It's been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china had never been used. The sheets had never been slept in. Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was.

Music to drown by... now I know I'm in first class.

So this is the ship they say is unsinkable.
It is unsinkable. God himself couldn't sink this ship.

Everyone knows that the Titanic struck an iceberg in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. It sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic, killing 1500 of the 2200 passengers on board. The tragedy of the Titanic has fascinated every generation in the past eighty-six years, with several films and documentaries on the disaster, including 1929's "Atlantic", the 1940 German propaganda film "Titanic", the first Hollywood production "Titanic" in 1953, "A Night to Remember" from 1958, the made-for-TV "S.O.S Titanic" from 1979, and the forgettable "Raise the Titanic!" from 1980. 1997 had French audiences exposed to yet another film about the Titanic ("The Chambermaid and the Titanic"), and Broadway abuzz about the Tony Award-winning "Titanic: The Musical" (I know, it sounds like something you would expect to see on "The Simpsons"). Now James Cameron brings the fatal voyage of the 'unsinkable ship' to a new generation, a grand epic that is meticulous in detail, yet breathtaking in scope.

The pumps will buy you time... but minutes only.
From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder.
But this ship can't sink!
She is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. And she will.
It is a mathematical certainty.
The story of James Cameron's "Titanic" begins in the present day, with an investigation of the wreck by a salvage team lead by Brock Lovett... in search of the "Heart of the Ocean", a 56 carat diamond that reputedly went down with the Titanic, and is worth more than the Hope Diamond if found. The search through the watery mausoleum (utilizing actual documentary footage that Cameron shot in the wreck), Lovett finds a sketch of a woman wearing the diamond the day before the ship sank.

Three thousand miles away, the 101-year old Rose DeWitt Bukater (played by Gloria Stuart, an actress from the early days of 'talkies') [Tomer [who saw this movie 'millions of times' already when I was 5 years old and my sister saw it over and over again]: "She looks exactly like you - "like two water-drops", as the Hebrew idiom goes - except that she is older, but in 10 years you might look just like her!" ][sees the sketch on a television newscast and recognizes the woman wearing the diamond-- it is her, at the age of 17. Lovett flies Rose out to the salvage operation, and begins the captivating tale of how she came to be in the sketch.

I saw my life as if I had already lived it. An endless parade of parties and polo matches. Always the same narrow people, the same mindless chatter. I felt like I was standing at a great precipice, with no one to pull me back, no one who cared... or even noticed.
The story then jumps back to the 10th of April 1912, with the boarding of the 'largest work of man in all of history'. The young Rose (Kate Winslet of "Sense and Sensibility") is to be married to the rich, cold and cruel snob of a fiancé (are there any other kinds?), Cal Hockley , in order to save her stern yet debt-ridden mother from the poorhouse. Also boarding the ship is the happy-go-lucky American (are there any other kinds?), Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio of "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet"), who wins his third-class ticket from a poker game five minutes before the ship sets sail.

So Jack, how are the accommodations in third class?
They're pretty good. Hardly any rats at all.
Jack first notices the beautiful Rose from afar, standing by a railing on the first class deck. But soon he comes to know her better when she attempts to jump overboard in a drastic bid to escape the impending doom of a loveless marriage and a life surrounded by the avarice and arrogance of high society. Cal thanks Jack for saving the life of his fiancée by inviting the scruffy young man to dinner in first-class. After enduring a round of pointed remarks from his stuffy hosts, Jack steals Rose away to the lower decks for a night of spirited dancing and drinking. And so the brief but intense star-crossed love affair begins, which must endure not only the snooping of Cal and his loyal manservant , but the Titanic's inevitable collision with destiny.

"Rose, you're the most amazing, wonderful girl, woman that I've ever met."
"Jack, I'm engaged"
"Wait, just let me try and get this out. Rose you're wonderful...
I'm not an idiot. I know how the world works.
I have ten bucks in my pocket and nothing to offer you, and I know that.
They've got you trapped, Rose,
and if you don't break free you're going to die.
Then that fire that I love so about you, that fire's going to burn out. "
"It's not up to you to save me Jack."
"I know, only you can do that."
The story of the Titanic is rife of irony and juxtaposition, and Cameron artfully peppers his script with these two aspects. The ultimate irony of the story is that a young man's lucky hand of poker brings him in contact with a young woman who feels that she has nothing to live for, while on a doomed voyage. Cameron fixates on these two characters, and it is their story, not the sinking of the ship, that is at the forefront of "Titanic"-- he has always put the relationships of his characters in the foreground, such as the Ripley-Newt relationship in "Aliens", or the Bud-Lindsey reconciliation in "The Abyss". This strong emotional anchor also overshadows the technology and special effects of the film, and it is the rapturous relationship that brings the audience into the opulence and mayhem of being aboard the Titanic in its final hours. Cameron also uses juxtaposition to great effect in this film, contrasting the past and the present, life in the upper and lower decks, the stifling constraints of Victorian propriety and the more liberal values of the Twentieth century, and the triumph of the human spirit and the base instincts of self-preservation that emerge in the face of adversity.

