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Lobsters latest website/microblog
lobster
Crusty Veteran
That ^^^ Is my latest MicroBlog.
Only been at a week and hope to set up my own server on the fediverse of Mastodon
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse
It is similar in nature to the ‘Best Of' on NewBuddhist
Very diverse group of peeps posting and sharing … 
6
Comments
I’ve been toying with the idea of setting up a website with a blog… how do you find that is different from an account on a microblogging site?
Ok, I’ll check it out.
This is kinda like what I'd hoped reddit would be more like. I could binge on this all day and feel less bad than just a few minutes on any of the other well known service.
IT is part of the non commercialised fediverse … basically free, no megacorp involvement, no ads ever, diverse interesting engaging users, everyone has a voice.
Set up an account and see it in action.
We create sites with what interests our needs, not what is promoted, privately funded paid for narrow moderated content.
Technically a NewerBuddhist could be hosted there
https://fedi.tips/
Thanks @lobster! I saw that Stephen Fry left Twitter for Mastodon recently so I am glad to read some of the tips and get a bit of a feel for what the Fediverse is.
The whole idea of a federated set of services with cross-service identities and followers seems to me to be a lot more sensible than each service having its own social network with different features.
I will have to make an account and see whats there.
The thing is, I wonder how suited it is going to be to mid-length pieces. I’m more interested in having a place where I can put a few blogs, put up a few photographs and have a site of ‘my stuff’. Maybe I will end up making a website after all.
OK @Jeroen you could set up your own server, blog, pics, website, vids … all free AND find some interesting interaction …
just try it out … then after a week you might be surprised or have further insight into your needs …
I was thinking I might try Weebly or Wix, they have pretty full-featured environments… Or maybe try a blogging site.
Looked at both and have a weebly site @Jeroen
I prefer mastodon
https://www.wired.com/story/the-man-behind-mastodon-eugen-rochko-built-it-for-this-moment/
Projects leading toward more decentralized models of doing things are starting to have bigger and bigger impacts on people's lives. Seemingly for the better. Kinda cool to see more of these things go mainstream.
I was looking at your Weebly site on https://cundi.weebly.com/, it has some interesting Q&A’s, some of it is quite funny. But I wonder who the audience is?
It is about what content you have and who you want to talk to, and what level of interaction you expect to have.
Elon Musk seems to be making a mess at Twitter… have you heard that his latest demand is that employees work 7am to 7pm mon-sun, so a 84 hour working week, for the same salary in order to keep their jobs? Outrageous working practices which seem to be common at Musk’s companies.
There seems to be a mass exodus of employees leaving Twitter…
I read somewhere the company loses 4 million dollars every day as is. A new captain of a sinking ship.. Bail water faster or everyone drowns. I'm not entirely sure he or the business have many alternatives. Especially since the money he was originally going to allocate toward the Twitter re-org has evaporated with the economic downturn. Honestly I was under the impression he was trying to turn it into something like Mastodon but seems like Mastodon is gaining traction faster than he can re-org.
Some amazing commentary on the Twitter situation at DaringFireball.net… the staff count at Twitter seems to be 2500 down from 7500 at the start of Musk’s reign, and falling. DaringFireball says it is almost like a Monty Brewster scenario where Musk is blowing holes in his own sinking ship.
The fastest way to blow your way through 44 bn dollars worth, indeed.
https://daringfireball.net/
All of which is likely to be good for Mastodon.
Crazy. Absolutely. 84 hours a week? C'mon man...............
There were some reports that he later backed down from that, to “at least 40 hours a week”, lol. There go all part-time employees…
I have moved to a new server/instance on Mastodon
Lobster@ecoevo.social
Here is where it gets weird. Communication and who you are following or what your interests are is posted everywhere … unless moderators block certain vested or malevolent interests. So you can not buy self promotion, market share, agenda or news manipulation … everyone sees what they want NOT what Elon Musk or bought corruption can afford. So elitist or unkind groups tend to shrink into oblivion because they can not influence or twist the nature of Mastodon …
It is a true meritocracy of useful people doing good work. It can be very confusing … you have to keep adjusting your priorities …
What a ride though …
The best I can say is … you are all very welcome …
With every influx of new users, there will be growing pains. Part of the learning process of decentralized things seems to be how it often attracts all marginalized groups first. A good product will stand the test though and Mastodon appears to be of that nature.
