R.I.P Andy Hallet

Shit. I mean damnit to hell! Dead at 33, from heart disease! If you're not a fan of the Joss Whedon universe I imagine you couldn't give less than two shits about this but I'm really bummed. Hallet as Lorne was one of my all-time favorite Whedon characters.

Here's a very short clip from the second season of Angel. For those that don't know, that is him singing, no syncing. Lorne was my favorite character from the entire 5 years of the show. Can't believe it, he was only 33!

Mardi Gras Melt

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I made this in high school; I found it digging through old boxes when I was looking for something else. This was made using plain old crayons melted in a spoon over oil lamp flames. Then using either the spoon or other tool (perhaps ink tips? don't remember) the wax was applied much like paint. I remember the melted crayon wax as being a somewhat tricky medium. On the one hand, if a mistake was made it could just be scraped off. But if too many mistakes were made and scraped off too many times the board underneath would just tear up. I think said boards were about the thickness of your average poster board, maybe a little thicker. And, as is obvious from the larger version of the above image, one could always put more wax on top of a mistake but that could make for weirdness as far as thick chunks of wax next to lower, smoother sections. Not to mention that if the wax was built up too high it could easily break off. I think I may have used toothpicks for the fine lines of her eyelashes and the feathers. Weird, huh? But it turned out pretty good considering I had no experience with this type of thing. At any rate, it was a fun, experimental creative process. I might try it again one day just for the hell of it.

And, no, I don't know why her face had to be silver. I remember I borrowed this image from a magazine ad so maybe that decision was made by someone else and I just went with it. I honestly don't remember all the details as this was made way back in the days of 1994 or '95. This is one of the weirdest and most interesting things I kept from my school days so I felt like sharing it.

Pink Petals and Love Notes

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It feels good to use scissors and glue and make a lot of little pretty somethings into a bigger pretty something. That said, I think this is just a good background for something more profound. I think I'm gonna add some poetry in large writing over this. Something from Romeo and Juliet perhaps. Given that it's flowers it could either be a love poem or a death/funeral poem, or both. Stay tuned.

Cannabis Law Reform

From NORML:

As for those tens of millions of you who believe that cannabis should be legally regulated like alcohol -- and the tens of thousands of you who voted to make this subject the most popular question in the White House's online Presidential Town Hall -- well, your voice doesn't really matter.

Asked this morning whether he "would ... support the bill currently going through the California legislation to legalize and tax marijuana, boosting the economy and reducing drug cartel related violence," the President responded with derision.

"There was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation, and I don't know what this says about the online audience," he laughed.

"The answer is no, I don't think that [is] a good strategy."

Please, go read the entire thing. And consider adding your name to the well-written form letter, to which you can amend in any way you see fit. What follows is their form-letter with my own comments at the end.

Mr. President,

You pledged "to open up the White House to the American people." I'm one of the tens of millions of Americans who believe that cannabis should be legally regulated like alcohol. I'm also one of the tens of thousands of Americans who voted to make this subject the most popular question in your online Presidential Town Hall. I'm disappointed to learn that you believe that my voice doesn't really matter.

I understand that you may oppose this position, but that is no reason to deride this issue.

Mr. President, please tell me: "What is it that you think is so funny about the subject of marijuana law reform?"

Since 1965, police have arrested over 20 million Americans for violating marijuana laws, yet nearly 90 percent of teenagers say that pot is "very easy" or "fairly easy" to obtain. Do you find this funny?

According to your administration, there is an unprecedented level of violence occurring at the Mexico/US border -- much of which is allegedly caused by the trafficking of marijuana to the United States by drug cartels. America's stringent enforcement of pot prohibition, which artificially inflates black market pot prices and ensures that only criminal enterprises will be involved in the production and sale of this commodity, is helping to fuel this violence. Do you still believe that this subject is humorous?

Finally, two recent polls indicate that a strong majority of regional voters support ending marijuana prohibition and treating the drug's sale, use, and distribution like alcohol. A February 2009 Zogby telephone poll reported that nearly six out of ten of voters on the west coast think that cannabis should be "taxed and legally regulated like alcohol and cigarettes." A just-released California Field Poll reports similar results, finding that 58 percent of statewide votes believe that regulations for cannabis should be the same or less strict than those for alcohol.

Why do you choose to laugh at these people? Why do you choose to laugh at me?

