The Sunday Morning Muse, September 23, 2012

September has to be the fastest month there is. One week to go and it seems it just started. My freak balsam is still blooming. It is beautiful. I am going to harvest seeds from it to see if I can grow huge ones again next year. It wasn't even in full bloom when I took this photo.

This week was a peaceful one. I managed to read all of Teacher Man,  the third in the Frank McCourt series. I enjoy listening to him talk so I searched out some YouTube clips. I would have loved his classes. His second two books, can't compare to Angela's Ashes, but they are still worth reading if you enjoy his style and his stories.

It's foggy over the valley this morning. The temps went into the 40's last night and I fired up the cat mat for Coco on the porch. It still works. It only has the heat of a small watt bulb but it gives comfort to her old bones. The two inside cats still hate each other, but love me more. They will sit on either side of me in bed while I read now. But never together. I still put them in cages for the night though. Sambo howls like I am taking her to her death. It is actually kind of funny now. The same routine every night. Howling the whole way down the cellar steps, then I stick her in the cage and she runs to the far end and hisses at me.  All is forgiven the next day and we start over.

Teacher Man

The Sunday Morning Muse, September 16, 2012

One of those gorgeous days. I  spent just about all of today outside. Perfect temps, low humidity, blue sky, music, a lawn chair and the cat. It's a rare day that I do absolutely nothing other than cook dinner. Nothing. And I'm lovin' it.

Probably a good thing I took it easy today. I got the sore throat that is going around.  I'm sucking on a Hall's cough drop as I type. The progression everyone else has taken is this:  Sore throat, then fatigue, a head cold,  then onward to the chest. People at work hacking and snorting all week.  I am hoping that with luck, maybe I can stop this thing dead at the sore throat stage just by refusing to be sick.  We'll see how I do.

I finished Tis, the second of the three Frank McCourt books. I ordered Teacher Man today and also a book by his brother called A Monk Swimming.   (blessed art thou a MONK'S SWIMMIN...)  I heard his brother is quite the character and it is full of some pretty good stories in his life.

September is half over. Sheesh. Looking for winter boots online today. It got depressing and I quit.  I'll wait till October. I really don't feel like buying boots right now.  Maybe winter won't come again this year.

The Sunday Morning Muse, May 6, 2012

Sunday morning is shining through the window as I finish up my second cup of coffee. A woodpecker for some reason is pounding away at the gutter above my window, and although it is amusing to the cat, I must put an end to it. (Pause, hit window, gone)

I'm reading a book called "Suddenly Psychic." It is not what I thought it would be. It was in a bunch of old books my sister was donating to the Salvation Army. Since I'm short of reading material lately, (still re-reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth, a nice manual on Trigger Point Therapy, and Wayne Dyer's Wisdom of the Ages), I thought I'd just flip through it while I drank a beer in the sun and take a break. Light reading, as you will.

This wasn't light reading. It was scientific approach to things like getting to the alpha state through the Hemi-Sync method, remote viewing and even remote healing. This is where it got kind of far out to me, when the author attempted to remote heal her cat's kidney problems by imagining herself filtering the cat's blood. (Since I know you will never read this book, I'll give you the spoiler. The little cat wasn't healed, but he did fare pretty well in his last few months. (He was only given days to live when her therapy with him began.)

I'd be the first to admit I'm in awe of the brain and any potential unleashed power that lies within. Science unravels more and more secrets of the brain all the time as we understand how memory works, what parts of the brain affect our senses, emotions, and even how people use their brain to defy pain or reprogram their "wiring" after severe injuries to gain back some of their losses.

Brain function versus mind function are two separate things though. The idea of consciousness. I feel certain that Sweet Pea is conscious, but I don't know if she has a conscience. She steals Sambo's food and I don't think she feels the least bit guilty about it.

Just Farr Fun

Found a book in the basement. Big fan of MASH so I opened it up and started flipping through it. Noticed the autograph.

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(already looked...$14.95 on EBAY.)

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Some nice glimpses into behind the scenes. Henry Blake really was a mirror image of Mclean Stevenson. But Larry Linville was NOTHING like Major Burns.

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The Eden Express- Mark Vonnegut

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive."

-Robert Louis Stevenson

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I first learned of this quote when I read a book by Kurt Vonnegut's son Mark, called The Eden Express many years ago. The book is about his journey upon graduation from Swarthmore College to British Columbia where he and his friends set up a commune. The book deals a lot with his personal experience with schizophrenia and he eventually does end up in a mental hospital. I remembered the book all these years because it was just so compelling. Viewing the world from his very challenged point of view left me at times wondering what was real and what was his imagination. And that was his intention. A view inside of his mind... where something was going really wrong. The writing was intensely personal.

