Friday, December 2, 2011

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

528 Hz Frequency Transformation (DNA Repair)


These original sound frequencies were apparently used in Ancient Gregorian Chants, such as the great hymn to St. John the Baptist, along with others that church authorities say were lost centuries ago. The chants and their special tones were believed to impart tremendous spiritual blessings when sung in harmony during religious masses. These powerful frequencies were rediscovered by Dr. Joseph Puleo as described in the book Healing Codes for the Biological Apocalypse by Dr. Leonard Horowitz. I give honor to both of these gentleman for the part theyve played in helping return these lost frequencies back to humanity.

The Six Solfeggio Frequencies include:
UT 396 Hz Liberating Guilt and Fear
RE 417 Hz Undoing Situations and Facilitating Change
MI 528 Hz Transformation and Miracles (DNA Repair)
FA 639 Hz Connecting/Relationships
SOL 741 Hz Awakening Intuition
LA 852 Hz Returning to Spiritual Order

For example, the third note, frequency 528, relates to the note MI on the scale and derives from the phrase "MI-ra gestorum" in Latin meaning "miracle." Stunningly, this is the exact frequency used by genetic biochemists to repair broken DNA the genetic blueprint upon which life is based!

Music composed by Jandy AKA JezebelDecibel

Great Perfection


Everything that manifests in the individual's field of experience is a continuum. What appears as a world of apparently external phenomena, is the energy of the individual him or herself. There is nothing external or separate from the individual. This is the Great Perfection that is discovered in the Dzogchen practice.


According to some schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of every sentient being, including every human being.

Our ultimate nature is said to be pure, self-existing, all-encompassing awareness. This 'intrinsic awareness' has no form of its own and yet is capable of perceiving, experiencing, reflecting, or expressing all form. It does so without being affected by those forms in any ultimate, permanent way. The analogy given by Dzogchen masters is that one's nature is like a mirror which reflects with complete openness but is not affected by the reflections, or a crystal ball which takes on the colour of the material on which it is placed without itself being changed. Other evocative phrases used by masters describe it as an 'effulgence', an 'all-pervading fullness' or as 'space that is aware'. When an individual is able to maintain the rdzogs chen state continually, he or she no longer experiences dukkha, i.e., feelings of discontent, tension and anxiety in everday life.

Definitions

"Dzogchen" has been translated variously as Great Perfection, Great Completeness, Total Completeness, Supercompleteness. These terms also convey the idea that our nature as intrinsic awareness has many qualities that make it 'perfect'. These include indestructibility, incorruptible purity, non-discriminating openness, flawless clarity, profound simplicity, all-pervading presence and equality within all beings (i.e., the quality, quantity and functionality of this awareness is exactly the same in every being in the universe). It is said that the impressive personal qualities of the fully-enlightened Buddha derived from the fact that he was fully 'aligned' with this already-existing primordial nature. Descriptions of the Buddha as omniscient and omnipresent refer to his ultimate nature as this awareness. The term "Dzogchen" is a Tibetan rendering of the Sanskrit term maha sandhi and its variants, and is also used to render the Sanskrit term ati yoga.

The homonymous term "Dzogchen" designates a meditation practice and body of teachings aimed at helping an individual to recognize the Dzogchen state, to become sure about it, and to develop the capacity to maintain the state continually.

The instructions that point to the Dzogchen state are sometimes described as a set of "inner" or "heart" (Tib. snying thig) teachings. Practicing Tibetan Buddhists consider that the state pointed to by these teachings is very difficult to describe, and can only be discovered through its transmission by an authentic Vajra Master. Some teachers also regard Dzogchen as a teaching completely in its own right, independent of Buddhism or Bon. They say that, as our primordial nature, Dzogchen has existed since the beginning of time and is pointed to by various masters throughout the universe.


Concepts

The essence of the Dzogchen teaching is the direct transmission of knowledge from master to disciple. Garab Dorje epitomized the Dzogchen teaching in three principles, known as the Three Statements of Garab Dorje:

  1. Direct introduction to one's own nature.
  2. Not remaining in doubt concerning this unique state.
  3. Continuing to remain in this state.

In accordance with these three statements, Garab Dorje's direct disciple Manjushrimitra classified all the Dzogchen teachings transmitted by his master into three series:

  1. Semde: the series of Mind, that focuses on the introduction to one's own primordial state.
  2. Longde: the series of Space, that focuses on developing the capacity to gain familiarity with the state and remove doubts.
  3. Men-ngak: the series of secret Oral Instructions, focusing on the practices in which one engages after gaining confidence in knowledge of the state.

The Dzogchen teachings focus on three terms: View, Meditation, and Action. To see directly the absolute state of our mind is the View; the way of stabilizing that View and making it an unbroken experience is Meditation; and integrating that View into our daily life is what is meant by Action.

Dzogchen is one of several recognized approaches to Nondualism.

Three aspects of energy

Sentient beings have their energy manifested in 3 aspects:

dang
Energy of an individual on the dang level is essentially infinite and formless.
rolpa
In the form of rolpa energy forms appear as though seen with 'the eye of the mind'. Many practices of thödgal and yangthig work on the basis of functioning of the rolpa aspect of individual's energy. It is also the original source of the deities visualized in Buddhist tantric transformational practices and of manifestations of one hundred peaceful and wrathful deities in bardo.
tsal
Tsal is the manifestation of the energy of the individual him or herself, as apparently 'external' world.

External world versus continuum

According to Dzogchen teachings, energy of an individual is essentially totally formless and free from any duality. However, karmic traces, contained in the individual's stream of consciousness give rise to two kinds of forms:

  • forms that the individual experiences as his or her body, voice and mind and
  • forms that the individual experiences as an external environment.

What appears as a world of apparently external phenomena, is the energy of the individual him or herself. There is nothing external or separate from the individual. Everything that manifests in the individual's field of experience is a continuum. This is the Great Perfection that is discovered in the Dzogchen practice.

Causality and interdependent origination

In Dzogchen teachings the interdependent origination and any kind of causality is considered illusory: '(One says), "all these (configurations of events and meanings) come about and disappear according to dependent origination." But, like a burnt seed, since a nonexistent (result) does not come about from a nonexistent (cause), cause and effect do not exist.

