Welcome to The Radius

Enlightened Ninjas of the Inner Circle,

The Radius welcomes those returned, those who are seeking, and those who come for reasons known only to themselves. This is the face of the octopus of the many tentacles that reach into every convention, every event, and every Karmic Gathering all over the country from the Dawn of Mind to the End. Wherever the Inner Circle seeks to change reality, The Radius records.

The Inner Circle is a circle that binds us as we expand in all directions. The sandy ground of Iraq and the Formica table of a 24 hour deli can each be the start of a Quest. Whether you receive these words in a prison Library, the screen of your blackberry, or on some random computer does not change that we all are within the Inner Circle.

Welcome to another month of prophecies and bold proclamations of the Random Reality to come. There are also words from recent events, reflections on Morton's List and reality, and articles selected from your contributions. Read, Inner Circle, read and experience the words of those who experience reality randomly and enact the will of the die with total readiness.

Morton is Reality

Morton is Within

The Karmic Order of the Twilight Lords
T.A.C.S.
Sunday, May 13th, 2007

Karma Boost!
2007 by Twilight Lord Nathaninja

Ever watch the local news? Funny how it's ALWAYS THE SAME. No matter where in this beautiful bloated country you are, it's always the same. Look at local news from the '80s. Only the hair styles are different. The weather varies a hundred times more across the nation than does local news. Crime, catching city workers asleep on the job, weather and traffic on the 9s, drugs, killings, fires, robberies, and maybe, just maybe if you're lucky, a 30 second spot about some feel good local hero who found a starving dog locked up in a garage. Action news, eyewitness news, 8 on your side, news you can use - whatever the format, regardless of branding, this shit is ass, yo.

To put it in Karmic terms, this shit is Mundane. "But traffic and weather is important to know about so you can know where to drive and what to wear!" My friends, these are minor details at best. Good to be aware of, but not to devote any real attention or time to. There are much more important things awaiting us all in this life - adventures that may just involve leaving the house dressed somewhat inappropriately for the weather, or battling traffic to make the go to hell point. So what is the alternative to news of the Mundane? Where is the Karmic news?

That is my challenge to the Inner Circle. If you, like me, like us, like many, like two thirds of the over 301,800,000 humans in the United States have had enough negative, Karma killing, repetitive, boring news it's time to do something about it. Karma Boost is an open invitation to us all to submit Karmically uplifting and interesting anecdotes, stories, articles, or personal observations/experiences. Got some news about crystal skulls? That's highly Karmic, no doubt. Know something about aliens, art or somebody who's living the Random Reality lifestyle? How about some unexpected chance occurrence or synchronicity that made your week? Unlike traditional news stories, there are no limits with Karma. Your submission can be current or from many years ago. It can have global implications, or be entirely personal. An important moment in your life's story is better news and more meaningful to the Inner Circle than anything a helicopter journalist can segway out of with a "Back to you, Jerry."

Here is a personal Karma Boost to kick things off with:

Karma Blast from the Past
2007 by Twilight Lord Nathaninja

On July 6th, 2000 I returned to my apartment in Southfield, Michigan, from the SubGenius XXX-Day event in western New York state with my good friend, who I'll call Flo. I had met Flo two years prior at the original 1998 X-Day. It was one of those instant Karmic connections, where you share life stories with someone who a few hours ago had been a complete stranger.

Now, Flo had come to stay with me to raise money to buy a several thousand dollar highly trained guard dog, and hoped to quickly clock enough bank as a dancer in the lucrative Detroit scene. We'd gone to most every club I could find, including one in a strip mall next to a daycare center, ironically enough, but nothing had panned out so far. They mostly all held amateur nights where they recruited their talent, and we planned to return to these in a few days.