The American public is ready and willing to engage in a serious and objective political debate regarding the merits of legalizing the use of cannabis by adults. The time for joking is over.

Please consider apologizing for your dismissive tone, and please consider treating those of us who believe that there are viable alternatives to marijuana prohibition with the respect we deserve.

Regular internet users were a great help to you in your run for the White House; deriding online poll results is the same as slapping your greatest supporters in the face. I recognize that, when it comes to cannabis law reform, there are many interested parties on both sides of the issue and that sometimes these parties must be assuaged of their fears and doubts, especially in a public forum. But please, don't make the mistake of alienating the largest demographic that placed you in your position.

The "War on (Some) Drugs" has been a massive failure and the inclusion of cannabis in the same category as deadly drugs is patently absurd. If you truly wish to lead this country out of its troubles and into the future you must recognize that cannabis law reform is one of the most important issues for tens of millions of American citizens. We are tired of being imprisoned for taking our medicine. We are tired of being imprisoned for years for possessing an ounce of an harmless herb. We are tired of being treated as second-class citizens because we would occasionally rather imbibe smoke than destroy our livers with the much deadlier drug of alcohol. The time for derision is over. I fear that if you do not rethink your position on cannabis law reform that you will lose a great part of your public support.

My comments are in bold. The tactics of the old regime of "cannabis is as dangerous as heroin, cocaine, etc." is over. It's time for a new, modern and progressive policy that has at least something to do with reason and, maybe, just maybe the wishes of the majority.

Sadistic Mother Nature

Spring is trying to get sprung here in the Ozarks. The equinox came and went, leaving hope in its wake. The grape hyacinths, regular hyacinths and numerous tulips and jonquils are blooming. Other warm weather plants are growing their greenery in anticipation: the day lilies, rose of Sharon, multi-flower rose and lilacs are all gearing up. Most of the trees are budding out with wild abandon, though the walnuts are still dragging their feet, or roots as the case may be. The geese and other migratory birds are slowly returning, though it will be several weeks before the first hummingbird sighting. Pear and peach trees are putting on gorgeous displays of color as are the brilliant, yellow forsythias. We had our garden turned last week in preparation for the usual tomatoes, peppers, green beans and other veggies. I spent several days last week bopping around in my shorts, tank top and brand new sandals. It was so warm and sunny I thought that spring had finally arrived.

It's near freezing right now and we're expecting two days of snow this weekend.

Mother Nature is really fucking with us. Don't misunderstand me; spring and fall in the Ozarks are always something of a roller coaster ride. It's not uncommon to have snow on the spring solstice or a cold, rainy Beltaine. And it's not uncommon to have a very cold Mabon or a warm Samhain. That's just the way it is around here, always has been and always will be I suppose. But this time I really hate this "two steps forward then two steps back" shit. The last year or so has been really hard on my family and, while some things have improved, the situation is still very tense and uncomfortable at times. The warm weather of the last couple weeks had me feeling better and to have it taken away again is like a hard, cold slap in the face.

I am so ready for spring; I'm enthusiastically eager for green growth and sunny days. I don't even begrudge the pollen that will clog my sinuses like a stopped up sink and make me blow up like a sneezing machine. I'm not too worried about the fleas, ticks, wasps or those little iridescent Japanese fuckers that munch on the grapes and other plants. I'm not concerned about poison ivy, Johnson grass or dandelions. I'm looking forward to mowing the lawn, pulling weeds and getting my hands dirty. I want to pick bouquets of wildflowers and place them on my altar. I want to hear the pond frogs sing all night, every night without fail. I want to listen to the timeless, hypnotic song of crickets and other night creatures. I want to drink in the night sky without catching a chill. I want to soak up the sun with no care in the world other than sunburn.

Mother Nature, it seems, has other plans. I'll have to go back to bringing in wood everyday. I'll have to go back to keeping all the windows shut tight. The outside heat lights will have to stay on for the time being. It's back to socks, long pants and jackets. There won't be any barbecues around here for a while and very little sitting on the back porch watching the sunset. All of the pond frogs have no doubt dug back into the mud leaving the night deathly quiet except for the sound of the gusts here on Windy Hill. I'm not complaining but...oh wait, yes I am complaining. Enough winter already! Come on spring! It's a witches' job to help turn the wheel of the year; I guess I have my work cut out for me.

