Raining Birds and Bobbing Fish

Recently we’ve had a rash of die offs here in America. Birds falling from the skies in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana, Blotted floating fishes by the thousands not more than thirty minutes from the birds, what the heck is going on in Arkansas?


I’ve read and heard theories from Armageddon to over enthusiastic fireworks entertainers, are they serious? If you’re religious bent leads you to the former explanation then maybe you should be looking for more signs and stocking up on extra food, water, and places to hide. If you believe that more that four thousand birds can be killed spontaneously from booming fireworks due to stress and fear, then go back to school and study science.

It interests me that a few days later we here in the good ole US of A learn that the same anomaly happened in Europe. I wonder if I shouldn’t be stocking up on clean undies and cans of soup?

Whatever may be the cause of the dropping avian and the floating fish I do think we should be paying very close attention and not believing everything our uncle Sam driven media has been reporting and speculating. Keep your wits about you and open your mind.

Peace and Balance,
John

Infinite Wisdom

From time to time there arise such problems that take periods of the infinite to solve. Such a problem was the writing of this blog. Now and Zen has been put on hold three separate times in the past due to computer problems, hopefully this will be the last.

I am back to writing and am hopeful that you the reader will again enjoy my jest, Zen like attitudes, and my oft center approach to reality. Wisdom comes from experience, and wisdom comes from age. When the two, experience and age meet, we have wisdom, or what can be passed off as such. The rest is BS.

Enjoy what will come, should be fun.

Peace and Balance,

John

The Evil Of Computers

Hello Readers,

I have been having troubles with the evil machine that links me to the cyber world, my laptop.  It has gone and decided that having it's own mind and taking control of it's internal process without guidence is the thing.  That is, I'm having troubles keeping the wireless card from shuting down and keeping me connected.

That being said I appologize once again for being delinquent in my writing.  The problem is being worked on and will be solved shortly, thank you for being so patient. 

Peace and Balance,
John

Are We Romans?

I’m an old fashioned martial artist. I teach old-fashioned ethics and fighting principles. My students leave me with a sense of right, wrong, and that gray area in-between.


I’m old enough to have started teaching before this American upsurge of the UFC and MMA, which is the United Fighting Challenge, and Mixed Martial Arts, now shown across our country on television. What I’m seeing worries me. It’s not Boxing and it’s not Wrestling, and it’s not Karate or Te Kwan Do, and it’s definitely not Wu Shu, (Kung Fu). It is a mix of everything out there and it is brutal.

Now I must say that fighting is brutal regardless of the process, but two individuals engaged in mortal combat aren’t usually shown on prime time TV. I say I’m old fashioned, I am a boxing fan and a wrestling fan etc. I am not a MMA fan.

It has been recently brought to public attention that young teens in the state of Maine have been caught performing their own UFC type competitions. The authorities are looking into banning such practices in Maine. These young fellows are on You Tube.

There is a certain philosophy that needs to be experience before I will consider a person a warrior. This philosophy creates gentle men and women with a degree of respect for each other and humanity. What’s next, a hungry lion?

Peace and Balance,
John

More Wood

I officially started my own wood-burning season yesterday. As my friend, Six Bears mentioned this is the season of burning crap wood. I however burn crap wood all year because that’s what I’ve got. Although to my delight I found out that at least part of my pile of wood is good seasoned fire wood that’s been sitting in my yard for a couple of years. It had time to season just a tad wet because of recent rains.

Some of my friends use gas power wood splitters and real big chain saws to deal with their wood. I use a 3 horse electric saw and a manual wood splitter. A manual wood splitter is cool; it consists of a stump and an axe. The engine that drives this one runs on coffee and hot dogs. Fortunately the engine eats enough hot dogs to keep the bun and dog balance going.

I have to admit that it’s been a couple of years that I actually burned wood on the regular. Due to a situation I’ve gotten my self in with one of the local oil companies I’m forced to buy diesel fuel ten gallons at a shot and dump it in my oil tank. That works for now, but will get expensive if I don’t solve the other problem. It sucks being poor.

