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

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

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