News Report (from International Herald Tribune ): “On both sides of Atlantic, ‘08 was a year to forget, poll finds” As 2008 draws to a close, Americans are more inclined than Western Europeans to say Happy New Year, though both groups are rather pessimistic over all, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, shows overwhelming gloom in Europe about the state of the economy, with the French adhering to their reputation: 5 in 6 people surveyed in France expressed pessimism. The average was 7 in 10 for the other European nations surveyed: Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain. Stereotypes prevailed on the other side of the Atlantic, too, but even the famous American optimism failed to overcome the harsh reality of unrelentingly negative news, as the survey shows the United States divided almost exactly evenly between optimists and pessimists. My Comment: Let’s see how our opinion changes throughout 2009. For the first time in history, the coming year depends on us. That’s because this is the first time in history that we’re reached the level of being able to correct our nature. All of our history until now was only an evolution or development of egoism, which unceasingly pushed us ahead. But now we have suddenly come to a halt: egoism has reached its full development, and we have revealed our absolute interconnection through its mutilated form of mutual hatred. The only thing that remains is to correct the egoism through force (the path of suffering) or through the Light (the path of Kabbalah). The choice is ours. A question I received: What will be different about the epoch after the year 2008? My Answer: We have revealed the breaking of the common soul into many souls, or in other words, we have revealed our egoistic connection with each other. We will feel greater and greater problems, but we will see that they are purposeful – intended to make us realize that egoism is evil, and to finally correct the connection between us. Related Material: Laitman.com Post: Forecast for 2009: Let’s Hope for a Moral Revolution Laitman.com Post: Let’s Pin Down the Outcome of the Crisis “Babel - a Tale of Two Trails” Kabbalah for Beginners: “The Common Soul” Share This Less

News Report (from US News & World Report ): A team at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University followed 1,000 seniors in three Florida retirement communities for up to 15 years. They found that women with higher levels of anxiety at the start of the study lived longer than others. In contrast to women, men with higher anxiety levels at the start of the study were more likely to die earlier, the researchers said. “Our research indicates that anxiety may have a protective effect on women…,” Dr. Jianping Zhang, of the department of psychiatry and psychology at the Cleveland Clinic, said in a prepared statement. “In contrast, increasing anxiety over time is more detrimental to men.” My Comment: Well, this just goes to show who’s the stronger sex! And the reason for it all is that a woman is naturally closer to nature; she is Malchut – all of nature. A man, on the other hand, does not have strong roots in our world, because he has to master them through becoming similar to the Creator. Only then will he find his place and become strong - stronger than the woman. So it’s true what they say: Behind every successful man, there is a woman. This is absolutely true in the spiritual sense as well, where one’s “woman” is one’s corrected desire. Question: What is your view about Hillary Clinton being expected to accept the position of Secretary of State in the Obama administration? A woman is a powerful force; could this be a positive move? My Answer: In our time, when everyone is feeling empty and revealing the need for correction, perhaps this is best, since women are more cautious and realistic, less ambitious and closer to nature. However, on the whole, this is contrary to our spiritual nature, where a person begins by correcting the “man” within and only afterward - the “woman” within. Related Material: Laitman.com Post: Men and Women in Kabbalah Laitman.com Post: Men, Women, and the Soul’s Correction Laitman.com Post: On the Men and Women Inside Us Man and Woman: Talk between Rav Michael Laitman and Kabbalah Academy Instructors Share This Less

News Report (from Science Daily ): New research by University of Illinois psychology professor Jesse Preston and her colleague, Nicholas Epley, of the University of Chicago shows that a person’s unconscious attitudes toward science and God may be fundamentally opposed. Those who were asked to use God as an ultimate explanation for various phenomena displayed a more positive association with God and a much more negative association with science than those directed to list other things that can explain God, the researchers found. … The most obvious implication of the research is that “to be compatible, science and religion need to stick to their own territories, their own explanatory space,” Preston said. “However, religion and science have never been able to do that…” My Comment: Faith is opposite to science, which is based on reliable facts and does not accept unproven data. A belief in God is a belief in something that others said. With respect to its attitude to facts, Kabbalah is science: a person reveals a new reality and then scientifically (experimentally) researches it. He obtains data and then passes it on to others, who also reveal this reality and research it. The results are compared over the course of millennia – and this is what comprises the science of Kabbalah. The opposition between Kabbalah and religion has been demonstrated for thousands of years. Religious people hate Kabbalah and desire to replace it with their theories, to confuse people by any means possible by offering them their own fabrications under the name of Kabbalah (whether cameos, blessings, healings, or explanations). It’s clear why Kabbalah makes religious people anxious: it’s because Kabbalah comes to replace religion, to reveal the Creator – which is the subject of the science of Kabbalah by definition. Hence Kabbalah annuls religion, reducing it to mundane social and familial cultural traditions. Related Material: Laitman.com Post: The Foundation of the Wisdom of Kabbalah Laitman.com Post: What Came First, Religion or Kabbalah? Laitman.com Post: The Creator Cannot Be Attained Anywhere Besides Kabbalah Share This Less

