From teacher to student

To clear things up, I’ll confess: As a teacher, I was a bit self-righteous in telling students how easy it was to learn English. Then I arrived in Chile in July 2010 and the only words I knew were Hello there and friends. Would what you had been telling the students to do work on the other side of the language learning experience?

Come with me while I live, eat and speak what I preach.

Starting

I rearranged my life so that Spanish became the center of attention. The language learning formula is that you will quickly be able to read and follow what is happening. The context will help you even if you don’t understand every word. Then you will be able to understand more and more what people are talking about. If you keep going, you may start talking like an 18-month-old, but the vocabulary will develop. Writing is the most difficult. Even people who speak the language very well rarely write like native speakers.

Live

So how do I live Spanish? When I get up in the morning I tune in to the radio and / or television of RTVE from Madrid on my laptop. There are no commercials and the announcers speak in a clear and crisp voice. If the people you are listening to speak well, it is much easier to follow the conversation.

And when you actually listen, you will begin to hear how many words are, in fact, the same as in English, but with a different pronunciation. English emphasizes the first syllable; Spanish the penultimate.

Another advantage is that the news is repeated, so what I miss the first time I will see more in the second round. My usual station is 24 hours outdoor radio – live. I became fluent in economics since 23 of the 24 hours are dedicated to discussing the financial crisis in Spain.

For television newscasts, look at the mouth of the announcer. Remember that deaf people are learning to speak now, so pay attention and imitate. Sports broadcasts are also good listening exercises, as vocabulary is limited.

Now I only listen to Spanish music. And only watch Spanish movies. Subtitles, which makes it a waste of time since you are reading in English instead of listening in the target language, is not a problem on RTVE. If your family and neighbors complain about the gongs and wailing of the Chinese opera you are listening to or watching, get headphones and unplug them.

For the first few months, when I was reading the news in Spanish on the BBC, I really didn’t know much about what was happening on the news. But once I was able to follow it, I realized that I hadn’t missed much anyway. However, my reading skills improved.

I’ve been keeping a diary since August 1981. So I force myself to write a little bit in Spanish every day. It’s not great literature, but it’s fun to reread it after a few months and spot the mistakes. When I read or write, I try to focus on the verbs. More on this later.

To experience the language, also visit local food festivals, multicultural events, language exchange programs, and Internet offerings. Even if you want to learn rather obscure languages, such as Khmer or Inuit, there are online resources ready and waiting.

Eat

Studying Spanish, and one should experience the culture, is much more fun with a glass of Chilean sauvignon blanc in one hand and some tapas in the other. The same goes for the steak and Malbec at midnight. In fact, after a couple of glasses of High floor wine I get a lot talking.

While at the bookstore, grab a cookbook in the target language and prepare some dishes. If in doubt about the ingredients, check with a translation program, as you don’t want a cup of sugar in your soup. Next, put on some music, pour a drink, light some candles, and mentally transport yourself to the country of your target language.

Talk

Once you get past the growl stage on a single noun, it’s time to tackle the verbs so you can talk to people. Although memorizing how to conjugate verbs rivals getting a root canal, all languages ​​revolve around these stubborn little creatures. No verbs, no action. End of story, so go ahead and accept the verbs as friends.

Make verb learning a fun activity to say a sentence in the present, past, and future. Then reward yourself with a sip of saki if you’re learning Japanese. Read a passage and underline all the verbs.

Also write down what time they are in: past, present, future. Suddenly you will have a “eureka” and patterns will start to appear. Everything will start to make sense. And when that happens, eat out at your restaurant in the target language. Hopefully, the waiters at the Korean cafe will be able to talk to you.

To learn to speak well, you have to practice every day. When I started working as a teacher at the University of Waikato, I used to practice my lessons in front of a full-length mirror. By observing myself, I learned how I presented myself to the 400 radiant sophomores in the auditorium. Now I do the same with Spanish. And it’s also a good thing, since I now live in Phnom Penh and Spanish speakers are not readily available.

I would pour a glass of wine, pull up a chair in front of the mirror, and review my day. Topics include what I did and what I will do tomorrow. Sometimes I just walk away and talk about whatever. I take my Spanish book with me so that I can consult it, especially the verbs, when I need it.

Okay, it might sound a bit strange, but trust me it works. Another option is to record yourself. If you are concerned that other people might think you need a mental health evaluation, tell them that you are trying out a role in the Ukrainian play. As long as you have a cover story, no one ever asks.

Learning another language is mental gymnastics. The more practice, the better you will get. In short, live, eat and talk and it will be more fun.

