Archives

If you live in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area you have likely noticed the cultural revolution taking place as this is “Ground Zero” for the massive societal change which has erupted over the past year in the wake of everything from the COVID-19 economic shutdown to the riots this past summer and fall in response to the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd.

During the Cultural Revolution which occurred in Maoist China, roving gangs of youth dripping with contempt for their heritage and traditions and convinced their way was the only way, would force their less enlightened elders to engage in Struggle Sessions designed to embarrass, humiliate, and shame their accomplishments as well as their ancestors.

The victims of these Struggle Sessions would swear in the future to mold themselves after the new and improved version of humanity which was of course “scientifically” created from communism. And only a reactionary would be against science! We see the same thing today in the corporate and government sector with political commissars renamed “diversity officers” sending employees to Struggle Sessions until they too can first admit to and then purge themselves of their implicit biases.

Like Winston Smith, successful graduates from this “training” win the victory over themselves as George Orwell’s Winston Smith learns to do in the novel 1984. You will recall that at the end, Winston Smith “had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.”

We are now being subjected to the same treatment as our parks, institutions, and schools are renamed and the individuals initially honored are Memory Holed – our schools revise and reprioritize history, and everything from the financial sector to sports and entertainment is reorganized to focus more on identity politics than simple carefree escapism. Even Senator Dianne Feinstein cannot escape since she committed the unforgivable sin of allowing a Confederate battle flag to fly from San Francisco City Hall—way back in the unenlightened year of the actual and genuine 1984 when she was the mayor of the city.

Yet here in California this hatred for our past is not exactly new. As Victor Davis Hanson writes, this began when California lost its pride in its own heritage and broadcast to newly arrived immigrants how they were morally superior to the pioneers and settlers who initially blazed a trail to the state, conquered its frontier, established an infrastructure, and transformed it into the envy of the civilized world.

Victor Davis Hanson wrote, the “state’s implicit message to new arrivals was that the now long dead who built California—which everyone wished to come to—were racists deserving of contempt and Trotskyization, despite immigrants’ dependence on their strange 1950s and 1960 freeways, UC/CSU/JC master education plan, once-modern airports, and ingenious water projects.”

Has this rejection of our heritage and tradition improved the lives of individuals here whose families go back for generations, as Victor Davis Hanson’s family does? Or made the lives of newcomers any better? Victor Davis Hanson does not believe it has benefitted anyone. “The result of lots of fresh newcomers, a politicized education system, and an inert infrastructure is now that Californians live in something akin to the Greek Dark Ages. They wander about looking at the ruins of prior civilizations and seem dumbstruck at the nature and purpose of decaying monuments in their midst. The problem is not just that the state does not wish to build a new dam, but it is questionable whether it can anymore, even if it wished.”

And it doesn’t matter because the individuals who created and built California happened to belong to the wrong race. So the engineering, infrastructure, and logistics involved in making California a habitable state are dismissed for the lack of diverse racial identities which participated in the creation of the late, great, Golden State. “Millions drive along the California aqueduct and have no idea who built it or why, only perhaps that it gives them life. Californians love their Sierra reservoirs but haven’t a clue how hard it once was to build them or why they were ever created in the first place, much less who planned and constructed them—and who is draining them.”

The beautiful places throughout California we can all enjoy, such as Yosemite Park, remain with us for all to enjoy due in large part to the ceaseless efforts of conservationist John Muir– one of the most prominent residents of the Bay Area whose home can be seen in Martinez even today. However, John Muir is persona non grata in polite company now, due to the beliefs he shared with millions of other Americans in his era and so he is also in the process of being Memory Holed.

At some point, a lifelong resident of the Bay Area such as myself has to wonder when the revolution will begin to eat its own. After all, even progressives such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were opposed to same-sex marriage only a decade ago. When will they also be considered politically incorrect reactionaries? For those who believe this obsession with identity politics may never end, take heart: Proposition 16, which would have divided Californians even further with a racial spoils system, was overwhelmingly defeated. There may be a sliver of hope left for this state yet.

