Mitsuyoshi Mark's Posts - iPeace.us2024-03-29T02:32:56ZMitsuyoshi Markhttps://ipeace.us/profile/MitsuyoshiMarkhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/63674661?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://ipeace.us/profiles/blog/feed?user=1eb7iudv83s45&xn_auth=noJon Stewart!tag:ipeace.us,2010-04-02:2217368:BlogPost:25007412010-04-02T17:00:00.000ZMitsuyoshi Markhttps://ipeace.us/profile/MitsuyoshiMark
Awesome stuff...(Click 'continue' if the vid doesn't show here)<table cellspacing="0" style="font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5" width="360">
<tbody><tr style="background-color:#e5e5e5" valign="middle"><td style="padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;"><a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com" style="color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" target="_blank">The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a></td>
<td style="padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;">Mon - Thurs…</td>
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Awesome stuff...(Click 'continue' if the vid doesn't show here)<table style="font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5" cellspacing="0" width="360">
<tbody><tr style="background-color:#e5e5e5" valign="middle"><td style="padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;"><a target="_blank" style="color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com">The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a></td>
<td style="padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;">Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c</td>
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<tr style="height:14px;" valign="middle"><td style="padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;" colspan="2"><a target="_blank" style="color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-20-2010/bernie-goldberg-fires-back">Bernie Goldberg Fires Back</a></td>
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<tr style="height:14px; background-color:#353535" valign="middle"><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:360px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right"><a target="_blank" style="color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/">www.thedailyshow.com</a></td>
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<tr valign="middle"><td style="padding:0px;" colspan="2"><embed style="display:block" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:271692" width="360" height="301" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="window" flashvars="autoPlay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" bgcolor="#000000"></embed>
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<tr style="height:18px;" valign="middle"><td style="padding:0px;" colspan="2"><table style="margin:0px; text-align:center" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tr valign="middle"><td style="padding:3px; width:33%;"><a target="_blank" style="font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/">Daily Show Full Episodes</a></td>
<td style="padding:3px; width:33%;"><a target="_blank" style="font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.indecisionforever.com">Political Humor</a></td>
<td style="padding:3px; width:33%;"><a target="_blank" style="font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/Tea+Party">Tea Party</a></td>
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</table>Refinementtag:ipeace.us,2010-03-31:2217368:BlogPost:24971892010-03-31T14:00:00.000ZMitsuyoshi Markhttps://ipeace.us/profile/MitsuyoshiMark
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/72848221?profile=original"></img></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Refinement<br></br><br></br> There is a story about the samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, who once went to a sword polisher's shop to have his blade honed and brightened. At the front of the small business he saw a sign that read, "Souls of the samurai polished here." (It is well known that the sword was considered the soul of a samurai in the culture of the time.) <br></br> So Musashi entered. "Hello." He called. <br></br> "welcome." said the…</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/72848221?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Refinement<br/><br/> There is a story about the samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, who once went to a sword polisher's shop to have his blade honed and brightened. At the front of the small business he saw a sign that read, "Souls of the samurai polished here." (It is well known that the sword was considered the soul of a samurai in the culture of the time.) <br/> So Musashi entered. "Hello." He called. <br/> "welcome." said the old proprietor. <br/> "I would like to have this sharpened." Musashi said, handing over his sword.<br/> The old man respectfully bowed, examined the blade and asked, "Do you want it really sharp, or just sharp enough?"<br/> "The sharper the better."<br/> The old man frowned then. "Sharper than this?" He re-sheathed the sword, handed it back, and said, "I must decline."<br/> Musashi was both surprised and not a little offended. "Is my sword unworthy of your efforts then?" <br/> "No. Its a superior blade. I just can't stomach honing the blade of a killer. A man who kills and thinks its any great achievement is misguided to say the least.What did my sign say out there? I 'polish the soul of the samurai.' didn't say anything about sharpening things..."</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Musashi became even more surprised. Then he became thoughtful.<br/><br/>The old man's wife came out quickly to apologize, but was surprised to hear Musashi say, "No. your husband taught me a good lesson today." He then bowed deeply and asked, "Will you polish my soul?"<br/><br/>The old man smiled, slapped his thigh, and said, "I would be honored to do my best for such a fine blade whose owner is a man of such great character. I only hope I can do it justice. I would much rather my master in Kyoto were here to do it for you." Thus began a friendship between Musashi and the old sword polishing master.<br/><br/>I have recently begun to make these kinds of swords in the old way. Forging and quenching the raw steel until it literally is born into a blade that has taken on a 'life' of its own. During the course of this, one realizes that its an intensely spiritual pursuit. Its a form of alchemy. water, air, earth and fire come together, along with the spirit of the maker to produce something of beauty, that....at its core, is a thing which kills. But at its higher level becomes a thing which refines the spirit.