The Pursuits of a KC Blogger

Cold War Returns

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Grab any newspaper today and marvel at the international delights which illustrates a welcomed return to the cold war. This time it involves not just two superpowers, the USA and Russia, but major new players including the timeless battle between Christianity and Islam. Here's some headlines from towards newspaper, The Guardian:

Victorious Chavez promises action on crime and services as he sets sights on ruling beyond 2030 (Venezuela)
West clash with Africa on war crime indictment: "Britain, France and the US are up against a united front of African and Muslim countries, backed by China and Russia, over the imminent indictment of Sudan's president
As their country descends into chaos, Pakistani writers are winning acclaim
Don't skin one up: addicts breeding hallucinogenic toads become largest target in Iranian drugs war.

Random fact: The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has estimated that more than 4 million of Iran's 70 million people are addicted to drugs.

Confessions of a Pirate

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:35:00 +0000

For years I've been a law-abiding citizen never do any wrong but wondering why in the UK we pay such extortionate prices for goods? I use to buy my tapes and CDs at such ridiculous prices but then back in the late 90s Napster came alone. The great and powerful mp3 search was just beginning...I was able to download whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted - all for free. I finally felt my good karma being used up as I was getting back from the years of spending money.

This has continued for several years and though a bought the occasional vinyl (for productions/DJ purposes) I haven't really bought much. The best was Napster then it switched to Morpheus then to WinMX to Soulseek to Bearshare to Emule to Bittorrent. I became interested in peer2peer (p2p) and checked out many websites which detailed the RIAA battle against the file sharers. We were the liberators - taking from the rich and giving to the masses.

But this all changed this summer when a close friend recently interviewed Thes One from People Under The Stairs (P.U.T.S), an amazing underground hip hop band which speak about real life, making music and having fun. These guys spend so many hours in the studio, you wouldn't believe, spending so much money on production gear just to satisfy the fans and make a living. Yet the internet can take all that energy and translate it into file sharing. I use to support bands by buying their mechanidise, going to the gigs etc but never buying the album.

They are coming out with an album entitled 'Fun DMC' this Monday, 29th September, and a recent poor quality leak with made and people have been downloading in the masses. PUTS are of my favourite bands of all time and I respect them as artists, yet I never bought anything from them. This is going to change as I am buying both the CD and vinyl along with other associated goods.

Don't get me wrong, I love the internet and bittorrent and will continue to download music. It isn't wrong, it's just sharing music with friends. Just like when I use to like a song, I would record it onto tape similar the internet allows the same thing. But the difference is I will now support small/underground bands by buying the vinyls/CDs who are trying to make a livelihood and put many hours into something that is available at the click of a button.

For more information on PUTS. Check out:

My mate Tim's site www.putsonline.co.uk
A track is available here.
Check out the new album site

If you like what you hear, go and support these guys - they're amazing!

Large Medical Study of Near-Death Experiences

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:30:00 +0000

A large study is to examine near-death experiences in heart attack patients.

Doctors at 25 UK and US hospitals will study 1,500 survivors to see if people with no heartbeat or brain activity can have "out of body" experiences.

Some people report seeing a tunnel or bright light, others recall looking down from the ceiling at medical staff.

The study, due to take three years and co-ordinated by Southampton University, will include placing on shelves images that could only be seen from above.

To test this, the researchers have set up special shelving in resuscitation areas. The shelves hold pictures - but they're visible only from the ceiling.

Dr Sam Parnia, who is heading the study, said: "If you can demonstrate that consciousness continues after the brain switches off, it allows for the possibility that the consciousness is a separate entity.

"It is unlikely that we will find many cases where this happens, but we have to be open-minded.

"And if no one sees the pictures, it shows these experiences are illusions or false memories.

"This is a mystery that we can now subject to scientific study."

Dr Parnia works as an intensive care doctor, and felt from his daily duties that science had not properly explored the issue of near-death experiences.

Process of death

He said: "Contrary to popular perception, death is not a specific moment.

"It is a process that begins when the heart stops beating, the lungs stop working and the brain ceases functioning - a medical condition termed cardiac arrest.

"During a cardiac arrest, all three criteria of death are present. There then follows a period of time, which may last from a few seconds to an hour or more, in which emergency medical efforts may succeed in restarting the heart and reversing the dying process.

