20231130 SLLLAVERS FOR THURSDAY - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!! (***7***)

 (NOTE:  I'm celebrating that I DID my full 7 day commitment to playing the piano every day at 6 AM, for 7 days in a row!!!!!!!  YAY!)

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 80 seconds; very mild success.

LLL - BHL

Live.  Laugh.  Love.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

208.0  Today's weight

208.2  Yesterday's weight

-0.2

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-80 routine for Thursday, November 30, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (BED; PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretches 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 20 (floor) + 20 (wall)

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He continues his example of Spain v. Holland, in which the dictatorial king of Spain squandered the money he borrowed and/or extorted from lenders, while the MERCHANTS (not the government) of Holland established themselves as trustworthy and financially sound; so..... people with money invested in Holland, and not in Spain.

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls his first meeting with the "8" (house & senate leaders:  Harry Ried, Nancy Pelosi, Mitch O'Connell, and Boener); Harry couldn't stand Mitch - who didn't care at all about anything he disagreed with, and made it very clear.

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says, in yet several other ways, that we must delete our identities as males and females enough, so that the true purpose of life can be made manifest; he uses many phrases like "manifest like it never has before," and "oneness that will allow the real purpose of life to become known," etc.  But he never really specifies how it'll happen, or what things will be like.... maybe he doesn't know.

NOTE:  I was surprised to find that I had reached the end of the book (except for the notes).  My general impression is that Vaughan-Lee has an idea about how this age should approach life, and then he proceeds to find 1000's of ways to say it.  There were some good ideas, but they were obscured by his repetitive prose.

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says Glaucon and Tetlock, who both say our motivation is how we APPEAR when we are held accountable is far more important to us than the actual TRUTH, call us INTUITIVE POLITICIANS.  This because we will alter our efforts at research as well as our presentations to an audience when we are held accountable for something.

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He remembers life in the camp; it consisted of answering "What is your age?" and "What is your profession" (Frankl always answered "Doctor" and nothing more.  He was grouped and re-grouped all day long, and finally ended up back where he began.  Volunteers who agreed to do the dreaded night shift thought it would keep them from being transferred (to the "oven camp"), but then the transfer was cancelled, and the volunteers were kept on the night shift, which meant death for many of them.

NOTE:  These men (and women in other camps) were "reduced" to a simple, albeit torturous life.  I wonder if the insights that come to Frankl weren't in large part due to that very life.  I might be stating the obvious, but his book is trans-formative, and without the camp experiences, it could not have been nearly as forceful, IMO. 

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.

20231129 SLLLAVERS FOR WEDNESDAY - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!! (***6***)

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 80 seconds; failure, pretty much.

LLL - BHL

Laugh.  Live.  Love.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

208.0  Today's weight.

207.8  Yesterday's weight.

+0.2

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-80 routine for Wednesday, November 29, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED, PIANO!)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R40  (EASY today!)
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretches 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 20 (floor) + 20 (wall) = 40

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says (continuing his hypothetical story of a merchant dad with 2 sons) that the dad has learned his lesson:  invest with the older son in Holland, even tho his investment resulted in a lawsuit - because in Holland, the courts are a SEPARATE BRANCH OF GOV'T...... justice can be served.  In contrast, in Spain, the MONARCHY controls the COURTS, and they could throw a suit out at will.

Again, Harari speaks to the advisability for countries to separate their government between political and judicial.

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers facing the enormous tasks of configuring WH initiatives which required massive groups of people & a lot of time.  He came up with the American Advanced Stimulus Package (not its real name) which had 3 elements with roughly the same price tag:  1)  Emergency bail outs, 2) Tax cuts, and 3)  Infrastructure, which totaled $8B.

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says women are reluctant to come forth because of their past hurt; and men can't do it alone.  So we wait.

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says something about Glaucon who thought that societies should set up laws that require people to tell the truth, and not allow people to escape accountability based on their reputation.

AMEN!