Being obsessed with entities, one's experiencing itself, which discriminates each cause and effect, appears as if it were cause and condition.

The practice of Dzogchen

In Dzogchen, self-liberation is achieved by discovering or recognizing one's own primordial mental state and remaining in that natural state of primordial awareness in which all phenomena are experienced without creating karma through reaction, attachment, or conceptual labelling.

Sogyal Rinpoche, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and other teachers provide different practical sets of instructions for the practice of Dzogchen. The central practice of Dzogchen teaching is Dzogchen contemplation.

Silent and prolonged meditation is also used to allow the obscurations of the mind to dissipate like clouds dissolving to reveal the empty, luminous sky. Through meditation, it is possible to remove the conditioning of our minds and to glimpse our true nature.

According to some teachers (in particular, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu), Dzogchen is a practice rather than a doctrine or religion. It does not require the practitioner to be anywhere special; in fact, to be normally active while in a state of primordial or natural awareness is the ultimate practice of Dzogchen.

The goal of Dzogchen practice is to remain in the clear, undeluded state of the nature of the mind, unconditioned by thoughts — which is not the same thing as not having any thoughts, which is in any case impossible. At the beginning, a Dzogchen teacher introduces one directly (Tib. ngo sprod, introduce, point out) to the real nature of one's mind, even if only for a few seconds; being a Dzogchen practitioner thus implies that one must have a qualified Dzogchen teacher, one who has mastered the nature of the mind. Historically, Dzogchen teachers have been very selective in choosing initiates, but current lineage holders in the Nyingma and Bön traditions have made Dzogchen teachings available to a wider (Western) audience.

Sky gazing

In the Bön dzogchen tradition, sky gazing is considered to be important practice. Detailed instructions on the practice are provided by the Nyingma teacher Tarthang Tulku.

Tregchöd and thödgal

Once the state of non-dual contemplation has been arrived at, one has to continue in it. This continuation has two levels of practice: tregchöd and thödgal. These are main practices presented in the Menngagde series (Oral Instruction Series) of the dzogchen teachings.

Uses and application for ordinary people

Anam Thubten Rinpoche of the Dharmata Foundation teaches that "being aware of one's awareness" is a simple method for people to follow in practicing Dzogchen moment to moment. Consistency is the key to this method.

Reality vs dreams

According to contemporary teacher Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, in Dzogchen the perceived reality is considered to be unreal. All appearances perceived during the whole life of individual through all senses, including sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations in their totality are like a big dream. It is claimed that on careful examination the dream of life and regular nightly dreams are not very different, and that in their essential nature there is no difference between them.

The non-essential difference between our dreaming state and our ordinary waking experience is that the latter is more concrete and linked with our attachment; the dreaming is slightly detached.

Also according to this teaching, there is a correspondence between the states of sleep and dream and our experiences when we die. After experiences of intermediate state of bardo an individual comes out of it, a new karmic illusion is created and another existence begins. This is how transmigration happens.

One aim of dream practice is to realize during a dream that one is dreaming. One can then 'take control' of the dream and do all sorts of things, such as go to different places, talk to people, fly and so forth. It is also possible to do different yogic practices while dreaming (usually such yogic practices one does in waking state). In this way the yogi can have a very strong experience and with this comes understanding of the dream-like nature of daily life. This is very relevant to diminishing attachments, because they are based on strong beliefs that life's perceptions and objects are real and, as a consequence, important. If one really understands what Buddha Shakyamuni meant when he said that everything is unreal or of the nature of shunyata, then one can diminish attachments and tensions.

The teacher gives advice, that the realization that the life is only a big dream can help us finally liberate ourselves from the chains of emotions, attachments, and ego and then we have the possibility of ultimately becoming enlightened.


The Critical Mass of Enlightenment by John Hogue

Only when there are many people who are pools of
peace, silence, understanding,
will war disappear.

Osho

To speak the truth they will have closed mouths.
Nostradamus(1555)C5Q96

Out of thousands of seeds only one tree is born. Out of millions of sperm only one flips the ovarian switch to turn on an infant's life. Though the potentials for life are abundant, the critical mass of fulfillment of those potentials is atomically small.

The mystics believe the same law works in the evolution of human consciousness. Billions of humans have been born, each carrying within the shell of their personality the potential flower of Christ-consciousness. They are Gaia's near-countless seeds falling upon her earthly cradle. Billions live and die considering themselves blessed if the wings of existence scatter them upon barren, rocky fields of orthodox behavior. Only a tiny proportion of humankind ever reaches a full flowering.

The critical mass of enlightenment can be defined as the smallest number of awakened human beings whose collective influence can initiate a significant shift in global consciousness. The process of creating enough enlightened ones to achieve this critical mass can be likened to the transformation of coal into diamonds. The pressure of surrounding human unconsciousness creates an urgency in the potential enlightened one to awaken from illusion. The total weight of so much unconscious 'carbon' exerts a tremendous pressure, through which a few coal stones reach the appropriate mass to become 'diamonds.' These awakened beings embody the crystal clarity of enlightened consciousness which can transform the level of consciousness of the entire planet.

Mystics who have used the metaphor of the mud and filth necessary to grow a lotus, like the sixth-century patriarch of Zen, Bodhiharma, say most of humanity has no other destiny than to live and die as compost and manure for the Bodhisattvas' (or spiritual teachers') flowering. The constant revelation of the rank odors of human consciousness, hidden behind society's manure of moralities and illusions, nurtures the urgency for a budding Bodhisattva's consciousness to grow. Once awakened, he or she shares his revelation with other seeds of buddhahood, encouraging them to seek their own flowering.

It doesn't seem fair that so few reach their ultimate potential. Yet such a small success rate is universal throughout Nature. Many a grain tower full of seeds must be produced by a great mother oak before one child from her wooden womb becomes a tree. We can accept or even overlook this simple law of Nature, but are offended upon discovering that the same rule applies to the blossoming of human consciousness.

The mystics say thus: Humankind arrives as billions of seeds filled with hope; in the end, almost all die as manure for others. A sterile grounding in tradition will preserve their hard shells of hope and dreaming from ever being shattered.