From http://www.gaycenter.org/morethanever On October 11, 2008 the first ever Mr/Ms NYC Leather contest was held at the Center during Leather weekend. Robert Valin produced the event while Brini Maxwell of Style.com kept the action moving along, and wait, is that MTV Real World Brooklyn housemate JD Ordonez tending bar shirtless? As we put on our holiday finery what better time to remember the fine ladies and gentlemen of fair gotham at their leathery best. So sit back and prepare to 'Trink L'Chai'-im' with Brini (you have to watch it to understand that one). And as you look back at the good times of 2008, consider giving a little back to the place that brought you such nice memories. Please donate a couple of bucks at: http://www.gaycenter.org/morethanever Less

Questions I received on finding the right spiritual path: Question: In my search for spirituality I found many methods of spiritual development, including different forms of Kabbalah, yet I still haven’t found a remedy for my soul. Does it even exist? My Answer: Only you can find your own path, without any influence from others, without “help” from outside, and without looking at what others are doing. And the same goes for every person. Kabbalah is intended only for those who ask about the meaning of life. Hence, only those who ask this question, and who delve into the heart of it, find that authentic Kabbalah is for them. The rest are satisfied with false methods, psychology, religion, or mysticism, all of which may be presented under the name “Kabbalah.” Question: Say a Hindu sage reduces his ego to zero point. Would he not then sense the spiritual world? Does he attain the screen? Or does one experience the illusion of evolution from the very beginning all over again? My Answer: A screen can only appear over a desire that is above our world, but all the religions and other methods actually decrease the egoism of our world. So how can a screen appear over the leftovers of a suppressed egoism? Question: Does Kabbalah talk about the non-dualistic? Meaning, that there is no person, ego, world, etc. Just consciousness. What prevents us from seeing that consciousness is the concept of “I” which takes credit for everything that happens in the world when in reality the “I” has no real choice whatsoever. Choice and events just happen. My Answer: In Kabbalah, everything is researched and verified experimentally. The only proof for something is one’s perception of it, rather than any kind of fabrication. Kabbalah does not negate or assert anything; it is a practical expansion of our perception. You should philosophize less and focus more on what you have personally experienced. You can only validate something through facts, without connecting them to any theories. Work according to the principle, “I will recognize You from Your actions to me.” Related Material: Laitman.com Post: Using the Sixth Sense, One Perceives Like the Creator Kabbalah Today Article: The One Link Google Can’t Reach Book: “Kabbalah, Science and the Meaning of Life: Because your life has meaning” Baal HaSulam Article: “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy” Share This Less

Questions I received on women’s spirituality: Question: Does the word “man” used in Kabbalistic books also apply to women? For example, “if a man feels a Reshimo, then he’s worthy of attaining spirituality, of feeling the Upper World, and comprehending the reality” (this is a quote from the book Kabbalah for the Student , Introduction to Pticha). My Answer: Without a doubt, all people - both men and women - must attain adhesion with the Creator. The only difference is that men must perform more corrections than women, according to the structure of their souls. Question: I heard that you don’t approve of women studying at night. Is this true? My Answer: Anyone can study whenever it’s convenient for him or her. However, since it’s necessary for the men to unite, the best and most effective time for them to study is together with us. Question: A man’s egoism and difficulties are revealed in relation to the group. How, and in relation to whom, does a woman’s egoism become revealed? My Answer: Her ego is revealed in relation to a man, or the men’s part of the group, in the sense that the men are the source of a woman’s spiritual advancement. By making efforts to advance spiritually, a woman realizes that she can only do so through the men’s part of the common group. Question: You say that spirituality has no connection to our bodies. Then why is it important for us to dress modestly when we come to the Kabbalah center? Shouldn’t the men overcome their ego and stop looking at women as sexual objects, but as their equals in correcting the world? My Answer: You have to help the men disseminate Kabbalah to the world, instead of showcasing yourself to them. This is why you’re permitted to come to the center! Do you want to be a person who’s of benefit to the world, or a “woman”? When you have to do work together with the men, it’s important that there be no difference among the participants. Related Material: Laitman.com Post: Women Need to Work On Correction Just Like Men Laitman.com Post: Women’s Spirituality is Finally Being Revealed Laitman.com Post: Men, Women and Spritual Roots “A Talk About the Spiritual Advancement of Women” Share This Less