Meanwhile we had XXX-Day to attend, and I have ten hits of acid I bought off a kid in San Diego when selling merch on the Psychopathic from Outer Space Tour. I'd never bought or tried anything like that before, had no idea who the kid was, or if his shit was as "Timothy Leary" as he claimed or even if it was anything more than office paper. I was go green I didn't even know how good a deal $2 a hit was, so only bought half of his 20 hits. In retrospect that was actually a good thing - and better had I not bought any.

I kept the drug in the freezer on Flo's advice, as she was a self-proclaimed expert on the subject, having had many experiences with it and other substances. And in the freezer it stayed for many months, as I had little idea of what to do with it. Flo had no such qualms. She suggested we take it to XXX-Day, which sounded like a good plan until in the rush to pack I forgot it. This set the scene for the disaster to follow.

The evening of Thursday, July 6th, but a week before the first ever Gathering of the Juggalos (which I was deeply no-sleeply involved in organizing) Flo suggested we take the acid. Because it was so old and possibly not potent (or existent) to begin with, she felt confident that five hits each would be fine. Not knowing any better that sounded like a good idea to me.

Allow me to summarize the next ten hours: Wow. I understand now! Police!! HOT!!! FUCK!!!!

My initially very spiritual trip mixed with Flo's increasingly nightmarish experience, creating a cocktail of drug-induced drama the likes of which I couldn't have possibly imagined. When the ride was finally over, sacred lines had been crossed, lives were on the line, and our friendship was violently shattered. She left for home the next day, before being able to make or save a dollar. Owning up to my part of what happened I withdrew and gave her enough of my savings to buy the guard dog, and that was that.

Talk about a serious Karma drain. But this is the 'Boost, right? So you know the story doesn't end here. Flash forward two months shy of seven years to the now present. The world changed a might in that time, as did I. New name, new life. Morton's List had been born after many years of incubation. Karma was waxing like the stock market - always up over time, but a tad bumpy along the way.

Something called MySpace had come out in that time and somehow convinced enough people it was revolutionary to reach critical mass. Who should I get a MySpace message from, like a bolt out of the blue, but Flo? It's amazing what a simple apology can heal. At once the strong Karma of that old friendship rebounded, like new growth on a long dormant tree. A weight was lifted. Fear, worry, doubt, loss, regret, and clumsily partial healing evaporated instantaneously under the fresh light and Karma of a new beginning. We can't regain all lost or old friends, but sometimes Karma has more in store for us than we realize, and some stories are not yet complete.

-----

The entire Radius newsletter is meant to be a Karma Boost, with all content of, for and by Inner Circle members, be they just discovering Morton's List and Random Reality or down for life Center operatives. This is why we release issues on the 13th of each month. This is the lowest point, the nadir of Karma, of each month of the Gregorian calendar. Much like a new moon celebration, what better time to welcome the renewal of Karma? We all need a little Karma boost now and then. If the media isn't going to help us out, we can do it ourselves.

To submit your own Karma Boost, simply email Center. Let us know if you have a specific section of The Radius in mind, such as Stories, Karma Boost, Pic of the Month, etc.


Chance is My God
Installment #2: Nondual Realizations
2007 by Twilight Lord Nathaninja

Last time we talked about chance and fate. We set the stage and sketched out some basic concepts. After the events of The Karmic Gathering: Within, I feel it is time to cut a little closer to the chase. It's time to really dig in and talk about what's really going on here.

Many Inner Circle members have asked about the spiritual foundation of Morton's List. How does it work, how can it be conceived of, is it related to any established spiritual path? It is in fact identical to the core of all nondual spiritual paths including Gnostic Christianity, East Indian Advaita, Japanese Zen, Chinese Chan, and Tibetan Dzogchen. Many have walked this path in the past, and the world's great religions that have sprung up around them are tribute to the power of the truth these mystics discovered within themselves.

Because the ultimate truth, the pinnacle of self awareness, transcends all mind, thoughts, language, etc. it is ultimately futile to write about it. It can only be experienced first hand. It must be realized directly and cannot be understood intellectually. That said, words can impart a little flavor of the truth. They can motivate, inspire, assist.

