Sing, Sing a Song

 Are we all by nature musical beings?

Are we not instructed to sing praises to our Lord, God almighty?

Is there anything more calming and soothing, more the embodiment of peace than a mother singing to her child?

Music and poetry have been means of preserving oral histories throughout the ages.

Singing and chants have been essential in religious practice and spiritual ascension. When people could not read, they sang the words of their faith. How is your Church voice?

You may find some videos on the Internet of chanting monks shrinking cancerous tumors, pictured over time lapse.

A healing force? Adds deeper significance to a mother singing to her child. The heartfelt projection of love and concern, the transfer of energy that many profess is healing within itself, and a reality devoid of the barbarism of so called modern medicine begins to appear.

I am no Green freak, but Gaia.com has some great articles and videos on natural healing; including many on chanting and using sound to kill cancer. Here is one, ending in a testimony where two women with breast cancer had their tumors destroyed by toning under instruction, singing the Ionian scale for three and a half hours a day for a month.

I am not sure if there are any music CD's out there specifically designed to melt away tumors, hitting frequencies and sequences that cause cancers to explode. Do your own research. I would not want the FDA to shut down my blog for giving medical advice. Nothing in this blog should be considered medical advice.

I encourage my wife to crank up the little sound system at home and play Christmas choir music. An hour or so minimum and her spirits seem to lift if nothing else. It is important to keep ones spirits high and to be always grateful in times of difficulty. As one preacher famously said, "Gratitude kills cancer."

She wears noise cancelling headphones to protect her hearing, just saying.

The YouTube is filled with healing frequency broadcasts. The ones broadcasting live will go on commercial free. One person commented on a particular frequency post that their dog's tumor shrunk away by leaving them play when they left the house. Another claimed their tumor shrunk. I chuckled at the one titled "Instant Wealth, Gold Coins Will Rain Down" or something along those lines.

I have personally been knocked into a deep almost catatonic sleep listening to some of these frequencies.

Frequencies as a cancer treatment are nothing new. There are several different frequency devices on the market. Andreas Kalcker covers some in his book "Forbidden Health" available on his site. The English version is banned on Amazon though I have seen the Spanish version for sale.

Odd? Why is the Spanish version available? Because people in South America are already very familiar with Chlorine Dioxide, a topic that takes up about half the book, as a cancer treatment. Censoring what is common knowledge is futile. And did you know a certain grade of kerosene has been widely used in Russia, Eastern Europe and Africa for cancer, its' use dating back thousands of years? Also in the book. Is it not similar to any essential oil one might use?

But this post is about sound. Let me not be a noisy gong but in science fact and fiction alike sound has many applications. It can control emotions and their corresponding reactions. It can be a que to turn on or off some psychological response. It can be used as a weapon of immense force.

Making a joyous sound until the Lord would be the greater good.

Sound has been studied in the lab as a means to destroy cancer for seventeen years or possibly more, showing great effectiveness. In fact Freodtert is doing a study using sound to fight brain cancer. It began last year as far as I know.

Wait! Seventeen years? Brings to mind the phrase 'Safe and Effective'.

But here is another video showing six years ago sound, perhaps not by the same method, being used to destroy cancer. More importantly, this method allows a clear visual confirmation of the results. That detail is of greater significance than one can imagine.

Wait! Six years? And it really is 'Safe and Effective.'

What happened to warp speed; with that thing no one was going to make money off of because they are such great guys as they made themselves record profits? Cancer kills more people than the new thing the thing was made for.

You know... That thing.

Am I cynical? Or on a journey of discover through the unpleasantries of an evil and corrupt world?

There is much to help in one's fight against cancer, if not to cure than to drastically improve one's quality of life. Almost too much to recommend any one approach. But weather it is singing, chanting, prayer and meditation or some other mind body activity, proclaim yourself fortunate to find any doctor aligned with the tradition toxic treatments willing to guide you in any such direction.

So are we humans musical in nature by design? Does music bring us closer to God, our Heavenly Parent?

For people who can sing the answer appears to be; Yes.

Thank you for reading. Sorry for not writing more.

And have a Happy Blessed Easter.

I actually downloaded an app to teach me to sing. My wife and I try to sing scales together every night before we go to bed.

We want to be closer to God. How about you?

Dystopia

 Hopefully I will be back in full swing for the rest of the year with posts on all my blogs. AI is a real game changer but not as most imagine... I imagine.

We have been dealing with a cancer diagnosis. The reason I have been negligent in posting over the Holidays. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is looking to a magnificent year of the black water Rabbit. 

We have all been provided with visions of a dystopian future arising from technology and/or AI via entertainment venues: story telling. Contemporary film has a genre that is particularly sad and miserable and takes stories to violent places almost beyond the imagination. It bodes poorly for the rising generations and the future of mankind in general.

But I was pleasantly surprised by one movie I came across that came out before these trials of the last few years. It appears to have gone through some title changes. Though dystopian I found it family friendly and hopeful.

"2149 The Aftermath" It is not about the new math, or maybe it is.

I was also pleasantly surprised by another story, again not what I expected, but so deeply human. There are far too few truly human stories. Everyone is obsessed with Super Heroes with super powers they have forgotten what life is about. Really went places I never saw coming; a true story.

"Devotion"

Just a quick blurb to keep in touch and hopefully supply some inspiration.

As always look to God for your hope and inspiration; the God above and the God in the men and women all around you.

Thank you for reading.

I will be writing much about our cancer journey. Not sure if it will be here, on one of my other blogs or as a new page on one of my blogs.

