420, The Real Story

It's April 20

Two days before Earth Day



Eleven days till May Day



And a date celebrated by many a pothead . . .



Alas, I have no sweet tasty nuggets to celebrate (for the moment), but still am given pause to think of the origins of this odd subcultural celebration.



One rumor (promoted by High Times) is that some dudes in California decided to meet every day after school at 4:20 to puff. Various other proposals have been made as to the origins of this now internationally recognized code for smoking herb.

I believe, however, that the truth of this symbolic referent comes (as have so many things in this world) from India. In India and Pakistan, the term "420" has long been synonomous with "corruption" or "graft," as section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, established in 1860, covers this area of offense.



The exceedingly popular 1950's Indian film "Shri 420" ("Mr. 420") is about a fella falsely thought to be a con-man. In my assessment, the American use of "420" as slang for smoking herb likely derived from hippies travelling the Hippie Trail through Asia, who likely picked up on the term from the Indian/Pakistany usage, and decided smoking herb to be symbolic of burnin' "the Man," else otherwise symbolically burning the corruptions they viewed at home in America.

Regardless of the precise mode by which "420" was transmitted from India to America, and specifically pot smokin' culture, I am convinced that India's usage of the term is whence derives the American usage.



Happy 420, regardless!!

Do Dinosaurs Still Exist?

This is a relief carving at Angkor Wat in Cambodia dating well over a thousand years old. It depicts what is clearly a stegosaurus. If these monks living at this temple were merely amatuer paleontologists, how did they depict this creature in such detail as has only in recent decades been available to modern paleontology?

Below is a four thousand year old mesopotamian seal that clearly depicts a sauropod, with appropriate musculature even . . .



Thousands of these clay figurines were found in the Acumbaro area in Mexico, all dating to at least one thousand years in age.


The infamous Ica stones, though without much of a patina (and thus indicating possible recent artwork), still give one cause to wonder.



And below is from footage shot by a Japanese film crew who were among many expeditions to the deep Congo in search of Mokele-mbembe, "the one who stops rivers from flowing" in the lingala language of the native pygmie people of the area. These people claim that the giant, four-legged, long necked and long tailed beast yet lives in the deepest jungles of Africa. This is nearly the only photographic or film evidence, but certainly something to wonder about.



The natives of Africa's jungles from Cameroon, Congo, and to Kenya tell of a variety of cryptids whose descriptions fit them well with what is known of various dinosaur species, including some which seem to be apatosaurus ("brontosaurus"), stegosaurs, and even the beloved triceratops. Fiction? Linguistic misinterpretation? or are there still dinosaurs living on earth, hidden in the deep jungles and swamps of Africa? Fun to consider, anyhow . . .

DNA Database and You . . .

Orwell, 1984. Huxley, Brave New World. And now, 2009.

Yes, the lovely innovations of the 21st century have brought us into an era of DNA cataloging. Now, it is not just convicted felons who go on file, but any arrested for any reason, if the FBI has its way. From a current database of 6.7 million, the FBI plans to be adding 1.2 million DNA records per year to its files by 2012. Welcome to the DNA surveilance society!!

What comes next? Selective breeding? DNA-based discrimination? Cleansing campaigns to rid society of the genetically deficient? Well, at least the increasing loss of anonymity and privacy . . .


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/us/19DNA.html?exprod=myyahoo

SAVE WYOMINGS WOLVES!!!

As a child, I was quite fascinated with wolves, which at the time had no officially acknowledged presence in my home state, despite millions of acres of wilderness. The Native American tribes here and elsewhere did not treat the wolf as a competitor, but as brothers. One of the tribes of my ancestors (the Cherokee) even have a clan named after the wolf, and only members of this clan could keep as pets or kill these majestic creatures, though the wolf has been missing from Cherokee country for longer than they've been absent from Wyoming.



Thanks to the efforts of conservationists, wolves have been returned to Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, but now face the premature delisting of this species as Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has again reversed the reversal of the delisting of wolves from the Endangered Species list. In other words, they now face the threat of up to 1,000 out of less than 1,700 being killed.

THIS IS A TRAVESTY!!!!!

To allow the wolf to almost reach slightly sustainable numbers, then to cull over half the population is absurd!

Ranchers have nothing to complain about, as the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife and others have been amply compensating any livestock losses that are due to wolf predation.