I made an account and shouted into the void a bit. It was refreshing seeing happy and interesting posts in my feed. I'll probably use it more at some point.
So is this the new link to check you out:
https://ecoevo.social/@lobster
What’s the difference between servers?
Sounds like moderation is a big job.
For some. for sure but they can choose how to manage, share or if deep pockets pay or ask for support for such moderation etc
Some servers have very small numbers of users … some are closed to only family members so may only have 10 members. They can then connect to another server that blocks child sensitive material (for them in a sense) so that family children are protected.
Others such as Trumps or turnip obsessives are isolated by the greater number of servers BUT may be swamped by alternative viewpoints, fact checkers and so on.
… so a kind of shared whole service with pick and choose, rather than force feeding exists …
https://axbom.com/mastodon-guide/
@Linc might be interested in the concept … and we would become a node on the fediverse
@federica might be paid or have a wider choice of trolls to ban 🤭
The potential for reinvigoration and link back exists … for now … Twitter is not responding well but will be bought out or rescued for various reasons …
Have you moved server again, @lobster? I was going to look in on how you were doing but the page at ecoevo.social is giving an error?
@Jeroen
I have indeed moved servers
It is quite possible I am here
https://universeodon.com/@Lobstered
As a lesson in impermanence, I lost all my toots or tweets (in twitter language) and left without providing a forwarding server.
However I am meeting trolls, elves, pagans, semi and actual Buddhists, religious nut jobs (so I feel right at home) and all manner of diversity and wonderment …
Happy New Year One an' All 🙏🏽🪷🦞
This is where it gets interesting … You can set up a server with pieces of any length that has a membership of 1 or if you let me and a few others join maybe more.
You then because it is federated can link it back to Newbuddhist, have a closed area and also broadcast to the whole of the federation or fediverse.
It is kinda chaos … a bit like humans …
You can have ads for your programming skills if you want … so some servers DO advertise
So if @Linc had a server he could advertise or you could, Vanilla forums software or whatever …
You can access the fediverse from phone apps, Ipad Apps (I am using Metatext) browsers on any computer format Windows, Chrome, Linux etc
Wild? oh yeah! it spins you right around …
I enjoy interacting with reasonably spiritually advanced people, and finding a community of such is not so easy. Newbuddhist is pretty good, but the diversity of mastodon sounds a bit challenging, one can end up spending a lot of energy to no avail.
@Jeroen I understand the need for simplicity and strict moderation that NewBuddhist offers and focuses on. It is a healthy and empowering place to be. A modern virtual Sangha.
… mastodon as part of the even larger fediverse is much more scattered let us say … and when people find a server and set themselves up, they find it calm and kind. They are often welcomed, greeted and treated conversationally.
There is a learning curve, for sure. If exploring, take your time, it can be fascinating because so many people are posting, art, photographs, spirituality etc. and you can follow or find ideas as well as people. That is very different.
I will set up a hashtag called #NewBuddhist … and start to populate it a little. So if starting you will be able to find it … if you wish
https://fedi.tips/
This might be my latest location (not entirely sure)
https://universeodon.com/@Lobstered
what a strange experience … a bit like being in a herd of cats, without mind or reason
Or sitting with an undisciplined mind
Or switching channels on TV … at random intervals
Wild!
Interesting, no doubt, a lot to learn.
Still learning.
For me it was a study of my ignorance and realization that once on the road of Mahayana Bodhisattva vowing to save all beings, the workload is endless …
… and @Linc … what does this mean? Do we have a minimum post size … upgrades I bet
Lobster’s mini blog
https://rant.li/lobster/
In Lobster's mini blog was the statement, "Never discuss anything you understand."
Well that opens the floodgates.
It puts me in mind of the story about Socrates. Once the Oracle of Delphi declared, “Socrates is the wisest man in all of Greece”. On hearing this Socrates said to those who came to tell him, “there must be some misunderstanding, because all I know is that I know nothing.” On being asked why she had declared this, the Oracle said, “It is because he knows that he knows nothing that Socrates is the wisest.”
So if we know nothing that leaves rather a lot of room for discussion… all leaves blowing in the wind, very often saying nothing at all is the wisest course.
