Louis Armstrong & Jimmy Durante sing Old Man Time

The Eve of Fools Eve

 On the eve of the Eve a list of promises made to the self is put together, that are seldom kept.  I, yes I even put together a list or two to stare at for a brief period of time before depositing in the proper receptacle.  I tend to be a little bit of a pragmatist.  I don't make promises unless I know I can fulfill them.  That means, I don't make promises to myself.  After all procrastination is a powerful foe.

The New Year's Resolution has become a sacred ceremony practiced by a few fools wearing funny hats, drinking beverages that are hard to pronounce at the nth of the hour.   Many of these fools embrace and kiss at the drop of a hat, or rather a large lighted ball falling from the corner of Madison and Broadway in New York City.  This place called Times Square, is the main sacred place where these promises propagate.      Some of these fools will wake in the morning with an individual that they may or may not remember the names of.  Thus the beginning of many apologies and new acquaintances.  There may or may not be a few marriages attributed to this ceremony.  Who can say the way of the Eve.

This is the eve of the Eve.  The day before the beginning of the change.  What that change is for sure I'm not privy to, however there seems to be a big hubbub about the marching on of time.  So, I make a promise.  Might even write is down, not necessary for my  needs.  I'll ponder it, think it over, make changes to it, and promptly forget it.  If it is written down into the receptacle it goes, or burned in an available fire.  Carrying a self admonishing promise around can be a heavy weight man, heavy.  Why burden yourself with something you'll most likely ignore in the first place. 

 So why do we make these promises in the first place?  Because, they are an important part of the Ceremony that is diligently practiced by millions of fools every year.  And being a prime Fool, why the heck not?  

Peace and Balance,

John  

Who were the ET's?

 We live on a planet that sits as number three from a Yellow dwarf star housed in the Orion arm of the spiral galaxy known as the Milky Way.  Our small section of this space is approximately 4.6 Billion Years old.  Our solar system brought itself together maybe a half a billion years before the exact birth of the Earth and other planets that occupy it.  In an universal envelope that is about 14 billion years old we are a fairly young solar system and set of planets.  Yet we still exhibit an amount of hubris much to great for our immenseness.    

How many other cultures, races, and species are present within our Galaxy, or are we but the lonely thought of a deity who's sanity may be in question for dreaming us into existence?  How long have we been staring into the morning mirror? 

In 1982 Steven Spielberg released a movie, ET the Extraterrestrial," about an adolescent alien who was accidently left behind on Earth to live through some pretty intense adventures before traveling back home when mom and dad finely return to retrieve him.  ET was so ugly he was cuteish.  I'm not sure that's what outer beings would look like.  For thousands of years there have been stories of almost cuteish or not beings visiting human kind.  Some of them are benevolent, some are malevolent, the stories change depending on the teller and time.  The truth or fiction is also up to the weaver of the tale.

Today evidence is beginning to collect about the truth and facts behind the visitations of other worldly beings.  Most stories are about the warnings these visitors are attempting to impart upon us about what we are doing to the livability of our planet.  We humans have spent most of our time trying to kill the Earth by stealing everything we can from her to propagate our own lives.  We have become the villain's of this story. 

So, here we are standing at a time when outer worldly visitors are warning us of a great calamity and we turn out to be the bad guys.  How many generations have we been listening to the stories thinking our side of the tale was told by the good guy?  A great change is upon human kind, a possible evolution is about to happen and many of us have taken up the task of retraining our thought patterns, to change the way we think and re-think our stories.  Listening to them with new ears, reading them with new eyes will give us a fresh, possible change is perception.  When you change the way you see the outcome of something the majority may not see things quite the way you do.  The spoils go to the victors.  Who originally won the war?   

We used to look for guidance from our angels.  Our angels have become the aliens.  What have the gods become, and who are we fighting for?  So, we are visited by beings from outer world space.  Maybe we're the adolescent ET left behind after all.

Peace and Balance,

John 

The End and The Beginning of a Year

 Looking North was the lone star of time.  Ever present and never swaying all revolving around it.  A warm glow rises in the East slow at first making hast as the day progresses.  Setting exactly twelve hours after it rises the air stops moving for the moment the sun disappears in the West.  The exactitude of this moment raises suspicions of supernatural interventions.  It is now the time of change.

From this day forth night grows shorter and daylight stays longer, however that is an illusion of warmth.  There are two months that follow the Beginning where the darkness strikes it's last battles to hold the night.  Temperatures plummet and ice dams break forcing water to collect in places not safe for human traffic, Jupiter sifts and Saturn waits in the fog of midnight stars.

Hidden in the blackness of the West is lightning through which is an ancestral promise to keep Spring. A host of Grandmothers and a compliment of Grandfathers waits to usher in new times, but alas the Moon has not made up her mind, 28 days more to wait. 

Gazing North again to check when or why reading the story of the change time.  How long has it been?

Peace and Balance,

John

  

Happy Landings

 

Santa's back in bed sleeping off his night on the sled.  

Elves working to put the deer in tight,

Must have been one Hell of a Night.

Bent Bells and torn straps

One runner had a case of the snaps.

Mrs. Claus a little Haggard looks

Saying to herself, "Them Damn Shnooks."

Someone had gotten into her cookies

she noticed a call from the Bookie.

Well, it's over and all survived another Night

the Day arrived.

To you I say, Congratulations you're all Living

I have a boat in the back just for the Giving.

Merry Day.

Peace and Balance,

John

The Big Wind

 

When the North Wind blows there are few things that are spookier.  I expect snow living in the mountains, I expect rain, I even expect the occasional lack of both, but what I don't really expect is the kind of wind that I used to experience on the Northern Plains.  My memories are vague, but I can remember days when the Jet Stream came low close to the ground and would blow 60 MPH or faster.  That kind of wind can tear up crops, and lay down barns.  

Here in the valley between Mt. Forest, Jasper, and the Southern ridge of the Mahoosuks, one doesn't expect the kind of wind that makes the house squeak, and the trees grumble.  Generally we think protection from the mountains keeps the Big Wind away, but the North Wind finds ways of sliding down the valley to us little creatures below.  

It's not the snow, or the rain, it's not even the ice, I have a little four wheel drive pony that keeps me traveling from one place to the other.  It's the wind that gets my nerves twitching.  We have tall trees.  Tall trees and Big Wind usually make power outages plentiful, and home repair a must.  In my yard I have a couple large trees, both over 100 feet tall, both make me edgy when the wind blows hard.  If I talk to them, and I do, I get the feeling that all's well.  So the trees know better than I.  

The Big Wind will be gone soon, the rain will stop, the temperature will drop and things will freeze, and in two days it's Christmas.  So, to you the readers of Now and Zen, Merry Christmas and have faith that Santa will travel safely through the Weather.

Peace and Balance,

John

Here Comes the Storm

 

On the eve of the Holiday, Christmas 2022, a storm is looming from the central plains.  So far this storm has run amok through the center of our great country freezing and washing away everything it touches.  In the North East the forecast calls for Freezing rain, High winds, and light snow.  Up here in the northern reaches of New Hampshire we will most likely see some snow, maybe rain if the temp. goes up.  What reeks havoc are the high winds that threaten to land bast us.  The weather man is threatening us with up to 60 mph winds.  That may cause several power outs and unhappy customers of the 3 or 4 power companies that swindle there ways into our households.  

This storm comes on the heals of the big snow that just left us a week ago.  That storm also knocked out a good portion of power to the southern reaches of the state.  Many of which just got their power back.  The power companies have stand by troops from many volunteer companies waiting in the wings, just in case.  Crossed fingers and a prayer may be all we need.  Ya never know.   

