Theos-Talk Archives (October 2002 Message tt00226)

I just got an email copy of the attached announcement in my mail today.
It should be of interest to some readers on theos-talk.

Located in the San Diego, California area, Point Loma Publications has
done important work to keep in print theosophical literature by such
authors as G. de Purucker, L. Gordon Plummer, W.Q. Judge, H.P.
Blavatsky, and many others. It has also introduced new writers and works
into print including works by Geoffrey Farthing, Lama Doboom Tulku, and
collations by Henk J. Spierenburg.

I'm familiar with the publisher, having formerly served on it's Board of
Directors for about 17 years before I moved to Los Angeles and becoming
more active with other theosophical projects and the Internet.

For several years now, I've been going to the Malibu ULT, where it has
been studying THE SECRET DOCTRINE. The classes have been tape recorded,
and I have been working on computerizing them. (The sound is captured to
the computer as a ".wav" file, mono sound, about 300 MB per hour of
audio. It's then cleaned up with a sound editing program, saved to a
cdrom for archival purposes, and a copy made in mp3 format.) The plan is
to make a small set of cdroms with the recordings of a complete class on
THE SECRET DOCTRINE. At the current rate that we're progressing through
the book, we should finish the second volume by late 2003. Then I'll be
putting together the master disks from which the copies would be made.

Many attending the class have found it more lively and innovative that a
typical theosophical class. Coming at times were people including
scientists, computer people, alchemists, professional actors, artists,
architects, photographers, and other free thinkers. Everything is open
to question, and the passages read from the SD form the starting basis
for wide-ranging discussions that have taken us everywhere imaginable. 

The sound quality of the recordings has started to deteriorate lately,
so we've gotten a new tape recorder and I'm starting to experiment with
different ways to make a recording. The last time I went, I tried
capturing the sound in 16-bit format on a digital camcorder, then
copying it to a computer. The sound was much better that before, but is
only something that can be done when I'm able to attend meetings. My
next experiment will be with 24-bit sound. I have a 24-bit sound capable
usb sound device (an Edirol UA-20) which I can use with my laptop to
capture 24-bit sound. Why 24-bit sound? It means that instead of
measuring 65,565 levels of loudness, it'll measure 16,777,216 levels.
This means that softer sounds, like when someone isn't speaking loud or
is far from the microphone, can be amplified. Their voice will sound
clear rather than muddled.

Although anyone can get some theosophical books and study them on their
own, it's a different experience to study in a class and interact with
others. Being able to join in a class by listening to sample meetings is
not as good as being there, but it also has a broadening effect on our
thinking as well. 

At the last class that I attended, we were talking about how the future
may be looking back on us. Someone could be listening to the class
decades later, after we're all dead, and joining us in their thoughts.
Perhaps at a level were time doesn't exist, they actually were doing so.
I mentioned in the discussion how I was doing the same thing from the
other point of view. I was working on editing a tape of Boris de
Zirkoff's from the 1950's where they were discussing how others might
share in their class because of the tape they where then making.

We're all tied together in ways we may not realize, both invisibly
across the miles and reaching out into the past and future. We come back
to think about such things at times of transition, like in Carmen Small
retiring and her son, Ken, assuming formal responsibility for their
important project in support of Theosophy. We all have our roles to play
in this work, whether we think we're for it or we think we're against
it. Behind all of our actions is the theosophical dharma, which
continually seeks its fuller expression in the world. 

-- Eldon

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Point Loma Publications,
Inc                                                                     
           October 7, 2002
P.O. Box 6507
San Diego, Ca. 92166
 
Dear Friends and Associates:
 
It has been more than 30 years since the founding of Point Loma
Publications and more than a decade that I have served as President.
Point Loma Publications was a mission for my husband Emmett and me.
After we retired from our "regular" jobs in technical writing and
teaching, running PLP became our primary focus. We enjoyed bringing you
the best in theosophical writing and related fields. It has been an
interesting, challenging, and satisfying journey. Now I'm 84, and have
decided it is time to completely retire from the business.
 
I am pleased to announce that my son, Ken Small, will head the board as
President. The other Board members will continue in their current
positions. Now all our operations have been transferred to Wisdom
Traditions Institute, which has served as our location for classes and
outreach programs for the past five years. Thank you for your past and
future support.
 
Current contact information is:
 
Mail order address: 
 
P.O. Box 6507
San Diego, Ca. 92166
Phone: 619-222-9609            Fax: 619-222-3291
web: www.wisdomtraditions.com
 
May the wisdom of the ages sustain and guide you in these difficult
times.
 
Sincerely,
 
Carmen H. Small
 
Retiring President
Point Loma Publications