Do All Dogs Go to Heaven? / NDEs

Most people have read accounts of people who code on the operating table or whatever, and supposedly go to Heaven or Hell before they're revived. Those who supposedly go to Heaven come back all smiles and tell stories of a wonderful place. Those who go in the other direction come back scared shitless. 

 People will say that's it's nothing but imagination or an hallucination, and they may be right. We do know that the brain is flooded with crazy chemicals just before the moment of death, including DMT, one of the most powerful hallucinogens known. That could absolutely be the case, and then again there's a 50-50 chance it's real. 

 If it's just the brain tripping, besides the similar stories, then why do those people never fear death again for the rest of their lives? In fact they're ready to stay forever, although many say that they were told that they still had "unfinished business" on Earth, and they reluctantly go back. They believe it's real, whether it actually is or not. Recently I read a story that hit home.

 This person said that animals do indeed go to Heaven, and they're waiting patiently for us should we make it there. Some say that animals don't go to Heaven because they don't have souls like we do. Maybe an animal's "soul" isn't the same as ours, but depending on which definition of "soul" we use, my dog has more soul in his paw than some people have in their whole bodies. 

 They said that while animals aren't given the ability to talk, like in the movie Dr. Doolittle, they're able to understand everything we say, and can respond in a way we can understand. Isn't that interesting? It's certainly a lovely thought whether it's true or not, and I'm going with it. 

 The thought of spending eternity with my best buddy gives me great joy, and will ease the pain a bit if he dies before me, and these days you never know. That's the only thing I'd humbly ask of the Father. I guess we'll see. Or not. 
 

Why Hate on God?

My main info guy came on last night with his Thursday night show, and as usual he blew my mind, although his views are the same as mine, after over a quarter-century of research. 

 He's basically a clearing house for all that stuff. Almost every show he talks about something I've been thinking about, even sometimes blogging about. In fact I just did a post about this topic.

 I often wonder why people spend so much time and energy hating on and mocking God, when they don't believe in Him. It's misspent anger in my book, and they could use that energy for something positive.

 I figured it was mainly due to the influence of the "other guy," but Mike was saying that he thinks it's because deep down they know there's a possibility that God is real, and if so they know that their lifestyle is probably not pleasing to Him, and that's why they react like that. Good point Mike. I say that about other things, such as resistance to "waking up." The "Bell of Truth" is ringing in their heads, even though they try to mute it. BTW the good guys win in the end. Read the book. God bless you!

 
 

Six-Top Memory

The brain is a funny thing. Some people can store way more information in their gourds than others. It's very useful for cramming for a test and things like that, but learning and rote memorization are two different things. 

 Recently I talked to Elizabeth, the original owner of the crazy restaurant. She brought up the fact that I used to take people's orders at a table and not write anything down. That used to flip people out, staff and customers both.

 I'd ask if they were ready to order, and they'd say "Where's your pad? Aren't you going to write it down?" "No, I'm good" I'd reply. Anything over a six-top I'd have to write down, but I could take up to six people's orders- main course, appetizers, dessert, drinks, wine, how they wanted things cooked, any special orders and whatever else, without writing anything down.

 It even flipped me out a little. I could only store it in my brain for a few minutes, and I'd have to go back to the bar and write out a ticket immediately. People knew not to bother me when I was writing things down. I never messed anything up at all. If I had I'd have never done it. There was no need to make myself look more foolish than Nature had intended. I was the Matlock of ticketless six-tops.

 The total kicker was that I'd be as stoned as I could possibly get. Most people wouldn't dare wait tables stoned, because of the brain power it takes, but it worked for me. In fact I'd do like 15 bong hits before I left for work. Normally I'd take maybe three or four when I was watching a movie or whatever. 15 bong hits was a "Six Flags" dose. I wanted to get stoned enough so that if I got too busy to sneak out back for some "fresh air," I'd at least be high for most of the shift. 

