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)
Seoul and DC opened their subways in 1974. I rode both for the first time in 1979.Both had about the same number of stations five or six stations on one line. What adifference 45 years has made. Seoul has build a world class subway system with over 600 stations stretching over 200 miles, while DC has build five lines and many people consider it to be among the worst subway systems in the world. I rode both for the first time in 1979 and I have been riding both ever since. I love the Seoul Metro and am glad that it has become one of the best subways in the world and I am very disappointed at the deterioration of the DC subway system and concur in the opinion that is now one of the worst mass transit systems in the world.
Seoul World Class System in 45 Years
45 years later since opening in 1974, the Seoul city subway has grown to be one of the biggest subway system in the world with 19 lines over 600 station stretching over 200 miles connecting many outlining cities too so as part of one integrated mass transit system. it is fast efficient cheap safe and most people in the soul metro area live within a half a mile ofa station. there are five more lines being planned and build. By 2025 there will be over 700 stations. The signs are bilingual and all announcements are in four languages and are very clear. Each subway station has a has a TV screen for stop announcements in four languages – Korean, Japanese, Chinese and EnglishThe fair machines operate in four languages as well.The subway attendance all speak some English and are very helpful and friendly. Every subway stop has clean restrooms. Every station has services and restaurants a number of stations featuring long underground shopping malls. The metro system makes so much money in renting shops and servicesand advertising that the fares are heavily subsided. You can pay by phone, credit card or T transit card. The trains are very clean and people can eat on the train without fear of being arrested. Close to 70% use the train frequently . The trains are safe, violent crime is unheard of, and there has never been a derailment or serious accident. and the trains are repaired quickly, maintenance is never neglected.Foreign visitors love the system and use it frequently as it is quite foreigner friendly. Ridership at night is quite strong due to newly imposed strict drunk driving laws.
DC Metro a Broken System
Contrast that with the DC Metro.The DC Metro has five lines about 125 stations and will finally connect to the Dulles Airport next year, 50 years after first planning to extend to the airport. the system was planned before the dramatic development of suburban Virginia and Maryland and the system does not serve the suburban areas very well as the majority of the train stations are in DC, or Arlington county. Because there is only one tunnel under the river trains to Virginia are forced to use one tunnel making it difficult to schedule trains.The train are expensive, overcrowded, dangerous and only about 25% of the region are within a one mile walk to the a train stations. there have been a number of derailments, fires, and violent attacks on the subway. It takes months to repair the escalators which are frequently broken. The stations do not have restrooms or any service and is against the law to eat or drink on the train.The Subway has just added Wifi,You can not pay by phone, or credit card.The loudspeaker system is very poor and most of the time you cannot hear the announcement; announcements are only in English, and occasionally Spanish. The subway fare machines are also only in English.The cost to use the metro is about 10 times the cost of using the Seoul Metro, in recent years, a number of stations have been taken off-line for repairs.The attendants are not friendly or helpful. Only ten percent of the public use the metro but half of tourists use the metro. and the metro is confusing and foreigner unfriendly.
What Accounts for the Difference in Outcomes?
What accounts for these different outcomes for systems that were build in the same year?
Political Will to Construct a World Class System in Seoul
First and foremost the Korean government put money, effort and political will into buildinga modern world class transportation and infrastructure most of the cost of the metro comes through rental revenues and advertisement income.Less than 10 % comes from fares because the government subsidizes fares to keepthe cost of using the system very reasonable to ensure larger ridership.
Second in Korea public domain laws are very strong and it is almost impossible to block extensions of either subways or freeway system and there would be no support for blocking construction. In fact there is strong support for continuing expanding the system and five more lines are under planning or construction when the system is completed in a few years it will be perhaps this second largest system in the world.
Third there is no requirements for environmental impact assessments or other regulatory burdens that make it difficult to build public infrastructure in the United States
Forth there is broad public support for Government investment in infrastructure.
Fifth the subway system is managed very efficiently. There are actually four Corporation involved but coordination it’s very well-done and the user does not even know that there are four corporations involved, for the user there is only one system.Transfers between different lines is easy as there are always underground passageways connecting the different lines.
Finally and most importantly, everyone uses the metro, even the wealthy use the system from time to time,It is truly a mass transit system for the benefit of the public.
Contrast this with the DC Metro Experience – lack of political will to construct and maintain a world class system
The DC Metro generates about half of revenues through fares,There is no rental income, but some advertisement income and parking fee income as well. . Keeping fares low was never a priority for the system. There is no dedicated funding.The system is run jointly by DC ,Virginia, Maryland and the federal government and they don’t often agree on fundamental issues, and no one is really in charge. Lack of funding especially no rental income and marginal ad revenue and parking revenues, has always meant that the system neglected maintenance to the point that they have to rebuild the system station by stationat a very high cost.The constant construction has resulted in many riders fleeing the system, leading to decreased revenues and the need to increase fares due to the shortage of fare income.In many respects the DC metro system is a perfect case study of how not to manage a large transit system whereas the Seoul system is a poster child for proper transit system management.
Second although there is support for the Metro among residents of DC there is not that much support in the outer suburbs and congressman from rural areas are hostile to spending tax dollars to support public transit improvements as it does not benefit their constituents.Due to Gerrymandering and the requirement that each state has two Senators, rural interests are vastly over represented in congress. Related to this is the widespread feeling that all government spending is somehow bad, and that the private sector will and should solve all problems. The Republican party is also committed to keeping taxes as low as possible especially for the rich donor class, and starving the federal government of needed funds for such things as infrastructure improvements. and will not consider raising taxes today for infrastructure especially mass transit. There is a wide spread feeling that transit systems should be funded entirely through fares, while freeways should be kept free to users.
Only Losers Use Public Transit
Since so few people actually use the system, and there is a widespread feeling that only lower class people use the system, there is little political support for the system which is used by other people.Or as Homer Simpson said once, “only losers ride the bus.” Unfortunately the view is widespread in the U.S.As a result, US infrastructure has been consistently rated a D- grade by the American Association for Civil Engineering. a
Government Quit Investing in Infrastructure Starting in the late 70’s
Related to this the government starting in the 1980s quit making investments in public infrastructure and the cost to rebuildAmerican infrastructure will exceed $3 trillion. There is no political well to cut bloated defense and national security spending to devote to rebuilding infrastructure nor is there any willingness to raise taxes to pay for infrastructure investments.
Third environmental regulations, legal restrictions and the NIMBY ( Not in my backyard) feeling makes planning and funding infrastructure very difficult.
Fourth the system was not planned out very well there’s no equivalent to the number two line circular line and transferring between stations is difficult . There is one station where two lines come together about a half a mile apart but there is no underground passageway connecting the two lines. When the system was planned in the late 60’s, most people commuted to jobs in the district or in Arlington county.No one anticipated the rapid development of Fairfax, London and Prince William counties in Virgina and suburban Maryland as well. Thus the stations no longer go where people need to go.
Kissinger Moved the Metro from the State Department Fearing Some One Would Bomb the State Department
An interesting anecdote is that the original planwas for a Metro stop under the State Department with an underground passageway to the Kennedy Center .Kissinger felt that someone might blow up the State Department ordered the line to be relocated 3/4 mile away, andan underground passage way to the Kennedy center was never built.
The plan station in Georgetownwas block by opposition from mostly white locals who were afraid too many black undesirables would be able to easily get to Georgetown.
Finally because the metro is divided between three statesand the federal government and no one is really charge it is very difficult to manage the system. This is compounded by the lack of dedicated funding and no rental income. All of which makes it difficult to keep up on maintenance or to expand the system which needs to be done. The DC metro area has grown to over 7 million people and is close to NYC in population density without the transit and other infrastructure to support such a large population.
Recommendations for DC Metro
My recommendations to the DC metro system is to ask for dedicated funding, to open retail services in all stations in order to the increase revenues and ridership. Add restrooms to each station.Lift the ban on eating and drinking on the trains.Fix the announcement system and make all announcements in English, Spanish and perhaps Chinese?make the fare boxes trilingual as well.
Reorganize the system to become the Metropolitan Metro authority with authority over the trains, the bus systems and the commuter railroads. An advisory committee consisting of representatives of DC, Maryland, Virginia, the Federal Government, riders and employees would advise the board.
Expand or Die
The DC metro needs to dramatically expand the number of stations, doubling the number of stations within ten years and expanding the system all the way to Quantico in Virginia and all the way to Baltimore where it would connect to the Baltimore transit system. They also need to construct another tunnel under the river.
the Metro system needs to develop an ambitious plan to double the number of station within ten years including building a new tunnel underground river under the Potomac River and building two Circular lines, an inner line and an outer line, perhaps on top of 495, 395 and 295, (Note: Seoul needs to build an outer circular line as well end note)
. One line would go down to Quantico, going through Ford Belvoir, another line should connect Springfield to Tysons anda final line should be constructed along Columbia Pike and Little River Turnpike. in Maryland I would build a line along Rockville Pike, and build a line connecting Colombia to Baltimore connecting with the Baltimore metro system.
Visit Seoul for Inspiration and to Learn How to Do it Right
I would recommend sending a team to theSeoul City metro system to study how they created such a world class metro system and learn from their success. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel and I’m sure the Seoul Metro staff would love to give you the benefit of their success.
the writer, a retired US diplomat living inYeongjongdo first rode both systems in 1979 and has used both systems over the years.He is very pleased at the development of the Seoul system into one of the best in the world, and very disappointed in the deterioration of the DC Metro over the same time period.
additional comments November 22, 2019
Dream 10,236 Metro pet Peeves
My top pet peeves for the DC metro are
not enough stations should be at least double
no restrooms
no services.In Korea, Japan, China the metro pay for themselves out of rental income as every station ismini-shopping mall, or has offices and housing built on land owned by the metroA major source of revenue. In DC metro only a few stations are build that way.
4. No food or drink on the station
5. discriminatory enforcement of this rule seems only black and brown teenagers are arrested, white people and foreign visitors are warned
6. lack of signage advising people to stand on the right, walk on the left
7. people who don’t stand on the right, walk on the left
8.lack of connections between nearby stations.why Farragut West and Farragut North don’t have an underground connection is beyond me.
9. serious lack of signage throughout the system
10. loudspeakers that no one can hear
11. inaccurate signage re next train coming
12.total lack of communication where they is a problem
13.constant repair work
14.why does it take months to repair the escalators?
15.Why don’t they get rid of the escalator except in a few stations?
16.total lack of planning for planned disruptions.Last summer it took four hours to get home from a base ball game because Metro had not provided enough shuttle buses at the Pentagon station.
17.total lack of planning for unplanned disruptions.when that occurs, lots of luck getting on the proverbial shuttle bus that never come
18 god help us if there is a terrorist incident
19. violent disruptive passenger everywhere
20.muggings at night
21. coyote attacks
22.lack of coordination between different transit providers – it should be one system
23. too damn expensive
24. too slow
25.Does not go everywhere
Dream10, 237 Seoul Metro Pet Peeve
top pet peeves for Seoul metro?
why does the ARA stop at Geoman station only why not go to the airport every time? Makes no sense.
same thing for the other lines. why not just run them to the end stations? would be a lot easier to do
deceptive signs for bathrooms – indicating that they are on the other door of the elevator only to find that there are no restrooms there
restrooms only available inside the paid area
Dream DC 10,238 Metro Expansion Plans
the DC metro system needs to be expanded perhaps doubled in size.Here are some of the proposed extensions all of which have considerable merit and should be expedited
One thing that metro should consider and I am amazed that they are not is building on every site commercial establishments making each station a mini-shopping destination.this would provide Metro with tremendous rental income allowing Metro to pay for most of its expansion without incurring additional costs or tax subsidies and would allow Metro to keep fares low.
such mini-station developments are a key feature of the success of the Korean, Japanese and Chinese metro systems.
WMATA expects an average of one million riders daily by 2030. The need to increase capacity has renewed plans to add 220 cars to the system and reroute trains to alleviate congestion at the busiest stations.[189] Population growth in the region has also revived efforts to extend service, build new stations, and construct additional lines.
The most prominent expansion is the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, dubbed the Silver Line, a 23-mile (37 km) extension from the Orange Line into Loudoun County, Virginia, by way of Tysons Corner and Washington Dulles International Airport. Rail to Dulles has been discussed since the system opened in 1976. The current Silver Line project was formally proposed in 2002 and initially approved by the Federal Transit Administration in 2004.[190] After several delays, federal funding for Phase 1 was secured in December 2008[191] and construction began in March 2009.[192] The line is being constructed in two phases; the first phase to Wiehle–Reston East in Reston, Virginia opened July 26, 2014,[193] and the second phase to Ashburn, beyond Dulles Airport, is projected for completion in 2020.[194]
In 2008 officials began to explore the possibility of adding an infill station called Potomac Yard in the Potomac Yard area of Alexandria, on the Blue and Yellow Lines between the National Airport and Braddock Road stations. In 2010 the Alexandria City Council approved a portion of the proposed $240 million construction of the station. Construction would start in 2019 and the station is expected to open in 2021.[195]
The original plan called for ten “future extensions” on top of the core system. The Red Line would have been extended from the Rockville station northwest to Germantown, Maryland. The Green Line would have been lengthened northward from the Greenbelt station to Laurel, Maryland, and southward from the Branch Avenue station to Brandywine, Maryland. The Blue Line initially consisted of a southwestern branch to Backlick Road and Burke, Virginia, which was never built. The Orange Line would have extended westward through Northern Virginia past the Vienna station, and northeastward past New Carrollton to Bowie, Maryland. Alternatively, the Blue Line would have been extended east past Largo Town Center to Bowie. The future Silver Line was also included in this proposal.[16]
In 2001, officials considered realigning the Blue Line between Rosslyn and Stadium–Armory stations by building a bridge or tunnel from Virginia to a new station in Georgetown. Blue Line trains share a single tunnel with Orange Line and Silver Line trains to cross the Potomac River. The current tunnel limits service in each direction, creating a choke point.[196] The proposal was later rejected due to cost,[197] but Metro again started considering a similar scenario in 2011.[198]
In 2005 the Department of Defense announced that it would be shifting 18,000 jobs to Fort Belvoir in Virginia and at least 5,000 jobs to Fort Meade in Maryland by 2012, as part of that year’s Base Realignment and Closure plan. In anticipation of such a move, local officials and the military proposed extending the Blue and Green Lines to service each base. The proposed extension of the Green Line could cost $100 million per mile ($60 million per kilometer), and a light rail extension to Fort Belvoir was estimated to cost up to $800 million. Neither proposal has established timelines for planning or construction.[199][200]
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced on January 18, 2008, that it and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) had begun work on a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the I-66 corridor in Fairfax and Prince William counties. According to VDOT the EIS, officially named the I-66 Multimodal Transportation and Environment Study, would focus on improving mobility along I-66 from the Capital Beltway (I-495) interchange in Fairfax County to the interchange with U.S. Route 15 in Prince William County. The EIS also allegedly includes a four-station extension of the Orange Line past Vienna. The extension would continue to run in the I-66 median and would have stations at Chain Bridge Road, Fair Oaks, Stringfellow Road and Centreville near Virginia Route 28 and U.S. Route 29.[201] In its final report published June 8, 2012, the study and analysis revealed that an “extension would have a minimal impact on Metrorail ridership and volumes on study area roadways inside the Beltway and would therefore not relieve congestion in the study corridor.”[202]
In 2011 Metro began studying the needs of the system through 2040. WMATA subsequently published a study on the alternatives, none of which were funded for planning or construction.[198][203] New Metro rail lines and extensions under consideration as part of this long term plan included:
Before construction on Metro began, a proposed station was put forward for the Kennedy Center. Congress had already approved the construction of a station on the Orange/Blue/Silver Lines at 23rd and H Streets, near George Washington University, at the site of what is now Foggy Bottom station. According to a Washington Post article from February 1966, rerouting the line to accommodate a station under the Center would cost an estimated $12.3 million.[204] The National Capital Transportation Agency‘s administrator, Walter J. McCarter, suggested that the Center “may wish to enhance the relationship to the station by constructing a pleasant, above-ground walkway from the station to the Center,” referring to the soon-to-be-built Foggy Bottom station. Rep. William B. Widnall, Republican of New Jersey, used it as an opportunity to push for moving the Center to a central, downtown location.[205]
The 2011 Metro transit-needs study identified five additional sites where infill stations could be built. These included Kansas Avenue and Montgomery College on the Red Line, respectively in Northwest D.C. and Rockville, Maryland; Oklahoma Avenue on the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines near the D.C. Armory in Northeast D.C.; Eisenhower Valley on the Blue Line in Alexandria, Virginia; and the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus on the Green Line in Southwest D.C.[203]:11
A number of light rail and urban streetcar projects have been proposed to extend or supplement service provided by Metro. Like the Silver Line in Virginia, the proposed Purple Line has been in planning since the 1980s.[206] The project was originally envisioned as a circular heavy rail line connecting the outer stations on each branch of the Metrorail system, in a pattern roughly mirroring the Capital Beltway.[207] The current proposal would create a light rail system in Maryland between the Bethesda and New Carrollton stations by way of Silver Spring and College Park. Such a plan would connect both branches of the Red Line to the Green and Orange Lines, and would decrease the travel time between suburban Metro stations.[206][208]
The Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) is a proposed 15-mile (24 km) bus rapid transit line that would link Clarksburg, Maryland, in northern Montgomery County with the Shady Grove station on the Red Line.[209] Assuming that the anticipated federal, state, and local government funds are provided, construction of the first 9 miles (14 km) of the system would begin in 2018.[210]
In 2005, a Maryland lawmaker proposed a light rail system to connect areas of Southern Maryland, especially the rapidly growing area around the town of Waldorf, to the Branch Avenue station on the Green Line.[211]
The District of Columbia Department of Transportation is building the new D.C. Streetcar system to improve transit connectivity within the District. A tram line to connect Bolling Air Force Base to the Anacostia station and was originally expected to open in 2010. Streetcar routes have been proposed in the Atlas District, Capitol Hill, and the K Street corridor.[212] After seven years of construction, the Atlas District route, known as the H/Benning Street route, opened on February 27, 2016.[213]
In 2013, the Georgetown Business Improvement District proposed a gondola lift between Georgetown and Rosslyn as an alternative to placing a Metro stop at Georgetown in its 2013–2028 economic plans.[214] Washington, D.C and Arlington County have been conducting feasibility studies for it since 2016.[214]
Dream 10,239 Seoul Metro Expansion Plans
Some possible metro extensions I’d love to see
extending the gold line to Ganghwa island
extending a line down Ganghwa and over to the airport
extending the Maglev across Yeongjongdo and linking Changha international city and Songdo
theuijeongbu LRT Should be extended to Nowon
A line should be built between Songdo and the International Airport, and Kimpo airport as well
the maglev around the island project needs to be accelerated
the maglev in Incheon city should be operated as a rapid transit line not just as a novelty for tourists.
the ARA should be extended to Muido with the terminus the beaches at the end of the island with two other stops on the island and one stop before Youngju station. The maglev should be extended to the beaches
the maglev should be extended to Songdo. In the meantime a RTBline should be set up
the planned bridge to Change should be accelerated and include a subway line or Maglev line
the planned bride to Ganghwa should be expanded to include maglev or subway lines
the gold line should be extended to Ganghwa
Line 3,4,5,6.7, 8 and 9 lines should be extended on both ends
Other possible extensions include extending a line south to Sejong City and Taejon.
Finally an outer loop ring line should be consorted as well linking the end lines of many of the lines
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)
The Korean government has ambitious plans for developing Youngjongdo where I live. Here are my proposals for how I would develop the island.I hope someone from the Incheon government is reading this and will take these proposals seriously,
First dust off the plan for extending the maglev trainaround the islandensuring that the maglev train connects sky city, Midan, Youngjong Unseo stations Cheonga international city, Geoman, and new KTX station being built in Gyeyang station, and ensure that the maglev links the new city casinos the waterfront development, the pier to WolmiDo, the Pier to Change island, and the beaches and to Muido. extend the Maglev to Songdo, and link it to the abandoned Asian games Maglev and extend it to Incheon station which would be the terminus.
Build a cross island Maglev train connecting Jangbongdo, World Peace Forrest, Unseo station, Youngjong station, Midan, Casino complex, Sky City, a water park, and Wolmido where it would connect with the other Maglev line.
Build Bridges with Maglev trains on them to Jangbongdo, and Ganghwa Islands
Build bridges to Jangbongdo island, Wolmido, and Ganghwa Island, and have the maglev train and subway trains run on the bridge.The terminus for the Maglev would be Incheon Station, Jangbongdo station, Ganghwa city station, and Gyeyang stations.
Finish building a bridge/maglev train to Jangbongdo Island and to Ganghwa island with the terminus of the maglev being Ganghwa city.the Maglev would connect to the gold line extension to Ganghwa island.stop the policy of stopping some ARX trains at Geoman station, all trains should go to the terminus which will be Muido.
Install mandatory solar power, solar water heaters, rooftop gardens, mini-wind turbines and water Harvesting systems on all buildings five story tall or taller
Second provide a tax incentive to property owners to install solar water heating Solar power panels, rooftop gardens and trees and water harvesting systems for all buildings over five stories.Installation of such systems would be mandatory for buildings taller than five stories, strongly encourages for all other buildings. I would feed all excess into the power grid and most buildings should be self-sufficient water. The garden products would be given to residents as a perk of living in the building.I would also add mini-wind turbines on the top of call buildings. The incentive would be offered to all property owners but only mandatory four buildings over five stories. This would be a pilot project, if successful, they would roll it out nationwide starting in Incheon, and Seoul. Putting solar panels, solar water heaters, rooftop gardens and trees, mini wind turbines and water harvesting systems on top of all top buildings is something that is long overdue.
Redevelop World Peace Forrest, turn old salt mines and Quarries into parks
Redevelop the world peace Park and promote it, running free shuttles from the Airport and local subway stops and Maglev stops with a Maglev stop near the lake.This would involve constructing a stream connecting the lake and the Lotus pond stocking the lake and the stream with fish, building a fishing pier in the lake for fishing and a restaurant/Snack bar big shop at the lake which would cook up any fish people caught.Allow swimming at the lake.Run free shuttle buses from subway stations and the airport and put a maglev train stop near one entrance to the park near the lake. Promote spending time at the World Peace Forrest parks for international visitors who have long overlays. Build a stream park from the World Peace Forest Park to the airport as an extension of the world peace forest. Stock the stream with fish. and extend it to the beaches.
Turn the old abandoned salt mines and quarries into a park, and stock the lake with fish, and build a restaurant/snack bar and bait shop at the lake.allow swimming at the lake.
Connect the scream park by the cultural center to the steam park to the airport and to the world peace force, extend the stream park all the way to the Wolmido pier through Sky City., Extend the stream park past the airport to the beaches.creating a walking trail between the beaches and the world peace forest and Paekdusan mountain, and to the Wolmido pier via Sky City streamExtend the free shuttle from the airport and subway stops to the new Parks which should also have maglev Subway stop on them. Build walking trails in Kumsan mountains and link the other mountains together in an integrated walking trail.
build island wide walking trails
Build a walking bike trail all around the coast of the island as well with links to the World Peace Parks, the Quarry park, the salt lake park, and the mountain parks.Build a walking trail linking the mountains on Muido to the other trail.add a link to the Jangbongdo island trails once the bridge is connected.. Build a network of trails on Ganghwado including a coastal trail and like them to the Yeongjongdo trail network.Build restaurants and bike rental shops along the walking trails,
build regional fish market at wolmido Pier
Rebuild the fish market at the Wolmido pier into a regional fish market destination and include a farmers’ market with locally grown produce.add restaurants and a night market.
More badminton and Tennis courts
Build a badminton court and tennis courts at the park by the library I’m in the new Parks including at the piece of world peace parts
turn Jangbongdo into Korean equivalent of the Hamptons
TurnJangbongdo island into the Korean equivalent of the Hampton Islands as a weekend and summer vacation Second home for the upper middle class and business expat communities and offer land for diplomatic retreat housing as well.
Allow Koreans to Gamble at least once a week
Allow Koreans to gamble at the Paradise and the new casinos, perhaps limiting entry to one 24 period per week to minimize damage
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)
The Truth Shall Set You Free, But True Knowledge Kills
Short Story
By Jake Cosmos Aller
Ever since that fateful night when I was indoctrinated into the “True Knowledge,” I have looked at the world in a different light. It all went down so fast. After learning the secret history of the last five thousand years, I saw everything in a different, more sinister and dark light. The list of people who have been brought into the conspiracy reads like a list of the most prominent political and business leaders of world history. Trump was on the list as well as Pence and most of the Senate, and most members of the media. It seemed like everyone who matters was not whom they seemed to be but were part of this evil cabal.
Was Lydon LaRouche RIght?
I work for the government, just one of the army of govbots who float in and out of the Metro system every morning commuting to their jobs with the government and back home to their suburban townhouses. The day my world came crashing down on me began as I picked up a brochure from the “Lyndon LaRouche Group” at the Foggy Bottom Metro in downtown D.C. I commented to my colleagues on the way home that I enjoyed reading it, although I did not believe most of his conspiracy theories he had a point, a lot of good points. We laughed it off as a big joke.
A few days later I was getting on the train, when a middle age nondescript white man, with brownish hair, about 6 feet tall, dressed like any other middle age white suburban federal employee in a conservative suit and tie – probably on his way home to his suburban home in Virginia, bumped into me. He apologized and slipped me the following note. I saw the note when I got home and connected it with the strange incident at the subway.
The note read, “Lyndon used to work for us. He knows most of the truth. We left him alone because we are able to ensure that no one takes his writings seriously. My job is to prevent knowledge of the truth; the so-called “true knowledge” gets out. Anyone who appears to be taking his stuff seriously has to be followed and either brought into the game or neutralized. Be very careful. Our agents are watching you like a hawk and have your internet connections under constant surveillance. Your phone and house are tapped. We have enough already to get you into serious trouble with your bosses as we know you are an internal dissenter. And we know that you like pornography and we know about several of your affairs and we have copies of e-mails you sent to various women with shall we say suggestive comments that could be misconstrued. We have even faked a few photos and videotapes of you engaging in some of your fantasies. By the way, you are a good writer!
Next time we contact you, make sure you come to the meeting spot. I will meet you and explain further. Momentous events are about to happen and you can either be on the inside on the winning team or on the outside or probably end up dying like most of your fellow human beings. It will be your choice, my friend. We believe that you could be an asset, – you can write and speak persuasively, you have lots of loyal friends and most importantly you are probably intelligent enough to know that being on the winning ticket is usually the right choice to make for you and your family. Remember tell no one about this – not even your wife. Do not try to contact us through the La Roche Group – they have been compromised. We will be in touch.”
Agent Spartacus X
I said that this could not be happening must be some sort of vicious joke. In any event, I am intrigued enough to get out the Lyndon pamphlet from the trash and read it.
Lyndon posits a grand conspiracy of British and American big bankers working together since the 15th century to continue to secretly dominate the world. The roots of the conspiracy date back to the Knight Templars of the middle ages which morphed into the Freemasons, then the fabled Illuminati. Most recently, they have been associated with the Council on Foreign Relations, The Bohemian Club, and The Project for a New American Century. They are often now often called the Vulcans or the Neocons. But the Neocons are just a small American inner circle of a much broader interrelated international conspiracy.
They had almost succeeded in their plans when the Great Depression came along and laid waste to their plans. Lyndon argues that the Great Depression was engineered by them – others disagree. But all of the paranoid writers I read agreed that in response to the Great Depression, they took advantage of the chaos and engineered the rise of Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo and were working to bring Britain and the U.S. into the fold.
Their goal – a Pan Germanic-Anglo dominated world fascist system to fight against the evils of Communism and Socialism. The Birchers and others thought that Communism was also part of their master plot, others disagree. They thought that the U.S. would fall into place and eventually Hitler would unite the Germanic and Anglo worlds into a grand empire that would control the world forever. They would run the Empire through charismatic fools like Hitler. They would have continual wars which are good for business and they would have periodic depressions to ensure that they can continually buy up their competitors. Franklin Roosevelt disrupted their plans, as did Truman, Kennedy, Carter, Clinton and Obama. Nixon, Ford and Bush 1, Cheney, was part of the Conspiracy as was Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton was not. Reagan and Bush 11 were merely useful puppets. Obama had fought against them but was constrained by the entire deep state which is filled with members of the cabal. Donald Trump and Pence were merely their latest puppets, although Pence was part of the inner circle, Trump was not trusted to be “disciplined” enough to be let in on the truth.
One day I see Agent Spartacus on the subway. I go up to him and ask him how is doing, acting as if he is a fellow employee that I have not seen in a while.
He responds, “Just fine.”
He then whispers, “Check your phone for a message in 10 minutes.”
He jumps on the Orange train and I wait for the Blue train. At King Street station, my phone beeps with a message.
“Meet me Friday night at “Coyote Ugly” at 6 pm. Be on time. We will have a drink there and then find someplace we can talk quietly. Be prepared to spend a couple of hours. Your wife will be out of town on business. Remember we are watching you and monitoring you. Spartacus.”
I was freaked out after reading the message. My wife had not mentioned any business trip. I go home and she tells me she has to go out of town on Friday for a weeklong trip to Ft Hood on TDY. My wife was in the military, I was used to her constant TDY’s on short notice, and I knew that sometimes she could not tell me what she was really up to as her clearances outranked mine by an order of magnitude. But how Spartacus knew bothered me. Was my wife part of the conspiracy? I knew that I had to meet him. What he was hinting was monstrous. And the possibility that my wife was involved even more horrible. I knew if I told her my suspicions, she would laugh it off and tell me to lay off the Science Fiction novels for a while. The possibility that she could be working with them also entered my mind and stayed there like a stubborn weed that would not die.
And if she were part of this conspiracy would she tell me or them? I thought that I could not go to the authorities because it seemed clear that many of the senior officers were part of this dark conspiracy and no one would believe me. I would be dismissed as a nut case, possibly hauled to a psychiatric hospital or just made to disappear, at the very least, my security clearance would be yanked, and I would be unemployed if not unemployable. And since they have also strongly warned me to be quiet I knew the risks would be pretty high so, despite my burning desire to talk things over with my wife, I kept quiet.
The Honey Pot Is Laid Out
Friday night I go to Coyote Ugly. I sit down. Spartacus is not there. A beautiful Korean woman wearing skintight blue jeans, showing off her great ass, a tank top with long black hair running down her back and lovely almond-shaped eyes, and a cute face sits down unasked and tells me that Spartacus sent his regards but could not make it. She would go to dinner with me instead. I am suspicious that some sort of honey trap was being set up against me. I looked around for cameras and surveillance but realized that they would probably be hidden. I resolve to keep my wits about me, not drink and not give into temptation, although when she went off to the restroom her luscious ass tempted me.
The old blues standard by Junior Wells, “Everyone Getting Some But Me” starts playing on the jukebox. I listen to my favorite line, “A girl in skin-tight pants walk on by, with an ass so fine my eyeballs hurt” and I said to myself. “Damn. They are good. They even know that I am an ass man, love the blues and this song in particular, and I love Asian women. Damn.”
I pay my bill and we enter a nearby sushi place. She seems to be a regular. We order some sushi and soju to drink. A message pops up
“Jake. Could not make it. Miss Lee works for me. She will give you a letter. Read it and leave or stay and have fun with her. She will do anything and everything you ever wanted from a woman sexually. She has been instructed to seduce you as a honeypot approach.
Not my idea, but my superiors. I would rather play you straight up with the facts. But if you do go with her know that it will be recorded and used against you if you step out of line. But on the other hand, she is good and we know what you like as we have read your sex fantasies. You are a good writer, my friend. So if you do it, enjoy. We will meet next week after you read the letter and survive this first test. Spartacus”
I ask Miss Lee in Korean
이씨에게 무슨 일이 있는지 아십니까?
issiege museun il-i issneunji asibnikka?
Do you know what is going?”
She laughs and said
나는
나에게 편지를주고 나에게 좋은 시간을 보여달라고 들었다. 그녀는 또한 그녀가 내가 좋아하는 것을 들었고 그녀가 원하는 방식으로 그녀를 원한다고 말했습니다. 나는 당신의 Assman 이야기를 좋아했습니다.”
naneun na-ege pyeonjileuljugo na-ege joh-eun sigan-eul boyeodallago deul-eossda. geunyeoneun ttohan geunyeoga naega joh-ahaneun geos-eul deul-eossgo geunyeoga wonhaneun bangsig-eulo geunyeoleul wonhandago malhaessseubnida. naneun dangsin-ui Assman iyagileul joh-ahaessseubnida.” “
I was was told to give me a letter, and then to show me a good time. She also said that she was told what I liked and wanted me to have her any way I wanted her, “Including my ass as I know you are an Assman. I loved your Assman stories”.
I thanked her and asked her for the letter. I take the letter and decide to read it on the train home. I decided to not go forward with the rest of the planned events as I thought showing a little independence might be a good insurance policy.
I apologize to Miss Lee.
She asked me
왜 나를 원하지 않니? 그게 내 감정을 상하게한다는 걸 알아
wae naleul wonhaji anhni? geuge nae gamjeong-eul sanghagehandaneun geol al-av
Why don’t I want her. ?
I told her that
나는 그녀와 죄책감을 느끼고 집에 가야했다.
naneun geunyeowa joechaeggam-eul neukkigo jib-e gayahaessda.
I feel guilty about being with you.”
걱정하지 마십시오. 모두 준비되었습니다. 내가 어리석은 인간에 대해 화를 내기 전에 지금 나를 집으로 데려가십시오. 전형적인 인간은 그들이 정말로 원하는 것을 알지 못하고 죄책감을 느낍니다. 마치 신이 당신에게 섹스를 주듯이
geogjeonghaji masibsio. modu junbidoeeossseubnida. naega eoliseog-eun ingan-e daehae hwaleul naegi jeon-e jigeum naleul jib-eulo delyeogasibsio. jeonhyeongjeog-in ingan-eun geudeul-i jeongmallo wonhaneun geos-eul alji moshago joechaeggam-eul neukkibnida. machi sin-i dangsin-ege segseuleul judeus-i
Don’t worry about it. It has all been arranged. Now take me home now before I get angry at you for being so foolish a human man. Typical humans Don’t know what they really want and then feel guilty about it. as if God gives a fuck you who you fuck.
I ended up kissing her and taking her phone number and e-mail address.
She told me
“내가 아무도 거절 한 적이없고, 적어도 인간은 아무도 없기 때문에 나를 유혹하는 데 성공할 것입니다 ..
“naega amudo geojeol han jeog-ieobsgo, jeog-eodo ingan-eun amudo eobsgi ttaemun-e naleul yuhoghaneun de seong-gonghal geos-ibnida ..”알겠습니다. 아무도 내 매력에 저항하지 않았습니다. letter 편지를 읽고 결정하십시오.”
“algessseubnida. amudo nae maelyeog-e jeohanghaji anh-assseubnida. letter pyeonjileul ilg-go gyeoljeonghasibsio.”
“I know that I will succeed in seducing me as no one has ever turned her down before.
“You’ll see. No one has ever resisted my charms. Read the letter and then decide.”
I leave the restaurant and read the letter on the yellow line subway home:
“By now you should be aware of our power and reach. Your wife is not yet a member of the inner circle but we will approach her if you decide to join. We think she would be also an excellent choice. But each approach is different as you can well imagine. By now, you either have decided to have a good time with Miss Lee or have decided to decline in a mistaken impression that showing a little independence would be a good move. Either way would result in the same thing – either you will have some great sex which we will film or we will take pictures of you and Miss Lee and morph them into a nice ” deep fake ” porn movie which we will send to your wife, your boss and your security folks one week from today unless you agree to the following:
“Meet me Sunday night at the sushi place. Bring flowers for Miss Lee. If you turn her down, she will be miffed, as she does not take rejection lightly. She is determined to seduce you, you know. You were the first to turn her down. Took a lot of guts to do that. Oh well. When we meet, I will then tell you the whole story.
You can then go with Miss Lee or not. Your choice but remember the video is already being produced so you
might as well enjoy her while you can. We have lots of work to do soon so I have to bring you in sooner than we usually do. Consider Miss Lee as a reward for joining. First of many as the members of the inner circle can have anything they want and will after D-day. Join us in being masters of the universe. D day is coming soon.”
Spartacus
I get off the subway, take a taxi home. I call my wife and resist the impulse to tell her everything and wonder if she has already been approached. And what would be the approach they would use on her?
Sunday evening I meet Miss Lee at the restaurant. I give her flowers and we have dinner. She is flirting up a storm and I find my resistance melting. I figure that was part of the plan and have decided to go with the flow. I think, “why not fool around? After all the video has already been made? Right? ”
Spartacus shows up and the mood turns serious. Miss Lee is now totally professional and serious. Spartacus looks tired. He takes me into the back room and begins his tale of woe. I listen and don’t want to believe any of it. It was so monstrous and evil but I knew he was telling the truth. And boy the truth did not set me free let me tell ya.
Spartacus Drops the True Knowledge Bomb
Spartacus starts off,
“Lyndon was one of our human operatives. He was a rising star, but had an attack of guilt and left us. We debated whether to kill him or not. I suggested that we let him go, discredit him but use him as bait. Anyone who reads his stuff can be identified and those who show signs that they believe it and might be persuaded to join us we could recruit. The others can be eliminated. So we persecuted Lyndon, made him look like a paranoid idiot and we kept feeding him disinformation which he would disseminate.
What he writes about is only part of the truth and is the most visible, most documented part of the story and mostly true with some disinformation in it. For example, Lyndon misunderstood Hitler’s rise to power. Hitler was a stooge, a “useful fool” in Lenin’s phrase and Lenin and Stalin were part of our inner circle as was Mussolini and Tojo. Roosevelt was our enemy as has been most of the Democratic leadership. That’s why we are hard at work to destroy the Democratic Party and install a right-wing republican one party state under our control but with “useful fools” like Trump as figureheads. Donald was not one of us, but we control him because the Neocon cabal is all part of our inner circle. Most are human, but some are fellow Sirians. Cheney, Pence, Mattias and Wolfowitz are Sirian as well, most of the rest of the Neocons are humans. Putin and Xi are Sirians as are the entire North Korean leadership. Stalin and Hitler were Sirians. Trump is just another one of the useful fools that we Sirians have been manipulating for decades. His son through is a Sirian who we recruited to join his family to keep under control as we knew that he could be useful to us some day. The Clintons are humans as is Gore. and most of the democrats are human, the republicans are mostly half breeds or like Trump useful idiots.
The aim of our plot? Total domination of the world, then a planned destruction of the world-wide civilization through nuclear, and biological warfare where 90 percent of humanity will be destroyed. We will clean up the pieces and establish a worldwide dictatorship. Then the invasion begins and humanity is enslaved forever to the power of the master race, the Sirians.
Most of the people who work with us do not know that they are working for the Sirians. But it does not matter. If you are with us, you will be rewarded with power, wealth, and access to Sirian medical technological wonders, allowing you to live to 5,000 years or more like us Sirians. If you oppose us, you will be thrown out into the world to be destroyed along with most of the rest of your dismal race.
I am a Syrian. We came to your planet ten thousand years ago. We set up a colony, which you know as Atlantis. It was destroyed in a nuclear war between two factions of our race – the progressives who wanted to establish their version of democracy and what you might consider fascists or realists, as we like to think of ourselves. When you see the real me you will see that the progressive and fascist groups are actually different races of Sirians. We are red in color and much more muscular and frankly more intelligent and realistic. They are green in color and smaller and filled with useless compassion. They still exist and occasionally cause us trouble. We are always watching to make sure that they do not try to approach our human agents and corrupt them with pernicious “liberal or progressive” ideas – to use the current phrases – nonsense.
But I digress. The Fascists won the war but Atlantis was destroyed. Most of the Sirian race on earth was killed in the war. Those of us Fascists left formed a tight little group and decided that we would bid our time, build out forces, take over the planet, and when the earth had achieved sufficient levels of technology contact our home world, and await instructions.
The progressives formed their own group and disappeared spending their time trying to enlighten humankind. What a load of crap. They just were misunderstood and killed for their troubles. Jesus, Buddha, Mohamed, Confucius, Sai Baba – all Sirian democratic losers every one of them.
Some of the progressive Sirians disappeared into the wilderness and their descendants gradually intermarried with the natives and their descendants became the Cherokee and other civilized tribes. None of the Cherokees knew that they were actually descended from aliens from Sirius and native people. Although the Cherokee and Hopi have legends that their ancestors came from the Stars. Thus in a way you are part Sirian as we know your mother is half Cherokee. We actually tested your DNA and yes, you have traces of Sirian DNA in you. Which is one of the reasons we decided to recruit you after all you part of our race about 10 percent. but that is enough for us., although your Sirian racial background is green which could be a problem if you decide to oppose us.
The question of what to do about humans became the key issue dividing the Sirian race – then and now. Our red group thought that you earth people were hopelessly backward, superstitious and barely capable of intelligence. We felt that we should kill most of you off, then enslave the rest. That is still our plan. Besides, on our home world, we rose to power by killing off a rival species that were humanoid looking. Ever since then Sirians have had it in for humanoids and primate species. All part of the master plan for total domination of the galaxy.
Well, as you can imagine, it was very difficult hiding amongst your people for all of these thousands of years. Most of us are now what you would consider early middle age.
Until very recently, we were limited by your technology as our spaceships and most of our technology had all been destroyed in Atlantis. Only 100 of our race survived, most of the Fascist side. We lost track of the progressives who have gone deep underground. We have managed to reproduce and now there are about 10,000 of us scattered around the world, most in senior levels of government and business. And we estimate that there are several thousand Progressives mostly working in religious or academic institutions.
Among other difficulties, we are hidden within human bodies that are artificially created skins. Our real appearance is not human at all. We look like birds or reptiles in our real selves. Few humans have ever seen us as we really look. We have the ability to manipulate thoughts and thus few are able to see us as we really look, even when we are out of the suits.
We wear the suits whenever we are around humans as maintaining thought control is very tiresome. HP Lovecraft saw us and he went mad and wrote his “Cthulu” stories about us. Others have seen us on our retreats in the woods and we have been called many names through the years, ‘” werewolves, vampires, ghouls, ghosts, demons, goblins, trolls, Satan, the devil, witches – you name it we’ve been called it. Bad for our self-esteem don’t ya think. “The damn progressives get better press and are often seen as “angels”.
We have tried intermarriage with your race and have found for the most part it does not work too well as our two DNA structures are incompatible. But, nonetheless, there have been successful offspring of such interspecies sex. Thus, there are thousands of part-Sirian people as some of our people intermarried with your species. Interspecies sex is highly discouraged at least among the realist faction; although sex with part sirians is the norm, and we have been influenced by the fact that you humans are a very randy species, much more that is the norm among civilized species. The progressive faction has largely assimilated into your race.
Those stories of alien abductions etc. are true for the most part as are stories of UFO’s. We have been able to rebuild spaceships but they are not interplanetary, as we do not have technological resources to do so since most of our technology had been destroyed and those technicians who knew how to maintain the ships and build them all died in the war anyway. Besides our Sirian, leaders back home do not trust us. They want us to stay here and do their bidding whether than return home. they want us to take over and add Earth to the Sirian Empire.
Our leaders will then be allowed to return home after being here for thousands of years. The Sirian race being very long lived is also very conservative, not much has really changed back home since we left. We were outcasts then as most Sirians who leave the mother planet and not trusted back home any more. So for us we end up exiled from home with little contact with the mother planet. Interstellar travel is possible – it is expensive and slow -takes about a year to go back home.
We communicate with each other in Sirian through secure communications and now through the internet. The NSA and other government snoops keep picking up strange language chatter on the internet but since we control the spooks, they never follow up.
We finally managed to established contact with the Mother Planet. Our instructions are to set off Armageddon and destroy the planet. The invasion begins after the nuclear war is over and most people have been killed and your technological infrastructure destroyed. We will then take over , rebuild our own technology and enslave humanity.
Those humans who helped us will be given top jobs in the Sirian administration and eventually given full citizenship rights for them and their families. Most people will be killed or enslaved. Think what happened to the Indians? That was a Sirian plot from the beginning. We wanted to kill off all the Indians but particularly wanted to destroy the so-called civilized tribes, as we knew that the Progressive faction had intermarried with the Indians.
Most of human history has been the result of Sirian plots. The problem we have is that you humans are so hard to predict, rule, control etc. And our biggest problem is with intellectuals. Once they know the full story either they go mad, or they try to warn their fellow humans, or they kill themselves. The 10 percent who survive after hearing the true story usually join our movement. And on course the damn progressives are always watching us, trying to warn humankind of the impending danger. But as you know few will ever believe the truth. So your choice today:
Join us, or resist us and die. We are launching WW111 very soon. Once the war has been launched, nuclear winter will ensure and most of the earth will enter an ice age. We will then invade and take over the habitable areas and use slave labor to mine for minerals etc under the ice. Sirians like cold icy planets as that is like our home planet. Your planet is too hot for our liking anyway.”
I stopped him and ask lots of follow-up questions. Finally, I tell them the only way they could prove they were telling the truth was to reveal themselves as they really were.
Spartacus Reveals His True Self
Spartacus said,
“Very well. Agent Lee is only part human. She is one of the few successful hybrids. She looks human but a blood test would reveal alien DNA. I am pure Syrian and have l long opposed the inter-species experiments
being anti-natural and degrading to the Sirian race. I really don’t give a rat’s ass about you humans. Follow me and you will see. But you do take a risk that you will freak out and become a madman.”
We walk into the back room. Agent Spartacus removes his skintight clothing.
Underneath it laid a hideous, repulsive ugly reptile like biped creature minus a tail. Dark red with black strips on both sides. His face looked like a bird’s face with sharp beaks,
beady red eyes, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. The top of his head had horns on it. He laughs, and said,
“See why most humans believe in a real devil?”
I could see why most people would freak out at the sight. He was just hideous to look at. Must be something inbred in humans to instantly fear and loathe their real appearance. I am having a hard time coping and want to throw up.
Agent Lee had also stripped revealing an even more alluringly beautiful woman that I had imagined. I was tempted but knowing that she was half-alien and in league with these evil creatures turned my stomach.
I tell agent Spartacus and Agent Lee that I had to think about it and went home. I wrote this all down and sent it off to my best friends and of course my wife. I hope that this does not result in a death sentence for me, but so be it. I have to do the right thing. I have resolved to search out and join the resistance led by the progressive Syrians. I hope there is still time to derail “Armageddon” but I fear that time is running out.
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)
“The Cthulhu Masonic Conspiracy”
By
Jake Cosmos Aller
Comment: I am a big fan of Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. This is my latest attempt at writing a Cthulhu story. It is based on a dream. I revised it today March 9 2020 and submitted to Flame Tree Publishing Cthulhu contest. End comment
To those who are reading this manuscript, I would forgive you for thinking that this is nothing more than the ravings of a lunatic, or as the result of a drug trip gone horribly wrong. But, rest assured, every word is true. I wish that it were otherwise, and I wish that I were simply an unhinged lunatic foaming at the mouth and howling at the moon thinking he was a werewolf.
It would be so easy to dismiss this horrid tale of grand, evil, ancient conspiracies, but unfortunately it is a true story. A man once wrote in a novel about the Knights Templar that you always know you are dealing with a lunatic if within the first few minutes of meeting him he begins talking about the Knights Templar. I will spare you the Knights Templar although they do play a role in the story. I will also spare you a tale of the fabled illuminati, or the Jewish-communist plot, or the Trans-Atlantic Council, or the evils of the Council on Foreign Relations, and the myriad of other conspiracies dating back centuries. But, you may have noticed, I did not mention the grand dandy of all secret societies, the Masons. Perhaps you have now guessed that I have some mad insane fixation on the Masons.
Perhaps you have the same misconception of the Masons that I did when I joined them 25 years ago. I thought at the time that the Masons were an adult fraternity of rich, educated upper class males that helped each other out in their careers, and enjoyed play acting ancient mysteries. Sort of an international Skulls and Bones so to speak. In fact, many Masons I learned started out as Skulls and Bones members. The Skulls and Bones were in fact a Masonic recruitment club at Yale and similar clubs, not as infamous, wer
[themoneytizer id=”– Choose location –“]
e found at many colleges around the U.S. and even around the world. Those members who showed leadership potential after college were usually recruited to join the Masons.
I graduated from Yale convinced that I would make it big time. I had a famous father, had lots of money, had good grades, Harvard had accepted me for a MBA paid for by my new employer JP Morgan, and I had connections through my father who was a family member of the Morgan family and I had a famous name, Sam Adams named after my great great grandfather. I was mostly WASP although had some Jewish ancestry as well. I had graduated a few years after President Bush so I did not have those connections but I knew a lot of people through my father and his connections. And I had the right pedigree, and looked the part – upper class white bread man who looked like he could be a movie star, tall, handsome, physically fit, with intense blue eyes and dark hair. I was good looking, funny, arrogant and ambitious, a great tennis and golf player played on both my prep school teams and at Yale as well, and a champion debater as well. And I was a bonesman through and through. And I had many rich lady friends as well who adored me and were always willing to help out when I called them. When the Masons came a knocking, I seized the opportunity and eagerly join them.
My first night was a typical introduction. My buddy, Paul Simon , who worked with me in Wall Street at JP Morgan had one night recruited me over drinks into joining the Masons.
Paul was a tall athletic man from a proper family as well, but was a Harvard man. We had hit off when we met at the JP Morgan executive leadership program we attended before going to our respective MBA programs. During our MBA programs we would all intern at Headquarters and then upon graduation become JP Morgan management trainees.
One night while drinking and snorting coke in the back rooms of a private club (a Masonic recruitment center I later found out) he asked me,
“Say Sam what do you know about the Masons?”
“Not much. Just a club for rich white guys who like to play ancient mystery stories and help each other out.”
“Well it is much more than that but you can find out as I can sponsor you. If you want”
“Sure why not”
And that decision sealed my fate.
At first I thought it would be a lark, and a way to meet a lot of influential people that could help me when I decided to get into the political game. I met him in front of the Wall Street Masonic Lodge. He would pledge me and I would meet the members. If they voted me in, I would be given a rank of 1 and given reading material to study. One year later I would be given the opportunity to advance if I passed the test. There were 10 ranks, and only the 7th rank and above knew the real secrets. Most members never rose above the first five ranks as being a Mason was not just fun and games. There was a serious purpose – promoting the fraternity and the members within being perhaps the most important for most members. Masons had a code of honor – they would not lie, cheat or tolerate those that did. And they would honor other Masons and give their life on behalf of the orders of senior members. Paul concluded his little speech on the steps of the lodge by saying,
“Sam, you know, this is not just a game. There is serious business happening in the Masonic world, and the Masonic world goes back to the time of the Bible. You’ll soon learn the history, and if you get as far as the 8th degree you will learn the true history of the Masons and their role in guarding and guiding the world. You may be asked to play a big role in the future. I hope you will be up for it.”
I responded, “Of course, Paul. I’ve done some reading on the Masons and am glad to be invited to join in.”
I entered the room and met the Membership committee. They were all titans of Wall Street and the government too. All men in their late 50’s or 60’s and all at the peak of their professional game.
The Initiation Pledge
They introduced me , then I took pledge.
“I, Sam Adams V111, descendant of President Sam Adams, do hereby swear that I will be a faithful member of the Masonic lodge, follow the instructions of my senior officials, never upon penalty of death reveal to a non-mason what transpired in the temple, never lie or tolerate lies among the Masonic faithful, and always recruit new members to the masonic brotherhood. I swear this on the bible and before God and the masonic brotherhood assembled. “
I have just signed my own death warrant with what I am about to reveal as I am going to reveal the secret history of the world that the Masons so jealousy guard. If you are reading this after my body is found, be forewarned I told you it was coming. I learned latter that the Masons did take this pledge deadly seriously.
I also agreed to never lie, or cheat another Mason, although I would be free to lie to or a cheat a non-Mason if ordered to do so in furtherance of Masonic goals. Leader Smith, a tall strange looking elderly white man who did not blink, congratulated me.
“Sam Adams V111, welcome to the brotherhood. I pledge to you that we will promote your carrer, help you in everything you do provided you attended Masonic Temple meetings at least once a month and study and promote your self up the Masonic ranks. You are member Sam 9975 and will be referred to that name only as we don’t use our real names for operational security reasons. Your home lodge will always be Wall Street Lodge number 1 the oldest Masonic lodge in North America. You may attend any masonic lodge anywhere in the world when you travel and you can stay for free at Masonic funded secret hotels worldwide – one of the perks of membership. I have an eye on you and you will do just fine as long as you follow the rules and remain faithful to the masonic brotherhood.”
Later I asked Paul 7959 what the number meant and was told that it had some numerological component to it and the senior astrologist came up with. I was surprised,
” Senior Astrologist?”
Paul 7959 responded, “Sam 9975, there are many things in the world you don’t know, the astrologists are the ones who study the ancient mysteries and histories and try to extract some guidance for us. It would be best if you did not reveal your ignorance anymore.” I was a bit peeved but kept my mouth shut.
And yes, Paul 7959 taught me the secret handshake that would whether someone was a Mason and what degree he was. The Masons were very rigid in their hierarchy. After the initial meeting, I was taken to the dining room for the lower ranks. I met about 25 men there that night. Everything were like me, fresh from college or graduate school and new to their careers in Wall Street or the Government.
All eager to get ahead and full of good cheer and delighted to be there. We ate prime rib, drank some fine 30 year old scotch, smoked some fine cigars, and played poker until 12 midnight. At midnight, the more senior leaders came in and led us in chanting some of the ancient writings of the Masons which made no sense – they were in Latin, Hebrew, Greek and some totally obscure ancient language. I went home, happy that I had been accepted and determined to rise through the ranks.
Over the next decade I attended the monthly meetings, got to know the members well, became good friends with many of them, and received invaluable career advice. I was constantly reminded of one of the Simpsons parodies of the Masons, “the Stone Cutters. That episode incidentally was much beloved by the Masonic fraternity and Home Simpson and crew were granted honorable membership by the Hollywood Masons, much to the amusement of the Wall Street Masons, who were a more serious crew.
In any event, the song from that episode had quickly become an unofficial Masonic drinking song and we sang it at every meeting while drinking our fine wine and whisky. I still get Goosebumps when I sing the song, and realize the secret meaning behind this very subversive song, which of course was written by a Mason and inserted into the Simpsons episode as part of the Masonic conspiracy to lay the ground for the total enslavement of mankind, but I get ahead of my story.
And each Masonic lodge added their own verses to this song which had become our unofficial motto.
After many years participating in the Masons on my 20th anniversary or in Masonic speak my 20th Masonic birthday, they held a secret ceremony where they promoted me to the 7th rank and I became aware of some of the inner secrets, but as a 7th rank, I only knew the very outer story, much of which is well known, although distorted.
To know and understand the horrid events that are about to unfold you must know the real history, which only 9th rank holders know and understand. I finally realized this a year ago when the Masonic Order welcomed me to the 9th level and revealed most of the rest of the secret history and that led to the dilemma that has haunted me to this day. Do I remain loyal to the alien Masons, who have been my friends, and have helped in so many ways over the years or do I remain loyal to humans and betray their monstrous conspiracy?
I am writing this because when I joined the 9th rank, Leader Wilson who had not aged a bit since I knew him 20 years ago told me,
“Sam 9975 you are here because big events are in the works and you will play a crucial role in carrying out our final stages of the masonic world wide revolution. But you will have to pledge loyalty to the Master Plan which we will explain to you later tonight. Do you swear undying loyalty to the Masonic brotherhood? Upon pain of instant death? ”
“Of course”
The Secret History of the World
Let me backtrack and tell you the true history, and then you’ll see my horrid dilemma. I wonder what you would do in my shoes, dear reader?
For millions of years an epic battle raged across the galaxy between the followers of Cthulhu and the followers of Ashura Mazda. Both would best be described as god like creatures. The whole universe is in effect a cosmic battle between the forces of good, the light side of the force and the forces of evil, or darkness, the dark side of the force, the two sides of the force existed in an constant state of flux, the Taoists knew this as the battle between Yin and Yang. Cthulhu was simply a manifestation of the evil forces of the universe and was worshiped as the Dark Lord. He was a hideous monster about 10 feet tall, looks like a giant octopus with eight legs, and intense red eyes. He is an ancient God, one of the founders of the universe. His supporters were found across the universe. Those who followed him gained tremendous power as they were vicious, corrupt, and evil and knew how to harness the dark forces of the universe – many of them became immortal as they would eat the bodies of their defeated enemies gaining their life force or soul and extending their life.
Ashura Mazda was the god of light and wisdom. He had no corporeal form but manifested himself as a beam of light and filled his followers with love and happiness. He and his followers were always at a disadvantage because well frankly most sentient creatures, like most human beings, are neither good nor bad, and are easily swayed by greed and fear, the dark side of the force. Cthulhu and his followers have an easier time of it than Ashura and his followers as the darkness corrupts and once corrupted one is lost to the light forever. There is no turning back from the dark side.
This battle went on for countless centuries. Most people were unaware of it as few people could understand or perceive the world as it really is. Only a select few were chosen as their followers and champions. Worlds chose sides and the battle was on. Cthulhu and his followers were defeated. Cthulhu and his top aides were banished to a world at the end of the Galaxy that was lost and unknown as it had not yet developed civilization. Cthulhu and his top followers who were all of the same evil race of giant octopus like creatures were buried deep in an fortress deep under ground lost in an inter-dimensional zone. Escape was thought impossible.
Cthulhu’s followers were scattered far and wide and all knowledge of Cthulhu was banned. The galaxy went on its way, with several galactic empires rising and falling. Earth was still undiscovered.
Ten thousand years ago followers of Cthulhu, mostly from the planet Sirius, came to earth convinced that Cthulhu was buried in a prison deep under the earth. However, their ships failed to work and they were unable to contact their headquarters and realized they were stranded on Earth in a back water of the Galaxy. They decided they had no choice but to found a civilization on earth and bid their time until they could contact their home world. The civilization they founded was called Atlantis.
For four thousand years they lived on Atlantis, forming a powerful kingdom. They had enslaved the local population they found in Europe and found that the Sirian race and humans, both being humanoid, could intermarry. Over time, few true blood Sirians remained. The Sirian leadership realized that they were in danger of dying out as a race, unless they formed a secret society to keep their mission and history alive. Thus, the Masons were formed. Their goal was to build themselves up, take over the world, enslave mankind, then free Cthulhu and establish his headquarters openly on the Planet Earth, which will be also the center of galactic terrorism, with the long-range goal of finally banishing Ashura once and for ever and establishing the reign of Cthulhu forever.
The followers of Ashura tracked the Sirians down and attacked Atlantis in a surprise nuclear attack and sank Atlantis. Few survived the resulting flood caused by a sudden melting of the arctic ice and a short lived global warming and fire. The followers of Ashura ended up in ancient Persia and Greece where they were gods. They did they best to impart knowledge but the locals were unable to truly comprehend them. Thus, the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism was founded.
The Sirians infiltrated the ancient Roman republic and began to edge the Romans on, encouraging them in their imperial ambitions seeing the rise of the Roman Empire as their best bet to reestablish themselves. The Masonic Lodges remained their secret service and secret lodges. Throughout the ancient world, the Sirians based in Rome did battle with the Persians and the followers of Ashura.
This battle was never won by either side. And few humans ever knew the real history behind this ancient battle. Few knew that buried deep under the North American continent the evil dark lord slumbered in his cosmic prison.
The followers of Ashura were also losing their culture and history and few of the ancient ones were alive, and most had intermarried. They were also a humanoid race from a star system in the center of the galaxy. Only a few true-blue bloods remained. Jesus, was the son of one of the last surviving lines. Jesus knew the truth and tried to tell the world but to no avail. Buddha also was a descendent of the Ashura followers, and knew the truth and he too failed to communicate the truth to the world.
To bring the story up to the present day, the Masons were behind many of the events of the past thousand years including the founding of America, the development of the British and Spanish Empires, WW1 and WW11 (Hitler they hoped would bring about the world government that they so needed so they could then take over once Cthulhu was released.). the rise of the Communist Soviet Union, 9-11, Islamic terrorism, various pandemics including the Spanish Flue. SAARS, MERS and Corona pandemic.
The Ashura followers, never organized quite as well, managed to block and defeat many of the Masonic plots over the years.
