Living in the Moment

A story about living in the moment- This beautiful heartfelt story comes from Thich Nhat Hanh, the World Renown Buddhist Monk from Vietnam. I can’t think of another person that has attain a level of Spirituality and Enlightenment than Thich Nhat Hanh. He embodies the meaning of an Indigo that knows their path and purpose. I was moved deeply when I read this story. In it, you’ll see the simplicity of life and how one can see the face of God in the most humble of places when you are living in the moment. It is all in how you choose to view the world. The question is do you really see when you look? It is being aware of the moment, in being able to really see. Please read this story and take away from it the importance of being aware and living in the moment through the eyes of a child as well as an Adult.



“Vietnam has extraordinary rainstorms. One day, I sat by the window of a friend’s home and watched a scene I could have watched forever. Across the street was a low-roofed dry goods store. Coils of rope and barbed wire, pots and pans hung from the eaves. Hundreds of items were on display- fish sauce and bean sauce, candles, and peanut candy. The store was so packed and dimly lit; it was difficult to distinguish one object from another as the rainstorm darkened the street. A young boy, no more than five or six, wearing a simple pair of shorts, his skin darken by hours of play in the sun, sat on a little stool on the front step of the store. He was eating a bowl of rice, protected by the overhang. Rain ran off the roof making puddles in front of where he sat. He held his rice bowl in one hand and his chopsticks in the other, and he ate slowly, his eyes riveted on the stream of water pouring from the roof. Large drops exploded into bubbles on the surface of a puddle. Though I was across the street, I could tell that his rice was mixed with pieces of duck egg and sprinkled with fish sauce. He raised his chopsticks slowly to his mouth, savoring each small mouthful. He gazed at the rain and appeared to be utterly content, the very image of well-being. I could feel his heart beating. His lungs, stomach, liver, and all his organs were working in perfect harmony. If he had a toothache, he could not have been enjoying the effortless peace of that moment. I looked at him as one might admire a perfect jewel, a flower, or a sunrise. Truth and paradise revealed themselves; I was completely absorbed by his image. He seemed to be a divine being, a young god embodying the bliss of well-being with every glance of his eyes and every bite of rice he took. He was completely free of worry or anxiety. He had no thought of being poor. He did not compare his simple black shorts to the fancy clothes of other children. He did not feel sad because he had no shoes. He did not mind that he sat on a hard stool rather than a cushioned chair. He felt no longing. He was completely at peace in the moment. Just by watching him, the same well-being flooded my body.

A violet shadow flitted across the street. The boy looked up for an instance, his eyes startled by the blur of bright color, and then, he returned his gaze to the water bubbles dancing on the puddle. He chewed his rice and egg carefully, and watched the rain in delight. He paid no more attention to the passersby, two young women dressed in red and purple ao dai, carrying umbrellas. Suddenly he turned his head and looked down the street. He smiled and became so absorbed in something new, I turned to look down the street myself. Two young children were pulling a third child in a wooden wagon. The three did not have a stitch of clothing on and were having a grand time splashing in the puddles. The wheels of the wagon spun round and round, spraying water whenever the wagon hit a puddle. I looked back at the boy on the doorstep; He had stopped eating to watch the other children. His eyes sparkled. I believe my eyes reflected his in that moment, and I shared his delight. Perhaps my delight was not as great as his, or perhaps it was greater because I was so aware of being happy.

Then I heard him call out, “Coming Mama,” and he stood up and went back into the shop. I guess his mother had called him back in to refill his rice bowl, but he did not come out again. Perhaps he was eating with his parents, who scolded him for dawdling so long over his first bowl. If that was the case, poor child! His parents did not know he had just been in paradise. They did not know that when the mind divides reality up, when it judges and discriminates, it kills paradise. Please do not scold the sunlight. Do not chastise the clear stream, or the little birds of spring.