Even if a seed of Christ consciousness feels the urge to be blown out of his or her protected crevice in society, there's a one in a million chance that the seed will land in the proper soil for a metamorphosis. There's even less chance that a wise and compassionate gardener will push one's seedy little self deep into the dark, wet earth to begin the germination process. One seed out of billions might be fortunate enough to receive such care and eventually give birth to a buddha lotus flower.

Never has mankind been so full of manure, or needed so desperately the proper soil to cultivate its higher consciousness, than in the coming few years.

Now I don't mind telling you that my ego hates the idea of being shit for someone else's buddhahood. Still, if my destiny is to be an untransformed seed-cum-manure of a man - or to put it another way - if I can at least be the source of unconscious friction that triggers another Christ or Buddha's urgency to awaken, then so be it. Fertilize my ego!

Now I wish to take the narrative out of all this seedy talk and into a nuclear detonation best suited for a positive future.

The influence of self-awareness on the world seems to be a quality rather than a quantity equation. The effect of the awakened ones on the mass of unconscious humanity is in proportion to the influence of an atom in a thermonuclear explosion. A split in the atom of awareness is predicted to be equally explosive in a spiritual sense. The detonation of meditation's silence expected between the years 1993 through 2000 could blow us into a golden future.

The forewarned end of the world may not see civilization go up in a thermonuclear holocaust at century's end. There may be another kind of atomic explosion - of human consciousness - in which the smallest mass of a fissionable material that will sustain a chain reaction is not uranium but 'Uranian.'

(Surprise! Uranus the ruler of the Aquarian Age is back. Blow the doors of your prison of limitations and seek your freedom from the known.)

The number of enlightened people needed to set off the spiritual liberation of humanity has been bandied about by some of this century's visionaries as between 5 to 200 buddhatomic Christs.

The guru of TM, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who once counted the Beatles and Beach Boys as his disciples, predicts that only one-tenth of 1 percent of humanity is needed to create enough good vibrations to usher in world peace.

The end of the Kali Yuga is history's darkest moment. In her dark age, the population explosion has dumped more unconscious human burdens on the Earth than ever before. According to the Indian mystic, Osho, these darker times exert a higher pressure of unconsciousness, which could produce a greater buddhatomic detonation of joy and awareness. Osho estimates that at least 5 percent of the human seed base has the potential intelligence to germinate an awakening. Out of an expected manure pile of 5.5 to six billion people fertilizing earth during the nightmarish nineties, there are more potential buddha buds than there were people alive on the Earth at any time for most of man's four million year history - between 275 to 300 million spiritual rebels!

If only 200 of these found the right gardener to water them, this could turn out to be a great vegetable patch, shit and all, for the next twenty centuries.

Prophecy shares a collective vision of a Second Coming of a Christ figure. All of our soothsayers say his cloud is due to land from heaven during our time. Your guess is as good (or as biased) as mine about which promised messiah (if any) will float down on his divine father's cloudy gangplank.

The prophets who foresee the triumph of their choice for Messiah can't all be right. Their predictions about their favorite son of God being the herald of the new age are the most tainted by bias. In their defense, it must be said that in their groping they've grabbed hold of something even if their bias can't quite interpret what they've seen correctly. In a sense, they all may be right as much as they are all wrong. There have always been messiahs walking among us. The Aquarian Age will make us aware that each human being is a messiah unto himself.

If the past is our criterion, many spiritual giants are still disturbing our sleep with new teachings and disturbing moral points of view. They are walking among us, teaching us, being stoned and poisoned by us. We may have already condemned a few as madmen and cultists.

Hindsight says we were wrong to stab Zoroaster, poison Socrates, burn Pythagoras and his commune, poison Mohammed, behead Sarmad and draw and quarter the Sufi mystic Al-Hillaj Mansoor; we were wrong to stone the Buddha and murder him by serving him tainted food. Was it not wrong to crucify Y'shua the Messiah and turn him into a fictionalized Jesus Christ?

"The search for truth is neither new nor old... Nobody is a founder in it, nobody is a leader in it. It is such a vast phenomenon that many enlightened people have appeared, helped and disappeared." Osho

"The Uniter is going to be born here and it is going to come in plenty. It is not going to be only one human being but many. And when the Uniter is born it is going to grow and more and more humans are going to be included in the thoughts of the Uniter." Ambres

"It is also true that the world is the Avatar. It is humanity as a whole that is the Avatar in human form, not some specific human individual. Only the whole is the Divine Manifestation without exclusion. Therefore, the Guru is not the Avatar in that exclusive sense. Mankind is the Avatar."


Da Avabhasa

Name That Messiah!

The Christian Messiah: Second coming of Jesus Christ.

The Islamic Messiah: (Orthodox Sunnis) Muntazar: The successor to Mohammed who at the 'end of time' will unite the races of the world through understanding.

The Aztec/Mayan Messiah: The return of Quetzalcoatl -- an olive-skinned man with a white beard and followers in red.

The Sioux Messiah: A man in a red cloak coming from the East.

The Indonesian Messiah: the twelfth-century Indonesian prophet, Djojobojo, foresaw the coming of a great Spiritual King from the West to come after the Dutch and Japanese occupations, and what sounds like the severe end of the rule of Indonesian dictatiors, Sukarno and Suharto.

The Hopi Messiah: Pahana the 'true white brother' from the East will wear a red cap and cloak and bring two helpers holding the sacred symbols: The swastika, the cross and the power symbol of the Sun. He will restore the Indian version of the Dharma.

The Buddhist mainstream Messiah: Maitreya: Meaning either 'The World Unifier' or simply 'The Friend.' A very human God-Man whom Buddha predicted will be a greater Buddha than himself.

The Mahayana Buddhist Messiah: Amida: A great Christ-like Bodhisattva.

The Japanese Messiah: Several sects of Japanese Buddhism and Shintoism foresee a variant of the Buddhist Maitreya appearing after 8 August 1988 (8/8/88).

The Maori Messiahs: Over a dozen Maori cheiftains in New Zealand from the nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries have laid claim to the title.

