The following is an update from Suzanne Taylor and TheConversation.org Making Sense of These Times [http://www.theconversation.org] Website. Thank you for your interest. If you wish to be removed from this list at any time, just let us know.
 
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June 27, 2002
 
 
FEATURED CONVERSATION: Walter Starck [http://www.theconversation.org/c-walterstarck.html#062402]
 
Suzanne's comments: My conversation with Walter Starck is the model of what I have in mind for one of the values of this site.  It is looking at the situation we are up against in the world, with Walter as clear and eloquent as the best people whose published works I post, and in fact going beyond most of them in broad considerations of the place of humankind in the universe.   Here are some quotes of Walter's to tempt you to link to the whole conversation -- you'll be taken to where we left off before, after previous Updates, so if you haven't read those entries you can go back and look at them now.
 
Modern society simply has too many vulnerabilities to effectively guard them all and a multitude of potential weapons and disruptions are readily accessible to anyone with good technical knowledge and modest funding...Nowhere in the war on terror does any consideration appear to being given to the only effective long term solution, addressing the root causes...
 
What I have in mind with a "Golden Dolphin" piece on crop circles would be an overview of the subject summarizing the nature and extent of the phenomenon, the differing reactions to it, why human origination is not credible...cutting through the noise and confusion to the irrefutable fact that something remarkable, inexplicable, widespread, large scale and conspicuous is taking place repeatedly...People all over the world expending great effort, night after night for years on end, thousands of times in ever increasing complexity, perpetrating the same prank utterly lacks credibility as an explanation...
 
The desperation and willful self-delusion involved in maintaining a shallow and rather boring view of the wonder and mystery of life is indeed a phenomenon. What is it that makes so many so reluctant to openly consider wonder? Why is not knowing so fearful?
 
Suzanne's comments: I posted our correspondence to the list of crop circle researchers that I run. Here's what I heard back. Colin Andrews is the original crop circle celebrity, and the name withheld is a popular spiritual teacher.
Dear Suzanne,
 
Thank you very much for forwarding this. I agree very strongly with the central view expressed here that the human consciousness is either not alone in this process or is directly involved in ways we see only hints of currently. We see the tip of the iceberg but very exciting prospects are emerging. A great piece.
 
Best wishes,
Colin
 
 
Dear Suzanne,
 
Walter Starck's thoughts are same as my own for many years now. And my channeled information about how crop circles are indicating more than we've ever known about the function of consciousness itself is compatible with his various speculations. (I don't talk much about what I do regarding crop circles - keep low profile, etc.)
 
Love and Light,
Name withheld
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CROP CIRCLE DIARY ENTRY:
 
An excellent crop circle researcher from Finland, Martin Keitel, documents the kind of info researchers work with as he examines one of the recent crop circles. I love being able to take you into the mind of the croppies here: Camera malfunction in German Crop Circle -- Riesenstein, near Kassel, May 20,2002 [http://www.ioon.net/cropcircles/articles/ger-may2002.html].  
 
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ADDITION TO OUR QUOTES SECTION [http://www.theconversation.org/index.html#quotes]:
 
Cherie Blair, Tony Blair's wife, [said], "As long as young people feel they have got no hope but to blow themselves up, you are never going to make progress." It's an appalling situation. The suicide bombings are terrible crimes that leave innocent people dead. But the fact remains, if you want to stop a crime from happening, you have to look at the cause...you can't live with any dignity under an occupation. Some people are convinced that at least they can die with dignity...

But the "War on Terrorism" does not allow for any investigation of the roots of the problem. It cuts off dialogue and has created a situation where asking why is practically censored. It's simply not allowed. (Cherie Blair was severely criticized for her remarks -- the suggestion being that any examination of the root of the problem is somehow a justification. She has rushed to apologize for her remarks.)...

Look at Gaza, where there already is a fence. It's like one big prison. There's one way in and one way out. Unemployment is 67 percent. Crossing checkpoints takes hours and hours. That's what they would be recreating on the West Bank...

Despite the terrible conditions, however, this is one of the most hospitable places I've ever been. You might expect that Palestinians would harbor resentment towards North Americans and/or Jews. In fact, the guide book I have warns of exactly that. It says nothing about checkpoints or the violence of the Israeli occupation. But it does recommend that you be careful traveling in the West Bank if you look Jewish. That's so far from the truth. As Jewish volunteers have repeatedly told me, the one thing you *don't* need to be afraid of is the thing they warn you about in the traveler's guide. Most Palestinians have no special hatred of Jews or Americans. But they do hate the occupation.

Q&A with Justin Podur in Ramallah
Cynthia Peters and Justin Podur
http://www.zmag.org/content/Mideast/peters_podur.cfm

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COMMENTS FROM OUR LISTMEMBERS:
 
Ronnie Ruben writes:
 
What a profoundly informative vehicle you have manifested, a very much alive compendium of intelligence and passion that allows those of us fortunate enough to have a connection with you and your generous spirit to be deepened often, and always provoked to broaden our perspectives.  I found so many of the snippets directly relevant to where I am headed at the moment, from the Knights of the Crusades to the humor and beauty of the crop circles.  Thanks for your prodigious efforts.
 
 
Maireid Sullivan continues the conversation re Noteworthy News Item, The Real History of the Crusades [http://www.crisismagazine.com/april2002/cover.htm].  (Original conversation can be found at http://www.theconversation.org/c-onsite.html#maireid.)
 
Suzanne, you asked me to elaborate on the insight to be had from reading The Knight, The Lady and Priest. It is just too much to get into in a short comment, but, the important factor to look at is that at the time of the first Crusades, all of Europe was expecting the "Second Coming" of Christ. (Remember the peak anticipation over Y2K -- then think many times more powerful -- the end of the world!) The RC Church had been using this to focus people's minds on the mortality of life and the immortal soul, thus bringing everyone under the control of Church politics, naturally. Everyone was preparing for "lift off." But, it didn't happen at the turn of the first millennium. They then decided that they had to reclaim Jerusalem, so that the Coming could happen there. Everyone wanted immortality above earthly delights. It was the new fashion -- even Kings were convinced that they would lose their power if they appeared to ignore their immortal souls. Penance and extreme sacrifices were made to prove themselves worthy of heaven. And, they all had to travel to the east to capture Jerusalem to enable the "lift-off." The details are gory, but, the parallels are interesting. The book is worth reading because it tells the story of the leading characters in this drama, showing how the politics played out.
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