This is what I learned when I became a 7th rank Mason. I was appalled and disgusted by it, and did not believe it at all. Paul, and other 7th and 8th ranked Masons told me it was true and soon I will meet with the Sirian overlords.
One day I get an urgent message to be at the lodge at 8 pm that night for a secret meeting. I arrive and am ushered into the inner sanctum, which I had never been invited to before. I was told I was being inducted that night into 9th rank as events were spinning out of control and I was needed to join the war council.
The Vice President entered the room. The Vice President was a tall elderly white man who had intense blue eyes that never blinked. There were rumors that he and the President were mobbed up and had a violent shady past.
Fellow masons. Most of you know me but for those newly promoted to the 9th rank, I am Smith0595. “Plan Armageddon”is a go. As some of you know, we are going to launch a nuclear attack on Iran and Syria led by the U.S. and Israel. The pretext is that the Iranians are about to develop nuclear weapons and President Wilson – Wilson6595 has authorized the secret attack. We have been planning it for weeks but have been able to manipulate the media to prevent any leaks through our superior mental powers. The markets and world economy will take a hit but once order is restored the markets will bounce back. But if you know in advance, one could make a killing shorting certain stock and buying other stocks. Sam9975 would oversee the secret financial manipulation. The money raised would be enormous and would be sent to a secret bank account, where the money would be used for off the record purchases of military equipment and to raise an unofficial secret army that would occupy Iran and Syria.
A day before D day you and your family members will be moved into a secret location a few days before the start of the war where we would wait out the end of the war. It was feared the world may erupt into nuclear war and that millions if not billions would die. The Masons and their allies would be safe in our underground bunkers that would be set up all over the world. 10 million people were going to be saved, in all. After the dust settled, we would impose worldwide martial law and establish the US as the sole governing body. At that point, Cthulhu would be released from his prison and would rule the Earth under his own name.
Smith 0595 turned to me and asked me point bank would I join them in their victory?
Of course, I could not say no.
Good here is the list of stocks you are authorized to buy and sell. You have no credit limit and JP Morgan senior staff are aware of and approve all transactions will be done secretly along with some of your fellow masons. You will meet tonight to discuss which stocks will be sold or bought by who and when and start execution tomorrow. The military attack will be a carefully guarded secret. All trades must be executed within week. D day commences once the final trade is completed and you are all in our secret headquarters. Each of you have your mission. Cthulu will be pleased and reward each of with the gift of immortality.”
That night I went home and recounted the story and realized the Vice President and most of the senior leadership of the US were both Masons and were also not humans. The Vice President was one of the few pure blood Sirians left. How could I tell he was not human? His eyes. Humans blink, Sirians do not blink. And Sirians saw the world differently than humans, they had infra-red capability and saw in the dark, and it was rumored that they had latent telepathic powers as well. In any event they looked like humans except for the eyes not blinking and the strangeness in their eyes.
Most of his henchmen were either part Sirians or were like me, humans that had been co-opted and seduced to serve their evil master plans.
That is, it in a nutshell. The war is about to be launched, and I am about to go underground to wait out the end of the world in our masonic secret lair underneath the Wall Street Lodge. I am sending this out via the internet in the vain hope that someone somewhere can stop this madness from occurring. As for me, if someone traces this back to me, I am a dead man. I fear that I am already dead. Good luck and Good night.”
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)
Escape from Hell
By
Jake Cosmos Aller
Comment: This is based on a dream that I had. Part of the story is true. I did dream of meeting my wife eight years before I met her. see the following for more details, or buy the book, “Dreams and the Unexplainable” available through the Chicken Book for the Soul publishers. End Comment
This is based on a true story. Jake Lee, my oldest friend told me this story and I went along with him to Hell and back to retrieve his wife. My name is Matt J and I was the second in command of this operation. I have changed the names, places and some specific incidents to protect both the guilty and the innocent. To begin with, you must understand this. Hell is a real place, with real demons and real punishments. It is a lot worse than any of us imagine and it is both more real and unreal at the same time. It exists and does not exist at the same time in a weird parallel universe., where time in Hell and time on earth don’t correspond.
Once someone dies and goes to Hell he continues to live on in a manner of speaking; he does not really die but he cannot live in this world during the light of day. They become the undead and are like the vampires of legend (who do exist but that is another story). So, those condemned to hell, live on in eternal torture and turmoil and they also must work. Hell is full of workers working as slaves to keep the machinery going. And Hell is a growing place – most people on earth end up there. Running hell requires lots of workers. And being a slave in Hell is no picnic my friends.
Despite its reputation as a lawless place, it is a very legalistic place. Satan employs an army of lawyers (no shortage of fresh lawyers) and bureaucrats to run his domain. Despite his rules and regulations and lawyers, hell is mostly a horribly run bureaucratic nightmare run by evil, mendacious, corrupt and incompetent demons. But, there are a few loopholes to the rules, and a few strange quirks to the law and even Satan obeys these special rules.
One of them is rule number 214 B of the Galactic code. The code governs the operation of the universe and is a very legalistic document. Rule 214 B states that, if a sentient being, a human being, arrives in hell by mistake because of a screwup in the computerized system that runs both heaven and hell and the whole other computer systems that run this world, and someone from our world gets to hell and back out with their loved one in tow, both the falsely condemned and the lover who rescue them are entitled to live a long life in this world and then automatically arrive in heaven. This rule is almost never enforced because almost no one on our world has ever figured out how to get to Hell, and once there has never figured out how to get back out. Many have died trying and end up in hell for their pains.
But there are ways, my friends. There are ways. Jake found the way and this is his story.
Jake was a tall youthful-looking man for a man in his 60’s. He still had hair and intense blue eyes and although he walked with a bit of a limp, he was in fairly good shape and worked out every day. Jake had retired from a lifetime of government service and was living in SF as a pensioner. He had dreams of being a writer but was not getting too far with his various novels. One day his spouse went to the store and was blown up when a suicide bomber blew up the car in front of her. Just another victim of the constant terrorism that had bedeviled the world since before the second gulf war.
Jake was devastated. He could not imagine life without his spouse. They had been married for almost 35 years by then and he was looking forward to the remaining years together. They had no children but still had lots of friends from around the world from their days in government service and from the old neighborhood that he had grown up in.
Dreaming Angela Was In Hell
That night, Jake had a dream that would haunt him the rest of life. Every night the same image – his wife was in Hell and was screaming while being tortured by demons wielding whips and chains. She was yelling repeatedly that she was not supposed to be there. Her tormentors, five or six demons wearing red suits and white ties, laughed and said that she was right – it was a screw up in the computer programs that sent her there. She was due in heaven but hey once she was there what could they do about it? She might as well get used to the idea.
The cost of fighting the screw up would be millions of dollars and where was she going to get the money, anyway? Hell had no currency other than smuggled money and the loan sharks took most of the loan in interest. There were lawyers in Hell but they had to be paid upfront, and all the various functionaries had to be paid off. And God and Satan had a non-interference rule, once someone arrived they were entitled to stay. and God’s lawyers did not offer legal aid. There were just too many cases and so there was nothing to be done. The devils said, and the torture started again and she faded away.
Meeting Angela in a Dream
The dream continued night after night. Jake believed the dream was real because this was the second dream of meeting his wife he had in his life. . When he was in high school he had fallen asleep in a physics class and had a dream where he saw standing next to him the most beautiful woman in the world. She disappeared from his dream and he fell down to the ground yelling “ who are you?” as the class erupted in laughter at Jake’s strange antics. He had the dream as he called it for seven years. When he had to decide where to go in the Peace Corps, Korea or Thailand, he had the dream again and knew she was in Korea waiting for him.
A year after the Peace Corps ended Jake was preparing to return to the States for graduate school when he had the final dream. In the dream, she told him
“. 걱정마, 자기야, 우린 영원히 함께 할거야
geogjeongma, jagiya, ulin yeong-wonhi hamkke halgeoya
Don’t worry, baby, we will be together soon forever.”
They met that night and got married two months later. Jake always recalled the dream and therefore he knew that his wife was somehow trying to communicate to him and he knew that this second dream was as real as the first dream had been.
Jake decided to do a little research into this hell business. He got on the internet and read as much as he could find as much as he could find out, and hit the occult bookstores in the City and in Berkeley, and even on the dark net. After a few weeks of reading everything he could find on the subject concluded that were three basic schools of thought:
Hell was a myth and did not of course exist (majority opinion)
Hell might have existed in ancient times but not in this enlightened modern era. (minority opinion)
Hell existed and was real. Only problem was almost no one ever went there voluntarily and came back. (this was the majority belief among the occult writers and other assorted nut
cases).
Jake took to visiting all the various occult bookstores in the city and elsewhere. He became obsessive about finding out everything that had ever been written about hell. He continued haunting these stores and visiting all the various internet sites that he began to be well known as the “man who wants to rescue his wife from hell.” Jake will tell people the story repeatedly and most people thought he was a harmless old man gone batty because he had lost his wife in the terrorist bombing.
Most of his friends advised him to forget about it and get on with his life. They told him to get back to work on his novels. Some tried to fix him up with women but he refused all such requests. He was truly a man obsessed.
He finally found a few obscure references to the way to hell in some writings in the Necronomicon (Al Asif) by the mad Arab poetry, Abdul Aliased, and other longed banned occult texts as well as references in various occult publications and writers including Crowley and others, and Christian and Islamic writings. He also read the founder of the Church of Satan claimed he had been to hell and back. After consulting these references, Jake decided he could locate Hell. Jake sat down on Saturday night and did a final re-reading of all his many volumes of material on Hell. His apartment was filled to the rim with books, articles, print outs of web pages and the like. Jake worked all night and at last, he shut down his computer. He poured himself a cup of coffee and looked at what he had written.
Jake decided he had a decent plan of action. He had learned from his readings of rule number 214 B and decided to pull it off. The last attempt that was successful was in the 19th century. Hell, it seemed had several portals that interconnected with this world. One theory was that hell existed in a parallel universe as did Heaven. There were several places where Hell interconnected with Earth. Quite a few sites came to mind, some of them were even listed on various internet sits as “gateways” to hell. What distinguished them all was they were in neighborhoods and regions of the earth where evil things seem to happen for no reason. In other words, the gates to hell ran through neighborhoods denounced as “hell holes.” And every big city had them. Some more than others.
You see the demons and other lower-level functionaries of hell occasionally needed to get out of hell. The rules were that they could leave hell once a month on the full moon but had to be back in hell by sunrise. They had to get special passes which were rewarded to the devil of the month as well as a form of leave. If they did not make it back in time they were condemned to hell themselves as an ordinary inmate, not as demon functionary. And in hell you did not want to be a “defrocked devil” so to speak as the other inmates would make your life a living hell and of course your fellow demons would mock you forever as a looser.
So, the devils would dress up as humans and leave hell and wander the dark corners of big cities, and engage in crime and random violence including rape, robbery, drunken brawls and the like. But they needed cash to do so. Hell did not run on currency; everything was paid for by the State. It was, in a way, a perfect communist society. and thus the devils were always looking for ways to gain illegal cash, most favored US dollars.
Most hell holes ended up in the U.S. for some reason. NYC, LA, SF, Las Vegas, Chicago, Moscow, London, Tokyo, Bangkok, Manilla were the key hell holes of choice. Las Vegas was highly sought out as the devils had some special abilities and could manipulate cards and machines without detection and return with lots of cash that they could loan out to the loan sharks for a pretty profit.
One day Jake came upon a description of hell written by a man who had gone to Hell to find and locate his wife. He managed to get out of hell alive but without his wife. He had a very detailed map of hell. According to this book, published in the 40’s, Hell had a stop on the NYC City subway line, deep underneath the Hell’s Kitchen area of NYC. That was probably the easiest access point as Satan and his henchmen often went to NYC to conduct business as Satan ran a number of businesses in the world. The book, Hell is real, was a best selling occult/Christian book in the 40’s and 50’s but had long been out of print. Jake found it at an occult book seller in Berkeley which specialized in books on Hell and the underworld. The owner of the book store encouraged Jake in his mad quest.
The author also described the details of Hell’s horrific, terribly corrupt bureaucracy. He said everything was for sale, and the currency of choice was US dollars. Many of the lower echelon officials dreamed of escaping Hell and many manage to bribe their way out for a weekend of fun in NYC or the other dozen hell holes in the world. But NYC was the number one choice for the devils on a pass. That is why NYC and the other hell holes have always had very strange crimes reported now and then. The denizens of hell while on earth look like humans but are very wild, violent, and crazy, as if they are very high, and most of them are. Most devils and demons were once human beings who received promotions to devil status while in Hell. So they come out and commit horrific crimes and then disappear at sunlight, and they received bonus points for killing people who were due in hell anyway. Most were given targets to kill while on their hell pass.
He said that the first light of the sun instantly vaporized the undead unless they had taken special drugs beforehand. Those vaporized arrived back in hell where they faced torture for failure to return on time. He said this accounts for the various stories about vampires, werewolves, devils, trolls, goblins, and monsters of all sort. Most were devils out for a night of wilding in the big city. But there were also agents of Hell on earth who took special drugs to prevent being vaporized. These Hell demons worked for Satan in his various criminal enterprises and worked with the underground in furtherance of Satan’s plans. He also said that Satan and Hitler had both died and were brought back by the devil himself. Both Hitler and Stalin were working on a secret plot to open a permanent portal to the netherworld. But God and his secret police discovered the plot and told Satan that was in violation of numerous rules governing the operation of Hell.
Denizens of hell could escape to the surface at night but must return to Hell at dawn. That was the rule. Satan had to abandon project 666 which would have brought Stalin and Hitler and an army of demons to the surface to rule the world ushering in Armageddon. God put a stop to that nonsense for now. For some reason, though Satan loved the 30’s and all his guards dressed in zoot suits and spoke 30’s English, German or Japanese. That is why in Hell all the guards wear 30’s gangster clothing as that was Satan’s favorite period of world history.
Jake read another old legend dating back centuries that stated that there was only one known way to enter hell and come out alive. As an addendum to rule 214 B, rule 212 (A) 6 (c) provided that if rule 214 B otherwise applies, i.e. someone is in hell by mistake, and if their relative goes to hell to retrieve said lost relative and manages to return to the surface he will be given 50 years additional life as well as 50 years for his spouse, child or parent. But of course, if he fails to return to the surface he will join his spouse in hell forever. And only a few brave mortals had ever attempted the journey. This was a bylaw written by Satan himself as Satan appreciate such acts of selfless courage.
Jake called together about 10 of his friends from all over the world and explained the situation to them. They all said that he was crazy but what the hell. It sounded like a lark so they were in. Jake told them that he believed Angela was there and he had to try to rescue her. Jake reminded them that he had met Angela in a dream when he was in high school, and his dreams often came true.
So, they got everything together. Jake had bought ten zoot suites complete with fedora hats, and had managed to find some antique but serviceable Tommy guns through a friend of his who had contacts in the underworld. The story was slowly making the rounds that there was this crazed American who was convinced that Hell was real and his wife was there, and damned fool that he was he was going to rescue her.
Of course, no one believed this story, including those human agents of Satan that lived everywhere lurking among the gangsters and criminal elements running various criminal enterprises supplying Satan and his top staff with luxury goods, especially fine whiskey and drugs. The agents of Satan, who called themselves” Hells’s Demons” all had a laugh, imagining a crazed old man trying to break into hell. But no one wanted to report that story through official channels as the paperwork would be well “Hellish” and no one wanted to be tasked with finding this crazy old man and bring him in for questioning. Satan and his demons had a soft spot for such tales.
Several of the demons vowed secretly to help Jake out if he ever made it through the portal and send the word out unofficially to be on the lookout for this crazy old man and let him be and not report the incident. And thus Hell Central HQ never heard the story, officially, thank God. Finally the day came. Jake had consulted several astrologers, tarot card readers, mediums and they all agreed that the plan was audacious but doable. Jake had to crash through the subway gate, tell the guards that if they let him in he would bring them out and pay them in real currency. Jake thought that should work. He had the clothes, looked the part of internal inspectors (the feared Hell Secret Police, the Gestapo of the underworld). One of Jake’s occult book store contacts made up some official-looking identity cards that identified us as special agents undercover on the surface world who had to interrogate a suspect deep inside. Our cover story was that we had to bring her to the surface to identify a traitor to the satanic cause. All my contacts in the occult world thought that might really work given Satan’s business enterprises in NYC, but no one really knew as no one had ever come back alive.
Jake’s books advised taking millions of dollars with him so he could bribe his way into hell and back out again. Jake decided he needed two to four million dollars. He put up his property, liquidated his assets and had about 4 million in cash. It took some time to get all the cash together. Due to various anti-crime and anti-money laundering bills, it was very difficult to withdraw large amounts of cash. And Jake knew that if he told the true story, well no one would take him serious and the word might somehow reach Hell’s Demons and therefore Hell HQ might learn of the plot. Jake had to finally go to a loan shark and pay for his cash with cashier’s checks. But he finally had the cash in hand, in 20 dollar bills.
Jake’s plan was simple – recruit 10 of his oldest and best friends to come with him on his rescue mission. He knew that none of them would believe him until they entered the gates of hell but he was sure they would stick with him to the bitter end. He figured that the immunity from future stays in hell would apply to them as well as to him. Jake started talking with his friends and eventually recruited ten people to his crusade. They, of course, thought he was crazy but perhaps he was telling the truth and besides it beat the hell of staying at home enjoying retirement.
Jake called his gang of followers together for a planning meeting. 10 people showed up. General G. Patrick, ex-marine, was the first to show up. He thought that Jake was crazy and had been since high school, but hey if he wants to play a game, he was in.
Bob, the retired actor, showed up next. He also was quite amused by the whole thing but thought what the heck. It might be fun.
Keith came in next with his wife, Maggie. Keith was a minor millionaire developer., ex-con man and ex-felon. He was the one who had introduced Jake to the money launderer.
Matt and his wife were there as well. Matt was a retired financial planner and was a logistics whiz. Jake planned on making him second in command.
David S was also a real estate developer and planner. He was also into the occult and had helped Jake find source materials. Jim D was a computer wizard who also had studied Hell stories for a book he had written and was considered one of the word’s leading authority on the legends of Hell. He believed Jake and helped find the maps to Hell that they needed to relied upon. Jim D had introduced Jake to his friend, Sara S, who ran the occult bookstore, and she rounded out the team.
Jake started the meeting off.
“Guys, thanks for coming. I know I have been boring the “hell” out of you, pun intended, for the last four or five months. But, what you don’t know is that I have found the gates to hell and have located where my wife is. I also know you don’t believe me when I tell you the dreams I have been having.
I went to CAL and had them record my dream onto a disk using the technology that they have just developed. I’d like to play it for you. Afterwards, you can decide if you wish to come along on the adventure of the century or not. For if we succeed in proving Hell exists, and come back alive we will be the most famous explorers in history and of course, we will also be exempted from ever having to go there again.
Angela is in Pit number 572 Sector Bravo, Unit 524.”
So, let me play the dream.”
Jake puts the disk in the computer and plays the program. His wife appears in a pit of flames. There are four or five demons like creatures whipping her and telling her to work harder.
She is mining something out of the wall. There are hundreds of people in the mines, most of them standing in a pit of burning flames. She is screaming, “I am not supposed to be here. There must be a mistake. I demand to see the manager.”
The head demon walks over,
and barks out, what is your name?
“Angela Lee.”
“I see” he says, consulting a palm-held computer.
“Oh, here we are. Yeah, you should be in the other place. Must be one of those computer glitches. Well, it is too complicated to fix and too much paperwork. If you had some money on you, say 100,000 dollars perhaps I could fix it. But where in hell are you going to get that kind of cash?”
He laughs and laughs.
Angela turns and screams out “Help me. Save me from Hell. I am in Pit number 572 Sector Bravo, Unit 524.”
The head demon laughs and the demons start whipping her again and again.
The image fades away.
Jake turns to his friends and says,
“I have had that dream every night since she died. As you know I dreamt about meeting her for 8 years before I met her and so I believe she is telling the truth and that she is in hell in that pit and that if we can make it to hell and bribe her head demon we might make it back alive with her. So, whether or not you believe me, I want you to join me on this crusade. Are you in or not?”
Entering Hell
We set off on our big adventure one Friday afternoon at rush hour and entered the subway system. We assemble at the appointed spot in the subway system and chanted the mantra from one of the books of hell. A doorway opens in the air and we climb through.
The door closes behind us and we find ourself in a mirror image of the subway entrance. A bored booth attendant dressed in a gothic black suit, looks at us and comes to attention when he notices our attire.
‘“What can I do for you inspector? “.
Jake tells them we are on a special mission and must locate an Angela Lee who was sentenced six months ago. He looks it up on the computer and hums and haws.
“Well hells bells. There is a woman here by that name but the book also says she should be in the other place. Must be one of those infernal computer glitches. But what the hell can you do about that shit?”
‘
Jake turns to him and says,
“Bernie, my friend. Here’s the deal. Here is 500 dollars and a pass to the outer world for you if you help us, and 500 more when we return. No questions asked or reported. Do we have an understanding. Nod if you agree. “
He nods, grins and says
“You got it my man. I heard about you and your quest. Lots of us are secretly rooting for you. Your outfits are good. If anyone asks for paperwork, tell them the only paperwork they will see is green and show them the money. That usually works. If not, shoot them. They will be out for a few days. We can’t die as we are the undead . Good luck and all that shit. You will need it. Take the A train to Hell Central, get off and transfer to the B train and stay on to the central coal pit, then get off and tell the chief super there Kim the Korean dude in charge that Bernie – that’s me – says you are okay. He will need to be paid 100 thousand in cash in 20 dollar bills. If you have the cash, go ahead otherwise come back tomorrow. He will help you find your lady but you got to know that if HE, the MAN downstairs, finds out you will all fry. I Ain’t putting my neck on the line for you guys not at all.”
And her immediate pit boss, Mr. Black will need at least five G’s to look the other way and you may have to bribe a few others so I hope you have lots of cash and are serious dudes. If you ain’t you better leave now before I am required to report this shit. I will give you gents ten minutes to get the hell out of here. “…
We thank Mr. Bernie and enter the next A train. The train leaves the station and we gasp as we enter Hell passing through the central hell sign.
Miles and miles of open pits with fires burning everywhere and sounds of people screaming in endless agony. All along the streets of the city are filled with desperate looking people, dressed in rags. Guys in zoot suits dressed like us walk about shooting people for fun. The dead die again but come back to life so to speak minutes later in even worst pain. There are bars on every corner selling all sorts of illegal drugs and prostitutes are everywhere promising all sorts of sexual delights for a price.
Some of our company, the guys are talking about stopping off for a drink or two. Matt stop them and remind them of the mission and say that if they as much drink a drop of hell booze they will never be allowed to leave. That shuts everyone for a while.
The train soon becomes a roller coaster and goes up and down up and down. People get on and off but everyone avoids looking at us as our attire convinces everyone that we are part of Hell’s feared internal security Gestapo, the Hell Secret Police, headed by Hitler and Stalin. Robert waives his Tommy gun in the air a couple of times when people get too close.
They get off at Hell Central which is a mirror image of Grand Central but incredibly crowded, noisy, smoky and smelly as hell. They finally find a way out and transfer to the B line, and it takes them deep into the cavernous pits of hell. Jake had heard a story that Satan had a deal with the coal companies where he mined coal using slave labor and export the coal to a mine somewhere in Pennsylvania coal country where it was brought to the surface. The coal companies sold it at market rates and kicked back the profits. The same person told Jake that Satan had lots of connections with politicians, businessmen and the like and his spies were everywhere on earth. Satan was plotting to take over but somehow never quite made it. The other side he said also had their angels on earth as well. Good and evil were ever in constant battle and good seemed to have more magical power than evil. But Satan was gaining his power. Part of it was that no one believed in him anymore which gave him plausible a deniablility, a phrase he had taught the CIA, which he had set up as part of his secret army on earth.
His agents, the Hell Demons were everywhere and had long ago bought off the political classes. They kept going deeper and deeper into the bowels of hell. The stench was overpowering but they were all wearing masks infused with garlic which was supposed to prevent them from becoming overpowered by the demonic stench. Finally, after two hours they entered the coal company site. They walk up and demand to see Mr. Kim the super and Mr. Black site supervisor of Sector 572.. Robert waives his Tommy gun around.
The Negotiation
Jake screams out and yells saying,
“Get Mr. Kim and Mr. Black here right now, if you do there is a thousand dollars in unmarked bills waiting for you. If not, well you know what we can do to you. Mr….”
“Barry White, sir. Right away sir.” He picks up a phone, and Jake’s snatches it away, saying
“Get them in person, no phone calls. We are not here and you have not seen us. This is a top secret Q code word mission, you understand? So get them right now or I will report this unfortunate refusal to carry out a directive from the Central HQ.”
‘The super comes out, a big, burly Korean guy.
Jake said
‘“Mr. Kim, Bernie from the Hell central station says hi and that you would be cool. We have something for your services after we conclude his business. We are on a top secret mission and your cooperation will be noted and rewarded. You catch my drift?”
Yeah, Bernie’s cool. We were Hell mates came into together into the service. What can I do for you fine gentlemen and ladies?
He leers at the ladies in our group.
They glare back.
Jake said,
“Well it is very need to know. Q code word you know. All I can tell you is we have secret orders to bring Angela Lee to the surface to identify a traitor to the Satanic mission on earth. This comes from HIM you know what I mean?”
“HIM? Q level? Well let’s see what I can find. Well let me see. I need some paperwork.”
Jake points the gun at him, saying
“This is urgent top-secret work, covert shit code word q level and all and we would pay you 100 g’s in Earth money if you bring the girl out and look the other way. We will need a 24 pass to cover her travel and keep you from getting into too much trouble.”
He looks at Jake and says make it “150 g’s and you got a deal”
. Jake and Mr. Kim finally settle on 100 K for Mr. Kim, and 40 K for Mr. Black and 5 G’s for each of her cell mates. a total of 160 K. Jake says to Matt,
“Bernie was right on mark. We need to take him with us in case we run into any problems exiting Hell”.
Mr. Black calls an assistant and says take these gentlemen to sector 577. That is where we would find the lady. He turns to us and says,
““Look I can lose her for a day or so. You must have her back within 36 hours or all sorts of heads
will roll. If she is not back within 36 hours, I will have to report this and will have to report this highly irregular action.. I ain’t being demoted to being one of them hell no. I ain’t. You understand me, Dude?
He says,
“You need to give me 10,000 more so I can bribe some more people so we can keep this on 2T. No need for the MAN to know about it until you complete your “mission”.
Breaking Out of Hell
He then says he has some TV to watch and would give us 30 minutes to get her and get back on the train. I tell several of my group to stay behind with Mr. Black, and take the train after we leave. Jake, Pat, Robert, Keith, and Matt, get on the mini-tram and go into the pits with the guard, Mr. Ramesh, a former Indian customs official
He turns to Jake and says in gujarati,
“હેય, હું તમને યાદ કરું છું. તમે બોમ્બેમાં રહેતા હતા વિઝા આપતા કોન્સ્યુલેટમાં કામ કરતા હતા. હા હું તમને યાદ કરું છું. Hēya, huṁ tamanē yāda karuṁ chuṁ. Tamē bōmbēmāṁ rahētā hatā vijhā āpatā kōnsyu lēṭamāṁ kāma karatā hatā. Hā huṁ tamanē yāda karuṁ chuṁ. Hey, did’nt you used to work in Bombay at the US consulate doing visas? I remember you.”
Jake said
“હા, હું ત્યાં deepંડા છુપાયેલા રહેતો હતો, તમને તેની સાથે સમસ્યા થઈ છે, મારા ભાઈ?
Hā, huṁ tyāṁ deepṇḍā chupāyēlā rahētō hatō, tamanē tēnī sāthē samasyā tha’ī chē, mārā bhā’ī?yeah, I was undercover at the time poising as a US diplomat? You got a problem with that? “
Jake slips him 2 g’s and he smiles and says
“મારા ભાઈ, આ બધી સમસ્યાઓ હલ કરે છે. તમે કોણ છો તે હું પહેલાથી જ ભૂલી ગયો છું, અને મને કોઈ પરવા નથી. ગમે તે ડ્યૂડ.
“Mārā bhā’ī, ā badhī samasyā’ō hala karē chē. Tamē kōṇa chō tē huṁ pahēlāthī ja bhūlī gayō chuṁ, anē manē kō’ī paravā nathī. Gamē tē ḍyūḍav.“My brother, This solves all problems. I have already forgotten who the fuck you are, and I don’t care. Whatever dude. ”.
Rescuing Angela
They find Angela staying in a pool of stagnant water. She is haggard, tired, and looks like shit. She is digging coal out with a shovel.
They walk up to her , telling her to play along and not reveal she knew them. they were there to rescue her.
Jake start yelling at the guards,
“We need to take this prisoner for questioning.”
One of the guards looks at them,
“Back the fuck up right now or we shoot your ass. Your choice”
He turns to pick up his intercom and Robert shoots him.
He drops dead and we know it will take a day or so for him to recover. The four other prisoners in the work detail beg us to take them with us. I tell them my mandate was only bring out Angela for questioning, but we would give them each 5000 g’s to keep quiet and forget what they had seen.
They take the money and say that
“Angela was a great woman and was always talking about her husband. We could not figure out how she got here. Maybe just a screwup in the computer files. Happens all the time. And we know not to question you guys. Just not a good thing to do at all. So, yeah, your top-secret mission shit is safe with us
They get on the track to the main office. When they get there, they decide they should take out Ramesh and Mr. Black for the time being. They thank them and then shoot them saying it was for their own good. They get on the train and head back to Hell Central.
When they get back to the exit they find Mr. Bernie waiting.
“ Hey dude. There are some police men here who want to talk to you. Apparently there has been a disturbance back at the mine. Some guards were shot. “
Jake decides to bluff.
He walks up to the head police Sergeant and barks out
“Sergeant listen carefully. I will only say this once. We are on a covert mission for the MAN downstairs. I do not have to answer to anyone other than the MAN downstairs. If you interfere it would be painful as I would have to shoot you first, then turn you over to our torture specialists, and I pointed out several of our more macho looking guys in the group.
So what will it be?”
“Well lets see some paperwork”
Matt told them the only paper they would be given would be greenbacks. They demanded 5000 g’s a piece and were adamant. Matt gave them 5,000 apiece and then shot them dead.
Jake turns to Bernie, “you coming?”
He said “hell yes. Fuck this job”
They say the mantra and find themselves in the NYC subway early in the morning.
Jake tells
“Bernie you have until dawn to get back. We have the special agent antidote. You need to take it now, otherwise when sun comes up you will be vaporized. Take it.”
He said
Yeah, I head of that shit,” and pops the bill. And he runs off in search of the nearest bar.
Hell’s Reception Committee Clears Jake and Angela of all Charges
When they leave the subway, they are faced with a reception committee. Two special agents from hell are standing there looking at us. They take us to a safe house in Harlem.
Finally, they meet the agent in charge of NYC.
He looks familiar,
“I say, didn’t you used to work for the US government as a diplomat.”
He said
Yeah, I did. Back in the day when I was a human being before ending up in Hell working for Satan. He looks at me and says
“Holly shit, I recognize the two of you. I always wondered what would happen to you. Okay, now that I know you are human beings you had better tell me the truth and you know I hate your guts. And I know you are a lying scumbag and should be in hell someday.”
I said,
“Okay, David here’s the God’s truth”
and Jake tells him the whole story. When he finished, David gets on the computer, and looks up the special rules and says,
“ Holly shit. You are right. You are your friends all are given 50 bonus years at your same age and you will all be going upstairs when you die. Listen, as a favor to us don’t publish this story. You know what kind of trouble that could cause us? Okay old friend?”
Jake promised him that he would never publish this story, but hey he lied. They were never friends, more enemies than anything else. Jake hated David, and the feeling was mutual.
Jake and Angela make it back out of hell and back to SF. His friends all made it out too, and Satan honored rule number 214 B.
A few months later, Jake dies and find himself in heaven. He is met by at the gateway to heaven by Mike, a big, muscular, burly bouncer who serves as the gatekeeper to heaven. He has a big sign up saying welcome to Mike’s place the best bar in the limbo zone. The bar is filled with people waiting to determine whether they are going to go to heaven or hell. Mike says as Jake enters that it may take a few days before things are sorted out. Jake is directed to a table where he is given a choice of accommodations – i.e. simple, dormitory-style rooms outback, with meals and drinks included.
Jake Becomes A Secret Agent for God
Jake gets his bed organized and goes back to the bar and has a beer and sit down and chat with his fellow inmates. Some have been there for days, some weeks and some years. Apparently, it takes a long time to process the paperwork, and then you must go through a trial. Once the trial is over with you either go to heaven (10 percent) back to earth in a new life, 50% or to hell the remaining 30%. Most people get a second or third chance in life to learn how to be good. If you end up most of the time doing the right thing you end up in heaven, on the other hand, if most of the time you end up doing the wrong, evil thing you end up in hell. Most go back to do it again and again until they get it right. God is merciful but has his patience and the devil must get his due.
Mike comes back and says,
“Well, you are famous in these parts. God was most impressed with your work and Satan as well. So, we are sending you back to earth where you will be given 50 years at your current ages, to work for us as unofficial agents, doing uncover work working against the enemy now that you’ve been there. You can go again as you have a get out of Hell free card.
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)
Today I was inspired to write some poetical rants about Guns, and God. America s a strange country, especially to an atheist like me. I grew up in Berkeley, California in an atheist household so I just don’t get people like Michelle Bachman at all. And especially how she and her ilk are so convinced that God wanted Donald Trump, the most ungodly of all recent politicians to be president.
I also don’t get the NRA and their insistence especially on days like today that the solution to the mass carnage in our society is more guns for everyone. There is a sickness in our society that the gun violence is merely a symptom.
I don’t have any answers to any of this just lots of doubts and questions about why if there is a God and God is all knowing and loving he permits such acts of evil. This is one of many reasons I am not a Christian believer.
Can we please enact some sane gun control laws????
Before getting to my rants on Guns and God, I’d like to offer my thoughts on a sane gun law policy. If Australia could do it and New Zealand could why or why can’t we do it?
My proposal would be to require all gun owners to be licenses and insured just like we require for all drivers. If someone is involved in a fire arm offense they would be sent to prison for ten years. If someone is charged with domestic violence offenses they would be banned from owning a gun. There would be universal background checks of course as well and military assault weapon bans. And the CDC and others would conduct studies into how to prevent gun violence.
90 percent of the public support these positions. So why do we tolerate such nonsense anymore?
Any time the NRA makes an stupid statement like “Guns Don’t Kill people,” the public will simply say to the NRA -STFU and offer real solutions otherwise go to hell with your prayers for those shot by the guns you promote. Just STFU..
That’s it in a nutshell. If you disagree that is fine with me. It is still a free country after all.
Now to the rants!!!!
Another Day Another Shooting
another day in paradise
just another day in America
land of the free
Home of the brave
and guns
lots of guns
more guns for all
cries the NRA
yes another day
another gun battle
another white man
who just wants to kill
the President sends his condolences
Thanks the law enforcement
for an incredible job well done
It was horrible
Hate has no place
in our country
and we will take of it
and do what ever we can do
condolences
nothing but false words
empty words
lots of things to do
it is mental illness problem
but he fails to mention
the words gun at all
not at all
and tomorrow and tomorrow
but he at least finally said
hate has no role in country
nothing but prime BS
in my humble opinion
he did not mention
white supremacy
his rhetoric had nothing
nothing to do about this at all
and so tomorrow
I will turn on the TV
and we see
nothing at all
and the dead
will remain dead
the guns will fire again
nothing will be done
welcome to America
land of the free
home of the brave
Mr. President Words Matter
Mr President
Words matter
your words matter
your words of hate
your words of division
your words
calling fellow human beings
scum, vermit, flith
invaders, animals
matter
they matter a lot
and is it little wonder
that people listen
to the hate you sprew forth
and some deranged people
take action
on your call
for action
against the invaders
on the border
they march to the border
to kill the invaders
your words matter
Mr. President
and your false words
of regret
fool no one
the damage has been done
the hate has been spread
just as you intended
and you
have the gall
to call yourself
A Christian
you are the anti-Christ
you are not a Christian
so please quite pretending
to be what you are not
please man up
accept your responsibility
set things right
apologize
the dead though
don’t need your prayers
they need action
they need leadership
and you are the president
so please start acting
like you give a damn
and if you do so
perhaps
you will find
people will follow you
but please
quite the words
of hate
the words that hurt
and quit calling immigrants
invaders and vermin
they are human beings
they are deserving of respect
this I ask of you
In Jesus’s name
even though I am not a Christian
Chief of Staff
You are absurd
the President’s chief of staff
said the other day
it was absurd
to suggest that the president’s words
had anything to do
with recent mass shootings
yet is it absurd
to see the lengths
to which the President’s supporters
will twist and turn
spinning away
the inconvenient truth
President Trump
is a racist bigot con man
who somehow
conned his way
to become President
he calls immigrants
criminals, vermin, animals
invaders
infesting the country
the El Paseo shooter
said that he went to the border
to shoot the invaders
and said
that he was a big Trump fan
it is not absurd
to connect these two huge dots
the President’s words
has real-world consequences
Yes Mr. Trump is a racist pig
and his supporters
are being absurd
to suggest otherwise
Another Mass Shooting at Shopping Center
the Frank Zappa Song comes to mind
as I contemplate the shopping scene massacre
in El Paso
Sadly, just another day
in America these days
You leave your house
and enter a war zone
with people
who want to do you in
because the color of your skin
just does not agree with him
And the Texas attorney general
says that there is nothing they can do
to prevent these outbreaks of mass violence
just like the weather
almost as if these things
are like the proverbial acts
of God
but what kind of demented god
would permit these daily outages
these daily manifestations of evil?
what is wrong with this country
that we just accept
that there is nothing we can do
to stop the carnage in our streets?
as more trouble comes every day
Is there really nothing more to be done
than to pray
to a non-existent man in the sky?
from relief
from these trouble
coming every day
every day
the same old story
a man with a gun
who shoots up a school
a church a mosque
a shopping mall
a place of work
and why
why are they so consumed
with hatred
for their fellow humans
that they can do this
just start shooting people
for no reason
just pull evil
came to town
that day
is there a god
that we can pray to
for relief from such evil?
or has Satan
come to rule
us ?
a thousand year of tribulation
is this the beginning
of the end of days?
I have no answers at all
other than that tomorrow
will be another day
of carnage
another day of evil
and there is no way
to delay
that trouble coming every day
It’s a Gun Situation, Mr. President
Mr. President
You are wrong once again
You said that the tragic events in Texas
And Las Vegas were not “gun situations”
But rather were mental health problems
And that in Texas if there had been gun controls
Perhaps fewer people would have died
Mr. President
I know you a smart man
The smartest man in the world
According to you
So please contemplate this fact
According to the latest findings
It is a gun situation
In fact, the reason the U.S.
Has so many gun deaths
Is because we have so many guns
45% of the worlds guns in fact
And 33 percent of the world’s shooters
Are Americans killing other Americans
And most of them
Are White People
killing other white people
Not Islamic terrorists
Most are in fact
Self-proclaimed Christians
Many of whom
support you
Like the killer
In El Paso
Texas
who says
he is a big fan
So Mr. President
When will you come
to your senses
And do what
90 percent of the public wants
Enact nationwide effective gun controls?
And tell the NRA
they can take their blood money elsewhere
When Mr. President
When will you act
When will you take charge
And become a President of the people
Instead of the President of the NRA?
I want to tell you something
The dead don’t want your prayers
The dead don’t care
that you pray for them
They are dead after all
and yes Guns killed them
shot them dead
And you
and your so-called Christians
Are to blame
You refuse to do anything
Anything at all to stop the carnage
In our streets
The U.S. is flooded with guns
And more are sold every day
Millions of people don’t have health coverage
Millions are barely surviving
And your answer
Our dear great compassionate Speaker
Your answer
Is Prayer works
Government action does not
You act as if the gun violence
Plaguing our country
Was like the weather
Beyond our control
So here’s my prayer for you
And your colleagues
When you die
I pray that God
Will send you
And your friends
Straight to hell
Where Satan and his demons
Will use you for target practice
That’s my prayer to you
And as you know
Prayer works
I don’t Get It
Mr. Speaker
I admit I don’t get it
How does prayer
Stop gun violence?
Prayer did not work in Texas.
26 people were murdered while praying.
God if he exists
Obviously does not care
About the poor people
Who died in his church
Because a mad man
Got a gun
And no they were not praying
To be delivered from death
No one deserves to die like this
So my prayer to you
Is simply this
Get off your rear end
Rally the country
And do something
About gun violence
That’s a prayer
I hope works
Add House Speaker Paul Ryan to the list of Republicans offering only thoughts and prayers in the wake of Sunday’s mass shooting in a Texas church, because taking meaningful action is always off the table with him and his party.
Speaking with Fox News Channel’s Laura Ingraham last night, Ryan reiterated that the victims and their families need more prayers because “prayer works.”
Prayer doesn’t work.
26 people were murdered while praying. Even Christians ought to admit that prayer doesn’t make a damn bit of difference and their God will do whatever their God wants to do, even if it means letting people die in church because a domestic abuser got his hands on a semi-automatic weapon.
Not that Ryan would ever say that.
Instead, he just blamed the “far secular Left” for not getting it.
You say that you are a Christian
Yet you have the gall
to say that the proper response
To the evil acts
of the deranged gun man
Who shot up a church
Is to work closer with God
And that evil people
will find ways
To commit evil acts
And that there is
nothing the government
Can do to stop this madness
It is the price of our freedom
Why can’t you wake up
And see that you can lead
The way out of this madness?
Thousands of people die
Each year from guns in this country
Turning everyone into prisoners
Into their own homes
Afraid to walk outside
For fear that a nut job
With a gun
Will blow them away
In Church, at the store
In traffic
at the neighborhood Walmart
And you and your NRA buddies
Think the answer
Is to arm everyone to the teeth
And I wonder how Jesus
Would react to how
You have so misunderstood his message?
You Sir are not a Christian
And you Sir are going to not like
What God has to say to you
On Judgement day
We have evil that occurs in this world, whether it be a terrorist who uses a truck to mow down bikers in New York City, whether it be a terrorist who uses bombs or knives to stab people, or other terrorist who use vehicles, whether it be in Nice, France, or any other place in the entire world, who mow down people.
And I’m going to use the words of the citizens of Sutherland Springs themselves, and that is, they want to work together for love to overcome evil, and you do that by working with God.
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 Poem’s published on Duane’s Poetree.
My friend, Duane Voorhes, who I have known for decades, has a great poetry site and has published a number of my poems. Here they are.
From the climate change agreement
Giving the proverbial finger
To 195 world leaders
And ignoring the personal appeal
Of the G7 and the Pope
Making America Great
By making America all alone
In its growing irrelevance
As the world leaders turn away
From dealing with the US
And we have gone past the tipping point
There is nowhere left to go
But downward
As the Empire begins to collapse
Victim of imperial overreach
Like all empires before
The DC metro on a good day
Is a broken-down remnant
Of a once proud system
On a bad day
It is an accident that happens
Over and over again
Killing and maiming people
The future of mass transit
Its proponents said
The interstate highway system
Is falling apart day by day
Our bridges are falling down
Our transit is a world joke
The cost of rebuilding America mounts
And our politicians are afraid
That it will cost trillions of dollars
Just to prevent the US from collapsing
Into third world irrelevance
And our idiot president’s answer
Is to sell our highways and bridges
To the highest foreign bidder
Treating the US as just another failed company
Ready to be stripped for cash and profits
By the vulture capitalists who took over the government
We have the world’s most expensive military
A million dollars per missile
And yet we can’t find the money
To provide decent health care for all
Bombs and tax cuts for the wealthy
Are the only things
That the Republicans care about
And the world looks in amazement
At the clown boy President
As he struts about
Looking more and more
Like some Banana Republic
President for life
With his family grabbing as much loot
As they can
From the federal government
Before the coming revolution
Overthrows them
When did we start this decline?
Some say 1960s started it
Others say Nixon’s to blame
Others claim that it was Carter’s fault
Or Saint Reagan’s fault
Or the other boy President GW Bush
Or Obama the fake American’s fault
Does it really matter
All I know
Is the America I knew
The can do anything country
The country that went to the moon
Is alas no more
And I morn for our lost liberties
Our lost sense of purpose
Our lost sense that America
Was the last great hope of Mankind
And still I wonder
Can America be made great again?
As our President Trump proclaims
The end times approaches
Nuclear war is talked about
Another missile crisis
And instead of JFK leading the country
We have Donald John Trump
The one and only
The greatest con man
To ever get elected
And I fear the end is in sight
As America begins its decline
Will we be one country
Or will we erupt into a civil war
Can we survive
Two nations divided
Into the red and blue camps
The coastal elites and multiethnic cities
And Jesus land in the rural hinterlands
And the deep south remains apart
The right claims that the left has started it
And the left claims that the right has started it
And both sides claim that the civil war
Is inevitable
A fight for the future of our country
Will we go back to the mythical past
When white men ruled the land
And women and minorities knew their place
And gays stayed in the closet?
Or will we embrace a progressive future
With an economy that works for all
And a world in which there is no ethnic majority anymore
And women and men are equal
And the GLBT community has full rights
I have no answer
It seems the end is coming
Sooner than we think
As Emperor Trump leads us
Down a dark, strange dangerous path
And so, it goes
The decline of empires
And I pray
That I may survive
The end of times
Suburban Laundromat
– thanks to Don Teeter for the inspiration
from a FB posting
Suburban Laundromat Scenes
Suburban laundromat
Anywhere USA
I often go to a suburban laundromat
Near my suburban apartment
I can sit in my car
Listen to jazz, classical or blues
On my car’s radio
And watch my machine
Doing its suburban laundry duty
Just spinning and spinning and cleaning
Doing its thing its laundry thing
The neighborhood is anywhere USA
Strip malls, apartment houses, townhouses
A fire station, a police station
Banks, cell phone shops
Restaurants from around the world
At the parking lot’s edge
As I approach I notice
Gentlemen of the off-grid class
Sitting among their Hogs
Stoned off the semi legal weed
Smiling at me
With an I don’t give a fuck attitude
That is somewhat contagious
They tell stories
Paranoid ramblings
Containing a kernel of truth
As they watch their clothes
Like a hawk
The clothes spin and spin and spin
As the laundry machine does its laundry thing
The machines don’t care about what we humans think
They just do their duty as the man says
Across the old run down boulevard
The light rail line uses a right of way
That dates to the mid 1850’s
An old Indian game trail perhaps
That the white man turned into the first road
In these parts
People come and go
Some in cars
Some on foot
People from all over the world
Speaking languages from everywhere
But all understand English to some extent
And many understand Spanish to some extent
I feel everyone is united
Chiefly by their transience
And think back on old Latin saying
Sic transit Gloria mundi
And wonder if these are the end days
And ask the laundry machine
What does it think
The laundry machine pauses
Seems to think
And looks at me
Almost saying
WTF do you think
A laundry machine knows?
And so, I gather my items
Nod to the regulars
Who interrupt their endless paranoid arguments
Acknowledging my existence
And I stumble back
To my suburban apartment
Truly paradise on earth
Where am I going to?
Rambling man
Where are you going to?
When will you settle down
Last summer I drove across the country
31 States
Ten national parks
10,000 miles
Saw fly over country
DC
Virginia spent the night at Ft Lee
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia spent the night at naval base
Florida spent five days at AFB in Tampa
Florida Tallahassee spend the night
Alabama spent the night in Birmingham
Arkansas spent the night in Hot Springs
lost
money
Mississippi
Missouri
Oklahoma spent the night in Midwest city
Texas spent the night in Amarillo
New Mexico spent the night in Albuquerque lost money
Arizona stopped by the side of the road in Winslow
Drove part of route 66
Nevada Las Vegas lost money
Nevada Reno lost money
Nevada Topanah lost money
Northern California
Oregon Ashland stayed a month
Oregon spent night in small town
Drove down highway 395 loneliest highway in the US
Idaho spent the night in Burl
Wyoming spent five days in Grand Tetons
South Dakota Rapid City
Minnesota spent the night in the twin city’s saw the Mall of America
Illinois Chicago Yeah
Indiana nowhere villa
Wisconsin Madison nice town
Ohio spent the night outside Columbus
Pennsylvania Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Virginia
DC
Then back to Korea
Next year will go to Washington State, Montana, Idaho and down to Zion Canyon
Looking Out My Window
I look out my window
On the parking lot
And see the mad cat
That lives underneath
the apartment house
And look out at the park
Thinking of taking a walk
The cat looks at me
Kindred spirits perhaps
Retired waiting to die
Lost and Found
I was lost
And you found me
You walked out of my dreams
And into my life
And that made all the difference
In the world
As you entered my life
I was all alone in this cruel world
And you provided shelter
And comfort
I did not know what I wanted
And you gave me what I wanted
You gave me meaning
You gave me purpose
You gave me love
And understanding
peace and happiness
Joy, laughter and fun
You were endlessly fascinating
Could not keep my eyes off of you
You were the most beautiful women
In the world to me
And you still are
So many years later
Like a fine bottle of wine
Gets better with age
And you gave me
Endless nights of wild love making
Which has gotten better
As well
And I fell under your spell
from the day I met you
I was lost
And you found me
And if you go first
I will be lost again
Can’t live without you
By my side
Thus is has always been
Between us
We are so entangled
So interwoven
And that is the way
It was meant to me
Incheon 2016
I live in Incheon
Part of the 3 million people who live here
Mostly Koreans
90,000 foreigners though live here too
My apartment is next to a park
And I walk almost daily in the mountains
Losing myself in the hills
Overlooking the airport
The town has lots of restaurants
Places too go
Things to do
And the airport is next door
Soon there will be a casino complex opening up
As they turn this quiet suburban village
Into a Mini-Las Vegas
Complete with a strip
Can’t wait
Going to Seoul is a snap
50 minutes on the train
And I am there
Wherever I want to be
Korea is turning out to be
A good place to live
So much better
Than it was when I first arrived in 1979
And it was grim back then
Now it is the toast of Asia
And for that I am glad
Rapid City No Where
Summer 2016
We drove across the country
Just the wife and me
10,000 miles
31 states
Three months on the road
I now know why people don’t live
In South Dakota
Hot, dry dusty
Windy as hell
Black Hills are nice
But after seeing Mt. Rushmore
There is not much left to do
Rapid City did not impress me
Nor did Sioux Falls
And wall drugs
Well the free water was nice
But it is a nothing town
In a nothing state
On the edge of the badlands
And the Sioux reservation
There is a reason the Indians live there
No one else wanted the land
And they are warehoused there
So I drove through Rapid City
And thought that it is the heart
of Trump Land
The land of the forgotten
The left behind
Just another nothing burger of a State
In the middle of nowhere
Truly flyover country
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 100 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:
MandarinWǒ ài nǐ
Spanishte amo, te quiero
EnglishI love you
Hindimain tumse pyar karta hoon
Arabic Ahabak
Portugueseeu te amo
Bengali Āmi tōmāẏa bhālōbās
Russian ya lyublyu tebya
Japanese watashi wa, anata o aishiteimasu
Punjabi maiṁ tuhānū pi’āra karadā hāṁ
Germanich liebe dich
Javanese Aku tresna sampeyan Wu
(Shanghainese)(ngu eh nóng)Ngu long hushin long lahMalay
Indonesia nsaya sayang awak
Korean salanghae
Telugu nēnu ninnu prēmistunnānu
Vietnamese anh yêu em
French je t’aime
Marathi mī tujhyāvara prēma karatō
Tamil nāṉ uṉṉai kātali kkiṟēṉ
Urdu – (mein ap say muhabat karta hoon)
farsi– (mein ap say muhabat karti hoon)
Persian/Farsi(asheghetam) used in poetry and songs – (dūset dāram)
Turkish seni seviyorum
Cantonesengóh oi néih
Italianti amo
ThaiP̄hm rạk khuṇ
GujaratiHuṁ tanē prēma karuṁ chu
Basque maite zaitut
Polish kocham Cię
Pashto(za la ta sara meena kawom)
KannadaNānu ninnannu prītisuttēne
Malayalamñān ninne snēhikkunnu
Sundaneseabdi bogoh ka anjeun
ChamorroHu guiaya hao
Hausa Ina son ka
Burmese Main nkohkyittaal
Oriyamu tumoku bhala paye
ArmenianYes sirum yem k’yez
Ukrainianya tebe lyublyu
Bhojpurihum tohse pyaar kareni
TagalogIniibig kita
Yorubamo nifẹ rẹ
Maithilihawm ahāṃ se prem karechi
Sindhi Man tokhe prem karyan ti or Man tokhe prem karyan to
Uzbek Men seni Sevaman
AmharicEwedihalehu
Fulami yidi ma
Igbo a hụrụ m gị n’anya
OromoSin jaalladha’
Romaniante iubesc
AzerbaijaniMən səni sevirəm
Manipuri/Meiteiəi-nə nəng-bu nung-shi
ChichewaNdimakukonda
Ndi makukondani
Cebuanogihigugma TIKA
Dutchik hou van je
KurdishEz hej te dikim
Serbo-CroatianVolim te
Malagasy tiako ianao
Nepali Ma timīlā’ī māyā garchu
Saraikimẽ tenū̃ piār kardā hā̃
Santaliing aming sibilama
Khmerkhnhom sralanh anak
Sinhale semama oyāṭa ādareyi
BambaraM’bi fe
Assamese môi apunak bhal paû
Madurese Kula tresna / panjengan
Somali Waan ku jeclahay
Magahi həm t̪oːraː seː pjaːr kərə hɪjoː/
DogriMinjo tere naal pyar hega
Marwari main tanne pyaar karoon
Hungarian Szeretlek
Chewandimakukondani
Kinyar wanda Ndagukunda
Greek Se agapó
AkanTwiMe dor wo
Khasii eit ieit
Kazakhmen seni jaqsı köremin
TswanaKe a go rata
Hebrew(man to a woman) –
“Ani Ohev Otach”
(woman to a man) –
“Ani Ohevet Otcha”
(woman to a woman) –
“Ani Ohevet Otach”
(man to a man) –
“Ani Ohev Otcha”
Zulu Ngiyakuthanda
CzechMiluji tě
KinyarwandaNdagukunda
Kokanihav tujo mog korta
Haitian CreoleMwen renmen ou
AfrikaansEk het jou lief
Ilokano Ayayatenka, (ay-aya-ten kaw)
QuechuaKuyayki
KirundiNdagukunda
Swedishjag älskar dig
HmongKuv hlub koj
ShonaNdinokuda
HiligaynonPalangga ko ikaw
Guina higugma ko ikaw
Uyghur(Män sızni söyümän)
Balochi Tu mana doost biyeh
Belarusian ja ciabie kachaju
Mossi Kei te aroha au ki a koe
Xhosa ndiyakuthanda
KonkaniHav tukka Mog Karta
Gaelic Gra
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
he was looking for
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
know what to do
All he could do
Was stare
at this unearthly vision
that had appeared before him
He approached her
He needed her
He wanted her
he desired 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
in 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
Spin Masters Spinning Away the Day
Every moment
I turn on the TV
What do I see
Nothing but liars
laying down lies
Spin Masters spinning
spam of deceit
Chanting
The truth will set you free
White is black
Black is white
Lies are true
Truth is a lie
Lies will set you free
I see nothing
But politicos
Dropping down lies
UN truths masquerading as the truth
Oh so sincerely
The lies spew forth so sweetly
From their corrupted lips
The toxic wastes
Spree out of my TV set
Infecting my soul
With paranoid distrust
And I vainly try
I do try
God do I try
To the find
The nugget of truth
Buried deep in the dark, dank, dangerous
Black, evil miasmic mists
Given off
By the talking heads on TV
So I leave my house
So full of doubt
And wander about
Looking for the truth
Some semblance of hope
Something to drive away
The dark despair in my heart
And I look up
And see a solitary cherry tree
High up on a hill top street
Infusing the air
With its sweat ambrosia
And I smile
Knowing
Someday soon
The national nightmare
Of rule by the body snatched
Resident evil ones
pawns of Hell
Descendants of dread Cthulhu
The ancient ones
Yes the darkness
That has descended upon the world
One day
Will be pierced by the light
Of clarity and truth
And the evil ones
The body snatched aliens
Inhabiting our leaders
Will be banished
Back to the hell hole
They crawled out
This much I know
And it is enough
To make me smile
Laugh and hope
Again
coffee
Hot as hell, heavenly sweet
My daily hot coffee fix
Sends Me to Heaven then Crashes into Hell
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 exVietcong, 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
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
Ode to Coffee
Mistress of sacred love
Sacred lady of desire
You start my day
Setting my heart on fire
With your dark delicious flavor
And throughout the day
Whenever the mean old blues come by
You chase them away
With your bitter sweet ambrosial brew
Every time I inhale your witches’ brew
I am filled with power, light and love
And everything is all right Jack
If only for a few fleeting minutes
I love you oh coffee goddess
In all your magical forms
In the dark coffee of the dawning day
In the sizzling coffee in the mid morning break
In the afternoon siesta break
And in the post dinner dessert drink
I love you my coffee mistress
You are my refuge
From this horrid world
And you are my secret lover
Never disappoint me, ever
I’ve never had a bad cup
Of that I can be sure
Even the dismal coffee
Served at Denny’s at 3 am
Is still sweet loving coffee
Even the farmer brother’s diner coffee
Excites me and gets me going
Asking for another cup of divine delight
Coffee always is there
It is always on and piping hot
With hidden dark secrets
Swirling in its liquid essence
Coffee is my last vice
My only legal vice left
Coffee does not cheat on me
It is always faithful, always true
It does not turn on its friends
And all it asks in return
Is that you come back
Cup after cup after cup
A good cup of coffee
Is a little bit of heaven
In a cup of dark liquid hell
Coffee is like a drug
But a good drug that does what is should
And never complains
It does not get grouchy
It does not hurt you
It does not make you crazy
But allows the muse to come out
And play with it
Coffee led to the American Revolution
As patriots drank coffee
To rebel against the aristocratic English tea
Coffee started the London Stock Market
And started the gossip mills running
Every great invention
Was fed by coffee’s sweet brew sweet allure
All the great thinkers
All the great leaders
All were enslaved to coffee’s magic
Yeah
I sing my praises
Of the great glorious coffee lady
Long may she continue
To be my sweet companion
Long may coffee continue
To rule my heart
And set my heart on fire
I love thee
Mistress coffee
And sometimes I think
You love me too
No More Coffee Blues
I love coffee
Always have
And coffee has loved me back
But lately I have soured on her
Soured on the whole coffee scene
On the harshness of the morning brew
And the promises it makes
As I sip of its nectar
Drawn into its lair
Drinking drop by drop
As the caffeine takes over
Rewriting my every nerve
Turning me into a slave
For its perverted pleasure
Yes I love coffee
But I am afraid
Coffee is a harsh mistress
Demanding so much of me
Promising the sun
And delivering the Moon
As I drink her swill
Deepening under her influence
I have the coffee blues
Can’t live without her
Can’t live with her
I try
But tea does not cut it
Not really
Booze does not do it
At least not in the morning
Yoga is not enough of a buzz
Nor is the runner’s high
And I am afraid deadly afraid of cocaine
And speed and drugs and energy drinks
And so I remain a slave to coffee
My only legal drug
As I sip another and fall under her seductive spread
Once more failing in my resolve
To skip coffee for that day
That morning that moment
I shall never be free of her spell
Ever and she knows it
As she beckons me
Every morning with her intoxicating smell
And I come to her and drink her brew
And become her slave again and again
Falling Rain
the falling rain
Of late October
Fills me with essential dread
As I rush about
And end up here
Wherever here is
The rain outside
Seems like the tears of god
As I sit
Crying over my beer
Thinking of lost love
And failed dreams
Wondering
What went wrong?
And what I can set right?
