"DROP DEAD!" Labor Day, Unions, NYC Subways and the Grateful Dead We built NY's Underground: My Irish Grandfather Thomas Burns - for who I'm named - was a Sandhog Who Are the Sandhogs? CNBC (01:07) Union Station Tunnel --in any authentic spiritual tradition, "UNION" is our destination...and, as the Band sings: "...if we look at it right..." ...UNION will occur right here and now...Union within ourselves, with other travelers and with "G-d" as we understand "G-d"... Source: flickr 1966 NYC Subway Workers Strike “The judge can drop dead in his black robes, and we would not call off the strike. Personally, I don’t care if I rot in jail!” --Mike Quill, president Transit Workers Union Notice the VW Bus in this photo of the Grand Central Parkway during the strike. John V. Lindsay : Transit Strike : 1966 (03:56) - Laguardia Community College/CUNY Michael J. Quill: Fearless Father of the TWU (07:15) Labor Day 1966: "Drop Dead" - Transit Workers Union President Mike Quill's words to the judge Salty Words from Mike Quill on the 1966 Transit Strike (13 min. audio) - WNYC.org Mike Quill...RIP Shortly after he damned the judge, he had a heart attack and died of congestive heart failure. He had reached the... The Traveling Wilburys - End Of The Line (Official Video) A Change of Pace: Are you KIND? A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) - Singing on the Subway Scene (4/10) | Movieclips (02:06) We're never too old to play with trains... Mister Rogers 1602 With Trolley Version (00:22) Seguing from Fred to Jerry... NYC's Original Underground Playground for the DEAD... Don't have a ticket??? Just get on board... The guy with the mic in the next photo reminds me of A.J. in Witches Brew Coffee House in West Hempstead, NY. He's my Grateful Dead Subject Matter Expert and a "Grate" barista! Grateful Dead-Iko Iko 3-18-90. NYC Subway Dance Party (08:07) Weir everywhere - NYC subway edition Posted this as a comment the other day but figured it deserved a full post. I was listening to a very slow Bertha by D&C in headphones while waiting on the platform at the Union Square subway station in NYC last weekend when a guy in a tie-die stealie sweatshirt walks by. I said "yo I'm listening to the dead right now!" (Close enough lol.) The guy goes "oh, dude--" and turns around, lifts his shirt over his back, and reveals a MASSIVE stealie tattoo in full color. Thing had to be 10 inches wide. And then launches into the story of how he got it: he was selling weed to a guy who had no cash but wanted to barter with shotguns and Kalashnikovs and shit. Since our hero is a "total pacifist," he was eager to barter away the guns, and finally found a taker: a tattoo artist. He said the tattoo had gotten him into a dozen shows and "30-40 tabs" for free. I couldn't say much besides "wow, that's dope." If you're familiar with the culture on the NYC subway system, you'll know that there are not many things that you could have in common with a stranger that would make him comfortable with you taking off half your shirt and telling a story about trading guns and winding up with 30-40 tabs of LSD, but I was happy to be along for the ride. Stealie tattoo man, I hope that you're having a real good time and that I see you at a D&C show real soon! Source: reddit In this next underground trip, off to the right of the screen is a gal with green hair…Hmm…reminds me of a certain youngun' at the Brew who occasionally changes her hair coloring… Chillest Kid Ever Turns NYC Subway Station Into A Grateful Dead Shakedown Party (article) --includes this video: Coyote & Crow at Bedford Ave. Williamsburg NYC 11/2014- "Me & My Uncle" Grateful Dead Cover (02:52) Same vibe here: Social Experiment : Blast Grateful Dead on Subway and see what happens (05:49) Jerry S on Jerry G... Seinfeld's Elaine Grateful Dead Dancing: Ep # 1 (01:26) The Ways and Means Committee Dallas, got a soft machine Houston, too close to New Orleans New York's got the ways and means But just won't let you be, oh no At around 1:30 in this next video, the speaker says the Dead have always been associated with the New York underground… As part of my new selfcare practices, I gave myself permission to stop taking notes. It’s a letting go of control. I have hundreds of draft posts because I want to add my comments. As a result, they don’t get posted. A change is gonna come.. NO! A change is HERE…NOW…No more comments... Grateful Dead in NYC: The Ways and Means (12:53) I can dig it: Building the NYC Underground Railroad: Architectural Digs Behold the beauty of the system's first station: Architect Breaks Down NYC Subway Stations (Oldest & Newest) | Architectural Digest (10:21) Extra Sets...for old and new fans...with a pre-Halloween vibe...grateful DEAD... Tales from the CRYPT... Grateful Dead - Cryptical Envelopment* (8-22-1968 at Fillmore West) (06:25) David Bryan And The Terrapin Chamber Ensemble To Perform Acoustic Grateful Dead Set In Underground Crypt (article) Terrapin Chamber Ensemble @ The Crypt - "Half Step" - ft David Bryan, Kenny Brooks, Zach Nugent, Noah Lehrman (00:55) David Bryan & The Terrapin Chamber Ensemble: Live from the Crypt 6/5/17 (2:52:16) Dawn of the Dead Documentary Dawn of the Dead: The Grateful Dead & the Rise of the San Francisco Underground (DVD) - Amazon Trailer (01:38) The documentary provides an in-depth analysis of the rise of the San Francisco underground music scene, the emergence of the psychedelic scene and the definitive band surrounding the movement, the Grateful Dead. While the film focuses on the Dead and their position at the helm of the movement, it also explores the worlds of Big Brother & The Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, The Charlatans and Quicksilver Messenger Service. In addition to live and studio footage of Grateful Dead and the other San Francisco bands, the documentary also includes news reports from the time as well as brand new interviews with Grateful Dead manager Rock Scully; the Dead’s experimental professor, Tom ‘T.C.’ Constanten; Big Brother’s Peter Albin; Mike Willlhelm of The Charlatans; publicist and official Dead biographer, Dennis McNally; Counter-Culture and Dead author and journalist (and host of ‘The Grateful Dead Hour’), David Gans; Merry Prankster and best friend of the late Ken Kesey, Ken Babbs, plus commentary from noted journalists from the scene. "Dawn of the Dead: The Grateful Dead & SF Underground" (full documentary on Facebook) (2:18:25) Grateful Dead - Dawn Of The Dead & The Rise Of The San Francisco Underground Part 1 (14:35) Grateful Dead - Dawn Of The Dead & The Rise Of The San Francisco Underground Part 2 (14:50) Couldn't find Part 3... Grateful Dead - Dawn Of The Dead & The Rise Of The San Francisco Underground Part 4 (14:55) Grateful Dead - Dawn Of The Dead & The Rise Of The San Francisco Underground Part 5 (14:14) Grateful Dead - Dawn Of The Dead & The Rise Of The San Francisco Underground Part 6 (14:57) Grateful Dead - Dawn Of The Dead & The Rise Of The San Francisco Underground Part 7 (11:03) Grateful Dead - Dawn Of The Dead & The Rise Of The San Francisco Underground Part 8 (10:28) #music #humor #GratefulDead #LaborDay #unions #MikeQuill #TWU #NYC #subways #ThomasBurns #JohnLindsay #strike #MisterRogers #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse #JerryGarcia #Seinfeld #DawnOfTheDead #TerrapinChamberEnsemble #crypt #TheTravelingWilburys

Got up around 6:00 AM to use the bathroom and was greeted by a bright orange glow... Zooming in... 10 minutes later... Carpe diem... The following poster is on the wall in our basement near my desk... ..."Early" has taken on a different timetable in retirement...Ahhh... Time and tide wait for no one... Moody Blues: The Tide Rushes In (02:56) "First the tide rushes in Plants a kiss on the shore Then rolls out to sea And the sea is very still once more..." Ebb Tide by Mantovani - Full HD Music video (03:04) "Ice cream castles in the air..." Share our questions...our uncertainties...with a trusted companion ("companion" from the French - literally means "one with whom we share our bread"" Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now (Lyrics) (03:11) Carpe diem...Together... Love is the answer At least for most of the questions in my heart Like "Why are we here?", "And where do we go?", "And how come it's so hard?" It's not always easy And sometimes life can be deceiving I'll tell you one thing: It's always better when we're together --"Better Together" - Jack Johnson Better Together feat. Jack Johnson | Song Around The World | Playing For Change (04:18) Lean On Me (Bill Withers) | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (04:33) Comparison is the enemy of the present moment... Be HERE NOW Be Here, Right Now - Sadler Vaden (05:23) #music #humor #JackJohnson #MoodyBlues #Mantovani #JoniMitchell #PlayingForChange #BillWithers #EckhartTolle #SadlerVaden

WELCOME! Come meet some of the people and places that are enriching my current experience of life. I'm offering them in a new way for me...For much of my adult life, I've been more focused on the tasks rather than the relationships...As this has been gradually shifting, I find that I'm starting to pay more attention to developing relationships with the people with whom I'm doing things. With some of these folks, we are meeting in places that are conducive to the formation of ties: sacred spaces like peoples' homes, outdoor habitats, restaurants/coffee houses...WHERE we frequently share meals. Here's a song to start us off...it expresses how life is better when we're together... Better Together feat. Jack Johnson | Song Around The World | Playing For Change (04:18) Listing of upcoming opportunities. If you are interested or just have questions, please call or text me: 516-850-2493. Men2Men Sat. Sept. 9 8-9:30 am (and every 2nd Sat.) Sisters of St. Joseph Campus 1725 Brentwood Road, Bldg 4 Brentwood, NY 11717 To register: Call 631-273-1187 x411 (Mon-Thu 8 am-4pm) or email: sdfp@csjbrentwood.org On the second Saturday of every month, we meet in Brentwood for breakfast and then gather in a circle for topics to equip us for our various roles as sons, husbands, fathers, employers/employees...and participating members of our communities. These meetings developed from the early mens' work of Fr. Richard Rohr. I consider him my primary un-packer of spiritual matters. Richard Rohr Reorders the Universe - The New Yorker (2020) Note: This Brentwood campus is sacred ground and includes an organic Thera Farms, solar array, cosmic walk and a labyrinth. I will be posting about these. Until then, check out these two posts about Thera Farms: Watermelon T-Man THERA FARMS: FOOD & MUSIC THERApea Family Farms: Feeding America One Crop at a Time Baha'i Fellowship For some time now, Eileen and I have been meeting regularly a few times each month with these folks to chew on topics "of consequence" for Long Island and our shared planetary home. These often involve various forms of social injustice. As part of these gatherings, we often share a meal. Earlier this year, we joined in a celebration called "Dances of Universal Peace" in Valley Stream. See more below. September Baha'i Gatherings Sun. Sept. 17 5-7 pm Movie, discussion and dinner Bay Shore Wed. Sep. 20 11 am-1 pm Gathering and lunch at Hidden Oak Cafe Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park 440 Montauk Hwy Great River, NY 11739 Sat. Sep. 30 7:30-9:30 pm Conversations of Consequence Bay Shore Dance of Universal Peace Dances of Universal Peace (March 2023) WANTED: Musicians & Participants to enJOY Dances of Universal Peace (April 2023) Sun. Oct. 1 3:30-5:30 Still Mind Zendo 37 West 17th St.