The Little Thread Which Grew - the Apollo '73 to Everything But
- Thread starter lkwdblds
- Start date
- Status
paradox
ab intra silentio vera
lkwdblds
Crusader
U "R" Us!
Emma, I read your new "Them and Us" thread yesterday. I wanted to reply but could not think of anything relevant to say that had not been said by somebody else. Cogitating about it more last night, I came up with a play on words inspired by a famous toy store chain: "U R Us" (speaking for myself). As for "them", they are themselves and definitely R not Us.
I believe that I speak for most, if not all, regular posters on this thread. We pride ourselves in not doing a lot of bashing and degrading of opposing viewpoints on this thread. We respect those with opposing views and also respect and comply with all of the other rules which set down yesterday. I agree with all of them and am glad you are going to enforce them.
Lakey
Emma, I read your new "Them and Us" thread yesterday. I wanted to reply but could not think of anything relevant to say that had not been said by somebody else. Cogitating about it more last night, I came up with a play on words inspired by a famous toy store chain: "U R Us" (speaking for myself). As for "them", they are themselves and definitely R not Us.
I believe that I speak for most, if not all, regular posters on this thread. We pride ourselves in not doing a lot of bashing and degrading of opposing viewpoints on this thread. We respect those with opposing views and also respect and comply with all of the other rules which set down yesterday. I agree with all of them and am glad you are going to enforce them.
Lakey
lkwdblds
Crusader
Timely Post! Very Helpful Post!
Carmelo - Thanks for this timely and very helpful post originated by Prof. Leahy. I have placed myself in the position of hearing complaints from upset people on a regular, almost daily basis. I did get some hatting from Purple Haze on just listening intently and then acknowledging.
From an empirical point of view, listening and acking seems to be the backbone of any successful system when dealing with upset people while the worst thing to do is to evaluate for them.
Your post provides extremely valuable hatting elements and looks into the subject with thoroughness and depth.
Before reading your post, I was pretty close to doing what it says. I had two things I was doing differently which seemed to be working and I wanted to run these by you and get your opinion.
#1 - Competitive Complaining - I was using a modified form of this with good results. I use remarks such as, "I can relate to what you are saying about your income drying up because my construction business tanked in 2009 with the failure of the banks and the bad economy." In other words, I am attempting to build reality with them by citing my own parallel bad business experience.
#2 - Giving One's Opinion - Often, I think I see something which may help the person but realize that it is only my opinion. To just blurt it out would be a total disaster but if one prefaces giving their opinion with, "Is it okay if I share an opinion of mine with you?", I have found that about 5 times out of 6 they will say okay and then I state my opinion. More often than not, my opinion will be helpful to them and start them on the road to figuring out on their own what is upsetting them.
Lakey
Carmelo - Thanks for this timely and very helpful post originated by Prof. Leahy. I have placed myself in the position of hearing complaints from upset people on a regular, almost daily basis. I did get some hatting from Purple Haze on just listening intently and then acknowledging.
From an empirical point of view, listening and acking seems to be the backbone of any successful system when dealing with upset people while the worst thing to do is to evaluate for them.
Your post provides extremely valuable hatting elements and looks into the subject with thoroughness and depth.
Before reading your post, I was pretty close to doing what it says. I had two things I was doing differently which seemed to be working and I wanted to run these by you and get your opinion.
#1 - Competitive Complaining - I was using a modified form of this with good results. I use remarks such as, "I can relate to what you are saying about your income drying up because my construction business tanked in 2009 with the failure of the banks and the bad economy." In other words, I am attempting to build reality with them by citing my own parallel bad business experience.
#2 - Giving One's Opinion - Often, I think I see something which may help the person but realize that it is only my opinion. To just blurt it out would be a total disaster but if one prefaces giving their opinion with, "Is it okay if I share an opinion of mine with you?", I have found that about 5 times out of 6 they will say okay and then I state my opinion. More often than not, my opinion will be helpful to them and start them on the road to figuring out on their own what is upsetting them.
Lakey
Last edited:
afaceinthecrowd
Gold Meritorious Patron
Back form a walk in the clouds.
My Dear ESMB, Apollo Thread and Lurker Friends,
I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from posting or reading much on ESMB for about 6 or 7 weeks. I’ve kept up with a few things and have continued to read this thread…there is so much gooder than gooder gets good stuff all Y’all post here and this thread is an important and wonderful part of my daily life.
There are a number of reasons for my “pulling back” from active and much passive involvement with ESMB and frankly, I’m staying pulled back for awhile. The reasons actually comprise a moderately lengthy story that I will endeavor to tell—for those that have interest—while attempting to refrain from my customary self-indulgent pedantic epic heroic slush style—confident in the fact that I shall most probably fail miserably at that.
Dart’s “Goodbye” Mike Laws’ new thread, the forgiveness thread and TAJ's Farwell for Now compelled me to comment. Emma’s “Us and Them” is the ticket and I’m hopeful that it will make ESMB even better that it has been and I’ve been very forthcoming about what and how I feel about ESMB and most all Y’all. I’ve endeavored to follow the rules since I’ve been here and most all Y’all have, too—that’s why ESMB is already as good as it is. Emma is a remarkable person and I know I couldn’t even begin to do what she has done and contunes to do so remarkably well.
I see some proffer the premise that, “this is the internet and you can’t control it or me. I can act as I please, spew what I wish and you can’t ‘touch’ me so stick it in your ear and F Off!” I see this a bogus and fallacious reasoning. It is the “argument” of an undisciplined mind, an uncertain heart and, bluntly, coward-like. This site and all sites of this nature are virtual communities. Every community has founders, codes and officials and those wishing to live in that community are subject to those codes of conduct. Mavericks and Characters are most welcome; anarchists and bullies are not. ESMB is a unique and special resource. The wealth of good, solid information and brilliant, humorous, thoughtful, kind, helpful, decent, enlightening, clever and downright supportive and fun posters is unmatched anywhere.