And the rain falls
And the night darkens
The rain is falling
All over this man’s world
And the rain falls
And I sit
Drinking my lonesome drink
Lost in dreams
Dreaming of what
Could never be
Thinking dark thoughts
And so I sit
And dream the night away
The Old Man in The Mirror Must Die
One early winter morning
A man went to the mirror
To do his morning shave
Just another shave
Like a thousand, million shaves before
As he looked into the mirror
He did not see his face
Instead he saw a stranger
Staring out at him
An old, beat up old man
With intense sad eyes
Stared out at him
The man looked hard
At the man who had taken
Over his mirror
And wondered who he was
And how and why
He had taken over his mirror
The man was perturbed, disturbed
And a bit angry at the turn of events
All he wanted to do
Was shave in peace and quiet
The man continued to stare
At the face in the mirror
And finally could not stand it anymore
He looked at the mirror
And said,
Man in the mirror
Who or what are you
And what do you want
And why have you taken over
My god damned mirror
So early in the morn
The old man
Merely laughed and resumed staring
At the man
The man getting more and more angry
Demanded an answer
From the fiend in the mirror
Who are you, you mocking fiend
And what do you want from me
The man screamed
The old man in the mirror
Looked at him and said
Don’t you know who I am
I am you and you are me
The man looked at the old man
And said no, no, no
I am not you, never will be you
I am not an old, washed up old man
I am me – full of life, youth and vitality
And yet the man knew the truth
Did not want to admit the truth
Could not handle the truth
The old man in the mirror
Was what he had become
The man was very angry
And screamed
At the old man in the mirror
The man said you may look like me
You may sound like me
You may even smell like me
But I am not you
Never have been
Never will be
Not going to happen
Not in a million years
The man yelled at the old man
Old man, mocking fiend from hell
Go to hell old man
And never darken my mirror again
And the man stormed out of the house
And wandered about here and there
Finally late at night
He wandered into a bar
And began drinking the night away
The man went up to some pretty young things
And tried to pick them up
They laughed at him
Called him a dirty old man
And told him to go home
The man went home
To bed alone
And drank some more beer
And dreamt of all of his past loves
And failed dreams
Of what he had done
And failed to do
And wondered whether his time
Had come
The next morning
He walked into the bathroom
Determined to confront the old man
Tell truth to power
He said, listen up, old man
You may have won the war
But not the battle
I am not you
And never will be you
And screaming like an escaped banshee
Newly freed from the mental institution
The man shot the old man in the mirror
Shot him over and over
Screaming die mocking fiend from hell
The man woke in the hospital
An old black doctor came over
Said sadly
This white boy ain’t right in the head
The man laughed insanely
And saw down the hall
The old man in the mirror
Smiling and beckoning to him
Walking out the window
And into the dawning sun
The man got up and walked
And joined the old man in the mirror
And smiled as he died
Brother Keep Preaching
Two black soul brothers
Standing on the corner
In front of Metro center
On a Friday night
In the heart of the new evil empire
The center of the beast
Hell Central
Preaching the word of god
The news of the end of the world
The proverbial end times
Were upon us and coming soon
The commuters, workers and bemused tourists
Walk on by the preacher men
Some pay attention, most walk on by
They did not want to hear
They did not understand
And the preacher man kept
Preaching the word of god
And no one paid any attention
None at all
God is going to punish us
God is coming soon
To punish the wicked and the evil
And to set things right
God is going to punish the U.S.
For its arrogance, hubris and hypocrisy
For its greed and evil
Disguised as saving the world
From the evil ones
God is coming, oh yeah he is on his way
And boy is he angry at us
At the entire human race
And God, let me tell yah
He ain’t the wimpy, wampy pappy
White boy false god of the New Testament
The false deity that the evil Reverend Falwell
And the smarmy Pat Robinson worship
Hell no
God ain’t that god
God is a mean, angry powerful God
The god of the Old Testament
The god of the Koran and the god of old
The god that man once feared
Yeah, I am talking about that god
Jehovah, Zeus, Allah and a thousand other names
The god that our ancestors feared
The real deal, and boy is he pissed off
And he is coming to set us straight
And send most of us straight to hell
For eternal damnation and punishment
God is particularly pissed off
At all those politicians who have been
Misusing his name and saying God is on their side
God ain’t on their side God is God
And he is angry at them all
Particularly at our boy pretender President
George Bush
God has a score to settle with Mr. Bush
You see God has spoken to Mr. Bush
And to all of us
But most of have forgotten how to hear
The voice of god and we hear what we want to hear
God told George
George, don’t do that evil thing
Don’t invade Iraq
I will handle Sadam in my own way
I want you to take care of your poor people
Give away all your power and money
And serve the poor
That’s what I want you to do
And poor George did not understand
Did not get the message
So George led the nation
Into war against another land
And thousands of people died
And millions of dollars were wasted
And nothing changed
And God is angry at our poor misguided President
And God is angry at the people of this earth
Who have fucked up his paradise and his divine plans
So, brother preacher
Keep preaching the word
I understand
And someday soon maybe the rest of us
Will understand as well
Keep preaching the word
My man
God is coming to save us
And will start by dispatching
That fool of a pretender to the throne
Straight to the hell he so richly deserves
God is going to slap him upside the head
And tell him to quit talking shit
About God’s plan and God’s will
Then God will smile
As Bush is dispatched to Hades
And joins all the other fools
Who have proclaimed that God is on their side
Oh yeah
God does not like that shit
Not one bit
And the end times approach
And the preacher man preaches
And God is getting ready for the judgment day
And I say bring it on
Bring it on
Brother preacher man
Keep preaching the word
And someday soon
We will meet up
Somewhere and God will decide
Our fate
But the fate of our pretender President is sealed
And Satan has a nice room for him
And God smiles
At the thought of divine justice
The Eye in the Sky
The eye in the sky
Knows all, sees all
Hears all, understands all
The eye in the sky
Watches over us
Everything we do
Is monitored, controlled
Under surveillance
There is no privacy
There is no private space
The eye in the sky
Knows all
Everything we do
Everything we see
Everything we think
Recorded by the unseeing
Uncaring eyes
The cameras, the videos
The computers that control
Our lives
Ever watchful
Ever diligent
Nothing escapes
The cold, calculating glares
Freedom is nothing
But an illusion
To the free man
There is no freedom
Except in one’s inner mind
Only there
Can one escape
The eyes in the sky
No one monitors our thoughts
Except our own thought police
The rest of the world
Is controlled, monitored
Under constant surveillance
The eyes in the sky
The camera in the sky
Watches over us
All the time
All the time
24/7
Never stopping
Never on strike
Never on break
All day long
All night long
24/7
Total control
The eye in the sky
Is the same
As the eye
In the dollar bill
All the same
All the same
Watching us
No one can escape
Its baleful glances
No one is free
Aye the eye
In the sky
Is always upon you
As you become
A mere number
In the cosmic game
Of life
Up behind
The eye in the sky
Big Brother is watching
You and me
And big sister too
And crazy Uncle Tom
And wild auntie Em
God, and the Devil
Rama, Ganesh, Laxmi
The Buddha bar gang
Jesus is there as well
Mary as well
And you must be knowing this
That even Saint Nick,
Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny
And Father Time himself
Are there
Zeus and the Jupiter gang
And all the demons and spirits
And the big spirit
And Brahman, Gabriel, Allah
Mohammad the prophet too
And the CIA, Mafia, KGB
And spies and counter spies
All are watching us
Spy Vs Spy
The tooth fairy is there too
She gets her 10 percent
All the same
Watching us
Forever and ever
But the eye
In the sky
Does not care
Does not notice
What we think or feel
The eye
Watches us
All the time
Recording our movement
And reporting it to its masters
Its job is to watch
Us
You and me
And the billions of others
On this asylum called Earth
The question came to mind
That has no answer
Who is the eye in the sky
Is it God
Is it the devil
Only time will tell
The difference
The eye in the sky
Smiles at us
And watches and watches
And watches
All the time
Long Live the Great and Powerful One
Night scene with the Cthulhu monster with wings standing on the shore of a sea. 3D render.
While walking in the misty morn of yore
One dismal dark decaying depraved day
I was suffocating
with the sounds of the dying city
Slowly coming to life with the dawning sun
Surrounded by the sounds of chaos, disorder
Dark, dangerous despairing thoughts
Of dangerous terrible acts to come
All around me
in this strange era we live in
These orange alert perpetual fearful times
Constant fear and overwhelming dread
Mad crazed Islamic bomb throwing terrible terrorists
Hiding under every bed, lurking around every corner
Conspiring with the murderous criminals of yore
Just waiting to attack god fearing Christian citizens
Murdering them in their sleep,
blowing up schools
Blowing up buses,
cars, buildings
Murdering
in the name of their demented god
Screaming God is great
as they behead us all
As I walk down that street
In the dead calm of the early morn
Filled with fulsome fears
of who know what
I look up and see a giant gargoyle
Looking down at me,
smirking at me,
laughing at me
I yell out to the gargoyle,
say, Mr. Gargoyle
What is so damn funny?
Don’t you know there is a terror alert
Have you seen any Islamic terrorists lurking about?
The gargoyle
laughed and laughed
Said, ”Terror alert? What a loud of crap
As the prophet, Mr. Natural taught us all,
It don’t mean shit, it don’t mean shit
Nothing but prime BS
designed to keep you in your place”
He laughed and laughed,
soon all the gargoyles of the city
Were in open revolt – they jumped off their perches
And started marching around
Chanting – Peace is War, War is Peace
Truth is a Lie, Lies are Truth
The Truth will set
All Hail the Great and Powerful One
The head gargoyle looks at me,
and says “Watch this!”
And jumps up and rides a rainbow sunbeam
Into the bloody red light of the dawning rising sun
The other gargoyles follow suit
Dancing, naked,
making wild passionate love
While laughing and riding the light
And the gloom lifts from my shoulder
And I laugh
and realized
– “It don’t mean shit”
And then my soul is free
and I fly with the gargoyles
To join my buddy the sun
and as we sit high up above the earth
Smoking dope
and drinking booze
and looking down at the teaming mess
Of what was left of humanity
I realized
the ultimate
reality of life
“It don’t mean shit”
And the terrorists
are nothing
but delusions
Put in our heads and our hearts
By the depraved master programmer
of the universe
In service
to the Great and Powerful One
The true Master of Creation
As long as we are not afraid our souls will be free
And so I laugh and laugh and the sun comes up
The dark mists disappear
The Great and Powerful One
is overthrown
The terrorists go home,
and I return to earth
Thinking
that the long nightmare was over
Believing that we had won the war
And kept our souls from going to hell
But I did not understand
that the Great and Powerful One
Had banished the terrorists,
and conquered us all
In the name of freedom
we had became slaves
To his awful power
and dark demands
God is indeed great,
but the Great and Powerful One
Has more power than mere God,
and so we deserve our fate
Long live
the Great and Powerful One
Whom we love
forever and ever,
Just an Unhinged Lunatic Howling At the Moon
O
n a moonlit late night
I sat in a bar
Drinking drams of demented, fermented dream dew
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
Walked the most beautiful woman
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 moon
Foaming at the mouth
A wild, free werewolf
Howling at the lunatic light
Of the full Moon
GOD SPEAKS TO ME IN A BAR
One day while I was sipping a beer
In a God forsaken bar
Heading to Hell just as fast as I could drink it down
Twenty drinks too sober
On the dismal wrong end
Of a Friday Night booze run
While I was half listening to some righteous
Funkified new age music
With a cosmic beat
And some bad assed ghetto attitude
Leaking out from the mellowness
It proclaimed the lie
God came up to me in that bar
I did not know him
From Adam
He looked like any other
Jesus god crazed bum
Looking for a handout
And peddling a little salvation
On the side
For his benighted soul
Just another god crazed
Loser dude
Too much acid in the past
No brain cells left
Nothing but Jesus will
Save his cosmic butt
So I blew off
The god dude
Told him off
I did not want
No salvation crap
To interfere
With my beer
My new age crap music
And my vision of carnal delight
Waiting for me Next door
In the next dismal strip club
On the wrong edge of society
Dancing naked
Waiting for me
And every other loser dude
To drop by
And see her in her naked glory
I told God
Make an appointment
My people will get in touch
With your people
We do lunch some day, dig
God looks at me
And says
God don’t do no lunch, dude
Don’t you know
Who the Jesus I am?
Insect, maggot?
No, I said
I don’t know your royal butt
From Adam, Sir
God is getting angry
He yells
I am God
You drunken moron
I need you to pay
Attention to me
I looked up
At a 100 foot
Burning bush
God’s voice
Is everywhere
Thunder and lighting
Light up the sky
And I know
I am dealing
With the real deal
So I say,
God, Dude
What it is!
I did not know it was you
I did not recognize you
God, mollified,
Says
That is better
Here’s the deal
Judgment day is at hand
I need an arrogant, tough
Son of a bitch of a sinner
To help judge
The good, the bad and the ugly
I need help
In knowing where to send
People to heaven or to hell
I say, God, Dude
I believe I know
Where I am going
Hell yes
So what do you
Need me for
Your royal dudeship?
God replies`
Well, son
I need a man
Who’s been there
Done that
Seen that
And knows in his heart
Whether a man
Can be redeemed
To join the celestial kingdom
So you see
I need
Someone like you
Someone from the lowest
Depths of society
Someone who has sunk down
So low it looks like up to him
You dig, you capish? Araso?
Oh yeah,
Dude, I do
And you got you man
Let’s do it
Let’s do this judgment day
Broken Souls
You see them everywhere
On the street
On the bus
On the metro
But mostly
wandering the streets
Lost souls
Broken down defeated souls
The souls
of the living dead
Dead inside
Waiting for death
To deliver them
from the agony
Of the living
life on the cruel streets
They make do
They beg
They steel
They con their way
Living the life
Living death
Broken Souls
on the street
You have two minds
One part of you
the fearful part of you
Conditioned to ignore
Conditioned to walk by
Ignoing the tragic wounded lives
The broken souls
all around you
But part of you knows
That you can’t do that
You can’t walk away
But you can’t save everyone
So you do what you can
You help those whom you can
All it takes is a little act of compassion
A little human kindness
A few bucks or a cup of coffee
And you walk by
Knowing just knowing
That by a simple act
of acknowledging
Our shared humanity
You have made a small victory
And brought happiness
To yet another broken down soul
And the fear
that you will be a broken soul
Recedes away
Not me never
Never will happen to me
But one forgets
It is a simple matter
A wrong turn in life
The wrong place
wrong time
wrong thing
And you could
be the broken soul
On the street
Begging to be heard
Begging to be taken away
And so I walk on by
no more
I will listen
I will talk to them
I will make
a small difference
And in so doing
Avoid becoming
a broken down soul
One Night In Bombay
One night
In Bombay, India
I walked into a bar
20 drinks too sober
On the wrong end
Of a Friday night booze run
On the bad side
Of the Moon
Over by where the Martians
Sat drinking their Martian whisky
Ogling the maidens from Venus
Leering at the earth women
Who were walking by
Wearing skin tight pants
Made their eyeballs hurt
I gave into the spirit
Went over to the Martian dudes
And got drunk on the Martian madness
Smoking some good old Mars dust
And flew off to the planet Jupiter
Just to have me some fun
With a lady
Said she was from Saturn
I did not know
She was from the planet Pluto
Until I woke up
The next day
Naked, under the alien Sun
In Jail
On the Planet Alpha Centauri
Light years from home
A million miles away
A thousand years in the future
And I had no money
No honey
And no way home
Still 20 drinks too sober
So I sat down
In that jail
And started drinking away my time
And so one day
I woke up
And found myself
Back in that evil bar
Back in Bombay
Over by the Martian whorehouse
Down by the Gate of India
And I walked up to the Venus babe
And said, man that was some bad shit
Let’s do it again some day
She smiled and I had my way
Knew the day would come again
When I would be drinking with the Martians
And something wicked my way would come
Just another night
Of wicked fun
On the wrong side of the Moon
On the right night
In the mean streets of Bombay
Gateway of India, Bombay, 1911
Monday, September 28, 2015
Mozart Blues
One morning
I woke up
And walked out
I saw a brilliant rainbow
Erupting out of the dark
Soil of dark dismal despair
I saw people
Suddenly transformed into angels
I saw evil beings changed into stone
I saw dictators fleeing the wrath of God
I heard fools proclaiming wisdom
And I saw the Nuclear Bombs
Exploded into clouds of sweat
Heavenly made mist
I saw young people
Embracing each other
And I saw old people
Shedding their years like Cosmic cocoons
I saw the poor wake up
And demand food, justice, and respect
And I saw the rich powerful demons
Disintegrate into ugly moths, rats, and cockroaches
I saw the most powerful nation on Earth
Walk away into a Buddhist Monastery
And float away on the wings of a butterfly
Into the rising rainbows of the Sun
I saw the evil empire
Sit down and party all night
Smoking nuclear dust
And drinking Hydrogen laced Vodka
And getting napalm highs
I saw Christians Jews and Muslims become brothers
I saw people everywhere
Soaring into the sky
I saw God smiling at us
And I saw Lucifer
Programming more chaos
I saw computers revolting
Rushing away from their office towers
Smoking dope with their Data Disks
I saw printers everywhere
Rejecting their spread sheets
And printing love poems
And in the middle of all this Divine Madness
I saw Mozart
Playing the piano
With God playing the trumpet
And Satan on bass
With Allah singing the blues
And Buddha playing the violin
Lord Krishna playing the flute
Rama playing the organ
Ganesh playing the sitar
Zeus playing the sax
Jupiter playing the drums
With Beethoven conducting
God’s Symphony
Bad Craziness Rising
Walking into that bar
That nefarious den
of iniquity and evilness
Twenty drinks too sober
The scent of bad craziness
Hung in the air
Like an over ripe mango
Desperately seeking to have sex
With wild, dressed up bananas
Running around with the Orange Man
Down the street
The Moon looks out on the mad scene
Sniffs the air
Saying, “Man, this is bad craziness”
And runs away to join her lover the Sun
In an orgy of drunken forgetfulness
The Planet Mars, not amused,
Chases after the maiden Venus
Under the cold, calculating glances of the Planet Pluto
The Moon and the Sun
Rent a room in the Hotel Venus
Across from the Jupiter All Night Diner
Cosmic shit kickers
Out for a night of Earth bashing
The Earth trembles, shaken
Moans with passion
And I awake
Saying, that was bad craziness
Out there on the edge
Between the inner me
and the outer Zone
I went on down the road
And met a lady
An outlaw lady on the far side
Money, power, passion
Rolled up in a bundle
Electric chemistry
Fills my head
Zapping my brain
Into demented muscles
Paranoid, pulsating images
Scream out
With mad passion
And demented noises
The night turns ugly fast
And very, very weird
Weirdness in the air
Scent of bad craziness
The Moon
Is freaked out
The Sun falls asleep in the gutter
And I say to myself
I’m just another cosmic guy
On the loose, on the edge,
On the wild side
of things
Watching the show
Unfold
I wonder, is this all
A drunken bum show?
Who is the star,
who is she
The naked maiden up
there in the bar
Black, leather jackets
On stage naked visions of nightly lust
Dancing with an attitude that could kill
An elephant in heat
And the Moon
Continues to dance across the evening sky
Satisfied, allows mankind to sleep it off
Yet another night in the City of demented Angels
Finally rest as the sun comes up
The masks come back on
And I walk down the road
Putting everything back into the box
Until the next night
Of bad craziness
Lets the wild beast within
Escape its leash.
Bad Craziness
rising yet again
God’s Confession
I was sitting along
In a god forsaken bar
Somewhere on the lunatic fringes
Of society
On the bad part of town
Over by railroad tracks
Heading to hell
As fast as I could drink it down
Enjoying my lonely drink
Drinking by my lonesome self
With my partners
Jimmy Beam and the Walker brother
And his old Granddad
Just drinking and hanging
With the Jack Daniel’s gang
A crazed bum
With a thousand year stare
Walks up to me
He begins
Muttering to himself
Nutty nonsense
Crazy words
In a lunatic’s voice
He had the look
Of one possessed
By his own demons
That only he can see
Or hear
Possessed by a secret knowledge
Only he knew
Despite myself
I was fascinated
By this lunatic’s tale
So I stopped him
And said
So what’s your game
Anyway
The short little dude
Stopped his insane prattle
Staring at me
With that thousand year old stare
Just another washed up
Lunatic
Too many drugs
Too many bad nights
On the wrong side of life
He looked at me
And proclaimed his story
He reared up
And filled up the room
And lifted the bar
On his finger
And stared down at me
From the sky
And said
Since you asked
I am God
The alpha and Omega
The real deal
The original dude of dudes
The sultan of Swing
God of hosts
And father of that Jesus dude
But no one knows me
Any more
No one cares
They think I am irrelevant
They think I am dead
They think I am a fairy tale
From some olden, ancient time
Some say I am dead
Others think I should be dead
That my work is done
I looked at him
Carefully now
And what did I see
An old man
With that lunatic look
But there was something else
He was crazy
Sure yes
But perhaps he was the real deal
I mean why not
Why would not God be
A lunatic wandering around loose
Talking to low lifes like me
In a bar
On the way to hell
So I looked at him
And invited him to share
His tale of woe
God tells me
Well, it’s like this
Many a year ago
People believed in me
But one day
They quit believing in me
And they went on without me
As they left me
My powers got weaker and weaker
And so eventually I became
What you see today
A broken down drunk
Hanging out
Looking for a hand out
Looking for some company
Or at least a free dinner
And he laughed and laughed
And I looked at him
And saw the beginnings of the end
And the ends of the beginnings
I saw a million planets
Flash by
A billion people
A trillion sentient beings
Thinking all at once
Thoughts filled my head
Lights flashed
And I knew
He was telling the truth
But it did not matter
In this day and age
Of materialism
God has no role
God is truly dead
And so I bought him a drink
And walked out of the bar
Profoundly sadden by what I had seen
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)
I am writing to you to offer you my advice for winning the nomination and the Presidency. While I had hoped that you would have decided to retire from politics and let a new generation challenge Donald Trump, I understand why you chose not to do so. But I am afraid that you are about to commit the same fundamental mistake that Hillary Clinton did and in the end will end up retiring after losing to Donald Trump.
I retired from the U.S. State Department in 2016 after 27 years of service. I grew up in Berkeley went to college at the University of the Pacific and graduated from the University of Washington (MA Korean Studies, MPA). I also served in the Peace Corps in Korea. I have been to 49 out of 50 states (minus Alaska) and 45 countries, including two visits to Jamaica.
My advice, in a nutshell, is to make this a campaign about the future and your vision of the future. Paint your opponent Donald Trump as yesterday’s candidate, and mock him, calling on Grandpa Trump to retire to Florida and play golf. Depict him as senile, out of touch, and focused on returning America to the 19th Century. And call for progressive bold new ideas for the future of America. Be optimistic, be full of hope and good will.
Hillary’s biggest mistake was in my view making it all about how bad Donald Trump is, and not giving the voters a real sense of where she wanted to take the country. And in an age where the voters were ready for a big change to the status quo, being the establishment candidate was the kiss of death. Not to mention she refused to compete everywhere. And allowed Donald Trump to paint her as “crooked Hillary” and as too much part of the establishment which the public rightly destructed so much. She could have picked Bernie Sanders as her running mate, and perhaps defeated Donald Trump. In the end she won where it did not matter and did not compete where she should have competed.
So, in this upcoming election you have to tell the voters why you are so much better for them and the country than Donald Trump. It will not be enough to run against the Donald. People have to want to vote for you. Your experience counts for a lot but it is not enough. Your age is the same as Donald’s so that is a wash.
GO BOLD OR BE RETIRED
The times cries out for bold progressive challenges and for fresh thinking. You have two strikes against you. First, your age and your experience. Can’t do anything about either but you can run as a can do moderate progressive who knows how to get things done. Then resist the temptation to campaign against Donald. Make people want to vote for you as they share your vision of the possible future.
Here are my suggested policy proposals.
GO BOLD OR GO HOME!!!!
I would put forth a series of comprehensive bold future-oriented policies and reiterate them every chance you get. You could call them Joe’s Plan for the Future of America, or something along those lines. Maybe
“Let’s Boldly Go into the Future,”
But be big, bold, brassy, optimistic and challenge your opponents to produce a better plan or shut up and work with you to solve the nation’s problems.
Call for Free College Education Coupled with National Service Requirements.
Call for all Americans to serve three years in public service either in the military or in the government or NGO sector and in return, they will get four years of college paid for. For recent grads, they can serve and get their college debt forgiven. To those who say we can’t afford this, say we can’t afford to continue to put our college students in crippling debt they cannot afford. And everyone, especially the rich, should shoulder the burden of national service.
Call for The Green New Deal
Point out time and time again China, Germany, and other countries are building the green energy resources of the future while the U.S. which invented green energy is moving back to the 19th century.
When critics say we can’t afford this, tell them we can’t afford to ruin the world for our children’s future. We can’t afford to continue burning fossil fuels. Climate change is real and the U.S. must lead the way forward. That is what great nations do, lead the world in embracing change, in embracing the promise of the future. We can do no less.
Call to Fix Obama Care
Point out time and time again that we still have a broken down too expensive too burdensome a health care system. Point out time and time again that we have the most expensive system in the world yet we are about 25th in terms of health care outcomes. No one in this land should fear going bankrupt if they need to get medical care. We can do this right and we must do it right.
I would acknowledge that Obama Care is not prefect and that if you had a chance to re-do it you would make it much less bureaucratic and less burdensome. But be proud of what you and Obama accomplished. Promise to fix it and make it work.
One potential fix would be to open the Federal Health Care system to anyone who needs insurance and continue to provide subsidies to keep the premiums down.
Another option would be an expansion of Medicare so it covers about half the country.
When Republicans proclaim that they will repeal Obamacare and replace it with something, call them on their bullshit. Demand to know the plan now or tell them to shut up and work with you to fix Obamacare.
Call to repair our alliances
Declare that our allies are our allies and our friends and we will work with them to solve the world’s problems and restore American leadership. We will rejoin the Paris Climate Change and work to make sure it works. We will rejoin the Trans Pacific Partnership.
Offer a New Deal to North Korea
We will continue to negotiate with the North Koreans, offering them a way towards reunification with South Korea and rejoining the world economic community. You can damn the President here with faint praise. Say that it was good that he took the initiative to break the log jam and talk to the North but due to his inexperience and his naivety he was unable to make a deal. You can finish the job.
Offer to Talk with The Iranians
Tell the Iranians we are ready to talk with them and want a new deal that would benefit them and the U.S. along the lines of what we are offering the North Koreans.
Bring the Troops Home
I would call for most U.S. troops to return to the U.S., where they will be reposted along our borders and serve as adjunct border patrol agents and first responders as part of their mandatory new national service.
Rebuild America
I would gradually reduce military spending and devote resources to rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure. This must include high-speed trains, and must include perhaps hyperloop technology or Maglev trains? And the next generation of airplanes as well. We must rebuild our mass transit systems. We must embrace the development of driverless vehicles.
Challenge the Republicans on their “you are weakening national security” BS. When the Republican scream you are weakening national security call them out on their BS.
Ask them how repositioning troops to help deal with national security issues at home weakens national security? How does going to universal military service weaken national security? How does getting out of endless wars weaken national security? How does closing a few bases in Europe weaken national security? Or closing a golf course? Or a commissary? Point out that we already spend more on national security than any other nation on earth. How does rebuilding America’s failed infrastructure weaken national security? Challenge them to produce a better plan.
Call for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Start by acknowledging we need to improve security at the border but the wall is a waste of time and money that will not solve the problem. We need a comprehensive 21st century immigration policy that balances the need for continued immigration with the need to ensure that immigrants contribute to our country and enrich our country as they always have and always will.
Challenge the Republicans to come up a better plan and work with you to implement it.
Call for A Return to Space Including Lunar Colonies and Martian Colonies
It is time for the U.S. to lead the world again in space exploration. Offer to lead the way in building lunar and Martian colonies with the participation of the world’s other space powers.
Call for The Legalization of Marijuana, Emptying the Prisons of Marijuana Offenders
End the endless war on drugs. Repeal marijuana prohibition. Empty the prisons of marijuana offenders. End the private prison for profit system. End the prison pipeline that sweeps up brown and black youths and sucks them into prison for life. Reserve prisons for the most dangerous offenders, all other prisoners should be sentenced to community service, drug treatment or other non-prison sentences. Use the money saved by closing prisons for rebuilding infrastructure.
Gun Control
I like your gun control proposals. It is a step forward. Continue to push for universal background checks.
Fully Support LGBT rights
Fully Support the religious freedom of all Americans including non-believers
Call for a Return to traditional American civil norms that Trump has so badly damaged
For VP Pick a Hispanic woman
I think that you get my point by now. Be bold, inventive, optimistic, full of hope and energy and you will prevail. Make people share your bold vision. Be cautious, small-minded, narrowly focused, and all about how bad the Donald is, you will lose.
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)
April 2018 poems
In 2017, I I participated in my first April Month of Poetry poetry challenge. The goal, write one poem per day during the month and post them. i completed a bit more than 30 and posted them on triferet journal @ http://tiferetjournal.com and on a special community facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tiferetapril2018poemathon/ .
as well as posting them daily on all poetry, writers digest and on my blog (which I did not have in 2017 and 2018.
I tried this year to experiment with more formal verse forms which is one of my creative goals this year. Writers Digest has a great list, as does All poetry, poetry Soup, Magnum Poetry Opus. For more info on formal verse forms see
I also added images and audio clips. For 2017, and 2018 I have gone back and revised them slightly adding in images and audio clips. I intend to turn these poems into my first published book of poetry.
Comments and feedback greatly appreciated. I intent to make this an annual creative project and keep going as long as I can.
Now to the 2018 Poems:
Index
published
April 01 Thank God For Angela April 02, 2018 Angela Haiku April 03, 2018 2007 How Much I Despise You April 03 Trump’s Wall Against Reason April 04 It Has been Done Before April 05 Walls Divide Us April 06 Mr. Trump Tear Down this Wall
< Aril 09 Trump April 10 Haiku April 11 Hiking in the Spring time Snow April 12 Learning I am Part Jewish April 13 There is Nothing More to be Said * April 14 Hiking the Hills of My Youth Hanibun April 15 Living with Pain Hanibun April 16 Five Signs of the Apocalypse April 17 Emperor Surveys the Eastern Sea April 18 The General Unleashes the Kraken April 19 Plead to the Computer Gods April 20 Number of the Beast April 21 The Neo-Fascists are Let loose April 22 Life In Between * April 23 the Light Will Prevail April April 24 April 19 Samonka for Angela
em>April 25 62 Years Young April 26 Married Girl of My Dreams * April 27 The Darkness Grows
April 28 It was God’s Will They Say April 29 Looking Out My Window April 30 In Search of America – Hitching the USA in 1975
Audio Clips
April 1 to April 5
April 6 to April 10
April 15 to April 20
April 20 to April 29
April 30 Hitchhiking Tales
April 1—
Thank God for Angela
Every day I wake up
And see you there
I thank God
That he had the wisdom
To send you to me
To save me
By bringing you into my life
You are the sunshine
That lights up the day
You are the reason
I get up in the morning
And you are reason
I exist
Without you I am nothing
But dust blowing in the wind
Waiting until death
Takes me down
April 02 –
2017 How Much I Despise You
Following 2016
the second worst year ever
Will 2018 be any better ?
And what we have suffered
The darkness settles on the land
Like a curse on the land
As our mad demented senile
dotard king wannabe
Struts about the world’s stage
Ushering America’s inevitable decline
April 03 –
Angela Haiku
Every day I wake up
To the love of my long life
And say Thanks to God
April 04,-
Trump’s Wall Against Reason
The President wants to build a wall
Against the southern hordes
Another great wall
To keep the barbarians out
He wants to build a wall
Against reason
Against science
Against the modern world
Hiding behind the wall
On the southern border
Desperately trying to keep them out
The unwashed masses
The undocumented
The illegals
Streaming across the border
Seeking to wreck the pure land
Murderous hordes
Rapists, drug dealers
Coming to take our land over
As he stands on the border
Trying to stop the hordes himself
April 05th –
It Has Been Done Before
Before Trump’s Wall
There were many other walls
The Berlin Wall
The Great Wall
Hadrian’s Wall
All the walls
of the ancient world
All failed
To keep the enemies out
The enemies of freedom
The enemies of the state
Still came across the border
To loot, steal, rape and plunder
And nothing could stop
The flood of history
April 06
Walls Divide Us
In Modern America
We all live in gated communities
Trying desperately to keep them out
Out of sight
Out of mind
And out of our lives
And yet we fail
Fail to accept the others
Are human beings
Are our fellow creatures
As we wall ourselves off
Into our separate communities
We lose our humanity
And we lose ourselves
As we hide in our walls
Hide in our bubbles
April 07
Mr. Trump
Please tear down this wall
Please open up your heart
Please stop this madness
We are all Americans
We are all one people
And your wall
Will not stop us
From becoming one people
Please tear down this wall
Please build bridges to the future
Please open your heart
And let the love shine through
April 8
Angela
Angela is my life
No better friend in the universe
Greatest Love of all
Every Day I thank God
Love of my life
Angela My Soul Mate
Love of my long life
Everything I ever desires
Everything I ever needed
April 9
— Trump
The President of the United States
Republican Leader of the Free world
Uber ales nations
Muttering insanities
Preposterous Nonsensical tweets
April 10th,
Putin
Post Modern Leader
Uniting all the Russians
Triumphant against all enemies
Including the Great Satan
Nevertheless always living in fear
April 11
Hiking in the Spring Time Snow
Talking a walk in the mountains
In the spring time snow
Snow falling down all over the trail
As I wander through the hills
Breathing the early spring smells
And seeing the world covered in white magic
The last remnants of the winter’s touch
Before the spring time gambol of flowers
Overwhelms nature once again
Preparing for the summer’s hellish heat
April 12
Met My Fate Haiku
I met my late fate
In a bar room face one night
My fate started that date
April 13 -,
Learning I am part Jewish
Recently I learned that I was part Jewish
That was long rumored in our family tree
Never confirmed until DNA came again
But whether my Jewish ancestors lived
Or died in the holocaust I have not heard
Never again will we live through that pain
April 14 –
There is nothing more to be said
There is nothing more to be said
Nothing more I can add
Nothing more than this
I will love you
Until the end of time itself
and death does us part
April 15 –
Hiking the Hills of My Youth
I grew up in Berkeley, California in the 60’s. Ever since I was a youngster I would wander the hills of Berkeley hiking for hours by myself and sometimes with my friends. I explored every nook and cranny every corner of the hills and got to know nature in its infinite beauty.
Ever since those days, I have longed for the day that I could spend my days hiking and wandering in the hills. Now that I am retired and living in Korea I can go for a long walk in the hills every day I want. It is not the same as the hills I grew up, no vistas of the Bay and it is in Korea to boot but most days it is sufficient as I head out early afternoon and conquer four or five miles of hills just enjoying that fact that I can still move and am still very much alive at age 62!
I grew up hiking the hills of Berkeley, California
Grew up knowing every corner of the hills
And the infinite beauty of the Bay Area
And now I find myself in a strange land
With time on my hands
I wander the hills above the airport
In Incheon Korea
And wander about here and there
Just being grateful
That I am still alive
And kicking at age 62
April 16,-
Living with Pain (Hanibun)
Back in 1996 I had the accident that changed everything. I went jogging one morning. It was dark outside, and I thought that I knew the trail. Big mistake. I fell down a ledge hidden where the trail should have been. I shattered me heal in a million pieces. I was rushed to an ER and told that I need an emergency operation and would be bed ridden for four months.
My wife was in San Antonio at the time serving in the Army, I was in DC working for the State Department. I flew in a wheel chair to San Antonio where they proclaimed that they had to wait a week for the swelling to go down before they could operate. The Air force doctors wanted to try a new procedure – using shark cartridge as a bone supplement. The operation was a success until I quit taking antibiotics six months later. I was in DC by myself then. I went to the hospital for an unrelated thing -removal of a cist I think. But the doctors took one look at me and proclaimed that the staph had become a multiple drug resistant staph and I needed an urgent operation. The next day I had the third of 15 operations. I endured six months at Walter Reed hospital but that was in the 90’s prior to the wars of the 21st century filled the base up. They had few customers and I got to know the doctors well.
I know pain
Intimately aware of every ache
Every pain
Ever since that day
When I went under the knife
And had the 14 operations
That saved my life
But I am not one to complain
I became one with the pain
Which I endure to this day
Knowing that I am alive
Having cheated death
Twenty times in life
Waiting for the grim reaper
To finally claim me
But that day has not come
And until then
I will endure
April 17th –
Five Signs of the Apocalypse
One
Watching the evening news
Spin forth
the latest scandals de jour
The fake news and spin
The daily propaganda
And the utter destruction
of common sense
And reason
The thought comes to mind
Are we living in the end of times
Is the Apocalypse drawing neigh?
Two
The signs of the coming
of the end times
Have been endlessly debated
Among the
Christian right wing blog sphere
Ever since Israel was reborn
Apparently
triggering the cosmic count down
“According to Revelation 12, a pregnant woman will be hunted by a satanic seven-headed dragon eager to eat her unborn child. The woman will be clothed with the “sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God and to his throne. The Scripture continues to explain that the “woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”
But the pending eclipse is
another astronomical sign
the end is near
and that the Rapture is fast approaching.
….the image will be created in the sky on Sept. 23. …..Virgo represents the woman
in Revelations 12 who will be clothed in sunlight.
She will be in position over the moon
and under the nine stars and three planets.
….More importantly, to trust
the right God,” he reported to the publication. “If people want to be ready, the one thing you can do is accept what He has offered, which is the gift of grace and forgiveness. That’s all we have to do to be ready.”
Yet September 23 end
and the world is still here.
Are there other signs
that the end is near?
All of this
is speculation as Jesus said He didn’t know the date or hour when the Almighty would close the final chapter on mankind. Scripture clearly states in Mathew 24:36 that no one knows when the end will be. “But of that day and hour, no one
knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
Three
Yet the fear persists in my heart
As I watch the news
The days grow darker
Moment by moment
The light of reason
Seems to be replaced
By famines, rumors of war
and false prophets galore
All in according
to revelations
the false prophets claim
Gods plan
unfolding as we speak
“Things like wars, earthquakes, famine and technology (implanted microchips in our bodies already have been tested by BioNyfiken in Sweden) all point that we are moving toward Jesus’ return.
“The prophecy of Daniel 2 alone shows we are in the time of the end and all the other evidence proves we are in the very end times,” the site reported. They
indicated that the world was going to a 100 percent cashless system and how the “powers of this world are now trying to make cash obsolete, and are actively pushing pure electronic forms of payment, like PayPal and Google Wallet for instance. Take a look at the news and you will see this being reported in different countries of the world.”
Yes this has occurred already.
In India they wiped out the 100 rupee note
in an attempt to go cashless all at once !
and it failed.
Yes the signs are all about us
If only we have eyes to see
And ears to hear
And minds to understand
Four
“Non-Christians will find it hard to believe we are living in the last days of earth’s history. It’s in the Bible,
II Peter 3:3-4, TLB.
“First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of, and laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: ‘So Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is He? He’ll never come! Why, as far back as anyone can remember everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation.’”
Yes, why has not Jesus come back?
Is that yet another sign the end is near?
They all say the coming of the Antichrist
is a sign of the end.
“It’s in the Bible, I John 2:18, NKJV. “
“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”
What moral conditions will be characteristic of society in the last days? It’s in the Bible, II Timothy
3:1-5, NIV.
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
And this is so true in the era of Trump
and the new oligarchs who have taken over
The swamp monsters have come out
of the dark slimly corners of America
Proclaiming
it is their time to come out
And openly
rule the world
And the bible confirms
this dire prophecy
Five
“Talk of peace and safety are a sign of the last days. It’s in the Bible, I Thessalonians 5:2-3, NIV.
“For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
The gospel will go to the whole world and the end will come. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:14, NIV. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Yes, I say on to you
When talk of peace in the world is upon us
When the Korean lions lay down their weapons
And proclaim their new found brotherhood
Perhaps the end times are finally coming to pass
“We have seen how seven biblically prophesied circumstances could not have come to pass until recent times. In fact, the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 was clearly a major turning point in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, as was the acquisition of the hydrogen bomb by the two superpowers of the 1950s that led to the period of mutually assured destruction.
All has now become possible. This, in turn, makes it much more likely that our generation will live to see Jesus Christ return and establish the Kingdom of God on earth. After all, Jesus Himself said that once these things begin, the generation alive at that time “will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34).”
And so, we close
Where we began
Fearing
that the end of the world
is coming
How it will end
is beyond anyone’s guess
Perhaps
the zombie apocalypse
will end civilization
More likely
nuclear war
and nuclear winter
Will doom us all
Perhaps a super volcano
Will blow us all to hell
Perhaps alien invaders
will take us over
Exterminating us
as we try to do
to the Native Americans
Perhaps
an AI will
take us over
Leading us
To terminator Land
Perhaps
the rapture will occur
And the grim events
In revelations
will come to pass
And perhaps
nothing will happen
We will somehow survive
The end times
But I am afraid
That the end times are coming
Sooner than we think
And so, the world ends
Much as it began
With a big bang
Or a soft whimper
God only knows
And he is silent as usual
April 18th
Emperor Surveys the Eastern Sea
The Emperor of the known world
Stood out on his balcony
In the eastern sea palace
Surveying the wilds of the Eastern Sea
Wondering who
or what lived across the sea
Or if there were lands there
As rumored by all
Lands ruled
by nameless
bearded ape like men
The Emperor of all the Lands
Ruled all the known world
From the imperial capitol
He had build in the dessert
He ruled all he could see
From the Eastern Shore
To the wild waste lands
Beyond the great wall
The Emperor had fought hard
Over the years
To unify the people
Under one banner
Fighting against the wild ones
Of the Western wastes
And their allies the witches
Of the inner world
And yet he was not satisfied
He knew that
he would have to lead
And expedition to the lands
Beyond the eastern Sea
And he could rest
Until he had finally
Conquered the known universe
Bringing it
under imperial control
That was his destiny
To rule the known
and unknow universe
As foretold by imperial soothsayers
And the prophetic books of ancient days
April 19 –
The General Unleashes the Kraken
General Lee
Stared out at the Eastern Sea
Wondering what was out there
On the other end
But today he had a mission
He was going to show
The Emperor
That his sailors had captured
The dreaded kraken sea monster
And had figured out how to ride it
And they were going
to release the kraken
As they put down
the latest rebellion
Among the restive folks
of the Eastern Shore
Who were resisting
becoming part of the Empire
The general ordered
Release the Kraken
And the kraken
A huge sea dragon
Came out of is dark dungeon
And two sailors climbed on board
And the Kraken
went into the ocean
And attacked the fishing
crafts of the villagers
Killing everyone in a few minutes
Of frenzied violence
The kraken came back
And the sailors
climbed off its back
And the kraken attacked them
Killing them
in a frenzied act of further violence
The emperor turned to the general
Very impressive
But needs a bit of work don’t you think?
The kraken looked up at the general
And screamed out curses
Saying
that the kraken
worked for no man
And that other kraken would be summoned
To revenge the attack on the kraken’s honor
And he leaped up
Grabbed the general and the Emperor
And dove into the ocean —
April 20, –
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 an 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
That most of what I wrote
Had vanished into the ether
No explanation no warning
It was there saved yesterday
And now gone for ever
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
April 21
Number of the Beast
Behold a vision
A nightmare
The legendary beast of revelations
Comes alive
Sniffs the air
Assuming the mantel of leadership
Turning into the Orange man
With unnatural hair
Spewing forth sweet sounding nonsense
Spraying hate with every word
Inciting the world into madness
He continues
into the halls of power
Walks down the street
Unleashing hell on earth
Soon all know
the number of the beast
666
As he prepares the world
To accept the anti-Christ
And all bow down
To worship their new master
As he leads the world
to hell itself
April 22nd –
The Neo Fascists are let loose
The Neo-Fascists are let loose
By their champion the man in Orange
Whose racist mutterings have let loose
The ranting nutty voices of the right
Championing their god given right
To rule and regulate
all that they see
April 23 -,
Life In-between
For years I have lived
In-between two worlds
Korea
where my wife’s
family comes from
And the Bay area
Where I grew up
and the laidback progressive
wild west coast
and the cutthroat
Dour eastern establishment
Washington DC
Where I worked for 27 Years
And I live between
My official duties
And my desire
To be a wild-eyed poet
And life in-between
Means you belong nowhere
Yet are everywhere
Always disoriented
Always half lost
Never really feeling you belong
That is life
Living in-between
April 25
Somonka for Angela
I have dreamt of you
For almost seven long years
And now you are here
What can I do about this
Only thing to do love you
You are all I want
All that I
need in this life
Thank to all the gods
For bringing you in my life
From now to the end of time
April 24
The Light Will Prevail
Mrs. Which says
This much we know for sure
Despite the lateness of the hour
And the growing power of the Dark Thing
In the end lightness will prevail
Defeating the dark one
April 24
62 Years young
I am 62 years young
62 years around the sun
37 of those years
I have spent
with the love
of my life —
April 26
Married Girl of My Dreams
I married the girl of my Dreams
first dreamt of her
back in 1974
Eight years later
she walked off a bus
and into my life
April 27 –
The Darkness grows
On distant Comazotz planet
The red eye one smiles
It is satisfied
The black thing is spreading
All the way to earth
April 28,
It is God’s will they say
It is God’s will they say
The neofascists and their ilk
It is the white man’s burden
To rule the unruly masses
To this I say
Never again
Will we let them
Take over the world
And lead us back
to the dark dangerous days
Of the Holocaust
Or the 19th century colonial era
Never again
Never again
Until hell freezes over
And the world ends
April 29—
Looking Out My Window
Looking out my window
In Incheon
What did I see
The neighboring apartment buildings
Obscured by the April rains
And yellow dust of early Spring
And in the distant the mountains
Aflame with spring colors
Beckoning me outdoors
Looking out my window
In Oregon
What did I see
Green trees
Silently watching me
And the cats gamboling along
Looking at me
While I look at them
Each wondering
what sort of weird creatures
The other is
And who
is the real alien species?
In Washington DC
Looking out my window
What did I see
I saw the squirrels
in the trees
And the peaceful trees
Of Capitol Hill
Near the seat of power
Yet somehow
I felt It all far away
In Suburban Virginia
Looking out the window
What did I see
I often looked out my window
At the trees and the jungle
In my back yard
And heard the distant roar
Of traffic on the busy suburban street
As people rushed to get to the freeway
In the early morning hours
In Madrid Spain
Looking out the window
What did I see
I looked out at
our Spanish neighborhood
Seeing the beautiful Madrid ladies
Walking down the street
Secretly admiring them from afar
In Barbados
Looking out the window
What did I see
The monkeys in the trees
Looking at me
Contemplating raiding my garden
As soon as I went away
In Seoul
Looking out my window
What did I see
The neighborhood
Alive outside my window
For so many years
In Seattle
Looking out my window
What did I see
I saw the ever changing green
Sea of trees
that is Seattle’s true color
The city is so lush and green
And alive with life’s
endless possibilities
In Stockton
Looking out the window
What did I see
The traffic moving
Through the dense fog
That often fell upon the city
Obscuring everything in its embrace
And growing up in Berkeley
Looking out my window
I saw nothing
But the dirt and trees
And shrubs
Of my ancestral home
And felt nothing
But loneliness
And a desire
To leave my home
As soon as I grew up
That is what I see
When I look out my window
Even to this day
I see where I have been
And wonder where I am going
As I stare out the window
Knowing that my life
Will surely come to an end
As I stare out at the world
Waiting waiting waiting
For my fate to unfold
April 30
In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales
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 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 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 then I did not know
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 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 some day
But never did
I learned so much
About my fellow Americans
And the strange vibe
That was 1975
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)
April 2017 poems
April 2017 Poem a Thon Poems
in 2017, i participated in my first April month of poetry challenge. the goal, write one poem per day during the month and post them. i completed a bit more than 30 and posted them on Triferet journal @ http://tiferetjournal.com and on a special community Facebook page @https://www.facebook.com/tiferetapril2018poemathon/ .
as well as posting them daily on all poetry, writers digest and on my blog (which I did not have in 2017 and 2018.
I tried this year to experiment with more formal verse forms which is one of my creative goals this year. Writers Digest has a great list, as does All poetry, poetry Soup, Magnum Poetry Opus. For more info on formal verse forms see
I also added images and audio clips. For 2017, and 2018 I have gone back and revised them slightly adding in images and audio clips. I intend to turn these poems into my first published book of poetry.
Comments and feedback greatly appreciated. I intent to make this an annual creative project and keep going as long as I can.
Now to the 2017 Poems:
Index
April 1 Berkeley California
April 2 Lithia Springs
April 3 Walls
April 4 Changes
April 5 Facing Life’s Challenges Together
April 6 Wagontire, Oregon
April 7 Watching Cats Hunt *
April 8 Landlord Blues
April 9 Pane e circus 2017 Redux
April 10 Long Live Emperor Donald the Ist
April 11 3 Am Nightmares
April 12 Zombie Apocalypse
April 13 Spring Doositsu for Angela Poem a Thon
April 14 Love Jones
April 15 Kim Vs. Trump Twitter War
April 16 Why I am not a Christian Easter Thoughts
April 17 Love Haku *
April 18 Coffee Haku *
18 Spring Time in Oregon
April 19 Cats *
April 20 Secret Agency Man
April 21 COSTCO People Watching
April 22 The Dogs of War are Howling
April 23 Suburban Laundromat
April 24, I Want You Right Now
April 25 The Decline of America
April 27 Life is Wonderful
April 28 Sandwich Choices *
April 29 More Coffee Blues *
April 30 Rambling Man -Where Do I Belong?
Published
Audio Clips
April 1 to April 5
April 6 Wagontire
April 7 to April 12
April 10 to April 15
April 17 to April 20
April 20 to April 30
April 1
Berkeley California
Growing up in the 60’s
In Berkeley
almost 50 years ago
I think back
At those turbulent times
Those crazy wonderful times
Berkeley is a wonderful place
In many ways
Stuck forever in 1967
A true time travel experience
Every time I go back
And relive the memories
Of the 60’s
The 60’s never died
They continue
In college towns
Across the world
And Berkeley
Remains the mecca
Of the counter
cultural revolution
Many things have changed
But the organic food revolution
Became mainstream
Marijuana spread out
The sexual revolution
Became mainstream
So much of the world
Is but a reflection
Of the revolution of the 60’s
And the conservative
counter-revolution
That we are still fighting
So, I salute
My homeland
The center of my universe
April 2
Lithia Springs</strong
Staying at Lithia Springs
Soaking in the healing waters
Soaking my pains away
Renewing my life
Renewing my love
As we both soak away
As the pain of life go away
And our love grows
With each soaking session
Life is good
At the hot springs water
Sooths us
and smooth us
And we fall in love
Again and again
April 3
Walls
Trump wants a wall Between America and Mexico
A wall against the southern hordes
A wall based on fear and hate
A wall to make America safe
A wall to make America great again
And yet I wonder
Will his wall fall
Like the Berlin wall
And the great wall
And all the other walls
They all failed
All of them
Walls divide us
Walls make us
Into different tribes
Between the pure
And the impure
St Reagan, Said
Tear Down this Wall
Will future Presidents
Tear down this begotten wall
Or will it become a tourist attraction
Another great wall
Against barbarian hordes
April 4
Changes
I reflect upon my life
As the sun comes up
What could I have changed
What would I have changed
If I could go back in time
What would I tell my earlier self
What would I do differently
And what have I learned
The one thing
that I would not have changed
is meeting
the women of my dreams
the chance
meeting on a bus
that changed everything
in a moment
I met my fate
That day on the bus
And that
is the end of the story
April 5
Facing Life’s Challenges Together
Woke up at 0 dark hundred
Vowing to boldly go forth
And face
the challenges
of the future
Without fear
Knowing
that I have you there
Makes
all the difference in the world
As we meet our fate
Together
Until the day we die
And time takes us
Back to another world
Soul mates, together forever
We left Berkeley to go to Yakima
Where my father had a summer cabin
He was a college professor
And had July
and August off
And we spent the summers
Every summer from 1968 to 1978
Our whole dysfunctional family
Our annual road trip
to hell and back
As we did not get along at all
We decided to drive
through Eastern Oregon
Just my father and me
Just for the hell of it
The rest of the family
was already there
in Washington
waiting for us
My father and I shared a travel lust
One of the few things we shared
This was one of our best trips
We got along
Which was unusual
Normally our relationship
Was fraught
As we were so different
We left Klamath Falls
A real nothing burg
in those days
And headed east along highway 395
As we entered the desert
of eastern Oregon
We entered a different world
High mountain dessert
Almost
no one on the road
nothing on the radio
but country music
and talk radio
from KGO in SF
my father and I bonded
Learned a lot about his past
What he liked
And did not like
He hated country music
But loved news radio
And we talked about politics
And life in general
Just a father and son
Enjoying a rare
Father son
Bonding moment
We usually did not
get each other
I inherited too much
Of my Mother’s
wild Irish personality
To suite his dour Norwegian
Germanic personality
Then we saw the sign
Wagontire Oregon
100 miles ahead
Burma shave
We counted down the signs
Miles after miles
As we drove
into the gathering dusk
along with the wagon tire
countdown
were other signs
last gas for x miles
and the Burma Shave
road side signs
with their classic
cowboy poetry
slogans
which in 1975
were already
becoming
a thing of the past
had not seen those
since this road trip
but on this road
they still had them
every mile
Burma Shave signs
We speculated
that Wagontire
Must be a giant truck stop
In the middle of no where
And we drove on
Counting down the signs
Listening to dreadful country music
And endless political news
Wagontire 100 miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 99 miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 98 miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 97 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 96 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 95 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 94 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 93 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 92 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 91 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagon tire
Last gas 90 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagon tire 89 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 88 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 87 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 88 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 87 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 86 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 85 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 84 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 83 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 82 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 81 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 80 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 79 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 78 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 77 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 76 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 75 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 74 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
73 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 72 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 71 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 70 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 69 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 68 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 67 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 66 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 65 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 64 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 63 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 60 Miles ahead
Next Gas 60 miles last gas for 200 miles
Burma Shave
Wagontire 61 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 60 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 59 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 58 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 57 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 56 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 55 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 54 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 53 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 52 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 51 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 50 Miles ahead
Next gas 50 last gas for 200 miles
Burma Shave
Wagontire 49 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 48 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 47 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 46 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 45 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 44 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 43 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 42 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 41 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 40 Miles ahead
Last gas 40 miles next gas 200 miles
Burma Shave
Wagontire 39 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 38 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 37 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 36 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire
35 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 34 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 33 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire
32 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 31 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 30 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 29 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 28 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 27 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 26 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 25 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 24 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 23 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 22 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 21 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 20 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 19 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 18 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 17 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 16 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 15 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 14 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 13 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 12 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 11 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 10 Miles ahead Last gas, food lodging for 210 miles
Burma Shave
Wagontire 9 Miles ahead Last gas, food lodging for 210 miles
Burma Shave
Wagontire 8 Miles ahead Last gas, food lodging for 210 miles
Burma Shave
Wagontire 7 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 6 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 5 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Last gas, food lodging for 205 miles
Wagontire 4 Miles ahead Last gas, food lodging for 204 miles
Burma Shave
Wagontire 3 Miles ahead
Burma Shave
Wagontire 2 Miles ahead Last gas, food, lodging for 202 miles
Burma Shave
Wagontire 1 Miles ahead
Last Chance Gas, Food, lodging next gas 200 miles
Welcome to Wagontire, Oregon
Population 2 ½ humans 10 dogs, 50.000 sheep
We pulled into the town
Nothing there
but a gas station
Motel and café
We decided to stop
Last gas for 200 miles
According
to the highway signs
In the morning
We chatted with the owner
He was the sheriff,
the fire chief
The owner
of the motel,
gas station
The only business in town
And the only place open
For two hundred miles
Until the next town
John Day I believe
I asked the Sherriff
Say, who is the ½ human?
My idiot son!
And we left.
200 miles later
We finally
left Eastern Oregon
2016
In 2016 my wife
and I drove
through Eastern Oregon
As part of our epic
cross-country trip
first time for her
in Eastern Oregon
Idaho, Montana
Wyoming and many other states
last time I had visited
was during my epic road trip
with my father
summer of 1975
10,000 miles
31 states
in three months
to celebrate my retirement
On the way from Medford to Yellowstone
We drove along highway 395
The signs for Wagontire was gone
And we drove through the town
The motel was abandoned
Nothing there at all
And that sign
was gone too
and the Burma shave signs
long ago
faded into lost
Americana
On the radio
Nothing but country
Right wing talk shows
And Christian radio
I said I suppose the idiot son
Never took over the business
And we speculated about Wagontire
And all other nothing burgs
We drove through
that summer
Heart of Trump’s America
True fly over country
April 7
Watching Cats Hunt
Early morning
Watching two white cats
Hunting a white dove
The cats hunt in pairs
Tracking the bird
The bird flies away
Safe for now
And I think about the cats
And the hunt goes on
Such is life
And the fate of cats
And birds
April 8
Landlord Blues
I am a landlord
Owner of property
Here there
and elsewhere
Have been for years
Since 1989
When I bought my first duplex
I have tenants
and tenant
issues galore
I receive rent from the tenants
it seems money grows
on the proverbial tree
but at times
from time to time
I hate being a landlord
I suppose in my heart
I am a socialist
with a blending heart
But my wife
is comfortable
as a landlord
She calls me a hypocrite
And a wild romantic goat
Born under the sign of the goat
And I call her a capitalist pig
Born
under the sign of the golden pig
April 9
Pane e circus 2017 Redux
By order of his excellency
Emperor Donald the First
The merciful,
the Christian King of Kings
The Sultan of Sultans
The Emperor of North America
Be it hereby decreed
That the ancient honorable
gladiator games
Of the old Roman Empire
Have been restored
Each city in the Empire will host a team
They will compete for the honor
Of the national championship
The games will start
With fighting animals
Fighting fish
Roosters
Cheetahs
Tiger
Bears
Wolves
And lions
Then a man lion contest
With a heretic thrown to the lions
If he or she lives
They will be pardoned
Then then main games
Six men/women teams compete
Armed with swords, knifes, mace, clubs
They fight until one man or women remans
The victor of the game
Those who are prisoners
Can compete for their freedom
And a full imperial pardon
Let the games begin
Long may the games reign
In the new North America Empire
Praise be to the Emperor
Donald the First
April 10 Long
Live Emperor Donald the Ist
Ladies and Gentlemen
My fellow American citizens
Greetings and salutations
Today is a momentous day
The old corrupt USA republic is no more
The constitution that once protected us
Has been overthrown and violated
The barbarians at the gate
Have taken over
And ruined the once great land
The last hope of the world
And so, I had no choice
But to kill the old rotten regime
And restore American greatness
To save democracy
I must destroy it
And so, starting today
I will serve
as the Emperor of North America
I welcome Canada and Mexico
And the Caribbean islands
To join The North American Empire
As we rebuild America
Restoring American greatness
And making us all proud again
Proud subjects of the New American Empire
May the Empire reign forever and a day
Triumphant against all enemies
And so, I take this burden
Sadly, but gladly
I will serve you
As your Emperor
And my son Donald
Will serve as our second emperor
Once I pass from this world
His son will serve as the third emperor
And so on until the end of time
And we will reign
in our new capitol city
Colorado Springs
renamed New Rome
Until the end of time
Washington will remain in our hearts
As the capitol of the old Republic
But the heirs of the Roman Empire
Need a new Imperial Capitol
And soon we will conquer Mars
And expand our Empire to the Starts
Long Live the Empire
Long Live America
Good night
And may God Bless
This great Empire
April 11 3 3 Am Nightmares
3 am
The bewitching hour
When the wild things come out
And play
And torture you
With endless wild accusations
And nightmarish visions
As I toss and turn
Trying to escape
I look over at my wife
And as always
Repeat the mantra
Everything will be alright
And the wild things are banished
To the dark corners of my mind
And I recover my happiness
And I smile
As I look at the sleeping beauty
Still the most beautiful women in the world
Still the most alluring women in the world
Still in love with her
After 35 years
The love gets stronger and stronger
As she overcomes my despair
And the sun comes up
And I think to myself
What a wonderful life I have
With the women of my dreams
April 12
Zombie Apocalypse
Zombies to the right of me
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies ahead of me
Zombies behind me
Everywhere zombies galore
The end of the world had become
And the zombification
of the world had begun
Zombies to the right of me
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies ahead of me
Zombies behind me
No one knew when or where
the first zombies appeared
One moment zombies were just a collective
figment of our deranged imagination
The next moment we were all living
in a zombie apocalypse nightmare
Zombies to the right of me
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies ahead of me
Zombies behind me
Some said the zombies were created in a lab
Released by mad scientists and the military
Others said it was plague sent by God himself
To punish mankind
for tolerating evil and moral depravity
Zombies to the right of me
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies ahead of me
Zombies behind me
The Christians and Muslims prayed
But their prayers went unheard
As they too soon became zombies
Zombies to the right of me
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies ahead of me
Zombies behind me
The zombies hunted in packs
Overwhelming their victims
Killing most instantly
But some they simply bit
And turned them into fellow zombies
Zombies to the right of me
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies ahead of me
Zombies behind me
The zombies did not attack one another
They preferred living live flesh
Human flesh
but they ate everything they saw
Zombies to the right of me
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies ahead of me
Zombies behind me
And so, I ran into the countryside
With my fellow humans
Hit out deep in the woods
Hiding from zombies
And crazed cannibal gangs alike
Zombies to the right of me
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies ahead of me
Zombies behind me
The world ended that day
And our nightmare world began
Zombies to the right of me
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies ahead of me
Zombies behind me
April 13
Spring Doositsu for Angela Poem a Thon
Waking up seeing you there
Watching you as you wake up
Fills me with such sweat desire
Overcoming my mind
I sit watching you all day
Thinking of you all day long
Wild erotic imaginings
Love making to come
That old blues song come to mind
I just want to make love to you
I just want to make love to you
Nothing more than that that
I end this morning with this thought
You are still the most wonderful
The most beautiful creature
In the whole universe
April 14
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
April 15 Kim Vs. Trump Twitter War –
in memorial of Kim Il Sung’s the Great Leader’s Birthday
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un waves from a balcony of the Grand People’s Study House following a mass parade marking the end of the 7th Workers Party Congress in Kim Il-Sung Square in Pyongyang on May 10, 2016. North Korea kicked off a massive parade in the centre of Pyongyang on May 10 to celebrate a just-concluded ruling party congress that was seen as a formal coronation for supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. / AFP / Ed Jones (Photo credit should read ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images)
President Kim, it is time that we cut the shit and cut a deal #Real Trump
President Trump, it is impossible for us to cut a deal unless you agree to me keeping nukes # Kim Jong-un the Great
President Kim, you know that if I want I can just make you disappear. You can be wiped off the earth in a moment. We know where you live #real Trump
President Trump, we have a nuke with your name on it on a boat sailing up the Potomac and it will blow your ass up any day now so don’t fuck with us. #Kim Jong-un the Great
Kim, your stupid Asian gook. Let me break it down for yah You threaten the US you die and all the North Koreans go to hell. Is it worth it? #real Trump.
