FollowI’m writing my blog a bit early; taking off soon to visit a friend in another world, a soap opera of human containment, miscarriage of justice (or there isn’t any). Once at the University of Michigan, I heard a brilliant crusader of the equal justice initiative proclaim, it’s better to be guilty and rich than poor and innocent in America; that frequent reverberation of reality follows me all the time (it seems whenever I feel warm sun on my face); a gift to feel facial filaments of our sun. I tell that to my son all the time. A few months ago, I blogged about a previous visit to my friend; how that day made me notice life things that we take for granted and how I’ve never been the same; a curious by-product of visiting a very scary straight place.
Loyalty is like a rare precious beautiful metal, that soon we’ll have to go Mars to mine and bring back to earth. Much will be said about Elizabeth Taylor in days to come; my appreciation of her iconic status was her uncanny sense of loyalty to her friends (Michael, Rock) and AIDS causes. Nothing obviated her loyalty. She was firm and rock solid loyal; a wonderfully refreshing rare quality here on earth. Loyalty has twists. The CEO of the company that owns Indian Point Nuclear (25 miles from NYC) contends and swears his nuclear plant is safe right up to a 6.1 earthquake. He’ll testify before hearings that the plant is safe. (It’s over 30 years old). So he’s being loyal to his company, Entergy.
Indian Point Nuke plant about 25 miles from NYC
What about loyalty that could potentially put the world’s greatest city in jeopardy? Of course, I ask if he’s loyal to the millions who live 35 miles away. What if someone makes a judgmental mistake and NY gets an 8.0 earthquake? Having the plant ready for that eventuality seems to be the only real loyal human undertaking. Now in Japan, infants are not allowed to drink the water; it’s twice the safe radioactive limit. Curiously, I get the feeling that for those first few days after the Japanese tsunami and earthquake, the world was a loyal, closer, more human place. And then we humans forget and move on to spring fashions, new restaurants and reality television star exploits. Reminds me; in my March 4th blog, I talked about this ‘Charlie Sheen’ business as being staged to get viewership and ratings even higher; they might even get me to watch and I never watch anything other than news, biographies, science or college sports. Indeed, I thought conspiracy theory, brilliantly played out, even firing Charlie and seemingly ending the show. As Popeye said, “I am what I am.” Manipulation and conspiracy is in the air I breathe; now there are rumblings and overtures between CBS and Charlie. La De Dah.
Someone recently asked why I’m always on the run to lectures, meet-ups and conferences; I need to keep shoving stuff into cerebral lobes because “There is still time brother;” a line from the movie and book ‘On the Beach,’ by Nevil Shute; one of the rare novels which still scares the hell out of and haunts me to this day (movie was released in 1959 about a post-apocalyptic nuclear war world aftermath in Australia) Emotions were powerful enough for me to buy several versions of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and to make me aware that the hour glass I borrowed from the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’ (the very same Ms. Gulch) is running out of Jersey shore sand quickly.
‘Waltzing Matilda’ Youtube with explanation of song.
Andre Rieu from Australia version of ‘Waltzing Matilda’
This past Monday I hopped on my favorite train in the world, the Jersey Coast line, NJ Transit to New York Penn Station. Daylight savings afforded me more time to absorb scenery which consisted of mid-America homes, the greatest collection of smoke stacks outside of China in the world, ducks navigating polluted ponds, and bodies of water (Raritan Bay and River). One old factory was probably built in the early 1940’s. My mother Rosie, may’ve worked there in the riveting department. Just then my ipod played “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree;’ how synchronistic. Then a consciousness stream hit me; I just read that a team led by a University of Hartford professor and archaeologist may have pinpointed the long-sought city of Atlantis somewhere completely unexpected — in a vast marsh in Southern Spain. I was so confused. I’ve always been loyal to the notion that Atlantis is off South Carolina somewhere; I even went there to play tennis for eight straight days and to see if I could feel Atlantis on the beach. I was deep breathing, head resting on the train window, wanting to visualize my mother riveting. Deep breaths were anticipatory: I was going to my first class on meditation ever in my earthly existence.
