Journey to Ixtlan

Choosing to be abbreviated here...

1) Tell you why I friended you.

Very frank writing with a writer's attitude. I'm pretty sure I saw your comments on a board we both belong to. Which one? I don't remember.

2) Associate you with a song/movie.

Master and Servant

3) Tell a random fact about you.

Going through work transition sh*t

4) Tell a first memory about you.

Blasted memory!

5) Associate you with an animal/fruit.

eh?

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And now that that meme has scrubbed my fingertips raw, your turn :P

BTW, if you haven't already seen, check your email; will be interesting to hear your take on itw henever you have the time to go through it :)

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itw? I don't remember seeing an e-mail on this.

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Mmmm, I dropped an email to the same addy I left the cthulhu filk at, did it not come through?

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sadly, no. I did get the previous cthulhu filk.

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*kicks email* Right, resending, let me know if it comes through...

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Ok... I got that one. I'm teaching a class this morning, so I'll look at it later. Perhaps tonight as I really have to work most of the day today. (grin)

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M'kay, hopefully you'll find it interesting. Also, you're supposed to do the meme thing, not just post it, but if you're busy it can certainly wait and I won't nag again :)

BTW, what do you teach? I think that a job in academia is one of my phobias regarding my future, I really don't have the patience for it...if you do, I'm thoroughly impressed *grin*

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I was teaching three people the proper way of entering data into a database application that I had written. I'm an engineer by profession. The rest of the day wa spent getting a quotation for a tank replacement, getting pricing for some monitoring equipment, and fixing a bug in a database.

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Engineering? Okay, now I'm truly intimidated. That requires, like, numbers and stuff! *best Valley-girl voice* This from the girl who doesn't like geometry because it's not as abstract as algebra or calculus, mind you, but I was still happy to realize that going to a British university means I'll never have to touch the stuff again :P Then again I'm off to learn how to interpret paintings in ever more arcane and incomprehensible ways, so I'm not one to talk.

BTW, "Much more than she is shoes to most"? That statement made little sense, although I think I can guess at what you meant to type. If I'm right, then, actually, most people who know me at all well know what I'm like, it's just that not everything in my life gets subjected to deep contemplation; being flippant is also amusing in its way. And the Princess Bride comparison is also flattering, seeing as that is one of the snarkiest and funniest movies known to man. I have strange and wonderful friends who like ambushing people with the "I am Inigo Montoya!" line :)

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That requires, like, numbers and stuff!

And you see how often I talk about such things on my blog! (grin)

Much more than she is shoes to most

Hmmmm... let's try, "Much more than she shows to most (people)". It's about 10:29 PM here and my brain is fried.

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Yes, okay, you get credit for not scaring away all potential blog-readers with scary numbers (try attempting to read your boyfriend's essay on Godel's Incompleteness Theorem at this hour. let alone produce constructive criticism). Mine involves the What I'm Doing stuff because most of the people close to me are so far away, and the I Need To Rant stuff because I find it's a very good coping mechanism to just exorcise it early on. The intellectual conversations just didn't tend to happen on LJ for me until recently, that's what MSN is for. Or conversation, vodka-fueled *grin*

"It's about 10:29 PM here and my brain is fried." Ahh, inveterate clubber here, used to coping with lack of sleep when my subconscious chooses to deny me it. For the record, 5:45 am GMT+2 and functional if not quite up to essay feedback :P

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the intellectual conversations just didn't tend to happen on LJ for me until recently, that's what MSN is for.

Where on MSN are your intellectual conversations featured? I've found LJ to be quite satisfying, much better than MySpace (IME).

I have written some mind-numbing articles that are pseudo-number oriented. I can philosophize just about anything! (evil chuckle)

Dimensional Thoughts - The 1st Dimension, The Peacemaker and Warrior Archetypes in the 1st Dimension (http://greensh.livejournal.com/14206.html)

Dimensional Thoughts - The Gateway of the Zero Dimension Revisited (http://greensh.livejournal.com/13909.html)

Dimensional Thoughts - The Zero Dimension and the 1st Dimension, God Source, Duality, and Ego (http://greensh.livejournal.com/13675.html)

I love writing stuff like this...

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Where on MSN? IM, specifically people I know. However, the "deep" analytical conversations don't happen that often, because they have to share time with all the other conversations you need to have with good friends you aren't seeing.

