Tom Chavez

I humbly recommend an amazing documentary film, offered free this weekend only.*

How an aged penniless monk begged passage on a freight steamship from India to New York in 1965 and, from the Bowery, to the counterculture of Haight Ashbury, to the Beatles and the heart of atheist Russia, established a spiritual revolution which continues to transform our world today.

The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami who started it all

A 90-minute Feature-length Documentary

…a stirring story! — The Washington Post

…an uplifting spiritual experience, regardless of one’s personal beliefs

or religion. —Red Carpet Crash

– Released theatrically in 38 countries

– Best Picture – Illuminate Film Festival

– 9.6/10 IMDb.com; 4.9/5 Amazon.com audience rating

*From Friday, April 10th at 12pm (EST-USA)

to Monday, April 13th at 12pm (EST-USA)

Subtitles in 19 languages

YouTube: https://youtu.be/zMfsz9hJz18 Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/284017187

Al Peffley

To all my Jewish friends out there: this pandemic gives us yet another reminder of the love of God in the celebration of the Passover. To my Christian friends: this day we celebrate the eternal love of the Father for all of us, and the living covenant of the resurrection of His begotten Son who proved to the world that He is our Lord and Savior from the temporary power of death in the body, but not the soul and spirit.

JUST THINK,

you're here not by chance, but by God's choosing. His hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else -- you are one of a kind. You lack nothing that His grace can't give you. He has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill His special purpose for this generation. (Author Unknown)

Ecclesiastes 3:1 - To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

This is our time. Pray for those whose time is coming to a physical end during this pandemic period, especially those who don't understand the eternal love and peace of God.

He has risen. Peace be with you.

Gregg Wilson

This is my most important post. Examine the above graph carefully. Gold has not changed in value. The dollar is rapidly losing value. We have retirement accounts in fixed dollars. Social security is basically fixed also. In less time than you think, your retirement will lose value rapidly.

This gold chart history begins in 1973 because congress and the administration concluded that gold was irrelevant, basically worthless, ancient history. Not so.

In regard to the dollar, Democrats are a lost cause. But so is the Replican party. Republicans make themselves "heros" by lowering your taxes. Then they create much more money - which is what inflation is.

With the current "crisis" of the coronavirus - which will pass - all of the politicians have gone criminally insane. They are issuing two trillion dollars out of thin air. And they will do it more and more. These issued dollars have no counterplace to actual production. You will now have way too many dollars chasing less and less in actual products.

Donald Trump is not opposed to this at all. He is perfectly happy to spend a limitless amount of money.

I recommend buying bullion gold.

Al Peffley

Tim - you are wearing the correct cannister set on that respirator. The violet cannisters filter micron size particulates. They are probably hard to find, and expensive if you find some for sale. Keep the exposed cannisters and mask (dried off) in a plastic gallon size ziplok bag to extend the usable life. Use citrus essence oil sniff tests to see if the cannisters are still working properly. If you can smell the citrus fragrance, then the cannister filters are compromised and should be replaced. Make sure any filters you buy are not beyond their shelf life (many surplus eBay units are being sold that are far beyond their pull date - don't waste your money.)

Gold coins are more practical to collect as future barter, if needed, than ingots of any size...just say'n.

Here is a link to a young American surgeon's explanation of the COVID-19's disease description. He drops the "F-bomb" a few times, but this is the most accurate description (in plain English words) that I have seen so far on the Internet about the infection process and insult to the lungs. Note what he says about the ACE portal of the cell if you take ACE Inhibitor blood pressure medicine. I can't take an ACE inhibitor to regulate my heart rate because it helps cause me to pass out occasionally with a quick blood pressure drop (a problem that I have had my whole lifetime.) Stay informed. Be safe out there. This is complicated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J0d59dd-qM

Al

Robert Bramel

Good luck eating that gold. Matter of fact good luck doing anything with gold (it'd make a great boat anchor). It's value is entirely because of a belief that others think it is valuable, and that belief can disappear suddenly. Ask a hungry person if they'd trade their week's food for your gold brick.

Gregg Wilson

Robert,

You sell the gold coin for what is worth in dollars - that day - then, you physically eat the dollars! Or your car. Or your furniture.

Gold is a money which maintains its value through time. Unlike the dollar.

Bill Engelhardt

Tom Chavez

You can’t eat gold, dollars, stock, bonds or other symbolic tokens of value. Gold is unchanging and naturally scarce, unlike money and finanial instruments issued by governments, businesses and other agencies.