Don't you understand?
The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats... not enough by half. Half of the people on this ship are going to die.
Not the better half.
The narrative is also of sufficient depth that it can be viewed on many levels. The most obvious interpretation is as an allegory to man's over-reliance on the marvels of technology (a theme previously explored in the "Terminator" series). But perhaps what is most enlightening is that this film speaks to the need to grasp the moment, to find fulfillment in a laconic life, metaphorically conveyed in the dilemma that Rose faces: a lifetime of lonely self-deceit, or a brief respite of happiness, no matter how fleeting?

You're going to die an old woman, warm in your bed, not here, not tonight.
In addition to a strong script, the other characteristics of the typical Cameron film are found here. The writer/director has always been fascinated by strong female characters, and Rose is the perfect embodiment of this. When she first boards the vessel, she is a spirited young woman, though resigned to endure the fate that awaits her. However, as the film progresses, she becomes increasingly resolved in following her own heart, and challenges the decisions that have been made for her. The trademark fast-pacing of his films is also apparent in "Titanic", keeping you spellbound for the entire three-hour running time. Finally, Cameron has once again pushed the envelope of special effects to portray the experience of being on the Titanic as realistically as possible. Using several scale models of the ship (including a 900-ft model, which was 90% of the size of the actual Titanic) and extensive CGI work, it is very difficult to tell where reality ends and the special effects begin. Whether it is the spectacular visualization of the Titanic's final death throes or something as minor as the icy breath of the shivering survivors, this film is a testament to how technology can contribute to dramatic storytelling.

I don't know about you, but I intend to write a strongly worded letter
to the White Star Line about all this.
"Titanic" is a very well-balanced film, with something to offer everyone, from the hopeless romantic to the adrenaline junkie: strong performances, romance, levity, special effects, and pathos. The story of the ill-fated love affair is not new, but in Cameron's capable hands, it has been brilliantly executed, with a narrative and images that will linger in your mind long after having seen the film. If you only could see one film this year, this would be the one.

So you've not lit the last four boilers then?
No, but we're making excellent time.
Captain, the press knows the size of Titanic,
let them marvel at her speed, too.
We must give them something new to print.
And the maiden voyage of Titanic must make headlines!

Titanic -the event

My Heart will go on, sung by Celine Dion
[the small words in brackets were modified either by Celine Dion or by me]
learnt by heart and recorded by me on Nov. 12

Love was when I loved you,
[one true time to hold on to In my life we'll always go on.]
one true time to hold you, in my life I'll lonely go on.

[Near, far,
wherever you are,
I believe that the heart does go on.

Once more, you opened the door
And you're here in my heart,
and my heart will go on and on.]

You're here, there's nothing I fear
And I know that my heart will go on.
We'll stay, forever this way
You are safe in my heart
and my heart will go on and on.

"I am flying"

Exploring the Characters

Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, portrayed in the movie by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, are almost entirely fictional characters (James Cameron modeled the character of Rose after American artist Beatrice Wood, who had no connection to Titanic history). The movie's love story is also fiction. It was created by Titanic screenwriter and director James Cameron. In addition to Rose and Jack, a handful of other characters associated with them are fictional as well. They include Rose's fiancé Caledon 'Cal' Hockley, her mother Ruth , Cal's valet Spicer Lovejoy , and the third class passengers, who include Jack's friends Fabrizio and Tommy. Some of the third class passengers were modeled after real people.

We’ve received from America a shipment of the book by Thich Nhat Hanh, the gentle Buddhist Monk from Vietnam, which specifically addresses our situation here in the Holy Land – Peace Begins Here: Palestinians and Israelis Listening to Each Other. I was happily surprised to find a chapter on “the Kingdom of God” which discusses walking with God. So not only Jews and Muslims – the Buddhists are learning to be flexible as well! It’s a sweet and simple, practical book with heart. ......

And finally, now that we’re past the holy days, it’s time for serious study. Ever since I was looking for the “universal essence of Judaism” in my studies with Reb Zalman Schachter back in the early 1970s, I have been translating and reflecting on the teachings of Rebbe Nahman of Bratzlav. I have yet to make a book out of them, but I gave a short course on some of the key texts.... We’ll meet for six sessions this Fall, and focus on his “Teaching of the Void.”

