𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧: 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩’𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

Victor Davis Hanson overview of transition from Obama/Biden to Trump.

𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐍’𝐓 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓? - 𝐊𝐨𝐝𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐢

WHY HASN’T HUMANITY 

PROGRESSED IN THE LEAST?

The modern world musters up all of its knowledge just to run down a dead end street.

People were idiots in the old days too. They wasted a fortune in gold and manpower building castles. And what was it all for? To bicker with each other. Today, people are even dumber. They build atomic and hydrogen bombs in order to erase humanity with one push of a button.

How is it that humanity itself, unlike its science, hasn’t progressed in the least?

- Kodo Sawaki, To You

"... 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠" — 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐍𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐣

 

"𝐃𝐳𝐨𝐠𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧" ... 𝐂𝐡ö𝐠𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐢 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐮

Dzogchen doesn’t ask you to change your religion, philosophy or ideology, nor to become something other than what you are. It only asks you to observe yourself and to discover the ‘cage’ you have built with all your conditioning and limits. In fact Dzogchen teaches us how to regain that freedom of being which we all have in potentiality. “Freedom” in this case means a state in which we are no longer conditioned by dualism, by judgements, by the passions and by everything we believe in. One might ask, “But what is then left of a person?” Pure presence, uncontaminated clarity, like that of a mirror that reflects everything, which is the true treasure of mankind

- Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

𝐙𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐩!

"The monks that teachers must deal with today are generally ignorant, stubborn, unmotivated types who aren't even up to sitting through a single stick of incense. They teach these people and nurse them along with tender care.

"But they might as well take load of dead cow-heads, line them up, and try to get them to eat grass. The teachers muck about, doing this and trying that, endeavoring to get these fellows free of themselves. Instead, they end up saddling them with an enormous load of shit. Then they sanction them, give them fine certificates of enlightenment, and loose them upon the world. The difference between such 'teachers' and priests like Ling-yu and Chih-kuan is a difference of mud and cloud."

- Hakuin, Essential Zen

- Hakuin Ekaku (1686 - 1769) possessed an unusual ability to convey the meaning of Zen to large numbers of people from all classes and religions. Though he chose to work at a small temple in the countryside, he was frequently invited to lecture, and his writings were published, eventually bringing him fame. His writings could be rough, humorous, or sometimes even shocking, intended to rouse his followers from their complacency into a deeper contemplation of religion and spiritual life. His copious writings continue to maintain pivotal importance within the Rinzai Zen sect. His work, both as spiritual leader and as painter, had a profound effect on all subsequent Zen study and Zen painting.

"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 ... "

‘When someone dies, the first thing to do is nothing. Don't run out and call the nurse. Don't pick up the phone. Take a deep breath and be present to the magnitude of the moment.

There's a grace to being at the bedside of someone you love as they make their transition out of this world. At the moment they take their last breath, there's an incredible sacredness in the space. The veil between the worlds opens.

We're so unprepared and untrained in how to deal with death that sometimes a kind of panic response kicks in. ‘They're dead!’

We knew they were going to die, so their being dead is not a surprise. It's not a problem to be solved. It may feel sad, and it's not cause to panic.

If anything, their death is cause to take a deep breath, to stop, and be really present to what's happening. If you're at home, maybe put on the kettle and make a cup of tea.

Sit at the bedside and just be present to the experience in the room.

What's happening for you?

What might be happening for them? What other presences are here that might be supporting them on their way?

Tune into all the beauty and magic.

Pausing gives your soul a chance to adjust, because no matter how prepared we are, a death is still a shock. If we kick right into ‘do’ mode, and call 911, or call the hospice, we never get a chance to absorb the enormity of the event.

Give yourself five minutes or 10 minutes, or 15 minutes just to be. You'll never get that time back again if you don't take it now.

After that, do the smallest thing you can.

Call the one person who needs to be called.
Engage whatever systems need to be engaged, but engage them at the very most minimal level.

Move really, really, really, slowly, because this is a period where it's easy for body and soul to get separated.

Our bodies can gallop forwards, but sometimes our souls haven't caught up.