I think this is the latest server I am on, no talk of spirituality or politics ... unfortunately those are two of my favourite topics
https://toot.io/@lobster
This idea of controlling or micromanaging our own interaction is very strange to me, being anarchic and generally not amenable to management ...
I keep finding and losing interesting people because it is so chaotic. Having said that in many ways it forces us to let go. Engage kindly and be protected from the stranger elements such as me
Being predominantly an online creature myself, one aspect of identity I'm learning to let go of is associating what's been said to who said it. Words spoken are words spoken regardless of the who spoke them. Here, there, a lobster, a flea, more important is the reflection those words cause in the experiencer.
Being said, it's still nice to know where to find the wise so thank you for keeping us updated on your travelings @lobster.
Why, oh why, is it called a Fediverse?! I feel a despotic temperament coming on, it seems as if I have been granted my own Universe to control and lord it over!
Minions, where the devil are my slippers??
Slippers and backsliders on, sitting comforted …
The word Fediverse refers to the idea of private servers/hosted computers with shareable services/interests providing/sharing those provisions with others of similar interests. One of those shared interests are the social media services known as Mastodon.
Most but NOT ALL providers are friendly, inclusive, informed. Those are where I explore.
Those interested in hate bubbles CAN stay with their own kind. Lazy journalists are starting to join Mastodon as they are being forced to pay for social media accounts critical to Elon Flux and his sympathisers/creditors/twitter drones … so they leave and join the chattering classes/servers of Mastodon suited to their audiences.
https://joinfediverse.wiki/F.A.Q._-_Frequently_Asked_Questions
Hope that helps
Very easy explanation:
https://jointhefediverse.net/
Oh … and I changed my location again, tsk tsk, slippery, buttery lobster
lobstered@mas.to
Heh, my dog ate my slippers, my sneakers, the shoelaces on 1/2 the household shoes and 80% of the charger chords. What is she going to do after breakfast?
Ah, but she is an adorable female monster dog.
Some of the sites we fall upon are delightful monster sites, some outright monster and a few safe havens, once we get past the rocky shoals.
Lobster, it seems, likes to play among the rocks to find hidden tide pools.
But, if one does not venture forth, one will never discover new lands.
And who does not want to discover a friendly tide pool or two?
Peace to all
I am on the move again. Back to the beginning ...
I am on Mastodon on the universeodon server/instance as lobster2
Just to recap, your best bet is to start with a recommended free app for your phone. If you are on a computer then you can search for 'mastodon social media' and look for the universeodon server/instance
https://universeodon.com/@lobster2
or from anywhere else on the fediverse including apps @lobster2@universeodon.com
Don't be too surprised if I make even less sense than I do here
... and also do not be surprised at how long it takes to come across interesting idea, people and all sorts ...
Fare thee Well!
Does this mean that you're leaving and not coming back?
Or Just leaving?
Or not not coming back?
Or...
Or ....
Orrrrrrrrrrr ......
The pressure. I can't stand the pressure. There is a piece of brain lodged in my head ......
@IdleChater
Pressure? Sit down and implode ...
The devil stole my slippers. I have been slipping ever since. Yesterday I tried getting a place to rant on "Funkwhale", a federated service to create curated music lists or podcasts. I used Audacity (Linux GNU program) to create my first rant. Lost it. Setting up funkwhale still not done, had to have a break day.
I hope people here will record some rants and upload, if I ever get it going ...
Will let you know how it goes. Yep ... off to have another go now ... No present like the NOW!
https://www.funkwhale.audio/
I’m not good at ranting or rapping or freestyling. I kinda get stuck in silence or repetition, I’m more comfortable with a learnt song. But I’ll have a listen to your rant @lobster…
Well anyone can listen now to my first for many years, public domain (no license), rant on Mind, Body and Speech - click on lobster ... actually wrote Lobser for J
https://open.audio/library/4a673eac-8c34-4675-8eca-1666c54033ff/tracks
Hope it is useful. Just under 5 minutes
Also uploaded here … which is VERY much easier to set up with those who wish impart us with their wisdom … assuming they have any. Of course you do!
I used Audacity to record my podcast, because I am reasonably familiar with it. Audacity is available on Linux, Apple and Windows. Completely open source, free software BUT complex … might be good idea to start with something simpler …
https://audio.com/lobster
The first rather long link was set up on FunkWhale and nearly drove me mad (well madder) in its complexity.
