We loved with a love that was more than love. ~Edgar Allan Poe

Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

Eeeee... va?

I do...

On Words...

I am a writer and right now, I cannot find the words for the feelings I have going through me.  Thinking about it, it's probably because sometimes, there are no words... just feelings... a look in the eye and touch of the hand, the smile on your lovers lips.

To try and put those feelings into words would perhaps diminish them somehow.   Make them less vibrant and one dimensional.

For a long time now, I have been living day to day, not really thinking too much about the future, just knowing it was out there and eventually I would get to it. But I had nothing to look forward to. Simply *just living,* isn't really enough. It's a sad and lonely way to spend your days and nights, only I had no idea just how lonely I had become. Not until I realized how truly happy I could be.

The past few months gave me little glimpses into a future I could be happy in. But I wasn't sure how to get to that future.  My normal M.O. is to rush, hurry, mangle and maul my way to what I would like in my life, but for the first time, I simply waited. Patience has never been my strong suit and yet, patience is what was required and I listened to my instinct. That little voice that is never wrong told me to just wait.

I have always believed in the Once Upon a Time fairy tales - I knew there was a Prince Charming to kiss me awake again. With patience, with care, with love, I was woken up.

The past few days have shown me what that waiting was for and it was worth every minute of that wait.  To try and describe the happiness I feel, the love the fills my heart and the joy I have in picturing a future where I am not alone, it just can't be described. This cannot be captured in mere words. But when your heart sings the same song as the person you love, there are no need for any words.

~C

Making Things Happen...

There is a saying that if you really want something all you need to do is imagine it, picture it, want it badly enough and make it so. 

But, what if what you want isn't supposed to be... 

I have a freakishly good imagination, so by my sheer will alone, I can wish for anything and it just happens? Even if it's not meant to be? Will whatever I am wishing for alter to fit what is supposed to happen - that by my will alone it becomes the "right thing?"

These opposing conditions confuse me.  I understand the idea and I know the power of both positive and negative thinking, but what if, what you are wishing for, bumps up against the free will of another?  I never wish for something that may not be in the best interest of another person, that just isn't playing fair and things usually end up badly when someone does that.

So, even if I wish for something and add "only if it is in the best interest for myself and all involved..." it still seems full of conflict.  Maybe I am missing something, but the statement "go and make it happen if you want it badly enough,"  can't really work as it is... unless I use a lot of begging, smiles or maybe some duck tape.  ;)

Just methinks...

~C

Talk Like a Pirate Day - My Pirate Name (Arrrrrgh)

My pirate name is:

Dread Pirate Rackham

Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Memories: On Remembering

I was thinking about memories this morning.  Sometimes, thinking back to a time or a place, people that were in your life, those memories can bring smiles, tears, even laughter. Sweet or bittersweet, memories can be one or the other, or both.

After my brother died, I had a lot of memories, and at that time, none of them were good. Most were linked to his death and the aftermath of dealing with what was left for us.  I thought I would never get past that hurt and those terrible days of confusion and questions never answered and the memories they left.

But after awhile, those memories faded... and left me with my brother again. The actual person he was, not the way his death left me feeling.  I could smile again and remember, not the hurt, but the person my little brother was.  It was such a relief to leave those negative memories behind, let them go and remember the good, the smiles, the happy times.

I think, for me, memories should be of the people we are remembering, the good in them, the way they made us feel, the way they lived.  Once you pass a certain point, you can choose to let go of the hurt and the loss and embrace the goodness of the memories. Otherwise, you stagnate and remain in a place of darkness.  In that darkness, you can't grow and you can't heal or move on.

Letting go of the darkness, moving on with light...

~C

And no, my brother didn't die in 9/11 - I was just making an observation about memories...

Mental Notes

It's one of those nights. Actually, it's been one of those days - I am just cranky.  Which is odd, since I moved back to California, my angry days are pretty much over. However, every once in awhile, they crop up and I have to deal with them.  The frustrating part is that I really have no one to talk to about them.

I am the one that usually cheers everyone else up.  But when I get down, well, it's kinda hard to cheer yourself up sometimes.  So, my way of dealing with it, is to let it flow and let it go. So, here is the flow part.

I still have no job.  While I do continue to send out stories and articles, I have no current means of making any money. It is a scary place to be and it is also very frustrating.  Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful that I have a place to stay with my parents and I do help them out a lot, but still.  Also, while I do have a few acquaintances,  I don't have any close friends nearby.  That one is rough, because sometimes, a friends voice or face, can work wonders when you are feeling down.

No job, no place of my own, no real stuff, I borrow most everything (again not bitching, I am thankful) it is just so frustrating.

I feel bad about feeling bad too.  I mean, all the work I have done on myself, the enlightenment I am supposed to have achieved, LOL - but I imagine even the Enlightened get frustrated, and it will pass.

Mostly, I am just lonely. I don't mind being alone. I have things to do to keep me occupied. But being lonely is something I am just not good at. Especially when I am watching a meteor shower, or watching a new to me, TV show and you want to turn to someone and say, "hey did you see that?"

I hope someday to have someone that can keep that loneliness away, until then, I'll just keep breathing.

And now that I have let it flow, I hope I can let it go....

Blessings.

Modern Day Fairy Tales - Once Upon A Time

"Let’s take back the kingdom like we should do all things…together. "– Snow White 

I am currently in Once Upon A Time withdrawals, thankfully there is only a month or so before Season 2 starts up.  I enjoy this show on many levels, because it has so many levels to enjoy.  They writers also did a magnificent job with casting and making story book characters that are so much more lively and real, then the stories we read as children.

I am also a helpless romantic and get all swoony over such loves scenes as that of Snow and Charming.  I am a romantic realist however.  I like having a car door opened for me but I am also one who is willing to open the door for another.

One of the main reasons I enjoy the Snow/Charming story is that they love each other and also, save each other. It isn't just Charming loaded with Princely testosterone running off to save the fair lady. She also fights her way through castles and arrows and armies, to save him.

Like in real life, I hope to save and be saved. Love and be loved. 

