Some New Stuff I Recently Got Into [read, write, talk, love]

Received the new issue of  "In Communion"  the journal of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship.

Also received the new issue the journal "Christian Apologetics" in the mail. 
Excellent journal / magazine.  Find it & read it, lest you be a chode!

Just finished reading "From the Ashes of Sobibor" by Thomas Toivi Blatt.  Supposedly a true story about a Jewish kid who escapes from Sobibor work camp in Poland, in 1943 or so.  He's on the run all over Poland dodging Nazis & Polish & Russian Partisans who are unfriendly to Jews.  Him & some other random Jews who are homeless & stateless, hide out in various barns, silos, & haystacks.  As well as forests, woods, cellars --abandon buildings--you names it he's squatted there.  Very fast paced story & book.  There is an added interview that the author conducted with one of the head guards from the camp, done in 1983.   The German military officer served 16 years in prison & was filled with regret over what allegedly went on in this & other work camps, or concentration camps as they are also called.  In some ways the author seems to relish in continually bringing up atrocities & alleged mistreatment that may or may not have gone down that way 40 years earlier.  World War II was terrible--for everyone, NOT just Jews, Gypsies, or Jehovah's Witnesses.  German & Polish civilians had a horrible time, especially towards the end of the war.  Yet it is the Jews who are usually in a position of power, with the media and various governments, so they can push the books, movies, TV shows, magazine articles, etc, about the "German Holocaust™ of European Jewry."  It's as if the Jews call the shots in the public's everyday lives!  OK OK, I'm not some Neo-Nazi or total conspiracy buff (tho I do follow many of the alternate historical theories laid out by minds more brilliant than mine) but I now know that there is WAY more to this holocaust™ story than meets the eye!  Especially after learning that in fifteen countries it is a FELONY to ask questions about 
the official holocaust™ story line!  Why in the heck does truth need to be protected by prison
time?!??!  Well, this is fodder for many many more posts.  Just read this book if you happen to
find it somewhere for free.
Published by Northwestern University Press. ♥

*Also watched "The Amityville Horror" from 1979 with Cheryl the other night.  Such a damn good movie.  But I kind of stick to what my friend Deacon Dave said recently:  he doesn't watch movies like this because he knows the evil one is all too real.  Sometimes movies, books, music, or other art
in this vein can be a sort of "doorway" through which Satan or any of his demons can creep into one's
mind, body, or life in general.  I don't want to come off as some sort of 'holier-than-thou' Bible thumping, closed minded, scaredy cat, but maybe Deacon Dave's message is worth paying attention
to?  Lord knows I've done things MY way for a long long time.  And look where it's gotten me! ♥
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
-----> [Edit 1/28/2013]  Strange to re-read a simple post like this, where I mention watching a DVD
  with Cheryl, me now ex-girlfriend.  I've been missing her for the past several months, and we have
  been talking, emailing, and texting each other.  She says she would like to try to be friends first,
  to maybe start over that way & then see where that leads.  Then maybe we can get back together,
  she stated.  However, she has turned me down, all fifteen times that I've asked her out over the past
  three months.  She even sent me an email telling me the CORRECT way to ask a woman out, and
  told me, "feel free to use this advice on me or any other woman!"  So I asked her out the way she
  suggested was proper, and she IGNORED my request!  LOL, then I reminded her that I had asked
  her out, and she claims to have FORGOTTEN that I did so!  LOL, I've never been fed such a line 
  of utter bullshit, lies, and disrespect in my entire life!  I was slack-jawed as I read her email explain-
  ing this to me!  Seriously, I've been rejected & ignored before, but I think this one takes the cake!
  LOL!!!  Obviously she thinks I'm retarded & has absolutely ZERO respect for me!  So, I am now
  following the advice of my spiritual advisers & supportive people in my life: I just CANNOT even
  be friends with her at this point in time.  I'm not supposed to have ANY contact with her whatsoever.  She is toxic for me, and I DO NOT deserve this kind of bullshit or pain or lack of respect.  It's hard for me to do, because I thought I still loved her.  Turns out that I wasn't really in love with her, rather I was afraid of being alone!!!  I am worth much, much more than anything she can provide for me.  So I've had to move on, and perhaps at a later time we can be friends.  But at this point, anyone around me who treats me the way she has been treating me is NOT my friend.  Yes, 
I'm sad.  Not too sad, now that I see things in a different light, but a bit heartbroken.  Oh well, it will
pass, it always does.  Besides, she's not a millionaire, nor a beauty queen, (her words not mine) and
I'm quite confident that I can do much, much better. ♥

Checked out from the public library yesterday: "The Lost Sutras of Jesus: Unlocking the Ancient Wisdom of the Xian Monks" by Riegert & Moore.
"Lectio Divina" by M. Basil Pennington.  He wrote "The Monks of Mount Athos" which is a great book.  We'll see how this one turns out to be.
"The Eastern Catholic Churches: And Introduction to Their Worship & Spirituality" by Joan L. Roccasalvo.
"The Jesus Sutras" by Martin Palmer.  Good stuff.

