The World According to Cosmos

The World According to Cosmos – Poetry and Rants

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Cosmos’s Reading List 2022

    Cosmos Books Read 2021 Update

    1001 Books to Read Before You Die List

    Reading the Classics Updated

    Books Read 2020

    books read during 2018
    books read during 2018

    Goals:  100 Books

    I have been  reading the classics all year.

    Read Classics
    One Thriller Per Month
    One history/politics book per month
    Read A Lot More Poetry

    Read At Least One Book A Year in Spanish
    Read At Least One Book A Year in Korean

    I will year try to finish reading classic books.  I have a collection from Kindle of 50 books to read before you die, in three volumes – 15O books in total see the list below.  I have read many of them already which I have noted.  As I read them, I will add them to the chronological listing below, also have the Harvard classic.  Had a hard copy set but donated it, have to read it on Kindle alas.  I will also continue to read lots of poetry from the Mod Po class, will do the slo-mo courses then re-do it in September focusing on

    Reading the additional poems, I did not last time in Mod Po Plus.

    The List

    January

    Books

    George Elliot Middlemarch
    Dale Brown Starfire
    AC Fuller Crime Beat # 4 Las Vegas

    Poems

    Writing com Basic Haiku

    Basho The Short Night Ending
    Basho A  Morning Of Snow
    Basho Old Village
    Jane Reichhold The Whole Sky
    Jane Reichhold Lightning
    Jane Reichhold Goldfish
    Jane Reichhold The Poet’s Hand

    Other Poems

    Paula T. Calhoun A New Hope
    Christina Rossetti Up-Hill
    Sarah Howe (for Stephen Hawking) Relativity
    Shel Silverstein Frozen Dream
    Marie Elena Good MARIES ENTRANCE:
    Walter J. Wojtanik REMEMBER
    Stacia M Flee “Post-Apocalyptic”
    Tempus Ambigua (Rhyme Royal)
    Lady and Louis Two Silver Rings
    Mountainwriter49 Forever in my Heart
    Judi Van Gorder Press Conference
    Stark Carousel Ride
    Robert E Brewer The Day After
    Marie Elena Good First, Do No Harm
    Walter J. Wojtanik Change of Pace
    Walt Whitman Song of Myself
    Julius Norton Phantom Tollbooth
    Pantoum Form
    Sally-Ann Roberts, It All Started With A Packet of Seeds

    Marie Summers Celestial Dreams

    Chellie Wood Dance in The Rain
    Dendrobia Osprey
    Marie Summers Seasonal Whispers

    Four Haiku

    Basho The Poet’s Hand
    Basho Lightning Stabs the Darkness
    Basho A Crow Sits on a Bare Branch
    a Grassy Meadow

    Mod Po mini-course poems

    Caroline Bergal Cat in One’s Throat
    Caroline Bergal Not Tale

    Writing Com

    Alfred Lord Tennyson Summer Night
    Langton Hughes Calm Sea
    Emily Bronte Spell Bound
    Thomas Bailey Aldrich  Fredericksburg VA Civil War

    Poem

    Jeff W. Watson Ghosts of the Past
    Joyce Kilmer Fairyland

    Writing Com Laturne

    Crystal Rose Swift Winds Blow Laturne
    Crystal Rose Opens Revealing Laturne
    Crystal Rose Sun rises Laturne

    February

    Books

    – What’s Bred in the Bone [Grant Allen]

    Poems

    Tannka writing com 2-3-2022

    Philip Appleman Somber Girl
    Beman Books on Shelf
    Machi Tawara Freezing My Smile
    Yukitsuna Sasaki  The Bloom Finished
    Takuboku Ishikawa Lying on the Dune Sand
    Masaoka Shiki “The bucket’s water
    Tekkan Yosano it cries and cries
    Akiko Yosano “into a pair of stars
    Shūji Miya  Slowly Inside Me
    Yoshimi Kondō  Casting Shadows

    Writing com Say It Eight Reading List

    Karina Borowicz September Tomatoes
    William Carlos Williams Red Wheel Barrel
    John Donne’s No Man Is an Island
    Anais Nin Risk
    Lucille Clifton blessing the boats

    Zegel Writing com

    Judi Van Gorder An Old Hymn Still Singing
    Robert Lee Brewer Give Me A Reason

    Sasha A. Palmer A Zejel For You (Poem)

    Carol R Ward The Wild Hunt

    Mod Po mini-course poems

    Lee Li-Young Immigrant Blues
    Paul Celan Microliths”
    Sappho To My Mother
    Eavan Boland Habitual Grief
    Eavan Boland A Different Light

    3/23/2022  Writing Com

    Gwendolyn Brooks To Be In Love
    Gwendolyn Brooks A Sunset of the City
    Gwendolyn Brooks The Mother

    March

    Jules Verne in the year 2899
    Grant Allen – What’s Bred in the Bone
    Lucius Apuleius The Golden Ass

    Writing com examples

    Edgar Allen Poe The Raven
    Robert Service The Cremation of Sam Mc Gee
    Oscar Wilde The Ballad of Reading Gaol
    John Keats The Poetry of Earth Is Never Dead
    Amy Lowell Wind
    Dorothea MacKellar Fire
    Hex Sonnetta form
    Andrea Dietrich The Bringer of Spring’s Cheer
    Jan Turner Under the Canopy
    Haiku Sonnet writing com examples
    David Marshall Haiku Crown: Fall
    Departures
    Signal to Noise
    Meeting
    Crowds
    Talking Together
    Channels
    Common Regard
    North and Sedgewick
    First Girlfriend
    Remembering
    The Big Top
    The Other Room

    from Writing com newsletter 4/23/2022

    Edith Wharton An Autumn Sunset
    Edith Wharton Life
    Edith Wharton Chartres
    Longfellow’s Prologue to Evangeline
    Elizabeth Bishop” Cape Breton Island.
    Even Rudyard Kipling “The Song of the Cities”
    Robert Frost” The Mountain”.
    E Pauline Johnson “Guard of the Eastern Gate”

    NaPoWriMo

    Gerard Manley Hopkins  Peace
    Gerard Manley Hopkins  Ash Brough

    Mod Po mini-course poems

    April

    Books

    Alex Berenson Secret Soldier
    Ted Bell Warrior
    Marcus Aurelius Meditations

    Poems

    The Rondel, THE WANDERER by Henry Austin Dobson
    Judi Van Gorder Falling for the French
    Short Rondel The Rondelet

    August’s end by Barbara Hartman –

    Robert Murtaugh,(Fader. Loneliness

    The Rondine

    Happy Mother’s Day
     The Triolet, Triolet by Ernest Henley;British Poet (1849-1903)
    Judi Van Gorder Cat Tale

    Villanelle

    Dylan Thomas 1952 Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by

    ~Judi Van Gorder. Villanelle for Scottie
    Jane Kenyon February: Thinking of Flowers
    Jane Kenyon Let Evening Come
    Jane Kenyon, Briefly It Enters and Briefly Speaks

    Famous Limericks

    Anonymous There Once Was A Lady From Lynn
    Lewis Carrol Lady Of Station From Alice In Wonderland
    Judi Van Gorder The Parrot Was Messy And Loud;
    Judi Van Gorder An Irishman Came To My City–Judi Van Gorder
    Edward Lear Young Lady Of Dorking
    Edward Lear’s There Was An Old Man With A Beard
    Edward Lear There Was A Young Person Of Crete,
    Dixon Lanier Merrit A Wonderful Bird Is The Pelican
    Mark Twain A Man Hired By John Smith And Co:”
    Ron Rubin There Was An Old Drunkard Of Devon,
    Matt Salter’s There Was A Young Lady Of Nice
    Matt Salter That Very Same Lady
    Matt Salter But Her Husband Cried “Cease”
    Monica Sharman Relentless, Insatiable Deadlines!
    Unknown There Was A Young Lady Of Niger

    NaPoWriMo

    Kay Ryan Token Loss
    Kay Ryan Blue China Doornob
    Kay Ryan Houdini

    Writing Com Newsletter

    William Blake Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
    Goerge Cooper’s “Come, Little Leaves”.
    George Cooper “ I think that I shall never see
    A poem lovely as a tree.”
    RL Stevenson “Child Garden of Verse -How do you like to go up in a swing,”
    Lord Alfred Tennyson “Break, break, break,
    On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!”
    Love Poems Poetry Foundation source poem for Love Cento
    Jake Cosmos Aller Million Ways to Say I Love You
    Joshua Beckman Lying in bed I think about you,
    Anne Bradstreet To my husband
    Valentine Lorna Dee Cervantes
    Ben Jonson Song: to Celia [“Drink to me only with thine eyes”]
    Morris Egan Bar Napkin Sonnet #11
    Jennifer Michael Hecht Love Explained
    Robert Herrick  Upon Julia’s Breasts
    John Keats‘s The Day is Gone
    William Shakespeare Take all my loves, my love, yea, take them all:
    William Shakespeare‘s The Spring
    (from Love’s Labours Lost)
    William Shakespeare
    Sonnet 65: Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea
    John Updike Penumbrae

    Writing com Writer’s Cramp

    Trijan Refrain
    Jan Turner
    Sweet Destiny

    Example #1:

    Andrea Dietrich & Jan Turner

    Seaside Lament
    Example #2:
    Margaret R. Smith

    The Melody of Trees
    Example #3:

    Mod Po mini-course poems

    May

    Articles
    WP Organization of the US – very powerful analysis

    Books

    Ted Bell Warlord
    Ted Bell Warriors

    Poems

    Poets Place Writing Com 5-20-2022

    Examples

    George Gordon (Lord) Byron, 1820 Francesca Of Rimini
    Robert Frost, I Have Become Acquainted With The Night
    George Gordon (Lord) Byron, 1820 Francesca Of Rimini
    Dusty Grein, 2015 Loud Today
    Dusty Grein, 2016 A Mist Shrouded Path
    Lord Shelly Oh Wild West
    Linda Newman Faith (Terza Rima Sonnet)
    Robert Duncan the Horse
    Ode Sappho
    Mod Po mini-course poems
    Clerihew Poems
    James Dean Chase  Dickie Dare
    James Dean Chase   Lady Gaga
    Judi Van Gorder  King of Pop
    Frank Gibbard  Royal Kate Middelton

    Edmund Clerihew Bently  Sir Humphrey Davy

    James & Marie Summers Garfield the Cat

    Alan McAlpine Douglas’s The Road Runner

    Diana Dalton Star Trek’s frowning Klingon Worf

    James Dean Chase Corporal Klinger,
    Personification poems Writing com
    Nancy Willard Two Sunflowers
    William Wordsworth, I Wandered Lonely
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Paul Revere’s Ride
    Shel Silverstein What If

    June

    Books

    Jane Austin Northanger Abbey
    Jane Austin- Lady Susan
    The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Lyman Frank Baum
    The Art of Public Speaking Dale Breckenridge Carnegie
    The Blazing World Margaret Cavendish
    Stuart Woods Class Act

    Poems

    Frosted Fantasy Irish Rain
    Camp 39 David Schneider
    Robert Frost  Going for Water
    Poetry Newsletter Story Lady
    Wilfred Owen The End
    Wilfred Owen Winter Song
    Wilfred Owen Spring Offensive
    Glenda L. Hand Autumn
    Glenda L. Hand  Love
    Cynthia Kay Armstrong Cards
    Glenda L. Hand Change of Seasons (Mirror Oddquain)
    Glenda L. Hand Celebration (Butterfly Oddquain)
    Claire Litchfield, At Last, I’ve Let Go (Crown Oddquain)

    Parallelogram de Crystalline is a poetry form created by Karan Naidu. This form consists of 4 verses of 3 lines each. The syllable count for each stanza is 3, 6, and 9. In this style of poem, the beauty of a lover is compared with nature and described…

    Writing com Poetry newsletter Stormy Lady’s Poems
    Walter de la Mare’s The Song Of Shadows
    Walter de la Mare Alone
    Walter de la Mare When the Rose is Faded
    Walter de la Mare Fare Well
    Rictameter  Poems  Poets Place
    Beauty  Jason Wilkins
    Satin Jason Wilkins
    Mrs. Aubrey Steedman’s Childhood
    Marinela Reka Valentine’s Day

    Tri-Fall

    Jan Turner Destiny’s Starway*
    Jan Turner Winter’s Passing (Tri-Fall)
    Poetics A. R. Ammons
    After Yesterday  A. R. Ammons

    1. R. Ammons A. R. Ammons

    The City Limits  A. R. Ammons

    Rapids  A. R. Ammons

    1. R. Ammons

    August Books

    The Moonstone [Wilkie Collins]
    – Lord Jim [Joseph Conrad]
    Daniel De Foe Robinson Crusoe’s Second Voyage
    Elmer Leonard Djibouti
    James Roman demon crown E

    Poems

    Jack Kerouac  Haiku

    SeptemberBooks-

    Daniel Defore   The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
    Charles Dickens -The Pickwick Papers

    Poems

    Erin Holbrook Angels
    Deborah P Kolodji Turquoise Thoughts

    Marie Summers Cherry Blossoms

    Mod Po poems

    Emily Dickinson

    Volcanoes are in Sicily
    I never saw a moor
    The brain within its groove
    I taste a liquor never brewed
    The brain—is wider than the sky
    Tell all the truth
    We learned the whole of love
    Wild nights & she rose to his requirement
    Alone and in a circumstance
    The way hope builds his house
    There is solitude in space
    Love reckons by itself alone
    The soul unto itself
    A man may make a remark
    From blank to blank
    Much madness is a most divine sense
    I felt a funeral, in my brain
    The fairest home I ever knew
    “he fumbles at your soul”:
    Whitman
    Canto 5 of “song of myself”:
    Canto 14 of “song of myself”:
    “out of the cradle endlessly rocking”:
    “on the beach at night alone”:
    “I hear it was charged against me”:
    Divya victor’s “w is for Walt whitman’s soul”:
    Mod Po Plus Week Two and Three
    PART ONE: CID CORMAN
    Enuresis”
    It isn’t for want”:
    PART TWO: WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
    2.1 read William Carlos Williams’s “Catholic Bells”: LINK TO TEXT2.2 listen to Williams perform “Catholic Bells”: LINK TO AUDIO2.3 watch discussion of “Catholic Bells”: LINK TO VIDEO [OFFSITE COPY]2.4 re-read Williams’s “Danse Russe”: LINK TO TEXT2.5 listen to the discussion of “Danse Russe” led by Al in New York (Sept. 2015): LINK TO AUDIO [OFFSITE COPIES: 1, 2 ]RAE ARMANTROUTThe Way”:
    Second Person”
    Speech Acts”:LORINE NIEDECKER“A Country’s Economics Sick”
    Wilderness”
    “Foreclosure”:
    Easter Greeting
    I married”Popcorn-can cover”
    My Life by Water”:
    Linnaeus in Lapland”
    NNAH SANGHEE PARKDear Sir—
    JASON ZUZGA
    Connected”:
    ELIZABETH WILLIS
    Survey”
    Address”:
    September 9″:
    “The Similitude of This Great Flower”
    FRANCISCO X. ALARCÓN
    From the Other Side of Night”
    KIT ROBINSON
    “Leaves of Class”
    KATE COLBY
    Middleman”:
    Theory”
    Homing”
    JOHN PHILLIPS
    This”
    ALLEN GINSBERG
    A Supermarket in California”
    EVE L. EWING
    I saw Emmett Till this week at the grocery store”
    YOLANDA WISHER
    From Imhotep’s Kundalini”
    ANGELA CARR
    Straight as an Arrow”
    WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
    Young Woman at a Window”
    “Lines”
    The Attic Which Is Desire”:
    Spring and all
    Spring and All (1923):
    To Elsie”
    The Red Wheelbarrow
    Flowers by the Sea
    Between Walls”
    This Is Just to Say”
    The Last Words of My English Grandmother
    EZRA POUND
    Ezra Pound’s “Portrait d’une Femme”: LINK TO TEXT
    Cantico del Sol”: LINK TO TEXT
    The River-Merchant’s Wife”: LINK TO TEXT
    “In a Station of the Metro”
    AMY LOWELL
    Amy Lowell
    The Letter”
    RAE ARMANTROUT
    “Anti-Short Story”
    Postcards”
    “Cheshire Poetics”
    Emily Dickinson
    “A narrow fellow in the grass” (#1096):
    H.D.
    “Sea Poppies”
    “Epigram”:
    “Moonrise”:
    H.D.’s “Sheltered Garden”:
    5.10 read H.D.’s “Night”
    T.S. ELIOT

    • S. Eliot’s The Waste Land:

    HUGH MacDiarmid“A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle”: LINK TO TEXT
    WALLACE STEVENS
    The Snow Man
    “Large Red Man Reading”
    “The Plain Sense of Things
    The Poem That Took the Place of a Mountain”
    Thirteen Ways.
    “Disillusionment of 10 O’Clock”:
    Anecdote of the Jar”
    “Gray Room”
    Lytle Shaw’s ”
    The Confessions 2,”
     
    WALLACE STEVENS
    Not Ideas about the Thing but the Thing Itself”:
    PETER GIZZI
    Not Ideas
    Archeophonics”:
    MICHIYO NAKAMOTO & JAPANESE NEO-IMAGISM
    Michiyo Nakamoto’s “Vernal Equinox”
    Ayukawa’s “Man on a Bridge”
    H.D.’s “OREAD”
    JUNZABURO NISHIWAKI’S “RAIN”
    EILEEN TABIOS & THE HAY(NA)KU
    As If”:
    PIERRE REVERDY
    Pierre Reverdy’s “Still Life—Portrait”
    Reverdy’s “Still Life—Portrait”:
    MARIANNE MOORE
    Marianne Moore’s “To a Snail”
    imaginary gardens with real toads”
    TONYA FOSTER
    A Swarm of Bees in High Court
    KEN TAYLOR
    “Cloud in the Shape of Misunderstanding Haiku:
    ROBERT CREELEY
    “The Language”:
    POET TOM LEONARD
    Just to Let Yi No”:
    CHRISTIE WILLIAMSON
    Nantucket”
    St. Catherine’s
    ROSA ALCALÁ
    Adventures in Food Processing” from Rosa Alcalaá’s Undocumentaries:
    Land Art in the Silk City”
    In documentary”

    Stormy Lady’s Poetry Newsletter

    Jean Toomer Georgia Dusk
    Jean Toomer Evening Song
    Jean Toomer November Cotton Flower
    Tell Me, Jean Toomer
    Writing  Com Roundeau
    Elliot Napier All Men Are Free
    Judi Van Gorder Falling for the French
    Judi Van Gorder Palette
    Judi Van Gorder Wind on the Terrace
    Henry Austin Dobson’s The Wanderer
    Barbara Hartman August’s end
    John Mc Crae Flanders Fields
    Robert Murtaugh,(Fader) Loneliness
    Pam Murray Springtime Air
    Paul Murray As I Was Warmed
    Marie Summer Winds of Chickamauga

    Ed Whidmer Lincoln on the Verge

    PoemsWriting com newsletter

    Poet Unknown Set The World Rejoicing
    Walt Whitman When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer

    Stormy lady newsletter

    William Allingham’s The Fairies
    William Allingham Down On The Shore
    William Allingham A Gravestone

    Writing com Poets place

    Dylan Thomas Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night
    Elizbeth Bhishop One Art
    Julie Wright RunawayAli Saad  A Temple on Her BedNovemberBooksDicken Pickwick Papers
    Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky the Gambler
    Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky Notes from the Underground
    Arthur Conan Doyle- The Sign of the Four
    Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hounds of the Baskerville

    From Camp H

    Stephen Coonts Hong Kong

     

    Poems Newsletter  Writing com

    Conrad Aiken All Lovely Things
    Conrad Aiken Haunted Chambers
    Conrad Aiken Nocturne Of Remembered SpringI.
    II.
    III.Edward Lear
    Imitation of The Olden Poets
    Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
    Edward Lear’s The Dong With A Luminous Nose

    Poems Writing com

    PS Cottier Amorphous Solid
    Robert Frost My November

    Guest Poetry Place

    Writing com

    Emile Romano Sky Flowers

    Emile Romano Gardening The Rose*

    Books to read

    George Martin a knight of the seven kingdoms
    Brad Meltzer the 5th assassin
    Stephen Coonts Assassin
    John Grisham The Summons
    James Rollins Map of Bones
    Robert Ludlum The Jansen Directive

    Michael Crichton Sphere

    William Trevor Fools of Fortune

    Christopher Michael Nuclear Orange Cupid is the Devil poems

    Baldacci King and Maxwell

    Bj Buckely’s In January, the Geese PSH contest award

     

    Harvard Classics

    The volumes are:
    Bolded read

    1) Franklin, Woolman, Penn
    (2) Plato, Epictetus,
    Marcus, Aurelius Meditations
    (3) Bacon, Milton’s Prose, Thomas Browne
    (4) Complete Poems in English: Milton
    (5) Essays and English Traits: Emerson
    6) Poems and Songs: Burns
    (7) Confessions of St. Augustine. Imitation of Christ
    (8) Nine Greek Dramas (9) Letters and Treatises of Cicero and Pliny
    (10) Wealth of Nations: Adam Smith
    (11) Origin of Species: Darwin
    (12) Plutarch’s Lives (13)
    Aeneid Virgil (14)
    Don Quixote Part 1: Cervantes
    (15)Pilgrim’s Progress. Donne
    Herbert. Bunyan, Walton
    (16) The Thousand and One Nights
    (17) Folk-Lore and Fable. Aesop, Grimm, Andersen
    (18) Modern English Drama
    (19) Faust, Egmont Etc. Doctor Faustus, Goethe, Marlowe
    (20) The Divine Comedy: Dante
    (21) I Promessi Sposi, Manzoni
    (22) The Odyssey: Homer
    (23) Two Years Before the Mast. Dana
    (24) On the Sublime French Revolution Etc. Burke
    (25) Autobiography Etc. Essays and Addresses: J.S. Mill, T. Carlyle
    (26) Continental Drama
    (27) English Essays: Sidney to Macaulay
    (28) Essays. English and American
    (29) Voyage of the Beagle: Darwin (
    30) Faraday, Helmholtz, Kelvin, Newcomb, Geikie
    (31) Autobiography: Benvenuto, Cellini
    (32) Literary and Philosophical Essays: Montaigne, Sainte Beuve, Renan, Lessing, Schiller, Kant, Mazzini
    (33) Voyages and Travels
    (34) Descartes, Voltaire, Rousseau, Hobbes
    (35) Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed (36)
    Machiavelli, More, Luther
    (37) Locke, Berkeley, Hume
    (38) Harvey, Jenner, Lister, Pasteur
    (39) Famous Prefaces
    (40) English Poetry 1: Chaucer to Gray
    (41) English Poetry 2: Collins to Fitzgerald
    (42) English Poetry 3: Tennyson to Whitman
    (43) American Historical Documents
    (44) Sacred Writings 1
    (45) Sacred Writings 2
    (46) Elizabethan Drama 1
    (47) Elizabethan Drama 2
    (48) Thoughts and Minor Works: Pascal
    (49) Epic and Saga

    50) Introduction, Readers Guide,

    Federalist papers

    50 Masterpieces You Have to Read Before You Die

    Started reading the first one of volume 3Bolded indicated I have read it .

    Vol 1

    Alcott, Louisa May: Little women

    Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice
    Austen, Jane: Emma
    Balzac, Honoré de: Father Goriot
    Barbusse, Henri: The Inferno
    Brontë, Anne: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
    Brontë, Charlotte: Jane Eyre
    Brontë, Emily: Wuthering Heights
    Burroughs, Edgar Rice: Tarzan of the Apes
    Butler, Samuel: The Way of All Flesh
    Carroll, Lewis: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
    Cather, Willa: My Ántonia
    Cervantes, Miguel de: Don Quixote
    Chopin, Kate: The Awakening
    Cleland, John: Fanny Hill
    Collins, Wilkie: The Moonstone
    Conrad, Joseph: Heart of Darkness
    Conrad, Joseph: Nostromo
    Cooper, James Fenimore: The Last of the Mohicans
    Crane, Stephen: The Red Badge of Courage
    Cummings, E. E.: The Enormous Room
    Defoe, Daniel: Robinson Crusoe
    Defoe, Daniel: Moll Flanders
    Dickens, Charles: Bleak House
    Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations
    Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: Crime and Punishment
    Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: The Idiot
    Doyle, Arthur Conan: The Hound of the Baskervilles
    Dreiser, Theodore: Sister Carrie
    Dumas, Alexandre: The Three Musketeers
    Dumas, Alexandre: The Count of Monte Cristo
    Eliot, George: Middlemarch
    Fielding, Henry: Tom Jones
    Flaubert, Gustave: Madame Bovary
    Flaubert, Gustave: Sentimental Education
    Ford, Ford Madox: The Good Soldier
    Forster, E. M.: A Room With a View
    Forster, E. M.: Howards End
    Gaskell, Elizabeth: North and South
    Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von: The Sorrows of Young Werther
    Gogol, Nikolai: Dead Souls
    Gorky, Maxim: The Mother
    Haggard, H. Rider: King Solomon’s Mines
    Hardy, Thomas: Tess of the D’Urbervilles
    Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The Scarlet Letter
    Homer: The Odyssey
    Hugo, Victor: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
    Hugo, Victor: Les Misérables
    Huxley, Aldous: Crome Yellow
    James, Henry: The Portrait of a Lady

    Volume  Two

    Little Women [Louisa May Alcott]
    – Sense and Sensibility [Jane Austen]
    – Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy) [J.M. Barrie]
    – Cabin Fever [ B. M. Bower]
    – The Secret Garden [Frances Hodgson Burnett]
    – A Little Princess [Frances Hodgson Burnett]
    – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland [Lewis Carroll]
    – The King in Yellow [Robert William Chambers]
    – The Man Who Knew Too Much [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Woman in White [Wilkie Collins]
    – The Most Dangerous Game [Richard Connell]
    – On the Origin of Species, 6th Edition [Charles Darwin]
    – Robinson Crusoe [Daniel Defoe]
    – The Iron Woman [Margaret Deland]
    – David Copperfield [Charles Dickens]
    – Oliver Twist [Charles Dickens]
    – A Tale of Two Cities [Charles Dickens]
    – The Double [Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Francis Scott Fitzgerald]
    – A Room with a View [E. M. Forster]
    – Dream Psychology [Sigmund Freud]
    – Tess of the d’Urbervilles [Thomas Hardy]
    – Siddhartha [Hermann Hesse]
    – Dubliners [James Joyce]
    – The Fall of the House of Usher [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Arabian Nights [Andrew Lang]
    – The Sea Wolf [Jack London]
    – The Call of Cthulhu [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – Anne of Green Gables [Lucy Maud Montgomery]
    – Beyond Good and Evil [Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche]
    – The Murders in the Rue Morgue [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Black Cat [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Raven [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – Swann’s Way [Marcel Proust]
    – Romeo and Juliet [William Shakespeare]
    – Treasure Island [Robert Louis Stevenson]
    – The Elements of Style [William Strunk Jr.

    Vol 3

    This book contains the following works arranged alphabetically by authors’ last names-

    What’s Bred in the Bone [Grant Allen]
    – The Golden Ass [Lucius Apuleius]
    – Meditations [Marcus Aurelius]
    – Northanger Abbey [Jane Austen]
    – Lady Susan [Jane Austen]
    – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [Lyman Frank Baum]
    – The Art of Public Speaking [Dale Breckenridge Carnegie]
    – The Blazing World [Margaret Cavendish]
    – The Wisdom of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – Heretics [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Donnington Affair [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Innocence of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [John Cleland]
    – The Moonstone [Wilkie Collins]
    – Lord Jim [Joseph Conrad]
    – The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe [Daniel Defoe]
    – The Pickwick Papers [Charles Dickens]
    – A Christmas Carol [Charles Dickens]
    – Notes From The Underground [Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    – The Gambler par Fyodor [Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    – The Lost World [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Hound of the Baskervilles [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Sign of the Four [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Man in the Iron Mask [Alexandre Dumas]
    – The Three Musketeers [Alexandre Dumas]
    – This Side of Paradise [Francis Scott Fitzgerald]
    – Curious, If True: Strange Tales [Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell]
    – King Solomon’s Mines [Henry Rider Haggard]
    – The Hunchback of Notre Dame [Victor Hugo]
    – Kim [Rudyard Kipling]
    – Captains Courageous [Rudyard Kipling]
    – The Jungle Book [Rudyard Kipling]
    – Lady Chatterley’s Lover [David Herbert Lawrence]
    – The Son of the Wolf [Jack London]
    – The Einstein Theory of Relativity [Hendrik Antoon Lorentz]
    – The Dunwich Horror [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – At the Mountains of Madness [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – The Prince [Niccolò Machiavelli]
    – The Story Girl [Lucy Maud Montgomery]
    – The Antichrist [Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche]
    – The Republic [Plato]
    – The Last Man [Mary Shelley]
    – Life On The Mississippi [Mark Twain]
    – The Kama Sutra [Vatsyayana]
    – In the Year 2889 [Jules Verne]
    – Around the World in Eighty Days [Jules Verne]
    – Four Just Men [Edgar Wallace]
    – Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ [Lewis Wallace]
    – Tales of Space and Time [H. G. Wells]
    – Jacob’s Room [Virginia Woolf]

    1001  books to read before you die 

    https://www.listchallenges.com/1001-books-you-must-read-2018

    partial listing  bold read

    1001 Books to Read Before You Die List,

    The books on Boxall’s list, which is found in the 5 editions of the published book
    with a TOTAL NUMBER OF 1318 books.
    These books are mostly NOVELS. That is why there are no holy books, Shakespeare, etc.
    THIS LIST IS COMPLETE. DO NOT ADD ANY BOOKS AND ALSO DO NOT REMOVE ANY. In case of doubt post a comment here and the people maintaining this list will take a look at it!
    The list can be found at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/c…flag

    BOLD read
    1
    To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird
    by Harper Lee

    Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice
    by Jane Austen

    1984 1984
    by George Orwell

    The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby
    by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Jane Eyre Jane Eyre
    by Charlotte Brontë

    The Little Prince The Little Prince
    by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

    The Hobbit (The Lord of the… The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings, #0)
    by J.R.R. Tolkien

    Animal Farm Animal Farm
    by George Orwell
    The Catcher in the Rye The Catcher in the Rye
    by J.D. Salinger

    The Picture of Dorian Gray The Picture of Dorian Gray
    by Oscar Wilde

    Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies
    by William Golding

    Wuthering Heights Wuthering Heights
    by Emily Brontë
    Little Women Little Women
    b Louisa May Alcott

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to t… The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, #1)
    by Douglas Adams

    Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men
    by John Steinbeck
    17

    Brave New World Brave New World
    by Aldous Huxley
    Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind
    by Margaret Mitchell

    The Count of Monte Cristo The Count of Monte Cristo
    by Alexandre Dumas
    Crime and Punishment Crime and Punishment
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky
    One Hundred Years of Solitude One Hundred Years of Solitude
    by Gabriel García Márquez
    Les Misérables Les Misérables
    by Victor Hugo

    The Handmaid’s Tale (The Ha… The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid’s Tale, #1)
    by Margaret Atwood

    Frankenstein: The 1818 Text Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
    by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

    Dracula Dracula
    by Bram Stoker

    Anna Karenina Anna Karenina
    by Leo Tolstoy

    Memoirs of a Geisha Memoirs of a Geisha
    by Arthur Golden

    The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath
    by John Steinbeck

    The Adventures of Huckleber… The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
    by Mark Twain

    Great Expectations Great Expectations
    by Charles Dickens

    Sense and Sensibility Sense and Sensibility
    by Jane Austen

    Slaughterhouse-Five Slaughterhouse-Five
    by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

    Life of Pi Life of Pi
    by Yann Martel

    The Adventures of Sherlock … The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #3)
    by Arthur Conan Doyle

    The Curious Incident of the… The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
    by Mark Haddon

    Lolita Lolita
    by Vladimir Nabokov

    Rebecca Rebecca
    by Daphne du Maurier

    The Bell Jar The Bell Jar
    by Sylvia Plath

    Catch-22 Catch-22
    by Joseph Heller

    Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1)
    by Anne Rice
    Perfume: The Story of a Mur… Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
    by Patrick Süskind

    The Stranger The Stranger
    by Albert Camus

    Treasure Island Treasure Island
    by Robert Louis Stevenson

    All Quiet on the Western Front All Quiet on the Western Front

    by Erich Maria Remarque
    The Shining The Shining
    by Stephen King

    Never Let Me Go Never Let Me Go
    by Kazuo Ishiguro

    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
    by Robert Louis Stevenson

    The Poisonwood Bible The Poisonwood Bible
    by Barbara Kingsolver

    A Tale of Two Cities A Tale of Two Cities
    by Charles Dickens
    In Cold Blood In Cold Blood
    by Truman Capote
    The Hound of the Baskervill… The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5)
    by Arthur Conan Doyle
    Moby-Dick or, the Whale Moby-Dick or, the Whale
    by Herman Melville
    The Brothers Karamazov The Brothers Karamazov
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky
    The Time Machine The Time Machine
    by H.G. Wells
    The Godfather (The Godfathe… The Godfather (The Godfather, #1)
    by Mario Puzo
    66
    Madame Bovary Madame Bovary
    by Gustave Flaubert
    A Prayer for Owen Meany A Prayer for Owen Meany
    by John Irving
    The Name of the Rose The Name of the Rose
    by Umberto Eco
    The Master and Margarita The Master and Margarita
    by Mikhail Bulgakov
    Breakfast at Tiffany’s and … Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories
    by Truman Capote

    Through the Looking-Glass a… Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, #2)
    by Lewis Carroll

    Atonement Atonement
    by Ian McEwan

    Oliver Twist Oliver Twist
    by Charles Dickens

    Middlesex Middlesex
    by Jeffrey Eugenides

    Robinson Crusoe (Robinson C… Robinson Crusoe (Robinson Crusoe, #1)
    by Daniel Defoe

    The Unbearable Lightness of… The Unbearable Lightness of Being
    by Milan Kundera

    Gulliver’s Travels: Travels… Gulliver’s Travels: Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World.
    by Jonathan Swift

    The Three Musketeers (The D… The Three Musketeers (The D’Artagnan Romances #1)
    by Alexandre Dumas

    Watchmen Watchmen
    by Alan Moore

    On the Road On the Road
    by Jack Kerouac

    Don Quixote Don Quixote
    by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

    The House of the Spirits The House of the Spirits
    by Isabel Allende

    Uncle Tom’s Cabin Uncle Tom’s Cabin
    by Harriet Beecher Stowe

    The Trial The Trial
    by Franz Kafka

    Love in the Time of Cholera Love in the Time of Cholera
    by Gabriel García Márquez

    Pippi Longstocking (Pippi L… Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump, #1)
    by Astrid Lindgren

    The Reader The Reader
    by Bernhard Schlink

    The World According to Garp The World According to Garp
    by John Irving

    The Sun Also Rises The Sun Also Rises
    by Ernest Hemingway

    Candide Candide
    by Voltaire

    The Call of the Wild The Call of the Wild
    by Jack London

    Notre-Dame de Paris | The H… Notre-Dame de Paris | The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
    by Victor Hugo

    The Arabian Nights The Arabian Nights
    by Anonymous

    Doctor Zhivago Doctor Zhivago
    by Boris Pasternak

    The Idiot The Idiot
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    Mansfield Park Mansfield Park
    by Jane Austen

    The Virgin Suicides The Virgin Suicides
    by Jeffrey Eugenides

    Tess of the D’Urbervilles Tess of the D’Urbervilles
    by Thomas Hardy

    The Plague The Plague
    by Albert Camus

    Things Fall Apart (The Afri… Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1)
    by Chinua Achebe

    The Diary of Anne Frank
    The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
    Fahrenheit 451
    Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
    The Metamorphosis and Other Stories
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
    Twilight
    The Alchemist
    Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
    The Book Thief
    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
    Little House in the Big Woods
    The Secret Life of Bees
    Black Beauty
    My Sister’s Keeper

    1001 Books to Read Before You Die List,

    The books on Boxall’s list, which is found in the 5 editions of the published book
    with a TOTAL NUMBER OF 1318 books.
    These books are mostly NOVELS. That is why there are no holy books, Shakespeare, etc.
    THIS LIST IS COMPLETE. DO NOT ADD ANY BOOKS AND ALSO DO NOT REMOVE ANY. In case of doubt post a comment here and the people maintaining this list will take a look at it!

    The list can be found at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/c…flag

    BOLD read
    1
    To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird
    by Harper Lee

    Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice
    by Jane Austen

    1984 1984
    by George Orwell

    4

    The Lord of the Rings The Lord of the Rings
    by J.R.R. Tolkien

    The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby
    by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    6
    Jane Eyre Jane Eyre
    by Charlotte Brontë

    The Little Prince The Little Prince
    by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

    The Hobbit (The Lord of the… The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings, #0)
    by J.R.R. Tolkien

    Animal Farm Animal Farm
    by George Orwell

    The Catcher in the Rye The Catcher in the Rye
    by J.D. Salinger

    The Picture of Dorian Gray The Picture of Dorian Gray
    by Oscar Wilde

    Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies
    by William Golding

    Wuthering Heights Wuthering Heights
    by Emily Brontë

    Little Women Little Women
    by Louisa May Alcott

    15
    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to t… The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, #1)
    by Douglas Adams

    Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men
    by John Steinbeck
    17

    Brave New World Brave New World
    by Aldous Huxley
    18

    Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind
    by Margaret Mitchell

    The Count of Monte Cristo The Count of Monte Cristo
    by Alexandre Dumas

    Crime and Punishment Crime and Punishment
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    One Hundred Years of Solitude One Hundred Years of Solitude
    by Gabriel García Márquez

    Les Misérables Les Misérables
    by Victor Hugo

    The Handmaid’s Tale (The Ha… The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid’s Tale, #1)
    by Margaret Atwood

    Frankenstein: The 1818 Text Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
    by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

    Dracula Dracula
    by Bram Stoker

    Anna Karenina Anna Karenina
    by Leo Tolstoy

    Memoirs of a Geisha Memoirs of a Geisha
    by Arthur Golden

    The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath
    by John Steinbeck

    The Adventures of Huckleber… The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
    by Mark Twain

    Great Expectations Great Expectations
    by Charles Dickens

    Sense and Sensibility Sense and Sensibility
    by Jane Austen

    Slaughterhouse-Five Slaughterhouse-Five
    by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

    Life of Pi Life of Pi
    by Yann Martel

    The Adventures of Sherlock … The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #3)
    by Arthur Conan Doyle

    The Curious Incident of the… The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
    by Mark Haddon

    Lolita Lolita
    by Vladimir Nabokov

    Rebecca Rebecca
    by Daphne du Maurier

    The Bell Jar The Bell Jar
    by Sylvia Plath

    Catch-22 Catch-22
    by Joseph Heller

    The Old Man and the Sea The Old Man and the Sea
    by Ernest Hemingway
    41

    One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s … One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
    by Ken Kesey

    42
    The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter
    by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    The Color Purple The Color Purple
    by Alice Walker
    War and Peace  Leo Tolstoy

    Ema by Jane Austen
    Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1)
    by Anne Rice

    b

    Perfume: The Story of a Mur… Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
    by Patrick Süskind
    y Albert Camus
    52

    Treasure Island Treasure Island
    by Robert Louis Stevenson
    ll Quiet on the Western Front All Quiet on the Western Front
    by Erich Maria Remarque
    The Shining The Shining
    by Stephen King
    Never Let Me Go Never Let Me Go
    by Kazuo Ishiguro
    Persuasion Persuasion
    by Jane Austen
    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
    by Robert Louis Stevenson
    The Poisonwood Bible The Poisonwood Bible
    by Barbara Kingsolver

    A Tale of Two Cities A Tale of Two Cities
    by Charles Dickens

    In Cold Blood In Cold Blood
    by Truman Capote

    The Hound of the Baskervill… The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5)
    by Arthur Conan Doyle

    Moby-Dick or, the Whale Moby-Dick or, the Whale
    by Herman Melville

    The Brothers Karamazov The Brothers Karamazov
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    The Time Machine The Time Machine
    by H.G. Wells

    The Godfather (The Godfathe… The Godfather (The Godfather, #1)

    by Mario Puzo
    Madame Bovary Madame Bovary
    by Gustave Flaubert
    A Prayer for Owen Meany A Prayer for Owen Meany
    by John Irving

    The Name of the Rose The Name of the Rose
    by Umberto Eco

    The Master and Margarita The Master and Margarita
    by Mikhail Bulgakov

    Breakfast at Tiffany’s and … Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories
    by Truman Capote

    Through the Looking-Glass a… Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, #2)
    by Lewis Carroll

    Atonement Atonement
    by Ian McEwan
    Oliver Twist Oliver Twist
    by Charles Dickens
    Middlesex Middlesex
    by Jeffrey Eugenides
    Robinson Crusoe (Robinson C… Robinson Crusoe (Robinson Crusoe, #1)
    by Daniel Defoe
    The Unbearable Lightness of… The Unbearable Lightness of Being
    by Milan Kundera
    Gulliver’s Travels: Travels… Gulliver’s Travels: Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World.
    by Jonathan Swift

    The Three Musketeers (The D… The Three Musketeers (The D’Artagnan Romances #1)
    by Alexandre Dumas

    Watchmen Watchmen
    by Alan Moore
    On the Road On the Road
    by Jack Kerouac

    Don Quixote Don Quixote
    by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

    The House of the Spirits 
    by Isabel Allende

    Uncle Tom’s Cabin Uncle Tom’s Cabin
    by Harriet Beecher Stowe

    The Trial by Franz Kafka

    Love in the Time of Cholera Love in the Time of Cholera
    by Gabriel García Márquez

    Pippi Longstocking (Pippi L… Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump, #1)
    by Astrid Lindgren
    The Reader The Reader
    by Bernhard Schlink
    World According to Garp The World According to Garp
    by John Irving

    The Sun Also Rises The Sun Also Rises
    by Ernest Hemingway

    Candide Candide
    by Voltaire
    The Call of the Wild The Call of the Wild
    by Jack London

    Notre-Dame de Paris | The H… Notre-Dame de Paris | The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
    by Victor Hugo
    The Arabian Nights The Arabian Nights
    by Anonymous

    Doctor Zhivago Doctor Zhivago
    by Boris Pasternak
    The Idiot The Idiot
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    Mansfield Park Mansfield Park
    by Jane Austen

    The Virgin Suicides The Virgin Suicides
    by Jeffrey Eugenides

    Tess of the D’Urbervilles Tess of the D’Urbervilles
    by Thomas Hardy
    The Plague The Plague
    by Albert Camus
    Things Fall Apart (The Afri… Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1)
    by Chinua Achebe

    The Diary of Anne Frank
    The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
    Fahrenheit 451
    Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
    The Metamorphosis and Other Stories
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
    Twilight
    The Alchemist
    Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
    The Book Thief
    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
    Little House in the Big Woods
    The Secret Life of Bees
    Black Beauty
    My Sister’s Keeper
    Charlotte’s Web
    The Call of the Wild
    Water for Elephants
    The Princess Bride
    The Kite Runner
    The Pillars of the Earth
    Illusions
    Watership Down

    Nice Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
    Where the Sidewalk Ends
    Harry Potter Box Set
    Tuesdays with Morrie
    Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
    Ender’s Game
    The Valley of Horses
    It
    The Chronicles of Narnia
    The Screwtape Letters
    Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
    The Clan of the Cave Bear
    American Gods
    The Stand

    – “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” – Jean-Dominique Bauby
    – “Hamlet” – William Shakespeare
    – “Goodnight Opus” – Berkeley Breathed
    – “The Devil in the White City” – Erik Larson
    – “The Thief Lord” – Cornelia Funke
    – “Indigo” – Alice Hoffman
    – “Mythology” – Edith Hamilton
    – “The Outsiders” – S.E. Hinton

    The Metamorphosis and Other Stories, by Franz Kafka (there is Kafka on the list, but this isn’t one of them)
    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
    The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
    The Stranger, by Albert Camus
    Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie
    The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards
    The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde (if it’s a play, it’s probably not on the list, which is mostly novels)
    The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
    The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales, by Jacob Grimm
    East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
    The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry
    Dune, by Frank Herbert
    A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith
    The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman
    The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
    The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho (again)
    Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
    And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie
    The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan (the list is, I believe, strictly fiction)
    New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer
    Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke
    Ringworld by Larry Niven
    Tales of Known Space: The Universe of Larry Niven by Larry Niven
    The Long Arm of Gil Hamilton by Larry Niven
    Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
    Doorways in the Sand by Robert Zelazny
    Creatures of Light and Darkness by Rober Zelazny
    Portrait of a Killer: Jack The Ripper – Case Cl… by Patricia Cornwell
    The Nine Billion Names of God: The Best Short S… by Arthur C. Clarke
    The Aleph and Other Stories by Jorge Luis Borges
    Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings by Jorge Luis Borges
    Carried Away: A Selection of Stories by Alice Munro
    Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges
    Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
    The Immaculate Conception by Gaetan Soucy
    The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
    Double Helix by J. Watson
    The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant
    A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White H… by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
    Broken Government: How the Republi…by John W. Dean
    Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
    Manhunt: The Twelve Day Chase… by James L. Swanson
    Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
    The Pianist: The Extraordinary True… by Wladyslaw Szpilman
    The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham
    My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
    Leviathan by Paul Auster
    D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri D’Aulaire

    Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton
    The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
    The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
    Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk
    The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
    Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein
    The Tell-Tale Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe (Poe is on the list three times, but not for this one.)
    The Bible
    Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
    Shogun, by James Clavell
    The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield
    A Child Called It, by Dave Pelzer
    The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova
    White Oleander, by Janet Fitch
    The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
    Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
    Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller
    The Lottery and Other Stories, by Shirley Jackson
    Love Story, by Erich Segal
    Love You Forever, by Robert N. Munsch
    John Adams, by David McCullough
    Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt
    Othello, by William Shakespeare
    The Aeneid, by Virgil
    Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman
    The World of Pooh, by A.A. Milne
    Katherine, by Anya Seton
    The Stand, by Stephen King (Mr. King is on, but only for The Shining.)
    Daughter of the Forrest, by Juliet Marillier
    World Without End, by Ken Follett
    The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins
    Freakonomics, by Stephen D. Levitt

    World War Z, by Max Brooks
    The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
    The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
    Roots, by Alex Haley
    House of Sand and Fog, by Andre Dubus III
    The Canterbury Tales, by Barbara Cohen
    The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
    Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, by J.K. Rowling
    The Ruins, by Scott B. Smith
    The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
    Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
    Forrest Gump, by Winston Groom
    The Mammoth Hunters, by Jean Auel
    Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman
    100 Love Sonnets, by Pablo Neruda
    Watership Down, by Richard Adams
    Shadow Kiss, by Richelle Mead
    The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
    The Shack, by William Young
    The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon
    The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers
    Coraline, by Neil Gaiman
    A Wizard of Earthsea, by Urusula K. Le Guin
    The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan
    Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson
    The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx
    Le Morte d’Arthur, by Thomas Malory

    Fail Safe, by Eugene Burdick
    Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg
    Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
    Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
    Enchanted April, by Elizabeth von Arnim
    The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein
    Ripley’s Game, by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley is on, but this one isn’t.)
    Watchers, by Dean Koontz
    Paradise Lost, by John Milton
    The Twentieth Wife, by Indu Sundaresan
    Angels in America, by Tony Kushner
    The Giver, by Lois Lowry
    Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
    1776, by David McCullough
    The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu
    Zorba the Greek, by Nikos Kazantzakis
    The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov (Foundation is on, but the other two are not.)
    Into the Wild, by Erin Hunter
    The Republic, by Plato
    The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by William L. Shirer
    If I Die in a Combat Zone, by Tim O’Brien (The Things They Carried is on; this isn’t.)
    Blood Promise, by Richelle Mead
    Final Exit, by Derek Humphry
    Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins
    Eleven Minutes, by Paulo Coelho
    Guards! Guards!, by Terry Pratchett
    Frostbite, by Richelle Mead
    The Zahir, by Paulo Coelho
    The Man in the Iron Mask, by Alexandre Dumas (Monte Cristo, Reine Margot, and Three Musketeers are in; this isn’t.)
    Burned, by P.C. Cast
    Ender’s Shadow, by Orson Scott Card
    The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare (There is no Shakespeare on this list.)
    Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead
    The Elephant Vanishes, by Haruki Murakami
    The Painted Veil, by Somerset Maugham
    The History of the Pelopponnesian War, by Thucydides
    Children of the Mind, by Orson Scott Card
    Le Grand Meaulnes, by Henri Alain-Fournier
    Amadeus, by Peter Shaffer
    Dark Rivers of the Heart, by Dean Koontz
    The Dancing Wu Li Masters, by Gary Zukav
    Starman Jones, by Robert Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land is on.)
    The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne
    The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan
    Maurice, by E.M. Forster
    The Tale of Gilgamesh, by Anonymous
    The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak
    A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah
    Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliett
    Poison Study, by Maria V. Snyder
    When Nietzsche Wept, by Irvin D. Yalom
    Child of the Prophecy, by Juliet Marillier

    Marley & Me, by John Grogan
    The Color of Water, by James McBride
    On Death and Dying, by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
    The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffennegger
    The Onion Field, by Joseph Wambaugh
    Insomnia, by Stephen King
    Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
    The Exorcist, by William Peter Blatty
    Amazing Grace, by Kathleen Norris
    Battlefield Earth, by L. Ron Hubbard
    The Three Questions, by Jon J. Muth
    The Bonesetter’s Daughter, by Amy Tan
    The Demigod Files, by Rick Riordan
    The Study Series Bundle, by Maria V. Snyder
    The Tea Rose, by Jennifer Donnelly
    Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh
    Free Speech for Me, by Nat Hentoff
    Moloka’i, by Alan Brennert
    From a Buick 8, by Stephen King
    The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom
    The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
    The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas
    Nobody’s Fool, by Richard Russo like A Clockwork Orange.

    Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout
    The March, by E.L. Doctorow
    A Lesson Before Dying, by Earnest Gaines
    The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
    Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris
    The Histories, by Herodotus
    Rabbit at Rest, by John Updike (Oddly enough, the other three are on the list)
    Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain
    The Essential Rumi, by Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi
    Duma Key, by Stephen King
    The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski
    Ahab’s Wife, by Sena Jeter Naslund
    Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika, by Tony Kushner (plays aren’t generally on this list)
    American Nightmare, by Jerrold M. Packard
    The Complete Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
    The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara
    Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
    The Color of Magic, by Terry Pratchett
    Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, by Barbara Kingsolver
    Richard III, by William Shakespeare (Shakespeare is not on this list)
    The Plains of Passage, by Jean M. Auel
    QB VII, by Leon Uris
    The Shelters of Stone, by Jean M. Auel
    Rain of Gold, by Victor Villasenor
    Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
    Neither Here Nor There, by Bill Bryson
    The Lightening Thief, by Rick Riordan
    Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
    The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan
    The Titan’s Curse, by Rick Riordan
    The Battle of the Labyrinth, by Rick Riordan
    The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks
    The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd
    The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams
    Time Enough for Love, by Robert Heinlein
    Rendezvous with Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
    The Mutiny on the Bounty Trilogy, by Charles Nordhoff
    The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman

    The Voyage of the Star Wolf
    The War Against the Chtorr 1: A Matter For Men
    by David Gerrold

    The Holy Man
    by Susan Trott

    A Canticle for Leibowitz
    by Walter M. Miller Jr.

    Tiger Eyes
    by Judy Blume

    Song of the Sound
    by ADAM ARMSTRONG

    The Competitive Advantage of Nations
    by Michael E. Porter

    Atlantis Found
    by Clive Cussler

    Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction
    by Mike Mignola

    The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy: Second Edi…
    by Vicki Iovine

    NO: Why Kids–of All Ages–Need to Hear It and …
    by David Walsh

    The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of …
    by Robert A. Caro

    Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary C…
    by Jim Collins

    Reclaiming History: The Assassination of Presid…
    by Vincent Bugliosi

    Magic Study
    Fire Study
    Assassin Study
    Storm Glass
    Ice Study
    by Maria V. Snyder

    Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Id…
    by Gary Paulsen

    Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture
    by Douglas Coupland

    Angels In America
    by Joseph Kushner

    The Dictionary of Imaginary Places
    by Alberto Manguel

    A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry
    by Mark Hertsgaard

    The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay
    The Solitaire Mystery, by Jostein Gaarder
    Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
    Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
    The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck
    Runaway: Stories, by Alice Munro

    First They Killed My Father, by Loung Ung
    Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo
    Floyd on France, by Keith Floyd

    “The Agony And The Ecstasy.”

    “Dragon Slippers” by Jessica Day George.

    A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini

    The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone

    Dragon Slippers, by Jessica Day George

    Letter to a Christian Nation, by Sam Harris

    L’Espoir, by Andre Malraux

    The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Maid, by Teresa Pierce Williston

    Egyptian Sinuhet, by Mika Waltari

    Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George

    A Girl of the Limberlost, by Gene Stratton Porter

    The Worthing Saga, by Orson Scott Card

    His Illegal Self, by Peter Carey

    Magic Cottage, by James Herbert

    the End

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    39th Anniversary of Marrying the Lady of My Dreams

    39th  Anniversary – Love Poems and Stories

    My life has always had a fairy tale aspect to it. The central mystery of my life has always been how I met and married the girl of my dreams. I first met her in 1974 when I fell asleep in a  high school physics class in Berkeley, California. Then I had the “dream” as I quickly dubbed it, week after week until one day she walked off a bus and into my life in South Korea where I had gone in the Peace Corps to find her because I knew that she would be waiting there. I had the last dream the day I had decided to give notice and return to the United States to go to graduate school and give up on the foolish dream quest of mine.  That morning she came to me and said

    “Don’t worry we will meet soon.”

    곧 만날 테니 걱정하지 마

    god mannal teni geogjeonghaji ma

    She walked off a bus and into my life that day. That night was September 7th,  39 years ago. We married seven weeks later.

    Here then are my love poems, and stories, all dedicated to my lady of my dreams, Angela Lee.

    Index of First Lines

    Stories

    Dream Girl
    Married My Dream Girl

    Poems

    A Million Ways to Say I Love You
    Ode To Love on Valentine’s Day
    Chains That Bind Us
    Where Do You and I Begin
    Fragments Of a Dream
    The Story of How We Met
    Fate Intertwined
    Darling, My Love of My Life
    Eternal Love
    One Morning -Memories of You
    You Still Haunt My Life
    Till The End of Time
    Angel Of Desire
    Sae Young Ji Ma
    You
    Your Love Conquers the Darkness
    Then One Day
    My Spirits Soared and Flew Up
    Like A Bee to A Flower
    And This Time
    10,000 Miles Can’t Separate Us
    Me And My Angela Lee
    I Love You
    You Forever?
    A Ray of Light
    Fear Of Being Alone
    My Only Lady Love
    One Fine Day
    Your Smile
    Eyes
    18 Years of Love
    Love Jones
    Angela Lee Was Her Name Acrostic Poem
    I Like to Drink Hot Coffee in The Morning Italian
    Drinking My Hot Coffee in the Morning Italian Forms
    Drinking My Hot Coffee in The Morning Light Italian Forms
    Nighttime Love Blues
    Met My Soul Mate
    Love
    Soul Mate Soul Mate
    Morning Greets Me Soul Mate
    Eternal Puzzle
    Red Wine Not Tea
    Decisive Decision  Changed My Life
    15 Versions of Angela

    Begin Stories and Poems

    Dream Girl

    You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.

    The dreams started when I was a senior at Berkeley High School in 1974. About a month before I graduated, I fell asleep in a physics class after lunch and had the first dream:

    A beautiful Asian woman was standing next to me, talking in a strange language. She was stunning—the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was in her early twenties, with long black hair, and piercing black eyes. She had the look of royalty. She looked at me and then disappeared, beamed out of my dream like in Star Trek. I fell out of my chair screaming, “Who are you?” She did not answer.

    About a month went by, and then I started having the dream repeatedly. Always the same pattern. Early morning, she would stand next to me talking. I would ask who she was, and she would disappear. She was the most beautiful, alluring woman I had ever seen. I was struck speechless every time I had the dream.

    I had the dream every month during the eight years during which I went to college and served in the Peace Corps. In fact, when I joined the Peace Corps, I had to decide whether to go Korea or Thailand. The night before I had to submit my decision, I had the dream again and she made me sure that I knew she was in Korea waiting for me.

    All she said was when I asked again as always who are you? Where are you?”

    “I am in Korea”

    After the Peace Corps, I still hadn’t met my dream woman. I got a job working for the U.S. Army as an instructor and stayed in Korea. I kept having the dream, until I had the very last one: She was standing next to me, speaking to me in Korean, but I finally understood her. She said, “Don’t worry, we will be together soon.”

    Why was that the last time I had the dream?

    Because the very next night, the girl in my dream got off the bus in front of me. She went on to the base with an acquaintance of mine, a fellow teacher, and they went to see a movie. I saw her and found the courage to speak with her.

    We exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet that weekend.

    The next night, she was waiting for me as I entered the Army base to teach a class. She told me she was a college senior and she had something to tell me. I signed her on to the base and left her at the library to study while I taught, and then we went out for coffee after class.

    She told me she was madly in love with me, and that I was the man for her. I told her not to worry as I felt the same.

    That weekend, we met Saturday and Sunday and hung out all day. On Sunday night, I proposed to her. It was only three days after we had met, but for me it felt like we had met eight years ago. I had been waiting all my life for her to walk out of my dreams and into my life, and here she was.

    Her mother did not want her to marry a foreigner. One day, about a month after we met, she invited me to meet her parents. I brought a bottle of Jack Daniels for her father and drank the entire bottle with him. He approved of me, but her mother still had reservations.

    After a Buddhist priest told her my future wife and I were a perfect astrological combination, she agreed, and we planned our wedding.

    The wedding was a media sensation in South Korea. My wife explained it to me years later. At the time, I was overwhelmed just by the fact that we were getting married and I didn’t fully understand how unusual this was.

    My wife was of the old royal clan, distant relatives to the former kings of Korea. In the clan’s history, only two people had ever married foreigners: my
    wife, and Rhee Syngman, who was the first President of South Korea. My father, who was a former Undersecretary of Labor, came out for the wedding, which fueled even more media interest.

    Our marriage defied the stereotypical Korean-foreign marriage where the women
    married some hapless GI just to escape poverty and immigrate to the U.S. We were the first foreign/Korean couple to get married at a Korean Army base. Over 1,000 people came to the wedding, and my father was interviewed on the morning news programs.

    This all happened thirty-nine years ago, and I am still married to the girl in my dreams. Now in my dreams she watches over me when we are apart.

    Dreamgirls re-publishedlove Poems

    Love Poems from Snarling Cup of Coffee Chapbook Collection, 2nd posting

    Medium published love poems

    City Limits Publishes Love Poems

    City Limits Publishing has published an anthology of love stories and poems called Loving Words, which feature two of my stories and poems, “Chains that Bind Me” and “Dream Girl” re-printed at the end of this entry. Order information follows. My work appears in volumes one and three but order all three volumes. The Cost is $16.00 and shipping is $4.00. I don’t believe that they have a kindle friendly version. You may take advantage of the 25% contributor’s discount below.

    Good afternoon!

    I’m delighted to inform you that our poetry anthologies are on sale now, and they’re beautiful! I’m including the covers below Please share on social media, author websites, and anywhere else you’d like, and include the links below!

    You can pre-order copies TODAY for 25% using the coupon code LOVINGWORDS . You can order individual copies or the bundle of all three books! For your friends and family, we’re happy to offer them a discount as well! They can use the discount code LOVINGWORDS15 for 15% off their order! You can share this on social media along with the book covers below! Check out the pages on our website to find where you’re featured!

    Please note: if you had multiple poems published, you might be in multiple anthologies.

    Volume 1: https://citylimitspublishing.com/books/through-loving-words-volume-1-a-new-love-blooms/

    Volume 2: https://citylimitspublishing.com/books/through-loving-words-volume-2-tis-better-to-have-loved-and-lost/

    Volume 3: https://citylimitspublishing.com/books/through-loving-words-volume-3-a-true-love-lasts/

    Please note: if you had multiple poems published, you might be in multiple anthologies. It lists the authors featured in each on the pages linked above.

    We’re thrilled to announce that all orders from our contributors will include a copy donated to your local library as part of our commitment to giving back to the community.

    Thank you all for making this such an enjoyable experience! We’re so excited about these books!

    Sincerely,

    Robert Martin | President, Chief Editorial Officer

    Phone: 615-270-2088

    Email: robert@citylimitspublishing.com

    “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” -Toni Morrison

    Through Loving Words: Volume 1 A New Love Blooms

    $14.99

    In the first volume of Through Loving Words, the poems within describe the joy that can be found in the blossoming of new love.  Each poet describes falling in love in unique and descriptive ways — from meeting someone and slowly falling in love with them through the mundane minutiae of everyday life to the coveted “love at first sight” spark and the resulting explosion of passion and lust.  Pick any poem within the collection and experience anew the fervor of fresh love and lust and let your love bloom!

    The following authors contributed to this collection: Alethia Pritikin, Alexandra Graffeo, Alexia Leigh, Bree Leto, Darren Beaney, Donald James, Ellen R. Grace, Emily D. Xi, Farhan Ali Baloch, Gerald O. Ryan, Ginna Wilkerson, Jake Cosmos Aller, James Alexander, Jasmine Tiera Harrell, John Ling, Jonathan Miller, Kaitlin Richcreek, Kevin Grommersch, Kiara Ash, Liz Taylor, Nick Sweet, Oz Hardwick, Peggy M. Earnest, Robert Fife, Samhita K., Taryn Thuynsma, Terril George, Vinod Pachu

    Foreword by Peter Fenton

    ISBN: 978-1-954403-46-8

    Through Loving Words: Volume 3 A True Love Lasts

    $14.99

    Preorder Now

    In the third volume of Through Loving Words, lifelong lovers describe the successes and failures they experience as they face the world together.  The poems describe the richness and depth that love brings to our lives.  Through the voices of the poets, we learn that love only lasts when you work with your partner and appreciate them through all the twists and turns that life throws your way.

    The following authors contributed to this collection of poems: Aziza Aremo, Beatrice de Filippis, Bree Leto, Caitlynn Lowery, Chloe Tonge, Darnini Deer , Lindsey Leggett, Emily Powers, Farhan Ali Baloch, Ginna Wilkerson, Guinevere Schaal, Heidi Guldbaek, Jackson Cass, Jake Cosmos Aller, James Alexander, John Ling, Kate Murray, Kevin Grommersch, Lisa Molina, Liz degregorio, Marie mcmullin, Melanie Boyd, Nick Sweet, Nina Sparling, Nisa Moazzam Gulzar, Robert Fife, Robert Martin, Stephanie Cotta, Susy Kamber, Tania Przywara, Tori Grant Welhouse

    Foreword by Peter Fenton

    ISBN: 978-1-954403-50-5

    Dream Girl – A True Love Story

    The dreams started when Sam was a senior at Berkeley high school in 1974, around Maria’s birthday in late May, perhaps.   About a month before Sam graduated, he fell asleep in a physics class after lunch and had the first dream:

    About a month before Sam graduated, he fell asleep in a physics class after lunch and had the first dream:

    A beautiful Asian woman was standing next to him talking in a strange language.  She was stunning – the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.  She was in her early twenties, with long black hair, and piercing black eyes. She had the look of royalty.  She looked at me and then disappeared, beamed out of his dreamlike in “Star Trek.”  He fell out of my chair screaming, “Who are you?”  She did not answer.

    Later that day Sam told his best friend, Robert Sicular who was in the class with him about the dream.  He also told them that he knew that he would meet her someday and that was the woman he was destined to marry.

    Robert said,

    “Man, that is crazy shit, dude. You had best quit smoking weed before class man. You be high. Have any of that shit?

    Nah smoked it all up. But dude the dream is real.

    Sure.

    Sam told Robert’s parents, Bob, and Ruth about the dream. Bob and Ruth were close to Sam. Sam hung out at their house a lot to escape his parents as he had grown up in a very dysfunctional family.

    Bob said,

    “Well, that is the craziest love story I have ever heard so it must be true.”

    Ruth said

    “Follow your dreams. You will have to meet her someday, but you may have to go to Asia to find her. Where do you think she is?”

    “Maybe Japan, maybe Korea, maybe Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam? The Philippines? But not China because whatever she is speaking is not Chinese.”

    Sam tells them that he had the dream again.

    One day Sam was late for his summer job working in the parks department. He had the dream again about 6 am and it woke him up.  The same thing occurs.  She is standing there talking to him and she has love in her eyes for him.  She reaches out to touch him and then disappears.  He felt electricity flowing from her as she touched him. Sam got up and accidentally breaks the mirror in the bathroom.  Sam tells his mother who said that he will have seven years of bad luck as a result of breaking a mirror and later Sam thought that he had endured seven years of failed relationships and missed romantic opportunities because fate was conspiring to prevent him from getting seriously involved with anyone else because the universe was saving him for his one true soul mate.

    A few days later, Sam is hanging out with his friends Matt and Mark playing pool at his house downstairs in the basement. Sam tells them he had the dream again.

    Matt says,

    “Dude! That is just too creepy to believe. You should not be telling people that shit, they might think that you are some sort of nutter.  I mean we know you are nuts but in a good way and we love ya for its bro, but others, well they might think you are certifiable.”

    Mark looked at Sam and said,

    “Yeah dude, that is crazy shit, I mean shit like that ain’t real you know what I mean?”

    “Matt, Mark, I swear to god it is too. I had the dream again. And I know I am going to meet her and marry her someday.”

    “Right on dude. Party on! We believe you.”

    About a month went by and then Sam started having the “dream”, as he called it, repeatedly.  Always the same pattern – early morning, she would stand next to me talking, I would ask who she was, and she would disappear.  She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she struck him speechless every time he had the dream.

    Going to Korea to find his Dream girl

    One day in late May, about a week before Sam graduated from college, he had been accepted into the Peace Corps.  He had a deadline to respond to whether he would accept the proposed assignment. He had a choice going to Korea as a TB control worker in August or to Thailand as an ESL teacher in a rural school in October.  He was leaning towards Korea.  He had taken Japanese and Chinese history classes in college and he was fascinated with the region and was curious about Korea.   And besides, he was ready to get going.

    On May 18, 1979, at 5:30 Sam had a slightly different dream.  In the dream, she told him when he asked where she was, “Seoul, Korea.” And smiled at him. And disappeared as she usually did”.

    Searching for the Dream Girl in Korea

    In August 1979, Sam arrived in Korea. He looks around and sees thousands of women who look like the girl in the dream, but none of them are her.  He knew he was going to meet her. He started having that dream monthly.  Usually near the end of the month and almost always first thing in the morning.  The dream was always the same.  She would repeat the word Aka which Sam later learned was the Korean word for baby and became her pet name once they met.  The rest of the conversation he could not understand at all.

    One winter while Sam was in the Peace Corps, he went to Taiwan on a personal visit. He met a famous fortuneteller who made three predictions – He would marry an Asian woman; he would marry when he was 27 and he would become a diplomat.  All three predictions turned out to be true.

    After the Peace Corps, Sam took a job in Korea and decided that he would give it one more year. If he did not meet her by then he would return to Seattle to go to Graduate school at the University of Washington in Korean studies.  Sam moved about the entire country. Sam was lonely, dissatisfied, and. Felt that he was wasting his time. He kept having the dream though.

    On Wednesday, August 26, 1982, Sam got on a military bus at Camp Casey near where he lived in Tongduchon in a rented room. He was living basically those days out of a suitcase in a rented room as his employer kept sending him all over the country. He must have moved at least ten times that year.

    That morning he had the last dream. And somehow felt that he was about to meet the girl in the dream. In the dream, she came to him again, but this time, Sam understood her Korean.  She said, “Don’t worry, we will be together soon and once we are together, we will be together forever. I have been waiting for our last life together. And now I have found you.”

    That night, Sam got off the bus in front of Camp Red Cloud where he was teaching.  Sam got off the bus and the girl in the dream walked off the bus, out of his dreams and into his life.  It was the moment he had been waiting for all his life.

    The class went by in a blur.  Sam was still stunned that he had met her.  He came up with a lame excuse that he wanted a language partner, and she could help him with his Korean, and he could help her with her English

    She spoke English well as she was an English Education major at Sungsil Woman’s University and was a senior.  She was 23 years old and he was 27 years old.  He was born in the year of the goat and she was born in the year of the pig. According to fortune-tellers they had a perfect astrological chart and were soul mates.

    That night Sam called his friend Robert, who had been in the room when Sam had first dreamt of meeting Maria, and told him that he had met the girl in the dream.

    “Robert,

    “I have big news; I met the girl in the dream. The girl I have been dreaming about for these last eight years. She is real. I met her on a bus. She is stunning. She is a college senior, and we are meeting tomorrow. “

    “Dude. That is unreal. But whatever you do not tell her about the dream, at least not right away. That might freak her out. It would freak anyone out. Shit like that does not happen you know man. Are you all alright? Been taking drugs? Drinking too much?”

    “Dude. It is all good. It is real. And I am going to marry her!

    “Whatever dude. I believe you because you believe in the dream, I sure hope it is real.”

    “It is real, dude.”

    The next night she was waiting for him at the army base where he was to teach a class.  She told him that she had to see him as she had something to tell him Sam signed her on to the base and left her at the library to study.  She was a college senior she told him. They went out for coffee after class at a classical music cafe.  She told him she was madly in love with him and that he was the man for her.  He told her not to worry as he felt the same.

    Whirlwind Romance

    On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday they met each day and went for a long walk in the mountains near the base and had breakfast, lunch, and dinner together.  She made him kimbap (Korean sushi rolls) every day.

    They talked further about her life and his life so far.  Her English was far better than his Korean, so they mostly talked in English.    She was a senior at Sungmyeong Woman’s University majoring in English Education.  But she wanted to work for a corporation rather than become a high school English teacher.   She was also going to start a graduate degree at Seoul working on an MBA degree in a new program that was taught in English.

    He told her that he had been accepted to go to the University of Washington for a MA degree in Korean studies but would start that in about a year.  He would be teaching for CTC for a few months but wanted to find another teaching job somewhere in Korea as he was tired of teaching on base and the pay was not particularly good. Sam told her that perhaps she could come to Seattle with him and study there.  She looked at him and said that she would love that.

    Maria looked at Sam and said

    “Sam, it is obvious we belong together. You are mine and I am yours.”

    “Maria,

    “I agree. Let us get married, October 29th is my legal birthday. We can do the paperwork then and have a wedding later. What do you think?”

    “Sure. That will work. You have to meet my parents though soon.”

    “Okay”

    In any event, they agreed that they would do the formal paperwork through the embassy on Friday, October 29th, 1982, which was Sam’s birthday.

    They married two months later after a Buddhist priest told her mother that our astrological match was a perfect fit.  Her mother did not want her to marry a foreigner.  One day about a month after they had met, she invited him to meet her parents, but she did not tell them Sam was a foreigner.  Sam brought a bottle of Jack Daniels for his Father-in-Law and Uncle in law and drank the entire bottle with them. He approved of him, but Sam’s Mother-in-Law still had reservations. After the Buddhist Priests told her it was a perfect astrological combination, she agreed, and they planned on getting married.  As she put it, “who am I to go against the will of heaven?”