A message-board type setup is perhaps preferable in that it doesn't happen in real-time and gives you the opportunity to collect your thoughts and phrase them appropriately, but I'm not usually an active community member - normally I will happily analyse and debate another's view but I don't often open up my more intimate personal philosophies to just anyone.

Recently I've been deliberately pursuing the opportunity to have more of the intellectually challenging debates because there I felt a serious shortage...it's probably the first time in my life I haven't had classes to deal with on a daily basis.

Myspace has just been making me more and more annoyed ever since I signed up; I certainly haven't had any intellectual conversations there, just one instance of banter with a friend who couldn't be on MSN because he was working...heh. I've also had to beat randoms morons off with a stick. There should be three possible responses to a friend request: "Accept", "Deny", and "What the fuck were you thinking?" Christian/Hip-hop/RnB. 'Nuff said.

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LJ has a much tighter rein on the spam side of things. You can reach out to interesting people while maintaining privacy from the slime who would abuse the system. On MySpace I am SO sick of receiving friend invites from porn gateways. Such things make me glad that I don't have children to worry about.

Question for you... I am contemplating an article on why people have visceral reactions to some topics like abortion and capital punishment. To write about broad philosophical theories may belittle the very real feelings that individuals have. Should I still write the article, or is it enough just to mull it over to myself?

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"On MySpace I am SO sick of receiving friend invites from porn gateways"...oh, that might have been what some of the friend requests from people with T&A in their friendspace were *grin* Now I feel naive. For the record, children are tougher than you give them credit for, I was a net-rad from the age of 10 or so and avoided porn through the very understanding that I didn't wanna see that, thankyouverymuch.

I don't feel that examining why these reactions are so immediate and extreme is belittling, but because of the strength of these reactions I'm not sure you'd get a coherent response - that is, I believe many people would not be emotionally lucid enough to realize that you were aiming for a discussion on a meta- perspective.

For me what differentiates between the introspection I write out and the introspection that remains internalised is 1) If I need to write it to clarify it in my head, 2) If I want to write it as a testament, to manifest it in some more concrete form, and 3) If I want others' perspective on the matter. Which are you aiming for? If 3, I'd say you seem to have some good heads on your F-list, so friends-lock it and you'll still get food for thought.

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*For the record, children are tougher than you give them credit for, I was a net-rad from the age of 10 or so and avoided porn through the very understanding that I didn't wanna see that, thankyouverymuch.*

I give children credit for being tough. It was my own non-toughness I was speaking of! IMO a parent is a representative for the adult population as a whole. I was saying that I was glad that *I* did not have to explain why my fellow adults were such pervs... shoot, I might even have to admit I was one. (GASP) LOL.

*I don't feel that examining why these reactions are so immediate and extreme is belittling, but because of the strength of these reactions I'm not sure you'd get a coherent response - that is, I believe many people would not be emotionally lucid enough to realize that you were aiming for a discussion on a meta- perspective.

For me what differentiates between the introspection I write out and the introspection that remains internalized is 1) If I need to write it to clarify it in my head, 2) If I want to write it as a testament, to manifest it in some more concrete form, and 3) If I want others' perspective on the matter. Which are you aiming for? If 3, I'd say you seem to have some good heads on your F-list, so friends-lock it and you'll still get food for thought.*

For the record, I think I am completely in lust with your brain at this moment. I've met only a few people who could give an analysis like you just did.

I've written at least three articles aiming at a discussion on a meta-principle (love that word!). OK... there were more. The three I can remember right now are about pagan tolerance, sexual violence (http://greensh.livejournal.com/37103.html) and the death penalty (http://greensh.livejournal.com/36069.html). You saw what happened to the pagan tolerance one. The other two had fewer responses, but the those that did come in were emotional and frank. A writer must be aware of the emotions that their "dispassionate" writings may tap into. Addressing this, I have an idea about an article on the writing of meta-perspective articles. (grin). Good stuff.

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Now that I've read the links -

Why FIVE dimensions, and the statement that we live only in the first? As I understand it, at least in terms of physics, we live in three, time is the fourth, and then there's superstring theory.... H'm, now read the last essay, where you confirm time as the fourth dimension, but it still confuses me that you stated that we live in only the first.

