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In January 2022 I did a post with the title: "Seva, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart: He's got two good eyes and helps others to see..." This post introduced readers to the sight-saving, sight-restoring work of Seva in under-served parts of our shared planet. Use this link to their website to get a quick overview of their mission, philosophy and history. Included among the founding members were spiritual teacher Ram Dass, and Berkeley activists Wavy Gravy and his partner, Jahanara Romney. You can meet them in this fun and informative 19-minute video interview hosted by Seva's Director Kate Moynihan. It just so happens to include photos of some of the members of the Grateful Dead. FYI - Bob Weir is listed on their Team page as both a lifetime board of directors member and an honorary founder, along with Steve Jobs. Bob also serves as a musical ambassador for Headcount - an organization that greets concert goers and encourages them to get registered and vote. Here's a 2020 post I did about this effort. JOIN US: Eileen and I have supported Seva's healing work for years. Conversations with Kate: The Wonder of Wavy and Jah (19:36) --Wavy's describes himself as a "chocolate head" as he tells the story of a 50th birthday gig held in his honor - a story that includes a bathtub filled with the sweet, brown delight and a scuba diver... Introducing Wavy Gravy Start "Hear": Wavy Gravy & Ace of Cups music video: "Basic Human Needs" (04:52) --his song and its message are sure to open your heart to this compassionate human being. I found mention of a poem with this name in a 2009 chat on Internet Archive. At the end of the post you'll find links to more Wavy Gravy. I chose the above caption for this section for ME...SEE, prior to watching the "Conversations with Kate" video, while I'd heard Wavy's name, I didn't know anything about this preeminent clown and social activist - who, among his credentials includes being the emcee at Woodstock, the official clown for the Grateful Dead and having a Ben & Jerry's flavor named in his honor - as did Grateful Dead's leader via their Cherry Garcia - a sure cure for the after-show munchies. Recent Board of Directors meeting with staff and board (can you find the clown?) Early Board of Directors meeting, early 1980s (Ram Dass lower left, Wavy lower center) Opening the Eyes of Children Seva: Restoring Sight to Cambodian Children (01:41) Many Cambodia children do not have access to eye care services. Seva trains Cambodian doctors and provides infrastructure so that Cambodia can provide care to it's own citizens. (In 2014), over 70,000 children in Cambodia received eye examinations as a result of Seva's work. 1/2 of children who go blind in developing countries will die within the first year. By preventing and treating blindness, Seva provides opportunities for life to children around the world. Celebrating Ram Dass: SEE Here Now "When I got involved with Seva, it was like putting on an outfit that multiplied my capacity to be involved with the relief of suffering a thousand-fold. Because this group had such extraordinary diversity of skills and talents and preoccupations, if you will. And we were able at the same moment to do something that was sophisticated scientifically, and that was financially large-scale and responsible andat the same moment be involved with the individual human heart." – Ram Dass: Seva co-founder "This servant of God Whose light burned bright on Maui Now illuminates eternity" – Wavy Gravy Ram Dass: Healing Spiritual Blindness My Ram Dass Testimony (short version) - In 1972, while at a critical juncture, I spent a weekend with Ram Dass, as I sat in my apartment and read his Be Here Now. Through the text and illustrations in the brown pages, he introduced me for the first time to a G-d of love in the person of Jesus...Here's a Hindu guru opening my Catholic eyes to a version of G-d I'd never met. See next image...Amazing!!! When Monday came, I called my Dad and asked if I could see him. I had no idea what I was going to say but I KNEW I had to go. What happened at that encounter changed our rocky relationship. As we met, I looked at Dad, saying, "How come we've never been able to express our love for one another..." That's all I could get out and then hugged him. That first embrace was mostly one-sided but it created an opening for healing. A few months later he and I made a men's retreat and shortly afterwards, my Dad and Mom accompanied me in my '65 VW Bus, as we drove across the country to California, where I would begin the next leg of this adventure called life. Thanks, Ram Dass!!! More Seva testimonials here... Let There Be Sight Let There Be Sight - HD (07:28) --Video includes an actual cataract removal surgery. --Turk Pipkin chronicles his journey into the Himalayas with a Seva medical team for a remote surgical eye camp in Nepal that restores the sight of blind people who've been carried across the mountains by their family members. The modern miracle of restoring sight to the blind is a moving testament to Seva's work to provide eyecare across the globe. Special thanks to Jackson Browne for the use of "Doctor My Eyes", courtesy of Open Window/Criterion Music. See song link further down the page. Wavy - a Pied Piper Using Music to Connect People These lyrics from "One More Saturday Night" and the meme seem to describe Wavy's raison d'être - use music and humor to gather people together to help fellow human beings in need: "Then God way up in heaven, for whatever it was worth Thought he'd have a big old party, thought he'd call it Planet Earth" Wavy Gravy | Woodstock | American Experience | PBS (01:21) “Seva has done an incredible job all over the world helping people who really need it. I am proud to be one of the many who followed Wavy and his friends down this particular yellow brick road.” --David Crosby Singer / Songwriter Jackson Browne (Original Complete Version of "Doctor My Eyes") 1970 (03:50) Click here to see the artists that have and are still supporting Seva's sight-restoring mission. ExtraSEE...EcstaSEE Ace of Cups – The Well (feat. Bob Weir) [Official Video] (04:25) add selected lyrics Wavy's website Viewers are greeted with (don't worry - a pie won't be thrown in your face...Hmm???): Wavy Gravy is not your ordinary clown. He certainly has had a long run since his earlier days as a poet and stand-up comic, improvisational theater artist, psychedelic bus caravan luminary, and