I have high hopes that Santa's sleigh will readily be able to handle any high altitude disturbances that he may come across.  After all this is Santa we're talking about.  This year as in years past, NORAD, North American Defense Command, will be tracking the Kringle's  progress around the world.  The children and grandparents of the world will be joyous and all will be good in the world.

Until then I will set my eyes to the South West of here and watch for the oncoming storm.  Knowing when to get indoors and make popcorn for a good movies is always a plus.

Peace and Balance,

John

The Santa Claus

How much do we know about, "Kris Kringle?"  We all call him different things at this time of year, Santa Clause, Papa Noel, Father Christmas, Topo Gigo, je Pare Noel, St. Nicholas, and "the Fat Man", but who is he really?

He lives in the abandoned remains of Superman's Fortress of Solitude with an ancient army of Elves, an immortal human wizard that has the power of Space and Time in the palm of his hand.  In the beginning of his reign as sovereign of the North, Kris did personal Battle with Evil Dark Elven King, "Krampus" and defeated him soundly on both physical and magical fronts.  Ever since then Krampus has been a faithful servant of the Claus doling out punishments, and filling naughty children's stockings with coal.   Krampus has become the persona of the Dark Santa.

Legend states that Kris and with Wife Olga were on a trek across the frozen tundra in a hurry to deliver warm clothes, and food to needy children in the North when they came upon some very bad and very cold weather.  They did not survive and Mother Earth came upon them and breathed life back into them gifting them with the task of serving the children of the world for the rest of eternity.  It was at this point that the Kringle's, Kris and Olga, were endowed with Supernatural abilities, immortality, and given the gift of Sorcery.  the birth of Santa, and Mrs. Claus the keepers of the North.  Sort of sounds like a movie plot doesn't it?  

Kris was a cobbler, a master shoe maker and toy smith in life and in death these skill took on the magic of all the ages.  In the Fortress of Solitude, abandoned by Superman, Kris set up his workshop and gave employment to the elves of the North.  They, since his battle with Krampus, have become his ever loyal servants.  He taught them all he knows about toy making, and cobbling.  History fills in the lines.  

Mrs. Claus has become the worlds grandmother.  She is the master chef of the North and keeps Santa, the elves, and the rest of us in that ever present stream of new cookie recipes.  In order to truly understand her mastery of baking you have to taste her cookies.  The experience will enlighten the most staunch doubter of the Claus'.  You will be a true Believer forever more.  

So if your a doubter who is seeking that true enlightenment of the season, try one of the many sugar cookie's found in any outlet world wide.  Look to the North and say, "Thank you Mrs. Claus." And the rest will happen in it's own time.

Peace and Balance,

John

How Many Reindeer Are There?

 

I asked my class how many reindeer Santa has and in what order pulling the sleigh.  Then it occurred to me that the generation of children in my class probably aren't familiar with the poem, "The Night Before Christmas."  In that piece Santa has eight tiny reindeer.  It was written before Rudolf was sanctioned as a puller and beacon for sleighs.  

Rudolf the Red Nose, is a name that can only be an import from a obscure Viking Village close to the arctic circle.  The color red may indicate which side of the circle Rudolf hails from.  After all these stories are pre-soviet in nature at a time when being a Russian reindeer might mean something special.  

The story claims that Rudolf's nose shined so bright that Santa asked him to guide his sleigh that night.  I'm not convinced.  I think that Rudolf was a lone occupant in a northern observation post keeping the red beacon light on for any air traffic that would fly over the North Pole to keep them from getting lost in the northern weather.  It is my contention that Santa saved Rudolf from near starvation and possibility of loosing his mind from solitude that far north where the sun never rises in the winter. 

Rudolf brought his red beacon light with him and became the flight engineer for North Pole operations.  He is the reindeer responsible for keeping Santa flying straight and true.  The reason Rudolf didn't play in any Reindeer Games is that his existence is kept in  the myth of a story for security purposes, that Rudolf is Santa's number one reindeer secret tech. scientist.  Rudolf the Red Nose, is just a cover name.  His real name is classified.

The operations at the North Pole have been growing exponentially as the population of the Earth grows.  The more children the more work that elves are required to pore into the operations of delivering toys to the children of the world.  They needed a top rate accountant.  From a minor college in Sri Lanka was found possibly the most talented accountant in history, Olive The Other Reindeer.   Olive is the secret weapon to the keeping records over all Santa's North Pole Operations.  Olive is the mathematical wizard that keeps Ole Santa away from the IRS.  

So the answer of my question is:  Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dondar, and Blixtum, and Rudolf the Red, with Olive the Other reindeer.  Any other's are beyond my scope of recollection.  

Peace and Balance,

John

Trump Cards?

 Sometimes I ignore the news.  I admit that occasionally I really don't want to know stuff about the comings and goings of things that look and sound rather depressing.  Violence here, crime there, people being bad to each other, and policing agencies that go to war with average citizens, not to mention real war stuff that is beamed into our brains by the media machine.  So, I ignore the news on occasion.

Our Ex-president, el Heffe Trump, kept telling the world that he had an announcement that the rest of us were supposed to find important.  I am not a supporter of the self important, self indulgent spokesperson for several politically radical groups and the militant arm of the Republican Party, Boss man Trump. 

A friend sent me a link to Jimmy Kimmel live parodying Trump's behavior.  This is when and how I found out what the big announcement was, and I must say I had no idea!  Trump's big announcement is not another run for office, it's not an admission of doing bad things, it's not even funny.  Jimmy Kimmel is funny, Trump is and has become a sad, sad example of human narcissism.  Trump's big announcement is that he is releasing a series of digital collecting cards.  Each one of these is a rendition of Trump as some sort of Super being, complete with one as a Super Hero with laser eyes.  I had no idea.

If I put on one of my other hats and analyze Trump from this behavior I would say that he is suffering from a Narcissistic injury disorder.  He is narcissistic, paranoid, delusional, and self important.  I would even say, although I'm not sure about this one, that he is suffering from a form of Psychopathy.  He feels no remorse or feelings for anything he does and I suspect he has no real emotional content.  He acts...  

Mr. Trump in all his sadness, needs serious long term therapy, possibly medication as well. 

Peace and Balance,

John

Shoveling Snow

 Yesterday I slept in a tad as I didn't have to work, I don't do that on Saturdays anymore.  It's liberating.  I looked out at my CRV pony and notice white stuff up to the wheel wells of my favorite ride.  I decided right there and then that I was going to be shoveling the driveway.  I started at about 8:30 am, and finished at about 2:30 in the afternoon.  The shoveling had been completed and the sweat dripped down my nose. I have a pretty big driveway and there was a lot of snow.

I shovel with one of those really big scoop things.  I push the snow around and pile it pretty high at the sides of the driveway.  After I'm done the drive looks like a frozen white canyon.  The only thing missing is an echo.  

They say that shoveling snow at a certain age can be hazardous to your health.  I say, "Get off your lazy keesters and do something every now and then and shoveling will just be cross training."  I enjoy shoveling snow.  It gets me out in the fresh air to commune with my driveway. 

 Occasionally a nosey neighbor or two will wander over and ask, "What cha doin?"  

At which point I reply, "..."  heh heh heh.  You fill in the blank.

So, Yesterday, or rather Saturday, I shoveled snow.  I had a good time.  I listened to classic rock and jammed my ear buds.  All was good in the world.  Today I realize, "Yes there are shoulders up there."  80)

Peace and Balance,

John

 

Adolf or Vladimir?