Your idea of the Warrior and Peacemaker archetypes implies that people seek out balance or an extreme consciously. From what I've seen (and fine, my experience isn't immense *grin*) the individual who is truly conscious of the pattern their actions form is the exception rather than the rule. Furthermore, just to be a spoilsport, how would you classify someone who ricochets between extremes? Warrior, because they spend their time at the poles, or Peacemaker, because it averages out?

8 chakras. I'm familiar with the system that uses 7. How common is the conception of the aura or aetheric body as the 8th?

The Tao as 0th dimension? If it contains every possibility there is, I'd be more likely to categorize it as part of the first dimension, but then, I'm one of the people that likes the idea of a Multiverse, where every conceivable possibity is played out in infinite universes existing side by side...manifested, not potential.

"We practice our connection to the divine through our connections to our tribe." I can see this being true of some, but patently untrue for others (and that's the non-vehement rejection of your statement...*grin*) Is it inconceivable to imagine someone whose spirituality is purely internal? Would such a person perforce need to be the schizophrenic of our first conversation?
Ultimately we did agree on the significance of an interpersonal mystical experience, but the connection to the divine as you seem to define it in the context of the text could be intellectual rather than mystical; and some spiritual practices have stripped all the mysticism from their allegories and rituals.
I'd suggest that some atheists, for example, experience a profoundly internal non-mysticism: not a feeling of the absence of this connection, because non-connection is defined by the conceptualizion of such a connection in the first place, but simply having it seem obvious to them that the mystical is nonexistent or irrelevant to such an absolute degree that they never spare it another thought. Light and dark are opposites, but the blind man can understand neither. These exist. My father is one.

"...inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world..." Godseed and Godhead. Crown and Kingdom...Qabbalistic Tree of Life much?

"You are I AM." Descartes must be so proud that he's remembered...and possibly spinning in his grave. My witty quip stumbles on the fact that I couldn't conjugate in Latin to save my life...what would "I am, therefore I am" be? *grin*

"The 1st dimension is graphically represented as a line. In this dimension the singularity transforms into a duality." Alright, I don't like geometry, but I didn't flunk it. Technically a line has no width, right? A line is just the fact that one thing ends and another begins. Whilst I am the self-confessed yoyo between the polarities of the world, this conception of is, is-not, and null seems to ignore all the possible shades of grey. We have duality, but we also have infinite diversity.

"The Ego seeks to protect us by measuring things in two dimensions – me and them – and views things in one dimension – me. The Ego is regulated to this dimension. It cannot escape it’s place here." Is this where Buddhism comes into it for you? Perhaps I haven't studied Freud enough, but I do not believe that an entity requires the intersession of the Superego or some kind of Higher Self to display altruism, unless you claim that any such act performed by the Ego is in fact enlightened self-interest. I used to subscribe to this theory, but over time I've come to doubt it.

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*Why FIVE dimensions, and the statement that we live only in the first? As I understand it, at least in terms of physics, we live in three, time is the fourth, and then there's superstring theory.... H'm, now read the last essay, where you confirm time as the fourth dimension, but it still confuses me that you stated that we live in only the first.*

I wrote the articles about five years ago. I printed them out to refresh my own memory. I think your confusion is coming from the use of the term "dimension". I'm not saying that we live in a geometric one-dimension. The first dimension I am speaking of is a metaphysical/spiritual/philosophical place. This actually made it difficult for me to continue the series to the 2nd dimension. It will be a challenge to come up with human analogy of the 2nd extending from my observations on the first. Regarding the first dimension, I say, "In this dimension (the 1st) the singularity transforms into a duality". I then say, "Base human experience is firmly anchored in the 1st dimension expressed by the duality of the line". My point is that much of human experience is wrapped up in the experience and expression of dualities.

*Your idea of the Warrior and Peacemaker archetypes implies that people seek out balance or an extreme consciously. From what I've seen (and fine, my experience isn't immense *grin*) the individual who is truly conscious of the pattern their actions form is the exception rather than the rule. Furthermore, just to be a spoilsport, how would you classify someone who ricochets between extremes? Warrior, because they spend their time at the poles, or Peacemaker, because it averages out?*

The Warrior and the Peacemaker are contrasting paths in the 1st dimension. They each ‘seek’ an ascension of sorts, but in different ways. The seeking may not be conscious. The Peacemaker is an archetype that is moving towards the realization of the 2nd dimension. The Warrior, called to understand both himself and his enemy, reaches back towards the zero dimension. My hypothesis was that the Warrior seeks ascension by returning to the singularity The Warrior sees the true value of things in life by facing the loss of those things. In this rawness the true(r) vision of life is seen. The Warrior may ricochet for a time, but in my philosophical model the two extremes vanish for the Warrior. This is not an easy path. In fact, it is damn hard. At this point in my life I believe that we all contain parts of the Peacemaker and Warrior archetypes. We seek the multiple connections of life even while we seek to boil life down to a common singularity.