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He remembers how prisoners hid in a shaft so they would not be forced to go to another camp.  Viktor apparently sat on the "man hole cover" (or some such) to prevent the guards from finding the "stowaways" in the basement.  So they eventually made it out.

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.

20231128 SLLLAVERS FOR TUESDAY - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!! (***5***)

SILENCE

Tried to silence my brain for 80 seconds; mild success.

LLL - BHL

Love.  Live.  Laugh.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

207.8  Today's weight

207.6  Yesterday's weight

+0.2

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED/PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R 15 + 15 + 20 = 40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretch 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 15 (floor) + 25 (wall)

READING, WRITING

RUMI

SAPIENS - he says the Dutch did well in the financial realms of the 1500s because 1)  they paid their loans in full and on time, and 2) their judicial system was INDEPENDENT

A phrase for today:  CAPITAL TRICKLES AWAY FROM DICTATORIAL STATES THAT FAIL TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR PROPERTY.

OBAMA - (history lesson) - VP Aaron Burr introduced the elimination of the ability for a Senator to "call for a vote" and so senators began to fight the other party's legislation by talking it to death; the filibuster can be over-ridden by a "super majority" (i.e., 60%), which led to today's situation that nothing really ever passes unless 60+ senators vote for it.

VAUGHAN-LEE - he says women's suffering has been caused by men, and until women are ready, they will not act to open up the life of the earth; Vaughan-Lee says this is about to happen, and we will once again see the image of God on earth.

HAIDT - Glaucon got it right - we should not be about our REPUTATIONS to see moral clarity; rather, our TRUE SELVES.  Haidt agrees with Glaucon.

FRANKL - he remembers how it was to be a doctor in the camp, attending to the sick; they were either dead, gravely ill (they got nothing), mildly ill (they got 1/2 aspirin), or superficially ill (they got nothing).  He was "allowed" by fate to have 5 minutes of alone time (maybe more than once a day), in which he dreamed of Bavaria.... but could only see clouds.  His point, I think, is that human beings need to be together at some times, but also need alone time.  Only a few of the prisoners there when Frankl was, were able to have any alone time.

20231127 SLLLAVERS FOR MONDAY - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!! (***4***)

SILENCE

Tried to silence my brain for 80 seconds; didn't work well.

LLL - BHL

Live.  Laugh.  Love.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.
   

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

Today's weight 207.6

Yesterday's weight 206.6

+1.0  (it was the homemade bread & butter I ate late last night!)

I visualize weighing less tomorrow

EXERCISE

I did my full base-80 routine for Monday, November 27, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED; PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R2X+2X
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretches 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 15 (floor) + 25 (wall)

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that in the 16th Century, Spain ruled virtually all of Europe and huge parts of North & South America.  They received heavily laden ships with treasures from America and Asia every year at their ports of Seville and Caldiz.  The King of Spain did not see a need to become heavily involved in the finance world (i.e., credit), but the Dutch did.  They eventually fought for and obtained their independence from Spain, and did the capitalist thing of borrowing (credit) and repaying (trust), so much so that they became the controllers of the seaways, and eventually the richest country in Europe.

NOTE:  Amazing!

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He remembers the political landscape as he inherited it:  it had its roots in the LBJ/Equal Rights Amendment in 1964 passing which led to "southern Democrats" ceasing to exist; the country's conservatives began to "reconstruct" the political landscape in their favor, as did, to a lesser extent, the liberals.  The filibuster would become the most stumbling of blocks of BO's presidency.

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says the suffering of women (in childbearing) is part of the whole oneness, and we must wait until each individual woman chooses to reveal the mysteries of her suffering.  Also, suffering makes us know ourselves better.

NOTE:  Amazing that a similar teaching is in the book I'm also reading:  THE COMFORT CRISIS, in which Michael Easter says we must suffer beyond what we think we can bear, to get to our higher self.

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says Socrates was asked by Plato to explain why a just man with a bad reputation was happier than an unjust man with a good reputation.  He replied by postulating that if a "just city" uses reason to govern its people, then a "just human being" should in turn, use reason to govern his actions.  Also, Socrates added that humans are given passions which can corrupt us; if we can learn to control passions, then we can do the right (rational) thing.

