Friday, July 31, 2015

Just Me

  I started out as a child. I have always loved that line. I was the recipient of many a gold star in kindergarten, and in fact, if it weren't for that unfortunate scene in the sandbox with Mary Lou Reid, you might even say that I was a model student?
In grade school I got straight A's, right up until the end of fourth grade. Fifth was a little iffy, and as for sixth? Well, it was obvious by then that the train was going off the track.
  Girls certainly had a lot to do with this change, as it was at that time, I realized that I was shy. It was also at that time, that though I was shy by nature, that I realized, that by keeping it funny, no one would be the wiser. As you have probably already guessed, that was the begining of the A's becoming F's. It may well have been the begining, but it was also the end, as my grades remained at the just failing level throughout the rest of my public school days.
  Now I would like to tell you, that it was because of my superior intellect being so bored with school, that that was the reason. But certainly the fact that I had embraced a wise guy image, played a big role in my scholastic failures. The question I used to ask myself was, would I change it if I could? Yes, I guess that I would? I would have remained funny, and still gotten better grades. Oh, and a wouldn't have procrastinated so much. Funny, Procrastination was supposed to have been the title?

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Politics, there is no escape..

  So out in the real world, they are running for the presidency, a lot like the running of the bulls, as a lot of fools will get run over in the process. There are sixteen, give or take a few on the Republican side, and for the Democrats, there is little queen Hillary and a handful of assorted socialists. What's a country to do? It sure seems like we got ourselves in one hell of a pickle. Being in a pickle is like being between a rock and a hard place, or a dilemma to which an answer must be found.
  The problem for the Democrats is that it is becoming more apparent every day, that the proposed heir apparent to the presidency, may well be at least, a bold faced liar, or at worse, a criminal? As for the Republicans, they have a different problem, as so far, there are so many voices, that the message gets lost. The plan being, that when it finally gets to the general election for 2016, that there be only two voices, one from their own party, and one for the Democrats. Hopefully, there will be only two, as never before in our history are the choices so different, and the consequences of the people's choice for President so important.
  Because there are so many voices for the Republican candidate, what is needed is a unified battle cry. All those wishing to be the representative of the Republicans, should be willing to sign onto those things which they all agree on, and as to how they would accomplish those tasks, is up to the individual candidate. Things like the possible elimination of our current tax codes, and possibly the IRS altogether. One candidate, I believe it was Huckabee wants term limits, that is one most all Americans would agree with. National defense, the debt, certainly, the border situation, and the millions of people here illegally, etc. and Some may choose to focus on one aspect primarily, but all agree that this list of basics would be changed under their leadership. Also, because the goal is to end the tyrannical reign of this current regime, all should be willing to not run as a third party, and to fully support whoever emerges as the primary winner.
  As for my fellow Democrats, we have to make some hard choices, and maybe we should take Hillary down from her throne. With terrorism and so many other important issues facing our nation, the American people want someone who they know and trust. The Democratic party needs Joe Biden. We watched as he gave that heartfelt speech about following the Islamist terrorists to the gates of hell, and with two sons in the military, we know he meant it, and more importantly, we know he is a patriot!    

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

I,cloud

  There is power in the sky, you can see it if you know what to look for. Today in my sky, it was one of those days, a perfect sky, filled with bulbous white clouds, a panoramic view of beauty from horizon to horizon. These billowing white clouds almost completely filled the sky, its crystal blue color shining through as patches of blue in a white sky. Across the larger holes of blue, smaller puff clouds raced across the opening, only to get caught up in the larger cloud in front of it. But the shear mass of this clouded sky was not the only reason it demanded attention, but also in the messages it brings. Messages that were important enough to warrant such a spectacular display. The only slight mar on this sight, was the fact that these perfect white clouds had a touch of grey at the bottoms, and it could warn of rain? A stupid consideration really, as it was a hot day and the rain would feel good.
  Even though these roiling cloud fronts were individuals, and each rose thousands of feet in the air, they were joined in enough places to give the look of one giant cloud rather then many.
  But the real beauty of it was, that it was reversed of the usual look, as the sky was white with clouds, and only patches of blue shone through. And as it moved over head, I asked of it, where is it that you have just come from, where is it that you have been? It answered me and said, I have come from where I have been, and I am going to where I have been many times before. For I have been there many times, as I have come and went from there, since the beginning of what you call time. And, as this great mosaic moved slowly across the sky overhead, it looked like a fantastic jig saw puzzle with still missing pieces.
  It is not as strange as you might think to talk to clouds and animals, because there is wisdom in them, and wisdom is power. The American Indians spoke of life in this way, they would speak of power with what they studied in the natural world, and the power was wisdom.
  But the clouds continued to speak to me saying, I have been here from the beginning, myself and my ancestors have traveled these same routes for eons. We travel as does everything, we spin like the universes and planets, we go around in small and larger circles, returning to where we started in the amount of time necessary by the size of our orbit. You see, in life, everything moves in circles, all life, no matter how big or how small must live by this law. My life, your life, all life, is symmetrical., what weather I bring, I have brought before, and will bring again. Though you look to me as being free, I too have an appointed route in this life that I must live out till the end. As for me another said, I move across the sky at a pace set by others, picking up dampness for rain which I will release further up along my route, and I will dump it, precisely at the alloted time. I, we, are ageless, always circling, and spinning, only to come back around again.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Doubt