The Messiah of Central Asian nomads: The White Burkhan. He will come when the people of the steppes have abandoned their ancient gods (Communist Russia was atheist). He will come to offer them and the entire human race a spiritual rebirth.

The Jewish Messiah: "The" (sic) Messiah. The true messenger of Yahweh, the god of the jews, who will restore them to their status as the Chosen People. Know his time has come when Israel is restored and the temple of Solomon is rebuilt (interest in rebuilding the temple is at an all-time high during the 1990s)

The Hindu Messiah: Kalki or Javada: The ninth and last Avatar of this yuga cycle. His final incarnation will appear from the West.

The Shiite Messiah: The twelfth Imam: The final religious leader of the Shiite sect of Islam. He has never died but will reappear beside Jesus prior to Judgement Day to complete the Holy Qur'an (Koran).

The Sufi Messiah: Khidr, the mysterious guide of the Islamic spiritual underground. He is the Sufi's version of the Shiite twelfth Imam and Muntazar of the Sunnis.

The Zoroastrian Messiah: Saoshyant: Like Zarathustra, he's scheduled to come at the Zoroastrian twelfth millennium (AD 2000)

The Eskimo Messiah: the prophets of the Arctic foresee him to be an olive-skinned man with long beard and white hair who comes from the East.

"As time goes by, human after human will contribute to the growth of the Uniter. The Uniter is in opposition to the old thought and its ability to limit love. But the old thought was necessary for the new to be born [or, the necessary manure for the flowering]. Everything is a oneness. All the new is not really new. All this has been spoken before by different masters of different times, but it is only now in this new time that it will be understood that it will be lived. Together all of you who are listening to this are the body of the Uniter, the body and the limbs. Together you are the new thought of the the time." Ambres

"Man has lived a long time the way he has lived [violently and unconsciously]. By the end of this century, a critical quantum leap is possible. Either man will die in a third world war or man will take a jump and will become a new man. Before that happens, a great Buddhafield is needed - a field where we can create the future." Osho (1977) DiSutra

"Tuning into a fully developed Master Field, where all these evolutionary processes have already taken place, permits those changes to be magnified and quickened or, in effect, lived into that system without its having to pass through certain of the of the processes associated with the individual struggle to evolve." Da Avabhasa

"In the old days, evil things spead rapidly, but now good things spread rapidly. If you understand...everything begins to appear wonderful and beautiful, and it naturally makes people stop wasting or stop desiring unnecessary things. This awakening is contagious and it will be transmitted to everybody soon." Tamo-san

From The Millennium Book of Prophecy by John Hogue. Visions and Predictions from Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Gurdjieff, Tamo-san, Madame Blavatsky, the Old and New Testament Prophets and 89 others.


Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Beelzebub

Beelzebub ( /biːˈɛlzɨbʌb/ bee-el-zə-bub or /ˈbiːlzɨbʌb/ beel-zə-bub; (Arabic: بعل ألذباب‎, Ba‘al Azabab; Hebrew: בעל זבוב‎, Baʿal Zəbûb, literally "Lord of the Flies"; Greek: Βεελζεβούλ, Beelzeboúl; Latin: Beelzebūb), with numerous archaic variants, is a Semitic deity that was worshipped in the Philistine city of Ekron. In later Christian and Biblical sources he appears as a demon and the name of one of the seven princes of Hell.

Beelzebub is commonly described as placed high in Hell's hierarchy; he was of the order of cherubim. According to the stories of the 16th century occultist, Johann Weyer, Beelzebub led a successful revolt against Satan, and is the chief lieutenant of Lucifer, the Emperor of Hell, and presides over the Order of the Fly. Similarly, the 17th century exorcist, Sebastien Michaelis, in his Admirable History (1612), placed Beelzebub among the three most prominent fallen angels, the other two being Lucifer and Leviathan, whereas two 18th century works identified an unholy trinity consisting of Beelzebub, Lucifer, and Astaroth. John Milton featured Beelzebub as seemingly the second-ranking of the many fallen cherubim in the epic poem Paradise Lost, first published in 1667. Wrote Milton of Beelzebub "than whom, Satan except, none higher sat." Beelzebub is also a character in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, first published in 1678.


Sebastien Michaelis associated Beelzebub with the deadly sin of pride. However, according to Peter Binsfeld, Beelzebub was the demon of gluttony, one of the other seven deadly sins, whereas Francis Barrett asserted that Beelzebub was the prince of false gods. In any event, Beelzebub was frequently named as an object of supplication by confessed witches. Within religious circles the accusation of demon possession has been used as both an insult and an attempt to categorise unexplained behavior. Not only have the Pharisees disparagingly accused Jesus of using Beelzebub's demonic powers to heal people (Luke 11v14-26) but others have been labeled possessed for acts of an extreme nature. Down through history Beelzebub has been held responsible for many cases of demon possession such as that of Sister Madeleine de Demandolx de la Palud , Aix-en-Provence 1611, whose relationship with Father Jean-Baptiste Gaufridi led not only to countless traumatic events at the hands of her inquisitors but also to the torture and execution of that "bewitcher of young nuns" Gaufridi himself. Beelzebub was also imagined to be sowing his influence in Salem, Massachusetts: his name came up repeatedly during the Salem witch trials, the last large-scale public expression of witch hysteria in North America or Europe, and afterwards Rev. Cotton Mather wrote a pamphlet entitled Of Beelzebub and his Plot.

Beelzebub from Russian icon of Harrowing of Hell.
In the aftermath of the 1634 Loudun possessions, as the priest Urbain Grandier was burnt at the stake, onlookers saw a fly appear and alleged it was Beelzebub fetching his soul.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Original Home of the Betta


Contrary to popular belief, betta do not come from mud puddles. They come from Thailand (used to be called Siam, hence "Siamese Fighting Fish") and live in rice paddies, these usually are a good 12 inches deep and can be acres wide.


The rice paddies are huge, and yes, shallow. They're very weed-choked and slow moving bodies of water. The thick vegetation provides plenty of hiding places which is important for betta.


