Feathercrown Ayahuasca Retreat August 3-12, Go See Human Nature at
Imperial Palace, The Postbiological Universe, Postgenderism, My Life In
Ruins, and more…
Feathercrown Ayahuasca Retreat August 3-12, 2009.
I
have researched and emailed over 30 ayahuasca retreats in Peru and
Ecuador. With ayahuasca tourism big business in Peru, retreats are
charging exorbitant 5-star prices. Through due diligence I have found an
exceptional retreat, a wonderful organizer, Jan Wanchito (pictured), and
a powerful curandero, Don Luis Andy (pictured below), who promises a
potent brew.
If
you are interested in joining us, email me at
kwanitaka@aol.com. I am very proud to have organized this retreat.
With Jan’s assistance, I was able to negotiate a truly outstanding cost
for this powerful retreat.
The
price for Power of the Waterfall is $640 for 10 days (8 nights) retreat
and 4 (with a 5th optional) ceremonies!
Overview:
During
this unique retreat, eight dedicated participants will journey deep into
their inner selves with the help of the master teacher plant Ayahuasca,
under the supervision of an indigenous shaman ("yachak") from the Napo
Runa tribe. We will receive the strength and wisdom of the majestic
waterfall Latas, where kichwa shamans have been traditionally
initiated. The goal of this retreat is also to provide an experience
which is different from a typical commercial Peruvian retreat. It offers
more authentic experience of the Ayahuasca ritual, which is still
conducted in a very traditional way. Expect the retreat to be deeply
transformative and profoundly healing.
Location: The
retreat takes place in a "tropical paradise" approximately 10km from the
city Tena, the capital of the Napo province in Ecuador. The lodge is
situated in a distance from the nearest town, on a small hill,
surrounded by hundreds of medicinal plants. In the night, Napo River can
be heard roaring down the hill. In a walking distance there are the
famous huge waterfalls, Latas. Majestic volcanos can be seen. The
Ayahuasca ceremonies take place in a spacious, traditionally constructed
hut.
The
shaman:
Ayahuasca ceremonies are led by Don Luis Andy, a 57 year old indigenous
Kichwa yachak ("the one who knows"). Since the age of 8, Don Luis
was chosen by his grandfathers and apprenticed under many master-shamans
from Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Colombia. Apart from healing patients,
Don Luis holds the title of a vice-president of the organization of the
indigenous shamans ASHIN. His specialty is putting good luck into
one's hands, and calling to the powers of the nearby waterfalls.
Smokey Robinson Presents Australia's Human Nature - The Ultimate
Celebration of Motown.
Who doesn’t love Motown music?
I’ll be honest and say it! This is the reason to go to Imperial Palace.
Whoever signed Australia's most popular vocal group Human Nature to a
one-year deal to headline at the Imperial Palace deserves a promotion.
Human Nature is the reason to go immediately to Imperial Palace even
though the parking garage is a nightmare and a relic!
This
past Thursday, June 4th, we attended a special performance of
Human Nature. I sang at the top of my lungs along with the sold-out
audience. The members of Human Nature are Toby Allen, Phil Burton,
Andrew Tierney and Michael Tierney and a fantastic 6-man band.They
have 23 platinum records and five No. 1 albums and deliver a high
energy, explosive, brilliant show.
As
soon as it was over, I wanted to hide and see the show again. So will
you!
Human Nature has been together for 20 years and met Smokey Robinson a
couple years ago when they recorded his iconic "Get Ready".
These guys can sing Motown. There is not one song that you do not know
and love.
The
Imperial Palace's 653-seat showroom has been remodeled. Though it still
has that antiquated long-form tables from the Sinatra-era, the room
boasts a magnificent new sound system, while the stage has a new set and
lighting designs.
Postgenderism.
I
came across Postgenderism and have included just the Abstract from the
paper by George Dvorsky and James Hughes, PhD, Institute for Ethics and
Emerging Technologies.
george@betterhumans.com
“Postgenderism is an extrapolation of ways that technology is eroding
the biological, psychological and social role of gender, and an argument
for why the erosion of binary gender will be liberatory.
“Postgenderists argue that gender is an arbitrary and unnecessary
limitation on human potential, and foresee the elimination of
involuntary biological and psychological gendering in the human species
through the application of neurotechnology, biotechnology and
reproductive technologies.
“Postgenderists contend that dyadic gender roles and sexual dimorphisms
are generally to the detriment of individuals and society. Assisted
reproduction will make it possible for individuals of any sex to
reproduce in any combinations they choose, with or without "mothers" and
"fathers," and artificial wombs will make
biological wombs unnecessary for reproduction. Greater biological
fluidity and psychological androgyny will allow future persons to
explore both masculine and feminine aspects of personality.
“Postgenderists do not call for the end of all gender traits, or
universal androgyny, but rather that those traits become a matter of
choice. Bodies and personalities in our postgender future will no longer
be constrained and circumscribed by gendered traits, but enriched by
their use in the palette of diverse self-expression.
The
Postbiological Universe.
Dr.
Steven Dick, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has
developed a theory, The Postbiological Universe, that I think has not
only merit, but is so creepy, Dr. Dick is probably right. Here is the
Abstract.
