How to Restore the Conscience
of America's Communities; A Grass Roots Approach
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Managing the Spiritual Neighborhood |
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How to Restore the Conscience
of America's Communities; A Grass Roots Approach
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| Tools, Books, Videos, Quotes Below are listed miscellaneous programs, services and equipment that have performed well for me. I've also listed a few books, videos and quotes that are enlightening.
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Long distance ... One Suite ... The best domestic long distance "dial around" service appears to be One Suite. The cost per minute is 2.5 cents. (2.9 via toll-free access). This is a pre-pay service - you buy long-distance call time in advance. There are no hidden charges, no connection fees. $10 buys you 400 minutes of talk time. No PIN required when dialing from your home phone (plus up to 2 other Zipdiial numbers you can register). I program the speed dial on my phone to dial the local (or toll-free) access number for one-button dialing. You can also set up a set of Rapidial numbers where your frequently dialed long-distance numbers are stored on their syststem for 2-digit recall. One suite also has international rates: 1.9 cents to Canada, 17.5 to India, 2.2 to the U.K. ww w.OneSuite.com. |
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File Manager ... Powerdesk
... This program has it all. Folks who remember the gold standard of file
managers, Xtree for DOS, can't be too disappointed with PowerDesk. It's
not as fast as Xtree was, not quite as easy to navigate from the keyboard,
but wow, ... does it ever have some features, including file viewers,
FTP, graphics converters, compression and encryption. As a gesture to
the noble Xtree legacy, they've included an "Xtree Gold Mode"
in the Keyboard preferences. I'm still using PowerDesk version 4 (which
cost $19.95), but they are now up to version 6. Price has increased to
$40, but it's still well worth the price. You can download the program
as a FREE trial. Here is the link : Desktop Computer ... Second Wind PCs ... Found their products on Ebay. Bought a secondhand IBM 300PL for $65 plus $30 shipping. Came with a Pentium II, 128 MB of RAM and a 6 MB disk. Also has a built-in sound card, video interface, serial, parallel, and USB ports. It even has an Ethernet card. Tremendous deal. Second Wind uses more than one Ebay seller, so you have to look at the listing to see who you're dealing with. (Their listings identify them as Second Wind). Web site is: http://www.secondwindpcs.com Computer Accessories ... Provantage ... Huge selection, good service, low prices on everything you need for computer and peripherals. It helps to know what you're looking for before you go to their site ... http://www.provantage.com Cellular Service ...
Call Plus ... A prepaid reseller for AT&T Wireless. For people who
don't make many calls, this is the least expensive option. Buy 74 minutes
worth of prepaid calls for $20 (27 cents/minute). So long as you make
at least one call per month, you won't have to purchase another card for
90 days.) Minutes you didn't use from your previous balance are added
to the minutes you purchase. So you're essentially paying $6.67 per month
for the service. Calls can be to anywhere in the country - long distance
is the same rate as local. If you're outside the local area, there's is
a different dialling procedure. Only drawback is that AT&T's TDMA
network might not be around forever, as newer technology (GSM) becomes
established. Activation: 877-205-8600, Buy /add airtime: 866-512-2167
Callplus has recently changed its rates. If you roam off the AT&T network, you will pay 4 times the normal rate for your call. This is a change from before when the rate was the same no matter where you called from. Here is a recent post to the alt.cellular Usenet group that lists some alternative prepaid plans: "Ben" <ben@netscape.com> wrote in message
news:<koHMc.780$Ry5.573@newssvr16.news.prodigy.com>... Depends on your situation. If you talk a lot,
it could be Virgin Mobile - If you talk very little and want the cheapest
monthly rate, T-Mobile In addition to my contract phones, I use a T-Mo
