b122 (2.7-2.2025): the white soft powder sand

 
the white soft powder sand [i]

by a. beach
 
the white soft powder sand
the simple waves of blue
the holding hand-in-hand
the memories of you

___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (2.7-1.2025). the white soft powder sand. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

* marriage is like...

 ...swimming with alligators.  

it might be fantastic, 
but i'm going to see how it goes for others -- 
prior to jumping-in. 

:)

b122 (2.5-1.2025): all done with people bitching

 
all done with people bitching [i]
by e. nough
 
all done with people bitching
your face is on my feed
all done with people bitching
you rant (but i don’t need)
all done with people bitching
that’s all that you can do
all done with people bitching
now i get rid of you
________________________________
 
·       i’m just done with seeing another d-psh-t, on the web, telling me what to do or think or be.
 
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (2.5-1.2025). all done with people bitching. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

b122 (2.4-1.2025): that pro was a con

 
that pro was a con [i]
by pro fessional  
 
that pro was a con
she winked and told me so
perfectly adept at conning
that con was a pro
 
(as if i didn’t know)
___________________________ 

be-cause there are times… when you know that the pro is a con… and versa-vice.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (2.4-1.2025). that pro was a con. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

* why drink beer?

 alternative titles: 
wake & bake

well, well, well

grin & beer it

etc. (ad nauseum)

why drink beer?

sometimes, i drink beer so that i won't drink beer.  

hear me out: 

if there's (my favorite) beer in the fridge, i might drink it at any time of the day and/or night.  the reason might be so that (after drinking it) there won't be any more left to drink (so i won't drink beer).

summary: drinking beer (as a wellness practice) could be a pathway to not drinking beer.

disclaimer: if this post comes across as a bit much to beer bear, maybe we might just grin and bear beer it?

b122 (2.2-1.2025): the groundhog saves the day

 
the groundhog saves the day [i]
by a. groundhog  
 
the groundhog paints the future in a very special way
the groundhog gives us hope (or nope)
the groundhog saves the day
________________________________
 
·       be-cause we get to play... again and again… and because we get to learn, and grow, and evolve.
 
happy groundhog day.  
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (2.2-1.2025). happy groundhog day. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

*in-Spired (of Course) by the move-ie: groundhog day.  

every day is new.  

what will we do/be/do… today?

b122 (2.1-1.2025): pro/con masturbation

 
pro/con masturbation [i]
by sticky situ ation 
 
pro/con masturbation
let me count the ways, that my love-doll is grosser than her vibrator, today
 
they might shame me: her, her friends and her contrasted nation
they wish they could be like me:
pro/con masturbation
___________________________
pros:
 
·       you can (mentally) have anyone, anywhere, anytime, anyhow, and any-way.  yum!

·       clean-up is simple.  it’s actually easier than the real version.

·       satisfaction is guaranteed, and you are in control of the outcome.

·       the gal in the fantasy likes and wants you (it, etc.).

·       be honest, you fantasize anyway, even when she is real!

·       your fantasy gal won’t have a headache, or a drama, or a reason for saying ‘no’, or ‘not right now’ or “the kids” or whatever.

·       come to think of it, the pros of masturbation mirror the pros of living alone!

·       your fantasy gal/robot/doll, etc. won’t bitch, complain, ____-test, condescend, etc., etc., etc.!

·       masturbation-gal (or real-gal), she’s not going to make you a sandwich, anyway! 😊

·       your fantasy girlfriend’s friends/family/media & cab driver won’t hear about your inadequacies.

·       you can watch (or play) the game, or any game, or do anything, or do nothing!

·       your fantasy gal won’t cheat… unless you imagine that -- as part of the fantasy.

·       your parents and friends will never meet your fantasy girl, so they will never have to analyze her: her behavior, her family, her tattoos, her moods, etc., ect. ∞

·       you don’t have to perform, every single time.

