Click Me ... Nothing to do with self-publishing here, just some things I’ve found interesting. See the About RealityIsBooks page if you have thoughts you would like to contribute. Finally, a true perpetual calendar. Every October, when the new calendars appear in the bookstores, it’s time to select what set of illustrations will stare back at you for another year. Barbie? Motorcycles of the ’50s? Bass Lakes of Canada? Then it’s time to check ... what day of the week is your birthday this year, or your anniversary? Should you plan that special celebration for its actual date or for the weekend closest to it? As weighty and all-important as these questions are (try forgetting a wedding anniversary if you don’t think so), there are also other considerations and situations that could be improved with the adoption of a standardized calendar. Not that people around the world use different calendars, but rather that the calendar we all use changes from year to year. For instance, have you ever had to compare Christmas season sales for last year with this year? There is a better way. See Calendar here. Do we live in a virtual reality? Is reality, in fact, a sealed steel box, with a capsule of hydrogen cyanide and a bit of radioactive material? Many believe that perception is reality, so what one perceives and believes, their own personal virtual reality, is as true for them as any “objective” reality perceived by someone else. What did Erwin Schroedinger, the creator of the famous cat, think about all this? His actual words and the thought experiment that spawned a thousand books (at least) make interesting reading. Read it and the response of Jack the Poodle here. What is an elephant? Myths, legends, fairy tales, and even old wives’ tales continue to be repeated because they often have something of value to teach those who will listen. Children must be engaged by their entertainment value, of course, but the kernel of truth in these stories will often stay with them, to be discovered when they are older, often with children of their own. This retelling of the ancient story of the Blind Men and the Elephant first appeared in The Monthly Aspectarian magazine. See The Elephant here. I see dead people, too. Apparently (or unapparently to most of us) we are often in the presence of the spirits of departed family and strangers. While this can sometimes be disconcerting, on reflection, it can also be comforting when seen from a larger perspective. Unlike the horrific experiences so often portrayed in movies and novels, these spirits mostly seem to be on their own errands, or make themselves known to bring some measure of reassurance from the other side. One series of ongoing sightings may be found here. Messenger Gabriel The Angel Gabriel plays a major role in the interactions of humanity with the spirit realm. Both frightening and comforting, Gabriel is often seen as a messenger bringing the word of God to Earth. A few years ago, a very special set of experiences prompted us to create a way to symbolically communicate with departed loved ones which has been used by many for that purpose. Some background on Messenger Gabriel and our experiences are described here so that others can make this connection, too, if they are moved to do so. See Messenger Gabriel here, and click on About Messenger Gabriel to read more. |