That is true magic. And you don't need any funky purple smoke to use it.

~C

Photo Shoot Fun Ideas Part I

I would love to have a little fun with the Audrey/Breakfast at Tiffany's look....

I have a few more ideas but these are the ones I thought of when asked about creative ideas LOL

De/Construction of a Dream

Don't mind my dust LOL  I need to write these dreams images down before I forget and I don't have my journal with me - Hot muggy morning, very tired from not sleeping at night... this was a early morning nap.

Bold = dream
**italics**= my thoughts on dream

Edited for privacy


bears - backyard - 2 female 1 male. Male climbs gate fence, tranq gun - knocked out.

**dream in metaphor - bear/bare! Bare my soul, so to speak**

veers into:

house huge mansion looking thing - walking down halls to room
a "male friend  haven't seen since high school," great hugs, my hair in the way more great hugs almost kisses?

** hugging someone symbolizes your loving and caring nature. You are holding someone or something close to your heart.** <-- most vivid part of the dream, most real - could feel the strength and touch

** Hallways - self exploration. It is the beginning of the path that you are taking in life. You are going through a transitional phase and journeying into the unknown. It also signals spiritual enlightenment, emotional growth physical prowess, new opportunities and mental passages in your life. **

but...

house morphs to mall looking/medieval times/theme park.  Friend Choosing sword/hero like the joust.... walk down hall to ride Haunted Mansion?  but not doombuggies, they were kitchen looking chairs on a wall thing - very odd, but have no ticket.walk down to kiosk to get one.... woke up.

**the sword masculine power.** 
**amusement park in your dream indicates that you need to set some time for more relaxation and enjoyment in your life. The rides, booths and elements in the amusement park are an expression of some aspect of yourself or some area in your life**  Great, i need a ticket to my life LOL

yeah, that was funky dreaming... I need to see what that was all about later :)
pretty sure I get the male friend but the bears? WTF LOL

** ok, I get it... plus the bears... I tend to dream in metaphors, so that makes total sense now.**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
this was a very vivid/lucid dream, but I chose not to act or react because I wanted to see where it went on its own.  The most realistic /vivid part was the touch/hug/interaction with "male friend" in dream - that is what stuck out the most and got my attention.

Everyone dreams differently - if three people had this same dream, it would mean three different things.  There is a basic dream dictionary, where you can find the most used definitions of dream symbols, but once you start learning how you dream and what your dreams mean, you will build your own dictionary.

As you can see, I often dream in symbols or metaphors with the bears. So, it's learning how to interpret your own dreams by working with them when you remember them.

For me, this dream is pretty right on the money for where I am right now. I left some of the details out because they are personal but it rang true and that is what counts.

It was telling me to be brave. To be patient and to let things happen as they will.   I think that showed up well with my "needing a ticket for my own life"  Right now, i am gun shy with my feelings/emotions and am hesitant to share them mostly from past experience.

Overall I am happy with this and wouldn't mind seeing it come to fruition... except for the bears in the backyard ;)

Meteor Showers - Perseid! Coming soon!

Article:

August Perseid Meteor Shower Has Long Legacy, Bright Future

Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist

Date: 06 August 2012 Time: 04:22 PM ET

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Photographer Jeff Berkes caught this Perseid meteor over Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah, on July 30, 2011. CREDIT: Jeff Berkes  View full size image

Exactly 150 summers ago, stargazers were admiring a beautiful new comet. Discovered in mid-July 1862 by Americans Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, the new object became favorably positioned high in the northern sky through the remainder of the summer. 

During that last week of August, the comet was at its best, shining at second magnitude and displaying a long, bright tail. In telescopes, luminous jets of nebulosity blossom outward from a bright, highly condensed nucleus. French astronomer Camille Flammarion ranked comet Swift-Tuttle among the ten "really fine and striking comets" of the 19th century. Others would simply refer to it as "The Great Comet of 1862."   

From this bright visitor we learned quite a bit about comets in general and their relationship to meteor showers. Among the interesting points raised by this comet’s mid-19th century appearance was the announcement in 1867 by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli that the orbit of comet Swift-Tuttle appeared to be nearly coincident with the orbit of the source of the Perseid meteor shower.

Schiaparelli postulated that the comet had discarded the tiny fragments that produce the Perseids as it swept through the inner solar system. These swift streaks of light appear to dart across our northern skies from their namesake constellation from late July through most of August. [Amazing Perseid Meteor Shower Photos]

Comet Crumbs

These comet fragments — countless bits of metal and stone — are called meteoroids while they exist in and move through space. But a meteor is not a particle of matter itself. It is merely the short-lived streak of light produced by the meteoroid as it is heated to incandescence by its plunge through the Earth’s atmosphere.

The kinetic energy released per gram of the meteoroid’s weight far exceeds the energy efficiency of the most powerful man-made explosives. Thus, an object the size of a pea or pebble can create a very substantial meteor trail. 

Ultimately, Schiaparelli was proven correct; comet Swift-Tuttle is indeed the progenitor of the Perseid meteor shower — the first direct correlation to be found between a comet andmeteor shower. Soon afterward, Schiaparelli suggested that another annual display, theNovember Leonids, was caused by Earth’s interception of the debris of the comet Tempel-Tuttle (discovered in December 1865).

Today, while not all meteor showers have been associated with specific comets, astronomers think that all showers probably have a cometary origin. Over 500 cometary meteor swarms that produce (or have produced) meteor showers are currently known.

A meteoroid swarm is sometimes referred to as a "flying gravel bank," though it is not a very compact one. The Perseid meteoroids, for example, are anywhere from 60 to 100 miles (96 to 160 kilometers) apart at the densest part of the swarm. Earth enters the outer fringes of the gravel bank around July 25, but does not leave it behind until we see the last stragglers around August 18.  All told, the Perseid stream is immense – perhaps as large as 50 million miles in diameter.

