b88 (3.12-4.2020): maybe life is viral

(maybe) life is viral ^[1]    
by w. e. reavirus

alternative title: living things must die

maybe life is viral
rampant re-production
ravaging re-sources
death (its final function)
 
limited perspective gasps for breath (and questions why)
rampant reproduction:
living things must die
______________________________
 
·        life itself is a phenomenon of instinctive survival/thrival that results in abundant mass-reproduction.

·        nature-ally, checks and balances (predators, viri, aging processes, war, etc.) have a tendency to curb overpopulation.

·        from a (limited) human perspective, we might attempt to ‘hold onto’ life and (subsequently) fear death.  this would be especially true if we somehow believed that every-thing was created for us.

·        if one can envision humanity as a virus (with the ability to run rampant... like every, other living thing), one might be able to detach from the need to control every-thing.

·        death (after All) is what makes life worthwhile!
 
this is not to say that we should ignore death and focus only on life. 
 
maybe… the trick is to do exactly what we do-Be-do: exper-i-ence the heck out of life, while under-standing that death is lurking – just around the corner.
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.12-4.2020). (maybe) life is viral. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.12-3.2020): life is anti-viral

life is anti-viral ^[1]            
by w. e. reavirus
 
move that body
deepen breath, and
picture the serene
it might take some energy, but try to think good things
gratitude can bring a smile amid the deadly spiral
living things connect
life is anti-viral
______________________________
 
·        life itself is a fusion… a connected, evolving, expanding, communicative, collaborative stew.
 
(…except for when it views itself as separate)
 
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.12-3.2020).  life is anti-viral. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.12-2.2020): there's no need for $chool

there’s no need for $chool ^[1]      
by anna teacher
 
there’s an empty classroom near an empty parking space
students locked at home (with their devices in their face)
 
once the politicians figure out the gold-en rule:
there’s no need for teacher$
there’s no need for $chool
______________________________
 
·        because a robot can account for learning -- when learning is defined as “the ability to retrieve data.”
 
 
 
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.12-2.2020).  there’s no need for $chool. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.12-1.2020): fear can lock us down

fear can lock us down ^[1]              
by imon l. ockdown
 
empty stadium beneath an eery, empty sky
empty politician spouting (clearly empty lies)
empty purse (consumer sports a leery, empty frown)
 
“there’s no doubt” (an empty shout)
fear can lock us down
______________________________
 
·        fear (the verb, not noun) is presently locking u.s. down.
 
 
 
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.12-1.2020).  fear can lock us down. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.11-1.2020): nature thins the herd

nature thins the herd ^[1]
by ima n. atural
 
nature thins the herd
the slow, the weak, the old
the ones who aren’t immune to viri (silly, common, cold)
the ones who aren’t immune to predatory hide & seek
 
nature thins the herd (assured)
the old, the slow, the weak
______________________________
 
·        sometimes, nature thins itself (as nature is the herd, and she is the predator).

·        humans possess masterful ingenuity, communication skills, and collaborative tendencies (contrary to what we observe in u.s. lawmakers).

·        since we are partial to us… we take action to improve birth rates and extend lifespans.

·        when a predator/virus comes along to thin the herd, our tendency is to protect the old, the slow, and the weak ...actually places the whole at greater risk.

·        the old, the weak, and the slow tend to consume resources (e.g. time), and they also tend to reproduce (old, weak and slow ideas).  this further weakens the holistic gene pool.
 
this thoem is not about the ‘rightness or ‘wrongness’ of the whole, sacrificing itself for the one.  ‘nature thins the herd’ simply ob-serves how nature goes about being itself. 

when it is my time to go, i won't go quietly... but i will understand that my demise is just nature (thinning the herd).
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.11-1.2020). nature thins the herd. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.10-1.2020): fear won

ear won ^[1]        
by anna b. server
 

alternative title: fear, 1

the score: “common-sense, zero”
(when this is said and done)
we lost be-cause we’re lost (of course)
the score, for sure: fear 1
______________________________
 
·        fear 1, common-sense 0.  game over.

·        the perfect storm of media driven lunacy, in a time when lies = truth and reality = lies, the consumerism-based media takes down the biggest of power-driven countries.

·        bumbling, bubble-headed leadership, facebook-news, and a pundit-on-every-click can result in mass crisis (quick).

·        paper-market-economies, based upon faux news and fake (sometimes printed) money, becomes a filled suitcase of paper-dollars that can’t buy you breakfast.

·        in a whirlwind that would make ASI proud, humanity gets taken down… by its own fear.

·        ego-cancer (as always…) committing murder-suicide – as the cancer infects, and then kills its own host – thereby killing himself.
 