There is no reason this species should not be allowed to repopulate many more of the wild regions in this state and others. It is only anachronistic prejudice and ignorance that want to see this scarcely recovered species once again pushed to the brink. Many sportsmen and ranchers agree.



Please take action and sign the petition (link to petition sight below) to ask President Obama to stop the premature delisting of the grey wolf and/or call the White House to stop this irrational reversal of this endangered species success story before delisting commences on May 4 of this year.

https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1393&s_einterest=C3C4&JServSessionIdr009=o75pbqczm1.app20a

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THIS WAS YOUR HOME?!?!
YOUR HOMETOWN'S RIVER!?!?!




How many of you know about the coal slurry disaster in Tennessee that occurred in December? Probably only a few, because the mainstream media did not report on this disaster that was many times as destructive as the Exxon Valdez disaster.



What about the nuclear wastewater spill that occurred in the Sea of Japan as a result of an earthquake that ruptured the holding facilities at the world's largest nuclear reactor? The media gave this one a bit of coverage, but downplayed the effects.



There is no sense in continuing to mine and drill for "resources" that keep the lights on whilst we are slowly poisoning ourselves and our environment. And you cannot trust the media to inform you of these events, as they are in the pocket of various corporation's interest (I do not use the term "corporate interest" as this implies "everyone's interest," when in fact it is only wealthy executives who really gain from so called "corporate interests" in this guise--words spun spin your head, if you are not aware).

There are viable alternatives, such as wind, solar, conscientious use of hydro-power, etc. We must demand the swift transition to these environmentally friendly modes NOW!!!! WE MUST TAKE ACTION before we irrevocably destroy our future, and the future of our children and life on earth generally.

http://www.blogher.com/tennessee-coal-ash-slide-creates-widespread-environmental-disaster

http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/12/23/coal-slurry-disaster-in-tennessee-is-largest-ever/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090409/wl_asia_afp/japanquakenuclearenergy_20090409075015

Food Not Lawns

During visits to my paternal grandparents and great-grandparents in Oklahoma, amongst the most memorable parts of the experience was time spent in my great-grandparents garden. They grew beans, peas, tomatoes, okra and various greens, and etc., etc. They had pear and pecan and apple trees, and canned and froze what they couldn't eat during the summer for homegrown food all winter long.

My paternal grandparents had a garden, but it was significantly smaller. My parents gave food gardens a shot during a few years, but put minimal efforts into these endeavors. It seems this is emblematic of food production in this nation in general. Those who came from rural/agrarian roots, and especially those who experienced the Great Depression knew the importance of self-sufficiency, and with a garden at least you don't go hungry even if dirt poor.

These days, though the movement towards more natural and organic foods has become en vogue, most urban yards are yet covered in water-wasting, useless lawns of grass that are generally kept mowed using extremely polluting gasoline mowers.

Whilst wandering out on the West coast, I encountered a group called "Food Not Lawns"--sorta a spin-off of Food-Not-Bombs. These groups of volunteers take "donated" lawn space and plant food. What a concept!! And in fact one many of your grandparents, most of your great-grandparents, and nigh all of your great-great-grandparents took for granted.

Consider walking down the street with apples and plums and pears dangling over the sidewalk, ripe for the pickin'. Imagine Thanksgiving dinner where the carrots, beets, potatoes and salad all grew in what used to be your acre of useless grass. Imagine the security of knowing even if the economy crashes and you lose your job, you will have something to eat.


Consider: Think Globally, Act Locally.

www.foodnotlawns.com/

Oh yeah!!!!

Kudos to Obama: Nuke Free World!!!!!!

Just wanted to offer a few words of praise for Obama's recently stated commitment to a nuclear weapons free world!!!!!



OBAMA, YOU ROCK!!!!

Keep it up, and this world might just make it!!!!!!

The Truth About the World's Most Popular Faith

First, let me caveat this post by expressing certain salient features of my past: As a fifteen year old, I spent the summer with my paternal grandparents in Oklahoma, and was compelled to attend church with my granny. I was rather an awkward youth as a high school freshman to be, and had not felt as if I fit in at any of the schools I had attended to this point in life. I attended a large Baptist summer camp called Falls Creek, and at the end had the typical emotional conversion experience. The kids in the youth group were very nice to me, and the youth minister was particularly welcoming.

