Begging To Climb

It's an understandable urge, if you're not afraid of heights: To climb a prominent landmark. Back in flapper days I'm sure this was cool, but today?

Not cool!

I mean, yeah, it's cool, but NOT COOL! Every single person who climbs the pyramids damages them to some degree - it cannot be avoided. Since they are a treasure beyond price, they must be protected for the future.

Speaking of our glorious future, did you hear about the Mayan temple that got torn down for rocks to use in a new road?

Save our temples!

Springs Falls

More redshirt originals. The spot on the horizon where Spring and Fall are defined - by the setting sun. It's been a remarkable experience - I was vaguely aware the Sun "moved" throughout the year, but I now see it defined every day on a line of mountains stretching from the North through the West to the South. I've been watching the Sun move back and forth across this mountain range like a pendulum, and I'll tell you the experience has been nigh holy. Once you see the pattern in nature, you tap into this "divinity". Worship here, Northerners:

Look see in the center of this picture, at the unmoving star - Polaris, the North Star. The center of our existence, since we spin around this point and spinning is everything, seriously. Everything is spinning around something else which in turn is spinning around something else, so on and such to infinity. It provides a clear definition as to the structure of reality: Spinning. So feel no shame in dizziness.

Born Again

Congrats! We all survived the apocalypse and now reside in a higher vibrational reality - can you feel these good vibes? Try - you can make it so.

Any idea when our next apocalypse is scheduled? My calendar is wide open.


Above, from bottom - Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter at dawn. Loverly.

After the Fall (Lunch Break)

Click for huge - Mt. Rainier in the sunset, a shadow stretching across the heavens. I can relate!

Satan, man.

Not a shop. African weirdness, rather.

Also not a shop, but rather a well timed cloud. Dig it.

The Plural of Apocalypse

Well, we're here. The Serpent rises tomorrow at 11:12 UTC (so close!), 6:12 AM in God's Time Zone, EST. First, I made it - a victory in and of itself! Second, it's bullshit. But I believed in it a long time ago, half-ironically, but alas, half-seriously. No longer, but the damage is done. So I will use tomorrow as you should: re-dedicate yourself towards self-improvement, and the improvement of your family and community. Further, one - you! (and me!) - should strive to expand your notion of family and community. I view all of life as my community, and try to live with that mindset. It's tough, of course, but it's necessary for all of us if we are, collectively, going to rise above our primate instincts and become fully and truly, Human. We want that, right?

It's easy to look back into history and see the flaws of all the failed nations, empires, religions or societies over time, and equally hard to look at our own society or nation and see those flaws. The very same flaws that could lead to our own destruction. Since it is unlikely that the world will end tomorrow, let us instead focus on a more localized definition of apocalypse, which is societal. Societies rise and fall, over time. Some are more successful than others for a variety of reasons, but nothing lasts forever. The apocalypse is the end of your society. The ancient Maya. The Assyrians. The folks on Easter Island. Rome. Westernized Persia.

Iranian college kids in the early 70's. Look like typical 70's college kids, right? No longer. That society is gone. Destroyed.

Famous Iranian actors from the early 70's. Skin and hair, showing! No longer. Westernized Iran is gone, replaced by Mullahs and religious police. And this is a theme in many different apocalypseseses - the rise and triumph of religious fundamentalism. It's the scourge of our species and we need to fight against it at every junction. Alas, we appear to be losing.

Behold! There once was a time when Israel promoted tourism in Palestine. And why not? A beautiful land with metric tons of history. But alas! After getting tantalizingly close to real peace in the late 90's, this area has... degraded.

The reality today, with little reason to be optimistic for the future. Sad, and only getting sadder.

So count your blessings while you can, and appreciate all that is good with your society. And the things you find wrong with your society? Address it. Organize. Get involved. Speak up and out. Religious fundamentalism is always a minority movement that wields power far beyond their numerical representation in any given society. People power works, if the people get out on the streets.

So don't accept your apocalypse! Fight it, every day.

Peace be upon us all. Good luck, and good night.

Committed

Fervor and commitment create the same in others, spreading like fire and thus culture is made, over time. The inspirational nature of the spiritual occasion gives it more or less power, so you better put on a good show. Pass these lessons on and let them cook in the oven of time and voila, Religion.

Also, I am dreading the inevitable increase in "WORLD TO END 2012 MAYA APOCALYPSE REPENT!!!" talk. I saw an ad for Ameritrade or some such investment company and they directly referenced 12/21/12, the DAY OF DOOM. Reversal of gravity, apparently, which would actually be an awesome way to end the world. But it's not going to happen!

I once dabbled in 2012 dreaming, having read all about the Mayan calendar decades ago. But back then, no one else much knew, so it was cool. But now? LAME!

No, now I know and understand Science, and thus have moved past all mythological answers to real questions. The world might end on 12/21/12 - but it could also end tomorrow. Or a billion years from now - it will end one day, our world at least. An asteroid, a volcano, a cosmic ray, lots of ways. But I bet it won't end on 12/21/12 and if by some strange chance it did, that still proves nothing about Mayan religion of Gods. It might speak to their astronomy, however doubtful.


But! The very idea of it - and this meme has grown wings and will soar ever higher in the sky as we approach the dread date - aye! This very idea will be self creating, as lost, lonely people latch onto it and try to make it real. Hoarding, looting, general mayhem could happen as fear mongers in the media ratchet up the tension.

Wait and see. I had a vision.