PreciousJames

2010-02-04T04:30:00.000-08:00

Maui Estate for Sale

Aloha Family,

I recently got a job offer on Maui to work for the U.S. Federal Census Bureau. I'm not at liberty to disclose any further details at this time. It looks like I'm going to take the position and go over to Maui for a couple of months to complete the operation. The house I was caretaking last winter has gone on the market... after I get a few paychecks... let's see if we can all chip in and buy it... it's down from the 3.8 milllion it started out for. :)

http://www.trulia.com/property/photos/1086198210-200-Kaimanu-Pl-Kihei-HI-96753#item-3

All is well in Santa Cruz. Spring has sprung and the flowers are already blooming here.

This is the view we will watch the sunset from each night across the large land reserve to the right out to the Island of Lana'i in the distance. More pics on the above website.

2009-05-04T00:16:00.000-07:00

EFT Resources:

EFT is a freely shared, powerful easily learned healing tool that will transform your negative emotions, bad memories, traumas, phobias, addictions, physical/health issues or chronic disease (does that leave anyone out?). FREE!

Transforming your life so that you may fly toward your dreams is possible NOW and EFT will help you do it!

http://www.eftuniverse.com/

This following video is 20 minutes long (if you don't see it below, visit my YouTube channel). It's quite complete. If you tap along with the video and a have a personal issue in mind, you should get a good feel for the tapping procedure of EFT. However, the art of EFT is far deeper than the tapping procedure and requires learning how to ask oneself or others the right questions that lead to the roots of our issues. Use the detailed picture above of the tapping points as well.

Tap along:

Do download the "Get Started Free" package from http://www.eftuniverse.com/ . If you have a specific issue you wish to work with, on the left side of the website, scroll down to "Using EFT for" and find your issue or type your issue (ie. "migraines") in the "Search" bar on the left side and read other EFT practitioners inspirational stories about how they applied EFT to rid themselves of their maladies.

This video titled "EFT For War Veterans" is an excellent introduction to EFT! Please pass it on to any veterans you know:

Have a session with Precious James (in person or by phone) to experience results and the potential EFT has for you. Precious James gives EFT sessions by donation. Suggested donations of $45 for an hour or $75 for a 2 hour session are welcome if and only if you have a successful session and experience results. Larger or smaller donations are welcome as well. I am happy to work with you and share EFT with you regardless of monetary exchange. As an EFT Practitioner, I hope to guide and inspire you in your practice of this amazing self-healing/transformational technique. I've experienced wonderful results with EFT and wish to help you experience the same! Contact me to set up a session today in person or by skype video conferencing.

(click to enlarge)

2009-03-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

Maui House, Mainland Car, Zeitgeist Movie & Becoming a Federal Employee

Thank you Joy for letting me stay with you and the family the past few weeks! I've had such a wonderful time spending time with you, John, Kris & Kristina (my favorite kids/teens). And thank you for connecting me with Rob and the current house I'm staying in!!! I love the weather here in Maui Meadows and the home and property are so beautiful!!! The views are smashing!!! During my years in Taiwan, this is the house and the neighborhood I imagined my self returning to Maui to live in. Praise the Lord and my friends that helped me to arrive! Again, I need "a little help from my friends"...

Friends, I'm staying in my dream home and hope to for a while... the home doesn't have to be this one, and I'm open to an even more spectacular one... but HOW DID I GET HERE? I trace the cause back to so many sources... so many friends have helped me along the way... The kind of friends that ask you what your wildest dreams are, and give support and inspiration to make them come true. How did I get here??? Most recently, I thank Stephen and Carla for guiding me through a deep and profound healing session. During the healing session, as I confronted an old memory from 2 years old as I was in my crib/playpen... I came to a crossroads and realization that the vision I've been holding for so long about buying a camper van to live in and perpetually travel around Maui in was not my ultimate vision. I'd be happy to have the van, but happier still if I had a beautiful estate with breathtaking views, a huge kitchen, fruit trees, and sliding screen doors for walls. I realized this grander vision within me and Stephen and Carla persistently reminded me that I don't have to settle... settle for just the van because "I know I can create it" or because "it's all I need", or because "it's all I can afford". Stephen encouraged me to know that I can have and live what I really want most and he was right!

After Stephen and Carla returned to the mainland, I didn't know where I'd stay next. Joy was so kind to have me stay with her and the family. The next day, Joy was asking me what kind of living situation I envision creating here on Maui... So, I began telling my old story about finding a camper van and... then I stopped and said, "But even better than that, I'd like to live in a beautiful estate". I didn't even mention what part of the island, let alone which neighborhood, when Joy said, "Oh, our friend Rob is sstaying in a nice place in Maui Meadows and he might be able to use your help taking care of the property... I think you'd like it."

Well, that was an understatement! Maui Meadows is the neighborhood I lived in before and so loved... the weather is dry, sunny, warmer than many parts of the island, yet never too hot, constant breezes, and it is up the volcano a bit, so, there are beautiful views down to the ocean.

So, by saying what I really wanted, Joy was then able to offer the possibility to me, and suggested I call Rob, which led to me being in this amazing home! If I had just said, "I envision buying a camper van to live in", Joy might not have had any advice for me and that would have ended the conversation. First step is to envision it... next step is to speak it... and next step is to do it! Then enjoy and feel gratitude.
Thought, Word, Deed

Of course research proves that collective thought effects physical reality as well... So please pool our collective thought power now and HELP me by wielding your creative powers of thought and vision to envision me staying in this home, or in a magnificent home like this one, on Maui... Envision yourself visiting me here, enjoying the perfect weather and beautiful views, swimming in the pool, eating delicious healthy meals outside on the lanai, going down the hill to the beach, snorkeling with whales, dolphins, sea turtles and the little fishies of the sea, and then coming back up to the house for a sunset tai chi session and dinner with sweeping views of the ocean and neighboring islands in the distance under a pink and purple sky (that sums up my day minus the beach and snorkelling... I didn't feel like leaving the house).

I don't have a camera with me, but here are pictures of the house next door with very similar architecture and garden (designed by the same builder)... though our house has better views of the ocean and volcano (but ours only has 3 bdrms. and might only be worth $3 million... Yes, really). It's for sale. If you buy it, I'll be happy to be your property manager and take care of it: click the pic

http://www.tomandsean.com/mls/335564.html

~Buy my Toyota Camry~
Also, I'm selling my Toyota Camry on the East Coast so that I may get a VW Camper van and a motorcycle that gets 77 mpg. My Camry's name is "Black Beauty" and she is one. Know anyone that might like to ride/buy her?

See my ad and pass it on:

Please envision me selling "Black Beauty" quickly so that I may buy a VW Camper Van. Then envision us touring around Maui in the camper van (sleeps 4) and staying on a different amazing beach every night and experiencing the most awesome places you'll ever behold... of course we'll stay at the palace as well.

**Warning**!!! Of the few friends that have come to visit me in Hawaii... more of them stayed to live than went home. It could happen to you.

MOVIE:
ZEITGEIST!!! Must See Movie this weekend!!! March 15th is Zeitgeist Day! Watch it for free online! I recommend "Zeitgeist Addendum" (on the left side of the web page). Alternative and expansive views of our current global climate... alternative economic, political, and scientific paradigms to consider.

Click for Zeitgeist

EFT Update and Picking my Fruity Breakfast & off to take my Census Exam for my cushy federal government job
I updated the below Blog Post to contain some of the EFT resources. And this morning's news... I had nothing to eat for breakfast, so I decided to go check out check out the fruit trees at the top of our property... I was so happily surprised to find a sour sop tree (exotic Jaimacan fruit), 3 trees of differing tangerine varieties, 2 grapefruit trees, and 2 more papya trees I hadn't seen before... all of them chock full of fruit!!!... along with a bunch of fruit on the ground, some rotting, but most of it salvageable, tree ripened, naturally fallen, and so yummy!!! All of the Maui Grapefruits I've ever had were quite sour, but the first one I picked off the ground was soft and when I opened it, it smelled like a flower, then I bit in and it was sooooo sweet!!! Better than a Florida Indian River grapefruit (which was my previous favorite variety). The Tangerines were so Ono (Hawaiin: delicious) too!!!

Then I was off to take my exam for the U.S. Census Bureau. I passed with 27/28 correct answers and am looking forward to a stable and secure Supervisory position with the Census Bureau for the next year and a half while I get my Tai Chi and EFT training classes going. This job will entail hiking around Maui, correcting maps, searching for residences and buildings in cool nooks and crannies around Maui that no longer exist, going door to door to interview Maui folks (who are mostly sooo cool and often invite me in to check out their sweet homes), oh yes, and we'll count people too. And the coolest part is the vest I got to keep during Census 2000... I got to wear it for the Halloween Parade in Lahaina dressed as a

Comando Census Taker

Interested in earning some extra money as a 2010 Census Taker? Most cities are finished for this round of testing, however there will be another round of testing and hiring in October 2009 to hire Census Enumerators (takers). Here's the website: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/
Mahalo (Hawaiian: Thank you) Lenny for the multiple phone calls and bugging me to contact the Census Bureau!!! Lenny knew I wanted to work for the 2010 census and updated me about hiring... I just sent out an email to friends about it yesterday and totally would have missed it if it weren't for Lenny! Mahalo Mahalo Mahalo Lenny!!! Love ya Love ya Love ya!!! Sleepy Time. A hui hou (Hawaiian: until next time).

