Before, when the power went out and the Internet was down, I could use my iPhone to make phone calls, but it would do nothing else.
Now the power and Internet are back but at the top left corner of my iPhone, is says “SOS Only”!!!
I’ve never seen anything like that! I can do everything with my phone now, except make a phone call…
And no one is getting my texts. Not even on the Signal app.
Hmmm…
We had a power and Internet outage here in the small village of Crazeysburg today! For over an hour.
And then, when the power came back on, on the Safari page on my phone, there was a Freespoke icon! I almost never use Freespoke on my phone, just on my laptop. And suddenly the icon was right there, like I used it all the time.
Hmm…
And just now, a military helicopter flew over. It was very low, very loud.
I was outside watering my flowers on the front porch, and thinking: I’m the only person in this town who is still flying a Trump flag…
And then the loudest motor in the sky was suddenly flying over the heart of the village — where I live.
I stood and stared up at it with my mouth open, because when I drove to town and back today, I was thinking how I still haven’t had any military sightings around here.
Then the helicopter appears from out of nowhere, circles over the area where my house is and then it flew off to the East.
So cool.
Sadly, yes, the holiday is over. And now it’s back to town again to get the groceries.
Luckily, it’s another really pretty day out there, gang. So it should be a nice drive. (Plus, I acquired this really happy family, and their dog, to go to town with me this time. Just to keep me constantly distracted. Nothing beats pandemonium in the car when you’re trying to drive!)
But, honestly, gang– I just want to stay here at my desk and work on Novitiate!! I made such great progress with it yesterday.
In fact, I’m starting to wonder if this is an actual novel and not a novella. We shall see.
However, the sooner I get to town and back, the sooner I can get back to work on the book. So I’m gonna scoot.
There is nothing to really report, anyway. The news couldn’t be more fake and/or more horrible when it isn’t fake, so I’ll just leave you to peruse it on your own.
And my life is quiet (for now) and really just sort of beautiful.
Enjoy your 5th of July, wherever you are in the world.
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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I leave you with this!
A friend from NYC spent his July 4th holiday last night in Asbury Park, NJ. This is a town with a famous amusement park on the Jersey Shore. Bruce Springsteen is from there. And his first album was titled, Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ. So, of course, my friend’s message said, “Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ!”
And in return, I sent him a link to the song below (from Springsteen’s second album, The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle.) I’m guessing my friend dropped everything to play the song on his phone, because when you’re on the boardwalk of a famous and noisy amusement park at the crowded seashore, and the waves are crashing and fireworks are filling the crazy sky, you really want to drop everything and listen to a song that is 50 years old (!!!!).
Anyway. I really love this song. “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)”. And truth be told, when I went briefly to college, in the fall of 1978, my roommate and I embarked on a passionate little sex-a-thon (meaning that we were each in love with other girls who no longer loved us, so we had wild & very emotional sex with each other, for about a year, to distract us from all the unrequited love in our lives that year). And my roommate’s name was Sandy.
I never forget her. Especially when there are songs like this to remind me. And it still breaks my heart just a little bit. (She was tall and slender, with very long, wavy red hair, and she wore glasses and was studying Engineering and was really, really funny and incredibly smart.)
So here it is: “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)”. 1973. Enjoy.
Yesterday evening, miracles began happening!
Around 7PM, the weather suddenly and totally shifted and it became just a glorious evening. Here is a photo I took from the upstairs window, looking out over my neighbors’ backyards. Nary so much as a hint of rain:
And if you’re interested in some of the history of Crazeysburg (and there actually is quite a lot, because back in olden times, people actually used to live here…)
Anyway. If you look closely between a couple of those houses, you’ll see a large boat. That boat is actually docked on what’s left of a very old canal. (There’s actually an alley and an old canal running diagonally between that white house and that boat.)
Anyway, Crazeysburg used to be one of the Ohio locks on the Erie Canal. I believe we were Lock #19 but I’m not positive. It would have looked a little like this (although this lock is one county over, Lock #18):
And while it was foggy when I awoke this morning at 6AM, the fog cleared pretty quickly and suddenly it was a really, really pretty morning!
And since God saw fit to give me a really nice 4th of July holiday, I, in turn, kept my promise to the world-at-large, and I got out of bed, threw on some shorts and a tee shirt, and I went outside and did some weeding!! Yay. Finally.
The story of my weeds is a frustrating one.