_________________________

[1] martino, j. (3.10-1.2020). fear won. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us.  

b88 (3.9-1.2020): empty beach

empty beach ^[1]             
by anna miss
 
no chair-tags and no towels
no chair-wars-dance at six
(if i did not know better, i’d say something was amiss)
no sports to try, nothing to buy, no students left to teach
no human interaction, just an eerie
empty beach
 ______________________________
 
·       it was surreal out there, with no one jousting for territory, and no one waiting in line for coffee.  with no one experiencing an early morning beach-walk, and no excursion boats approaching, it seemed as though even the waves were isolated.

·       there was rumor that aruba had experienced its first (official) case of covid, today.  in any event, the usually bustling beach-vibe is eerily non-existent.  

this could be serious.
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.9-1.2020). empty beach. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.8-1.2020): that girl should not be doing crow

that girl should not be doing crow ^[1]
by egoic y. ogis
 
when does the yogi student/teacher learn to “just say no”?
that girl there on the beach sand…
…should not be doing crow
______________________________
 
·       another example of a show-ga teacher’s ego, pushing a willing student into a pose that sets her up for injury.

·       the teacher was thin, light and flexible – moving in an out of crow pose as if she were the reincarnation of blackbird the pirate.

·       her student, on the other hand, struggled with each attempt, shaking her hands to loosen-up the carpal-tunnel area in between.  she (eventually) progressed to one leg off of the ground, but did not look comfortable or aligned.
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.8-1.2020). that girl should not be doing crow. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.7-1.2020): pretty in pink

pretty in pink ^[1]            
by knipe h. t. ginvol
 
those are some sorry burpees, baby,
(butt) you made me think
you exercise my demons when you look
pretty in pink
______________________________
 
·       inspired by a walk on the beach (in aruba) & observing a hot chick in a teeny-tiny pink outfit, doing really, really bad burpees.

·       i’m on the brink, as i think… i want to burp your baby.

_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.7.1.2020). pretty in pink. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us.

b88 (3.6-1.2020): rumsey's last stand

rumsey’s last stand ^[1]              
by joal
 

alternative title: when you’d like to put out a contract (on your contractor)

 
1.     mike from rumsey construction came over today, in a last second hail-mary attempt to fix my home foyer (after mullen construction's water-damage fix-fiasco.
 
2.     he thought he had leverage, but i’d already told mickey that i’d fired rumsey and hired someone else.
 
3.     he had his dude (another subcontractor – one who “really knows what he is doing”) on the phone, and the subcontractor suggested “just sealing and waxing.”
 
4.     the interesting thing is that (similar to other rumsey dealings) the sub-contractor said “i’ll give you the estimate once you leave the house.”  -- meaning once mike was away from my earshot.
 
5.     here’s how this thing works.  the sub-contractor gives the contractor an estimate, and then the contractor will attempt to determine how much $$$ is available (from the insurance company) and then he will bill the maximum – up to that point.
 
6.     it’s all bullsh-t.
 
7.     i’ll have a different company estimate the costs of sealing, buffing, painting, etc., and give the job to them.  after all, there’s money in the pot.
 
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.6-1.2020). rumsey’s last stand. book 88: marching into madness?  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.5-3.2020): rich

rich ^[1]   
by ima rich

fine line between rich/richard

fine line between rich/rick
(of course) you’d like the $$$$$, but you just might get a…  
______________________________

·        there are a multitude of ways to measure richness, and most have nothing to do with (apparent) monetary status:
o   family & friends
o   health
o   time to breathe, relax, contemplate, or do none of the above.
o   love/romance
o   connection, cooperation, collaboration
o   experiences
o   purpose
o   fulfillment

etc.

while “going for the money” and “marrying rich” might be sound advice (if you have to get married), consider that there are many dimensions of ‘rich’.

_________________________ 

[1] martino, j. (3.5-3.2020). rich. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by joal martino. 

b88 (3.5-2.2020): dogaccessory

dogaccessory ^[1]
by martha erin me & melania ellen my
 
i don’t consider you (my world is me, me, me, me, me)
i don’t just have a dog, i have a dogaccessory
_______________________________
 
·        i throw her birthday parties,
·        i take him to the beach,
·        i cart her off to starbucks,
·        i poop him on your street,
·        i pee her in your garden,
·        i dump him in your yard,
·        i show her on my arm (no harm), he doesn’t get too far.
 
i don’t consider you (your phony doggie allergy)
i don’t just have a dog, i have a dogaccessory
 
i fence her in (i yank his chain when no one else can see)
i don’t just have a dog, i have a dogaccessory

_____________________ 

• some people (not you) treat their dogs like accessories.

