Pewter sea, pewter sky
an immense but close
gray pewter glow
flows across glassy water.
Shines and shimmers surround the shell.

To the north, the sound
of breakers on the breakwater,
the cry of a hungry grebe
waiting the hunt: It’s hard
to spot the chum
through bright, blinding mist. Soon

sun will wrench
effulgent fog from water,
Insinuating
a horizon line into wholeness.

I rub my hands, get a grip,
then scull hard and arrow straight
toward the heart of the numinous cloud
up current toward the source
of Ballona Creek.

Myself is not myself

this embodiment feels like a distant crude robotic corpse yet so intensely personal.

Winds rise and bellow bullying fronds of palms and insects roll and weave.

Poking the bear again
with just the right pointed stick.
To go to hyperspace—
and to see into the next few dimensions.

Poke, Poke, Poke!

I feel tingling in every atom of my being
which, while fully outlining and highlighting
every neuron and fiber of sense in the physical body
then— extending beyond the tiny physical manifestation I live in
then— my conscious moves beyond this little piece:
Into occupancy— into the mind of the cosmos, the body of the universe.
My face is every face, your face, my face—
My body is every body, your body, my body—
This I is the instrument of goddess
That you is the instrument of god

Everything is everything, do you understand?
Allow to be, of course! — do not judge or define, of course not!
No forget.

Expectation brings sorrow, do not be sad my love.
See the beauty, and you will worry not. The complete
complement will be there, whether it is
seen or unseen.

I see all shapes become smooth and flexible, and running off into 8 dimensions
I see every single color as a shimmering spectrum of all component colors in each color.

Please universe, tell me what to manifest. I am your instrument.
Really? Just be?
Everything is everything, that is all that needs to be said.
Being is the only necessary action.

End transmission.

Mussaman curry originates from the south of Thailand. Similar to Malaysian curries, and with some similarities to Indian curry, Mussaman curry has an abundance of warm spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Often prepared with beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions, and peanuts, I also add mushrooms, greens, etc. and switch the beef to tofu.

Ingredients:

* 3 shallots, sliced
* 5 cloves garlic, peeled
* 2 red chillies (seeded, or leave seeds in a spicier curry)
* 1 thumb-size piece galangal (Thai ginger, or substitute ginger if unavailable), peeled and sliced
* 2 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves and bulb removed, then sliced thinly (save upper stems to throw into the pot )
* 2 kaffir lime leaves (available at Asian grocers – usually in the freezer)
* 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground (grind them yourself in a coffee grinder, or use a pestle & mortar)
* 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds, ground (grind them the same way as the coriander)
* 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, preferably ground from whole nutmeg
* 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
* 1 tsp. ground cardamom
* 1-2 Tbsp. sea salt (use fish sauce if your not vegetarian or kosher)
* 1 tsp. shrimp paste (Omit as I did if you are vegetarian or kosher)

Preparation:

1. Place all paste ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and process well. To make a sauce rather than a paste, add coconut milk (1 to 2 cans).
2. To use immediately, fry with oil in a hot wok for a minute til aromatic and then add coconut milk and veggies.

Panang Tomato Basil Chow Fun Recipe

Kosher Panang curry paste to taste
3 Thai red chilies, sliced thinly at a 45° angle
8 stalks lemon grass, finely minced
6 medium ripe tomatoes in 1-2cm cubes
1 bell pepper in 5cm chop
800g firm tofu, in 1-2cm cubes
400g coconut milk, equal amount of water
Dash soy sauce
Salt to taste
800g Fresh Chow Fun (wide) rice noodles
3 Thai basil sprigs of blossom tops and leaves
Dash grapeseed oil

Add oil to preheated wok, and fry curry paste, chilies and lemongrass briefly. Add tomatoes and pepper and fry a bit more. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.

It is easier and harder to be funny than you think. Comedy is telling the truth in an original and (hopefully) artful way. This is true of any medium for expression.

Create an unique perspective and style that builds on predecessors with insight and wit to dissect a subject. Any subject is appropriate, but it must be something that tugs at your soul so deeply that you feel it in the pit of your stomach.

We laugh when there is a fact of life that is far too painful to take seriously. Allowing yourself to tell jokes about something people are uncomfortable with brings a taboo subject out into the open. In this way stress is relieved, by laughing at the realities of life.