The structure and community created by the church I attended was fairly nurturing, and offered a needed boost to my self-esteem. Because I had not been exposed to anything better (which I later would when I found myself amongst the company of hippies--real hippies, mind you, and not mere stoners), I continued on the path to become a minister, and was licensed and ordained and pastor of a small church by twenty-one years of age. Whilst attending a Southern Baptist University, however, I began to be exposed to ideas by various Humanities and Social Science profs which caused me to question what I had been taught in church and in the quite conservative religion department at OBU. Before my undergraduate career was over, I had resigned my ministry and picked up a second major, History.

I then attended a Master's degree program at the University of Chicago, one of the top universities in the world in my field of inquiry, and many other disciplines as well.

Basically I am saying I was given an inside view of Christianity and church, and have the professional historical training to qualify my opinions even by institutional standards. I am grateful for the kindness and community that was offered by a local church, and value those aspects of said institution, however . . .

Anyhow, those things established, on to the meat of this post . . .

Essentially, I shall contend herein that mainstream Western historians have systematically lied about the history of "the Western world" (I use quotes to call into question the very designations of "West" and "East"--India is closer to where I sit writing this if one travels West, for example). Abraham and Sarah and Haggar were preceded by Brahma, Saraswati and Ghaggar, Hindu creator deity and his consorts; Jeshua ben Joseph (aka, "Jesus Christ") was preceded by Krishna, whose mythology is an obvious pattern after which the life story of Jeshua was devised (not that he didn't really live, and not that he was not an avatar, mind you); and Islam likewise followed various patterns set in Sivite mythology (for more on these obscured and intentionally hidden roots of "Western Civilization," see previous post "Hidden Origins of the West").

The fact that Western historians and theologians had to lie, obscure, edit and dishevel regarding the roots of their religions speaks volumes. Religions that purport to expound absolute truth cannot hinge on denials and historical fallacies. Very telling of this sick tendency was a statement one of my religion professors at Oklahoma Baptist University made when we were discussing the founders of Judaism, mentioning the aforementioned connection between Abraham and his posse and Brahma and adding, "but we know better than that, don't we?" with a rather menacing furrow of his brow and frown. INDEED, THEY DO GOD DAMNED WELL KNOW BETTER, THESE SUPPOSED SCHOLARS OF PURPORTED TRUTH PROMOTE BALD-FACED LIES!!!!!!!

Beyond these glaring historical fallacies upon which Christianity bases many of its claims, the teaching that Jeshua's death somehow fixes what's wrong with the world and his follower's sins is clearly in conflict with Jeshua's own words as recorded in the New Testament, "You shall reap what you sow," i.e., karma-dharma, and also with his very strong words in the "parable of the sheep and goats," wherein the church builders and prophesiers and exorcists are sent to hell 'cuz they didn't attend to the poor and hungry, and those who weren't even his devotees yet who ministered to the needy got to hang out in heaven. In other words, karma-dharma, actions reap consequences, and compassion in action outweighs religiosity. It rather seems that many, if not most Christians are trying to write themselves a free-pass by selecting "truth" and twisting teaching from their own sacred books.

Another glaring fallacy of the teachings of Christianity is the notion of getting into some eternal heaven-realm just 'cuz you say a prayer and get dunked or sprinkled. Just say the magic words and mean 'em, and you go to some never ending paradise. Even the last verses of the New Testament deny this by stating, "and heaven and earth shall pass away . . ." Also of note, one renound evalngelical theologian promotes a version of afterlife that sounds rather like one of the hell realms told of in Hinduism, wherein the sun is gone or obscured, and only some "inner light" remains. Indeed, sounds like a "dark planet" hell realm in Hindu cosmology . . .

In the name of Christ, millions have been murdered and tortured and villainized. In the name of Christ, millions have been fed and clothed and sheltered. In the name of Christ, many have been unjustly judged (yo' you fuckin' puritanical witch hunters and scarlet-lettering shits, you forget "judge not, lest ye be judged?"). In the name of Christ and practices he promoted, many have found a path out of whatever personal sin or spiritual mire.

My point is, though Jeshua ben Joseph may have been an avatar--likely of Krishna--and though much wisdom and truth might be found in some of his recorded sayings, those who promote the religion that claims him as their own base their beliefs on numerous historical lies, and an excessive denial of "father Abraham's" roots (see previous post, "One, Two, Three, What Are We Fightin' For?"), and quite a number of convenient twists on Jeshua's own words. Though many have been given food and clothes and shelter by those who claim allegiance to Jeshua, many of those were stripped of land, means of making a living, and healthy cultural integrity by Christian colonialists who conquered and destroyed and violated indigenous peoples lives whilst bearing crosses--in other words, destroyed their lives, and then offered a few token gestures "in the name of Jesus," whilst continuing to exploit people and steal land and gold and freedom.

