b75 (3.20-2.2015): jesus in the clouds

jesus in the clouds [1]
by iseewha t. i. wannasee

jesus in the clouds
mary (on tv)
god appears in apple/core (at least that’s what eye see)

there’s no doubt that deity is sending signal now
jesus in a slice of bread? i just believe it:

(wow)
________________________________
 

• those who believe that god shows-up in clouds, bread, roses, sun spots, etc., never ask the all-important question, which (shockingly enough) is “why?”  why??????????? 

• why would god, or jesus, or mother mary, or any spiritual being, “show-up” in such an intangible, refutable, unbelievable way? 

• in other (slightly more direct) words: if your god(s) wanted to ‘show-up,’ why wouldn’t "he" do it in a way that was irrefutable?  why would he play games with the heads of believers and non-believers, alike?

• why show-up half-way?  why screw with people?  why, if you are going to show some kind of ‘proof’ that you are there… why not prove it?   the (obvious, and only) answers: 

1. gods can’t, or
2. gods can, but simply won’t. (which means that they play with our heads)… or
3. gods (as we don’t know them) don’t exist.
4. there is no #4, except for the ‘believer’ responses:
1. “the lord works in mysterious ways” or
2. “you’ve got to have faith” or
3. “there must be a reason” or
4. “it’s beyond our comprehension” etc., etc.

• ...and why would a god allow people (by the millions) to be born-into "wrong" religions... knowing (since he knows all) that they'd be indoctrinated into the wrong cult -- and never even get a chance to believe in him... just why would he allow that to result in millions-upon-millions of souls being deported to an ever-lasting hell? 

what is important to note is that the problem (here) is not “God" and it is not Jesus.  Love is Perfectly Perfect, calm and cool, flowing through All.
 
the problem is men.  men who attempt to explain the sightings, the clouds, the roses, the apparitions, etc., with bullshit.  wo/men are the problem, not God.  the problem is one of control, not Love.

Love is not a problem. Love IS the Answer (and the Question).  

Love has never been a problem, and could never, ever be the problem.

---

[1] martino, j. (3.20-1.2015). jesus in the clouds. book 75: lost & found. © 2015 by j. martino.

b75 (2.26-1.2015): "losing your virginity" (is a misnomer)

‘losing’ your virginity (is a misnomer) [i]
by l. ostinspace

mary was a virgin (right?)
so, unto this day
people use ‘virginity’ in self-obsessing ways
____________________________________ 

• to ‘lose’ your virginity assumes that there was something to be "lost."  

let's find out. :)

• what if we thought of it outside of the biblical ‘loss’ framework, and defined it as a gaining of experience, on this, the planet earth? 

• yes, it’s another ‘snow day’ in north carolina.  that being said, it’s a given that i’d end up watching videos and reading articles that i’d never, ever see on a normal day. 

• the ‘losing virginity’ piece interested me, because of the innate bias surrounding the idea that ‘virginity’ was something to be kept and valued. 

• as a male, i’ll state plainly that, when it comes to first-time sex with a woman, the last experience that you’d want is one with a virgin.  you’d want someone who was comfortable with sex, someone who was comfortable with her body, someone who was comfortable with sexploration, and yes, someone who was comfortable! 

• any girl/woman who has been brought up to believe that she’d be ‘losing’ a prized possession would most likely have some thoughts/ideas/anxiety about the situation. 

• if you’ve ever had good sex, you know that ‘anxiety’ was probably not high on the list of emotions that transpired during the experience. 

• someday, women will re-cognize that they’ve been fed a diet of bullshit by men (and women) of power who sought to control female sexuality. 

• don’t let them tell you that you are ‘losing’ your virginity.  instead, tell those old, dried-up, limp elders that you are intelligent, you are aware, you are in touch with your body, you are in charge of the situation, and that you decide what to do with what you’ve got. 

• ‘losing’ your virginity (is a misnomer).

