Food Waste

In the EU, 89 million tones of food are wasted annually. It is expected to reach 126 million tones by 2020, if no measures are taken. Food waste concerns the loss of raw and cooked ingredients both in private households and in the food industry.

Stuck in a loop in time

How many times have you experienced deja vous? Did you know deja vous is your recollection of memories?

It might be possible that there is another planet similar to Earth, though the names of similar planets to Earth might have different names. Earth and a similar world might exist on timelines different to one another, and we might exist as separate individuals on each Earth. In other words there may be more than one of you.

It would be possible to have at least two identitcal worlds millions of light-years away from each other that are undetectable from each other, in separate solar sytems that will never be able to contact each other. It is easier to understand when you consider what dreams actually are. Many people believe that dreaming is when your soul leaves your body and 're-awakes' in your other self on an identical planet to Earth.

Some believe that we live our lives over and over, though not fully aware of our return to Earth,yet some people experience de-ja vous, a feeling that you have experienced,seen or heard something that you are sure you have experienced before. It is not just imagination, it is your soul recognizing your experiences from identitcal lifetimes- the same repetitive experiences that we go through life after life.

If you accept that at least two identical worlds exist, it may be possible for one world to be on a timeline which is exactly one year behind Earth, and it may be possible that we travel in our dreams to the other world which is one year behind Earth. This article is being written on the 3rd of December 2008.

If your soul were to travel to the other planet identical to Earth and wake in your body which exists as you do on Earth but on 3rd December 2007, your brain, which store memories will only know that timeline of 2007, because 2008 hasn't arrived yet and thus your other body's brain won't have any memories of 2008.You would be totally unaware that you have woken up a year behind Earth's timeline of 2008.

Let's say for the sake of argument that the human race is an experiment. Knowing that we give life to each other by birth, we could conclude that scientific breakthroughs have created at least two worlds or more that are identical to Earth. On each world are replica beings to ourselves, with the same lives, the same friends and family. If scientists have created our existance at some point, they would have logged our history possibly millions of years ago, a history which naturally occured without scientific intervention, when humans prospered and succeeded in terraforming another Earth. That existance is now that which we live in on Earth.

Millions of years ago scientists may have concluded that the human race was set to destroy itself and become extinct, and so by manipulating lives and events over millions of years, they have perfected our lifecycle, so that the same people on Earth are reborn, and live the life on the earth that we exist on today, without a chance of anybody or any army destroying our lives, families and achievements.

Alternatively there could be no scientific intervention at all though, making the whole idea of two worlds impossible to explain.

It may be easier to summize that we live the same lives over and over on our only one Earth, and that our existance is due to people giving birth to people. When we experience deja vous for example, we are recognizng this world as the only one we remember from other lives before, although many people do not accept de ja vous as memories- they simply believe it is their minds playing tricks. It is not the brain that remembers, but the soul 'talks' to the brain, letting the brain know that an important moment has been re-experienced.

It is too difficult to prove that we are stuck in a loop in time, but we do recognize de ja vous as a repetiton of an experience, a recollection of being there before. That does not confuse me whatsoever, because I know that we have been on this Earth many millions of times before. We live and then we die, and then we are reborn again. Don't be fooled by the concept of death, because it is a necessary transition which allows you to be reborn again. People should be comforted to know that Earth cannot be destroyed, and never will. This is our home, our ball in space that continues to sustain us and we do regenerate, life after life.

It may be possible for any one individual to alter and change their own life, to either become more positive and successful or become negative and destructive. Perhaps we learn from experiences more and more each life that we come back, recognizing to avoid the negative and strive to be more positive and successful.

If you understand this, you are 'in tune' with your soul, and you may realize that de ja vous (recollection of memories) teaches you, allow you to remember and improve your life, avoid situations, and become a person better than you were in other lives.

I cannot say if you can reach out to others to change their lives, but you can take control of your own life. Perhaps as individuals we teach ourselves more and more about our own lives as we experience every new Earth life, and change ourselves individually to achieve or become better and more positive people. Perhaps we can see when friends or family are going wrong in their lives, and you might have an inclination to advise or help them change themselves, so that they can teach themselves and others later on.

De ja vous is not just a brief moment in time, life is a repetitive circle in time, and if you already know that, then goodluck and all the best. If this makes no sense to you at all, you may find that you understand it in the future, which , by the way is your past and will be your present.

In the two-world theory, this article might already exist on another system, and you may have read this all before...

The spirit of hobs

“Charity begins at home” —the idiom that you should try to help your family and friends before you help other people — was more literal for Samuel Hobbs. In the 1930s, after the successful businessman’s death, his widow, Lina, donated their summer home at 66 Clifton Ave. in Marblehead, to the community, in memory of her husband.

There was a stipulation, however. The house could only be utilized to benefit the community for “literary, recreational, educational or hospital purposes.”

“I feel like his spirit is still alive,” says Elizabeth O’Shea Sullivan, who meets the “literary and recreational and educational” portion of Hobbs’ criteria with her business Yoga Namaste, which offers yoga classes and philosophical discussions. While Paul Crosby runs the Marblehead Counseling Center in the upstairs area of the Hobbs House, O’Shea Sullivan and Elaine Wintman hold yoga classes in the spacious first-floor, which the two rent as separate businesses. Strictly as a form of donation, on Saturdays, O’Shea Sullivan runs a one-hour Yoga Study Group at 11:30, asking for a $5 donation toward the upkeep of the Hobbs House.

“This yoga group raised over $1,000 to have the Hobbs House repainted and the windows cleaned,” says O’Shea Sullivan.

Aside from the Iyenger-certified instructor’s 30 years of experience (in the ‘80s, she studied with taskmaster, B.K.S. Iyengar in Pune, India for one month), one is instantly drawn to O’Shea Sullivan’s warm and welcoming spirit. Impassioned with helping “seekers” find their spiritual way, she offers yoga teacher training, yoga classes and study groups as a way for like-minded “spiritual explorers” to connect.

O’Shea Sullivan was drawn to yoga before it became a popular practice.

“I was the closet yoga,” she says with a tone of amusement. “I wanted to learn to be a dancer in my early 20s and thought, ‘If I could just become flexible, I could learn the steps in less time.’”

She signed up as one of Patricia Walden’s first yoga students in Cambridge. A classical Iyengar yoga teacher who has studied regularly with Iyengar for over 25 years, Walden is co-author of “The Women’s Book of Yoga and Health” with Linda Sparrowe and has created several Gaiam yoga DVDs, including the bestselling “Yoga for Beginners.”