2009-03-07T05:41:00.000-08:00

Aloha Friends and Family,

Last I wrote, I was leaving Christina and Chuck in Brooklyn, NY on my way to Washington, DC., with a planned final destination of Florida. Well, I've been blown a bit of course by the winds of possibility, potential, inspiration, dreams, and Stephen and have ended up on Maui, Hawaii... which, according to some (myself included) is the place I belong. But before I fill you in on the juciness of Maui... How did I get there?

I had a wonderful time visiting Dan and Jennifer, two friends from Taidong/Hualien, Taiwan for Christmas in DC. Dan, having grown up around DC, gave me the grand tour. We visited the Smithsonian museums, The Kennedy Center for a couple of music performances, strolled Georgetown, and did some bike riding around Old Town, Alexandria. Enjoying Washington D.C.'s museums, architecture, and history made me so proud to be an American... to reconnect with the principles, the hard work, the generations that built the United States... That pride and connection was something I had lost after being out of the US for so many years, and replaced the feeling of powerlessness that I felt when I returned to the “Bush & Friends” era of greed and righteousness. Walking the parks of D.C., I was reminded that this nation was made great by individuals whose inner light shined so brightly, that others followed to perform great deeds. Hope for a bright future ensued. Dan and Jennifer also brought me to celebrate the holidays at families' and friends' homes for Hanukkah feasts and celebrations. It was a special feeling to join other families for the holidays and be so warmly welcomed. To be a traveler, far from blood relatives, experiencing the holidays with new friends was so light hearted... without the burdens and tensions that are so often present at family gatherings.

I left Washington D.C. just before the New Year and headed southward towards my Mom's home in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Boone, NC. On the way I had the pleasure of driving a whole day on the Blue Ridge Parkway... vast views along rolling hills and ridgelines with many stops for Tai Chi at lookout points. So few cars were on the parkway... I usually had both my lane and the oncoming lane all to myself to take wide turns and keep my attention on the breathtaking views off upon the distant horizon.

I had planned to visit Mom for a week or so, however we were having so much fun it soon became difficult to leave. Firstly, the meals were so YUM! Mom is a great cook and shares my enthusiasm for eating healthfully. Mom buys all organic foods and cooks mostly vegan meals (all vegan in my honor during my visit). I felt so blessed to come home and be able to share such wonderful meals with my mom. So many friends have shared their stories of going home and being belittled and criticized for choosing to eat a healthy or vegetarian diet.

Mom had been doing administrative work for a real estate office in Boone the past few years, but thanks to the recession, she has been laid off. So, Mom had lots of time to spend with me! Yeah!!! Mom and her house mate Marc had many great new videos and training resources to share with me on topics such as web design & content management, spiritual movies, and the pinnacle of which was the EFT Level 1 Advanced DVD Set! You can checkout the EFT intro video and download the basic manual for FREE at:

http://www.emofree.com

EFT
EFT is a freely shared, powerful, universal healing technique that has changed my life and removed many kilos of emotional baggage that I was carrying for too long! I highly recommend it for anyone that has negative emotional memories, traumas, phobias, addictions, physical/health issues or chronic disease (does that leave anyone out?). Mom and I began studying the EFT videos together and practicing daily. Mom and I also had a few sessions in which we thought back through our past searching for any negative emotional experiences or traumas that we shared in this lifetime together and then we used EFT to neutralize the memories. It was such an amazing experience to heal together... I wish this experience and opportunity for everyone. In the past, Mom and I would begin getting on each other's nerves after 10 days or so. However, during this last visit, I stayed for over a month and we were still getting along wonderfully!

Another highlight of the month in Boone, was learning a great deal from my web guru Marc. Mom's house mate shared lots of current software, tutorial videos, and tech wisdom with me. I began building a website (still under construction) under Marc's guidance and Dave G.'s resource assistance as well. I felt so taken care being at home, that I had lot's of time to focus on web development and EFT training. There were some nice hikes up Mom's mountain on nice days and a sled ride down the mountain one snowy day.

I also began scanning my life's photo albums onto my hard drive so that I could dispose of the originals. This gave me the added opportunity of reviewing my life and all of my memories!!! What perfect timing to coincide with my simultaneous training in EFT!!! I reviewed soooo many perceived negative emotional memories and used EFT to neutralize a few of them every day. Self image issues, self worth, self love, perceived betrayal, heart breaks, all melted away through the practice of EFT. I was able to look at current issues or feelings that were recently replaying in my life, trace them back to the experiences that caused them, and then use EFT to neutralize them. I want to tell you more about my amazing results with EFT, but will save that for the next update. All of this healing work paved the way for me to open up to living my dreams now!... A year earlier (at least) than I had planned to be living them!

Unloading the emotional baggage, the negative emotions and stories, neutralizing them permanently, and empowering ourselves to spread our wings and fly toward our dreams is possible NOW and EFT will help one do it! Visit the EFT website now, watch the intro video, download the FREE basic manual and immerse yourself in it's 45 pages (is 45 pages worth TRANSFORMING YOUR LIFE??? FREE!!!), and sign up for the EFT Newsletter to learn about how thousands of people around the world are applying EFT to all kinds of issues (emotional AND physical) to learn how you may apply it in your life and practice.

http://www.emofree.com

I'm attaching a detailed picture of the tapping points for you to reference. Also, visit my “EFT Playlist” on my “YouTube” page for a bunch of videos that will help you get started with EFT.

http://www.youtube.com/user/preciousjames

But do download the free manual from www.emofree.com (Explore the site! On the left side click "Free Manual")

and read it for completeness. If you prefer learning by video, this fellow has quite a complete set of videos about EFT theory and procedure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqbnikDr3eQ

Returning Home to Maui
As you may know, it's been my plan to return to Maui, Hawaii since I left her 7 years ago. I left Maui in 2002 to study Tai Chi in Taiwan for 6 months. However, the amazing Tai Chi study opportunities that I found in Taiwan and the awesome Asian adventures that ensued, kept me happy in Taiwan for almost 6 years. I always looked forward to returning to Maui to share the Tai Chi that I had learned. When I returned to the States last year to find my father in a nursing home in New Hampshire, I thought it best that I stay near him and spend time with him... thereby further postponing my return to Maui. I began planning to stay with my father until I could move us both to Maui, or stay by his side in New Hampshire.

Well, as you might imagine, New England is a tough place for a boy named Precious to be, and my soul was feeling starved there in many ways. Some of my wisest guides, Mom, Lenny, and Stephen began questioning my intentions to stay with my dad... asking if it was really what I wanted to do? If I was the father, would I want my son to give up his dreams to stand by me? No. Couldn't I still or even better prepare the paperwork and insurance to transfer my dad to Maui while I am on Maui? Probably!!!

Next email we'll find out how the Winds of Stephen once again picked up Precious (and Carla) and scattered them upon the island of Maui... as wind helps dream seeds find their way to fertile soil.

And here's how I know who my REAL FRIENDS are... Those of you who have read this far :) Instead of telling me how jealous you are that I'm on Maui, please tell me when you're coming to visit, how you envision that happening, and what our adventures together on Maui will look like! I support your vision and look forward to co-creating it!!! Indeed, a vision was all that I had! A friend heard it and helped me become it. May we all support one another's dreams in the ways we are able to!

MAUI FRIENDS, if I haven't talked to you or met you around the island yet, please email me or call me. I look forward to seeing you and reconnecting!

2009-01-07T04:18:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009!!!, I'm in Boone, NC visiting my Mom. Next stop on my Road Trip to Florida may be Asheville followed by Atlanta, GA. This week I'm enjoying...

Healing, Health, and Wellness: Free yourselves from suffering (emotional or physical)!... reports from thousands of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) practitioners are reporting miraculous healings with this freely taught therapy. EFT is a synthesis of Chinese Acupunture Meridian theory and Modern Western Psychology. Basic Instruction Manual and Videos are available for Free Download! Click the intro video on the left-side of this page:

http://www.emofree.com/

Peace, Happiness, Safety, and an Immediate Return home for U.S. troops:
My Mom's best friend's TV Special airing now. Watch "Jacob's Light" online here: http://intheirboots.com

This TV Special starring Dorine Kenney, my mom's best friend of 20+ years highlights the Jacob's Light Foundation aiding our troops and honoring Jacob, one of my childhood friends that was killed in Iraq in 2003. If you don't have time for the 30 min. program streaming at InTheirBoots.com, you can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVWm_1yKZKQ

Tropical Heaven, I wish I was on Bali, Indonesia this winter...
Here's a taste of Bali; the Balinese Monkey Chant:

I've finally finished our Bali photo album (view pics one at a time to see captions and the story unfold... don't miss the story of my near gang raping by local police... kidding)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/preciousjames/sets/72157594160638188/

*Flickr note: Flickr is now limiting it's users to 200 photos before they charge users $25/year (BoooOOOOoooooooo)!!! Thanks to Microsoft's aquisition of Yahoo? Time to migrate to Google's Picasa Web Album ("Picasa" free Photo Editing/Organizing software is my favorite picture manager).

Bali was my favorite island in the South Pacific. Last spring I swayed Christina and Chuck from their plans to summer in Nepal to visit Bali instead... they were not disappointed. RICH in culture, art, and spirituality... Bali is a tropical paradise sure to please! Please take me with you when you go :) I would love to be your guide!

Economic Forecast pick from my Balinese friend:
INTERESTING READ: WILL THE DOLLAR GET MUCH STRONGER, RATHER THAN WEAKER?

Jack says, "Although I myself am positioned for hyperinflation, and I think the dollar will decline, it is always prudent to read other peoples opinions. There IS a scenario that will make the U.S. dollar the most desired currency in the world, and the arguments for it are certainly sound. It calls for a massive economic meltdown, with bankruptcies happening far faster than the government can print money to save them. This takes liquidity (dollars) out of the system far faster then the government can print. Remember actually dollar bills are scarce, relatively speaking. The vast majority of dollars are computer entries, that can disappear as easily as they were created."

