The Mystical Waterfall.

The mystical magic of the waterfall has long been revered in nature. The dominating size, mesmerizing beauty and roaring growls of it's crashing power below demand some well-earned respect. Water will not be denied it's own way, and will carve up the hardest rock that tries to block it's path. It is understood by those close to nature that water is to be respected or surely peril awaits.

One of the reasons I am transfixed by waterfalls is because is because they are so stunning in appearance and seem, (to this artist) to be something of art in motion, which is interactive. This makes it one of nature's greatest expressions and well-deserving of the awe they inspire. It is easy to fall under their magical charm when gazing upon it with dedication and time because it transports you into a deep meditative world of bliss and peace. A reality when all time seems to slow down and the world outside the sacred bowl of the waterfall seems so distant and almost hidden by the fog of the magic that has overtaken your spirit.Yet Mother Nature has other secrets to conceal from the unworthy--the inner sanctums. These are the otherworldly cave sanctuaries that often lie hidden behind the veil of pounding water. I have always been lured by the secret chambers that lie just beyond the wall of water. They seem like special hide-outs that hermits and outcasts like me are led toward. Ancient man must have seen them as doorways to a spiritual realm unlike any found above Earth. A dream of mine is to find a cave behind a waterfall way off in some far away land--perhaps on Borneo where I can build a little hide-away. Every time I gaze upon a new waterfall I am over-whelmed by its energy and always feel recharged and invigorated after sitting a spell within it's cleansing mist.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Frolicking in the Woods.

I do sincerely apologize for neglecting the grove of late. Green man has been frolicking in the woods, high in the Rocky Mountains for the waning days of Autumn. We have some friends who live up there in a secluded cabin on a chunk of land that is hidden and guarded by a phalanx of strong, noble, pine trees.

They are a couple of good ole hippies who we have somewhat adopted (my wife and I) as part of their family. It's very meaningful to us because our own families are conservative, Mormons who we just can't relate too very well (my parents are awesome -- it's my siblings where the tension rises).

They are conservative, and we are liberals (Social Democrats of the European style, actually). They are Mormons and we are Zen Buddhist Pagan free spirits. They wouldn't touch coffee let alone pot and we're neo-hippies who praise the heavens when we are blessed with sacred marijuana. So, to have an adopted family where we can be ourselves is worth, so much to these two, young, recovering, ex-Mormon outcasts. They let us come up to their land all the time and camp out to wash the "conservative crazy" off our skin from living in such a conservative town down in the valley. There's nothing like the whisper magic of the pines to cleanse you of that chaos.

So, we were honored to watch their cabin for them while they went down to Arizona to visit family. It's a cozy, warm, inviting cabin that feels like a mountain cottage. Green man enjoyed getting back to his pagan roots by unleashing the fire breather within. You see, I am mesmerized by fire being a fire sign (Sagittarius). I must admit (a bit sheepishly) that when there's a forest fire here, my first concern is for everyone's safety but another part of me stands in awe at the awesome show of power from the twisting, roaring flames. It's a beautiful show from Mother Nature, and while I mourn the charred trees, I must say that I find the beauty in the process of destruction. And, it is also a process of rebirth because the soil left behind by forest fires is very rich and fertile ground for new life to grow and thrive.

I believe that when we are fully, awakened (in the enlightened sense) that we learn to see the beauty in everything--even shit. Yes, shit. My Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh sees the beauty in shit because without it he wouldn't be blessed with his lovely rose bushes. The first time I heard that, it changed my whole view on things. However, I digress.

Our friend's cabin is totally "off-the-grid" meaning they haven't paid a utility bill is years. They get their energy from two wind turbines on the property and a stand of next-generation solar panels from Abound. So, they look at wind a whole different way; when everyone grumbles about the anxious wind--they celebrate all the free energy they're saving away in their battery banks. So, it was cool to know that the internet we were surfing up there was wind and sun powered. Thank-you Mother Nature!! See, how nice life would be if we lived with Mother Nature instead of against her like a naughty neighbor? No, that will never do!! Bad form to treat a lady of her experience and sophistication in such a manner.