---

[i] martino, j. (2.26-1.2015). losing your virginity. book 75: lost & found. © 2015 by joal martino.

b75 (1/21/2015): momentary pleasures

momentary pleasures
by p. l. easure

alternative title: demons vs. Angels

momentary pleasures
long and lasting pain
one lasts for a moment; the other (now/again)
one leads to the other, but you’re never sure (which way?)
momentary pleasures are the things we seek (today)
____________________________________ 

 

• every living thing strives to experience one thing, and one thing only… during every, single moment of its life: the experience of pleasure. 

• at times, the experience of pleasure is experienced as (even the slightest) movement away from pain. 

• there is no doubt that certain (momentary) pleasures can lead to (what feels like) everlasting pain.  ((one example: chocolate orgasm martinis > unwanted weight gain)). 

• but isn’t it possible that a pain-full experience could lead to the desire for something more pleasurable?  doesn’t the flu result in the desire to simply be absent of symptoms? 

• is it possible that the pain-pleasure cycle is akin to the inspiration-expiration cycle – the union of opposites that (obviously) is the basic necessity for life itself? 

• does every, living thing calculate the cost-benefit analysis of the pleasure-pain cycle, and does every, living thing make a calculated choice (in each now moment) that weighs the experience of now pleasure against the potential of (future) pain? 

• if so… isn’t every living thing experiencing its highest possible sense of wellness, in every, single, solitary moment?  isn’t it possible that every, single, living thing is (relatively speaking) Bliss? 

• if the Uni-Verse (One-ness, God, the Absolute, the Is, etc.) is in-deed Love… doesn’t it make sense that Love would experience Her-self by experiencing that which She is not? 

• is your most feared enemy, in Reality, your most wanted Angel? 

-the beginning J
__________________________
[1] martino, j. (1.21-1.15). momentary pleasures. book 75: lost & found. © 2015 by joal martino. 

b75 (1/17/2015): incandescent guru

incandescent guru [1]
by gee u. r. you

incandescent guru
walking down the way
talking about what it is that we should do (or say)
taking in the admiration of disciples, now
incandescent guru: he’s the hope, the way, the tao
____________________________________
 

• if it is (really) true that (in order to progress along the path) one needs a guru, then who was the guru to the first guru? 

• somewhere along the line, we assign magical, mystical powers to extra-ordinary people, and the aura gives them the impetus to inspire and to change lives. 

• the problem occurs when we see them in their true light: when they are frustrated, egoic, anxious, aging, sick.  when the guru is exposed, it is not he who has changed, but we – the perspectives that placed him up on the pedestal in the first place. 

• the benefit of being an invisible god is that you can’t get caught with your pants down. 

• from deepak choprah, to the pope, to the dalai lama, to the latest sports hero… human beings have flaws. 

• maybe the key is to see beyond those flaws… the way that new lovers see beyond. 

• but is this reality? 

• but does it need to be?

--------------------

gee, you are you (GURU!)!

__________________________________
[1] martino , j . (1.17-2.15). incandescent guru. book 75: lost & found. © 2015 by joal martino.

b75 (1.15.2015): meditation or medication?

the choice is (literally) ...y/ours.

___________________________________________

* pencil drawing "prayer posture" from the yoga series by joal martino. 

* pictures by microsoft clipart.
* not in a book... since the pictures are not mine.

-composed during the expression of book 75: lost & found. 

b75 (1/9/2015): i beat you

i beat you [1]
by sel f. esteem
 
the cowboys beat the redskins
the angels beat the whores
it doesn’t make me better (just because my team beat yours)
 
chess, cricket, spring olympics, honeymoon (or crew)
it doesn’t make me better (when i claim that i beat you)
____________________________________
 

• in sports, politics and war… there will always be strap-hangers who feel that, just “because mine beat yours, i’m better than you.” 

• on planet earth, whole towns/cities/states and nations can suffer dramatic changes in self-esteem because of a ‘win’ or a ‘loss.’ 

• but what if it’s just a myth?  what if “i beat you” simply means that “i’m an a--hole”? 

• when my very sense of self-worth can be affected by the results of a handful of 19-year olds, playing (a game) with a ball -- then my sense of self-worth needs a major reality check. 

• if my team beats yours (or vice-versa) is says nothing about who is better than who.  even if i beat you, right now, that doesn’t mean that i am better than you. 

