A 24h comics featuring a Golem

It looks like a fun Science project!

The 24h comics PDF can downloaded for free at http://www.lulu.com/product/file-download/24h-comics---afterwork/12932010

Expat Expo 2010 - (the Golem's review)

Last saturday (25-09-2010) I went for the first time to the Expat Expo (it's apparently the second time such expo is taking place) - I took the photo on the left.

As usual in such Expo, lots of people, lots of noise, and many (free) seminars to follow in 4 rooms. Unfortunately I missed the seminar delivered by the Prague Post on the The Changing Face of Journalism but followed one on mental toughness, quite funny actually they were showing a software able to measure an individual's level of stress.

The exhibitors stands were always busy, and there was activities for the whole family with a large place dedicated for kids. Everybody was speaking in English, I actually didn't hear any Czech, it was strange.

It was nice to be there, and I hope there will be another one next year.

What is the Golem metaphor?

For The Love of Prague

I'm having a very good time reading the book "For The Love of Prague" from Gene Deitch.

In a nutshell, it's the biography of Gene an American  who came to Prague in the early 60s for a job as a cartoon director, and ... why he never went back and he's actually still in Prague now. 
The book depicts the tragic Czech historical event of 1968 and the Revolution of 1989. 
And it highlight accurately what make the Czech personality so touching, and why living in Prague (the magic city) is such a sweet thing.
 

Read more about For The Love of Prague on the author's website.

Visiting Roznov

About an hour away from Ostrava ; in the direction of the south (if I remember correctly) is a village that goes by the name of Rožnov - where visitors will find a preserved wooden village (Living Museum)  where the tradition are kept and local people in authentic outfits will be performing traditional dancing, and are selling their products or crafts in a very warm and pleasant manner.

When you're there don't forget to drink a glass of hot medovina!

For more information read the official website at vmp.cz :

• Origin and development
• Visiting times
• Entrance fee
• Website in English

Wooden church of Sainte Catherine

Photo of the wooden church of Sainte Catherine in Ostrava (Moravia)

According to a local legend, The Sainte Catherine's church was originally in Frydek-Mistek, but the inhabitants of Hrabová decided to buy it, dismantled it, and then transported all parts to Hrabova and build it again there.

The church was destroyed by a fire in 2002 (presumably caused by a lightning bolt), and rebuild in 2004.


For more information - see Kostel svaté Kateřiny (Ostrava)

Golem Anime

A Golem's Story - made by Alon Boroda and Ron Nadel's during their animation studies in Bezalel academy for arts and design, Jerusalem. Music by Yoav Efron.

Lakota Instructions for Living

Friend do it this way - that is,
whatever you do in life,
do the very best you can
with both your heart and mind.

And if you do it that way,
the Power Of The Universe
will come to your assistance,
if your heart and mind are in Unity.

When one sits in the Hoop Of The People,
one must be responsible because
All of Creation is related.
And the hurt of one is the hurt of all.
And the honor of one is the honor of all.
And whatever we do effects everything in the universe.

If you do it that way - that is,
if you truly join your heart and mind
as One - whatever you ask for,
that's the Way It's Going To Be.

passed down from White Buffalo Calf Woman

Native American Elder Prayer Blessing

Honor the sacred.
Honor the Earth, our Mother.
Honor the Elders.
Honor all with whom we share the Earth:
Four-leggeds, two-leggeds, winged ones,
Swimmers, crawlers, plant and rock people.
Walk in balance and beauty.

Cosmic Golem

And the followers of the gospel-shouter on the west coast were now cropping up all over the mainland, and on the continent of Acaire to the north, and another cult, non-religious, was convinced that Merlin was a living machine, with conscious intelligence of its own and awesome psi-powers, a sort of super-Golem, which, if found and awakened, would enslave the whole Galaxy. Fortunately, these two hated each other as venomously as both did the Cybernarchists, and spent most of their energies attacking each other's meetings. The news-services were beginning to publish casualty lists, some heavy enough for outpost fighting between a couple of regular armies.

Extract from : The Cosmic Computer, by Henry Beam Piper

How Do You Know What You Really Want To Do In Life?

In a previous post, I was writing about the challenge of finding "What do you want in life" and on this particular quest, I'm glad that a bit of Google search (and a bit of luck) direct me to this article "How Do You Know What You Really Want To Do In Life?" written by Jocelyn Soriano (Thanks):

What is it that you won't ever get tired of doing? What is it that even if others attempt to stop you, you would still be doing just for the sake of doing it? Something you could never stop yourself from doing, because stopping yourself would mean stopping the very flow of life in you?

Freedom

Not being angry, removing this urge to fight back or to hold a grudge.
Instead cherish the time spent as a free human being.
Solving problems I can solve.
Finding my way, my inner voice.

Knowing what you want

In the movie "The Secret" and among several personal development method - the key is usually about knowing what you want.

Obviously if you don't know what you want, you won't get anywhere - just like when you start your day aimlessly, going from one activity to the other without thinking, and when going to bed at night not remembering what you've been doing that day.

Imagine a life where you would go with the flow, being a reactive person, living a life that other people dictates for you, and follow blindly orders, actually that might not necessarily be all that bad ... I'm mean there's no responsibility, no plan, no stress. 

But recently "Knowing what you want in life", for me is like a burning question - (isn't a question that everyone should ask himself?).

When I was a teenager, I was suddenly struck by another question : "What was the meaning of life" (and later became a fan of the Monty Python).

