So, is it good, bad, or ugly?

Hey, look what I found:

"Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Taking Dahn Down


'If the hard-hitting reporting keeps hitting this hard, Dahn Yoga is going to be 'circulating' right back to Korea and straight up the ass of Ilchee Lee, the mega-monster fraudster who started it all.Nice try with the college recruitment "Body and Brain" clubs, though.'


'Dahn Yoga is a money grab and destructive cult. It's as clear as a summer morning in New Mexico. I'm only reporting what others have found.With regards to my activity, folks need to begin to understand that self-realization does not make anyone any more special or more divine. Gurus use the myths about self-realization to prop themselves up on a pedestal that does nothing but foster ignorance rather than promote clarity. If I'm to take any karmic hits for that, it will still be worth it.' "

So this is from the blog of someone who apparently claims to be "revealing self-aggrandizement and superstition in self-realization since 2005." Personally, I find it quite distasteful. It's like.. would you really want to be with this kind of person? It's so interesting how people's writing reveals so much about how they are. When I read stuff by Dale Carnegie, I think, here's a man I would love to associate with! And obviously I'm not the only one who has that kind of reaction; I mean, he's sold millions of copies of his books. His words fill me with hope and lift up my spirits, and also I keep noticing again and again how he basically says the same things Ilchi Lee says. If Dale Carnegie were alive today, he and Ilchi Lee would have made great friends. Carnegie is amazing when it comes to finding specific examples that demonstrate the point he wants to make--Ilchi Lee is also very good at that, but he didn't spend most of his life immersed in Western culture. And Ilchi Lee would have provided all the huge audiences with the best practices they could have hoped for to apply the principles they both expounded.

Anyway, I think I'll just let the blogger speak for himself. Herself? I can't tell; I think the name is Jody but Jody could be a man or a woman.

I think I should write to Mr. Ducey.. He's the reporter who did that so-called news clip on ABC15 about Dahn Yoga. I'm going to hold on to the hope that he has a decent sense of values. I could point out all the flaws of the report, yadda yadda yadda.. but it makes me think of one person whom I deeply respect who is by far more articulate and eloquent that I am, and I discovered on this other yoga website that she argued very strongly on behalf of Dahn Yoga, and there were people who still insisted on being negative with absolutely no basis.
So it's like... why would I waste my time? But with Mr. Ducey--it's still possible for him to come across as a decent human being. So far.

So anyway, as a person who has engaged in this practice for years and benefitted immensely from it, I'm simply outraged.. but I want to find the best way to communicate. Because I really do feel compassion for all my fellow human beings, and that's one of the things best exemplified by Ilchi Lee. And that's just one of the reasons I choose him as my spiritual guide.

Today I'm happy.

So I've been reading Dale Carnegie's "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living," and in it he includes the late Sybil F. Partridge's "Just for Today."

"Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.

Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.

Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse it nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.

Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do, as William James suggests, just for exercise.

Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.

Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.

Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurrying and indecision.

Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.

Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me."

Isn't it great? And to think I just discovered this today... although I feel like I must have seen it before somewhere, at some point in time.

Well, I thought it was great and I wanted to put it on my blog, so I did a Google search so I wouldn't have to type it out, and I found this really cool website by a Dwayne Melancon: http://www.genuinecuriosity.com/genuinecuriosity/

He seemed like a really cool person, so I sent him an e-mail to say hi.

In one of his posts he introduces this uber-wallet which is actually like the anti-uber wallet that's supposed fit the same amount of stuff as other wallets using significantly less space.
It seems pretty darn nifty (the wallet) and Dwayne said he really likes his.
I also found this amusing:
"End Result: A slim and comfortable wallet. Once used, it's next to impossible to go back to the old fat wallets."
I dunno if it's just me, but that last bit about old fat wallets cracks me up.

Oh, I want to put that other picture up, too--- I was at this udon place the other day, and when we got up from our meal, I went to get some toothpicks and encountered this:

okay, here's the picture, in all its disturbing and amusing glory:

yay

The Brain Test

My Result: Right-brained

Most right-brained people like you are flexible in many realms of their lives. Whether picking up on the nuances of musical concerto, appreciating the subtle details in a work of art, or seeing the world from a different perspective, right-brained people are creative, imaginative, and attuned to their surroundings.


People probably see your thinking process as boundless, and that might translate to your physical surroundings as well. Some people think of you as messier than others. It's not that you're disorganized, it's just that you might use different systems to organize (by theme, by subject, by color). Straight alphabetization and rigidly ordered folders are not typical of right-brained behavior.