• in fact, why do we want to be ‘better’ than anyone else?  who came down (from on-high) with those directions? 

• instead of ‘being better,’ why not just ‘Be’? 

________________________
martino, j. (1.9-1.15). i beat you. book 75: lost & found. © 2015 by joal martino. 

b75 (1/3/2015): lost & found

lost & found [1]
by i. m. lost
 
stumble round the house… with nothing left to do
fifty-six years old (i’m told) and wondering “what’s new?”
glass of wine in hand (it seems there’s lots of that around)
feels as though (i’m lost) of course, just hoping to be found
____________________________________
 

• there are times, after trips and connections and holidays and experiences…

 

• …when i contemplate the big picture: death, afterlife, Be-ing, the Uni-verse, etc.

 

• there are a million things that i could/should do, but i find myself (here), writing to you, as if you could hear me (now), or care (then), when.

_____________________________________
[1] martino, j. (1.3-1.15). lost & found. book 75: lost & found. © 2015 by wellnesseducation.us

b74 (6.16-3.2014): time, it flies (Here/Now)

time, it flies (Here/Now) [i]
by t. imeless
 
time (it flies) hello/goodbyes,
who, what, where, when, why, how
i stop and look into y/our eyes, oh,
time, it flies (Here/Now)

______________________
[i] martino, j. (6.16-3.14). time, it flies (Here/Now). book 74: round trip © 2014 by joal martino.

b73 (2.13-1.2014): sen sationalism

sen sationalism [1] 
by zen sation 

although it might seem like a conspiracy, it is just human expression (coupled with capitalism).

every channel, website, commercial, newscast, etc. has one, ultimate goal (which you already know is not to report the truth).  this is different, however, from a conspiracy to lie.

the goal is simple: to get you to tune-in.  heck, we even do this (in the human sense) as part of the dating and mating game.

businesses make $$ (and people gain power) when they have y/our attention.  by design, the ‘news’ that gets reported/emphasized will be the stuff that gets y/our attention.  the photos, the verbiage and the predictions will sensationalize exponentially – knowing that today’s story will become yesterday’s news old.

that's why the news gives us the most sensational aspects of:

• storms
• catastrophes
• human drama
• war
• nature

are they lying?  are they 'bad'?  are they manufacturing the news???  that is for the (individual) viewer to decide. *

as consumers/viewers, it is our responsibility to re-center, and to re-cognize that newsmakers don’t care (so much) about reality as they do about getting us to tune-in.

again and again. 

_______________________________

[1] martino, j. (2.13-1.14).  book 73: round trip © 2014 by joal martino. 

* truth be told, it is we (by our attention to it) that brings the (apparently external) news upon ourselves. 

b77 (1.21.2014): posturing and posing

posturing and posing
child, mountain, moon
upward-facing dog (we might be forward/folding, soon)
stand up for y/our future
balancing (an act?)
postures/poses/changes (does it matter?)

welcome (back) 

____________________ 

martino, j (1.21.2014). posturing and posing. book 77. round trip. copyright 2014 by joal martino.

*note: the video is not part of the e-book, but it is blogable.

*amy cuddy provides one of my favorite ted talks of all time!

b70 (5.30-1.2013): death/life/death/life/death

death/life/death/life/death [1]
by dead o. r. alive
 

from the moment born, until the final gasp of breath

brother, be forewarned, your future:

death/life/death

 

every morning sunrise

every evening (set)

every day: a chance to meet with those of whom you’ve never met

every thought: a path to future pleasure/future pain

every-thing (again, again, again, again, again)

 

so here you are: a tiny interplanetary being

so here you are, apart: but yet a-part of everything

so here you are: a sister/brother/parent/husband/wife

so here you are:

death/life/death/life/death/life

____________________________

 

·       there is no way (that we know of) to escape death.

 

·       have you ever wondered if the same is true for life?

 

·       in other words, what if the Spirit-world requires us to incarnate?  are there Spirit-essences, sitting around (enjoying their Spiritual experiences), who are destined to ‘die’ into physical form – and who experience subsequent ‘birth’ on ‘planets’ in a Uni-Verse?

 

wwwwhaaaaaaaat????