So Six Bears, when we go find wood, and I’m going to need more, lets find the real good kind. :o)

Peace and Balance,
John

Hot Dog Buns

A conversation with a friend at work made be start thinking about hot dog buns. He asked me why hot dogs are packaged in dogs of ten and hot dog buns are packaged in buns of eight. I didn’t have a good answer. He even googled for an answer and come up with nothing concrete. Here are a couple of the Internet reasons. Standard hot dogs are packaged by the pound, and a pound of hot dogs makes ten regular sized dogs. Ok, that sounds reasonable. Bakers like even numbers, so the buns are packaged in pieces of six, eight, or twelve to make a dozen. I don’t buy that one as well because the standard bakers dozen is thirteen.


I began thinking about this dilemma and here’s what I came up with. There is a kabala afoot regarding hot dogs and buns that reflects the business practices of many or most of the large corporate monsters of America. Even numbers backed up by odd numbers that force us, the regular folk to spend more of our hard earned cash. Oscar Mayer has determined that the average fellow needs ten dogs to fill eight buns. So, we go out and buy more buns for the dogs and extra dogs for the buns and so on and so forth… In order for us to even out this mathematical dilemma we need to buy four packages of dogs to make forty dogs and five packages of buns to make forty buns. That means we need spend extra cash for a nice even number of the Great American Hot Dog. Hey, I think I’ve uncovered something here… Now where’s my apple pie, and who’s playing in the World Series?

Peace and Balance,
John

Language So Foul

I am a listener. I listen to words. I listen to how they’re spoken, the syntax, the verbiage, and the power behind them. Because I am a listener I often hear words used in ways that may not be the most useful or profound. I often hear words that I do not use myself, the kinds of words that embarrass me and or anger me.


I raised my children to respect their usage of language, and to respect the individuals within earshot of their speaking. They would never use foul language in front of the adults in the family, nor did they speak with each other that way. What they said to friends and other like aged folk I don’t know, but I am sure it was good old fashioned speak.

As I said, I am a listener. While listening to other’s children I often hear language that insults my ears and leaves me wondering if they really understand the meaning of what is being said. I have my doubts.

Words have power, what we say we attract to us. If we affront other’s with our language that sort of energy will affront us. What we say also influences what and how we think. Words have power. My question is, “Do we let words have power over us, or do we exercise power over words?” Interesting… Practice, listen, and then speak…

Peace and Balance,
John

The Mentor

Many years ago I had an older friend that inspired me to do better things. I would say he was like a father figure to me, but he was more a teacher than a father. My teacher became more than that the longer I knew him and the better he knew me. This was when he became my Mentor.


A Mentor is a person that points you in a direction given some choices and allows you to make your choice on how to move in the direction you’ve chosen. Often you fall back after realizing your choice sucked. The Mentor, in my experience, would laugh at you, kick you in the butt, and say, “Ok, now what?”

This friend of mine was a most wonderful teacher who was a superior student that taught by example, my personal teaching philosophy coming out here. He was the philosophical leader and consummate warrior that kept me moving forward and learning.

We all have elders in our space that push us, but we don’t all have a Mentor. I feel privileged to have had such an experience. May you all find your Mentor.

Now, here’s how you go about it. Get up real early in the morning, go to a mirror, and look deep into your own eyes. When you find them again you’ve found your Mentor. Think about it…

Peace and Balance,
John

Sometimes It Just Has To Happen

Sometimes it happens, your wandering the cosmos of your thought processes when you swear you can hear the familiar sound of an old metal fan pinging with the sound of something hitting it hard. This is usually the first warning sign that something has gone afoul. If your instincts are tuned fine enough you might even feel dizzy or become slightly nauseated. Your ears might buzz and your head may burn, some how you know something is wrong in the world.


Now think, have you ever suddenly known that it was about to swing wrong in your direction? Has your dejavu instinct gone off, your spidey sense tingle? I think maybe so. The problem is that most of us tend to ignore the tinglings and the sounds of that rusty old fan, usually to our dismay.

We are human beings and within us is hidden the secret “humane” being that sends us these signals hoping we will learn to listen, and most often we do not. We all are born with this survival instinct in tacked and we, or most of us, have it squished by other nerdowells as we grow.