I’m dreaming of a White (not Stage Purple) Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Wouldn’t it be so nice to get back to the way life used to be pre-Coronavirus/COVID-19? Does anyone remember when we were free to shop, travel, carol and congregate with friends and family over eggnog and fruit cake? Remember a holiday season when we could go out to a nice dinner, get together at the house with neighbors or co-workers and tolerate seasonal gatherings with our extended family? It seems like that was so long ago. After a Thanksgiving lockdown with limited travel, who knows what our Christmas/Hanukah through New Year’s will look like this year given an out of control worldwide pandemic. COVID could literally be an updated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

With a little help from Dr. Seuss, I’ve given a slight local spin to a familiar Christmas story with hopes that it will bring a smile to those who read it. Does anyone read our online magazine? We’ll soon find out.

Then the last thing it took was the log for their fire!

Then it went up the chimney, itself, the old liar.
And the one speck of food that it left in the house,
Was a crumb that was too small for even a mouse.
Then it did the same thing it the other Dans’ houses
Leaving crumbs much too small for the other Dan mouses!
It was quarter past dawn… All the Dans, still a-bed,
All the Dans still asleep when COVID packed up the sled,
Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!
Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit,
He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it!
“PoohPooh to the Dans!” it was COVIDLY humming.
“They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming!”
“They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do!”
“Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Dans down in Danville will all cry BooHoo!”
“That’s a noise,” grinned COVID, “That I simply MUST hear!”
So he paused. And the virus put its hand to his ear.
And it did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn’t sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn’t be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!
It stared down at Danville! COVID popped out its eyes!
Then it shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Dan down in Danville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!

COVID hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the virus, with its COVID-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came without ribbons! It came without tags!”
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
The virus puzzled three hours, till its puzzler was sore.
Then COVID thought of something it hadn’t thought of before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

And what happened then? Well…in Danville they say,
That COVID’s small heart grew three sizes that day!
And the minute it’s heart didn’t feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with a vaccine through the bright morning light,
And it brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
And at the end of the day, the Dan’s ate their roast beast!

There’s probably a little more to the story, but I’m tired and I’ve far exceeded my word count. The purpose of the retelling of this timeless holiday classic was to remind all of us that while this pandemic has been horribly tragic to many and terribly burdensome to everyone, it shouldn’t define us or dampen our holiday spirits. Perhaps that’s easier said than done, however, as a Mike here in Danville, who likes Christmas a lot, I won’t give up hope, no I will not.  Let’s try and be happy, let’s all persevere, let’s everyone try to enjoy some much-needed holiday cheer.

Have you ever thought that advances made by civilizations on planet Earth, in technology have at times appeared in an inconsistent manner? In other words, things get developed so far and then development stops, until, out of nowhere, development gets a boost. Now, where do you think that that boost had come from? Let us go back to the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Sumerians or the Indians of Central and South America, the Chinese and Japanese, the Indians (from India) as well as others. All of these cultures believed and still do, that whenever strides had been made in the way they were able to build colossal structures out of enormous sized blocks of stones, Extraterrestrials or Divine Beings had come down from above, in fiery chariots and intervened, by bringing down with them the knowledge, tools and technology to accomplish these tasks.

For instance, in India, China and Japan, perhaps other countries, contact between humans and celestial beings, at times referred to as divine or gods, happened rather frequently in distant past. Indian scholars for instance, believe that some of these meetings took place as far back as 30,000 to 60,000 years ago. Those celestial beings always appeared ‘travelling’ in hi-tech celestial vehicles that were often described as fire-breathing dragons, Vimanas, flying turtles or giants birds with supernatural powers. The reason for these fanciful descriptions was due to the fact that to the primitive earthlings of these various regions of our planet, these events and apparitions could only be described using the vocabulary and understanding available to them, at that time.

Eventually, people of the near east, encompassing Turkey, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Sinai Peninsula started experiencing similar visitations from celestial emissaries which these people also called divine beings or gods. These super advanced beings who descended from the firmament brought down with them, very advanced knowledge of technology, agriculture, law and order as well as construction and even religion. In order to teach humans advanced construction methods, these divine beings also had to introduce the primitive humans to highly technical machinery and rather complex design concepts. These gods (small g) may have been responsible for the construction of the original pyramids and colossal structures of the valley surrounding the pyramids, or at least in helping those ancient cultures in building them. The Extraterrestrials might in fact have been responsible, if not for the actual building of giant megalithic structures all around planet Earth, at least for teaching the humans how to accomplish these feats with the aid of high-tech gear that they had brought along.