Great civilization, including India and China, have always accepted gold as a store of wealth, as we still do today. China and Russia accumulate gold reserves every year.

Money or financial instruments issued by governments and others eventually lose value. Modern governments tend to print money disproportionately, leading to inflation and devaluation. 

But gold is no guarantee of safety. Governments can ‘confiscate’ gold and thieves can steal it.

The recent stimulus bill (CARES Act) passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump allows the U.S. Treasury to give $454 billion of taxpayers’ money to the Federal Reserve, the bulk of which will go to the New York Fed. 

The New York Fed will then use the funds as equity to leverage purchases of trillions of dollars in questionable debt from global banks and multinational corporations to prop up international financial arrangements. Good luck with that.

Most countries in the world would prefer a system not dependent on the US dollar as the world reserve currency. This epidemic may be the black swan event which catalyzes big changes. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, the best value is arable land and self-sufficiency. Most people, for most of human civilization, have lived off the land by growing crops and raising animals. That is a natural, simple and honest way of life.

My recommendation is to invest in a plot of land away from the big cities and obvious military targets and live as much 'off the grid' as reasonable. If that is impractical, well, we can always depend on the grace of God.

Virginia Wolfe (Scheffer)

OK, Big Bat is funny but looks horribly disgusting!  Keep posting the cartoons.  We need them!

Al Peffley

Here's one for you Virginia, LOL!

Bill Engelhardt

Al Peffley

Found in my father-in-laws' family memories box during one of my wife's spring cleaning projects - it's a postcard sent to Bill from a friend in 1952. "Priceless" treasures not seen for half a century! We are running out of easy "projects" that have been languishing around here for years (some maybe decades), but we made it to the liquor store for a resupply of tequila last Thursday...all of a sudden unfinished projects are no longer a concern. UMMM , Yummy -- Simply Peach Margaritas! I always wanted to go here for a drink:

Virginia Wolfe (Scheffer)

Hey thanks guys for the humor.  Keep it going!  Safe days to all my fellow pirates.

Robert Bramel

https://youtu.be/A5s433aTy98

Bill Engelhardt

Tom Chavez

Mahabharata*—Drona and Drupad, part 1.

The great sage Bharadwaj was friends with a king named Prishata. The king’s son, Drupad, used to come daily to the hermitage of the sage, where he and the sage’s son, Drona, would happily play and study together.

Later, prince Drupad and Drona lived together for many years in the school ashram of Rishi Agnivesa, where they studied martial arts, politics and the science of war. They became close friends, and Drupad several times told Drona, “I am the favorite son of my father. When he installs me on the throne, I will share the kingdom with you. My friend, this is my solemn promise.”

In course of time, King Prishata died, and Drupad became king of the powerful Panchal kingdom. 

Meanwhile, Drona continued his study of military arts and science for years. He obtained the valuable weapons of the famous warrior, Parasurama, along with the mysteries of hurling and recalling them. He married Gautami, and they were happy to have a son named Aswattama.

Drona had no students and remained an impoverished brahmana, ever austere and  devoted to truth and knowledge. One day his son, Aswattama, saw some rich men’s sons drink milk, and he began to cry for milk. One of his playmates gave Aswattama powdered rice mixed with water, and he became very happy, thinking that he had drunk milk. People criticized Drona for not properly providing for his family.

Drona resolved to do better, but he could not work to earn money, for a brahmana’s dharma (duty) was to teach and accept charity. It was beneath his dignity to serve others for pay. Hearing that his childhood friend, Drupad, had been installed on the throne, Drona recalled Drupad’s promise to share the kingdom. 

Drona, with his dear child and wife, set off to see his friend, thinking that this would solve his problem. Being a simple and honest brahmana, Drona had faith in his friend Drupad. But, as Canakya Pandit astutely observed, “A man who puts his faith in the words of a politician or a woman should not be surprised to be disappointed.” 

________________

*Mahābhārata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rāmāyaṇa. With some 1.8 million words in total, it is the longest epic poem in the world (roughly 10 times the size of the Iliad and Odyssey taken together).

Tom Chavez

Mahabharata*—Drona and Drupad, part 2

Drona went to visit his former friend, now a king, Drupad. He felt himself fortunate beyond compare. Joyfully he entered the palace, remembering his former friendship with the young prince who was now King Drupad, and the promise the prince had made to share the kingdom. 