rock concert MC, and often jokes: “if you don’t have a sense of humor, it just isn’t funny anymore.” Yet his reach extends far beyond the comic. He is devoted to “do something good for a change,” and his creative activism on behalf of peace, justice, and good humor is legendary. Along with Jahanara, his wife of over fifty years, he has brought joy and helped to relieve suffering for countless people around the globe, largely through his favorite projects, the Seva Foundation and Camp Winnarainbow. Wavy has been called “clown prince of the counter-culture” by Entertainment Weekly, “a saint in a clown suit” by Bob Weir, and “the illegitimate son of Harpo Marx and Mother Teresa” by Paul Krassner. Now in his 80s, this iconic figure from the 60s refers to himself as a “temple of accumulated error,” yet he’s always ready with a twinkling insight, a fantastic story and a helping hand. About those stories, Ram Dass said, “everything Wavy says is true, although it’s all unbelievable.” Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie Trailer (02:55) The Hog Farm Movie trailer (02:20) Wavy and Jahanara were founding members. Check out their bus trip...and get on the bus yourself! Just 4 the Laffs... 1. Hippie Test - Or, If you can remember the 60's...you WEREN'T there... Earlier, I tested your awareness in time & space, as well as your visual acuity when I asked you to find the clown in the picture. NOW...Watch the birdie...Look carefully at the bus image. How many Woodstock's do you see? If you think this is a trick question...Relax and follow the advice in the last image... "Do not attempt to adjust your television set...and fasten your seat belt..." The Other One (08:45) --it's like you're there in the front...Awesome footage... 2. Find the Popes in the Pizza Contest Tip: You'll score better if you're hungry. Near the end when Fr. Guido is giving contest instructions, follow them carefully. Use tracing paper and NOT rolling paper. : )) Popes in the Pizza Contest (06:29) 3. Spaceballs: Merchandising The Pope's return the Rome left Fr. Guido with what he called "post-papal depression" - which he attributed to all the commercialization and merchandising that went on. So, my 5th-grade male mind served up this next classic. Note: In my last will and testament, I've told Eileen that if I'm ever on life support and the medical professional tell her that my 5th-grade male mind has gone offline...she can pull the plug. Spaceballs: Merchandising (02:00) 4. Commercialization of Egyptian Artifacts [well, not all facts...: )) ] King Tut - Steve Martin (03:33) My Story: Clowning Around with Friends and Family I’ve enjoyed dressing up in costumes... Recently for a Mardi Gras post, using some of our son’s props from the attic trunk. And YES, I did Iko, Iko responsibly : )) From this post: Check out this time some Deadheads commandeered a NYC subway train and held an Iko, Iko dance party. It's just the first 2 minutes...then it repeats...and repeats...just like at the shows... With a younger brother went to Dead concert at Nassau Coliseum dressed in skeleton outfits complete with full length black capes with hoods…and we wondered why the Nassau County PD profiled and stopped us on the way in. As school bus driver for a Montessori school in Queens I dressed as Santa Claus. It was interesting that one 4-year old pointed out my subterfuge to his classmates with, “That’s our bus driver - see his black beard (under my costume’s white facial hair).” Sadly, some children grow up too quickly and lose the magic of the “wonder years.” After dropping off my last charge near JFK Airport in Queens, the van broke down. Since it was Christmas Eve I knew it would be a long wait for our tow truck driver, so I tried hitchhiking back to the garage. Do you know - no one would stop for Santa Claus and on his big night!!! I had to wait until the wee hours of the morning for my rescue tow truck and, as a result, missed our family’s Christmas Eve gathering with my parents and six brothers and sisters. With a surfing friend we took two high school girls to their senior prom at the Terrace on the Park at the old 1964 Worlds’ Fair site - dressed in white suits with tails, canes and top hats. We were the envy of all their friends, as we arrived at the formal affair in an old yellow Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) van, smoke rising as we exited at the main entrance. I’d met my date a few months earlier when I picked her and a friend in NYC and drove them home to Brooklyn in my big yellow taxi. Hey, Robert De Niro , eat your heart out! All’s “fare” in love and war. As my taxi descended on their Greenpoint neighborhood, I was hoping that one of them would get out first, so I could engage the other. Lady Luck was with me that night…and the Dead’s “Good Morning Little School Girl” was wafting through the late-night airwaves… Check out this 1992 version from Chicago's Soldiers Field with Bobby doing lead vocals and joined by Steve Miller and James Cotton on the blues harp (harmonica). Years later, I went with family and friends to the premier of Lord of the Rings…Yup, dressed to kill…Orcs and dragons… Get Involved with Seva On the Home page, hover over the "GET INVOLVED" link at the top row and pick your way to support Seva. Thanks, tOM #music #humor #GratefulDead #BobWeir #MelBrooks #SteveMartin #SaturdayNightLive

Liner Notes: This image of the iconic, happy, musical dancing bears appears wherever children appear in one of the songs I've included. New Dad...or Dad with young child??? Be a really "grate" Dad and start their musical Deaducation early... A Grateful Dead Father's Day at The Rock and Roll Playhouse | 6/16/19 (02:40) Teddy Bear's Picnic - Jerry Garcia and David Grisman (04:04) Grateful Dead - Sesame Street Mash Up - 'Dancing in the Sesame Streets ' (03:40) --This video guy - Jack Abramson - does really fun mashups to TV shows, movies, lots more... ...and at the end of a day in the fun house, tuck them in with this read-along...sing-along... Casey Jones - Lullaby Renditions of Grateful Dead - Rockabye Baby! (01:09) Out of the Closet - New “T” Shirt Arrivals This and 2 other shirts are on the RIGHT track and heading toward me (ordered them too late to be here for the day) I Need a Miracle This song became my prayer as well as Eileen's as we tried to conceive. Seems like I has "laid back" sperm (slow swimmers). Found this out after 10 years of marriage via a medical test. We decided that I'd have an elective procedure to increase