 clipped from justingarbett.com
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2007-03-27
Quality Quotes 01
Being Poor
Don't miss all the additions in the comments either. -- Morgaine Le Faye.
Sadly, too many of these sound all to familiar. -- ADM
Sadly, too many of these sound all to familiar. -- ADM
clipped from www.scalzi.comBeing poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs.
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Top Ten Dating Mistakes from Cognitive Therapy Assoc's
Each mistake is explained in more detail at the CTA site.
clipped from www.cognitive-therapy-associates.com1. Game playing: 2. Talking too much about your ex: 3. Fantasizing about the future: 4. Obsessing over details: 5. Ignoring red flags: 6. Interrogating your date: 7. Avoidance of intimacy: 8. Rush in, rush out: 9. Not being honest about your needs: 10. Sacrificing too much to get the relationship:
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2007-03-23
Quality Quotes 00
The first of some quality quotes i'm replicating here. Notably, these ones are from my new ClipMarks account (See link BeLow) and not from the bsd-games fortune proggie. (Note: they originated from mac.com.)
Speaking of fortune, Penguin Pete's Blog has an interesting-looking howto post on some potentially cool mods for fortune, The Fortunes of Linux.
clipped from www.mac.com"A ship is safe in harbor... But that's not what ships were built for"-- William Shed
"There is nothing either good or bad... But thinking makes it so"-- William Shakespeare
"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become"--Buddha
"Life is not measured by its length... But by it's depth"-- Anonymous
--
Posted By Karl to Karl Blog
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Kurt Vonnegut Jr's "Eight Rules for Writing Fiction"
clipped from www.americanstate.org1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.
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2007-03-18
New Word, from the Go Vap! Dictionary, Unabridged (v 1.1): gree
11 Definitions Found
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
[gree] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
(Download Now or Buy the Book)
Acronym Finder - Cite This Source
7. gree
Go Vap! - SighGone Dictionary, Unabridged (v 1.1)
1. gree [gree]
–noun neologism, specifically defined for MAD'M Meditation Method
1. graceful, gracious glee; grace and brilliant happiness combined, with connotations of mastery, superiority, satisfactory compensation, agreement, goodwill and/or victory or success; not to be confused with Clone Commander Gree (CC-1004) of the Star Wars film series.
Other Definitions (Most of which contributed to the new one above):
2. gree
[gree] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)–noun Chiefly Scot.
| 1. | superiority, mastery, or victory. |
| 2. | the prize for victory. |
| 3. | Obsolete. a step. |
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
3. gree[gree] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun Archaic.
| 1. | favor; goodwill. |
| 2. | satisfaction, as for an injury. |
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME gre <>gre (F gré) <>gratum what is agreeable]
] | Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
4. gree [gree] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation | Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
| 5. gree (gre) Pronunciation Key n. Scots Superiority; mastery. [Middle English gre, from Old French, step, from Latin gradus; see grade.] |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
Acronym Finder - Cite This Source
6. GREE
GREE: in Acronym Finder
What does GREE stand for?
Greenbelt Park (US National Park Service)
Information
This definition appears somewhat frequently and is found in the following Acronym Finder categories:
- Military & government
| Acronym Finder, © 1988-2007 Mountain Data Systems |
| 7.1. | gree | ||||
| lame ass person | |||||
| 7.2. | gree | ||||
| A tiny rock wedged in between two toes that refuses to be expelled. Most commonly occurs when wearing sandals with complex strap mechanisms. "Aw, man, I got a wicked gree right about now." | |||||
| 7.3. | gree | ||||
| a sound made when angry. It's Christina Aguilera! Gree!! | |||||
| 7.4. | gree | ||||
| Someone who beats up little redheaded boys and steals their lunch money Mike got his ass whipped by Gree | |||||
| 7.5. | gree | | |||
| A San Francisco based gay slang term which is short for "Girl", "Mary" or, "Miss Thing". "Get it gree!", "You go gree!" | |||||
MAD3M: MAD’M Meditation Method
@ICT।620/19bis.LêQuangĐịnh.P1,GôVấp.TpHCM,SRVN.04h15.11[25].Thu.05[03].2007.AD[2550.PL],
originally based on the MT (Minh Thành) Meditation Prescription
@ICT.620/19bis.LêQuangĐịnh.P1,GôVấp.TpHCM,SRVN.05h45.13.Sat.01.2007.AD (See BeLow).
Introduction and Overview
The MAD’M (Mặc AD Marshall) Meditation Method (MAD3M) is simply an evolution of one lay Buddhist neophyte’s fairly successful attempts to deal with the extremes of stress1 that had threatened to turn him into a violently explosive (if not yet physically harmful) misogynist after having lived and loved his way through almost a decade as a frustrated, quick-tempered, craven, agnostic, claustrophobic, misanthropic, psychotically stubborn yet gullibly sappy, idealistic CaucAsian cynic, down and out in Hồ Chị Minh City, while seeing himself profiled and colour-coded in the minds of the city’s homogenous masses as merely a “foreigner”, a “Mr West” (“Ông Tây”) and as such not much more than a walking, talking money tree or a potentially cost-free English-as-a-Second/Other-Language training resource or, worse, just another monkey stuck inside their zoo and, as such, fair game for mockery by any or all.
