The (New & Improved) HYENA KITCHEN

That “Container Life” is not all it’s cracked up be. All those hipster YouTube videos, yearning to get “off grid” in a converted school bus, or better yet live out their “sustainable” years in a 8’ x 40’ four room micro mansions, where you feed your guests outside on the deck/living room.    Just ask the 50 immigrants, who were found dead last week in San Antonio, about container life. Now, I don’t mean to be glib – this is a tragedy beyond reasonable comprehension.  But I do mean to be glib about NPR.   Their first story I heard this morning was, and I quote “Investigators are working to find out why at least fifty-one migrants died in the back of a tactor trailer in San Antonio, this week.”  I’ll tell you why, but first let’s look at who’s heading up the investigation – the Department of Homeland Security – that crack Gestapo Unit of unrestrained stormtroopers – formed after 9/11 as knee jerk reaction to fear, in a time when our government couldn’t be ...

 Somedays the words and broken ideologies of man steal all the colors from our sight. And turn the petals raven black, for it is hope and light they lack,  these wicked fools. But those who know the power the sunflower holds, Know it WILL dawn again, in it's vibrant glory,  as always promised.

 . . .I'd hoped for better, while I prepared my mind to accept this coming injustice, I'm gut-punched. For, supposedly, brilliant legal minds to do this, well I'd hoped for better. Even with this, words fail me, all that's left to do is Stand. “Stand!”   My outrage today transcends the page, all available words border on rage, there is no ink dark enough to contain this offense – this hate, which arouses more hate and anger in response. Grab your torches and raise the village Storm yon castle and drag out the offender, this stain on humanity – yet, that makes you no better than they [or them, or that] whatever pronoun you choose to describe – as long as it is not the “Honorable.” [they] relinquished that word. Remember that, through your tears, your heartbreak, and despair there are those around you who truly care. Love conquers Hate. Right conquers Wrong. Even behind the darkest veil Justice will always prevail. Stand up. Stand strong. Stand!     ...

        I had come across a wonderful quote attributed to William Butler Yeats about waiting patiently – which I tucked away in my plastic Cap’n Crunch treasure chest – for some future use. I thought ‘Patiently Waiting’ made for a great title (or tattoo) – however, I recently discovered that Yeats “borrowed” the quote from playwright Eden Phillpotts’ 1919 book of vignettes entitled A Shadow Passes , with the change of two words.  Phillpotts’ original reads – “ The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” Phillpotts’ use of “universe” over Yeats’ “world,” holds a much deeper meaning for me.     I try – I really do – I try my own patience, but it is so hard to find calm in this fast paced/ immediate need world we find ourselves in.   As a lapse-Buddhist, patience is that seemingly unattainable goal. As a surfer patience is a must. For a serious coffee addict, waiting for the first pot of the mor...