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First of a 3-post series prepared for an evening for sharing our art forms with fellow members of Multicultural Solidarity of Long Island Diversity Friendship Listening Circles. Click here for links to the other parts. 10/23/24 Waking up with these thoughts… “Your god is too small” . .. It was required reading in my sophomore year at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. As a student at a Catholic college I was influenced by the 1967 Summer of Love’s call to “turn on, tune in and drop out”… As a result, in the Fall of 1968, as I was beginning my junior year, I told the Dean what he could do with his school and his religion and rode off to look for America…in my 1965 VW Bus that I bought with the tuition money I demanded be returned.  Since that day, I’ve been looking outside and inside myself for “god as I understand god” - as AA wisely states… My too-small God has expanded… GENDER: The first limitation that fell away is “his” gender. god is no longer just male. OCCUPATION: Next, god’s occupation: no longer a policeman waiting to get me if I stepped out of line… RELIGION: Next, god’s religion: no longer just Catholic with a capital “C”. And is also "no religion too" as John Lennon imagined. NATIONALITY: Next, no longer only white and American… LOCATION: More recently, no longer just outside me…EVERYWHERE! Today, I’m living in awareness of the intention of the Namaste greeting: “god in me recognizes the god in you” And in these memorable song words: “Looking in the mirror, I love you sweet god…” --Ong Namo - Snatum Kaur AND… My emerging desire for a personal relationship with God is being met by my growing awareness that God is in everything I see: plants and rocks and animals…and, yes, in each of you… When I remember this, I am no longer lonely… I had the pleasure of enjoying Snatum at Kundalini Yoga of Long Island and in NYC at a workshop with her book "Original Light." I was first introduced to her at Echo Park here in West Hempstead, NY. During our kundalini yoga classes, Elena our teacher played her in every class. During my home practice, I entered her name into the search engine so she would accompany me. Those searches led to recommendations about similar artists... ...and my musical soul took f l i g h t ... Snatam Kaur - Ong Namo (Live in Barcelona) (15:00) #music #MulticulturalSolidarity #JBPhillips #IonaCollege #religion #VWBus #AA #SnatumKaur #KundaliniYogaOfLI #EchoPark #WestHempstead #Elena

Part 3 of my attempts at writing short prose piece for this evening's celebration with fellow members of Multicultural Solidarity of LI Friendship Circles. Click here for links to the other parts. This story began this morning as I looked again at some funny memes my sister Peggy sent us last evening. I replied to our family thread: "If you can read this...you're still here... Whether that's good news or bad news...depends on you...me..." In this light, looking again at Peggy's jokes, I thought that the fact that many people find humor in the same things...seems to indicate that we each have a place within us that's similar to that place in other people... ...Same could be said for tasty food..."Grate" music...Art...Dance... How healing it would be if we could focus on our similarities rather than our differences... Sesame Street: We're Different, We're the Same | Read Along Series (05:57) We are different yet the same poem (02:35) #MulticulturalSolidarity #Peggy #SesameStreet # MrsRNaiker #music #humor

Our friends at Hukitchen.com sent an email this morning advising us that they will be stopping shipments from their NYC business and letting all e-Commerce outlets like Amazon & Thrive Market handle this going forward. They can also be found in many retail stores like Whole Foods . This change will enable them " to focus on what we do best – making the great chocolate products that you love – and we’ll trust our fantastic partners to get them into your hands!" " P.S. As we bid farewell to our  hukitchen.com site as we know it, we are going BIG this Black Friday and Cyber Monday . You read that right. We’re going to be launching our Cyber Week offers early ​ as our way of thanking you and your loyalty to Hu and our chocolate you’ve brought into your homes. Stay tuned for details on our biggest sale ever on our website..." Their P.S. fired my imagination but the text and images in my reply to their support email address got mangled by some server. So, I'm posting here... Hu do you love? Let’s use our collective Brown - love power and reimagine the old holiday as: You could use this as a marketing idea, simply by substituting your GEMS... Chocolate is healthcare…selfcare… Love organic chocolate but can't decide on a flavor? Here's an online sampler pack: Available on Amazon ... Thrive Market ... Walmart ... and other outlets. Hu are we? Source Chocolate is Magic... Secret ingredients produce some extraordinary results... Wonka | "A Good Chocolate" Clip (01:59) Music and Chocolate...Ahhh...Finger lickin' & Finger pickin' GOOD... Music veterans know that my post title comes from a Bo Diddley tune "Who do you love" AND almost all my posts include #MUSIC...So... 1956... Artist: Bo Diddley, Song: Who Do You Love, Released: 1956 (00:29) LIVE CLIP Full number: Bo Diddley "Bo Diddley",1957. Track B5: " Who do you love?" (02:30) 1984... George Thorogood - Who Do You Love? - 7/5/1984 - Capitol Theatre (Official) (06:22) 1988... Who Do You Love? / Bo Diddley & Ron Wood (05:36) #music #humor #chocolate #Hu #NYC #Amazon #ThriveMarket #Walmart #WillyWonka #BoDiddley #GeorgeThorogood #RonWood

