This author has rarely allowed metal to pierce his body for long. He has given blood and accidentally stabbed or cut himself on many occasions. You humble and devoted servant has never, however, jumped on the piercing bandwagon and chosen to have a bit of refined ore inserted permanently into any part of his body.
Recently, he has noticed a profusion of (especially) women sporting septum piercings. The septum is a vertical flap of skin on the lower front portion of the nose that separates the organ into two main air-intake channels. On some level, the author finds a septum piercing attractive, especially on a self-respecting woman (i.e. one who appears to regularly exercise, taking generally good care of her body, mind, and soul.) On another level, however, whenever he sees a septum piercing he sees chunk a hanging snot, a booger.
Certain schools of classical Chinese medicine teach that the human body contains energetic meridians, pathways upon which Qi energy or life-force circulates. Diagrams of these meridians can be found here, and here. Even a cursory glance at one of these diagrams will reveal that a meridian passes through the septum; a closer inspection will reveal that three distinct nodes cluster around that area. One primary meridian “runs from the anus up the spine and around the top of the head to the upper lip… the other runs from the anus up to the front of the body to the lower lip.” (The Tao of Meditation - Way to Enlightenment, Tai Chi Foundation, 1983, Jou Tsung Hwa, p.142.) These two meridians, called Tu and Jen, meet at the roof of the mouth and are connected by the tongue during meditation to form the Ta-Chiao bridge.
One possible conclusion to draw from these diagrams is that septum piercings made from anything other than pure gold will tend to disrupt the flow of life-force throughout the body. The disruptions will be subtle at first, growing however in intensity until they lead, perhaps, to confusion, sickness, and suffering. We Westerners are not often raised to feel for, listen to, or trust in the information our bodies give us, learning rather to focus mostly on information that comes from the thinking mind. Therefore, I urge the beautiful female creatures of this world to take a moment to listen to what their bodies are telling them, check whether their septum piercing is doing good or harm, and remove it immediately if they detect any sort of energetic disruption in that area. Among the signs that a disruption is occurring may include an inability to focus in or concentrate on the pierced septum as well as hot or cold sensations in that area.
The world as it is is vexing enough; please avoid sacrificing long-term health for short-term trendy attractiveness.
[The author is not a licensed medical practitioner of any branch of medicine, Chinese or otherwise; this article is not intended to be taken as medical advice of any sort.]
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑
31 March 2017
29 March 2017
Ĥ⫩]—ƟŸ|ᚼ⏛🜻⏛ᚼ|ŸƟ—[⫩Ĥ
some hammered on ploughshares, some sickle-cut barley; as one they were truly #revolutionagnarly
27 March 2017
on bucket washing
Save money and get a workout by washing your clothes using two buckets and a broomstick. Standard contractor buckets work best, as does a long, strong stick that has no sharp ends.
Cut four roughly inch-wide (~3 cm) holes in the bottom of the first bucket - to help drain water later. Fill the second, intact bucket halfway with soiled laundry, add about three tablespoons (~45 ml) of detergent, then add the rest of your dirty clothes. Pour in lukewarm water until it reaches no more than six inches (~15 mm) below the top of the bucket.
Using the broom handle, gently push the laundry downward against the far side of the bucket, using a foot or ledge to stop it from moving around, if necessary. Rotate (agitate) your clothing this way until the water looks oily, and brown. Then, take both buckets to a bathing area, place the intact bucket on the floor of your tub or shower, place the bucket with holes into it, and push downward. Dirty water will bubble up through the holes. Flip over both buckets then push downward on the bottom of the intact bucket to force as much water as possible out of the clothing now trapped between the two.
Once most of the dirty water has been squeezed out, rest the buckets on their side, remove the one with the holes, refill the intact one, and start the whole process over. Repeat at least twice using detergent and two more times using cold, clean water to rinse. Hang to dry.
For a balanced workout, switch hands during agitating. From start to finish, the entire process takes roughly 20 minutes.
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑麥
Cut four roughly inch-wide (~3 cm) holes in the bottom of the first bucket - to help drain water later. Fill the second, intact bucket halfway with soiled laundry, add about three tablespoons (~45 ml) of detergent, then add the rest of your dirty clothes. Pour in lukewarm water until it reaches no more than six inches (~15 mm) below the top of the bucket.
Using the broom handle, gently push the laundry downward against the far side of the bucket, using a foot or ledge to stop it from moving around, if necessary. Rotate (agitate) your clothing this way until the water looks oily, and brown. Then, take both buckets to a bathing area, place the intact bucket on the floor of your tub or shower, place the bucket with holes into it, and push downward. Dirty water will bubble up through the holes. Flip over both buckets then push downward on the bottom of the intact bucket to force as much water as possible out of the clothing now trapped between the two.
Once most of the dirty water has been squeezed out, rest the buckets on their side, remove the one with the holes, refill the intact one, and start the whole process over. Repeat at least twice using detergent and two more times using cold, clean water to rinse. Hang to dry.
For a balanced workout, switch hands during agitating. From start to finish, the entire process takes roughly 20 minutes.
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑麥
24 March 2017
a dreaming carnivore
To my rear was a broad and flat stretch of railway bordered by a low metal fence. To my left, parked upon a darkened cobblestone street, sat a police car. From within it I was being watched by something of infinite and massive proportions, That Which Cannot Be Named.
I had bought a piece of meat in a nearby store, which I cooked using a pocket-sized flamethrower. The thick steak bent in upon itself sharply as it reacted to the scorching heat. Every juicy tendon and sinewy muscle fiber, the milky envelope of fascia, was clear to me, as was the essence of the beast slaughtered to produce it. (Soon after awakening, I realized that eating animals raised in conditions of torture and neglect contributes to sad and aggressive thought patterns.)