"What people experience during this period of cardiac arrest provides a unique window of understanding into what we are all likely to experience during the dying process."

Dr Parnia and medical colleagues will analyse the brain activity of 1,500 heart attack survivors, and see whether they can recall the images in the pictures.

Hospitals involved include Addenbrookes in Cambridge, University Hospital in Birmingham and the Morriston in Swansea, as well as nine hospitals in the US.

Source: BBC News

This World

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:09:00 +0000

Another child is born.
Another race is won.
Another dream is shattered.
Another day has begun.

This world is still afloat
No not in Noah's boat
We've only lost the vision
Of the stars we're meant to be

Another broken heart
Another lesson learn'd
Another harvest eaten
Another night is gone
A new day's begun
Even your dreams they can be real

This world is still afloat
No not in Noah's boat
We've only lost the vision
Of the stars we're meant to be

This world is still afloat
No not in Noah's boat
We've only lost the vision
Of the stars we're meant to be

This world is full of love
We still have hope
This world is full of love
We still have hope
This world is full of love
We still have hope

Another battle is won
Another child is born.
A new day has begun

This world is full of love
We still have hope
This world is full of love
We still have hope
This world is full of love

We still have hope

The KC Phoenix

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:06:00 +0000

You may or may not be aware that the KC Blogger has been very quiet over the last few months. I've actually stopped posting on this site completely and didn't plan to continue. Several things happened, good and bad, including a marvellous new project - click here for more information!

This has all changed thanks to one man, Antony Brennan from Australia, who has really inspired me to keep this site running and discuss my realisations. To be honest I see it as a sign when all my hard work came to fruition when my site was included in this month's world famous Back To Godhead magazine. Not only was it included, there was also a screenshot of my site (click the picture for a larger copy).

The KC Blogger 'rising from the ashes' will bring it with something a little newer. I've decided that instead of solely discussing KC matters, I will also include matters that affect me on a daily basis including music, architecture etc. Until next time...

SimplyKrishna

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:51:00 +0000

Happy new year to one and all! As with all new years, I like to start off with a bang! So I welcome you all to the newest project my friends and I have started: SimplyKrishna.

Simply: in a straightforward manner.

Krishna: the ultimate embodiment of love.

simplykrishna: a collection of people from various backgrounds held together by two common threads; (1) Followers of Krishna (2) Aiming to live by the philosophy of ‘simple living, higher thinking’.

More information can be found here: www.simplykrishna.com

Comments and opinions welcome!

The Art of Zen

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:40:00 +0000

I've just returned from a friend's house after playing the Nintendo Wii. There's a particular Wii Play game, Fishing, where you need to focus on collecting fish from a pond (not very KC in concept). I found the game strangely therapeutic. The music, sounds and atmosphere enabled me to become increasingly detached, not caring whether I lost or won, whilst my friend became further frustrated that he was losing. I didn't only win the game by a small margin, I almost tripled his score.

I had a realisation that this feeling of detachment should be applied to all aspects of my life. Detachment doesn't mean disregarding or not putting effort in. On the contrary, it means putting 100% effort but being indifferent about the outcome. You really need to not care.

There is a certain Zen to life... the one who releases all attachment to a desired outcome is ironically the one most likely to realise that outcome.

High Contrast

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:03:00 +0000

The best DnB (drum and bass) artist on the scene at the moment who released a new album “Tough Guys Don’t Dance”. A few interesting facts:

Born and lives in Cardiff.
Played keyboards since the age of 8.
Doesn’t smoke
Doesn’t drink alcohol
Doesnt take drugs (including weed).

For High Contrast aka Lincoln Barrett to not smoke, drink alcohol or smoke weed definitely proves that you can go against the tide (especially within the drum and bass scene) and become the best in your field. Definitely inspirational.

He sums it up quite nicely:

"Its just my own kind of choices. I'm just trying not be tied down to something, not to have any addictions outside of music and remain focused.

It depends on the person. some people say, smoking weed helps them in music, but personally I have never smoken weed, but a lot of my friends who got me into drum and bass in the first place, they don`t end end up doing anything, `cause they just wanna stay in weed all the time, so I guess it has a negative side on it, but I just never felt the need to drink or to smoke pot".

This is Kali Yuga...Advanced Stages!