I have been going to this neighborhood shop for years, discovering them via online reviews. If you're in a rush, take a minute to review the section " The Industry Standards for Proper Tire Repair"... it could save your life and those of your loved ones... "Greetings, Pilgrim, your search has ended..." After the owners of our original shop ( R & M on Hempstead Turnpike): Richie Smith and family...closed their doors and relocated to Florida....I went looking for someone as honest and reliable as Richie & crew...and found what I was looking for at MAJESTIC Service Station @ 371 Hempstead Avenue in West Hempstead. A "simple" flat tire repair is the reason for today's post. Two days ago, the R/R tire on our 2010 Hyundai Veracruz picked up a nail. Knowing how busy Maj estic is, I figured I'd save their time and experience to help other customers with more complex repairs...So, I walked to a nearby tire outlet store. I asked the counterman how they repair tires. I inquired: "Do you use the patch/plug combination?" "No. we just use a plug' With that, I pulled the plug and called Adam . He graciously agreed to take my "simple" repair. A greater challenge would be finding a place to park our cars on Adam's lot. [Majestic doesn't wa$te money on adverti$ing : )))) ] FYI-I drafted a letter to the corporate HQ of the tire outlet and will be asking them to consider the information I'll be including... The Industry Standards for Proper Tire Repair After several years as an automotive technician for Avis Rent-a-Car , I wrote a memo to our senior management stating that their lack of training their auto techs was costing the company time and money. I was invited to World Headquarter to present my ideas...and, subsequently, given the opportunity to create a company-wide training and support program for almost 100 locations around the country. One of my first tasks was to look for industry standards, especially for commonly-performed repairs like tire repair. Using the new internet, I located a national trade organization based in Washington, DC then known as the Rubber Manufacturers Association . They are now called the US Tire Manufacturers Association. They provided me with a shop wall chart that explained how to do a proper repair and I distributed them to all shops along with an accompanying video. Here's the heart of it that explains HOW it's to be done, WHERE and WHY... "A plug by itself is not an acceptable repair..." MAJESTIC... from Classic to Classy... Source: Bing.com Source: Bing.com Post Repairs.... This post is about my admiration for Adam, Aidan, Zak when he visits from Florida and other shop techs . That said, I'm adding these personal comments based on my 77 years of getting to know people and nearly 50 years of fixing things, much of these years under and over automobiles...with side trips to noisy clothes dryers and other destinations... "Come to kindly terms with your Ass for it bears you." --VW Guru John Muir Here's the introduction to his cult classic. I still have my original VW bible...grease prints and all the memories... On the Importance of Changing a Tire - Common Reader "Fixing things, I am beginning to believe, is a form of daily activism. A statement. A reclamation of power." 1972 Ad [from the article] " I am not going to end up on the side of a remote Montana highway pulling the diesel engine out of this wagon. But I understand the major systems. I know how to pull the engine codes and find out what’s going on. I know how to look under the hood, under the body, how to find and change the tire. That’s what John Muir advocated for—a fix-it mentality. His widow said John used to get postcards from readers, and one man wrote to say: "First I fixed my car, then I fixed my washing machine, and now I’m building a house ." [end quote] As I read this line, I immediately thought of my friend Steve . In our youth we traveled the country together in our respective VW's (his Beetle and my '65 Microbus )...looking for perfect waves...As part of our friendship, Steve shared his love for fixing things, including "playing with cars" as he called it. This started me on my CAReer path...covered in other stops along the road (i.e., posts). Oh...and Steve wanted to live out in Eastern Long Island...but on a NYC school teacher's salary the real estate costs were prohibiting...So, he built his own house...and in EAST HAMPTON.. . THE END... #cars #humor #MajesticServiceStation #WestHempstead #tires #TireRepair #RubberManufacturersAssociation #USTireManufacturersAssociation #Adam #Aidan #Zak #Steve #JohnMuir #VWGuru #Beetle #VWBus #EastHampton

This brown-robed man who's feast day we celebrate on October 4 , left his middle-class roots to wander and to wonder about the natural world around him. In so doing, he developed a deep and loving relationship with her... He also was a reformer but a different kind...that's a good topic to explore in another post. I've included some links for the curious...the explorers... Here now, I'm comparing his lyrics in his "Canticle of the Creatures" (a.k.a, "Canticle of Creation") to those of a favorite musician - Trevor Hall - in his "Moon and Sun" piece, as they both extol the wonders of our natural world... FRANCIS Let's begin with this 3-minute intro that Richard presented at a Science and Nonduality conference. Richard Rohr | The First Bible (Nature) & St. Francis (03:02) --pictured here next to Clare... St. Francis and His Canticle of the Creatures - St. Anthony Messenger Press Historians have credited Francis with composing the first great poem in Italian—a poem or hymn that bears the title  The Canticle of Brother Sun  (also known as  The Canticle of the Creatures ). In this hymn Francis invites all his brother and sister creatures—whether minerals, plants or animals—to praise their Creator. These creatures include “Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon,” “Brother Fire” and “Sister Water,” as well as “Sister Earth our Mother,” with all her various fruits and colored flowers. When St Francis composed the extraordinary Canticle of the Creatures (or Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon), he was blind .  Yet, he was able to see more clearly than ever with the inner eye of his mind . With unparalleled clarity he perceived the basic unity of all creation and his own place as a friar in the midst of God’s creatures. His unqualified love of all creatures, great and small, had grown into unity in his own heart. He was a centre of communion with all creation. SOURCE A video follows his poem... If you like me have outgrown the idea that "G-d" is only male, simply substitute your preferred pronoun (s)... Canticle of Brother Sun Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord All praise is yours, all glory, all honor And all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy To pronounce your name. All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made, And first my lord Brother Sun, Who brings the day; and light you give to us through him. How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars; In the heavens you have made them, bright And precious and fair. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, And fair and stormy, all the weather’s moods, By which you cherish all that you have made. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire, Through whom you brighten up the night. How beautiful is he, how merry! Full of power and strength. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our Mother, Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces Various fruits with colored flowers and herbs. All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon For love of you; through those who endure Sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, By you, Most High, they will be crowned. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death, From whose embrace no mortal can escape. How dreadful for those who die in sin! How lovely for those found in Your Most Holy Will. The second death can do them no harm. Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks, And serve him with great humility. Creation - Featuring the Canticle of Creation by St Francis of Assisi (04:17) TREVOR HALL A video follows his song... Moon / Sun - Trevor Hall Here we go again, creation  Clap now for the jubilation  Look at all that light you making  Send it out no reservation  Like a river we let it flow  Still hot like a volcano  Mother Earth still got my soul  In the hot, in the cold, in the rain, in the snow Hey lo, wish on a butterfly wing  Take that crown, put it on that king  Sing like a child, no care for opinion  Real love across our dominion  Oh, so bountiful  Pull it back and let it go  Like ocean wave, we're powerful  Constellation, magical So, this love still holds true  Now what you gonna do?  I won't give up on you  I won't give up on you  Between the moon and sun  This life is never done I won't give up on you  I won't give up on you, ah  I won't give up on you, yeah  Send up, send up, send up my love, ah  I won't give up on you I stand up, gotta put my hands up  Fruit down straw like Mauna Kea  In the ocean, holy motion  Ride that flow, I'll see you later  In the park of Shangri-La I see my ma  She's standing holy, all those colours filled with glory  Open up and hear this story Oh, and this love still holds true  Now what you gonna do?  I won't give up on you  I won't give up on you  Between the moon and sun  This life is never done  I won't give up on you  I won't give up on you This love still holds true  Now what you gonna do?  I won't give up on you  I won't give up on you  Between the moon and sun  This life is never done  I won't give up on you  I won't give up on you I will follow you  I will follow you  I will follow, follow, follow you  I will follow you  I will follow you  I will follow, follow, follow you I will follow you  I will follow you  I will follow, follow, follow you (I will follow you, yeah)  I will follow you  I will follow you  I will follow, follow, follow you (I will follow you, yeah) I will follow you  I will follow you  I will follow, follow, follow you (I will follow you, yeah)  I will follow you  I will follow you  I will follow, follow, follow you (I will follow you, yeah) I will follow you  I will follow you  I will follow, follow, follow you Yeah  I will follow you, yeah Trevor Hall - MOON / SUN (Official Music Video) (04:04) My Mother the Poetess  From her book of poems "The God of the Universe Dances in Trees": My sister Peggy helped craft the summary on the Amazon site: The God of the Universe Dances in Trees is a collection of the author's prayer-poems written during the past thirty years, with some as young as yesterday. It's a response, prompted by others who pray, and who remind-that which is received as gift, is meant to be shared. The poems are simple, easy to understand and down to earth. The title is not a contradiction. You'll see. Catherine's poetry is heartfelt prayer, comfortable conversation with her forever Friend. She praises Him, asks questions, sings Him love songs, and offers Him light moments, too. While the book may remind you of blessings you already have, you might even discover a new gift like- finding God in unusual places,- making time to simply be with Him,- listening with your heart as He whispers tenderly,- learning, little by little, to never hurry away. The author is aware of the familiar challenge-if you love God, why not shout it, from the highest rooftop? Well, why not? With joy and hope, this book is her rooftop. Come. Enjoy the experience. Be part of it. Amazon link...click inside to view some of her musings... "Born Again" Bob... Bob Dylan - Man Gave Names To All The Animals (04:28) "Hey, Tom, what religion are you?"..."I'm a Franciscan!" At a 2023 Halloween "Procession of the Ghouls" event in NYC's Cathedral of St. John the Divine , I dressed as Francis to bring some balance to the force(s) of darkness... Read more here . With brothers sitting around the campfire... At today's monthly Men2Men circle, a few guys showed up with messages about the great outdoors...Another example of what I've often said: The posts practically write themselves...My role is to stay alert to the messages... "I go into the forest to lose my mind and find my soul" By our home across from the George Washington Elementary School: From an August 2024 post Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park - Great River, NY --Eileen and I meet here regularly with our friends from the LI Baha'i community to share "poems, prayers and promises...". From a May 2023 post Francis: Beyond the Birdbath... For the title of this section, I used the words from Franciscan Richard Rohr to start us on an exploration of facets of Francis’s life that extend beyond the recognition of his appreciation for all creatures great and small.  If you're interested in exploring another facet of Francis's life, here's a half-hour introduction: Embracing an Alternative Orthodoxy – Richard Rohr on the Legacy of St. Francis (35:36) #music #humor #poems #FrancisOfAssisi #RichardRohr, #TrevorHall #BobDylan #CatherineTittmann #Peggy #ProcessionOfTheGhouls #CathedralOfStJohnTheDivine #Men2Men #Bahai #BayardCuttingArboretumStatePark #TreeHugger #GeorgeWashingtonElementarySchool #JohnMuir

