different worlds all tossed together

There is no "Florida." Starting at the bottom, you've got your gay Mecca - Key West. Then all those boat bums, idle fisherman, ex-weed haulers, treasure divers, et. al., up the Keys to Miami.

Miami to about Palm Beach or Launderdale is the Florida most people think of. But there's Havana - it's not "Little Havana" any more. It's just Havana. Calle Ocho. Etc.

The middle of the state is a damn big swamp, with DisneyWorld on the West side. Miles and miles of retirement communities in various states of collapse.

You got the Panhandle - Cracker Country for sure. The big ass airbase. And we didn't cover Tampa and St. Pete yet, either, because the Gulf Coast is always the last thing folks talk about when they talk Florida.

It's many, many different worlds all tossed together. But there is no "Florida."

-  Tundra Grifter @ Wonkette

One of the best (and funniest!) descriptions I've ever heard of the State of Florida.

quote of the day

We support the Falklands' right to self-determination, and what the Argentinians have been saying recently I would argue is actually far more like colonialism, because [the Falkland] people want to remain British, and the Argentinians want them to do something else.

- British Prime Minister David Cameron

The people of Roatan and the Bay Islands wanted to remain British, too. (Pressured by the United States, the United Kingdom ceded the islands to the new Republic of Honduras in 1860.) Many of us islanders wonder at times how different things would now be had someone like David Cameron stood up for us back then.

determining your future now

You create your future with the power of your intention. Intention is simply the conscious act of determining your future now. Health, harmony in relationships, happiness, money, creativity, and love will come to you in the future, based on your intentions now.

Intend every day and create your future life.

- lessons from The Secret

roatan's "autumn"

This astounding, MoMA-worthy photograph (taken - incredibly! - with my Blackberry's camera) is another view from my balcony here in heaven at Paya Bay.

This time of year, after the rainy season, the leaves of the sea almond trees turn beautiful shades of orange and red, and then they fall. This annual "clean the slate and start over" behavior by trees is rarer here in the tropics, where most everything stays green and keeps growing year round. Interestingly, when the almond trees re-bud and create fresh crops of new leaves in a week or two, they will abandon branches that - for some reason or the other - failed to contribute adequately to each particular tree's 'greater good.' These internally cut-off branches don't get new leaves and eventually dry up and fall off. Obviously, even trees practice 'tough love' and make necessary corrections in their growth. This leaf-shedding event gives a dash of brilliant color to the natural tropical surroundings.

it's time

It's time for revolution.

bliss

Nude sunset yoga at the Ananda Pavilion. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

one or the other

In life you have to be either really present or really absent.

- Layle, or as I teasingly call her, "The First World Trust Fund Babe," one of my twisted Australian friends who resides here in (what's becoming a quite hip and cosmopolitan) Roatan.

the sky trail

Views of the tropical vegetation and fascinating rock formations along the Sky Trail (this section of the trail is near the Ananda Pavilion). Some family friends call this part of the property "Daviland," as my low-impact, respectful approach to development is used throughout it. :) Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras. See the resort's map.

*The salt in the ambient air is starting to work its magic on my camera. Can you tell? Salty air is great for humans but not so much for hyper-sensitive electronics.

fight obstruction with action

...I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.

- President Obama, 2012 State of the Union address

I have a deep and sincere respect for this gentleman. Let's face it, back in January 2009, G.W. Bush handed President Obama an economic disaster of historic proportions (back then, I often wondered if "W" and his puppeteer, Dick Cheney, were deliberately screwing things up as much as possible in order to trigger - in their bogus reality - some kind of sick, Bible-sourced "End Times.") Today (a mere 36 months later), Mr. Obama and his team can point with cautious pride to a U.S. economy that is growing (albeit slowly) while many other developed economies around the world are still teetering on the edge. Not only has the amazing talent of the Obama Administration deftly doused a "five alarm" economic conflagration (one that ominously threatened to take the whole world's economy down with it), the Administration is now using the charred remains to rebuild the house.

Astonishingly, the current U.S. administration has done all this while being relentlessly whipped, denigrated, and beaten down by what has seemed like a bitter, cynical, selfish, corporate interests-first, country-second Republican opposition. Under close analysis one realizes that what the brilliant, tenacious Obama economic team has achieved in such short time is nothing short of miraculous. If the extremely disturbing tragedy that was the W "administration" deserved reelection, Mr. Obama deserves it one thousand times more.

photo of the day

There is no doubt you live in the Caribbean when this is one view from your balcony. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

*The salt in the ambient air is starting to work its magic on my camera. Can you tell? Salty air is great for humans but not so much for hyper-sensitive electronics.

a great desire for positivity

If you have a problem with a member of your family who is negative, begin by writing a list of all the things you appreciate about that person. Remember to include gratitude to them for giving you a great desire for positivity in your life; because that is a gift they are giving you. As you focus with all of your strength on appreciation, you will not only reduce your exposure to the negativity, but at the same time you will be attracting positive people into your life.

Get yourself on to the appreciation frequency, and the law of attraction can only surround you with people who are in a positive state.

- lessons from The Secret

memories of esalen

Food for thought. Esalen, Big Sur, California.

open up the door to receiving

Giving opens up the door to receiving. You have so many opportunities to give every day.