“I had a serious déjà vu,” says O’Shea Sullivan of her first class. “I didn’t understand what I was doing, yet I felt I’d done it my whole life.”

She never did go back to dancing, and has continued with Walden for 30 years. She has also incorporated hypnotism into her practice, which she incorporates in her yoga classes through positive suggestions. O’Shea Sullivan strongly believes in the power of the subconscious mind and is intrigued by Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist and an expert in the collective unconscious.

Perhaps it was the lure of her subconscious that led her to the Hobbs House seven years ago. Or maybe it was coincidence in the convenient location within walking distance of her Clifton Avenue home.

Conscious expectations

What you can expect on a Saturday morning is to walk into the Hobbs House and walk out with a better understanding of life’s purpose.

Based on the teachings of living yoga master Iyengar, O’Shea Sullivan begins with yoga postures, keeping each individual’s physical conditions in mind. Props, such as blocks, belts and blankets, are used to correct form, so that no matter what level you are at, you can achieve proper energy flow.

Yoga, says O’Shea Sullivan, calms the deep waves, “so you don’t get so attached with either pain or pleasure.”

Through focused breathing and physical instruction, her class becomes aware of their own physicality, absorbed in the moment.

“Yoga poses one of eight levels,” explains Skip Dowds of Marblehead.

Dowds is one of about a dozen who show for the Saturday morning class (9:30-11 a.m.). He has been a student of O’Shea Sullivan’s for over five years and a yoga student for seven. His son, Jack, was the catalyst for Dowds’ yoga calling, one that has brought him to a place where he is now taking yoga teacher training 14 hours a month, in addition to the Saturday class.

“Jack would invent poses, such as ‘winter pretzel,’” recalls Dowds, who knew his son was emulating his karate moves from the class he took before the two discovered, and ultimately signed up for, yoga. “It was something we could do together, as father and son.”

They began at Prana Health and Yoga Center in Salem, when Jack was only 10 years old. For Jack, yoga wasn’t lasting; and after a summer at camp, he never returned. But his father hasn’t stopped since. A year later, when their instructor, Jessica, moved to New York City, he was referred to O’Shea Sullivan’s classes she held out of her home before relocating to the Hobbs House, a much larger space for the growing classes.

“It’s a good group of people and a nice place to come,” says Dowds.

The power of dialogue

A minute can be a long time if you’re holding a posture. With this in mind, once the yoga exercise portion of the class is over, the class takes a half-hour break before reconvening, in the casual atmosphere, for the study group at 11:30 a.m. Starbucks coffee in hand, the group discusses their latest readings on the 3,000-year-old sutras, the literary study of Sanskrit scriptures. Much of the scripture’s interpretation is debatable. Many times, individuals weave their life experiences into the thread of discussion, enlightening others, as well as bonding the group.

“People read poems that tie in to the group discussion,” says Dowds, who joins the group with at least three books in hand on the subject.

He explains to newcomers that yoga poses occupy one of eight Yamas, or levels. But all Yamas lead to the universal commandment of how you interact with others.

Dowds paraphrases: “You don’t hurt, lie, steal or sexually assault people.”

The next level is Niyama, which is establishing a routine practice of yoga, or self-discipline, followed by Asana, which is developing your physical sense of self (putting your feet behind your ears, for instance), and so on through Prânâyâma, (the tangible self through breathing), Pratyâhâra (willpower), Dhâranâ (concentration), Dhyâna (meditation) and finally, Samâdhi, or profound meditation.

Like Crosby guides others’ mindsets in the center upstairs in the Hobbs House, O’Shea Sullivan guides the mind, body and spirit through physical confidence building, as well as through philosophical conversation; her task is assuring the group doesn’t sway from the topic at hand.

After three hours and many recited “ohms,” what you leave with is a physical and mental strength, physical coordination and flexibility, and clarity. During this particular class, the group left with the notion of presence: You can wallow in the past and worry about the future, but try to focus on being in the present body, and see with a beginner’s eye.

In keeping with the philanthropic spirit of Hobbs, good will lives on through the former summer home in Marblehead.

Deja vu in another body

Deja vu in another body....
All the things I see happen has happened before...
maybe the players are different...
But the gameplay is the same...
I know the strategies behind it...
I see the loopholes...
But the final outcome is still uncertain.
So what am I saying?
Nothing passes me by unnoticed...
As much as it doesn't mean much to anyone...
Yet because I know....
That makes all the difference.
No matter what I do to remove that knowledge...
It is there, inputed into the memories of time...
Would I want to remove it if it was an option?
Sometimes I wished I never knew...
Sometimes I wished I was not me...
Sometimes all I wanted is for it all to rewind again...
But regret is a potent poison...
Not to be allowed to dwell...
For now, to take it one step at a time...
Living in the 'Today' rather than 'Yesteryears'...
Nor in the 'Tomorrows' that are neverending...
To hold my head up high, chest out, shoulders straight...
And with all the love that can be mustered out...
To try the very best to make the most of what there is...
Today is all there is...
There was a zillion things I should've done differently...
A million words I should've said...
But it all is not important anymore...
There is two sides to every coin...
The choise to be the head or the tail is in our hands.
Maybe then living life will make all the difference...
I think its safe to say "I know..."
Cos nothing tells it more than what one calls.....
EXPERIENCE.

The internal experience of the holy spirit

Steve,

By checking beliefs, I don’t mean checking your belief that you experienced something. That was never in doubt. It was never really in doubt that Scott believes he saw a picture versus a mirror. The question is whether there actually was a picture versus a mirror.

If there had been a picture versus a mirror, why was Scott the only one who noticed it? Does this normally happen to people? No. Does it normally happen to Scott? No. So why should Scott believe it himself? Isn’t it more likely that he saw a picture of Jesus in or on one of the books, and confused this with the mirror? Of course it is.

The elephant in the room is that you think no belief or recollection is too far-fetched to doubt. And the only reason you believe this nonsense is to preserve your faith.

Let’s put it in general terms. The laws of physics are highly predictive and reliable, and we all think it very foolish to bet against physics (e.g., jumping off a building and expecting to live). We think this because physical laws have been observed countless times. Suppose Alf sees phenomenon X just once. Phenomenon X violates the known laws of physics. Alf must believe he saw X, but should Alf believe X actually happened?