Offering these reflections in honor of the High Holy Days...There are many more in the wilderness areas online...So, go wandering and wondering on your own or, share your journeys with a friend...or a whole tribe... Learn more here Some appropriate music before we continue...Let's combine honey and horns... --the Shofar is used to signal the start of Rosh Hashanah and the end of Yom Kippur. Herb Alpert The Tijuana Brass A Taste of Honey (02:47) As I wrote, I enjoyed some honey with my afternoon tea... "There's a Grateful Dead song for every occasion!" So quips my surfing friend and VW mentor Steve Bermont ... He's always been right...so, here goes... The secret Jewish history of the Grateful Dead - Forward The group, led by Jerry Garcia, inspired ‘Jews for Jerry’ and ‘Blues for Challah.’ This "Grate" read (see link at end of the article's excerpts) was authored by Seth Rogovoy - the same guy that penned a biography of Bob Dylan . My sister-in-law Debbie gave it me as a gift. MAZEL TOV! Excerpts: For a group with a significant Jewish following, there was never much on the surface that was Jewish about The Grateful Dead. Over the course of the band’s 30-year existence from 1965 to 1995, at least a dozen musicians held positions in the band, but only one member, drummer/percussionist Hart, was Jewish. Born Michael Steven Hartman on September 11, 1943, in Brooklyn , and raised in the heavily Jewish Five Towns area of Long Island , Hart is best known for bringing non-Western rhythms and time signatures to the band from Asia, Africa and Latin America, but these never included any Jewish nuances. Still, Jews were, and to this day remain, a visible presence among the fanatical followers of the Dead, who are known as Deadheads. In the tent villages that popped up around arenas and stadiums wherever the band was playing, there was often a contingent of “Jews for Jerry”... ...integrating their own version of Jewish practice with the rituals of Deadheadism, including wandering around, following their Moses-like leaders to an unknown destination, often in search of a “miracle” in the form of a concert ticket or manna from heaven — a decent meal. Today, “Jews for Jerry” lives on as a Facebook group and has given birth to annual events such as “Blues for Challah” at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in the Berkshires , an ingathering exploring whatever Jewish influences participants can find in the music and culture surrounding the Dead. (Full disclosure: I presented a session at the second “Blues for Challah” retreat, albeit one focused on Bob Dylan , whom the members of the Dead themselves worshipped as a prophet and as a provider of songs). A similar gathering, “Unleavened Dead,” took place at a Jewish summer camp outside St. Louis last summer. While no one has yet found enough connections between Judaism and The Grateful Dead to make for a full-length book, in the manner in which Jewish-inspired singer-poets including Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan have easily lent themselves, The Grateful Dead have clearly touched something in Jewish fans and scholars to make for a cottage industry of community and speculation. Even the rabbi of the first Jewish congregation I belonged to as an adult — a Reconstructionist community in Vermont — was fond of working references to The Grateful Dead, from his days following the band, into his Torah lectures whenever possible (much to the annoyance of some of his congregants). And there are, indeed, a number of touch points to make for a kind of parallel Jewish history of the Dead: Follow more...at this link: The secret Jewish history of the Grateful Dead - Forward Kabbalah and the Grateful Dead I'm drawn to religions' mystical teachings that live in the deserts, wastelands and basements of their traditional beliefs and practices. So, I went looking for a connection between the Jewish mystical tradition known as "KABBALAH" and the Grateful Dead. What I found reminded me of Seth Rogovoy's comments about that Vermont rabbi. "Is there a link between Kabbalah and the lyrics of the Grateful Dead? ...hear Rabbi Adam Jacobs explaining that link during our last event!" Wait til you hear which song he picked to make his connection... Facebook link “Shalom Aleichem," Jerry [more from Rogovoy] Mandolinist David Grisman was the closest thing to an unofficial member The Dead ever had. He contributed the signature mandolin part on the studio version of the popular Dead song “Ripple.” Garcia’s lifelong friendship and musical collaboration with Grisman, who played on The Grateful Dead’s “American Beauty” album as well as on duet albums with Garcia, led Grisman — who has also enjoyed a successful duo career playing klezmer with fellow mandolinist Andy Statman — to play “Shalom Aleichem” at Garcia’s funeral. I was unable to locate that "Shalom Aleichem" but after some wandering...found this duo featuring David and Jerry playing "Ripple" - the very song the rabbi in New York used as he connected the Jewish mystical Kabbalah with the lyrics of the Grateful Dead.. Jerry Garcia/ David Grisman-Ripple 2/2/91 rehearsal (07:23) --It was Groundhog Day Ice Cream Break [from Rogovoy] As everyone knows, Jewish ice cream makers Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield immortalized Jerry Garcia in the ice-cream flavor Cherry Garcia. Hmmmm...another Vermont link...Something in the water??? Next stop: the Promised Land... A modern version of mules and camels... Moshiach Jerry leading the wanderers... Grateful Dead - The Promised Land - 9-27-76 (04:34) --on my 29th birthday! [Rogovoy] One of the greatest Grateful Dead concerts of all time was the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen in upstate New York in 1973, which featured just two other bands besides The Dead — the Allman Brothers Band and The Band . The festival set an all-time record for attendance. The crowd numbered 600,000 — the same number of attendees at the original rock festival, where Moses gathered his tribe to Mount Sinai to receive the Word of God. Jews for Jerry Facebook link Robert Hunter: Psalmist of the Grateful Dead (RNS) — Note to Deadheads: There is a hidden link between Robert Hunter and Rosh Hashanah. Link to full article follows these excerpts... (RNS) — One of the largest “churches” in America has no building. Which is perfectly fine – because it has a liturgy; a sacred story; prophets and priests – and a congregation that numbers in the hundreds of thousands. I am referring to the passionate devotees of a particular classic rock band – those whom we call Deadheads. The liturgy was the music itself. The invisible liturgy was that sense of being part of a tribe, that sense of being in a community. If the Dead was a religion, then Hunter was its psalmist. What “admits” Hunter to this column? Was he Jewish? For that matter, did Hunter have a religion? Did he have a religious vision? If there could ever be such a thing as a universal religious vision, it appeared in his lyrics. And finally, the greatest [of the examples in the article] – IMHO: “Ripple” (1970).   