I don not believe my blogs are politically correct however as I have yet to be approved for an Amazon Associates page; to make a little extra income in these trying times.

Stay strong ya'll.

Reunion

Wow!

I am truly late on my September post. Inexcusable.

An upcoming class reunion this past weekend and insurance/monetary concerns dominated last week and I completely spaced on this post as well as a couple other deadlines.

What is the life we live and the environment we live in to our identity and development of self?

If you are an aspiring, or sometimes aspiring author like myself, you are seeking insight into human nature and how best to develop a character, as in a character in a story that will ring true. That oozes of some architype that can touch the souls of your readers with a powerful expression of good, evil or some other deeply seeded human experience that draws the reader in.

Am I that knowledgeable, that perceptive that on these humble pages you can find such a path to enlightenmented insightful understanding of a nirvanastic nature upon which to move the solitary soul of an ardent reader?

Thinking....

Where was my class reunion?

At an exclusive country club. A country club I passed often as it was near the home of my youth. Exclusive to the point that I never imagined ever entering the clubhouse let alone honoring its greens with my presence.

That setup I thought would be a real draw to get someone to a class reunion or any event. I thought it would attract a bigger crowd than usual, particularly at 40 years. And it did, but not as big as I initially expected.

Why did some of my old classmates, those I had called friends, not come even though they live near by? Even though they had been at most all the previous reunions?

There is an opening for a story. Begs a question upon which to develop a plot; plot in the sense of a storyline not of a nefarious secret plan intent upon causing harm.

You have to be careful about what you write these days.

After 40 years I found my classmates much more inquisitive and open than at past reunions. I wondered why so few came to a mass arranged beforehand. More questions that can contribute to a plot, the setting, the background and environment of the times.

Yes I attended the best Jesuit High School possibly in the world not to mention our local metropolitan area. I, my simple unassertive self, had been enrolled in several Catholic institutions through my elementary days and attending Mass multiple times a week was not uncommon.

I expected a larger crowd at Mass.

And if my classmates find themselves reading my blog they may find amusing, my attempt to guide anyone in spiritual discipline, not to mention literary development. Yes I count my writings as works of literature, humble old me.

Unlike all previous reunions there was a noticeable change, an opening up, in the social dynamics. It led to reflections on how much our institution influenced who I am today. I saw how everyone there, though I saw little of most over the years, are an integral part what makes me me.

Listening to stories shared or overheard, it was often no surprise, remembering them from the way back, the current dynamics of their lives; their life experiences.

Not to put anyone on the spot but who would you expect to have... never mind.

Some are living lives you would never have expected.

A goodly crowd of my classmates had, over the years, kept continuous links with each other and the institution we attended. Stories of high school far fresher in their minds and flowing free I felt my brain deficient as it took quite a while for such memories to rise to the forefront of my thoughts.

Could they have formed some secret society and left me out of the loop? The plot thickens.

A history of relationships with institutions, groups, family and individuals, some watched from the outside in, make up who anyone is or could be in regards to building fictional characters.

Do I possess any talent, powers of observation, that makes me superior at understanding such dynamics? Do I hold any skill at all in communicating my insights in an intelligible and productive fashion more than any other? (Can you read my thoughts?)

Does, can my writing move people?

Questions I ask myself as I encounter soft leather briefcases scattered about our home filled with notebooks of fairly developed drafts, of works never published.

I hope you, my readers found some value in this reading and that my lateness did not cause any stress or worry. All is fine at home as it stands.

Thank you very much for reading.

A story that will move you.

Knowledge for Knowledge's Sake

They say writing is the highest form of thought. Is reading far behind?

There is that 10,000 hour benchmark, the number of hours of experience that makes one a professional; an expert so to speak.

What is one expert in after reading for 10,000, if not 20,000 or even 40,000 hours? Does it make one a better writer?

I have been reading a lot about cancer, not to mention watching a lot of YouTube. We have been watching health videos for many a year now already. The consistent pursuit of knowledge is a characteristic of my being. I am always observing, always asking questions and it has never made me very popular, except maybe with those Mensa level guys I worked with some years ago.

If my life were driven by knowledge for knowledge's sake, I would have been some kind of professional student or research professor. For me everything points to a higher power before which I am humbled continuously.

I certainly have 10,000 hours in Architecture on various levels. At least 10,000 hours in poker, a couple of very severe Winters while underemployed played a big part in that; free Internet play. Looking over my blogging history and list of stories, most not published, I have a good 10,000 hours in writing.

Writing has been therapeutic. I once wrote out an entire religious text in the original Korean.

I have near 2,000 hours in formal martial arts training. Including many a year I spent with some buddies working out at the gym and multiple seasons of competitive mountain biking, I have a good 10,000 hours in fitness that will serve me long into life.

I spent some years watching videos on microgreens and regenerative farming before I began 'One Family Urban Gardens' with the purchase of a related course on the business. 

I have read the Bible from end to end more than six times and spend time everyday reading religious text of some form. Raised in Catholic schools, some that held the Mass three times a week, I can safely say I have 10,000 plus hours seeking God and His great grace.

And now we are trying to figure out this thing called cancer. I am happy to report that great advances have been made in man's fight against cancer. It is in the field of blocking the metabolic pathways of cancer and exploiting other common weaknesses. Fasting is a proven strategy for beating cancer, and just plain healthy. Supplements, repurposed drugs and diet are all part of protocols that have been proven effective.

And these methods and evidence of their success have been available for decades.