Let's bring it back to Morton's List. Ever try explaining it to people? At best they sort of get it. Maybe they even fully understand how it works. But until they play they don't really get it. It must be directly experienced, exactly like nondual reality.

Why is this? Simple. Because Morton's List is a tool that helps people reach nondual awareness. Another tool we are all familiar with is life. Life provides the opportunity to reach nondual awareness, but without instructions, most don't even realize what the goal is, let alone take any steps toward it before it's too late. Unlike many other tools, books of wisdom, even Tarot and other hands-on methods of divination, etc. Morton's List is purely experiential. Sure you could get a lot out of reading the book cover to cover, and some have. But this approach will always fall far short of those who experience even a handful of Quests.

You can expand your mind by reading, understanding, learning. You can train your brain to Einsteinian levels and beyond. But sooner or later, if you want to continue further on the path towards the nondual you must move beyond thought, language, symbol - all the intermediaries that stand between us and direct experience of reality.

Do not mistake, these intermediaries are extremely important to reach the rational stage most of us operate on in our daily lives to begin with. Quite necessary in fact. Without language, symbol, the ability to think critically, there is no fully differentiated self or I to transcend. But the same tools that freed us ultimately become our bonds, unless we let them go and move on. Even Morton's List will eventually become unnecessary as nondual seekers reach the point where they experience every moment as new and unfiltered by expectation or attachment.

Until then we can all benefit from then hands-on approach Morton's List offers. This is dynamic spirituality in practice. It is waking meditation, fulfilling ritual. Morton is the Buddha, Morton's List is the Dharma, and the Inner Circle is the Sangha. It is the Tao, the way, the path to salvation from the sin of forgetting our true nature.

Use Morton's List: play it, live it. Use it to find the meaning you seek. Use it to chip away at the lies and limits that constrict your true self. Use it to have fun, to engage in life, to delight in the Many and unite with the One. It exists solely for the I within you.

Some important nondual seekers: Alan Watts, Aurobindo, Baruch Spinoza, Bhartrhari, Chuang Tzu, F. H. Bradley, Friedrich Schelling, Gaudapada, Georg Hegel, H. W. L. Poonja, Herman Melville, Hildegard of Bingen, Jesus of Nazareth, Jiddu Krishnamurti, John Demartini, John of the Cross, Kahlil Gibran, Lao Tzu, Mahatma Gandhi, Mechthild of Magdeburg, Meher Baba, Meister Eckhart, Nagarjuna, Neale Donald Walsch, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Osho (Rajneesh), Parmenides, Plato, Plotinus, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ramakrishna, Ramana Maharshi, Ramesh Balsekar, Richard Bach, Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), Stuart Davis, Shankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda, Teresa of Avila, Yajnavalkya, you


The Bookbinder
Your One-Stop Guide to All Things Custom in Morton's List
2007 by The Astonishing OddBall, 360� Rainbow Dragon/Yin of the Earth Adept

Part Four - Flexin' Them Skillz

Last month, we discussed the rough-draft aspects of designing one's own Quest Journal. We went through planning out what sorts of information we wanted to include, how we wanted it to look, and we set up our tools to be ready for it all. This month, we will begin putting everything together, and setting up a proof to bring with us to the copy shop for manufacturing.

Now that we've got some solid ideas for what we want to do, we're going to bust out some more of that 8 �" by 11" office paper, a pencil, and our rulers. We'll begin by setting up our print boundaries. That is to say, that we are going to pencil in some guides that we will not allow any ink to cross. We'll be photocopying our work, and in general, most photocopiers have a margin area of about 1/8" to 1/4". Also, if you plan on spiral-binding or three-hole-punching your Journal, you don't want those holes going into your print area. So, we're going to be on the safe side, and lightly draw in that border.