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He recalls observing that the prisoners strove to be in the MIDDLE of the group, and not the fringe, so they could avoid blows by the guards.  They could also stay warmer there.

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.  

20231126 SLLLAVERS FOR SUNDAY - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!! (***3***)

SILENCE

Tried to silence my brain for 80 seconds; not much success today.

LLL - BHL

Live.  Laugh.  Love.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

206.6 Today's weight

206.8 Yesterday's weight

-0.2

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-80 routine for Sunday, November 26, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED; PIANO 30)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R38+2
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretch 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 16 + 24 = 40

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that Columbus' voyages to the New World introduced the European economy to the cycle of capitalism, and specifically adding in CREDIT, in which entrepreneurs (like Isabella of Spain) took risks and reaped great rewards.  By comparison, the Asian merchants ran out of cash and had no bank to back them up, so they stopped the process.  Columbus et all (i.e., all of European merchants) began calculating their risk/reward potentials, and eventually began to share the risks (and later the rewards) among fellow merchants.  Not all were successful, but enough were to change the landscape (literally) of global economics.

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls discussing the situation he and his team were facing with Axe (Axelrod), when they observed and agreed that "when things are bad, no one cares how they 'might have been a lot worse'."  They also agreed that if they acted in a way that scared the economy (fear of another Great Recession), it would likely add to the possibility of another Great Recession.  Axe also predicted that the Mid-Term Election would likely be disastrous for them.

Then BO remembers how, post- WWII, there was a strong spirit of bi-partisan cooperation in US politics, where both parties of Congress cooperated in getting legislation passed.  The GOP had generally accepted the New Deal changes (Social Security, etc.) and had moved on from there.

But.... then LBJ got the Civil Rights Act passed, and that had changed everything:  the "Southern Democrats" became staunchly conservative - and against equal rights.  That began the antagonism between parties that gradually grew into the deep chasm we have today.

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says the female body is the connection between heaven and earth.  Women have the dark secrets of this connection, but have been abused for so long that they are reluctant to bring it forth.  Some women have, but most have not.  So, the eventual oneness we all are ultimately seeking depends on women's willingness to participate.

Hmmmmm... so we men have long generally blamed women for our troubles, and now Vaughan-Lee is still doing that.  Or....... ?

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says that Plato's brother, Glaucon, asked Socrates to provide proof (i.e. a logical argument) that JUSTICE leads to HAPPINESS.

NOTE:  I'm amazed that these people would be focused on these ideas; I thought that the people of this era would be focused much more on how they'd grind their wheat, etc.  But anyway......

Glaucon asks Socrates to imagine a man having the "Ring of Gyges" which would make him invisible.  He then could have anything and everything he wanted, living as a god among human beings.  Glaucon then posits that such a man would be same as another (visible) man who presents himself as just... but is secretly unjust.  Hmmmmmmm.........

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He remembers how the prisoners in the camp were herded like animals, until they lost (or came close to losing) their sense of identity as an individual human being.  They felt as if they were simply part of the greater whole of human prisoners who thought only about not dying, and about how to get some food, and nothing else.

NOTE:  reading this book is opening my eyes to the horrors and specifics of "life" in a Nazi concentration camp.  I'm shuddering mentally to think that Donald Trump wants to sent up some sort of camps for his adversaries.  I simply can't dwell on this possibility, it seems too horribly ..... well, there are no words that come to mind to describe this awful idea.  I'm also wondering if Viktor Frankl's life was essentially saved because he was a doctor.  He might think so, but there is no way to know.  Also, he was MORE than a doctor - he was an observer of the way human beings react when deprived of everything but the little food and rest needed to keep them from death.  I'm shuddering again.........

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.

20231125 SLLLAVERS FOR SATURDAY - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!! (***2***)

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 80 seconds; mild success.