If you have an opportunity to be quiet and be present, take it.

Accept and acclimatize and adjust to what's happening.
Then, as the train starts rolling, and all the things that happen after a death kick in, you'll be better prepared.
You won't get a chance to catch your breath later on. You need to do it now.

Being present in the moments after death is an incredible gift to yourself, it's a gift to the people you're with, and it's a gift to the person who's just died.
They're just a hair's breath away.

They're just starting their new journey in the world without a body. If you keep a calm space around their body, and in the room, they're launched in a more beautiful way.

It's a service to both sides of the veil."

~ Sarah Kerr via Daniela Hess on Facebook

(Photo : Thích Nhất Hạnh's body after 'death')

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — (𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭) 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐇𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐬

This is a description of Structural Integration. It is arguably the definitive statement on the approach — which is itself definitive and peerless — originated by Dr. Ida P. Rolf to educate living in balance in respect to the demands of the force of Gravity. 

It is written by one of the first of Dr. Ida P. Rolf's teachers of Rolfing ... the esteemed and beloved Emmett Hutchins. Reading his words it will be obvious that he is an inheritor of Dr. Rolf's vision.

Emmett's clarity and depth of understanding of the subject stands out. His dedication and love for the work is plain to see. He is held within the our field as an exemplary leader in the practice and teaching of Dr. Rolf's traditional approach, unalloyed with the many changes and "improvements" that have been tacked onto the work since Dr. Rolf's time.

Ida P. Rolf, PhD

Structural Integration 

(A Path of Personal Growth and Development) 

by Emmett Hutchins

When Dr. Rolf decided to name her work, it was after years of careful contemplation. She selected her words well. Indeed, the name Structural Integration, doesn’t imply the full scope of her teaching. To begin with, her choice of the word, “structure” is clearly descriptive. For it was her way of looking at the human physical body as one would any other material structure, which grounded her work upon the basic laws of Physics. However, since structural analysis alone is of limited value, it was Dr. Rolf’s original research in biochemistry which provided a key for unlocking the human structure and which gave birth to her method. 

The Recipe, her procedure for establishing myofascial balance and relieving chronic structural stress, is her gift to humankind. “Integration”, however, is the word which best describes the true thrust of her work. On the physical level, “integration” means: the relating of various parts so that they act as a unit. “Integration” includes the concepts of balance, symmetry, and wholeness. But it is here that we leave the realm of pure science. For we cannot understand “integration” until we first comprehend “relationship”. And Dr. Rolf believed that one cannot enter the complex world of “relationship” without leaving the world of “things”. This is a great challenge, a shift of consciousness. The world of “things” is a rational, linear, scientific, verbal world. Where the world of “relationships” is non-linear and non-verbal and, therefore, not accessible to the purely rational mind. So, it is here that we cross from science into art, from technique into mastery. As Dr. Rolf said, “it is the art of integration which separates the cooks from the chefs”.

Dr. Rolf’s work and major discoveries lie firmly rooted in physical reality. She used to say: “because that’s what I can get my hands on”. But the full focus of her intellectual curiosity was not aimed towards structure alone. Rather, her motivating interest was in the energy fields which surround human structures. The Gravity field and its relationship to structure, therefore, became the dominant theme of her teaching. What if the human structure could be integrated within the Gravity field so that all movement could flow in continuous balance? Would the effects and experience of Gravity not change from a downward, negative, entropic force into a supportive, positive, organizing force? (Many of us would now answer a resounding “yes”, from personal witness. This is remarkable, since even the best of us lives in this balanced state for brief periods of time only!) Would this person live longer? Stronger? Healthier? Happier? How would this affect mental health and function? How would this alter emotional health? Maturity? Responsiveness? Sensitivity? What would be the effect of a life lived with the perpetual support of our own cosmic field — rather than in conflict with it? 