2012: A favorable Perseid year

In 2012, the Earth is expected to encounter the "core" of the Perseid swarm, where meteoroid concentration is densest, on Aug. 12. This is when the Perseids put on their best show as the meteors appear to diverge from a patch of sky near the Double Cluster in Perseus. This is actually an illusion of perspective, since that is the direction toward which the Earth’s orbital motion carries us at this time of the year. [Early Perseid Meteors Light Up Sky (Video)]

This NASA sky map shows the location in the northern sky where the Perseid meteor shower will appear to radiate from in 2012. The Perseid meteor shower peaks every August and appears to fly out of the constellation Perseus.
CREDIT: NASA/JPL

View full size image

At the same time, the meteoroids are traveling on parallel paths nearly perpendicular to the Earth’s orbit.  The combined speeds of the Earth and the meteoroids cause the Perseids to rush into our atmosphere at average speeds of 37 miles (60 km) per second.

The moon will be a crescent phase and will rise during the morning hours, and will be little more than a nuisance to prospective meteor watchers. For a single observer with access to a wide-open view of a clear, dark sky, meteors should appear at an average rate of about one every minute or two. Veteran observers, however, say that the Perseids tend to appear in bunches: several over an interval of minute or two followed by a lull of several more minutes before the sky again "bears fruit."

Perseids: Is the best yet to come?

The comet Swift-Tuttle made its most recent appearance nearly twenty years ago, in December 1992. Its orbit is highly elongated orbit and as such it takes roughly 130 years to make one trip around the Sun. 

For several years before and after its 1992 return, the Perseids were a far more prolific display, appearing to produce brief bursts of as many as several hundred meteors per hour, many of which were dazzlingly bright and spectacular. 

The most likely reason was that the Perseids' parent comet was itself passing through the inner solar system and that the streams of Perseid meteoroids in the comet’s vicinity were larger and more thickly clumped together. Hence the reason for the brighter meteors and much-higher-than-normal meteor rates.          

In recent years, with the comet now far back out in space, Perseid activity has apparently returned to normal. However, looking ahead into the future, a few meteor astronomers suggests that the Perseids may yet provide some surprises. 

French astronomer, Jérémie Vaubaillon of the The Institut de Mecanique Celeste et de Calcul des Ephemerides (IMCCE) has made plots of Earth’s passage through the Perseid swarm from 1990 to 2100.  In the immediate future for the year 2016, Vaubaillon indicates that Earth will pass through a dense clump of dusty material around 0 hours Universal Time on Aug. 12.

Unusually high Perseid activity could persist for roughly half a day, meaning that both Europe and North Americans would get an excellent view. The moon would be a couple of days past first quarter phase but will set after midnight leaving the early morning sky dark for prospective observers.

This forecast is corroborated by Russian meteor expert Mikhail Maslov,who has made his own set of Perseid forecasts covering the years 1901-2100. For 2016, Maslov predicts 160-180 meteors per hour at 23:23 UT on Aug. 11.

2028 Perseid meteor shower

Esko Lyytinen of Finland, has also made calculations concerning extra-dense filaments of dust trailing well behind comet Swift-Tuttle. Lyytinen concludes that the Perseids may put on an even more dramatic Perseid display in 2028 as the Earth passes to within 37,000 miles (59,000 km) from a stream of debris that comet Swift-Tuttle released into space back in the year 1479. 

"I expect this to produce a real storm (1,000 meteors per hour or more) over the United States, although it will come under rather unfavorable moonlight conditions (the Moon will be near Last Quarter)," Lyytinen writes.

So, for those of you planning to be around more than a quarter-century from now, mark your calendars accordingly!

Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send images and comments (including name and location) to managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.

This story was provided by SPACE.com, a sister site to LiveScience. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York.

Wishing You Enough

Some friends have been asking me why I often say, "I wish you enough."  This is why...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have great difficulties with saying goodbye. Even as I write this I am experiencing that pounding sensation in my heart. If I am watching such a scene in a movie I am affected so much that I need to sit up and take a few deep breaths. So when faced with a challenge in my life I have been known to go to our local airport and watch people say goodbye. I figure nothing that is happening to me at the time could be as bad as having to say goodbye.

Watching people cling to each other, crying, and holding each other in that last embrace makes me appreciate what I have even more. Seeing them finally pull apart, extending their arms until the tips of their fingers are the last to let go, is an image that stays forefront in my mind throughout the day.

On one of my recent business trips, when I arrived at the counter to check in, the woman said, "How are you today?" I replied, "I am missing my wife already and I haven't even said goodbye."

She then looked at my ticket and began to ask, "How long will you...Oh, my God. You will only be gone three days!" We all laughed. My problem was I still had to say goodbye.

But I learn from goodbye moments, too.

Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, "I love you. I wish you enough." She in turn said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy."

They kissed and she left. He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

"Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me.

So I knew what this man experiencing.

"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?" I asked.

"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral," he said.

"When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, "I wish you enough." May I ask what that means?"

He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more."When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them," he continued and then turning toward me he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

* I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

* I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

* I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

* I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

* I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

* I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

* I wish enough hello's to get you through the final goodbye.

He then began to sob and walked away.

My friends, I wish you enough!

--- Copyright © 2001 Bob Parks

Teachings from Sogyal Rinpoche

It is so helpful to not only read the book, but hear Sogyal Rinpoche speak...  The link is here so I can find it easily but please listen, it's good for your heart <3

Rare Cursing* and Everyone Needs a Time Out

Good grief. I spent most of the day off the net mostly because when I peeked in this morning it was a morass of hate and idiocy and just plain nastiness.  I get that people want to use their free speech, but why not think things through before opening your mouth? Or hitting your keyboard?  I know, free speech doesn't mean intelligent thought, but it can't hurt to wish for it...

In the aftermath of the Aurora Shootings there is a massive argument about amendment rights and gun control. Then there is the nasty little debacle with Chick-fil-a, which has managed to fry what little brain cells I had left. 

Frankly, I think everyone needs a happy pill.

So, the journal entry I was going to do tonight is shelved for a later date and it's a good one too ;)
I may not agree with some of the thoughts running rampant today, but I understand why they are there. I see them and acknowledge them and now I am exercising my right to stay off the net and hope that maybe cooler heads or at least a rise in intelligence will prevail.

