Against the Stream MELROSE is pleased to have Martine Batchelor as a guest for this special evening. She will speak on how we can creatively engage with ourselves and the world. This talk will explore meditation as a process of un-grasping, releasing, and thus allowing a creative response.
Batchelor was born in France and spent ten years in a Korean monastery studying Zen Buddhism. Then she met Buddhist writer and former monk Stephen Batchelor. She is now a guiding teacher at Gaia House in England. She was a founding teacher of the Sharpham College of Buddhist Studies. With her husband Stephen, she leads meditation retreats worldwide and lives in Southwest France. Her books include Buddhism and Ecology; Walking on Lotus Flowers; Women in Korean Zen, and Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits. Her most recent book is The Spirit of the Buddha.
Amma, or Ajahn Thanasanti Bhikkhuni, was born in California and first introduced to Buddhism and insight-meditation in 1979 in a class taught by Jack Engler.
From that time on she has consciously committed to awakening by envisioning living her life as a Buddhist nun (bhikkhuni).
After completing a B.A. in Biology from UC Santa Cruz, she worked for a few years as an analytical chemist. Then in 1987 she went on a pilgrimage to India, Nepal, and Thailand to meet many of the meditation masters she had heard about.
She joined Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in 1989 as a part of the community of nuns to begin training as a novice. She began integrating meditation practice with the daily duties of a nun at both Amaravati and Chithurst Buddhist Monasteries, England. She received 10 precept (siladhara) ordination in 1991.
As part of her monastic life she has went on retreat into the remote bush of Australia.
For the last several years Ajahn Thanasanti has been involved in the leadership team and guidance of the nuns' community at Chithurst. Since 1996 her community and monastic responsibilities have been interspersed with teaching intensive meditation retreats in the US, UK, Switzerland, and Australia.
In order to pursue her vision of how monastic and lay practitioners can work together in the modern world to create viable communities for practice in the United States, she has taken the significant step of leaving the formal affiliations of Amaravati and associated monastic communities. She has been living on faith according to the ancient principle of alms mendicancy and is based in Colorado Springs.
The first Theravada bhikkhuni ordination ceremony ever to occur in North America took place in August, 2010 at Aranya Bodhi Forest Hermitage in Sonoma, California. Ajahn Thanasanti was one of four nuns ordained.
Her interests are in awakening compassion and wisdom to integrate insight into the whole human condition. She uses essential Buddhist and non-dual teachings, devotional practices, and respect for nature as skillful means.
Ajahn Thanasanti's Los Angeles schedule
Nov. 2: Teaching, Wednesday night class, ATS, Melrose
(Britphoto) The 11th Annual Dia De los Muertos ("Day of the Dead") festival filmed (and edited) by Karl Polverino at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Oct. 30, 2010.
Hollywood Forever is a cemetery like no other. One of the world’s most fascinating landmarks, it is the final resting place to more of Hollywood’s founders and stars than any place on Earth. Founded in 1899, this graveyard was an integral part of the growth of early Hollywood. Paramount Studios was built on the back half of the original site, where it still operates today. It is the choice resting place for most of the founders of Hollywood’s great studios, as well as its writers, directors, and performers.
The cemetery is now listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. Visitors come from all over the world to pay respects to Johnny Ramone, Cecil B. DeMille, Jayne Mansfield, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, and hundreds of Hollywood’s greatest stars. But mostly they come to celebrate a Latin holiday quickly catching on. It is the new Cinco de Mayo ("Fifth of May") for Los Angeles's indigenous ethnicity.
After all, not long ago California belonged to Mexico. Los Angeles ("The Angels") was settled by celebrants of a culture that remembered its ancestors and set aside this special day (traditionally Nov. 1st) to care for them after their passing. Not coincidentally, almost a world away, Europe chose the same day. But it is the eve of that day that became most famous as All Hallow's Eve.