 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.5-2.2020). dogaccessory. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.5-1.2020): pink evolves to pinker

pink evolves to pinker ^[1]              
by opti mystic
 
pink evolves to pinker (myth & faith to theory/fact)
maybe it is time for us to get into the act
_______________________________
 
·        steven pinker answers the question: “is the world getting worse, or better?”
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.5-1.2020). pink evolves to pinker. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us.

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCm9Ng0bbEQ&feature=emb_logo&fbclid=IwAR1jVfVVw7-8ai8SQjBYEDBKWN6DI8-51exhCu5kPZ0ISiv_Dfjzk9IeWD0 (is the world getting better or worse? a look at the numbers.) 

b88 (3.3-2.2020): Oneness, She needs ego

Oneness, She needs ego ^[1]          
by Uni-Fied & eve grace omaniac
 
Oneness, She needs e-go
to take her for a ride
to sweep Her on her feet
to go (and come inside)
to cause a little drama
to see (below/above)
Oneness, She needs ego, here,
and with him She makes Love
_______________________________
 
·        ego/perspective, the false sense of separate self = e-go = energy, on the go.
·        Oneness/Love (Absolute Love, with a Capital L) Is.  S/he is not a gender, although Love (from my earthly observations) is easier to visualize that way.  Love = Creative _____.
·        before matter, no-thing mattered.  when the Is’ first experience/thought (“who am i?”) resulted in a Big bang, and ego is her living expression.
 
Oneness, She needs ego.
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.3-2.2020). Oneness, She needs ego. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.3-1.2020): how can One experience Union?

how can One experience Union? ^[1]         
by Uni-Fied & eve grace omaniac
 
One cannot experience Oneness, so
She must produce perspective (e-go) in order to get a glimpse of Herself.
 
ego cannot experience Oneness, for in-so-doing
he (the false sense of separate self) would die.
 
ego lives apparently bipolar lives:
  a.      proving himself separate, and
  b.      chasing Love.
 
both (as it turns out) are exercises in futility.
 
the good news is that it is fun.
 
Heaven, then, is life’s eternal experientiality.  so long as humans can detach from the need to be special, we could enjoy the ride with less drama.  but (honestly), who wants less drama?  drama is what drives our a-lives!  drama is what gives us contrast, and drama is what lets us know who we are: extensions of Oneness.  as extensions of Her, we Are Her, while we (simultaneously) report back, informing Her as to who/what/where/when/why/how She is not.
 
A Course in Miracles does an excellent job of (not) explaining it, using code, and describing Love by describing what it is not: ego.
_______________________________
 
One cannot be ego
ego can’t be One
drama is the contrast (here) that makes this journey fun
as we dance in veil of oppositicality
One cannot be ego, but (with ego) She can see
___________________________
 
She also gets to smell, touch, taste, and hear.  without perspective, this Universe would be a void of Allness (with nothing to relate to).  W(ego) literally… give Love life!
 
ask your(self):
 
·        would i watch a movie that had no video, no sound, no actors, and no plot?
·        would i care about a game that had no winner/loser or participants?
·        would Love matter, if there was nothing else, but?
·        would i even eat, if food had no taste, gave no pleasure, and supplied no nutrition?
 
Oneness, She needs ego.
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.3-1.2020). how can One experience Union? book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.2-3.2020): uni-cat-ion

uni-cat-i-on ^[1]   
by Uni-Fied & eve grace omaniac
 
separate sense of self (it’s all that matters): fabr-i-cation
murder-suicide (One can’t divide) by Unication
_______________________________
 
·        Unication: the experience of Be-ing One with the All.
·        uni-cat-i-on: the ego’s veiled attempts at unification, in a relative world
 
·        since Unication and relativity cannot co-Inside, the ego’s dance is never truly over (until it is over, baby!).
·        if the ego is merely Love’s way of answering Her One-ly question (“Who Am I?) with the One-ly answer (“I Am”), then the ego is infinite perspective.  he is a false-sense of separate-self that allows Oneness to re-flect, to see He/r-self.
·        in this way, everything in a relative Uni-verse is Perfectly Perfect.  it is all just Love’s way of relating.  All of the chills, spills, agonies, victories… all of the passion, survival instincts, and cancerous attempt at re-generation… all of it… is It.
·        humans tend to take it seriously, and/but that is the very beauty and mag-nificance of the Play.
·        it is your own, private sitcom, and the only way to really experience it is to alternate from sitting calm… to dancing… and (here’s the kicker)
 
·        …we cannot not!
·        wIe (literally) are the stars of our own, big, Drama.
 