Also, I’m offering a new course at the Center for Oriental Music in Musrara, in Hebrew, on “Sufi Music and Poetry” focusing on Turkish Sufism, with parallels from the Hasidic tradition. Let’s keep warm, and keep our hearts warm and open!All the best,Ya’qub
           
A Buddhist monk and a Jewish Rabbi

Reb Nahman’s Universe
with Ya’qub ibn Yusuf a free, introductory evening

The hero of the first of the tales by Rebbe Nahman of Bratzlav wakes up in the middle of his own story to ask, ”Where am I in the world?” In his teachings and his tales Reb Nahman goes beyond the usual horizon of Jewish teaching to address fundamental questions: Where are we? Where is God? How is this world constructed… from the divine point of view? At the core of Reb Nahman’s universe we find the figure of the Tzaddiq or spiritual master – as an archetype inside and outside us. We will pursue the spiritual teachings of Rebbe Nahman by reading texts in Hebrew and in English translation, learning authentic niggunim from the Breslov tradition and sharing our questions. The first section this Fall will focus on his “Teaching of the Void.” This introductory evening will give a taste of what is to come.

In order to differentiate between Rabbi Nahman's "Void" and "Void" in Godchannel [put "void" in " Godchannel Search"! in order to learn about its meaning there},
I looked for more info and found this:

"Basing his theory on the doctrine of Isaac Luria that the En Sof [the infinite God in kabbalistic thought] withdrew into Himself leaving an "empty space" into which all worlds could emerge, Nahman draws the conclusion that, in a sense, the world is void of the full presence of God. That is why, he affirms, man is bound to have religious doubts and all his attempts at proving the existence of God are doomed to failure from the outset. The only way to find God is through faith which alone can raise the human soul beyond the void."

We have had a wonderful response from people all over the world who are interested in joining forces to help each other transform the challenging things that are happening in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones.

People are enthusiastically using the powerful tools that have been given to us by the Beings of Light in the Realms of Illumined Truth. The building momentum of the powerful invocations, decrees, visualizations and meditations contained in our Book of Invocations and the accompanying three CDs titled I AM Cocreating the New Earth, is palpable.

People everywhere are using this powerful book and the CDs to select specific invocations designed for their particular needs. This allows people to join forces with Lightworkers all over the world and to quickly transform the challenging things that are happening in their individual lives.

This new book and the three CDs that go with it are filled with myriad tools that will help all of us deal with whatever is surfacing in our lives at this time. There are powerful tools to help us with cocreating our prosperity, our relationships, our health, our spiritual growth, healing the environment, establishing peace, Divine Government, a higher level of consciousness for all Humanity and much, much more.

KNOW that whatever it is that you specifically want to transform in your own life, and the lives of your loved ones, your efforts will be amplified a thousand times a thousandfold by the collective efforts of Lightworkers all over the world who are using the this Book of Invocations and the three CDs with you.

By using the book and CDs, I AM Cocreating the New Earth, we will join together in one-pointed consciousness with thousands of Lightworkers all over the world. When people all over the world are utilizing the same tools to invoke the Light of God with one voice, one breath, one heartbeat, one consciousness of pure Divine Love, and the same Divine Intentions, our collective efforts are expanded exponentially by the Company of Heaven.

This is something we all know in the depths of our hearts and something we have all been trained at Inner Levels to accomplish during this critical moment in the evolution of this planet and all her Life. Our unified efforts will move each of us individually, and all of us collectively, forward in the Light.

Our goal is to make these powerful tools as accessible as possible.

I AM COCREATING THE NEW EARTH
A Book of Invocations with three accompanying CDs
by Patricia Diane Cota-Robles

The regular e-mail from Jonathan Goldmann
led to a nice video about
,
Dear Sound Friends:

This is a personal invitation to visit the Healing Sounds Blog. The newest Healing Sounds Blog topic has been receiving some amazing response from people. Our original topic was the relationship of sound to light, but the conversation has gone from the scientific to the spirit and back again and includes many extraordinary subjects from crystals to chakras.

The information is truly intriguing and offers most interesting inputs from people with very diverse backgrounds and approaches. There is some amazing sharing going on.

It would be great to have you contribute your thoughts on this subject to our blog. But whether you're interested in posting your words and thoughts on this topic or would simply like to peruse the writings of others, I invite you to come visit Healing Sounds Blog.

Thank you so much for support and for your participation to this important new resource for exchanging ideas.

Blessings of Light & Love through Sound!

Jonathan Goldman