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:25:00 +0000

Sometimes I look back and believe this place isn't too bad. People are enjoying themselves, though some may call them ignorant, I can really genuinely see some people enjoying themselves. Yet reading this article on BBC News makes me realise how sick some people are. How can a man urinate on a dying woman and shout "this is YouTube material"? He was committed to 3 years in jail but is that any justification? No! What's even more shocking is the crowd around this lady simply watched and laughed. No one even thought of stopping this lunatic, helping her or calling 999.

Outside court, Miss Lakinski's family said in a statement: "We remain totally shocked that anyone could behave in such an appalling way. The fact that Christine was dying makes this man's actions even more sick and inhumane. However, those who stood by and did nothing to stop Anderson are also guilty in our eyes".

Sadly, there are many others in our society who would be the same. Why? How could this man, Anthony Anderson, do such a thing? OK so he was intoxicated (smoked some cannabis and quite drunk) but where did he come from? A broken family? Abused as a child? Bullied? Peer pressured into conforming to the British lad culture? I have no idea and frankly I don't care. What people need is a real revolution in consciousness to start asking intelligent questions and not just accept what their peers are telling them.

But as a wise man once said:

"That's the problem these days.
No one thinks. Everyone just follows"

Ready or Not KC Freshers Fayre 2007!

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:06:00 +0000

A new committee including president was organised for the KC society at the start of this year. Due to external circumstances the president had to step down from their position due to relocating to another university! So the start of the dilemma began as I’m a third year medical student this is by far the hardest year out of the 5! I have little time to organise and facilitate freshers fayre and society events due to medical placements, lectures and more.

Somehow or other the arrangements were made the day my exam finished to allow the Welsh devotees to man the store and help setup. So there’s no rest for the wicked (that’s me!). Straight after my exam I was off to organise Freshers Fayre for the next day! So we got there at 7pm though we didn’t have all the equipment. We managed to organise Freshers packs over 50 and then wait for the next day.

The only problem was I couldn’t attend as I now have clinical placements in hospital meaning 8am starts in hospital (ward rounds). Had to make a quick visit to the fayre earlier before for a quick marketing ploy used last year. I also sent texts to mates to come and help out but due to the last minute madness there were sadly only 2 people helping for a total of an hour or so but it helped!

Anyway I managed to get off my placement (round 1 pm) and was amazed! To be honest I was very on-guard about wearing traditional devotee dress as I didn’t want to put off people to our stall as brainwashers! I wanted to present us as a spiritual society with simple living, higher thinking not hardcore KC people! I thought we would if lucky be able to get 20 members but the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Last year we had 6 KC people helping out and a real buzz around the stall. We managed to get over 80 members in total and over 400 signatures of people interested. So what hope was there for just one or two people and one in devotional clothing?

The stall looked fantastic thanks to the great, friendly, awesome and humble Aprakrta Prabhu who attracted well over 20 members! In fact combined we made over 50 paid members (we ran out of freshers packs!) and over 150 signatures of people who were interested. We weren’t pushy and in fact the people who were genuinely interested approached us directly. The theme for this year is quality, not quantity.

Without a shadow of a doubt this year was made possible only by the purity and humbleness of Apraktra Prabhu. He has shown me that purity is the force! The day before Freshers Fayres he had been distributing books all day in Cardiff then returned back to Swansea upon which he had to come back to Cardiff to help setup the stall. Then at 9 pm he returned to the Cardiff Soul Centre to make over 300 simple wonderful sweets until midnight. He woke up at 4 am to finish his 16 rounds, otherwise the “quality wouldn’t be there”. Had to walk to Cardiff University taking over 45 minutes and then man the stall the whole day!

Those handmade simply wonderful sweets were the killer secret! The word spread how amazing these sweets were and people were leaving their own stalls to just taste them because the word got out! A real amazing positive impression was made. So tomorrow we meet to discuss the plan for this year but to be honest I will have minimal contribution due to my highly demanding degree! Please pray that Cardiff University KC society will make a huge positive impact on the university and the wider community.

Pictures to follow when I organise my life!

Celibate? Me?

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:44:00 +0000

You're on a mission and you're wishin'
someone could cure you're lonely condition
You're lookin for love in all the wrong places
Not fine girls just ugly faces
From frustration first inclination
Is to become a monk and leave the situation
But every dark tunnel has a lighter hope
So don't hang yourself with a celibate rope

Young MC
Bust A Move Lyrics

Paris Hilton, Russell Brand, Morrissey (heaven knows he's celebate now!) and many other high-profiled celebrities have in recent times announced their intentions to turn celibate.