How can you enter paradise unless you become like a little child? You can’t see reality with eyes that discriminate or base all their understanding on concepts. As I write these lines, I long to return to the innocence of childhood. I want to play the Vietnamese children’s game of examining the whorls of a friend’s hair- “one whorl your allegiance is with your father, two whorls with your mother, three whorls with your aunt, many whorls with your country.” I’d love to make a snowball and hurl it all the way back to Vietnam. “

Mayan Prediction for 2012 from a Mayan Elder

People are waking up and giving Notice! EU Nigel Farage takes on President.

Nigel Farage Takes On Unelected José Manuel Barroso

Pelosi calls for Ground Zero Mosque "Opposition Funding" Investigation

"But there is no question that there is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some, and I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded."- Nancy Pelosi
While 70% of the country wants to know who is funding the 9/11 Ground Zero Victory Mosque, Nancy Pelosi calls for an investigation into who is funding opposition to it.

President Ronald Reagan reminding us that the out-touch voices of the Democrat Party don't speak for all Americans

Rare Buddha's Halo Appears Over Mountain in China

It may be the rarest of all rainbows, only appearing when sunlight, cloud or fog, and the observers are all in a line.
So to capture the appearance of this Buddha's Halo on film is indeed a near-miracle.

The phenomenon appeared over the Huang Mountain in Huangshan, Anhui province of China after rain today. Buddha is often depicted with a halo around his head.

The rainbow is a natural phenomenon of atmospheric optics. It is formed by the diffuse reflection and diffraction of sunlight irradiating the surface of the cloud. That is, it is an extra-bright rainbow after rain.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1304709/Holy-rainbow-Rare-Buddhas-Halo-appears-mountain-China.html#ixzz0xFidq16Q

Rense and Celente prepare for the worst

It's Going To Get Worse, A Whole Lot Worse

While this is serious, have a laugh and read this article, thanks.

Warning, bear market 2010: 11 'sells.' Only 6 'buys'
New Normal: Bankrupt nation. Deflation. Zeros. Junk. No jobs. Depression

'Yes, it's going to get worse, a whole lot worse ... Bill Gross warns this is the "New Normal. Forget 10% returns. Think 5%". ... Economist Larry Kotlikoff, author of The Coming Generational Storm, warns: "Let's get real. The U.S. is bankrupt. Neither spending nor taxing will help the country pay its bills" ... Economist Peter Morici warns: "Unemployment is stuck near 10%. Deflation coming. Stock market threatens collapse.

The Federal Reserve and Barack Obama are out of bullets. Near zero federal funds rates, central bank purchases, a $1.6 trillion deficit have failed to revive the economy." ... Simon Johnson, co-author of 13 Bankers, warns: "We came close to another Great Depression, next time we may not be so lucky." Why? Because Wall Street's already well into the next bubble/bust cycle -- the "doom cycle".'

Go to read more:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/its-going-to-get-worse-a-whole-lot-worse-2010-08-17

Ten Reasons to Become Self-Sufficient and Ten Ways to Get There

Friday, August 20, 2010 Ten Reasons to Become Self-Sufficient and Ten Ways to Get There - Michael Edwards and Jeffrey Green_Activist Post

We are now three to five generations removed from the rural backbone that strengthened America. The world at large has undergone a similar transformation as the promise of easier work has created a migration to big cities. These mega-cities could be seen as an experiment gone awry, as general well-being has declined, with suicide rates increasing across the world. Crowded conditions and economic strife have led to rampant crime, pollution, corporate malfeasance, and a dog-eat-dog type of competition that can be described as a temporary insanity.

The economic crisis we are living through has been the final straw for many people, as promises of a better, easier, and more creative life seem to have been sold to us by carnival-style tricksters who are laughing all the way to (their) bank.

Here are the top reasons for becoming self-sufficient; these are based on fundamental, systemic concerns for why undertaking this life change will not be a fly-by-night fad, but rather a long-lasting means for personal independence.