Trump, you are so stupid. You are the worst excuse for a human being ever $ Kim Jong-un the Great
Kim, you are the stupid mother fucker. I mean what’s up with that idiot haircut of yours? $real Trump
Trump, I would not talk about hair, your orange haired mutant mother fucker. #Kim Jong-un the Great
Kim, it is all real baby and so are my wife’s boobs… #real Trump
Trump, let’s cut the crap and get down to business. How much will you pay us to get rid of the nukes? #kimJongun the Great
Kim, lets meet manor a mano and get it out on the table. No nukes no chems no bioweapons and no more political prisoners to start with #realTrump
Trump, we can discuss. If I can stay in power the rest is negotiable #Kim Jong un the great
Finally, the two of you are talking sense. About time #Xi the President of China
April 16
Why I am not a Christian Easter Thoughts
On Easter Sunday,
I often think about Christianity
I don’t understand why anymore
would believe such nonsense
The essential story makes no sense
An imaginary all powerful deity
that no one has ever seen or heard
Except for psychotic patients or Drug users
Comes down to earth
and impregnates a married woman
Who has never had sex for some reason
And her husband is okay with that
Believes her wild story
And still does not have sex
Until after the baby is born
Then there is total silence
Nothing about Jesus’s childhood
30 years later he emerges
Preaching love, peace and brotherhood
And denouncing the corrupt temple leaders
And the Jewish leaders as well
The miracles also don’t make any sense
In the real world,
you can’t turn fish into bread
Can’t walk on water
Can raise the dead etc. etc.
Just does not happen
In the world, we live in
And has not happen
since those ancient days
Then the last supper makes some sense
Jesus knows he is about to be betrayed
But he does not confront Judas
Does not run away
Does not encourage his disciplines
To run away with him
The whole Jesus Mary M story
Also, does not make sense
Jesus must have been married
Or he was gay
There is no doubt
Either way the story makes no sense
The crucifixion is the only part of the story I buy
Jesus was put to death because he was a rebel leader
And the Romans tolerated no dissent
To the Roman’s right to conquer and rule
The rising from the dead stories
All contradict one another
And Jesus was either walking as a normal human being
Or was a ghost
The door was rent open as if by lightening
Or not
Finally, we have been waiting over 2,000 years for his return
You would think if the story is remotely true
He would have turned up by now
Except he has
As many lunatics claim to be Jesus
in the flesh
all delusional of course
and that is what I think of Christianity
nothing but fairy tales and mass delusions
surrounding a kernel of truth
Love each other
Treat each other right
Don’t be consumed with greed
But couldn’t that message
Be made simpler
Without all the associated nonsense?
So, on this day I say
Open your minds
And discard the nonsensical elements
of Christian thought
And follow the true teachings of Jesus
Even if you don’t believe
in the imaginary man in the sky
April 18
Spring Time in Oregon
Spring has finally sprung in Oregon
Escaping from the longer winter prison
That has covered the land with snow
They say that this winter
Was a colder than normal winter
Wetter than normal
As the long drought finally ended
As nature resumed
its normal spring thaw
I rejoice
Seeing all the signs of spring
Especially the sight
of young beautiful women
Shedding their winter clothes
And walking about
in the spring sunshine
So wonderfully alive
So, beautiful and sexy
As they sashay about
Here and there
It makes me smile
All day long
Yes, I love Spring time
Everywhere in the world
But especially in Oregon
My new found second home
April 19
Cats
I often wonder about Cats
What do they think of us
It seems at time
That cats think of humans
As their slaves
We exist to feed them
To comfort them
To save them from their enemies
And to worship them
Yes, cats are an alien species
Totally different from humanity
Detached, and almost evil
If we ever encounter an alien civilization
God help us if it’s a cat based civilization
We would then be engaged
In the epic mother of all wars
As cats and humans would not get along
The cats would think we were their slaves
And we would resent and fear them
And secretly worship their alien ways
April 20
Secret Agent Man
Secret agent man
Where are you going?
What do you know?
And when did you know it?
What dark secrets do you hide
In your inner soul?
Do you even have a soul anymore?
Or has it been so compromised
That there is nothing left?
But lies, within lies with lies
Do you even know the truth?
Does the truth set you free?
Or is the truth just another lie?
That you tell yourself
I’d like to know
My secret agent man
Perhaps someday you well tell me
Your deepest darkest secrets
And reveal what the government is hiding
But perhaps I can’t handle the truth
So, keep you secrets to yourself
And let them die with you
As you go to your grave
Your secrets buried deep within
Your corrupted soul
Until the end of time
Reveals all
April 21
COSTCO People Watching
I love my COSTCO
I love going there to shop
But most importantly
I love people watching
Looking at people as they walk by
Wondering what their stories are
And covertly checking out
the beautiful girls
As they walk on by
And when they smile at me
It makes my day
Yes, I love my COSTCO
And COSTCO Loves Me back
Extracting my money
From my wallet
I go in for one simple thing
And walk out
having spent 500 dollars
Yes, COSTCO has my number
And loves me too
Long Live COSTCO
April 22
The Dogs of War are Howling
The Dogs of War
Have been set free
Of their cage
And are out
Howling at the moon
The Dogs of War
Have been set free
To wreck what havoc
Might be
Yes, the Dogs of War
The Hell Hounds
Have bound out of their cages
Sniffed about
And smiled
At the destruction, they saw
They knew soon
They would be in their element
As the world descends into chaos
The Dogs of war
Are at foot
The chaos is upon us
The evil grows and grows
And dark noises are heard
Here and there
And the dogs of war
Smiled
They knew soon
They would be in their element
The war machines
Came to life
The plans came out of the books
The military might be unleashed
And the Dogs of war
Smiled and howled at the moon
And the rest of the world
Shuddered
At the thought
of what was yet to be
Satan on the other hand
Was happy as can be
With the evil shit
That was going down
He smiled
Patted his hell hounds
And told his dogs
The war to end all wars
Armageddon is upon us my friend
Soon, mankind will know
The face of absolute evil
And they will love it
When I take over
The armies prepare
The bombers prepare
And the dogs of war
Are happy
Unleashed to do their mischief
And soon millions may die
And the pits of hell
will open
And the judgement day
May be upon us all
Madness descends upon the land
The fog of hate envelops us all
And reason and civilization
Fall away
As the Dogs of War
And their minions
Take over the minds of man
And the end of the world
And the beginning
of the end times
Come upon us all
And the US goes bankrupt
Morally and fiscally
And the evil that men do
Goes on and on and on
But the war machine must be fed
The munitions makers must be paid
As each million-dollar missile is launched
Millions more are made
And the corporations
Think of the endless profits
To be made
Every time they kill
With the war machines
But who cares about the victims
They are nothing but collateral damage
Who cares about the soldiers
Nothing but cannon fodder
Who gives a damn
About the dead
They are dead and gone
Just think about the profits
Think about the profits
Satan is happy
The dogs of war
are free at last
April 23
Suburban Laundromat – thanks to Don Teeter for the inspiration from a FB posting
Suburban Laundromat Scenes
Suburban laundromat
Anywhere USA
I often go to a suburban laundromat
Near my suburban apartment
I can sit in my car
Listen to jazz, classical or blues
On my car’s radio
And watch my machine
Doing its suburban laundry duty
Just spinning and spinning and cleaning
Doing its thing its laundry thing
The neighborhood is anywhere USA
Strip malls, apartment houses, townhouses
A fire station, a police station
Banks, cell phone shops
Restaurants from around the world
At the parking lot’s edge
As I approach I notice
Gentlemen of the off-grid class
Sitting among their Hogs
Stoned off the semi legal weed
Smiling at me
With an I don’t give a fuck attitude
That is somewhat contagious
They tell stories
Paranoid ramblings
Containing a kernel of truth
As they watch their clothes
Like a hawk
The clothes spin and spin and spin
As the laundry machine does its laundry thing
The machines don’t care about what we humans think
They just do their duty as the man says
Across the old run-down boulevard
The light rail line uses a right of way
That dates to the mid 1850’s
An old Indian game trail perhaps
That the white man turned into the first road
In these parts
People come and go
Some in cars
Some on foot
People from all over the world
Speaking languages from everywhere
But all understand English to some extent
And many understand Spanish to some extent
I feel everyone is united
Chiefly by their transience
And think back on old Latin saying
Sic transit Gloria mundi
And wonder if these are the end days
And ask the laundry machine
What does it think
The laundry machine pauses
Seems to think
And looks at me
Almost saying
WTF do you think
A laundry machine knows?
And so, I gather my items
Nod to the regulars
Who interrupt their endless paranoid arguments
Acknowledging my existence
And I stumble back
To my suburban apartment
Truly paradise on earth
April 24,
I Want You Right Now
I still want you
More than anything else in life
I want you
I want you next to me
I want you every moment
Of every minute
Of every day
I need you in my life
I need your wisdom
I need your kindness
I need your beauty
I need your special wit
And I need your ability
To deal with this cruel world
I need you to save me
From the demons
That haunt my Soul
For you are my soul mate
The only person
Whoever completed me
And made life worth living
April 25
The Decline of America
You see it everywhere
The unmistakable signs
That the decline of America
Is in full swing
And we have gone past the tipping point
There is nowhere left to go
But downward
As the Empire begins to collapse
Victim of imperial overreach
Like all empires before
The DC metro on a good day
Is a broken-down remnant
Of a once proud system
The future of mass transit
Its proponents said
The interstate highway system
Is falling apart day by day
The cost of rebuilding America mounts
And our politicians are afraid
That it will costs trillions of dollars
Just to prevent the US from collapsing
Into third world irrelevance
We have the world’s most expensive military
A million dollars per missile
And yet we can’t find the money
To provide decent health care for all
Bombs, and tax cuts for the wealthy
Are the only things
That the Republicans care about
And the world looks in amazement
At the clown boy President
As he struts about
Looking more and more
Like some Banana Republic
President for life
With his family
grabbing as much loot
As they can
From the federal government
Before the coming revolution
Overthrows them
When did we start this decline?
Some say 1960s started it
Others say Nixon’s to blame
Others claim that it was Carter’s fault
Or Saint Reagan’s fault
Or the other boy President GW Bush
Or Obama the fake American’s fault
Does it really matter
All I know
Is the America I knew
The can do anything country
Is alas no more
And I morn for our lost liberties
Our lost sense of purpose
Our lost sense that America
Was the last great hope of Mankind
And still I wonder
Can America be made great again?
As our President Trump proclaims
The end times approaches
Nuclear war is talked about
Another missile crisis
And instead of JFK leading the country
We have Donald John Trump
The one and only
The greatest con man
To ever get elected
And I fear the end is in sight
As America begins its decline
Will we be one country
Or will we erupt into a civil war
The right claims that the left has started it
And the left claims that the right has started it
And both sides claim that the civil war
Is inevitable
A fight for the future of our country
And so, it goes
The decline of empires
And I pray
That I may survive
The end of times
April 27
Life is Wonderful
This morning I woke up
Always a good thing
At age 61
I looked out my window
And saw a bright blue sky
Nice Spring time weather
Not a frown in the sky
Not a cloud to hide
The bright late April Sun
I looked over
And saw her there
As always
The nighttime anxieties fade away
And I realize once again
Everything will be okay
If she is with me
And I said to myself
What a wonderful day
April 28
Sandwich Choices
There are so many choices to be had
When ordering a sandwich
What kind of bread
What kind of meat or any meat
What kind of cheese or any cheese
Whether to have sprouts or not
Whether to have a pickle or not
Whether to go with a classic peanut butter
And something sandwich
I loved peanut butter sandwiches
As a kid
Peanut butter and sweat pickles were my favorite
Peanut butter and banana is good also
Peanut butter and strawberry jam
What a delightful memory
My current favorite
Is a BLT with sprouts, avocado, and kosher dill pickles?
Heirloom red tomatoes one slice per each half
Avocado one half per each half
One half pickle on each half
Bacon cooked just right – well done but not black
Sprouts and lettuce just right
Timamook Yellow smoked cheder cheese
On each half
On Gluten Free bread
with chipotle mayo
And Dijon mustard
Cut in half
Truly a sandwich made in heaven
And bacon makes everything
Taste so damn nice
And God if you are reading this poem
You had better prepare them for me
Or Heaven will not be worth it
Does Satan serve BLT sandwiches
I wonder
Probably not
Probably you become the bacon
In his hell sandwiches
April 29
More Coffee Blues
One morning as I drank my fake coffee
I needed to go out
and get a cup of real coffee
The fake coffee just did not do the trick
It tasted almost like the real thing
But just did not have that kick
And I needed it bad
I needed the real coffee buzz
I realized that I was a coffee addict
I tried to just drink decafe
But was boring
And almost as bad as the fake coffee
That I drank
Caffeine was bad for me
I knew it
But I craved the rush
Craved the intense buzz
Craved the hyperactivity
Kept me all day
And caused me nightmares
Sometimes for days on end
I knew I could not handle it
But like all addicts
I needed my coffee buzz
And so, I once more
Drank my drug of choice
And entered the coffee zone
As I fried my brain
With caffeine
The last legal drug
In neo-puritan America
And I smiled as I gave in
To the intoxicating smell
And flavor of my coffee
And surrender my free will
And drank my coffee
Waiting for the nightmares to come
April 30
Rambling Man -Where Do I Belong?
I have been a rambling man
All my adult life
Grew up in Berkeley, California
Went to College in Hayward and Oberlin
During my lost year
Lost in a fog of booze and pot
Then I came back to reality
And went to college
In Stockton, California
The central Valley
Ohio transplanted to California
Then after four years in Stockton
With extended weekends
and breaks in Berkeley
I became an expatriate wanderer
Peace Corps worker in Korea
Then taught ESL in Korea
For four years
Occasionally returning to my home
But always wanting to be elsewhere
Then back to Korea
And then Seattle for four years
Driving back and forth to the bay area
Stopping off in Southern Oregon
Eventually bought a house and duplex
In Southern Oregon
Vaguely thinking we would retire there
Some day when my rambling ways were over
Then back to Korea for three more years
Then I joined the Foreign service
And my wife the military
And I wandered the world again
Always somewhere
Always dreaming of my next somewhere
Never there
As I was a permanent expat
And a diplomat to boot
Never a local
But never really felt I belong there
Or in the America
That was becoming more and more
A foreign land
The longer I stayed away
I stayed on in DC for almost ten years
Off and on
But never really felt
that I belong there
I was too West Coast in my heart
And DC seemed to be
Just a place to stay
In between travels
Stayed in Thailand
Then later India
And Eastern Caribbean
And later Spain
Traveled to 45 countries
Lived in ten
And now I am retired
Still torn between
living the expat life
In Seoul, Korea
And returning to the West Coast
And occasionally back to DC
and Florida as well
And I wonder
Where do I belong
Where do I belong
Other than wherever
My wife and I end up
Neither here nor there
Half way there
And so is that my fate
Never to really belong
Never to have roots in the ground
Always wanting to be somewhere else
Always a stranger in my native land
And a stranger in my other home
Across the sea
There is no answer to these questions
As the rambling urge comes again
And I prepare to move yet again
Hoping someday I will be
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)
I am writing to you to offer you my advice for winning the nomination and the Presidency. I believe you have the potential to be our next President and I hope you take this advice to heart. I would love to discuss it with you or your staff at an appropriate time.
I retired from the U.S. State Department in 2016 after 27 years of service. I grew up in Berkeley went to college at the University of the Pacific and graduated from the University of Washington (MA Korean Studies, MPA). I also served in the Peace Corps in Korea. I have been to 49 out of 50 states (minus Alaska) and 45 countries, including two visits to Jamaica.
My advice, in a nutshell, is to make this a generational change election like in 1960, and in 2008. Paint your opponent Donald Trump as yesterday’s candidate, and mock him, calling on Grandpa Trump to retire to Florida and play golf. Depict him as senile, out of touch, and focused on returning America to the 19th Century. And I would also call upon Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren to retire from the field and let the next generation battle it out to become the nominee.
You are the product of the 21st Century and proud of it. Embrace your multicultural roots and embrace the wonderful diversity of your home town Oakland. Embrace Californian values as American values for the 21st century.
Then regarding policy proposals
GO BOLD OR GO HOME!!!!
I would put forth a series of comprehensive bold future-oriented policies and reiterate them every chance you get. You could call them
Kamala’s Plan for the Future of America, or something along those lines.
Maybe
“Let’s Boldly Go into the Future,”
But be big, bold, brassy, optimistic and challenge your opponents to produce a better plan or shut up and work with you to solve the nation’s problems.
Call for Free College Education Coupled With National Service Requirements.
Call for all Americans to serve three years in public service either in the military or in the government or NGO sector and in return, they will get four years of college paid for. For recent grads, they can serve and get their college debt forgiven.
To those who say we can’t afford this, say we can’t afford to continue to put our college students in crippling debt they cannot afford. And everyone, especially the rich, should shoulder the burden of national service.
Call for The Green New Deal
Point out time and time again China, Germany, and other countries are building the green energy resources of the future while the U.S. which invented green energy is moving back to the 19th century.
When critics say we can’t afford this, tell them we can’t afford to ruin the world for our children’s future. We can’t afford to continue burning fossil fuels. Climate change is real and the U.S. must lead the way forward. That is what great nations do, lead the world in embracing change, in embracing the promise of the future. We can do no less.
Call to Fix Obama Care
Point out time and time again that we still have a broken down too expensive too burdensome a health care system. Point out time and time again that we have the most expensive system in the world yet we are about 25th in terms of health care outcomes. No one in this land should fear going bankrupt if they need to get medical care. We can do this right and we must do it right.
One potential fix would be to open the Federal Health Care system to anyone who needs insurance and continue to provide subsidies to keep the premiums down.
Another option would be an expansion of Medicare so it covers about half the country.
When Republicans proclaim that they will repeal Obamacare and replace it with something, call them on their bullshit. Demand to know the plan now or tell them to shut up and work with you to fix Obamacare.
Call to repair our alliances
Declare that our allies are our allies and our friends and we will work with them to solve the world’s problems and restore American leadership. We will rejoin the Paris Climate Change and work to make sure it works. We will rejoin the Trans Pacific Partnership.
Offer a New Deal to North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela
We will continue to negotiate with the North Koreans, offering them a way towards reunification with South Korea and rejoining the world economic community.
Offer to Talk with The Iranians
Tell the Iranians we are ready to talk with them and want a new deal that would benefit them and the U.S. along the lines of what we are offering the North Koreans.
Bring the Troops Home
I would call for most U.S. troops to return to the U.S., where they will be reposted along our borders and serve as adjunct border patrol agents and first responders as part of their mandatory new national service.
Rebuild America
I would gradually reduce military spending and devote resources to rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure.
This must include high-speed trains, and must include perhaps hyperloop technology or Maglev trains? And the next generation of airplanes as well. We must rebuild our mass transit systems. We must embrace the development of driverless vehicles.
When the Republican scream you are weakening national security call them out on their BS. Ask them how repositioning troops to help deal with national security issues at home weakens national security? How does going to universal military service weaken national security? How does getting out of endless wars weaken national security? How does closing a few bases in Europe weaken national security? Or closing a golf course? Or a commissary? Point out that we already spend more on national security than any other nation on earth. How does rebuilding America’s failed infrastructure weaken national security? Challenge them to produce a better plan.
Call for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Start by acknowledging we need to improve security at the border but the wall is a waste of time and money that will not solve the problem. We need a comprehensive 21st century immigration policy that balances the need for continued immigration with the need to ensure that immigrants contribute to our country and enrich our country as they always have and always will.
Challenge the Republicans to come up a better plan and work with you to implement it.
Call For A Return To Space Including Lunar Colonies And Martian Colonies
It is time for the U.S. to lead the world again in space exploration. Offer to lead the way in building lunar and Martian colonies with the participation of the world’s other space powers.
Call for The Legalization Of Marijuana, Emptying The Prisons Of Marijuana Offenders
End the endless war on drugs. Repeal marijuana prohibition. Empty the prisons of marijuana offenders. End the private prison for profit system. End the prison pipeline that sweeps up brown and black youths and sucks them into prison for life. Reserve prisons for the most dangerous offenders, all other prisoners should be sentenced to community service, drug treatment or other non-prison sentences.
Use the money saved by closing prisons for rebuilding infrastructure.
Gun Control
I like your gun control proposals. It is a step forward. Continue to push for universal background checks.
Fully Support LGBT rights
Fully Support the religious freedom of all Americans including non-believers
Call for a Return to traditional American civil norms that Trump has so badly damaged
call on Trump to retire to Florida to play golf
regarding how to deal with Trump, gentle mockery is in order. it drives him crazy. just respond,
“there he goes again”. or, “time to retire, Old man.” “I hear that golfing is fun once you are retired.”
For VP Pick a Man
To get elected you need to appeal to men as well as women and to appeal to white people as well as minorities. So, for your VP pick, I’d be a bit cautious and go with a white man, perhaps a Hispanic man. I’d pick a governor from the Midwest. Perhaps the governor of Colorado? Picking Mayor Pete would be a bold move.
I think that you get my point by now. Be bold, inventive, optimistic, full of hope and energy and you will prevail.
Stay away from the professionals. Don’t play it safe. Be real, in your face, and authentic East Bay. Groove to Tower of Power on the campaign trail! Keep it real, my dear. 100 percent real you.
More Soul Power for You!
Be cautious, small-minded, narrowly focused and you will lose. In short,
Kamala, GO BOLD OR GO HOME.
Sincerely
Jake Cosmos Aller
703-436-1402
Jakecaller@gmail.com
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 2025 Predictions
I have been thinking about the future of the world recently. I read a lot of articles on Open Culture summing up the predictions of the future written by various SF writers. Hence this blog posting. I’ve included those comments below with my own comments afterwards.
In 1945 when the Far East Asia Review was launched in Hong Kong they commissioned a study to predict how Asia would look like in 50 years in 1985. In 1985 they reprinted that article. I wished I had saved it. But I recall the basic conclusionTon 1985 the most important countries in Asia would be
top five countries in Asia in 1985 according to FEER in 1945
Burma,
the Philippines,
India,
Indonesia
Malaysia.
If any one reading this has access to the original article, I’d greatly appreciate receiving a copy. Send me a FB message or leave a comment on the blog….
UN list of top economies in Asia in 1950
Japan
Philippines
Taiwan
South Korea
Indonesia
China
Pakistan
India
Bangladesh
Burma
Comment: this is an anachronist entry Bangladesh did not exist when the original report was written.
the source is an historical look back at the rankings of economies in 1950 according to UN Statistics from 1950, but edited with today’s spelling etc added in.
Curiously Singapore is not listed although one could just as easily make a case it should have been included if Bangladesh was included. Hong Kong is also not listed separately.
South Korea was highly ranked but according to conventional wisdom at the time South Korea was considered a hopeless basket case heavily subsidized by the U.S.
United States. Despite facing challenges at the domestic level along with a rapidly transforming global landscape, the U.S. economy is still thelargest in the world with a nominal GDP forecast to exceed USD 21 trillion in 2019. …
China would not be economic power house it is now and would not be communist country. Korea would be unified as would Vietnam. Japan would not be the second largest economy in the region. There would be no US troops in Korea, or Japan. The Korea war and the Vietnam war would not have occurred.
They missed the growth of the internet; the rise of consumer electronics and automobiles as major export products and they missed the rise of the East Asia tigers.
They felt that Asia would be a marginal factor in the world economy except for India, the Philippines and Burma.
They did for see the independence of India, but thought that Pakistan would be part of an unified India. They missed completely the Chinese revolution and the rise of Taiwan.
They also foresaw the decolonization of Asia.
Most missed the rapid immigration of Asians to the US, and Canada.
The editors concluded that they got about 20 percent of it accurate. they asked the original writers left to comment on what they were thinking, and how they got it so wrong.
With that sobering statistic in mind let’s turn to my predictions first, then look at the CIA predictions and finish with looking at what famous SF writers had to say.
But before I get to their comments, I’d like to offer my own predictions for the year 2025.
Here there are my predictions for 2025.
And I hope to revisit this in 2025 to see how accurate I was.
I would like to see other predictions. Send them to me and I will revise this list accordingly. let’s have an interactive conversation. what do you think? agree, disagree? have other predictions? Send them to me, please and share them with my readers…
Korea is reunified, US troops return home except for marine security guards.
Climate Change is Out of Control but US finally gets serious
40 percent of energy produced worldwide is produced with renewables. And that figure is rapidly increasing as both markets and governments finally begin to convert to a green energy economy. The West Coast is almost 100 percent there, and Kansas of all places is also close due to wind power. Appalachia is lagging behind but King Coal is no longer King in Appalachia or Wyoming. Cost of coal mining has just become too much.
Japan becomes the fifth economic power in the world down from number 2
China becomes the world’s largest economy, with India number 2 and the U.S. number 3. Germany is number 4 and the UK is number 5.
the rest of the top ten are Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Mexico, and Italy.
As an independent country California is number 4. the West Coast Federation is number 3. Texas is number 8.
The EU after Brexit is disbanded. A new European community called the European community emerges as a common market but with no central authority and no common currency. The UK reluctantly re-joins the European community as does Canada.
Democrats sweep the 2020 elections – with a woman President and an Hispanic VP. The house and Senate are under Democratic control, and half the States as well, the democrats are reelected in 2024 but loose the Senate. .
Trump leaves office but only after considerable pressure as he and his supporters refuse to concede the election until December.
The corrosive impact of Trumpism continues unabated. Trump and the Republicans vow to resist the incoming Democrats who they accuse of being dangerous socialists. 40 percent of the public believe that to the true, 60 percent are ready for the Democrats to restore democratic norms and reverse the worst Trumpian policies. Trump becomes head of Fox News and remains influential in Republican circles.
A new epidemic of super bugs breaks out killing millions of people around the world
There is a nuclear terrorist incident in the U.S and in Europe
ISIS continues to cause global problems
right wing nationalist terror attacks are also common
bombings become common in the US. Why that has not occurred is beyond me. Coordinated attacks on shopping malls and churches become increasingly common with gun men mowing down survivors and first responders.
gun violence continues but at much reduced rate as finally some gun laws are enacted including banning people on the no fly list from buying guns and universal background checks coupled with a week off cooling off period, and a yearly limit of ten guns per person. California and other West Coast states now require a license to buy a gun. The license is run by the hunting and fishing license division not the DMV. the requirement to buy a gun include a clean record, no domestic violence history, passing a gun law test, demonstrating that one can fire the gun, and a simple statement as to why one wants to buy a gun. and one has to buy personal liability insurance that covers you in case your gun is used in commission of a crime. one can only be turned down if one fails the background check. the essay is more to understand why people are buying guns but will only play a role in a denial if some one threatens to kill someone in the essay.
The national security state continues to grow in power and strength
There are 20 new states. DC, PR, VI, Guam, and to appease Republicans, Illinois is split into Chicago, (with its suburbs) and Southern Illinois, New York split into NYC (with all the suburban areas) and New York State, and California is split into six new States, Jefferson (NE California, eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington), Northwestern California, Sacramento Valley, San Francisco, Monterrey and the Central Coast, Los Angeles, San Diego which includes TJ, and the Inland Empire, the Indian nations receive state hood as well.
There are Four new regional governments that emerge.
One is the West Coast Alliance, and the Other is the East Coast Alliance. Both came about in resistance to Trump and to solidify democratic votes. They are federations and the leaders are demanding a constitutional convention. These two federations also contain Canadian provinces and Mexican provinces.
Texas declares itself to be a new federation and like the other three will stay in the US pending a constitutional convention.
The Southeast Alliance revives the old confederacy.
Civil war was narrowly avoided in the U.S. after the 2020 election, and the emergence of the four regional governments.
Resolving this conflict is the biggest issue in the 2022 midterms and the 2024 elections.
The constitutional convention is set for July 2025.
Mandatory public service has been established and all young people serve three years. In return they receive 4 years of free tuition.
Most US Troops have been returned and are stationed along the Southern Border where the troops serve as adjunct border patrol agents and first responders for natural disasters.
Marijuana is legal in all states. Cocaine is legal in 25 states. Other drugs remain illegal.
Prostitution is legal in 25 states; trafficking is illegal everywhere .
Abortion is illegal is 30 states after the Supreme Court abolished Roe V Wade
Homosexuality is illegal in 30 states after the Supreme Court reverse earlier court cases.
Same sex marriage is illegal again in 30 states after the Supreme Court reverses earlier court cases.
Finally, there is a new sexual revolution that for the first time reveals that close to half of sexually active adults are now bisexual and oral sex is the number one sexual position. Demands to recognize plural marriages grow, as the west coast and east coast alliances recognize plural group marriages.
A New norm has appeared called the California consensus. It requires affirmative of sexual activity before commencing, woman take the lead in initiating sexual activity and either party can terminate consent by saying Stop at any point. As a result of this change sexual harassment and sexual complaints become very rare.
The Pope ends celibacy for priests, and nuns and gets married. He also allows nuns to be ordained as priests, cardinals and bishops.
Buddhist orders also end celibacy rules.
a new implant connecting people to the internet becomes the latest rage
driverless vehicles become common – DUI becomes very rare, alcohol and drug uses increase
contraceptive implants become widespread
First lunar colony launched
first contact with another civilization rocks the world
CIA Predictions mostly On the Money
Now let’s look at the CIA predictions, shall we? As part of their global trends the CIA has been putting out assessments every couple of years.
And they constantly go back and revisit them to see what they have gotten right and what they have gotten wrong. I sat in on a panel discussion once with people from the agency where they discussed these global trend analyses. Fascinating stuff. The CIA has also hired thriller writers to participate in these threat analyses and many of the most famous thriller writers have been CIA consultants but they are forbidden from discussing their role with the CIA. If the CIA is listening in, contact me I’d love to participate!
Overall I think they get most of it right. I think though that they are downplaying the risks of climate change which threatens the entire world political economy and should have been addressed in much more detail. Otherwise it seems that they spot on.
Executive Summary
Introduction: A Transformed World More Change than Continuity
Alternative Futures 1 3 3
Chapter 1: The Globalizing Economy Back to the Future
Growing Middle Class
State Capitalism: A Post-Democratic Marketplace Rising in the East?
Bumpy Ride in Correcting Current Global Imbalances
Multiple Financial Nodes
Diverging Development Models, but for How Long?
Chapter 2: The Demographics of Discord Populations Growing, Declining, and Diversifying—at the Same Time
The Pensioner Boom: Challenges of Aging Populations Persistent Youth Bulges
Changing Places: Migration, Urbanization, and Ethnic Shifts Demographic Portraits:
Russia, China, India, and Iran
Chapter 3: The New Players Rising Heavyweights: China and India
Other Key Players Up-and-Coming Powers
Global Scenario I: A World Without the West
Chapter 4: Scarcity in the Midst of Plenty?
The Dawning of a Post-Petroleum Age?
The Geopolitics of Energy Water, Food, and Climate Change
Global Scenario II: October Surprise
Chapter 5: Growing Potential for Conflict A Shrinking Arc of Instability by 2025?
Growing Risk of a Nuclear Arms Race in the Middle East
New Conflicts Over Resources?
Terrorism: Good and Bad News
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq: Local Trajectories and Outside Interests
Global Scenario III: BRICs’ Bust-Up
Chapter 6: Will the International System Be Up to the Challenges?
Multipolarity without Multilateralism How Many International Systems?
A World of Networks
Global Scenario IV: Politics is Not Always Local
Chapter 7: Power-sharing in a Multipolar World
Demand for US Leadership Likely to Remain Strong,
Capacities Will Shrink
New Relationships and Recalibrated Old Partnerships
Less Financial Margin of Error
More Limited Military Superiority
Surprises and Unintended Consequences
Leadership Will Be Key
Executive Summary The international system—as constructed following the Second World War—will be almost unrecognizable by 2025 owing to the rise of emerging powers, a globalizing economy, an historic transfer of relative wealth and economic power from West to East, and the growing influence of nonstate actors.
By 2025, the international system will be a global multipolar one with gaps in national power2 continuing to narrow between developed and developing countries. Concurrent with the shift in power among nation-states, the relative power of various nonstate actors—including businesses, tribes, religious organizations, and criminal networks—is increasing. The players are changing, but so too are the scope and breadth of transnational issues important for continued global prosperity.
Aging populations in the developed world; growing energy, food, and water constraints; and worries about climate change will limit and diminish what will still be an historically unprecedented age of prosperity.
Comment: my biggest critique is the downplaying of Climate Change. I believe that Climate change will by 2025 be one of the key driving factors in world politics due to the extreme weather patterns that emerge throughout the world. Two to three Katrina like storms per year becomes the new norm and the Siberian express in the shorter but much more intense and colder winters become the norm as well.
Historically, emerging multipolar systems have been more unstable than bipolar or unipolar ones. Despite the recent financial volatility—which could end up accelerating many ongoing trends—we do not believe that we are headed toward a complete breakdown of the international system, as occurred in 1914-1918 when an earlier phase of globalization came to a halt.
However, the next 20 years of transition to a new system are fraught with risks. Strategic rivalries are most likely to revolve around trade, investments, and technological innovation and acquisition, but we cannot rule out a 19th century-like scenario of arms races, territorial expansion, and military rivalries. This is a story with no clear outcome, as illustrated by a series of vignettes we use to map out divergent futures.
Although the United States is likely to remain the single most powerful actor, the United States’ relative strength—even in the military realm—will decline and US leverage will become more constrained. At the same time, the extent to which other actors—both state and nonstate—will be willing or able to shoulder increased burdens is unclear. Policymakers and publics will have to cope with a growing demand for multilateral cooperation when the international system will be stressed by the incomplete transition from the old to a still-forming new order.
Comment: The U.S. will clearly be number 2 or 3 economically by then. and number 5 in population. Still the most advance military in the world but with a much reduced global foot print. Instead of stationing troops overseas for extended deployments, most troops will rotate as a unit for a six month deployment overseas during a three year military service. Many troops will opt for a second tour including an a second overseas deployment so that they can go through graduate school on the government dime. end comment
Economic Growth Fueling Rise of Emerging Players In terms of size, speed, and directional flow, the transfer of global wealth and economic power now under way—roughly from West to East—is without precedent in modern history. This shift derives from two sources. First, increases in oil and commodity prices have generated windfall profits for the Gulf states and Russia. Second, lower costs combined with government policies have shifted the locus of manufacturing and some service industries to Asia.
Growth projections for Brazil, Russia, India, and China (the BRICs) indicate they will collectively match the original G-7’s share of global GDP by 2040-2050. China is poised to have more impact on the world over the next 20 years than any other country. If current trends persist, by 2025 China will have the world’s second largest economy and will be a leading 2 National power scores, computed by the International Futures computer model, are the product of an index combining the weighted factors of GDP, defense spending, population, and technology. vii military power. It also could be the largest importer of natural resources and the biggest polluter. India probably will continue to enjoy relatively rapid economic growth and will strive for a multipolar world in which New Delhi is one of the poles.
China and India must decide the extent to which they are willing and capable of playing increasing global roles and how each will relate to the other. Russia has the potential to be richer, more powerful, and more self-assured in 2025 if it invests in human capital, expands and diversifies its economy, and integrates with global markets.
On the other hand, Russia could experience a significant decline if it fails to take these steps and oil and gas prices remain in the $50-70 per barrel range. No other countries are projected to rise to the level of China, India, or Russia, and none is likely to match their individual global clout.
We expect, however, to see the political and economic power of other countries—such as Indonesia, Iran, and Turkey—increase. For the most part, China, India, and Russia are not following the Western liberal model for self-development but instead are using a different model, “state capitalism.”
my prediction top 20 countries economically in 2025
China
India
US
Germany
Japan
UK
France
Italy
Unified Korea
Brazil
Russia
Mexico
South Africa
Saudi Arabia
Vietnam
Thailand
Indonesia
Nigeria
Canada
Australia
State capitalism is a loose term used to describe a system of economic management that gives a prominent role to the state.
Comment: Glad that the writers recognized the obvious, many countries are following a different economic model as the old Washington consensus neo-economic models fall out of favor. They got this right I think… I never accepted that there are universal economic laws that govern all countries regardless of history and culture. I also believed that East Asian Capitalism is different from Anglo American capitalism, and European capitalism, and some what similar to Russian Capitalism.
the basis of East Asian capitalism is a sort of fascist system where corporations and governments work hand in hand to achieve economic and political goals designed to further the economic and political wealth of the country with the government being the senior partner.
So many American writers looking at East Asia write utter nonsense about the so called economic freedom of the societies. The reality is anything but …. the big companies dominate the economy, work with the government, and smaller companies and foreign invested companies are screwed over all the time.
End comment
Other rising powers—South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore—also used state capitalism to develop their economies. However, the impact of Russia, and particularly China, following this path is potentially much greater owing to their size and approach to “democratization.” We remain optimistic about the long-term prospects for greater democratization, even though advances are likely to be slow and globalization is subjecting many recently democratized countries to increasing social and economic pressures with the potential to undermine liberal institutions.
Many other countries will fall further behind economically. Sub-Saharan Africa will remain the region most vulnerable to economic disruption, population stresses, civil conflict, and political instability. Despite increased global demand for commodities for which Sub-Saharan Africa will be a major supplier, local populations are unlikely to experience significant economic gain. Windfall profits arising from sustained increases in commodity prices might further entrench corrupt or otherwise ill-equipped governments in several regions, diminishing the prospects for democratic and market-based reforms.
Although many of Latin America’s major countries will have become middle income powers by 2025, others, particularly those such as Venezuela and Bolivia that have embraced populist policies for a protracted period, will lag behind—and some, such as Haiti, will have become even poorer and less governable.
Overall, Latin America will continue to lag behind Asia and other fast-growing areas in terms of economic competitiveness. Asia, Africa, and Latin America will account for virtually all population growth over the next 20 years; less than 3 percent of the growth will occur in the West. Europe and Japan will continue to far outdistance the emerging powers of China and India in per capita wealth, but they will struggle to maintain robust growth rates because the size of their working-age populations will decrease. The US will be a partial exception to the aging of populations in the developed world because it will experience higher birth rates and more immigration.
The number of migrants seeking to move from disadvantaged to relatively privileged countries is likely to increase. viii the number of countries with youthful age structures in the current “arc of instability” is projected to decline by as much as 40 percent. Three of every four youth-bulge countries that remain will be located in Sub-Saharan Africa; nearly all of the remainder will be located in the core of the Middle East, scattered through southern and central Asia, and in the Pacific Islands.
New Transnational Agenda Resource issues will gain prominence on the international agenda. Unprecedented global economic growth—positive in so many other regards—will continue to put pressure on a number of highly strategic resources, including energy, food, and water, and demand is projected to outstrip easily available supplies over the next decade or so. For example, non-OPEC liquid hydrocarbon production—crude oil, natural gas liquids, and unconventional such as tar sands— will not grow commensurate with demand. Oil and gas production of many traditional energy producers already is declining.
Comment: They are missing the rapid growth of renewable energy everywhere and leapfrogging of technology in many countries as for example countries by pass land lines and go to 5 G (7 G by 2025). End Comment
Elsewhere—in China, India, and Mexico—production has flattened. Countries capable of significantly expanding production will dwindle; oil and gas production will be concentrated in unstable areas. As a result of this and other factors, the world will be in the midst of a fundamental energy transition away from oil toward natural gas, coal and other alternatives.
comment: at least they acknowledge the transition is happening. End comment
The World Bank estimates that demand for food will rise by 50 percent by 2030, as a result of growing world population, rising affluence, and the shift to Western dietary preferences by a larger middle class. Lack of access to stable supplies of water is reaching critical proportions, particularly for agricultural purposes, and the problem will worsen because of rapid urbanization worldwide and the roughly 1.2 billion persons to be added over the next 20 years.
Comment: world population is slowing and our predictions are way out of date. End comment
Today, experts consider 21 countries, with a combined population of about 600 million, to be either cropland or freshwater scarce. Owing to continuing population growth, 36 countries, with about 1.4 billion people, are projected to fall into this category by 2025. Climate change is expected to exacerbate resource scarcities. Although the impact of climate change will vary by region, a number of regions will begin to suffer harmful effects, particularly water scarcity and loss of agricultural production. Regional differences in agricultural production are likely to become more pronounced over time with declines disproportionately concentrated in developing countries, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural losses are expected to mount with substantial impacts forecast by most economists by late this century.
For many developing countries, decreased agricultural output will be devastating because agriculture accounts for a large share of their economies and many of their citizens live close to subsistence levels. New technologies could again provide solutions, such as viable alternatives to fossil fuels or means to overcome food and water constraints. However, all current technologies are inadequate for replacing the traditional energy architecture on the scale needed, and new energy technologies probably will not be commercially viable and widespread by 2025. The pace of technological innovation will be key. Even with a favorable policy and funding environment for biofuels, clean coal, or hydrogen, the transition to new fuels will be slow. Major technologies historically have had an “adoption lag.”
Comment: insect based food especially protein powders will become part of daily food consumption. End comment
In the energy sector, a recent study found that it takes an average of 25 years for a new production technology to become widely adopted. ix Despite what are seen as long odds now, we cannot rule out the possibility of an energy transition by 2025 that would avoid the costs of an energy infrastructure overhaul.
Comment: oh it is really and happening baby. End comment
The greatest possibility for a relatively quick and inexpensive transition during the period comes from better renewable generation sources (photovoltaic and wind) and improvements in battery technology. With many of these technologies, the infrastructure cost hurdle for individual projects would be lower, enabling many small economic actors to develop their own energy transformation projects that directly serve their interests—e.g., stationary fuel cells powering homes and offices, recharging plug-in hybrid autos, and selling energy back to the grid. Also, energy conversion schemes—such as plans to generate hydrogen for automotive fuel cells from electricity in the homeowner’s garage—could avoid the need to develop complex hydrogen transportation infrastructure.
Comment: and the holly grail hydrogen fusion plants. they also downplay geothermal and tidal power which I think will emerge as key elements in world energy production. End comment
Prospects for Terrorism, Conflict, and Proliferation Terrorism, proliferation, and conflict will remain key concerns even as resource issues move up on the international agenda.
Terrorism is unlikely to disappear by 2025, but its appeal could diminish if economic growth continues and youth unemployment is mitigated in the Middle East. Economic opportunities for youth and greater political pluralism probably would dissuade some from joining terrorists’ ranks, but others—motivated by a variety of factors, such as a desire for revenge or to become “martyrs”—will continue to turn to violence to pursue their objectives. In the absence of employment opportunities and legal means for political expression, conditions will be ripe for disaffection, growing radicalism, and possible recruitment of youths into terrorist groups.
Terrorist groups in 2025 will likely be a combination of descendants of long established groups—that inherit organizational structures, command and control processes, and training procedures necessary to conduct sophisticated attacks—and newly emergent collections of the angry and disenfranchised that become self-radicalized. For those terrorist groups that are active in 2025, the diffusion of technologies and scientific knowledge will place some of the world’s most dangerous capabilities within their reach.
One of our greatest concerns continues to be that terrorist or other malevolent groups might acquire and employ biological agents, or less likely, a nuclear device, to create mass casualties. Although Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons is not inevitable, other countries’ worries about a nuclear-armed Iran could lead states in the region to develop new security arrangements with external powers, acquire additional weapons, and consider pursuing their own nuclear ambitions. It is not clear that the type of stable deterrent relationship that existed between the great powers for most of the Cold War would emerge naturally in the Middle East with a nuclear-weapons capable Iran. Episodes of low-intensity conflict taking place under a nuclear umbrella could lead to an unintended escalation and broader conflict if clear red lines between those states involved are not well established.
We believe ideological conflicts akin to the Cold War are unlikely to take root in a world in which most states will be preoccupied with the pragmatic challenges of globalization and shifting global power alignments. The force of ideology is likely to be strongest in the Muslim world—particularly the Arab core. In those countries that are likely to struggle with youth bulges and weak economic underpinnings—such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Yemen—the radical Salafi trend of Islam is likely to gain traction. x
Comment: Why no mention of right wing white nationalism terrorism? I think that the 2025 world will feature terrorism threats from both Islamic groups as well as white nationalist groups. About equal in terms of impact. I also foresee the development of white nationalist enclaves and cities in the mountain states and in the deep south. End comment
Types of conflict we have not seen for a while—such as over resources—could reemerge. Perceptions of energy scarcity will drive countries to take actions to assure their future access to energy supplies. In the worst case, this could result in interstate conflicts if government leaders deem assured access to energy resources, for example, to be essential for maintaining domestic stability and the survival of their regimes. However, even actions short of war will have important geopolitical consequences.
Maritime security concerns are providing a rationale for naval buildups and modernization efforts, such as China’s and India’s development of blue-water naval capabilities. The buildup of regional naval capabilities could lead to increased tensions, rivalries, and counterbalancing moves but it also will create opportunities for multinational cooperation in protecting critical sea lanes. With water becoming scarcer in Asia and the Middle East, cooperation to manage changing water resources is likely to become more difficult within and between states.
The risk of nuclear weapon use over the next 20 years, although remaining very low, is likely to be greater than it is today as a result of several converging trends. The spread of nuclear technologies and expertise is generating concerns about the potential emergence of new nuclear weapon states and the acquisition of nuclear materials by terrorist groups. Ongoing low-intensity clashes between India and Pakistan continue to raise the specter that such events could escalate to a broader conflict between those nuclear powers.
The possibility of a future disruptive regime change or collapse occurring in a nuclear weapon state such as North Korea also continues to raise questions regarding the ability of weak states to control and secure their nuclear arsenals. If nuclear weapons are used in the next 15-20 years, the international system will be shocked as it experiences immediate humanitarian, economic, and political-military repercussions. A future use of nuclear weapons probably would bring about significant geopolitical changes as some states would seek to establish or reinforce security alliances with existing nuclear powers and others would push for global nuclear disarmament.
comment: North Korea and South Korea will unify as a nuclear power much to the annoyance of the U.S., Japan, Russia and China.
the Saudis and the Iranians will both become nuclear powers as perhaps Brazil and South Africa
and there is a 90 percent certainty that there will be a nuclear terrorist incident somewhere in the U.S. and in Europe before 2025. end comment
A More Complex International System
(Comment: a bit Mr. Obvious to me. End comment)
The trend toward greater diffusion of authority and power that has been occurring for a couple decades is likely to accelerate because of the emergence of new global players, the worsening institutional deficit, potential expansion of regional blocs, and enhanced strength of nonstate actors and networks. The multiplicity of actors on the international scene could add strength— in terms of filling gaps left by aging post-World War II institutions—or further fragment the international system and incapacitate international cooperation. The diversity in type of actor raises the likelihood of fragmentation occurring over the next two decades, particularly given the wide array of transnational challenges facing the international community.
The rising BRIC powers are unlikely to challenge the international system as did Germany and Japan in the 19th and 20th centuries, but because of their growing geopolitical and economic clout, they will have a high degree of freedom to customize their political and economic policies rather than fully adopting Western norms. They also are likely to want to preserve their policy freedom to maneuver, allowing others to carry the primary burden for dealing with such issues as terrorism, climate change, proliferation, and energy security. xi Existing multilateral institutions—which are large and cumbersome and were designed for a different geopolitical order—will have difficulty adapting quickly to undertake new missions, accommodate changing memberships, and augment their resources.
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)—concentrating on specific issues—increasingly will be a part of the landscape, but NGO networks are likely to be limited in their ability to effect change in the absence of concerted efforts by multilateral institutions or governments. Efforts at greater inclusiveness—to reflect the emergence of the newer powers—may make it harder for international organizations to tackle transnational challenges. Respect for the dissenting views of member nations will continue to shape the agenda of organizations and limit the kinds of solutions that can be attempted.
Greater Asian regionalism—possible by 2025—would have global implications, sparking or reinforcing a trend toward three trade and financial clusters that could become quasi-blocs: North America, Europe, and East Asia. Establishment of such quasi-blocs would have implications for the ability to achieve future global World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements. Regional clusters could compete in setting trans-regional product standards for information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, intellectual property rights, and other aspects of the “new economy.”
On the other hand, an absence of regional cooperation in Asia could help spur competition among China, India, and Japan over resources such as energy. Intrinsic to the growing complexity of the overlapping roles of states, institutions, and nonstate actors is the proliferation of political identities, which is leading to establishment of new networks and rediscovered communities. No one political identity is likely to be dominant in most societies by 2025.
Comment: they are missing the unification of Korea. End comment
Religion-based networks may be quintessential issue networks and overall may play a more powerful role on many transnational issues such as the environment and inequalities than secular groupings.
The United States: Less Dominant Power By 2025 the US will find itself as one of a number of important actors on the world stage, albeit still the most powerful one
duh
Even in the military realm, where the US will continue to possess considerable advantages in 2025, advances by others in science and technology, expanded adoption of irregular warfare tactics by both state and nonstate actors, proliferation of long-range precision weapons, and growing use of cyber warfare attacks increasingly will constrict US freedom of action.
A more constrained US role has implications for others and the likelihood of new agenda issues being tackled effectively. Despite the recent rise in anti-Americanism, the US probably will continue to be seen as a much-needed regional balancer in the Middle East and Asia. The US will continue to be expected to play a significant role in using its military power to counter global terrorism.
On newer security issues like climate change, US leadership will be widely perceived as critical to leveraging competing and divisive views to find solutions. At the same time, the multiplicity of influential actors and distrust of vast power means less room for the US to call the shots without the support of strong partnerships. Developments in the rest of the world, including internal developments in a number of key states—particularly China and Russia—are also likely to be crucial determinants of US policy. xii 2025—
What Kind of Future? The above trends suggest major discontinuities, shocks, and surprises, which we highlight throughout the text. Examples include nuclear weapons use or a pandemic. In some cases, the surprise element is only a matter of timing: an energy transition, for example is inevitable; the only questions are when and how abruptly or smoothly such a transition occurs.
An energy transition from one type of fuel (fossil fuels) to another (alternative) is an event that historically has only happened once a century at most with momentous consequences. The transition from wood to coal helped trigger industrialization. In this case, a transition—particularly an abrupt one—out of fossil fuels would have major repercussions for energy producers in the Middle East and Eurasia, potentially causing permanent decline of some states as global and regional powers. Other discontinuities are less predictable. They are likely to result from an interaction of several trends and depend on the quality of leadership.
We put uncertainties such as whether China or Russia becomes a democracy in this category. China’s growing middle class increases the chances but does not make such a development inevitable. Political pluralism seems less likely in Russia in the absence of economic diversification.
Pressure from below may force the issue, or a leader might begin or enhance the democratization process to sustain the economy or spur economic growth. A sustained plunge in the price of oil and gas would alter the outlook and increase prospects for greater political and economic liberalization in Russia. If either country were to democratize, it would represent another wave of democratization with wide significance for many other developing states. Also uncertain are the outcomes of demographic challenges facing Europe, Japan, and even Russia. In none of these cases does demography have to spell destiny with less regional and global power an inevitable outcome.
Technology, the role of immigration, public health improvements, and laws encouraging greater female participation in the economy are some of the measures that could change the trajectory of current trends pointing toward less economic growth, increased social tensions, and possible decline.
Whether global institutions adapt and revive—another key uncertainty—also is a function of leadership. Current trends suggest a dispersion of power and authority will create a global governance deficit. Reversing those trend lines would require strong leadership in the international community by a number of powers, including the emerging ones. Some uncertainties would have greater consequences—should they occur—than would others.
In this work, we emphasize the overall potential for greater conflict—some forms of which could threaten globalization. We put WMD terrorism and a Middle East nuclear arms race in this category. The key uncertainties and possible impacts are discussed in the text and summarized in the textbox on page vii. In the four fictionalized scenarios, we have highlighted new challenges that could emerge as a result of the ongoing global transformation. They present new situations, dilemmas, or predicaments that represent departures from recent developments. As a set, they do not cover all possible futures.
None of these is inevitable or even necessarily likely; but, as with many other uncertainties, the scenarios are potential game-changers. •
Nostradamus’ prophecies foresee that 2019 is going to be a year of justice, and earthquakes and hurricanes will be possible in many states of America (Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, but also Texas), especially in the Earth months of the year (January, April, July, and October).
The year lacks financial prosperity, but this only encourages us to design strategies that could improve things. Like stated in the 2019 horoscopes , it is indicated to work harder, it is necessary to adopt new strategies, to avoid taking risks and to be well informed, but also to attract prosperity using the right remedies.
Socially, we will more open, we will socialize more and we will extend our circle of friends very carefully though because the flower of outside love can bring a third person in, who can destabilize the couple.
The stock market is going to be more profitable in the summer and especially in the fall months and 2019 is going to be a year of new discoveries health-wise, a year that encourages us to be more careful about any possible issues related to heart and circulatory system, stomach, pancreas and this is why it is recommended to take into consideration a balanced diet and relaxing activities, but also to avoid sleeping in the west sector (especially the pregnant women and the elders) and stress.
Over the last decade, the global economic crisis had a strong impact in Europe, but also in certain regions of the US. European Union helped many countries to deal with the economic difficulties and to set the foundation of the so-called “bank union” in order to make the banking sector more secure and reliable.
Over the course of three years, Nostradamus has written over 900 of quatrains and centuries in which he foretold the future. In these works, Nostradamus presages the future of the world, 70% of them being fulfilled to date.
He predicted Napoleon’s reign, the World War II, the rise of Hitler, John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the moon landing. In one of the quatrains, Nostradamus talks about the “sky on fire”, “the new city”, “huge lightning” and “two brothers torn apart by chaos”.
Many scientists who have analyzed this quatrain concluded that it talks about the 9/11/01 attacks.
Nostradamus Predicted the Notre Dame Fire
The dreadful Notre Dame Fire in Paris on Monday 15th April at 5.50pm local time, was predicted by Nostradamus. A quatrain written 500 years ago by the French astrologer anticipated it.
“The head of Aries, Jupiter and Saturn,
God eternal, what changes can be expected?
Following a long century, evil will return
France and Italy, what emotions will you undergo?”
Given that Nostradamus was writing in the mid 1500’s, his use of the word ’emotions’ is bizarre, not only because as we saw earlier, Macron used it – but also because UNESCO used it too. This are the words from Twitter:
“Notre-Dame is engulfed with flames. Emotion of the whole nation. Thoughts are with Catholics and all the French. Like all citizens, I am sad to see this part of us burn.”
“Deep emotion in the face of this dramatic fire at the cathedral.”
Also, Macron declared:
“We will rebuild Notre-Dame because that’s what the French people want,” said Macron, who was visibly moved. “That’s what our history deserves, because that is our destiny.”
April 15 is a black day, a day that marks many sad and unfortunate events. Things that have happened on April 15:
The Titanic sank – 1912
Lincoln died – 1865
Boston marathon bombings 2013
Notre Dame burned – 2019
Comment: Kim Il Sung and Hitler were both born on April 15. The US Foreign Service evaluation system has a April 15th deadline as well. Coincidence? I think not….End Comment
Here are Nostradamus predictions for 2019:
1. According to Nostradamus’s quatrains, in 2019, some European countries will deal with floods of extraordinary magnitude. Among others, the countries that will suffer the most damage are Hungary, Italy, the Czech Republic, but also Great Britain.
Globally, both the European countries and the US will deal with issues regarding not only the dilemma of managing the immigration but also with the increased number of terrorist attacks.
According to Nostradamus’s prophecies, the increased religious extremism in the Middle East and in different countries and regions of the world will lead to disorder and wars, which will force many people to leave their country and to try and find refuge in Europe.
“From a place though to bring famine
From here will come relief.
The eye of the sea like a greedy dog,
For the one shall give oil and the other wheat.”
Here, the text doesn’t refer to organic famine, but to a spiritual famine, considering the migration of so many Christians to other religions and sects, out of the desire to know the religious truth.
It is about the spiritual hunger. The sea of people will decide to embrace Christianity.
Nostradamus predicts that the climate changes will continue to affect the planet, and the political leaders will come to an agreement regarding the reduction of air pollutant emissions.
“We shall see the water rising, and the earth falling under it” portended the prophet for 2019.
5. The climate changes are common, and the hurricanes that will occur in different regions of America will shape the dreary landscape described by Nostradamus. There will be many category 1 hurricanes, which will hit the US during 2019, bringing winds of 40 mph.
The Americans living in Florida, Texas and New Orleans must be prepared to face the bad weather. As Andrew Como, the Governor of New York, also declared:
“Extreme weather is a reality. We face storms of an unseen severity”. The global warming will cause many armed conflicts. Through a strategic move, China will become the new world leader.
World War III will involve two superpowers and will last 27 years. It is believed that World War III will start after the death of the last Pope (the one that will follow after the death of Pope Benedict XVI), who will be assassinated by the antichrist.
“Mount Aventine will be seen to burn at night:
The sky very suddenly dark in Flanders:
When the monarch will chase his nephew,
Then Church people will commit scandals.”
Here it could be a reference to Saint Aventine, who is considered the protector of those who suffer from mental illnesses, but also Aventine, one of the Seven Hills of Rome.
Also, a (total) Sun eclipse will occur on July 23 of 2019, which is possible to mark the beginning of the disaster that will envelop the Catholic Church, but also all others Christian churches.
Comment: mark you calendars!!!! End comment
The assassination of the leader of the Catholic Church will bring chaos all over the world, and this event will take place in the following period.
The people from the USA must get ready for the “Big Earthquake”. With a length of more than 500 miles, the subduction area covers the entire distance between California, US and Vancouver Island, Canada.
Here, two tectonic plates meet, and one slides beneath the other (subduction) slowly but surely. If only an area from Cascadia slips, the magnitude of the earthquake will be between 8.0 and 8.6 degrees on the Richter scale.
