This topic is for news about the F-35 project. NO DISCUSSIONS OR COMMENTS.
All discussions about the F-35 should go in the Lockheed Martin F-35: No Holds Barred topic. All previous F-35 topics are in there, pending someone sorting out the wheat from the chaff.
IMHO there should only be one news thread, and NO discussions about the posts.
Having separate "good" & "bad" threads will just confuse the issues.
Take the discussions to the "no holds barred" thread to hash out.
Racking up the Flight Hours: The F-35 strike fighter program surpassed 5,000 flight hours in late November, announced the F-35 program office. All three variants of the stealth fighter—the Air Force's F-35A, Marine Corps' F-35B, and Navy's F-35C—contributed to those flight hours, according to the office's Nov. 30 release. That includes F-35s, both developmental test aircraft and production airframes, flying from Lockheed Martin's production facility in Fort Worth, Tex., as well as at Edwards AFB, Calif., Eglin AFB, Fla., and NAS Patuxent River, Md. The first flight of an F-35 occurred in December 2006. Since then, F-35s have flown more than 3,464 times, according to the program office.
I would just have one thread for links to news sites and pictures here; no opinion. Then have a thread for opinions in the bar. Any posts in the "news" thread, that weren't news (based on actual links) or pictures would get edited/deleted. No snark, no B.S, no whatever. Just straight facts here, good or bad. The readers can make up their own minds to what it all means and fester over in the bar if it bothers them. IMHO.
The F-35 jet fighter purchase, the most persistent thorn in the Harper government's side and the subject of a devastating auditor-general's report last spring, is dead.
Faced with the imminent release of an audit by accountants KPMG that will push the total projected life-cycle costs of the aircraft above $30 billion, the operations committee of the federal Cabinet decided Tuesday evening to scrap the controversial sole-source program and go back to the drawing board, a source familiar with the decision said.
This occurred after Chief of the Defence Staff Thomas Lawson, while en route overseas, was called back urgently to appear before the committee, the source said.
The decision is sure to have ripple effects around the world, as any reduction in the number of aircraft on order causes the price to go up for all the other buyers. Canada is one of nine F-35 consortium members, including the United States.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay is not a member of the Cabinet operations committee. It remains unclear whether he was present at the meeting Tuesday. However, MacKay is a member of the Cabinet Priorities and Planning committee, which was to discuss the F-35 decision Friday morning.
The CF-18s currently flown by the RCAF are at the tail end of their life cycle and are not expected to be operable much beyond 2020 at the outside.
The fighter procurement process has been the responsibility of Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose since last spring, following an audit by Auditor General Michael Ferguson. It is understood that veteran senior bureaucrat Tom Ring, who handled the government's much-praised shipbuilding contract process in the fall of 2011, is now steering the reframed fighter replacement process, from within Public Works.
Last spring, Ferguson ignited a political firestorm when he reported that the top-line cost cited by the Conservatives in the 2011 election campaign – $9-billion for 65 planes, or $15-billion including maintenance and other life-cycle costs – was $10-billion below the Defence department's internal estimate.
Even the internal figure of $25.1-billion was suspect, critics said, because it assumed a 20-year life cycle. The longevity of the Lockheed-Martin-built aircraft, according to the Pentagon, is 36 years.
KPMG's audit, due out next week, has confirmed the contention, long made by critics such as former assistant deputy minister (materiel) Alan Williams, that the F-35 program's real cost would be much higher than any previously stated government estimate, sources say.
Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page predicted a cost of $30 billion over a 30-year life cycle.
The F-35's unique stealthiness had long been advanced as the single most compelling argument for buying that plane.
Also in the mix, former Industry Minister David Emerson last week published a report on the aerospace and space sectors, calling on Ottawa to more aggressively press for Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRBs) and In-Service Support (ISS) contracts when inking procurement deals. Lockheed-Martin has in the past been reluctant to hand over its proprietary technology to clients. Industry insiders believe the Emerson report added impetus to the decision to start over.
Boeing's Super Hornet, Dassault's Rafale, Saab's Gripen, the Eurofighter Typhoon , and the F-35, are seen as the leading contenders in any new contest to replace the CF-18 fleet.
The cost of buying and servicing the F-35 stealth fighter jets that Ottawa has been planning to purchase could reach $40 billion, CTV News has learned ahead of the government's report on the financial implications of the program.
The report, which will be released next week, will kick off a review of the entire jet fighter procurement process and the need to replace Canada's aging fleet of CF-18 jets.
The Conservative government's plan to purchase 65 F-35 jets has been mired in controversy since a scathing auditor general's report accused both National Defence and Public Works of hiding the true cost of the project.
Ottawa said the program would cost between $14.7 billion and $16 billion, but auditor general Michael Ferguson and Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page disputed those figures.
Ferguson accused the Defence Department of low-balling the estimate by not including operating expenses, and said it would actually cost more than $25 billion, but government officials denied trying to hide anything.
Page had estimated it would cost $29.3 billion to purchase and maintain the jets.
Now, it looks like the cost would exceed both of those estimates.
Alan Williams, a former senior procurement officer with the federal government, said the price of the "complex" jet program has been going up since Ottawa initiated the procurement process.
"We ought to wait until the development is done and the platform is operational," he told CTV's Power Play Thursday.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel said the government is committed to being transparent on the issue and following the recommendations of the auditor general's report in April. She said the report on F-35 costs will be made public soon.
"We want to make sure that we get this right and we're taking it really seriously," she told Power Play.
On Dec. 3, an F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft completed the program's first aerial weapons release of an inert 500-pound GBU-12 Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb. The aircraft (BF-3) dropped an inert GBU-12 over the Atlantic Test Ranges from an internal weapons bay. The internal weapons carriage allows the F-35 to maintain a low-observable profile when combat loaded. The F-35B is a short take-off and vertical landing-capable fighter aircraft, designed for use by the U.S. Marine Corps as well as defense partners in the United Kingdom and Italy.
Stephen Harper's Conservatives are officially recanting their 2 1/2-year-old decision to buy the cutting-edge F-35 fighter plane – but the federal government is still resisting calls to hold an open competition to pick Canada's next jet purchase.
The Harper government on Wednesday officially announced it was backing off a sole-source plan to buy 65 F-35 Lightning jets as a replacement for Canada's aging CF-18 Hornets. It was a rare U-turn for an administration that only infrequently acknowledges it was wrong – but one the Tories felt was necessary to repair their fiscal stewardship credentials.
"No decision has been taken on a replacement for the CF-18," a senior government official told reporters in a not-for-attribution media briefing set up by the Tories so that top civil servants on the file could speak plainly about Ottawa's new jet purchase policy.
The Conservatives have been dogged for months by a damning auditor general's report last spring that said they selected the F-35 without due regard for price and availability. Back in July, 2010, the Tories announced to great fanfare they would forgo an open competition and would buy the Lockheed warplane because it was the only plane that would serve Canada's needs. They defended the decision in the 2011 election and often excoriated critics who suggested they had made a mistake.
On Wednesday, Ottawa made a great show of backing away from that decision – while unveiling a full lifetime cost estimate for the Lockheed Martin plane that is five times greater than what the Tories originally advertised it would cost.
The "cradle-to-grave" bill to taxpayers for buying and operating the controversial F-35 warplane will exceed $600-million per jet – or $45-billion in total, the government announced Wednesday. The Tories originally sold the aircraft as a $9-billion purchase.
The $45-billion lifetime estimate may ultimately prove to be too low if the cash-strapped U.S. government cuts its own order for the F-35 – a move that would increase the average price.
Ottawa formally announced Wednesday it's now shopping around to see if alternatives to the F-35 better meet its needs as a replacement for the aging CF-18 Hornets. The government has acknowledged, however, that it could again decide the F-35 is best for the job. "We're undertaking a full-options analysis and the F-35 is obviously one of those options," Ms. Ambrose told reporters.
Still, the government is holding off calling for open bids to build the plane – as opposition parties are demanding – saying they'll wait for an options analysis led by the Royal Canadian Air Force first.
The new $45-billion F-35 price tag is based on the most expansive definition of costs over a 30-year lifetime for each jet, including fuel as well as upgrades and maintenance. The bill includes 65 planes and as many as 11 spares – a cost that works out to more than $600-million per plane.
The new forecast, which was scrutinized by consulting firm KPMG, looks at costs incurred over a 42-year-period. Less than 20 per cent of the costs are for buying the initial 65 planes. The other 80 per cent are for keeping this fleet operating.
The Canadian government is still assuming the United States will buy a large order of the jets. In one of the documents Ottawa released Wednesday, it said it's expecting the U.S. and partners will purchase 3,100 jets – a number that's expected to fall as Washington, heavily in debt, trims its order.
The government said the overall price tag for Canada will rise by $500-million for every reduction of 400 aircraft that are cut from international orders. That's because there would be fewer economies of scale to be derived from mass production.
