20220430 SLLLAVERS FOR SATURDAY - I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; didn't really work:  only counted.

LLL

Live,  Laugh.  Love.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

187.8  Today's weight

188.4  Yesterday's weight

-0.6

I visualize weighing less tomorrow

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose approx 0.5 pounds every day, I should be down to approx. 

180 by May 15th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) steamed veggies dinner + 1 slice dry toast + chips + 1 fig newton (covered with peanut butter) for dinner at around 3:30 pm
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 18 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 30th, and I weigh (199.0 - 11.2) 187.8

EXERCISE

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 2-min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretch 12
10. flamingo R30, L30
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says Newton's laws were very helpful in predicting the movement of objects.  But mathematical formulae did not "cover" everything.  Life on earth proved to be more complex than what a formula might describe.  So, to meet the need, a new branch of mathematics was born:  statistics.  In 1744, Clergymen Webster & Wallace wanted to leave a small pension for their widows, so they began to predict when they would die.  This spread to every other group.  Using statistics, Sapiens began to predict the death ages of all people.

Read 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers the campaign days during which he wondered if it was really worth it:  "It's not too late to throw it" they said.  And to this, one campaign volunteer (?) replied that the country had waited 230 years for a brother to come along and fix things.  In this mix, BO got a call from his sister Maya about his grandma Toot in Hawaii, who was near death.  BO went to visit her & say good bye.

Read 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says what we perceive in waking hours or in dreaming hours, is not what it might seem to be at a given moment.  He gave the example of a dreamer who was "left behind when the world was ending;"  he later realized that the world he perceived as ending was merely a week-long intensive sale at a department store.  He said the sales girls in the dream were servants of the goddess "MAYA"  - which was shocking to me when I read it.  I  had just read in Barack Obama's A PROMISED LAND above about BO's sister Maya.  Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Vaughan-Lee also says Sufis say that in life, nothing matters very much, and even that doesn't matter.  I get the sense of that idea, but I'm not sure I can let go and embrace it 100% right now.  I can do it incrementally.

Read 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says some very complex things about psychology, morality & evolution.  I will re-read this passage tomorrow.  But today, I learned that Haidt became a prof at the University of VA, founded by Jefferson, where Jefferson was "diety."  I'm not sure if it's related, but Haidt adopted Jeffersonian principles during his 1st year at UVA.  He claims that "evolutionary biology" was born during that era.

But what this seems to be coming down to is:  how are people making decisions about morality?  what do they "use" to make these decisions?  and how do the brain and the emotions work to make these decisions?  and how does evolution apply?

Read 70 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He says the group he was in were loaded in cramped quarters on trains, not knowing where they were being taken.  But in the early light of dawn, one day, they saw a sign that made their blood run cold:  Auschwitz.  They knew it was where gas chambers & crematoria were located.  The train slowed, but did not stop at Auschwitz.

Listened 25 min to ULYSSES by James Joyce.

20220429 SLLLAVERS FOR FRIDAY - I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE
Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; counted w/random thoughts mixed in

LLL

Love.  Laugh.  Live.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

188.8  Yesterday's weight

188.4  Today's weight

-0.4

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) frozen Shepherd's Pie dinner + 1 slice dry toast + chips + 1 fig newton (covered with peanut butter) for dinner at around 3:30 pm
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 18 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 29th, and I weigh (199.0 - 10.6) 188.4

EXERCISE

Did my full base-72 routine for Friday, April 29, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 2-min set (but coughed..... logically this doesn't make sense, since I thought coughing was a muscle spasm to get phlegm out of my airways & lungs.  While upside down, the phlegm should naturally flow down & out, right?)
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretches 12
10. flamingo R30, L30 (could have done more, but for now, 30 steady is the goal)
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

I'm considering adding more to abs, since my pot belly is still not flat; maybe I can't get rid of it completely, but I can shrink it, and maybe even make it stronger - show a little abs, eh?  A subject for visualization in a future post.

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the thinkers & philosophers who lived in the modern era (i.e. 1500 til today) gave up the idea that absolute knowledge could come from mythology and/or scripture.  In 1687, Isaac Newton published "The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" (which, Harari says, could be the most important book written in the modern era).  In it, Newton laid down 3 basic mathematical equations which allow us to predict the position of any object.  The most notable (to me) of the 3 equations is F=MA.  The equations apply to an apple falling from a tree, or a planet orbiting the sun.

Right now, Newton's work seems amazing to me.  But later scientists found that there were cases in which Newton's laws didn't work, and that developed the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.

  

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers the weeks before the election, when he began to realize that he was a symbol of HOPE for the country.  But he knew he was still the "flawed" individual that he'd always been.  He felt conflicted by the enthusiasm of the campaign ("Fired up, ready to go!") and realizing that a whole country (world?) would soon be looking to him for answers to both major and minor issues:  two wars, health care..... every headline brought new challenges of every size to his mind.

