Fancy Dress Parties
August 22, 2008
Fancy dress parties have been around since for centuries and were particularly popular in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. Italy is particularly well known for contributing to the popularity of fancy dress parties. There, the masquerade ball reached frenzied proportions. By the time Queen Victoria took the throne much of Europe, especially England, had lost its appetite for masquerade but still had a keen interest in fancy dress parties. The Queen’s interest in literature, poetry and history had a tremendous impact on the themes for fancy dress parties throughout her long reign.
During a time when Europeans entertained often and lavishly, fancy dress parties were often called upon to break up the monotony of what might have been another otherwise boring social event. Almost any notable figure in history and literature was likely to spur the imaginations of fancy dress party guests. While characters from literature, especially the Shakespearean plays, remained popular choices for fancy dress parties throughout much of the century; a quest for increasingly unique and creative costumes began to appear.
Healthy, Wealthy and Happy in 2005
August 22, 2008
Life is simple. You’d be surprised to know that most of the cherished things in life are almost at arm length and not too expensive either. Yet we tend to think everything needs to be hard, expensive and complicated.
You can be Healthy
Physical health is not about medicine and drugs or even health insurance. It’s basically about a simple diet and an appropriate exercise routine. The ideal diet consists of fruits vegetable and grains. This simple regime guarantees a younger appearance, as well as a longer, and overall better life. If you want to get more technical, here are 8 natural remedies:
Pure air, Abundant water, Good nutrition, Appropriate Exercise, Enough rest Not too much, not too little sunlight, Moderate lifestyle, Faith.
A good way to remember them is using the acronym: NEW START
Nutrition Exercise Water Sunlight Temperance (moderate lifestyle) Air Rest Trust
Yes, this is as technical as it gets. The beauty of it all is that a simple lifestyle is often very inexpensive as opposed to its sophisticated counterpart. For more information on simple healthy living read Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss or visit The Master’s Miracle at http://336894.themastersmiracle.com/
White Sun - Tao of Heaven. Showers of Wisdom ( Part 1 of 3 )
August 21, 2008
‘Showers of Wisdom’ is taught by JiGong, the Heavenly teacher of Tao of Heaven appointed by Lao Mu. JiGong is a very popular deity worshipped by Taoist in the millions. He was the reincarnation of one of the 18 Arhats and he was a monk dressed like a beggar during the Song Dynasty. A man of boundless virtues, he walked thousands of miles without a penny in his pocket and a roof over his head, preaching the truth until the day he died.
In the teachings of Tao of Heaven, Master Chang Tienzen of Jining, Shantung Province was the rebirth of JiGong. He was born on the 19th day of the 7th lunar month in the 13th year of the reign of Guangshu (1889) during the Ching Dynasty. Master Chang Tienzen became the Heavenly master in 1947, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when the moon was the biggest, roundest and brightest. When he was born, it was stated that the Yellow River went clear signifying the birth of a sage. His left palm had a red mark of the sun and his right palm had the mark of the moon.
White Sun - Tao of Heaven; What is Wisdom?
August 20, 2008
To be awakened to the realization of one’s True Self is wisdom. A person becomes awakened when he realizes that his True Nature is that of God. He longs for returning to God’s kingdom and dedicates this to practise Tao. He makes sure that whatever he says, acts and thinks are faultless. He maintains tranquillity in his sensual organs. He gives convenience to others. He makes no distinction between himself and others. He conveys the truth to others so that all including himself can return to the Land of Bliss, Heaven.
The awakened lives in the adulterated society, yet is not tainted by emotions and desires. He devotes himself to the spreading of Tao to the world, transforming hell into Heaven. He points out Tao of Heaven to those who are lost so that they can also realize their True Selves. He acts according to Tao. He vows to save the world out of his mercifulness.
A wise man is bright and quiet, his tranquillity and wisdom flow together and feed each other. This way, his emotion returns into his True Self, his knowledge turns into wisdom, his human nature becomes settled from danger and his True Nature becomes bright and clear. It is the same as that the enlightened is always sincere and the sincere is always enlightened.
ML - CHI - Zadok and the Making of Gold
August 19, 2008
ATOMIC HIGH-SPIN TECHNOLOGY: - In 1950 B.C. there was a priest-king in Salem who understood the ‘highward fire-stone’ according to Gardner in ‘Genesis of the Grail Kings’. His name was Melchizedek, and there is a secret or inner sanctum group of Mormons who follow his lead. The Mason (Joseph Smith was a 33rd Degree Mason, Brigham Young was a Mason too.) who founded this religion followed a path tred frequently in the expansion of esoteric manipulation. It continues to this very day with the OTO offshoots, Scientology and many other cults who believe in some very ‘freaky’ things. Most of the lay people will never get to know the ulterior motives of those who lead such organizations. The whole of the United States is one of their experiments according to many authors who have done excellent research in the matter. We will leave that portion of the issue until the next segment even though it isn’t much of a ‘mystery’. There are many things a reader should consider before jumping (or attempting to) across that chasm.