 

How many generations does it take to forget a thing?  Time teaches us lessons and if we don't learn those lessons time will repeat herself to re-teach the same lessons under different, but similar circumstances.  

In 1919 a young student joined the Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (DAP, German Worker's Party) and rose to power rather rapidly in the early years of the party.  Then he began making changes, subtle changes, by replacing prominent individuals with those he trusted and would follow his idealism blindly. 

Eventually Hitler's party grew into what the world commonly refers to as the NAZI party.  By the time the 30's rolled around he was elected Chancellor by the people.  He waited two years then began implementing his twisted idealism and politics on the German people.  He began separating people by class, then education, religion, and finely race.  Everyone that was different than his mental image of the perfect person was ostracized and eventually erased from existence. Anyone in power that did not agree with his sickness was disappeared and or killed or both.  Hitler was responsible for the erasure and extermination of more innocent people than any other single man in history.  This point can be argued, but for the purposes of this piece we'll call it true.  In 1939 Germany invaded Poland and the rest in history.

Not much is known about the beginning of Vladimir Putin's political career although prior to his political rise he worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years resigning in 1991 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  He disappeared from military life and ended up is Saint Petersburg as a political acolyte.  Then in 1996 Vladimir moved to Moscow to work under the tutelage of and joining the administration of Boris Yeltsin.  His career before Moscow is fairly quiet.  

Putin was the director of the FSB (Federal Security Services) up till the point that Yeltsin resigned from politics.  Shortly after Vladimir was elected as Prime Minister of the Russian Federation then became it's President.  He has been in power in one form or another ever since.  Then he began changing the workings of the political spectrum of Russia from the inside out.  He has managed to change policy to the point where he will hold the presidency until 2036.  Potentially for his lifetime.  

Putin, like Hitler is a charismatic speaker that holds the attention of the audience listening to his rhetoric.  They were both power hungry and dominate their foes through fear.  Like Hitler, Putin has killed or had killed virtually every person in power that does not agree with his idea of the world.  

11 months ago the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine and tried rolling their tanks straight into Kiev.  He was trying to copy what the Germans did in Poland in 1939.  However, it didn't work as well and the Russians eventually were made to retreat back to the relative safety of the forest.  Then Ukraine began using the technology given them by the West, and Russia began loosing the war.  

There have been horrific stories of atrocities committed by Russian soldiers on the innocent citizens of Ukraine.  Journalists from several networks and countries have pretty much corroborated the stories.  Putin denies the stories and makes threats.  He has threatened to unleash a Nuclear nightmare in Ukraine if the United States gets involved.  The worlds reactions eventually got Putin to react differently from his vocal threats.  

The Ukrainians have gained further tech. from the west and have been hitting targets within the borders of Russia.  Russia reacts by sending missals to  civilian targets destroying a good portion of the infrastructure of Ukraine, and Kiev the Capital city.   Winter is reaching the cold season and there is no power.  

Putin's whole war is based on his delusion that he is the reincarnation of the first Tzar of Russia, and believes that Kiev is his personal property and that Ukraine belongs to him.  His twisted vision of his world is very reminiscent of Adolf Hitler's vison of his world.  They both thought that theirs was the prominent race of people on the planet and that they rule from a devine hand. 

Hitler supposedly died by his own hand, how will Vladimir go?  Will we keep reliving old lessons presented by the Earth Mother?  Will humanity learn the lesson of being Humane?  Will we grow beyond our own misguided views of ourselves and look out at those beyond who have been looking in?  Or, are we doomed to keep living the same lessons over and over again doing battle with entrenched Evils disguised as immoral megalomaniacs?  What I am seeing in Putin the world has seen before, Hitler has a reflection.

Peace and Balance,

John

Silent Friend

 Quiet is a term used for solitude, pensiveness, peace, and things you say to school children. Quite combined with a sudden calmness, lack of outside influence, and a sudden invisible visitor can be quite the trip.  

This morning I took a short walk in my back yard and went through the short stacks of rocks I've got set up as an outside entry way when everything went very quite.  It felt like I was standing inside a building, there was no movement from the wind and all sounds stopped.  I got to a spot in my yard that has a triangle of natural stones when I felt a tap tap on my left shoulder.  It felt like someone was standing behind me and tapping me on the shoulder.  I turned to look, no one there.  I got the feeling I was being watched and everything returned to normal.  Weird.  

I did a little clean up before the pending storm and went back into the house.  Normally on Friday's a couple of my bestest buds and I get together and partake of Sacred Coffee around a camp fire until the UFO's go home.  It's all good fun. However, we are under a severe storm warning and it seems the weather is making plans for us.  Perhaps one of our evening friends was just saying HI?  One may never know.

I felt a friendly warmth coming from whoever or whatever tapped me on the shoulder.  There was no malice, all was good.  I have a healthy relationship with rocks, stones of all sorts.  I like their energy and the connection with the Earth Mother.  I have a great respect for the energies of the Earth, and all within.  They, she are my family.  

I can't help but wonder if I wasn't tapped on the shoulder by a relative of nature?

Peace and Balance,

John

TR3B Black Manta

The United States Space Force is the agency in charge of keeping potential threats from above away from our Sovern areas, Space, Atmosphere, and Lands.  The Space Force was Created by the Trump Administration as his way to put the Trump name into the space book for the remainder of US existence.  After all he makes big claims to know things, and pretends he knows what his Uncle John was all about.  He, has no clue.

The Space Command and the US Air Force, are jointly involved in a beyond secret project known as the TR3B Black Manta Space Craft.  It isn't actually supposed to exist, but follow this link and decide for yourselves:  https://www.military.com/video/aircraft/military-aircraft/tr-3b-aurora-anti-gravity-spacecrafts/2860314511001

The TR3B supposedly uses a high pressure mercury drive powered by a nuclear generator that surrounds the ship with an anti gravity field that only needs conventional thrusters to maneuver it in all sorts of mind blowing high speed maneuvers along the three axis of the ship body.  

It occurs to me that every time the public gets wind of an object and starts coming up with an explanation for that object, it becomes declassified and part of public knowledge.  It is this author's opinion that we are witnessing that change in the classification of the TR3B.  Soon we will all know that it exists.

What that means exactly for the rest of us I don't know.  The potential that the US military has had space fairing technology flying around since the 80's is scary as hell.   Some of the stories being told by the likes of Linda Moulton Howe, Whitley Strieber, Steven Grier, to name a few, sound fantastical.  If we are to believe at face value that we are in cahoots with intelligent beings from different places, times, or universes implies that the structure of our universe is not what we think it is.  Maybe it will turn out that we are indeed the aliens ourselves and we have been lying to ourselves since the beginning.    If that's the case, who is in charge of the machine?

Peace and Balance,

John 

Predictions of White stuff.

 

I'm thinking of a warm Christmas, just like the one's from Southern Florida.  I know, I know, "You live in Northern New Hampshire John, why would you not want a white Christmas?"  

The answer is simple, I don't want to spend to much money making hot water and heating up the homestead.  I would rather it be fairly warm, low voltage, and not in need of that stuff that goes into the tank downstairs.  The economy of winter sucks.

Right now the weather persons are calling for snow in the coming days.  My colleagues are split as to wanting a snow day from school or not.  I'm not predicting things to close to the "event" as I don't want to be accused of bringing the snow down upon us mere mortals.  We've been beaten down enough and can use the break.