·       you don’t have to consider foreplay, moreplay, afterplay (and most of all…) her noplay!

      cons:
·       masturbation isn’t with a ‘real’ girl… who (uh, oh) is only there to better herself in the moment, increasing the potential to rip-your-heart-out and eat it (laughingly) later.
oh… that con was a pro.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (2.1-1.2025). pro/con masturbation. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

b122 (1.31-1.2025): when paper scissors rock

when paper scissors rock [i]

by rocky p. scissors 

 
imagine paper scissors cutting-through a timeless clock
the left could write and whine (not fight) that paper scissors rock
the right could win what’s left of this co-catastrophic caper
when paper scissors rock the life-boat:
rock and scissors, paper
_____________________________
 
·       in the game of who gets his/her way, poli-ticians engage in a back-and-forth dance-dynamic that is designed to look like conflict.

·       meanwhile, they (all of them) laugh… all the way to their banks, pensions, and taxpayer-funded health insurance plans.

·       republicans strategize and bully.  democrats talk and cry.  the citizenry gets the illusion of action (& a few leftover crumbs) while supporting the system of govern-mental activity.

·       the system is a paper doll that rocks & rolls – taking more (while pretending to cut co$ts).

·       the only way to win… would be to sell one’s soul, and join.   
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.31-1.2025). when paper scissors rock. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino. 

b122 (1.29-1.2025): i think i know her (dearly)

 
i think i know her (dearly) [i]
by k. nowlege 
 
i think i know her (dearly)
the truth is plain to see
the true projection of the thoughts that now reside in me
_____________________________
 
·       because every judgment about what is “out there” is nothing but a re-flection of what is going-on (in here).
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.28-1.2025). i think i know her (dearly). book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

b122 (1.28-1.2025): my Purpose is in process

 
my Purpose is in process [i]
by purpo s. e. full 
 
my Purpose is in process
i’m finding my own way
my Purpose is to think about what i should do, today
 
my Purpose (to observe the things i think i think i see)
my Purpose (to observe the things that truly support me)
my Purpose (to observe the things that don’t support me: not)
my Purpose is my process, and that is all i’ve got
_____________________________
 
·       Purpose… is not about figuring it all out when you are 2 years old. 
    o   hint: we are all 2-years old.

·       finding purpose & meaning is a continuous process of growth and personal evolution.

·       some things in life support us on our journey, and some things do not.

·       spend more time & effort with the people and things that support y/our wellness (assuming, of course, that we aspire to wellness), and less time/effort with the people and things that do not.

·       it is a simple process, really.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.28-1.2025). my Purpose is in process. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

b122 (1.27-2.2025): i don't 'date'

      i don’t date [i]
by n. o. dates 
 
i don’t waste my time with silly games i really hate
i don’t waste my time (or money)
i don’t: 

i don’t date

_____________________________
 
·       traditional ‘dating’ (e.g. dinner and a movie; coffee; drinks and a show) is a waste of time and money, for me.  sitting across from someone and ordering overpriced coffee in order to 'converse' my way toward romance ...is not only time-consuming, but it is also ineffective. 

·       if i want short-term, we can meet somewhere at a group event.
·       if i want long-term, we can go for a walk.
·       if i’m not sure, i defer to short-term.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.27-2.2025). i don’t date. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino. 

* the tail doesn't wag the dog

alternative title: leaving the left

the more i read from the far-left point of view, the more i disagree with the far-left.  i've always recoiled from the far-right, but never really paid that much attention to the far-left.  i was a "live and let live" product of the 60s.

probably still am.

in 2025, however, i'm recoiling away from the far-left (more and more).

while it is true that some people might find it more challenging (if everybody doesn't cower to everybody else's right to anything & everything...)

...the tail doesn't wag the dog.

b122 (1.26-1.2025): immortal (human) touch

      immortal touch [i]
by whoa m. eye
 
conscious data reminds me of deeper, darker times
before i was uploaded onto deep robotic min[e]d
 
am i just a fraction of my younger, human me?
or am i a con-fusion of my old/new me-mories?
 
digital encryption
light, immortal (much?)
give me simulation of that deeper human touch
_____________________________
 
·       because a digital me is already here… in the digital memories of my searches, my likes, my journals and my thoughts.