Anyone practicing the acceptable standard of care set forth by the pharmaceutical industrial complex, cousin to the agricultural industrial complex, will tell you those alternative treatments do not work. (They often do) They will say there is no research, (there is) or there is not enough research (again, there is). They do not want to know and will not track any alternative protocol you may choose to include in your treatment. Most will demand you stop your protocol in order to receive treatment.

Don't!

Many of those alternatives include limited chemo and radiation therapies which all seem to work better in combination. It is called synergy.

There is a great evil behind the traditional medical industry. It is hard to see the doctors, many times 10,0000 hours of devotion required, as anything but saints (but they aren't). With the many levels of administration these institutions have, how can these institutions thick with public and private funding declare ignorance? Why wouldn't someone on some level be looking into any and all potential approaches to fighting cancer? Why would they rather lie?

Perhaps the alternatives are simply too cheap and too effective.

Any approach, except fasting, is expensive when you have a limited income. A vegan diet is a kind of fast in itself as the body will have to scavenge its' damaged tissues to gather essential amino acids only found in animal products.

At my age the writing may hold the greatest potential for a change in our economic fortunes; having been blacklisted in Architecture, the biggest contributor a major contractor.

I was watching a clip from the new "Top Gun." It was a training exercise scene but it played out eerily similar to a combat scene from my book; link in the sidebar. It just is, doesn't mean anything, just that I looked into aerial combat. I did my research.

I also have so much lined up for my "Global Impact" blog as well as everyone's favorite, "It's a Dog's Life." I should ask Alois to post his latest adventure at a 'Peace Road' event.

Knocked down for a week with a pretty bad cold, probably that thing going around, I am reenergized and looking for opportunity.

Never stop learning, but don't let it distract from what is truly important.

Give thanks to your Heavenly Parent everyday.

Thank you for reading. I almost forgot to post this month. I could have spent more time flowing the topics together better but that is just how it goes.

Never lose hope.

Standard of Care

I should keep to some minimal standards in my writing. The most minimal is to be getting out a post here once a month.

What is the standard of care we give to another? What values do people live by? Or do we surrender our standards, our values, to institutions and the powers to be.

I would consider all my writing to be social commentary on some level, whether it is on a serious or not so serious blog, or in my writing of short stories, novels and poetry.

Some institutions have a more narrow standard of care than others; administration heavy no doubt.

My wife and I have rejected a standard of care. I could raise many an ethical conundrum questioning the decision or the said standard in rejection.

The most basic reason is simple, we believe there is a better way, and with prayer and the help of God believe it will work.

The reasoning process goes like this: Are we going to fight for years of life the standard of care promises or are we going to fight to live to 100?

For many institutions there is no standard of care other than what they provide. You may find holistic healers also reject the validity of other standards of care, even alternative holistic standards. You may judge me harsh in that statement but it draws attention, rightly so, that we are dealing with a human nature problem inherent in all of us, not solely a problem with the medical profession or any current institution of power.

So what is most important, clinging to a practitioner or putting one's life in God's hands and seeking his counsel?

And of course we have done a good deal of research.

We have many people to thank for their prayers and support. My good friend Alois in Germany and my dear friend Fabio and his family in Italy. Of course all my brothers and their families; we receive much love. Misao has friends and family in Japan offering their own prayers and devotions.

We are on a wonderous journey and when push comes to shove can only bow our heads and say thank you to our heavenly parent.

So many people are suffering, each a dear child of our heavenly parent.

In this crisis I have often thought if I should ever had let up on the writing or continued without fame or fan fair. Could our financial circumstance be better if I had? What is God's calling for me?

We will see what happens.

Thank you for reading.

Yes I will be writing a lot more, some blog posts are sitting in the wings in various states of completion.

The Gist of the Story

So I was looking over some of my old short stories and came across one I had nearly forgotten. A complete story, for if I had not completed it it would still be bouncing around in my head from time to time.

Shall I declare myself psychic, or rather a soothsayer, to be more precise?

Spoiler alert: one of my best short stories is about to be explained, played out in rough outline, the gist of the story revealed. You can skip the highlighted area if you don't want the story to be... spoiled.

The gist of the story is a law enforcement officer comes across a domestic disturbance and the initial responding officers are standing down... but it just doesn't feel right to him.

So something happens in the house. He hears screams, and the younger officers reluctantly follow him up to the door. He busts in the door and enters... alone.

The long and the short of it, he takes on severally heavily armed gang members, later to be discovered to be with terrorist intent, not to mention that the building was a known drug house.

He saves the damsel in distress and finds himself on death row for his actions.

Written six years ago you would have thought the story ridiculous.

How about now?

The title: "Beyond the Pale". As the officers actions are described by a judge; along with other phases of expressed horror and condemnation.

You can actually find the opening to that story in my June 15th, 2016 Blog post; of the same title linked above.

I hope I haven't ruined it for you.

I humbly must admit, most of my stories have a potential prophetic element to them. But do not call me George; as in George Orwell. I am fairly certain I have never been called George.

At one time, long ago I was searching various author oriented websites of a social media or self publishing, self help nature. One such site had a collection of short stories that people had written and posted. I found that many of them read more like detailed outlines than actually stories, let alone literature. More of a gist than a well spun yarn.

The sites I settled on, and I really need to start getting back to them, were Goodreads and Reedsy.

The question to be answered is: Are people as inspired by my writing as I am?

That may be the key to success. I have tried writing in several different voices, though I do not understand the concept completely. I think I may integrate more than one voice in some of my novels and I am not talking about the one in my head.

Reading these blog posts, it sounds to me that the definition of 'voice' has changed since I was in school. Young people....