# 6W NYC, NY 10011 (between 5th & 6th Avenues) Future dances here: All Sundays: Oct. 29 3:30-5:30 pm, Nov. 19 2-4 pm Dec. 17 3:30-5:30 pm AND they hope to be dancing again soon on Long Island. Multicultural Solidarity of Long Island - Diversity Friendship Listening Circles Regular Zoom and some live gatherings (see below). These meetings, like those with our Baha'i friends, are enabling me to meet with...sit across the table from...people I previously didn't have much contact with. Hearing stories of prejudice and mistreatment because of skin color, gender, ethnicity or religion - FROM PEOPLE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME - is opening my mind and heart much more powerfully that simply reading a book or watching a documentary about discrimination. Tues. Sept. 12 6-8:30 pm Pot luck get together Setauket, LI To find out about other events, send an email to the following address: Email address: multiculturalsolidarity@gmail.com Facebook group Indigenous Peoples' Day Mon. Oct. 9 11 am - 12 pm Indigenous Peoples Day Labyrinth Walk St. Francis Church 1692 Bellmore Ave Bellmore, NY 11710 Eileen and I have previously walked this path with guide Janet Rudolph. Join us for a walk commemorating our indigenous inhabitants of Long Island. Halloween Fri. Oct. 27 7-9 pm Halloween Extravaganza Cathedral of St. John the Divine 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street New York, NY 10025 (212) 316-7540 info@stjohndivine.org [from the website-see link below] The Cathedral's beloved annual Halloween celebration returns for 2023! Following the film screening of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with live organ accompaniment, ghouls and goblins from the Mettawee River Theater Company emerge to scare and delight audiences. Mark your calendar for an evening of classic thrills, spooky chills, and autumnal spells! Church Website Click here to reserve your free tickets for either of 2 times: 7 pm or 10 pm In April of this year, I included the following snapshot of this fun evening: St John the Divine Halloween Extravaganza 2008 Procession of the Ghouls (09:39) --I went with an adventurous friend in 2018. To bring some balance to the Forces of Darkness, I dressed as St. Francis of Assisi, complete with a bird's nest atop my head. --at one point in the evening, they show a classic horror film on a big screen... ...in the sanctuary above the altar Tai Chi @ Hempstead Lake State Park Over a year ago, one of my surfing and hanging out friends from our Roaring 20's days invited me to join him and a few other people in learning the ancient art of Tai Chi and other related practices. These are helping me with my balance, flexibility and general well-being. We meet every Tuesday & Thursday from 7:30-9:00 am in Hempstead Lake State Park at the low dock by Parking Lots 2-3. Here's our setting. On my YouTube channel near this video, you'll find others showing my friend Richie demonstrating two of the TaiChi forms we're learning. Tai Chi…TOM-a-Son, Lake & Calmer (01:36) Keith Crocker Film Presentations: Sept. & Oct. I've posted before about Keith. He's an animated and fun presenter and his followers are pretty ghoul...cool, too. He frequently presents on music and horror. A copy of his current email blast follows. With Dr. Faustus, MD (a.k.a, Keith Crocker)...It's not what we see...it's what we don't see... Hello Constituency, Here is my September/October 2023 calendar of events. I ask that you hold on to this email so you can reference it as needed. Cumberland Adult Ed - Great Neck As far as Adult Education goes, I'll be doing two dates at Cumberland Adult education in Great Neck. September 13 at 11am I'll be doing The Beatles and Beyond and September 20 at 11am I'll be doing The Three B's: Bob, Beatles and the Byrds. You can sign up for these right here- https://www.flipsnack.com/98775BBBDC9/fall-2023/full-view.html. LIU Hutton House In October I will be at Hutton House doing film discussions and screenings. On October 16 at 1pm I'll be doing a 90 year anniversary screening of King Kong (1933). On October 23 and 30 I'll be paying tribute to director Michael (Casablanca) Curtiz and showing two of his horror film classics: Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) and The Walking Dead (1935). Don't miss these- liu.edu/Hutton . Library Presentations- "Happy Halloween" Please contact these libraries regarding registration requirements. Friday, September 8 1pm Sachem library "A History of Laurel and Hardy" Monday, September 11 1pm Bryant library Film Noir Theater - The Leopard Man (1943) Tuesday, September 12 7pm Franklin Square library "A History of the Singer/Songwriter" Friday, September 15 1pm East Meadow library Pop Culture - The Body Snatcher (1945) Tuesday, September 19 7pm East Meadow library - Drive in Theater- The Witches Mirror (1962) on 16mm. Wednesday, September 27 1pm Bryant library - Virtual - Peter Cushing star profile Tuesday, October 10 1pm Sachem library - World of Hammer - Curse of Frankenstein Thursday, October 12 1pm Bryant library - virtual - Christopher Lee star profile Friday, October 20 1pm East Meadow library Pop Culture - The Flesh and the Fiends (1959) Tuesday, October 24 1pm Bryant library Film Noir Theater - I Walked With A Zombie (1943) Wednesday, October 25 1pm Elmont library - Christopher Lee star profile Wednesday, October 25 6:30pm Mineola library - Edgar Allan Poe Cinema Sunday, October 29 2pm North Babylon library - Christopher Lee star profile Monday, October 30 6:30pm North Bellmore library - Peter Cushing star profile In between these listed programs I'm usually booked by private organizations which of course I don't list here. If you are part of any of these organizations my bookings will be listed on their calendars. Folks, I ask that you please register at each library for each presentation or screening, as these days libraries seem to require this. Also, I know many of you may already know this, but I have a side business that specializes in transferring 8mm, super 8mm and 16mm to disc or thumb drive. I can also put VHS & Beta to disc, 8mm video to disc, etc...So feel free to email me or hit me up after a presentation if you are in need of such services. I can supply testimonials as well. As always, I thank each and every one of you for your support. Kindest regards, Keith J. Crocker Cinematic Seminars drfaustusmd@verizon.net #music #humor #relationships #Men2Men #Bahai #MulticulturalSolidarityOfLIDiversityFriendshipListeningCircles #KeithCrocker #TaiChi #Richie #IndigenousPeoplesDay #Halloween #CathedralOfStJohnTheDivine #DancesOfUniversalPeace

UPDATED: 9/1/23 (originally sent 9/22/20) Added info on Bob Weir's continuing role in awakening people to be part of the solution... Interview: Bob Weir Part 1 – On HeadCount, Voting, And Grateful Dead Politics --Article links to Part II 2022 ARTICLE... HeadCount.org does voter registration by combining music, democracy & action. So vote & together we'll fix the underlying problem - the system itself. Click the above link if you have ANY questions about HOW and WHERE and WHEN to vote. The Home page has links to "Register to Vote" & "Check your Status" and so much more... TODAY (9/22/20) IS NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY... https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/ ya gotta be in it to win it...for those you want... don't piss & moan...if ya stay at home... The only excuse for not voting is if you’re Dead…Naw, I take that back…as you’ll see below… “The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference” --Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, author, activist --Exiting polls after this year’s NYS Primary Day election… ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following section is from their website... HEADCOUNT.ORG “Music, Democracy, Action” MISSION HeadCount is a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. We reach young people and music fans where they already are – at concerts and online – to inform and empower. WHAT DOES HEADCOUNT DO? By reaching young people and music fans where they already are – at concerts and online – we make civic participation easy and fun. We stage nonpartisan voter registration drives at more than 1,000 live events each year and collaborate with cultural leaders to promote civic engagement on a national scale. Since 2004, we’ve signed up over 600,000 voters through our work with touring musicians like Ariana Grande, Dead & Company, and Beyoncé and events like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Pride Festivals and RuPaul’s DragCon. Meanwhile, our digital campaigns have won Clio and SHORTY awards, and our public service announcements have starred the likes of Jay-Z, Dave Matthews, members of the Grateful Dead and Brockhampton. More information about these initiatives can be found at the bottom of this page. --Bobby Weir sportin’ a HeadCount tee...and, as shown below, a featured artist on the Headcount "Artists" page. LISTING OF TOURING PARTNERS & AMBASSADORS --If your favorite performers are NOT listed, ask them to jump on the bus/music wagon... HOW DO ARTISTS WORK WITH US? We provide voter registration at events as well as digital tools to promote democracy. Over 100 festivals and touring artists work with HeadCount to bring voter registration to their fans, and some have us organize larger Participation Row activism villages to highlight all their favorite charities. HeadCount manages social impact programs for brands like Ben & Jerry’s, American Eagle Outfitters and MTV, centered around civic engagement.We are also a national partner of National Voter Registration Day, for which we orchestrate an annual social media push featuring the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, John Legend, Stephen Colbert, and 50 Cent with a collective reach of more than 1 billion followers. End of content from HeadCount.org website. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE BOTTOM LINE… On July 18, 2018 I went to a SummerStage concert in NYC’s Central Park to hear Nahko & Medicine for the People. Before the gig, I checked out Headcount’s booth. Here’s one of their attention-getting signs… HeadCount in the Media HeadCount Partners with A-List Stars for #GOODTOVOTE Initiative HeadCount is encouraging voter registration through a fun and creative initiative: #GoodToVote --check out Samuel L Jackson's Instagram post (my fav: the Jamaican one) Hangout With Your Favorite Artist By Getting Vote Ready (July 2020) FYI - older article that I included as an example of the creative partnerships that are being formed. "Enter to win a video chat with your favorite artist. All you have to do is get ready to vote. Camilla Cabello, Dave Matthews Band, The Maine, [Phish,] Chole Moriondo, and more of your favorite artists are encouraging fans to get out the vote as part of our “Vote Ready” Campaign. Primaries are still happening across…" Win Tickets to a Broadway Show by Getting Ready to Vote "We’re partnering with fourteen major Broadway productions to encourage Broadway fans across the United States to register and vote. Although Broadway performances in New York City remain suspended through the remainder of 2020 due to COVID-19, fans can join their favorite shows in making their voices heard at the polls this fall. Fans across the country can register, check, or update their voter registration status online and find localized information about polling dates, sites, and candidates. By doing so, they will enter to win Broadway show tickets (applicable when performances resume) and more. Contest runs through October 1st." HeadCount Launches ‘Festival Challenge’ to Encourage Voter Registration (RollingStone Aug. 2020) Global Citizen, HeadCount Teaming Up and Enlisting Stars for Fall Voter Registration Drive (Variety Aug. 2020) Ticket to Vote: Eventbrite + HeadCount Partner to Help the U.S. Exercise its Right to Vote (July 2020) --"We all have a civic responsibility to participate in Election Day to take action and make our voices heard. Every vote matters, no matter what you believe or who you support, yet only 56% of the U.S. voting-age population cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election. Lower voter turnout is often linked to confusion about deadlines, logistics and election procedures. Eventbrite is making a commitment to leveraging its community and platform to get out the vote this November with our 'Ticket to Vote' campaign." "...To deliver on this goal, we’re partnering with HeadCount, a non-partisan organization that registers voters at concerts and events..." More details in article. More Media News about HeadCount Vote for/with Your Favorite Bands Here are unsettling, mind-awakening anthems that range and rage from hopeless to hopeful. Take in their messages when you’re waiting on line at your polling place…or anytime…REMEMBER: You and I are part of the solution... 10 Election-Themed Hot 100 Hits (2016) (with links) 10 Timeless Political Songs for Election Day (2018) (with links) 10 PROTEST SONGS THAT REMIND US WHY VOTING IS SO IMPORTANT (2018) (with links) Rock List: Readers’ Best Protest Songs (RollingStone 2008) (list of 25 but no links) #music #humor #politics #HeadCount #vote #elections #ElieWiesel #BobWeir

Posted 8/27/23 Snapped this "handiwork"...underground art...on the dock before a recent tai chi session with some friends at Hempstead Lake State Park. Immediately, I thought of A.J. at Witches Brew Coffee House in West Hempstead. Besides being a Superb BrewMeister, this "youngster" is my SME: Subject Matter Expert on all things related to a certain band we both dig...He's also introducing me to Phishing... This past week, Smokey the Conservative Conservationist Park Ranger Bear erased the former art work that graced this railing... : (((( GONE...But not forgotten...There's hope... This next message appears on a light pole by Witches Brew. I always liked it's defiant message...BUT, after "A.J." was erased, I'm seeing the message in a new way... "Social media will outlive underground art" No matter how it "a piers"...this social media post is keepin' the A.J. vibe ALIVE! Teach a man to PHISH A.J. has been encouraging this ol' "friend of Jerry" (me) to take up Phishing - Yeah, you read it right. It's not that I'm a FUN-LESS-damentalist and ONLY follow the Dead (Hmm...OR, are they following ME???). In my youth, I enjoyed NRPS - New Riders of the Purple Sage. In case you "have two good eyes but still don't see" - I did NOT type "Purple HAZE." "Jimi crack corn and I don't care..." The New Riders would open for the Dead in cool places like the Manhattan Center Ballroom on 34th Street in NYC. One "deep and dark December" (i.e., winter) My friends and I were on 34th Street waiting to get admitted (I know what you're thinking...You're mistaken, Bellevue Hospital in on the East Side). As we waited for the doors to open, the heavens broke out into a thunder and lightning display complete with cold rain and snow. One of our fellow Deadheads exclaimed, "WOW! Their light show even works OUTSIDE!" One of the HIGHlights of these NRPS/GD events was the seamless transition from NRPS to DEAD. One-by-one, the Riders sloooooowly turned and left the stage and were replaced by the walking Dead. In our "state of heightened awareness," we thought it was pure magic... And, to support my case that I don't follow any other jam bands, I also really dig LI's premier Dead cover crew: Half Step - see post link at the end. All this to my credit...I never waded into the Phish waters...As I said above, I'll be listening to this "new" band and "dewing" a post to share my catches...That said, because I have so many draft posts pending, I'll drop a few lines here in this post's waters... Door-to-Door for Jerry (Jerryovah Witnesses) A Public Service Announcement: Not like other bears... Borrowing the vibe from "Scarlet Begonias" I press on... OKAY, I guess ol' Smokey at Hempstead Lake's got to play his tune straight and narrow...BUT, some Madison Avenue Madmen (admen) he found a way to still have some fun: Smokey Bear's Wildfire Prevention: The Grateful Dead (1983) Ad Council Radio PSA (01:01) PSA 1973 - Smokey the Bear with Joanna Cassidy (00:47) Now, on the other hand there are these other bears... Bear Dancing to the Grateful Dead (02:56) Grateful Dead Dancing Bears (00:16) Bear sighting in West Hempstead Today (8/20/23) as I was returned from a "Come to Jesus" event in Malverne (post to follow), I spotted this bright sign advertising a lemonade stand and garage sale...So, because I enjoy meeting and helping young entrepreneurs, I wandered in. The mint lemonade was terrific. The adult homeowner invited me in to look around. As we chit-chatted, I learned that he was from Egypt. This figures into what happened next. I spot this cool tie-dyed bear and it was love at first sight. I showed him and nearby family members, that I had to have Beanie the Bear because of a certain band I follow...OR, follows me??? To illustrate this, I show them by dancing bears mask on my belt clip. And pointed to the Grateful Dad bear on my tee. Not sure they got my point...so, I figured there was no point in telling them about Egypt '78 and the Dead's "trip" to the Great Pyramids. Introduction to Phishing First...a sign from heaven via Anderson Windows...Every so often when I open a specific kitchen window...this image appears on our driveway...See "further" down this post for takin' off the limitations imposed by a SPECIFIC window... Some days it comes complete with halo...aura...energy field... It resembles one of the symbols on my wedding band...Eileen's has two different signs on hers. See, she's also "not like other girls..." I'm blessed!!! FYI - That's a Half Step poster in the background. And this next is a Phish poster...or at least their logo...Looks like it belongs in "Yellow Submarine"...More art follows... Intro: Phish's music blends elements of a wide variety of genres[4] including funk, reggae, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, folk, country, jazz, blues, bluegrass, electronic music, and pop.[2][5] The band is part of a movement of improvisational rock groups, inspired by the format of the Grateful Dead's live performances and colloquially known as "jam bands", that gained considerable popularity as touring concert acts in the 1990s.[6][7] Phish has developed a large and dedicated following by word of mouth, the exchange of live recordings, and selling over 8 million albums and DVDs in the United States.[8] SOURCE: Wikipedia PHISH NET They regularly give back...Here's a current example: Phish adds two flood recovery benefit concerts to help Vermont and NY: How to get tickets - Burlington, VT Free Press [from article] "The rock band will play two shows at the Broadview Stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY, where 100% of proceeds from shows and merchandise will go to the WaterWheel Foundation’s 2023 Flood Recovery Fund." Phish Music Readers’ Poll: The 10 Best Phish Songs - Rolling Stone --All song links in this article worked except one...so, I've included it below: 1.6 Divided Sky - 1996-08-16 | The Clifford Ball, Platsburgh, NY (16:46) The words and the setting reminded me of several rock classics... The Doors - Music Video - Break on Through (Remix) (03:42) Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit Live Woodstock 1969 Original video (03:01) "Look out of ANY window..." This next find (Bruce Hornsby - way down below) is why I love my job - the DISCovery of new ideas, new music, new ways of SEEING... On my way to find a specific Grateful Dead tune about "look out of any window"...I uncovered this wonder-filled tune. As I watched the singer tell his tale, I thought that I had seen Bruce playing Dead...See, I'm still discovering this band from my youth... I meant to say, "Playing with the Dead"... To hell with those naysayers who say: Bruce's song that follows - "Look Out Any Window" - is both a tribute to the men and women who work with their hands to feed us AND a wake up call to all of us about the destruction of this Earth that nourishes us... ...ANY window... Window #1 Bruce Hornsby, The Range - Look Out Any Window (05:31) "Box of Rain" - another with "look out of any window..." "Box of Rain" is a song by the Grateful Dead, from their 1970 album American Beauty. The song was composed by bassist Phil Lesh and lyricist Robert Hunter, and sung by Lesh. In later years, the song was a favorite and the crowd would shout "Let Phil sing!" to hear the song.[1] "Box of Rain" is a song that is drawn from American folk and country musical roots. This is true of many Grateful Dead tunes, and most of the songs on American Beauty and their other 1970 release Workingman's Dead. As the first song on American Beauty, it was also the first Grateful Dead song released on record to feature Phil Lesh as the lead vocalist.[2][3] The song also featured two musicians who are not in the band. Dave Torbert played bass, while Lesh played acoustic guitar. David Nelson (of New Riders of the Purple Sage) plays the lead guitar with a Fender Telecaster, while Jerry Garcia plays the piano. Bob Weir sings harmony with Lesh and Garcia. Source: Wikipedia (more links in article) Enjoy the playfulness of the band... Window #2 The Grateful Dead-Box of Rain-Shoreline Amphitheatre 1989 (06:30) Window #3 Steve Forbert - "Box Of Rain" (Official Music Video) (05:11) "There’s nothing like an old truck to start off a video, especially if you’re reaching back in time to begin with. Last year I recorded “Box of Rain” along with ten other favorites and called the collection Early Morning Rain. If you like this version of the Grateful Dead classic, you’ll like the mood of my album. Supposedly composer Phil Lesh wrote the melody to express the loss of his father. This was the first song he ever wrote! Honoring our Dead...Living and Dead... Bruce Hornsby Inducts the Grateful Dead into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1994 (06:33) This next video clip and this scene followed the above induction video in my search results...It shows that they're still clowning around like their Merry Pranksters roots... Grateful Dead Accept Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Award at 1994 Inductions (04:40) Look who's in the audience: This came up in some search results so I had to find a place for it. This is pretty close to how my brother Mike's '61 surf van looked. My '65 was GREEN...like the ocean... Who was Kilroy that was mentioned at the beginning of this trip? How 'Kilroy Was Here' Was the First Meme Ever (10:09) The World War II meme that circled the world - Vox (02:07) For FURTHUR exploration... Curious about the Grateful Dead but not willing to take a WHOLE step? Take a HALF STEP... Takin' it to the Street Artists-1: Jesse Kreuzer...Mural, mural on the wall... Takin' it to the street Artists-2: Ross Clark...Mural, mural on the wall... This next clip highlights part of my youth...my VW Bus...hanging out with other "bozos on the bus...and more. Rightfully so, this is a "Grate" example of rolling Americana street art... Greatest Tour Buses - FURTHUR (2004) (03:22) #music #humor #AJ #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse #StreetArt #HempsteadLakeStatePark #GratefulDead #PhilLesh #Phish #SmokeyTheBear #GratefulDeadDancingBears #HalfStepBand #TheDoors #JimMorrison #JeffersonAirplane #BruceHornsby #RockAndRollHallOfFame #Kilroy #RossClark #JesseKreuzer #SteveForbert #FurthurBus

