Saturday, November 29, 2008

Tayasal

Consider that Spanish made the first European contact with the Maya in 1511 AD when one of the Spanish explorer Valdivia's ships was wrecked off the east coast of of the Yucatan Peninsula during an expedition from Panama to Santo Domingo. Two survivors of that shipwreck began a penetration of a Mayan culture still free from contact with 'the West.' The names of those survivors were Jeronimo de Aguilar and Gonzalo Guerrero. Guerrero integrated into the Maya culture and later fought on their side against the conquerors. Aguilar, a lay brother forced into slavery by his captors, joined Hernan Cortez at Cozumel in 1519.
The Peninsula of Yucatan was discovered for the 'western world' by Francisco Hernzadez de Cordoba in 1517. Systematic collection of data on the culture of the Maya until the arrival of Fray Diego de Landa in 1549. Although Land had Mayas killed, destroyed cultural remains and burned codices, he also gathered a great deal of data on the Maya. In 1566 he returned ti Spain, and wrote Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan, perhaps the most important document we have in Maya culture.

The territory occupied my the Maya include what is now the Mexican states of Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and the eastern half of Chiapas. As well as the greater part of Guatamala, excepting a strip along the Pacific Coast, the western section of Honduras, and a small portion of Belize.
Territory of the Maya may be divided into three geographical zones: the southern highlands characterized by the Cordillera of Central America with peaks over 13,000 feet and containing the beautiful lakes of Amitlan, Atitlan, and Isabel; the central lowland characterized by savanna and jungle with a river system mostly merging to fir the River Usmacinta. On an island in a lake in the central lowlands stood a stronghold of the Maya called Tayasal; the northern zone mostly covered by thorn bush and containing the famous cenotes.
Mayas constructed bottle-shaped cisterns called chultunes.
The Mayan languages are usually divided into ten main groups.
The Maya had close, early contact with the Zoque.

Many Trails of Tears

A trail-head for one of them in California is the chapel of St. Francis Assissi near Warner springs on State Highway 79. It serves a primrily native population. Mass and burials are conducted at the chapel.

The point from which the 'trail of tears' for the people who now live at Pala began is marked by this little chapel. Near it a plaque commemorating the loss, and steps leading to it may be found. Bring your glasses; the writing on the plaque is small. Bring your respect and reverence too. This place is holy for a significant number of people.

Early Spanish speaking people said that an Indian community near here had been called El Cuanan.

In 1847 Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, son of Sacajawea visited the area.

Mission Santa Ysabel is a very short drive from the chapel

New Blogs

I've begun two new blogs.
One way to get to them is by scrolling down to the bottom of this page until you reach the words "view my complete profile" and clicking on them. Once you get to "My Profile" it will be easy to find the list of my blogs and to click on one that interests you.

Mayan approximation of the Date of Creation

It is my guess that ancient Mayan astronomers loved numbers almost as much as the loved the night sky.
I understand that those astronomers estimated that creation happened just over
41,943,040,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years ago. Who wants to check their math?

Song

"Little birdie won't you sing me a song?
I've got a short time to be here and a long time to be gone."

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Toward a Personal Better

~ I am ready to learn to remember to use this day well.

~ I am ready and willing to learn to live well in the present and to laugh a great deal right here and right now.

~ I am ready and willing to learn better breathing techniques here.

~ I am ready and willing to learn to pray for bright days, knowledge of the truth, and the power of keen-sighted thinking.

~ I am ready to learn to be a bit more aware of that which I wish to deny today.

Calif. Stuff

Run away to the circus.
Take trapeze classes. Check out:
www.flytrapeze.com and
www.richiegaona.com

Another interesting California on line site is:
www.huntington.org

Others are:
www.nortonsimin.org
www.hammer.ucla.com
www.wildingmuseum.org
www.tamalefestival.net
www.japanexpo.org

For those still in love with the car, the Justice Brothers Racing Museum in Duarte California contains a collection of midget race-cars among many other types of vehicles and other artifacts:
www.justicebrothers.com

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

How many died?

Just heard a PBS TV announcer say that two troops were killed in Iraq today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope she meant troopers, which is very bad. Each trooper is a a human being. A man or, perhaps, a woman.

We all know that a troop is many and two troops is twice as many. It may be hundreds of people,
scores of men, dozen of women. A horrible tragedy!

Why?!!!! Why!!!!????? did she say such a thing?

Search Older Posts

Search "older posts" a bit and tell me which ones you hate the most.

Should you find one you like, I'd like to hear about it too.

Click on labels of interest.

Search blog.