Any Idea, concept and premise can and should be challenged, questioned and discussed—it is a foundation principle of Western Thought perfected, in my view, by Socrates. Socrates is very good reading and clearly shows that civil, reasoned, humorous, polite, witty, irreverent, specific, disciplined, thoughtful, spirited, pragmatic, patient and pointed Dialogue is the most effective way to seek knowledge, ferret out and discover “truth”, learn, share ideas and change ones, or another’s, mind.
And now, for the rest of the story.
Around Thanksgiving events on some other threads began to wear heavily on my heart. At that time I started having trouble reading and writing again and felt confused and, in general, just plain did not feel good. I had just had a flu shot and had a bad reaction to it and figured I was just “down” because I was a sick with flu symptoms.
Bottom line turned out to be that was not the case.
I have checkups every three months and with my PC Doctor and every 6-12 months with 2 Specialists. Fortunately I was due for checkups with all three the first week of December. It turns out that fluid was slowly building up in my skull again.
Up until 3 days ago I have been profoundly deaf for three weeks or so and off and on semi to fully bed ridden with near daily neural storms and have been unable to read or concentrate on anything inorganic without great difficulty. Due to my earlier event, I live with chronic accute ringing and buzzing in my head (kinda like a nest of cicadas with a bee hive chirping and buzzing and a 747 landing in the background) and the deafness accentuates this condition as it is the only thing that I can “hear”; it's something I'm still learning to accept, not resist and embrace. Grrr.
As the situation was caught in time it is treatable without surgery and the med regimen, “tuned in” over the last few weeks is getting the job done well enough for now. My Doc’s prognosis is full recovery in the next month. As I “come back”...yet again...I will in the future post some stories of my journey over this Holiday Season for those that have interest…this has been a good thing.
I’ve been through this process before and this time is, comparatively, a “piece of cake” but it also is indicative of probabilities for my long term prognosis. The probability now is that within the next 5-10 years my hearing will deteriorate to the point that I am untreatably deaf and that I will have deterioration in my already poor balance and concentration on inorganic constructs. My Doc’s have no idea what to prognosticate as to my consciousness, “thought and reasoning” skills as they say I am already light years ahead of anything they have seen, given the circumstances.
It’s time to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
I have work to do. I have one book well in progress and another outlined and planned, and several other “concept/writing/development” projects friends have invited me to participate in. Certainly I am slow, amateurish and foolish but it’s the doing, dreaming and a priori serendipity of discovery that makes it all worth while, no matter the outcome. I don’t need too sell anything to live comfortably for the rest of this life. I have things I want to say and, oddly, I don’t know exactly what they are until I say them and yet I “feel” the “Sea of Ideas” all around me. Sounds nuts…I know.
When someone is ill, infirmed, in need and distress kindness is more than a thoughtful gesture—kindness breaths life and hope into each measured beat of the heart. It doesn’t take much kindness or highly “stylized” to go a long way—it just has to be without computation as, in my view, it’s not a quality of reason…it’s just seems to be instinct. Of this I am certain as, yet again, the kindness of my family, love ones, friends, and Doc’s have “filled my sails” and I am ready to prepare for what may come. Later this year I will be learning a new language…sign language. My lady friend says that she learned from the Art of Dance that non-verbal communication is more basic, inherent and “natural” to human nature and she is going to learn to sign with me. My daughter that’s a Certified Specialist and teaches deaf and blind children is going to help with the curriculum. Another one of my daughters is skilled at signing from tutoring deaf students in high school and college.
I suppose that the “naturalness” of no-verbal communication is one of the reasons that humankind can have such a bitch of a time with symbolic notation. Words can be so wonderful and special and are very useful but we should not worship and them treat them and covet them as though they are real.
Words and Kindness.
Evanescence is a word that describes an inherent quality of the presence of kindness.
Newbies. Folks coming “out”. Some staggering, crawling, limping, lost. Some running, jumping, racing, pissed off. Some walking, slowly, step-by-step looking for signposts to a pathway.
There is no “The Tech”. We each have or own ways, or own “Techs”. But we share a common bond and we were instructed forcefully, callously to not put ourselves in another one’s shoes…to “make” them wear their “shoes” or the “shoes” that were dictated to be worn. Sometimes all a person needs to begin the walk across the parching desert to the verdant forest is simply a pair of shoes, any shoes, and they will go forward from there. Sometimes, even with the shoes, they need a little encouragement, prodding or a kick in the butt—not belittling, chiding or a prod shoved up there arse. I think some folks may have kindness and decency equated to “sucking-up” and “being stifling of ‘free’ expression”. Phil Ochs sang it best folks, “there, but for fortune, go you or I.”
We were all bombarded with the “Words” of the “Tech”. Makes one shell shocked, jittery, confused. We all came out, to varying degrees, “booby trapped”; throwing hand grenades at folks in that condition can certainly set some of them off. I personally think it is more kind and efficacious to thoughtfully help diffuse the little bastards where possible and give folks what “safe harbor” we can to right their ship. I needed that…I think most folks needed that.
Awhile back Lakey referred to me as the “Will Rogers” of this thread…he is too kind. I wish that I could speak and write so simply, so clearly, so uncluttered.
Every time I “go away”, when I “come back” I go through a period of time that all I can do is speak with my heart until the “banter, syntax, rhythms” of the brain go back on line.
I have spoken my heart. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Be seein’ Y’all around the Rodeo.
Let ‘er buck!
Face
My Dear ESMB, Apollo Thread and Lurker Friends,
I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from posting or reading much on ESMB for about 6 or 7 weeks. I’ve kept up with a few things and have continued to read this thread…there is so much gooder than gooder gets good stuff all Y’all post here and this thread is an important and wonderful part of my daily life.
There are a number of reasons for my “pulling back” from active and much passive involvement with ESMB and frankly, I’m staying pulled back for awhile. The reasons actually comprise a moderately lengthy story that I will endeavor to tell—for those that have interest—while attempting to refrain from my customary self-indulgent pedantic epic heroic slush style—confident in the fact that I shall most probably fail miserably at that.
