Bruce, We Hardly Knew Ye!

Say it ain’t so! Universal theme parks announced it will retire its Jaws adventure ride starring that oh-so-popular mechanical shark, “Bruce.” (Bruce was the name of director Stephen Spielberg’s lawyer and affectionately attached to the trio of troublesome mechanical sharks used to film the original Jaws movie in 1975 – see my September post).

The verdict according to the news article: "Jaws" really was a relic. We've got CGI sharks now, and CGI-based movie rides like "The Simpsons Ride" and "Shrek 4-D." The next attraction to open in Florida? A "Despicable Me" 3D movie.

Really, you think the Simpson’s or Despicable Me could replace Bruce the eating machine? Get serious.

But maybe the real story here is that reality was first replaced with a robot and now that robot is losing its job to a bunch of digits – zeros and ones and some fly-by-night 3D. Nothing is safe. Nothing sure. It’s unnerving. If it’s Bruce today, which one of us tomorrow?

Atheists Go to Church “For the Kids”

A new study conducted by Rice University in Texas reports that 17 percent -- about one out of five scientists who describe themselves as either atheists or agnostics -- actually go to church, although not too often, and not because they feel a spiritual yearning to join the faithful. They go “for the kids.” I haven't read the full Rice report yet but you can read the ABC news account here.

I guess I can see the stated explanation – the atheist parent wants to let their children make up their own mind. But the article doesn’t even hint at another possible reason. Perhaps the atheist parents aren’t 100% convinced that they have it all figured out and attend church services either for some spiritual insurance of sorts (“hey, it can’t really hurt, can it?”), or maybe to check the whole “God thing” out to see if they just might hear a persuasive argument or two along the way. You never really know what those wacky scientist might be thinking, now do you?

Save Us From The Vortex

If I could banish a word from the English language it might be “transform” or “transformation.” Why so, you ask? Scientists and engineers use this term all the time. Are you anti-science Mr. SpongeHead? No, and also no, I’m not reacting adversely to the transformer action figures in comics and films, even though I just don’t get them (hey, I raised two daughters, ask me about My Little Pony, I used to be able to name them all).

Basically, I have little patience with metaphysical movements and secular-spiritual programs that are out to transform me. I usually don’t have any problems ignoring such stuff, it is around us daily afterall, but when you combine it with geology, watch out man, now you’re treading on a turf you shouldn’t be on! A turf worth fighting over as a matter of fact.

On a recent vacation trip to the Southwest my wife and I spent a night and the better part of two days in Sedona, Arizona – red rock country. Great locale, great town. We loved our stay. And, yes, I was well aware of Sedona’s reputation as a “spiritual place” before traveling there. I was prepared for it to have an atmosphere not unlike a Boulder, San Francisco, Ann Arbor, even Burlington, VT – or most of Southern California. But I wasn’t prepared for subterfuge on the part of the local government. At the town’s Visitor’s Center, nice, mature, normally-dressed workers help you with directions, recommend accommodations and restaurants, and hand out helpful maps. It was one of these grandmotherly attendants who was helpfully pointing out sites of interest and suggesting day trips to us on a copy of the area map she was about to give us who stopped me in my tracks. This municipal version of a Wal-Mart greeter then pointed to a number of swirly designs at various positions on the map stretched before us and pronounced, “And you may want to visit some of our Vortex sites – you know, where the Earth’s energy is concentrated.” I pretty much make it a point not to cuss at grandmotherly greeters to begin with, but I was a bit too dumbfounded to do so even if I had really desired. I do know I looked like the proverbial deer-in-the-headlights as I just stared, my brain thinking, “Hoo Boy.” And I stared some more. I’m not sure how exactly, but I thanked Grandma and seemed to have gotten out of the Visitor’s Center without either swearing, or laughing.

Rather than me try to explain Vortex sites, let me have two websites do the talking. The first is from the official Visit Sedona website, created and maintained by the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. I’m not making this up.

