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UPDATED 7/2/20 to add a few more songs SUMMARY (from the two meditations that follow) “Francis [of Assisi] knew that climbing ladders to nowhere would never make us happy nor create peace and justice on this earth. Too many have to stay at the bottom of the ladder so we can be at the top. Living simply helps level the playing field and offers abundance and enoughness to all, regardless of our status or state of belonging to religion or group.” “Thomas Merton said, ‘People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.’” Simplicity: Embracing Enoughness - Tuesday, June 30, 2020 I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. —Lao Tzu Most of us have grown up with a capitalist worldview which makes a virtue and goal out of accumulation, consumption, and collecting. It has taught us to assume, quite falsely, that more is better. But it’s hard for us to recognize this unsustainable and unhappy trap because it’s the only game in town. When parents perform multiple duties all day and into the night, it is the story line that their children surely absorb. “I produce therefore I am” and “I consume therefore I am” might be today’s answers to Descartes’ “I think therefore I am.” These identities are all terribly mistaken, but we can’t discover the truth until we remove the clutter. The course we are on assures us of a predictable future of strained individualism, environmental destruction, severe competition as resources dwindle for a growing population, and perpetual war. Our culture ingrains in us the belief that there isn’t enough to go around, which determines most of our politics and spending. In the United States there is never enough money for adequate health care, education, the arts, or even basic infrastructure. At the same time, the largest budget is always for war, bombs, and military gadgets. I hope we can all recognize how the tragic consequences of these decisions are being played out right now. E. F. Schumacher (1911–1977) said years ago, “Small is beautiful,” and many other wise people have come to know that less stuff invariably leaves room for more soul. In fact, possessions and soul seem to operate in inverse proportion to one another. Only through simplicity can we find deep contentment instead of perpetually striving and living unsatisfied. Simple living is the foundational social justice teaching of Jesus, Francis and Clare of Assisi, Dorothy Day, Pope Francis, and all hermits, mystics, prophets, and seers since time immemorial. Franciscan spirituality asks us to let go, to recognize that there is enough to go around and meet everyone’s need but not everyone’s greed. A worldview of enoughness will predictably emerge in us as we realize our naked being in God instead of thinking that more of anything or more frenetic doing can fill up our infinite longing and restlessness. Francis did not just tolerate or endure simplicity; he loved it and called it poverty. Francis dove into simplicity and found his freedom there. This is hard for most of us to even comprehend. Thankfully, new monastics like Tessa Bielecki, Shane Claiborne, and Adam Bucko illustrate how this is still possible even in our modern world. Francis knew that climbing ladders to nowhere would never make us happy nor create peace and justice on this earth. Too many have to stay at the bottom of the ladder so we can be at the top. Living simply helps level the playing field and offers abundance and enoughness to all, regardless of our status or state of belonging to religion or group. --Mahatma Gandhi Reverse Mission: The Way Up Is Down - Wednesday, August 26, 2015 As Thomas Merton said, “People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.” Cited by Richard in the above 2015 Daily Meditation. (from the above Daily Meditation) Jesus, perhaps disappointingly, gives no abstract theory of social justice. Instead, Jesus makes his life a concrete parable about how to live in this world. He demands of his first followers that they be living witnesses to a simple life on the edge of the dominant consciousness. Once you are at the visible center of any group, or once you are at the top of anything, you have too much to prove and too much to protect. Growth or real change is unlikely. You will be a defender of the status quo—which appears to be working for you. Every great spiritual teacher has warned against this complacency. The only free positions in this world are at the bottom and at the edges of things. Everywhere else, there is too much to maintain—an image to promote and a fear of losing it all—which ends up controlling your whole life. There’s only room at the top for one. But if we level the playing field/ladder, there’s plenty of room for folks to stand next to us… (above meditation continued) An overly protected life—a life focused on thinking more than experiencing—does not know deeply or broadly. Jesus did not call us to the poor and to the pain only to be helpful; he called us to be in solidarity with the real and for own transformation. It is often only after the fact we realize that they helped us in ways we never knew we needed. This is sometimes called “reverse mission.” The ones we think we are “saving” end up saving us, and in the process, redefine the very meaning of salvation! Only near the poor, close to “the tears of things” as the Roman poet Virgil puts it, in solidarity with suffering, can we understand ourselves, love one another well, imitate Jesus, and live his full Gospel. The view from the top of anything is distorted by misperception, illusions, fear of falling, and a radical disconnection from the heart. You cannot risk staying there long. As Thomas Merton said, “People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.” I believe that, in the end, there are really only two “cauldrons of transformation”: great love and great suffering. And they are indeed cauldrons, big stew pots of warming, boiling, mixing, and flavoring! Our lives of contemplation are a gradual, chosen, and eventual free fall into both of these cauldrons. There is no softer or more honest way to say it. Love and suffering are indeed the ordinary paths of transformation, and contemplative prayer is the best way to sustain the fruits of great love and great suffering over the long haul and into deep time. Otherwise you invariably narrow down again into business as usual. Gateway to Silence: “Every change of mind is first of all a change of heart.” —The 14th Dalai Lama Up Against the Wall Music Alok & Sevenn - The Wall (Official Music Video) --animated look at the rat race – the wrong wall? The second mouse gets the cheese. See more of these cheesy jokes at my “Mangia” blog post. A second Alok & Sevenn animation on the same theme – are the rats winning this race? Moron [sic] Walls Cinco de Mayo - Walls can keep people out and keep people in. What kinds of walls are we building? Blog post Anti-climb-actic [sic] ending Man uses rope ladder to climb border wall claimed to be unclimbable. Simplicity in Song...simple country/metal, folk & dance (added 7/2/20) Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd "Oh, take your time, don't live too fast Troubles will come and they will pass You'll find a woman and you'll find love And don't forget, son, there is someone up above" "Forget your lust for the rich man's gold All that you need is in your soul" "And be a simple kind of man Oh, be something you love and understand" "Boy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself Follow your heart and nothing else" Some personal reflection on this theme This has worked for me...Troubles have come and gone and, by Grace, I'm still here. I was led to Eileen...and she's still here. I've been blessed with enough to live on and some to pass on to John and others. Some days, I'm still looking for myself...but that is profitable, as it's a searching for my True Self, my soul...the essence that's supposed to live forever. I'm trusting this with my simple faith. And, as my journey moves along, life is more about subtraction than addition...about letting fall away that which obscures my True Self. Simple Gifts - Judy Collins 'Tis a gift to be simple, 'Tis a gift to be free, 'Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the place just right, It will be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained, to bow and to bend, we will not be ashamed To turn, turn, will be our delight, 'Til by turning, turning, we come round right. "Simple gifts" from "The lord of the dance" #RichardRohr #ladders #success #FranciscanSpirituality #ThomasMerton #AlokAndSevenn #PinkFloyd #Gandhi #walls #LynyrdSkynyrd #JudyCollins #dance #LordOfTheDance

NYS Primary Day – Today June 23 “If we fail to give everyone a seat at the table, this may well turn out to be humanity’s LAST SUPPER.” YOU CAN STILL VOTE IN PERSON AT YOUR USUAL POLLING PLACE --site of the League of Women Voters where you’ll find all you need… --Remember, based on their gender, over 50% of our population once could not vote…The times they are a changin’ --Voter suppression, which disproportionately affects the poor and minorities, is still a tool of the system to keep the system in power! Let’s vote to change it up! Forcefully and Peacefully! Primary Day - June 23, 2020 If you’re a registered Democrat and your views resonate more with a candidate other than Joe Biden, your vote in today’s primary can still send a message to the party, helping influence their overall platform and resulting policy decisions. Here are two links you can use as starting points to see the positions of Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and the others who participated in our wonderful, yet flawed democratic (lower case) process. If you don’t like my sources, please find your own. But get involved! https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/2020-democrat-candidates-771735/ https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-lists/2020-democratic-candidates-issues-policy-positions-820811/bernie-sanders-socialist-826209/ OK, enough reading...let's have a music break to get us into a receptive state of mind and heart... Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, John Legend perform "Lean On Me" at the 2015 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for Bill Withers Lean On Me | Playing For Change | Song Around The World Preferential Option for the Poor I’ve expressed this before – I don’t lean left or right but try to fix my eyes straight ahead and model my life on one whose life I want to emulate – Jesus. This is not a religious statement – it’s a practical one, a humanitarian one. This guy’s lifestyle and message expresses a preferential option for the poor. He chose to hang out with and support those at the margins of society. Then he said to them and to us – we are to follow him, to do what he did AND MORE! Where do I stand??? When folks ask me if I’m a Democrat or a Republican, I look at them and love them and say, “I’m a Franciscan!” I resonate with this guy Francis, who left his privileged, middle-class lifestyle, to wander the streets of Assisi, wondering, “Who are You?” and “Who am I?” But he wasn’t just a dreamer. He and his band of brothers (and sisters under Clare) cared for the unfortunate victims of the systems of their day – ministering the gospel with bread, cleansing lepers with water, mourning with those who lost loved ones, and rejoicing in his friendship with Brother Son and Sister Moon. He saw himself as intimately connected to EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. Poor People’s Campaign: A Moral March on Washington As you saw from earlier Facebook posts, this past weekend I participated in the Poor People’s Campaign: A Moral March on Washington – a current version of what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King started many years ago. This campaign comes at a time when, due to the pandemic health issues and racism, those at the margins of society – those living paycheck-to-paycheck - are getting disproportionately pushed outside all of the limited safety nets the system has to offer. We need more transformation, not more information – we need a contemplative mind Leaders with vision are urging us to pray and then act. BOTH are needed, so we can creatively act, not merely RE-ACT. Prophets and mystics like my spiritual father, Franciscan Richard Rohr, inform us as Paul did, we have to be transformed by a renewing of our minds. Our small, fear-driven, self-protective egoic minds need to be upgraded to minds that can see with a wider, non-dual perspective – can see beyond the small fields of left/right, good/bad, my way/your way/highway, either/or – to a new landscape where we will be shown new ways of relating to the multiple critical OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE we are facing in areas like: health, race, gender identity, political representation, environment and economy. Contemplation is a name given by some to this new mind with its deeper perceptive capabilities. Humanity’s Last Stand??? My son John told me that Richard Rohr did a recent podcast in which he expressed with lament that we may be witnessing "ENVIRONMENTAL HOSPICE". If we fail to give everyone a seat at the table, this may well turn out to be humanity’s LAST SUPPER. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RESOURCES – The Teachers of all wisdom traditions offer us UNLIMITED resources If you’d like to “Give Peace a Chance” here are some resources (FYI – Our Source’s resources are unlimited and are given freely to all who ask.) “What does G-d ask of us? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with G-d.” Micah 6:8 These simple and profound words form the theme of Richard Rohr’s 2020 Daily Meditations. At this link, Richard reflects (4 minutes) on the importance of contemplation during a politically divisive time. This page also lists and links to the Weekly Summaries of all the topics that have been covered so far this year. Each Weekly Summary contains links to the full Meditation (Medication : ))) for each day of that week. The Summary also contains a contemplative practice designed to help us move beyond our overly defended and opinionated heads and get us into our more open and receptive heart spaces. The Inevitable Spiral of Violence Radical Solidarity Environmental Awareness Rooted in Franciscan Spirituality (podcast) Frame | Alternative Orthodoxy (Theme 3) (podcast) Includes Richard's words cited above "Environmental hospice" Artistic Expressions for Change Dom Helder Camara in his own words I'm thankful to Richard Rohr for introducing me and my family to Brazilian Archbishop Camara's prophetic call for justice “Keep your language. Love its sounds, its modulation, its rhythm. But try to march together with men of different languages, remote from your own, who wish like you for a more just and human world.” “When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality.” “Without justice and love, peace will always be a great illusion.” “The capitalist empires, with their affirmations of sacrifice for the free world, of defence of private enterprise, of safeguarding order from subversion and chaos, are in fact defending their political prestige and the economic interests arising from it; they are indeed at the service of economic power and the international trusts. The socialist empires for their part are hard and intransigent, they do not allow pluralism, they impose dialectical materialism, demand blind obedience to the party, set up a regime of total and permanent insecurity and fear, just like the fascist dictatorships of the extreme right.” “In the developed countries of the capitalist world, the mass media are beginning to become businesses, and huge businesses at that. The freedom of journalists is now becoming, in most cases, a very relative thing: it ends where the interests of the business begin... In socialist areas, it is enough to recall that the means of social communication are the monopoly of the party.” Source of the above quotes You may call me a dreamer but I’m not the only one… John Lennon - Imagine (John’s April 18,1975 performance – his last live one) --John’s still with us in the common struggle to get and live free Imagine - John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band The Day John Lennon Made His Last Live Appearance (article) John Lennon - Give Peace A Chance --lighthearted, fun version of this important message The Beatles - Revolution You say you want a revolution Well, you know We all want to change the world You tell me that it's evolution Well, you know We all want to change the world But when you talk about destruction Don't you know that you can count me out Don't you know it's gonna be alright Alright, alright You say you got a real solution Well, you know We'd all love to see the plan You ask me for a contribution Well, you know We're all doing what we can But if you want money for people with minds that hate All I can tell you is brother you have to wait Don't you know it's gonna be alright Alright, alright, al... You say you'll change the constitution Well, you know We all want to change your head You tell me it's the institution Well, you know You'd better free your mind instead But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao You ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow Don't you know it's gonna be alright Alright, alright Alright, alright Alright, alright Alright, alright Alright, alright Taken on 7/18/18 at a NY’s Central Park SummerStage concert Dive in…get involved…See you at the polls…and the pools Peace, tOM #music #art #vote #LeagueWomenVoters #PreferentialOptionForPoor #Franciscan #RichardRohr #JohnLennon #Beatles #DomHelderCamara #BernieSanders #JoeBiden

I’ll get to this in a moment… Eileen and John said I could do what I liked today – Father’s Day. Song break… Blind Faith 'Do What You Like & Presence Of The Lord' Hyde Park 1969 --picked this video because the ocean is one place where I have always experienced the presence of the Lord - from my surfing days until now. Xavier Rudd - The Letter "Now the ocean connects me to everything I know By mellowing my mind soon my heart, it can call With these trees as my witness I'll slice up some fruit And each to their peaceful good intentions and truths There will be a time, when I will hold you again with my arms spread out, I would dive right in..." FYI - Xavier was a featured performer at the recent One Earth Live virtual weekend. His songs and those of all the other musicians and featured speakers are still available at the OneEarthLive site. So I got to pick, and we went to the beach, got sand on our feet, salt air in our lungs and watched a lot of folks who were showing body parts that would have been better off left to the imagination. Here’s what a famous Italian clergyman has to say about this and telescopes. Oh, DYK that Jones Beach Field 6 is now a nude beach? Here’s a photo I took that proves this… …but you’ll be fined if you don’t wear a mask. Not sure if the law states what parts must be covered…loopholes…or “weaseling” as Fr. Guido calls it. Afterwards, we headed home, and watched Marvel’s Captain America save the world from Elrond. Oops, from Johann Schmidt / Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). FYI - The Stark Family – dad Howard & son Tony - are freakin war profiteers! More on that in a future post. Last summer we watched every Marvel movie. During that adventure, I spotted this guy walking along Hempstead Turnpike near my house. I asked him to pose…BTW – If you know this guy, S.H.I.E.L.D. is looking for him…Looks like he stepped out of a video game. EXTRA CUTS Shangri Las - Remember...Walking in the Sand "Seems like the other day My baby went away He went away 'cross the sea It's been two years or so Since I saw my baby go And then this letter came for me" There's some connection to my early relationship with Eileen. In 1973, after we had dated for a short time, I moved to California to find myself. I didn't go "'cross the sea" but across the country. While I had no plans to return, Eileen later told me that she knew I'd be back for her. In 1975, I returned, eventually reconnected and made it official on April 2, 1978. These memories came back today after walking in the sand... Drifters - Under the Boardwalk Recalls my days (and nights) at Rockaway Beach, NY - the first place I discovered the sport of kings - Uhh, I'm talking about surfing... Ciao! Tomaso #humor #music #BlindFaith #Marvel #CaptainAmerica #JonesBeach #FrGuidoSarducci #ShangraLas #Drifters

