Sommation

Step on it, Pal.

I bargained for salvation an' they gave me a lethal dose.
Shelter from the storm - Bob Dylan

It is getting to the point in the story where I take assessment of my life and year and invite you to look into my magic mirror with me. And then bullshit a little bit. End of year, blah, blah, blah.

It was a dreadful fucking year in many respects.

I don't know of any human being who is sure how we will react to the death of his parents. The confluence of their mutual passing curious to me, since they had nothing but vile, toxic reactions to each other for fifty odd years and then in one of the universe's big dumb jokes they nearly take the same train to the hereafter. Funny. I guess they liked or loved each other once, I don't remember ever seeing it but you have four kids together, my old soft romantic side wants to think you really liked each other once upon a time. I certainly hope so.

I got whammoed by five deaths this year and a couple had me picking up my teeth off the ground. So I went into my cave as much as I could, general hiding as much as possible and took lots of pictures and was alone and wrote and checked out as much as I could. I could have been more productive but my psyche required me pulling the shade down. This did not help business any, I tell you. Add to that a surgery or two and a hawk's nest falling out of a tree and this one was not going into the record books. Plus I stopped going to the gym and the body is on a fast road to hell.

I just wasn't functioning or should I say, I saw a reasonable excuse to go inside and hide?

But thanks to my peeps, I made it this year. Just barely but I did. Thanks again to Gary, Ron and Barbara, Andrew, all the rest of you. The tremendous emotional and financial support. I always get back to thanking people but this was life or death and I have to. Every painting, every piece of silver, every consignment, every sale, no matter how small, every good wish, every prayer, they all mean something big to me.

Actually did say a prayer with Jeff and Gena and it didn't hurt me none. They figured I needed it and I probably did.

Not exactly a religious man, not really what you call spiritual either. Detest a lot of mumbo jumbo. Guess I believe in reality, whatever that means, not that it is not comprised of some really weird shit. I've seen some serious outside stuff in my life but that doesn't mean I can quite get behind the concept of a deity. Many do though, god bless them.

I have watched too many of his or her failed works to get with the program. I think if there is someone in charge they are maybe taking a little too much time off themselves.

I'll spare you the details.

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I think that for the monotheists the jews were probably the first tribe that embraced the concept of a messiah.

Strange to me, one interested in biology and science, that another human being could pay off karma and promise one spiritual salvation.

But a lot of people are down with the concept and good for them.

Jews referred to the messiah at the mashiach, the anointed one.

Actually in the jewish creed, the messiah promised a political liberation rather than any sort of salvation.

In fact, the messiah is not mentioned in the torah at all but is held to be an early jewish tenet in an end times scenario.

The Messiah is the king during the end of days in this belief system.

He will be descended from King David (Jeremiah 23:5) For more info on the jewish messiah check out Jew 101.

The mashiach will be a great political leader descended from King David (Jeremiah 23:5). The mashiach is often referred to as "mashiach ben David" (mashiach, son of David). He will be well-versed in Jewish law, and observant of its commandments (Isaiah 11:2-5). He will be a charismatic leader, inspiring others to follow his example. He will be a great military leader, who will win battles for Israel. He will be a great judge, who makes righteous decisions (Jeremiah 33:15). But above all, he will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other supernatural being.
It has been said that in every generation, a person is born with the potential to be the mashiach. If the time is right for the messianic age within that person's lifetime, then that person will be the mashiach. But if that person dies before he completes the mission of the mashiach, then that person is not the mashiach.

Strange concept, a messiah. Things are so bad, something really big is going to come along and has to fix it. And a couple other religions really ran with the concept. You didn't have to be jewish to be a messiah, mind you. The jews considered Cyrus the Great of Persia to be a messiah for rebuilding the second temple.

Did you know that in Islamic theology, Jesus is the only prophet and messenger of end times? True that. Maybe those boys should be working together?

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Kalki, destroyer -10th incarnation of Vishnu

In buddhism Maitreya, fully awakened, is the promised messenger.

Rastafarians believe that Haile Selassie is the messiah.

from Wiki - Krishna is the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu, the savior, and is one of the special avatars in Hinduism. The followers of Hinduism expect that there will be a new incarnation of the avatar (the Kalki Avatar) who, in different periods in history was known as Vishnu, Krishna and Jesus. This avatar will fight the apocalyptic snake and achieve the final victory over evil on earth. He will renew humanity and enable people to lead pure and honorable lives. The expectations of all religions will be fulfilled in him as he will be the world messiah that they all looked forward to.[38]

Li Hong (Chinese: 李弘) is a messianic figure in religious Taoism prophesied to appear at the end of the world cycle to rescue the chosen people, who would be distinguished by certain talismans, practices and virtues.

I can't bother listing them all, that would take an eternity. But lots of earthlings think that we are heading for cosmic high noon and it is going to take something supernatural at the gunfight.

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Caught Star Wars the other day, 3D. Very impressive. They put Voldemort in this one, on top of a high chair. He's aging well. Not so much the other cast members. Carrie Fisher now looks like Eddie Fisher's Bubbe.

Hamill reminds me of the guy you see pulling plastic bottles out of dumpsters on the corner. Ford looks pretty good. They better get the sequel finished pronto before these guys are in walkers and sporting depends.

The new female lead is excellent, Fin not quite as strong an actor but looks like we're set for the first intergalactic interracial relationship and its about time. Good bar scene, nice new female yoda character.

Best Star Wars in a while but then again the acting has never been great and they've sort of sucked big time of late.

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This has been a year of political agnosticism for me. The liberals are often as ghastly as the conservatives. I saw a commenter on a liberal website suggest a boycotting of jewish businesses globally the other day. I thought, this is how it starts.

Obama said something interesting yesterday that I don't know if anyone caught. He suggested that poor and working class people are more likely to be bigots, Obama: Trump is ‘exploiting’ anger and fear over economic insecurities. If you are poor you are apparently stupid too in the eyes of the president. Or at least more susceptible to racist messages. I think he needs to be called out on his elitism, if not his prejudice.

Demographic changes and economic stresses, including “flat-lining” wages and incomes, have meant that “particularly blue-collar men have had a lot of trouble in this new economy, where they are no longer getting the same bargain that they got when they were going to a factory and able to support their families on a single paycheck,” Mr. Obama said in the interview with National Public Radio.
“You combine those things, and it means that there is going to be potential anger, frustration, fear — some of it justified, but just misdirected,” the president added. “I think somebody like Mr. Trump is taking advantage of that. That’s what he’s exploiting during the course of his campaign.”

Perhaps they just feel that you're an incompetent leader and not sufficiently engaged with combatting certain threats which you go out of your way to minimize?

The President has a tendency to frame things as either my way or their way, with no room for nuance or gradation in the great space between. Binary, but casting himself as the only logical and rational player with the only conceivable solution.

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Off politics. The year had its plusses as well. I have touched a lot of people with my artwork and writing, more than I had ever imagined. That makes me feel good. I got to photograph so many great places this year and I'm not done yet.

Had a wonderful vacation to the San Juans. Thanks again. Texas, Bandolier. People have been kind and great to me all year. So many of you, you know who you are, but number one my soul mate partner, Leslie. Life would suck without you, Leslie. I love you. You make life worthwhile. Would hate to be flying solo.

 Later.