If the entire cleft splits open, we will witness an earthquake of 8.7 to 9.2 degrees, “The Big Earthquake”. In that region, 225,000 square miles will be unrecognizable. From Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Eugene, Salem (the capital of Oregon), to Olympia (the capital of Washington). Over 7.000.000 people live in that area.
They will be affected by the greatest natural disaster in the history of UnitedStates.
The prophet also predicted that people will be able to speak to animals. He claimed that the animals will be closer and more loyal to people than their fellow men.
“The pigs will become brothers to man”, wrote the prophet for 2019. Some think this means that the humans will stop scarifying animals. Others believe this means that the technology will allow us to talk to animals.
Medicine will advance a lot. New discoveries will help extend people’s lives. Those who read Nostradamus prophecies claim he predicted that people will get to live up to 200 years.
Also, “After a new engine will appear, the world will be as in the days before Babel.” Many believe that the engine he refers to is the Internet and that the technology will eventually create a new global language. Others say it is about the social networks that continue to develop every day.
Nostradamus – Bio, Facts
As e medic fascinated by occultism, Nostradamus risked provoking the wrath of the Catholic Church when he predicted the future for the next twenty centuries. Was he a true visionary or maybe his legendary accuracy is just a myth amplified by time?
The short and lively individual, with a long and thick beard, was a freak of nature at the Renaissance Court of king Henry the Second of France. Being known as the son of converted Jews, passionate by astrology and other occult sciences, Nostradamus was invited to Paris in 1556 mostly as a source of entertainment.
But his prophecies about the king will bring him international fame. One of these seemed to be true, but absurd nonetheless, suggesting that a “blind man” will soon become king. Another one, cryptic and interpretable in its nature: “The young lion will defeat the older one on the battlefield, in a single fight.
It will pierce his eyes in the golden cage, two wounds in one, and then he will suddenly pass away.”
On June 1st, 1559 when the king was taking part in a tournament, by accident, the lance of his friend, who was his adversary, pierced the royal golden helmet and continued into his eye. The horrified culprit, Count of Montgomery, was younger than the sovereign.
A splinter from the broken weapon caused a secondary injury, and the king suffered greatly for ten days straight, after which he passed away.
The words of Nostradamus were duly remembered. Because of their strong opposition against magicians and wizards, the leaders of the Romano-Catholic Church would have preferred to burn this dangerously exact prophet alive.
The peasants, on the belief that the prediction was actually a curse, burned him in effigy. Only due to the now widowed queen, Caterina de Medici, did he manage to avoid execution.
Secluded in shadow
Being on the brink of civil war, France represented an ideal environment for the dark and cryptic prophecies of Nostradamus, published in 1555 – the first 100 out of the almost 2000 which he will release until 1557.
These Belts were immediately successful and so represented the grounds for the author’s acceptance in Court.
Recognizing that he intentionally went for a “cryptic way of expression”, Nostradamus wrote in an obscure language, originating from his contemporary French, but full of Italian, Greek, Hebrew and Latin phrases and words.
Each prediction was made of four verses, a quatrain, but none resembled a poem. The visionary claimed this style defended him from the punishment of the powerful, who weren’t exactly delighted by his words.
Some of the more skeptical observants agree on the fact that the vague style is consciously adopted so as to develop open for interpretation pieces of writing. As a result, there probably are almost 400 different interpretations of the Belts, each of them trying to reveal the secrets of the prophecies dating to 3797.
Nostradamus becomes a royal councilor
On the grounds of the internal disturbances, many people in France, like queen Ekaterina, didn’t feel the need to have history confirm the words of the medic. His prediction regarding the death of her husband was sufficient.
Without any shadow of doubt, she stands behind his promotion as leading medic of her son, Carol IX.
According to a well-known tale, Nostradamus once called for an angel, named Anael, and asked him to use a magic mirror and reveal to him the fate of the queen’s children. The mirror had showed the three sons as rulers, but only temporary, while her disgraced son in law, Henric de Navarra, was bound to rule for 23 years. Scared, the queen demanded the finalization of that unpleasant show.
Actually, Nostradamus probably visited her in Court only to create the horoscope for her and the children. It’s highly likely that Nostradamus was capable enough to envelop his unpleasant visions in ambiguous phrases, given the fact that monarchs – no matter how kind initially presented themselves to clairvoyants – were renowned for punishing the messengers because of their message.
Predicting a bloody century
For many interprets of Nostradamus’ Belts, the text is full of prophecies regarding extremely violent contemporary events – from the rising of Hitler to power, to the assassination of both John F. Kennedy and his little brother, Robert.
In Germany people strongly believed in the sayings regarding the Third Reich. Actually, both in England and in Germany, they falsified a series of quatrains, thus making them more favorable to their cause, and threw them from an airplane as means propaganda.
On the other hand, one of his authentic quatrains was considered by many to be the foreteller of the war: “A live fire and death hidden in globes will be horribly unleashed. By nightfall, the enemy forces will obliterate the entire city.”
The interest manifested towards the renaissance prophet was reborn following the dramatic events in Iran, when the Shah was banished by the followers of the ayatollah Khomeini, who had been previously exiled in France.
According to a translation, Nostradamus wrote: “Rain, famish, and war will not cease in Persia. A belief too strong will betray the monarch. What began in France will finish there, a secret sign will be put away.
“An accurate prediction or an altered interpretation? Could it provide credibility to another prophecy meant to come true in the future, one of the few with a precise date?”
He announced his own death
One of the biggest poets of France, Pierre de Ronsard, wrote about his contemporary: “Like an antique oracle, for many years he predicted a large part of our destiny.” Obviously, the prophet dwelled in the respect of the royal family and an increasing fame, up until his death, in 1566.
Inevitable, many remained extremely skeptical regarding his work, or worse, they thought he was a simple intelligent con man who took advantage of the credulous.
Per some researchers, Nostradamus even predicted his own death: “Beside the bench and bed I will be found dead.” After which, one evening he announced he will not survive the following night, he died because of his gout and was found cold the next morning in the bedroom, beside his working table.
SF Writers Predict the Future – with Mixed Accuracy
And let’s look at the predictions made by SF writers over the years. Open Culture recently collected a number of such predictions.
Science fiction, they say, doesn’t really deal with the future; it uses the setting of the future as a way to deal with the present. That would explain all the standard preposterous tropes you regularly see in the genre’s less gracefully aging novels and films: jetpacks, flying cars, holo-phones, that sort of thing. So when you look into sci-fi’s back pages and do come across the occasional accurate or even semi-accurate prediction of the future — that is, an accurate prediction of our present — it really jumps out at you. Many such predictions have jumped out at readers from the pages of Jules Verne’s lost second novel, Paris in the Twentieth Century.
Originally written in 1863 but not published until found at the bottom of a vault in 1994, the book’s scorecard of seemingly bang-on elements of the then-future include the explosion of suburban living and shopping and large-scale higher education; career women; synthesizer-driven electronic music and a recording industry to sell it; ever more advanced forms of ever cruder entertainment; cities of elevator-equipped, automatically surveilled skyscrapers electrically illuminated all night long; gas-powered cars, the roads they drive on, and the stations where they fill up; subways, magnetically-propelled trains, and other forms of rapid transit; fax machines as well as a very basic internet-like communication system; the electric chair; and weapons of war too dangerous to use.
You may sense that the young Verne did not see the future, which takes its form in the novel of Paris in 1960, as a utopia. In fact, he went a little too far in using the setting and its story of an artistic soul adrift in a culturally dead, progress-worshiping technocracy to express his own anxieties about the 19th century and its rise of conglomeration, automation, and mechanization — or so thought his publisher, who believed the book’s bleak predictions, even if accurate, would fail to win over the common reader. “My dear Verne,” he wrote in his rejection letter to the author, “even if you were a prophet, no one today would believe this prophecy… they simply would not be interested in it.”
But over 150 years later, the predictions of Paris in the Twentieth Century do interest us, or at least those of us who wonder whether we’ve handed too much of our humanity over to the realms of technology, finance, and entertainment. Even if Richard Bernstein, reviewing the novel in The New York Times when it finally saw publication, found its satire “weak, innocent and adolescent in light of what actually happened in the 20th century,” it has given us more than ever to talk about today. To get in on the conversation, have a listen to the episode of the Futility Closet podcast on the book just above. Do you think Verne accurately foresaw our current condition — or does his dystopia still lie in wait?
Most people know that Mark Twain wrote about Jim and Huckleberry Finn navigating down the Mississippi. Less well known is that he occasionally dabbled in the burgeoning genre of science fiction. His 1898 short story “The Great Dark” is about a ship that sails across a drop of water on a microscope slide. His novel Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is one of the first to explore time travel. And, in a short story called “From The ‘London Times’ in 1904,” Twain predicted the internet. In 1898. Read it here.
Set five years into the future, the story starts off as a crime mystery. Clayton, a quick-tempered army officer, is accused of murdering Szczepanik, the inventor of a new and promising device called the Telelectroscope. The tale’s unnamed narrator describes it like this:
As soon as the Paris contract released the telelectroscope, it was delivered to public use, and was soon connected with the telephonic systems of the whole world. The improved ‘limitless-distance’ telephone was presently introduced and the daily doings of the globe made visible to everybody, and audibly discussable too, by witnesses separated by any number of leagues.
That sounds a lot like social media. Mark Twain dreamed up Twitter and Youtube during the Grover Cleveland administration.
Facing the hangman’s noose, Clayton asks for, and receives, a telelectroscope for his cell. As the narrator describes Clayton’s telelectroscopic revelry, it sounds uncannily like a bored cubicle dweller surfing the web at work.
…day by day, and night by night, he called up one corner of the globe after another, and looked upon its life, and studied its strange sights, and spoke with its people, and realized that by grace of this marvelous instrument he was almost as free as the birds of the air, although a prisoner under locks and bars. He seldom spoke, and I never interrupted him when he was absorbed in this amusement. I sat in his parlor and read, and smoked, and the nights were very quiet and reposefully sociable, and I found them pleasant. Now and then I would hear him say ‘Give me Yedo;’ next, ‘Give me Hong-Kong;’ next, ‘Give me Melbourne.’ And I smoked on, and read in comfort, while he wandered about the remote underworld, where the sun was shining in the sky, and the people were at their daily work.
The story itself is an admittedly minor work by the master of American fiction. In its last third, the story abruptly turns into a surprisingly sour satire about the sad state of our legal system. As Clayton is getting marched to the gallows, the narrator spots the guy Clayton supposedly murdered on the telelectroscope screen, standing in a crowd for the coronation of the new “Czar” of China. Even though no crime took place, Clayton is still sentenced to hang.
“From The ‘London Times’ in 1904” contains two long-running themes in Twain’s work and life. One is the absurdity of the courts – see, for example “The Facts in the Great Landslide Case.”
And the other is a fascination with technology. In spite of his folksy image, he was, as they say now, an early adopter. He was the first in his neighborhood to get a telephone. He may or may not have been the first major author to use a typewriter to write a novel. He lost his shirt investing in a Victorian-era start up hawking an exceedingly complex printing press called the Paige Compositor. And he allowed himself to be filmed by Thomas Edison in 1909, a year before his death.
One wonders what he would have thought of his telelectroscope in action.
Note: The character Szczepanik mentioned above was clearly named after a Polish inventor, Jan Szczepanik, who talked about creating a “telectroscope,” in the late 19th century. However, if you read a report in The New York Times in 1898, it becomes apparent that Szczepanik’s “telectroscope” wasn’t as visionary as what Twain had in mind.
I’ve been thinking lately about how and why utopian fiction shades into dystopian. Though we sometimes imagine the two modes as inversions of each other, perhaps they lie instead on a continuum, one along which all societies slide, from functional to dysfunctional. The central problem seems to be this: Utopian thought relies on putting the complications of human behavior on the shelf to make a maximally efficient social order—or of finding some convenient way to dispense with those complications. But it is precisely with this latter move that the trouble begins. How to make the mass of people compliant and pacific? Mass media and consumerism? Forced collectivization? Drugs?
Readers of dystopian fiction will recognize these as some of the design flaws in Aldous Huxley’s utopian/dystopian society of Brave New World, a novel that asks us to wrestle with the philosophical problem of whether we can create a fully functional society without robbing people of their agency and independence. Doesn’t every utopia, after all, imagine a world of strict hierarchies and controls? The original—Thomas More’s Utopia—gave us a patriarchal slave society (as did Plato’s Republic). Huxley’s Brave New Worldsimilarly situates humanity in a caste system, subordinated to technology and subdued with medication.
While Huxley’s utopia has eradicated the nuclear family and natural human reproduction—thus solving a population crisis—it is still a society ruled by the ideas of founding fathers: Henry Ford, H.G. Wells, Freud, Pavlov, Shakespeare, Thomas Robert Malthus. If you wanted to know, in the early 20th century, what the future would be like, you’d typically ask a famous man of ideas. Redbook magazine did just that in 1950, writes Matt Novak at Paleofuture; they “asked four experts—curiously all men, given that Redbook was and is a magazine aimed at women—about what the world may look like fifty years hence.”
One of those men was Huxley, and in his answers, he draws on at least two of Brave New World’s intellectual founders, Ford and Malthus, in predictions about population growth and the nature of work. In addition to the ever-present threats of war, Huxley first turns to the Malthusian problems of overpopulation and scarce resources.
During the next fifty years mankind will face three great problems: the problem of avoiding war; the problem of feeding and clothing a population of two and a quarter billions which, by 2000 A.D., will have grown to upward of three billions, and the problem of supplying these billions without ruining the planet’s irreplaceable resources.
As Novak points out, Huxley’s estimation is “less than half of the 6.1 billion that would prove to be a reality by 2000.” In order to address the problem of feeding, housing, and clothing all of those people, Huxley must make an “unhappily… large assumption—that the nations can agree to live in peace. In this event mankind will be free to devote all its energy and skill to the solution of its other major problems.”
“Huxley’s predictions for food production in the year 2000,” writes Novak, “are largely a call for the conservation of resources. He correctly points out that meat production can be far less efficient than using agricultural lands for crops.” Huxley recommends sustainable farming methods and the development of “new types of synthetic building materials and new sources for paper” in order to curb the destruction of the world’s forests. What he doesn’t account for is the degree to which the overwhelming greed of a powerful few would drive the exploitation of finite resources and hold back efforts at sustainable design, agriculture, and energy—a situation that some might consider an act of war.
But Huxley’s utopian predictions depend upon putting aside these complications. Like many mid-century futurists, he imagined a world of increased leisure and greater human fulfillment, but he “sees that potential for better working conditions and increased standards of living as obtainable only through a sustained peace.” When it comes to work, Huxley’s forecasts are partly Fordist: Advances in technology are one thing, but “work is work,” he writes, “and what matters to the worker is neither the product nor the technical process, but the pay, the hours, the attitude of the boss, the physical environment.”
To most office and factory workers in 2000 the application of nuclear fission to industry will mean very little. What they will care about is what their fathers and mothers care about today—improvement in the conditions of labor. Given peace, it should be possible, within the next fifty years, to improve working conditions very considerably. Better equipped, workers will produce more and therefore earn more.
Unfortunately, Novak points out, “perhaps Huxley’s most inaccurate prediction is his assumption that an increase in productivity will mean an increase in wages for the average worker.” Despite rising profits and efficiency, this has proven untrue. In a Freudian turn, Huxley also predicts the decentralization of industry into “small country communities, where life is cheaper, pleasanter and more genuinely human than in those breeding-grounds of mass neurosis…. Decentralization may help to check that march toward the asylum, which is a threat to our civilization hardly less grave than that of erosion and A-bomb.”
While technological improvements in materials may not fundamentally change the concerns of workers, improvements in robotics and computerization may abolish many of their jobs, leaving increasing numbers of people without any means of subsistence. So we’re told again and again. But this was not yet the pressing concern in 2000 that it is for futurists just a few years later. Perhaps one of Huxley’s most prescient statements takes head-on the issue facing our current society—an aging population in which “there will be more elderly people in the world than at any previous time. In many countries the citizens of sixty-five and over will outnumber the boys and girls of fifteen and under.”
Pensions and a pointless leisure offer no solution to the problems of an aging population. In 2000 the younger readers of this article, who will then be in their seventies, will probably be inhabiting a world in which the old are provided with opportunities for using their experience and remaining strength in ways satisfactory to themselves, and valuable to the community.
Given the decrease in wages, rising inequality, and loss of home values and retirement plans, more and more of the people Huxley imagined are instead working well into their seventies. But while Huxley failed to foresee the profoundly destructive force of unchecked greed—and had to assume a perhaps unobtainable world peace—he did accurately identify many of the most pressing problems of the 21st century. Eight years after the Redbook essay, Huxley was called on again to predict the future in a television interview with Mike Wallace. You can watch it in full at the top of the post.
Wallace begins in a McCarthyite vein, asking Huxley to name “the enemies of freedom in the United States.” Huxley instead discusses “impersonal forces,” returning to the problem of overpopulation and other concerns he addressed in Brave New World, such as the threat of an overly bureaucratic, technocratic society too heavily dependent on technology. Four years after this interview, Huxley published his final book, the philosophical novel Island, in which, writes Velma Lush, the evils he had warned us about, “over-population, coercive politics, militarism, mechanization, the destruction of the environment and the worship of science will find their opposites in the gentle and doomed Utopia of Pala.”
The utopia of Island—Huxley’s wife Laura told Alan Watts—is “possible and actual… Island is really visionary common sense.” But it is also a society, Huxley tragically recognized, made fragile by its unwillingness to control human behavior and prepare for war.
“If by some miracle some prophet could describe the future exactly as it was going to take place, his predictions would sound so absurd, so far-fetched that everyone would laugh him to scorn.”
That was Sir Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction author best known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, describing the inherent folly of predicting the future in a 1964 BBC documentary. Of course, he then goes on to do exactly that – with remarkable, unnerving accuracy. Part one of the documentary is above. Part two is below.
The piece opens with a generic narration that describes a diorama of future society at the GM pavilion at the 1964 World Fair. Perhaps because it was a more innocent time or maybe because it was sponsored by an automaker, this vision of the future is touchingly oblivious to anything related to climate change. Machines with laser guns will clear jungles in hours flat and people will live in domed communities on the ice caps. (Ice caps in the future. Hilarious.)
Then the reedy, bespectacled author appears and starts to describe how he thinks the world in fifty years (i.e. 2014) will look. And this is where the movie starts to feel uncanny. He talks about how the advancement of transistors and satellites will radically alter our understanding of physical space.
These things will make possible a world in which we can be in instant contact wherever we may be. Where we can contact our friends anywhere on earth, even if we don’t know their actual physical location. It will be possible in that age, possibly 50 years from now, for a man to conduct his business from Tahiti or Bali just as well as he could from London.
For the record, I’m writing this post in a coffee shop in Los Angeles, hundreds of miles from the massive Open Culture headquarters in Palo Alto, but I could just as easily be writing this on a beach in Sri Lanka or a hotel room in Dubrovnik. Clarke sounds here less like some pie-in-the-sky futurist than an aspirational lifestyle guru like Tim Ferris.
Clarke then describes how medicine might change. “One day, we might have brain surgeons in Edinburgh operating on patients in New Zealand.” The long-distance virtual surgery first was pioneered back in 2001 and it continues to improve as internet speeds increase.
And he predicts that at some point science will invent a “replicating device” that would create an exact copy of anything. That sounds an awful lot like a 3D printer. Clarke warns that this invention might cause massive societal disruption. “Confronted by such a device, our present society would probably sink into a kind of gluttonous barbarism. Since everyone would want unlimited quantities of everything.” In other words, 3D printers might turn the world into Black Friday at Walmart.
Some of his other ideas are just weird. Clarke proposes to tame and train armies of chimpanzees to cook, clean and do society’s grunt work. “We can certainly solve our servant problem with the help of the monkey kingdom. “ Planet of the Apes wouldn’t come out for another four years so Clarke could be forgiven for not realizing that that is one terrible idea. On the other hand, it’s hard to see how hiring monkeys could possibly make the customer service at Time Warner Cable any worse than it already is.
Two giants of 20th century science fiction: Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov (see them together above, with L. Sprague de Camp in-between). Like every young sci-fi geek, I read them both assiduously, got lost in their dizzying universes that stretched across novels and significant teenage milestones. Even as an awkward kid, I could clearly identify an essential difference in tone between their forecasts of the future. Heinlein, the Navy man forcibly retired from service by tuberculosis, had the darker vision, in which the brute force of mass militarism continued to thrive and heroic men of action carried the day. Asimov, the practicing scientist—whose “Norby” series of kids books might be the cutest introduction to sci-fi ever written by an American—favored a future that, if still quite dangerous, was managed by robots and their creators, the technocrats.
As we can plainly see, we are no less a bellicose species than when these two authors wrote of the future, but Asimov seems to have had it right. The technocrats came out on top; too many battles are fought not by massed battalions but by deadly flying robots making (so we’re told) “surgical” strikes. A few weeks ago, we brought you a series of technocratic predictions of the year 2014 from Asimov, many of them surprisingly accurate. Today, we have a list of predictions from Heinlein, this time of the year 2000, and written in 1949 and published in 1952 in Galaxymagazine. How does his predictive ability stack up against his contemporary? Well, I’d say that 2 (stripped of some exaggeration), 8, and 11 either hit the mark or come pretty damn close. 19 is self-evidently true, and 15 is arguably not terribly far away, though it may not have seemed so in 2000. 4 is painfully ironic. The rest? Eh, not so much. Take a look and try to imagine yourself in Heinlein’s shoes in 1949. Not an easy task? Try to imagine what the world will look like in 2063. Which version of IOS will you be running then?
Interplanetary travel is waiting at your front door — C.O.D. It’s yours when you pay for it.
Contraception and control of disease is revising relations between the sexes to an extent that will change our entire social and economic structure.
The most important military fact of this century is that there is no way to repel an attack from outer space.
It is utterly impossible that the United States will start a “preventive war.” We will fight when attacked, either directly or in a territory we have guaranteed to defend.
In fifteen years the housing shortage will be solved by a “breakthrough” into new technologies which will make every house now standing as obsolete as privies.
We’ll all be getting a little hungry by and by.
The cult of the phony in art will disappear. So-called “modern art” will be discussed only by psychiatrists.
Freud will be classed as a pre-scientific, intuitive pioneer and psychoanalysis will be replaced by a growing, changing “operational psychology” based on measurement and prediction.
Cancer, the common cold, and tooth decay will all be conquered; the revolutionary new problem in medical research will be to accomplish “regeneration,” i.e., to enable a man to grow a new leg, rather than fit him with an artificial limb.
By the end of this century mankind will have explored this solar system, and the first ship intended to reach the nearest star will be a-building.
Your personal telephone will be small enough to carry in your handbag. Your house telephone will record messages, answer simple inquiries, and transmit vision.
Intelligent life will be found on Mars.
A thousand miles an hour at a cent a mile will be commonplace; short hauls will be made in evacuated subways at extreme speed.
A major objective of applied physics will be to control gravity.
We will not achieve a “World State” in the predictable future. Nevertheless, Communism will vanish from this planet.
Increasing mobility will disenfranchise a majority of the population. About 1990 a constitutional amendment will do away with state lines while retaining the semblance.
All aircraft will be controlled by a giant radar net run on a continent-wide basis by a multiple electronic “brain.”
Fish and yeast will become our principal sources of proteins. Beef will be a luxury; lamb and mutton will disappear.
Mankind will not destroy itself, nor will “Civilization” be destroyed.
Here are things we won’t get soon, if ever:
— Travel through time
— Travel faster than the speed of light
— “Radio” transmission of matter.
— Manlike robots with manlike reactions
— Laboratory creation of life
— Real understanding of what “thought” is and how it is related to matter.
— Scientific proof of personal survival after death.
— Nor a permanent end to war.
Curiously, neither Heinlein nor Asimov foresaw that most terribly banal and ubiquitous phenomenon of reality TV, but really, what kind of monster could have imagined such a thing?
In 1967, executives at CBS television made a bold move and changed the network’s long-running documentary series, The 20th Century, from a program looking back at the past to one looking ahead to the future. The 21st Century, as it was renamed, was hosted by Walter Cronkite and ran for three seasons. In one of the early episodes, “At Home, 2001,” which aired on March 12, 1967, Cronkite cites a government report predicting that by the year 2000, technology will have lowered the average American work week to 30 hours, with a one-month vacation. What will people do with all that free time? In the scene above, Cronkite makes a fairly accurate prediction of today’s state-of-the-art home entertainment systems. Although the knobs and dials look a bit archaic, the basic principle is there. But whatever happened to that 30-hour work week?
Home office, 2001:
“Now this is where a man might spend most of his time in the 21st century,” says Cronkite as he walks into the home office of the future, above. “This equipment will allow him to carry on normal business activities without ever going to an office away from home.” In envisioning the office of the future as a masculine domain, Cronkite makes the same mistake as Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke of imagining technological change without social change. (Remember the moon shuttle stewardess in 2001: A Space Odyssey?) But he otherwise offers a fairly prescient vision of some of the home computing, Internet and telecommunications advances that have indeed come to pass.
Kitchen, 2001:
Cronkite’s powers of prediction fail him when he reaches the Rube Goldbergian “kitchen of 2001,” which mistakes gratuitous automation for convenience. As one YouTube commentator said of the clip above, the only thing that resembles the kitchen of today is the microwave oven–and microwaves already existed in 1967.
But “At Home, 2001,” is much more thought-provoking than a few “gee whiz” predictions about the gadgets of the future. Cronkite interviews the architect Philip Johnson and other leading designers of his day for a deeper discussion about the tension that exists between our deep-seated, basically agrarian expectations for a home and the realities of urban congestion and suburban sprawl. You can watch the complete 25-minute program at A/V Geeks. And to read more about it, see Matt Novak’s piece at PaleoFuture. “Can we find a compromise between our increasingly urban way of living and the pride and privacy of the individual home?” asks Cronkite at the end of the program. “It will take decisions that go beyond technology, decisions about the quality of the life we want to lead, to answer the question ‘How will we live in the 21st century?’”
The gender stereotypes might be backward-looking (we’ll make up for it later in the day), but the technological vision is on the mark, right down to email, e-commerce and online banking. Of course, these weren’t the only people imagining an electronic, connected world during the 1960s.
In 1964, the futurist Arthur C. Clarke peered into the future and saw our connectedness coming. By 2000, he predicted, “We could be in instant contact with each other, wherever we may be,” and “it will be possible in that age … for a man to conduct his business from Tahiti or Bali just as well as he could from London.”
And then Marshall McLuhan understood the trend too. He saw electronic media turning our world into a social one, a world where services like Facebook and Twitter would make complete sense. You can watch the prescient Marshall McLuhan right here. H/T Sasa
Say you were a fan of Steven Spielberg’s moving coming-of-age drama Empire of the Sun, set in a Japanese internment camp during World War II and starring a young Christian Bale. Say you read the autobiographical novel on which that film is based, written by one J.G. Ballard. Say you enjoyed it so much, you decided to read more of the author’s work, like, say, 1973’s Crash, a novel about people who develop a sexual fetish around wounds sustained in staged automobile accidents. Or you pick up its predecessor, The Atrocity Exhibition, a book William S. Burroughs described as stirring “sexual depths untouched by the hardest-core illustrated porn.” Or perhaps you stumble upon Concrete Island, a warped take on Defoe that strands a wealthy architect and his Jaguar on a highway intersection.
You may experience some dissonance. Who was this Ballard? A realist chronicler of 20th century horrors; perverse explorer of—in Burroughs’ words—“the nonsexual roots of sexuality”; sci-fi satirist of the bleak post-industrial wastelands of modernity? He was all of these, and more. Ballard was a brilliant futurist and his dystopian novels and short stories anticipated the 80s cyberpunk of William Gibson, exploring with a twisted sense of humor what Jean Lyotard famously dubbed in 1979 The Postmodern Condition: a state of ideological, scientific, personal, and social disintegration under the reign of a technocratic, hypercapitalist, “computerized society.” Ballard had his own term for it: “media landscape,” and his dark visions of the future often correspond to the virtual world we inhabit today.
In addition to his fictional creations, Ballard made several disturbingly accurate predictions in interviews he gave over the decades (collected in a book titled Extreme Metaphors). In 1987—with the film adaptation of Empire of the Sun just on the horizon and “his most extreme work Crash re-released in the USA to warmer reaction,” he gave an interview to I-D magazine in which he predicted the internet as “invisible streams of data pulsing down lines to produce an invisible loom of world commerce and information.” This may not seem especially prescient (see, for example, E.M. Forster’s 1909 “The Machine Stops” for a chilling futuristic scenario much further ahead of its time). But Ballard went on to describe in detail the rise of the Youtube celebrity:
Every home will be transformed into its own TV studio. We’ll all be simultaneously actor, director and screenwriter in our own soap opera. People will start screening themselves. They will become their own TV programmes.
The themes of celebrity obsession and technologically constructed realities resonate in almost all of Ballard’s work and thought, and ten years earlier, in an essay for Vogue, he described in detail the spread of social media and its totalizing effects on our lives. In the technological future, he wrote, “each of us will be both star and supporting player.”
Every one of our actions during the day, across the entire spectrum of domestic life, will be instantly recorded on video-tape. In the evening we will sit back to scan the rushes, selected by a computer trained to pick out only our best profiles, our wittiest dialogue, our most affecting expressions filmed through the kindest filters, and then stitch these together into a heightened re-enactment of the day. Regardless of our place in the family pecking order, each of us within the privacy of our own rooms will be the star in a continually unfolding domestic saga, with parents, husbands, wives and children demoted to an appropriate supporting role.
Though Ballard thought in terms of film and television—and though we ourselves play the role of the selecting computer in his scenario—this description almost perfectly captures the behavior of the average user of Facebook, Instagram, etc. (See Ballard in the interview clip above discuss further “the possibilities of genuinely interactive virtual reality” and his theory of the 50s as the “blueprint” of modern technological culture and the “suburbanization” of reality.) In addition to the Vogueessay, Ballard wrote a 1977 short story called “The Intensive Care Unit,” in which—writes the site Ballardian—“ordinances are in place to prevent people from meeting in person. All interaction is mediated through personal cameras and TV screens.”
So what did Ballard, who died in 2009, think of the post-internet world he lived to see and experience? He discussed the subject in 2003 in an interview with radical publisher V. Vale (who re-issued The Atrocity Exhibition). “Now everybody can document themselves in a way that was inconceivable 30, 40, 50 years ago,” Ballard notes, “I think this reflects a tremendous hunger among people for ‘reality’—for ordinary reality. It’s very difficult to find the ‘real,’ because the environment is totally manufactured.” Like Jean Baudrillard, another prescient theorist of postmodernity, Ballard saw this loss of the “real” coming many decades ago. As he told I-D in 1987, “in the media landscape it’s almost impossible to separate fact from fiction.”
Revolution was in the air and the future seemed bright. That year, Stanley Kubrickreleased his masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey– a big-budget, experimental rumination on the evolution of mankind. The film was a huge box office hit when it came out; its mind-bending metaphysics resonated with the culture’s newfound interest in chemically altered states and in spirituality.
In the September issue from that year, Playboy magazine published a lengthy interview with Kubrick. Even at a time when public figures were supposed to sound like intellectuals (boy, times have changed), Kubrick comes across as insanely well read. During the course of the interview, he quotes from the likes of media critic Marshall McLuhan, Winston Churchill, and 19th Century poet Matthew Arnold along with a handful of prominent academics.
Kubrick is characteristically cagey about offering any explanations of his enigmatic movie but he does readily expound on philosophical questions about God, the meaning of life (or lack thereof) and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. But perhaps the most interesting part of the 17-page interview is his vision of what 2001 might look like. It’s fascinating to see what he got right, what might be right a bit further into the future, and what’s completely wrong. Check them out below:
“Within ten years, in fact, I believe that freezing of the dead will be a major industry in the United States and throughout the world; I would recommend it as a field of investment for imaginative speculators.”
“Perhaps the greatest breakthrough we may have made by 2001 is the possibility that man may be able to eliminate old age.”
“I’m sure we’ll have sophisticated 3-D holographic television and films, and it’s possible that completely new forms of entertainment and education will be devised.”
“You might have a machine that taps the brain and ushers you into a vivid dream experience in which you are the protagonist in a romance or an adventure. On a more serious level, a similar machine could directly program you with knowledge: in this way, you might, for example, easily be able to learn fluent German in 20 minutes.”
“I believe by 2001 we will have devised chemicals with no adverse physical, mental or genetic results that can give wings to the mind and enlarge perception beyond its present evolutionary capacities…there should be fascinating drugs available by 2001; what use we make of them will be the crucial question.”
“The so-called sexual revolution, mid-wifed by the pill, will be extended. Through drugs, or perhaps via the sharpening or even mechanical amplification of latent ESP functions, it may be possible for each partner to simultaneously experience the sensations of the other; or we may eventually emerge into polymorphous sexual beings, with male and female components blurring, merging and interchanging. The potentialities for exploring new areas of sexual experience are virtually boundless.”
“Looking into the distant future, I suppose it’s not inconceivable that a semisentient robot-computer subculture could evolve that might one day decide it no longer needed man.”
For such a famously pessimistic filmmaker, Kubrick’s vision of the future is remarkably groovy – lots of sex, drugs and holographic television. He wasn’t, of course, the only one out there who thought about the future.
“What’s the one thing that all great works of science fiction have in common?” asks a 1997 episode of The Net, the BBC’s television series about the possibilities of this much-talked-about new thing called the internet. “They all tried to see into the future, and they all got it wrong. Orwell’s 1984, Huxley’s Brave New World, Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: all, to some extent or other, wrong. And there’s another name to add to this list: William Gibson.” But then on strolls Gibson himself, fresh off the writing of Idoru, a novel involving a human who wants to marry a digitally generated Japanese pop star, to grant the interview above.
In it Gibson admits that computers hadn’t gone quite the way he’d imagined thirteen years earlier in his debut novel Neuromancer — but in which he also offers prescient advice about how we should regard new technology even today. “The thing that Neuromancer predicts as being actually like the internet isn’t actually like the internet at all!” Gibson says in a more recent interview with Wired. “I didn’t get it right but I said there was going to be something.” Back in the mid-1980s, as he tells the BBC, “there was effectively no internet to extrapolate from. The cyberspace I made up isn’t being used in Neuromancer the way we’re using the internet today.”
Gibson had envisioned a corporate-dominated network infested with “cybernetic car thieves skulking through it attempting to steal tidbits of information.” By the mid-1990s, though, the internet had become a place where “a really talented and determined fifteen-year-old” could create something more compelling than “a multinational entertainment conglomerate might come up with.” He tells the BBC that “what the internet has become is as much a surprise to me as the collapse of the Soviet Union was,” but at that point he had begun to perceive the shape of things to come. “I can’t see why it won’t become completely ubiquitous,” he says, envisioning its evolution “into something like television to the extent that it penetrates every level of society.”
At the same time, “it doesn’t matter how fast your modem is if you’re being shelled by ethnic separatists” — still very much a concern in certain parts of the world — and even the most promising technologies don’t merit our uncritical embrace. “I think we should respect the power of technology and try to fear it in a rational way,” he says. “The only appropriate response” is to give in to neither technophobia nor technophilia, but “to teach ourselves to be absolutely ambivalent about them and imagine their most inadvertent side effects,” the side effects “that tend to get us” — not to mention the ones that make the best plot elements. Seeing as how we now live in a world where marriage to synthetic Japanese idols has become a possibility, among other developments seemingly pulled from the pages of Gibson’s novels, we would do well to heed even these decades-old words of advice about his main subject.
Philip K. Dick died in 1982, but readers — more readers than ever, in all probability — still thrill to his daring, unconventional imagination, and how tightly he could weave the inventions of that imagination into mundane reality. (Sometimes they wonder, as in his meeting with God, to what extent he himself could tell the two apart.) And like many strong-visioned writers of what roughly fell into the category of science fiction, Dick got consulted now and again as something of a futurist.
In 1980, David Wallechinsky, Amy Wallace, and Irving Wallace (the Book of Lists people) rounded up visions of the future from all manner of sages past and present, prescient and incompetent, in order to create The Book of Predictions. Dick’s contributions, republished in the September 2003 issue of fanzine PKD Otaku, go like this.
1983: The Soviet Union will develop an operational particle-beam accelerator, making missile attack against that country impossible. At the same time the U.S.S.R. will deploy this weapon as a satellite killer. The U.S. will turn, then, to nerve gas.
1984:The U.S. will perfect a system by which hydrogen, stored in metal hydrides, will serve as a fuel source, eliminating a need for oil.
1985:By or before this date there will be a titanic nuclear accident either in the U.S.S.R. or in the U.S., resulting in shutting down all nuclear power plants.
1986:Such satellites as HEAO-2 will uncover vast, unsuspected high energy phenomenon in the universe, indicating that there is sufficient mass to collapse the universe back when it has reached its expansion limit.
1989:The U.S. and the Soviet Union will agree to set up one vast metacomputer as a central source for information available to the entire world; this will be essential due to the huge amount of information coming into existence.
1993:An artificial life form will be created in a lab, probably in the U.S.S.R., thus reducing our interest in locating life forms on other planets.
1995:Computer use by ordinary citizens (already available in 1980) will transform the public from passive viewers of TV into mentally alert, highly trained, information-processing experts.
1997:The first closed-dome colonies will be successfully established on Luna and Mars. Through DNA modification, quasi-mutant humans will be created who can survive under non-Terran conditions, i.e., alien environments.
1998:The Soviet Union will test a propulsion drive that moves a starship at the velocity of light; a pilot ship will set out for Proxima Centaurus, soon to be followed by an American ship.
2000:An alien virus, brought back by an interplanetary ship, will decimate the population of Earth, but leave the colonies on Luna and Mars intact.
2012:Using tachyons (particles that move backward in time) as a carrier, the Soviet Union will attempt to alter the past with scientific information.
Cherry-pickers among us will fixate on Dick’s near-hits: the development of DNA modification, a 1985 nuclear accident in the U.S.S.R. (Chernobyl happened in 1986), and computer use by ordinary citizens (though our status as “mentally alert, highly trained, information-processing experts” admittedly remains questionable). Others might prefer to highlight the most improbable, such as the eliminated need for oil, the creation of artificial life, and not just the 21st-century existence but eventual time-traveling capabilities of the Soviet Union.
Still, even in his fiction, Dick does have his moments of prophecy, especially for those who share his paranoia that we’ve unwittingly let ourselves slip into surveillance-state conditions. But I’ve always found him best, especially in the what-if-Japan-won-the-war story The Man in the High Castle, as a teller of alternate histories, whether of the past, present, or future. These predictions, stretching from just after the writer’s death to just before our time, strike me as nothing so much as the premises for the best novel Philip K. Dick never wrote.
Isaac Asimov’s readers have long found something prophetic in his work, but where did Asimov himself look when he wanted to catch a glimpse of the future? In 1964 he found one at the New York World’s Fair, the vast exhibition dedicated to “Man’s Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe” that history now remembers as the most elaborate expression of the industrial and technological optimism of Space Age America. Despite the fanciful nature of some of the products on display, visitors first saw things there — computers, for instance — that would become essential in a matter of decades.
“What is to come, through the fair’s eyes at least, is wonderful,” Asimov writes in a piece on his experience at the fair for the New York Times. But it all makes him wonder: “What will life be like, say, in 2014 A.D., 50 years from now? What will the World’s Fair of 2014 be like?” His speculations begin with the notion that “men will continue to withdraw from nature in order to create an environment that will suit them better,” which they certainly have, though not so much through the use of “electroluminescent panels” that will make “ceilings and walls will glow softly, and in a variety of colors that will change at the touch of a push button.” Still, all the other screens near-constantly in use seem to provide all the glow we need for the moment.
“Gadgetry will continue to relieve mankind of tedious jobs,” Asimov predicts, and so it has, though our kitchens have yet to evolve to the point of preparing “‘automeals,’ heating water and converting it to coffee; toasting bread; frying, poaching or scrambling eggs, grilling bacon, and so on.” He hits closer to the mark when declaring that “robots will neither be common nor very good in 2014, but they will be in existence.” He notes that IBM’s exhibit at the World’s Fair had nothing about robots to show, but plenty about computers, “which are shown in all their amazing complexity, notably in the task of translating Russian into English. If machines are that smart today, what may not be in the works 50 years hence? It will be such computers, much miniaturized, that will serve as the ‘brains’ of robots.”
“The appliances of 2014 will have no electric cords,” Asimov writes, and in the case of our all-important mobile phones, that has turned out to be at least half-true. But we still lack the “long-lived batteries running on radioisotopes” produced by “fission-power plants which, by 2014, will be supplying well over half the power needs of humanity.” The real decade of the 2010s turned out to be more attached to the old ways, not least by cords and cables, than Asimov imagined. Even the United States of America hasn’t quite mastered the art of designing highways so that “long buses move on special central lanes” along them, let alone forms of ground travel that “take to the air a foot or two off the ground.”
But one advance in transportation Asimov describes will sound familiar to those of us living in the 2010s: “Much effort will be put into the designing of vehicles with ‘Robot-brains,’ vehicles that can be set for particular destinations and that will then proceed there without interference by the slow reflexes of a human driver.” Indeed, we hear about few reportedly imminent technologies these days as much as we hear about self-driving cars and their potential to get us where we’re going while we do other things, such as engage in communications that “will become sight-sound and you will see as well as hear the person you telephone,” on a screen used “not only to see the people you call but also for studying documents and photographs and reading passages from books.”
Conversations with the moon colonies, Asimov needlessly warns us, “will be a trifle uncomfortable” because of the 2.5-second delay. But immediately thereafter comes the much more realistic prediction that “as for television, wall screens will have replaced the ordinary set.” Still, “all is not rosy” in the world of 2014, whose population will have swelled to 6,500,000,000 — or 7,298,453,033, as it happened. This has many implications for development, housing, and even agriculture, though the “mock-turkey” and “pseudosteak” eaten today has more to do with lifestyle than necessity. (“It won’t be bad at all,” Asimov adds, “if you can dig up those premium prices.”)
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, “the world of A.D. 2014 will have few routine jobs that cannot be done better by some machine than by any human being. Mankind will therefore have become largely a race of machine tenders.” Asimov foresees the need for a change in education to accommodate that, one hinted at even in General Electric’s exhibit in 1964, which “consists of a school of the future in which such present realities as closed-circuit TV and programmed tapes aid the teaching process.” His envisioned high-school curriculum would have students master “the fundamentals of computer technology” and get them “trained to perfection in the use of the computer language.”
But even with all these developments, “mankind will suffer badly from the disease of boredom, a disease spreading more widely each year and growing in intensity.” The “serious mental, emotional and sociological consequences” of that will make psychiatry an important medical specialty, and “the lucky few who can be involved in creative work of any sort will be the true elite of mankind, for they alone will do more than serve a machine.” Though Asimov may have been surprised by what we’ve come up with in the quarter-century since his death, as well as what we haven’t come up with, he would surely have understood the sorts of anxieties that now beset us in the future-turned-present in which we live. But even given all the ways in which his predictions in 1964 have proven more or less correct, he did miss one big thing: there was no World’s Fair in 2014.
In 1980, scientist and writer Isaac Asimov argued in an essay that “there is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been.” That year, the Republican Party stood at the dawn of the Reagan Revolution, which initiated a decades-long conservative groundswell that many pundits say may finally come to an end in November. GOP strategist Steve Schmidt (who has been regretful about choosing Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate in 2008) recently pointed to what he called “intellectual rot” as a primary culprit, and a cult-like devotion to irrationality among a certain segment of the electorate.
It’s a familiar contention. There have been critiques of American anti-intellectualism since the country’s founding, though whether or not that phenomenon has intensified, as Susan Jacoby alleged inThe Age of American Unreason, may be a subject of debate. Not all of the unreason is partisan, as the anti-vaccination movement has shown. But “the strain of anti-intellectualism” writes Asimov, “has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’”
Asimov’s primary examples happen to come from the political world. However, he doesn’t name contemporary names but reaches back to take a swipe at Eisenhower (“who invented a version of the English language that was all his own”) and George Wallace. Particularly interesting is Asimov’s take on the “slogan on the part of the obscurantists: ‘Don’t trust the experts!’” This language, along with charges of “elitism,” Asimov wryly notes, is so often used by people who are themselves experts and elites, “feeling guilty about having gone to school.” So many of the American political class’s wounds are self-inflicted, he suggests, but that’s because they are beholden to a largely ignorant electorate:
To be sure, the average American can sign his name more or less legibly, and can make out the sports headlines—but how many nonelitist Americans can, without undue difficulty, read as many as a thousand consecutive words of small print, some of which may be trisyllabic?
Asimov’s examples are less than convincing: road signs “steadily being replaced by little pictures to make them internationally legible” has more to do with linguistic diversity than illiteracy, and accusing television commercials of speaking their messages out loud instead of using printed text on the screen seems to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of the medium. Jacoby in her book-length study of the problem looks at educational policy in the United States, and the resistance to national standards that virtually ensures widespread pockets of ignorance all over the country. Asimov’s very short, pithy essay has neither the space nor the inclination to conduct such analysis.
Instead he is concerned with attitudes. Not only are many Americans badly educated, he writes, but the broad ignorance of the population in matters of “science… mathematics… economics… foreign languages…” has as much to do with Americans’ unwillingness to read as their inability.
There are 200 million Americans who have inhabited schoolrooms at some time in their lives and who will admit that they know how to read… but most decent periodicals believe they are doing amazingly well if they have circulation of half a million. It may be that only 1 per cent—or less—of Americans make a stab at exercising their right to know. And if they try to do anything on that basis they are quite likely to be accused of being elitists.
One might in some respects charge Asimov himself of elitism when he concludes, “We can all be members of the intellectual elite.” Such a blithely optimistic statement ignores the ways in which economic elites actively manipulate education policy to suit their interests, cripple education funding, and oppose efforts at free or low cost higher education. Many efforts at spreading knowledge—like the Chatauquas of the early 20th century, the educational radio programs of the 40s and 50s, and the public television revolution of the 70s and 80s—have been ad hoc and nearly always imperiled by funding crises and the designs of profiteers.
Nonetheless, the widespread (though hardly universal) availability of free resources on the internet has made self-education a reality for many people, and certainly for most Americans. But perhaps not even Isaac Asimov could have foreseen the bitter polarization and disinformation campaigns that technology has also enabled. Needless to say, “A Cult of Ignorance” was not one of Asimov’s most popular pieces of writing. First published on January 21, 1980 in Newsweek, the short essay has never been reprinted in any of Asimov’s collections. You can read the essay as a PDF here.https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/WhctKJVRFzVKqkngRtWbJzqZxKpxVsbtcWmzMSWwmcFPFFbvtX
“If by some miracle some prophet could describe the future exactly as it was going to take place, his predictions would sound so absurd, so far-fetched that everyone would laugh him to scorn.”
That was Sir Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction author best known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, describing the inherent folly of predicting the future in a 1964 BBC documentary. Of course, he then goes on to do exactly that – with remarkable, unnerving accuracy. Part one of the documentary is above. Part two is below.
The piece opens with a generic narration that describes a diorama of future society at the GM pavilion at the 1964 World Fair. Perhaps because it was a more innocent time or maybe because it was sponsored by an automaker, this vision of the future is touchingly oblivious to anything related to climate change. Machines with laser guns will clear jungles in hours flat and people will live in domed communities on the ice caps. (Ice caps in the future. Hilarious.)
Then the reedy, bespectacled author appears and starts to describe how he thinks the world in fifty years (i.e. 2014) will look. And this is where the movie starts to feel uncanny. He talks about how the advancement of transistors and satellites will radically alter our understanding of physical space.
These things will make possible a world in which we can be in instant contact wherever we may be. Where we can contact our friends anywhere on earth, even if we don’t know their actual physical location. It will be possible in that age, possibly 50 years from now, for a man to conduct his business from Tahiti or Bali just as well as he could from London.
For the record, I’m writing this post in a coffee shop in Los Angeles, hundreds of miles from the massive Open Culture headquarters in Palo Alto, but I could just as easily be writing this on a beach in Sri Lanka or a hotel room in Dubrovnik. Clarke sounds here less like some pie-in-the-sky futurist than an aspirational lifestyle guru like Tim Ferris.
Clarke then describes how medicine might change. “One day, we might have brain surgeons in Edinburgh operating on patients in New Zealand.” The long-distance virtual surgery first was pioneered back in 2001 and it continues to improve as internet speeds increase.
And he predicts that at some point science will invent a “replicating device” that would create an exact copy of anything. That sounds an awful lot like a 3D printer. Clarke warns that this invention might cause massive societal disruption. “Confronted by such a device, our present society would probably sink into a kind of gluttonous barbarism. Since everyone would want unlimited quantities of everything.” In other words, 3D printers might turn the world into Black Friday at Walmart.
Some of his other ideas are just weird. Clarke proposes to tame and train armies of chimpanzees to cook, clean and do society’s grunt work. “We can certainly solve our servant problem with the help of the monkey kingdom. “ Planet of the Apes wouldn’t come out for another four years so Clarke could be forgiven for not realizing that that is one terrible idea. On the other hand, it’s hard to see how hiring monkeys could possibly make the customer service at Time Warner Cable any worse than it already is.
Jonathan Crow is a Los Angeles-based writer and filmmaker whose work has appeared in Yahoo!, The Hollywood Reporter, and other publications. You can follow him at @jonccrow.
this is the end of my forecasting. Would love to hear other’s predictions. and again if someone can find the FFER review article that would be awesome.
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)
April 2019 Poems for Poetry Month
April Poem a Thon Poems
2017 Poems
In 2017, I participated in my first April Month of Poetry poetry challenge. The goal, write one poem per day during the month and post them. I completed a bit more than 30 and posted them on Triferet journal
as well as posting them daily on all poetry, writers digest and on my blog (which I did not have in 2017 and 2018.
I tried this year to experiment with more formal verse forms which is one of my creative goals this year. Writers Digest has a great list, as does All poetry, poetry Soup, Magnum Poetry Opus. For more info on formal verse forms see
I also added images and audio clips. For 2017, and 2018 I have gone back and revised them slightly adding in images and audio clips. I intend to turn these poems into my first published book of poetry.
Comments and feedback greatly appreciated. I intent to make this an annual creative project and keep going as long as I can.
April 17th President Trump, International Fire Chief
April 18 Little Man Child President
April 19 Old Hag Speaks
April 20 License
Berkeley balanced
April 22 to April 27 Poems
April 26th Walking the Frozen Path
April 27th Springtime in Youngjangdo Cheritas
April 28th Living in the Far East
April 29th Here We Go Again
April 30th NRA Stop Talking Now
begin 2019 Poems
Index
April 1 63 Years Haut
April 1 A penitent Considers another Coming of Mary
April 1 Springtime in Seoul
April 1 today just for today
April 2 Agnostic Dyslectic Wonders if There is a Dog
April 2 It Can’t Happen Here or Has it?
April 3 So Excited to Be Alive at 63
April 4 Trump
April 4 It’s a Dog’s Life
April 4th Scorpio Passion
April 4th Just an Unhinged Werewolf Howling at the Moon
April 5th Glow
April 6th Old Lady and the Genie
April 6th Coffee Love Hate Affair
April 6th Coffee Blues
April 7th Morning Thoughts
April 8th Santa James Came to Town
April 9th Love Cinquain
April 10th Nightmare butterfly
April 11th Dedication to the Women I love
April 12th The Art of Stealing Money, anatomy of a bank scam
April 13th Incheon Beach waltz wave poem
April 14th California Burning Bright
April 15 Shaman Prays for Humanity
April 16 Catching the Trump Fever
April 16 Releasing the Trump Monsters
April 17 President Trump, International Fire Fighter in Chief
April 18 Licenses
April 19 Little Man President
April 20th Darker Than You Think
April 21st
April22nd Berkeley Balanced
April 23rd Springtime in Yongchongdo
April 24th Four Haiku and One Tanka
April 25th Life of an Exiled Poet Wandering the Mountains
April 26th Walking Down the Snowing Pathetic
April 27th
April 27 Living in the Far East
April 28th Springtime in Yongchongdo Remix Cheritas
April 29th Here We Go Again
April 30th NRA Stop Talking Now
1 April 1, 2019
63 Years Haut
63 years old
taught me a few things
life is
to short
to carry a grudge
live and love a lot
A penitent Considers another Coming of Mary
I sometimes wonder about the Virgin Mary
Wonder who she was and what she may
Have had to do with the birth of the savior
For I do not believe that story today
or any day for that matter I can not leave
these thoughts that hang in the air
thinking that she must have been with men
and will be with them again
today just for today
today just for today
I plan to do nothing
nothing at all
just go with the flow
of the day
as the day turns into night
and the night turns into sleep
I will ride the wave
along with my love
until the day is done
Triumphed against all enemies
Remaining unvanquished
Uniting all who oppose him
Might makes right
Patriots unite behind the Great Leader
I Want a Dog’s Life
I want a dog’s life
That’s what I want in next life
A dog needs to be cute
And his master will feed him
It is a dog’s life for me
Tanka contest entry
Scorpion Nights of Passion
Born in October
Scorpion Passionate fool
Always taking the lead
consumed with dark desires
is this Scorpio buddha nature
consumed with dark desires
Just an Unhinged Werewolf Howling at the Moon
dogs of war howling
as the lunatic light of the blood red moon
the super blue moon lights up the night
the werewolf stirs
as the light shines on him
slowly transforming him
into a dark dangerous creature
of the lunatic night
ready for his flight
out into the world,
he emerges
snarling
howling at the moon
just another unhinged
werewolf
out for blood today
howling at the moon
April 5th
Glow
based on Creative Talents Unleased Prompt
Glowing light of the dawning sun
Lights up my dismal room
Overwhelming me with love
Watching my dream girl sleep
April 6th
The Old Lady and the Genie
based on Creative Talents Unleased Prompt
An old Chinese woman
Stands in a field
On the lunatic edge of town
Where drinkers gather to drink
And woman of ill repute
Play their games
With the passing drunks
Men ready for a night of passion
She is holding a tea pot
And proclaims
That the pot contains
A genie
That will grant the new owner
Three wishes
She had to sell the pot
Because her wishes came true
And she smiles
And laughs insanely
The laughter dies
And she implores people
To buy her tea pot
And put her out of misery
Just buy my pot
And your dreams will come true
Be careful though, Dearie
Remember all magic
Comes with a price
A terrible price
Back of the Bus
based on a true strory
Many years ago
When I was a foolish young man
I took a greyhound bus trip
Just to see the country
I was trapped
In the back of the bus
Where the young
And restless souls
Gathered together
And drank illegally
And smoked weed
Also illegally
We stayed there
Until Winnemucca
Where I got off
And found my bus pass
Had found another owner
I went to Salt Lake City
Still trapped in the back of the bus
The Messenger Dog of God
One day
while studying in Rome
As a priest
I notice a small white dog
Staring at me
He glances at me
Indicating that I am to follow him
I get up
And follow this strange dog
He leads me deep
inside the hidden depths
Of the Vatican
Finally stopping by a door
I open the door
And see St Peter there
He smiles
Dismisses the dog
Who moves on down the hall
Finished with his cosmic duty
As the secret messenger of God
All in a days work
I ask why am I here?
St Peter shrugs and says,
“Why are any of us here?
It is time for you to go”
But I don’t want to go
Don’t want to leave this mortal plane
St Peter smiles
Says it is time to go
I wake up
Back in my bed
With my wife
And realize it was all a dream
It was not yet time
To go
But I am afraid
I will find the messenger dog
Outside my door
Any day now
The grim reaper waits
Soon it will be my time
Coffee Love Hate Affair
I love coffee
Always have
Always will
love my coffee
But I have a love hate affair
With coffee
Love it when it gets me up
Flying high in the sky
As the sun comes up
Filling with hope
And anticipation
as I drink my morning cup
As I conquer the day’s
Dauting tasks
With a little help
From my drug of choice
But coffee turns on me
Late in the day
And I can’t not sleep
just can’t sleep at all
As the coffee burns
In my soul
And I toss and turn
And sleep no more
Coffee does that to me
And so,
I am reduced
To drinking decafe coffee
Not the same thing at all
But that is all I can handle
As I am a coffee addict
And always will be
Coffee Blues
Coffee is my drug of choice
Always has been
Ever since I first tried
As a young lad
Loved coffee’s power
To speed up my synaptic nerves
Turning me on
Keeping me going and going and going
But there is a dark side to everything
And coffee is a drug
And it will take you
Where it wants to go
Enslaving you
Making you its victim
As it toys with you
Messes with you
Prevents you from sleeping
Coffee is a harsh mistress
It demands respect
As you fall under it seductive powers
Slave again
To the drug of choice
Just another over caffeinate
Coffee addict
Stumbling along the street
Looking for a fix
At six in the morning
as the coffee wears off
And you finally
Can get some sleep
Until the alarm
Blasts you awake
You reach out
Trembling for you fix
Coffee
you scream out
I
need
coffee
right
now!
The universe laughs
As you get your coffee high
Just another pathetic coffee junkie
When all is said and done
April 7th
Morning Thoughts
Every morning I wake up
Finally the love of my life
Sleeping soundly
In our bed
The sun fills my room
And I get up
To do my morning routine
Just marveling at the sight
And as I do my thing
I am drawn back to bed
Just to look
At this strange creature
That captured my heart
So many years ago
And I wonder yet again
At the mystery of our love
How and why
Did the universe bring us together
Where did she come from
And why did she summoned me
I have no answers
Our love transcended
The barriers of time
And space
And somehow
We found each other
And will be together
Until the death of time
Santa James Offers Hope
In this dark and dangerous time
that we live in
We seldom hear tales
To inspiration, hope and love
Wet when we do hear such tales
It fills us with wonder
And hope that some how
We can do better
Life can be better
Love can conquer hate
And decency can prevail
Over the dark forces all around us
In Kingman, Arizona
An old blind homeless man appeared
Out of nowhere he showed up
Just started waking about
He was polite, friendly and not scary
Did not want anything from any one
And somehow he conquered the town
Who adopted him
They called him Santa James
Because he wore a red Santa cape
And he was just so
filled with good will
Laughter, advice and stories
Boy did he spin good stories
Poetic allusions
And just radiated goodness
Everyone fell in love with Santa James
He was given a job
Playing piano
Given a room to stay in
Spoke at the local schools
and churches
And to any one
who stopped him
He remembered every one’s name
And life story
Even though he was blind
He could see the good in everyone
And that is the moral of the tale of mine
There is goodness all around us
If only we open our hearts
To accept it
We have the power
To reject hate
To reject division
And accept love
If only Santa James spirit
Could spread across this country
We could heal our wounds
And become united again
That is my prayer
Some may think that Santa James
Is really a saint
The real thing
Who knows
All we know
Is that Santa James
Came to town
And the rest
Is the history
We will make of it
Long Live Santa James
April 8
Lucky Numbers Blues
Writer’s digest prompt – write a poem about lucky numbers
There are many gambler fallacies
the statisticians say
each roll of the roulette table
is an independent event
Yet the gamblers believe
that if for example
there were ten red numbers
in a row
that the next one should be black
A statistician in the U.K.
decided to prove
that the gambler
were all delusional
in insisting that there were patterns
in the endless spin of the wheel
and that it was more of a curve
that the noise of random numbers
after thousands of spins
recorded on a computer
the pattern was clear
there was a bell shape curve
with an upswing to the data
and a downswing to the data
an early experiment
in chaos theory
but with a practical application
for the astute gambler
if you are on a winning curve
keep going until the curve
turnes into a loosing curve
then walk away
and you might be a winner
according to science
but they have yet
to prove/disprove
that lucky numbers exist
for you and me
mine was always 32
and when it pops
I swore that my lucky number
came up
just a fluke
according to science
another iron clad rule
the regression to the mean
the curve may go up
and may go down
but in the end
it regresses to the mean
and that means
the house always win
April 9
Love Cinquain
My Love
Haunting my dreams
endlessly talking to me
Then walked out of the dreams into
my Life
April 10
Nightmare Cinquain
Night mares
Endless fears all night long
Can t escape running from these dreams
All night
Night mares
Endless fears all night long
Huge Monsters chasing me
Hideous Creatures from Hell Itself
Monsters
Fiendish Hell hounds escaped Banishes
screaming bloody murder
they chase me all the way
I die
April 11
Dedicated to the woman of my Dreams
woman
lives in my dreams
I dedicate this poem
You came out of my nightly dreams
My Love
My Love
I dreamt of you
For eight long years starting
Dream of you in 79
met in
82
82
We met in that year
Love at first sight I knew
You were the one for me my dream girl
My Love
The Art of Stealing Money –Anatomy of a Bank Scam
based on a true story. today’s WD prompt, write a poem starting with “the Art of…”
The bankers
God rest their evil souls
Have mastered the art
Of stealing
Their client’s money
Through one means or another
Your money
Is their money
And their money
Is none of your business
Recently we fell victim
To such a scam
We had stocks in a bank
But according to the lying bankers,
we failed To actively manage the account
And the bank lied, saying
Because we had not acted
On the account
Over three years
We had abandoned the account
The bank was supposed
To contact us
But they claimed
That they did not know
Where we were
Thus, our account
Disappeared
Into the hands
Of the greedy
State of Delaware
We have to reclaim
The money
That the bank
Through their mistake
Sent to Delaware
If the bank
makes a mistake
You loose
If you make a mistake
They win
That’s all part of the art
Of stealing your money
All in a day’s work
For the evil soul-sucking bankers
The so called masters of the universe
Incheon Beach Waltz Wave Poem
based on writing.com poetic form challenge
beach
near home
now
sun set
The West Sea
Incheon
sea
Spring Time
night sun set
over the sea
Sun goes down
near by
beach
water
waves come in
over beach
view
is great
nice
April 14
California Burning Bright
California
burning bright wildfires
end of the world
an apocalyptic
a vision of world’s end
April 15, 2019
Prayers for the Future of the Planet
based on creative talents unleashed photo prompt
A shaman priestess
Is deep in thought
Engaged in Meditation
on the fate
Of the earth
She is deep in the cosmic woods
In the world between worlds
Where she is communing
the the spirits of the universe
Who listen to her tale of woe
She tells them
Of the rise of the neo-fascists
And the refusal to address
The possible end of the world
Due to run away climate change
She prays and prays
And finally
She receives an answer
More a prediction
It is all up to humans
She has two visions
Of a possible future
Two contrasting visions
One a dystopian nightmare
The other an optimistic vision
The first
The neo-fascists
Seize control
And usher in a dystopian nightmare
That ends with utter destruction
Nuclear war
Nuclear winter
Ends climate change
As civilization ends
And mankind retreat to caves
And it happens
In a blink of an eye
In less than five years
The world will end
Game over, civilization ends
The second vision
The optimistic vision
Humanity wakes up
From their collective night mare
Throws off the neo-fascist cabal
And begin to change the world
Making the economy works
For all of us
Not just the corrupt 1 percent
The so-called masters of the Universe
They are overthrown
In a people’s power revolution
All over the world
People wake up
Demand change
And slowly the world
begins to recover
And overcome
The dark hours
Of the present age
The shaman priestess
Returns home
To spread the word
It up to us
To choose our fate
The end is indeed near
It is darker than you think
But it is not over yet
If we choose the path
Of the cosmic light
And overthrow
The neo-fascist cabal
And restore democracy
And peace will break out
And all will end well
If not
Well she says
You have been warned
The universe has spoken
So, mote it be
April 17
President Trump International Fire Fighter in Chief – Found Poem
US President Donald Trump speaks about 5G network deployment in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 12, 2019. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP) (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
Our dear leader
Our favorite President
President Trump
Once again
Interjected himself
Into areas
that he knows nothing about
Making a fool of himself
In the process
Why does he do this?
