Awesome source of Inspiration and cutting edge Wisdom /&/&/ One Media program that does it All.

My friend Stephen introduced me to this awesome source of inspiration and cutting edge wisdom (My message continues below...):

Enchanting TED
by David Pogue
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/


Last week, I attended my second TED conference, which stands for Technology,
Entertainment, and Design. During the four-day conference, you hear 50
speakers, who are given 18 minutes each.

They are the most compelling, passionate, informed speakers you've ever
heard (all right, maybe 45 of them are). Some bring back reports from the
edge of medicine, archaeology, nanotech, neurology, psychiatry or the Web.
Some, like Paul Simon, Tracy Chapman, and They Might Be Giants, perform
live.

But a good number of them bring you face to face with some of the most
upsetting realities of human existence. The horrors in sub-Saharan Africa.
The viruses that are gaining on us. The increasing scarcity of drinkable
water. And over and over and over again, climate change, presented with the
most harrowing examples, measurements and projections.

John Doerr, the famous venture capitalist whose firm bootstrapped such
startups as Amazon and Google, began his climate-crisis talk with the words,
"I'm really scared. I don't think we're going to make it"-and ended too
choked up to speak.

Another speaker this year actually used the term "species extinction,"
referring to ours.

There are so many standing ovations, you're practically doing 18-minute
calisthenics. And the cumulative effect of the conference is devastating.
You can't return to the real world thinking the same thoughts you thought
before; you just can't do it.

Worse, you can't even explain to other people why the thing is so
overwhelming. I had nine minutes to try in a "CBS News Sunday Morning"
segment-and the result fell so far short at conveying the effect, they wound
up posting it online instead of airing it on TV.

Only 1,000 people can attend TED live (it's in Monterey, California). The
auditorium holds only 500 people; the rest sit downstairs in a comfortable
"simulcast lounge" and watch on flat-panel high-definition TV sets. (So why
don't they hold the thing in a bigger theater? They tried. Last year, they
held one afternoon's talks in a Broadway-style theater. It was a disaster.
The enormous hall drained all sense of intimacy, humanity and urgency from
the speakers.)

Next year's conference is already sold out-at $6,000 a ticket, if you can
believe that. (Speakers aren't paid, but get a free pass to the conference.
This year, I was one of about 20 uncredited "three-minuters"-people who
perform shorter, quirkier interstitial talks between the biggies-and was
thus given a free conference ticket.)

Fortunately, TED has begun posting high-quality videos of the
talks-specifically re-edited for Web use-at http://www.ted.com/tedtalks .
You can find 65 of them already online (mine from 2006 among them), ready to
watch online or download to your iPod, and TED plans to make many more
available.

There's even talk of streaming the talks live to the Web in future years,
which I think would be an awesome idea.

Anyway, over the next few days, I'll be writing up some of the coolest, most
interesting and entertaining talks I heard at TED last week on my blog at
nytimes.com/pogue. I'll attempt to limit myself to tech-oriented topics,
although with speakers that included Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, James
Randi, Lawrence Lessig, Alan Kay, Philippe Starck, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and
others, that might not be easy.

In the meantime, here's your homework. Set aside an hour and watch three of
the TED talks online back to back.

Then check out these Web sites, whose creators were among the presenters
this year:
http://www.bumptop.com (a radical new concept for the computer desktop)
http://www.wefeelfine.org (a visual, real-time emotion meter that depicts
the Internet's bloggers)
http://www.bmwworld.com/hydrogen/ (BMW's fleet of hydrogen-powered cars)





And now back to Precious in Taiwan...
Now for my techy tip o' the week: Watching and downloading Videos on our computers has recently seen a BOOM. Platforms for watching the videos are not highly standardized yet. So, I want to share the soutions I've found with you. Do you ever have problems watching/listening to Video/Audio that you have downloaded or are streaming online? I have put some heavy research (perhaps novice to some, but expert to most) into this subject recently and want to share my findings. Yes, One simple program can do it all (with a few downloads and clicks to get it started). All Free! Free @ Last! Free @ Last! Thank God Almighty Free @ Last! If you don't have these problems... skip this boring technofied lame BUTT info and go serve the Universe like there's no tomorrow!

I like barebones software that works and keeps my computer speeding along. First issue is your browser (Firefox blows Internet Explorer to smithereens). For my media player, I use Media Player Classic, which is Windows Media Player in it's smallest most functional form. Media Player Classic is included in the following Codec Pack (A Codec Pack is necessary to uncompress and see movies that are compressed using many different codec compressions... many times when your movie doesn't play, it's because you're missing the necessary codec). After trying a few Codec Packs, I'm having good results with the K-Lite Codec Pack FULL (17.6MB). Again, Media Player Classic is included in the K-Lite Codec Pack download. Install and configure the codec pack and Media Player Classic to handle your media files (so when you click on a video or audio file, Microsoft or other BLOATware won't take over your computer... Super small yet oh so powerful Media Player Clasic will play your media).