10 Reasons to Become Self-Sufficient

1.Freedom from market manipulation - The traditional market-driven investment vehicles are more and more obviously controlled by traders and banking institutions. The debacle of the private Federal Reserve Bank is just the icing on the cake to a previous decade full of Ponzi-type schemes. Now, the institutionalized looting of retirement money is being planned.

2.Hedging against inflation - Have you noticed the price of goods lately? Even Wal-Mart is silently raising its prices. People might have a choice whether or not to buy stocks or gold, but people have to eat -- the current increases in basic goods portend hyperinflation, and will not ease anytime soon. Food shortages could make the problem exponentially worse.

3. Increasing health and wellness - It has now been revealed that some "organic" items have been falsely labeled. In addition, a host of "GMO-free" brands have been exposed as deceptive. GMO food lacks the nutritional value of what can be grown in the average backyard. GMO mega-corporation, Monsanto, has a sordid history and has continuously trampled on our trust. It is time that we do the work ourselves.

4.Building community strength - We constantly hear people say, "I don't even see my neighbors, let alone know anything about them." Of course not: 80-hour workweeks and grabbing meals-to-go doesn't exactly promote community interaction. With such little time to interact with our immediate community, it is no wonder why many people report feeling disconnected. In these trying times, it is a local community that can offer the best support.

5.Working for yourself - Working hours are increasing, pay is often decreasing, and corporate executives are taking bigger bonuses than ever. This is leading to a prevailing disgust, as people are being forced to admit that they are living lives of near-indentured servitude. Even for those not working in corporations, working for someone else is rarely as satisfying as creating and working for something where every minute you spend is yours alone.

6.Having more free time - We have been taught to believe that life on a farm is arduous sun-up to sun-down drudgery where you collapse at the end of the day. This is not so much the case anymore. Sure, the setup of any farm or self-sufficient endeavor is often time-consuming and laborious, but new technologies and new skills of manufacturing food via permaculture and aquaponics are offering low-cost start up and minimal maintenance, as these techniques serve to create symbiotic systems that are remarkably self-governing.

7. Generating food and energy security - The planet is running out of food and traditional energy. Climate volatility, market forces, GM foods, and rising costs of harvesting and transporting food are all conspiring to create food shortages even in the First World. This trend will not reverse. And our oil-soaked way of life is being threatened by mounting evidence that the oil lifeline could be disconnecting rather soon. We should be looking to the air, sun, geothermal, and wave power to wean us from the energy grid.

8.Acquiring an appreciation for life - As one gets closer to life-giving forces, there is a natural appreciation for how things come into being. When you have created your garden, toiled there, selected the best for harvest, and have prepared that food for your family and community, the significance of what you have taken part in can be transformative.

9.Restoring balance - Nearly everything in our society is at a peak, or is drastically out of balance. The systems and governments to which we have looked for balance restoration are missing in action. We must take it upon ourselves to restore our own financial and environmental balance sheet. The best way to do that is to reduce our overconsumption.

10.Becoming a producer, not a consumer - This is the best way to reduce your cost of living and increase your self-sufficiency. In the U.S. over 70% of the economy is based on people buying things. This is a clear sign of imbalance and, by extension, it is not sustainable. Furthermore, we also have seen corporations race to the bottom to find low-cost production on the backs of desperate people. The exploitation of the Third World to clothe, feed, and entertain the First World is something that most people do not want to think about, but it is abominable. Again, new technologies are making it easier than ever to produce your own food, and even your own clothes.
As the cliche goes: Freedom is never free. But it sure beats the alternative.

10 Ways to Get to Self-Sufficiency
The global economic collapse has become an eye-opening experience for many people. The ongoing crisis continues to create more joblessness at a time when the cost of essential items like food and energy continue to rise.

Inflation is only expected to continue due to excessive printing of money to compensate for the bursting economic bubbles, which were arguably created by printing too much money with artificially low interest rates in the first place.

