Showing posts with label desert. Show all posts

Carlos Castaneda wrote many Great Books about the Brujo Don Juan Mateus, a Yaqui Indian. He taught a different view of the world using medicinal plants and reality-stretching exercises.

The first book is called "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge". It's a Classic anthropological study of Mexican Indians. Required reading in freshman cultural-anthropology at Chico State in 1973... The people in the book used the teachings to learn how to run thru the desert at full speed it total darkness using power from an "ally" that looked like a moth... Hence the images of men running... and Moths. They were also able to travel instantly from one place to another...

Often in these books, Carlos and Juan do things that are absolutely impossible... If you believe the traditional view of reality... However, the first set

on the path of knowledge is to "question reality".

The book "Tales of Power" has many images in it that I used to make this animation... Like "finding your hands while dreaming": a way to take control of your dreams and use them to learn.

https://www.amazon.com/Carlos-Castaneda/e/B000APXVFG

Carlos Castaneda wrote of "seeing" people as luminous eggs... with bolts of power connecting their midsections to the world around them.

I'm re-reading all those books again... a worthwhile use of my time... The Teachings of Don Juan starts the series... A Separate Reality, Journey to Ixtlan, The Eagle's Gift, Tales of Power and The Second Ring of Power... These books document a cultural anthropologist 's study of Mexican Indians, psychedelics and Toltec Warriors. The first book is about psylocibin, datura and peyote experiences but the author quickly outgrows these and embarks on a magical journey learning the ancient arts of "stalking" and "dreaming".

A complementary author is Don Miguel Ruiz... The Four Agreements... They work well together.

and I remember doing a POWER WALK after a Grateful Dead Concert... I took ONE STEP and Grocked Everything there was to know about That Location... and then I took Another Step... and Grocked THAT Location... and Many Silly Deadheads Mocked Me For Walking SO FAST! "Watch Out Everybody! This Guy is Speeding TOO FAST! Danger Danger!" and I walked that way

all the way to my car in the parking lot...

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Great Book: "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz, a Toltec Brujo from Mexico. (Doctor/Priest/Teacher.)

1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don't take anything personally.
3. Don't make assumptions.
4. Always do your best.

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Tripping

(1999 Ken Kesey / Merry Pranksters documentary)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh2kK5IfS-8

Inca Sun God - Free Coloring Book Art by gvan42

Since 1945, The US Military Has Never Defended The USA. Not Even Once. Ever Since Victory over Japan, Every War Has Been a BOGUS Marketing Trick Designed to Sell Weapons for the Military Industrial Complex.

and then on Facebook: GJ Replied: Ya know, that sounds okay... But.

I know this little old Korean lady who will tell you different, and there are some 80,000 Vietnamese in San Jose who will gather on a street corner in large groups on a street corner at the drop of a MAGA hat...

And then there's that whole Berlin Wall, Fall of Communism thing...

And finally, let us not forget that they also serve, who only stand, and wait.

And I Replied: Of Course Koreans are Interested in THEIR Civil War... But, Why Were WE There? How Many of Them Fought in OUR Civil War? Remember? The 1860s... Abraham Lincoln Was President and ZERO KOREANS, VIETNAMESE or CAMBODIANS fought here... No LAOTIANS Either...

I interviewed a Korean War Vet for my Book "America's Bogus Wars." I Asked Him Why We Were In Korea? and he said... "I Have No Idea... and I was There for two Years... If You Find Out, Tell Me." - Of Course... The Korean War and The Vietnam War HAD NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH DEFENDING THE USA. They were all About Taking Sides in Someone Else's Civil War... And Eventually, Those People Over There Figured Out a Solution to Their Own Troubles...

Remember: Communism is such an obviously defective system that it fails all by itself... Both Russia and China Gave Up on That System... Did You Know that we have soldiers stationed in Germany Right Now while at the same time we had a Russian Sympathizer In the White House For the Last Four Years? I Bet We Could Accomplish the Same Level of Nothing with HALF as many Troops Stationed in Germany... or maybe 1/4...

Chart: US Military Deaths by War. Massive Decline of Fatalities after The Sixties... Source DOD - gvan42

Chart: US Military Deaths by War.
Massive Decline of Fatalities Right after The Sixties...
Source DOD

Abandoned Military Airplanes

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Visit My Art Gallery!

Rainbow Spiral Multiverse Multiple Rainbow Spirals form a Trance Inducing Icon. A Visual Mantra. You May Add Words if You Want To... The Name of Your Band or Business... or a Slogan... Manifesto...