The second link is hosted at the same place but a much easier/simpler interface …
Well ... gone right back to the beginning. Went to this address again
https://qoto.org/@Lobster
Well I’m flattered to be the impetus for your rant Lobster, you have a good speaking voice, clear and soothing. I think you’re right, the quality of voice has something special. I hope you’ll continue ranting on various subjects, I have the feeling many interesting things will emerge.
Most of you are aware of posture.
Anyway did 10 minute podcast on the use of different postures in awareness/mind/body/emotion training
https://audio.com/lobster
Done another five minutes on chanting ... called chanting
https://audio.com/lobster
Did not include hymns, hers, Carols, plain chant, ghazal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_music
… And Pureland … and some peeps chanting in a weird language - English
such a vast topic and inspiration
ah ha …
worked out, was simple enough, how to do a direct link to todays rant on exercise …
Yoga, walking, Tai Chi … that sort of thing …
https://audio.com/lobster/audio/exercise
just over 5 minutes … think I might tackle Christianity next time … 🦞
Well X-tainaity will have to wait ...
Today I talked about Journaling AND the host software used AI to summarise the podcast and create a transcript (may not be available yetI) of my talk. The summary with slight modifications is below. Now that it is trained to my voice. I would like it read back with my voice, plus options to change or use the voice of famous teachers such as, well who? Mooji maybe, then I would become pseudo-Mooji
Tee Hee! I know how about the late great atheist Christopher Hitchens. Or perhaps John Cleese when he is an Ex-parrot.
I know - HM The Late Queen
Journaling is a helpful practice done before or after meditation. Writing down thoughts can provide therapeutic benefits. Write in a physical journal instead of using online platforms. Journaling can help you reflect on past experiences and gain insights. It can also inspire personal growth and potentially lead to publishing your ideas. Sitting for just eight minutes can have positive effects, especially for beginners.https://audio.com/lobster/audio/journaling
Another podcast about 6-7 minutes
https://audio.com/lobster/audio/rant6chakras
or read the transcript below created by AI (no alterations)
Hi everyone, I thought today I'd talk about chakras. Most people who are secular, I don't know if we've done it yet, but we will come to secular meditation, psychological meditation, atheistic meditation, however you like to put it. But today we're going to talk about the chakras which comes from yoga and is also found in other systems. Now, I'm probably most familiar with a Buddhist system used in Ch'en Yen or Shingon, pure word Buddhism, so I'm going to talk about the chakras in that.
And they only use five, which are based on the five elements that they use in their system. This is just a way of differentiating different states within the body or within experience, so the internal body, the microcosm if you like, and the macrocosm. And the elements are earth, which is the lowest of the chakras to do with, in terms of the microcosm rather than the macrocosm, is to do with the, it's located in the sexual organs, so it's to do with reproduction, it's to do with excretion, it's to do with all the things that make us human, if you like, let's put it like that.
So it's very much a grounding, very much to do with the ground, very much to do with earthing and the earth, that's the first one. The next one is water, this is the, loosely speaking, it's the belly, this is to do with digestion, the microbiome, the microorganisms that live in the gut and live in the stomach. So this is very much to do with feelings, so it's an emotional element, water. Then we go up to the will, which is fire, and this is located generally in the heart section in the solar plexus and is very much to do with a concentrated high energy chakra, I mean chakra is the best, the easiest way of understanding that.
And then we go on to what we're doing now, which is communication, and this is to do with the throat area, so this is very much to do, again, on a microcosm level, to do with speech, to do with anything to do with the breathing, the element of air, so it includes the lungs, and there are breathing techniques using air, obviously, in some systems, circular breathing and so on, so the breath is visualised as doing all these strange things, so it's much more than just the real air, if you like, the real air within the body, it's also an imaginary air that you circulate, it goes up through the head in some meditations that you do.
So that's air. Then we go up to the last, in the five element systems, which is spirit or dragon, this is normally located in what is known as the pineal gland, on a physical level, and activates all the elements simultaneously, none of them as well, and it's something higher, it's something magical, if you like, so super sensory, let us say. So that's the final element of spirit. And you see these are, in symbolic terms, they are part of stupas in Buddhism, you will see the elements of a square, a solid base, a circular element, a fire element, a moon element or half-circle element, and a sort of, some sort of spire on the top, it wouldn't necessarily have a dragon, but there would be a pointy bit, let's say the dragon is the pointy bit.