*8 chakras. I'm familiar with the system that uses 7. How common is the conception of the aura or aetheric body as the 8th?*

It is not uncommon. You have to delve into the more esoteric literature to find the concept.

*The Tao as 0th dimension? If it contains every possibility there is, I'd be more likely to categorize it as part of the first dimension, but then, I'm one of the people that likes the idea of a Multiverse, where every conceivable possibity is played out in infinite universes existing side by side...manifested, not potential.*

You can count to 10 by two methods. The first is to count 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. The second is to count 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. People tend to count the first way. Numerically based systems, like computers, tend to count the second way. To numerical systems, the zero is a real number. Humans see zero as a null or absence. This makes us uncomfortable, hence the tendency to start with 1.

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*"We practice our connection to the divine through our connections to our tribe." I can see this being true of some, but patently untrue for others.*

There is a rule for every exception and an exception for every rule. Things are mostly true for some and absolutely not for others.

*"...inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world..." Godseed and Godhead. Crown and Kingdom...Qabbalistic Tree of Life much?*

Is it? Tell me more about that thought.

*"The 1st dimension is graphically represented as a line. In this dimension the singularity transforms into a duality." *

I am speaking more of a spiritual geometry that a physical geometry.

*"The Ego seeks to protect us by measuring things in two dimensions – me and them – and views things in one dimension – me. The Ego is regulated to this dimension. It cannot escape it’s place here." Is this where Buddhism comes into it for you? *

I don't think this is where Buddhism comes in. I really don't know how my views of the ego line up against recognized psychological models. A review of my past articles shows that I haven't written on just on the ego. The ego has come up in other articles as a "guest-star". I'll put that on my "things to write about" list.

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1) Tell you why I friended you.

You were feisty, smart and talkative.

2) Associate you with a song/movie.

The Princess Bride, but you would be Westley

3) Tell a random fact about you.

Much more than she is shoes to most

4) Tell a first memory about you.

NFP reaction

5) Associate you with an animal/fruit

That is just strange!

6) Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.

All in it's time!

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redqueenmeg.livejournal.com

bzzat!

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1) Tell you why I friended you.

I'm pretty sure I spotted you on Will's blog the first time. I friended you for your neat attitude and embracing of ATHF.

2) Associate you with a song/movie.

Something red... hmmm...

3) Tell a random fact about you.

We are mutual friends to a wise man.

4) Tell a first memory about you.

Don't remember...

5) Associate you with an animal/fruit.

Ack! Not the fruit question again!!!

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redqueenmeg.livejournal.com

Sorry I'm really late getting back on this.

I thought you'd spotted me first on Jen's site and then found Will cuz he's my husband and all :) Shows what I know!

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That's my rememberance. It's been a joy interacting with both of you.

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Sure! Even though we are getting to know one another...

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1) Tell you why I friended you.

Easy... the diverse and very interesting links you post. I think I was introduced to some really good webcomics through them.

2) Associate you with a song/movie.

Something about lists...

3) Tell a random fact about you.

Blink rabbit cloud monkey?

4) Tell a first memory about you.

There have been so many.

5) Associate you with an animal/fruit.

And why the fruit thing again?

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Those damned Blink rabbits mess with my FM reception all the time. Bastids.

:)

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oh... and btw, I can't stop staring at your new icon either. Damn my eyes!!!!

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Don't damn them...ENJOY them! :D

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says to himself... the medusa hair doesn’t matter, the medusa hair doesn’t matter, the medusa hair doesn’t matter...

The truth is, and my lovely gf can verify this, I am more like to say, "what medusa hair???" (evil grin)

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Imagine, the snakes can nibble too! *laughs*

Snakes and boobs...ahh...life is good!

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valleysailor.livejournal.com

Me, me! I'm in - and shall continue the disease spreading with glee!

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