… so let’s quit waiting.

Three years of keeping a journal here at Frozen Truth . com come to a close tonight at midnight. It’s been an incredible, beautiful, terrible, ecstatic, altering period and I’m thankful for everything I’ve experienced. My life as an online journal-keeper goes back over half a decade (beginning with LJ), but starting here marked one of the biggest of many turning points. I can barely recall who I was when I began this journey, and I welcome whatever coming change will transform me. There’s no sense in waiting idly by for the ecstasy of evolution.
I’m setting up some general goals for this next year, making this my substitute new year in a sense. I’m hoping to launch DynamicID.net as a separate social networking site that will take the process from brainstorming to, hopefully, an actual social networking service, while exploring the state of social networking on a weekly basis. I’ll also be continuing my identity redefinition and making a schematic for the direction I’ll go in with my life as a whole. It’s a very exciting and challenging time for me, and I’m enjoying it tremendously when I’m not bothered by those lingering doubts of my capacity to make such huge changes in how I live.

Today I discovered that we can find out how the blogosphere is feeling in general, and apparantly, We Feel Fine.

This premise on its own is compelling, but the implementation of this site is phenomenal; the interface is playful, informative, beautiful and intuitive. This is one of the finest crafted sites I’ve come across in a long while, and a facinating study of the world of blogging.

I grew up in a rural community here in Nova Scotia that was half way between two small towns, Truro and New Glasgow. I spent time in Truro occasionally, and one of the highlights of that town was Victoria Park. I have fond memories of the stairs, trails and waterfalls there and was reminded of them when my friend Brian recently shared some enticing photos he took at the park. He has suggested taking a train out there for a weekend sometime and that does sound appealing. I’d like to explore that town again, as monotonous as it felt to me when I would visit it on a monthly basis.

What happens when I become frustratingly caught up in work and then spend my days off on the dark side (a.k.a The City of Lakes)? I neglect my journalling, of course.
But I love you all so terribly much that I’m back to make amends.
So, I was in Dartmouth for a couple days visiting my friends Andrew and Allison. We did some gaming and then did some exploring outside. We walked at Lawrencetown Beach for a time and found a starfish. We then climbed cliffs at an old quary and explored trails around it. It was nice to be out walking with friends, something I seldom am able to do.

Last week I went to see The DaVinci Code like countless others. As a film it was enjoyable, though by no means a great achievement. As an entertainment vehicle it’s engaging, but its true value and the excitement it offered me was as a cultural feat.
I feel there is a deep need for undermining religious dogma in general and especially Christian fundamentalism, as I’ve talked about before. Challenging commonly accepted myths with equally or more compelling stories helps to put cracks in the walls of the ethnocentric thinking of pre-rational religions. It’s no cure for the terrible obsticle of fundamentalism, but it certainly helps.
Having studied some gnostic theory, alternatives to mainstream Christian dogma and other related topics, I’d like to think I have a good understanding of the controversy on which the book and movie were based. I think it’s clear to anyone that has looked into it that much of the work is fiction, with the included facts less eye-opening than many that are available. The story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene is much more open to interpretation than I would have thought when I was immersed in the mythic form of Christianity.
I hope we can push this trend to move the mainstream of Christian thought forward into a more open space where it accepts the story of Jesus as a myth of value rather than an undeniable truth. I believe that has to be the next step in evolving Christianity (and all other religions) into a force that can bring the world greater depth, prosperity and morality.

What’s with kissing coming up everywhere I go? Is this an indication that I really need to seek out a girlfriend so I can be making out? Today’s episode of Daily Sonic includes a science segment on that most glorious pastime. I think this must be a sign, so I’m opening myself to submissions for being my girlfriend. Please let me know your qualifications and willingness to have 30-hour sessions.

I’ve been reading John Selby’s Seven Masters, One Path this week and have found it an excellent read. It presents some foundational meditation techniques as shown through the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, Patanjali, Lao-Tzu, Mohammed, Gurdjieff and Krishnamurti, seven of the world’s greatest spiritual luminaries. I appreciate the clear and practical teachings, especially the assertion that meditation should be something we slip into our daily living rather than relegating to isolated hour of the day; this has been something that made a tremendous difference in my path and something I believe is important for everyone to have access to. This is an excellent introductory book for meditation, and one those of use who have been meditating for years can benefit from.

It looks like my vacation time is confirmed. I’ll be leaving this province and heading to an unknown destination on November 1st, returning on the 14th. I’m weighing options right now and hope to come up with something more substantial in the next couple months. I’d love to have the chance to visit some of my friends abroad, so let me know if that would be possible. It would certainly add something memorable to the trip. Now I just have to juggle financial issues and I’ll be set to satisfy my wanderlust.