~C

*I rarely curse online. Not because I am a prude but because I can usually find better words to use instead. However, that graphic seemed apt and made me snort in a most unladylike way ;-)

Even the Smallest Person Can Change the Course of the Future

In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, there is one line that stands out above all the other's, and gets me every single time I watch it.

"My friends, you bow to no one." - Aragorn, King of Gondor

Tolkien wrote these books at a time when he himself saw much war and destruction as well as a glimmer of hope. When you read the trilogy, The Hobbit and The Simarillion, you find yourself in a world, called Middle Earth, that mirrors our own world today.

There is war, destruction, horror and death. But there is also, hope. Hope is something that keeps us going in the times when the darkness seems to strong.

Perhaps that is our own personal fight to drop the ring into whatever Mt. Doom represents. The battles we fight, within and without are sometimes so hard, so tiresome, so painful, that we want to give up, let the darkness close in around us.

But there is a light that keeps us going, moving, doing, trying, pushing on when we think we have nothing left. When despair tries to take over in the many guises it has, we fight it.

Even the smallest ::fill in the blank:: Can Change the Course of the Future.

While Galadrial was speaking to Frodo, trying to comfort him on his own journey, that statement can be made to fit any situation. Because no matter what the burden is - if we remember that it only takes one small pebble to make a ripple in the ocean - then we can do anything we set out to accomplish.

While we may not have the entire world watching and waiting - holding the lives of millions in our hand - we do make decisions that can change the course of the lives we touch as well as our own.

When the going gets to be to much, remember something Samwise said to Frodo, "... I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you!"

To each of you, who have helped me when times were dark and stayed around when I couldn't always be here...

Namaste - I bow to the divine in you. And know, I will be a light if you need one.

Remember, we all make a difference, no matter the size. It's how we choose to do so and what path we choose to walk that leads us to the light - which always overpowers the dark.

We all make a difference.

~C

On Being Happy and Other Random Thoughts

Wandering the outback of the internet can be both amusing, a learning experience and also a real downer.  It seems most people want to dwell on the negatives. Perhaps it's because if they point out all the bad things, their lives might look better to them. Or maybe they just gave up being happy.

Since the Aurora Colorado shootings I have seen way too many posts and articles and news stories focusing on the shooter and not so much on the people living in the aftermath or those who died. I really dislike this.  What people will end up remembering is the nutter who perpetrated those acts and perhaps that is what he wanted. To draw as many people into his delusions as he could.  Also tired of seeing the gun argument.  Guns GOOD, guns BAD - blame game.  It reminds me of the arguments about how music or movies cause violence and not bothering to examine the minds of the people who act on the violence. 

I wrote this down at 1:30 this morning:

Be Happy!
Leave the past behind, take the lessons forward. Enjoy happy memories but don't drag the future up with you. Don't dwell on negatives. Live Here and Now.

I had no idea I was so smart in the wee small hours (haha)

Perhaps it was a tie in to my overall frustration at seeing the negative news blurbs and watching people fall into them, losing their happy thoughts.  Being happy can be hard work if you make it so.  Or you can just choose to let the negatives fall away and simply be happy.  There are always going to be negatives in the world. Acknowledge them but don't let them rule your mind. Make a difference by spreading positives into a cauldron of negatives.

It has been almost a years since I moved back to California.  For the first few months I was incredibly angry. I had no idea I was though. Not until I woke up one morning no longer angry did I realize just how deep the dark hole I had been in was. I  spent over 5 years being absolutely miserable and I am done with that.   I never considered myself the "happiness fairy," before, more like the "sarcastic but loving fairy."  But now that I am living here and now, I am doing my best to bring things to a positive light for myself and for anyone who wants to listen to me babble on.

"Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence" ~ Eric Fromm

Cleopatra - The Exhibition

If anyone gets a chance to go see this while it is in LA, GO and see it.  I was able to visit the exhibit in Cincy and it is just mindblowing.  I want to see it again before it leaves LA but its a bit of a drive without a car LOL

All of it is amazing, but what got me was how detailed and delicate their jewelery was.  So intricate and finely done.  Gave me the shivers to see it all.

Due to popular demand: extended weekend hours!

Exhibit open 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays & Sundays through July

Don’t miss the only West Coast appearance of Cleopatra: The Exhibition at the California Science Center. This dramatically staged 13,000-square-foot exhibit features the largest collection of Cleopatra-era artifacts from Egypt ever assembled in the U.S. Here for a limited time only. From the producers of the King Tut exhibition.

• Buy Tickets Online
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• About Cleopatra
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The timeless legend of Cleopatra has captivated the world for centuries. She has been immortalized by Renaissance artists, had numerous plays and books written about her and in modern times has been glamorized on the silver screen. Yet we only know a fragment of her real story.
Cleopatra VII became the queen of Egypt in 51 B.C. At the tender age of seventeen she was thrust into power over a country on the verge of crumbling under the mighty Roman Empire. She charmed and seduced two of ancient Rome’s most powerful leaders, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, and bore children with both of them. Then, barely two decades after coming to power she took her own life. Still, the full story of Cleopatra’s enigmatic life has yet to be solved. Who was Cleopatra? What, and whom, did she hold dear? Was she truly an exotic beauty? In Cleopatra: The Exhibition, we are now one step closer to unraveling her story.

Come discover more than 150 priceless Egyptian artifacts that had been swallowed by the sand and sea after a series of earthquakes and tsunamis nearly 2,000 years ago. Unearthed by two of the world’s leading archaeologists Franck Goddio and Zahi Hawass, the exhibition features colossal statues, jewelry, and coins from Cleopatra’s lost palace in Alexandria, and reveals the excavation process involved in recovering these hidden treasures. Walk among towering monuments and glittering jewels that may have been part of the queen’s daily life. Learn how these Egyptian relics reveal mysteries of this past era. A complimentary audio tour, told in her voice, provides compelling insights into Cleopatra’s time.

For Educators

Download a Cleopatra educators' guide, developed by the Cincinnati Museum Center.