So, we cozied up in that hippie haven for four days and even got to enjoy a mystical rain shower that saw the etheral, ghost-like clouds sink over the mountains and hang around like the smoke trailing off a wizard's wand. It was so nice to stoke up the wood burning furnace, throw on a blanket and read away the day. After we went to bed we woke up around 2a.m. to the sound of a mournful coyote crying at the full moon, and he/she wasn't very far away. I've grown up around wild animals from living in the Rockies my entire life, but it's always a gift to hear their calls. A few minutes later the coyote cried out again and this time it was much closer. I was sure it was on the property itself. We just curled down deeper under the blankets and dozed off again knowing we were safe and cozy inside that toasty cabin.

It was a very spiritual experience, and being a Pagan nature worshiper I saw that coyote as one of nature's shamans coming to us and announcing his presence. It was a reminder that we are just along for the ride when entering the sanctuary of nature. Despite living around wilderness for decades it never ceases to give me a sense of awe and spiritual reverence upon entering its sacred spaces. I often feel much deeper spiritual energy in nature's temples than in one's made by man. I am so blessed and honored to live so close to the spirituality of the wilds.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Groups Offers $10k to Dispprove Claim that Marijuana is Safer than Alcohol.

The Safer Texas Campaign is offering $10,000 to anyone in Texas who can prove that three statements claiming marijuana is safer than alcohol are incorrect. The three statements are:

1. Alcohol is significantly more toxic than marijuana, making death by overdose far more likely with alcohol.

2. The health effects from long-term alcohol consumption cause tens of thousands of more deaths in the U.S. annually than the health effects from the long-term consumption of marijuana.

3. Violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated by alcohol is far more prevalent in the U.S. than violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated by marijuana only.

"We are confident that this $10,000 will not be claimed," said Safer Texas Campaign manager Craig Johnson, when he posed the challenge.

Green Man: It's basically impossible to overdose on marijuana. You'd have to ingest it by the ton in order for an overdose to occur--and it simply isn't realistic to believe someone would do such a thing. As for number two, there aren't the numbers of people dying from marijuana related effects like alcohol. I know many old hippies who've been using marijuana since the 60s and are in perfect health. Lastly, marijuana isn't a drug that makes one aggressive. It makes people relax, laugh and calm. I can't tell you how many times I've seen fights break out from people drinking alcohol but in all the people I've seen ingest marijuana--nothing. Committing a crime is the last thing on someone's mind after using pot.

They are too relaxed to get off the couch let alone to commit a crime. People on marijuana are peaceful and often get into deep discussions on how to make the world a better place. I've never heard of a domestic violence crime break out from marijuana consumption, whereas with alcohol it's all too common. Alcohol is a drug that often makes people aggressive, unruly and rude. People who use marijuana are super polite because it makes you feel chill and mellow.

So, if we're going to allow alcohol then marijuana should be allowed as well. It's so frustrating, yet somewhat hilarious that the same politicians who cowardly stand in the way of legalization of marijuana due to fear of not being re-elected are also the same people who guzzle gallons of liquor in their off time. No one thinks anything of it and the same should be true of marijuana.

It simply isn't the drug that it's been demonized to be during the past 70 years. All that "Just say no" crap and "Reefer Madness" videos from the 50s are pure propaganda. Pot doesn't make you go insane like those ridiculous old black and white films they showed in health classes in school. I doesn't belong in the class of hard drugs with cocaine, crack, meth and heroin. It belongs in the same class as alcohol despite it being less of a problem for society than booze.

In other news, a recent poll in my home state of Colorado shows that a majority supports legalizing marijuana.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Vile Teacher Wants Gay Students Dead.

Arkansas school board member Clint McCance believes "queers" and "fags" should kill themselves — that is, if they don't get AIDS and die first. While schools across the country are taking action against bullying and suicide, a board member of an Arkansas school district is using his Facebook page to encourage "queers" and "fags" to kill themselves:

Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE

Green Man: And he didn't stop there (that's him in the picture). When someone disagreed with his rant in the comments and sarcastically said, "Because hatred is always right" this psycho replied:

No because being a fag doesn't give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives [...] I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you arent against it, you might as well be for it.

This jackass has sway in guiding our young people as a school board member. I don't think he read the same New Testament that I've read because the Jesus I know didn't advocate violence, hatred or intolerance. He didn't encourage people to wish harm upon others and certainly didn't ostracize people for being different. In fact, he was criticized for talking to adulterous women and lepers. It never ceases to amaze me how different many Christians behave when compared to what they are taught. This man is vile and not only needs to be removed from office but also enrolled in anger management classes. This schizoaffective would also recommend someone get him on anti-psychotics ASAP.