Check out this international version [see second link below] – it will move you immeasurably, and will testify to its hymn-like qualities.  Several years ago, I performed a funeral for a young man who died too young. He was a Deadhead, and his family requested that I include a Dead song. There was no contest. Here is “Ripple” in full... The religious vision of the Grateful Dead's Robert Hunter - Religionnews.com Looking into Mitzvah...Mitzvot... I write because I like to learn. The next article helped me see "mitzvah" as more than a "good deed." What affected me most were the statements about how "mitzvot" (plural) connect us to everyone and everything else. With these reminders, the writer sends us back into our homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces, as Gandhi said, "to be the change we want to see in the world" : "Additionally, it’s hard to keep up the performance of mitzvot without a renewable source of inspiration. Mitzvot done with joy and enthusiasm lift a person a step above the world and have an enormously greater impact on the person’s environment. Again, the key is study and communal participation." What Is a Mitzvah? The State of Being Connected... Jerry & the Grateful Dead Friends & Families are still making RIPPLE's...still practicing Mitzvot... Those who read my posts know how excited I am about sharing the Playing for Change movement. Besides great...Grate...music, they give back...they perform "MITZVOT". .. These including building schools in poorer areas of our shared world, so children can enjoy the benefits of the arts. This video features musicians from around the world, including these "locals": Jerry's daughter... Ripple (Grateful Dead) feat. Bill Kreutzmann | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (04:41) #music #humor #Jews #Jewish #JewsForJerry #JerryGarcia #GratefulDead #RoshHashanah #YomKippur #shofar #HerbAlpertAndTijuanaBrass #trumpet #Forward #SethRogovoy #BobDylan #MickeyHart #MichaelHartman #Facebook #Kabbalah #PromisedLand #BenAndJerry #CherryGarcia #DavidGrisman #AndyStatman #mandolin #RobertHunter #PlayingforChange #KeelinGarcia #DavidCrosby #JimmyBuffett #ChicagoChildrensChoir #BillKreutzmann #mitzvah #mitzvot

John Lennon , on this anniversary of the day you entered the world's concert stage, we salute you for the positive messages you and your band mates sang to remind us of what's most important...Your words join with others in the chorus of folks dedicated to peace...See "LOVE is the way " following this first image. I snapped this earlier today while I was in the waiting area for my CT scan. Like John Lennon describes in the "BeatlesBible" link below, I, too, work on some posts all through my waking hours, jotting down thoughts and images in my phone and on scraps of paper...Some even appear during my twice daily centering prayer meditation times...Case in point - the young man's ink helped me with this post's title. EXHIBIT #1 EXHIBIT #2 This appeared just now as I prepared a cup of tea for my writing afternoon... Often misconstrued as anti-god, John's "Imagine" is one man's hope for a world that's better than our current one. This thought continues following " Four FABulous IMAGINE...ATIONS"... LOVE is the way... If you prefer another way to present Lennon's message, try this... "Loving kindness is my religion" - The 14th Dalai Lama It's the same message in all cultures... Origins of Love – Quotes from Spiritual Traditions Beneath everything that separates the world from itself, love holds us firm to one another. Here are ten perception-changing quotes on the concept and practicality of love – taken from some of the world’s great spiritual teachers. “Love is like the flame of a lamp or candle. It cannot help but give light to others.”   – Hazrat Inayat Khan, Sufism “Love is the reality, and it is not a mere emotion. It is the great Truth that lies behind all of creation.”   – Rabindranath Tagore, Hinduism “One who loves all the world as if it were his own flesh and blood, can be relied upon to rule an empire.”   – Lao Tzu, Taoism “To truly understand the meaning of compassion means to understand the interdependence of all living beings. We are all part of one another.”   – Thomas Merton, Roman Catholic “Love implies that you are dividing yourself between the lover and the beloved. But if you find that place inside of you that is love, you will no longer even love yourself. You will just be love.”   – Osho, Mystic “I’m not interested in being a lover, I’m only interested in being love.”   – Ram Dass, Hinduism “My religion is simple and has no need for temples or philosophy, other than the philosophy of love. No matter what the person’s religious beliefs or lack of, there is no one who is not grateful for kindness and compassion.”   – Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama “In truly loving others, one can more naturally acquire the ability to let go of the world.”   – Ramakrishna, Hinduism “The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person’s suffering and bring that person joy.”   – Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist Reflection: As we see from the wisdom of spiritual teachers, love is something every single human is capable of embracing, giving and receiving. And being able to practice it requires no training or special knowledge – only the realization of each of our desires to improve one another’s lives. SOURCE And these words of LOVE... The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.  No other commandment is greater than these. “ Mark 12:29–31 “Three things  will last forever —faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love .”1 Corinthians 13:13 SOURCE Four FABulous IMAGINE...ATIONS "I no longer believe in the same god that John didn't believe in..." Before we play his song, take a few minutes to listen to his candid and sometimes apologetic replies to critics: Imagine - The BeatlesBible.com The following video is included in the article: IMAGINE. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) - John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band (with the Flux Fiddlers) HD (03:53) ...another DREAMER... Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream Speech - August 28, 1963 (17:28) --the "dream" section starts at 12:21 ...you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you..." --Matt 23:37 GEORGE... "Make love all day long..." George Harrison was instrumental in leading his mates to Indian classical music. One Wikipedia author notes about his "Love You To" song: As with all of the songs written by Harrison or Lennon and recorded by the Beatles in 1966, the lyrics to "Love You To" marked a departure from the standard love-song themes that had defined the group's previous work.