What I'm reading: Tough love

Abby Denson's Tough love: High school confidential:

This is a great manga-esque collection of comics that originally appeared in XY magazine!

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Mood: nostalgic

What I'm reading: Geek logik

From Garth Sundem's Geek Logik: 50 Foolproof Equations for Everyday Life:

This is just a funny book that (gasp) makes math useful. For example: Can you still wear a Speedo (without frightening small children)?
So I enter values such as waist size, calories consumed per day, and days per week I exercise into a formula and come up with:
S = 1.468
Since S > 1 I can still wear the Speedo!

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Mood: geeky

What I'm reading: The complete idiot's guide to Toltec wisdom

From Dr. Sheri Rosenthal's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Toltec Wisdom:

I have read Don Miguel Ruiz's books about Toltec teachings (which are very good), but wanted more background about this and a concise overview of the material he covers in several books. Dr. Rosenthal's guide does all this and goes beyond Ruiz's (her mentor) teachings, including other Toltec guides and information Ruiz has not yet written about.

Here are some of the key teachings I've taken from the book, more as a summary for me, but also a good overview if you are considering this book:

• The Toltec were skilled artisans, spiritualists, masterful architects, and powerful Warriors and sorcerers of ancient Mexico (p. 15).
• Toltecs believe we are basically living a dream and seek personal freedom through mastering our own awareness (seeking truth) (Chapter 2).
• "A Warrior endeavors to learn his or her whole life, knowing that he or she will never really know anything," (p. 37).
• A Warrior acts with purpose and respect; is detached, focused, patient, and lives in the moment (Chapter 9).
• Be impeccable with your word: be succinct, loving, clear, and positive as our word creates our reality (Chapter 12).
• Be cautious when listening to your mind/conscious: the mind is tuned to the Tonal and often uses past programming (logic, justification, and rationalization) to keep us living fear-based, limited lives (Chapter 13).
• Death is a personal adviser: people are often cavalier about their actions because they believe there is always tomorrow to change, fix, or repair their doings. Death reminds us to be impeccable in our words and deeds as there may not be the opportunity of tomorrow (p. 207).
• Impeccability is the basis of the Toltec path. Impeccable: action, communication, emotions, livelihood, love, and minds.
• Dreaming: shifting consciousness to use attention to perceive reality in different ways (meditation in other traditions)
• first attention: the Tonal worldview, puts order into a chaotic universe
• Nagual: the spiritual, Infinite part of our awareness/being, who we really are
• second attention: when we focus our attention to what is, rather than what we are taught about reality, a heightened state of consciousness
• Stalking:Becoming aware of everyday consciousness and behavior through observing and reflecting on our own habits, then considering alternate behaviors that will lead more towards the Nagual. Dr. Rosenthal recommends ten steps:
  1. Objectively watch ourselves, observing our behavior and others' reactions to us
  2. Inventory (journal) our beliefs (judgments, justifications, opinions, points of view, rationalizations)
  3. Examine our emotional reactions, and journal about what we believe about these emotions
  4. Review journal entries: are they true?
  5. Acknowledge the truth and take responsibility for helping make this reality
  6. Recapitulate our lives to see where our beliefs and agreements originated
  7. Release expectations we have in life about everything and everyone
  8. Forgive and let go of grudges, disagreements, resentments, and dislike
  9. Erase our personal history
     
  10. Become impersonal by totally detaching from the egotistical mind
      
• Tonal: the world of reason, the agreements we make with ourselves and others, a typical person's waking life

This book helped me think about a movie I once saw, Waking Life, in a different way. I wonder if the movie was a nod to Toltec Dreaming? I want to see it again soon!

Another Toltec reference in popular culture is Episode 3F24 ("El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer") of The Simpsons.

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Mood: spiritual

Quiz of the Day: Do You Have a Type A Personality?

You Have A Type A- Personality

You are one of the most balanced people around Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

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Mood: productive

Quiz of the Day: What year do you belong in

Isn't it ironic, don't you think?

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You Belong in 1977

If you scored... 1950 - 1959: You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in! 1960 - 1969: You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too. 1970 - 1979: Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all! 1980 - 1989: Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day. 1990 - 1999: With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

What Year Do You Belong In?

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Mood: mellow

Quiz of the Day: The Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor test

CHERRY GARCIA! You scored 70% SWEET, 59% CHUNKY, and 74% UNIQUE!

cherry sweet cream base with cherries and fudge chunks Awesome...you are one of my personal favs: Cherry Garcia. You fall in the middle on all measurements- sweet, wild, and unique, but not overwhelmingly so on any of those. You make a good friend, able to share your unique perspectives on things, and able to have fun without winding up in jail or something. Good job.

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on SWEET You scored higher than 99% on CHUNKY You scored higher than 99% on UNIQUE

Link: The Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavor Test written by weered1 on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

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Mood: nauseated

Quiz of the Day: What color is your aura?

Your Aura is Purple

Your Personality: You're a dreamer and visionary. You believe you were put on this earth to do something great. You in Love: You're very passionate but often too busy for love. You need a man who sees your vision and adopts it as his own. Your Career: You need a job that helps you make a difference. You have a bright future as a guru, politician, teacher, or musician.

What Color Is Your Aura?

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Mood: thoughtful

Quiz of the Day: What religion do you fit in with?

You fit in with: Spiritualism Your ideals are mostly spiritual, but in an individualistic way. While spirituality is very important in your life, organized religion itself may not be for you. It is best for you to seek these things on your own terms. 60% spiritual. 80% reason-oriented.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

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Mood: spiritual