The Book

There is a Book in the works and I want to tell you a few things about the Book

First, I want to focus attention on the Book's illustrator  =   Zoey Stevens.

Zoey is the best artist I know. What are my qualifications for best?  Easy. I like his body of work. I like the way he thinks. I like the way he expresses himself on canvas. I like the way he sees the world. I like the variety of his images.

I have been to Zoey.com many times to stare at his portfolio and let my mind expand around his art. I have been to galleries and seen his art in person. I have been fortunate enough to have been in his home studio. I am 1 of 7 billion and he is 1 of 7 billion and you are 1 of 7 billion and from 1 to 1, I am recommending you take a moment to look at the art at Zoey.com  Let me know what you think.

Back to the Book; a few more things for you to know. The Book title is "ONE of 7 Billion"  Not a big shocker there, but know that this is a Book about the character ONE.  That is the character' name in the Book; ONE.

Of course ONE is 1 of 7 billion, and just like you, ONE is unique. ONE is a composite of the characters and experiences of my life. And the art in the Book is an expression of Zoey's view of life and his interpretation of ONE's story.

I have posted excerpts of drafts of chapter's of the Book on this site without letting on that part of the post was actually a chapter in progress (for example: "It's Very Useful" and "The Trail of a Good Human" from the January archives, in the Menu Bar to the right of the posts on this site).

Today, I am posting an excerpt and telling you it is Chapter 1 in the Book, "ONE of 7 Billion"

Comments and feedback would be much appreciated. My parting shot before posting the Chapter below is please take some time out of your day to look around the art at Zoey.com

Chapter 1  

ONE Laughed

"A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're home." 

Curiosity about touch, the softness of my toy,

The color and movement of the spinning mobile.

Smiles of others staring at me with twinkling eyes.

All were happy and easily entertained by my actions

My giggles, my touch, the cuteness in their voices,

To hold me, and be with me, brought joy to everyone.

As time went by I found more laughter and playfulness,

With others my size who wanted to run, tag, spin, tumble.

We went all day creating games, hopping and skipping.

It was so easy to have time to be and to bond.

Togetherness with friends was given and received;

To be young, to be alive, to be carefree, to breath life.

March Madness

3/26/11 - Rescuers are struggling to reach thousands of survivors in remote areas of Burma after an earthquake tore up roads and reduced hundreds of homes to rubble, leaving 75 people dead .......

But when I turned on the news yesterday the Chris Brown story lingered, I heard for the 50th time we lost the queen of Hollywood Elizabeth "Diamonds" Taylor, your bracket is busted, we have no exit strategy in Libya, the market is advancing despite global economic chaos, and it is raining again in San Diego.

It is this combination of stories, and the inability of the media, and therefore the masses to prioritize and focus on items of importance vs. opportunities for distraction ....... this is truly March Madness.

Locally at my place of work, they are asking everyone to cut hours and use their sick or vacation time to pay themselves so the company can cut costs during a slow down in sales, teachers in California got notices during Spring Break as to who has a job next year and who doesn't, and Los Lakers look like they have turned on the switch and are ready to defend their title. Which of these is important?

There is some good news: superstar athletes are donating some salary to Japan relief efforts, baseball players in Arizona played an Exhibition Game that will benefit victims of the Tucson shootings, and Barry Bonds has 15 lawyers in the courtroom attempting to puncture holes in the Federal Prosecutors attempt to finally corner him and put him in jail for years of steroid use. If OJ got off, you can bet BB is not going to jail for his bloated head ....... I am waiting for the catchy headline akin to "if the glove don't fit you must acquit." How about, "just cause his balls are shrunk, without no pics this case is bunk."

Americans are all over the map, just the way Ronald Reagan wanted it. A brief look at that clown - B grade actor - President, tells you so much of what has happened since his family finally admitted he had Alzheimer's. (Always wondered when the onset of that disease first took hold?). Reagan has become an icon for current conservatives who do not believe in the real values this country was founded upon. You know, the values stated right there on the plaque on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Reagan's "trickle-down economics"—the belief that tax policies that benefit the wealthy will create a "trickle-down" effect to the poor, definitely benefited the wealthy, but ........ his "less-government" intervention views, Reagan cut the budgets of non-military programs, including Medicaid, food stamps, federal education programs, and his administration attempted to purge many people with disabilities from the Social Security disability rolls.

If you weren't there, or don't remember why the Republicans worship him so much, it went something like this. Give people all the personal responsibility; let business owners keep more profits, give everyone credit cards so they can buy what they want with no regulation. They believed "good patriots" will pay back their debit (NOT!) and hold themselves accountable. That did not work the way they planned.