Now for Streaming Media: Many audio/video streams are Quicktime or Realmedia, both of which hog your systems resources, slow down your system, and constantly annoy you with pop-ups. There are now Light, adware-FREE versions available to replace the original BLOATware. Download and install Quicktime Alternative LITE (you only need LITE because you've already installed Media Player Classic) and Real Alternative LITE. (*Note 1st click the Download QuickTime Alternative//Download Real Alternative link to find the LITE version downloads). Now 1% to 5% of the time, you may still have some trouble opening your media. Try the VLC Media Player. Still having problems? Try the MPlayer.


Hope I'm sending you off on a successful trip of simplification and funtcionality... and not a download trip of misery. And if you actually take this advice, are successful, and have nice things to say... give thanks, cause I need some appreciation after typing all of this (I'm a slow typist)! And of course, I appreciate you for reading all of this!!! Now take your eyes OFF the screen, blink a few times, smile, and relax before you read on.

Now it's time for me to listen to another TED talk while practicing standing meditation (zhan1 zhuang1).

Love, Peace, & Joy raining upon you,
Precious James

--
http://www.myspace.com/preciousjames

My First Acupuncture Experience

A friend and I have plans for a video of the Acupuncture Experience, but here's a vision through words to warm you up...

Imagine walking into a room... with 20 chairs lined up. An electric box above each chair with multi-color wires hanging down from each box. These wires connect to the needles that will be inserted into the acupuncture points of your body. The nurse takes you over to a seat and you sit next to another patient waiting to get stuck. Then after waiting for awhile, the good doctor roles on up with his cart of needles and sundry gadgets that can return balance and harmony to your chi flow.

The person next to you gets the treatment first... Thank Goddess!, so you get to watch the guy next to you first. Psychologically tormenting to watch each needle go in, but simultaneously calming and easing because he seems unmoved. The patient just sits stoically as each needle is inserted... I gain confidence. Then another nurse follows the doctor up by putting cotton enveloped herbal balls (of mugwort) on the end of some of his needles. Then they are lit like incense to slowly burn and add heat to the acupuncture points. The smoke is soothing and irritating, yin and yang. Now time to juice the patient up with some voltage. The multi-colored wires you noticed before, hanging from the electrocuting boxes, are now attatched to some of the needles by clasps. Mild, stimulating, current is then fed to the needles in alternating flows of existence and nothingness, thus causing his muscles to twitch around the electrofied points.

Now, it's your turn... Lai2 (come), your turn. Each one time use, disposable needle is in a plastic tube of equal length. The needle is said to be as thin as a hair (well it's not, but it is really thin). The doctor puts the plastic tube to your skin. He gives one good tap to the needles head to drive the needle through your skin (and a few other dermal layers). There is a sharp pain sometimes, and sometimes no pain. Then a numbness ensues for a few minutes until you become assimilated and your mind wanders to other things. After 30 minutes, the nurse returns to remove the needles and uses a cotton swab to swab up the miniscule drop of blood that sometimes forms at the point of removal.

Benefit?: I've been using Chinese Medicine for 5 years and have had great results with it for treating common colds, chronic sinusitis (including thick green mucous), allergies, chronic coughs lasting months, and general joint soreness. For the chronic sinusitis, western doctors only offered antibiotics or surgery, both of which I prefer to avoid. I've now been going for the 30 minute acupuncture treatments 6 days a week for over a month. I feel my chronic sinus issues are improving to a whole new level of wellness that chinese herbal medicine alone did not bring me to. I'm quite impressed and will continue to go daily. The Doctor recommends I do daily tratments for 3 months... especially because of my weak physical condition.

Cost?: Taiwan's insurance covers 80% of the treatment cost. I pay $1.70 USD for each 30 minute visit. And $5 for one weekly visit which includes diagnosis by the doctor and a new week's worth of chinese herbal medicine. Soooooo cheap! I've heard acupuncture treatments in the States cost $50-$70 per treatment, and I imagine herbal medicine can be pricey as well. So I'm racking up the Chinese Medicine experiences while I'm here.

Diagnosis?: Chinese medicine's other main treatment method is it's herbal medicine. The doctor asks a few questions. How's your sleep? How is your appetite, bowel movements, and dreams? The doctor will look at your tongue (and the coating on it). Then the doctor will ask you to put your wrist upon a cute little pillow and using two fingers, he will feel your pulse. There are 37? different kinds of pulses that tell the doctor much about your physical condition. I've actually sat down to see a Chinese Doctor, meeting him for the first time, and without saying a word, he “listened” to my pulse and told me my ear, nose, and throat history from childhood. Miraculous? Well, he probably wouldn't call it miraculous, considering how many years he studied and practiced to aquire this skill. He'd probably call it hard work and science. So, we see there is a science to Chinese medicine, though quite a different science from that of western medicine.

To learn more about Chinese Medicine and Nutrition, I've been reading:

And

Enjoy your first Accupuncture Session! Tell me about it!!!

Happy Punctures,
Precious James
--
http://www.myspace.com/preciousjames