Immerse yourself in this amazing world that has been shrouded by layers of history, and join in the never ending search to unlock the myth of Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt.

> Click here for ticket information <
or call (213) 744-2019

Guests are welcome to take and send photographs of the Cleopatra exhibit for personal use. However, photography or filming of the exhibit for commercial gain is not permitted.

Enhance your Visit

Enhance your Egyptian experience by seeing Mysteries of Egypt on our seven-story IMAX screen—the largest in Los Angeles. Explore a fascinating empire that began some 5,000 years ago with native Egyptian and legendary actor Omar Sharif. Soar over the great pyramids of Giza, rush over the Nile, cross the deathly quiet Valley of the Kings, and descend into the shadowy chambers of the sacred tomb of King Tutankhamun. Watch as ancient Egypt comes to life on our IMAX screen.

> Click here for ticket information <
or call (213) 744-2019

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the only touring collection of Cleopatra objects. Purchase tickets online today!

Happy Pigs

Happy Piggy Biscuit Thingies

I just didn't want to forget where this recipe was.  I have got to try and make these LOL

LOST Notes...

It's funny going back and looking what I wrote when LOST was still on the air. Before I knew how it ended anyway...


Little Gods ~ The Shape of Things to Come

With LOST starting in a few hours I have been cramming lots of factoids into my brain so I am not lost in the time warp any more then I should be....

I was watching the episode, "The Shape of Things to Come" and it got me to thinking how much Ben and his adversary, Charles Widmore, remind me of Little Gods.

Bratty, war-minded, siblings, who are also little gods who have been given an odd set of rules by their All Seeing God Dad, and are currently "Locked," in a time shifting tug-o-war, with the Island.
(Yes, I had to use the pun, it seemed apt )



Several lines of script also lend credence to my theory:

Widmore asks Ben if he came to kill him and Ben replies, "you know I can't do that."

Widmore: "I know that everything you have, you took from me. So, once again I ask you, why are you here?"

Ben: "I'm here, Charles, to tell you that I'm going to kill yourdaughter. Penelope is it? And once she's gone, once she's dead, thenyou'll understand how I feel and you'll wish you hadn't changed therules."

Ben turns to walk away and Charles says, "That island's mine, Benjamin, it always was. It will be again."

"But you'll never find it."

"Then I suppose the hunt is on for both of us."

Ben and Widmore both claim ownership of the island and Widmore says it was his first and will be again. They both say the other stole it and it was never theirs to begin with.

At the moment both of them are off the island and from what we know already, it takes a lot of care to get there without splinching your mind and getting lost forever.

They are playing by some mysterious rules... so, who made the rules. Ben and Widmore remind me of siblings and Little Gods, much like Enki and Enlil or two minor Gods from Odin's pantheon. They have money, power and the ability to do more then seems humanly possible to find and keep an island out in the middle of nowhere. Or is that "no time?"



I guess the last two season will answer that - I hope it does. And I hope Ben wins


QotD:
If you had crashed landed on that Island along with the rest of Oceanic 815, would you have stayed on the Island, or would you have fought to return home?


Another thing I was musing about:
One question to ponder... If the Dharma people were able to have babies (Dr. Marvin Candle and wife have a newborn,) what did they know if anything about childbirth that the Other's didn't. OR - did Ben screw something up when he gassed the Dharma folk and cause all of their mom's to be, to die? Things that make me go hmmmmm

BS and The Bible

I am, for the most part, a very calm and peaceful person. Not much riles me up. However, I do have a boiling point. There is only so much self righteous preaching I can take or read before my inner peace needs to air itself out.  Seems like no matter what the topic, people are going to drag out the Bible and how its right and you are wrong and because people don't believe in the bibles teaching, all hell is breaking loose on Earth... 



Well!


Four out of five American's have a Bible. I am assuming at least four out of five of you are reading this, so go ahead and grab the good book, I'll wait. Go on, if you don't have an actual Bible handy, The Bible Gateway will suffice.  Trust me, if you don't follow along, you'll think I am making it all up.

Back? Ok then. Some people say that the Bible is the best selling book of all time. I suppose that would depend on who you are consulting as I haven't seen it crack Amazon's Top Sellers list, yet...

I don't want to knock the Bible, badly, but with all it's inaccuracies, inconsistencies and impossibilities - to me, most of it sounds like a lot of crap.

So, why do people believe in the Bible?

Many people say "faith," is the reason for what is in the Bible. And if you believe what is in the Bible on pure faith alone, OK, that is cool, not much you need to do with that. BUT, if faith isn't enough and you want history and facts to back up what is written within, you are sadly, screwed.

There are usually two sides to every story, so I will include some information from both Michael Shermer, founder of the Skeptics Society and Skeptics Magazine and Dr. Paul Meyer, a Professor of Ancient History at the University of Mich.

Shermer says that, "The Bible is mythic storytelling. Most of it is made up or based on articles of faith. But it doesn't really fit the way we live today as we are more and more relying on and asking for the the proof in what we see or do.

Dr. Meyer says that, "The Bible is the word of God." He also says, "it is the work of man, the work of two or more men, that it is literal and that it is symbolic. It is up to us to decide how to use the Bible and when to use it as such."

Sounds like Dr. Meyer is covering a lot of his bases. I mean, with an argument like that, how can you lose?

There are many stories in the Bible that have different versions - the "facts" of the story may differ but it is generally the same story.  So, you cannot take that story and say, "oh, well, you take this one literally," and then turn around with the same tale and claim it to be, "symbolic" of something.

Let's make an example, shall we?



ELVIS - Died in 1977. There are first hand reports of his death, photos and autopsy reports - pictures of said autopsy. BUT, we have "proof" from millions of people that he is ALIVE. And billions of people will swear on their Bibles that "Elvis didn't do no drugs."

To illustrate my "story - take it literally now take it symbolically" from above I will use two of Elvis's books and the recipe for his beloved fried chicken.

In, "Are You Hungry Tonight," it states in the ingredient list that you use 1/2 cup of flour and no paprika. YET, in "Fit For a King," you must use 3/4 cups of flour and A LOT OF PAPRIKA!