This question is rationally answerable, and it’s not a matter of opinion. Alf needs to compare the probability that a person misinterprets sensory inputs or falsely remembers certain facts, with the probability that the laws in question would be broken. It’s very VERY simple.

People misremember facts, selectively sample facts, have visual and auditory hallucinations, double-takes, deja vu, and many other failures of cognition and memory. This happens more commonly than laws of physics are violated. Do you deny this? Have you yourself never done a double-take or misremembered a fact?

I would estimate that I mispercieve something or misremember something about once a month. Usually about small stuff. I misplace an item and have to search for it. Or maybe I think I’ve emailed a reply to a query, but actually only imagined what my reply would be. I’m not particularly absent minded, but these things happen.

Furthermore, there are well documented cases in psychology in which subjects display denial, delusion, and false beliefs when those beliefs challenge their worldviews or when they are under emotional stress. Do you deny that psychology has documented these cases in a significant percentage of the population (e.g., say, >0.01%, and probably more than 5%)?

What does this mean? It means that if I observe an event that violates known laws of physics (not just unusual applications of known laws), then I ought to be skeptical when those laws are known to better than about 1 part in 10000. At that point, I ought to suspect that I made a mistake. It happens, and there’s no need to feel bad about making a mistake. And this doesn’t mean I shouldn’t investigate the peculiarity further. Even if nothing bizarre happened, it would be interesting to know why I thought something did.

But look at Scott’s case. He sees an event that violates reliable laws of physics. FAPP, transmogrification doesn’t happen. The event is so peculiar, it’s more likely he’s misremembered something, especially given the length of time between seeing the picture and seeing the mirror. So Scott needs to verify his belief. But when he asks Judy what happened, she doesn’t tell a transmogrification story. She tells a story about how there never was a picture. Her response is inconsistent with his experience. Moreover, this is a ONE-TIME event. It cannot be tested.*

This is what I mean by testing and questioning your intuitions. If you have a belief that the picture became a mirror, how would you confirm it? Suppose this is a court case. What evidence would work if you were a juror trying to confirm your story? That’s what impartiality is about. It’s about being a juror to your own experiences, and not the defendant. You have to be your own juror. If you’re going to believe everything that you as defendant says, then you as jury are going to be extremely gullible. But because it’s a one-time event that leaves no trace, and all the physical evidence (about transmogrifying) is against you, you would be foolish to believe your memory was what it seemed to be.

Luna sea

If you know of any English-language songs with cool music videos, please let me know. Aside from personal interest, I'd like to branch out in my Japanese translations away from Regina Spektor. Maybe to something with lyrics that 'make sense.'

OK, I just did the translation, and I'd just like to say that 1) it's not a particularly excellent translation and 2) I'm glad this music isn't about the lyrics. They kind of stink.

Déjàvu (Luna Sea)

Escaping to anywhere, that hole in the concrete

While you were looking you couldn't run away

On this tiny world, layered with hate and fear of men

Negative laughs "I already have man in my grip"

To the extent that you, even you, wouldn't understand

You, even you, forgot your heart

Your reflection in the mirror even laughs, in that hole in the concrete

The couple I saw one time, loving and longing

In this tiny world where people hate lonliness they lie

And Negative laughs "I already have man in my grip"

To the extent that you, even you, wouldn't understand

You, even you, forgot your heart

Future, past, present, people's 'drama scenario' is always Dejavu

You, who couldn't hurt a flie, repeat

To the extent that you, even you, wouldn't understand

You, even you, forgot your heart

To the extent that you, even you, wouldn't understand

You, even you, forgot your heart

Future, past, present, people's 'drama scenario' is always Dejavu

You, who couldn't hurt a flie, repeat

Medicine allergy

Hello everyone. i am allergic to prochlorperazine. today i did my research and this is what i got. (i nearly cried reading some parts because they were trueeeeeeeeeee. and im going to wake my mom up now to tell her these things.)

Prochlorperazine (Stemetil)

In higher doses it is used in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. In lower doses it is used in the management of nausea and vomiting.

Prochlorperazine works by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain. Dopamine is a natural compound called a neurotransmitter, and is involved in transmitting messages between brain cells. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter known to be involved in regulating mood and behaviour, amongst other things.

Prochlorperazine also affects dopamine receptors in an area of the brain that controls nausea and vomiting. Vomiting is controlled by an area of the brain called the vomiting centre. The vomiting centre is responsible for causing feelings of sickness (nausea) and for the vomiting reflex. It is activated when it receives nerve messages from another area of the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) and when it receives nerve messages from the gut.

Prochlorperazine controls nausea and vomiting by blocking dopamine receptors found in the CTZ. This stops the CTZ from sending the messages to the vomiting centre that would otherwise cause nausea and vomiting.

In adults, Stemetil is used for the conditions below.

Psychotic illness such as schizophrenia.

Acute mania.

Short-term treatment of severe anxiety.

Treatment and prevention of nausea and vomiting.

Relieving nausea, vomiting and attacks of dizziness or spinning sensations (vertigo) associated with Meniere's disease and other inner ear disorders.

Warnings:

This medicine may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Alcohol should be avoided because it can make drowsiness worse.

This medicine can occasionally cause your blood pressure to drop when you move from a lying down or sitting position to sitting or standing, especially when you first start taking the medicine. This may make you feel dizzy or unsteady. To avoid this try getting up slowly. If you do feel dizzy, sit or lie down until the symptoms pass.

This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight than it usually is, so you should avoid exposing your skin to direct sunlight or sunlamps until you know how your skin reacts. If you can't avoid strong sunlight you should use a sunscreen lotion or make sure your skin is protected with clothing.

If you have been taking high doses of this medicine for a long time, for example to treat schizophrenia, you should not suddenly stop taking it unless your doctor tells you to, even if you feel better and think you don't need it any more. This is because the medicine controls the symptoms of the illness but doesn't actually cure it. This means that if you suddenly stop treatment your symptoms could come back. Stopping the medicine suddenly may also rarely cause withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, difficulty sleeping or tremor. When treatment with this medicine is stopped, it should be done gradually, following the instructions given by your doctor.

This medicine may rarely cause a decrease in the normal amounts of white blood cells in the blood. For this reason, if you are taking high doses of this medicine for a long time your doctor may want you to have regular blood tests to check the levels of blood cells in your blood. You should consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms while taking this medicine, as they may indicate a problem with your blood cells: unexplained sore throat, mouth ulcers, infections, high temperature (fever) or general illness.