Unfortunately, organization of the structure, alone, does not permanently established this ideal, super balanced state. While fascial order may affect miracles in the relief of chronic symptoms and pain, and may commonly produce increased vitality and a new sense of general well-being, it does not fully integrate a living, moving structure within the surrounding Gravity field. Something is missing. The conscious will of that being that lives within the structure must be actively involved. Here, we glimpse Dr. Rolf's true genius with her invention of the concept of The Line. The Rolf Line is a line of vertical intention which extends through the bottoms of the feet to the center of the earth and through the top of the head to cosmic infinity. The Line, in her concept of the fully “evolved” structure, does not pass through bone (except at the top of the head). The Line is transcendental. It forms a bridge between physical reality and the realm of pure energy, the non-physical. The Line integrates the physical structure with the Gravity field. The Line joins Rolf physics and metaphysics into one clear concept. The awakening of The Line is the central challenge of her teaching. The awakening of The Line is the Rolf path for self-growth. The Line becomes our personal guide, our monitor of personal evolution. And, inculcation of The Line into the very essence of our consciousness becomes our preoccupation. Dr. Rolf's’ vision of unlimited human potential is inseparable from this personal path. 

During the major portion of her life, Dr. Rolf's overriding personal interest was directed towards yet another field of energy. Here we leave Rolf physics behind and move clearly into metaphysics. We move from her public message into her private teaching which contends that humans are electromagnetic bodies with an electric core and a magnetic sleeve, similar to the earth itself. In an attempt to gain knowledge about this core energy and in pursuit of her interest in personal development, she undertook a study of tantric yoga. As a student under an Eastern master, for well over a decade, she carefully examined the teaching for physiological referents. She began to develop an idea. What if, after years of discipline and meditation, one was able to remove all physiological and energetic barriers to the free flow of electric, core energy? And what if one were to place the negative pole of this energized core (root chakra) firmly into the earth while also spanning upward through the positive pole (crown chakra) toward infinity? Would the personal electromagnetic field be reinforced and energized by the field of the earth? Could this not describe a transcendent state of energetic integration between human and cosmos? Could this correspond to awakening the kundalini and the appearance of super- normal powers of mind and body? Are chakras the vortices through which this highly empowered electromagnetic source communicates with matter?
Her hypotheses do not stop here. She was not interested in trying to “improve” an ancient tradition. But what if this ancient path could be reformulated and restated for modern humans? What if the state of transcendent integration could be achieved while standing rather than sitting? How would human structure have to evolve? (The Recipe is full of goals which are her attempt to answer this question). Could we awaken a heel chakra, more negatively charged then the root chakra? Would the additional core length imply an even more powerful electromagnetic field then that of the Eastern Masters? And, further, what if the physical structure of this integrated well-being were so balanced, within the field of Gravity, that movement did not disturb the integrated state? Is this kind of evolutionary shift of structure and consciousness conceivable? Certainly, such flights of visionary fancy or not fit fair for many rational, educated humans. And it’s not certain that she developed this hypothesis in every training class. But in many of them, she did.

What about the discipline of mind and spirit? Surely, this path of the Masters cannot be reduced to mere biophysics. Here, Dr. Rolf would suggest that, in addition to whatever spiritual and religious practice might empower an individual, the practitioner of Structural Integration chooses a path of service to his species. And with this service, whether conscious or not, comes refinement of mind and spirit, the ability to “LOVE” in its highest sense. Additionally, the Recipe is the vehicle through which the practitioner focuses and develops clear intention. The Recipe is the ritual and the discipline of this path of service. Dr. Rolf’s belief in the personal energy body was evidenced in many ways. She would often refer to this personal field as the “causal body”, indicating her high regard for its function. Dr. Rolf’s preference for Homeopathy over Allopathy was strong evidence of her belief in the “causal” nature of the body’s energy fields. During her work, when presented with symptoms of autonomic nervous system activity or emotional distress, she would turn her attention to the energy field. Early students were instructed in the rudiments of a technique for finding and sealing holes or “hotspots” in the field, in order to bring the energy field back to equilibrium. In the last major research project of her life, the UCLA project led by Dr. [Valerie] Hunt, she insisted upon adding the observations of an aura reader to the test data. Admittedly, the presence of the aura reader discredited the entire project in the eyes of many serious researchers. But her interest in exploring the personal energy body was compelling. She wanted to extend the boundaries of knowledge about the relationship between physical flesh and its surrounding energy field. It was she who said, “There’s no such thing as metaphysics. There is only the physics we’ve not yet discovered”. 