From Amazon.com

"Required reading for those who want to understand insanity from the
inside." — The New York Times

What, No Martians Up There?

Trivia:
Marvin the Martian's mission was to destroy Earth. Why? Because it blocked his view of Venus.
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What does the word Martian mean to you? Martians are the stuff of hundreds of science fiction stories, books, comics, movies and video games. But the excitement of Mars has warn off as of late as a muse for fiction writers. Knowing what we know now about the desolate, Martianless red planet, it sort of spoils the fun.

Here's a few of the more bizarre Martian plots from Wikipedia:

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) – Known as one of the worst movies ever made, as such it was made fun of on the TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000.

"Omnilingual" (1957) by H. Beam Piper. Short story in which archaeologists excavating the remains of a humanoid Martian civilization find an entire library, but lack a Rosetta Stone.

Red Planet (1949). Robert A. Heinlein, Young adult novel. Includes some very intelligent Martians similar to those mentioned in Stranger in a Strange Land, who help human colonists free themselves of tyrannical Earth authorities.

In The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut (1969), previously uninhabited Mars is populated by brainwashed transplants from Earth, leading to the invasion of Earth by the newly-created Martian army.

The Martian Way (1952) by Isaac Asimov. Arrogant Earth people are scornful of the Martian colonists, who barely survive by salvaging "space junk", yet their way of life is what fits the Martian colonists for further space exploration, reaching Saturn first and eventually (Asimov implies) leading the way to the stars.



A Rose for Ecclesiastes" (1963) by Roger Zelazny. One of the last stories of this type, describing an Earth poet's study of Martian language and literature. The story is deliberately written as an elegiac farewell to the old conception of Mars, complete with canals and an ancient, dying Martian race.

Chariots of the Gods

Remember this book? I do. As a kid my father and uncle both read it and talked about it. Unsolved mysteries.... the pyramids, cave paintings and such. Something clicked in my head and I remembered the book as I was listening to Coast to Coast AM. Giorgio Tsoukalos was being interviewed early Monday morning about ancient astronauts and I heard him mention some cave art that pictured more than just buffalo hunting.

Wikipedia:

Chariots of the Gods?: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past is a book written in 1968 by Erich von Däniken. It is centered on the hypothesis that many ancient civilizations' technologies and religion were given to them by space travelers who were welcomed as gods.

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The types of evidence he cites can be categorized as follows:

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Artifacts have been found which represent higher technological knowledge than is presumed to have existed at times when they were manufactured. Von Däniken maintains that these artifacts were produced either by extraterrestrial visitors or by humans who learned the necessary knowledge from them. Such artifacts include the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, the head statues of Easter Island and the Antikythera mechanism. Further examples include a medieval map known as the Piri Reis Map, allegedly showing the Earth as it is seen from space, and the Nazca lines in Peru, which he explains as landing strips for an airfield.
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In ancient art throughout the world themes can be observed which can be interpreted to illustrate astronauts, air and space vehicles, non-human but intelligent creatures, and artifacts of high technology. Von Däniken also points out details that are similar in art of unrelated cultures.

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Wall painting: Val Camonica, Italy
Source: http://www.crystalinks.com/ancientastronauts.html

Here Comes the Sun... la la la la la..

Sometimes you find some pretty neat things looking up other things. Remember a while back I posted about the Death Clock? Well, get out, there is a Life Clock, that shows Earth's clock of life in a way that even Huckabee (who is running for President) can understand it. You see, he believes the Earth is 6 thousand years old. I wish I was kidding about that. You can easily Google him yourself if you don't believe me.

Anyhow, in a nutshell, Earth is about 4.5 BILLION years old. And some scientists calculate that the death of Earth is about 7.5 BILLION years away.

snip

"The last life may look much like the first life – a single-celled bacterium, survivor and descendant of all that came before," the authors write. Finally, even the surviving microbes "will be seared out of existence."
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The Life and Death of Planet Earth" is like its predecessor, "Rare Earth," in that the authors collected and distilled some of the latest scientific ideas about the Earth's place in the universe, Brownlee said. He hopes the new book, like "Rare Earth," will spark widespread discussion, and give people a fundamental and realistic view of the past and future of their planet.

"It's a healthy thing to think of the place of Earth among the other planets, and its place in the sun. The sun gave life and ultimately it will bring death."