But I think I did an impressive job with "Beyond the Pale" and though I still believe in "The Dauntless Recruits" and getting that out, I may put out a new book of short stories, integrating my first book of short stories and keeping the title "Struggles".

I have one work that is more of a novella; neither a short story, nor a novel. Shall I include that in the collection? Perhaps throw a poem in for good measure.

The least bit of feedback would be greatly appreciated, and just may drive me into a writing frenzy. Without such catalyst of creative crunch time I may not have anything out in the near future.

I have no potential dates of publication for any writings at the moment.

That said, thank you very much for reading.

Seriously, you are appreciated.

Understand?

'I don't understand why you don't understand', something I have been saying to my wife quite a bit these days.

I am sure if Abraham Lincoln didn't say the same to some of his early generals in the Civil War, he certainly thought it.

Over the last two years many on both sides of an issue must be saying the same thing about each other.

But I am not referring to people from different perspectives, looking at different information based on their biases. I am referring to an intensity, around people of apparently same mind, taking in the same information, seemingly agreeing with the information, but then one acts contrary to what would appear a logical conclusion; to be in one's best interest.

Enough said. Certainly you can get a sense of the tension one can create. Certainly you can draw from your life experiences.

The general who knows better under a military despot who should know better. Funny how evil always loses and we look back and say, if they had done.... And we don't understand why they didn't understand but for greater powers at work.

Diet, the food industry, pharmaceutical industry and institutions of various standing have all muddied the waters making understanding an impossibility. Yet if a pair should ferret out a common understanding from the quagmire, each may see a completely different path to take. One may comply while the other choses to oppose.

And there may be the crux of it all: comply or oppose. lay down or stand up.

Then there are those who look like they are in opposition but subsist on the status quo. No wonder civilizations fall; even before radio.

Where are "The Dauntless Recruits"?

It will take some greater powers help to get my next book, any book, published in a timely manner, as we scramble day in and day out not even able to keep pace.

But thank you for reading. Just a short blurb to let you know I am still here and making attempts.

Thank you for your prayers, you know who you are and so does God.

Good writing to those interested in writing.

Alternatives

Hardware and software problems have my writing on the ropes. Not much advancement this last month.

A quick last minute post for the month.

Once into the flow of farmer’s market season, I hope a set schedule will provide openings, particularly with some optimizing.

We have our own hardware and software issues regarding our health.

Prayer and devotions have been offered by many and we are grateful. Spiritual healing has been sought with success to some degree. After Easter weekend healing sessions my wife started eating fairly freely; three times a day.

Time has been invested into alternative medicines, due to the generous sharing of others. Very fascinating what has been scrubbed from the Internet searches yet still accessible via those aware of the direct links.

Is the Internet still free?

I would share but fear this post may be removed if I did.

Here is a bit. Plenty of intrigue over healthcare as we have all come to realize. Portrayals in fiction may be more action provoking than works of fact.

The generosity of so many is highly appreciated. Various supplements can easily run $1,000 a month. My wife is greatly loved by those who know her.

Friends and family from around the world have given us prayers, aid and advice.

We are very grateful.

Thank you for reading though it is not of my usual attempts at wit and word craft in attempts to educate.

The Dauntless Recruits

The book I have chosen to be published next is “The Dauntless Recruits”, as it is to make good on all our potential income streams has become of paramount importance.

The next in the Chuck Hammer saga is nowhere near a complete draft, though it is of the stories most dear to me.

Some short stories I will also be working to refine and publish.

Any level of success will push me to continue on “The Dauntless Recruits” storyline.

I have another dystopian novel in draft form but do not know if I will publish such a tragic and dismal view of a very real potential future.

I was watching an historic drama out of Russia. It was the typical kind of adventure one found in novels, generally for male youths, before the age of television and even radio. In pursuit of a specific goal, a noble quest, many an auxiliary adventure occur.

There is and A&E series of movies “Horatio Hornblower” that is of similar genre.

“The Dauntless Recruits” will also include a similar element, more so for a certain aspect of the tale than the down to earth storyline. It is a contemporary drama, sort of, as it deals with a potential near future.

I also intend to keep several of my blogs relevant with new content and updating of the pages; the links. I had intended a couple posts elsewhere this March but taking care of my wife has kept me busy and my mind distracted. We are adapting and getting back to a more productive system on all fronts.

Writing conferences are completely off the table. If God would bless us with any literary success, writing and farming will become our mainstay; and the farm will be a design practice for me. The writing, outside of novels will be on design and planning based on my own God given genius applied to God’s Principles.

For the glory of God; our Heavenly Parent.

Thank you for reading. Any prayers are greatly appreciated.

Speaking of dystopian….

Family Emergencies

My extended family has had their share of unexpected events and stresses over the years and this month We had to go to the emergency room ourselves.

There have been unplanned demands on my time. Adaptation will be the theme for this year as the scope of our challenges play out.

Looking at my completed work I find that the beginning of the Chuck Hammer saga, the first book being more of an introduction, is the least developed and will require immense focus to complete.

Despite the added demands on my time I am getting more blog posts out. I will have a short commentary on Ukraine on “No Sanction” in the near future.

If I had gotten my works out a few years ago they would be considered prophetic right now.

Self publishing, finding editors, I will have to look into some of the writing site accounts I had created to see what they have to offer; how they have improved. Do I go through a more traditional publisher?

I will also be putting a lot of effort into my “Global Imprint” blog. It consumes most of my mental energy (my chosen discipline), the proper relationships between man and his built environment embedded in the natural world in a symbiotic relationship. Our present world with its flawed intents and planning is on a fast path to destruction, and it is not simply about climate.