 I'd get really stoned. The drive to work was only 1.5 miles, but just in those three short minutes I'd sometimes forget where I was or where I was going. It'd crack me up. Sometimes I'd show up so high that I literally could barely speak for half an hour. Luckily I always got to work half an hour early so it was no problem. I'd be stoned as a house but my short-term memory was always spot-on. Go figure. The brain is a funny thing.

 

Those Who Mock

Madonna recently did a photo shoot for Vanity Fair, which I call "Satanity Fair," and it's pure blasphemy. It's far from the only example we've seen. It's been going on for decades at least, and I believe it's going to get way worse. 

 I obviously believe in freedom of speech and expression, as long as no one gets hurt. Even things like this, which sadden me greatly, shouldn't be suppressed. People died to defend Madonna's right to free speech. I defend it too.

 It's perfectly okay to mock Jesus these days, but just try to mock any other figure..."Mo," "Bud." "Al" or any of them and see what happens. Do you think you might possibly get flagged, or worse? Mock Al and they'll put a hit on your ass. Just ask Salman Rushdie. 

 I don't go mocking Satan. I believe he's real and I know better than to mess with him, not out of fear, because I know the name that makes him flee in terror, but because it's totally pointless and stupid. Why would you provoke things? They certainly have no fear of mocking Jesus. Maybe they should. 

 In fact it's all the rage to mock Jesus these days. It's one thing for those people to do it, but when most of the general public doesn't have a problem with it and doesn't even see it as blasphemy, just as "entertainment," I don't think it's a good thing. No matter what a person's beliefs are, there's a thing called a moral compass, and so many people have lost direction.

 Those people can mock away. As far as I know none of them have been struck by lightning yet, and maybe nothing will happen at all. In fact, maybe there's nothing to mock, and God and the Devil aren't real, although I believe they are. As I've said a million times, either God is real or He isn't, which is a 50-50 chance. I'm not sure I'd mess with those odds. If the biblical narrative happens to be true, then things might not work out so well for these folks in the end.

 You know what they say...payback is Hell. I'd add also that eternity is a long, long time. I'd watch it.
 

 

Almost Cut My Hair/Tracking Skills

I was wondering if I should cut my hair, and this story popped into my head. I was about to cut it back in 2020 but then the Plannedemic hit and everything went to shit. After the dust settled over a year later, there was talk of a reunion of a band I played in, so I figured why not be a proper rocker and keep it long. It was below the collar by then.

 The reunion didn't happen and I thought about cutting it again but I said screw it. I wasn't working a job or anything so I just let it grow. It's not crazy-long but it's long enough to put in a ponytail.

 I thought about the story where Native Americans who were hired by the army to be trackers lost their abilities to track after getting regulation haircuts. The basic theory was that their long hair somehow acted as an antenna.

 Except for God I don't believe in all that many things in the world that can't be proved or at least supported by strong evidence. By the same token I don't disbelieve in something just because it sounds crazy. Just because something sounds crazy doesn't mean it isn't true, and that's a fact. 

 Snopes says it's bullshit. They bring up several good points- they say that this supposedly happened during the Vietnam War, where the Native Americans were allowed to keep their long hair to retain their tracking abilities, and they say there's no record of anyone with long hair serving in that war. I don't recall seeing photos of anyone with long hair, and when I was a teenager they showed the Vietnam War every night on the news. 

 You'd think it'd be a big deal and we'd see photos. Then again, lots of things aren't made public when it comes to war and national security. I don't see how anyone could say for sure whether it did or didn't happen. Lots of GIs had Kodaks, and you'd think a photo or two would slip out, but who knows.

 Snopes also says that hair is a poor conductor of electricity. It's gruesome but they do shave convicts' heads before they get the chair, since hair acts as an insulator. If it's such a poor conductor though, why does it stand up during a lightning storm or when someone touches a Van Der Graaf Generator?

 I didn't read the whole article but they talked about a theoretical electromagnetic deal, though they didn't try to debunk it, and you'd think someone smarter than me would think about the lightning thing. Electricity and electromagnetism are two different things. 