Well.... so much for a happy ending.

If Man is Still Alive... If Woman Can Survive

What will the human race, if it still exists, look like in the year 3000? Or even further out... say 10 thousand years? For some reason, I see us living back in caves. I'm not sure why. Maybe my fear of some future destruction.... caused by asteroids or maybe weapons of mass destruction. I'm not sure.

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Something to think about as we continue on this path of evolution. It has been suggested that we will have reached our peak in selection for physical characteristics in the year 3000.

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A report commissioned for TV Channel Bravo goes on to say humans will live up to 120 years and be 6 - 7 feet tall.

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"Physical features will be driven by indicators of health, youth and fertility that men and women have evolved to look for in potential mates, says the report, which suggests that advances in cosmetic surgery and other body modifying techniques will effectively homogenise our appearance.

Men will have symmetrical facial features, deeper voices and bigger penises...

Women will all have glossy hair, smooth hairless skin, large eyes and pert breasts...

Racial differences will be a thing of the past as interbreeding produces a single coffee-coloured skin tone. "

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The rather silly study borrows a theory from H. G. Wells that eventually we will split into two different races. This is way out, though. Tens of thouands of years. An "attractive, intelligent ruling elite and an underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures."

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Given that we don't lose all our hair because of radiation when the nukes fly, I wouldn't mind the future... with smooth, naturally hairless, tanned skin. No more shaving! Oh, and I look pretty good with that glossy hair! I can see my New Year's Eve 3000 date now.... his name will be Lurch. He's the tall, symmetrical- faced guy with the low voice who poses for Playgirl Magazine.

We can go back to my cave for drinks.

Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer

Woke up in the middle of the night and caught Coast to Coast. George Noory had a fascinating interview last night with Phillip Carlo the guy who writes the books about serial killers. He was talking about Richard"The Iceman" Kuklinski, the Polish serial killer turned contract killer for several Mob families. Some gory stuff. You gotta read the excerpts -

http://www.philipcarlo.com/iceman.shtml

The woods of Bucks County(PA) were also a good place to get rid of bodies. By profession Richard was a contract killer, and the disposal of bodies was always a concern. Sometimes it was okay to leave the victims where they dropped, in alleys, parking lots, and garages. Other times they had to disappear. That was specifically requested. One time Richard left a victim in an ice-cold well for nearly two years—preserving the corpse—purposely seeking to confuse the authorities as to the accurate time of death, thus earning his eventual moniker: "Ice Man."

I learned that the Iceman's own death is surrounded in mystery. He died of "natural causes" shortly before he was to give testimony that would incriminate Sammy the Bull. It is so creepy that it could be a Sopranos plot line:

From this website, which has some great background information:

... he was scheduled to testify that he had killed a New Jersey police officer in the 1980s on the orders of former Gambino crime family underboss Sammy Gravano. A few days after Kuklinksi's death, prosecutors dropped all charges against Gravano, saying that without the hit man's testimony they had insufficient evidence to continue.

Remembering Mike Royko

"Let people hang themselves with their own words. Nail every irony and
hypocrisy, every vicious stupidity."

- Studs Terkel (quoted in One More Time, The Best of Mike Royko)

Mike Royko-- a longtime newspaper columnist in Chicago, was born on this date in 1932. It's hard to believe he's been gone 10 years. I used to read his syndicated column, and especially enjoyed the ones that included Slats Grobnik, his alter ego. He would engage Slats in somewhat spirited "conversations" that revealed a slice of life in Chicago. He cut through bureaucracy and took on causes, frequently fighting for the average Joe. A 1999 Slate book review put it this way:

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Why doesn't anyone write a newspaper column this good anymore? Royko wasn't
quite a Twain, or a Mencken, but his writing was distinctive and memorable and
in its time the closest thing to lasting literature in a daily paper. Royko could make you laugh and make you think, stir outrage at a heartless bureaucrat, or bring a tear to the eye when he flashed a glimpse of the heart hidden beneath his hard shell.

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I read those columns when I was a young reporter myself.... though my medium was radio. I loved his writing style. I appreciated the wit, the humor, the way he made points but didn't have to get in people's faces or belittle them. Even today I find his insight appealing. He knew 10 years ago what motivated Rupert Murdoch:

From Wikipedia:

...however, he (Royko) left the Sun-Times after it was sold to a group headed by Rupert Murdoch, for whom Royko said he would never work. He famously claimed, "No self-respecting fish would be wrapped in a Murdoch paper" and that, "His goal is not quality journalism. His goal is vast power for Rupert Murdoch, political power."

