The Inevitable Has Become Manifest

“Government is the problem.” – Ronald Reagan 

“A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.” – Barack Obama 

Two different visions of tomorrow: One dark and foreboding, the other an inspirational vision of hope.

 

Denying the value of social convention wakes up the aimless, disenchanted, and confused. It puts them into an agitated, ready for action, state of mind. Just point them in any direction and turn them loose. They will do something disruptive and destabilizing. Arm them, and a dangerous, turbulent situation becomes a deadly field of carnage. These realities are unfolding across the world today. There is no place safe from this agenda of destruction.

The time has come to disarm the public, dismantle the broadcast vehicles of chaos, impeach political actors promoting disorder, take monetary influence out of the Judicial decision process, dismantle the barriers to representative democracy, redistribute aggregated wealth from the grip of a few imperialists, and allocate it in support of the common public good.

Agents of Chaos

Saying it’s ok to drive on whichever side of the street you like doesn’t work. We need conventions to avoid getting in the way of each other and we need government to advance social growth. The idea that “government is the problem” is being exploited for political advantage, by self-centered politicians who lack moral character. However inappropriate and illogical the tactic might be, it is effective. It wakes up the aimless, disenchanted and confused and it puts them into an agitated, ready for action state of mind. Just point them in any direction and turn them loose. They will do something disruptive.

This tactic is sinister, intentional, and unacceptable. It is a threat to our stability and security as a nation and as a people. We are a socio-economic federal republic complex. We are held together by common purpose, spirit, desire, and law. We use government to keep us on track. We are in this together. We are the government. We are not the enemy. We are the people whose purpose we serve.

Originally posted June 13, 2014

The Witness

 

Imagine an observer sitting on a quiet hill, overlooking the sprawl of a city sputtering with the tedium and excess of urban life, its streets lit with intermittent signs and slogans that interrupt the night. The observer sits in stillness, deep in a meditation of profound objective reflection. Breathing in controlled measures, to avoid being swallowed by the disfunction emanating from the urban struggle below. With each exhale, a wave of compassion and understanding is released, directing it towards the collective actions that have led to this moment. The observer does not judge or condemn but instead holds space for a deeper awareness to emerge. As the consequences of excessive indulgence begin to unfold, the observer’s meditation deepens, visualizing the consequences as a river, flowing through time, carrying with it the effects of choices made without foresight. The river meanders through the city, touching every corner and crevice, nurturing some and eroding others.

In the meditation, the observer contemplates the impermanence of human creations, recognizing that just as the city’s lights eventually fade with time, so too do the consequences of actions, eventually yielding space for renewal and transformation. The meditation provokes insight, guiding the observer to grasp the interconnection of all things, realizing that thoughts, intentions, and actions play a role in the grand tapestry of existence. With this, the observer becomes not only a witness to the consequences but an active participant in the ongoing dance of creation and dissolution.

In the unfolding consequences of human indulgence, the observer finds a deep compassion, understanding that the choices made, though flawed, are also a reflection of the universal human struggle for meaning, happiness, and fulfillment. And in this understanding, the meditation becomes a source of inspiration to seek balance and harmony, both within and without.

 

Top of
Form

 

After The Rain

In the morning light, after a rain, the vegetable garden comes to life. The sun starts peeking through breaks in clouds, chasing shadows, and a butterfly hovers anxiously, respectfully dancing above an unfolding squash blossom, wings adorned with fitted geometry of blues, oranges, and blacks.

In the morning light, air full with earthy, wet soil scents, and dampened lives of formerly rustling leaves. The sun casts warm rays of light, magical glowing spotlights of changing focus.

In the morning light, the garden is busy with emerging life and promise, lush with salad greenery, yellow squash, and watermelon red flavor, a showcase of vegetables and edible plants on parade. Rows of raised beds at parade rest, brimming with the glories of life, the soil, dark and fertile, heavy with moisture, holding in the recent rainfall.

Broad leaves unfurl defining the plant, stalks reaching in the air, shimmering with light-reflecting droplets of water. Among the leaves, a yellow squash blossom offers up lush draperies of colorful petals, while a butterfly grabs your eye. Intricate patterned wings of blues, oranges, and blacks, flashing in the sun, producing a kaleidoscope of colors. Balanced above the blossom, a slender proboscis sipping nectar, savoring the sweet garden bounty, the fulltime flyer rejoices in the morning light.

It is such a long season.. who knows what will come?

destiny’s arena

You only play each game once.

In almost any universe,

this is as winning a lineup as exists.

But time,

the sea all knowable objects are carried in,

the one constant measure,

intent on a breakneck tango of flux and graceful form,

has its own agenda.

 

Find your place or be left behind.