My ruler is just about a half of an inch wide, and it's perfectly straight. So what I'm going to do is just line up my whole ruler with the edge of the paper, and stroke my pen across the page from top to bottom on each edge. It will give me a wider margin, but I like how that looks. Now, depending on the ruler you have, you may need to manually measure-in the margins, which can be a pain. But just line up your ruler, make a small mark, and do the same on each end of each edge. This allows you to simply connect the dots, and draw one line for each edge.

Now that we have this box laid out, we're going to start cropping out the different informational areas, which we'll call "pods." Each pod is essentially a group of related information. For example, on the top of my page, I'm going to have a 'Quest overview' pod, which will include Quest Number, Quest Title, Table, List, Date and Time. I'll also have a pod for the Inner Circle, as well. This will list Table Master, and each member individually. We'll continue on in that manner, trying to keep in mind how much space each pod really needs.

We're going to want to reserve as much room as possible for the Quest Summary area, as it really is the meat and potatoes of the main Quest Log pages. A particularly nice way to keep a leash on this is to look at things you've written by hand. How big do your letters get when your writing is at its most comfortable? Can you write smaller? Will that be a pain later on? Also, as you go on, make sure to keep penciling in margins within each pod. Having your writing lines spread to the very edge of each pod makes the whole production look cheap.

Now that we've got our pods laid out, we're going to give each pod its own title. The trick to making something like this look particularly nice is to keep consistent. Try to make sure each of your letters is drawn similarly, and be sure not to change pens when it comes time to outline and ink. No two pens have the same ink flow, and if you switch halfway through, some areas can look bolder than others, and some areas might look scratchier, so check your pens before you start.

I'm going to attempt a sort of "school boy" doodling approach here, simply for the sake of ease. I'm not really using this for anything other than this column, and it gets the point across. You'll notice a bit of a difference between my penciled page and my inked page, and that's because I've done this a hundred times, and do a lot of my detail work in the ink. You can, of course, be as meticulous as you'd like in either stage, it's all up to you.

IDEA! You can cut-and-paste black-and-white magazine or newspaper print letters for that "ransom note" feel, or trace them over to pick a font you like and remain consistent.

Remember that at this point, we're not even grabbing a pen yet. We want to make sure that everything is still perfectly adjustable, so we'll keep it in pencil. As a matter of fact, we're not even going to put a drop of ink on this page. We'll talk about why in a moment.

Now that we've got just about everything in here the way we'd like, let's take a step back and look at it. Anything look out of place, or off-angle? In my copy here, I have a few different letters that seem a little larger than the rest, so I'm going to do one of two things, and this depends on how skilled you are with a pencil and pen. First, I could erase the letters in question and re-draw them to make them more consistent with the others. This requires a little more skill, and a good sense of perception is required. Or, I could erase them and exaggerate them a little bit, to make it more of a "Yes, I did this by hand, and got a little freaky creative with it." Personally, I think I'll go with the latter. It's more my style.

Now that we've adjusted those, I'm going to take a moment to add a little flare to the page. I'm going to thicken out the main page border, and give it a bit of a cracked, broken, antique look. I'll then go into each different pod, and add some effects to the edges, making each one look like a piece of paper on the page. Lastly, I'm going to throw in an 'M' logo for good measure. Let people know what time it is, right?

So, there. Now we have a penciled version of our page. The erased pencil marks are still somewhat visible, and I've smeared some graphite in a few places. This right here is exactly why we never put ink directly on our pencils. (Though I must admit, in my own illustration work and such, I often do apply ink directly to the pencils. It's a bad habit, and I'm trying to stop. Just please, quit judging me.)

This process can, of course, be applied to any page of your Quest Journal. The main focus being, like I've said before, is to plan, plan, plan ahead, and make sure each step of the way that you're still happy with what you've got. Take a step back every now and again, or give yourself a break between each step, and you'll find yourself much happier with the final outcome.

Next month, we're going to transfer our penciled pages into ink, and bring them to the copy shop for print. So in the mean time, set up your different pages in pencil, and compare them to each other. Make sure that all together, they create an image you like, and would like to portray.