I discovered that if I call my own voicemail I can record .wav messages. This could be a nice tool for podcasting, so I’ll have to test it out soon. I’d certainly like to refine how I make such media additions to my website, so I think I’ll add some experimentation with that to my to-do list.

In search of inspiration for my new website layout, I’ve been looking at a lot of beautiful sites. It’s been challenging to create a vision that is crisp and unique, especially when seeing so many very well done designs. Visual art is not my greatest strength, but my perfectionist side pushes me to meet my high ideals for what a fine website looks like. I’m hoping I can live up to my own expectations and that such aspirations will translate into a site that you enjoy. The next 12 days will tell.

Philematology is my favourite science this week.

Last night I introduced myself to grappa, an Italian spirit that is made from a distillation of pomace. I was drawn to the drink because of the bottle this style was in, honestly, but I quite impressed by the drink’s flavour. Brandewijn! Oh fire wine, you’ve enchanted me. How do my local friends feel about a Friday night Grappa and gaming session here?

Kissing is something I can’t get enough of. I’m sure I’m not alone. I was happy to learn that kissing also has positive impact on our health, especially when it comes to allergies.

So, any of you beautiful women who are suffering from runny noses, burning eyes, or other symptoms of not making out enough allergies, give me a call and I’ll offer a 30-minute cure. Yes, you can fake it too. I don’t mind, really.

Thunder is crashing and lightning burning through the sky outside my window. It’s a beautiful and calming chaos that I haven’t experienced in some time. I’ll have to walk through it before long, but for now it’s pleasant to be warm here with Mithra curled up beside me.

I’m more excited about video gaming than I have been since I was a kid thinks to Nintendo’s recent innovations. The DS portable system and their Wii (pronounced “we”) console are bringing fun, innovation and accessability back to gaming and I’ll finally be won back into owning a console for the first time since the first Nintendo system.

These new games and technology are making gaming a more entertaining passtime and certainly making it more of a social event. I imagine my friends and I will all be clamouring to use the wiimote. And it will be good for kids to get a bit more active when playing video games. All in all, Nintendo has raised the stakes and made gaming cutting edge again.

Nintendo may be infusing the new console race with tremendous promise, but I’ve also been playing a new game on my computer the past two days. Guild Wars Factions is an MMORPG with beautiful visuals and gameplay I’ve been very impressed with. I’ve only been playing a short while, so I can’t say anything in regard to the community, but otherwise it seems like a great game, especially because it cuts out annoying time-played limitations and subscription fees that a casual gamer like myself is easily turned off by. If you play the game and see Nest of the Spiral out to save the world, say hello.

Sometimes I find the need to track down songs I loved while growing up, even though they’d be off my radar now. I’ll admit to busting out Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It” and Skee-Lo‘s “I Wish” today after talking about the two tracks with a co-worker on Sunday. Skee-Lo is actually quite great, my favourite of the mid-90′s hip-hop wave. His sense of humour is refreshing and the sincerity was a welcome change from much of what was coming out at that time.

Flash, crash, fucking boom! This is a grand night! I stopped typing up this entry to head to work and had a lovely walk in the pouring rain, deafening thunder and lines of lightning. It was awesome in the purest sense of the word. I was drenched by the time I arrived, but luckily the suit I put on was warm.

P.S. “A ‘Militarization’ of the Southern Border?” is a fine piece from WoodMoor Village that addresses some misconceptions involved in the American government’s movement toward restricting and militarily patrolling borders. As this tension escalates, I think we all need to look more closely at how we can open our nations to immigration in healthy ways and reduce needless tension, especailly that created through military actions.

Last night I visited the site of Daily Sonic, the first podcast I listened to faithfully. I’m quite impressed with the improvements of the content and delivery of the show. The ability to customize the show to include only the segments each listener wants has made me add it back to my weekly listening list, along with Integral Naked and Viking Youth Power Hour. If you’d like to hear what I’m listening to from Daily Sonic, check out Apollo’s Edition, my custom feed that includes my favourite bits, 30 Second Life Stories, Science Hour and the daily features and featurettes (that’s 15-20 minutes of content 3 times each week).

It seems like a natural social development that “friendliness is the new cool.” Though the article is from a frustratingly conservative media corporation and opens with lumping together Tool, 50 Cent and James Dean, it does give a bit of hope that some of the blander, angrier elements of popular culture may shift out.

Is this a sign we may see less adolecent posturing? I think we can all welcome that. When does this shift in social perspective impact media and replace 50 Cent with Ed Kowalczyk?