Martin Weiss is hardly what you would call a conservative, blind patriot. And his track record for predicting the markets is astoundingly good. Read his opinion here - it will shatter the conventional "gold to the moon, Amero, dollar is toast" view, but still allow for a terrible economic meltdown, starting real soon:

http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/gala-issue-biggest-sea-change-of-our-lifetime-3-28912

Movie Review: Zeitgeist: Addendum

Free Full-Length Movie (Download it with Download Helper

The $Economic Education$ we never received in School, Political Realities, and the next world order.
"Two Thumbs Up" - 4 out of 5 star rating by Precious and James!

Want to receive my emails? Don't want anymore? Let me know :) preciousjames at gmail dot com

2008-12-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn, Manhattan, & In Between Just Before Christmas 2008

My road trip departure was delayed by many factors... New England ice storms, light construction in my dad's residence, a snow storm, packing and cleaning, finishing last minute details in preparation for a 10-week departure, another snow storm... but I finally arrived in Brooklyn, New York last Friday just before a big snow storm hit and left NYC under a few inches of snow that stuck around for a few days, froze, and laid testament that winter and the Holiday season had arrived.

The snow was pretty... for a few minutes... then it began to melt, leaving puddles and re-freeze, leaving slippery walk-ways. The air was crisp... but slowly chilled to painfully bone chilling. Holiday cheer was evident around each corner in NYC and the Holidays and Spirit from around the world, from every nation and belief was openly celebrated in shop windows, clothing, and signage... A top reason I love New York and feel the passion of the world on the her streets.

A long nap to recover from my mid-nights drive from New Hampshire to New York readied me for Friday evenings Ethiopian feast with Chuck and Christina in Manhattan... a walk through the snowy streets and a ride on the F subway brought us up a flight of stairs into SOHO, Manhattan. We entered the brightly red Ethiopian restaurant awaited our Vegetarian Platter for 3... a table sized platter of soft sponge-like flat bread covered with 10 different sauces, beans, and vegetables spiced somewhere between India and the Mediterranean (for those who have yet to taste Ethiopian cuisine). Scrumptious... and the best part being that the soft sponge-like bread platter base layer soaks up the delicious flavors and is eaten near the end of the meal! Thank you Christina for remembering my affinity toward Ethiopian food and treating Chuck and I to such a blissful dining experience!
And like many Ethiopians that eat this cuisine, I didn't gain a pound :)

The following day, I headed off to Manhattan again to visit my Great Uncle Jimmy that I had only met once or twice before and hadn't seen in 20 years! I was very excited to learn that Great Uncle Jimmy now 92 years old is still with us on this earth plane and in good health. I went to meet him at his uptown Manhattan Apt. and was amazed to see what great shape he is in and how much he looks like me! His nurse aide instantly exclaimed, “Wow you two really look alike!” 3 more couples we met during the day asked me if Uncle Jimmy is my father. That gave us some good laughs! Great conversation and connection ensued and I was so happy to find another relative that I share so many commonalities with. Uncle Jimmy and I walked to a nearby Irish pub (where I put on my best Irish accent and thought of Emmet) and Uncle Jimmy and I both had a sheppard's pie and warm water no ice to drink.

I asked Uncle Jimmy many questions about how he's maintained his health... he didn't have any definitive answers... however, it became quite clear to me as our conversation progressed, that it's not only his diet, exercise, or medical care that has kept him well. His secret to longevity seemed to be in his happiness, positive outlook, active life, and affection towards friends. He had studied Tai Chi for a few years and quite liked it... as well as yoga... but now only took walking as exercise. Uncle Jimmy had recently fallen and broken his wrist. Before leaving, he took off his brace and I did some massage on his wrist, arm, and shoulder and did some extending of the wrist and arm. We had many great stories to share and had a wonderful afternoon.

Seeing Uncle Jimmy was a great gift... He inspired me throughout the day as I saw him doing little shoulder rotations for exercise/range of motion. He often straightened up his posture while we sat at the Irish pub awaiting our sheppard's pies. He had great patience with his body... though his movement was slow, it was sure and steady. This visit made me realize how important it is to have our elders in bur lives to remind us of where we are heading... our physical bodies will transform... and inspire us to choose positive habits that will keep the life force flowing strongly through our bodies. Have you called an elder in your family today?

The following day Christina, Chuck, and I met with Josaphine and Alicia (two old friends from high school) for brunch in The Village of Manhattan at an all Organic Vegetarian Restaurant. Wonderful conversation about life;s changes since the last time we had met a year ago. Josaphine shared the awesome transformations that have been happening in her life since watching all of the Eckart Tolle New Earth webinars on Oprah.com .

Then we went to the newly opened Brooklyn Trader Joe's Market where I had a transcendental shopping experience! This Trader Joe's location is set in a plush 1800's Bank with magnificent 50 foot high ornately molded ceilings, chandeliers, huge windows, and a huge space. I saw so many products I had never seen before, and so many of the products had wonderful ingredients... in fact... the pre-packaged prepared foods had the same ingredients that I would use to prepare the dishes myself. I loaded up on organic apples, nuts and seeds, and pre-packaged prepared Indian dinners that I'd be able to microwave in gas stations along the way of my road trip... Now I will eat well! And the prices!!! Trader Joe's is doing a great service for it's customers... many items were half the price of similar items at Whole Foods and better than similar chemically laden foods sold at supermarkets across America. If you are in the vicinity of Trader Joe's and used to buying packaged or prepared foods, check out Joe's!

Monday night, a final delicious burrito dinner cooked by Christina and some conversation, before I departed on another mid-night drive from NYC to Washington D.C. to visit Dan and Jennifer (friends from Taiwan that returned to the states last year). So far, D.C. has been magnificent and inspiring to my soul!!! Only my 3rd time to our capitol city, this is the first time I'm getting to appreciate “him” (and all of his grand phallic statues that dot “his” landscape). Stories from Washington D.C. next time...

2008-11-18T20:09:00.000-08:00

有中文 Why “flip them the bird” when you can...

Dear Friends and Family,

(Chinese: 朋友門好,

我最近很忙照料爸爸. 有控就寫信給你們. 繼續看.) I put my other email update on hold hoping to share this amazing information, organization, and resource with everyone before Thanksgiving... Oh, the plague of perfectionism... it took me hours to write this and post it online. Anyone have any suggestions on how to cure perfectionism... or at least improve it?

Margo (媽媽Ma1 ma1 in Chinese) & Precious (吉米爬山了在媽媽家附近. 這座山是5,520英尺高) hiking up Elk Knob Mountain 5,520 , neighboring Mom's Mountain 5 minutes up the road in October to see Autumn leaves delighting in color... One of many wonderful hikes that Precious and Mom enjoyed during his 12 day visit to Boone, North Carolina..

Precious sharing his apple with a goat and two soft, sweet sheep.

Why “flip them the bird” when you can...

join me in showing your Gratitude and Appreciation for Animals and all that they provide us by taking a few moments to peruse:

“ Even If You Like Meat... ”

( http://www.veganoutreach.org/EIYLM.pdf )

*~ Canadian Version Here ~*

(Chinese): 感恩節快到了! 跟著我謝謝全世界上的動物. 看以下這本小冊子: *~ Chinese 中文這裡 ~* (沒有電腦病毒)

*Need a .pdf viewer to open the above file? Interested in an unbloated alternative to Adobe Acrobat?

Download “Foxit Reader.exe” for free here. (Chinese: 這個軟體採有英文的)

After perusing “Even if you like meat...”, please share with me; any thoughts, views, or inspiration that you have. We may not have learned about these current realities of cruelty at home, in school, or in the media... but now that we know, what action will we take?

Precious James & Frank (best friends since 5^th grade) picking apples in New Hampshire Nov. 1^st) Crunch, crunch... mmmm...mmm... good!

Resources:

VeganOutreach provides many resources, educational materials, nutritional info, & recipes to help us taper off our meat consumption. These materials are available for free download, or available as pamphlets by mail.

If you are grateful for receiving this information, please share it with others! Better yet, bookmark www.VeganOutreach.org and continue exploring their excellent resources to find out how you can help stop cruelty by sharing this knowledge. The resources page is abundant with more fascinating information, pamphlets, videos, and more!

Sheila and Presh juggling apples and reminiscing over old Coach Carolyn who taught us how to juggle in 7^th grade PE class. Coach would be proud that we've graduated from juggling tennis balls to fresh fruit!

Already a vegetarian?

“By choosing to be a vegetarian, you will accomplish a great deal of good over the course of your life – you will spare many hundreds of animals from the malicious maws of modern agribusiness. But for every person you convince to go vegetarian, you double the impact of your life's choices. So, if tomorrow you hand out 60 booklets to new people, and just one person decides to go vegetarian, you will have saved, in only one hour, just as many animals as you will save with every single food choice you made over the rest of your life.” (to read the full text of “Is being a vegetarian important?” by Matt Ball, visit: www.VeganOutreach.org/vegimportant.html )

Vegetarian Friends, the “Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating” has excellent and important nutritional information for vegetarians, vegans, and those of us on the way. I will write in more detail about it's great worth & wisdom next time.

And to bring it full circle and finish the “subject line” that began this email:

Why “flip them the bird” when you can...

slip them some delicious vegetarian alternatives and a copy of "Even If You Like Meat... " Sure to be an unforgettable Thanksgiving!!! Don't forget lots of Veggies too!!! Yum Yum!