I'm going to say that the responsibility of the presidency was ALREADY (by this point in time) weighing heavily on BO's shoulders.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says joy goes with laughter.  Laughter is spontaneous and comes from the joy of living.  There is the superficial laughter, and then the deeper laughter which applies to the realization that we are (or should be) well beyond taking life seriously; we absurdly think that the darkensses and challenges warrant too much sadness.

Vaughn-Lee tells the story of a Sufi named Nasruddin, who rode a donkey faster than normal (the donkey had been spooked); friends asked him why he was going to fast, to which he replied, "Don't ask me.  Ask my donkey!"  It's humorous, but in a well-worn way (to me).

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says that Damasio's discoveries brought us to the realization that reasoning requires the passions.

What would the following say about this?

Plato - Damasio is 180 degrees off from Plato.  But Plato didn't realize that passions were not centered in the heart or stomach, but in the brain.

Jefferson - Damasio's patients should have still fared well in the undamaged half of the brain (i.e., the half that is always ruled by the head).

Hume - Damasio's patients fit Hume's model best:  when the MASTER (passions) drops dead, the SERVANT (reasoning) has neither the ability nor the desire to keep the estate running.

I can tell that Haidt is now "gearing up" to introducing the elephant/rider analogy.

Read for 70 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He says the camp prisoners had diverse reactions to being there.  Of those who survived, Frankl noticed that there were 3 "phases" they went through:

1.  Period upon being admitted, which was characterized by shock, which might have begun even before they arrived in the camp.

2.  Period during imprisonment, in which the person was well entrenched in camp life.

3.  Period after imprisonment, after being released.

Listened for 30+ minutes in ULYSSES by James Joyce.👌

**********

Yesterday, DT received a lengthy letter from Susan Thomas, who laid out the plans for funding her world-wide projects, of which one is to purchase the Akanda mine in NV.  So... if all she laid out comes to pass, then TODAY could be "the beginning" of the D-ERA I have waited for for so very long.

We'll see; DT is due to talk to Michael today, and will then contact me.

20220428 SLLLAVERS FOR THURSDAY - I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; counting helped.

LLL

Love.  Laugh.  Live.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

189.0  Yesterday's weight

188.8  Today's weight

-0.2

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) steamed veggie dinner + 1 slice dry toast + chips + 1 fig newton (covered with peanut butter) for dinner at around 4:00 pm
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 15 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 28th, and I weigh (199.0 - 10.2) 188.8

EXERCISE

Did my full base-72 routine for Thursday, April 27, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 2-min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel wall 12
9. counter stretch 12
10. flamingo R30, L30
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says "the modern scientific dogma" (iow, "the dominant modern research method") ... "takes for granted the insufficiency of old knowledge."

We are trying to understand the universe.  We can't rely on just "observations" - they are not "knowledge."  Earlier, we used STORIES to formulate theories.  Today, we use MATHEMATICS.

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls how, subsequent to Palin being nominated as McCain's running mate, politics turned WAY nastier.  McCain chose badly in choosing Palin, and that was likely the core reason he lost.  He was a good American, and very respectful of his opponents.  Palin was a rabble rouser, and she tolerated "KILL HIM!" and "COMMUNIST!" shouting at her rallys  (foreshadowing Trumpism).  She made no attempt to quel this chancre on our Democracy.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says JOY is the expression of life - the "hidden treasure" of God, who created life because he wanted to share the treasure.  JOY cannot be structured:  it's too quick and spontaneous to be controlled.  It just IS, just as we just ARE.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says Antonio Damasio's observations of patients with severe brain injury that damaged their vmPFC - ventromedial (i.e., bottom middle) Pre-Frontal-Cortex - lead him to believe that "gut feelings" were NECESSARY to think rationally.  His example is when you are faced with a decision about which you have few if any feelings, you might begin listing pros and cons about what you should do.  After around 6-7 items, you generally would make a choice, rather than continue searching for other pros/cons to list.

Humans cannot go through this process about every decision they face:  so we generally just use our gut feelings to make decisions, and move forward through our days.

Read for 70 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He says he was a doctor while a prisoner, but was never called on to assist people with injuries, until the last few weeks of his incarceration.  He dug a tunnel under a railway track, and received recognition (coupons for cigarettes, which could be traded for soups, which kept many survivors alive).

MY NOTE:  While I fully intend to continue with reading this book, I'm dreading the coming attrocities of life and death in the camp.

Listened for 20+ minutes to ULYSSES by James Joyce.👌

20220427 SLLLAVERS FOR WEDNESDAY - I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE
Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds by counting; mild success.

(Maybe I think it's "success" simply because I don't recall the thoughts I was having; qui sait?)

LLL

Live.  Love.  Laugh.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

189.8  Yesterday's weight

189.0  Today's weight

-0.8

I visualize weighing less tomorrow

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) steamed dumplings dinner + chips + 1 fig newton (covered with peanut butter) for dinner at around 4:00 pm
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 18 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 27th, and I weigh (199.0 - 10.0) 189.0

EXERCISE

Did my full base 72 routine for Wednesday, April 27, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 2-min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretches 12
10. flamingo R30, L30
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the modern scientific approach has supplanted the earlier concepts of "absolute knowledge."  We now choose observations (emperical facts) when we are faced with a conflict between them and prior "absolute knowledge."