Dr. Rolf’s teachings and hypotheses covered so many areas of inquiry of inquiry that no one can explore them all with equal intensity and she certainly never expected most of her students to accept her work in its fully mystical context. So, she presented the challenge of her work in many ways more palatable to the practical mind. However, some degree of personal commitment to the idea of self-organization around the vertical line of intention is basic. When she said, “Structural Integration is a way of life”, she implied more than passive reorganization of the facial body. In a paper written two years before her death, Dr. Rolf stated: “The appropriate integration of the bodies of man in the Gravity field is a long-term evolutionary project. Not even the first page has been turned yet. It is possible that we are seeing the first conscious attempt at evolution that any species has ever evidenced”.

𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 ... 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐟 𝐈𝐭

𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 ... 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐟 𝐈𝐭 1

 

Coffee ... The Yin and The Yang Of It

This here is not gonna teach you about the particulars of making a nice cup of Coffee. It's just to give you the lay of the land. It's a scenic route. It'll help you plan your trip. Guaranteed.

But, first ... a little something relating to the price of Coffee in the news.

Recently in the news Coffee has been a thing. The geopolitical effects on price, that is. Seems the country of Columbia had refused to accept deportees from the US of A under the new Donald J. Trump Presidential program to deport migrants who had entered illegally. First to go, the bad hombres. With a threat of tariffs as the cudgel to change Columbia's mind the prospect of the rise of Coffee prices had been a concern. Briefly. Seems Columbia has changed its tune and is now accepting airplane loads of their nationals deported from the US of A. 

As a complete aside ... wondering what Columbia and other countries are gonna do with those folks. Many of whom may be hardened criminals. Just saying.

Good news! The price of Coffee will stay level. At it's already whopping high. You want a pound of Jamaica Blue Mountain? Around 90 bucks. Okay, that is the high, high end. But $10 to $20 per pound for a good quality Coffee is the norm. 

Everything price-wise is higher. Stock up on Eggs. We have a fancy fromagerie in town and $36 dollars for a pound of Cheese isn't all that rare. 

Remembering a time when canned Coffee came in 1 pound cans. And, about a dollar per. As costs do, they rise; prices rise. To offset the sticker shock the can sizes became smaller; now the small sized cans contains 11.5 ounces. Kripes, a 10.3 ounce can of Maxwell House Coffee at $8.49 scales up to $13.47 per pound. So that's the going rate for Coffee as a general benchmark. And, mind you, that's a can of store Coffee. Geez!

Whew! Who said the only constant is change. 

Now let's get to the topic of "Coffee".

Once, in the day, our idea of making Coffee was a plastic Melita filter funnel balanced precariously over a large antique enamel kettle. Put in some ground Coffee from a store boughten can — be sure to include a scoop of Bustelo for that extra sabor — then dump in the boiling water. Wait for it to drip through completely, and serve.

Now, things have evolved. We have at our disposal a few different methods. A Coffee sock. A couple of Moka pots. A classic Bodum French press. A few single serve drip Vietnamese gizmos. And, very recently, a Hario V60 pour over drip funnel.

The Coffee sock [Calador in Spanish] is a lot like "Cowboy Coffee". You boil water, add grounds to the pot, let stand a bit, then pour through the Coffee sock into a decanter.

We hear Cowboys use their hat. Actually, after the Coffee sits in the pot of water to extract, we usually just let the Coffee drip into a bowl, rinse out the brewing pot, then put the finished Coffee back in the pot. Make sure it's hot, then pour a cup; have the rest on the heat for a second helping, or to reheat later.

Yes, I said "reheat". We know, that's like a mortal sin in the current Coffee zeitgeist. To each his own.

We also have a fancy design stainless Moka pot and a small classic Bialetti for a small Espresso to go into our favorite Café con Leche.