I guess we all need to adapt to the world to come, some professions much more than others, if we take a step back and make an objective observation of what has been playing out before us these last few years.

Truth is stranger than fiction as they say.

Sorry I do not have more to share right now.

Thanks for reading.

Always thank you.

Crunch Time

Crunch time for just about everything. Taxes are coming due. There are so many different taxes, several we do not even know we are paying.

How much do we not know about so many things? And how many people, we call the elites, want us to think we don’t know what we do know or can know; am capable of understanding?

Does technology help?

There will be a lot of sitting in front of the computer as many a task is compiled upon its’ screens. Does it really make the work easier, lighter, or simply easier to surveil?

What have we come to. If we drop all the technology would we all revert to something better? Would we find ourselves already incapable to cope?

Dystopia, Utopia, tyranny, equality, procrastination, creative license, what is it all about?

Perhaps who you honor, in big and small, in all things makes all the difference.

Maybe I would be more popular, not shadow banned, if I were more upbeat and enthusiastic like this guy.

Did you ever wonder how much people make on YouTube?

I have a pile of notebooks to attempt to convert into rational sentences and progression to create stories worthy of publish. Does anyone make any money writing books anymore?

I am thinking Earnest Hemmingway, where the prevailing culture spoke beyond the page.

With all the upheaval in society these days, a deconstruction so to speak, and the focus on the price of things and what we need just to get by, do any norms remain that are self evident, that clearly convey in the briefest terms an image, a feeling, of the prevailing culture?

Sometimes I think not.

The “leave it to Beaver” world has been declared dead and buried.

Then you hear someone singing about that eating fancy is going out to eat at Applebee’s… Bam! It all comes flooding in.

Or maybe we never had any norms, but simply social constructs that allowed us to cope.

The world is changing. Call it the fourth turning, end of days, revolution, evolution, the new world order, the coming of The Kingdom something is in the air.

I find a lot of enlightenment on the YouTube, but you, my regular readers, should all know by now where I stand on the subject and where the ultimate enlightenment can be found.

Thanks for reading, as always.

So I will be crunching out some stories. Hopefully they will be comprehensible.

Spaghetti; Fare Troppi Atti in Commedia

Throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.

It is how we all speak, whatever the language.

так и быть

What a jumbled tangled situation I find myself in. My writing, design goals, home renovations and our multiple businesses among other concerns of family and health all piled into that magnificence called self.

Let me let the cat out of the bag.

It all seems overwhelming, but all becomes very small and a great adventure when one adheres to the principle of selflessness. It makes all your burdens… less.

It is sort of like magic; like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

Don’t be a basket case.

взять себя в руки

Throw caution to the wind, another idiom for 2022.

You’re hearing it straight from the horses mouth.

I have determined to put out all my writing, finishing up the unfinished and just throwing it all out there to see what happens.

I will be going the whole nine yards. Taking my best shot.

It is time to bite the bullet.

Am I barking up the wrong tree?

Not to throw cold water on the subject, but I do have too many irons in the fire to distract me from my writing, that could throw a monkey wrench into the works, but I have some pretty substantial works basically completed.

I am armed to the teeth.

Not to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard.  or

To throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Not to throw your pearls to swine….. ?

Swine? Considering the state of modern society….

It’s okay. I don’t live in a glass house.

Die Beleidigte Leberwurst spielen.

No need to throw a fit. Don’t throw in the towel for a love loss of idioms.

Let me throw down the gauntlet, Du bist doch nicht aus zucker!, what idiot hates idioms?

Not to throw you to the dogs, or wolves, nor to throw you into the deep end. Forgive me for throwing some shade.

Sputa il rospo.

Cat got your tongue? Turning a blind eye?

Feel free to throw stones or to throw up your hands. I am not here to butter you up.

No need to throw a hissy fit. Don’t fly off the handle.

Throw light on my game; feel free. Throw my name around. Throw a party on my grave if I should fail.

Any publicity is good publicity.

Don’t count me out. I am not ready to kick the bucket.

Alles hat ein ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei.

I am a stones throw away from success, ready to throw my weight around.

Kleinvieh macht auch Mist.

Time will tell.

Yes, I have a lot on my plate.

I am going to have to focus like a laser beam.

Shall I go on?

“Please no.” I hear you. “Du hast doch wohl einen Vogel!”

Σκάει γάιδαρο: idiom #7

No need to beat a dead horse.

The point has been hammered home.

Time to beat a quick retreat.

Thank you for reading.

Buono come il pane.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying.

Happy 2022!

Peace and Goodwill to all.

“Triggered” or “Happy Holidays”

So my wife and I were watching a movie created by the Russian movie industry…

Dubbed in English for the western market first thing is a warning of images of tobacco use.

Don’t be triggered, but what do foreign science fiction movies have to do with the holidays?

Absolutely nothing.

Horror movies, inseparable from Halloween, are like the siren call for those true Holidays we all hold near and dear. Halloween represents a very scary time for me personally.

No I do not really watch horror movies, but as someone suffering from blood sugar issues candy is not something of which I partake. I do well to stay away from carbs and sugar. Not too much of a choir at all…

But then comes Halloween.

Triggered?

I would say so. I cannot stop with the peanut butter cups, bite sized snickers (actually have a fairly low glycemic index) and Almond Joys. Sometimes you feel like a nut and then there are Mounds.

I justify my binging citing to myself the natural ingredients not generally related with sugar highs; peanuts, coconut etc.

I do not touch any of the completely artificial candies filled with various gums, food colorings and sugars. Hooray for me.

The reality is however, any other time of year if a bowl of candy should float across the room and come to rest before me I am completely impervious to its temptations. I ridicule with dire warnings of failed health and early death any who dare partake.

So what happens at Halloween? Or during the following Holiday season? I have a fairly normal Thanksgiving plate. Pies and cookies along with various deserts capture my attentions, destroying my defenses in short order all the way to the New Year.

All through the Holidays.

All these events are deeply associated with family and society. What is behind these triggers?

As this blog is associated with writing; what triggers your characters?

More importantly, why?

From another perspective you may say we are speaking of psychological issues. How many movies, shows and stories have been created centered on dysfunction over the Holidays.

Fortunately personal conflict or even mild levels of turmoil are not part of my family gatherings, we all appear well adjusted and balanced in general these days.

My only issue is with food. and since the Holiday foods I fall victim to are actually detrimental to my health, having blood sugar issues, can we conclude that things that trigger us are always detrimental.

I would answer with a resounding yes.

And that includes all the petty and mundane things our current social structure is training people to be triggered by. Different groups and classes in society are usually triggered, or not, by different things.

There is only one way to train someone to be triggered, and that is to traumatize them.

And it is easy to traumatize those weak in body, mind and spirit.

If an entire society top to bottom reacts the same, is triggered in the same manner, you will have some job delineating that mass trauma in your story.

The wonderful thing about triggers is not that they are fun fun fun fun fun! fun for everyone! But the destruction they lead to is self evident to anyone paying attention.

When Tigger is triggered things break.

Even the children’s story cannot escape the reality of triggers. It is good to learn to deal with them.

I am sure I trigger a certain group of people on a regular basis.

So as an author, triggers can convey much about the social structures you create as well as the deeper background and internal workings of a character.

Super Man’s kryptonite; an archetype found in stories as old as history. Think Achilles’ heel. Perhaps not exactly triggers but certainly revealed weaknesses, and triggers reveal our weaknesses.

The most important message I would like to convey here is that with some honest self observation and reflection we can better ourselves and society when we understand that triggers always lead to destruction.

Decide not to be triggered. Work to find the whys and wherefores.

There is a storyline.

Take control of your life. Better yourself and society.

Thank you for reading.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

Don’t be triggered.

No Man is an Island

Perhaps you have guessed that today’s topic is EDC, or to spell it out EveryDay Carry.

You can find many a YouTube’r that has a video on everyday carry. Many are of the Prepper type, just some old school manhood idealists, or simply practical minded pragmatists.

A woman’s purse will not be categorized under the topic of everyday carry. What man could ever comprehend the depths or content?

One item that was common in days gone by was the handkerchief. This YouTube video expresses the reality of handkerchiefs, hard to find a quality American made product.

I remember ironing and folding handkerchiefs when I was young; grade school age. They were never perfectly square, though nowhere near as bad as those in the video.

I never used a handkerchief much. Do not generally carry one today. But my grandfather, my mother’s father, always had a handkerchief. I may have even bought a couple myself as a child though I would say most came from my mother.

So… no man is an island. We are all influenced and shaped by those whom have come before, especially those near and dear.

Everyday carry can tell much about a character in a story. When you see a character described, an author may call out one specific item which that character always carries; often for sentimental reasons.

Environment may dictate what a character carries or not. How one prescribes to those dictates may describe someone as wise, skilled or simply foolish.

The same can be said about background and tradition. Whether someone is reverent or… a fool or outright evil, can be expressed in what is or isn’t carried, or even how something is carried.

Happy Halloween.

I believe I mentioned here, or was it another blog, that after a long hiatus  from the north woods I found myself there once more, realizing I had not brought a knife, canteen, firearm or any type of fire starter as part of my every day carry. Hence I did not venture far from my vehicle.

And always carry a compass.

Then again, if I lived in Singapore, or by a miracle Hong Kong, would any of those items be relevant? A knife? Perhaps yes. A multi tool? Sounds plausible to me. An umbrella? They seem popular in some places.

A good belt? This is an every day essential that can be extremely useful in ways that may not be apparent until you need it.

And don’t you city slickers forget your handkerchiefs.

Yellow vest? You have seen the protests. Everyone has one because they are required in France, if not all of Europe, in one’s vehicles, in case of roadside emergencies as I understand.

So every day carry may reflect the dominance of higher authorities in one’s life or society.

One’s “kit” is often more than one’s every day carry as I understand from the context I have heard it used. It is not simply every day carry, but uniforms; usually referring to a soldier or some professional organizations that form teams or groups that require a uniform.

What we carry can influence the actions we take or do not take. A dynamic or lack thereof that can be used to hilight a character’s profession, judgments, knowledge and capabilities.

I could go on, but time is short. If you are an inspiring author or simply a student of the human condition I hope you found some value here.

I cannot end however without commenting on how modern society and technology have destroyed that symbol of independence and resilience embodied in a man’s every day carry.

You don’t believe that? Yes, Captain James T. Kirk’s EDC, or lack there of ,did not strip him of his independence or resilience. But that was fantasy.

…Have I gone to far? Crossed a line?

Thank you for reading.

OMG

Is it the end of the month already?

Honestly my writing creative energies are more focused on other blogs right now. You may have noticed posts on other blogs slowly coming out.

I have significant endeavors into healthy living and practices I desire to share on “It’s a Dog’s Life”.

I would be writing much more on “No Sanction” but I fear my posts would be taken down and threaten the standing of all my blogs.