On Friday 10.24.2008 I gave an international children’s lesson which was translated from Hebrew into English, Spanish, German, French and Russian. The topic of the lesson was: “We are the generation of correction,” as well as preparation for the Congress that will be held in Israel in February 2009. Our children (the children of the members of our organization all over the world) are the children of the future generation. They study Kabbalah: the creation of the world, its development and the goal it is moving to. They live and grow with this knowledge. As they study the regular school curriculum, they interpret it according to what they learn in Kabbalah. They realistically see themselves in both worlds. Their worldview completely includes the common soul and its current shattered state. They see the events happening in the world as movement toward the souls’ correction, their unification into one whole and the subsequent adhesion with the Creator or Nature. Their interactions and attitudes to themselves and the environment show that they see themselves and the whole world through this picture. They understand how different they are from others and they conceal their knowledge from their classmates in school. They interpret all the phenomena in the world based on the general picture of the universe, with which they grew up. I consider them a miracle in our world! My lessons with them are translated into six languages and broadcasted to children all over the world. Groups of children from our centers worldwide gather together and participate in the lessons together with us in real time. Share This Less

News Report (translated from news.ru): Between the years 2000 and 2007, 3,500 people per year returned to Israel. In 2008, however, the number of people who have returned jumped to 7,000, and another 15,000 have submitted their applications to the ministry of absorption. In the last two months alone, as many as 2000 people returned to Israel. My Comment: The return of the “lost children” marks the end of their wanderings in search of a heaven on earth, and the beginning of their search for the real heaven - the revelation of the Upper World. The Book of Zohar says that this precedes the return of the truly lost sons - the return of the ten tribes that were lost 3000 years ago. Today there are hundreds of millions of them in the world… Related Material: Laitman.com: Israel Are Those Who Aspire Straight to the Creator Laitman.com Post: The Jewish Nation Can Only Be Revived By Restoring “Love for One’s Neighbor” Part 5 from the book Interview With the Future: Spiritual Exile Share This Less

Questions I received on spiritual advancement: Question: I have been studying with you for three years through the Internet. I used to attend a local group and even came to one of your lessons. Ever since I started studying Kabbalah, I have become grave and withdrawn. It has become very difficult to communicate with people, including you. My girlfriend left me, nothing seems to be going right in life, and I’ve been planning to write you a letter for a few years already. On the other hand, I am doing better: I have registered on the forum and am writing you a letter. I hope that I’ll be able to keep in touch with you at least virtually. There are many times when I’d like to talk to you. My Answer: If you’re drowning, you have to save yourself. And if you don’t have friends, then who will rescue you? Hence, success can only come by becoming included in the group, even if you have to force yourself to do it. Then the friends will support you and push you toward the goal. Question: In one of your lectures you said that we shouldn’t forget that there are ups and downs and that they lead a person toward the goal only if they come from the right aspiration. What is the right aspiration? How can I know that I aspire to the right goal? And generally speaking – does my desire or aspiration really depend on me? My Answer: If your aspiration emerged in you as a result of unifying with the group, then it is correct. Related Material: Laitman.com Post: We Must Only Unite Our Points In the Heart Laitman.com Post: In All Life Situations, Your Behavior Should Be Determined Only by the Spiritual Goal Laitman.com Post: The Group Is the Place for Discerning All Your Spiritual Questions Article: “The Structure of the Soul” Baal HaSulam Article: The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee) Share This Less

A question I received (my responses appear in bold): You say that that the massive crises – economic, ecological, and others, will eventually bring humanity to correction, though the path will be bitter. But don’t you think that if there won’t be any food left in the supermarkets, this will give rise to many informal power structures on the streets, who will try to survive at any cost – by stealing and killing for a loaf of bread? And all these crises will beget only more evil and hatred between people? I agree! “Where there’s no bread – there’s no Torah,” – this is something you said. If a person is desperate, if his friends and family are dying from hunger and disease, and it’s too dangerous to show your face outside, will he really go and start studying Kabbalah? Keep in mind that there won’t be any Internet when there are no computers and electricity. I can tell you for sure that in this situation people will not study Kabbalah – neither now nor in 232 years (at the end of 6000 years). I agree! Even if I understand that the science of Kabbalah is necessary, even if I have a point in the heart and I know about this science and the method of studying it, still, if someone in my family will be starving to death, then I won’t be sitting and reading books. And this is truer for the people who don’t even know about Kabbalah’s existence. I agree! The point in the heart appears when you already have everything and realize that it hasn’t fulfilled you, and that there’s nowhere else to go. But when you’re thinking about how to get your hands on a glass of drinking water in order to survive, then no one will care about any points in the heart. I agree! My Answer: I agree with you completely and I myself have underlined the rule: “When there is no bread - there is no Torah.” This means that there are situations when people are only concerned with survival, and then all the laws are abolished and everything is determined only by the necessity to survive (with the exception of murdering others in order to save your own life). However, your arguments overlook the four phases of the development of desire. It is not the size of the desire that grows, but its ability to recognize the source of its emptiness and fulfillment. It’s because everything takes place under the influence of the Light. You will discover that your acquaintances don’t merely suffer, but they will suddenly begin to understand the reason for their suffering – that it is purposeful and has a final goal. You should help them reach this realization quicker - then the suffering will recede. After all, it’s being revealed in us only to provoke this realization! This is why the dissemination of Kabbalah is so essential: when the masses understand the Creator’s plan even slightly, this will defer great suffering – and suddenly affluence and peace will appear in the world. I suggest that you review the book From Chaos to Harmony , my lecture in Arosa, and the materials on the article “The Future Generation.” One spark of the Upper Light was enough to give rise to our entire world and the entire universe. And this one spark is sufficient to correct this world, which it had created in the first place! All that’s needed is our collective desire! Related Material: Laitman.com Post: The Solution – Excerpts from the Writings of the Last Generation by Baal HaSulam Laitman.com Post: The Writings of the Last Generation Laitman.com Post: The World Will Never Be the Same Laitman.com Post: Kabbalah’s Model of a New World Kabbalah Today Article: Mankind’s Growing Hunger Share This Less