As I write this, I can smell the fragrant goodness of mesquite and hickory mixed with country-style pork ribs and the intoxicating meatiness of sirloin-tip roast. My Masterbuilt electric smoker spews clouds of white smoke into the suburban network and I am disturbing my neighbors with the aroma of freshly smoked meat. Today is a celebration of the meat.

Meat. Love it. A luxurious and delicious frontal lobe benefit. Man is more intelligent than other animals, therefore, he will make a spear, kill what he needs and roast it over the fire. I am an unapologetic apex predator and when in this mindset, there is no amount of tofu, fresh veggies, or nuts to satisfy my craving for the fatty, lustful, carnal craving for freshly smoked meat.

I don’t care what meat it is. Game, beef, poultry or lamb, it doesn’t matter. Sometimes I crave meat. I am comfortable with my carnal desires and the sins of smoked meat.

It’s like an ancient caveman jumps into the cockpit of my brain and takes over. I call him Gug. Gug is my friend and although his language skills are not very good, we understand him. The meat is good. Fire is your friend. Cook the meat with firewood.

The smoker must have come from the Home Shopping Network. It is a Christmas present from my wife that I received many moons ago. My ancestor Gug approves of the ease of turning the electric thermostat to the perfect cooking temperature, although he doesn’t understand how it works. Gug also enjoys drinking some iced pineapple liqueur with me as I write this article. Life is good for us knuckle-dragging Neanderthals.

Gug doesn’t understand the idea of ​​looking for food in a grocery store with a stainless steel cart. Your small, undeveloped brain gets confused with such strange ideas. Gug evolved to hunt, gather, eat, and breed.

Gug is a good friend. It links me to my past. Long before political correctness, childhood obesity, and lean tofu, there was Gug. There are moments as a man when it’s important to ignore my inner caveman. Gug can get me in trouble. Gug needs to stay home during weddings, cocktails and heated discussions with PETA supporters. I’m not ashamed of my inner Neanderthal and my love of meat. It’s just that you can’t wear a loincloth all the time and be taken seriously.

I check the digital thermometer and see that the meat is a perfect medium raw. I rest the meat and pat Gug’s hand. Gug wants to eat now. He growls and has a puzzled expression on his face as I begin to grind coriander, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil in the blender to make a chimichurri sauce to complement the meat.

Country ribs need a little more smoking, so I open another jar of cold moonshine. This time it’s apple pie and Gug grins a big toothless grin. No hurry. I smile too and wait patiently for a slight breeze to blow under my loincloth. This is a wonderful meat-inspired caveman Sunday.

Actors, athletes, and mass murderers – it takes all kinds to drive trucks. With brief details of their involvement in the trade and subsequent celebrity, here’s a countdown of the top 10 stars who worked as truck drivers before becoming famous, with varying degrees of success.

# 10 Chris Tarrant:

This radio and television host, best known for hosting the television game show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’, Did several jobs before finding his place on television. Tarrant’s previous roles include long-distance truck driver, safety officer, and school teacher.

# 9 Chris Eubank:

Chris Eubank stands out as the only member of our list who has started driving trucks. after He became famous. In October 2003, a politically motivated Eubank descended on Whitehall in his personal heavy vehicle to protest the war in Iraq. The former world middleweight boxer champion ended up being arrested for blocking the front doors to Downing Street, driving through Parliament Square honking his horn, knife in his pocket, and getting into a delivery van.

# 8 Rock Hudson:

Hudson was a popular American television and film actor and romantic leading man in the 1950s and 1960s. During World War II, Hudson served as a Navy aircraft mechanic and after the war as a truck driver. His size and good looks led him to the movies.

# 7 Chevy Chase:

Our Number Seven is an Emmy Award-winning American comedian, writer, and film and television actor. Before his breakthrough as a comedian, Chase worked as a trucker, taxi driver, motorcycle courier, waiter, busboy, construction worker, audio engineer, production manager at a supermarket, salesman at a wine store, and usher at theater.

# 6 Clara long distance:

The only woman on our list and, unfortunately, Clara, a fictional monster driver, was the star of the ’80s children’s cartoon’ Pigeon Street ‘. Some see Larga Distancia Clara as an anonymous feminist icon: her marriage to chef Hugo demonstrated a refreshing shift from gender stereotypes.

# 5 Charles Bronson:

Charles Bronson was an American ‘tough guy’ role actor who made his name starring in several major Hollywood movies, including ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘The Dirty Dozen’. Before becoming famous, Bronson was drafted into the military and assigned to the Air Corps in 1943. He started out as a truck driver and then trained as a pilot, winning awards for good service.

