compassion, collaboration & cooperation iN transistion

Search Results - possibilities

Comment on: Video 'What Is Permaculture': site, here in dormitary town Swindon - SN2 2LZ - U.K. As permaculture works with, rather than against nature, so the transition initiative works with, rather than against, HUMAN nature - care of earth, care of people, fair share - it is as collaborative and cooperative in social tone as permaculture is in its attitude towards plants and, like permaculture, is prepared to observe and THINK, slowly. Whilst the last seven years of thinking and observation, has brought me to the conclusion that the bottom-up positive thinking at the root of the Transition Towns movement IS an absolute first step in the establishment of an "energy descent plan mindset", IT remains the case that a similar localised top-down positive thinking mindset should be established in order that an appropriate energy descent plan be established for a town the size of Swindon, with all its diversity of 250,000 inhabitants. It is therefore a fact that I totally agree with Allan Parker who has raised issues in need of consideration and urgent action, in his posted comment to the Orion Transition Initiative article. I would like to report, however, that the Transition Network's latest document - Who are we and what do we do - does at long last begin to address the inclusive top-down/bottom-up Transition mindset issue. Here in the UK Somerset County Council has set the ball rolling so to speak by “agreeing to undertake a review of its budgets and services to achieve a reduction in dependence on fuel oil and produce an energy descent action plan in line with the principles of the Transition Initiative.” Leicester City, North Norfolk Council and Bristol City have, I believe, all made similar commitments, to the extent that "a lead by example""top-down/bottom-up transition mindset initiative" may finally be in the offing. In consideration of the fact that the demographics of the people of Swindon constitute the very core of the European Economic Computer Model it would be an encouraging step forward, to address the issues raised by Allan Parker, if the Swindon Unitary Authority were to follow suit.…; Added by Michael Grove at 12:24 on December 6, 2010

Blog Post: Barbara McClintock RIP

At first…

Added by Michael Grove at 7:44 on August 4, 2014

Comment on: Blog Post 'THE Chinese goddess of COMPASSION': conomic news seems to have been positive, with equities underpinned by an apparent triple lock of policy action in America, Europe and China. What could possibly go wrong? " -"To repeat Harold Macmillan's old saw – "events, dear boy, events". In the euphoria of recent central bank action, investors seem plain to have forgotten that restoring stability is a war on many fronts. Just as macroeconomic risk subsides, a number of geo–political threats have come roaring back to take their place. Chief among these is the possibility of Israeli military action against Iran.""Likewise with China, where the promise of massive fiscal stimulus may be more illusion than real. Capital Economics has taken a look at the recent flurry of infrastructure announcements in China and come to the conclusion that they don't really amount to a fresh fiscal stimulus at all, merely a repackaging of already known about initiatives into a seemingly impressive headline number. The Chinese leadership must have been taking lessons from one Gordon Brown." "In any case, hopes of a policy induced recovery may all along have been misplaced. Into this mix stumbles our old friend the Middle East, which can always be relied on to turn any already unstable situation into a complete rout." "All the good work that central banks have been doing in underpinning confidence is in danger of being swept away by events over which we have no control. What's more, with the monetary dial already turned up to 11, there is little more policy can do to fight the effect with fresh monetary stimulus. The inflationary consequences of rising energy costs make any such action trickier still. "Who knows? Maybe it won't happen. But financial markets may be set for another turbulent autumn." Can there ever be a better time than NOW- when the world needs Kuan Yin to shed - THE LIGHT which will set YOU FREE …; Added by Michael Grove at 9:16 on September 18, 2012