I think Russel Brand summed it up quite nicely: “I've decided to become celibate for a bit, sex doesn't bring you happiness ultimately - you're only going to find happiness within yourself. It gets to the point where you just seem to be having it off with everyone whenever you can. I feel like I want to concentrate on comedy and not having it off all the time".

It appears that celebrities are starting to follow celibacy...or is it all a marketing ploy to increase their rating?

The Revenge of King Kula Shaker

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:02:00 +0000

King Kula Shaker aka Kulahsekhara was a 9th century Indian emperor and one of the Alvars, a prominent group of Vaishnava saints. It is also the name of a swirling, guitar-heavy sounding rock group who become one of the most popular British bands of the post-Britpop era. They managed to revive late-'60s psychedilia infusing it with large doses of Krishna Consciousness (KC), essentially Indian spirituality and mysticism, setting them a bar above the rest of world bands and carving a new niche.

They produced two albums. The first entitled K in 1996 and the other Pigs, Peasants and Astronauts (why such a silly title?) in 1999. Frankly these albums are absolutely mind-blowing and their lyrics are what I believe, we should all aspire to write like. I recommend (in no particular order) Temple of Everlasting Light, Shower Your Love, Hey Dude, Hollow Man, and I'm Still Here - click on each link to directly see the lyrics.

Their popularity continued to increase however, comments by lead singer Crispian Mills, a practicing Vaishnava, about a desire to have a "great big flaming swastika on stage" lead to a UK press backlash calling Mills a Nazi. In reality the ancient Indian swastika symbol is a very positive symbol but it was too late and Kula Shaker slipped out of existence with the band declaring its disbandment.

The band have recently reformed and been playing UK warmup dates from early June. Their new album Strangefolk was released in Japan on 27 June and a UK release is slated for 20 August. The album is a far-cry from the spiritual elements of their previous albums and has a more rockier feel to it. Don't let this put you off as one of the highlights is a track called 'Song of Love / Narayana' which incorporates elements from the tracks Narayan and Climbatize, both from The Prodigy's The Fat of the Land.

Kula Shaker are notorious for their live performances and they've been acclaimed as the best live act ever seen in T in the Park (a Scottish music festival). I've had the great fortune of seeing this band perform on two occasions this year - one straight after my exams and the other at the free iTunes Festival. There are more UK dates planned this Autumn and I highly recommend you see their gigs, buy/download their albums and marvel in the mystical and spiritual experience that is Kula Shaker. Govinda!

Thinspiration

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:02:00 +0000

As humans we are individuals yet desire to belong somewhere and "fit" into a group. There is nothing new with like-minded people getting together, be it in book clubs, the air cadets or Krishna Consciousness University Societies. Yet the recent escalation in social networking on the Internet with such groups as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo have shown the darker side of the Internet.

One such sub-group of these networks are labelled 'Thinspirations'. Phrases such as:

"Get thin or die trying"
"Yes, I have an eating disorder. No, it's not your problem"
"Quod me nutrit me destruit" which translates as "what nourishes me destroys me"

are common place and are in reality pro-anorexic/bulimia designed to provide support and encouragement to achieve their ultimate dream of becoming painfully skinny girls. There are even targets for getting an extremely low goal weights and define what are ideal measurements. They share stories on how to vomit until they cough blood and how to get out of bed despite feeling weak.

Essentially these groups help individuals on their paths to thindom and glamorise this psychiatric illness which can in reality lead to a variety of illnesses including heart disease and infertility. Many females can use these sites to justify their continuing thinness and not realise the health-related risks.

This is an extreme example of the desire to connect with like-minded people. Nowadays being spiritual/religious is uncool and I've observed how these social networking sites have relatively low number of people participating in such groups. However I'm sure that people are slowly becoming God Conscious and these social networking sites, if utilised properly, can be a powerful base for the spreading God Consciousness. But as my school motto says vicis dico totus, "time tells all".