The Astonishing OddBall is a 360� Rainbow Dragon/Yin of the Earth Adept, also specializing in Morton's List. He hails from Oshkosh, WI where he lives with his girlfriend Sugar, a List of Life Adept specializing in Cosmic Law, his dog Boulder, and cat Karma. OddBall has been playing since 2002, and is co-founder of The Ninjas of the Crimson M, as well as The Sons of Pandora.


Pic of the Month

Each month The Radius showcases YOUR photos or artwork, whether taken or made for a Quest or inspired by Morton's List. One photo each month will be selected from among all the submissions for its exceptional flavor and Karma.

Image submissions are accepted via email and must be at least 400px wide, 72dpi, not larger than 3Mb, in RBG mode, and .jpg, .gif or .bmp format.

May 2007 Pic of the Month

TIP: To increase your chances of publication, please make sure to proofread and spell check before submitting. We edit all submissions for length and grammar, and are more likely to publish pieces that require less editing. Most written pieces should be 200-1000 words, with 500 being average. Photos or other images (using the format guidelines for Pic of the Month) that compliment your writing are encouraged and will increase your chances of acceptance. Submission instructions and the deadline for the next issue may be found here.

Quest - The First (Initiation)
2007 by Anabelle of the 8+ Sisterhood

We are four very regular and normal women with fairly structured lives: we have significant others, we don't smoke or drink excessively, we don't do drugs (though we have all tried), we vote, we have careers, we make decent livings, we are healthy, we get our nails done, we shop, etc�. But when the four of us would get together, we would always talk about doing something out of the ordinary, exciting, different! Our souls wanted a challenge, an adventure! Incredibly and accidentally, I came across Morton's List on the Internet, and here we are.

My name is Anabelle. I have been chosen the permanent Table Master of the 8+ Sisterhood. Our first meeting was held at my apartment (The 8+ Lair) a sunny Saturday afternoon. Curtains were pulled shut. Candles were lit. A few Nag Champa incense were burned. At that point we had not yet taken the Morton's List Oath. The Karmic Gathering ceremony was simple. We took our heels and sandals off, we held hands and took the oath to complete whatever Quest came to us, allowing unseen forces to decide our course as we pass through Morton's List and into a realm of limitless possibilities. As Table Master I also added that those who break this code must be wary: bad Karma and dangers await.

With this we began, and our first Quest, as if fate was introducing us gently into our new way of life, came up "Beware the Shopplings" on the Mortal Ties Table. We all laughed and took a sigh of relief. "Beware the Shopplings bids the Inner Circle to go shopping for new items" (something we do regularly anyway). In this case, to make it interesting, instead of going to Bloomingdales (which would've made it too easy for us), we all decided to go to a store we never go into, or even really like for that matter: Sharper Image. For $50 we were to pick the most interest thing there and to keep it fair, we each had thirty minutes inside. When we returned to the 8+ Lair, we were to decide who purchased the overall best thing, and that person would get to keep all things purchased.

I picked up the Sharper Image "Slim Scale" for $39.95. We all need to watch our weight.

Amelie got the Sharper Image "Cozy Quilted Throw" for those cozy movie nights at home. $49.95

Wendy picked up the "Microdermabrasion System for Skin Rejuvenation" for $39.95, an important system for aging young women who want to always look their absolute best.

Natalia got two Sharper Image "Flameless LED 6-inch Round Wax Candles" for $19.95 each. Very nice.

After returning to the Lair and displaying our purchases to each other, we were a little surprised none of us picked up the same item, and were curiously happy with our products. A long discussion ensued and we decided the winner was Wendy. The System for Skin Rejuvenation turned out to be the most important and useful item for us all. She was supposed to keep all items as the winner, but in the spirit of friendship and sisterhood, her final decision was that we each keep our own purchases.