Consult your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms while taking this medicine: high temperature (fever), pale complexion, sweating, muscle stiffness, fast heartbeat and decreased consciousness. These symptoms may be due to a rare but serious side effect of this type of medicine, known as the neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and your treatment may need to be stopped.

Use with caution in

Elderly people.

Decreased kidney function.

Decreased liver function.

Heart disease.

Slow heart rate (bradycardia).

People with a personal or family history of an abnormal heart rhythm seen on a heart monitoring trace (ECG) as a 'prolonged QT interval'.

Low levels of potassium, calcium or magnesium in the blood (hypokalaemia, hypocalcaemia or hypomagnesaemia).

Malnutrition.

Dehydration.

Alcohol abuse.

Underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).

Tumour of the adrenal gland (phaeochromocytoma).

Enlarged prostate gland (prostatic hypertrophy).

Parkinson's disease.

Abnormal muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis).

History of seizures (fits) eg epilepsy.

People with risk factors for having a stroke.

History of closed angle glaucoma.

History of a drop in the normal number of white blood cells in the blood.

Allergy to other phenothiazine medicines, eg chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine.

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

Drowsiness.

Dry mouth.

Difficulty sleeping (insomnia).

Skin rashes.

Stuffy nose.

A drop in blood pressure that occurs when moving from a lying down or sitting position to sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension).

Abnormal movements of the hands, legs, face, neck and tongue, eg shakiness, twitching, rigidity.

Anxiety, restlessness and agitation (akathisia).

Rhythmical involuntary movements of the tongue, face, mouth and jaw, which may sometimes be accompanied by involuntary movements of the arms and legs (tardive dyskinesia).

Increased sensitivity of the skin to UV light (photosensitivity).

Interference with the body's temperature regulation (this is more common in elderly people and can cause heat stroke in very hot weather or hypothermia in very cold weather).

Decrease in the numbers of a type of white blood cell (neutrophil) in the blood (neutropenia).

Sudden severe deficiency in the number of white blood cells in the blood (agranulocytosis).

Abnormal heart beats (arrhythmias).

Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).

High blood prolactin (milk producing hormone) level (hyperprolactinaemia). Rarely this may lead to symptoms such as breast enlargement or production of milk.

Impotence.

Changes in menstrual periods.

There may be an increase in side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, confusion or heat stroke (in hot and humid conditions) if prochlorperazine is taken with other medicines that have anticholinergic effects, such as the following:

anticholinergic medicines for Parkinson's symptoms, eg procyclidine

antihistamines, eg brompheniramine, chlorphenamine

antispasmodic medicines, eg hyoscine

medicines for urinary incontinence, eg oxybutynin, flavoxate, tolterodine, propiverine, trospium

muscle relaxants, eg baclofen

MAOI antidepressants, eg phenelzine

tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline

other antipsychotic medicines

other antisickness medicines, eg promethazine, meclozine, cyclizine.

Epilepsy.

Epileptic attacks happen when an abnormal electrical discharge occurs in the brain, disturbing its normal function. The type of seizure depends upon where this takes place, and how much of the brain is affected. During an attack, these discharges may cause:

twitching of the muscles

abnormal sensations (eg tingling on one side of the body or awareness of a strange taste or smell)

emotional symptoms such as fear or 'deja vu '

loss of consciousness.

Flickering lights, such as strobe lights in nightclubs, can trigger seizures in some people. If this is the case, clubs with strobes are best avoided. It is also sensible to avoid playing computer games for long periods of time as the flickering screen has been associated with seizures in some susceptible people with epilepsy.

Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is not one disorder but a range of conditions in which the pressure inside the eye becomes too high. This results in damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye which can lead to loss of vision if left untreated. Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of blindness worldwide.

White

I've decided that I want to continue with white on this piece but have yet to decide on the background. Often it's the background that causes me to pause and ponder.

As is the current book I'm reading, "Animal Dreams" by Barbara Kingsolver. It's a wonderful story but as I read there are parts that seem so familiar, as though I've read it before, and yet the rest of the story is new to me.

I wonder if I've read this before or if it's a case of deja vu (the feeling that one has had an experience previously, although it's actually new to one - Webster's New World Dictionary)?

I once read that deja vu is actually a type of brain malfunction or maybe not a malfunction exactly but some form of chemical change that takes place in the thinking pattens.

I prefer to think of it as a form of intuition. Much more creative.

giving thanks

I hope that those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful holiday yesterday, food coma and all. We - my parents, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and dog - had a delightful, relaxing day filled with a mix of old and new.

The new: a delicious sweet potato tart, courtesy of the New York Times

The old: the same debate about how long to cook the turkey, which has been a feature of Thanksgiving and Christmas since I was little. Experience it again … for the very first time! I always find myself thinking, and wondering about deja vu .

And, thanks to my mother’s generous sweet potato-purchasing (she kindly did the grocery shopping before we all arrived), we have enough shredded sweet potatoes for our decorate-the-tree breakfast tomorrow. If you’re in the neighborhood (and don’t mind an equally long-running family debate over lights and tinsel), feel free to stop by.

And if not - happy Thanksgiving weekend to you. I’m thankful for each and every one of you: for reading, for commenting on, and for linking to and forwarding these blog posts. Your comments inspire many of my posts, and I learn so much from all of them. Thank you.

There's a reason I call it my not-so-ordinary life

Mmm hmm. Sometimes I think I must be the only woman on the planet that has such..not-so-ordinary things happen to them..repeatedly. Seriously. Putting aside my suddenly single experience, and now my soon-to-be-suddenly-unemployed experience, many times, ever so slightly unexpected things just seem to happen where I am involved.

Last week, the other Tracey and I went thrifting for pieces for the expanded booth spaces at Junkees. Cruising past lots of stuff in the furniture area of the GW (That's what the regular shoppers at the Goodwill call it, you know...) we came upon a perfect large bookcase to hold merchandise and it was marked at a great price. It was painted black, which was even better, as that was what color we would have painted this treasure anyway.

We bought it and schlepped it home in the back of the other Tracey's truck, along with several other incredible finds.