# 4 Richard Pryor:

Pryor was the first African-American comedian to speak frankly to mixed audiences using the language and jokes of the black community. She worked numerous jobs before achieving fame, including truck driving and meat packing.

# 3 Liam Neeson:

Liam Neeson is a movie star best known for his role as Oskar Schindler in the 1993 blockbuster “Schindler’s List.” Irish-born Neeson once worked as a truck driver and forklift operator for Guinness, assistant architect and amateur boxer.

# 2 Sean Connery:

This retired Scottish actor is best known for playing James Bond in seven Bond films. Heartthrob Connery joined the Royal Navy after leaving school, but was discharged for medical reasons. He went on to a succession of jobs, including truck driver, laborer, and lifeguard.

# 1 Elvis Presley:

The American singer, musician, actor, and cultural icon took up truck driving as one of his jobs after graduation. The future ‘King’ was driving a truck for the aptly named ‘Crown Electric Company’. Presley even started wearing her longer hair in a ‘ducktail’ – the truck driver’s style at the time. One musician a young Elvis Presley auditioned for advised him to “just drive a truck, because you’ll never make it as a singer.”

The Mass Killer – Peter Sutcliffe:

Possibly the most evil and unhinged presence in truck driving history, the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ is too nasty to make our top 10. Between 1975 and 1984, this truck driver and former gravedigger killed 13 women in a five-year period. year of reign of terror before being sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison. In his arrest, Sutcliffe claimed that God had told him to go out and kill prostitutes. A sad stain on the good name of truck driving.

Celebrities Who Were Truckers Before They Were Famous – A heady mix of talent, eccentric, obnoxious, and downright brilliant. Who knows what magical creatures sit behind the wheels of our country’s trucks today?

Let me tell you, if you are in Sin City, buying a local newspaper or browsing local magazines will reward you with deals from some buffets. If you are unsure, you can often read or hear about such offers before even checking the newspapers. Once we found coupons for dollar buffets for Palace Station. Even if it’s not the best buffet in town, what can you eat or drink for a dollar these days?

The Palace Station Buffet, Palms Buffet, Main Street Station Buffet, and occasionally the Stratosphere, LV Hilton, Gold Coast and Orleans buffets will offer specials (always mid-week, never on weekends) where you can eat. for about five dollars per person; a great bargain these days. There are other establishments off the Strip that give you these great deals and you really need to be on the lookout when in this city. These deals are advertised on their own websites, published in local newspapers or magazines (some of them are free and can be found everywhere in this city) or even on large billboards while driving around this city. Always watch where you are going because very often there are specials off the Strip. During the week, you will never have to eat at any buffet off the Strip for less than $ 10, often less if you have a player card.

Let me explain: a rewards card or a player card will allow you to enjoy “member rates”. For example, an already cheap buffet like Gold Coast often lowers its rates even further for ‘members’. You may have to pay a little over five bucks, but you’re essentially guaranteed to eat for next to nothing at most establishments off the Strip.

The Stratosphere complex (which is on the Strip, albeit on the north side) occasionally also has specials and, with the very good Main Street Station, they actually offer good food for a low price.

Based on what you can find, Orleans and Gold Coast are very popular with seniors and locals (they have specials that are easier for locals to find); If you are not looking for gourmet food, here you will eat well enough for a low price. The salad section is probably the poorest of the sections, but all other sections include the average food you are used to finding at average (or low-end) buffets, such as a small section American, Mexican, Asian, pasta, pizza and some cooked vegetables (not many) or soups.

The Main Street station is, among the low-cost buffets, by far the best in Las Vegas. In fact, it offers a great selection of dishes and the quality is better than the other low-priced buffets.

LV Hilton is a very small buffet, but it offers very good daily grilled fish, seafood, mountains of artichokes (in a decent salad section), and delicious rice pudding. If you are not after eating a wide variety of foods, this may be a good option if you are in the area.

Palace Station Buffet: Probably one of the low-priced buffets in the city. Digging through your purse for coins is likely to give you enough money to pay for this buffet. Therefore, considering what we have just said, your expectations will not be disappointed. It is better than you would expect, considering the price. Here they line up for made-to-order burgers and fries, for example, although you can enjoy roast beef, a decent salad section, and a few other dishes too (they change quite frequently) including the ubiquitous pasta, Mexican dishes, Asian dishes, and the rest.

The Palms used to be a large buffet, but they recently lowered their prices to appeal to locals and unfortunately also decided to offer lower quality food than before. Everything was too salty or just undercooked, at least not to our liking. If they solve this problem, this may be a good option if you are in the area.

