This morning I had an urge to go to Summerland, which is a town just north of Carpinteria and just south of Montecito. Just as we exited the highway and rolled into town, we came upon a store called The Sacred Space. It was an oasis of Buddhist treasures and designed like a temple sanctuary. I've never seen such a panoply of Buddhist statuary and related artifacts. The surrounding gardens were nothing short of stunning. While it was a place for shopping, I just wanted to sit and meditate. Later, we went up into the hills to the Vendanta Temple and bookstore, which, in its own right, was equally as magnificent as The Sacred Place. The picture of the bell below is at the Vendanta Temple, while most of the others are from the Sacred Space store. Enjoy!
February 27, 2009
Excursions into sublime
February 24, 2009
Creative Pursuits
I've begun exploring a little with beading and jewelry design. My friend Shanti has been very helpful getting me started with supplies. For me, the process of creation is very slow. These two pieces were done over a number of weeks. Well, what I mean is, once I actually got to work on them they didn't take very long to complete but it's the getting going on them that takes time. The necklace with the key in the center is made up of an Adlake Caboose Key, carved and plain Bodhi beads, and ceramic shaped beads from the 60s. The lower piece is a 108 Radraksha bead mala with a golden tassle under the guru bead.
February 20, 2009
February 15, 2009
Update - Best Job in the World
It seems my one minute and one second video was one second too long and has been rejected by Tourism Queensland. While it's true their requirements called for a video not more than sixty seconds, I never thought one second would matter so much. What is one second anyway? Well, according to Wikipedia, a second is ...
History (links in the Wiki article do not work)
The Egyptians subdivided daytime and nighttime into twelve hours each since at least 2000 BC, hence their hours varied seasonally. The Hellenistic astronomers Hipparchus (c. 150 BC) and Ptolemy (c. AD 150) subdivided the day sexagesimally and also used a mean hour (1⁄24 day), but did not use distinctly named smaller units of time. Instead they used simple fractions of an hour.
The day was subdivided sexagesimally, that is by 1⁄60, by 1⁄60 of that, by 1⁄60 of that, etc., to at least six places after the sexagesimal point (a precision of less than 2 microseconds) by the Babylonians after 300 BC, but they did not sexagesimally subdivide smaller units of time. For example, six fractional sexagesimal places of a day was used in their specification of the length of the year, although they were unable to measure such a small fraction of a day in real time. As another example, they specified that the mean synodic month was 29;31,50,8,20 days (four fractional sexagesimal positions), which was repeated by Hipparchus and Ptolemy sexagesimally, and is currently the mean synodic month of the Hebrew calendar, though restated as 29 days 12 hours 793 halakim (where 1 hour = 1080 halakim).[4] The Babylonians did not use the hour, but did use a double-hour lasting 120 of our minutes, a time-degree lasting four of our minutes, and a barleycorn lasting 3⅓ of our seconds (the helek of the modern Hebrew calendar).[5]
In 1000, the Persian scholar al-Biruni gave the times of the new moons of specific weeks as a number of days, hours, minutes, seconds, thirds, and fourths after noon Sunday.[6] In 1267, the medieval scientist Roger Bacon stated the times of full moons as a number of hours, minutes, seconds, thirds, and fourths (horae, minuta, secunda, tertia, and quarta) after noon on specified calendar dates.[7] Although a third for 1⁄60 of a second remains in some languages, for example Polish (tercja) and Arabic (ثالثة), the modern second is subdivided decimally.
The first attempt at creating a clock that could measure time in seconds was created by Taqi al-Din at the Istanbul observatory of al-Din between 1577-1580. He called it the "observational clock" in his In the Nabik Tree of the Extremity of Thoughts, where he described it as "a mechanical clock with three dials which show the hours, the minutes, and the seconds." He used it as an astronomical clock, particularly for measuring the right ascension of the stars.[8]
The second first became accurately measurable with the development of pendulum clocks keeping mean time (as opposed to the apparent time displayed by sundials), specifically in 1670 when William Clement added a seconds pendulum to the original pendulum clock of Christian Huygens.[9] The seconds pendulum has a period of two seconds, one second for a swing forward and one second for a swing back, enabling the longcase clock incorporating it to tick seconds. From this time, a second hand that rotated once per minute in a small subdial began to be added to the clock faces of precision clocks.
