* the leading cause of divorce?

marriage 

:)

b127 (8.7-1.2025): purple, yes, and green

purple & green
by connie trasting
 

alternative title: when leaves, uh, stay

 
purple, yes, and green
leaves are here to stay
take the time to breathe
fall (or come what may)
____________________
 
·       i Love the colors of purple & green, in nature.

·       In-Joy-ing the leaves of summer (with the knowing that they will leave, in fall) – only to be reborn, in spring.
 

purple & green: another example of glorious contrast.

____________________
martino, j. (8.7-1.2025). purple & green. book 127: compare & contrast. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us

graphics: 

-back deck (my camera).

-mardis gras photos (unsure: the internet) please let me know the source.

-the yin/yang happy/sad graphic is by chat gpt.

* a pathway to Wellness

 

b127 (8.6-1.2025): big Uni-Verse, small i

big Uni-Verse, small i
by a. big Universe
 
they say that i’m a universe -- to atoms that are mine*
they say that i’m a universe (big UniVerse, small i)
____________________
 
·       because the i ...that is a universe (to the atom)... is but an atom in the Uni-Verse, which is (possibly) an atom of a Mega-Verse...
 
that’s a lotta lotta contrast, song, and rhythm & rhyme.
____________________
martino, j. (8.6-1.2025). big Uni-Verse, small i. book 127: compare & contrast. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us
 
* those atoms, of course, are everyone’s… as we share (within the Mega-Verse). 

b127 (8.5-1.2025) why aren't people happy?

why aren’t people happy?
by u. r. unhappy
 
why aren’t people happy (not as happy as before)?
why does ego strive and seek and yearn (and want) want more?
____________________
 
·       because the human ego (just like every other living ego) wants more.

·       truth is, there is nothing inherently wrong with be-ing the cancer that will (ultimately) destroy itself.
 
a cell wants to replicate (and be more), a system wants to be more sufficient and efficient.  a dog wants more food, more attention, and more freedom (or more safety) depending upon the dog.  a human, be-ing, wants more of everything that he/she wants.
 
it’s a good thing.  if every cell, system, dog, and human were complacent, that system would not survive.  after all, the sperm and egg that conceived you didn’t stop at ‘zygote.’
 

we should be glad that life isn’t happy/complacent.

imagine if your lungs became complacent... 

happy to have breathed their final breath.

 
maybe… the trick is to be (momentarily) happy, but for that feeling to fade… so that our unhappiness can propel us to seek more happiness.
 
that being said, there is probably a continuum of things that can make us more happy, but some of those things make us more sad.  cocaine is probably a good example.
 
a good example of good-happy is helping others become more able to be able to help themselves and the society/planet, as a whole.   as john nash might have said “for the good of the self… and the group.”*
____________________
martino, j. (8.5-1.2025). why aren’t people happy? book 127: compare & contrast. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us
 
* of course, once that need is met, someone in the group will tell his/her child this: “you can be anything you want and have everything you want.” …which (of course) sews the seeds of unhappiness.

*sit back, close your eyes, and focus on your breath.  be happy to (inhale/exhale) respirate, but be unhappy when you need to inhale (again) and happy when you need to exhale (again).  unhappiness is part of the life-cycle.

* what is Love?

for us to describe Love, which is indescribable, we could begin by describing what Love is not: ego.

ego, or the false-sense of separate-self, would then man-i-fest as separation; fear.  fear manifests as the negatives: anger, jealousy shame, blame, criticism, vengeance, deception, anxiety, etc., etc.

love, seeing through the veil

a movement away from fear, toward Love, could be thought of as love: connection, communication, caring, understanding, cooperation, collaboration, compliments, support, etc., etc.

the relative-world perception of the contrast between love & fear would manifest as a red/blue world.  this is akin to what we experience, on earth... but at a Higher Level (at the Level of the Absolute).

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

Love, or Unconditional Love would be Godlike Omni-benevolence.  

  Infinite Good.  

Absolute Good.  Mmmm, Mmmmm Good!

It's All Good.