The 2008 price shocks in oil followed by the financial collapse have led many people to begin taking measures to become more self-sufficient. And recently the ominous signs of food shortages, the weakening dollar, and the rising price of oil all point to a similar atmosphere as 2008. Some have taken steps to conserve electricity, reduce spending and consumption, while others are planting kitchen gardens and installing solar panels on their homes. Even living off the grid is becoming a mainstream concept for those seeking independence.

Indeed, becoming more self-sufficient is proving to make common sense whether one anticipates more hardship to come or not. Sure, many of us would love to live completely off the grid without giving up everyday comforts, but this is not practical for most of us. However, there are many steps that can be taken to move towards self-sufficiency which can be relatively painless and quite rewarding.

The following are 10 suggestions that can lead to independent living:

1.Reduce your debt: Especially get your credit card debt under control, since it is entirely corrupt. Call your credit card companies and ask for a work out plan similar to what they received from the taxpayer bailout. If they don't cooperate to your satisfaction, there are some reasons not to pay at all.

2.Reduce your consumption: Evaluate your current budget and determine absolute necessity. Push your comfort level to find areas where you can scale back, and then identify comforts that you’re willing to sacrifice.

3.Reduce energy use: Change light bulbs, have entertainment systems plugged into a splitter that can be shut off completely to reduce phantom charges, etc. Carefully plan shopping trips and other transportation needs.

4.Store energy: Always have back-up propane storage and a large wood pile for a rainy day. Investing in a generator of some kind (even a solar generator) will be money well spent.

5.Invest in food storage: With a falling dollar and rising food prices, why not create a food savings account? Get some good books, dehydrators and vacuum sealers for storage methods. Best storable food items are grains (rice, beans, flour), canned goods, seeds, and some prepackaged items.

6.Produce your own food: Replace your lawn with a garden, fruit trees, and keep chickens. Go on hunting and gathering adventures for nuts, fish, and wild game. Store extra garden seeds!

7.Learn new skills: Surf the Internet, read books, and take courses in practical skills like gardening, cooking with whole foods, composting, carpentry, alternative energy, natural health and wellness etc.

8.Start a side business: Turn your passion or hobby into a small side business to make some supplemental income. Who knows, it may become your path to full financial independence.

9.Install alternative energy: Start with small installations like a solar hot water system, a solar freezer, a solar attic fan, or a wood stove etc. If you have limited funds, tip-toe your way to independence.

10.Suggest solutions for your community: Start or join a local cooperative for food, products, and services. Engage your local community in discussions to take steps for self-sufficiency. Share your story and build support.

These steps will save money as we move closer to the ultimate prize of independence. Each action we take to live more simply frees us from the control systems put in place to make our lives more complicated, more toxic, and less independent.

This could be the most important 1.5 minutes of your day.

What the Double-Dip Recession Will Look Like

This is an article that needs to be read in detail. This is coming and there isn't anything you can do to stop it. What you can do is prepare yourself for it. My thoughts are, if you can see it coming, then read up on the Wiemar Republic of the 1920's Germany. This is what's coming our way folks. And the " Tools " on the hill will not, cannot stop it, the dominoes are in play.

"Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the economy has yet to hit bottom, a sharply higher percentage than the 53% who felt that way in January," according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll.

A growing and vocal minority of economists believes that there will be a double-dip recession primarily because of the intransigence of high unemployment and the rapidly faltering housing market. The notion of a "jobless recovery" has been around since the recessions of the 1950s and 1960s. It is a concept built on a relatively simple idea: employment lags during a recession but it is always part of a recovery cycle. Production rises as businesses see the end of a downturn and anticipate improving sales. They are reluctant to hire new workers until the recovery is confirmed, but once it has been, hiring picks up.

Warning! 1099 Reporting Requirements buried in the Health Bill

Word is out about the 1099 reporting requirements that were buried in Obama's health care legislation. If they go into effect, starting in 2012 precious metals dealers will have to report to the IRS on 1099s all purchases of $600 or more from clients in a single year.