Separately, the Harper government trimmed its estimates for the maximum industrial benefits Canadian companies might win for supplying the F-35 production. This country's firms are only able to compete for work related to the warplane because Canada joined a consortium of countries planning on buying the jets.
The government said now it believes the maximum potential industrial benefits from F-35 supply work would be $9.8-billion – instead of the $12-billion Ottawa previously touted. So far Canadian companies have secured $438-million in work.
Also, the Harper government has redrawn the list of independent monitors who will oversee the hunt for alternatives to the F-35 Lightning fighter after retired general Charles Bouchard bowed out. He is replaced by former senior civil servant James Mitchell of consulting group Sussex Circle. The others remain the same, including ex-Communications Security Establishment chief Keith Coulter, a former fighter pilot; former federal comptroller-general Rod Monette, who also served as a senior bureaucrat in National Defence; and University of Ottawa professor Philippe Lagassé, an outspoken critic of the jet procurement.
The Harper government is going shopping for alternatives to the controversial F-35 in the most significant demonstration yet that it is prepared to walk away from its first choice for a new warplane.
To demonstrate that they are restarting the procurement process from scratch, Canadian officials will collect information from other plane manufacturers, including U.S.-based Boeing, maker of the Super-Hornet, and the consortium behind the Eurofighter Typhoon. They may also contact Sweden's Saab, manufacturer of the Gripen, and France's Dassault, maker of the Rafale.
The ballooning lifetime cost of the F-35 fighter and Ottawa's decision to shop around for alternatives are creating panic among Canadian companies betting on supply contracts for the Lockheed Martin plane, sources have said.
The government aims to complete this reappraisal of what the fighter aircraft market can offer Canada as expeditiously as possible in 2013.
Government officials said Wednesday that Ottawa has not decided whether to call for competitive bids to supply a plane and will await the results of the options analysis.
Canada has signed no contract to buy F-35s, and while it has signalled to Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, that it wants 65, it has no obligation to buy them.
It did sign a memorandum of understanding in 2006 that set the terms by which a country would buy the aircraft and also enabled domestic companies to compete for supply contracts for the plane.
-- On November 3, CF-2 flew an HMD Jitter FTR mission completing first pilot evaluation.
-- On November 14, during setup for a 45,000 ft test point, AF-4 flew to 50,000 ft, the design altitude limit. This is the first time F-35 has flown to 50K.
-- On November 30, BF-1 accomplished the longest duration F-35 hover at 10 minutes.
-- On December 3, BF-1 accomplished its 200th vertical landing at PAX and completed maximum weight hover, vertical landing and 90 degree translation on December 6.
-- On December 6, BF-4 flew the first STOVL mode night ops, including night hover.
Bad news in Canada (can't afford the numbers they need), mixed news in Australia (looking at another 24 Shornets due to previous JSF delays), better news in Britain (order holding at 48, looking to buy as many as 100 over time). Best read at the jump.
Why do they need the Navy version?. Is Turkey going to order an LHA/LHD ship?
Turkey is building a LHA or equiv. they are reportedly ordering the CV variant (not STOVL) though. It could be a typo or possibly misreporting of the STOVL.
12/17/2012 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla -- Following an independent evaluation of Eglin's capability to conduct F-35A Lightning II pilot training, Air Education and Training Command announced today the 33rd Fighter Wing can do so, starting in January.
I'm a little surprised the guy already has a time and place in mind.
Some posts had to be removed again, sorry.
Please read the very first post in this thread again and stick to it !
Norwegian Minister of Defence Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen, who Monday [Dec 17th] met with US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta at the Pentagon.
- Our goal is to introduce a bill to Parliament early 2013 which allows us to receive the first aircraft to Norway in 2017. We have already ordered two aircraft for training purposes that are to be delivered in 2015, followed by another two in 2016, but these are to be based in the US. This new order is therefore a new major milestone for us.
Our cost estimates remain stable and we are confident in our choice.
I understand that some partner nations are currently making an effort to ensure that their respective fighter procurement processes are as comprehensive and as well structured as they can be, and this is to be expected – this is after all a major investment. We have no doubt, however, that this is a necessary investment and that it will help strengthen the ability of our Armed Forces to contribute to Norwegian security for several decades to come, concludes Ms Strøm-Erichsen.
The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin have finally agreed on a 4% decrease in the target cost for the next production lot of stealthy F-35s after more than a year of antagonistic negotiations.
Target per-unit airframe costs are as follows for the three variants of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF): $105 million for the conventional-takeoff-and-landing F-35A; $113 million for the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing F-35B and $125 million for the carrier suitable F-35C, according to Joe Dellavedova, a spokesman for the JSF program executive officer. Low-rate, initial production (LRIP) lot 5 includes 32 aircraft — 22 F-35As, three F-35Bs and seven F-35Cs, all for the U.S.
There is that "acquisition malpractice", again.
The author show some lack of perspective in claiming F-35 to be the "biggest" fiasco in the "history of military aviation". There are quite a few samples flying and shooting. So much bigger fiascos are not hard to find.
There is no news in that article. Just the opinion of some tabloid scribe who knows less about this project than anyone who frequents this forum.
A deal for LRIP-6 already?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp on Friday was awarded up to $4.9 billion in additional funding for its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the Pentagon announced on Friday, providing a significant end-of-year boost in orders for the largest U.S. defense contractor.
The U.S. Defense Department said it had reached agreement with Lockheed on a preliminary contract valued at up to $3.68 billion for 31 F-35s in a sixth batch of planes to be built for the U.S. military, with details to be finalized the coming year.
More likely to be the initial moves to secure funding for LRIP VI so initial parts can be ordered and production started on components so production lines don't run dry. You would see more news from officail sources if the final agreement had been reached.
The key word is preliminary as we have found the devil is in the detail and that can take quite a long time for both parties to agree the final deal. The other point of note is that its only for 31 aircraft, is this the revised plan post fiscal cliff or could numbers be capped even further ?
LRIP VI has been in negotiation since mid year (Acquisition Decision Memo on July 6). This isn't the initial parts contract that was awarded years ago. BTW LRIP VI was planed for 36 aircraft (23 -A, 6 -B, 7 -C). So why only 31? That's the number of US aircraft the other five are for partner nations.
Is this news ONLY topic or news and personal commentaries topic???
as we found out more than once, always leads to quarrels and in the end to personal insults.
Or simply close this thread, too ?
So, last warning, ONLY NEWS, or this thread gets locked !
BAE flight test trainers have been begun teaching RAF and Royal Navy pilots how to land the F-35B on the simulated rolling deck of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, reports the MoD. BAE says they are teaching pilots in their Lancashire-based simulators to use the shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) method – a manoeuvre that requires the pilot to fly at about 60 knots (111 kilometres per hour) with a flight path of six to seven degrees in order to land on deck. This method, says BAE, allows the F-35B to reduce impact force of landing, preserving the air frame. Lockheed Martin incorporated the SRVL system for the UK at an initial cost of some USD 13 million (GBP 8 million). The US has not planned to land the F-35 STOVL on its carriers using SRVL.


text:
Seavey, an emotional support ferret, has been missing since Monday, May 13. (Contributed)
Okanagan teen seeks help in finding missing emotional support ferret
The ferret has been missing since midnight on Monday, May 13
Brieanna Charlebois
May. 17, 2019 7:20 a.m.
Vernon local Danielle Percy is hoping someone has seen her daughter's ferret.
Seavey is 14-year-old Sienna Percy's emotional support animal. According to his owners, Seavey slipped outside of their house around midnight on Monday, May 13 when Danielle was letting out her dogs.
"Sienna deals with severe anxiety and she hasn't been in school for over a year and we home-school. She got him a year ago and he is her emotional support animal, so if she's upset or super anxious, he's with her," said Danielle.
"We started searching around 4 a.m. when I realized he was gone until about 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and then again all day after work yesterday. So far, we've spent 20 hours out in the rain looking for him."
The pair are hoping to to rally some community support in the hopes to find him as quickly as possible.
"He is friendly but won't necessarily walk up to you, he may come to a squeaky toy," wrote Sienna in a post on the Vernon & Area community forum page. "I really, really need him to come home [as] he plays a very important role in my life."
The Percy's live off of 39th Avenue between 12th and 16th Street near Silver Star Elementary School. Danielle said they believe he was last seen around 40th Avenue and Cascade Drive on Tuesday, May 14.
"He could be anywhere," she said. "We have tried to put harnesses on him and we wanted to get him a GPS tracker but he slips out of every type of harness we've tried so that wasn't a preventative option for him."
She said that if anyone sees him, to not be afraid to pick him up because he is "very friendly and doesn't bite."
