Bonobo Mother & Offspring: Correspondence with a Hippy, Yoga Teacher, V, New Year's Greetings

Dear V,

Thanks. I'm exploring practices for eliciting the neurophysiology of 'bliss' (like MDMA ecstasy, naturally) ... interesting exploration {scottmacleod.com/LovingBlissPractices.htm} - am looking for the 'cello bow stroke sounds' or musical scores of this bodymind chemistry, naturally. Music is one avenue, and there are many ... but bliss doesn't always come freely, easily and readily. (Evolution and modernity orient us in many directions, I think).

Words, too, may be uninspired lies ... internet is just another form of communication. But great, online resources for yoga will help many. I prefer person-to-person communication with people I love in beautiful places ... but have to create this ... No kids here yet, and I'm looking for a beautiful friend for this. Need to raise significant monies for World University and School, and am continuing to work on my Harbin ethnography (after a theft in June) and writing poetry on my blog ... Lots of contact improv here in the SF Bay Area these days. So, into the warm pool at Harbin frequently without very much cuddling ... it's very beautiful there, and nice to come and go from Canyon, near Berkeley, 2.5 hours away from Harbin. May start teaching yoga in the Canyon school soon, in the redwoods near where I live. And your explorations? Happy travels.

Love,
Scott



dear Scott,
I wish you also a happy and "blissful" New Year.
I wish you well with your idea of an open university , but I have just refused an on-line
yoga conference , for the same reason that I can not teach yoga to a virtual student.
When I sit in front of a camera , the reason to connect with reality is gone and I am left with an uninspired lie.
I am sure that there will be lots of more mental subjects that would do just fine.
Lots of love ,
V.




On Sat, Jan 9, 2010 at 3:09 AM, wrote:



Greetings from the San Francisco Bay Area and Pennsylvania. Happy Solstice, Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings and Happy New Year! How are you? I’d love to hear your news.

I'm glad to let you know about about the open, free World University & School which I'm developing. One FREE Harvard Ph.D. in Education, for 25 students, is already linked to WUaS: worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Courses#Free_Degree_Programs. If you know people applying now to grad school, this is an opportunity. They would have to apply by the new year, though.

World University and School is a global, virtual, open, free-to-students, multilingual university and school, which is potentially degree- and credit-granting, after some years, but will list free degrees as we add them. WUaS is using an open Wikipedia {with MIT Open Course Ware} model, where we all can teach to our web cameras. It also focuses on great universities' open, free, online content. It's for the developing world {One Laptop Per Child countries to begin with} and everyone. Its web address is worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/World_University. World University and School is potentially in all languages, all nation states, all subjects, and at all levels. Teach, add or take a class at World University & School. I blog about World University & School here: scott-macleod.blogspot.com/search/label/global%20university and post about it here: facebook.com/macleod. WUaS is in the process of applying for tax exempt (501 c 3) status. Spread the word.

While the possibility that many people will contribute an amazingly wide variety of web camera teachings (which people are already doing a lot on the web, - e.g. youtube.com/edu), as well as interactively in virtual worlds like Second Life, is exciting - creatively and academically - I'm particularly interested in how we might all make learning & teaching enjoyable and fun.

Please let me know if you're interested in engaging World University & School; you can simply click 'edit this page' button at WUaS, for one. For comparison's sake, Wikipedia is now in around 240 languages, with 14 million articles, and it started around 2002.

I continue to write my ethnography of Harbin Hot Springs, with a virtual world aspect - harbin.org - a hot springs' retreat center 2 hours northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area, with roots in the 1960s and early 70s.

I'm living in a beautiful place called Canyon in the San Francisco Bay Area, - in a forest, east of Berkeley.

I'm continuing to play my bagpipe regularly {and taking lessons}, and for events like weddings: scottmacleod.com/piping.htm.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Come participate in World University & School.


Warm greetings,
Scott


scottmacleod.com



Here's my holiday letter from last year: scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2009/01/happy-new-year.html, where, on my blog, you'll also find poetry I've been writing - click on the 'poetry' or 'Canyon' labels, as well as more ideas about 'global university.'












(http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2009/12/yellow-balsam-root-holiday-letter-2009.html - December 21, 2009)









(http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2010/01/bonobo-mom-and-child-correspondence.html - January 12, 2010)