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Magic & Mystery in Tibet - Alexandra David-Neel
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 1953
Now this is great. This is travel literature. For a variety of reasons, which I'll illuminate below:
1) She's speaking of a place that has disappeared. The Tibet she has traveled was razed to the ground by the Chinese in the 1950's, what we have left are only travelers accounts, myths and cheap reproductions.
2) She talks of the miracles she witnesses - the thought projection, creation of doppelgangers, telepathy, internal combustion and other mysteries with some skepticism and common sense. And she reports many of these things as first hand experiences, not just relaying stories.
3) She interprets what she sees without prejudice and with (for the time) a fine balance of common sense skepticism and open-mindedness. You can't ask for more.
4) She illuminates you as to the 99% of Tibetan Buddhist dark magic and beliefs that somehow escaped export to a gullible western public. It's worth knowing, if only so that you can laugh in the face of the next "enlightened" white yogi who tries it on with his chanting of the "on-no-ma-ne-pad-me-ohm..".
And if she's somehow exaggerated or embellished her tales and interpretation of the events, who can blame her? It makes for a far far better story.
Calgary Herald - Find the Webpage
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Rants
- Hits: 2307
The Calgary Herald has a new little game that visitors to their site can play. It's called "Find the Webpage". (Hint: It's hidden under layers and layers of pop-up and pop-under advertising. But if you click enough times you just might find it.)
Monopolies, Nepotism & Shaw
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Who's Your ISP?
- Hits: 6581
How much would you pay your kids if you had the monopoly on cable based television and internet in Western Canada? Well, the figures are out...
"JR Shaw was 10th at $9.1 million, Jim Shaw $11.6 million, Brad Shaw $17.3 million".
If you haven't already lost your appetite, you can read more here. That's a lot of money for doing a pretty bad job, but when you're the only show in town you can do as you please...
Completely Unrelated
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2758
And, on the last few pages of "The Heptameron" I'm stricken with inspiration.
Stricken, I say, because it's not so uncommon, these fits, and I hastily grab a pen and paper (conveniently beside me) to make my notes.
Like always, there's 90% of the project, the idea, the painting, play or novel, done. But the remaining 10% is as elusive as ever, and I marvel at how completely unrelated it is. I mean, the inspiration vs the book I'm reading, vs the paintings I'm painting, vs the dreams I'm dreaming and the company I'm keeping, it's completely unrelated. So I make my notes and puzzle on how to complete it, to be added to the hundreds of notebooks of things begun and left unfinished.
***
Today, in the mail "Magic and Mystery in Tibet", I've been waiting for it. And at exactly the right time, as I finish up my book. This looks promising.
***
The boy wants me to attend his parent-teacher interview. Partly because he's done well, partly because he's hoping it'll explain his social awkwardness. The teachers have nothing bad to say and I'm careful to act the role of the concerned and normal parent. He's shocked I can pull it off, but I tell him: "You're not the only one who's studied drama...", and to make matters worse his teachers now mention my carefully "carelessly" dropped comments about his taste for death-heavy-metal, Marilyn Manson posters and dark basements; they "know" him now and he's furious that he's not winning any sympathy...
***
Trade my books in to Fairs-Fair on 17th Ave. 7 books yields me enough credit for 1 paperback. A 7 to 1 profit margin. But Fair's-Fair.
***
And there are the paintings I'm doing for Christmas - everyone gets a painting whether they want it or not. I don't ask because I know what the answer would be. At first there was some thought of doing portraits, but I decided against it, time and talent prohibit that investment, instead I'll do their dogs. The boy, he's seen the rhinoceros in the kitchen, he cautions me against it "You're animals aren't so good, you know dad, remember that bull in the kitchen..." "Rhinoceros" I correct him; "And my animals are just fine, haven't you looked at my people?".
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