Gambian Witch Hunt

This is some scary shit folks. The witch hunts of Africa have been going on for ages now and are usually a pretty isolated event involving only a few people at a time. Well, apparently efforts have been stepped up.

Authorities in Gambia have rounded up about 1,000 people and forced them to drink hallucinogens in a witch-hunting campaign that is terrorizing the tiny West African nation, an international rights group said Wednesday.

Amnesty International called on the government of President Yahya Jammeh, who seized power in a 1994 coup and has claimed he can cure AIDS, to halt the campaign and bring those responsible to justice...

"Once there, they were stripped and forced to drink 'dirty water' from herbs and were also bathed with these dirty herbs" that caused diarrhea and vomiting, the witness said. "I stayed there for five days ... I cannot believe that this type of treatment is taking place in Gambia. It is from the dark ages."...

In 2007, Jammeh declared he had discovered a cure for AIDS and began treating patients inside the presidential palace, using herbs and incantations. His dictatorial regime has cracked down harshly on critics, especially the press.

Now, any regular reader of this blog knows I'm all for entheogenics, the use of plants to not only heal but to bring about an altered mental state for the purpose of spiritual growth. But this is just fucking sick. Forcing people to ingest an hallucinogenic herbal drink, after kidnapping them and stripping them naked, is just way beyond twisted. And who could miss the obvious fact that the use of herbs and incantations to "cure AIDS" is in itself witchcraft?! I guess what Jammeh wants is what so many other assholes in power want: a stranglehold on any kind of power, be it political, medicinal or magical.

Stars and Lights

Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
like a diamond in the sky

I had a weird moment tonight. It was one of those moments when I wasn't quite sure what I was seeing. I was out in the backyard with the dogs, enjoying the crystal clear night sky. The moon wasn't quite visible yet so there were only stars as far as the eye could see. I live out in the country, or the suburbs of a very small town if I wanna get cheeky about it, so light pollution isn't much of an issue. Anyway, the weird moment came when I made it to the back of the yard and gazed at the brightest of the stars. And, I swear to the gods, it was blinking. And not just blinking bright, then dull, then bright again. It flashed white, white, blue, red. White, white, blue, red. Over and over in exactly the same order and rhythm.

I have never seen this before and I don't know why.

It was so startlingly different that the phrase "UFO" actually crossed my mind before passing away just as quickly as it arose. Then I wondered if all the fireplace smoke in the air could be playing tricks on my eyes. Then I came in and checked out a couple of my most favorite spacey websites thinking there must be some grand scientific explanation. And I couldn't find anything of the sort regarding the current space weather. So, I went back outside to see if I was hallucinating. And there it was again. The brightest, lowest star blinking at me; it may be Venus for all I know. But it appears like just any bright star, except it's blinking and flashing. White, white, blue, red. White, white, blue, red. So, I said to myself, "Self, you must be hallucinating". Then I got the idea to check out the other stars. And all of the bigger, brighter stars were blinking at me! The smaller, fainter stars just glimmered with their usual sparkle. But each and every one of the larger stars blinked in vividly different colors.

The only plausible idea I can come up with is that I have been in front of the computer, on and off, for about 4 hours now and my eyes are playing tricks on themselves. But that doesn't really fit the situation either. I've been a hardcore internet junkie since 1995 and never have I seen the stars like this. And I've been a dedicated moon and stargazer for most of my life. Why did I never see this before? Was I not looking close enough? Was I not looking long enough? Did the gods just now decide to reveal this to me? Or did someone spike my 2% milk when I was looking the other way?

Even as I write this a thought occurs: maybe I'm just getting old. Perhaps now that my eyes are a little weaker I am only seeing these flashes of colors as my eyes can't handle the overall brightness of the stars. Is that possible? I wish I knew. No, that's not entirely correct. I'd like to know the answer. But, mostly, I hope, and wish for it to continue.

Starlight, starbright
First star I see tonight
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have this wish I wish tonight

Together We're Invincible

Here, have some Muse. Not only is this a good song but I love the imagery. This is a unique and beautiful video. I think my favorite phrase is: "Your soul's unbreakable". If you don't like Muse cuz they're popular with the younguns then I pity you as, not only is the music good, but the guitar work is phenomenal. Principle writer, pianist, singer and lead guitarist Matt Bellamy really is "our Jimi Hendrix". Just wait a few minutes and when the guitar solo kicks in I defy you not to sit up and listen intently.