The point to note both here (other than the length of that last sentence) is that the MAD’M Meditation Method was born of a once-twisted mind stumbling through what it saw as a long, extremely twisted situation. As such, it may well be born of a context just too tense to yield a kind of fruit which each and all of Us can eat. At best, it can only be said that the MAD3M has been working for at least one poor sot – aside from the fact it is indeed yet another addition to the world of works now licensed to the FLO (Free/Libre or Open).
Your mileage may vary. Use at your own risk. No warranties are offered, anywhere.
Caveats aside, the MAD3M is essentially a slightly hipper, marginally modernized English adaptation of a Vietnamese interpretation of what is known as the most fundamental Buddhist sutra (or “sutta”), the “Anapanasati” (roughly translated as “Mindfulness of Breathing”). It was then revised in light of others’ English translations of that sutra (found by Googling “Anapanasati sutra”), to better ensure its faithfulness to the original, Pali version.
While the MAD’M Meditation Method can be effectively practiced virtually anywhere, any time, doing anything, it remains easiest and most effective when done in a space one considers clean, quiet and comfortable, and even beautiful or inspirational, and more effective still if done while sitting with one’s spine as straight as one can comfortably make it, shoulders square, legs crossed, with hands folded upon one’s lap, palms upward, thumb-tips just touching each other. (The image above vaguely depicts this, but in the “full lotus postion”, next.)
Those inclined to seek something closer to more traditional forms of perfection can try assuming what is called the “full lotus position”. (Google it.) It is said this is best, as it is the position the historical Buddha used while achieving His enlightenment.
But be forewarned, the full lotus position can both drastically limit one’s mobility and even be quite painful, especially if one does not yet know how to relax one’s legs and hips enough to keep them from cramping. Until one does, sitting “in a half lotus” or any cross-legged position, or even using a stationary or dynamic posture, can still provide benefits.
Once one has assumed a suitable positoning, one then only need silently recite the following sutra in concert with one’s natural breathing while focusing on the sensations of some specific part of the breathing process.
Daily practice will calm and improve one’s character and emotional control. But mediation alone will not provide full emotional control, by any stretch of the imagination, and “enlightenment” requires many more techniques, much more knowledge, long, diligent practice and, most likely, an accomplished instructor.
MAD3M: MAD’M Meditation Method
Notes:
The periods listed are those recommended for a beginner by Mendicant Buddhist Master Minh Thành of SàiGòn’s Central Temple (Tịnh Xá Trung Tâm). The number of repetitions one does for each section of the sutra are completely dependent on the breathing and physical and mental states of the user. No estimates can be given. Just do what feels best.
Each line of the sutta is six syllables long – noting that “naturally” in the second verse is said in the NAm
(North American) dialect as “nach’rally”, three syllables, not four. While six syllables should be short enough for even the shallowest breathers, one can still abbreviate each line further or stretching the words out.In the spirit of Zen, several words’ meanings or pronunciations are intentionally ambiguous. One word, “gree” is a neologism specifically defined for the MAD3M. Gree is defined most simply as graceful, gracious glee.
Total time recommended: some 35 minutes, more or less, depending on what’s felt needed.
A. Body (aka “Meat”) – repeat for some ten minutes, more or less
Waltz with breath, breathing in
Waltz with breath, breathing outNaturally, breathing in
Naturally, breathing outWhole body, breathing in
Whole body, breathing outCalmed body, breathing in
Calmed body, breathing out
Feeling glee, breathing in
Feeling glee, breathing outHaving gree, breathing in
Having gree, breathing outConsciously, breathing in
Consciously, breathing outThoughts at ease, breathing in
Thoughts at ease, breathing out
C. Mind (perceptions, feelings and thoughts) – repeat for five minutes or so
Into mind, breathing in
Into mind, breathing outSmiling mind, breathing in
Smiling mind, breathing outSteady mind, breathing in
Steady mind, breathing outReleased mind, breathing in
Released mind, breathing out
D. Mind in Place (an ever-changing space) – repeat for some five minutes or so
Nought constant, breathing in
Nought constant, breathing outWanting not, breathing in
Wanting not, breathing outActing not, breathing in
Acting not, breathing outGive it up for breath in
Give it up for breath out
Optionally, repeat all 16 for about five minutes, more or less.
Master MT’s (Minh Thành’s) Meditation Prescription
@ICT.620/19bis.LêQuangĐịnh.P1,GôVấp.TpHCM,SRVN.05h45.13.Sat.Jan.2007.AD
Notes
This Vietnamese version of the Anapanasati sutta was originally prescribed to Mặc AD Marshall by Master [Sư] Minh Thành of ViệtNam’s (Southern) Central Monastery [Tịnh Xá Trung Tâm, 21 (Số cũ [old number] 07) Nguyễn Trung Trực, P.5, Q. Bình Thạnh, TP Hồ Chị Minh. Any errors in the typing of the Vietnamese, especially the accents, are those of MAD' Marshall.