Meteorology is a fairly in-depth science.  Studying weather patterns, past, present, and future can be tenuous, especially the future predictions.  How many weather forecasters have been grimaced at and blamed for the occurrences of things out of our control?  Sad indeed, you'd think there were bigger fish to fry than worry about predicting the weather.  

In the past we would look out and up, and say, "Hey it's snowing."  That was accurate.  Instant visual proof.  Now a days the process takes digital maps, a series of pages, days, and predictions of which way weather patterns, "May" travel.  It's a big guessing game.  Get it right and the network has an excuse to pay you, get it wrong and the masses blame you.  Sad state of affairs.

Still, I'm Dreaming of a Warm Christmas, just like the ones in Hawaii.  The volcano stopped erupting so Hawaii is a good place to visit.    I can envision Santa in Bermuda shorts, on a surf board being pulled by a couple dolphins.  Yep, that's my Claus.  

Then why am I living in Northern New England, potentially the Tundra?  Because, there is a pull here that is akin to a calling, and to ignore a calling, well that's just not right.  

Peace and Balance,

John

Fusion the Energy of the Now?

 

This fine morning while observing the ABC News, I watched a report that researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have actually created energy producing Nuclear Fusion under laboratory conditions.  

The neat thing about this experiment is that it actually produced more energy that it took to create.  That means we have finely crossed the mythical barrier of Fusion Energy.  Professor Dennis Whyte of MIT is already suggesting that we push forward and make Fusion Energy systems available to tackle things like global warming, climate change, and energy security around the globe.  

It seems that the cost of producing energy through Fusion Reaction is cheaper to produce, is readily available, and potentially the answer to Free Power for each and every human being.  After all we're only talking about the power of the Sun. 

One of the big hurdles in this process is that up till now the creation of Net Energy through the process of Fusion happens at such high temperatures and pressures making it very hard to control; and who wants an uncontrolled potential star source on the planet?   Sounds pretty darn devastating.  Things have changed. 

Nuclear Fusion works by pressing Hydrogen atoms together with enough force to create Helium releasing enormous amounts of energy and heat.  The energy could be exchanged into free flowing electrons for electricity and the heat could turn turbines for electricity generation.  And, there is no radioactive waste created making the production of Fusion Energies fairly safe and abundant.  Free Juice.  

This author hopes that in a short period of time the bureaucrats will over come their predilection for controlling things and allow the world to prosper from the findings.   Maybe we'll finely grab ET's attention and we'll get the tech to fly the stars?

Peace and Balance,

John

Heart Bar O'

 I grew up on a small ranch in the great state of Montana.  I say small because my parents only owned about 150 acres of land.  Small, but adequate for our purposes.  My Dad grew alfalfa and grass to use as feed hay for our horses and an old milk cow that supplied us with our daily intake of calcium.  I raised a couple sheep, and my sister had chickens and rabbits.  A couple of her rabbits escaped and bred with the wild Jack Rabbits living in our fields.  This lead to an over abundance of wildish Jack Rabbit, Checkered Giant cross.   So eventually my Dad and I went on a Rabbit hunt.  It took a couple years or so, but the rabbit population declined back to more natural numbers.   To this day I'm not a fan of Rabbit Stew. 

My Mom owned a business that she ran from our home that she called Heart Bar O' stables.  She had her own brand to mark the horses she owned, and that old tired cow.  The brand was not burnt into the skin of the animals, but the Horse Doctor would come out and the brand was tattood into the upper lip of the horse.  Less painful, rather quick, and a better way to mark your favorite Quarter Horse.  There was an organized ring of rustlers in the area during those years that would steal Horses and Cows alike.  Fortunate for me, Quarter Horses come a dime a dozen and weren't on the list of swipable animals.   

Pacos my horse was a neurotic that would spook at his own shadow, and run straight back to the barn when he had a wild hair.  Inconvenient!  It took 3 years to train that habit out of Pacos.  He was about 5 years old then, and actually became a darn good cow pony.  Quarter horses have the ability to turn on a dime and run real fast for short spurts.  So chasing down calves and steers became a fun thing to do.  Beats the heck out of being thrown from a sudden stop and acceleration due to direction change.  Pacos was also my Mom's barrel racing horse.  She was really good for a few years and competed at local rodeos.  

Heart Bar O' stables housed, trained, and kept both horses and their riders for periods of time until my Mom and then Grandpa decided the owners of the horses knew how to treat, handle, care and ride their horses.  These animals were used professionally as well as personally by their owners.  My Grandfather was a honest to goodness old fashioned cowboy.  There are stories just about him.  I have touched on some of these and will again in the future. 

Growing up in Montana the way I did back when the value of a good days work and enjoying a good sunset meant something.  When time was more about paying attention to your environment and surroundings than it is about the space between moments, time was part of you not you part of it.  

Peace and Balance,

John  

Lights in the Sky

The night sky is a wonderous sight.  When it's clear and all the lights are presenting themselves, things can be seen that may defy the viewers sight.  

Flying things that are Our flying things are usually easily identified.  Airplanes have blinking lights and make sounds of different types depending upon their  engine structure.  Our craft leave traces of fuels, condensation, and purposely deposited trails behind them.  In general we all know what a plane looks like.  

Then there are those flying things that first look like a distant star that suddenly moves from one point in the sky to another point in the sky.  Or, slowly tracks across the sky, these are usually our satellites, TV, Military, Exploration, whatever.  But, the ones that stop and go, and suddenly change direction.  You'll look up and say, "Hey what's that." As it looks so bright in the sky, then blinks out because you're looking at it.  That's just not playing fair.

Last evening while enjoying our Friday Coffee and staring at the sky, it was noticed a couple faint white lights appearing high in the Eastern sky.  These lights became a cluster of white lights in the sky that seemed to stop, move, stop again and all collect in an area directly up and East of our location.  It was a potential armada of flying things, Cool man!

We don't get to worried about the ramifications of such things, just enjoy the experience and move with the groove so to speak.  

UFO's have been re-designated as UAP's.  They have changed from Unidentified to Unknown or Unusual, depending on how the designation is used in the conversation.  This implies that an agency or agencies doing the investigating knows exactly what they are looking at.  We, know what we are looking at as well.  However, I'm still partial to the UFO designation.  I grew up with that one.  

Peace and Balance,

John

Power, The Circulation of Qi.

 Power does not come through physicality.  Power does not come through spirituality.  Power does not stand alone.  Power does not stand or exist without duality.  Power is a combination of forces that encompass the whole.  Many facets acting as one unit blended together in balance is the root of power.  

Power has roots that draw from both the Yin and Yang simultaneously. If we breath in the nose we are drawing in the Qi through our in breath.  As we breath in we are moving outwardly physically through the middle body, classically called man, (men) the home of the internal structure of the body.  We breath in the Qi and expand as the Qi circulates and the power escapes.  In reverse we breath out and the Qi escapes through the nostrils and mouth as it is drawn in through the center body and leaves.  This is Breathing, the drawing in of Qi (Breath) and the Breathing out of Qi.  

Also, we are rooted to the Earth through the feet and lower body, (Earth) classically.  We grip with our feet and legs drawing the electromagnetic energy and gravity up into the body as we raise our arms and the Electromagnetic Qi escapes through the top of the Head, Heaven in classical Taiji.  

Now we have a four directional drawing in of Qi and pushing out of Qi.  In and out the nostrils, in and out the middle body (men), drawn up through the roots of the feet and legs and pushed out the crown of the head in and out again.  This is a collective of pulling energies into and out of the physical body.