Learn to listen to that instinct, become the spider man for a moment and recognize the sounds of your personal fan before it is struck with a foul odor. If you’re wrong you’ll get over it. If you’re right, then you’ve averted a potential stinky situation.

Think about what I’ve just written, and remember, “I told you so.”

Peace and Balance,
John

Intelligence

Recently I was reminded of a few tests given to teenagers to determine their learning process, abilities, and styles. These tests to inform the taker of his or her ability to go further down the road of academia are taken to fulfill a requirement each high school student in the US has to graduate, a portfolio of learning.


Intelligence to me has always been the product of learning and experience, not the product of a test taken to discover said intelligence. I’m wondering if we live in an environment that teaches us the skill of survival are those skills considered intelligence? In my opinion, of course yes, any skill learnt through doing teaches us an amount of intelligence.

Some would tell us that intelligence is the measure of potential to learn and not the subject learnt. I say it is both, the subject or experience and the learners potential.

When I was young my father, an educator of some substantial regard, never would allow me to be given an IQ test. I have since taken one myself for curiosity sake, but will never divulge said numbers. My learning styles are also lost to the round receptacle in the corner. Is it possible that our society places to much importance on fabricated norms of the majority? Hmmmm, I wonder…

Peace and Balance,
John

Blogging

Blogging is an art, an art that is often forgotten. We intend to write, and time passes by. We intend some more, and time passes by. Before you know it time has swept us away into the distant void and blogging is forgotten to the past.

Awaking can be an interesting event. We visit the blog and notice the last entry to be very early July of this year. That is almost six months ago. Time indeed has done it’s playing upon our interest and the blog has suffered. To my readers I apologize for forgetting and having been caught up in the wave of time. The blackness had dragged me with it singing it’s song lulling my writing to sleep. I am now awake, Vanwinkle remembering the past. I will use the past as a tool to write to you, the reader.

As a writer it is my responsibility to entertain and inform, to keep your interest and to maintain the writing process. That, which has suffered these many months, Now and Zen, I will endeavor to write and keep the promises of the past to your eyes and interests.

So to you the reader I apologize again and hope that you will continue to read and enjoy what you see, possibly even learn something on the way.

Peace and Balance,

John

The Love of Liberty

Independence Day is upon us. Our fair country is no longer a teenager and is reaching into the memories of the gods. We have been in existence as a country for roughly 234 years counting from 1776. Our fame to claim is our love of Freedom. We will do anything to preserve it and maintain it. We will even go abroad to ensure our freedom here at home, sometimes prematurely, but that is another story.


A few years back there was an obscure Sci-Fi movie about the preserving of our independence and the freedom of the world. It was called Independence Day, staring Will Smith, Harry Conic Jr., Jeff Goldblum, and Brent Spiner from Star Trek. This was an excellent example of our willingness to go all the way in order to protect our Liberty by killing all the aliens. Now isn’t that American?

I had an interesting conversation with a co-worker after he expressed his opinion about preserving our American Liberties. His opinion is that we should run all illegal aliens out of the country and imprison those that will not conform to the American way. I sat and listened intently for a short, very short, period of time. I then smiled at him, pulled the brim of my hat down, the one that reads “Crow Agency” on it, and asked him when he and his kind where going to leave the country. He looked startled and asked me what I meant. I said that depending how far back we take the conversation all the white folks that wander the countryside should go back to their European shores. He was taken aback and I laughed.

You see we folks of Native blood tend to take things very literally and have a great Love of Liberty. Freedom comes with a price, Liberty has it’s scares, and our shores have been bathed in blood. The love of Liberty isn’t just an ideal, it is a way of life, it is a path toward independence and peace, a way to forgive and accept all children born on this land for the past 1000 years. We are all Americans, every mother one of us. The sacred wheel has all the colors of man on it, now deal…

Happy Independence Day.

Peace and Balance,
John

Your Average Cannibal

Yesterday’s blog got me thinking about cannibalism. In general it’s a practice to avoid, but there have been times in history when the practice has arisen out of necessity. I’m thinking of the Donner party way back when and various other examples of extreme need. However, the practice in general has intrigued me almost as much as the zombie phenomena.