“Love like Jesus, but wash your hands like Pilate” – an early Covid post forwarded by one of my sisters. When my alarm radio went off this past Friday, I heard the announcer talking about Juneteenth, while Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” was playing in the background. --check out the description that accompanies this video Not familiar with the term “Juneteenth” (wasn’t part of the whitewashed version of history that was fed to me), I looked online and found this. Accept (my version of) Jesus – or Die! Here’s another tale that was never told truthfully back in my day: Cortez the Killer – Neil Young Dave Matthews Band - Cortez, The Killer (from The Central Park Concert) --even more amazing guitaring from Warren Haynes The conquerors and enslavers had G-d on their side. Similarities between Amazing Grace & Cortez the Killer Listening to these lines from Neil Young’s tale: “And I know she's living there And she loves me to this day I still can't remember when Or how I lost my way.” …reminded me of John Newton’s words: “Amazing grace, How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found, Was blind, but now I see.” “You decide which is real and which is an illusion…a delusion…” (Moody Blues) “What doe$ it profit you, if you gain the whole world and forfeit your $oul$?” --Mark 8:36 White men can’t jump, but they sure can conquer and enslave Cortez’s conquest of Mexico - Another humanitarian effort from the Spanish church and state empires, the folks that also gave us their version of the Inquisition (sorry, to keep a somber tone to this post, I won’t give you a link to the Monty Python version). Evidence, as some have said, that after Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 313 AD, the Church abandoned its preferential option for the poor and aligned itself with the top: power, control and money. Since their uphill climb, it’s been downhill ever since. A convenient overlooking of Jesus’ “You can’t serve G-d and money.” But, as the prophet Robert wails, “you gotta serve somebody…” Video images are drawn from the mystical traditions of several spiritual systems, predominantly the Jewish Kabbalah. Here's another version by Natalie Cole - uploader added very appropriate images... And one more by Eric Burdon, formerly of Eric Burdon & the Animals... "Gotta Serve Somebody" (Acoustic Live In Joshua Tree) Systemic Evil showing its face... As I’ve began noticing the depth of deception, corruption and abuse of power in corporations, governments and religious institutions, I’m starting to believe more in the presence of systemic evil – a larger evil that’s behind and way bigger than the smaller evils we see in individual people. Perhaps, as the spiritual traditions describe and all great myths confirm, there is an on-going battle between what we call “good” and what we call “evil.” More to come. BONUS TRACKS The Eric Burdon video contained info about a project that was done with and for Amnesty International - Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International #racism #music #NeilYoung #BobDylan #Kabbalah #Bible #AmazingGrace #MarvinGaye #Juneteenth #DaveMatthewsBand #EricBurdon #NatalieCole #AmnestyInternational

A post about a routine trip this morning to a lab for some testing… and, as with many of my wonderings and wanderings, it involves music. Jah know what I mean? It started as a thank you email to a woman named Amanda at Parsley Health in NYC for helping me with scheduling the lab appointment. I could have stopped there but decided to tell her a story, as my way of showing my gratitude for her assistance. Listen in… Amanda, Thank you for making the arrangements for today’s lab visit to the BioReference facility in New Hyde Park. It all flowed smoothly. Got a parking space right in front...short wait...friendly tech...she had a copy of the lab order you sent them…thanks for preparing the way... While in the waiting room, I overheard some of the conversation in the drawing room. When a client commented about the friendliness of the tech, the technician replied that she was from Jamaica (not Queens, but the West Indies) and most folks from there are like that. When I went into the drawing room, I heard music playing, so I asked the tech what she liked to listen to. “Gospel...then later, some R&B and before leaving, instrumentals.” We continued chatting about music, as the miracle called blood was flowing from my arm into small glass vials. I mentioned that I started listening to reggae a few years ago while doing yoga and more recently discovered young roots-reggae musicians that are carrying forward the mindful vibe of Bob. She said that his sons are also about their father’s business. To this, I told her about Bob’s son Stephen’s involvement with a group of world musicians known as “Playing for Change.” Here are three of their collaborations: Redemption Song Music is my Ammunition Three Little Birds I then switched channels to gospel and told her that I liked Dottie Peoples and her Peoples Choice Choir, adding that the choir in a church I attended – Church of the Intercessor in Malverne - did an awesome version of her “On Time God.” Here’s Dottie’s version. Everybody’s moving – Dottie, the choir and the congregation – even the seniors! I know the dead can be raised to life in a church like this! “Dottie’s one of my favorites,” she said. I told her how our choir once performed at Citi Field on Jackie Robinson Day in 2010. Here they are doing “Ancient of Days.” She was impressed and asked me where I sang. Laughing, I replied, “Audience,” explaining that I sing in the audience and then proceeded to relate my time in Power Memorial Academy’s high school glee club (1961-1966). Our school was located right next to where they were building Lincoln Center. When it opened we performed there, singing a song composed just for the occasion- “We Were Here First.” Before she was done taking my last ounce of blood, I told her about my positive experiences at Parsley Health – the functional medical practice of which I’ve been a member for over 3 years. “State-of-the-art diagnostics combined with the use of natural means, when practical, to avoid the harm caused by overuse of steroids and antibiotics. My doctor - Lilli Link - sees me as a whole person – body, mind and spirit – and not as just one isolated organ or system.” After drawing my blood and before I got up from the chair, she asked, “How are you feeling?” to which I replied, “I feel great!” We said our good byes and, as I was leaving, the song “I Feel Good” came to mind. Note to reader: At this time in my life ANYTHING can bring a song to my mind and heart…and feet! Back in my car, I searched for the James Brown song and enjoyed its positive message. With all my medical adventures, I still keep my focus positive by stating, “More parts work than don’t!” Tom Extras...Encores…Second Sets… Just suppose instead of being a carpenter, Jesus’ dad – Joseph – had been a musician…and Jesus went into his father’s business, like Stephen Marley did. How about a "J" clef? These cool images got me thinking about the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Continuing to follow this rabbit trail, I found this article about Alice Cooper’s role as Herod in a 2018 live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s hit musical. This Rolling Stone piece includes a clip of Cooper doing a number and the following reference to one of our family’s favorite “villains.” “’Herod’s Song’ is perfect for you because it is sort of vaudeville. Yeah, and it’s very cynical, and he’s very cynical. To prepare for the role, I keep thinking, ‘Who’s the most cynical character that this could be?’ And I keep coming back to Alan Rickman. He would have been the perfect Herod. So that’s the way I want to do it. Now the director might say, ‘We want you to do it vaudeville’ or, ‘We want you to do it much darker and scarier,’ so it really depends on how they want me to do it.” Hymn of Creation --a song and video tribute to the Source of all creation – including music A Tale of Two Cities --you might be wondering what this has to do with this post… When I told my son John about the Alice Cooper article, he mentioned that in his junior year at West Hempstead High School, he and his friends opted to make a video project (a trailer for a movie version of the Dickens’ novel) in order to get out of having to write a paper. Their class project included references to Cooper. Hey, at least they read the book…something I tried to avoid at all costs when I was in high school. “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” --Bob Marley #music #humor #BioReferenceLabs #IntercessorChoir #ParsleyHealth #reggae #gospel #BobMarley #StephenMarley #DottiePeoples #JamesBrown #PowerMemorialAcademy #AliceCooper #JohnTittmann #WestHempsteadHighSchool

This is yet another post from the anals [sic] of our family texting and email conversations. One of my 4 sisters forwarded the following from a friend who sends very funny stuff. I used some of her humor in a food-related post I wrote. Here’s the original forward. A WALK ON THE MOON!!! IN CASE YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THIS LITTLE TIDBIT OF WONDERFUL TRIVIA . . . ON JULY 20, 1969, NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS COMMANDER OF THE APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE, NEIL WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON AND HIS FIRST WORDS WERE: "THIS IS ONE SMALL STEP FOR A MAN AND ONE GIANT LEAP FORWARD FOR MANKIND," HIS WORDS WERE TELEVISED TO EARTH AND HEARD BY MILLIONS. BUT, JUST BEFORE HE RE-ENTERED THE LUNAR MODULE, HE MADE THE ENIGMATIC REMARK, "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY." MANY PEOPLE AT NASA THOUGHT IT WAS A CASUAL REMARK CONCERNING SOME RIVAL COSMONAUT. HOWEVER, UPON CHECKING, THERE WAS NO GORSKY IN EITHER THE RUSSIAN OR AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAMS. OVER THE YEARS, MANY PEOPLE QUESTIONED ARMSTRONG AS TO WHAT THE 'GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY' MEANT, BUT ARMSTRONG ALWAYS JUST SMILED. ON JULY 5, 1995, IN TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA, WHILE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOLLOWING NEIL'S SPEECH, A REPORTER BROUGHT UP THE 26 YEAR-OLD QUESTION ABOUT MR.GORSKY. THIS TIME HE FINALLY RESPONDED BECAUSE MR. GORSKY HAD JUST DIED, SO NEIL ARMSTRONG FELT HE COULD NOW ANSWER THE QUESTION. HERE IS THE ANSWER TO "WHO WAS MR. GORSKY?" . . . "IN 1938, WHEN HE WAS A KID IN A SMALL MID-WESTERN TOWN, PLAYING BASEBALL WITH A FRIEND IN HIS BACKYARD. HIS FRIEND HIT THE BALL, WHICH LANDED