So the lines were crossed by Reagan from Hollywood to the White House and now Americans think Kim Kardashian and Snookie are influential role models. Our leaders are political lifers, doing anything and everything they can to save their job and stay in office. They don't invoke our core values or work to enhance programs that support "original" America's religious freedom and "opportunities for all" ideals. They spout anything that their handlers write for them that is "anti" their opponent.

Most Americans have no clue, personal opinion, original thoughts, or energy for real change, confused and blinded by Fox Noise, bright colored tabloid magazines at the supermarket checkout counter, and even Katie Couric, supposedly carrying the torch handed down by Walter Cronkite, feeds us world events and Charlie Sheen's antics during the same half-hour broadcast.

If you are wondering what the point is of the ramblings of this writer, I have no response. It just bugs the shit out of me and churns my brain all day long. I have to write about it, seek out others who will dialogue about, just to stay sane enough to get a good nights sleep and keep on keeping on. XOQ

Dancing with the Stars

The earthquake off the Japan coast was so strong that the Earth lost 2 seconds that day. You can go somewhere else to read the science of how this occurred, but know that the planet spins on its axis at a certain speed and angle to create what we call 24 hour days.

The sun and the moon are instrumental in influencing our reality, bringing us daybreak, tides, etc. while the spinning and orbit of Earth formulate our concepts of time, calendar, etc. It brings new meaning to Dancing with the Stars when you realize how fragile our existence is and how the forces on/of celestial bodies are toying with us. At any moment this planet can go completely upside down. And if you know the history of predictions for this time and space, we are up against huge changes. Star light star bright ..... are you the last star I'll see?

Cathy came into the store the other day and reminded me that many want to call what is ahead "a shift in consciousness".  Oh Yeh Baby, when we get another jolt or two like the one we had the other day, the survivors of the BIG ONE will be forced to shift their consciousness to survive.

Kristina informed me that our milk is already showing signs of radiation and she is worried about her kids intake of fluids and foods over the next few years. The nuclear meltdown is a reality and even if they contain it at some point the damage that has already occurred will be talked about for a decade. (Just to go on record, I don't think we have more than a year or two before what we consider normal will no longer exist.)

Truth be told, no amount of preparedness is going to help. We have no way of getting our heads around what is ahead. We can't fathom what has happened in Japan, or Haiti, and when I went to Pompeii in the 1980's it was impossible to comprehend what happened at the foot of that mountain. So what is a person to do? What should we focus on? How should we spend our remaining days, weeks, months?

Don't have a clue. I just walk around in a detached daze most of the time, being real in the moment with situations that present themselves, knowing that if I am still breathing when the smoke clears, I can't wait to be one of the Survivors.

Houston, We Have a Problem!

Khadafi was always the craziest of Dictators, wearing fake uniforms adorned with dime store medals; giving rambling, non-sensical speeches under that ridiculous haircut. (Think Harpo Marx)

Am I the only one who wonders how the world in 2011 is so backward, uneducated, hateful; how humans still slaughter other humans? Is it no wonder that Mother Earth can't wait to bury us under a mountain of lava and drown us under oceans of water?

Is the best way to handle Khadafi to pretend France is leading the charge, while our boys in Afghanistan being ambushed, picked off by snipers, and blown to bits by roadside bombs?  How are we deciding which of these countries is more important when we should simply to cut off the head of these snakes? click here for an update about Bin Laden

While this is going on, why do our leaders let the Saudis and Exxon/Mobil manipulate gas prices?

Why must the non-profit Red Cross have the largest humanitarian effort in Japan?

Why did the Japanese Gov't and their biggest Utility claim that things are under control at the latest ground zero?

Houston, we have a problem! W hat the f__ ?

I have to allow myself to realize how confused, untruthful, and misguided humans can be.  I have to allow the thought that we will end up like Atlantis.

How do steer my brain toward something more positive?

Or should I just keep writing and seeking like-minded to people to commiserate with, (Click here to read more about this vision quest) and write these posts as my singular shout out to the Universe.  For now this is the best I have got.

BTW - did you see Sarah Palin sitting in front of reporters in India as the media peppered her with softball questions just hoping she might uncross her legs and give us a Sharon Stone moment? Please shut up and go away, and take John Boehner with you.