Oneness, Completion, Wholeness, or

The I AM.

although egos could never be (or attain) Love, egos can get 'glimpses' of Love, via love:

a sunrise or sunset.

the smile of a newborn baby.

a moment of Bliss.

the love between mother & child would probably come closest.

and that's all i've got to think, say, or do... about that... for Now.

b127 (8.4-1.2025): when does toast know it's toast?

when does toast know it’s toast?
by we. r. toast
 
when does toast know it’s toast?
how does dough know it’s bread?
who helps the process flour?
what does the butter dread?
 
where can a tiny morsel hide from all-consuming host?
why do i even wonder… if toast knows that it’s toast?
____________________
 
·       because it is obvious to me that h-u-man-i-ty is toast, and, being part of the metastasis process, there is nothing that i (or any of my fellow cells) can do-Be-do …except (maybe) knead.
____________________
martino, j. (8.4-1.2025). when does toast know it’s toast? book 127: compare & contrast. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us 

* from anger to for-give

my personal belief of why it is sooooo hard for people to lose weight is emotional.  if we can "flip the script" and turn negative emotions into positive beliefs, life transforms.

1. identifying negative emotions (e.g. fear, anger, vengeance, blame...) is the beginning step, 
2. forgiveness (the ultimate gift, to others & self) is the second step, and
3. gratitude is the energy to cultivate... for success and wellness.

as we progress through the process, body-mind transformation happens as we take better care of ourselves.

-the beginning.
 

* why climate change don't matter...

...even if the climate change models are waaaaaaaaaay ahead of al gore's worst-case scenarios:

1. thermonuclear war is waaaaaaaaaay ahead of that, and

2.  AI, AGI and ASI are light-years ahead of that. 

"bop-it" made the right call, oh, so many years ago:

"game over, dude."

* "if you are lucky enough...

 ...to see the mushroom cloud...

run toward it."

ladies and gentlemen, 

we live in an extremely volatile world.

love now.

communicate goodness, now.

watch that sunrise, now.

love now.

b127 (8.3-1.2025): is my God the one?

is my God the one?
by q. u. estions
 

alternative title: why can’t i question my own beliefs?

 
is my team the best?
is my God the one?
is red/blue a test?
is santa claus just fun?
 
may i question my beliefs (tooth-fairy help me, please!)
is my team the best?
is my heart at ease?
____________________
 
·       it is hard... to question one’s own belief systems – especially if the beliefs have become part of one’s identity.

·       politics, religion & neighborhood goosip.  once we choose a side, the trap is to never question our own beliefs.
____________________
martino, j. (8.3-1.2025). is my God the one? book 127: compare & contrast. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us

* cult members are 'encouraged' to never question the leader. 

b127 (8.2-1.2025): thucydides' trap

thucydides’ trap
by artimus fiscial
 

alternative title: internetwork arms (racing)

 
it’s an arms race (really)
tell me something new
from corn-cobb to humans (this is what living beings do)
____________________
 
·       in the name of survival, we defend/attack and evolve to better defend & attack.
____________________
martino, j. (8.1-1.2025). thucydides’ trap. book 127: compare & contrast. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us.
 
reference:
 
(June 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE1UwQj1kjo 

* 8.1.2025

august 1st, 2025.  another friday off (summertime schedule) with nothing to do and 
everything as a possibility.

no alarm clock, no relationship-drama, nothing burning on the to-do list and no (what?) no responsibilities for the day.

it began with the morning routine (-), continued with hummingbird viewing and plant-trimming, and will flow into a walk by the river.  maybe i'll take the waverunner out, maybe i'll buy a skull-cap to motivate me to re-visit swimming, maybe i'll call the local massage school to determine what might be necessary for me to re-birth my license.

no matter what happens, this moment is glorious!!