Donna "K", Birthday Greetings! “Initially” I thought of sending you a serious card…But…😁…something got a hold on me…put a “spell” on me… It was fun celebrating your birthday this week at Witches Brew Coffee House - a place where we are always greeted by the beautiful and tasty dessert displays!!! As Nanny, my Irish grandmother used to say: "Life's short...Eat dessert first..." Main Course...May I take your order...or your picture? Mel Brooks History of the World - Last Supper (01:55) Let's "B" glad there are only "10"... Next, Invitations... "B" sure to invite a “bunch” of your friends to your party. I took the liberty of sending out invitations to the gang... Donkey Kong 64: Monkey Rap Song Intro Birthdays don't have to "B" repetitious...But, they should "B" Here’s a 60’s influenced greeting from you know who. Oh! And to their existential question: “Do I have do this all over again?” Say, “YES!!!” The Monkees - Happy Birthday / Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again? (HD 1968) But “B” glad you’re birthday isn’t February 2nd and you're asked that same question 🤔 Groundhog Day (1993) - Groundhog Day... Again Scene (2/8) | Movieclips 70’s…Electrical Bananas… Donovan in Concert - Mellow Yellow Blame it on Bette or Keith or Mel or Steve or the Bossa Nova or Rio... …but I think my association with horror & music maven Keith Crocker is starting to affect my judgment…🤔 AND I’m… Glad All Over Dave Clark Five COLOR Widescreen “I Put A Spell On You” By Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker & Kathy Najimy | Hocus Pocus “B” come as a little child… Let’s imagine a kid’s science-themed birthday party and instead of inviting Bozo the Clown or Bill Murray, we’ll invite Bill Nye the Science Guy: How to peel bananas Look out, “L” “I” “L” “C” “O”…"P" "S" "E" & "G"... How to create a simple electric generator from a Banana Health Education Class for us older "children" The Nerds: Nerd Prom - SNL (08:22) Environmental Science Class Let's "B" sure to peel back the outer humor and pay attention to the serious message inside these and the rest of the lyrics: "...I look out my window, but I can't see the sky 'Cos the air pollution is fogging up my eyes I want to get out of this city alive And make like an ape man..." Apeman - The Kinks (Music Video) (02:48) Tooth "D" "K"...Dental Hygiene Class Leader of the Plaque... Little Shop of Horrors - Dentist Song (02:32) “P”. “S”. Thematically relevant… Or, “I” “C” the 💡 Bananas - Official Trailer - Woody Allen Movie The Three Stooges Monkey Businessmen (1946) Full Episodes #92 (18:15) "There's a Grateful Dead song for every occasion" ...so says Steve - a friend and fellow surfer - who introduced me to my career profession - which he affectionately called: "Playing with cars" - With my friend Brian at a Half Step show at the Malverne "L" "I" "R" "R" station in Oct. 2022... Monkey and the Engineer Halloween and New Year's Eve are "high" holy days for Deadheads...extra magic and mystery in the air...All Aboard...and never bored... Grateful Dead - Monkey And The Engineer - 10/31/1980 - Radio City Music Hall (03:39) Adieu, ma cheri... Okay, "I’ve been in my mind…it’s such a fine mind"…and it just brought something SIRIUS into this greeting... "SERIOUSly"...As I “C” it, this next song describes how people who know “U”, feel about “U”…😘 Sesame Street: "U" Really Got A Hold On Me Enjoy being “U”! tOM #Donna #music #humor #DonkeyKong #MelBrooks #HistoryOfTheWorldPart1 #TheMonkees #BillMurray #GroundhogDay #Donovan #DaveClarkFive #BetteMidler #HocusPocus #TheKinks #SNL #SaturdayNightLive #SteveMartin #LittleShopOfHorrors #SiriusBlack #HarryPotter #HalfStepBand #SesameStreet #SmokeyRobinson #GratefulDead #SteveB #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse #10Commandments #Brian

Tuesday April 25 7-8 PM @ Roosevelt School of LIU Brookville, NY Note: After clicking the RSVP Link below, there's a place on the form to enter our questions for this presenter. It has an unspecified character limit. About 200 characters? RSVP Link: 'Yellowstone' Star Mo Brings Plenty Wants to Pave The Way for Future Native Actors (Oct. 2022) Why I'm learning and writing about this topic and other forms of racism A few years ago, Eileen and I had the good fortune to be introduced to Multicultural Solidarity of Long Island and their Friendship Circles. During one of these meetings, we were invited to sit in circle with members of the Shinnecock Nation at their home on the East End of LI. This face-to-face encounter began a heart-opening awareness of a chapter of our American history that I was never taught. And this led me to become a student - so I could learn and pass along the stories of what really happened as a result of colonization. This same heart transformation is occurring through our participation with members of Long Island's Baha'i Fellowship. We met this wonderful group of people through the Multicultural folks. As I've written in other posts, our Baha'i gatherings in peoples' homes and at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park enable us to meet with members of other races who have been and still are mistreated because people with white skin think they that their white skin pigmentation makes them superior. For me, the biggest impact is happening as I share space with my fellow human travelers...hear their personal stories...share a meal with them...laugh and cry with them...These close encounters are much more powerful than simply reading a book or watching a documentary about the various forms of discrimination. Come join us... Long Island's Indigenous: Thunderbird Sisters - Music & Activism from the Shinnecock Nation Sunday May 21 5-6 PM Doors open at 4 Latest Flyer: Sponsored by Hampton's Community Outreach. It's a free event but HCO will be pleased to accept any and all donations to support their home renovation projects on the Shinnecock Reservation. You can read more about in an article a little further down this post's path... Easy, convenient parking on this sacred place held by some other mindful ladies - the Sisters of St. Joseph (they taught me in grammar school in Richmond Hill, NY. I meet here in a monthly circle with Men2Men - guys simply sharing the journey TOGETHER. After our April 2023 circle, I wandered some around the grounds - which include a solar array, labyrinth, chickens, and more. Coming soon: Thera Farm's organic farm. I did a post last August about it. ...and have others planned...especially after wandering around their "cosmic walk"... I've been getting to know some members of this Long Island indigenous nation through my participation with the Multicultural Solidarity of Long Island's regular Friendship Circles. You can read about them here - post includes contact info. Thunder Bird Sisters - the Briar and the Rose (03:28) --Native American/Shinnecock based singers performing at Sag Harbor Music Festival 2021 ...a sad tale about the interconnectedness of joy and sorrow... Long Island Music Hall of Fame/Inductees Source As noted above, these valiant warriors don't just sing... Shinnecock Nation Asserts Sovereignty At Sunrise Highway Encampment WSHU Public Radio (2020) --another in the ongoing struggles about whose land is it...and the resulting "LAND BACK" initiatives... Hampton's Community Outreach 2022 Benefit Concert Featuring Thunderbird Sisters and Starlight Tyler --Join us Thanksgiving weekend and Native American Heritage month for The Song Bird Series, featuring Thunderbird Sisters and a guest performance by singer/songwriter, humanitarian, and Native American Music Awards (NAMMY) nominee, Starlight Tyler. At 5:00 PM, the Thunderbird Sisters and Starlight Tyler will perform original songs and classic covers. Coinciding with the concert is a silent auction which will be live for bidding and on view at The Church starting at 12 PM. This program is a celebration of the Native American culture, and all ticket proceeds will go to benefit Hamptons Community Outreach’s efforts to end the housing crisis on the Shinnecock reservation. So far, HCO has renovated and repaired 22 homes within the Shinnecock territory. Doors for the concert open at 4:30 PM. When speaking on their music, The Thunderbird Sisters share, “May our songs, our words and our actions seek and realize justice, that we might one day live together in Peace on Good Mother Earth.” Conscience Point Film - PBS (11/18/19) --Directed by Treva Wurmfeld A Native American activist fights to protect her tribe from the onslaughts of development in the Hamptons. About the Documentary Beneath the mystique of The Hamptons, among the wealthiest zip codes in the U.S., lies the history of the area’s original inhabitants, the Shinnecock Indian Nation, who were edged off their land over the course of hundreds of years, relocated to an impoverished reservation, and condemned to watch their sacred burial grounds plowed to make way for mega-mansions and marquee attractions like the exclusive Shinnecock Hills Golf Club–five-time host of the U.S. Open and literally carved out of a sacred Shinnecock burial ground. Conscience Point tracks this fractured history alongside the spirited path of one woman determined to make a stand: Shinnecock activist Rebecca “Becky” Hill-Genia who, together with other determined tribal members and allies, has waged a relentless, years-long battle to protect the land and her tribe’s cultural heritage from the ravages of development and displacement. Now both the Shinnecock Nation and town residents face a new challenge; the onslaught of elite newcomers who threaten the very place they intend to cherish. Just what the truth is we can't tell any more...b/c we weren't told...BUT, that's changin'... Elder's Dos and Don'ts checklist About Native American Issues and stereotypes - White Wolf Pack --The post's thumbnail image (also shown below) came from this article addressed to all who teach... With G-d on our Side: The Doctrine of Discovery, unHoly Roman Empire & other matters... (from intro) Travelers: The facts and comments about them contained herein DO NOT apply to the WHOLE class of religious organizations of all types. However, they DO apply to all those in every corner of our shared world that invoke THEIR version of G-d to justify ANY injustice toward ANY other fellow human being. Also from this post: We were planting corn and they were planting crosses." ~ Faithkeeper Oren Lyons You can LEARN MORE about this Onondaga Nation wisdom elder online. Here's one article that I liked...you'll see why... Sean Kirst: 'It put us in a terrible bind': Six Nations elder Oren Lyons on church 'Doctrine of Discovery' - April 3, 2023 Article includes: Doctrine of Discovery - Oren Lyons (05:59) And this 1971 photo: King Clave | Planet Drum ft. Mickey Hart | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (02:48) --This PFC around-the-world DRUM CIRCLE includes a native dancer from Arizona. I just found out that one of the Thunderbird Sisters also digs Playing for Change. If you dig drums, beat it : ))).....No, STAY and check out the "Drum Therapy" section in this recent post. Related Posts Kill the Indian, Save the Man International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples - Aug. 9 Getting to know you - 2: Local/National Indigenous...from their hearts & lips & drums... With G-d on our Side: The Doctrine of Discovery, unHoly Roman Empire & other matters... #music #humor #MoBringsPlenty #ThunderbirdSisters #indigenous #LIU #ShinnecockNation #OrenLyons #JohnLennon #YokoOno #LongIslandMusicHallOfFame #PlayingForChange #MickeyHart #MulticulturalSolidarityOfLongIslandFriendshipCircles #Men2Men #TheraFarms #BahaiFellowship