MY NOTE:  No wonder scientists at BYU are so conflicted.  I would have been, too, had I not examined Mormonism more closely and found that it is a fraud.  I was therefore forced to replace it, to choose how to live, and I chose science, as dimally inadequate as my understanding of it might be.

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers meeting Joe the Plummer, who proved to be an obstacle for BO's campaign:  BO said to Joe, "Spread the wealth around."  Joe repeated it when he talked to McCain, and McCain pumped it full of fear:  he went all the way to saying that BO was trying to secretly steal money from all Americans.

MY NOTE:  Today (2022) Dems are in control, and we are tasked with how to STAY in control (in face of a possible return to Trumpism).  My thoughts are that Dems need to be "OFFENSIVELY TRANSPARENT" - not to hide ANYTHING.  And simultaneously tell the public that the GOP is full of lies and secrets (which is true).  This will save the DEMS, but it will also save AMERICA.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says that we should step away from the polarity of "light" and "darkness," and remember that there is always a point of light in each episode of darkness.

I'm reminded of the COURSE IN MIRACLES which teaches that all is either love or fear.  A wise friend reminded me that, in the final analysis, LOVE is all there is.  Amen.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says that by the years immediately preceeding the 1990s, psychologists had generally dismissed Wilson's idea that human behavior had evolved, just as their bodies had.  But Haidt noted 2 names that had further things to say:

1. Frans de Waal (in Good Natured:  The Origins of Right and Wrong in Humans and Other Animals) who studied the brain and found that apes and humans have almost the same building blocks for emotions:  fear, anger, sympathy, affection
2. Antonio Damasio (in Descartes' Error) who noticed patterns in patients who suffered brain damage, specifically in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (the aread just behind and above the bridge of the nose).  They exhibited no emotionality, although they functioned normally in other areas of life.

Read for 70 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He says his account of his time in the camp is necessarily biased; neither he (one who experienced it personally) nor the outsider (one who can hardly imagine it) can present a purely unbiased account.  But recognizing this, Frankl will attempt to present it in the best way he can, in order to achieve his ultimate goal of explaining how we can best search for, and find, meaning in our lives.

MY NOTE:  I am "plagued" in a way, by thoughts like this:  "When I lived in Vienna as a boy of 10, Frankl's ordeal in the camps had already taken place.  I had no concept of it at all."  I seem to be focused, at times, on what happened when, etc.  If an event took place in the late 1800s, I often will imagine how it might have (or not have) affected my Grandfather Borg, who was born in 1888.

Listened for 20+ minutes to ULYSSES by James Joyce.👌

20220426 SLLLAVERS FOR TUESDAY - I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; not successful, but I tried.

LLL

Live.  Love.  Laugh.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

190.2  Yesterday's weight

189.8  Today's weight

-0.4

I visualize weighing less tomorrow

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) steamed veggie dinner + 1 slice dry toast, + chips + 1 fig newton (covered with peanut butter) for dinner at around 4:00 pm
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 18 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 26th, and I weigh (199.0 - 9.2) 189.8

EXERCISE

Did my full base-72 routine for Tuesday, April 26, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretches 12
10. flamingo R48, L48
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

(YAY!)

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says (p.282) that all modern sociopolitical order is attempted to be stableized by means of 2 options:

1. Assert that a scientific "truth" is absolute, thus baring room for any error.  E.g., the Nazis (Hitler, who claimed that Nazi radical policies were extensions of biology) & the Communists (Marx and Lenin, who divined absolute economic truths, never to be questioned.)
2. Assert that a non-scientific truth is absolute.  E.g., liberal humanists who center their ideas around the uniqe worth & rights of human beings.

Neither should be surprising; science itself has had to rely on religious & ideological beliefs to justify & finance research.

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls that the September crisis (DJ went south by 700+ points when TARP didn't pass Congress) was harder on McCain than on BO.  Congress hurridly passed an amended version, and the economy was "saved" for the time being.  BO went out to campaign in his "old-fashioned way" of knocking on doors.  McCain gave up on Michigan, which was music to BO's campaign's ears.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says that the joy of service is our ultimate purpose.  The darkness of the world might become overwhelming at times, but we mystics must remember that the true purpose of life is a connectedness between the individual servant and her/his Master.

MY NOTE:  while I am still not convinced that a "servant" status is the way of true joy in life, I do understand the sense of Vaughan-Lee's writings.  If we think of the Master as our evolved selves, then we are "serving" ourselves.  I'm much more comfortable with that.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says that Edward Wilson (Harvard, and colleague of Kohlberg and John Rawls), in the mid-1970s, wrote that natural selection also influenced human BEHAVIOR.  This did not sit well with traditional moral psychology, and he was severely criticized in public and in print.  He accused the traditional profs of "hiding" behind their "clever justifications" for their moral intuitions, rather than being 100% objective.  Wilson's research concluded that natural selection affected even human behavior.

Read for 70 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He says that under the circumstances of Auschwitz, new "identities" arose.  Capos (prisoners who could be trusted by Nazis to do what they wanted) became Jews in name only.

