WHAT IT IS;
Practical, spiritual, and philosophical aspects of survival and self-sufficiency
_
_ Welcome to my website.
(See the next page for a Table of Contents.)
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Description of the books;
1 'LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN, ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU CAN' (as subdivided above, into 'ecosystem', 'activities', and 'human')
I have always been more or less of a survivalist (see 'emergency preparedness'). So I have had a long period of gathering the bits and pieces of experience, information, theory, practice, and perspective.
My pursuit of lifelong learning has been accelerated by the recent worsening of our global situation. World-wide, people are trying to find solutions to economic, social, energy, food and water problems. I am involved locally in a series of workshops exploring these topics. 'Learn Everything' was conceived as a possible series of pamphlets or a book for presentation in combination with a non-profit booth and display at local venues.
****************************************************************************************** The Learning Process
'Knowledge means power'. 'Fortune favors the prepared mind.' These are empowering statements that I have encountered in my lifelong learning; guideposts in the sometimes fearsome wilderness of the unknown. This is very much the motivation of setting out to write 'Learn everything you can'.
Knowledge means power- but only if you can actually *apply* the knowledge to effect some beneficial change or accomplish a solution.
To learn, and grow, and change in a positive way, two things are necessary. 1. You have to start where you are; you can't start anywhere else. 2. You have to go in the right direction.
The best beginning of the process of learning and change is to understand where you are, and to know which is the right way to go. Many of us spend a lot of time lost, or going the wrong way. Learning is the process of acquiring the map and the compass.
********************************************************************************************************************************
There are three perspectives in this section; life as it is, the human/ecosystem interaction, and ways to make things better. Concerning the third perspective; one may have the luxury of study and improving things slowly. Conversely, one may have to act in the face of disaster or devastation, reconstructing a working system from the debris. These three perspectives are interwoven throughout 'Learn Everything.'
'Learn Everything' has a practical focus; the nuts and bolts of trying to bring theory and philosophy into life; experimentation with the application of evolved principles. I think it will work- but does it really work?
'We teach best, what we most need to learn' (Richard Bach). Research and development of this section has resulted at times in my walking out into the barnyard and announcing to the animals 'I have a plan'. They always look at me funny because they know that sometimes (often) the next thing I will say is 'Well. THAT didn't work'.
And sometimes it doesn't. They know that, and I know that.
********************************************************************************************************************************
Finding Problems, Finding Solutions;
1. Find the wrong.
2. Determine the root cause.
3. Find the solution.
4. Do the work-whatever it takes- to right the wrong.
And- to be obvious- if it is a 'fire' (of whatever type)- always follow the firefighter's maxim for the first action- 'Stop the burning'. Finding the root cause is key, but don't let the house burn down- or the situation be lost- while you are trying to determine what was the initial cause. Drag the baby out of the road before you wonder why (s)he is out there.
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2 WHAT IT IS
The second book of this website is the collection 'What It Is'. This is the soul-deep motivation of my life-long exploration of being.This body of work spans many years. It contains both poetry and prose, but thematically leans more toward the poetic.
Poetry, to me, has always seemed emotion raised to an intensity that it comes burning out of you, demanding to be written. When you read the resulting text, you realize that the emotion has come over in the words. More recently, I realize that; just as music plays on the senses but also on the feelings and the spirit, so too with poetry. It is as if as humans we are a sounding board. When music impinges on our senses, it reverberates in our brain. But the vibrations do not stop with sensation. Instead they continue to wherever our feelings, thoughts, and spirituality have found temporary housing within our physical body. Just so with poetry.
Looked at from this perspective, it is clear that poetry most likely contains (or encodes) information and intensity from all four domains- the physical, the mental, the emotional, and the spiritual. It is a miscellany of what can be experienced if the eyes, the mind, the heart, and the spirit are opened.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
(See the next page for a Table of Contents.)
*********************************************************************************************************************************
Description of the books;
1 'LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN, ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU CAN' (as subdivided above, into 'ecosystem', 'activities', and 'human')
I have always been more or less of a survivalist (see 'emergency preparedness'). So I have had a long period of gathering the bits and pieces of experience, information, theory, practice, and perspective.
My pursuit of lifelong learning has been accelerated by the recent worsening of our global situation. World-wide, people are trying to find solutions to economic, social, energy, food and water problems. I am involved locally in a series of workshops exploring these topics. 'Learn Everything' was conceived as a possible series of pamphlets or a book for presentation in combination with a non-profit booth and display at local venues.
****************************************************************************************** The Learning Process
'Knowledge means power'. 'Fortune favors the prepared mind.' These are empowering statements that I have encountered in my lifelong learning; guideposts in the sometimes fearsome wilderness of the unknown. This is very much the motivation of setting out to write 'Learn everything you can'.
Knowledge means power- but only if you can actually *apply* the knowledge to effect some beneficial change or accomplish a solution.
To learn, and grow, and change in a positive way, two things are necessary. 1. You have to start where you are; you can't start anywhere else. 2. You have to go in the right direction.
The best beginning of the process of learning and change is to understand where you are, and to know which is the right way to go. Many of us spend a lot of time lost, or going the wrong way. Learning is the process of acquiring the map and the compass.
********************************************************************************************************************************
There are three perspectives in this section; life as it is, the human/ecosystem interaction, and ways to make things better. Concerning the third perspective; one may have the luxury of study and improving things slowly. Conversely, one may have to act in the face of disaster or devastation, reconstructing a working system from the debris. These three perspectives are interwoven throughout 'Learn Everything.'
