Saturday, November 9, 2024

My Buddhist pilgrimage

 I am writing this post in Bangkok, Thailand after two weeks in Bhutan, the Vajrayana Buddhist country. I was one of two dozen on this pilgrimage, led by two American lamas. This was the most memorable and spiritually profound experience of my life. It increased my conviction to devote the core of my life to meditation and study of Buddhism as I adjust to Sara’s passing and my retirement. How amazing to experience a genuine culture steeped in Buddhism and in the company of deep practitioners!


Onward…

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Greece music tour

 Enjoying a couple of weeks in Greece and attending 11 concerts of world class music! Great people, food and musicians…




Monday, August 26, 2024

The best article on techbro authoritarianism

 Good overview and analysis, good references to follow up on.

The oligarchs are running the asylum


As someone (over)active on the Net since ARPAnet in the mid-Seventies, I know these guys and these ideologies. I tasted their words and thoughts and banged heads with them. Beware. Be very wary. I and some friends have paid a price.

On Usenet in the Nineties I argued with someone who proposed a mechanism to financially reward those who assassinate government employees because they are “agents of the State”. This was prior to the blockchain and bitcoin, but what was proposed would work well now that these exist.

Know that a lot of thought over decades created the mileau that JD Vance rises from. He is a hothouse flower purpose-built for a takeover in the aftermath of the bulldozer that is Trump. Do not mistake him as just an awkward nerd. He embodies the adage “put all the wood behind one arrowhead.” Bathing him with billions of dollars and propping him up with the long term organization of the Heritage Foundation, et al creates something never before seen in human history.

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Retirement and pilgrimage

 As I approach the end of my last job as a bit player in the tech industry, I have a lot on my mind. The next step is very close. I missed joining a deep and profound Buddhist study group that began two years ago so I could care for Sara. However, next month I start in another one, comprised of students of Pema Chodron. Beyond that, in October I leave for a pilgrimage to Bhutan and to visit friends in Thailand and Japan, probably our last in person meeting. I will be gone for two months.

More is in the works starting in 2025.

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Register in-person guests for the Celebration of Life for Sara

 Sunday, September 8, 2024 noon-4PM PDT Santa Rosa, California

Lunch included. Bring your stories and memories and share your love for Sara.


Please forward to interested parties

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

How I am doing now

 I want to thank everyone for the many expressions of support, loving kindness, and concern for me since the passing of my wife Sara Slager last Saturday. These mean a lot to me and help me in my journey. For the record, I am doing better than expected, considering the situation. I know that Sara was concerned about me and my reaction to her passing and that this weighed on her in her last days. I hope that she can see what is happening and gets some relief. I hope that all of you feel some relief.


Thanks again to all of you who responded.


All my love,

David E. Anderson

Friday, March 22, 2024

RIP Sara Slager, love of my life

 It is 1AM in Santa Rosa now. The love of my life, Sara, has passed away. Sara was my soulmate and will remain special in my heart forever. During the year since she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we grew closer than we had ever imagined possible. Our gratitude for this is enormous. Your love and support as members of her community of family and friends has made a large impact on this journey, so Sara and I thank you with all our hearts. I feel her presence and love holding me now as I write this. I am the luckiest man in the world to have shared these twenty two years with you, Sara. I owe you everything and more, as my greatest teacher. May your journey go well.

All my love,

David

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Liza’s brother

 I recently introduced my online friend Liza May as “a writer” who I met via dance. I was right. My brother Jefferson


Friday, January 26, 2024

I dedicate this poem to my wife, Sara

 


The Other Minds Archive

 I often listened to the Other Minds program on KPFA and now KALW. It stretches the mind and soul. Its archive announced a new online portal today and Joseph Bohigian interviewed the archivists for New Music about their site. I consider this a key milestone in modern classical and experimental music and I hope that you will enjoy it.

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Sam Bercholz interview

 n the Seventies I was acquainted with Sam Bercholz, the owner of Shambhala Publications. I frequented his bookstore on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley and both businesses loomed large in my life. He was also a founder of the meditation center where I learned to meditate. Of course the publication of the book “Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism” was the most important part of this story. Below is an interview with him and his son, Ivan, which I think is interesting. You might like it too. The reminder of impermanence and mortality is a strong and germane element here. As an aside, I’ll note that here I learned that Alan Watts, whose books first introduced me to Buddhism, was with Trungpa Rinpoche the last day of Alan’s life.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loveistheauthor/episodes/Episode-84---Samuel--Ivan-Bercholz-e2e2mpm
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