Colleagues:
While I am "pale and male" I certainly feel, "fresh" not "stale".
(In my little village the grocery store is called "FreshMart". However the locals refer to as... "StaleMart.")
For those interested in the Grand Design thread, Gene's latest book might be of interest.
He has been under the thrall of the New Religious Mode and the New Social Vehicle for 40 years. He goes for the 'whole enchilada' including everything we did as the Order and a whole lot more.
Of course for 11 of those years he lead The Academy and was continually making curriculum of Joe's (and our) latest themes.
(His recently published book "The Road from Empire to Eco-Democracy" is all about challenges and proposals that assert the New Social Vehicle. It is surprisingly easy to read and has a study guide.)
I still assume that the doorway to a 'new society' is not just an apprehension and a response to the suffering of the innocent, but also a recreated sense of ones relationship to the cosmos (The Grand Design) - a renewed sense of authenticity in living.
His book The Enigma of Consciousness is a work in progress - perhaps another six months to complete. He is very open to comments.