What is the definition of "vortex"? "A place or situation regarded as drawing into its center all that surrounds it." In other words, a vortex is a site where the energy of an area is concentrated. Because Sedona as a whole is known to be a spiritual power spot, a vortex site in Sedona is a place where one can feel Sedona's spiritual energy most strongly. Page Bryant, a medium, came up with the term while investigating sacred locations in the area.

Are all vortexes the same? Opinions differ. Some people say that all vortexes are equal in their ability to amplify energies; others will tell you that there are different qualities at different sites. Pete Sanders identifies some sites as upflow vortexes (where energy rises out of the earth); others as inflow vortexes (where energy flows into the earth). Upflow vortexes, such as mountains, mesas and pyramidal-type typography, are useful when one wishes to view life from a higher plane, to develop a more universal perspective or to send a prayer or affirmation out into the world. According to Sanders, upflow vortex sites make people feel positive, exhilarated and rejuvenated. "They literally unwind you and help you tap that universal oneness and harmony," he says. Bell Rock is an example of an upflow vortex. Inflow vortexes, such as valleys, canyons and caves, are good for introspection and spiritual problem solving. "If you want to understand and/or heal something from your past or go inward for past-life memory, those skills will be enhanced in an inflow vortex," says Sanders. Boynton Canyon is an example of an inflow vortex. According to Sanders, most of Sedona (excluding cliffs and mesas) is a huge inflow area because it lies in a valley cut by Oak Creek.

How do I find the vortex spot when I get to the site? There is no "x" that marks the spot. The entire area is considered to be a vortex. This makes it much more accessible. A visitor can decide to linger at the base, take a gentle walk or climb to the apex. How will I experience a vortex? Each person will experience a vortex differently. Possibilities include new insights, intense feelings of joy or release, sense of wellbeing, a physical healing, new or heightened spiritual awareness. After working with nearly 5,000 people, Andres has observed that Sedona encourages all kinds of shifts and that vortexes are real. "But unless you trust your own ability to sense," says Andres, "it may be difficult to tell what, if anything, is really happening."

Why doesn't everyone feel the same effect? Everyone is different and so are their experiences. While one person might see colors or energetic swirls, another might simply feel more supported and uplifted.

The second site is the business website of two folks who are making a living off of Vortex sites. They used to work in Sedona but, by a strange quirk of luck and using their Sedona-learned skills, they found Vortexes both inside and outside of their home right in Santa Rosa in northern CA. No word as to whether they had to pay the Sedona Chamber of Commerce any royalty fees or anything.

Vortex, which means whirling energy, is a site on the earth's surface which emanates measurable high levels of electro-magnetic energy. Several well known vortex sites are located in the beautiful red rocks of Sedona, AZ, and many famous structures were built at vortex sites around the world, including Stonehenge in England and the Great Pyramid in Egypt.

Each chakra in the human body also is a vortex site of heightened energy and stored information. Human vortex energy is affected by earth vortex energy, often through accelerated dreams, visions, past life memories, mental clarity, chakra cleansing and balancing, creativity and physical healing.

Since Spring Equinox 2001, 8 Earth Vortex sites and 2 Portals have been activated at The Crossroads, the small parcel of land where Jan and Marystella live.

Each of the vortices and portals, located at 9 sites at The Crossroads, has a specific gatekeeper, a clear purpose and multiple lessons. Living in these energies has been a long and amazing journey for Marystella and Jan. Their teachers include the Land and her Ancestors, the Spirit of the Redwood trees and the Mermaid Gatekeeper at the Water Vortex. They've been invited into the Akashic Records' Circle of Remembering, embraced by the Unconditional Love of the Goddess and heard the Song of the Sirens. The gifts Jan & Marystella have received from Land and Spirit are given back as guidance on your Journey.

Your yearning, by any name - more money, less stress, new relationship, peace on earth, creative outlet, spiritual connection, physical health - is a Call to Action. It's a call to Grow your Self, Vibrate your Essence, Live your Purpose.