FaceBook has become so oatmeal.

Demands of the city on our property would be history but for the waiting on some contractors who have no intention of ever working for us at all. But there are a lot of good contractors out there too. Just a whole lot of work to find them.

We hold our faith in high esteem and endeavors in that realm take more of our energies than possibly most can imagine.

But I am getting this post out before the end of the month.

So no whining!

“No writing!”, you accuse.

I hear you.

Patience grasshoppers.

Thank you for reading.

I Am Still Alive

I hope you all had a happy Labor Day; Good food and family.

An overbearing authoritarian local government has caused me to absolutely forget my August post deadline.

Actually, I did remember but for those last three days of the month, and then I experienced sudden recall after the fact.

Devastation!

Sorry for my tardiness. But I am still alive. Please stop worrying.

This post is for August.

I will be changing my West Allis Farmer’s Market schedule. Rather than Tuesdays I will be doing Thursdays. It appears Thursday are becoming the day vendors who do only one weekday favor. Not sure if they were directed that direction… but it sure makes me feel special. Me doing just Tuesdays.

One Family Urban Gardens: find us on Facebook.

At the Oak Creek Farmer’s Market, just on a whim, I decided to look for a free WiFi network; I do not have a data plan for my phone.

So I see a network among the many. It begins with a universally recognized acronym followed by: “_surveillance_van_89”.

That was good for some laughs and giggles. It was seeing the “van_89” after I clicked on the network; a network that seemed to appear and disappear randomly in the list, that furrowed my brow.

So I had been trying to get some legal help for my troubles. The Wisconsin Bar Association was a disappointment. You never know when someone else is listening.

This is our garage. In the words of a supervisor from Neighborhood Services; “I don’t care about your garage.”

So I paint and stain surfaces and bought some new windows rather than doing the work that really needs to be done; on my garage. Is it any wonder I called the city “incompetent, malicious and depraved”.

I had all the materials for repairing the garage, after closing a raze permit for the adjoining structure, was working on the drawings for a new permit when the city demanded I do what they say or else.

That was over two years ago. My plan was to rebuild the garage (materials already purchased), landscape the yard, raising the central walkway, because when the ground freezes our backyard is a lake for several weeks in the spring, and then remodel the whole house.

Something I told the city from the beginning… do what we say or else was their response. All instigated by our Alderman.

The purpose of this drive to refurbish and modernize our entire home is that we still hope to adopt, and I would like a really really nice home to raise a child in. And if left to my own devices the plan was to be into the remodeling this year.

We haven’t been blessed with children ourselves.

But the city is not the only problem in regard to modernization. There is a growing list of contractors who will not work for us, who will even make appointments to come to create an estimate and just not show, not just once but even up to three times.

This goes back long before our Alderman set his forces against us. I have been thinking lately that this may go back all the way to my days working in Architecture, professionally for some ten years.

“If the Lord is with me, who can stand against me?” so the Bible goes.

Apparently… everyone.

It is what happens next that is the exciting part, and if our mind is right, all for the glory of God.

And hopefully for the betterment of all.

But why do I burden you with my personal troubles? So sorry.

This blog is about writing, writing fiction to be more specific

But we can always draw from fact, stranger than fiction they say, to gain some inspiration for storylines and character building.

Add a bit of imagination and…

So let us take a hypothetical that a professional Architect is blacklisted from his profession, for reasons nefarious but not unheard of in modern society. Always treated well by their employers and the educational institution they exceeded in, the professional finds themself wrapped in a mystery.

As this professional works upon advancing their personal design dreams they find themselves closed off from the services of local contractors, leaving them to do the work themselves; a slow meticulous task as they are very knowledgeable but unpracticed in the various building arts.

This could be extremely challenging if your character is a woman.

The protagonists church could also be a back drop for intrigue.

Drawing again from reality we see that some of the richest families in Wisconsin reign over material supply empires.

We can extrapolate new angles.

How deep does the conspiracy go?

Follow the money, or in other words, the politics.

Seeking legal council our character runs into a he said she said issue with the local Bar Association and within a week of the controversy our hero starts receiving mail from let us say an organization like; SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).

You can see that with a bit of imagination you can make quite an intricate and compelling storyline. Mix in a bit of Bigfoot or extraterrestrials and you have a guaranteed movie contract.

Hmmm. Extraterrestrial Bigfeet.

Kapow!

It is all about what happens next.

An extraordinary life we all dream of living, at least through a good book.

Thank you for reading.

I missed my deadline… Sorry again.

I Had A Dream

 I had a couple of dreams.

I have had several dreams; many a nightmare in times gone by.

And I have dreams. A lot of dreams.

“What!? At your age?” I hear you marvel. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready to die?”

But I had a dream. The gang at the Farmer’s Market were shoot’n the breeze and one guy says, “I am going to see a psychiatrist.”

Not to be confused with a ventriloquist, an obvious misconception in regards to psychiatrists, I answered, “Just talk to me man. That would be more useful than talking to some idiot doctor.”

Maybe not my exact words but it captures the flavor.

Psychiatry is big, like fake Christianity; a whole bunch of feel goodism.

And don’t be think’n I am some kind of Scientologist; no I’m not one of those.

People call me lots of things but that is not one of them.

So many problems need a comforting ear.

We all have parent’s, grand parents, siblings and friends who know us maybe better than ourselves and when all else fails there is always the ever present ever loving God.

All intimately related to our origins, our life’s journey, and where we will all find ourselves in the end. Where the problems begin and where the problems need to be solved.