Monday, April 18, 2011

Icy


Cutest Betta I've ever seen!
Spawned him twice.
He has his own 5 gallon heated tank with plenty of plants and hiding spots.
Such a big personality for a little fish.
i ♥ my friend

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Benefits of Adding Carbon Dioxide to the Aquarium


Plants need light and food to grow, but did you know that they also need CO2 or carbon dioxide? Aquarium owners who stock live plants will find that the addition of carbon dioxide to their tank will help fuel the growth of their live freshwater plants.



Adding carbon dioxide to your fish tank produces some highly noticeable effects immediately. It’s like giving them a boost of energy, which helps them grow.



Friday, April 15, 2011

DIY semi-aquatic background with Java Moss wall and Waterfall


This 29 gallon semi-aquatic aquascape was built to accomodate about 8 gallons of water. A custom built filter hidden beneath the waterfall feeds filtered water to both the waterfall and a dripline that spans the length of the top of the background. The dripline made it possible to cultivate a growing carpet of Java Moss on the rock wall which made for a nice "rain forest" dripping effect.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

DIY aquarium background - 90 gallon made from styrofoam and cement


This 90 gallon background was built using a horizontal stacking method. The styrofoam pieces on the bottom are intentionally flush with the sides and back of the aquarium to create a type of "shelf" that's higher than the substrate in front of the background. The idea is to help discourage substrate from accumulating behind the rock formations. Generous amounts of GE brand Silicone #1 were applied to all surfaces where styrofoam or cement met glass. Even with three coats of cement, these pieces would easily float if not secured in place by the silicone. Once the lower rock formation sections were built and siliconed in place, the rest of the background was built up from there by applying single pieces siliconed directly to the glass. With all the cement and and liquid acrylic work completed, the cement was allowed a few days to finish curing before beginning the tap water rinsing process. This was an exciting moment during the build process. After several weeks of work, the garden hose fills the tank for the very first time to begin the tap water rinse. The tank will soak for three days, be drained, and filled again. This process will be done three times for a total of nine days to help leach out excess calcium and magnesium from the cement.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Shaun Monson On The Three Stages of Truth

“The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer is credited with saying there are Three Stages of Truth: first, ridicule; second, violent opposition; and third, acceptance. This was certainly true for the abolitionists, who were told that to abolish slavery would threaten the entire economy of the United States. Indeed they were ridiculed and violently opposed long before there was any acceptance. We look back now at human slavery as one of the darkest periods in American history. Women seeking the right to vote, known as the suffragettes, experienced a similar fate. They too were ridiculed, and violently opposed, until finally, after long grief and pain, they were accepted…You could say there is a parallel today with animal activists, who are often ridiculed and violently opposed.”

Betta Pic of the Day - Rain

Thanks for sending us a pic Rachel!

Animals, Whom We Have Made Our Slaves

“Those who benefit from the exploitation of others generally employ psychological tactics to justify this exploitation. It’s far easier to feel comfortable about dominating and oppressing others when we convince ourselves that they are somehow radically different and ‘lower’ than us. This was how men justified oppressing women, and how whites justified enslaving blacks. It is also how humans justify exploiting nonhumans. As Charles Darwin noted, ‘Animals, whom we have made our slaves, we do not like to consider our equal.’”

~J. Tyler

“One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them.”

~-Martin Luther King Jr.

Fellow Prisoners of the Splendour and the Travail


We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Quote of the Day


The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.

~Charles Darwin

Friday, February 18, 2011

Prehistoric Shark Found in Japan


from the vid info: This prehistoric shark is rarely seen alive as its natural habitat lies up to 1,280 metres (4,200 feet) deep under the sea. Experts at the Awashima Marine Park were able to examine the creature, which was a female, and film it swimming around. Unfortunately though it died a couple of hours after it was moved to its new environment. (From Jan last year)

Quote of the Day

All Nature is so filled with wisdom one only has to look to the natural world to be guided. As the American Indian intuitively knew— All life contains a Spirit with virtues we may learn from.

~Nan Sea Love


Betta Pic of the Day - Gabriel


Thanks for sending us a pic Dave!

Betta Art - Icy

Fast Food Nation Trailer


Check out this great Richard Linklater movie.
(Sporadicity!)

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Altruism in Animals - Must Watch!




Owen and Mzee

Owen and Mzee are a hippopotamus and a tortoise, respectively, that became the subject of much media attention after forming a unique bond of friendship.

A baby hippopotamus, Owen, was orphaned in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya near Malindi during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004. The baby hippo, weighing 600 pounds (270 kg), was stranded on a large rock not far from shore. He was finally rescued during a day long effort by nearly 1,000 villagers using shark nets. Owen's namesake is a French student volunteer with the KWS named Owen Saubion, who finally tackled the hippo during the rescue.

Owen was taken to Haller Park, a restored limestone quarry near Mombasa owned by Lafarge Eco Systems' East African firm, Bamburi Cement. He was released into a large wooded penned-in area that included a pond and a co-inhabitant − a 700-pound (320 kg), 130-year-old Aldabran tortoise named Mzee (Swahili for "old man").

Owen immediately bonded to Mzee and would crouch behind him. However, Mzee initially resisted Owen's overtures. Over time, the old tortoise came to accept the young hippo, who began to mimic his adoptive parent. Gradually, Mzee taught Owen, who was a nursing calf, what to eat and where to sleep.

In the first year, the two became inseparable companions who ate, slept, swam, and played together. Owen often played with the old tortoise by jumping on Mzee's back, scratching the old tortoise on the neck, and in many other ways. They surprised scientists with the strength of what appeared to be a genuine bond, as well as with the unique vocal communication that developed between them.

Owen and Mzee became worldwide celebrities as a result of their astonishing behavior, captured on film and video primarily by BBC photographer Peter Greste. Two picture books,Owen and Mzee: The true story of a remarkable friendship and Owen & Mzee: Language Of Friendship, both published by Scholastic Press, and authored by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Paula Kahumbu were released in February 2006 and January 2007.

Owen and Mzee were also the subject of children's musician Marla Lewis's song 'Will You Be My Mom?', released on her 2007 album 'I Love To Talk To Plants', as well as Judy Feeney's song 'Owen and Mzee,' released on her 2007 album 'The Ants' Dance.'