Follow through
Make your dreams come true
Don't give up the fight
You will be all right
Cause there's no one like you
In the universe

Don't be afraid
What your mind conceals
You should make a stand
Stand up for what you believe
And tonight we can truly say
Together we're invincible

And during the struggle
They will pull us down
But please, please let's use this chance to
Turn things around
And tonight we can truly say
Together we're invincible

Do it on your own
Makes no difference to me
What you leave behind
What you choose to be
and whatever they say
Your soul's unbreakable

And during the struggle
They will pull us down
But please, please let's use this chance to
Turn things around
And tonight we can truly say
Together we're invincible

Critters Great and Small

Disclaimer: I just want to say from the get-go: the following stream-of-consciousness ramblings are not intended to offend anyone be they vegetarian, vegan, sympathetic omnivore or hard-core carnivore. These are just some weird thoughts I've had running through my head.

When I was about ten years of age I decided to become a vegetarian. I can't recall my specific reasons but I think it must have had something to do with my love of and gift for attracting animals. I've always had a gift for putting animals at ease, especially scared animals stuck up a tree, or hiding under the house/bed, etc. And animals love me. Of course, I'm speaking of typical pets like dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, ya know, small mammals. They love me. I don't think I've ever met a single furry critter that didn't love me like magnets love the refrigerator door. I can't tell you how many times I've had people, whose homes I was visiting for the first time, express amazement that their extremely anti-social critter was curled up in my lap. Now, to be honest, I've lived in the country for a large part of my life and so my shoes will naturally have great smells attached to them. I understand that to a city animal the scent of a raccoon or possum is fascinating. But even without that particular nose candy I've always had a knack for the furry critters of the world. And when I hit puberty around 9-10 years of age I became conscious of the link between the 10 dogs and cats in my bedroom and the hundred cows out in the fields. So, I decided to quit eating meat.

I think it lasted 3 months. The lure of barbecued hamburgers was just too strong for me to resist. Like my initial decision to give up meat I don't remember the specific thought process that went into the decision. I just remember craving a good, grilled burger. Now that 20 years have passed I think the fact that really decided me was that cats, dogs, etc., were/are small, affectionate and familiar. Cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs and fish were/are unfamiliar and, as far as I've ever seen since then, completely uncaring about human companionship. I think my ten-year-old mind figured that if they didn't care for me then I had no reason to care for them. Does that make sense?

Now that I'm older and I, along with most of the world, am much world environmentally conscious I think about how the overall meat and poultry industries are affecting our planet. Being that I'm from cattle country I'll bring up cow flatulence. Strange as it may seem, I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Does it really hurt the atmosphere? I can't help but think it does. Sure, one group in one field doesn't mean much. But there are millions upon millions of cattle the world over; that's gotta add up to a helluva lot of methane. And, lest we forget, in many parts of the world acres and acres of oxygen-producing, animal habitat-providing forests are obliterated for the sake of cattle raising. So that's two big strikes against cows.

Where am I going with this? I don't know, as usual. I'm not going to declare myself a vegetarian. But I have cut back on my meat consumption. To be honest, it's not been that hard for me. I've never been a lusty carnivore. If it's there, and it's cooked right and I'm in the mood for it I'll eat it. It's a hit-or-miss affair with me. I'm usually much more interested in grains, vegetables and anything with a disgusting amount of sugar in it. Still, I'm left with a lingering, nagging sense of doubt about the meat consumed in my home. Back in the days of pre-history early humans had to eat meat, it's what we did to survive. Our teeth, and the teeth of animals the world over, are proof of this. But now? Ummm, not so much. We don't need to eat meat anymore. It's no longer required. Our mastery of agriculture has provided us with all the food we will ever need. There are plenty of protein-rich foods that negate the need to ingest meat of any kind. So, I'm left with a big question: are those of us who continue, for whatever reason, to eat meat fighting a battle that we will inevitably, if slowly, lose?

Growing Our Monkeyspheres

We all know there are people in the world who seem to have monkeyspheres big enough to include everyone. They go by many titles: saint, bodhisattva, guru, priest, priestess, sister, father, brother. Many of them are well known such as Mother Theresa and Gandhi. Many of them, of course, are not known but are simply going about living their lives in a quiet yet meaningful way, loving everyone they meet and blessings those that hurt them with their seemingly boundless capacity for forgiveness. How do they do it? It seems some folks are simply born with the capacity for a universal monkeysphere, while the rest of us must work harder at it.