our chances of success... Now check this out...one morning, at a morning men's prayer group in our Malverne church (St. Thomas then Charismatic Episcopal Church [CEC]...I asked the guys to pray with me for our desired child. So, they laid hands on me and earnestly prayed. When they finished, one guy (Tom H) asked if there was anything else I wanted prayer for. I replied "hemorrhoids"...I'll leave it at that and spare you their reactions : ))) Then...the miracle...a few days before I was to go into the hospital, Eileen called me at Avis WHQ in Garden City with the "grate" news that she was with child. Immediately, I saw the Bible story of Abraham standing over his son Issac with upraised knife...that, in my modern version, was a scalpel poised over my privates...get the picture!!! I Need a Miracle - Grateful Dead @ Giants Stadium (06:10) Train Up a Child… “Casey Jones a child in the way to go Furthur …and when they have a Touch of Grey…or are Old & in the Way, they will continue to walk in a way that’s right for them…” (TPT Translation of Proverbs 22:6) “Train a child in the way she/he should go and when he/she is old, they will not depart from it…” (Proverbs 22:6) Touch of Grey - Grateful Dead (05:23 Check out these 2 young boys playing in the band with their Dad...the kid on keyboard got the lyrics memorized...priceless!!!) Old & in the Way - Old & in the Way (03:07 featuring Peter Rowan - guitar and vocals, Jerry Garcia - banjo and vocals, David Grisman - mandolin and vocals, John Kahn - bass, Vassar Clements - viola ) Grateful Dead Life Lessons From Oteil Burbridge to Teach Your Children During The Holidays (from this article) Oteil Burbridge is many things, but first and foremost he is a father. For someone who has played as a member of Dead & Company, Allman Brothers Band, the Aquarium Rescue Unit, and more, Burbridge's biggest achievement in life is being the father of Nigel andKavi. Go Where??? A little bit Furthur than we’ve gone before… Original bus used by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters was called "FURTHUR." Going Furthur Documentary Official Trailer (02:40 -A 50-years-later recreation of the Ken Kesey-led original trip - this time with his son Zane at the wheel...) As parents, we have hopes that our offspring will keep on growing in wisdom and grace and as they “dew” they’ll be light and salt to those around them…In the case of Eileen and I, our son John has given back by taking us further...and we're forever grateful... The Wheel – Grateful Dead (07:14 – Doseneyland "cartune" version) Around 4 minutes in, Minnie joins Mickey and soothes his shattered nerves with her musical accompaniment…for a little while…until the next bump in life’s road. The moral of this story (“the crow told me…it’s the only one he knows…when life looks like Easy Street, there’s danger at your door…”)…the moral is…the practice is (from “Franklin’s Tower”): The above wisdom is from… Franklin’s Tower (14:08 – from a “grate” video guy – check out his moniker…) Jah-rey Garcia The Wheel Grateful Dead Reggae Cover – The Congos (03:38) When we’re “Dead” our children will carry on with what’s we’ve given them and, for the record, will put their own spin on it… Next, Jerry Garcia’s daughter Keelin Garcia joining with drummer Billy Kreutzmann, Jimmy Buffet, David Crosby and other musician around the globe in carrying the message of the Grateful Dead’s “Ripple” to the next generations… Ripple – Playing for Change Band (04:41) And an enlightened music teacher in NJ, did a "hand-me-down" to his young students, who, in turn, did a "hand-me-up" to him, their parents and now to us... Ripple - NJ school kids chorus (03:15) Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids play "Ripple" (03:59) --Check out the moves of this early-in-life young performer-Deadhead... --Happy Sunday friends! We’ve received a lot of requests for this one and we were happy to play it because it’s so pretty. When Cash found out that Jerry Garcia was missing a finger, he tried to learn this song without playing with that finger to see how Jerry played it. Not easy, but it was cool to see him try to experience it from Jerry’s point of view. Hello everyone! We're the Clark family. Colt (the Dad) is a professional musician and Aubree (me, the Mom behind the camera) is a photographer. Together we home school our three children (even when we're not in the middle of a pandemic). :) We're keeping busy during our time at home by learning a new song every other day. We thought we'd record them and share as we go. Hopefully it brightens your day! How to Spot if Your Child is a Future Deadhead (02:58) The Grateful Dead's "Ripple" by The Barton Hills Choir - #DeadCoversProject (03:59) --from Austin, TX...a veritable music mecca... --check out this prophetic comment from a Youtuber "Captain Kangaroo: "I chased the Grateful Dead and the Jerry Garcia Band around this country for over 20 years. I used to tell people that eventually school children would be singing their songs. It wonderful to know I was right." This next one's for my friend Tom K - who includes in his multi-talented bio, membership in the Long Beach, LI Ukulele Orchestra 'Ripple' baritone ukulele lesson - The Barton Hills Choir (04:21) The Grateful Dead's "The Wheel" by The Barton Hills Choir (04:10) Grateful Dawg This was the name of an acoustical collaboration between Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. Friend of the Devil - Jerry Garcia & David Grisman (07:24) Parting Prayer for You Who Follow... Forever Young - Jerry Garcia Band (08:23 A passionate, soulful cover of Bob Dylan) Encore Grateful Dead - Live at Farm Aid 1986 (20:44) Grateful Dead perform "The Wheel," "I Need a Miracle" and "Uncle John's Band" simulcasted from Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, NY to the Farm Aid concert in Austin, Texas on July 4, 1986. Farm Aid was started by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp in 1985 to keep family farmers on the land and has worked since then to make sure everyone has access to good food from family farmers. Dave Matthews joined Farm Aid's board of directors in 2001. Keep on Truckin', "Farthars"...Let there be songs to fill the air... tOM #music #humor #children #GratefulDead #Furthur #FarmAid #John #JerryGarciaBand #FarmAid #BartonHillsChoir