LLL - BHL

Live.  Love.  Laugh.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

206.8  Today's weight

205.8  Yesterday's weight

+1.0

I visualize weighing less tomorrow 

EXERCISE

Did my full base-80 routine for Saturday, November 25, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED; PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretch 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 15 (floor) + 25 (wall) = 40

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the idea of capitalism took hold in Europe before it did so in Asian Empires.  But eventually, the world formed a global economy.

NOTE:  I finally worked through mentally how it could be that an absolute monarch should be obligated to "pay" for whatever s/he wanted to do (e.g., fight wars, build palaces, collect fine art, etc.).  After all, if s/he owned everything and everybody, why "pay" for anything?  But, long before this "middle time,"  people developed currency, which allowed them to "pay" other people for goods and services.  Later, when they were conquered by a strong monarch, the currency remained as a tool of trade.  The currency eventually lost its intrinsic value (e.g., paper money/notes replaced gold doubloons), and the paper notes (along with cheaper coins of copper, nickle, brass, etc) began to be the medium of trade; eventually the world adopted the currency of the strongest nation:  the US Dollar.

So.... a medieval monarch might require certain of his/her subjects to train as soldiers (or artists, or farmers), and s/he would pay them in currency.  In that sense, monarchs would be relatively rich or poor, and pay (or not pay) for the things they wanted to do.

OK, I think I've got it now.

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls how the Dems were already fighting about the AMOUNT of stimulus to propose; most were unaware of how bad things were about to get, and few were willing to consider a package of $T +.... which is what was needed.

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says that the secrets of geometry have been lost, and can be restored, but only with the participation of the feminine.  He says females have been hurt and scarred by the patriarchy in times past, and so they are somewhat (often?) reluctant to participate in today's movement.

NOTE:  I don't get the connection he's making between geometry and the feminine.  Maybe further reading will reveal it.

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says, in summary, that our rider (inner lawyer) is quick to attempt to justify the initial leaning of our elephant (emotions).  When accused by others, we "lean" immediately to denial (for example), and then almost immediately, our inner lawyer seeks to justify our leaning.

And, Haidt wonders, why did we evolve with such a configuration?  We could have used our evolved brain capacity (it enlarged to 3 times its size over xmillion years).... to simply discover the truth, rather than to protect our reputation.

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He remembers, after returning to his normal life (i.e., after being released from camp), looking at a photograph of prisoners in the camp who were in "sick bay" for a few days.  He actually remembered with gladness that he was able to spend a few days there, not having to work out in the cold.  He actually "rejoiced" - !! 

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.

20231124 - SLLLAVERS FOR FRIDAY - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!! (***1***)

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 80 seconds; mild success.

LLL - BHL

Laugh.  Love.  Live.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also, said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

205.8  Today;s weight

205.4  Yesterday's weight

+ 0.4

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-80 routine for Friday, November 24, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED; PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretch 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 15 (floor) + 25 (wall)

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that our modern economy only grows and thrives because science keeps inventing new technology that can feed the economy.  Bankers print trillions of dollars, euros and yet, and these are worthless unless backed by technological growth.

(new section)

Credit has been around for centuries; but it would have collapsed if Columbus had not discovered the Americas, or if we never invented the internal combustion engine (autos), or if we never cloned sheep, etc.

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls how his team he put together had briefings prior to his inauguration, mostly about the economy.  He was still "riding high" after his win, but the briefings were bringing him back down to reality.  He read several books about the Great Depression, Hoover (and Hoovervilles), and FDR and his New Deal.  FDR inherited a Depression from Hoover; Obama inherited the THREAT of another Depression.  BO concluded that if any group could head off a 2nd Depression, it was his team.

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says we must understand the connections of life in order to live it fully.  Masculine forces are clear and bright and well defined; Feminine forces are hidden, and only available to females; their wisdom is not accessible to males; it is repressed and broken, but still there.  Mother passes her wisdom to her daughter.  The wisdom is in her cells.

