http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/ Brief news items of importance or interest from Dharmacafe en billstranger@mchsi.com Copyright 2009 2009-01-07T00:27:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/healing-their-selves/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/healing-their-selves/#When:00:27:00Z Whenever Reverend James E. Brown sees an Alzheimer’s patient, he sees a part of his mother as well. “In 1994 my mother, Jocile Brown, passed away from Alzheimer’s disease,” he said. “When I saw my mother, I knew I was supposed to minister to others, especially those with cognitive disease.” And when members of his congregation at First Baptist Church discuss their relatives and loved ones who are battling or have succumbed to the disease, he sees a part of himself in them. Brown said that in the church’s 22-year history, the congregation has seen many hardships. However, nothing has been more devastating than helplessly watching members of his church pass away from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. From slowly forgetting names to losing the ability to drive a car, each member felt that they were slowly losing a piece of their loved ones every day. Read Article 2009-01-07T00:27:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/scientologists-clear-up-travolta-misconceptions/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/scientologists-clear-up-travolta-misconceptions/#When:23:20:00Z Bahamian officials determined it was a seizure that caused Jett Travolta’s sudden death, but there have been a number of outspoken critics of Scientology claiming that the church’s practices might have played a part in how the Travolta family cared for their son. In response to the claim that the family might not have sought appropriate, conventional medical treatment for Jett’s seizures, Tommy Davis from Scientology International says that simply isn’t allowed under Scientology practices. “Scientologists seek conventional medical treatment for medical conditions. Scientologists use prescription drugs when physically ill and also rely on the advice and treatment of medical doctors. The church does not involve itself in the diagnosis or classification of any medical condition,” says Davis. Read Article 2009-01-06T23:20:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/orthodox-believers-to-mark-christmas/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/orthodox-believers-to-mark-christmas/#When:21:38:00Z As Orthodox believers prepare for Christmas Day (January 7), many worshippers across the country are taking part in midnight services. A special Mass is being celebrated at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow, led by acting head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Kirill. The celebration follows a 40-day fast, only broken on Christmas Eve when the first star appears. Russians welcome Christmas Day on the January 7, according to the Julian calendar. Along with Russia, Orthodox Christmas is marked across Eastern Europe and by Orthodox churches around the world. A liturgy in Moscow‘s Christ the Saviour Cathedral will be held by Metropolitan Kirill, who currently heads the Russian Orthodox Church after the death of Patriarch Aleksy II on December 5. A successor to Patriarch Aleksy II will be chosen by February this year. The Christmas address by Patriarch Aleksy II signed shortly before his death will be read out in cathedrals on the night. Read Article 2009-01-06T21:38:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/gordon-wimsatt-and-his-famous-bear-grease/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/gordon-wimsatt-and-his-famous-bear-grease/#When:03:32:00Z G. Gordon Wimsatt, who was born on September 6th, 1915, came to the Sacramento Mountains with his parents, George and Johnnie Wimsatt, from Santa Rita, New Mexico [USA], in 1927. A few years after his arrival, in the early 1930s, Gordon met George Hightower, who was part Apache. George worked for the State Game and Fish Department, and was also a hunter and trapper. He had killed a bear and gave some of the grease to Gordon, telling him the Indians predicted the weather by observing the changes in the grease, which they placed in scraped bladders of deer—thin enough to see through. Gordon started watching the grease, which had been put into a clear glass jar. At first, he considered it a joke, but the more he watched the changes in the grease and the changes in the weather that accompanied them, bear grease weather predicting became a hobby of his that lasted until his death more than 60 years later. Over the years, friends gave him some of the fat whenever they killed a bear. After he had accumulated many samples of grease and was able to compare the different specimens, his weather predictions became more and more accurate. He could predict moisture close at hand and also temperature changes. In the beginning, he generally kept the information to himself, but one time he informed a friend that on the next day, February 17th, there would be significant moisture. The friend pointed to the clear skies and laughed at Gordon. Overnight and by noon the next day, more than 8” of snow fell. On another occasion, quoting Gordon, “We had a long dry spell of weather. A logging company was moving logs from the woods to the sawmill in Alamogordo. The foreman was in my store about seven o’clock one morning. The sky was as blue as it could be, without a cloud in sight. I said, ‘Archie, you better have your trucks out of the woods by about ten o’clock, or they’ll be stuck in the mud so deep you might not get them out.’ ‘I bet your bear grease told you that,’ Archie said, laughing as he and a couple of his workers went on their way. Before 10 pm, a downpour of more than 2” soaked the woods, and the logging trucks could not get out that day. Afterwards, for as long as his trucks came by my store, the foreman checked the weather with me every day.” Read Article 2009-01-06T03:32:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/why-obamas-hotel-is-haunted/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/why-obamas-hotel-is-haunted/#When:03:16:01Z Before President-elect Obama’s family can move into the White House, they will be staying temporarily at the Hay-Adams Hotel. The posh palace is not far from the Oval Office, and is, some believe, haunted by one or more ghostly spirits - including Marian Adams, wife of Henry Adams. While the idea of the next president staying in a haunted hotel is interesting, such places are more common than most people realize. There are hundreds of inns, hotels, and motels in which some tenant, somewhere, at some time, has claimed to have seen a ghost or experienced something spooky. Indeed, the very