MY NOTE:  I am reading this book to help me further crystalize the meaning of my life.  But along the way, I am "forced" to visit the attrocities of the Nazi regime.  It's distasteful, and it is similar to what is now going on in Ukraine by V. Putin.... the "Hitler" of today.  I will plow through this reading experience, but I really find it unfortunately for me, educational AND horrible.

Listened for 1+ pages in ULYSSES by James Joyce.👌

**********

I'm so happy for several things:

• I've been increasing the fasting from 14 hours to almost 19 hours.  I hope that's a good thing.
• I've lost the better part of 10 pounds since I began the current routine (2 meals, daily exercise).  It' been roughly a 1/2 pound a day, since March 28.  TODAY, I BROKE 190!!!!!!!!!!!
• I've been listening to ULYSSES for a few days now - it's AMAZING poetry in prose.  I'm getting to know Joyce's style much better; images come more readily to mind (e.g., "2 sacrificed shirts" hung up on a line to dry).
• I'm expecting good news from David, but my new mantra ("I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED") is gradually replacing my "D-DAY" expectations, week in & week out) is making me MUCH better mentally.
• GG and I are communicating in new ways - it's not anywhere near "tired."  At least almost always not.

20220425 SLLLAVERS FOR MONDAY - I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried with mild success to silence my brain for 70 seconds.

LLL

Laugh.  Live.  Love.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

190.8  Yesterday's weight

190.2  Today's weight

-0.6

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) frozen dumpling dinner + chips & salsa + 1 fig newton (covered with peanut butter & nuts) for dinner at around 4:00 pm
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 17 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 25th, and I weigh (199.0 - 8.8) 190.2

EXERCISE
Did my full base-72 routine for Monday, April 25, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. flamingo R6, L20
8. ball/wall 12
9. angel wall 12
10. counter stretches 12
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that modern science rightfull doubts itself.  But what does it do when previous theories are proven to be wrong?  It discards them and adopts new ones, or simply continues the search.

Harari then asks, if we do the same with myths, what, then will "hold society together," especially when the myths are what has held us together for centuries?

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls enjoying the debates with McCain, and during the process, he realized that he was going to likely win the Presidency.  Michelle softly said to him once night, "You're going to win."

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says the JOY of SERVICE brings us closer to our Lord; we are NOT him, but yet, He is identified within us.  "He is our very neck" Vaughan=Lee says.

This passage is confusing and contradictory.  But I get the idea:  a Master is already part of his Servant, but a Servant is not his Master.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says that Edward Wilson (1975) believed that natural selection shaped mineral and animal behavior.  But then he added that natural selection also shaped HUMAN behavior.  He was controversial & criticized for it.

Read for 1+ pages in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He says the meaning of life is found in surviving the tests of life.  Cure for a "sick soul" comes from "logotherapy" which he will explain in this book:  Part 1, his experiences in Nazi camps, and Part 2, Logotherapy.  Kushner (Forward author) defines "Logotherapy" as "curing the soul by leading it to find meaning in life."

Listened for 1+ pages in ULYSSES by James Joyce.

20220424 SLLLAVERS FOR SUNDAY - I ALREAY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; only counted.

LLL

Laugh.  Love.  Live.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also, said aloud for 70 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

190.8  Yesterday's weight

190.8  Today's weight

-0.0

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) frozen Asian dinner + chips & salsa + 1 fig newton for dinner at around 4:00 pm
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 17 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 24th, and I weigh (199.0 - 8.2) 190.8

EXERCISE

Did my full base-72 routine for Sunday, April 24, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. flamingo R44, L38
5. shoulder rolls 72
6. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
7. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
8. ball/wall 12
9. angel/wall 12
10. counter stretch 12
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says, going back again to what we "knew" before 1500 (religious leaders said "we know everything we need to know"), and comparing that to the new scientists' approach (we don't know everything we need to know; there are things we NEED to know that are not answered by religion), Harari says it was a slow change.  Even some religious leaders after 1500 rejected traditional religious dogma, but then immediately announced that THEY knew everything we needed to know. (e.g. Mohammad, who said "I am the Seal of the Prophets").

Scientists, OTOH, (such as Darwin) were openminded about their knowledge, admitting they could be wrong; that we don't know the cause of the Big Bang; that we don't know how the brain developed the capacity for reason, etc.

Yes.

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers that the on-again, off-again campaign & debate by McCain worked to BO's advantage; McCain claimed that the TARP deal had "saved" him (and his campaign, and the country) enough so that he could continue.  BO prepared with his music, his charms in his pocket, his "uniform," and his drilling (which compelled him to cut answers shorter)..... he was now no longer the "underdog."  The presidency was his to lose.

I'm impressed that BO, not just for the campaign, but throughout his life, knew himself.  He self-managed, to the point that win or lose, he would win personally.  I really admire him for all that.  We were in good and capable hands when he was POTUS.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says we can bring JOY back into our lives by saying "yes!" to our own divinity.  If we think we need to solve our problems by ourselves, we must shoulder the burdens of this life alone.  But if we accept God into our lives, he will shoulder the burdens for us, and we will become more divine than we are today.