Since last summer, I have had a nice and very reliable 13-year-old neighbor boy who cuts my grass every week. He is not a “professional lawncare guy”, as I’ve had for every single summer since I moved away from NYC, but he was very reliable and he did cut my grass. He just never even so much as touched any of the weeds, so I would do that part myself.
This year, he asked if I wanted his friend to whack all my weeds for an additional $10 a week. And I was very happy to say, “Yes!”
Well, 2 months of paying the extra $10 a week — and my weeds were basically out of control. So I let the $10-a-week part of the two boys go.
But now my weeds were out of control and I had to deal with it. Yay.
However, deal with it I finally did!
I don’t use any kind of chemicals on my yard, so I had to pull them all out by hand.
I got about 85% of it done this morning before it just became way too hot to stay out there another minute. But I was so happy to get that much done.
And yesterday, after Sandra and I finished working on the play, and before I had my wonderful weekly chat with Val in Brooklyn, I came to a momentous decision: for the rest of my 4-day holiday (I’m on day #3 now), I am not doing any more “work” (i.e., stuff having to do with the play); I am only going to spend time writing Novitiate.
Valerie said yesterday: “If you want to work on your zazzle store tomorrow, or if you want help getting MarilynsRoomBooks.com setup, give me a call.”
And even though I usually drop everything to chat (or work over the phone) with Val, I said: “Val, I’m only working on Novitiate tomorrow, and for the rest of my days off!”
So I feel pretty excited here this morning, gang.
And with that, I am going to get started around here.
Have a wonderful 4th of July, if you live State-side. And if you don’t, then be like Keith — marry a famous American supermodel, move to Connecticut, raise a couple of really pretty blonde daughters, and celebrate the 4th that way!!!
From Keith’s Instagram page just now:
Have a terrific Tuesday, whatever you end up doing!!
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys! See ya!
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Just some of my outside-pulling-the-weeds-bright-and-early music from this morning!
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, oddly enough, also the summer of 1978! “The Promised Land” — and I still believe in it, gang! Enjoy!!!! (Yes, you gotta play it loud — otherwise you won’t hear it all the way outside on your front walk…)
“The Promised Land”
On a rattlesnake speedway in the Utah desert
I pick up my money and head back into town
Driving ‘cross the Waynesboro county line
I got the radio on and I’m just killing time
Working all day in my daddy’s garage
Driving all night chasing some mirage
Pretty soon little girl I’m gonna take charge
The dogs on Main Street howl ’cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister I ain’t a boy, no I’m a man
And I believe in a promised land
I’ve done my best to live the right way
I get up every morning and go to work each day
But your eyes go blind and your blood runs cold
Sometimes I feel so weak I just want to explode
Explode and tear this whole town apart
Take a knife and cut this pain from my heart
Find somebody itching for something to start
The dogs on Main Street howl ’cause they understand
If I could reach one moment into my hands
Mister I ain’t a boy, no I’m a man
And I believe in a promised land
Well there’s a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I’m heading straight into the storm
Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain’t got the faith to stand its ground
Blow away the dreams that tear you apart
Blow away the dreams that break your heart
Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted
The dogs on Main Street howl ’cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister I ain’t a boy, no I’m a man
And I believe in a promised land
c- 1978 Bruce Springsteen
All right, gang.
It is day number 2 of my 4-day holiday for the 4th of July and it is starting off– yet again– quite auspiciously!!
Yes! Rain. A little more rain. And then even more rain!
Not that I mind rain, per se, but my roof is only just precariously remaining attached to my house…
Buckets everywhere downstairs. My ceiling is leaking like crazy.
And it’s a “holiday.”
(BTW in case you’re keeping count: USDA RD turned me down for a home improvement loan, HUD turned me down, Habitat for Humanity turned me down…)
Well, maybe this time, next year….
Miracles do happen, you know.
New Topic.
I had meant to post this wonderful photo yesterday morning but then I totally forgot!! And then Johnny Depp went and posted it to his Instagram page late yesterday afternoon!
He beat me to it, fair & square. But I regale you with it now!
And may I add this!! A vintage TV commercial from my wee bonny girlhood!! (“Johnny Smoke” Anti-Smoking Ad Campaign from the 1960s!!)
My girlhood, gang. You gotta love it. (I sure did.)
Okay.
I honestly have nothing more to post this morning.