"Sienna is pretty upset about it and she's just had a rough go in life the past couple of years and Seavey was really helping her out," she said. "We're just really hoping to find him soon."
Anyone who has seen Seavey is asked to call 250-540-4861 or the SPCA, who have also been notified.
Related: Incredible effort by amateur pet detectives brings home lost B.C. dog
Related: Finding support in the Okanagan after the death of a pet
newstips@vernonmorningstar.com.
Follow me on Twitter @BrieChar
Email me brieanna.charlebois@vernonmorningstar.com
Dogs of Kelowna: Eddie
Shuswap woman seeks new legs, feet for beloved pet duck and chicken
Time is short for baby Okanagan deer, Gilbert: Dr. Oz
West Kelowna's Dr. Oz needs the public's help finding sanctuary for injured deer
Firefighters have doused a Peachland house fire
Fire crews are still on scene investigating the cause of the BBQ fire which made its way to the home
Okanagan-Shuswap weather: cloudy, rain expected
Environment Canada is calling for a risk of thunderstorms tonight across the Okanagan
Special memorial service to say goodbye to murdered teen
Parking meters, be gone: Kelowna city staff
Council amends financial plan to quickly replace standalone meters in wake of ongoing vandalism
VIDEO: Plant-based burgers may not be as healthy as they seem
Both the Impossible and Beyond Burger have more saturated fat than beef burgers
Missing South Okanagan kayaker last seen on Okanagan Lake
Penticton RCMP are asking for assistance in locating a missing kayaker
Part One: The opioid crisis and the B.C. Interior
A personal connection to the crisis: Recovering addicts share their story
False report of dead body leads police to sex dolls at Manning Park
Princeton RCMP breathed a sigh of relief, momentarily, when they discovered a… Continue reading
Ironman returns to Okanagan after seven-year absence
Subaru Ironman Canada is coming back to Penticton in 2020
Kelowna baseballers invited to league all-star game
The 2019 West Coast League All-Star Game will have two players from the Kelowna Falcons

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Your 2023 New Year's Eve Horoscope Is Here
As we prepare to turn the page from 2022 to 2023, there's excitement in the air — and with good reason. A lot of the obstacles we have been experiencing in previous years finally begin to dissolve in the year ahead. This will not only relieve the enormous tension; it will also create more opportunities for growth at a collective as well as personal level.
But before you rush to write a list of intentions, remember that two of the most influential forces — Mercury and Mars — are currently in retrograde. With the Planet of Communication and the Planet of Ambition taking a nap, instead of being urged to rush to the finish line, we are receiving cosmic permission to slow down and reflect. When looking back, what did 2022 mean for your overall journey? What did you learn — and most importantly, which were your biggest wins? With no pressure currently coming from the stars as we transition into 2023, the best use of our energy this New Year's Eve goes towards celebrating ourselves.
That being said, a lot of us will be in a little bit of a quiet, pensive mood. Retrograde Mercury and Venus are sitting next to intense Pluto. So instead of going out to party like crazy, most of us will feel like celebrating low-key with our VIPs. Rather than seeking adventure, we will opt to cook a delicious feast and accompany it with top-notch wine. After all, the Moon is in foodie, classy Taurus, so don't hesitate to pamper yourself tonight.
Go within, Aries! With your planetary ruler, Mars, in retrograde since Halloween, you've had to slow your roll quite considerably. For a go-getter like you, this could feel like a big pain — however, know that in the end, all the setbacks Mars has brought you will end up being in your best interest. The good news is that Mars goes direct on January 12, so by then, you will be ready to begin setting intentions and putting a plan together for the year ahead. With lucky Jupiter traveling in your sign until mid-Spring, you will expand in so many directions. Tonight, less is more, and it's best to celebrate only with family or close friends, as the trio Mercury-Venus-Pluto could spell intense interactions within a group. The more you let others lead, the better time you will have as you cross the portal towards the new year.Illustrated By Angie Zou
What a year it's been, Taurus. You've gone through so much change, and as this year comes to an end, it's time to honor your amazing resilience. You could be feeling in need of some serious attention, so make sure to communicate this feeling to your besties. With your ruler, Venus, sitting next to intense Pluto and Mercury retrograde, you could easily fall into the trap of calling an ex or looking for stimulation in the wrong places. The Moon is also illuminating your sign, meaning that you could be feeling very emotional. The current vibe is ideal for a night of pampering and allowing yourself to have all the feels. Tomorrow, on the first day of 2023, the Moon activates wild child Uranus in your sign. Take a moment to absorb any epiphanies or aha moments that are in store for you. They most likely contain juicy information about your 2023 journey to come.Illustrated By Angie Zou
Embrace introspection, Gemini! You're normally the life of the party — but this year, the universe has other plans for you. Mars, the Planet of Drive and Ambition, is currently retrograde in your sign, so you're most likely feeling a little low-energy. The Moon in Taurus and the Sun in Capricorn are also activating two of the most sensitive areas of your chart, your eighth and twelve houses, which has you in a reflective mood. You might decide to ring in the new year alone or with only a few people, which is the absolute ideal vibe, as long as you don't allow yourself to get down. If you're closing the year less than thrilled with your career performance due to your ruler, Mercury, currently retrograde in Capricorn, the tide is turning as soon as mid-January arrives. By then, you will be feeling refreshed and ready to chase your most ambitious goals.Illustrated By Angie Zou
As the only sign ruled by the Moon, Cancer, you're super in tune with the rhythms of the lady of the night. Today, the Moon enters Taurus, its favorite place in the sky. Due to this move, you're most likely feeling yourself. Currently, the other luminary, the Sun, is traveling through your seventh house of relationships. If you're in a committed partnership, you might decide to spend your New Year's Eve focusing on having a hot, steamy night with your darling. If you're happily single, you might opt for the interesting plans Black Moon Lilith has for you! Since April, this cosmic symbol of divine feminine has been gracing your sign, igniting your desire to explore the non-tangible side of life and all things witchy. As Black Moon Lilith currently gets reinvigorated by Neptune, the Planet of Magic, you might even decide to get together with your friends and cast powerful spells under the moonlight.Illustrated By Angie Zou
Focus on yourself, Leo. 2022 was an intense year for you, as you had to overcome many obstacles. As you get ready to say goodbye to this year, both of the luminaries, Sun and Moon, are activating your career and work houses. These influences could translate into pressure, driving you to make the mistake of "getting one last bit of work done" before the new year arrives. Leo, don't buy into the illusion that working harder will set you up for a better year ahead. Instead, opt for celebrating the many obstacles you already overcame. Focus on thinking big and expanding your horizons. Magnanimous and lucky Jupiter is currently activating your ninth house of travel and faraway horizons, encouraging you to see the world with new eyes. World travel is definitely in the stars for you at the beginning of 2023, so… where would you like to go?Illustrated By Angie Zou
For you, Virgo, the astrology of New Year's Eve looks very promising. A total of four planetary influences, including the Capricorn Sun and Venus, are currently camped out in your fifth house of fun and pleasure. This is the perfect energy to grab a couple of besties and have a fun night out. If you're single and looking, you could end up meeting someone interesting as you ring in the new year. However, because communication won't be working at its best (thank you, Mercury retrograde) and intense Pluto is involved here, make sure not to rush things. A slow and steady approach is best. The Taurus Moon will have you feeling adventurous, a vibe that becomes even stronger on January 1. Use this special day to think outside the box and come up with one exciting, new thing you would want to do in 2023. What would that be, Virgo?Illustrated By Angie Zou
Today, it's okay to just relax, Libra. You're the epitome of a social butterfly — but this year, you're most likely feeling tired and low-energy, and that's okay. A total of four planets are activating your home sector, so as you cross the time portal towards 2023, home is where the heart is. Your planetary ruler, Venus, is currently in serious and ambitious Capricorn, which could at times turn your mind towards career goals. But since the astrology is not primed for setting intentions, it's best to not even go there. If you're partnered, the vibe is perfect for cooking a nice meal together and cuddling up by the fire as you reach a new level of intimacy. If you're single, your desire to go out might be stronger. If you do decide to venture out of your home, be mindful that Mercury is retrograde, which could bring confusion to your interactions.Illustrated By Angie Zou
2022 was intense for you, Scorpio — so you will be glad to know that this New Year's Eve was made for you, as the stars will be on your side. The Sun is currently illuminating your third house of communication, so you're most likely feeling extra chatty and social. Lady Venus is also traveling very close to your planetary ruler, Pluto, amping up your magnetism and ability to attract. This alluring vibe will have you turning heads everywhere you go, so enjoy this feeling of being admired. Your sector of relationships is also super-charged by the Taurus Moon, which tonight could coincide with a destined meeting. Even if you're not looking, you could meet someone interesting and out of the ordinary that later on plays a key role in your life. If you're already committed — however, this same vibe is ideal for welcoming the new year with your partner, perhaps getting kinky in the bedroom.Illustrated By Angie Zou