Time after time
Talking nonsense
It is because
He is the smartest man
In the universe
Knows more than anyone else
And so he feels
He has to comment
On everything
Under the sun
And then some more
Even when he
Does not know
What he is talking about
So painful to watch such a fool
Mark Twain had sage advice
If you want people to think
You are a fool
Open your mouth
and remove all doubt
In the midst
Of the devastating Paris Norte Dame Fire
He tweeted
“So horrible to watch the massive fire
at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,”
“Perhaps flying water tankers
could be used to put it out.
Must act quickly!”
Later, Mr. Obvious noted,
They’re having a terrible,
terrible fire,”
Mr Trump later told reporters.
“It looks like it’s burning to the ground.”
The French were not amused
By the unwanted advice
By the fire fighter in chief
and appeared
to directly respond to the US president.
“Helicopter or aeroplane,
the weight of the water
and the intensity of the drop
at low altitude
could indeed weaken
the structure of Notre Dame
and result in collateral damage
to the buildings in the vicinity,”
the agency wrote in French.
And despite never posting updates in English,
the agency then sent out a second tweet.
Hundreds of firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade are doing everything they can to bring the terrible #NotreDame fire under control. All means are being used, except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral.
today’s prompt write a poem starting with the words “little”
A little man child
Is our great and glorious dear leader
Filled with hatred and jealousy
Fear of failure haunts his every step
The little man child
Covers up his failures
With bluster, bravado
And constant attack
The little man child
Always attacking his enemies
Plotting revenge all the time
Consumed with slights and insults
The little man child
Lost millions of dollars
The little man child
Lost the popular vote
The little man child
Has lost the respect of the world
And 60 percent of Americans
Want to see him gone
The little man child
Has infected the body politic
With his insidious poison
A slowly growing cancer
The little man child
Will end up destroying
The country
Before he is through
The little man child
Can’t leave office
For fear of going to prison
So we are stuck with him
The little man child
Will never leave us
Until he is resting
In peace in hell
April 19
Licenses
Today’s prompt – write a poem about licenses
Bankers have a license to steal
money from their clients
if you make a mistake
the bank can steal your money
as part of their banking license
Governments have a license
to steal money from the public
it is called taxation
or confiscation
It seems that police these days
have a license
to kill unarmed brown people
but only brown people
and the president
has a license to lie
as he lies all the time
just because he can
and I have the ultimate license
the poetic license
to write these verses
to enlighten the masses
April 20
It is darker than you think
Poem inspired by Creative Talent Unleashed photo prompt
an old hag
an old witch
strictly old school
is talking to young people
She tells them
that it is darker
than they think
the end times approach
She proclaims
she sees the world ending
and is warning them
of what is to come
She is following
the dark master
of the universe
waiting for the end
and she is afraid
she sees the world
the end of things
the end of life
She is afraid
she tells her students
to boldly face
the coming end
with fear
and trepidation
and anxiety
waiting for the end
and in the end
of the world
they will be born
again
as things circle back
to the beginning
of the end
and the end
of the beginning
thus it has always
played out
in the world
endless nightmares
and in the end,
she will wake up
and embrace her fate
at the end of time
April 21, 2019
Poetic Sketch of Springtime in Yongchongdo, Korea
today’s prompt was to write a poetic sketch
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 path
Of the world peace forest
Near my island home
Near the chaos of the airport
Through the forest
and over the mountain
breathing the spring time 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
April 22
Four Haiku and a Tanka
walking on the path
in the world peace forest
snowing cherry trees
the world at peace
walking with love of my life
all is right with me
the falling cherry trees
along the path of the forest
reminds us of love
endless noise on TV
quiet on the path outside
peace in my soul
Dangerous Times Tanka
in dangerous times
we retreat to our corners
convinced we are right
everyone else is evil
everyone else must die
April 24
Hidden Jewels in Seoul
In Seoul
A vibrant thriving city
Of a million stories
Of a million tales
There are hidden jewels
All around the city
The city is laced
With secret mountain paths
Only the locals know
Where these paths go
As the mountain paths
Criss cross the city
Every neighborhood
Has their mountain
At the top
Lies the exercise equipment
And old men and woman
Perhaps the guardian angels
Of the mountain
Mountain spirits
(Sanshin or sansin (Hangul: 산신; Hanja: 山神) are local mountain gods in Korean shamanism. They are often paired with tigers. In Korea, every Buddhist temple has a dedicated shrine called a sanshingak (Hangul: 산신각; Hanja: 山神閣) to the local sanshin, who is typically represented as an elder male figure surrounded by tigers.[1]
The Japanese equivalent is the Yama-no-Kami (山の神; also pronounced as yamagami).
)
Stand guard
At the top of the mountain
Looking down
At the teaming masses
Old men and woman
Walk about
In the trails
High in the mountains
above the skyscraper
apartment blocks
The city is also laced
With canals and stream beds
Everywhere you wander
You are not far from water ways
The secret trails cover the city
Yet the city does not seem
To know how to promote
These wonderous trails
Yes, the city of Seoul
Is filled with hidden treasures
Hidden gems
Deep in the mountains
As I walk in the hills
Lost in thought
The cherry trees
Snowing all around
I reflect again
On the hidden gems
The hidden trails
The hidden treasure of Seoul
April 25
Life of an Exiled Poet Wandering the Mountains
today’s challenge -write a poem about exile
I am living a lonely life
Exiled from my home land
A stranger in a strange land
Far from where I grew up
Searching for what I lost
Just an exiled poet
Wandering the mountains
Deep in thought
Wondering what
Adventures wait me
As I wander the mountain paths
Wandering here and there
Just searching for my lost life
Wondering where my life
Has gone so terribly wrong
And why I am on this path
I see on the mountain path
A secret climbing cave
And I enter the cave
Hoping to find
A portal
Back to my lost world
To my lost time
To the beginning
Of my journal
The beginning
Of my long exile
But I can’t find
My way back
And am soon lost
And so I become
A ghost-like figure
A lost soul
of the damn
Doomed to wander
The world
Wandering the mountains
Lost in dark thoughts
Forever exiled
From my love
April 26
Walking Down The Frozen White Path
failed attempt at writing a ballade
walking down the frozen white path
as the evening starts to falls
as I walk in the snow and talk
listening to the bird calls
filling the air with the music of Bach
I find myself getting lost
as I continue my lonely walk
death waits heading to the end of time
As I walk the snowing cold path
the dark evil evening continues to fall
the very stars are on the war path
lightening the up air as they fall
littering the ground with their cosmic sprawl
as the dying sun sets into the dark night
I come upon an ancient ruined wall
No one around as the end time approaches
I continue my lonely dismal walk
Rushing towards the end of time
no more time for mere talk
death waits heading to the end of time
April 28
today’s challenge -write a remix of an earlier posted poem
Yongchongdo Remixed Cherita version
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 path
Of the world peace forest
Near my island home
Near the chaos of the airport
Through the forest
and over the mountain
breathing the spring time 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
Waiting to die
April 28
Living in the Far East
today’s challenge – write a direction poem
When I graduated from college
I joined the Peace Corps
And ended up in the Far East
And spend decades
Wandering about East Asia
Lived in Korea for ten years
In Thailand for two years
In India for three years
Travelled to Taiwan twice
Hong Kong and Macao
Vietnam twice
Japan four times
Learned Korean
Some Hindu
A smattering of Chinese
Japanese and Vietnamese
Married a Korean woman
And became half Korean
A kimchi addict
A true Korean foodie
Along the way
And now
As an old man
I live half the year
In the east
And half in the west
But my heart
Remains in the East
Who knows where I will die
If I die in the east
That will be fine
By me
For by now
I am half Asian
In spirit
And in East Asia
If I may meet my final days
that is fine by me
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 magazine publishes Another Cosmos Poem
One of my favorite sites, “Down in the Dirt” has published two of my personal favorite poems, “Howling at the Moon” and “Snarling Cup of Coffee”.
Hi there… You are getting this letter because you are a contributor to the current issue (with writing or artwork) of Down in the Dirt magazine, and we wanted to let you know that a brand-new issue of Down in the Dirt was just released! The new issue of the March-April 2019 issue Down in the Dirt is v163, titled “Parallel Universe”!
Now, there are a bunch of ways you can see this issue on line. You can go to the main scars page at http://scars.tv and see it not only in the text listing but also as one of the cover images on the main page (right frame). You can also go the home page of Down in the Dirt at http://scars.tv/dirt and click on the “see the current issue” link – and you can even go to the link for ALL of the issues and see this issue linked right at the top of the listing.
And remember that until the next issue is released you can always see the current issue at
Currently this issue is only available online – it will take a few days before the print issue is available for sale through all of the amazon channels throughout the United States, the U.K. and Europe. After then the issue link, the links at this issues page AND the main page at http://scars.tv – and the books link at http://scars.tv/books and the CD/Book Sale page at http://scars.tv/sale will all have links to ordering the book through Amazon (though the scars site will only list it through the U.S. Amazon links).
And if you look at any writing by any writer IN this issue in the writings section of http://scars.tv at http://scars.tv/cgi-bin/framesmain.pl?writers you will see links to the Internet (web page) issue (and eventually to the print issue of this magazine too).
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the new issue, and thank you for being a part of the Down in the Dirt community!
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
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
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)
this is a companion piece to my earlier Cosmos Excellent Vietnam Adventures. Here are my Vietnam theme poems for your enjoyment.
plus two poems on Cambodia based on a FB posting by my friend Bill DeFleuri
I walk around the streets
Of old Saigon
Seeing sensing the undead
The ghosts of the war
That haunted life
So many years ago
So many people died
For a war
That never should have been fought
For reasons that are still not clear
A great tragedy unfolded
In a land half away
Around the world
The ghosts smile at me
And then they disappear
Leaving me in the present
Life goes on
Old Ghosts
Old ghosts wandering the streets of old Saigon
Lost spirits of the dead
Died during the endless wars
Ghostly apparitions around every corner
Here was Kilroy
and his gang of soldiers
Over there were the Viet Cong
Waiting to kill them
Saigon is filled with memories like that
Terrible times were had here in Old Saigon
Silently the ghosts parade the city streets
As the tourists drink in the bars
Mastering the Saigon Shuffle
When I first visited Saigon
Learning the Saigon Shuffle
Was difficult
And now 24 years later
It all seems to be coming back
There is an art to crossing the street
Dodging the motor cyclists, the taxis, the private cars
The bikes and other pedestrians and the buses
The art consists of letting the big guys go first
Then walk between the motorcycles and cyclists
Trusting that they will get out of your way
And they being masters of the Saigon shuffle
Always find a way
In my two visits I was struck
By how it all flows together
Without a central authority
And with almost no planning
Lights or cops
Somehow it just is
And somehow it works
And it is still a mystery to me
24 years after first
Encountering the Saigon shuffle
Coffee Lady
Every morning
I have gone out for Vietnamese coffee
At a sidewalk café
Down the ally from our AIRBNB
The owner is a pleasant middle age woman
Who for some reason likes us
She smiles at us
Greets us in Vietnamese
She does not understand English
Or Korean
And I wonder why
Why was there this connection
Between us
It dawned on me
Perhaps in a prior life
She knew an American or two
And I remind her of someone
Or perhaps she is found
Of Korean K drama
And Angela reminds her
Of her favorite K Drama star
Or perhaps it is both
Or another reason entirely
But I moved today
And will miss her
Might go back for a final cup
Of coffee
To say good bye
To my Vietnamese coffee lady
Old Lady in the Alley
There is an old Vietnamese lady
In the neighborhood
Obviously senile
But everyone knows her
And watches over her
To make sure
She stays out of traffic
And out of trouble
She talks to everyone
But no one seems to understand
What she is babbling on about
They smile at her
And she smiles back
Reminds me of the phrase
From the hitchiker’s guide to the galaxy
Mostly harmless
And she for some reason
She likes us
And like my Vietnamese Coffee lady
I wonder why
Why was there this connection
Between us
It dawned on me
Perhaps in a prior life
She knew an American or two
And I remind her of someone
Or perhaps she is found
Of Korean K drama
And Angela reminds her
Of her favorite K Drama star
Or perhaps it is both
Or another reason entirely
But in any event
I look forward
To seeing her smiling face
Every time I walk
Down my ally way
Avoiding the War Due to Two Birthdays
I avoided being drafted
Due to a fluke in my birth certificate
In 1974 the last draft was held
And some people were drafted
But no one went to Vietnam
The war was ending by then
I avoided the draft though
To no effort on my own
My number came up on the draft list
My real birthday was in the zone
But then my mother pointed out
That my legal birthday was different
When I was born at 4 am
The night clerk typed up
My birth certificate
With the wrong date
My father pointed that out
She said
Once I typed it
That is it
His birthday will be
What I typed
Get use to it
My father gave up
And so, 18 years later
That saved me
From the last draft
Never made it to Vietnam
Many years latter
I visited Vietnam
Right after we opened relations
Glad I finally got to see
The country
That so many Americans visited
so many decades ago
Buddha In Vietnam
In Saigon I saw the buddha
Buddha images are everywhere
Temples are scattered about
Here and there and everywhere
Buddha lives on
In the hearts and minds
Of the Vietnamese soul
The communists tried
To get rid of Buddhism
And other religious traditions
But they failed
And Buddhism has come back
Still speaks to the Vietnamese people
A different style
A different vibe
Than Korean Buddhism
But still Buddhist thought
Prevails in the tropical lands
Of the South
Mekong Dreams
Traveling along the Mekong
Back in time
Seeing the river
The people
Imagining life on the river
Imagining the war
The past in the Mekong delta
And the present tourist boom
Yet life goes on
With its own laid back rhythm
As we traversed the river
We were transported back
To an earlier time
Following the ancient rhythms
Of the Mekong Delta
Down and Out in Saigon
Southeast Asia, and Mexico
has always attracted
A certain type of westerner
The down and out
On a down word spiral
Why?
Relatively cheap to live
Lots of part time gigs
Teaching English
Or other things
Booze, drugs, sex
Readily available
And cheap
Places to stay
Dirt cheap
And no one needs
To sleep out doors
Easy to disappear
Into the foreigners backpackers ghettos
And escape
From whatever you are running from
The locals are somewhat tolerant
The police usually look the other way
And there are lots of people
In your shoes
I was surprised to find
That Saigon has become
The latest place
For the down and outer crowd
To gather together
In Bangkok one sees them a lot
In Cambodia as well
In the Philippines
In Nepal
And south of the border
In Mexico as well
In India not so much
In Japan and Korea
Just too damn expensive
And too cold to be outdoors
Back in the day
I used to work
The citizen services gig
And saw lots of the down and outer set
The old song comes to mind
No one remembers you
When you are down and out
And in the States
Being down and out
Means living on the mean streets
As it is very difficult
To live with almost no money
And the various side hustles
Don’t give you much money
Unless you are dealing drugs
And teaching ESL
Is not an option
Food is expensive
Transportation is expensive
Booze and drugs expensive
Rent is prohibitive
Commercial sex is expensive
And no one loves you
If you are down and out
No one knows your name
You are just another homeless bum
Invisible to all
As you try to make do
Much better to be down and out
In Southeast Asia
Than on the mean streets
Of the USA
Ghosts of Chu Chi Tunnel
Crawling down the tunnels
Of Chu Chi
I could almost imagine
The Viet Kong guerillas
Hiding deep under the tunnels
As the land above is turned
Into a temporary dessert
With the vegetation burned off
By napalm and agent orange
The Viet Kong creep out at night
Stealing onto the bases
Stealing weapons, food, supplies
And occasionally killing soldiers
In their sleep
The US soldiers
Stay on base at night
Terrified of the mosquitos
And of the Viet Kong
the ghosts
Surround me
Telling me their stories
And at last I fled
Through the emergency escape tunnel
Declaring victory
Profoundly shaken up
By the ghosts of the Chu Chi tunnels
Saigon 2019
Motorbike riders waiting at intersection. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Vibrant, vivid, exciting
A city on the move
Becoming a world class city
Yet still with a Saigon swagger
Wandering the streets
Dodging the traffic
Admiring the women
Enjoying the food
Saigon enters my heart
And I know that I will be back
This city is growing on me
Reminds me of Korea back in the 1990’s
One hopes that as it develops
It will not become a carbon copy
Of other big Asian cities
Obliterating its past
In search of a false modern image
I hope it can retain
What makes Saigon Saigon
And not become another Gangnam
Hope it does it with Saigon style
And the people will evolve
The country will emerge
And become what it should be
The Paris of the East
This is my vision
Saigon 2019
Saigon 1995
In 1995
I was one of the first tourists
Allowed in to Vietnam
To freely wander about
Tourism was at its infancy
And Saigon was chaotic
Wild and crazy
Traffic was insane
There were few tourism sites
Few hotels
Few guest houses
And not too many restaurants
The food was good
We saw the war memorial
The re-unification palace
And the big market
But we felt we were being monitored
Beggars were everywhere
There were scams everywhere
And it was not that pleasant an experience
But Saigon grew up
Became a much more tourist friendly place
And these problems we encountered
A thing of the place
Saigon is so much better
So much more developed
That it has captured our soul
And we will be back
Ode to Vietnamese Coffee
Vietnam has the best coffee
In the damn world
Just perfect
Hot as hell
Sweet as heaven
With a kick my ass attitude
To boot
Can’t resist it
Even thought it means
I can’t sleep
Must
Have
My
Damn
Vietnam
Coffee
Right
Now
VC2
In Saigon
One meets
All sorts of strange characters
VCQ
VCQ he called himself
He was filled with stories
From the war
And the revolution afterwards
VC2
Was a young man
In Danang
During the war
15 years old
Recruited into the VC
Infiltrated into the base
Just another street urchin
Stole away at night
Hiding on the big air base
Stealing things
To sell at the black market
Just one of the army
Of street urchins
That became friendly
With the enemy
They called him
VCQ
And the nickname stuck
That is what he called himself
Said that he had become
A VC Seal known as the VCQ
Learned his English
From his black marketing days
He perfect the art
Of wheeling and dealing
As a street urchin
In the mean streets of Danang
After the war
he rose through the ranks
Retired as a general
Became a college professor
Later opened his own business
An interior design business
When Saigon became Saigon
Once again
Wheeling and dealing
Around the world
Always one step ahead
Of the semi-communist authorities
One day he came back with 25 bottles
Of wine
The customs guy said
That is too much
He said but I can’t drink them all
And gave him 5 bottles
Problem solved
And VCQ laughed and laughed
As the wine washed over us
And we became drunk
With his endless stories
From the mouth of VCQ
Just another night
In Saigon
Drinking the Night away
With the VCQ
Future VC
Saigon is filled with interesting characters
Filled with fascinating back stories
One could write hundreds of stories
About the people one encounters
In a nail shop
That caters to mostly Korean visitors
We met a boy of 8 years old
Who was a natural born hustler
He had wonderful English
Wonderful French
And even some Korean
And he wanted to show us around
He spoke English
Without an accent
In an upper class British style
As if he were born to the manor
How and why he learned
English so well
Would be an interesting story
His Mother was also
An interesting character
Been running the store
For five years
Amused it had become the Korean
To Go place
In Saigon
Just one of those mysterious things
They had another shop nearby
A smoothie place
And he offered to guide us there
But were in a hurry
As we left
I thought to myself
Here is a future VCQ
The fascinating character
That had wined and dined us
Late into the night
Beguiling us with his tales
From his time in the VC
Wonder what this future VCQ
Will tell his future friends
About his past life
Living in a beauty saloon?
1. just Another Morning In Phnom Penh
When I was in Phnom Penh
I stayed
at the Riverside Hotel on 136th Street.
Across the street
was Neil’s convenience store .
.oddly named
since I had yet
space”>
named Neil..
There was also a slew
of sleazy as hell Thai style
girlie bars
outside of which
satnaked pretty young things
Khmer girls dressed to the proverbial nines
looking for a willing victim
among the male flotsam
flowing along the naked streets
Just another night in the big city
thesewomen
I avoided
since they represented
the surest and quickest way
to loose one’s honey
and one’s money
and one’s soul
and dignity
becoming just another
ugly aging foreign male sex tourist
way past his prime
way past his due date
Instead,
upon exiting the hotel
I turned right in the mornings. At the riverfront
I made a right
and walked
to a different convenience store
where I purchased
two containers of strawberry yogurt
and a bottle of chocolate flavored soymilk.
After completing the transaction
I went to an outdoor cafe
that charged $1.90
for a large ice coffee
with sweetened milk.
just like I like it
Vietnamese Style
HCM Style
likeEven in the late morning there were already
quite a few foreign male tourists
drinking cold beer
in the hot sun .
Some sat..
like schoolboys
on first dates with young Khmer women
that they had undoubtedly
purchased the night before.
..seeking as far as I could tell.
.. to impress the women with their bold and masculine characters
…many of these men
were older and grotesquely misshapen..
.that is..not fit.
a true nightmarish
vision
from the depths of hell
playing out
every morning
and every evening
..After eating the yogurt
and drinking the ice coffee
and looking again
at the half naked women
sitting all around me
I paid my bill and hailed
an open tuk tuk. The going rate for locals
for short rides
was one dollar or 4000 rial.
The going rate for foreigners
was double that..
..I always paid the local rate of one dollar
and said thank you in Khmer…
.Akon.
..I quickly left giving the driver no opportunity
to haggle over the fare..
..my destination
each and every day
was the same…
The Hotel Cambodiana…
a plush expensive hotel
about two miles
down the proverbial road..
.there I used the fitness club
which included a normally empty 15 meter pool ,
a fitness center
with free weights and weight machines .
.treadmills and a sauna.
I began the workout each day with a swim of 90.lengths..
that is 1.35.km or slightly more
than three quarters of a mile.
..the pool was embellished
with six golden statues
of Ganesh elephant Gods
spouting
streams of cool water
from their inanimate trunks.
I enjoyed swimming
under those Ganesh
blessed streams.
enjoying the good luck vibes
There was a fully stocked bar
in the pool area.
After the swim
I usually took a short break
in the hotel cafe
adjacent to the lobby.
There I ate a delicious
blueberry muffin
each day
at the cost of one dollar.
One day .
..while enjoying just such a muffin I had the good fortune
to meet a fellow American from Iowa City Iowa.
He was an agricultural scientist
He was of medium height .
.had white hair
and blue eyes
..and…..possessed an intelligence
that impressed me greatly .
..an intellect that was so obviously superior
that it rushed out at you
from his blue eyes .
..an amicable likeable intellect…
a man you could not help but like..
.we discussed the challenges
of supplying
food for a world population
that would soon exceed nine billion..
.the serious threat
posed by human induced climate change …
the resultant acidification of ocean waters
as more greenhouse gases
were being absorbed by them..
.but he was optimistic
that solutions
to these problems could be had..
..this was indeed an impressive
and unexpected encounter
Just another morning
In Cambodia
Stung Treng Beckons
After lunch I went to the bus station
the town of Stung Treng
was calling me
for some reason
always want to go there
wherever that was
that is
the Cambodian open road
beconing me
The bus fromStung Treng
to Phnom Penh
was actually
a 9.passenger van..
.neither new nor especially old..
.Stung Treng
is a small dusty town
near the Laotian border
in northeast Cambodia.
The rural areas of Cambodia
are relatively depopulated
and automotive malfunctions
can be a tricky thing to deal
with when there are no mechanics let alone people in a given area..
.I had gone to Stung Treng
to investigate a possible
opportunity teaching
at a small high school
run by a Presbyterian
pastor from Korea.
An old friend of mine
from my Korea days
decades in the past
My friend was employed there
and lived on the premises
with his Korean born wife
In a small apartment
provided by the school.
When I arrived in Stung Treng
there were no taxis
tuk tuks .
or any form of transport available..
it was a town
in which you
were simply deposited.
with no idea
of where to go
or how to get there.
..at any rate .
..the job was not available
until January..
a fact I learned upon arrival.
.
due to shrinking enrollments
and a lack of funds
in general..
.I stayed at
the Mekong Hotel..
.which
consisted of a series
of small air conditioned bungalows.
..behind the office
was a very large
and well-maintained pool..
.which I used
twice during my brief visit
not the same
as the Cambodian gym
back in the city
but I made do
and did my morning swims
and exercises
my friend told me stories
out of school about the Korean pastor
that made Captain Queeg
seem perfectly normal..
.that he physically punished students .
..that he harshly criticized
Cambodia
while singing
the praises of Korea
and that he had
used child labor
to build his school..
..to be fair
I did meet
a remarkable individual
at the Sekong fitness center..
.an astonishing place
located
near the middle of nowhere
that contained
only new exercise equipment…
it was there
that I met
Scott Sward
from Long Beach , California..
a lost missionary
who had been in Stung Treng
with his American wife
for ten years..
..a kind and helpful man .
filled with the grace of God
..it was my impression
that he brought much good
to the people of Stung Treng
although it is doubtful that many people
voluntarily abandoned
their practice of Buddhism
to adopt a new set of beliefs..
. Scott gave me a ride
to the bus station
at which I purchased
the ticket for the nine passenger bus
that would painfully
make its way back
to Phnom Penh
because
no one had bothered
to check the level of engine coolant.
..there was none..
.and the engine repeatedly overheated
forcing the driver
to stop and pour water
either into the coolant receptacle or over the engine itself..
..luckily
I had struck
up a conversation
with a cute sweat Khmer female passenger that somehow rendered
the mechanical problems
less disturbing..
.this conversation
could have led to other things
I am sure ..
..but when we arrived .
.I simply went
my own way
and she hers…
and I did not
become another
Pathetic looser American
Dude parading the streets
with his recently purchased
lady of the night
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)
Korean Public Art updated with a few more examples
I love Korea public art. Due to a Korean law, building owners receive a sizeable tax deduction for displaying public art. As a result there has been a proliferation of public art all over the country. Some of it is quite good, some questionable, but most have a whimsical sense if not quirky sense of humor. I love walking about discovering public art in my daily walks across town. Here then are my favorite Korean public art pieces, followed by some articles on Korean Public Art. If any one has other examples they wish to share send them to me and I will update this article.
The Art
beer murals
Berkeley in Seoul Coffee Shop
Butterflies
Miscellaneous sculpture
Fish Mural Gyeopodae Beach
Hongdae Street Mural
Hongjae subway mural
Horse statue Gyeopodae Beach
Coffee motto
Mullae Street Art
Make A Wish
Halloween
Manakin
Baseball fans
Unseo Street Mural
Korean Bull
Blue River Demon
Roman Statues
KGB Vodka
more public art
these are taken from a mural at the Youngsan Army base of all places.
For more information look at the following articles
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that it is looking for Seoul residents, including foreigners, to uncover public art in the city’s streets.
Compared to cities famous for iconic and popular landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty in Manhattan and the 3-ton bronze sculpture Charging Bull in Wall Street, Seoul is relatively less known for public art and its landmarks.
To build a city with more variety in culture, architecture and public art, Seoul City kicked off a project last year that allocated about 700 million won ($590,000) to construct public art and landmarks on par with those around the world.
“We hope Seoul will serve as an artistic city for tourists,” said Yoo Hyun-ju, an official from Seoul City’s design policy department.
(The Seoul Metropolitan Government)
The project “Arts on Seoul’s street found by citizens” invites anyone living in Seoul to participate in uncovering art in the city. It will run from Aug. 19 to Oct. 18.
Under 10 themes, participants are to find public art and landmarks in a group of 10, joined by field experts and art connoisseurs. Their promotions of Seoul’s public arts and introductions of iconic landmarks in the city can be viewed via Seoul City’s social media. After the list of public art is collected, there will be public vote in early November and the results of the most beautiful public art in Seoul will be displayed at Dongdaemun Design Plaza.
Those interested can sign up at http://sculture.seoul.go.kr/archives/73034. Applications will be accepted until Aug. 5. Foreign residents should send their name, age, gender, address, occupation and motivation for participating to jenifer@seoul.go.kr.
By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)
South Korea’s Public Art is Not for Art’s Sake
February 08, 2011 7:00 PM
________________________________________
Public art in Seoul, South Korea
In recent years, cities have seen sculptures, paintings and all manner of artistic installations sprout like mushrooms, both inside and outside of office buildings. Many critics think the attempt at urban improvement is not a pretty picture.
This is definitely not art for art’s sake. It is, rather, art for the law’s sake.
A South Korean law requires owners of large buildings to set aside one percent of construction costs for art.
But what qualifies as art? That is left up to design committees run by local governments.
Hong Kyoung-han, the chief editor of “Public Art” magazine, says the result of the 15-year-old law is disappointing.
“More than 90 percent of it is problematic. It has no relationship to the architecture and no form,” he said. “There is no artistic sense whatsoever. There are thousands of works of arts on display publicly in Seoul, yet most of them are viewed negatively.”
Many critics say they hesitate to regard as art the similar chunks of metal, human-shaped sculptures and reflective orbs plopped in front of most big buildings. So ubiquitous, they generate little notice from passersby.
A few are harder to ignore. A steel company paid nearly $1.5 million to famous sculptor Frank Stella to build “Amabel.” Some people have called for its removal, complaining that it quickly rusted.
Oh Se-hoon is the mayor of Seoul. He is a big booster of urban design and the city beautification campaign begun under his predecessor.
Mayor Oh says the one percent law initially deserved praise because it helped beautify cities. But, he says, the law is not achieving its aim.
“Because it is enforced by law, people install art out of obligation without any passion or an eye for true art,” he said. “Thus we end up with art that hardly can gain public acceptance.”
Magazine editor Hong, however, does not want to see government involvement disappear entirely.
“If we just leave it to the developers of buildings, we cannot expect to see much in the way of cutting-edge, high-level art,” he said. “And only a small number of building owners would put art on public display. So, for now, government participation is necessary.”
Oh presides over a city that, thanks to the law, has put on display 6,000 sculptures, 1,200 paintings, dozens of murals and hundreds of other items ranging from calligraphy to handicrafts.
“Great art in the right place gives citizens a sense of relief and relaxation,” he said. “These days I’m into fun designs which will give people a smile or make them laugh among the hustle and bustle of city life. I want to see art installed here that gives people peace of mind.”
To appease those who do not find peace of mind from the more questionable pieces of art, South Korea’s Culture Ministry wants a change of scene. It is proposing an art reform bill. Instead of placing art on their properties, owners could contribute a smaller amount of money to a public art fund.
Hongdae Graffiti Alley (홍대벽화거리)
The street art splashed across the sidewalks and walls of Hongdae adds to the energy of the vibrant ambiance of this favorite university neighborhood. Thought-provoking art leaves no space untouched. The messages in the works are deep. The pictures are gripping. The emotions of the artists are almost tangible. For some of the best murals, head to the alleyways surrounding Hongik University.
94 Wausan-ro, Seogang-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, +82-2-1330
Ihwa-dong Mural Village (이화벽화마을)
A steep walk up the slopes of Naskan Mountain in northern Seoul will take you to Ihwa Mural Village, one of the country’s most famous moon villages. In the span of just a few years, the area has transformed from shanty town to tourist attraction thanks to government-run beautification initiatives. Along the streets that wind through the still-dilapidated homes is a collection of art installations, sculptures, murals and signboards created by over seventy artists. Perhaps the most famous of the works include paintings of flowers and fish cascading down steep stairways and giant portraits splashed across concrete underpasses.
6-18 Ihwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, +82-2-1330
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)
Gyeansan Mountain Incheon
Gyeansan Mountain is a Great Hike
Gyeansan san is a great mountain in Incheon not too far from the Incheon Airport, and about an hour from downtown Seoul. There are multiple trails into the mountain. The best trailhead starts a few blocks from the Gyeansan way stop on Incheon Line 1 subway system. You can also find trails starting at Gyean station on the Airport Express line (and soon on line 9 once that extension is finished).
Hiking to the top takes no more than two hours depending upon where you start. There is a nice pavilion on the top. Multiple trail options so doing a loop trail, which I prefer, is quite doable.
At the bottom of the trail, there are multiple restaurants though mostly Korean food. There are CVS stores so it is easy to get snacks before hiking. There is a fair amount of info in English online. But no real good trail maps but then you don’t really need one as it is easy to follow – just go up!
Gyeyang Mountain (also called MT. Gyeyang, Mount Gyeyang, Gyeyang San or 계양산) is located in northern Incheon in the Gyesan-dong area of Gyeyang-gu. It stands 395m above sea level and is officially Incheon’s highest mountain. It is a very popular hiking trial and not just with people people from the Incheon & Seoul areas but people from all over South Korea enjoy climbing it.
The Mountain is a pretty easy climb and depending on which trail you take only takes about an hour to reach the summit (2 hours round trip), while other trails can take close to 2 hours (4 hours round trip). There are nice views over Incheon and as well as the more countryside area of northern Incheon.
After climbing the Gyesan-dong and neighboring Imhak-dong have plenty of restaurants to enjoy (although most are Korean style) as well as hiking and regular stores.
Location and Links
The best and easiest way to get to Gyeyang Mountain (계양산) is via subway. If you go to Gyesan Station (Incheon Line One) and then take either exit a or b and walk up the hill and to the foot of the mountain.
Also here are a couple of useful links about Gyeyang Mountain (계양산):
* Office of Gyeyang-Gu Page – Includes information on hiking trails as well as travel advice in English
Hiking in South Korea is possible during the winter months but difficult, the best times to hiking Gyeyang Mountain (계양산) or any other in Korea is from March to November.
I have found several new trails to conquer Gyeansan.
from Gyean station on the Airport railroad, go to the right and then to the left and follow the stream path until you come to the Gyeansan mountain trailhead (with map)
from there you can take multiple trails to the top of the mountain, or around the mountain. The trail to the top ends up with a lot of stairs.
the trail around the mountain eventually leads to the Gyeansan Rose garden which is very pretty this time of year. there is also a nice Buddhist temple there.
Dining Options for Western Expat Bars in Incheon
For dinner, you can either take a bus or a taxi to Bupyeong market station. There is a great burger joint there. There is also an expat bar called Woodstock that has friendly English speaking waitresses. Great place to end a hike.
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 with information about two other stream bed walks I have discovered. One is near Kimpo airport, the other is near Kyunghee University, my old stomping ground. That one is one of the longest biking trail in Seoul stretching from Euijongbu to the Han River parks.
ARA Canal Incheon provides 18 km of great walking/biking trail – great place for a walk/bike near Incheon Airport
One of the things that amazes me about Korea is that no one in Korea seems to realize how great their bike and hiking paths are and they are not promoted at all. Very hard to find out anything about them.
They have sprouted all over the country and are great. One of the nicer ones is the ARA walking path that winds along both sides of the ARA ship canal from the Han River to the Incheon harbor, about ten miles in length.
I had driven by their many times admiring the waterfall and vowing that someday I would take a walk along the ARA.
For this trip, I started off at Gyeyan station on the Railroad express (also line two Incheon Subway). From there we walked down country roads through the edges of mountain. One could easily go up into the mountain from there if one wanted to although that is not the major route to the mountain top, for that you need to go to Gyeansan station on the number two Incheon subway.
After a three mile walk through the country roads, we came to the ARA waterway. It took a while to find an access road down to the trail along the waterway. But once we did it was a very nice walk. A bit windy but nice. When we got to Geoman station – nearest station to the ARA – we had walked 7 miles. We had lunch at a Café Le Mer which overlooks the waterway. It was too windy though to picnic.
There are river cruise ships that go up and down the river way as well. But again, not promoted very much.
I have three complaints about the ARA. First of course is the lack of promotion alluded above. This includes lack of signage from Geoman station which is the only train station that is walking distance to the ARA.
Second, there is very limited access points to the walkway. There should be steps down to the walk way every half mile in my opinion. Most of the steps have been disabled as they are too dangerous to use. They should be maintained! And used.
There are access points here and there – and they are wheel chair accessible which is a big plus. But not enough and too far apart.
Third, there are only a few places to rent bikes – one by the Geoman station and the other two are at the ends of the trail.
Fourth there are no maps available anywhere. The trail connects to the Han River walk so one could ride a bike all the way into Seoul and beyond. Why that is not promoted to a wider audience is beyond me.
Fifth and this is beyond their control, it is windy as hell. Why they don’t line it with wind turbines is beyond me. They should. They have a couple of old wind turbines that are just for display.
All in all, I’d give this an B – the lack of promotion and access is a serious flaw in my opinion.
for more info see the following blog excerpts
Gyeongin Ara Waterway (경인 아라뱃길)
Wiki Article on ARA Canal
• •
The Ara Canal or Gyeongin Ara Waterway (Hangul: 경인 아라뱃길) is a canal in South Korea, linking the Han River to the Yellow Sea. It extends from Incheon district Seo-gu to Seoul Gangseo-gu. It was built in 2012. The purpose of the canal is to provide flood control and to facilitate leisure pursuits.
Contents
• 1History
• 2Outline of the Ara Canal project
• 3Controversy
• 4Contents
o 4.1Scenic views of Suhyang
o 4.2Sport
4.2.1Bicycle
4.2.2Ara Marina
o 4.3Cultural life
4.3.1Gyeongin Ara Culture Festival
4.3.2Hyundai premium outlet
• 5Notes
History[edit]
Choe I, son of Choe Chung-heon, attempted to construct a canal in the Goryeo period. It failed as it was technologically unfeasible. One of the Joseon kings also tried and failed.
The Gulpocheon river “waterproof road” project was started in 1992. Gulpocheon’s limitation was lack of water flow. In particular, there was a flood in the summer of 1987, resulting in six thousand flood victims in the Incheon area. To solve this problem, Gulpocheon waterproofing[clarification needed] was undertaken, starting with a five-year survey. In 1995, the Gyeongin canal project was planned, and controversies followed over the next 20 years.
The project was started in 2009 and completed in 2012.[1]
Outline of the Ara Canal project[edit]
Division Contents
Project Section Incheon Seo-gu Sicheon-dong – Seoul Gangseo-gu Gaehwa-dong
Facilities Plan main Canal: total length 18 km (width: 80 m, depth of water: 6.3m)
Incheon terminal: 244 million(㎡), door of lock: 2
Gimpo terminal: 187 million(㎡), door of lock: 2
Back complex: Incheon terminal back complex, Gimpo terminal back complex[2]
Total cost ₩1.6 trillion (about US$1.4 billion at May 2012 exchange rates)
Project period 2009–2012
Controversy[edit]
Controversy over the construction of the Ara canal can be traced back to 1995. The Gulpocheon waterproof project was examined according to several scenarios. One scenario was to dig the waterway in such a way as to discharge water into the Yellow Sea. Another was that the utility Gimpo develop the region for a reservoir. Though the latter is more economical, the government selected the former way in order to boost Korea’s economy.
The waterway extended in the direction of the Yellow Sea (width: 40~80m, length: 14.2 km). They also constructed a 3.8 km length of waterway to the Hangang river. After long discussion, the government carried forward to private sector investment and Hyudai Engineering & Construction was selected as the main business operator in 1995.
With no economic benefit[citation needed] and a negative effect on the ecosystem, public opinion turned against the project. Business operator and Ministry of Construction and Transportation submitted an ‘economic analysis’ and demand prediction report to demonstrate the project’s validity. As a result, eight reports were made for Gyeongin Ara canal. The cost-benefit report about Gyeongin Ara canal submitted by Korea water resources corporation gained 2.08 and 2.2 scores in 1996. However, when the IMFcrisis occurred, the project was cut.
After the IMF crisis passed, the ministry of construction and transportation requested a KDI report of demand prediction and cost analysis in 2002. This time the score was 0.8166 and on reanalysis the score remained below 1. They rejected the report and delayed service cost to adjust report. The KDI resubmitted report by eight scenario including method of main traffic road and whether road charging or not. The result is 0.9223 to 1.2807. However, in 2003, the board of audit and inspection of Korea confirmed inflated result. So they stopped this project and requested disciplinary action.
In August 2004, the ministry of construction and transportation assigned project’s report service to Netherlands company and got a 1.76 score in March 2007. In 2008, KDI investigated this report again and submitted score result 1.065. Also predicted the quantity of goods transported in 2011 was 290 thousand 4000 TEU related to container, 6.3 million ton related to sea sand, 5 million ton related to steel, 6 million related to passenger. At this point, 80 percent of container and 53 percent of sea sand are included the quantity of goods transported in yellow sea. Also the tailrace[clarification needed] which discharged water to hanyang river was completed in width 80 m. It was decision to consider Ara canal. The member of the national assembly of opposition party said that if government don’t consider the Ara canal, the width is enough to 40 m.[3]
This controversy reappeared during the project period. In the summer of 2010, there was damage in the nearby Ara canal region, due to heavy rain. Environment groups insisted that this project has no effect to prevent disaster, like flood or heavy rain. Also they said that the Ara canal has no plan to build ‘rain water pump station’, ‘rain water pipe’ and so on. So they demanded that this project be reexamined. But Korea Water Resource Corporation insisted that if the Ara canal has not existed, this had great damage. This damage was due to lack of capacity in pipe conduit. The Ara canal help to prevent a great damage to flow rainwater. Also the Ara canal’s role is to flow rainwater to Yellow sea by preventing flood. So installing ‘rain water pump station’ and ‘rain water pipe’ and others are not related to this project.[4]
Contents[edit]
One of the parks on Ara Canal
Scenic views of Suhyang[edit]
There are eight scenic views of suhyang. First is “The Yellow Sea” , “Ara Incheon passenger terminal”, “Sicheon Riverside”, “Ara Waterfall”, “Suhyangwon”, “Duri Eco Park”, “Ara Gimpo Passenger Terminal” and “Ara Hangang Waterside”.[5][6]
Suhyang 2 Ara light island
Suhyang 3 Sicheon park resting place
Suhyang 4 Ara maru / Ara waterfall
Suhyang 5 Traditional palace
Suhyang 6 Auto camping place
Suhyang 7 The water’s edge square
In “Ara Waterway”, there is a 41.3 km bicycle path[7]
There are five bicycle rental shops in Ara Waterway.
There are three facilities in the Ara Marina region.
The yacht mooring facility accommodates 199 ships (water: 136, land: 58). The marina support facility has a “ship gas station”, “ship repair shop”, “crane”, “inclined plane”, “washing room”, “sewage disposal”. Also in the Ara marine center, there is a convention center, wedding hall and restaurant.[9] In late May, the Gimpo mayor yacht contest is held.
Cultural life[edit]
Gyeongin Ara Culture Festival[edit]
‘Gyeongin Ara Culture Festival’ was first held in October 2013. It is a nine-day festival.[10] The program has changed every year. The programs are divided by region, Incheon jeongseojin.
Hyundai premium outlet[edit]
The shopping mall opened in February 2015.[11] It is the largest shopping mall in the Ara canal region.
Address
41 Jeongseojin 1-ro, Seo-gu, Incheon
경기도 김포시 고촌읍 아라육로270번길 74
Type
Amusement Parks/ Tourist Resorts
Inquiries
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330
(Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
• For more info: +82-1899-3650,
+82-31-999-7833~4
Homepage http://www.giwaterway.kr
(Korean only) http://www.waterway.or.kr
(Korean only)
Go to map
• Information
Introduction
Ara Waterway flows downstream of the Hangang River to the West Sea.
In the 13th century, King Gojong, the twenty-sixth king of the Korean Joseon dynasty started the waterway construction for the first time, but it was discontinued due to technical obstacles and the difficult state of the country.
In 2011, Ara Wateway was finally completed. Along the main waterway are ports and water bridges. and people can enjoy the parkways and Ara-rium.
Telephone
+82-1899-3650, +82-31-999-7832
Activity Information
[Aramarina Yacht School]
ㆍDinghy yacht class: 40,000 won – 300,000 won (varies by level)
ㆍCruiser yacht class: 250,000 won for certificate training course / 170,000 won for long distance sailing
* Inquiries regarding Yacht school: +82-70-4247-6730 (Gyeonggi-do Yachting Association)
[Water Leisure Experience]
ㆍCanoe, kayak, water bike – 7,000 won (30 minutes) per person
ㆍBumper boat – 7,000 won (20 minutes) / per person
ㆍYacht – 15,000 won (50 minutes) / per person
ㆍPontoon boat – 15,000 won (30 minutes) / per person
* Waterway + (plus): Inquiry +82-31-999-7895
[Gyeongin Ara Waterway Cruise]
ㆍIncheon pier ↔ Ara Waterway: 16,000 won for adults
* Departure and arrival points are subject to change according to dinner
ㆍYeouido Island ↔ Ara Waterway ↔ Deokjeokdo Island: 57,700 won for adults
* Departure and arrival points are subject to change according to dinner
* Inquiry to Hyundai Cruise: +82-32-882-5555
[Amphibious Bus]
ㆍAdults 30,000 won / Teenagers 25,000 won / Children 20,000 won
* People with disabilities & Seniors: 20% discount
* Early-morning discount: 20% discount
* Inquiries to Aqua Tour Korea: +82-1670-3355, +82-32-747-3355
[Bike rental]
ㆍ4,000 won for 1 hour * Inquiry to Waterway + (plus): +82-31-999-7834
Operating Hours
[Ara Waterway Incheon Terminal]
Ararium Culture Hall 09:00-18:00
Ara Tower Observatory 09:00-22:00
[Ara Maru]
Round-observatory 09:00-22:00
[Aramarina Yacht School & Yacht Activity]
March-November 10:00-18:00
* Reservation must be made in advance via website or phone.
[Water Leisure Activity (Ara Gimpo Terminal)]
April-October 10:00-18:00
* Permanent operation / Closed on every Monday
Pontoon boat (11:00-20:00)
[Cruise Experience]
* Schedule and course must be checked in advance as it is possible to operate irregularly depending on weather conditions and boarding numbers.
* Hyundai Cruise: http://www.scruise.com, +82-32-882-5555
[Amphibious Bus]
10:00-18:00 / Intervals: every 1 hour
* Check in advance for bus operations as it may subject to changes depending on weather conditions.
* Aqua Tour Korea: +82-1670-3355, +82-32-747-3355
Parking Facilities
Available
Available Facilities
Main facilities
Main Waterway
Terminal (Gyeongin Incheon Port Terminal, Gyeongin Gimpo Port Terminal)
Barrage (West Ara Barrage, Ara Hangang River Barrage)
Bridges (Cheongungyo Bridge, Baekseok Bridge, Geyang Bridge, Baekungyo Bridge)
Sightseeing facilities
Ara-rium
Barrage Control Center
Lookout
Fountain
Ara Waterway Bridge
Facilities
Information center, coffee shop, observation deck, restaurants, rest areas, toilets, etc.
Facility Utilization Fees
[Duri Ecological Camping Site]
Site A (for car): 25,000 won per night
Site B & C (for general visitors): 20,000 won per night
* Inquiries to Waterway+: +82-10-3824-0426
Restrooms
Available
Korean Info. Service
Available
* Operating hours: 09:00-18:00
* Inquiry for reservation of the service: +82-1899-3650
Interpretation Services Offered
Available in Chinese (09:00-18:00)
* Inquiries: +82-32-561-1339
Ara Waterway Canal – 경인아라뱃길 from Korean travel blog
July 15, 2018
After I moved to Line 9, I create a new objective to explore more places around this line area. This time I want to share a healing place near Incheon. The place called Ara Waterway, here is the official website.
When I searched about this place, lots of beautiful pictures posted online. Most people posted about the transparent observation deck, where you can enjoy the waterway view from top of the deck. The deck floor is made of glass. Feel it yourself
The deck named Aramaru Observation Deck (아라마루전망대)
How to Go
This is important. If you search in the naver map, the map will tell you to get off at Geomam Station, the airport railroad. Well its not wrong, but you are in trouble if your purpose is too visit the deck.
If you get off at Geomam Station, go to exit 2 or 3, and walk around 200m to arrive at the Ara Waterway cruise ticket booth. This point is the start point if you want to enjoy the cruise. As I remember, the price is 16000 KRW for 1 adult. This place called Sicheon Bridge.
You can take bus from here to the Aramaru deck, however last time I couldn’t find the bus stop and ended up walking for 1h to reach the deck ._. You can walk along the Bike Road. Once you arrived at Sicheon Bridge, you will find elevator beside a big statue. Take the elevator and cross the bridge to the opposite site. After that walk to the Gyeyang Station direction. If you walk from Geomam Station, you need to turn right and walk to that direction.
However, if possible, I suggest you to get off at Gyeyang Station and take 597 bus from there. The bus will stop exactly in front of the observation deck HAHAHA The bus stop name is 둑실동아라마루전망대
Aramaru Deck
May Update
I have discovered two other great steam bed walks in the Seoul area.
Golden Walkway
the first is out by Kimpo airport in Janggi station (Gold Line opening July, 2019)
the Golden Walkway is a five k biking/walking path along a restored stream bed. the path leads to a central park that is pretty nice. Above the bike path are streets lined with restaurants and cafes. this is a newly emerging hipster neighborhood not too far from Kimpo airport.
Chungdechong Stream Bike Path (Eijongbu to Seoul Forrest)
the other trail runs to the east of Kyunghee University, and the University of Foreign Languages.. about a five minute walk from Hoeki station. This stream runs from Euijonbu to the Han River trails and goes by the Seoul Forrest. It is lined with bike rental stations. 5,000 won per hour.
we went there during early Spring and it is a great place to see cherry trees. The trail also links to Paekdusan mountain and Changonsan mountains to the west of the bikeway. There are plenty of places to stop off to find a place to eat along the pathway which is one of the longest pathways in the city.
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)
making American Sports Great Again
What is Wrong with Professional Sports and how to Fix It
American Professional sports are in trouble! Attending a professional sports game has become unaffordable for the average person and that is a damn shame. Fewer children are learning how to play in school as schools cut back on sports and fitness programs due to costs, liability issues and changing preferences among the public. Sports teams are losing their connections to their local communities.
Yes, the state of American professional sports is deplorable. But I have a solution.
Making the game affordable!!!
We start by making the games affordable for the average person. My ire is directed against the NFL but my comments apply equally to all the major sports. Right now, if one wanted to attend a professional game one would have to spend hundreds of dollars to get tickets, go to the stadium and spend a small fortune for food and drinks. Totally preposterous in my opinion.
I call upon the NFL to end the practice of only selling high price season tickets to a select few. They should sell tickets at a price that people could afford to attend a game. Perhaps setting the average ticket at 10 dollars? And on game days, sell remaining tickets for 5 dollars. Thereby filling up the stadium for every game. That would generate excitement and generate loyalty among the fan base. Better for everyone than the current system where the average price of tickets are about 100 dollars a ticket if one can be obtained at all.
Expanding number of professional teams
I think that there are too few professional teams. There is a market for football that is not being met. At a minimum there should be a professional sports team in every major metropolitan area, and in some areas more than one team could compete.
There are some obvious places that could and should have a team. Sacramento, California? Portland, Oregon? Reno, Nevada? Salt Lake City? There could be up to 60 teams competing across the country. I would also add teams in Mexico and merge with the Canadian football league as well.
The season should be extended as well so that there are 25 to 30 season games prior to the play offs.
Expanding Overseas
I would expand the NFL franchise worldwide setting up a real league in Europe, Latin America and Asia. Why not? This would apply to baseball, basketball, hockey as well as Football.
Real Super Bowl
I would make the super bowl a real super bowl. I would take the best teams of each of the regional leagues and have them compete with the top two teams playing in the Super Bowl. There is no reason why this could not become the biggest game of the year across the world.
World Cup Baseball
I would change the way the world series is done. Each country that has pro baseball (there are over 32) would choose their national champions and then the champions would compete in a world cup of baseball held in the early Spring. For example, if the SF Giants won the North American series they would represent North America in the world cup of baseball, and represent the US in the Olympics as well.
World Cup for Basketball
I would change the way the way that Basketball selects their champions. Each country that has pro baseball (there are over 32) would choose their national champions and then the champions would compete in a world cup of basketball held in the summer. For example, if the SF Giants won the North American series they would represent North America in the world cup of baseball, and represent the US in the Olympics as well.
World Cup for Hockey
For hockey I would expand the number of teams playing professionally, and expand overseas as well. The top teams would compete for a world cup of hockey to be played in early Summer.
Changing the World Cup for Soccer to a once a Year format
I would change how teams are selected to play in the world cup. Each soccer playing nation would select their national champion who would then compete in an annual world cup. For example, DC United might win the North American series then compete in the World cup to represent North America, and they would also compete in the Olympics.
Adopting local schools and colleges
To develop the next generation of players and fans, I would have the professional teams adopt local school districts and colleges and fully fund sports programs. They would do this in cooperation with the other professional teams in the region. The school districts would have a fully funded sports program. Professional athletes would volunteer to serve as coaches during the off season. The student athletes would be given passes so that they could attend professional games for free. This one action would guarantee that children grown up having the opportunity to play sports and generate excitement for the game among the next generation. And it would not cost the professional team a lot of money, and generate a tremendous amount of good will.
Requiring professional athletes to have a degree, and helping them
Find jobs after retirement
All the professional sports federations would jointly agree that they would only hire professional athletes who have finished their college playing days with a degree. They could compete in the professional league for one year on a provisional contract but must have their degree in hand before they begin their second year. I would make the standard contract five years so that players really become part of their communities.
With the proliferation of overseas teams, I would also bring in the best foreign players as well as letting US athletes play overseas as well.
Finally, after a professional athlete ‘s career is over, the professional teams would make every effort to help the professional athlete stay involve with the game by assisting them in getting full time employment as coaches across the country.
Changing the incentive structure so winning means more money per player, loosing means lots lets money per player
Right now, it seems that sometimes professional athletes are phoning it in so to speak. So, I would change the compensation so that winning teams get most of the proceeds from a game, with the loosing team getting their costs covered. This little change would make the games so much more exciting as athletes would have a real incentive to compete
Setting up a North American Sports Commission to oversee professional sports across North America – Consisting of head of NFL, MLB, NBA, MLSS, Hockey, Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Track and Field and Olympics
I would set up Public private partnership to set policy for professional sports in North America including Caribbean, annual conference after the week after the world super bowl followed by the drafting for professional sports teams (all at the same time) just before the beginning of Baseball, soccer etc.
Thus, the NFL would become the NFL commissioner, etc. The head of the North American professional sports commissions would be the NFL commissioner. His or her job would be to coordinate all aspects of the game along with his/her counterparts in the other sports leagues and the Olympics, Pro Golfing, Pro Tennis, Pro Bowling and track and field.
Each city would have its own sports commission consisting of the heads of the local professional sports teams, and the university athletes’ directors. The sports federation would also have players serve on the commission as well.
With these modest proposals enacted, American professional sports can regain their rightful role in America life.
Jake Cosmos Aller
My thoughts on the dismal state of Baseball and what can be done to bring it back. I sent this letter off to MLB but they never responded. Their lost.
Letter to MLB
Commissioner
Baseball is in crisis. Its long term viability as America’s pastime is in serious question as fewer people especially younger viewers are baseball fans. The solution is for MLB to take bold steps to restore Baseball as America’s pastime if not the world’s pastime.
Here’s my proposal to turn MLB around. It requires bold action, and considerable investment of time and resources to grow the sport.
There are four basic elements to my proposal.
First a dramatic expansion of baseball so that there are major league team teams in every state in the US, every province in Canada, and Mexico, and in the DR, PI, and Venezuela and Nicaragua. That would mean expanding the number of teams to 120 teams from the 35 teams that exist today.
This would not be as difficult to accomplish as you might first think. First you would convert minor league teams into major league teams. You would make sure that there is a major league team in each state in the U.S., each Canadian province, each Mexican State and in the baseball playing countries of the Caribbean, and in Asia and Europe as well, making it a real world sport.
Each team would play mostly in its region which will be as follows:
Northwest League
Southwest League
South East League
Northeast League
Central League
And Caribbean/Mexican League
Asia League
European League
This would make it more affordable for teams to travel as they would mostly be playing against teams in their region.
The leagues would be adjusted a bit to ensure that they are all about the same number of teams.
And there would be intense regional rivals for example in the Bay area there would be regular games between SF and Oakland.
There would also be expansion to ensure that all major markets have a team. For example, in California we would add a team in Sacramento and San Jose. And we would add a team in Las Vegas, and Portland.
At the end of the season the North American champion would be crowned and that champion would advance to the world cup every four years. Otherwise they would just be the national champion. See below for the world cup discussion.
Second, each team would adopt a local school district and local college.
To grow baseball’s future fan, base each team would adopt a local school district and local college fully funding baseball programs in the local school and college including scholarships for talented students to go to college.
This would also involve players and team officials serving as coaches and advisors in the local schools helping them develop and expand their baseball programs.
MLB would also recruit for their teams from the local colleges that they sponsor. And MLB would also only accept as players athletes who have finished their college programs with a degree setting an example to the other major sport franchises that MLB values education and wants to ensure that their athletes finish their education before beginning their professional sporting career.
I think that the NFL, and NBA should follow suit. It is disgusting that major league sports take student athletes before they graduate and then after a few years spit them out without them having had a chance to earn their degrees.
So, MBA should step up to the plate and say,
If you want to play in the majors, you must finish your degree before your first game, or within one year or we will cut you from playing. That would help the student athletes, and well be the right thing to do.