…in the store…on my table…and now, in my body… This evening, Eileen and I will be feasting with friends from Multicultural Solidarity of LI's Friendship Circles & a LI contingent of members of the Baha'i's. I have written about these wonderful change-makers in other posts. See links at end of the post. Around the horn…on this morning’s breakfast table: Coconut wraps from the Philippines Guacamole from Mexico Kimchi from Korea Hummus from the Mideast Cultured coconut from the tropics Sardines in olive oil from the world’s seas Dates rolled in coconut A cornucopia of PRO-biotic foods…Supporting LIFE! To my Multicultural Solidarity of LI Friendship Circles & Baha'i Fellowship Friends: Looking forward to breaking bread and foods of many nations with each of you this evening… Who’s Driving the Bus? Notice the gender… HONDA: 4-Wheel Version Who doesn’t love the Honda Accord? #carmemes #cars #honda #humor (00:47) Note: It's only 16 seconds then repeats...Hmm...Stuck in 1st gear? The car salesman closes his monologue with a play-on-words mention of "eisigesis." For a serious inquiry into HOW scholars and others take original material from oral and written sources and then present it to us through one of more filters, try searching for these terms: exegesis eisegesis hermeneutics Remember, one of these filters...IS US. I was introduced to this perspective by my Franciscan guru: Fr. Richard Rohr. Recognizing Our Biases - Center for Action and Contemplation This was part of a week-long series entitled "How We See." Learning How to See: Weekly Summary (contains links to full meditation texts for the week) HONDA: 2-Wheelin’ Live Little Honda - The Beach Boys (01:51) Video with fun Honda images The Beach Boys - Little Honda (01:47) HONDA: TUNERS Our car salesman said that even young kids dig "tuners." Here's a visual meaning of this car class...or, classy cars...C'mon, we've all seen these guys...Revving it up at the RED light...to see who can get to the next RED light FIRST. Cars Tuner Scene & Fast Furious Civic Scene (01:16) --Shown in the video, New Dock St is by Terminal Island in LA. Hey, LA is where the car culture began... For more food...Oops...for more information Multicultural Solidarity of LI (Facebook) The Bahá'í Faith - On Long Island FROM MY POSTS Getting to know you...Places to experience our connectedness... “The most radical thing we can do…is to introduce people to one another.” --Building Bridges of Brookhaven This post provides highlights and contact information for both Multicultural Solidarity & Baha'i plus a lot of helpful resources...and, of course...A LOT OF MUSIC to help us experience our inter-connectivity. I've included information about both groups in other posts. Just search for "Multicultural Solidarity" or "Baha'i" . I love the MCS logo and wear my pin wherever I go...It has started some interesting conversations...Most recent was two days ago in my local post office. Woman asked about it and took a photo of the button and ten we shared stories for over a half hour. Post Post Script Why I'm learning and writing about this topic and other forms of racism A few years ago, Eileen and I had the good fortune to be introduced to Multicultural Solidarity of Long Island and their Friendship Circles. During one of these meetings, we were invited to sit in circle with members of the Shinnecock Nation at their home on the East End of LI. This face-to-face encounter began a heart-opening awareness of a chapter of our American history that I was never taught. And this led me to become a student - so I could learn and pass along the stories of what really happened as a result of colonization. This same heart transformation is occurring through our participation with members of Long Island's Baha'i Fellowship. We met this wonderful group of people through the Multicultural folks. As I've written in other posts, our Baha'i gatherings in peoples' homes and at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park enable us to meet with members of other races who have been and still are mistreated because people with white skin think they that their white skin pigmentation makes them superior. For me, the biggest impact is happening as I share space with my fellow human travelers...hear their personal stories...share a meal with them...laugh and cry with them...These close encounters are much more powerful than simply reading a book or watching a documentary about the various forms of discrimination. Come join us... #music #humor #food #Jesus #cars #motorcycles #tuners #Honda #BeachBoys #RichardRohr #AnaisNin #Accord #BahaiFellowship #MulticulturalSolidarityOfLongIslandFriendshipCircles

UPDATED: 8/22/23 Travelers: The facts and comments about them contained herein DO NOT apply to the WHOLE class of religious organizations of all types. However, they DO apply to all those in every corner of our shared world that invoke THEIR version of G-d to justify ANY injustice toward ANY other fellow human being. Why I'm learning and writing about this topic and other forms of racism A few years ago, Eileen and I had the good fortune to be introduced to Multicultural Solidarity of Long Island and their Friendship Circles. During one of these meetings, we were invited to sit in circle with members of the Shinnecock Nation at their home on the East End of LI. This face-to-face encounter began a heart-opening awareness of a chapter of our American history that I was never taught. And this led me to become a student - so I could learn and pass along the stories of what really happened as a result of colonization. This same heart transformation is occurring through our participation with members of Long Island's Baha'i Fellowship. We met this wonderful group of people through the Multicultural folks. As I've written in other posts, our Baha'i gatherings in peoples' homes and at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park enable us to meet with members of other races who have been and still are mistreated because people with white skin think they that their white skin pigmentation makes them superior. For me, the biggest impact is happening as I share space with my fellow human travelers...hear their personal stories...share a meal with them...laugh and cry with them...These close encounters are much more powerful than simply reading a book or watching a documentary about the various forms of discrimination. Come join us... Backstory At the recent (Jan. 9, 2023) Town of Hempstead public hearing on the proposed redistricting maps (i.e., gerrymandering), an older black woman began her remarks by stating how communities of color are weakened and impoverished by filling them with churches and liquor stores… Several who spoke talked about how this redrawing of boundary lines is yet another "land grab" which would move profitable commercial areas from their current districts into new ones. Only have 14 minutes? Click here for an animated discovery of facts that most of us were never told and still aren't being told to many of our young, as a grandfather tells his young grandson facts about how our country took lands that belonged to others, justifying these thefts by the Doctrine of Discovery... Prefer to listen to music that speaks to these matters? Scroll down to the end of this post... 313 A.D. Creation of an Unholy Alliance of Religion & Power…of G-d & Money… I first learned about the Doctrine of Discovery from my Franciscan teacher Richard Rohr. In order to understand how it was created and justified, Richard described a necessary preliminary step: the alliance in 313 A.D. between the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire - when Emperor Constantine decreed that the Catholic Church was the official religion of the Empire. “Convert or die!”..."Your land in now our land"... now had enforcement powers. And, most importantly, the Church’s perspective switched from a view from the bottom to a view from the top. Richard Rohr's Meditation: The View from the Bottom Intro to the Doctrine of Discovery Doctrineofdiscovery.org (1 minute read) "We were planting corn and they were planting crosses." ~ Faithkeeper Oren Lyons (from the article) The Doctrines of Christian Discovery (DoCD) originate with 15th century Papal Bulls that were issued by the Vatican and implemented by Monarchies, sanctioning the brutal Conquest and Colonization of non-Christians who were deemed “enemies of Christ” in Africa and the Americas. These Papal Bulls were a continuation of what had been going on since at least the 8th century from Charlemagne, through the Crusades, the Inquisition, the war on witches, to the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula. In 1823, the “Doctrine of Discovery” was first articulated as a legal formulation in U.S. Supreme Court case, Johnson v. M’Intosh in 1823. As this case fundamentally defines international property law today, it continues to be used by multi-national corporations and Nation-States in their extraction of resources in indigenous territories around the world. The global scale with which the DoCD expressed itself in the “Age of Discovery”—first in Africa, then the Americas, and beyond—created a unified Christendom, which became the opposing force against the great global plurality of cultures. This Doctrine governs United States and international law today and has been cited as recently as 2005 in the decision City Of Sherrill V. Oneida Indian Nation Of N.Y. Indigenous Views of our Natural World The following short reflection from the Center for Action and Contemplation, presents an indigenous view of nature, includes words from Sarah Augustine, a Tewa woman from New Mexico. She is the author of The Land Is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery (Herald Press: 2021), 190, 192. Reverencing Creation and Creator Doctrine of Discovery Facebook Group Briefly looking around, I noticed that the aforementioned Sarah Augustine is the Executive Director of this organization. From a November post that seems to provide a visual for my opening