For you, Sagittarius, this is a night to have fun but that will also require you to stay grounded. Your planetary ruler, party lover Jupiter, is currently camped out in fire sign Aries, giving you a zest for life that you're certainly enjoying. Aries rules your fifth house of fun and pleasure, so you're definitely receiving plenty of celebratory invitations to ring in the new year. Life is short, so why not have fun? As you hop from your favorite bar to the next party, the one thing to keep in mind is the current lineup of planets activating your second house of money. This means that if you're not careful, this could be one of those times in which you pick up everyone's tab when your excitement level reaches a fever pitch. You are a generous soul — just make sure you're not setting yourself up for a credit card hangover the next day.Illustrated By Angie Zou
It's your birthday season, Capricorn, so this is the perfect time to celebrate how amazing you are! With the bright light of the Sun illuminating your sign, you could be feeling called to set new goals — after all, you're one of the most ambitious signs. However, before putting too much pleasure on yourself, remember that Mercury is currently retrograde in your sign. This is bound to completely shift your perspective around goals, and you won't really know how it will turn out until mid-January, which is when the trickster planet goes direct. With the pressure off your shoulders, there's really nothing more productive for you than looking back and celebrating your wins. Venus, the Planet of Pleasure, is also in your sign, reminding you that life is too short not to have fun. On top of that, the Moon is also perfectly placed in the sky — so make sure your transition to 2023 is a fabulous one.Illustrated By Angie Zou
It's okay to hide, Aquarius. As a mental air sign, you love the social scene, as your hungry intellect requires mental stimulation. However, with the Sun, Venus, Pluto, and Mercury retrograde activating your twelfth house, your sector of privacy and subconscious mind, you're in need of rest and your mood is quite shy right now. And the truth is that introspection is your best friend as well as teacher: 2022 was not the easiest of years for you, so you probably have a lot to process. By embracing solitude, you're not only allowing yourself to catch up on life, but you're also setting yourself up for future success. Luckily, the legendary Moon will be in Taurus, wrapping you in its cloud of wisdom as you cozy up to an inspiring book or movie. Once the Sun enters your sign in late January, you will be ready to rock.Illustrated By Angie Zou
For you, Pisces, the astrology of New Year's Eve is all about connection. Since late 2020, master teacher Saturn has been in your twelfth house of subconscious mind, bringing valuable lessons through meditation and solitude. However, with a total of four planetary influences currently activating your eleventh house of friendships, you're in the mood to socialize and mingle. And with the Taurus Moon currently traveling in your third house of communication, you're also quite chatty. 2022 was a year of wins for you, and connecting with friends to ring in the new year is a great way to celebrate your many achievements. Grab a few of your pals and head to a fun evening in town. As you make plans, leave yourself a little wiggle room to play around. The Moon will be instigating unexpected events and connections, so make sure you're leaving enough room for the universe to surprise you tonight.Illustrated By Angie Zou
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
All the full moons in 2023 and how they affect the zodiacs
7 Hair-Color Ideas to Try in 2023, According to Colorists
We Tried Tower 28's Bestsellers—Here's What's Worth Your $$$
The 15 Best Leather Dresses From Mini To Midi & More
Britney Spears Shares Jamie Lynn Spears Tribute After Family Feud
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry 2022 Christmas Card Had Special Meaning
How Long to Wait to Wash Hair After Coloring


Have an unforgettable Summer Camp experience at the Central Park Zoo!
If you have questions about our camps, visit our FAQs page. We've likely got you covered.
Join us on an around-the-world adventure right here at the Zoo! Discover a variety of habitats and their animal representatives in this hands-on, interactive 1 hour camp for toddlers and their caregivers. Up-close animals encounters, art experiences, hands-on investigations, and zoo exploration are part of this week-long experience..
During Week of Wildlife, campers explore the zoo with a focus on animal and habitat diversity. Habitat themed adventures and activities, hands-on discoveries and exhibit investigations guide campers through the world's biomes, from driest deserts to tropical forests. Up-close animal encounters, inquiry-based exploration. and creative opportunities fill out our week at the Zoo.
Campers go WILD during Zoo Explorers! Campers complete Zoo-themed investigations, up-close animal encounters, and explore the Zoo in a whole new way. No passport required for this around-the-world adventure.
During Conservation in Action, teens will spend two weeks learning about a wide range of careers in conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society. From discovering what it takes to care for exhibit animals, to understanding the complex system of flora around the zoo grounds, teens will come away from this experience with a well-rounded introduction to many aspects of working in the field of conservation. Activities include animal behavior studies, urban ecology research projects, and up-close animal encounters. Guest speakers from around WCS will also be a part of this program.


text:
Viewing General Cao's Painting 1 "Nine Horses" at Feng Wei's Mansion 2 (764 CE)
Du, Fu 3 (712-770 CE)
Since the beginning of the Tang dynasty,
Only the King of Jiang-du 4 has been regarded as the most marvelous painter of saddled horses.
General Cao has gained his fame as a painter for thirty years.
He allows the world to see real "Cheng-huang" 5 again.
He painted the late emperor's fine horse 6, Zhao-ye-bai 7.
The painted horse gallops tirelessly appearing as though it could chase the flying thunder over a dragon pond for ten days.
The emperor's concubines were ordered to send some court ladies
To fetch a purple cornelian plate from the treasure-house
And then bestowed it upon General Cao as a gift.
He thanked the emperor and danced home.
Light white and fine colorful silks were sent to him one after another.
Only after high officials acquired Cao's paintings
Might they feel that screens redoubled their splendor.
The painting I am looking at now includes Quan-mao-gua 8 and Shi-zi-hua 9.
Again art connoisseurs are transfixed by his talent.
Both horses are so fine that each can defeat a thousand enemies.
The expanse of white silk opens the scene of hazy sand blown by the wind
As these two horses rush by.
The remaining seven horses are also special.
Viewed from a distance, they are like moving mist or snow in the cold sky.
Their frosty hooves step on the road lined with catalpa trees.
The grooms and stable boys line up in a somber row.
It is pitiable 10 that the nine horses compete to show their radiating vigor.
They hold their heads high with noble spirits.
I wonder who would treasure fine horses.
First, there was Xun Zhi 11;
Now there is Feng Wei.
I recall that Emperor Xuan-zong visited Xin-feng Palace.
The flags decorated with green feathers 12 brushed the sky and moved eastward.
There were 30,000 horses galloping.
Their physiques were the same as those of the nine horses in the painting.
Since the river god presented a treasure to the emperor 13,
No one could hunt down and capture a horned dragon any longer 14.
Please look into the grove of pine and cypress trees at the foot of Jin-su Mountain 15.
All the dragons' vanguard 16 have scattered and gone.
All that remains are a few birds wailing in the wind.
1 "General Cao" refers to Ba Cao. He was a famous painter during the Kai-yuan Period. He was often summoned to the palace to paint portraits of emperor's horses and of high officials. At the peak of his career, he was General of Defense.
2 Feng Wei was a native of Cheng-du City in Sichuan Province. He was a state councilor at Lang-zhong City (in Sichuan Province) in charge of records and documents.
3 In this poem, Fu Du lamented the decline of the Tang dynasty. He used the passing of fine horses to represent the glory and decline of the Tang dynasty.
4 Xu Li, the King of Jiang-du, was a nephew of Emperor Tai-zong during the Tang dynasty.
5 "Cheng" means "ride"; "huang" refers to Emperor Huang-di, the ancestor of the Chinese people. In Chinese mythology, "Cheng-huang" was an animal that had the wings of a dragon and body of a horse. After Emperor Huang-di rode it, he became a god. That was how the animal gained its name. Later, people used "Cheng-huang" to refer to any fine horse.
6 "The late emperor" refers to Emperor Xuan-zong during the Tang dynasty.
7 "Zhao-ye-bai" means "illuminate night as brightly as day". The horse was named "Zhao-ye-bai" because its color was so bright that it illuminated the night.
8 "Gua" means a brown horse with a black mouth. "Quan-mao-gua" was one of Emperor Tai-zong's six fine horses during the Tang dynasty.
9 "Shi-zi-hua" literally means a horse with green and white mottled coat and the mane of a lion. "Shi-zi-hua" was the kind of horse that Emperor Dai-zong awarded General Zi-yi Guo for his meritorious service during the Tang dynasty.
10 It is pitiable that the horses were proud of their talents, but few people treasured them.
11 Dao-lin was Xun Zhi's alternate first name. He was a famous monk during the Eastern Jin dynasty.
12 "The flags decorated with green feathers" were carried by imperial guards. Here the flags refer to the emperor's carriages.