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says things that lend themselves to continuous analysis.  Reading 1 page per day is proving difficult.  But still, he summarizes what he's written thus far as follows:

The first principle of MORAL PSYCHOLOGY is 

    INTUITIONS come first, STRATEGIC REASONING comes second.

    To support this principle:

    1. BRAINS evaluate INSTANTLY and CONSTANTLY.

    2. SOCIAL and POLITICAL JUDGMENTS depend heavily on QUICK INTUITIVE FLASHES.

    3. Our BODILY STATES sometimes influence our MORAL JUDGMENTS.  Bad smells and tastes can make people more JUDGMENTAL. 

    4. PSYCHOPATHS REASON but do not FEEL.

    5. BABIES FEEL but do not REASON.

    6. AFFECTIVE REACTIONS are in the right time, in the right place in the brain.

All of the above paints a clear picture about the RIDER and the ELEPHANT and the ROLES they play in the human mind.

    1.  The ELEPHANT  (AUTOMATIC PROCESSES) is where most of the ACTION in MORAL PSYCHOLOGY is based.  ELEPHANTS RULE, but they are neither DUMB, nor DESPOTIC.

    2.   REASONING matters, particularly where RELATIONSHIPS are concerned, and when REASONING triggers NEW INTUITIONS

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He recalls his time in prison, when he observed behavior of the prisoners, including himself.  He states that he is not justified in passing judgment on other prisoners who put their own lives above those of other prisoners.

My responses:

    1.  Is he talking about Jews versus non-Jews?

    2.  Is he talking about prisoners who worked INSIDE versus prisoners who worked OUTSIDE?

    3.  Is he talking about his own moral judgment about his own loved ones, whom he would "put above others" when it comes to live or death situations?

I further ask if this situation came about where I was asked to sacrifice a child (or loved one) and let another live...... which would I do?  And further, what would I do if it were 10, or 100, or 1000 who would be saved if I let my child die?  (e.g., "The Bridge" and other stories about God sacrificing his son)

Finally, I ask what value do I place on human life?  Embryos.  Babies.  Young children.  Adults.  Older adults.

Are they irreplaceable?  Certainly the exact life that is ended is irreplaceable.  Once it ends, it is gone forever.

There does not seem to be any clear answer.  But living day to day, it's not likely that I will be faced with any of these dilemmas.  And it's a bit more likely that someone else will want to end my life (e.g., a homophobic person, or an end-of-life care giver....)

So, moving on, I will live the rest of today in the best way I can, hoping I'll have more time to learn how to love myself and others.

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.

20231123 SLLLAVERS FOR THURSDAY (THANKSGIVING DAY) - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 80 seconds; a bit better than mild success.

LLL - BHL

Love.  Live.  Laugh.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a confident human being.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

205.4  Today's weight

206.2  Yesterday's weight

-0.8

I visualize weighing less tomorrow

EXERCISE

Did my full base-80 routine for Thursday, November 23, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED, PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretches 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 16 (floor) + 24 (wall) = 40

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says Capitalism has become much more than an economic theory.  It's a religion of modern democracy.  All the investments are now introduced with an estimate of how profitable it will be to the company or to the country.

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls meeting with his team - before he was inaugurated - to formulate a plan to save the economy.  With the deficit at more than $T (for the first time), it was difficult to see how they could manage rising unemployment, and tax levels that were already too high.

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says life must necessarily be lived with both surface  (masculine) AND depth (feminine).  We tend to live only on the surface of life; when earlier men sought to purge the depths of dark feminine temples and groves, they destroyed the deep part of life; it's like seeing a river sparkling in the sunlight, and knowing that it has deep, still, dark parts below.

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says in studies of college level students, the "elephant" leaned toward ______ when it was required that an answer be given quickly.  But if there were some time between the given facts and the response, the students still leaned toward _____, but not as much.

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He recalls, further, that there were small pleasures that were rare:  getting an equal share of soup, no matter who was getting it - a certain cook made sure, and they all were happy for it.

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter. 