Approaching Drupad, Drona said, “O tiger among men, know me for thy friend!” Saying this, Drona approached Drupad as confidently as a friend should. But Drupad, laughing in derision, rejected Drona as if he were a vulgar fellow. 

Addressing Drona, King Drupad said, “Your intelligence scarcely seems to be in order inasmuch as, approaching me suddenly, you claim to be my friend! Time that destroys everything, destroys temporary friendship also.”

The King continued, “A warrior can never be a friend to one who is not. Friendship is only between persons of equal rank; never between a poor man and a rich man, between an unlettered fool and a man of letters, between a coward and a hero.”

“O simple man, how can you expect to revive our former friendship? One who is not a king can never have a king for his friend. I can never be a friend with an indigent and luckless pauper like you! But, O Brahmana, I can give you food and shelter for one night.”

Stung to the core by insult, Drona immediately departed, his mind burning with anger. Vowing within his powerful mind to teach King Drupad a lesson, Drona turned toward Hastinapur, the capitol city of the Vedic empire.  

In those days there were numerous kingdoms all united under the Kuru Dynasty. Hasti means elephant, and Hastinapur was so named because of its abundance of elephants. The empire was administered from Hastinapur by Bhishma, son of Santanu and Ganga.

It is said that the word of a sage can destroy a kingdom. That the pen is mightier than the sword. Although impoverished, Drona was both a sage and a master of war and weaponry. He knew for certain that destiny would defeat Drupad, although he was not yet quite sure how.

______________________

*Mahābhārata is a Sanskrit epic of ancient India. With 1.8 million words in total, it is the longest epic poem in the world (roughly 10 times the size of the Iliad and Odyssey taken together).

Al Peffley

You know if you keep a glass of wine in each hand you can’t accidentally touch your face

Tom Chavez

Mahabharata—Drona meets the Kuru Princes

Drona, with his wife and son, lived privately for some time in the house of his wife’s brother, on the outskirts of Hastinapura. One day the young Kuru princes came out of the city and began to happily play with a ball, which fell into a dry well. They tried to retrieve the ball, but failed. 

The frustrated princes saw a dark lean brahmana watching them from nearby. Beholding the illustrious brahmana, who was actually Drona, the princes immediately surrounded him. 

Drona, conscious of his own skill, smiled a little and spoke, “Shame on your prowess as ksatriyas (warriors). How is it that you cannot retrieve your ball from the well? If you promise me a dinner today, I will, with these blades of grass, retrieve your ball. I will also retrieve this ring.” Taking off a ring, Drona threw it into the dry well.

Then prince Yudhisthir, son of Queen Kunti, addressed Drona, “O Brahmana, you request but a trifle. You can ask from us something which would last for a lifetime!”

Drona replied with a smile. “I will now invest these long blades of grass, by my mantras, with the virtue of weapons. These blades will have powers which other weapons do not! With one blade I will pierce your ball, then pierce that blade with another, and that with a third, and thus I shall, with a chain, bring up your ball.”

Then Drona did exactly what he had said. The eyes of the amazed princes expanded with delight. They said, “Please bring up the ring also, while we watch.”

The illustrious Drona, taking a bow with an arrow, pierced the ring with that arrow and brought it up at once. Taking the ring, still pierced by the arrow, he cooly gave it to the astonished princes.

The princes, with great feeling, spoke, “We bow to you, O Brahmana! No one else has such skill. Who are you, and whose son? What can we do for you?”

Drona replied to the princes, “Return to Bhishma and describe me and my skill to him. The mighty one will recognize me.”

The princes said, “So be it,” and returned to Bhishma, telling him the story of the Brahmana, his words, his appearance, and his extraordinary feats. Bhishma at once understood that the Brahmana was none other than Drona. 

Thinking that he would make the best teacher for the princes, Bhishma went in person to Drona, welcomed him respectfully, and brought him to the palace.

Al Peffley

Bill Engelhardt

Virginia Wolfe (Scheffer)

Thankful for all the first responders.  We could not get through this without all the courage you all have shown.  Still enjoying the comic relief....I consider those people first responsers too!  They put a smile on our faces.  Good Day to all.

Tom Chavez

Mahabharata — Arjun Excels

Drona told Bhishma of his anger due to Drupad’s insults. He said, “I have come to the Kurus looking for intelligent and valorous students. Now tell me what I should do.”