 

·       what if G∞d recycles?   what if the death/life/death/life/death/life experience is a part of the fabric of Is-ness?  what if it’s none of our business?

---

[1] martineau, l. (5.30-1.2013). death/life/death/life/death. book 70: re-View. © by wellnesseducation.us 

b77 (3.3-1.2013): the ghost in the machine

the ghost in the machine [i]
by eye i. I
 
holographic Universe
micro-scopic Dream
in it, people wonder why we’re here and what it means
in it, only memories of what we’ve touched and seen
in it, maybe wIe are just the ghost in the machine
_________________________________
 

• wave forms of the present pass through receptors that provide us with the sense experience of space and time (touch, smell, hearing, sight, taste, and intuition). 

• intuition is akin to a sixth-sense that integrates all of the sense-able, sense-ory information that an individual is able to assimilate, in the present Now moment. 

• as wIe appear to pass from one dream-world to the next, our previous dreams tend to fade away, leaving us with the newer Dream and the newer ‘memories’.  the new Dream (of course) comes complete with some type of stimulation or drama. 

• this is why nobody’s world, anywhere/anytime is devoid of complications, challenges, and ‘good/bad’ scenarios.  there is no Perfect, Bliss-full world, b/c such an existence would be boring. 

 
 
 

---

[i] martino, j. (3.3-1.2013). the ghost in the machine. book 71: lao j. onitram © 2013 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b72 (2.6-1.2013) endings or beginnings?

endings or beginnings?

by b. e. ginning

endings or beginnings (what's the message that we send)?

maybe it's the Same (here in this game of let's pretend)

___________________________ 

* let's pretend is a game that allows us to imagine that we are experiencing a different world than the real world.

* what if our (start/stop, good/bad) life (on planet earth) is deeply embedded in the game, while the Real World sits back in Co-experiential Harmony? 

* could a game of beginnings and endings exist within a Larger  framework that doesn't end when the game is over? 

_________________________ 

written during book 72: re-view.

b77 (1/17/2013): dead sparrow

dead sparrow [1]
by al i. veforever
 

i picked-up a dead sparrow
i swear i saw her move
i think that (maybe) sparrow had a little more to prove
 
she turned her head and looked at me, with softness in her eyes
and then she held my hand (so tight); so gentle, yet so wise
 
and with a look of sadness… (i wanted her to stay)
i opened up my heart (i smiled)
i let her fly away
 
and with a look of sadness (we all wanted her to stay)
we opened up our hearts (we smiled)
we waved goodbye, today

_____________________________
 
* at donna’s house, small birds are sometimes attacked by a hawk, and the fleeing birds have been known to fly into the kitchen window -- in an effort to escape.   we heard the familiar ‘thump’ on the window, and several family members saw the hawk leave its prey on the snow-covered deck, just in front of the sliding-glass door.
 
* this particular sparrow appeared to be lying there, lifeless in the snow, so we decided to leave her there… essentially allowing the hawk to come back and have “nature, take its course.”
 
* but something strange happened.  after what seemed like 15-20 minutes of lying, face-down in the snow, i thought that i saw her move!   …so i went outside and cupped her into my hands.
 
* she (almost immediately) sprang to life, but instead of trying to fly, she clutched onto my hand with her tiny little claws.  we took a few photos, and then brought her into the house so that tom could attempt to revive her.  he went to get a box, and the plan was to let her slowly regain some sense of control. 

i brought her over to dad, and he, visibly moved, 

petted her head, lovingly... as if he was re-membering his wife (r.i.p. jo) 

who left this planet just a few days prior: 

waaaaaaaay too soon.  

she (this re-incarnation, this sparrow) seemed to get stronger!

 
* and when tom brought the box, and when i tried to lower her into it, she would not let go.   she was determined, powerful, and unyielding.  one might say, "jo-esque."
 
* donna could sense that this bird was ready to fly, and she mentioned something about the challenges associated with birds, flying around (inside of the house), so i walked outside, with bird in hand.
 
* with family looking on in suspended disbelief, our (apparently) dead sparrow took on New Life... and flew away.
 