Upon unloading this gem, I suddenly felt a moment of deja vu . What was it? What the..?! The bookcase we were unloading suddenly felt very familiar. The Ethan Allen stamp on the back. The small drip of black paint on the left hand side.... Upon closer inspection it was confirmed. I asked the other Tracey to look in the cupboard area of the bottom of the bookcase. If it was not painted inside, it was surely The old bookcase from the house I lived in before my cottage. Sure enough, no paint inside!

The bookcase in question was the exact one from my last house. I had left it in the giant pool table room. Obviously my ex-husband recently donated it at a drop of location near his house at the south end of Reno, and it somehow ended up at the GW thrift store in Sparks at the exact time for the other Tracey and I to stumble upon it and buy it. (As for why I didn't recognize it sooner, I have no idea.)

It's a small world, you know.

I guess that's an example of "What goes around, comes around", huh?

Kabul 30 years ago, and Kabul today. Have we learned nothing?

I sit on the rooftop of the old Central Hotel – pharaonic-decorated elevator, unspeakable apple juice, sublime green tea, and armed Tajik guards at the front door – and look out across the smoky red of the Kabul evening. The Bala Hissar fort glows in the dusk, massive portals, the great keep to which the British army should have moved its men in 1841. Instead, they felt the king should live there and humbly built a cantonment on the undefended plain, thus leading to a "signal catastrophe".

Like automated birds, the kites swoop over the rooftops. Yes, the kite-runners of Kabul, minus Hollywood. At night, the thump of American Sikorsky helicopters and the whisper of high-altitude F-18s invade my room. The United States of America is settling George Bush's scores with the "terrorists" trying to overthrow Hamid Karzai's corrupt government.

Now rewind almost 29 years, and I am on the balcony of the Intercontinental Hotel on the other side of this great, cold, fuggy city. Impeccable staff, frozen Polish beer in the bar, secret policemen in the front lobby, Russian troops parked in the forecourt. The Bala Hissar fort glimmers through the smoke. The kites – green seems a favourite colour – move beyond the trees. At night, the thump of Hind choppers and the whisper of high-altitude MiGs invade my room. The Soviet Union is settling Leonid Brezhnev's scores with the "terrorists" trying to overthrow Barbrak Karmal's corrupt government.

Thirty miles north, all those years ago, a Soviet general told us of the imminent victory over the "terrorists" in the mountains, imperialist "remnants" – the phrase Kabul communist radio always used – who were being supported by America and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Fast forward to 2001 – just seven years ago – and an American general told us of the imminent victory over the "terrorists" in the mountains, the all but conquered Taliban who were being supported by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Russian was pontificating at the big Soviet airbase at Bagram. The American general was pontificating at the big US airbase at Bagram.

This is not déjà-vu. This is déjà double-vu. And it gets worse.

 

Almost 29 years ago, the Afghan "mujahedin" began a campaign to end the mixed schooling of boys and girls in the remote mountain passes, legislation pushed through by successive communist governments. Schools were burned down. Outside Jalalabad, I found a headmaster and his headmistress wife burned to death. Today, the Afghan Taliban are campaigning to end the mixed schooling of boys and girls – indeed the very education of young women – across the great deserts of Kandahar and Helmand. Schools have been burned down. Teachers have been executed.

As the Soviets began to suffer more and more casualties, their officers boasted of the increasing prowess of the Afghan National Army, the ANA. Infiltrated though they were by the "mujahedin", Moscow gave them newer tanks and helped to train new battalions to take on the guerrillas outside the capital.

Fast forward to now. As the Americans and British suffer ever greater casualties, their officers boast of the increasing prowess of the ANA. Infiltrated though they are by the Taliban, America and other Nato states are providing them with newer equipment and training new battalions to take on the guerrillas outside the capital. Back in January of 1980, I could take a bus from Kabul to Kandahar. Seven years later, the broken highway was haunted by "mujahedin" fighters and bandits and the only safe way to travel to Kandahar was by air.

In the immediate aftermath of America's arrival here in 2001, I could take a bus from Kabul to Kandahar. Now, seven years later, the highway – rebuilt on the express instructions of George W but already cracked and swamped with sand – is haunted by Taliban fighters and bandits and the only safe way to travel to Kandahar is by air.

Throughout the 1980s, the Soviets and the ANA held the towns but lost most of the country. Today, America and its allies and the ANA hold most of the towns but have lost the southern half of the country. The Soviets secretly sent another 9,000 troops to join their 115,000-strong occupation force to fight the "mujahedin". Today, the Americans are publicly sending another 7,000 troops to join their 55,000-strong occupation force to fight the Taliban.

In 1980, I would sneak down to Chicken Street to buy old books in the dust-filled shops, cheap and illegal Pakistani reprints of the memoirs of British Empire officers while my driver watched anxiously lest I be mistaken for a Russian. Last week, I sneaked down to the Shar Book shop, which is filled with the very same illicit volumes, while my driver watched anxiously lest I be mistaken for an American (or, indeed, a Brit). I find Stephen Tanner's Afghanistan: A Military History From Alexander The Great To The Fall Of The Taliban and drive back to my hotel through the streets of wood-smoked Kabul to read it in my ill-lit room.

In 1840, Tanner writes, Britain's supply line from the Pakistani city of Karachi up through the Khyber Pass and Jalalabad to Kabul was being threatened by Afghan fighters, "British officers on the crucial supply line through Peshawar... insulted and attacked". I fumble through my bag for a clipping from a recent copy of Le Monde. It marks Nato's main supply route from the Pakistani city of Karachi up through the Khyber Pass and Jalalabad to Kabul, and illustrates the location of each Taliban attack on the convoys bringing fuel and food to America's allies in Afghanistan.

Then I prowl through one of the Pakistani retread books I have found and discover General Roberts of Kandahar telling the British in 1880 that "we have nothing to fear from Afghanistan, and the best thing to do is to leave it as much as possible to itself... I feel sure I am right when I say that the less the Afghans see of us, the less they will dislike us".

Memo to the Americans, the Brits, the Canadians and the rest of Humpty Dumpty's men. Read Roberts. Read history.

U of W urged to hike college credits

Shawna Labadie has experienced a sense of deja vu since beginning studies for her psychology-related courses at the University of Windsor this year.

"I'm sitting in class now and I'm thinking, I already know all this," the first year student said. "I remember I've already covered the (study material) and now, here I am, redoing it."

That's because Labadie is a former, straight-A student from the three-year early childhood development program at St. Clair College. After receiving her diploma she decided she would pursue her studies at the University of Windsor and shoot for a degree.