How would people have decided which was the real Elvis chicken, 2000 years ago?

Elvis didn't do no drugs!

How about the story of Noah's Ark? Mr. Shermer says that there is "no way to fit all of the animals, some 10 billion species, on one boat and then place them all in the right climate zones and continents. It is not a literal story - it is a redemption story... a tale of starting over."

Our Dr. Meyer would argue that, "it is a compilation of a bigger story. A sort of "serial story" you used to hear on the radio - using compressed editing A literal fiction of mythology..."

Ahem, right. And Elvis didn't do no drugs!

Actual footage is a tad blurry. Camera angles sucked back then.

How about the Pharoah and the Parting of the Red Seas?  First, there hasn't been any definitive proof that there were any Jewish slaves in Egypt, outside of the Bible, that is. But I digress.

Moses says to the Pharoah, "Let my people go." Why didn't God say straight up to the Pharoah - "Let em go?" Because.... we all know this one... GOD works in mysterious, inefficient and very CRUEL ways.

How Cruel? Let me count the ways:
1: The Plague - water turns to blood and the fish are fucked
2: Frogs - nothing like a little extra frogs to spice up the day
3: Lice - well, ok, that works, it was most likely normal back then
4: Insects - just icky
5: Pestilence - well that just covered all the lice and bugs too, and now they all want to die
6: Boils - ok, again this is getting so bad, kill me
7: Thunder/Hail/Fire from skies - what a mess
8: Locust - Well, that was food for the frogs up there, the ones not killed by all that hail.
9: Darkness - I am going to call this a bonus because you can't see all the grossness
10: All first born children must die - now there is a kind and loving God.

Now, NOW, Moses goes and parts that sea.

Elvis didn't do no drugs!

Where is the evidence that any of that happened at all? Evidence is low in showing. It was said that most of history didn't record their failures, that would make the leaders look bad and this is partly true but according to Shermer, "that is NOT an answer. It is simply saying because there is no evidence it must be true."

The Professor Meyer aruges that, "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. If something isn't mentioned that doesn't mean it didn't exist."

Biblical miracles have a hard rap in belief. Again, if you have pure faith, you don't need proof. But, for the many others who don't go on faith alone, your gonna need some miracle back up. But if it's not a miracle, it's not "of God." And if it's not "of God," it's a lot of crap.

And I really have to add here that I am still pissed off that God killing off all the first borns. I mean couldn't He have smacked the Pharaoh instead? What Kind and Loving God, does that?  Let's not punish the actual commiter's of the crimes, let's get their kids instead - Bet you don't see that in the illustrated Children's Bibles or hear it in the Sunday Sermons!

How about some New Testament now?

The Jesus stuff - did Jesus really exist?

Most historians and some theologians agree that Jesus was a man. Archeology has found much evidence to show that there could have been a man as described in the Bible, but no actual PROOF of a messiah. Historians also found a story about a man called Appalonius of Tyara - same story as Jesus - Hmmm Appalonius Christ? There was a plague of messiahs, but we only hear of the one that fits in with the Biblical myths.

At this point, The Life of Brian is more accurate.

Christians believe in the Resurrection, that is what this whole thing is based around isn't it? You cannot prove the resurrection happened. Prof Meyer says, "there was no body found..so... there you go..."

Cue the sound of crickets...

YOU CANNOT prove the resurrection happened just because there was no dead Jesus. (That "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence," line is really working for Meyer now.)

Who wrote the Bible? That has been a question never fully answered. Theologians don't exactly know, only that it was "Inspired by God." But what about the books that didn't make the cut? Again, Prof Meyer says, "The books that made it are sort of like what was on the front page of the NY Times. Top news articles, those made the Canon. The stories that lasted and had a tendency to repeat again. The committee didn't like the rest of them because they had no lasting qualities."

THE COMMITTEE??
Who got to say what went into and what didn't go into the Bible? A COMMITTEE? A committee who voted on what was canonized. Ok, that committee was the First Council of Nicaea and it was then that the books were looked at and chosen to be or not to be, canonized. But what about all those books that were left out... to pick and choose what does or doesn't go in is not consistent nor fair - I will elucidate this point further in a moment.

First, I want a show of hands, ok, keyboards... The Ten Commandments. Who knows them all by heart, no cheating or paraphrasing?  When a group of people on the street were polled, three out of ten got some parts of them. The rest, made it up or blushed terribly.

The Ten Commandments are Gods effective rules to live by - good ones too. Sort of moral precepts that stand the test of time.

But, what parts are you going to use. In one passage of the Bible it says that for one man to live with another man, in that way, is a sin. In another passage it says we should stone disobedient children.

Lev 20:13 (KJV): If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them
Deut 21:21 (KJV): And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones that he die.

Again, you can't just pick and choose what you will use and how you will use it - just to suit your needs at any given time.

Let's play, Pick and Choose a Bible Passage aka The Bible Impeaching the Bible.

I have to say, this is my favorite bonus round in Bible games because it is the most used by flustered Bible-ists who like to grab and passing scriptures like drowning people in the ocean. They just flounder around til they find one that fits their need and then string another and another along, even though they don't actually GO TOGETHER. Totally out of context, but a most humorous party game.

Ready?

Exodus 21:7 - It's ok to sell your daughter into slavery
Exodus 35:2 - Work on the Sabbath, you should be put to death

Corinthians 11:14 - Doth not nature teach a man who has long hair, it is a shame unto him...

Leviticus 21: 5 - They shall not make baldness upon their head

Matthew 27:5 (NIV) - So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Deut 15:17 (KJV) - Thou shalt do likewise


If you believe it's your God and God is infallible you can't throw out some of the rules, just because you don't like them. There is NO pick and choose.

The Bible is a human edited collection of books, stories and myths, linking belief in faith and religion to actual factual tenets. They are NOT. They are stories about how we should live our lives. Moral homilies. A "What can I take from the Bible to live a better life for myself."

To take it literally is missing the point of the Bible. But don't take my word for it, read it, cover to cover - ALL OF IT. And then be honest with yourself.