Loving a man who has not gotten over his ex-wife can be really painful. You love him without reservation while he loves you half. He may profess his love for you, but you have the feeling that his heart does not fully belong to you. What are the signs that you haven’t gotten over your ex-wife?

I. He feels a lot for her. Whatever it is that separated them, he still has a strong feeling for her. He gets angry and frustrated at the mere mention of her name. He just can’t talk to her without getting excited … she just drives him crazy … a clear sign that he hasn’t gotten over her.

ii. It still bothers him what she did (or didn’t do).A man who has not gotten over his ex-wife will continue to bring up the things (or things) his ex-wife did to contribute to the breakup. You may even angrily blame her for what she did or didn’t do in the relationship.

iii. He wants to know things about your love relationships. A man who has not gotten over his ex-wife will want to know who he is dating, where they are going, what they do together, etc. Any news of his ex-wife’s love interest captivates him … and sometimes he seeks that information through the vine or by looking at her (stalking her?).

iv. You compare yourself to your new love interests. A man who has not gotten over his ex-wife will wonder what she sees in new boys. He’ll keep looking down on his ex-wife’s new guys almost like he’s the best she’s ever had … and nothing will compare to him. He’s not being arrogant … he just can’t believe she’s gotten over him and replaced him in her life as he still had hopes of being with her again.

v. Compares you unfavorably with her. One sign that you haven’t gotten over your ex-wife is that from time to time you mention how well your ex-wife did this or that … sometimes it just slips out of your mouth. He still sees her as a great person … and you’re still not up to the task. In time, he may see your great qualities, but right now he is still in love with his ex-wife.

A man who has not gotten over his ex-wife will still have strong feelings for her that will manifest in his actions and speech.

Divorce seems to be the flavor of the season. Just five months after her marriage to Nepalese businessman Samrat Dahal, Manisha Koirala, the talented but quirky actress, made headlines again for the wrong reasons. It was speculated that the lady of Dil Se was heading to Splitville.

And again, media circles are in an uproar with former actress Karisma Kapoor, who is set to end her marriage to Delhi businessman Sanjay Kapur.

We go down memory lane and list the marriages that did not last …

Guru Dutt – Geeta Dutt

He was a cinematographic genius. She is a talented singer. He is an admirer of Bengali culture. She is Bengali by birth. It was natural for the two of them to fall in love and then get married. Marriage and two children later, the marriage hit a roadblock. Many say that Waheeda Rehman was the reason. Guru Dutt launched a dark southern beauty, Waheeda Rehman in Pyasa and the rest, they say is history. The director was completely in love with this delicate beauty … although, Waheeda maintains to this day, that amber was one-sided.

The one-sided romance, the box office flops (Kaagaz ke Phool and Pyaasa, both were his labor of love), and the horrible lifestyle (drinking, smoking, and eccentric streak) led to his end and the end of his married life. At the time of his death, he was separated from his wife Geeta Dutt and Waheeda Rehman had become estranged from him.

Vinod Khanna – Geetanjali

Vinod Khaana is one of the most handsome men Hindu films have ever known: dark, tall, broad-shouldered, and strong. Although he started out as a villain in the movies, the producers and directors soon realized that he was acting material. In fact, competing against Amitabh Bachchan for much of his career, he was a critical favorite as much as the masses adored Bachchan.

In the early 1970s, even as he was still establishing his career, Khaana married his college sweetheart Geetanjali and within two years the two were proud parents of two boys, Rahul and Akshaye. But sometime around 1975, Khanna became a disciple of acharya Rajneesh and then in the early 1980s, he moved to Rajneeshpuram in the US for four years washing dishes and working as an Osho gardener.

Although he was in contact with his family by phone from the US, the separation affected his beautiful wife and resulted in a divorce. Vinod is now married to Kavita Khanna, a lawyer by profession and has a son and a daughter.

Zeenat Aman – Mazhar Khan

There is something about beautiful, intelligent and super sexy women, particularly from the 70s era. Zeenat Aman was something of a standard-bearer for this brigade. She had a beautiful body that she never shied away from showing off. She had a mind of her own and never thought to let her know. Sadly, she was always attracted to handsome and famous men and never ever able to respect a woman for being an independent person.

Zeenat dated (and married) Sanjay Khan and was publicly abused by Sanjay and his first wife, Zarine Khan at a hotel in Mumbai. The lady was also rumored to have had a roar with Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan, but nothing concrete actually came out. In the early 1980s, Zeenat finally settled down with small-time actor Mazhar Khan, by whom he has two children.