You are also more intuitive than many. When it comes to reading literature, you probably prefer creative writing or fiction over nonfiction. And when it comes to doing math, you might find you enjoy geometry more than other forms like algebra.

Take this test >

hrmm

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Black

Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious, black conjures up images of elegant evening gowns, dashing tuxedos, and gleaming limousines. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.

Take this test >

On HH the Dalai Lama

and~ the HH in "HH the Dalai Lama" stands for??
"His Holiness." so, HH the Dalai Lama is
His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

obviously it's not just korean churchgoers who use acronyms like JDSN, but i don't know why i find this so.. well. amusing, i guess. actually i find a lot of things amusing about human beings in general. like the gesture of clapping. i mean.. you hit parts of your body together when you approve of something or when you're happy? i remember having this kind of shift in thinking from reading Vonnegut.

i deeply respect the dalai lama.
i just think it's interesting that the "HH" is so important that it has to be there, but not so important that it doesn't have to be written out.

anyway.. so i guess, then, that i deeply respect HH the dalai lama.

I don't know who Ahmad Muzazah is or how he got my e-mail address

that's all i wanted to say for right this second..

boop boop bedoop

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/technology/18rehab.html?em&ex=1195534800&en=14704e5c2ffc9c29&ei=5087%0A
above link is for news headline: "In Korea, a bootcamp cure for web obsession"

November 8th is bra day

I'm serious. It was on the news in Korea.

"Google Options Put Masseuse in Crowd of Multimillionaires"

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/12/technology/12google.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
this was on NY Times.com today.
you only think it's unfair if you're not included...
so... i won't think it's unfair. i'll just.. include myself. *wink wink

OMG this is what we need!

man, this is the kind of material we need. yep.

fun, informative, compelling, funny, hip, cool, in tune~

this and that

i really want to make my blog all cool and everything... it still all feels pretty disorganized... like my flickr account pictures, like my external harddrive, like my suitcases, and i guess also like my head.

i started reading "winning," by jack welch--and it's absolutely fantastic! now i'm so excited to read it...

i just can't understand it

so naturally every once in a while i do a google search on "ilchi lee" to see what comes up... and i can tell you, most of the time it's not the prettiest sight.

i know i'm not "supposed" to say anything negative about people who are negative about dahn yoga or ilchi lee.

but.

i just don't understand... why people would want to try to profit from being negative. rick ross and steve hassan are the two biggest anti-dahn names, i think. i do that google search and most of the stuff is really outdated. and i'm just thinking, why, why can't we fight back? why can't we argue against all the ridiculousness?

actually i wouldn't care so much what people say except that 1) it's not true and 2) it ends up killing the opportunity for a lot of people who would have otherwise had a chance to really benefit from the practice.

it's hard for me to think that rick ross and steve hassan are just evil, cruel people with malicious intentions who want to hurt others on purpose. i have to believe that it would be possible to connect with them heart-to-heart, and then they would see what they've done and apologize for the harm they've caused and use that energy to help people instead of harming them.

i'm actually a pretty critical person myself, but at least i try things before i say something negative about them, and even then i don't majorly generalize OR spread that kind of information as far and wide as i can and not even show both sides of the story.

it's so... i dunno. a lot of people just go for the sensationalism, instead of really using the power of positivity. i mean, how cool is it that the students who practiced dahnmudo on that native american reservation went from a high detention rate to ZERO??? this stuff is real. i've seen people with MS who couldn't even feel their feet before they started JUMP for joy from the results of their training. i can only conclude.. that people who are negative just don't have much humility or gratitude.

those websites.. that selectsmart one, or freedomofmind, or rick ross or steve hassan.. it's like.. don't you have anything better to do with your time?

ilchi lee has been working tirelessly for almost 30 years and he always surprises me with how much he cares about people. when i'm at the front of the room and i'm translating for him, i see him leaning forward, so so anxious to share with and give to the people in attendance. there are times when i can feel that... childlike pureness... you know, like when a kid would just hand you everything he has just because he wants you to be happy, too. ilchi lee is like that with all the people in the world, with everyone he meets and addresses. in his personal meetings with people, i see... i see him delve into his great wisdom and compassion and seek out how best to help that person in front of him and communicate in the way that would be easiest for them to understand.

it's just.. the frustration lies in that what we are trying to achieve as an organization--which is to really heal the earth and humanity-- would still be a lot of work even if everyone were cooperating enthusiastically. all this.. uncalled-for negativity really just doesn't help at all.

so there's my spiel for now... (i always thought it would be schpiel or something elaborate and schnazzey like that.. but the spelling's not all that snazzy and it's just spiel. i think..)