t suggest you watch it all, unless you feel so inclined, but try and get a feel for the various aspects of American life that are portrayed as unsustainable.
Just as important, make a note of your emotions as you watch these excerpts (and commenting on this Blog even better!)
When we’re in love with God, the cosmos, our living garden planet and the steadily growing conscious interconnection between those who understand and serve, we live in awe and wonder and realize a peaceful natural serenity in the midst of our daily concerns and responsibilities.
As our world, our environment and our culture appear to be unraveling, it becomes increasingly necessary for human beings to slow down to re-energize. It’s clear that our species has recently lost spectacularly to natural forces in the Gulf of Mexico and Japan. It’s no coincidence that it’s our technology which continues to reveal the fundamental weakness of human ego. It’s more than a metaphor that our individual and species arrogance is our Achilles heel.
There are many people who fail to perceive, understand and appreciate parallel realities from a rational, sensory and unified perspective by learning to see through a mystical third eye. Mysticism may be misunderstood as simply thinking outside of the box. Forget about the box. Let go of self-centered fears. Become aware of being unaware. Nurture capabilities to perceive non-locally and act locally. What’s happening worldwide comes with the territory. We are each responsible for our collective destiny
Meditation reflects that imagination and creativity are necessary to invent and utilize tools. Creativity did not begin with humans and is not exclusive to humans. God’s nature precedes emerging technology. Morality derives from our common need for species unity.
The message is that God doesn’t care about money and the sky is no longer a human limit. The fact remains that except for occasional astronauts we all continue to live on the same planet. Those who understand need no explanation.
There is a need for productive use of intelligence and technology at our natural frontiers. We need to refuel world economies with clean energy visions that provide solutions for our present local planetary emergency.
We may choose to implement the changes necessary to avoid impending local ecosphere, cultural and technological meltdowns while preparing for a migration to the stars.
Unification is a common goal. Leaving the nest of our garden planet is a partial unifying solution for the problems of our exponentially expanding species. An alternative is that our obsession with the symbol of money will have the same dire consequences for those who are obsessed as for those whom are oppressed.
Please love God, maintain an even strain, follow your bliss, continue to learn, share and serve our common purpose under God, proceed as the way opens, cross the next bridge as we come to it, enjoy the journey and stay in touch.
Ice loss from Antarctica and Greenland has accelerated over the last 20 years, research shows, and will soon become the biggest driver of sea level rise.
From satellite data and climate models, scientists calculate that the two polar ice sheets are losing enough ice to raise sea levels by 1.3mm each year.
Overall, sea levels are rising by about 3mm (0.12 inches) per year.
2. Running on Oil
A recent email in my in-box from John Maudlin was all about Japan and oil. But there were some stark messages about our use of oil across the planet. Try this:
There are multiple sources for many of the metals Japan imports, so that if supplies stop flowing from one place it can get them from other places. The geography of oil is more limited. In order to access the amount of oil Japan needs, the only place to get it is the Persian Gulf. There are other places to get some of what Japan needs, but it cannot do without the Persian Gulf for its oil.
This past week, we saw that this was a potentially vulnerable source. The unrest that swept the western littoral of the Arabian Peninsula and the ongoing tension between the Saudis and Iranians, as well as the tension between Iran and the United States, raised the possibility of disruptions. The geography of the Persian Gulf is extraordinary. It is a narrow body of water opening into a narrow channel through the Strait of Hormuz. Any diminution of the flow from any source in the region, let alone the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, would have profound implications for the global economy. [My italics.]
3. Energy rethink
From Rob Dietz of CASSE, Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy.
As if we really required more prompting, the unfolding nuclear accidents in Japan are confirming what we must do. When a disaster strikes, the most urgent response is to help those who are suffering, prevent further calamities, and clean up the messes—it’s a time to get busy. But the next critical step is to figure out what we might do differently—it’s a time to take a step back and contemplate how we got where we are and where we might go from here. With each passing day, it is becoming increasingly clear that we need to rethink where and how we get our energy supplies.
And later in this article:
A New York Timesarticle provides an astonishing description of what happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plant where the backup generators failed to cool the overheating reactor:
The central problem arises from a series of failures that began after the tsunami. It easily overcame the sea walls surrounding the Fukushima plant. It swamped the diesel generators, which were placed in a low-lying area, apparently because of misplaced confidence that the sea walls would protect them.
The key phrase in that description is “misplaced confidence.” Misplaced confidence sums up how we got to this point in history when it comes to selecting sources of energy to power our ever-expanding economy. Regardless of what smooth-talking P.R. professionals say, a nuclear power facility has been the site of a serious accident about every 10 years: witness Three Mile Island in the U.S. in 1979, Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986, Tokaimura in Japan in 1999, and now Fukushima in 2011. “Safe nuclear power” is an offensive oxymoron.
Misplaced confidence also describes our failure to take big strides on phasing out fossil fuels. We have misplaced confidence that we’ll find a technological solution to climate destabilization, that the market will take care of the problem, and that Mother Nature will continue to warehouse the emissions from our economy with no consequences.
Maybe millions of us should be adopting the same query as Alice; “It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.” Because continuing as we are without understanding the urgent need to make ‘sense’, to take heed, of the living, conscious planet that is our only home is utter nonsense!
Back to Mr Rabbit, “Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!”
Just had a call from my son-in-law to let Jean and me know the fabulous news.
That around 8.30pm London time, just about an hour ago, a son, my first grandchild, was born to my daughter and her husband. Baby Morten is fine. Morten’s Mum is recovering from a fairly tough labour but also is well.
There’s always much more to people than meets the eye!
I can’t recall at what point in the life of Learning from Dogs that Per Kurowski popped up over the parapet but it was pretty early on. Per has been a great supporter of my varied efforts to promote the way that dogs are a wonderful example of integrity, trust and openness.
Anyway, Per comes from a background that one might not associate with the rest of this article. Per used to be a director at the World Bank. One of his Blogs includes this:
I warned many about the coming crisis, long before it happened, on many occasions and in many places, even at the World Bank. They did not want to listen and that´s ok, it usually happens, but what is not ok, is that they still do not seem to want to hear it. “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” (Plato: 427 BC – 347 BC)
Just a couple of days ago, I posted about the moon that passed closer to the Earth on the 19th than for the last 20 years. Per added a comment to that Post, “And this is a homemade version of the beautiful Harvest Moon song by Neil Young” With this link. At that link you can watch and listen to Per singing ‘Harvest Moon’ recorded by Neil Young. Enjoy.
Here was that moon, as seen from Payson in Arizona with some cloud in the sky!
That moon!
Finally, for those interested in the lyrics, here they are.
Come a little bit closer
Hear what I have to say
Just like children sleepin’
We could dream this night away.
But there’s a full moon risin’
Let’s go dancin’ in the light
We know where the music’s playin’
Let’s go out and feel the night.
Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon.
When we were strangers
I watched you from afar
When we were lovers
I loved you with all my heart.
But now it’s gettin’ late
And the moon is climbin’ high
I want to celebrate
See it shinin’ in your eye.
Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon.
Come a little bit closer
Hear what I have to say
Just like children sleepin’
We could dream this night away
But there’s a full moon risin’
Let’s go dancin’ in the light
We know where the music’s playin’
Let’s go out and feel the night
Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon
When we were strangers
I watched you from afar
When we were lovers
I loved you with all my heart
But now it’s gettin’ late
And the moon is climbin’ high
I want to celebrate
See it shinin’ in your eye
Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon
Learning from Dogs 