In this episode, I talk about the Apple Event on Oct 14th, blu-ray and some common misconceptions about it, super strong encryption, new high res Google maps, and the ongoing fiasco with RealNetworks' RealDVD vs. Hollywood. Less

Seeking redemption, Raechev, a righteous nephilim (half human-half angel), fights her fallen brethren of vampires, ghosts and demons. The author combines her understanding of scripture and study of ancient religions with personal paranormal experiences. Included is archaeological, theological, and historical research of an ancient paranormal race still in existence today. Post and read paranormal experiences at www.rebeccaellenkurtz.com. ISBN# (13 Digit)-9781930211872 Genre Archaeological Mystery, Supernatural Paranormal, Religious Spiritual, Action Adventure Romance Less

Rick Gundzik, host of Mortgages Made Simple, which I produce will be on a panel discussion on the current mortgage crisis. You’ll find all the info below Come join me on September 13, 2008 at the How to Survive The Mortgage Meltdown town hall meeting. It starts at 10am and will last until 2pm. I will be a panelist along with other noteworthy real estate industry professionals. A light lunch wll be served at 12pm. Where: Crenshaw Christian Center 7901 S. Vermont Ave Los Angeles, CA 90044 When: September 13, 2008, 10:00AM RSVP by callng (323) 758-3777 x4125 Click here to see flyer From Careers in New Media and Podcasting Event: How to Survive The Mortgage Meltdown Less

Lions have downed a buffalo bull and are now eating him alive. They make no attempt to go for the stranglehold and continue to pull out his intestines. The fear of death in his eyes bores deep into my soul. They dilate fully and he dies. This is not like in the movies, this is Real. A huge African beast has died at the hands of those WE call the King of the Jungle. Less

Leah D'Emilio drops by Santa Monica-based Image Metrics, a motion-capture company on the cutting edge of rendering realistic faces, used on feature films ("Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix") and video games ("Grand Theft Auto 4"). Leah dons on the headcam used in performance based facial animation and discusses the Uncanny Valley. Uncanny Valley Robotics Animation For more, see http://mahalodaily.com Less

Situated a 10-minute walk from the slopes of Grand Hirafu's Hanazono ski area and a 10-minute drive to both Hirafu Village and the town of Kutchan, this 5-bedroom home with modern furnishings is in a prime location for the anticipated expansion of Hanazono. This spacious home with grand views of the surrounding mountains is ready to move in to, and is a great opportunity for capital growth. This house was built in 2007 and will suit the most discerning buyer. Less

This is the true story of four strangers and one ghost picked to live in a Haunted Hotel. See what happens when people stop being polite and start getting surreal. Check out the promo for the world's first Surreality TV show! Distributed by Tubemogul. Less

The Real Guys have nothing but bad things to say about "Nim's Island." AJ Benza needs a full glass of vodka just to talk about the film, while Neal Gumpel questions the film’s message and the relationship between daughter and father on an isolated island. Solar powered internet? Come on! A bologna movie from start to finish. The Real Guys advice: pour a stiff drink and talk your kids out of wanting to see "Nim's Island." Created by and starring AJ Benza and Neal Gumpel. Real Guys Movie Review is a 60Frames original series. For more information, please visit us at http://www.60frames.com. Less

Real Guys don't like fraud, which is is why they did not like Superhero Movie. Cameos by Tracy Morgan and Pamela Anderson last only two frickin minutes! Getting kicked in the nuts is funny, jokes about Wikipedia and Facebook are not. The brutal and honest truth from our Real Guys. Created by and starring AJ Benza and Neal Gumpel. Real Guys Movie Review is a 60Frames original series. For more information, please visit us at http://www.60frames.com. Less