The veils separating the human, ghost (preta), animal, monster (asura, yakkha, naga, kumbandha), and hellion planes seems to thin at this time, perhaps allowing lower planes to again savor the wondrous but largely taken for granted opportunity of existence as a human, the last fortunate destination in Buddhist cosmology.
Remembering Mara (maranasati) on LA's Day of the Dead
Mindfulness of Death Wisdom Quarterly translation Maranassati Sutra (AN 6.20) Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was residing at Nadika, in the Brick Monastery, where he addressed the recluses, "Recluses!"
"Yes, venerable sir," they replied.
"Mindfulness of death when developed and made much of is of great fruit, of great benefit. It leads to the deathless [nirvana], has the deathless as its final end. Therefore, one should develop mindfulness of death."
When this was said a certain disciple addressed the Buddha: "I already develop mindfulness of death."
"How do you develop mindfulness of death?" the Buddha replied.
"I think, 'Oh, if I were to live for a day and night and attend to the Blessed One's instructions, I will have accomplished a great deal!' This is how I develop it."
Another disciple added, "I, too, already develop mindfulness of death."
"How do you develop mindfulness of death?"
"I think, 'Oh, if I were to live for a day and attend to the Blessed One's instructions, I will have accomplished a great deal!' This is how I develop it."
Then another added, "I, too, develop mindfulness of death... I think, 'Oh, if I were to live for the interval it takes to eat a meal and were to attend to the Blessed One's instructions, I will have accomplished a great deal.' This is how...."
Then another added, "...I think, 'Oh, if I were to live for the interval it takes to swallow four chewed up morsels of food and were to attend to the Blessed One's instructions, I will have accomplished a great deal.' This is how...."
Then another added, "...I think, 'Oh, if I were to live for the interval it takes to swallow one chewed up morsel of food..."
Then another added, "I...think, 'Oh, if I were to live for the interval it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out..."
When all this was said, the Buddha addressed them. "Whoever develops mindfulness of death thinking, 'Oh, if I were to live for a day and night... a day... the interval it takes to eat a meal... swallow four morsels of food and were to attend to the Blessed One's instructions, I will have accomplished a great deal!' -- such practitioners are said to dwell heedlessly. They develop mindfulness of death slowly for the sake of ending the defilements.
"But whoever develops mindfulness of death thinking, 'Oh, if I were to live for the interval it takes to swallow one morsel of food... for the interval it takes to breathe out after breathing in or to breathe in after breathing out and were to attend to the Blessed One's instructions, I will have accomplished a great deal!' -- such practitioners are said to dwell heeding my advice. They develop mindfulness of death acutely for the sake of ending the defilements.
"Therefore should you train yourselves: 'We will dwell heedfully. We will develop mindfulness of death acutely for the sake of ending the defilements.' That is how you should train yourselves."
That is what the Buddha said. And the recluses delighted in his words.
Wisdom Quarterly: Voices for Change, Voices of Freedom
"Poverty is the greatest violence of all." Princeton University Prof. Cornel West laid it on the line protesting at the Supreme Court this weekend (Occupy DC, Oct. 16, 2011). Along with radio host Tavis Smiley, Prof. West recognizes that B.S. Obama is NOT the fulfillment of Martin Luther King's dream.
Prof. West is not alone in recognizing the situation for what it is. The whitewash has fooled no one. Where is the "change" we voted for, we believed was coming, we were promised. Obama lies like a Bush -- and has successfully put through Bush policies Bush could not push through. "The new NAFTA" is further proof that Bush-Cheney are still in office in disguise. The CHANGE we voted for never came.
Actor Danny Glover delivers an impassioned, impromptu speech to peaceful demonstrators giving voice to a movement that encompasses ALL Americans, not simply taxpayers, youth, veterans, minorities, gays, union members, parents, teachers, police, firefighters, and mortgage holders.
Dr. West addresses crowd at Occupy DC on corporate greed.
Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornel West tell it like it is: "Barack Obama is NOT the fulfillment pf Martin Luther King's dream!"