But this marriage was also very stressed, as Mazhar and his family had beaten Zeenat at his home. Zeenat claimed that his eldest son, who had been brainwashed by his in-laws, joined the beating session.

The marriage ended with Mazhar Khan dying of alcohol in 1998.

Dimple Kapadia – Rajesh Khanna

He really was the only superstar the country has ever known. Rajesh Khanna broke many hearts when he married ‘beauty Bobby’ Dimple Kapadia. They couldn’t have been better matched: she, a 16-year-old girl with wonderful eyes, tasting success for the first time in her life, and he a superstar eager to establish herself.

Not many know the exact reason the two broke up. The speculations concern Rajesh Khanna’s sudden fall from stardom. A series of racing failures had a major role to play in the separation of the two.

Although they did not actually divorce, the separation did occur. In time, the bitterness is gone. Today, they are the proud parents of Twinkle Khanna (married to superstar Akshay Kumar) and Rinke Khanaa (married to Samit Saran).

Rekha – Mukesh Agarwal

Sometimes one love is the only love. That could very well be said of the perennial Rekha. Born as Bhanupriya Ganesan, illegitimate daughter of southern matinee idol Shivaji Ganesan, when Rekha made an entry in Hindi movies, she was a nasty-looking ulgy paw, though star power was still there to be seen. Over time, it metamorphosed into a beautiful dark beauty like a swan. Many insist that it was after she came into contact with a Mr. Bachchan.

Reams of paper have been printed speculating the exact twist and turns of this triangle. If the palpable passion of his films is to be believed, the chemistry between the two was electrifying. But the marriage was not going to be like this.

Rekha was rumored to have married Vinod Mehra, but that was speculation. She definitely married businessman Mukesh Aggarwal, but the marriage just didn’t work out for Rekha and her husband, completely disappointed, hanged himself to death.

Randhir Kapoor – Babita

He was the scion of Kapoor khandan and she was a future actress. Randhir Kapoor and Babita made several movies together before deciding to get married. It is said that the first years were rosy, but soon tensions began to appear. It is speculated that Babita, first cousin of the famous actress Sadhna, could not cope with the super stardom of the Kapoors and left the marriage with her two daughters in tow. Although Randhir Kapoor and Babita never divorced, they did not stay together either.

Rakhee – Gulzar

She was a fragile Bengali beauty like no one had ever seen her. He was a talented lyricist and director whom Bollywood would not see for a long, long time. Love flourished, but the marriage could not be sustained. He was known to be violent while she was a bit neurotic, according to reports.

Reena Roy – Mohsin Khan

The ’70s star Reena Roy was absolutely in love with Pakistani cricketer Mohsin Khan. So was her elegant cricketer lover who would fly to London, especially to meet her. The two married in 1983 only to soon part ways. It was a painful divorce that saw Mohsin gain custody of his daughter. Much later, when Mohsin remarried, he gave up claiming his daughter. Today, Reena Roy lives in Mumbai with her daughter, now renamed Sanam.

Sanjay Dutt by Rhea Pillai

Sanjay Dutt was the last casanova of Bollywood dating actresses like Tina Munim, star Richa Sharma, Madhuri Dixit, Lisa Ray, Rhea Pillai, Nadia Durrani (based in London) and eventually settled down with Manyata.

Rumor has it that while Sanju Baba had a maddening affair with Madhuri, he actually married three women: first his wife Richa Sharma, who died early in their marriage; then Rhea Pillai, who stood by his side during his crazy days in jail. Sadly, it was a love that couldn’t see a bright future. While adversity brought them closer together, the good times couldn’t keep them together. While nothing really went wrong, so to speak, they just walked away …

The marriage ended in 2005. Sanjay is now married to Manyataa.

Saif – Amrita

Here was another star couple who just couldn’t put it on. When the two met in 1991, Amrita was a successful actress and had just started. But love flourished and the marriage of the obvious result. But the marriage was not easy. Saif’s parents did not approve of the match; so the two were secretly married. Of course, the parents came later. What’s even surprising is that the two remained married for almost 13 years, having two children, Sara and Ibrahim together. But the stormy relationship had to happen when a decision had to be made.

It would be safe to assume that Amrita got caught up in a happy marriage (or read mundane) while Saif was slowly recovering and found the relationship ranged from boring to suffocating. In time, Saif’s name would join pretty faces like Riya Sen, Smriti Mishra, and Preity Zinta. Things completely changed when Saif puts Roza on.