Suspend your beliefs...and disbeliefs...and come as a little child... At the end, there's a WATCHList of all the tuneful frequencies AND links to a NASA Livestream (in case it's cloudy) and some more info about this light show... START HEAR [sic] Mountains of the Moon (cosmic cover that uncovers the depths of the Dead) Mountains of the Moon - Grateful Dead (from the uploader) "Recorded from a copy of the album 'Aoxomoxoa' that was taken to the moon and brought back so forgive the moon dust crackle." If yer already a follower, you already knew that Jerry and the band are cosmonauts...so this image is for those new to the tribe... Standing on the Moon - Grateful Dead I see all of Southeast Asia I can see El Salvador I hear the cries of children And the other songs of war It's like a mighty melody That rings down from the sky Standing here upon the moon I watch it all roll by, all roll by All roll by, all roll by (all of the haunting lyrics) Sorry, Neil, but WE WERE HEAR [sic] FIRST... On a personal note - on the night in 1969 when he did his MJ and walked on the moon, I was with some surfing friends in California at Sir George's Smorgasbord Restaurant where we descended for our weekly all-you-could-eat feast. After eating and watching this historic event, my and my buddies took out the waitresses for some hot fun in the summertime... Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd Moonshadow - Cat Stevens (beautifully imaginative video) Moonshadow - Cat Stevens (Fantastic Animation Festival short & song - 1977) Meet the Moonlight - Jack Johnson Just uploaded 2 days ago!!! Amazing underwater photography!!! For all my surfer friends and anyone that finds their soul in and near the ocean... Picasso Moon - Grateful Dead ENCORE BONUSES The following thumbnail image called for including this set list... For your little astronauts Goodnight Moon - A children's storybook --This was one of our son John's favorites. We used to play a game where we asked him to see if he could find the mouse on each page. --A few days ago, we donated this and other books from this wonderful time in our family. Here's a link to the organization we used. They have convenient drop-off bins in Garden City, Franklin Square, and Valley Stream that are near our home as well as locations around the USA. Home Page Find a Drop-off location Dancing on the Moon (song from "Lazy Town" an Icelandic musical TV children's show) Pontiac Moon Movie trailer Starring Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen...fun family movie Eileen and I are going to watch tonight. She picked it especially for tonight. P.S. Wonderfully charming and surprisingly deep road trip...parent-child & parent-to-parent relationship story For all LUNAtics 5 Best TikTok Moonwalks (including MJ) Michael Jackson Moonwalk Compilation Stay CAL♏︎ Full MOON Eclipse in Scorpio - Hang, Shaman Drum & Udu May 16th Meditation - Calm Whale (streaming) --I frequently use this Calm Whale site while doing Kundalini yoga. About this light show LIVESTREAM from NASA 5/15/22 11:59 PM...From tonight's TomStream...West Hempstead, NY, USA, Planet Earth... From my sister Cathy's Florida "moonbase" (near Cape Kennedy) Lunar New Year LUNA SEE (Feb. 2, 2022 post) Total Eclipse of the Moon WATCHList (11 tunes) #music #moon #eclipse #GratefulDead #CatStevens #PinkFloyd #JackJohnson #GoodnightMoon #CalmWhale #LazyTown #moonwalking #MichaelJackson

This morning after meditation, I looked to connect to my Mom through one of her poems and enjoyed the playfulness of this one. Its words and images reminded me of the variety of ways she expressed her relationship with the Divine: deeply intimate and playful, alternating moving and resting and filled with her love of the Creator's works. Based on her images, I added songs I grew up with... --from page 102 of her poem anthology "The God of the Universe Dances in Trees". Amazon with reviews Musical Accompaniment Up, Up and Away - The Fifth Dimension In 2016 during our father & son pilgrimage, John and I rode together in a hot air balloon in Albuquerque. Lions & Tigers & Bears On a Carousel - The Hollies The Circle Game - Joni Mitchell Life is a Carousel - Debbie Lynn Bryson Father & Son 2016 Pilgrimage Hot Air Balloon Ride Videos (New Mexico: 3 - total 90 seconds) Tonight's Sunset...thanks, Mom, for your artistry and your LOVE! #music #Mom #MomsPoem #balloons

Out driving around earlier today and "Happy East....er" ran across my internal teleprompter... "Hair's" what hatched from my egg...head... Practicing minimalism...I'll stop "hare." Alright, one more...hole to explore... Your Penguin isn't a Catholic, She's a Buddhist Hey, wait an eternal minute! There’s another hole inside the one I just entered… Hairy Krishna Apples & Carrots These next Krishna’s seem to support the Judeo-Christian fall-of-man story… …and it goes further…because of our free choices at that tree…and the up-front and monthly costs of tech, we all had to go out and get Jobs…thanks a lot, Steve! Ahh, but there’s a silver lining to this tragic “tail”…several thousand years later, a great song would materialize out of a hat and onto vinyl…and from a group that ironically, just hung out on street corners singing about but never actually holding a job… https://youtu.be/Tdd1Gc6PRxo On a more Sirius note... In this next scene, can you guess which canine has an enlightened master? Dean Spanley movie trailer --Peter O'Toole, Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Jeremy Northam in a "tail" about reincarnation, dogs, and a relationship between a son and his aging father...funny, heart-breaking and heart-warming... 12 Steps from Social Media This next Bud’s for me…esp. the "fifth" "thou shalt not..." as I prepare to do an about face...BOOK… "Slick" ending to this "tail"... (click "hare" to follow the rabbit) tOM #music #humor #Easter #bunny #Buddhism Sent from my iPhone

A few songs that express how I feel about you: You Make Me Smile I'm so happy (Oh yeah) That you love me (Oh yeah) Life is lovely (It is, oh) When you're near me Tell me, you will stay? Make me smile Better Today You made me better today Better than I was before And I wanna hear your voice in the morning when I rise I think I know I'm just a normal man, only made of sand except when you're by my side Will you love me, teach me, don't leave me I pray So Happy Together Imagine me and you, I do I think about you day and night It's only right To think about the girl you love And hold her tight So happy together 4/2/22 Addition I awoke in the middle of the night with this classic playing in my mind. While there are many versions including by the Grateful Dead… I chose this female rendition. I thought I was done until I saw that my friend Jack Abramson did… this “grate” dancing mash up. My intention for today and all the days of our lives is that we... ...keep on dancin'... tOM #music #humor

