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July, 2005 History is full
of unimaginable torments, and one of the worst has to be the intentional slaughter of
innocents
Our leaders are composed and dignified, they show no anger when
discussing the bombings in the London transport system. Yet are there not times that the
leader should show anger? Misguided rage will cloud judgment, but a certain amount of fury
is needed to strike a blow. It is said that every action has a reaction, but should not a
certain amount of self-defense be practiced? Even a Raccoon when cornered will fight. Any
animal that does not fight when its very life is imperiled is bound to die.
My family has gone through successive wars, there were representatives
of my family in each war since the Revolution. And my mother’s family was on
‘the other side’ in WWII. My grandfather was executed in Sarajevo; two uncles
sent to Soviet Gulag camps; a cousin who disappeared when caught slipping through the Iron
Curtain.
My grandmother lived in the town near where the last wild wolf in
Germany was killed about 1886. A place called ‘Odin’s Quelle” (Odin’s
Spring) on the Neckar River. My people of Northern Europe saw the wolf as a ruthless
hunter and eater of human flesh. Their response at that time was to destroy without
remorse every single wolf they came upon. We know now that wolves are not the great
killers they were seen to be at that time. And so it is with the people coming into our
midst from the Islamic countries. Yet even feared more than the wolf was the Werewolf.
This wolf with super-human strength was a harmless human in the daylight, but turned into
a ruthless killer of humans when the moon was full. One could not find him among the
throngs of people at market, but he would come skulking along at the light of the moon
with a full knowledge of people’s ways, where to find them, how to kill them and
escape.
This is perhaps why the Nazis had people called werewolves after the fall of the Nazi system. They would live among
the common German folk and at night would destroy depots and the occupying military
installations at night. They were ruthlessly hunted down and killed after they gave
information as to other participants.
But have we become too politically correct now for such methods? Are
these new Werewolves among us to be accorded the rights of citizens? Or once they are
suspected to be part of the terrorist underground is it right and fair to use what
pressures are due to find out what they know, who they participate with, and what the next
targets are?
”But they are protected by the Geneva Convention” some cry.
No, the Geneva Convention covers lawful uniformed fighting men, not people living among
the population and disguising themselves as such. People fighting out of uniform are
considered spies, and spies are legal to kill outright.
This is something that we have to think about people, we have werewolves
among us now, and we can’t wait for the full moon to sit up watch, because they might
strike before then.
A great website, show them We're
Not Afraid!
July 1, 2005
The last week I've seen three tarantulas.
Local lore has it that when we see tarantulas in the summertime, the
fall rains are within six weeks from falling. This has proven true by my reckoning before,
but this is the earliest I've ever seen the tarantulas. And I am sure it will not be
raining in the middle of August. I've never seen it rain in August here; in fact we
usually go without rain from April to November. August is just not a month we can hope for
rain without getting our hopes dashed. Don't hope for any unlikely event.
But why are the tarantulas running around already?
The Male tarantulas are the ones we are likely to see, they are off
searching for a nice girl spider to raise a family with. The girl spiders stay in their
home saving their energy waiting for a nice boy spider to 'come a'callin''. When he does
they have a short courtship ritual during which she will see if he possesses the proper
skills and attributes she would want passed on to her own progeny. If he passes the test,
she will submit to his advances, then after mating if he is not quick enough she will jump
onto him (she is much larger) and she will bite him and kill and eat him. This will give
her enough food reserves to sustain her growing eggs.
Now, this explains why the tarantulas roam six weeks before the Fall
rains, they wish to have the eggs developing before the rains come, the young will be
hatching in the first rains, and will roam off into the greening lush chaparral to start
their own lives in the cooler moister time of easy living on the Central Coast.
There are many things the old-tyme country folk use to reckon time and
when to perform things, and how the weather will be. Some of these are dismissed as 'old
wives tales'. But some seem to work well, and of those that do, there is a natural
explanation if we could just unlock the secrets to nature.
Another legend here regarding the tarantulas concerns how high above the
creeks they build their nests in the hillsides. It is said they can tell how wet the
winter will be, so if it will rain a lot and the creeks will rise high, they want their
nests high above the creeks, if it will be a short-rain winter, they will be placed lower
to the creek, so they will be nearer their food prey coming to get moisture.
Another legend here has to do with cattle, when the cattle lay on the
ground a lot, it will rain soon as they will not want to lay on the cold wet ground, so
they rest their legs up now, so when it rains they will be able to stay on their legs for
days and weeks, ready prey for reckless teenagers off for an evening fun of beer
drinkin’ and cow-tippin’.
Vickie’s favorite way to tell the weather is whether a cat will
sleep with it’s head upside down, this will often presage wet conditions she says.
But I’ve found this to not always hold water. Perhaps it is tied to humidity and not
actual rainfall, but I’ve often seen her mention a cat sleeping in that position, and
then within hours it has rained.
Nature is full of wonders, and they were all made for us by God to enjoy
in this world. Don’t mess up what God made, hold it tight and well, and revere all
that is given to you by the Almighty.
Tao-Teh-Ching;
Chapter 51
The Tao is the mother of all beings,
The virtue of Tao nurtures them in nature,
The material world gives them form,
Environment and circumstance complete their abilities.
Therefore all things honor the Way, and venerate virtue.
This honoring of the Tao, and the veneration of virtue are not commanded,
They occur spontaneously and for this reason the Way continues to create beings
While virtue continues to nurture and develop them.
The Tao gives birth to all, yet it lays no claim of ownership,
It nourishes all, but it does not control,
This is the mystic virtue. |
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