 
 
 

---

[1] martino, joal. (1.17-1.2013). dead sparrow. book 77: re-view. © 2013 by joal martino. 

later on, in the airport...

b70 (6.17-1.2012): young life

(young) life [1]

by f. r. agility
 
young life:
 
so delicate, so fragile...
so full of possibilities, so full of potential challenges...
so thick and rich in real drama, so present in that which really matters...
so meaning-full

may we wallow in it,

may we celebrate it, and

may we savor the Love, experienced as it unfolds

_____________________________________ 

* on this father's day, allow me to praise and honor all parents.

* there is no way (for me) to be able to truly relate to your experiences of Ultimate Joy and (potential) pain, so it's "hat's off" to you -- again, and again, and again

---

[1] martino, j. (6.17-1.2012). young life. book 70: Hoooooome. © 2012 www.wellnesseducation.us. 

  

11 & 11 = One

11 & 11 = One
by t. h. eway

one and one is two
two and two is four
two and two and three and three (let's open every door)

two and two and three and three and One (a day for Fun)
One becomes variety,
11, 11:
One
__________________________________________________

* the summation of everything, created in the image of the One, is the One... meaning that the One (One-ing, ex-panding, Love-ing, Be-ing, re-Create-ing, Play-ing) becomes the 11, which (in turn) is the One.

* it's prime time:

 

b68 (3.23.2010): triangulation

triangulation

by joal

 

triangulation: a term used in orienteering, research and relationships.  it is a technique by which a navigator can pinpoint or define an unknown location by using two known locations.  in research, triangulation refers to a process of validating the analysis by using two (or more) research methods to “triangulate.”

 

in relationships… uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

 

triangulation happens all of the time, when three people know each other.  here’s how it works:

 

“given a group of three, when one member is absent,

the remaining two will talk about the one who is absent.”

 

the (above) quote shows another, very good reason to stay Present, but that’s another story, in and of itself.

 

in triangulation, when two people are talking/gossiping about a third, and interesting phenomenon is taking place:

 

• if the self-esteem of the talkers is healthy/high, they will tend to focus on the positive aspects of the absent individual. 

• if the self-esteem of the talkers is unhealthy/low, they will tend to focus on the negative aspects of the absent individual. 

this phenomenon also occurs constantly in the media, and media-ocre-ite (viewer) is bombarded unendingly with the low self-esteem projections of (apparently) confident media personalities who are (very likely) miser-able.

 

but this is the interesting part:

 

the talking/gossiping does not mean that all talkers/gossipers are “bad” people.  all it means is that they are actually saying more about themselves than they are about the third party.

• judgment defines the judge

• Praise defines the appraiser

• criticism defines the critic

• Forgiveness defines the For-giver

• anger defines the angry

• Love defines the Lover

•  shame and blame define the bestower

…but there’s even a deeeeeeeeeper level, Here:

 

triangulation doesn’t define the person, but rather, it defines how an individual is feeling at that particular moment.  it allows us to introspectively determine whether we are moment-arily centered in fear or in Love; in ego or in Union; in physical or in Spirit.

 

once we Awaken into self-Consciousness, we can then decide how to proceed from tHere.

 

-the Beginning.

_________________________

from book 68 (wonder-Full) by j. martino. copyright 2024 by j. martino.

b68 (2.2-1.2010): why i am single

why i am single [1]

by joal martino

 

the purpose of this essay is to describe why i am single.

 

it (kind-of) answers the question, posed to many humanoids nowadays, which is:

 

“you’re such a nice (cool, fun, etc.) guy, why haven’t you ever been married?”

 

note: this is not a marriage-bashing essay.  we “single” people (contrary to popular belief) Love married people!  some of our best friends are married.  some of our best relatives are married.  many of us are very, very glad that our parents got married.

 

married people: we Love you.

 

it’s just that we aren’t married (yet, and maybe never will be, and maybe that’s okay).

 

b.t.w: this essay is just for me, so do not ever, ever, ever feel obligated to read it.  

it’s just for moi.

 

allow me to describe my day, so far today (it’s exactly 12:27 pm; just after/during lunch/siesta), eastern standard time.  i’ve been up since 0600.