Me, Myself and the KC Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:22:00 +0000

I've been neglecting this site for quite a while now focusing on other projects yet I've been increasingly meeting people who have either heard or regularly read the KC Blogger. One person from India had been reading my site since its conception in November 2005 and I had the pleasure of meeting him at London Rathayatra this year. It was a surreal yet fascinating experience and has in part inspired me to continue posting. I've regularly read or found things which I would like to blog about but never got around to writing. But don't fear the KC Blogger is making a come back!

Interrupted Love

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 14:24:00 +0000

I've had the great fortune to know a fellow blogger for a while now. He was initially "inspired" by my site and I must say his site has become something of a niche in this never-ending information overload known as the Internet. His look on the world through a Krishna Consciousness perspective is very diverse and range from UK politics to Macs, from Kula Shaker to even Homer Simpson - he has got it covered!

So if you've got a chance and want to delve into the world of Mr. G then it gives me great pleasure to introduce:

Interrupted Love - cos there's more to life

Rathayatra, Festival of Chariots

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 19:44:00 +0000

I was very impressed by this year's Rathayatra, Festival of Chariots! This included a wonderfully coloured brochure of "Rathayatra Souvenir Edition" which explained the reasons for this festival.

I'll upload the pictures from the event soon (especially for Liz) but here is an extract from Vishnujana Swami at San Francisco Rathayatra. I can't find the full article on the web, if anyone has it please send it. Also if anyone would like a copy of this magazine please send your name and address:

We would like to explain a little bit about our festival today. The philosophical significance is also very, very enchanting. The three deities you see here today are called Lord Jagannath (or Krishna, the blackish coloured deity), Lady Subhadra (His divine energy) and Lord Baladeva (His expansion). These deities of Krishna are considered materially incomplete, like dolls that weren't quite fashioned completely, and were then painted. The history behind these unusual deities is that in India's ancient past, a devotee king of Lord Krishna, being anxious to have a form of Lord Krishna in his palace, asked for the sculptor to carve the beautiful form of Krishna so that he could engage his material senses in the service of Krishna".

Waiting for the "Moment"

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 01:50:00 +0000

We have at one time or another loved watching movies either at the cinema, TV or on a computer (thanks to bittorrent and many other tv streaming sites). Why? Because we're looking for that "moment" explained HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami, a spiritual master, in a lecture I recently attended.

What is this "moment"? It's when we become completely absorbed in this film, not remembering either our past or future but focusing on what's presented before us. In movies this rarely happens and a good movie may have just one or two moments. Some people argue that Oscar-nominated films have more than two moments but I reckon their usually wrong! Oscar-awarded films are usually laborious, never-ending and uneventful e.g. The Departed or Chicago.

We are all searching for happiness and these moments can provide some of this. Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami explained that ancient scriptures including the Bhagavad Gita spoken 5, 000 years ago by Lord Krishna explains these moments. Essentially we're trying to become elevated to the mode of goodness - neither thinking of the past or future but focusing 100% on the here and now. Movies can drag on for an hour or two but there may be one or two parts which the writers build up to provide the moment.

There are also many film genres to tailor to the individual so people can more easily find their moments. People that like horror movies won't necessary like romances and vice versa. But the more one becomes God Conscious becomes, the more moments they can experience (without movies) and the greater happiness they can feel. But if you still love movies then there's always ITV Productions (ISKCON's TV Productions) - who said you can't dovetail everything in the Lord's service?

4th July: The Real Reason to Celebrate!

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 17:27:00 +0000

For many today, the 4th July, is a wonderful day where the most powerful nation (at present) declared independence from Great Britain. There's a national holiday and people celebrate their independence from the shackles of British rule. However, for many in the Krishna Consciousness movement this day symbolises the appearance of one of the leading spiritual masters in our movement: His Holiness (HH) Tamal Krishna Goswami (TKG).

HH TKG became interested in bringing KC to the academic world and its quite fitting that I write this post in the British Library. I have always felt a particular sense of awe, attachment and aspiration for HH TKG. He has always been someone revolutionary in the KC who attained seemingly impossible feats for the service of Lord Krishna and his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. He was instrumental in the Hare Krishna explosion experienced in the late 60s and 70s by introducting sankirtana (street chanting) and book distribution to the Western World. He also successfully setup ISKCON Mayapur, Vrndavana and Mumbai - three centres which are central hubs for the Krishna Consciousness movement. Without TKG many of the things the Krishna Consciousness movement take for granted wouldn't have been possible.