"Black Power Mixtape" is a Scandinavian exploration of African American voices of struggle during the 1960s on into the tumultuous '70s. Sweden sent a team of investigators to document and try to understand what the hippies, Black Panthers, civil rights movement members, and radicals were protesting and trying to accomplish during the greatest generation so far in our country's short history. More
(XenuSmurf, Sept. 26, 2011) Thousands of supporters and protesters lined West Hollywood's Sunset Blvd. for a glimpse of Pres. [of the corporation] B.S. Obama, only to learn he and his entourage pulled in from a side street. What, no underground passageways like DC?
WEST HOLLYWOOD, California - Wouldn't it be great to have a black president? The Republicans may give us one -- if they can get their vast racist and fundamentalist contingencies to go along. Sure, some say previous presidents have been partly black, but imagine pizza man Herman Cain telling it like it is....
It wouldn't happen. He wouldn't tell it like it is. We may as well inherit Justice Clarence Thomas to the highest (public) office in the land. Those who are perched more highly -- at the NSA, NSC, Pentagon, CIA, and Moussad (not to mention the vast conspiracy known collectively as our Shadow Government) would get Cain to go along as they did Bush I, Bush II (Dubya/Cheney), and Bush III (Obama).
"Are y'all really against Obama?" Yes. He is a great person. But the lies, the hypocrisy [the murder, homosexuality, secrecy, Michelle's breakdown about it, and endless concessions], promoting a Bush/Cheney agenda, it's too much! Like Princeton Prof. Cornell West and radio legend Tavis Smiley, we believe only keeping his "feet to the fire" will cause Barry Soetoro Obama to rise to the greatness he is clearly capable of rising to.
If Ron Paul keeps winning straw polls, they may stop using them.
Where is Candidate Obama when we need him? Where is the "change" he PROMISED? He was usurped by Complete-sellout Obama, who is almost certain to be re-(s)elected unless protesters have their way. Will there be more and bigger wars for the US, harsher and more tragic job loss rates, deeper debt and currency devaluation? If Obama has his way there will.
Who is better suited to hold office? True, the position is just a figurehead post, but it seems to affect us. Better the Great Communicator deliver the bad news than a right wing, hate-inspiring speaker. But we can think of a few names -- Dennis Kucinich, Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate, or straw poll favorite Other.
(PiPhD) Occupy Wall Street Manifesto: KILL ALEC (ALEC = American Legislative Exchange Council) the corporate-funded, right wing organization in charge of writing custom-made legislation to spread Republican lawmakers across the country who push state legislatures and Congress further to the right.
Pacifica radio host, along with alternative news anchor Mercy Malick (pictured left), Cary Harrison is on his way to Asia. He will be traveling on a fact finding mission to Hiroshima, touching many Asian nations along the way.
Watch out, Jane Fonda. Cary should be appearing on "enemy" posters any day now. The good news is that the Monday 2:00 pm (PST) broadcasts will continue as usual, exposing viewers to the world beyond our glorious external borders and our quiet internal colonialization thanks to news blackouts.
Center for Inquiry West Janet Reitman in conversation Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011 11:00 am in Hollywood
Scientology, which created in 1954 by prolific sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard, claims to be the world’s fastest growing religion. The organization claims it has millions of members around the world and huge financial holdings. But Scientology is also a notably closed "faith," harassing journalists and others through litigation and intimidation, even infiltrating the highest levels of the government to further its goals. Its attacks on psychiatry and its requirement that believers pay thousands of dollars for salvation have drawn scrutiny and skepticism. And ex-members use the Internet to share stories of harassment and abuse.