My claim is that there exists a sincere need to unabashedly and self-critically reexamine the roots of civilization and religion, and dismantle or "deconstruct" the myths (and lies) upon which "the West" has promoted and justified itself. I wouldn't necessarily wish for a dismantling of all "Christian institutions," mind you. Rather, I would ask those who claim they revere honesty to be honest with themselves and the rest of the world, and to cease to harm others with their conflation of Jeshua and capitalism, us-versus-them-isms, and traditions over truth.

Obama Notwithstanding, There is Yet Oppression!

Think the days of "The Battle for Seattle" are over?



Check out this recent footage from the G20 summit:

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread452192/pg1

Despite those changes being made by the Obama administration, the oppression of dissent is still to be found even in the (supposedly) most democratic of countries. Even peaceful protesters are routinely corralled and beaten by "riot police."

The World Police State must fall!!! The establishment continues to resist reform, to deny civil and human and constitutional rights, and to fight tooth and nail against those who would see a clean, healthy, just, free and equal society. Those welcomed yet rather slight steps forward represented by the election of Barack Obama are not what is necessary. If we are to secure the sustainability, justice, environmental responsibility, etc., necessary to assure the healthy continuation of human society as we (or some still relatively small portion of the world's population) currently enjoy, MUCH MORE RADICAL CHANGE IS NECESSARY.

This country's electrical needs could be fulfilled by 92x92 miles of concentrated solar plants (fields of mirrors in the desert) (see preceding post). That's no more land than is currently desimated by coal production at any given time.

Biodiesel from algae could replace the die

Democrats are Better, Green is Best!!!

TEN KEY VALUES OF THE GREEN PARTY

1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.

2. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITYAll persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

3. ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

4. NON-VIOLENCE
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society’s current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

5. DECENTRALIZATION
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.

6. COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a “living wage” which reflects the real value of a person’s work.

Local communities must look to economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers’ rights; broad citizen participation in planning; and enhancement of our “quality of life.” We support independently owned and operated companies which are socially responsible, as well as co-operatives and public enterprises that distribute resources and control to more people through democratic participation.

7. FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUITY
We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.

8. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines.

We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity.

9. PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

10. FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or “unmaking” all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions.


THIS WORLD NEEDS RADICAL CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!









Though I am happy that some change from the vile and corrupt regime of the Neo-cons is taking place, I do not believe our new president is going nearly far enough.

Yes, bailing out the fucked-up copro-ations (corporations) greed meeting karma-dharma is unfortunately necessary, as their collapse would have harsh consequences on the poor and median-wage folks of the world. Yet his focus is still too much on fixing the rich-folks fuck-ups, i.e., preventing the collapse of the finance-cabal.

Yes, a step was taken towards providing stimulus money for "Green jobs," but not nearly enough.

Yes, Obama has pledged to stop federal government meddling in state laws regarding medical Cannabis, however, he has rejected the will of the people by refusing to consider the legalization of marijuana generally, as was displayed during his recent chat room "town hall" meeting. This despite the fact that marijuana is the NUMBER ONE CASH CROP in the country, and that taxing this crop would very quickly alleviate this nation's budget problems, create thousands of new jobs (taxing grower and dealer income that is currently not taxed), and allow for the creation of a vibrant hemp industry that could very quickly replace environmentally destructive logging practices, as well as replacing many petroleum-based products.

One harvested acre of hemp produces four-times the paper pulp of one acre of timber, and doesn't take forty years to grow, and can often be harvested multiple times per year!!

Yes, President Obama has pledged to remove troops from Iraq (a plus), but wants to send more troops to Afghanistan (a minus).

Yes, our new Prez has pledged to make health-care more affordable, but falls short of health care for all after the successful and fair models of Canada and Europe (don't believe the BULLSHIT about horror stories of long waits in Canada--been there and seen how it works. Canada's system is more just, more equitable, and their hospitals have better recovery rates).