But some years later, I think it's not an achievable goal to try finding the "meaning of life", but the tricky part, the one that requires effort is actually trying to find our particular answer to "what we want in life", in other word to find "our meaning for our life".

But the question is a very challenging one, to know what you want, you must have an understanding of the life you want to live, and the irony is usually you can't because you've never been there yet. 

One of the way usually given in the books are to visualize things.

As an exercise I found out that one way to do this, is to write stories, little stories about what you want, it really helps to visualize and clarify things up.

Let's have an example, let says I want to quit my job and start my own business with my partner (a Tourist shop) - Then it will go like this : 

Mr and Mrs Jones decided to make a difference one day, after they quits their job, they decided to buy a small shop and sell souvenirs, crafted artworks, keychains, little statues, tourists books, self made postcards, and a Tour guide business ...

At this stage already I've found out something potentially new and exciting - I can already visualize the shop, and the number of books, the shelfs etc ... and now get a new idea, putting an online store through a website.

"The Secret" vs "Smile or Die"

It's always good to see both sides of an issue before making a decision - or to listen to both sides to understand a concept better and make our own judgment.

In this video above (that follows the previous post about "The Secret") Barbara Ehrenreich is giving a different angle on "positive thinking" and how it could be cruel and actually prevent people to healthily criticize or speculate on potentials dangers.

The Secret

As described in the film, the "Law of Attraction" principle shows that feelings and thoughts can attract events, from the workings of the cosmos to interactions among individuals in their physical, emotional, and professional affairs.

The Ten Indian Commandments

1. Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect
2. Remain close to the Great Spirit
3. Show great respect for your fellow beings
4. Work together for the beneft of all Mankind
5. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed
6. Do what you know to be right
7. Look after the well-being of mind and body
8. Dedicate a share of your eforts to the greater good
9. Be truthful and honest at all times
10. Take full responsibility for your actions

"Žít" Zdeňka Jordánová

V neděli 14.3.2010 v tělocvičně gymnázia v Omské ulici v Praze jsme měli možnost slyšet přednášku Zdeňky Jordánové. Zazněla v rámci 27. mezinárodního festivalu ezoterických a duchovních směrů MILUJ SVŮJ ŽIVOT.
Já osobně jsem měla poprvé možnost slyšet naživo tuto učitelku duchovního růstu a pocítit její charizma. A nebyla jsem zklamaná. Téma přednášky "Žít" se dotýká každého, každé živé bytosti. Je to téma univerzální a zárověň to nejosobnější pro každého z nás.

Někdo žije v budoucnosti nebo budoucností, jiní v minulosti. A přitom je tak důležité žít teď a tady. Jen v takovém stavu mysli se můžeme propojit se svými pocity a mít to, co Zdeňka zdůrazňuje: Dobrý pocit. To, co mnoho lidí už ani moc často necítí, nezná nebo nehledá.

Zdeňka Jordánová vyvolala ze sálu posluchačů jednu mladou ženu a zeptala se jí, jestli žije. Když jí žena přitakala, Zdeňka zjistila pomocí svalového testu, že ve skutečnosti nežije. Přežívá. Že žije, jen když pracuje, a to tvrdě, nebo sportuje. Jiný posluchač přímo popsal, že zase žije, když má něco velmi těžkého na práci, a k tomu ještě nějaký problém.

Zdeňka nám vyprávěla o jedné své metodě duchovního cvičení: ráno, než vstane, si představuje takové své alter ego a s ním, s alter-Zdeňkou si povídá. Z těch "rozhovorů" se o sobě dozvídá mnoho věcí a nechává se jimi vést. Je tak v souladu sama se sebou.
Alter-Zdeňka se ráno co ráno houpala v síti. Žádná "činnost", práce s lidmi, pomoc druhým. "Ty NIC neděláš!", zlobila se Zdeňka, která je nesmírně aktivní a činorodá. "Ale já se HOUPU!"

I při houpání, odpočinku nebo přemýšlení a snění bychom měli mít dobrý pocit, že žijeme...

Mnoho dalšího se při Zdeňčině přednášce, která byla při své hloubce taky velmi vtipná, událo. Těším se na její připravovanou knížku o cestě staletími a snad po ní další, právě s názvem "Žít".

Já sama jsem chtěla pod "detektorem lži" - svalovým testem - zjistit, jestli žiju. Mám malou dcerku a moc dobře vím, že žiju hlavně, když se o ni starám, když jsem s ní. A že musím umět žít, i když se věnuju sobě, nebo něčemu či někomu jinému. Moje halasné "Žiju"! neprošlo.
Až po malé chvíli, po zklidnění, jsem to opravdu procítila a Zdeňka mi svalovým testem potvrdila, že ten krásný pocit opravdu mám.

Děkuji Zdeňce Jordánové za její přednášku a přeju jí krásné jaro!

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 55 - King James Bible

Fret not thyself because of evildoers

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

Psalm 37 - King James Bible

Under the shadow of the Almighty

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91

The heart is deceitful

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:9

Did you say progress

Besides, the strange nature of the animal would elude all pursuit, even if I were so far credited as to persuade my relatives to commence it.
And then of what use would be pursuit? Who could arrest a creature capable of scaling the overhanging sides of Mont Saleve? These reflections determined me, and I resolved to remain silent.

From Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft (Godwin) Shelley

Welcome on the Prague's Golem Blog

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Thanks for visiting my blog, you will find here some notes on my current progress.

Above is a picture of me in my pajamas in Prague

NB : I'm using the blogger widget from "Geek Pinoy"

Art credits : www.peileppe.com