Pulling the arms back and forth from side to side circulate the Qi from right to left and back again as we create a circulation of energies creating a sphere of Qi around and enveloping the body while rooting in our feet, raising through our head crown, flowing in and out the nostrils and circulating through the men. We now have a complete sphere of circulating Qi around our complete being connecting us with the environment and the wholistic world. This becomes Spiritual in nature and Transends all physical things blending with the stuff of the multiverse. 

Power is this, not this, all of this, none of this, and everything.  Power just is, the process above is our awareness of Our Power.

Peace and Balance,

John   

The Art of Story Telling

 

Telling a good story is an art.  Being able to make up a good story on the fly is even a bolder art.  When I was in High School I participated as a member of the Speech and Debate team.  My chosen competitive subject was Impromptu Speaking of which I excelled.  

Competitive Impromptu speaking  involves taking a short article, a photo, an item, or any combination of  and in 3 minutes put together a short story, news article, or informational speech about the subject given.  After the 3 minutes are up you are asked to stand in front of a panel of judges and deliver a 5 minute speech based on the notes you threw together in the initial 3 minutes.  This process can be harrowing and drain your emotional fortitude.  At the state competition level the competitor is given 5 minutes to throw together a speech, and 10 minutes to deliver said speech.  

My Dad was the coach of the Speech and Debate team of the High School I attended so I was under a certain amount of pressure to perform.  Fortunately when I was growing from a youngun to a High School sized person my Grandma Gibson was teaching me the art of telling the story.  She taught me some of the verbal tales, mythology, and history of the reservation she was living and teaching on in Montana.  I learned some of the coolest mythology from the Plains Indians through my Grandma, and she taught me how to deliver those stories to whom ever would listen to me, and I told as many people as I could, I've even written a few down.   The neat thing about telling old stories that are meant to be shared is that you have the liberty of changing them to fit your needs.  I tell stories as a healing technique for people who may or may not be suffering from some sort of physical or emotional malady.  And they work.

Telling stories can also be a form of entertainment.  Watch any stand up comic perform and you will see the Art of Story Telling at different levels of development.  Each story teller has their own ways of delivering, and processing the information into a funny and cohesive set of words that makes the listener's ears perk up and grabs their attentions.  When you have the listener's attention and focus you have them and can manipulate them with the information you are delivering.  This is when I tell you that telling a good story is a super power, and not to use your super power for evil intentions.  Doing so is an act of bad Karma and we all know how that usually turns out.  

The acts of Good Karma however can assist you in developing a good method for your delivery and creation of a good healthy story.  A healthy story doesn't not have to be a truthful story.  It is a story that is intended to entertain, grab the attention, and pass information in ways that the uninitiated may not recognize.  Sort of like passing notes when we were kids.  

As a teaching tool the Art of Story Telling is unmatched in passing on this, "Secret" information.  That's what I tell people, "These stories hold secrets to some of the oldest knowledge known to man, learning them is a responsibility."  Now, I have the attention of the listener.  After all everyone likes a good secret, right?

So, Today the Art of Story Telling has taken place of my Impromptu speaking from my High School days.  I tell old stories, I make up new ones, I mix them together, I make up lies mixed with subtle truths, and I always try to stay positive, informative, and Healthy.  Healing comes one story at a time.

Peace and Balance,

John

The Force and Natures Forces

A force is defined as a "Push or a Pull".  There are always two objects involved in the action of a force.  Forces never exist alone.  

Gravity is defined as the attraction of the masses of objects to their centers.  All objects have mass and all objects are subjected to gravity.  Gravity is the weakest of the natural forces, but the one that acts over the longest distance.  Gravity occupies the entirety of space, therefore all things are under the influence of gravity at all times.  

The four natural forces include Gravity, Electromagnetic Force, Weak, and Strong Nuclear Forces.  The Weak and Strong Nuclear forces are only effective over a very short range and occupy the subatomic level.  Therefore the only two forces that effect the mundane universe are Gravity and the Electromagnetic Force.  

At the subatomic level Gravity is so small that it is generally ignored by Physicists, and Chemists as it has very little effect on the electrochemical functioning of the subatomic particles.  The strongest natural force is the Strong Nuclear Force which keeps the protons of atoms from flying apart and hold the neutrons to the protons keeping the nuclei of atoms stable.  As it turns out the Weak Nuclear Force is the force that holds the electrons to the nuclei of the atoms, and the electrons themselves exists at an electromagnetic field surrounding the atom in a cloud.  That cloud is negatively charged and the nucleus is positively charged keeping the atoms structure together.  Strong and Weak Nuclear Forces working together.  

The human mind is a product of electromagnetic fields.  Chemically people think and change the processes at which the brain produces the enzymes and hormones that are needed for the brain matter to properly connect.  Within this structure there is an electric charge that flows in and out of the brain and throughout the body connecting it with itself and the environment.  This energy, a fundamental force, may be the thinking stuff of the brain and body.  And it connects with the Gravity of all things all around  connecting us with everything.  

The forces of Gravity and Electromagnetism are essentially limitless and simultaneously connect all things.  Theoretically the forces of Gravity and Electromagnetism are the conduits that the mind travels making it possible for it to be in all places at once, making the Mind the, "One."  

George Lucas' idea of the, "Force" from, "Star Wars" becomes more real manipulating the, "One Mind".  

Years ago there was a study done by NASA about Gravity's effects on Time.  In short, two atomic clocks were set at the same time, one was sent into orbit with a rocket and one was left at ground zero.  When the orbiting clock was retrieved and the clocks were compared the times were off by a matter of microseconds.  Sounds small, but this was huge as it proved that time is the product of gravitational forces and distances in space.  This proved part of Einstein's Theory of Relativity and the beginning of a new theory dealing with Gravitational manipulation of time.  Time travel may be possible.

If we return to George Lucas and the, "Force".  The force of gravity, and the electromagnetic force infinitely unified as the One Mind, then we should be able to manipulate time and time travel with our own intent, awareness, our Mind.  

Peace and Balance,

John  

Ideas

 Ideas are fleeting.  They come, they go and when one reaches a certain age holding on to an idea can become a competitive event.  Some ideas have grown to become some of the neater stuff that we have in our world such as the telephone, electric lights, stereophonic sound, one of my personal favorites, and the roasted chicken.  

Chicken is Gods proof that she loves us.  Chickens are relatively easy to catch, they don't know what's about to happen, and they are naturally the tastiest morsel on two boney legs.  This is an example of a perfect cosmic idea.  See how that works?

However, God in her infinite wisdom didn't create the Multiverse without a sense of humor.  So, when we get to that certain age, let the games begin.  If you've forgotten what I'm writing about you possibly have come to that point in your life so I refer you to the top of the page.  Read as many times as it take to retain the information then go beyond this paragraph.

To hold onto fleeting ideas it may be a good idea to carry a small hand held recording device to keep a record as they come into your fold for later consumption.  This recorded information has the benefit of staying in original context and gives the thinker the opportunity to relook at such craziness in order to re-imagine the idea or to trash it altogether.  Either choice may be a goodly one. 

Sometimes you might have an idea so impressive that forgetting it to age or some other genetic abnormality is virtually impossible.  These are the ideas that can potentially change the world.  It's at these points when humankind may be at the cusp of evolution, and  gain the attention and favor of our ever present Goddess, the creator of our existence.  If she grants the idea maker an audience, the non dying type, then the world may have some cool stuff to play with for a period of time.  I mention Steve Jobs as an example.  His ideas are still growing and giving humanity the happies years after his Personal meeting with the Goddess.  She must have liked him a lot as she hasn't given him back.  

