I've been remiss in not blogging this, mainly, because I've been busy, and passed over A Few Random Notes, when it showed up in my reader.

But then I read Joe's post on the treatments he is starting, and I backtracked at the Until site.

So here's what is going on:

Chronic pain. As I've written before, I've been suffering from an excrutiatingly irritating form of chronic pain since last fall. I've chosen not to say more about the subject on my weblog, but I want to mention that the problems have persisted and continue to impact my quality of life (and quality and quantity of writing). I've been doing hyponotic visualizations (vision questing), but it's difficult to say if it's helping or not. I would say no to helping with the pain, but yes it's helping me feel less beaten down and disempowered by the pain.

HIV. My immune system functioning continues to sink into the toilet (with a high viral load count and CD4 count in the low double-digits). Finally things have come together to the point where I can start new HIV medications. I have applied (and hope to be approved) for "compassionate use" access to a new Merck drug that is an integrase inhibitor.

Joe's treatment post points out that he now IS approved, and is will be beginning a new type of drug therapy, so let's all wish him the best.

It's really funny - I've been reading Joe's stuff, since I got into blogging and reading blogs.  Now that blogging has exploded into ten million different ways to get information, he is still one of the sites that I subscribe to.  His honesty, and unique - and can I say artistic? - method of analyzing and writing have given me hours of entertainment, education, and reflection.

He does feel, to me, like a valued member of my tribe, and I've come to care, through this venue called "the internet".

So, I am wishing Joe all the best - I hope others will as well.

Saw Peter post this at Zaadz:

“The report, from the World Institute for Development Economics Research at the UN University, says that the poorer half of the world’s population own barely 1% of global wealth.”

Then I saw this report on World Bank efforts to reduce poverty the last ten years:

Despite an intensified campaign against poverty, World Bank programs have failed to lift incomes in many poor countries over the past decade, leaving tens of millions of people suffering stagnating and even declining living standards, according to a report released Thursday by the bank's autonomous assessment arm.

Clearly, these two articles are related.   There has been a vast effort, on the part of the economic elites, to "grow the wealth" over the last several years.  But doing this, without paying attention to who benefits, simply makes sure the haves get more - in the article:

"For a sustained reduction in poverty over a period of time, it really pays to worry about both growth and distribution," said Vinod Thomas, director-general of the Independent Evaluation Group. "It has been a mistaken notion that you can grow first and worry about the distribution later."

There are also many social issues, that have to worked out internally, before economic use can be of aid.  You have to "pick your spots", so to speak, and take an integral, holistic, and pragmatic approach - paying attention not only to the economic picture, but the levels of consciousness and power distrubution, clan rivalries, etc - in a country.

A pretty interesting video here - this is actually IONS contributing to the program that COTS does:

A good post from Integral Awakening: 

Integral Criticism:  The Solution Is Easy

"Response through authentic, unbiased, research".
 
The problem - this type of research takes time, from what is already a very busy life - and then, there is little compensation, outside of a "job well done".

So - despite the Integral Wiki, despite the great work being done at the P2P Foundation, despite the various integral groups - the integral research project seems to stay the province of the charismatic leaders, the "try this method" people, and the ruminations of the  philosophically-oriented.

I'm thinking about ways to encourage a greater, more practical participation - what are others thoughts?

Who has a lot of time to add to either the Integral Wiki, or integral stuff to the main wiki?  Who has time to participate in a online research project.

Now, that would be pretty easy to create.  Say 40 people in the world - 50, maybe - decide to do the 1 Minute modules every day, for 90 days. detailing the experience, say, to Google Spreadsheets (shared).  During, and after, the spreadsheets can be downloaded, put into either Access, or another database, and statistical analysis run.

That is how EASY it would be, for people to participate.  But even then, who has the time?

There needs to be some carrot, I think, for this stuff.  Peer to peer Foundation began discussing various ways to incentivize the wisdom of the crowds.

I wonder if this could be done with this type of integral research? 

One idea would be, perhaps, some type of community blog, for the research participants, that would publish interesting content, at the same time detailing some of the results.  Then, you add Google Ads, and others, to the site.