[42] Harrison presents a worldview that variously reflects cynicism,[1] sardonic humour and a degree of detachment with regard to personal relationships.[43] According to music critic John Harris, the lines "There's people standing round / Who'll screw you in the ground / They'll fill you in with all the sins you'll see" serve as one of the first examples of the Beatles' ideology aligning with that of the emerging 1960s counterculture, SOURCE "Make love all day long Make love singing songs" These words are repeated in the song... The Beatles - Love You To (02:59) More mindful musings at the Beatles Bible "With our love...we could change the world..." --with his teacher Ravi Shankar The video includes all the Beatles on one of their trips to meet with Maharishi   Mahesh   Yogi   , Ravi Shankar and others... "Within You Without You" We were talking about the space between us all And the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion Never glimpse the truth, then it's far too late, when they pass away We were talking about the love we all could share When we find it, to try our best to hold it there with our love With our love, we could save the world, if they only knew Try to realise it's all within yourself No one else can make you change And to see you're really only very small And life flows on within you and without you We were talking about the love that's gone so cold And the people who gain the world and lose their soul They don't know, they can't see, are you one of them? When you've seen beyond yourself then you may find Peace of mind is waiting there And the time will come when you see we're all one And life flows on within you and without you The Beatles - Within You Without You (Sub Español) (04:52) PAUL..more than "silly love songs..." A few days ago, I sent this tune to Eileen to express my love and admiration for her faithfulness during my up and down periods of our 46 years together... I still "wanna hold your hand" : ))))) Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed (03:53) RINGO's heart BEAT : "Give More LOVE"... Give More Love - Ringo Starr (04:07) Further Reflections... From 2023, a post inspired by a tune from the musical Prophet Robert (a.k.a., Bob Dylan): With G-d on our Side: The Doctrine of Discovery, unHoly Roman Empire & other matters... "Abraham, Martin And John"... and JOHN Anybody here seen my old friend Abraham? Can you tell me where he's gone? He freed lotta people but it seems the good they die young You know I just looked around and he's gone Anybody here seen my old friend John? Can you tell me where he's gone? He freed lotta people but it seems the good they die young I just looked around and he's gone Anybody here seen my old friend Martin? Can you tell me where he's gone? He freed lotta people but it seems the good they die young I just looked around and he's gone Didn't you love the things that they stood for? Didn't they try to find some good for you and me? And we'll be free Some day soon, it's gonna be one day Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby? Can you tell me where he's gone? I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill With Abraham, Martin, and John Abraham, Martin and John - Lyrics - Dion (03:13) #music #humor #Love #JohnLennon #GeorgeHarrison #PaulMcCartney #RingoStarr #Beatles #BeatlesBible #peace #14thDalaiLama #HazratInayatKhan #RabindranathTagore #LaoTzu #ThomasMerton #Osho #RamDass #Ramakrishna #ThichNhatHanh #Jesus #RomanCatholic #Buddhism #Hinduism #Zen #Sufism #Taoism #MartinLutherKing #prophets #MaharishiMaheshYogi #RaviShankar #BobDylan #Dion

Getting my head examined... On Aug. 5, I showed up at NYU Langone Winthrop Hospital's neurology lab in Garden City to be fitted with an EEG cap and monitor to help determine the causes of some balance and memory concerns. "In search of the lost "CORD" 48 Hours later... I felt honored to join the ranks of other explorers of inner spaces. Below's a shot of Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and neuroscientist Dr. Adam Gazzaley. I enjoyed one of their joint presentations at the NYC Hayden Planetarium a few years ago. It was one of 3 posts I did entitled "Jews in Space" (thanks, Mel Brooks for this title from your "History of the World-Part I" - see clip below) . For many years these two and others have been working together to use MUSIC AS MEDICINE - which includes trying to find ways to help people with various forms of cognitive impairment. My post included this description of the experience: FYI - A few years ago, I saw Mickey and Dr. Adam Gazzaley at the NYC Hayden Planetarium . The show began with Dr. Gazzaley projecting onto the ceiling an animated and illuminated version of the Big Bang. Mickey followed by donning a special skull cap that measured and projected onto the ceiling his brain waves as he played his Beam - a special stringed instrument he designed (see next image). The displayed electrical signal patterns in both demonstrations were remarkably similar. Rhythm & The Brain: Superorganism (04:56) EEG Results The test showed that my cerebellum was having irregular brain waves called "temporal sharps". They are shown as having higher and lower amplitudes that the normal waves. Because of a previous stroke plus several TIA's that required hospitalization, I was put on an Rx and will be tested again in three months. On today's (9/19/24) video visit with the neurologist, he said that this area of my brain controls balance. Imbalance/unsteadiness have been an issue before, BUT, since two recent falls, it is more evident. In all this, my mantra remains: "More parts work than don't!" Comic Intermission Jews in Space (01:02) Unwrapping Ideas...Following "leads"... The following musings followed my 48 hours "under wrap"... Tres "Sheik" Spike Jones & His City Slickers - "The Sheik Of Araby" - ORIGINAL "VIDEO" (03:20) Can I Get a Witness... Please note some of the following classics that came to me while composing this post...May they be submitted as evidence that my most important faculties are still active.  Please present them next Monday when I sit for my 4-hour cognitive function test… Remembering this song is “Furthur” proof of why I write…and at this turbulent time in my journey… ...why I am forever GRATEFUL…I’m not Dead…YET… RARE Three Stooges - The MAHA Routine (04:47) The Sheik Of Araby - Beatles (Anthology 1 Version) (01:43) Dubai: Sheikh, Rattle & Roll! (via Vagabrothers) (01:32) The Shriek Of Araby - 1923 Ben Turpin silent film (38:52) Let's Go Out Laffing... Carnac the Magnificent: Three Dog Night & Mount Baldy on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show (07:02 #music #humor #brain #hospital #NYULangone #EEG #MelBrooks #MickeyHart #DrAdamGazzaley #HaydenPlanetarium #sheik #chic #SpikeJones #ThreeStooges #Beatles #RollerCoaster #Flintstones #BenTurpin #JohnnyCarson #CarnacTheMagnificent #ThreeDogNight #GratefulDead