nature of hotels creates plenty of opportunity for suggestible people to see ghosts, whether they exist or not. In his book “Real-Life X-Files,” veteran ghost investigator Joe Nickell explains why many hotels are likely to have alleged resident ghosts: “Obviously, places open to the public have more numerous and more varied visitors, and hence more opportunities for ghostly experiences, than do private dwellings and out-of-the-way sites.” Read Article 2009-01-06T03:16:01-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/perfect-storm-for-innovation-gathers-in-washington/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/perfect-storm-for-innovation-gathers-in-washington/#When:01:02:00Z A perfect storm for innovation is gathering in Washington. With the government’s recent financial assistance to GM and Chrysler, the Big 3 now have until the end of March to make the case that shows how they will survive. Survival is not enough though. America now has a chance to lead the world in power and fuel efficiency. The Big three will still be looking for help at the end of March. As the major shareholder, the US government would have an opportunity to DEMAND the type of cars that will lead the world toward saving the planet for future generations. If the Big three cannot agree to make only cars that are fuel efficient enough to get at least 50 MPG by 2011, 75 MPG by 2013 and 100 MPG by 2015, then they should go into bankruptcy and fend for themselves like all the other businesses that are having trouble. The truth is this can be done and innovators know the way to do it. Read Article 2009-01-06T01:02:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/ysu-course-is-out-of-this-world/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/ysu-course-is-out-of-this-world/#When:22:34:00Z Stephen A. Graf says most people are skeptics when they come into his “Extraterrestrials, Meditation and Free Energy” class at Youngstown [Ohio, USA] State University, but that trend is reversed by the time they finish the course. Graf, a retired psychology professor, truly believes that visitors from other worlds come to Earth and monitor mankind, although he said he’s never had a face-to-face encounter with one of those beings. He has, he said, had an encounter that involved two unidentified flying craft. This was during a training seminar conducted by Dr. Steven M. Greer, a physician who has also been described as a “ufologist” and who claims to have had personal face-to-face contact with an extraterrestrial being. Greer also claims to have devised a way to contact ETs through a process involving meditation. Graf uses in his course a text written by Greer and has been to seven of Greer’s training sessions conducted in areas of the world where high numbers of UFO sightings have been reported. The two UFOs that appeared during one of those sessions flew at a very high speed from horizon to horizon in just four to six seconds, he said. Greer has produced “a credible body of testimony” supporting the existence of extraterrestrials, he said. Graf, who holds a degree in psychology from Miami University, a master’s in psychology from Ohio State University and a doctorate of philosophy in experimental psychology from Ohio State, joined the YSU faculty in 1970. Read Article 2009-01-05T22:34:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/swami-ramdev-to-launch-two-tv-channels/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/swami-ramdev-to-launch-two-tv-channels/#When:20:39:00Z India’s most famous yoga guru is now working towards becoming a media czar. After taking over Aastha channel, Swami Ramdev is now all set to launch two channels exclusively for bhajans and Vedas. NEW DELHI: Swami Ramdev’s spokesperson S K Tijarawala told TOI [The Times of India] that the two 24-hour channels will be launched by April. One will explore Indian traditional and devotional music like bhajans and the other will propagate Indian culture through the learning of the Vedas. Tijarawala said Swami Ramdev was acting as mentor and guide to both the channels. “Just like Swami Ramdev has a five-and-a-half hour yoga show on Aastha national and Aastha international, the two new channels will also run under the guidance of Swami Ramdev. He will have his own segments in the channel besides that for well-known exponents of Indian culture, music and dance,” Tijarawala said. Swami Ramdev’s yoga shows on Aastha are shown across 170 countries and have a viewership of 20 million people. Read Article 2009-01-05T20:39:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/dalai-lama-likely-to-attend-religious-conference-in-bhavnagar/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/dalai-lama-likely-to-attend-religious-conference-in-bhavnagar/#When:19:53:00Z Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is likely to attend a six-day international religious conference being held at Kailash Gurukul in Mahuva taluka here. “His holiness Dalai Lama is expected to attend the conference ‘Dharm Samvad’ being organised by Gujarat based ‘Ram Kathakar’ Morari Bapu on January 6, along with other religious leaders who will come together to talk about their faith and religion,"sources in Kailash Gurukul said here today. “They will also deliberate on what the religious leaders can do to peace and unity in the world in the 21st century,” the sources said. The six-day event from January 6-11 seeks ways and means to deal with the discord among major religions existing in the world, they added. Read Article 2009-01-05T19:53:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/karmapa-prays-for-world-peace-and-liberation/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/news-briefs/article/karmapa-prays-for-world-peace-and-liberation/#When:19:51:00Z The 17th Karmapa Lama, Ugyen Thrinley Dorje has urged people to maintain world peace. Offering prayers at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya [India] today, Karmapa asked hundreds of Buddhists monks and devotees who had congregated to take sermons in Buddhist philosophy, to pray for world peace, harmony and liberation of all. Devotees from about 40 countries attended the prayer session.  “It is held specially this time for the world peace and for benefiting the environment, not the environment locally in Bodhgaya but also the whole of India and from India to whole of the world. So it comes out of the vision of his holiness Karmapa of bringing together people from all over the world to pray together for world peace,” said Joe, a British devotee at the temple. The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in the world. It is said to be the spot where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment over 2,500 years ago. Read Article 2009-01-05T19:51:00-08:00