Other dreams followed in the hours I spent sleeping rather than practicing my usual morning meditations. They have vanished, however, from memory.
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑麥
I had bought a piece of meat in a nearby store, which I cooked using a pocket-sized flamethrower. The thick steak bent in upon itself sharply as it reacted to the scorching heat. Every juicy tendon and sinewy muscle fiber, the milky envelope of fascia, was clear to me, as was the essence of the beast slaughtered to produce it. (Soon after awakening, I realized that eating animals raised in conditions of torture and neglect contributes to sad and aggressive thought patterns.)
Other dreams followed in the hours I spent sleeping rather than practicing my usual morning meditations. They have vanished, however, from memory.
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑麥
22 March 2017
hollow but pretty
It was daytime, and I was making my way along the side of a lake. To my left was said body of water, to my right a high bank with low green plants of some kind growing upon it. From up ahead, I heard voices. Then, through a thicket of partially submerged reeds to my fore, two people came walking my way.
The first person I saw was a stunningly beautiful and raven-haired maiden who looked similar to a young hoppa actress. I felt a strong love for her but little sexual desire. Unlike in previous dreams, her full face was visible to me, yet her gaze was averted from mine and she never made eye contact. I could tell, however, that she was conscious of my presence. The man behind her (who was wearing a baseball cap on his dark-haired head) was droning on about something trivial, hollow but pretty-sounding words that annoyed me. Judging by the maiden’s body language and facial expression, his mindless talk annoyed her too. Just before stepping onto dry land he paused to lift up and wipe off his knee-high wading boots, which were white with black trim.
The pair moved to my left, onto what could have been an outcropping of rock. I had not noticed it earlier. They ascended, their tones and presence rising above my own sense of self in the dream’s physical space. Faced with the same bed of submerged reeds the two had just exited but having no watertight footwear I started climbing up a jumble of rocks that had appeared upon my right-hand side. I started to pull myself up it as best I could, the reddish stones a type of granite. Behind and above me, I could still hear the man’s droning speech and still feel the maiden’s watchful presence.
Sometimes, I could only find purchase for one or two fingers within the rocks. But, grunting and laboring upward, eventually I reached a level spot. To my right I discovered a walking path of hard-packed earth that was bordered by a low wooden fence. It appeared to me that the path lead straight through the rocks into a dark wood, up ahead. Then, I awoke.
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑麥
The first person I saw was a stunningly beautiful and raven-haired maiden who looked similar to a young hoppa actress. I felt a strong love for her but little sexual desire. Unlike in previous dreams, her full face was visible to me, yet her gaze was averted from mine and she never made eye contact. I could tell, however, that she was conscious of my presence. The man behind her (who was wearing a baseball cap on his dark-haired head) was droning on about something trivial, hollow but pretty-sounding words that annoyed me. Judging by the maiden’s body language and facial expression, his mindless talk annoyed her too. Just before stepping onto dry land he paused to lift up and wipe off his knee-high wading boots, which were white with black trim.
The pair moved to my left, onto what could have been an outcropping of rock. I had not noticed it earlier. They ascended, their tones and presence rising above my own sense of self in the dream’s physical space. Faced with the same bed of submerged reeds the two had just exited but having no watertight footwear I started climbing up a jumble of rocks that had appeared upon my right-hand side. I started to pull myself up it as best I could, the reddish stones a type of granite. Behind and above me, I could still hear the man’s droning speech and still feel the maiden’s watchful presence.
Sometimes, I could only find purchase for one or two fingers within the rocks. But, grunting and laboring upward, eventually I reached a level spot. To my right I discovered a walking path of hard-packed earth that was bordered by a low wooden fence. It appeared to me that the path lead straight through the rocks into a dark wood, up ahead. Then, I awoke.
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑麥
20 March 2017
success through failure
Francis Bacon said, “By indignities man comes to dignities.” Stated a different way, it could read thus: man succeeds through failure. Ancient teachings, especially those that originated in Asia, are rife with this enduring truthhood.
From one perspective, the yin-yang symbol exemplifies the notion that in all light is some darkness; that fear is rooted of joy; that the elixir of happiness is best distilled from wells of sadness. Therefore, experiencing loss is as beneficial as the gain that comes after it; without such loss, one struggles to see a clear path forward.
Perhaps one reason why Americans are turning away from their Western, Christian heritage and toward Eastern modes of living is that the former tend to promote the notion of an invisible afterlife free of suffering instead of setting forth teachings and tools useful in the immediate engagement of pain and loss while still alive. Without a temporal body, what loss could we possibly endure? To what dignities would we dare strive without a physical vessel to contain them in? Deep thoughts this Monday morning fill. Aho.
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑
From one perspective, the yin-yang symbol exemplifies the notion that in all light is some darkness; that fear is rooted of joy; that the elixir of happiness is best distilled from wells of sadness. Therefore, experiencing loss is as beneficial as the gain that comes after it; without such loss, one struggles to see a clear path forward.
Perhaps one reason why Americans are turning away from their Western, Christian heritage and toward Eastern modes of living is that the former tend to promote the notion of an invisible afterlife free of suffering instead of setting forth teachings and tools useful in the immediate engagement of pain and loss while still alive. Without a temporal body, what loss could we possibly endure? To what dignities would we dare strive without a physical vessel to contain them in? Deep thoughts this Monday morning fill. Aho.
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑
17 March 2017
fountain of light
‘All are given light, all get a place to rest.’ (Laozi via Starr) The sage ought to remember this while on his daily rounds; strong is the urge to repel those who approach, seeking to drink from the fountain of light burbling at his core. Accept, soften, and yield.
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑麥
americanifesto / JPR / whorphan / 場黑麥
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