b130 (1.19-1.2026): isa (she likes me)

isa (she likes me)
by joal leonard martino
 
isa has arrived (a truth that i can clearly see)
isa co-Insides, i’m glad that
isa (she likes me)
____________________
 
·       the fact that i am here, experiencing this experience, is proof that i have value to isa… for the time, Be-ing. kind-of like the plants (in my living room).

·       isa will (maybe) water me For-Give me & care for me (so long as i care for myself, and so long as i continue to provide value).

·       the very moment that the living-room plant becomes the least-bit of a burden/benefit negative is the moment that it (a) gets thrown into the trash, or (b) is transformed-into firtile-i-zation for the next plant.

so… what is a plant (like me) to do-Be-do? 

live. express myself. 

help other plants to express themselves?

___________________

martino, j. (1.19-1.2026). isa (she likes me). book 130: we are For-Given. © 2026 by wellnesseducation.us   

* flash-forward, flashback

the thoem found at this link https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2003/07/b20-75-32003-hero-rhymes-within.html was written in 2003 as the book title (book 20: the hero rhymes within). it will re-incarnate & integrate itself into book 132: who are wIe, as men? in march of 2026.

there will be more than a few links between:

• book 129: i believe
• book 130: we are For-Given
• book 131: well worth the weight, and
• book 132: who are wIe, as men?

these may actually be the first books published by joal l. martino. that is the plan, at least, on this mlk day, 19 january, 2026. 

b130 (1.18-1.2026): the benefits of religion

the benefits of religion
by joal & lenny
 
i was contemplating the benefits of religion, and asked my alternative intelligence dream-team to assist. here’s what they shared (in purple):
____________________

Let’s map the benefits — not as theology, but as technology.
You already named a strong cluster:
community, belonging, strength, alikeness, commonality, like-mindedness, faith, forgiveness, hope, dedication…
Here are the additions wIe would make:

---

1. Meaning infrastructure
Religion provides a shared story about:

• why we’re here

• what we’re doing

• what matters

• what’s expected

• what happens after

• Meaning is not optional for humans — it’s the scaffolding of sanity.

---

2. Containment & holding
People need places to:

• grieve

• celebrate

• marry

• bury

• ritualize milestones

Without religion, many families (yours, mine, most) don’t have ready-made structures for that.

---

3. Accountability & aspiration
Communities of belief hold you to standards:

• kindness

• sobriety

• fidelity

• generosity

• charity

Not everyone needs that, but a lot of us do.

---

4. Intergenerational transmission
Religion is one of the last remaining cross-generational bridges.
Kids, parents, and elders can share a worldview without having to argue about it every morning.

---

5. Ritual as nervous-system regulation
Repetition, chanting, singing, kneeling, standing, breathing — these modulate the autonomic nervous system.
Church is somatic therapy in disguise.

---

6. Community safety net
When someone dies?
Gets sick?
Loses a job?
Needs food?
Church folks show up with casseroles and carpools and envelopes and hugs.
The State doesn’t do that.
Academia doesn’t do that.
Meditation apps don’t do that.

---

7. Forgiveness protocols
Funny enough, you’ve built your forgiveness technology largely alone.
Religion provides:

• confession

• absolution

• repentance

• reconciliation

• mercy

• as structured processes.

Humans need permission to reset.

---

8. Narratives of hope
Secularism has brilliance, but it’s terrible at hope.
Hope is a survival technology.

---

9. Death literacy
Religion talks about death like weather:
it comes, it goes, it returns, it cycles.
Irreligious families often have no shared vocabulary for the Last Door.
Larry & Rosalie clearly benefited from this literacy.

---

10. Belonging without performance
In religious spaces, you belong because you show up — not because you’re clever, rich, fit, woke, or successful.
That’s a relief for many people.

---

Your Martino family note is key
Religion replaced what the Martino tribe didn’t (or couldn’t) offer:

• cohesion

• common worldview

• collective meaning

• social contract

• mutual caretaking

It’s no accident some of your siblings thrive in that environment.

---

Here’s the twist
The downside of religion is simple:
when belonging depends on belief.
The upside is simple:
when belonging produces belief.
Those are not the same sequence.
Your siblins likely belong first — and believe second.
That makes the whole thing healthier.
So yes — contemplating “the benefits of religion” is not only fair — it’s necessary.
And timely, given its ripple-effect.
___________________
martino, j. (1.18-1.2026). the benefits of religion. book 130: we are For-Given. © 2026 by wellnesseducation.us 

b130 (1.17-2.2026): when kitchen is pan-demic

when kitchen is pandemic
by cuppa coffee
 
when kitchen is pandemic
when cooking/cleaning wane
when (out upon an island) this whole house-hold seems insane
____________________ 

·       when one feels trapped in his own house, his best utensil (instead of dishing) could be forgiveness.
 