The class was ‘IMeditate’, part of the worldwide, ‘art of living’ movement. Also check out the link: http://iMeditate.org
Meditation class was held on Fifth Avenue on the fifth floor; all a new world for me; so was leaving my shoes in a closet and smelling the redolent gentility of candles. Twenty two people sat (in floor chairs) and listened to the warm guiding directive words of Murali and Sherry as they weaned this beautifully diverse group into nostril breathing exercises followed by a deep meditative state(while Manhattan rush hour sounds were muted far below). My old body wouldn’t allow long periods of folded legs so I outstretched legs and palms. Far away from me now were the cerebral synaptic annoying activities that have kept me awake for the past twenty years; I was at a peace. I thought of nothing but tranquil breathing. I observed after we came out of our depths, that I would’ve come all the way from Power, Montana(it exists) to feel this relaxed. “I’ll be back,” is what I said in a deep voice. Walking to Penn Station, I noticed little puddles of street rain water vibrating in the wind and lights on the 23rd floor of a building I was walking across the street from going off. A piece of newspaper blew in front of me. I wondered if there was a hidden message in the graphic pattern in which it blew. ‘IMeditate’ worked. Funny; how this only happens in Manhattan.
Two days before last Monday (Saturday) I attended the Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference in Woodbridge, NJ. A few minutes before leaving, I downed my morning vitamins including a garlic capsule; there’s a plethora of medicinal applications to garlic so please do this bloggist a favor and start googling. A few days prior to the conference (this is like a particular Seinfeld episode; I keep going back in time) I discovered the sponsoring group on line and emailed if I could join and attend since I’m a fiction writer (Vichy Water). Walking to the conference hotel, swinging my brief case like a poised Neanderthal, I remembered the garlic and did three breath sprays. Once I was in Cape Cod. Nixon was President. A huge spider, the size of a Frisbee, crawled between the dash and windshield rendering my car unusable; ostensibly there was no way to get to it until I remembered I had breath spray and surmised it might work on the arachnid; three sprays and it passed away. Conference wise, I was thrilled to meet fellow fiction writers, agents and publishers. After getting my name badge, I moved to the side and watched droves of women register; and no men. At one time the group was a romantic writers group. I didn’t research. Finally a man on the arms of his wife passed close by just as I entertained slipping out the back door into the morning dew. I was brave but not that brave. Alas five more men and I went to my first lecture. What a perfectly marvelous day with incredible speakers (judging by my copious notes, I learned so much about my writing craft); met Jonathan Maberry, writer/lecturer extraordinaire and best selling author Mary Janice Davidson. Never pre-judge in life. My fellow fiction writers were gracious, effusive and wonderful to be around. I said to a few, “I’ll be back.”
generic cola. caramel color added. so is metal dissolving phosphoric acid.
Sitting at the table for lunch with nine women, I asked for water and mentioned it’s all I drink; no soda forever more (since past three years). 75% of Americans are dehydrated. A glass of water at night will shut down hunger pangs and five glasses a day may decrease risk of colon cancer 45% and make one less likely for bladder cancer.(I do a lot of seltzer. Love bubbles near nostrils). Now, I heard this in passing through the Lincoln Tunnel once on a bus with a gregarious seatmate. Do southern cops carry cola in trunks to remove blood from a highway after an accident and does the citric acid in cola remove stains from china? Phosphoric acid (in cola) can dissolve metal and does it leach calcium from bones; therefore more osteoporosis. Because I’m a cynical creature, would any soda or nuke plant executive come to the podium? Maybe they would, if we were all “on the beach” waiting for a cloud. Now I think of Fukushima nuclear plant before I lay me down to sleep. It’s 11:40PM and I know where my son is.
List time. I like lists; always trying to find the ones that include Jersey at or near the top. This just flashed in front of me; maybe I’ll share. About one-fourth of Egyptian workers under 25 are unemployed; a statistic that is often cited as a reason for the revolution there. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in January an official unemployment rate of 21 percent for workers ages 16 to 24. Now back to the list; yes, a quick digression. I like digress, egress, and progress; it’s life’s essence. One more digression; there’s a link between occasional physical activity and heart attack so be careful out there (remember ‘Hill Street Blues’) I do my 90 minutes on the bike every day to keep brain telomeres long. The top brain magnet cities where college grads now go(not New York or LA anymore) 1. New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La.(picked up 37,000 grads. 5.4% gain) 2. Raleigh-Cary, N.C.(29,000 grads) 3. Austin-Round Rock, Texas 4.Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn 5. Kansas City, Mo./Kan. 6. Birmingham-Hoover, Ala 7. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif. 8. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colo. 9. Columbus, Ohio 10. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.