Wedding March: The Kooky Ukes Wedding Ukulele Trio Life is always a mixture… No matter how you roll ‘em… …you won’t crap out… May you both lose your self and find your SELF…in one another… “The song is better when we’re together…” Better Together - Jack Johnson (Easy Ukulele Tutorial!) Two hearts beating as one...believing in just one mind... May you be of one heart and mind More beach wedding reception tunes MARRIAGE MATHEMATICS IF YOU GET CONFUSED...LISTEN TO THE MUSIC PLAY...AND DANCE TWO-GETHER... Barefoot Two Step - Paul Izak "Come with nothing...leave with nothing..." Franklin's Tower - Dave McMurray saxophone covering the Grateful Dead I Choose to Live in Love (Lakshmi) - Sam Garrett "I grow like the trees, I choose to live in love, I am joy I am ease" Follow the Sun - Xavier Rudd "When you feel life coming down on you like a heavy weight When you feel this crazy society adding to the strain Take a stroll to the nearest water's edge, remember your place Many moons have risen and fallen long, long before you came So which way is the wind blowing What does your heart say" ENGINEERING SUCCESS LIFE COACHING SUCCESS Spooling Around…Raveling Un-Ravel-ing…through dance... https://youtu.be/7qHClLZVc6k Crisis call from client WISDOM CODES Of knowing...Kenny Rogers And unknowing...Trevor Hall Serenity Prayer with the Yoga Salutation In the Big Inning, the home team put up 15...oops, 10 runs... Naw...too many to remember...all you need is... #music #humor #love #wedding

Hello, Sat Nam, Namaste, Buenos Dias, Bonjour… Eat, drink and be merry…for tomorrow we di…….et “Dessert” has 2 S’s while “desert” only has 1… Pinned this message just now to my Facebook page: Letting you know I’m taking some time off for things that weren’t important yesterday…As such, this will be my last Facebook post for the next 40 DAYS… (Whew! As I typed “40,” my laptop’s AI auto-prompted in grey “years.”) I’m simply yielding to the accumulated wisdom in spiritual traditions…wisdom that encourages us to periodically take “timeouts” from our usual activities: In the Christian tradition that formed me, the season of Lent which begins tomorrow is such a time. In the Kundalini yoga tradition I follow, these times of refreshment, reordering and renewal are referred to as “sadhana’s.” See my Blog Page for a "Fasting" blog post for a few musical offerings for the next 40 days...and nights... RITuals help bring balance to RUTuals… That said, if you’d like to have an old-fashioned conversation; or, better still, share a cup of coffee at my favorite hangout (Witches Brew in West Hempstead) or yours…GRATE!!! You can find my contact info on my Facebook Home Page. FYI - This Tom the Baptist ain’t going into the wilderness of lions and tigers and bears… Oh! My! – Without my daily bean!!! MUSICAL FEASTING MEDICINE Read-Me-First: Mardi Gras Indians In the early days of the Indians, Mardi Gras was a day of both reveling and bloodshed. "Masking" and parading was a time to settle grudges.[4] This part of Mardi Gras Indian history is immortalized in James Sugar Boy Crawford's song, "Jock O Mo" (better known and often covered as "Iko Iko"), based on their taunting chants. However, in the late 1960s, Allison Montana, "Chief of Chiefs", fought to end violence between the Mardi Gras Indian Tribes.[13] He said, "I was going to make them stop fighting with the gun and the knife and start fighting with the needle and thread."[14] Today, the Mardi Gras Indians are not plagued by violence; instead, they base their fights over the "prettiness" of their suits.[4] Source: Mardi Gras Indians - Wikipedia PLAYLIST Mardi Gras…Iko Iko RESPONSIBLY #1 🐻💀 Dressed for this celebratory day (Yes, there are dancing bears on my mask), I’m in CT at one of my alternative providers, where I just administered a healthy dose of alternative musical medicine to the two folks who greet me at the welcoming desk… Additional medications will follow here in the dispensary before our day concludes. Covered by all health Assurance plans… Here’s the Rx - take “PRN” (ask a nurse for the meaning) Iko, Iko – Ringo Starr First All-Star Band w/Dr. John (0:05:51) --Ringo’s got 3 drummers plus THE doctor is in the house… Before I left for the doctor's office, I posted #1 above to the Wharf Rats Facebook group…plus 3 additional versions of this Mardi Gras classic. FYI - Wharf Rats: "This is a group of Music, Magic, Recovery, Service and Love." (from their FB page) Mardi Gras - Iko, Iko RESPONSIBLY #2 This “grate” version features Billy & Mickey Hart…there’s a strategy to the order of my posting of this much covered Mardi Gras anthem. Not to diminish Ringo or Dr. John but the previous one I just posted was “mild” - no members of the Grateful Dead. This next one is “moderate” as it includes two esteemed members of our Mardi Gras Indians tribe. And if you have a tough day doing the Steps, just listen to anything by Playing For Change…pure musical medicine… Iko, Iko – Playing for Change Band with Billy & Mickey & Dr. John (0:02:11) Mardi Gras - Iko, Iko RESPONSIBLY #3 …now for the harder stuff…full strength medicine and from the Mile High City – Denver Iko, Iko – The Grateful Dead (Denver 6/28/91) (0:08:05) Mardi Gras - Iko, Iko RESPONSIBLY #4 Had planned to “dew” only 3… but my Dead Muse led me to this next one…FYI - SHE follows ME everywhere…😜 We were just Iko Iko-ing responsibly in the mountains…so, now we’re going underground… Grateful Dead-Iko Iko 3-18-90. NYC Subway Dance Party (0:08:07) HOW SWEET IT IS... Mardi Gras Iko Iko Responsibly (from my earlier Facebook post) Still in CT…down the road apiece from doctor is Tusk & Cup…having my pre-Lenten dessert: chocolate chip gelato and dark roast bean… …balancing energies of hot/cold…sweet/earthy...dark/light... Hey, I’m into fitness…fittin these chips right into my mouth… #music #humor #MardiGras #GratefulDead #TusknCup