Once the lessons were over, all the high-tech gear was packed up in the celestial transportation vehicles, which is why, there are no remnants of them to be found anywhere near those ancient megalithic structures. Nor are there any images of them found either. Probably because, the ‘Teachers’ did not allow any images to be recorded until, they were ready to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak.

Although, every once in a while, some of the initiated earthlings (priests and such), managed to leave some images hinting at futuristic vehicles, such as those found in the temple at Abydos. Which for some misguided reason, mainstream academicians have tried to explain away as ‘over-plastering’ and scraping away multiple layers of plaster; but why? Are Mainstream Academicians members of MIST?

Then, there is the giant sarcophagus lid of King Paqal (or Pakal) clearly showing the King operating the controls of some sort of flying apparatus which appears to be taking off for the heavens. There is even smoke and fire coming out of its tail pipes. Again, misinterpreted by mainstream academia, as being nothing more than symbolic. But, symbolic of what? The king is clearly manipulating some levers with his hands, and his foot is on some sort of pedal. Symbolic, you say?

I could give you more examples of misunderstood at the time, high-tech mobile transportation conveyances, eventually, purposefully misinterpreted by modern day archeological ‘Experts’, but why?

Moving right along. Once these celestial teachers had accomplished their missions of helping and teaching the earthlings to start catching up with other civilizations throughout the galaxy, they packed up their high-tech gear and returned to their planets of origin, while promising the humans that they would periodically look in on them, to see if they needed any help. And apparently, they have kept their promise, as we have seen throughout history, the reappearance of these ET teachers. However, I expect that many of the instructions left behind with the humans were lost or misplaced, perhaps misunderstood, or even destroyed by overzealous religious leaders (members of MIST?), hellbent on destroying any evidence of extraterrestrial involvement, purposefully misrepresenting their assistance as the work of Satan.

As a result of this misguided exuberance on the part of religious operatives, we, or humanity has lost millions of pages of instructions and even complete libraries of valuable information regarding our past history as well as great technological inventions and philosophical writings. Complete libraries of scrolls and books were burned in the 1600’s, especially in the Americas where Conquistadores led by representatives of the church of Rome ordered burned, Maya folding codices by the thousands, as works of the devil. Only a few of these valuable books have remained, one of the most important among them saved, was the Dresden Codex. Had these valuable writings been preserved and saved for future generations in archives, we would have a much better understanding of the past of our planet. It had taken hundreds, perhaps thousands of years to compile these libraries and in a flash, they were destroyed by misguided exuberance; what a shame!

The point I started out making was, that in fact, it is very possible that MIST or some shadow, or parallel, or perhaps breakaway civilizations does exist in the center of planet earth, or under the three-miles-thick sheet of ice covering Antarctica in huge Ice caverns, or even perhaps hiding in strands of a parallel universe.

Is it possible that at some distant point in time, MIST might actually have been present on our planet, and been part of our own timeline? It is also possible that representatives of MIST are actually hiding in plain sight, even today, right under our noses. This may be one of the reasons why we are NOT being told the truth about UFOs and Aliens.

There are tales in Mayan and Aztec cultures where suddenly, whole populations stopped existing, as though they had all just walked away from their magnificent cities, in the middle of a meal and utterly, completely disappeared. Where could they have gone?

Then, there is the case of disappearing UFOs. Again, how is it possible that we have seen UFOs appear and disappear right before our eyes. Especially since, they had not only been seen by human eyes, but by the electronic eyes of radar on jet planes and modern military vessels? Numerous stories have been written on this topic in several excellent books dedicated to them. The pilots have visuals of one or more, physical, unidentifiable aerial vehicles, not belonging to any earthly powers, suddenly disappear and within a matter of seconds, reappear, not only visually, but as solid blips on radar screens, and even on sonar. How could they do that, and so quickly, you might ask? I cannot tell you, but I can theorize…

Here are some conclusions that I have come to since I first started thinking about UFOs, way back in the 1950s. These are my own conclusions, however, if you have done any reading on this topic, you might have discovered that a number of others have come to the same or similar conclusions.