prepaid with a JusTalk Anti-virus ... Kaspersky Anti-virus Personal ... I switched to Kaspersky after getting tired of Norton (Symantec) - which nagged endlessly about getting updates. You can download the FREE 30-day trial and scan your system, and try out the real-time virus protection. If you want the latest virus definitions, you'll have to pay the $49.95 for a 1 year license. www.kaspersky.com/trials FTP Client ... SmartFTP ... Had to use SmartFTP when I discovered that Powerdesk 4.0's FTP didn't support passive mode transfer, but I'm happy I discovered this great FTP client. Download an unlicensed trial version for FREE with essentially unlimited use. Liscense costs $36.95, but it's certainly worth the price for this elegant little application.www.smartftp.com/download/ Pop-up Stopper ... No-ads.pac ... This is not an application, but a FREE configuration file written by John Loverso that blocks web content containing ads. It's called a "proxy auto configuration script", and it works with all major browsers: Windows IE, Netscape, Mozilla, and Opera. There is no charge at all for this little routine. You download it, follow the instructions for configuring your your browser, and enjoy ad-free browsing. If there are sites for which you would like to have the pop-ups working, you can enable and disable the script for the current browser session by visiting "no.ads.int/on" or "no-ads.int/on" (I added these URLs to my Favorite's list) Note this is not technically a pop-up stopper, but the end result is the same - stop unwanted advertizing. If you want to completely stop pop-ups altogether, use the Mozilla browser - also FREE - and enable the "Block Unrequested Popup Windows" option. www.schooner.com/~loverso/no-ads Here is a link to Mozilla: www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/ |
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mind how historians could have persisted in their delusion of an enlightened, Christian "civilization" knowing what they did about these genocidal campaigns. This delusion persists to the present day. The globalized economy, the Wal-Martization of the world, is a continuation of the unrelenting, centuries-old march of industrial domination and extermination of native culture. Noah's Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Back Yards, Sara Stein, 1993 ... I just started this, but it's clear that this is must-reading for anyone who is even remotely interested in gardening with nature in mind. And that should be everyone. Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962 ... What's scary about this book is that it was written 40 years ago. You would think that the message would have gotten through by now, yet exposés like "Trade Secrets" (see below), show that mainstream America is still grossly ignorant about the way modern industry, and modern agriculture in particular, is poisoning the environment. The Bhagavad-Gita, Translation and Commentary by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1967 ... The essence of the deepest philosophy of life, the condensed knowledge of the Vedic texts, is supposed to be contained in the Bhagavad-Gita. In this work commentary is everything, and Maharishi's authority on this knowledge is without peer. However, unless you are already a meditator, or were born with a higher cosmic sense, you're going to find the book challenging. Why? Because you need that transcendental experience to appreciate where Maharishi is coming from. Nevertheless, read and be enlightened. The New Lao Tzu: A Contemporary Tao Te Ching, Ray Grigg, 1995 ... To render this ancient work (Ma-wang-tui texts) into English is apparently not an ordinary exercise. Not only does it require a considerable degree of Chinese scholarship, but also some intuitive grasp of the truths contained in it, beyond even what the characters themselves express. Whatever process Mr. Grigg used to accomplish this translation, he should bottle it and give us all a tonic, because he clearly nailed it. There are so many responsive chords that sound from this work, it's like reading your own mind captured on paper. Here is a work created in the dim ages of antiquity, by an author (or authors) in a completely different setting and culture, that yet describes perfectly the problems of 21st century society. The Tao ... The Way ... without it, we're lost. Permanent Peace, Robert
M. Oates, 2002 ... A clear, compelling outline of Maharishi's plan to
create a peaceful world by establishing large groups of meditators practicing
the TM and Tm-Sidhi "super radiance" programs (including yogic flying),
along with a group of 40,000 specially trained Vedic pandits who would
perform ancient rituals - "yagyas" - that create peace. The most important
point that this book makes is that a group of such peace makers is enough
by itself to bring about permanent world peace. If you don't
believe that's possible, read up on the research that the book quotes.
It's impressive and hard to refute even from a strictly objective viewpoint.