“The
Drake Equation for the number of radio communicative technological
civilizations in the Galaxy encompasses three components of cosmic
evolution: astronomical, biological and cultural. Of these three,
cultural evolution totally dominates in terms of the rapidity of its
effects. Yet, SETI scientists do not take cultural evolution into
account, perhaps for understandable reasons, since cultural evolution is
not well understood even on Earth and is unpredictable in its outcome.
Thus SETI programs typically assume the existence of flesh-and-blood
intelligence considerably older than our civilization, a paradigm part
of what I have termed the biological universe (Dick, 1996).
steven.j.dick@nasa.gov
“My
Life In Ruins” is embarrassingly bad. It will kill Greece tourism. It is
a torturous bore Georgia (Nia Vardalos) is a highly-educated Greek-born
American who loses her Athens university position and takes a job as a
tour guide. Of course, she is lousy at this job – it is beneath her – so
her boss always gives her the “B” group made up of the archetypal
horrible tourists.
No
one in any of Georgia’s tours are interested in the history and culture
of Greece. They want to bar-hop, shop, and go to the beach. The Cradle
of Civilization does not interest them.
I’ve
been on many guided tours in Africa, Asia and The Middle East. One thing
is clear. Being a tour guide, especially in Third World countries, is a
highly respected and sought-after job. They tell you how important the
Evaluation Report is to them. They all want you to give them an
“Excellent” rating – nothing less. The tour guides are educated,
friendly, and extremely accommodating. I always get special treatment
since I have a non-medical, highly restrictive diet – I call it The
Shamanic Diet. Tour guides have to deal with every tourist’s needs. It’s
the job. And, since at the end of the tour, the tour guide, bus driver,
city guide, and sometimes the assistant guide/assistant driver, all
expect tips.
On
most American-sponsored mid-cost tours, you are told in the departure
brochure just how much per day you are expected to tip. On one recent
tour, tips amounted to an additional $1,000!
I
found out on a hiking tour to Timbuktu and the Dogons in Mali, West
Africa, Australians do not believe in tipping.
The
“A” group is handled by creepy Nico (Alistair McGowan). However, Nico
does everything good guides do. He buys treats for the long bus ride,
he’s entertaining, he’s engaging, and he quickly sizes up his group.
(Many tour guides buy gifts for the ladies!) If someone wants to go
shopping, Nico makes sure they find the right market. Because of his
success, he gets the best hotels and the air-conditioned bus.
I
have had guides who did fight for the best hotels. My requirements? A
double bed and a bathtub. I also nag for meetings with the local witch,
a fortune teller and spirit trance medium.
Georgia’s “B” group consists of the typical tourists that I have never
toured with (and I’ve been to 35 countries): the Australians no one can
understand, cheap Brits, saintly Canadians, and awful Americans
(perfectly cast Rachel Dratch and Harland Williams).
Of course, there is the lonely widower, Irv (Richard Dreyfuss), and the
hot, but bitter, divorced Spanish ladies.
None
of them want to be in boring Greece. They have been shanghaied. (The
term "shanghaied" originated in the Chinese port of Shanghai. There, sea
captains of who needed crews, would pay the Chinese owners of dives
where drunken sailors were carousing, to slip drugs into the seamen's
drinking glasses and hustle the unconscious sailors aboard the waiting
ships.)
Guess what happens? Georgia is assigned a sexy bus driver, Poupi (Alexis
Georgoulis). Once she mentions she hasn’t had sex in years, the romance
is on. Poupi is not interested in the sex-hungry Spanish ladies but
Georgia, who is a good ten years older than he is. One comment from
Georgia and he cleans up his serial-killer look. And, not caring about
his tour tips, is totally disinterested in the group. Pictured: At the
film’s premiere, Dratch, Georgoulis and
Vardalos).
This movie is so terrible, I tried to leave but was trapped dead center
in a full middle row. So I looked away more than I did at “Drag Me to
Hell”.
Vardalos lazy eye kept distracting me. Dreyfuss must have been paid for
only 2 weeks work. His Irv never made the tour’s Departure Party. The
Departure Party is always a special night for tours. In “My Life In
Ruins” it is all about Georgia and Poupi kissing. The director, Daniel
Petrie, is not kind to any of his cast, especially Vardalos. Dreyfuss
didn’t save any money during his long career, or, he wanted a 2 week
all-expenses paid vacation to Greece. Petrie makes Athens look lousy.
I am shocked that Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson are two of the four
Executive Producers on this, the first truly bad movie of 2009. Hanks
and Wilson produced “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” in 2002 and made a lot of
money. Wilson’s mother is Greek, but has she ever been to Greece? If
Wilson wants to be an ambassador for Greece, “My Life in Ruins” doesn’t
help, it hinders.
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“My
Life In Ruins” is embarrassingly bad. It will kill Greece tourism. It is
a torturous bore Georgia (Nia Vardalos) is a highly-educated Greek-born
American who loses her Athens university position and takes a job as a
tour guide. Of course, she is lousy at this job – it is beneath her – so
her boss always gives her the “B” group made up of the archetypal
horrible tourists.