As of March 2007, Mzee has been removed from the enclosure. A female hippopotamus named Cleo has been added to provide companionship for Owen. Due to Cleo's rough behavior with the other tortoises, a decision was made to remove the tortoises. This has resulted in Owen and Mzee living apart, but their friendship, which lasted for over two years, continues to inspire people from all over the world. Owen seems to be adapting to his new companion and it is possible that Owen and Cleo will have offspring when he reaches maturity.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Lessons on Water - How to Restructure and Heal Our Water

I want to begin by thanking Dr. Gabriel Cousins for his wisdom, light, and generosity in writing Spiritual Nutrition. I share this information without permissions in good faith that it will be used only for collective good/healing and enlightenment. Please receive this information with gratitude and awareness of it as a sacred blessing. Consider that we are collectively awakening to the sacred knowing of that which we truly are and that is. Enjoy...











W
ATER is a sacred, liquid-crystal information carrying harmonization of molecules [light = information]. It is the essence of life-energy manifest into material form.


"The function of water is to bring active natural hydrogen into the cell, so the cell becomes hydrated and the DNA of the nucleus becomes hydrated. The meaning of hydration is hydrogen-donating electrons. This is the secret of water." (475) "One other function of water is its roles as the universal solvent to eliminate toxins out of the body and out of the cell. Water also acts as a harmonic communicator between each other and intracellularly, through patterned frequencies that the water is able to transmit." (475)"Nobel Prize laureate Szent-Gyorgyi said it very simply: 'All of life depends on a small trickle of electrons from the sun.' These electrons are stored in water, in live foods, and in the almost magical monatomic element called iridium." (475) "The secret to the chemistry of life is the flow of hydrogen-donating electrons and how it affects all intracellular processes. DNA needs the electron energy from the hydrated water to repair it. The flow of hydrogen into the cells from the natural water helps bring oxygen into the cell in the form of H20. The flow of hydrogen, which is electron-donating, activates the cytochrome oxidative system in the mitochondria of the cell to make ATP. ATP is the source of biological energy... Once we understand this basic principle it brings into the system subsequently releases electrons into the system for all energy systems to work, we are then ready to understand the principles of water. Water that is high in hydrogen, and therefore electrons, works as a powerful antioxidant. Water in this context is the universal antioxidant." (476)
















"Natural water is a high-hydrogen-donating water, such as you see in pristine rainwater. When you distill water, you free up the natural hydrogen in the water, so you can hydrate the cells. Total dissolved solids (TDS) tells you the amount of minerals and other frequencies in the water - pesticides, herbicides, and so forth. Eliminating the discussion about the problems of contaminates in the water, and focusing on the minerals of the water, we can understand the research of Dr. Tru Ott, who the author acknowledges for the insights he so generously shared on water. Dr. Tru Ott's research seems to indicate that if the TDS is greater than 50ppm, those total dissolved solids interact and trap the electrons so they cannot be used to transfer to our cells." (476)

"'Mature' distilled water is optimal because it is the highest hydrogen-donating water. Mature water is distilled water that has been restructured in a highly energetic way. The water-maturing process is outlined later in this chapter. Distilled water that is not matured is aggressive water. It is the most powerful natural solvent on the planet. It will pull out toxins and heavy metals, but may also leach much-needed minerals from the body. It does not have the potency, life energy, or safety of mature water." (477)

Cool Desktop Wallpapers



Saturday, February 12, 2011

Beauty of Transformation - Little Fish


"Do not be Afraid," the Voice called to him. "Hang on to the Wind and Trust!"

Little Fish did. He Closed his Eyes and Hung on to the Wind and it Carried him Higher and Higher. Little Fish opened his Eyes and they were Clear, and the Higher he Went the Clearer they Became. Little Fish Saw his Old Friend upon a Lily Pad on the Beautiful Medicine Lake. It was the Frog.

"You have a New Name," Called the Frog. "You are Dragon!"


Contact From Within

The Story of Jumping Mouse

Once there was a Mouse.

He was Busy Mouse, Searching Everywhere, Touching his Whiskers to the Grass, and Looking. He was Busy as all Mice are, Busy with Mice things. But Once in a while he would Hear an Odd Sound. He would Lift his Head, Squinting hard to See, his Whiskers Wiggling in the air, and he would Wonder.

One Day he Scurried up to a fellow Mouse and asked him, "Do you Hear a Roaring in your Ears, my Brother?"

"No, no," answered the Other Mouse, not Lifting his Busy Nose from the Ground. "I Hear Nothing. I am Busy now. Talk to me Later."

He asked Another Mouse the same Question and the Mouse Looked at him Strangely.

"Are you Foolish in your Head? What Sound?" he asked and Slipped into a Hole in a Fallen Cottonwood Tree.

The little Mouse shrugged his Whiskers and Busied himself again, Determined to Forget the Whole Matter. But there was that Roaring again. It was faint, very faint, but it was there! One Day, he decided to investigate the Sound just a little. Leaving the Other Busy Mice, he Scurried a little Way away and Listened again. There It was! He was Listening hard when suddenly, Someone said Hello.

"Hello, little Brother," the Voice said, and Mouse almost Jumped right Out of his Skin. He Arched his Back and Tail and was about to Run.

"Hello," again said the Voice. "It is I, Brother Raccoon." And sure enough, It was! "What are you Doing Here all by yourself, little Brother?" asked the Raccoon. The Mouse blushed, and put his Nose almost to the Ground. "I Hear a Roaring in my Ears and I am Investigating it," he answered timidly.

"A Roaring in your Ears?" replied the Raccoon as he Sat Down with him. "What you Hear, little Brother, is the River."

"The River?" Mouse asked curiously. "What is a River?"

"Walk with me and I will Show you the River," Raccoon said.

Little Mouse was terribly Afraid, but he was Determined to Find Out Once and for All about the Roaring.

"I can Return to my Work," he thought, "after this thing is Settled, and possibly this thing may Aid me in All my Busy Examining and Collecting. And my Brothers All said it was Nothing. I will Show them. I will Ask Raccoon to Return with me and I will have Proof."

"All right Raccoon, my Brother," said Mouse. "Lead on to the River. I will Walk with you."