13 It was said that Emperor Mu-wang met a river guard as he traveled to the west during the Zhou dynasty. The river god presented a treasure to the emperor. Then Emperor Mu-wang died right after he returned home. Here the phrase refers to the death of Emperor Xuan-zong during the Tang dynasty.
14 According to the essay "Emperor Wu-di" in The History of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu-di hunted down and captured a horned dragon in a river during the Han dynasty. Here the phrase says that Emperor Xuan-zong could not go on an inspection tour any more.
15 Emperor Xuan-zong was buried on Jin-su (golden grain) Mountain during the Tang dynasty. His tomb was called "Tai-ling" (peaceful mausoleum). It was located northeast of present day Pu-cheng-xian City in Shaanxi Province.
16 The essay "Rites and Music" in The History of the Han Dynasty says, "Heavenly horses are a dragon's vanguard."


text:
Share LA Times Crossword
The LA Times Crossword is a daily word puzzle that is published in The LA Times, one of the most popular newspapers in the world. It first appeared in print on September 29, 1930, after a request from Arthur Szekely, who was the editor of The LA Times. The LA Times Crossword consists of six clues and is usually distributed within the pages of The LA Times as an advertisement. However, it can also be found as an actual puzzle on other websites or apps such as iCrossing and Word Lens. While the name may suggest that it is only for Los Angeles residents, anyone with access to a computer and the Internet can submit answers to the puzzle at any time. However, only those with a paid subscription are able to submit their own answers, and can also earn points for each correct answer submitted. The average person spends approximately 8 minutes per day trying to solve the crossword puzzle.
Every day millions of people love and play LA Times Crossword, in addition to challenging themselves, they also provide clues to other players. There are people who use their gameplay as inspiration to create videos to encourage others, you can refer to the videos below.
The word puzzles, especially the crossword are very attractive to the elderly, you can see that the old man is quite excited to complete the game and chat and discover the clues.
History of crossword game ( The original version of LA Times Crossword)
One of the great things about LA Times Crossword puzzles is how challenging they can be. No matter how much you practice and study, there's always going to be that one word or phrase that trips you up. In this article, we'll look at some of the most difficult crossword clues ever to help you become a better solver. But before we do, let's take a quick look at why these clues are so challenging. Crosswords have certain qualities that make them especially difficult. For example, many of them feature a lot of words in small spaces—the classic "clue in a sentence" problem. They also tend to be pretty open-ended—they don't come with grids or constraints that restrict how many letters or words you need to use. This means it can be hard to find good solutions even if the clues aren't too difficult. Finally, most puzzles are based on the principle of clue reading, which is more mental than physical and involves recognizing patterns rather than recalling details. Crosswords are no exception; they just happen to have more words and letters than most other puzzles! Let's take a look at some of the most challenging clues you'll ever encounter as well as tips for improving your solving skills.
The most difficult crossword clues of all time
Crossword puzzles have a rich history, and many of the crosswords we encounter today have been around for decades or even centuries. It's inevitable that there will be some clues that are more challenging than others. Here are some of the most difficult crosswords ever to avoid becoming a crossword master. The Oxford Book of Crosswords, edited by Martin Redfern and published in 1968, contains the following clue: "A 5-letter word that is a derivative of a scientific word ending in -ic." Although this clue is relatively easy, there are several reasons it's still a tough clue. Firstly, very few words end in "ic"—just "icat," "iconic," and a couple of others. It's also a pretty unusual word, which makes it harder to recognize as a crossword clue. Finally, it's a five-letter clue in a six-letter grid. These three factors combine to make this one of the most difficult crossword clues of all time. Another clue from the Oxford Book of Crosswords is: "A small island in the South Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of Chile." You might think this clue is fairly straightforward—but think again! The "near the coast of Chile" part actually makes this clue even harder. While most people know that Chile is a South American country, it's much less known that there is a small island off the Chilean coast. It's also a six-letter clue in a seven-letter grid, which makes it especially challenging.
Difficulty from double entendre clues
Clues that have double meanings are always going to be a challenge—and crosswords are full of them. In the following clue, the name of the singer, Jim Morrison, gives the answer to the clue: "Rock musician who was linked with the Doors." Although it's not that hard to figure out the answer to this clue, it can be tricky because it's a double meaning. If you're not careful, you might misread the clue and think the answer is "The Doors"! Other clues that use double entendres include: To help you avoid reading double entendres like a fool, here are some tips that can help you through this section of the puzzle. - Make sure the answer to the clue is really obvious. If the answer you're thinking of is nowhere near the clue, then you're probably reading a clue. - Read the clue twice so that you're sure you've got the answer right. It's easy to miss something when you're trying to read quickly. - If you're still unsure, ask a friend if they can help you out. And if you do happen to read the wrong answer, apologies are accepted.
Words that are typically more difficult for adults
Sometimes the words in a crossword are particularly difficult for adults. For example, the following clue uses the word "scoundrel": "A rogue who tries to get something by lying." While most people know what this word means, there are definitely a lot of older people who don't know this word. There are also a lot of words that are harder to spell and pronounce than you might think. In the following clue, the word "dulcet" is associated with a musical instrument, but it's not a word you'd normally associate with crosswords. Another clue that's particularly difficult for adults is: "A type of flower with a sweet smell." While this clue is relatively straightforward, there are a lot of words with this spelling that are less common. For example, "perfume" and "scent" are two words that end in "t" that you may not have thought of.
Difficulty from wordplay clues
The following clue is particularly tricky because it uses a wordplay concept: "A British fish with scales whose scientific name includes the letters NH2." Most people would assume that this word is associated with nitrous oxide—a gas used in some medical procedures. But actually, the definition here is "a British fish with scales whose scientific name includes the letters NH2." This word is actually a group of bacteria that is found in water and soil. Another wordplay clue that's particularly hard for most people is: "An American singer who has won an Academy Award." While most people know who this singer is, the crossword definition is actually pretty strange. It's actually the name of a type of tree!
Crosswords or LA Times Crossword are notoriously difficult, but they also have a rich history and lots of unsolved puzzles to keep solvers coming back for more. Even if you can't solve a crossword on your own, there are lots of resources online to help you solve them. With a little practice, you can master the art of clue reading and even enjoy a challenging puzzle every now and then.
How to play LA Times Crossword
If you're interested in trying out a crossword puzzle, here are some tips:
Pay attention to the clues to figure out what each word means before looking up the answer.
Make sure you have all the letters of the alphabet written down before starting so that you don't miss any words.
Try not to make too big of a deal out of finishing a puzzle early or missing a clue - it's okay if you get stuck on something once in a while!
Category - Tags
Hot gamecrossword
Discuss LA Times Crossword


The folks who brought the world's first inductive charger for the Magic Mouse called the Magic Charger, have finally announced a similar inductive charger for Apple's Wireless Keyboard (2xAA battery model only) and Magic Trackpad called The Magic Bar, and it's a world's first too. Mobee's The Magic Bar works by replacing your batteries inside your Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad with the rechargeable cylinder battery pack and away you go. You can wirelessly recharge your keyboard and trackpad by simply sliding into the docking bay that is made out of aluminum to perfectly match with your Apple input device. Shipping will only start at the end of June with a price tag of $60, and €60 for European consumers.


I spoke the following at the beginning of a session without any previous idea of how the session was going to start as generally the sessions have started with a question from Jean. Around two years later I had the urge to find a book to reread, I lit upon "Conversations with Seth" by Susan M. Watkins, when I reached page 87 I was absolutely astounded to find that the words I had spoken were virtually word for word as spoken by Seth, except that I had omitted some connecting sentences which referred to Seth. It was as if "someone" was reading the book and using my voice to speak the words. I was in a quiet passive state with my eyes closed and the following statement was made in a voice somewhat different to the usual in an academic tone but with the assurance of someone who knows their subject. Cryptomnesia? and if so why were the references to Seth omitted?
Just when you think you are starting to understand you are thrown another curve ball!
Each of you in this reality have decided upon emphasising certain characteristics and forgetting others. You have allowed, therefore, certain characteristics to come to the surface and you are aware of them and you use them and you think, these characteristics are myself. The ego is the king with a very precarious crown and you think you are what your ego is. It does not occur to you however that there are literally countless, countless, probable egos within yourself. Numberless activities, abilities, that could come to the forefront of your consciousness to be latched upon and used. You are unaware of these buried selves, these buried abilities, these buried creative functions and combinations and yet in other layers of reality these come to the forefront and you allow these their play and the characteristics that you think of now so securely as your own are buried. But while they are buried, they are not unaware they are in trance, and you can become aware of them. Within that self you know, are countless combinations of selves that you do not admit. In other layers of probable realities these selves have their say and live out their potential. They are sleeping within you in this reality but in those realities you are sleeping within them. The trees that you see outside the window you see simply as trees because you can see them only through the physical viewpoint and yet even these trees have potential abilities and potential combinations of consciousness that you do not perceive and that exist in other probable realities. Within you, for example, and for everyone in the room there is an unlimited amount of what you would call identity. Now, all you do when you have an identity and focus upon it is to grab out of your own bag of potentials a group of potentials, and say these are the ones I would settle upon for now and these I will call my identity and so I will use these and I will ignore anything else. But another portion of the self says "ah ha, these potentials are not used, they are freewheeling" and I will adapt these and these will be those potentials with which I will work. There are no potentials within you that are not being realised and no creative abilities that are not being used.