And by Café con Leche we're talking about a good strong shot of Espresso with a load of steamed milk, sugar to taste. Not a $4+ "Latte" with foam on top, or a Cappuccino with the foam AND a dusting of Cinnamon. And, please, no pictures floating on top of my cuppa. Geez!

Then there's the French press ...

French press is great. As long as you drink it all after being brewed. Anything less, then you'll have to transfer into a pot to reheat; or, just leave it for later for an iced Coffee. 

On occasion we'll use a fine grind and set up our Vietnamese phin drip filters. We prepare our drink iced as shown, sweetened in the classic way with sweetened condensed Milk. Strong and a real treat. [Photo from casa Cooky Cat.]

The latest is a Hario V60 drip funnel. 

Ceramic, please. Better to hold the heat. Along with the V60 we went economic and use a Hario Drip Kettle Air. 

It's just a small pitcher with a spout designed to give a slow, precise pour. We said economy. The other way to go is a specially designed kettle with a gooseneck spout for that precise slow pour over action. 

Then, of course, there's the choice of stove top heating or dedicated electric kettle. If you are using such a kettle then you'll need a scale under the drip rig to measure a precise proper amount of water. The V60 Drip Kettle Air has markings to show the amount of water. Less than $16 bucks versus the $100+ [at least] for the kettle/scale setup. And, that's the entry price. You can spend way more.

Then there's the thing about the water to Coffee ratio. You can spend hours going over that subject alone. Not to mention water temperature. Then, there's how you pour for a pour over, and how fast. Geez! That's just the on paper side of the research. In the kitchen, where the rubber meets the road, then there's adjusting it all to your taste. Heck, they have competitions on Coffee making. And, no shortage of opinions. 

As you might be getting by now there's a lot of variables to making Coffee. All the foregoing is already a whole bunch of words. But, believe it, that's just the tip of the iceberg. We'll get to that. Not to nail it all down, chapter and verse. But to give you a snoot full of all there's to Coffee in this year of 2025.

Also, you may surmise, that getting a hot enough cup of Coffee to your lips what with all the machinations in the brewing is a thing in itself. Our preparation method includes preheating the cup, and preheating the added Milk. With the pour over filter funnel we're also using a carafe that we can keep over a heat diffuser on the stove while we're going through the pouring motions. Careful, those glass carafes aren't supposed to go on direct heat. Only microwave. But we don't microwave. Bad vibes kind of thing.

By the way, we picked up a while ago the idea that Coffee should be poured into the Milk. [If you take Milk with your cuppa, that is. Or Half and Half, or Cream.] We'd discuss this more, but looking for an easy answer in an Internet search it's too much of a Rabbit hole. So we take it on faith. There seems to be some chemistry science basis to it. If you want to know more, go fetch. 

So currently at casa Cooky Cat we're in the initial phase of dialing in the variables for the pour over method with the Hario V60 funnel. Coffee to water ratios. Water pour total amount, timing, and proportionings. And, the big one ... the grind. 

The grind size and grinding method of the Coffee beans is a major thing. Differing grind size for each type prep method. And, be sure the grounds are uniform. That's where grinders come in. A mortar and pestle ... please! That would be a no; unless you live in a cave. We've been using an electric blade grinder. Works well enough. But grind consistency is not a big point with that random type spinning blade action. 

There's a world of grinders, each type and each model with their various pros and cons. So many choices, so many price points. When you're into Espresso, the grinder choice is a big deal. Espresso prep has umpteen variables, and more than that ways with it.

Hand grinders. You'd think that it's a good economic trade off. You work more, but it costs less. There are inexpensive hand grinders [$50ish.] But, a top rated hand grinder will set you back $250! For reals. Electric-wise, seems the bottom "entry level" like the top rated Baratza Encore goes for $150. Or, $200 if you want the version with the upgraded grinding burrs for Espresso.

"Burrs." There are conical burrs and flat burrs. With design differences within each range, and critical reviews till the cows come home on the differences in the cup. There also seems to be no price limit. You can easily drop $500 for a "decent" unit. 