IN HIS NEIGHBOR'S YARD BY THEIR BEDROOM WINDOW. HIS NEIGHBORS WERE MR. AND MRS. GORSKY. AS HE LEANED DOWN TO PICK UP THE BALL, YOUNG NEIL ARMSTRONG HEARD MRS GORSKY SHOUTING AT MR. GORSKY: "SEX! YOU WANT SEX? YOU'LL GET SEX WHEN THE KID NEXT DOOR WALKS ON THE MOON". THE PLACE ROARED IN LAUGHTER!!! LATER NEIL ARMSTRONG'S FAMILY CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS A TRUE STORY. Do pass it on, it's too choice not to be shared. MY REPLY TO MY SISTER WHO SENT THIS FORWARD (Your friend) is getting a little racy! Great story even if it’s not true. On that point, last night the three of us (my family) watched “The Big Year” with Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson. The opening credits started with: “This is a true story only the facts have been changed” No comment. I’m restraining myself... ONE OF MY BROTHERS DIDN’T RESTRAIN HIMSELF great line - "true story only the facts have been changed" - seems a bit descriptive of life these days - depending on who's talking, tweeting, snapchatting, news reporting, etc. MY NEXT REPLY Another kind of moon walk. From my Alien Encounter post...imagine him (MJ) doing this with the freedom provided by 1/6th the gravity of earth. MJ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4PlMdvY9txk ANOTHER OF MY SISTERS JOINED THE EMAIL CONVERSATION Tom Wow, could he dance! He really looks like he's on a moving sidewalk when he walks backwards. I've read your alien post a few times, but this is the first time I opened all of the links. I can't believe how appropriate they are to the spots where you've inserted them. Were you familiar with all of those songs and references, or did you have to google some of them? I can't believe how many song and movie references you know. I'd have to look up every one of them. I love how you wove it around the moon landing to give it a sense of authenticity. I enjoyed the references to the Jetsons and Michael Jackson, Pizza the Hutt, the Star Wars movie. It was so fun and clever! Do you remember how long you worked on it? HERE’S MY REPLY Short version: “Yes” (Were you familiar with all of those songs and references?) “Yes” (or did you have to google some of them?) “No” (do you remember how long you worked on it?) Long(winded) version: I, too, am amazed at what’s stuck there: movies, music and scripture (all my former teachers - living and dead would be pleased). I’m also amazed at what I uncover, as my various Muses lead me onward… The fact that I remember all this useful/useless (you pick one) stuff, confirms what one of my early religion teachers used to say about the value of higher education… --I selected this version because the set reminded me of the grammar school auditoriums of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre and many others I’ve seen. --I found this clip while out the other day at Umberto’s Pizzeria. While sitting in their parking lot, Eileen mentioned Fr. Guido and his “Find-the-popes-in-the-pizza-contest” skit. While looking for it, we found the one above about higher ed. Also, on the way to the Vatican, as I was walking along the Via Humerosa, I found his lecture on the missing commandments. By the way, his version is denominationally different from the one I heard from a funny rabbi I know. Just one more thing, in writing this, I found another take from a guy who always manages to both speak the truth and offend simultaneously. Viewer discretion advised: Obscenity P.S. I had meant to add the following perspective on George's monologue about reducing the number of commandments. So, here's another way to view it... The 10 are all contained in the one law of love (love G-d & neighbor as self). If we all had this law written in our hearts, the other 9 wouldn't be needed because they'd be included. But, as the Teacher said, because of the hardness of our hearts, they have to be spelled out. This letter-of-the-law approach is also needed to address our many attempts to weasel out of applying the law of love - as Fr. Guido alluded to above in the skit about the missing commandments. "Did G-d really say...?" Education: For Information or Transformation? To illustrate what Fr. Guido said about education… One more… If you’re interested, I recently wrote about my own disinterest in classical higher education. “G-d comes to us disguised as our life…” A lot of what I write about comes from my present life – family texts, other folks’ emails, walking around my neighborhood, movies I watch, songs I listen to – in essence, “G-d comes to us disguised as our life”. Please take 5 minutes to read this post in which the blogger mentions the author of this phrase and his own experience with the truth of this statement. And, what continues to amaze and bless me is how this article I just found fits so well into the tapestry of the fabric of my own post. THIS IS WHY I WRITE! My Muse post describes some of this process. We are co-creators with G-d I see the Muses as representations of Spirit – where all creativity comes from. We are, in fact, co-creators. “The Spirit of G-d hovered over the waters…” in the creation story. This same promised Spirit showed up in a dramatic way at Pentecost and in a quiet way in another passage – I’ll get there in a minute or more...but no less than “five minutes.” When I went just now to see where the scripture passage about the quiet wind is located, I found this video. --a perfect example of the Muse/Spirit-led creative process at work. I’m gonna check out this movie; after all, its name reminds me of the wandering and wondering imagery of my website. I also found this one in the search: “You ain’t seen nothing like the mighty wind” --Thinking it might be based on the song “The Mighty Quinn,” the Muse invited me to explore further…and was I rewarded with a 9-minute vicarious vacation, in which I got to walk in the shoes and canoes of others. …still didn’t locate that scripture about the wind. Back to the task at hand… G-d may not be where we are looking for G-d...the Spirit blows where it will Ahh, here is is… -- “Then he (Elijah) was told, ‘Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.’ A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.” A lot of what I discover as I write ends up on the cutting floor (REALLY!!! : )))) but blesses me, as did that video of friends traveling by canoe and the other things I came upon in writing my reply. Graduate School For all my artist friends (and those who wish they were) If higher education isn’t your thing, you might want to try your creative hand at art. What is de-value [sic] of art anyway - in our utilitarian society? Yet, it is deemed non-essential... From my candid camera neighborhood photos... Theological debate - In Whose Diocese is the Moon (who gets the collections?)? Since there's no water, dust baptisms will be the practice. Quite fitting, as on Ash Wednesday, we are reminded, "Thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return." Yet, we look to the stars because of a searching desire that's been placed in our hearts... Recessional Hymns Hold Your Head Up - Argent Hold Your Head Up High - Berne Ciao, baby…Arrivederci! #humor #music #moon #NeilArmstrong #SBJL #family #GuidoSarducci #muse #ThomasMerton #art #education #Berne #Argent

SUMMARY: An example of what can happen when I sit down to write and get overpowered by the Music Muse. I intended to simply tell readers about some online concerts and mini-retreats being offered by Grammy-winning pianist Peter Kater. At the same time in order to give folks a preview of my new website, I posted the info instead of emailing it. This was my simple plan. As I started to compose, my simple plan decomposed, as the Muse overtook me and the following adventure emerged. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Here’s a link to a post about my first meeting with Peter at a wonderfully intimate concert in Brooklyn on 8/1/18. Went there with two of my sangha buddies – Richie and Mike. “I get by with some help from my friends…” My post also contains a link to Peter’s YouTube channel where you can sample his healing offerings. I decided to send you to my new website to view the post there. I figured we’re still in Lent and your Inbox might be observing a fast… Well, that was all I had planned to say when the Music Muse overpowered me. See, I surrender easily to her Siren’s call as I first protest, “Don’t!”…”Stop!”…”Don’t!”…..”Stop!”…"Don't"…..…and somehow I’m soon sweetly singing, “don’t stop..don’t stop.don’t……"cause my mojo’s rising”. To avoid this becoming an extended edition email, I’ll leave it to you to look up mojo references for “Jim Morrison” and “Muddy Waters.” You’ll be rewarded for your efforts. Anyone else remember this cool TV show? “Trouble with you is the trouble with me Got two good eyes but we still don't see” --“Casey Jones” – Grateful Dead “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? --Jesus (Mark 17-18 The Message version) In the Matrix, note how Neo sees in a new way after being blinded… Now, where was I going???… Ahh, got Casey’s train back on the rails… Here’s my current favorite Peter Kater piece called “Heaven’s Window.” I sometimes listen to it for hours. Seems to fit right in with these reflective, meditative, monastic scenes…and our current global Corona Sadhana. Go with the flow for what we resist…persists. My first website, like many things in life, is a work in progress. Everything…every one of us…is always changing…evolving… And life is often three steps forward and two steps backward. The framing and sheet rocking on the site is done and I’m just doing some pre-move-in spackling, sanding and painting. Should be ready to go in a few days. At that time, I will send each of you an invitation to my new online habitation. Come hang out with me…In the meantime, feel free to look around. “All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” Romans 8:22-25 The Message (MSG) P.S. As this email shows, on my new site there will always be wisdom and music from some of my greatest teachers – like: The One from Nazareth; those Other Ones from Palo Alto – the Grateful Dead; the mop-haired blokes from Liverpool - the Fab Four; and from the high desert of Albuquerque, New Mexico - my Franciscan guru, Fr. Richard Rohr. In the meantime…Get out of the door, light out and look all around…....go out truckin’…....smell some flowers......…and...…“Let there be songs to fill the air”.....…and “may the music never stop.” FYI - 1 - I included videos with concert footage in case this summer’s planned ones don’t happen : ((((( FYI - 2 – I linked to that 2015 Grateful Dead Chicago concert because it shows that the band and their music never stops – and neither should we! I love how Bob expresses this (around 7:25) with his exuberant repetition of “Never stop now…No, never stop now…No……” “Don’t stop!” Boni (my plural of bonus, not to be confused with Bono) for reading this far: The Music Never Stopped movie trailer Grateful Dead "The Music Never Stopped" Rockin' 50+ Yrs. of TV Sitcoms - Facebook.com/FunnyVideoGuy My post from 2 years ago about the power of music as medicine. It was inspired by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart’s work with scientists on using the power of music to help folks with various forms of cognitive impairment – as shown in the movie “The Music Never Stopped.” OK, hope to see you online – and Yes, I’ll be wearing my Norton antivirus protection. Peace, tOM #humor #music #Corona #PeterKater #KungFuTVShow #Matrix #Jesus #GratefulDead #RichardRohr #MusicMedicine #MickeyHart