Many tribal cultures from various continents have practiced cannibalism as a way to steal their enemy’s power. They would eat the flesh of the vanquished foe to gain their strength and power. If you watch old movies, as Romona and I do, you find many examples of the culinary practice. Abbot and Costello for example had a few run ins with the occasional cannibalistic tribe. There is an old movie staring David Carradine and Eli Wallach, along with a few others, where Eli was standing chest deep in a big pot waiting to be boiled in oil. Now, in the movie there are no other people in the scene the cannibalism is implied.

I wonder what a cannibal will be named, possibly George or Fred, whatever the last victim’s nametag stated. Possibly a tribal name of intrigue such as Leg Bone, or Fingers, hmmm the possibilities are endless.

I have an idea to use Cannibals and Zombies in the same movie or book. The cannibals could be hunting the zombies and the zombies are hunting the cannibals. Just think of it.

Peace and Balance,
John

Zombies

My daughter Kathe and I were discussing zombies when she described a game to me that is played in the mountains of Montana; it’s called Zombie Tag. I’m greatly intrigued by this game, some folks are designated Zombies and the other’s are the people. The people go around and shoot the zombies with nerf guns before they have their brains eaten, great fun.


I always root for the zombie. After all these poor souls have been transformed into a lifeless brain eating, well zombie. They have lost all serious motor control and any thought processes have been taken up by this sudden addiction for human brains, poor bastards. You’d think there would be a twelve step program or something, but alas no.

As for the people, the stupid ones get caught and have their brains eaten. They are stupid because zombies aren’t the quickest monster on the block and usually to get away from one all you need do is walk away at a relatively faster pace that a zombie can walk, which is about a step quicker than a snails pace.

Zombies are some of my favorite monsters and I always cheer for them. So, go zombie go.

Peace and Balance,
John

Wrong Number

A year or so ago we started receiving a wrong number calling in on our phone. Romona was at first irritated, but later decided to strike up a conversation with the caller. This caller repeatedly dialed our number and finely started talking, it was amusing.


Romona began to know this caller by a first name. They would talk and from my perspective, enjoyed the conversation. We even met a relative of this caller at a venue out of town. That was a tad strange, and I even met Ivan the Mad Russian, a wrestler from old. It was cool.

The calls came in so often that Romona finely called back and asked the caller if she needed any assistance. This is when we found out that the caller was indeed an elderly person who enjoyed the conversations just for the sake of it. I even spoke to the caller on one occasion and found our conversation entertaining. Allot can be learned by listening to our elders.

Romona and the caller struck up a phone call friendship that lasted for a little more than a year. Karmic interventions happen when we least expect them or even understand them, they just happen, lessons are learned.

I bring a newspaper home with me from work as often as I am able. Today Romona was reading the paper and gasped and struck me on the shoulder with a muted, “oh my god.” The friend she had made over the phone had passed into the great beyond and was in the obituaries. There are many ways to end things, many ways to finish. The entertaining wrong number will no longer appear on our line. This was the caller’s way of saying, “Good Bye.”

Peace and Balance,
John

Summer Time

The 21st is past and we are officially into the summer season. The days of hot dogs and hamburgers, lemon aid and ice cream, of swimming the backstroke on a float while contemplating the clouds as they float by; the days of summer.


The summer time represents a certain kind of freedom for many a school aged person that longs for the warmth of a lost sun. Here in the North Country the sun stays away for a great portion of the year and we suffer. We suffer the long ravages of winter and the pains only a few short hours of sunlight a day and nine months of snow throw upon us.

So, freedom comes for a short time every year for those who wait. And we celebrate. We celebrate the sun by absorbing it’s rays and wholesome goodness, we become tan and speak of things metaphysical and etheric while we drink our beer. We are sun worshipers for a short time every year. We are all the new children of the sun, the surfers of that great wave, freedom from winter.

