New Blog! America Seeker

Life is change. Buddha said, and isn't it so? As any of you who followed my blog On San Juan Island.com know I have not been very active here since my big hard drive crash. But now, I want you to be the first to know, I have just started a new blog: American Seeker: Exploring The Spiritual Landscape of America. My new blog will be a companion to the book I am writing by the same title. I will be posting excerpts from the book on American Seeker plus other finding from my research including links and images that will not be included in the book.

Please join me as I start by exploring America's very first religion, Ice Age Shamanic hunting magic. Link to: American Seeker

Detail from painting by Robert C. Magis

National Geographic: Bison Kill by Ice Age Hunters January 1979

God Bless Dr. Tiller

Like many people today I am appalled at the murder of Dr. Tiller by a so-called "right to life" zealot. Dr. Tiller was gunned down in his church this morning. I applaud the Attorney General for dispatching US Marshals to protect women's health clinics across the country.

There is an insanity to placing a higher value on a fertilized egg than on a woman's life or tragically, in this case on a Doctor's life. That madness is captured so well by Monty Python's Meaning of Life in the song, Every Sperm is Sacred. While it may seem irreverent, I dedicate this song to Dr. Tiller with the deepest respect.

Dr. Tiller took the side of reason and was a champion of women's rights and women's health.

Every Sperm is Sacred

Monty Python's Meaning of Life

The Tenth Muse

The Tenth Muse ~ Anne Bradstreet

It's been almost 2 months now since I've blogged. My Mini Mac has a new hard drive and is running better than ever. While I was unplugged from the internet I found I had more time to read books. I'm still reading about the Puritans and have been inspired by Anne Bradstreet, America's first published poet.

Mistress Bradstreet was unusually well educated for a Puritan woman. She was an intellectual well versed in poetry, history, science, the classics and of course the bible. She also had six children on the American frontier of 1600s. With her husband, a colony leader, often away she held down the farm, raised her children, tended the livestock and garden under the continual threat of Indian attacks.

Parchment was scarce and expensive so she memorized her poetry as she composed it in her head. She had to be cautious not to offend Puritan society by seeming ambitious and it was her brother-in-law who, without telling her, took her work, The Tenth Muse, to London where it was published and became a great popular success.

With my computer crash I lost some some stuff alright but I have not suffered for it. These worldly things are transitory. Here is an excerpt from the poem, "Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666" written by Anne Bradstreet.

"I blest His name that gave and took,

That laid my goods now in the dust.
Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was his own, it was not mine...
The world no longer let me love,
My hope and treasure lies above."

Mini Mac in a Comaa

My dear readers. Just when I resolved to be more diligent getting the movie times posted in a timely manner my poor little Mini Mac seems to have given up the ghost. I swear, it was the new format on facebook that killed my sweet little electronic companion. I am at the library now. They give us 30 minutes. I truly hope to be up online again soon.

Citizen Blogger ~ Peggy Sue

Thanks OPALCO

Janet Leigh in the Hitchcock film Psycho

Like other Orcas Power & Light subscribers I have received my package containing free Compact Florescent Light bulbs and two free low-flow shower heads. I love the light bulbs. On the other hand I don't have a lawn or a garden a hot tub or a swimming pool. I don't use a dishwasher in fact I never wash my dishes more than once a day. I hardly ever wash my car except for the windows. In other words my water use is pretty darn low for an American consumer. But I love my shower (even though it is barely hot). I don't want to cut the flow. Am I bad?

Gull on the Roof

Gull on the Roof ~ oil on board

This painting exists only on my computer. I'd already taken rough sandpaper to it when I realized that I'd also already dumped it off of my computer. Oh Well. But then I found a disk I'd put it on. I like painting on these boards with the deep cradles but they are expensive so when I decided not to enter this one in the "Paint the Town" art show I wanted to use the board again. Appearing here only, Gull on the Roof, oil on board.

Eurovision 2009: Is Georgia Taunting Putin?

The official word at Eurovision, Europe’s annual song contest, is that Georgian group Stephane & 3G’s winning song, We Don’t Want to Put In does not comply with the contest rules. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has “officially offered GPB (Georgia Public Broadcaster) the opportunity to select another song, or to change the lyrics of their selected song in such a way that it complies with the Rules”. Eurovision Rule 4.9 includes “No lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political or similar nature shall be permitted.”

Eurovision 2009 Georgia

Stephane & 3G ~ We Don't Wanna Put In

Previously Stephane & 3G have stated that they will not change their lyrics or song and will drop out of the contest if they can’t perform Georgia’s winning song. They have until the 16th to make a final decision. Eurovision Song Contest 2009 is being held in Moscow. The Georgian group’s producer stated, “We suspect that this is a result of pressure from Russia. If that is the case, it’s unacceptable.” He disagreed that the song was political asking, “Where in the lyrics are there any political statements or insults to someone”. Just guessing but the song’s chorus, “We don’t wanna put in/The negative move/It’s killin’ the groove”, just possibly might be seen by some in this year’s host city as being critical of Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.