'Learn Everything' has a practical focus; the nuts and bolts of trying to bring theory and philosophy into life; experimentation with the application of evolved principles. I think it will work- but does it really work?
'We teach best, what we most need to learn' (Richard Bach). Research and development of this section has resulted at times in my walking out into the barnyard and announcing to the animals 'I have a plan'. They always look at me funny because they know that sometimes (often) the next thing I will say is 'Well. THAT didn't work'.
And sometimes it doesn't. They know that, and I know that.
********************************************************************************************************************************
Finding Problems, Finding Solutions;
1. Find the wrong.
2. Determine the root cause.
3. Find the solution.
4. Do the work-whatever it takes- to right the wrong.
And- to be obvious- if it is a 'fire' (of whatever type)- always follow the firefighter's maxim for the first action- 'Stop the burning'. Finding the root cause is key, but don't let the house burn down- or the situation be lost- while you are trying to determine what was the initial cause. Drag the baby out of the road before you wonder why (s)he is out there.
************************************************************************
2 WHAT IT IS
The second book of this website is the collection 'What It Is'. This is the soul-deep motivation of my life-long exploration of being.This body of work spans many years. It contains both poetry and prose, but thematically leans more toward the poetic.
Poetry, to me, has always seemed emotion raised to an intensity that it comes burning out of you, demanding to be written. When you read the resulting text, you realize that the emotion has come over in the words. More recently, I realize that; just as music plays on the senses but also on the feelings and the spirit, so too with poetry. It is as if as humans we are a sounding board. When music impinges on our senses, it reverberates in our brain. But the vibrations do not stop with sensation. Instead they continue to wherever our feelings, thoughts, and spirituality have found temporary housing within our physical body. Just so with poetry.
Looked at from this perspective, it is clear that poetry most likely contains (or encodes) information and intensity from all four domains- the physical, the mental, the emotional, and the spiritual. It is a miscellany of what can be experienced if the eyes, the mind, the heart, and the spirit are opened.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
I don't want this website to be 'internet dependent' in terms of constantly providing links to others' sites. But; 1. my website itself is in fact 'internet dependent' by virtue of the very fact that it is- let's say it together- a website, not hard copy (yet).
2. The resources I cite seem (to me) to be very valuable. Much of my learning came from the generosity of those sharing their knowledge base which I want to pass on to you.
That said, the entire structure, as it stands, is vulnerable. If we lose the net, we lose the knowledge, unless it can be passed on in a form not subject to electronic or digital disruption.
Until January 1st 2014, I had a comment section at the base of each page. After 2 years I note that I receive very few 'live' comments, and conversely a troubling amount of spam. I refuse to be a node in the marketing of handbag knockoffs, etc, so am eliminating the comment sections. If you go to the page entitles 'The interactive learning center, you will find a print of our business card and can email us. (Be warned- this could change as well if too much spam appears.)
A note on using this web site; the headers at page top 'roll down' to show the subtopics ('pages') under each heading. I find that annoying at times as I like the old-fashioned look of a table of contents. Accordingly, there is a site map with clickable links for the pages. I attempt to keep it up to date, and the program populating the map allegedly updates automatically. That said, as I compose there may be some pages that are not yet incorporated into the site map
Reference materials
You will note frequent use of Wikipedia as a reference. While I acknowledge that this resource is not considered entirely trustworthy in every case (due to the ability of multiple people to contribute to the material), I find it extraordinarily useful. I have supplemented this with other material, and welcome suggestions.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
2. The resources I cite seem (to me) to be very valuable. Much of my learning came from the generosity of those sharing their knowledge base which I want to pass on to you.
That said, the entire structure, as it stands, is vulnerable. If we lose the net, we lose the knowledge, unless it can be passed on in a form not subject to electronic or digital disruption.
Until January 1st 2014, I had a comment section at the base of each page. After 2 years I note that I receive very few 'live' comments, and conversely a troubling amount of spam. I refuse to be a node in the marketing of handbag knockoffs, etc, so am eliminating the comment sections. If you go to the page entitles 'The interactive learning center, you will find a print of our business card and can email us. (Be warned- this could change as well if too much spam appears.)
A note on using this web site; the headers at page top 'roll down' to show the subtopics ('pages') under each heading. I find that annoying at times as I like the old-fashioned look of a table of contents. Accordingly, there is a site map with clickable links for the pages. I attempt to keep it up to date, and the program populating the map allegedly updates automatically. That said, as I compose there may be some pages that are not yet incorporated into the site map
Reference materials
You will note frequent use of Wikipedia as a reference. While I acknowledge that this resource is not considered entirely trustworthy in every case (due to the ability of multiple people to contribute to the material), I find it extraordinarily useful. I have supplemented this with other material, and welcome suggestions.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Kudos to POWWEB
This website is hosted by POWWEB. (See the link at the bottom of the pages). I had encountered them as a web host when reviewing a website put up by my ex-husband for his business. He unreservedly recommended them on one of his pages. I have to agree, totally. Editing this body of work in their 'Weebly drag n drop builder' (also available as an independent web host tool) has allowed me the functionality of viewing and editing this material nearly in book format.
Should I have the good fortune to move forward to publication, I can conceptualize it being easier to gather chapters and the entire work together as, for example something to go on an e-book.
Should I have the good fortune to move forward to publication, I can conceptualize it being easier to gather chapters and the entire work together as, for example something to go on an e-book.