Dart’s “Goodbye” Mike Laws’ new thread, the forgiveness thread and TAJ's Farwell for Now compelled me to comment. Emma’s “Us and Them” is the ticket and I’m hopeful that it will make ESMB even better that it has been and I’ve been very forthcoming about what and how I feel about ESMB and most all Y’all. I’ve endeavored to follow the rules since I’ve been here and most all Y’all have, too—that’s why ESMB is already as good as it is. Emma is a remarkable person and I know I couldn’t even begin to do what she has done and contunes to do so remarkably well.
I see some proffer the premise that, “this is the internet and you can’t control it or me. I can act as I please, spew what I wish and you can’t ‘touch’ me so stick it in your ear and F Off!” I see this a bogus and fallacious reasoning. It is the “argument” of an undisciplined mind, an uncertain heart and, bluntly, coward-like. This site and all sites of this nature are virtual communities. Every community has founders, codes and officials and those wishing to live in that community are subject to those codes of conduct. Mavericks and Characters are most welcome; anarchists and bullies are not. ESMB is a unique and special resource. The wealth of good, solid information and brilliant, humorous, thoughtful, kind, helpful, decent, enlightening, clever and downright supportive and fun posters is unmatched anywhere.
Any Idea, concept and premise can and should be challenged, questioned and discussed—it is a foundation principle of Western Thought perfected, in my view, by Socrates. Socrates is very good reading and clearly shows that civil, reasoned, humorous, polite, witty, irreverent, specific, disciplined, thoughtful, spirited, pragmatic, patient and pointed Dialogue is the most effective way to seek knowledge, ferret out and discover “truth”, learn, share ideas and change ones, or another’s, mind.
And now, for the rest of the story.
Around Thanksgiving events on some other threads began to wear heavily on my heart. At that time I started having trouble reading and writing again and felt confused and, in general, just plain did not feel good. I had just had a flu shot and had a bad reaction to it and figured I was just “down” because I was a sick with flu symptoms.
Bottom line turned out to be that was not the case.
I have checkups every three months and with my PC Doctor and every 6-12 months with 2 Specialists. Fortunately I was due for checkups with all three the first week of December. It turns out that fluid was slowly building up in my skull again.
Up until 3 days ago I have been profoundly deaf for three weeks or so and off and on semi to fully bed ridden with near daily neural storms and have been unable to read or concentrate on anything inorganic without great difficulty. Due to my earlier event, I live with chronic accute ringing and buzzing in my head (kinda like a nest of cicadas with a bee hive chirping and buzzing and a 747 landing in the background) and the deafness accentuates this condition as it is the only thing that I can “hear”; it's something I'm still learning to accept, not resist and embrace. Grrr.
As the situation was caught in time it is treatable without surgery and the med regimen, “tuned in” over the last few weeks is getting the job done well enough for now. My Doc’s prognosis is full recovery in the next month. As I “come back”...yet again...I will in the future post some stories of my journey over this Holiday Season for those that have interest…this has been a good thing.
I’ve been through this process before and this time is, comparatively, a “piece of cake” but it also is indicative of probabilities for my long term prognosis. The probability now is that within the next 5-10 years my hearing will deteriorate to the point that I am untreatably deaf and that I will have deterioration in my already poor balance and concentration on inorganic constructs. My Doc’s have no idea what to prognosticate as to my consciousness, “thought and reasoning” skills as they say I am already light years ahead of anything they have seen, given the circumstances.
It’s time to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
I have work to do. I have one book well in progress and another outlined and planned, and several other “concept/writing/development” projects friends have invited me to participate in. Certainly I am slow, amateurish and foolish but it’s the doing, dreaming and a priori serendipity of discovery that makes it all worth while, no matter the outcome. I don’t need too sell anything to live comfortably for the rest of this life. I have things I want to say and, oddly, I don’t know exactly what they are until I say them and yet I “feel” the “Sea of Ideas” all around me. Sounds nuts…I know.
When someone is ill, infirmed, in need and distress kindness is more than a thoughtful gesture—kindness breaths life and hope into each measured beat of the heart. It doesn’t take much kindness or highly “stylized” to go a long way—it just has to be without computation as, in my view, it’s not a quality of reason…it’s just seems to be instinct. Of this I am certain as, yet again, the kindness of my family, love ones, friends, and Doc’s have “filled my sails” and I am ready to prepare for what may come. Later this year I will be learning a new language…sign language. My lady friend says that she learned from the Art of Dance that non-verbal communication is more basic, inherent and “natural” to human nature and she is going to learn to sign with me. My daughter that’s a Certified Specialist and teaches deaf and blind children is going to help with the curriculum. Another one of my daughters is skilled at signing from tutoring deaf students in high school and college.
I suppose that the “naturalness” of no-verbal communication is one of the reasons that humankind can have such a bitch of a time with symbolic notation. Words can be so wonderful and special and are very useful but we should not worship and them treat them and covet them as though they are real.
Words and Kindness.
Evanescence is a word that describes an inherent quality of the presence of kindness.
Newbies. Folks coming “out”. Some staggering, crawling, limping, lost. Some running, jumping, racing, pissed off. Some walking, slowly, step-by-step looking for signposts to a pathway.
There is no “The Tech”. We each have or own ways, or own “Techs”. But we share a common bond and we were instructed forcefully, callously to not put ourselves in another one’s shoes…to “make” them wear their “shoes” or the “shoes” that were dictated to be worn. Sometimes all a person needs to begin the walk across the parching desert to the verdant forest is simply a pair of shoes, any shoes, and they will go forward from there. Sometimes, even with the shoes, they need a little encouragement, prodding or a kick in the butt—not belittling, chiding or a prod shoved up there arse. I think some folks may have kindness and decency equated to “sucking-up” and “being stifling of ‘free’ expression”. Phil Ochs sang it best folks, “there, but for fortune, go you or I.”
We were all bombarded with the “Words” of the “Tech”. Makes one shell shocked, jittery, confused. We all came out, to varying degrees, “booby trapped”; throwing hand grenades at folks in that condition can certainly set some of them off. I personally think it is more kind and efficacious to thoughtfully help diffuse the little bastards where possible and give folks what “safe harbor” we can to right their ship. I needed that…I think most folks needed that.