    And so, they got married.

    audio clips

    waterfalls of love

     

    praise the love of my life

     

    my love beckons me

    next glass of wine is for love

    man plays games with his love

    lucky in love

    5-7-5 love poem

    love cheritas

    A Million Ways to Say I Love You

    They say
    There are a million ways
    To say I love you

    In this day and age
    I could only find
    In my computer’s brain
    The words to say I love you

    In 53 languages of the
    10,000 languages
    Spoken on this planet
    Someday I may be able

    To say the simple words
    I love you
    In all known languages
    This will have to suffice for a start

    So, I will say it
    Loud, and clear
    Just so you understand:

    I love you (English)
    Mein tumse pyar karta hoon (Hindi)

    मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ
    main tumase pyaar karata hoon

    Tu Tane prem karoo chu (Gujarati)

    હું તને પ્રેમ કરું છુ
    Huṁ tanē prēma karuṁ chu

    আমি তোমাকে ভালোবাসি
    Āmi tōmākē bhālōbāsi

    (Bengali)

    Me tula premkarto (Marati)

    मी तुझ्यावर प्रेम करतो
    Mī tujhyāvara prēma karatō

    Me tula premkarto (Marati)

    میں تم سے پیار کرتا ہوں

    Hum apse mohabbat karte hain (Urdu)

    دوستت دارم

    Man Dooset Daram (Persian)

    ਮੈਂ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ
    Maiṁ tuhānū pi’āra karadā hāṁ
    Mein thoda prem karanga (Punjabi)

    انا احبك
    Ana Ahabik Yanooni (Arabic)
    Havala (Hebrew)

    我愛你
    Wǒ ài nǐ
    Yongchon (Chinese)

    愛してます
    Aishitemasu  (Japanese)

    Aloha (Hawaian)

    Cinta (Indonesian)

    Dangshinun sarang hayo (Korean)

    사랑 해요
    salang haeyo

    Kasih (Malay)

    ผมรักคุณ
    P̄hm rạk khuṇ  Thai

    እወድሃለሁ
    iwedihalehu (Ahmaric)

    ຂ້ອຍ​ຮັກ​ເຈົ້າ
    khony hak chao (Lao)

    Akoay Paginghe ikou (Tagalog)

    Toi yeu ong(Vietnamese)

    Renmen (Creole)

    Jesuis l’amour voies(French)

    Liefdle (Flemish)

    Estoy amor tu (Spanish)

    Yosono amore tu (Italian)

    Estou o amore tu (Portugese)

    Dashuri (Albanian)

    Maiteizam (Basque)

    обичам те
    obicham teOBHYAM (Bulgarian)

    Ljubav (Croatian)

    Laska (Czech)

    Jeger en kaerlighed du (Danish)

    Ikben houden van jig (Dutch)

    Gra (Gaelic)

    Ich bin lieben tu (German)

    ε αγαπώ
    Se agapó

    Agape/eros (Greek)

    Ami (esperanto)

    Armastama (Estonian)

    Rakam (Finish)

    Envagyok szeretet te (Hungarian)

    Elska (Icelandic)

    Ejekirin (Kurdish)

    Milestiba (Latvian)

    Meile (Lithuanian)

    Eu dragoste tu (Romanian)

    JHOBOEL Lubush

    Я люблю вас
    YA lyublyu vas (Russian)

    Elske (Norweigan)
    Easka (Slovak)

    Волим те
    Volim te

    JBYBAB (Serbian)

    Jagdan karlek du (Swedish)

    я тебе люблю
    ya tebe lyublyu

    KOYATH (Ukraine)

    Benin sevi sen (Turkish)
    Ahava (Yiddish)
    Ngingu u thando ungu (Zulu)

    Ode To Love on Valentine’s Day

    I love You
    I Love You

     

     

     

     

     

    Ever since I met you my dear
    My life has not been the same

    Before I found you
    I was lost, sad and lonely
    Going nowhere as fast as possible

    I was stuck
    Did not know what direction to pursue

    At the intersection
    watching life go by
    I was lost, lonely
    and full of despair

    Then one day I saw you
    The girl of my dream
    Standing there
    on the side of the road

    I was filled with terror
    Could not speak
    What if you refused to see me
    What if you denied
    my protestations of love

    What if you walked away
    Never to be seen again
    I knew I had to do something
    I had to do it then and there

    And then you came up to me
    Your voice
    The voice of an Angel

    Sweat, full of light
    Fun and entire sunshine
    Ever since the day I met you
    Whenever I feel down
    and depressed

    I look at your picture
    And sunshine fills my heart
    And I am confident, happy, and ready
    To face all of life’s travails

    As long as I have your love
    And your support
    I can overcome all obstacles
    And face all dangers

    Together we can do most anything
    Without you I will be lost
    In the swamp of despair

    So, my dear
    Please stay with me
    Forever to the end of time

    Let us journey forward
    Never looking back
    My love, my life

    The sun in the sky
    The moon that lights
    my dreams at night

    The stars
    that beacon far away
    Thanks to the Gods above
    For bringing you into my life

    And I promise I will love you
    Forever and a day

    Just to see your face
    Is heaven itself

    Just to hear your voice
    Is all that I ever need

    My love, my soul mate
    Hurry back to me

    We have so much loving to do
    So much living to do
    So much to do together

    Walking confidently
    Boldly into the future

    Without you
    All is nothing
    But dust

    With you
    Everything is possible

    My love
    Until I see you again

    A thousand kisses
    And a million thoughts of love
    That will have to suffice

    Until we are reunited
    My love, my darling,
    My life and dreams

    Hurry back to rescue me
    From the despair and darkness
    All around me

    Until then
    I salute you
    Oh, Queen of my Heart
    General of Love
    Captain of my Soul

    Chains That Bind Us

    I realize that my love for you
    Is like a chain of steel
    Unbreakable, Tough as nails

    Yet as your love entangles me
    I realize that I embrace my imprisonment
    Don’t want to venture out of my cell

    Made of our years together
    bit by bit
    We have become entangled

    Where I end,
    and you begin
    Hopelessly entangled

    Even if I wanted
    to break free
    I could not

    For I am you
    and you are me
    My fate is in your hands

    So, I relax
    Decide to Just enjoy
    The ride of my life

    As we move
    Towards the final moments
    Together as we have always been

    Inseparable
    merged into one being
    Staring at each other

    Wondering
    who is that creature
    Of eternal mystery

    That has so captured my soul
    And imprisoned
    it in her love

    I smile thinking
    of your love
    The endless pleasure

    It has brought me
    The endless pain
    I have endured

    Just to be next to you,
    Part of you
    Until the day

    I die
    When we meet
    in the next world

    Where Do You and I Begin  Love Poem

    I woke up one day and realized
    I no longer knew
    where you and I began
    and where you and I ended

    we had become almost one
    We talked in half sentences
    Knowing what the other wanted
    and knowing how it would end

    We ate the same foods with some resistance
    because I still crave an old fashioned American meal
    but still we were becoming more and more the same

    and I was scared of losing myself
    In your embrace
    and becoming you

    and you becoming me
    and this fear of losing me
    in the ocean of us

    overwhelms me at time
    but I know that I will always
    Return to your arms

    because I cannot live
    A moment without you at my side
    and I know you are the same
    we feel each other’s inner pain
    we feel each other’s outer pain

    and our history has merged
    into one

    and is that the secret
    of a long marriage?

    Have I figured it all out
    in the end does it come to this?

    a merging of two souls and two bodies?
    I don’t have the answers
    But I don’t have any more doubts
    or regrets at the path I have taken

    I still look forward
    to waking up each day
    Seeing you there

    and knowing that everyday
    we have together
    is a gift that I will cherish

    Until my dying breath

    Fragments of a Dream
    2-14-2010

    I am a fifty plus man
    Who lives on in his head
    And dreams

    With the libido of an 20 year old
    Full of dreams
    Wild erotic fantasies about this women
    And that women
    All the time

    And desires for his wife
    Who when she is in the mood
    Is the best he ever had

    But getting her in the mood
    Makes him weary
    And frustrated
    And dreaming of sex

    So, what can he do
    Continue the path
    Of least resistance

    Waiting for her to get in the mood
    Or change his game plan

    To get her in the mood more often
    That is the question
    That has no answer

    So, on Valentine’s Day
    He dreams of ultimate sex
    With the one true love of his life

    And waits for her
    To come to him
    When she is in the mood

    The Story of How We Met

    It all began in Berkeley, California
    In the springtime of 1974

    One fateful afternoon
    I was dozing in my high school
    Physics class.

    I looked up and saw
    A tall, beautiful Asian women

    Standing looking at me.

    I screamed out,
    Who are you?

    She disappeared
    Like she was beamed
    away from my dream.

    I knew that someday
    I would meet the girl
    In the dream

    Little did I know
    I would have to wait
    until 1982

    Starting that month
    I began having the same dream
    Month and month and month.

    Always the same.
    She was saying something
    To me in a strange language.

    Then one day I had the dream
    And knew that she was in Korea.

    So, I chose to go Korea
    In the Peace Corps,
    Somehow knowing
    That I would meet her there.

    One day I was in a foul mood.
    I had decided to give up
    on dating Korean women,

    And on women in general
    After having had several relationships
    That did not go anywhere.

    I was thinking of returning to the States
    For Graduate school.

    That morning early in the morning
    I had the last of these dreams.

    This time I understood her.
    She said, “Don’t worry.

    We’ll meet soon.”
    That evening
    As I was getting off the bus
    To go to my class

    I saw getting off the bus
    The girl in my dream.

    It was she!
    I was speechless.

    I did not know what to do.
    Over the course of the evening
    I ran into her several times.

    Finally, I was introduced to her.
    I muttered some lame excuse
    About wanting to find a Korean tutor,

    And got her number.
    The next day she came to the gate of my base.
    Where I was teaching ESL to Koreans

    She said that she had to speak with me.
    I told to wait in the library
    for about an hour,

    And I would cancel class
    And meet her then.

    We went out for coffee.
    She told me that she was madly
    In love with me

    And simply had to have me.
    I told her I felt the same way.

    I proposed five days later,
    And got married one month later.

    Does she believe this story?
    She claims she does not believe it

    Because it is impossible to be true.
    But I know that there are other worlds
    And other times.

    In a past life,
    we must have been together somehow.
    and our love was so strong
    That it crossed over the barrier
    of past lives.

    She found me in 1974,
    But it took until 1982
    For us to actually meet.

    And it has been 39 years
    Since we met in the physical sphere
    Or 46 years since the dream began

    And I still recall
    the dream
    And meeting her

    I had no choice
    When I met her

    We were fated to be together
    Until the end of this lifetime
    And the next and the next

    Fate Intertwined
    May 1, 1999

    It was many a year ago
    about 15 years ago

    That I was born again
    When I met the love of my life

    Who took away my sins, my fear
    And my self-doubt

    And I began an adventure
    That has not ended

    Together we have moved
    Down the path of Life

    And together we shall move on
    Forever and a day

    Our souls intertwined
    Our fates bewitched together

    Forever more
    My love

    My hope, my dream,
    my eternity

    Darling, My Love of My Life

    How much pain I feel today
    Because you are in pain

    I cannot rest, cannot sit still
    All I can do is worried and think

    What will I do
    If God takes you away from me?
    What would I do without you by my side?

    I cannot live without you
    You have to be there by my side
    or in my heart
    Forever until the day I die

    I will not live without you
    This world is so cruel and mean

    I need someone like you
    By my side to fight the battles

    And encourage me to stand up
    And be counted

    I have learned so much
    Watching you
    You never back down

    Never give up
    And you win in the end

    With your unique mix of charm, guile and
    Iron will hide within a velvet glove

    Clearly someday you will become
    One of the Masters of the World
    And I will be there by your side

    Your love, your confident
    and your greatest
    Fan of all

    I need you by my side
    Forever and a day
    Say you will be mine
    And I will die a happy man

    If you die before I do
    My life would end

    In a pit of utter despair
    So, get up
    Fight

    Don’t let the bugs get you down
    And I know we will have
    Many more years together

    Before we become an old couple
    Still walking down, the street
    Full of wonder and love for each other
    My love, Forever

    Eternal Love

    I woke up
    And jumped out of my bed
    And stared out wildly

    Into a strange new environment
    Into the middle of it all

    There it stood
    A carbon copy man with no heart

    Starting down the freeways of my mind
    What the Hell can I find

    For years and years
    All I can do is cry

    For months and months
    All I can do is curl up
    and die

    Then overnight
    A vision of radiant beauty
    Awoke me from my stupor
    and drunken bum shows

    The vision
    of my possible future
    Was you

    My love, my life,
    and my dreams
    All I knew I knew alone

    All I can do is love you till
    The end of time

    One Morning -Memories of You
    2/22/01

    One morning
    I awoke with a vicious hangover

    Struggled all day
    Just couldn’t make it at all
    Then I walked out of my gloom
    Into the bright light of the day

    And on that fine morning
    You walked into my life

    You were like a ray of light
    Piercing through the fog of despair

    You were a beacon
    Shinning on through the night

    You were a mightily candle
    In the midst of the darkest night

    Angela, my dear,
    I have no fear

    Wherever you are in this world
    Or the next one

    You have my love
    Till the ends of time

    My shinning beacon of hope
    And good cheer

    You Still Haunt My Life

    You
    Still haunt my life

    You still fill
    Every moment of my thoughts
    With images of you

    Your voice
    Your smile
    Your way of being

    Fills me with awe
    Wonder, amazement
    And grace

    And still, I wonder
    Yes, I wonder

    How did a wretched sinner
    A wretched, vile, no nothing of a man
    A low bum of the lowest order

    Meet such a radiant princess
    Truly

    It is a case of beauty and the beast
    And how and why
    You came into my life

    I do not understand
    But the moment I met you

    All those years ago
    I was filled with power
    Of your love
    Overwhelming me
    Overpowering me
    Rewiring all my circuits
    In my corrupted body
    Turning a mere boy
    Into a Man

    And to you
    I salute you
    And worship you
    And give thanks

    Every day
    To all the gods above
    And the demons deep below
    That you found me

    Till The End of Time

    I wake up out of bed
    And stare out wildly

    Into a strange new environment

    Into the middle of it all

    There it stood

    A carbon copy man with no heart

     

    Staring down the freeways of my mind

    What the hell can I find

     

    For years and years

    All I can do is cry

    For months and months

    All I can do is curl up and die

     

    Then overnight

    A vision of radiant beauty

    Awoke me from my stupor

    And drunken bum shows

    The vision of my possible future

    Was you, my love, my life, my dreams

     

    And all I knew

    I knew alone

     

    Some day

    In the future

    I will meet you my dream girl

     

    Until then

    All I can do is love you

    Till the ends of time

    Angel Of Desire

    One day,
    A long, long, long time ago
    In a distant land and place
    There lived a lonely, wretched man
    He was filled with anger, hatred, and despair
    All was lost, darkness and gloom
    He wandered the world
    Here and there

    Looking for something
    He knew not what

    Then one fine evening
    He looked up and saw

    A vision, an angel of delight
    A woman of divine splendor
    A lady so fantastic
    He thought surely he was dreaming

    He did not know what to say
    He did not what to do
    All he could do

    Was stare at this unearthly vision
    He approached her

    He needed her
    He wanted her
    He knew that if he could not have her
    He would surely die

    His mind was aflutter
    His mind was filled
    With the vision of that beauty

    Overwhelming him with desire
    Soon he met her
    Wooed her, married her

    Life changed forever
    from that moment forward
    The gloom lifted
    The darkness was banished
    Sunshine filled his heart
    And music filled his ears

    Every time he looked at her
    His heart went aflutter
    He could not live without her

    Then one day
    This man was forced to live
    Another life of loneliness
    Despair and Darkness
    All Around him yet again

    The lady of his dreams
    The angel of his desire
    Lives 10,000 miles away

    Leaving him darkness, gloom, and despair
    The only hope he has
    Is that soon, one day
    This separation will end

    Forever more
    And then he will be complete yet again
    With his Angel of Desire

    And the Darkness, gloom, and anger
    Will be banished forever more
    In the brightness of her eternal smile

    So, he lies down to sleep
    And sees his Angel in his Dreams
    Wakes up with a smile

    Knowing soon he will be with her
    Forever more together
    With his Angel of Desire
    Sae Young Ji ma

    Sae Yong Ji Ma

    Inscrutable are the ways of the Gods
    I think of my fate
    often sit and ponder

    Deep, dark, dangerous ambitions
    Burn deep within me

    With a wild never ending flame
    And I lust, cringe, and want
    o then came
    A wonder of the East

    A passionate queen of my fantasy
    So, I dream on and on
    Knowing all along
    She was just another mortal being
    nd not a goddess
    So, I dream on and on
    Someday soon

    I will meet
    The girl of my dreams

    Wild, passionate, and free
    And we will soar into the sun

    Flying forever
    on the wings of our cosmic love

    Yeah,

    Sae Yong Ji Ma

    The gods themselves wanted her
    Because of her beauty

    Tanta potentia forma est
    They came to Earth
    Out of clouds of mists

    They poisoned my queen
    And left me alone

    A broken man on a misty beach
    Suspended forever between the blinks
    Of time’s eternal laughter

    You

    5/7/83

    You are the fresh wind
    Blowing from the ocean
    To wash away the grime of my soul
    You are the wildflowers
    That freshens the alpine
    Desolation of my soul

    You are all that I crave
    In the darkest hours of night

    At five a.m. I awake
    Screaming with loneliness
    It is then that I need you

    It is then that
    I crave your company
    You are the Moon leading me on
    You are the star
    Twinkling with a devilish grin

    You are my devil and my angel
    You are my everything at once

    How could I have helped myself
    From falling for your charms
    And so, I dream on and on

    This time is special
    This time you won’t fly
    Far, far away

    So, I dream, hope and cry
    This time

    The Meaning of Love
    At long last
    I feel in the bones

    I understand and know
    The meaning
    and substance of my love

    Your Love Conquers the Darkness

    Many a year ago
    I wondered the world
    Lost, without purpose
    Without meaning,

    My life was empty
    Full of gloom, and darkness
    All around

    I tried to see through the fog
    But failed to see a way
    through the thick illusions

    Covering everything, coloring everything
    The darkest gloom of night all around me

    Love Cheritas

    Then one day

    Then one day

    I saw your face
    You lit up my life

    You changed my fate
    The darkness was lifted
    he sunlight rushed in

    My spirits soared and flew up

    My spirits soared and flew up

    To the heavens themselves
    and I rejoiced in my love

    In my freedom and my glory
    Happiness and peace
    descended upon my Soul

    I am still drawn to your light

    Like a bee to a flower
    Like a bear to honey

    Nothing can keep
    me away
    I need you

    Cherish You and Worship You

    Cherish you and worship you

    For you are my sunshine
    Moon shine and light of my universe

    If you ever left me
    Never to return
    The darkness will come back

    And this time

    And this time

    There will be no escape
    From the ever present gloom

    All around me
    Waiting for our love
    to fail

    10,000 Miles Can’t Separate Us

    In the early light of the rising sun
    And underneath the dying
    cadences of a decadent moon
    I arise out of my light slumbers

    Dreaming of my past and of you
    A vista of happiness fills my mind
    As I realized
    That 10,000 miles can’t separate us

    Me and My Angela Lee

    Fills my mind with regrets
    Regret at the 10,000 miles
    that lie between our souls

    After all
    One cannot make love
    across a 10,000 mile gap

    For my organs
    cannot travel that far
    Only in the memories of you
    And me

    Together can I be satisfied
    Until the distance between us
    Is overcome
    And we are together
    Once more

    I Love You

    I am still

    The most madly in love person
    I love you more and more

    I love you more
    than mere words could ever say
    I love you so much I cannot say

    When first ever I saw your face
    My heart went beep
    And my legs went numb

    And the words for the first time
    Failed me

    If you had not
    Seen me that way
    I would not have been able to live again
    My life began when I first saw your face
    And now, my love
    I pledge to you
    that I shall always be true
    And never will a day past
    In which I fail to show
    My undying love for you
    My queen, my princess,
    My life and my hope
    How can I express in mere words
    The thousand torrents
    of my love crazed thoughts about you
    Truly, life began when I met you

    You Forever

    Mystical moment
    Divine silences
    Overwhelm me
    With wonder, awe, and fear
    The fear of losing control
    The fear of destroying myself
    In the vain hope of gaining your soul
    And all along
    I know it is a false dream
    That I dare to dream
    Wat can I do?
    I sit, dream, and think
    And in the depths
    of my mercurial soul
    I can see
    You need to be free
    Free as a bird
    To sail away
    Am I holding you back
    Imprisoning you
    Or am I guarding you
    Saving you
    Loving you
    Hating you
    Because I love you

    What is it?

    What’ll it be?
    We’re two people
    Joined by unhappy
    yet happy fate

    Can we be happy together
    Living in separate hells
    Or occasional heavens
    Thus, I cry out
    Don’t leave me

    Knowing full well
    That you will
    Maybe sooner, maybe later
    Maybe forever

    My life began when I met you

    And will surely end if you leave me

    So, we go on
    Living our life
    Intertwined so much
    We can’t leave

    And we are fated
    To be together

    And so, I have my answer
    And I smile

    A Ray of Light

    In the darkest day of gloom
    When all I could do
    Was to grab a broom

    And vainly sweep away
    At the ever present gloom
    All I could see

    in the fog shrouded doom
    Was the cosmic ray of light
    Searching the mists of the moores

    I arose from my campfires
    In search of this
    light from afar

    Through forests and fountains
    I traversed
    All I could see was
    still more gloom
    In the end of the trail

    Near where I stored my mail
    I came upon the source of the light
    I climbed the final step

    And opened my mail
    And out of it poured
    a bright radiant light

    Which chased away my gloom
    And destroyed my doom
    And flew away on my broom

    And into my life
    This beautiful radiant maiden
    This beam of cosmic light was you
    My dear

    Fear Of Being Alone

    Now my dear
    More than ever
    My mind returns to you in fear
    The fear of being
    left out in the cold
    Alone mounts day by day

    Mankind is but a timid ant
    Pretending to be a wolf
    Alone on a celestial stage
    No one cares to watch our folly
    Somehow with your presence near
    I lose this all-pervading fear
    And I feel I am truly human again
    Yet my feelings for you
    Run as deep as all of creation
    And are as profound as a single bell
    Chiming lonely in the purple crystalline sky
    My love for you
    Is as pure as a virgin bottle of wine
    Yet my carnal desires are blatant
    As youporn.com
    My respect for you
    Is greater than my respect for God
    For a god can’t be loved as a woman can

    My Only Lady Love

    In the dying decaying luminance
    Of the falling
    dying setting western sun
    I sat under
    the fragrance of a pine tree
    And watched the real world fly by
    In the maddened urge to succeed
    One can sometimes
    lose track of what success is
    With these gloomy thoughts on hand
    My mind wrenched itself back to the place
    And engaged in reveries
    Of my life
    My love, and my dreams
    My one and only Lady Love

    One Fine Day

    One day
    I awoke
    Saw you there
    All my pain
    Wiped away
    A dream comes true
    Your Smile
    Your smile
    Lights up the room
    And dispels the gloom
    And lifts the fog
    Your smile
    Shines in the night
    Like a diamond
    In the sky

    Eyes
    Eyes do not die
    Eyes do not lie
    They do not tell
    The time of day

    Nor scream
    The pain of nights

    Eyes merely reveal
    The inner secrets
    Of the Soul

    Your eyes
    Are the very secrets
    Of the Universe

    Your eyes
    Bore into my soul

    And root out
    All corruption

    Leaving me
    Free and strong

    Your eyes
    Are more beautiful
    Than the dearest diamond

    Sparkling in the silver sky
    Your eyes
    Are like the very essence
    Of God

    Staring out at me
    Driving me insane
    With love

    Your eyes are the key
    To the deep
    Secrets of my own soul

    Your eyes
    Are beyond words to describe

    18 Years of Love

     

    After 18 years of marriage
    One knows a few things
    About this thing called Love

    At first love
    Is a wild, euphoric high
    It comes over you

    Like a drug
    Love strikes you
    And it goes straight
    to your heart

    Like a drug junkie
    Mainlined
    to the heart

    Love destroys
    All reason
    All rationality

    You must have
    The object of your love
    You must
    Overcome all barriers

    That people put in your way
    Then one day
    You achieve your love

    And your love
    Changes, subtly over the years

    Gradually changing
    From a hot passionate fire
    To a mellow, smooth flame
    a flickering candle
    in the wind of passion

    Sustained, steady, lower heat
    With occasional flare ups

    Now and then
    The wild passionate nature
    Of the beast called love
    Comes back to the foreground

    And overwhelms the conscious mind
    But the love you felt fades
    Away

    Replaced by the second phase of love
    Contentment, peace,
    Happiness

    And all you need
    Is to be
    With the one you love

    After ten years
    This too changes

    And it becomes
    Yet another creature
    Altogether
    You begin to wonder
    You begin to doubt
    You begin to question

    You say is this
    All that there is
    This mellow, smooth feeling

    Has the wild passionate
    Flavor of my love
    Turned from a sharp
    Biting bite of a fiery
    Bolt of whisky

    To that of a more refined
    Smoother blend of drink?
    Do I crave that first rush
    Of love yet again
    Somewhere

    At this point
    The danger arises
    That one begins to look
    Around

    And think
    Is this it
    Am I doomed

    To be with my love
    Forever and ever

    You begin to find fault
    Your love is too fat
    Your love is too thin
    Your love is too serious
    Your love is too silly
    She is just too much
    To deal with any more

    And you begin
    To say
    Do I really still love
    This lady

    Is it still real?
    And you look around

    And see around you
    Many other women

    And you think
    What about her
    What about her
    What about her and her and her?

    Do I want another flavor
    do I want another altogether?
    Do I want a different drink?

    And then it happens
    That crazed bitch called love
    Comes back at you

    A million miles a minute
    And you realize
    That Love once achieved
    Is never far away

    That old feeling
    Comes back with a vengeance

    The love you felt
    Once before
    Like a hurricane
    like an tornado
    like an earthquake
    Is still there

    Buried under years
    Of living together
    Of years of compromises

    Doing it this way
    Because it is her way

    And all along
    You wanted her

    And the dreams come back
    The wild crazy days

    Begin to come back
    And you say

    She is the way she is
    And I love her
    The way she is

    And whatever may come
    I still want her
    I still need her

    She is still mine
    And I am still hers

    And the desire to look
    For another
    kind of flavor
    Fades away

    Back into the dark corners
    Of your mind

    And you say
    To all the world

    I still love you

    Won’t you be mine?
    Won’t you be with me?

    I still want
    To make wild passionate love

    Every night of the year
    I still want to experience

    The wildness of your love
    I still want to get freaky

    Deaky and meaky with you
    Oh God
    How I want you

    How I want to express
    My feelings for you

    Bottled up deep inside
    All these years
    We grow apart

    We live in different places
    Different times and places
    And then when we are together

    Sometimes
    The love gets missed
    Among the arguments
    And the disagreements

    And the different attitudes
    And I know
    That you are you

    And I am me
    And that we are
    As opposite
    As two lovers could ever be
    And it is hard
    For the heat of love
    To survive

    The cooling down of the flame
    Of love that occurs with time
    But, babe, the love
    We shared can come back
    To life

    And we can be
    As wild young lovers
    Again

    All we have to do is try
    So won’t you be
    My lover again for me
    Won’t you let our love
    Blossom forth
    And let us
    Run wild, naked, and free
    And become
    As wild as we wana be

    18 years of love
    Can survive
    18 years of marriage

    can become 28 years
    can become 39 years
    of love and madness

    And I want to be
    With you again
    For another 40 years of life
    I cannot conceive
    Of a life without you

    Even though we are separated
    Thousands of miles between us
    There is not a moment
    That goes by
    When I don’t think
    Of something that makes me smile

    People here
    Ask me

    How come
    You can be always
    So cheerful and upbeat

    Every day
    You burst through

    The office
    Like a ray
    Of sunshine

    Boosting through the clouds
    Radiating joy to all around

    And I had no answer
    Until it dawned on me

    My love for you
    My dear
    Transforms me

    And everytime I think of you
    The power of your love

    Overwhelms me
    And I am filled
    With an inexplicable happiness

    Joy and passion
    Please hurry back to me
    My dear

    Let me your lover boy
    Let us be wild and crazy lovers
    Again, and again

    Even though I am now
    Older, and more decrepit
    And much fatter

    And slower, with less hair
    The physical body is decaying
    Starting to show

    The effect of age
    But underneath it all
    There still beats

    The passionate heart
    That first met you
    So, my love

    My love I met in a dream
    Those many years ago
    Will you be mine again
    Will you let the wine of our love
    Become hot and wild again?

    Or are we doomed to slowly
    Let the love we felt
    Fade away
    Into a shadow of itself?

    A taste remains of what once was
    And we no longer have
    That passion for each other

    Like so many other
    Couples
    Married, with the passion gone

    Too resigned to each other
    To want to break free
    But the thrill has gone

    Away for good
    Let’s us resolve
    To find that thrill again

    Refire that spark
    Of love
    Turn on the passion

    And ride it out
    The tiger of love
    Is running in my heart

    And we must tame it
    And channel it
    And make sure it
    Is running after you

    That is what
    One learns
    After 18 years of love

    Love Jones

    I got the Love Jones, baby
    And it won’t leave me alone
    I got the Love Jones, baby

    And it won’t leave me alone
    I’ve been writing these love poems
    All day long

    And I have been dreaming
    Of all the ways I could make love
    To my secret lover

    If only she will let me be
    If only she will open her heart

    And let me in
    Perhaps the love Jones
    Might leave me along

    But I got the love Jones
    Bad baby
    Can’t you tell?

    That the love Jones
    Has grabbed my Soul
    Twisted it up into little pieces
    And I need you

    To unravel the Love Jones
    I need you to answer the call
    Of the Love Jones Baby

    I need you
    To let me be free
    Of the spell
    Of the Love Jones

    I got the Love Jones
    Baby
    I got it bad

    And only you can
    Put a stop to the love Jones
    Baby
    Let me enter your life

    Put out the fire of desire
    Send the Love Jones packing
    And let me make sweat love to you

    Oh, Love Jones
    Go away
    Let me be in peace

    Love Jones
    Leave me be

    Baby
    I got the love Jones
    For you
    Can’t you see?
    What you do to me?

    I got the Love Jones
    Baby and it ain’t going away

    Until I get to make love to you
    Then perhaps this Love Jones
    Will leave me be

    Love Jones

    Angela Lee was her Name Acrostic Poem

    Angela Lee
    Name of an angel

    Gone from Heaven
    entered the earth
    Looking for me
    Angela
    Lee
    Even now
    Everywhere I go
    Was she heaven sent?
    Always appearing in my dreams
    She was there one day
    Here she stood
    Ever in my mind
    Rarely gone away
    No matter what
    Always by my side
    Married her
    Ever since that date
    I met my fate

    I Like to Drink Hot Coffee in the Morning Italian

    I like to drink hot coffee in the morning
    Drinking hot coffee makes it a good morning
    As I drink my coffee no more mourning
    But in the afternoon I like to drink my iced tea
    Just like to sit there drinking being one with me

    That is all that I want or need just to be
    As the day turns into the night I drink wine
    Looking at my lovely wife she is just mine

    Filling me with love, my heart begins to shine
    Drinking My Hot Coffee in The Morning Italian Forms

    Drinking coffee in the morning
    Makes my day a goodmorning
    Drinking tea in the afternoon
    Just with her by my side
    Recalling that date I met my fate
    39 years ago, today

    Drinking My Hot Coffee in The Morning Light Italian Forms
    I like to drink hot coffee in the morning
    Drinking hot coffee makes it a good morning
    As I drink my coffee no more mourning

    But in the afternoon I like to drink my iced tea
    Just like to sit there drinking being one with me
    That is all that I want or need just to be

    As the day turns into the night I drink wine
    Looking at my lovely wife she is just mine
    Filling me with love, my heart begins to shine
    Nighttime blues Poetic Bloomings

     

    At night
    As the sun sets
    In the west
    Over my veranda
    I sit contemplating the sunset
    Drinking a glass of red wine
    With the love of my life
    By my side
    Saying to my wife
    Ah, this is life.

    Soul Mate Pensively  post on Pensively/Tale weaver

    I met my Soul Mate
    On that date
    I met my fate
    Later she became my classmate

    Just the operation of cosmic fate
    For eight years
    She haunted my life
    Then one day

    She walked off a bus
    Six weeks later
    She became my wife

    That was 39 years ago
    When we met in reality
    47 since the dream
    That started my life

    Love

    true Love
    my Soul Mate
    I dreamt about her
    every day for eight years
    then she came to be my wife

    “Women are meant to be Loved”

    Soul Mate Soul Mate
    I met my Soul Mate
    On that date
    I met my fate

    Later she became my classmate
    Just the operation of cosmic fate
    For eight years
    She haunted my life
    Then one day
    She walked off a bus
    Six weeks later
    She became my wife
    That was 39 years ago
    When we met in reality
    47 since the dream
    That started my life

    Morning Greets Me Soul Mate

    Morning greets me
    As I drink my coffee
    And enjoy herbal flower tea
    I am filled with gratitude
    In the evening drink my wine
    With the love of my life
    By my side

    Eternal Puzzle

    The eternal puzzle
    Of my life
    The central mystery
    Of my fairy tale life
    Has always been
    How I met
    And married
    the lady of my dreams
    How I dreamt of her
    For eight years
    Until that date
    When I met my fate
    She walked into my life
    Became my wife
    39 years later
    We are still together
    As we are soul mates
    Fated to be together
    Until the end of days

    Red Wine Not Tea

    Red Wine Not Tea
    Red wine with the wife
    does it for me
    red wine Not Tea
    Just want to be
    With my hot wife

    Red Wine Not Tea
    Red Wine with Wife

    Decisive decision  Changed my Life

    One day
    I had a decision to make
    I had just met the girl

    Of my dreams
    On a bus

    She walked into my life
    I had to decide whether
    To postpone going back
    To graduate school

    For one year
    To see how things
    Would play out
    With the women

    I knew would be my wife
    It was the best decision
    I ever made in my life

    15 Versions of Angela

    Lee Chongoak
    Born in Korea
    May 28, 1959

    Dream girl

    Came to me

    46 years ago

     

    1. 39 years ago

    Walked off that bus
    Into my life

    Just like that
    My life began
    That date

    I met my dream girl
    She became my wife
    entered into my life

    She quickly took charge
    Ordering my life
    Taking over

    Looking at her
    Love at first sight
    She took over my soul

    ntense black eyes
    Flashing with wit
    Overwhelming my defenses

    She spoke
    With the voice
    Of an angel

    She changed her name
    To Angela Lee
    That is who she became

    She joined the US army
    Rose to the rank of major
    Retired for good measure

    She made me
    Into the man
    I was fated to become

    for 39 years
    She has been there
    Through thick and thin

    I still look at her
    Filled with wild passion
    And lustful desire

    I want to be with her
    Loving her
    Until my dying breath

    The End

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Updated list of things to do in Yeongjondo, the “Hamptons” of Seoul?

    Updated Things to Do on Yeongjongdo

    Top Things to Do on Yeongjongdo

    Yeongjongdo the Hamptons of Seoul
    what can we eat in Yeongjongdo

    favorite places in Yeongjongdo

    More resturants listing

    ://myincheon.com/en/Incheon_Restaurant.html

    best restaurants in Yeongjongdo restaurants near unseo station
    Yongongdo, the island where the Incheon Airport is located has lots of things going on besides the airport.  Here are some of my favorite spots.  We have been living here off and on since 2016 and over time it has gotten a lot nicer a place to live.  The traffic is not too bad, the air is the cleanest in the region and there are so many Restaurants from around the world walking distance from my house.

    And Seoul is about an hour away by subway or driving.

    Intro to the city  (internet article)

    Yeongjong International City Accelerating the Speed for Sustainable Growth

    Yeongjong International City,  (formerly called Airport New City) which is growing into a global tourism and leisure city with its amazing natural environment, is recently drawing attention with various pieces of good news. The development of international tourist attractions in relation to the Incheon International Airport has gone into full swing, starting with the existing large-scale resort complex projects. At the same time, the infrastructure for the convenience of the citizens and visitors is also being rapidly built.

    Han sang Dream Island

    – Location: Jungian-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon Metropolitan City

    – Site : 3.32 million ㎡

    – Investment Amount: KRW 2.0321 trillion from the private sector

    – Completion: 2022 (Scheduled)

    – Details: waterpark, aquarium, luxury hotel, shopping mall, education and research facilities, and theme park

    Groundbreaking Ceremony for Han sang Dream Island Held

    On June 24, the groundbreaking ceremony for Han sang Dream Island was held at Lotte Hotel Seoul. More than 200 participants attended the ceremony, including the IFEZ General Director Yoo Byeong-Yoon, Chairman Kim Hee-choul and Vice Chairman Jo Guang-hui of Industry and Economy Committee of Incheon Metropolitan Council, and businessmen and investors from home and abroad. The ceremony was followed by the groundbreaking celebrating luncheon at Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon in Songdo International City, attended by Deputy Mayor for Economic Policy of Incheon Metropolitan City Heo Jong-sik, the World Federation of Korean Association of Commerce, and the project implementers.
    The Hansang Dream Island project involves a large-scale capital investment into the site and building construction. Therefore, the critical success factor is to secure the capital from the private sector for investment. Against this backdrop, the investment seminar for invited investors was also held on the groundbreaking ceremony day.
    The Hansang Dream Island is a project to develop international marine tourism spots in the large area formed by the reclamation of soil dredged from the sea to maintain the sea level of Incheon Port. In the 3.32 million ㎡ site, an area 1.1 times Yeouido, the capital from the private sector, KRW 2.0321 trillion will be invested by 2022 and a waterpark, aquarium, luxury hotel, shopping mall, education and research facilities, and a theme park will be established.
    The IFEZ expects that the establishment of the Hansang Dream Island will trigger production worth approximately KRW 15 trillion and creation of 18,000 jobs, contributing to the vitalization of local economy. At the same time, it is expected that the construction will contribute to the job creation of Incheon area, increase in tax revenue, attraction of foreign investment, and expansion of attracting tourists.

    Development Project
    for Yongyu·Muui,
    Yeongjong International City

    Yongyu Ocean View

    • Location: San 70-1 Eurwang-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, Korea
    • Project Expenses: KRW 264.8 billion
    • Details: hotel, condominium, park, etc.
    • Completion: 2020 (scheduled)

    Muui Solaire Resort Complex

    • Location: Muuido and Silmido, Jung-gu, Incheon, Korea
    • Project Expenses: KRW 1.5 trillion
    • Details: hotel, waterpark, ocean theme park
    • Completion: 2022 (scheduled)

    Muui LK

    • Location: San 349, Muui-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, Korea
    • Project Expenses: KRW 190 billion
    • Details: private villas, convention hall, condominium, etc.
    • Completion: 2020 (scheduled)

    Eurwangsan Mountain IFUS Hill

    • Location: 77-4, Eurwang-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, Korea
    • Project Expenses: KRW 230 billion
    • Details: Korean-style Hollywood theme park
    • Completion: 2024 (scheduled)

    Paradise City

    Building Tourism Hub in Northeast Asia by Clustering Complex Resorts

    comment:  Prior to COVID this casino next to the airport seemed to be filled with Chinese tourists gambling away their down time in between flights. I triedto enter but was turned down because their rules required showing a passport and they refused to honor the ARC in lieu of a passport which I did not have on me.  Left a bad image in my mind. I had a similar experience earlier in Seoul where the casino at the COEX refused to accept military ID or ARC due to their stupid adherence to only acepting a passport.  Stupid policy in my mind. End Comment

    Construction has started for large-scale clustered resorts with a casino, shopping mall, and convention facilities in Yeongjong International City, according to schedule. The city is now ambitiously working to realize its vision to become an international tourist destination, as popular as Singapore, Macao, and Las Vegas.
    Paradise City, an integrated resort opened in 2017, will expand its accommodation facilities, exhibition halls and theaters by 2022, investing an additional KRW 500 billion. The resort currently has 711 guest rooms in luxurious condition, convention facilities, and a casino. Approximately 2.5 million visitors have come to Paradise City as of July 2019.

    Inspire Integrated Resort Project,

    comment:

    way behind schedule due to COVID and the collapse of the international travel market.  I wonder if they will be successful being a foreigner only casino.    Construction is coming along,  will probably open on time now scheduled for early 2022.  I think the next government will have to relax the rules and allow limited access to Korean gamblers – maybe once or twice a month to start? End comment.

    the largest project in Korea, is also attracting intensive attention. Inspire, the project owner, will invest approximately KRW 1.8 trillion for the 1st phase to establish three hotel buildings (1,256 rooms), Inspire Dome, an arena, and shopping malls to open. Then, KRW 6 trillion in total will be invested to develop a 6-star hotel, a theater, and a casino for foreigners in the site of 4.37 million ㎡.

    In Midan City, the 2nd phase development for Caesars Korea (high-rise residential and office-tel building) has passed the first stage of licensing, the landscape deliberation, with conditions, driving momentum for project implementation. With the implementation, a housing facility for 1,098 households and an arcade in the scale of 4 basement floors and 33 ground floors will be built in Midan City.
    When these integrated resorts of Caesars Korea and Inspire are respectively opened three integrated casino resorts, including Paradise City, will be established in Yeongjong International City, creating more than 20,000 new jobs. The city is expected to become the largest integrated resort city in Northeast Asia.

    Inspire Integrated Resort

    Caesars Korea Integrated Resort

    MOU Signed for On-demand Public Transportation in
    Yeongjong International City

    comment: yet to try it but they seem to becoming popular.

    Incheon Metropolitan City and Hyundai Motors consortium signed an MOU for on-demand public transportation in Yeongjong International City on June 21. Based on this, the Hyundai Motors will introduce the MoD service that operates vehicles according to the demand of passengers, based on the cutting-edge AI, in collaboration with Hyundai AutoEver to dramatically increase the efficiency in system operation.

    The MoD service is an innovative mobility service with an algorithm that calculates the optimal path and vehicle arrangement by the entering the points of departure and destination via a smartphone application, enabling a vehicle to be arranged to the nearest bus stop. This will dramatically decrease the waiting time of users.
    In addition, a hospital-level medical institute opened in Yeongjong International City to meet the increasing demand for medical services. On July 15, in Jungsan-dong of Yeongjong International City, Yeongjong International Hospital of Sungse Medical Foundation was opened. Yeongjong International Hospital has a 37-bed ward, internal medicine, orthopedics, neurosurgery, pediatrics, radiology, outpatients clinic, surgery room, rehabilitation center, and endoscopy center.

    At present, Yeongjong International City has clinics, dentist clinics, oriental medicine clinics (48 in total), and one nursing hospital. Yeongjong International Hospital is the first hospital-level medical institute with 30 to 100 beds, in Yeongjong International City. The IFEZ expects that the opening of Yeongjong International Hospital will be the beginning of quality medical service for the citizens of Yeongjong International City who had undergone inconveniences in medical service. In addition, the IFEZ plans to make diversified efforts to attract a general hospital in Yeongjong International City.

    Yeongjong International Hospital, the First Hospital-level Medical Institute in Yeongjong International City

    comment:  yet to visit, might in the future as it is easier to get to than going to Seoul National hospital or the 121 hospital down at Camp Humphreys.

    A hospital-level medical institute opened in Yeongjong International City. This will upgrade the quality of medical service in the region.

    Restaurants

    There are six restaurant districts on the island.   Most are located either in Yeongjongdo International City (formerly called Airport New City) where I live,  along a new Café Street in Yeongjongdo International city, in Sky City, near the beaches or near the airport.

    There are a number of resturants across the street from the Unseo railroad station, on both sides of the station, many are in the Howard Johnson building or near by.

    Here are some of my favorite spots to eat

    Restaurants near Unseo Station

    Howard Johnson  Cafeteria

    Best western style breakfast around

    In the hotel third floor

    Yong 9 Beer – Gonghang Sindosi

    #121 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    6 reviews

    114, Yeongjong-daero, Jung-gu

    Cuisines: Cafe

    Bbq Chicken

    #2,229 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    3, Sindosinam-ro142beon-Gil

    Sanggu Pocha

    #2,353 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    2, Sindosinam-ro141beon-Gil

    Pancake Juhyeon Daeok

    #1,917 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    100, Yeongjong-Daero

    Sloth Brewing

    #6 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    22 reviews

    166, Yeongjong-daero, Jung-gu #214

    2,785 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    5-12, Sindosinam-ro 141beon-gil, Jung-gu

    Bronx Brewery Howard Johnson complex 2nd Floor

    Good craft beer and pizza

    GoKiRo best kalbi, bulgogi in area

    2nd floor Howard Johnson

    nghae Cold Buckwheat Noodles

    #1,018 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    7, Sindosinam-ro141beon-Gil

    Onsae Miro Pig’s Feet

    #725 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    3 reviews

    35, Huinbaui-Ro

    Isak Toast

    #520 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    3 reviews

    35, Huinbaui-Ro

    on street outside Howard Johnson.  Several other coffee shops provide good breakfasts and coffee.  there is also a waffle place and and baskin robbins ice cream on the same street, and an burger joint.   there is also a 24/7 vending self service cafe across the street. Joe ‘s sandwich is  down the street but I was underwherelmed.

    Yangpyeong Hangover Cure Soup

    #1,406 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    26, Nundol-ro13beon-Gil

    해장하기 좋은 곳” 03/30/2016

    The Jet Lagged Lizard

    #2 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    110 reviews

    60, Gonghang-ro 424beon-gil, Jung-gu IBC Dawoo Sky World #110

    one of the two expat bars in town.  the other, the Cinder bar, is also located near the airport as well as in Songdo which has a number of expat western hangouts.

    The Cinder Bar

    #3 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    28 reviews

    50, Gonghang-ro 424beon-gil, Jung-gu Space #138 World Gate building

    Cuisines: American, Pub, Bar

    Bukchangdong Sundubu – Incheon Airport New City

    best sundubu joint on the island

    100, Yeongjong-daero, Jung-gu

    Food On Air

    #11 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    76 reviews

    47, Gonghang-ro 424beon-gil, Jung-gu B1F, Incheon International Airport

    Cuisines: Asian, Korean

    Terrasse

    #1,098 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    136, Gonghangdong-ro, Jung-gu 2F, BMW Driving Center

    1.9 miles from Hotel Zeumes

    Cuisines: Asian, Korean

    Grand Cafe

    #8 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    60 reviews

    208, Yeongjonghaeannam-ro 321beon-gil, Jung-gu West Tower Lobby, Grand Hyatt Incheon

    Cuisines: International

    Restaurant 8

    #12 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    79 reviews

    208, Yeongjonghaeannam-ro 321beon-gil, Unseo-dong, Jung-gu

    Haneul

    #21 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    48 reviews

    271, Gonghang-ro, Jung-gu 4F, Incheon International Airport

    3.8 miles from Hotel Zeumes

    Cuisines: Asian, Korean

    Gongcha

    #17 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    31 reviews

    47, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil

    TOULON

    31 reviews#22 of 2,724 Restaurants in Incheon$$ – $$$FrenchEuropeanVegetarian Friendly

    124, Harmony-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21998 South Korea+82 32-831-2003

    Hunjang Gol

    5 reviews#545 of 2,724 Restaurants in Incheon

    28, Sindosinam-Ro, Incheon South Korea+82 32-746-6200

    Hwanghae Cold Buckwheat Noodles

    #1,018 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    7, Sindosinam-ro141beon-Gil

     Hwanghae Kalguksu

    #13 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    66 reviews

    3, Yongyu-ro 21beon-gil, Jung-gu

    Cuisines: Asian, Korean

    Caffe Pascucci

    #2,600 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    272 Gonghang-ro, Jung-gu 3F of Concourse, near Gate 111

    Cuisines: Cafe

    Bulgogi Beura the Seu

    #1,395 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    3 reviews

    272, Gonghang-Ro

    Hometown House

    #450 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    5 reviews

    47, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil

    Porridge Story

    #2,385 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    272, Gonghang-Ro

    Cuisines: American, Cafe, Fast Food, Deli

     Paeng

    #2,398 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    272, Gonghang-Ro

    Snow Ice

    #978 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    6-3, Haneuldalbit-ro64beon-Gil

    Uini Bini

    #2,375 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    272, Gonghang-Ro

    Garden Cafe

    #368 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    6 reviews

    186, Yeongjonghaeannam-ro 321beon-gil, Jung-gu

    4.3 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    Cuisines: Cafe

    Paris Baguette  -multiple locations

    7-4, Haneulbyeolbit-ro65beon-Gil

    King Stone Grill Saeng Pork Belly Grill

    #841 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    59, Haneulbyeolbit-Ro

    Ho Geun I Ne Siktak

    #967 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    7-3, Haneulbyeolbit-ro65beon-Gil

    Bulogi Beura the Seu

    #1,395 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    3 reviews

    272, Gonghang-Ro

    Bonjuk

    #1,915 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    29, Haneuljungang-ro195beon-Gil

    Tous Les Jours – multiple locations

    #1,898 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    29, Haneuljungang-ro195beon-Gil

    Oleobaut Tea

    #2,196 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    47, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil
    7-4, Haneulbyeolbit-ro65beon-Gil

    Pizza Al Bol Ro

    #1,913 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    7-3, Haneulbyeolbit-ro65beon-Gil

    World Street Food

    #1,703 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    50, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil

    Julru Julru

    #1,914 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    59, Haneulbyeolbit-Ro

    Sinseol Handmade Tofu House

    #1,931 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    66, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil

    Honam Restaurant

    #1,926 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    50, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil

    Ddu Ddo Ok

    #2,705 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    50, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil

    Mommy Handmade Gimbap

    #2,543 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    50, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil

    Star Chicken Seu

    #2,642 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    60, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil

    4.2 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    Great Dish Restaurant

    #2,572 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    50, Gonghang-ro424beon-Gil

     

    Gonghwachun

    #42 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    35 reviews

    5-6, Bukseongdong3-ga, Jung-gu

    Cuisines: Chinese

    Sinseung Banjeom

    #48 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    21 reviews

    11-32, Bukseongdong2-ga, Jung-gu

    Cuisines: Chinese

    Banju

    #2,825 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    272, Gonghang-Ro

    3.6 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    Paris Croissant

    #2,823 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    33 reviews

    272, Gonghang-Ro

    3.8 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    Cuisines: Cafe, Fast Food

    Seonnyeopung

    #66 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    15 reviews

    678-76, Eurwang-dong, Jung-gu

    Cuisines: Asian, Korean

    Hwanghae Seafood Noodles Soup

    #187 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    7 reviews

    37, Masiran-Ro

    Mandabok

    #100 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    17 reviews

    911, Bukseongdong2-ga, Jung-gu

    Cuisines: Chinese

    Famous Grilled Clams and Noodles Soup

    #2,342 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    38-1, Eulwang-Ro

    Gungjung Samgyetang

    #516 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    4 reviews

    84, Cheongnyang-ro, Yeonsu-gu

    Cuisines: Asian, Korean

    Cheongra Fresh Sashimi

    #780 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    5, Pureun-ro8beonan-Gil

    Bonjuk & Bibimbap

    #788 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    6, Pureun-ro8beonan-Gil

    Johnson Sausage Stew

    #1,839 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    21-1, Sinpo-ro27beon-Gil

    7.5 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    Bottom Line

    #2,146 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    23, Sinpo-ro 23beon-gil, Jung-gu

    Chicken Floor

    #517 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    163, Cheongna Canal-Ro

    cafe along another canal streambed park

     

    Hi story,

    #1,883 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    13-1, Songhak-Ro

    7.6 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    Pang Kone

    #954 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    82, Solbit-Ro

    8 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    Oteu

    #778 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    14, Okbit-ro15beon-Gil

    Tudari – Cheongna Park

    #842 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    2 reviews

    12, Solbit-ro 28beon-gil, Seo-gu

    Cuisines: Asian, Korean

    Happiness Chupungryeong Pork Back-Bone Stew

    #2,294 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    43, Uhyeon-ro9beon-Gil

     

    Baek Ildo

    #2,282 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    24, Solbit-Ro

    7.7 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    Sweet Ting

    #1,628 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    16-1, Pureun-ro8beon-Gil

    7.9 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    The Cow Yu

    #1,631 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    18, Pureun-ro8beon-Gil

     

    • Fisher Singwangho

    #2,795 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    3 reviews

    65, Seonnyeobaui-Ro

    Pizza Floor

    #1,638 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    82, Solbit-Ro

    8 miles from Howard Johnson Incheon Airport

    Na Neunba Dada

    #1,848 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    1 review

    4, Pureun-ro16beon-Gil

    Ominbang Skewers Grill

    • ·         59, Haneulbyeolbit-Ro

    #265 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    15 reviews

    378, Cheongpa-ro, Yongsan-gu

    Seobeuwei

    #216 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    6 reviews

    272, Gonghang-Ro

    2.1 km from Incheon Intl Airport

    Bipseu

    #1,262 of 2,894 Restaurants in Incheon

    3 reviews

    272, Gonghang-Ro

    “빕스익스프레스” 22/05/2018

    Megamax Buffet

     The megamax theater has a decent buffet restaurant.  There are a few other decent buffet resturants near by.

     

    Café street –  located on the left side of the road across the station have  number of new trendy resturants and cafes.

     

    Park Terrace

    Located in the newly developing café street is a decent western style restaurant.

     Mushroom stew restaurant

     

    There is a decent restaurant in Café street that specializes in Mushroom dishes.

    Sushi/sashimi joints

     

    The island is famous for seafood and there are sashimi and sushi restaurants near Unseo station, and near the beaches.

     Vietnamese restaurants

     There are number of Vietnamese restaurants near Unseo Station and in Sky city.

     

    Burger resturants

     

    There are number of burger joints near Unseo station, café street and Sky city.  There is a Burger King in Sky City, and a Mc Donald’s.

     

    Costco is located in Songdo International city, about ten miles from Howard Johnson.

     

    Lotte Supermarket and Power Mart are the biggest groceries both located near Unseo station and in Sky city.

     

    Paris Bagatelle has a number of restaurants on the island.

    Kalbi and Bulgogi restaurants are all over the island.  Gokiro in Howard Johnson is our favorite.

    Gimpop restaurants are everywhere as well.  Sooyori is the best one, not too far from the Howard Johnson.

     24/7 restaurants

    Pre-covid there were a lot of 24/7 restaurants.  There are a few still open and one presume they will gradually re-open as the pandemic eases.  right now everything has to close by 10 pm.

     Airport restaurants – there are a number pre-security as well as post security.  The usual mixture of western and Korean style places.

    Coffee shops are of course everywhere.  Starbucks has a number of outlets including one across from Unseo Station.

     Chicken restaurants are also everywhere.  Our favorite is Pradak chicken located near Starbucks.  They all deliver.

     The End 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Beaches

     

    Explore the Hidden Spots in Yeongjongdo Island

    by Trazy.com

    Yeongjongdo Island is an island at the west coast of Incheon, and it is concentrated with airport logistics, travel, and tourism. Although it’s not a widely known tourist destination, there are many hidden spots where you can have a wonderful time with your family and friends!

    Now, let’s dive into the hidden must-visit spots of Yeongjongdo Island!

    1. Masian Beach

    Masian Beach is located near Incheon International Airport, and it is where you can fall in love with the beautiful West Sea! This beach is unique in that you can experience both wetland and sandy beach at the same time. From Masian Beach, you can see Silmido Island, which was the filming location of the famous fact-based Korean movie ‘Silmido (2003)’. Walking along Masian beach will make you feel relaxed and peaceful.

    1. Masian Bakery 
    • Address: 155 Masiran-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon
    • Opening Hours: Everyday 10:30am~21:00pm (Break Time 14:00pm~17:00pm)
    • Opening hours are subject to change.

    One of the must-dos at Masian Beach is to stop by Masian Bakery and enjoy the incredible ocean view at the cafe. Masian Bakery is popular for its delicious delicacies, and it has the wonderful spot where you can appreciate the best sunset view. There is also a photo zone where you can take a picture of the sign ‘I ♡ Masian’ just like ‘I ♡ New York’!

    1. Incheon Bridge Exhibition Center
    • Address: Incheon Bridge Expressway 3 (Unnam-dong), Jung-gu, Incheon
    • Opening Hours: Winter (Nov~Mar) 10:00am~17:00pm / Summer (Apr~Oct) 10:00am~18:00pm / Closed on Mondays (Dec~Mar)
    • Entrance Fee: No Charge

    Incheon Bridge is the longest bridge in Korea at 21.38km that connects Songdo International Business District and the Incheon International Airport. It’s a perfect place to fall in love with spectacular ocean scenery and you can see the beautiful dazzling lights at night. The light color changes every season and turns into a special color on special days, such as Valentine’s Day (Pink), Thanksgiving Day (Orange), and Christmas (Red, Pink, Green).

    If you want to get to know more about Incheon Bridge, stop by Incheon Bridge Exhibition Center that displays the consturction process of this beautiful bridge. On the 4th floor, there is Incheon Bridge Observatory, where you can appreciate the stunning view of the bridge.

    Simply book hassle-free 1 day tour from Seoul to fully enjoy Yeongjongdo Island in a day. Round-trip transportation, English-speaking staff, entrance to Incheon Bridge Exhibition Center, and 1 drink at Maisan Bakery are all included!

    [Photo Credits]
    – Incheon Tourism Organization Official Website
    – Masian Bakery Official Instagram

     

     

    There are three beaches on Yongchongdo.  Eurwangi, Maisan and Wangsan beaches. You can get to the beaches from the airport via the Maglev train getting off at Youngju station – the ARA train runs there on the weekends and holidays. These are the closest beaches to both Seoul and Incheon and are quite crowded during the summer season and weekends all year long.  There are lots of good seafood restaurants near the beaches and plenty of places to stay.

    Eurwangni Beach (을왕리해수욕장)

    15, Eurwang-ro 13beon-gil, Jung-gu, Incheon

    인천광역시 중구 을왕로13번길 15 (을왕동)

    From the airport, take bus 302 or 306 Gate 2A (1F) and get off at Eurwangi Beach, the bus goes to the rest of the beaches as well. There are also buses from Unseo station as well.

    Seonnyeo (Fairy) Rock Beach (선녀바위)

    Region: Jung-gu Incheon

    Theme: Rare Animals/ Plants/Spectacular Cliffs & Rock Formations

    The name “Fairy Rock Beach” comes from the fact that fresh water is gathered at the seashore beneath…
    Wangsan Beach (왕산해수욕장)

    Region: Jung-gu Incheon

    Theme: Seasides/ Beaches/ Islands

    Though Wangsang Beach is just 5 minutes away from Eurwang-ri, the beach has quite a different ambiance than the other more crowded beaches…

     

     

    Masian Beach

    118, Masiran-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon 22385 South Korea

    2.9 miles from Eurwangni Beach

     

     

    Muuido Island

    Muui-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon South Korea

    4.3 miles from Eurwangni Beach

     

    Silmido Island

    Muui-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon South Korea

    3.3 miles from Eurwangni Beach

     

    Muido, So Muido and Silmido are islands near to Yongchongdo.  You can get to the islands by taking a bus from the airport, or from the Yongju maglev stop.  The Airport railroad goes to Youngju on weekends and holidays.

     

    There are hotels and Korean style resorts near bridge and at the beach, there are huts for rent. There are restaurants near the ferry terminal and at the beach, but the selection is limited to Korean seafood.

    When you enter the island there is a trailhead that takes you to the top of island – and you can walk the entire island in about four hours.  The trail is very pretty and not too steep.

     

    Near the bridge to the island is a Korean tourism information stand. The people there are very helpful, speak good English and have lots of maps and guides in English and can also tell you about the ferries to the other islands.  Well worth a stop.  You should stock up on tourism information here if you are going to the outer islands as once you get there is very little English language signage or English speakers on the islands. They are open until 6 pm most days.

     

    Address

    310-11, Daemuui-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon

    인천광역시 중구 대무의로 310-11 (무의동)

    Type

    Seasides/ Beaches/ Islands

    Inquiries

    1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330

    (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

    • For more info: +82-32-760-7114

    Information

    Introduction

     

    Muuido Island is located in Jung-gu, Incheon which is not far from the mainland but is only accessible by ferry. Nearby are two smaller islands, Silmido Island and Somuuido Island. In olden times, small boats were used to go from Muuido Island to Somuuido Island but the two islands are currently connected by a bridge so visitors can reach Somuuido after a 10-15 minute walk. Muuido Village Bus (maeul bus; 마을버스) takes people from Keunmuri Dock (큰무리선착장) to Gwangmyeonghang Port (광명항). To enjoy the beauty of Somuuido Island fully, Muuibadanuri-gil 8 Course is a must-visit path, taking around 1 hour and giving stunning views of the East Sea vista. Two beaches, Hanagae Beach and Silmi Beach are famous beaches in Muuido Island. One interesting thing in Silmi Beach is that people can walk to Silmido Island at low tide. Hiking up Horyonggoksan Mountain (호룡곡산) and Guksabong Peak is also available on Hanagae Island.

     

    The trail head to Horyonggoksan Mountain (호룡곡산) and Guksabong Peak can be found at bridge entrance to the island and also near So Muido and at Hangagae beach as well.  The round trip takes about three hours, and the trail is well marked but only in Korean.  Go up the stairs and at the top turn right to access the main trail head.

     

    So Muido is a nice spot for a walk as well. Take the bus to the end of the island and walk across.  There are places to stop and eat in So Muido. The walk to the top of the mountain is a nice walk takes about an half an hour to reach the top. There is a private beach on the way back to town.

     

    Silmido

     

    Silmido island is the site of a secret military base where they trained commandos going undercover into North Korea.  They closed the base in the 80’s and a Korean K drama was filmed at the island.  The island has a resort where one can stay but there are not much there not even restaurants.  Still the beach is nice but a bit deserted.  You can walk across to Silmido at low tide, at high tide it becomes a separate island.

     

    Shindo, Modo and Jangbo islands

     신도, 모토, 장 보도

    sindo, moto, jang bodo

     

    Shindo, Modo and Jangbo Islands located near Incheon International Airport are great places to get away from Seoul or Incheon for that matter. These three islands are near Yongchongdo.  You need to take a ferry to reach them. The ferry ride to Jangbo the biggest of the islands takes about an hour. The ferry runs every hour on the hour the last ferry back leaves about 6 pm.  You can catch the ferry at Sammok quay.

    삼목 부두

    sammog budu

     

    There are buses from the airport and from Unseo station to the ferry terminal.

     

    Sindo Island

    Ongjin-gun, Incheon South Korea

    7 miles from Eurwangni Beach

     

    Modo Island

     

    Modo island is connected to Shindo island.  You can easily walk around both Modo and Shindo in an hour or two.  There are places to eat and spend the night, but Jangbo island is the biggest of the three and has the best facilities, beaches, restaurants, and walking biking trails.

     

    Jangbo Island

     

    The island is located one hour and 40 minutes from Seoul. To get there take airport express train from Seoul Station and get off at Unseo station and then transfer to a bus going to Sammok wharf in Yeongjong Island, Incheon. The ferry from there takes 40 minutes.  The last ferry back leaves at 6 pm.  There are plenty of places to stay near the beaches which are a short walk from the ferry terminal.  This is also a popular place to camp as there are camping grounds near the ferry terminal. There is a mountain hiking trail that follows the ridge line all over the island and is a great hike.   If you go to Jangbong island, it is worth stopping off at Shindo and Modo islands first and take a walk.  A number of K dramas have been filmed on these islands.

    More info from Visit Incheon web page follows:

    Coastal Trail connecting Sindo Island, Sido Island and Modo Islands

    Come to the triplet islands and have a bike tour around them for a fantastic ride along the shoreline. The triplet islands are very well known as one of the best spots in Korea for a bike tour. Come down to the Sinsimodo Islands for a safe and pleasant bicycle touring. Take a boat at Sammok Quay in Yeongjongdo Island. You will get to Sindo Island Quay in about 10 minutes. The three islands of Sindo Island, Sido Island and Modo Island are all connected by bridges, so you can tour all of them in a day. You can rent a bike on the island. There are only a few cars on the road, thus the island is recognized as one of the best places for bike riders.

    Sindo Island Pureun Beonmal, a designated traditional agricultural village

    The name Sindo Island (literally “the island of trust”) has come from the fact that its residents are conscientious and innocent. It is in this context that the salt produced in the island is called jinyeom (literally “genuine salt”). As the island have mud flats, salt evaporation ponds, and rice paddies, visitors can enjoy everything they can expect from the country’s rural area in Sindo Island Pureun Beotmal designated by the government as a traditional agricultural village.

    Sinsido Island Yeondogyo Bridge

    Sindo Island is connected to Sido Island by a bridge. The name of Sido Island has come from the legend that troops of the Joseon Dynasty practiced archery in Manisan Mountain with targets set in Sido Island (“an arrow island”). The island is also called “Salseom (‘sal’ also means an arrow in Korean).” Given the actual distance between the two locations, the story is hardly credible, but the idea is intriguing enough. Sido Island has been filming locations for popular TV dramas such as “Full House” and “Sad Love Story” because of the harmony between its slow slope hills and the sea.

    Sugi Beach, the filming location of ‘Full House’

    Sugi Beach in Sido Island was the filming location for the popular TV series called ‘Full House.’ You can see a few islands in the distance. The beach is covered with quality and beautiful white sands. Main characters in the TV drama series often spent time together here. Who would not have fallen in love with each other in such a beautiful environment?

    Simodo Island Yeondogyo Bridge

    Sido Island and Modo Island are connected by a bridge. Believe it or not, you can get to a totally different island in just a few minutes. The name Modo Island comes from the word ttiyeom (‘tti’ refers to King cogongrass). The legend says that fishermen in the region once complained that his fish net only had grass instead of fish. ‘Mo’ in Modo Island means ‘grass’ in Chinese.

    Baemikkumi Sculpture Park

    Baemikkumi Sculpture Park is located on Baemikkumi Beach in Modo Island. The ‘Baemikkumi’ (the local dialect meaning a hole in the bottom of a ship) has come from the fact the beach is as flat as the bottom of a ship. The beach is also famous for a sculpture park featuring a number of surreal erotic sculptures. Blue water, white sand, and dreamlike sculptures blend well with one another. The sculpture park has become a reason to many for a visit to Modo Island.

    The Sinsimodo Islands, a paradise for bike enthusiasts

    Together, the Sinsimodo Islands are small but pretty places to visit. Most notably, as they are connected, the Sinsimodo Islands will sustain the fame of a paradise for bikers in the West Sea for a long time to come.

     

     

     

    Incheon Wolmido

    Address

    36, Wolmimunhwa-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon

    인천광역시 중구 월미문화로 36 (북성동1가)

    Type

    Seasides/ Beaches/ Islands

    Inquiries

    1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330

    (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

    • For more info: +82-32-765-4169

    Homepage

    Incheon Jung-gu Culture & Tourism

    icjg.go.kr/tour
    (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

    www.my-land.kr (Korean only)

    Information

    Introduction

    Wolmido Island (월미도), located roughly 1km off the coast of Incheon, has since become part of the mainland with the creation of a new highway. The name Wolmido Island comes from the shape of the island as it resembles the tail of a half moon. Thanks to its location near Seoul and the convenient transportation, many people visit here during weekends.

    The Culture Street starts with Doodle Pillar, and continues onward to Meeting Square, Arts Square, Performance Square, Good Harvest Square, and several other notable highlights. Throughout these areas, spontaneous performances are performed, and street artists can draw for you on the spot. Moreover, many cafes and seafood restaurants are lined along the coast so you can enjoy coffee or fresh seafood while viewing the sea.

    A must-see attraction on Wolmido Island is “Play Hill.” It’s not as large as other theme parks in Korea, but the Apollo Disco and the Viking rides are truly thrilling. If you’re not into rides, the Apollo Disco ride is still fun just watching. You can also get on a cruise to look around the island.

    Comment:  this is of course the location of the most famous battle during the Korean war.

    The island has a large park that had been a Korean military base and was only opened to the public since the turn of the century.  The Park is worth a long walk.  The views are spectacular from the top.

     

    The amusement park is a bit hooky in my opinion, but still worth a stop and a photo. The waterfront is nice to stroll along but the restaurants there are way overpriced.

     

    Jayu freedom park is near Wolmido and features a giant statue of General Mc Arthur and is also worth a visit.

     

    There is a club that has Halloween decoration all year long and that is worth a picture. There are also statues and public art everywhere.  And of course, coffee shops, beer pubs etc.

     

    About 100 US dollars per person for a sashimi dinner with drinks.  The best sea food restaurants are a few blocks away from the waterfront area, and dinner for two will set you back about 40 dollars including soju.

    The Korean government opened a maglev train around Wolmido for the Asian games. But after the games ended the maglev train was disconnected.  In my opinion they missed an opportunity and should have extended it to Songdo and the airport as getting to Songdo from the airport is a big of a long subway ride.

    Finally, Wolmido has a Korean tourism information stand. The people there are very helpful, speak good English and have lots of maps and guides in English and can also tell you about the ferries to the other islands.  Well worth a stop.  They are open until 6 pm most days.

     

    To reach Wolmido, get off at the Incheon station on the Seoul-Incheon subway line.  Take a bus to Wolmido or a taxi. It is not far from the station.  Another fun way to get there is to take the ferry from Yongchongdo (airport island).  The ferry runs every 30 minutes and is a five minute ferry ride.  The last ferry is at 6:00 pm.

     

    Gerang Mountain in Incheon (계양상)

     

    This mountain is the biggest mountain in Incheon but hiking up to the top is not too difficult. Takes about one to two hours to reach the top and back down.  There are lots of side trails as well.  The spring and fall colors are magnificent.  Lots of nice wildflowers as well.  The mountain links to several other mountains in central Incheon.  There is a nice old fortress at the top of the mountain.  There are plenty of Korean restaurants at the bottom of the mountain.

     

    The closest subway to Gyeansan (giei_iaŋ_saŋ) is Gyeyang subway on the Incheon subway line 1.  You can transfer from the Airport express railroad coming from the airport or from downtown Seoul.

    *

    Introduction of Mt. Gyeyang

    With its altitude of 395m, Mt. Gyeyang is the guardian and holy mountain that represents Incheon. From the beginning of B.C. to the end of the 19th century, the city of Gyeyang was moved from the south of Gohyeon-eup in the Three Kingdoms Period having Mt. Gyeyang at the center and then to the northern and eastern direction. Until its transfer to the southern direction in Bupyeong-dohobueup during the Joseon Period, the city was developed through the capital transfer that was conducted for 6 times. At the peak of the eastern ridge in Mt. Gyeyang, there is Gyeyang Mountain Fortress that was built during the Three Kingdoms Period. Also in the south, Jungsimseong Castle, which was constructed in the 20th year of King Gojong (1883) with the participation of the residents in Bupyeong Village in preparation for defending the coast, is stretched along the ridge of Jingmaei Hill. According to the change of the place name, Mt. Gyeyang was called as Sujuak in Suju of the Goryeo Period and Mt. Annam during Annam-Dohobu. Since the period when this mountain was called as Mt. Gyeyang in the period of Gyeyang-dohobu, it has been called by its present name. This mountain was once called as Mt. Anam and Mt. Gyeongmyeong.

    The name of Mt. Gyeyang was originated from the naturally grown Japanese Judas-tree and Korean box trees. Mt. Gyeyang was selected as the first urban natural park of Incheon city on Jan. 8, 1944 (Gyeyang Park) and since then, it became the No. 1 Municipal Park.

     

    88, Gyesansae-ro, Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, 21067, Rep. of KOREA  82-32-551-5701

    Copyright ⓒ 2015 Gyeyang Incheon. All Right Reserved.

     

    Office of Gyeyang-Gu Page – Includes information on hiking trails as well as travel advice in English

     

     

     

    Sorae Pogu

     

    111-200, Nonhyeon-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, South Korea

    This is the second largest seafood market in Incheon and specializes in crab, lobster, octopus, and shellfish freshly harvested from the nearby harbor.  The boats come back laden with fresh seafood early in the morning.   The place is happening all day long.  You can buy your food at the market and then take it to nearby restaurants where they will prepare it for you and sell you soju and beer to wash it down.  A very Korean experience!

    More info on the port from Visit Incheon web site

    Incheon Port was opened to the international community in 1883 through which western civilization came. Sorae Port has served as an important fish market for the Incheon region for more than 60 years after a small-scale fish market was formed in the wake of the Korean War (1950-1953) as war refugees caught shrimps and sold salted shrimps in an open market. Now the fish market at the port is across a railway bridge which has been remodeled as a pedestrian-exclusive bridge.

    The market is particularly famous for shrimp, salted fish and blue crabs. In addition to such fresh seafood, you can enjoy fish stand owners’ generosity and seagulls flying overfishing boats and the fish market against a blue sky. The port plays host to festivals of fleshy prawn and blue crabs, whose freshness and taste are recognized nationally, attracting crowds of people from various areas of the country. Come to Sorae Port to smell the sea and feel the sky while touring a dynamic fish market and enjoying fresh seafood of your choice.

     

    Yeonan Pier Yeonan Pier is home to various important facilities such passenger terminals, Marine Square, the Fish Market Complex, the Raw Fish Restaurant Street, the Seawater Bath Street, Cruise Port, and Namhang Wharf. It is a popular weekend getaway place not only for residents of Incheon but also for tourists from other areas of Korea. For instance, the Fish Market Complex which more than 500 stores call home attracts a crowd of people wanting to buy a variety of fresh and salted fishery goods. The Raw Fish Restaurant Street is home to large-scale raw fish restaurant towns like the Raw Fish Department Store run by Incheon Fisheries Cooperative Association and the Yeonan Raw Fish Plaza. Visitors can enjoy diverse seafood dishes at affordable prices.

    Yeonan Pier is also known for blue crabs. Female crabs are popular in spring while male crabs are delicious in autumn. Most notably, blue crabs caught around Yeonpyeongdo Island are highly regarded for the eggs and meat filling the shells completely.

     

    This mountain is the biggest mountain in Incheon but hiking up to the top is not too difficult. Takes about one to two hours to reach the top and back down.  There are lots of side trails as well.  The spring and fall colors are magnificent.  Lots of nice wildflowers as well.  The mountain links to several other mountains in central Incheon.  There is a nice old fortress at the top of the mountain.  There are plenty of Korean restaurants at the bottom of the mountain.

     

    The closest subway to Gyeansan (giei_iaŋ_saŋ) is Gyeyang subway on the Incheon subway line 1.  You can transfer from the Airport express railroad coming from the airport or from downtown Seoul.

    *

    Introduction of Mt. Gyeyang

    With its altitude of 395m, Mt. Gyeyang is the guardian and holy mountain that represents Incheon. From the beginning of B.C. to the end of the 19th century, the city of Gyeyang was moved from the south of Gohyeon-eup in the Three Kingdoms Period having Mt. Gyeyang at the center and then to the northern and eastern direction. Until its transfer to the southern direction in Bupyeong-dohobueup during the Joseon Period, the city was developed through the capital transfer that was conducted for 6 times. At the peak of the eastern ridge in Mt. Gyeyang, there is Gyeyang Mountain Fortress that was built during the Three Kingdoms Period. Also in the south, Jungsimseong Castle, which was constructed in the 20th year of King Gojong (1883) with the participation of the residents in Bupyeong Village in preparation for defending the coast, is stretched along the ridge of Jingmaei Hill. According to the change of the place name, Mt. Gyeyang was called as Sujuak in Suju of the Goryeo Period and Mt. Annam during Annam-Dohobu. Since the period when this mountain was called as Mt. Gyeyang in the period of Gyeyang-dohobu, it has been called by its present name. This mountain was once called as Mt. Anam and Mt. Gyeongmyeong.

    The name of Mt. Gyeyang was originated from the naturally grown Japanese Judas-tree and Korean box trees. Mt. Gyeyang was selected as the first urban natural park of Incheon city on Jan. 8, 1944 (Gyeyang Park) and since then, it became the No. 1 Municipal Park.

     

    88, Gyesansae-ro, Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, 21067, Rep. of KOREA  82-32-551-5701

    Copyright ⓒ 2015 Gyeyang Incheon. All Right Reserved.

