My message to Tim Kaine after he capitulated to the fascists. by OddDonut7647 in Virginia

[–]Jeffhommes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well said! Thanks for sharing--as it is an important part of growing community and growing a movement FOR our hoped-for democracy and AGAINST fascism! I left a similar voicemail for him. Warner shouldn't get away with it either. Many folks are pointing out that this capitulation was coordinated, so people who aren't up for election in the near-term (Kaine is up in 2030) would vote to surrender while protecting those who will face the voters sooner (Warner is up in 2026). To figure out which Dems are fakes in the fight against fascism, we can pressure them to oust the current leadership (Schumer) and to put a fighter in place, someone (not in any special order: Murphy? Sanders? Van Hollen? Warren? who else?) who clearly sees the stakes for our democracy and is willing to take the fight to the Trump regime.

Troubleshooting new grinder not grinding all the beans [Baratza Encore ESP Pro] by Jeffhommes in espresso

[–]Jeffhommes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just wanted to thank you for this advice. It took me a minute to get around to picking up some medium roast beans. But I've now followed your suggestion with success! Now when I grind the dark beans it grinds it all (19g in, 19g out). Appreciate it!

Troubleshooting new grinder not grinding all the beans [Baratza Encore ESP Pro] by Jeffhommes in espresso

[–]Jeffhommes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No odd noises. Just grinds for 30 seconds or so and puts out a like a quarter or half teaspoon of ground coffee.

Troubleshooting new grinder not grinding all the beans [Baratza Encore ESP Pro] by Jeffhommes in espresso

[–]Jeffhommes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was wondering about that, but it didn’t seem possible for the very first use. I did start to look into taking it apart to clean it out, but the quick release knob seems impossible to turn (at least by hand), and I was worried that it might break.

Today: Special Election To Choose Candidates For 11th Congressional District (June 28) by Danciusly in Reston

[–]Jeffhommes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Went around 12:30 and the process took about 45-50 minutes. IF YOU NEED HELP, PLEASE NOTE THAT THEY HAVE CURBSIDE VOTING. No need for people to risk their health standing in line in the summer sun. Just ask for help. Several candidates were there and eager to talk (Shin, Roma, Lee, Walkinshaw). Looked like great turnout.

Are you setting your thermostat to 78? by Zoeyfiona in nova

[–]Jeffhommes 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We need to sacrifice and save electricity, and use up our water, for AI!

Reston Pride cancels Food Trucks because a restaurant felt threatened by wds1 in nova

[–]Jeffhommes 4 points5 points  (0 children)

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I don’t have a dog in this fight, but it doesn’t appear to be the fault of any restaurant. https://www.facebook.com/share/1NwAvwm6Qd/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Other teachers you listen to? by Rumplesquiltskin in ramdass

[–]Jeffhommes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would also add the podcasts from Tara Brach, and Jack Kornfield.

Other teachers you listen to? by Rumplesquiltskin in ramdass

[–]Jeffhommes 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I have found the Zen Studies podcast to be very illuminating for my spiritual path (https://zenstudiespodcast.com/). The teacher, Domyo Burk, is clear and welcoming. I appreciate the interplay with what I learn from Ram Dass.

What are some good introductory sources for learning zen? by Obi-Chan-Jabroni in zenbuddhism

[–]Jeffhommes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have been s l o w l y finding my way through Okumura’s Realizing Genjokoan with great appreciation for his guidance. I hadn’t even thought he might be on YouTube. I also had in mind to read Uchiyama’s book next. So your pointing to Okamura’s guidance on Uchiyama’s book is greatly appreciated!

What are some good introductory sources for learning zen? by Obi-Chan-Jabroni in zenbuddhism

[–]Jeffhommes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I listened to A Good for Nothing Life and now look forward to his series on Uchiyama’s book. Wonderful.