This post developed after a friend shared with me some music she likes. Come listen in on our conversation… Mary, thanks for sharing that Malcolm McLaren album and the “Madame Butterfly track. What emerged from your generosity shows me how just one reply can lead to so many great memories – yours and mine (for mine, see below…far, far below). This must have been how Jesus felt when, only one out of the 10 he healed, came back. That said, here’s what unfolded after listening to one of your favorite artists… FYI, I created this blog post based on our interaction over our common love of music. But first, an important explanation of my writing process… Humor is one of my pressure-relief valves As I was walking today with Eileen, I began to see a pattern in my writing and blogging (something else we have in common). Humorous posts like this serve as a safety valve – for me and for my readers. See, right now, I have a LOT of drafts about all kinds of topics, including many “serious” ones. As Eileen and I walked and talked, I was shown the following pattern (Thank You, Spirit Muse!): As the number of my writing projects increases and the nature of their content takes me deeper into the big issues, a creative tension starts to build up. That’s where the safety-valve effect of humor comes in; serving, as it has in the past, to discharge, to ground the static electricity of potential negativity, superiority and the preacher effect. Laughter helps me relax and take myself and the rest of the world less seriously. This, I believe, enables me to move from sole power to soul power, so I can be shown by my Spirit Guide which way to walk and what words to write AND not write. My INTENTION – when I pay ATTENTION to my Mysterious Muse - is to practice the humility of the servant that Bishop Craig describes when he says, “I’m just like one beggar showing another where I’ve found bread.” Now to my thank you reply back to Mary… …Interesting…you (Mary) are giving me some education in the classics. I’m a lowbrow when it comes to art, literature and music. Never listened to classical music, til son John took it up on piano. I still don’t, preferring instead classic rock and many alternative genres like roots/reggae and mantra music. Literary Diet My classical literature diet was Mad Magazine. “Alfred E Newman for President” Oh, you say he already is? Musta missed that one. But it’s no big deal. “What, me worry?” My motto is, “Don’t worry. Be happy.” Aria [sic] 51 Also, no opera…except “Night at the Opera” – the Marx Brothers classic comedy. Here are two clips: First Second -The second skit could help our elected officials actually get some work done! Withering interest in reading I’ve never climbed Wuthering Heights nor read any other monumental literature by writers that you blog about at www.caffeineepiphanies.com (see below for one exception)… …preferring instead hiking in Washington Heights, the Highline Trail and other city ‘scapes. While some folks like their mountains high and their valleys low, I prefer more moderate terrain. The second Dick & Dee Dee song in this 1964 clip from American Bandstand is called “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” Ties and suits at a concert? What are these kids - Matrix agents? Moving images rather than static pages Kids today are so lucky having newspapers like Hogwarts' "Daily Prophet" with embedded video. Back in my day, you only had two choices - RTFB or use Cliff's Notes. I usually chose the latter and still prefer to watch a video of a book than actually read it. To my credit (is this a contest?), I did read ALL of the Lord of the Rings books. And I got the one ring in my cereal box. Note, however, that it was made in China and not forged in the fires of Mount Doom in Middle Earth. Although, at this time in history, some are seeing a resemblance between these two disparate locations. The fine print reads, “Great for breakfast & second breakfast” Fine print on box: “Warning: Gold ring inside may cause serious harm to your teeth!” – that’s in addition to the damage caused by the refined sugar that was approved by the FDA’s food pyramid scheme – hatched & funded in conjunction with the large breakfast food manufacturers. FYI – “GMO” or genetically modified organisms originally meant: “General Mills Organization.” Probably still does… Considering Gollum’s love for fish, we could say that this warning came from the Sturgeon General’s office. As I typed “Sturgeon” I remembered the famous password scene from the Marx Brothers’ “Horse Feathers” movie. As I watched it, I was amazed when Groucho mentions “sturgeon.” Amazed but not surprised because warped minds think alike - both being forged in the fires of Mount Dumb [sicK]. Heck, if the government gives away the whole store and my nest egg with it, and I have to go back to work, I might be able to get a position writing comedy. Here’s that scene – remember it the next time you realize you forgot one of your passwords and laugh at yourself – everyone else does : ))) History can be hysterical Now, where was I? Who’s keeping track of where I was going? Oh, I’m supposed to be…it might be time to check in with my editor…or my sponsor… Dave Barry was one of my favorite history teachers. He was prescribed to me by my ENT doc. Hilarious!!! Full-strength humorous Rx. Here’s a link to his “Dave Barry Slept Here – A Sort of History of the United States.” --From Amazon’s review: “What caused the American Revolution? This is indeed a rhetorical question that for many years historians have begun chapters with. As well they should. For the American Revolution is without a doubt the single most important historical event to occur in this nation except of course for Super Bowl III (Jets 16. Colts 7. This historian won $35).” I immediately took to his funny tale with each repetition of the date that he uses for nearly every hysterical historical event: October 8. That just happens to be our son John’s birthday. Another fav in the history teacher department is Dr. Mel Brooks, PhD. His classic publication, “History of the World, Part 1,” tells you everything you don’t need to know about all the really important things that might have happened, as only an eye witness can tell it. There’s even a YouTube channel dedicated to the movie. How, you might ask, is this possible for Dr. Brooks to be an eye witness? I’m assuming in asking this question that you are unaware of his actual age. This 5-minute video explains it all… Some dialogue from this masterpiece... “See Moses run…see Pharaoh run…” “I knew the head writer of the bible.” “If I told you the truth, you couldn’t handle it.” (when asked if everything in the bible actually happened) Show me the future...I can handle it In the futurist department, I’ve learned a lot from historian George Carlin. Here’s one of his recorded lectures on what the world might look like if we continue to treat our shared environment as a disposable commodity. What We Don’t Know Can’t Be held Against Us…but still counts against our karma credit score Practicing what Bishop Craig has said, “We’re all too-well educated above our level of obedience,” I figure it’s better to remain ignorant, that way, if I don’t know something, it can’t be held against me. I’m tempted to lower the level of my reply to Mary even more by inserting one of those 5th-grade-male-humor jokes that go something like this. The judge says to the defendant, “Be forewarned that whatever you say next may be held against you.” A sly grin starts to form on the yet-to-be-proven-guilty man’s face, as he imagines all the beautiful women he knows and tries to decide whose name to blurt out next. Oh, looks like I yielded once again to the temptation to tell you what I previously said I wouldn’t. Looks like I’m still stuck in Romans time – Romans Chapter 7. Hell, that's better than being in Chapter 8. Anyway, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission. For more 5th-grade-male humor, please see this blog post. The Prolonged Prologue Comes to an End Okay, consider all the previous levity as the prologue…the warm up act…here’s the story… Now, to the Michael McLaren song you (Mary) sent about GI Joe…First, I listened to it. Next, I went online and got the lyrics. Admitting my lack of knowledge about opera, I also Wiki’d “Madame Butterfly” to see the storyline and how it fit in with McClaren’s adaptation. It confirmed what I thought I heard in the song…a GI going back to a former lover in another land and time. I meet my soul mate...but it takes me a while to know it Well, this tale quickly reminded me of my relationship with Eileen (Wiki also reminded me of her when it mentioned that the first successful showing of the Puccini opera was on May 28, 1904. May 28 is Eileen’s birth date.) I will not disclose any more of Eileen's PI info, such as the year of her birth, on the grounds that it might incriminate me – and negatively impact my karma credit score.) We had been dating for a while when, in 1973, I relocated to California to find myself. (I’m still looking.) I was gone for 2 years but did return in the middle of my odyssey for a New Year’s Eve party given by some of my old crew. During my brief visit back to my roots, I saw Eileen. When I moved back to NY in 1975, we reconnected. Years later, she shared with me that she knew that I would be back for her. I didn’t – but she did. For this reason and many others, she's been my anchor, as I’ve been tossed about by many waves of indecision. I found it cool that, being a VW-bus-driving surfer for 10+ years, when I looked for the wording of James’ wisdom on being tossed about, I found this image: Like Vinnie Barbarino, there have been many times in my life, my simple prayer has been, “I’m so confused.” A shotgun wedding One of these “what do I do?” times involved Eileen and my indecisiveness about marrying her. G-d used a NYPD sergeant named Tony Kaiser, who happened to be my charismatic prayer group leader. to challenge me to….........