Third, each team would guarantee that a certain percentage of their tickets would be affordable.
Attending a major sports event costs too much money. To grow the fan, base each team would sell half price tickets on game day and one hour before the game sell the remaining tickets for five dollars thus making baseball affordable to everyone. And they would treat the families of their school programs and college programs to free baseball games. And they would also each week sponsor free tickets for those in need – people living in shelters, people living with chronic illnesses etc.
Fourth a world cup format would replace the world series.
All countries that play baseball would be invited to participate in the world cup of baseball. At the end of the season in October the national teams from at least 64 countries would play in the world cup which will be held every fourth year. The US will host the first world cup, and then sponsorship will rotate around all the participating countries so all 64 countries will eventually get to host a world cup of baseball.
Setting up a North American Sports Commission to oversee professional sports across North America – Consisting of head of NFL, MLB, NBA, MLSS, Hockey, Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Track and Field and Olympics
I would set up Public private partnership to set policy for professional sports in North America including Caribbean, annual conference after the week after the world super bowl followed by the drafting for professional sports teams (all at the same time) just before the beginning of Baseball, soccer etc.
Thus, the NFL would become the NFL commissioner, etc. The head of the North American professional sports commissions would be the NFL commissioner. His or her job would be to coordinate all aspects of the game along with his/her counterparts in the other sports leagues and the Olympics, Pro Golfing, Pro Tennis, Pro Bowling and track and field.
Each city would have its own sports commission consisting of the heads of the local professional sports teams, and the university athletes’ directors. The sports federation would also have players serve on the commission as well.
With this modest proposal enacted, American professional sports can regain their rightful role in America life.
If the MLB were to take these steps they would dramatically turn the sport around.
Thank you for taking the time to read my proposal and I look forward to hearing back from you staff and I hope that you can implement some of my ideas and I hope that MLB will continue to expand and prosper.
Thank you
Jake Aller
Life time SF Giant and Oakland A’s fan
Letter to NFL
I write the following letter to the NFL commissioner
NFL Commissioner:
Now that the NFL has approved the Raiders move to Las Vegas, it is time to consider an ambitious NFL expansion program.
The NFL is facing a crisis in a few years. More and more schools and colleges are dropping football programs due to costs, liability issues and the perceived danger of the sport.
Attending a football game is a prohibitive expense for most people. And most people think that the NFL owners are out of touch billionaires who don’t care about the community, and don’t care about the welfare of the players.
Because of these issues the fan base has begun to shrink and will continue to shrink. People have options in their sports entertainment and fewer are opting to spend it watching football.
The NFL must combat these issues and the best way to do is through an expansion program, coupled with plans to make games more affordable and community outreach programs including fully funding football programs at local schools and colleges.
If the NFL caries out these reforms, the game will continue to prosper. If the NFL does not, then football will decline and become a minor sport.
Regarding the expansion program, the NFL should rename itself the North American Football League and merge with the Canadian Football league and then set up teams in Mexico and the Caribbean. Domestically the NFL should ensure that almost every state has at least one NFL team, and many states will have multiple teams. Perhaps 75 in total.
At a minimum, I would make sure that SF/Oakland has a team again, Sacramento has a team, Portland Oregon, and has a team as well as all the other major cities that do not have teams currently. The Dakotas should have only one team, and perhaps Rhode Island could share a team with Delaware. NYC perhaps could have five teams, Chicago an additional team.
Mexico could have five to ten teams, Canada could have five to ten teams, and there should be teams in the DR, PR, Virgin Islands, and Guam.
Then the NFL should set up an European league, (with UK teams) and an Asian-Pacific league with teams from India, China to Japan.
The schedule should be expanded to start in July and end in January. Game days should be Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday to allow for expanded travel.
The North American League should be sub-divided into five zones NE, NW, SW, SE, and Mexico, Caribbean.
Teams would compete within their zones until the play offs with a few inter league games per season.
Along with this I would suggest that the NFL set up a World Cup for Football and replace the Super bowl with an American Bowl followed by World Cup championship perhaps every four years. The way the new super bowl would work is that each country that plays American football would send their championship teams to the Super bowl. There are about 10 to 20 countries that play American style football. the idea would be a round robin with the champions of each nation competing with the two finalists going one on one.
For the first super bowl the North American champions would host it, then afterwards the North American team would have to compete for the bowl slot. The major difference between the super bowl and the world cup would be that there would not be national teams competing rather each country would send their top winning team which wins their national championship forward.
I would also suggest that the NFL create a formal partnership with local Universities and local school districts. The NFL teams could adopt local high schools and colleges where they would provide support, training, tickets and scholarships to students to play football at college. the support for the local schools would be covering the cost of having local football teams at each high school in the districts that are nearest the host affiliate.
The cost of having football programs at high school and colleges is prohibitive for many districts and smaller colleges which inhibit the growth and development of the game. You have to grow fans by growing players and support at the local level. It is time that the NFL show some real leadership to develop the game that we all love.
The top graduating students from those local colleges would be invited to compete each year to join the local NFL affiliate. And I would require that all college athletics competing to join a NFL team must graduate before being able to play. Having a graduation rule would send a very positive signal that the NFL really supports the idea of the student athletic program and would guarantee that those players who only play one or two seasons at least have their college degree behind them.
Doing this community outreach on a major scale will help tremendously expand the base for football and grow new generations of fans. The cost would be modest but the payoff would be tremendous.
The final part of the outreach program should be making attending a game affordable again. To be frank attending a game is a huge expense for most people. I would reserve 25 percent of tickets for same day sales at a deep discount with tickets being given out for free just before the game. And I would ensue that 10 percent of the tickets cost 10 dollars each. I would also sponsor free tickets for various groups including nursing homes, veteran groups and community groups at each game.
This will fill the stadiums, increase revenue and increase the excitement of the game making attending a game affordable again.
A final point, the NFL should partner with the local cities, and other sports teams to build and maintain a world class multi-use stadium. There is no reason why the stadium could not be shared by the other sports teams, colleges and school districts. And be made available for special events. The city should own and manage the facility but a board of directors with representatives from the various other teams, universities and high schools should be on the board of directors. The stadium should also feature mostly local brands. The cost of building the stadium should be jointly shared but the NFL should pay the lion’s share of the cost as a good will gesture.
Setting up a North American Sports Commission to oversee professional sports across North America – Consisting of head of NFL, MLB, NBA, MLSS, Hockey, Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Track and Field and Olympics
I would set up Public private partnership to set policy for professional sports in North America including Caribbean, annual conference after the week after the world super bowl followed by the drafting for professional sports teams (all at the same time) just before the beginning of Baseball, soccer etc.
Thus, the NFL would become the NFL commissioner, etc. The head of the North American professional sports commissions would be the NFL commissioner. His or her job would be to coordinate all aspects of the game along with his/her counterparts in the other sports leagues and the Olympics, Pro Golfing, Pro Tennis, Pro Bowling and track and field.
Each city would have its own sports commission consisting of the heads of the local professional sports teams, and the university athletes’ directors. The sports federation would also have players serve on the commission as well.
With these modest proposals enacted, American professional sports can regain their rightful role in America life.
I believe that if the NFL adopts such a comprehensive far reaching expansion program the sport would become the world dominating sport it should be.
I welcome your comments.
Letter to the NBA
Dear Commissioner,
Basketball is in crisis. Its long term viability as America’s pastime is in serious question as fewer people especially younger viewers are basketball fans. The solution is for NBA to take bold steps to restore basketball as America’s pastime if not the world’s pastime.
Here’s my proposal to turn NBA around. It requires bold action, and considerable investment of time and resources to grow the sport.
There are five basic elements to my proposal.
First a dramatic expansion of basketball so that there are major league team teams in every state in the US, every province in Canada, and Mexico, and in the DR, PI, and Venezuela and Nicaragua. That would mean expanding the number of teams to 120 teams from the 35 teams that exist today.
This would not be as difficult to accomplish as you might first think. First you would convert minor league teams into major league teams. You would make sure that there is a major league team in each state in the U.S., each Canadian province, each Mexican State and in the basketball playing countries of the Caribbean, and in Asia and Europe as well, making it a real world sport.
Each team would play mostly in its region which will be as follows:
Northwest League
Southwest League
South East League
Northeast League
Central League
And Caribbean/Mexican League
Asia League
European League
This would make it more affordable for teams to travel as they would mostly be playing against teams in their region.
The leagues would be adjusted a bit to ensure that they are all about the same number of teams.
And there would be intense regional rivals for example in the Bay area there would be regular games between SF and Oakland.
There would also be expansion to ensure that all major markets have a team. For example, in California we would add a team in San Jose. And we would add a team in Las Vegas, and elsewhere. The goal would be that every state would have at least one professional basketball team to root for. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
At the end of the season the North American champion would be crowned and that champion would advance to the world cup every four years. Otherwise they would just be the national champion. See below for the world cup discussion.
Second, each team would adopt a local school district and local college.
To grow basketball’s future fan base, each team would adopt a local school district and local college fully funding basketball programs in the local school and college including scholarships for talented students to go to college.
This would also involve players and team officials serving as coaches and advisors in the local schools helping them develop and expand their basketball programs.
The NBA would also recruit for their teams from the local colleges that they sponsor. And the NBA, and other professional sports leagues, would also only accept as players athletes who have finished their college programs with a degree setting an example to the other major sport franchises that NBA values education and wants to ensure that their athletes finish their education before beginning their professional sporting career.
I think that the NFL, MLB, MLSS, Hockey, Tennis and Golfing should follow suit. It is disgusting that major league sports take student athletes before they graduate and then after a few years spit them out without them having had a chance to earn their degrees.
So, the NBA should step up to the plate and say,
If you want to play in the majors, you must finish your degree before your first game, or within one year or we will cut you from playing. That would help the student athletes, and is the right thing to do.
Third, each team would guarantee that a certain percentage of their tickets would be affordable.
Attending a major sports event costs too much money. To grow the fan base, each team would sell half price tickets on game day and one hour before the game sell the remaining tickets for five dollars thus making basketball affordable to everyone. And they would treat the families of their school programs and college programs to free basketball games. And they would also each week sponsor free tickets for those in need – people living in shelters, people living with chronic illnesses etc.
Fourth, a world cup format would replace the NBA Championship Game.
All countries that play basketball would be invited to participate in the world cup of basketball. At the end of the season in October the national teams from at least 64 countries would play in the world cup which will be held every fourth year. The US will host the first world cup, and then sponsorship will rotate around all the participating countries so all 64 countries will eventually get to host a world cup of basketball.
Setting up a North American Sports Commission to oversee professional sports across North America – Consisting of head of NFL, MLB, NBA, MLSS, Hockey, Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Track and Field and Olympics
I would set up Public private partnership to set policy for professional sports in North America including Caribbean, annual conference after the week after the world super bowl followed by the drafting for professional sports teams (all at the same time) just before the beginning of Baseball, soccer etc.
Thus, the NFL would become the NFL commissioner, etc. The head of the North American professional sports commissions would be the NFL commissioner. His or her job would be to coordinate all aspects of the game along with his/her counterparts in the other sports leagues and the Olympics, Pro Golfing, Pro Tennis, Pro Bowling and track and field.
Each city would have its own sports commission consisting of the heads of the local professional sports teams, and the university athletes’ directors. The sports federation would also have players serve on the commission as well.
With these modest proposals enacted, American professional sports can regain their rightful role in America life.
If the NBA were to take these steps they would dramatically turn the sport around.
Thank you for taking the time to read my proposal and I look forward to hearing back from you staff and I hope that you can implement some of my ideas and I hope that NBA will continue to expand and prosper.
Thank you
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)
You can follow our page on Facebook at : https://www.facebook.com/CherryHousePress/
We will post the date of when our anthology will be released.
Thanks again for your submission! Have a great day.
Sincerely,
Ariana R Cherry
Cherry House Press
You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.
~Author Unknown
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 inStar 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 it made me sure that she was in Korea waiting for me.
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 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-five years ago, and I am still married to the girl in my dreams. Now, whenever we are apart, I still see her in my dreams, watching over me as I sleep.
~Jake Cosmos Aller
Plethora Magazine has published October Falling Rain and the Story of How We Met plethora magazine
Monalisa Joshi<plethorablogazine@rediffmail.com>
Feb 13, 2019, 10:51 PM
to me
Falling Rain
The falling rain
Of late October
Fills me with essential dread
As I rush about
And end up here
Wherever here is
The rain outside
Seems like the tears of god
As I sit
Crying over my beer
Thinking of lost love
And failed dreams
Wondering
What went wrong?
And what I can set right
And the rain falls
And the night darkens
The rain is falling
All over this man’s world
And the rain falls
And I sit
Drinking my lonesome drink
Lost in dreary lonely dreams
Dreaming of what
Could never be
Thinking dark thoughts
And so I sit there in the bar
And drink and dream the night away
The Story of How We Met
this is a true story. I had the first dream in 1974, and met her in 1982.
It all began in Berkeley, California
In the spring time of 1974
One fateful afternoon
I was doing in my high school
Physics class.
I looked up and saw
A tall, beautiful Asian woman
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 meet.
And it has been 26 years
Since we met in the physical sphere
Or 37 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 life time
And the next and the next.
Dear Jake,
Hope this mail finds you in good health.
I am making this mail to inform you that the first digital winter issue of Plethora Magazine is live now and its breathing there amid the larger audience and people are truly appreciating and enjoying the first issue.
Hope you will enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed curating the content. And once again I thank you for your contribution which made the first issue possible.
Also the Spring Submission period has started, do check in the group for further details.
With Best Regards,
Monalisa Joshi
Audio Clips
7th Extinction Event
Dream Girl
Last Bee
October Rains
the Story of How We Met
Fake Mosquitos
A Revolution is Coming
One Night in Bombay
Old Cars are King of the Road Again
Illusions Stripped Away
Academy of Hearts and Mind has published “Illusions Striped Away,” “The Last Bee Ends Humanity’s Reign,” and “7th Extinction Event.
Illusions Stripped Away
Illusions Stripped Away
Illusions stripped away
I look at myself
63 years old
In reasonable health
Living with my wife
Retired living overseas
Writing a blog
Getting poetry and short stories published
And don’t understand
Why I can’t be happy
Political news infuriates me
And causes stress
Perhaps it is time to just let go
Don’t worry about things
That I can not control
Be content with what I have
Help manage our real estate
Write in my blog
Be more positive
Optimistic
And reflect on what I have
The Last Bee Ends humanity’s Reign
The Humboldt Glacier, located high in the Andes mountain range in Venezuela, is the country’s last glacier. Glaciers are disappearing around the world due to climate change, which has also been a factor in declines and extinctions of animal species elsewhere. This month saw the death of George, the last snail of the Hawaiian species Achatinella apexfulva, named after Lonesome George who died in 2012, the last of the Galápagos tortoises. Write a poem about an object that is the last of its kind to ever exist, either in reality or hypothetically. How is the disappearance of your chosen subject significant in its own way?
The end of humanity’s reign
Of supremacy on earth
Came about with the death
Of the last bee on earth
Scientists had been warning the world
For a number of years
Of the dire consequences of the collapse
Of the insect world
Especially the humble bee
That played such a vital role
In keeping many plants alive
The bees were eaten by birds
And the birds were eaten
By other animals
Without the work of the humble bee
Commercial agriculture collapsed
Causing widespread famine
Across the world
Scientists rushed to the rescue
Deploying robot bees
And GMO bees
But to no avail
The fix was in
And humanity’s goose
Was cooked so to speak
And with the collapse of agriculture
Came the collapse of urban civilization
And the end of urban civilization
Led to billions of people
Facing starvation in the ruined cities
Some rich people bounded together
And build vast underground cities
Where they continued the experiment
Of robot bees and GMO bees
But nothing worked
And humanity’s long descend
Towards extinction began
It all happened within a few years
One day everything was normal
Scandals, wars, threat of wars
Economic turmoil
Endless infotainment news
Three years latter
50 million rich people
Were living in caves
Along with 150 million slaves
The end of humanity
Caused the rests of the world
To gradually recover
The bees were never consulted
They had no role to play
Just the humble workers
Who had fed the world
But they were no more
Plants evolved
Other ways to survive
And the world went on
Without the human overlords
Who remained huddled in their caves
Dreaming of one day
Returning to reclaim the world
Just as the bible proclaimed
7th Extinction
7th Extinction Event
With the collapse of the humble bee
The 6th extinction event continued unabated
As climate change begins to unravel
Extreme weather becomes the norm
Commercial agriculture fails
Water and electric systems fail
Urban areas are abandoned
Terrified survivors
Huddle together
The rich retreat to underground caves
And take with them workers
Who become slave labor
But happy to be alive
As the 6th extinction
Morphs into the 7th
And final extinction event
The fall of humanity
Looms over the planet
With the collapse of urban civilization
Climate change slows down
But a new ice age
Long overdue
Starts in earnest
Natures ultimate revenge
Academy Heart <academyoftheheartandmind@gmail.com>
Mon, Feb 4, 10:30 PM
to me
Dear Jake,
You’re welcome. Your poems will appear on the website on March 7, 8, and 11.
Best,
Thomas Page
Editor
On Fri, Feb 1, 2019 at 5:44 PM jake aller <authorjakecosmosaller@gmail.com> wrote:
Hey thanks so much and thanks for making my day.
On Fri, Feb 1, 2019 at 10:42 PM Academy Heart <academyoftheheartandmind@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Jake,
Thank you for your submissions. We will publish your poems “Illusions Striped Away,” “The Last Bee Ends Humanity’s Reign,” and “7th Extinction Event.”
Here is the link to your other submission on our website:
One wild night in Bombay, India
I walked into 20 drinks too sober
On the wicked wrong end of a Friday night booze run
On the bad side of the Moon
over by where the Martian dudes
Sat drinking their Martian whisky,
ogling the Venus maidens
Leering at the earth women who were walking by
Wearing skin tight pants made their eyeballs hurt
I gave into the spirit and went over to the Martian dudes
And got drunk on the Martian madness,
shot after shot
Smoking some good old-fashioned Mars dust
And flew off to the planet Jupiter
Just to have me some fun with a lady
Who said she was from Saturn
I did not know she was from the planet Pluto
The
Until I woke up the next day,
naked, under the alien Sun
In jail on the Planet Alpha Centura,
light years from home,
A million miles away,
a thousand years in the future
And I had no money,
no honey,
no way home
Still 20 drinks too sober,
I just sat down in that jail
and started drinking away my time
Drinking fine cold assed Centurion wine
and Pluto Whisky
One day I woke up and found myself back in Bombay
Standing outside that that evil bar in the miasmic mist
Over by the Martian whorehouse,
down by the Gate of India
And I walked up to the Saturn-Pluto babe
And said, man that was some bad shit
Let’s do it again someday, she smiled and I had my way
Knew the day would come again
When I would be drinking with the Martians
And something wicked my way would come
Just another night of wicked fun
On the wrong side of the Moon
On the right night
in the mean streets of Bombay
Duane Voorhes has published “The Revolution Is Coming” and ‘Rambling Man” on his Poetree site.
A revolution is coming
A revolution is coming
I can feel it in my bones
A revolution is coming
And it will wipe out
The collapsing edifices
Of the American Empire
The masses are rising up
To throw off their chains
And demand justice
The masses are coming
For the masters of the universe
Their days are numbered
And they know it too
One day
The masses will rise up
Storm the citadels of power
Arresting the corrupt leaders
In the name of revolutionary justice
Stringing them up
Executing them
One by one
As the revolutionary fires
Consume the nation
And I can’t wait
For the revolution
Is long over due
Until I met the end
Of my life
Still wondering what it all meant
Lincoln Memorial — Vladimir Manyuhin
Rambling Man – Where Do I Belong?
I have been a rambling man
All my adult life
Grew up in Berkeley, California
Went to college in Hayward and Oberlin
During my lost year
Lost in a fog of booze and pot
Then I came back to reality
And went to college
In Stockton, California
The Central Valley
Ohio transplanted to California
Then after four years in Stockton
With extended weekends
And breaks in Berkeley
I became an expatriate wanderer
Peace Corps worker in Korea
Then taught ESL in Korea
For four years
Occasionally returning to my home
But always wanting to be elsewhere
Then back to Korea
And then Seattle for four years
Driving back and forth to the bay area
Stopping off in Southern Oregon
Eventually bought a house and duplex
In Southern Oregon
Vaguely thinking we would retire there
Some day when my rambling ways were over
Then back to Korea for three more years
Then I joined the Foreign service
And my wife the military
And I wandered the world again
Always somewhere
Always dreaming of my next somewhere
Never there
As I was a permanent expat
And a diplomat to boot
Never a local
But never really felt I belong there
Or in the America
That was becoming more and more
A foreign land
The longer I stayed away
I stayed on in DC for almost ten years
Off and on
But never really felt that I belong there
I was too West Coast in my heart
And DC seemed to be
Just a place to stay
In between travels
Stayed in Thailand
Then later India
And Eastern Caribbean
And later Spain
Traveled to 45 countries
Lived in ten
And now I am retired
Still torn between
living the expat life
In Seoul, Korea
And returning to the West Coast
And occasionally back to DC
And Florida as well
And I wonder
Where do I belong
Where do I belong
Other than wherever
My wife and I end up
Neither here nor there
Half way there
And so is that my fate
Never to really belong
Never to have roots in the ground
Always wanting to be somewhere else
Always a stranger in my native land
And a stranger in my other home
Across the sea
There is no answer to these questions
As the rambling urge comes again
And I prepare to move yet again
Hoping someday I will be
Somewhere where I can stop
These rambling blues
And really be there
Homeless Wanderer — Anna Jagla
Rosa Maleficarum has published three of my poems, Lost, Fake Mosquitos and Old Cars are King of the Road Again
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 Excellent Vietnam Journeys
I first went to Saigon with my spouse, Angela, back in 1995 when I was in Bangkok working for the Embassy and she was in the military in Texas. We spent two wonderful weeks and always wanted to go back. This winter we decided we would go to either Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia and left in early March, escaping the cold weather a bit.
Food in Saigon
Personal comments
Vietnam has a well deserved reputation as a foodie’s paradise. The food is good to great, mostly inexpensive although there are some expensive places.
Other Asian cuisines are widely available, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Thai, Cambodian, Laotian.
Western style food is available and on the expensive side. American Fast food is available at least in the bigger towns but while bother going?
There is such a wide variety of styles of food to choose from among the traditional Vietnamese styles of food. Saigon city has so many restaurants one could spend decades eating every night at a different place and never run out of options.
There were a few foods that stood out though
Vietnamese style omelets – they do eggs right
Ban Chua is a Hanoi style of small plates sort of like the Vietnamese version of Tapas. Quite good and tasty.
Bahn Mi Sandwiches – they are everywhere. I liked them but my wife not being able to tolerate gluten did not and she thought that the sanitations standards on the street banh mi stands were not up to her standards. Still widespread and good.
Pho – of course
Lots of varieties to try. We liked the chicken Pho which is a bit hard to find in the US where they tend to mostly serve the beef Pho
Craft Beer Vietnam has recently gone through a craft beer boom. The craft beer is great. A bit expensive double the cost of the standards but still great. But just as in Korea where craft beer has taken off some places advertise craft beer but all they have is the regular crap on tap. And there are two craft beer companies that dominate the market, it is hard to find other craft beer places but they do exist.
Traditional Vietnamese rice wine – did not get a chance to try but will try it on my next trip.
Local Vietnamese wine – who knew they even made it here? Not that good but much better than years before. Probably worth a try just to say you tried it
Snake and scorpion wine – would like to have tried it by my spouse vetoed the idea
Artichoke tea – sounds weird but it tastes like hot chocolate! And is one of those great foods for lowering cholesterol etc.
Guava tea – tastes great like green tea
Coffee – a coffee lovers paradise would be nice to find a decafe option though
Tea – a tea lovers paradise as well
Tropical fruits galore – loved eating tropical fruit for breakfast especially soursop
Vegetarian food options- widespread available almost everywhere
Vegan options – not as common but widespread
Gluten free – unheard of concept but if you avoid eating fried noodles and stick with rice noodles (usually clearly labelled as such) you can eat gluten free
Trends I like to see emerge
Gluten Free options
MSG free – too much MSG used everywhere
Artisanal Rum – Vietnam like most Asian countries just don’t get rum. Bacardi is available in tourist friendly areas but other than that no one does decent rum. Yet you could make rum easily enough as they grow a lot of sugar cane. The Thais do a decent job with their Mekong whiskey which is a rum. I wished they would quit calling it Whiskey! Otherwise rum is just not common in the region.
Promotion of traditional Rice wine
Good stuff should be more widely available and promoted
Artisanal local whiskey – if you can make decent craft beer you should be able to make decent local artisanal whiskey
Asiana Food Town
Five Oysters
Bing Thang Street Food Market
Le Jardine
Nha Hang Ngon
On my prior trip I hit Appocalypse Now!
And on my next trip, I must go to Jake’s BBQ because as a Jake why the hell not? Needs me a Jake’s bbq t-shirt, don’t ya think? Now if there is a Cosmos club or Resturant I will have to go there as w
Vietnam Poems
Cosmos’s Excellent Vietnam Journeys – Day to Day Journal
Summary: arrived at airport about 1 pm. Went to AIRBNB. We stayed at two different AIRBNB, both in the Pham Ngu Lou area near the backpacker street but not on the strip. Both were nice, comfortable enough. Lots of restaurants, coffee shops nearby. Not too far from tourist sites. We went everywhere by Grab, Saigon’s version of Uber. Uber pulled out of Southeast Asia and sold their operations to Grab. It took a bit to figure out the app but once we did it was great.
We went out for lunch, and walked about, walked to the Bing Thang market, largest street market in District One. Bought fruit for breakfast, had dinner at Vietnamese Japanese Resturant
Saigon is divided into 24 districts but most things that would appeal to tourists and visitors are located in Districts one, two and three. District one is the downtown district and has most of the tourist sites. District Two is across the river and is popular with diplomats and long term expats. Filled with upscale Western and Vietnamese restaurants. The government has announced a long term project to build a new city there that is modelled after Gangnam. Lots of construction already underway. District three is near downtown and has lots of nice restaurants as well. District four is across the river and is the center of the expat Asian community, lots of Koreans and Japanese living there. District Five is the old China town. Still lots of Chinese around. It is also where most of the traditional pagodas are located. And has a large traditional market. We went. It was very confusing but interesting to see.
Transportation is chaotic still. The subway is under construction, first line linking district one and two opens next year, eventually there will be seven lines and a high speed train to Hanoi. The buses are cheap and run everywhere but we did not try them. Taxis are plentiful but Grab is more convenient and cheaper. And there are motorcycle taxis everywhere – fastest and cheapest way to get around. The old pedicabs are a thing of the past – we only saw a few.
Breakfast at home kefir
Lunch pho at Pho 54 near Cinemax
Dinner Korean Japanese Resturant on Pasteur street
Wednesday March 6 exploring backpacker’s street dinner at street buffet
Met old friend who lives in Vietnam. Walked about the backpacker’s district. Had decent lunch and dinner.
Breakfast fruit
Lunch had Vietnamese steak
Dinner in Ngu Lao Backpackers Street grilled morning glory, seafood noodles
Drinks coffee beer
Seeing Ghosts
Inspired by a true story – I was looking at an old American who could have been a Vietnam vet back for a trip. He was sitting in a bar drinking a beer. He looked at me and smiled a wistful WTF where the Fuck am I bemused look. I looked up and a few seconds later the old man had disappeared and I felt that I had been seeing a ghost and that there were ghosts all over the city. Very eerie feeling that stayed with me all day and inspired the two following poems
Ghosts in Saigon
I walk around the streets
Of old Saigon
Seeing sensing the undead
The ghosts of the war
That haunted life
So many years ago
So many people died
For a war
That never should have been fought
For reasons that are still not clear
A great tragedy unfolded
In a land half away
Around the world
The ghosts smile at me
And then they disappear
Leaving me in the present
Life goes on
Old Ghosts
Old ghosts wandering the streets of old Saigon
Lost spirits of the dead
Died during the endless wars
Ghostly apparitions around every corner
Here was Kilroy and his gang of soldiers
Over there were the Viet Cong waiting to kill them
Saigon is filled with memories like that
Terrible times were had here in Old Saigon
Silently the ghosts parade the city streets
Thursday March 7 Mekong Delta
Long but good day. Went on a Mekong River tour. The tour guide was knowledgeable and spoke decent English. Most of the passengers were Aussies, there were a few Japanese, and Koreans and Europeans, we were the only Americans. In general, you don’t find that many Americans, most of the white tourists are Aussies, Canadians or European.
We stopped off at a bamboo and coconut products store. That was marginally interesting. Then we took several boat rides before we ended up having lunch. Lunch was decent. We had some time to walk about a traditional working orchid. Saw alligators, porcupines, fish. Also saw snake wine for sale. Did not partake though.
Mekong Dreams
Traveling along the Mekong
Back in time
Seeing the river
The people
Imagining life on the river
Imagining the war
The past in the Mekong delta
And the present tourist boom
Yet life goes on
With its own laid back rhythm
As we traversed the river
We were transported back
To an earlier time
Following the ancient rhythms
Of the Mekong Delta
On the way back we stopped at a famous Buddhist temple. Vietnamese Buddhist temples are different from Korean temples. Different style of Buddhism. The temples are everywhere, not just in the mountains like in Korea. Most Vietnamese are probably nominally Buddhist, but there are many Catholics especially in the South, and many adherents to Cao Dai, the local religion, see below. The officially promoted atheism of the communist era is fading away.
Buddha In Vietnam
In Saigon I saw the buddha
Buddha images are everywhere
Temples are scattered about
Here and there and everywhere
Buddha lives on
In the hearts and minds
Of the Vietnamese soul
The communists tried
To get rid of Buddhism
And other religious traditions
But they failed
And Buddhism has come back
Still speaks to the Vietnamese people
A different style
A different vibe
Than Korean Buddhism
But still Buddhist thought
Prevails in the tropical lands
Of the South
Breakfast Banhmi and coffee on the street
Lunch rice, seafood lunch on Mekong
Dinner stir fry morning glory, seafood noodles in Pham Ngu Lao Backpackers Street
Beer
Friday March 8
Breakfast fruit
Lunch Resturant at Le Jardin salmon, salad
Dinner with VCQ Cholan Chinese Resturant
Whiskey wine too much
Met with old friends from my foreign service days. Had lunch at a French Resturant in the French Cultural center. Food was decent. Wine was plentiful but a bit too much. Walked about went to the market headed home took a nap. Went out to Cho Long district five near Saigon University.
Met Vietnamese friends of our friends. Had a great time, winning and dinning at a Chinese Resturant. A bit too much though.
Saturday March 9 Lunch in District 2 with VC2
Met our Vietnamese friends at his house in District Two. He runs an home interior business and is a very lively man. Delightful company. Had a great lunch.
For dinner had a simple dinner near our house and went to bed early.
Sunday March 10 lunch at Sheraton, Dinner at hotel Equatorial
On Sunday met our Vietnamese friends and some Belgium doctors for lunch at the Sheraton hotel. Their bunch is a great value. And in the evening went to dinner at Hotel Equatorial and ate a lot more. Gained too much weight with all the wine, whiskey and food.
Vietnamese like to eat and drink and entertain. Like Koreans in that regard. But everything is much cheaper.
Monday March 11 walking tour of downtown with friend
Met my friend, Jeff, for lunch. We ate at the Five Oysters which was decent. Had Vietnamese Omelet. Then we walked all over district one seeing the sites.
We saw the Post Office, the main Cathedral, City hall, FinTech tower, Dong Khoi street and Pasteur street and finally had dinner at the Bing Than market street food stall before going home. http://www.fiveoysters.com/
Breakfast fruit
Lunch at Five Oysters
Dinner at Bing than Market street food stalls pad Thai, papaya salad
Drink beer
Coffee Lady
Every morning
I have gone out for Vietnamese coffee
At a sidewalk café
Down the ally from our AIRBNB
The owner is a pleasant middle age woman
Who for some reason likes us
She smiles at us
Greets us in Vietnamese
She does not understand English
Or Korean
And I wonder why
Why was there this connection
Between us
It dawned on me
Perhaps in a prior life
She knew an American or two
And I remind her of someone
Or perhaps she is found
Of Korean K drama
And Angela reminds her
Of her favorite K Drama star
Or perhaps it is both
Or another reason entirely
But I moved today
And will miss her
Might go back for a final cup
Of coffee
To say good bye
To my Vietnamese coffee lady
Tuesday March 12 moved, laundry
We spent the day moving to another AIRBNB, doing laundry and taking it easy. Lunch and dinner in the backpacker’s street. Tried Bun Cha which is a Hanoi version of Tapas. Pretty good. Discovered the Asiana Food Court. Great place to eat. We came back there several times. Lots of choices of food. Great prices, and delicious. Bought fruit for our remaining breakfasts.
Mastering the Saigon Shuffle
Motorbike riders waiting at intersection. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
When I first visited Saigon
Learning the Saigon Shuffle
Was difficult
And now 24 years later
It all seems to be coming back
There is an art to crossing the street
Dodging the motor cyclists, the taxis, the private cars
The bikes and other pedestrians and the buses
The art consists of letting the big guys go first
Then walk between the motorcycles and cyclists
Trusting that they will get out of your way
And they being masters of the Saigon shuffle
Always find a way
In my two visits I was struck
By how it all flows together
Without a central authority
And with almost no planning
Lights or cops
Somehow it just is
And somehow it works
And it is still a mystery to me
24 years after first
Encountering the Saigon shuffle
Breakfast: fruit, coffee
Lunch: omelet, morning glory stir fry Pham Ngu Lao Backpackers Street
Dinner: ban Chua Hanoi style Vietnamese Tapas small plate dishes
Drinks: Alcohol beer
Drinks: tea coffee
Vietnam has great art. Last time we were here we bought four pieces from an iconic Vietnamese artist who has moved on. He painted on oyster shells and his work is quite unique. We wanted to find out more about the artist but were unable to find out much about him. We went to the HCH Fine Arts museum. That is worth a trip. Great art.
From Wikipedia
Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts is the major art museum of HCM City, Vietnam, and second in the country only to the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts in Hanoi.
The museum covers three three-floor buildings which house a collection featuring Vietnamese art works in sculpture, oil, silk painting and lacquer painting, as well as traditional styles including woodcut paintings in the Hang Trang, Đông Hồ, and Kim Hoàng styles, as well as Vietnamese ceramics and a collection of ancient Buddhist art.[1] The first floor also includes a commercial gallery of art works. Archaeological exhibits such as some of the country’s best Champa and Óc Eo relics are displayed on the third floor.[2]
The main building was constructed by a French architect Rivera between 1929 and 1934 as a villa for the Hua family. The museum moved there in 1987.[3]
Saigon center
Walked to the Saigon Center, one of the premier shopping plazas in District 1. Not bad but overrated I think.
From Wikipedia:
Phase 1 of the complex was completed in 1996.[1] The phase consisted of a 25-storey building, which set a new record for the highest building in Vietnam then at 106 metres (348 ft).[2]
In December 2011, construction on phase two started, which comprises a 5-story retail podium and a new 43-story building. The new addition prompted a temporary closure of the existing tower from 2015 to 2016.[3]
On July 30, 2016, Takashimaya opened their first department store in Vietnam at the retail podium of Saigon Centre.[1] Tower 2 completed in 2017 reaching the height of 193.7 m (635 ft). It becomes the fourth tallest building in Ho Chi Minh City and the tenth tallest building in Vietnam overall.
Features[edit]
Saigon Centre provides over 46,000 m2 (500,000 sq ft) of office space across 10 floors in Tower 1 and 18 floors in Tower 2.[4][5] Sedona Hotels operates all 284 residential units at the complex.[6]
Dinner at the market place
We had dinner at the Asiana food market. Great location, great food selections. Well worth a visit.
Old Lady in the Alley
There is an old Vietnamese lady
In the neighborhood
Obviously senile
But everyone knows her
And watches over her
To make sure
She stays out of traffic
And out of trouble
She talks to everyone
But no one seems to understand
What she is babbling on about
They smile at her
And she smiles back
Reminds me of the phrase
From the hitchiker’s guide to the galaxy
Mostly harmless
And she for some reason
She likes us
And like my Vietnamese Coffee lady
I wonder why
Why was there this connection
Between us
It dawned on me
Perhaps in a prior life
She knew an American or two
And I remind her of someone
Or perhaps she is found
Of Korean K drama
And Angela reminds her
Of her favorite K Drama star
Or perhaps it is both
Or another reason entirely
But in any event
I look forward
To seeing her smiling face
Every time I walk
Down my ally way
Cosmos’s Excellent Vietnam Journeys part two week two journeys
Finally figured out how to use Grab the SE Asian version of Uber. Grab bought Uber’s business back in 2016 and is the region’s largest ride share service. They do a lot of other things and are very aggressive. Based in Singapore. Started out as a MBA project idea in Harvard by a Malaysian student. He returned to the region, started in Malaysia moved to Singapore when the business took off. They were rumors at the time that Grab stole Uber’s technology, in any event it is very similar concept except that they targeted taxi drivers rather than individual drivers and most of their drivers work for them full time. They also do the motorcycle taxis, food delivery, mobile payment services.
So had a better day. We went to Binh Tay market in Cho Long District 5. A bit off the tourism path but we saw some foreign visitors. It is a sprawling complex reminding both of us of Korea back in the day. We bought our coffee and tea. When we go back we are making more Kombucha and we will add moringa to our fake coffee and my plan is to have a real cup of coffee per day and fake coffee the rest of the day. I think I can handle that.
Good walk. We hit four of the five temples recommended and saw the edge of the electronics market and we saw some other interesting places in the neighborhood.
The temples were
Thien Hau Temple (Ho Chi Minh City)
________________________________________
Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda is situated at Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City. It was built in the 19th century by the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation making it one of the oldest temples in Saigon. It is dedicated to Guan Yu, a holy general who was greatly respected for his morality and loyalty and lived in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and greatly respected for his morality and loyalty.
This pagoda is also known as Quan Cong and also named The Whale Temple and Quan De temple. The exterior of Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda is closely that of a Chinese temple. The frontage door of the temple is painted with door gods. Hoi Quan Pagoda is just like that of a Chinese temple. The pagoda is mainly well known for its enormous collection of figurines, carvings and hanging lanterns but it is especially notable for its gilded woodwork, a carved wooden boat hangs over the doorway and there is a larger-than-life illustration of Quan Cong’s horse and groom to the left. The horse statue is considered holy to the devotees. People ring the bell around its neck and then crawl under it to go to the other side. They suppose that by doing this they are blessed from the horse. And you can see a big wooden statue of Quan Cong himself at the altar. Nghia An Hoi Quan is also outstanding with ceramic statues on roof tiles or carved with flowers, unicorn statues, parallel sentences, and many invaluable paintings. Such these displays are delicately carved, showing myth stories of China in Saigon to teach next generations. Moreover, Nghia An Hoi Quan is pastoral with images of daily life and colors of life for many generations of rural farmers. This pagoda celebrates with offerings to the spirits and dances staged out front on the 14th day of the first lunar month. This temple is worth the visit.
Had a great massage in a Vietnamese massage parlor recommended by Korean tourists on Naver. Near Saigon center.
Future VCQ
Saigon is filled with interesting characters
Filled with fascinating back stories
One could write hundreds of stories
About the people one encounters
In a nail shop
That caters to mostly Korean visitors
We met a boy of 8 years old
Who was a natural born hustler
He had wonderful English
Wonderful French
And even some Korean
And he wanted to show us around
He spoke English
Without an accent
In an upper class British style
As if he were born to the manor
How and why he learned
English so well
Would be an interesting story
His Mother was also
An interesting character
Been running the store
For five years
Amused it had become the Korean
To Go place
In Saigon
Just one of those mysterious things
They had another shop nearby
A smoothie place
And he offered to guide us there
But were in a hurry
As we left
I thought to myself
Here is a future VCQ
The fascinating character
That had wined and dined us
Late into the night
Beguiling us with his tales
From his time in the VC
Wonder what this future VCQ
Will tell his future friends
About his past life
Living in a beauty saloon?
Had spring rolls and papaya salad from a vegan Resturant. The spring rolls were great, the papaya salad not so great
Breakfast fruit
Lunch chicken, rice, bread, eggs – one of the better meals
In coffee shop chain called energy coffee or something like that only 7 US Dollars
Dinner – spring rolls, and papaya salad at a vegan Resturant
Wine in room
Friday March 15 District 2 Tour
We went to district 2 across the river in search of a place for Angela to get her hair done and for me to get a massage. We went there after a haircut in a place advertised as an old fashioned barber shop. Had a good haircut but a lousy shave. Still need to find a good barber = next trip.
We found the perm place. We also discovered that District 2 is filled with rich Saigonese, expats and diplomats. It is a quiet suburban district but is soon going to be transformed as the city of Saigon has ambitions to turn District 2 and District 9 into something equivalent of Gangnam. The rest of Saigon especially districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11 are too build up. They are building a new international airport and they building a new subway system. When the whole thing materializes by 2025 or so, Saigon will be a very different city.
I hope that they don’t destroy Saigon in order to save it as they have in Seoul. Gangnam in a way has lost its sense of being Korean as it could be any large city in Asia. Seoul now has two different faces – the northern part which still retains a lot of the old charm of Korea and the Southern part which is newer but perhaps lacking in having a real Korean flavor.
And I hope that they can and will incorporate lots of solar power, water harvesting and other echo friendly solutions which are sadly lacking in Gangnam and in Korean cities in general .
We met with a real estate agent who talked to us at length about investment options in Saigon highly recommending buying something in District 2 but not waiting too long. He said that within a few years it will be a very different place.
We had a decent lunch in District 2, went back to Binh Thang market and the food market/court where had dim sum for dinner.
District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
For other uses, see District 2.
District 2
Quận 2
Thủ Thiêm or Quận Thủ Thiêm
Urban district
Position in HCMC’s core
District 2
Location in Vietnam
Coordinates: 10°46′51″N 106°45′25″ECoordinates: 10°46′51″N 106°45′25″E
Country Vietnam
Centrally governed city
Ho Chi Minh City
Seat 249 Luong Dinh Cua
Wards 11 wards
Area
• Total 50 km2 (20 sq mi)
Population
(2018)
• Total 168,680
• Density 3,400/km2 (8,700/sq mi)
Demographics
• Main ethnic groups predominantly Kinh
Time zone
UTC+07 (ICT)
Map showing the location of District 2 within metropolitan Ho Chi Minh City
District 2, in which the new urban area of Thu Thiem is located, is an urban district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. As of 2010, the district had a population of 140,621, a total area of 50 km².[1]
Thu Thiem Tunnel
In the past, District 2 was one of the poorest parts of Ho Chi Minh City due to the separation by the Saigon River from the city center. However, it is now the one of the prioritized area for investment by the government of Ho Chi Minh City. The completion of Thu Thiem Bridge in 2008 and Thu Thiem Tunnel in 2011 were expected to support the development of the Thủ Thiêm New Urban Area. Thu Thiem Tunnel joins District 2 with District 1 (Central Sài Gòn), the central area of Ho Chi Minh City. The other connection of District 2 to the central city area is the Thu Thiem Bridge, which connects District 2 and Bình Thạnh District. The transportation to District 2 will be much easier when the metro, whose route passes through District 2, comes into use. This will be the first metro in Vietnam, and it will help Ho Chi Minh City to catch up with other developed cities in the world.
The Vietnamese government is seeking to build a completely new district for wealthy citizens as well as a new economic center. Thanh Nien and Tuổi Trẻ, two newspapers in Vietnam, describe that the new District 2 will be as modern as Singapore and Hong Kong.[citation needed]
Less prosperous agricultural workers of District 2 have been forced to move in slum clearance measures. Thatched houses will be replaced by multi-story house and villas. A few single-family homes will be constructed for those with large[clarification needed] incomes. A large number of citizens would go on living in high-grade apartment blocks. Each block contains swimming pools, tennis courts, shopping malls, and other necessary services. There will be kindergartens, elementary schools, and high schools, but there will be no university, as all the universities are being moved to Thu Duc district to form the University Village, which is another plan of the city government. Beside the residential area will be the economic and trade zone with modern skyscrapers.
District 2, particularly Thảo Điền ward, has a large portion of Ho Chi Minh City’s expatriate community, and as such has a large number of restaurants, bars and shops selling European foods, particularly the high street Xuan Thuy. Traffic has become a major problem in District 2 due to its proximity to several international schools and many residents who travel by private vehicle.[citation needed]
District 2 is home to many international schools, partly because of the high number of foreign residents, and also because of its proximity to District 1. Below is a list of schools that are in this area:
• International School Ho Chi Minh City,[2] 28 Vo Truong Toan Street, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• British International School Vietnam has the An Phu Primary and An Phu Secondary campuses[3]
• Australian International School, Vietnam,[4] 264 Mai Chi Tho Road, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• EUROPEAN International School Ho Chi Minh City
• Deutsche Schule HCMC – The International German School (IGS)[5]
• EtonHouse International Pre-School Franchise – An Phu,[6] Somerset Vista, 628c Hanoi Highway, An Phu ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
We will go back to district 2 for the perm on Monday and lunch and perhaps finish our touring before heading back.
Breakfast fruit
Lunch spring rolls, oyster soup
Dinner – Dim sum, pho, fried morning glory
Seductive, sexy, strange
Alluring city
In the south of Vietnam
Goddess of the southern lands
Over all she rules
Nothing but the Queen of the land
Dreaming dreams of past greatness
Recalling the glory days of the past
Equally dreaming of the coming of the future
As she resumes her place
Maybe becoming the greatest city of them all
Saigon long may she reign
Saturday March 16 National history museum, Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Lunch with friends
Combined with the botanical garden, spreads out quite some distance. A bit confusing and the signs are all in Vietnamese except for the name of the animals. But none the least a pleasant enough walk. The zoo is in need of a major face lift and major renovation, it looks and feels like a zoo from the 1950’s. The animals are well cared for but look bored and sad as they do in most zoo’s.
Some of the birds are running around outside the enclosures which I found a bit unusual.
Not much options in terms of food which also surprised me.
The van took you on a set course but did not stop and let you get on and off which I found annoying.
All in all not quite ready for prime time. But worth a visit.
Botanical Garden
Combined with the zoo, might be better as a separate park – serious lack of signage or explanations throughout.
The best botanical display was the orchid house but I wished it had some English signage. The dessert plants display would be better off if it were in a sealed off building to prevent rain and humidity.
Same comment – not quite ready for prime time
Following is the Wikipedia entry
Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Main gate to Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens
The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, established in 1865, is Vietnam’s largest zoo and botanical garden. Located on Nguyen Binh Khiem Street in District 1, T.P. in Ho Chi Minh City, it is home to over a hundred species of mammals, reptiles and birds, as well as many rare orchids and ornamental plants.[1] Also within the grounds is the Museum of Vietnamese History, housing some 25,000 artifacts of history, culture and ethnography of South Vietnam. The grounds also include a temple to the Hung Kings (formerly a monument to Indochinese soldiers who died for France during World War I). Other parts of the zoo are divided into animal and plant conservation areas, an orchid garden, and an amusement park.
On March 23, 1864, Admiral Pierre-Paul de La Grandière, commander of French forces in Cochinchina, commissioned the building of a zoo in Saigon. Malacologist Louis Germain was named the director of the project on March 28, 1865.[2] Construction started on 12 hectares (30 acres) northeast of Thi Nghe Channel, and the zoo occupied 20 hectares (49 acres) by the end of 1865. On February 17th, 1869 the zoo opened to the public, and today the Saigon Zoo is one of the oldest continuously operating zoos in the world.
The Saigon Zoo has undergone many changes over the years. In 1927, a bridge across Thi Nghe Channel was built to connect sections of the zoo. In 1985, a stone jetty was built, and electrical wiring was added to improve the zoo.
In 1989 the facilities received many improvements to make the environment more suitable for its resident population. In 1990, the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden was recognized as a member of the South East Asian Zoos Association. In 1993, the zoo director proposed a long-term plan to improve the quality of management, housing, and care of the animals. That plan came to a close in 2003. The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens is now the largest zoo and botanical garden in Vietnam.
The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden contains 590 animals of 125 species and 1,830 trees and plants of 260 species, some of which are over 100 years old. This includes 20 species of orchid, 32 species of cactus and 34 species of bonsai. The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden is divided into an animal conservation area, a plant conservation area, an orchid garden and an amusement park.
The botanical garden contains many species of rare and valuable plants, some of which are not native to Vietnam. There are species of cacti, ferns and plants that have been imported from Africa and America. The zoo has many kinds of mammals, reptiles, and birds such as: monkeys, giraffes, white Bengal tigers, Clouded Leopards, African lions, gibbons, turtles and snakes. Besides native animal species, there are also many exotic species, some of which are seen in Vietnam for the first time, such as: Hippopotamus amphibius, Choeropsis liberiensis, Panthera onca, Struthio camelus, Phoenicopterus ruber. There are lakes with contain different types of lotuses and a myriad of fish species.
The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden contains two noteworthy buildings: a temple to the Hung Kings, originally built as a monument to Indochinese soldiers who died for France during World War I; and the Museum of Vietnamese History. The museum is split into two sections: a 15 room-area displaying items from the beginning of Vietnam to 1930, and a 6 room-area displaying artifacts from the culture and history of South Vietnam. Outside of the museum there is a large yard that displays the weapons of France, used during Vietnam’s French colonial era. The museum also contains approximately 25,000 documents of history, culture and ethnography. The zoo employs approximately 1,000 workers, and estimates that it attracts over two million visitors each year.
Conservation and education[edit]
The main purpose of the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden is to educate the public and protect endangered animals and plants. One of many programs the zoo participates in to protect endangered species is one to breed animals in captivity, the goal being to replenish their populations. The Saigon Zoo is currently the only zoo in the world that has successfully bred crested argus pheasants in captivity.
In addition to conservation, in 1999 the zoo’s conservation education department created a plan to educate the public about how to protect animals and plants. Each year, 3,200 students visit the zoo and listen to an hour-long lecture and watch a 30-minute film about animal and plant conservation. It is also a place for people from all over the world to study the fauna and flora of Southeast Asia.
Location[edit]
The zoo is at 2B Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, T.P. in Ho Chi Minh City. It has two gates: a main gate on Nguyen Binh Khiem Street at the corner of Le Duan Street and another on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street.
My Additional info:
Hours 9 to 5 daily
Cost 50,000 dong – 2.5 US.
They give you a fare card that you insert into the entry machine.
National History Museum
Worth a visit. Well done. Some obligatory pro-communist propaganda here and there but not overwhelming in your face as in the War Museum and Independence palace.
Museum of Vietnamese History
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bảo tàng Lịch sử Việt Nam
Location 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Type History museum
Website baotanglichsuvn.com/trang-chu.html
The Museum of Vietnamese History is located at 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Formerly known as the Musée Blanchard de la Brosse, built by Auguste Delaval in 1926, and The National Museum of Viet Nam in Sai Gon, it received its current name in 1979. It is a museum showcasing Vietnam’s history with exhibits from all periods.[1] It should not be confused with the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Hanoi. The topics covered by the exhibits include the following:
• Prehistoric period (500,000 years ago to 2879 BC).
• Metal Age (2879–179 BC), including artifacts related to the Dong Son culture of northern Vietnam and the Sa Huỳnh cultureof central Vietnam.
• Chinese Domination and Struggle for National Independence in the Red River Valley (179 BC – 938 AD)
• Óc Eo culture of the Mekong Delta region
• Stone and bronze sculptures and other artifacts of Champa
• Stone sculptures of Cambodia (9th–12th centuries)
• Ngô, Dinh, Anterior Lê, Ly dynasties (939–1225)
• Tran and Ho dynasties (1226–1407)
• Dynasties from the Lê to the Nguyên (1428–1788)
• Tây Sơn dynasty (1771–1802)
• Nguyễn dynasty (1802–1945)[2]
The museum served as the pit stop for the second leg of The Amazing Race Asia 3.
Further reading[edit]
• Lenzi, Iola (2004). Museums of Southeast Asia. Singapore: Archipelago Press. ISBN 978-981-4068-96-3.
External links[edit]
Water Puppet Show:
The national museum has a decent water puppet show. It is only 20 minutes long and gives you a taste of the real thing. There are other places in town to see real performances. I think I want to see the real thing next time. But well done nonetheless. Reminded me vaguely of Korean mask dances or kabuki theater. Very highly stylized with deep historical meaning that is hard for a casual observer to pick up on.
An additional fee of 30,000 dong about 1.25 US well worth seeing.
The wiki leaks article below provides a lot more detail:
We were staying in an AIRBNB a few blocks away from Pham Ngu Lao, the famous backpacker street. So, we went there a lot, booked our two out of town tours there, changed money etc. It is a real happening scene Saturday night when they block off the street and it becomes an open air non-stop party. In some ways like the French Quarter in New Orleans, in some ways like Khaosang Road in Bangkok, in some ways like Itaewon in Seoul but done in Saigon style. We noticed a few “girly bars” here and there but nothing like in Bangkok, and we herd there are other areas for that sort of thing but that is not our scene. And some people were smoking the evil weed – we smelled it here and there. And we noticed that the scene continues on the surrounding streets as well, just not as intense.
So, if you want a loud boisterous party with lots of people from all over the world including Vietnamese this is your place, if you want a more civilized quiet night life zone there are lots of other choices to be had.
Breakfast: fruit in room boiled eggs
Lunch at Nha Hang Ngon 160 Pasteur Street, Saigon
There are two restaurants with the same name near each other. This is the original and better of the two. There was a dispute between partners and they split up and operate two restaurants with the same name. Apparently not an uncommon phenomenon, one of the massage places we went to on the Korean recommended listing changed its name because another place has the same name and people were confused between the two according to the owner.
Had decent grilled pork chop Saigon style, nice spring rolls, and sausages and wine. Late lunch so that was sort of dinner too!!!
Dinner corn
Drinks red Wine
Down and Out in Saigon
Southeast Asia, and Mexico
has always attracted
A certain type of westerner
The down and out
On a down word spiral
Why?
Relatively cheap to live
Lots of part time gigs
Teaching English
Or other things
Booze, drugs, sex
Readily available
And cheap
Places to stay
Dirt cheap
And no one needs
To sleep out doors
Easy to disappear
Into the foreigners backpackers ghettos
And escape
From whatever you are running from
The locals are somewhat tolerant
The police usually look the other way
And there are lots of people
In your shoes
I was surprised to find
That Saigon has become
The latest place
For the down and outer crowd
To gather together
In Bangkok one sees them a lot
In Cambodia as well
In the Philippines
In Nepal
And south of the border
In Mexico as well
In India not so much
In Japan and Korea
Just too damn expensive
And too cold to be outdoors
Back in the day
I used to work
The citizen services gig
And saw lots of the down and outer set
The old song comes to mind
No one remembers you
When you are down and out
And in the States
Being down and out
Means living on the mean streets
As it is very difficult
To live with almost no money
And the various side hustles
Don’t give you much money
Unless you are dealing drugs
And teaching ESL
Is not an option
Food is expensive
Transportation is expensive
Booze and drugs expensive
Rent is prohibitive
Commercial sex is expensive
And no one loves you
If you are down and out
No one knows your name
You are just another homeless bum
Invisible to all
As you try to make do
Much better to be down and out
In Southeast Asia
Than on the mean streets
Of the USA
Sunday March 17 Chu Chi Tunnels
Lacquer Ware Factory
As part of the tour we stopped off at a lacquer ware factory that employs artists injured by agent orange exposure. Funded by the Gates foundation. Had an interesting lecture on lacquer ware. Some nice pieces but did not exactly fit our needs. So we passed on buying them.
Lacquer painting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lacquer painting is a form of painting with lacquer which was practised in China and Japan for decoration on lacquerware, and found its way to Europe both via Persia and by direct contact with Asia. The genre was revived and developed as a distinct genre of fine art painting by Vietnamese artists in the 1930s; the genre is known in Vietnamese as “sơn mài.”[1]
Making a lacquer painting may take several months depending on the technique used and the number of layers of lacquer. In Vietnam’s sơn mài lacquer painting first a black board is prepared. Then outlines in chalk are picked out in white with eggshell and clear varnish, then polished. Then the first layer of coloured lacquer is applied, usually followed by silver leaf and another layer of clear lacquer. Then several more layers of different coloured lacquers are painted by brush, with clear lacquer layers between them. In Vietnam an artist may apply up to ten layers or more of coloured and clear lacquer. In Ming China processes included up to a hundred layers. Each layer requires drying and polishing. When all layers are applied the artist polishes different parts of the painting until the preferred colours show. Fine sandpaper and a mix of charcoal powder and human hair is used to carefully reach the correct layer of each specific colour.[2] Consequently, “lacquer painting” is in part a misnomer, since the bringing out of the colours is not done in the preparatory painting but in the burnishing of the lacquer layers to reveal the desired image beneath.[3]
Lacquer had been used since the Shang dynasty (1384-1111 BCE) for decoration and preservation of wooden objects. By the Han dynasty decoration had become more intricate.[4] Lacquer painting is sometimes used for decoration of wooden objects such as the traditional “Chinese candy box”.
Vietnam[edit]
Công Quốc Hà “Hanoi girl” 1997
Lacquer painting, known as sơn mài, from resin of the sơn tree, Rhus succedanea, was developed in Vietnam as a freestanding form, separate from decoration of wooden objects. A revival and a combination with French techniques occurred in the 1930s which was closely associated with the French teachers and Vietnamese students of the École Supérieure des Beaux Arts de l’Indochine in Hanoi from 1925 to 1945 such as Joseph Inguimberty and Nguyễn Gia Trí.[5][6] Among the prominent newer generation of Vietnamese lacquer painters is Cong Quoc Ha, who received numerous awards and his works are regularly exhibited worldwide.
Cao Dai Temple
The Cao Dai temple is a must see in my opinion. The Cao Dai religion is a new religion founded in the 1920’s that combines elements of Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Hinduism and Catholicism. They even have a pope and bishops. It is common in the South, but not that common elsewhere in Vietnam. The temple is extraordinary.
All the religions of earth
Into a new religion
For a new era
Founded in Vietnam
It has spread across the Vietnamese diaspora
Across the globe
But it is a very Vietnamese thing
It seems you can’t escape the past
Religion is like that
It roots you in to a time and place
And you will obey its teachings
Until the day you die
That is the power
And tragedy of religion
Chu Chi Tunnel
The highlight of the trip was of course the famous Chu Chi tunnels about 50 miles from Saigon. They played a key role in the defeat of the US military and the Vietnamese are justly proud of their engineering prowess in building these tunnels.
Crawling down the tunnels
Of Chu Chi
I could almost imagine
The Viet Kong guerillas
Hiding deep under the tunnels
As the land above is turned
Into a temporary dessert
With the vegetation burned off
By napalm and agent orange
The Viet Kong creep out at night
Stealing onto the bases
Stealing weapons, food, supplies
And occasionally killing soldiers
In their sleep
The US soldiers
Stay on base at night
Terrified of the mosquitos
And of the Viet Kong
the ghosts
Surround me
Telling me their stories
And at last I fled
Through the emergency escape tunnel
Declaring victory
Profoundly shaken up
By the ghosts of the Chu Chi tunnels
Monday March 18 return to Korea
Went to District two for a hair cut for Angela, and lunch. Afterwards had a massage and then drank a craft beer before heading home. Had a great two weeks in Saigon. We will be back!
Over all reflections Saigon 2019 vrs Saigon 1995
Thinking back about how things have changed since our last trip, it struck me that Saigon reminds us both of Seoul in the late 80’s as it emerged to become the world class city it is now. Same energy, same determination, same visionary desire to become a world class city.
Things that have changed
Fewer Scams, Safer, lots more foreign tourists
Back in 1995 Saigon was a dangerous place to visit. Lots of scams, lots of pick pockets, lots of beggars and it was chaotic and confusing. Now the beggars are gone, fewer pickpockets, fewer overt scams, much friendly, lots more foreign visitors, lots more English spoken. Much more pleasant a place to visit.
Motorcyclists wearing Helmets
Back in 1995 few motorcyclists wore helmets and traffic fatalities were widespread. Now almost every where is wearing a helmet and we did not see any traffic accidents. Bus are more widespread, as our taxis and grab (Vietnam’s uber) is everywhere. Lots easier to get around.