But after applying, she was told all of her studies at St. Clair were worth only four credits at the university. She would, basically, have to go back to the starting line.

That's a discouraging dilemma that potentially hundreds of other community college students hoping to pursue university studies face every year, says Shelagh Towson, a University of Windsor professor.

Towson is heading the Smoothtrack program for the provincial Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in a bid to make transfers between post-secondary institutions less difficult.

"So many are blocked," Towson said in an interview after addressing the University of Windsor's board of governors. "The students don't understand and their parents don't understand. They get slotted into a certain path and they're stuck. They find out too late the door to university is closed."

Towson said that Labadie's experience is a case in point. After thoroughly reviewing the material she covered at St. Clair College Towson said she was convinced the student should have gotten at least 10, perhaps as many as 18, credits. Instead, her studies were afforded relatively little value.

"It was a three-year, nine-semester program," said Towson. "It was a very intense program and she had the grades, graduated with 85 per cent. But she was short-changed."

Labadie agreed: "I knew I wouldn't get what I deserved," she said. "If I got 10 credits I'd accept that. But I'll be 30 when I start building a career."

Towson told the board of governors that it's in the university's best interest to "smoothtrack" the process. She said many students when faced with such obstacles end up pursuing their educations across the river in Michigan, where, she said, their college studies are more readily accepted and are given greater value.

If not for the higher cost of an American university education and the inability to secure student loans, many more would go to the US. She told the board that, given the financial situation Canadian universities find themselves in, they cannot afford to pass on enrolment.

Labadie agreed, saying she looked into Michigan universities and learned she would have easier access. But she could not afford the move because of her need for student loans.

Towson said the province's post-secondary system is stuck in a 1970s mindset and it is not recognized that colleges of applied arts and technology now offer varied and in-depth courses at a very high level. When seeking admission to university, they are subjected to arbitrary evaluations, she said.

"Some students may get 10 credits and others four," she said. "And they're from the same course."

Towson said agreements to facilitate transfers must be negotiated between colleges and universities, resulting in evaluations from program to program. She added the process could begin by having the issue referred to the university's senate for further study.

"You would be attracting good students and possibly getting $5 million to $10 million in revenue," Towson said. "Increasing accessibility is the right thing to do if we are committed to social justice. If you have the will you can increase the number of transfers and students choosing the University of Windsor."

University president Alan Wildeman told Towson he was "of the mindset" to arrange meetings with his college counterparts and to bring the issue to university committees for further study.

He suggested that the university senate might be one area to begin, since the issue requires "academic consideration."

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Thanks before the giving

It always starts on the car ride home, or car rides in general. Have you ever had any versions of deja' vu that had just appeared to be set forth right in front you, leaving you stunted in a very surreal moment? Dropping off some strangler shoe boxes given to my mother at a Lutheran church site, I never had felt that kind of sensation before. Well, I have, but not in a long time. It's a pretty akward trance, and the feelings were as if I hadn't woken up from those types of multiple broken dreams.

Last night's Leadership extravaganza at the Adair's house was experience my eyes haven't seen in a while. Entertainment. Laughter. Fellowship. Being a part of something. I hadn't seen Kyle and Karli together in an unchurched setting in a while. Spending time and listening to the conversations of some new friends I met, Andrew and Nick, created lots of laughter and the talk. There were two other guys, one named, in which I try remember his face, as Noah (another kid with glasses, I noted), and the other guy I don't know his name, except that he was ungodly scrawny and looked like his bones would split out of his skin at any moment if he had hurt himself. Miranda, Beth, Karli, Tracy, and I were the girls. I had found out that Nick's real name is Nickolas (however it's spelt) and he's half Korean, but was born in Germany. So, I'm guessing that one of his parents is German and the other is Korean. Andrew, well, he's Norwegian and must have offered himself as a sacrifice to the military because during our tableside conversations, Don, Beth, and him were talking about the different ranks of the certain parts of the military and how they are called by different names in each area, as they trying to figure out what rank a member of our church was after a comment was made by Amanda that there was a girl who she'd look like (but older) who is his wife.

My favorite quote of the evening was, "I want to learn how to dance, Kyle! Not like, Hip-Hop or anything, but something like line dancing. I wouldn't want the instructor to be a woman. They're too cruel. I would go straight for the gay men, because they at least make women feel good about themselves!" by Karli.

Kyle started laughing and staring down Karli. I laughed because I had noticed an innuendo, in which he did too.

"Straight for the Gay men, huh Karli?"

*giggles up a bit more*

It wasn't until the car ride (back home, again) that Tracy, after talking with her boys on the phone, asking them "Will you commit?" to doing a chore inside of the house, and saying "I love you" every time I suspected that they burnt her with cigarette language, that we started talking about how the terrible experiences of life that we all face is just like Jesus's story in the Bible. The Bible, as a whole novel/book/diary, or whateveryouwannacallit - is our story of our salvation, but an example of God's love for us in illustration too. His story is our story. Our story is his. Just by hearing Tracy's words of commitment and love, even though her boys weren't listening to her or didn't want to do the task that she had asked for them to do, instead of giving them money (or their own ticket for trouble) reminded me of the wrestle I have, we all have, each day with God and our being.

Later on, I thought back to when I was with my mom. How separate and yet at the same time how similar we are. It sucks balls to work with her, and how much at the same time, I want to have a life of my own and apart from the whole family. I'd rather be alone and do things on my own time. I want to stay and at the same time I don't, because it gets annoying. Other times I get extremely terrified of leaving. It's as if, "OMGSH! Cassie's out!? What the hell? How did that happen?! It's like she's never been OUT before!" I can feel the growing pains each night, as I am alone in my room, and I thrash to my mental music, or I wane such a grimace because I hate it I hate it I absolutely HATE THIS. So, I fight with God, myself, and towards other people.

To sum it up - I'd much rather be on the other half of the world or in Texas, because living is cheap and experience is high there. If I ticket landed on my doorstep, anywhere, anyplace, anytime, I'd pack my bags and go and not come back. Like 30 Seconds To Mars (my new favoritest band!) and their song of Capricorn.