Among HH TKG numerous skills was his ability to be very effective on interreligious dialogue. He has attracted many students and religionists for many denominations to create an extremely positive impression of KC, particularly in Southwestern USA, known for its Christianity fundamentalistism. I have decided that one of my primary aims of this site and others is to create a positive impression of the Hare Krishna movement on the Web.

I had the great opportunity to met and serve HH TKG directly whilst he resided at Cambridge University. Though I met him twice he left a deep impression on my heart and it'll remain with me for the rest of my life. Today is the day for real celebration of such a glorious personality. We should all pray to Lord Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, and HH TKG to become as dedicated, determined and revolutionary as TKG in helping share Krishna Consiousness throughout the whole world.

Abandoned to God?

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 14:38:00 +0000

"One must be utterly abandoned to God;

nothing matters but fulfilling His will.

Otherwise, all is folly and meaningless".

Karl Yung

I've recently been reading sections of Srila Prabhupada's books, especially "Material Problems, Spiritual Solutions". Prabhupada discusses famous philosophers from a Krishna Consciousness perspective and by far the most amicable is Karl Yung.

It's a shame that his belief that humans rely too heavily on science and logic and would benefit from integrating spirituality have not been adapted as part of the curriculum in most major universities philosophy departments. But then again religion and belief in God are currently seen as uncool especially at university!

Another interesting fact was Jung's idea that the solution to alcoholism is spirituality. Jung treated an American patient (Rowland H.) suffering from chronic alcoholism. After working with the patient for some time, and achieving no significant progress, Jung told the man that his alcoholic condition was near to hopeless, save only the possibility of a spiritual experience. Rowland took Jung's advice seriously and set about seeking a personal spiritual experience.

Rowland returned home to the United States and become God Conscious. He convinced his drinking partner Bill Wilson about Jung's idea who was impressed and sough his own spiritual experience. Bill Wilson then later became the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). It's amazing how the impact of one God Consciousness person can influence so many people! By far the best example I know is Srila Prabhupada.

Are people having problems viewing my site in Internet Explorer? If so please add a comment to let me know or if anyone knows has the solution to this problem! Merci beaucoup...

"Patch of Hair" Religion

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Wed, 30 May 2007 14:34:00 +0000

By far the most intriguing Google search someone has used to come to my site is this:

Click here

Maybe this will be the new name for Krishna Conscious devotees! I know one of my friend's has started using this term...well at least they are thinking of devotees!

The Five All Stars

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Fri, 25 May 2007 16:03:00 +0000

I just read Jahnavi's post and became inspired to write this brief post (apologises - exams looming dangerously close!). Check this pretty creative writing piece of poetry using ‘found words’ from magazines and newspapers.

Any ideas who the Five Stars are or as I prefer to call Them the Five All Stars? Comments welcome!

Click for the answer!

Veggies Win Chocolate War!

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:12:00 +0000

Thanks to the pursuits of the KC Blogger and various other groups we have successful managed to revise Mars decision to use rennet (from cows stomachs) in their chocolate. Interestingly enough I recently found Mars Headquarters browsing my site! The KC Blogger neither advocates nor condones chocolate eating.

Here's the full article from BBC News.

The move affected Masterfoods' chocolate and ice cream barsMars has abandoned plans to use animal products in its chocolate, and has apologised to "upset" vegetarians.

The firm had said it would change the whey used in some of its products from a vegetarian source to one with traces of the animal enzyme, rennet.

The Vegetarian Society organised a campaign against the move, asking members to voice their concerns to parent company Masterfoods.

Mars said it became "very clear, very quickly" that it had made a mistake.

In just one week, more than 6,000 people bombarded the company, which produces the Mars, Snickers, Maltesers and Galaxy brands, with phone and e-mail complaints. Forty MPs also signed a petition to voice their opposition.

Fiona Dawson, managing director of Mars UK, said the company had listened to customers and decided to reverse its decision.

"The consumer is our boss and we had lots of feedback from consumers who were unhappy about the change," Ms Dawson said.

"It became very clear, very quickly that we had made a mistake, for which I am sorry.

"There are three million vegetarians in the UK and not only did we disappoint them, but we upset a lot of the consumers."

The Vegetarian Society had called the move by Mars "incomprehensible" and "a backward step" at a time when consumers were increasingly concerned about "the provenance of their food". Mars replied that, by admitting its products were no longer suitable for "extremely strict vegetarians", it was making a "principled decision".