(see if you can guess where I might be going with this). Here’s a brief snapshot (excised from the police report) of what happened after he “pointed his gun” at me on that fateful Friday night at Bishop Molloy Retreat House in Jamaica, NY. To begin with, his challenge really bummed me out. See, I was single and went on that retreat so I could have fun being a charismaniac, sing songs that were actually fun to sing, and have someone cook and clean for me for the whole weekend. Officer Kaiser burst my happiness bubble. Instead of asking for help, I did what most guys would have done - I went up to my room to figure this out by myself. The question before me was - How could I, knowing my history with relationships, ever make a commitment to one woman for one lifetime? It seemed like hours passed, as I struggled to make a rational decision – one based on facts. As I wrestled with the angel, the outside weather began to mirror my interior climate. As the rain fell, so did my tears. Eventually, the angel overpowered me (Hey, my name is Thomas not Jacob...and my middle name is Peter) and I surrendered, admitting my powerlessness to make this decision on my own. Many years later, AA & the Overcomers group at Church of the Intercessor would help me see once again, through the wisdom of Step 1, the necessity of letting go of control - actually, the illusion of control. As soon as I gave up – I actually won - and a deep calm and peace came over me. I found my way downstairs (and drank a cup) to where people were hanging out and located Eileen, who was completely unaware of what had been happening to me. I asked her to go back upstairs, where I proposed to her in her room. Our path to relationship unfolded like this: I picked her up in a bar...proposed to her in a retreat house... and we got married in a monastery. And this as Catholics, not Episcopalians! A long and winding road… BTW – 2019 was a time of great testing for our union. One of the ways G-d stepped in was thru son John, who acted as a third force, helping us say what needed to be said - in both truth and love. We’ve come out of that forge, finding our individual voices and communicating much more honestly. On April 2 of 2020, we decided, as we’ve done 41 previous times, to re-up. I’m no longer confused about my decision. Like Bishop says about his relationship with Cathy, “I married up.” #humor #music #Eileen #MaryP #BishopCraig #MalcolmMcLaren #MelBrooks #MarxBrothers #LordOfTheRings #DaveBarry #Intercessor #JimCarrey #Beatles

“Falling Back” from Daylight Saving Time is Like Groundhog Day Video Time: 95 minutes ** **but it would have been only 0:35:00 if you read it at 2:00 AM on Nov. 4, as you rolled back the time 1 hour. Thinking about rolling back the clocks tonight, reminded me of Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day adventures. This yearly practice also recalled “do overs” which we used as kids to get another chance. The keyboard’s “Backspace” key and Word’s “Undo Typing (Ctrl+Z)” feature also allow us to easily begin again. Various spiritual traditions emphasize starting over. Christians refer to being born again. Hindus and Jews of the mystical kabbalah tradition see it as reincarnation. The 12 Steps refer to it as recovery. How did you “spend” your “extra” hour? How Quantum Physics Proves God’s Existence --Selected quote: “It is by God’s design that our minds transcend space and time, 'But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.' 2 Peter 3:8 NIV. We are reminded of His majesty in Job 36:26, 'How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.'” NIV Movies/Books about the Passage of Time Groundhog Day - Bill Murray "Me, me, me also..." (0:01:13) Groundhog Day lasts HOW LONG for Bill Murray? (0:06:00) Groundhog Day "I'm a god" scene (0:03:38) --“You are not a god. This is 12 years of Catholic school talking.” Time Travel in Fiction Rundown (0:08:04) --SPOILER ALERT: interesting, esp. for science types QuickSilver Scene "Kitchen" - X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) Movie Clip HD (0:02:48) Songs about the Passage of Time Time - Pink Floyd (with lyrics) 1973 (0:07:13) --click More below the video to view lyrics The Moody Blues -Forever Afternoon (Tuesday) – 1967 (0:04:29) --the whole album is about the passage of time The Wheel ☮ Grateful Dead, 1976 (0:06:02) The Wheel – Grateful Dead (article) --deep dive into the song from David Dodd, Research Associate, Music Dept., Univ. of Calif. at Santa Cruz Jim Croce - Time in a bottle – 1973 (0:02:28) Time Has Come Today | The Chamber Brothers | Lyrics (0:04:59) Clocks – Coldplay (0:04:18) Foreigner – Feels Like the First Time (0:03:51) Queen - '39 (Official Lyric Video) (0:03:38) Iron Maiden – Caught Somewhere In Time (0:07:26) Led Zeppelin - Kashmir (Live 1975) (0:09:06) Huey Lewis And The News - Back In Time (0:02:49) Uriah Heep – Traveler In Time (with lyrics) (0:03:13) Foo Fighters - Times Like These (VIDEO) (0:03:50) Orange Goblin – Time Traveling Blues (0:06:39) Hawkwind – Silver Machine (0:04:39) The Gathering – Strange Machines (0:06:04) T.S. Eliot – Little Gidding Selected verses (see link for complete text of this last of Eliot’s Four Quartets): “We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. Through the unknown, unremembered gate When the last of earth left to discover Is that which was the beginning; At the source of the longest river The voice of the hidden waterfall And the children in the apple-tree Not known, because not looked for But heard, half-heard, in the stillness Between two waves of the sea. Quick now, here, now, always-- A condition of complete simplicity (Costing not less than everything) And all shall be well and All manner of thing shall be well When the tongues of flames are in-folded Into the crowned knot of fire And the fire and the rose are one.” tOM #humor #time #music #gratefuldead

Originally sent as an email on 5/5/19 ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo, mis amigos & amigas! Here are a few suggestions on how to celebrate this day in the history of our neighbor to the south. Note: This posting is not intended to be a political statement; rather, it is written with the hope of our becoming aware of our shared humanity. If you are offended by political humor or some strong language, please skip the George Lopez clips at the end. Walls can keep people out and keep people in. What kinds of walls are we building? Mending Wall by Robert Frost – read by Leonard Nimoy (0:10:26) Mending Wall by Robert Frost – animated version (0:02:13) Mending Wall – Schmoop version (0:03:25) “The words of the prophets are written on subway walls and tenement halls…” A Poem on the Underground Wall - Simon & Garfunkel (0:02:01) (2020 add - let me know what you think is his "...single worded poem comprised of four letters". Truly an anthem for the rebel and street artist!) The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel (0:03:58) (2020 add - Another anthem for the rebel and street artist!) Listen to Pink Floyd’s The Wall or watch the movie (trailer). Here are two movie clips: Another Brick in the Wall (0:06:00) Outside the Wall (0:04:24) Reagan's "Tear down this wall" speech, 1987 (0:02:26) There are flesh and blood people involved…brothers and sisters…hermanos y hermanas… A Border Fence Blurred by Art (0:04:02) One Congregation. Two Countries (0:02:30) This article features a 2017 NY Times video in which a multi-cultural pastoral family describe what it's like to live in a community where their congregation is now divided by a wall. What History Teaches Us About Walls The three YouTube videos above and the following text are from the following: 2019 Student Lesson Plan on Border Walls “Walls are back in fashion. Walls and fences. Not long ago, you may recall, Republican presidential candidates expressed their devotion to them. In October Michele Bachmann signed a pledge to support the construction of a fence that would run the entire length of the United States-Mexico border. Not to be outdone, Herman Cain voiced his support for an electrified border fence, one juiced up enough to be lethal: Touch it and die. As someone who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, I happen to know how the device works; in a certain way, we invented it (we should have copyrighted it). The ability to cross the “lethal fence” used to be part of the East-European survival kit. He continues: While walls and fences are certainly physical things — imposing ones at that — a good deal of their power comes from elsewhere. As their role in political discourse makes clear, they are also things of the mind. And it is not a concept confined by American borders. The Germans, who seem to have a name for everything, use the phrase Mauer im Kopf (“wall in the head”) to refer to the phenomenon. The Berlin Wall may have been torn down long ago, but many people in Germany still feel divided; the wall is intact in their minds. (As a native of Germany, Niemann may know a thing or two about this.) Walls can be spectacular as architectural structures but they can be even more fascinating as entities that inhabit our thinking and shape cultures. Walls, then, are built not for security, but for a sense of security. The distinction is important, as those who commission them know very well. What a wall satisfies is not so much a material need as a mental one. Walls protect people not from barbarians, but from anxieties and fears, which can often be more terrible than the worst vandals. In this way, they are built not for those who live outside them, threatening as they may be, but for those who dwell within. In a certain sense, then, what is built is not a wall, but a state of mind.” A