Awhile back Lakey referred to me as the “Will Rogers” of this thread…he is too kind. I wish that I could speak and write so simply, so clearly, so uncluttered.
Every time I “go away”, when I “come back” I go through a period of time that all I can do is speak with my heart until the “banter, syntax, rhythms” of the brain go back on line.
I have spoken my heart. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Be seein’ Y’all around the Rodeo.
Let ‘er buck!
Face
Last edited:
Ted
Gold Meritorious Patron
Thank you, Facey.
Speaking from the heart is all that matters to me. Head-talk leads to trouble, disagreement, agreement with the wrong sources/things, efforts to dominate, concepts of overts and withholds necessitating recriminations, acceptances, rejections, and so on. Head-talk gets very complicated. Speak/write from the heart. That is what's best. If a person says, "This is how I feel," or even "This is what I believe..." what else is there to say but, "Thank you for telling me that"? That is, if you believe in granting beingness and free will. And if someone does not accept these things I have no business engaging their head-talk.
So, glad to hear from you. I was wondering where you have been. I hope all turns out as well as possible.
Speaking from the heart is all that matters to me. Head-talk leads to trouble, disagreement, agreement with the wrong sources/things, efforts to dominate, concepts of overts and withholds necessitating recriminations, acceptances, rejections, and so on. Head-talk gets very complicated. Speak/write from the heart. That is what's best. If a person says, "This is how I feel," or even "This is what I believe..." what else is there to say but, "Thank you for telling me that"? That is, if you believe in granting beingness and free will. And if someone does not accept these things I have no business engaging their head-talk.
So, glad to hear from you. I was wondering where you have been. I hope all turns out as well as possible.
CarmeloOrchards
Crusader
Face,
oh man!. as my father always said, "It's a great life, if you don't weaken."
oh man!. as my father always said, "It's a great life, if you don't weaken."
lkwdblds
Crusader
Thanks for your update Face!
Face - thank you so much for updating us on your situation!! I stand by my earlier comment that you are the Will Rogers of this thread!
I agree wholeheartedly with you as regards Emma. You wrote so clearly and uncluttered the compliments that must be paid to her and the thanks that must be given her. I "diito" every remark you made concerning ESMB and Emma.
On you personal situation, I wish you continued success in your recovery and admire how you are dealing with it. You have far surpassed the doctors' predictions with your earlier recoveries and I take it is a given that you you will do so again. Learning sign language should be a beautiful experience for you which will add richness and aesthetics to your life.
Your parallels with Will Rogers are amazing. You both write simply, clearly and uncluttered and you both have that Texas or Southern ability to say things in a very direct, entertaining and funny manner. You probably share with him his Texas dialect.
God bless you and it is great to have you back posting here.
Lakey
Face - thank you so much for updating us on your situation!! I stand by my earlier comment that you are the Will Rogers of this thread!
I agree wholeheartedly with you as regards Emma. You wrote so clearly and uncluttered the compliments that must be paid to her and the thanks that must be given her. I "diito" every remark you made concerning ESMB and Emma.
On you personal situation, I wish you continued success in your recovery and admire how you are dealing with it. You have far surpassed the doctors' predictions with your earlier recoveries and I take it is a given that you you will do so again. Learning sign language should be a beautiful experience for you which will add richness and aesthetics to your life.
Your parallels with Will Rogers are amazing. You both write simply, clearly and uncluttered and you both have that Texas or Southern ability to say things in a very direct, entertaining and funny manner. You probably share with him his Texas dialect.
God bless you and it is great to have you back posting here.
Lakey
Facey
I have read many of your posts and enoyed as well as gained wisdom from them. This is the first time I found some reality I could share.
The last few years I have been losing my hearing. I really wanted some hearing aides, but could not afford them. Medicare does not cover them. I finaly got poor enough to afford them. This does make sense. I was accepted for Medicade
Yipee! Meicade does cover hearing aides!
I think my greatest thrill when I got them was the day I was sitting out on the patio and a flock of geese flew over and I could hear their honking. I was so happy, I honked back at them.
I also have some experience with Sign Language. I was the Supervisor of a 30 women office. I hired first one and then 5 more gals that were deaf. At first most of our communication was writing. Then they started teaching me signs. I was pretty good at learning and they were terrific computer opperators.
They even introducede me to one of the deaf guys and I dated him for a while
Several of us would go out to dinner, with myself being he only hearing person. I wold listen to the other diners making comments about us and tell the others what was being said. If the comets where tacky as we were leaving and passing their booth, I would say F**k You!
The group really got a kick from the looks on the peoples face. I can still remember how to say that in Sign.
I will be praying for your health and especially happiness.
Pat
I have read many of your posts and enoyed as well as gained wisdom from them. This is the first time I found some reality I could share.
The last few years I have been losing my hearing. I really wanted some hearing aides, but could not afford them. Medicare does not cover them. I finaly got poor enough to afford them. This does make sense. I was accepted for Medicade
Yipee! Meicade does cover hearing aides!I think my greatest thrill when I got them was the day I was sitting out on the patio and a flock of geese flew over and I could hear their honking. I was so happy, I honked back at them.
I also have some experience with Sign Language. I was the Supervisor of a 30 women office. I hired first one and then 5 more gals that were deaf. At first most of our communication was writing. Then they started teaching me signs. I was pretty good at learning and they were terrific computer opperators.
They even introducede me to one of the deaf guys and I dated him for a while
Several of us would go out to dinner, with myself being he only hearing person. I wold listen to the other diners making comments about us and tell the others what was being said. If the comets where tacky as we were leaving and passing their booth, I would say F**k You! The group really got a kick from the looks on the peoples face. I can still remember how to say that in Sign.I will be praying for your health and especially happiness.
Pat
CarmeloOrchards
Crusader
It is really a matter of FIRST seeing the situation with their eyes.
If you come across accidently or deliberately minimizing their present time "take" on the situation, then you are , in essence, making less of them.
If you make more of yourself (smarter, wiser, better, etc), they will only resent your words.
If you approach things as "we" then you can help them look and re examine the big picture.