If you don't forward this email to everyone on your email list, you may not have bad luck... but the animals won't be as lucky... as if you Do Forward It !!! :)

What are you thankful for this year?

I'm giving... Thanks for life, thanks for all animals, thanks for family & friends, thanks for health, thanks for the abundance we are blessed with, thanks for the minuscule bit of suffering we endure compared to the suffering of so many beings on this planet, thanks for change... the change we create everyday in the world through our choices, thanks for choice and the choices that we make that help others enjoy a peaceful happy existence, and thanks for you and your thanks (which are???)__________________________________ .

Peace, Happiness, Health, and Prosperity,

Precious James 包吉米

www.myspace.com/preciousjames

Precious James and (Bah-bah in Chinese) “Pop” (as New Englanders say) James Senior at “Shogun Japanese Restaurant” celebrating Andrea's Birthday. Dad was happy and healthy for this feast... as well as for the shopping spree around town that followed.

Ready for Veg videos? Click here for http://Veg-TV.info and direct downloads.

Let's make it a Happy Thanksgiving for Everyone!

2008-06-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

Precious 3-week Experience at a Meditation Center

Dear friends and family,

I recently tasted a nectar so sweet that I must tell you of the tree from which it's fruit fell... Such an opportunity so rare, that few will have a chance to take it in this lifetime... take the course that will shed light on depths unconscious, lead to truths rarely experienced...

I've just returned from a month at a vipassana meditation center in Massachussets. I attended 2 courses and volunteered in between. The benefits I have realized from the visit are inumerable. I attended my first 10-Day course in Taiwan 1 year ago. I was quite skeptical of the organization and teachings during my first course... but by the end of my first 10-day course, I was amazed at the increased peace and balance I was experiencing. I felt such great benefit from the course, that I immediately volunteered at the Taiwan center to help with the next course. After volunteering at the Taiwan center and at the Massachussetts center this year, I began to discover what a wonderful organization it is. An organization offering EVERYONE the opportunity to have 10 days to look within, know thyself, and discover the truth that resides deep within each and every one of us. The course teaches tools that lead practitioners to deeper peace and happiness and help the practitioner better steer through the trials and tribulations life is bound to bring each one of us. I have also come to know that one can stay true to their own faith, of any religion, and attend a vipassana meditation course without conflict. A vipassana meditation course will only serve to strengthen one's morality, devotion, faith, peace, and compassion.

"There are no charges for the courses - not even to cover the cost of food and accommodation. All expenses are met by donations from people who, having completed a course and experienced the benefits of Vipassana, wish to give others the opportunity to also benefit." Visit: http://www.dhamma.org/

So, your seat is waiting for you. All you need to do is find the time; the 10 days to attend. Many of you know of,.. have followed,.. or have even joined me on my adventures and travels through the last decade. And many of you look forward to your next vacation, when you can take your next adventure to some far away place... But after all of my travels... I am amazed to have experienced the greatest adventure, the greatest benefit, the most peace and happiness by traveling WITHIN during this 10-day meditation course. And depending on your location... you may not have to travel so far to attend a course. There are Vipassana Meditation Centers around the world that are run by volunteers that are old students. These old students come to the centers to voluntarily serve, so that others may experience the same benefit that they themselves have experienced... and such has been my motivation for the 4 courses I've volunteered for this year. Visit their website to find the closest center to you: http://www.dhamma.org/
The video introductions on dhamma.org are a bit old and I don't recommend them. There are more recent videos about vipassana by following the "Podcasts" link here: http://www.pariyatti.org

Through the course, I had the chance to sharpen my awareness, consciously observe my thoughts, habits, and patterns, and develop a more peaceful, balanced, loving, compassionate mind... all the while learning a technique that will allow me to do so more often.

During the course I explored my relationship with:

my past
people
food
habits
anger
sadness
addictions
self
authority
time
sleep
love
life
death
plans for the future
and more...

and gleaned new knowledge and wisdom about each one. As I left old habits behind, I began developing new ones that I always dreamed of achieving. I cannot recommend this course highly enough.

Peace and Happiness,
Precious James
www.myspace.com/preciousjames

2008-03-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

A Miracle to sufferers of Ear, Nose, Throat issues, Sinusitis, Allergies, Ear infections, and Tooth Decay! Especially for Children! 很棒的自然鼻子藥

Dear Ones,

If you, a child, or a loved one suffer from any Ear Nose Throat problems EVER... read on and try an all natural, non-chemical, non-addictive, non-prescription remedy that has been a miracle for me! I'm not selling anything... but I will direct you to a website that sells the following Xylitol products in hopes that it works the same miracles for you that has for me! After teaching Kindergarten for 5 years in Taiwan, I've seen my share of snotty noses (thousands!), and there is no reason for them anymore! 很棒的自然鼻子藥:

Preventing Ear Infections in Children Naturally: http://www.xlearsa.com/html/children.html

I suffered from ear infections as an infant, to recurring strep throat infections as a child, to sinusitis (recurrent sinus infections) and loss of my sense of smell as a teen and adult. Most recently I was diagnosed with asthma for the first time in an emergency room in Taiwan following an "uncontrollable coughing attack" due to "allergies". These ENT symptoms and syndromes are common for so many of us. My main complaints (now cured) were stuffy nose, constant excess mucous, yellow-green mucous, head congestion, soar throats, frequent coughs, etc.

Western medicine offered me antibiotics, antihistamines, decongestants, and finally suggested surgery on my "deviated septum".

Traditional Chinese Medicine offered me daily doses of herbal medicine and acupuncture. After taking herbal medicine regularly for 4 years I experienced no lasting effect and when I stopped taking the medicine, my symptoms returned.

I tried the neti pot with salt water, then added Hydrogen Peroxide, baking soda, and grape fruit seed extract. The neti helped little. I tried extreme dietary changes and even fasting many times... up to 15 days on water only, the "Master Cleanse", but these helped little too. I tried allergy medicines and pharmeceutical sinus sprays to no avail. I tried practicing yoga and tai chi for 6 hours a day... nope. I tried so many other things that I don't even remember... but nothing has worked as amazingly as Xlear!

Also, I've made some recent DIETARY CHANGES:
One thing that also seems to help and effect my sinuses is sugar. I've cut processed sugar out of my diet almost completely. Now when I want something sweet, I eat an apple or a few raisins. When I eat a lot of processed sugar now (in the form of desserts), my sinuses do get stuffy or irritated. I've also stopped eating leavened breads. They are usually high in sugar (most breads contain sugar as the second ingredient). I still occasionally eat sprouted grain breads (like ezkeil, manna, or german unleavened breads). But many people do react to breads' gluten, yeasts, or sugars. I'm not sure how big a role cutting out sugar and bread have played into my sinusitus recovery.

After returning to America last year and visiting my friend Stephen (thank you Stephen!!!), he recommended I try Xlear Nasal Wash spray. Xlear is now sold at many health food stores and can be bought at discounted prices online.
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=XL-1010
List Price $13.49 --- Sale Price $8.89

Xlear is not only for acute infections... one will achieve best results if it is used regularly and preventatively to keep the sinuses clean. We wash our hands all the time. How often do you wash your sinuses?

Here are some consumer reviews of Xlear:
http://xlear.com/blog/dfs.php

Here is some fascinating info and background about xylitol and Xlear by it's developer:
Xlear Page: http://www.xlear.com/xylitol/jones.aspx
You can also read what each doctor in the "Doctors Corner" (of the same page) has written about xylitol.

I have since done heavy research into the product and how to make it myself. I suggest you buy a bottle and see how you like it. If you use it regularly and want to make the solution yourself, read on.

1 Pound of "Xylosweet" Xylitol Powder
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=XL-1001&source=FGXL-1001&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=XL-1001

More info from Xlear and information on how Xylitol can help ear and throat infections:
Nasal-Xylitol Page: http://www.nasal-xylitol.com/

Xlear Patent Page (You are allowed to make the solution for personal use):
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6258372.PN.&OS=PN/6258372&RS=PN/6258372

I made my first batch of Xylitol Nasal Wash and it is working well. Here is my first recipe:

I mixed the following ingredients together, put them in a 16 oz. (500ml) water bottle, and shook it up. I keep the extra in the fridge (probably doesn't need refrigeration).

2 cups of purified water
1 teaspoon sea salt
5 teaspoons of Xylitol powder
6 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE liquid) anti-bacterial, viral, fungal, natural preservative

I usually apply the nasal wash twice a day while I'm still in bed. Once in the morning when I wake up and once before going to sleep. The way I use the spray is I tilt my head forward (bending over slightly), point the tip of the spray bottle in each sinus straight up (toward the back of my head), spray twice in each nostril, keep my head tilted forward for 10-30 seconds (to allow the solution to spread into my sinuses), then I lay down for a few minutes and let the solution run back into my sinuses. I no longer need to blow my nose (nose blowing being highly discouraged by ENT's). I used to have to blow my nose numerous times per day! After a week of using Xlear, I experienced major improvements in my sinus Happiness!!!

You can purchase empty nasal spray bottles here (to share your solution with family and friends):
http://www.1-800-medical.com/nasal/nasal.htm

I'd like to experiment with adding other popular natural nasal wash ingredients such as colloidal silver, hydrogen peroxide, bakingsoda, and ??? Tell me about your nasal wash recipes.

