h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi MoG

I've been wondering how you are - you have been missed here on h2g2.

I am very sorry about the tone of that post as I said immediately after posting it. Luckily it seems to have been pulled pretty quickly.

I stand by the content of it. My countrymen have been killed, and I have had to live with restrictions on my freedom all of my life because a small number of Irish-Americans put money in collecting tins from the safety of bars in New York.

However, I regard those people as ignorant and stupid, not as malicious or as my enemies.

But I deeply regret posting that post. I felt I was betraying my self when I posted it. The one good thing is that Pyrex quite clearly did not see it. I hope it remains hidden. (I will email the mod-team to that effect, too).

Did you get the metta-bhavna I sent you? If you have been meditating for a while you would not need it for yourself, but you may like to pass it on to others. I sent it to everyone in my address-book, and was surprised by who I got thanks from. (I think there are others who are now completely convinced I am barking mad - but they thought that already).

Take care, my dear.

With love, and peace.

Ben

Hi Ben

No need to apologize to me for having made that post. I wasn't offended by it, just was very surprised as the tone struck me as quite out of character for you, not the content exactly. Mostly I was concerned about what would trigger that kind of response, besides the situation in the world at the moment. Was hoping that personal events in your life weren't adding to the stress.

I got your loving kindness meditation, and have been doing something similar to that for the past month or so, trying to evict the ugly that has been festering in my head due to a bad situation at work that I've resolved now. It works, and I forwarded the meditation to some friends of mine.

I've been reading h2g2 more than posting lately. Since Tuesday I've sat here trying to organize my thoughts enough to write down my thoughts on how I feel about the war that it looks as if my country is prepared to engage in. I keep writing things, and then not posting them, because my feelings and opinions are too contradictory. I can't come up with anything that really makes cohesive sense to me. *sigh* I believe that violence begets violence and is degrading to those who act violently. I can't see any other way the USA can reasonably respond. I hope that a war will act as a deterrent to terrorism by making it too costly for countries to support terrorists. The nuttiest part of my whole mindset is that I'm not exactly angry at anyone, not even at those who hijacked those planes. I think those who supported those acts should be annihilated, not as retribution, but to put a stop to that sort of behavior once and for all. I don't know if it'll work. I know it's not right, but I think maybe it's best. I'm so worried about the people who are going to be hurt... the people who are going to be persecuted who have no sympathy for the terrorists, the military on all sides, their families, the civilians of all countries who will have their quality of life lessened.

What a mess, huh? So lately I'm just trying to take in as many ideas and perspectives as I can, so I can figure out exactly where I stand 'cause it's not gonna just go away. And I hope that one day people will learn how to coexist humanely.

Hi MoG

My personal life has faded into the background this week - but it isn't great at the moment. The main problems are irregular periods, and no job. Still I am working hard at finding work, and am reasonably hopeful about it, and I am seeing the doc on Monday. I could do with someone to cuddle and hug though. (And someone to f**k would be nice, too, but it is cuddles and hugs I need just now).

I knew you would know the metta bhavna, and thank you for sending it on. The more of us who build peace and banish fear from our hearts the better.

What do I think about this? So many contradictory things. I post what I think at the time, I guess.

My main view in reply to your comments is that terrorism is a hydra - kill one person and 10 more spring up in thier place. Brits know this instinctively because of NI. I should imagine the Spanish know it too, because of ETA. But Americans think that you can 'combat' terrorism. You can't. All you can do is change the soil so it no longer flourishes. Combating poverty and inequity is the most constructive thing we can do. And building personal links with Islamic countries, so more westerners know and like muslims, and vice versa.

None of this will happen of course. So I focus on mindfulness and the now, I replace fear with love, and keep on.

I am deeply blessed, and at the moment do not feel personally afraid. I will soon, I guess.

With love - and get that boy of yours in line, d'ya hear?

Ben

Get that boy in line. HUMPH! You know how cussed kids can be. I have a sneaking suspicion he's off with the other gods, taking quite a bit of ribbing for the hijinks HIS kids have been up to while he's been away.

I sent you a couple of emails, one of which might give you an insight into the incurable optimism we seem to be infected with, over here. Nobody really knows if we can make it work, but somehow there's the feeling that we have to try, at any cost. Americans are good at taking flying leaps. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I could use a full-body right now, too. I've been concerned about the guy I've been dating for the last 6 months or so. He's Bulgarian and works for an Arab company here. And he's so lovely and naive in some ways that he doesn't believe that he could be hurt by some idiot who only sees a dark-haired, dark-eyed, olive complected man with a funky accent who works for Arabs. He hasn't been exposed to some of the crappier aspects of life in the USA. *sigh* Haven't heard from him for a couple of days, and while that's normally not at all unusual, I'm leery. He was planning to go to New Jersey on a business trip today, and I'm worried about problems he might encounter. But I'm probably just being paranoid. Hope so, anyway.