Comment on: Blog Post 'LET GOD BE GOD ...': ions I'd like to share about how we can each make the most out of the coming year. It's not that I think 2012 is destined to be an extra special cosmic year. It's that, despite the Mayan prophecies and all the excitement they've catalyzed within the new–age movement, I'm pretty sure it won't–at least not on its own. A quick scan of the press surrounding the arrival of 2012 tells us that we can expect everything from a cataclysmic increase in natural disasters to an unprecedented global shift in consciousness ushering in a new era of peace on earth. And while I lack the advanced scientific education I would need to weigh in on the likelihood of imminent geological or meteorological Armageddon, I do have a few thoughts concerning the potential for a "global shift in consciousness"–and the role each of us might play in it. First of all, as you probably already know, I am a passionate advocate for the evolution of consciousness and culture. And, in my mind, any myth or narrative that has the potential to galvanize people toward positive change is a good thing. So, the fact that so many are feeling ignited by the notion that everything could change in one year, and are even feeling called to participate in catalyzing that change is good news for all of us. The world needs a lot of change, and that is going to require a lot of passionate change agents, whatever their religion might be. However, the popular notion that, with the arrival of a key "tipping point," we're all going to pass through a momentous and noticeable collective shift in consciousness (from "fear" to "love" or from "separation" to "oneness") needs some updating in light of what we now know about evolution. Studies of how consciousness and culture evolve have consistently shown us that human beings and human cultures evolve through predictable stages on what psychologist Clare Graves called a - "never–ending upward quest." Integral developmental theory also tells us that these stages can't be skipped. You can't, in other words, jump from a "pre–modern" or "traditional" worldview to a "postmodern" worldview without first embracing a "modern" worldview. Put more simply, you aren't likely to get from tribalism to "global consciousness" without first embracing individualism–at least for a while. SO, the problem with the notion of a "collective shift in consciousness" is that, as a species, right now, we are spread out across a broad spectrum of at least five distinct stages of development: "tribal," "traditional," "modern," "postmodern," and "integral." If you do the math, that means that for humanity to go through a collective shift in consciousness, we'd really have to catalyze at least 5 distinct shifts in consciousness at once–and even if we did, we still wouldn't all be going through the same shift to arrive in the same place. So, if we're interested in helping consciousness and culture evolve, rather than hoping for a single global shift in consciousness, we would probably do well to turn our attention to the kinds of changes that are actually within our collective reach. As individuals, we can each engage in the challenging transformative work to evolve own consciousness-and more importantly, our own behavior –– beyond the ancient, survival –driven habits that still influence us every day. We can also band together with small groups of other people and work together to evolve our collective consciousness and our collective behavior. And if enough individuals and enough small groups do enough work to transform their consciousness and behavior, we can certainly begin to generate a positive collective momentum in the direction of real evolutionary change. We might even begin to exert what Andrew Cohen calls "evolutionary tension" on the larger collective, visibly and invisibly pulling everyone in the direction of humanity's emergent higher potential. Could such a momentum eventually lead us all to a "tipping point?" It's not outside the realm of possibility. The good news is that tipping points are a well–documented phenomenon. Social diffusion research pioneered by sociologist Everett Rogers consistently shows that when a key "social innovation" is adopted by a certain percentage of the population, that innovation begins to rapidly permeate the broader population through a process of diffusion that also proceeds through a predictable series of stages. It's not exactly a "global shift in consciousness," but it does mean that if enough of us begin to embody a new level of consciousness, the motivations and values of that new level will gradually be adopted by many others who have not necessarily themselves awakened or evolved to the same degree. As Ken Wilber has recently pointed out, the percentage of the population that has reached "integral consciousness " is rapidly approaching 10%, and that number has been well–documented as a key tipping point threshold. So, if you're excited about the possibility of a large sector of humanity embracing a more integral perspective, then now might be a very important moment to lean in and make a little more effort to help us get to that threshold. So, whether you're galvanized by the 2012 spirit, or simply eager to use any leverage you can to help serve humanity's higher evolution, it's hard to imagine a better time to seize the moment and use that energy to fuel your own commitment to doing everything in your power to make this year count. What can you do? Make it the year you go all the way every day with your own spiritual practice. Make it the year you close the gap between your highest ideals and the life you're living each day–even when things get challenging. Make this the year that you finally commit to evolve beyond your own ego–for real. Make it the year you show up consistently as an example of the kind of human being the world needs most–a courageous, passionate, committed evolutionary–an inspiration to everyone around you. If enough of us make the choice to go all the way to our own evolving edges, then indeed we might look back on 2012 as the year when an important threshold was crossed, or at least the year when a new momentum began. Thank you for your commitment to the evolutionary path. I look forward to sharing the journey with you, through this year and beyond. To our evolution, Craig Hamilton Founder, Integral Enlightenment…; Added by Michael Grove at 9:58 on January 30, 2012

Blog Post: The Next Scientific (R)evolution

The…

Added by Michael Grove at 12:22 on July 20, 2013

Blog Post: crazy horse prayer: Posted on Mar 3rd, 2010 by …; Added by Michael Grove at 14:53 on March 27, 2010

Blog Post: FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS ...