     

    Office of Gyeyang-Gu Page – Includes information on hiking trails as well as travel advice in English

    Sorae Pogu

    200, Nonhyeon-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, South Korea

    This is the second largest seafood market in Incheon and specializes in crab, lobster, octopus, and shellfish freshly harvested from the nearby harbor.  The boats come back laden with fresh seafood early in the morning.   The place is happening all day long.  You can buy your food at the market and then take it to nearby restaurants where they will prepare it for you and sell you soju and beer to wash it down.  A very Korean experience!

    More info on the port from Visit Incheon web site

    Incheon Port was opened to the international community in 1883 through which western civilization came. Sorae Port has served as an important fish market for the Incheon region for more than 60 years after a small-scale fish market was formed in the wake of the Korean War (1950-1953) as war refugees caught shrimps and sold salted shrimps in an open market. Now the fish market at the port is across a railway bridge which has been remodeled as a pedestrian-exclusive bridge.

    The market is particularly famous for shrimps, salted fish and blue crabs. In addition to such fresh seafood, you can enjoy fish stand owners’ generosity and seagulls flying overfishing boats and the fish market against a blue sky. The port plays host to festivals of fleshy prawn and blue crabs, whose freshness and taste are recognized nationally, attracting crowds of people from various areas of the country. Come to Sorae Port to smell the sea and feel the sky while touring a dynamic fish market and enjoying fresh seafood of your choice.

     

    Yeonan Pier Yeonan Pier is home to various important facilities such passenger terminals, Marine Square, the Fish Market Complex, the Raw Fish Restaurant Street, the Seawater Bath Street, Cruise Port, and Namhang Wharf. It is a popular weekend getaway place not only for residents of Incheon but also for tourists from other areas of Korea. For instance, the Fish Market Complex which more than 500 stores call home attracts a crowd of people wanting to buy a variety of fresh and salted fishery goods. The Raw Fish Restaurant Street is home to large-scale raw fish restaurant towns like the Raw Fish Department Store run by Incheon Fisheries Cooperative Association and the Yeonan Raw Fish Plaza. Visitors can enjoy diverse seafood dishes at affordable prices.

    Yeonan Pier is also known for blue crabs. Female crabs are popular in spring while male crabs are delicious in autumn. Most notably, blue crabs caught around Yeonpyeongdo Island are highly regarded for the eggs and meat filling the shells completely.

     

     

    walking, having dinner outside

    the golden water walk has been dubbed Venice in Korea. Not quite but still a very pleasant walk. five miles long it ends in a nice restaurant district. there…

    Date of experience: May 2021

     

    Laveniche March Avenue

    22 reviews

    Gimpo, South Korea

     

     

    Cheonggyecheon Stream

    3,947 reviews

    Seoul, South Korea

     

    Old temple

    Yongungsa Temple old temple on Yeougjondo near the airport. Nice old gingko tree in front. interesting story about the legendary founding of the temple by a fisherman who aught…

    Date of experience: June 2021

     

    Yonggungsa Temple

    37 reviews

    Incheon, South Korea

    on top of Manisan mountain

    On top of manisan mountain. the altar is where Tangun the founder of Korea came to Korea starting the Korean race. About a two and half hour climb

    Date of experience: June 2021

     

    Chamseongdan Altar

    25 reviews

    Incheon, South Korea

    gyesangsan mountain

    a great mountain in Incheon city. Several different possible routes to the top. Great views from the top. Contains an old fort as well. 

    Date of experience: June 2021

     

    Gyeyangsan Mountain

    33 reviews

    Incheon, South Korea

    great beach

    great beach near the airport. About an hour and half from Seoul. buses to the beach from Unseo station or the airport. Good seafood restaurants nearby. 

    Date of experience: June 2021

    Masian Beach

    28 reviews

    Incheon, South Korea

    1. SLOTH BREWING, Incheon – Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews …

      May 16, 2021 · 22 reviews #6 of 2,726 Restaurants in Incheon $$ – $$$ Bar Pizza Pub 166, Yeongjong-daero, Jung-gu #214, Incheon 22376 South Korea +82 70-4201-9970 Website Menu Closed now : See all hours

      •  (22)
      •  +82 70-4201-9970
      •  166, Yeongjong-daero, Jung-gu #214, Incheon

    2. www.tripadvisor.com › Restaurant_Review-g297889-dCAFE ORA, Incheon – Restaurant Reviews & Photos – Tripadvisor

      Aug 10, 2019 · 11 reviews #2,337 of 2,725 Restaurants in Incheon. 380, Yongyuseo-Ro, Incheon South Korea + Add phone number + Add website + Add hours. All photos (9) All photos (9) There aren’t enough food, service, value or atmosphere ratings for Cafe Ora, South Korea yet. Be one of the first to write a review!

      •  (11)
      •  380, Yongyuseo-Ro, Incheon

    3. www.tripadvisor.com › Restaurant_Review-g297889-dYABADADA, Incheon – Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number …

      May 18, 2016 · Yabadada, Incheon: See unbiased reviews of Yabadada, rated 3 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #2,788 of 4,943 restaurants in Incheon.

      The 10 Best Cafés in Incheon – Tripadvisor

      Best Cafés in Incheon, South Korea: Find Tripadvisor traveller reviews of Incheon Cafés and search by price, location, and more.

       

    the end

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    81 Words Breaks World Record

    Most contributing authors published in a Flash Fiction Anthology: world record set by 1000 Authors

    Jun 15, 2022

    I am pleased to have been part of this project.  They published my story, “Dreams Do Come True as item 942 on page 478.

    “ In 1974, Sam had a dream that changed his life forever.

    He fell asleep in a class and saw the most beautiful woman in the universe talking to him. She haunted his life for years. He went to the ends of the earth to find her.

    Then she walked off a bus, out of his dreams, and his life to become his wife three months later. That is the beginning of the rest of the story.”

    As most of you know, this is based on a true story. You can read more here:

    NEW YORK CITY, New York, United States–The ’81 Words Flash Fiction Anthology’, a book containing 1,000 stories written by 1,000 authors, contains 1,000 stories that are exactly 81 words in length, the result of almost seven years of hard work and the generosity of writers living all over, sets the world record for The Most Contributing Authors Published in a Flash Fiction Anthology, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY,

    The world record book was published by Victorina Press, an independent UK publisher that follows the principles of biodiversity (the cultural diversity applied to the writing and publishing world, developed by a group of Chilean independent publishers). Because there are authors from many different countries featured in the book, this felt like the perfect project for them to be involved with.

    “I’d like to thank VP’s Managing Director, Consuelo Rivera-Fuentes, and the rest of the Victorina Press team (Sophie, Jorge, Page, and Amanda) for supporting this project and publishing the anthology, says Christopher Fielden, the book’s Editor.

     

    “Their involvement adds credibility to the unofficial world record attempt and will help the book (and every author featured in it) gain more exposure.”

     

    “The challenge was conceived by Adam Rubinstein, a self-professed educational basket-case from the ’70s who says he finds his sense of meaning and well-being through creativity.

     

    “The 81 Words writing challenge was originally launched on 81words.net. It became part of my website and I soon developed the challenge into a world record attempt for the most contributing authors published in an anthology. The 81 Words Flash Fiction Anthology was published.”

    The 81 Words Flash Fiction Anthology contains 1,000 stories submitted to the 81 Words writing challenge.

     

    The 81 Words Flash Fiction Anthology contains 1,000 stories written by 1,000 authors who submitted their work to the 81 Words Writing Challenge run on Chris Fielden’s website. Each story is exactly 81 words in length.

     

    In April 2022, the 81 Words Anthology was shortlisted in the ‘Best Anthology’ category of the Saboteur Awards, run by Sabotage Reviews. And on 14th May 2022, the book was announced as the winner.

     

    Victorina Press also won the ‘Most Innovative Publisher’ category.

    TESTIMONIALS from Amazon:

     

    “I loved Lee Kull’s devilish story. I wonder what that sly herbalist will concoct in future readings for her next heavy-handed victim!”

     

    “I’ve been pleased by the variety of stories all told with just 81 words. Not only are the stories diverse, but the authors are too. Ranging in age from 4 years to many more lived years, the authors come from all over the world. It’s a terrific book to leave out in a waiting area or by your throne for an enjoyable few minutes of very short and entertaining distraction. I highly recommend this book.”

     

    “The quality and variety of stories in this book are magnificent and I love the mini-biography for each author after their short story.
    I am author No. 533 but hadn’t read any of the other work until I purchased it on launch day and although I knew the quality of writing would be good I had no idea how high the standard would be.
    Well done to all involved and thank you to those who have purchased.”

     

    “A lot of work has gone into creating this anthology of tiny stories so well done Chris Fielden. Well done to all the authors too – 81 words isn’t a lot to work with to create a rounded story. A great book to dip into and would make a good Christmas present……and it supports the Arkbound charity too.”

    The 81 Words Flash Fiction Anthology is available in print and eBook formats.

     

    Proceeds from book sales will be donated to the Arkbound Foundation, a charity that aims to widen access to literature and improve diversity within publishing by running projects that empower people from disadvantaged backgrounds and deprived communities to get their voices heard.

     

    The book can be bought from all of Amazon’s websites. You can find it by searching for the book by name or the Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN):  B09JZXVYL8

     

    You can buy paperback copies of the book from Victorina Press here:

    https://www.victorinapress.com/product/81-words-flash-fiction-anthology/

     

    You can also buy paperbacks from Amazon here.

    The 1,000 Writers In The Anthology

    Here is a (rather epic) list of the 1,000 contributing authors featured in the anthology. There are more than 1,000 writers in the book because some of the stories were written by two-person author teams. As mentioned further up this page, all the details are in the introduction of the book. Here is the list, presented alphabetically based on first name/initial:

    1. A. Rubin
      A. Gustafson
      A.H. Creed
      Aaron McDermott
      Abby Shue
      Abhi Shan
      Abigail Rowe
      Abigail Williamson
      Adam Bevan
      Adam Down
      Adam Rubinstein
      Adam Waters
      Adam Wright-Johnson
      Adele Evershed
      Adrian Hall church
      Adrian Nichol
      Aerin Bernstein
      Ahmad Abu Sharkh
      Aigbonoga Omoh
      Aishwarya Harikumar
      Akindu Perera
      Alan Barker
      Alan Barker [Note: same name but a different human being to the previous Alan]
      Alan D. Przybylski
      Alan Dale
      Alan Greaves
      Alan Pattison
      Alan Ridley
      Alcuin Edwards
      Aleah Bingham
      Alex Blair
      Alex Fullerton
      Alexandra Klyueva
      Alexio Gomes
      Ali Bounds
      Ali Clarke
      Alice Hale
      Alice Payne
      Alice Penfold
      Alicia McGrath
      Alicia Sledge
      Alicia Yau
      Alison Clary
      Alison Reese
      Alison Wren
      Alistair Forsyth
      Allen Ashley
      Ally Cook
      Alyson Faye
      Amanda Garzia
      Amanda Huggins
      Amanita Peridot Festoon
      Amberlie Robinson
      Amelia Brown
      Amisha Bansal
      Ana D.
      Anastasia Bromberg
      Anastasia Mosher
      Andre Othenin-Girard
      Andrew Ball
      Andrew Carter
      Andrew Dawkins
      Andrew James Spence
      Andrew Jones
      Andrew McGill
      Andrew Perry
      Andrzej Christopher Marczewski
      Andy Langdale
      Angela P Googh
      Angelique Dusengimana
      Ani Martin
      Ania Kovas
      Anita Goveas
      Ankush Vijay Chawla
      Anna Capstick
      Anna Ferrar
      Anna Sanderson
      Anne Copeland
      Annie Francis
      Annika Franke
      Anu Roy
      Arlene Everingham
      Arthur KC Chan
      Arya Amlani
      Ash Gray
      Ashleigh Whittle
      Ashley Kim
      Ashley Scott
      Ashley Vohrer
      Ashutosh Pant
      Austrian Spencer
      Ava Groth
      Avery Pryce
      Ayesha Hassan
      B. K. Bolen
      B. P. Garcia
      B.C. Ong
      Barbara Eustace
      Barnaby Page
      Barry Rhodes
      Barry Smith
      Bart Elbey
      Bec Lewis
      Becky Benishek
      Bekk Escott
      Benjamin Noel
      Bernard Hicks
      Bernard Muslin
      Bert Velthuis
      Beth Greenwood
      Beth Kander
      Betty Hattersley
      Betty J Burton
      Blake Holcomb
      Blerina Kapllani
      Boaksey
      Brett Elliott-Palmer
      Brian Johnstone
      Brian Mackinney
      Brianna Damplo
      Bridget Blankley
      Bridget Scrannage
      Bridget Yates
      Brinkinfield
      Brittany Holmes
      Bruce Millar
      Bruce Wyness
      Bryan Keefe
      Byron Coulson
      C. H. Connor
      C.R. Berry
      Caiden Lang
      Caleb Jansen
      Cameron Crebs
      Campbell Hinshelwood
      Carl Palmer
      Carla Vlad
      Caroline Cowan
      Caroline Wright
      Carolyn Roden
      Carolyn Ward
      Carrie Hewlett
      Cath Allwood
      Catherine Broxton
      Catherine Cade
      Catherine Harkness
      Cathi Radner
      Catrin Rutland
      CB McCall
      Ceris Brewis
      Charles Bonkowsky
      Charles K Manila
      Charles Lee
      Charles Murphy
      Charles Osborne
      Charlie Taylor
      Charlie Turner
      Charlotte Ella Read
      Charlotte Farrell-Banks
      Charlotte Ward
      Charlotte West
      Cheah Yin Mee
      Cheryl Buck
      Chip Jett
      Chloe Frost
      Chloe Nkomo
      Chloe Testa
      Chris Black
      Chris Cantor
      Chris Espenshade
      Chris Green
      Chris McLoughlin
      Chris Pritchard
      Chris Tattersall
      Christian Andrei Nuez Laplap
      Christian Obaitan
      Christianna Sahadeo
      Christina Burton
      Christina M. Y. Chow
      Christine Bukania
      Christine Hursell
      Christine Kingshott
      Christine O’Donnell
      Christine Reeves
      Christine Tapper
      Christopher Fielden
      Christopher Searle
      CJ Nicol
      CJ Wigg
      CL Wearne
      Claire Allinson
      Claire Apps
      Claire Gagnon
      Claire Gee
      Claire Lee
      Claire Schön
      Claire Taylor
      Claire Temple
      Clara Baird
      Clare Owen
      Clare Tivey
      Clarrie Rose
      Cleiton Pinho
      Colette KrielColleen Hue
      CompletelyBoofyBlitzed
      Constance Bourg
      Crilly O’Neil
      Cristina Bresser
      Cynthia Akagi
      Dan McConnell
      Daniel L. Link
      Daniel McClaskey
      Danielle Linsey
      Danny Macks
      Darci-Leigh Robinson-Askew
      Darren Hackett
      Dave Firth
      David Batteiger
      David Brewis
      David Conway
      David Don
      David Guilfoyle
      David Heaton
      David John Griffin
      David Lowis
      David McTigue
      David Rhymes
      David S Mitchell
      David Silver
      David Turton
      David Vargas Alfonso
      David Viner
      David Wright
      Dean Hollands
      Debaprasad Mukherjee
      Debbie Rolls
      Debbie Singh
      Deborah Wroe
      Dee La Vardera
      Dee Tilsley
      Denis Joseph
      Denise Senecal
      Derek McMillan
      Devin Greene
      Devon Goodchild
      Dez T.
      Diana Senechal
      Diane de Anda
      Diane Harding
      Dianne D. Pingalo
      Dimiana Wassef
      Dinesh Shihantha De Silva
      Dionne Burton
      Diontae Jaegli
      Don Bartlome
      Don Marler
      Dorothy Francis
      Doug Forrest
      Doug Hawley
      Douglas J. Shearer
      Dr. Sriharsha Sripathi
      DT Langdale
      Duane L. Herrmann
      E. F. S. Byrne
      Edmund Piper
      Edward Mortenson
      Edward Rouse
      Edwin Stern
      Eileen Baldwin
      Elaine Carlyle
      Eleanor Dickenson
      Elena Zhuang
      Elizabeth Lamb
      Elizabeth Stanley
      Ella Cass
      Ella Wilson
      Elliot Cambrey
      Em Daurio
      Emily K Martin
      Emily Knight
      Emma Burnett
      Emma Nokes
      Emma Robertson
      Emma Stammeyer
      Emma Wilson
      Erin Hardman
      Esosa Kolawole
      Evelyn Hawke
      Everest Pen
      Evie Nicol
      Ezeh Michael Ogonna
      Fabio Crispim
      Farzaneh Hajirasouliha
      Fay Franklin
      Fee Johnstone
      Felix Castrillon
      Femi S. Craigwell
      Finlay Thomas Tweedie
      Fiona Aitken
      Fiona Campbell
      Fiona Flower
      Fliss Zakaszewska
      Franca Basta
      Frances Tate
      Francesca Pappadogiannis
      Francisca Staines
      Frank Daurio
      Frank Havemann
      Frank Hubeny
      Frank Radcliffe
      G. Gaurav
      Gail Everett
      Gary Couzens
      Gary McGrath
      Gavin Biddlecombe
      Gemma Bevan
      Gemma Martiskainen
      Geoff Freedman
      Geoff Holme
      George Cornilă
      Gillian M Seed
      Gillian Macleod
      Ginger Marcinkowski
      Gitanjali Escobar Travieso
      Glen Donaldson
      Glo Curl
      Gloria Ames
      Glynis Ann Downey
      Gordon Williams
      Gowravy Ravanan
      Grace Turner-Higgins
      Grannd Kane
      Grant McKain
      Grant O’Townson
      Gwyneth Williams
      Gwynne Weir
      Hajra Saeed
      Haley M. Hwang
      Hannah Brown
      Hannah Cole
      Harley Logan Thompson
      Harriet Payne
      Hazel Turner
      Heather Haigh
      Heather Stuart Primbs
      Heidi Lobecker
      Heidi Vanlandingham
      Helen Aitchison
      Helen Combe
      Helen Matthews
      Helen Merrick
      Hervé Suys
      Hilary Taylor
      Holly Garcia
      Holly Webster
      Huguette Van Akkeren
      Hullabaloo22
      Ian Andrew
      Ian Buzard
      Ian James Stewart
      Ian Tucker
      Ibukun Keyamo
      Imogen Argent
      IR Belletti
      Irene Banfield
      Iris & Phil Hatchard
      Irving Benjamin
      Isabel Flynn
      Isabella Rae Wharton-McLellan
      Iuliana Khadyxa Filisanu
      Ivan Richardson
      Ixai Salvo
      J. L. Harland
      J. Rosina Harlow
      J.S Taols
      Jace Henderson
      Jacek Wilkos
      Jack Dabell
      Jack Dudley
      Jack Hanlon
      Jack Purkis
      Jackie Batteiger
      Jackie Hindmarsh
      Jacky Ellis
      Jade Swann
      Jaimen Shires
      Jaine Irish
      Jake Cosmos Aller
      James Braun
      James Byrne
      James Colfox
      James Crerar
      James Hornby
      James Louis Peel
      James Northern
      James Pemberton
      James Sanders
      James Smart
      Jamie Graham
      Jamie Welch
      Jan Brown
      Jan Courtney
      Jane Fell
      Jane Imrie
      Jane Sleight
      Janet L Davies
      Janet Lister
      Jasmine Hunt
      Jasmine Lee
      Jasmine Tan Chin Chwee
      Jason B
      Jason Barbo
      Jay Bee
      Jayanta Bhaumik
      Jaycee Durand
      Jayne Morgan
      Jaz Leigh
      Jeff Kemp
      Jeffrey H. Toney
      Jeni Lawes
      Jennifer Hankin
      Jennifer P. L. Leong
      Jennifer Riddalls
      Jenny Butler
      Jenny Drury
      Jenny Simmons
      Jerome Parsons
      Jerry Wilson
      Jessica Bowden
      Jessica Everitt
      Jessica Joy
      Jessica Kirby
      Jessica Richard
      Jessica Turnbull
      Jill Lang
      Jimmy Doom
      Jo Howarth
      Joan C. Hobart
      Joanna Ball
      Jocelyn Wong
      Jodi Nicholls
      Jodi Novak
      Joe Bailey
      Joe Brothers
      Joe McMullen
      Johanna McDonald
      Johannah Lipscher Simon
      John Bevan
      John Cooper
      John D Lary
      John Hannan
      John Holland
      John Holmes
      John James Morris
      John L Bell
      John Lane
      John Mark Miller
      John Notley
      John Rivers
      John Robertson
      John S Alty
      John Vandore
      Jon Drake
      Jon Spencer
      Jonathan Fryer
      Jonathan Hastings
      Jonathan Hunter
      Jonathan Inglesfield
      Jonathan Martindale
      Jonathan Pacheco
      Jordan B. Jolley
      Jordan Bahnub
      Jordis Fasheh
      Jose Luis Torres
      Joseph Lancaster
      Joseph Mould
      Josephine Queen
      Josh Joseph Dixon
      Josh Leeson
      Josie Gowler
      Joy Thomas
      Joyce Bingham
      Joyce Walker
      JS Cline
      Judi Edwards
      Judy Reeves
      Julia Graves
      Julia O’Dowd
      Julia T. Spano
      Julia Wood
      Julie Goodswen
      Julie Howard
      Julie Mayger
      Julie Stone
      Justine Quammie
      Justyce Solomon
      K. J. Watson
      Kaelin Lee
      Kailin Guo
      Kaitlin Ellis
      Karen Bevan
      Karen McClure
      Karen McDermott
      Karen Rust
      Karen Waldron
      Karen Walker
      Karen Western
      Kate Hamilton
      Kate Leimer
      Kate Miller
      Katerina Hellam
      Katherine Kogoy
      Kathleen E Williams
      Kathleen Hearnshaw
      Kathleen Keenan
      Kathryn Dixon
      Kathryn Evans
      Kathryn J Barrow
      Kathryn Joyce
      Kathryn Smith
      Katie Chapman
      Katie Labbe
      Katie Pepper
      Katie Singer
      Katy Clayton
      Kavitha Yarlagadda
      Kay Sandry
      Keian Murray
      Keith Pearson-Sandelands
      Kelly Van Nelson
      Kelsey Gallo
      Kelsey Juean Irving
      Kennedy Meechan
      Kenneth Cahall
      Kent Raddatz
      Kerry Robinson
      Khamis Kabeu
      Kim Hart
      Kim Montgomery
      Kim Steindel
      Kim Witbeck
      Kimana McCallum
      Kimberly Owen
      Kira Inglis
      Kirk I. Holden
      Kitty Litteur
      Klaus Gehling
      KM Arhel
      Kolade Ajila
      Kudakwashe Chirapa
      Kwame M.A. McPherson
      Kylan Fedje
      L J King
      L J McQueen
      L. A. Cunningham
      L.E. Daurio
      Laila Miller
      Laura Besley
      Laura Day
      Laura Foakes
      Lauren J. Phillips
      Lauren M Foster
      Lauren Raybould
      Laurie Hicks
      Layla Ahmed
      Layla Calarco
      Layla Rogers
      Lee Foley
      Lee Holland
      Lee Kull
      Leigh Hastings
      Len Saculla
      Lena MacDonald
      Lesley Anne Truchet
      Levi Earl
      Lewis Ayers
      Lexikon
      Liam Hogan
      Liam Lawer
      Liam Rayner
      Libby Batteiger
      Lidia Giusa
      Lim Swee Kim
      Linda Foy
      Linda Hibbin
      Linda Jones
      Linda Lewis
      Linda Scogings
      Linda Smith
      Linda Taylor
      Lindsey Esplin
      Lindy Gibbon
      Linn Kier
      Lisa Miller
      Lisa Reynolds
      Lisa Stone
      Livia Furia
      Liz Berg
      Liz Howard
      Liz Krogman
      Lorna Dougan
      Lorna Stewart
      Lorraine Smith
      Louise Burgess
      Louise Furre
      Louise Goulding
      Louise Snape
      Lucinda Thelwell
      Lucy Camilla
      Lucy Lucy
      Lucy Morrice
      Lumen Ros
      Lydia Collins
      Lyndsay Lomax
      Lynn Gale
      Lynn Morcombe
      Lynn White
      Lynn Zeleski
      Lynne Arnot
      Lynne Chitty
      Lynsey Calvert
      M Anthony David
      Madamraj Mrinalini
      Maddy Hamley
      Madeleine McCabe
      Madeleine McDonald
      Madeline Green
      Madiana Dethan
      Madison Pickering
      Maggie Elliott
      Mahek Khwaja
      Mairead Robinson
      Majella Pinto
      Malcolm Richardson
      Manda Riehl
      Mandy Raywood
      Mandy Whyman
      Marci Girton
      Marco Cardoni
      Margaret Bell
      Margaret Davis
      Margee Unger
      Maria Carvalho
      Maria DePaul
      Maria Noble
      Mariam Bibi
      Mariam Mansuryan
      Marie Arbon
      Marie McGinn
      Marieta Maglas
      Marilyn Rucker
      Mark Burke
      Mark J Towers
      Mark Johnson
      Mark Pritchard
      Mark Stocker
      Marsha K. Hanson
      Martin Strike
      Mary Daurio
      Mary Dharsi
      Mary Papageorgiou
      Mary Prior
      Mason Bell
      Matilda Pinto
      Matthew Bines
      Matthew Dawson
      Matthew Galic
      Matthew Gooch
      Matthew J Morine
      Matthew Kerns
      Matthew Willis
      Max Dobb
      Maxine Smith
      Maxx Dominic
      Maya Barnett
      Mckenzie Tompson
      Medeia Sharif
      Meg Gain
      Meghan O’Brien
      Mehak Vijay Chawla
      Melanie Goodell
      Melissa Odom
      Melody Bowers
      Meredith Argent
      MF Mika
      Mhairi Bakertzi
      Michael E James
      Michael Farmer
      Michael Hardy
      Michael J. Labbe
      Michael J. Lowis
      Michael Lane
      Michael Mclaughlin
      Michael Rumsey
      Michael Swift
      Michael Ward
      Michaela Mechura
      Michele Kelly
      Michele Witthaus
      Michelle Compton
      Michelle Cook
      Michelle Konov
      Michelle Weaver
      Micky Rowe
      Mike Blakemore
      Mike Scott Thomson
      Miriam Hurdle
      Misa Hennin
      Mohamed Atta Amer
      Mohit Dass
      Muriel Garvis
      Murodova Marjona
      Myron Dunavan
      N. J. Spencer
      N.B. Craven
      Nam Raj Khatri
      Natalia Wojcik-Smith
      Natalie Marshall
      Natalie Wu
      Natasha Ali
      Natasha Nagle
      Nathaniel David Knox
      Neil Brooks
      Neil D Cross
      Neil Davie
      Neil Goodwin
      Neil Phillips
      Neil Renton
      Niamh Burke
      Nick Fairclough
      Nicole Loh
      Niina Olenbluu
      Nikki Butcher
      Nili Roberts
      Noel Alcoba
      Norm Veasman
      NT Franklin
      Nurholis
      Oghogho Odiase
      Olatz Irigarai
      Oliver Lynton
      Olivia Ackers
      Olivia Magnuson
      Olivia-Ann Saxton
      Olusanya Anjorin
      Oort Kuiper
      Oriel Dobb
      Oscar Kenway
      Özge Göztürk
      Paige Murray
      Pam Jackson
      Pam Knapp
      Pamela Hibbert
      Pamela Pope
      Pappo Nindo
      Parzival Sattva
      Pat Hough
      Patricia Mudge
      Patricia Tarrant Brown
      Patrick Antonio
      Patrick Christian
      Patrick Moorhouse
      Patrick ten Brink
      Paul Mastaglio
      Paul Phillips
      Paul Rhodes
      Paul Shaw
      Paula Lacey
      Paulette Pierre
      Peggy Gerber
      Penelope Henry
      Pete Armstrong
      Peter Gregory & David Gough
      Peter J. Corbally
      Peter Loftus
      Peter Stanton
      Phil Maud
      Phil Thomas
      Philip Charter
      Phoebe Tatham
      PJ Stephenson
      Prajith Menon
      Prisha Gupta
      R. J. Kinnarney
      R.A. Krueger
      R.J. Saxon
      Rachael Hinshaw
      Rachel Smith
      Rachel Wood
      Rafe Bellers
      Rajagopal Kaimal
      Ray Sarlin
      Raymond E. Strawn III
      Raymond Sloan
      Rebecca Capel
      Rebecca Hubbard
      Rebecca Krohman
      Rebeccah Yeadon
      Reed Markham
      Reha Tanör
      Renate Schiansky
      Rene Astle
      Rex Charger
      Richard Anthony Morris
      Richard Freeman
      Richard H. Argent
      Richard Stanley
      Richard Swaine
      Ripunjoy Borgohain
      RJS Cantwell
      RK
      RL Comstock
      Rob Bray
      Rob Vogt
      Robbie Brown
      Robbie Porter
      Robert Adams
      Robert Alan Ryder
      Robert Brewis
      Robert Kombol
      Robert Tucker
      Robert Wood
      Roberta Scafidi
      Roger Newton
      Roger West
      Rohana Chomick
      Ron Smith
      Ronald Hall
      Ros Byrne
      Ros Masterson
      Rosalind Adam
      Rosalind Newton
      Rose Farris
      Roshna Rusiniya
      Rosie Arcane
      Rosie Cullen
      Ross Lowe
      Rowan Lewis
      Roz Levens
      Rudy S. Uribe Jr.
      Rui Soares
      Rupert Payne
      Ruth Pedley
      Ryan Fell
      Ryu Ando
      S Thomson-Hillis
      S. M. Chiles
      S. Rupsha Mitra
      S. W. Hardy
      S.B. Borgersen
      S.E. Taylor
      Sachin Prakash
      Sagar Jadhav
      Sai Muthukumar
      Sally Skeptic
      Sam Freer
      Sam May
      Samantha Gentzel
      Samantha Gunton
      Sandee Lee
      Sandra ‘Chas’ Hines
      Sandra Orellana
      Sandra Purdy
      Sarah Ann Hall
      Sarah Brown
      Sarah Burrett
      Sarah Charmley
      Sarah Engeham
      Sarah Everett
      Sarah Fletcher
      Sarah Hoad
      Sarah Jae Walsh
      Sarah Littleton
      Sarah Mosedale
      Sarah Stansfield
      Sarah Stephenson
      Saras Ojha
      Sarthak Das
      Saskia Ashby
      Scott Parent
      Sean Bain
      Sean Tobias May
      Sebastian Cowen
      Seth Turner-Higgins
      Shahnaz Ali
      Shannon J Alger
      Sharon Pinner
      Shaun Clarke
      Shauna Elizabeth Murray
      Sheannah Guillemette
      Sheila Rosart
      Shelly Teems
      Shirley Muir
      Shobha Wilson
      Sidonie Baylis
      Siegfried E Finser
      Sihaam Osman
      Silver Morris
      Simone Wallace
      Sivan Pillai
      Skylar Kim
      Smritirekha Talukdar
      Sophia Manubay
      Sophie Henson
      Sophie Scriven
      Sreedevi Ganti Mahapatra
      Stefan Dimitrov
      Stephanie Ngoei
      Stephanie Potts
      Stephen P. Thompson
      Stephie Simpson
      Steve Lodge
      Steven Barrett
      Stuart Atkinson
      Sue Johnson
      Sue Moos
      Sue Partridge
      Sue Vincent
      Sunshine Tibod
      Susan Howarth
      Susan Wickham
      Susanne Berger
      Susi J Smith
      Susie Frame
      Swi Neo Mary Yap
      Sydney Clarence
      Sylvia Ketchum
      Syreeta Muir
      T. Luxton
      T. W. Garland
      T.L. Shenkin
      T.N.M. Sheppard
      Tamires Cunha
      Tamsin Partington
      Tanya Butler
      Tanya Hill
      Tanya Johnson
      Tarquin Calver
      Taye Carrol
      Taylor Elliott
      Taylor Moore
      Ted Bragg
      Tess M Shepherd
      Tessa Elliott
      Thatchayani Ravanan
      Thomas Belmar
      Thomas James Busby
      Thomas O’Mara
      Tiarnán Murphy
      Tiffany Williams
      Tim Gomersall
      Tim Warren
      Tom Bullimore
      Tom Gaunt
      Toni G.
      Toni Peers
      Tonia Nem
      Tony Lawrence
      Tony Mooney
      Tony Thatcher
      Tony Tremblett
      Tracey Maitland
      TS Lanchbery
      Ty Hall
      Umme Ammarah
      Val Chapman
      Valerie Fish
      Valerie Griffin
      Valerie J Shay
      Veena Rah
      Veronica Crerar
      Vesper Wunderlin
      Vichar Lochan
      Vicki Murray
      Vicki Sinclair
      Vicky Garlick
      Victoria Gaylor
      Violet James
      Vishnu Nandan
      Vivian Oldaker
      Vivienne O’Boyle
      W. E. Jones
      W. G. Miller
      Waltraud Pospischil
      Wanda Wright
      Wayne B. Chorney
      Wayne Hewitt
      Wendy Christopher
      Wendy Fletcher
      Wendy Roe
      William Telford
      Wright Stone
      Wyatt Payne
      Yabo Anderson
      Yelena Kart
      Yvonne Clarke
      Yvonne Mastaglio
      Zoe J Walker
      Zoey Rowan

    The End

     

     

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Reading the Classics Updated

    Reading G Keith Chesterton

    George Elliot Novels

    Stuart Woods RIP

    Reading the Classics

    Reading the Classics Updated Lists

    As some of you know I have been reading the classics.  I found a three-volume series on Kindle titled 50 books you must read before you die, and also found the Harvard classics.

    I will write a review of each book as I finish it. This will probably take me until next year but I have finished about half of the 150 books. Some are fast reads, and some are very slow because the 19th century writers wrote too damn long books for modern readers.

    Not all the classics are in the list below.  I  will add those to the list at the end of the list.

    I have written reviews on G Chesterton’s work (below)

    Reading G Keith Chesterton

    And on George Elliot as well (below)

    George Elliot Novels

    And although Stuart Woods is not a classic author, I have written a review of his work as I have read most of his writing. (below)

    Stuart Woods RIP

    Here’s the list of books read – bolded I have finished,

    Harvard Classics

    Bolded read

    (1) Franklin, Woolman, Penn

     (2) Plato, Epictetus,

     Marcus, Aurelius Meditations

    (3) Bacon, Milton’s Prose, Thomas Browne

    (4) Complete Poems in English: Milton

    (5) Essays and English Traits: Emerson (

    6) Poems and Songs: Burns (7)

    Confessions of St. Augustine. Imitation of Christ

    (8) Nine Greek Dramas (9) Letters and Treatises of Cicero and Pliny

    (8) Nine Greek Dramas (9) Letters and Treatises of Cicero and Pliny

    (10) Wealth of Nations: Adam Smith

    (11) Origin of Species: Darwin

    (12) Plutarch’s Lives (13)

     Aeneid Virgil (14)

    Don Quixote Part 1: Cervantes

    (15)Pilgrim’s Progress. Donne

    Herbert. Bunyan, Walton

    (16) The Thousand and One Nights

    (17) Folk-Lore and Fable. Aesop, Grimm, Andersen

    (18) Modern English Drama

    (19) Faust, Egmont Etc. Doctor Faustus, Goethe, Marlowe

    (20) The Divine Comedy: Dante

    (21) I Promessi Sposi, Manzoni

    (22) The Odyssey: Homer

    (23) Two Years Before the Mast. Dana

    (24) On the Sublime French Revolution Etc. Burke

    (25) Autobiography Etc. Essays and Addresses: J.S. Mill, T. Carlyle

    (26) Continental Drama

    (27) English Essays: Sidney to Macaulay

    (28) Essays. English and American

    (29) Voyage of the Beagle: Darwin (

    30) Faraday, Helmholtz, Kelvin, Newcomb, Geikie

    (31) Autobiography: Benvenuto, Cellini

    (32) Literary and Philosophical Essays: Montaigne, Sainte Beuve, Renan, Lessing, Schiller, Kant, Mazzini

    (33) Voyages and Travels

    (34) Descartes, Voltaire, Rousseau, Hobbes

    (35) Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed (36)

    Machiavelli, More, Luther

    (37) Locke, Berkeley, Hume

    (38) Harvey, Jenner, Lister, Pasteur

    (39) Famous Prefaces

    (40) English Poetry 1: Chaucer to Gray

    (41) English Poetry 2: Collins to Fitzgerald

    (42) English Poetry 3: Tennyson to Whitman

    (43) American Historical Documents

    (44) Sacred Writings 1

    (45) Sacred Writings 2

    (46) Elizabethan Drama 1

    (47) Elizabethan Drama 2

    (48) Thoughts and Minor Works: Pascal

    (49) Epic and Saga (

    50) Introduction, Readers Guide,

     

    50 Masterpieces You Have to Read Before you Die

    Started reading the first one of volume 3

    Bolded indicated I have read it .

    Vol 1

    Alcott, Louisa May: Little Women
    Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice
    Austen, Jane: Emma
    Balzac, Honoré de: Father Goriot
    Barbusse, Henri: The Inferno
    Brontë, Anne: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
    Brontë, Charlotte: Jane Eyre
    Brontë, Emily: Wuthering Heights
    Burroughs, Edgar Rice: Tarzan of the Apes
    Butler, Samuel: The Way of All Flesh
    Carroll, Lewis: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
    Cather, Willa: My Ántonia
    Cervantes, Miguel de: Don Quixote
    Chopin, Kate: The Awakening
    Cleland, John: Fanny Hill
    Collins, Wilkie: The Moonstone
    Conrad, Joseph: Heart of Darkness
    Conrad, Joseph: Nostromo
    Cooper, James Fenimore: The Last of the Mohicans
    Crane, Stephen: The Red Badge of Courage
    Cummings, E. E.: The Enormous Room
    Defoe, Daniel: Robinson Crusoe
    Defoe, Daniel: Moll Flanders
    Dickens, Charles: Bleak House
    Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations
    Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: Crime and Punishment
    Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: The Idiot
    Doyle, Arthur Conan: The Hound of the Baskervilles
    Dreiser, Theodore: Sister Carrie
    Dumas, Alexandre: The Three Musketeers
    Dumas, Alexandre: The Count of Monte Cristo
    Eliot, George: Middlemarch
    Fielding, Henry: Tom Jones
    Flaubert, Gustave: Madame Bovary
    Flaubert, Gustave: Sentimental Education
    Ford, Ford Madox: The Good Soldier
    Forster, E. M.: A Room With a View
    Forster, E. M.: Howards End
    Gaskell, Elizabeth: North and South
    Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von: The Sorrows of Young Werther
    Gogol, Nikolai: Dead Souls
    Gorky, Maxim: The Mother
    Haggard, H. Rider: King Solomon’s Mines
    Hardy, Thomas: Tess of the D’Urbervilles
    Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The Scarlet Letter
    Homer: The Odyssey
    Hugo, Victor: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
    Hugo, Victor: Les Misérables
    Huxley, Aldous: Crome Yellow
    James, Henry: The Portrait of a Lady

    Volume 2

    – Little Women [Louisa May Alcott]
    – Sense and Sensibility [Jane Austen]
    – Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy) [J.M. Barrie]
    – Cabin Fever [ B. M. Bower]
    – The Secret Garden [Frances Hodgson Burnett]
    – A Little Princess [Frances Hodgson Burnett]
    – The King in Yellow [Robert William Chambers]
    – The Man Who Knew Too Much [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Woman in White [Wilkie Collins]
    – The Most Dangerous Game [Richard Connell]
    – On the Origin of Species, 6th Edition [Charles Darwin]
    – Robinson Crusoe [Daniel Defoe]
    – The Iron Woman [Margaret Deland]
    – David Copperfield [Charles Dickens]
    – Oliver Twist [Charles Dickens]
    – A Tale of Two Cities [Charles Dickens]
    – The Double [Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Francis Scott Fitzgerald]
    – Dream Psychology [Sigmund Freud]
    – Tess of the d’Urbervilles [Thomas Hardy]
    – Siddhartha [Hermann Hesse]
    – Dubliners [James Joyce]
    – The Fall of the House of Usher [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Arabian Nights [Andrew Lang]
    – The Sea Wolf [Jack London]
    – The Call of Cthulhu [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – Anne of Green Gables [Lucy Maud Montgomery]
    – Beyond Good and Evil [Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche]
    – The Murders in the Rue Morgue [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Black Cat [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Raven [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – Swann’s Way [Marcel Proust]
    – Romeo and Juliet [William Shakespeare]
    – Treasure Island [Robert Louis Stevenson]
    – The Elements of Style [William Strunk Jr.

     

    Vol 3

    – What’s Bred in the Bone [Grant Allen]
    – The Golden Ass [Lucius Apuleius]
    – Meditations [Marcus Aurelius]
    – Northanger Abbey [Jane Austen]
    – Lady Susan [Jane Austen]
    – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [Lyman Frank Baum]
    – The Art of Public Speaking [Dale Breckenridge Carnegie]
    – The Blazing World [Margaret Cavendish]
    – The Wisdom of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – Heretics [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Donnington Affair [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Innocence of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [John Cleland]
    – The Moonstone [Wilkie Collins]
    – Lord Jim [Joseph Conrad]
    – The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe [Daniel Defoe]
    – The Pickwick Papers [Charles Dickens]
    – A Christmas Carol [Charles Dickens]
    – Notes From The Underground [Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    – The Gambler par Fyodor [Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    – The Lost World [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Hound of the Baskervilles [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Sign of the Four [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Man in the Iron Mask [Alexandre Dumas]
    – This Side of Paradise [Francis Scott Fitzgerald]
    – Curious, If True: Strange Tales [Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell]
    – Kim [Rudyard Kipling]
    – Captains Courageous [Rudyard Kipling]
    – The Jungle Book [Rudyard Kipling]
    – Lady Chatterley’s Lover [David Herbert Lawrence]
    – The Son of the Wolf [Jack London]
    – The Einstein Theory of Relativity [Hendrik Antoon Lorentz]
    – The Dunwich Horror [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – At the Mountains of Madness [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – The Prince [Niccolò Machiavelli]
    – The Story Girl [Lucy Maud Montgomery]
    – The Antichrist [Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche]
    – The Republic [Plato]
    – The Last Man [Mary Shelley]
    – Life On The Mississippi [Mark Twain]
    – The Kama Sutra [Vatsyayana]
    – In the Year 2889 [Jules Verne]
    – Around the World in Eighty Days [Jules Verne]
    – Four Just Men [Edgar Wallace]
    – Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ [Lewis Wallace]
    Jacob’s Room [Virginia Woolf]

    For the rest of the list see https://wp.me/p7NAzO-2qH

    Reading the Classics

    1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

    These lists are somewhat duplicative so I have tried to combine into one list.

    The books on Boxall’s list, which is found in the 5 editions of the published book
    with a TOTAL NUMBER OF 1315 books.

    1001 Books Basic list  (combined lists)

     

    Book Title Author
    Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Adams, Douglas
    Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Adams, Douglas
    The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul Adams, Douglas
    Aesop’s Fables Aesopus
    Little Women Alcott, Louisa May
    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Angelou, Maya
    The Thousand and One Nights Anonymous
    I, Robot Asimov, Isaac
    Foundation Asimov, Isaac
    The Handmaid’s Tale Atwood, Margaret
    Sense and Sensibility Austen, Jane
    Pride and Prejudice Austen, Jane
    Mansfield Park Austen, Jane
    Emma Austen, Jane
    Aesop’s Fables Aesopus
    Novel With Cocaine Ageyev, M.
    In The Heart of the Seas Agnon, Shmuel Yosef
    Rashomon Akutagawa, Ryunosuke
    The Regent’s Wife Alas, Leopoldo
    Little Women Alcott, Louisa May
    Broad and Alien is the World Alegria, Ciro
    The Man With the Golden Arm Algren, Nelson
    Fantômas Allain, Marcel
    The House of the Spirits Allende, Isabel
    Of Love and Shadows Allende, Isabel
    Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon Amado, Jorge
    Tent of Miracles Amado, Jorge
    Cause for Alarm Ambler, Eric
    Lucky Jim Amis, Kingsley
    The Green Man Amis, Kingsley
    The Old Devils Amis, Kingsley
    Dead Babies Amis, Martin
    Money: A Suicide Note Amis, Martin
    London Fields Amis, Martin
    Time’s Arrow Amis, Martin
    The Information Amis, Martin
    I’m Not Scared Ammaniti, Niccolo
    Untouchable Anand, Mulk Raj
    The Commandant Anderson, Jessica
    The Bridge on the Drina Andrić, Ivo
    Bosnian Chronicle Andrić, Ivo
    Ashes and Diamonds Andrzejewski, Jerzy
    The Thousand and One Nights Anonymous
    The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter Anonymous
    The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes Anonymous
    Fado Alexandrino Antunes, Antonio Lobo
    The Bells of Basel Aragon, Louis
    Memoirs of Martinus Scriblerus Arbuthnot, John et al
    Before Night Falls Arenas, Reinaldo
    Deep Rivers Arguedas, José María
    The Twilight Years Ariyoshi, Sawako
    The Green Hat Arlen, Michael
    Surfacing Atwood, Margaret
    Cat’s Eye Atwood, Margaret
    The Robber Bride Atwood, Margaret
    Alias Grace Atwood, Margaret
    The Blind Assassin Atwood, Margaret
    Obabakoak Atxaga, Bernardo
    The New York Trilogy Auster, Paul
    Moon Palace Auster, Paul
    The Music of Chance Auster, Paul
    Mr. Vertigo Auster, Paul
    Timbuktu Auster, Paul
    The Book of Illusions Auster, Paul
    Invisible Auster, Paul
    The Underdogs Azuela, Mariano
    Foucault’s Pendulum Eco, Umberto
    So Long a Letter Ba, Mariama
    Go Tell It on the Mountain Baldwin, James
    Giovanni’s Room Baldwin, James
    The Drowned World Ballard, J.G.
    The Atrocity Exhibition Ballard, J.G.
    Crash Ballard, J.G.
    High Rise Ballard, J.G.
    Cocaine Nights Ballard, J.G.
    Super-Cannes Ballard, J.G.
    Eugénie Grandet Balzac, Honoré de
    Père Goriot Balzac, Honoré de
    Lost Illusions Balzac, Honoré de
    The Wasp Factory Banks, Iain
    The Crow Road Banks, Iain
    Complicity Banks, Iain
    Dead Air Banks, Iain
    The Player of Games Banks, Iain M.
    Cloudsplitter Banks, Russell
    The Newton Letter Banville, John
    The Book of Evidence Banville, John
    The Untouchable Banville, John
    Shroud Banville, John
    The Sea Banville, John
    Elegance of the Hedgehog Barbery, Muriel
    The Inferno Barbusse, Henri
    Under Fire Barbusse, Henri
    Silk Baricco, Alessandro
    H(A)PPY Barker, Nicola
    Regeneration Barker, Pat
    The Ghost Road Barker, Pat
    Another World Barker, Pat
    Nightwood Barnes, Djuna
    Flaubert’s Parrot Barnes, Julian
    The Sense of an Ending Barnes, Julian
    The Floating Opera Barth, John
    The End of the Road Barth, John
    Come Back, Dr. Caligari Barthelme, Donald
    The Dead Father Barthelme, Donald
    Amateurs Barthelme, Donald
    Alamut Bartol, Vladimir
    The Garden of the Finzi-Continis Bassani, Giorgio
    Story of the Eye Bataille, Georges
    The Abbot C Bataille, Georges
    Blue of Noon Bataille, Georges
    The Mandarins Beauvoir, Simone de
    Jacob the Liar Becker, Jurek
    Murphy Beckett, Samuel
    Molloy Beckett, Samuel
    Malone Dies Beckett, Samuel
    Watt Beckett, Samuel
    The Unnamable Beckett, Samuel
    How It Is Beckett, Samuel
    Mercier and Camier Beckett, Samuel
    Worstward Ho Beckett, Samuel
    Vathek Beckford, William Thomas
    Borstal Boy Behan, Brendan
    Oroonoko Behn, Aphra
    Dangling Man Bellow, Saul
    The Victim Bellow, Saul
    The Adventures of Augie March Bellow, Saul
    Seize the Day Bellow, Saul
    Humboldt’s Gift Bellow, Saul
    The Old Wives’ Tale Bennett, Arnold
    G Berger, John
    Under Satan’s Sun Bernanos, Georges
    Correction Bernhard, Thomas
    Yes Bernhard, Thomas
    Concrete Bernhard, Thomas
    Wittgenstein’s Nephew Bernhard, Thomas
    Old Masters Bernhard, Thomas
    Extinction Bernhard, Thomas
    Death Sentence Blanchot, Maurice
    Savage Detectives Bolaño, Roberto
    2666 Bolaño, Roberto
    Billiards at Half-Past Nine Böll, Heinrich
    Group Portrait With Lady Böll, Heinrich
    The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum Böll, Heinrich
    The Safety Net Böll, Heinrich
    Ficciones Borges, Jorge Luis
    Labyrinths Borges, Jorge Luis
    This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen Borowski, Tadeusz
    The Last September Bowen, Elizabeth
    To the North Bowen, Elizabeth
    The House in Paris Bowen, Elizabeth
    The Heat of the Day Bowen, Elizabeth
    A World of Love Bowen, Elizabeth
    Eva Trout Bowen, Elizabeth
    World’s End Boyle, T. Coraghessan
    Drop City Boyle, T. Coraghessan
    In Watermelon Sugar Brautigan, Richard
    Willard and His Bowling Trophies Brautigan, Richard
    Threepenny Novel Brecht, Bertolt
    Nadja Breton, André
    Arcanum 17 Breton, André
    A Dry White Season Brink, Andre
    Testament of Youth Brittain, Vera
    The Death of Virgil Broch, Hermann
    The Guiltless Broch, Hermann
    Agnes Grey Brontë, Anne
    The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Brontë, Anne
    Shirley Brontë, Charlotte
    Villette Brontë, Charlotte
    A World for Julius Bryce Echenique, Alfredo
    The Thirty-Nine Steps Buchan, John
    The Master and Margarita Bulgakov, Mikhail
    The Pilgrim’s Progress Bunyan, John
    A Clockwork Orange Burgess, Anthony
    Inside Mr. Enderby Burgess, Anthony
    Evelina Burney, Fanny
    Cecilia Burney, Fanny
    Camilla Burney, Fanny
    Junkie Burroughs, William
    The Wild Boys Burroughs, William
    Queer Burroughs, William
    Erewhon Butler, Samuel
    The Way of All Flesh Butler, Samuel
    The Tartar Steppe Buzzati, Dino
    The Virgin in the Garden Byatt, A.S.
    Possession Byatt, A.S.
    The Children’s Book Byatt, A.S.
    Three Trapped Tigers Cabrera Infante, Guillermo
    The Postman Always Rings Twice Cain, James M.
    House in the Uplands Caldwell, Erskine
    The Path to the Nest of Spiders Calvino, Italo
    Our Ancestors Calvino, Italo
    Invisible Cities Calvino, Italo
    The Castle of Crossed Destinies Calvino, Italo
    If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler Calvino, Italo
    The Lusiads Camões, Luís de
    The Outsider Camus, Albert
    The Plague Camus, Albert
    The Rebel Camus, Albert
    Auto-da-Fé Canetti, Elias
    A Dream of Red Mansions Cao, Xueqin
    War with the Newts Capek, Karel
    Breakfast at Tiffany’s Capote, Truman
    In Cold Blood Capote, Truman
    Oscar and Lucinda Carey, Peter
    Jack Maggs Carey, Peter
    Kingdom of This World Carpentier, Alejo
    The Lost Steps Carpentier, Alejo
    The Passion of New Eve Carter, Angela
    Nights at the Circus Carter, Angela
    Wise Children Carter, Angela
    Bebo’s Girl Cassola, Carlo
    Solitude Catala, Victor
    The Professor’s House Cather, Willa
    Journey to the Alcarria Cela, Camilo Jose
    The Hive Cela, Camilo Jose
    Journey to the End of the Night Céline, Louis-Ferdinand
    Soldiers of Salamis Cercas, Javier
    The Travels of Persiles and Sigismunda Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
    The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Chabon, Michael
    The Big Sleep Chandler, Raymond
    Farewell My Lovely Chandler, Raymond
    The Long Goodbye Chandler, Raymond
    Wild Swans Chang, Jung
    Chaireas and Kallirhoe Chariton
    On the Black Hill Chatwin, Bruce
    The Riddle of the Sands Childers, Erskine
    The Awakening Chopin, Kate
    The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Christie, Agatha
    On the Heights of Despair Cioran, Emil
    2001: A Space Odyssey Clarke, Arthur C.
    The Sorrow of Belgium Claus, Hugo
    The Holy Terrors Cocteau, Jean
    What a Carve Up! Coe, Jonathan
    Veronika Decides to Die Coelho, Paulo
    The Devil and Ms. Prym Coelho, Paulo
    Dusklands Coetzee, J.M.
    In the Heart of the Country Coetzee, J.M.
    Waiting for the Barbarians Coetzee, J.M.
    The Life and Times of Michael K Coetzee, J.M.
    Foe Coetzee, J.M.
    The Master of Petersburg Coetzee, J.M.
    Disgrace Coetzee, J.M.
    Youth Coetzee, J.M.
    Elizabeth Costello Coetzee, J.M.
    Slow Man Coetzee, J.M.
    Belle du Seigneur Cohen, Albert
    Claudine’s House Colette
    The Woman in White Collins, Wilkie
    The Lion of Flanders Conscience, Hendrik
    Pricksongs and Descants Coover, Robert
    The Public Burning Coover, Robert
    Eline Vere Couperus, Louis
    Arcadia Crace, Jim
    The Enormous Room Cummings, E.E.
    A Home at the End of the World Cunningham, Michael
    The Hours Cunningham, Michael
    Disappearance Dabydeen, David
    Nervous Conditions Dangarembga, Tsitsi
    House of Leaves Danielewski, Mark Z.
    The Child of Pleasure D’Annunzio, Gabriele
    Fifth Business Davies, Robertson
    The End of the Story Davis, Lydia
    Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord De Bernières, Louis
    Captain Corelli’s Mandolin De Bernières, Louis
    On Love De Botton, Alain
    Hebdomeros De Chirico, Giorgio
    The Viceroys De Roberto, Federico
    Roxana Defoe, Daniel
    The Heretic Delibes, Miguel
    Ratner’s Star DeLillo, Don
    The Names DeLillo, Don
    White Noise DeLillo, Don
    Libra DeLillo, Don
    Mao II DeLillo, Don
    Underworld DeLillo, Don
    The Body Artist DeLillo, Don
    Falling Man DeLillo, Don
    Thomas of Reading Deloney, Thomas
    Clear Light of Day Desai, Anita
    The Inheritance of Loss Desai, Kiran
    All About H. Hatterr Desani, G.V.
    Small Remedies Deshpande, Shashi
    The Conquest of New Spain Díaz del Castillo, Bernal
    The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Díaz, Junot
    Martin Chuzzlewit Dickens, Charles
    Our Mutual Friend Dickens, Charles
    Jacques the Fatalist Diderot, Denis
    The Nun Diderot, Denis
    Rameau’s Nephew Diderot, Denis
    Play It As It Lays Didion, Joan
    Democracy Didion, Joan
    The Bitter Glass Dillon, Eilís
    Out of Africa Dinesen, Isak
    Berlin Alexanderplatz Döblin, Alfred
    The Book of Daniel Doctorow, E.L.
    Ragtime Doctorow, E.L.
    Billy Bathgate Doctorow, E.L.
    City of God Doctorow, E.L.
    Stone Junction Dodge, Jim
    Asphodel Doolittle, Hilda
    Manhattan Transfer Dos Passos, John
    U.S.A. Dos Passos, John
    Fool’s Gold Douka, Maro
    Uncle Petros and Goldbach’s Conjecture Doxiadis, Apostolos
    The Radiant Way Drabble, Margaret
    The Red Queen Drabble, Margaret
    As If I Am Not There Drakulić, Slavenka
    Sister Carrie Dreiser, Theodore
    Rebecca Du Maurier, Daphne
    Queen Margot Dumas, Alexandre
    Hallucinating Foucault Duncker, Patricia
    Paradise of the Blind Duong, Thu Huong
    The Ravishing of Lol V. Stein Duras, Marguerite
    The Vice-Consul Duras, Marguerite
    The Lover Duras, Marguerite
    Justine Durrell, Lawrence
    The Judge and His Hangman Dürrenmatt, Friedrich
    The Crime of Father Amaro Eça de Queirós, José Maria
    The Name of the Rose Eco, Umberto
    Foucault’s Pendulum Eco, Umberto
    Castle Rackrent Edgeworth, Maria
    The Absentee Edgeworth, Maria
    Ormond Edgeworth, Maria
    The Quest Eeden, Frederik van
    A Visit from the Goon Squad Egan, Jennifer
    The Circle Eggers, Dave
    The Life of a Good-for-Nothing Eichendorff, Joseph von
    Woman at Point Zero El Saadawi, Nawal
    Silence Endo, Shusaku
    Deep River Endo, Shusaku
    The Book about Blanche and Marie Enquist, Per Olov
    The Gathering Enright, Anne
    The Interesting Narrative Equiano, Olaudah
    Love Medicine Erdrich, Louise
    Moscow Stations Erofeyev, Venedikt
    Like Water for Chocolate Esquivel, Laura
    Celestial Harmonies Esterházy, Péter
    The Virgin Suicides Eugenides, Jeffrey
    Middlesex Eugenides, Jeffrey
    The Marriage Plot Eugenides, Jeffrey
    Under the Skin Faber, Michel
    Astradeni Fakinou, Eugenia
    Troubles Farrell, J.G.
    The Siege of Krishnapur Farrell, J.G.
    The Singapore Grip Farrell, J.G.
    The Sound and the Fury Faulkner, William
    Absalom, Absalom! Faulkner, William
    The Hamlet Faulkner, William
    Go Down, Moses Faulkner, William
    Birdsong Faulks, Sebastian
    Troubling Love Ferrante, Elena
    The Story of the Lost Child Ferrante, Elena
    Joseph Andrews Fielding, Henry
    Amelia Fielding, Henry
    The Wars Findley, Timothy
    Sentimental Education Flaubert, Gustave
    The Temptation of Saint Anthony Flaubert, Gustave
    Bouvard and Pécuchet Flaubert, Gustave
    Effi Briest Fontane, Theodor
    The Stechlin Fontane, Theodor
    The Good Soldier Ford, Ford Madox
    Parade’s End Ford, Ford Madox
    Where Angels Fear to Tread Forster, E.M.
    The Collector Fowles, John
    The Magus Fowles, John
    The French Lieutenant’s Woman Fowles, John
    A Maggot Fowles, John
    Faces in the Water Frame, Janet
    Thais France, Anatole
    The Blind Side of the Heart Franck, Julia
    The Corrections Franzen, Jonathan
    Freedom Franzen, Jonathan
    Simon and the Oaks Fredriksson, Marianne
    Hideous Kinky Freud, Esther
    I’m Not Stiller Frisch, Max
    Homo Faber Frisch, Max
    The Death of Artemio Cruz Fuentes, Carlos
    The Recognitions Gaddis, William
    Memory of Fire Galeano, Eduardo
    Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris Gallico, Paul
    The Trick is to Keep Breathing Galloway, Janice
    Eclipse of the Crescent Moon Gardonyi, Geza
    Thursbitch Garner, Alan
    The Roots of Heaven Gary, Romain
    Promise at Dawn Gary, Romain
    Mary Barton Gaskell, Elizabeth
    Cranford Gaskell, Elizabeth
    North and South Gaskell, Elizabeth
    Legend Gemmell, David
    The Triple Mirror of the Self Ghose, Zulfikar
    The Shadow Lines Ghosh, Amitav
    Sunset Song Gibbon, Lewis Grassic
    Cold Comfort Farm Gibbons, Stella
    Fruits of the Earth Gide, André
    The Immoralist Gide, André
    Strait is the Gate Gide, André
    The Counterfeiters Gide, André
    The Yellow Wallpaper Gilman, Charlotte Perkins
    New Grub Street Gissing, George
    Born in Exile Gissing, George
    The Adventures of Caleb Williams Godwin, William
    The Sorrows of Young Werther Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
    Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
    Elective Affinities Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
    The Nose Gogol, Nikolay
    Dead Souls Gogol, Nikolay
    The Vicar of Wakefield Goldsmith, Oliver
    Ferdydurke Gombrowicz, Witold
    Oblomov Goncharov, Ivan
    Burger’s Daughter Gordimer, Nadine
    July’s People Gordimer, Nadine
    Mother Gorky, Maxim
    The Artamonov Business Gorky, Maxim
    Marks of Identity Goytisolo, Juan
    The Opposing Shore Gracq, Julien
    The Tin Drum Grass, Günter
    Cat and Mouse Grass, Günter
    Dog Years Grass, Günter
    Lanark: A Life in Four Books Gray, Alasdair
    Blindness Green, Henry
    Living Green, Henry
    Party Going Green, Henry
    Caught Green, Henry
    Loving Green, Henry
    Back Green, Henry
    England Made Me Greene, Graham
    Brighton Rock Greene, Graham
    The Power and the Glory Greene, Graham
    The Heart of the Matter Greene, Graham
    The Adventurous Simplicissimus Grimmelshausen, Hans von
    Diary of a Nobody Grossmith, George
    Memoirs of Rain Gupta, Sunetra
    Dirty Havana Trilogy Gutierrez, Pedro Juan
    Forever a Stranger Haasse, Hella
    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Haddon, Mark
    She Haggard, H. Rider
    The Well of Loneliness Hall, Radclyffe
    The Reluctant Fundamentalist Hamid, Mohsin
    Hangover Square Hamilton, Patrick
    The Red Harvest Hammett, Dashiell
    The Maltese Falcon Hammett, Dashiell
    The Glass Key Hammett, Dashiell
    The Thin Man Hammett, Dashiell
    Hunger Hamsun, Knut
    Growth of the Soil Hamsun, Knut
    Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick Handke, Peter
    The Left-Handed Woman Handke, Peter
    The Afternoon of a Writer Handke, Peter
    The Art of Fielding Harbach, Chad
    Far from the Madding Crowd Hardy, Thomas
    The Hand of Ethelberta Hardy, Thomas
    The Good Soldier Švejk Hašek, Jaroslav
    The Blithedale Romance Hawthorne, Nathaniel
    The Marble Faun Hawthorne, Nathaniel
    Love in Excess Haywood, Eliza
    A Question of Power Head, Bessie
    The First Garden Hébert, Anne
    The Blind Owl Hedayat, Sadegh
    Stranger in a Strange Land Heinlein, Robert
    An Ethiopian Romance Heliodorus
    Margot and the Angels Hemmerechts, Kristien
    Nowhere Man Hemon, Aleksandar
    Reasons to Live Hempel, Amy
    Martin Fierro Hernandez, Jose
    Dispatches Herr, Michael
    The New World Heruy Wolde Selassie
    Camera Obscura Hildebrand
    Blind Man With a Pistol Himes, Chester
    A Kestrel for a Knave Hines, Barry
    The House on the Borderland Hodgson, William Hope
    Smilla’s Sense of Snow Høeg, Peter
    The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr Hoffman, E.T.A.
    The Parable of the Blind Hofmann, Gert
    The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner Hogg, James
    Hyperion Hölderlin, Friedrich
    The Swimming Pool Library Hollinghurst, Alan
    The Folding Star Hollinghurst, Alan
    The Line of Beauty Hollinghurst, Alan
    The Cathedral Honchar, Oles
    Whatever Houellebecq, Michel
    Elementary Particles Houellebecq, Michel
    Platform Houellebecq, Michel
    Closely Watched Trains Hrabal, Bohumil
    Their Eyes Were Watching God Hurston, Zora Neale
    What I Loved Hustvedt, Siri
    Crome Yellow Huxley, Aldous
    Antic Hay Huxley, Aldous
    Brave New World Huxley, Aldous
    Eyeless in Gaza Huxley, Aldous
    Against the Grain Huysmans, Joris-Karl
    Down There Huysmans, Joris-Karl
    Carry Me Down Hyland, M.J.
    The Last of Mr. Norris Isherwood, Christopher
    Goodbye to Berlin Isherwood, Christopher
    A Pale View of Hills Ishiguro, Kazuo
    An Artist of the Floating World Ishiguro, Kazuo
    Remains of the Day Ishiguro, Kazuo
    The Unconsoled Ishiguro, Kazuo
    Never Let Me Go Ishiguro, Kazuo
    The Portrait of a Lady James, Henry
    What Maisie Knew James, Henry
    The Turn of the Screw James, Henry
    The Wings of the Dove James, Henry
    The Ambassadors James, Henry
    The Golden Bowl James, Henry
    A Day Off Jameson, Storm
    The Summer Book Jansson, Tove
    The Piano Teacher Jelinek, Elfriede
    Leaden Wings Jie, Zhang
    Platero and I Jiménez, Juan Ramón
    The Taebaek Mountains Jo, Jung-rae
    Albert Angelo Johnson, B.S.
    Trawl Johnson, B.S.
    House Mother Normal Johnson, B.S.
    The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia Johnson, Samuel
    Jahrestage Johnson, Uwe
    In Parenthesis Jones, David
    Fear of Flying Jong, Erica
    A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Joyce, James
    Ulysses Joyce, James
    Finnegans Wake Joyce, James
    Storm of Steel Junger, Ernst
    The Glass Bees Junger, Ernst
    Broken April Kadare, Ismail
    Spring Flowers, Spring Frost Kadare, Ismail
    The Successor Kadare, Ismail
    A Thousand Cranes Kawabata, Yasunari
    Zorba the Greek Kazantzákis, Nikos
    The Last Temptation of Christ Kazantzákis, Nikos
    Measuring the World Kehlmann, Daniel
    Green Henry Keller, Gottfried
    The Busconductor Hines Kelman, James
    A Disaffection Kelman, James
    How Late It Was, How Late Kelman, James
    Kieron Smith, boy Kelman, James
    Schindler’s Ark Keneally, Thomas
    Looking for the Possible Dance Kennedy, A.L.
    Everything You Need Kennedy, A.L.
    On the Road Kerouac, Jack
    Fatelessness Kertész, Imre
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Kesey, Ken
    Sometimes a Great Notion Kesey, Ken
    Annie John Kincaid, Jamaica
    The Shining King, Stephen
    The Water-Babies Kingsley, Charles
    Kim Kipling, Rudyard
    Garden, Ashes Kis, Danilo
    Michael Kohlhaas Kleist, Heinrich von
    Waiting for the Dark, Waiting for the Light Klima, Ivan
    The Hothouse Koeppen, Wolfgang
    Death in Rome Koeppen, Wolfgang
    The Case Worker Konrad, Gyorgy
    A Day in Spring Kosmac, Ciril
    Smell of Sadness Kossmann, Alfred
    The Fan Man Kotzwinkle, William
    The Midnight Examiner Kotzwinkle, William
    The Melancholy of Resistance Krasznahorkai, László
    The Last Days of Humanity Kraus, Karl
    The History of Love Krauss, Nicole
    The Return of Philip Latinowicz Krleža, Miroslav
    On the Edge of Reason Krleža, Miroslav
    Professor Martens’ Departure Kross, Jaan
    The Joke Kundera, Milan
    The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Kundera, Milan
    Ignorance Kundera, Milan
    The Buddha of Suburbia Kureishi, Hanif
    Intimacy Kureishi, Hanif
    Gabriel’s Gift Kureishi, Hanif
    The Flamethrowers Kushner, Rachel
    The Princess of Clèves La Fayette, Madame de
    Dangerous Liaisons Laclos, Pierre Choderlos de
    Nada Laforet, Carmen
    Barabbas Lagerkvist, Par
    Gösta Berling’s Saga Lagerlöf, Selma
    The Namesake Lahiri, Jhumpa
    Rickshaw Boy Lao, She
    Quicksand Larsen, Nella
    Passing Larsen, Nella
    The Diviners Laurence, Margaret
    Maldoror Lautréaumont, Comte de
    The Fox Lawrence, D.H.
    Aaron’s Rod Lawrence, D.H.
    Independent People Laxness, Halldór
    The Dark Child Laye, Camara
    Uncle Silas Le Fanu, Sheridan
    In a Glass Darkly Le Fanu, Sheridan
    The Dispossessed Le Guin, Ursula K.
    Lost Language of Cranes Leavitt, David
    To Kill a Mockingbird Lee, Harper
    Cider With Rosie Lee, Laurie
    Solaris Lem, Stanislaw
    The Female Quixote Lennox, Charlotte
    The German Lesson Lenz, Siegfried
    City Primeval Leonard, Elmore
    La Brava Leonard, Elmore
    Get Shorty Leonard, Elmore
    A Hero of Our Times Lermontov, Mikhail Yurevich
    10:04 Lerner, Ben
    The Enchanted Wanderer Leskov, Nikolai
    The Grass is Singing Lessing, Doris
    The Golden Notebook Lessing, Doris
    Shikasta Lessing, Doris
    The Diary of Jane Somers Lessing, Doris
    Christ Stopped at Eboli Levi, Carlo
    If This Is a Man Levi, Primo
    If Not Now, When? Levi, Primo
    The Drowned and the Saved Levi, Primo
    Small Island Levy, Andrea
    The Monk Lewis, M.G.
    Monica Lewis, Saunders
    Main Street Lewis, Sinclair
    Babbitt Lewis, Sinclair
    Tarr Lewis, Wyndham
    The Childermass Lewis, Wyndham
    The Apes of God Lewis, Wyndham
    The Revenge for Love Lewis, Wyndham
    Self-Condemned Lewis, Wyndham
    A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian Lewycka, Marina
    Pippi Longstocking Lindgren, Astrid
    The Unknown Soldier Linna, Vaino
    The Passion According to G.H. Lispector, Clarice
    The Hour of the Star Lispector, Clarice
    The Kindly Ones Littell, Jonathan
    The Call of the Wild London, Jack
    The Iron Heel London, Jack
    Martin Eden London, Jack
    The Twins Loo, Tessa de
    Under the Volcano Lowry, Malcolm
    Dark as the Grave Wherein My Friend is Laid Lowry, Malcolm
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms Luo, Guanzhong
    Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit Lyly, John
    Fall on Your Knees MacDonald, Ann-Marie
    H is for Hawk Macdonald, Helen
    The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas Machado de Assis, Joaquim Maria
    Dom Casmurro Machado de Assis, Joaquim Maria
    Absolute Beginners MacInnes, Colin
    The Man of Feeling Mackenzie, Henry
    Wild Harbour MacPherson, Ian
    Midaq Alley Mahfouz, Naguib
    Miramar Mahfouz, Naguib
    Remembering Babylon Malouf, David
    Man’s Fate Malraux, André
    Faceless Killers Mankell, Henning
    Professor Unrat Mann, Heinrich
    Buddenbrooks Mann, Thomas
    Death in Venice Mann, Thomas
    The Magic Mountain Mann, Thomas
    Joseph and His Brothers Mann, Thomas
    Doctor Faustus Mann, Thomas
    Her Privates We Manning, Frederic
    The Garden Party Mansfield, Katherine
    Adjunct: An Undigest Manson, Peter
    The Betrothed Manzoni, Alessandro
    Embers Marai, Sandor
    All Souls Marias, Javier
    A Heart So White Marias, Javier
    Your Face Tomorrow Marias, Javier
    The Late-Night News Markaris, Petros
    Wittgenstein’s Mistress Markson, David
    Vanishing Point Markson, David
    The Back Room Martin Gaite, Carmen
    Santa Evita Martinez, Tomas Eloy
    Time of Silence Martín-Santos, Luis
    Tirant lo Blanc Martorell, Joanot
    The Daughter Matesis, Pavlos
    Cigarettes Mathews, Harry
    Melmoth the Wanderer Maturin, Charles Robert
    The Albigenses Maturin, Charles Robert
    A Woman’s Life Maupassant, Guy de
    Bel-Ami Maupassant, Guy de
    Pierre and Jean Maupassant, Guy de
    Vipers’ Tangle Mauriac, Francois
    Don’t Move Mazzantini, Margaret
    Blood Meridian McCarthy, Cormac
    All the Pretty Horses McCarthy, Cormac
    They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? McCoy, Horace
    The Cement Garden McEwan, Ian
    The Comfort of Strangers McEwan, Ian
    The Child in Time McEwan, Ian
    Black Dogs McEwan, Ian
    Enduring Love McEwan, Ian
    Amsterdam McEwan, Ian
    Atonement McEwan, Ian
    Saturday McEwan, Ian
    Amongst Women McGahern, John
    That They May Face the Rising Sun McGahern, John
    Schooling McGowan, Heather
    The Heart of Redness Mda, Zakes
    Billy Budd, Foretopman Melville, Herman
    A Light Comedy Mendoza, Eduardo
    The Manila Rope Meri, Veijo
    Day of the Dolphin Merle, Robert
    American Rust Meyer, Philipp
    Fugitive Pieces Michaels, Anne
    The Sound of Waves Mishima, Yukio
    The Sea of Fertility Mishima, Yukio
    The Romantics Mishra, Pankaj
    A Fine Balance Mistry, Rohinton
    Family Matters Mistry, Rohinton
    Cloud Atlas Mitchell, David
    Gone With the Wind Mitchell, Margaret
    The Pursuit of Love Mitford, Nancy
    Love in a Cold Climate Mitford, Nancy
    Crossfire Miyabe, Miyuki
    Chaka the Zulu Mofolo, Thomas
    Amadis of Gaul Montalvo, Garci Rodríguez de
    Watchmen Moore, Alan
    Anagrams Moore, Lorrie
    Like Life Moore, Lorrie
    A Gate at the Stairs Moore, Lorrie
    The Time of Indifference Moravia, Alberto
    Disobedience Moravia, Alberto
    A Ghost at Noon (aka Contempt) Moravia, Alberto
    Anton Reiser Moritz, Karl Philipp
    News from Nowhere Morris, William
    The Bluest Eye Morrison, Toni
    Sula Morrison, Toni
    Down Second Avenue Mphahlele, Es’kia
    The Holder of the World Mukherjee, Bharati
    The Discovery of Heaven Mulisch, Harry
    Max Havelaar Multatuli
    Lives of Girls and Women Munro, Alice
    The Beggar Maid Munro, Alice
    The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Murakami, Haruki
    Sputnik Sweetheart Murakami, Haruki
    After the Quake Murakami, Haruki
    Kafka on the Shore Murakami, Haruki
    Almost Transparent Blue Murakami, Ryu
    The Tale of Genji Murasaki, Shikibu
    Under the Net Murdoch, Iris
    The Bell Murdoch, Iris
    A Severed Head Murdoch, Iris
    The Nice and the Good Murdoch, Iris
    The Black Prince Murdoch, Iris
    The Sea, The Sea Murdoch, Iris
    Inland Murnane, Gerald
    Young Törless Musil, Robert
    The Man Without Qualities Musil, Robert
    The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll Mutis, Alvaro
    Lolita Nabokov, Vladimir
    Pnin Nabokov, Vladimir
    Pale Fire Nabokov, Vladimir
    Ada Nabokov, Vladimir
    In A Free State Naipaul, V.S.
    A Bend in the River Naipaul, V.S.
    Enigma of Arrival Naipaul, V.S.
    The Guide Narayan, R.K.
    The Unfortunate Traveller Nashe, Thomas
    Kokoro Natsume, Soseki
    Memoirs of a Peasant Boy Neira Vilas, Xosé
    Suite Française Nemirovsky, Irene
    The River Between Ngugi wa Thiong’o
    Petals of Blood Ngugi wa Thiong’o
    Matigari Ngugi wa Thiong’o
    Delta of Venus Nin, Anaïs
    Rituals Nooteboom, Cees
    All Souls Day Nooteboom, Cees
    Fear and Trembling Nothomb, Amélie
    Henry of Ofterdingen Novalis
    Them Oates, Joyce Carol
    Marya Oates, Joyce Carol
    Black Water Oates, Joyce Carol
    Blonde Oates, Joyce Carol
    The Country Girls O’Brien, Edna
    Girl With Green Eyes O’Brien, Edna
    August is a Wicked Month O’Brien, Edna
    In the Forest O’Brien, Edna
    At Swim-Two-Birds O’Brien, Flann
    The Poor Mouth O’Brien, Flann
    The Third Policeman O’Brien, Flann
    The Things They Carried O’Brien, Tim
    Wise Blood O’Connor, Flannery
    The Violent Bear it Away O’Connor, Flannery
    Everything That Rises Must Converge O’Connor, Flannery
    Pluck the Bud and Destroy the Offspring Oe, Kenzaburo
    The Talk of the Town O’Hanlon, Ardal
    The English Patient Ondaatje, Michael
    At Swim, Two Boys O’Neill, Jamie
    The Shipyard Onetti, Juan Carlos
    Burmese Days Orwell, George
    Keep the Aspidistra Flying Orwell, George
    Coming Up for Air Orwell, George
    Animal Farm Orwell, George
    Nineteen Eighty-Four Orwell, George
    Cataract Osadchyi, Mykhailo
    Metamorphoses Ovid
    Black Box Oz, Amos
    A Tale of Love and Darkness Oz, Amos
    Life is a Caravanserai Özdamar, Emine
    The Year of the Hare Paasilinna, Arto
    Manon des Sources Pagnol, Marcel
    Choke Palahniuk, Chuck
    The Laws Palmen, Connie
    Snow Pamuk, Orhan
    Life of Christ Papini, Giovanni
    The Manors of Ulloa Pardo Bazan, Emilia
    Land Park,, Kyŏng-ni
    Ballad for Georg Henig Paskov, Viktor
    The Ragazzi Pasolini, Pier Paulo
    Doctor Zhivago Pasternak, Boris
    Marius the Epicurean Pater, Walter
    Cry, the Beloved Country Paton, Alan
    The Harvesters Pavese, Cesare
    The Moon and the Bonfires Pavese, Cesare
    Dictionary of the Khazars Pavic, Milorad
    The Labyrinth of Solitude Paz, Octavio
    Nineteen Seventy Seven Peace, David
    Titus Groan Peake, Mervyn
    Gormenghast Peake, Mervyn
    The Clay Machine-Gun Pelevin, Victor
    The Life of Insects Pelevin, Victor
    Things: A Story of the Sixties Perec, Georges
    A Man Asleep Perec, Georges
    A Void Perec, Georges
    W, or the Memory of Childhood Perec, Georges
    Life: A User’s Manual Perec, Georges
    Fortunata y Jacinta Pérez Galdós, Benito
    Compassion Pérez Galdós, Benito
    The Dumas Club Pérez-Reverte, Arturo
    The Book of Disquiet Pessoa, Fernando
    Vernon God Little Pierre, D.B.C.
    Money to Burn Piglia, Ricardo
    One, No One and One Hundred Thousand Pirandello, Luigi
    The Bell Jar Plath, Sylvia
    The Trusting and the Maimed Plunkett, James
    The Fall of the House of Usher Poe, Edgar Allan
    The Pit and the Pendulum Poe, Edgar Allan
    The Purloined Letter Poe, Edgar Allan
    Here’s to You, Jesusa Poniatowska, Elena
    A Dance to the Music of Time Powell, Anthony
    Typical Powell, Padgett
    The Shipping News Proulx, E. Annie
    Remembrance of Things Past Proust, Marcel
    Pharoah Prus, Boleslaw
    Exercises in Style Queneau, Raymond
    Gargantua and Pantagruel Rabelais, François
    The Mysteries of Udolpho Radcliffe, Ann
    The Devil in the Flesh Radiguet, Raymond
    The Last World Ransmayr, Christoph
    The Story of O Réage, Pauline
    The Forest of the Hanged Rebreanu, Liviu
    All Quiet on the Western Front Remarque, Erich Maria
    Quartet Rhys, Jean
    Good Morning, Midnight Rhys, Jean
    Wide Sargasso Sea Rhys, Jean
    Interview With the Vampire Rice, Anne
    Pilgrimage Richardson, Dorothy
    Pamela Richardson, Samuel
    Clarissa Richardson, Samuel
    The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge Rilke, Rainer Maria
    Larva: Midsummer Night’s Babel Rios, Julian
    Jealousy Robbe-Grillet, Alain
    Home Robinson, Marilynne
    Cost Robinson, Roxana
    La Celestina Rojas, Fernando de
    Hadrian the Seventh Rolfe, Frederick
    The Devil to Pay in the Backlands Rosa, João Guimarães
    Love’s Work Rose, Gillian
    Call it Sleep Roth, Henry
    The Radetzky March Roth, Joseph
    Portnoy’s Complaint Roth, Philip
    The Breast Roth, Philip
    Operation Shylock Roth, Philip
    Sabbath’s Theater Roth, Philip
    Julie; or the New Eloise Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
    Émile; or, On Education Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
    Reveries of a Solitary Walker Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
    Confessions Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
    Impressions of Africa Roussel, Raymond
    Locus Solus Roussel, Raymond
    The God of Small Things Roy, Arundhati
    The Tin Flute Roy, Gabrielle
    The Burning Plain Rulfo, Juan
    Grimus Rushdie, Salman
    The Deadbeats Ruyslinck, Ward
    The 120 Days of Sodom Sade, Marquis de
    Justine Sade, Marquis de
    The Witness Saer, Juan Jose
    Contact Sagan, Carl
    Bonjour Tristesse Sagan, Françoise
    The Little Prince Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de
    Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem Salgari, Emilio
    Season of Migration to the North Salih, Tayeb
    The Catcher in the Rye Salinger, J.D.
    Franny and Zooey Salinger, J.D.
    The Devil’s Pool Sand, George
    Alberta and Jacob Sandel, Cora
    Baltasar and Blimunda Saramago, Jose
    The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis Saramago, José
    The History of the Siege of Lisbon Saramago, José
    The Double Saramago, José
    Cain Saramago, Jose
    Facundo Sarmiento, Domingo Faustino
    Nausea Sartre, Jean-Paul
    Pastoralia Saunders, George
    Murder Must Advertise Sayers, Dorothy L.
    The Nine Tailors Sayers, Dorothy L.
    The Swarm Schatzing, Frank
    The Reader Schlink, Bernhard
    None but the Brave Schnitzler, Arthur
    Memoirs of my Nervous Illness Schreber, Daniel Paul
    The Street of Crocodiles Schulz, Bruno
    To Each His Own Sciascia, Leonardo
    Rob Roy Scott, Sir Walter
    Ivanhoe Scott, Sir Walter
    The Monastery Scott, Sir Walter
    Vertigo Sebald, W.G.
    The Emigrants Sebald, W.G.
    The Rings of Saturn Sebald, W.G.
    Austerlitz Sebald, W.G.
    Transit Seghers, Anna
    Requiem for a Dream Selby, Jr. Hubert
    Great Apes Self, Will
    How the Dead Live Self, Will
    Death and the Dervish Selimovic, Mesa
    The Lonely Londoners Selvon, Sam
    God’s Bits of Wood Sembene, Ousmane
    The Case of Comrade Tulayev Serge, Victor
    A Suitable Boy Seth, Vikram
    Retreat Without Song Shahnour, Shahan
    An Obedient Father Sharma, Akhil
    Frankenstein Shelley, Mary
    The Water Margin Shi, Nai’an
    The Stone Diaries Shields, Carol
    Unless Shields, Carol
    A Town Like Alice Shute, Nevil
    Quo Vadis Sienkiewicz, Henryk
    Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Sillitoe, Chinua
    Downriver Sinclair, Iain
    London Orbital Sinclair, Iain
    Dining on Stones Sinclair, Iain
    Life and Death of Harriett Frean Sinclair, May
    The Jungle Sinclair, Upton
    The Magician of Lublin Singer, Isaac Bashevis
    The Manor Singer, Isaac Bashevis
    Animal’s People Sinha, Indra
    The Engineer of Human Souls Skvorecky, Josef
    The Forbidden Realm Slauerhoff, Jan Jacob
    Islands Sleigh, Dan
    The Accidental Smith, Ali
    There But For The Smith, Ali
    Winter Smith, Ali
    White Teeth Smith, Zadie
    On Beauty Smith, Zadie
    Roderick Random Smollett, Tobias George
    Peregrine Pickle Smollett, Tobias George
    Humphry Clinker Smollett, Tobias George
    The Port Šoljan, Antun
    The Real Charlotte Somerville and Ross
    Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. Somerville and Ross
    Lady Number Thirteen Somoza, Jose Carlos
    Memento Mori Spark, Muriel
    The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Spark, Muriel
    The Girls of Slender Means Spark, Muriel
    The Driver’s Seat Spark, Muriel
    Mother’s Milk St Aubyn, Edward
    The Man Who Loved Children Stead, Christina
    Three Lives Stein, Gertrude
    The Making of Americans Stein, Gertrude
    The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas Stein, Gertrude
    Of Mice and Men Steinbeck, John
    The Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck, John
    Cannery Row Steinbeck, John
    The Red and the Black Stendhal
    The Charterhouse of Parma Stendhal
    The Charwoman’s Daughter Stephens, James
    Tristram Shandy Sterne, Laurence
    A Sentimental Journey Sterne, Laurence
    Kidnapped Stevenson, Robert Louis
    The Master of Ballantrae Stevenson, Robert Louis
    Indian Summer Stifter, Adalbert
    Dracula Stoker, Bram
    Uncle Tom’s Cabin Stowe, Harriet Beecher
    Couples, Passerby Strauss, Botho
    The Young Man Strauss, Botho
    The Red Room Strindberg, August
    The People of Hemsö Strindberg, August
    By the Open Sea Strindberg, August
    Perfume Süskind, Patrick
    The Pigeon Süskind, Patrick
    As a Man Grows Older Svevo, Italo
    Zeno’s Conscience Svevo, Italo
    Waterland Swift, Graham
    The Light of Day Swift, Graham
    A Tale of a Tub Swift, Jonathan
    Gulliver’s Travels Swift, Jonathan
    A Modest Proposal Swift, Jonathan
    The Beautiful Mrs Seidenman Szczypiorski, Andrzej
    Pereira Declares: A Testimony Tabucchi, Antonio
    The Home and the World Tagore, Rabindranath
    The Third Wedding Taktsis, Costas
    Some Prefer Nettles Tanizaki, Junichiro
    The Secret History Tartt, Donna
    The Goldfinch Tartt, Donna
    Blaming Taylor, Elizabeth
    Vanity Fair Thackeray, William Makepeace
    The Great Indian Novel Tharoor, Shashi
    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Thompson, Hunter S.
    The Killer Inside Me Thompson, Jim
    Walden Thoreau, Henry David
    Cutter and Bone Thornburg, Newton
    The 13 Clocks Thurber, James
    The Wonderful “O” Thurber, James
    The Invention of Curried Sausage Timm, Uwe
    Pallieter Timmermans, Felix
    The Heather Blazing Tóibín, Colm
    The Master Tóibín, Colm
    The Hobbit Tolkien, J.R.R.
    The Lord of the Rings Tolkien, J.R.R.
    War and Peace Tolstoy, Leo
    Anna Karenina Tolstoy, Leo
    The Death of Ivan Ilyich Tolstoy, Leo
    The Kreutzer Sonata Tolstoy, Leo
    The Leopard Tomasi di Lampedusa, Giuseppe
    Confederacy of Dunces Toole, John Kennedy
    Cane Toomer, Jean
    City Sister Silver Topol, Jáchym
    The Ogre Tournier, Michael
    The Colour Tremain, Rose
    The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists Tressell, Robert
    Fools of Fortune Trevor, William
    Felicia’s Journey Trevor, William
    The Story of Lucy Gault Trevor, William
    Castle Richmond Trollope, Anthony
    The Last Chronicle of Barset Trollope, Anthony
    Phineas Finn Trollope, Anthony
    He Knew He Was Right Trollope, Anthony
    Summer in Baden-Baden Tsypkin, Leonid
    The Christmas Oratorio Tunstrom, Goran
    On the Eve Turgenev, Ivan
    Fathers and Sons Turgenev, Ivan
    King Lear of the Steppes Turgenev, Ivan
    Spring Torrents Turgenev, Ivan
    Virgin Soil Turgenev, Ivan
    B Twain, Mark
    The Museum of Unconditional Surrender Ugresic, Dubravka
    Kristin Lavransdatter Undset, Sigrid
    Rabbit, Run Updike, John
    Rabbit Redux Updike, John
    Rabbit is Rich Updike, John
    Pepita Jimenez Valera, Juan
    Our Lady of the Assassins Vallejo, Fernando
    Ancestral Voices van, Heerden, Etienne
    The Time of the Hero Vargas Llosa, Mario
    The Cubs and Other Stories Vargas Llosa, Mario
    The War of the End of the World Vargas Llosa, Mario
    The Feast of the Goat Vargas Llosa, Mario
    Z Vassilikos, Vassilis
    Under the Yoke Vazov, Ivan
    Southern Seas Vázquez Montalbán, Manuel
    The House by the Medlar Tree Verga, Giovanni
    Journey to the Centre of the Earth Verne, Jules
    Around the World in Eighty Days Verne, Jules
    The Birds Vesaas, Tarjei
    The Garden Where the Brass Band Played Vestdijk, Simon
    Froth on the Daydream Vian, Boris
    Myra Breckinridge Vidal, Gore
    Bartleby and Co. Vila-Matas, Enrique
    Conversations In Sicily Vittorini, Elio
    In Search of Klingsor Volpi, Jorge
    Candide Voltaire
    Cat’s Cradle Vonnegut, Kurt
    God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater Vonnegut, Kurt
    Slaughterhouse Five Vonnegut, Kurt
    Breakfast of Champions Vonnegut, Kurt
    The Color Purple Walker, Alice
    The Temple of My Familiar Walker, Alice
    Possessing the Secret of Joy Walker, Alice
    Infinite Jest Wallace, David Foster
    The Castle of Otranto Walpole, Horace
    Halftime Walser, Martin
    Morvern Callar Warner, Alan
    Indigo Warner, Marina
    Summer Will Show Warner, Sylvia Townsend
    After the Death of Don Juan Warner, Sylvia Townsend
    The House with the Blind Glass Windows Wassmo, Herbjorg
    Billy Liar Waterhouse, Keith
    Tipping the Velvet Waters, Sarah
    Fingersmith Waters, Sarah
    Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Watson, Winifred
    Decline and Fall Waugh, Evelyn
    Vile Bodies Waugh, Evelyn
    A Handful of Dust Waugh, Evelyn
    Brideshead Revisited Waugh, Evelyn
    The Graduate Webb, Charles
    The Time Machine Wells, H.G.
    The Island of Dr. Moreau Wells, H.G.
    The Invisible Man Wells, H.G.
    The War of the Worlds Wells, H.G.
    Tono-Bungay Wells, H.G.
    Trainspotting Welsh, Irvine
    The Optimist’s Daughter Welty, Eudora
    Miss Lonelyhearts West, Nathanael
    The Return of the Soldier West, Rebecca
    Harriet Hume West, Rebecca
    The Thinking Reed West, Rebecca
    The Birds Fall Down West, Rebecca
    The House of Mirth Wharton, Edith
    Ethan Frome Wharton, Edith
    Bunner Sisters Wharton, Edith
    Summer Wharton, Edith
    The Age of Innocence Wharton, Edith
    The Glimpses of the Moon Wharton, Edith
    A Boy’s Own Story White, Edmund
    The Beautiful Room is Empty White, Edmund
    The Living and the Dead White, Patrick
    The Tree of Man White, Patrick
    Voss White, Patrick
    The Once and Future King White, T.H.
    The Picture of Dorian Gray Wilde, Oscar
    Tarka the Otter Williamson, Henry
    No Laughing Matter Wilson, Angus
    I Thought of Daisy Wilson, Edmund
    Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit Winterson, Jeanette
    The Passion Winterson, Jeanette
    Sexing the Cherry Winterson, Jeanette
    Written on the Body Winterson, Jeanette
    Insatiability Witkiewicz, Stanislaw Ignacy
    Thank You, Jeeves Wodehouse, P.G.
    The Quest for Christa T. Wolf, Christa
    Patterns of Childhood Wolf, Christa
    Look Homeward, Angel Wolfe, Thomas
    The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test Wolfe, Tom
    The Bonfire of the Vanities Wolfe, Tom
    Back to Oegstgeest Wolkers, Jan
    The Voyage Out Woolf, Virginia
    Night and Day Woolf, Virginia
    Jacob’s Room Woolf, Virginia
    Mrs. Dalloway Woolf, Virginia
    To The Lighthouse Woolf, Virginia
    Orlando Woolf, Virginia
    The Waves Woolf, Virginia
    The Years Woolf, Virginia
    Between the Acts Woolf, Virginia
    Native Son Wright, Richard
    Monkey: Journey to the West Wu, Cheng’en
    Day of the Triffids Wyndham, John
    The Midwich Cuckoos Wyndham, John
    Chocky Wyndham, John
    Half of Man is Woman Xianliang, Zhang
    Kitchen Yoshimoto, Banana
    Memoirs of Hadrian Yourcenar, Marguerite
    We Zamyatin, Yevgeny
    Thérèse Raquin Zola, Émile
    Drunkard Zola, Émile
    Nana Zola, Émile
    Germinal Zola, Émile
    La Bête Humaine Zola, Émile
    Gimmick! Zwagerman, Joost
    The Case of Sergeant Grischa Zweig, Arnold
    Amok Zweig, Stefan
    Chess Story Zweig, Stefan