remarks… (from this Nov. 27, 2022 post) Don't fall into the trap of believing your religion is the only way to the Creator. Religion can be quite a trap. Rituals, rites, and rules enable people to feel spiritual, when they really are not. They can, in fact, limit the growth of consciousness, quenching the spirit. Creator is bigger than any religion and cannot be contained in a building nor by the commandments of men. We were all humans until race disconnected us, until politics divided us, until wealth classified us, and until religion separated us. "Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." - Seneca Unitarian Universalist: the Doctrine of Discovery Here is a UU link to understanding the Doctrine of Discovery. It includes a 14-minute explanatory video and links for further "discovery"...This is the same link that was included at the top of this post. What is the Doctrine of Discovery? (14:00) Richard Rohr’s July 2022 Meeting with Pope Francis Statement from Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM after meeting Pope Francis (from the article) Sitting across from each other, I shared with him about what God has done in my life – from my beginning as a charismatic learning the healing power of heart-based devotional prayer, to confronting the social justice issues of our time through my travels around the world, to founding an organization for the teaching of action and contemplation. I consider putting those two back together to be the historic and singular opportunity we have in this moment.” Of course, most of my own teaching years are now behind me. I am in the twilight of my own life. Yet I remain utterly convinced of the message that led me to found the Center for Action and Contemplation nearly 35 years ago: the rediscovery of the contemplative roots of Christianity is the key to the future of our faith. The teaching of the contemplative mind gets to the heart of the matter because it changes consciousness, and thus transforms how we relate to ourselves, each other, and God. I believe it is the key to experiencing what Jesus calls “metanoia” and St. Paul refers to as the “new mind.” Jesus modeled it, and the desert mothers and fathers in Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Cappadocia understood and cultivated it. It was taught systematically in monasteries for centuries. It is a treasure of our Christian tradition. Want to Learn More? Multicultural Solidarity Friendship Circles of L.I. Facebook Page --They are a local resource and can help you find groups Town of Islip Baha'i Fellowship Eileen and I have been participating in these wonderful multicultural, multi-ethnic gatherings - a few where we sat in circle at Long Island's Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park in Great River. We meet and often eat together to consider how WE can do more than merely coexist...HOW we can flourish, as we join our diverse backgrounds into the melting pot others have envisioned. IT IS POSSIBLE!!! Reading through this Wikipedia article, I learned that Buffy Sainte-Marie was a friend of the Baha'i Fellowship. See next section for more about her life and work. If you're curious about either of these opportunities, please email me: ttittmann@icloud.com unHOLY JUSTIFICATION War Cries I'm now wondering where these musical prophets learned these lessons "so long ago"... With G-d on our Side – Bob Dylan (12:13) 1963 --includes historical footage of what we've justified because we claimed G-d was on OUR side... Ghost Dance - Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble (05:08) Circa 1870 --you may remember Robbie from his time with The Band --video contains memorable photographs of these noble people along with the injustices they suffered because they didn't have OUR G-d on THEIR side... Buffy Sainte-Marie - My Country Tis of Thy People You're Dying (06:43) (1964) --Buffy Sainte-Marie performing "My Country Tis of Thy People You're Dying" as Pete Seeger watches her mournful and powerful tale of theft and murder (From Pete's Rainbow Quest) Reflections and lyrics below... Ghost Dance (the words are in RED letters) Crow has brought the message to the children of the sun or the return of the buffalo and for a better day to come You can kill my body You can damn my soul for not believing in your god and some world down below You don't stand a chance against my prayers You don't stand a chance against my love They outlawed the Ghost Dance but we shall live again, we shall live again My sister above She has red paint She died at Wounded Knee like a later day saint You got the big drum in the distance blackbird in the sky That's the sound that you hear when the buffalo cry You don't stand a chance against my prayers You don't stand a chance against my love They outlawed the Ghost Dance but we shall live again, we shall live again Crazy Horse was a mystic He knew the secret of the trance And Sitting Bull the great apostle of the Ghost Dance Come on Comanche Come on Blackfoot Come on Shoshone Come on Cheyenne We shall live again Come on Arapaho Come on Cherokee Come on Paiute Come on Sioux We shall live again Ghost Dance (Wikipedia) My Country ’tis of Thy People You’re Dying: Buffy Sainte-Marie (footnotes are in the "CreeLiteracy.org" link below Article also contains the words in the Plains Cree language) (the words are in RED letters) [1] Now that your big eyes are finally opened. (2) Now that you’re wondering, “How must they feel?” meaning them that you’ve chased across Canada’s movie screens. Now that you’re wondering, “How can it be real?” that the ones you’ve called colorful, noble and proud in your school propaganda, They starve in their splendor. You ask for our comment, I simply will render: [refrain] My country ’tis of thy people you’re dying. [2] Now that the longhouses "breed superstition" (3) you force us to send our children away to your schools where they’re taught to despise their traditions. (4) Forbid them their languages; (5) then further say that Canada’s history really began when explorers set sail out of Europe (6) and stress that the nations of leeches who conquered these lands were the biggest, and bravest, and boldest, and best. [refrain] My country ’tis of thy people you’re dying. [3] And yet where in your history books is the tale of the genocide7 basic to this country’s birth? Of the preachers who lied? And the people who died? How a nation of patriots returned to their earth?(8) And where does it tell of the starvation hell as the children were herded, and raped and converted? (9) And how do we rescue the missing and murdered? (10) [refrain] My country ‘tis of thy people you’re dying. [4] A few of the conquered have somehow survived Their blood runs the redder though genes have been paled. From Arctic Inuvik to Niagara Falls the wounded, the losers, the robbed sing their tale. From Vancouver Island to the Labrador Sea the white nations fattened while others grew lean. (11) Oh the tricked and evicted they know what I mean:
 (12) [refrain] My country ‘tis of thy people you’re dying. [5] The past it just crumbled; the future just threatens Our life blood is shut up in your papers and banks,
 (13) And now here you come, bill of sale in your hand and surprise in your eyes, that we’re lacking in thanks for the blessings of civilization you brought us. The lessons you’ve taught us. The ruin you’ve wrought us. Oh see what our trust in O Canada got us. [refrain] My country ‘tis of thy people you’re dying. [6] Now that the rivers are dumps for your chemicals Now that the forests are dead like the moon Now that my life’s to be known as your heritage. Now that even the graves have been robbed. Now that our own sacred way is your novelty (14) Hands on our hearts we salute you your victory: Choke on your true white and scarlet hypocrisy. Pity your blindness – how you never see that the eagles of war whose wings lend you glory are never no more than buzzards and crows: Push some wrens from their nest; steal their eggs; change their story. The mockingbird sings it: It’s all that she knows. “Aw what could I do?” say a powerful few with a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye: (15) Can’t you see that their poverty’s profiting you? [refrain] My country ‘tis of thy people you’re dying. Source: CreeLiteracy.org (from this article) The legendary Buffy Sainte-Marie wrote this song during the civil rights movement in the 60s. She has called it, “Indian 101 for people who’ve been denied the real history.” It’s an anthem to decolonization, and its razor-sharp words describe an Indigenous reality that has changed remarkably little in over half a century since. This single, powerful song, packs a whole master class in Indigenous Awareness. With God on Our Side Written by: Bob Dylan Oh my name it is nothin’ My age it means less The country I come from Is called the Midwest I’s taught and brought up there The laws to abide And that the land that I live in Has God on its side Oh the history books tell it They tell it so well The cavalries charged The Indians fell The cavalries charged The Indians died Oh the country was young With God on its side Oh the Spanish-American War had its day And the Civil War too Was soon laid away And the names of the heroes l’s made to memorize With guns in their hands And God on their side Oh the First World War, boys It closed out its fate The reason for fighting I never got straight But I learned to accept it Accept it with pride For you don’t count the dead When God’s on your side When the Second World War Came to an end We forgave the Germans And we were friends Though they murdered six million In the ovens they fried The Germans now too Have God on their side I’ve learned to hate Russians All through my whole life If another war starts It’s them we must fight To hate them and fear them To run and to hide And accept it all bravely With God on my side But now we got weapons Of the chemical dust If fire them we’re forced to Then fire them we must One push of the button And a shot the world wide And you never ask questions When God’s on your side Through many dark hour I’ve been thinkin’ about this That Jesus Christ Was betrayed by a kiss But I can’t think for you You’ll have to decide Whether Judas Iscariot Had God on his side So now as I’m leavin’ I’m weary as Hell The confusion I’m feelin’ Ain’t no tongue can tell The words fill my head And fall to the floor If God’s on our side He’ll stop the next war Source: BobDylan.com Related Posts International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples - Aug. 9 Kill the Indian, Save the Man Getting to know you - 2: Local/National Indigenous...from their hearts & lips & drums... #music #DoctrineOfDiscovery #313AD #Constantine #CatholicChurch #RichardRohr #CAC #CenterForActionAndContemplation #PopeFrancis #UnitarianUniversalist #TownOfHempstead #indigenous #BobDylan #RobbieRobertson #TheRedRoadEnsemble #GhostDance #BuffySainteMarie #PeteSeeger #MulticulturalSolidarityOfLongIslandFriendshipCircles #ShinnecockNation