Mexican-American Family’s Success Story (0:02:48) Like one member of the Siete family, I, too, have an autoimmune condition and was very happy to discover their delicious grain-free chips, tortillas and other healthy products. They are available coast-to-coast in most stores. George Lopez Watch George Lopez’s full HBO Special The Wall. Here are a few clips but watch the whole show – Lopez’s body language is priceless and the ending is hilarious: The Wall (0:03:17) I Put in Your Driveway (0:02:07) There Are No Minorities (0:01:26) America is Already Great (0:03:52) The Documented Undocumented (0:01:50) Latinos Aren’t Lazy (0:02:12) Latino Lives Matter (0:02:48) The President Lopez Administration (0:02:53) We Don't Live Afraid (0:03:03) Gluten Free in the Mexican Community (0:03:54) People For The Future (0:04:13) I took the following photos in 2018 while hiking the Highline Trail in NYC. 2020 add - consider the President's recent claim that he wants to make China pay for the damage caused by how they handled the virus pandemic. That's like suing Mrs. O'Leary because her cow is alleged to be the cause of the Great Chicago Fire. UDDERLY RIDICULOUS! FYI - Here's an article about several theories about how the fire actually started. It includes these interesting comments that address the subject of this post: "Why has the story of the O'Leary's cow become so popular? At the time, blaming the O'Leary's fed on the anti-Catholic and anti-immigration sentiment of the time." 2020 addition "...my country tears of thee..." --links to a post that contains the Lawrence Ferlinghetti poem "Pity the Nation" #CincodeMayo #GeorgeLopez #Trump #walls #SimonAndGarfunkel #RobertFrost #LeonardNemoy #PinkFloyd #Reagan #Schmoop #Siete #HighlineTrail

I dedicate this to the healing of relationships of all those who’ve had a father and all those that have participated in ushering new life into our world… I’ve come to see children as instruments of renewal, re-creation if you like. They are sent here for the purpose of finding healing for themselves and their parents, each helping the other. “Teach Your Children” by CSN&Y describes this inter-generational renewal process. Spiritual recycling. In the beginning… Fatherhood is all about letting go. For starters, we have to release our seed. Well, you say, that’s not too difficult as it comes naturally. OK, you’re right, there appears to be no pain but rather lots of pleasure in this act. And that’s as it should be since we have been given the awesome privilege of serving as co-creators. In one account of the creation story, after surveying the results of allowing spirit to materialize into the world of form, G-d says with pleasure, “It is good…very good.” Letting go, releasing has a pleasurable dimension. Creation however, like most of life, is not just filled with pleasure. It also has another side. At the moment the new life enters our world and the cord is cut, it is separated from its warm and secure womb, and pain is experienced by child and parent. While the obvious heavy lifting is undertaken by the mother as she labors, a father can experience a painful sense of loss as the mother-child bond develops and deepens. He may be left wondering, “Now, what’s my role?” Provider, protector, teacher? Nurturer? - not likely, especially, if he’s had no models for this kind of relationship. In any case, he’d better do some serious bench pressing as life will surely challenge him to try to meet these formidable roles. Before the beginning… I didn’t want to have children. I was afraid of inflicting the painful experiences I had with my own dad onto another life. Over time, I would be invited to let go of these fears and learn to trust. Deeply hidden, these fears only surfaced after Eileen began discussions about starting a family. Through counseling and grace I was able to open up to Eileen’s desire and I consented. That’s not the end of this tale. We couldn’t conceive. As the years went on, I started to see this as some sort of cosmic joke. “You got me to say ‘Yes’ and nothing’s happening, just waiting.” Eventually, doctors said I might be the reason, as my sperm were too laid back, and a surgical procedure was scheduled to increase our chances. You’d think this would be enough to scare my sperm into high gear. Remember the cosmic joke comment – well, here’s where the punchline gets delivered. Just a few days before my procedure, Eileen calls me at work with the joyful news that she’s pregnant. As this new development started to sink in, I imagined a modern version of the Abraham and Isaac story in which a doctor armed with a scalpel was standing over my privates poised to strike…and just in the nick of time – deliverance! Talk about an on-time G-d! Some memories of letting go… “I DON’T wanna hold your hand.” Sorry, Lennon & McCartney. When our John was first learning to walk, he willingly held my hand. Then, at some point, he decided that he wanted to be free to walk by himself and told me to let go. Huffin’ & Puffin’ The beginning of John’s driving adventures started with a Little Tykes Cozy Coupe and progressed, as it does with many boys, into bigger, faster and more expensive toys. I didn’t have to worry much because in his little red and yellow car, he was still safely held by the laws of balance and gravity. But, as it does in other areas of life, there came the time to remove the old, safe, comfortable support system - in this case four wheels and two feet on the ground – and move on to the bicycle. I was nearly 50 when I began the lessons on the 222nd street Queens Village sidewalk in front of the apartment where we lived. This kid was strong and it took a lot of endurance to run next to him, my hand firmly on the back of his seat. When the time was right, I knew I’d have to let go, trusting that skinned knees and other bruises are how we learn. After all, my dad had done the same with me and my Roadmaster bike. “Stay where I can see you” was my attempt to still have some connection to this young child. Soon, he’d be going off around the corner and out of sight. “LE(t)GO. I want to do it my way.” We had lots of times together playing in his younger years. Eileen and I worked it out so we had complementary shifts. I came home around 3 pm and reported for the second shift: playing, eating, then more playing. John always did his homework in school so it wouldn’t interfere with, you know what – PLAYING. In fact, by this time, he had developed a chant, “Play, play, play. Nothing else, just play.” He like to build things using LEGOs, wooden and cardboard blocks, and assorted household articles, carefully selected to fulfill a particular architectural need. Elaborate train layouts and roads for car were favorites, running from room to room throughout our third-floor apartment. They often stayed up for days. As we designed empires, I soon saw that he had his own script for how the setups were to look and what the various figures were to say to each other. Whether they were Little People riding in cars or majestic knights atop horses storming a castle, John told us how to play. I let go of any attempts to influence these interactions and allowed him to be the director. Tool time Very early on I realized that he was very good with his hands. One incident drove this home. As we were playing with some Fisher-Price tools, I watched as he “palmed” a screwdriver like one of the automobile technicians I worked with. I was not surprised. See, my dad could fix anything. I don’t know anything about his dad or other Tittmann’s before him, since from the age of three, he was orphaned and raised along with his two brothers by German nuns. Whatever inherited hand skills he possessed were furthered when he served in the Navy during WWII and was assigned to the SeaBees (a nickname for the Construction Battalion). I didn’t notice these skills until I was about 13 and he bought our first house on 117th St in Richmond Hill. I was the oldest of 7. My mom did all her work inside the home, while dad was the sole breadwinner. I’m sure our large family had something to do with their enjoyment of the pleasures associated with co-creating – if you get my drift. “De-fence, De-fence, De-fence” (You’ll see below why I’m using the British spelling.) Baseball was another place where John used his dexterity. Our time in Little League with Coach Pete was special. It was yet another place he demonstrated his drive and passion for accomplishing something he wanted. I fondly recall all the time we spent practicing pitching and hitting. To protect myself from his power, I built a PVC pipe and netting shield and positioned myself safely behind it when throwing batting practice. This homemade fence was my “defence against the dark art” of the line drive up the middle. As insurance (think Patronus Charm), I also wore a Medic Alert pendant around my neck. Often, when I’m in my yoga class and look out across the pool to the Echo Park baseball field, I remember his walk-off home run. Lots of wonderful memories…You may be wondering where’s the letting go in this example. When John showed promise as a hitter and pitcher, I started to wonder where this might lead. I grew up without having any educational or career goals. Until my mid-twenties, I never thought much about what I was going to do with my life. So, when I became a dad, I pretty much had the same “take it as it comes” attitude and didn’t have any particular goals for John. As we went to baseball lessons and camps, I thought that maybe he’d excel in this area. Unknown to me, he was already realizing that to succeed he needed to make a choice between baseball and music. By the end of his middle school years, he refocused his energy and passion on the piano. How to get to Carnegie Hall Besides building, John also used his hand “tools” to play a variety of musical instruments. In think the flutophone was his first, then trumpet in the school band. The piano would soon be added. It started one day when we were visiting a friend. She had a piano in her living room. Eileen or I might have mentioned that John had been making tunes on this shirt-pocket sized piano someone had given him. She invited him to sit next to her on the bench as she showed him “Heart and Soul.” She did one hand, while he did the other. He took right to it and they played a duet. “Will Drive for Food” I had to teach myself to drive because my dad never drove or owned a car until