Jodistrict

My suggestion is to continue to teach Qigong as a practice and not as theory. Theory is always incomplete and by itself fairly useless. I am leaning towards practice (sadhana) myself. Too much conceptual clutter is unproductive. For example, I am getting more deeply into Hatha Yoga. This is often ridiculed by “spiritual” people as just exercise. But I disagree. The spirituality naturally arises by doing the asanas. It is much more productive than theories and concepts which just trap you in your head. Yes, “hot yoga” is real spirituality.

I did the Goenka Vipassana 10 day years ago at the Twentynine Palms center. It's a beautiful and tranquil site located in the desert. I recommend it. https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/schedules/schvaddhana

Here is some input from spiritual teachers.

The problem with PUA is that it became too big and broke into the mainstream - the death of any organic movement of men who think outside the box. The same with MGTOW which started out as a small group of men (called the Nice Guy forum) who decided they didn’t have to chase women to be happy. But once it became big enough – the mainstream controllers of reality immediately perceived it as a threat to their conformist wokeism narratives and the attacks began.

I believe awakening requires clarity, precision, and stability of mind which comes from a meditation practice that increases focus and concentration except for the few who awaken spontaneously (perhaps due to practice is past lives). Something like Ayahuasca or Mushrooms activate the unconscious mind and produce cryptic hard to interpret hallucinations from past memories similar to a dream state. They can also produce strong emotions which increase anxiety and destabilize the mind. Thus, in Shamanism, they are used for healing. 5-meo is different but I have found that it is still a memory that next day and doesn’t create a permanent shift in consciousness. I think that those who are trying to use psychedelics as a tool in the awakening process (not just healing) are experimenting with something new and trying to figure out how to fit it into their unique practice. It’s not a slam dunk.

Mearsheimer has been one of the most important contrarians to what up to now has been the mainstream foreign policy establishment. He is a minority outsider because of his point of view, not because of his competence. Keep in mind that it was the consensus foreign policy establishment that got America into Vietnam. That’s why we need dissenting voices to keep things real. NATO is an obsolete organization. It’s original mission was to provide protection to Western Europe from the Soviet Union. But the Soviet Union collapsed and it and the Communist ideology that sustained it doesn’t exist anymore. For the United States it has become a dangerous trip wire, given European history and their love for wars. When Ukraine shot a missle into Poland and they initially thought it was Russian, that could have triggered Article 5 of NATO.

That’s what Trump told Zelensky in the meeting. Without the US he has no cards. With the US, he has cards. Zelensky gets pumped up by the European elites fawning on him as their hero. In the long run it’s beneficial to be brought down to reality.

Zelensky seems to have changed his tune about peace being a long ways away. It appears that Trump's strong approach is what is needed to get a peace deal. "Zelenskyy says he will work under Trump’s leadership as he proposes Ukraine peace plan" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/04/zelenskyy-ukraine-peace-plan-ready-work-with-trump

Jeffrey Sachs, a professor and foreign policy expert at Colombia University, gives an analysis of the Ukraine situation. One has to step back and look at this at a higher level in the context of a complex and changing world.

Here is the clip of Zelensky saying the quote I gave. I just quoted what Zelensky actually said. Someone could argue that since this is a clip, it is out of context, and then provide the missing contex to support their argument. https://x.com/i/status/1896267384153161880

The is a quote from Zelensky: "The U.S. will have to send their sons and daughters exactly the same way as we are sending their sons and daughters to war, and they will have to fight because it’s NATO that we are talking about and they will be dying." Zelensky is trying to drag the US into war. He is a dictator. It's time to stand with the peacemakers. Especially if you are a young American male and don't want to die in another mindless war to enrich the elites.

In the 1960s, the Western mass media told us that Ho Chi Minh was the biggest threat to mankind. North Vietnam had invaded South Vietnam so according to simplistic logic, he was “clearly” the aggressor. After an estimated 2.5 million people dead, North Vietnam eventually won. The result? Now they are capitalists hooked into the world system and barely noticed by anyone. After the Vietnam war, dozens of books were written on the errors of groupthink and how it blindsided US foreign policy. If the policy makers had actually understood the complexities of Vietnam, there never would have been a war. Now, substitute “Putin” for “Ho Chi Minh” and “Ukraine” for “South Vietnam” and you have the same narrative. We need to be more critical of those who push war narratives using fear and simplistic propaganda that hide the complexities. There is always someone who profits from war. The US spent 20 years in Afghanistan. The same cruel elites want a unlimited no win war in Ukraine in order to supposedly grind down Russia. They already know that Ukraine can never win. Here is a young man kidnapped off the streets to serve in the Ukrainian army. The brutality of war is real. https://x.com/i/status/1895921103085916587

This is interesting. Lindsey Graham said Zelensky was a disaster and hinted that Zelensky should resign. Lindsey Graham is a neocon and a big supporter of Ukraine, he has been there 8 or 9 times. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cx2g7yedg74o

Here is an interesting article "Biden lost temper with Zelensky" So maybe Zelensky is more of a problem than we think. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/biden-lost-temper-zelenskyy-phone-call-ukraine-aid-rcna54592

For Zelensky and the Ukranian Oligarchs, the war is a perpetual influx of American money, so they have no motivation to end it. The land the Russians took was already 95% Russian. Western Ukraine is more European. Ukraine could still have a country and be more European if they want, if they can negotiate some security guarantees. Zelensky should be trying to get the best deal possible. You have to look at the big picture. For America, the Ukranian/Russia conflict is just a drain on resources, and the big threat is China. Driving Russia into an alliance with China over Ukraine does not serve American interest. This is why Nixon decided to got to China (to disrupt the Russia/China relationship). As for Putin, are you assuming a new Russian leader is going to be anymore friendly to the West? Focusing on Putin as the bad guy is just neo-liberal propaganda.