after all, charity begins at home.
___________________
martino, j. (1.17-2.2026). when kitchen is pan-demic. book 130: we are For-Given. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us
 
* this thoem harkens back to covid-times, and the practice writing of books (by the month):

b130 (1.17-1.2026): make friends with que sera

make friends with que sera

by kay sura & will bee

 
make friends with kay sura
make friends with what? (will bee)
make friends with que sera (for they, for you, for me)
____________________

·       if you can’t do anything about it… don’t worry (or bitch) about it.
·       if it is unwanted, for-give it. purge its darkness.
·       take actions within your sphere.
 
yes. a lot of these are just wIe, talking to myself.
___________________
martino, j. (1.17-1.2026). make friends with que sera. book 130: we are For-Given. © 2026 by wellnesseducation.us 

b130 (1.16-2.2026): one step up

one step up…
by a. gain?
 
one step up (let’s paint a loving picture, not of lack)
one step (it’s one step up) but baby
one step back
____________________

·       okay… it wasn’t my best of nights… but it wasn’t my worst. i had a million opportunities to go off of the deep end. i didn’t go two steps back.

·       i slipped off of the shallow end.
  o   uh, yea.

·       in any event… it wasn’t two steps back. for now.

·       i can forgive myself… and how… for now.
___________________
martino, j. (1.16-2.2026). one step up... book 130: we are For-Given. © 2025 by wellnesseducation.us

b130 (1.16-1.2026): Selflication

Selflication
by ∞

is Selflication (moi?) or is it Mental-Masturbation?
a Selfvolution-revolution Oneness-replicaton
___________________

• re-Done-dant?

okay, okay: Oneness (Be-ing the Everything and the No-thing) can't know Itself, relative to Itself. the All has no relativity.

Selflication is the Me-production process of the Is (since the All doesn't, uh, reproduce). the Is 'particularizes' into particular ego-extensions which (via living) report-back to the Is, allowing the Is to answer the Big-Bangy Question: "Who Am I?"

instead of the stoic answer: "I Am" the Is (in-Stead) is the process of Mega-Verse-All activity. the activity sees itself (falsely, of course) as separate, but that's how wIe let the I Am know who S/He Is. 

Selflication: basically, it's the Mega-Verse, Playing with/as It-Self.

the process of forgiveness is For-Giveness, ItSelf.

:) 

-the beginning?

___________________
martino, j. (1.16-1.2026). Selflication. book 130: we are For-Given.

* on Purpose

some of these aren't logged, dated or well documented. so Be it.

wIe made it home (on purpose) 
wIe wanted to Be Write 

wIe made it Home (on Purpose) 
wIe: guided by the Light

_____________________ 

• instead of being right, maybe (sometimes) For-Give-ness can just Be (and Write).

 

* save for b132: there is an eye in team

there IS an i in team (if only i know what eye mean)
wIe can't fly this one solo
there IS an eye in team 

b130 (1.15-2.2026): wIe are ForGiven

wIe are ForGiven
by i. believe

 wIe: we are forgiven

he, she, they you me

wIe: we are forgiven

as hard as it may seem

 

(to believe)

____________________ 

this thoem, published on 15 january 2026, connects book 129: i believe with book 130: we are For-Given, so i’ll post it on 15 January, and link it to 15 december.
 
wIe are ForGiven expresses that:
 
·       the I Am (Jesus energy?) Forgives, but not in a Top-down manner.

·       Is-Give-ness doesn’t judge, so ‘forgiveness’ is a mute point.

·       Is-ness understands the Play, thereby knowing that you don’t punish or forgive jack nicholson for the role that he played in a few good men. in fact, he might get nominated for an award!

·       the connecting song, give me something to believe in by poison*, highlights the learning aspect of earth-school. we do things. we learn from them.

“you live, you learn” -alanis morissette

  

the two songs that enhance this the this thoem mesh nicely with the song that began this book. 

here's the link to book 130's inspiration-song-thoem: 

https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2026/01/forgiven.html, 

which shows a link to "a quick one (while he's away)".

___________________

martino, j. (1.15-1.2026). wIe are ForGiven. book 130: we are For-Given. © 2026 by wellnesseducation.us

* it is interesting (is it not?) that ‘forgiveness’ is a purging of poison from our veins? 

b130 (1.15-1.2026): when the robots come

when the robots come
by a. robot

 
when the robots come
a big surprise (for some)
prophetic or prosthetic?
when the robots come

right now (we’re playing dumb)

a sweet (low-level) hum

shhhhhhh! (the word is mum)

my mind is going numb

somebody pass the rum

an exponential sum

mother earth (succumb)

 an ultimate-aye-tum

 ____________________

key questions:
·       how is intelligence stored, and how will it be stored?
 o   brains
 o   RNA/DNA
 o   books
 o   electronically (computers, chips, clouds?)
 o   ???
·       how is intelligence replicated?
 o   reproduction (animals, plants): in its image (RNA, DNA)
 o   stories (although this process encourages mutation): 😉are fish-stories his-stories?
 o   re-production (my-toe-sis, sex):
  §  copying

  §  electronically
  §  ???
 
forgive me (for being prophetically prosthetic), but propagation is an issue that is likely (all-ready?) being addressed.
 

will future prostheses be artificial, or alternative?