BREAKING NEWS The Vatican repudiates 'Doctrine of Discovery,' which was used to justify colonialism - npr Mar. 30, 2023 Atrocities were done to Canada's indigenous children. At 08:19 in this next video, the reporter covering this visit says that their biggest surprise was finding how FEW people knew about the Doctrine of Discovery... ...That's a major reason for posts like this and the ones listed below... Why I'm learning and writing about this topic and other forms of racism A few years ago, Eileen and I had the good fortune to be introduced to Multicultural Solidarity of Long Island and their Friendship Circles. During one of these meetings, we were invited to sit in circle with members of the Shinnecock Nation at their home on the East End of LI. This face-to-face encounter began a heart-opening awareness of a chapter of our American history that I was never taught. And this led me to become a student - so I could learn and pass along the stories of what really happened as a result of colonization. This same heart transformation is occurring through our participation with members of Long Island's Baha'i Fellowship. We met this wonderful group of people through the Multicultural folks. As I've written in other posts, our Baha'i gatherings in peoples' homes and at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park enable us to meet with members of other races who have been and still are mistreated because people with white skin think they that their white skin pigmentation makes them superior. For me, the biggest impact is happening as I share space with my fellow human travelers...hear their personal stories...share a meal with them...laugh and cry with them...These close encounters are much more powerful than simply reading a book or watching a documentary about the various forms of discrimination. Come join us... Pope Francis visits Canada's indigenous and apologizes... Pope's visit in 11 minutes: Indigenous people react with hope, disappointment and calls for action - CBC News (11:50) Pope says genocide took place in Canada's residential school system CBC News July 2022 Pope Francis visit to Canada - a day-by-day itinerary - Wikipedia While a long overdue first step, much healing needs to follow... "We were planting corn and they were planting crosses." ~ Faithkeeper Oren Lyons Sean Kirst: 'It put us in a terrible bind': Six Nations elder Oren Lyons on church 'Doctrine of Discovery' - The Buffalo News (2023) [from this article] While cautiously pleased by what finally happened this week, he joins many indigenous scholars and activists in saying the announcement does not go nearly far enough, and that it should openly concede church complicity in centuries of cruelties involving native people. Still, Lyons was not sure he would ever see any church recognition, at all, of such damage. He recalled how Francis faced repeated calls last year to renounce the Doctrine of Discovery during a visit to Canada – following chilling disclosures of unmarked burials at old church-run residential schools, which tried to forcibly strip native children of their culture and beliefs. Step back and think about it, Lyons said: "What kind of school needs its own graveyard?" Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oren_Lyons Residential Schools: Canada Residential Schools - National Film Board of Canada --A selection of films by Indigenous filmmakers and allies about the tragic impact of residential schools in Canada. Here's one of the selections. Second Stories - It Had to Be Done (22:00) [from the text] This short documentary explores the legacy of residential schools through the eyes of two extraordinary women who not only lived it, but who, as adults, made the surprising decision to return to the school that had affected their lives so profoundly. This intimate and moving film affirms their strength and dignity in standing up and making a difference on their own terms. Residential Schools: United States The Dark U.S. Legacy Of Ripping Children From Their Families - HuffPost (2018) The U.S. history of Native American Boarding Schools - The Indigenous Foundation [from the article] Shortly after, the first off-reservation boarding school was established in 1879. The Carlisle Indian School located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania was founded by Richard Henry Pratt. He modeled the boarding school off an education program he designed while overseeing Fort Marion Prison in St. Augustine, Florida. He developed the program after experimenting with Native American assimilation education on imprisoned and captive Indigenous peoples. Pratt served as the Headmaster of the Carlisle Indian School for 25 years and was famously known for his highly influential philosophy which he described in a speech he gave in 1892. He stated, “A great general has said that the only good Indian is a dead one. In a sense, I agree with the sentiment, but only in this: that all the Indian there is in the race should be dead. Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.” Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oren_Lyons Related Posts With G-d on our Side: The Doctrine of Discovery, unHoly Roman Empire & other matters... International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples - Aug. 9 Getting to know you - 2: Local/National Indigenous...from their hearts & lips & drums... #DoctrineOfDiscovery #CatholicChurch #ResidentialSchools #Canada #UnitedStates #Vatican #PopeFrancis #genocide #HumanRights #OrenLyons #JohnLennon #MulticulturalSolidarityOfLongIslandFriendshipCircles #ShinnecockNation

People, get ready...and let's start listening to our wisdom keepers in all the lands on our shared Earth... Fellow inhabitants of this 3rd Rock from the Sun: This is a draft and will be added to later. I'm on my way to a local event to pay respect to those who were here before us... Why I'm learning and writing about this topic and other forms of racism A few years ago, Eileen and I had the good fortune to be introduced to Multicultural Solidarity of Long Island and their Friendship Circles. During one of these meetings, we were invited to sit in circle with members of the Shinnecock Nation at their home on the East End of LI. This face-to-face encounter began a heart-opening awareness of a chapter of our American history that I was never taught. And this led me to become a student - so I could learn and pass along the stories of what really happened as a result of colonization. This same heart transformation is occurring through our participation with members of Long Island's Baha'i Fellowship. We met this wonderful group of people through the Multicultural folks. As I've written in other posts, our Baha'i gatherings in peoples' homes and at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park enable us to meet with members of other races who have been and still are mistreated because people with white skin think they that their white skin pigmentation makes them superior. For me, the biggest impact is happening as I share space with my fellow human travelers...hear their personal stories...share a meal with them...laugh and cry with them...These close encounters are much more powerful than simply reading a book or watching a documentary about the various forms of discrimination. Come join us... What does it mean to be indigenous? What does being Indigenous mean? - CBC News (02:46) International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples - UNESCO (2023) The words of the prophets are written in the earth's air, fire, water and wind...LISTEN TO THEM It's Time To Get Ready | Chief Oren Lyons (Faithkeeper Of The Wolf Clan) (06:14) Oscar Jerome - Give Back What You Stole From Me (04:07) Richard Rohr: Another elder for our time Richard Rohr - Order, Disorder, Reorder (The Stage of Initiation) (06:42) Seven Fires Prophecy Originally, the prophecies were given by eight prophets in seven different time periods. According to oral tradition, the Mi'kmaq Nation heard the first Prophet.[5] The remaining seven prophets appeared before and were recorded by the Anishinaabeg. A prophecy of each of these seven periods were then called a "fire". The teachings of the Seven fires prophecy also state that when the world has been befouled and the waters turned bitter by disrespect, human beings will have two options to choose from, materialism or spirituality. If they chose spirituality, they will survive, but if they chose materialism, it will be the end of it. This is basically what Richard said... Related Posts Kill the Indian, Save the Man With G-d on our Side: The Doctrine of Discovery, unHoly Roman Empire & other matters... Getting to know you - 2: Local/National Indigenous...from their hearts & lips & drums... #DoctrineOfDiscovery #CatholicChurch #ResidentialSchools #Canada #UnitedStates #Vatican #PopeFrancis #genocide #HumanRights #OrenLyons #JohnLennon #RicharRohr #OscarJerome #MulticulturalSolidarityOfLongIslandFriendshipCircles #ShinnecockNation

Passing around some up-and-are-you-coming events… DETAILS follow this summary. MUSIC PRESENTATIONS with KEITH CROCKER This guy makes everything he does FUN & INTERESTING. Among his subjects are music, horror and films. Mon. Aug. 7 1-3 p Bob, Beatles, Byrds (in person) $50 Nassau Comm. College Wed. Aug. 9 6:30-8 pm Beatles on Dylan, Dylan on Beatles (free) Mineola Library Mon., Aug. 14 1-3 pm Birth of Psychedelic Rock (in person) $32 LIU Post Mon. Aug. 21 1-2:30 pm Crosby, Stills Nash and Young (virtual) $30 LIU Post Fri. Aug. 25 1-2:30 pm Dylan and the Beatles (free) Elmont Library CELEBRATE LIFE’S UP’S & DOWN’S WITH THE DEAD…AND STAY GRATEFUL!!! Sat. Aug. 12 7-9 pm Half Step Grateful Dead cover band (free) Lakeside Theater Eisenhower Park BAHA’I FELLOWSHIP GATHERINGS Wed. Aug. 23 11 am @ Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River - devotional on the great lawn followed by lunch in the onsite Hidden Oak Café. Tip: Save room for dessert or do takeout. Their bakery is amazing! As John Denver sings...we share poems, prayers and promises… – Eileen has offered to introduce “Courage” for our consideration... Optional: Bring a favorite book, poem or item that encourages you… Sat. Aug. 26 7:30 pm Conversations of Consequence (discussion around a specific topic) Sun. Aug. 27 5 pm Movie night & dinner Mon. Aug. 28 12:30 pm Lunch and devotional on "friendship". Bring a reading or music on this topic. Currently, many of these are recurring events. If you have questions about these events such as the locations, theme or topic or what to bring, please contact me: (cell) 516-850-2493 POETRY UNDER THE STARS Mondays thru 9/11 7 pm @ Schoolhouse Green Gazebo 1 Foxhurst Road, Oceanside, NY (Free) Bring a chair or blanket. See more in the DETAILS section below. MULTICULTURAL SOLIDARITY OF LI FRIENDSHIP CIRCLES Eileen and I have been gathering live and online with these amazing change-makers. What's affected me the most is to actually sit across the table from someone that's been impacted by various forms of discrimination. This is much more powerful than seeing these injustices on TV...or reading about them in a book... WORLD PEACE DAY - SUN. AUG. 6 Bellport NY - Meet at 5 pm by the Peace Pole @ South Country Library. See DETAILS section for more info. MORE MIND, BODY, SPIRIT SELF-CARE Tai Chi Tuesday & Thursday 7:30-9 am Tai Chi @ Hempstead Lake State Park All Year - On low fishing pier Park in Fields 2&3 Greatly helping improve my attention, balance and flexibility. My friend Richie is a gifted and patient teacher. Men2Men Monthly Circle 2nd Saturday 8-9:30 am @ Sisters of St. Joseph Bldg #4 1725 Brentwood Road Brentwood, NY Begins with a full cafeteria breakfast...then we go upstairs to our meeting room to chew on life and a topic TOGETHER Witches Brew Coffee House Wed.