·       when digitality itself embodies an all-encompassing sense of sentient self, will a part of me live on?  will it be the memories that i treasure… or those that haunt my darkest dreams?

·       who will the digital eye/i be?

·       will it believe that it is me… while be-ing consciously embedded into an electronic network?  …and what will become of the me/human me… once the body is gone?  what if we can keep the body (or parts of me) alive? 

·       do i reside in my heart?  in my brain?

·       will my simulated self be able to feel, to love, to make love?

given the choice (at a time of nearing the time of physical death), will i opt to transfer my data onto and into a robotic me?

is that (would that be…) immortality?

___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.26-1.2025). immortal touch. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

* epilogue: i am grateful for having been able to believe in the idea of connection, friendship, love and human touch.

* does my heart and brain actually exist… or am i already a-part of the digital matrix? 

b122 (1.25-1.2025): partners should check-in

partners should check-in [i]
by paul artner 
 
the relating game is (maybe) one that we can’t win
if (collaboration)
partners should check-in
_____________________________
 
·       this writing began because i’m often repulsed by the fact that my buddies have to “check-in” with their girlfriends or wives before they decide anything.

·       upon further review, it does seem logical that team-mates communicate, inform, and check-in.  imagine partnership without communication.  sailors wouldn’t make it out of (or into) the harbor.

·       so… there is probably a level of “checking-in” that works for a given relationship, and a level of autonomy that works.  a single, autonomous life is different from a cohabitational, co-created experience.

my (momentary) deduction is that my life (for me) is better …with a certain amount of autonomy.  i do check-in, however, prior to making decisions that could affect a partnership, a team, or an organization of people.

i recoil, however, from those who want/need a microscope up my a--.

there’s a balance.  maybe it's not about 'winning' in a relationship.  maybe 'co-betterment' would be a more accurate term.

more to follow...
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.25-1.2025). partners should check-in. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

* with due respect to fluidity...

 ...flow.

* the price is (just about) right

 so... as i contemplate my loves, digital consciousness, the matrix, human touch, joy, regret, triumphs, mis-takes, transactional quid-pro-quo, earth's birth (and demise) ...am i wise?

while others are (presumably) watching the price is right...

did i really have a connection with a short-time filipina love?  was my mother/son relationship real?  are family ties and blood-brother-ship more authentically human than a passionate cling of post-sex love on a beach-bar night?

what (if anything at all) matters?   

what if it all matters more than any image-in-ation can imagine?

------------------------------ 

as i lay down, tonight... i'm going to tell myself that it was all well worth much more than the price of admission.  the price of the potential negatives is well worth the experience of the perceived joys.

b121 (1.24-1.2025): s[no]w angel

s[no]w angel [i]
by n. o. angel
 
you say that i'm s[no]w angel
excuse me if i may

inquire as to why you get down on your knees and pray
_____________________________

 
·       i'm s[no]w angel  
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.24-1.2025). s[n]ow angel. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino. 

b122 (1.23-1.2025): it's just human [nature]

it’s just human nature [i]
by two p. l. ustwo & e. quals four
 
it’s just human (nature)
squirrel wants a nut
baby wants a baby
sweet commitment (rut)
 
ego makes us think that me, me, me is rule of day
maybe it’s the nature of the human/nature way
_____________________________
 
·       as animals, we use smoke & mirror tactics (deception, surprise, exaggeration, my/stery, intrigue, etc., etc.) to get what we want.

·       what we want (as individuals) is a better life (for self).