Now, development is a journey within creativity. You have at your command literally infinite amounts of energy. In your terms, you are, if you prefer, latent gods. You must learn to handle and use this energy. As mentioned earlier this evening, you will create, you cannot help creating any more than you can help breathing, and when you breathe no longer you will still create. You cannot escape your own creations. It is not death any of you have to worry about, it is your own creations and you cannot blame your own creations upon any god or any fact, or any predestination. If you want to speak in terms of god, then from that infinite gestalt you receive the energy to create. But because you have freewill you create what you choose and you learn through experience. If, however, one portion of your personality has not learned from the experience, other portions may well learn. I want you to understand, a few points along the lines of probabilities. First of all as I have said, you are not tied to a neurosis from a past life, but also I wanted you to know, that your present thoughts, feelings and emotions, not only affect you but affect your probable selves and yet no probable self is at the mercy of negative thoughts of yours.
Each consciousness has its own responsibility for those thoughts and emotions. The personality in its entirety includes, therefore, selves of which you are presently unaware. This does nothing to negate the validity and integrity of the self that you know. Divisions are illusions and when you wake up to yourself, to your true self, then you are aware of these other portions of your personality. Theoretically you are working towards a time when the, you, that you now know, will be aware of the entire personality and accept it as your identity.
The whole personality is not like some super self in which you are lost, in which the identity that you know is gone. You must simply accept the fact, for now, until your experience begins to prove it more and more, that the inner identity is far more than you presently realise and the best way to work towards such realisation is to accept the self that you are now, as you are, to feel the movement of the spontaneous self.
Time is basically meaningless, so the question cannot be answered in the framework in which you asked it. Each personality to its self has continuous consciousness. Its consciousness is continuous and it knows who it is and it experiences no lapses.
Is every "personality" therefore just a blending of many forms of expression.
Every singularity is created from a plurality. The one is always created from the many. Physics will show you that all is built up from the smallest by a process of accretion. Each discrete entity is composed of multiple entities, you might say, whatever you care to examine can be broken down into its many parts and therefore it is the sum of its parts.
So do not think that personality is not the same. Why do we cling to the notion that the self, the soul, the higher consciousness etc. is a self-contained discrete entity when all that your senses perceive are composed of multiple entities, particles, if you wish?
Now, when we are speaking we are speaking as a confluence, a coherence of many minds/consciousnesses/whatever you perceive to be the intelligence or intelligences that are forming these words. And we are speaking these words through an organism that is again formed of many, many parts. Vocal cords powered by lungs kept going by the heart that pumps the blood, all of which composed of millions of cells mediated by a brain, composed of millions of cells as well but also comprising millions of neurons, millions per second of electrical charges moving across, what you term, the synapses between neurons.
All is multiple, so when you look at what you consider to be a person, a singular, it is a representation of a multiple. It only has a validity in terms of a multiple representation much as a government expressed as a singularity is representative of millions of people and you might say the president is the personality, or how the country is seen depending on how he presents himself and what he says. Then one [who] views, with no knowledge of the country, believes that he is speaking for his constituents, the word is correct, the constituent parts of the organism.
Now, how you perceive yourself takes on a different aspect when you consider that you do not have a separate, defined self as an inviolable spark of consciousness, you might say. Because we are aware that the instrument is speaking, moving, hearing, feeling the combined impressions of the multiple thoughts that comprise the consciousnesses that are presently focused upon the operation of this instrument, we are in the position of observing the combined thoughts of many as to what should happen next, actually happens. As we are observing we are not aware of the total number of thoughts that are being reflected in what we are observing because as thoughts, you might say," lock on" in focus, we are not aware of the additional, let us put it this way, we are not aware of the additional in terms of saying, we now have a certain number. We are aware of a slight increase in intensity. If a lot, you might say, tune in, then we are aware of a greater increase in intensity. Just like your own communication channels, depending on the activity being conducted at the time, the focus that is being concentrated upon, thoughts from consciousness then join and leave according to the level of interest and we feel the intensity move up and down.
Now, as to self, there is generally a core of what you might call "die-hard supporters" who attend every game, who are there for every motion, every action and who want to experience every feeling. These are the ones that are attached. They are attached to…… let us say the personality that we are working through becomes attached to personalities that others are working through and therefore certain bonds are formed and certain consciousnesses stay focused upon their particular instrument/personality. This is where the principle, previously propounded by our friend Ludwig, of the many-to many, is more easily explained.
We passed the thought this morning that language, as has been said many times before, has an origin. That origin generally comes from some thinking about what one is trying to express. The word is coined, and if it fits, goes into common parlance. So we look at the word "some..one" . "Some" is a plurality, "one" is a singularity. Why are the two joined? "Some" in "One" maybe. Also In..divi..dual, now the prefix "in" is used in "intuition", tuition from within." Inspiration", inspiration by spirit. So, "in..divi..dual", inside again is a "division"?, or"diversity"? Whatever, it means MANY. Then we have "dual". Does this mean mind and body, as in dualism? The make-up of the word came from somewhere. What was it trying to express? The word is looked upon as a singularity whereas the make-up of the word implies at least two, probably many, and within!
So that is a thought, when you consider the principle, that "All That Is", is comprised of many.
Now again, as we have said previously, you need not fear about losing your "self", for the ones that are the "die-hards" we mentioned previously, tend to stick together, you might say, and are accomplished in projecting the personality, as you might expect, and therefore when the instrument is dropped there is no problem in recreating the personality in a different form, a different dimension. You may easily say, an astral body, an etheric body, a..projection of thought… as from a mental body you might say. But a projection of thought whereby thoughts which would come across as sound and vision if you wish, certainly mannerisms etc., speech mannerisms, depiction mannerisms would give an identifying signature enabling another of the same to recognise one interesting concept that one has known before.
So, each will still know the other, which means, "the many will still know the many".
Much as the "team" still recognises the other "team", the government still recognises the other government, you can fill in any blanks to support the same hypothesis.
You consider yourself an individual.
You consider yourself an individual. An individual what? You would say an individual personality in an individual body which is separate from other individual personalities and individual bodies, because I see them apart from me and I cannot see any way in which we are physically joined. Yet upon examination you will admit that you are to a great extent mentally joined because your thoughts that you wish to turn into action, generally will require agreement from others, in order to construct the reality around you and the events in which you partake. Of course you will freely admit that you are inhaling atoms, molecules and larger amounts of consciousness, that you imbibe in one form or another, all of which have been parts of other groups of consciousness but, when it comes to talking about your personality, you find it difficult to believe that, just as your body is composed of myriad units of consciousness expressing themselves as atoms, molecules, parts of cells, cells, organs and ultimately the body, that the personality you think you are is likewise the product of myriad consciousnesses each of which is continually being altered by the experience of the "personalities" it focuses upon. As so many consciousnesses are involved in the operation of your physical body, the intelligence and organisation required is vastly in excess of that intelligence which you would grant yourself.
Now let us assume that what you consider to be yourself, your personality, is likewise composed of myriad units of consciousness, all wishing to view the television channel which is your life, the soap opera of you, all these consciousnesses have turned to your channel, this is an interactive channel and they can simply, by thoughts, decide which way you are going to go. So the mass of consciousness which is involved in your soap opera is reacting to the events within that life, shall we say, we change to the word life, and as each decision point approaches then the balance of thoughts that leans to one particular form of action then determines which action is then taken. In other words it requires a majority. Don't let us argue about whether it is 51% or 75%, we take this as being the scales and so the majority, and this will have to be weighed with intensity as well, not just a simple majority but the intensity of emotion and feeling as to which action should be taken, will determine the next action. This is happening from moment to moment and as your life takes a turn in another direction then some of those consciousnesses will decide they are no longer interested in this channel and will switch channels to another personality, another life. Now remember this only requires focus, it does not require physical movements and the intake and expelling of atoms. It is merely switching from one channel to another by merely moving ones gaze from left to right. You will leave your involvement in that life and join in the involvement in another life.
Now I hope you are realising by now that you are capable of being involved in many lives at once simply by moving your focus and of course you can follow several lives at once. Some, you will decide, no, I am not going back there for a long, long time, because it simply isn't doing anything which interests me. It was promising to start with but now it is taking a turn which I do not find appealing. Then in another life you'll say, I will stay with this one until I get tired of it because in the balance of things it is quite interesting. It shows me a side which is not being shown by the other channels I am involved in.