Also wanted to mention some other books I'm currently reading very slowly, and probably won't finish for another year (as is my m.o. I read maybe two dozen books at once...little by little.)
"Gates to Buddhist Practice" by Chagdud Tulku.
"The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers & Mothers" by Wilson - Hartgrove.
"Praying the Word: An Introduction to Lectio Divina" by Enzo Bianchi.
The winter 2010 - 2011 issue of "The Journal of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives."
"A Tree in a Forest: A Collection of Ajahn Chah's Similies" edited by Dhamma Garden.

Thomas Merton & Buddhism, & What I'm Reading--

"The Wisdom of the Desert" currently reading.

Also: The Catholic Hearth --various issues of this beautifully & artfully put together Catholic 1/2 sized journal, put out by The Neumann Press.

"Pure Land Pure Mind"  translation by J.C. Cleary. I love love love this book about Pure Land Buddhism.  Pure Land is the most prevalent form of Buddhism on the planet, but one of the least practiced in the West.  It has some similarities to Zen and can thus be practiced alongside Zen Buddhism.  I received many Pure Land books in the mail over the summer, and none of them have let me down.  As a matter of fact, I've got reading material to last me well into 2013!!!  Thank God for generous Buddhists!

And this reminds me of some of the Thomas Merton books I have that talk about his affinity for Zen Buddhism and Buddhist & Eastern religious practices in general.  Good stuff, get in to it!

St. Mina Retrteat Ctr., Troy, MI

St. Mina Retreat Center in Troy, MI

This place looks beautiful!  I've never been there but I have an open invitation to come.  I was communicating with a monk there, who sent me some chrismating oils, a few beautiful icons of St. Mena (Mina) and some small books written by Pope Shenouda III  (I believe that is how you spell their pope's name!)   Just an all-around nice guy...the monk I wrote to, that is.  

I have some more Coptic Orthodox information to post about.  I love my Coptic brothers & I want to learn as much as I can about their classic church.

Can a Christian become an Israeli Citizen?

NO
Israel only allows Jews to become Israeli citizens.

In 1999, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that Jews or the descendants of Jews that actively practice a religion OTHER than Judaism would not be allowed to immigrate to Israel as they would no longer be considered Jews under the provisions of the Law of Return.

Israeli legislators chose to make a clear distinction between the Law of Return, which allows for Jews and their descendants to immigrate to Israel, and between Israel's nationality law, which formally grants Israeli citizenship based on the Oleh's certificate. In other words, the Law of Return in and of itself does not determine Israeli citizenship; it merely allows for Jews and their eligible descendants to permanently relocate within the territory of Israel.
The state of Israel does, however, grant citizenship to any applicant who immigrated to Israel via the Law of Return if the applicant so desires, though this is not mandated by the Law of Return itself.
(wikipedia)

Source(s):

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/200…

SKINGIRL

SKINGIRL, a photo by ♪♫PSICO--MOD♪♫ on Flickr.

My new favorite Byrd. This one's going into the collection I'm sending to Tackett in the joint.

Nice Picture of a Random Skinhead Chick--

I found this picture a year ago or so, on some kids Flickr page. He has a shit ton of great pictures of skin chicks on his page! I don't know who this byrd is, but for some reason I just really liked this photo. I fuckin' love the style skinhead girls have! Go Skins!!! ♥♥♥

Ahhh, Skin Byrds!

Edge Day 2000

Unfinished documentary of the first 'Edge Day' show in 2000, Boston, MA.

Watch the video through the link I posted above.  IN MY EYES, TEN YARD FIGHT, BANE & MOUTHPIECE!!!  Makes me nostalgic for the incredibly awesome Posi-Fest shows!!!
Looks like a blast.  Yes, yesterday, Mon Oct. 17, was National Edge Day in America.
Get into it!

Speaking of Posi-Fest--someone stole my Posi-Fest DVD!  I want it back!  Though it will never be returned to me.  I know who the culprit is...the same guy who stole 900 CD's from me & 75 DVD's.  There will be justice coming, so watch yourself, sucker!!!

Cold & Rainy Here in Ypsilanti...

Out here in Ypsi a.k.a. Little Detroit, it's been raining all last night and all today.  Stop for a few minutes then start back up again.  Cold, like 51 degrees which is all relative of course.  In two months from now, 51 degrees will feel like a day at the sauna!
Ugggg, falling asleep typing.  Can't keep my eyes open.  Problem is I can't sleep either.  This morning I woke up at 6:30 and ate a Pop-Tart.  Then got up at 8:45, made some phone calls, & ate another Pop-Tart.  I love those things & I've averaged six a day for the past seven days.  Not good for me but oh-so tasty!!!

Lightening Never Strikes Twice

My ex-father-in-law was killed on Aug. 27.  He was struck by lightening in his own back yard while letting his new puppy do his business.  This is one of the strangest, most horrible, most random things I've ever heard of happening.  I feel bad for my ex-wife & her mother.  Not that they had any love for me towards the end of my marriage, cuz they most certainly didn't.  Actually I think they hated me. 
Still, I've had at least a half a dozen dreams in the past few weeks with him in them.  Weird, scary as hell vivid dreams bordering on nightmares.  Odd.