So, my advise to you the reader, the thinker, and possibly idea maker.  Record, protect, and try stuff out because you never know just how rich it might make you.

Peace and Balance,

John

Our Mad Stories

 Rothegar called Grendal to him from his Hubris.  Rothegar had forgotten the old ways and was partying it up at the expense of his people.  Yet he refused to accept the Christ as a representation of the one God. He was worshiping the Earth mother in ways she was not proud of.  

The Earth Mother sent her message in the guise of the beast Grendal.  The son of Chaos, and his Mother was the only creature Grendal was afraid of.  From the bowels of the Earth rose a dark Dragon that appeared as half human half beast, with breath so fowl all would die before it, and eyes so dark that all light would be sucked out of existence by them.  This was Grendal's mother, the Beast of the Earth Mother. 

Beowulf, or Bov,i' as he was classically called, was a hero from a neighboring land north of Rothegar's kingdom.  Bov,i's people were a warrior race that traveled in search of great adventure and personal conquest.  The son of a King, Bov,i' was given the gift of a present mind and powerful body by the gods of order.  

We have Grendal who was created from chaos, and Bov,i' who represented order facing off at the end of the epic poem, "Beowulf" which Bov,i' and Grendal both made their presences known to the world longer ago than written memory.  It is the product of a verbal tail passed down from generation to generation from a time we have long forgotten.  

Many of our classical stories have made their ways into our collective unconscious in the same manner as verbal tales from times that we have forgotten.  These stories include, but are not limited to, the Arthurian tales, Merlin and his epic story, don Quixote Dela Mancha, and strange as it may sound, the several versions of the Holy Bible, Hebron version, Christian version, and Islamic version.  Kinda makes you wonder doesn't it.  

There is a prevailing similarity to each of these stories, they all start with a woman.  The main character of each story had a dubious flirtation with and often marriage to the female counterpart of that story.  Making a holistic completeness, In Ro, Yin Yang, Earth Sky, Male Female, the wholeness of being. 

Magdalena had Jesus, Freia had Beowulf, Dulciana had Don Quixote, Salama had Mohamoud. Guinevere had Arthur, and Nimuea had Merlin.  The downfall of all people.  Human kind and their collective madness.

Peace and Balance,

John

 

Missing Time

 Occasionally, not as often as It used to happen, but occasionally I suffer from a malady called, "Missing Time."  For instance yesterday Mona and I visited the medical community for what should have been a short 30 minute talk.  We left the house at about 11:20 AM, the appointment was for 11:30.  Only being a couple minutes around the corner from the appropriate office we arrived in plenty of time for the meeting.  The appointment went off without a hitch and we left the place about 30 minutes later and came home.  That would have made it around noon to 12:10.  I got Mona situated and went to the store for a few essentials.  That process was a short one, I don't like the shopping experience my anti social nature tends to prevail and I came home at about 1:30 ish.  We had a short talk, which involves some poking fun at each other and other folks.  She wanted to play in her books and I decided to send a text inviting my two compadres Ray, and Michael over for Weekly holy beans.  Then I suddenly noticed it was 3 o'clock.  We lost about 90 minutes of time.  Poof, gone just like that.  

Missing time has plagued me for most of my life.  I have had spells where entire days have disappeared without a trace.  I discovered early on that trying to find lost time is much like looking for air.  You know it's there, but can't see it.  Unless your in the LA area.  But, that's a whole other universe.  

More than just a few years ago, I had an appointment with a student in my office on Main Street.  I got up early and had some breakfast and decided to take a bath, we didn't have a shower, our apartment was in a house that was a tad over 100 years old and the plumbing was not exactly up to date.  I was soaking and decided to go through a short meditation while in the hot water.  Always a relaxing process.  I came out of my meditation and noticed a message on my answering machine, one of those old types that use tape to record the messages.  At that time that's all that was available.  The message informed me that I had missed my appointment with the student by a little more than four hours.  Shhhhsh.  Missing time.  

Lapses like this one have plagued me since I was a grasshopper.  An explanation may be in a later blog.  When it makes sense to me.  

Peace and Balance,

John

Changes in Language

 

As an Educator I am expected to use certain verbiage to explain, teach, and quantify my class and the material that I present to my students.  This language has been undergoing a constant change since I've been teaching, and I'm sure way before I thought about the profession.  

Language changes with the generations.  Each group of young people that come to the table collectively has it's own take on talk.  The closer a generation is to the one or ones before it determines the understanding levels of the generation before it, and so forth.  Generation gaps are more noticeable between the generations of young people and their parents, grandparents, and the older generations before them.  The closer a generation is to the level of the young people making a language change the better the understanding.  

There are many reasons for changing language other than a natural change in which the youth use their words.  For instance language changes can happen professionally if there is a majority of youth moving the language in a certain direction depending on factors that have to do with emotional, sexual, and mental health awareness, to name but a few.  

When I first started teaching we used to give Tests, and Quizzes.  We no longer give tests or quizzes, we now give Assessments of different levels of importance.  Major assessments are given when we want to, "test" the retention levels of our students material, and minor assessments are given when we want to give the a quick check or, "quiz".  

I'm not generally a warm and fuzzy type of individual.  I'm not really a hugger, I don't like people questioning my personal stuff, and if you stand to close and invade my personal space you'll notice a certain type of tension in the air and possibly hear and almost inaudible growl.  This is true of most males of my generation.  This is the way we were made and raised.  We are the predators of our people.  So, when someone suggests that I or we use different language because we are hurting the sensibilities of another generation, that gets my dander up.   Dander is one of those words we old guys use for irks.  

The word Assessment rather than Test or Quiz came about because one of the younger generations made claims to test anxiety and stress due to the pressures of the word TEST.  Eeeek.  Ok, I get it, so I tolerate such things and move on training myself to use the, "New" verbiage.  

The older I get the more concessions I find myself making due to the change in language at the hands of wet behind the ears kids.  Ok, I'm grouchy, but come on how can a writer write when the words he is writing are no longer meaning what they mean?  Stop the presses.  Time to find a cabin in the woods.  

Peace and Balance,

John

What is Qi?

I start with, "Breath in the nose, Breath out the mouth."  Then I'll work into, "Relax and make your Breath going out longer than your Breath coming in."  We'll play with that game for awhile and I'll suggest that slowly moving the arms and hands up and down might be a good way to experience something special.  At this point my students usually give me a little bit of a sideways look, most fearing to ask, "What's special mean?"

I have a few guys I try things out on before I indulge John Q. Public with the things I'm trying out on my few guys.  The Special is one of those things.  At this point the reader is going to blurt out, possibly, at the screen, "John, dude, what the hell are you talking about?"  

The Special is Qi pronounced Chi.  What is Qi?  Classically Qi is an expression that represents Breath.  We breath it in, we breath it out every few seconds of every day.   For this reason Qi has been referred to as the "Life Force."  It's simple, if you don't breath, you don't live, "Life Force." Get it?  

So, now we've traveled from a term that represents Breath, to one that sustains our very living processes.  But, that's not all.  Qi is also a word that expresses the flow of electrons from one place to another. "Holy Shnikies John, what the hell are you getting at now?"  I can hear your minds reeling.