Now it insists it will begin changing its recipes back immediately. Dr Annette Pinner, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, said she was pleased Mars had been "honest enough" to admit it had "made a mistake".

"A Masterfoods representative has made contact with us and we are very pleased that they now recognise the importance of integrity to all their customers, especially vegetarians," she added.

Rennet is extracted from calves' stomachs and was to have been used in the ice cream versions of all Masterfoods' bars too.

Isn't the World Tired of Animal Products?

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Thu, 17 May 2007 17:33:00 +0000

One of my reader's asked me to publish this BBC news item. Perhaps people would like to organise some official complaint?

Mars starts using animal products

Mars, Snickers and Twix chocolate bars...Masterfoods' brands are household names. Some of the UK's best-selling chocolate bars, such as Mars and Twix, will no longer be suitable for vegetarians.

Also affecting brands such as Snickers and Maltesers, owner Masterfoods said it had started to use animal product rennet to make its chocolate products. It will now also be found in Bounty, Minstrels and Milky Way products, and the ice cream versions of all Masterfoods' bars.

Masterfoods said the change was due to it switching the sourcing of its ingredients and the admission was a "principled decision" on its part.

The Vegetarian Society said the company's move was "incomprehensible".

Masterfoods said it had started using rennet from 1 May and non-affected products had a "best before date" up to 1 October. Masterfoods' decision to use non-vegetarian rennet, a chemical sourced from calves' stomachs, is used in the production of whey. It will now also be found in Bounty, Minstrels and Milky Way products, and the ice cream versions of all Masterfoods' bars.

"If the customer is an extremely strict vegetarian, then we are sorry the products are no longer suitable, but a less strict vegetarian should enjoy our chocolate," said Paul Goalby, corporate affairs manager for Masterfoods.

The Vegetarian Society said it was "extremely disappointed".

"At a time when more and more consumers are concerned about the provenance of their food, Masterfoods' decision to use non-vegetarian whey is a backward step," it said in a statement.

"Mars products are very popular with young people and many will be shocked to discover that their manufacture now relies on the extraction of rennet from the stomach lining of young calves," it added.

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A case of Krishna consciousness

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Sat, 12 May 2007 20:07:00 +0000

A very interesting article from a student at York University.

As Anjli Raval begins to questions her faith, she finds herself at Bhaktivedanta Manor, discovering her spiritual side through the ancient teachings of Hare Krishna.

“Namaste.” I said tentatively to the tall, white-robed man who had been sent to greet me and who knew more about my religion than my entire family put together. Being brought up as a Hindu has meant that religion has always played an inescapable part in my life, and the fact that my grandparents live with me has meant that certain traditions and customs from generations ago have been practised year after year unquestioned. It was only recently, however, that I started to question my faith and examine my religion, with its various sects and affiliations, a little closer.

This is what led me to Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire, the UK headquarters of The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), more commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement. I expected tambourine-banging, arm-waving, enthusiastic groups of people chanting the fairly well-known chant of “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare”, so I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted warmly by a priest called Radha Mohan Das. All holy men in this sect receive a Sanskrit name (one of the many names of God) plus the suffix ‘Das’ (‘Dasi’ for women) which means ‘servant of’. Incidentally, ‘Hare’’ addresses the energy of God, and ‘Krishna’ means ‘all attractive’, a reference to one of the many Hindu Gods.
This is how Hare Krishna differs from the mainstream polytheistic Hindu religion, as it teaches that Krishna alone is the Supreme Being. Krishna Consciousness propagates the teachings of ancient scriptures known as ‘The Vedas’, which were written in Sanskrit in about 3000 BC. The Vedas describe ‘Sanatana-Dharma’, the eternal and natural inclination of mankind towards spiritual activity. The two main sections of The Vedas, the Bhagavad-Gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam, form the foundation of the Hare Krishna philosophy.

The Manor, donated in 1973 by The Beatles’ George Harrison, is not simply a retreat for those wanting to get away from the stresses of daily life; it is also a theological college with a school for the children of its followers. I met three girls who were students at the Gurukul (the school) - Narayani Koyle, 15, Shari Macnamara, 17, and Nadia Mani, 19 - and asked them what life was like growing up within the confines of the temple. All three agreed that although they live relatively sheltered lives, the opportunities they have to meet new people and travel the world were second to none and they would never consider changing their lifestyle.