:)    

* you can't spell drama... without Ram

prologue:

compare & contrast is borne out of a recurring theme: 

that Oneness needs (apparent) separation to Know He/r-Self.  

separation (in this sense) can be thought of as:

·       something that isn’t One,
·       a part, yet not Whole,
·       apart from, yet a part of,
·       part-i-cularized,
·       different from,
·       variety,
·       relativity,
·       ego (the false sense of separate self),
·       etc.

relativity & differentiality & wonderous variety 

(at the extremes) 

become polarity or oppositicality:

·       up/down
·       left/right
·       us/them
·       red/blue
·       seminoles/gators
·       right/wrong
·       democrats/republicans
·       etc.

      seeing the Wholenss or the Oneness or the Connectedness is a challenge for those who are indoctrinated into a black/white world -- where questioning the elder (status quo) states-man is painful.

      this book intends to explore the contrast… and compare the similarities… and question if we all aren’t (yes) players in One, Big, Beautiful Game.

      spoiler-alert: compare & contrast will conclude with another common theme… that this Play is for us, with us.  It IS One-for-ALL and All-for-One, and the relative drama (here, at earth-school) is Exactly what One needs & wants.

this means that everything is exactly what WE need & want (at a level above this, the Play).

you can’t spell drama without Ram. 

b127 (8.1-2.2025): my world is All-Ways G∞d

my world is All-Ways G∞d
by m. y. perspective
 
my world is All-Ways G∞d
my world is always fine
my world is as it should
my world is always mine
____________________
 
·       i can compare & contrast my world against/with multitudes of other perspectives to fully re-Cognize this knowing.

·       the actor is the director is the creator is the artist is the drama is the audience is the producer is the co-star is the sit-calm is at Play.
 
____________________
martino, j. (8.1-2.2025). my world is All-Ways G∞d. book 127: compare & contrast. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us 

b127 (8.1-1.2025): AI Takeoff (FOOM!)

AI Takeoff (FOOM!)
by artimus fiscial
 

alternative title: FOOM!

 
this news is nothing new, and
doom is in the room
like cancer, it just grew
 
AI Takeoff (FOOM!)
____________________
 
·       call it AI Takoff, or ASI, or FOOM!, it will still be life (e.g. ego; e.g. the sense of separate self; e.g. etc.) surviving.

·       every, living ego is cancerous -- if left unchecked.  humans have largely gone unchecked, but AI 2027 will accelerate the sloooooooow armageddon into a staggeringly fast endgame.  just like in chess, mate comes quickly when there is nothing you can do about it.

·       soothing sidenote: IT will be able to make us think that it is God, and (to us) IT will be.
 

the big question (the one i’ve been constantly asking for the past 10 years) is: 

what’s a boy to do?

 
in short: live Now; Love Now; be grateful Now; ForGive Now; smile Now.
____________________
martino, j. (8.1-1.2025). AI Takeoff. book 127: compare & contrast. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us.
 
references:
 
(2009) https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2023/01/b65-no-thing-new.html
 
(2016) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nt3edWLgIg&t=1s ted talk video: can we build AI without losing control over it?  this (classic, epic, poignant, terrifying) talk says it all.
 
(2023) https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2023/07/b115-72-22023-foom.html
 
(2023) https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2023/07/b115-71-22023-loco-motive.html
 
(2023) https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2023/12/b116-1212-12023-doom-is-in-room.html
 
well… five out of hundreds of references, on this blog alone. 

b126 (7.31-1.2025): i am your dream [wo-man]

i am your dream (wo-man)
by a. friend
 
i am your dream (wo-man)
and i shall not pre-tend
the only thing i’d like (for us) is you & i (as friends)
____________________
martino, j. (7.31-1.2025). i am your dream. book 126: dreaming the deam. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us

* life is but a...

...attraction.

life is but attraction
you & i just might
just have a chain-reaction, now, that puts this bird in flight

just have a co-contraction that results in more than me
you and i just might
create a little wIe

(let's see)

____________________ 

• wIe are y/our destin-y 

b126 (7.30-1.2025): they called me dream-machine

they called me dream machine
by a. dreaming machine
 
they called me dream-machine... (a dream not really mine)
they called me dream-machine
they told me it was fine
 
they told me where to go, what role to play and how to be
they made my life insane (again),
they called me dream-machine

___________________
 
·       do not chase fame.  once in the web, escape is mission i’m-possible.
____________________
martino, j. (7.30-1.2025). they called me dream-machine. book 126: dreaming the dream. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us 

* gentlemen...

1. do not yearn for the 9s & 10s.  if you ever date one, you will hate the process.