My mom's words of how "selfish these kids are!" struck a chord inside of me for this Christmas. No, she's not the one to blame (yes, yes she is), but it has gotten me to realize some more of what I don't want for Christmas so I'll continue to neglect myself. Here I am buying presents for everyone else that I know, so the chunk is taken out of me and not for them. It's all I want, I guess, is to be cut deeply and bled from that in my heart, than to have them turn the tables around. All I want is to find my joy and then be around people for the holidays, because I found that people last longer than material things do. I've already taken too much from my family during a certain time in my life, so I don't deserve any more from them than what is necessary - a home to stay and live in and for them to not abandon me (my greatest fear) without the knowledge of what action I'm going to take, next.

I think it'll hurt me the most if I get gifts this Christmas.

I'm already crying here just thinking about it.

Spirits are everlasting, in other words, than whatever hellish creations this world makes up.

... but warm mugs of Creme Brule' flavored coffee can be a nice flavoring to that track.

I'd take another cup of that as I'm going down.

Extended Bodies

Yesterday afternoon while thinking about free will and the connections found in life, I suddenly recalled the research of Rupert Sheldrake. Particularly, the phenomenon of a new creative force occurring in the universe and suddenly, this form of creativity spreads throughout & the knowledge is accessible to all, regardless of distance. This article is a short run-down of what I’m talking about.

To me, the importance of this phenomena is that it potentially means that the creativity of one is accessible to all. For example, if someone creates a statue with certain motifs & symbols, then that created information is now and forever accessible in the universe. Furthermore, this phenomena tells me about the power of creativity. That creativity is very much alive.

Sheldrake has also discovered how our vision is not about information coming to us but about us going to it. This points to a reality in which our minds are extended, not confined. But we know that we are not just our minds; we are our bodies. There is no division. And that is why I say our bodies are not confined to being passive recipients, but rather they extend. Below is a recent lecture by Rupert discussing the nature of this, as well as the phenomenon of entangled minds and the power (not the coincidence) behind instances such as thinking of someone and a day later getting an email from them:

This is all fascinating to me in the pursuit of understanding choice. Or in other words, where does the power lie? If connections in life are by chance, then that means we have the ability to make choices, but our choices are powerless & meaningless. But experience has told me things are not by chance. So, are our lives predetermined, meaning we have no choice, or are we part of our own creation, meaning we are part of the power?

My sense is that the tapestry of life is such that an infinite amount of potentials are laid out and continue to be laid out. And depending on how one looks at it, everything can seem pre-determined or it can seem to be all about choice. For whatever its worth, I think it is a little of both. Potentials are determined based on the conditions of the present (which one could say are affected by the past (pre-determined) or even affected by the future (post-determined) being that life seems to be more cyclical than linear), and yet there is still room for creativity by which to bring about a certain potential.

I liken this reality to finding one’s self on a grassy field with a soccer ball. In front of you is a huge black curtain. What is behind you depends on your clarity of awareness; if you are clouded and generally unaware of your past or are always worried about the future, all you may see is another black curtain. But let’s say you are aware and attentive; in that case, you can see a large portion of a soccer field with the goal you are defending behind you. From this you gather that what is beyond the black curtain in front of you is the goal by which you can shoot at. However, that does not mean you necessarily know if you are to score or if you are to stall for time by dribbling around, nor do you know where the goal is nor if there is a goalie. But this points out that there are different outcomes/potentials which may come about, and these are all available in the universe, given the past direction and current conditions which have come about. And if the information is available in the universe, that means it is accessible. If the universe knows, you can know.

Whether that means it comes to you or you go to it, as Sheldrake’s extended reality points to, the point is that knowledge and answers are accessible. So, when the “curtains” are finally removed and the timing and placement of everything seems just right (i.e. you are ready to precisely shoot at the empty part of the net), it may seem predetermined, but I think more so we have co-created it as such. We have used the knowledge available (both the given past, as well as the potential future(s) beyond the curtains) to discern which reality to bring about. And the degree by which the fulfilled potential connects with what we knew or have seen seems to depend on how conscious we are, or rather how sensitive we are to this tapestry/life force of potentials/knowledge/creativity. In other words, our level of co-creation depends on our ability to access what is knowable, or rather our ability to know what is possible.

When everything seems rather unknown, we think we have free will because we don’t recognize how things are linked or may be determined. Although we think we have power, we are really just following ingrained habits/choices. Our choice for different potentials is very limited. But when we know more, we may feel quite the opposite, in that we have no free will because as we see the potentials ahead, we know there is one choice that is best or needs to be made. On one level, I think that will always exist. But I also think that the more one knows, the more potential that can be seen, and hence, the more power to choose. In fact, I wonder if one can start creating potentials relatively unknown (i.e. the power to change the whole scenario of a soccer field into something else as the curtain is revealed)?

This answer seems to depend on the extent as to which our ability to choose is limited, given what we are. I think of ourselves in comparison to a cell. A nerve cell, for example, is a whole in and of itself. As are we. It is what it is and if it wants to be something different (i.e. an immune cell), it has little ability to do so. I believe the same is for ourselves, but with a notable exception: as a larger whole, we have more autonomy and agency. Which brings back the question, how much can we co-create, especially when others are at play (i.e. we are not in a vacuum where changing the soccer field into something else affects no one)? And how much power depends on the circumstances (i.e. certain cells in the body develop into what is needed, depending on what is called for)? Are we stem cells? If so, do we have complete freedom of choice or do we have to follow what is called for?

As an extra note, Sheldrake’s work makes me ponder the notion of out-of-body experiences, in that it is about the ability to be more aware and in control of our bodies, which are already extending out with or without our knowing to gain answers which are significant to us.

This also makes me rethink the whole notion of deja vu: rather than deja vu being about reliving something for the second time, perhaps it is about premenotion (seeing beyond the curtain), that one knows this information or event was coming. Then when it comes or one comes across it, it feels as if we had already seen/experienced it before.

And up above, I spoke about someone creating a statue with certain motifs & symbols and then that created information being now and forever accessible in the universe. The question is, were the creative information/symbols put into it accessible before the statue was created? And if so, where did all this creativity all come from in the first place?

Fascinating

Supernatural

I was texting with a friend one day, when our topic became about supernatural things. He told me about a white lady who followed him from Cebu to Leyte. Its like the white lady is love with him. He said that one time, while lying in his bed the white lady was also there and when he started praying, the white lady wring his neck until he stopped praying. I told Him he should just have prayed, prayed really hard and let God do the rest. He also said that, he can’t even move and he felt like the lady was on top of him…

Neweiz, that reminded of my experience when we were still living in an old house in Leyte. It was a big and really old house. I think it was already there during wwII that the first time I saw it, I was already scared. Oh well, I was 9 and was really afraid of the dark and supernatural things.