In 1956 the second was defined in terms of the period of revolution of the Earth around the Sun for a particular epoch, because by then it had become recognized that the Earth's rotation on its own axis was not sufficiently uniform as a standard of time. The Earth's motion was described in Newcomb's Tables of the Sun, which provides a formula for the motion of the Sun at the epoch 1900 based on astronomical observations made between 1750 and 1892.[10] The second thus defined is
the fraction 1/31,556,925.9747 of the tropical year for 1900 January 0 at 12 hours ephemeris time.[10]
This definition was ratified by the Eleventh General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1960. The tropical year in the definition was not measured, but calculated from a formula describing a mean tropical year which decreased linearly over time, hence the curious reference to a specific instantaneous tropical year. Because this second was the independent variable of time used in ephemerides of the Sun and Moon during most of the twentieth century (Newcomb's Tables of the Sun were used from 1900 through 1983, and Brown's Tables of the Moon were used from 1920 through 1983), it was called the ephemeris second.[10]
With the development of the atomic clock, it was decided to use atomic clocks as the basis of the definition of the second, rather than the revolution of the Earth around the Sun.
Following several years of work, Louis Essen from the National Physical Laboratory (Teddington, England) and William Markowitz from the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) determined the relationship between the hyperfine transition frequency of the cesium atom and the ephemeris second.[10] Using a common-view measurement method based on the received signals from radio station WWV,[11] they determined the orbital motion of the Moon about the Earth, from which the apparent motion of the Sun could be inferred, in terms of time as measured by an atomic clock. As a result, in 1967 the Thirteenth General Conference on Weights and Measures defined the second of atomic time in the International System of Units as
the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium-133 atom.[10]
During the 1970s it was realized that gravitational time dilation caused the second produced by each atomic clock to differ depending on its altitude. A uniform second was produced by correcting the output of each atomic clock to mean sea level (the rotating geoid), lengthening the second by about 1×10−10. This correction was applied at the beginning of 1977 and formalized in 1980. In relativistic terms, the SI second is defined as the proper time on the rotating geoid.[12]
The definition of the second was later refined at the 1997 meeting of the BIPM to include the statement
This definition refers to a cesium atom at rest at a temperature of 0 K.
The revised definition would seem to imply that the ideal atomic clock would contain a single cesium atom at rest emitting a single frequency. In practice, however, the definition means that high-precision realizations of the second should compensate for the effects of the ambient temperature (black-body radiation) within which atomic clocks operate and extrapolate accordingly to the value of the second as defined above.
To quote Ludlow et al.[13] “In recent years, optical atomic clocks have become increasingly competitive in performance with their microwave counterparts. The overall accuracy of single trapped ion based optical standards closely approaches that of the state-of-the-art cesium fountain standards. Large ensembles of ultracold alkaline earth atoms have provided impressive clock stability for short averaging times, surpassing that of single-ion based systems. So far, interrogation of neutral atom based optical standards has been carried out primarily in free space, unavoidably including atomic motional effects that typically limit the overall system accuracy. An alternative approach is to explore the ultranarrow optical transitions of atoms held in an optical lattice. The atoms are tightly localized so that Doppler and photon-recoil related effects on the transition frequency are eliminated.”
The NRC attaches a "relative uncertainty" of 2.5 × 10−11 (limited by day-to-day and device-to-device reproducibility) to their atomic clock based upon the 127I2 molecule, and is advocating use of an Sr88 ion trap instead (relative uncertainty due to linewidth of 2.2 × 10−15). See magneto-optical trap and "Trapped ion optical frequency standards". National Physical Laboratory. http://www.npl.co.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.1086. Such uncertainties rival that of the NIST F-1 cesium atomic clock in the microwave region, estimated as a few parts in 1016 averaged over a day.[14][15]
All that being said, I guess a second is a very long time and if I want to be considered for The Best Job in the World, then I'll have to make a shorter video.
February 7, 2009
The Best Job in the World – Island Caretaker Great Barrier Reef
About the job
Tourism Queensland is seeking applicants for the best job in the world! The role of Island Caretaker is a six-month contract, based on luxurious Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a live-in position with flexible working hours and key responsibilities include exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area has to offer. You’ll be required to report back on your adventures to Tourism Queensland headquarters in Brisbane (and the rest of the world) via weekly blogs, photo diary, video updates and ongoing media interviews. On offer is a unique opportunity to help promote the wondrous Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
Other duties may include (but are not limited to)
Feed the fish - There are over 1,500 species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t worry – you won’t need to feed them all.
Clean the pool - The pool has an automatic filter, but if you happen to see a stray leaf floating on the surface it’s a great excuse to dive in and enjoy a few laps.
Collect the mail – During your explorations, why not join the aerial postal service for a day? It’s a great opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the reef and islands.
About the job package
Living above the Great Barrier Reef is a pretty unique benefit, but the successful
candidate will also be paid a salary package of AUD $150,000 for the six-month contract. You’ll receive return airfares from your nearest capital city (in your home country), accommodation and transport on Hamilton Island, travel insurance for the contract period, computer, internet, digital video and stills cameras access, plus travel to a number of the other Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. The six-month contract commences 1st July 2009.