Now each time you look into a channel, because there is no linear time involved, the whole of the events in that channel, that life, that personalities' actions are presented to you in entirety, so you do not lose any continuity. You must realise that in simultaneous time, you might as well equate this to enormous speeds of comprehension, in that even though you may not have looked into that focus for what you would consider to be a portion of time, the minute you look, then to coin, to form another analogy, you get an instant update, just as you would on your computer. You are updated instantly. It is as if you have never left that life. You immediately have experienced everything that to your intents and purposes you would have said you had missed, like going to sleep, you would not say you have missed any of your life and yet you have slept for a third of it. Every night you will sleep and yet you will say this is my life and discount those times when you are asleep.
Your attention was taken by the recent article on bacteria capturing or eating electrons.
If we go back to what was expressed in our previous discourse that every singularity is composed of multiplicity then you can see that everything is an accretion. So if we take you back to your smallest particle, wave, energetic motion that you know of and then it is obvious that everything is simply a multiplicity of the same.
Is that wave not a singularity?
As far as we know the wave can also show up as a particle but like yourselves we are not aware of the source of the wave. We do have our own philosophy as you do and our own investigations but perhaps we are not so wedded to the idea of our personality as you are because we understand that whatever we perceive arises from the thoughts of the multiplicity or the multiple. So we do not have the level of attachment and we are confident and happy in the fact that we exist in the light of what we perceive. It is an ever changing state, an ever changing panorama and why worry about who we are when we know we exist. It is more "I exist" and I am happy that I exist, instead of trying to think "Who am I". We do not worry about the "I". We can use the term but we know it is pointless to try and stand outside ourselves. It is impossible. How does a mirror see itself? The analogy is not the best but you get the idea.
So back to the subject matter. It is quite logical that as everything is built up from multiplicity then at some level as the smallest waves get together or the smallest particles get together as others join they can be seen to be "eating" Yes?. As the accretions get larger and larger and the particles, the waves, the energy come and go it gives the impression of fuel being needed to power the organism. When you think of electricity passing through something you just have the conversion of that electricity into heat or light or electromagnetism that causes motion, but nothing is destroyed.
If we take a parallel with the consciousnesses/minds leaving and joining, a constant flow of minds leaving and joining, you have the same effect as electricity being passed through a machine or a light bulb. Now this isn't a description of exactly what happens but for purposes of understanding as the machines get bigger they need larger amounts of electricity. So as the organisms get bigger they need a larger amount of "fuel". As the organisms get larger in size the fuel has to be taken in in larger quantities, in more condensed quantities. So it is simpler to take in items that already have accreted. Can you imagine a large organism trying to process an infinite number of electrons in a stream? So it is easier for a hierarchy of accretions to be built up with the larger consuming the smaller or let us say, utilising the smaller or giving passage to the smaller.
The world is far simpler than you imagine. You tend to make it far more complex than it need be because you cannot see at the smallest levels.
There are plenty of places of being and not being. When you are just a point of awareness you are basically in a position of not being, because you do not belong. There is no "I" to identify with. "I"s arise from composite beings. Each time you focus on being part of a composite being you are effectively saying you identify with that composite being, you are part of the group. Now, as you move from one focus to another, each time you are becoming another "I". Each time you are taking on the attributes and manifestations of the group and in each case you feel this is me, this is me in the present and each "other" which you would say is in the past, you are no longer. Yet you retain the memory, no matter how many focuses you have in the present, and you can have many lives at once, but in each case you are only the "I" that you focus upon, because it is only possible to be an "I" through collaboration and cooperation with others. So, "I"s arise from a grouping as we know them. When you look away from all your "I"s that you are participating in, then you just reduce yourself back to a point of awareness, because there is nothing to identify with. So, the sense of "I" disappears and then you have the sense of being part of the universal whole. Then if you feel that you are the universal whole, every part of the universal whole thinks it is the one. So this is where the notion arises that we are all god, because we are all part of god, until we decide we want to identify with something else, which is the "I"s.
So, once you contemplate this "theory", if you wish to look at it that way, "truth" if you wish to look at it another way, then you will see that it is only truly useful to savour the "I" of which you are presently aware. By all means look for other "I"s in which you are focusing but be aware that to you these may seem like figments of the imagination, even as you find yourself, imagine yourself, to be another "I" as in when you feel that you are aware of a past life, past focus, but you always come back to who you are now, the present. So, the concept of forever becoming just means, the continually changing sense of "I".
We like to say that the underlying is unchanging and that is true. What we don't realise is that we feel that the whole is changing. We do not understand that we are part of an enormous composite which is continually changing and our sense of "I" arises from that. When we are able to observe, as in leaving the body, we find that we have to return to the body, otherwise our sense of "I" disappears, because that sense of "I" is no longer in the body. It finds itself in a different life in which it has a different sense of "I" and can only look back, a memory of its identification with a body, but now, of course, it has a separate identification. So, you might say that when you leave the body and look back at your body you already have a different, although probably unknowing, sense of who you really are. But then if you do not return to the body you find yourself in what is called the spirit world and you have another sense of "I". Until you find the idea of another life, another focus, that you will have to, unknowingly maybe, enter together through association with others desirous of experiencing the idea of another sense of "I".
So, what you call existence is a continual movement from one state of being to another state of being, from one sense of "I" to another sense of "I". You always are but you are forever changing. But because of that ever changing, you forever feel the same because each "I" is an experience and on, what you might say, another level you are aware that it is all an experience.
You ask "what is the self"? Now Seth refers to himself as an "energy personality essence". You notice that the first word is energy, the second word is personality, energy with personality that he is the essence of. Normally the essence is the distillation so one can infer from the use of these three words that the essence is the distillation of many personalities that have been experienced by the energy. So, we are saying are we that this is energy with a personality. Now, just for purposes of maybe understanding this in a slightly different manner, let us look at magnetism, electromagnetism. Now, when you have a piece of metal it does not have any attraction or repulsion, it is just a bar of metal with no seeming let us say desire, and yet, when you manipulate it in such a way that all the constituent electrical properties within that bar of iron form into coherence then you achieve a pole at each end. A pole that attracts and a pole that repels, in other words, opposites.
You can take those opposites as your love and hate or your light and dark and all the spectrum of feeling in between. Now, as you know, all particles seem to exhibit a degree of awareness and also to communicate with each other. In that case, as the atoms, molecules, whatever in the iron bar now have the property of attracting and repelling, would you grant them the quality of consciousness? Probably not, but how come the attraction or the repulsion and how like it is to your own conscious self that is in one degree or another attracted or repelled by the other electromagnetic bodies that you come into contact with. (Everything is composed of electromagnetic waves/particles) The point to note is that when the constituent parts are in a chaotic format then no attraction or repulsion arises. Yet when they are aligned coherently and all pull together one might say, then the attraction and repulsion arises and therefore is this when personality arises? Do we say attraction and repulsion, light and dark, opposites, are only perceived when in a reality such as the physical? Or do we say that they are inherent qualities of the particle that is behaving in a random manner?
That's quite interesting that the like poles repel and the opposite poles attract. You would think that would be the other way around.
What's in a name? It depends on who decided the qualities in the first place and how the actions were viewed.
You can see that coherence produces power. There was no power in the iron bar before you induced coherence but then it had the power to pull something else towards it or push something away from it, it displayed kinetic energy. So, power arose from coherence. In previous talks we have outlined how the power of intention of many, you might say "energy personality essences", they come together and then are able to utilise the power of their intention to create form or, as we have been discussing, to manipulate an instrument. That instrument being the physical body and brain. They may also have created a mind as an intermediary to enable easier operation. We might as well refer to the brain as the hardware, the mind as the software and the "gestalt" consciousness or energy personality essences, a group, as the programmer, or programmers agreeing. You can see the parallels.
Power arises from coherence. We don't know how many consciousnesses are necessary to carry out any particular creation of form or manipulation of energy. You can assume that varying groupings are necessary appropriate to the degree of power needing to be applied. So to send a thought probably requires a smaller amount of power than to move an arm. However if the arm is programmed correctly and the hardware then reacts correctly to the programme then perhaps the energy necessary to move the arm is, from the point of view of the programmer, quite small. Or from the point of view of the body it would be a magnitude of times greater.
The same principle can apply whatever you think of. Especially with regard to moving mass beliefs. One thought, one voice is a voice in the wilderness. Many thoughts, many voices come together and become a convincing force of conversion and once enough join in the new belief then it becomes accepted mainstream except for a few outliers who refuse to accept what they may call, a mass delusion.