Based on her five years of research, unprecedented access to Church officials, confidential documents, and extensive interviews with current and former Scientologists, Janet Reitman now offers the first full journalistic history of the Church of Scientology. She provides an evenhanded account that at last establishes the truth about the controversial religion. More
Today (September 15) Michael Zittel starts a 6-week series The Body as the Direct Path at the Melrose center in Hollywood, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm. Saturday is an exciting and full day at the Santa Monica center. It starts with Kate Shela's
Intro to Meditation class follows with Mary Stancavage from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm. The day ends with The Sangha Social:
Mindful Music Strikes Again hosted by George Haas and featuring Rick Coella and Pablo Das -- an evening of formal meditation to live music beginning at 7:30 pm.
Remember Against the Stream: Buddhist Meditation Society's regular line up of classes:
Friday Night Dharma Test Kitchen with Pablo Das, 7:30 pm in Santa Monica
Saturday Afternoon Sit with Mary Stancavage, 5:00 pm at Melrose
Sunday 11:00 am Meditation and Talk with Kevin Bortolin
Sunday Evening Just Sit 6:00 pm at Melrose.
Thank You to all who participated in the Sit-A-thon. All money raised supports scholarships to Levine, Ferraro, Das's Joshua Tree retreat next month.
Wisdom Quarterly (The solution and way to success is mudita, explained below)
She can act, sing, dance, marry well but is no golden idol like Yogini Moss (elledecor.com)
Why everyone hates Gwyneth Paltrow Wwtdd.com but reframed by Wisdom Quarterly Insufferable Hollywood elitist? GOOP megalomaniac? Or just a really cool person? Gwyneth Paltrow steps in it in her interview with Elle Decor magazine. On being asked to list a few things “she can’t live without,” she revealed a fantasy life detached from most people’s reality. Born to privilege (not in any way by "accident" but thanks to the fortunate fruition of karma seeded in the past), she indeed deserves to surround herself with the finest in life. But is she thankful for all that karma is bestowing on her, or is she bragging, or did her agent answer for her?
1. DeGournay hand painted wallpaper - “I indulged with one wall in my London living room covered in a gorgeous pattern.”
Seriously, this is the first thing? Of course, maybe it’s reverse order and this is the last. What would Sid do? He would have said “an end to suffering for all living beings” or “happiness in the Land of the Shakyas” or good health, a white pony, and a shady tree for spiritual exertions. But times, they are a’changin. Today, we need our wallpaper! What would our interior designers do with bare walls? Paltrow’s choice begins at $650 per panel, and the average cost is thought to be $12,000 per room, but that’s nothing with Coldplay money.
2. Seasonal flowers- “I like single-variety arrangements -- peonies, hydrangeas, and white lilies -- casually arranged.”
Oh, that’s nice. The devas love flowers, and their presence adds a lot of radiance to a room. She wants the very best but does not want it to look like any effort was involved. Expensive things are just lying around. Space-heaven must be missing an angel (akasha deva), and she’s down here with us.
3. Darren Almond’s photography - “His arresting, large-scale artwork brings a sense of majesty to a room.”
Christies has sold a few of his pictures, ranging in price from $3,515 to $16,250. But "majesty" is a dead giveaway, isn’t it. It reveals her blue bloodline all the way back to Tavatimsa. (I’m thinking maybe Elle Decor put her up to this list to sell more of these items and get a kickback from the producers. More
4 Ways to Be Happy NOW
Wisdom Quarterly
The Buddha often extolled four states that accompany peace, pleasure, and positive karma. Of these the third is perhaps the most difficult yet also the best for us to actively cultivate, particularly when we read about the rich and famous. Ever notice how often they appear in the media -- between stories about the wretched and destitute we feel superior to? Why? It might be to keep us feeling inferior and dissatisfied -- ready to BUY (usually on credit) anything offered promising to make us happy. As if happiness could be bought. There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So be here now. And be happy now. Here’s how.
1. Loving-kindness (metta) means boundless friendliness (agape). 2. Compassion (karuna) is the active side of love, alleviated others' suffering.