It sickens me that he thinks people wearing purple to raise awareness for bullying gays (or anyone) is "ruining the rest of our lives." How is his life "ruined" because people are advocating non-violence?!! CRAZY!! Jesus preached non-violence too, so by his definition he should hate Jesus and state that he is ruining peoples' lives. Perhaps some Christians are right and Jesus would disagree with homosexuality but I doubt he'd be happy if they were treated this way. Nor do I think he'd be happy that gays are committing suicide. How does this clown rationalize suicide being just as frowned upon in Christianity as homosexuality?

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Former Surgeon General: Legalize Marijuana.

Former US Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders told CNN's Don Lemon Sunday that she supports the legalization of marijuana. "Marijuana is not addictive -- not physically addictive anyway," Elders added. "Nobody says that marijuana causes violence. As we know alcohol can cause much more aggressiveness.

You aren't as likely to hurt someone from using marijuana as you are from using alcohol." "I think we consume far more dangerous drugs that are legal: cigarette smoking, nicotine and alcohol," Elders told the New York Times on Friday. "I feel they cause much more devastating effects physically. We need to lift the prohibition on marijuana."

Green Man: If Surgeon Generals (along with numerous doctors who prescribe it medicinally) bolster the claims that marijuana is a relatively benign drug then why are we letting politicians and police officers decided the fate of marijuana? I much more value the opinions of doctors when it comes to things that one ingests into the body. I don't trust a politician to give me a straight answer any more than a criminal. Anyone who has tried marijuana knows that it's not a substance that's going to drive you insane, cause you to die from an overdose or make you want to go on a drug using spree to try every other drug out there. That's the "gateway drug" propaganda--that once you use marijuana you wanna try heroin and the other hard drugs.

There are a couple of ways to answer this distortion: 1). Have you seen how kids react to sugar? If we're going to label something a gateway drug then it would have to be sugar. It's a chemical that gives you a "buzz" and yet we don't outlaw it. The same goes for caffeine, which can cause headaches, irritability and drowsiness due to caffeine withdrawal. If you drink enough of it you might as well be doing cocaine!! It has that same "speedy buzz" effect. And why don't we say tobacco is the gateway drug? It's ridiculously addictive and bad for your health. Then there's everyone's favorite drug--alcohol.

Funny how no one says drinking a few beers after work leads to wanting to try harder stuff like heroin or crack. Why? Because the "gateway effect" is something that applies to people who already have an "addictive personality." This means that they are already predisposed to addiction whether it's an classical "drug" or shopping, sex, porn, eating, exercise, work, etc.

Another aspect to the marijuana legalization debate that gets me frustrated is when people who have never used it claim to know all about it. And looking it up on WebMD isn't the same because a lot of doctors simply don't have experience with it. Also, WebMD is a company (like a lot of companies) that seems too cautious to list anything positive about the drug--Just like politicians. A lot of corporations take the non-controversial route of towing the prohibition line because they cowardly don't want to get criticism for "rocking the boat" of the status quo. Other doctors fear that their support of marijuana would jeopardize their practice as a trusted doctor.

It's time to stop listening to politicians about medical and bodily issues--not the least reason being that they have special interests to promote such as the alcohol and tobacco lobbies that don't want to compete with marijuana. It's interesting how everyone is for personal freedom and the free market until it comes to something they personally disagree with. I'm tired of listening to hypocrites, the self-righteous, and personally appointed "morality police" about what we should and shouldn't do with our lives. What ever happened to America: land of the free???

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Cannabis Rx: Cutting Through the Misinformation by Dr. Andrew Weil.

Dr. Andrew Weil is a famous, well-respected physician who is the founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integral medicine. He is best known for establishing and popularizing "integrated medicine." It is a style of treating ailments and diseases through both conventional medicines and practices along with natural treatments that ancient civilizations have successfully used for millennia. China has been so successful at using natural supplements that their formulas are increasingly being adapted to western medical treatments. Herbs like cannabis (marijuana) don't survive for thousands of years as medicines without there being something to it:

If an American doctor of the late 19th century stepped into a time warp and emerged in 2010, he would be shocked by the multitude of pharmaceuticals that today's physicians use. But as he pondered this array (and wondered, as I do, whether most are really necessary), he would soon notice an equally surprising omission, and exclaim, "Where's my Cannabis indica?" In his day, labor pains, asthma, nervous disorders and even colicky babies were treated with a fluid extract of Cannabis indica, also known as "Indian hemp." (Cannabis is generally seen as having three species -- sativa, indica and ruderalis -- but crossbreeding is common, especially between sativa and indica.) At least 100 scientific papers published in the 19th century backed up such uses.