These videos don’t really address anything in depth. It is just more name calling. A small time youtuber says the richest man in the world is insecure, so we should believe him. But stones can be tossed in either direction. What I find interesting is that Elon Musk has 13 children (alleged). Many years ago, I knew a man who was a polygamist. He had a high sex drive and an intense desire to have as many children as possible. He was brilliant and highly self confident. These videos don’t even come close to addressing this drive.

No, I actually didn't vote for Trump. But, I have frequently made it known that I support RFK and his efforts to clean up the environment, health care, and get Big Pharma under control. Puting labels on people isn't a fair way to argue a point.

It's being called an "audit" but includes much more, such as downsizing and reorganizing of the government. However, Trump openly campaigned on what he is doing now and the public accepted it. Since it is such a huge project in a short period of time, there are going to be mistakes. But, the alternative is that nothing is done, which has been the decision up to now. The people who are complaining just don't want the status quo to change.

No, the question is what is Grok 3 smoking? Doesn't he have something to do with Elon Musk "As of February 21, 2025, there’s no definitive evidence that Elon Musk is directly firing government employees himself, randomly or otherwise. However, there’s a lot of buzz around his involvement in Donald Trump’s administration, particularly through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a non-governmental advisory group he co-leads with Vivek Ramaswamy. Let’s break this down based on what’s known. Musk doesn’t have the legal authority to fire federal employees single-handedly—he’s not an elected official or a confirmed government officer. DOGE is an advisory body, not an official agency, meaning its role is to recommend cuts and restructuring, not to execute firings directly. Trump, as president, holds the executive power to initiate such actions, and Musk’s influence appears to be channeled through this partnership. Reports indicate that since Trump took office in January 2025, significant workforce reductions have occurred, with Musk playing a key advisory role. Have firings happened? Yes. By mid-February 2025, thousands of federal workers have been terminated across agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Forest Service, and Department of Energy. Reuters reported on February 13 that over 1,000 probationary employees at Veterans Affairs and 3,400 at the Forest Service were let go, with additional cuts at other agencies like the Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. By February 14, the total number of firings exceeded 9,500, alongside 75,000 workers accepting buyouts to leave voluntarily. These actions align with Trump and Musk’s stated goal of slashing the federal workforce, which totals about 2.3 million civilians. Were these firings random or logical? It’s murky. The process has targeted probationary employees—those in their first year or two with fewer legal protections—making them easier to dismiss under existing federal rules. Termination letters cited vague reasons like “not fit for continued employment” or “performance not adequate,” suggesting a broad sweep rather than individualized assessments. Musk and Ramaswamy have proposed cuts tied to eliminating regulations, arguing that fewer rules mean fewer staff are needed, but specific plans tying each firing to a regulation remain unclear. Critics, including unions and some lawmakers, argue the approach lacks method. For instance, an accidental firing of 325 National Nuclear Security Administration workers—key to nuclear stockpile oversight—prompted a partial reversal, hinting at hasty execution. Posts on X and media like Vox have called the cuts “random,” pointing to a lack of transparent analysis. Conversely, Musk’s camp, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, likens DOGE’s work to a financial audit, implying a deliberate review, though details on criteria are scarce. Legal challenges add complexity. A lawsuit from 14 states claims DOGE’s actions are unconstitutional, arguing Musk wields unchecked power without Congressional oversight. Federal judges have issued mixed rulings—some blocking DOGE’s access to sensitive systems, others allowing it—suggesting the process is still evolving. So, is it true? Musk isn’t personally firing people in a vacuum, but he’s heavily influencing a rapid downsizing effort under Trump. Randomness versus logic depends on perspective: the focus on probationary workers and buyouts follows a procedural logic, but the lack of clear, public justification for specific cuts fuels the “random” perception. Without DOGE releasing a detailed playbook, it’s hard to say definitively—it’s a fast-moving, chaotic purge with some strategy but plenty of improvisation."

Elon Musk seems to be doing a much needed job of auditing the government. Obama actually promised to do this when he was president. Why didn’t he? Since the democrats didn’t do it their way, they have forfeited the right to complain. I strongly suspect that those computer hackers are using the latest AI tools to trace the flow of money, thus being able to document kickbacks and corruption. If this is real, there will eventually be arrests and prosecutions. Evidence will be submitted in the courts of law so that the public can see what is happening. We need full transparency. Here is a video of millions of USAID money that was used to teach degenerate Western art to students in Afghanistan. https://x.com/i/status/1891689715369181578

Here is an article from NPR that reports what actually happened. https://www.npr.org/2025/02/19/nx-s1-5302481/trump-independent-agencies

He appears to be talking about agency laws. This would affect quasi-independent agencies like the FTC, FCC, and SEC. In the past they have been allowed to operate with minimal Presidential supervision. The executive order is basically increasing control of the President over the agencies, which is the perogative of the President who is the head of the executive branch. This is a good example of how clips are taken out of context and used to fuel a bubble of hysteria. https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/donald-trump-latest-executive-order-only-president-attorney-general-pam-bondi-can-interpret-us-law-article-118371626

That isn't evidence. It means you don't like his opinions.

Evidence?

Alexander Mercouris gives an insightful analysis of what is happening.