LINK TO MY LATEST PRODUCTS 

AT MY ZAZZLE WEBSTORE: 

Original Art Printed on Many Different Types of Gifts: https://www.zazzle.com/store/gregvan/products

LINK to all my Spiral Artwork Printed on Gifts:

https://www.zazzle.com/store/gregvan/products?dp=0&qs=spiral

LINK to all my Most Popular Rainbow Gifts:

https://www.zazzle.com/store/gregvan/products?dp=0&qs=rainbow&pg=1&st=Popularity

California Will Rise Like a Phoenix from the Ashes... Literally... The Desert City in Arizona... Cactus Will Replace Trees, The Scorpion Will Be Our State Animal... Replacing the Bear...

After the Last Tree Burns, Our Climate Will be Like Arizona... Better Buy an Air Conditioner, It's Gonna Get Real Hot!

Trees in Northern California - To Be Replaced by Cactus after the Last one Burns - gvan42

This is What a Forest Looked Like...

Show Your Grandchildren This Photo

When they ask...

"What Was A Tree?"

and Then Gigi Said On Facebook...

We truly have entered the Twilight Zone.

Trump has installed a Quack Radiologist in the White House as his Chief Immunologist. Scott Atlas. This guy is out of his depth. He did get his Radiology Degree at Stanford University and was briefly on staff there years ago. Stanford has put out statements saying he has not worked there for a long time and no one in the Sciences department agrees with any of the recommendations he's making. As a matter of fact they are warning they believe he is a grave danger to America.

I wholeheartedly agree. We still don't know enough about Covid-19. Two nations began the process of Herd Immunity early on and quickly stopped as the Death Rates Spike astronomically. We ( Rational Non-Trump Americans ) have looked into the numbers of going with the White House plan of Herd Immunity and it means between 2Million and 6Million Americans MUST DIE. to achieve.

Apparently thats A-OK With Trump.

❤🤍💙Gigi Alexander

and then Cheryl Ford Painter Said...

WHAT IS HERD MENTALITY - GROUPTHINK

What our nation is experiencing is a phenomenon called groupthink or Herd Mentality. Remember Hitler... Same premise.

Here are some highlights from a paper I wrote about groupthink tailored to the business environment, but is also applicable to our political environment.

According to Griffin (1997),

Janis originally defined groupthink as “a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.”

According to his definition, groupthink occurs only when cohesiveness is high. When colleagues operate in a groupthink mode, they automatically apply the “preserve group harmony” test to every decision they face. (¶ 8)

Two symptoms of groupthink that Sullivan (2004) identified include “stereotyped views

of the perceived enemies or competing leaders as weak or incompetent and an unquestioned

belief in the groups’ inherent morality” (¶ 2).

Sullivan (2004) proclaimed (as cited in Manz, 1995), “Notable evidence indicates that cohesive groups (such as self-managing teams) tend to create internal pressures

towards conformity that interfere with constructive critical analysis and ultimately lead to dysfunctional decisions” (¶ 8).

Griffin (1997) declared, “When a group confronts a great threat or a grand opportunity, concurrence-seeking almost always produces an inferior solution” (p. 4).

When a leader makes decisions, determines issues, identifies goals, and implements

corrective measures for a team, groupthink is the result. Groupthink leads to conflict and distrust among the staff and deteriorates the communication and team process. Awareness of groupthink in the team design leads to individual creativity and involvement. Increased ingenuity and participation leads to teamthink.

Teamthink encourages collaboration, debate, and common goals, which positively supports team members and the organization. Teams that have clear objectives and collaborate. under participative rather than directive leadership produce innovative solutions and satisfied workers.

What we are experiencing with Trumpism is groupthink or herd mentality.

Trump Supporters = Herd Mentality or Groupthink

Biden/Harris = Teamthink

Click on these Links to Read More:

Millions of Republicans #RUNAWAY From Trump... Massive Exodus... "Hey, I Never Supported Trump." Says Benjamin Ghazi - Former Trump Voter...