When, I was in high school I don’t know but there are times that when I sleep in the afternoon either in my room or in my sister’s room which is just next to mine, I would feel like I cant move. I am aware of the things that is happening around, I can hear my mom talk, i can feel the wind, I can hear sounds but I cant move, cant talk and cant open my eyes. I would wish and hope that somebody would shake me or wake me up. I would try to move my feet but sometimes even if I’m able to move it, im still lulled to sleep.

This usually happen during the afternoon when the sun is burning really hot. I don’t know, if there is any scientific explanation to this but what I did was pray. I prayed and asked God to wake me up. I guess this usually happened when I forgot to pray.

When, we transferred to our new house, I never experienced it again and I don’t wanna experience it again too. hehe

Deja vu results when elements of new and old situations overlap

Deja vu, the feeling that a present event has happened before in the same way, may occur when specific aspects of a current situation resemble those of any circumstances one has faced in the past, according to a new study report.

Anne M. Cleary, a psychologist at Colorado State University, writes in the report that one gets a strong feeling of familiarity when there is a lot of overlap between the elements of the new and old situations.

Many parallels between explanations of deja vu and theories of human recognition memory exist. Theories of familiarity-based recognition and the laboratory methods used to study it may be especially useful for elucidating the processes underlying deja vu experiences, she writes in the report.

Cleary describes familiarity-based recognition as an experience when a person feels that the current situation feels familiar, but does not remember when it has happened before: for instance, seeing a familiar man in a store, but not remembering where one knows him from.

She points out that deja vu is believed to be an example of familiarity-based recognitionone is convinced that one recognizes the situation, but is not sure why.

Cleary conducted experiments testing familiarity-based recognition in which participants were given a list of celebrity names, and shown a collection of celebrity photographs a bit later. Some photographs corresponded to the names on the list, while others did not.

She says that the volunteers were asked to identify the celebrities in the photographs, and indicate how likely it was the celebritys names were on the list they had seen previously.

The researcher observed that the volunteers had a sense of which names they had studied earlier and which they had not, even when they were unable to identify a celebrity by photo.

She says that the participants could not identify the source of their familiarity with the celebrity, but they knew the celebrity was familiar to them.

Even when famous places like Stonehenge and the Taj Majal were substituted for celebrities, Cleary got similar results.

Those observations suggested that the studys subjects stored a little bit of the memory, according to the report, but it was hazy and that is why they were unable to connect it to the new experience.

Cleary also conducted experiments to see what features or elements of situations could trigger feelings of familiarity, and made participants study a random list of words for the purpose. Some of the words resembled the earlier words in sound (e.g. lady sounds similar to eighty).

She observed that the volunteers reported a sense of familiarity for the new words, even when they could not recall the earlier-presented, similar-sounding words that were the source of this familiarity.

Referring to studies conducted in the past, the researcher pointed out that people might feel familiarity when shown a visual fragment containing isolated geometric shapes from an earlier experience, which suggested that familiar geometric shapes might create the sense that an entire new scene has been viewed before.

Cleary says that the findings support the proposition that events and episodes one experiences are stored in ones memory as individual elements or fragments of that event, and that deja vu may occur when specific aspects of a current situation resemble certain aspects of previously occurring situations.

Her study report has been published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Rob's EW Article

I will be the first to admit, I am no celebrity... yet. I think that might be what has been hitting Rob over the past few months. After reading his EW article, I was starting to experience some weird deja vu.

As you all know, I have my writing, but I also have my acting. It's been a long time since I've been on stage, but I'm constantly honing my skills. I figure someday I'll make it happen. It's just weird cause I could totally see how Rob approached Edward.

I remember working tirelessly to get in the mind of some characters, feeling their feelings, living their lives, becoming someone else. There is a sense of freedom in it. Becoming another person or in Rob's case, another being. You just have to have something to hold onto to bring you back.

Your family, your friends. For Rob, it seems like he was imported into a whole other world where he breathed Edward. Edward is actually a very complex character and I have a feeling that Rob's performence will reflect the struggle he went through to bring him to life. Is it weird to feel some sort of kinship with him? Someone who'd rather hang out at some off beat bar than a five star hotel. Someone who'd rather drive a beat up car because it has character and it gets you where you need to go.

Someone who has little to nothing in their fridge, not because they can't shop, but because those are the things they like to eat. This is really strange. I'm probably reading way to much into it, but it was just the strangest feeling. Like I knew what he was going to say before I read it because it is what I would say. This experience was just too much and I had to share. Please tell me I'm not crazy.

Deja Vu From Past Dreams

This weekend my boyfriend and I were driving home from a movie at a theatre neither of us had ever been to. We actually had to map-quest directions to the theatre. We never had even been to the area of town before. I'm certain because we had only lived here in this city for a year or so.

The theatre was in this really nice shopping area. We were supposed to meet my friends there and he was just dropping me off because I didn't feel like driving back because it was late. The movie didn't start until 10:25. The movie was sold out. And I started driving home.

I had to feel my way through the shopping center to find the main road back to the freeway. We were on the access road about to get onto the freeway and from the access road you could see, along with other stores, this huge boat or outdoors-men store in big white letters and that's when I got a really strong deja vu right down to the same big boat that was sitting outside the store.

I felt like we had done the exact same thing before in the exact same place. I was driving and he was in the passenger seat. I had dreamed about it. It was months ago and I didn't remember it until we were driving and I looked over and saw the same exact stores that I had never seen before. Right down to the same lettering of the store names and sizes.

It was freaky but I've had millions of these before and now they are really starting to concern me. I just want to know if other people experience the same thing.

The Newest Blog Advertising

In search for other get paid blogging, I found the newest blog advertising company called payingpost.com. Well, if you have got a blog why do not you put out a review and cash in?.

Payingpost is proud to announce the launch of their new service that connects bloggers and advertisers. The site allows advertiser's to buy links in various blogs and then pays blog owners for advertising the company's product or service

The web site features multiple blogs in various categories and each blog has a specific rate at which advertisers pay to place their advertisements.

Payingpost has also created a marketplace where advertisers can pay bloggers a fixed amount to blog on their product or service. Advertiser's can set a maximum limit that they want to spend on posts and then payingpost members will create a post on their blogs about the advertiser's product or service.