I'm still not comfortable with the "god" concept.  I accept that there is a "creator-god" who knows more than I know, including how I got here & why I'm here.  But there is value in "working as if everything depends on me" as a motivator to get more done.

I'll conclude that my "quiet faith" will be sufficient to get me where I'm going, with the help of smarter, more loving beings than I.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says that scientists and psychologists of the 1970s argued back and forth about the reasons we act the way we do.  Wilson surfaced at Harvard, and he suspected and then claimed that HUMANS had also evolved, and along with them, morality.

I'm going to re-read this passage; I need to get clearer on who thought what when.

Read for 1+ pages in AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Jon & Michael Galluccio.👌  I read the last several pages of this book this morning.  What a touching tribute to people who have learned how to live & love (& yes, laugh).  I wish & hope that they will continue to thrive, in spite of trials.  And I wish the same for me and every other unusual American family.  *sigh* - in a good good way.

Listend for 1+ pages in ULYSSES by James Joyce.👌

On p. 40, Steven Dedalus is talking (listening) to either his cousin or his uncle Richie, with Walter.  He babbles on and on about who knows what, and then suddenly,

    "Reading two pages apiece of seven books every night, eh?"

I don't know why Joyce includes this here, but it IS, in fact what I do, with the exception that it's usually in the morning hours when I read.  And it's not "2 pages" - it's 70 seconds.

Joyce is a bit hard to follow, putting it mildly.  But I do love his phrases which have double & triple meanings.  I'm sure someone has already called it "poetry in prose."

nmbnmb

20220423 SLLLAVERS FOR SATURDAY - I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; vague success.

LLL

Laugh.  Live.  Love.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also, said aloud for 70 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also, said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

191.2  Yesterday's weight

190.8  Today's weight

-0.4

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) steamed veggie dinner + 1 slice dry toast + 1 fig newton for dinner at around 4:00 pm
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 16-17 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 23rd, and I weigh (199.0 - 8.2) 190.8

EXERCISE

Did my full base-72 routine for Saturday, April 23, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. flamingo R22, L44
5. shoulder rolls 72
6. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
7. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
8. ball/wall 12
9. angel/wall 12
10. counter stretches 12
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the pre-SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION folks "suffered" from 2 kinds of ignorance:  1)  individual, in which a person asked a wise man (priest) for an answer from the scriptures, and 2) group:  if the answer was not in the scriptures, God knew, so there was no need to delve any further.

Read 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls, as a young boy, his grandmother made sure he knew there was a direct link between doing his work and having dreams come true, in spite of "charms" and "magic," etc.  On the campaign trail, several people gave him "charms" which he did carry - "it couldn't hurt," he reasoned.  He also filled his days with meaningful preparations, including study, personal hygiene, and music.

I'm going to listen to the songs he listened to, today:

• Miles Davis' "Freddie Freeloader"
• John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things"
• Frank Sinatra's "Luck Be A Lady"
• Jay-Z's "My 1st Song"
• Eminem's "Lose Yourself"

MY NOTE:  I feel "disconnected" from modern music; so I'm gonna "catch up" however I can.

Read 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says JOY is the result of what seem to be "miracles" in our lives.  If we have joy, then a given moment seems like a miracle.  But it's not.  LIFE is defined as magical JOY, not as any thought pattern we might give it.

People have too long ignored the JOY of LIFE, and tried to create JOY by material things, or thinking about it enough to "get there."  But JOY cannot be so controlled.  It is rather LIFE itself, and we (the people of Earth) need to get more of it, to bring it back, and to jump into JOY.  The next section explains how we can do this.

Read 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says the 2nd wave of morality thinking occured in the 1960s & 1970s in academia, when the thinking was that all evolved species begin with a clean slate; and that nativism must be wrong, if it is used to justify obstacles to gender equality, etc.

Haidt adds:  this thinking is a logical fallacy, but "that's the way the righteous mind works."  This is the first time he's used "righteous mind" in context of a discussion - I'm not getting his message too well - it seems confusing.

Read 1+ pages in AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Jon & Michael Galluccio.👌

Listened 1+ pages in ULYSSES by James Joyce.👌

(I had to back up about 500 Kindle pages, since I'd listened the time before, and fallen asleep; so reading today, I realized I'd read much of it before.  The Kindle keeps asking, "return to 10XX"?  But I'm not skipping; rather, I'll read in the daytime when I'm alert)

20220422 SLLLAVERS FOR FRIDAY - I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; mild success w/focus on numbers.

LLL

Live.  Love.  Laugh.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also, said aloud for 70 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

191.2  Today's weight

191.0  Yesterday's weight

+0.2

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) frozen dinner + potato chips & salsa for dinner at around 3:30 pm, and then 1 small apple w/peanutbutter + 1 fig newton at around 6:30 pm.
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 16 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 22nd, and I weigh (199.0 - 7.8) 191.2

EXERCISE

I did my full base-72 routine for Friday, April 22, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretch 12
10. flamingo R28, L35
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION (beginning in 1500 AD) evolved into today's "feedback loop":

• science needs more than just research to make progress
• it needs mutual reinforcement of science, politics and economics
• political and economic institutions provide resources vital to scientific research
• science provides new powers which obtain new resources
• new resources are in part reinvested into research

He further explains that Sapiens have long sought to understand what the rules are that govern the natural world.