Soon, it was Splitville for the two of them when they finally divorced in 2004.

Nandita Das – Saumya Sen

The feisty and courageous actress has now seen two divorces, although the second is the most talked about. Saumya Sen, an advertising executive, married Nandita in 2002 and they remained married for seven years. But in 2009, Nandita ended the marriage citing irreconcilable differences.

However, she has recovered and is now married for the third time, this time to environmental entrepreneur Subodh Maskara and has a four-month-old son with him named Vihaan.

Likewise, Hollywood has seen its own list of failed marriages: Eva Parker-Tony Parker;

Sandra Bullock – Jesse James; Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt; Kate Winslet, Sam Mendes;

Britney Spears, Kevin Federline; Imran Khan – Jemima Goldsmith and Rihanna – Chris Brown.

The vast majority of current scientific research is based on inductive logic: because by experience it is observed that some A’s behave in a B way, it is concluded that all A’s behave in a B way, until this hypothesis is refuted by a paradigm-defying anomaly. In fact, for most experimental results, a triplicate reproduction of the same result is considered sufficient evidence. However, old hypotheses are regularly falsified and replaced by newer ones. Therefore, the vast majority of science is based on the belief in the generalizability of particular cases. The rules and abstractions are based on a collection of experimental data. It is an ascending way of acquiring knowledge about phenomena.

Many scientists despise the results obtained through introspection or religious meditation experiences. However, the large number of similar experiences described by various enlightened people from different horizons, should have led to the scientific abstraction of the rules in them and perhaps to the conclusion that the patterns that emerge from such experiences are as valid a belief as the inductive logic belief of scientists. .

When trying to understand the world around us, it is indeed useful to derive rules from phenomena, as it helps us choose strategies if similar events occur in the future. For those who have never had a momentous experience, the Roman adage “Natura Magistra Artis”, nature shows how it works, it is prima facie the only valid way to acquire knowledge. When we go beyond the level of control of the physical world, to the level of social interactions, expression and the question of our purpose – if any – in life, we can choose to apply “that which works” and derive from it a morality, but eventually we’ll hit a ceiling.

When we apply our scientific inference techniques we will end up concluding that everything is transitory in nature and we will eventually die. A very unsatisfactory conclusion, which has led to the frantic search for technological solutions to prolong life or even achieve immortality.

Religions promised otherwise. The body can be mortal, but the soul is immortal. In Advaita Vedanta (non-dualistic Hinduism: “Everything is God”), the ultimate reality of everything is a single Soul, Brahman or God, whose nature is absolute and is called sat-chit-ananda (existence-knowledge-bliss). Everything is consciousness, that is, the consciousness of God and the world we see around us is embedded in it as an illusory manifestation of it, called Maya.

I have always been a seeker of truth, knowledge, science and God. For many years I worked as a scientist in the field of biochemistry, seeking to understand the nature of the “life” phenomenon. I have also practiced Yoga and have found the Advaita Vedanta approach to be the most promising springboard for gaining a meaningful understanding of God and the world.

Since I have not yet been able to achieve that experience of communion with God called Samadhi, I must trust what has been transmitted by what I consider to be authoritative sources (for example, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali). For the rest, I can play with hypotheses and postulate to what extent science can fit into the notions conveyed by the rishis. Of course, this involves a number of fantasies, but I consider this to be part of my “Svadyaya”. The process of gathering information about the nature of the true Being. Such a fantasy can be apparently useless and falsifiable, as was the case with Leibniz’s Monadology; on the other hand, it can give other incentives to test these notions and come up with useful experiments and / or insights, even if it is falsifying my hypotheses. . My hypotheses are not just the product of absurd and fantastic combinations of characteristics, which normally do not co-occur, no, they are based on surprising analogies, between Vedantic principles and scientifically observed phenomena.

One of the great riddles of Advaita Vedanta for me is how the One Soul, Brahman, which is also said to be the Sound AUM, can give the illusion of being many souls or jivas. I have already postulated in the past the existence of an infinity of God-quanta (theons), which are identical and therefore one and the same, but that notion sounds contradictory. Here’s an additional hypothesis on how these theons may be only individual apparent quanta, but actually form a single self-recursive wave function. The analogy comes from Mandelbrot’s mathematical collection, a fractal structure, in which at any given level of detail one finds the same shapes. The Mandelbrot collection is not the only known auto-recursive pattern; there are also the “Julia collection” and others.