What is the term for flowing electrons?  Electricity.  Electrons flowing from one place to another are all around us every day.  We've harnessed this power a long time ago and wrapped it in cloth and plastic as the electrons flow along a wire made of a conductive material.  This amazing power, and it is amazing if you put your head to it, is the energy in our electric wires feeding all of our toys and gadgets.  And, we are becoming more, and more reliant on it every day, physical Qi.

Let us summarize for a moment; Qi, we breath it in and out, sustains our lives, and flows through the wires of our things to give us pleasure and a happy living experience.  Yep, so far that's it. 

Technology is a fascinating concept.  We, through the power of our minds, the juice flowing from our brains can change the way we look at the world.  Today we have the ability to throw those electrons from one location to another without wires.  We have the ability to charge, control, and energize our toys at a distance through the air.  Oh my god, what's next.  Now, Qi is a flowing force of moving electrons that travels from a power source through the air to a receiver that uses those electrons to power it up.  The electricity is airborne.  We've created directed power technology, Qi.  "John, stop your giving us a headache."  I can tell what your thinking.  

Ok so here it is, So far;  Qi, we Breath it in and Breath it out giving us our source of life force, Qi moves from one place to another through our created wires a flow of electrons lighting up our lives, Qi and directed energy source flying around through the air giving our technology the juice it needs to thrive.  Yep, that's about it, but I'm not done yet.

Now we're at the Jedi factor.  In our crazy technical multiverse we have created the ability to mentally guide that flow of Qi, electrons, from one point to another by thinking about it.  We now have the ability to control computer screens, toys, medical equipment,  and other cool stuff with our minds.  There have been studies and experiments done at virtually every Ivy league school in the country and the findings are conclusive, human beings can control our environment with our minds, Qi.  Oh my God the electrons are now the energy flowing from the Brain.  What comes next? John Stop.

Yes, now we're back to the beginning, something the ancient Chinese knew millennia ago.  Qi, Breath in Breath out, the Life force.  Becomes Qi, the electricity flowing through our wires, which in turn becomes the Qi, wireless technology that runs our toys through the air, then we have Qi, the power directed from your mind to the toys and gadgets we use every day, back to, Breath in, Breath out, and live a good life.

Peace and Balance, 

John   

The Blank Page

 

Sometimes you sit in front of your laptop, and or typewriter, I'm old enough to remember those things, and stare at a blank page for what seems to be an eternity.  No words come, no thoughts formed, nothing happens that gives you that first jolt of inspiration to complete a sentence.  The page remains blank and mocks you as if it were a self important know it all that has your number.

For a brief moment your mind goes into disrepair and a mild panic sets in.  "Is this it, is that all there is?" You think, "Have I wrote my last quip, am I tapped out?"  All these thoughts for a writer are terrifying.  The blank page represents a beginning, it's not supposed to be an ending, yet there it is staring back at you with that smugness that is so, so repulsive.

I will rise from my chair at this point and retreat to my personal council, the coffee maker.  I will plop in a pod, yes I've graduated to the great Keurig gods in the sky for my holy bean, convenience and accessibility are the name of that game, and I will ponder the holy drink and smell it's aroma, and taste the bitter taste of the adult.  Clear headed I will return to the page.

Nothing happens, it is still blank.  The coffee gods have failed me.  Time for the greater inspiration of the Outdoor excursion, a walk in the yard is always good for inspirational fuel.  

Nothing, Damn.  So I stare, and stare, and stare, and...snore.  It seems looking at a blank page long enough causes the brain to go into shut down mode and sleep.  I reanimate and take a sip of my now cold coffee.  Not as satisfying, but still holy.  

I look at the clock, my brain says, "Look man, you've got to get up in the morning to do the "work thing", maybe you should go to bed and think about this in the morning."  I complied.  Hence no blog yesterday.

In the AM, after I do my morning stuff, which includes more of the holy bean, I eventually find myself sitting behind the tapping keys of my laptop.  Suddenly out of the myst comes my inspiration and I laugh out loud at the absurdity of my surrendering and begin typing, "Sometimes you sit in front of your laptop and or typewriter...and stare at a blank page for an eternity..."

Peace and Balance,

John

The 10th Round

 

There is a point at which all things seem surreal.  This point is painted in the mind, it comes from the breath, and can be found on the ceiling of the arena that pairs of warriors prove themselves to each other, a crowd of watchers, and a world of fans who scream names in unison, chanting rhythmically while one of the combatants shows signs of dying before the crowd.  

Well into this point the atmosphere gets thick.  It becomes warm and viscous, it becomes physical air like breathing liquid. You've become a fish out of water.  

The mind reals.  Only thoughts of survival come in.  And out of the mind comes a primordial scream. One so Loud that it can't be heard, but the stars and planets move with it.  For a moment fear grips the mind, but training stops them from cringing and keeps them on moving feet. Then the sound of a whirlwind comes and takes them away. 

A blinding fire pierces the eyes.  Pain so great that breathing is impossible, but has to be done.  Don't stop moving, don't stop moving, strike back once more and win.  

Grab, hold on tight, squeeze, don't let go.  Is that a tap?  I felt something, don't let go...

All is Black, wait he's holding up my arm.

Peace and Balance,

John

Kings of Jerusalem

 

Baldwin IV the Great King of Jerusalem had a Great Enemy, and Great Friend in Saladin the King of Syria.  It was agreed that Jerusalem would be a place of worship for both Muslim, and Christian during this the last Crusade.  Baldwin had a personal army in the Order of Saint Lazarus, a military order of priest knights that are often confused with Templars.  These holy knights took an oath only to the King of Jerusalem himself.  They were the army of Jerusalem.  

Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi known as Great Saladin, was the founder of the Ayyubid Dynasty, was a Kurdish King and the first Sultan of both Egypt and Syria.  During his reign it can be said that he commanded the greatest army in the known world.  

Saladin lived under the impression that he was working through and for the hand of Allah.  He eventually attacked and took Jerusalem back from the Romanized Catholics after the death of Baldwin.  His intent was to cleanse Jerusalem of the evil that had taken hold of the city, not to conquer a city in his name.  But to protect it's people in the name of Allah.  He was upholding Baldwin of Jerusalem's wishes.  

Like Baldwin, Saladin had enemies within his own camp, he was quicker to respond and quelch any rebellion that would rise against him before it was started.  It can also be stated that he had a larger force of followers.  It seems Christianity from it's inception always had political difficulties from within it's own state.  A malady that would make holding onto Jerusalem eventually impossible.  

Saladin, and Baldwin were Great friends, Brothers of Spirit, and Great Enemies and at the end of Baldwin the Lepers life, the Great Saladin stepped in to uphold his Brother's final wishes, to protect Jerusalem for the people.  

Peace and Balance,

John 

Tryptophan Hangover

 As a rule, I don't drink.  Not that I'm not against having a frothy adult beverage socially, however through the wisdom that comes with age and some past experiences where universal forces have taken over and spun me in directions that aren't altogether happy, I am what we can classically coin as a Coffee Totaler.  

That being said, there is a ramification to the over indulgence in a full course Turkey dinner.  That force started early this morning as I began waking.  It made me reclose my eyes and go back to sleep in hopes I was just having a bad dream.  I woke a little later, it wasn't a dream.  My head was pounding, my eyes were teary, I had that whooshing sound in my ears that made it hard to concentrate, I was in the throws of a full blown Turkey Hang Over.  

I saw in the morning ABC news that claims it isn't the Tryptophan in the Dead Bird that gives us the sleepies, and or other symptoms of self indulgence, it's the eating to much thing that creates the agony, the pain.  I disagree.