I have to get ready to work with Sandra for a few hours. And then a chat with Valerie, after that. And laundry is in the middle of being halfway finished (try to do the math on that: in the middle of halfway…). So I gotta scoot!
I hope you have a great Monday, wherever you are in the world.
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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Making-the-bed-and-doing-laundry- music from this morning!! Enjoy!!
Okay, thank you!
You guys never cease to amaze me. And by that, I am referring to the Smashwords July sale that started yesterday, wherein a great big bunch of people downloaded my free titles, yet again, all day long and on into the wee small hours of this morning, and it continues…
And this sale has been going on twice a year, for years. (13, to be exact.)
My eBook titles there are really old, a lot of those short stories have been around forever (1992 is the earliest one), and it amazes me that there is anyone left who hasn’t and/or who still wants to read them.
So when the sale begins, and my inbox starts filling up with alerts that someone has downloaded one or more (usually all 4 titles), it is a really cool feeling.
So, thank you!!
Here is something else that has happened recently that blows me away.
Two entirely different but equally young people — one young man, a musician, in a very far away country who only speaks a little English, and a young co-worker of mine, a 23-year-old white woman who lives in a really pretty but incredibly small rural town — both listened to my song, “Where Do Dark Girls Go?” recently. Like, within the last 10 days.
This is a song I wrote in 1982 — I can do the math for you, that’s 41 years ago. And even though Peitor and I still intend to re-record all my favorite songs from my songwriting career and just release them online, it never occurs to me that people — young people, who were nowhere near being born yet when I was a folksinger in NYC — might still react to these songs the way audiences did in the old days.
And this was an 8-track demo these two young people were listening to (albeit, it was a demo that almost got me a record deal with Columbia Records), still the quality is just straight from my guitar player’s living room, over 40 years ago.
The young guy texted me and said, “This song is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. The whole world should be listening to this. Why have you not put it out there?”
And the girl, who was actually standing next to me by the espresso machine at the train station while she was listening to it on my phone — I just thought she might enjoy the song, but her whole body went erect and tears immediately came to her eyes. She said, “This is you? You wrote this? You have to put this song out there. You are like a goddess.“
These were not the reactions I had anticipated — I really thought maybe they would just like the song. But it was really interesting. People used to respond that way when I played in clubs, but that was a very, very long time ago, gang. Music has changed so much since then, that I really only think of it as my own private music now, that maybe a few older people would appreciate.
And regarding the girl, my co-worker– she is someone who is really struggling with life and I am always trying to encourage her, to give her hope that she can still have a beautiful life.
After she listened to the song, I showed her photos of Blaire that were also on my phone — the woman I had written the song for 41 years ago. The first one was of Blaire back in the East Village days when I was so much in love with her. We were both musicians, playing very different types of downtown clubs. And back then, she struggled with heroin addiction. This photo was taken in the very, very wee small hours of the morning, in my apartment back in 1985:
And then I showed her a current photo of Blaire, at age 63:
And the girl was astounded. She said, “Wow. So she got clean?”
“Yes. She’s been clean for decades. She’s a heavy metal guitar player in LA.”
It was very interesting — to me, in particular. To see the girl’s reaction to things that I was just sharing with her for what I’d thought was “no particular reason.”
The next day, the girl came in to work and said, “You’re more like a mother to me than my own mom has ever been. You always really help me.”
That just floored me.
Anyway. Here is the song. It used to be posted here on the blog, but that was a few years ago.
[“Where Do Dark Girls Go?” c- 1982, Marilyn Jaye Lewis, First of May Songs, BMI]
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Okay,
Simon Parkes had another update this morning that was really, really sobering and very good. You can only listen to it if you are a member of Connecting Consciousness, though. (It is free to join.)
His updates are similar to Phil’s, yet the differences are striking. However, Simon also says that the White Hat optics, worldwide, are now pretty much off the charts because people are just refusing to wake up. But he also agrees with Phil that this is all coming to an end very soon. (Simon also says that France is very close to the military declaring Martial Law.)
Other than that, though — other than the unbelievable noise and chaos all over the world — things are pretty quiet.
************
From Ross K. Nichols – Messiah: Origins of the Anointed (42 mins):
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James Tabor – Death & Afterlife: From Homer to Plato–Overturning the World (47 mins):
All right.
Today begins my 4-day vacation for the 4th of July holiday. Naturally, about 50% of it will be spent working with Sandra on the play, but the other 50%, I intend to just do my own thing and relax!!!!