3. Joy-in-others'-success (mudita)
Appreciative, sympathetic, or vicarious joy means experiencing pleasure by delighting in the happiness of others rather than begrudging their success or well being. Just as a parent aware of a child's accomplishments and successes. The pain of envy, jealousy, meanspiritedness, smallmindedness are all enemies of this form of happiness that is always available since we think someone is always doing better than us. Altruism is not necessary, just a spirit generous enough to be happy for others. Delighting or lauding others' good karma is good karma! If one were to joyfully reflect with appreciation or vicarious joy on someone else's merit -- such as giving the Buddha or an arhat a gift -- one would share in that merit. The reverse is true, too: Begrudging others' success, fame, beauty, longevity, influence, respect, or wealth is demerit (unprofitable mental karma). Envy, jealousy, disgust at their success leads to our own failure. Imagine that. No one teaches that in Judeo-Christian culture. We reap what we sow, so we are sowing seeds of discontent to begrudge others' actually deserved fruits and results (even if we cannot find when those seeds were planted, owing to their cause in the distant past shrouded by rebirth and recoverable only by the cultivation of absorption in meditation and the exercise of the divine eye). 4. Equanimity (upekkha) This means impartiality, equipoise, looking back on without elation or dejection, non-bias, wishing these states on all beings everywhere without preference or distinction. They are, after all, called the Four Immeasurables or Four Boundless States. Far from indifference, with which many confound it, like the others it is experienced in absorption (jhana) after the first three Divine Abidings are cultivated. Hater (H8R) TV
Scientology is explained at Minute 3:55 by Jiminy Glick and Dennis Miller
What's Xenu With You? Text by David Cotner (laweekly.com)
Unlike Diuretics, the book that supports the science of matter over mind [as opposed to the opposite], Dianetics is a work [by science-fiction author L. Ron Hubbard] of spiritual inquiry that in 1954 launched the international, inter-generational discipline known as Scientology.
Understandably, its followers are a passionate lot, which occasionally brings them into conflict with others in ways that are, shall we say, rather impressive in terms of the level of zeal employed.
Launching into the breach between fact and fiction, Rolling Stone contributing editor Janet Reitman discusses and signs Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).
Not to be confused with Robert Kaufman's groundbreaking 1972 expose Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman, Reitman's book examines everything from hardcore acolytes to the disaffected apostates -- both groups inextricably linked to the gravity of Scientology.
Even though Reitman received unparalleled access to Scientology officials, hitherto unseen documents and five years' worth of interviews, Scientology always brings out dueling factions - - so ditch that Zoloft and enjoy the fireworks!
The Shaolin Temple, founded in the fifth century, has been the key element in hundreds of movies and TV shows: “Kids From Shaolin,” “American Shaolin,” “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin,” “Shaolin Soccer” -- and now “Shaolin,” a new movie starring Jackie Chan and Andy Lau that debuted Friday on video-on-demand.
All are based on the martial-arts practices of the Buddhist monastery -- a special brand of kung fu that combines physicality and Buddhist spirituality and is, according to the Shaolin Temple’s Web site, “based on a belief in the supernatural power of Buddhism.”
“Most people don’t realize kung fu is internal and external, a peaceful and a martial application, and a Shaolin movie will include both... “Shaolin is all about spirituality, karma, your well-being,” adds Doris Pfardrescher of Well Go USA, which is distributing “Shaolin.” All other martial-arts films are “ just about action, fighting,” she adds, “but Shaolin is about religion, spirituality, being with Buddha.” More
"Nothing spreads like fear" -- Number One in the American box office. "Don't talk to anyone, don't touch anyone, stay away from other people," a mom cautions her child.
As one of the mental poisons, fear (bhava) is a kind of hate (dosa) in Buddhism. Both are forms of aversion. Aversion is a negative state that leads to unwholesome karma -- in thought, word, and deed. It is contagious. The military-industrial complex has a propaganda arm, the entertainment industry, and would like us to feel aversion. Why would Hollywood help fear- and warmongers?