Bedtime now... finally the rain has stopped, and it's getting coolish out (by my standards, anything under 78F is coolish). Makes me frisky. I need a long bubble bath with jazz and candlelight and wine, some time to do a mask and be a girly girl for a while. I need to fluff my aura.

Take care, and *fingers crossed* for your visit with the doctor tomorrow.

Hi Ben

I'm trying to make a link on my page to the light a candle thingy I emailed you, and am having no luck with it. If you have a minute, can you show me what I have to type around it to make it work? I tried ..... and it didn't show anything at all. *sigh* Hate being this ignorant about simple things.

I'm off to work now. Take care!

It is a lovely site - so simple.

Light a Candle

should do it.

Love

B

Thank you

Morning MoG



I was doing the traditional form of the Loving Kindness Meditation this morning, and realised with a shock that *I* am the Difficult Person!

No-one is 'difficult' in a vacuum, so if I find someone 'difficult' then it is because I am being difficult.

Put me right off.....



Is there a Bhuddist group on the site?

Shall we start one?

Love

a difficult person called Ben

Good morning

Gotta love that difficult person inside, dontcha? I don't know all that much about Buddhism, but one of the things I found really interesting was the good friend/bad friend concept... how a bad friend is actually a good one because it challenges you to be stronger in your practice. My friend Erin calls the one inside her evil twin.

I think it would be a good idea to make a buddhist group on h2g2. I'd participate in it, though I consider myself to be a semi-buddhist in search of sensual delights. Why don't you start a place for it... I'll tell Erin to get back on h2g2 and she'd participate too, I'm sure. She's taking it very seriously, has learned a lot in the brief time she's been practicing. As usual, I'm far less structured in my approach, though I'm thinking about becoming a bit more serious about it.

Hello my dear How are you? Haven't seen you for a while. I have been challenged in the Battle of the Gods by Caper Plip, and Saturn Girl and Apollo could do with some company and some cosmicpolitans, I am sure. http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F52180?thread=141356 I am fine, still looking for work, but that is looking more hopeful just now. The tests are all coming out clear, so far, so I think I have to acknowledge that the irregularities are probably down to stress. Once I got my ego out of the way on that one, it made perfect sense. But how are you? You have been strangely silent recently. Lurking, no doubt, but in different places, methinks. Take care With love B

Hi Ben!

Check your email... I've been muddling through a note to you all day, in the moments between everything else. I'm noticing that I don't seem to focus as well as I once did, or maybe it's just that I'm not as good at ignoring miscellaneous distractions as I once was.

Off to the battle now, wearing dangly earrings.... damned things get tangled in my feather boa....

hehehe Just clicked through on the link on my page (which goes to the Onion, and not direct to the article from last week as I'd intended) and saw an article that pretty accurately spoofs some of what I was writing about to you. Check out... ummmm, something like..."A Shattered Nation Desperately Wants To Care about B******t Again' or something along those lines. *sigh* My mind really IS going...

Laughed so much I coughed and spluttered and spilled my drink!



Thanks, love, I really really appreciate the joke.

Ben

I'm not so sure it was exactly funny, other than in the way twisted priorities seen from a different perspective are funny. But there's a chunk of me that wishes I could comfortably go back to just being frivolous and absurd and not feel this confounded responsibility all the time. And there's another chunk that says it's about damn time I grow up.

*waves to lost adolescence*

I am sorry.

But in my defense, I am a Brit, it was late, I had been drinking, it was NOT what I expected, and I have a dangerously subversive sense of humour.

And I also thought the headline - about the western powers wishing that Bin Laden had a nicely defined state they could attack - was perilously true. It is basically what I have been saying about terrorism in the threads for over 3 weeks, which as you know, I take very seriously indeed.

Forgive me. It hit me very very squarely on my funny-bone.

B

You needn't apologize. It was one of those bits of satire that kinda hit home for me, is all. I found the article funny, and the message true and more than a little uncomfortable. The Onion tends to have things like that at times. That's why I like it.

I just saw a note in Troy that you might be off for a few weeks-- hope everything's ok, as much as it can be at a time like this. Take care and keep in touch if possible.

Love,
B.

If it happens it will be 'good' off not 'bad' off.

I have the chance of some work (in Munich, Germany!!) which is very very exciting. Not least because the pound is strong, the Mark is weak, and Germany has some of the best department stores and clothes shops anywhere! Retail Heaven!

Hopefully I will know later today. So fingers crossed!

Take care.

B

Fingers and toes crossed for you. I hope it works out! What a nice time to go to Munich, before it gets too cold.

Not lurking, not meaning to intrude. Just wandering around this world and finding two of my favourite h2g2 people talking.

Peace and love would be nice (Me)
What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding? (Elvis Costello)