Hello, Sat Nam, Namaste, Buenos Dias, Bonjour… This post is the natural/balancing segue to my earlier "Feasting: Mardi Gras - Happy Fat Tuesday." As such, the info in the first few paragraphs is repeated from there. Letting you know I’m taking some time off for things that weren’t important yesterday…As such, I just did my last Facebook post for the next 40 DAYS… (Whew! As I typed “40,” my laptop’s AI auto-prompted in grey “years.”) I’m simply yielding to the accumulated wisdom in spiritual traditions…wisdom that encourages us to periodically take “timeouts” from our usual activities. In the Christian tradition that formed me, the season of Lent which begins tomorrow is such a time. In the Kundalini yoga tradition I follow, these times of refreshment, reordering and renewal are practiced daily as “sadhana’s” – some with specific purposes. RITuals help bring balance to RUTuals… That said, if you’d like to have an old-fashioned conversation; or, better still, share a cup of coffee at my favorite hangout (Witches Brew in West Hempstead) or yours…GRATE!!! You can find my contact info on my Home Page. FYI - This Tom the Baptist ain’t going into the wilderness of lions and tigers and bears…Oh! My! – Without my daily bean!!! HYMNS & HERS & BOTHS on SOUL-ITUDE… For those like me that have been wounded by toxic forms of masculinity – especially those that present G-d as solely male, I also offer soully female versions of our Source's invitations to come to the quiet…to slow down...and meet in our heart’s center… HERS… Let It Be (The Beatles) - Gabriella Quevedo (0:04:41) -acoustic, sans paroles [without words]) Let It Be - The Beatles Cover Song by Margeaux Jordan (0:03:26) HIMS... Slow Down – Chuck Girard (meditation video) (0:04:13) Come to the Quiet – John Michael Talbot (0:05:18) --John even includes lyrics of a welcoming male presence along with a female one… Anything by him can be calming, heart-opening, healing… You Can’t Rush Your Healing – Trevor Hall (0:10:41) "Quiet down the mind The more the song will play" Trevor shares some personal background and introduces this song with a story about his “transitioning” grandmother and her words to him “Isn’t time such a wonderful gift.” I’ve enjoyed Trevor at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh. BOTHS... Heart of the Universe - Snatam Kaur & Peter Kater (0:08:50) FYI – I’ve enjoyed both these artists when they performed separately…even did a Kundalini yoga workshop with Snatam. We are Awakening – Deva Premal & Miten (0:05:21) --Also enjoyed them at NYC’s Town Hall Mirabai Ceiba – Ma (0:05:48) --This wonderful pairing of musicians includes: Angelika Baumbach & Markus Sieber. “Ma” is the 4th syllable of the Sa Ta Na Ma chant in the kundalini yoga tradition that I practice. See “Yogapedia link below for more information. MEDITATION FOR YOUR DAILY SADHANA (practice) Sadhana “Sadhana is the yogic term for daily spiritual practice. It is one of the main tools for working on the self and achieving a higher state of consciousness. Though “sadhana” is the yogic term used here, sadhana can really be any practice you do to promote personal well-being—whether that’s yoga, meditation, prayer, exercise, or any other health-promoting habit. The key with sadhana is consistency and discipline.” (my added emphasis) Yogapedia explains Sa Ta Na Ma “The individual syllables of sa ta na ma are letters in the Sanskrit alphabet and are also the linguistic root in the common Sanskrit phrase “sat nam,” which means “my true essence” or “my true identity”. This implies that your identity is the ultimate being; as that is everyone’s true essence. The individual syllables are attributed as: Sa — birth, beginning and the totality of the cosmos Ta — life, existence and creativity manifest Na — death and transformation Ma — rebirth, regeneration and consciously experiencing the joy of the Infinite” Here’s a way to practice it. "This meditation brings mental balance. Through this practice, the mind awakens to the infinite capacity of the soul for sacrifice, service, and creation. It is said that a person who meditates on this sound current for 2.5 hours a day for a year, will know the unknowable and see the unseeable. Research has shown that 12 minutes of Kirtan Kriya a day can improve cognition and memory function and helps to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease." BE GRATEFUL FOR FASTING 15 of the Most Inspiring Grateful Dead Quotes to Help You…at any time #music #kundaliniyoga #WitchesBrew #GratefulDead

To celebrate the 2022 Lunar/Chinese New Year that began on Feb. 1, I put together a playlist and some brief information about this annual festival…you’ll need to supply your own fireworks…It’s the year of el tigre…the tiger… At the end of this post, you'll find a playlist of all songs. Lunar New Year: The Year of the Tiger 2022 explained Across China and the Asian diaspora, the holiday marks more than just the beginning of a new calendar year...the Lunar New Year is seen as a time of reunion and rebirth, marking the end of winter and the start of spring. According to one legend, a monster would emerge from under the Earth at the start of every year and eat villagers. Since the monster, called Nian (Chinese for "year") was afraid of bright lights, loud noises and the color red, they were used to exile the beast -- and have all become associated with the holiday. THE TIGER "Tyger, Tyger" excerpt from Dr. Kildare TV show Tyger! Tyger! burning bright ~ William Blake poem reading with text Eye of the Tiger – Survivor MOON-ATICS Elvis Presley "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again" on The Ed Sullivan Show Lost Bayou Ramblers. Blue Moon Special Rod Stewart - Blue Moon (from One Night Only! Rod Stewart Live at Royal Albert Hall) "The lunatic is in the hall…I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon…" Brain Damage/Eclipse – Pink Floyd (from “Dark Side of the Moon”) "Cold-hearted orb that rules the night Removes the colors from our sight Red is gray and yellow white But we decide which is right And which is an illusion" Day begins – Moody Blues Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival Howling at the Moon - D Fine Us ...just found this after posting... Mountains of the Moon – Grateful Dead Standing on the Moon – Grateful Dead (better thumbnail) Weir, Hornsby, and Marsalis Perform "Standing on the Moon" at Gathering of the Vibes 2012 Moonlight Drive – The Doors Moonshadow – Cat Stevens ...and this one just materialized after original post... Moondance – Van Morrison (live at Montreux 1980) Moondance – Van Morrison (instrumental…great images) Harvest Moon – Neil Young Dancing in the Moonlight – Toploader PLAYLIST OF ALL SONGS #music #moon #tiger #gratefuldead #lunarnewyear