"Entry level." That phrase rides through all the reviews of Coffee paraphernalia. It always strikes us the term "entry level" typically goes along with a steep enough price tag to make us want to throw up our hands and just toss some grounds into a percolator.

Speaking of percolators. Once in my checkered career resume I did time as a Can't Miss Top 10 Mad Ave Ad Bigger on a Coffee account. The Pan American Coffee Bureau in New York City gave an introduction to all things Coffee. The take away point I remember was how they were emphatic that the drip method was the best. I brought that up to my client counterpart brand manager. He pointed out that percolator sales were increasing. In other words, it would not be productive sales-wise to include drip method in our advertising. Much less promote it. This was in the mid-1960s. Then, guess what? Mr. Coffee came along. Changed the game. Drip Coffee in an appliance. Turns out that no one was against drip method Coffee as such. They just wanted it in an appliance. Gizmos sell.

We once gifted a Coffee sock to a dear one and they turned up their nose not wanting to change from their single serve pod brewing device. Gizmos. [Pretty soon the hand will only be useful for punching in text messages.]

And, speaking of devices ... Espresso machines. One blanches at the mere thought of having to tackle that subject. Sure you can get an Espresso machine for around $100 bucks. But, when you research all the variables, seems a good entry level unit might be nudging toward $500 dollars. And, how much Espresso are you gonna drink for that price tag when you drop 5 bills and still feel like you're a piker for not springing for the $1,500 dollar unit which seems to be what the aficionados plunk down. And, that's "at least".

That'll get you started for Espresso. Then, of course, the grinder. And other stuff too. For Espresso, the unit what holds the grounds in the machine. It's called the portafilter and there are options there too. And, no end of considerations and discussions of opinions. And, once the grounds are in the portafilter they have to be 1. raked over for evenness, 2. tamped down first to level, 3. then pressed down to a torque wrench pressure precision. A good Barista can do it by feel. But, of course, there are the ones with a spring drive preset load pressure. Lots of gizmos to do all that. 

And, by the way, time, temperature, and pressure are the alchemist's plaything when it comes to Espresso. Like was said ... variables.

If you've even got this far into this writing you have to get by now that Coffee drinking is a big thing. Ritual thing. After all, how good does a cup of Coffee have to be? Seems for many it's a quest.

But, it can be good. Really good. My best taste of the brew was when vacationing in Jamaica. Must've been Blue Mountain. If we ever get our Coffee ritual dialed in solid, maybe we'll spring for that $90 dollar bag of Blue Mountain Coffee. Second best cup of Coffee, room service at a hotel in Roma, Italy. Third best, from many of the Dominican and Puerto Rican restaurants in New York City and their incomparable Café con Leche. Fondly remembering a now gone favorite, La Taza de Oro ["The Golden Cup"] on 8th Avenue at 34th Street in New York City. In the day the Espresso station was right up near the front door with a dedicated server cranking those paper cups of Café con Leche non-stop. 75 cents per; maybe never more than a buck. 

Just try to go to one of those au courant Coffee shops and order one of those. They don't get it. More often than not they'll give you that $4+ Latte. 

Right up there also, Siddha Coffee. A rich sweet, milky brew laced with lots of Cardamom as served in the amrit ["The nectar that promises immortality"] at Siddha Yoga ashrams ... Nectarian. Divine.

Net, net ... maybe it's best to leave it with the wisdom that reminds us that you never put your hand in the same river twice. 

No two cups of Coffee are ever alike. Even with the same Barista. I used to run errands for a non-profit school and my work partner and I would make our first stop a Café con Leche. He would often taste that day's cup and comment on whether the Barista was on their game that day. Hey, it's an alchemical thing. You bring your magic into it. 

And, net, net, net net ... maybe after all is said and done, you end up just saying, "Don't give me all that jive, give me cup of Joe!".

PS If you're thinking that you didn't find out how to brew a cup of Coffee from all this ... well, you'd be right. This here article is just to tune you up to the kind of weather and terrain you'll be facing when you put your boots on and start marching toward that "grail cup" of Joe. Or, maybe it puts you off enough to not bother, and just plug in an auto brew machine. Or, something in between. Or, maybe in the low to middle range. Or the middle to top range. You get it. Kapische? Choices, huh?

PPS We didn't discuss the beans. We'll leave that as "has beans". The subject of Coffee beans can fill a library. Many different countries produce Coffee beans. Locales in each vary. You know, "terroir". Different producers. Then there's roasting. Light to dark, and in between. And the flavor profiles of each. Full bodied or light. Flavor notes of all kinds. [Do not become a Coffee snob, waxing poetic for all to witness all the deep flavor discriminations you can find in any one cup. Please!] Acidity. Finish. Sorry, on that subject we're finished. Go fetch. Last analysis, you'll just have to try them for yourself. You can stick with your final favorite, or Tango on sampling the world of Coffees. [By the way, did you know there's an Ethiopian Coffee — "Kopi Luwak" — the beans come out a Civit Cat's ass with its poop? No shit!]

PPPS Oxygen is the enemy of Coffee. Check out the subject of storage, and storage devices. Vacuum sealed seems to be the ticket. 

BASTA!

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𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲 ...

‘I' and the Necessity of Finding ‘I'
- Zen Master Mangong

"The reason that human beings are the most noble of the myriad things is that they are able to find and attain ‘I.’ The essence of ‘I’ exists in absolute freedom, so one ought to be able to control everything as one pleases.

"But the reason we human beings do not have any freedom at any specific time or place, and the reason why nothing goes the way we wish, is that we live our lives with our ‘deluded I’ as the master and the ‘true I’ as the slave. The ‘deluded I’ is the child of the ‘true I,’ but the mind that we exercise at present is actually the perverted mind. Although the ‘true I’ is the correct mind that has neither beginning nor end, existence nor extinction, or any form, it nevertheless is ‘I’ that has no deficiency.

"Once human beings forget the ‘true I,’ they are no better than dogs or pigs. What difference is there between animals that are lost because of attachment to their instinctive desires for food and sex or human beings who, being ignorant of their true face, are lost because of attachment to their superficial realities? Even though someone may be regarded as the most superior person in the world, if he does not understand his own face, then he is just a one tiny part of the turning wheel of transmigration within the four modes of birth and the six destinies.

"When the World Honored One, Sakyamuni, was born, he pointed to the sky with one hand and pointed to the ground with the other and said, “In heaven above and earth below, only I alone am venerated.” The ‘I’ he mentions here refers to the ‘[true] I.’ Although every person possesses the inherent nature to become a buddha, he is unable to attain this buddhahood because one does not know the ‘I.’ Because all things are ‘I,’ to waste even as insignificant amount of energy as that on the tip of a hair on matters other than finding the ‘I’ would be one’s own loss.

"In this world, there are such sayings and phrases as ‘knowing I’ or ‘finding I,’ but we only consider ‘I’ through our own activating consciousness. We’re not even able really to imagine what ‘I’ is. ‘I,’ as that which possesses limitless life, has a diamond-like, indestructible spirit that cannot be destroyed even if one tries. Thus, the birth and death of this physical body is only like changing my clothes. If you are a human being, you should be able to put on or take off as you please your own clothes of birth and death.

"‘I’ cannot be obtained through the knowledge we acquire by seeing or listening. Even the very thought of ‘I’ is already not ‘I.’ ‘I’ can only be found at the locus of no-thought, because the locus of no-thought already possesses all things. If one reaches that ultimate realm of buddhahood, one will discover that I am in fact a buddha. Ultimately, I have to discover the ‘I’ within myself.

More ...

𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐮𝐬 𝐙𝐝𝐳𝐢𝐬ł𝐚𝐰 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐤𝐮 ... 𝐎𝐡 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢!

 

Meet my Dear great, Great Uncle Thaddeus Zdzisław Wronesku. That middle name, not even no one in the family can pronounce it; so don't ask. What's with the Romanian name? Good question. There's quite the story. 