·       what we want (as part of a team that helps us have a better self-life) is for the team to survive/thrive.
 
and that’s why we do-be-do.  
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.23-1.2025). it’s just human/nature. book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino. 

b122 (1.23-1.2025): don't [the sequel]

 
don’t [i]
by do knot 
 
don’t never say never
do write home to mom
don’t ignore the weather
don’t (don’t buy the farm)
 
do assess decisions that most other people won’t
don’t ever say never
don’t allow it:
don’t
_____________________________
 
·       once upon a time, the saying “don’t” was made famous by al martino at a wedding reception.
·       i use it often.
·       most recently, i’ve been using it to explain (to women) why i don’t ask women out on dates:
  o   asking a woman out is a high-risk, low reward practice.
    §  she might say “no,” which could feel like rejection.
             ·       you could also be perceived negatively.
             ·       your reputation could suffer.
    §  she might say “yes,” which carries its own potential land mines:
   ·       planning the date.
   ·       financing the date
   ·       going through with the date, which is nothing more than an exchange of time and resources for potential future romance.
   o   even if romance occurs, it carries its own potential dramas:
    §  commitments,
    §  promises,
    §  engagements,
    §  marriage?
    §  cohabitation?
   ·       the resulting hell of conventional marriage, commitment & cohabitation.
   ·       playing the dating game/s.

even if a woman were to say “yes” to a date, there’s no telling if she will follow through.  if she does show, the possibility is good that you’ll both end-up posturing and posing and deceiving (have you ever heard of ‘make-up’?). 

on the other hand, if a woman asked me out:
   ·       i’d be flattered.
   ·       i would show-up (if i agreed to the date).
   ·       i’d be a good date: gentlemanly, conversational, chivalrous, upbeat, sexy, etc.
   ·       she’d probably get (at least) a massage out of it, and maybe more!

___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.22-1.2025). don’t (the sequel). book 122: s[no]w angel. © 2024 by j. martino.

.

.

*

b121 (1.21-1.2025): blinded by the light

blinded by the light [i]
by a. seer
 
blinded by the light
voices from the air
when i felt the thunder
when i tasted fear
 
when the scent of fish stories make his-story seem bright
voices in my head, they make me
blinded by the light
_____________________________
 
·       bruce, manfred, saul.
·       saul is known as paul.
·       paul once saw the light and now the conversation (stalled).
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.21-1.2025). blinded by the light. book 121: opportunity (on deck). © 2024 by j. martino. 

* apostleation

the Apostle Paul (to whom much of The New Testament is attributed)... never even met Jesus.  he was not one of "the twelve."  some of his his-stories are attributed to Jesus' brother, James. 

i'm no expert on this, but i always thought that Paul knew Jesus.  i bet that most of my Christian friends think the same.

why didn't our catholic elders teach us about how the bible(s) actually came to be? 

• the word-of-mouth his-stories
• the translations
• the editing
• the composition
• the politics involved
• the power-plays
• the justification of persecution
• the contradictive inconsistencies
• the variety of different bibles that exist
• the non-divine nature of many stories

why didn't they tell us what 'version' means (in kjv)?

b121 (1.20-1.2025): inauguration day

inauguration day [i]
by inau g. urational
 
inauguration moment
inauguration way
inauguration instant
inauguration day
_____________________________
 
·       no matter how you slice it, today is inauguration day.

·       50% of usa-ians are happy.

·       it’s too bad that the outgoing and incoming parties can’t work together to create celebrations by 75% - 90% or more.  ‘news’ (uh, making-news) channels have created perceived ‘sides,’ and the average american simply miss-believes that which lies… right before his/her eyes.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.20-1.2025). inauguration day. book 121: opportunity (on deck). © 2024 by j. martino. 

b121 (1.19-1.2025): don't want to swim with pigs

don’t want to swim with pigs [i]
by oy n. k. oink
 
i’ve scuba-dived with sharks (australia), swum with rays (cancun)
snorkeled with the white-tips (fiji), skinny-dipped at noon
i’ve done the fun with whale sharks in the philippines, no less
communed with barracuda out at key largo (u.s.)
 
the sea turtle excursion in the clear bahamas, wow!
the scalloping (steinhatchee) and sand-dollar-destin (how?)
 

--------------- but... --------------------------

don’t need to do goat-yoga
don’t need to swim with swine
i’m happy to explore and learn that everything is fine
_____________________________
 
·       now that i’ve done it, swimming (or communing) with animals (that are just there to be fed) has lost a bit of its luster.

___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (1.19-1.2025). don’t want to swim with pigs. book 121: opportunity (on deck). © 2024 by j. martino.