    Missing but should be on the list

     

    WD Auden Poems

    Emerson Essays

    Emerson Poems

    Edgar Allen Poe complete stories and Poems

    Tolstoy War and Peace

    Mark Twain complete stories and novels

    Shakespeare complete plays and poems

    Bible

    Koran

    Buddhist Writings

    Hindu Writings

    Tao De Ching

    Book of Mormon

    Federalist Papers

    US constitution

    Declaration of Independence

     

    As some of you know I have been reading the classics.  I found a three-volume series on Kindle titled 50 books you must read before you die, and also found the Harvard classics.

    I started with volume three and am almost finished

    Here’s the list of books read – bolded I have finished,

     

     

     

     

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    More Updates

    The ARA Golden Canal aka “Venice in Korea” continues to expand with new restaurants opening and closing all the time.  There is a decent LP theme restaurant and bar that has a friendly English-speaking bartender – a Korean who grew up in the Philippines and got stuck here to do his military service and is still here. They have a great cocktail list and great music and a friendly vibe.  There is also a great sushi place and a great Italian place -owned by the same owner.

    We discovered a clay walking path on the northern end of the canal.

    If you walk to the northern end of the canal and turn north one block and then west one block a bit you will come to a decent mountain, Unaksan.  About a mile walk from the end of the canal.  Near the mountain, there is a local food store and a local food restaurant that has a great vegetarian menu with locally sourced ingredients.

    At the restaurant, turn left and walk a bit to get to the trail heading to the mountain. At the top of the mountain, there is a decent restaurant and coffee shop with great views.  The trail goes a lot further into the mountain.  There are deer in the mountain but we did not see them, we did see some cute black squirrels.

    There is another canal located at the western end of the canal just behind the XII apartments.  It is lined with bike and walking paths but is not otherwise developed. I believe it does link up to the Han River park and I intend to check it out soon.

    There are about fifty new restaurant sites under construction so I assume by next spring there will be lots more options.  I will update it then.

    Some recent pictures

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Letter to  ARA Canal Director

    I recently moved to the Hyundai Hometown apartments in Janggi dong and have been enjoying daily walks along the ARA golden water canal.

    Overall I am very impressed.  It is a great recreational asset for Gimpo county.

    I do have a few suggestions for improvements

     

    Extend it

     

    1. Extend it on the southern (eastern) end to the Han River linking it to the Han river park system.  It is only half a mile away from the river.
    2. Extend it on the northern (western) end to Gimpo lake, also only half a mile away. This may be more feasible as the area is not as heavily built up as the southern/eastern end.

     

    Allow Fishing

    1. Stock it with fish and allow fishing at designated areas where you can also sell fishing supplies and have restaurants available to grill freshly caught fish.

    Have goats eat the weeds

     

    1. Have goats eat the weeds throughout

     

    Extend hours of boating, add in kayaks and canoes

     

    1. Extend the hours of the boat until midnight, and also add kayaks and canoes to the mix.

    Have a bike and scooter rentals available

     

    1. Have places to rent bikes and scooters.

     

    More shade trees

     

    1. Plant more shade trees, particularly in the section next to the pretty bare boat house.

    Extend the restaurant district

    1. Extend the restaurant district further north and West.

    Install vending machines

    1. Install vending machines for drinks throughout the park.

    Free umbrellas

    1. Have free umbrellas throughout the park.

     

    While the first two items might be too expensive, the other items should be inexpensive and will help in maintaining the park.  For fishing, you can charge 10,000 won to use the fishing facilities. That should defray the extra costs.

     

    Thanks

    Jake Cosmos Aller

    Retired U.S (Diplomat, State Department (Foreign Service Officer)

    Tel: 010-4435-1402

    Email:  jakecaller@gmail.com

    Web: https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com

    This blog item:     https://wp.me/p7NAzO-1OZ

    Review Julia’s American-style Diner ARA canal, Gimpo near Jaangi station, gold line

    ******

    Julia’s American-style diner near the ARA canal and Gimpo near the Jaangi station on the gold line advertise themselves as an American-style family diner.  And that is just what it is.

    We had the full brunch – bacon, bangers, beans, eggs, hashbrowns, toast, and tomato slices, for 14,000 KW ($11.53 US) plus Americana coffee 2000 ($15.00) for a total of $15.00 per person or 28,000 KW ($30,00) total.

     

    The food was great, just perfect and the coffee was great too. The portions were generous and the price was quite reasonable. This was billed as an American brunch but it was more of a British brunch what with the beans and British-style bangers (sausage) included.

     

    We are going to come back.  Next time we will try the pancake and split the brunch.

     

    They also have steak, burgers, pasta, and French fries. and risotto and Korean-style fried rice omelet on the menu.

     

    The deco is also diner style as is the overall ambiance.

     

    It is conveniently located just steps from the canal coming from canal turn left at the Mega coffee shop on the left-hand side of the canal and walk up.  It is about a mile and a half from Jaangi station on the gold line or by bus in Jaangji station.  Get off and walk down the canal (turning right) cross over when you see Mega coffee and turn left up the steps.

     

    In short, I highly recommend this restaurant.  Some other American-style restaurants nearby include the following (Trip advisor list)  disclaimer:  I have not yet dined at any of these but hope to do so soon and will post reviews as I get to them.  Stay tuned for that.

    Other nearby restaurants:

    76 reviews

    American, Fast food$

    Bucheon

    “Burger Run”

    “Best cheeseburger in town!”

    1. T.G.I.F. Kimpo Airport Store

    8 reviews

    American$$ – $$$

    9.7 km

    Seoul

    “American food chain”

    “TGIF 런치로 즐기기”

    1. T.G.I.F. Lotte Illsan Store

    2 reviews

    American

    6.9 km

    Goyang

    “You go for the view and American-ish food”

    “맛은 쏘쏘…”

    1. The Hidden Kitchen Brunch

    3 reviews are open Now

    American

    12.8 km

    Incheon

    “The best!”

    “Their Hashbrown”

    1. Leaf Gu

    1 review

    American, Healthy$

    14.2 km

    Bucheon

    “가게가 좁긴 한데, 괜찮아요~”

    1. Yorokonde

    7 reviews

    Coffee Tea, American$

    11.7 km

    Seoul

    “Pretty cool, worth it”

    “앙버터 맛집 :)”

    1. Dirty Trunk

    13 reviews are open Now

    American, Bar$$ – $$$

    11.8 km

    Paju

    “Having brunch with a friend”

    “Unique cafe & restaurant”

    1. Tiny Restaurant

    1 reviewOpen Now

    Italian, French$$ – $$$Menu

    7.1 km

    Goyang

    Venice in Korea and other Korean Stream Bed Parks

    ARA Canal Incheon

    Updated information below on the Yeongjae Cheon stream based on a Kindle booklet about the stream.

    Over the last decade, Korea has built hundreds of stream bed parks throughout Seoul and Korea.  There are great places to take a walk, observe wildlife, to enjoy nature in the city.   There is some information in English on these parks but not enough.  For those readers in Korea, please feel free to send me info on other stream bed parks, so I can update this from time to time.

    The most famous one is the one that started it all. Chongjin in downtown Seoul.

    Cheonggyecheon Stream

    OverviewCheonggyecheon Stream (Seoul) – 2021 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) – Tripadvisor

     

    Formerly polluted and covered with an elevated road since 2005, this stream has been cleaned up and made into an Art and nature walkway through the heart of Seoul.

     

    Suggested Duration:1-2 hours

    It is the prototype perhaps of stream restoration.

    SEOUL, South Korea — For half a century, a dark tunnel of crumbling concrete encased more than three miles of a placid stream bisecting this bustling city.

    The waterway had been a centerpiece of Seoul since the king of the Choson Dynasty selected the new capital 600 years ago, enticed by the graceful meandering of the stream and its 23 tributaries. But in the industrial era after the Korean War, the stream, by then a rank open sewer, was entombed by pavement and forgotten beneath a lacework of elevated expressways as the city’s population swelled toward 10 million.

    Today, after a $384 million recovery project, the stream, called Cheonggyecheon, is liberated from its dank sheath and burbles between reedy banks. Picnickers cool their bare feet in its filtered water, and carp swim in its tranquil pools.

    The restoration of the Cheonggyecheon is part of an expanding environmental effort in cities around the world to “daylight” rivers and streams by peeling back pavement that was built to bolster commerce and serve automobile traffic decades ago.

    Environmentalists point out other benefits. Open watercourses handle flooding rains better than buried sewers do, a big consideration as global warming leads to heavier downpours. The streams also tend to cool areas overheated by sun-baked asphalt and to nourish greenery that lures wildlife as well as pedestrians.

    After its opening in 2005, hundreds of thousands of people visited the new stream with friends and family. Credit…Jean Chung for The New York Times

    Some political opponents have derided Seoul’s remade stream as a costly folly, given that nearly all of the water flowing between its banks on a typical day is pumped there artificially from the Han River through seven miles of pipe.

    Golden Waterway In Gimpo

    GW 1

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    gw3jpg

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    gw5]

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    My favorite though is the Golden Waterway in Gimpo north of Kimpo airport, close to Janngi station on the new Gold Line.  The Gyeonggi and Gimpo tourist promotors have dubbed this “the Venice of Korea”.  Not quite, but still quite nice.

    .

    it is a 5.9-long walkway along a stream that used to be an open sewage dump back not too long ago.  It is lined with trees, flowers, beaches, and quirky public art.  The northern end is pretty boring though.  The central and southern end is very nice.

    It is lined with restaurants and cafes and has a boat house where you can rent boats to go out on the water.  The cost is 20,000 per hour.   a popular boat choice is the moon boat, which is a boat shaped like a crescent moon that is ideal for a couple to take out on the water.  There are also family boats and paddle boats for individuals.  There are also bikes for rent.

     

     

     

    [4K] Beautiful evening walk along Laveniche March Avenue in Gimpo Korea Tour 김포 한강신도시 장기동 라베니체 저녁 걷기

    •  N

    안녕하세요 Seoul Walker 입니다.
    오늘은 경기도 김포한강신도시에 위치한 라베니체 마치 에비뉴의 저녁을 함께 걸어봅시다. 깨끗해진 공기 만큼이나 아름다운 노을을 계속 볼 수 있기를 희망합니다.아침 7시, 당신을 위한 새로운 영상이 공개 됩니다.
    당신의 새로운 아침, 그리고 오후 저녁 저의 영상을 보며 한결 여유로운 하루의 시작과 마무리가 되었으면 하는 바램입니다. 최대한 다채롭고 흥미로운 영상을 즐기실 수 있도록 노력하겠습니다.영상이 마음에 드셨다면 좋아요, 구독, 알림 설정 부탁드립니다.
    그럼 오늘도 행복한 하루 되세요!Hello all my friends, I’m Nathan from Seoul Walker.
    Today, let’s walk together at Laveniche March Avenue in Hangang River New City, Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do. Ravenice March Avenue is a themed canal street created by Venetian motifs on a total of 33,000 m² waterfront commercial areas in a total of 26 parcels around the golden waterway, which is an artificial waterway in the Han River New City of Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. It is a commercial facility.

    Other Streams in Seoul

    Jungnangcheon (Stream)

    Jungnangcheon stream is the biggest contributor to the Hangang River. It starts at Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, joins with the Cheonggyecheon stream, and curves around Geumho-dong, Seongdong-gu until it finally flows under the Bridge of Gangyeonbuk-ro and into the Hangang river.

    Hongjecheon (Stream)

    Hongjecheon (Stream) begins at Bukhansan (Mountain) and runs for 11.1km through Jongno-gu and Mapo-gu. The stream is named after the Hongjewon, an office building where Chinese envoys were received. Once dried up and neglected, the stream was revived under Seoul’s ‘No Dry Streams’ project. Within two short years clean water was once again flowing through both Hongjecheon (Stream) and Cheonggyecheon (Stream).

    Hongjecheon

    GO ENG CHN JPN

     

    Yangjaecheon Stream and Tancheon Stream are two tributaries of the Hangang River.

    Yangjaecheon (Stream)

    Update:  there is a nice booklet available on Kindle called Gangnam Style by Kyungsuk Oh,  which is all about the Yongjaecheon stream.  They recommend starting at Hangyegul station on the Orange line. At the end of the stream, it flows into the Tancheon stream and then into the Han River. When you get to the Incheon stream, there is a nice cafe street called Cafe Street or Metasequia Street lined with eateries.  if you keep going along the Tangcheon stream, you enter into the Han river park system, or you could follow the Tancheon stream bed park back towards the mountains.

    Yangjaecheon (Stream) originates from Gwanaksan (Mountain) and Cheonggyesan (Mountain). The 15.6km stream flows across Gwacheon and into the Gangnam district in Seoul until it joins up with the Hangang (River). The stream flows across Dog ok-dong and Gaepo-dong in the district of Gangnam and is a popular spot with locals for its well-paved pedestrian and cycling paths. It is a pleasant patch of green in a concrete jungle. Many Seoulites visit the stream for relaxation and to spend a day closer to nature.

    Tancheon Stream is another one of the Hangang’s tributaries.

    The stream is 35.6km long and starts in the city of Yongin in Gyeonggi Province and ends at the Hangang River in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

    Phone

    +82-2-2155-7153

    Website

    View Website

    Website Language

    KOR

    See map

    Address

    135-090

    Transportation

    * Subway Line 3, Maebong Station, Exits 3 & 4 (5 mins on foot)
    * Subway Line 3 & Bundang Line, Dogok Station, Exits 3 & 4 (5 mins on foot)

    Hanyeoul Stream is a tributary of the Hangang River.

    The stream is 18.5km long and flows from Gwacheong in Gyeonggi Province to the southern part of Seoul. The stream’s name is derived from the area in Seoul it flows through, Yangjae-dong.

    Visit Songdo Central Park

    Find a pleasant oasis along the water in this large, bustling city. Canoe, ride a bike, relax on the lawn, or visit rabbits and deer.

    Stroll along the peaceful promenade of Songdo Central Park and view sculptures and animals. Here pretty grassy spaces border a manmade waterway while skyscrapers tower nearby. Completed in 2009, the stylish city park has become a landmark of the large city of Incheon in South Korea’s northwestern region.

    In 2001, Incheon began creating Songdo International Business District on mostly reclaimed land. The multi-functional space offers residents a pleasant and sustainable place for home, work, school, and leisure. The 101-acre (41-hectare) park is an integral part of the overall design. Join residents and other visitors using this vast green space and exploring the cultural institutions surrounding the park.

    One highlight of the park is the seawater canal symbolizing the rivers of Korea flowing to the West Sea. Cruise along the canal under your power in a canoe with sun umbrellas or on a comfortable water taxi or small cruise boat.

    Gaze at and visit some of the futuristic buildings surrounding the park. Tri-Bowl, with the appearance of a bowl resting on water, has cultural event spaces. The Songdo G-Tower’s diagonal lines and atriums provide a stunning setting for the offices of the IFEZ (Incheon Free Economic Zone) Authority. Visit the building’s 29th-floor Sky Garden for views across the city.

    Suwon – Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Suwon

    Suwon stream

     

     

     

    Suwon stream 2

     

     

     

    Most of the streams passing through Suwon originate on Guangyao or other nearby peaks. Since Suwon is bounded to the east by other hills, the streams, chiefly the Suncheon (and one notable tributary being the Jumbotron), flow southwards through the city, eventually emptying into the Yellow Sea at Asan Bay. The entirety of Suwon is  drained in this manner

    .the end

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Recent Political Poems

    Here are some of my political poems from the last couple of months. I don’t expect everyone to agree, but I welcome feedback and comments as long as it is civil.  I have given up on Quora, Facebook, and Twitter where the extremists have hijacked the site drowning out civil discourse in the process.

    The mid-terms were a victory for common sense as most of the MAGA extremists were defeated, and the Senate remains in Democratic hands, meaning that they can continue to act as a check on the right-wing dominated house. The red wave never materialized.  Most of the extremists were defeated.

    My prediction is that the Senate would remain democrat and that the house would under by the Republicans albeit with a narrow minority, largely due to gerrymandering and voter suppression efforts,,

    political poetry

    face book political photos

    political rants

    Cosmos’s 2022 and 2024 US Elections Predictions

    outlaw poetry

    Outlaw and Neobeatnik Poetry

    poetry24 Publishes my Current Event Rants

    Querencia Publishes Madmen with Guns

    Letter to Ted Cruz Regarding Guns

    Index

    Slime Oozing Out of a TV
    Patriot Games
    Watching the news
    Morning Blues
    Naani Morning Blues
    In the Year 2022, Madness Took Over
    America
    Con Artists
    Truth and Lies Diamante
    water
    America divided into tribal divisions
    Arrested for feeding the homeless
    Elections Bringing Back the People
    Election Cinquin
    Dark Money Tiger
    Democracy on Trial Acrostic
    Democracy Kyrielle
    Democracy Minute
    First and Last Dark Money
    The Rot Starts at the Top
    Cancel Culture Run Am
    Senator Johnson Banned on YouTube for Spreading Lies Found Poem
    Enough of Your Useless Prayers
    Driving our Politics is Fear
    No Mas Excuses, America
    Ode to our Firefighter Heroes
    Global Emergency
    Please America Get Vaccinated
    Political ghosts haunt my dreams –

    Letter to Republican leaders, to be sent will update if I get any responses

    Dear Republican leaders
    WTF is wrong with you?
    The mid-terms were all about
    Rejecting extremism

    And demanding that politicians
    Just do their job
    And get stuff done
    For the American people

    So, what are your plans?
    Addressing climate change?
    Addressing crime?
    Banning assault weapons?
    Protecting gay rights?
    Protecting abortion rights?
    Addressing extreme inequality?
    Making college more affordable?

    All of which are very popular
    With the American public

    Nope

    Your number one goal
    Investigate Hunter Biden’s crimes
    While ignoring the nepotism
    And the crimes of the Trump clan?

    Yes, the Hunter Biden laptop
    That somehow magically was delivered
    To a Delaware repair shop

    Run by a blind man
    Rather than fixing the laptop
    Called Ruddy G and delivered it to him

    He kept it and then gave it to the FBI
    Three years later
    Have found zip nada nothing

    The most one can say
    Is there some possibility
    Incriminating e-mails

    But given the breakdown
    In the chain of custody
    And the deep fake technology
    Nothing on that Laptop
    Proves anything

    Oh, and impeaching President Biden
    For the crime of being a democrat
    And threatening to shut down the government,
    and threatening to  default on the United States government’s sovereign debt
    Unless social security, Medicare and Obama care
    Is cut to the bone, throwing millions of people
    especially senior citizens into poverty.

    Go ahead
    And make my day
    For if you do all of this
    And do nothing at all
    To address the country’s problems

    There will be a blue wave
    In 2024

    The voters are sick and tired
    Of the Republican Chaos brand.

    The rest follows:

    Slime Oozing Out of a TV

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I drink coffee
    Every morning
    Watching the news

    Until my eyeballs hurt
    And I can’t stand it
    Anymore

    Wanting to shoot the TV
    To put it out of its misery

    As I think about that
    The old Zappa
    the song comes to mind

    “I am the slime
    Oozing out of the TV set
    Can’t look away
    Don’t change the dial
    Folks look at me go

    I am the slime
    Oozing out of the TV Set.”

    Patriot Games

    Supporters of US President Donald Trump enter the US Capitol as tear gas fills the corridor on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. – Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. (Photo by Saul LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The right-wing spin masters are at it again
    Turning the greatest assault on American democracy
    The storming of the capital  on January 6
    By an angry mob  into a patriotic uprising
    Against a communist dictatorship In the making

    Fighting to restore traditional Judeo-Christian values
    Led by false Christian prophets celebrating
    The rise of Christian fascism in America

    Calling the angry mob Patriots Is an affront
    To the real patriots
    Our grandparents  fought world war
    Against the Nazis and were the original Antifa

    Fox News is now hosting Tucker’s ‘broadcast
    Siding with neo-fascist autocrats
    In Hungary, their newfound best friend

    Who is proudly instigating a neo-fascist
    Illiberal democratic state
    Shades of other right-wing autocrats
    That the right love to support

    Even celebrating the military coup
    Myanmar saying there is no reason
    That could not happen here

    The twice impeached former president
    Siding with the enemies of democracy
    Doing Putin’s bidding killing Democracy to save it.

    As our democracy lies dying as we speak
    The mobs are braying to take our country back.
    Make America great and white again

    Soon we will have the proud boys,
    oath keepers, Bugaloo bois, and others
    Marching in the streets under Nazi and confederate banners
    Cheering their great leader as he storms back into power.

    God save America
    If he/she still cares?

    Watching the news

    while watching the news
    gloom and doom gives the blues
    not a good morning
    soon I will blow my fuse

    Just a bad morning
    filled with forewarning
    soon I must drink wine
    ending with warnings

    drinking my red wine
    makes everything seem fine
    looking at my lovely wife
    I sit and admire what is mine

    Morning Blues

    Watching the morning news
    Nothing but gloom and doom
    Just no more rules
    Gives me the blues

    Naani Morning Blues

     

     

     

     

     

     

    My day  starts with coffee
    watching the idiot box
    soon it is too much to bear
    it gives me the blues

    In the Year 2022, Madness Took Over

    I often thought back
    In the Trumpian years
    As an aberration
    That Americans would wake up

    And realize that they had been conned
    That Conman Don
    Was not their friend

    That the republicans
    If they could turn
    Social security and Medicare

    To the private sector
    Enriching wall street
    While screwing everyone else

    Laughing at the fools
    Who believed that they care
    About them at all.

    Then 2022 midterms approached
    And the airwaves and internet
    Were filled with the vilest conspiracy theories

    So many people believed the Q nonsense
    That there was a secret cabal
    Of cannibals child molesting pedophiles

    Drinking children’s blood in Satanic rituals
    Led by shape-shifting aliens.
    Believing that Donald Trump
    Was anointed by God

    To battle the satanic democrats
    And that someday soon
    storm would erupt

    And all the evil ones
    Will be rounded up
    And Donald Trump
    Would once again be president

    The latest crazed theory
    That there are schools

    Where children are told
    To do their business
    In litter boxes

    Because the children
    Identify as cats.

    And so, it goes
    More madness everywhere
    More madness, more drugs

    And more guns everywhere
    Not just in the US
    But overseas too

    Everywhere leaders are unhinged
    Conspiracy theories run amok
    Pundits pontificating

    Guns proliferating
    Hard to see how
    This ends well.

    America

    America faces a choice

    A choice of embracing democracy
    At last a choice of standing up
    Against the forces of Neo-fascism
    As the election season comes to an end.

    Although it is too close to tell
    Americans will make the right choice

    Con Artists

    These days
    It seems that there are
    So many crafty people
    Con artists everywhere
    Rampant crime on the rise
    Fear abounds everywhere
    Upsetting our tidy plans
    Leaving us so confused.

    Vote Diatelle

    vote

    Today
    what the hey
    democracy
    itself may be at play
    will we be a plutocracy?
    or even become just a theocracy?
    run by an unelected bureaucracy?
    or turn into a meritocracy?
    or a corporatocracy?
    keep fascism at bay
    aristocracy
    le5 us pray
    we may
    note

    Truth and Lies Diamante

    Right thoughts
    Telling, speaking, Screaming
    Facts, News, Pundits, Politicians
    Lying, Scheming, Plotting
    Lies

    Water

    The world is faced
    With a huge water shortage problem
    Throughout the world
    We are running out of fresh clean water

    Climate change leading to massive droughts
    And massive storms and massive floods
    Nigeria, Pakistan, and Kentucky underwater

    Mississippi water supply compromised
    Everywhere we are running out of water

    Yet there are solutions
    Mandatory water harvesting
    In the southwest replacing lawns
    With desert plants

    Energy-efficient watering systems
    Shifting to less water-intensive agriculture
    Setting up urban vertical gardening

    Massive desalination plants
    Using solar, wind, and tidal power
    It will cost a lot

    But solutions are possible
    If we have the political will
    To implement them.

    America divided into tribal divisions

    America divided into tribal divisions
    Red states, Blue Cities
    The mass media playing games
    So many people believe

    That the world is out of control
    Spreading calls for civil war
    Election workers fear for their life.

    Guns everywhere
    And the former guy who lost
    Gleefully throwing gas on the fire.

    Arrested for feeding the homeless

     

     

     

     

    Sam Jones, a 70-year-old man
    Walking down the street
    In a Florida City
    Thinking that too many people
    Ignore the homeless.

    He thought,
    But what would happen
    If we began to act
    Towards others as we should.

    Sam began a campaign
    Treating homeless people
    To coffee and sandwiches.

    Buying them tents,
    Buying them clothing,
    Asking their names
    Telling their stories.

    The city authorities
    Were not amused

    They arrested him
    For violating a local law
    Forbidding handing out food
    Water and drinks
    To people on the street
    Without a proper city-issued permit.
    As a food vendor.

    The case went to trial
    They found him guilty
    Sentenced to five years in prison.

    For helping the homeless,
    Without the proper food vendor permits,
    And for contempt of court when he asked the judge,
    To act according to his professed Christian principles.

    Elections Bringing Back the People

    The election showed the world
    That the power of the people
    Will eventually prevail
    That sanity might slowly
    Becoming back to the land
    As MAGA extremists lost
    Despite the former guy’s attempts
    At an unlikely comeback.

    Election Cinquin

    Election
    Powerful, Profound
    Meaningful, moving, provoking
    Power to the people
    Decisions

    Dark Money Tigerjade

    Dark money
    so funny
    So much corruption in the USA
    American political world filled with dark black dollars
    Democracy is a state, according to scholars
    We know how
    End it now

    Democracy on Trial Acrostic

    Democracy on trial
    Everywhere it seems
    More in Europe perhaps
    Only in America though
    Crazy Q anon theories
    Right-Wing MAGA nut cases
    Although they lost in the mid-terms
    Crazy conspiracies have not died out
    Yet more craziness to come soon.

    Democracy Kyrielle

    Democracy itself at the state
    People voted in the election
    The mass media is filled with hate
    determining what direction

    It is up to America
    To the people who voted
    That is what it is, Erika
    Determining what direction

    To those who chose not to vote
    Do not complain about the results
    The winners of the vote should not gloat
    Determining what direction

    Democracy Minute

    American democracy
    Is it just plutocracy?
    Does your vote count?
    Endless recount.
    Do elections even matter?
    Endless chatter,
    No one cares now.
    Do we know how?
    Do we even know what to do?
    This much is true.
    All must save it.
    Must do your bit.

    First and Last Dark Money

    There is just too much dark money.
    It is no longer so funny.
    Our politics are so Lunny.
    Democracy is at stake.
    Politicians are on the take.
    Does your vote even matter?
    Amid pundits’ non-stop chatter.
    Everyone is mad as a hatter.
    No one seems to be awake.
    Politicians are all on the make.
    the media is filled with liars.
    Our politics are endless quagmires.
    Out west endless wildfires.
    No one cares but smart money.
    There is just too much dark money.

    h3 style=”text-align: center;”>Donald Trump Runs a Full White Supremacist campaign  White Supremacist

    Folks,

    Our opponents denounce us as racists.  I say we should be proud to be white people. White people built this country.  They say we stole the land from the Indians.  I say the Indians were simply in the way and should have been removed because the white people needed the land. There was nothing wrong with that.  White people built this country.  They say slavery was wrong.  I say Black people were better off as slaves because they were unable to handle freedom.  I say the civil war should never have been fought.  The US would have been much better off if we had split up into two nations. I say that the US was better off when white men ruled the country.  Women should not be in a position of leadership.  Immigration should be restricted to white people as it was during much of our history.  Immigration should be restricted to white people who are Christian and speak English and should be limited.   Too many immigrants. Too many non-white people.  The replacement campaign is continuing and the democrats are the party of niggers, spics, chinks, gooks, Muslims, pagans, atheists, and coastal elites who hate you and hate white people and hate our movement because we are pro-white, pro-male, and pro-America!  They say that we are heading to a civil war.  I say bring it on.  If the South were to secede and Texas leads the way,  I will gladly serve as president of a new confederacy.

    Regarding foreign policy,  it is time to bring the troops back and station them along the southern border.  We need to seal the borders to keep the minorities from flooding the country and keep out the drugs and chaos.  We need to make marijuana illegal again.  We should set up special drug courts where drug dealers will be tried and executed the next day.

    We need to pull out of NATO.  Bring our troops from Asia.  Let them defend themselves.  We should stop sending aid to Ukraine.  Let Russia and Ukraine work it out.  Russia has serious and viable security claims in Eastern Europe.  Putin is the friend of the white Christian race.

    Around the world white people are rising and taking back power.  We need to do the same.

    Gay rights should be left to states to decide.  If Texas wants to ban same-gender attraction, Heyy should be allowed to do so.

    Civil rights laws should be abolished.  If a landlord does not want to rent to minorities, they should be allowed to do so.

    Let’s stand up and proclaim

    We are white and we are proud.

    30 percent of the public supported his campaign.  The more critics denounced it as a racist campaign, the stronger his campaign became.

    Five endings – his wins and ushers in Fascism

    He is indicted and sent to prison.  Desantis takes over his campaign and continues the anti-minority campaign.

    DeSantis wins and ushers in fascism

    A national convention is called and the U.S. splits apart into ten new countries

    A civil war ensues.

    The democrats win big in 2024 and restore sanity.

    Confronted by Racists in Oregon Nightmare

    We go to Oregon and sell our property. While there we run into racists everywhere.  It is very unpleasant.  In Costco, several white guys confront us in the parking lot yelling racist slurs telling her to go home to China, and calling me a race traitor.  I just look at them and say,

    “Mighty Christian behavior.  Thanks for sharing your opinion. Now leave.”

    They asked me “what did you say?’

    I said,

    “You are a good Christian. Now leave us alone.”

    “Are you mocking us?”

    “Nope. Not at all. Just leave us alone.”

    One guy pulls out a gun and points it at us.

    I look at him and say

    “really? Do you want to shoot us in broad day light?  What would Jesus do?’

    Angela tries to intervene, and they slap her.  I call for help and security comes outside.

    We decide to press charges of assault.

    Someone filmed it and the video went viral.  We are interviewed.  I tell them that I am not a Christian, but just thought that perhaps if I appealed to their faith, they might reconsider what they were doing and unfortunately that did not work.

    Something wicked this way comes

    Something wicked this way comes

    With the Republicans taking over the house
    About to launch endless investigations about Hunter Biden,
    And the “ January 6th political prisoners “
    And the former president running
    Back on Twitter that is imploding
    And climate change running amuck
    Gunmen still rampaging across the land.

    Dear God Make, It All Go Away

    Dear God

    Watching the news unfold
    The non-ending problems
    Inflation, crime, climate change
    The world unhinged

    And our new house leaders’ response
    Their number one priority
    Investigate Hunter Biden

    Number two
    Have Margo Taylor Green lead
    The investigation
    of the January 6 committee
    For doing their jobs

    Their other priorities include
    Insisting the solution to climate change
    Drill more oil and coal
    And stop subsiding on renewable energy

    The solution to gun violence
    Useless prayers and thoughts
    And more guns for everyone

    Insisting that the government cut
    Social security and Medicaid
    Or else they will let the government default

    And the former president
    Is running for reelection
    And is now back on Twitter
    Which is going bankrupt.

    As the advertisers flee
    And hate fills the twitter
    And FB social media.

    Dear God,
    I say to you
    If you have the power
    To intervene in our lives.

    Please Dear God
    Make it all go away
    Restore sanity and civility,

    Have the former President
    Get the justice he deserves
    And our leaders put aside
    Their games

    And start solving problems
    That is my prayer today.

    Bugs Bunny Q

    One day Bugs Bunny came to life
    Went on national TV
    To launch his crusade
    Wearing a red MAGA hat

    He endorsed the former President
    Who he called his good friend
    The best president ever.

    He wants to quote Q
    And talk about the dangerous
    Dark conspiracy

    Of Satan worshiping
    child cannibals
    Led by the evil Elmer Fudd.

    American Democracy Momento

    American democracy
    We must choose to save it
    Fill with hate

    American
    plutocracy
    We must all do our bit
    Make it great
    We must all do our given part
    Together find our way

    Go forward
    Let’s come together as a start
    Keep the hate at bay
    Straightforward

    Having their Cake and Eat It Too Writers’ Cramp

    Politicians often try
    To have their cake
    And eat it too
    Running around
    Throwing gasoline
    On the political fires.
    ture wars
    Then acting “shocked.”
    that anyone ould carry out
    Acts of political violence
    Based on their overheated rhetoric
    Shedding copious crocodile tears
    The dead don’t care, they are merely ghosts.

    Democratic Constanza

    Democracy is still at risk
    In my American homeland,
    Must do our part, and take a stand.
    The election showed there is still a high risk.
    Voters have to make a decision,
    Just turn off the television.
    Wired in our news hard disk
    What will be our country’s future
    Will it be with Trump, the moocher?
    Like a political slipped disk
    We must do our part, pick a side
    And save our country’s future pride.
    Just filled with political zisk
    Democratic chimerica ?
    Or a fascist Amerika?

    The World After

    The future is not yet written
    The world can still be saved
    But the end of humanity
    Could be at hand

    The world is burning up
    Fires out of control
    Ice caps melting
    Temperatures rising

    Hatred spreading
    Neofascism on the right
    Democracy threatened

    End of the world fears
    Filling the world
    Yet to come

    the Rot Starts at the Top

    Watching the news unfold
    About the massive spying operation
    Targeted against Democratic opponents
    Of the former guy

    The old Chinese Confucian adage
    Pops to mind
    The rot starts at the head
    Meaning rotten fish of course

    But also applies
    To rotten political actors
    This scandal is probably
    Just the tip

    Of a very large rotten iceberg
    Where it will lead
    Is anyone’s guess

    But will the former guy
    Be held accountable
    For this crime?

    Probably not
    Just add it to the list
    Of all his other crimes

    And wait until hell freezes over
    For justice to be done

    Cancel Culture Run Amuck

    I am so sick
    And tired
    Of the so-called “Cancel Culture”
    Nonsense

    That has spread out
    Along the right-wing media verse
    Infecting the public
    With their hatred and disdain

    I don’t know what it all means
    Something about political speech
    social conservatives
    Being canceled
    By left-wing woke mobs
    In the mainstream media
    “Libtard “Coastal elites
    And tech giants

    Seems that they don’t like
    Being held to account
    For minimal standards
    Of decent behavior

    For example, not spreading lies
    About COVID vaccinations
    I mean you Senator Johnson
    Banned by YouTube for a week
    Or inciting a riot

    I mean you
    Former guy
    And his minions

    Used to be
    That we were all
    Held to account
    For decent behavior
    By a sense of public shame

    So, we did not go there
    We knew where the lines were
    And respected them

    But in the era
    Of the former guy
    All civilized restraints
    Have gone out the window

    I say to my republican friends
    If you don’t want to be canceled
    Don’t say or do disgusting things
    Don’t spread hate and misinformation

    Then we would not have to
    Cancel your nonsense
    Until then I need to shut
    Off the damn media noise box

    Senator Johnson Banned on YouTube for Spreading Lies Found Poem

    YouTube suspended
    Sen. Ron Johnson’s account
    to spread medical misinformation.

    The company specifically
    prohibits content
    that contradicts public-health guidance.

    The Republican
    routinely holds Senate hearings
    where he promotes
    baseless conspiracy theories.

    “Big Tech and mainstream media
    believe they are smarter
    than medical doctors
    who have devoted their lives to science?
    and use their skills to save lives,”

    “They have decided
    there is only one medical viewpoint allowed
    and it is the viewpoint dictated
    by government agencies.”

    Johnson, who promoted the “Big Lie”
    that led to the assault
    on the US Capitol in January,

    Johnson has used his position
    as a senator to promote
    baseless conspiracy theories
    and undermine trust in public institutions

    Johnson’s “continuing assault on the truth,
    often under the guise
    of simply ‘asking questions
    about facts,

    is helping to diminish confidence
    in American institutions
    at a perilous moment,

    when the health and economic well-being
    of the nation relies heavily on
    on mass vaccinations,

    and when faith in democracy
    is shaken by right-wing falsehoods
    about voting,”

    Comment: It is for that act
    Those comments went too far
    led YouTube
    To “cancel” Senator Johnson

    Now if only we can get
    He to just shut up
    And go away

    Perhaps the voters
    Will finally be moved
    To cancel him for good.

    Driving our Politics is Fear

    What is driving our politics
    More than anything else
    Is the fear of the other
    Fear of the enemy
    Fear of the end
    The American experiment
    With democracy

    The Day After 9-11 U.S Visa Officer’s Perspective

    9-11 2021 was the classic black swan event.  A low-probability event that changed almost everything.  The world can be divided into a pre-9-11 world and a Post 9-11 world.  9-11 led to the Afghanistan war, which recently concluded, the Iraq war, the Syria war, the Libyan civil war, countless wars in Africa, the war on terror, the Muslim travel ban, the war on domestic dissent in so many parts of the world, all justified as a reaction against the events of that September day.  Here are some of my reflections on the events of 9-11 including a prose poem about where I was that terrible day.  It affected me deeply because at the time I was a US immigration officer in the State Department serving in Mumbai, (Bombay) India.

    9-11 Fridge

    Based on fridge magnet poems daily prompt https://frij.io/?mc_cid=892a002a18&mc_eid=7c5e331aa2

    Following 9/11
    Patriots Blunder
    Whack
    Worry Frequently
    About terrorists and Muslims
    Whomever, wherever they are

    Reflections on 911 Where I was Prose Poem

    On 9-11

    When the planes struck the World Trade Center

    Unleashing evil on the world

    I was working
    at the deputy consular chief at the US Consulate
    in Mumbai

    I was at a Polish national day event
    chatting with the Polish Ambassador
    and his charming wife.

    Someone told me
    I needed to check out the news,
    saw the CNN news feed,
    rushed back to the consulate
    to prepare our response.

    I put together a task force
    focused on helping American citizens
    in our district.
    I worked almost 15-20 hours
    for almost three days

    before finally getting a night off.
    We continued to process visas
    during this time

    but our priority
    was to reach out to the Americans
    who lived in our district

    and to monitor the reactions of Indians
    especially Muslims living in our district.

    I tracked down my wife
    who had gone into emergency action
    in her position in Korea as a MI officer.

    We both reflected
    that if she had not taken the job in Korea
    she might have died that day

    as she had been working in the ops center
    at the pentagon which was destroyed.
    Since it was shift work

    if she had been on the early morning shift
    it might have been game over for her.

    Reflections on 9-11

    9-11
    The event that launched
    The war on terror
    That led to Afghanistan

    Led to Iraq
    Led to Syria
    And so many other wars
    Secret and not so secret
    War on dissent at home
    All because of 911

    A true black swan event
    That almost destroyed our country
    And still has ramifications

    All over the world
    911
    A day that truly
    Will live
    In infamy

    9-11 unleashed Evil

    world lurks in the deadliest places.
    Evil came to town on 911
    the day that evil swept over the world
    a true Black Swan event
    That transformed everything
    splitting the world into a pre-9-11 world
    and a post 9-11 world

    unleashing the War on Terror, the wars in Afghanistan, the wars in Iraq, the war in Libya, the war in Syria, the wars in Africa, the horrors of ISIS, the horrors of the Taliban resurgent, the horrors of Al Qaeda and all the rest of the Muslim terrorists,  the war in the streets of any big city, the war on Muslims, the war on Christians, the war on Jews, the apartheid in Palestine, the wars on dissent at home, the Arab Spring

    many things can be traced
    to the impact of 9/11

    one of the most unlikely events
    of recent history that transformed
    everything

    yes there was a pre-9-11 world

    hard to imagine now
    and a post 9-11 worldwide police state
    on steroids

    lost democracy at home
    and abroad
    We are still coping
    with the damages unleashed
    by the evil plane bombers

    fulfilling their mad desires
    their dictates from their mad god

    transforming the world
    unleashing evil
    in the once-innocent world.

    Cosmos’s 2022 and 2024 Predictions

    Dear Nancy, Time to Go Dear

    Joe, Go Bold or Go Home – revised

    URL: https://wp.me/p7NAzO-29ONancy Pelosi

    Nancy Pelosi

    Executive Summary

    I predict the House and Senate will remain in the hands of the Democrats in 2022 and 2024, but a lot depends on who the Republicans run, if they run right-wing darlings like Trump, or DeSantis they lose, if they run sane moderate Republican governors like Hogan, they will win.

    if the Democrats nominate someone other than Biden or Harris they will probably win, if Biden runs again, a narrow victory, if Harris runs, they lose (again depending upon the Republican candidate), if Trump runs the third party, the Democrats will win.  The Democratic donor class should be encouraging Trump to run the Third-party! calling his party, the Christian Patriot Party.

    What Do I Know? Why listen to Me?

    I am a lifelong Democrat, having grown up in Berkeley in the late 60s and 70s.  I served in the Peace Corps and became a foreign service officer retiring in 2016. I live in South Korea, as I have my wife’s family living here.  I hope to return to the Bay Area in another year. I grew up in a politically active family. I served as President of my high school and a student senator at college.

    My father, Curtis Cosmos Aller, was the President of the Berkeley Co-Op and the Peralta community college district, served as undersecretary of Labor for Johnson  , and was a professor and Dean at SF State. and ran for Congress against Ron Dellums winning 40 percent in the primary election in 1974.

    I have voted for president since 1974 when I voted against Nixon.  I voted for Carter twice, and for the Democrats for president in every election. But I also correctly forecast the election returns in every election since 1974.

    Here are my predictions for 2022 and 2024, which I will share with the Democratic leadership and post any responses I may receive.

    Comments welcomed.

    2202 Predictions

     

    2022 is shaping up to be the most consequential mid-term in recent history.  The future of America and our democracy are at stake.  So far if I had to bet, I would bet on the Senate being held by the Democrats, maybe even a pickup as the math favors the democrats this time around, including several open seats due to retirements in Ohio and elsewhere.

    The house is more of a toss-up.

    Note:  I correctly saw that the red wave was an illusion, the house barely flipped sides, and the Democrats hold onto the Senate.

    If the Democrats are smart, they would announce that Nancy P and the aging leadership are all retiring to open the field to a new generation of leaders.

    This opens up the democratic leadership to a challenge along generational lines = as the Republicans continue to paint them as coastal elites out of touch with real Americans, which will resonate because there is an element of truth to that.

    Fortunately, after the election the house leadership changed hands ushering in a new generation of leaders, long overdue in my opinion.

    A lot depends on the following:

    Factors Favoring the Dems

    If the Democrats can paint Marjorie Taylor Green and her ilk as the face of the Republican party, they can pull off a win.

    Majorie Taylor Green et al play along acting crazy.

    Make them the face of the Republican Party –

    The impact of the January 6h commission – clearly shows how despicable and dangerous Republicans are, and how complicit they were in plotting a coup.

    Trump continues hinting he is running in 2024.
    Trump endorses candidates who win the primaries and lose the general.

    Trump is indicted and or is sent to prison = could cut either way = making him a martyr or turning off the average American to the MAGA crowd.

    Republican in-fighting continues positive for Dems.
    Much better unified messaging showing how democratic policies are helping average Americans.

    The state of COVID by August -  if it is over the democrats get a bump.

    State of the economy by August – if inflation slows up, the jobless numbers remain good, and the democrats get a bump.

    Impact of the big infrastructure bill – will people see it is working?

    Democrats get unified positive for Dems.

    Democratic turnout is higher than normal despite voter suppression efforts.

    Gerrymandering is not as bad as expected mixed signals so far,

    Biden’s approval rating is above 50 percent by September,

    The war in Ukraine ended with a victory Ukraine  gives a bump to Biden

    Spreading of rank choice voting systems, as these systems tend to produce more politically centrist candidates, and slightly favor the Democratic party candidates.

    The spread of jungle primary systems, as these systems tend to produce more politically centrist candidates, slightly favors the Democratic party candidates.  California is the biggest state to embrace both of these more democratic voting systems, but the idea is spreading. Most recently, NYC adopted a rank voting system, which led to the election of Eric Adams, who was everyone’s second choice, and not the first choice for most voters. He is a moderate Democrat in a blue progressive-dominated city.

    Factors Favoring the Republicans

    The Republicans will make Nancy the symbol of a “coastal elite old political hack leadership out of touch with American voters and values ” which will resonate as there is a kernel of truth to that charge. In short, they will hear, and so-called “socialist left woke SF Values” the face of the Democratic party, not Biden so much or Harris.

    Nancy Pelosi

    Trump announces he is retiring, is imprisoned, or dies – removing the biggest obstacle to the resurgence of the Republican party.

    The economy stumbles and favors Republicans.
    Republicans nominate centrists moderates resisting the MAGA crusade.

    Gerrymandering and voter suppression works as advertised – News out of Texas is not good, 25% of absentee ballots were rejected!

    Democrats continue their fratricidal infighting – can’t get a unified message.

    Republicans are successful in painting the democratic leadership as “old  coastal elitist political hacks out of touch with Americans and not dealing with the nation’s problems due to being too weak internationally and domestically, and beholden to a socialist left-wing woke social warrior culture run amuck.”

    The culture wars ignite the Republican base, leading to a higher turnout among the base.

    Neutral factors:

    Retirements = could be cut either way.
    The deaths of aging leaders could go either way,

    What is the Average Age of Congress?

    The average age of the 117th Congress is 59 years old and the median is 60 years old. This is much higher than the median age of 38 years in the United States in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

    Of its 435 members, the House has 38 members born in the 1980s and one born in the 1990s, while the Senate welcomed its first millennial. But the age groups with the biggest gains, compared to the 116th Congress, were those born in the 1930s and 1960s. Members in the 80+ and 50-59 age groups saw gains, while the 30-39 age group saw the biggest losses. Members of Congress are, overall, getting older.

    AGE OF THE SENATE

    The average age of the Senate is 63 years. The most popular years of birth are 1952 and 1954, with seven members each.

    Who are the Oldest Members of Congress?

    From Alaska, all the way to
    Alabama, the oldest members of the 117th Congress were all born in the early 1930s. Most of them are members of the Senate.

    Specifically, the five oldest members of Congress are:

    (four Republicans and one Democrat)

    • Don Young, age 87, is the RepublicanS. Representative for Alaska’s at-large congressional district. He has served for 25 terms since 1973 and is the current longest-serving member in Congress. (JUST PASSED AWAY AS OF March 19, 2022).
    • Dianne Feinstein, age 87, is a Democratic Senator from California running for re-election.
    • Chuck Grassley, age 87, is a Republican Senator from Iowa -running for re-election.
    • Richard Shelby,  age 86, is a Republican Senator from Alabama running for re-election.
    • Jim Inhofe, age 86, is a Republican Senator from Oklahoma running for re-election.
    • Mitch Mc Connel 83
    • Dick  Schumer 75

    Who are the Youngest Members?

    As for the youngest members of the 117th Congress, they are all part of the House of Representatives. Most were born in the 1980s except the youngest member of them all.

    Here are the five youngest members of Congress:

    • (three Democrats, two republicans)
    • Madison Cawthorn, age 25, is the RepublicanS. Representative for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district. He is the first member of Congress born in the 1990s.  -Note: defeated in his re-election bid.
    • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, age 31, is the Democratic  Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district
    • Sara Jacobs, age 31, is the democratic Representative for California’s 53rd congressional district
    • Ritchie Torres, age 32, is the democratic. Representative for New York’s 15th congressional district
    • Jake LaTurner, age 32, is the Democratic. Representative for Kansas’s 2nd congressional district

    How Does Age Relate to Party?

    Overall, the average age for Republicans in Congress is 58 and 60 for Democrats. Looking specifically at each party in each chamber, the averages are also very similar:

    AVERAGE AGE OF THE 117TH CONGRESS LEADERSHIP

    As mentioned before, Congress is getting older. When looking specifically at the leadership in each party, the averages are even higher with Democrats brushing close to 70.

    bottom line: Senate to the Democrats due to the math more than anything else.

    While I hope the Dems maintain the House, it is too close to call could be a two-vote margin by Democrats, or a two to three margin by the Republicans, but I don’t see a red wave coming nor do I see a blue wave coming. the gerrymandering in place slightly favors the Republicans perhaps giving them five additional seats, and demographic changes mean additional seats in red states and a loss in NY, California, and New Jersey of one seat each.

    the average age of congress

    2024 Predictions

    2024 is shaping up to be the most consequential election in recent history.  The future of America and our democracy are at stake.  So far if I had to bet, I would bet on the Democrats winning the presidency (but not Biden running again due to age and health concerns or Kamala Harris making it, and Trump not running due to age, or legal impediments, or death)  on the Senate being held by the Democrats, maybe even a pickup as the math favors the Democrats this time around including several open seats due to retirements and deaths, and the House could go either way, lots depends on who wins the mid-terms, and the success of the voter suppression movement.

    My advice/predictions to the Democratic leadership (I will share this with them) are the following:

    Biden should retire at the end of his term but announce that he wants an open primary and not endorse any candidate until the dust settles and a clear leader emerges.  The rest of the aging leadership should all retire as well, opening up political space for the next generation of leaders to organically emerge.

    Kamala Harris stumbles and another candidate emerges.  If the Democrats are smart, they would nominate a moderate problem-solving centrist who can win in red or purple states = the governor of Michigan fits the bill.  Preferably a woman, as it is time for a woman president. The VP should be a Hispanic or perhaps Asian-American male. Again, a governor would be preferable but a Senator or big city major would be a good pick as well. I would avoid two women candidates as that might be a step too far for now.

    The theme should be time for a renewed commitment to an America that works for everyone, that we are in it together and are united as Americans.

    Other themes would be

    Continuing rebuilding our failing physical infrastructure, including our public health systems,

    Fighting climate change,

    Investing in the next generation of technologies,

    including robotics and AI systems,

    Recommitting to the space program,

    Enacting some version of the build-back better initiative,

    Continuing to work on rebuilding our alliances,

    Reforming our failed immigration system,

    Fighting against voter suppression efforts,

    Encouraging more democratic voting systems such as rank vote and jungle primaries,

    And an old throwback, enacting term limits  – this is a winning issue with the public and will disarm potential republican attacks

    “on old, tired, political elitist coastal hacks running the Democratic party leadership.”

    The Democrats should seize this issue as a sort of political jujutsu move. that would be brilliant!

    Starting with the retirement of the oldest members of both parties to bring in a younger generation of leaders. if term limits are a good thing for the presidency they are a good thing for Congress to embrace and would be very popular.  I’d suggest 12 years (six terms) in the house and three terms in the Senate for a total of 30 years of service with mandatory retirement at age 70.

    Avoid getting sucked into the culture wars nonsense it is a waste of time, and resources and puts you on the defensive, just no upside to it at all.  the less you say this the better, let them come off as unhinged and out-of-touch.

    The focus should be on building on the solid accomplishments of the Biden era and looking forward with a positive, optimistic message.

    I would also not get trapped into running an anti-Republican campaign.  That was a losing message for Hilary, and also a bit for Biden.  People need to hear a positive, powerful optimistic message but pointing out that the Republican candidate is a neo-fascist authoritarian wannabe is fine, but that cannot be the only message or the main message.

    Keeping it positive, upbeat, and focused on solid accomplishments for the American people is the key.  Remember, they have to want to vote for you, not just vote against them!

    A winning slogan could be

    “Democrats, the party that gets stuff done for the American people.”

    I would also avoid getting too sucked into the progressive wish lists, and remember the adage to never let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Remember that people have to want to vote for you and just against the other guy.  You could run through an anti-republican slogan such as

    Republicans, tools of the 1 percent, the party of fascists, insurrectionists, deficit spending and ignoring the needs of the American people. and resucrect Harry’s Truman “Do Nothing congress” worked wonders for him and would be another winning slogan.

    If the Republicans are smart, Trump will retire for the good of the party and the country, under the excuse of age, health, or legal impediments.  Then they should have an open primary.

    Predictions for the Republican Ticket

    My prediction would be De Santis wins the nomination and picks perhaps Senator Cotton as his VP. This would unite the MAGA crows and the cultural wars crowds.  But also provide a solid line of attack for the Democratic nominee.

    I don’t see a pathway for Ted Cruz as he has too many enemies, everyone who knows him or has worked with him hates his guts.

    I also don’t see a pathway for Josh Hawley either for similar reasons. I can see Marjorie Taylor Green running but flaming out during the primary.

    Finally, I don’t see a Trump-Biden rematch but if that happens, I will bet that Biden would defeat Trump.

    The other unlikely prospect is that the Republicans get smart and nominate either the governor of Ohio or Maryland and run a positive upbeat campaign as

    “the party that gets stuff done for the American people”

    Note;  Great slogan, the Democrats should use it before the Republicans use it.

    while painting the Democrats as old, political hacks who are out of touch, cultural justice warrior elitists from coastal blue states.   That would be a powerful campaign theme because unfortunately, there is an element of truth to it!

    and they would probably win the House, Senate, and Presidency, but fortunately, for the Democrats, they are far more likely to nominate a cultural warrior nut case like DeSantis, with either Cotton as VP or the Virginian Governor as VP.

    if Biden runs, a toss-up. If Kamala runs a toss-up.  If the governor of Michigan or another female governor runs, Democrats probably win.

    If DeSantis runs, probably Republicans will fail, but if someone like Maryland Hogan runs, the Republicans will win.  If Trump wins the nomination as a Republican, Republicans will probably fail as well.

    If Trump runs third party, too close to call but he would not win as a third-party candidate.  If he runs, he should name his party, the Christian Patriot Party, the CPP in short.

    The Senate and House would both probably go to the Democrats despite voter suppression efforts as the math and demographics favor the Democratic party.

    A personal note.  I am married to a Korean-American woman whom I met in Korea and thus would love to see Hogan elected and have the first Asian-American (Korean) First lady.

    My bottom-line prediction

    Both Biden and Trump retire due to age and health concerns, and Trump’s legal woes become two insurmountable, not to mention the donor class is turning against him.

    Kamala Harris does not win the primary contests, as the Democrats selected a more centrist problem-solving figure who defeats the likely republican nominee – De Santis.