What I'm Reading This Week:

Saint Charbel  by Paul Daher.  St. Charbel is an obscure monk in the Eastern Christian tradition.


Father Arseny 1893 - 1973  translated by Bouteniff.  This book is great!  Basically it is a compilation of stories & anecdotes about Fr. Arseny, mostly during his incarceration in Communist Russian Gulags.  This holy man had it rough, but somehow persevered.  Great uplifting stores.  I really enjoyed learning about this priest & I always love reading about Soviet Russia.  WOW!  20 Million people were killed in the name of communism!  That's like four times the amount of people killed in Nazi jails.  Why do we hear so little about the plight of humans during this era?


Becoming Orthodox  by Peter Gillquist.
Magic & Mysticism  by Arthur Versluis
The Desert Fathers Sayings of the Early Christian Monks
Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way  by Matthew the Poor
Saint Elisabeth the New Martyr  by Ludmila Koehler
Bill W.: A Biography of Alcoholics Anonymous Co founder Bill Wilson  by Francis Hartigan
Saint Bernard: The Oracle of the 12th Century  by Rev. Hugo H. Hoever, S.O. Cist.,Ph.D

VERSE video

This is a great clip from VERSE live in Germany August 31, 2008.
Get into it!!!

ALKALINE TRIO "While You're Waiting"

This is probably my favorite ALKALINE TRIO song!!!  This and "Queen of Pain" which are both from the split with HOT WATER MUSIC!!!  Good tunes for sure!!!
  "I'm not crying wolf you whispered, I'm really dead this time!"

PEGBOY "Strong Reaction"

Ahhhh, The almighty PEGBOY!!!  Now let me say this: singer is named Larry Damore, right? I always hated his name & the fact that he's a big teddy bear of a jock.  I know he was in the BHOPAL STIFFS, I even had their LP on vinyl, but he always seemed so "unpunk" to me.  I guess because at times I can be very shallow.

The Maronites

Maronite History Project

Cool website.  The Maronites are an Eastern Catholic Church that is in full communion with Rome & the Roman Catholics.  This church was founded by St. Maron in Lebanon.  And they are primarily all Lebanese.  There is no Orthodox equivalent church, like there is for many of the other Uniate Orthodox (Eastern Catholic) Churches.  I have a giant, hardcover book on the Maronites that was given to me by a Maronite priest from California.  Also have a few smaller books & some icon-prayer cards.  I have always been fascinated by Christianity, and especially Catholicism, of the middle east.

More Weird Dreams / Jail Guitar Doors

I no longer wear a nicotine patch to sleep at night.  Just don't really need it.  Besides, I was only using about 2mg's anyhow.  I would cut a 21mg patch into about 8 - 10 pieces and wear one of those small, small ones.  But nonetheless, I have had weird-ass dreams still.  Man, I can't remember the specifics of last night's dreams, but I keep getting that "elusive" feeling.  Like the more that I try to remember the more the dreams fades & fades away....Slipping through my fingers....

Sent out a letter & card to my friend Pat D. in prison today.  He recently got sentenced to 5 - 20 years state time.  He is currently housed in a psychiatric medium security prison in Whitmore Lake, MI.  Apparently this is one of our states adolescent prisons, formerly known as Maxey Boys Training Camp.  I'll find out the specifics of the prison from Pat when I hear back from him.  I hadn't seen him in a while so I looked him up on the MI Prison Info page and sure enough, there he was.  I'm sure he'll be excited to hear from me.  He's a good dude, just got completely messed up by the dual problem of drug addiction & bi-polar disorder.  Sent along a few icons & prayer cards, as well as some Catholic propaganda & a photo of me.  Inmates like this kind of stuff, to make collages with or use to aid in their prayer life.  I'll keep him in my prayers & you can too, if you're so inclined.

Also sent a letter to James N. who saw the parole board last month.  I think he'll find out real soon if he got his parole or if he got a flop.  But really, since he caught a new case while on parole (PV new bit) we're not expecting him to make his first parole date of March 2012.  One can always hope though, since he has a three year old son, his first & only, out here waiting for his daddy to come home.

And shot a letter & card out to my friend Eric L. today.  Eric will be coming home in Sept. of 2012.  He is eligible for boot camp but has yet to hear from them with the paperwork & specifics so he thinks he'll just do the time instead of messing with three months of boot camp & then three months out on a tether.  That state MDOC boot camp program is soft as hell these days!  Back in the mid to late 90's it was still rough going!  The corporals & drill sergeants put their hands on you, spit on you, knocked you down, picked you up, threw food at you, TOOK food from you, and just generally made life miserable for you.  From 5am until 10pm it was non-stop moving & hardcore p.t.!!!  Now it's like a behavior modification training program, with hardly any rough physical training!  It's actually called "MPRI" now.  That stands for the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative.  The only real good thing to come from that program is that you must work hard to get your GED while you're there & they will pay the first three months of your rent when you get out, allowing a chance for you to get your feet back on the ground.
I don't know--writing letters to my friends & sending religious propaganda & some of my artwork--seems like the right thing to do.  It's not that hard for me but it means a lot to them.  Anyone who's ever been locked-up will agree.