Micropayments for participation would probably run in the cents, to the tens of dollars - but there is at least a measurable carrot, no matter how small. 

Of course, you would need to attract enough of an audience to have the site pay for itself - and on top of that have extra!  Which is hard to do!

On the other hand, you can now get a SCOOP community site, for less than 20/month.  That would be easy to raise (or simply pay for) and any extra, again, wouldn't be so much for "making" money, just to have a measurable carrot.

At any rate, it's a good question - participatory integral research projects, that use the web, and pay for themselves. 

Any ideas?

I see yesterday that on the KW blog, there was reposted a commentary about the war in Iraq - the piece originally dates from 2003. I thought it would be useful - for myself at least - to critique this piece. Note - this is going to get long, as I've spent some time in the analysis below: So here goes - First off, it is interesting to note that the post contains two separate issues - and conflates them, to a degree - the attack on 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq. The connecting tissue for this conflation is this post is ABOUT Iraq, yet posted on 9/11.    more »

This ranking of colleges by Washington Monthly magazine is interesting. 

Particularly the measurements of success:

And so, to put The Washington Monthly College Rankings together, we started with a different assumption about what constitutes the "best" schools. We asked ourselves: What are reasonable indicators of how much a school is benefiting the country? We came up with three: how well it performs as an engine of social mobility (ideally helping the poor to get rich rather than the very rich to get very, very rich), how well it does in fostering scientific and humanistic research, and how well it promotes an ethic of service to country. We then devised a way to measure and quantify these criteria.

This type of broad-based methodology and evaluations, are similar to how one evaluations the different areas of an individuals life. 

Through last year, I would occasionally point to the Inner-Net blog, while Nipun and Guri were doing their trek through India on a dollar a day.

Well, they've been back awhile.  And now, they have an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about their trip!

Truly inspiring lives, truly inspiring.

As I mentioned yesterday, there is a lot going on regarding the forming of ILP Groups.

There is an ILP Group happening in the Bay Area - meeting in Berkely - and this one is certified by Integral Institute, as it is led by Terry Patten.

I am figuring out whether my time is free enough to join.  I hope that I can free my time up.

And then, in Seattle, there is a lot going on in Integral. 

Included in this, is the work being done by the organization that includes my favorite integral and whole life economist, Daniel O'Connor (blogging at Catallaxis).

His organization is creating iPraxis Practitioners Circle, which is a very cool concept.

So more and more happening!

A new blog was brought to my attention, that seems to have a really unique focus. 

Called Composition, Service Compassion, Photography, there is a real focus on that CAPTURED MOMENT of awareness, where the mind stops - and briefly - there is a pause in meditative reflection.  And this is reflected in the photographs.

As well, there is a focus on service, isn't something that I have linked to much here, and I need to do more of it...

If you have the time, the popular articles from the site.   Lots of good information for managing life.

Thanks to a comment left on this blog recently, I was introduced to "Be the Change" or "Memestream" - (I actually prefer Be The Change, but eh, whatever works.)

I mentioned before the Seva Cafe, and this blog has at least a couple of good posts on it.

Very heartwarming story.  It would be amazing if something like this could be duplicated in the U.S.

Noddy at Numenous Thoughts is taking people from New Orleans in, and has some things to say about FEMA as well.   Both very generous personally, and worth reading (you may have to scroll down to get to post.)

I really can't say much today - simply repeat what so many others have advised - if you have some extra cash, please give to the American Red Cross.

Saw this post from Kathryn, and it reminded me that I had planned on posting on this previously.

ANY type of volunteering or service is, in a very real way - integral.  However, this particular organization (Hands On Bay Area) serves as a "meta-service" organization providing:

a.  Integration of very diverse needs, from different communities, different populations, and different types of service. (Elderly, children, environmental, etc.)
b. Very flexible programs, to volunteer as makes sense in your life.
c. Thinks "locally", to show that YOUR service makes a difference.
d. Provides a mode for ALL of these differing communities to come together to form a larger whole.

So go take a look, and volunteer!