ISKCON itself has two divisions: an order of monks and priests who live at the temple (who number 35) and those that live offsite. Radha Mohan Das had been a devotee for 14 years, and although he currently resides at the Manor, his upcoming marriage to another devotee will mean he has to move to a house outside to carry on his devotional work.

The most devoted Hare Krishna followers live at the Manor. Male monks must shave their heads leaving a central patch of hair called a ‘sikha’, and wear saffron-coloured robes called ‘dhotis’ to signify celibacy. Married monks, or those to be married, wear white robes, whilst female devotees wear simple, traditional saris. All monks take an oath wherein they vow to abandon mind-altering substances such as cigarettes, alcohol and drugs, reject activities like gambling, and follow a peaceful vegetarian diet. Illicit sex is prohibited, and sexual activity for married couples is solely for procreation.

I was invited to attend the 12.30pm ‘aarti’, an opportunity for the public to come and worship the deities of Krishna. As the room slowly began to fill up with people, I realised how unbelievably ignorant I had been. I had expected a sea of brown faces, but there was a variety of nationalities and backgrounds, all worshipping together.

Despite Hare Krishna’s association with mainstream Hindu philosophy, ISKCON do not describe themselves as being affiliated solely to this one faith.

The priest offered food, water, incense, an oil lamp and even flowers to the deities. The Hare Krishnas put emphasis on ‘bhakti’, which is yoga and meditation through the repetition of the infamous Hare Krishna chant. Whilst I was admittedly hesitant to join them by closing my eyes and waving my arms about, the aura in the room was astounding; I felt like I was in a trance.
I think what appeals to people the most is that the Hare Krishna movement is about spirituality rather than religion; it’s about your own personal connection with God. Kripamoya Das, another priest at the temple, said: “Real religion is the esoteric practises – the mystical realisations – that permeate and sustain any spiritual tradition, not their external forms and terminologies”.

For me, the appeal of the Hare Krishna movement lies in the fact that the philosophy is accessible and understandable (it’s in English, at least). Although I won’t be giving up booze and hair-straighteners any time soon, I do feel I’m one step closer to getting some answers.

A spiritual brand? Hare Krishna in popular culture

The Hare Krishna movement has begun to penetrate popular culture, as evidenced by Russell Brand’s “Hare Krishna” sign off at the end of every episode of Big Brother’s Big Mouth, and the devotees’ appearances as pedestrians in videogames such as Grand Theft Auto. Its rise in prominence in the UK has clearly been helped by celebrity endorsements (like that of Brand, a regular at Bhaktivedanta Manor whose ‘faith’ reportedly helped him ditch heroin), and the inclusion of the Hare Krishna mantra in songs by the Beatles, Boy George, Stevie Wonder and Tenacious D have helped to boost the practitioners’ profile. Today, aspects of the Hare Krishna lifestyle, such as yoga, meditation and vegetarianism, have been incorporated into the mainstream.

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Boy Hatches Chick From Shop Egg

noreply@blogger.com (thekcblogger) — Fri, 11 May 2007 10:39:00 +0000

BBC News Report:

A nine-year-old boy has hatched a chick from a box of free-range eggs which his mother bought in a Suffolk supermarket.

The chick, named Celia, hatched three weeks after Miles Orford, of Great Ashfield, placed six free-range Cotswold Legbar eggs in an incubator.

His mother, Sarah Orford, said: "We've tried the same experiment with quail and duck eggs.

"None of the quail eggs hatched. We're still waiting to see what happens with the duck eggs."

Mrs Orford bought the eggs from her local Waitrose store.

"We read about someone who had done it with duck eggs and thought we'd experiment," she said.

"I have to say I was somewhat surprised. It's very interesting."

A fresh egg

How the egg came to be fertilised is not known.

Free-range egg farmer, Phillip Greenacre, told BBC news: "Well it could have happened by a rogue bird from a neighbouring farm or more likely a bird from within the farm that didn't get sexed properly."

Francine Raymond, of the Henkeepers' Association, said the average person wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a fertilised and non-fertilised egg.

She told BBC news: "After about three weeks you wouldn't be able to hatch it - it was obviously a fresh egg."

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