-Sun. 12 pm-12 am @ 311 Hempstead Turnpike W. Hempstead, NY If you're a newcomer, I'll buy the first round! :))) Playing for Change "We inspire and connect the world through music" If I'm ever stranded on a desert island and could only get on streaming channel...it would be one connected to these folks...who are changing the world through music. See DETAILS below the musical interlude for more mind, body, spirit SELF CARE... Key tip: Beat the last-minute rush…REGISTER NOW… ...BUT…Don’t skip this inspiring film (there's more about it in the DETAILS section): August Rush - Original Theatrical Trailer (02:24) Musical Interlude... Before RUSHing for the details (click here) to the above soul-nourishers, here are some funnies plus three tunes for your listening and dancing pleasure... And for those of us not used to eating in former mansions like the one that houses the Hidden Oak Café at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum: Ella Fitzgerald - Summertime (1968) (03:39) Sarah Vaughan - I Got Rhythm (01:56) Let's try to remember that some of life's stuff - things that affect us and others -takes time to heal... Trevor Hall "You Can't Rush Your Healing" (06:16) DETAILS KEITH CROCKER AUGUST OFFERINGS (from his email) Hello Constituency, Here is my August 2023 calendar of events. I ask that you hold on to this email so you can reference it as needed. As far as Adult Education goes, I'll be doing a three different classes for Hutton House. On Monday, August 14 we will be doing the Birth of Psychedelic Rock (in person), Monday August 21 Crosby, Stills Nash and Young (virtual) and August 28 History of Spaghetti Westerns (virtual). Sign up right here: liu.edu/Hutton . Also, I'll be returning to Nassau Community College for some daytime adult education. On Monday August 7 I'll be doing The Three B's, Bob, Beatles and the Byrdsin person at 1pm. Sign up here: https://www.ncc.edu/continuingeducation/ I'll be on vacation in July, hence scant offerings that month. Library Presentations Wednesday, July 26 1pm Bryant library (in person) Film Noir Theater- Having a Ball with Lucille Ball LURED (1947) Friday, July 28 1pm East Meadow library The Horror of Party Beach (1964) Film screening Tuesday, August 1 2pm Harborfields library Dylan/Beatles Friday, August 4 1pm East Meadow library The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959) Film screening Wednesday, August 9 6:30pm Mineola Library Beatles on Dylan, Dylan on Beatles ***Call to register: 516-746-8488 Tuesday, August 15 1pm Bryant library (virtual) The Midnight Special (American TV show featuring classic rock acts) Friday, August 25 1pm Elmont library Dylan/Beatles No pre-registration needed...Walk right in... Wednesday, August 30 1pm Bryant library Film (in person) Film Noir Theater: Having a Ball with Lucille Ball The Dark Corner (1946) In between these listed programs I'm usually booked by private organizations which of course I don't list here. If you are part of any of these organizations my bookings will be listed on their calendars. Folks, I ask that you please register at each library for each presentation or screening, as these days libraries seem to require this. Also, I know many of you may already know this, but I have a side business that specializes in transferring 8mm, super 8mm and 16mm to disc or thumb drive. I can also put VHS & Beta to disc, 8mm video to disc, etc...So feel free to email me or hit me up after a presentation if you are in need of such services. I can supply testimonials as well. As always, I thank each and every one of you for your support. Kindest regards, Keith J. Crocker Cinematic Seminars drfaustusmd@verizon.net With Dr. Faustus, MD (a.k.a, Keith Crocker)...It's not what we see...it's what we don't see... HALF STEP BAND Curious about the Grateful Dead but not willing to take a WHOLE step? Take a HALF STEP... Half Step's Website and schedule of shows POETRY UNDER THE STARS - OCEANSIDE Mondays thru 9/11 7 pm @ Schoolhouse Green Gazebo 1 Foxhurst Road, Oceanside, NY (Free) Bring a chair or blanket. See more in the details section below. Dear Cadence, won't you come out tonight... Tough day? These links can help you go from bad to VERSE. Come tonight for "Poetry under the stars" BAHA'I FELLOWSHIP Eileen and I have been participating in these wonderful multicultural, multi-ethnic gatherings - a few where we sat in circle at Long Island's Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park in Great River. We meet and often eat together to consider how WE can do more than merely coexist...HOW we can flourish, as we join our diverse backgrounds into the melting pot others have envisioned. IT IS POSSIBLE!!! I've posted about these new friends in several places. Here are a few: Bayard Cutting Arbor 'eatem...State Park in Great River, NY Dances of Universal Peace MULTICULTURAL SOLIDARITY Multicultural SALADarity: Food of many nations...Living in harmony... Facebook page WORLD PEACE DAY - SUN. AUG. 6 Sun. Aug. 6, 2023 - 41st Annual World Peace Vigil & Community Dedication to Peace World Peace Day Aug. 6 - All we are saying is give peace a chance... Red, Take my advice you'd be better off DEAD... MORE MIND, BODY, SPIRIT SELF-CARE Tai Chi Tuesday & Thursday 7:30-9 am Tai Chi @ Hempstead Lake State Park All Year - On low fishing pier Park in Fields 2&3 and walk across the road to the pier. Tai Chi…TOM-a-Son, Lake & Calmer (01:36) Men2Men Monthly Circle 2nd Saturday 8-9:30 am @ Sisters of St. Joseph Bldg #4 1725 Brentwood Road Brentwood, NY We begin with a full cafeteria breakfast...then go upstairs TOGETHER to our meeting room to chew on life via a topic and short presentation introduced by that month's facilitator. Our group developed from Illuman - the organization that was formed to carry on the early mens' work of Franciscan Richard Rohr. Illuman exists to help men do their inner, spiritual work to become healthier and more authentic human beings. We do this work through our Men’s Rites of Passage, Council Circles (both in-person and virtual), national gatherings, and local chapter offerings. Founded in 2012 by the Franciscan mystic and teacher Richard Rohr, we are non-denominational, interfaith, and spiritually inclusive, welcoming all male-identified persons to our work without regard for your religion, race, ethnicity, class, education, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that might make you feel excluded. Source: Illuman Witches Brew Coffee House Wed. - Sun. 12 pm-12 am @ 311 Hempstead Turnpike W. Hempstead, NY If you're a newcomer, I'll buy the first round! :))) I've cited this great place in almost 120 posts. Here's one from April 20, 2023: ODE on a W. HEMPSTEAD URN: Celebrating Witches Brew’s 27 Years of Service to our Community Playing for Change "We inspire and connect the world through music" If I'm ever stranded on a desert island and could only get on streaming channel...it would be one connected to these folks...who are changing the world through music. Grab a Friend...Board the Peace Train and Start Playing for Change (Mar. 2023) --post has links to their musical offerings As part of their mission they create music programs in under-served parts of our shared world so children and adults can experience the power of music. Playing for Change Foundation Meditation Find a practice and do it B.I.D. or PRN Many years ago, my family was introduced to the Centering Prayer form of meditation. Been sitting twice a day for 20 minutes since then. We were fortunate to learn from one of the originators: Fr. Thomas Keating. For info: Contemplative Outreach Kundalini Yoga (or other types) I was introduced to this practice over 6 years ago when the Town of Hempstead offered classes at nearby Echo Park. One of the unexpected benefits has been my awakening to the world of music...in fact, music from all around our shared world. This discovery came when I did my practice at home and listened to the same artist our teacher played in class: Snatum Kaur. As I listened and my viewing habits were seen by Yogi YouTube and Guru Google, I started getting recommendations...and followed them...greatly expanding my musical universe... For Kundalini info: 3HO Here's one of my favorite and rockin' Kundalini musicians: GuruGanesha Band - In the Light of My Soul + What You Won't Do for Love (Bobby Caldwell's Classic) (08:17) Not surprisingly, this dude's favorite band is the Grateful Dead. GuruGanesha's signature Grateful Dead-inspired guitar lays a lush bed under this song about the journey of life, reminding us that inner peace can be found at any moment if we stop, slow down, and witness the exquisite perfection in the world around us. (Source) Influenced by the music of Jerry Garcia and the GratefulDead, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton, his life of spiritual exploration adds a depth to his songs that transcends genre. GuruGanesha creates music that carries a profound wisdom that only comes with the experience of facing our shadows with love and acceptance. (Source) Dancing Bear Poses... AUGUST RUSH INSPIRATION August Rush - Original Theatrical Trailer (02:24) Jerry Garcia Week (Aug. 1-Aug. 9) Last evening under the combined influences of a FULL MOON and Jerry's Birthday...I added these new reflections...As it unfolded, the heightened illumination began uncovering some DARK SPACES: The residential schools where children in the US and Canada were forcibly separated from their families and their cultures in order... "to kill the Indian...save the man" ...More to come...as I learn history I was never taught. As the band tells us in "Scarlet Begonias": "T" House and August Moon Here’s the first of last August's 9 post reflections on the life of this amazing, imaginative, passionate human being. The others followed sequentially… Jerry Garcia Week: 9 Daze of Haight Post opens with this… SUNRISE: August 1, 1942 Sunrise - Sunset... "...what matters most of all was the dash between the years..." The Dash Poem by Linda Ellis I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning to the end. He noted first came the date of the birth and spoke the following date with tears. But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between the years. For that dash represents all the time that they spent life on Earth. And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth. For it matters not how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash. So, think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change? For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s true and real, and always try to understand the way other people feel. Be less quick to anger and show appreciation more, and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before. If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile, remembering that this special dash might only last a little while. So, when your eulogy is being read with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash? www.LindaEllis.life Source for this section #music #humor #inspiration #KeithCrocker #Bahai #BayardCuttingArboretum #HalfStepBand #LindaEllis #JerryGarcia #EllaFitzgerald #SarahVaughan #AugustRush #TrevorHall #MulticulturalSolidarityOfLIFriendshipCircles #TaiChi #KundaliniYoga #CenteringPrayer #ThomasKeating #GuruGaneshaSingh #meditation