In addition to describing the scientific research on TM and super radiance,
the book also presents a very nice discussion of the new physics - quantum
mechanics, relativity and the theories of the unified field. A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes, Stephen Hawking, 1988 ... It's important to be able to understand the objective, scientific description of the origin, structure and evolution of the universe. In this modern era you can't speak of life, reality and creation unless you grasp the basics of modern cosmology; without such a grasp your discussion will be incomplete. This book explains the big bang and black holes in a way that allows non-PhDs to follow the argument. You will need to have studied just a bit of mathematics, however, and maybe a taste of physics as well. But that's healthy. We all need that. With physics and math we unveil the "mind of God", to use Hawking's own term. The Inner Dimension: Philosophy and the Experience of Consciousness, Jonathan Shear, 1990 ... Why read Plato, why read Hume, why read Kant, when you can read Shear instead, and know everything you need to know about them? Professor Shear has done all the work for us; the heavy lifting; the crawling through dusty tomes; the deciphering of cryptic logic. He has distilled the essence of the great philosophers arguments, and laid it all out in a clear, succinct manner. All we have to do is read and enjoy. Shadows of the Mind: A Search for the Missing Science of Consciousness, Roger Penrose, 1994 ... I'm still reading this book. Prof. Penrose is obviously brilliant, and I'm sure he's also a compassionate person, but what bugs me about people like him - mathematicians, philosophers, physicists - is that they are disconnected from the real world. While the rest of us suffer under the heavy yoke of ignorance impressed by our inept political leaders, the scientists and professors of the world sit on the sidelines and do nothing. They have great ability to apply their intellects to profound problems like those outlined in this book, but have no interest whatsoever in real life issues like crime, poverty, etc. Problems that the rest of us must face day-in and day-out, generation after generation. Jesus, The Son of Man: His Words and His Deeds as Told and Recorded by Those Who Knew Him, Kahlil Gibran, 1928 ... Jesus was a human being who walked the earth. This book brings Jesus into focus in a way that most of us have not experienced. The Gnostic Gospels, Elaine Pagels, 1981 ... Every Christian who desires a deeper understanding of his own faith must not fail to read this book. The Nag Hammadi texts discovered in Egypt in 1945 contain the "Gospel of Thomas" and the "Gospel of Phillip", and record words of Jesus that have never been included in the New Testament as we know it. Why haven't they been included? Ms. Pagels explains it, delving deep into the history of the early church to reveal what happened to non-orthodox Christian sects like the gnostics. The Book of Resolutions of the United Methodist Church, 2000 ... The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, Tennessee. Glance through this if you get a chance. I knew the Methodist church was socially conscious, but I had no idea that they were so forthright in their declarations. The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1880, translated by David Magarshack (Penguin, 1958) ... I've read this book three or four times, I don't remember exactly. No one should let their life pass without reading it at least once. Dostoyevsky expresses a profound understanding of the human mind, and a consciousness of what it is that underlies true justice, and true responsibility. He felt things. He was a compassionate soul in a heartless world. Moby-Dick, or, The Whale, Herman Melville, 1851 ... Read this book again recently and started putting post-its on pages that contained memorable quotes. I ran out of post-its. Just what exactly IS Melville talking about when he writes "strike through the mask" (chap. 36), or "live in this world without being of it" (chap. 68), or "intuitions of some things heavenly" (chap. 85)? Attention, all of you philosophers. You experts out there. Explain Melville to us, won't you? Walden, Henry David Thoreau, 1854 ... I'm glad I didn't read this book back in school, because I wouldn't have appreciated it. Now that I've lived roughly half-a-life, and conducted my maverick experiment in grass-roots outreach, I find that the book provides great inspiration. If only our politicians could draw even a single drop of the wisdom of Thoreau's mind, the world would be a much different place. Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide, Deepak Chopra, 1991 ... A solid overview of the principles of Ayurveda. Dr. Chopra wrote this work before he split with Maharishi. Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible, 1991 ... Earl Mindell has compiled a wealth of nutritional knowledge in this book. Just flipping through it is an education.
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What's Up With the Weather ... Nova/Frontline special from WGBH on global warming ... 800-255-9424 ... Global temperature has risen 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century. Could potentially rise several degrees in the century to come. Temperature rise in the 1990s stands out more than any other decade for the past 1000 years. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are higher than at any other time in the past 450,000 years. Concentration rose from 315 ppm to 370 ppm in the last 40 years alone. http://www.wgbh.org |
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From the Heart of the World: The Elder Brothers Warning ... Produced for the BBC by Alan Ereira. Documents a still-functioning, indigenous, pre-Columbian society in the high mountains of northern Colombia. It's incredible how these people still exist and are thriving despite the brutal assaults of the Conquistadors, and the encroachment of settlers, farmers and missionaries. Within 15 miles of the modern, industrialized, corrupted society of the "younger brother", the Kogi have maintained a true civilization, and a living, breathing spiritual tradition, not some long-dead artifacts in a museum or an archeological dig. After centuries of silence, they are speaking out. They have a message for us, and it's imperative that we hear it. Mystic Fire Video 800-292-9001... http://www.mysticfire.com Trade Secrets, A Moyers Report
... PBS special documenting chemical industry's cover-up of deadly
health and environmental dangers from vinyl chloride and other chemicals
used in common household products, from candy wrappers to clothing to
hairspray. Bill Moyers was tested for 150 industrial chemicals; 84 of
them were detected in his body, including PCBs, dioxins and pesticides.