Peace and Balance,
John

Mowing the Lawn

I’ve been reading the blog of my friend Ray. He writes about the great art of bartering and sharing. I’m usually a silent participant of the bartering economy, but I’ve come to the realization that my lawn has grown into rain forest proportions. I walk carefully into the yard swearing I can hear the occasional monkey and cockatoo. I even find myself stepping lightly hoping large man eating snakes have taken leave from my forest. The truth is my grass is long enough that I have seen a family of bears, a sow and two cubs, playing and sleeping in the grass comfortable enough that they lounge around. I’ve got to mow the lawn.

The art of bartering for me has taken a rather neat swing. I may have gained a way to mow my forest while riding. Just for the trade of an old pickup in my drive. I find that a good trade. Many years ago a white man traded Manhattan Island for a hand full of beads. The natives in New York thought the poor white fellow might have lost his sense of reality, the island was worthless; it was a good trade.

I am now looking at the prospect of a lawn tractor as a good trade for my little truck. I’m wondering which one of us is holding the beads?

Peace and Balance,
John

Living on the Edge

Occasionally I’ll take a step out to the edge and look beyond the precipice. Out beyond the horizon lies a void that fills the darkness with the unknown things that dwell there. If you listen real hard you’ll be able to hear the growlings and gurgles of the spooky things hidden there in the dark.

As do most I tend to ignore unknown things and place them in a special place where all forgotten thoughts are placed. As it might, other things get caught in that special place and are forgotten. It was brought to my attention, by an unexpected message appearing on my TV screen sent by my satellite server. Apparently I had forgotten to pay last months bill. Upon digging further into the inquiry I discovered that I had forgotten to pay all of my bills for last month, Holy **##!!

Unintentionally I had taken a step out on the precipice and was given a look. I am behind in many bills, the water bill, the phone bill, the electric bill, everything… Not enough money comes in to pay, but we are paying one piece at a time.

This is what happens when you forego one thing to focus on another, the void snatches you up and drags you to the edge. Got a parachute anyone?

Peace and Balance,
John

Healing the Self

We are self-indulgent creatures. We tend to think in one area at a time, as long as it has to do with us. We also complain about aches and pains and other such things when we don’t get our own ways. We are like children crying in the dark for our mommy’s to come and comfort our booboos. Sounds cynical? Yes, but the truth it is.


A long time ago I climbed to the top of a mountain and sat there expecting to gain some sort of enlightenment or such something, I sat there for quite awhile, nothing happened. However, after about four days of no food or water strange things begin to happen… As I arose to go back down the mountain I tripped over a stump and hit my head. Blinded by the pain and dripping goo in my face I had an epiphany. If I stayed there and moaned and groaned I would probably die due to the weakened state I was in.

I stood up and began to walk. At that point I was talking with anything that I perceived a response. That’s everything in sight. You can learn the coolest stuff from a bug.

That day I found out that complaining only gets me a hell of a headache. However, I did learn how to complain a point and make it stick. Bugs complain all the time, that’s what that buzzing sound is.

My advise to you is, if you ever go to the top of a mountain for enlightenment make sure you watch where you put your feet when you decide to leave because self-healing is not painless.

Peace and Balance,
John

I'm Back

It’s been a long hiatus away from the blog world. The world has changed in ways that make the viewer wonder what will survive of it. Things have changed indeed.


I was off in the world of academia finishing a project long ignored to achieve a personal goal, attaining a degree in Science Education. I finished the project and have since walked down the isle of the commencement. The thing about the modern college graduation is they put a few classes into one ceremony and make the degree candidate wait for the conferral of the sheepskin at the appointed time. In other words, I walked the walk, did all that was required of me, and now after donning cap and gown I wait for the paper.

My dear wife, Romona, has been so very patient waiting for me to finish. I do believe that sainthood must be given to those who wait. She is a prime example. Having ignored bills, friends, family, and yes Romona, I now have great penance to pay to save my soul from the inevitable of each ill. Damned I might not be, but darn close enough to smell sulfur rising over the hills.

I didn’t know that Summa Cum Laude meant, “You survived with your britches in tacked.” Now I have to find myself a “real” job to pay the devil his due.

Anyways folks, I’m back, and will try to keep up on my writing as much as possible. I hope I haven’t lost you, but will gain you back through the stroke of pen and that charming whit you all know me by. Gracias…

Peace and Balance,
John