 

the alarm jolted me out of bed at six-o’clock, and i’d set it with no time to spare, since i had a job interview at 8, and the weather was predicted to be “ice, with a wintery mix.”

 

i shut off the alarm, and promptly slithered back into bed (just for a second), only to awaken to the knowing that it was late, i was late, and i should slap myself silly (if i only had time).

 

shave, shower, go.  lots of traffic.   at 7:58 (two miles from the interview) i call “debbie” to let her know that i’m stuck on the brookshire street exit.  in my mind, the mantra “cities suck, cities suck!” is ringing -- very, very loudly.

 

instead of panic, i chill.  i breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeathe.  i smile.

 

at 8:01, i enter the interview building, and i’m actually ahead of schedule (since the committee is preparing themselves, in the interview room).

 

paperwork, etc.

 

i proceed to kick the interview’s ass.   i’m exponentially overqualified for the job, but there were 279 applicants, and i’m just happy to get into the pool of the final eight.  i flow.  i don’t need the job anyway (because nobody needs any-thing, anyway), but i let the committee know that i’d be nothing short of dynamite in this position.  yes, yes, yes, i gave them handouts, 13 potential references (true), and we spoke to each other like happy siblings at a family reunion.

 

i exit, smiling.  i thank the committee.  in the lobby, i shake the hands of the next two interviewees, and i tell them that i hope that we’ll all get hired, so that we can all work together.  i’m not lying… it’s just that i’m envisioning how these guys would do very well, working for me.

 

i call the love of my life, and (even though she’s 40 miles out of the way), i ask if she’d like 15-minutes of company before she goes off to work.

 

she (of course) loves the idea, and she prepares a giant cup of coffee for me as i approach the hacienda that can only be referred to as “casa-susita.”

 

i enter her house; i kiss her delicious face, and we proceed to express our appreciation for one-another for the next 10 delectable minutes.

 

we exit, and i drive home.  upon arrival, i proceed to throw my suit-jacket and tie onto the ironing board.  ((yes, i ironed my shirt late last night, and neglected to move the ironing board out of the living room.))  

by the way, do you have issue with that? 

 

i look left, i look right.  it’s 1013.  school has been cancelled at the college, and i’ve got the day off. 

 

i look left, and again i look right.  i open the fridge, and pop open magic hat winter seasonal (porter), and i smile, knowing that my girl would love to be right here, right Now, sharing what cheryl crowe might call a “beer buzz, early in the morning.”    another part of me is quite happy to be able to enjoy this moment by myself, in my own place, in my own time, in my own way.  and guess what?  nobody can say nothin.

i take off my shirt.

 

with siesta in mind, i begin to cook the most fantastic meal that you will ever savor, ever:

 

          ·    grilled veggies (with onion and garlic, since i’m alone)

·     blackened mahi mahi (can you say “YUM?”)

·      trader joe’s white wine (because i’m now officially “out of beer”)

 

as the adventure progresses, my attire morphs into the following:

• dress pants (belt removed, and then thrown across the living room – because i can)
• black shoes replaced by florida state university slippers (go ‘noles!)
• a fleece “providence, rhode island” sweatshirt (blue, in color)

i eat, i drink.  the cellphone is off.  there is no television, there is no noise.  …not even a bit of background music. 

nada, baby, nada.

 

…and i get to think of you, the humanoids that i love, love, Love.  …and i get to write to you, and to open-up to you. …and i get to feel Connected to you!   i Love you, and i Love this!

 

and that is why i’m single.  i’m not saying that being single is “right”… i’m just sayin’…

 

love, joal

___________________________________________________

[1] martino, j. (2009). why i am single. book 68: wonder-Full. © 2010 by joal martino.

* but here's the real reason: you can do what you want, when you want, how you want, where you want, with who you want, for the reasons why you want... and nobody can question your reasons.  you've got no ring, no contract, no promise, no commitment, no kids, no dog, no debt... and nothing but time and options.

...and you've got no tolerance for anyone who wants you to behave a certain way (so that they will be happier).

------------------------------

here's a 2025 update on the issue:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEWaeRcYbGw 

entitled "the solo man's revolution."