He's a Pollack all right, but he emigrated to Romania on a quest of the heart, and was adopted by that most hospitable folk of the land as a bone fide Romanian. At first the folks in Kraków thought he was all cracked up. But, time heals, and now he is accepted — albeit not in the fullest or highest sense — as that crazy "Romanian". Spoken with the kind of spin emphasis on "Romanian" that you get a clear impression that he's not in the A-list circle of family Wronski. Think of Seinfeld and his "Newman". Speaking of which, that's ironic since Wronski's from time immemorial have not enjoyed A-list status. Except for rich Uncle Benji; he bought his way into some high stakes situations. But, I digress.

The back story on Teddy, as we like to call him, is rather complex. Certainly unexpected. Some of it, in true Wronski fashion, is rather mundane.

A classic example of the aforementioned which, whilst enjoying cocktails on a sunny summer afternoon in the garden of the parents of his betrothed Romanian heart throb the Grandfather of that clan took him under his wing over a plate of speecy-spicy long green hot peppers. The trick is you cut the pepper lengthwise and then cut away the inner spines — besides the seeds, that's what carries the heat. Those spines. Nice to know. A lesson what translates to larger matters?

Turns out that this little bit of culinary wisdom is part of the familial approval vetting process among the folk Romania. Just like among the French who are ever so more into the fussy foods, the intended of their darling girl is given a peach and must peel it in one single connected strip. Probably something about how it shows that he'll be careful and gentle with his new bride. What the Romanians have in mind with that pepper schtick is anybody's guess. 

Speaking of peeling fruit, here's a tale you may want to hear about. It's XXX adult-only rated, so be advised.

With that pepper secret firmly embedded in his keppe, Uncle Teddy for a time until the novelty wore off liked to refer to himself as ... "I'm a Pepper".

As Paris Hilton might say to that, "That's hot".

Let's see, what else? Thaddeus, being a genetically certified Wronski can boast as part of his genetic endowments a general tendency to have extra large parts, if you know what I mean. And, if your mind went to where I think it went, then I have to ask, what's the matter with you? We're talking about things like the ears, the nose. Not a nose that's 12 inches long, because then it would be a foot. But, as honkers go ... big. And, for you pervy sorts, yes, there too. 

Uncle also liked to tinker. He fashioned himself an inventor. He was indeed rather clever. But, maybe by a factor of twice so. His métier was the culinary world. He invented a host of one-purpose, kitchen-cluttering devices. If your kitchen is replete with such things you'll get the picture. Such as Banana slicers, Avocado scoops, Bagel slicers, poached Egg whatchamacallits, meat ball baller, herb scissors, Corn kerneler, burger patty press, egg cracker, Onion goggles. His standout invention is the Sp-atu-oon^©. A combination spoon and spatula. For stirring and scraping out the last bit from the pot. Right handed and left handed, of course. 

Digging deeper into his resume we see stints as such as carnival barker, Pizza delivery, dish washer, hot air balloon heater-upper, deck hand on a submarine, and — last, but not least — the starch boy at a busy Chinese laundry. The latter which is where he got slammed with the nickname "Mr. Staaach!". Spoken in the commensurate broken English with the also commensurate enthusiastic exclamatory verve known only and exclusively to those Chinese workers who spend too much time taking in the scorched aromas of an over-used ironing board. If you've ever patronized a Chinese hand laundry you know from such sentsations.

But wait ... there's more! More Wronski's that is. Click to get to know the whole bunch of them.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐨? [𝐗𝐗𝐗 𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐓]

After a lovely evening he went up to her place for a nightcap. As you can see, she's the bomb.

She served him a beautifully chilled Stinger. As he raised the glass to take a sip he noticed ... a pubic hair(!). Smack dab right there floating on the surface of his drink. What!? Huh? Yikes!

Is it a mistake? Or, a hint? A come on? 

She lives downtown. But, is she wanting to go "downtown"?

What would you think to do?

1. Say ... "Hey, what the f#ck is this!?"

2. Think ... "Well, she's not going to meet mother."

3. Ask ... "Maybe you got something to eat to go with this?" 

4. Jump the Shark ... "Show me your bedroom."

May be????