I hope you guys are having a great Sunday, wherever you are in the world.
I’m going to get started over here.
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
***************
Wow, was last night weird, gang.
Here in Crazeysburg, they never have the July 4th fireworks right on the 4th of July because there is too much competition among all the local towns and everyone around here likes to go to everybody else’s fireworks throughout the July 4th holiday, so no one has their fireworks on the same night.
I got home from work a little earlier than usual last night. The sun was just going down, fireflies were everywhere and as I pulled up to my house, I saw that my neighbors had a nice fire going in their firepit, and as soon as I got out of my car, the dad started setting off sparklers in his backyard that were so LOUD and so BRIGHT and so STARTLING that I thought I was somehow transported to the Fall of Saigon–
And then also as I got out of my car — a neighbor a few doors down on the other side of my house started setting off really pretty fireworks. I was actually impressed by the quality of them.
This is not uncommon when the 4th of July holiday is underway — all the neighbors start setting off their own fireworks.
I was listening to the replay of Phil’s livestream at the time, so I was a little preoccupied, concentrating on that as I went inside.
It was god-awful hot and humid in the house. All the windows were open and the house was filling with smoke from my neighbors’ insanely loud “sparklers”. And of course the cats were dashing everywhere, wanting to know what all that loud craziness was outside. Sort of just chaos. But I was still listening to Phil.
I went upstairs and took my second shower for the day, still listening to Phil . Then I set out electric fans everywhere, then turned out all the lights and got in bed to finish listening to Phil.
And I eventually noticed that all of my neighbors’ fireworks just kept on going and going and they were getting really unusually loud… Then I thought: Wait a minute…
And then I carried my phone (and Phil) over to the window at the top of the stairs and….
DAMN IT!!!!!!
The town was having their July 4th fireworks display!!! CRIMONY!
It was not even July yet!
I will give you a minute to consult your calendar:
What the fuck, right??!!
And here I had been so excited to have four whole days off from work for the 4th of July holiday.
And I had bought a brand new amazing portable camping chair (two, actually) so that I could sit out in my backyard during the fireworks and have just an awesome and unhindered view, no longer bothered by pesky mosquitoes for the first time in my entire life…
And I knew that if I changed out of my nightgown, went downstairs and retrieved one of the camping chairs from the trunk of my car, set it up, sat in it and looked up at the sky — the fireworks would over.
So I stood at the top of my stairs and looked out the open window, still listening to Phil, and watched the darn fireworks that way.
I was so disconcerted. Because I was distressed about “sort of” missing the fireworks, but also listening to all the stuff Phil was saying at the same time.
After everything — including Phil — was all over, I went back to bed and I was exhausted. I listened to all the cars leaving the ballpark where the fireworks are held (1 block from my house). And everyone was noisy, and chaotic, and still setting off their own firecrackers, fireworks, “sparklers” (or open machine gun fire — whatever the hell that was). And my hot and humid house was filling with all the drifting leftover smoke…
And THEN– all the sirens started.
This town never has sirens, and if they do, it is just “siren” singular. But this was sirens. Many of them and really loud and zooming past my dark house, lighting it up with red flashing lights as they zipped past.
And I thought: Oh no, this can’t be good.
And I was right.
A man was killed in a car accident as he was leaving the fireworks at the ballpark and heading out of our town.
Killed, as in dead.
Jesus.
Just such an eerie night, gang.
Anyway. If you missed Phil, here is the replay (1 hr 19 mins):
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Before I forget!!!!!!
Yes! It’s that time of year again! When you can download all of my erotic eBooks, that are on Smashwords, FOR FREE until the end of the month!
Christmas in July!! (Might as well have Christmas since there won’t be any fucking fireworks…)
The Muse Revisited: Volume One, Early Erotica
The Muse Revisited: Volume Two, Erotic Novellas
The Muse Revisited: Volume Three, More Early Erotica
The eBooks are graphically erotic and are intended for adult readers only.
****************
Okay!
On another note entirely…..
James Tabor – The Ancient Tomb Artifact that Overturns the World (8 mins):
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And I thought this was just unbelievably beautiful, gang. It took my breath away. It was released yesterday.
Nick Cave & Debbie Harry, singing “On the Other Side,” from the Jeffrey Lee Peirce Sessions Project:
And I’m going to close with that, gang.
Have a great Saturday, wherever you are in the world!!