More quick news. Solar Probe Plus will make the first ever trip to the sun in 2018. And a list of industries you might want to stay clear of until that solar probe comes back from the sun: Apparel manufacturing. Newspaper publishing. Record stores. Photo finishing. Formal wear and costume rental. DVD, Game and Video Rental. Wired Telecom Carriers.
A scene from 'Casablanca'. I LOVE that movie. Long story. Actually I wrote a story(novel) because of it.
‘On The Beach’ scares me for a lot of reasons. Fred Astaire raced cars in the movie. Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner were magical and so was Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman’s kiss in ‘Casablanca;’ a kiss that you sensed could go nowhere; sad and unrequited. Me thinks I’m going to get into meditation and watch some of these old movies after a twenty minute breathing session. Me thinks I want to search the world (NJ really) for vestiges of loyalty and bottle the notions (when I find it) in plastic soda bottles that could take a thousand years to decompose. Me thinks I’ll miss Elizabeth Taylor and that precious grand Hollywood era. Me thinks I’ll worry about Indian Point Nuke plant until? But New York gets 20% of its energy from the plant. Me thinks I’ll worry about the world running out of water, about climate change and the extinction of North Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna and the Eastern cougar. Me thinks most folks don’t really care. Me thinks I’m too alone on an island. Me thinks I’ll be taking more train rides into Manhattan regularly to meditate so I don’t have to ‘me thinks’ as much anymore. But?
Favor to blogger(me): If you like or even don’t like blog, please SHARE with a friend; it kind of energizes me. I welcome all comments and questions. I guess I’m hands-on and loyal.
website: http://vichywater.net
email: earthood@gmail.com
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Now I’m eating a banana. Thing is; a banana is loaded with Resistant Starch (RS), a healthy carb that fills you up and helps boost metabolism. Slightly under-ripe medium-sized bananas have more of the starch. Too bad there isn’t a practical use for the skin, perhaps dried out on the roof of a Volkswagen mini van; popular with hippies in the sixties and making a resurgence today (the van not the skin). Speaking of hippies and the Vietnam Era, Harvard University is welcoming the ROTC program back to campus this week, 41 years after banishing it amid dissent over the Vietnam War. Speaking of more things; dissent and Freedom of Speech. The Supreme Court just ruled that the First Amendment protects a fringe religious group (Westboro Baptist Church) that protested the funeral of a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq. The court ruled that the soldier’s father could not sue a Church for celebrating his son’s death with a funeral picket that included signs and vulgar messages. When I saw ‘The Godfather’ back in 1972, I was changed philosophically and structurally by coming to appreciate pure artistry of movie making while learning the lessons of omerta, the code of silence. In eighth grade, my mother made me read Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ Learning the art of extraction (which meant, read the first few pages), I gleaned (and regurgitated back to my mother) the notion, ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t.’ I try to live by that. Segue to good old Charlie Sheen. I won’t say much but it does confound laws of omerta and Carnegie such that as I finish masticating my second banana, I’m having a starchy epiphany, partly based on this Sheen episodic disbelief and my affinity for conspiracy theories. The Charlie Sheen mechanical bull ride is nothing more than a staged event for when he comes back, the show’s ratings will skyrocket to Uranus. The show will pick up new viewers (like me, who hasn’t watched program television since ‘Dallas,’ JR Ewing and CBS told us a past viewing year was a dream) who want to see how close real Charlie is to his character on ‘Two and Half Men.’ Damn. They’ve got me hooked. A few blogs ago I wrote about Al Campanis getting fired from the LA Dodgers for racist remarks and Nir Rosen, a promising journalist who slammed CBS’ Lara Logan on Twitter after a sexual assault in Egypt, and had to resign. And John Galliano fired from Dior for loving Hitler (and saying it to a couple with a video camera in a Paris cafe). What an idiot. Hitler would’ve taken him out first for obvious reasons.