SweetnessandLight
Crusader
Glorioski!
It really IS a UFO cult!!! I think I shall invest in tinfoil futures!:
From:
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Columns_4/article_7211.shtml
"From the Land of the Seminole and Osceola to the Clear Water Mecca of Scientology
BY MOTHER TYNNETTA MUHAMMAD | LAST UPDATED: AUG 19, 2010 - 3:16:37 PM
The Cultural Revolution Begins | In Search of the Messiah
“Those who believe not in Allah's messages, Allah guides them not, and for them is a painful chastisement. Only they forge lies who believe not in Allah's messages, and they are the liars.” —Holy Qur'an, Surah 16, verses 104-105
On the eve of Ramadan on August 10th and the 11th, a few sisters headed out from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on a spectacular journey to the Clear Water Scientology Center. Within three hours of our arrival and settling into our comfortable accommodations, arranged for us at the Fort Harrison Hotel, we began our initial tour of the hotel facility. Our two primary hosts, public relations director, Pat Harney, and coordinator, Fu Mei, who were prepared several days in advance to receive us greeted us with great warmth and gentle kindness as their guests for dinner at one of the hotel's fine dining restaurants.
Lit object hovers in the night sky (detailed by box).
Following dinner, we were taken on a brief tour of the two hotel's ballrooms, one of which was host to the Ebony Awakening Awards Program held on June 19th, where my son, Rasul Muhammad, was invited to perform. From there, we ascended the elevator to the 10th floor to view the Crystal ballroom; and from there we were escorted to the balcony where a grand adventure was in store for us. As we were approaching the hour of complete sunset, we were captivated by the spacious, open roof surroundings titillating with a mild breeze and a much lower temperature of the day. The view was engaging, which gave us an outlook over some of the city buildings, which included a park and the Clear Water bay.
As we looked up to the sky, there was a soft gathering of grayish black clouds. Sister Callie Muhammad noticed a small light coming from behind one of the faint cloud formations. From that moment on, the drama of the sighting began. All five of our sisters in attendance, including the public relations director and later joined by Fu Mei, were all drawn to this spectacular light that increased in size in the dark background of the night sky. A variety of color hues began to appear around the object, which were clearly visible to all of us. The shape of a dome emerged on the top with an angular slant on both sides. At a certain point, we recognized a rotating center ring or hub of bright oscillating lights. The color sequencing that we observed went from amber to reddish tints, to soft greens and blues.
Sisters look up to the lit object in the night sky on location at the Fort Harrison Hotel at the Clear Water Scientology Center. Photos: Callie M. Muhammad
When Fu Mei entered and noticed the large object, she recalled receiving a text message on her phone several weeks earlier from Reverend Al Freddie when he was in Atlanta and was describing to her a similar type object that he observed there glowing in the night sky. Our public relations host said that she had heard about these kinds of sightings, generally referred to as UFOs, but had not actually witnessed one before until then. It was hard for us to keep from observing with excitement this spectacular sight. After approximately 20 or so minutes, our host suggested that we go downstairs to the first level of the hotel to the outdoor pool area and terrace. She soon departed company with us for the night, and there we remained in that spot continuing to observe this rare sighting up to approximately 20 or 25 more minutes.
By this time, one of the staff employees at the hotel began peering through the veranda windows opening from the inside of the hotel to the terrace and soon joined us and stated that it certainly wasn't Mars which would have reflected a reddish tint; and he continued, it didn't fit the description of a star. Literally, there were no other star candidates in our night sky view. Sister Charlene Muhammad, the wife of my son, Rasul Muhammad, had accompanied our small group which also included Sister Sabrena Muhammad, Dr. Darnita Muhammad from Ft. Lauderdale, and Sister Callie Muhammad from Columbus, Ohio. She took her small telephone camera and began filming the object which appeared in her camera lens to be bobbing and weaving and dancing in the sky.
As we were thanking Allah for this special blessing and pondering over its meaning relative to the eve or start of Ramadan, within these few short hours of our arrival in Clear Water, another staff member approached us who had prepared for us to have the experience of the Nerve Assist Treatment before retiring, found herself also caught up with our experience and was amazed to see the live footage and recording of the object captured by Sister Charlene's telephone camera.
We finally returned to our rooms highly electrified by this experience that was witnessed by so many participants there at the Fort Harrison Hotel. After we each received the technique of Nerve Assist developed by L. Ron Hubbard, we returned to the Book of our early evening studies on how UFOs communicate with us: It Is Information About How The Connections By UFOs Are Made.
“Whoso disbelieves in Allah after his belief—not he who is compelled while his heart is content with faith, but he who opens (his) breast for disbelief—on them is the wrath of Allah, and for them is a grievous chastisement. That is because they love this world's life more than the Hereafter, and because Allah guides not the disbelieving people.” —Holy Qur'an, Surah 16, verses 106-107
To be continued."
It really IS a UFO cult!!! I think I shall invest in tinfoil futures!:From:
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Columns_4/article_7211.shtml
"From the Land of the Seminole and Osceola to the Clear Water Mecca of Scientology
BY MOTHER TYNNETTA MUHAMMAD | LAST UPDATED: AUG 19, 2010 - 3:16:37 PM
The Cultural Revolution Begins | In Search of the Messiah
“Those who believe not in Allah's messages, Allah guides them not, and for them is a painful chastisement. Only they forge lies who believe not in Allah's messages, and they are the liars.” —Holy Qur'an, Surah 16, verses 104-105
On the eve of Ramadan on August 10th and the 11th, a few sisters headed out from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on a spectacular journey to the Clear Water Scientology Center. Within three hours of our arrival and settling into our comfortable accommodations, arranged for us at the Fort Harrison Hotel, we began our initial tour of the hotel facility. Our two primary hosts, public relations director, Pat Harney, and coordinator, Fu Mei, who were prepared several days in advance to receive us greeted us with great warmth and gentle kindness as their guests for dinner at one of the hotel's fine dining restaurants.
Lit object hovers in the night sky (detailed by box).