VARIETY OF UFOs – There are recorded, over a hundred different shapes and sizes of UFOs and numerous charts, showing the various models, have been created by amateurs, the Military and UFO Research Groups. Could all these different models originate from the same place? It is possible but highly unlikely. That is like saying that all automobiles come from the United States, when in fact 59 countries around the world build cars, for various manufacturers.

The same goes for earthly flying vehicles or airplanes. Not only that, but airplanes have evolved over the years. In the one hundred years from 1901 to 2000, we have gone from biplanes to jet planes and rocket ships. Today’s aircraft include airplanes, helicopters, airships, gliders, paramotors or paragliders. The first aircrafts had two wings stacked over one another and an engine spinning a propeller. We now have planes powered by jet engines and capable of carrying some 300 passengers and giant military transport or strategic airlifter planes, such as the C-5M Super Galaxy, which not only carries personnel but cargo, vehicles and up to 5 helicopters. We also have helicopters that lift off vertically and can be used for emergency vehicles, transporting passengers, and flying in combat situations. We even have vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) jet planes. We have come a long way. But we still have a long way to go. We have not caught up to ET.

Take for instance some recent sightings of a variety of UFOs, all over the world. In this one case, two Chilean Airforce jets were out on a training mission over their Pacific Coast when, out of nowhere, this humongous cigar shaped flying objects appeared in front of them. In their report, the two pilots reported that what they saw was approximately the length of ten (10) aircraft carriers.

This from the Web: “The Navy currently uses Nimitz class aircraft carriers, which are typically 1,094 feet in length and have deck space of approximately 4.5 acres, the size of four football fields. Below deck the ships hold up to 80 aircraft, 6,250 people, 2 nuclear reactors, and all the supplies needed for tours that can last several months.

Based on the above information, the cigar shaped object observed by the Chilean jet pilots would have measured about 10,940 feet which is about 2.080 miles. This UFO could possibly hold about 62,500 passengers and possibly several smaller scout ships (80 x 10 = 800). So, what was this monstrosity, maybe an Alien ‘Cruise Ship’ hauling around Alien Tourists to observe the primitive lifeforms of Earth? How can I put it? We do not have anything that comes even close in size to this behemoth UFO. Not only that, but when the Chilean jet fighters tried to get near it for a closer look-see, it took off at such a speed that the jets could not keep up with it,  and disappeared in a matter of mere seconds. We certainly DO NOT have any flying vehicles on Earth that can move that fast.

So, what sort of propulsion system did this UFO possess, and where did it come from? Not sure about either!

Of course, according to various sources, there are possibly over a hundred or more UFO designs that have visited our skies. The most common being the saucer shaped UFO. Just within this category, there are dozens of sizes of Flying Saucers or flying disks. The next category would be cigar shaped UFOs, as I described the one above, seen on the Pacific Coast of Chili. Then, there are triangular, square, diamond shaped, oval or egg-shaped, globe-shaped and wheel-within-wheel shaped as in the Spaceship that prophet Ezekiel not only spotted but actually took a ride in.

The one thing all the UFOs have in common is, and I am only guessing here, that they can maneuver at such high speeds that, no fighter jets of any earthly power can catch up to them. But it is not speed alone that makes these space vehicles so elusive, it’s their extreme maneuverability, especially the saucer or disk-shaped ones. The only reason we have been able to get our hands on some of them is, they, for some unknown reason, managed to come crashing out of the sky and our, and other governments’ military were able to gather up the wreckage. And of course, these are incidents where a veil of secrecy has enveloped not only the recovered artifacts, but any and all information regarding them. Is it that, perhaps MIST has a hand in perpetrating the cover-ups? More than likely!