after he retired. It was then that I taught him to drive – and my mother never forgave me. Years later, I recalled a sign that John would have an on-going love affair with driving machines. At his christening, a friend gave us a card that showed a baby looking out over his dad’s shoulder. The caption over the baby’s head asked, “Is it too soon to ask for the car keys?” Teaching John to drive was really easy. He was a natural. As our lessons progressed, I again realized that there’d be a time when I wouldn’t be in the car looking out for his safety and would have to let go of the steering wheel – both the actual one and my mental one. He quickly stretched the limits of my comfort zone, when soon after getting his license, he drove with some high school friends to the City of Brotherly Love for a cheese steak. While this was before the era of electronic navigation systems, he had his own built-in GPS (Gastronomical Procurement System). A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away - Of heroes’ quests and the search for meaning Like most boys, John loved to create and inhabit whole worlds of good guys and bad guys. It began with knights on horses, progressed to larger action figures and then to video games with their virtual contests. Beating the bad guys - the boss – was the ultimate challenge and much passion and energy and a few smashed controllers were utilized to accomplish it. Eileen and I introduced John to Star Wars and he and his cousins would play for hours dressed in capes and armed with light sabers. But he took us deeper into the world of mystical quests and fantastic beasts as we entered into the magical realms of The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. We met characters much like us that contained their own unique combinations of darkness and light. He then brought us into movies like the Matrix series that question the nature of reality. Space fantasies like Interstellar continued as some of his favorites. After his Tesla purchase, I’d not be surprised if he already has his name on the waiting list for one of Elon Musk’s expeditions to Mars. I wonder if the first space bus with have “Furthur” on its destination sign. “A man after my own heart” There’s a line in a Christmas song that asks, “Mary, did you know that the child you’ve delivered will soon deliver you?” At some point, Eileen and I started seeing this line in a new light – as pertaining to our son. From an early age, John had prayed for wisdom. Those of us who knew him best would remark that he had wisdom beyond his years. As he grew older, this became more apparent when he began speaking into some of the broken areas of our lives. I’m only recently discovering that one of these areas in my life that requires ongoing healing is my ability to give and receive love. Some of it likely stems from the early wounds of my relationship with my dad. Grace intervened using a curious instrument to begin a much-needed restoration with him. It began as I spent a weekend retreat in my apartment eating brown rice and getting absorbed in the wisdom of “Be Here Now” by Baba Ram Dass - a counter-cultural icon, non-practicing Jew and high priest of psychedelics who went to India in search of truth. As I slowly devoured his words, an image on page CVII in the large brown-paged section captured my heart. There’s a pencil drawing of Jesus’ lying on the cross. Surrounding this face filled with love are these words: “Do you think that when Christ is lying there and they’re nailing the nails in he’s saying, ‘Oh man, does that hurt!’? He’s probably looking at the guy who’s nailing him with ABSOLUTE COMPASSION He digs why the cat’s doing it. What he’s stuck in. How much dust covers his eyes. Why he’s got to be doing it. That’s the way it is. He said the night before: ‘Well, tomorrow is the big trip. Yeah-right – these are the nails. Wow! Look at that!’ Am I he who is being pained? No! That’s the thing. Once you know that then: Pleasure & pain, loss & gain, fame & shame – are all the same. They’re all just happening.” For the first time I was introduced to a G-d of love and not judgement and it freed something within me. Fear was being replaced with love - a letting go of what no longer would serve me. On the Monday after this healing encounter, I called my dad and asked to meet with him. I didn’t know what I was going to say to him, but I felt compelled to see him. When I saw him and after some small talk, I looked at him and said something about how much I appreciated what he had given me. Then I said, “…but, Dad, how come we’ve never been able to express love for each other?” And I hugged him. It was a one-sided hug but it created cracks in our armor that would subsequently allow light to get in. Within a month we made a men’s retreat together – each seeking our own Holy Grail. The healing continued as my parents accepted my invitation to travel with me as I was moving to California in an attempt to find myself. As we drove across the country in my 65 VW Bus with surfboard on the roof, dad rode shotgun and took pictures while mom sat in the back writing poetry. Kinda our version of S&G’s “America.” I’ve included this episode because John and I are just starting to begin a new chapter in our own story that involves another heroic quest. We are undertaking the long journey from our heads to our hearts. While this means something different for each of us, we are traveling as companions – as a Fellowship of the Heart, if you like. And the goal, the prize is not in some mystical, fog-shrouded place far, far away. It is within each of us. In fact, it’s actually the same place to which we are each traveling… Of endings and beginnings… We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. --from T.S. Eliot’s “Little Gidding” As I said at the beginning of this tale, I believe that this is why children are given to us – for our healing, and if you like, our deliverance. As the CSN&Y song goes… And you, of tender years, Can't know the fears That your elders grew by. And so please help them with your youth. They seek the truth Before they can die. Teach your parents well. Their children's hell Will slowly go by. And feed them on your dreams. The one they pick's the one you'll know by. Don't you ever ask them, "Why?" If they told you, you would cry. So, just look at them and sigh And know they love you. I dedicated this tale to the healing of relationships of all those who’ve had a father and all those that have participated in ushering new life into our world…if you sense the need for healing, be courageous and take the first step… Peace and Happy Father’s Day! tOM #john #fathers #sons #healing #relationships

Calling all wordsmiths and lovers of language Event: Punderdome – 5th Annual Pun Competition in Brooklyn Date: Thursday July 18, 2019 Time: 7-11 pm Where: 635 Sackett Street Brooklyn, NY 11217 Website Tickets Youtube - If you can bear it, there are more on (moron) Youtube Article about origins AVISo: (that’s Spanish for “take notice”) If you like to engage in the challenge of playing with words, then here’s the premier event for you. Created by a father-daughter ENTERPRISE, it’s a cheap night that offers million-dollar laughs. So, if you’re THRIFTY and on a BUDGET, here’s some entertainment that will give you your DOLLAR’s worth and won’t HERTZ your pocketbook. After reading about this creative pair of punsters and looking at some Youtube clips, I think you’ll agree their act could go NATIONAL. It’s to your ADVANTAGE to get tickets quickly, as it’s not a large venue. You can’t possibly PAYLESS for a fun evening. --inspired by my career with Avis & Budget My brothers and sisters love to pun. We come by it (dis)honestly. My Dad was the first in his line to exhibit the gene-mutation that causes one to play with words. Mom wrote poetry, even had a book of them published. The family agrees, however, that our brother Peter is the pre-eminent punster – the highbrow among us lowbrows. While some attribute this to his Princeton education, I feel it just might be due to getting more of his bloodline’s recessive genes. “Say it ain’t so, Joe” When I was in St. Benedict Joseph Labre’s grammar school, I was asked to take the role of Mr. Dictionary in a school play. My mom made my costume from assorted cardboard boxes. From what I can remember, the stage had pairs of children tied together to form contractions. My task was to take a large scissor and cut their strings so they could become two separate words. “Can’t” became “Can” & “Not”, “Won’t” became “Will” & “Not,” etc. There might have even been an “Ain’t,” but as I recall we were discouraged from using this slang word. “‘Ain’t’ ain’t in the dictionary,” we were warned. Hmmm…wonder if this is why I chose to pursue a career as a word surgeon? Here’s what Merriam-Webster has to say about “ain’t”. Is there baseball in heaven? In a recent email, I posted about ice cream in heaven, so here are a few thoughts on America’s national pastime. “Say it ain’t so, Joe” is a quote from the baseball movie “Eight Men Out.” This morning, I found this thought-provoking post. If you don’t allow the kid to use “ain’t,” and instead force him to use “proper” English “Say it is not so, Joe” …his words can’t have the same poignancy and plaintiveness – as Merriam-Webster explained in the above-mentioned citation. More on baseball in heaven Is there baseball in heaven? joke Where does it mention baseball in the Bible? -->The very first line: in the big inning! Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game I first learned about this book last year at one of my monthly men’s gatherings. My friend John did a funny and poignant presentation on this topic and made reference to this book he had read. As he was talking, I was transported back into a whole lot of memories from my own childhood through fatherhood. All of us at that meeting hung on his every word – from opening pitch to his walk-off remarks. BTW – This morning I went to Prime and ordered my own copy – looking forward to a great summer read. I’ll leave you with this… Did you hear about the street-walker who had a change of career and became a famous writer? -->She went from bed to verse. (Let me hear those groans – they encourage me!) BTW – The Punderdome competition features a Clap-O-Meter groan-recording device. You can see it and other funny images on their Facebook page. Play Ball! tOM #humor #puns #Baseball