oh, lord!  😊
 
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.2-3.2020). uni-cat-ion. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.2-2.2020): maybe we're all just tin men

maybe we’re all tin men ^[1]         
by t. inman

maybe we’re all tin men

shameless in our dance
praying, hoping, yearning for some love (or sweet romance)
maybe we’re all tin men
needy at our base
hoping someone out there can find something here (erase)
_______________________________ 

•  the human ego (f.s.o.s.s*) constantly seeks to survive and thrive.
•  survival occurs when he can show (to himself) that he is separate.
•   thrival occurs when he can experience more than just survival.  he makes quid-pro-quo agreements (with other egos) to further prove his self-ness.

    separation <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Union

• the connections that are formed approach Union, a forbidden-fruit that ego cannot not desire, while (simultaneously) re-cognizing that Union means death (to the sense of separate self).  that is exactly what is so poetic about it.

one goes through life, Une-i-fying, when one could simply sit and experience his/her connection. 

the idea of namaste’ (or love, or marriage, or partnership, or teamwork-cooperation-coordination, etc.) allows one to dance in the symphony of connection – even as ego cannot permit 100% Une -- in this, the relative-world universe.

_________________________

[1] martino, j. (3.2-2.2020). maybe we're all tin men. book 88: marching into madness. © 2020 by joal martino.

[2] inspired, in part, by miranda lambert’s “tin man.”

* false sense of separate self

b88 (3.2-1.2020): when feeders out too soon

when feeders out (too soon) ^[1]  
by m. arch & m. addness
 
when feeders out (too soon)
when thoughts of sugar (freeze)
when loss of window-suction can bring nectar to her knees
when hopes and dreams surpass the evidence (reality)
when sun on deck (at noon)
when feeders out (too soon)
_______________________________
 
·        yes, i put the hummingbird feeders out too soon this year (in february).  i also left them out too late last season (november).

·        part of it is that there have been reports of hummingbirds that stay in nc (on the coast) all winter.  maybe, if one of them stayed behind (near charlotte), s/he would need some food.

·        maybe it is the knowing that at least i’ll be prepared for when that first scout bird arrives in mid-late march.

·        one thing is for sure: i feel better when the feeders are out, and that is enough reason to go through the trouble. 
 
maybe we all should do more of what makes us feel better, so long as it is in the spirit of helping others feel better, too.
 
 
 
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.2-1.2020). when feeders out (too soon). book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.1-5.2020): welcome to the Dance

welcome to the Dance ^[1]             
by m. arch & m. addness
 
welcome to the Dance
welcome to the Play
welcome to the touch of passion (let me guide the way)
welcome to the symphony (it isn’t just a game)
welcome to the madness
 
(you’ll be glad you came)
_______________________________
 
·        when expectations are intrinsic, when desires can be enjoyed with detachment from the outcome, when two can Dance as One…

·        one can relive the memories with gratitude, even as y/our team experiences the thrills and the chills and the spills…

·        Be-Cause it is All a part of the Big Dance.
 
maybe the Dance has just begun.
 
 
 
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.1-5.2020). welcome to the Dance. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.1-4.2020): m. arch & m. addness

m. arch & m. addness ^[1]              
by m. arch & m. addness
 
m. arch & m. addness
met down at the Dance
fell into a molten stew of passion and romance
had a ball (amusement hall): the games that people play
m. arch & m. addness
what more can one say?
_______________________________
 
·        the battle-joining of two college basketball teams can conjure-up images and feelings of drama, intrigue and conflict.

·        simultaneously, each contest is a game: a joining, a dance, a symphony, a play.

·        when 64 becomes 32 becomes sweet, then elite, then final… we know that four will become two and (finally) two will play (as one).
 
maybe the Dance has just begun.
 
 
 
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.1-4.2020). m. arch & m. addness. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us. 

b88 (3.1-3.2020): let me sip your nectar

let me sip y/our nectar ^[1]            
by m. arch & m. addness
 
let me sip y/our nectar
let me pour y/our wine
let me help erase the pain of past and troubled times
let me touch the deepest depths of y/our communication
let me set y/our table
 
sweet and smooth (sensations)
_______________________________
 
·        the symbiotic relationship between the hummingbird and his/her lover begins with an offering… …and continues – in a passionate affair of flight, fight, addiction, control, release, vulnerability, love, surrender, sex, birth, territorialism, family, frolic, and fun.
 
while each hummingbird is (essentially) free to seek out his/her own niche’, s/he is also bound by a survival/thrival instinct that pre-includes risk, excitement, communication, danger… and making friends with strangers.
 
 
 
 
_________________________
[1] martino, j. (3.1-3.2020). let me sip y/our nectar. book 88: marching into madness.  © 2020 by wellnesseducation.us.