The pain in my brain feels very much like a chemical implosion.   It sits with the memory of past badness's I've experienced in the past due to other types of to much.  But no, it is the Food.  So I looked it up and I found out that Tryptophan is used to calm the aggressive behavior of quarrelsome individuals.  It is used in conjunction with certain antipsychotics to calm the behavior of rowdy psych patience.  It makes the individual sleepy and less aggressive.  hmmm. 

Ok, the ABC news people are smart, they research, they understand things, but why and how did they pass this one up.  It didn't take me more that one search to find the information.  Is there a Thanksgiving conspiracy in the works?  Are the majority using this kind of meal as a way to manipulate the masses?  No, it couldn't be.  

Although I really don't believe that, my brain hurts.  So, I've taken an Excedrin Migraine pill and turned the lights down low.  Maybe the meal will pass.  

Peace and Balance,

John  

The After Party.

We indulge, we share stories, we make up lies, and musically share them at the table.  Children giggle, and old men holler, "Someone stop that dog!" Then a rule about dropping a piece of bird on the floor is made up.  How many seconds was that again?  

Like a Roman army food is ate, and ate again in hopes that there will be a second piece of pumpkin pie.  On the screen, big in some houses not so big in others, the national game is playing to the occasional hoots and hollers of fans pandering from the arms of couches all over the country.  The only disturbances to these subtle peace's are the occasional snores of sleeping grandfathers and chuckles of grandmothers.  "Score." is heard on the distance, "I have five bucks on that game." Then the wind blows in silence.  

Later, after a third piece of pie, an old Doris Day movie can be watched on TCM.  Laughter, and music followed by children crying about going to bed, "There's no school tomorrow, Mom."  

Finely she says, "I said to bed!"  The final word.

Finely the dishes are put up, the food is wrapped, and one last piece of pie. The evening is yawning, and the tired comes.  

I hope all Had a good, good day.

Peace and Balance,

John 

Happy Dead Bird Day

 

Tomorrow is the national Holiday that we give thanks to the Dead Bird.  The Dead Bird is a large indigenous creature that was grown and fostered on this continent many moons ago by rather large forces from the nether realms of Lunch Box.  Lunch Box is a secret plain where all holiday food is stored by the government until it can be released to the general public through the attribution and price fixing of the Walmart Giant.  Only those with the Top Ultra Magnetic Security Clearances have access to such knowledge. 

Lunch Box includes Large Dead Bird, Mashed and Smashed Potatoes, usually delegated to the space program, Yams, the code name of the other Potato, Corn, an ancient fuel source, a Frothy Adult Beverage, this keeps Uncle Lenny at Bay, and the pride of the day, Pumpkin Pie, just because topped with an adulterous amount of whipped cream.

Lunch Box has been used to monitor the Holiday in our neighbor Canada as a cultural exchange and a First Nations Power Up.  So far the First Nations have held back the urge to take over Canada, but have decided that the gig is pretty ok up there.  Then there's the rumor about the United States, shhhh.

Dead Bird Day began as Thanksgiving, but the name was unofficially changed by those that realize that being thankful for 500 years of occupation is a waste of time and energies, there is always that Canadian rumor.  You never know. 

So, until then when we can truly Say Happy Thanksgiving, I say to you, Have a Swell Dead Bird Day, and don't over indulge in Pumpkin Pie, the power can be explosive.

Peace and Balance,

John

Crash Test Dummies In Space.

 

I never thought I'd see the day we'd have Crash Test Dummies in space, but on the morning news I saw that we just launched the New Orion Space craft to the moon with a complete 3 dummy crew aboard.  The Orion is flying 8 miles off the surface of the moon taking pretty little snap shots of a completely barren gray scale  lumpy surface.  No green cheese to be had, just lots of gray rock and dust scattered amongst the plethora of impact crater distributed there approximately 4.5 billion years ago.  Isn't that exciting?

I wonder what a Crash Test Dummy thinks as he is floating by our closest neighbor?  Not a damn thing, Crash Test Dummies don't think, they're dead.  I bet you thought I was going to personify them and give them a personality, No not today I'm grouchy.

The Orion Space Craft was launched late from the pad at Cap Canaveral due to the hurricane that blew by causing unrest in the neighboring areas.  The Orion Space Craft has about 12 times the thrust as the Saturn 5 Space Craft, the past largest rocket ever flown.  Given the right amount of fuel, the Orion can be equipped to send a mission to Mars, and possibly beyond.  "To Infinity and Beyond," Buzz Light Year would say.

The Orion is meant to be a people carrier.  It will eventually have a live presumably thinking crew who will be able to look out and marvel at the big nothing of space.  We are going to send more men to the Moon.  It's not an "If" anymore, just a when.  The Orion is the next generation of NASA's new space craft that has at least 80% classified tech on board.  Kinda makes you wonder just what they are actually doing?  But, I don't want to go down that Rabbit Hole, as conspiracy theories give me a headache.  We can't have that now can we?

Think of the power of 12 times more thrust than a Saturn 5.  That is mind boggling.  That also means the space craft lifts off and gets into the vacuum a lot faster than previously.  Maybe that keeps the aliens away?  Who knows.

Any who, Crash Test Dummies in Space, sounds like a B rated Sci Fi movie, where's Ed Wood when you need him?

Peace and Balance,

John 

The Re-explanation.

 If you read the last post you will notice that it reads much like a dusty dry textbook.  That's what happens when I write about things using my logical mind, (Gnos) I get dusty.  So, I will attempt to explain that mundane tired explanation of natural forces using words that I can understand myself.  If I understand a thing, chances are you're going to understand a thing.  

In the beginning of all things that is an energy.  This energy goes through a process of change before we get to a point that can classically be called the Beginning.  The energy changes from Nothingness, to somethingness with a period of utter Chaos in the middle.  This chaos it the nothingness collecting into the Somethingness.  The Chaos swirls, explodes, expands and contracts, blows in and out greater than any hurricane, then finely compacts and quiets into the Something.  That is the beginning, before that we don't count because, just because.  

This something compacts smaller and smaller until it is at the point of a microcosm.  Then there is a short burst of energy.  This energy became self aware, and at the point of self awareness knew all things that was to know and expanded instantly to the rest of the universe.  We'll call this the Big Boom.  I'd call it the Big Bang, but some of you might take that wrong and I'd be stuck explaining the nature of things and we haven't gotten to birds  and bees yet.  

Anywho, the Big Boom happened and all of creation was born in a relative instant.  That was between 13 trillion and 16 trillion years ago on our mundane calendar.  After all there really is no time.  

Ok, I'm going to skip ahead a few trillion years to the birth of humankind.  As we developed the original process of the I Am, that's the self aware thing waking up, took shape into a dusty critter we will call people.  And in this critter a thought was formed with an intention, we will call this the mind, or (Gnos). Greek for Mind.  Gnostic means, the study of the Mind.  Get it?  

Our minds started exploring and we personified all of the creation around us.  We gave human attributes to the forces of nature, our first angels.  We gave human thought to the animals around us.  The Sephia or Animal mind. Sephia can also be translated as Sophia the spirit.  We split our thoughts between our imagination and physical reality.  The God, and Goddess were born and from them all other things are created.  Because this is how we related to our universal creation, now we're back the the birds and bees.  They do exist at this point, but I'm not going to explain things to you that you'll eventually figure out on your own.  

Because we think complicated things, our God families get very complicated.  However, let's backtrack to the beginning.  We all, everything that exists comes from the Aeon (the One)  That is We are all, God.

Peace and Balance,

John