Another fun image I found using Google recently, shows the earth lit up at night by city lights. Makes me want to scream to the world *TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!!!* but it's a kewl image jus the same, a composite of many hundreds of satellite images. For more of such stuff, see the *Astronomy Picture of the Day* site that hosts this, and many other kewl astronomy photos.
Soooo, anyway, life continues to be interesting here in North Myrtle Beach SC. As well as celebrating Christmas and New Years, Dec. 21 marks SIX MONTHS with my girlfriend! Altho she has moved sixty miles north to go to college in Wilmington NC, we manage to get together often. We are both very happy with our relationship, and expect it to last quite a bit longer, altho, there IS a considerable age difference, which gives us both real pause, so don't expect any blissful announcements anytime soon :-) That we are dating is quite enuf, thanks!
Also moved away from Myrtle Beach is my oldest son Abel, who is now living with his younger brother Daniel in Los Angeles. Before Abel left, he was a big help in getting my sign business, *Turtle Signs,* restarted in it's new location (North Myrtle Beach, instead of Joshua Tree CA). Abel and I moved here to the Myrtle Beach area two years ago this coming February, altho at the time, we thought we were just coming to visit! Life can be full of surprises, and this one is working out well. I miss Joshua Tree though, and may manage a visit this coming summer. (friends in Joshua Tree, get out your hiking boots if I do!)
So life goes on, using my computer operated cutter-plotter to make vinyl letter signs, working part time in a Natural Foods store, and struggling on to work through chronic fatigue and somehow pay my bills. Of course, visiting the Meher Spiritual Center (the ONLY reason I would ever leave California and live in South Carolina) remains a huge focus of my life here. Most people come for a few days or a couple weeks for the Center's spiritual renewal, but I guess I'm a hard case, still lingering on after almost two years! Of course there are a couple of hundred other followers of Meher Baba who live in the general area, so at least I have company!
Altho Myrtle Beach itself, which I've heard both described as *K-Mart by the Sea* and *Redneck Riviera,* is near totally lacking in the kind of culture, say, one would find in a University town or large city, there is a couple of interesting cultural hot spots nearby. One is Charleston, where my cousin Chloe and her husband Bob live, and I manage a visit every now and then. The other is Wilmington NC, which besides having a large State University, has a thriving movie industry, and is something of a mecca for writers. In fact, I'm a bit tempted to try a few of the creative writing classes offered at UNCW (University of North Carolina at Wilmington), but it won't be anytime soon I'm afraid.
My long-term writing project/novel is still very much alive in my head, although I have to admit, little or nothing is getting written into the computer or down onto paper. One of these days........sigh. Meanwhile, Anna (OK, my girlfriend has a name, and it's Anna) claims to be making progress in *leaps and bounds* on a novel she is working on :-)
Not sure if I should get started on my thoughts on our country's *War on Terrorism.* I have a hard time finding pride in it. I would certainly rather see a bit more of *why do they hate us so much?* instead of *they are evil, lets bomb them out of existence.* I'm really afraid that once we start using terms like *evil* we immediately start taking on the same characteristics, such as using violence to change what we perceive as totally wrong. In my perhaps not-so-humble opinion our moral judgments are based more on*we have the money and the power, therefore are right* rather than *we truly are clearly morally superior in our values and actions.* For instance, we make much of Muslim women being forced to cover their bodies in public head to toe. Awful, I agree, but, do we truly know that this is worse than what they see as totally offensive in our society, i,e. public nudity spread everywhere around the world via Hollywood movies, and a youth culture of women who flaunt their bodies as the greatest feature they have?
What really bothers me the most about this so called *war* is that a terrorist always turns out to be someone using violence with little means to do so, compared to the humongous size and might of the US Army. The little guy. Like somehow its alright and not *terrorist* to try and change a country's way of doing things if its done from the safety of a half-billion dollar airplane. Sorry, but this runs totally contrary to my own sympathies.
All for now, but I refer you to one web-site, interfaithpeace.org which tries to bridge religious differences, esp. among women, and a speech by the former woman president of Pakistan.
On more of an up note, and speaking of a LITTLE guy, I've had fun lately being a Los Angeles Clippers NBA Basketball fan. I say *little guy* because one of the fun thing about the Clippers is 5'5" Earl Boykins! Anyways, after years of being the *LA Slippers* and endlessly losing games, The Clippers are HOT just now, winning, as I write this, Dec. 20, 2001, 8 of their last 11 games.
and, well, GAMES, lol, been playing a lot of PIN-BALL on my G4. For a great free download of a (beware, can be highly addictive) pinball game, go to http://www.dommelsch.nl/fsfun_upgames.htm
Its given away by a Dutch Beer company, so unfortunately there are no English directions on the site. However, searching with the key-words *Dommelsch points* I came up with this. Ah, the wonders of the INTERNET!!
Want a challenge? Here's my high scores as of 01/01/2002.
If you wish to send comments, my e-mail remains jfroggy@sc.rr.com
until next update.
BEST WISHES TO ALL!!
Dec. 2001