Following dinner, we were taken on a brief tour of the two hotel's ballrooms, one of which was host to the Ebony Awakening Awards Program held on June 19th, where my son, Rasul Muhammad, was invited to perform. From there, we ascended the elevator to the 10th floor to view the Crystal ballroom; and from there we were escorted to the balcony where a grand adventure was in store for us. As we were approaching the hour of complete sunset, we were captivated by the spacious, open roof surroundings titillating with a mild breeze and a much lower temperature of the day. The view was engaging, which gave us an outlook over some of the city buildings, which included a park and the Clear Water bay.
As we looked up to the sky, there was a soft gathering of grayish black clouds. Sister Callie Muhammad noticed a small light coming from behind one of the faint cloud formations. From that moment on, the drama of the sighting began. All five of our sisters in attendance, including the public relations director and later joined by Fu Mei, were all drawn to this spectacular light that increased in size in the dark background of the night sky. A variety of color hues began to appear around the object, which were clearly visible to all of us. The shape of a dome emerged on the top with an angular slant on both sides. At a certain point, we recognized a rotating center ring or hub of bright oscillating lights. The color sequencing that we observed went from amber to reddish tints, to soft greens and blues.
Sisters look up to the lit object in the night sky on location at the Fort Harrison Hotel at the Clear Water Scientology Center. Photos: Callie M. Muhammad
When Fu Mei entered and noticed the large object, she recalled receiving a text message on her phone several weeks earlier from Reverend Al Freddie when he was in Atlanta and was describing to her a similar type object that he observed there glowing in the night sky. Our public relations host said that she had heard about these kinds of sightings, generally referred to as UFOs, but had not actually witnessed one before until then. It was hard for us to keep from observing with excitement this spectacular sight. After approximately 20 or so minutes, our host suggested that we go downstairs to the first level of the hotel to the outdoor pool area and terrace. She soon departed company with us for the night, and there we remained in that spot continuing to observe this rare sighting up to approximately 20 or 25 more minutes.
By this time, one of the staff employees at the hotel began peering through the veranda windows opening from the inside of the hotel to the terrace and soon joined us and stated that it certainly wasn't Mars which would have reflected a reddish tint; and he continued, it didn't fit the description of a star. Literally, there were no other star candidates in our night sky view. Sister Charlene Muhammad, the wife of my son, Rasul Muhammad, had accompanied our small group which also included Sister Sabrena Muhammad, Dr. Darnita Muhammad from Ft. Lauderdale, and Sister Callie Muhammad from Columbus, Ohio. She took her small telephone camera and began filming the object which appeared in her camera lens to be bobbing and weaving and dancing in the sky.
As we were thanking Allah for this special blessing and pondering over its meaning relative to the eve or start of Ramadan, within these few short hours of our arrival in Clear Water, another staff member approached us who had prepared for us to have the experience of the Nerve Assist Treatment before retiring, found herself also caught up with our experience and was amazed to see the live footage and recording of the object captured by Sister Charlene's telephone camera.
We finally returned to our rooms highly electrified by this experience that was witnessed by so many participants there at the Fort Harrison Hotel. After we each received the technique of Nerve Assist developed by L. Ron Hubbard, we returned to the Book of our early evening studies on how UFOs communicate with us: It Is Information About How The Connections By UFOs Are Made.
“Whoso disbelieves in Allah after his belief—not he who is compelled while his heart is content with faith, but he who opens (his) breast for disbelief—on them is the wrath of Allah, and for them is a grievous chastisement. That is because they love this world's life more than the Hereafter, and because Allah guides not the disbelieving people.” —Holy Qur'an, Surah 16, verses 106-107
To be continued."
lkwdblds
Crusader
The "we" comment is very helpful.
Great! The comment on the use of the word "we" is very helpful.
Lakey
Great! The comment on the use of the word "we" is very helpful.
Lakey
SweetnessandLight
Crusader
Great Idea, Lakey and Friends!!
Hooray!!! I have been hoping you guys would create something just like this as a safe space for yourselves and new friends to play with each other and explore life some more!!! Good for you! Yippee!!!
I hope that I may attend some time after the weather warms up a bit more. Keep us all filled in on how things are going for you.
Hooray!!! I have been hoping you guys would create something just like this as a safe space for yourselves and new friends to play with each other and explore life some more!!! Good for you! Yippee!!!
I hope that I may attend some time after the weather warms up a bit more. Keep us all filled in on how things are going for you.
SweetnessandLight
Crusader
Thanks Carmelo, for posting that. I just love Cognative Behavioral Therapy, it really does work and helps lots of people. No drugs need be involved! I can add, remember to use " I statements", as in "if it were happening to me, I would feel... or I think this is what I might do...", instead of "You are (too sensitive)..." or "you should do this...", or instead of saying "You always do this to make me feel...", say, "when you do this, or when this happens, I feel...". Even very caring sentiments can also come across as sounding very bossy and invalidating or dis-empowering, otherwise.
Sometimes just listening and mirroring back or validating what the other person is feeling can help a lot. Not everyone needs to be "fixed".
I really like the way we speak to each other on this thread, for the most part, even when we disagree, we can do it in a way so as not to hurt or harm anyone.
RogerB
Crusader
Face,
You're a great friend to many. And you've done much good in your life, and I'm sure it will continue to be so for some time yet.
I know you are well aware you've been immensely appreciated here on our "Apollo" thread. I hope appreciation in similar vein and proportion is your reward in all the other areas you contact. You deserve it.
It is always sad to hear that dear friends are having a difficult time of anything . . . and this thing you describe sounds a real bitch.
I know many will be sending prayers your way as this is believed to help, even if, at a minimum, that you benefit from their love.
For me I'll be reaching out to touch you as a spiritual Being and seeing what can be done to help.
Aloha for you, and mahalo upon you.
Rog
You're a great friend to many. And you've done much good in your life, and I'm sure it will continue to be so for some time yet.
I know you are well aware you've been immensely appreciated here on our "Apollo" thread. I hope appreciation in similar vein and proportion is your reward in all the other areas you contact. You deserve it.
It is always sad to hear that dear friends are having a difficult time of anything . . . and this thing you describe sounds a real bitch.