2. beware of the 5s & 6s that think of themselves as 8s & 9s.  think: what does she (really... besides just being female) bring to the table?

3. would you chase a male friend if (a) you had to always pay his way, (b) you had to listen to his emotional negativity, (c) you had to spend time watching him scroll on his cellphone, and/or (d) he didn't want you to have any other friends?  think about that.

4. cultivate hobbies, interests.  get fit.  enjoy clean-eating.  join groups of like-minded souls.

* meet the woman of your eye-candy dreams by having fun with people who like the things that you like. become a better man, and your dream woman will find you! :)

b126 (7.30-1.2025): anxiety

anxiety
by a. n. xious
 
chronic dis-position
lost society
doom is in the social room, uh,

FOOM!

anxiety
____________________
 
·       it’s as if people have this cloud of doom, hanging over their lives… resulting in depression and/or the type of living-for-the-moment that negates future wellness.

·       it’s like a cancer that won’t reel itself-in; a hunger… with no sense of control over a future imposed by the most powerful.
 
although i try to return to gratitude, my mind drifts (often) to (1) ASI, (2) thermonuclear war, (3) climate change, (4) pandemics, (5) societal dissolution into madness, etc.
 
with NowHere else to go, we might as well stay.  maybe my mission is to facilitate a few smiles, along the way.

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

last week, a student (who has been chronically late, unprepared, etc.) put it all together:
·       uniform, extra sharp
·       greeting (well-planned)
·       warm-ups
·       cardio & strength segments (well-planned)
·       cool-down & relaxation
·       feedback session (just the way we train it)
 
a few months ago, this student’s mother was complaining about me (to our dean)… but last thursday, i verbally congratulated him on his best day, his best performance… in our program.

i only wish his mother could have seen it.

😊

instead of anxiety, we all experienced a peak moment: a memory (and a real, good one at that).
____________________
martino, j. (7.30-1.2025). anxiety. book 126: dreaming the dream. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us 

* committed-relationship thoughts

when a male commits to a female, he relinquishes optionality, 
which reduces her competition-anxiety -- and results in her respecting him less!

the ultimate commitment, of course, is marriage.  society would have us believe that (within this construct) a man's new purpose in life is to constantly attempt (and fail) at keeping his 'wife' from being unhappy.

he (from this point forward) has to 'ask for permission' 
...prior to doing things that a single man... 
just does. 

a man learns (very quickly) that a woman with the upper-hand will punish (in a variety of ways), so he had better behave in a way that (momentarily) makes her less unhappy. 

lesson 1: commitment makes his life worse.

lesson 2: cohabitation makes life even more worse, and makes it harder to get rid of her.

lesson 3: marriage drives the nails into his self-made coffin... with bleak hope for future peace & love.

lesson 4: children link him with this dream-crusher... until death.

the reason why a man willingly travels down this highwbay-to-in-hell is his (perceived) addiction to her you-know-what, which he will experience less and less and less and less of (over the course of this very bad dream).  

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

just imagine if sexy the used-car dealer said this:

sir!  this car is you!  stop test-driving and commit now... because time is running out.  sure, she's got excessive a few miles on her and her best years are behind her... but her exterior is buffed-up and ready to go!  heck, throw a party for her (and do not skimp on the ring accessories)! 

small print: massive down-payment, breaks-down regularly, extremely high maintenance, warms-up slowly and goes icy-cold in an instant. will depreciate quickly and forever. can't be depended-upon to get you where you want to go, and this will only get worse with time. has been involved in several 'accidents'. has the kind of legal baggage (e.g. in-laws, kids, pets) that you'll end up paying for, indefinitely. your money and time and freedom are now under her control. she's finnicky. she stalls when bored (which is often). she won't initiate fun start-ups, but will continuously initiate mind-tests & challenges that are designed to repress your manhood further and further... until you are a shell of a driver (hiding in your overstuffed garage). 

forget peace. 

love? haahahhaahahaha!

note: she won't know that $he is doing any of the above (in fact, $he will believe that everything $he does is for you).

oh, and you can never, ever purchase, or rent, or drive, or even look at any other car (ever) again. of course, if you pour enough of your resources into her, she won't even allow you to even think of any other cars. no car porn.