If you're ready to cross the next threshold into a terrain beyond your old beliefs, to lift the veil of forgetting and embrace your deepest remembering, welcome to the Journey. Now is the time to transform the life you "think" you need to live, into Living the Intention of your Life.

By the way, after your Vortex Journey in Jan and Marystella’s backyard or laundry room, you can purchase Vortex Green Jewelry from them, “lovingly crafted and energized in accelerated Earth Vortex Energy.”

I’m thinking of whipping off an e-mail to the federal Department of Energy to see if they’ve caught wind of this Vortex energy source yet. With it we could put the final kibosh on that pesky proposed tar sands pipeline from Canada. We might need to drill an Accelerated Earth Vortex (AEV) well in Jan and Marystella’s laundry room though. I’m sure they won’t mind.

OWS

I guess we're beginning to see the end of the various occupier groups. It does seem like there is a huge divergence in why folks were protesting and what they wanted to see as an end result.  I don't imagine that debate will pass quickly, even with the coming of winter weather.

The whole situation reminds me of one of my all time favorite movie lines - from Marlin Brando.

Rules?

A balmy post-Thanksgiving late afternoon had me outside stringing Christmas lights on our Charlie Brown tree on our front bank. It felt more like a great mid October day than late November – pleasant afternoon air and a pleasant seasonal chore. I could hear a group of boys yelling and hollerin’up the street having a good time at some outdoorsy game – maybe kickball, I couldn’t be sure. I could hear one boy louder than the others and at one point amid the leisure-time mayhem, I heard him pronounce with gusto, “You can’t do that – it’s against the rules!” I chuckled because it reminded me of playing with my friends as a boy, and I thought, “Rules?” If I recall correctly most of the games we played had no hard and fast rules. The rules were usually determined by whose ball we were playing with or whose yard we were playing in. Or more often than not, who was the largest or most powerful sole in our pack of kids. Fluid rules. Rules to suit the occasion and our king-of the-hill male attitudes. That seems natural. Life wasn’t an even playing field we learned. Deal with it.

It got me thinking about more adult years when my career choices had me working for one-owner companies. Interesting organizations they could be. I put in 19 years with two separate one-owner consulting firms. How many times did I run into a situation where the owner decided the “rules?” Often arbitrary and ad hoc. And more often than not with me on the bottom of the pig pile when the dust settled, not the top! “Wow,” I thought as I finished my light stringing and headed back up the driveway in the rapidly dimming light. The Charlie Brown tree looked good.

Best Guitarist Ever?

Update: check out AVI's post on the Yardbirds.

Rolling Stone magazine just listed the top 10 rock & roll guitarists ever (their opinion anyway).  But aside from being in the Top 10 list, what else do Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck have in common?

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Eric Clapton
3. Jimmy Page
4. Keith Richards
5. Jeff Beck
6. B.B. King
7. Chuck Berry
8. Eddie Van Halen
9. Duane Allman
10. Pete Townshend

Not Quite Singing for Your Supper

In October I posted about singing scientists.  Well, there's more.  Specifically there's Carl Winter, food scientist at UC Davis worrying over food sanitation, nutrition and the like. You can listen to his audio versions or see clips of Winter performing in front of other scientists (I know, it's hard to contain yourself).  Who can resist a singing scientist?

How about: You’d Better Wash Your Hands (Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand”)

Oh yeah I'll, tell you something
I think you'll understand
For the sake of sanitation
You'd better wash your hands
You'd better wash your hands
You'd better wash your hands

Or,  Staying Alive (BeeGees)

Well you can tell by the way I choose my food
I’m a worried guy, in a cautious mood
Food safety scares, they’re everywhere
And they’re telling me I should beware
There’s pesticides, Mad Cow Disease
Sure don’t put my mind at ease
Biotech, and MSG
Messin’ with my sanity

Don’t want hepatitis or that gastroenteritis
I’m just stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Scrubbin’ off my veggies and I’m heatin’ all my burgers
Up to one-eighty-five, one-eighty-five
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive