A dog I owned recovering from a big night out.

Fredericksburg Va battlefield. 2008

Keene NH, Oct 2007

In metaphysical literature and astral projection studies—notably explored by researchers like Robert Monroe—the "silver cord" is the energetic bridge between the spiritual essence and the physical form. Within the soul-harvesting paradigm, these wires represent the invisible, gravitational, or electromagnetic tractor beams drawing departed consciousness back toward the planetary matrix. The lyric describes the "vessel" (the human body or soul container) burning in a "cold white fire." This imagery closely parallels descriptions of the "white light trap" or the lunar clearing mechanism, where a brilliant, artificial energetic field is said to sanitize or erase a soul's past-life memories before sending it back through the "celestial gate." The Moon as a Loosh Farm: was Coined by Monroe, "loosh" refers to the raw emotional energy (particularly generated through suffering, fear, and struggle) produced by living beings. The broader lyrical narrative of the track—referencing a "turbine spinning in the dark," "industrial cycles," and a "vacuum" that recycles the heart and bone—metaphorically illustrates this cyclical processing machine designed to prevent souls from escaping into the deep cosmos, tethering them instead to a recursive earthly loop. EARTH: The Prison Planet.

Fort Worth skyline in 2014

The 1979 South Atlantic Flash, also called the Vela Incident, Event 747, or Alert 747, was a low-yield atmospheric nuclear explosion detonated over the remote southern ocean. On 22 September 1979 at 00:53 UTC, the aging U.S. nuclear-detection satellite Vela 6911 recorded a light signature that matched the unique double flash of an atmospheric nuclear burst. The satellite carried two silicon photodiode sensors known as bhangmeters, along with X-ray, gamma-ray, and neutron detectors. These instruments were designed to recognize the distinctive optical pattern of a nuclear airburst: an intense initial spike lasting about one millisecond as the fireball forms, a brief dip as the expanding shock front becomes opaque, and a longer secondary pulse as the shock cools and becomes transparent again, allowing the still-hot interior to radiate. Vela satellites had already recorded this signature on 41 confirmed nuclear tests. The time intervals between the first maximum, the minimum, and the second maximum scaled with yield and indicated a low-yield device of roughly 2 to 4 kilotons. The optical sensors could not fix a precise ground location, but the satellite was viewing a broad swath of the far southern ocean between the Crozet Islands and the Prince Edward Islands. Later analysis placed the most likely source near the Prince Edward and Marion Islands, about 1,200 miles southeast of South Africa. Later technical papers, especially those by De Geer and Wright in 2017, showed that a similar amplitude mismatch called background modulation appears on confirmed nuclear detections, often later in the pulse. The satellite’s geometry, consisting mostly of solar panels, makes it difficult for impact debris to remain in both sensors’ fields of view. Post-event system tests exhibited the same kind of early abnormal background behavior seen in the 1979 signal. Other sensors provided strong corroboration. Hydroacoustic data from the Navy’s SOSUS and MILS arrays, analyzed by the Naval Research Laboratory, showed signals the NRL director described as unique to nuclear shots in a maritime environment, with time-of-arrival work pointing to the Prince Edward Islands. Arecibo Observatory recorded a traveling ionospheric disturbance consistent in timing and direction with an explosion in that region, similar to disturbances seen after Soviet atmospheric tests. Iodine-131, a short-lived fission product, appeared in the thyroids of some sheep in southeastern Australia in a pattern consistent with a fallout plume from a small southern-ocean burst. A 2022 reanalysis of Nimbus-7 satellite ozone data taken minutes after the flash found a disturbance consistent with a blast-generated shock wave. The CIA’s internal assessment at the time put the probability of a nuclear test at 90 percent plus. President Carter’s diary entries show he was told the same day of a possible South African or Israeli test and later wrote that scientists increasingly believed Israel had conducted a test near South Africa. The two leading candidates were South Africa, which maintained a secret nuclear program and controlled the nearest islands, and Israel, already assessed to possess nuclear weapons and known to maintain close military and nuclear cooperation with Pretoria. A joint or Israeli test using South African logistics is the explanation most often supported by later literature. The Carter administration had strong political reasons to avoid a public finding of an illicit test by an ally, and the Ruina panel’s conclusion became the semi-official public line even as intelligence agencies and some Defense Department officials viewed it as a political whitewash. There has still been no public official U.S. declaration that the event was a nuclear test, and significant portions of the hydroacoustic and intelligence files remain classified or heavily redacted. Independent scientific re-examinations since the mid-2010s have treated the optical signal, the hydroacoustic detections, and the iodine-131 data as three mutually supporting pillars. The satellite telemetry matched a small nuclear airburst, the official public explanation discounted it for political reasons, and the weight of technical evidence confirms it was a nuclear weapons test. Twenty-two September, seventy-nine, Oh-fifty-three UTC, the clock marked time. Vela six-nine-one-one hanging high and cold, Two bhangmeters woke and did what they were told. silicon eyes, Caught the double pulse no lightning ever tries— First spike a millisecond, then the dip, then the glow, Two to four kilotons written in the light we know. It was a test, it was a test, don’t dress it up as weather, South Atlantic flash, Israel and Pretoria together. Prince Edward water, Marion in the dark, NRL heard the shot and named the mark. Ninety percent plus, the Agency said, Carter wrote it down while the panel played dead. You can call it a meteor, you can call it a glitch— The data don’t lie and the ocean don’t twitch. Forty-one confirmed before that night, Same double-hump, same timing, same light. Shock goes opaque, fireball hides, Then the second pulse opens like a second sunrise. Background modulation on an aging bird, Ruina called it zoo and buried every word. But hydrophones from Ascension to the ridge Sang a maritime nuclear, not a pebble on a fridge. Iodine-one-thirty-one in Australian sheep, Fallout on the wind while the brass played sleep. Arecibo felt the ionosphere roll, Same traveling wave the Soviets used to own. No debris in the nets, no public confession, Just a classified binder and a careful omission. South Africa owned the islands, Israel had the core, Alliance in the dark, a ship off a frozen shore. They said the sensors disagreed on the second peak, Said a grain of dust made the satellite speak. Solar panels throw debris the wrong damn way— You don’t get two eyes lit from a scratch in the bay. Three pillars standing: optical, sound, and rain, You need all three gone to call it a grain. Final chorus It was a test, it was a test, the yield was small and clean, Two–four kilotons on a black sub-Antarctic scene. Prince Edward to Marion, the NRL map, Carter in the diary, Israel in the gap. You can whitewash the panel, you can lock the page, The double flash still burns on a forty-year stage. South Atlantic midnight, treaty torn in two— The satellite told the truth. The rest of them knew. September, seventy-nine Midnight on the line Vela hanging high and cold Two sensors woke and did what they were told Silicon eyes caught a double pulse Lightning never throws that result Spike, then the dip, then the glow Kilotons written in the light that grows It was a test — don’t call it weather South Atlantic flash, Israel and Pretoria together We heard the shot, fixed on the mark Carter wrote it off as light in the dark Call it a meteor, call it a glitch The data don’t lie and the isotopes pitched Forty-one confirmed before that night Same double-hump, same timing, same light Shock goes opaque, fireball hides Second pulse opens like a second sunrise Noise on an aging bird Experts lied and buried every word Hydrophones from the islands to the shore Maritime nuclear — nothing less, nothing more Fallout in Australian sheep Fallout on the wind while the brass went to sleep Sensors felt the ionosphere roll Same traveling wave the Soviets used to own No debris in the nets, no confession Classified binder, careful omission South Africa owned the islands, Israel the core Alliance in the dark, a ship off a shore They said the sensors missed the second peak Said a grain of dust made the satellite speak Debris don’t fly the wrong damn way You don’t light two eyes from a glitched bay Three pillars standing: light, sound, and rain Need all three gone to call it a no-name It was a test — yield small and clean Kilotons on a black ocean scene Here to there on government maps Carter in the diary, Israel in the gap Whitewash the panel, lock the page Double flash burns on a fifty-year stage South Atlantic midnight, treaty torn in two The satellite told the truth. The rest of them knew.