This girl tried xylitol in her neti pot:
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/answers2/frontend.php/question?qid=20080114140056AAAb66i

Happy Sinuses, Ears, Noses, and Throats to All!!!
Precious James

2008-02-11T00:57:00.000-08:00

Sleepless Madness

No sleep after 36 hours of straight productiveness. This beautiful Sunday morning (Sunday being my favorite day), at first light I went to the front door (my only portal for viewing the outside world) and was smitten by the brightest of whites everywhere the eye could see. White fluffiness on every limb of every tree. Quietude. Purity. One of those magical moments that comes and goes... unreplicable.

Visions of strapping on snow shoes and trapesing off into the woods, or... throwing my snowboard in the car and trying to lure family members to join me on a snowboarding adventure, or... cross country skiing down forest trails, or... shoveling the walkways around the house now that we've received another foot full of powdery snowflakes from the heavens above...

Yes, reality did begin to set in again, as it always does. But this morning, the groundless frozen white tundra that extends in all directions... seemes especially extraordinary this Sunday morning. So extraordinary that... an ordinary pot of oatmeal just wouldn't do. Today was a cold day and since I didn't sleep,... today's oatmeal would have to have a warming, KICK to it. So, today's oatmeal began with the organic rolled oats, cinnamon, garam masala, extra coriander and cumin, black pepper, sea salt, cocoa powder (unsweetened), instant coffee powder (a rare treat for this caffeine fearing soul), chopped dates (for sweetness and because I could use one for Valentine's Day), rasberry preserves, carob chips, and extra virgin coconut oil (cause I'd be happy if a virgin with a coconut bra was my Valentine's date... which is probably why Lenny called me today to see why I'm not on Kauai visiting him right now like I said I would be last time we talked 2 months ago, DoOH!)

As you're beginning to guess, I still haven't caught a wink of sleep, and you're probably not yet guessing where this email is going... BUT it does have a definite ending in my mind. The oatmeal was delicious... a culinary masterpiece. Nourishing, with the kick that I hoped it would have!!! Such a kick, that it catapulted me through a morning of cleaning my messy little home and bringing order to chaos. The KICK also helped me to stay awake and prepare for my afternoon meeting to sell the Toyota Corolla I purchased a month ago.

Dad and I met this nice Sound Engineer from Bose Corporation (in Boston) that came to test drive the car. He ran his last Corolla till it died at age 271,000 miles old. He loves Corollas and soon fell in love with mine. Which was grand, because now I have a Toyota Camry that I'm driving and could use a few grand from the Corolla back in my pocket. The Corolla ended up being too small for dad to easily enter and eject from... but the Camry is bigger and better for BIG PAPPA... The Bose Fellow bought the car for a fair price and caused ensuing celebration for the remainder of the evening with Pop, Brother Jim, and Auntie Andrea. Advertising and sellng this Corolla has taken up much of my time lately, and tonight's success was a joy and relief!

2007-12-31T10:19:00.000-08:00

!~Happy Holidays~!

(in Chinese: 聖誕節和新年快樂)

Dear Friends and Family,

I've finally arrived to Manchester, New Hampshire after 5 months of traveling from Taidong, Taiwan to New England. Thankfully there are no signs of Global Warming here in New Hampshire (NH). It's freezing cold and it has been snowing every few days. My snow shoveling muscles are growing larger by the day! I've taken to the cold better than I had hoped through proper execution of "clothes layering". Most days I wear 5 layers of shirts and sweaters, and 3 pairs of long-johns and pants. When I throw my jacket, hat, and gloves on... I'm ready to take on a blizzard! Last night, I shoveled a fresh 12 inches of snow from my door out to the street and around my auntie's car. It only took me 2 hours of shoveling non-stop at full-speed to clear the way!

Update: Since writing the above paragraph, we've had a two more snow storms and now there is 2 - 3 feet of snow everywhere I look! Up to 6 foot snow banks along the roads that I must sometimes climb over when I walk down to the supermarket or walmart (just a five minute walk away). YES, I miss the tropics and wake up most days wondering what the heck I'm doing here... Oh, yeah... being a good son, helping my dad (or my "Pop" as they say in New England), and spending some great time with family!

From Taiwan to California (the 1st leg of a 9,000 mile Journey) :
July was full of sitting meditation. Yvonne and I attended a 10-day Vipassana Course. We both enjoyed it immensely and reaped great benefits. The course is offered freely around the world and I highly recommend it! We enjoyed it so much, we went to the next course and served as volunteer workers and gained much from that as well.

I then went on to Taipei for a weekend of drumming with one of the world’s greatest drummers, Mamady Keita. I have 12 of his CD’s and have been a fan for years. It was most excellent to join his course and drum with him for a weekend. On the last day I asked him about the spiritual aspect of the drum path and he shared great insight with us about how to use the djembe drum to affect positivity in the world.

I then served as a judge for the following Taiwan African Drumming Competition and had a wonderful weekend with Mountain (A Hui) and Robecca, and David and Lilian at their mountain home outside Taipei. There, we played some fascinating instruments from David’s travels through Burkina Fasso, Africa, drank Taiwan tea, ate tropical fruits and laughed a lot 

Then onward to Taidong to pack up and wrap up my fifth year in Taiwan. Yvonne and I auctioned off most of our things Thanks to Christy, Ivona, Danny, Mark, Sedarika, Rebecca, Dave, and friends for all of your help in the moving auction and move! An awesome Goodbye Party at Rolly and Dave’s, and a last surf with Mark and Emma made me sad to leave Taidong . Moving 8,000 miles around the world sure ain’t easy!!! The stress was immense and broke me a few times. But once complete I was on to Taichung for last goodbyes with Eckart, Joyce, Paul, Sandra, Raiden, Rodney, Grace, Shanice, Yariv, Janet, David, and others at a Happy Birthday bash for Paul (Paul Stock 2007)!

A 13 hour flight and 5,000 miles brought us in to San Francisco at the end of July. Adarsh and Heleen were eagerly awaiting us with open arms and the warmest welcome back to America! We arrived to their loving temple home to 2 freshly baked corn meal crust pizzas. As we sat comfortably upon the floor cushions amongst the Indian treasures of their travels, we shared wonderful stories of the two years between our last meeting. Early to bed, and jet lagged, I couldn’t get up the next morning at 4 AM with Adarsh to attend his 6:30AM Morning Mysore Astanga class. However, the next day I did, and was treated to an amazing workout!!! Astanga rocks and will make you rock solid physically and spiritually if you practice everyday! I was so happy to see how Astanga practice has transformed Adarsh into such a superiorly rock solid being and teacher!!! I’m looking forward to attending more Astanga Yoga classes soon! Adarsh commanded his Yoga Studio and students with greatness! I was so impressed and honored to attend. Visit their website here.

After practice, Adarsh and Heleen took Yvonne and I out on the town to view their quaint and beautiful town of Mountainview, CA (nearby to San Jose). Home to Google World Headquarters, it’s a bustling town of young, bright, highly motivated, internationals from every corner of the GoogleEarth. This made for a nice array of dining styles and excellent food markets. First, we went to Whole Foods market (a super-sized Natural foods supermarket). Yvonne and I were in heaven! Having grown up on natural whole foods, I was a bit deprived of my childhood favorites while in Taiwan. It was wonderful to enjoy some such delectable delights again. Then we went to Trader Joe’s, another excellent market that’s half the price of Whole Food’s Market. We stocked up on some supplies in preparation for our next adventure… 3 days of camping in Big Sur down California’s Hwy. 1 .

Big Sur was dreamy! Palladial views of the coast with steep cliffs leading down to the turquoise Pacific. Fogs blowing in and blowing out . Walks along desolate beaches. And my favorite activity… throwin’ some rock with Adarsh! The beaches had these perfectly round baseball sized stones that were perfect for throwin’ some rock! As we tossed the rock to and fro, we reminisced back to younger days in Georgia when we were to poor to buy a ball and had to play with rocks instead (thankfully joking  ).

Another treat was staying in Adarsh’s friend’s “off the grid” solar powered home far back in a redwood forest just off of Hwy. 1 outside of Big Sur. It was fairytale-esque! And all of the foods and treats that ensued from the moment we arrived to Adarsh’s and Heleen’s home through the week were so enjoyable… So many old American favorites prepared vegetarian style. Yvonne and I were so orally ecstatic! Lot’s of sweet organic treats too. Yvonne was getting to try so many new foods and loving them all. Our first week with Adarsh and Heleen, eased the tensions and sadness of leaving Taiwan, and made Yvonne and I feel so welcomed back to the States!

Next time I’ll write about the following adventures to Santa Cruz to visit Stephen and Christine at their Santa Cruz Tree Temple Home! And here's a recent picture of Stephen flying to work on his company's private jet... I'm looking forward to flying on Stephen's personal jet soon!

New Phone Number, Communications, and Shopping:

What else have I been doing besides shoveling snow? Well, after arriving to New Hampshire and spending lots of time with family, I began reassembling the material life that I left behind in Taiwan. First thing I did was get this Verizon wireless cell phone. After being without my own computer for 4 months, I decided to get this PDA Phone. It's like a palm sized laptop that can surf the internet, check email, watch movies, listen to mp3's, take pictures, draw pictures, and it’s a phone too!

The number (my only phone number right now) is: email me for it

*Note the number, and *Note: if you're on the Verizon Wireless network too... write back and tell me so, so that I know you're "IN" on the Verizon “IN” network and that we can talk for free anytime. Otherwise, I'll call you during the free nights and weekends, or use "internet telephony" yahoo voice or skype to call you free "computer to computer" online, or cheaply "computer to landline". With a high speed connection, I've found yahoo voice and skype to have better sound quality than traditional landline long distance. Wow! Especially awesome for international calls!!! If you're not ready to use a computer as a phone yet, another cheap way to phone home is by calling card. I've found these rates to be good @ http://www.mobilecaller.com ($0.02 / min U.S. domestic. {} $0.09 / min U.S. to Taiwan). If you know of better communication rates... share your secrets with me!