Earth Changes

I have been trying to get my head around what has happened recently in Japan and Haiti. It is no coincidence that I recently found myself watching a biography of Edgar Cayce and his predictions. I know about the Mayans prophecies and Nostradames and if you Google 2012 there is plenty more to chew on.

But what is it about the catastrophes and the prophecies that has my mind churning? The sensationalist coverage in an era of ridiculously overdone movies about catastrophe, has most Americans tuning in and out with no connection to the reality and truth of the apocalyptic nature of the death, destruction, and not relating to the threats from nuclear radiation. Ever search to see how many nuclear reactors are near the coastlines and fault lines on the planet?

Who is looking at the big picture? The Earth as a single entity. The facts of the events. The need to plan how to do deal with worst case scenarios. I dwell in the big picture a lot, but it astonishes me how infrequently mainstream America thinks about the big picture. Where is the preparedness? Where is the concern? Where are the decisions to move away from the locations with the highest potential of risk, like fault zones, low lying areas, and high risk fire zones. I never hear about people moving out of "hurricane alley" or Indonesians and Pakistanis moving to higher ground.

Over dinner tonight with Landrus, we passed back forth the thoughts that what is happening is happening, that was is coming is coming and that there is nothing we can do about it. Landrus suggests that his generation is "numb" to the feelings generated by seeing 1,000 bodies washing up on the shore. I on the other hand am stricken by the loss, the overwhelming nature of the reality of the power of the earthquake and the tsunami.

Most Americans are so caught up in work, family, consumption, religion, and/or money that they have little ability to think beyond their own needs, wants, and desires. Consider that if you really cared about the well being and safety of yourself and your loved ones, you would have a preparedness barrel outside your house with water, food, matches, flashlights, blankets, cash (or some other form of barter)  because when this happens near you, and it will, you better be ready to survive.

Never leave you car's gas gauge below half. You may need to drive to a safer location after the big one hits.

White House

My sister called me last weekend and asked me to re-tell the story of the 70's. Wives, houses, jobs, family, Alan, MS, adventures ...... you know, that part of my life.

There was the 1770's era farmhouse in New Hope and the wedding in front of the fireplace. The pot hidden in the tennis ball can, the Princeton University connection, the families divided over 4000 sq ft by "maternal" and "fraternal". (aka Ken and Mario)

You remember the Foolish Fox break-up, the tennis pro, the pool party, the "You've Got a Friend" business cards, and who can forget the night under the stars in Stowe, Vermont.

Fond memories of St. Patrick's Day in NYC at Sammy's flat, Mr. Bing and Mr. McClure, Julia, Motts, Bags, Sandy, and please don't leave out Mrs. Carpenter.

You weren't there? You don't know what I'm talking about? Trust me; not much can top the bag of cash at the Annex, the Super Bowls with Cocanne Marchison, having Lauren in Belle Meade and all the support from friends, The Great Road, new words to Stevie Wonder's Sir Duke and my rabbit "Sneakers" in the attic apartment on Bank St. just around the corner from the offices of the Gallup Poll.

Road trips in the Jaguar with Marguarite, Berkeley visits funded by the family to find out what the hell Stacey is doing, rafting, Richard, did I mention Beeville, TX

Let's see; Tex and Ho were part of the 70's and so was Propane Tech, Ltd., Carlton Street, Glen, Brennan's, Truitt and White, Harbor Freight, Farallones Institute, topless gardening, and Frenchtown.

I can't remember it all cause I found sensimilla before it was cool, Fleetwood Mac, Band on the Run, and David Chapman (oops, he was 1980)


If you got some memories, and have been shy about commenting, tell us about your '70's?  For those of you that were not even a glimmer of hope and realty in the 70's, you missed a great decade.

Thinkers Anonymous

A special thanks to my dear friend Annie Duggan, Vashon Island, WA for sending me this TRUTH.

It started out innocently enough. I began to think, and the more I thunked, I found myself thinking even more. Think, think, think; over coffee, lying awake in the middle of the night, at gatherings of friends. Inevitably, though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a thinker.

I began to think alone, "to relax," I told myself, but I knew it wasn't true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was  thinking all the time.

That was when things began to sour at home.  One evening I turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life.  

She spent that  night at her mother's.

I began to think on the job.  I knew that thinking and employment don't mix, but I couldn't help myself. I began to avoid fellow workers at lunchtime so I could read Thoreau, Confucius, and Kafka.  I would return to the office light headed, self absorbed and asking, "What is it exactly that we are doing here at work?"

One day the boss called me in.  He said, "Listen, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem.  If you don't stop thinking on the job, you'll have to find another job."