Yes, the new administration has pledged, and taken many measures to protect the environment and to rescind the previous administrations exceeding irresponsibility regarding the environment, but his Secretary of the Interior has flip-flopped and once again taken wolves off the endangered species list.

Yes, President Barack Obama has made more movement towards sustainable energy production, but still leans on coal and oil far too heavily in energy policy as things now stand.

I have hopes that as this administration progresses, these issues and others will be given the attention they deserve, and that the radical actions needed to ensure a healthy and sustainable present and future for humans and animals and plants living on planet earth.

I am still not a Democrat, by the way (if you couldn't tell), and see the policies and platform of the Green Party as the only viable path to prosperity for the future.

The Tragic Dilapidation of the Empress/Fox

Upon returning to Laramie from quixotic questings, I spent a night in my bedroll down by the railroad tracks. I awoke in the morning to a bright red fox peaking over a pile of rubble less than ten feet from my bed. A made a slight sudden move which caused said fox to recoil just a tad, assuring me this beautiful creature was not ill, just curious. I chatted with this wild urban resident for a few, till he or she found something else more interesting to observe than a human sleeping outside.

After this encounter, I passed by the old Fox Theater, and decided to invest a little time in an endeavor I'd considered before I left town. I concluded that the fox awakening me in the morning was a sign, and that I should try to help manifest the restoration of this historic theater--something I had considered a few years previous. In my research, I discovered that the Fox was the Empress Theater first, and a grander venue than I had imagined.

Below are some slides I prepared in a PP presentation with hopes of influencing the restoration effort, and alas, it seems to little effect as the building is slated for demolition sometime soon, or so I hear. If I can figure out how to transfer the whole slide show I'll post it later.

WHAT WAS AND SHOULD BE (STILL MIGHT BE?) AGAIN . . .

92 x 92 Miles of Mirrors Could Power the Whole Country!!!!

The magic of mirrors . . . most of us gaze into these reflective surfaces every day to do hair, brush teeth, and get presentable for a day at work or school. They allow astronomers to gaze deep into space, give drivers a rear-view, and now with centuries-old technology, with some new innovations, mirrors could generate enough electricity to power the whole country by utilizing a combined area of only 92 miles by 92 miles!!! That's only twice the size of the county I currently abide in (Albany County, Wyoming)!!! This is also similar to the area that is currently being heavily disturbed and significantly impacted by coal mines in this country.

Obviously these fields of mirrors would be spread across the country, minimizing any environmental impact, but this would entirely do away with the need for the excessively destructive practices of coal mining, natural gas production, etc., etc., to meet the current electricity needs of the United States!!!! Not to mention that this process would absord some degree of the sun's radiation, thus aleviating some degree of the greenhouse effect!!

WOW!!!!

The only potential environmental hazard would be birds running into the mirrors, though with some ingenuity and research there should be some means of preventing the inadvertant avian kamakazes from mistaking the mirrors for open sky, else the warped reflection would be deterant enough.

Check out this article, which gives a breakdown of this land area, and some other facts regarding this amazing energy technology:
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/6/20/143633/019

YEAH, BUT WHAT ABOUT CARS AND TRUCKS AND TRAINS?



Insofar as liquid fuel for automobiles and trains, Biodiesel produced from algae could supply the nations need for diesel fuel with only 125 miles by 125 miles of Southwestern desert with current technology (12.5% of the Sonoran Desert's landmass).



Healthy and sustainable answers for our world and environment are there!! Now let's make it happen!!!

Transformation Through Celebration

What better mode to change this world than celebration with pure intentions? ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ
Who says devotion to the Divine ought to be boring?

Why should partying be seperate from divine bliss?!?!



What better way to heal than dance and sing and play? To purify with fire and to rejoice by shakin' your booty? Not to deny the need for other modes of elevating oneself towards the perfection of Self, अत्मन् (Atman), such as meditation, prayer, acts of compassion and devotion . . .

Nonetheless, a hundred partiers pronouncing the sacred syllable AUM in New York's subway, or on the streets or in a park, or tens of thousands pronouncing ॐ somewhere in the National Forests each summer here in the states on July 4, and playing and celebrating, dancing and cheering . . . that's one powerful mode of transformation through vibration!!!!