Mourning [sic] Dew…without my Brew…from the Witches - not of Eastwick, but of West Hempstead So, here's my story, it's sad NO BREW It's about a drink that I once knew It has my love but shop is closed But do not fear and stay composed (Thanks, Dion, but please don't "Sue" me over borrowing your lyrics) There's a FRESH FULL POT Playlist at the end... Reason for sadness...blues...no brews... Our Story Begins...in the West...West Hempstead... It’s just another Manic Monday…2 B followed by another Brew-less Tuesday…So, as a Wednesday’s Child…I’m Waiting for Wednesday…specifically, Wednesday Morning @ 12 PM…when the Witches Brew-masters will put another pot on the burner…And, I’ll B ready to face the week…Ain’t retirement grand – facing the week on a Wednesday!!! Simply taking life…one day…one hour…one cup at a time…and, as my version of the old TV commercial used to say, “At Witches Brew House…life is good to the last drop…” From the moment you go through their front "doors," you’ll be readied to break on Brew to the other side… That said, if this barista meets you at the gate...be prepared for some strange brew... So, tOM & readers...until the Witches are Brewing, follow the Doctor's Rx...Witch Doctor you ask?...why Doctor Who... Just keep calm...Bee a... ...and until the bean is burning... Don't be sad... ...Put Another Log on the Fire – Candace Bergen & the Muppets ...and as a do bee...listen to the... Monday Music to get and keep us movin' Just Another Manic Monday – The Bangles I dedicate this next cover by the Nurse Practitioners of Maryland to all that help us with their healthcare skills…including Kayla at Witches Brew and my mate, Eileen, who was a Clinical Nurse Specialist and also an Advanced Practice Nurse & instructor. BTW – her specialty was psych…Hmm??? Wonder what role I played in her choice??? FYI – We’ve been working on the same shift now for almost 44 years… Just Another Manic Monday – cover by the Nurse Practitioners of Maryland Morning Dew – Bonnie Dobson “listen… Thought I heard a young boy cry I thought I heard a young man cry today…” Morning Dew - Bonnie Dobson - a post-apocalyptic vision... FYI - If you're interested, Nazareth and Jeff Beck are among other groups that covered Bonnie's original... When will we ever learn...that too many people have died???...Let's make LOVE...not war... Morning Dew – The Grateful Dead (1977) While there ain’t no time to HATE…there’s always time for HAIGHT…Make LOVE…not war… And let us pray that may morning wood be warmly greeted & embraced by morning dew... Tuesday Tunes...for 2-steppin' our way to Wednesday... Ruby Tuesday – The Rolling Stones Tuesday's Dead - Cat Stevens Ahh! Made it!!! Now that it's Wednesday, we won't have to worry about this next singer's warning...because Witches Brew is open until midnight... Wednesday Evening Blues - John Lee Hooker How, 'bout after midnight???...Well...that's fer y'all to figure out...But I'll give you some startin' tunes... After Midnight - JJ Cale & Eric Clapton FYI - JJ penned the original Clapton said in his 2014 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune: The construction of "After Midnight" was great and it had everything[.] The thing that summed up J.J. for me is it had a little country, a little blues, it was rock and there was this guitar part that was baffling. That has always been the fascinating part; I still don’t think we got it right [on my version]. I’ve always been in awe of J.J.’s technique... He was a rhythm guitar player and a great lead guitar player, too. But when he played rhythm, it was very difficult to get it and know what he was doing. When we [recorded] it, me and Delaney both did [the guitar part] it at same time, and it was a really difficult claw-hammer [picking] thing. I thought: "This is too hard," so we made a meal out of it. What got me is that it appeared to be a very complex track and I was just intrigued, and thought: "I've got to try and get this [right]." Cale was coming from this very soulful white music. It was at Delaney's insistence that I did ['After Midnight'], and that was probably one of the first songs we decided to record. And that began my association with J.J., really.[10] Source: After Midnight (J. J. Cale song) - Wikipedia In the Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett (he wrote the original) In the Midnight Hour - Billy Preston Wilson Pickett and Bruce Springsteen Perform "In the Midnight Hour" at the 1999 Induction Ceremony In the Midnight Hour - The Grateful Dead (New Year's Eve @ San Francisco Civic Auditorium) Now, Baby, please don't go...B4 listening to this next one...Brewing up some blues medicine... John Lee Hooker & Van Morrison (wailin' & blowin' some blues down by the river) Wednesday Morning at 3 AM – Simon & Garfunkel Wednesday Morning Dew – Majic Ship Break on Through to the Other Side – The Doors “Made the scene, week to week Day to day, hour to hour (My add: cup to cup) Gate is straight, deep and wide” And, if you like a little cow in your cup…shift your ride’s Disraeli Gears into “D” and hightail it over to Witches Brew… Strange Brew – Cream And if you like your java in a Corinthian leather cup… ---near the end of this 1975 commercial, the woman says, “Give up Maxwell House coffee…well, maybe if I was on a desert island…so let’s FAST forward (perfect analogy for the travesty of “instant” coffee)…fast forward a few years where we find the star of that 1975 commercial starring in… Fantasy Island …wonder if he served Maxwell House to his beach house guests? Thursday's at Witches Brew A.A. Meeting every Thursday @ 11 AM (1 hour before they open to the public). 311 Hempstead Turnpike West Hempstead, NY --Enter through back door. Please use street parking and not the parking lot behind Witches Brew or the fire house one. Thanks! Closing Set...so, set a "spell'...take a load off... To close out this set and provide a balance to the Manic Monday… ...here’s an offering to help us make this a Mindful Monday… Mantra: “I’m at peace with the flow of life…” PLAYLIST OF ALL SONGS #music #humor #WitchesBrew #coffee #WestHempstead