Stay alert! Although Phil says that the coming blackout is not likely to affect small rural towns (such as Crazeysburg), so keep that in mind. (Small “yay”).
He also says that vile monster Obama was already dealt with — double, triple, quadruple “Yay!”, gang.
Thanks for visiting!
I love you guys. See ya!
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Yes, I’d like an answer to that question, too!
Time is just flying, gang. Most days, I cannot keep up.
For this entire week, I did not even know what day it was. On Wednesday, I spoke with my dad and he was talking about “tomorrow is Friday…” And even though he was wrong, what I said, was: “Dad. Tomorrow’s Monday!”
And then we both realized we were both wrong… Anyway. What a weird week.
(Even Phil lost track of the days yesterday. That was funny. But he is supposed to have a livestream Q&A tonight around 7PM Eastern time. Check later to confirm!)
I’ve had a little bit of a schedule change at the train station (my part-time job, which looks like this:)
And between that and having to take 7 pages of resume notes for Sandra (40 years’ worth of her work in theater, TV, and movies) and turn it into an amazing one-page bio for her, I didn’t have time to get here yesterday.
And even today — I can’t stay here long because I’m nowhere near done on the bio. And I have to go to work today, when I used to have Fridays off. So that’s a little frustrating…
The really nice thing, though, is that I now get 4 days off for the 4th of July!!
The bad thing about that, though, is that it’s supposed to RAIN the entire time!!! (What’s going to happen to the fireworks??!!) (Plus, I was planning to FINALLY get that weeding done out in my yard.)
Here’s hoping that the weather report is simply wrong and that everything will blow over and be beautiful. Because it has been forever since I had 4 days off in a row, entirely to myself. So we’ll see.
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I have been meaning to mention this for a few months already and I keep forgetting — if you have cats or dogs who spend a lot of time outdoors, and you don’t want to give them pharmaceutical flea meds, this is what I use for Kon Tiki of the Great Outdoors (my Maine Coon cat who, as the name implies, likes to stay outside) and it works great: Vitamin B1 and Apple Cider Vinegar (powder form).
It keeps away fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.
You want to get good quality capsules, and then it depends on the weight of your pet. Kon Tiki is under 10 pounds, so I give her about 50 mgs. of B1 and a dash of Apple Cider Vinegar powder. I open up the capsules and sprinkle the powders over her canned food and then mix iti in real good. I do this once a day.
You need to make sure they are good quality supplements. Such as:
And the even better news is that it also works on PEOPLE!
I take 100 mgs of B1 a day, and 2 ounces of liquid organic Apple Cider Vinegar. (You must give it 2 weeks to begin working.)
I no longer get mosquito bites!! Mosquitoes won’t even land on me anymore.
Also, if you like to spend time outdoors at night, try putting dried sage and dried rosemary into your campfire, fire pit or bonfire and it also helps keep mosquitoes away. (If you wrap the dried stalks in foil and then poke holes in the foil, it will burn longer.)
Anyway!! It really helps make summer evenings nicer.
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Nick Cave sent out a really wonderful Red Hand File on Wednesday. It was sort of a follow-up to the interview that he did with the Archbishop on the BBC over the weekend (I posted a link for that podcast the other day).
I just loved what he had to say in his Red Hand File (but I have to add that I find it absolutely amazing that so many people are so reluctant to believe in God nowadays. Like, it makes them stupid to fall for something like that and that to doubt the existence of God (or whatever label you want to give to Source or All That Is) makes you, I don’t know — reasonable, rational, smart? In my opinion, doubt is just resistance that wastes your time; it’s a bunch of clunky furniture you throw in your own way on the path to the river on an otherwise beautiful day. We are all — every one of us — miracle workers and all it takes is to align with the frequency of God and affirm it. And of course, I think this was done purposely — this indoctrination to get people to believe they are smarter than the idea of God. Keeps them full of obstacles of their own making, and keeps them from working miracles every day.)
Anyway — from the Red Hand File:
“[…] I live for the moments my disbelief loosens its hold and allows me to experience that lovely lightness of spirit – that elevated oneness with things, that feels like God, that feels like love.[…]”
You can read it in full here.
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And on another topic–
Here we go!! That moment we’ve been waiting for, for 9 weeks!! Ross K. Nichols and Jono continue to tackle the Ten Commandments!! This week, it’s Adultery!!!
Adultery – The Ten Words with Ross and Jono (1 hr):
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And I think that’s it for now!! I gotta scoot!