This week I received the new laptop I'm using to type this and future letters to you. Thanks to Stephen and Keith who have similar HP laptop models and let me use/demo their laptops while I was visiting them. I got an awesome deal on "Black Friday" (truly the most amazing shopping deal Day of the year! The day after Thanksgiving) on This Laptop with this all-in-one printer for $475! When I bought my previous Dell laptop and printer in '2000, (a similarly current setup), I paid $2,500! Amazing how the prices are dropping! But again, I only got that $price because I stayed up all night scouring the internet for this "Black Friday" deal. If you want to buy the same setup today, it now costs $880 :( That was my first "Black Friday" shopping delirium experience. I stayed up all night searching the internet for the deal... But, I'm looking forward to next year's "Black Friday"! Don’t miss it! Yvonne spent Black Friday with April (my sister-in-law) camping outside of Best Buy to get a Wii game system for a nephew!

Searching for Wheels:

The past week and a half I've been diligently car shopping. Being Car - Less, my brother and sister-in-law have been chaufering Yvonne and I to and fro recently. My brother is an AMAZING salesman and told me that if I find a great deal on a car, I can drive it for a year or two and then sell it for a profit. WoW! Contrary to the popular belief that cars lose value over time. But he demonstrated his theory when he sold his $80,000 Mercedes-Benz this week (that he's already been driving for 3 years)... for $72,000 (with only an $8,000 loss)!

He set the bar high for me to find a good used car deal. My father also put a lot of pressure on me to maintain the "family honor" and find a good deal. Dad and my borther are Super Deal Shoppers, and it’s hard to match their skill. So, I've been spending hours a day online (mostly on Craig's List) the past week and a half searching used cars ads.

Unfortunately, not finding any great deals, or arriving to the deals too late and already sold :( My brother felt bad for my fruitless searching and stepped in this week doing a little searching on his own. Super Deal Shopper that he is, yesterday he found a 1997 Honda Accord for me that is in prime condition for half the market value! So, on Wednesday, if all goes well, I'll be picking her up. (P.S. all didn't go well, and it was a lemon... but we found a nice Toyota Corolla a few days later and I'll pick it up this week!) When we're not in Brother Jim's Benz, you might see us speeding around in Sis-in-law April's fine Infiniti.

Life with 4 Wheels and Teaching Tai Chi:

Having wheels will change life a bit... I'll be able to pick up dad or my nephew Travis to go out on adventures. I’ll also begin to visit local healthcare centers, community centers, yoga studios, and gyms to find places I can begin teaching Tai Chi classes. It'll be nice to begin contributing to the community. I haven't decided if I'm going to teach the Tai Chi classes by donation or charge a set rate ($10 / hour is the avg. rate for such classes). Any suggestions or experience on Tuition Setting? Should I teach classes by donation or ???

Returning to some discipline… The Perfect Life, Health, and The Principles that hang upon my Wall:

This morning, unpacking one of my six boxes (everything I own) that I shipped back from Taiwan, I found the list that hung in my office next to my computer in Taidong…

1) Food: Besides the tongue... there are so many other parts of the body more suitable for experiencing stimulation and pleasure. KNOW what you are eating (Read those ingredients!). If it isn't natural, whole, and nutritious, don't eat it. If you don't know what is natural and nutritious, read Healing with Whole Foods. Don't be a guinea pig for the chemical industry! As BKS Iyengar (a great Yogi still vibrant at 90 years old!!!) said, "Food should be taken to promote healt, strength, energy, and life. It should be eaten with the feeling that with each morsel one can gain strength to serve the Lord. Men are the only creatures that eat when not hungry and generally live to eat rather than eat to live. The Yogi believes in harmony, so he eats for the sake of sustenance only. He does not eat too much or too little. He looks upon his body as the rest-house of his spirit and guards himself against over-indulgence."

2) Rest: As Benjamin Franklin said, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise!"

3) Exercise: As Precious James said, "Daily exercise that returns the circulatory rivers and streams of one’s blood from the furthest reaches of the body back to replenish in the revitalizing organs of one's harmonious center. To pump the heart and glisten in sweat is good. To feel every part of the body and know thyself is grand!"

4) Stop, Contemplate, Meditate:
In emptiness and quietude the path may be seen and divine guidance might be heard.

5) Fasting: To break from habits allows one to better appreciate the habits themselves as well as to become more aware of alternative choices.

Honestly, I've strayed from these truths in recent months... being on the road, not a wall to call my own... I had no place to hang these principles upon. But as I find these principles once again, true as ever, I hang them back up next to my computer in hopes of living them. If these principles strike a cord with you too, share in them today and write me about your succession in living them. We may support each other on The Way.

And don't forget to LAUGH often!!! I haven't attended one of these classes yet, but hope to soon...
Have a good laugh about Laughter Yoga on youtube.

And if you want to laugh some more... visit laughter Yoga's youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/laughteryoga

Good News!!! It's snowing again as I finish typing this letter! There's a fresh 6-8 inches of snow on the ground outside... I'd love to write more, but time to shovel the sidewalks, entry ways, and driveway.

!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008 !!!
!!! May all your dreams and resolutions manifest !!!

Love, Peace, and Joy,
Precious James
www.myspace.com/preciousjames

Peace on Earth: The single greatest choice you can make today to individually affect Peace on Earth.

2007-06-20T02:46:00.000-07:00

My Room for Rent in Taidong 台東房間出租:
Available for rent in a shared house. I'm moving out June 27th. It's a big, beautiful, new 3 story house. I have the 3rd floor to myself, private bathroom, 2 balconies, large storage room. Great views of mountains from the bedroom, private living room, and balconies. Nice roof with view of Mountains and ocean too. $5000 / month月. Contact Mark if interested ( fugazimark@hotmail.com ) 0913-481-392. 我的房間要出租了. 6月27日之後可以搬進來. 這件房屋真的很棒. See pictures看照片:

From Web

Taidong Local Auction finished 6/24. Thank you to all that participated! There are still hand drums and a motor cycle to buy!台東拍賣6月24日結束了. 參加的人, 謝謝. 還有手鼓和摩托車可以買.

Sunday Final Auction and Luncheon! 禮拜天最後出價機會和午餐!

Hi Taidong Friends,
台東朋友好,

Sunday is the best day for people to come make final bids and for Winning Bidders to pick up their Winnings. So, let's make a lunch of it! Friends, Friends of Friends, well known people, and Auction Bidders are Welcome! Strangers or people I've un-welcomed before are not. If you can come Sunday, Please just come Sunday (and not another day) so we can conduct all Auction matters on one day (keep bids coming in by email: taiprecious@yahoo.com ). 禮拜天就是最好一天來我家看東西和出最後一些出價. 所以我們也可以一起吃個午餐烤肉. 朋友和出價的人歡迎你來. 奇怪人不歡迎. 如果你禮拜天能來, 就最好禮拜天來. 大家一起出價拿東西回去. 很多東西不在這個網頁. 要來看看.

Come by Sunday June 24th between 1:30 and 5:30PM. I'm going to make a Big Pot of Thai Curry Vegetables and Brown Rice. Mark will fire up the BBQ. Bring what you like... food, BBQ foods, fruit, drinks, your favorite tea leaves, etc. Mark and I will finish up the luncheon around 5:30 to get ready for our school's Graduation Performance. 禮拜天 6 月 24 日, 一點半到五點半來我家. 我會煮泰式加喱菜和胚芽飯. 您可以帶你喜歡的蔡, 肉, 水果, 飲料, 茶葉, 甚麼的... 5:30PM 就結束了.

Here are directions to my house
near the Naruwan Hotel:

看吉米的家怎嗎走

Don't miss the BBQ Saturday 6/23 in Dulan too! Click Here 4 info.

2007-06-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

Precious 吉米's 　Moving Auction
搬家離別大拍賣

My Father's health has recently been degrading quickly from Parkinson's Disease. So, I'm moving back to America to help take care of him. He's in New Hampshire (an hour north of Boston) with my brother and sister... I'll be returning there for a while... After speaking with my Dad the other night and hearing how much help he could use, I've decided to leave even more quickly than I had planned. So, I am packing up and leaving Taidong on Tuesday, June 26th. I need to sell most of my things by Sunday, June 24th. So, it's auction time with some free give aways to winning bidders! Your Bids help me return to America and will give me some time to gather students and begin teaching Tai Chi Chuan classes around America (as my Tai Chi Teacher has instructed me to do). Thank you for your help!

台東朋友們好,
因為我爸爸生病了我要回去美國照顧他. 所以, 我東西都要剛快賣掉了. 歡迎我們的

離別大拍賣.

請每人出價時需高於前一位出價者的價錢. 如果你為最高標者 , 我們會與你聯絡 (而且,會寫 'Sold to: 名字' 在下面項目的旁邊) . 常回來看這個網頁看看現在的出價. 拍賣至6月24日下午結束. 並於6月24日領貨 (6月24日不能來, 也可以月另外的時間. 打給吉米的電話月時間) , 謝謝您的幫忙與支持 ! 超多好貨 , 要買要快喔 ! 勿錯失良機ㄛ ! 如果看不動下面的英文字, 就可以打電話給吉米(0917-235-245) 還是益芳 (0917-432-555). 就可以用講的告訴你 9 (我中文字打得不好而且很慢).