 Supposedly a psychiatrist with the VA who treated Vietnam vets for PTSD read a bunch of studies on the subject, had his paradigm changed, and never cut his hair or beard again. Snopes "debunks" that too, but I'll say this...you know how we hear "Don't believe everything on the internet?" Snopes is on the internet. Nah...people who write the narrative would never lie, right?

 I could've sworn that when I read the story many years ago it was about Native Americans in the Civil War or one of the early ones, and that's why we see so many photos of generals with really long hair. Of course it was more in fashion back then, and there were no regulation haircuts. It's an interesting idea anyway.

 I'm still on the fence about getting a regulation haircut, for an old man anyway. When my hair is long you can't see the gray as much, which I think has to do with how light reflects off of it, but if I cut it it looks way more gray. Not that I really care, and I'll never dye it, but it does look darker that most guys my age and even a lot younger. 

 Having long hair, especially an older person, can indicate that you're an old hippy, or you want to demonstrate that you're trying to be different from the crowd, or maybe not fit into society as most people know it, or you're a freak or whatever. I do march to a different drummer, but I don't try to advertise it. I've done the short hair, professionally-dressed gig, and also the long hair, sex, drugs and Rock & Roll gig, for real. Both are okay. 

 There's another thing I think about when I'm considering a haircut, and that's the classic CSN&Y tune Almost Cut My Hair, which makes me grin. Anyway I tend to think there's something to it, and I think the fact that hair stands up during close lightning strikes and even before they happen supports the notion. It makes sense that hair could respond to electrical fields, which we all generate. Maybe I'll keep my hair long. There's still a few fish in the sea, and I don't want to lose my tracking abilities.

 
 

Am I Wrong or is This Why the World is Lost?

Sometimes a video pops up and I wonder why I click on it but usually it ends up being interesting, or another piece of the puzzle or whatever. This is Taylor Palmby, a licensed therapist, believe it or not. The video was titled "All 27 Slipknot videos have 1 thing in common...and it's not what you expect." You'd thing a licensed therapist would know how to properly write a title, and say "you'd," but what do I know?

 Even though it's heavily frowned upon these days, I still say we should question things, even our own beliefs. Where's the harm in that? Even if it reinforces your beliefs, that is if you don't suffer from confirmation bias, it keeps things calibrated, and brings you to the facts, and not just what someone tells you what the facts are. You don't think people in power would lie to us? Come on. 

 For a minute this sister had me questioning my very core beliefs about God and the Devil, and as always I'm going under the assumption that they're real, although that may not be the case. I can't prove they exist any more than anyone can prove they don't. It caught be by surprise a bit, but I went with it, and I sure did give the opposing view it's say. We should respect and even consider other people's views whether we agree or not. 

 I had to hear what a professional had to say about Slipknot, and what the common thing in all their music videos could be. What comes to mind when I think of their videos are things like evil, negativity, gore, anger, depression, sickness, cruelty, sadness, madness, etc. That's what's in your face anyway, but I had the feeling she might give it a New Age spin, and sure enough she did. Still she had me questioning things. 

 As first she mentioned how shocked she was when she first heard them, and rightly so. She quoted some lyrics that surprised me, even for Slipknot. It went way beyond Satanic. It's sick, and things you wouldn't want to say publicly, although I guess it's okay if it's in a song. It's just metaphorical, right? Right. 

 I'm not sure how someone with a moral compass or even just a sense of repulsion could get past that, but she spent 60 hours getting to know Slipknot videos. She says she wanted to know what their appeal was so she gave herself a crash course. She filmed herself watching the videos and showed stills. Her face went from repulsion and horror to less so, then she sort of flatlined and accepted it, and by the end she was rocking out. 

 It illustrates perfectly how desensitizing works, but most people will just see it as someone getting to like a band. Should something that repulses you so badly at first not be a warning? Should it be pursued, much less enjoyed? That was Crowley's philosophy.

 To each their own of course, but to embrace evil and sickness on purpose seems wrong, but these days wrong is right. Funny...a book said this would happen. I'm not talking about sickos being into it, I mean the general public, and a therapist no less. 