Imagine that the wave function AUM is also a self-recursive pattern, then the essence of the apparently individual jivas can be considered as the repetition of the same archetype that is the wave function AUM at a different level of aggregation. When you look deeper into the edges of the Mandelbrot feature (which looks like a meditating Buddha from the side or a dog’s head from above), you’ll find this same shape over and over again.

That is also the essence of holograms, where each component produces the same shape.

Therefore, perhaps the individual jivas are just one part of the same AUM wavefunction in a different fractal dimension at the edge of the same sound / vibration.

Just as the Mandelbrot function produces a wide variety of beautiful colors and shapes on the edges of the collection when viewed from a certain perspective, similarly this material-energetic world of Maya that we see around us could be the edges of the collection. The AUM wave function and the jivas repeat the archetypal form.

Furthermore, it conforms to the notion that the world of Maya is only a small part of the manifestation of God: only the edges of the AUM sound form the observable material-energetic universe. Like the Mandelbrot collection, the center is unaffected, silent and happy.

When you continually chant AUM, which is considered the preeminent technique for self-realization in this age called kali-yuga, at a certain point you will resonate with it. This song is said to lead you to self-realization or God-realization.

In fact, everything is one great AUM vibration, but just as waves create interference patterns, the AUM vibration generates the observable world. Regarding this, it is remarkable how inert matter generates all kinds of patterns, which have the shape of atomic orbitals: On YouTube there is a small fragment of a collection of rice grains to which sound of different frequencies is applied: the grains they come together and disperse to resonate in orbital-like patterns.

Vivekananda once described that matter itself is inert, but that it is by virtue of the living force of Brahman that matter is formed and added. Since matter / energy quanta (theons) are nothing more than wave functions or vibrations themselves, matter / energy itself is also the manifestation of the AUM sound at another level of aggregation. The interference pattern can produce the “triguna” nature of matter: tamas (inertia as a result of the cancellation of waves), rajas (movement, when the waves do not cancel or resonate) and sattva (harmony, that is, resonance of waves). Also at the atomic and molecular level an analogy can be made with this triguna nature of matter: the nucleus of an atom is relatively inert (tamas), the electrons are in continuous motion (slits) and when a union between atoms occurs there is resonance (sattva), giving rise to molecular orbitals. Sattva can also exist as a pure photon or released energy, which when captured by matter results in an excited state or higher energy molecular orbital. The solid aspect of matter is only there because rajasic electrons move so fast around the nucleus or in molecular orbitals, like a tornado. It is logical that all quanta are entangled, because in the end they are part of a single wave function.

Note that in this reasoning both energy and matter are forms of Maya, while others (techno-shamanists like /: set AI on the one hand, Peter Russell on the other) have respectively postulated that “released light or energy” it is the ultimate nature of God or a good analogy with it. In Vedanta, energy and matter like Maya are only a small part of the manifestation of God. To speak in terms of AUM as a fractal: they are simply the edge.

This would also fit the notion that Devas, brilliants, stars or angels are just sattvic of nature.

Finally, similar analogies can probably be made at the kernel substructure level, but I’ll leave that topic for a further article.

All patterns, all information (Maxwell’s demon: energy and information are interconvertible), all material and energetic existence in the end can be considered as Maya and nothing more than a manifestation of AUM, which is the only existence. So everything we are so attached to, all our habits and idiosyncrasies that we call “I”, in the end are not permanent since our existence is nothing more than the AUM vibration. We will realize this when we achieve resonance with him. All the contradictions between the concepts of Vedanta and modern science are only apparent prima facie, but they evaporate after further investigation.

The baseball season is about to begin and I am already receiving calls from parents, players and coaches who are concerned about losing streaks.

Anyone who has played baseball for a period of time has experienced the frustration of a prolonged hitting slump. And there are many causes of these performance valleys.

Some of the causes are physical. A mechanical failure, poor balance, poor technique, a moving head, a strong grip on the bat, or an injury can all contribute to poor performance in baseball players.

Some of the causes of lows are mental. A batter who has been hit by a pitch can freak out in the batter’s box. A player who has hit badly can lose confidence. A hitter who is preoccupied with impressing his coach, parents, or scout can become quite anxious. A player who is in conflict with his teammates may find it difficult to reach his potential. Similarly, a player with stress related to his life off the field may have a difficult time concentrating when he steps up to the plate.

Also, it is important to understand that there are many mind-body relationships when it comes to hitting a baseball. For example, a nervous player tends to grip the baseball bat too tightly. Similarly, a tense player may have a difficult time turning on a field.

Interestingly, some people believe that our vision worsens when we are tense and improves when we are relaxed.

There are many ways to relax your mind and body before hitting.