Imagine if old Royko could see Murdoch today. If he can, then he is probably turning in his grave.

And Now... Something Completely Different

Okay, I'll admit it. I love golf. And... way back when, I listened to Alice Cooper. Even read his biography, called Me, Alice.

oh oh. I just checked Amazon....that old book --- from 1976, mind you, is worth 300 frigging dollars.... USED. Now... where is it? Did I loan it to someone in college? Take it back to the Library? ...... I digress. 300 bucks.

Onward....so who could go wrong buying his new book? It's called Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: My Twelve Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict .

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UPDATE! 9/15/07

I mistakenly ordered the Audio CD of Alice Cooper reading the book. What a nice mistake! It 's proven to be a very enjoyable book... I love it. He talks about his life, drops enough names from Rock and Roll, and also in golf, to keep it interesting. It's relatable. Golfers out there, you can't help but like the guy. Who wouldn't want to take chipping lessons from John Daly? Music afficionados will be sure to find an anecdote or two that will give you a peak into the life of a rock star. The good, the bad, and how skinny little Vincent Furnier became Alice Cooper.

Reading is... well, Fundamental

Got that bestseller on your nightstand--- half finished? Uncle John's Bathroom reader by your throne? Stephen King stashed by the couch? You are a dying breed, my friends. I read another depressing study last week that revealed, to no one's suprize, that one in four adults read no books at all last year. The people who do read are older people and women.

Anyhow, today I'm starting Wayne Dyer's new book on the Tao Te Ching, called Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life. I caught him on PBS last weekend and got interested in learning more about the Tao, a book that's been on my shelf basically unread since I got it in college. Dr. Dyer meditated on the verses in the Tao, and attempted to relate its message in the context of modern times.

I've read most of Dr. Dyer's books. My favorite is Your Erroneous Zones. In there he talked about Guilt and Worry. Two completely useless emotions. Spending your time feeling guilty about anything will not change the past, and sitting there worrying about the future only wastes your living moments right now. It will alter nothing in the future. Only action-- taken right now in the present can do that.


The change your thoughts, change your life mantra is no new territory for Dr. Dyer. He said all along that you become what you think about. Imagine yourself in the situation you want to be in and live as if it is already there. It makes sense to me. If you want to be thin, imagine yourself as thin and behave as a thin person does. Exercise, eat right, pass on the dessert--- do that every day.... and one morning you will wake up and be thin! Of course, it won't be tomorrow. But, as trite as it sounds, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.


You see, all this is pretty elementary. We all just need to contemplate more.

It is a dying art.

Now, pass those potato chips.

Naahhh, forget it. I'm contemplating thin-ness.

( I know... good luck with that.)

Masters of Science Fiction, Third Show Preview

Saturday's Masters of Science Fiction feature, Jerry was a Man is based on a 1947 short story written by Robert A. Heinlein, originally called Jerry Is a Man published in Thrilling Wonder Stories (October 1947).



From the ABC website:

Set in the future, the world's seventh richest couple, the van Vogels, find their lives changed forever when they acquire an anthropoid named Jerry.

This show will on air on ABC TV at 10 pm.

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Don't you just love the covers of the old Sci- Fi Pulp Magazines? Here's a gallery to check out if you want to see a few.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

No more long evenings on the couch holding a heavy book on my pillow until my eyes give out from reading so much. I am finished with the last Harry Potter book. It is for others to dissect,discuss and debate. Suffice to say I enjoyed entering Harry's world for awhile by way of great writing combined with J.K. Rowling's incredible imagination.

I don't know if I'll phrase this exactly right, but, as anyone who has toyed with writing will agree, it's humbling to read something that is so thought out, so researched, has such great characters, and a truly unique plotline--- yet can be enjoyed by such a wide age range. It's impossible to name an equal, unless you look toward the classics... Huck Finn maybe?

Rowling said it took 17 years to write Harry's story. Where do you get that kind of inner strength? Stick-to-it-tive-ness? Compare that to those among us who can't
fully commit to much lesser projects? Or to the imbecile TV writers who, in their quest to appeal to the lowest common denominator, alienate or offend just about everyone at some point with their obligatory sex jokes and references every 2.5 minutes, in lieu of striving for real emotions or character empathy?

Thanks J.K. Rowling for showing us how to do it. She took us with her to her imaginative world of wizards and muggles, witches and goblins, and made us care about them.