 But then she brought up a good idea, within reason. She said that we tend to keep our pain bottled up and not express it and therefore deal with it, and she's right. She says that the masks are about expressing your pain, literally showing it on your face. I don't know if that's all there is to it but I can see that, and she's right about not expressing things and dealing with them, although there are limits, or should be anyway. 

 Is it a good thing to wear our pain on our faces? I'm not an expert so I can't say, but it we all look like a bunch of sadsacks, what good will that do? Back in the day they'd say "Put on a happy face." There was an old song that said that. Maybe that was all bullshit, and pain is the new happy. Things have been flipped 180-degrees, so why not I guess. 

 Anyway she said some other stuff and I really started to wonder if I'm wrong, and if we're going to worship in the being in the first place, could the Devil really be the good guy? No one can say anything for certain about things like this, and like I said I question my own beliefs occasionally. "Am I wrong? "I really just let the facts go by, but then as usual the sheer evil and cruelty associated with that came into my head, and that will never be my thing. 

 It brought me back to my beliefs. I've been saying for a while that we're being desensitized to evil in increments, accepting trash as just "entertainment," and the part of the video that showed her slowly changing from repulsion to acceptance to enjoyment eerily but perfectly showed a condensed version of exactly how it works, over a much longer period of time. 

 I get the allure of the dark. We all have a dark side and it's good to acknowledge that, but to dwell in it or act upon it in a way that harms others is a different deal. People are accepting things that twenty years ago would've made them sick. You can't jump from the Beatles to Slipknot. If someone were in a coma for twenty years and they went to sleep to the Beatles and woke up to Slipknot, they'd think they'd died and gone to Hell. Like music getting darker and such, the acceptance of evil can't just happen at once...it has to be done in stages.

 Taylor Handby made some good points, and she's better qualified to say what's best than I am, but I think we all have to ask if something is right or wrong, that is if we still have a sense of it. I don't feel the need to get into that type of thing, not to mention the inhuman lyrics, to express my pain, but again to each their own.

 The one song that tied it all together for her is called "The Devil in I." Interesting. Either that's pure coincidence or it's being shown right to our faces, as I believe. Of course the Devil isn't real and using his name is purely metaphorical in her views, and maybe she's right. She thinks that the Devil in "The Devil in I" represents the pain in all of us. Maybe or maybe not. Maybe it's straight-up what it says. In any case, how she could turn those disgusting lyrics into anything metaphorical, and not what they are is beyond me. I guess she's telling her clients to listen to Slipknot. 

 She got so into Slipknot that she had a makeup artist do her her own mask. She described the pain it represented, and again that's great, but if you have to embrace that level of evil to do it, I don't know if that's the best therapy or not. It's not what I'd choose. As far as Slipknot goes I've listened to them because I like their two previous drummers and I really like the guy they have now. The music isn't really my cup of tea, nor the vibe.  

 At one point, accompanied by soft piano music, she flashed dozens of comments by people who'd been helped in some way by Slipknot's music, and even a few who say it kept them from doing themselves in. That's fantastic, and I understand the healing power of music as well as anyone, but does all music heal? I don't think so. 

 Look into videos where they show water turning into ice as they play different types of music, and see how the crystals form. It'll make you think. Even if their music helps, if the biblical narrative is true, will it really help in the long run, as in eternity? 

 I think it's just a part of the Satanic Agenda, and it's right in front of our faces. I could be wrong but if the biblical narrative is true, then everything I'm saying is true. The Devil's thing is to take something beautiful and turn it into something ugly. 

 Here she is without the Slipknot mask. Sure it's just a mask, but it does perfectly illustrate going from beautiful to ugly. I say it's just part of the Beast Kingdom, if it exists, and I believe it does. If that story happens to be true, then it's an extremely well thought out plan, and it's been planned for centuries. Sounds crazy, right? I get it, but I believe it's real. 

 That's the free will thing. It's said that we were given the right to choose. How we use it and what we believe is up to us. The video is interesting, It's HERE. You may agree with everything she says, or maybe knot. We all get to decide what we believe. Choose wisely.