Give kind words. Give a smile. Give appreciation and love. Give compliments. You can give courtesy to other motorists while you are driving. You can give a smile to the car parking attendant. You can give a warm greeting to the newspaper stand person or the person who makes your coffee. You can give by allowing a stranger to go ahead of you into an elevator, and you can give by asking which floor they are going to and pressing the button for them. If someone drops something you can give a helping hand and pick it up for them. You can give warm embraces to those you love. And you can give appreciation and encouragement to everyone.

There are so many opportunities for you to give and thereby open the door to receiving.

- lessons from The Secret

current temps

The current temps in my world. Tonight I return to warm Roatan. What an amazing week I've had here in 'nippley' California!

Image: weather.com

when you withdraw

When you withdraw from me, I'll withdraw from you
I'll distance myself from me so you will never know how I feel
I'll suffer and feel lonely
I'll blame you for not meeting my needs
I'll be secretly angry at you

When you withdraw from me
I'll remember all the times you have hurt me in the past
I'll wonder if anything will ever work between us
I'll mistrust what you say and judge what you do
I'll doubt ever wanting to be with you

When you withdraw from me I don't know what to do
I want to keep my love
I want to be close to myself and to you
I want to feel compassion
But, I just don't know what to do

When you withdraw from me, I'll withdraw from you

-Menachem Tabanpour

Menachem (pronounced Meh-nah-hem) is an amazing young man I've met here at Esalen. What bright light shines from this angel! I aspire to be like Menachem as I become more and more Truly Alive!

far greater wisdom

Your life is a learning process - you can only become wiser from learning. Sometimes you might have to attract making a painful mistake to learn something important, but after the mistake you have far greater wisdom. Wisdom cannot be bought with money - it can only be acquired through living life. With wisdom comes strength, courage, knowing, and an ever-increasing peace.

- lessons from The Secret

stopping to smell the flowers

I'm currently on vacation at Esalen in Big Sur, CA. I may not get to post much this week as I my activities here don't allow for much front-of-the-laptop time.

As always, I'm having an incredible time at this beautiful, magical, transformational place.

count them

Count your blessings, Davi. You hear what I'm saying to you? Count your blessings, my son.

- timeless, loving advice from my Grandmother Doris (who has transcended)

(uncompensated) apple plug

I love my McBook Pro. It's definitely the BMW of computers.

Steve Jobs was a genius, a man maximizing his human experience, and -- without doubt -- someone worthy of emulation. He is arguably a picture-perfect example of the (somewhat controversial) idea of American exceptionalism. He'll continue to inspire many of us for a long time to come.

I'm happy and grateful for the privilege of owning and using one of these superb machines.

folkloric latin wisdom

El que no gozó aqui y al cielo no vá, lo joden aqui y lo recontrajoden allá.

- a Latin-American saying (one of several the Catholic Church probably hates)

It roughly translates: The one who didn't enjoy life here and then doesn't go to heaven, gets f_cked here and, furthermore, gets super-ref_cked there.

After all, who knows how picky the bouncer at the supposed "Pearly Gates" will be? What if the cigarettes you had behind the shed at 12 are a deal-breaker? Makes one think, doesn't it? This idea may help explain why latinos are -- in general -- such warm, relaxed, happy, expressive, dance-y, touch-ey, feel-ey, joyful, sexy people.

With globalization and the sharing of cultural norms, perhaps this "latin energy" is something the rest of the world could adopt from us.

Hat tip: Nicolás.

give more value

"Give every person more in use value than you take from them in cash value."
WALLACE WATTLES (1860-1911)
The Science of Getting Rich

Remember this, and never take money from anyone without giving more in use value than the money you are receiving. In people's lives, this is one of the main causes of lack of money, unsuccessful job experiences, and failed businesses. Give more value than the money you are receiving; in your job, in your business, and in every part of your life.

- lessons from The Secret

practice patience and compassion

One of the important lessons of Yoga Sutra I.17 is that you are not supposed to be able to master everything immediately - and no one else is either! Shift a pattern of being critical of yourself or others by noticing when that judgmental voice starts to pop up and immediately countering it with a true and positive thought. If you find yourself getting impatient at the checkout line because the cashier is slow, focus on the fact that she is thorough and careful. If you are feeling critical of your child's teacher for not responding to emails in a timely manner, think how great she is in the classroom. And if you are frustrated with yourself because you are having a difficulty with something, remind yourself of your valuable skills.

You can also try this more formal practice: Sit comfortably and take a few relaxed breaths. As you continue breathing comfortably, allow the mind to settle on one person or area where you are feeling impatience, criticism, or judgement.

Over the course of the next few breaths, acknowledge this situation or person "as is" and try to look at the seeming deficiency from a more positive angle. If it is a quality in yourself that you are unhappy with, examine your choices. Instead of feeling down about yourself, do you want to put in the effort to change? (Take a class to improve your computer skills? Spend time practicing your Spanish?) Or can you be content with the skill level you have and be free of self-criticism?

If you are frustrated by the lack of progress in your yoga practice or in any other endeavor, cultivate patience and self-compassion by reminding yourself that insights and change will come in their own time with continued diligence.

This practice, whether you do it formally or simply reflect on it periodically as you go about your day, can help counteract the perfectionism, impatience, and high expectations that keep you from being patient and compassionate with yourself and others. Ultimately if can lead you to greater peace of mind in the midst of all your pursuits.

- Yoga Journal

Learn more about yoga at Paya Bay Resort in Roatan, Honduras.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

C'mon people, it's up to us...
Let's make 2012 rock!
Yeah!