I hope you have a lovely Friday, wherever you are in the world. Try not to cry for me having to work today and all that. I will rise to the challenge!!
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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A bug chunk of money was in my bank account this morning, so I was able to pay 17,000 bills before I even got out of bed. (Yay.)
The sun is shining. (Double, triple-yay!)
I don’t have to drive to town or do any chores.
I’m not planning on doing anymore intense and intensely disturbing research for my novella Novitiate — I can finally simply start writing it again. (Yay, gang. Because 1966 truly was a really, really sinister year. Just unreal. If you missed the links to these articles about 1966 and MK-ULTRA and the counterculture and LSD, and really want to have your head exploded, click here.)
Otherwise, this also happened in 1966, so you can look at this instead:
This wonderful photo was posted by Johnny Depp on Instagram this morning:
Yesterday, a musician- friend in Istanbul sent me this video. I’m not crazy about the content of the video, really, but the lyrics are down underneath the video (on Youtube, that is) and I really like the song itself.
And this just in!!
From an alpaca farm in Austria that I follow on Instagram:
I just love alpacas…
That’s really it, gang. Even though I did get a chance to chat with Val in Brooklyn yesterday; overall, yesterday was just a sucky day. The weather was mostly what made it suck so bad. It was grey, chilly and damp, so all the windows had to be closed for most of the day, and in the summer, I really love having all the windows open. (I have 20 large windows in my 122-year-old house, and when all of the windows are open, and the weather is beautiful and the birds are singing, it is just the most perfect feeling of summer…)
I did officially get MarilynsRoomBooks.com up and running. There is nothing there yet, but this will be where all of my self-published titles will be, along with all that fun merchandise Val helped me set up on zazzle. (Mostly coffee mugs, but the occasional insane apron or really cool lunchbox will be for sale there, too.)
And now I have to put on my playwrighting hat and get ready to work with Sandra on the play!!
Here’s hoping Sartre wasn’t also involved in MK-ULTRA. Jesus, it seems like so many people were… And I have to say — not that I think Hunter S. Thompson was part of MK-ULTRA, but so many of the intense topics he used to write about kept cropping up in all those articles about the CIA, the counterculture and LSD, that it makes me kinda think he did not commit suicide…hmmm.
Oh.
In other news–
If you weren’t aware, Real Raw News is back to reporting and has been for several days. Some extremely intense things happened in the last week, which you can read about here. (Whitmer was hanged; another assassination attempt on Trump; children rescued by SEALs from sex slavers off the coast of San Francisco.)
And that is it, gang.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, wherever you are in the world.
Thanks for visiting!
I love you guys, See ya!
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Yes! Buffalo Springfield! Allegedly connected to MK-ULTRA!! But I’m leaving you with this particular song only because I fucking love it! Enjoy!!
Rainy, breezy, damp, cool.
Nothing says “summer” quite like that, huh, gang?
And I have the whole darn day off — no chores to do (unless I want to — God knows that with 9 cats currently in my house, there are always chores that I could do)…
My two furry visitors will be returning to their mom in just a few days. I will be so sad to see them go, but my house will be cleaner, that’s for sure. I’m not sure why 2 additional cats suddenly makes my house a mess, but it sure does.
Anyway. I will miss them. They are such sweet cats.
This just in from Johnny Depp on Instagram!! The Hollywood Vampires tour continues!
And speaking of smoking…
I came so close to pulling in to Waterbeds & Stuff yesterday, to see if they sell organic tobacco leaves (I believe they do). I didn’t stop, but what I did see in their parking lot was one car, and a really old guy (likely my age), getting out of that car — while quite a lot of cars were in the parking lot of the Vape Station across the street.
And I thought: It’s just we old people who even remember that Water Beds & Stuff exists… And I wondered if he was going in there to buy organic tobacco leaves…
Anyway.
Work with Sandra was brief yesterday. We were mostly talking about how fucking insane the Pride stuff is now in NYC (and everywhere). Just garbage stuff and so in your face. You just have to cancel it out now.
I wonder how many Antifa folks were paid to go “be insane” in Pride parades across America…
But because we were talking more than working yesterday, tomorrow will be an intense work day for us instead. And of course, tomorrow, the weather will be stunning! When I won’t have time to go out and do some much-needed gardening that I was hoping to do today…
(Oh, and tonight, at 7:30 PM eastern time, they will announce who won the Dora Awards up in Toronto. Our Director, Weyni Mengesha, is up for Outstanding Director of 2022.)