By the way, the "M" in "AUM" is pronounced like "M" plus the Spanish pronunciation of "n" with the little swirly thing on top--thus the Judeo-Christian "amen," and the somewhat more accurately pronounced Muslim "amin," both of which are derivative of the original ॐ of Sanatana Dharma--"eternal teachings," (i.e., the ancient "Hindu" teachings) regarding this sacred syllable, though both the Judeo-Christian and Muslim versions are conspicuously missing the very important "U" sound.

Most folks tryin' to chant "ॐ" miss the last part (i.e., the "ñ" at the end), so please pass on this info regarding the more proper pronunciation . . .

So what are you all waiting for?!?! Lets celebrate and sing this most sacred sound!!! And have fun doing so, too!!! Jaya AUM(ñ)!!

Environmental Retrospective

Below is the advertisement I mentioned in the previous post. Still brings me to tears . . .

Imaginings, Musings and Atlantis

I try not to stretch the truth in the least when considering subtle connections and clues to the hidden history of our world, and likewise do my best to critically examine my personal "paranormal" and "psychic" experiences to balance an admitted want to discover the hidden and beautiful magic of this experience of living on earth. If I have experienced an "anomaly" or instance of "supernatural" whatever, I want to utilize every analytical tool I might to rethink my renderings to be certain I have not let my imagination take too much liberty with my senses.

The sketch shown above displays a central island surrounded by a narrow mountainous island. This is quite like the layout of the Mediterranean island Santorini, and Santorini is a very likely candidate for the "Lost City of Atlantis" according to a very convincing documentary I viewed last night.

I sketched a series of drawings depicting this imagined lost island/continent (I lost the originals) whilst sitting at some coffeehouse or other somewhere out East to occupy my mind and time and to maintain some semblance of sanity amidst many odd and dissettling occurrences and vibrations experienced. I decided to put on paper my ideal lost island continent that would, in my daydreaming, spontaneously appear somewhere in the open ocean to provide a homeland to wild and free hippy sorts and other displaced wild tribal peoples, where we might live off the bounty of the land without the pollution of industrial society (I had not viewed even a single episode of Lost at this point, mind you). I went into much greater detail in my imaginings regarding of this dreamed up mini-continent, but the basic design is as shown above.

I also mused a bit about Atlantis whilst in and near to Atlanta, Georgia, around the same time. Could it be some ancient Atlantean spirit was connecting to my somewhat and sometimes well-tuned psychic antennae as I drew these imaginary ideal continents, something like the dude on Heroes who paints visions of the future? past life recall?

Can't say for sure, but I can say the evidences presented on this program seem more likely to show Santorini's correspondence to Plato's accounts of Atlantis than any other candidate I've seen or heard tauted as possible site of the fabled lost city and civilization. And this aforementioned "channeled" tip inclines me to believe there's something to Santorini and Atlantis, too.

Link to Atlantis/Santorini documentary:
http://www.surfthechannel.com/episode/61506/127681.html

I might also note that the Nazis were very fixated on Atlantis, but a fictionalized version that they claimed existed in the North Pacific. With Atlantis proven as a northern Mediterranean civilization, again this European rendering displays a twist on ancient myth (i.e., the Nazis and Atlantis) used for tyrannical purposes. Of course the Nazis also attempted to coopt the svaztika, a sacred symbol from ancient India to the Americas and elsewhere, and tilted it. Rather emblematic of the complaints I have about what I was taught in school and university, where objective historical research must meet the criteria of establishment dogma, else get rejected as potentially dangerous, filed away in the basement of the Smithsonian or the Vatican or MI5 or some CIA or secret society's bunkers. And often as not that establishment dogma is tilted or bent to meet the official line.

Alright, so maybe I'm exaggerating a tad about the secret bunkers (a tad) . . . but seriously, the sorts of twistings of myth to make "good citizens" the Nazis employed are not too far from the commonly believed lies/propaganda regarding the origins of civilization promoted by university, state, media and church in this nation--"Civics." As one example, consider the designation of Israel (and Jerusalem specifically) as "the Holy Land," granted to said desert-lands by the sea by religious traditions that have not the historical vision to remember or realize that "father Abraham" was likely exiled from his homeland amongst other Vedic priests/kings.

Indeed, I have come to trust my own visions more than much of what fits with official history--and mind you, I was trained as an historian at a Southern Baptist university and then at the University of Chicago for graduate school. In spite of this respectable undergraduate and highly touted graduate school education in the practices of history and historiography, I believe the greater truths of the story are at least as often--and oft more accurately--whispered on the wind, writ in the clouds and on mountainsides, told over and over in the life-cycles of individuals and groups interacting, and granted through visions and dream, than they are concisely written in a book of institutionally sanctioned history. Of course I am not at all claiming researching to reveal the past is useless, just that the versions that make it through the censors are often lacking, and promote "civic myths" as much as the truth of the past.

