Thursday, October 2, 2003

Meditation Buddhists have long maintained that meditation offers great benefits to their minds and bodies, but the empirical world has demanded more proof than personal testimonials. As Ajahn Amaro, an abbot at the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in northern California put it on Saturday, "people believe in the great god of data." Therefore, the Dalai Lama hopes researchers can scientifically prove that meditation has medical and emotional benefits, and then divorce it from its spiritual Buddhist roots to offer the world a secular method for relieving suffering and finding happiness. It should be mentioned that many different spiritual paths include meditation, which is not only a Buddhist practice. 1:37:09 PM    comment []; Coke's new "smart" billboard in London Coca-Cola launched what is said to be the world's largest and "smartest" billboard ever this week: 99 feet wide, full of neon, responds to weather changes and interacts with people observing it from the ground. Can you say overkill? "This is an intelligent sign, with state-of-the-art computer technology, built-in cameras and an on-board heat sensitive weather station," the Coca-Cola Co. said in a statement. The sign can respond to weather and movement. "When it's raining, big drops will appear on the screen and when it's breezy, the Coke sign can ripple as if it's being blown by the wind," a spokeswoman for the company said. It will also be able to recognize if people are waving at it from the ground below and, eventually, will be able to respond to text messages from mobile phones, she said. [BoingBoing] And soon it will be given legs so it can run after potential customers. What about Philip K. Dick's genetically manipulated flies, which buzz around your head saying "Isn't it time for a refreshing coca-cola?" until they get killed with the nearest newspaper.... 1:17:57 PM    comment []; Practising on a day off in 1993 1:12:32 PM    comment [];

© Copyright 2003 Ottmar Liebert. Last update: 11/1/03; 9:39:07 AM.