Green Man: They knew then what we're finally remembering now about marijuana; it's somewhat of a miracle drug that helps with everything from: Chronic pain, to appetite loss from cancer and HIV/AIDS, to glaucoma and menstrual cramps. It is also being used to treat depression for those with mental health struggles. I have a form of bipolar and I have prevented several emergency suicidal depression crises by administering a little cannabis into my system. It brings me up out of that dangerous place quicker than any other prescription drug I've been given--and I've taken them all. Plus, the effect from marijuana lasts even after it has worn off. Nothing works like marijuana to treat emergency depression and with little to no side effects compared to the drugs my psychiatrist gives me. So, how is it that I can use marijuana for medical reasons and I don't have to worry about over-dosing but the pills that society deems "safe" and "legal" could kill me instantly if taken in the wrong dose? But what else is cannabis good for when it comes to medicine?:

Meanwhile, as a medical doctor and botanist, my aim has always been to filter out the cultural noise surrounding the genus Cannabis and see it dispassionately: as a plant with bioactivity in human beings that may have therapeutic value. From this perspective, what can it offer us? As it turns out, a great deal. Research into possible medical uses of Cannabis is enjoying a renaissance. In recent years, studies have shown potential for treating nausea, vomiting, premenstrual syndrome, insomnia, migraines, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, alcohol abuse, collagen-induced arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, bipolar disorder, depression, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, sickle-cell disease, sleep apnea, Alzheimer's disease and anorexia nervosa.

But perhaps most exciting, cannabinoids (chemical constituents of Cannabis, the best known being tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) may have a primary role in cancer treatment and prevention. A number of studies have shown that these compounds can inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animal models. In part, this is achieved by inhibiting angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need in order to grow. What's more, cannabinoids seem to kill tumor cells without affecting surrounding normal cells. If these findings hold true as research progresses, cannabinoids would demonstrate a huge advantage over conventional chemotherapy agents, which too often destroy normal cells as well as cancer cells.

As long ago as 1975, researchers reported that cannabinoids inhibited the growth of a certain type of lung cancer cell in test tubes and in mice. Since then, laboratory studies have shown that cannabinoids have effects against tumor cells from glioblastoma (a deadly type of brain cancer) as well as those from thyroid cancer¸ leukemia/lymphoma, and skin, uterus, breast, stomach, colorectal, pancreatic and prostate cancers.

Green Man: The bottom line is that the war on marijuana has been costing us billions of dollars for decades upon decades with nothing to show for it except an increasing number of people who are tolerant of the drug. That's because people know the truth--that marijuana is at the very least no worse than alcohol but it is increasingly seen as being less of a problem to society than alcohol. It doesn't make you aggressive like alcohol. Also, unlike alcohol, it isn't physiologically addictive. So, the word got out that the government wasn't just embellishing the dangers of marijuana but outright lying and pushing blatantly false propaganda about it. Not many in the know have trusted what they have said about pot every since. The cynical side of me says that the authorities maintain the status quo on marijuana's legality because it keeps the DEA, local police and politicians with a job.

Well, the people have had it with the violence that prohibition of marijuana has brought to our southern border region with Mexico; and we're tired of hemorrhaging money to fight a weed during a time of economic crisis when every last dollar counts. We shouldn't be wasting money on a substance that is nearly as tolerated at all levels of social strata as alcohol was during prohibition. During that time even the president of the United States was drinking illegal booze!! Along with politicians up and down the line. The prohibition of marijuana has taken the same predictable and wasteful course as the prohibition of alcohol in the 20s and 30s. It has only increased its popularity, increased the crime associated with it's illegal status and a rise in violence between drug traffickers. Regardless of your morals it just doesn't make sense to keep fighting this losing war on a drug that is no worse than alcohol and with health benefits that bring real comfort and relief to many people suffering from ailments and diseases. The time is now.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Bisexuality: My Story.

I told you that I was going to do some posts about sexuality on here now and then. As a married man who is still coming to terms with his bisexuality. So, I've wanted to write a post addressing the matter for awhile.