Bhishma invited Drona to become the martial teacher of the Kuru princes. He said, “Please make our princes accomplished in arms. We welcome you as the master and enjoyer of our wealth and kingdom! Consider the desire in your heart to be already accomplished. Your coming here is our great good fortune.”

Bhishma brought his grandsons, the Kuru princes, and gave them to Drona as pupils, along with many valuable presents. He joyfully gave Drona a house filled with every kind of wealth. Drona accepted the Kuru princes as his students.

Drona taught them the use of weapons both celestial and human. He taught the art of fighting on horseback, on elephant, on chariot and how to use the mace, sword, lance, spear, and dart. He taught how to use many other weapons and how to fight with many men at once. 

Hearing of Drona’s prowess, thousands of students and many kings and princes, from various lands, flocked to him, desiring to learn the military science. Although he instructed them all equally, Arjun excelled everyone in quickness and skill.

During recess periods, Drona taught his own son, Aswattam, special methods of fighting. Learning of this, Arjun also came, and he began to practice at night as well. Seeing Arjun’s eagerness, Drona told him, “There will be no warrior equal to you, Arjun!”

One day, after their education was complete, Drona assembled the Kuru princes together to test them. He set an artificial bird on the top of a distant tree as a target. He instructed all the students to stand with bow in hand and prepare to cut off the bird’s head with an arrow.

Yudhisthir, the eldest Pandava, lifted his bow first on the command of Drona. Drona asked him, “Do you see the bird on the top of the tree?” “Yes,” came the reply. “What else do you see?” asked Drona. “I see the tree, you, and my fellow students,” Yudhisthir answered.

“Wait!” commanded Drona. One by one Drona repeated the same thing with all the students, and the same answer came back. Drona told each of them, "Wait!"

At last, coming to Arjuna, he commanded, “Take up your bow. O Arjun, do you see the bird there, the tree and myself?” Arjun replied, “I see the bird only, not the tree nor you.” Drona, pleased with Arjun, said, “If you see the bird, describe it to me.” Arjun replied, “I see only the head of the bird, not its body.”

Hearing these words, Drona’s hair stood on end. “Shoot!” he commanded. Instantly Arjun’s arrow sped and cut the bird’s head, falling it to the ground. Drona embraced his favorite student and thought, “Drupad and his armies are already vanquished!”

Tom Chavez

Mahabharata — The Kurus Capture Drupad

After a few years, the time came for Drona to request his fee from his students. He called them together, foremost of whom were the five Pandava brothers, and the 100 sons of blind Dhritarastra, headed by his eldest son Duryodhan.

Drona told them, “As a fee to your teacher, I request you to capture in battle Drupad, the king of Panchal, and bring him to me.”

Those warriors answered, “So be it,” and prepared weapons, horses, elephants and chariots. They then marched with Drona in great eagerness to fight and lay siege to the capitol of the great King Drupad.

As the Kuru hosts approached, Drupad came out of his city with his army. Arjun, observing the pride and enthusiasm of the Kuru warriors, told the preceptor, Drona, “We five Pandavas will let our fellow warriors display their prowess first.”

Arjun and his brothers watched the two armies engage in fierce battle. When Drupad’s army surged and the Kuru forces ebbed, Arjun with his brothers entered the fray. The Pandavas began to cut down elephants, horses, chariots and foot-soldiers, clearing a path toward King Drupad.

When Arjun destroyed the chariot and horses of Drupad’s commanding general, Satyajit, King Drupad himself counterattacked Arjun with a shower of arrows. Arjun fought furiously, cutting Drupad’s bow in two, and piercing his horses and charioteer.

Dropping his bow and drawing a scimitar, Arjun leaped from his own chariot onto Drupad’s. With perfect fearlessness Arjun seized Drupad just like an eagle seizes a huge snake. Seeing their leader captured, the Panchal troops fell back in all directions.

Arjun, having exhibited his prowess, came out with his captive from the ranks. Seeing this, the Kuru army began to lay waste to Drupad’s army and to loot the city. Addressing them, Arjun said, “This best of kings, Drupad, is a relative of the Kuru dynasty. Do not slay his soldiers. Let us simply give our preceptor his fee.”

Although unsatiated with the exercise of battle, the Kurus withdrew, bringing King Drupad, his friends, counsellors, and wealth with them. They offered everything before their preceptor, Drona Acharya.

Bill Engelhardt