Betsy

I have quite a few archived MS Word files covering several years and I can no longer open them, they just appear as all Squares when opened. I've been looking around in internet for answer. Opening these files in Wordpad it's the same, there is of course nothing in notepad as this is a text editor.. Opening file with Word 97 it's the same. I did not save these files to flash drive before hard disk, as some suggest is the problem. What I can think is different is they were created in windows 95 operating system before windows XP was installed. So I guess it might be a font problem. I did not use Strange fonts, usually the default times roman or ariel is what i use. So how to find out which font is needed to be around, so i can reload it and resave it to correct it? Or is it corrupt beyond recovery? I use MS word 2000 on windows xp. Thanks in advance for help with this.

I would like to find an online DNA Profile relationship software that can do various relationship index calculations, including avuncular, sibship, parentage, etc. I've seen the bayesian equations they use, which are not so complicated, but the problem comes in with the probability of that length of allelle loci variable which comes from databases of individuals combined into ethnic groups. I've found a few calculators, but all the results of index calculation are different. Is there a free tool out there where you can plug in your results against others profiles and just calcualte various indices using large forensic databases? I feel this should be free in public domain. I found one calculator on a chinese university site, but it looks like thier database is not very robust, also i have no idea what the calculated index/result means.

I paid for one test, now I need to get another profile tested and put into it and I don't want to pay for another full test, just to do this calcuation. Perhaps there is a dna testing company out there that would just run the numbers if i provide the data?

I have an HP printer 2210ix, PSC, all works except the 4 pin USB port is missing one pin, so it can't be connected to the computer. Is it possible to replace this unit on the printer with a new one, is there a place to buy the part? Has anyone done it, is it simple or needing soldering, etc?

I seem to remember one can hold an LED, each lead between the fingers and it will light up? Is that so, and if so, then how much voltage is that in an LED? What is the maximum amount of voltage that can come in this way from the fingers to conplete a circuit, say for a continuity tester? Do LED's come in different voltages?

I have an idea. A 'dueling masters' forum. It would be best in a place where there are threads, and one can access it direct - not only via email. i think the PHP forum would work. Then anyone invited to participate in that forum, the current members would know they had a good solid base of the fundamentals. Possible rules:

1. everyone accepts that all are on equal footing, there is nobody superior to another, all can shed light.

2. anyone can critique and point out the other's conditioning and patterns - freely - and all must be willing to accept the others reflection without retreating.

3. people remember why they are there - to see their own conitioning and concepts - to grow beyond - they value the other players to help them see one's own hidden aspects.

4. people must respond to all critiques, they must confront the conditioning, concepts, beliefs, etc., that others point out.

I think this playing of 'hard ball' could be quite creative. Anyone interested?

People on the path know they are not soley their body, or not their ego. They recognize the source of themselves, this happens when they awaken - when they see themselves as source. So one would think this awakening is enough, to stay fully alert and aware forever after. Yet, one finds out that this is only the beginning to be the observer, then there follows much work needed to be done with questioning what one observes and continuing on with the question: "Who Am I?" Then it happens that revelations and insights continue to be revealed as one continues with one's meditative work, and one's perspective changes after each one. One starts to realize it's a growing process. But how 'exactly' does this change in gains of awareness happen? Is it a change in the body? Is it a change in the source? Where is it stored? Why is it permanent? Where and how is it realized? If one's essential nature is awareness, then how come one isn't fully aware immediately and permanently? Why does it fade?

I ask this question in all seriousness for advanced students of meditation to consider. It popped into my mind yesterday when I was answering a Q. about what the meditative state felt like. I see progress happening with my meditation, in that I energize less as personality and react less overall as I gain self-knowledge about my conditioning. Yet, I know I'm not fully awakened for various reasons. As my meditation progresses over the years, the time spent in the altered state (the gap between the thoughts) gets deeper and longer. What I'm observing about it, is that this state seems to be more like sleeping as I go. Even I see myself sleeping often during the night. I get the feeling it's more like I'm just watching or observing, like stepping aside, as changes and healing is done in my body. So perhaps we don't even get a taste of true and full awareness experience until one has totally completed the process. So then the meditative state is more like OBE.

Nobody wants a teacher

that talks down to them

that analyzes them like

a rat in a laboratory experiment.

Rather, what we all want and need

is to be accepted exactly as we are

in our reality of this moment - to be seen

even if it's not pretty or not wanted.

If someone has a cancer,

then allow them to express their pain,

don't look away - meet their eyes

and let their pain enter into you.

Know that cancer is a sign of healing

not something to get rid of or to fix

Don't offer things not being asked for

but rather listen or ask them what they need.

When you can look into a face of pain

and feel it fully and not want to run

then you are centered and can ask questions

forgetting your own agenda, you forget yourself.