Okay, so that's the chakras, and the point of the mantras that you do to activate them is to resonate with those qualities, they have symbolic visualizations that you can do, they may have breathing patterns and so on, these are normally taught in Chen in Shingon, it's considered an esoteric or secret teaching, much like Vajrayana. If you're doing yoga, pranayama, you may have more chakras, and so you use this just as a device to focus and develop various sensory healings and also inputs, and they're used in different ways, we used to, well I won't go into that at this point, we used to do various things that may, they're difficult to understand unless you practice them and you see the benefits of them, that's the most that can be said about them.
But they're very useful, if they're not useful, then you don't do them, you do something else, you take up running meditation, walking meditation, whatever it is that floats your boat. Okay, that's all from me for today, that's just a brief introduction to the idea of chakras and how they can be used, and how for some people they're very useful forms of meditation. Okay, bye now.
Christianity rant and experience podcast
https://audio.com/lobster/audio/x-tianity
modified transcript
I posted this yesterday without a transcript. As I have not done podcasts for a while ... and the transcript only became available today, I thought I would modify it a bit ...
What I want to do is read back the modified transcript. That might be helpful?
Christianity rant and experience podcast
https://audio.com/lobster/audio/x-tianity
modified transcript
Hi everyone,
I thought I'd talk a little today about my experience with Christianity in the UK. It's going to be very different for people in America and other places ... When I was born a Catholic, I had the Baptism and Confirmation. My first sort of #mystical experience really was of the Eucharist, my parents asked me, I was very young, what did it feel like, or how did I feel about it. I just felt, and I said holy, and I didn't really understand what that was at that time or what it meant, but that's what it seemed like.
And looking back on it, I thought well maybe it was the wine, you know, you had a sip of wine, maybe that had some sort of effect on you, but I'd been used to having small amounts of alcohol on a sugar cube, and also rum in milk as a sort of medicine, so I knew what that was like. This was something that was different, and I think that was to do maybe with the occasion, the ritual, or something else, I really can't say but that was my first real experience in Christianity.
And then later on, when I was older, I started reading about the #Cathars and #Albigensians, which were #heretical movements in the southern areas of France, I found very interesting. Later on I did retreats, one in a #Benedictine #monastery in #Kent #Castle for people who were thinking of becoming monks. I realised it wasn't for me, really because I found out that the monks were being trained as priests basically, and I had no interest in being a priest, so that was out for me.
And then after I'd explored other religions, such as Buddhism, I came back to Christian mysticism and started looking at things, the sort of traditions, the inner traditions if you like. In Catholicism you have the #Stations of the #Cross, which is a series of ten images, or ten statues, or ten points at which you #explore different aspects of Christ's journey to the cross and it's a very profound practice because it draws out things from you. A form of #inner #reflection.
Another example, which is very difficult for people to understand who don't do it, is the Jesus prayer, you know, "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner". It has a meaning, a deeper meaning, which eventually becomes clear if you do it long enough, you understand that those words are to do with something other than, oh look at me, I'm a terrible person, please help me, that's just the initial understanding.
And I was reading things like "The Cloud of Unknowing", "The Way of the Pilgrim", books just basically about the various forms of Christian mysticism. If these systems have a use to people's inner journey, then they're useful.
There was a time when I completely rejected all forms of theism and became an atheist for a couple of years, and I found it very empty, and then went back to a theistic, well this is quite an interesting thing, because when you go back to theism from atheism ... I mean I'm not talking about just being an atheist in terms of, oh well that's something I'll try, you actually have to accept and understand no God, that there is no God, and then eventually you come out of that and you realize that it is possible for something to be beyond existence and non-existence, so you can say that God exists and doesn't exist, and that is a more developed understanding and practically incomprehensible, because it's ridiculous, and many aspects of the inner journey are completely #incomprehensible and completely #nonsensical, but they're there as experiences and understandings, which again are useful.
The spirituality that you grow up with will always have a special meaning for you. But I think later in life there is a blossoming that comes through the perennial philosophy, the realisation that all these religions are at their heart thinking about the same thing.