None of these chemicals existed 60 years ago. The chemical in Scotchgard
– PFOS, a carcinogen – was found in polar bears and eagles,
and in supposedly clean blood banks all over the world. The Chemical Manufacturers
Association, representing the industry, contributed $33 million to political
campaigns during the past 3 years alone. Films for the Humanities and
Sciences. ... 800-257-5126 ... http://www.films.com Scottsboro: An American Tragedy
... PBS American Experience film about the 1931 trial and conviction
in Scottsboro Alabama of nine black youths, age 13 to 19, accused of rape
by an shifty, trampy, 21-year-old white woman. If you don't yet think
the American legal system is horrendously flawed, even after the O.J.
tragedy, the Lewinsky farce, the Menendez case, and so forth. If you still
don't despise all lawyers, judges, and juries after witnessing the work
of Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard law professor who goes to bat for the
likes of Mike Tyson, Leona Helmsley and Simpson. If you still need a reason
to be disgusted and disillusioned by the farce that we call law and justice
in this country, watch this film, and prepare yourself for outrage. All
of these boys spent major time on death row: six years, 12 years ... one
was there for a full 17 years, even though it was clear as day that none
of them committed any crime. A film like this makes it easy to understand
why black folks today are still railing about the injustices of the past.
My question is, why isn't anyone railing about the injustices of the present? Little Big Man ... 1970,
Directed by Arthur Penn. Dustin Hoffman portrays an Anglo boy raised by
"human beings" (i.e., indigenous Cheyenne Indians). The film presents
a Native American view of history - specifically the European conquest
of the American West, culminating in the Battle of Little Bighorn. The
beauty of the film lies in its striking contrast between the Indian's
and the white man's perspective. Modern Americans have been brainwashed
by Anglo-biased history books and Hollywood's typical Western genre films
that stereotype Indians as "savages" and "renegades" who had to be subdued
by our "heroic" pioneers. This movie debunks all of that - exposing
the brutal nature of the military campaigns against the Indian tribes
of the West.
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[gardening] "... the most poetic of all the occupations
of real life." "I was determined to know beans." "Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense
and plain dealing." "For in our age all men are separated into self-contained
units, everyone crawls into his own hole, everyone separates himself from
his neighbor, hides himself away and hides away everything he possesses,
and ends up by keeping himself at a distance from people and keeping other
people at a distance from him. … Everywhere today the mind of man
has ceased, ironically, to understand that true security of the individual
does not lie in isolated personal efforts but in general human solidarity.
But an end will most certainly come to this dreadful isolation of man,
and everyone will realize all at once how unnaturally they have separated
themselves from one another." |
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"The concerns of public and private, republic and
citizen, necessary as they are, are not adequate for the shaping of human
life. Community alone, as a principle and as a fact, can raise the standards
of local health (ecological, economic, social, and spiritual) without
which the other two interests will destroy one another." "… we were troubled by the finding that many
Americans are rather reluctant to accept responsibilities. We were distressed
that many Americans are all too eager to spell out what they are entitled
to but are all too slow to give something back to others and to the community.
We adopted the name Communitarian to emphasize that the time had come
to attend to our responsibilities to the conditions and elements we all
share, to the community" "For we are all responsible for all." "A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy
of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority. There
is but little virtue in the action of masses of men." "... amid the tornadoed Atlantic of my being, do
I myself still for ever centrally disport in mute calm; and while ponderous
planets of unwaning woe revolve round me, deep down and deep inland there
I still bathe me in eternal mildness of joy." "The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way
as to be seen. No one will say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!';
because the Kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21 "This wilful world hath not got hold of unchristian
Solomon's wisdom yet." "But surely 'blind' is how you would describe men
who have no true knowledge of reality" "They are blind leaders of the blind." Matthew
15:14 "If we adults continue to insist that bullying
is a normal part of growing up ... we have never listened, I mean really
listened, to a child who has been victimized by persistent bullying. For
children who are constantly picked on, ridiculed, threatened, harassed,
or robbed, school becomes torture. ... Bullying exacts a terrible toll
on children. Their school work suffers, their physical and mental health
suffers, and the scars can last a lifetime." "The United Methodist Church has been forced to
become more sharply aware and keenly conscious of the destructive impact
of the unjust acts and injurious policies of the United States government
upon the lives and culture of U.S. American Indians, Alaska natives, and
Hawaiian natives. ... "The mother told us how to live properly and how
to think well. We're still here and we haven't forgotten anything."
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September 2004