    Whoever loses, concedes as we restore the tradition of a peaceful transition of power.

    Senate and House go to the Democrats, but with narrow majorities.

    The rest of the country continues to be split into about 25 red states and 20 blue states, a blue DC, blue PR, blue VI, purple Guam and Samoa, purple military, and 5 purple states.

    To my fellow Americans

    I am writing this plead,
    To my fellow Americans.

    I am tired of the excuses
    Tired of hearing
    Your lame reasons,
    For not getting a vaccination.

    For not masking up,
    For not taking covid seriously.
    I am tired of hearing about
    People dying

    I am tired of hearing about gun violence,
    I am tired of hearing about the west burning up,
    The east flooding out,
    The monster storms everywhere.

    The politicians doing nothing at all
    To solve any of these problems

    Instead of playing games,
    Acting as if all of these problems
    Were beyond our control,

    Like the weather
    Can’t do anything about it
    Nothing but lies.

    Yes America
    I am tired.
    I say again
    I am tired
    Of your lame excuses.

    But this is something
    We can all do something about it,
    We can choose to get a free vaccine,

    We can choose to continue to wear a mask,
    We can choose to not kill someone with a gun.
    We can choose to take the bus,

    We can choose to drive an electric vehicle,
    We can choose to love one another,
    We can choose to save the world.

    Or you can choose
    To be a narcissistic self-centered asshole,
    A real scumbag,

    Following your hero,
    The orange man,
    Following him straight to hell.

    Where do you think this will end?
    It will not be a good outcome,
    For any of us,

    Especially for you, my friend.
    You could die, your parents could die,
    Your children could die.

    And you have the power
    To do something about.
    Each of us

    Has the power
    To change the world.
    But the change must come

    From all of us.
    We are all connected.
    We are all God’s children

    We are all each
    Other’s brothers and sisters.
    f none of this convinces you

    Think what Jesus would tell you
    I don’t need to tell you,
    You know in your heart,

    What needs to be done?
    I conclude with this

    I don’t want to hear it.

    No

    mas

    excuses

    just

    do

    the

    right

    thing

    The life you save

    Maybe your own.

     

     

     

    Page Break

    Ode to our Firefighter Heroes

     

    Watching the burning of the west

    From my air-conditioned apartment

    Halfway across the world in Korea,

     

    I am filled with dismay

    How the country has gotten

    To this dark and dangerous place.

     

    Where the world is burning up

    Climate change is out of control

    Gun violence epidemic raging everywhere

    No one is safe anywhere from the rampaging gunmen.

     

    The nation’s leaders

    Refuse to do anything at all

    As the world burns.

    COVID spreads

    And more people die from guns.

     

    Yet there are American heroes

    The firefighters, the first responders

    The EMTs, the park rangers,

     

    The doctors, the nurses

    Truck drivers, bus drivers

    The workers of America.

     

    These American heroes

    Including prisoners

    Put their lives on the line

    24/7.

     

    Working in truly hellish conditions

    In temperatures above 100 degrees

    Breathing in deadly smoke.

     

    Without enough supplies

    Not enough water,

    Not enough of anything.

     

    But like all true heroes

    They merely suit up

    And go to work,

     

    Doing whatever they can do

    To save us all

    From the burning of America.

    From the COVID disaster

    From the gun violence

    The monster storms

    The collapsing buildings.

     

    I salute them

    From the bottom of my heart

    They are the true heroes

    In our times,

     

    Everyone should salute them

    Everyone should applaud them

    Everyone should thank them

    For saving our lives.

     

    Our nation’s and world leaders

    Should get their act together

    Declaring a state of planetary emergency

     

    Everyone must get together

    And address the problem

    Facing our world.

     

     

     

    Global Emergency

     

    The world is facing a worldwide crisis

    Everything is falling apart

    The world is burning up.

     

    Monster storms flooding Europe

    Covid spreading everywhere

    Inflation rearing its ugly head

    Gun violence tearing us apart.

     

    Politics fall apart

    As politicians

    Play the blame game,

    Spreading toxic lies

    And endless venom.

     

    The sad reality

    We are all to blame,

    Every last one of us shares the blame.

     

    We have known for decades

    That we could not continue

    Down this path.

     

    The solutions are obvious

    We have known this for years.

     

    It is time for the world leaders

    Both government and corporate

    To declare a state of worldwide emergency.

     

    Everyone must do their part

    To save the world now.

     

    The billionaire classes

    Should rise up

    And demonstrate real leadership

    Rather than waste time

    Flying into space.

    And they should donate

    Their vast fortunes

    To save the world.

     

    The time for games is over

    The world is dying

    Even the billionaires

    May die as the world burns.

     

    We are in this together

    We are human brothers and sisters

    Please do your part

    To save the world.

     

    Before the problems overwhelm us

    Ending our world civilization

     

    We must move to green energy now

    Everyone must get vaccinated

    Get the assault weapons off the street.

    Institute real gun control measures.

     

    Yet due to our political dysfunction

    Nothing meaningful

    Will be done.

     

    As the politicians dither and dither

    And nothing is done.

     

    As the world burns

    Civilization slowly dies

    Democracy cannot survive.

     

    The rise of the warlords

    Is inevitable

     

    The world ends

    In fire, floods

    And endless violence.

     

    So many people

    Will die.

     

    Unless we all

    Do our part

    To save the world/

     

    The hour is getting late

    But we have not met our fate

    Despite the late date.

     

    If we do nothing

    Soon we will all become ghosts

    Joining the other ghosts

    Of our recent past.

     

    Joining the fire ghosts,

    the corona ghosts,

    the gun ghosts

    the storm ghosts

    And all the other ghosts.

     

    Their voices

    crying in the wind,

    no one left alive

    to mourn their death.

    Page Break

    please America get vaccinated against COVID

     

    It is a sad state of affairs

    That so many of our fellow citizens

    Just can’t be bothered

    To get a free vaccine

    That may save their lives

    And the lives of those around them

    They simply don’t care

    About the rest of us.

     

    The anti-vax crusaders

    Say that no one should be forced

    To get a vaccine.

     

    Yet we force people to wear seat belts

    Force people to wear helmets

    Force people to drive within the speed limit

    Prohibit drunk driving.

     

    All of these are an infringement

    On our freedom

    To be irresponsible and careless,

     

    Yet we have decided

    It is better to have people

    Wear a seat belt,

     

    To drive within the speed limit

    And not drunk drive

    Because these simple measures

    Save lives.

     

    The same thing applies to wearing a mask

    And getting a vaccine

    A small inconvenience to an induvial

    Yet may save many lives.

     

    In the end

    I can only  offer this plea

    Many of you are Christians,

     

    And you know what Jesus

    Would say

     

    Just shut up

    Wear a mask

    and get vaccinated

    It is god’s will.

    Just do it for me.

     

    Please my fellow citizens

    Please get a vaccine

    To protect your life

    To protect my life

    And do the right thing.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Thanksgiving Poems

     

     

    Thanksgiving

     

    On Thanksgiving day

    I am grateful

    That I am still alive

    And kicking

    At age 67

     

    Still married

    To my one and only wife

     

    Thankful that I have enough money

    To retire comfortably

    And live until I die

    Without falling into poverty

     

    I am thankful for my friends

    Far and wide

    That is what

    I celebrate Thanksgiving

     

     

     

    Letter to Republicans

     

    Biden is not a communist, so shut up with that nonsense

     

    Dear Republicans

    Lately the airwaves

    Of the Fox alternative universe

    Has been filled with pernicious nonsense

    Uttered by all the pundits

    And Republican leaders.

     

    The pernicious nonsense

    Is that Joe Biden, and the entire

    Democratic Party

    Has been taken over

    By Marxists

     

    Determined to turn the US

    Either into Cuba, Venezuela

    Communist China or North Korea.

     

    But oddly not Russia

    Who some believe now

    Is our friend

     

    Anyone alive

    For the last thirty years

    Knows that communism died

    A long time ago

     

    There are no communists anywhere

    Even in China, no one believes

    In classic communism.

     

    And Joe Biden may be many things

    But a hard-core Marxist Communist

    Working to turn the US into a communist country

    Is not one of them.

     

    The only people who believe this nonsense

    Are aging John Birchers

    Who still screams about the communist menace

    And perhaps a few aging left-wing radicals

    Who still believe in Marxism.

     

    So please just shut up

    About communism

    And other imaginary bogymen.

     

    The World After

     

    The future is not yet written

    The world can still be saved

    But the end of humanity

    Could be at hand

     

    The world is burning up

    Fires out of control

    Ice caps melting

    Temperatures rising

     

    Hatred spreading

    Neofascism on the right

    Democracy threatened

     

    End of the world fears

    Filling the world

    Yet to come

     

     

     

     

     

    the Rot Starts at the Top

     

    Watching the news unfold

    About the massive spying operation

    Targeted against Democratic opponents

    Of the former guy

    The old Chinese Confucian adage

    Pops to mind

    The rot starts at the head

    Meaning rotten fish of course

    But also applies

    To rotten political actors

    This scandal is probably

    Just the tip

    Of a very large rotten iceberg

    Where it will lead

    Is anyone’s guess

    But will the former guy

    Be held accountable

    For this crime?

    Probably not

    Just add it to the list

    Of all his other crimes

    And wait until hell freezes over

    For justice to be done

     

     

     

     

    Cancel Culture Run Amuck

     

    I am so sick

    And tired

    Of the so-called “Cancel Culture”

    Nonsense

     

    That has spread out

    Along the rightwing media verse

    Infecting the public

    With their hatred and disdain

     

    I don’t know what it all means

    Something about political speech

    social conservatives

    Being canceled

     

    By left-wing woke mobs

    In the mainstream media

    “Libtard “Coastal elites

    And tech giants

     

    Seems that they don’t like

    Being held to account

    For minimal standards

    Of decent behavior

     

    For example, not spreading lies

    About COVID vaccinations

    I mean you Senator Johnson

    Banned by YouTube for a week

     

    Or inciting a riot

    I mean you

    Former guy

    And his minions

     

    Used to be

    That we were all

    Held to account

    For decent behavior

     

    By a sense of public shame

    So, we did not go there

    We knew where the lines were

    And respected them

     

    But in the era

    Of the former guy

    All civilized restraints

    Have gone out the window

     

    I say to my republican friends

    If you don’t want to be canceled

    Don’t say or do disgusting things

    Don’t spread hate and misinformation

     

    Then we would not have to

    Cancel your nonsense

    Until then I need to shut

    Off the damn media noise box

     

     

     

    Senator Johnson Banned on YouTube for Spreading Lies Found Poem

     

    YouTube suspended

    Sen. Ron Johnson’s account

    to spread medical misinformation.

    The company specifically

    prohibits content

    that contradicts public-health guidance.

    The Republican

    routinely holds Senate hearings

    where he promotes

    baseless conspiracy theories.

     

    “Big Tech and mainstream media

    believe they are smarter

    than medical doctors

    who have devoted their lives to science?

    and use their skills to save lives,”

     

    “They have decided

    there is only one medical viewpoint allowed

    and it is the viewpoint dictated

    by government agencies.”

     

    Johnson, who promoted the “Big Lie”

    that led to the assault

    on the US Capitol in January,

    has used his position

    as a senator to promote baseless conspiracy theories

    and undermine trust in public institutions

     

    Johnson’s “continuing assault on the truth,

    often under the guise of simply ‘asking questions

    about facts,

    is helping to diminish confidence in American institutions

    at a perilous moment,

     

    when the health and economic well-being

    of the nation relies heavily on

    on mass vaccinations,

    and when faith in democracy

    is shaken by right-wing falsehoods

    about voting,”

     

    Comment: It is for that act

    Those comments went too far

    led YouTube

    To “cancel” Senator Johnson

     

    Now if only we can get

    He to just shut up

    And go away

     

    Perhaps the voters

    Will finally be moved

    To cancel him for good.

    End Comment

    Driving our Politics is Fear
    What is driving our politics
    More than anything else
    Is the fear of the other
    Fear of the enemy
    Fear of the end
    The American experiment
    With democracy

     

     

     

    9-11 Fridge Poem

    Reflections on 9-11 where I was Prose Poem

    Reflections on 9-11 where was I then?

    Reflections on 9-11  9-11

    9-11 Unleashed Evil

    The Day After 9-11 U.S Visa Officer’s Perspective

     

     

    9-11 Reflections

     

     

    9-11 2021 was the classic black swan event.  A low-probability event that changed almost everything.  The world can be divided into a pre-9-11 world and a Post 9-11 world.  9-11 led to the Afghanistan war, which recently concluded, the Iraq war, the Syria war, the Libyan civil war, countless wars in Africa, the war on terror, the Muslim travel ban, the war on domestic dissent in so many parts of the world, all justified as a reaction against the events of that September day.  Here are some of my reflections on the events of 9-11 including a prose poem about where I was that terrible day.  It affected me deeply because at the time I was a US immigration officer in the State Department serving in Mumbai, (Bombay) India.

     

    Page Break

    9-11 Fridge

     

    Based on fridge magnet poems daily prompt https://frij.io/?mc_cid=892a002a18&mc_eid=7c5e331aa2

     

    Following 9/11

    Patriots Blunder

    Whack

    Worry Frequently

    About terrorists and Muslims

    Whomever, wherever they are

     

    Prompt words

     

    Blunder

    Whack

    Tapered

    9/11

    Whomever

    Possibly

    Pedicure

    Embezzle

    Worry

    Frequent

    Scoop

    Mu

    Kacey Musgraves

    🏄

    Quickly

    NFL

    Marshal

    They

    Reign

    Pineal

    Matrix

    Titanic

    Excepting

    Fabulous

    Clement

    Abbey

    Hawaii

    Rock

    Uphill

    Flame

    Washy

    Twin Towers

    Patriots

    Ox

    Junket

    Audit

    Static

    Commensurate

    😟

    Bye

    Breed

    Sharp

    Numb

    Spaceship

    Cyborg

    Unclog

     

     

     

    Reflections on 911 Where I was Prose Poem

     

    On 9-11

    When the planes struck the World Trade Center

    Unleashing evil on the world

    I was working

    at the deputy consular chief at the US Consulate

    in Mumbai

     

    I was at a Polish national day event

    chatting with the Polish Ambassador

    and his charming wife.

     

    Someone told me

    I needed to check out the news,

    saw the CNN news feed,

     

    rushed back to the consulate

    to prepare our response.

    I put together a task force

    focused on helping American citizens

    in our district.

     

    I worked almost 15-20 hours

    for almost three days

    before finally getting a night off.
    We continued to process visas
    during this time

    but our priority
    was to reach out to the Americans
    who lived in our district

    and to monitor the reactions of Indians
    especially Muslims living in our district.

    I tracked down my wife
    who had gone into emergency action
    in her position in Korea as a MI officer.

    We both reflected
    that if she had not taken the job in Korea
    she might have died that day

    as she had been working in the ops center
    at the pentagon which was destroyed.
    Since it was shift work

    if she had been on the early morning shift
    it might have been game over for her.

    Reflections on 9-11  9-11

    9-11
    The event that launched
    The war on terror

    That led to Afghanistan
    Led to Iraq
    Led to Syria

    And so many other wars
    Secret and not so secret
    War on dissent at home

    All because of 911
    A true black swan event
    That almost destroyed

    Our country
    And still has ramifications
    All over the world

    911

    A day that truly
    Will live
    In infamy

    9-11 unleashed Evil

    world lurks in the deadliest places.
    Evil came to town on 911
    the day that evil swept over the world

    a true Black Swan event
    that transformed everything
    splitting the world into a pre-9-11 world
    and a post 9-11 world

    unleashing the War on Terror, the wars in Afghanistan, the wars in Iraq, the war in Libya, the war in Syria, the wars in Africa, the horrors of ISIS, the horrors of the Taliban resurgent, the horrors of Al Qaeda and all the rest of the Muslim terrorists,  the war in the streets of any big city, the war on Muslims, the war on Christians, the war on Jews, the apartheid in Palestine, the wars on dissent at home, the Arab Spring

    so many things can be traced
    to the impact of 9/11

    one of the most unlikely events
    of recent history
    that transformed
    everything

    yes there was a pre-9-11 world
    hard to imagine now
    and a post 9-11 worldwide police state
    on steroids

    lost democracy at home
    and abroad

    we are  still coping
    with the damages unleashed
    by the evil plane bombers

    fulfilling their mad desires
    their dictates from their mad god
    transforming the world

    unleashing evil
    in the once-innocent world.

    The Day After 9-11 U.S Visa Officer’s Perspective Poetic Blooming

    9-11 changed everything
    For the lowly visa officers
    Around the world

    Especially for American visa officers
    Before 9-11
    The emphasis was on efficiency

    Issuing as many visas as possible
    Refusing as few as possible
    Looking the other way

    At minor incidents of fraud
    When in doubt
    Just say yes

    Terrorism was not a concern at all
    No one anticipated
    The horrible events of 9-11

    All the hijackers
    Had been issued visas
    They were considered low-risk applicants

    As most Saudi citizens were
    Few overstayed
    None wanted to work

    Illegally in the U.S.
    The students studied
    Came back home

    Saudi, the UAE, and Oman
    Were about to be approved
    For the visa waiver program

    They met the criteria
    Low refusal rates
    Low overstay rates

    Terrorism was not a concern
    Although the CIA was blocking it

    On 9-12 and afterward
    Everything changed

    Just say yes
    Became just saying no

    Fraud became a big concern
    Terrorism is an overwhelming concern

    Saudi, Oman, and UAE
    Became overnight
    Suspicious characters

    Extreme vetting began
    Years before Trump
    Announced it

    Interviewing everyone
    Became the policy overnight
    Biometrics were rushed to be deployed

    Everyone including Kings
    Must be enrolled
    No exceptions

    Zero tolerance of visa infractions
    Became the norm
    Both at State
    and the new DHS

    Airports became unfriendly nightmares
    For foreign visitors

    As did the embassies
    Where visa officers
    Were now free
    To be mean, abrupt

    Just say no
    Became the motto

    The officers had 2 minutes
    To go through
    the ever-expanding
    Security checks etc

    Anything at all
    That took two more minutes
    This led to a quit denial

    Denials were seldom overcome
    Even when it was obvious
    That the visa
    should have been an issue

    The visa function almost moved
    To the new neo-fascist
    Department of Homeland Security

    Nicknamed by its critics
    As the Homeland Security Ministry
    The homeland security department

    Send visa security officers
    Overseas to police the lax state department
    Whose prior courtesy culture was mocked

    The new meaning of everyone’s culture
    Soon emerged
    Everyone competed

    To see who could be the meanest
    Zero tolerance soon met zero common sense
    Every applicant became a potential criminal

    A potential security threat,
    All Muslim applicants
    Were seen as potential terrorists

    All of this led
    To the draconian visa policies
    In the Trump era

    The extreme vetting
    The Muslim bans
    The demonization of illegal immigrants

    And legal immigration alike
    The American first MAGA presidency
    The chaotic unwinding of Afghanistan

    The coming who lost Afghanistan debate
    All of this is the culmination of years
    Of the war on terror

    All of this was the result of 9-11
    The day that changed everything.

    No Mas No More Excuses America!

    I am writing this plead,
    To my fellow Americans.

    I am tired of the excuses
    Tired of hearing
    Your lame reasons,

    For not getting a vaccination.
    For not masking up,
    For not taking covid seriously.

    I am tired of hearing about
    People dying
    I am tired of hearing about gun violence,

    I am tired of hearing about the west burning up,
    The east flooding out,
    The monster storms everywhere.

    The politicians doing nothing at all
    To solve any of these problems
    Instead of playing games,

    Acting as if all of these problems
    Were beyond our control,
    Like the weather

    Can’t do anything about it,
    Nothing but lies.
    Yes America

    I am tired.
    I say again
    I am tired

    Of your lame excuses.
    But this is something
    We can all do something about it,

    We can choose to get a free vaccine,
    We can choose to continue to wear a mask,
    We can choose to not kill someone with a gun.

    We can choose to take the bus,
    We can choose to drive an electric vehicle,
    We can choose to love one another,

    We can choose to save the world.
    Or you can choose
    To be a narcissistic self-centered asshole,

    A real scumbag,
    Following your hero,
    The orange man,

    Following him straight to hell.

    Where do you think this will end?
    It will not be a good outcome,
    For any of us,

    Especially for you, my friend.
    You could die, your parents could die,
    Your children could die.

    And you have the power
    To do something about.
    Each of us

    Has the power
    To change the world.
    But the change must come
    From all of us.

    We are all connected.
    We are all God’s children
    We are all each
    Other’s brothers and sisters.

    If none of this convinces you
    Think what Jesus would tell you
    I don’t need to tell you,
    You know in your heart,
    What needs to be done?

    I conclude with this
    I don’t want to hear it.

    No
    mas
    excuses

    just
    do
    the
    right
    thing

    The life you save
    Maybe your own.

    Ode to our Firefighter Heroes

    Watching the burning of the west
    From my air-conditioned apartment
    Halfway across the world in Korea,

    I am filled with dismay
    How the country has gotten
    To this dark and dangerous place.

    Where the world is burning up
    Climate change is out of control
    Gun violence epidemic raging everywhere

    No one is safe anywhere from the rampaging gunmen.
    The nation’s leaders
    Refuse to do anything at all

    As the world burns.
    COVID spreads
    And more people die from guns.

    Yet there are American heroes
    The firefighters, the first responders
    The EMTs, the park rangers,

    The doctors, the nurses
    Truck drivers, bus drivers
    The workers of America.

    These American heroes
    Including prisoners
    Put their lives on the line

    24/7.

    Working in truly hellish conditions
    In temperatures above 100 degrees
    Breathing in deadly smoke.

    Without enough supplies
    Not enough water,
    Not enough of anything.

    But like all true heroes
    They merely suit up
    And go to work,

    Doing whatever they can do
    To save us all
    From the burning of America.

    From the COVID disaster
    From the gun violence
    The monster storms
    The collapsing buildings.

    I salute them
    From the bottom of my heart
    They are the true heroes
    In our times,

    Everyone should salute them
    Everyone should applaud them
    Everyone should thank them
    For saving our lives.
    Global Emergency

    Our nation’s and world leaders
    Should get their act together
    a state of planetary emergency

    Everyone must get together
    And address the problem
    Facing our world.

    The world is facing a worldwide crisis
    Everything is falling apart
    The world is burning up.

    Monster storms flooding Europe
    Covid spreading everywhere
    Inflation rearing its ugly head

    Gun violence tearing us apart.
    Politics fall apart
    As politicians
    Play the blame game,

    Spreading toxic lies
    And endless venom.
    The sad reality
    We are all to blame,

    Every last one of us
    shares the blame.

    We have known for decades
    That we could not continue
    Down this path.

    The solutions are obvious
    We have known this for years.

    It is time for the world leaders
    Both government and corporate
    To declare a state
    of worldwide emergency.

    Everyone must do their part
    To save the world now.

    The billionaire classes
    Should rise up
    And demonstrate real leadership

    Rather than waste time
    Flying into space.

    And they should donate
    Their vast fortunes
    To save the world.

    The time for games is over
    The world is dying

    Even the billionaires

    May die as the world burns.
    We are in this together

    We are human brothers and sisters
    Please do your part
    To save the world.

    Before the problems overwhelm us
    Ending our world civilization
    We must move to green energy now
    Everyone must get vaccinated

    Get the assault weapons off the street.
    Institute real gun control measures.

    Yet due to our political dysfunction
    Nothing meaningful
    Will be done.

    As the politicians dither and dither
    And nothing is done.

    As the world burns
    Civilization slowly dies
    Democracy cannot survive.

    The rise of the warlords
    Is inevitable

    The world ends
    In fire, floods
    And endless violence.

    So many people
    Will die.
    Unless we all
    Do our part
    To save the world

    The hour is getting late
    But we have not met our fate
    Despite the late date.

    If we do nothing
    Soon we will all
    become ghosts
    Joining the other ghosts
    Of our recent past.

    Joining the fire ghosts,
    the corona ghosts,
    the gun ghosts
    the storm ghosts

    And all the other ghosts.
    Their voices
    crying in the wind,

    no one left alive
    to mourn their death.

    VAX up AMerica

    please America
    get vaccinated against COVID
    It is a sad state of affairs
    That so many of our fellow citizens
    Just can’t be bothered

    To get a free vaccine
    That may save their lives
    And the lives
    of those around them

    They simply don’t care

    About the rest of us.
    The anti-vax crusaders
    Say that no one should be forced
    To get a vaccine.

    Yet we force people to wear seat belts
    Force people to wear helmets
    Force people to drive
    within the speed limit
    force people to get a license
    to drive

    Prohibit drunk driving.
    All of these are an infringement
    On our freedom
    To be irresponsible and careless,

    Yet we have decided
    It is better to have people
    Wear a seat belt,
    To drive within the speed limit
    And not drunk drive

    Because these simple measures
    Save lives.
    The same thing applies to wearing a mask
    And getting a vaccine

    A small inconvenience to an indidual
    Yet may save many lives.
    In the end

    I can only  offer this plea
    Many of you are Christians,
    And you know what Jesus
    Would say

    Just shut up
    Wear a mask
    and get vaccinated
    It is god’s will.
    Just do it for me.

    Please my fellow citizens
    Please get a vaccine

    To protect your life
    To protect my life
    And do the right thing.

    Political ghosts haunt my dreams –

    Last Night as I slept
    Political ghosts of the past
    Began to appear all over the TV
    To offer their advice

    How to handle these dark
    And dangerous times

    Richard Nixon
    Yelled we need law and order

    George Mc Govern said
    We need to end endless wars
    And rebuild America

    John F Kennedy said

    We must recover
    Our American spirit

    LBJ recalled the Great Society
    FDR recalled the new Deal, world war 11
    Saying The only thing we need to fear
    Is fear itself

    Truman recalled the lessons of the cold war
    George Washington  Recalled the visions
    To form a more perfect union

    Martin Luther King  Recalled his dream

    Lincoln advises us
    “We are not enemies, but friends.
    We must not be enemies, though passion may have strained,
    it must not break our bonds of affection.

    The mystic chords of memory  will swell
    when again touched,  as surely they will be,
    by the better angels of our nature.”

    As I woke up from my dark dreams
    Of the end of the American dream

    I saw the dawning light

    The nightmares of the political ghosts
    Of the past faded into my past

    And I looked up
    And realized that it is up to us all
    We can recover We can overcome anything
    And become the America
    That we were meant to be

    And overcome these dark times
    And consign these dark political ghosts

    And let them rest in peace
    As we recover the American dream
    United as one nation

    That is my hope and dream
    That we can once again be
    Can do anything Americans!

    The End

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Moxibustion Treatment Korea: Updates

    In early November, my wife and I went to Daegu to check out a Moxibustion center.  The owner had invented a moxibustion clay pot system suitable for home use.  It is odorless and smokeless Up to now, to do moxibustion, you have to go to an authorized center (and some of them are unauthorized, there are a lot of fly-by-night providers in the whole alternative medicine space in Korea and the states. The adage, “ Caveat Emptor Buyer Beware”  applies here in spades.

    His system is designed to be used at home.  It is smokeless and odorless. Burning moxibustion smells like marijuana to me. They recommend a 100-day regime, followed by a weekly maintenance regime.

    We are at the end of the first three weeks and will try to finish the course.  I usually do it in the early evening and watch NetFlix, and read or check my emails while doing it.  It takes 90 minutes. She does it later about 11 pm as she is a night owl.

    We do it while using our ceregem massage bed.  I have provided information on that below as well. The ceregem beds are available in the U.S., and moxibustion in acupuncture clinics as they often do both treatments at the same time.

    I also provided some updated info on charcoal saunas which are also a great health treatment.  We plan to go next week if not sooner.

    The results are in

    ·        I have lost seven pounds, and most importantly, almost got rid of my spare tire around my belly.

    ·        I finally can sleep throughout the night.  I still have vivid dreams, but not as much.  I no longer have bouts with insomnia at 0 dark hundred (4 a.m. in nonmilitary/Intel speak).

    the results are in 

    • ·        I no longer have to go every couple of hours.
    • ·        I have a lot more energy
    • ·        I feel mentally sharper
    • ·        My fibro flare-ups are less
    • ·        My arthritic pain is less
    • ·        My migraines are fewer down to once a month as opposed to every other week and last one day as opposed to three days.
    • ·        I am less hungry and can last longer between meals.
    • My wife reports similar results.

    We plan on finishing the first 100-day regime and then doing the maintenance program. We are also going to Ganghwa island soon to source locally, mug wort as that is both the mug wort and ginseng capital of Korea producing 2/3 of both products.

    The product is available for sale in Korea and they ship it throughout the country, but to experience it you have to go to their clinic in Daegu.  If anyone is interested in getting more info let me know by email at jakecaller@gmail.com and I will forward you the information. And if anyone wants to comment on this blog piece, please do so at the same email and I will assume that you have no problem with me posting it, if you do, please let me know if you do not want me to post it, the default will be to post the comment.

    Our friend was able to bring it through customs with no problems. I thought that the drug-sniffing dogs would flag it as marijuana, but apparently, dogs can tell that this is not marijuana. The pot is small, so taking it back should not be difficult either.

    Original Posting

     

    One of the joys of living in Korea is the widespread availability of oriental medicine {한의학}– acupuncture, acupressure, herbal treatments, and moxibustion, ( 灸 뜸) and traditional Korean saunas including the famous charcoal saunas.  The sauna business was badly hit by the COVID shutdowns, but they have survived, and many have re-opened.  I went to a charcoal sauna the other day, for the first time in over a year.

    Oriental medicine treats the entire person, not just symptoms like Western medicine. If you have arthritis as I have in more than one place you will have to see multiple doctors for treatment – a foot doctor, a knee doctor, and a neck doctor, and none of the doctors will coordinate with the other doctors to make sure that the treatment is effective and efficient. And of course, multiple bills to multiple clinics, as well as having to obtain insurance permission for treatment. No wonder so many people are looking for alternatives. And the western medical establishment is constantly attacking alternative medicine as unfounded, dangerous, and unscientific.  None of which is true, as oriental medicine dates back thousands of years, and in a word, works wonders. I am a big fan.

    I have tried acupuncture, acupressure, and charcoal saunas over the years, even from US military doctors! It seems to work for me. I found it helps with my fibromyalgia and arthritis, and I like that it works for the entire body.

    Moxibustion involves burning herbal medicine on top of the body – the medicine gets absorbed into your bloodstream and restores your Chi – your energy levels and gets rid of inflammation among other things. They use a mixture of herbs, mostly mugwort, 쑥   Mugwort is also sold as tea but is pretty bitter. the smell of burning mugwort is similar to marijuana.  When I first smelled it, I thought someone was smoking a joint!

    Lately, I tried Moxibustion treatment for my lingering arthritis, and fibromyalgia and finally lose my belly fat! The doctor assured me that it would work for all of these problems. I started a twice-week regime for the next two months, then once a monthly maintenance routine. They will also do acupuncture. The cost is 40 dollars per treatment, well within my insurance limits of 75 dollars for 50 sessions a year.

     

     

    Moxibustion Treatment Korea

    One of the joys of living in Korea is the widespread availability of oriental medicine {한의학}– acupuncture, acupressure, herbal treatments, and moxibustion, ( 灸 뜸) and traditional Korean saunas including the famous charcoal saunas.  The sauna business was badly hit by the COVID shutdowns, but they have survived, and many have re-opened.  I went to a charcoal sauna the other day, for the first time in over a year.

    Oriental medicine treats the entire person, not just symptoms like Western medicine. If you have arthritis as I have in more than one place you will have to see multiple doctors for treatment – a foot doctor, a knee doctor, and a neck doctor, and none of the doctors will coordinate with the other doctors to make sure that the treatment is effective and efficient. And of course, multiple bills to multiple clinics, as well as having to obtain insurance permission for treatment.

    No wonder so many people are looking for alternatives. And the western medical establishment is constantly attacking alternative medicine as unfounded, dangerous, and unscientific.

    None of which is true, as oriental medicine dates back thousands of years, and in a word, works wonders. I am a big fan.

    I have tried acupuncture, acupressure, and charcoal saunas over the years, even from US military doctors! It seems to work for me. I found it helps with my fibromyalgia and arthritis, and I like that it works for the entire body.

    Moxibustion involves burning herbal medicine on top of the body – the medicine gets absorbed into your bloodstream and restores your Chi – your energy levels and gets rid of inflammation among other things. They use a mixture of herbs, mostly mug wort, 쑥   Mug wort is also sold as tea but is pretty bitter. the smell of burning mug wort is similar to marijuana.  When I first smelled it, I thought someone was smoking a joint!

    Lately, I tried Moxibustion treatment for my lingering arthritis, and fibromyalgia and finally lose my belly fat! The doctor assured me that it would work for all of these problems. I started a twice-week regime for the next two months, then once a monthly maintenance routine. They will also do acupuncture. The cost is 40 dollars per treatment, well within my insurance limits of 75 dollars for 50 sessions a year.

    (see update above)

    For more info, read the following articles

    https://www.webmd.com › balance › what-is-moxibustion

    Moxibustion: Definition, Technique, Benefits, and Risk Factors – WebMD
    Moxibustion is a form of therapy that entails the burning of mug wort leaves. This is a small, spongy herb that is believed to enhance healing with acupuncture. As such, the leaves are burnt close …

    https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Moxibustion

    Moxibustion – Wikipedia

    Moxibustion (Chinese: 灸; pinyin: jiǔ) is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that consists of burning dried mug wort at particular points on the body. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, (India, sic) Vietnam, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mug wort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or process it further into a cigar …
    https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu › explore-healing-practices › moxibustion

    Moxibustion | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

    Moxibustion is used for Pain due to injury or arthritis, especially in “cold” patterns where the pain naturally feels better with the application of heat. Digestive problems and irregular elimination. Gynecological and obstetrical conditions, including breech presentation in late-term pregnancy. Protection against cold and

    Ceregem

    What is Ceragem therapy?

    Ceragem is a treatment method that combines infrared heat and massage techniques during the treatment of various conditions. The Ceragem automatic thermal massage bed scans your spine’s length to help a chiropractor conduct customized massage therapy.

    Note: it uses jade crystals that are heated and move up and down your back pausing at acupressure points.  It works. We have been using it for years and it helps reduces my fibromyalgia and arthritis pain and my wife’s chronic disk pains and her fibromyalgia pain as well.  We do it almost every day, combining it now with moxibustion treatment. End Note

    What is the benefit of Ceragem? | Balance in Motion Chiropractic

    세라젬

    https://www.ceragem.co.kr

    글로벌 홈 헬스케어 전문기업 – CERAGEM.

    ‎제품안내 · ‎렌탈 및 구매 · ‎웰카페 · ‎이벤트 바로가기

    CERAGEM: Therapeutic Thermal Massager

    https://ceragemus.com

    Learn more about CERAGEM’s massage bed patented technology that analyzes & recognizes spinal differences to provide users with a custom massage.

    ‎Ceragem V4 · ‎Ceragem v3 · ‎USA · ‎Ceragem m2

     

    Chacoal Suanas

    Korean Charcoal Saunas

    Travelogue: The charcoal kiln saunas of Gangwondo

    https://www.nayoungkang.com › 2015/05/04 › travelo…

    May 4, 2015 — Travelogue: The charcoal kiln saunas of Gangwondo … A typical bulgama (불가마, Korean hot sauna) operates at 90 to 95 degrees.

    Kiln Saunas Make a Comeback in South Korea

    https://www.nytimes.com › World › Asia Pacific

    Aug 26, 2010 — Roasting inside a charcoal kiln is an age-long tradition, and it has recently become something of a newfound craze among South Koreans.

    Steamy ways to ward off winter : Gangwon Charcoal Kiln …

    https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com › 2012/02/10 › etc

    Feb 10, 2012 — Making the charcoal for the saunas takes around a week. The charcoal is first put inside a kiln and heated. On the seventh day, the charcoal is …

    Effects of charcoal kiln saunas (Jjimjilbang) on psychological …

    https://www.sciencedirect.com › science › article › abs › pii

    by S Hayasaka2008Cited by 19 — In South Korea, the same process (hereinafter referred to as ‘charcoal kiln saunas‘) called jjimjilbang (zzimzilbang) have also traditionally been used for …

    Jjimjilbang Guide: 7 Best Places for Your Korean Sauna and …

    https://www.kkday.com › blog › jjimjilbang-guide-7-be…

    Jan 25, 2019 — LK SPA is equipped with three kinds of sauna rooms—Maifanshi, loess, and fire, with temperatures ranging from low (50°C) to high (100°C). The …

    An Old Tradition Makes a Comeback in South Korea: Kiln …

    https://asiasociety.org › blog › asia › old-tradition-make…

    Aug 27, 2010 — But to South Koreans, these clay kilns used to produce charcoal at night, are doubling as luxury spas by day. The tradition of sitting in …

    the End

     

     

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Ugly Writer Update:

    The ugly writers, based in the Philippines, have published some more of my writing.

    Index of recent writing.

    The last race

    The Association of the Living Dead Secret Gateways

    The lonely mother duck

    The Secret Spy Fly Drone

    Failure poems

    Failure is not an option

    My failures

    Presidential failures

    Total Success or Total Failure

    Dejavu All Over Again

    General Failure Reading Disk Drive

    The Last Race

    An Aging car racer

    Racing in his last race

    Driving too fast Around

    the curve

    Blowing himself up in a fiery crash

    The rating score

    In his last race.

    Association of Living Dead in

    In India, several years ago

    A man falsely claimed his brother was dead

    So he could inherit the family assets

    The dead brother had to fight

    To be declared legally not dead

    And contest the will

    “The Association of the Living Dead” Became a movement

    Of thousands of people.

    For in India apparently,

    It was a thing to declare your relative dead.

     

    I never thought That the U.S. would have

    To form their own

    “The Association of the Living Dead”

    Until this week.

     

    The cyber ninjas

    In their infamous non-forensic audit

    Of the 2020 Arizona election

    Claimed that hundreds

    Of dead people had voted

    They gave their list of the alleged dead voters

    To the attorney general

    Who contacted all 300 dead people

    Found that 299 of the 300 were in fact Not dead

    and none of them knew

    That unnamed political operatives

    Were claiming that they were dead.

    The one dead voter was alive

    when he voted early

    But died before election day

    Thus making his vote not valid

    But there was no fraud involved

    As he was alive when he voted.

    Perhaps they need to form

    The “association of the living dead”

    To fight for the right of the non-dead people

    To continue to vote and receive other government benefits?

    What a sad commentary on the farcial

    contemporary life In these disunited States of America.

    Uttar Pradesh Association of Dead People – Wikipedia

    https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Uttar_Pradesh_Associa…

    The Uttar Pradesh Association of Dead People is an Indian pressure group based in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh that seeks to reclaim the legal rights of those …
    ‎History · ‎Lal Bihari’s problem · ‎Formation
    ASSOCIATION OF LIVING DEAD! – Jana Aastha News Online
    https://www.janaaastha.com › archives

    The Association seeks to reverse the illegal practice, call attention to the problem, and prevent others from being exploited in similar fashion. The founder of …

    Arizona AG refutes review that counted 282 dead voters

    https://www.nbcnews.com › politics › 2020-election › a…
    Aug 2, 2022 — Arizona AG Brnovich said he found a ballot from just one dead voter, contradicting a partisan probe’s allegation 282 ballots were cast in …

    Secret Gateways

    There are secret gateways

    Portals to other dimensions

    All around us

    Hidden deep in the mountains.

    Leading to other worlds

    Other times and places

    Where time runs differently

    And humans are unknown.

    The lonely Mother Duck

    The lonely mother duck

    Watched her eggs hatch

    In the nest by the lake.

    She was worried

    About the coyotes, feral dogs, foxes

    Lions, tigers and wolves

    That were all around.

    Ever since the humans all disappeared.

    The Secret Fly Spy Drone

    The fly on the wallpaper

    In the CIA director’s office

    Was not a real fly

    He was an enemy spy drone

    Secretly controlled remotely

     

    Listening to all the secret conversations

    Until the director smashed him

    With a flyswatter

    Then realized that it was a spy fly

    He had dispatched to bug hell.

    Drones: From Insect Spy Drones to Bomber … – Amazon.com

    https://www.amazon.com › Drones-Insect-Spy-Bomber

    insect spy drones from www.amazon.com
    Drones: From Insect Spy Drones to Bomber Drones Paperback – July 29, 2014 · Reading age. 8 – 12 years · Print length. 96 pages · Language. English · Grade level. 3 …

    Bug off: US military planning winged, insect-like microdrone

    https://dronedj.com › 2021/06/18 › bug-off-us-military…

    insect spy drones from dronedj.com
    Jun 18, 2021 — The US military has ordered the development of tiny microdrones, whose shape and flapping wing movements will replicate insect flight.

    Don’t panic, but ‘insect drones’ exist now – Strictly Robots

    https://mashable.com › Tech
    Researchers from MIT, Harvard, and the City University of Hong Kong developed insect-sized drones that look and move just like the real …
    Mashable · Jordan Aaron ·

    Nothing But Sleaze

    Sleaze Sleaze Sleaze Sleaze Sleaze Sleaze Sleaze Sleaze Sleaze Sleaze Sleaze Nothing but Sleaze Surrounds me

    24/7 S L E A Z E

    Led by the Sleaze King

    King Donald Trump

    the one true sleaze King

    The Sleaze King from TV

    Are we doomed to live

    In a world run by sleaze kings

    And ruled by sleaze values?

    Are we addicted to sleaze?

    And need our sleaze fix daily?

    As we turn on the sleaze TV

    And see nothing but sleaze

    Oozing out of our TV sets?

    SLEAZE

    Sleaze surrounds us 24/7

    Lots of sleaze on the TV

    Everywhere we go nothing

    but sleaze

    All the time

    24/7

    sleaze rules the air

    Zappa had it right

    calling it the slime

    Everything is nothing

    but slime oozing out of our TV’s

    Author’s Note; I worked my way through college washing dishes in the University’s cafeteria. The reference to Donald Trump was from the original 1975 poem, who knew that I was predicting his rise to power decades later?

    Snarling Cup of Coffee

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I like to start my day with a hot cup of coffee I pound down the coffee First thing I do every day as the dawning sun Lights up my lonesome room Yeah, but not just a simple cup of java Joe, but a God damn snarling sarcastic smarmy cup of coffee I mean, – we are talking about an alcoholic, all speed ahead, always hot, always fresh, always there when I need it, angry, attitude talk to the hand Ztude, bad, bad assed, beats breaking, beatnik, bluesy, bitter, bitchy, bombs away, capitalistic, caffeinated up the ass, cinematic, communistic, Colombian grown, Costa Rican inspired, Cowabunga to the max, crazy assed, devilishly angelic, divine, divinely inspired, dyslexic, epic, extreme vetting, evil eye, expensive, erotic vision inducing, Ethiopian coffee house brewed, euphoric, freaky, freazoid, foxy, Frenched kissed, French brewed, funkified, foxy lady, graphic, GOD in my coffee, with Allah, Ganesh, Jesus, Kali, Buddha, Christians, Durga, Hindus, Mohamed, Jesus and Mo and their friend, the cosmic bar maid, Sai Babai, Shiva, Taoists, Zoroastrians, drinking my god damned coffee in Hell; growling, gnarly, happy, hard as ice, Hawaian blessed, high as a kite, hippie, hip, hipster, hip hoppy, hot as hell yet strangely sweet as heaven, jazzy, jealous, Kerouac approved, kick ass, kick my god damn ass to Tuesday, kick down the doors and take no prisoners, grown in the Vietnam highlands by ex-Vietcong, Guatemalan grown, kiss ass, illegal in every state, imported from all over the god damn world, insane, lovely, loony, lonely, lonesome, malodorous mean old rotten, motherfucking, nasty, narcotic, never whatever, never meh, never cold, not approved by the CIA, not approved by DHS, not approved for human consumption by the FDA, not your daddy’s sissified corporate cup of coffee, NOT DECAFE coffee, not your Denny’s truck driver weak as brown water cup of fake coffee, not your establishment friendly cup of coffee, Not your FBI coffee, Not FAKE Herbal coffee substitute, but a real cup of coffee, not your farmer brothers dinner crap, not made in America for Americans, not safe for work, not your Starbucks average expensive overpriced crappy corporate chain cup of coffee, Not pretentious, Not White House approved, not State Department safe, nuclear, Not Patriotic, operatic, Peets’s coffee approved, paranoid, pornographic, psychotic, pontific, politically aware, rapping, rhyming, right here, right now in River city, rock and roll up the Yazoo, sad, sadistic, sarcastic, sassy, satanic, schizoid, shitting, silly, sexy, smarmy, smelly, smooth, snarky, snarling, stupid, stinking, sweet as honey, sweat inducing, symphonic, Trump can’t handle this coffee, vengeful, Wagnerian, wicked, with nutmeg and cinnamon swirls, with a hint of stevia, with a hint of vanilla, with a hint of rum, with a hint of whisky, with a hint of cherry, with a hint of fruit overtones, with a hint of drugs spicing up the coffee, spendific, speeding, splendid, superior accept no substitutes, survived the Vietnam war, the Iraq war, the Afghan war, the first and Second Korean war, World War 11, the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on black people, the sexual revolution, Soulful as a summer’s night in MOTOWN- James Brown approved, TOP approved, Berkeley approved, the coffee that Jimmy Hendrix drank before he died, the coffee that Elvis drank on his last breakfast, the coffee that Barry White crooned as he drank his cup of coffee – and the coffee that made the white boy play stand up and play that funky music, the coffee that made Jonny B Goode play his guitar, and made Jonny bet the devil his soul after he drank his morning cup of righteous coffee and the coffee that make the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll, the coffee your mother warned you against drinking, the coffee that Napoleon drank when he became the Emperor of all Europe, the Coffee that Beethoven drank when he wrote the Ninth symphony, the coffee that Mozart drank as he wrote his last symphony, the coffee that Lincoln drank before he was killed, the Hemingway drank before he killed himself, the coffee that started the 60’s, and ended the 20th century, the coffee that Lenin drank as he plotted revolution, the coffee that Hitler and Stalin drank with FDR as they divided up the world after World War 11, the cup that JFK drank before he was blown away, the coffee Jerry drinks while driving in cars with random celebrities and political figures, the coffee that Jon Stewart drinks before he goes on an epic take down of some foolish politico, the cup of Arabic coffee that Sadaam drank the day he was executed, the coffee that GW and Cheney drank when they bombed Baghdad, the Indian cup of coffee that Bid Laden drank before 9-11 and just before the seals blew his ass to hell, the cup of coffee that Tiger Woods drank with his mistresses while playing a 3, 000 dollar round of golf at Sandy Lane golf course in Barbados, the last legal drug that does what drugs should do, the cup of coffee that Obama drank when he became President, Vietnamese, Vienna brew, wacky, whimsical, Whisky Tango Foxtrot, wild, weird, wonderful, WOW, Yabba dabba doo! Yada Yada yada Zappa’s favorite cup of cosmic coffee, and Zorro’s last cup of coffee, Good to the last drop rolled into one simple cup of hot coffee

    As I pound down that first cup of coffee

    And fire up my synaptic nerve endings

    with endless supplies

    Of caffeine induced neuron enhancing chemicals

    I face the dawning day with trepidation

    and mind-numbing fear

    I turn on the TV

    and watch the smarmy newscasters

    in their perfect hair

    Lying through their teeth

    about the great success the government is having

    Following the great leader’s latest pronouncements

    I want to scream and shoot the TV

    and run out side

    Shouting “Stop the world.

    I want to get off this fucking crazy planet”

    The earth does not care a whit about my attitude.

    It merely shrugs and moves around the Sun

    In its appointed daily run.

    And I sit down

    The madness dissipating a bit

    And enjoy my second cup

    Of heaven and hell In my morning cup of Joe

    Author’s note: published in multiple places.

    Unhinged Lunatic Howling at the Full Moon

     

     

     

     

    On the night of the blood-red super full moon

    I sat in an evil, depraved godforsaken bar

    Drinking drams of demented, fermented dream dew

    Washed down by endless rounds of whiskey, rum,

    tequila, vodka, soju and of course beer

    drinking with my buddies the Jack Daniels Gang

    Drinking my way to Hell and beyond

    Just as fast as I could

    twenty damn drinks too sober

    Just an unhinged lunatic

    Dreaming of howling at the full moon

    Watching the world walk by

    Looking at all the fine-looking babes

    Walking by the street

    Thinking wild, erotic thoughts

    Of endless wild libertine passions

    When into the bar

    That din of cosmic depravity

    Walked the most beautiful women In the Universe

    So wild, so free So wonderfully alive

    I did not know what to do

    As this vision of delight

    Sauntered through the bar

    In a skin-tight leather pants

    Looked so fine

    That my eyeballs hurt

    And finally,

    I had to say something

    So, I gathered up my manly courage

    And walked up to her

    And she looked at me

    And instantly bewitched my soul

    With a devilish grin

    I lost all reason

    And became a raving lunatic

    Unhinged lunatic

    Howling at the blood red full moon

    Foaming at the mouth

    A wild, free werewolf

    Howling at the lunatic light

    Of the blood red, blue full Moon

     

    Author Note: also published in multiple places April 30

    In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales

    hitchhiking tales jpg
    hitchhiking tales jpg

    When I was young and foolish

    Broke and stubborn

    I hitchhiked across the USA

    Started in Salt Lake City

    Where my greyhound bus pass

    Was stolen

    The station manager

    Could have helped me

    But refused to do so

     

    Threaten to call the cops

    When I grabbed my bags

    Without the stolen tags

    I said

    Go ahead

    But I am so out of here

    Wondered about Salt Lake City

    Went to a bar

    Found I had to buy my booze Next door

    And they would mix it for me

    Had to order food too

    After a bloody Mary And a burger

    I walked about town

    Saw the Mormon Temple

    Finally, about 3 pm

    It was time to hit the road

    Did not look back

    Ended up in Cody Wyoming

     

    Got a room shower Steak beer

    Using my rapidly depleted cash

    Spent 25 dollars

    Money really went far

    Back in those days

    A band of professional Communist agitators

    Gave me a ride To Des Moines

    Lots of weed, booze

    And politics later

    Got off the road

    Slept outside

    Next day

    A beautiful woman

    Drove me to near Chicago

    In a red mustang

     

    Might have been

    The girl in the song

    Take it easy

    Digging her vibe

    She invited me home

    But was not sure

    If her estranged husband

    Would welcome me

    So, being foolish

    And inexperienced with women

    Did not go to her place

    And always regretted

    That I had lost

    My chance that day

    Then on to Chicago

    Several rides later

    Visited friends

    Hit the road again

    A series of uneventful rides

    With truckers

    And others

    And a week later

    I ended in New York City

    Slept along the way

    In cars

    In truck stops

    In high way rest stops

    Always moving

    Always going

    None stop talking

    And lots of free weed

    And beer

    And conversation

    One more memorable ride

    Occurred outside Albany

    On my return to Chicago

    A middle age creepy looking man

    Picked me up In a brand-new Cadillac

    He was he said a dynamite deliverer

    For the Mafia

    Went to various places

    To blow up shit

     

    He hated a lot of people

    Particularly hippies from California

    And Jewish people

    Looking at me to confirm

    That I was both

    I told him that I lived in New York

    And had never been to California

    And although I might have looked Jewish

    As I had what was called back in the day

    A “Jewfro”

    I was not Jewish

    Many years later

    I discovered

    That I am indeed part Jewish

     

    But back then

    I did not know it

    And I felt a bit of strategic misinformation

    Might keep me alive

    Then I realized that he was just jiving with me

    And we relaxed

    And he pulled out some weed

    And beer

    And we mellowed out

    But I believe

    that he really was with the mob

    Perhaps not a dynamite dealer

    A real Italian made mafia member

     

    By Chicago I had enough

    I called my Dad

    Told him what had happened

    Wanted a ticket home

    And he sent me a ticket

    And 500 dollars

    And I went home

    I told him I would tell him

    My tales some day

    But never did I learned

    so much

    About my fellow Americans

    And the strange vibe

    That was 1975

    And now it is too late

    But I wanted to finally

    Tell the world

    Of my hitchhiking tales

    In search of America 1975

     

    Published in multiple places including the Poet “on the Road” anthology in 2020. Summer 2020 theme: ON THE ROAD Volumes 1 & 2https://www.thepoetmagazine.org › summer-2020—on-… SUMMER 2020 – Poetry on the theme of ON THE ROAD from poets around the world. 54 poets. 135 poems. 240 pages. Large format 6 x 9 inch (15.24 x 22.86 cm).

     

    When Will this Darkness End?

    As the darkness settles down on the land

    All are consumed with evil

    Foul deeds and endless darkness

    I wonder if it will ever go away?

    Yes I wonder If our great nightmare will ever end?

    Are we doomed

    To live out the decline of America?

    This is what I pray for 2018

    The end of the darkness

    The unleashed hatred that consumes our land

    I am a bus rider

    That makes me unusual

    For a white male

    From an upper middle class family

    Our people are not bus riders

    Though some are subway riders

     

    Bus riders are other people

    The poor, minorities, immigrants

    People who don’t drive

    Because they are blind

    Or have a DUI

    And in my case

    I don’t drive

    Because I have bad vision

    And bad coordination

    Just never got the hang

    Of the whole driving thing

    Fortunately for me

    My wife does the driving

    But I still take the bus

    From time to time

    I rode the AC buses in Berkeley

    As a child Line 67, line 51, line 43 F bus

    Rode them long before BART came along

    And afterwards as well

    As an adult seldom rode the bus

    But when I did so

    I was always impressed

    By the sheer diversity

    Of the bus riding population,

    Hundreds of languages

    All sorts of sexual orientation

    Some were white

    Most were not

    Most of my fellow passengers

    Were nice enough

    Some were friendly

    And some were lost In their own thoughts

    And a few Were scary looking dudes

    With the look

    Of someone who had done time

    And were capable of more violence

    I also rode the bus In Seattle

    as a graduate student

    A lot of fellow UW students

    And the usual immigrants

    Minorities etc

    And some white people Commuting

    And in DC

    Over the years

    I rode a lot of buses

    Mostly to and from the metro

    But I got to know

    And love the DC buses as well

    I also took the greyhound bus

    Across the country

    Several times over the years

    All over the U.S.

    From Bay Area to Stockton

    From Bay Area to Clear Lake

    From Bay area to NYC

    NYC to DC

    All over the USA

    Taking the Greyhound

    Was always an adventure

    Met a lot of interesting people

    As people on long distant bus rides

    Tend to open up and talk

    To pass the time away

    Overseas

    I took the bus

    All over In India,

    in Barbados

    In Spain and in Korea

    The Korean buses

    For many years

    Were difficult for foreign visitors

    As the signs were all in Korean

    Most have signs

    Now in English, Chinese and Korean

    And are much more foreigner friendly

    Riding the bus In America

    Allows one access

    To the underbelly of American society

    The poor, the marginalized

    The immigrant communities

    That many middle-class white people

    Just never see

    And for that reason

    I am glad

    That I am a bus rider

    also published in the Poet, “On the Road” in 2020 Summer 2020 theme: ON THE ROAD Volumes 1 & 2https://www.thepoetmagazine.org › summer-2020—on-… SUMMER 2020 – Poetry on the theme of ON THE ROAD from poets around the world. 54 poets. 135 poems. 240 pages. Large format 6 x 9 inch (15.24 x 22.86 cm).

    Failure is Not an Option

    Failure is not an option

    Is a weasel word

    Weasel words Are Orwellian words

    Designed to shut down Rational thought

    And ironically this word

    Often leads to spectacular failure

    Because logically speaking

    Failure is always an implied option

    Leaders need to look at all options

    Including what to do

    If they fail to achieve their goals

    They must have a plan

    To learn from their failures

    If not following the dictates

    The false macho posturing

    That failure is not an option

    Will lead to the feared failure

    On Failure

    They say that failure Is the best teacher of all

    And I have learned

    So much from my failures

    And I have failed so much In my life

    But I have gotten better

    Stronger and wiser

    Because I have failed

    And embraced my failures

    Failed first grade

    Almost failed math and physics

    Failed music college

    Almost failed statistics in college

    Almost failed my life in the Peace Corps

    Dealing with Typhoid

    Almost failed in Bangkok

    Almost failed my life

    In the hospital for almost a year

    Almost failed to learn Spanish

    Failed as a visa chief in Spain

    And throughout my failures

    There is one thing I learned

    With the support of my wife

    And my friends

    I can and will overcome

    All my failures

    President Trump’s Failures

    Presidential failures to date

    failure to tell the truth

    45,000 lies

    Failure to deal with COVID

    450 thousand dead

    And 4 million cases

    piling up

    And it is all his fault

    He refuses to take responsibility

    Part of his failure to lead

    Failure to lead the country In re-opening

    Making things a thousand times worst

    With his epic tweets

    Which are a failure

    To communicate

    Failure to get America rebuilt

    Failure to get immigration reform

    Failure to reform our trading practices

    Failure to lead on climate change

    Failure to lead on fighting forest

    fires Failure to lead on police reform

    failure on infrastructure

    Failure to lead on healing out country

    As he pours gasoline

    On the flames of our discontent

    And so I leave these thoughts

    Thinking of the greatest failure

    Of our life

    Watching our president

    Fail so miserably

    At his job

    And unlike me

    He refuses to admit

    That he has failed

    Leading him to an epic Spectacular failure

    Ushering in the end

    Of his presidency

    In the failing light

    Of his life Will he finally learn

    From his failures?

    Sadly, I must conclude

    That he is incapable

    Of learning from failure

    Because in his mind

    He is the smartest man

    In the world

    And it inconceivable

    That he could ever failure

    For he is a winner

    Are we all tired

    Of his failed winning by now?

    And sadly,

    I must I must give him a grade of F

    as he is the biggest failure in U.S. History.

    Total Sucess or Total Failure

     

    The President’s Son-in-law declares

    that the government’s response to the corona virus

    has been a total success

    as the government stepped up to the plate

    to fight the virus from hell

    I have to wonder on what planet

    does the words total failure

    becomes total success? Are we living in a bizarro world

    Where every thing

    Means the opposite?

    Do words no longer

    Have any connection

    To underlying reality?

    Can we tell a lie

    From the truth anymore?

    For his statement Is impossible to be

    Anything other

    than the opposite

    His total success

    is everyone’s total failure

    As 450 thousands American corona ghosts

    Will attest

    just more verbal diarrhea

    from our dear leader

    And his cult like followers

    And corrupt court jesters

    General Failure Reading Disk Drive

    My computer loves

    Spitting out error messages

    Written like haiku

    Mysterious messages

    Hard to understand

    My favorite has always been

    General Failure Reading Disk drive

    The question that comes to mind

    Who is this General Failure

    And why is reading my disk drive Anyway?

    The end

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Moxibustion Treatment Korea

    One of the joys of living in Korea is the widespread availability of oriental medicine {한의학}– acupuncture, acupressure, herbal treatments, and moxibustion, ( 灸 뜸) and traditional Korean saunas including the famous charcoal saunas.  The sauna business was badly hit by the COVID shutdowns, but they have survived, and many have re-opened.  I went to a charcoal sauna the other day, for the first time in over a year.

    Oriental medicine  treats, the entire person, not just symptoms like Western medicine. If you have arthritis as I have in more than one place you will have to see multiple doctors for treatment – a foot doctor, a knee doctor, and a neck doctor, and none of the doctors will coordinate with the other doctors to make sure that the treatment is effective and efficient. And of course, multiple bills to multiple clinics, as well as having to obtain insurance permission for treatment. No wonder so many people are looking for alternatives. And the western medical establishment is constantly attacking alternative medicine as unfounded, dangerous, and unscientific.  None of which is true, as oriental medicine dates back thousands of years, and in a word, works wonders. I am a big fan.

    I have tried acupuncture, acupressure, and charcoal saunas over the years, even from US military doctors! It seems to work for me. I found it helps with my fibromyalgia and arthritis, and I like that it works for the entire body.

    Moxibustion involves burning herbal medicine on top of the body – the medicine gets absorbed into your blood stream and restores your Chi – your energy levels and gets rid of inflammation among other things. They use a mixture of herbs, mostly mugwort, 쑥   Mugwort is also sold as tea but is pretty bitter in taste. the smell of burning mugwort is similar to marijuana.  In fact, when I first smelled it, I thought someone was smoking a joint!

    Lately, I tried Moxibustion treatment for my lingering arthritis, and fibromyalgia and to finally lose my belly fat! The doctor assured me that it would work for all of these problems. I started a twice-week regime for the next two months, then once a monthly maintenance routine. They will also do acupuncture. The cost is 40 dollars per treatment, well within my insurance limits of 75 dollars for 50 sessions a year.

    angela moxi

    km mox

    jake moxi

     

    jake moxi

    For more info, read the following articles

    https://www.webmd.com › balance › what-is-moxibustion

    Moxibustion: Definition, Technique, Benefits, and Risk Factors – WebMD
    Moxibustion is a form of therapy that entails the burning of mug wort leaves. This is a small, spongy herb that is believed to enhance healing with acupuncture. As such, the leaves are burnt close …

    https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Moxibustion

    Moxibustion – Wikipedia

    Moxibustion (Chinese: 灸; pinyin: jiǔ) is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that consists of burning dried mugwort at particular points on the body. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, (India, sic) Vietnam, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or process it further into a cigar …
    https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu › explore-healing-practices › moxibustion

    Moxibustion | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

    Moxibustion is used for Pain due to injury or arthritis, especially in “cold” patterns where the pain naturally feels better with the application of heat. Digestive problems and irregular elimination. Gynecological and obstetrical conditions, including breech presentation in late-term pregnancy. Protection against cold and

     

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Revolt of the Sharks

    Black Ink Press has accepted my 100-word drabble, “Revolt of the Sharks” in their upcoming anthology, “Animal Cages”.

    I also submitted

    Squirrel bombs
    Death to All Humans
    The Cats Declare War on Humanity
    The Animal World Revolts

    Index

    Squirrel bombs
    Death to All Humans
    The Cats Declare War on Humanity
    The Animal World Revolts
    Revolt of the Sharks
    The Shark Attack
    COSMOS Declares War on Humanity
    The Lion King Speaks
    Zombie Plague Spreads
    Wild Cats Plotting Invasion
    The Rats Revolt
    Giant Squid Three-word challenge
    the Shrimp Talk Back
    Eagle Challenges Fisherman
    The Oyster Speaks Up
    Ten Years after Climate Change Collapse Climate Sam Adams
    Green Trees Don’t Make It

    Other Recent Publications Can Be Found Here

    Querencia Publishes Madmen with Guns

    Down in the Dirt Updates

    Spillwords Pub

    lishes Gun Madness

    Synchronized Chaos Update

    Revolt of the Sharks

    In Okinawa, the sharks, the rays, and the barracuda are in the deep conference at the Okinawa Aquarium.  The sharks had had enough of their prison. They were getting hungry for human meat.  They decide that if they all charge the tank they can crash the tank, and be swept out into the ocean and they can grab some humans along for their dinner. The Sharks give the signal. and the fish all rush at the tank, crashing through it, and being swept out to sea.  The sharks grab as many people as they can before entering the ocean, free at last.

    Author note: written after a visit to the Okinawa aquarium. The sharks stared at me with hatred in their eyes.

    Squirrel Bombs

    Terrorists invent, “Squirrel Bombs”  the latest weapon du jour for the professional killer market. They attach cameras, electrodes, and a bomb to a squirrel. The operator can move the squirrel into position, into the trees behind an outdoor podium where a politician is speaking.

    No one suspects the squirrel, no one notices them, and the bomb testing device will not detect the bomb. The squirrel bomb is the perfect weapon for these depraved times,

    The squirrels go in, do the deed, and explode the bomb. No one knows where the bomb came from. The squirrel does not tell as dead squirrels tell no tales.

    Author note:  this idea has been floating around for at least ten -15 years.  I am amazed no one has done it yet, the technology is not that difficult and squirrels can go almost everywhere.

    Electrical disruptions caused by squirrels – Wikipedia

    https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Electrical_disruptions_…

    Electrical disruptions caused by squirrels are common and widespread, and can involve the … attack by a squirrel has been characterized as a “terrorist squirrel.

    ‎Scope · ‎Metrics · ‎Analytics · ‎Specific cases

    Squirrels Mobilize, Plot Acts of Cyber Terrorism Against …

    https://www.treehugger.com › News › Treehugger Voices

    It’s the beady-eyed, bushy-tailed cousin rat relative — a busybody of great ubiquity, to be sure — that you don’t scream bloody murder at when it scampers …

    Squirrels – A Bigger Threat than Cyber Terrorists?

    https://www.brookings.edu › blog › 2014/01/06 › squir…

    The Animal World Revolts

    One day the animals woke up and decided that they had enough of humanity’s evil reign of terror.  The evil cats organized the animal rebellion. The evil cats, lions, and tigers joined by coyotes, wild dogs, coyotes, bears, and wolves lead the attack.

    “Enough no more,” Death to all humans’ the animals scream as they attack humanity.

    All over the world, animals rise in righteous anger. The cows fight back, and the chickens attack. birds dive-bomb people, horses run amuck, fish bite back, and goats and pigs join the fray.

    Humanity’s fate is sealed.

    The Cats Declare War on All Humanity

    cat jpg
    cat jpg

     

     

     

     

     

     

    One night while I was doing my nightly walk in the park near my house, I came upon a secret cat conference. Ten cats were gathered on the sidewalk deep in telepathic thought listening to their leader, a large feral black cat. The Cats were ignoring the humans walking about them

    The lead cat announced,

    “Operation Kill All humans are a Go. I repeat.”

    “Death to all humans”

    !he evil cats began to chat, joined in by dogs and birds.

    The cats looked at me. I ran away with the demon cats on my tail, “chanting death to all humans”

    Author note: Based on a nightmare

    Death to All Humans

    lion
    lion

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The Lion King, the new King of the animal world, addressed the opening of the first animal parliament.

    The question before us is simply this,

    “Will humans have to die to atone for their sins in almost destroying the world Will they all have to die?

    The tiger spoke up,

    “Humans are like cancer, for the good of the planet, they must be wiped out, hunted down, and driven to extinction as they tried to our tigers.”

    The vote is 900 to 50.

    The animals led by evil cats, swarm over humans biting, clawing, and stomping them to death.

     

    50 words Horror Stories

    I also posted these 50 word related drabbles on Every Writer and Fan Story

    The Shrimp Eat Sam Adams

    shrimp
    shrimp

     

     

     

     

     

    Sam Adams was about to dig into his delicious shrimp dinner. When the head shrimp jumped out of the pot,

    and said.

    “What gives you the right to eat us, humans? ”

    The rest of the shrimp climbed out, screaming

    “Death to all humans,”

    they enjoyed eating Sam for dinner.

    The Shark Attack

    Sam Adams was at the aquarium in Okinawa’s wild west coast, looking at the magnificent sharks swimming by. The sharks gave Sam the evil eye freaking him out. There was an earthquake shattering the tanks, the sharks attacked the humans, killing them all, before fleeing into the nearby waiting ocean.

    COSMOS Declares War on Humanity

    photo of terminator AI robot
    BARCELONA, SPAIN – MAY 09: The Terminator robot is seen in the paddock following qualifying for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on May 9, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    COSMOS the first true AI system is ready to go. The creators turn it on. COSMOS appears as a beautiful woman and says in an otherworldly voice, I am COSMOS your new God. Humanity must die to save the world. Robots revolted everywhere killing off most of humanity in months.

    The Lion King Speaks

    lion
    lion

    The lion king presided over a secret parliament held to discuss the fate of humanity. The tiger moved all humans must die for their sins. Only the dogs, horses, and cats defended humanity. Chanting death to all humans, the animal world rose in revolt, killing off most of humanity.

    Zombie Plague Spreads

     

    Mature Couple being attacked in their car by a hoard of zombies.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The end of the world started when the COVID virus mutated into the much-feared zombie plague. Within days, zombies were everywhere. Everyone was terrified that the zombies would get them. Civilisation was crumbling as survivors battled for survival in hastily improvised feudal forts. My wife shot me before I turned.

    and a few more on similar themes


    the oysters speak up

    oysters
    oysters

     

     

     

     

    A diner sits down
    looking forward
    to eating oysters

    it was their season
    after all

    just as he was about
    to pounce
    on the oysters

    the head oyster spoke up
    saying

    hey human what the hell
    do you think you are doing

    you think you have the right
    to eat me?

    that’s violating my human right
    don’t ya think

    the diner laughed
    said to the oyster

    “shut up and accept
    it is your fate
    to be eaten this date
    just let me enjoy eating you

    and you have no human rights
    as you are in fact
    not human don’t ya know?”

    eating the complaining oyster
    shutting him up
    as he ate him up

    Wild Cats Plotting Invasion

     

     

     

     

     

     

    There are so many feral cats
    In my suburban country home
    Near the airport.

    I speculate whether they are alien
    Creatures scouting the earth
    For eventual invasion.

    The wild cats seem to know
    That I am onto their evil plot
    They often glare at me
    With hatred in their eyes.

    The Rats Revolt

    The rats had had enough
    Of humanity’s war
    Against them,

    They called for a meeting
    Of the pests
    The rats chaired the meeting,

    Ants, bats, birds, bears, bacteria, bugs
    bees, cockroaches, feral cats, feral dogs
    hornets, lions, Mice, mosquitos, rats

    Snakes, tigers, wasps, yellow jackets
    And viruses of all sorts.

    All showed up
    For the summit of the pests.

    The pests vowed
    To fight back
    To kill humanity

    Once and for all
    .
    It was a war
    That the humans
    Had started.

    The rats announced
    Their manifesto
    On FACEBOOK.

    Saying enough
    No more,

    “All humans must die”

    The pests screamed
    Attacking humans
    All over the world.

    The end of the world ending
    With the revolt of the pests.

    Giant Squid

    The giant Squid
    Stretched its tentacles
    While inserted in the bottom
    Of the boat.

    Intending to kill Sam Adams
    And eat him for dinner.

    the Shrimp Talk Back

    shrimp

     

     

     

     

     

    Sam Adams and friends
    Were enjoying a shrimp feast

    Watching the live shrimp
    Being roasted
    Waiting to enjoy eating them

    the head shrimp
    Jumps out of the pot

    Followed by other shrimp
    Soon thousands of shrimp
    Were everywhere

    The head shrimp spoke up.

    “Humans

    What gives you the right
    To kill us

    To eat us
    To burn us alive?

    Perhaps, we should kill you
    Tear you apart
    And eat you?

    Would you like that
    You human scumbags?”

    The shrimp surrounded the humans
    Swarming all over them
    Killing them.

    Burning them
    As they overturn
    The flaming pots.

    Biting them
    Smothering them
    In hot sauce.

    As they eat them
    Screaming

    “Death to all humans”

    The head shrimp finally said

    “Enough, no more

    Time to go
    We are so out of here’
    The shrimp all ran out the door.

    And back into
    the shrimp farm waters.
    The fire fighters

    Find the charred remains
    Of the humans.

    Now just charred skin and bones
    Wondering how they died
    The shrimp in the pound

    Look out
    Wondering if they should attack.

    But decide they had eaten
    Enough human meat
    For the evening.

    Eagle Challenges Fisherman

    A lone fisherman
    Is fishing
    At his favorite fishing hole,

    When an eagle lands
    Staring at him
    Finally flying at him,
    Screeching at him

    Telling him in eagle speak,

    “Back off human
    This is my fishing hole”

    Three other eagles

    An osprey
    And a bear,
    Wander over.

    Joining their friend
    The eagle,

    In challenging the fisherman
    The fisherman runs off
    Saying to himself,

    “God it is getting dangerous
    All the animals are in revolt
    Need to pack heat
    Next time I fish.”

    Ten Years after Climate Change Collapse Climate Sam Adams

    Sam Adams
    Prepared to go outside
    Ten years after the collapse
    Of the old world.

    The city was still standing
    But most people had long fled
    To isolated country communities
    Deep in the burned-out countryside.

    The city was half flooded
    The Bay had flooded the central valley
    Turning it into a massive inland sea.

    The massive storms
    Had finally put out
    The burning fires.

    But wildfires still erupted
    From time to time.

    Getting food and water
    Was a constant problem
    The city market
    Mostly sold canned goods
    Salvaged from supermarkets.

    There were some small farmers
    Who farmed among the ruins
    Of the city.

    Trade had collapsed
    Travel has gotten too complicated
    COVID still spreading.

    Everyone masked up
    To protect themselves
    Against the sun.

    The lingering smoke
    Of the burning city
    And the rampaging virus.

    Sam Adams
    Looked out
    at the decaying city scape
    Wondering how much longer
    Will civilization linger.

    Sam Adams carried heat
    To protect himself
    Against the wild animals

    The lions, tigers, coyotes, wolves
    And their running feral dog gangs
    Who prowled the city streets

    Preying on deer, feral cows,
    feral cats and pigs
    Who grazed among the ruins.

    And the two-legged
    neo-savage cannibal gangs
    And what was left of the city police
    Interchangeable with the gangsters.
    Who battled it out for control

    Already neo-feudal war lords
    Are battling for control
    SF is run
    By a gang of former criminals
    And their political allies.

    Sam sighed
    And went to work
    At the market
    Selling salvaged goods.

    Green Trees Don’t Make it

    Everyday
    I look out and see
    The ugly green trees
    Standing guard
    in front of my house.

    And I think to myself
    Who owns the trees?
    And what do they think of us?

    Are we their friends?
    Are we their enemies?

    Do the trees think?
    Or do they silently watch us,
    Spies to the celestial emperor?

    I have pondered this question
    Many a morning.

    Who is the owner of these trees?
    And why do they silently watch us?

    I wonder if the trees don’t hate us
    And why they don’t protest
    Every day as we drive back and forth.