#Time2GoPadres

Life and Time

“If space and time, as sages say,

Are things which cannot be,

The fly that lives a single day

Has lived as long as we.

But let us live while yet we may,

While love and life are free,

For time is time, and runs away,

Though sages disagree.” – t.s. eliot

While time is as unaware of our coming and going, as it is relentless in its passing, moments we experience form an existence of their own. They make ripples in Einstein’s fabric, as indelible reminders of events gone by, memories that orbit us, while we’re still here, and return periodically as features in the constellations we form, as expressions of our existence.

Life, as I’ve been told, is for the living, and I have taken that to heart. And, while I am graphically aware of the transient nature of almost everything around, I always try to take time to appreciate the eternal nature of wisdom

The End of Earth Faire, And Hints of Potato Starch

 

The San Diego County Orchid Society had its Spring Show in Balboa Park over the weekend. It was notable for many reasons, but one that stands out is that this was the first time in more than 30 years that it didn’t coincide with a major Earth Faire event that drew as many as 60,000 people.

The Earth Faire was gone, and the remaining Earth Day events had been scaled back to 1/10^th of their glory days. My first thought was that Earth Day at the Park was no longer seen as an effective gathering of support for environmental action. Environment action groups have been a political force in San Diego planning and policies since the 1970s. I wondered: Has any of this been worthwhile? What is the legacy of all those people, all that effort, and all those years?

Well, when Myra came back from the final day of the Orchid Show, my questions were answered. As she was cleaning up, there were box lunches left over and she brought one home. It had disposable utensils in a clear package that had some printing on it that stated the utensils and packaging was made from potato starch and were compostable after use. There was my answer. The Earth Faire, though no longer a visible event, has left behind a significant shadow of its influence. What, in past years would have been plastic utensils and packaging, had been replaced by eco-friendly, compostable, potato starch items and packaging, designed to decompose after use and not wind up in the Great Pacific Gyre or in the digestive systems of ocean life.

mRNA Vaccines Emerging to Deal With Cancer

 

 

There are several mRNA vaccines that are currently being developed for cancer treatment. These vaccines work by triggering an immune response against cancer cells, which can help to
shrink or eliminate tumors. Here are some examples:

Moderna’s mRNA-4157:

This vaccine is being developed for the treatment of solid
tumors, including ovarian, lung, and head and neck cancers. It is designed
to stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. 

BioNTech’s BNT111:
This vaccine is being developed for the treatment of advanced melanoma, a
type of skin cancer. It works by targeting a specific protein that is
expressed by melanoma cells. 

CureVac’s CV9104:
This vaccine is being developed for the treatment of prostate cancer. It
targets six different antigens that are commonly expressed by prostate
cancer cells. 

Kite Pharma’s KITE-439: This vaccine is being developed for the treatment of human
papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers, including cervical and head and neck
cancers. It is designed to target the E6 and E7 proteins produced by
HPV. 

Genocea’s GEN-009:
This vaccine is being developed for the treatment of multiple types of solid
tumors, including melanoma, lung, bladder, and head and neck cancers. It
works by targeting neoantigens, which are unique proteins that are produced
by cancer cells and not found in healthy
cells. 

It’s worth noting that these vaccines are still in various stages of development and have not yet been
approved for use in humans. However, they represent an exciting new approach to cancer treatment that could potentially revolutionize the field.

Joe Biden: Age and Leadership

When youth has fled and age has come,

The truest leaders won’t succumb

To vanity or earthly fame,

But seek instead a higher claim.

 

For wisdom born of long-lived years

Is worth far more than fleeting cheers,

And those who’ve weathered storm and strife,

Can guide us through the darkest life.

 

Yea, leadership is not just age,

It’s more than wrinkles, more than sage;

It’s passion, vision, and the will

To persevere and climb each
hill.

 

And so we look to those who’ve led

With courage, grace, and level head,

And honor them with every breath

For all they’ve done to guide our
quest.

 

So let us not forget the past,

But strive to make each moment last,

And honor those who’ve gone before,

Whose leadership we still
adore.

Opening Day

Fans are filled with speculation,  

Their hometown team will win the game,  

The stadium’s abuzz with expectation,  

Players hungry for the crowd’s acclaim. 

 

The leadoff batter steps to the plate,  

The crowd roar with all their might,  

He cracks a double off the bullpen gate,  

Fans stand as one, forty thousand cheers unite. 

 

The pitch was a fast one, a bullet on a line,  

But the batter turned and hit it hard.  

The ball flew high, a welcome sign,  

It bounced around the grassy yard.  

 

At season’s start, it’s already clear,  

It’s going to be an exciting ride,  

The team is playing without fear,  

And hopes soaring high and wide.