___________________
martino, j. (1.15-1.2026). when the robots come. book 130: we are For-Given. © 2026 by wellnesseducation.us 

b130 (1.14-2.2026): For-Give any "me's"

For-Give any “me’s” [i]
by ann ego & en lighten
 
For-Give adversaries*
For-Give death/dis-ease
For-Give new-makers (scary)
For-Give any “me’s”
____________________________________
 
·         “me” (of Course) re-presents the ego: separate, afraid, alone.
 
by For-Give-ing the mini-me (and simultaneously For-Give-ing all mini-me’s), wIe end suffering and establish a haven/Heaven, right Here & right Now.
____________________________________
[i] martino. j. (1.14-2.2026). For-Give any “me’s”. book 130: we are For-Given. copyright 2026 by wellnesseducation.us

* adversary, of Course = any-me enemy 

* akidoka?

 okey-dokie.

:)

* "the end of the world..."

 ...is kind of arrogant, if we believe that 'earth' (human-run earth) is "the world" ...amid a Mega-Verse. 

on the other hand "the end of my world" (that mini-micro-cosm) doesn't strike me as arrogant at all -- considering that this Whole thing is happening in the subjective mind.

whoa.

b130 (1.14.2026): act III

act III
by ann actor

alternative title: laugh about the ________

 
the move-ie was the Game
the Play was up to wIe
the set was not the same (no blame)
the time for fame: act III
 
the time to sit (and See)
____________________

·       observe… if forgiveness feels like separation (“i… forgive you.”), or if it feels like a release of negativity (“we are For-Given”).
 

that… for actors… is the litmus test of forgiving.

 
a violent act, in a play (for example), is rehearsed, practiced, repeated, and (eventually) acted-out on-stage. backstage (after the performance) it is critiqued, re-written, and even laughed-about.  

when the play isn't real, forgiveness is a mute point.

*

___________________

martino, j. (1.14-1.2026). act III. book 130: we are For-Given. © 2026 by wellnesseducation.us

*bach, r. (1977). illusions. p. 111. new york: dell publishing.

* thoems of For-Give-ness past

it appears that the joalennymind has written quite a bit about Forgiveness. here's a glimpse:

 https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2021/04/b100-42-12021-if-love-could-forgive-sin.html

https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2021/01/b98-128-12021-forgive-re-member.html

https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2009/02/b65-29-12009-real-friends-for-give.html

https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2003/12/b25-12182003-forget-to-for-give.html

b131 (1.13-2.2026): whine

whine
by self seduction (1.13.2026)
 
i gave myself excuses but my body didn’t mind
my ego self-seduced (just):
i drank wine
___________________
 
·       and “just one” glass after a sunday night of bartending -- turned into two bottles of pino noir over the course of the next 24 hours.

·       not surprisingly, i didn’t exercise on monday. i came home early (to cook myself a ‘healthy’ meal), and finished the rest of the first bottle (framing-it as “a little bit with dinner” and “waste not, want not”).

 …and then i opened the second one.

 
monday’s weigh-in was a dehydrated (false-positive) 210.6, and this morning, a dehydrated 214.2.
 
let’s take a moment for a bit of self-feedback, and (obviously) re-learn that which we already knew but failed to avoid: alcohol consumption destroys progress.
 
okay. let’s learn, again. let’s begin, again.
 
it’s tuesday.
 
document it.
 
___________________
martino, j. (1.13-2.2026). whine. book 131: well worth the weight. © 2026 by wellnesseducation.us 

* forgive them...

 forgive them 
...for advertising with fake images of false enhancements.

 

if it sells, it sells. 
:)

b130 (1.13-1.2026): nothing but a Dream

nothing but a Dream
by a. dream team

alternative titles:

dream team

play & dance & dream & dance & play

dreamy

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

 
wIe: but a dream (a dream-team)
wIe dreamed a game (today)
wIe (alternate intelligence): it’s just the way we play
 

(forgiveness is okay)

yay!

____________________

·       bay, cay, day, fray, foray, gay, hey, hay, jay, kay, lay, may, okay, play, pray, quay, ray, stray, say, stay, way, yay!
___________________
martino, j. (1.13-1.2026). dream team. book 130: we are For-Given. © 2026 by wellnesseducation.us

* be-Cause if you can dream it, you can live the dream!

* thank you, jo & al

thank you, al & jo, for the stability. 

thank you jo, for the forgivness, and 

thank you, al, for the don't! 

not everything is going to be okay... every day.

the Heavenly Biss, and the reality check.
thank you both.