怎嗎出價;　請你用 email 給吉米 ( taiprecious@yahoo.com ) 　寫: 項目，你的名字，電話號碼，　出價．　謝謝你的幫助．請你把這個ｅｍａｉｌ傳給你的台東朋友，　讓他們跟我們以起出價．

Please read about all of the items below and see if you're interested in anything. If you are, please make a bid. The prices next to the items are the current bids, but if you bid less and you are the winning bid, you can take it home! Bid baby bid! If after seeing the item in person, you don't want it, you don't have to buy it... this ain't eBay. So, don't be shy! If you're interested... Bid!

HOW To Bid: send me an email ( taiprecious@yahoo.com ) or a text message with your name, email, phone number, item(s) you're bidding on, and your maximum bid amount. Your maximum bid amount is not the price you must pay, but the maximum you are willing to pay (which you can also raise later). I'll increase your bids by $50 - $100 NTD (depending on the expense of the item) up to your maximum bid to keep you in the lead over other bidders. If you are out bid, and your maximum bid is surpassed, I'll try to contact you to give you a chance to raise your maximum bid. I'll update this blog regularly during this week to reflect the current bids. I'm modelling after eBay's bidding process. If you're interested about how eBay bidding works look here.

Bidding ends on Sunday afternoon, June 24th. If you are a winning bidder, you can come pick up your things Sunday morning and afternoon, June 24th, or Monday, June 25th or possibly Tuesday. If you need to see the items before you bid, you can come see things in person June 21st -23rd (Thursday after 9:30PM, Friday afternoon and evening, or Saturday morning - 2:30PM) and maybe just purchase and take items home then (if your bid is acceptable). Please call if you want to come over so we can plan a time (0917-235-245).

For larger furniture items, Danny has been kind enough to donate his van. So, it may be possible to work out delivery options.

PLEASE forward this email to Taidong friends, or if you know someone needing home goods, you can give them my phone number. Thanks again for your help and your bids... it will help me in returning to the States and beginning my new career as a Tai Chi teacher.

1. Desktop PC computer

Intel(R) Celeron(R) 3.06 GHz Processor (Asus P5800 VM Motherboard)

Hard drive: see *note below

512MB RAM

BenQ DVD+R/+RW Burner

Asus 52x CD ROM (with external headphone jack and volume control)

17" inch CRT Monitor included

Windows XP SP2 Operating System

6 USB 2.0 ports

Front and Rear sound out and microphone jacks

This Desktop PC computer is in excellent condition, has no problems, and is only 9 months old. I'm only selling it because I'm leaving Taiwan. It is fast, powerful, and current . *Note on Hard Drive: I'm taking the current 250 GB hardrive with me. If you can install a new hard drive and Windows XP SP2 (which I will give you the CD for) by yourself, then your price will be discounted $3,000 (That's $8,500). If you want me to purchase the new hard drive and install Windows XP SP2, then depending on the size of the hard drive you want, Bidding starts around $11,500 NTD.
Either way, you start with a brand new, fresh Windows Operating System and Hard Drive! A complete computer system for $11,500! Most any software you might need, I'll tell you how to download for free or I can give you.

2. All-in-One Hewlett Packard Printer / Scanner / Copier:

HP PSC 1510 All-in-One Color Printer / Scanner / Copier

Includes 1 unopened Color Photo Ink Cartridge, 1 used photo color ink cartridge, 1 color ink cartridge, and 1 black ink cartridge. All cartridges are refillable. DIY Ink refill kits are included for all ink cartridges for easy refill.
Current Bid: Rebecca $1200

3. Motor Scooter, Motor Bike, Motor Cycle:

Her name is Cherry (and she's cherry red). I've been driving her for 5.5 years and taking perfect care of her. She's a 1996 Suzuki 125cc in perfect condition. She has a large lockable box on the back, a basket up front, and a windshield for the cold days in winter. Last month I changed her oil, changed the rear break pads , and put a new tire on. I've kept up with maintainence impecably! I've never had any major problems with her. Two complaints are that she isn't so fast. She can still go 90 km/h, but I usually don't take her over 70km/h. I like to drive slowly and safely. The other complaint is when first starting her in the morning, you need to work the gas a little to get her started, but after her first drive, she starts right up with a touch of the ignition (I only had to kisckstart her once in 5 years, after leaving her at the train station for 2 weeks). Her Taxes and Insurance are current through 2007 (and maybe 2008???) I have to find out. On the last visit to the mechanic, he said she has no other problems. I can sell her and give her to you at the end of July (maybe sooner if dire). I asked the mechanic his opinion of Cherry's value. From an objective standpoint, the mechanic said he'd sell her for $11,000 NTD O.B.O. Buyer must have a valid ARC.

Current Bid: Frederika $11,000 NTD.

4. Home furniture, appliances, and goods:

Computer Desk: Faux Light wood finish. Excellent condition. $300 O.B.O. (Or Best Offer). It looks like this, but my desks metal frame is beige with no CD racks.

Office Chair (picture above): Ok condition: $100.

Rattan Coffee Tables with glass tops. 1 larger table and one smaller table. Excellent condition. Attractive. Minimum: $600. Cirrent Bid: Christa $400

Futon Sofa Bed: Back folds down to make a nice bed for 2. Includes 2 pillows. Good Condition. Current Bid: Christa $688

Peter and Sophia modelling the yellow futon:

Surround Sound Speaker System with Sub-Woofer: Total of 9 speakers. Includes long audio cables to string the speakers throughout your house. This system will rock your neighborhood (if the need arises!) Has mic-in for Karaoke! Can easily plug into a computer or MP3 Player. $688 O.B.O. (not like this picture... older, with 3 additional large speakers).

Japanese Tatami Mats: 4 full size mats and one 1/2-size mat. Ok condition. Current Bid: Ivona $1200

Here are the Tatamis modelled by Ivona and Yvonne. ALSO, notice the red yoga mat which is listed below 4 sale. Interested: Rebecca (wants to see)

Hot Water Dispenser: Push button pour. Mint condition. 1 year old. New $1200, Sell $500 o.b.o. (Or best offer). Here's a pic:

Blender: Mint condition, strong, glass container. Current Bid: Christa $500

Small Rice Cooker: Good for small family. Cooks that rice so nice! $250

Baking Oven: Excellent Condition. Has internal chicken rotisserie. $400 (Great Deal!)

Very Large 7? Gallon Stainless Steel Pot: Mint condition! Current Bid: $250.

Large Wooden Cupboards / Cabinets: 4 wooden doors, 6 shelves. Great for storing food , dishes, clothes, misc. Approximately 2 meters long x 700cm high x 50cm wide. Current Bid: Mark $450

Spice Rack with 20 jars of different herbs and spices and other bagged spices included. Great for cooks! Current Bid: Ivona $250

Wood Table with vinyl table cloth; quite tall: Great as a kitchen prep table or outdoor use. Current Bid: Christa $300.

Large Stainless Steel Prep tray currently being used with a stainless steel dish drying rack: Current Bid: Ivona $125

Music Chair: Round brown cushion, adjustable height. You will JAM on this chair! Current Bid: Christa $200 (elbows, knees, and strikes to the face are permissible!) .

Garden Furniture: Outdoor wood BBQ table: $125. This might already be reserved for Mark unless he knows who burned out the center of this table during their last BBQ. Fess up, Who did it?
Outdoor plastic chairs (3 chairs): $100
Outdoor wicker chair / bench, Seats 2: Current Bid Christa $125

Extra Large Yoga Mat: Great for those yoga parties! Great as a guest double bed, sleeps 2: $200

Assorted Pillows. Plush out your pad with more pillows:
2 spaceshuttle foam bed pillows (good condition): Starting Bid $200
4 used pillows (ok condition): Starting Bid $200
3 attractive sofa pillows (ok condition): Starting Bid: $200

Snorkelling Fins: Men's size 10 - 11. Current Bid: Jeff $125

3 Cutting Boards: 2 wooden and 1 plastic.

Knives Knives Knives!!!: Many shapes and sizes.

All Kinds of Kitchen dishes, containers, utensils, pots, pans, ceramics (many Japanese bowls, and Japanese ceramic cooking pots in new condition!).

5. Hand Drums:

African Djembe from Ghana: This djembe is a masters drum. It is one of the best djembes currently in Taiwan. It has a goat skin, shoulder strap, African cloth travel bag, and water proof / puncture proof protective top.

SOLD to: Ivan $10,000 NTD

BIG Djembe from Ghana: Very Large Djembe. If you want to see it. It's at Ivan's house. Ask me about contact details. Starting Bid $6,800. See pic:

Peruvian / Cuban Cajon Box Drum: Cajon Drums are wooden box drums that are particularly good for accompanying guitar and acoustic sets. They are regualrly used in Flamenco ensambles. They have a big sound for acoustic sets, are easy to transport, and double as a chair . The favored chair of kit drummers. Another bonus about the Cajon, is you can pack clothes or gear inside it. With a bag (like the one I'm selling below), it's like carrying a suitcase that doubles as a sweet drum set!!! Cajon Drums are not yet available in Taiwan. I flew to Japan to buy these two models. After travelling to music shops around Japan and playing over 30 different Cajones, I picked these 2 models that I felt to be the Best. These 2 models were recommended to me by shop owners as well. The first is a Japanese made Hamasaki Sentido Cajon with 5 different playing surfaces.