Little Mouse Walked with Raccoon. His little Heart was Pounding in his Breast. The Raccoon was Taking him upon Strange Paths and little Mouse Smelled the scent of many things that had Gone by this Way. Many times he became so Frightened he almost Turned Back. Finally, they Came to the River! It was Huge and Breathtaking, Deep and Clear in Places, and Murky in Others. Little Mouse was unable to See Across it because it was so Great. It Roared, Sang, Cried, and Thundered on its Course. Little Mouse Saw Great and Little Pieces of the World Carried Along on its Surface.

"It is Powerful!" little Mouse said, Fumbling for Words.

"It is a Great thing," answered the Raccoon, "but here, let me Introduce you to a Friend."

In a Smoother, Shallower Place was a Lily Pad, Bright and Green. Sitting upon it was a Frog, almost as Green as the Pad it sat on. The Frog's White Belly stood out Clearly.

"Hello, little Brother," said the Frog. "Welcome to the River."

"I must Leave you Now," cut in Raccoon, "but do not Fear, little Brother, for Frog will Care for you Now." And the Raccoon Left, Looking along the River Bank for Food that he might Wash and Eat.

Little Mouse Approached the Water and Looked into it. He saw a Frightened Mouse Reflected there.

"Who are you?" little Mouse asked the Reflection. "Are you not Afraid, being that Far out into the Great River?"

"No," answered the Frog, "I am not Afraid. I have been Given the Gift from Birth to Live both Above and Within the River. When Winter Man Comes and Freezes this Medicine, I cannot be Seen. But all the while Thunderbird Flies, I am here. To Visit me, One must Come when the World is Green. I, my Brother, am the Keeper of the Water."

"Amazing!" little Mouse said at last, again Fumbling for Words.

"Would you like to have some Medicine Power?" Frog asked.

"Medicine Power? Me?" asked little Mouse. "Yes, yes! If it is Possible."

"Then Crouch as Low as you Can, and then Jump as High as you are Able! You will have your Medicine!" Frog said.

Little Mouse did as he was Instructed. He Crouched as Low as he Could and Jumped. And when he did, his Eyes Saw the Sacred Mountains.

Little Mouse could hardly Believe his Eyes. But there They were! But then he Fell back to Earth, and he Landed in the River!

Little Mouse became Frightened and Scrambled back to the Bank. He was Wet, and Frightened nearly to Death.

"You have Tricked me," little Mouse Screamed at the Frog.

"Wait," said the Frog. "You are not Harmed. Do not let your Fear and Anger Blind you. What did you See?"

"I," Mouse stammered, "I, I Saw the Sacred Mountains!"

"And you have a New Name!" Frog said. "It is Jumping Mouse."

"Thank you. Thank you," Jumping Mouse said, and Thanked him again. "I want to Return to my People and Tell them of this thing that has Happened to me."

"Go. Go then," Frog said. "Return to your People. It is Easy to Find them. Keep the Sound of the Medicine River to the Back of your Head. Go Opposite to the Sound and you will Find your Brother Mice."

Jumping Mouse Returned to the World of the Mice. But he Found Disappointment. No One would Listen to him. And because he was Wet, and had no Way of explaining it because there had been no Rain, many of the other Mice were Afraid of him. They believed he had been spat from the Mouth of Another Animal that had Tried to Eat him. And they all Knew that if he had not been Food for the One who Wanted him, then he must also be Poison for them.

Jumping Mouse Lived again among his People, but he could not forget his Vision of the Sacred Mountains.

The Memory burned in the Mind and Heart of Jumping Mouse, and One Day he Went to the Edge of the Place of Mice and Looked out onto the Prairie. He Looked up for Eagles. The Sky was Full of many Spots, each One an Eagle. But he was Determined to Go to the Sacred Mountains. He Gathered All of his Courage and Ran just as Fast as he Could onto the Prairie. His little Heart Pounded with Excitement and Fear.

He Ran until he Came to a Stand of Sage. He was Resting and trying to Catch his Breath when he Saw an Old Mouse. The Patch of Sage Old Mouse Lived in was a Haven for Mice. Seeds were Plentiful and there was Nesting Material and many things to be Busy with.

"Hello," said Old Mouse. "Welcome."

Jumping Mouse was Amazed. Such a Place and such a Mouse. "You are Truly a great Mouse," Jumping Mouse said with all the Respect he could Find. "This is Truly a Wonderful Place. And the Eagles cannot See you here, either," Jumping Mouse said.

"Yes," said Old Mouse, "and One can See All the Beings of the Prairie here: the Buffalo, Antelope, Rabbit, and Coyote. One can See them All from here and Know their Names."

"That is Marvellous," Jumping Mouse said. "Can you also See the River and the Great Mountains?"

"Yes and No," Old Mouse Said with Conviction. "I Know of the Great River. But I am Afraid that the Great Mountains are only a Myth. Forget your Passion to See Them and Stay here with me. There is Everything you Want here, and it is a Good Place to Be."

"How can he Say such a thing?" Thought Jumping Mouse. "The Medicine of the Sacred Mountains is Nothing One can Forget."

"Thank you very much for the Meal you have Shared with me, Old Mouse, and also for sharing your Great Home," Jumping Mouse said. "But I must Seek the Mountains."

"You are a Foolish Mouse to Leave here. There is Danger on the Prairie! Just Look up there!" Old Mouse said, with even more Conviction. "See all those Spots! They are Eagles, and they will Catch you!"

It was hard for Jumping Mouse to Leave, but he Gathered his Determination and Ran hard Again.

The Ground was Rough. But he Arched his Tail and Ran with All his Might. He could Feel the Shadows of the Spots upon his Back as he Ran. All those Spots! Finally he Ran into a Stand of Chokecherries. Jumping Mouse could hardly Believe his Eyes. It was Cool there and very Spacious. There was Water, Cherries and Seeds to Eat, Grasses to Gather for Nests, Holes to be Explored and many, many Other Busy Things to do. And there were a great many things to Gather.

He was Investigating his New Domain when he Heard very Heavy Breathing. He Quickly Investigated the Sound and Discovered its Source. It was a Great Mound of Hair with Black Horns. It was a Great Buffalo. Jumping Mouse could hardly Believe the Greatness of the Being he Saw Lying there before him. He was so large that Jumping Mouse could have Crawled into One of his Great Horns. "Such a Magnificent Being," Thought Jumping Mouse, and he Crept Closer.