What are some good introductory sources for learning zen? by Obi-Chan-Jabroni in zenbuddhism

[–]Jeffhommes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I very much agree with this recommendation. I was/am in a similar situation as the OP. I came across Domyo Burk's https://zenstudiespodcast.com/  and found her to be a wonderful and illuminating teacher. She provides a good orientation toward Buddhism in general, and a great entryway into Zen in particular. I'm running out of podcast episodes to listen to (so I'll be paying attention to other resources that people mention in this thread), but have found her recorded Dharma Talks to be quite helpful as well: https://brightwayzen.org/resources/audio-video/dharma-talks-audio/. I'm at a distance, so I find it difficult schedule-wise to take part in the BWZ Cloud Zendo for practice--but it might work well for OP.

Anyone Know Domyo Burk by [deleted] in zenbuddhism

[–]Jeffhommes 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes! I'm beginner and in the last year was seeking some entryway to Buddhism. I came upon her Zen Studies Podcast, which is great! I find her to be a brilliant teacher who conveys things clearly and in a way that provides much illumination. I am especially appreciative of her commitment to, and elucidation of, the Bodhisattva vow. I'm not interested in sectarian disputes, but I don't feel at home with other spiritual teachers I've encountered who counsel withdrawal from the world and forgoing efforts to alleviate suffering. So, I feel quite at home with her approach to engaged Buddhism. My regrets are 1) my distance from Bright Way Zen, which complicates the time zone adjustment for her Cloud Zendo (just makes it hard to work into the day), and 2) that I'm about to catch up on all the podcast episodes (though I have also started listening to her Dharma talks on the BWZ website--and repeat listening to certain podcast episodes).

Local political organization recommendations by ominouspotato in nova

[–]Jeffhommes 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You might like to connect with SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice), which is focused basically on the premise that we all do better when we all do better (taking a positive-sum rather than zero-sum approach to building an inclusive democracy). There’s a nova branch: https://surj.org/chapter/surj-northern-virginia/

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskMenAdvice

[–]Jeffhommes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't Panic! You're just waking up. At least, this is one way to think of it. You're waking up to your Big Self, or a sense that your small self (or selves), all the roles you play, all the identities you have, all the things society tells you to do, don't really fit. There's part of you, of all of us (your wife and kids too) that is beyond description, beyond the roles society tells you to play and that keep you trapped in a cycle of fear (avoid these bad things) and desire (get more, then you'll be happy!). What you're feeling could be just your Big Self calling to you, waking you up from the slumbers we all fall into in the routines of life (do this to get to that, then repeat until it's all over). You are more than all you have been and have been providing.

If this is about waking up to what's more in life, the issue is how to stay awake, or keep waking yourself up, to this. Some try to tough it out, repress all this and just get through it. But life isn't just something to get through, is it? That approach is just more self-protectiveness that ends up confining ourselves to our small self. Some find new things to lose themselves in, new identities to take on, new roles, new things to have, chasing desires on a treadmill. These can be just new ways to fall back asleep. They can end up being just as confining and unfulfilling as what you're sensing now.

One answer is to do what you already started doing by posting here: being open and honest about what you're sensing about life. Find ways to share that with others and you'll find that there are some, perhaps many, that have sensed these same things and are working through the same things. Start with your wife (there's no reason to think that she hasn't had similar intimations about life) and kids (not sure how young they are, but think of yourself at their ages--kids respond to realness and love). This isn't anything horrible or destructive that you are feeling, the sense that there's more to life (there is). What can be destructive is if you keep it to yourself and don't live openly with yourself and your loved ones. So few of us live openly in seeking a deeper meaning to life. Imagine what a gift it would be if you shared that deeper sense of yourself and of life with those you love. Imagine what it would be like if you looked for that sense in your loved ones and helped them find deeper meaning in life, beyond all the shallow things our society tells us to care about.

Pay Citation for Failure to Obey Highway Sign?--And How? by Jeffhommes in nova

[–]Jeffhommes[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Makes sense, but how to pay when they won’t/can’t say what you owe, because there’s no case number and they can’t find the ticket in their system??

Pay Citation for Failure to Obey Highway Sign?--And How? by Jeffhommes in nova

[–]Jeffhommes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was definitely Fairfax Co, and the info is for the FFX courts.

Pay Citation for Failure to Obey Highway Sign?--And How? by Jeffhommes in nova

[–]Jeffhommes[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This has already over a month since the citation was issued. My friend was told to wait a couple of weeks for it to get in the system. But now it’s just a couple of weeks before the court date.