I know many will be sending prayers your way as this is believed to help, even if, at a minimum, that you benefit from their love.
For me I'll be reaching out to touch you as a spiritual Being and seeing what can be done to help.
Aloha for you, and mahalo upon you.
Rog
Ted
Gold Meritorious Patron
This belongs on the chem trail thread, but I could not find it. I generally go right to the Apollo thread and haven't yet learned to navigate the system.
I am not much for conspiracy theory as I have reasons why I believe this stuff comes about in people's minds. But this talk hits the nail on the head. I believe this to be true.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaBAx7652lM&feature=player_embedded
I am not much for conspiracy theory as I have reasons why I believe this stuff comes about in people's minds. But this talk hits the nail on the head. I believe this to be true.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaBAx7652lM&feature=player_embedded
SweetnessandLight
Crusader
Special Message to Brother Facey!
But Facey, I LOVE your "epic heroic slush style"!!!
I always enjoy your posting but especially when you speak straight from the heart, as you have done here with is. I know Face, that whatever changes that you go through, all will be well with you, because you will still be you! And you are great!
Yesterday I went for a little walk, and encountered a three story tall pyrocantha bush, tree really, just filled with birds cheeping and twittering and singing their heads off...They were so alive, and I felt so connected to them I could almost understand them, and I thought, Oh, I wish Face were here to enjoy this! I sent you some good energy and did my prayer work, you're on my list for some daily prayer treatment Pal, did you know that??? The organic world speaks volumes to me, too. I will always be able to understand and empathize with this about you...it gets stronger in me as I age. Was very strong in me as a child, too.
This prognosis is not written in stone, at best it's an educated guess. Good thing for all of us to hope for the best and prepare for the worst, right?
I so do want you to continue with your writing projects. Please put them and your continued well-being high on your priority list. I know how much effort writing and editing can be. Keep up the good work!
We can develop a very simple code, you can just log on and type in XXOO or something (choose a fun smilie!) now and then and we'll know that you are doing o.k., given the circumstances, and are thinking of us...Just try and stop us from thinking of you!
It's relatively easy and fun to learn to sign, there is a whole deaf culture and deaf humor, etc. My church has an associate Pastor who is hearing but with deaf parents and deaf children, who signs every service, and "sings" in sign language very beautifully, with the choir. The choir and youth choir have learned some signs to go with certain songs, as has the whole congregation. It's just learning a new language, Facey!
I have the tinnitus thingie too, and natural sounds, like a babbling stream. ocean waves, birdsong, etc. really helps to relieve the stress of it. I'm outside most of the day, and sometimes listen to recordings of natural sounds at night, too.
Trust in Life, Facey!
Trust in yourself.
We all are pulling for you!
Love you, Big Guy...keep in touch with us here from time to time.
My Dear ESMB, Apollo Thread and Lurker Friends,
I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from posting or reading much on ESMB for about 6 or 7 weeks. I’ve kept up with a few things and have continued to read this thread…there is so much gooder than gooder gets good stuff all Y’all post here and this thread is an important and wonderful part of my daily life.
There are a number of reasons for my “pulling back” from active and much passive involvement with ESMB and frankly, I’m staying pulled back for awhile. The reasons actually comprise a moderately lengthy story that I will endeavor to tell—for those that have interest—while attempting to refrain from my customary self-indulgent pedantic epic heroic slush style—confident in the fact that I shall most probably fail miserably at that.
Dart’s “Goodbye” Mike Laws’ new thread and the forgiveness thread compelled me to comment. Emma’s “Us and Them” is the ticket and I’m hopeful that it will make ESMB even better that it has been and I’ve been very forthcoming about what and how I feel about ESMB and most all Y’all. I’ve endeavored to follow the rules since I’ve been here and most all Y’all have, too—that’s why ESMB is already as good as it is. Emma is a remarkable person and I know I couldn’t even begin to do what she has done and contunes to do so remarkably well.
I see some proffer the premise that, “this is the internet and you can’t control it or me. I can act as I please, spew what I wish and you can’t ‘touch’ me so stick it in your ear and F Off!” I see this a bogus and fallacious reasoning. It is the “argument” of an undisciplined mind, an uncertain heart and, bluntly, coward-like. This site and all sites of this nature are virtual communities. Every community has founders, codes and officials and those wishing to live in that community are subject to those codes of conduct. Mavericks and Characters are most welcome; anarchists and bullies are not. ESMB is a unique and special resource. The wealth of good, solid information and brilliant, humorous, thoughtful, kind, helpful, decent, enlightening, clever and downright supportive and fun posters is unmatched anywhere.
Any Idea, concept and premise can and should be challenged, questioned and discussed—it is a foundation principle of Western Thought perfected, in my view, by Socrates. Socrates is very good reading and clearly shows that civil, reasoned, humorous, polite, witty, irreverent, specific, disciplined, thoughtful, spirited, pragmatic, patient and pointed Dialogue is the most effective way to seek knowledge, ferret out and discover “truth”, learn, share ideas and change ones, or another’s, mind.
And now, for the rest of the story.
Around Thanksgiving events on some other threads began to wear heavily on my heart. At that time I started having trouble reading and writing again and felt confused and, in general, just plain did not feel good. I had just had a flu shot and had a bad reaction to it and figured I was just “down” because I was a sick with flu symptoms.
Bottom line turned out to be that was not the case.
I have checkups every three months and with my PC Doctor and every 6-12 months with 2 Specialists. Fortunately I was due for checkups with all three the first week of December. It turns out that fluid was slowly building up in my skull again.
Up until 3 days ago I have been profoundly deaf, off and on semi to fully bed ridden with near daily neural storms and have been able to read or concentrate on anything inorganic without great difficulty. Due to my earlier event, I live with chronic ringing and buzzing in my head (kinda like a nest of cicadas with a bee hive chirping and buzzing and a 747 landing in the background) and the deafness accentuates this condition as it is the only thing that I can “hear”; it's something I'm still learning to accept, not resist and embrace. Grrr.