About the location
Stretching for 2,600 kilometres, and composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia is the world’s largest coral reef system. The World Heritage Listed area supports a diversity of wildlife including whales, dolphins, sea turtles and more than 1,500 species of fish. The reef is an extremely popular destination for tourists, sustainably managing approximately 2 million visitors each year.
February 4, 2009
Trying to stay on track
Ever since I left Florida for the sunny coast of California, the transition has been far from smooth. Those of you who follow this blog regularly will remember our difficult trek across the country and the long grueling days in the heart of Darkness (Texas). Once we arrived, we discovered that our idyllic setting though very beautiful was also very cut-off from the surrounding towns except by driving 20 minutes, depending on traffic, either north or south along the coast. While the drive is exceptionally beautiful, imagine cruising along with the Pacific Coast on one side and mountains on the other, whichever way you go; however, at certain times of the day the traffic can be as grueling as any major city at rush hour. Stop and go on the freeway! Also the quaint little town we live in (La Conchita) carries a disturbing energy and a troubled past. I can't quite explain the energy but it's like a blackness that hangs over the neighborhood. La Conchita has experienced two major mudslides and the last one claimed the lives of six people including young children. Also, the city never excavated the bodies! They're buried where the died along with all their belongings. The area also has a colorful past and in some ways present of being known as a haven for illegal drugs. It's the kind of place you can go to disappear. Sometimes I feel like I've disappeared here. I've been having trouble getting things going, finding regular work, getting settled. My recent desire to up and run has been tempered with all of this. Then, while trying to figure out what the Universe wants me to do, my next door neighbor died suddenly in his sleep. He leaves behind a fiance and a step child and children from a previous marriage. His fiance finds herself in a very disturbing situation. He was her main supporter and now she may loose her home and car. She was also recently accepted to medical school but must remain in the area in order to attend. So, she must not only deal with the loss of her future husband but imminent loss of her home, car, and future education. What a mess! With all of this happening, was it any wonder I wanted to return to a place I knew there were opportunities and a way of life I once felt some stability in? Granted, I HATED the very bitterly cold winters, which were a primary reason I left. But, for a while, it seemed like the perfect answer. However, I now realize and understand that cutting and running, unless my life is in danger, is not the answer. Yes, life is very chaotic and uncertain right now, but I'm also with people who genuinely care about me and we are working together (like pioneers) to etch out a life out here. All of us (practically the whole country) is having a hard time right now. And there are many very good things happening for me here. I've recently begun studying Kadampa Buddhism with earnest. We have discovered a wonderful Buddhist Center in Santa Barbara that we get so much spiritual enrichment from and a great Buddhist community, it would be a shame to leave it so soon. Also, the weather and environment here is truly amazing. The liberal attitudes and openness to new thought is prevalent and refreshing after my year's sojourn in Melbourne, FL which can be very repressed. When I stop and remember the journey I'm on and have been on since I left Chicago nearly three years ago, I have to be thankful for where the Universe has brought me. Journeys are never easy. Life isn't easy. I just have to remember to stop, listen, and breathe.
I would ask that those of you who believe in the vital force of positive energy, or those attuned to Reiki, to please send some healing rays my way to help keep me on track.
Peace!
February 1, 2009
Going Home Again
How strange my life has been since I left Chicago back in the winter of 2007. I have lived in sunny Florida and equally sunny California. While I expected to be in Florida for awhile, I never expected to be in California. My move out west came on almost as quickly as my decision to return to the Midwest. In both situations, I thought about it for about a day. It just seemed like the right thing to do at that time and it still does. Although now my life is on a different course than it was the last time I went to Chicago. Back then, it was about going to college and proving to myself that I could live on my own. It was also an escape from my life in Florida. Did I ever tell you how I chose Chicago out of all the other places I could have gone to? I took part in a college tour in my junior year. Of course, it was to all Christian colleges along the east coast. I don't think I ever had any intention of attending any of the schools, I just wanted to take the trip. Well, one of the places we went to was Wheaton College out in Wheaton Illinois. My friend Liz was going there at the time and I did consider trying to go there myself but I doubt now that I would have gotten in based on my gpa in highschool at the time. Anyway, one evening Liz chaperoned the whole gang of us into Chicago. We ran around downtown and went the Sears Tower, which was closed, and had to use the restroom in an expensive restaurant called Hys, which since closed. All I know is, something happened in me that night. I just wanted to BE there. The neighborhoods, the skyscrapers, the density, the people, the color, and the dinginess too. It's all part of it and only scratches the surface of it all. Whatever it was that hooked me that first time, it's still in me. I'm not thrilled about going back into the cold but at least I know exactly what to expect this time. And, in a few months, it'll be spring, then summer, then fall which is my favorite time of year. I can't wait!
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