Lottery lore; Anniversary of the atomic bomb; Shamanic vs group-based religious rites; Unstructured time; Samsara...

As far as I understand, profits from Ontario lotteries goes to fund programs in sports, recreation, culture, the arts, education, health care, the environment, charities, as well as gambling addiction programs. If I discover this not to be the case I would, of course, stop buying tickets when I occasionally do. When I've succumbed and bought a ticket, I've never felt that it was money wasted: half of it goes to winners, a tiny bit to administration, and almost half to the wide variety of programs I've mentioned, many of which would cease to exist without this funding.

Nah, I wasn't 'bargaining,' just usually I never buy a ticket when the prize is that big because I wouldn't want the responsibility of all that money, nor the publicity. Still, buying a $2. ticket, even with no odds at all, one needs to be prepared, just in case... Zimbabwe is my mother country, and the country is in tragic condition, that's why a foundation to Feed the Children of Zimbabwe rather than something in Canada, which is in much better shape.
_____

Noone understands the atomic bomb like the Japanese do. I bow in sorrow and remembrance.

_____

"In plant-based groups the focus is on the group; whereas, in hunting-based ones the focus is on the individual. Of the former, we find group-based religious rites; in the latter, there is a focus on unique vision. The shaman, usually an odd and feared person in a farming-based society, is central to hunting and gathering tribes."

I wrote that 21 years ago. I wonder if it's at all 'provable.' Interesting concepts...

_____

With my daughter mostly away, and not working outside the home at present, and crazy menopausal sleep cycles, and a ton of sorting to do, I've decided to "unstructure" myself. I hereby release myself from having to conform to any schedule at all. I'll sleep when I feel like it, get up when I feel like it, write when I want, meditate when I want, paint if I want, eat whenever I feel like it, take the dog out whenever, and try to sort out the mess in this over-crowded space as whim moves me. So far, it's working - I did all the dishes and cleaned without feeling guilty or forced. None of it is hard to do, I don't know why I tend to make it so.

_____

I saw Nalin Pan's film, Samsara, last night... and it continues to play in my consciousness. The landscapes and extraordinary architecture, the ritual objects, the clothing, the beauty of the people, the innocence of such simple decisions. I may try to write more later on this film...


tecnorati tags: lottery, anniversary of atomic bomb, shamans, unstructured time, samsara.