These regulations will create a paperwork nightmare for precious metals dealers, greatly increasing our costs of doing business. As is the case in all businesses, higher costs are ultimately reflected in the prices of the products that businesses sell.

But more ominous than higher prices, sellers will have to provide identification to dealers, such as driver's licenses and social security numbers. If that information is not adequately secured by the purchasing dealers, sellers could become victims of identity theft, which is a major crime today.

Further, the new 1099 reporting could endanger the personal safety of precious metals investors. Again, if the records are not properly secured and fall into the wrong hands, that information could cause criminals to conclude that the sellers have other precious metals in their homes.

Clearly, these regulations were not well thought out, and already there are bills in the House and the Senate to repeal these onerous and invasive regulations. To stop these regulations from going into effect, there will have to be a huge outcry - not just from precious metals dealers but from all business owners who will have to comply.

Already, trade and business associations are objecting and calling for support of the repeal bills. However, precious metals investors should not hope that someone else gets the regulations repealed. If the regulations go into effect, precious metals investors will be impacted much more than average Americans will be impacted.

The Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act
In the House of Representatives, Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) has introduced H.R. 5141, which would repeal the new 1099 requirement. Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) has introduced a companion bill in the Senate, S. 3578. Appropriately, both bills are titled the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act.

To date, 160 members of the House have signed on as cosponsors; in the Senate, nineteen Senators are cosponsoring the Senate bill.

Although the large number of early sponsors suggests the new 1099 regulations may stand a good chance of being overturned, the fight will not be easy. The Obama administration is taking the position that increased 1099 reporting will result in increased tax compliance and, therefore, increased tax revenues. Consequently, Americans who will be negatively impacted by the new regulations need to contact their members of Congress and ask them to sign on to the legislation.

The best way to make your opinion heard is to write or call. Emails, although, monitored by congressional staffers are not as effective because they are perceived (and rightfully so) as being easy to send. Letters, on the other hand, require more effort and that is known by the members of Congress and their staffers. Because this issue does not have an impending deadline, letters are recommended. Phone calls are good also, but letters do have greater impact.

The easy way to get the contact information for your representative and your senators is go to their official websites. An easy way to find those websites is to google them. For example, google US Senator Nebraska and up pops links to the websites for Nebraska Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns.

Senator Johanns, as noted above, introduced the Senate bill to repeal the new 1099 regulations. Therefore, Nebraskans need not send Senator Johanns a letter asking him to cosponsor the bill, but a letter congratulating him for having the foresight to see the onerous burden that the requirements would put on businesses. It would also indicate to the Senator and his staff that you are politically savvy, something that tends to impress in Washington. Senator Ben Nelson, on the other hand, is not a cosponsor, and he needs to be contacted by Nebraskans.

Further, if your senators and member of the House have signed on, you do not want to send letters asking them to sign on. To those members of Congress who have already signed on, you want to send to them letters thanking them. Again, this shows your political savvy. However, it also gives them reasons to stand firm when the Obama administration comes around offering political favors if they will switch their votes.

Finding your member of the House of Representatives is easier than finding your Senators. Go to official House website and use the map, which comes up. A little further clicking may be necessary to determine which Representative's district you are in.

To learn if your House member and has signed on, go to govtrack.usHR5141. To see if your Senators have signed on, go to govtrack.us S.3578.

Most people reading this blog are doing so because their interests in gold and silver. So, I emphasize again: the new 1099 regulations will have a major impact not only on the precious metals dealers but also their clients. Still, the reasons for seeking repeal are not limited to precious metals dealers and their clients.

The number of 1099s that will have to be filed will be disproportionate to the precious metals industry because gold and silver dealers not only sell to their clients, but because gold and silver dealers also buy from their clients. But, the number of 1099s generated under the new rules by gold and silver dealers will be small compared to the total generated because these rules will apply to all businesses.