So we come back to the intensity again. The intensity of thought and the thought not only amongst the instruments but amongst the consciousnesses who manipulate the instruments. Back to the consciousnesses that are part of the overall pool of consciousness who feel themselves separate, as above so below, and yet they know they are part of an interconnected and interdependent reality. But simply do not understand, any more than you understand, that you are part of one system. Because you have a feeling of individuality, you expect the totality to have an individuality. It may or it may not but when do you ever see the totality acting as one. When you as individuals do not act as one then why do you assume the totality is one? You invent this concept that it wishes to explore all aspects of its individuality but if you take the total all it can do is explore its different creations because all aspects are creations. All personalities are creations, all individualities are creations. So you have to say then that the totality is just exploring its possibilities. And where does that leave you? If the totality has always been, surely it has always known its own possibilities.
Again we come back to time and the impossibility of those in the time based system to comprehend a system in which there is no time.
Talk given by David Ingman to the Sydney Theosophical Society in September 2016 and given to the Sydney Group of the Scientific and Medical Network in August 2017.
Talk:- The Interconnectedness of Universal Consciousness.
The Self as a projection of multiple individual Consciousnesses.
We hear much of the total interconnectedness of everything, we hear that we are all one and we hear that we are all each other. As many "particles" have to come together to manifest in a physical form so many "minds" have to come together to manifest a "self", an impression of individuality.
This can all be understood if you realise that the past, present and future are all available from the present time. The present can be present in the past, the present and the future and alternatively for the other two.
Now, when it comes, to let us say, viewing the past, it is possible to take the view that the vibrational pattern of anything existing in the past, in that particular space, still exists and that anybody viewing remotely that has the capacity to view across a wide spectrum of frequencies, shall we say, for your understanding, is able to see the different patterns i.e. energy patterns, blueprints, ideas that were subsequently manifested into the physical world, even though they have now been, you would say, destroyed, from a physical point of view. This can be seen as a logical and rational explanation even though you may have to stretch to believe that the energetic blueprint still exists.
Einstein was as much a mystic as a scientist. Was he accessing a higher state when he thought:- E = MC². He could have alternatively interpreted the equation as:- Energy = Motion of Consciousness² E = MC² Energy is Consciousness in Motion. Consciousness in motion creates its realities. If you apply this definition to your own volition you may agree that it is equally valid.
How would Sri Aurobindo have interpreted the equation?
Now if you substitute "experiences" for "cherries" …………..
Some consciousnesses simply do not want to accept that they are not, the larger element, shall we say. They do not wish to believe that the vehicles they control, they are controlling in a multi-consciousness capacity. They wish to feel that they are the top of the pyramid. Much as your leaders in every walk of life wish to feel that it is their thoughts, their utterings that prevail.
The only reason you are here is because you are working with others who all chose to work with you.
Simply enough put, there are as many kinds of consciousnesses as there are particles and these are combined in infinite fashions. Your consciousness is not one thing like a flashlight, that you possess. It is instead a literally endless conglomeration of points of consciousness, swarming together to form your validity – stamped, as it were, with your identity.
Now, when I am speaking I am speaking as a confluence, a coherence of many minds/consciousnesses/whatever you perceive to be the intelligence or intelligences that are forming these words. And I am speaking these words through an organism that is again formed of many, many parts. Vocal cords powered by lungs kept going by the heart that pumps the blood, all of which composed of millions of cells mediated by a brain, composed of millions of cells as well but also comprising millions of neurons, millions per second of electrical charges moving across the synapses between neurons.
All is multiple, so when you look at what you consider to be a person, a singular, it is a representation of a multiple. It only has a validity in terms of a multiple representation much as a government expressed as a singularity is representative of millions of people and you might say the president is the personality, or how the country is seen depending on how he presents himself and what he says. Then one who views, with no knowledge of the country, believes that he is speaking for his constituents, the word is correct, the constituent parts of the organism.
Simultaneously, myriad others "looking through the same window", part of the same conglomeration of consciousness, are experiencing the same as we are and each consider themselves the "I".
So, how is the "I" built up?
Can you see that is why there is no "I". There is only the "I" that you continually create and through which you believe you have your existence. The unit of consciousness cannot be aware of itself, it can only be aware of that expression which it creates in conjunction with other units of consciousness. Each unit of consciousness participating in the production of the "I" considers itself to be the "I" and is unaware that the "I" is a co-creation.
Now, how you perceive yourself takes on a different aspect when you consider that you do not have a separate, defined self as an inviolable spark of consciousness, you might say. Because we are aware that the instrument is speaking, moving, hearing, feeling the combined impressions of the multiple thoughts that comprise the consciousnesses that are presently focused upon the operation of this instrument, we are in the position of observing the combined thoughts of many as to what should happen next, actuallyhappens. As we are observing we are not aware of the total number of thoughts that are being reflected in what we are observing because as thoughts, you might say," lock on" in focus, we are not aware of the additional, let us put it this way, we are not aware of the additional in terms of saying, we now have a certain number. We are aware of a slight increase in intensity. If a lot, you might say, tune in, then we are aware of a greater increase in intensity. Just like your own communication channels, depending on the activity being conducted at the time, the focus that is being concentrated upon, thoughts from consciousness then join and leave according to the level of interest and we feel the intensity move up and down.
Now, as to self, there is generally a core of what you might call "die-hard supporters" who attend every game, who are there for every motion, every action and who want to experience every feeling.
The stream of human knowledge is heading towards a non-mechanical reality. The universe begins to look more like a great thought than a great machine. Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter. We are beginning to suspect that we ought rather to hail it as the creator and governor of this realm.
Sir James Jeans The Mysterious Universe (1930), 137.
"Implicate Order" – The realm of thoughts, ideas, patterns, plans and blueprints ever available within infinite potential.
The "past" is available in the "present" and the "future" and likewise for the other two. Time is merely a construct we observe in physical reality.
So, where do thoughts come from? Thoughts arise from consciousness. You may say conscious perception equals thought. Thoughts are recorded in like files and therefore are forever open to examination. (Sheldrake's "Morphogenetic Fields"?) Now in your own language you have phrases such as "bodies of thought". Think of that particular phrase "body of thought". You can think to yourself, does this mean that the body consists of thought and/or is it the thoughts that created the body? Or the more popular conception that this just means a conglomeration of thoughts and opinions.
So again, when considering where do thoughts go, then yes, they can go to a recording establishment or they can also be manifested in a reality. A thought becomes a reality especially if you classify the thought as an idea for something. You classify the thought as a product of imagination and then you look at the imagination which is another word, you might say, for thought or idea.
So thoughts are things and become things depending on how much the consciousnesses cooperate in wishing to make a particular thought become a reality. So in answer to the question of where did it go, it can go to storage or it can flow into what you would consider to be, objective reality in this dimension and also into perceptions of realities in other dimensions.
From the implicate to the explicate.
How many consciousnesses can be involved in any one life?
We do not know. The number can vary as we have conjectured before. It can be a few at one time and hundreds of thousands or millions, or whatever you wish to say, we have no idea at any time. This can be allied to one of your radio or television programmes. Are we ever certain at any time how many people are tuning in? When you broadcast information on a certain wavelength, unless there is reciprocity, you have no idea of how many people are actually receiving i.e. tuned into the broadcast. The subject of this discussion is rarely addressed and one would assume it would attract the interest of many consciousnesses. So at this stage the consciousness that normally comprises my influencing entity or conglomeration of consciousness is greatly expanded because of the interest. The information deriving from the experience of a multitude of other consciousness is also being drawn upon. It is as if all conscious beings are connected to every thought in existence, but only those thoughts/activities that resonate with their current focus are perceived and locked onto by those who find them of interest to whatever degree, resulting in a constantly fluctuating mass of interconnected consciousness.
How can we give an identity to this sort of constantly fluctuating mass of interconnected consciousness that has never had an identity such as you would recognise. We use a name for convenience but it only applicable in physical reality.
And in all of these "parallel realities" we can focus upon a selected consciousness grouping and experience a different "I". But that would be the subject of another talk.
They sorted out a mother and a father and it began. The child was born and was named Joe Public. As Joe's life progressed other minds were attracted as they saw the events that were planned for this life, and they wanted to be part of it, wanted to experience this life, and as it went along many minds came, and many minds left, having experienced the event that they wished to experience. So, the conglomeration of minds known as Joe, went along, forever adding and losing minds, but always known as Joe and all those minds that had ever been Joe, ever been a part of Joe, always had the memory of the experience of being Joe. So Joe was a part of many minds and many minds were a part of Joe and so it went on and Joe went on forever, forever changing, forever adding new minds, losing old minds, but was forever Joe, and Joe was forever connected to every other mind that had ever been a part of him. And every other mind who remembered their experience with Joe was always connected to Joe. And so Joe never had a real identity because Joe was a part of the whole of all these minds. And so was every other Joe and every other Joanna. Everything that exists is all a part of everything, a part of the thought world, endless conglomeration of thought, endless conglomerations of consciousness.