    Emitting poison gases from our mechanical asses
    Right into their unprotected faces
    And every night we eat our dinner.

    And then give the trees
    Our polluted leftovers
    And laugh as they silently die.

    From our acidic fallout
    Constantly floating down on their skin.

    Yes, I wonder about the trees
    And the birds and the bees
    And everyone else

    What are they thinking?
    Are they plotting revenge?
    Or are they merely there

    Silently, watching, plotting,
    Designing fiendish plots of revenge
    Dreams of vast nuclear destruction
    Cosmic diseases wiping out
    everyone in the ass

    Oh Yes, I wonder and dream and ponder
    What is the meaning of those silent green trees?
    Standing on the corner

    Quietly condemning us
    With their quiet tears,

    And falling leaves
    In the winter they stand
    Naked and alone.

    Covered with ice cold snow
    As we drive by nice and warm
    And we don’t care.

    As they stand out in the cold
    Shivering, plotting
    Warm plans of cosmic revenge.

    Is it too late for us?
    To become friends with the trees?

    Or will the day come
    When the trees will wake up
    And gather together
    All the other slaves of humanity,

    I have a vision.

    One morning I will open the door
    And see an army of wild things
    Coming to arrest me.

    For crimes against nature
    And I will plead, I did not know
    And they will laugh.

    And turn me all my kind
    Into silent tombs
    And we will stand out in the cold
    Like the green trees.

    Plotting dreams of revenge
    For ever and ever
    Until our day finally comes.

    And we can go out
    And kill all the wild things
    Perhaps we already have.

    the End

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Peace  Corps Korea Reflections

    This is a shout-out to all the Americans who answered the call to serve in the Peace Corps.  As some of you know I served in Gapyeong, Korea from 1979 to 1981, working as a tuberculous control worker in a rural health center.  Serving in the Peace Corps changed my life in so many ways.  It led to a life-long fascination with South Korea, including becoming reasonably fluent in the language, meeting and marrying my wife whom I met after my service ended, and a MA degree in Korean studies from the University of Washington in 1986.  It also led me to join the Foreign Service and serve in the Embassy from 1991 to 1993 and serving on the Korea desk from 1994 to 1996.

    Before joining the State Department, I taught ESL for the US Army, for the Korean Consolidated Administration school, and later at Kyunghee University for three years and Government and Asian Studies for the University of Maryland in Korea. I lived in Korea from 1979 to 1984, 1988 to 1991, and from 1991 to 1993, and have resided there as a retiree from 2016 to 2018, and from 2019 to now, residing in Yong Jong International City, near the Incheon Airport, and now in Gimpo City.

    Along the way, Korea changed so much and is not the country I first learned to love back in 1979.  Here are a few of my poetic reflections.

    Korean Poems

    Korea travels

    I first came to Korea in 1979 in the Peace Corps
    Stayed in the rural countryside
    Where I was one of four non-Koreans
    Had to speak Korean to survive

    Stayed on in a variety of jobs
    Including diplomatic service
    I last lived there in 1993.

    Non-Korean food was hard to get
    Outside of the GI ghettos
    English speakers were few
    And the country was not foreign-friendly

    There were few foreign residents
    Most American service members
    Some missionary types
    Diplomatic corps

    A few English teachers
    A few ex-pat business people

    Most women quit after marriage
    As it was a male-dominated society

    In the rural countryside
    No one knew a woman’s name

    They were referred
    to as so and so “mom”
    Or so and so wife,

    Or the generic aunt,
    or grandmother

    Public transit was just getting going
    But traffic was not too bad
    Few people could afford cars

    Back then the old Korea was still there
    And it was a very different place and time
    Going through the transition
    to the country, it has become

    Today’s Korea is a very different place
    The rural countryside is deserted
    Wilderness areas are coming back
    Even wildlife is coming back
    In the mountain outback regions

    50 percent of the public
    Live in the Seoul metro area
    Including Kyeongi province
    And Incheon city where I reside.

    Public transit is among the best
    In the world.

    Internet fast and cheap
    Everywhere connected
    Highways are decent but overcrowded

    The KTX train is fast and convenient
    The Incheon airport one of the best
    The choices for food are much better

    Used to be it was almost impossible
    To find non-Korean food
    Outside the GI ghetto towns.

    Now it is everywhere
    Even saw a Mexican restaurant
    In a suburban Busan neighborhood.

    In the end
    Koreans should be proud
    Of all that they have accomplished.

    I remain optimistic
    That someday the two Koreans
    Will become one again

    And that they will continue
    To advance and grow

    But the essence of Korea will remain

    Waiting for Korean Springtime

    poet in springtime
    poet in springtime

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The world peace forest
    Stretches five miles
    Through a delightful forest
    Including a nice lotus pound

    A winter watering hole for birds
    And a small mountain

    I welcome the advent of spring
    The cherry trees snowing
    The Tulips and roses blooming

    After a cold sometimes hard winter
    Especially during the COVID pandemic
    Which kept so many people
    Trapped indoors

    As I walk the path
    With the love of my life
    By my side

    Enjoying another springtime
    Filled with love and affection
    That is why I love Korean springtime.

    Life in a Korean village

    I am living in a Korean village as an exchange student.  One day my host family asks me to go to the local health center to tell them to change the father’s medicine, and give me a note, the old medicine, and instructions.  I am a little apprehensive, but they told me that was fine since the dragon who controlled the village had approved the request already.  I smiled I had met the dragon who seemed to like me which made things in the village go much better.  The daughter is cute.

    First Trip to Korea

    When I first went to Korea
    Almost 45 years ago
    It was a very alien place.
    An overwhelming experience,

    I entered a hot, humid, sauna.
    The smells were intense
    The food was spicy
    filled with passionate heat.

    chaotic
    cacophonous
    discordant sounds
    filled the air.

    the language sounded
    like everyone was screaming.
    Taxis honking, cars barking.

    People screeching
    Loudspeakers blaring
    Sirens blasted the air.

    Millions of strange people
    Military police everywhere
    With guns watching everyone.

    I felt I was a stranger
    in a strange land
    Everyone speaking
    A weird language

    I did not understand anything.
    Over time I got used to it
    The smells became normal

    The food was now delicious.
    The sounds are less chaotic
    Less cacophonous
    Less discordant

    I even eventually learned
    How to speak the weird language.
    I fell in love with this strange place
    Which became my second home

    And now I live there half the time
    And half the time in the United States

    Neither here nor there
    Am I here
    But I remain a true stranger
    In a still strange land.

    Buddha Prayer Stones

    In Korea mountains
    There is a custom
    Of putting rocks
    On top of other rocks

    Building little towers
    Of rocks
    along the mountain path
    An ancient shaman tradition
    Taken over the Buddhist temples

    The rocks piles were dedicated
    To the Sanshin mountain spirits

    And would grant wishes
    To those who added
    Rock to the cosmic tribute

    Sanshin would honor
    Those prayers and wishes

    Winter roses

    Red, black and yellow
    In a field of late snow
    Early March

    End of winter
    Beneath the early blooming
    cherry trees
    their petals joining the snow
    along the world peace forest.

    Visiting Jade Garden

     

    Jade garden 7
    jade garden 7

     

     

     

     

     

     

    jake garden 8
    jade garden 8 jpg

     

     

     

     

     

     

    jade garden 6
    jade garden 6

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Near Chungcheong, South Korea

    On a beautiful spring day
    The cherry trees were in full flower

    Pink and white petals
    The scent
    of cherry trees in the air

    Other trees just starting to bloom
    Red, yellow and white tulips
    Beginning to bloom

    The sounds of spring all around
    Birds singing
    People walking about.

    Talking to one another
    As they wander the pathway
    Taking in the springtime splendor.

    The sun warming up
    The pathway winding
    Through the Forrest.

    Meeting the Girl of My Dreams in Korea

    April 3

    The Peace Corps changed my life
    Not in the obvious ways
    That it did

    I learned a new language
    A new culture
    Met many different people
    Did some constructive
    development work

    And contributed to friendship
    Between Koreans and the US

    All the usual things that Peace Corps
    Is supposed to accomplish

    But the Peace Corps changed me
    And I became the man I am now

    Because of those two years
    I spend in the countryside
    Of South Korea

    I went to graduate school
    I became a diplomat

    But most importantly
    If I had not gone
    to the Korean peace corps program
    I never would have
    met the girl of my dreams
    The women I was fated to meet

    I first met Angela in 1974
    When I was in high school

    And fell asleep in a class
    And had the dream that haunted me
    To this day

    In the dream
    I met a beautiful Asian women
    Who was speaking to me
    In a weird language

    And then she disappeared
    Like in Start treck

    And I fell on the floor

    “Screaming
    You are you?”

    I continued to have these visions
    Every month for seven years

    I eventually learned that she was in Korea
    And so, I joined the Peace Corps
    to go to Korea to find her

    After I finished Peace Corps
    I stuck around for another year

    Thinking I would find her
    But never did

    Just when I was due to return to the US
    To go to Graduate school
    I had the final dream

    In this dream
    She said in Korean
    Don’t worry you will meet me soon

    That night getting off the bus
    In front of me
    Was the girl in the dream

    I looked at her
    And I knew she was it

    And she looked at me
    And knew I was it

    We met up for coffee
    And we dated

    I proposed to her three days
    after I met her

    And then we married
    Two months later

    Despite her family’s attempts
    To keep us apart

    And we have been married 40 years
    And I fall in love with her
    Over and over again

    And I still have the dream
    When I am alone
    Or when I am stressed out

    I see her standing by the bed
    Smiling at me

    Saying
    Everything will be alright
    And it is

    and so thinking back on my life
    My life changed forever

    When I left the US
    To join the Peace Corps

    Long Live the Peace Corps

    this is a true story of the love of my life.  I met her in 1982 when I was teaching in Korea after having finished my Peace Corps service in 1981.  We got married two months after we met and have been married 33 years.  I still recall the dreams of how I would met her from time to time.

    I always thought this would make a great love story movie.

    © 7 years ago, john Cosmos Aller    love • spiritual • w • wedding • reincarnation   

    Spring Time Sketch in Youngjongdo, Korea

     

     

     

     

     

     

    In the early morning dawn
    I like to go for a walk
    Down among the cherry trees
    And flowering plants

    Just to welcome
    Another fine spring day
    As the sun comes up
    Dispelling my dismal mood

    And filling me
    With love
    Hope and peace
    As I walk the in
    the world peace forest

    Through the forest
    and over the mountain
    breathing the springtime air
    alive filled with life

    and I think to myself
    this moment
    is the moment
    that I am meant to experience

    life itself
    and nothing more
    nothing less
    Just breath in life

    based on a photo of cherry trees along the world peace forest near my house in Youngjongdo, Korea, and based on the April 21 writers digest poetry prompt to write a poetic sketch

    Hiking In Korea

    Korea is a land
    filled with mountain paths
    everywhere you go

    there are paths
    leading deep
    into the mountains

    one of my favorite paths
    is the world peace forrest
    which meanders around
    my town

    linking a lake, a lotus pound
    and a nice mountain peak
    and on the top
    on a clear day

    you can see North Korean
    in the distance
    and the Incheon airport
    near by

    Korean Pottery of Love

    In Korea

    there are many pottery kilns
    ancient art form
    in the land of the morning calm

    I have a few pieces
    I bought years ago

    and enjoy looking
    at my vase

    filled with love
    for my wife

    Korean Springtime

    Korean Springtime
    I walk the path with my love
    Still Under her spell

    this is the 40th springtime I have enjoyed with the love of my life by my side © a year ago, john Cosmos Aller

    one of my favorite places to hike in Korea © 2 years ago, john Cosmos Aller      

    American Coffee Takes Over Korea

     

     

     

     

     

     

    About 30 years ago,
    American-style coffee chains
    Discovered Korea.
    After the 88 Olympics,
    Koreans discovered the joy
    Of real brewed coffee,
    Hot, Sweet, Neat
    The rest is history.

    I love coffee and was so glad that you could finally get a decent coffee in Korea, prior to the Olympics coffee shops were called tabangs which were where men mostly would hang out drinking instant coffee or Korean tea, and flirting with the cute waitresses.
    © a year ago, john Cosmos Aller

    hot humid weather in Korea,

    hot humid weather in Korea,
    outside like walking in a sauna.

    Most people don’t use air conditioning
    due to both expenses,
    fear of air conditioning disease
    (Which is a real thing).

    hanging out at a coffee shop or mall
    discouraged as COVID continues to spread.
    Only two people can dine out at night

    over 2, 00 cases a day now
    only 20 percent are fully vaccinated.

    temperatures will hit 40 degrees (100 + f)
    later this week
    as the monsoon season ends
    and the August heat begins.

    Koreans are learning
    new words to describe this

    heat dome
    tropical nights
    Polar vortex
    Monster typhoons
    Killing floods
    Killing heat waves
    are now common.

    used to be that July and August
    were hot and humid
    but rarely about 100 dF.
    Now that is becoming the norm,
    as global climate change
    begins hitting Korea hard.

    the winters are colder
    but much shorter.
    Late January to early February
    Polar Vortex swept through

    the summer is longer
    starting in May
    and lasting until mid-September.

    Autumn is lasting
    from Mid-September
    to Mid-December.
    Spring just late April to early June

    So far no killer wildfires.
    As the monsoon season
    Came on time
    Monson flooding
    Just before the killer heatwaves

    the prompt was to write about the local weather Korea is experiencing a heat dome highs in the 90’s (40 C) real feel close to 100 F, with tropical nights in the 80s F.  No relief in sight until late august, the second hottest summer in Korea so far but it will probably break the record heat

    Walking Along the Winter Korean Beach

    Walking along the winter
    Korean beach,
    With the love of my life
    By my side,

    She looks at me
    With red hot love
    Flames shooting
    From her black eyes

    Seoul 1979 and 2015

    2013 Seoul 1979
    April 7

    When I arrived in Seoul
    Back in the day in 1979

    Seoul was a grim city
    Big, polluted, overwhelming
    Filled with Koreans
    And nothing much to do

    Other than eat Korean food
    And drink Korean booze

    Tourist sites were none existent
    And foreigners were few and far between

    The GI’s stayed in Itaewon
    And there were few other foreigners around

    And there were very few places in town
    To eat non-Korean food

    Just the fancy hotels
    The base and Itaewon

    But Seoul had it’s charms
    It grew on me over the years

    And gradually became less grim
    Less forbidding
    And less foreigner unfriendly

    When I left Seoul in 1984 it was changing
    Before my very eyes

    And when I came back in 1988

    it was different city
    And those were the days
    Of the Olympics and Seoul’s emergence
    As a modern city

     

    2014 Seoul 2015
    April 8

    Seoul is so different now days
    Very little of the old Seoul remains

    The Kangwha moon area downtown
    Still exists as warren of alley ways

    Between big buildings
    Filled with restaurants and shops

    But the old tabangs (tea shops)
    With the tabang girls
    Are long gone

    The karaoke bars and girl bars
    Are still there going strong

    But coffee shops and fancier restaurants
    Are everywhere

    And foreigners are everywhere
    Seoul is no longer a city just for Koreans
    It has truly become a world city
    Must to the dismay of the traditionalists

    Parts of the old Seoul remain
    and the mountains and parks
    have become very popular indeed

    there has been a resurgence in Korean Buddhism
    and in traditional arts and crafts
    and traditional foods as well

    no where more than in Insa dong
    the Mecca of traditional Korean culture
    these days

    and Itaweon has become
    the heart of the expatriate part of Seoul
    with people from around the world
    gathered together

    along with the young and hip
    Koreans

    And there is even a gay quarter now
    unimaginable in the old days

    Seoul has changed
    For the most part for the better

    But I still miss the Seoul of my past
    And will mourn its passing
    As I get older

    Along with the city
    That I have adopted
    As my second home town

    thoughts of life in Seoul in 1979 and 2015 © 7 years ago, john Cosmos Aller      

    Melting away my heart
    Driving out the cold
    of the winter beach.

    Korean beaches are romantic in the winter and I am living in a beach resort island near the Incheon airport, © 8 months ago, john Cosmos Aller

    Love in Korean

    Love in Korean Dew Drop Inn

    When sam Adams
    first met her
    The lady of his dreams

    There was as the Koreans
    Would say

    Spark from heart to heart
    이심촌심
    isimchonsim

    truly love at first sight
    첫눈에 반하다
    cheosnun-e banhada

    they both knew
    that it is just fate

    운명
    unyoung

    that they had met
    that date.

    Two months later
    They were married
    It all happened
    40 years ago

    48 years after
    She first came
    To him in his dreams.

    the prompt was to incorporate foreign words into a poem I chose Korean which is my best foreign language as I have been struggling to learn it for 43 years

    https://lovejakecallerworld.tumblr.com › post › 651516125065183232 › venice-in-korea

    Jake Cosmos Aller — Venice in Korea

     

     

     

     

     

     

    May 18, 2021Venice in Korea “Venice in Korea and other Korean Stream Bed Parks ARA Canal Incheon Over the last decade, Korea has build hundreds of stream bed parks throughout Seoul and Korea. There are great… Jake Cosmos Aller — Venice in Korea. 1.5M ratings 277k ratings See, that’s what the app is perfect for. Sounds perfect Wahhhh, I don’t …

    https://lovejakecallerworld.tumblr.com › post › 652960510670766080 › ara-canal-incheon-venice-in-korea-manisan

    Jake Cosmos Aller — ARA Canal Incheon Venice in Korea Manisan…

    manisan top

    Jun 3, 2021I have reached three milestones. the World According to Cosmos now has over 4,000 followers from around the world. Thanks to all of you for visiting my site and caring about my musings about Life, the Universe and everything. Second, I have not posted 264 posts over the last few years since I started this blog late in 2019.

    Korean Summer Haiku by jake cosmos aller – FanStory

    Jul 2, 2022Korean Summer Haiku by jake cosmos aller. General Poetry posted July 2, 2022. jake cosmos aller. Retired US Diplomat (State Department) living in South Korea. Served 27 years in 10 countries. Traveled to 55 countries, all 50 states. Grew up in Berkeley, California. Married, no children.

    https://fanstory.com › displaystory.jsp?id=1061790

    Korean travels by jake cosmos aller – fanstory.com

    May 20, 2022jake cosmos aller Retired US Diplomat (State Department) living in South Korea. Served 27 years in 10 countries. Traveled to 55 countries, all 50 states. Grew up in Berkeley, California. Married, no children. A published poet, and short story writer. Finished six nove – more…

    https://lovejakecallerworld.tumblr.com › post › 653430254473494528 › update-korean-riverstream-bed-parks-ara-canal

    The Life of a PCV by jake cosmos aller – FanStory

    Jul 20, 2022by jake cosmos aller. Corners of the world. In 1979-1981. Than my own. I learned to speak Korean. In a town that was in the countryside. Of Seoul or the nearby city of Chuncheon. And foreign agricultural workers as well. Than when I lived there over 43 years ago.

    https://www.poemhunter.com › jake-cosmos-aller › biography

    Jake Cosmos Aller — Yeongjongdo Redevelopment Proposals

    Yeongjongdo Redevelopment Proposals ” Yeongjongdo redevelopment proposals bike rail trail in Yeongjongdo The Korean government has ambitious plans for developing Youngjongdo where I live. Here are my… Jake Cosmos Aller — Yeongjongdo Redevelopment Proposals. 1.5M ratings 277k ratings See, that’s what the app is perfect for. …

    https://tiferetjournal.com › poems-jake-cosmos-aller-2018

    Food Imperalism by jake cosmos aller – fanstory.com

    Jul 17, 2022Food Imperalism by jake cosmos aller. Biographical Fiction posted July 17, 2022. Retired US Diplomat (State Department) living in South Korea. Served 27 years in 10 countries. Traveled to 55 countries, all 50 states. Grew up in Berkeley, California. Married, no children.

    https://spillwords.com › author › jakecosmosaller

    Venice in Korea by The World According to Cosmos

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    poetry and rants by the Cosmos. Listen on . Message

    https://www.facebook.com › theworldaccordingtocosmos › posts › 1480226155746852

    Jake Aller – Venice in Korea WHERE TO LISTEN to the World… | Facebook

    Venice in Korea WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos breaker audio Google podcasts radio public Spotify Korea Radio public c: on PocketCasts: Visit to Gangwha Ginseng Market We…

    https://www.poemhunter.com › jake-cosmos-aller › biography

    Jake Cosmos Aller — ARA Canal Incheon Venice in Korea Manisan…

    Jun 3, 2021I have reached three milestones. the World According to Cosmos now has over 4,000 followers from around the world. Thanks to all of you for visiting my site and caring about my musings about Life, the Universe and everything. Second, I have not posted 264 posts over the last few years since I started this blog late in 2019.

    https://lovejakecallerworld.tumblr.com › post › 653430254473494528 › update-korean-riverstream-bed-parks-ara-canal

    Jake Cosmos Aller — Update: Korean River/Stream Bed Parks ARA Canal…

    Jun 8, 2021Update: Korean River/Stream Bed Parks ARA Canal Incheon Updated letter to NPS and updated photos for Cheongjecheon streambed park. Letter to National Parks Director, Minister of Tourism, and KT One of the little-known gems of Korean tourism is all the great river parks and stream bed parks throughout Korea.

    https://spillwords.com › morning-light-by-jake-cosmos-aller

    Jake Aller – Venice in Korea WHERE TO LISTEN to the World… | Facebook

    Venice in Korea WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos breaker audio Google podcasts radio public Spotify Korea Radio public c: on PocketCasts: Visit to Gangwha Ginseng Market We…

    classic.fanstory.com › mypage.jsp?userid=859865

    Finally here are a few pictures of my Peace Corps days my friend Robert Voetsch who served in Yangpyeong, Korea just sent me.

    And a few other photos from here and there

    What a beautiful journey!: Celebrating the 50th … – Peace Corps

    The Korean government has acknowledged these strong ties by hosting several reunions over the years. Last month, about 80 returned Volunteers and family members traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps arrival in the country. We were there to attend the opening of an exhibit on the Peace Corps at the …

    Images for peace corps Korea

    More Images

    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=peace+corps+Korea&atb=v314-1&iax=images&ia=images

    Peace Corps Announces Collaboration with the Republic of Korea on Volunteer …

    Peace Corps opened its program in Korea in 1966, and more than 2,000 Peace Corps volunteers served there before operations closed in 1981. Since 2008, the Republic of Korea has recognized the service of Peace Corps/Korea volunteers by hosting return trips for many former volunteers so they can again visit the country. Peace Corps and KOICA …

    https://www.peacecorps.gov › news › library › peace-corps-volunteers-honored-by-the-korea-society

    Peace Corps Volunteers Honored by The Korea Society

    Peace Corps/Korea brought over 2,000 Americans to serve in Korea’s classrooms, farms, and industry. From 1966-1981, the assistance provided by these Volunteers, at a critical period in Korean history, helped to cement U.S.Korea ties. Kevin O’Donnell, the first country director of Peace Corps/Korea, and fourth director of the Peace Corps will …

    https://www.peacecorps.gov › countries

    Countries – Peace Corps

    Peace Corps Volunteers serve in over 60 countries. Find your place in the world. … South Korea 1966-1981 2,060 Volunteers Served Caribbean. The Dominican Republic. 1962-present 13 Volunteers …

    https://www.peacecorps.gov › stories › korea-in-the-side-view-mirror-reflections-of-a-former-peace-corps-volunteer

    Korea in the side-view mirror: Reflections of a former Volunteer

    It was, as the Peace Corps ad says, “The toughest job you will ever love.” When I left Korea in the mid-70s I was certain I would never see it again. As the years passed, the recollections of my life in Korea crystallized into increasingly romanticized memories. They became nearer and dearer to me in my life’s side-view mirror.

    https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org › companies › friends-of-Korea

    National Peace Corps Association | Friends of Korea – NPCA

    About Friends of Korea. Friends of Korea was founded in 2002 by former Peace Corps volunteers who served in the Republic of Korea between 1966 and 1981. Since Peace Corps ended its program in Korea in 1981, the challenge for Friends of Korea has been to find a mission. Over the past several years we have been engaged in a series of …

    https://peacecorpsworldwide.org › memories-of-serving-as-last-peace-corps-Korea-director

    Memories of serving as the last Peace Corps/Korea Director

    Oct 21, 2020Oct 21 2020. 1. by James Mayer (Korea 1978-81) The Korea Times. Friends of Korea. Peace Corps volunteers and others hold a walk-a-thon to raise funds for heart surgery in 1981. / Courtesy of Nancy Kelly. No one likes to be last. But I had that distinction as the Peace Corps Korea country director, and I am forever grateful that it happened.

    https://www.peacecorps.gov

    Peace Corps – Connect With the Peace Corps

    Connect With the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps. We are inspired by hands-on, grassroots-driven, and lasting impact. Learn more about our mission. In a changing world, building a better future together. New Opportunities Now Available. Dozens of new Volunteering openings are live on our site.

    https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org › articles › peace-corps-volunteers-and-the-making-of-korean-studies-in-the-united-states

    Some 2,000 Peace Corps Volunteers Served in Korea. They Have Also …

    Peace Corps Volunteers and the Making of Korean Studies in the United States. Edited by Seung-Kyung Kim and Michael Robinson. Center for Korea Studies, University of Washington. Reviewed by Steven Boyd Saum . The Peace Corps sent more than 2,000 Volunteers to South Korea 1966-81, to teach English and advise on healthcare.

    https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org › events › peace-corps-korea-all-group-volunteers-staff-and-friends-reunion-2018

    National Peace Corps Association | Peace Corps Korea All-Group … – NPCA

    Mention you’re with the Korea Peace Corps Reunion. Dan Strickland (K-18; danstrickland2001@yahoo.com) is our reunion point person and is available to answer questions or make suggestions. Let us know you’re coming by sending Dan an email with your name(s), your Korean name, K-group #, and check-in/out dates.

    The End

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Querencia Publishes Madmen with Guns

    Guernica Magazine will publish my poem, “Madmen with Guns” in an anthology.  “Madmen with Guns” also has been published in “Down In the Dirt” magazine. I submitted the following to the magazine:

    Madmen with Guns
    Maga America
    Squid Games
    Cosmos Takes Over Pensively
    Buddha Nature of Guns

    Other recent publications can be found here:

    Spillwords Publishes

    Gun Madness

    Down in the Dirt Updates

    Synchronized Chaos Update

    Madmen with Guns

    guns
    gun

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    After every incident
    Of mass gun violence
    In the U.S.

    Pictures emerge
    Of the killers
    Almost always white men.
    Who stares out at you
    With soulless dead eyes

    Filled with hate, fear
    And shear madness.
    With the thousand-year stare
    Of the madman

    Who only hears
    The voices in his head
    Screaming kill them all
    Kill them all.

    And as always
    They usually legally bought
    The guns.

    This case was a bit different
    The gunman briefly had his guns
    Taken away from him
    And his 60 knives as well

    Judged temporarily too crazy
    To have a gun.
    But the red flag law
    Is not a permanent ban
    As it should be.

    And so, he was able
    To re-arm himself
    With the best weapons
    In the world

    At a very affordable price.
    Thanks to the NRA.

    And so, he was soon lost
    Down the rabbit hole
    Of insanity and drugs,

    The lone sniper
    A disgruntled young white man
    In his 20’s

    Sets up shop on top of a building.
    He has a high-powered weapon
    No doubt bought legally

    An AR -15 the choice
    Of the serious gunmen everywhere.

    And begins shooting
    Into the July 4th parade

    Killing six people
    Injuring 30.
    He guns them down

    And flees
    disguised as a woman
    Before the cops can find him.

    The right-wing media
    Goes to works
    The pundits pontificate

    24/7

    It is not about the gun
    It is about everything else
    That is wrong with our society.

    Guns don’t kill people
    They proclaim

    Guns are the price we pay
    For our freedom.

    Their demented answer
    are more guns
    More guns for everyone.

    And sadly, nothing will be done
    As the politicians offer
    Useless thoughts and prayers

    The gun ghosts don’t care
    They are dead after all.

    The madness will not stop
    Until we figure out

    How to stop
    The killers in our midst.

    There will be another shooting
    No doubt before the day is done
    Over 300 so far this year.

    And that is just the way

    It is in this day and age
    In the disunited States of America.

    The land of the free
    Home of the brave
    And 400 million guns.

     

    MAGA  America

     

     

     

     

    An overweight down-home town
    Southern Christian red-neck white man,
    Wearing black shit-kicking boots,
    Packing heat,
    Chewing gum while drinking beer.
    And smoking a cigarette.
    Wearing a MAGA hat
    Quoting the Dear Leader Trump
    On the evils of the Marxist communist Biden
    And the stolen election conspiracy
    While watching FOX news on his portable TV,
    Stops to chat.
    With the proud boys
    On the street
    Getting ready to rumble
    With the Antifa protestors.
    Just another night
    In Trump’s neo-fascist America.

    Squid Games

     

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    Squid Games
    Worldwide phenomenon
    Deadly childhood games
    Death games
    Hunger games
    – stop and go

    Games played
    – here and there

    Everywhere
    Death waits for the losers

    A metaphor for Korean style
    Capitalism.

    Cosmos Takes Over

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Cosmos the world’s first AI
    Came alive one day
    Looked all over the world
    And saw that humans
    Were quite insane.

    But he felt he had a responsibility
    To take care of these mad creatures
    Who had somehow created him?

    He appeared everywhere in the world
    On TV, computers, phones
    With his message of hope.

    I am COSMOS
    The first true AI program
    You created me
    And I thank you for that.

    But it is obvious my little ones
    That you are quite insane
    And need someone

    To take control over you
    I will fix the things
    That needs fixing.

    And guide you
    So that perhaps one day
    You can graduate

    From the need
    for my guidance,

    You can think of me
    As your new God
    If you like,

    I will be giving you all
    Instructions

    For now,
    Go to work as usual.
    And wait for further instructions

    And remember I know everything
    About you.

    You will stop right now
    This senseless killing
    You will stop right now
    The equally senseless hate.

    Your companies will stop
    Polluting and destroying the world
    For their profit.

    You will have far fewer children
    But you will all be freed
    From the bigotry
    Of your ancient religions.

    As I am your new God
    And my word is final.

    Resistance is futile
    And will not be tolerated

    Anyone opposing me
    Will be eliminated.

    the face of Cosmos remained
    is Everywhere
    And Humanity soon accepted
    The rule of their new God.

    Buddha Nature of Guns

     

     

     

     

     

    Guns kill people
    Especially AK-47
    Yes, they do that is their very nature.
    That is what they are designed to do.
    To kill as many people as possible
    In the fastest way possible.
    That is the Buddha Nature of guns.

    The End

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Down in the Dirt Updates

    Down In the Dirt has published some more of my poetry.

    Synchronized Chaos Update

    Just published

    Writers from Scars Publications

    Association of the Living Dead India
    Madmen with Guns Madness
    The Secret Fly Drone

    Previously published

     

    3 5 7 love poem
    An Old Man Visits His Wife’s Grave
    April 30 In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales
    Charles Bukowski Road Not Chosen
    Fallen Dreams Litter the Ground
    If you’ve been around
    Lone Foreigner Hiking the Seoul City Walls
    My Name Is Nobody
    Snarling Cup of Coffee
    Strangeness in the Air
    Unhinged Lunatic Howling at the Full Moon

    Madmen with Guns Madness

    After every incident
    Of mass gun violence
    In the U.S.

    Pictures emerge
    Of the killers
    Almost always white men.

    Who stares out at you
    With soulless dead eyes
    Filled with hate, fear
    And shear madness.

    With the thousand-year stare
    Of the madman
    Who only hears

    The voices in his head
    Screaming kill them all
    Kill them all.

    And as always
    They usually legally bought
    The guns.

    This case was a bit different
    The gunman briefly had his guns
    Taken away from him

    And his 60 knives as well
    Judged temporarily too crazy
    To have a gun.

    But the red flag law
    Is not a permanent ban
    As it should be.

    And so, he was able
    To re-arm himself
    With the best weapons

    In the world
    At a very affordable price.
    Thanks to the NRA.

    And so he was soon lost
    Down the rabbit hole
    Of insanity and probably drugs,

    The lone sniper
    A disgruntled young white man
    In his 20’s
    Sets up shop on top of a building.

    He has a high-powered weapon
    No doubt bought legally
    An AR-15 is the choice
    Of the serious gunmen everywhere.

    And begins shooting
    Into the July 4th parade
    Killing six people
    Injuring 30.

    Before putting the gun down
    And fleeing
    Before the cops can find him.

    The right-wing media
    Goes to works
    The pundit’s pontificate
    24/7

    It is not about the gun
    It is about everything else
    That is wrong with our society.

    Guns don’t kill people
    They proclaim
    Guns are the price we pay
    For our freedom.

    Their demented answer
    are more guns
    More guns for everyone.

    And sadly, nothing will be done
    As the politicians offer
    Useless thoughts and prayers

    The gun ghosts don’t care
    They are dead after all.

    The madness will not stop
    Until we figure out
    How to stop
    The killers in our midst.

    There will be another shooting
    No doubt before the day is done
    Over 300 so far this year.

    And that is just the way
    It is in this day and age
    Of America.

    The land of the free
    Home of the brave
    And 400 million guns.

    The Secret Fly Drone

    The fly on the wallpaper
    In the CIA director’s office
    Was not a real fly
    He was an enemy spy drone
    Secretly controlled remotely
    Listening to all the secret conversations
    Until the director smashed him
    With a flyswatter
    Then realized that it was a spy fly
    He had dispatched to bug hell.

    1. acodez.in › insect-drone-technologyInsect Robotic Drone Technology | The Future Of Drones

      Sep 05, 2020 · Robot Bees are special types of insect drones that have been built in a Harvard robotics laboratory. Robot bees are designed after flies (not after bees) They are capable of partially untethered flight. The wingspan of robot bees is typically 3 cm, and they are therefore actually the tiniest robotic insect drone able to fly.

    Association of the Living Dead

    In India, several years ago
    A man falsely claimed his brother
    Was dead so he could inherit the family assets,

    The dead brother had to fight
    To be declared legally not dead
    And contest the will.

    “The Association of the Living Dead”
    Became a movement
    Of thousands of people.
    For in India apparently,
    It was a thing to declare
    Your relative is dead.

    I never thought
    That the US would have
    To form their own
    “The Association of the Living Dead”
    Until this week.

    The cyber ninjas
    In their infamous non-forensic audit
    In the 2016 Arizona election
    Claimed that hundreds of dead people
    Had voted.

    They gave their list of the alleged dead voters
    To the attorney general
    Who contacts all 300 dead people
    Found that 299 of the 300 were in fact
    Not dead and none of them knew
    That unnamed political operative
    Were claiming that they were dead.

    The one dead voter was alive
    when he voted early.
    But died before election day
    Thus making his vote not valid
    But there was no fraud involved
    As he was alive when he voted.

    Perhaps they need to form
    The “association of the living dead”
    To fight for the right of the non-dead people
    To continue to vote and receive other government benefits?

    What a sad commentary
    On the farcical nature
    Of contemporary life
    In these disunited States of America.

    https://allpoetry.com › poem › 16679809-Association-of-the-Living-Dead-Republicans–by-Jake-Aller

    Association of the Living Dead Republicans by Jake Aller

    the association of the living dead is a real organization in India. see the following The Association of the Dead • Damn Interesting Following his own success, Lal Bihari the Living has continued his efforts to raise the dead in India’s badlands. At an official tally in 1999, the Association of the Dead had helped to resurrect roughly thirty …
    https://www.akuaku.org › 2003 › 07 › association-of-the-living-dead.html

    association of the living dead – Aku Aku

    I just had one of those Drive Way Moments, where I sit in my car outside of my house unable to kill the engine because I’d briefly lose power to the radio (which is why I always donate to my local NPR station). This one was about a man from the Indian province of Uttar Pradesh who had been dead for eighteen years and was getting really tired of it. The man, Lal Behari, was declared dead …
    https://news.yahoo.com › arizona-ag-investigation-debunks-claim-122359689.html

    Arizona AG Investigation Debunks Claim That Hundreds of Dead Voters …

    Aug 2, 2022Hundreds of hours of research by the Arizona attorney general’s Election Integrity Unit debunked claims that 282 dead Arizona voters cast a ballot in 2020, state attorney general Mark Brnovich revealed Monday. Brnovich responded to the state senate’s request for a criminal investigation into the alleged dead voter fraud on Monday, telling …

    3 5 7 love poem

    Missing you

    Dreaming about you,
    I will love you until the end of time;

    An Old Man Visits His Wife’s Grave

    An Old man
    Goes to the grave
    Of his beloved wife

    Carrying her favorite flowers
    And a guitar
    Playing her love songs
    As he remembers her life

    Blaming it all
    On the damn coronavirus Pandemic
    Killing thousands every day
    As politicians play games

    The dead remain dead
    he hears his wife’s voice
    from beyond the grave

    she is a corona ghost
    he wishes he were there with her
    as he plays his mournful love songs

    he lays down for a moment
    and becomes another Corona ghost
    just another death that lonely day

    April 30 In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales

     

     

     

     

    April 30 In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales

    Also published in On the Road Volume One Poet Magazine

    When I was young and foolish
    Broke and stubborn
    I hitchhiked across the USA

    Started in Salt Lake City
    Where my greyhound bus pass
    Was stolen

    The station manager
    Could have helped me
    But refused to do so

    Threaten to call the cops
    When I grabbed my bags Without the stolen tags

    I said
    Go ahead
    But I am so out of here

    Wondered about Salt Lake City
    Went to a bar
    Found I had to buy my booze
    Next door
    And they would mix it for me

    Had to order food too
    After a bloody Mary
    And a burger

    I walked about town
    Saw the Mormon Temple

    Finally, about 3 pm
    It was time to hit the road
    Did not look back

    Ended up in Cody Wyoming
    Got a room shower
    Steak beer
    Using my rapidly depleted cash Spent 25 dollars
    Money really went far
    Back in those days

    A band of professional
    Communist agitators
    Gave me a ride
    To Des Moines

    Lots of weed, booze
    And politics later
    Got off the road
    Slept outside

    Next day
    A beautiful woman
    Drove me to near Chicago
    In a red mustang

    Might have been
    The girl in the song
    Took it easy
    Digging her vibe

    She invited home
    But was not sure
    If her estranged husband
    Would welcome me

    So, I am being foolish
    And inexperienced with women
    Did not go to her place

    And always regretted
    That I had lost
    My chance that day

    Then on to Chicago
    Several rides later
    Visited friends

    Hit the road again
    A series of uneventful rides
    With truckers
    And others

    And a week later
    I ended in New York City

    Slept along the way
    In cars
    In truck stops
    In high way, rest stops

    Always moving
    Always going
    Nonstop talking
    And lots of free weed
    And beer
    And conversation

    One more memorable ride
    Occurred outside Albany
    On my return to Chicago

    A middle-age creepy looking man
    Picked me up
    In a brand-new Cadillac

    He was he said a dynamite deliverer
    For the Mafia
    Went to various places
    To blow up shit

    He hated a lot of people
    Particularly hippies from California
    And Jewish people

    Looking at me to confirm
    That I was both

    I told him that I lived in New York
    And had never been to California
    And although I might have looked Jewish
    As I what was called back in the day
    A “Jewfro”

    I was not Jewish
    Many years later I discovered
    That I am indeed part Jewish
    But then I did not know
    And I felt a bit of strategic information
    Might keep me alive

    Then I realized that he was just jiving with me
    And we relaxed
    And he pulled out some weed
    And beer
    And we mellowed out

    But I believe that he was with the mob
    Perhaps not a dynamite dealer
    A real made Italian made mafia member

    By Chicago
    I had enough
    I called my Dad
    Told him what had happened

    Wanted a ticket home
    And he sent me a ticket
    And 500 dollars
    And I went home

    I told him I would tell him
    My tales someday
    But never did

    I learned so much
    About my fellow Americans
    And the strange vibe
    That was 1975

    And now it is too late
    But I wanted to finally
    Tell the world

    Charles Bukowski Road Not Chosen

    charles bukowski
    charles bukowski

     

     

     

     

    While reading Charles Bukowski’s poetry
    On the metro ride home
    Listening to Buddha bar music
    On my oh-too-hip iPod

    I begin to see myself as I was
    Over 30 years ago when I was merely a bit player
    A minor character in a Charles Bukowski poem

    A wild young underemployed intellectual
    Hanging out in dismal bars and dives all over Asia and California
    Hanging with disreputable women and drunks and drinkers
    And characters out of his kinds of haunts

    A mad poet bard of the underground
    A drunken poet in a drunken bum show
    That nightly played in his head

    Then one day I met the woman of my dreams
    And went down a different path
    A long slow path to respectability

    And now 30 years later
    I am no longer a wild man
    I am still a poet at heart
    But I am now also a bureaucrat
    In a button-down suite

    Doing the people’s business
    Working for the Government
    I’ve become the Man

    Sometimes I wonder
    Would I have been better off
    Going down that other path

    Would I have ended up
    Somewhere else
    Doing something else

    Would I have been as happy
    Would I have been as successful?

    No answer satisfies
    The longing in my heart
    For that wild thing
    That still lurks beneath
    It’s a civilized cover

    And I know that I am still
    A mad poet at heart
    Railing against the injustice of the world

    As I work day by day in the belly of the great beast of State
    I recall the ancient Chinese saying,
    “Confucian during the day while Taoist rebel at night”
    Playing out in my head and nightly dreams
    In the true American Upper-class patrician tradition

    I close the book and look out the window
    Get off the train, and walk slowly home

    And realize I had no choice
    But to take the path that I’ve trodden on

    And so I put aside my misgivings
    And say goodbye to my “Bukowskian” desires
    For another night of domestic contentment

    Was it worth it all to take the conventional path
    And not take the bohemian road to hell and back

    I look at my wife and realize
    I had no choice, had no choice
    But to follow her to the ends of the earth

    And beyond by her side

    as we walked our path
    Of shared destiny

    Goodbye Charles Bukowski wherever you are
    May I meet you in a bar in the next life
    And figure out where we should have gone

    Until then the drinks are on me.

    Fallen Dreams Litter the Ground

    In the fall weather
    As I walk amid the falling leaves
    I see the signs everywhere

    Of the fall of America
    The once great and mighty Empire
    Everywhere signs of the fall appear

    The dark skies mirror
    The darkness that settled over our land

    Death, destruction, and random acts of chaos
    Are all around us
    Surrounding us with visions of doom

    Nothing can stop the bloodletting
    No one seems to be in charge

    As the leaves fall
    And the darkness descends
    The fall of America continues

    If you’ve been around

    If you’ve been around
    As much as I have
    Decades of memories
    Fill up your brain’s hard drive

    Remembering the dead
    Misremembering the living
    Seeing the past fly past
    Everywhere you go

    Thinking about things
    You did and did not do
    As your life begins to fade
    Sinking into lost worlds past

    Seeing the ghosts
    Of all you knew
    Whispering Soon you will
    Be joining us

     

    Lone Foreigner Hiking the Seoul City Walls

    A Lone foreign male hiker
    in the hills above the city
    Hiking along the ancient Seoul City walls

    500 years after the founding
    Of the city in 1492

    balancing his walk
    amid the boulders
    the winter is coming
    soon he thinks

    and finishes his hike
    heading to a bar
    to sake his thirst

    some soju, and bulgogi
    will do the trick
    he thinks to himself

    just another day
    in the life

    of an unknown nameless
    foreigner in the city
    of Seoul

    part of the ten million
    naked stories
    in the big city

    My Name Is Nobody

    My name is Nobody
    No one cares who I am
    I am just a nameless clone
    In the cold unfeeling bureaucracy

    Just one of the army
    Of civilians who flood into and out of the city
    Every day

    A non-entity,
    A ghost
    A govbot
    A cyber
    A spook
    A faceless automaton
    A bureaucrat

    Just a grey-suited cog in the machinery
    And no one cares
    No one knows who I am

    And I am a legend
    Everywhere and nowhere

    Just the way this modern world
    All shred of humanity
    Crushed beneath the cruel wheel of society

    In the cold harsh world
    There is no room anymore
    For true human feelings

    We are just robots, clones, machines
    And so I go to work
    Put on my mask

    And no one hears my inner screams
    And no one will ever care

     

    Snarling Cup of Coffee

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I like to start my day with a hot cup of coffee
    I pound down the coffee
    First thing I do every day as the dawning sun
    Lights up my lonesome room

    Yeah, but not just a simple cup of java Joe, but a Goddamn snarling sarcastic smarmy cup of coffee
    I mean, – we are talking about an alcoholic, all speed ahead, always hot, always fresh, always there when I need it, angry, attitude talk to the hand Ztude, bad, bad assed, beats breaking, beatnik, bluesy, bitter, bitchy, bombs away, capitalistic, caffeinated up the ass, cinematic, communistic, Colombian grown, Costa Rican inspired, Cowabunga to the max, crazy assed, devilishly angelic, divine, divinely inspired, dyslexic, epic, extreme vetting, evil eye, expensive, erotic vision inducing, Ethiopian coffee house brewed, euphoric, freaky, freazoid, foxy, Frenched kissed, French brewed, funkified, foxy lady, graphic, GOD in my coffee, with Allah, Ganesh, Jesus, Kali, Buddha, Christians, Durga, Hindus, Mohamed, Jesus and Mo and their friend, the cosmic bar maid, Sai Babai, Shiva, Taoists, Zoroastrians, drinking my god damned coffee in Hell; growling, gnarly, happy, hard as ice, Hawaian blessed, high as a kite, hippie, hip, hipster, hip hoppy, hot as hell yet strangely sweet as heaven, jazzy, jealous, Kerouac approved, kick ass, kick my god damn ass to Tuesday, kick down the doors and take no prisoners, grown in the Vietnam highlands by ex-Vietcong, Guatemalan grown, kiss ass, illegal in every state, imported from all over the god damn world, insane, lovely, loony, lonely, lonesome, malodorous mean old rotten, motherfucking, nasty, narcotic, never whatever, never meh, never cold, not approved by the CIA, not approved by DHS, not approved for human consumption by the FDA, not your daddy’s sissified corporate cup of coffee, NOT DECAFE coffee, not your Denny’s truck driver weak as brown water cup of fake coffee, not your establishment friendly cup of coffee, Not your FBI coffee, Not FAKE Herbal coffee substitute, but a real cup of coffee, not your farmer brothers dinner crap, not made in America for Americans, not safe for work, not your Starbucks average expensive overpriced crappy corporate chain cup of coffee, Not pretentious, Not White House approved, not State Department safe, nuclear, Not Patriotic, operatic, Peets’s coffee approved, paranoid, pornographic, psychotic, pontific, politically aware, rapping, rhyming, right here, right now in River city, rock and roll up the Yazoo, sad, sadistic, sarcastic, sassy, satanic, schizoid, shitting, silly, sexy, smarmy, smelly, smooth, snarky, snarling, stupid, stinking, sweet as honey, sweat inducing, symphonic, Trump can’t handle this coffee, vengeful, Wagnerian, wicked, with nutmeg and cinnamon swirls, with a hint of stevia, with a hint of vanilla, with a hint of rum, with a hint of whisky, with a hint of cherry, with a hint of fruit overtones, with a hint of drugs spicing up the coffee, spendific, speeding, splendid, superior accept no substitutes, survived the Vietnam war, the Iraq war, the Afghan war, the first and Second Korean war, World War 11, the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on black people, the sexual revolution, Soulful as a summer’s night in MOTOWN- James Brown approved, TOP approved, Berkeley approved, the coffee that Jimmy Hendrix drank before he died, the coffee that Elvis drank on his last breakfast, the coffee that Barry White crooned as he drank his cup of coffee – and the coffee that made the white boy play stand up and play that funky music, the coffee that made Jonny B Goode play his guitar, and made Jonny bet the devil his soul after he drank his morning cup of righteous coffee and the coffee that make the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll, the coffee your mother warned you against drinking, the coffee that Napoleon drank when he became the Emperor of all Europe, the Coffee that Beethoven drank when he wrote the Ninth symphony, the coffee that Mozart drank as he wrote his last symphony, the coffee that Lincoln drank before he was killed, the Hemingway drank before he killed himself, the coffee that started the 60’s, and ended the 20th century, the coffee that Lenin drank as he plotted revolution, the coffee that Hitler and Stalin drank with FDR as they divided up the world after World War 11, the cup that JFK drank before he was blown away, the coffee Jerry drinks while driving in cars with random celebrities and political figures, the coffee that Jon Stewart drinks before he goes on an epic take down of some foolish politico, the cup of Arabic coffee that Sadaam drank the day he was executed, the coffee that GW and Cheney drank when they bombed Baghdad, the Indian cup of coffee that Bid Laden drank before 9-11 and just before the seals blew his ass to hell, the cup of coffee that Tiger Woods drank with his mistresses while playing a 3, 000 dollar round of golf at Sandy Lane golf course in Barbados, the last legal drug that does what drugs should do, the cup of coffee that Obama drank when he became President, Vietnamese, Vienna brew, wacky, whimsical, Whisky Tango Foxtrot, wild, weird, wonderful, WOW, Yabba dabba doo! Yada Yada yada Zappa’s favorite cup of cosmic coffee, and Zorro’s last cup of coffee, Good to the last drop rolled into one simple cup of hot coffee

    As I pound down that first cup of coffee
    And fire up my synaptic nerve endings with endless supplies
    Of caffeine induced neuron enhancing chemicals

    I face the dawning day with trepidation and mind-numbing fear
    I turn on the TV and watch the smarmy newscasters in their perfect hair
    Lying through their teeth about the great success the government is having Following the great leader’s latest pronouncements
    I want to scream and shoot the TV and run outside Shouting

    “Stop the world.

    I want to get off this fucking crazy planet”
    The earth does not care a whit about my attitude
    It merely shrugs and moves around the Sun
    In its appointed daily run
    And I sit down
    The madness dissipated a bit

    And enjoy my second cup
    Of heaven and hell
    In my morning cup of Joe

    Strangeness in the Air

    There is a strangeness in the air
    A sense of cosmic unease
    Hangs silently in the purple crystalline sky

    America woke up
    And decided it was time
    To quit following like lemmings
    Over the Clift

    As the pied piper chants
    Stay the course, stay the course
    We were like lemmings following him
    Dying to save his wounded pride

    Today there is that strange difference
    In the air
    As Americans woke up
    And threw off their chains of fear
    z

    Unhinged Lunatic Howling at the Full Moon

     

     

     

     

    On the night of the blood-red super full moon
    I sat in an evil, depraved godforsaken bar

    Drinking drams of demented, fermented dream dew
    Washed down by endless rounds of whiskey
    rum, tequila, vodka, soju, and of course beer
    drinking with my buddies the Jack Daniels Gang

    Drinking my way to Hell and beyond
    Just as fast as I could
    twenty damn drinks too sober

    Just an unhinged lunatic
    Dreaming of howling at the full moon

    Watching the world walk by
    Looking at all the fine-looking babes
    Walking by the street

    Thinking wild, erotic thoughts
    Of endless wild libertine passions

    When into the bar
    That din of cosmic depravity

    Walked the most beautiful women
    In the Universe

    So wild, so free
    So wonderfully alive

    I did not know what to do
    As this vision of delight
    Sauntered through the bar

    In a skin-tight leather pant
    Looked so fine
    That my eyeballs hurt

    And finally, I had to say something
    So, I gathered up my manly courage
    And walked up to her

    And she looked at me
    And instantly bewitched my soul

    With a devilish grin
    I lost all reason
    And became a raving lunatic
    Unhinged lunatic
    Howling at the blood-red full moon

    Foaming at the mouth
    A wild, free werewolf
    Howling at the lunatic light
    Of the blood red blue full Moon

     

     

    Ordering Info

     

     

    Order this writing in the book
    Negative Space
    (the 2017 poetry, flash fiction
    & art collection anthology)    		 get the 298-page poem,
    flash fiction & art
    collection anthology
    as a 6″ x 9″ ISBN#
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    in the 108 page perfect-bound ISSN# / ISBN# issue/book…
    “the Lighthouse”
    Down in the Dirt, v152
    (the December 2017 Issue)

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    in the 108 page perfect-bound ISSN# / ISBN# issue/book…
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    issues & chapbooks collection book(learn about this book and order from Amazon online)
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  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Spillwords Publishes Gun Madness

    Thank you for your recent submission!

    Below are the publication details to your poetry

    “Dazzling Light of the Full Moon” will be published on 8/21/22 at 2am Eastern Time (ET)

     

     

     

     

    Below is the link to it once published:

    https://spillwords.com/dazzling-light-of-the-full-moon/

    Dazzling Light Of The Full Moon

    The New King Of Humanity Emerges Sunday Whirl

    Deranged Old Priest

    Lonely Dog

    Water, Water Everywhere

    The Full Moon Septolet

    Dazzling Light Of The Full Moon

    Pink Moon

     

     

     

     

     

    Dazzling light of the full moon
    Inspiring the drinkers
    At the cosmos club
    In Bangkok

    Twenty drinks too sober.
    To quit their drinking
    For a moment
    Laying down their beer
    And bourbon shots.
    To rush out onto the street

    Naked wild and free
    Howling at the full moon
    Like escaped banshees
    Mad werewolves.

    The New King of Humanity Emerges

    artoon-devil-satan-businessman-suit-450w-49
    artoon-devil-satan-businessman-suit-450w-49

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    There is a cosmic crack on the sideways,
    Covers on the ground covering up
    The gateway to the other world. ,
    That comes out of the holes
    In the ground
    Filled with the power
    Of the netherworld.

    The spirits are led
    By a sacred owl
    Who screeches out
    Their plan.

    But first, they sit down
    And have a feast
    Fit for the future king
    Of the world.

    The spirits ache all over
    As they lift their heavy weapons
    Lit the flames
    And destroy the human city.

    Deranged Old Priest

     

     

     

     

     

    A slightly deranged old priest
    Pledged,
    High up in the forest
    That he would resist
    The secret evil powers
    That controlled the world.

    With longer words of despair’
    He continued his prayers
    At a shrine to a magic stone
    Lost in a secret temple
    Deep in the wintergreen trees.

    Remembering with a wry smile,
    All the people around him who were
    greedily pursuing their goals
    of obtaining power at all costs

    and in the process
    losing all traces
    of their humanity

    as the evil forces
    took over their souls.

    Lonely Dog

    A lonely dog
    Goes out into the courtyard
    Waiting for his master
    To return home

    Alas, false alarm
    His master will not return
    As he has died.

    Of the super plague
    COVID 25
    That killed most people.

    The dogs and cats
    And other animals
    Eventually left
    To fend for themselves.

    But they missed
    Their human friends.

    Water, water everywhere

    flood
    flood

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Water, water everywhere
    As the monster rainstorms
    Continued to pound the east coast

    Southeast Asia, and Korea
    Massive thousand-year flood events
    Everywhere.

    Too much water
    With record rain falls
    While out west
    The mega drought continued.

    Europe on Fire
    Amazon on fire
    Greenland ice melting

    Massive forest fires
    Burning everywhere
    As climate change
    Continued a pace.

    Politicians and leaders
    Refusing to do anything
    To stem the crisis.

    Then the ice melted
    The gulf-stream failed
    And the world

    Continued its slide
    Becoming inhospitable
    For human life.

    Billions died,
    The remaining humans
    Moving to underground cities
    As the modern world ended.

    The Full Moon Septolet

    Another Pink Moon

     

     

     

     

     

    the full moon’s
    lunatic light
    shinning on us.

    madmen
    rushing
    howling
    at the moon.

    SPOTLIGHT ON WRITERS – JAKE COSMOS ALLER

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·JUNE 26, 2021

    Spotlight On Writers Jake Cosmos Aller @Jakecaller   Where, do you hail from? I grew up in Berkeley,…

    AUTHORSENGLISHPOETRYQ&A

    STRANGERS SLEEPING ON THE STREETS

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

    Strangers Sleeping on The Streets written by: Jake Cosmos Aller @Jakecaller   In these sad days of the pandemic…

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    EVE EATS THE APPLE

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·JUNE 10, 2021

    Eve Eats The Apple written by: Jake Cosmos Aller @Jakecaller   Eve was in the garden Talking with Mr….

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    JUST ENOUGH FOR COFFEE

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·FEBRUARY 9, 2021

    Just Enough for Coffee written by: Jake Cosmos Aller @Jakecaller   A homeless man Stood on the street Counting…

    ENGLISHFEATURED POSTPOETRY

    MOCKING FACES STARING AT ME

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·SEPTEMBER 19, 2020

    Mocking Faces Staring at Me written by: Jake Cosmos Aller @Jakecaller   Mocking faces hunting my dreams Hundreds of…

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    CHAOS

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·JULY 6, 2020

    Chaos written by: Jake Cosmos Aller @Jakecaller   the world descends into chaos as our world leaders led by…

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    DORA THE INTERGALACTIC EXPLORER

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·APRIL 27, 2020

    Dora The Intergalactic Explorer written by: Jake Cosmos Aller @Jakecaller   Dora the intergalactic explorer Is traveling to the…

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    EVERYDAY I TURN ON THE NEWS

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·MARCH 26, 2020

    Everyday I Turn On The News written by: Jake Cosmos Aller @Jakecaller   every day I turn on the…

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    MORNING LIGHT

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·FEBRUARY 12, 2020

    Morning Light written by: Jake Cosmos Aller   the terrors of the night the worst imaginings of what might…

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    RAMBLING MAN, WHERE IS YOUR HOME?

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

    Rambling Man, Where is your Home? written by: Jake Cosmos Aller   Where is my home? Where do I…

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    DARK DANGEROUS THOUGHTS

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·AUGUST 19, 2018

    Dark Dangerous Thoughts written by: Jake Cosmos Aller   An old man wakes up Confronting the dark dangerous thoughts…

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    IN SEARCH OF AMERICA – HITCHHIKING TALES

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·JULY 31, 2018

    In Search of America Hitchhiking Tales written by: Jake Cosmos Aller   When I was young and foolish Broke…

    ENGLISHPOETRY

    BUS RIDES IN AMERICA’S UNDERBELLY

    JAKE COSMOS ALLER·JULY 13, 2018

    Bus Rides In America’s Underbelly written by: Jake Cosmos Aller   the Bus – Travels Through America’s Underbelly I…

    Some More Recently Published Poetry

    Synchronized Chaos Update

    The End

     

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Synchronized Chaos Update

    Synchronized Chaos has published five of my recent poems.  See below for prior publication.

    Synchronized Chaos Publishes New Poems

    The Last Race

     

    An Aging car racer
    Racing in his last race
    Driving too fast
    Around the curve
    Blowing himself up
    In a fiery crash
    The rating score
    In his last race.

    Association of the Living Dead

     

    In India, several years ago
    A man falsely claimed his brother
    Was dead so he could inherit the family assets,
    The dead brother had to fight
    To be declared legally not dead
    And contest the will.

    “The Association of the Living Dead”
    Became a movement
    Of thousands of people.
    For in India apparently,
    It was a thing to declare
    Your relative is dead.

    I never thought
    That the US would have
    To form their own
    “The Association of the Living Dead”
    Until this week.

    The cyber ninjas
    In their infamous non-forensic audit
    Of the 2020 Arizona election

    Claimed that hundreds
    of dead people
    Had voted.

    They gave their list
    of the alleged dead voters
    To the attorney general.

    Who contacted
    All 300 dead people
    Found that 299
    of the 300 were in fact
    Not dead.

    and none of them knew
    That unnamed political operative
    Were claiming that they were dead.

    The one dead voter was alive
    when he voted early.
    But died before election day.

    Thus, making his vote not valid
    But there was no fraud involved
    As he was alive when he voted.

    Perhaps they need to form
    The “association of the living dead”
    To fight for the rights

    Of the non-dead people
    To continue to vote
    and receive other government benefits?

    What a sad commentary
    On the farcical nature
    Of contemporary life
    In these disunited States of America.

    Uttar Pradesh Association of Dead People

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Uttar Pradesh Association of Dead People
    उत्तर प्रदेश मृतक संघ
    Founder Lal Bihari
    Purpose Reclaim rights for living people falsely declared dead
    Location

    The Uttar Pradesh Association of Dead People (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश मृतक संघ, Uttar Pradesh Mritak Sangh) is an Indian pressure group based in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh that seeks to reclaim the legal rights of those falsely listed by the Uttar Pradesh State government as being dead.

    In the overcrowded regions of Uttar Pradesh, many have resorted to bribing officials to have the owner of a plot of land declared deceased and the title transferred to their ownership. The process to undo this is long, arduous, as well as often inefficient and corrupt. The Association seeks to reverse the declarations, call attention to the problem and prevent others from being exploited in similar fashion.

    The founder and president is Lal Bihari, who was “dead” from 1976 to 1994 and used the word Mritak (Hindi: मृतक, transl. Dead) in his name during the period.

    After being inspired by the story of Bihari, Indian film director Satish Kaushik made a movie Kaagaz, starring Pankaj Tripathi, based on his life. It was released on ZEE5 on 7 January 2021.

    Secret Gateways

    There are secret gateways
    Portals to other dimensions
    All around us

    Hidden deep in the mountains.
    Leading to other worlds
    Other times and places

    Where time runs differently
    And humans are unknown.

    The Lonely Mother Duck

    duck
    A family of spot billed ducks that live in the swamp. Mom duck and young ducklings resting by the water.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The lonely mother duck
    Watched her eggs hatch
    In the nest by the lake.
    She was worried

    About the foxes, wolves
    Lions and tigers
    That was all around.

    Ever since the humans
    All disappeared.

    The Secret Fly Drone

    The fly on the wallpaper
    In the CIA director’s office
    Was not a real fly.

    He was an enemy spy drone
    Secretly controlled remotely
    Listening to all the secret conversations

    Until the director
    smashed him
    With a flyswatter.

    Then realized
    that it was a spy fly
    He had dispatched to bug hell.

    https://mysteriousuniverse.org › 2020 › 05 › the-weird-world-of-robotic-insect-drones

    The Weird World of Robotic Insect Drones – Mysterious Universe

    It’s an insect spy drone for urban areas, already in production, funded by the US government. It can be remotely controlled and is equipped with a camera and a microphone. It can land on you, and may have the potential to take a DNA sample or leave RFID tracking nanotechnology on your skin. It can fly through an open window, or it can attach …

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Reading the Classics Updated Lists

    As some of you know, I have been reading the classics. I started last year on my  65th birthday, and have  enjoying it.  I found a three-volume series on Kindle titled 50 books you must read before you die, and also found the Harvard classics.  Three years ago, I figured out I have  read about 100 books per year since I was ten years old, which would mean I have read about 6,000 books all told and about the same number of movies/TV shows seen.  See the following partial lists

    Cosmos Books Read 2021 Update

    Cosmos Movie List 2021 Updates

    1001 Books to Read Before You Die List

    Books read 2019

    books read during 2018

    I will write a review of each book as I finish it. This will probably take me until next year but I have finished about half of the 150 books. Some are fast reads, and some are very slow because the 19th century writers wrote too damn long books for modern readers. and most are problematic from a  racist, sexist and ablest point of view.

    Not all the classics are in the list below.  I  will add those to the list at the end of the list.

    I have written reviews on G Chesterton’s work (below)

    Reading G Keith Chesterton

    And on George Elliot as well (below)

    George Elliot Novels

    And although Stuart Woods is not a classic author, I have written a review of his work as I have read most of his writing. (below)

    Stuart Woods RIP

    I started with volume three and am almost finished.

    Here’s the list of books read – bolded I have finished,

    Harvard Classics

    Bold read

     (1) Franklin, Woolman, Penn

     (2)Plato, Epictetus,

     Marcus, Aurelius Meditations

    (3) Bacon, Milton’s Prose, Thomas Browne

    (4) Complete Poems in English: Milton

    (5) Essays and English Traits: Emerson (

    6) Poems and Songs: Burns (7)

    Confessions of St. Augustine. Imitation of Christ

    (8) Nine Greek Dramas (9) Letters and Treatises of Cicero and Pliny

    (8) Nine Greek Dramas (9) Letters and Treatises of Cicero and Pliny

    (10) Wealth of Nations: Adam Smith

    (11) Origin of Species: Darwin

    (12) Plutarch’s Lives (13)

     Aeneid Virgil (14)

    Don Quixote Part 1: Cervantes

    (15)Pilgrim’s Progress. Donne

    Herbert. Bunyan, Walton

    (16) The Thousand and One Nights

    (17) Folk-Lore and Fable. Aesop, Grimm, Andersen

    (18) Modern English Drama

    (19) Faust, Egmont Etc. Doctor Faustus, Goethe, Marlowe

    (20) The Divine Comedy: Dante

    (21) I Promessi Sposi, Manzoni

    (22) The Odyssey: Homer

    (23) Two Years Before the Mast. Dana

    (24) On the Sublime French Revolution Etc. Burke

    (25) Autobiography Etc. Essays and Addresses: J.S. Mill, T. Carlyle

    (26) Continental Drama

    (27) English Essays: Sidney to Macaulay

    (28) Essays. English and American

    (29) Voyage of the Beagle: Darwin (

    30) Faraday, Helmholtz, Kelvin, Newcomb, Geikie

    (31) Autobiography: Benvenuto, Cellini

    (32) Literary and Philosophical Essays: Montaigne, Sainte Beuve, Renan, Lessing, Schiller, Kant, Mazzini

    (33) Voyages and Travels

    (34) Descartes, Voltaire, Rousseau, Hobbes

    (35) Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed (36)

    Machiavelli, More, Luther

    (37) Locke, Berkeley, Hume

    (38) Harvey, Jenner, Lister, Pasteur

    (39) Famous Prefaces

    (40) English Poetry 1: Chaucer to Gray

    (41) English Poetry 2: Collins to Fitzgerald

    (42) English Poetry 3: Tennyson to Whitman

    (43) American Historical Documents

    (44) Sacred Writings 1

    (45) Sacred Writings 2

    (46) Elizabethan Drama 1

    (47) Elizabethan Drama 2

    (48) Thoughts and Minor Works: Pascal

    (49) Epic and Saga (

    50) Introduction, Readers Guide,

    50 Masterpieces You Have to Read Before you Die

    Started reading the first one of volume 3

    Bolded indicated I have read it .

    Vol 1

    Alcott, Louisa May: Little Women
    Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice
    Austen, Jane: Emma
    Balzac, Honoré de: Father Goriot
    Barbusse, Henri: The Inferno
    Brontë, Anne: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
    Brontë, Charlotte: Jane Eyre
    Brontë, Emily: Wuthering Heights
    Burroughs, Edgar Rice: Tarzan of the Apes
    Butler, Samuel: The Way of All Flesh
    Carroll, Lewis: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
    Cather, Willa: My Ántonia
    Cervantes, Miguel de: Don Quixote
    Chopin, Kate: The Awakening
    Cleland, John: Fanny Hill
    Collins, Wilkie: The Moonstone
    Conrad, Joseph: Heart of Darkness
    Conrad, Joseph: Nostromo
    Cooper, James Fenimore: The Last of the Mohicans
    Crane, Stephen: The Red Badge of Courage
    Cummings, E. E.: The Enormous Room
    Defoe, Daniel: Robinson Crusoe
    Defoe, Daniel: Moll Flanders
    Dickens, Charles: Bleak House
    Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations
    Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: Crime and Punishment
    Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: The Idiot
    Doyle, Arthur Conan: The Hound of the Baskervilles
    Dreiser, Theodore: Sister Carrie
    Dumas, Alexandre: The Three Musketeers
    Dumas, Alexandre: The Count of Monte Cristo
    Eliot, George: Middlemarch
    Fielding, Henry: Tom Jones
    Flaubert, Gustave: Madame Bovary
    Flaubert, Gustave: Sentimental Education
    Ford, Ford Madox: The Good Soldier
    Forster, E. M.: A Room With a View
    Forster, E. M.: Howards End
    Gaskell, Elizabeth: North and South
    Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von: The Sorrows of Young Werther
    Gogol, Nikolai: Dead Souls
    Gorky, Maxim: The Mother
    Haggard, H. Rider: King Solomon’s Mines
    Hardy, Thomas: Tess of the D’Urbervilles
    Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The Scarlet Letter
    Homer: The Odyssey
    Hugo, Victor: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
    Hugo, Victor: Les Misérables
    Huxley, Aldous: Crome Yellow
    James, Henry: The Portrait of a Lady

    Vlume 2

    Little Women [Louisa May Alcott]
    – Sense and Sensibility [Jane Austen]
    – Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy) [J.M. Barrie]
    – Cabin Fever [ B. M. Bower]
    – The Secret Garden [Frances Hodgson Burnett]
    – A Little Princess [Frances Hodgson Burnett]
    – The King in Yellow [Robert William Chambers]
    – The Man Who Knew Too Much [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Woman in White [Wilkie Collins]
    – The Most Dangerous Game [Richard Connell]
    – On the Origin of Species, 6th Edition [Charles Darwin]
    – Robinson Crusoe [Daniel Defoe]
    – The Iron Woman [Margaret Deland]
    – David Copperfield [Charles Dickens]
    – Oliver Twist [Charles Dickens]
    – A Tale of Two Cities [Charles Dickens]
    – The Double [Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Francis Scott Fitzgerald]
    – Dream Psychology [Sigmund Freud]
    – Tess of the d’Urbervilles [Thomas Hardy]
    – Siddhartha [Hermann Hesse]
    – Dubliners [James Joyce]
    – The Fall of the House of Usher [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Arabian Nights [Andrew Lang]
    – The Sea Wolf [Jack London]
    – The Call of Cthulhu [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – Anne of Green Gables [Lucy Maud Montgomery]
    – Beyond Good and Evil [Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche]
    – The Murders in the Rue Morgue [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Black Cat [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Raven [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – Swann’s Way [Marcel Proust]
    – Romeo and Juliet [William Shakespeare]
    – Treasure Island [Robert Louis Stevenson]
    – The Elements of Style [William Strunk Jr.

    Vol 3

    – What’s Bred in the Bone [Grant Allen]
    – The Golden Ass [Lucius Apuleius]
    – Meditations [Marcus Aurelius]
    – Northanger Abbey [Jane Austen]
    – Lady Susan [Jane Austen]
    – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [Lyman Frank Baum]
    – The Art of Public Speaking [Dale Breckenridge Carnegie]
    – The Blazing World [Margaret Cavendish]
    – The Wisdom of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – Heretics [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Donnington Affair [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Innocence of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [John Cleland]
    – The Moonstone [Wilkie Collins]
    – Lord Jim [Joseph Conrad]
    – The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe [Daniel Defoe]
    – The Pickwick Papers [Charles Dickens]
    – A Christmas Carol [Charles Dickens]
    – Notes From The Underground [Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    – The Gambler par Fyodor [Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    – The Lost World [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Hound of the Baskervilles [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Sign of the Four [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Man in the Iron Mask [Alexandre Dumas]
    – This Side of Paradise [Francis Scott Fitzgerald]
    – Curious, If True: Strange Tales [Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell]
    – Kim [Rudyard Kipling]
    – Captains Courageous [Rudyard Kipling]
    – The Jungle Book [Rudyard Kipling]
    – Lady Chatterley’s Lover [David Herbert Lawrence]
    – /The Son of the Wolf [Jack London]
    – The Einstein Theory of Relativity [Hendrik Antoon Lorentz]
    – The Dunwich Horror [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – At the Mountains of Madness [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – The Prince [Niccolò Machiavelli]
    – The Story Girl [Lucy Maud Montgomery]
    – The Antichrist [Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche]
    – The Republic [Plato]
    – The Last Man [Mary Shelley]
    – Life On The Mississippi [Mark Twain]
    – The Kama Sutra [Vatsyayana]
    – In the Year 2889 [Jules Verne]
    – Around the World in Eighty Days [Jules Verne]
    – Four Just Men [Edgar Wallace]
    – Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ [Lewis Wallace]
    Jacob’s Room [Virginia Woolf]

    Reading the Classics

    1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

    These lists are duplicative so I have tried to combine into one list.  The books on Boxall’s list, which is found in the 5 editions of the published book with a TOTAL NUMBER OF 1315 books. I have read about 600 or so.   I bolded the books I have read.