"Hello, my Brother," said the Buffalo. "Thank you for Visiting me."

"Hello, Great Being," said Jumping Mouse. "Why are you Lying here?"

"I am Sick and I am Dying," the Buffalo said, "And my Medicine has Told me that only the Eye of a Mouse can Heal me. But little Brother, there is no such Thing as a Mouse."

Jumping Mouse was Shocked. "One of my Eyes!" he Thought, "One of my Tiny Eyes." He Scurried back into the Stand of Chokecherries. But the Breathing came Harder and Slower.

"He will Die," Thought Jumping Mouse, "If I do not Give him my Eye. He is too Great a Being to Let Die."

He Went Back to where the Buffalo Lay and Spoke. "I am a Mouse," he said with a Shaky Voice. "And you, my Brother, are a Great Being. I cannot Let you Die. I have Two Eyes, so you may have One of them."

The minute he had Said it, Jumping Mouse's Eye Flew Out of his Head and the Buffalo was Made Whole. The Buffalo Jumped to his Feet, Shaking Jumping Mouse's Whole World.

"Thank you, my little Brother," said the Buffalo. "I Know of your Quest for the Sacred Mountains and of your Visit to the River. You have Given me Life so that I may Give-Away to the People. I will be your Brother Forever. Run under my Belly and I will Take you right to the Foot of the Sacred Mountains, and you need not Fear the Spots. The Eagles cannot See you while you Run under Me. All they will see will be the Back of a Buffalo. I am of the Prairie and I will Fall on you if I Try to Go up into the Mountains."

Little Mouse Ran under the Buffalo, Secure and Hidden from the Spots, but with only One Eye it was Frightening. The Buffalo's Great Hooves Shook the Whole World each time he took a Step. Finally they Came to a Place and Buffalo Stopped.

"This is Where I must Leave you, little Brother," said the Buffalo.

"Thank you very much," said Jumping Mouse. "But you Know, it was very Frightening Running under you with only One Eye. I was Constantly in Fear of your Great Earth-Shaking Hooves."

"Your Fear was for Nothing," said Buffalo. "For my Way of Walking is the Sun Dance Way, and I Always Know where my Hooves will Fall. I now must Return to the Prairie, my Brother. You can Always Find me there."

Jumping Mouse Immediately Began to Investigate his New Surroundings. There were even more things here than in the Other Places, Busier things, and an Abundance of Seeds and Other things Mice Like. In his Investigation of these things, Suddenly he Ran upon a Gray Wolf who was Sitting there doing absolutely Nothing.

"Hello, Brother Wolf," Jumping Mouse said.

The Wolf's Ears Came Alert and his Eyes Shone. "Wolf! Wolf! Yes, that is what I am, I am a Wolf!" But then his mind Dimmed again and it was not long before he Sat Quietly again, completely without Memory as to who he was. Each time Jumping Mouse Reminded him who he was, he became Excited with the News, but soon would Forget again.

"Such a Great Being," thought Jumping Mouse, "but he has no Memory."

Jumping Mouse Went to the Center of this New Place and was Quiet. He Listened for a very long time to the Beating of his Heart. Then Suddenly he Made up his Mind. He Scurried back to where the Wolf sat and he Spoke.

"Brother Wolf," Jumping Mouse said . . . .

"Wolf! Wolf," said the Wolf . . . .

"Please, Brother Wolf," said Jumping Mouse, "Please Listen to me. I Know what will Heal you. It is One of my Eyes. And I Want to Give it to you. I am only a Mouse. Please Take it."

When Jumping Mouse Stopped Speaking his Eye Flew out of his Head and the Wolf was made Whole.

Tears Fell down the Cheeks of Wolf, but his little Brother could not See them, for Now he was Blind

. "You are a Great Brother," said the Wolf, "for Now I have my Memory. But Now you are Blind. I am the Guide into the Sacred Mountains. I will Take you there. There is a Great Medicine Lake there. The most Beautiful Lake in the World. All the World is Reflected there. The People, the Lodges of the People, and All the Beings of the Prairies and Skies."

"Please Take me there,' Jumping Mouse said.

The Wolf Guided him through the Pines to the Medicine Lake. Jumping Mouse Drank the Water from the Lake. The Wolf Described the Beauty to him.

"I must Leave you here," said Wolf, "for I must Return so that I may Guide Others, but I will Remain with you as long as you Like."

"Thank you, my Brother," said Jumping Mouse. "But although I am Frightened to be Alone, I Know you must Go so that you may Show Others the Way to this Place."

Jumping Mouse Sat there Trembling in Fear. It was no use Running, for he was Blind, but he Knew an Eagle would Find him Here. He Felt a Shadow on his Back and Heard the Sound that Eagles Make. He Braced himself for the Shock. And the Eagle Hit! Jumping Mouse went to Sleep.

Then he Woke Up. The surprise of being Alive was Great, but Now he could See! Everything was Blurry, but the Colors were Beautiful.

"I can See! I can See!" said Jumping Mouse over again and again.

A Blurry Shape Came toward Jumping Mouse. Jumping Mouse Squinted hard but the Shape remained a Blur.

"Hello, Brother," a Voice said. "Do you Want some Medicine?"

"Some Medicine for me?" asked Jumping Mouse. "Yes! Yes!"

"Then Crouch down as Low as you Can," the Voice said, "and Jump as High as you Can."

Jumping Mouse did as he was Instructed. He Crouched as Low as he Could and Jumped! The Wind Caught him and Carried him Higher.

"Do not be Afraid," the Voice called to him. "Hang on to the Wind and Trust!"

Jumping Mouse did. He Closed his Eyes and Hung on to the Wind and it Carried him Higher and Higher. Jumping Mouse Opened his Eyes and they were Clear, and the Higher he Went the Clearer they Became. Jumping Mouse Saw his Old Friend upon a Lily Pad on the Beautiful Medicine Lake. It was the Frog.

"You have a New Name," Called the Frog. "You are Eagle!"