Days gone by.

I have a new love. He's called Peanut and he's a chocolate point adorable Tonkinese kitten. He is sooooo cuddley and he has decided that his bed is my boobs.

I have booked myself in for Vipassana. A ten day meditation course. Which involves over 10 hours a day meditation. No talking, reading or listeneing to music is allowed for the whole ten days. Here is a bit about Vipassana, incase you have no idea what it is about.

''What Vipassana is:

• It is a technique that will eradicate suffering.
  
• It is an art of living that one can use to make positive contributions to society.
  
• It is a method of mental purification which allows one to face life's tensions and problems in a calm, balanced way.
  

Vipassana meditation aims at the highest spiritual goals of total liberation and full enlightenment. Its purpose is never simply to cure physical disease. However, as a by-product of mental purification, many psychosomatic diseases are eradicated. In fact, Vipassana eliminates the three causes of all unhappiness: craving, aversion and ignorance. With continued practice, the meditation releases the tensions developed in everyday life, opening the knots tied by the old habit of reacting in an unbalanced way to pleasant and unpleasant situations.
Although Vipassana was developed as a technique by the Buddha, its practice is not limited to Buddhists. There is absolutely no question of conversion. The technique works on the simple basis that all human beings share the same problems and a technique which can eradicate these problems will have a universal application. People from many religious denominations have experienced the benefits of Vipassana meditation, and have found no conflict with their profession of faith.''

Here is my timetable for the ten days, getting up at 4am is going to be SO difficult but I'm sure it'll prove to be worth the early starts.

4:00 a.m.---------------------Morning wake-up bell  4:30-6:30 a.m.----------------Meditate in the hall or your own room   6:30-8:00 a.m.----------------Breakfast break  8:00-9:00 a.m.----------------Group meditation in the hall  9:00-11:00 a.m.---------------Meditate in the hall or your own room                                according to the teacher's instructions  11:00-12:00 noon--------------Lunch break  12noon-1:00 p.m.--------------Rest and interviews with the teacher  1:00-2:30 p.m.----------------Meditate in the hall or your own room   2:30-3:30 p.m.----------------Group meditation in the hall  3:30-5:00 p.m.----------------Meditate in the hall or your own room                                according to the teacher's instructions  5:00-6:00 p.m.----------------Tea break  6:00-7:00 p.m.----------------Group meditation in the hall  7:00-8:15 p.m.----------------Teacher's Discourse in the hall  8:15-9:00 p.m.----------------Group meditation in the hall  9:00-9:30 p.m.----------------Question time in the hall  9:30 p.m.---------------------Retire to your own room--Lights out

Travel Pussy?

The guy looks petrified of the travel puss. He is such a dork.

Taxidermy

Here are some photos I took at work.



















I left my camera in England. So, all I have is my camera phone. I took some images of where I work.

Exstinct Species

Arthropleura!

Wiki: Arthropleura (Greek for "Rib Joint') was a 0.3–2.6 metre (1–8.5 feet) long relative of centipedes and millipedes, native to the Upper Carboniferous (340-280 million years ago) of what is now northeastern North America and Scotland. It is the largest known land invertebrate of all time, and would have had few predators.

What Arthropleura ate is a matter of debate among scientists, as none of the fossils have the mouth preserved. However, it is reasonably certain that it would have had a sharp and powerful set of jaws. Based on this assumption, it used to be thought that Arthropleura was carnivorous, but recently discovered fossils have been found with pollen in the gut, suggesting that the creature ate plants. It is possible that the smaller Arthropleura species were vegetarian, while the largest ones were omnivorous, using their jaws to tackle vegetation, as well as to hunt small animals and insects. It is estimated that the average Arthropleura could have eaten its way through a ton of vegetation a year.

Phorusrhacidae!

Wiki: Phorusrhacids ("Rag-Bearers"), or terror birds, were a family of large carnivorous flightless birds that were the dominant predators in South America during the Cenozoic, 62–2 million years ago. They were roughly 1–3 meters (3–10 feet) tall. Their closest modern-day relatives are believed to be the 80 cm-tall seriemas. Titanis walleri, one of the larger species, is known from Texas and Florida in North America. This makes the phorusrhacids the only known example of large South American predators migrating north during the Great American Interchange.

A recently discovered species, Kelenken guillermoi from Middle Miocene some 15 million years ago, discovered in Patagonia in 2006, represents the largest bird skull yet found. The fossil has been described as being a 71 cm (28 in), nearly intact skull. The beak is roughly 46 cm (18 in) long and curves in a hook shape that resembles an eagle's beak.

Thylacine!

Wiki: Thylacinus cynocephalus; Greek for "dog-headed pouched one") was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger (because of its striped back), the Tasmanian Wolf, and colloquiallythe Tassie (or Tazzy) Tiger or simply the Tiger. Native to continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, it is thought to have become extinct in the 20th century. It was the last extant member of its genus, Thylacinus, although several related species have been found in the fossil record dating back to the early Miocene.

The Thylacine had largely become extremely rare or extinct on the Australian mainland before European settlementof the continent, but it survived on the island state of Tasmania along with several other endemic species, including the Tasmanian Devil. Intensive hunting encouraged by bounties is generally blamed for its extinction, but other contributory factors may have been disease, the introduction of dogs, and human encroachment into its habitat. Despite its official classification as extinct, sightings are still reported, though none proven.

Quagga!

Half zebra half horse!

Wiki: The quagga (Equus quagga quagga) is an extinct subspecies of the Plains zebra, which was once found in great numbers in South Africa's Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free State. It was distinguished from other zebras by having the usual vivid marks on the front part of the body only. In the mid-section, the stripes faded and the dark, inter-stripe spaces became wider, and the rear parts were a plain brown. The name comes from a Khoikhoi word for zebra and is onomatopoeic, being said to resemble the quagga's call. The only quagga to have ever been photographed alive was a mare at the Zoological Society of London's Zoo in Regent's Park in 1870.

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India

I've been doing a bit research on place in India that I'm planning on visiting and I've decided I'm definitely going to go. This 'place' I am going to visit, is devoted to an experiment in human unity and the transformation of consciousness. It has a population of around 2000 from 35 nations and anybody can have residency there. Providing you are in the right state of mind. You have to enter India on an Entry Visa but once you live/get accepted into the community you can be a permanent resident there.

On the charter are 4 pin points, which are:

The township belongs to nobody in particular and belongs to humanity as a whole but one must be a willing servitor of the divine consciousness. It will be the place of unending education with constant progress and a youth that never ages. It wants to be the bridge between the past and the future, taking advantage of all discoveries, springing towards future realisations.

Flights are about $1000 but the rest of the trip would be really cheap. So far, I think I'll end up going on my own.

I didn't get a puppy, but...

I have a Cockatiel and I've discovered my new love for birds. I also had my first attempt at stuffing a duck but it didn't go so well. They are so full of fat! Anyway, next time will turn out better.

My new friend is called Banana. I got given him by the guy I work with. Banana is sooo cute but I think he's a little scared and just needs to get used to his new surroundings. I really want him to do some tricks so I might get a bird whisperer if I can find one! I really want to get more birdies or atleast just one friend for Banana.

I am in love with Maria Coughlin in Hal Hartley's movie, Trust.

If you haven't seen the movie then you should get yourself down to the dvd rental store and hire it out !