Anyway, I have always been attracted to men as well as women. It's just that growing up in a very traditional, conservative, Christian household I wasn't allowed much freedom to explore my sexuality. Shit, even masturbation was taboo; an act that would barrel you straight down to hell in my family. So I learned at an early age to suppress sexual desires of all kinds--let alone thoughts about another guy. Still, it's hard to keep a young, horny, teen-age boy away from his constant, demanding and intimidating erection!! So, I allowed myself to masturbate but not without some serious guilt behind it. Those sessions of young, pent up, raging, hormones were always tainted (partially ruined as well) by my parents voice in my head reminding myself that "God was watching." Upon thinking about "God" watching me I remember feeling a bit uncomfortable with such a concept because it was drilled into my mind to not let adults see your private parts.

I ended up straying from the morals of my parents in junior high and high school. I often found myself up late at night at sleep overs with a guy friend watching soft-core porn on cable t.v. I vividly remember trying to find a way to masturbate with my buddy to the movie. We'd talk about how sexy the women looked in the movies but never whipped it out and went for it (SIDE NOTE: Not all guys who masturbate together are gay or bisexual but many are).

He seemed conflicted in his eyes but not for long because he just said he was tired and that was that. I fell asleep dreaming about mutual masturbation with him. I finally got near to masturbating with another kid while watching dirty movies in my basement but my parents broke it up by yelling downstairs to us that it was dinner time; and that meant "Eddy" had to leave. Up until this point my brother and I had been masturbating in secret with each other while watching porn movies that I borrowed from friends. It wasn't something I considered incest because we were nearly the same age. We were just two horny boys trying to figure out their sexuality. For my brother I think it was simply a way to "cum" without getting in trouble with the parents by having actual sex--and with a girl. For me though it was very arousing because they fulfilled my fantasies of masturbating with another guy. We went as far as oral sex on each other but our fun ended when my young, guilt-ridden conscience went to my parents and confessed. I still feel bad for that because my older brother got in trouble for it. Sorry bro, I was a confused kid at the time.

By then I was in high school and started focusing on girls again. I dated a few girls and had some pretty amazing and wild sexual experiences with them but I still would have thoughts of guys. However, I'd always "delete" them from my mind when they arose because I was worried if I encouraged them that I'd be sent to "hell." Now, I'd be sent to "hell" in that Christian tradition for having sex with girls out of wedlock too but I was always taught that gay sex was worse. So, you can understand then why I still to this day have guilt over enjoying sexual experiences with men and it's something I think I'll be working with for awhile. That church really fucked up my chances at a normal, healthy, sex life but I'm gaining it back step by step. That's what happens when you preach repressive bullshit to innocent, susceptible kids--you ruin any chance of them making decisions based on their own wishes, desires and thoughts. In the end, I went on a two year mission for that church where I was around nobody but guys--Ha!! Believe me the homosexual desires didn't go away in that environment!!

Fast forward to marrying my wife. One of the mains reasons that I married my wife was because we talked about sexuality in-depth before taking the plunge. We had a very open and honest dating life and talked extensively about what we liked and disliked, sexually speaking. It wasn't long before we both professed bisexual tendencies--we were both relieved to find that we shared a common "secret." I only say "secret" because at the time the community we lived in was still very much in the cloth of that rigid church.

We both accepted each other for who we were and knew that our love for each other was strong enough to allow for split, sexual desires--and as of today, we've been happily married for 10+ years. Anyway, we had our time doing the swinging lifestyle, which was one of the reasons I married her. I didn't want to marry someone who was sexually too "vanilla." I wasn't going to marry (I had told myself at a young age) if I couldn't enjoy both sides of the sexual shopping aisle. We have tappered off the swinging over the last few years simply because neither of us feels our bodies are attractive enough to warrant anyone being interested in us right now. Ha!!

Some people don't understand how you can be bisexual and in a marriage. Let's forget the swinging aspect of our relationship for this part of the discussion because right now we're not swinging anyway. But this brings up an important point that bisexuals have to explain over and over. It's the concept of the "Alternating Bisexual" which by the sounds of it should be easy to understand but unfortunately for a lot of people--it's not. Anyway, I don't have space to describe the whole concept, so I'll leave you with a link to a blog that addresses it perfectly. LINK.

Anyway, that's all I have time for now but I'll be addressing my sexuality further in the days to come as I haven't really told my story on here yet. It's much more in-depth than this quick write-up but this will have to suffice for now. Anyway, (kicks the closet door open) I'm "The Green Man" and I'm a bisexual--and proud of it.

~The Green Man has Spoken~