That gave me a lot to think about.  I came home early after my conversation with  the boss.  I confessed to my wife, "I've been thinking..."

"I know you've been thinking," she said, her lower lip quivering. "You think as much as college professors and college professors don't make any money, so if you keep on thinking, you won't have any money!"

"That's a faulty syllogism," I said impatiently. She exploded in tears of rage and frustration, but I was in no mood to deal with the emotional drama. "I'm going to the library," I snarled as I stomped out the door.

I headed for the library, for quiet and to be surrounded by the great thinkers and their words. I drove into the  parking lot with NPR on the radio and headed for the big glass doors. They would not open. They were locked. The Library was closed.

My escape to deeper thinking was blocked by those doors and I whimpered, feeling lost and unfilled, and then, by chance, my eye caught sight of a poster that said, “Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?" Do you recognize that line form that poster? 

It is the standard Thinkers  Anonymous poster. That moment is why I am who and what I am today: A Recovering Thinker. To this day, I  believe that a Higher Power was looking out for me that night.

I never miss a Thinkers Anonymous (TA) meeting.  At each meeting we watch a NON-educational video;  Then we share experiences about how  we avoided thinking since the last meeting.

I still have my  job, and things are a lot better at home.  Life just seemed  easier, somehow, as soon as I stopped thinking.  I think the road  to recovery is nearly complete for me.

Today I took what I believe the final decisive step.

I joined the Republican Party.

How It's Done

It's good to take the time to get your thoughts on paper. Taking a step back and viewing life as it moves by and recognizing your place in life and putting observations, experiences, ideas, and particularly expressing what moves you is great.

What MOVES you is a major theme ....... passion; find "nuggets" of skills, concepts, and learn from what others have done, have written and are doing.

Spread your network ...... people will want to join with you if you are energized and focused, and open to their input and their ideas. Learn from great mentors and role models, even amongst peers ....... people who are carving a path toward fulfilling their dreams. Make decisions and plans and lay groundwork to be the foundation.

Mold your life like clay; weave together who you are, what you are experiencing; nurture it, give it form, play with it, write, talk, plan and see if it develops. Whether it takes a final shape is not ultimately to be judged. It's like trying on a new hat. Wear it proudly, know you are strutting a new look for you and see how it fits. Tip it left and right, wear it backwards. You'll know soon enough if you are proud of it, want it to absorb deeper into your being or if it just doesn't seem right.

Formulate, germinate, ruminate, etc., find sounding boards, idea guys, build a team. Forge your reality.

Transfusion

Desperately Seeking Intelligent Conversation ..... last night I got together with 3 other guys at a coffee shop and after 2 hours of good conversation, I left feeling as if I had a transfusion. We bantered through a variety of topics, from the possibility that too much technology in our lives is reversing evolution to a discourse on how much fun it would be to re-create a Beatles-like synergy resembling their early years in Germany.


The ease and willingness of four very different people, having in common the ability and desire to listen to intelligent "talking points" allowed for an instant rapport amongst strangers with decent brains sharing insights and opinions. I actually felt myself holding back a tendency to barge in with what amounts to a desire to hear my own voice. The evening flew by and I wanted more. 


At some point the conversation turned to group structure, goals, projects .... it was clear that these 4 random minds showed up to be part of the very thing that was happening. We even launched into how this might be "bottled" and advertised to let others know what is possible. We brainstormed about how like-mindedness helps the flow of conversation ........ Tim, the original organizer of DSIC, pointed out how the gathering last month had 8 people, seemed to have a farther spread of polar opposite opinions, at times some low level tensions, and was therefore different.

My predisposed interest in group dynamics and my 59 years of observing human interaction, has me wanting to be part of a group that can sustain itself. My interest in being part of figuring out what makes some groups stay energized, and has the participants want to come back for more, is greater than my interest in learning some morsel of information that might help us discover the fountain of youth, or whether or not there is a breaking point of population vs. Earth's resources, or whether or not technology is good or bad for parenting. 

For me at the end of the evening, and now reflecting back the morning after, it was mostly about having an enjoyable evening amongst fellow travelers; fellow seekers of intelligent conversation. What I didn't want was a meeting of people with an agenda that includes being right, while considering others to be wrong. What I didn't want was to meet people who are wrapped up in believing that what they have to say deeply matters on all things political and religious. I definitely did not want to meet people who are uncomfortable being politely interrupted in the middle of a thought, nor people who feel they have to intensely defend their position. I got what I wanted.