Players can learn relaxation, meditation, visualization, or self-hypnosis techniques. Some players benefit from listening to music on the bench or before a game. Others do aerobics before going out to the field, as they find that this helps them relax when they get up to bat.

Tension will work against them at home plate, so it is important for baseball players to learn how to get very comfortable when facing the opposing pitcher.

Are McDonald’s and Burger King the only teen jobs out there? Not even close. If you want to average more than $ 10 an hour, choose your own schedule and have a little fun … then read on!

Here are 5 unique jobs for teens to earn money:

1) Writing articles

Do you know how many websites there are? Millions! The Internet is definitely the business way of the future. One of the best (and cheapest) ways for website owners to attract more customers to their websites to Free is writing and submitting articles.

But business owners are busy people and may not have the time or desire to write articles. That’s where you come in! You can offer to write articles (around 400 to 500 words) for small website owners. Typically, you can be paid between $ 10 and $ 20 per item.

Some of the article directories I have had the most success with include:

EzineArticles (of course!)

Howthingswork.com,

and Wiki.com

Can you guess the best part of writing articles for cash? You can do it from anywhere, at any time. No more ugly uniforms or stinky shifts.

2)Conducting Online Surveys

You won’t make millions completing surveys, but it is an easy way to earn money quickly. Companies will pay you to complete short surveys or test their products.

They want to choose your brain on what you like and what you don’t like!

One of the best and fastest paid survey sites is Cash Crate. It doesn’t cost a penny to sign up and you can start earning money right away. But here is a warning: Set up a separate email account because you will start to get a flood of spam.

3) Clean up after people’s pets

You’ve probably heard of pet sitting or dog walking, right? Well this is a new twist.

I own a condo complex and hire a local teenager to pick up the dog once a week. It takes less than an hour for $ 15. It might not be the most glamorous job, but a spoiler scooper makes it easy to do, and you never run out of work!

This service is especially useful in colder climates. As the snow melts, there are many business opportunities!

4) Washing, waxing, or detailing people’s car in their driveway or at work

I do not know how it happened …

But my cat was accidentally locked in the van overnight. I can’t tell you how horrible the smell is! I would pay Big money for someone else to clean up the mess.

This is a great way for high school teens or college students to earn money. You could even advertise with local businesses and make your cars shine in the parking lot while they work.

5) Sell ​​handmade items on Etsy

This is my favorite way to earn money for teenagers. And I found out recently!

It reminds me of how eBay works, but it is for handmade items. So if you have a knack for making anything … from furniture to baked goods to dog collars then you can sell them on this site.

They have over a million visitors looking to buy. Registration is free, but costs 30 cents to list items and a 3.5% sales tax on items sold.

Works for me! These are just some of the ways to earn money like teen jobs.

You may not have even considered what I’m going to say, but as a former competitive athlete I know what I’m talking about. Much of what I want to say has to do with basic life skills, and the rest has to do with maintaining a winning attitude. So what is a winning attitude anyway? Well, it’s a lot like a “can do” belief system in the sense that nothing is impossible and that anything can be accomplished with enough practice, hard work, willpower, and perseverance.

You see, I actually believe that, and in hindsight, looking back, I believe that my winning attitude in life may actually trump other types of belief systems judging by achievements (scoreboard) in life. Yes, let’s talk. Now I was a track and field star, that’s a lot different from a wrestler, although I’d say the workouts are just as exhausting at times.

In fact, in my youth I often crossed paths with, but not with, wrestlers struggling to gain endurance and leg strength. They ran laps, stadium steps and also long distances. They did wind races until they couldn’t stand up anymore and then they did sit-ups until it hurt so bad they couldn’t do another one, then they started with the weights in the gym. When it came time for their matches, they had to be at or below weight. They sacrificed, trained, and beat their bodies so the competition couldn’t do it.

What does all this tell me? They tell me that their endurance and perseverance against pain and adversity built such a strong mental character that nothing before them thereafter will ever be close to the challenges they once faced; the rest from then on is really easy. So let me ask myself that question one more time; “Do young fighters have an advantage in life?” Yes, of course, especially those who show up every day and give 110% because those are the champions, not only in sport but also in life.

The other day, I met a former Olympic fighter and his friend competed in the Olympic Boxing Games. They told me they could make anyone a champion, if that person had the heart and character to do the workouts and never give up. I agree, and you know what, it’s a lot like how things are in life too. You can’t lose unless you throw in the towel, but most people throw in the towel long before it matters, long before the match or the event because they won’t even try to get there in the first place. Consider all of this and think about it.