Napoleon’s tomb.

Dunkers Church on the Shiloh battlefield. Sherman held this position at the start of the CSA assault. He retreated under pressure, and reformed.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect: This cognitive bias causes people with low ability at a task to overestimate their competence. Essentially, the skills needed to be good at something are the same skills needed to recognize how good you are at it. In studies, the worst performers in logical reasoning, grammar, and humor consistently rated their abilities as far above average, while top performers tended to underestimate their abilities. This explains why incompetent people are often confidently wrong. Looks up the book from the 1970's called, "The Peter Principle". Low skill, high score They rate themselves more Can’t see the gap That’s the trap Confidently wrong Think they’re strong Less they know More they show Worst ones lead Best ones recede Same skill to do Same skill to see through Confidently wrong Think they’re strong Less they know More they show Can’t judge the height Till you climb it right Loud and sure Never pure Confidently wrong All along The less they know The more they glow Measure the fall Before you stand tall Blind and proud Part of the crowd

Fox 1…. Fox 2

If you don’t like MiGs, don’t fly in MiG Alley. 1985

The Placebo Effect's Evil Twin (The Nocebo Effect): While most people know about placebos making people feel better, the nocebo effect is its sinister counterpart where belief in harm can cause real physical damage. In documented cases, patients who believed they were allergic to something developed actual allergic symptoms, and in one instance, a man died after being mistakenly told he had terminal cancer (the diagnosis was wrong, but his belief killed him anyway). Your brain can literally create illness out of thin air. The Placebo’s Evil Twin (Nocebo) Everybody knows a sugar pill can makes the pain subside The mind can heal what the body can’t if you just believe the lie But there’s a blacker mirror waiting in the same darkened room Where faith in harm turns into flesh You put yourself in your tomb. The evil twin Belief can break what medicine can’t mend You think the worst the worst comes true Your brain invents the sickness out of nothing but you Believe the silent knife It doesn’t need a virus, it uses your mind They told the man the cancer had already won the fight The scans were wrong, the labs were clean, But the doctor got it right The patient believed the sentence his body took the fall Heart gave out, lungs shut down Wrong belief did it all A patient hears “you’re allergic” the hives begin to rise The throat constricts, the skin erupts the tears fill up the eyes No allergen was present, just the word that carried weight The nervous system listened And decided I"it's to late..." Expectation is a weapon sharper than any blade Suggestion is a toxin your body won't be saved You don’t need poison Not in blood or vein Just one wrong story whispered the damage is the same The evil no win twin Belief can break what medicine can mend You think the worst the worst comes true Your brain invents the sickness out of nothing but you A silent knife It doesn’t need a virus, it just uses your mind [Outro] Be careful what you swallow when the doctor starts to speak The mind can write prescriptions that the body has to keep That evil twin is waiting, quiet, cold, and real Your own belief can kill you When you let it seal the deal.

Organ Mts Las Cruces NM 2019

Getting Air refueled - pic from the cockpit.

Swab the dish at dawn Nobody told us what we grew A cough becomes a calendar A fever folds the room in two I sealed the vents with tape I counted every breath you took The radio said stay inside The radio said don't go look This is how a war gets quiet No sirens just a sneeze This is how a war gets quiet Weapon made of air and ease Somebody's lab some ledger Somebody signed it off This is how a war gets quiet And none of us can cough Hush now hush now Cover up your mouth Hush now hush now Cover up your mouth My hands are raw from soap My sister's lips have gone so blue They drew a line around the block And drew another around you I keep the window shut I trace your name into the grime The news keeps saying it's contained The news keeps running out of time This is how a war gets quiet No sirens just a sneeze This is how a war gets quiet Weapon made of air and ease Somebody's lab some ledger Somebody signed it off This is how a war gets quiet And none of us can cough Hush now hush now Cover up your mouth Hush now hush now Cover up your mouth Small thing Fast thing Passed thing Last thing I never saw a soldier I never heard a shot I only saw a mailbox And a notice and a dot Breathe in Breathe out Breathe in Breathe out This is how a war gets quiet No sirens just a sneeze This is how a war gets quiet Weapon made of air and ease Somebody's lab some ledger Somebody signed it off This is how a war gets quiet And none of us can cough Hush now hush now Cover up your mouth Hush now hush now Cover up your mouth Hush now

Happy Columbus Day! Wishing you a day of celebrating the bold explorers, the spirit of discovery, and the journey that connected worlds.

I didn't become a Christian until later in life. I made this video as a reflection upon the journey.

Making Moonshine

The Klondike Gold Rush was a short, brutal stampede into the Yukon that began with a quiet find and ended as a legend of mud, cold, and disappointment. On August 16, 1896, Skookum Jim Mason, Tagish Charlie, and George Carmack found coarse gold in Rabbit Creek, soon renamed Bonanza Creek, a tributary of the Klondike River near its meeting with the Yukon. Word moved slowly at first. It was not until steamers reached Seattle and San Francisco in July 1897, carrying miners and sacks of gold, that the outside world believed the stories. Newspapers printed the amounts. Within weeks the stampede was on. Roughly 100,000 people set out. Perhaps 30,000 to 40,000 reached the goldfields. Most were men from the United States and Canada. Canadian authorities at the summits required each person to carry a year’s supplies, about a ton of food, tools, and clothing. That rule saved lives and created the famous images of the trails. The main routes ran from the Alaska panhandle. Stampeders climbed the Chilkoot Trail, a steep staircase of ice and rock where the North West Mounted Police checked outfits at the pass. Others took the White Pass out of Skagway, longer and muddier, littered with dead horses. There, in the winter of 1897–98, thousands built boats and waited for breakup. When the ice went out in late May 1898, a flotilla poured down the Yukon toward Dawson City. Dawson exploded from a seasonal fishing camp into a city of tents, saloons, and sawmills. At its peak it may have held 30,000 people, briefly the largest Canadian community west of Winnipeg. Claims along Bonanza and Eldorado had already been staked by the time most arrivals appeared. Latecomers worked for wages, prospected barren creeks, or failed. A minority struck rich ground. Many more spent their stake on freight, food, and gambling. Prices were extreme: eggs, nails, and whiskey all cost fortunes because everything came in by trail or river. By 1899 the easy placer ground was claimed or worked out. News of gold on the beaches at Nome pulled thousands west. Dawson shrank. The Klondike did not die—dredges later reworked the creeks for decades—but the stampede was over in about three years. Its afterlife outlasted the gold. Jack London turned trail and camp into fiction. Robert Service made the sour-dough a verse character.