Sunday, October 30, 2022

Review Ink Black Heart

 Pro's:

Really good story. Draws you in. Well developed characters. I thought I had the bad guy figured out. But, I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. So good job of story development. 

Cons: as an American from the South that accent from the narrator was horrible. He seemed to be trying for a cross between a redneck version of Scarlett O'hara and a cultured Forrest Gump. But that's minor since it was thankfully a passing tourist whose character wasn't a part of the actual storyline. The other was the stupid beep that Audible chose to insert the couple of places where the N word was mentioned in context of the story. Pulled me right out of the story. I also wondered what the genius censors would do with Mark Twain! Lord help us. 

Finally I have seen some silly statements about racist and transphophic gripes about this book. Good God! Do people even read before they review something? This had zero to do with that particular culture war. I guess if you are determined to find fault then you can't let the truth get in your way. 

This is a great series. I was hesitant at first due to Rowling haven written the Potter books. But, she is excellent in any story she tells so this is highly recommended. Unlike most "detective" type mysteries this is a long book and yet it is extremely well paced. 5 stars for the book. 3 & 1/2 for the narration. 

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Truth

 What is truth?

 It's said that the very spirit and being and the cause of all reality filled a human vessel around 2000 some odd years ago. According to a narrative there's this one more example of a seemingly endless supply of empire and armies running over poor people and tearing lives apart for the greater good. One more time a so called powerful man who would one day die of some disease or old age or another powerful man's sword walks up to this man who has no army but will soon be thought of as the very font of wisdom and life. Depending of course on what you believe.

So anyway this powerful dude. Let's call him Pilate since that's what the story calls him. He speaks to the highest born of all mankind who is the font of all wisdom and life. Let's call him Jesus since that's how his name translated into English.

 Pilate addresses Jesus and says "what is truth?" Then as the story goes he walks away. HE WALKS AWAY!

Talk about the human condition. We always walk away because the truth makes our head hurt. It's hard and complicated. So into the void left by Pilate and the complete absence of anything actually written by Jesus stepped theologians, philosophers and other jokers, kings and priests to assure us of the truth.

Now somewhere around 2000 years later we have more information and knowledge than ever. But we are no closer to wisdom and truth than Pilate was. 

According to certain writings around 2500 some odd years ago a Prince named Siddhartha left his palace for the first time. His father the king had sheltered him from the human condition. But upon seeing the poverty and suffering of the people Siddhartha who would become the Buddha left all worldly pleasures. He renounced his crown and lived a simple life gathering wisdom and seeking the release of human suffering.

So now here we are. The human race. What have we learned? Life is fleeting. There is something more precious than this fleeting life but we need to live this life to find it. 

There is one race called human and somehow we keep running over each other. Because we fear each other. So one group tells their group that the other group wants all their hard earned stuff. While the other group tells their group that the one group is responsible for all the hate and racism in the world so its okay to hate them.

Meanwhile the Pilates and kings of the world continue to use the newest generation for cannon foder and target practice while convincing them that they owe it to the political machine because their fathers were also blown apart and used by the powerful politicians and rulers.

Somewhere around the presidency of George W Bush I had a thought. The winds of war were once again blowing for god (little g because I don't think Big G condones it), flag and country. My thought was "we have been blowing other humans up for time out of mind but nothing has really ever changed." there is always another war. Another threat. Another reason for our youth to be broken, killed and cast aside for the cause of the rich rulers. So I thought:

"What if we're doing it wrong?"
Now just hear me out. What if most of the people we are told to hate are really just like us? They are working and striving to put bread on the table. They have their own inner, spiritual conscious life. They might have different ways but maybe they are still people and not just trash to be swept out of the way.

Anyway, as you tune in tonight to CNN, NewsMax, MSNBC and Fox News I just thought What if? What if that echo chamber describing white people, black people, religious people, atheist, gay people and all others isn't really completely accurate?

What would Jesus have said if Pilate had hit pause? What would have happened if Buddha's pop had of opened the kingdom's prosperity to everyone? What if there really is one eternal consciousness and we are all individual expressions of it United at our core being?

What would it look like? Just saying. Maybe we've been doing it wrong 

Peace.

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Reeling in the years.

 I've been thinking a lot about life lately. I turned 65 this year. That's an age only old people turned. What happened? I have experienced Hawaiian beaches, Colorado mountains, Alabama country roads and the experience of being a dad. I've been through open heart surgery and I've seen the fridge full and the fridge empty. It's all a journey and I'm thankful for food, shelter and companionship.


I've learned the art of letting go of the need to control every situation. I wear my feelings on my sleeve often. But when they get knocked off I pick em up brush them off and keep going. 

I've been drunk, stoned and I've misplaced my keys and my car. I've been baptized, born again, agnostic and prayed, scoffed and argued religion and politics. I've read the bible and a little of The Tibetan Book of the Dead. I've been in church revivals and sit ZaZen meditation. I've watched sitcoms and I've watched porn. I've sit in awe of the vastness of who and what we would call God and I've felt the raw animal fear of being afraid I was going to die. 

65 years. That's a lot of rock and roll. Lots of regrets and hopes and fears and dreams. Life has rarely been as easy and magical as I wanted and it's never been as bad or devastating as I feared. 

I often hear people especially in the age of social media make sweeping statements. Just do this, vote this way, think this, read that and God, the universe, science and all life will work "just so."

At 65 I now say what I think. Sometimes too much. I was in the store the other day and I realized that the inner dialogue that I've had since I was young was actually coming out of my mouth. Oh my goodness! Thinking is one thing but when you start mumbling to yourself you look like either a crazy old fart. Maybe just a cute little old dude thinking out loud or call security because there's a nut walking through the store mumbling to himself.

One thing I do these days is tell friends and family I love them. I sometimes think that I hope my friends don't misunderstand. I'm not flirting or trying to get myself in trouble. At my age i'm busy trying to survive A-fib, floaters in my eye and hoping I don't see blood in the toilet. 

When I say I love you I mean just that. I love you and you're important to me. No strings attached. 

So what have I learned in over 6 decades? That there really isn't a one size fits all answer to life. We all walk around in our own unique journey and the best that I can do is follow my inner compass. For me that's prayer and meditation and treating others the way I want to be treated. 

I have learned to try and love without demanding anything in return. I've learned to see past a persons skin color, religion or political beliefs. I've learned to bite my tongue around far left woke people and far right religious people. I've also learned not to attend every argument I'm invited to. Especially if it's given by an atheist, Christian or political zealot. I'll gladly discuss politics, religion and sexuality. But I won't beat you over the head or argue endlessly about nit picking the human spiritual, physical and mental journey. 

Personally. I'm a person who is still on the journey. I do have hard earned views about life. But I mostly "Keep my visions to myself." as Stevie Nicks sang. 

Peace