"1/11...a day that will live in sobriety..." Born in '47, I'm now 74... 4+7 = 11 7+4 = 11 As we continue, we'll explore how wise words & mindful music ADD UP...providing selfcare through Positive Music and Preventive Maintenance - not only for our vehicles but also for their drivers' bodies, minds, hearts & souls... POST's SET LIST PM - PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE Working my whole career in the business of the mindful care of automobiles, "PM" is a term for "Preventive Maintenance"...Timely "LOF"...Lube, Oil & Filter...will keep 'em running... So, too, PM for our bodies: good food, exercise ("use it or lose it")...keeps 'em moving... And PM for our souls...according to some...designed to outlast our bodies... ...and if we don't care for our souls OR our vehicles, our SOLES will also get worn out... This next image is at the beginning of the book (see end for more book images) used by my friend and fellow surfer - Steve Bermont - that provided my introduction to the craft of vehicle diagnosis, maintenance and repair. I still have my original copy. Pay close attention to the Aesop-like wisdom in the opening quote: "Come to kindly terms with your Ass for it bears you." "Love BEARS all things..." --1 SFO 13 "Wharf Rats" - Sober Deadheads??? (Facebook group - private) Isn't that an oxymoron...Hmm...maybe it's an...Aoxomoxoa OVEREATING CAN BE HOBBIT--FORMING (note 3rd menu item) HEADING TO THE SHOP (RECOVERY ROOMS) In recovery circles, Step 11 is a PM/Selfcare step: Prayer & Meditation "Looking in the mirror...I love you sweet G-d..." --Lyrics from Ong Namo by Snatam Kaur (10:37) Snatam is a musician and teacher/practitioner of Kundalini yoga - the form I practice. Her music and workshops have helped keep my feet grounded in the steps...there's more below on yoga and the 12 Steps... Step 11 in song (02:45) Step 11 - Richard Rohr 2016 Daily Meditation (Center for Action and Contemplation) --part of a 2-week series (links to all are in this meditation) --It was his book "Breathing Underwater-Spirituality and the Twelve Steps" that was used to get me into the rooms... Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps (47:42) ...As were the writings of another contemplative teacher/practitioner: Thomas Keating "Divine Therapy & Addiction Centering Prayer and the Twelve Steps" 27a. What is the Divine Therapy? Part 1, with Thomas Keating (29:29) 27b. What is the Divine Therapy? Part 2, with Thomas Keating (28:34) PM: Positive Music...7 COME 11 - THE ELEVEN "The Eleven" Lyrics (partial) "No more time to tell how This is the season of what Now is the time of returning With our thought jewels polished and gleaming" The Annotated "The Eleven" - from a must-use Deadhead source: http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/AGDL/gdhome.html --"And another note from a reader: From: Mitchell, Matthew [mailto:MMitchell@ECRI.org] Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 8:21 AM Subject: The Eleven A rather obvious reference to the Eleven came to mind Sunday. If you read the Acts of the Apostles, you'll see "the Eleven" referred to frequently: they are of course the apostles who remained after Judas fled and Christ was crucified and rose from the dead. (Mathias was added to their number later) The Eleven were the founders of the Christian church, and the Holy Spirit came over them at Pentecost (Acts 2). They began speaking in many different tongues, but everyone present understood the message in his or her own tongue. This can be seen as an undoing of the curse of Babel (Genesis 11), where God confused the languages and divided the people. See http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=babel+pentecostThis all seems quite familiar to those of us who listen to the GD. They came from different musical traditions, listened to and played with an even greater diversity of musicians, and turned it all into a musical whole that speaks in different ways to different people. Everyone understands the Dead in their own tongue. Matt Mitchell" --above article also includes a reference to the whale as a Jonah image Greatest Stories Ever Told - "The Eleven" - by David Dodds (another must for Deadheads) "Grateful Dead" The Eleven Jam - Aoxomoxoa 1969 (14:53) Grateful Dead's "The Eleven" (01:37) --put on yer top hat, high hat or no hat and beat these skins...feel the percussion... How it was often performed as a live set: Grateful Dead - St. Stephen/The Eleven/Turn On Your Love Light - Live/Dead (432hz) (30:56) CAR TALK: PAY ATTENTION TO ITS SIGNS SPACE TALK OUR BODY'S TALK: PAY ATTENTION TO ITS SIGNS Don't wait until... Y12SR: Yoga for 12 Step Recovery "It's all in the mind, you know..." - The Beatles in Yellow Submarine Yeah, but our issues also live in our tissues... Y12SR - About, find a meeting...more Several years ago, I participated in a local Y12SR group led by Frank Bono. Besides helping us care for our collective bodies and minds, Frank also brought a musical presence with his guitar playing. His Point Lookout, NY meeting is listed on the Y12SR website (see link above). OUR MIND'S TALK: PAY ATTENTION TO ITS TALK Hey, Cylinder Head, don't be insulted the next time someone refers to you as "Ol Chrome Dome" Sometimes the software in our Engine Control Module (brain) is faulty and needs to be reprogrammed. Among the 12 Steps recovery programs are those for Buddhists and agnostics. BUDDHISM & THE 12 STEPS I met Buddhist teacher and musician Kevin Griffin at one of his concerts and loved both his message and his music. I've previously posted about his "Laughing Buddha" CD. --->>You can sample it here on Spotify. Here's his seminal book on recovery: "One Breath at a Time - Buddhism & the 12 Steps" Here's one recommendation from the above link: “‘One Breath at a Time’ is a brilliant merging of Buddhist insights with those of the Twelve step program, shining a fresh new light on both of these paths of liberation. Griffin weaves the essential teachings of the two psycho-spiritual traditions together with his own story to create a compelling mixture of humor, pathos and wisdom. This fine book will be of great benefit to all who are recovering from something, and who isn’t?” A short article by Kevin on the 11th Step meditation 2-minute intro video from Kevin AA for AGNOSTICS Step 11 (page contains links to all chapters in this book: "The Alternative 12 Steps - A Secular Guide to Recovery") ENCORES Eleventh Hour Angel (Official Music Video) - Eden Parker (06:07) This Little Light of Mine (Star Pose & Sing Along | Kids Yoga, Music and Mindfulness with Yo Re Mi (02:06) RAFFI - This Little Light of Mine - In Concert with the Rise and Shine Band (01:24) Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band - This Little Light of Mine (Live In Dublin) (03:08) Grateful Dead - Just A Little Light (Official Music Video) (04:25) MORE MUIR Cover (still have my original!!!) Inside Front Author! Author! Beginner's Nightmares... #music #humor #RichardRohr #GratefulDead #cars #JohnMuir #KevinGriffin #Buddhism #addiction #recovery #agnostics #12Steps #KevinGriffin #ThomasKeating #WharfRats