    1001 Books Basic list  (combined lists)

     

    Book Title Author
    Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Adams, Douglas
    Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Adams, Douglas
    The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul Adams, Douglas
    Aesop’s Fables Aesopus
    Little Women Alcott, Louisa May
    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Angelou, Maya
    The Thousand and One Nights Anonymous
    I, Robot Asimov, Isaac
    Foundation Asimov, Isaac
    The Handmaid’s Tale Atwood, Margaret
    Sense and Sensibility Austen, Jane
    Pride and Prejudice Austen, Jane
    Mansfield Park Austen, Jane
    Emma Austen, Jane
    Novel With Cocaine Ageyev, M.
    In The Heart of the Seas Agnon, Shmuel Yosef
    Rashomon Akutagawa, Ryunosuke
    The Regent’s Wife Alas, Leopoldo
    Little Women Alcott, Louisa May
    Broad and Alien is the World Alegria, Ciro
    The Man With the Golden Arm Algren, Nelson
    Fantômas Allain, Marcel
    The House of the Spirits Allende, Isabel
    Of Love and Shadows Allende, Isabel
    Time’s Arrow Amis, Martin
    The Information Amis, Martin
    I’m Not Scared Ammaniti, Niccolo
    Untouchable Anand, Mulk Raj
    The Commandant Anderson, Jessica
    The Bridge on the Drina Andrić, Ivo
    Bosnian Chronicle Andrić, Ivo
    Ashes and Diamonds Andrzejewski, Jerzy
    The Thousand and One Nights Anonymous
    The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter Anonymous
    The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes Anonymous
    Fado Alexandrino Antunes, Antonio Lobo
    The Bells of Basel Aragon, Louis
    Memoirs of Martinus Scriblerus Arbuthnot, John et al
    Before Night Falls Arenas, Reinaldo
    Deep Rivers Arguedas, José María
    The Twilight Years Ariyoshi, Sawako
    The Green Hat Arlen, Michael
    Surfacing Atwood, Margaret
    Cat’s Eye Atwood, Margaret
    The Robber Bride Atwood, Margaret
    Alias Grace Atwood, Margaret
    The Blind Assassin Atwood, Margaret
    Obabakoak Atxaga, Bernardo
    The New York Trilogy Auster, Paul
    Moon Palace Auster, Paul
    The Music of Chance Auster, Paul
    Mr. Vertigo Auster, Paul
    Timbuktu Auster, Paul
    The Book of Illusions Auster, Paul
    Invisible Auster, Paul
    The Underdogs Azuela, Mariano
    Foucault’s Pendulum Eco, Umberto
    So Long a Letter Ba, Mariama
    Go Tell It on the Mountain Baldwin, James
    Giovanni’s Room Baldwin, James
    The Drowned World Ballard JG
    The Atrocity Exhibition Ballard, J.G.
    Crash Ballard, J.G.
    High Rise Ballard, J.G.
    Cocaine Nights Ballard, J.G.
    Super-Cannes Ballard, J.G.
    Eugénie Grandet Balzac, Honoré de
    Père Goriot Balzac, Honoré de
    Lost Illusions Balzac, Honoré de
    The Wasp Factory Banks, Iain
    The Crow Road Banks, Iain
    Complicity Banks, Iain
    Dead Air Banks, Iain
    The Player of Games Banks, Iain M.
    Cloudsplitter Banks, Russell
    The Newton Letter Banville, John
    The Book of Evidence Banville, John
    The Untouchable Banville, John
    Shroud Banville, John
    The Sea Banville, John
    Elegance of the Hedgehog Barbery, Muriel
    The Inferno Barbusse, Henri
    Under Fire Barbusse, Henri
    Silk Baricco, Alessandro
    H(A)PPY Barker, Nicola
    Regeneration Barker, Pat
    The Ghost Road Barker, Pat
    Another World Barker, Pat
    Nightwood Barnes, Djuna
    Flaubert’s Parrot Barnes, Julian
    The Sense of an Ending Barnes, Julian
    The Floating Opera Barth, John
    The End of the Road Barth, John
    Come Back, Dr. Caligari Coraghessan
     
    Drop City Boyle, T.
    In Watermelon Sugar Brautigan, Richard
    Willard and His Bowling Trophies Brautigan, Richard
    Threepenny Novel Brecht, Bertolt
    Nadja Breton, André
    Arcanum 17 Breton, André
    A Dry White Season Brink, Andre
    Testament of Youth Brittain, Vera
    The Death of Virgil Broch, Hermann
    The Guiltless Broch, Hermann
    Agnes Grey Brontë, Anne
    The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Brontë, Anne
    Shirley Brontë, Charlotte
    Villette Brontë, Charlotte
    A World for Julius Bryce Echenique, Alfredo
    The Thirty-Nine Steps Buchan, John
    The Master and Margarita Bulgakov, Mikhail
    The Pilgrim’s Progress Bunyan, John
    A Clockwork Orange Burgess, Anthony
    Inside Mr. Enderby Burgess, Anthony
    Evelina Burney, Fanny
    Cecilia Burney, Fanny
    Camilla Burney, Fanny
    Junkie Burroughs, William
    The Wild Boys Burroughs, William
    Queer Burroughs, William
    Erewhon Butler, Samuel
    The Way of All Flesh Butler, Samuel
    The Tartar Steppe Buzzati, Dino
    The Virgin in the Garden Byatt, A.S.
    Possession Byatt, A.S.
    The Children’s Book Byatt, A.S.
    Three Trapped Tigers Cabrera Infante, Guillermo
    The Postman Always Rings Twice Cain, James M.
    House in the Uplands Caldwell, Erskine
    The Path to the Nest of Spiders Calvino, Italo
    Our Ancestors Calvino, Italo
    Invisible Cities Calvino, Italo
    The Castle of Crossed Destinies Calvino, Italo
    If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler Calvino, Italo
    The Lusiads Camões, Luís de
    The Outsider Camus, Albert
    The Plague Camus, Albert
    The Rebel Camus, Albert
    Auto-da-Fé Canetti, Elias
    A Dream of Red Mansions Cao, Xueqin
    War with the Newts Capek, Karel
    Breakfast at Tiffany’s Capote, Truman
    In Cold Blood Capote, Truman
    Oscar and Lucinda Carey, Peter
    Jack Maggs Carey, Peter
    Kingdom of This World Carpentier, Alejo
    The Lost Steps Carpentier, Alejo
    The Passion of New Eve Carter, Angela
    Nights at the Circus Carter, Angela
    Wise Children Carter, Angela
    Bebo’s Girl Cassola, Carlo
    Solitude Catala, Victor
    The Professor’s House Cather, Willa
    Journey to the Alcarria Cela, Camilo Jose
    The Hive Cela, Camilo Jose
    Journey to the End of the Night Céline, Louis-Ferdinand
    Soldiers of Salamis Cercas, Javier
    The Travels of Persiles and Sigismunda Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
    The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Chabon, Michael
    The Big Sleep Chandler, Raymond
    Farewell My Lovely Chandler, Raymond
    The Long Goodbye Chandler, Raymond
    Wild Swans Chang, Jung
    Chaireas and Kallirhoe Chariton
    On the Black Hill Chatwin, Bruce
    The Riddle of the Sands Childers, Erskine
    The Awakening Chopin, Kate
    The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Christie, Agatha
    On the Heights of Despair Cioran, Emil
    2001: A Space Odyssey Clarke, Arthur C.
    The Sorrow of Belgium Claus, Hugo
    The Holy Terrors Cocteau, Jean
    What a Carve Up! Coe, Jonathan
    Veronika Decides to Die Coelho, Paulo
    The Devil and Ms. Prym Coelho, Paulo
    Dusklands Coetzee, J.M.
    In the Heart of the Country Coetzee, J.M.
    Waiting for the Barbarians Coetzee, J.M.
    The Life and Times of Michael K Coetzee, J.M.
    Foe Coetzee, J.M.
    The Master of Petersburg Coetzee, J.M.
    Disgrace Coetzee, J.M.
    Youth Coetzee, J.M.
    Elizabeth Costello Coetzee, J.M.
    Slow Man Coetzee, J.M.
    Belle du Seigneur Cohen, Albert
    Claudine’s House Colette
    The Woman in White Collins, Wilkie
    The Lion of Flanders Conscience, Hendrik
    Pricksongs and Descants Coover, Robert
    The Public Burning Coover, Robert
    Eline Vere Couperus, Louis
    Arcadia Crace, Jim
    The Enormous Room Cummings, E.E.
    A Home at the End of the World Cunningham, Michael
    The Hours Cunningham, Michael
    Disappearance Dabydeen, David
    Nervous Conditions Dangarembga, Tsitsi
    House of Leaves Danielewski, Mark Z.
    The Child of Pleasure D’Annunzio, Gabriele
    Fifth Business Davies, Robertson
    The End of the Story Davis, Lydia
    Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord De Bernières, Louis
    Captain Corelli’s Mandolin De Bernières, Louis
    On Love De Botton, Alain
    Hebdomeros De Chirico, Giorgio
    The Viceroys De Roberto, Federico
    Roxana Defoe, Daniel
    The Heretic Delibes, Miguel
    Ratner’s Star DeLillo, Don
    The Names DeLillo, Don
    White Noise DeLillo, Don
    Libra DeLillo, Don
    Mao II DeLillo, Don
    Underworld DeLillo, Don
    The Body Artist DeLillo, Don
    Falling Man DeLillo, Don
    Thomas of Reading Deloney, Thomas
    Clear Light of Day Desai, Anita
    The Inheritance of Loss Desai, Kiran
    All About H. Hatterr Desani, G.V.
    Small Remedies Deshpande, Shashi
    The Conquest of New Spain Díaz del Castillo, Bernal
    The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Díaz, Junot
    Martin Chuzzlewit Dickens, Charles
    Our Mutual Friend Dickens, Charles
    Jacques the Fatalist Diderot, Denis
    The Nun Diderot, Denis
    Rameau’s Nephew Diderot, Denis
    Play It As It Lays Didion, Joan
    Democracy Didion, Joan
    The Bitter Glass Dillon, Eilís
    Out of Africa Dinesen, Isak
    Berlin Alexanderplatz Döblin, Alfred
    The Book of Daniel Doctorow, E.L.
    Ragtime Doctorow, E.L.
    Billy Bathgate Doctorow, E.L.
    City of God Doctorow, E.L.
    Stone Junction Dodge, Jim
    Asphodel Doolittle, Hilda
    Manhattan Transfer Dos Passos, John
    U.S.A. Dos Passos, John
    Fool’s Gold Douka, Maro
    Uncle Petros and Goldbach’s Conjecture Doxiadis, Apostolos
    The Radiant Way Drabble, Margaret
    The Red Queen Drabble, Margaret
    As If I Am Not There Drakulić, Slavenka
    Sister Carrie Dreiser, Theodore
    Rebecca Du Maurier, Daphne
    Queen Margot Dumas, Alexandre
    Hallucinating Foucault Duncker, Patricia
    Paradise of the Blind Duong, Thu Huong
    The Ravishing of Lol V. Stein Duras, Marguerite
    The Vice-Consul Duras, Marguerite
    The Lover Duras, Marguerite
    Justine Durrell, Lawrence
    The Judge and His Hangman Dürrenmatt, Friedrich
    The Crime of Father Amaro Eça de Queirós, José Maria
    The Name of the Rose Eco, Umberto
    Foucault’s Pendulum Eco, Umberto
    Castle Rackrent Edgeworth, Maria
    The Absentee Edgeworth, Maria
    Ormond Edgeworth, Maria
    The Quest Eeden, Frederik van
    A Visit from the Goon Squad Egan, Jennifer
    The Circle Eggers, Dave
    The Life of a Good-for-Nothing Eichendorff, Joseph von
    Woman at Point Zero El Saadawi, Nawal
    Silence Endo, Shusaku
    Deep River Endo, Shusaku
    The Book about Blanche and Marie Enquist, Per Olov
    The Gathering Enright, Anne
    The Interesting Narrative Equiano, Olaudah
    Love Medicine Erdrich, Louise
    Moscow Stations Erofeyev, Venedikt
    Like Water for Chocolate Esquivel, Laura
    Celestial Harmonies Esterházy, Péter
    The Virgin Suicides Eugenides, Jeffrey
    Middlesex Eugenides, Jeffrey
    The Marriage Plot Eugenides, Jeffrey
    Under the Skin Faber, Michel
    Astradeni Fakinou, Eugenia
    Troubles Farrell, J.G.
    The Siege of Krishnapur Farrell, J.G.
    The Singapore Grip Farrell, J.G.
    The Sound and the Fury Faulkner, William
    Absalom, Absalom! Faulkner, William
    The Hamlet Faulkner, William
    Go Down, Moses Faulkner, William
    Birdsong Faulks, Sebastian
    Troubling Love Ferrante, Elena
    The Story of the Lost Child Ferrante, Elena
    Joseph Andrews Fielding, Henry
    Amelia Fielding, Henry
    The Wars Findley, Timothy
    Sentimental Education Flaubert, Gustave
    The Temptation of Saint Anthony Flaubert, Gustave
    Bouvard and Pécuchet Flaubert, Gustave
    Effi Briest Fontane, Theodor
    The Stechlin Fontane, Theodor
    The Good Soldier Ford, Ford Madox
    Parade’s End Ford, Ford Madox
    Where Angels Fear to Tread Forster, E.M.
    The Collector Fowles, John
    The Magus Fowles, John
    The French Lieutenant’s Woman Fowles, John
    A Maggot Fowles, John
    Faces in the Water Frame, Janet
    Thais France, Anatole
    The Blind Side of the Heart Franck, Julia
    The Corrections Franzen, Jonathan
    Freedom Franzen, Jonathan
    Simon and the Oaks Fredriksson, Marianne
    Hideous Kinky Freud, Esther
    I’m Not Stiller Frisch, Max
    Homo Faber Frisch, Max
    The Death of Artemio Cruz Fuentes, Carlos
    The Recognitions Gaddis, William
    Memory of Fire Galeano, Eduardo
    Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris Gallico, Paul
    The Trick is to Keep Breathing Galloway, Janice
    Eclipse of the Crescent Moon Gardonyi, Geza
    Thursbitch Garner, Alan
    The Roots of Heaven Gary, Romain
    Promise at Dawn Gary, Romain
    Mary Barton Gaskell, Elizabeth
    Cranford Gaskell, Elizabeth
    North and South Gaskell, Elizabeth
    Legend Gemmell, David
    The Triple Mirror of the Self Ghose, Zulfikar
    The Shadow Lines Ghosh, Amitav
    Sunset Song Gibbon, Lewis Grassic
    Cold Comfort Farm Gibbons, Stella
    Fruits of the Earth Gide, André
    The Immoralist Gide, André
    Strait is the Gate Gide, André
    The Counterfeiters Gide, André
    The Yellow Wallpaper Gilman, Charlotte Perkins
    New Grub Street Gissing, George
    Born in Exile Gissing, George
    The Adventures of Caleb Williams Godwin, William
    The Sorrows of Young Werther Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
    Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
    Elective Affinities Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
    The Nose Gogol, Nikolay
    Dead Souls Gogol, Nikolay
    The Vicar of Wakefield Goldsmith, Oliver
    Ferdydurke Gombrowicz, Witold
    Oblomov Goncharov, Ivan
    Burger’s Daughter Gordimer, Nadine
    July’s People Gordimer, Nadine
    Mother Gorky, Maxim
    The Artamonov Business Gorky, Maxim
    Marks of Identity Goytisolo, Juan
    The Opposing Shore Gracq, Julien
    The Tin Drum Grass, Günter
    Cat and Mouse Grass, Günter
    Dog Years Grass, Günter
    Lanark: A Life in Four Books Gray, Alasdair
    Blindness Green, Henry
    Living Green, Henry
    Party Going Green, Henry
    Caught Green, Henry
    Loving Green, Henry
    Back Green, Henry
    England Made Me Greene, Graham
    Brighton Rock Greene, Graham
    The Power and the Glory Greene, Graham
    The Heart of the Matter Greene, Graham
    The Adventurous Simplicissimus Grimmelshausen, Hans von
    Diary of a Nobody Grossmith, George
    Memoirs of Rain Gupta, Sunetra
    Dirty Havana Trilogy Gutierrez, Pedro Juan
    Forever a Stranger Haasse, Hella
    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Haddon, Mark
    She Haggard, H. Rider
    The Well of Loneliness Hall, Radclyffe
    The Reluctant Fundamentalist Hamid, Mohsin
    Hangover Square Hamilton, Patrick
    The Red Harvest Hammett, Dashiell
    The Maltese Falcon Hammett, Dashiell
    The Glass Key Hammett, Dashiell
    The Thin Man Hammett, Dashiell
    The Hand of Ethelberta Hardy, Thomas
    The Good Soldier Švejk Hašek, Jaroslav
    The Blithedale Romance Hawthorne, Nathaniel
    The Marble Faun Hawthorne, Nathaniel
    Love in Excess Haywood, Eliza
    A Question of Power Head, Bessie
    The First Garden Hébert, Anne
    The Blind Owl Hedayat, Sadegh
    Stranger in a Strange Land Heinlein, Robert
    An Ethiopian Romance Heliodorus
    Margot and the Angels Hemmerechts, Kristien
    Nowhere Man Hemon, Aleksandar
    Reasons to Live Hempel, Amy
    Martin Fierro Hernandez, Jose
    Dispatches Herr, Michael
    The New World Heruy Wolde Selassie
    Camera Obscura Hildebrand
    Blind Man With a Pistol Himes, Chester
    A Kestrel for a Knave Hines, Barry
    The House on the Borderland Hodgson, William Hope
    Smilla’s Sense of Snow Høeg, Peter
    The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr Hoffman, E.T.A.
    The Parable of the Blind Hofmann, Gert
    The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner Hogg, James
    Hyperion Hölderlin, Friedrich
    The Swimming Pool Library Hollinghurst, Alan
    The Folding Star Hollinghurst, Alan
    The Line of Beauty Hollinghurst, Alan
    The Cathedral Honchar, Oles
    Whatever Houellebecq, Michel
    Elementary Particles Houellebecq, Michel
    Platform Houellebecq, Michel
    Closely Watched Trains Hrabal, Bohumil
    Their Eyes Were Watching God Hurston, Zora Neale
    What I Loved Hustvedt, Siri
    Crome Yellow Huxley, Aldous
    Antic Hay Huxley, Aldous
    Brave New World Huxley, Aldous
    Eyeless in Gaza Huxley, Aldous
    Against the Grain Huysmans, Joris-Karl
    Down There Huysmans, Joris-Karl
    Carry Me Down Hyland, M.J.
    The Last of Mr. Norris Isherwood, Christopher
    Goodbye to Berlin Isherwood, Christopher
    A Pale View of Hills Ishiguro, Kazuo
    An Artist of the Floating World Ishiguro, Kazuo
    Remains of the Day Ishiguro, Kazuo
    The Unconsoled Ishiguro, Kazuo
    Never Let Me Go Ishiguro, Kazuo
    The Portrait of a Lady James, Henry
    What Maisie Knew James, Henry
    The Turn of the Screw James, Henry
    The Wings of the Dove James, Henry
    The Ambassadors James, Henry
    The Golden Bowl James, Henry
    A Day Off Jameson, Storm
    The Summer Book Jansson, Tove
    The Piano Teacher Jelinek, Elfriede
    Leaden Wings Jie, Zhang
    Platero and I Jiménez, Juan Ramón
    The Taebaek Mountains Jo, Jung-rae
    Albert Angelo Johnson, B.S.
    Trawl Johnson, B.S.
    House Mother Normal Johnson, B.S.
    The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia Johnson, Samuel
    Jahrestage Johnson, Uwe
    In Parenthesis Jones, David
    Fear of Flying Jong, Erica
    A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Joyce, James
    Ulysses Joyce, James
    Finnegans Wake Joyce, James
    Storm of Steel Junger, Ernst
    The Glass Bees Junger, Ernst
    Broken April Kadare, Ismail
    Spring Flowers, Spring Frost Kadare, Ismail
    The Successor Kadare, Ismail
    A Thousand Cranes Kawabata, Yasunari
    Zorba the Greek Kazantzákis, Nikos
    The Last Temptation of Christ Kazantzákis, Nikos
    Measuring the World Kehlmann, Daniel
    Green Henry Keller, Gottfried
    The Busconductor Hines Kelman, James
    A Disaffection Kelman, James
    How Late It Was, How Late Kelman, James
    Kieron Smith, boy Kelman, James
    Schindler’s Ark Keneally, Thomas
    Looking for the Possible Dance Kennedy, A.L.
    Everything You Need Kennedy, A.L.
    On the Road Kerouac, Jack
    Fatelessness Kertész, Imre
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Kesey, Ken
    Sometimes a Great Notion Kesey, Ken
    Annie John Kincaid, Jamaica
    The Shining King, Stephen
    The Water-Babies Kingsley, Charles
    Kim Kipling, Rudyard
    Garden, Ashes Kis, Danilo
    Michael Kohlhaas Kleist, Heinrich von
    Waiting for the Dark, Waiting for the Light Klima, Ivan
    The Hothouse Koeppen, Wolfgang
    Death in Rome Koeppen, Wolfgang
    The Case Worker Konrad, Gyorgy
    A Day in Spring Kosmac, Ciril
    Smell of Sadness Kossmann, Alfred
    The Fan Man Kotzwinkle, William
    The Midnight Examiner Kotzwinkle, William
    The Melancholy of Resistance Krasznahorkai, László
    The Last Days of Humanity Kraus, Karl
    The History of Love Krauss, Nicole
    The Return of Philip Latinowicz Krleža, Miroslav
    On the Edge of Reason Krleža, Miroslav
    Professor Martens’ Departure Kross, Jaan
    The Joke Kundera, Milan
    The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Kundera, Milan
    Ignorance Kundera, Milan
    The Buddha of Suburbia Kureishi, Hanif
    Intimacy Kureishi, Hanif
    Gabriel’s Gift Kureishi, Hanif
    The Flamethrowers Kushner, Rachel
    The Princess of Clèves La Fayette, Madame de
    Dangerous Liaisons Laclos, Pierre Choderlos de
    Nada Laforet, Carmen
    Barabbas Lagerkvist, Par
    Gösta Berling’s Saga Lagerlöf, Selma
    The Namesake Lahiri, Jhumpa
    Rickshaw Boy Lao, She
    Quicksand Larsen, Nella
    Passing Larsen, Nella
    The Diviners Laurence, Margaret
    Maldoror Lautréaumont, Comte de
    The Fox Lawrence, D.H.
    Aaron’s Rod Lawrence, D.H.
    Independent People Laxness, Halldór
    The Dark Child Laye, Camara
    Uncle Silas Le Fanu, Sheridan
    In a Glass Darkly Le Fanu, Sheridan
    The Dispossessed Le Guin, Ursula K.
    Lost Language of Cranes Leavitt, David
    To Kill a Mockingbird Lee, Harper
    Cider With Rosie Lee, Laurie
    Solaris Lem, Stanislaw
    The Female Quixote Lennox, Charlotte
    The German Lesson Lenz, Siegfried
    City Primeval Leonard, Elmore
    La Brava Leonard, Elmore
    Get Shorty Leonard, Elmore
    A Hero of Our Times Lermontov, Mikhail Yurevich
    10:04 Lerner, Ben
    The Enchanted Wanderer Leskov, Nikolai
    The Grass is Singing Lessing, Doris
    The Golden Notebook Lessing, Doris
    Shikasta Lessing, Doris
    The Diary of Jane Somers Lessing, Doris
    Christ Stopped at Eboli Levi, Carlo
    If This Is a Man Levi, Primo
    If Not Now, When? Levi, Primo
    The Drowned and the Saved Levi, Primo
    Small Island Levy, Andrea
    The Monk Lewis, M.G.
    Monica Lewis, Saunders
    Main Street Lewis, Sinclair
    Babbitt Lewis, Sinclair
    Tarr Lewis, Wyndham
    The Childermass Lewis, Wyndham
    The Apes of God Lewis, Wyndham
    The Revenge for Love Lewis, Wyndham
    Self-Condemned Lewis, Wyndham
    A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian Lewycka, Marina
    Pippi Longstocking Lindgren, Astrid
    The Unknown Soldier Linna, Vaino
    The Passion According to G.H. Lispector, Clarice
    The Hour of the Star Lispector, Clarice
    The Kindly Ones Littell, Jonathan
    The Call of the Wild London, Jack
    The Iron Heel London, Jack
    Martin Eden London, Jack
    The Twins Loo, Tessa de
    Under the Volcano Lowry, Malcolm
    Dark as the Grave Wherein My Friend is Laid Lowry, Malcolm
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms Luo, Guanzhong
    Chaka the Zulu Mofolo, Thomas
    Amadis of Gaul Montalvo, Garci Rodríguez de
    Watchmen Moore, Alan
    Anagrams Moore, Lorrie
    Like Life Moore, Lorrie
    A Gate at the Stairs Moore, Lorrie
    The Time of Indifference Moravia, Alberto
    Disobedience Moravia, Alberto
    A Ghost at Noon (aka Contempt) Moravia, Alberto
    Anton Reiser Moritz, Karl Philipp
    News from Nowhere Morris, William
    The Bluest Eye Morrison, Toni
    Sula Morrison, Toni
    Down Second Avenue Mphahlele, Es’kia
    The Holder of the World Mukherjee, Bharati
    The Discovery of Heaven Mulisch, Harry
    Max Havelaar Multatuli
    Lives of Girls and Women Munro, Alice
    The Beggar Maid Munro, Alice
    The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Murakami, Haruki
    Sputnik Sweetheart Murakami, Haruki
    After the Quake Murakami, Haruki
    Kafka on the Shore Murakami, Haruki
    Almost Transparent Blue Murakami, Ryu
    The Tale of Genji Murasaki, Shikibu
    Under the Net Murdoch, Iris
    The Bell Murdoch, Iris
    A Severed Head Murdoch, Iris
    The Nice and the Good Murdoch, Iris
    The Black Prince Murdoch, Iris
    The Sea, The Sea Murdoch, Iris
    Inland Murnane, Gerald
    Young Törless Musil, Robert
    The Man Without Qualities Musil, Robert
    The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll Mutis, Alvaro
    Lolita Nabokov, Vladimir
    Pnin Nabokov, Vladimir
    Pale Fire Nabokov, Vladimir
    Ada Nabokov, Vladimir
    In A Free State Naipaul, V.S.
    A Bend in the River Naipaul, V.S.
    Enigma of Arrival Naipaul, V.S.
    The Guide Narayan, R.K.
    The Unfortunate Traveller Nashe, Thomas
    Kokoro Natsume, Soseki
    Memoirs of a Peasant Boy Neira Vilas, Xosé
    Suite Française Nemirovsky, Irene
    The River Between Ngugi wa Thiong’o
    Petals of Blood Ngugi wa Thiong’o
    Matigari Ngugi wa Thiong’o
    Delta of Venus Nin, Anaïs
    Rituals Nooteboom, Cees
    All Souls Day Nooteboom, Cees
    Fear and Trembling Nothomb, Amélie
    Henry of Ofterdingen Novalis
    Them Oates, Joyce Carol
    Marya Oates, Joyce Carol
    Black Water Oates, Joyce Carol
    Blonde Oates, Joyce Carol
    The Country Girls O’Brien, Edna
    Girl With Green Eyes O’Brien, Edna
    August is a Wicked Month O’Brien, Edna
    In the Forest O’Brien, Edna
    At Swim-Two-Birds O’Brien, Flann
    The Poor Mouth O’Brien, Flann
    The Third Policeman O’Brien, Flann
    The Things They Carried O’Brien, Tim
    Wise Blood O’Connor, Flannery
    The Violent Bear it Away O’Connor, Flannery
    Everything That Rises Must Converge O’Connor, Flannery
    Pluck the Bud and Destroy the Offspring Oe, Kenzaburo
    The Talk of the Town O’Hanlon, Ardal
    The English Patient Ondaatje, Michael
    At Swim, Two Boys O’Neill, Jamie
    The Shipyard Onetti, Juan Carlos
    Burmese Days Orwell, George
    Keep the Aspidistra Flying Orwell, George
    Coming Up for Air Orwell, George
    Animal Farm Orwell, George
    Nineteen Eighty-Four Orwell, George
    Cataract Osadchyi, Mykhailo
    Metamorphoses Ovid
    Black Box Oz, Amos
    A Tale of Love and Darkness Oz, Amos
    Life is a Caravanserai Özdamar, Emine
    The Year of the Hare Paasilinna, Arto
    Manon des Sources Pagnol, Marcel
    Choke Palahniuk, Chuck
    The Laws Palmen, Connie
    Snow Pamuk, Orhan
    Life of Christ Papini, Giovanni
    The Manors of Ulloa Pardo Bazan, Emilia
    Land Park,, Kyŏng-ni
    Ballad for Georg Henig Paskov, Viktor
    The Ragazzi Pasolini, Pier Paulo
    Doctor Zhivago Pasternak, Boris
    Marius the Epicurean Pater, Walter
    Cry, the Beloved Country Paton, Alan
    The Harvesters Pavese, Cesare
    The Moon and the Bonfires Pavese, Cesare
    Dictionary of the Khazars Pavic, Milorad
    The Labyrinth of Solitude Paz, Octavio
    Nineteen Seventy Seven Peace, David
    Titus Groan Peake, Mervyn
    Gormenghast Peake, Mervyn
    The Clay Machine-Gun Pelevin, Victor
    The Life of Insects Pelevin, Victor
    Things: A Story of the Sixties Perec, Georges
    A Man Asleep Perec, Georges
    A Void Perec, Georges
    W, or the Memory of Childhood Perec, Georges
    Life: A User’s Manual Perec, Georges
    Fortunata y Jacinta Pérez Galdós, Benito
    Compassion Pérez Galdós, Benito
    The Dumas Club Pérez-Reverte, Arturo
    The Book of Disquiet Pessoa, Fernando
    Vernon God Little Pierre, D.B.C.
    Money to Burn Piglia, Ricardo
    One, No One and One Hundred Thousand Pirandello, Luigi
    The Bell Jar Plath, Sylvia
    The Trusting and the Maimed Plunkett, James
    The Fall of the House of Usher Poe, Edgar Allan
    The Pit and the Pendulum Poe, Edgar Allan
    The Purloined Letter Poe, Edgar Allan
    Here’s to You, Jesusa Poniatowska, Elena
    A Dance to the Music of Time Powell, Anthony
    Typical Powell, Padgett
    The Shipping News Proulx, E. Annie
    Remembrance of Things Past Proust, Marcel
    Pharoah Prus, Boleslaw
    Exercises in Style Queneau, Raymond
    Gargantua and Pantagruel Rabelais, François
    The Mysteries of Udolpho Radcliffe, Ann
    The Devil in the Flesh Radiguet, Raymond
    The Last World Ransmayr, Christoph
    The Story of O Réage, Pauline
    The Forest of the Hanged Rebreanu, Liviu
    All Quiet on the Western Front Remarque, Erich Maria
    Quartet Rhys, Jean
    Good Morning, Midnight Rhys, Jean
    Wide Sargasso Sea Rhys, Jean
    Interview With the Vampire Rice, Anne
    Pilgrimage Richardson, Dorothy
    Pamela Richardson, Samuel
    Clarissa Richardson, Samuel
    The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge Rilke, Rainer Maria
    Larva: Midsummer Night’s Babel Rios, Julian
    Jealousy Robbe-Grillet, Alain
    Home Robinson, Marilynne
    Cost Robinson, Roxana
    La Celestina Rojas, Fernando de
    Hadrian the Seventh Rolfe, Frederick
    The Devil to Pay in the Backlands Rosa, João Guimarães
    Love’s Work Rose, Gillian
    Call it Sleep Roth, Henry
    The Radetzky March Roth, Joseph
    Portnoy’s Complaint Roth, Philip
    The Breast Roth, Philip
    Operation Shylock Roth, Philip
    Sabbath’s Theater Roth, Philip
    Julie; or the New Eloise Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
    Émile; or, On Education Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
    Reveries of a Solitary Walker Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
    Confessions Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
    Impressions of Africa Roussel, Raymond
    Locus Solus Roussel, Raymond
    The God of Small Things Roy, Arundhati
    The Tin Flute Roy, Gabrielle
    The Burning Plain Rulfo, Juan
    Grimus Rushdie, Salman
    The Deadbeats Ruyslinck, Ward
    The 120 Days of Sodom Sade, Marquis de
    Justine Sade, Marquis de
    The Witness Saer, Juan Jose
    Contact Sagan, Carl
    Bonjour Tristesse Sagan, Françoise
    The Little Prince Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de
    Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem Salgari, Emilio
    Season of Migration to the North Salih, Tayeb
    The Catcher in the Rye Salinger, J.D.
    Franny and Zooey Salinger, J.D.
    The Devil’s Pool Sand, George
    Alberta and Jacob Sandel, Cora
    Baltasar and Blimunda Saramago, Jose
    The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis Saramago, José
    The History of the Siege of Lisbon Saramago, José
    The Double Saramago, José
    Cain Saramago, Jose
    Facundo Sarmiento, Domingo Faustino
    Nausea Sartre, Jean-Paul
    Pastoralia Saunders, George
    Murder Must Advertise Sayers, Dorothy L.
    The Nine Tailors Sayers, Dorothy L.
    The Swarm Schatzing, Frank
    The Reader Schlink, Bernhard
    None but the Brave Schnitzler, Arthur
    Memoirs of my Nervous Illness Schreber, Daniel Paul
    The Street of Crocodiles Schulz, Bruno
    To Each His Own Sciascia, Leonardo
    Rob Roy Scott, Sir Walter
    Ivanhoe Scott, Sir Walter
    The Monastery Scott, Sir Walter
    Vertigo Sebald, W.G.
    The Emigrants Sebald, W.G.
    The Rings of Saturn Sebald, W.G.
    Austerlitz Sebald, W.G.
    Transit Seghers, Anna
    Requiem for a Dream Selby, Jr. Hubert
    Great Apes Self, Will
    How the Dead Live Self, Will
    Death and the Dervish Selimovic, Mesa
    The Lonely Londoners Selvon, Sam
    God’s Bits of Wood Sembene, Ousmane
    The Case of Comrade Tulayev Serge, Victor
    A Suitable Boy Seth, Vikram
    Retreat Without Song Shahnour, Shahan
    An Obedient Father Sharma, Akhil
    Frankenstein Shelley, Mary
    The Water Margin Shi, Nai’an
    The Stone Diaries Shields, Carol
    Unless Shields, Carol
    A Town Like Alice Shute, Nevil
    Quo Vadis Sienkiewicz, Henryk
    Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Sillitoe, Chinua
    Downriver Sinclair, Iain
    London Orbital Sinclair, Iain
    Dining on Stones Sinclair, Iain
    Life and Death of Harriett Frean Sinclair, May
    The Jungle

    It Can’t Happen here

    		 Sinclair, Upton

    Sinclair, Upton
    The Magician of Lublin Singer, Isaac Bashevis
    The Manor Singer, Isaac Bashevis
    Animal’s People Sinha, Indra
    The Engineer of Human Souls Skvorecky, Josef
    The Forbidden Realm Slauerhoff, Jan Jacob
    Islands Sleigh, Dan
    The Accidental Smith, Ali
    There But For The Smith, Ali
    Winter Smith, Ali
    White Teeth Smith, Zadie
    On Beauty Smith, Zadie
    Roderick Random Smollett, Tobias George
    Peregrine Pickle Smollett, Tobias George
    Humphry Clinker Smollett, Tobias George
    The Port Šoljan, Antun
    The Real Charlotte Somerville and Ross
    Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. Somerville and Ross
    Lady Number Thirteen Somoza, Jose Carlos
    Memento Mori Spark, Muriel
    The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Spark, Muriel
    The Girls of Slender Means Spark, Muriel
    The Driver’s Seat Spark, Muriel
    Mother’s Milk St Aubyn, Edward
    The Man Who Loved Children Stead, Christina
    Three Lives Stein, Gertrude
    The Making of Americans Stein, Gertrude
    The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas Stein, Gertrude
    Of Mice and Men Steinbeck, John
    The Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck, John
    Cannery Row Steinbeck, John
    The Red and the Black Stendhal
    The Charterhouse of Parma Stendhal
    The Charwoman’s Daughter Stephens, James
    Tristram Shandy Sterne, Laurence
    A Sentimental Journey Sterne, Laurence
    Kidnapped Stevenson, Robert Louis
    The Master of Ballantrae Stevenson, Robert Louis
    Indian Summer Stifter, Adalbert
    Dracula Stoker, Bram
    Uncle Tom’s Cabin Stowe, Harriet Beecher
    Couples, Passerby Strauss, Botho
    The Young Man Strauss, Botho
    The Red Room Strindberg, August
    The People of Hemsö Strindberg, August
    By the Open Sea Strindberg, August
    Perfume Süskind, Patrick
    The Pigeon Süskind, Patrick
    As a Man Grows Older Svevo, Italo
    Zeno’s Conscience Svevo, Italo
    Waterland Swift, Graham
    The Light of Day Swift, Graham
    A Tale of a Tub Swift, Jonathan
    Gulliver’s Travels Swift, Jonathan
    A Modest Proposal Swift, Jonathan
    The Beautiful Mrs Seidenman Szczypiorski, Andrzej
    Pereira Declares: A Testimony Tabucchi, Antonio
    The Home and the World Tagore, Rabindranath
    The Third Wedding Taktsis, Costas
    Some Prefer Nettles Tanizaki, Junichiro
    The Secret History Tartt, Donna
    The Goldfinch Tartt, Donna
    Blaming Taylor, Elizabeth
    Vanity Fair Thackeray, William Makepeace
    The Great Indian Novel Tharoor, Shashi
    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Thompson, Hunter S.
    The Killer Inside Me Thompson, Jim
    Walden Thoreau, Henry David
    Cutter and Bone Thornburg, Newton
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    The Wonderful “O” Thurber, James
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    Pallieter Timmermans, Felix
    The Heather Blazing Tóibín, Colm
    The Master Tóibín, Colm
    The Hobbit Tolkien, J.R.R.
    The Lord of the Rings Tolkien, J.R.R.
    War and Peace Tolstoy, Leo
    Anna Karenina Tolstoy, Leo
    The Death of Ivan Ilyich Tolstoy, Leo
    The Kreutzer Sonata Tolstoy, Leo
    The Leopard Tomasi di Lampedusa, Giuseppe
    Confederacy of Dunces Toole, John Kennedy
    Cane Toomer, Jean
    City Sister Silver Topol, Jáchym
    The Ogre Tournier, Michael
    The Colour Tremain, Rose
    The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists Tressell, Robert
    Fools of Fortune Trevor, William
    Felicia’s Journey Trevor, William
    The Story of Lucy Gault Trevor, William
    Castle Richmond Trollope, Anthony
    The Last Chronicle of Barset Trollope, Anthony
    Phineas Finn Trollope, Anthony
    He Knew He Was Right Trollope, Anthony
    Summer in Baden-Baden Tsypkin, Leonid
    The Christmas Oratorio Tunstrom, Goran
    On the Eve Turgenev, Ivan
    Fathers and Sons Turgenev, Ivan
    King Lear of the Steppes Turgenev, Ivan
    Spring Torrents Turgenev, Ivan
    Virgin Soil Turgenev, Ivan
    B Twain, Mark
    The Museum of Unconditional Surrender Ugresic, Dubravka
    Kristin Lavransdatter Undset, Sigrid
    Rabbit, Run Updike, John
    Rabbit Redux Updike, John
    Rabbit is Rich Updike, John
    Pepita Jimenez Valera, Juan
    Our Lady of the Assassins Vallejo, Fernando
    Ancestral Voices van, Heerden, Etienne
    The Time of the Hero Vargas Llosa, Mario
    The Cubs and Other Stories Vargas Llosa, Mario
    The War of the End of the World Vargas Llosa, Mario
    The Feast of the Goat Vargas Llosa, Mario
    Z Vassilikos, Vassilis
    Under the Yoke Vazov, Ivan
    Southern Seas Vázquez Montalbán, Manuel
    The House by the Medlar Tree Verga, Giovanni
    Journey to the Centre of the Earth Verne, Jules
    Around the World in Eighty Days Verne, Jules
    The Birds Vesaas, Tarjei
    The Garden Where the Brass Band Played Vestdijk, Simon
    Froth on the Daydream Vian, Boris
    Myra Breckinridge Vidal, Gore
    Bartleby and Co. Vila-Matas, Enrique
    Conversations In Sicily Vittorini, Elio
    In Search of Klingsor Volpi, Jorge
    Candide Voltaire
    Cat’s Cradle Vonnegut, Kurt
    God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater Vonnegut, Kurt
    Slaughterhouse Five Vonnegut, Kurt
    Breakfast of Champions Vonnegut, Kurt
    The Color Purple Walker, Alice
    The Temple of My Familiar Walker, Alice
    Possessing the Secret of Joy Walker, Alice
    Infinite Jest Wallace, David Foster
    The Castle of Otranto Walpole, Horace
    Halftime Walser, Martin
    Morvern Callar Warner, Alan
    Indigo Warner, Marina
    Summer Will Show Warner, Sylvia Townsend
    After the Death of Don Juan Warner, Sylvia Townsend
    The House with the Blind Glass Windows Wassmo, Herbjorg
    Billy Liar Waterhouse, Keith
    Tipping the Velvet Waters, Sarah
    Fingersmith Waters, Sarah
    Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Watson, Winifred
    Decline and Fall Waugh, Evelyn
    Vile Bodies Waugh, Evelyn
    A Handful of Dust Waugh, Evelyn
    Brideshead Revisited Waugh, Evelyn
    The Graduate Webb, Charles
    The Time Machine Wells, H.G.
    The Island of Dr. Moreau Wells, H.G.
    The Invisible Man Wells, H.G.
    The War of the Worlds Wells, H.G.
    Tono-Bungay Wells, H.G.
    Trainspotting Welsh, Irvine
    The Optimist’s Daughter Welty, Eudora
    Miss Lonelyhearts West, Nathanael
    The Return of the Soldier West, Rebecca
    Harriet Hume West, Rebecca
    The Thinking Reed West, Rebecca
    The Birds Fall Down West, Rebecca
    The House of Mirth Wharton, Edith
    Ethan Frome Wharton, Edith
    Bunner Sisters Wharton, Edith
    Summer Wharton, Edith
    The Age of Innocence Wharton, Edith
    The Glimpses of the Moon Wharton, Edith
    A Boy’s Own Story White, Edmund
    The Beautiful Room is Empty White, Edmund
    The Living and the Dead White, Patrick
    The Tree of Man White, Patrick
    Voss White, Patrick
    The Once and Future King White, T.H.
    The Picture of Dorian Gray Wilde, Oscar
    Tarka the Otter Williamson, Henry
    No Laughing Matter Wilson, Angus
    I Thought of Daisy Wilson, Edmund
    Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit Winterson, Jeanette
    The Passion Winterson, Jeanette
    Sexing the Cherry Winterson, Jeanette
    Written on the Body Winterson, Jeanette
    Insatiability Witkiewicz, Stanislaw Ignacy
    Thank You, Jeeves Wodehouse, P.G.
    The Quest for Christa T. Wolf, Christa
    Patterns of Childhood Wolf, Christa
    Look Homeward, Angel Wolfe, Thomas
    The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test Wolfe, Tom
    The Bonfire of the Vanities Wolfe, Tom
    Back to Oegstgeest Wolkers, Jan
    The Voyage Out Woolf, Virginia
    Night and Day Woolf, Virginia
    Jacob’s Room Woolf, Virginia
    Mrs. Dalloway Woolf, Virginia
    To The Lighthouse Woolf, Virginia
    Orlando Woolf, Virginia
    The Waves Woolf, Virginia
    The Years Woolf, Virginia
    Between the Acts Woolf, Virginia
    Native Son Wright, Richard
    Monkey: Journey to the West Wu, Cheng’en
    Day of the Triffids Wyndham, John
    The Midwich Cuckoos Wyndham, John
    Chocky Wyndham, John
    Half of Man is Woman Xianliang, Zhang
    Kitchen Yoshimoto, Banana
    Memoirs of Hadrian Yourcenar, Marguerite
    We Zamyatin, Yevgeny
    Thérèse Raquin Zola, Émile
    Drunkard Zola, Émile
    Nana Zola, Émile
    Germinal Zola, Émile
    La Bête Humaine Zola, Émile
    Gimmick! Zwagerman, Joost
    The Case of Sergeant Grischa Zweig, Arnold
    Amok Zweig, Stefan
    Chess Story Zweig, Stefan

    Missing but should be on the list

    these list are mostly novels so it is light on poetry, and drama  and spiritual writing.  I would have include the following

    Ginzberg and Beat Poets and Writers

    Whitman Poems

    Dickison Poems

    TS Elliot poems

    WD Auden Poems

    Emerson Essays

    Emerson Poems

    Edgar Allen Poe complete stories and Poems

    Tom Robbins   Complete Novels

    Tolstoy War and Peace

    Mark Twain complete stories and novels

    Shakespeare complete plays and poems

    Bible

    Koran

    Buddhist Writings

    Hindu Writings

    Tao De Ching

    Book of Mormon

    Federalist Papers

    US constitution

    Declaration of Independence

    Magna Carter 

    SInclair Lewis   It Can’t Happen  Here

    CS Lewis Narnia Series

    CS Lewis Out of the Silent Planet Series

    Rowlings Harry Potter series

    Classic SF writers  are under represented on these lists as well.

    Comments  welcome  let me know which ones you’ve read and I will  add it to the list

    The End 

     

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

     

     

     

     

    Venice in Korea

    WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

     breaker audio

     Google podcasts

     radio public

    Spotify

    Korea Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

    on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

    Visit to Gangwha Ginseng Market

    We recently moved to Gimpo.  One of the joys of living here is that we are a close drive to Gangwha island, which has always been one of my favorite Korean destinations.  It is only twenty minutes away.

    Recently, we discovered the Gangwha Island Ginseng market.  There are several on the island, but the one we went to is the one locals go to.  The price is fixed, and the quality is quite good, guaranteed by the local government.  The two official centers, located on the entrance to Gangwha, cater to tourists and are a bit of a rip off in my opinion.

    if you do buy it there, you can have them wash it for free.  We use it in soups and our daily smoothies.  Probably means I will live until I am 100 years old.

    We also went to Manisan for a hike.  See below.

    and went twice to Pomunsa for a hike and spent the night nearby in the Dream Inn which was quite nice.  We had a great breakfast the next morning.

    and we had a great sushi feast the other day on Gangwha island. And we also ate fresh shrimp.

    lots of things to do.  Here’s a partial listing

    https://www.seoulkoreatour.net › places › ganghwa-gun › shopping › ganghwa-ginseng-center

    Ganghwa Ginseng Center (강화 인삼센터) – Seoul Korea Tour

    In 1920, Ganghwado Island has designated a special district for ginseng cultivation. At the onset of the Korean War (1950-1953), the people of Gaeseong City (the birthplace of ginseng cultivation) took refuge on Ganghwado Island and began to cultivate ginseng on a large scale, which was the beginning of the production of the famous 6-year-old …

    https://en.trippose.com › shopping › ganghwa-ginseng-center

    Ganghwa Ginseng Center | 강화 인삼센터 : TRIPPOSE

    The cultivation of Ganghwa ginseng began during the era of King Gojong (1232 A.D.) of the Goryeo Dynasty. In 1920, Ganghwado Island has designated a special district for ginseng cultivation. At the onset of the Korean War (1950-1953), the people of Gaeseong City (the birthplace of ginseng cultivation

    https://www.trazy.com › spot › 531 › ganghwa-ginseng-center-강화인삼센터-shopping

    Ganghwa Ginseng Center 강화인삼센터, Korea Shopping

    In 1920, Ganghwado Island has designated a special district for ginseng cultivation. Ganghwa Ginseng Center handles quality ginseng guaranteed in its cultivation, processing, and distribution, owing to the utmost care exerted to provide safe and reliable products. Ginseng is an herbal supplement that is becoming more and more popular today…

    https://english1.visitkorea.or.kr › menu › ATR › SI_ENG_2_12_10.jsp

    Official Site of Korea Tourism Org.: Ganghwa Folk Flea Market – VisitKorea

    May 4, 2022Ganghwa turnip is a local plant of Ganghwado Island. The roots have a purple top and boast a unique taste. Furthermore, Ganghwa ginseng was also available at the market. People brought Goryeo ginseng to Ganghwado Island and grew it on the island, which later became known as Ganghwa ginseng.

    https://www.tripadvisor.com › Attraction_Review-g297889-d21294725-Reviews-Ganghwa_Ginseng_Center-Incheon.html

    Ganghwa Ginseng Center – Tripadvisor

    Skip to main content. Review. Trips Alert Sign in

    Images for gangwha isalnd Gingsing market

    More Images

    https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Ganghwa_Island

    Ganghwa Island – Wikipedia

    Ganghwa Island (Hangul 강 화 도; Hanja 江 華 島), also known by its native name Ganghwado, is a South Korean island in the estuary of the Han River. It is in the Yellow Sea, off Korea’s west coast. The island is separated from Gimpo (on the South Korean mainland) by a narrow channel spanned by two bridges, and from Kaesong (Gaeseong) in North Korea by the main channel of the Han River.

    https://koreaemarket.com › product › chonilsam-king-island-ganghwa-red-ginseng-extract-80ml

    [Chonilsam] King Island Ganghwa red ginseng extract 80ml

    Welcome to Korea E Market; Homepage; Start shopping now; Customer Account; About Korea E Market; Contact With Us; Blog; Wishlist; Wishlist. Login / Register. 0 $ 0.00. HOME & KITCHEN. KITCHEN & DINING; … Home HEALTH & HOUSEHOLD Health Care [Chonilsam] King Island Ganghwa red ginseng extract 80ml

    https://www.amazon.com › Chonilsam-Island-Ganghwa-Ginseng-Extract › dp › B09G5RZX6R

    [Chonilsam] King Island Ganghwa red Ginseng Extract 80ml

    Buy [Chonilsam] King Island Ganghwa Red Ginseng Extract 80ml on Amazon.com FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

    https://www.flickr.com › photos › begin › 2692944713

    South Korea_361 | Ginseng market, Gangwha Island | B Negin | Flickr

    Ginseng market, Gangwha Island

    https://www.koreatravelpost.com › ganghwa-island-Incheon-things-to-do

    A Guide to the Best Things to Do on Gangwha Island

    Mar 22, 2022Visit Ganghwa Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden. The Ganghwa Natural History Museum is a beautiful place to go if you want to learn about the island’s unique ecology and history, among other things. It’s a small museum, but it offers a lot. ganghwagun. 강화역사박물관.

    More Results

     

     

    https://www.koreatravelpost.com › ganghwa-island-Incheon-things-to-do

    A Guide to the Best Things to Do on Gangwha Island

    Mar 22, 2022Visit Ganghwa Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden. The Ganghwa Natural History Museum is a beautiful place to go if you want to learn about the island’s unique ecology and history, among other things. It’s a small museum, but it offers a lot. ganghwagun. 강화역사박물관.

    https://www.expedia.com › Things-To-Do-In-Ganghwa.d6333489.Travel-Guide-Activities

    10 Fun Things to Do in Ganghwa July 2022 | Expedia

    What to do in Ganghwa on a sunny day? If you’re in the mood for a little fun under the sun, you’ll be interested in these outdoor activities: Produce 101 Dormitory & Trainee Favorite Place in Seoul. A Day as Produce 101 Trainee & Dorm Visit Tour in Paju. One mount Snow Park + Paju Lotte Premium Outlet One Day Tour.

    https://afuncouple.com › ganghwado

    15 Awesome Things to See in Ganghwado Near Seoul

    Let’s start with the best things to see on the island: 1. Visit Jeondeungsa temple. One of the highlights of our visit to Ganghwado, was our visit to Jeondeungsa (전등사), an ancient temple located on Mt. Jeongjoksan. The temple is located in the middle of a beautiful forest.

    https://www.travelocity.com › Things-To-Do-In-Ganghwa.d6333489.Travel-Guide-Activities

    Things To Do In Ganghwa 2022 – Activities & Attractions | Travelocity

    Welcome, traveler, to Ganghwa. Your journey has landed you here, and new adventures are calling your name. Now that you’ve arrived, you can stay in the safety and comfort of your hotel and watch the world spin past…or you can embrace this new place you’ve come to.

    morningcalmtravel.com › ganghwa

    Ganghwa-Do Day Trip from Seoul — Morning Calm Korea Travel Korea

    Ganghwa Island is an easy day trip from Seoul, just west of Gimpo and north of Inchon. Escape the sidewalks, lights, and crowd for a bit of sea-air freshness and calming beauty. Island hop via ferry to walk on the paths of ancients, experience megalithic culture, and explore the scenes of long-ago battles against invading Mongols, French, and …

    https://www.tripadvisor.com › Attractions-g1072105-Activities-Gangwon_do.html

    THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Gangwon-do – Tripadvisor

    There are digitalized arts of Sin Saimdang in the houses, and a brief explanation of her life, honestly loved the place. 6. Gangchon Rail Park. 292. Amusement & Theme Parks. By Abbydelight. An enjoyable ride with a fascinating view of nature for Gangwon-do. 7. Odaesan National Park.

    https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Ganghwa_Island

    Ganghwa Island – Wikipedia

    Ganghwa Island (Hangul 강 화 도; Hanja 江 華 島), also known by its native name Ganghwado, is a South Korean island in the estuary of the Han River. It is in the Yellow Sea, off Korea’s west coast. The island is separated from Gimpo (on the South Korean mainland) by a narrow channel spanned by two bridges, and from Kaesong (Gaeseong) in North Korea by the main channel of the Han River.

    https://www.ivisitkorea.com › best-things-to-do-in-Changwon-do

    Best Things To Do & Attractions in Gangwon-do – IVisitKorea

    Woljeongsa Temple. This route will lead you to the Woljeongsa Temple Fir Forest trails. This route is a fir woodland trail with around 1km. Even while this fir forest route is known for its greenery, the panorama is as breathtaking in the winter, when many of the woodland’s gorgeous trees are blanketed in snow.

    https://www.kiawahisland.org › things-to-do

     

    Manisan Mountain, Gangwha Island

    Manisan is a mountain in Incheon, South Korea. It is situated in Ganghwa County and is the highest peak on Ganghwa Island. Manisan has an elevation of 469.4 m (1,540 ft).[1] There is a popular hiking trail to the summit; at the summit is Chamseongsdan, an altar where Dungun (the founding father of Korea) performed ritual ceremonies.

    Manisan is the highest peak on Ganghwa island.  It is a legendary mountain where Dungun the founder of Korea came to the earth.   The park signs are all in Korea. as is the map.  There are four routes, blue, yellow, red, and purple.  The blue route is the shortest route to the top. The first part of the trail is along an asphalt road following Manisan creek through an old-growth forest.  The blue trail branches off to the left and from that point on is a dirt trail, a trail with steps, and some scrambling up rocks. There is a rail all the way so that helps.  The elevation gain is steep at times. At the top of the mountain, there is a nice sky bridge trail to viewpoints.  The view is spectacular.

    There is a campground on the other side of the mountain where the red and purple trails originate. The round trip is about two and one-half hours and is about a 4-mile round trip.  One could make it a loop by taking the yellow course back down the mountain.

    Chamseongsdan was closed for renovation.  However, there is a replica at the foot of the mountain where the occasional ritual is still held.

    Near By Restaurants

    There are several restaurants at the bottom of the mountain. One served a great belt fish menu.

    Other Reviews

    1. Manisan (Incheon) – Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Manisan_(Incheon)

    Manisan is a mountain in Incheon, South Korea. It is situated in Ganghwa County and is the highest peak on Ganghwa Island. Manisan has an elevation of 469.4 m (1,540 ft). There is a popular hiking trail to the summit; at the summit is Chamseongsdan, an altar where Dangun (the founding father of Korea) performed ritual ceremonies.

    1. Mani-san, Ganghwa-do Island – Sacred Sites

    sacredsites.com › Asia › Korea

    Chamseong-dan altar, Mt. Mani-san, Ganghwa-do Island The “Demon Expelling Mountain” is the most sacred site on Ganghwa Island of Incheon City, relatively quiet famous throughout the nation. There is an ancient stone shrine on its highest peak (469m, the Chamseong-dan [Truly Holy Altar], that commands a wide view of the Yellow Sea.

    1. Manisan Mountain (Ganghwa Island) – Incheon, South Korea …

    http://www.alltrails.com › trail › south-Korea

    Manisan Mountain (Ganghwa Island) is a 3.4-mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Seo-gu, Incheon, South Korea that features a great forest setting and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips and is accessible year-round. Length 3.4 elevation gain 1,459 ftRoute type Loop

    1. Manisan (마니산) – Peaks and Penguins

    http://www.peaksandpenguins.com › 120-summits › mansion

    One funny thing about this mountain is that it would be just about as easy to visit on a layover as it would be from anywhere else on the Korean peninsula. Manisan is by far the closest 100 summits mountain to Incheon International Airport! At least, it’s close as the crow flies. Manisan is not exactly on the way anywhere – it’s on Ganghwa island! If you do the aforementioned airport plan, one-way transit will take you nearly two hours (bus 9000 from the airport, connecting to bus 700-1 in Yangcheon – if you’re curious!). The trip is a little longer from Incheon. Take the orange, Incheon line 2 metro to Majeon station and then catch the 700-1 bus for just over two hours (starting from downtown Incheon). From Seoul, navigate your way to Yangcheon by bus or subway (different depending on your starting point – but aim for Gurye station on the brown line 9) – then catch bus 700-1. Seeing the theme? Bus 700-1 run to the Hwado bus terminal, just north of Manisan. A few other buses…

    1. Manisan Mountain (Ganghwa Island) – Hiking the World

    hiking the world.blog › 2012/10/20 › mansion-mountain

    Oct 20, 2012, · One of three sacred Korean mountains, Manisan is located on Ganghwa Island on the west coast. It’s less than an hour from Incheon airport and connected by two bridges to the mainland.

    1. Manisan Mountain – Welcome to Incheon, South Korea

    Incheon-southkorea.weebly.com › mansion-mountain

    The Manisan Mountain is a mountain located in the Ganghwa-do mountain range. The Ganghwa-do mountain range is located in Incheon, South Korea. This mountain is 496.4 meters over sea level. It is also the tallest mountain in this mountain range.

    More Reviews

    1. Hike Ganghwa Island’s Manisan while Teaching in Korea

    blog.aclipse.net › teach-in-Korea › bid

    Dec 03, 2014, · Manisan stands at 469 meters (or 1539 feet) above sea level, and it offers two hiking paths. We took the tougher route, the Stairway Path. As you can guess from the name, there were a lot of stairs, as is quite common with hiking in Korea, but this mountain is definitely worth the work.

    1. Manisan on Ganghwado | Rip City to Seoul

    ripcitytoseoul.wordpress.com › 2010/07/05 › manisan

    Jul 05, 2010, · Ganghwado (Ganghwa Island) is Korea’s fifth largest island. Its strategic west sea location, in the estuary of the Han River, has resulted in an immensely important role in Korean history. Wars, kingdoms, sacrifices, temples, UNESCO world heritage sites… a lot has happened here.

    1. Ganghwa Island – Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Ganghwa_Island

    With the primary fortifications protecting the Joseon capital of Seoul from foreign invasion, Ganghwa Island was the site of several 19th-century punitive expeditions. The mass execution of Catholic French missionaries and Korean converts under the ministry of the Heungseon Daewongun in the mid-1860s led to a French invasion in 1866 which held the island for several weeks, although the …

    Manisan Mountain (Ganghwa Island) is a 5.5-kilometer heavily trafficked loop trail located near Seo-gu, Incheon, South Korea that features a great forest setting and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips and is accessible year-round.

    Length5.5 kmElevation gain445 mRoute typeLoop

    Manisan Mountain (469m) is one of three sacred 3 mountains in Korea, with two hiking paths that lead to an altar and temple on the summit.

    You begin to ascend as soon as you leave the parking lot, then it’s pavement, stairs, and “carpet” as you make your way to the peak. There’s an ancient alter at the top.

    The End

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Famous Deaths 2000-2022

    We have lost so many great artists lately

    Stuart Woods RIP

    X

    Including results for celebrity deaths 2021Search only for “celebrities” deaths 2021?

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Stuart Woods RIP

    Guilty Pleasures – the Novels of Stuart Woods

    https://www.stuartwoods.com/

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Woods

    One of my favorite writers is Stuart Woods. Boy, can the dude pump them out!  In the last count, he has written over 80 books almost all of the best sellers and he has been pumping out one to two a year since he first got published in the late ’70s.

    He died this week at age 83.  He wrote over 90 books in his life and I have read most of them.

    He started out writing “Chiefs” which became a movie as well.  The main character is a police chief in a small town in Georgia.  The character reappears in many later novels, eventually becoming a two-term president, and in town, Delgado also appears as a place in many of his later novels.  Most of his novels are set in NYC, Maine, Key West, Los Angeles, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

    Most of his books feature the exploits of Stone Barrington, an NYC high-society type who is a James Bond-like character.  He is a retired NYC cop, a lawyer, a real estate investor, a part-time CIA agent, and a player with many love interests.  He is also best friends with three presidents and the not-so-secret lover of the current President. He introduced me to Knob Creek bourbon which is now one of my favorite bourbons, and he is also partial to Martinis-made James Bond style.

    In this alternative universe, the President serves two terms, his wife serves two terms, and her secretary of State is elected President. Stone is friends with them all.

    Stone’s best friend is Dino Bachetti, his old NYC homicide partner who became NYC Police Commissioner and helps Stone out officially and unofficially over the years.  He has had a lot of love interests including Holly Barker who was a former secretary of state and president.

    Another recurring character is Ed Lee who is a friend of Stone who lives and works out of Santa Fe New Mexico.  Ed Lee is a 6’8 former college basketball player who becomes an attorney.

    My only criticism is that his books are very formalistic.  At some point, someone is going to be able to program a computer to write novels and his novels would be a great place to start because I am sure that a computer could generate believable Stone Barrington novels.  Having said that, his novels are still enjoyable.

    He has written a few non-Stone Barrington novels stand-alone novels. One I enjoyed recently was Palindrome which is a psychological thriller set on an island off the South Carolina coast. Written in the mid 90’s I believe.

    I often start a novel of his while waiting around in the PX for my wife to finish up, and throughout several visits, often finish the novel.

    The following is a list of his novels, I bolded the ones I have read. One of my bucket list reading goals is to finish reading all of his novels, including the last two coming out this fall..

    The list

    Stuart Woods   BOLD read

    Stuart Woods Books in Order

     Publication Order of Stone Barrington Books

    New York Dead (1991) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Dirt (1996) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Dead in the Water (1997) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Swimming to Catalina (1998) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Worst Fears Realized (1999) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    L.A. Dead (2000) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Cold Paradise (2001) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    The Short Forever (2002) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Dirty Work (2003) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Reckless Abandon (2004) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Two Dollar Bill (2004) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Dark Harbor (2006) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Fresh Disasters (2007) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Shoot Him If He Runs (2007) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Hot Mahogany (2008) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Loitering with Intent (2009) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Kisser (2009) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Lucid Intervals (2010) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Strategic Moves (2010) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Bel-Air Dead (2011) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Son of Stone (2011) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    D.C. Dead (2011) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Unnatural Acts (2012) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Severe Clear (2012) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Collateral Damage (2012) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Unintended Consequences (2013) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Doing a Hard Time (2013) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Standup Guy (2014) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Carnal Curiosity (2014) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Cut and thrust (2014) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Paris Match (2014) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Insatiable Appetites (2015) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Hot Pursuit (2015) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Naked Greed (2015) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Foreign Affairs (2015) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Scandalous Behavior (2016) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Family Jewels (2016) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Dishonorable Intentions (2016) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Sex, Lies & Serious Money (2016) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Below the Belt (2017) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Fast and Loose (2017) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Indecent Exposure (2017) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Quick & Dirty (2017) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Unbound (2018) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Shoot First (2018) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Turbulence (2018) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Desperate Measures (2018) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    A Delicate Touch (2018) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Wild Card (2019) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Contraband (2019) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Stealth (2019) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Treason (2020) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Hit List (2020) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Choppy Water (2020) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Shakeup (2020) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Hush-Hush (2020) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Double Jeopardy (2021) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Class Act (2021) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Foul Play (2021) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Criminal Mischief (2021) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

    Publication Order of Holly Barker Books

    Orchid Beach (1998) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Orchid Blues (2001) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Blood Orchid (2002) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Reckless Abandon (2004) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Iron Orchid (2005) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Hothouse Orchid (2009) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

    Publication Order of Ed Eagle Books

    Santa Fe Rules (1992) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Short Straw (2006) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Santa Fe Dead (2008) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Santa Fe Edge (2010) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

    Publication Order of Herbie Fisher Books

    Barely Legal(With Parnell Hall) (2017) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

    Publication Order of Rick Barron Books

    The Prince of Beverly Hills (2004) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Beverly Hills Dead (2008) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

    Publication Order of Teddy Fay Books

    Smooth Operator(With Parnell Hall) (2016) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    The Money Shot(With Parnell Hall) (2018) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Skin Game(With Parnell Hall) (2019) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Bombshell(With Parnell Hall) (2020) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Jackpot(With Bryon Quarterboys) (2021) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

    Publication Order of Will Lee Books

    Chiefs (1981) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Run Before the Wind (1983) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Deep Lie (1986) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Grass Roots (1989) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    The Run (1995) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Capital Crimes (2003) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Mounting Fears (2008) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

    Publication Order of Standalone Novels

    Under the Lake (1986) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    White Cargo (1988) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Palindrome (1990) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    L.A. Times (1993) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Heat (1994) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Dead Eyes (1994) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Imperfect Strangers (1995) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    Choke (1995) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

    Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

    Blue Water, Green Skipper (1977) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
    A romantic’s guide to the country inns of Britain and Ireland (1979) Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

    AI Program Writes Stone Barrington Book

    I have often thought that someday an AI program will be able to write an effective thriller.  I write to Stuart Woods and IBM proposing a challenge.

    Big Blue and Stuart Woods would both write a Stone Barrington novel.  A jury of readers and critics would read the result and determine which one was the computer version and which was the human version.

    Stuart Woods took the challenge and IBM big blue went to work.  IBM won the contest as the jurry thought the computer version was better.

    About Stuart Woods:

    Stuarts Woods is an American novelist. He was born in Georgia in 1938, and died in August, 2022. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1959. He then enrolled in the National Guard before moving to New York to start a career.

     

    He then moved to London and spent a further 3 years working in advertising before deciding that he wanted a change and he began writing his first novel. It is at this time that he decided to move to Ireland where he lived a solitary lifestyle, only leaving his home to make money writing adverts for local television.

    SailingWoods moved to Ireland in the 70s and this was where he fell in love with sailing. He spent many years competing in sailing competitions and learning how to be a better sailor. He finally bought his boat when his grandfather died and left him some money, so he could afford it. It was then that he took sailing more seriously and spent most of 1974 learning more about sailing.WritingWoods began writing about his experiences in his yacht races and he published 1977, the book Blue Water, Green Skipper. It seemed like he had found an ideal career based on the thing he loved most, sailing.Changing PlansHis second book was supposed to be about another boat race that he was due to take part in, but the race was canceled due to inclement weather, so he decided to drive around the UK and write a book about his adventures in the county inns.ChiefsWoods then went on to write his first novel called Chiefs. He made the mistake of selling the book to publishers unfinished because he thought he would have gotten a lot more for it had he waited until the book was finished.Norton was the company to publish the hardback, but he felt like the company let him down because they didn’t do much to promote the book. He then contacted Bentham Books, who published the paperback and it was much more successful.Charlton HestonIn 1983, the book was made into a tv series starring Charlton Heston and Danny Glover. It was aired by CBS over three nights and it ended up being nominated for three Emmy Awards.The popularity of the tv show meant that more people wanted to read the books and there was renewed interest in the paperback version of the books Woods won the Edgar Award for the Best First Novel.Series Over StandalonesWoods is one of those authors who are more focused on the series of novels over the standalone. His most popular series is the Stone Barrington Novels. He has just released his 27th novel in the series and he has written 3 more novels, which are set to be released in 2014.Who is Stone Barrington?Stone Barrington is a counsel for a law firm. After he finished college, he joined the police and served 14 years on the force. He left after disagreeing with his superiors and then got a job with the law firm. The novels tell the story of his exploits so far.In the Stone Barrington novels, Woods is often congratulated for getting the law procedures correct when he has no background in law himself. It is noticed a lot and one fan asked how he gets it all right. He indicates that he is a massive fan of law procedurals such as LA Law and Law & Order, so gets all of his knowledge from there. He has made a few friends who are Lawyers, so if he gets anything wrong, they tell him.Holly BarkerHolly Barker is a character in another series of books that he writes. She is an ex-army officer and navy brat. She left the army because of a sex scandal and she has to learn how to live a civilian life. She begins her new life as the Chief of Police and she learns just how dangerous her new life is.Even though Woods has written several series, which focus on the life of a single character, the characters from each of the novels do crossover into other series. For example, Stone Barrington appears in the second Holly Barker novel and he also appears in the second novel of the Rick Barron novels.Rick BarronThe Rick Barron novels are only two books deep at the moment. Rick Barron was a police detective and he was demoted after a run-in with a higher officer. He gets the job as security for Centurion Pictures but finds himself in the middle of a double murder case in the period that is said to be the golden age of Hollywood cinema.The first Rick Barron novel, The Prince of Beverly Hills, was meant to be a standalone novel but Woods ended up writing a sequel after he was bombarded with emails from fans asking him to write another. He has no plans to write another at this moment in time.After Chiefs was made into a TV series, one of his other books was adapted for TV as well. Grass Roots was made into a TV series in 1993. Since then, no other books have been made for TV.Woods indicates that he would love it for his other books to be made into movies and if a director has read one of the books and wants to buy the rights, then he encourages the writer to get in touch with his agent.

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Reading G Keith Chesterton

    GK CHesteron

    GK Chesterton

    Reading the Classics

    George Elliot Novels

    Cosmos’s Reading List 2021

    1001 Books to Read Before You Die List

    As some of you might know, I am reading the classics these days.  I picked a three-volume series called  “50 Books You Must Read Before You Die” (free Kindle classic collection item) and started with volume three, and the Harvard classic collection (also a free Kindle classic item).  I recently finished reading the Gilbert Keith Chesterton selections.  Specifically, I read the following four items.

    The Wisdom of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – Heretics [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Donnington Affair [Gilbert Keith Chesterton] another Father Brown story
    – The Innocence of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]

    He was a towering figure in British intellectual life – a social conservative who became a Catholic.  He was friends with George Bernard Shaw and HG Wells and engaged in spirited debates with both during his life.  He wrote over 80 books on a wide range of topics. He was described as a big man who was very absent-minded, leaving his wife to take care of most mundane things.  I can relate to that.

    Reading these selections, particularly the three Father Brown selections from the viewpoint of the early 21st century, presents some challenges.  Like most writers of his era -late 19th century -mid 20th century, his writing sounds very ablest, anti-Semitic, colonist, elitist, racist, and sexist.  Of course, a writer in that era would simply not recognize the ablest, anti-Semitic, colonist, elitist, racist, and sexist aspects of his work, nor would he or she particularly care.  So, I noted that and moved on.

    comments greatly appreciated.

    He is perhaps most famous for his Father Brown stories.  (i had heard of these stories a long time ago). There is a BBC mini-series based on these stories that I would love to track down and watch someday.  Father Brown is an interesting fictional detective.  He reminds me a bit of Hercules Perot of Agatha Christie fame, or perhaps a bit of Sherlock Holmes as well.  Father Brown is a Catholic priest in England who develops a reputation as an amateur detective as he solves cases through his superior analytical ability, as well as his thinking outside the box to use a more modern idiom.  He travels around England, and France often with his friend, Flambeau who is a French detective, whom Father Brown convinces to turn away from a life of crime and go straight.

    Each of the stories is both a stand-alone story and fits a larger narrative as the characters evolve through time.

    I suppose my favorites were

    “The Wrong Shape”, The Saturday Evening Post, 10 December 1910.

    “The Sins of Prince Sardine”, The Saturday Evening Post, 22 April 1911.

    The Hammer of God (as “The Bolt from the Blue”, The Saturday Evening Post, 5 November 1910.

    “The Eye of Apollo”, The Saturday Evening Post, 25 February 1911.

    “The Sign of the Broken Sword”, The Saturday Evening Post, 7 January 1911.

    “The Fairy Tale of Father Brown”

    My least favorite was

    “The God of the Gongs” – because the racism in this story is just too much to deal with. The main murderer is a half-African from somewhere in the US who is a fighter but is accused of being a member of a Voodoo cult.  They used the N-word throughout to describe him and his cult members.

    The complete list follows:

    . The Innocence of Father Brown, 1911

    “The Blue Cross”, The Story-Teller, September 1910; first published as “Valentin Follows a Curious Trail”, The Saturday Evening Post, 23 July 1910

    “The Secret Garden”, The Story-Teller, October 1910. (The Saturday Evening Post, Sep 3, 1910)

    “The Queer Feet”, The Story-Teller, November 1910. (The Saturday Evening Post, Oct 1, 1910)

    “The Flying Stars”, The Saturday Evening Post, 20 May 1911.

    “The Invisible Man”, The Saturday Evening Post, 28 January 1911. (Cassell’s Magazine, Feb 1911)

    The Honour of Israel Gow (as “The Strange Justice”, The Saturday Evening Post, 25 March 1911.

    “The Wrong Shape”, The Saturday Evening Post, 10 December 1910.

    “The Sins of Prince Saradine”, The Saturday Evening Post, 22 April 1911.

    The Hammer of God (as “The Bolt from the Blue”, The Saturday Evening Post, 5 November 1910.

    “The Eye of Apollo”, The Saturday Evening Post, 25 February 1911.

    “The Sign of the Broken Sword”, The Saturday Evening Post, 7 January 1911.

    “The Three Tools of Death”, The Saturday Evening Post, 24 June 1911.

    1. The Wisdom of Father Brown (1914)

    “The Absence of Mr. Glass”, McClure’s Magazine, November 1912.

    “The Paradise of Thieves”, McClure’s Magazine, March 1913.

    “The Duel of Dr. Hirsch”

    “The Man in the Passage”, McClure’s Magazine, April 1913.

    “The Mistake of the Machine”

    “The Head of Caesar”, The Pall Mall Magazine, June 1913.

    “The Purple Wig”, The Pall Mall Magazine, May 1913.

    “The Perishing of the Pendragons”, The Pall Mall Magazine, June 1914.

    “The God of the Gongs”

    “The Salad of Colonel Cray”

    “The Strange Crime of John Boulnois”, McClure’s Magazine, February 1913.

    “The Fairy Tale of Father Brown”

    The Incredulity of Father Brown (1926)

    (I have not read these stories, but might track it down someday, mainly to see how these stories differ from his earlier stories, as they were written after World War 1 and the previous stories were written pre-war).