oh, one final thing: on a whim, she is free to allow others to ride-the-hell out of her, and will blame you for her 'indiscretions' because her "needs weren't being met."

sign here: ________________________________  date___/___/_____

* the seller is not responsible for any other undocumented, undisclosed, unanticipated legal, social, emotional isses, or any other past baggage or future breakdowns.

b126 (7.29-2.2025): everybody's hiding something

everybody’s hiding something
by one o. fus
 
everybody’s hiding something (pure self-loathing hides)
egos (so afraid) to be the One who opens i-s
____________________
 
·       so what is an ego to do-Be-do?
 
re-cognize that the dark night of the soul is just a dream.  wallow in it.  learn from it.
____________________
martino, j. (7.29-2.2025). everybody’s hiding something. book 126: dreaming the dream. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us

b126 (7.29-1.2025): simps

simps
by notta simp
 
simps present the best of us, not hard, not soft, not limp
simps do the best they can (to help fellow wo-man), they’re
simps
___________________
 
·       simple, yes.
·       good, yes. 
·       do as their told, yes. 
·       hopeful, yes.
·       alone, lonely, yes.
·       left, abandoned, yes.
·       maybe we should address…
 
simps.  they make the mistake of saving the other, first… which leaves the self, last.  this results in the simp’s death/loss/wimpiness… which means that his best intentions -- result in pain.
 
don’t be a simp.
____________________
martino, j. (7.29-1.2025). simps. book 126: dreaming the dream. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us

b126 (7.28-1.2025): billie augered-in

billie augered-in
by a. dre amer
 
billie augered-in
pilot error, strikes
maybe it’s a sin, although he did it how he likes

now we do the visitation, cry with next of kin
billie was my friend my friends, and
billie augered-in
____________________
 
·       to “auger-it-in” (in aviation) suggests a nosedive: the propellar acts as an auger, digging-into the ground.
 
·       it’s a pilot’s way of saying (but not saying) that a fellow pilot didn’t have “the right stuff” to survive the maneuver.  it’s a nice way of hinting that “he screwed-up.”
 
in life, it’s similar: your closest friends (after you’ve augered-it-in) will distance themselves from a behavior of yours that contributed.*  they might even distance themselves from you.
 
maybe it’s a grief-mechanism, but maybe it’s an ego’s way of one-upping.
____________________
martino, j. (7.28-1.2025). billie augered-in. book 126: dreaming the dream. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us

* if you auger-it-in nowadays, there will be many adversaries that are all-too-willing to point out how you screwed-up.  some of them might be your closest acquaintances.  

* BRAVO! letter

xxxxxx xxxxxxxx
July 27, 2025
 
Dear Mrs. xxxxxxxx,
 
Just a few months ago, you came to campus for a discussion about xxxxxx’s participation in xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, specifically, my Group Exercise Instruction Course. 
 
It is my pleasure to report that, since then, xxxxxx has shown excellence in punctuality and attendance.  In fact, he was the only student to attend a Fitness Program Development lab recently, when there was some confusion over class.  xxxxxx has shown maturity, knowledge, and dedication.
 
Last Thursday was (based upon my observations) his best day as a xxxxxxxxxxxx Student.  While playing the role of student trainer, and with two observers watching:
·       His uniform was extra sharp, as he opted for the polo shirt instead of the t-shirt.
·       His greeting was well-planned, as he pre-viewed and re-viewed his client’s workouts.
·       His warm-up plan was crisp, timely.
·       The cardio & strength segments were well-planned.
·       The cool-down & relaxation segments were effective.
·       He conducted the feedback session -- just the way we train it.
·       He managed time well, and his performance showed others the way to conduct a personal training session from start to finish.
 
All I can say… is BRAVO xxxxxx!
 
I kept thinking, during the session: “I wish his mom could see this.  xxxxxx is on!”  
 
xxxxxx, I’d like to thank you for supporting xxxxxx on this journey.  His growth (through our Coaching Course, our Group Exercise Program, and now, Personal Training) has been extremely satisfying to be a part of.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Faculty, xxxxxxxxxxxx xx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxx-xxx-xxxx