 
 

Drummer Joke in Real Life

The classic drummer joke goes: What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend? Homeless! Ha-ha! I'm about to be living proof. Shit. Truth is though that a band is only as good as its homeless guy.
 

Quote of the Day

"Sometimes he'd go, 'Dum-Pum Dum-Dum Duddla-Duddla Tum-Pum' and then he'd fall on the floor." - Pete Townshend, describing Keith Moon doing a drum fill while a little too inebriated
 

TRUTH!

The truth is coming out folks. Told you. The truth always wins. This is beautiful. Time to wake up.
 

All In

The term "all in" has been a popular catchphrase for a while. I usually don't start using catchphrases until they're at least a decade out of style, on purpose, but when it comes to my faith in God I'm all in. 

 There's a book that says there will come a time when our faith will be severely tested, and perhaps that time is now. Speaking for myself, my faith has been extremely tested, and I know it hasn't been tested all it's going to be, but I think I passed the test.

 Sometimes part of my brain thinks that's absurd to believe in something we can't see, but that doesn't last very long. I also question things like how could a loving God allow this or this to happen, but that's trying to put a deity into human terms of how we think and why we do the things we do, and that's not how it works. 

 Interestingly a couple days ago and out of the blue I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. It was someone I knew as a kid but haven't spoken with in half a century. She had no idea why, but she felt that God had "led" her to call me. She knew nothing about my situation. 

 We talked for almost two hours but it seemed like half an hour maybe. As it turns out she'd looked after her folks too, for six years. She'd been through what I've just gone through, with a few notable differences. She had her brother helping regularly, and they could afford to have regular help in the form of nurses who'd come by for 6-7 hours every day, to give them a break. She was able to take breaks once a month or so, for up to five days at a time. That must've been nice.

 With her brother helping and nurses coming by, she was only "on the clock" for eight hours or so a day. I had no such help and my days were 16-18 hours long. I never got a single day off. Even with regular time off and vacations, it still took her down physically, mentally and spiritually. She literally couldn't believe I'd never had a break, and she too believes it's by the Grace of God I didn't completely lose my shit. She did it for six years. I did it for sixteen. 

 It did me a world of good to be able to talk to someone who'd been through the same thing. Oh, and she was married to a narcissist for many years. Small world. It was weird how much we have in common, and we didn't know a thing about each other's situation. She told me about times when she believes that God opened doors for her, and it was pretty remarkable. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect, and I needed to hear what she had to say. But it's just a coincidence, right?

 It would be hard for me not to believe in God after my encounter with a pack of wild dogs many years ago, and seeing, or thought I was seeing an angel who stood between the dogs and me, and kept me from being a midnight snack. As crazy as it sounds to most people, an angel protecting me is the only logical explanation I can see as to why the dogs couldn't go the last 15' between us, to eat me. 

 I was absolutely certain that it was my last night on Earth, and that a pack of wild dogs was about to rip me to shreds. My hair was standing up and I was praying for God to forgive my sins and accept me into His kingdom, and instead of freaking out and being terrified I was totally at peace. Fight-or-flight had kicked in to the max and I should've been as freaked out as I'd ever been in my life, yet I was completely unafraid. How do you explain that? You can't, at least not by how most people think. 

 I'm much more frightened by my upcoming situation in fact than I was the night I was certain that I was about to become dog food. I also don't have the same sense of peace that I had that night, but as of yet I haven't totally lost it. No matter what happens I'll never turn my back on God. Never. I'm all in.

 
 

Friends/Not Friends

I'm in dire straits, and I don't mean that Mark Knopfler is getting the band back together and has asked me to play drums. I wish.

 In a couple of weeks I'll be homeless. I wish it were a joke but it's not. With all of this, plus just losing a BFF and for all practical purposes my mom, I think it's literally by the grace of God that I haven't lost what's left of my sanity. I'm not very happy right now, but that's the way the cookie crumbles...that is unless you get the soft-baked kind.

 Yet again I'll say that I've been incredibly blessed by my friends, and I've bragged on them all my life. If I had a dollar for every time I've thanked God for them I'd have a few grand in my pocket, which at this point would really help. They really do care about me, as I do them, and they've been offering suggestions and whatnot, and trying to help in any way they can. Thank you God. There's another imaginary dollar.