<br/><br/>Through this process I've come to see that our entire journey through life is a form of refinement, as we evolve from birth to our last breath. Its all a question of how much we want to push it. I can say with all certainty that making a blade of this type demands that one pushes it to the extreme. And....it never ends. One can make a beautiful blade, and when the last stroke of the honing stone is made, he will be hungry to get on to the next sword, which will gain benefit from all the mistakes of the last efforts. Its the process...never the object that seems to really matter.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">People have a view of the samurai as bloodthirsty fanatics who kill at the drop of a hat. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want to explore the artistic and spiritual end of it to illustrate the reality of who they were. <br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="423" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/72848325?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Rough forging</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/72848237?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/>Rough shaping</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="385" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/72848239?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">polishing. Refinement.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In the old days steel was obtained by smelting all kinds of materials provided by nature. The vikings burned peat moss. In the US they burn mineral rich dirt. In japan, they would burn sand from specific areas. Thus we have the earth component. <br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Air is needed to raise the temperature of the forge. Bellows are used to achieve this. Yes, it is monotonous, but if you approach it from a spiritual angle, it becomes a very meditative experience. it also has a very Zen component in that one must be keenly aware of the state of the steel as it is being heated. One has to be in the moment. Completely present.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Water is used to quench the blade in the most dramatic moment. The moment when the steel actually takes on the characteristics of, and becomes a samurai sword. it is also used to blast off the fire scale that develops from the extreme temperatures.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Fire is the purifier. It literally lights up the steel, and so 'enlightens' the deepest core of the metal. it makes the steel malleable and allows it to take on a shape without being too rigid. Rigidity forms cracks that ultimately destroy the blade. At its moment of most thorough 'enlightenment,' the blade is quenched. <br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Joseph Campbell's hero's journey comes to mind here. because the hero in his story must face a crisis. If he survives this, he comes out on the other side transformed. Purified.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="371" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/72848331?profile=RESIZE_480x480" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Transformed. Born as a wakizashi.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Forging also affords one the chance to make other things that, if viewed from a certain perspective, allow for a further evolution towards what ultimately becomes serenity and refinement. There are many paths...Kung Fu, Aikido, Kendo, Karate, tea ceremony, painting...</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Thing of it is, I've been watching a bunch of old school ninjutsu films of late, and have realized that these folks, the ninja, must have been incredibly serene and composed. To move silently and perform a task when one is up against at least a dozen sentries, knowing that any alarm will bring scores of trained men with swords drawn...Yeah these guys had incredible composure. The consequence of being caught was torture and crucifixion or any other lingering agonizing death that his foes could think up. So i decided I wanted to learn about one small aspect of their art. Shuriken jutsu. <br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="568" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/72848241?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/72848333?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Most of us are familiar with the ninja stars, but the bo-shuriken was also very common. The throwing spike.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Its not easy to grasp by a long shot. The grip must be just so. The stance, the angle of attack, and most importantly, the mind must be correct. Coordinating the mind with the act of throwing demands complete presence and instantaneous split second timing. If anything is off, you miss, or the spike doesn't hit right and bounces off.<br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Now think of executing all this as one is being attacked by men with swords drawn, and you can see how important composure was for these men and women. A great example of this kind of budo honed serenity can be seen in Miyamoto Musashi's paintings.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/72848243?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Musashi fought over sixty life or death duels, yet he had developed the serenity of spirit to produce this painting, which is shown in museums around the world as a high example of Zen artistry. <object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2KXPEoFq89w&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2KXPEoFq89w&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>
A beautiful short video that perfectly illustrates the complete presence in perfect form. Zanshin.<br/>
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<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7J-5taUpUQk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7J-5taUpUQk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Free Ricetag:ipeace.us,2009-04-24:2217368:BlogPost:15321352009-04-24T04:25:13.000ZMitsuyoshi Markhttps://ipeace.us/profile/MitsuyoshiMark
http://www.freerice.com/index.php<br />
<br />
This is a link to a wonderful page. It quizzes you on your vocabulary, and gets progressively harder as you go through it. For every correct answer you make, world governments will donate rice and other necessities to countries in need.<br />
<br />
By the end of a session, you will have learned quite a bit. Your vocabulary will have expanded, and you will have fed someone who really needs help. Its a Win Win.