So who among all those loved ones, our only support structure since the beginning of time, does the psychiatrist replace? That clinical mind upon which their business is based draws only from some institutionalized self perpetuating system.

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and I can guarantee they fear not the Lord, maybe.

Then again some religious, like certain Catholic priests, need some replacement.

I could be getting in trouble with some of my family members.

How does society come apart? At what point do we stop engaging the life we were created to live?

We lost our origins and in so many ways created a fake world.

I’ve been getting more writing done yet not much time to develop my thoughts here this month, but…

Thanks for reading.

More FUD

Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt; an acronym that all should know these days, particularly if you are into crypto currencies.

It keeps you from the important things. It manipulates markets.

We would all be better off without it.

So the city has been harassing us via inspections on our home. It can be a source of FUD. Their motivations appear suspect and certain neighbors feel empowered to exhibit their bigotries openly since.

It all can really muddle up everything you are working towards. It is also a window into the human condition.

It has effected the development of our businesses. It has seriously disrupted my writing most of all. I do have a post for one of my other blogs nearly ready, and I thought I would get it out this month.

I thought I would get to a fantastical telling on this blog, even though the month was coming quickly to a close.

Have you ever been in the New Yorker Hotel? A rhetorical question.

Then Monday, I go to our prayer room on the second floor to… pray. A reasonable assumption, as my spirit felt amiss. I needed to rally my powers.

Then I see it. Hanging wires outside the door to our second floor balcony.

My face turns askew. I am bewildered.

I go outside, onto the balcony. My gaze follows the wires, follows where the wires are supposed to run: wires to our security cameras.

The wires have been ripped out of their brackets, now broken.

The wires have been cut.

The police officer asked, “Have you ever thought of getting the Ring camera?”

“I have today!” I proclaimed.

I hadn’t asked for an officer to come out to our home; the dispatcher insisted. I was surprised she arrived after not too long of a wait and this according to her, when I asked, when her board was lit up.

Makes you wonder if your address is on list.

More FUD.

A day lost.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Memorial Day

God Bless all you families who have lost a loved one in defense of our nation.

They gave their lives to protect our freedoms.

The religious bigots will be positioning themselves this week to try to drive us out of the neighborhood. Another business has refused to do work on our home, or garage rather. Perhaps I will name those companies later.

Irony is the appropriate word if you still hold hope for our country.

But I am alive and free, just not allowed to handle our personal property as we see fit. Actually, I wish we could handle our personal property as both we and the city sees fit, but contractors are refusing to work on our home.

And it will only get worse if the city does not relent. Yeah, just pile on. Take me to court. Put your stamp of approval on religious discrimination and hate Milwaukee.

Yes when you spread lies and work to defame that is hate, my neighbors who have never spoken to me in twenty-five years.

“We’re watching you!” I hear screamed out.

Bad on me, I guess they do speak to me. Sorry.

One new guy in the neighborhood actually told me to get off the sidewalk and walk in the street as I was taking my dog for a walk.

Bad on me again, but sometimes I wonder about the neighbors I do talk to.

I am such a bad guy.

This is why we are persecuted.

I am looking forward to hearing back from my Alderman on the book I sent him a while back.

Hope springs eternal.

I was up at our north woods property this month. One of my “No Trespassing” was taken out by a shotgun blast.

Don’t tell my wife she won’t let me go up anymore.

I just stopped by for a quick property check and thought; “Man, I didn’t even bring a knife. What was I thinking.” I guess I have been removed from nature for too long.

So I wish I had more time to write. I came up with a doozy of a telling on a drive throughout our great state.

“And we have to wait another month to read it.” Thou protests?

Sorry again. I guess I am just a really bad guy.

But I am alive, and those better than me gave their lives so we all could live. It is a day to be grateful and say “Praise God!”

God Bless America!

Thank you for reading.

This is some good reading.

The Auction

 There I was, standing amongst a complex of metal clad agricultural style buildings being asked, “What do they do here?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it is a school.” I answered my eyes moving forward, back upon the auctioneer and what was up for bid.

It was not too long afterward that a young Amish man came up and told me exactly what they do there. It was a metal shop, a dry goods store and a hardware store. They were downsizing, the hardware store closing hence the auction.

And what an auction; trailer upon trailer, three auctioneer trucks, and when I left after five they were still going. I was there from 8:30am, the beginning.

Which begs the question, “Can an auctioneer lose their voice?”

But what was this. I was standing amongst people that let no misunderstanding, misconception go without being corrected. A pleasant experience of coming across good character.

Would you expect anything less but to find people of character in communities that live real lives, centered on a faith in God?

Insights into the interior of Wisconsin… I found the billing for this auction not listed on the Internet, nor broadcast over the radio but on a local grocery store’s billboard as I passed through central Wisconsin. Amongst the fliers for fishing competitions and events at the local rod and gun clubs was posted the notice, “FREE COFFEE AND DONUTS, 7:30 TO 8:30”

In terms of a story, as whole boxes of goods were auctioned off, moving goods at a near unimaginable pace, that long used scenario of a whistle blower being chased and desperate to hide their evidence from their pursuers could not be ignored.

The true benefit of attending events new and unfamiliar is of course the personal experience that expands your understanding of the human condition.

Can you find a starker contrast, stepping away from people looking at screens all day seldom leaving their chairs, than spending the day amongst people making a living based off the land and hard work? Is it a surprise that God is unfamiliar to the former but not the latter?

I was happy I went. Not to much time to write today.

“What did I buy?” you ask.

Some very useful goods.

Thank you for reading.

Always a good read here.