Happiness as a Habit
August 18, 2008
Health and Happiness are the two things that most people will tell you they desire most. Ask a parent what they want most for their child and they will almost always say, "I really don’t care, as long as they are healthy and happy." Sometimes people say they want love, success or wealth, but when asked why, they think for a moment and then say because these things would make them happy.
Usually people desire health above all else but only when they feel that it is threatened. People rarely think about health when they are young, fit, pain and disease free.
The single most sought after life experience is happiness.
If you made a list of the things you wished to improve in your life and then added notes alongside each item, detailing the amount of time and effort you were putting into each one, you would be greatly surprised at the lack of logic and or commitment you are applying to increasing or maintaining happiness. You may have happiness as the thing you most desire but your notes may reveal you spend 50 hours a week at your career, 10 hours housekeeping and 20 hours watching T.V. Next to the word ‘Happiness’ you may find, ‘10 minutes’ or more likely, ‘No time at all’.
The United States of Europe is a Joke!
August 17, 2008
French & Dutch Reject EU Constitution & British Table It-We Await Chirac’s Resignation!
The anticipated rejection by the French of the much vaunted United States of Europe, and its Constitution (the vote in France was 45% for and 55% against), conclusively demonstrates, once again, European political and economic ineptitude compared to that of the United States of America-Notwithstanding, the toilet (a French word) was invented by a Brit by the name of Thomas Crapper not by a Frenchman. The Dutch followed, and the Britished tabled the matter.
Imagine, the extremity of European cultural diversity, language, religion, and history have all come full circle to highlight centuries of particularism, political fratricide, and religious intolerance-none of which could convince the European mindset that "unity with variety" would lead to a multipolar world in which Europe would function as the political/economic counterweight to the unipolar world of the United States of America.
The French originally spearheaded the European Union’s quest for economic and political integration . . . with the British providing noble resistance and forever frustrating "efforts" indirectly on behalf of the USA (Note: The USA from time to time gave tepid support, but all along it was only because it might be to her economic and political advantage.) The entire notion that the French would abandon their social safety net by opening up their labor markets to plumbers from Poland was ludicrous
The Green Cross
August 17, 2008
"We desperately need to recognize that we are the guests not the masters of nature and adopt a new paradigm for development, based on the costs and benefits to all people, and bound by the limits of nature herself rather than the limits of technology and consumerism." Mikhail Gorbachev, Chairman of the Board, Green Cross International
"No sane person seeks a world divided between billions of excluded people living in absolute deprivation and a tiny elite guarding their wealth and luxury behind fortress walls. No one rejoices at the prospect of a life in a world of collapsing social and ecological systems. Yet we continue to place human civilization and even the survival of our species at risk mainly to allow a million or so people to accumulate money beyond any conceivable need. We continue to go boldly where no one wants to go." (David C. Korten, "When Corporations Rule the World")
"The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged. And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth." Revelation 11:18
Ludlow Festival
August 16, 2008
His plays and adaptations have been performed in many countries and in many languages. Among the many adaptations Berkoff has created for the stage, directed and toured, are Kafka’s Metamorphosis and The Trial, Agamemnon after Aeschylus, and Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. He has directed and toured productions of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus also playing the title role, Richard II, Hamlet and Macbeth, as well as Oscar Wilde’s Salome.
To quote Steven Berkoff, “Richard II is one of Shakespeare’s most lyrical plays, in that although Richard is a terrible king he is, conversely, a marvellous poet. As for so many of Shakespeare’s villains, their poetry improves as their fortunes decline. Richard is less a villain than a vain, greedy and self-obsessed king, who sees himself as England and exiles Bolingbroke his cousin as a potential threat. Like so much in recent history, merely being powerful would seem tantamount to demanding mindless worship and endless genuflecting. But kingship cannot be just given without a commensurate effort to be worthy of the office., which Richard obviously is not. His corruption eventually brings his downfall, as Bolingbroke returns with his followers to rid England of this weak and vainglorious parasite.”
Choose To Be Happy - NOW!
August 15, 2008
The older I get, the more I realize that ninety percent of life is about choices. Both the choice to be happy or unhappy is mine. Sure, unforeseeable circumstances come and rattle our cages from time to time but it’s our decision how we choose to cope with them. We can resolve to allow the situations to defeat us or we can simply count it all joy.
Counting it all joy is not basically grinning through a rough circumstance. It’s much more. When we count it all joy, we recognize and seek God’s hand in the quandary. We accept that whatever happens in our lives that God is somehow working it out for our good. We remember folks like Joseph who went through insurmountable obstacles only to be immensely, deliriously blessed. This perspective brings joy unspeakable!
Let’s be frank. Happiness is not always going to “find” you. Therefore, you’ve got to passionately, intentionally, seek, chase and pursue it on your own. As you well know, there will always be people, systems and personalities trying to rob you of your joy and purpose. But once you find your joy, it’s up to you not to let it elude you.