20231122 SLLLAVERS FOR WEDNESDAY - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried; mild success in silencing my brain for 80 seconds.

LLL - BHL

Laugh.  Love.  Live.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

206.2  Today's weight

205.2  Yesterday's weight

+1.0

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

DId my full base-80 routine for Wednesday, November 22, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED; PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel wall 15
9. counter stretch 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 16 (floor) + 24 (wall) = 40

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that once our global society shifted from the medieval "Haves & have-nots" to the modern capitalistic economy, the nobility were replaced by mostly men in grey suits trying to grow their wealth.  Governments and middle-income folks did the same, wondering if they should invest in stocks, bonds, education and/or real estate.

NOTE:  I understand economics far better now that I did when I took an economics class as part of my undergraduate degree.  Thanks, Yuval!

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls discussing how his administration would handle the impending doom of recession, trying desperately to keep it from becoming a DEP-ression.  Following FDR & The Keyensian model, he considered various government programs, such as a highway improvement project, or a national grid.

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says that we are generally caught up in trying to avoid death and darkness, when LIFE necessarily includes darkness - Vaughan-Lee calls it "the feminine."  It is is the feminine darkness that life is born and becomes the next cycle of being.  We should not try to avoid darkness & death.  We should be focused on living.

NOTE:  I like his phrase:  "If life does not change, it dies, and yet paradoxically we are so frightened of death that we try to hold back the flow of life."  We do this by trying to be "forever young," etc.

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says there are SOCIAL models that say we are persuaded to act in accordance with the social norms of a group (i.e., following friendly elephants), and REASON-BASED models that say we are persuaded to act in accordance with our own norms (i.e., NOT following a hostile other).  The question then becomes, WHEN are we persuaded to change our minds?  Is it social pressure? Or is it our own reasoning that leads us to change?  Haidt says it's rare we do this on our own.

Like the optical illusion Necker Cube, it is practically impossible to see the orientation of the cube in 2 different ways at the same time; our focus shifts to see it 2 different ways.  Similarly, we can't be focused on 2 conflicting opinions about a controversial issue (eg., is abortion ok?).  If we believe it's ok, we'll welcome others who agree, and shun to some degree others who disagree.

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He recalls that the suffering he endured in various camps was punctuated by small "blessings."  He was fortunate enough to be in a group who were not forced to empty bins of mud for 12 hours a day, outside in cold rainy weather, day after day; rather, he was fortunate to be working on a project inside a building.  He was fortunate when a siren interrupted his supervisor's day-long beatings, from which he would otherwise likely have died.

It's hard to imagine thinking that he was "fortunate" in any way, since he was a prisoner in a concentration camp, deprived of most everything beyond staying alive (e.g., toothbrushes, clean clothes, etc.)  He considered himself fortunate that he was not dead.

He gives the example of a boxer who is losing the match, and can hardly stand up, when after endless struggle, is "SAVED BY THE BELL."  (hmmmm, I wonder if that's the true origin of the saying.)

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.  

I hadn't planned to write about a "just for fun" book, but today, I HAVE to.  Easter discusses how some artists, rather than giving in to "apathy," will enter a state (a zone) where their action and their awareness merge, and they essentially block out all exterior influences; he calls it "Flow State" and describes it as an "art of Zen in art" experience.  But he gives credit to a young psychology researcher in Chicago in the 1960s.  Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, over his career ran the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago (where Dr. Pruitt got his undergraduate degree); and later became president of the American Psychology Association.  He interviewed thousands of people (artists, atheletes, etc.) who all reported being in a Flow State during their careers.

I'm wondering if Dr. Pruitt knew MC, knew OF him, knew of the Flow State......

20231121 SLLLAVERS FOR TUESDAY - NOT D-DAY, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried; mild success to silence brain for 80 seconds.

LLL - BHL

Live.  Laugh.  Love.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

205.2  Today's weight

206.2  Yesterday's weight

-1.0

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-80 routine for Tuesday, November 21, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED; PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretches 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 15 (floor) + 25 (wall) = 40

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that Adam Smith (1775) said wealth (pre-modern) by itself is wasteful; REINVESTED wealth is productive, and that is CAPITALISM:  everyone benefits.

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls his team facing the dilemma of a faltering economy in 2007/8:  Since he could not have the Fed lower interest rates any further (we were at zero already), the answer was to bolster the economy by government spending.  This was similar to what FDR did in 1933 through his government subsidies programs (paying farmers for surplus milk, hiring engineers for national parks, etc.).  

I know from "history" that this worked.

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says real living is being in our life, not looking at a snapshot of some event or place; the divine is imprinted on every cell in our body.  We are often blinded by pursuing that which we do not have:  BUT......

"I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!"

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says things that are quite deep (for me, at this time):  there are 3 models:  Hume (Humean), Plato (Platonic), and Jefferson (Jeffersonian).  They address how both reason and heart work together in human beings.  Humean (the heart rules the reason), Platonic (the reason rules the heart), and Jeffersonian (reason + heart = co-emperors).  He doesn't like the "slave-master" metaphor, rather the "lawyer-client" metaphor, in which the lawyer advises, and the client usually goes along, but not always.

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He recalls his group of prisoners riding for 2 1/2 days in an over-crowded rail car, to go to a camp where there WAS NO CHIMNEY.  That fact caused them all to actually rejoice!!

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.

20231120 SLLLAVERS FOR MONDAY - NOT D-DAY YET, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Didn't try today.

LLL - BHL

Live.  Love.  Laugh.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

206.2  Today's weight

206.2  Yesterday's weight

-0-

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

I did my full base-80 routine for Monday, November 20, 2003:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED; PIANO LESSON)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, R40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretch 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 14 floor + 26 wall (=40)

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that in 1776, Adam Smith, in THE WEALTH OF NATIONS, justifies the rich becoming richer along with the poor becoming richer, by increasing the size of the pie.  I don't fully grasp this, but Harari says it's like Smith opened "heaven" for the rich; by increasing the wealth of a nation, it became OK for the rich to be greedy, and NOT at the expense of a poor person.

Read 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls a December meeting in which a woman described the moment they were in at that time as President-elect Obama's "holy shit" moment.  There was, it was estimated, a 1 in 3 chance that the nation would experience a 2nd "Great Depression."

Read 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says that there is a new way of looking at living, and we, as aware elements, are midwives who will usher it in.  We only have to recognize that we are part of the greater oneness, and it will happen.

Read 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says psychologists of the mid-20th Century argued about the basis for morality in the human brain:  Wilson predicted that we would eventually identify the brain functions for human morality, and it would not be based on reason, but on emotions.

I like the idea Green put forth in his "The Secret Joake of Kant's Soul":

  "We have strong feelings that tell us in clear and certain terms that some things simply cannot be done and that other things simply must be done."

Read 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He recalls how the prisoners exhibited the defense mechanism of using humor in the face of suffering, much like a gas would immediately fill a room evenly.  He recalls how joyous they were in his particular train car when they realized that they were not headed from Auschwitz to Maunthausen, but only to Dachau.  (They'd heard that Maunthausen was pure torture); when the train DIDN'T cross the Danube, meaning they were NOT going to Maunthausen, they began to dance with joy.

Read for FUN in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter

20231116 MEH DAY

 So tired this morning, yet at least I did get up & make my bed & play the piano for a little (including some Christmas songs) & sent Rumi to GG & smoothie & coffee.......

So all is not 100% lost.

20231115 SLLLAVERS FOR WEDNESDAY - NOT D-DAY, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Bad, but at least I tried.

LLL - BHL

Live.  Laugh.  Love.

Bless.  Heal.  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. 

Also said aloud for 80 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.

Also said aloud for 80 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

206.6  Today's weight.

205.0  Yesterday's weight

+1.6

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED/PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40/R40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretches 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 12 floor + 28 wall

READING, WRITING

RUMI for today

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He recalls

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.