But don't read it looking for a moral code. Aside from well thought parables and rules to live by, the Bible also advocates prejudice, cruelty, superstition and murder. Read it because we need more realists.

Oh, and Elvis never did no drugs!

FYI

Most of these have been up for long and long. I just had them private. Enjoy, comment, say HI :)

Homesick for Home... But Where is Home?

 Since I was a little girl, I would often find myself feeling melancholy or sad or just well, "homesick," is the closest way I can describe it. But what confused me was that I usually felt this way, AT HOME.  I never really understood why I felt that way. I couldn't tell if I was missing a person or a place or maybe both.

Fast forward many years and much studying and I think I may have discovered what it was I was feeling...

Have you ever felt out of place? Perhaps you have felt different or never quite fit in anywhere.  You have longed to go home, but aren't sure what that means or where this "home," is. Let me tell you a little story.

As all good stories start...



... In the beginning, before space and time, Spirit flowed out and became millions of things. Stars, planets, trees, mountains, the seas and all that live in them.

Back then, there were no Humans. This was a time of magick because the "mind" wasn't kept in a Human brain that would tell it "that cannot be so."

There were lights in this age old Universe, souls of angels played in the freedom of time and space - the memory of this is stored in the records of time in our psyche, perhaps the model of what is now knowns as, "heaven."

Soon, some of these souls came down to the Earth. They had become curious about this realm of material elements. Animal-like beings and a creative energy of the senses. These souls wanted to know what it felt like to have a body and to experience the senses.

They entered into the primitive forms on Earth and could see through their eyes and know what it was like to smell a rose, or a loved one.  To run in the ocean waves or to sit and watch the stars above - their home. They readied themselves to leave Earth and return to those stars and to the Spirit, but the hold of the material senses overcame them and they became trapped in the bodies they "borrowed."

Soon, they merged with that animal consciousness and being of a higher soul energy, impacted the animal's own DNA - changing, merging, evolving. These new beings were perhaps the creatures of myths. Mermaids, centaurs, satyrs - the half animal and half human forms.  These souls from the first "wave," forgot that they were of the Spirit and became of the flesh. Lost on a material Earth.

A wave of missionary souls - a rescue mission of sorts - came down to rescue the lost first wave and to try and pull them back to Spirit, but they too, became lost in the allure and soon forgot - trapped as well.

Eons of time passed by and a second rescue mission came down to remind the lost souls of their beginnings -  this time though, it was a mission that included only strong and powerful souls, hoping that they would remember why they left. Yet, they too, felt the pull to stay and these stronger souls became the rulers - the Pharaohs and Kings and Leaders in their lands. People like King Arthur were in this wave of lost rescuers.

More time went by and it was decided that one more mission would attempt to return the souls of the first two missions. Of all the waves, these souls were the most precious and most courageous - these were the peaceful warriors and they knew that they were not coming back. They knew and accepted that they would stay on Earth, in a mortal body for time unknown, suffering loss of loved ones and knowing they would watch many die - but they would remain until all the souls that first came, were free.

This was a mission of volunteers - the peaceful warriors came to remind all the others of who they are.  These were very normal souls; students, doctors, parents, policemen, lawyers, criminals, sinners and saints. While most of these warriors have forgotten their mission - a small ember of light remains in their hearts.

For many of the peaceful warriors, that ember is now warming up and they are remembering. They are destined to wake up the others, more servants of the human race and pass that light on. These souls are not better souls - but they have within them a light of love, which enables them to accept all souls as equals - all can be lost and then found. And slowly, they are waking up all the souls of the waves before them - bringing them back to their spiritual family.

The Earth is a school for the humans that have evolved upon it. The peaceful warriors are here to make a difference, to awaken - first in their own souls, then in the souls of as many as can see their light, and then to remind others that they are here on a service mission.

Warriors will have that lifelong feeling of not being a part of this world. They want to return somewhere but aren't sure where. They don't fit in and that is the point - the part that really reminds them of their mission. They are not supposed to fit in - they are here to teach, to lead, and to remind others, by example.

I feel a powerful pull that grows daily - that this year is going to illuminate many more warriors and awaken in them the reason why they are here. Lights will shine again, souls will remember and in turn, they will wake more souls.

If you feel that odd sense of being - that feeling that you are here for a reason that you could never put a finger on - then use what skills and talents you have to let your light shine - and help illuminate a world full of souls, just waiting to glow and brighten this Universe.

In Light
~C

F.I.T.Y.F.I

F.I.T.Y.F.I

I had no idea that this concept existed in an acronym form. It was pleased to know that I've been doing this "in my head," for as long as I have had to deal with the general working public.

Case in point:

Person X comes in to your place of business and wants a lizard. The problem is, you sell spatula's and doorstops. In fact, your store has a huge sign out front that says, "Spatula's and Doorstops - One stop shop."

Person X becomes very disgruntled that you cannot help him and we all know the customer is always right even if he/she is being a right royal pain in the ass.

You smile and nod and continue to explain that you'd be happy to sell him a spatula or a doorstop - and perhaps they would like it if you looked in the Yellow Pages for lizard sellers....

Person X is somewhat pacified and manages a smile and before they go they buy a doorstop. The lizard might want out.

We've all had some kind of irritating situation where we have had to keep many a thought private, "in your head."  Smile and nod and most important - keep cool. 

Often, we fail in the cool department and we feel that we have somehow done something wrong.  We don't fail if we keep it inside and FITYFI. If we stay calm and let that person know we are trying to help - they see it and no matter how annoyed they get, we aren't failing. Even if it feels that way.

FITYFI

I bet I know most of you have been doing FITYFI as well.

Ready?

Fake
It
Til
You
Feel
It

- No, you don't really care that so and so wants something done now and even though they are yelling at you and expecting you do do something NOW - we fake it.  We pretend to understand and care about so and so. If we do this well enough, we can get the feeling out that we actually care. If they feel that, then they walk away thinking something was accomplished.

I learned this and several other "First Aid Kit For Bad Days at Work," ways of coping and maintaining motivation. This was my favorite.