Money helps, as does government regulation, private inducement. But privilege locks the cooperation in. Behind-the-scenes Hollywood has always been part of the problem (think of the 1950 "let's fear the alien invaders" craze) even if liberal actors are disproportionately covered by the media.
"Swine flu" was released on purpose; the goal of the mainstream media was to keep people afraid -- in that way they not only accepted toxic, immune-weakening flu shots, they first begged and then demanded them. Those shots were no protection (as microbes evolve quickly). Vaccines build immunity, but additives (excipients) and multiple shots at once cause great harm. The heavy metal load alone causes more injury than over hyped flu strains.
Shots are particularly harmful to children and the elderly. Who is trying to injure/eradicate the most vulnerable? Big Pharma does not plan eradication campaigns; they just go along with them for profit, even if most employees are good, well motivated people who have no idea what their multinational corporation is motivated by.
There is a "shadowy government" that is neither elected nor directly dependent on Americans for funding. It appears to be multinational, elitist, and answering to another shot caller besides the Pentagon, CIA, NSA, NSC, and Homeland Security. But it has help from these agencies. The bottom line is that FEAR is a hindrance, a poison, a crippler of mind and body. And this movie does as much to promote and exploit our fear/hate as any organic contagion.
Demonizing the Chinese
Dr. Vic, Singapore Contagion is yet another film that glorifies us (the Occidental) while demonizing China and the Chinese (the "Oriental"). In the US-centric universe created by this movie, the source of the problem is China. (Everything bad comes from there.) And the only country working overtime to do anything about it is the USA and its CDC.
The movie depicts China as a helpless bystander providing no assistance. Everything Chinese is cast in a negative light. A group of Chinese is shown kidnapping a World Health Organization health official because, of course, the Han Chinese government does care about Han citizens. In contrast, a sympathetic Caucasian later tries to rescue poor, helpless Chinese kids despite her kidnapping. It is ridiculous and racist; what about history?
If the directors are making a comparison to SARS, they are twisting the facts. Many Chinese and other Asian doctors and nurses in Hong Kong, China, and Singapore died and suffered every day while saving lives. As a doctor who worked in a SARS-infected hospital, I remember the risks and tragedy of friends and colleagues who died and suffered respiratory distress in 2003 after the first case was found around Nov., 2002.
Although Chinese health officials at best initially underestimated the threat with their inadequate (developing world) healthcare or, at worst, covered it up, they managed to contain the disease by July, 2003. The Chinese developed the first SARS vaccine to control this disease (CNN). This movie is insulting to Asians. – Vic, Singapore
Transforming the Three Poisons: Passion, Aversion, and Delusion
In Buddhist teachings, greed, hatred (often expressed as fear), and delusion are called the "Three Poisons," the three unwholesome roots, and the three fires. These metaphors suggest how dangerous afflicted thoughts and emotions can be if they are not understood and transformed.
Greed refers to craving, selfishness, lust, misplaced desire, attachment, and grasping for happiness and satisfaction outside of ourselves.
Hatred refers to our aversion, anger, fear, and revulsion toward unpleasant people, germs, circumstances, and even toward our own uncomfortable feelings.
Delusion refers to our dullness, bewilderment, and confusion, our wrong views of reality.
The poisons are byproducts of ignorance and self-view -- ignorance of our true nature, the awakened heart of wisdom and compassion. Arising out of craving and ignorance, these poisonous states of mind/heart motivate unprofitable, unskillful thoughts, speech, and actions. This brings all manner of suffering and unhappiness for ourselves and others and the world. But there are antidotes to these self-made prisons. More
Are we the only ones to notice what Hollywood namers named CattyPurry? It seems so. But there have been rumors -- we thought them a joke -- that Perry is in fact a human-extraterrestrial hybrid. Feline, reptilian (naga), shapeshifter?
To the extent that some people refuse to acknowledge other life forms throughout the universe and even this very solar system, this will sound incredible. But humans are seeded from the stars. There are many, many alien races. Many have visited, many still do, and many never left.
