LOST IN TECHNO

Oh yeah....2010 final season coming soon....and, who will Freckles choose? Frankly, I don't care. I just want to know what the frak is going on!!

In the meantime...this....and, the best thing? That Locke is orchestrating this whole thing! Hot video...nicely done.

Three Feathers Fall a Heart

Courtesy of Deviant Art

It was the disconsolate songs of the children that called to him. Sorrowful, tender songs released from small lacrimal glands of children shedding tears of pain and cries of confusion. Those in his world called him the Angel of Mercy, one of many who went to guide the young from their world onto the next. He tendered to that particular group that was the hardest of all: babies and young children whose unfortunate time had come because of hunger, disease or violence.

Most angels stood by their assigned humans for decades, rescuing, caring and shielding them from dangers in life. Others, like him, were called to duties not for the faint of heart because it required much of them; their assignments - penances for former lives reprehensibly led. He had not been a decent human being in life. He caused much sorrow and pain. He was amoral and indifferent, never feeling the basic human emotions of remorse or compassion. He killed. Three to be exact. Yet, the Fates felt he could be rehabilitated; his life and crimes, a result of his twin evil pair - Nature and Nurture. They saw a glimmer of hope and light in the dark spirit that covered him. An eternity in Hades would only aide in vanishing it completely.

He died in a bar room brawl. Apropos, considering his life. At the Pearly Gates, he did not expect to be granted entrance from St. Peter. Even he knew the things he had done were unforgivable. He never felt the power of goodness and love reside within the palpating chambers of his heart. The day they sliced his throat ending his violent life, an evil, dark sludge seeped sinisterly out of his veins revealing the horrors of mankind. This was who he was and death had finally freed him.

Or, so he thought. Instead, St. Peter did not reject him, but he did not grant him entrance either. He was given temporary wings and given an assignment that would take much of him for centuries to come. But it was also the one that in time would save him. There were no shortcuts in this eternal life - another thing stripped and discarded of his former self, along with the pervading inhumanity of his soul. He humbly accepted his penance, in awe of the loving Spirit that saw a light of goodness in him and fought to keep his soul against the Devil that wanted to claim it as his own.

Since then he had seen it all and held them all, absorbing each child's physical and emotional pains and easing their transit into the afterlife. In the lush beautiful Eden called Earth, their agonizing wails seemed inappropriate in the natural order of things, sounded inappropriate in the silent stillness of the night. They should have been healthy and happy, gleefully enjoying life, not dying of starvation or crying in pain at the hands and ideologies of another or inflicted with diseases not yet meant for some so new to life. His heart shattered repeatedly at the injustices seen but his assignment was not to question; his assignment was to bring them home. He had been a ruthless and mean bastard in life; however, this penance given in this ethereal life moved him beyond understanding. It was as if each child was his own and, at the same time, he was each child, thereby affecting and opening an unwilling heart, releasing gushing crimson streams of tears and pain, staining his white, virgin wings. He cried in agony and pain along with the innocent fallen. For centuries his heart ached anew with each passing. Desensitization was an emotion unknown in this world. That was the Devil's emotion - the very one that had seeped into his veins, blotting his humanity and making him feared and hated by those that once tried to love him.

But in this life, it was the wounded cry of the young that called to him. He flew to their side in those final moments bathing them in his devoted glow of peace and unconditional love letting them know they were not alone. They were loved and they would no longer feel pain. With their suffering now ended, a new, eternal, peaceful life awaited them.