But today's science differs in 3 critical ways:

1. The willingness to admit ignorance (from the Latin "ignoramus" meaning "we do not know."  And admiting that when we think we know something, we also admit that we could be wrong.)
2. The centrality of observation & mathematics  (gathering observations, using mathematical tools to write theories)
3. The aquisition of new powers (using new theories to acquire new powers, develop new technologies)

I agree with this, and I like how he lays it out.

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers the way politics were back in the 2000s, when there were challenges & crises, but the 2 political groups (Ds & Rs) were more sure of how to conduct themselves, and what to do when those crises went south.

BO was new, and a bit naive & a little innocent, but he was (is) a quick study, and he seemed to know what to do at each step.  I really admire him quite a bit.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says that JOY is the ultimate expression of life.  If we have not joy, we are not really living.  It's spontaneous and too rare.

I will re-read this passage tomorrow.  I have an initial understanding of the concept of JOY as Vaughan-Lee presents it.  But I want to understand it better, and I think I agree with it quite a bit.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says Plato, Hume and Jefferson all came to their understandings of human mind without the greatest too ever devised to understand the design of living things:  EVOLUTION.  When it came to morality, Darwin was a NATIVIST:  he believed that natural selection gives us minds "preloaded" with moral emotions.

I had no idea that Darwin addressed morality, although I did know that the "survival of the fittest" was part of his observations.  Being a "nativist" is not exactly a virtue in today's thinking

Two waves of moralism altered 20th C social sciences:  1)  the horror at Social Darwinism - i.e., the richest, most successful races/nations/people are the fittest (and therefore they survive) (a la Hitler's Nazis), and 2) the radical politics that washed over Academia in Eurpoe, NA, SA in the 60s and 70s.

Read for 1+ pages in AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Jon & Michael Galluccio.👌

Listened for 1+ pages in ULYSSES by James Joyce.

asdfasdf 

20220421 SLLLAVERS FOR THURSDAY - I ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; mediocre success.

LLL

Live.  Love.  Laugh.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

New Affirmation starting today.

1. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
2. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
3. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
4. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
5. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
6. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
7. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
8. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
9. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.
10. I, Ken Taylor, already have everything I need.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

191.8  Yesterday's weight

191.0  Today's weight

-0.8

I visualize weighing less tomorrow

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. I already have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) steamed veggies + 1 slice dry toast for dinner at around 3:30 pm, and then 1 small apple w/peanutbutter + 1 fig newton at around 6:30 pm.  NOTE:  I'M AGAIN AMAZED THAT I AGAIN ACTUALLY LOST ANOTHER 0.8 pounds between yesterday morning and this morning!!!!!!!
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 16 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 21st, and I weigh (199.0 - 8.0) 191.0

EXERCISE

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. flamingo R58, L71  (!!!)
6. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
7. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
8. ball/wall 12
9. angel/wall 12
10. counter stretch 12
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says the last 5 centuries have been distinctly different in that rulers began to pay scientists to do research, and to seek to improve current situation by means of new and stronger power elements (nuclear power, for example).  This led to greater taxation of the scientists' companies, giving governments more money to invest in research.  The 3 entities:

Governments - POWER >

Taxation - RESOURCES >

Science - RESEARCH >

MY NOTE:  WOW!  I had to go over these concepts several times before they became clear in my mind.  This cycle is the way most analysts see things; I had not ever clarified/crystalized it in my mind until now.  But, IMO, capitalism is messy.  Not all governments collect the same proportion of taxes; not all governments invest in research - some research is done in spite of governments; not all scientists give their research & production to governments.  Some elements lead nowhere; others lead to extreme wealth & control by a few people, and there it stays.

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers the tension in the room of the WH where he was attending a cabinet meeting with WBush; McCain fumbled, people began shouting, and Bush left the room.  McCain's performance was dismal & word got out about it.  BO was shocked.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He explores the wake/dream cycle that often will create in us the desire to return to a pleasant dream; he says we do have the ability to return, even though it seems there is no road leading to it, and the memory fades during wakefulness.  He quotes e e cummings (poet) who poeticized the death/birth cycle of the sun and of human beings.  The poem ends with 

    now the ears of my ears are awake

    and the eyes of my eyes are opened

I'm taking this to say that we DO, in fact, have the ability to transcend the bondaries of wakefulness/sleep.... and he'll likely extend this to transcending the boundaries of life/death.  Perhaps they're the same thing.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says that Plato, Hume, and Jefferson all spoke up regarding the evidence of a "two-soled human."

Plato:  Reason OUGHT to rule over passions/morality.

Hume:  Reason IS and OUGHT to be the servant of passions.

Jefferson:  Reason & Sentiment ARE and OUGHT to be co-rulers.

Whew!  I'm amazed at how detailed and deep these discussions were "back then" when they were thought about, developed, and written down.

MY NOTE:  What I think?  I generally agree with Jefferson:  we ought to strive to use reason when it's needed, and passion when it's felt.  But I don't really know.  My observations from my own life tell me that life is not something we can clearly categorize into a simple explanation of "how things are."  I'm content just to know that I AM.  And awake, or asleep..... alive, or dead to this world..... still, I AM.

And which rules my life (passion or reason)?  Both do, to differing degrees at different times.  And that's fine with me.

Read for 1+ pages in AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Jon & Michael Galluccio.

Listened for 1+ pages in ULYSSES by James Joyce.

R57, L61

 

20220420 SLLLAVERS FOR WEDNESDAY - I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; mostly numbers counting.

LLL

Live.  Laugh.  Love.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also, said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

191.8  Today's weight

192.6  Yesterday's weight

-0.8

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. David's D-Day will likely happen sometime between now and APRIL XX (who knows when - I certainly do not), and I want to be in as good of physical (and therefore mental) shape as I can be.  For now, I have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) Frozen pot-pie (Boomerang) + chips & salsa at around 3:30 pm, and then 1 small apple w/peanutbutter + 1 fig newton at around 6:30 pm.  NOTE:  I'M AMAZED THAT I ACTUALLY LOST 0.8 pounds between yesterday morning and this morning!!!!!!!
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 15 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 20th, and I weigh (199.0 - 7.2) 191.8

EXERCISE

Did my full base-72 routine for Wednesday, April 20, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretch 12
10. flamingo R31, L41
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says there are 3 significant dates when Sapiens changed the course of history (actually, or potentially):

    1674, when Van Leeuvenhoek first saw microorganisms in a drop of water, through his microscope

    1945, when scientists detonated the first atomic bomb, giving Sapiens the ability to end life on earth.

    1969, when man first left the surface of the earth & stepped onto the moon, having stayed here since the beginning of evolution (i.e., for 4 B years)

    

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers his first meeting in the WH when WBush called together the 2 candidates, along with reps from the House & Senate, to discuss TARP.  Bush gave BO a chance to make a statement about yea or nay to TARP.  Nancy Pelosi gave BO the floor to give the Dems opinion:  BO discussed the pros & cons of a bailout v. an insurance plan v. the outright purchase by the gov't of the bad mortgage bundles...... and warned that if the GOP were to change any of the particulars, the Dems might back out & they wouldn't have the votes.  Bush gave the floor to McCain, who demured, saying he'd "wait for his turn" later in the meeting.  There followed a moment of strained silence that BO says is quite rare: a moment when all is silent in a group of politicians/government leaders.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says that we experience love (or joy), and many times it leaves us (for any possible reasons); we feel the loss, and yearn for its return.  But joy, he says, is elusive and unpredictable.  We feel it for any possible reasons, or unexpectedly for no apparent reason.  

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says "the gods" decided to give humans a soul, and it was contained in the head.  But since it would have been humiliating to "roll around the uneven surface of the planet," the gods decided to give man a body.  In the body, man was given a "2nd soul," which was full of passion and evil temptations.  In order to separate the 2 souls, the gods gave man a neck.

Haidt says that PLATO (in Timaeus) said that passions ought to be governed by reason;  HUME said that reason ought to be governed by passions.  Plato even said that if a man did NOT govern his life by reason, he'd be reincarnated as a woman.  (!!)

Read for 1+ pages in AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Jon & Michael Galluccio.👌

Read (listened) for 1+ pages in ULYSSES by James Joyce.

20220419 SLLLAVERS FOR TUESDAY - I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; mild success.

LLL

Live.  Laugh.  Love.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

192.8  Yesterday's weight

192.6  Today's weight

-0.2

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. David's D-Day will likely happen sometime between now and APRIL XX (who knows when - I certainly do not), and I want to be in as good of physical (and therefore mental) shape as I can be.  For now, I have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) steamed veggies + 1 slice bread for dinner, at around 3:30 pm.  
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 18 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 19th, and I weigh (199.0 - 6.4) 192.6

EXERCISE

Did my full base-72 routine for Tuesday, April 19, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretch 12
10. flamingo R34, L50
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36  (not complete push-ups due to COVID booster received yesterday.  but hey, I STILL did 36 push-up moves!!)

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says life in 1500 AD was limited; cities were smaller (100K max), no buildings above 3 stories, animal & human noise.  Today, it's way different - we've conqured the atmosphere around the earth, and we even have set foot on the moon.

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls being called to the WH by WBush, along with McCain.  No one wanted to be there, BO included.  He says it became obvious that the meeting was called to placate ONE man (I'm guessing it's McCain).

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He introduces the concept of "JOY" into our life.  He says every leaf and every moment has the color of joy within it, and that joy links us to "the Beloved."

OK.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says in the time of Ovid, philosophers did, indeed, discuss psychology (I feel pulled in different directions by desire & reason, Ovid said; he added that he always seemed to choose the wrong.  He lived in 40BC).  Plato's Timaeus explains how the gods created man, first as a sphere, but then added a body beneath it to "house" a 2nd soul.

MY NOTE:  I wish philosophers then and now would focus on the idea that if we humans were "created" (by a creator god - CG), then our souls, and everything associated with us is also created by the CG, including the awe & wonder of beauty and science.

Read for 1+ pages in AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Jon & Michael Galluccio.👌

Read for 1+ pages in THE PERSIAN BOY by Mary Renault.

20220418 SLLLAVERS FOR MONDAY - I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence my brain for 70 seconds, by counting numbers.

LLL

Love.  Laugh.  Live.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

192.8  Today's weight

193.2  Yesterday's weight

-0.4

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. David's D-Day will likely happen sometime between now and APRIL XX (who knows when - I certainly do not), and I want to be in as good of physical (and therefore mental) shape as I can be.  For now, I have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) Traditional Sunday "feast" (Easter Dinner chez TT) for dinner, at around 1:00 pm.  
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 18 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 18th, and I weigh (199.0 - 6.2) 192.8

EXERCISE

Did my full base-72 routine for Monday, April 18, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretch 12
10. flamingo R45, L60
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says the changes in the world of Sapiens between 1000AD and 1500AD were minimal when compared to the changes we've seen between 1500AD and 2000AD:  commerce, military, communication.... it's all WAY more advanced!

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers sparing politically with McCain about TARP and continuing (or suspending) their campaigns.  He was called to the White House with McCain to consult with Pres Bush.  This was (likely) BO's first trip to the White House.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says, in another way, that we (if we are mystics) need not worry about tribulations or even death if we seek God in every part of our lives:  we merely and simply "go with the flow of life."  He tells the story about a woman who married an excon addict, who was paranoid & threatened her life.  Her response was "ALLAH" and her husband backed off immediately.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says there are generally 3 explanations by psychologists in answering "Where does morality come from?"

1. nativist (it's innate)
2. empericist (it's learned from parents & society)
3. rationalist (it's constructed by children as they avoid harm)

Haidt finds that there is a strong and evident cultural component that asks "how does culture affect moral development?  He will now discuss  how morality came to be innate & learned.  For the rest of the book,  he'll explore WHAT people should be righteous about.

Read for 1+ pages in AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Jon & Michael Galluccio.👌

Read for 1+ pages in THE PERSIAN BOY by Mary Renault.👌

20220417 SLLLAVERS FOR SUNDAY - EASTER, and I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 70 seconds; mostly counted.

LLL

Love.  Laugh.  Live.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

192.8  Yesterday's weight

193.2  Today's weight

+0.4

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. David's D-Day will likely happen sometime between now and APRIL XX (who knows when - I certainly do not), and I want to be in as good of physical (and therefore mental) shape as I can be.  For now, I have everything I need.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 

190 by April 22 (anniversary), and 

186 by April 30th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Diet:  I had two meals yesterday: 1) my smoothie & coffee around 10-11am; and 2) Applebee's Orange Chicken bowl (Chad's birthday) for dinner, at around 1:30 pm.  
2. I did not eat anything between these meals (approx 18 hours fasting)
3. I exercised (full routine - see below)
4. It's April 17th, and I weigh (199.0 - 5.8) 193.2

EXERCISE

I did my full base-72 routine for Sunday, April 17, 2022:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 1.5 min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretch 12
10. flamingo R20, L40
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that historians acknowledge that the SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION has occurred, although they don't have any convincing explanation about why it happened when & where & how it did.

The next section of the book deals with the SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION, beginning approx 1500 AD.

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls duirng his 1st Pres campaign trying to deal properly with the impending economic recession, and talking to McCain about possibly cancelling the debate, putting their campaigns on hold.  In a phone call, he and McCain agreed to brainstorm w/staff and come up with some ideas.  But 10 minutes later, McCain double crossed BO, and publically announced he'd suspend his campaign indefinitely.  This made BO & his staff very angry!!

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says we are swimming/flowing/floating in the sea of life, and are not necessarily safe from disaster/death.  But even so, we are connected by "the thin line of love" between us and God.  This is how we live.

MY NOTE:  I believe that Vaughan-Lee, along with many others throughout history, is forced to say that God does not always save us from death, and here is why.  Although I have a cynical thought about this, I still believe that "I have everything I need" is a creed I am adopting for my life right now.  If I die, or if I meet with calamity, I can easily adjust to it.  At least so it seems to me, right now.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says his studies led him to publish a dissertation about moral psychology.  He cited David Hume (17xx) who stated that morals are subject to, and developed by emotions.  His paper was met with silence for 5 years.  But then, he says, moral psychology was about to change dramatically.

MY NOTE:  I'm aware of Haidt's elephant/rider model in which he says that our bodies are controlled by our minds, UNTIL our bodies act independently of our minds.  I'm guessing that now, Haidt will introduce that model, and likely will connect it to Hume's writings.

Read for 1+ pages in AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Jon & Michael Gallucio.👌

Read for 1+ pages in THE PERSIAN BOY by Mary Renault.👌

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