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This article was in Uncover DC last evening. I really loved it — even though it’s reporting some bad news. Overall, it is an awesome story, gang:
“Making Real Men: King Randall and The Life Preparatory School for Boys by Michelle Edwards (June 26, 20230
[…]During the first year of The Life Preparatory School for Boys, the school dealt with multiple setbacks, including individuals calling the fire department to shut them down and the city of Albany attempting to throw them out of their building. Yet, as with all things rooted in God—goodness and love prevailed. The school forged through the year with many boys, including a 13-year-old former gang member who had been shot, making the honor roll and, most likely for the first time, experiencing a life-changing sense of inner pride. […]
[…] Sharing that he feels sure the attack was coordinated, Randall said the school’s main logo on the school wall was destroyed, sinks were pulled loose from walls, and doors were ripped from hinges. The destruction apparent in the pictures shared on Twitter is unfathomable. Who would intentionally destroy a school making such a positive impact? Besides the sheer destruction to the facility and its contents, Randall remarked that given the nature of the items stolen, it is difficult to believe that the three individuals he caught acted alone. […]
[…] Immediately after Randall shared the news of the vandalism on Twitter, he shifted his focus back to the well-being of his boys, which is where it has stayed from day one. […]
[Read this incredible story here]
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And this is also awesome. It came by way of the Ohio local Connecting Consciousness Group —
If you are unaware of what certain churches did to Native Tribal children in Canada (“disappeared” them & much worse; approximately 60,0000 of them), then please research it. And don’t stop at sites that constantly “debunk'” and “fact check.”
Native elders banish and reclaim churches, appoint Kevin Annett as peacekeeper as occupations loom (3 mins):
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In an unexpected move (!!) —
Nick Cave did a podcast with the Archbishop Justin Welby on the BBC over the weekend… You can listen HERE (28 mins).
And in an unrelated item…
Dr. Morse’s Herbal Health Club had another free webinar a few days ago, this time on the Digestive System. Here is the replay:
Insight into the Digestive System Function & Therapeutics (58 mins):
And even though I can’t talk about it, there was even MORE good news from James Tabor last night that has just got me so excited, gang.
However, it has also increased the amount of research papers I have to read by tenfold. Seriously. Just so much stuff. All of it amazing (to me, anyway. If you aren’t interested in archeology and the 1st Century Jesus Movement, then, obviously, you have a lot less reading to do…).
And here is the first episode in a new series by James Tabor–
Death & Afterlife: The Ancient Hebrew View (48 mins):
And if this is of any interest to you —
I am revisiting an online course I completed only recently, but it was so good, that I had to go over it again. It is 24 lessons on the book of Genesis. And Genesis is absolutely not all that you think it is, gang — and in many ways, it is so much more. (This is a scholarly look at Genesis, not a theological one.)
For instance —
In a related note — from Ross K. Nichols: What was the Forbidden Fruit? You Might Be Surprised (about 20 seconds):
My companion guide while I re-study the course on Genesis, is James Tabor’s amazingly handy The Book of Genesis: A New Translation from the Transparent English Bible — which is truly a “transparent” translation. It keeps as close to the original Hebrew text and spirit as possible.
And last night, in connection with re-visiting the first few chapters of Genesis, I listened to a very well read audiobook on LibriVox of Sir E.A. Wallis Budge’s scholarly account: The Babylonian Study of the Deluge as Told by Assyrian Tablets from Nineveh; and The Epic of Gilgamesh.
In it, you can compare the historical accounts of the much earlier flood with the story of Noah that is told in Genesis — among other things.
If you’d rather read an eBook of it online and see illustrations of the ancient tablets of Nineveh you can go here. (It does not include The Epic of Gilgamesh, though.)
Anyway, it was fascinating and it was great being able to just lie in bed and listen to it as the sun was going down and fireflies were emerging all over the evening that was outside my window — and not have to do a ton of academic-type reading…
And yes, for some reason, this is my beautiful life. I have no idea why.
Okay, today is dreary, yes. But this afternoon, I’ll be catching up with Val in Brooklyn over the phone, and I always love doing that. Sort of the high point of my week.
Have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world, okay??
I’m going to get back to work here on my erotic novella-in-progress Novitiate.
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys See ya!
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The “soundtrack” for Novitiate continues!
Marilyn's Room 