And before each Heaven-bound journey with the newly-borne angels, three feathers - one for each of the lives he took - were left behind on the Earthly tombstone where his body now lay. Plucked from the wings that gave him life, a reminder that they were always in his thoughts. And that in time, forgiveness for himself would eventually find its way into his heart. Until then, he would roam the world guiding the fallen young into the afterlife. Until then, three more feathers fallen from a heart filled with remorse and pain, but not yet forgiven.

~~~~~~~~~~

An old one that happens to be one of my favorites. For some reason, the creative well seems to be dry lately. Hopefully, it will lift soon.

John Butler

An instrumental guitar treat. Enjoy....



Peace.

Life 101

My mother had a saying: "The devil doesn't know more because he's the devil - the devil knows more because he is old." And there is something quite true in that statement. The lessons learned in life, the wisdom passed down to us from older generations, and experiences gained become the morsels of sageness that one accumulates in life and is part and parcel of our journey here. My mother would pass on, time and again, these little morsels of sageness by way of interesting narratives and the irritating part (but in retrospect I applaud her patience and unusual method of child-rearing) was that whenever we would respectfully challenge a "suggestion" or directive, she would counter with an old adage, followed by a story of someone who didn't heed said such advice and its consequences. *sigh* Seriously, many times I just didn't ask because not only was I not going to get the answer that I wanted, I would have to sit there and listen to a story....again.

But what are the things that I've learned so far in this life? What are the teachings handed down by my mother? What are those lessons I want to pass on to my daughter? These are the ones that I came up with and, please, add your own at the end. It would be interesting to see what each of us have learned on our journey here so far. But, the things I've learned so far are....

~ that slowing down can be the greatest lesson to learn.

~ that a good, gut-wrenching cry can sometimes cure an illness of the soul.

~ that patience is rarely something you are born with; it is what life teaches you along the way.

~ that forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others.

~ that a long life is never a guarantee.

~ that a happy life is never a guarantee.

~ that in times of crisis, everyone surrenders to something that is greater than themselves.

~ that in times of crisis, we need to force ourselves to think sensibly and analytically; no right answers are ever birthed from emotional suggestions.

~ that we all have crosses to bear, but it is in the lifting of those crosses that our faith in ourselves becomes stronger.

~ that almost everyone you love will undoubtedly disappoint or hurt you. But we've also disappointed and hurt in turn, so to forgive should be the right reaction.

~ that you can be a good and caring mother but you can never be a savior.

~ that sometimes the greatest gift you can give your child is to have them learn the lessons themselves.

~ that no matter where you work, you will always encounter the same type of nonsense and the same type of people. There are no perfect people; there is no perfect job.

~ that a happy face sometimes hides a very sad life.

~ that an attractive face or demeanor does not always equate good and kind.

~ that to befriend those in need and less fortunate reaffirms our belief that our love and care for a fellow human being is the foundation from where all good originates.

~ that narcissism is never a good thing and to call it individuality is completely ego-driven.

~ that the ego can short-circuit many a good things.

~ that sense of entitlement and delusion of believing one is better than the next is the cause of many problems.

~ that man's cruelty towards another, towards animals, towards the earth, can be unfathomable and the best thing we can do to counteract this is to teach others that this is not the way.

~ that opening your heart to other sentient beings can at times be like a wound that never heals. Yet, despite the rawness and pain, I'd much rather live with an open wound because the unconditional love and trust that you will always be there for them is the salve that heals both our hearts.

~ that a smile and a kind word can go a long way in changing someone's day.

~ that anger is the suit of armor of the deeply hurt.

~ that your greatest enemy is sometimes your greatest teacher.

~ that if you allow fears to rule your life, you have built a coffin for yourself.

~ that phobias are completely irrational yet the rational mind fails to understand that.

~ that you should take the time to become well-informed otherwise the world will leave you behind.

~ that each new age births new addictions.

~ that focusing on the external and not the internal is a rapid road to nowhere.

~ that silence sometimes speaks louder than words.

~ that all the answers you seek in life are already at your disposal. You just need to stop and listen to you inner voice.

~ that if you are struck with a non-fatal illness, it is, thankfully, not the end of your life. There are countless others in worse states than you, so understand that you are blessed.

~ that a quiet person is not necessarily an uninformed person.

~ that a vocal person is not necessarily a smart person.

~ that anger is a harmful emotion that needs to be reined in before it destroys lives.

~ that envy is a cancer that will eat away at your insides.

~ that depression can kill.

~ that when you loose a child, you will never know the reason why.

~ that you are the greatest role model to your same sex child. (actually, Dr. Phil said this.)

~ that drinking does not solve problems; in fact, it only magnifies them.

~ that compassion and empathy are the seeds that roots a strong and loving life.

~ that to show humility in the face of arrogance speaks loudly of the type of person you are.

~ that evil unfortunately exists.

~ that love always prevails.

~ and music bares the soul and allows it to breathe....


I leave you with this video of Jason Mraz. Just went to see him this Friday with my daughter. He was awesome. A Beautiful Mess, what many times could classify the state of our lives....

Dirty Gold

"ECO TRIP: THE REAL COST OF LIVING is an eight-part original series exploring the origins and environmental impact of common everyday products. Hosted by eco-adventurer David de Rothschild, whose far-flung travels have garnered international attention, the half-hour primetime program investigates iconic items from cotton t-shirts and paper napkins to salmon and cell phones, and follows their life cycle from production to disposal, revealing the environmental, social and health effects along the way....[and] inspires and educates viewers on what they can do to live a greener life."

Last night, on the Sundance Channel, I came upon this terrific 'green' show called Eco-Trip. I am so happy I did.

Last night's episode focused on the real cost of one gold ring. It appears, ladies and gents, that one single gold ring produces 20 tons of mine waste. Twenty tons! Isn't that absurd? And 65% of all the gold produced here in the U.S. comes from the Shoshone Territory. What is happening - and what continues to happen to American Indians - is abusive and infringes on so many different levels of human rights; this little bit of information was worth the show alone. Lands and water supplies are becoming contaminated by the toxins created to mine this gold. It is putting humans at elevated risks of serious health issues like nerve and kidney failure. And, once these toxins reach the water supply, it is almost impossible to remove.

Tiffany & Co. CEO, Michael Kowalski, commented that "every business has its inconvenient truths." Well, yes, every business that is in the business of blind profit and that glosses over little things like health, human rights, ethics, to name a few. However, we, the consumer, have power to change this. When purchasing a gold item we should request and ask for jewelry that is not made of "dirty gold." Each year, more retailers and jewelers are pledging their support for not being in the business of selling dirty gold as they, themselves, begin to become more environmentally conscious due to the many efforts of No Dirty Gold Org , an organization that each of us should become more familiarized with as well.

So next time you go buy a piece of gold jewelry, ask for one that is not made of "dirty gold." And, in this manner, you are helping to preserve the rights of many and preserving this world for your future generations to come. And, if you have The Sundance Channel, they will be airing this segment again this week so check your local listings and tape. It will be well worth it.