Green Tea, honestly!

Sorry to harp on this again, but really. After catching part of Palin's "gag me" keynote in Nashville, I can't refrain from begging for Al Gore to keynote a Green Tea Party Convention. She revs up the crowd with name-calling: those "godless elitists" running the country, and encourages her fantatical followers by assuring them that they are the Patriots, the Mavericks and the Faithful.
The Tea party had one solid platform before tonight -- fiscal responsibility. But, now that the tea baggers wrapped themselves in the flag and claim God for themselves, and yet are blatantly racist, they need to go down with the old Boston harbor ships. (see more ranting in my update on the original Tea Party plea below.)

I'm for a Taos-based progressive Green Tea movement. It would be all about sustainable green energy sources, not "drill baby" BS. We would rally around conservation, not conservative, platforms. And, we could include legalizing the real "green" (banned plants) and recoup some revenue from those lost millions, and stop the border blood shed at the same time. Intelligence and innovation should be applauded not criticized with silly six-pack jokes. We already had eight miserable years of good ole boy politics. And, I'm sad to say Obama is a little late to realize how his administration was heading into the same rut.

I know Gore can't be the candidate, but nothing would energize a Green Tea Party like a rousing keynote from him. All the environmental rock stars could and should jump on this quickly and stop this Nazi-type nonsense from gaining any more momentum.

that reclusive, salacious Salinger!

It makes me smile to read these few rare quotes from JD Salinger;

"Give me two hours in the dentist chair before I’ll spend another minute in a publisher’s office. All those insufferable literary types, thoroughly pleased with themselves, who haven’t read a line of Tolstoy since college."

or this one; “They (the publishers) offer up all these bright ideas. Unable to produce a single original line themselves, they’re bound and determined to put their stamp squarely on your work . . . Polite suggestions that I change this or that, put in more romance, take out more of that annoying ambiguity . . . slap some terribly clever illustration on the cover . . . forget it."

I hear you loud and clear, JD! Too bad he couldn't have tried print on demand and had the control to publish some of those piles of manuscripts that friends and family are pulling out of his vault. Of course, he's on record telling those closest to him not to publish posthumously, so it will be interesting to see what happens next. What do you think? If there's a Glass family stash, should they be published? In honor of his wishes, I'll find a 1964 maroon Bantam edition of Catcher in the Rye. That's the one he designed once he got the rights to his own book, not the ugly carousel horse cover he hated. The snobs can fight over those first editions. But, for now I'm not into Catcher at all. I'm totally immersed in the "Glass family saga." That's Salinger's collection of seemingly unrelated short stories that are said to have been the inspiration for the movie the Royal Tenenbaums. I'll post a comment below when I'm done. For now, I hope JD and Frank Baum and Phil are having a good laugh out there in the Twilight Zone!

ersatz errata

That could be a good blog name, IMHO! In no particular order and without rhyme nor reason, here are things clogging up my brain that are keeping me from novel writing this morning.
The Grammy's. Good grief! I watched all 3.5 hours of it last night. It was like a car wreck from which I could not divert my eyes (is that the proper English, gals?) Anyway, that silly off-key teen twit who took Album of the year... I am so tired of her. And to have her on stage ruining a performance by a legend like Stevie Nicks, I needed a barf bag. What does anyone see in her? Please, post a comment if you can explain that. I'm baffled. Now, on the opposing view of many, I actually enjoyed Pink's wild ass aerial antics. I was out of the room when it started and couldn't believe what I was seeing. So, thanks to DVR, I rewound and watched all of it. Then, I liked it so much I recorded it to DVD and watched it again. It improves with each viewing. What a bod and voice. I like her! And, I know the song she sang "Glitter in the Air" from her Funhouse CD. Lady GaGa, on the other hand, was a disappointment. I have enjoyed her flamboyance in the past, but dirty versions of her and Sir Elton (I mean dirty, literally-- streaked with coal dust or whatever that was) on their glitter didn't cut it for me. Too bad, and I didn't even know she won awards for best dance and trance records, both cuts off her famous "Fame" album. (yikes I started this mid morning, and realized late afternoon that I never posted.) OK, wrapping this up, Leon Russell, what a hoot to see him. I used to love him! That guy in the Zac Brown Band could sing. And, finally the tear-jerking comments from Prince Michael about his dad (MJ's) Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 3D "Earth Song" tribute to MJ was really why I watched.
Other Errata: Good grief, I'm simply horrified over the never-ending details emerging about John Edwards (sex tape? endless lying, disturbing comments about "when Elizabeth is gone!") I was very, very wrong about him. And, now it's hard to listen to Dave Matthews sing "You and Me" with those horrible images in my mind. There was more stuff, but I'm tired of pontificating (imagine that!) and should be novel writing.
Finally, check out that fun Shelfari thing-- just scroll UP a bit and glance over to the right. Thanks Mo, got if off that link you sent! I can promote my own novel there!

Green Tea, politically!

This could be the best thing that ever happened to our screwed up political system. The "Tea Party" claims they have a franchise now and owns the Tea Party title. I say it's time to investigate that and see if we can have a Green Tea Party! What could be better? Dump the Dems (who have sold out and hijacked our votes for the last time) and of course, none of that right wing crap either. This should be the old Green Party on steroids. I think the country is finally ripe for both a Green platform and a person like Ron Paul (or at least his values.) What sounded crazy in the past is resonating with more and more middle class voters who have been totally screwed over.
Of course, we'd love Al (Gore), as our leader of the pack. He's one guy who is not embroiled in personal or private scandal (other than a minor light bulb skirmish ;) We'll probably end up with Gary Johnson. OMG! I tried the conventional route with Obama and he's just another old school political hack. We need real reform and we need it NOW! Green Tea, that's for me!