As the situation was caught in time it is treatable without surgery and the med regimen, “tuned in” over the last few weeks is getting the job done well enough for now. My Doc’s prognosis is full recovery in the next month. As I “come back”...yet again...I will in the future post some stories of my journey over this Holiday Season for those that have interest…this has been a good thing.
I’ve been through this process before and this time is, comparatively a “piece of cake” but it also is indicative of probabilities for my long term prognosis. The probability now is that within the next 5-10 years my hearing will deteriorate to the point that I am untreatably deaf and that I will have deterioration in my already poor balance and concentration on inorganic constructs. My Doc’s have no idea what to prognosticate as to my consciousness, “thought and reasoning” skills as they say I am already light years ahead of anything they have seen, given the circumstances.
It’s time to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
I have work to do. I have one book well in progress and another outlined and planned, and several other “concept/writing/development” projects friends have invited me to participate in. Certainly I am slow, amateurish and foolish but it’s the doing, dreaming and a priori serendipity of discovery that makes it all worth while, no matter the outcome. I don’t need too sell anything to live comfortably for the rest of this life. I have things I want to say and, oddly, I don’t know exactly what they are until I say them and yet I “feel” the “Sea of Ideas” all around me. Sounds nuts…I know.
When someone is ill, infirmed, in need and distress kindness is more than a thoughtful gesture—kindness breaths life and hope into each measured beat of the heart. It doesn’t take much kindness or highly “stylized” to go along way—it just has to be without computation as, in my view, it’s not a quality of reason…it’s just seems to be instinct. Of this I am certain as, yet again, the kindness of my family, love ones, friends, and Doc’s have “filled my sails” and I am ready to prepare for may come. Later this year I will be learning a new language…sign language. My lady friend says that she learned from the Art of Dance that non-verbal communication is more basic, inherent and “natural” to human nature and she is going to learn to sign with me. My daughter that’s a Certified Specialist and teaches deaf and blind children is going to help with the curriculum. Another one of my daughters is skilled at signing from tutoring deaf students in high school and college.
I suppose that the “naturalness” of no-verbal communication is one of the reasons that humankind can have such a bitch of a time with symbolic notation. Words can be so wonderful and special and are very useful but we should not worship them treat them and covet them as though they are real.
Words and Kindness.
Evanescence is a word that describes an inherent quality of the presence of kindness.
Newbies. Folks coming “out”. Some staggering, crawling, limping, lost. Some running, jumping, racing, pissed off. Some walking, slowly, step-by-step looking for signposts to a pathway.
There is no “The Tech”. We each have or own ways, or own “Techs”. But we share a common bond and we were instructed forcefully, callously to not put ourselves in another one’s shoes…to “make” them wear their “shoes” or the “shoes” that were dictated to be worn. Sometimes all a person needs to begin the walk across the parching desert to the verdant forest is simply a pair of shoes, any shoes, and they will go forward from their. Sometimes, even with the shoes, they need a little encouragement, prodding or a kick in the butt—not belittling, chiding or a prod shoved up there arse. I think some folks may have kindness and decency equated to “sucking-up” and “being stifling of ‘free’ expression”. Phil Ochs sang it best folks, “there, but for fortune, go you or I.”
We were all bombarded with the “Words” of the “Tech”. Makes one shell shocked, jittery, confused. We all came out, to varying degrees, “booby trapped”; throwing hand grenades at folks in that condition can certainly set some of them off. I personally think it is more kind and efficacious to thoughtfully help diffuse the little bastards where possible and give folks what “safe harbor” we can to right their ship. I needed that…I think most folks needed that.
Awhile back Lakey referred to me as the “Will Rogers” of this thread…he is too kind. I wish that I could speak and write so simply, so clearly, so uncluttered.
Every time I “go away”, when I “come back” I go through a period of time that all I can do is speak with my heart until the “banter, syntax, rhythms” of the brain go back on line.
I have spoken my heart. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Be seein’ Y’all around the Rodeo.
Let ‘er buck!
Face
But Facey, I LOVE your "epic heroic slush style"!!!
I always enjoy your posting but especially when you speak straight from the heart, as you have done here with is. I know Face, that whatever changes that you go through, all will be well with you, because you will still be you!
And you are great! Yesterday I went for a little walk, and encountered a three story tall pyrocantha bush, tree really, just filled with birds cheeping and twittering and singing their heads off...They were so alive, and I felt so connected to them I could almost understand them, and I thought, Oh, I wish Face were here to enjoy this! I sent you some good energy and did my prayer work, you're on my list for some daily prayer treatment Pal, did you know that??? The organic world speaks volumes to me, too.
I will always be able to understand and empathize with this about you...it gets stronger in me as I age. Was very strong in me as a child, too. This prognosis is not written in stone, at best it's an educated guess. Good thing for all of us to hope for the best and prepare for the worst, right?
I so do want you to continue with your writing projects. Please put them and your continued well-being high on your priority list. I know how much effort writing and editing can be. Keep up the good work!
We can develop a very simple code, you can just log on and type in XXOO or something (choose a fun smilie!) now and then and we'll know that you are doing o.k., given the circumstances, and are thinking of us...Just try and stop us from thinking of you!
It's relatively easy and fun to learn to sign, there is a whole deaf culture and deaf humor, etc. My church has an associate Pastor who is hearing but with deaf parents and deaf children, who signs every service, and "sings" in sign language very beautifully, with the choir. The choir and youth choir have learned some signs to go with certain songs, as has the whole congregation. It's just learning a new language, Facey!
I have the tinnitus thingie too, and natural sounds, like a babbling stream. ocean waves, birdsong, etc. really helps to relieve the stress of it. I'm outside most of the day, and sometimes listen to recordings of natural sounds at night, too.
Trust in Life, Facey!
Trust in yourself.
We all are pulling for you!
Love you, Big Guy...keep in touch with us here from time to time.
Mark A. Baker
Sponsor
I have spoken my heart. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Be seein’ Y’all around the Rodeo.
Let ‘er buck!
Face
Face, you are in my thoughts. Best wishes on your projects and in your recovery. If you feel I can be of assistance to you in any way, please contact me directly.
Mark A. Baker
- Status