Now, every habitable, technologically evolved planet in our Galaxy, or perhaps in the whole Universe, may manufacture certain models of UFOs or space transport vehicles. This also means that, not every habitable planet that builds UFOs, may necessarily be interested enough in planet Earth to send UFOs to observe us. Of course, with at least 100 various designs of UFOs, at least a few galactic entities are, for some reason, interested in what ‘We Earthlings Are Up To’.

Here is an interesting thought of mine: Helicopters are the only earthly flying vehicles that can almost mimic the maneuverability of flying saucers. They can takeoff vertically, fly horizontally and vertically. They can hover in place and make impossible turns no other earthly flying vehicle can. The only thing they cannot do is, fly at hypersonic (Mach 5), or even supersonic (Mach 1) speeds and catch up to a flying saucer. Some UFOs have been tracked, going at over Mach 15.

FYI: Mach 1 is approx. 741 mph. Mach 5 = 3,705 mph. Mach 15 = 11,116 mph. One of the fastest UFOs ever observed was going over 20,000 mph or about Mach 27. We, on planet Earth have nothing that could have caught this UFO!

More to come in Part III, in the next issue of ALIVE Magazine.

What is the appropriate way to celebrate the end of one of the most challenging years in modern history? With a cocktail, of course! With months of lonely quarantine behind us, and the shiny prospect of a promising New Year ahead, let’s let down our hair, kick off our shoes, and celebrate like there’s no tomorrow! While moderation is expected and encouraged, this may be the year to be the tiniest bit frivolous. Let the good times roll!

So, what to drink? What to drink, indeed! Nothing screams sophistication and effortless hospitality more than a perfectly blended cocktail. What better antidote to a woeful Old Year than a delicious quaff to raise your spirits and induce a sense of wellbeing! Don’t get bogged down in complicated recipes and dizzying descriptions – stick to the basics. Start with good booze and you’ll make a good drink. Or two. Or more! Why not? Go top shelf or go home!

But where to begin? So much booze, so little time! Pick a favorite and run with it! Will it be vodka or gin? Maybe rum, tequila, or bourbon? As more Stay-At-Home sanctions are put into place, it may be wise to grab a few good bottles to last you and your loved ones till the dropping of the ball in Times Square. Hurry now! The clock is ticking.

When buying liquor, there are three things to consider – quality, quality, and quality! Far too often, we make our decision based entirely on cost. It’s a pity we can’t taste a sip of each bottle before making our purchase. You would be amazed at the drastic variances in flavor even in something as neutral as vodka. Adding a mere ten dollars to your purchase can sometimes take you from lighter fluid to luxury. It’s the difference between a massive hangover and a bright morning after. Don’t start the New Year droopy. Drink the good stuff and never look back!

Vodka is the backbone of the spirits industry and is easily the most popular spirit in the world. Vodka can be distilled from almost any base material — barley, rye, wheat, corn, potatoes, grapes, and even beets.

Favorites include the creamy Chopin Vodka and crisp Grey Goose.

Gin is a bright, sassy vodka flavored with botanicals such as spicy juniper berries, and licorice to seduce your taste buds. The likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald threw back gin martinis with aplomb and ignited his creative muse. Gin is delicious and positively historic. Try Hendricks or The Botanist!

            Most of the world’s rum is distilled from molasses which is aged and blended. Master blenders create the signature flavor. If you’ve never tried a sipping rum, now is your chance! Premium quality is found with brands like Mount Gay and Ron Zacapa.

The best tequilas are made from 100% Blue Weber agave, a plant native to our southern neighbor, Mexico. Tequila styles are divided into blanco, reposado, anejo, and extra anejo. Indulge in your favorite for a taste of old Mexico. Top brands include Don Julio and Patron.

Bourbon is an American whiskey with a rich, amber color and enticing characteristic flavors of smoke, sweet maple, caramel, and oak. Bourbon can be served neat, on the rocks, or in a multitude of delicious cocktails. Popular producers include Willett and Maker’s Mark.

As you navigate this last month of 2020, don’t forget to grab a few bottles of good quality spirits from your friendly local wine and spirits shops. While away a chilly evening with cocktails, surrounded by adoring family and friends. Have a safe and joyous holiday season!

Cheers!