20231114 SLLLAVERS FOR TUESDAY - NOT D-DAY, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Tried; mild success.

LLL - BHL

Live.  Laugh.  Love.

Bless. Heal.  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.

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.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

205.0  Today's weight

203.X  Yesterday's weight

+2.X

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-80 routine for Tuesday, November 14, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED, PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo R40, L40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretch 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 11 (floor) + 29 (wall)

READING, WRITING

RUMI

Read for 80 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He discusses how our modern economy came to be as it is.  In long distant past times, money was merely a means for trade.  But as the banking industry developed, bankers became the means by which entrepreneurs began & lived out their dreams.  The cycle of borrowing, interest, repaying.... etc.... resulted in banks holding depositors' cash, but lending it out to entrepreneurs, TRUSTING that their business would be successful.  After a period of time, the successful business would repay the loan, with interest, and the depositors at the bank would be safe.

US Banking laws allow this "cycle" to occur a maximum of 7 times, and banks are allowed to loan $10 for every $1 they possess.  AMAZING!

Read for 80 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls a bill he signed - the Lilly Ledbetter Act - which guaranteed women equal pay for equal work.  Republicans tried to stop it; Democrats pushed it forward.

My comment:  GOOD GRIEF!!

Read for 80 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says living should be INSIDE life, not OUTSIDE it.  Then we can see, and appreciate the patterns of living that give it true meaning.

My comment:  This discussion is quite repetitive, and yet I still do not grasp the entirety of it.

Read for 80 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says experiments with fMRI (Greene) show that areas of the brain become highly active when the person is faced with a moral dilemma (trolley exercise where you must push (and kill) one person to save 5 other people, or throw a switch that will do the same).  The study was first published in 2001, and since then, there have been many fMRI studies that evaluate the brain's moral judgment areas in a myriad of life situations.

Read for 80 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He recalls talking to his fellow prisoners about how art and humor are means of self preservation - or CAN be.  His friend, a former surgeon, and he discussed how they will live once they're released and would go back to their former lives.

Read for fun in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.

20231113 SLLLAVERS FOR MONDAY - STILL NOT D-DAY, BUT I, KEN TAYLOR, ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Made the effort to silence my brain for 70 seconds; mild success.

LLL=BHL

Live.  Laugh.  Love.

Bless.  Heal.  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.

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.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

203.8  Today's weight
204.0  Yesterday's weight
-0.2

I visualize weighing less tomorrow.

EXERCISE

Did my "full" (i.e., now modified) base-80 routine for Monday, November 13, 2023:

1. ankle/wrist circles 80
2. toe/finger stretches 80
3. bicycle crunches 80
4. (MADE BED, PIANO)
5. shoulder rolls 80
6. flamingo L40, E40
7. ball/wall 15
8. angel/wall 15
9. counter stretch 15
10. squats 40
11. push-ups 10 (floor) + 30 (wall)

READING, WRITING 

Rumi for today (plus catchup)

Read for 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says banks take money from savers, and then loan that money to entrepreneurs, who then pay contractors.  The system allows participants to "double" and "triple" the money when there is actually only the original amount in the bank.

Read for 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls the turmoil of his first day(s) in office; the honeymoon period was when they got some things done.

Read for 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says our lives have the purpose - the "great destiny" of uncovering our own soul.  We can best do this by seeing our lives NOT as an accumulation of desires or goals, but as a flow of events.  Becoming attuned to the flow of life means to recognize that things are both lost and found.

Read for 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says he wondered what TIME & PLACE in the brain is active when we make moral decisions/judgments.  He cites the example of the trolley car when a person needed to push one person to his death in order to save 5 other people from death.  Which is right?  DEONTOLOGISTS would say he should NOT push the one person to his death.

Read for 70 seconds in MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor Frankl.  He says life in the camp involved silly expressions of art, along with prisoner applause which led to favorable results for the prisoner.

Read for 70 seconds in THE COMFORT CRISIS by Michael Easter.  Fun read!