Live gives us opportunities every day

to express ourselves unconditionally

But unconditional never happens

when we have reason for our doing.

Betsy

Shells of indifference

hampered growth - amassing pain

undermined body.

A volcano blows it's top

when pressure can't be contained.

Betsy

12/31/07

Happy New Year!

Here is the poem. consider this poem as a kind of koan, or to look at it meditatively. Then after you've contemplated it, perhaps it inspires one of your own as an answer?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Allowing deep sleep

a liquid pool engulfs me

dissolving my parts.

In dark unknown of pupae

a butterfly grows it’s wings.

Betsy

12/27/07

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Stark confrontation

second glimpse of pretender

ghostly vibration.

Who 'I am' can now be raised

with focus in the present.

Betsy

Perhaps you've realized that the self-knowledge you've gained so far, comes in pieces, sort of like a progression of steps. When you gain a new insight, you see things you didn't see before. You kind of know you are in a valley and can't see the hilltops above you, yet you know they exist, because of your climbing. So you might know you are in a kind of blind state, but also you know you have your truth - as that which you last received as an insight.

So we know that to keep growing and not get stuck clinging to our truth, we have to keep challenging it. How do you 'personally' use your last insight in regards to your self-knowledge, to keep yourself open to receiving new information?

Right now, today, do you have an outstanding essential question (meaning regarding yourself - not other people)?

If so, might you share that here? Perhaps you could also list what your last 'aha' or insight was, and how this self-knowledge might help you to rise another step?

Betsy

A person told me that they had just started meditating (vipassana) and then they told me that the whole time they were sitting in meditation, it was like they were totally quiet. Like being in the zone, without any thoughts at all. I guess it's like that because the person is totally identified with one's thinking thus can't detect them. So then I wonder what to tell that person if anything? Will the meditation still do it's magical work, even if the person can't detect the thinking? I guess this might be the case, because at least sitting in meditation, regularily each day relieves some stress and healing is going on whether they can see their thoughts or not. I realize that if I tell him he's not doing it right, or something along those lines, then he might get discouraged. It's been so long since I first started, I don't recall how it was the first times.

I had this dream around a month ago. I felt as if I was in a room, but I could not see any walls to define the room. I was standing in queue with a long line of people waiting my turn. In front of me was one woman. In front of me was a very long counter with people behind it (I'll call them workers), sort of like one might see at a service counter.

The woman ahead of me started walking down the length of the counter & eventually a worker stopped her. She put her arm on the counter with her palm up. The worker took a knife and made a gash in her arm and then said: Your name is Marla. Then it was my turn.

I started to move, passing down the length of the counter. It was more like I was flying with my face looking at the face of each worker behind the counter, I don’t recall having felt my body, it was like I was only a face. I also didn’t see any body of any worker, it was like they also were only a face.

For years I wonder why it's so hard to get along with other people? I find that eventually most communication between people over time eventually breaks down and it explains why there are so many divorces and separations today. It seems like eventually a brick wall forms between the people, then the same things get said over and over again, people provoking others in the same way, nothing changes. It's like living in a movie that repeats over and over or like listening to a broken record. What can I do to change this situation? I think it might have something to do with respecting other people but I'm not sure. I would like to hear from those who have gotten over this hurdle...

Related questions might be:

Why is it so hard to be born?

Why is it so hard to give birth to a baby?

Why is it so hard for a baby chick to peck it's way out of a shell?

Why is the world so violent today?

Why is it so hard to die?

New estimates show that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will end up costing the United States - US 2.4 trillion dollars. Given the current population this is an avg cost of $8,000 per person. Take the avg. family of 4 and this is $32,000 per household.

I see these wars are about guaranteeing that the USA continues to have an abundant and cheap supply of oil. Who is this truly going to benefit? I am not interested in burning fossil fuels which are warming the earth, neither am I interested in being dependent upon other countries for our energy.

If I had this money to spend then I would use it to install a solar system or combined alternative energy systems on each home in America, and unused energy would then go back to the grid. A 5kW complete solar system can be installed on a home and will provide all the energy needs of most conventional homes and will cost approximately $32,000.

How would you spend it?

I've been on journey of self-discovery and meditation for many years. The first big revelation was seeing my true nature and knowing myself as eternal and aware. For me this was the beginning of spirituality, and over time I would get new insights from the process of self-observation and then my awareness would change, or rise. So then I always had the question: if our true nature is aware then how come we aren't always aware, why do we lapse into unconscious behavior, even when we know we have some awareness? What exactly allows for us to be more aware? Is it a change in the body? If so, then what kind of change? Why does awareness change gradually? Why doesn't full awareness stick with us? What is realization? How come if our true nature is awareness, then why isn't everyone aware? How come we aren't 100% aware even after we've seen our true nature? Is it the truth that the most we can settle for is just having 10% or so awareness if we are lucky, or is 100% awareness possible?