With sufficient DNA (often referred to as a suitable bloodline) these intelligences are able to take possession of an individual. What better way than through million-selling musicians and overnight popstars?
Lady Gaga, addled by drug abuse and body issues that inspire her to drink, starve, binge, and do hot yoga, might well be in the same boat. There are unseen beings all around. Why would an artist create a hit song glorifying ET-hybridization, miscegenation, human-alien mating?
It is like the "days of old" when the Nephilim (the Judeo-Christian "sons of god" or Buddhist devaputras) created "men of renown" (epic heroes) by mating with the "wives of men" (human females).
LYRICS: Katy Perry's "ET" (feat. Kanye West)
With nine nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) tonight, Katy Perry is set for another milestone in her meteoric rise to fame and a short career that promises to grow longer with each hit. Perry has just become the first female and only the second person (the first being Michael Jackson) to ever derive five number one hits from a single album. Amy Winehouse sleeps, and Lady Gaga shivers in her homemade platforms as Justin Bieber wets his Canadian Toughskins when they see Perry rising on the charts.
Britney Spears rejects a lesbian kiss from Lady Gaga (left) as she accepts the Video Vanguard award at the 2011 MTV VMAs in LA Aug. 28, 2011 (Reuters/Mario Anzuoni).
(Wisdom Quarterly) Kaskade invited everyone to a private EDC movie primiere and block party, but too many ravers came. When a patrol car was damaged, LAPD overreacted as is common in Los Angeles. Police fired deadly projectiles at the crowd to retaliate for the burning of the LAPD vehicle and to cause panic and mayhem. Riots and more planking are likely to recur tomorrow night when Lady Gaga arrives to film an appearance/performance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," which is filmed very close to Grauman's Chinese Theatre near the same Hollywood intersection. A few miles away in downtown LA, the Summer 2011 X Games began. (Watch X Games launch on ESPN)
"Electric Daisy Carnival Experience" movie leads to crowds and oppressive police reaction. This view from seven floors up looks down on the massive gathering overtaking the venue (Hollywood Reporter)
(The Hollywood Reporter) Police brought out riot gear to calm down the unruly crowd outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Police donned riot gear to calm down an unruly mob in Hollywood at the world premiere of Electric Daisy Carnival Experience on Wednesday night.
According to Los Angeles' KTLA-TV, DJ Kaskade called for a "block party" outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre: "Today@6pm in Hollywood @Mann's Chinese Theatre. ME+BIG SPEAKERS+MUSIC=BLOCK PARTY!!! RT!" he tweeted.
"Literally thousands and thousands of kids showed up for this thing," reported Tim Conway Jr. of Los Angeles radio station [and Coast to Coast affiliate] KFI. Riot police shut down Hollywood Blvd. and ordered the crowd to leave. But many refused -- because they did not know why they were being turned away. The event was not cancelled; it had reached capacity. They started fighting, throwing bottles, and allegedly set fire to a cop car, KTLA reported. More
The annual corporate event has gotten so big that it was moved to Las Vegas this year.
Against the Stream MELROSE is pleased to have Martine Batchelor as a guest for this special evening. She will speak on how we can creatively engage with ourselves and the world. This talk will explore meditation as a process of un-grasping, releasing, and thus allowing a creative response.
Sharpham College of Buddhist Studies. With her husband Stephen, she leads meditation retreats worldwide and lives in Southwest France. Her books include Buddhism and Ecology; Walking on Lotus Flowers; Women in Korean Zen, and Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits. Her most recent book is The Spirit of the Buddha.
Sharpham College of Buddhist Studies. With her husband Stephen, she leads meditation retreats worldwide and lives in Southwest France. Her books include Buddhism and Ecology; Walking on Lotus Flowers; Women in Korean Zen, and Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits. Her most recent book is The Spirit of the Buddha.