Reality Does Not Exist - Screams TrumpNik - Meme - gvan42

PRAY FOR A CURE. Just Because Prayer Has Always Failed in the Past is No Reason to Lose Faith in Magic Now... Trump's Coronavirus is Killing Americans... https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2020/03/pray-for-cure-just-because-prayer-has.html

The Number of Uneducated Racist Old White Men is Shrinking... Most Voters are Young People, Minorities, Women or College Graduates. The GOP is Doomed... DOOMED! https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-number-of-uneducated-racist-old.html

Repeal And Replace Trump's Tax Cut For The Rich. #TrumpsFailedEconomy YOUR Children Will Be Paying the Interest on tRUMP's National Debt... and Your Grand Children, Great Grand Children, Great Great Grand Children --- Unto the Seventh Generation --- Trump is an Economic Disaster of Old Testament Biblical Proportions... Like a Plague of Locusts or a River of Blood. https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2020/08/trumpsfailedeconomy-your-children-will.html

Alternatives to LAWNS: Clover... or Decorative rock and cactus gardens that don't use any water. Southern California is a dry climate. Why import water from the North?

http://cloverlawn.org/

clover as an eco-friendly lawn alternative

There is a plan to build tunnels to transport fresh water from the Sacramento River Delta area to Los Angeles. It will cost billions of dollars and will permanently change the ecology of the River killing off the Salmon. A simpler plan would be to reduce the DEMAND for water. Make LAWNS unpopular with homeowners in SoCal. Why fight nature?

Read about the Delta Tunnel Plan here...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Water_Fix_and_Eco_Restore

Check out these beautiful designs...

Lawn Alternative - photos - save water by Planting Native Plants

I remember that instead of Having a Lawn in Front of Our House, Dad Planted Vinca Minor. That way we did not have to MOW THE FREAKING LAWN... That's a Task that steals precious Time from the Weekend... Smart Move! It also was a Home for Tarantula Spiders... I Never Got Bit... and I Thought They were Really Beautiful... and... I learned to Play THAT SONG on the Piano... a Classic Beginner Lesson... and a MUCH SIMPLIFIED VERSION! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShTa_FTmXTo

Of COURSE, We Could Simply Desalinate Seawater Using SOLAR ENERGY...

Generate Electricity and Clean Drinking Water AT THE SAME TIME. A Solar Powered Desalinization Plant Would Convert Seawater into Energy, Pure H2O and NaCl.

https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/08/lets-build-solar-powered-desalinization.html

Lyrics to "Oasis" by Greg Vanderlaan [soon to be a Music Video]

[E] Ride across the desert on a thousand horses.
Swords flashing in the Sun so very [NC] proud.
Ride 'till the sun turns your tongue to ashes.
Drink deep of water drawn from 'neath the [NC] ground.

and she [F/E] waits for him patiently...
under the palm tree...
She waits 'though she cannot tell you why... [2X]

[D] Far away from the city
There [C] lives a girl.
She draws water from the [D] sand.

[D] Under a lonesome palm tree
she [C] rests her body
and there she waits for her [D] man.

[D] He rides a camel thru the desert
and [C] dreams of cool water
an Oasis never close at [D] hand.

[D] Oh will he ever find her?
His [C] Arabian princess
and will she lead him to the land?
[D] A land of many sorrows
of [C] Sun and Death, companion to the [D] band.
The Desert will never Answer
Though [C] tears we cry, so we get by the best we [D] can...

[E] Ride across the desert on a thousand horses.
Swords flashing in the Sun so very [NC] proud.
Ride 'till the sun turns your tongue to ashes.
Drink deep of water drawn from 'neath the [NC] ground.

and she [F/E] waits for him patiently...
under the palm tree...
She waits 'though she cannot tell you why... [2X]

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Let's Suppose That You Truly Believe that Tea Cups Exist... and Water Exists... and Tea Exists... Well, You are Much More Likely to Get a Cup of Tea than Someone who Refuses to Believe in the Possibility of Tea. and... EVERYTHING IS LIKE THAT... Believe that it's Possible for You to ______________ (fill in the Blank) and you have Started on the Path to Achieving _____________ (fill in the Blank) - Sonya Sophia

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When I went to West Valley Junior College I Took a Class in Architectural Scale Model Building. I took Blueprints of a Cabin my Father was having built on North Shore, Lake Tahoe and Built an Accurate Scale Model of it. Dad showed it to his friends and clients... Just to explain what he was having Built... In Retrospect, THAT would have been an EPIC Career... Building Models... Mostly the Professional Career Path was building Models of Oil Refineries... as a way to CHECK if the design was accurate... much cheaper to find errors on a Model than actually build the real thing and find out, OOPS! ---- During the Free time I Had Between Classes I went to the Library and Drew Pictures, Cartoons, Designs ART... while wearing Headphones... My Favorite was 'Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin... Astonishing on Headphones because of a lot of Left-Right Ping Ponging and Phase-Shifter Effects on the Drums... Try it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQmmM_qwG4k