My Blog

To anyone on Facebook

lchris — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:39:20 GMT

I started using Facebook a few weeks ago. Since Tribe goes down frequently, it's good to be on more than one network. Some of you are already Facebook friends, but if you aren't, you can look me up there: Larry Christopher, Poughkeepsie, NY network (I've noticed links to profile don't usually work).

Liminal Worlds Tribe

lchris — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:51:51 GMT

I'd like to invite my Tribe friends who have not yet joined my new tribe, Liminal Worlds, to check it out or join. In general, it's part of a wider project to network innovative ideas and solutions pertaining to the arts, healing, society, metaphysics or the like. http://tribes.tribe.net/liminalworlds

The Decline of Adulthood

lchris — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:34:08 GMT

This is an article I posted on Associated Content, exploring how the idea of adulthood has become marginalized in contemporary culture. http://tinyurl.com/2qzo35

The Fountain

lchris — Thu, 24 May 2007 03:07:24 GMT

This movie, by the same director as Pi and Requiem For A Dream, was just released on DVD last week. It's a fascinating exploration of topics such as multiple realities, death and rebirth and Mayan cosmology. It's not very linear, and it would be difficult for me to say exactly what it all means, but watching it is a kind of trip (it has a kind of psychedelic visual style) that opens your mind and senses to archetypes such as the Tree of Life. I still have to watch some of the commentary that is included on the DVD. In a way, it deals with similar concepts as the more popular What The Bleep, but in a way that is more artistic and open-ended, and therefore less accessible to a wide audience. Anyway, it's worth checking out if you like mystical films.

Pronoia

lchris — Mon, 14 May 2007 04:27:00 GMT

From Pronoia, by Rob Brezsny - "Definition: Pronoia is the antidote for paranoia. It's the understanding that the universe is fundamentally friendly. It's a mode of training your senses and intellect so you're able to perceive the fact that life always gives you exactly what you need when you need it." I started this book a couple of days ago, and it's a good reminder that most of the "information" out there, even coming from alternative sources, is geared towards fear and negativity. Learning to be pronoiac is a good habit to acquire.

Autumn Equinox/Mabon

lchris — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 03:58:44 GMT

Lots of astronomical/astrological events over these few days! The Autumn Equinox is just after midnight (EDT, early a.m. 9/23). Today (9/22) was the new moon and solar eclipse. 9/23 is Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year. 9/24 is the start of Ramadan. Should be some interesting energy out there.

On thwarted terrorist attacks

lchris — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:16:18 GMT

I wonder how many people are skeptical when they hear about a thwarted terrorist attack. It's a perfect excuse to (further) militarize airports and other public places. It could be true, of course, but we really have to take the word of the governments and mass media of the world, hardly reliable sources of information. From a propaganda standpoint, it is a more clever strategy to make up a thwarted attack than to create a real one. Many people are now skeptical about the official version of 9-11, with it's many logical holes. Real attacks also portray the authorities as ineffective at protecting the people. With a prevented attack, on the other hand, the government is made to look competent, if not heroic, and at the same time, increased security, militarization and violations of privacy are justified. Who knows?

V For Vendetta

lchris — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 04:04:14 GMT

This film, which did not play in theaters for very long, was recently released on DVD. It's quite a radical, thought-provoking look at a dystopian society in the near future in which the government rules with an iron fist in the name of fighting terrorism. The totalitarian government in this movie even turns out to be behind an atrocity atrributed to terrorists. I'm not familiar with the comic book it's based on, but the movie is quite compelling and the society it depicts is only a few degrees more repressive than our own. One of the few mainstream movies that dares to question the validity of the established order.

Wanted -artists, visionaries, futurists..

lchris — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 21:20:34 GMT

...to help organize a weekend event focused on 2012 and other prophecies. The concept is to have both entertainment and educational content while exploring alternative futures in realms such as culture, economics and spirituality and to help direct prophetic energy in a positive direction. The date for this event is the weekend of Sept. 23 - 24 which happens to be the Autumn Equinox, a solar eclipse and several notable festivals. If anyone would like to participate, perform or help to organize this, let me know.