 At the same time there are also a few people I know personally who'll be thrilled to know this. They're the type of people who get off on the suffering of others. It's hard to imagine people who are truly that sick, pathetic and evil, but they exist, and I know a few.

 The issue for them is that if the biblical narrative is true, and there's a 50-50 chance it is, then the afterlife isn't going to be kind to them at all, whether they believe it or not. I don't wish bad things on them at all, and I believe that judgement isn't my business. I don't hate them, and as hard as it is to do I've forgiven them. Having hate in your heart will eat you alive. Maybe I'm about to be homeless, but at least I don't get off on other people's pain. It's evil. I got news for you...that's the Devil right there. Stay safe and God bless.
 

A Few Things I Care About

We all go through tough stuff, and my problems aren't special, but I did get hit with a bunch of shit at once, and it's not over yet. I'm looking down the barrel of being homeless in a couple of weeks, and that's not good. I've never been in this boat before, and I haven't read Handbook for the Homeless. 

 Although a few people don't think it counts for much, I've looked after my folks for the last 16 years and just like that it's over. I put aside my way of making income and doing what I enjoy for the sake of others, and while I did make some money from my products, even in 2020, it dwindled down to nothing. 2023 was the first year since I got my first job at 15 that I didn't make a penny from selling my stuff or playing music or anything else, and it flipped me out. 

 An old song says: "I beg your pardon...I never promised you a rose garden." True that. Life, the Universe, God...nothing and nobody owe me a damn thing. You'd think Karma might throw me a bone, but I don't think it necessarily works out to be even all the time. A miracle? I'll take it.

 If I have to leave with everything I own in a backpack, or God forbid I croak or get thrown in jail for "hate speech" or whatever other bullshit, I do have a few things left, and a couple of things have value. I'll go through and leave notes on what my instruments and things are worth, and there's some "artwork" that's okay, but to me there's only a few things I really care about. Obviously El Doggo is #1.

 This is a Peace Lily that I rescued from our old home. It's at least 40 years old. Over the years it grew from a 6" seedling into a massive plant that fills three pots. I trimmed it up and it's not so huge. Anything that's been around that long means something to me, especially with plants. 

 I hope the plants will mean enough to someone that they'll take them. BTW if I don't get around to it, the two other cuttings besides this one need to be repotted with fresh soil. No Miracle Grow or chemical shit like that please. Thanks so much. 

 I also have a scrawny Mimosa tree that I planted as a seedling about three years ago. They don't like being replanted and the leaves turned yellow and the branches fell off. I never dug it up but I thought it was dead. It was a bare twig, and I left it outside all that Winter, and never watered it or anything. The following Spring I noticed a green spot on the tip that I thought was a little caterpillar but it was new leaves growing out. 

 I took good care of it and kept it watered, but for some reason the branches have fallen off and regrown four times, and it may be happening again. It's mostly just a curved skinny trunk with a few branches at the top, but it's definitely a survivor.

Here's the pot it's growing in right now. It comes with two free Potheads (Moongazers).  I hope someone will at least replant it somewhere if need be. Thanks.

 The last thing is my fish. I have a 5.5 gallon jar with a couple of these guys along with some Cherry Shrimp. They're called Asian Stone Catfish or Moth Catfish, and they're the smallest known catfish. They're rare, since the only come from one place, and you never see them in pet stores because unlike tropical fish, which need temps of 78-80F, these are coldwater fish, and need temps of around 65-70F. 

 They're cool little fish. They're just over an inch long full-grown. They can live up to 7 years or more. These guys are about two years old. Anyone who might take them would probably know a bit about fishkeeping, but it might not be easy to keep the tank from getting over about 70F. I'd hate to see them get flushed down the toilet. That's probably what needs to happen to me, but these fish don't deserve that at all. 

 Hopefully I can find a good home for my dog if I have to, but I wish I could find homes for the plants and fish. I know there are people to whom things like this mean something. Hopefully I can find them. 

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