The key seems to be learning that all peoples the world over are just like you and I. We are all born, we all age, we all must eat and visit the bathroom from time to time. We all get sick, we all laugh and we all love our families and friends. We all get scared and we all die. But, because of distance, language barriers, politics and cultural differences we have a very bad habit of forgetting these basic truths thus allowing our monkeyspheres to stagnate or, even worse, shrink. The following ideas might help us fight that bad habit and grow our monkeyspheres.

I think that plain old education can help us grow our monkeyspheres. Pick up an autobiographical book written by someone in a country strange to you and I bet your monkeysphere will grow a bit. Make it part of your daily routine to read international news and don't just gloss over the facts and figures. Use those visualization skills and put their tragedies and triumphs in your home and see if you can't cultivate some feeling for those strangers. Read up on the history of U.S. involvement in places like Afghanistan and Iran and learn that they have plenty of reason to hate us. It might be unpleasant to do these things but a large part of growing one's monkeysphere is learning of the hardships and sufferings of others.

I also think traveling the world is a great way to grow the monkeysphere. And I don't just mean traveling on prepackaged tours; get out there and meet the locals. One must get off the beaten path to truly learn and experience a place and its culture. Learn about their daily lives, visit the local shops and really talk to people. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear of folks who save up for years to visit a foreign country and then spend all their vacation time in a small Americanized hotel and entertainment complex, never actually venturing into said country. I mean, really, why bother? But that's a rant for another time...

Meditation probably ranks pretty high up on the list of methods used to grow the monkeysphere. Meditation quiets the humdrum, mundane mind letting us get in touch with our deepest selves. We can use meditation to reach our monkeysphere and allow it to breathe and grow. Once we get past our petty daily problems we can more clearly see the lives, minds and hearts of others and see that they, just like us, have monkeyspheres in need of growth. Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of achieving a deeply meditative state on their own, thus opening the possibility for some chemical help in this arena.

Now we get to perhaps the most controversial method of growing one's monkeysphere, that is, entheology, which requires more extensive discussion. Dictionary.com defines entheogen as: any substance, such as a plant or drug, taken to bring on a spiritual experience. So, entheology is the study and practice of using entheogens for spiritual purposes. Now, to some people this is simple drug abuse and is right out evil. But that's a pretty narrow-minded view based on the overly publicized accounts of the idiots of the world and their stupid drug-related exploits. Let me put it this way: there's a big difference between simply getting high and receiving the blessings of entheogens. Some people take 'shrooms and spend a day being totally fucked up, laughing like a moron while listening to tunes. And I'm not saying there's necessarily anything wrong with that; I can think of many more destructive and pointless ways to spend a day. What I am saying is that that is a lot different from someone fasting for a couple days, purifying themselves and their ritual space and smoking salvia divinorum to bring about a deeply meditative state as a means of celebrating a life change or learning to cope with it. See the difference?

Now, of course, this method of growing one's monkeysphere isn't for everyone. Many entheogens are illegal and some are potentially deadly in the wrong hands. I think of it like this: some people can't handle alcohol, some people can't handle tobacco, or gambling or sex without ruining their lives, the lives of others and perhaps killing themselves. The same goes for entheogens and drugs of all sorts. Some people cannot handle them and will destroy themselves if given a chance. But many of us can maintain healthy relationships with entheogens and will, in fact, learn a lot about ourselves, the world around us and the human race itself through their responsible ritual use. I'm by no means an expert, having had only one hallucinatory experience via datura stramonium, but I can say this: I learned a lot from that single experience and will probably repeat the ritual in the future. That's not to say it was enjoyable or a big party. "Spiritual experience" does not necessarily translate to "fun". In fact, it can be very unpleasant physically, emotionally and psychically. There's no real way to be sure what you'll get. The only certainty is that, if you approach the entheogen with reverence, especially if it's a plant, you will learn and grow and change. In other words: you will benefit and your monkeysphere will grow.

So there you have it: my ideas for growing our monkeyspheres. I tried to look at the problem logically by making a list and expanding on it. I have no doubt that there are other valid methods and would be delighted to hear what my readers think of my suggestions. Would you use any of the above methods to grow your monkeysphere? Have you already incorporated some of them into your spiritual practice? What kind of results have you had? Have you gained wisdom from them? What other methods would you suggest?