You have no idea how much I have to keep in my head during the day. Thank god for FITYFI!

 

~C

Think Pink - Positive Energy

Peace and Blessings

In the Pink - Positive Energy *

Have you ever found yourself at work, being annoyed, yet again by that one person that feels the need to sob on your shoulder because her cat yarked in her shoe or that her car got keyed or ::daily annoyance here::

Perhaps you're having "one of those days" at home and the kids won't behave, or you are stuck going to a wedding you don't want to go to, or a fight erupts over seemingly nothing?

These kinds of actions are caused by energy vampires - a phrase I learned from the book, Positive Energy, by Judith Orloff. There are just some people that you cannot be around for more then a few seconds before you literally feel drained and often cranky or out of sorts.

This is especially hard, if you are like me, an empath, a person who really picks up on the moods of others.  So we have to find a way to block these energy sucking humanoids and keep the good vibes going.

But, how?

When I first started practicing Tai Chi, I learned how to center and ground myself - which is a huge help.  Most of the time, this works long enough for me to make a quick escape from whatever is draining me, but in the cases where I am not able to leave, like work, or a home argument... I give myself a fluffy pink cloud...

Most people who do practice this, might see it as white light energy, visualize it anyway you need to, I just happen to like the cotton candy aspect.

1: Try to slow your breathing down and relax your muscles. Unclench your body and focus on deep breathing.

2: While you are breathing, imagine a line drawn down your spine, connecting the chakra's - it can be white light, pure energy, however it is easiest for you to mental it. The Chakra's start from the crown of your head and end at the bottom of your spine. See the light leave your spine and travel into the Earth. This is grounding yourself. Think of the light as an exention of yourself, slowly traveling into the Earth, feeling the energy the Earth gives you, holding you down, but letting you travel as needed. Earth energy is a boost to your personal energy, which is always inside you. Grounding yourself will give you the extra power you need to create a safe space for yourself and it will help to calm your breathing and body down.

3: Once you are grounded and centered - imagine you are completely surrounded by pure energy - again, I see it as a pink cloud, some see white light - however it feels best to you. This energy is a shield around your entire body, keeping out any negative or draining vibes that people are pulling from you or pushing at you. Picture it as a bubble of light that lets in only positive energy and pushes anything negative away from you.

This is called shielding and while it cannot shut the person up as efficiently as say, duct tape would, it can give you the emotional energy to listen to the person as if from a safe distance. You will hear them, but they cannot take energy from you.

I have found this not only works while at a job or a loud crowded place, but on the subways or with a roommate that just won't stop complaining about everything. I keep myself grounded and centered all the time - but when I feel the slow drone whine of someone about to suck the energy and life out of me, instead of thinking "I am going to send this person into the cornfield," I puff up the pink cloud and let it roll over me.

Breathe
Relax
Envision yourself wrapped in love and light
You control you and what enters your mind

As an aside, I have noticed that often while out and about, I can be in the best mood and suddenly find myself annoyed... I realized that the person next to me was irritated and I was picking it up. I tried to send a little energy thier way and not only did it work but they actually smiled at me.

This does work. If you have time, practice it. If you want a good way to fall asleep, try the grounding/centering exercise - it is very relaxing and it's also quite and you are less likely to be interrupted.

And, if this doesn't work, I always carry a roll of duct tape with me

If this is helpful and you are interested in more Postive Energy, you can either buy the book by Judith Orloff,  or I can also try and post a few "lessons" a week - without plagarizing the author. I figure, I learned most of what is in the book during Tai Chi practice and stuff I study, so I don't think it will be an issue. Let me know if you'd like to hear more.

Peace and Blessings
~~Lady C

Of Ism's, Beliefs and Asinine Challenges

Current mood: productive

I really don't post (often) my opinions about religion or politics on FB - mostly because it isn't a great debate forum.  It's like a short fuse over there and not so much a place for deep thinking... however I will make this public over here for anyone who would like to read it.

There are a LOT of "ism's" floating about these days. Aside the "mainstream ism's" there are some I have never even heard of and I am pretty sure, didn't exist when I was growing up. Here is a list of just the ism's Wikipedia goes into and while extensive, I think they forgot Gary the God of Tabasco and Cheese Doodles.

I digress...

There are countless beliefs and philosophies and creeds and yadda yadda yadda's and the one thing they all manage to have in common is: NONE OF THEM agree with the others about anything except that they all are pretty damn sure they are the right path to god and everyone else is wrong.

There is so much argued "in the name of," that I find it hard to believe that any of them get much done in the way of "loving kindness and worship." In fact, with all the screaming matches of "my god is way better then your god," and all the challenges to FILL IN THE BLANK BELIEF, I must draw the conclusion that religion today is nothing more then a name in which to draw up your sword of self-righteousness and tell other people to piss off because you know nothing.

Just cruising the top blogs in the "Religion/Philo," category gets you some gems with titles like, "Challenge to Athiests," and "Why are Christians so Stupid?" Each of the represented beliefs has a challenge to the others to explain it to them, why they are the way they are and why don't they see how blind they are and they obviously don't see they are going to burn in hell because they are not them. Dizzy?

What it seemingly amounts to is this:

Well, guess what? STOP IT. If each of those blog authors would actually stop for a moment and read what it is they are supposed to believe, I think they would see something like, "Love Thy Neighbor," or a Golden Rule philosophy.

Instead, we get the hateful doggerel of uniformed, closed-minded, hateful and or scared individuals, who lump together under a banner "ism," and condemn others to a hell they made up to feel superior.

So here is a "challenge" to all of you out there who seem to think you have some vital bit of information that will keep me from burning in hell. Stop trying to condemn others who do not follow the same primrose path you do.



And DO NOT challenge people to prove to you why their belief is worthy. Don't tell me us we going to hell or are on the wrong path. Don't ask us to explain to you why we think we are right or saved. All you need to know is that if you do, you should be bitch slapped all over the Universe.



Remove the damn mote from your own eyes first before setting out thinking you have some gifted superiority to remove motes from everyone else. You don't.




~C