This tale began a few days ago when Mike - a friend for many seasons - sent some of us cronies three of his creations...vintage 1978... Teaser: See post link at end for the story of when Mike painted the complete Endless Summer album art on the driver's door of his white VW Convertible... Portraits of the Artist as a Young Man Friend and Mike's cousin Steven C sent this next image: "You've heard it said but I say..." The other day they waited, the sky was dark and faded, Solemnly they stated, "He has to die, you know he has to die." All the children learnin', from books that they were burnin', Every leaf was turnin', to watch him die, you know he had to die. The summer sun looked down on him, his mother could but frown on him, And all the others sound on him, but it doesn't seem to matter. And when the day had ended, with rainbow colors blended, His mind remained unbended, he had to die, you know he had to die. --words and music by Jerry Garcia Some thoughts on who "he" is... (DavidDodd's) Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics ( http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/AGDL/ ) is a useful site. Couple of quotes from there: In an interview published in Golden Road, Spring, 1991, p. 30, Garcia was asked about his portion of the lyric: "Golden Road: Who or what inspired your section of "That's It For the Other One"--"The other day they waited," etc.? Garcia : ... "Seriously, I think that's an extension of my own personal symbology for "The Man of Constant Sorrow"--the old folk song--which I always thought of as being a sort of Christ parable." "Funny, to me it's always been symbolic of a "dying" ritual, (the need of the ego to die in order for the true spirit to be born within). In other words, the "death" was a metamorphosis & therefore was something to be desired...interesting how we can have such different takes on these things. But I guess this is a subject for another topic..."-- David Gans Cited in Reddit Cryptical Envelopment (Live at Fillmore East, February 11, 1969) (II) (06:59) We all know how his story ends...on a tree and into a box! "Step out of line...the man come and take you away..." "Paranoia strikes deep Into your life it will creep It starts when you're always afraid Step out of line, the man come and take you away..." --For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield Gandhi stepped out of line... ...and it cost him imprisonments and, eventually, his death Martin Luther King stepped over the line...to his death... For his words and, more importantly, his actions...He was silenced...But his dream lives on... Color my world ... with many colors ... I include this related metaphor because my friend Mike, who started these reflections, is an artist. When I was young, this was our limited color palette: As time goes by, we were given more ways to express our unique identities... Musical Variations on a Theme... I included this cover of Chicago's tune because its thumbnail invited me to look inside at its amazing multiplicity of colors... Ivo Mojzer- Obarvajva svet ( Colour my world-Chicago ) 2020 (03:11) Here's with the original and more color... CHICAGO - Colour My World (with lyrics) (03:11) As our finale, here's the classical piece that inspired the title of this musical section. Brahms did two versions : one for full orchestra and this lesser-known one for two pianos. For personal reasons, I selected this one because in our son John's musical journeys, his teacher, Merle Langs-Greenberg, had him perform two-piano works... This hangs next to my composing desk: John and Stephen... There are more piano videos at John's YouTube channel... Bringing balance to the gender energies... Brahms, Variations on a theme by Haydn for two pianos, op. 56b (17:45) Artists' Lounge: "Colorful" after Hours Club... Mike C’s 75th birthday: Portrait of the Artist as an older man Let's let go of our MONOCHROME identities...and MIX... OFF-WHITE: Real men wear faded t-shirts #music #MikeC #StevenC #art #Jesus #GratefulDead #JerryGarcia #kindness #RollingStones #BuffaloSpringfield #evil #Gandhi #MartinLutherKing #crayons #Crayola #JohnStephenTittmann #JosephHaydn #Brahns #Chicago #MerleLangsGreenberg #DavidGans #DavidDodd #racism #intolerance #love #EndlessSummer #VW

”Above us only sky…”...Imagine... Preparing the incense for our musical celebration of your arrival date… Processional "her" ("hymn"..."him") Note: I'm using my artistic license to leave out one "n" in this opening song... Dona Nobis Pacem, traditional canon (04:36) Name this Child... Musical Memory Lane... There are many versions of this next classic…This one called to me…Hope you like it! Donna - Richie Valens.( Los Lobos) Subtitulado al español. (03:28) Conway Twitty - Donna's dream (02:44) Joan on Donna... Joan Baez – Donna Donna (Live Berlin 2018) (04:05) Marlboro men love Donna… Donovan - Donna Donna lyrics (02:54) Donna's a Woman with her Own Mind... Donna,Donna- Everly Brothers (02:24) Donna The Prima Donna - Dion & The Belmonts (02:47) THE ORIGINAL Ritchie Valens - Donna 1958 (remastered) (02:27) Richie: Requiescat in Pace...1941-1959 Dona Nobis Pacem... #Donna #music #coffee #canon #RichieValens #LosLobos #ConwayTwitty #JoanBaez #Marlboro #Donovan #EverlyBrothers #DionAndTheBelmonts #Dion