February 6 Update: After seeing parts of Palin talking to the "tea-ers" in Nashville, I wanted to PUKE! More than ever I'm for Green Tea NOW! Her "sassy" sarcastic one-liners can only go so far. This is a radically far-right-religious, fanatically racist bunch. If they had stayed with the tax issues and fiscal responsibility they would have a better shot. With Palin at the helm, they will re-create one part of the original tea party; a shipwreck!!

Tranquility

The Tao te Ching (prounounced dow day sching), or simply the Way, was written over 2500 years ago and has been translated and published as many times as the bible. And, like the bible, it's hard to read. A book published twenty years ago remains the most accessible and wonderful way to benefit from the essence of the Tao. It's the "Tao of Inner Peace" by Diane Dreher. It's one of five books I would want with me if left on an island for a year (honestly.) Hmmmmm... what would the other four be?

"The Journey from the Center to the Page" by Jeff Davis, another book I've had but never really appreciated until recently, is definitely on my short list now. It combines yoga principles with authentic writing skills and I just love it. It's inspirational and healthful, too.

I'd have to take one of the Eckhart Tolle books and that would leave only two other books. One should be a great work of literature, but which one? I'll have to give that more thought. Feel like suggesting what books are essential to your peace and well being? Something you couldn't be without? Polvie, what you got with you down in Guatemala? Me and my two readers would love to know ;0
Meanwhile, as my editor and slave-driving friends remind me, keep writing. yes, I am! I hope to use this or one of my other blogs to promote the novel when it comes out, so stay tuned. If I don't post much for the next six weeks, you know why!! I'm on the home stretch!
But, can't do it in the midst of mental chaos so I'm really doing the nightly calming down and revitalization with these wonderful books. I feel fab when I go to sleep, it's just those waking hours that I struggle with ;) Judith Orloff's "Positive Energy" is also helpful, and as she points out you don't have to escape to a private island to avoid stress. She says we can shift from victim to victorious with "modest, simple positive energy techniques." She offers three minute meditations and was the one who suggested taking a techno-break-- a day without computers, email or tweets. I did on Sunday and it was a great way to reset. Try one or any of these to relax and feel inspired.

Sleeping with Ram Dass

Now that I have your attention, there is a reason for the title. But first, I'm certain some of my many readers (both of you ;) are a bit judgmental when you think of Ram Dass. You may know of him vaguely, or recall his crazed 1960s psychedelic experiences with Timothy Leary. I suggest taking another look now that he's becoming the Guru of Aging.
I've always known of Ram Dass, but must admit I didn't really know his story. That he was a Harvard professor before he "tuned in and turned on" -- a classically trained Jungian psychologist who gave that up to spend years in India studying with Yogis, or that the title Ram Dass Servant of God was given to him-- he did not select it for himself. How did I get swept up into a Ram Dass frenzy?

On the last day of 2009, as part of my New Year rituals, I was listening to Wayne Dyer's "Excuses Be Gone" seminar on how to change habits and life patterns. He introduced his teacher, Dr. Richard Alpert who had made a remarkable recovery from a crippling stroke. Told us that for nearly ten years this man had been confined to a wheel chair and had to relearn everything from speech to simply moving his hand. Doctors had not given him any hope of feeding or clothing himself, much less walking. Yet, Dyer was holding back the tears as he introduced this man, who he said was slowly walking onto the stage. A man who taught him everything about life and now about true Grace. Dyer said, "A man you know as Ram Dass." What??
I was so shocked. I did not know that Ram Dass was Richard Alpert, that he had a major stroke in 1997, or that after ten years of patient self therapy, had brought himself back from the loss of most physical ability. Wow! It was very strange listening to Ram Dass speak so slowly, to realize he was nearly eighty years old. It was all mind blowing, but incredibly inspirational.
I learned of his newest projects, his 2000 book "Still Here" on aging written remarkably just before and published AFTER his stroke, and the movie "Fierce Grace" produced midway during his "come back" around 2003. I had to see that one right away. And, I highly recommend it. What an achievement, yet again proving we truly control our thoughts and physical abilities.
So why the title I used on the blog? Well, watching the movie I kept thinking I have a couple of Ram Dass books. I found the famous "Be Here Now" easily, it was on a shelf with other Buddhist, Tao and Yoga books. But, I could visualize a small paperback about meditation. Where was that one? After searching for about thirty minutes, I remembered it being on the bookcase part of my bed. But, it wasn't on those shelves either. Amazingly, it had slipped down behind my pillows. I had been literally sleeping with Ram Dass for who knows how many days. Friends, there are no coincidences!

I was going to stop there, but I must add how I attribute his healing ways to my own remarkable recovery from a nasty fall that same day. I spent about 36 hours reading his books, watching his videos and website and meditating while my leg was elevated. I let go of my belief that I was going to be devastated by this knee injury. (For the first 24 hours I couldn't stand any weight on it at all.) But, after visualizing my knee working properly, two days later I just got up. At first it was scary and I was favoring it, but I've come to believe it will be fine and I'm well on my way to mobility. If a person can recover from a stroke, then there's no reason my knee can't, too! It's healing itself as I write. Thank you, Ram Dass, for hiding under my pillow!