http://www.freerice.com/index.php<br />
<br />
This is a link to a wonderful page. It quizzes you on your vocabulary, and gets progressively harder as you go through it. For every correct answer you make, world governments will donate rice and other necessities to countries in need.<br />
<br />
By the end of a session, you will have learned quite a bit. Your vocabulary will have expanded, and you will have fed someone who really needs help. Its a Win Win.Cowardicetag:ipeace.us,2009-04-14:2217368:BlogPost:14922252009-04-14T08:30:00.000ZMitsuyoshi Markhttps://ipeace.us/profile/MitsuyoshiMark
Early this morning something happened on iPeace that really made me sit up and take notice. This is a great site with wonderful members who, for the most part, are sincere in their desire to bring about a betterment of our world. We do this through the sharing of insights, news, thoughts, artistry, and opinions...All in a warm environment full of very real love and caring.<br />
<br />
Apparently there is also something more floating about too.<br />
<br />
I posted this video on Clayclream's comment…
Early this morning something happened on iPeace that really made me sit up and take notice. This is a great site with wonderful members who, for the most part, are sincere in their desire to bring about a betterment of our world. We do this through the sharing of insights, news, thoughts, artistry, and opinions...All in a warm environment full of very real love and caring.<br />
<br />
Apparently there is also something more floating about too.<br />
<br />
I posted this video on Clayclream's comment page.<br />
<br />
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UaS2bRGS86c&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UaS2bRGS86c&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
<br />
Did you watch the whole thing? Its important.<br />
<br />
Someone found this offensive enough to repeatedly delete this video from her page.<br />
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Admittedly, Carlin uses some hard core language that can make some folks cringe. But his message was a thing of beauty. It was a scathing indictment of the Bush policies and war in general. His premise is that war is an expression of men's fear of being sexually inadequate. He may just be right on the money, but that's not important here.<br />
<br />
The important thing is that someone found this so threatening that he or she made the choice for the rest of us to censor this piece of information. (This piece of fun.)<br />
<br />
Now was this person:<br />
<br />
a) a Bush supporter?<br />
b) a supporter of the Iraq war?<br />
c) too provincial to appreciate irony and sarcasm in humor?<br />
d) a prude?<br />
e) sexually inadequate? (Pfizer makes a little blue pill for that nowadays)<br />
f) all of the above?<br />
<br />
A few things are apparent about this individual, though. .First, he/she has a very poor grasp of history. Ideas and ideals cannot simply be erased on the whim of those wallowing in dogma, no matter how hard they might try. Ever heard of Copernicus?.<br />
<br />
Second, this person doesn't have much capacity for self examination or reflection. Very similar in fact, to the mind set of GW Bush. Put on the blinders and full speed ahead, with the lemmings bringing up the rear....straight off the cliff.<br />
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When this person sees something he/she doesn't like or agree with, he/she simply lashes out from the shadows, and tries to eliminate the information. Yes this person is a coward. Just like these guys...<br />
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<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s4_j4c7Bop0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s4_j4c7Bop0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
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The way adults approach a disagreement is to make their voice heard. To argue their point if it has any merit. To stand on their convictions. Not to throw stones from the shadows. This is simply blatant and pathetic cowardice.<br />
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How ironic that a hostile invertebrate like this thinks for a moment that he or she speaks for peace.Wise Wordstag:ipeace.us,2009-02-01:2217368:BlogPost:11205612009-02-01T02:03:37.000ZMitsuyoshi Markhttps://ipeace.us/profile/MitsuyoshiMark
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hugg3O91gaQ&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false"></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hugg3O91gaQ&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never"></embed> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param></object>
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