These reflections began a few days ago as I left on my daily walk around town. Only a few feet from home, as I was walking by the George Washington Elementary School field, I spotted some color ahead. As I got closer, I saw the likely colorful remnants of a child's handiwork at the recent week of "Camp Invention". Here's an article on the 2023 program. Camp Invention is a STEM-related summer camp program for students in grades K-6 that turns curious campers into innovative thinkers. The camp took place at George Washington School as students took part in numerous activities such as crafting a skate park, creating party props through arts and crafts, and blow painting with straws. Additionally, some of West Hempstead’s Secondary School students volunteered as camp counselors for their younger peers. Article link. Among the article's photos, this one fired my automotive imagination...A friend Steve, who first taught me to turn wrenches called this CAReer choice/craft: "Playing with cars..." "Three deuces and a four speed..." Ronny & The Daytonas - GTO (02:30) Back to the Story ... So, I came closer my eyes beheld a "message"...and, while not in a bottle...it called for a post... PURPLE Pol itics Great Expectations...finding this next 2023 article... "The term 'purple' refers to the blending of red ( Republican ) and blue ( Democratic ) ideologies. Purple parties are made up of voters who identify as politically independent and reject the binary nature of the two-party system. Instead, they seek to create a more inclusive and centrist political environment that values compromise and bipartisanship." The Rise of the Purple Political Party PURPLE Power Music... The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze (Live at the Atlanta Pop Festival) (03:48) PURPLE Playful Music For kids of all ages... Kidsongs Purple People Eater (02:16) This next version has historical value...I was 20... American Bandstand 1967 - The Purple People Eater, Sheb Wooley (02:53) Yes, there's even a movie that includes appearance by Chubby Checker and Little Richard... The Purple People Eater 1988 Trailer (01:11) FREE: Full movie on YouTube (1:34:43) A song to continue the automotive references above and in my last post... Kodachrome - Paul Simon (03:40) #music #humor #color #GeorgeWashingtonElementarySchool #WestHempstead #CampInvention #purple #cars #PurpleParty #politics #Democrats #Republicans #JimiHendrix #ShebWooley #PaulSimon #AmericanBandstand #RonnyAndTheDaytonas #GTO #PurplePeopleEater

Original Post: 8/19/24...Updated 9/10/24 This adventure began on this afternoon's walk near our home on New York Avenue in West Hempstead, as I turned west on William Street in front of the George Washington Elementary Schoo l. When we moved from our Queens apartment, our son John started here and finished in the High School's Class of 2006. Six Months Before the Fall ... A photo I snapped on Feb. 5, 2024. I saw an ancient king offering a cup to the heavens...perhaps for the tree's reprieve from what lay ahead...It appears that some of the tree's life blood is falling to the ground... The Fall... Thankfully, it let go of its aged limb before school reopened... Update 9/10/24 In its Younger Years Eulogy for the Tree Sometime in the past week, the entire tree was cut down. Using the imagery of the Passover meal, it seems that the blood on its trunk (see earlier image) wasn't enough for the tree angels to prevent the tree removers from passing over it... Here's the new view from Brooklyn Avenue: "Where have all its branches gone... Gone to sawdust everyone..." (inspired by Pete Seeger) West Hempstead's "SHIRE" section... On Poplar between Hempstead Turnpike and Fairlawn, you'll find a representation of this LOTR Ent: Trees: Heralds of our lack of care for the Earth Sermons in Wood... Listening to Creation The Preaching of the Trees Wednesday, April 24, 2024 "Sometimes, when closely reading the Book of Nature, the profoundest of lessons are learned from the quietest, most quotidian of happenstance. Suddenly seeing what you might have walked past countless dozens of times. Being awake to gospel in the plainest of wrappers. A buck-naked tree, perhaps. A tree whose very nakedness suddenly offers aha!"  (continues at the above link) Spoken Wood PoeTREE... "I know that I shall never see This tree as lovely as was she..." Trees - Joyce Kilmer (interpreted by Paul Robeson (02:33) "Picture yourself by a tree in a schoolyard.. ." Practicing my tree hugging by George Washington Elementary School directly across from our home: "...With tangerine trees and marmalade skies..." The above two images and the following song are morning-after plantings from other times and spaces in my life... My 20's were also a time of experimentation...One day, I "dropped out" of normal consciousness and "dropped into" another state of mind and proceeded to walk from my parents' home in Richmond Hill and into Forest Park . I had no idea what lay before me...and though I was alone, I felt comfortable among the trees... The Beatles - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Official Video) (03:25) For Further Strolls Among the Trees... Bayard Cutting Arboretum Eileen and I have spent many wonder-filled times here with our friends of the local Baha'i Fellowship. The next link tells some of the adventure... This gazebo is a favorite gathering spot: Bayard Cutting Arbor 'eatem...State Park in Great River, NY (May 2023) Off the Beaten Path... Nahko: A Tree Grows in Hawaii... I discovered Nahko's  tribe a few years ago at a Summerstage  concert in NYC's Central Park . WHEW! What an adventurous spirit! Musician Trevor Hall shown below is a friend of the Medicine People. A great person and music-maker, I've enjoyed him live at Mulcahy's in Wantagh . His songs are in several of my blog posts. Nahko And Medicine For The People - Budding Trees [Official Music Video] (06:48) VOTE!!! Another find that day in Central Park was learning about Headcount - an organization that shows up at music venues and encourages attendees to register to vote. The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir  is a national spokesperson for Headcount. Here I am in 2023 after casting my vote at George Washington Elementary Schoo l: VOTE: Headcount.org - Let our voices be heard A Tree Grows in Brooklyn film This posts title was inspired by this 1945 classic film that takes place in and around the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg . Eileen and I enjoyed it's heart-warming stories tonight. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn trailer (02:14) Extra Branches Local children in Tulsa, OK affectionately called this old cottonwood along the Arkansas River "The Rainbow Tree"... Eulogy for a Tree (04:19) #tree #WestHempstead #Treebeard #LordOfTheRings #LOTR #TheShire #BayardCuttingArboretumStatePark #BahaiFellowshio #ATreeGrowsInBrooklyn #CenterForActionAndContemplation #CAC #Headcount #BobWeir #CentralPark #Summerstage #NahkoAndMedicineForThePeople #TrevorHall #Beatles #ForestPark #RichmondHill #eulogy #JohnMuir #PeteSeeger