1. The "Sentido " (above) is in my opinion the best Cajon currently on the market because of its multitudes of different sound. It has a traditional cajon playing surface with adjustable snare . On the opposite side of the box are two bongos and a unique bass, each with many different tones. I paid 48,000 JPY (38,000 Yen, plus 10,000 yen for shipping) last year (that's $12,936 NTD). See here for current prices:

http://www.drums.co.jp/act/percussion/hamasaki/spc-380/index.htm

I'll start bidding at $8,880 NTD. I'm selling it because I'm returning to America. If no one buys it, I won't mind taking it back with me. It is a sweet drum!!! The most versatile acoustic hand drum I've ever played!

If you think you can simply build your own, think again! I tried and failed... that's why the Japanese and German models are the best... Precision Engineering!

2. The "Cajon la Peru" is a German made Schlagwerk cajon (I have the exact model pictured below). LISTEN to An MP3 sound file of the Cajon 4007. I like this cajon because it has a higher pitch than the sentido and the snare is higher as well. The sides can be played for varied wood tones. This cajon is lighter to carry.

P 4007 Cajon la Perù^® Burl veneer

Playing surface: Burl veneer
Resonance box: 7 layers of Alder,
approx. 30 x 30 x 50 cm
Sound: rich bass, strong mid-range tones
Affectionately referred to as "el negro" in the Flamenco scene, the most successful Schlagwerk Cajon has not lost any of its aesthetics or its versatility within varying music styles. CP 4007 – the classic Cajon!

It's currently selling in Japan for 53,000 Yen (that's 14,276.54 TWD) see here:
http://www.drums.co.jp/act/percussion/schlagwerk/cp4007/index.htm

I'll also start bidding for this drum at $8,880 NTD.

3. "Meinl" Cajon Bag: High quality, padded, cajon bag with straps to protect your cajon and make transport easier. I paid 8,000 Japanese Yen ($2,130 TWD) for this bag. Start bidding at $1,600 NTD. I only have one bag to sell.

If you play one of these cajones, you'll probably find yourself surrounded by beautiful latino dancers like this:

Nike the Kitty Cat: Nike is a 2 year old boy that has been nuetered (no more balls / 每有蛋蛋了) . He is a really good boy and loves to speak! One friend has agreed to take care of him, but will have to keep him outside. We'd prefer to find an indoor house for him if possible to keep him at peak health. $Free$

Thanks again for your Bids,
Precious 吉米 Jimmy
0917-235-245
for bidding: taiprecious@yahoo.com

http://www.myspace.com/preciousjames

2007-06-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Allergies: How I'm Healing Mine

About my recent discoveries about my mucous... it could be the pollen, but pollen gets in everyone's noses... so, it's us folks on the edge... with weakened immune systems or past our threshold for allergens, pushed over the top by pollen or whatever... so, we've got to get off the fence and back on the ground of well being. My "allergies" or mucous issue has greatly improved thanks to the teachings of a chinese doctor and the yoga sutras. Here are the current top 4 hanging on my wall next to the computer:

1: Sleep. Go to bed early (before 11PM). Chinese medicine says our liver must rest from 11pm to 3am aroundabouts. if it doesn't, problems ensue. I didn't bellieve, but now I do and it's helped me immensely!

2. Excercise Daily. Necessary.

3. Stop, contemplate, Meditate: Answers soon follow.

4. Eating healthy, small portions, only when truly hungry for the purpose of serving the Lord... and not for sense gratification. This one has allowed me to quit some foods that may have been aggravating my system... especially bread, which I failed to quit so many times before. I've discovered I'm allergic to yeast... putting nutritional yeast on my food now causes an instant nose explosion and coughing? So glad I found out.

*Bonus: No smoking: Smoking is enemy of our lungs, and who wants to be an enemy of their own body? If the Lungs are unhappy, the respiratory system will be unhappy, thereby causing the nose unhappiness in myriad ways. The good Herb is best taken orally through food or oil (if required at all... Chinese medicine says it weakens the Kidneys, and the Kidneys are considered a vital organ of health). Why fight the body when we can make Peace with it!

2007-04-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

I was just amazed by this TED Talk by Edward Burtynsky:
(http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/56)

Shipbreaking No. 4, Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000

Burtynsky presents a riveting slideshow of his photographs, which show vividly how industrial development is altering the Earth's natural landscape. From mountains of tires to rivers of bright orange waste from a nickel mine, his images are simultaneously beautiful and horrifying.

Deda Chicken Processing Plant, Dehui City, Jilin Province, 2005

The second half of his presentation about China is fascinating!

And if you're inspired to realize solutions to these global issues we face, you can read this article about Japan's "Thomas Edison" Dr. Nakamats (http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/10/20/twilight-zone-dr-nakamats-inventions/)
who has pushed limits in every realm of his life to break into optimum creative conciousness. Most interesting to me was his recent Nobel Prize in nutrition for his studies on the optimal diet for health and creativity. Dr. Nakamats only eats 700 calories per day and has been for years! Is he healthy? Well, how many patents do you hold? He only has 3,000+ patents to his name. Check out this interview on his creative process: (http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/Nakamats1.html)

PyonPyon flying shoes allow the wearer to leap into the air with minimal effort.

Enjoy,
Precious James

2007-04-28T04:14:00.000-07:00

Taiwan English Teaching

Having taught English in Taiwan for 5 years already, it's about time I share the wonders of it all. I've had such a great experience teaching here in Taiwan! Teaching part-time (avg. 20 hours / week) I've been able to earn an average of $1500 USD per month. Of the $1500 / month, I am usually able to save $1,000 of it living a very simple life. This lifestyle affords me much free time to study and do things I most enjoy. I've spent a majority of my time studying Tai Chi and computer skills. It's an amazing opportunity to be able to study and save simultaneously. For ppeople interested in studying anything Chinese, Taiwan offers awesome oppotunities!

Here are some great sites offering more information about teaching English in Taiwan:

http://www.forumosa.com/taiwan/index.php Very informative forums
http://www.tealit.com/ Job listings and Life style info
http://www.buxiban.com/ Job Listings, detailed school info, laws
http://www.englishintaiwan.com/ Gives a good feel for teaching in Taiwan
http://www.therealtaiwan.com Taiwan Lifestyle

2007-03-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

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
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http://www.myspace.com/preciousjames

2007-02-28T03:04:00.000-08:00

Completely Around Taiwan for Chinese New Year 2007

I was visiting some Tai Chi Masters in Taipei and Taichung. Here's the Taipei 101 Building, the tallest building in the world since 2003.
Click the Taiwan Satellite image to see a map of where I live (in the SE corner in T'ai-tung).

If you're interested in some basic facts about Taiwan, visit here for the Wiki.

And here is a famous Daoist temple in Taipei that I visited which also has many Buddhist images. Many people go here everyday to give offerings of incense to the the Gods and pray.

--
After Push Hands class with the Tai Chi master, I went to the National Palace Museum:

Here I saw the ancient treasures of China from 5000 B.C. to present... all these treasures were brought to Taiwan during the Communist Revolution in China circa 1949 (Thank God!). The communists would have destroyed most of the treasures and erased so much history if the Nationalist Army had not rescued them and brought them to Taiwan. A cool thing about this museum is you can see in the picture how the museum goes into the mountain. It has a high tech security system that will retract the most precious ancient treasures into vaults within the mountain in case of earthquake or attack (by agressive American politicians... they're not too worried about China anymore).

It was an enlightening experience to see things such as past emperors' hygienic tools that kept them looking cool and powerful everyday. Also amazing, are small intricately carved statues that can fit in the palm of your hand that took a master artist 5 years to complete! This one is carved from an olive pit and has a story composed of 300 Chinese characters carved into the bottom of the boat!!! The actual carving is smaller than this picture!:

This snuff bottle given as a gift to an Emperor of China is painted on the INSIDE! It was painted with a minute brush through the small hole in the top!

Check out this Bullet train. My girlfriend and I rode on one in Japan at 186 mph. It was a wicked ride! At times it felt cooler than a roller coaster ride! Click the pic to read about Japan's Shinkansen:

And now Taiwan has a bullet train too! It just began operating and I'm looking forward to boarding it! A previous 5 hour ride across Taiwan has been cut to 1.5 hours by the "Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp."

Next, I hope to catch a ride on the MagLev in Shanghai, China. It can reach 500 kmh by gliding over magnets! (click the pic for the wiki).

http://www.myspace.com/preciousjames

2007-02-18T06:28:00.001-08:00

Chinese Studies & New Learning Tools Discovered!

Began the New Year delving into Chinese studies. What better way to begin the Chinese New Year! I found some great online resources. The first two of which provide online Chinese Study through multimedia... Awesome! I've been searching for tools like these for years! Now I don't have to sign up for Chinese class this semster! I can stay at my computer, peering over the screen at my beautiful view of the Taidong mountains and skip the drive to the University. Spread the word and share any cool tools you find!

Chinese Pod: http://www.chinesepod.com/

And for interesting reading practice for all levels visit Adsotrans: http://textbook.adsotrans.com/
Has pinyin and definition pop-up window for each word in the articles.

Interested in pinyin: http://www.pinyin.info/

Using pinyin to input chinese characters on Windows XP and other pinyin tools?: http://www.pinyinjoe.com/index.html

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

2007-01-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

Give the fruits of thy labor unto me!

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18. Conclusion--The Perfection of Renunciation http://www.asitis.com/18/51-53.html

Being purified by his intelligence and controlling the mind with determination, giving up the objects of sense gratification, being freed from attachment and hatred, one who lives in a secluded place, who eats little and who controls the body and the tongue, and is always in trance and is detached, who is without false ego, false strength, false pride, lust, anger, and who does not accept material things, such a person is certainly elevated to the position of self-realization.

Interesting blog of a nudist in Tonga:
http://sonia-belle.blogspot.com/

PreciousJames

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