American impressions of Europe

lchris — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 23:07:59 GMT

I recently spent four weeks traveling Europe by train. I didn't stay anywhere long, but used a train pass to cover a large part of the continent (as far South as Athens, as far North as the the Lapland region of Finland). Spending so much time traveling, and relatively little time actually *being* anywhere probably gave me a distorted view in some ways, but this is probably true of any sort of tourism. I did come away with some general impressions of how Europe differs from the U.S. Some of these are cliches no doubt. I am curious how Europeans or other travelers to Europe may agree or disagree. Europe obviously encompasses many countries and cultures, but there do seem to be some general ideas that unite the continent (especially nowadays, with the EU and Euro). There are also major differences. One major divide I noticed is between the Mediterranean nations I visited (Greece, Italy, France) and the Anglo Saxon/Germanic/Scandanavian; the latter, true to reputation, are usually more reserved. Europeans definitely believe more in the general concept of public spaces than do Americans. Most large train stations have showers. There are many lower priced hotels with shared bathrooms. This is rare in the U.S. It's nice to have your own private toilet and shower, but it keeps hotel prices higher. Internet cafes are common; again, these are harder to find in America. I suppose here (the U.S.) everyone is expected to own their own computer. This is somewhat related to the above point: in general, the streets are much livelier in European cities, especially at night. Pubs, cafes, pedestrian traffic is everywhere. Increasingly in the U.S., people don't venture out much after dark, especially without their cars. One stereotype that some Americans have of Europeans is that the latter are cultured, sophisticated and maybe a bit snobbish. If you traveled around the continent, as I did, during the World Cup, you might rethink this. Rowdy beer-drinking crowds shout football chants well into the night. England is famous for this, but it's true of every country I visited (Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy, etc.) I'm not saying this in a judgmental way, but just pointing out that the average person in Europe is more down-to-earth than the effete, artistic type of Europeans often portrayed in American movies. An unfortunate stereotype that I'd have to confirm is that Americans are fatter. You simply do not see so many overweight people in Europe. I am not judging people by the standards of Hollywood or the fashion industry; I'm talking about serious obesity. It's simply far less common in Europe. I'm not sure why; I think it probably has more to do with exercise (more walking, less driving?) than diet, as junk food seems as ubiquitous in Europe as the U.S. In some ways, Europeans seem more inclined to obey at least minor rules and laws. I was surprised, when walking around cities, how most people would wait for the traffic light to give them permission to walk, even when no traffic was approaching. In the really busy cities, however, such as London and Paris, this was less the case. In my experience, people in the U.S., myself included, tend to cross when we can and not pay much attention to the light. Note: apologies to anyone who read this already on Amazon.com, but I don't think there's too much overlap between the two boards so I'm posting it here on Tribe as well.

Blog from Helsinki

lchris — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 10:40:59 GMT

After making a rather impulsive decision to travel after leaving my job, I've been floating around europe for the past two weeks on a Eurail pass, mainly sleeping on overnight trains and ferries. Yesterday I was at the Arctic Circle in Finland --nothing much there actually, aside from a touristy Santa's Village. Haven't seen night time in several days, which is sort of strange. Anyway, covering lots of miles with no particular plan is a kind of meditation --sometimes fun, at times exhausting. Right now I am in Helsinki, which is quite a vibrant city. Anyway, I will post when I can and see some of you when I return to New York!

Bird Flu fear-mongering

lchris — Sat, 20 May 2006 16:56:49 GMT

Lately, the media has been inundating us with scare stories about a possible flu pandemic, and Avian Flu in particular. The government has a vested interest in keeping the population in a state of anxiety, whether over terrorism or a plague. Now I've learned an interesting "coincidence" about the Bird Flu hype --Donald Rumsfeld just happens to be a major shareholder in the company that produces the supposed remedy for bird flu. As the link below points out, there is no evidence that this drug prevents or cures anything. Furthermore, there is no reason to expect an outbreak of Avian Flu that is a threat to humans --unless perhaps someone is planning to create such an outcome. http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/tamiflu.asp

A simple strategy to combat rising gas prices

lchris — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 02:55:38 GMT

I received the following as an e-mail; feel free to copy and send it. I can't vouch for the truth of its origin, and I'm skeptical about the chain-letter style gimmick of reaching 300 million people, but I like the basic concept for its simplicity. It may not be radical enough for some, but it could be a good measure to take for those of us who drive. GAS WAR - an idea that WILL work > > This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola > executive It came from one of his engineer buddies > who retired from Halliburton. It's worth your > consideration. > > Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit > close to $4.00 a gallon by next summer and it might > go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down? We > need to take some intelligent, united action. > > Philip Hollsworth offered this good idea. This makes > MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain > day" campaign that was going around last April or May! > The oil companies just laughed at that because they > knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by > refusing to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience > to us than it was a problem for them. BUT, whoever > thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can > really work. Please read on and join with us! > > By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at > about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently > $2.79 for regular unleaded in my town. Now that the > oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us > to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at > $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to > teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..not > sellers. With the price of gasoline going up more each > day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we > are going to see the price of gas come down is if we > hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their > gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. > How? > > Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop > buying gas. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if > we all act together to force a price war. > > Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T > purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies > (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not > selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their > prices. If they reduce their prices, the other > companies will have to follow suit. But to have an > impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon > and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, > don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and > I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of > people!! > > I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us > send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and > those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = > 3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches > the sixth group of people, we will have reached over > THREE MILLION consumers. > > If those three million get excited and pass this on to > ten friends each, then 30 million people will have > been contacted! If it goes one level further, you > guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!! > > Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. > That's all! > (If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million > and all you have to do is send this to 10 people.... > Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. > But I am. so trust me on this one.) > > How long would all that take? If each of us sends this > e-mail out to ten more people within one day of > receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be > contacted within the next 8 days!!! I'll bet you > didn't think you and I had that much potential, did > you! Acting together we can make a difference. > > If this makes sense to you, please pass this message > on. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL > THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP > THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK > > > Have a GREAT DAY.