Nhắc lại 10 phút
Theo hơi thở, tôi thở vô
Theo hơi thở, tôi thở raThở tự nhiên, tôi thở vô
Thở tự nhiên, tôi thở raThấy toần thân, tôi thở vô
Thấy toần thân, tôi thở raThân bình yên, tôi thở vô
Thân bình yên, tôi thở ra
Nhắc lại 10 phút
Có niềm vui, tôi thở vô
Có niềm vui, tôi thở raVui nhẹ nhàng, tôi thở vô
Vui nhẹ nhàng, tôi thở raTheo dấu ý, tôi thở vô
Theo dấu ý, tôi thở raÝ lặng trang, tôi thở vô
Ý lặng trang, tôi thở ra
Thấy được tâm, tôi thở vô
Thấy được tâm, tôi thở raMiệng mĩm cuời, tôi thở vô
Miệng mĩm cuời, tôi thở raTâm lặng lẽ, tôi thở vô
Tâm lặng lẽ, tôi thở raLòng thành thơi, tôi thở vô
Lòng thành thơi, tôi thở ra
Quán vô thường, tôi thở vô
Quán vô thường, tôi thở raHết tham rồi, tôi thở vô
Hết tham rồi, tôi thở raQuán ngưng nghỉ, tôi thở vô
Quán ngưng nghỉ, tôi thở raThả mây trôi, tôi thở vô
Thả mây trôi, tôi thở ra
Nhắc lại 5 phút cả đê tải
FootNotes
1 In 2004, Hong Kong’s Economic & Political Risk Consultancy rated Vietnam the 3rd most stressful Asian nation for expatriate business executives, down from 1st one year earlier. (Ref: Peter N. Sheridan, Asia’s Best Business Spots, VVG ~ Business & Investment Articles, Vietnam Venture Group, Inc., http://www.vvg-vietnam.com/). While the improvement is encouraging, one should note that “expatriate business executives” are typically people who are flown in from overseas at their companies’ expense, paid salaries nearing what they would have received in their home country and given luxurious accomodation, local transporation, full health coverage, paid holdays, home leave and subsidized schooling for their children as part of their remuneration packages. And their stays usually only last a few years. Whatever stress these
sorts experience while in Vietnam would be like a paid Club Med vacation to the author of the MAD3M.
2007-03-16
MoRe Death by Traffic in SàiGòn
Just thot i'd toss in my two đồng's worth in response to this extract from death by traffic in saigon at lost in translation, March 15th, 2007:
Crossing the streets as a pedestrian can be quite daunting at first... It was completely Greek to me until the point at which I had a traffic epiphany, and it just clicked. The secret to crossing the street is this: don’t hesitate. What happens is when you step out into the street, the oncoming automobiles, typically motorbikes, see you step into the street, and veer in a direction to dodge you, either to their left to stay out in front of you, or to your right to swing in behind you, either way, they expect you to keep moving forward and plan to compensate for your presence.Here's my comment from there:
I was once told the French actually have an expression for much of what you just described: traversez la rue de mode vietnamienne — meaning roughly to to cross the street vietnamese style.
Personally, after a dozen years in SàiGòn, i still avoid crossing streets on foot. And, when i have to, i follow the rules i was taught as a kid in Canada: look both ways and point to where you’re going. It drives the locals nuts, but it works the same way as the way they’ll suddenly thrust out an arm to turn left or right and just turn without looking behind them: it doesn’t signal intent; it puts up an obstacle to passing.
And on a motorbike in Việt Nam, the only real rules of the road are the laws of physics. Touch anything and you’ll like have damage to you or your bike, if both aren’t written off completely.
Nonetheless, if you think walking in SighGone’s a bit of a kick, you really should try driving here. One long lost friend put a nice metaphor to it: it’s like swimming in a school of motorized fish. I’ll admit i’m totally addicted to it, despite three big dances with Death and scars to prove it.
But with thrills come spills. And i was a bit surprised i didn’t notice any mention of the fact that “death by traffic” is actually the number one cause of death in all Vietnam, not just SàiGòn.
From the first hit from http://www.google.com.vn/search?q=traffic+deaths+vietnam ::
Head injury in Vietnam
According to Dao, in the last seven years moving traffic in Vietnam has accounted for 30000 deaths and 94000 injuries.Note: that’s from a 1997 article at http://www.helmets.org/vietnam.htm, but 2000 and 2004 updates are referred to on the same page.
Thanks & Cheers!
To monologue this thread a bit more, here's an extract from "Accident deaths highlight Vietnam's traffic crisis", AP, HANOI , Sunday, Dec 17, 2006 via the Taipei Times website:
Government statistics show traffic accidents, the leading cause of death in Vietnam, claim about 12,000 lives every year in the country of 84 million.Doing the math, that's a rounded up average of 33-66 deaths per day.
Some international organizations estimate the actual number is twice as high.
HIV/AIDS, drug-abuse and unsafe sex have a lot of work to ahead of them if they want to merely catch up with good old outright recklessness here in Việt Nam...
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