We followed with a conversation regarding the many Quests that were yet to come, realizing that these Quests might not be as easy as this first one. Due to the nature of some of the Quests and our very normal, structured, ordinary lives, we chose to keep our Inner Circle activities a secret from everyone.

What would we call ourselves? After a lot of fun, we sealed our fate as members of the "8+ Sisterhood."

2007 Morton's List Tour de Chance

Tour Dates are being added as fast or faster than events are happening, so if you haven't been to at least one 2007 Morton's List Tour de Chance stop, pick your date and plan your Karma. Some of the best Morton's List events this year and of all time are coming up in the next few months!

Thanks to all those who have submitted or are working on events to become Tour de Chance dates. We are excited to announce yet another new date, a Sanctioned Chaotic event at Florida Super Con in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, June 22nd - 24th, put on by The Karmic Gathering: ¡Devastacion! host, RamGog. This promotional event will plant seeds (in the form of flyers) in fertile soil (people who love Morton's List, but just don't know it yet), and the fruits that result will be reaped come December, when KarmaCane Morton bears down on southern Florida!

The invitation to submit events for the Tour de Chance is still open. Here again is how it works.

There are four CLASSES of Morton's List events:

Each event will be one of the four Classes and up to one of the two Types. Here is a list of all possible combinations:

• KARMIC GATHERING TOURNAMENT


• KARMIC GATHERING CHAOTIC


• OFFICIAL TOURNAMNET


• OFFICIAL CHAOTIC


• SANCTIONED TOURNAMENT


• SANCTIONED CHAOTIC


• RANDOM TOURNAMENT


• RANDOM CHAOTIC

In preparation for the overhaul of MortonsList.com, all Tour de Chance events are listed on MySpace/mortons_list.

A quick word about volunteering. Center wants YOU to volunteer! Not because it makes our lives easier, though it helps. But because together we can accomplish so much more. It's amazing what a difference just one volunteer at an event can make. We do what we do for the love of Karma. It's all non-profit. So come work along side us, and help us spread Karma to those who have not been touched by Morton. If you live near Mid-Ohio, Southern Illinois, Mid-Indiana, Northern Colorado, Southern Florida, Mid-Alaska or Northern Nevada talk to us. This is your chance to up your game and make the crucial leap from entertained to entertainer. Email Center today.

And now for the updates:

Spotlight Spotlighted events are happing SOON. That means before the next issue of The Radius, where they will become part of the What Went Down section. So if you're going to attend or volunteer, NOW is the time to make it happen. You must make the choice. At this point, putting it off is the same as choosing no. Questing at Gryphon Games and Comics Hard core Inner Circle member and seeker of Morton, FengLong, who you may recall is attempting to complete The Grand 13 Theory challenge this year, is sharing his Karma with the world. Come Quest with a truly high level ninja and be inspired. He is a Karmic beacon in the strangely silent state of Colorado. So come out and enjoy a day of Karma and Quests that is sure to school you. Email us to volunteer at Questing at Gryphon Games and Comics! CONTACTS www.gryphongamesandcomics.com VENUE 256 Linden St, Fort Collins, Colorado DATES Thursday, May 17th 2007 TIMES 4:00 pm - First Quest. After that is anyone's guess COST FREE Questing at Green Brain Comics Detroit based Inner Circle, The Empire of Nothing, featuring such down-ass highly Karmic ninjas as OverBill, Cricket, (Magic) Trevor and Red, is putting on their first public event at legendary Detroit area comic shop, Green Brain Comics. Come support this awesome Inner Circle and enjoy a Quest or three. Come as you are and leave with friends. Email us to volunteer at Questing at Green Brain! CONTACTS www.GreenBrain.biz Dan Merritt, owner dan@greenbrain.biz VENUE 13210 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, Michigan DATES Thursday, May 26th 2007 TIMES 1:00 pm - First Quest. After that is anyone's guess COST FREE

AdventureCon 6 - update