  Sometimes, clarity of mind can seem quite far from you. During these times, more often then not, doubt is the culprit. But it can be said of doubt, that it is a necessary evil. And although doubt is indeed evil, whether it is necessary or not, is strictly up to the individual. There is a plus side to doubt, and it is because of it that we question ourselves and the decisions we make. All in a way to get clarity. But before we go any further, let me answer the question that some of you asked. Specifically, my contention that doubt is evil. Doubt is indeed evil was what I said exactly. But why such a strong statement? It is because that only the evil one spreads doubt, and he's been doing it since that confrontation with the woman in the garden. Doubt and confusion are two of the devils most affective weapons. Especially when used as a way to divide and conquer. God on the other hand, is the God of order and logic and never of disorder, and of perfect clarity, so there is no place for doubt. In the Kingdom, as one of the family, there is no question that you cannot answer, unbounded Wisdom is yours, a fountain of life giving water that never runs dry, a water that tastes sweeter each time you drink it. Perfect sense, born from impeccable logic, where nothing is hidden, and doubt is only found as a footnote in history.
  OK Ed you say, that is a fine definition, but how do I apply this to my life, how can I know the necessary doubt from the unnecessary? One simple step which comes from the Serenity Prayer. And that is, to separate the things in your life which you can change, from those which as much as you would like to, you cannot change. Then use your doubts to trigger the questions that will need answers.  Continue asking them, and never settle for less then the complete logical truth. This will give clarity, and with clarity comes peace of mind.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

The Constitutional

  While out with Max, to do the morning run of our twice daily routine, otherwise know as walking the dog. During this particular constitutional, we fell on disagreement. You see for me, this is only a chore, one done twice daily. For my part, I try to do it with little complaint. But on the other hand, I'm out there for him, afterall, I'm not the one who has to poop on a leash. But for Max, our twice daily jaunts are far more then just a chance to relieve himself, and given his druthers, Max would druther be out for as long as possible.
  But again, from my perspective, this is just drudgery, and so I pretty much expect him to poop on command, so that I can get back home, and rid myself of my half of the leash. To be fair to the both of us, more often then not, we will fall into a cadence that is mutually acceptable. He getting his fill of butt scent, and I remain patient enough to let the poor dog poop in peace.
  But still, there are those other times, when Max seems intent on busting my balls, by taking his sweet time, and dilly dallying all along the way. He is intent on prolonging his scent time, and makes it more of a priority then the pooping, which is why he is out there. Today was one of those days, and our usually pleasant conversation went like this:
  Be a good boy Max, will ya, or are you going to be a ball buster? You should know by now, that you can't win, as I am a world class ball buster from way back. But Max was into his, I'm so disinterested in the whole affair, that I didn't even hear you routine, and so, he continued on his slow deliberate pace, until I could take no more, and gave him a swift kick in the ass! That did it. He returned to being my good boy again, pooping, and then moving on smartly.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Dancing with the Devil

  Barack Obama got his nuclear deal with Iran. The fact that he had to give away the farm to get it, is unimportant, what was important, was just to say that they had one. Because, as has become the norm with this administration, politics will trump the good of the people every time.
  Even the most wild eyed liberals admit that Iran is the biggest provider for the terrorists. Most of the horrendous acts we have all witnessed are sponsored by Iran. It is Iran who supports them financially, and by supplying weapons and training. Vermin like Isis and Boca Horan need money to operate, and Iran is always willing. More so now, as this deal returns hundreds of billions of dollars to them. It is so bizarre, in that, we will be providing some of the monies they will need to eradicate us. But no matter though, because with just a slight of hand, and some semantical changes, the administration made terrorist Iran and nuclear Iran, as if they were separate entities? They are excellent conjurers of words, a skill Barack no doubt got from his father.
  We used to have a hard and fast rule in this country, that we don't negotiate with terrorists, but by separating the vermin from the well dressed gentlemen at the conference table, the president was able to skirt yet another law. As with any deal, even one as bad as this one, there has to be a certain amount of mutual trust, but trusting Iran and it's fanatical leaders is foolish at best. But the gentlemen sitting around the nuclear conference table sipping tea, and the blood thirsty lunatics who rape murder and maim in the name of their god are one and the same. So what has actually happened here, is that the administration has made a deal with the devil, all for political gain.
  Speaking of the devil, there is a spiritual side to this political struggle, that is more important then the actual events themselves. It doesn't matter whether you are "not a religious person", because no one, no matter their beliefs, or lack thereof, can escape this spiritual warfare, an ancient war, that has spilled out now in plain view in this, our present time. Just as different in the physical world are the United States from Iran, so too are the differences between the two controlling spirits who war with each other. One, cuts off heads, rapes and tortures women, and crucifies children. While the other teaches of love and offers peace of mind for eternity. So now, the prospect of hands covered in blood, and fingers made filthy from death will be poised over the doomsday button, and this reality looms in the not too distant future. Perhaps now, if his father were still alive to see it, Barack has finally seen his father's dream become closer to fulfillment, and perhaps it was today, that he finally made his father proud?

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Echoes

  Samuel Echoes is the name that everyone called him, but his real name was Samuel Epstein. His parents knew, right from his very first word, that their son was different, and they thought to themselves, When our boy speaks, people will listen. What was so different about his voice? When he said Ma-ma for the first time, it returned as an echo.
  His father was determined, that this oddity would not keep his son from having a regular life. And for the most part he did, he played every kind of sport, but he loved baseball best. His teammates adjusted to it quickly, and even came to like it. When Sam yelled encouragement to his pitcher, he would say, C'mon Tommie, fire it in there! The return sounding, In there.. In there..
  But the echo of his words wasn't the only thing different about how Sam spoke, but also his diction, it was perfect! Unlike his family and friends of his neighborhood of the Borough Park section of Brooklyn, he had no hint of the accent so thick with the others. When he spoke, every word that came from his mouth was pronounced perfectly, sounding like a narrator in a film.
  Now you might think, that the man to be known later in life strictly as Echoes would be extremely loud. but in fact what you heard, was perfect words being spoken at just the right volume. Crystal clear words, spoken at just the right pitch and volume for each listener. Perfect sounding words, pleasing to the ears, only to return in the wind as a whisper.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Renew the Sponge

    Momentary lapses of memory, bits of information that you had already calculated, can get lost sometimes, and then you have to start figuring all over again.
  The mind is like a sponge, you have probably heard that said most often, when watching children grow. They learn so fast, because everything is new, and therefore, bare investigation. To a large extent, this is because they are innocent, and to be innocent of something, can be said in another way, that you are ignorant on the subject. There is the reason, that when you see those people being asked something on the street, that most will make up an answer, rather then admit that they no nothing about it, and are ignorant about it, and nobody wants to think of themselves as ignorant, or, if you call it innocence, people believe that innocence is weakness? It is not.
  But we adults have crowded ourselves with so much information, most of which we will never use. Because of this over load, this mega load of information, we can find little time for curiosities. The problem is, that by loosing this child like inquisitiveness, stops us from learning new things. Learning occurs when our curiosity is peaked, and this almost exclusively occurs when we are innocent on a subject. It is our natural inclination to want to understand everything around us. This hunger, this desire to learn, is too often lost with the intricacies of daily life. But how can you regain the innocence of youth, now that we are old and set in  our ways? By having your spirit, which resides in the mind, to be born again. This new mind creates what in a spiritual sense is a new child. A child who to all things are new again. The child, that by who's innocence, will renew that sponge like mind that we all once had.