Poopin' Green

I may not be living very green, or even eating green, but my feces is a pretty agreeable green these days. I'm eating compressed alfalfa leaf tablets, but that doesn't really do it.
What's doing it is that I have begun to ingest the intense green of "the algae" again. The form I am eating is stilled called Omega Sun, but it is harvested by a new company, Simplexity Health.
"The algae" is the wild blue-green algae, Aph. flos-aqua, from Oregon.
Cell Tech was the harvester when I first learned to enjoy its benefits.

Seed Meditations

Adapted or adopted from Meister Eckhart:
~ Prayer is made pure by the pure heart.
~ It is always in the process.
~ It is good to me if I give birth within myself, in my time, in my culture.
~ To bear fruit, let go and let be.
~ Every single thing points me toward God, so that I come to grasp God in all things.
~ Share with others, share joy, share spiritual things, hare myself.
~ The spirit comes from within me; the holy spirit comes from within me.
~ Learn inner solitude; learn to penetrate things and find God there.
~ Look on everything as divine.
~ Reside in justice and so reside in God.
~If something outside me compels me to work, that work is dead.
~ That which moves me to work from the innermost region of my soul, there is my life.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Miscelaneous Word Stuff

Our words are important. Most of our important thinking is in words. We can confuse ourselves as well as others with our words. How our thinking is organized is important. We organize most of our thinking around words.

It seems important to consider the definitions, meanings, and referents that we attach to the words of others. Isn't it important to consider the definitions, meanings, and referents important others in our lives attach to our words? Understanding and being understood are states we usually claim to value.

Might not we benefit by acting as though our words were as sacred as our honor? Are we as good as our word? What can be found about 'word' in the Bible?

Consider a word you have used recently in an important situation. How did you understand it? How did your listener understand it? What was your intention?

Your power to discriminate among words and their meanings is important to your relationships, the organization of your thoughts, and the many of reality.

Words help you to share a 'meaningful relationship.'
Words help you interpret a 'meaningful look' to another, or to yourself.

It might benefit us to be a bit more aware of what we are saying. Being unconscious of what we are doing or saying can get us into trouble. Perhaps making a bit more effort to know what we are saying, may be well worth the effort.

If a man says "I am going to leave you in the dust." on the spirit of healthy competition; but, is understood to say, "I am going to bury you." dead or alive; what could be the result?

I seem to be much like the one who says, "How can I tell what I think, until I hear what I say?"
Perhaps, like you, I speak not only to tell others what I think, but to tell myself as well.


My guess is that it is true.

"You Would Never Have Guessed Captain Kangaroo passed away on January 23, 2004 as age 76, which is odd, because he always looked to be 76. (DOB: 6/27/27 ) His death reminded me of the following story. Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin, is buried in a grave alongside 3- and 4-star generals at Arlington National Cemetery. His marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC). Nothing else. Here's a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time, why the heck does he rate burial with these guys? Well, following is the amazing answer: I always liked Lee Marvin, but didn't know the extent of his Corps experiences.

In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima. There is only one higher Naval award... the Medal Of Honor! If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery. Dialog from 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson' His guest was Lee Marvin. Johnny said, 'Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima ...and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded.' 'Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the bottom and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting shot hauling you down. But, Johnny, at Iwo, I served under the bravest man I ever knew... We both got the Cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. That dumb guy actually stood up on Red beach and di rected his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. Bullets flying by, with mortar rounds landing everywhere and he stood there as the main target of gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on more than one occasion because his men's safety was more important than his own life.

That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me, lying on my belly on the litter and said, 'Where'd they get you Lee?' 'Well Bob... if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse!'

Johnny, I'm not lying, Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew. The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo.'



On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who just passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long-sleeved sweater on TV, to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. He was a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat




After the war Mr. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister and; therefore, a pacifist. Vowing to never harm another human and also dedicating the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life. He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm.

America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy. Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst. Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened.

Take the time to thank anyone that has fought for our freedom. With encouragement, they could be the next Captain Kangaroo or Mr. Rogers. "

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Free Art

Big Easy Biennial of contemporary at is running until 1-18-9.
Check: www.prospectneworleans.org

LFOFG

I have heard of no intent of the Loyal and Fraternal Order of the Freckled Goldfish to compete with E. Clampus Vitus.

Changes in the Quality of AM Radio Signals

What are the chances that our loss or AM Radio signal strength could, to a significant degree, be do to atmospheric experimentation?

"Affirmations"

The personal affirmations I am beginning to publish is a way to honestly disclose myself to you as I encourage my own improvement. I intend to say more of the nature of the affirmations I work with. However, for now I will write out four of my newer affirmations below:
~I am ready and willing to learn to better know what it means to praise well this month.
~I am ready to learn to know that learning is seldom easy.
~I am ready and willing to learn to understand that I desire to satisfy all of my needs now.
~I propose to be a bit more aware of what I am willing to do to satisfy a need of mine this month.

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I discover, get understanding, enjoy myself, and take care of business.

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