Consider your dreams, both waking and sleeping, and believe in the truth of your self (though not without some degree of self-criticism), and our Great shared Self, Atman--the truest source of what has been and shall be.

Now as to whether my imagined rendition of some ideal isle was tuned into ancient Atlantean psychic radiowaves, or is merely a moderately interesting coincidence, you are of course free to decide for yourselves. I'm convinced enough: Santorini is where Atlantis was.

KALI: A Goddess for Thugs and Bi-Polar Women . . . And Me Too.

Jaya Kali!!!

So the devas are fighting a huge contingent of demons, and are finding themselves quite overwhelmed. Well, naturally they go to get the big guns (so to speak, in spite of my distaste for firearms). At first seeking Siva, but discovering he's unavailable--off meditating, of course. So they enlist Kali, a clear sign of the desperation of the situation, and a case of a cure potentially worse than the illness.

So Kali goes to work, cutting down thousands of demons with but a single swing of her blade. Once all the demons are slain, however, her wrath goes on unabated. Kali's blade continues to swing, cutting deep gashes into the earth, and felling forests with swaths miles wide.

Whilst typing the above paragraph, and specifically when penning in the phrase "cutting deep gashes into the earth" I thought of the gorges in and around Ithaca, NY, and then thought broader in scale to consider the Finger Lakes of Upstate New York as clear candidates for those ancient scars of Kali's rage loosed and manifest as signature for ages to come of her might. Just a musing, mind you . . . but not too unlikely if you'll glance at other evidences of Divine imprints upon the earth (see post, "Reading the Map Like Constellations").

Well, these other deities, of so may faces of Divine Being, decide they've now a peril in Kali's continued rant and wrath, so they interrupt Siva's meditation, figuring He'd know what to do. Well, Kali's Consort lays down amidst so many bodies on the battlefield and waits for Her to pass. As She comes to Him, Kali either recognizes her Lover and is halted there, else whilst stepping over is entered by a Divine Erection and is given cause to pause--thus her extended tongue, though the coital version or vision of this myth's not depicted in the depiction above.

The Dance above depicted is called Tandava, wherein in concert with Consort, Kali wildly and in perfect beauty moves Her body in relationship to Her Partner, expressing and manifesting creation, maintenance and destruction by mudras and asanas, movements and emotion.

Bhowanee is a name by which Kali is called by the notorious Thuggee of India. The English word "thug" is derived from these bandits who were known to strangle their victims. My guess as to why these worship Devi Kali is that She's the only Goddess can command respect amongst such an unruly bunch. That, and cuz She's extremely badass, and wears human arms and skulls as Her attire.

Writ within these sometimes startling stories are archetypally and psychologically and often sexually well considered cycles of human behavior that function at both the small and large scales.  Kali's rage is emblematic of the fury of the protective mother, an impetus inscribed into DNA and issuing from the subtle source of Mind.  Perhaps not always rational, as once that primal rage is unleashed or invoked, anyone or anything that happens in her way is in grave danger regardless of whether or not a threat.  Indeed, as crass as this might seem to a feminist perspective, it is often by the proper key fitted into her, linga in yoni, that said rage is quelled, or better, transformed.  Another version has it that Siva turns into a baby and lays amidst the dead demons on the battlefield to elicit a different, perhaps more direct turn of the protective maternal from the destructive-protective to the nurturing.

The wonder of sanAtana dharma is that these cycles have been considered over thousands of years in continuous lineages, scientifically and spiritually, and unlike so many other cultures' myth cycles, sanAtana dharma has figured and been shown and shows how to turn those common cycles to a good page in the "choose your own adventure" of life.  In such a well ordered (if seeming chaotic) and contemplatively and meditatively considered set of subtle blueprints for Being, no one ends up pushing a rock up a hill forever.  At some point, if perhaps after many years of such sadhana (practice towards liberation) dharma finds the transformation of all such ill cycles, for if that unfortunate other is not dualistically separate from any other then it is in some guise everyones responsibility to see to it that every other is on the path of moksha, so indeed we might all be free.

JAYA KALI!!!