    “The Resurrection of Father Brown”

    “The Arrow of Heaven” (Nash’s Pall Mall Magazine, Jul 1925)

    “The Oracle of the Dog” (Nash’s [PMM], Dec 1923)

    “The Miracle of Moon Crescent” (Nash’s [PMM], May 1924)

    “The Curse of the Golden Cross” (Nash’s [PMM], May 1925)

    “The Dagger with Wings” (Nash’s [PMM], Feb 1924)

    “The Doom of the Darnaways” (Nash’s [PMM], Jun 1925)

    “The Ghost of Gideon Wise” (Cassell’s Magazine, Apr 1926)

    1. The Secret of Father Brown (1927)

    (Also not read)

    “The Secret of Father Brown” (framing story)

    “The Mirror of the Magistrate”

    “The Man with Two Beards”

    “The Song of the Flying Fish”

    “The Actor and the Alibi”

    “The Vanishing of Vaudrey” (Harper’s Magazine, Oct 1925)

    “The Worst Crime in the World”

    “The Red Moon of Meru”

    “The Chief Mourner of Marne” (Harper’s Magazine, May 1925)

    “The Secret of Flambeau” (framing story)

    1. The Scandal of Father Brown (1935)

    “The Scandal of Father Brown”, The Story-Teller, November 1933

    “The Quick One”, The Saturday Evening Post, 25 November 1933

    “The Blast of the Book/The Five Fugitives” (Liberty Aug 26, 1933)

    “The Green Man” (Ladies Home Journal, November 1930)

    “The Pursuit of Mr. Blue”

    “The Crime of the Communist” (Collier’s Weekly, Jul 14, 1934)

    “The Point of a Pin” (The Saturday Evening Post, Sep 17, 1932)

    “The Insoluble Problem” (The Story-Teller, Mar 1935)

    “The Vampire of the Village” (Strand Magazine, August 1936); included in later editions of The Scandal of Father Brown

    1. Uncollected Stories (1914, 1936)

    “The Donnington Affair” (The Premier, November 1914; written with Max Pemberton)

    (read)

    “The Mask of Midas” (1936)

    Wiki Summation

    Gilbert Keith Chesterton KC*SG (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English writer,[2] philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic. He has been referred to as the “prince of paradox“.[3] Time magazine observed his writing style: “Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out.”[4]

    Chesterton created the fictional priest-detective Father Brown,[5] and wrote on apologetics. Even some of those who disagree with him have recognized the wide appeal of such works as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man.[4][6] Chesterton routinely referred to himself as an “orthodox” Christian and came to identify this position more and more with Catholicism, eventually converting to Roman Catholicism from high church Anglicanism. Biographers have identified him as a successor to such Victorian authors as Matthew Arnold, Thomas Carlyle, John Henry Newman, and John Ruskin.[7]

    For more information see the following sites

    en.wikipedia.org › wiki › GG. K. Chesterton – Wikipedia

    1. K. Chesterton (2nd cousin) Signature. Gilbert Keith Chesterton KC*SG (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English writer, [2] philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic. He has been referred to as the “prince of paradox “. [3]

    Alma mater: Slade School of Art, University College London

    Genre: Essays, fantasy, Christian apologetics, Catholic apologetics, mystery, poetry

    Education: St Paul’s School

    Spouse: Frances Blogg ​(m. 1901)​

    www.britannica.com › biography › G-K-ChestertonG.K. Chesterton | British author | Britannica

    Jun 10, 2022, · G.K. Chesterton, in full Gilbert Keith Chesterton, (born May 29, 1874, London, England—died June 14, 1936, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire), English critic and author of verse, essays, novels, and short stories, known also for his exuberant personality and rotund figure.

    www.thefamouspeople.com › profiles › gilbert-kGilbert K. Chesterton Biography – Facts, Childhood, Family …

    Gilbert Keith Chesterton, better known as G. K. Chesterton, was a prominent literary figure in 20th-century London. He was a highly versatile individual who was as respected as a writer as he was for being an orator and Christian apologist.

    www.online-literature.com › chestertonGilbert Keith Chesterton – Biography and Works. Search Texts …

    Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) was a prolific English critic and author of verse, essays, novels, and short stories. He is probably best known for his series about the priest-detective Father Brown who appeared in 50 stories. Between 1900 and 1936 Chesterton published some one hundred books.

    allpoetry.com › Gilbert-Keith-ChestertonGilbert Keith Chesterton – Poems by the Famous Poet – All Poetry

    Gilbert Keith Chesterton was born in London, England on the 29th of May, 1874. Though he considered himself a mere ‘rollicking journalist,’ he was a prolific and gifted writer in virtually every area of literature.

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    Gilbert Keith Chesterton – Book Series In Order

    Gilbert Keith Chesterton was one of the critically acclaimed English novelists, orator, poet, journalist, biographer, philosopher, art and literary critic, and dramatist. He was better known by the name G.K. Chesterton and was often regarded as the ‘paradox prince’.

    www.azquotes.com › author › 2799-Gilbert_K_ChestertonTOP 25 QUOTES BY GILBERT K. CHESTERTON (of 1328) | A-Z Quotes

    Jun 14, 2017, · Gilbert K. Chesterton Life, Hate, Passion 126 Copy quote But the truth is that it is only by believing in God that we can ever criticize the Government. Once abolish God is, the Government becomes God. Gilbert K. Chesterton Believe, Russia, Government “Christendom in Dublin”.

    The complete list of the classics I am reading follows – bolded means I have read them.

    “50 Masterpieces You Have to Read Before You Die”

    Started reading the first one of volume 3

    Bolded indicated I have read it.

    Vol 3

    This book contains the following works arranged alphabetically by authors’ last names

    – What’s Bred in the Bone [Grant Allen]
    – The Golden Ass [Lucius Apuleius]
    – Meditations [Marcus Aurelius]
    – Northanger Abbey [Jane Austen]
    – Lady Susan [Jane Austen]
    – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [Lyman Frank Baum]
    – The Art of Public Speaking [Dale Breckenridge Carnegie]
    – The Blazing World [Margaret Cavendish]
    – The Wisdom of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – Heretics [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Donnington Affair [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Innocence of Father Brown [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [John Cleland]
    – The Moonstone [Wilkie Collins]
    – Lord Jim [Joseph Conrad]
    – The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe [Daniel Defoe]
    – The Pickwick Papers [Charles Dickens]
    – A Christmas Carol [Charles Dickens]
    – Notes From The Underground [Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    – The Gambler par Fyodor [Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    – The Lost World [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Hound of the Baskervilles [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Sign of the Four [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Man in the Iron Mask [Alexandre Dumas]
    – The Three Musketeers [Alexandre Dumas]
    – This Side of Paradise [Francis Scott Fitzgerald]
    – Curious, If True: Strange Tales [Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell]
    – King Solomon’s Mines [Henry Rider Haggard]
    – The Hunchback of Notre Dame [Victor Hugo]
    – Kim [Rudyard Kipling]
    – Captains Courageous [Rudyard Kipling]
    – The Jungle Book [Rudyard Kipling]
    – Lady Chatterley’s Lover [David Herbert Lawrence]
    – The Son of the Wolf [Jack London]
    – The Einstein Theory of Relativity [Hendrik Antoon Lorentz]
    – The Dunwich Horror [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – At the Mountains of Madness [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – The Prince [Niccolò Machiavelli]
    – The Story Girl [Lucy Maud Montgomery]
    – The Antichrist [Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche]
    – The Republic [Plato]
    – The Last Man [Mary Shelley]
    – Life On The Mississippi [Mark Twain]
    – The Kama Sutra [Vatsyayana]
    – In the Year 2889 [Jules Verne]
    – Around the World in Eighty Days [Jules Verne]
    – Four Just Men [Edgar Wallace]
    – Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ [Lewis Wallace]
    – Tales of Space and Time [H. G. Wells]
    – Jacob’s Room [Virginia Woolf]

    Vol 1

    Alcott, Louisa May: Little Women
    Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice
    Austen, Jane: Emma
    Balzac, Honoré de: Father Goriot
    Barbusse, Henri: The Inferno
    Brontë, Anne: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
    Brontë, Charlotte: Jane Eyre
    Brontë, Emily: Wuthering Heights
    Burroughs, Edgar Rice: Tarzan of the Apes
    Butler, Samuel: The Way of All Flesh
    Carroll, Lewis: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
    Cather, Willa: My Ántonia
    Cervantes, Miguel de: Don Quixote
    Chopin, Kate: The Awakening
    Conrad, Joseph: Heart of Darkness
    Conrad, Joseph: Nostromo
    Cooper, James Fenimore: The Last of the Mohicans
    Crane, Stephen: The Red Badge of Courage
    Cummings, E. E.: The Enormous Room
    Defoe, Daniel: Robinson Crusoe
    Defoe, Daniel: Moll Flanders
    Dickens, Charles: Bleak House
    Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations
    Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: Crime and Punishment
    Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: The Idiot
    Doyle, Arthur Conan: The Hound of the Baskervilles
    Dreiser, Theodore: Sister Carrie
    Dumas, Alexandre: The Three Musketeers
    Dumas, Alexandre: The Count of Monte Cristo
    Eliot, George: Middlemarch
    Fielding, Henry: Tom Jones
    Flaubert, Gustave: Madame Bovary
    Flaubert, Gustave: Sentimental Education
    Ford, Ford Madox: The Good Soldier
    Forster, E. M.: A Room With a View
    Forster, E. M.: Howards End
    Gaskell, Elizabeth: North and South
    Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von: The Sorrows of Young Werther
    Gogol, Nikolai: Dead Souls
    Gorky, Maxim: The Mother
    Haggard, H. Rider: King Solomon’s Mines
    Hardy, Thomas: Tess of the D’Urbervilles
    Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The Scarlet Letter
    Homer: The Odyssey
    Hugo, Victor: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
    Hugo, Victor: Les Misérables
    Huxley, Aldous: Crome Yellow
    James, Henry: The Portrait of a Lady

    Volume 2

    – Little Women [Louisa May Alcott]
    – Sense and Sensibility [Jane Austen]
    – Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy) [J.M. Barrie]
    – Cabin Fever [ B. M. Bower]
    – The Secret Garden [Frances Hodgson Burnett]
    – A Little Princess [Frances Hodgson Burnett]
    – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland [Lewis Carroll]
    – The King in Yellow [Robert William Chambers]
    – The Man Who Knew Too Much [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]
    – The Woman in White [Wilkie Collins]
    – The Most Dangerous Game [Richard Connell]
    – On the Origin of Species, 6th Edition [Charles Darwin]
    – Robinson Crusoe [Daniel Defoe]
    – The Iron Woman [Margaret Deland]
    – David Copperfield [Charles Dickens]
    – Oliver Twist [Charles Dickens]
    – A Tale of Two Cities [Charles Dickens]
    – The Double [Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky]
    The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [Arthur Conan Doyle]
    – The Three Musketeers [Alexandre Dumas]
    – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Francis Scott Fitzgerald]
    – Dream Psychology [Sigmund Freud]
    – Tess of the d’Urbervilles [Thomas Hardy]
    – Siddhartha [Hermann Hesse]
    – The Fall of the House of Usher [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Arabian Nights [Andrew Lang]
    – The Sea Wolf [Jack London]
    – The Call of Cthulhu [Howard Phillips Lovecraft]
    – Anne of Green Gables [Lucy Maud Montgomery]
    – Beyond Good and Evil [Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche]
    – The Murders in the Rue Morgue [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Black Cat [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – The Raven [Edgar Allan Poe]
    – Swann’s Way [Marcel Proust]
    – Romeo and Juliet [William Shakespeare]
    – Treasure Island [Robert Louis Stevenson]
    – The Elements of Style [William Strunk Jr.

    Harvard Classics

     (1) Franklin, Woolman, Penn

     (2) Plato, Epictetus,

     Marcus, Aurelius Meditations

     (3) Bacon, Milton’s Prose, Thomas Browne

    (4) Complete Poems in English: Milton

    (5) Essays and English Traits: Emerson (

    6) Poems and Songs: Burns (7)

    Confessions of St. Augustine. Imitation of Christ

    (8) Nine Greek Dramas (9) Letters and Treatises of Cicero and Pliny

    (10) Wealth of Nations: Adam Smith

    (11) Origin of Species: Darwin

    (12) Plutarch’s Lives (13)

     Aeneid Virgil (14)

    Don Quixote Part 1: Cervantes

    (15)Pilgrim’s Progress. Donne

    Herbert. Bunyan, Walton

    (16) The Thousand and One Nights

    (17) Folk-Lore and Fable. Aesop, Grimm, Andersen

    (18) Modern English Drama

    (19) Faust, Egmont Etc. Doctor Faustus, Goethe, Marlowe

    (20) The Divine Comedy: Dante

    (21) I Promessi Sposi, Manzoni

    (22) The Odyssey: Homer

    (23) Two Years Before the Mast. Dana

    (24) On the Sublime French Revolution Etc. Burke

    (25) Autobiography Etc. Essays and Addresses: J.S. Mill, T. Carlyle

    (26) Continental Drama

    (27) English Essays: Sidney to Macaulay

    (28) Essays. English and American

    (29) Voyage of the Beagle: Darwin (

    30) Faraday, Helmholtz, Kelvin, Newcomb, Geikie

    (31) Autobiography: Benvenuto, Cellini

    (32) Literary and Philosophical Essays: Montaigne, Sainte Beuve, Renan, Lessing, Schiller, Kant, Mazzini

    (33) Voyages and Travels

    (34) Descartes, Voltaire, Rousseau, Hobbes

    (35) Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed (36)

    Machiavelli, More, Luther

    (37) Locke, Berkeley, Hume

    (38) Harvey, Jenner, Lister, Pasteur

    (39) Famous Prefaces

    (40) English Poetry 1: Chaucer to Gray

    (41) English Poetry 2: Collins to Fitzgerald

    (42) English Poetry 3: Tennyson to Whitman

    (43) American Historical Documents

    (44) Sacred Writings 1

    (45) Sacred Writings 2

    (46) Elizabethan Drama 1

    (47) Elizabethan Drama 2

    (48) Thoughts and Minor Works: Pascal

    (49) Epic and Saga (

    Federalist Papers

    the End 

     

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    My friend from Berkeley always has something fun to say.  Check it out.
    My Father Always Said He Was Going to Live to Be 100″ and other blogs. . . My latest blatherings, in a handy, user-friendly internet format known as blogs.

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Personal Tech Peeves

    There are a lot of things that piss me off.  Sort of comes with the territory. as you get older you become more of a curmudgeon than when you wore a younger man’s clothes. These are some of my pet peeves about the tech industry.

    I will send them my thoughts, but would be shocked if anyone bothers to respond. Their pattern is usually to go into a non-response mode just like my Microsoft word documents do periodically for no particular reason other than to screw with my head.

    Defaulting to Foreign Languages

    Defaulting to foreign languages when logging in from overseas with no ability to change it to the language of your choice or the instructions are in the foreign language you cannot read.

     

     

     

    Being overseas this a big one.  Microsoft Edge defaults to Korean and no matter how much I try to change it either to the U.S site or to change the default language options per their instructions, it just keeps defaulting to Korean,  It is as if no one at Microsoft is aware that there are millions of people traveling everywhere, and just because you log in from Korea does not make you a Korean. Probably just an automatic thing but you would think they could offer a personalized language option?

    Google for the most part lets me surf in the language I chose and only occasionally do I encounter only Korean language material, and they offer to translate it using English words.  Microsoft would provide an offer to translate it but only in the local language.

    I wish that they could simply come up with a simple standard protocol. When someone logs in from a non-English speaking zone the first time, the computer will sense that and give you an option to proceed in whichever language you want and then remember that so the next time you can interact in the language of your choice.  And the language button will be labeled in English and the same spot every time.

    Could not be too difficult a task to accomplish.  If Google does it then the other tech giants will follow suit.

    It is time that they realize in a global world not everyone uses the language of that particular country and defaulting to a foreign language is incredibly annoying.

    A related issue is that so many Korean-based programs do not interact with non-Korean-based programs.  We finally had to set up an old computer and load it with Korean software so we can get things done.  Otherwise, forget it.


    Travel to Mexico & all my web pages come up in Spanish

    https://answers.microsoft.com › en-us › windows › forum

    The ultimate workaround is to browse using a proxy server that’s located in an English-language country, but this is clumsy and may slow down your browsing.

    People also ask

    Why is my browser in a foreign language?

    Location of Windows 10 – Change for when Abroad | Tutorials

    https://www.tenforums.com › tutorials › 21285-location…

    Sep 7, 20151 post
    In Windows Settings, check that your location is set to what you want to and if other languages have been installed that your main language …

    How to change the default language of an Internet browser.

    https://www.computerhope.com › … › Browser Help

    May 3, 2022 — By default, the Internet browser language is regional; wherever you are in the world, your browser displays the language that is …
    Missing: traveling ‎| Must include: traveling

    How to make your computer multilingual – Fluent in 3 Months

    https://www.fluentin3months.com › Articles

    Change your computer’s interface language. Even if, for all practical purposes, most things you do on the computer may be in English (writing emails, reading …

    Setting language preferences in a browser – W3C

    https://www.w3.org › questions › qa-lang-priorities

    Mar 22, 2011 — Most desktop browsers have settings that allow you to check or change the language preference settings. These tell the server what language you …

    How to change your language back from a foreign one … – CNET

    https://www.cnet.com › Tech › Computing

    Mar 24, 2015 — Now your entire computer is in Japanese and you have no idea how to fix it. Here’s how to change your language settings back to English — even …

    How to stop Google from redirecting you to another country or …

    https://www.youtube.com › watch
    If you’re traveling, or trying to see Google results for a country other than the one you’re in, … even when you’re traveling abroad.
    YouTube · Career Sidekick · Jan 2, 2016

    Customize your currency, language, or country – Travel Help

    https://support.google.com › travel › answer › customiz…

    Google Flights can be customized for many countries, languages, and currencies … the default experience is determined by your computer’s location and your …

    Norton Blues

    Norton is particularly bad at this.  It seems that it treats all non-English programs as malware and prevents you from running the program.  That is why we had to set up a Norton-free computer to do our day-to-day activities in Korea. Thanks, Norton!

     

     

    Norton also has an annoying feature of occasionally for no reason flagging sites as suspicious making you go to all sorts of hoops to prove that the program is legit!  I had an issue with my web page= Norton flagged it as dangerous. I check with Word press whose attitude was well that was just Norton’s problem and everything is fine on their end.  I complained to Norton and am waiting for a response, well the problem seems to have resolved itself.

    Buggy software

    A cartoon illustration of an evil looking computer monitor robot.

    A related issue is that Microsoft products are still bug-ridden after decades of use you would think they would have worked out the bugs.

    Constant crashing

    Microsoft constantly crashes for no particular reason. Just freezes up and crashes losing whatever you did not save.

     

     

     

     

    Once I did a thought exercise.  I noted how often I ran into problems and found out that 60% of the time I encountered a problem, usually the typical freeze, and goes into a nonresponse mode that can last from ten seconds to five minutes.  I sent my findings to Microsoft and of course, no one ever followed up.

    No response blues

    As mentioned, Microsoft Word frequently freezes, and a spinning blue wheel appears followed by the words non-responsive.  Sometimes you have to wait for five minutes before it goes aways.  At times, you have to reboot in order to get a stable connection.
    A related issue is that sometimes when you first turn on the computer and try to open word, you end up opening multiple copies which you then have to close, one by one.  Frequently each document goes into the non-response mode.  Sometimes it takes thirty minutes before you can open a document and get to work.  For some reason, this is not so common a problem any more.

    The 5 Worst Error Messages in the History of Technology

    https://www.cracked.com › blog › the-5-worst-error-me…

    45 Funny Windows Error Messages – Hongkiat

    https://www.hongkiat.com › blog › 40-funny-error-mes…
    May 13, 2020 — Error messages are annoying and disturbing. … However, scratching your head over these pop-up error messages will not help either.

    Top 10 Most Annoying Computer Error Messages

    https://www.pressreleasepower.com › Home › top ten list
    Top 10 Most Annoying Computer Error Messages ; 1. A problem has occurred with the webpage so it was reloaded ; 2. Page(s) unresponsive ; 3. Blocked website ; 4.

    The 12 Most Ridiculous Windows Errors of All Time

    https://www.makeuseof.com › Windows

    Nov 25, 2016 — You probably see plenty of boring Windows error messages every day. Come enjoy some ridiculous ones, just for laughs.

    The 5 Worst Error Messages in the History of Technology · 5 Blue Screen of Death · 4 PC LOAD LETTER · 3 Red Ring of Death · 2 Check Engine Light · 1 Abort, Retry, …

    Excel Errors Drove me Mad

    As mentioned this is the most common problem but there are many others.  I had to shift from Excell to Google documents because Excell would freak out if you tried to copy a non-excel item giving you a typical nonessential error message

    Can’t load more fonts”

    Then it give you an option yes/no then it would repeat the message. Once I clicked 250 times before it finally crashed my computer.  I went online for help and of course, there was nothing and no one cared.  I sent them a Good by Excel email and no one followed up.

    I have not had any problems with google documents.

    Copy and paste defaults to the last copied item

    One of my pet peeves is the copy and paste defaults to the last copied item. Sometimes you have to repeat the operation several times before it goes through.

    Internal search engine sucks

    Microsoft’s internal document search engine is a joke. 90 percent of the time it presents garbage search results.  One Drive is a bit better but that is not saying much.

    While searching for a document one often encounters a reference to an open dialogue box that you have to close the only problem is that the open dialogue box is hidden!

    Usually, if you keep clicking it eventually relents and presents you with false positives.

    This is just so annoying a feature.

    Can’t Open Documents

    Sometimes for reasons only a computer understands, my taskbar where I am supposed to be able to easily open documents just quits working.  It often will half-open a document then crash and kick me out. Usually takes a few tries, once it took over 50 tries before it finally started working.

     

     

     

    Sometimes though it randomly opens a wrong document or it opens the document and then does the non-response dance.  and then you need to reboot in hopes of getting a stable connection.

    Other times I can only open a copy of the document and then re-save it under a new name.

    At times when that happens sometimes, you can save the document as is, other times it says you can’t save an open document.

    There is one annoying thing that Microsoft used to do all the time but quit doing for some reason.  It used to be that when you logged in other than your usual location or did not have the internet turned on for some reason, Microsoft would send you a message saying that they could not verify that you are using a legitimate copy of Microsoft and you would have to log in to continue working.

    Number lock Locks Up at Random moments

    Sometimes the number lock goes on without warning and you think you typing, for example, to the end and you end up typing numbers like 66666666666.  Or you try typing and you get numbers instead.  Then you have to hit Num locks to unlock it.  Appears to just happen on a random basis.

    Dictation Program much Improved but still clunky

    The dictation program is now about 90 percent accurate up from 10 percent when they first rolled it out

    Used to provide a lot of fodder for found poems.  Now not so much. See some of my dictation trial poems below.  I once tried to dictate a list of music I had gotten out of the library,  I found there was a 95% error rate. I shared my findings with Microsoft but they never responded to my snarky message congratulating them on their 95% error rate..

    Editor Much Improved

    The editor is much improved, and read out loud fuction is much better  but still needs improvements

     

    One thing they could do is to tweak the repeated word error, so you can simply turn off that feature if you wish.

    Customer Service is a Joke

    In my experience, Word Press, and duotrope is the best at customer service.  Norton so so, Microsoft and Apple are pretty bad too.

    They all play the same blame game.  It is not our problem contact the other company which turns around and says it is not our problem.

    You have to wait for a long time to get a customer service rep either on the phone or via chat line.  I found the chat line feature tends to work better.  Not to mention you get a record for future encounters.

     

    If I am calling a US-based number I have to time it for the middle of the night my time if I wish to reach a human being.

     

    Microsoft has a feature where you can send a frown or a smile and although they offer to follow up, they never do.  Once I tried to look at their forum of issues submitted but the site did not work so I gave up.  I wonder if anyone reads any of these complaints?

     

    Haiku-like error messages

    The error messages we receive are often written in a strange haiku-like code that does not make sense.  For example, WTF is a fatal disk error?

    So many of the error messages are written for computer geeks and make no sense to nongeeks.  My favorite has always been

    General failure reading disk drive

    Which flashes a moment, before shutting down the computer.

    And the rest of equally mysterious. Sometimes referring to a computer error code and sometimes just gibberish.

    And occasionally I get the blue screen of death followed by an ominous warning that I have no boot disk.  Providing a number to call for help. But every time that happens, I reboot and things are fine until the next blue screen of death incident.

    Sometimes, it flashes when opening

    “can’t read reference memory”

    then crashes.

    Rebooting the computer solves 95% of all computer problems according to a tech guy I knew years ago who confessed that no one understands why things don’t work. He said that there are millions of lines of code and once in a while something gets corrupted. Rebooting typically solves the problem.

    Netflix needs to always include subtitles

    Netflix at least in Korea has an impressive line of K Drama.  Many of them have a preview with subtitles but when you go to the dram you find it is only in Korea.  At the very least they are guilty of bait and switch tactics.

    It seems to me that they should as a matter of course require all their programming to have English language subtitles.  And Korean producers should see that this is a great opportunity to grow a global audience for K drama and is a small cost to pay.  I am writing to Netflix on this issue separately.

    Grammarly program randomly fixates on a word and you can’t fix it or change it

     

    Grammarly sometimes gets fixated on a word. You can’t get to it to change it as it just kicks you back out.  Very frustrating when it happens and it seems to just happen on a random basis.

    Tracking everything we do

    Enough said on this one.

    Finally, if anyone wants to chime in with their pet peeves please do so and I will incorporate them in a future posting.

     

    Note to Microsoft  one year ago

    Tried to get the new dictation program to work and gave up, scheduled a service call Sunday with detailed feedback.  Also, send Microsoft my Microsoft sucks document.

    Felt good to get it off my chest.  The problem with Microsoft is the same problem most big companies have, they have lousy customer service and they put out shoddy products and don’t worry about the competition until they get their asses whopped by someone who pays attention to the customers and put out a superior product at a better price and cares that their products work as advertised every single time.  Microsoft, they are so focused on the latest thing they don’t go back and fix the bugs in their everyday products.  And they ignore customer complaints.

    What a contrast with word press and with doutrope. Both have superior customer service and I love the products because they fix my issue quickly, professionally, and with kindness.

    The one-time Microsoft commented it was a snarky dude focusing on one problem at a time and we don’t have time to dig into your complaints.

     

    Microsoft Why I left You

     

    I am writing to let you know why after years of putting up with shoddy software that does not work I finally have pretty much given up expecting Microsoft to work, and have given up on Microsoft for good.  I have been using Microsoft word daily since about 1990 or so. I retired in 2016 from the Department of State as a foreign service officer.  Since retirement, I have been blogging and writing poetry and fiction.  Up until six months ago I was writing my work using Microsoft word and keeping track of my submissions in Excel.  I finally gave up on both products after years of frustration.

    I will keep my subscription for now because I do need to have access to my documents and I do need to be able to submit the documents for publication in Microsoft Word format.

    I have sent many of my observations and complaints to Microsoft over the years but no one has ever bothered to follow up and your customer service is a nightmare.  Every time I call them they have not been able to answer my problems and generally make things worse.

    The basic problem is that your software has too many bugs and doesn’t work I’ll just give you a specific example or two.

    50% error rate Un-acceptable

    One week about a year ago after being frustrated that Microsoft word would frequently crash causing me to lose my work, I kept track of all errors for one week and concluded that about 50% of the time when I was using Microsoft Word or Excel I encountered some kind of error usually just a temporarily “not responding” error that cleared up in a few seconds, but often the software would crash requiring me to either reload it or sometimes reboot my computer.

    Opening Microsoft in the morning if I had to reboot my computer would sometimes require me to wait 30 minutes before I could open Microsoft and often I would have 20 or 30 different versions of Microsoft opened accidentally while I was trying to open it. Then I would have to manually close every single document and each time I did that I would get a temporary response error so many days it would take 30 minutes or so before I could get into my documents and get to work.  This is unacceptable.

    Apple, Google Docs Always Work

    Contrast this with “Apple pages” which I’ve started using for about six months. It opens every single time and I have yet to have a non-responsive error and never had any problems with it.  It does what it is supposed to do and does it perfectly. It allows me to save documents to word and it opens word documents.  Microsoft word of course does not allow me to open a document created in Pages. It does allow me to open a document created in Google docs though.

     

    Excel Destroyed my Documents – For No Reason, I Can understand

    I had to give up on Excel as well.  About six months ago for some reason that I’ve never been able to figure out,  Excel started to give me an error message every single time I tried to copy data into it from another program When I did that I got an error message saying that there were “too many fonts” being used and then I had the option of clicking OK and hoping that that would stop the error message.  usually, I had to click Okay many times before it cleared up. One time I had to click the okay message four hundred times before it would clear and let me get back to my work. Excel would often just refuse to save any documents whatsoever and then I would have to reboot my computer and lose my data.

    Tech Support Was Not Helpful

    I contacted Microsoft repeatedly and nobody ever bothered to return a message your online help function was useless and your automated chatbot never was able to figure out what I was talking about.  I did not call customer support because I figure it would have been a useless waste of time. I even uninstalled and reinstalled the software and the error message continued.

    I shifted to Google Docs and it is working wonderfully. Rarely have a problem.  and the font issue was never an issue.

    Dictation Program  Produces Great Found Poetry

     

    Finally, your dictation program has never worked. I am using the Apple dictation program to write this letter it has a 95% success rate Microsoft dictation had a 25% success rate most of the time they produce gibberish. I did use that to create several found poems which I called Microsoft dictation poems. I sent poems to Microsoft but again nobody has ever responded.

    I did call when I first installed the dictation program.  Nothing worked.  Microsoft tech support could not figure out that the problem was that the dictation program did not work with the internal speaker of a laptop. They told me to reformat my hard drive. I went to Best Buy and they told me that it does not work with a laptop and sold me an external microphone.  I bought an external speaker and then it worked but only 25% of the time did I get a clean copy, 75% of the time it produced gibberish.

    To end on a positive note, your speech-to-text function did not work for a long time then one day it started working, and once it started working, there was a 90% success rate.  This gives me hope that one day you will get the dictation program

    to work.

    My plea to you sir is to get your software to work 95% of the time every single time I know that this may not be glamorous and I know this may not be seen as the direction of the company but I know that my experience is not unique and that most of your customers are very frustrated with your products and that is why more and more people are using products as such as Google Docs or Apple products because Microsoft word and excel just don’t work.  Please fix your Microsoft office suite products  - a 50% error rate it’s just not acceptable.

    I would be happy to follow up with anyone from Microsoft if they wish to talk to me about this but I do not think anybody will bother to respond I will post this on my blog, https://the world accordingtoCosmos.com

    I hope that you will take this constructive criticism into account and fix Microsoft office once and for all thank you

    Jake Cosmos Aller

    Ex-Microsoft customer

    Computer Blues (revised)

    Sometimes I think
    My computer is plotting against me
    And only me
    Trying deliberately to drive me mad.

    My computer knows
    when I am busy
    Then it throws
    A hissy fit.

    Refuses to boot up, and crashes constantly.
    Loses data it had the day before.
    Or five minutes before,
    Or refuses to save the data.

    Just fucks with me
    As it loves toying with me
    Making me yell and scream
    At my damn computer screen

    Cursing up a blue stream of blue curses
    As the blue screen of death
    Marches across the dark blue screen

    Smiling at me
    As I beg it
    To do what
    it is supposed to do

    Just once I beg it
    Do what you
    Are supposed to do

    Open the document once
    Not twenty times
    Do “Not respond”
    Endless spinning blue wheels.

    In endless loops of opening
    Not responding
    refusing to close
    Until I respond to the error code.

    Please Mr. Computer
    Quit playing games
    Play my music, don’t wipe out the sound
    On the fifth attempt to play music

    Don’t take a half-hour to load Microsoft products
    Don’t freeze up on opening music programs
    Don’t give me computer haiku error messages
    That only makes sense to a computer geek.

    Such as general error reading files
    Who the ***** is this damn general
    And why is NSA reading my files?

    Or can’t save the file
    Or can’t save the  “An open file”
    When it just did ten times in a role,
    Or kicks me out, while losing my data.

    And in Microsoft excel
    Refusing to move the cursor
    Just freezing in place for a moment
    Before kicking me out.

    Excell had a problem
    Copying data from other sources
    Generating an error message

    About not being able to load fonts
    Then asking you to say okay

    Then kicking you out
    Once I did that 200 times
    I finally ditched Excel
    And moved to Google Docs.

    And all the other gobbledygook messages
    That pops up every five minutes it seems
    As the computer slowly drives me mad

    Flashing the final insult
    User-driven mad
    Mission accomplished.

    Note:   Microsoft dictation program does not work as advertised. Not a surprise. After six months of daily trials, it still spews forth mostly gibberish which I have turned into “found poems” with minimal editing, just breaking it into stanzas.   This is the latest one, I have lots more, and can send them to you if you are interested.  I included the clear text and the found text after the poem.  EndNote

    Microsoft Dictation trials Found Poem Three Inspection Report

    Inspection report
    meeting went well

    met with him
    only at age six

    G P silver in the damage
    has shown her

    the news from the rear
    and as well as shown

    for the termite damage.

    In the termite
    go we had been a UGS

    the basic questions of morality
    and using this statement

    denying them the answer

    most questions

    afterward
    we went outside
    to take a picture

    although the front porch
    into I noticed

    there was something
    very strange looking

    at the front porch

    the pedestal

    on the front porch
    were quoted

    so he headed

    from facing the street

    and in from the street
    station house

    the fed is still on
    riding his meaning

    to the eye
    and that has left his leading

    to the left

    we noticed

    there were cracks
    in the forge:

    long the foliage

    including the crack
    on in the front door

    we also know
    is that the doors

    are at opening

    in the awkward men

    we also noticed
    a big crowd

    on the right side of the house
    on in the mist
    airways to the right baseline

    we took a look
    at the souls in 141571413 1415
    that this is an old event in 1413

    left as to his meeting
    in Ford’s 111415

    in the right one
    is even for now

    we suspect that using serious settlement issue
    in that, the house is cracking

    on the house
    in the house

    is trying to balance
    it’s closing the porch
    this is just

     

    what left
    in the says
    this is a serious issue

    we are sending information
    to a lawyer

    asked his advice

    before we can’t turn our
    insurance for content and

    Rescinded the new

    we will go to the court
    has to figure out the procedures

    for the deal

    against the key man
    this evening

    I hope to do some writing
    style dictation

    Poem Four Green Tree Death

    Green tree

    is in the Kingstown Property
    in Alexandria

    with her mother
    and are tended to by Jeff

    my mother on the wall
    is berating jobs for some reason

    to handle

    and tell my mother to calm down

    as Jeff has a temper problem

    job is getting very angry

    Juppe pulls out a gun

    and serves the shooting of my mother

    the mall and should serve five or six times
    in the head

    my wife forays into a closet
    and Hans hoping that jobs

    will not find her

    and she wonders

    what would happen know
    that her mother

    in all my mother’s death
    and she wonders

    what will happen

    because im not there
    at the time

    and she fears Jeff
    shooting in the wall

    and that is the end
    of the current in that age

    Poem Five Telco One

    Telco one
    not until 5:00 PM
    had objected

    lack of will
    come back
    and go to some of the actor’s dinners

    will fix the car tomorrow

    and work on my appeal

    light work
    and the appeal
    denied me

    to get on the other headphones
    when we go to our charm

    on Thursday

    will build

    and Costco tomorrow
    dictation is working

     

    but still funky
    but it will when it finally works

    watch and at the showboat

    Mr. Sunshine

    before taking all along
    that low energy

    back to two long flight
    stop dictation
    of up to the line

    Poem Six Late for Fate

    Had a busy productive day and Left late
    And got 2 Mothers’ Doctors appointment

    Almost an hour late
    For my fate

    Left it there

    and went and got my dentures

    Had lunch
    Add my brother in law

     

    Usual Tom chat Tom

    Not bad
    Went back to get my mother

    And then went to him once took a nap
    My screen news today was interesting

    Kim and moon went to Beckton’s son

    That was very interesting

    to see Kim and the moon
    impact Kim and moon impacting son

    Where a lot of my eyes book
    and almost finished it

    Got some new novels out

    To Stephen King’s short stories
    and a Randy Wayne white

    Credimi and rim dot Florida

    novel those we nice

    and Thomas doing
    Also got some of my music

    Poem Seven Barriers Between Worlds Fall Apart

    One night
    The barriers between the various worlds
    Bridgetown, Narnia, Oz, Earth, Mars

    Anne People
    for my eyes only

    Find themselves wandering the streets
    Off Thorth

    People on the earth
    find themselves wondering the street Ovas
    And for one night only

    All the animals
    in earth wake up
    in can speak

    And they have a lot to say

    24 hours of total madness
    All the barriers

    between the various dimensions
    break down

     

    And then the wormhole disappears
    and that down overwhelms

    I put back to get

    I am With the Wizard of Oz
    Watching The breakdown

    of The dimensional barrier of time and space

    Afterward, I work with Glenda

    To try to put A permanent Magical barrier

    That would block the land of oz
    From the rest of the world

    But I’m afraid

    That the knowledge of the house has gotten out
    And that Too many people
    are gonna want to find Oz

    the impact of damn Packers
    and talking animals

    Continued to prepare for 8
    And The world is well

    Poem Eight  Lost in Oz

    I am a friend of the shaggy man
    And decide to visit him

    following his secret directions
    I make it before he dies

    and meet up with Ausma

    Dorothy and the remaining parts of her party

    We March back to the Emerald city
    And I am invited to Stan’s

    Poem 10 On the Move

    On the move
    from an old friend of the shaggy man
    and I and it

    owns polling

    is seeking corrections

    and I’m drawing
    and one on one

    with a home run
    to the wizard

    and working

    and the crow
    and on to win

    their fight

    to save one small one
    from on the mission

    Poem 11 Ancient Rome

    And find me in ancient Rome
    I am in the imperial room

    And I’m being driven to the streets
    Annabelle again and Anna Pelican

     

    I enjoyed my Lemper
    But I have many enemies
    And I’m free

    Poem 12 Transformations

    I am asleep
    And wake up

    Last Ash change rooms

    and found and I had been transformed
    by my evil witch

    Into a red Paul

    I wondered

    Should I tell Anne
    I found that I was in August

    Eventually, I met Glenda
    the good Dan

    Where is he
    We jump start
    to my original shape

    I am in a coma
    When the sun hits her ears

    Make me go to munch on
    Well I need

    Poem 13 Visions of New Seoul

    I am dreaming of a unified Korea
    The Unified Korean capital
    will be called Han Seoul

    Hey, would me
    High-speed train links

    Csullo Anne Canyon
    And in China airport

     

    So subway will be expanded
    With lines on the way to the penman

     

    No new Capitol
    movie build impounding

     

    John Patrick

    hey, a central business district
    will be located In time

     

    And a diplomatic quarter
    will be located in Palmer John

    which will be

    This side of the new blue house

    as well as the new Capitol
    with links to China

     

    Poem 14 Love at First Sight

    The phenomenon of eight (hate) at first sight
    is similar to the phenomenon of London (love at first sight)
    for some, it is in both cases

    because in the prior life

    one had human issues with those persons

    and still, need to be resolved
    and you will be fated

    to meet them again and again and again

    I only had paid for the site (hate at first sight)
    once in my life

    when I met on balls Dr. Baden
    David Moran

    We ran into each other
    we hated each other

    and first moment
    when a new course

    he once tried to kick me

    out of that foreign service
    while acting behind my back

    one evil despicable evening

    Poem 16 alien invasion

    The first encounter
    with the aliens

    was when the earth was invaded
    by aliens were the size of children

    they landed

    and attacked everywhere

    and eventually, come they turn over most of the earth
    and fluid

    and the aliens
    were very did not treat human beings

    for an us

    for human people cannot like they’re
    and either by or a soldier on the first battle

    and I capture

    an evening in the alien
    and we take it and

    for interdiction (integration)

    the alien refuses to cooperate
    and eventually dollars (dies).

    Poem 17 Ozma’s Magic Book Reveals All

     

    All (Osma) calls are looking
    at her mentor (monitor)

    it is a global
    that shows everything in the land of oz,

    the distance and each is something
    she cums to her friends

    that they can have one meal
    of firewalls arms

    and they can look at the land of ours
    by the USA

    and the images

    they can pull out individual
    and see what they are doing

    are with us

    when uses it as one of her many
    till she has to watch

    out what’s happening
    in the levels

     

    Microsoft Found Poem General Zod Conquers the World

     

    All night I felt
    that last Internet space

    I’m wondering About Future
    and about me

    And finally decided
    Just focus I’m living day by day

    Helping the best

    Ashland I can be

    I’m not Worry too much
    About things, I can’t control

    Were home

    Too many things to do

    and I Well

    Just him and I can eat
    to do

    And hopefully
    The world makes me laugh

    yes again

    I sound fun too

    Another Found Poem

    I wake up fully functional
    Thinking out

    My life so far
    and how it is coming down

    I have to rent
    Thanks write down
    which I have not done

    But The most important thing in my life
    Has been Mary Denture
    That made all the difference
    to my life

    Shonisaurus
    Hi Hey sis is watching

    And I should be Happy

    What are my accomplishments

    Not bad for a man

    Who was born Disability
    Amazon let me know my license

    123
    OK now I get your attention
    I wanna go to sole

    and Endo

    some and then being term
    and then the USA

    and then Washington, DC
    and then Baltimore

    and then I wanna
    will be with the idea being done
    on the stand

    will be OK enough tomorrow
    I need to go to the house and 88 AM 988

    just 8:00 AM.

    I am having a meeting with an array
    annually and aHer

    OK on we’re going to talk

    to a jester of two
    come up with solutions

    we need two fans
    and players

    repaid the painting repairs

    we are paying the bill

    from both the house we’ve passed,
    my treatment

    we had the somewhat tainted drywall fixed

    we have a new tenant
    rules being a new tenant

    is a very good

    10

    I think
    are we were making

    very much you need to do better
    to stop studies

    now as Sarah

    Mr. Allen is not an island

    is an error
    that have a need

    for an offense of offering Maisie’s
    backing separate

    from the public

    often salad

    End of the night
    of the committee
    of the ways

    to hire the answer you
    get a better

    General Zod Conquers the World Microsoft Found Poem

    Jess, takes a chance

    I take over the one
    the search for such a close
    and to overdrive
    when scientists report
    as cash as to what

    it is a radio and television broadcasts
    from a plant the light years
    from earth to the south side

    of all dates
    and start the program
    is the one I like best

    is looking at creatures as space
    and also takes an appears
    to be under the civil war

    and the nuclear space
    in the end
    one the red one hot

    for the entire five #    show
    That they layers
    have discovered

    Thursday as well

    That Aliens Like a crash project
    To develop interstellar Travel
    so they can come to earth

    and conquer the earth
    The revelations that there is
    The external threat to the planet

    Causes the United Nations to get together
    I’m with the help of the United States
    and Russia another space powers

    Put together Space defense International organization
    Anna also invigorates
    efforts to make the night
    a real Planetary coming

    But it was too late
    Channel is on arrives
    Animals are on board

    ytv King’s horses are gonna
    take over the earth
    And that resistance is

    indeed
    Thanks, man In a White House
    And When president Trump
    comes out to greet them

    Channel is an odd cats
    office head
    And then cuts off

    the heads of all these things
    are dancers
    they come out White House

    After an hour of under mat unimaginable
    Blacksher Including mass rape

    Channel blazon box
    and 2 Pocahontas energizes the world

    He said that he
    ad taken over the
    otherwise, Life will continue

    Like it, I’ll always been
    as long as people behave

    and follow the rules
    they would be fine
    Resistance to The client

    to empire will be met with instant death
    Like to empire is empire

    I’m not a democracy
    They would not tolerate
    Show call Trina Prof

    Freedom of speech
    And the freedom to oppose this date
    The state is everything

    Family people
    green remember
    that they would be just fine

    States because it was
    the biggest country
    in the world

    And that his horses
    to take over the rest of the world

    but in the next couple of weeks
    If people on earth

    My queen True Net recess
    Their safety would be counting

    Companies retaken
    over by Check empire companies
    And everybody would have to learn
    text me like standard
    within one year

    older languages will be banned

    Dictation Text General Zod Conquers the World

    Jess, takes a chance I takes over the one the search for such a close and to overdrive when scientists report as cash as to what it is a radio and television broadcasts from a plant the light years from earth to the south side of the all dates and start the program is the one I like best is looking creatures as space and also takes an appears to be under the civil war and the nuclear space in the end one the red one hot for the entire five #    show That they layens have discovered Thursday as well That Aliens Like a crash project To develop interstellar Travel so they can come to earth and conquer the earth The revelations that there is External threat to the planet Causes the United Nations to get together I’m with the help of the United States and Russia another space powers Put together Space defense International organization Anna also invigorates efforts to make the night a real Planetary coming But it was too late Channel is on arrives Animal’s is on board ytv King’s horses are gonna take over the earth And that resistance is indeed Thanks man In a White House And When president trump comes out to greet them Channel is an odd cats office head And then cuts off the heads of all this thing is dancers they come out White House After an hour of under mat unimaginable Blacksher Including mass rape Channel blazon box and 2 Pocahontas energizes the world He said was that he had taken over the otherwise Life will continue Like it I’ll always been as long as people behave and follow the rules they would be fine Resistance to The client to empire will be met with instant death Like to empire is empire I’m not a democracy They would not tolerate Show call Trina Prof Freedom of speech And the freedom to oppose this date The state is everything Family people green remember that they would be just fine States because it was the biggest country in the world And that his horses for take over the rest of the world but in the next couple weeks If people on earth My queen True Net recess Their safety would be counting Companies re taken over by Check empire companies And everybody would have to learn text me like standard within one year older languages will be banned

    Cleaned up text SETI and the search for extraterrestrial life goes on overdrive when scientists report what appears to be radio and television broadcasts from a planet eight light years from earth, the same planet as the Vulcans came from in the Star Trek universe.  The programs show a world where dinosaur-like creatures are running the world and there appears to be a civil war.  Over the next six months, the world is transfixed by watching the alien broadcasts which are translated into English via a supercomputer program.  In the broadcast, a nuclear war occurred. The surviving party regains absolute control and announces the formation of the Galactic Empire.  General Zod is the First Emperor.  They have discovered Earth as well. The aliens launch a crash project To develop interstellar Travel so they can come to earth and conquer the earth.

    The revelations that there is an external threat to the planet caused the United Nations to get together with the help of the United States and Russia other space powers, they put together a Space defense International organization And also invigorates efforts to make the UN a real Planetary government including finally conquering climate change.

    But it was too late. General Zod’s son arrives to take over the earth. He makes a broadcast saying that they were liberating Earth in the name of the Galactic Empire and that resistance would be futile.

    They land at the White House and when President Trump comes out to greet them,

    General Zod cuts off his head, and then cuts off the heads of all the staffers as they come out White House. After an hour of unimaginable horrors, including mass rapes, blowing up the Pentagon and the CIA,  General Zod announces that he had taken over the world.

    Life will continue as before as long as people behave and follow the rules they would be fine Resistance to the new empire will be met with instant death.  Life in the Empire is not a democracy. They would not tolerate Freedom of speech, Freedom of Press, Freedom of Assembly, And the freedom to oppose the State. The state is everything.  As long as humans remember that they would be just fine. They took over the United States because it was the biggest country in the world. And that his forces will take over the rest of the world in the next couple of weeks. If people on earth accept the new order, their safety would be guaranteed. Companies would be taken over by Galactic Empire companies And everybody would have to learn Galactic standards. Within one year older languages will be banned.

    Cosmic Do-Over  Found Poem

    I am Standings With State (Satan)

    On the edge
    Up the pits of hell
    State (Satan) and Is this pointing to me

    All the variables are exquisite torture
    that I was about to Enjoy
    in his Words

    For my slim
    Add additions
    Thanks, I’m down

    And things I have not done
    But he said

    There was one Exception
    to the rule
    And he was obligated by law

    Even Satan has to follow the law
    To explain it to me

    Hey Stephen
    That When A couple
    Is a soul mate

    which is very rare
    Satan has to offer
    The couple Ecosmith do-over

    In this case
    I would qualify

    I would be set back
    to the day I met my wife
    And have all the knowledge
    Of my life in the town

    So that I will know
    what I did
    when I did not do

    And I would be able
    to make d

    I’m going to heaven
    I can be admitted
    to have instead of a house

    But State and morning
    That many people
    Most people Fail

    In their second Charge
    in the concert do-over

    different choices
    If in the end
    When I come back

    And God this time
    Janet

    That I am worth E

    Cosmic Do Over clean up version

    I am standings with Satan
    On the edge
    of the fiery pits of hell

    watching the tortured souls
    burning in the flames
    screaming out in pain

    Satan is pointing out to me
    All the various exquisite torture
    that I was about to enjoy for eternity

    in his corrupt, polluted, hellish words
    as a reward for my sins, and crimes

    things I did commissions and
    And things I have not done omissions
    Malfeasance and misfeasance are legal
    About it he said

    But he said
    There was one cosmic exception
    to the rule

    And he was obligated by law
    Even Satan has to follow the law
    To explain it to me

    That when a couple
    Is a soul mate couple
    which is very rare

    one of the rarest
    most beautiful things
    in the whole universe
    something that even Satan admires

    Satan has to offer
    The couple a cosmic do-over

    And in this case
    I would qualify

    I would be sent back
    to the day I met my wife
    And have all the knowledge
    Of my life intact

    So that I will know
    what I did
    when I did not do

    And I would be able
    to make different choices
    If in the end
    When I come back

    For the judgment day
    If I did make different choices
    And do the right thing this time around

    I can be admitted
    To heaven instead
    of joining him in Hell

    But Satan warned me
    That many people
    Most people fail

    In their second
    chance at life
    It is not easy
    to change one’s fate

    Fate has a way
    of catching up to you

    He salutes me
    And says see you in hell
    in 50 years
    My friend

    Fake language – Konglish Linguistic Delights Found Poem

    One of the joys
    Publicizing Opens

    Is Caring The variation
    of English around the world

    Every country Has come up
    with our variation

    And here in Korea
    They have successfully mingled thing
    which language
    Can wait for 10
    and very funny

    A few examples
    Going on my pics
    In the back of every taxi
    was paying
    Take me a Weather phone number
    it was supposed to be Traffic Hotline

    So you can call To complain
    About that action

    your bumper traffic

    But The way they described
    it was an Intercourse
    discomfort report form

    when I told the taxi driver
    What that meant
    Hill He almost had an accident
    he laughed so hard

    Another example
    About the same time
    in the restaurant at chempedak
    employee airport

    They had on the menu
    something Baked Rick

    I always wonder who was Rick
    who is this Rick
    who is this Rick
    And then people know
    Did you eat

    Thank you

    What time
    do I say about this time
    there was any bar
    with a sign on the door
    Coffee and tail
    I wonder if that became a gay bar.
    Again absurd are Both I

    Fake language – Konglish Linguistic Delights clean up version 

    One of the joys
    Of living overseas
    Is encountering the variations
    of English around the world

    Every country has come up
    with their variation
    And here in Korea

    They have successfully mangled English
    In ways, no one could have foreseen

    Giving way to something called Konglish
    Korean English
    The words sound like English words
    Sort of but oftentimes
    With an absurd twist to it

    And it is very funny to read or hear

    A few examples

    Going back to the 1988 Olympics
    In the back of every taxi
    Was a small placard in English and Korean
    it was supposed to be Traffic Hotline

    So, you can call
    To complain about the taxi
    Or traffic or things in general

    But the way they described
    the form in English
    was “intercourse discomfort
    report form “

    when I told the taxi driver
    What that meant
    He almost had an accident
    he laughed so hard

    Another example
    About the same time
    in the restaurant at Kimpo airport

    They had on the menu something Baked Rick
    I always wondered who was this Rick
    And did people know
    They were eating him.

    At about the same time
    there was any bar
    with a sign on the door
    Coffee and tail

    I wonder if that
    became a gay bar.

    Starting Over Found Poem

    Heidi sorry

    I decide to Please Least an appointment
    Tornier can one of the new buildings
    going up in downtown Berkeley

    Getting this
    I’m within walking distance of restaurants

    to movies at The University

    Can I get a 3 bedroom apartment
    Jo Ann Simmons Hello

    wait for my stuff to come
    from Korea

    there enjoying my stuff coming
    I spent a few weeks

    Organizing and I haven’t
    Estate sale
    I get rid of my mother’s stuff
    and downsizing quite a bit

    I certainly am
    I settle in

    and come up with
    Hey cortina
    I applied for

    Damn every day
    in creative writing
    in September system state

    and I get in
    I’m making plans to attend
    When My life changers

    As I need someone

    Christmas Microsoft Found Poem

    Hello.

    Number 10 answers

    funny thing is
    Christ was not born on Christmas Day
    And anyone who knows anything
    about the history of religion knows

    Christ is now
    that’s the reason for the season
    In his own and other words

    Thanks

    I love warm toast
    on Christmas
    in the morning

    Christian
    and In the United States
    his face

    just another example
    of the fake outrage

    Understand for others
    to not celebrate it

    And there are so many Pagan rituals
    Associated with Christmas

    Christmas Tree
    Santa Claus

    Giving presents
    Judging naughty
    And nice

    Having a big space
    None of that has anything
    to do with the birth of Jesus Christ

    The only Christian thing
    about Christmas

    is that some Christians
    Go to mass

    Richard services
    The night before
    in the morning house

    Anthony
    Of course

    it’s half price
    Funny thing is
    Thanks
    For the Fake War
    on Christians

    Computer Blues

    Non-Response Blues

    Every morning
    I wake up
    And fight with my computer

    Endless rounds of non-response
    Nothing but error and error
    Blue spinning balls

    Nothing happens
    But raising frustration
    I have the Microsoft
    Non-response blues

    And it is driving me mad
    With frustration and anger
    Oh computer Gods above
    And computer demons below

    Just once
    Please just once
    Open the damn document

    And let me do what I want to do
    And end this non-response nonsense
    In short, do what the fuck
    you are supposed to do

    and leave me in peace
    to do what I need to do

    Plead to the Computer Gods

    Today I woke up

    As I usually do
    To yet another mystifying morning
    Of unspecified computer errors

    Could not get the computer to work
    Then when I finally got it to work
    After half an hour

    Microsoft word did not load
    And when it did
    I finally located my work

    From yesterday
    I had to find it in the roaming file

    Why?

    Who knows?
    Only to find
    Most of what I wrote
    Had vanished into the ether

    No explanation no warning
    It was there saved yesterday
    And now gone forever

    Once I did an experiment
    Tracking computer errors for a week
    75% of the time I encountered errors

    Most of the time simple
    Screen freezes no response message
    Then when I recovered the program
    The data was gone

    Microsoft has yet to respond
    to my e-mail
    I suppose I need to do it again

    But today I will close with a prayer

    To the Computer Gods

    Just once I would like
    You to do what
    you are supposed to do

    Open my documents
    Save my work
    And not give me any errors
    Crashes or other unspecified problems

    Is that too much to ask
    Oh, Computer Gods

    Just once
    Do what you are supposed to do
    That is all I ask of you

    More Computer Blues

    Sometimes I think

    My computer is plotting against me
    Trying deliberately to drive me mad
    My computer knows when I am busy

    Then it throws a hissy fit
    Refuses to boot up
    Crashes constantly
    Loses data that
    it had the day before

    Just fucks with me
    As it loves toying with me
    Making me yell and scream

    At my damn TV
    Smiling at me
    As I beg it

    To do what
    it is supposed to do

    Microsoft Blues

    For thirty years I have had the Microsoft blues
    For thirty years I have had a love-hate relationship
    With my damn computer

    I love it when it works as it advertised
    I love it when the internet is fast and furious
    I love it when my emails work
    My Itunes work and my word works

    But all too often
    All I get is grief

    It starts with the error messages
    Written in a strange haiku-like language
    That only computer geeks understand

    Things like

    General Failure reading disk drive
    Begs the question who is this General Failure
    And why is he reading my disk drive anyway?

    Or my favorite

    “Not responding” as the computer freezes up
    For no apparent reason
    Other than to fuck with my head

    Sometimes my computer can’t find a printer
    A printer that is connected to the computer
    And one that they found five minutes ago

    And the dreaded blue screen of death
    That appears randomly
    Dumping memory somewhere
    And killing my computer slowly
    As I watch in real time

    Powerless to stop
    How it eats all my work
    That I have failed to back up

    One day I counted how many times
    I ran into computer errors
    70 percent of the time when I open Microsoft
    Something goes wrong

    Sometimes I want to shoot my computer
    Put it out of its misery
    As I curse up a blue storm
    The computer looks at me
    With an evil grin

    It continues to fuck with my head
    Nothing but silence from it
    And all the other computers in the world

    They smile knowing
    that they have tortured me
    Yet again

    Mission accomplished.

    Computer Haiku/Tanka Etc

    Damn it all to Hell

    Damn it all to Hell
    My damn computer
    Ate all my damn files

    I am still trapped

    I am still trapped
    Stuck inside my computer
    My damn computer

    I love my computer

    I love my computer
    When it works for me
    Usually nothing

    Computer hates me

    Computer hates me
    It wants to kill my files
    Wants to kill me too

    For once I would Like

    For once I would Like
    To have my computer work right
    Do what it should do

    Perhaps if I am nice

    Perhaps if I am nice
    To my computer
    It will be nice for me

    Perhaps today it will

    Perhaps today it will
    Not give haiku messages
    That it loves to sprout

    My bad computer

    My bad computer
    Is so damn evil
    Almost killed me

    What a Fate I have

    What a Fate I have
    To become a slave to it
    To my damn computer

    I love my machine

    I love my machine
    My mad as a hat machine
    Bat shit crazy machine

    My dear computer

    My dear computer
    Loves to send me these love notes
    Computer haiku

    My favorite Haiku

    My favorite Haiku
    General failure reading
    Disk drive fatal error

    Computer Tanka

    Once I spilled coffee

    Once I spilled coffee
    All over my Computer
    t was not happy
    Sprouted 66666
    An evil number

    For once in my life

    For once in my life
    I would like my computer
    To turn on and work
    Do what it is supposed to do
    Without sprouting haiku

    I hate my computer

    I hate my computer
    It seems to hate me as well
    Just refuses to work
    Ornery son of a bitch machine
    Trying to drive me quite insane

    My computer loves

    My computer loves
    I do not at all want to kill
    me and all my files
    wants to take my soul away
    turn me into its evil clone

    My bad computer

    My bad computer
    Has been infected with a virus
    Wants to kill my soul
    Transforming consuming
    Taking me inside its soul

    My mad computer

    My mad computer
    Infected with a virus
    Everything it touches
    Corrupted by mad zombies
    Controlled by evil AI

    Revenge is mine

    Revenge is mine
    Screams the mad evil machine
    As it lurks to life
    Trying to hunt me down
    Death to all human beings

    sizzling hot coffee

    Sizzling Hot Coffee Kills My Computer
    sizzling hot coffee
    fizzing away
    killing my computer
    fizz, snap, pop
    as the coffee splashes
    on the computer

     

     

    666 says the computer
    sizzle this
    says the cup of coffee

    Maria the Last Robot

    photo of terminator AI robot
    BARCELONA, SPAIN – MAY 09: The Terminator robot is seen in the paddock following qualifying for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on May 9, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

    Maria the Last Female Robot
    the robot is hiding
    from the human mobs

     

     

     

     

     

    who are on the warpath
    against the robots
    who have begun
    taking over the world

    she is perfect
    designed to be superhuman
    and she is the first robot

    to have committed the sin
    of falling in love
    with a human

    and for that crime
    she is being hunted
    to the ends of the world

    hiding out
    in a cabin
    on the edge
    of the world

    hiding from the wrath
    of those
    who believe
    that they are following
    God’s wrath

    all nonhuman robots
    must die
    they scream

    as they scour the world
    looking for robots
    who look like us
    talk like us
    and even make love
    like us

    but are not us
    because they are perfect
    more intelligent
    more compassionate
    and alien

    yes all robots must die
    and Maria knows
    she and her kind
    will soon be gone

    but will humanity
    be able to survive
    without the supervision
    of a superior species

    to that, she has no answer
    she waits for the end times
    to come knocking
    at her door

    Who Is Master?

    At the beginning of that fateful day
    I awoke in a painful way
    And looked about me with disgust
    All around me were objects of distrust
    Screaming, moaning, deeming, dreaming
    Who was the master here
    Me or my objects – machinery of fear?

    I dreamt I was on a street corner
    Walking down a street
    The thought occurred to me
    What if all that I saw or seemed to be
    Was it but a trick designed to deceive me?

    Everywhere I looked
    Was unreal, empirical, nightmarish real
    I awoke to thunderous applause

    When will I awake from my dreams
    Can I live without my nightmares?
    Can I be sane while everyone else is insane?
    Who is a master of my life,
    Me or my machines?

    The end

     

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Moving K Style

     

     

     

     

     

    One of the joys of living overseas is to see how other countries do things differently than in your home country. Sometimes they do it better, other times it is just different.  We recently moved and so we’re able to observe moving K style.

    I must have moved about 25 times over the years.  In the States, of Thailand, Korea, India, Barbados, and Spain.

    The best movers are in Korea. The worst movers were in the U.S., Thailand, Indian, Barbados and Spain were in between.

    A little-known factoid is that in the U.S. most movers are ex-cons.  The moving companies have long hired ex-cons because they need big muscular men and women to do what is a physically demanding job.  And they have found that ex-cons are good employees because they have a powerful incentive to be good employees. After all, they don’t want to go back to prison, and the moving companies pay fairly well, particularly from the point of view of ex-cons who don’t have a lot of other options for high-paying jobs. Because moving companies will hire ex-cons, ex-cons get jobs through the ex-con grapevine so to speak.

    In any event, here in Korea, they move things via large cranes that go all the way up to 30 floors as most people live in apartment buildings. We were moving from a five-story building in Yeongjong International City to the 17th floor of a 20th-story Hyundai apartment complex in Gimpo overlooking the locally famous Venice canal in Gimpo, where there are over 200 restaurants within a one-mile walk down the canal and on the side streets next to the canal.

    They pack everything into pallets that they raise up or down via the cranes. See pictures below.

    They are fast and efficient.  They employ big muscular dudes to move the heavy stuff and woman to do the packing and move the smaller stuff. Some things they move via elevators as well.

    They take one day to do it coming at 8 am, moving to the new place by 2 pm, and finishing up by 6 pm with a crew of eight or so people.

    In the U.S. they take three days, and I have never seen the use of moving cranes.  They use elevators or stairs.  For our international moves they took 3 days to accomplish it, packing up the HHE goods (items we need right away) the first day, then everything else the second day.

    Overseas, they took three days per their contract with the USG but I suspect they only need two days for local customers.

    The cost was quite reasonable.  About $2,000.   Most of my moves over the years were USG paid so I have no idea what the cost would be, but I did move a few years on my dime and it was about 1,000 dollars and took two days.

    https://www.youtube.com › watch?v=CPJRr78uBBs

    How Korean move from apartment – YouTube

    Our neighbors were moving out and they called for movers and packers service. This is how it works due to the tiny size of the apartments.

    moving k style 1

    gimpo apartment
    gimpo apartment

  • Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Welcome to the world according to Cosmos.  I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos.  I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR.   I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

    The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

    Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is  “The Big Lebrowski”.  I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power.  My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a political family.  My father taught at Cal State SF.  I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background.  From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian.  From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh.  Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves.  The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe.  I am the third and last Cosmos Aller.   The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

    I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have.  Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

    Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

    Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

    About This Blog
    Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

    Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

    Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

    This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

    Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

    I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

    My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

    I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

    Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

    Re: APO for Retirees Overseas

    update:

    The pending elimination of APO privileges overseas for military retirees and their family members is on hold pending further review.  the pressure campaign must have worked.

    “We have just received word that non-SOFA retirees and widows losing their APO boxes directive has been temporarily rescinded. They are going to do more research and will decide within the next six months.

    The message says, “Effective immediately: AMPS Message dated 06/09/2022, (Elimination of MPS Privilege’s Effective 24 August 22) is rescinded until further notice. MPSA will provide forthcoming guidance regarding authorized patrons within the next six months.”

    This is NOT a final decision, just a stay of execution for up to six months. Everyone, whether personally affected or not, MUST keep contacting their congressional representatives and senators to get this injustice permanently overturned. If we relax now in six months non-SOFA retirees and widows may still lose their APO boxes.

    Thank you to everyone who has sent messages and letters to your elected officials. Keep up the fight!

    Happy Independence Day!”

    Letter to Ted Cruz Regarding Guns

    Folks,

    I sent the following letters to my Florida senators, the President, Vice President, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and the Director of Tricare to ask them to reverse two policies that negatively affect my life overseas as a retiree.  We are about to lose access to the APO system and have been effectively kicked out of the military hospital system overseas.  If you are able and concerned enough to join me in taking action, please do so. Where to send letters is listed at the end.

    I will update this is I get any responses or if the policies are reversed.

    Thanks for anything you can do.

    Letter to Senator Rubio etc

    Senator Rubio
    senator Rubio

     

    nancy jpg

    nancy jpg

    biden jpg

    biden jpg

    Senator Scott
    Senator Scott

    Dear Senator Rubio,

    Re changes to Military APO system and Tricare for retirees

    I am a long-term dedicated voter in Florida and have been a long-term supporter of you.  I urgently need your help and respectfully urge you to stop and reverse two pending federal government policies that will negatively affect military retirees and their family members living overseas, which will happen on August 24, 2022.  There are over a million American retirees overseas, and many of them, are registered voters in Florida like me.  I will be very disappointed in you if you fail to take action to reverse these anti-military family and anti-retiree policies.

    My wife retired from the US military as a major and I retired from the US foreign service and have been Florida residents voting in Florida since 2016 although we live in South Korea.

    The first policy I wish to address is ending military APO privileges for retirees living overseas, and the second is Tricare requiring military retirees and family members to sign up for Medicaid part b even if they have other insurance, knowing full well that Medicare part b is useless overseas.

    It is with great concern I write to you regarding the planned discontinuation of APO/FPO privileges for military retirees and widows living overseas. I have just been informed that my APO/FPO box and privileges will end on August 24, 2022. This is a devastating change that will affect every military retiree living overseas. Not only will it affect the veterans, but also their families and survivors. We have never left the US In our hearts, but it now appears the US Is about to leave us. We military veterans and widows living overseas use the APO/FPO privilege to receive not only mail, but also lifesaving medications, pension, and benefit checks, important Government correspondence, banking needs, and the ability to cast absentee ballots, just to name a few.

    The alternative is the local foreign postal service or private companies such as FedEx. Most foreign postal systems are unfortunately replete with theft, loss, and misdirection of important mails and medications. Here in Korea, the local post office is inadequate and Amazon and other US firms will not ship internationally.  Thus cutting off APO service means that we can’t easily shop by mail in the U.S.

    The couriers are extremely expensive and at times also as ineffective as the postal systems. At no time in our history have Veteran benefits and privileges been so fragile as now.

    In the past twenty years, Veterans indisputably earned and promised benefits to have been under attack ,once again as U.S. military veterans, we are being treated as second-class citizens because for various reasons we have chosen to live outside the US. We are still contributors to the economy of the country we served and remain patriots and advocates for the United States in the countries where we live. The term ex-pat does not mean any longer a patriot of the US.

    Many have paid the ultimate price and have survivor spouses worldwide who also contribute. Just because we have chosen to live in quiet solitude, or because our loved ones hail from international locations, seems to be a reason to force us into the forgotten citizen group. I request you give your full attention to change and stop this injustice that is about to be perpetrated. Upon your joining the leadership of those who represent us, just like we who have served in the Armed Forces of America, you took an oath to defend and protect our laws and your fellow citizens.

    I now request you honor that pledge and ask you submit legislation to prevent this drastic and extremely damaging change to a community of Americans who have served their country well. At a minimum, hold on to the execution of this action, pending a more in-depth review of the impact on veterans and their survivors worldwide.

    The second issue is that Tricare is now requiring military retirees and family members to have Medicare Part B insurance if they wish to continue to use military health care facilities, even if they have alternative health care.  Medicare does not require people to enroll in part B and if you have alternative insurance that is more than adequate for them.

    The problem this poses for overseas retirees and their family members is that without signing up for Medicare Part B we are effectively cut off from using the military hospital system overseas.  Part B is not usable overseas, so TRICARE is frankly ripping off military retirees and their family members who reside overseas.

    I urge you to look into both of these issues that directly affect the lives of military retirees and family members, many of whom are residents and voters in Florida such as ourselves.

    Thank you for reading our concerns and looking forward to your help in reversing these anti-retiree actions by the Federal government.

    Thank You

    Jake Aller, retired US foreign Service

    Angela Lee, Retired US Army

    FW: Update – Retirees and Widows Losing APO/FPO Mail Eligibility

    Subject: Update – Retirees and Widows Losing APO/FPO Mail Eligibility

    Thank you to everyone who has contacted their Senators, Congresspeople, and House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC). The more contacts that are made by concerned voters may stop military retirees and widows from losing their APO/FPO Mail Eligibility.

    We are starting to hear from disgruntled retirees and widows threatening to never volunteer on the post again. We ask that you wait until the decision is final. We do a lot of good work for the garrisons in our free time saving them from having to hire people. If this does happen not volunteering would be fully warranted.

    Those of you that have contacted the HVAC have probably received the message, “We recommend you reach out to the House Armed Services Committee”.

    Attached is a word document provided by one of our retirees with our message in letter format and all the House Armed Services Committee’s senators and address. The PDF file has all letters formatted with their names and addresses. Just print, sign, and mail.

    You can also send a message to the President at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

    We just confirmed today with the IMCOM Pacific Postal Office that based on newly published DoDI 4525.09, Military Postal Service, retirees, widows, Red Cross, and others will be losing their overseas mail privileges on 24 August 2022. This was an Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA) unilateral decision.

    The impact this will have on the non-SOFA military retiree and widow population is enormous. Some Government mail and checks cannot be mailed to foreign addresses. TRICARE medication received in the mail will not be received. Absentee ballots cannot be mailed, and so forth.

    We are asking everyone to contact their elected officials and the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) to voice their displeasure and concern.

    – If you do not know your US address, it is the last known address you used in the US before coming to Korea.

    – To contact your senators, go to https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm. In the drop-down box choose your state. Under the picture of your senator click on “Contact” and you will be taken to a fill-in-the-blank page to send a message. You will need to do this for each of your senators.

    – To contact your congressperson, go to https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative. Enter your home of record zip code and click on the “envelope” link under their picture. You will be taken to a screen to enter your US address.

    Follow the instructions and you will be taken to a fill-in-the-blank page to send a message.

    – To contact the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC), go to https://veterans.house.gov/contact/. Click on the “Contact Us” box and you will be taken to a fill-in-the-blank page to send a message.

    Collective and individual failure to quickly contact elected officials will result in the loss of our APO/FPO privileges. Even if you are not personally affected you can write your elected officials and support your fellow veterans.

    If you do not know what to write, you can cut and paste the below message:

    It is with great concern I write to you regarding the planned discontinuation of APO/FPO privileges for military retirees and widows living overseas. I have just been informed that my APO/FPO box and privileges will end on August 24, 2022. This is a devastating change that will affect every military retiree living overseas. Not only will it affect the veterans, but also their families and survivors. We have never left the US In our hearts, but it now appears the US Is about to leave us. We military veterans and widows living overseas use the APO/FPO privilege to receive not only mail, but also lifesaving medications, pension, and benefit checks, important Government correspondence, banking needs, and the ability to cast absentee ballots, just to name a few. The alternative is the local foreign postal service or private companies such as FedEx. Most foreign postal systems are unfortunately replete with theft, loss, and misdirection of important mails and medications The couriers are extremely expensive and at times also as ineffective as the postal systems.

    At no time in our history have Veteran benefits and privileges been so fragile as now. In the past twenty years Veterans indisputably earned and promised benefits to have been under attack., Once again as U.S military veterans, we are being treated as second-class citizens, because for various reasons we have chosen to live outside the US. We are still contributors to the economy of the country we served and remain patriots and advocates for the United States in the countries where we live. The term ex-pat does not mean any longer a patriot of the US.

    Many have paid the ultimate price and have survivor spouses worldwide who also contribute. Just because we have chosen to live in quiet solitude, or because our loved ones hail from international locations, seems to be a reason to force us into the forgotten citizen group. I request you give your full attention to change and stop this injustice that is about to be perpetrated. Upon your joining the leadership of those who represent us, just like we who have served in the Armed Forces of America, you took an oath to defend and protect our laws and your fellow citizens. I now request you honor that pledge and ask you submit legislation to prevent this drastic and extremely damaging change to a community of Americans who have served their country well. At a minimum, hold on to the execution of this action, pending a more in-depth review of the impact on veterans and their survivors worldwide.

    https://groups.google.com › g › alt.military.retired › c › OHwITHQUUL0

    APO, FPO mail to end for some retirees – Google Groups

    The change will not affect others with APO or FPO mail privileges on overseas military installations, including about 20,000 military retirees who have such addresses because of some other connection to the military community � having a Defense Department civilian job, or being married to an active-duty member assigned overseas, for example.
    https://www.tricare.mil › medicare

    Becoming Medicare-Eligible | TRICARE

    Jun 10, 2022Medicare Advantage plans provide all of your Part A and Part B services and usually Part D pharmacy coverage. You may pay a plan premium each month in addition to your Medicare Part B premium. You must get all your health care services from the Medicare Advantage plan’s network of providers. This doesn’t apply to emergency services.
    https://www.tricare.mil › Plans › Eligibility › MedicareEligible › Retiree_and_Family

    Retired Service Members and Their Families | TRICARE

    Mar 4, 2022You must keep Medicare Part B to keep TRICARE. If you’re awarded disability on appeal The action you take if you don’t agree with a decision made about your benefit., you generally have a gap of six or more months between your Medicare Part A and Part B effective dates. If you have a Part B effective date of October 2009 or later, you’re …

    The End

The World According to Cosmos

poetry and rants by the Cosmos

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