MY OWN …

Added by Michael Grove at 6:29 on May 4, 2016

Comment on: Blog Post 'Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, its off to ...': and metamorphosis. The target production began in 1945, 58 years before its completion and was a collaboration between Walt Disney and the Spanish surrealist painter, Salvador Dalí. Salvador Dali and Walt Disney Destiny was produced by Dali and John Hench for 8 months between 1945 and 1946. Hench described Dali at the time, as a "ghostly figure" who knew better than Dali or the secrets of the Disney film. For some time, the project remained a secret. The work of painter Salvador Dali was to prepare a six-minute sequence combining animation with live dancers and special effects for a movie in the same format of "Fantasia." Dali in the studio working on The Disney characters are fighting against time, the giant sundial that emerges from the great stone face of Jupiter and that determines the fate of all human novels. Dalí and Hench were creating a new animation technique, the cinematic equivalent of "paranoid critique" of Dali. Method inspired by the work of Freud on the subconscious and the inclusion of hidden and double images. Dalí said: "Entertainment highlights the art, its possibilities are endless." The plot of the film was described by Dalí as "A magical display of the problem of life in the labyrinth of time." Walt Disney said it was "A simple story about a young girl in search of true love."My grateful thanks to Jack Austin for bringing this animation to my attention • just imagine 4,733,899 views on YouTube and I didn't even know it existed. I shall make this a YouTube favourite nOw on our new Virgin multi Media high-speed home network . …; Added by Michael Grove at 7:48 on March 12, 2017

Comment on: Blog Post 'The Axeman Commeth ...': t perspective to those who would espouse the coming of "The Chinese Miracle" - "The collapse has already started and the Central Party Committee and aspiring members are already well aware of this fact and all its implications. I suspect even they doubt their ability to ensure a so called "Soft landing" ! Published figures from official sources are worthless. Inflation is headlined at 4-5% yet in 2011 ran at a real rate of around 16-18%. Non performing loans to provincial governments and large state industries are variously officially published at 30%. Many in China know the true figure is in excess of 60%. The High Speed Rail "Project" is bankrupt. In October circa $475 (million) equivalent was injected into the project and did little more than pay 9 months of unpaid salaries. Many large companies are under enormous financial pressure as their contracts to provincial and military customers are not being paid. A number of Tier one cities and provinces have been allowed to sell bonds. Why do governments sell bonds? Just like the west to raise finance. Just like the west raising capital finance to pay day to day revenue expenses is not sustainable practice, as Europeans will now tell you! The main 4 banks published large increases in profit but only made 2.5% provision for bad debt. Even with a rate of 30% bad loans this seems ridiculously small. House and more importantly land prices, have collapsed in the past 4 months. The Lewis point has been passed and indeed the need to move to an internal and innovative high tech economy must be the way forward however there are two major problems. The move should have been started a decade ago. Instead of wasting money on so much useless construction and corruption the government may have been better off building social support so the Chinese would save less and spend more. Now salaries are high enough to render, what were already minute profits, none existent and the populace is at best a little nearer spending on mass. The second problem is the education system and the controls propagated by the communist party. This education system beats innovation and independent dynamic thought out of the populace. Chinese television is always telling the viewers how great China is and how much they develop and innovate. In reality, in virtually every case, they have only moved to a higher level of high tech copying and glitzy marketing. Finally, look to western and south western China. What is happening in Chongching. How is it that, after recent events involving his deputy Wang, Bo Xilai has not been removed by Beijing? How is it that the party secretaries of neighbouring provinces and cities can openly pledge allegiance to this man? How in November last year was he, a mere party secretary, sent to Chongching under a fair size cloud of disgrace, able to mount military exercises? A good half of Chinese military is stationed in western China! What is this Princling's true relationship with Jiang Zemin, the last Communist Party Chairman, who never supported Hu Jintao and is known to continue to agitate in the background while retaining substantial loyalty from the military? How many in the west understand just how popular Bo Xiali is with the masses. Were you aware that under his leadership many Maoist practices have been re-introduced? I would suggest the possibility of a rather more interesting than usual change of leadership might just be on the cards this time round! I for one watch with fascination and concern.…; Added by Michael Grove at 14:38 on March 6, 2012

Blog Post: 9

Added by Michael Grove at 9:07 on March 16, 2010

Search Results - possibilities

About