I just signed up for Vonage VoIP service, so I have a new number and a lot more minutes to make use of. Plus, calling nearly any country in the world is now very cheap for me. If you’d like to know my new number or give me yours so that we can talk sometime soon, just send me an e-mail at frozentruth@frozentruth.com. The new number will replace my cell number

I’ve been reflecting upon identity lately. I’m intending to relaunch my website with identity as a central theme beginning on the first of next month (with a complimentary domain name of Dynamic ID . net) so I’ve been exploring the topic in a variety of ways. I’m especially interested in how to modify my presentation to be more transparent and compelling.
There’s so much of what we consider ourselves that doesn’t stand up to contemplative inquiry; once we sit in a witnessing perspective all the delusionary stuff is easier to cut through. This gives us the ability to look more objectively at our identity both in our own perception and in those of others. Crafting a self that is more transparent to the divine is very compelling and deeply challenging to me. It is perhaps the most rewarding work to be done because, when approached skillfully, it imbues everything we do with a greater authenticity and meaning.
A couple years ago I had a bit of a misguided mantra that arose when I discovered Taoism. I first entered into minimalism repeating, “the less I have, the more I am.” It was a very naive stance; I’ve happily come to see more clearly without losing the benefits of a minimalistic approach to much of my life. I came to know that I AMness is independant of such concerns; we are all absolutely Spirit, whatever our relativistic situation.
Lessening attachment to what we think of as our selves gives us more room to change and improve how we live because negative or unwanted aspects aren’t required to remain who we are. This liberating way of being is, I believe, the most desirable and fun way to live. For me, at least, life has deepened in mystery and wonder, meaning and direction; I’m at once incredibly challenged and tangibly joyed by the process of evolution.
I’m freed to recreate the identity I present to the world because of this realization, but I’ve been conservative in the changes I’ve made so far. I’m hoping to use the next year to dive into that process in a number of planned and spontaneous ways. I hope you’ll join me on this journey into manifesting love, beauty and truth as best I can.

I mentioned updating my wardrobe last month, a part of the identity project, and now I’m considering other adornment more seriously than I have in years. Last night I finished reading Hot Bodies, Cool Styles, a visually pleasing but annoyingly written book, and have a renewed interest in body modifications and adornment. Whether it be tattoos, piercings, jewelery or some other enhancement (okay, the terribly attractive simple ear is not yet available, but should I meet a girl with such an irresistable feature I’ll be helplessly in lust), I’m looking into additional symbology to incorportate into my altered presentation. Tattoos are especially appealing, but deciding on permanent images is a decision I always struggle with. Maybe it’s time to take a dive, though.

I spent the afternoon darting around the city with my friend Sara. She had initially asked me to play football, but we also ended up walking, talking philosophy, bowling, eating candy apples and having the most spontaneous and purely fun day I’ve had in a long while. It was a blast hanging out with her again and tomorrow we may go rock climbing (though I fear I’ll be too tired from working tonight).

Where have I been, you all must be wondering. I have a number of excuses, but I’ll just leave it at life getting in the way, aside from anything else I might mention here. Sometimes it might be easy to believe that having more to write about would make updating a blog easier, but those very things leave me with no time to sit down and write lately. In fact, I’m standing right now. With the new design percolating in my head, I also have that distracting me from the actual writing.

You’d think I’d have found time to write during the past two days when I was not working. Instead, I spent a long while across the harbour at two friends’ home hanging out and gaming. I’m terribly social lately, which really messes with my introverted time.

But I love you all, so I’m going to try my best to get into a steady writing routine here starting now. Brace yourselves for some low grade expression of high grade consciousness. Did I get that backwards? Maybe I need some entheogens to help the process along.

Consciousness facinates me. How could it not, really? It’s what we are, when we get down to it. We can witness everything else about us, but not the Witness (named Consciousness through the witness protection program), so as important as our bodies, thoughts, romantic masterworks and candy apples are, they’re objects in awareness, things within our greater Selves. Mysticism is where it’s all at.
Want to know some of folks who realized this incredibly well? The world’s greatest physicists. Einstein, Planck, Heisenberg, Schroedinger, and Eddington, who pioneered the physics of the last century, were all mystics and realized their sciences did not hold answers to some of our most vital questions. Ken Wilber collected a brilliant assortment of the mystic writings of these and other physics geniuses in Quantum Questions : Mystical Writings of the World’s Great Physicists, one of the finest reads I’ve been lucky enough to have this year.

In their own words, these men professed both their love of science and their stances on the exploration of consciousness. I greatly enjoyed taking in the varied voices expanding upon what is both intuitive and rational to me; science and religion need not be in conflict. As with The Marriage of Sense and Soul, Ken makes a solid and engaging case of the need of an integral approach to all aspects of our lives.