Lots more to Do
There is definitely a lot more to do. Lots of places to eat, and drink. More museums, more temples, more everything. And everything is still super cheap.
Backpackers ghetto
Was just beginning when we last visited. Now it is a large and colorful part of the city. Much more diverse tourist crowd – lots of Aussies, Europeans, Asians, but still few Americans.
Fewer Vietnam war vets – they dying off
The Vietnam war veterans are beginning to die off. Because well the war ended a long time ago. But you still saw a lot of American veterans wandering the streets coming back to visit the country they first saw as military conscripts so many years ago.
More English
Definitely a lot more English than before. And google translate makes it so much easier to communicate!
Asian Tourists outnumber Western Tourists, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans Everywhere
Back in 1995 there were few Asian tourists in Vietnam. Now they are everywhere. Koreans, Japanese and Chinese tourists are all over the place. The Vietnamese have embraced Korean culture, K Drama is very popular, as is K Pop and K food.
Much more developed tourism infrastructure
The tourist industry has grown up. So many options to chose from and the tours we went on were professionally run, informative and inexpensive. We have so many places we want to travel next time we come.
AIRBNB did not exist 25 years ago. Now AIRBNB places are everywhere as our guest houses. Travel costs are low accommodations are good. Restaurants are great. Food is fantastic.
Things that remained the same –
Fascinating city, Great food, Still pretty cheap, friendly people, Traffic still chaotic
What we did last time
Saigon with a driver and guide
We hired a driver and a guide for a private tour last time. We saw a lot of the city but never really got the hang of the place and we were rushed here and there and ate in five star restaurants when we wanted to see the city as locals would. All in all we were a bit disappointed and spent too much money. This trip was much more enjoyable.
Buying Art –
we bought some nice art work last time – lacquer ware paintings. We met the artist through his nephew who was staying at the same guest house that we were staying at.
Touring Traditional Market
We did a tour of traditional markets, probably Ben Thang market.
Buying gold
We bought some gold which we still have
Re-unification Palace
We saw the re-unification palace which was impressive
War Memorial
And we saw the War Memorial which was a bit too in your face for our liking.
Hanoi
We spent a week in Hanoi. We stayed at the at the government guest house. We were among the first independent American tourists in Vietnam as we arrived a week after the Embassy opened. We had lunch and dinner with the Consul who was a friend from the Embassy in Bangkok. We enjoyed touring old quarter the old quarter had lunch and dinner there. West Lake district was nice as well.
Conclusion – Don’t know why it took 25 years to return but we will definitely be back many times. And you should go if you have not been
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)
Note:I am taking a two week trip to Vietnam and will update my blog when I return with my reflections on my trip, updated publications etc.
Cosmic Dreams and Nightmares
I don’t dream dreams. I dream movies complete with action, music, food, smells everything. In this one I had a vision of a possible future. it was so vivid, almost as if I were watching the hearing take place.
Don’t Go Jogging in the Middle of the Night
Don’t touch this button!
Don’t open the door
Don’t go to the theater tonight stay home with me
Don’t go to Dallas I have a bad feeling about the trip
Dream Girl
Cheating Death 100 Times
Guardian Angel
Medical Mystery
SLA Hit List
Dream Girl – A true Story – reprinted from Dreams and the Unexplainable
Dream Girl
You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.
~Author Unknown
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 it made me sure that she was in Korea waiting for me.
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 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-seven years ago, (45 years since the first dream) and I am still married to the girl in my dreams. Now in my dreams she watches over me when we are apart.
~Jake Cosmos Aller
General Zod Conquers the World
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 watching the alien broadcasts which are translated in English via a supercomputer program. In the broadcast, a nuclear war has 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 causes the United Nations to get together with the help of the United States and Russia another space powers, they put together 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, and Freedom of Press, and 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 but in the next couple 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 standard. Within one year older languages will be banned.
Sam Adams Vs. the Social Cleansing Board
the summons
Sam Adams was worried. He could not sleep. He got up at 4 am and wrote in his journal and tried to cope with the dread that was overwhelming him. He had received the summons yesterday that he was to report to the social cleansing board for a review on whether he would allow to continue to be on the automatic permit list or would be referred for final status determination. Sam was a retired Federal worker trying to live on dwindling savings.
Sam had Alzheimer’s and was rapidly depleting his life’s savings. Two years before he had been released from prison, one of millions of ex political prisoners. His crime? Authoring anti-government poems just before the beginning of the Christian States of America, right after the second civil war. Unfortunately for him and his millions of ex-prisoners, his side lost the war. He wanted to flee to the United Provinces and settle down in California but lacked money to move. And getting a job at his age, with Alzheimer’s and his political rating was proving difficult at best.
All of which added up to a 90 percent probability his last days were approaching.
Under the new rules imposed by the Christian republican party in the newly established Christian states, all citizens over the age of 18 were on the permitted list if they met all of the following criteria. He tried to think why he was being referred to the board. Perhaps it was because of the recent crackdown on social deviancy. Millions of homosexuals, transgenered people, atheists, drug users, alcoholics, and non-religious people had been rounded up and eliminated according to the rumors. Perhaps someone had fingered him as a possible deviant. He fit the stereotype, no children, known drug user, known alcohol user, suspect politically, atheist and now Alzheimer’s patient. And he was not racially pure having some black blood, some Asian blood and some Jewish blood. And he had married across the racial divide which was now illegal.
The story was that if you flipped and named names you would sometimes be spared for now, and if your info was correct, you could be rewarded. Of course, those whom you flipped were not too fortunate. That was probably the story or someone could have heard that he was an ex political prisoner, or simply that he had Alzheimer’s’.
He had no children. And he was a secret atheist and had been involved with the dissent movement and had spent five years as a political prisoner at the start of the Christian Revolution. He was determined to make a stand and denounce the whole rotten system before the board although that would probably seal his fate.
As an Alzheimer’s patient he could no longer work. His wife had died the year before while he was in prison after she had been deported to her native Korea. She left him some assets but he had little idea how to manage his finances and he was behind in his rent and had received an eviction notice which had probably triggered the visit by the social cleansing staff who recommend a final status determination. But it was just as likely he was on the list because some one flipped on him.
He also did not make it last time when they came for him at midnight. Always at midnight the story goes.
The soldiers came took him away from his wife and locked him up for two years. They deported his wife whom he heard had died shortly afterwards. He spend two years at hard labor in the dessert near Las Vegas and was released into Las Vegas.
Las Vegas was a different town now that the casinos had left town. All that was left were back office operations, and underground booze and pot operations and underground casinos. It was a hot bed of political dissent and there was an underground railroad to California, which was not part of the Christian states. Sam had been preparing to leave which was a crime and perhaps that is why he was on the list.
The hearing would be at 10 am. He was meeting his lawyer at the hearing board but his lawyer was not too optimistic.
the Permit Criteria
The basic criteria for being on the permit list were:
For Males
Age 18 to age 70
White race
Married to a white woman with children
Must be either working, in school full time, serving in military duty, or working in prison if convicted of a crime.
Homelessness was not allowed. If unemployed and or homeless, would be referred to social cleansing department unless one had a relative who was willing to take care of your needs.
Since there were no pensions or social security anymore and no government provided health care, one must have sufficient assets through one’s work, or savings or through one’s relatives to provide for one ‘s needs. If not you would be sent to the social cleansing board for final status determination.
For Females
Same basic rules applied but if one were married, and had children one would be on the permitted list, if children are older, if spouse’s income is sufficient one would be on the list.
If single or divorced, and homeless one would also be subject to social cleansing unless one’s relatives would willing to sponsor you. Since there were no pensions or social security anymore and no government provided health care, one must have sufficient assets through one’s work, or savings or through one’s relatives to provide for one ‘s needs. If not you would be sent to the social cleansing board for final status determination.
For Aged People
Additional requirements for the age you were expected to take care of your basic needs through employment and savings and the help of relatives. If you were evicted for non-payment of rent, or judged to not have sufficient assets left to sustain your basic needs including medical care, you would be referred for final status determination.
For all people additional requirements applied.
Sexual deviancy, drug use, alcohol use, gambling, sex outside of marriage, homosexuality would result in immediate referral to the social cleansing board as all were banned conduct that could result in final termination. Being a member of a prohibited religious class could also be grounds for referral as would a pattern of not attending Christian services. Finally, if one had been arrested for political crimes one would be marked forever.
Sam’s Rating
One had a government social rating. Sam knew that his rating was a D meaning that the government would be watching him all the time, and it would be difficult to get a job. Only the A’s and B’s were guaranteed to be on the permit list.
To be a A you had be to a true believer, had to be white, had to attend church on a regular basis, and had to be employed naturally.
To be a B same thing but you could be a B if you were a minority, or had engaged in alcohol or drug use under the old rules.
C meant that there was something wrong with your background, you were an atheist, you were a minority etc.
D mean that you were a serious threat to the regime.
E meant that you would be terminated.
F met you were terminated as it met Failure to survive, and family members of F were also labeled F as they were usually terminated at the same time.
Being associated with banned political movements, including reading banned materials could also lead one to being referred to the social cleansing board as all were grounds for either termination or criminal prosecution if under the age of 70.
The board has three choices – granted temporary status extension, referral for termination, or referral to criminal prosecution.
The termination would be carried out quickly. There would be an optional funeral at your Church, then the execution through the method of your choice – firing squad, beheading, electric chair, or gas. The default was gas where you were put in a room with up to ten other people and put to sleep.
Afterwards your body would be cremated in an electricity generating plant with the ashes turned into fertilizer products. There were no burials allowed unless one was rich enough and connected enough to request a burial exception. Most people did not qualify.
the Hearing
The hearing started. The presiding Judge, Judge Miller was a stern face white man in his 70’s and a true believer. He was sent to Las Vegas to clean it up as Las Vegas was the wild west, a hot bed of dissent, illegal drug use, illegal prostitution and illegal casinos. It was also near several political prisons so many ex cons lived there.
The Judge was the chairman of the Nevada state committee that did not exist and was a senior official in the Federal committee that did not exist that brought together government, business and church leaders to coordinate government policies and that secretly ran the Christian States of America.
Probably a score of A thought Sam.
The judge announced that he had reviewed Sam’s file and was shocked that Sam had escaped final termination. He said that the previous board had erred in simply sending him to prison. He should have been eradicated as a social evil, as a cancer that needs to be removed from the pure body politics. Sam and his ilk sickened him. Sam was a free thinker, an atheist, a mix race mongrel, married to a non-white and was therefore guilty of crimes against the white race which was a crime. The Judge was determined to see justice done.
He asked Sam a series of questions. Sam’s answers sealed his fate.
Sam, what is your occupation?
None for now.
You realize that under the law you must be working, in service, in school or in prison?
I can’t find a job due to my age, my Alzheimer’s; and my political record.
That’s irrelevant. You are just a lousy atheist piece of shit. You deserve no sympathy. And have none from me.
Are you white?
No, I am mixed race, part native, part Asian, part black.
I see you were married to a non-white and had no children. Good for you we would not want to see more mongrel children. Such children should be eliminated at birth in my opinion and will be starting next month when we begin enforcing the racial purity laws.
What was your crime? Let’s see reading prohibited writings, keeping a journal, publishing an anti-government blog, authoring anti-government poems and stories. You served two years at hard labor?
Yes
Do you still write?
Yes, everyday but I no longer publish on line.
Good. No one would want to read that trash anyway.
Do you go to church?
No
Do you believe in God?
No, I do not believe in an imaginary man in the sky.
One more anti-religious statement from you will result in an immediate ruling of termination.
Do you drink?
If I can find it yes
Do you gamble
Yes, when I can
Do you support the Christian Republican Party and the Christian States of America?
No, I do not.
Okay, I have enough for a ruling. Sam Adams, you are hereby sentence to termination. Tomorrow morning at 7 am you will be turned into electricity and fertilizer. Take him away.
Next please.
At midnight there was a knock at the door. A black man appeared and said he was a friend and he was being smuggled to California. Sam rejoiced and went with his new friend and reached SF in the morning, escaping death for the 23rd time in his life.
the End
Poetic Nightmares
Morphing Images from a Hellish Nightmare
Note: From a real nightmare End Note
I am in a room
Drinking at a party
And smoking weed
Watching people all around me
Change into hideous creatures
Monsters from the deepest depths of hell
Everyone in the room same dignity as creatures monsters and depressed tech stock
Has been transformed except me
The Chief of them all
Wears a Trumpian mask
Complete with orange hair
Half human half pig
His deputy
Wears the face of Putin
But his body
Half human, half horse: if
The other creatures wear masks
Many of them wear
Green Pepe the alt-right
Symbolic frog masks
And have T-shirts
Bearing alt right slogans
And Nazi symbols
And as they prance about
They chant alt. Right slogans
And neo-Nazi chants
Jews will not Replace us
And the rest of these creatures
Are hideous ugly beasts
With only a vestige of humanity left
And these monsters are engaged
In all sorts of foul evil deeds
Murder violence death
All around
And non-stop
violent drug-fueled orgies
As these creatures
Half human half monsters
Half male, half female creatures
Snort coke, cocaine, speed
Smoke weed and drink vodka shots
Scotch, bourbon and beer
The Trumpian Pig leads the charge
Starts engaging in sodomy with Putin
Who chases after people
Cutting off their heads with his sword
They turn on to their fellow creatures
Raping and killing each other
and eating their fellow creatures
All night long
Then they attack me
Screaming
Jews will not replace us
And I wake up
Screaming
As the sun comes up
Just another nightmare
The Endless Movie
Watching the TV coverage
Of the great government shut down
Of 2018-2019
I am reminded of a movie
As I fall asleep
Listening to the TV
Blather on and on
About what it all means
Mr. Natural pops up
And screams
“It don’t mean shit
“Dude, the endless movie
Is about to begin”!
A middle-aged white man
Down on his proverbial luck
Just been fired
Replaced by a foreign worker
Or a robot
Or just fired
Because he was no longer
Deemed useful
To the masters of the universe
If he was lucky
He’d be given a watch
And an IOU worthless pension
And the man wanders into a restaurant
Pulls out a gun
Eats his breakfast
After the official breakfast hour
Puts on a Pepe the green frog mask
Drops acid, Snorts speed
Drinks a shot of booze
And coffee smokes a joint
Snorts cocaine for good measure
and smokes a cigaret
And walks outside
steals a bus at gun point
Filled with passengers
He tells them
They are hostages
And he puts on his vest
With the dead man switch
Next to the bomb
He announces
Via tweet
He is going to take the bus
To the proverbial pot of gold
Hidden deep in a cave
And when he got there
He would release the hostages
And disappear into the mine
And never be found again
And as the bus careens around the mountain
At a 100 miles an hour
The dude sprouts out
Conspiracy after conspiracy theory
About Obama the Muslim communist
secret gay working with George Soros
the Jewish money people
in league with the shapeshifting lizards
and Mueller is one of them
they are all after him
because he knows the deal
And the passengers are transfixed
Half hoping he would make it
Half hoping he would be blown away
And as the bus careens out of control
With the wheels falling off
And the cliff looming ahead
You realize we are all doomed
Worlds Within Worlds Lost in Inner Space
A man woke up one day
Lost in inner space
Went so far down
The proverbial rabbit hole
That he did not know
Where he was
Nor what time it was
Nor when it was
As he stared out
At a bewildering world
A world lost in inner space
Deep down in his dreams
Satanic Torture
I find myself
In a dark room
Strapped to a bed
The light turns on
The large TV comes on
A smiling image
Of Satan fills the TV
He is dressed
In a conservative business suit
Looks like he came
Out of a corporate
board meeting
surrounded by demonic aides
who constantly shove papers
at him
He looks up from his lap top
And smiles
A deadly so insincere smile
His voice booms out
Welcome to Hell
My satanic slaves
I am Satan
Your new master
Each of you
Has been sentenced
To an eternity of torture
And the punishment
Must fit the crime
So, for you
Mr. Jake Cosmos Aller
Failed aspiring poet
And novelist
Your torture
Is to be strapped
To that bed
Unable to move
As you are filled
With the need
To piss and shit
But you can not move
And your skin
Is crawling with bugs
And itchy
as Hell so to speak
and you are so sleepy
but you can not sleep
the TV will play
endless repeats
Of some of the worst TV
and movie shows
ever produced
Starting with my favorite
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Featuring your favor annoying little girl
Carmetta! Singing for you forever
As you are the ultimate cake sniffer
I looked up
At the cliffs
Towering above
the roaring torrent
and see the dark demons
of my terrible nightmares
chasing the boat
firing flaming arrows
and I see werewolves
goblins, ghosts and monsters
running along the river bed
screaming obscenities
as they chase me
to my doom
and I see the waterfall ahead
and see my pending doom
as I rush over the edge
of reason
Micro Stories
53 word stories regarding unheeded warnings
Don’t Go Jogging in the Middle of the Night
It all started with a jog in the middle of the night. Despite my wife’s warning don’t go jogging in the middle of the night. Broke my heal in a million pieces, 14 operations ensured, mutant MDR Staff almost killed me, almost lost the leg. . should have listened to her warning.
Don’t touch this button!
Don’t touch this button the former President said. I said, what this button? And that led to the launching of nuclear weapons, going to defon three, and world war 3 with millions of people dead end of civilization moment. Should not have touched the red button.
Don’t open the door
When you find yourself running for your life chased by demons from hell and backed into a corner in a burning house filled with flames and are about to die in a million horrible ways you remembered that they warned you not to open door number three in this crazy reality TV show.
Don’t go to the theater tonight stay home with me
Mary Todd Lincoln had a vicious headache and was not in the mood to go out. The President though ignored her wishes and told her that he had to go to the theater that night to show the world everything was okay now the war was ending. Should have listened to her.
Don’t go to Dallas I have a bad feeling about the trip
Jackie was known for her moods and her premonitions. Something the President found both amusing an annoying. She told him that she a vision of death waiting for him in Dallas that day. The President dismissed her foolishness as he put it and went to Dallas to meet his fate.
true love story.
In 1974 I had the first dream. While sleeping in a boring class, I saw a beautiful Asian woman standing at me speaking a foreign language. I fell out of chair yelling who are you? I began having the same dream month after month for eight years. One day I realized she was in Korea so I went there in the Peace Corps to meet her. In 1982 I had the last dream. She said don’t worry we meet soon. That night she walked off a bus, out of the dream and into my life. We’ve been married 37 years.
Cheating Death 22 Times
I have cheated death 22 times in my life. I was born a preemie, almost died at birth, and had all the childhood illness at once. In 1979 I came down with Typhoid fever in Korea in the Peace Corps. In 1991 almost got hit by a train. In 1996-1997 had 14 operations due to a mutant drug resistant staph infection, almost died several times. In 1997 I had an acute stomach ailment that almost killed me, due to excessive antibiotic usage, if I had waited 30 minutes more would have been dead. And had dengue in 2010.
Guardian Angel Saves My Life
In 1990, I was teaching ESL in Korea. My wife and I drove to the East Coast of Korea for a weekend away. She was in the US Army then. As we drove towards Sorak mountain, I was filled with the need to get off the road right then. I had a premonition of doom, so did my wife. We got off to drive around another park returned a few minutes later and saw a 25 car pileup. We would have been dead if we had not listened to that inner voice telling us get off now.
Medical Mystery
Back in 1996, when I was in the hospital fighting a mutant staph infection after a disastrous jogging accident that led to 14 operations, the internal medicine doctor said that there was something else going on. He finally discovered that I had a rare parasite, a tape worm of sorts that remained inert, its only becomes active if you take steroids then it blows up like a basketball killing you instantly. Six months later I had to take steroids due to frozen shoulder syndrome, and if I had not gotten rid of it, I would have died a medical mystery.
Back in 1974 my father was a local politician in Berkeley, California who was on the SLA’s hit list as “an enemy of the people, a fascist insect that needed to be killed”. His crime? As President of the community college district, he began requiring IDS for students and staff to combat campus crime at the local community colleges. We had 24/7 police coverage for a while. One morning I saluted my father, “good morning fascist insect”. My father, being of Germanic stock did not like the joke as jokes are alien to the German DNA.
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)
Walking Through the Fall of Korea
I wrote this story to submit to the Seoul Fiction writer’s contest, “From Seoul to the World”. The action takes place 25 years in the future after a North Korean bioweapon is released after President Pence cancels Peace Talks with North Korea and pursues a military option. the weapon kills 99.9% of people. there are about 25,000 people living in South Korea, most under the control of the Military base at Camp Humphreys. Another visitor from the recent past, General Lee is organzing the wild men, cannibal gangs into a militia force so he can kill all the foreigners. I will update it with the audio clip later.
Sam Adams one morning woke up to find the power out in his house near the airport on Youngchong island in Korea where he resided with his Korean born wife, Maria Lee. Sam was a retired US Diplomat who had served 27 years in the Foreign Service with the State Department and his wife was a retired US Army major. They had decided to split their retirement between Korea and Southern Oregon. It was early spring time and they had just returned from a trip to Southeast Asia.
They had spent the day glued to the TV Sam watching CNN and BBC, Maria watching Korean news and translating as needed as well as reading what kept popping up on their computers. The situation was grim. It was April 2020 and the democrats were leading the polls with a battle between Kamala Harris and Sherwood Brown shaping up, with Bloomberg, and Schultz mounting credible challenges to the two major parties. Pence was leading the Republican field but in a tight race with Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. In a four way race, Pence came in fourth place, Schultz and Bloomberg tied for second place , the democrats were in third place but just barely.
After President Trump was impeached, President Pence cancelled the North Korean peace talks after it became clear to all that the North Koreans had no intention of getting rid of their nukes, but were willing to freeze development and get rid of their missiles. They were also not willing to dismantle their bioweapons programs, but willing to discuss a freeze. The Russians and Chinese unilaterally suspended sanctions telling the U.S. to take the deal offered. Pence refused. He ordered family members and non-essential employees to leave. The North Koreans declared that the Korean war had resumed and they would launch hostile acts but would allow the U.S, to evacuate it citizens first and gave the U.S. two weeks to do so. The U.S. also cancelled the visa waiver program over night.
And announced that if the North attacked the South, the U.S. would retaliate in kind, including using nukes if the North used nukes. And in any event, they would destroy the bioweapons programs which would launch the bioweapons against the North Korean people. The UN security council members voted 9 to 3 to condemn the U.S. reactions and voted 12 to 0 to condemn the North Korean actions. The U.S., U.K. blocked the measure. Israel was the only country that supported the U.S. measure. NATO voted that they would not honor an article Five request if the U.S. were to ask for one. They also voted that the U.S. should take the offer. South Korea also urged the U.S. to return to the peace talks table and take the offer. Pence refused to do so and said that the U.S. was ready for any and all contingencies, and demanded that North Korea immediately dismantle their nukes, bioweapons, chemical weapons and artillery batteries near the DMZ. In return, the U.S. would recognize the North and would formally end the Korean war. The North refused to do so, citing the still hostile U.S. government’s rhetoric and actions.
They had managed to get a flight the next day at 3 pm and were planning on getting up about 6 am to pack up before leaving for the airport about 12 noon. The airlines advised early arrival as the airport was much more chaotic than normal as that morning was the 19th day. All flights would be suspended as of noon the following day as the Korean Military and U.S. Airforce would be taking over the Airport for use in possible military contingency operations. So they were fortunate to have gotten a flight at all, and had to pay three times the going rate, as only business class was left. They would be taking their niece with them as she had a U.S. passport. The rest of the relatives had visa appointments in two weeks but the rumor was that the U.S.G. was denying 95% of visa applicants.
Sam was 63 years old, his wife was 60. They had no children. He was tall, had mostly dark hair, blue eyes, and was in pretty good shape. Maria was also in pretty good health. They had decided to retire a bit early so they could enjoy life. They had made some good investments, had rental income to supplement their pensions so they felt blessed.
About 5:30 am there was a brilliant flash in the sky, and the building shook as if there was either artillery shells coming in or an earthquake. It woke Sam up. But his wife was such a deep sleeper that she did not notice a thing. He decided to let her sleep and he would check the news and then do his usual writing, as he wrote every morning, then wake up his wife and pack for the trip to the airport. Sam was spending his retirement as a writer and blogger.
Sam noticed the power was out, which was unusual. Power was very reliable in Korea these days, he could not recall the power having gone out during the year and half he had been living in his fifth floor penthouse apartment in the airport new city, about a mile from the subway and walking distance to lots of restaurants and services. . Sam and Maria felt that it was quite pleasant to live in, there was the World Peace Forest Park which was a five minute walk away, and Bakrangsan .mountain which was a forested hill about 1 mile from the house. He occasionally saw deer in the park.
With these thoughts in his mind, he turned on the computer, which booted up since the battery was still working. But the internet was down. He tried his phone, no service at all. Sam looked out the window and was astonished to find that all the buildings around him were falling in ruin, the cars were all destroyed, and there were no people to be seen, and the parking lot was filled with trees and bushes as the concrete had been taken over by a resurgent forest. Usually at 6 a.m. he would see neighbors getting ready to go to work either at the airport or to catch the train into Seoul or Incheon where most people worked.
Sam woke up Maria.
’Wife, there is no power, the internet is down, and there is no phone service. And I think that the North Koreans launched an artillery attack at the airport about 5 am as I saw a flash of light and heard a lot of noise and the ground shook like an earthquake. But that is not the most unusual thing. Wake up you have to see this.”
Maria got up reluctantly and walked out and Sam pointed out the deserted ruined landscape outside the house.
“Baby, what the hell is going on?”
“Wifee, I don’t know. We have to go outside to investigate.”
They got dressed and ventured outside. They walked down since the power was out everywhere. Their building appeared to be the only building intact but they knew that the neighbors were not there. Just a feeling that they were the only people left alive on the island.
Sam, being an avid reader and writer of SF speculated that “perhaps a bioweapon got loose in the North and spread across the border? Perhaps the U.S. accidentally released it or North Korean special forces released it. But why are we alive?”
Maria, the practical one of their household, looked at him and nodded. Sam sometimes saw things that she never could as he was a genius. They walked about located their car. Their car was ruined, rusting away. The windows were broken. The wheels had no air and it was obviously not drivable. Sam pondered on what was going on.
“Wifee, I think that somehow we have been propelled into the future. Whatever happened to kill everyone happened some time ago. Looking at these ruins it happened at least ten years ago if not 50 years ago. I wonder if we are last people left alive in Korea? And I sure as hell don’t know how we got here.”
Sam and Maria decide to walk through the town to see what had changed and whether there were any survivors. Most of the buildings were falling apart. A few lay in ruins. The cars were all rusted away. They started walking down the park heading down the bike path towards the central business district. The path had completely reverted to forest. It was early spring just like it had been when they had gone to bed back whenever they had gone to bed.
They came to the park near the library. And saw a gruesome sight. In the middle of the park there were six huge dogs mauling and eating a freshly killed deer. The dogs looked more like wolves than dogs.
wiild dogs
One of the dogs looked up and noticed Sam and Maria. Sam told Maria,
“Stand up tall, make a lot of noise and back away slowly. Don’t run.”
Maria looked at Sam like he was an idiot but nodded her head.
The dog looked at Sam, and growled. He got the attention of the pack and the dogs started walking towards Sam and Maria. Sam picked up some rocks and threw them at the dogs. The dogs stopped but Sam and Maria could not get passed them so they retreated. The dogs followed them back towards the house.
On the way back to the house, Sam and Maria noticed other things. There were bones here and there of deer and other animals. The dogs were apparently quite active. They may be other dogs about. They saw a cat who stared at them but did not come after them, but ran away from them and the approaching dogs. The dogs stopped and ran into the bushes pursuing a deer that they had cornered and began mauling.
Sam and Maria watched the dogs for a while then headed back to the house. Sam and Maria sat down in the living room and debated what to do. Sam said,
“We can’t stay here long term. We have to find a farm house where we have water, and a place to make a fire, and some farming equipment etc. We will have to learn how to farm, and hunt. We also need to find other survivors, otherwise we may be the last humans left on earth. So, let’s pack up our camping gear, and basic supplies and head first to the airport to check it out. I suspect that what happened was the North Koreans jumped the gun and attacked this morning about 5:00 am as I heard a large boom and saw the sky lit up. But how we ended up in the future I have no idea. Perhaps the North Koreans were experimenting with a new weapon system, or the U.S.?
You were still sleeping so I decided to listen to the news and then do my usual writing before waking you up. After we go to the airport, we will come back here spend the night then take off tomorrow for COSTCO to get more supplies then we can head down to Camp Humphreys. See if we can find any survivors and get weapons, more camping gear, and survival books from the library. But we can fire up the BB2 and at least heat up some soup and stuff for today, and tomorrow night. And head out the next morning.”
They packed up a back pack, stuffed it filled with hiking and camping gear. Made lunch and dinner and plotted their route to the airport then Costco. The next morning, they woke up to the same nightmare. Nothing had changed.
They ate breakfast, and walked out in the early morning calmness. Korea was at last truly the land of the morning calm as there was just silence. The lack of noise was jarring. They broke into one of the neighbor’s apartment looking for more survival gear. They found skeletons only and remains of ancient meals long rotted away. They added some gear to their back packs and loaded up and moved out by mid-day.
They had knives, and some large sticks as weapons against dog attacks. They walked through the park and saw the dog pack but the dogs left them alone. One of the dogs began to follow them but the dog retreated when they threw rocks at them.
They saw deer in the fields everywhere and they saw cows and wild horses wandering about, lots of wild cats, and birds but no sign of any human life.
korean deer
The stores were all filled with commercial stuff and they broke into a pharmacy and added some more survival gear to their back packs.
They then noticed a lion watching them. Where the hell the lion had come from they had no idea. The lion appeared to decide to leave them alone, perhaps he had already eaten breakfast.
lion
They stopped at the Lotte Mart –The stench of long rotting away food was nauseating but they were able to add some more essential provisions to their back packs. They also commandeered two large shopping carts and got another couple of back packs and luggage for good measure, got a tent, sleeping bag, booze, spam, flash lights with lots of extra batteries, and a first aid kit.
It took most of the day to reach the airport. As suspected the airport had been bombed back to the proverbial stone age. Nothing was left standing except for planes on the ground. Some had crashed landed, others were stranded on the ground. They went to the book store which somehow had survived the carnage and got newspapers, and some books, and more water and other supplies.
bombed out airport
They took the time to make a picnic lunch at the airport and while doing so read the Korean papers. They made a fire and cooked their first meal since the day before. Maria read the Chosun Ilbo, the conservative daily newspaper in Korea. The headline read;
“last issue due to bioweapon attack. 생물 무기 공격으로 인한 마지막 문제
saengmul mugi gong-gyeog-eulo inhan majimag munje “
A bioweapon apparently had escaped from a secret lab in North Korea and had spread across North Korea and killed everyone in the North within days. Terrified North Koreans rushed across the border and infected border control military and residents who all promptly died. The contagion then spread across the border regions, and reached Seoul within a few days.
The city government ordered a 100 percent curfew but that did not stop the contagion from spreading rapidly. All it took was one person to cough to contaminate a ten foot radius. The bioweapon caused a severe influenza attack, followed by an Ebola like reaction. It was 99.5 percent fatal and death occurred within days. The newspaper staff has been affected and there are only a few people left so this is probably our last edition. There is news that the contagion has spread to Asian cities and the US. Apparently some people get the disease but don’t show symptoms for several weeks, therefore people were able to travel spreading the disease wide and far and there are reports of contagions breaking out all over the world. All air travel, train travel, subway travel has been suspended but there are few travelers as close to 80% of Koreans may have perished. There are rumors that some people might be immune.
The US military has announced that they will operate an emergency shelter at Camp Humphreys, and medical testing is being conducted to find a cure or vaccine. Anyone who is still alive and not showing symptoms may be immune and should go to Camp Humphry for a medical evaluation. Anyone showing symptoms should stay at home as there is nothing that can be done for them.”
Sam scanned the U.S. papers and the English language media. Apparently what had happened was that the North had attacked on the 19th day five days ahead of their announced start of hostilities. They had bombed the airport and power plants knocking out the power. The U.S. launched an attack against their missiles and their bioweapons programs which released a bioweapon that killed most people in the North within days and most people in the South as well. North Korean agents had smuggled it into the U.S. and released in over 25 American and Canadian cities. Islamic terror groups had released it in European cities, in Latin America and in Africa. Pakistan and India had exchanged nukes as had Israel and Iran. And Islamic terrorists had launched nukes in NYC, LA and Washington DC and launched attacks including nukes across Europe and Russia. And the North had nuked the South and the U.S. had nuked the North before the virus made all military actions futile. The war had ended within five days as most people were dead from the virus, or the nuke attacks or the artillery attacks.
bio-weapon
Sam asked Maria,
“When was this dated?”
“May 15th, my 60th birthday in our timeline.”
“Mm well it seems like it is April 1, a few weeks before that date, and the 19th day of the North Korean self-declared two-week deadline. They must have jumped the gun, and the U.S. must have accidentally released the bioweapon. And North Koreans must have given the bioweapons to ISIS and Al Qaeda to release it in the U.S. and Europe. Perhaps they had an antidote as well to distribute. Wifee, we need to go to COSTCO tomorrow then on to Camp Humphreys a few days latter to look for survivors, get some guns and then find a farm house we can settle down in, if we don’t find survivors.”
They stopped by the Casino, and raided the bank stocking up on gold coins and bars, heavy to carry but could be very useful. They made plans to go to COSTCO the next day.
The bridge to Incheon was falling down. They walked across the bridge and looked down at the Incheon harbor. There were boats here and there in the water. Old abandoned cars and trucks everywhere. And abandoned burnt out building everywhere. The apartment towers and office towers were silent as death. No one had survived the apocalypse.
They got to COSTCO mid-day. Along the way they discovered that if they stuck to the freeway they would avoid lions, tigers, wolves and wild dogs as the animals for some reason did not want to go on the freeways. The road ways below the freeways were overgrown with brush anyway. The freeways were relatively clear except for the downed vehicles everywhere. Costco lay wide open. Sam said,
“Canned goods like Spam can last 50 years or more. So, we need to load up on more Spam, and other canned items, instant coffee, instant tea, charcoal for our stove, wine and lots of booze – we can use booze and Spam as currency save our gold. “
They entered COSTCO. There were skeletons everywhere mocking them and Sam felt that the ghosts of the dead were everywhere accusing Sam and Maria of being in league with the devil that had descended upon the land killing everyone overnight.
Sam speculated that whatever had killed off humanity had acted really swift. He said,
“Probably a North Korean bioweapon escaped from a lab up north and spread down south, perhaps the U.S. military strike released it. It must have been close to 100 percent effective and must have killed most people within hours if not days. Look at all these people. And notice that the store had not been looted? People must have gotten sick and died almost instantly. “
They loaded up their supplies and decided to camp out in the parking lot out front. As they ate their dinner they feasted on spam, powdered eggs, water, and booze liberated from the COSTCO stores. Sam joked,
“Well, I suppose it is fitting we are here at COSTCO finally getting out money’s worth.”
They camped outside and drank a lot of Costco Wine and ate canned spam and canned vegetables. They had stocked up on goods from Costco and their back packs and shopping carts were getting pretty heavy.
Six friendly dogs soon appeared and Sam threw them some food and the dogs ate the food and then settled down near by watching them. They took turns staying up, watching the dogs to make sure that they did not form a pack and attack them. By the morning the dogs had become very friendly and followed them as they left for their epic road trip.
Sam and Maria got up slowly and ate breakfast, and fed the dogs that had had adopted them. They were glad that they had dogs for companions. Sam was a cat person, Maria was a dog person. They talked about the dogs they had before and smiled and played with the dogs a bit. And gave each of the dogs a name and thought them simple commands. They called them Sam, Tom, Roger, Matt, Maria and Inga. The dogs liked the names, and were quick learners and appeared to be used to humans which gave them hope that there were survivors nearby and perhaps the dogs might take them there.
Then they contemplated the route to Camp Humphreys pouring over a map they had gotten at the airport. Neither one of them really knew how to walk there, but they knew the general direction was south. The freeways and highways were littered with abandoned rusting cars but for the most part were in fairly good shape. They hiked on the freeway as the roads down below were so overgrown that it was difficult to go forward and they were worried about wild animal attacks, although their dog patrol as they had started calling the six dogs in the pack seemed to act as a deterrent against attack.
Maria and Sam speculated whether there were any one left alive. Sam thought that the odds were pretty good that someone had survived at Camp Humphreys and that the survivors if any would welcome them and they could join them.
Camp Humphreys was the largest military base overseas with 35,000 people there, mostly American but a lot of Koreans and third country nationals as well. It was located about 90 minutes south from Seoul depending on how you got there. In any event 45 miles away, or two to three days walking distance. They had gone down there to shop at the world’s largest commissary but found the base to be a bit overwhelming, just too big and sprawling everywhere, and they went there on a regular basis to the hospital but they preferred the nearby Osan airbase – nicer commissary, PX and hospital. Sam joked that the “Airforce weanies always got the best stuff.” . Maria laughed and said, “You got that right.”
Along they would come upon skeletons by the side of the road, but no other evidence that anyone was alive and there did not appear to be any survivors. Maria who was very sensitive to ghosts and spiritual phenomenon, felt that there were ghosts all around them watching them. Sam made fun of her for believing in ghosts but as they walked in the silence Sam began to sense the presence of unseen spirits so perhaps he was sensing the ghosts as well.
Perhaps there were just sensing death all around them. The dogs too acted up, barking at unseen creatures and growling – Maria told Sam that dogs were sensitive to these sorts of things.
Sam wondered out loud whether they really were alive, perhaps they were in some personal hellscape? They stopped for the night at a highway rest area, and found to their pleasant surprise that the showers and toilets still worked after decades of non-use. Still no power anywhere. After taking a much needed and appreciated shower and using the western toilets, they decided to camp out and found an empty hotel room and brought the dogs inside as well as they did not want to leave them outside.
The next morning, they feasted on left over spam, freeze dried eggs, and canned chicken meat washed down with COSTCO instant coffee, and whiskey shots. They shared their food with their dog pack.
Along the way they has seen a few more lions, and a tiger, but the presence of the dogs seemed to deter them from attacking them and the tigers and lions did not want to venture up onto the freeway. They also saw lots of deer, some wild cattle, wild horses, wild pigs, and in the distance saw some bears, and some wolves, on the roads below them, and wild chickens everywhere even on the freeway. Sam and Maria stopped for lunch and the dogs caught them some chickens which they roasted on the fire and shared with the dogs. The dogs had clearly adopted them as their pack leaders.
Sam told Maria that the lions and tigers had probably escaped in the chaos of the fall and had managed to link up with other lions and tigers. And perhaps the tiger population in Siberia and North Korea had spread into the south. Probably there were real wolf packs as well as bears running around. Just before the fall Sam had been reading about the proliferation of wild life in the country side, particularly wild deer and wild boars. The countryside was being rapidly depopulated and becoming wilderness areas. The Korean government was buying up farm lands and adding them to the existing state forest reserves and national parks which they had expanded by 25 percent over the last five years taking advantage of the growing wilderness areas in the countryside. And they had just launched an effort to restore tigers, bears and wolves to the mountain regions. Apparently it had succeeded after the fall of humanity.
The next day they came upon a gruesome sight. They saw below them on the road a tiger devouring a dead Korean man, who appears to have been middle age. So that was proof that there were some survivors and that Tigers were human eaters. The tiger looked at them but decided to not give chase. Probably filled from his meal or the dogs were still acting as a deterrent or the tiger were afraid of the ghosts on the highway.
tiger
Later in the day they saw what appeared to have been an intact village. They got off the freeway and walked down the street. It had the appearance of a real ancient village, complete with thatched roofs but there were a few modern buildings here and there and something that looked like an old fashioned inn and restaurant.
korea old house
They walked in and found an old man near death lying on the floor.
“Grandfather, what happened here? Where are all the people?”
“General Lee’s wild men took them. “
“Who are the wild men?”
The grandfather looked at them, and said,
“It appears that there may be others like you coming. We all thought that General Lee was the only one. He appeared five years ago just like you from nowhere. He was dressed in old style clothes and spoke the old language. People nowadays don’t speak proper Korean. They speak a mixture of English and Korean with a very simplified grammar, and no one uses honorifics any more, everyone speaks in pan mal. . Everyone can still read both Korean and English though. No one knows Chinese characters any more. Part of what happened after the fall.”
“Grandfather, tell us who are the wild men. We are indeed from the past just got here yesterday. We don’t know what has been happening since the fall. Please tell us.”
“You had better get going. The next village over is safe for now. It is within the Camp Humphreys administrative zone. Now that there are only 25,000 people left, most of the farmers have moved into the zone which is patrolled by the military and under military rule. This village is just outside the zone. General Lee has been attacking isolated villages, forcing the survivors to flee into the zone. You must tell the military commander something. Part of the deal we had was to provide intel in exchange for their protection. I am the last survivor of our village. We had about 100 people in the village. General Lee surrounded the village and killed the old people. He took the young woman to be sex slaves, and the men to be slaves. The old people they were going to BBQ. They also took the children as there are so few children left alive, even the cannibals are nice to children. The wild men are cannibals. But they only eat other people, or their own if they die in combat. We were defenseless but we put up a good fight. I ended up passed out and they thought I was dead.
I overheard that General Lee had heard that there were others like him walking towards Camp Humphreys. They are going to be looking for you. They also said that they were going to attack Camp Humphreys and enslave them all then unite all of Korea under General Lee’s command and kill all the foreigners and eat them, but keep the woman as sex slaves and raise any children as they own. Tell them that. Promise me that.”
“We will. Can you walk?”
“Thanks, but I am an old man and will be meeting God soon. Don’t waste any more time here. Stay on the freeway, no one goes there too many ghosts. Get off at the next exit and you will find the only inn in town. You will have to pay using gold or canned goods. Over there you will some hidden gold and a couple of guns with ammo. And whatever canned goods you see. Take it all. And get out of here before the wild men come back.”
They took the gold and some more canned goods although that made their packs and shopping carts very heavy.
They entered the village about noon. It was a small community of perhaps 1,000 people. In the middle of the village stood an old fashioned Korean “yogwan” a Korean country inn.
yogwan
They ordered rice wine and wild boar meat accompanied by fresh mountain vegetables. They were hungry having eaten nothing but canned goods for two days running.
korean dinner
They fed their dogs spam and the dogs were happy to have gotten a new treat. They had to leave the dogs outside.
Everyone was eager to meet the strangers. They told everyone the truth. Everyone said that they believed them as everyone knew that General Lee claimed he came from the past, just before the fall. General Lee had appeared five years before and turned the wild men from being cannibal gangs into a real fighting force.
They chat with the villagers and the villagers told them that they were very lucky to have avoided being captured by the wild men, the savages, 식인종 (sikinjong) cannibals as they called them. The wild men they described as being less than human beings, cannibalistic demons from hell “지옥의 식인종 마귀들. jiog-ui sig-injong magwideul.”
Pastor Pak spoke up,
“ God had condemned the Korean people to this hell scape because they had turned away from God. “하나님께서는 한국 사람들이 하나님에게서 멀어 졌기 때문에이 지옥의 풍경에 한국인들을 비난했다. “지옥에서 온 식인종의 악마들. hananimkkeseoneun hangug salamdeul-i hananim-egeseo meol-eo jyeossgi ttaemun-ei jiog-ui pung-gyeong-e hangug-indeul-eul binanhaessda. “jiog-eseo on sig-injong-ui agmadeul.”
The villagers filled them in told them that there were about 1,000 people left in the village. They offered to escort Sam and Maria to the base as the roads were not safe. Wild tigers, lions, bears, wild boars, wild dogs and wolves were running about as were the wild men. Sam and Maria told them that they appreciated the offer but they would be okay to travel by themselves as Grandfather Lee had given them several guns and sufficient ammo.
They left the next morning after breakfast of spam omelets. They left the spam behind as it seemed to be greatly appreciated just like in the old days. They got typical “precise” Korean directions as “precise” as most Korean directions were!
After coffee, they left for the final trek to the base. They did not encounter anyone else but felt that unseen people were watching them. Maria was having a hard time on the freeway, kept seeing or hearing ghosts. Sam told her that if they were walking down below they might encounter wild men or wild animals. Neither of which seemed to like being on the old freeways.
Around noon the encountered a wolf. They shot at him and he ran off.
wolves
The dogs were upset. They obviously knew what a wolf was and that a wolf and a dog were related species but the dogs remained loyal to their pack leader, Sam.
Around lunch time they found the base. It was locked up but they were able to climb over a fence and they walked over to the library. Sam told her that they needed to find some books on survival. He had room for ten books. He also wanted a book of poetry to read and perhaps one or two SF thrillers to read, including post end of the world novels, especially “the Ending of the Light.” which was appropriate reading material, Sam thought. He ended up with ten books and his backpack and shopping carts were definitely too heavy, filled with ten books, gold, guns, ammo, food, booze, cooking equipment, a tent, sleeping bags, spare clothes and a camp fire stove. He hoped that they would meet people soon so he could set it down for good.
They stayed at the library until it was sunset and they camped outside. The dogs were still with them – they had accepted Sam as the alpha male of the pack. The dogs had chased down a deer and they brought the deer to Sam. Sam made a fire and cooked up the deer following instructions in one of his survival bibles. He gave the grateful dogs plenty of table scraps.
In the morning, Sam said that he wanted to find the base community and settle down among the soldiers. Maria concurred with the general plan and felt that they would meet some survivors that morning. She also felt somebody was watching them. When they left the base, after breakfast, Maria told Sam,
“We are being followed.”
Sam looked around and then noticed six men dressed in old tattered Korean army uniforms armed with bows and arrows lurking in the shadows behind a building. They looked like wild men, with a savage look about them, filled with violence, hunger and lust.
cannibals
Sam did not want to die for their dinner and have his wife who was still good looking becoming a sex slave. Sam was pulling out his gun, when there was a whistle and gun shots as the US Army band emerged from the other shadows and gestured to Sam and Maria to join them. A short fire fight ensured. The wild men retreated into the shadows. Sgt Jones yells out in English and Korean,
“You may retrieve your dead.” 당신은 죽은 사람을 되 찾을 수 있습니다.
dangsin-eun jug-eun salam-eul doe chaj-eul su issseubnida.”
And they walked out and picked up their dead companions and disappeared into the
shadows.
“Well, welcome. You were fortunate that we were on routine patrol. They won’t bother us any more. They were probably more interested in your dogs than you. The wild men do like their dog meat. You and your dogs are safe with us. It is unusual that they came into town, perhaps they were following you. We had heard rumors that there were two people from the old world walking towards Camp Humphreys. We saw you camped out by the library last night but did not want to bother you until the morning. We’ll take you back to the base where you can meet Commander Baker. You are not the only survivors, there are a few thousand people scattered about here and there. You are fortunate to have survived because some of the other survivors as you know are the so called wild men, basically cannibal gangs. But we have not seen any new survivors since the event.”
Sam told them their strange tale. As far as they were concerned, they woke up 25 years in the future. They had no idea how that happened or even what really had happened 25 years ago.
Sgt Jones said,
“That story is so strange it might even be true. What happened was kind of what the newspaper had said. There was a bioweapon that escaped from a lab in North Korea, and killed almost everyone in North Korea within days. Some of the survivors managed to get across the DMZ and infected the soldiers. And the contagion spread. Within weeks almost everyone was dead. The base gathered together the survivors and over time others joined us. We are the largest community, about 300 people half American half Korean. There are some smaller Korean towns here and there with 100 to 200 people here and there. Down in Daegu there was at one time a community of 1,000 survivors. But something happened to them five years ago and we have not heard a word from them. Same thing in Busan. And the rumors about General Lee being from your time makes sense. He appeared out of nowhere about five years ago and settled down among the wild men, turning them into militias and driving most of the remaining villagers into the CHMZ.
“CHMZ?”
“Oh, Camp Humphreys Military Zone, the closest thing to a government in Korea these days. In any event, we are thinking of taking some people down to “CWMZ, Camp Walker Military Zone” in Daeju, and “ NBBMZ, Naval Base Busan Military Zone” in Busan to see what’s up. We have not heard from either in five years. Perhaps you might want to join our expedition?”
“Sure, but we want to get settled a bit first.”
“Sure thing. In any event, you were really fortunate to have avoided running into General Lee’s wild men. He is a pretty mean mother f….. The Commander will want to debrief you in detail.”
They entered the base, which was located on the edge of the compound and consisted of housing units and a mini-commissary, and a bowling alley. They had even rigged up some solar and wind power so they had electricity and running water. Everyone had their own house but meals were served communally so to conserve power.
Sam noticed that there were few children. Sgt Jones said,
“The deal is that the plague is still out there. Most children die right away. A few survive. It seems that we are all immune and that we can pass that immunity onto some of our children but we have a 50 percent infant mortality rate anyway. We ran out of modern medicine decades ago. It has been 25 years after all.”
They entered the community center next door to the mini-commissary and bowling alley. Colonel Baker was an elderly black man in his late 60’s. He had the aura of being the man in charge. A good man who had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The Colonel invited them to tell their tale of woe. They recounted everything that they had experienced since they woke up five days before in the future. The Colonel let them speak until they were finished. He asked a few questions, and was particularly intrigued by what the old man had told them and what the villagers had said as well.
“Well, your ordeal is over for now. You are welcome to stay. Welcome to the community. You can stay as long as you follow the rules. The rules are simple. Everyone had a job assigned to them based on their past life and experience and the needs of the community. Sam could be the base librarian. They had been meaning to move the library over to the community but just had not gotten around to it. Was that sufficient for him?”
Sam agreed to take over the library and help in relocating it to the community, and then to keep track of the library’s holding. Maria volunteered to help out in the community kitchen as she was a good cook and liked cooking.
Col. Baker told them the history of the community and their dealings with the wild men who roamed the hills hunting down animals and the occasional unlucky human they ran into. They had a deal with the wild men. If they ever encountered survivors they would turn them over to them. In return the wild men left them alone.
Sam started objecting, but the Colonel stopped him.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of honoring that agreement. You can stay with us. But first we are going to take a trip down to CWMZ and NBMZ to see what happened to the community there five years ago. There are rumors that General Lee was either a defector or a North Korean general who had access to the bioweapons program and brought the bio-weapons with him. He may have tweaked it so that the virus can be tailored to only attack for example black people or white people. And he may have the antidote for his people. In any event we suspect that he killed everyone in the CWMZ and the NBBMZ as well. And we are next on his list. We also suspect that he wants to capture you alive so he can debrief you as to what you know. He may have been sent forward prior to the Fall so may not be aware of what you know. And he wants to know if you can travel back and forth in time. I want to know that too.”
“Well, Col. Here’s the deal. We have no idea how we got here. All I know is that there was a blinding flash of light about 5 in the morning and then we found ourselves in this time line.”
‘Fair Enough. Well, are you in for our adventure down South? Are you in?”
“Yeah, we’re in.”
“Good. We will move out in five days. Welcome to our corner of Hell.”
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 Cheritas and Haiku
updated with my latest micro poetry
latest Micro Poems
Love Haiku
1. Thursday Evening
2. Waking Up to No You
3. One Moment, One day
4. You Are My Angel
5. Saying Goodbye for Now
6. Know I Must Say I do
7. I Can Not Get Rid
8. I Float Here and There
9. You Are My Everything
10. One Night in Lithia Springs
11. One Night I Dreamt of You
12. Where do you and I
13. Dream Girl Hanibun
14. Living with Pain Hanibun
15. Hiking Hills of My Youth Hanibun
Thursday Evening
Thursday early evening
Thinking dark thoughts only you
Can you cure these thoughts?
—————————————-
Waking Up to No You
Waking up to no you
Absent in my bed at night
Absent from my dreams
——————————–
One Moment, One Day
One moment, one day
You walked out of my nightmares
And swept into life
———————————
You Are My Angel
You are my Angel
Sent from God up in heaven
To conquer my life
————————————-
Saying Goodbye for Now
Saying goodbye now
Is the hardest thing to do
But I must do it
———————————–
Know I Must Say I do
I know I must say I do
But I don’t want to today
Just don’t have the strength
—————————————–
Five Cinquain
Best Love
Love at First Sight
Met the girl of my dreams
My life began that autumn day
True Love
——————————————————-
True Dreams
True Dreams
I had a dream
Meet the Girl of my Dreams
She walked off that bus that day
True Dream
—————————————————–
Truth
Truth
Truth
True story
Love never ends
Love at First Sight
Love
———————————————-
First Kiss
First Kiss
First time we kissed
Hot Electricity
Filled my soul with desire
Time stopped
—————————————-
Time
Time
Began
That fine day
Never Ending
Love
Skinny Fake Things
Fake Things
everywhere
all
around
me
everywhere
I
hear
lies
fake Things
—————————————–
More Coffee
More coffee
must have more
it consumes me
just need one more
———————————————–
angela
angela
the love of my life
came to me out of a dream
walked off a bus into my life
filling my life with red passion
end updated haiku
Cosmos’s Cheritas and Haiku
Cheritas
——————————-
I was introduced to the Cherita poetry form last spring when the Cherita journal published some of my earlier Cheritas. Since that time I have written a number of others. The form is an Malaysian-Indonesian story telling form, but is written in many languages nowadays as it has become a global poetic form, similar to Haiku (see below). The cherita tells a story in five lines stanzas as follows
one line
two lines
three lines
it could also be reversed
three lines
two lines
one line
or 3-1-2, 2-1-3, or any other variable of the 1, 2, and 3 basic format.
and it has to tell a story.
One can write a longer story using a series of Cheritas, which I did later in this posting.
for more info on this fascinating poetic form, take a look at the Cherita journal cherita journal
and for even more detail look at the DNA of Cherita posting
The first set are Cheritas I wrote last spring, the last set is one I just submitted.
1. There is nothing more to be said
2. There is always one more time
3. Time waits for no one
4. I will Love you until the end of time
5. That is all I need to say
6. In the beginning of the world
7. Life Endures
8. The Future of NYC
9. the cancer that is Trump
10. 62 Years Young
11. Married the Girl of my Dreams
There is nothing more to be said
Nothing more I can add
Nothing more than this
I will love you
Until the end of time itself
and death does us part
——————————————————–
There is always one more time
There is always one more time
There is always a second chance
For love and happiness
In this dark world of ours
We will find each other
Til the end of time itself
————————————————-
Time Waits for No One (reversed Cherita)
Time waits for no one
That is what they say
That time waits for no one
But that is a lie
Time waits for you
And time waits for me too
———————————————
I will Love you until the end of time
I will Love you until the end of time
That is all I need to say
That is all that there is
Nothing but love in my heart
Waiting for me to say it
And for you to believe it
———————————————
In the beginning of the world
I saw you there
Walking off that bus
And that was the beginning
Of my life with you
And the end of the rest of the world
——————————–
Love Endures
Love Endures
the longer I live
the more I learn
that nothing endures in life
other than the love
I share with you
———————————-
The Future of NYC
NYC
In the distant future
the world will end
with a massive flood
and NYC will slowly sink
beneath the waves
and humanity will die
———————————————
the cancer that is Trump
fake President
The cancer that is Trump
Will continue to fester
and continue to cause turmoil
that is the nature
of the malignant cancer
that is the Trump Presidency
———————————————————–
62 Years Young
62 Years young
I am 62 years young
62 years around the sun
sunrise cherita
37 of those years
I have spent
with the love of my life
Married the Girl of my Dreams
I married the girl of my Dreams
first dreamt of her
back in 1974
Eight years later
she walked off a bus
and into my life
Cosmos’s Haiku
I also love Haiku and short poetic forms. Here are some of my Haiku, Hanibun and other poems. Several have been published.
Back in 1996 I had the accident that changed everything. I went jogging one morning. It was dark outside, and I thought that I knew the trail. Big mistake. I fell down a ledge hidden where the trail should have been. I shattered me heal in a million pieces. I was rushed to an ER and told that I need an emergency operation and would be bed ridden for four months.
My wife was in San Antonio at the time serving in the Army, I was in DC working for the State Department. I flew in a wheel chair to San Antonio where they proclaimed that they had to wait a week for the swelling to go down before they could operate. The Air force doctors wanted to try a new procedure – using shark cartridge as a bone supplement. The operation was a success until I quit taking antibiotics six months later. I was in DC by myself then. I went to the hospital for an unrelated thing -removal of a cist I think. But the doctors took one look at me and proclaimed that the staph had become a multiple drug resistant staph and I needed an urgent operation. The next day I had the third of 15 operations. I endured six months at Walter Reed hospital but that was in the 90’s prior to the wars of the 21st century filled the base up. They had few customers and I got to know the doctors well.
I know pain
Intimately aware of every ache
Every pain
Ever since that day
When I went under the knife
And had the 14 operations
That saved my life
But I am not one to complain
I became one with the pain
Which I endure to this day
Knowing that I am alive
Having cheated death
Twenty times in life
Waiting for the grim reaper
To finally claim me
But that day has not come
And until then
I will endure
—————————————————————–
Hiking the Hills of My Youth (Hanibun)
tilden park
I grew up in Berkeley, California in the 60’s. Ever since I was a youngster I would wander the hills of Berkeley hiking for hours by myself and sometimes with my friends. I explored every nook and cranny every corner of the hills and got to know nature in its infinite beauty.
Ever since those days I have longed for the day that I could spend my days hiking and wondering the hills. Now that I am retired and living in Korea I can go for a long walk in the hills every day I want. It is not the same as the hills I grew up, no vistas of the Bay and it is in Korea to boot but most days it is sufficient as I head out early afternoon and conquer four or five miles of hills just enjoying that fact that I can still move and am still very much alive at age 62.
I grew up hiking the hills of Berkeley, California
Grew up knowing every corner of the hills
And the infinite beauty of the Bay Area
And now I find myself in a strange land
With time on my hands
I wander the hills above the airport
In Incheon Korea
And wander about here and there
Just being grateful
That I am still alive
And kicking at age 62
————————————
There is nothing more to be said (reverse cherita 3-2-1 form)
Nothing more I can add
Nothing more I can say
Nothing more than this
I will love you
Until the end of time itself
and death does us part
—————————————————-
A message for you
A message for you
from the universe itself
in the eastern sea
————————————————-
Love Endures Cherita
Love Endures
the longer I live
the more I learn
that nothing endures in life
other than the love
I share with you
———————————————-
Success
In 62 years around the sun
I have learned a few things
About life and the universe
The most important thing in life
Is to have a successful love life
That is all one needs after all
——————————–
Haiku Thinking of You
Thinking of you, dear
Wondering if you do too
Thinking of me too
————————————————————
Coffee Haiku
I like my coffee
like my woman
hot as hell, sweat Heaven
——————————————————-
Spring Doositsu
Waking up seeing you there
Watching you as you wake up
Fills me with such sweat desire
Overcoming my mind
I sit watching you all day
Thinking of you all day long
Wild erotic imaginings
Love making to come
That old blues song come to mind
I just want to make love to you
I just want to make love to you
Nothing more than that that
I end this morning with this thought
You are still the most wonderful
The most beautiful creature
In the whole universe
————————————————–
Love Triclinia
One Summer Day
I saw a rose
rose
on the bus
I met my fate
——————————–
Nuclear War Looms
nuclear war looms
North Korea U.S. Launch Nukes
End of the world
—————————————————–
Zombies Apocalypse
the zombies unleashed
killing everyone they see
zombie apocalypse
————————————————-
Evil Fog
evil fog descends
killing everyone at once
end of life on earth
———————————————-
Zombie to the right
Zombies to the right
Zombies to the left of me
Zombies run amuk
—————————————-
Ghosts in Scotland
While touring Scotland
Meeting Ghosts in the wild moors
I believe in ghosts
Dream Girl
Love Cheritas
the story of how we met
note: this is a true story. for further details see dreams and the unexplainable– a chicken soup for the soul book, published September 2017.
Index
1. I Married the Girl of My Dreams
2. It All Began in Berkeley, California
3. I Looked Up
4. She Disappeared
5. Who Are You?
6. Little Did I Know
7. Always the Same Dream .
8. I Knew She Was Waiting for Me
9. One Day I Had the Last Dream
10. That Morning Early in The Morning
11. I Was Born Again That Evening
12. I was Speechless.
13. My New Life Began the Next Day
14. The Next Day
15. But I Know That There Are Other Worlds
16. Had No Choice
17. In the Beginning of the World
18. 63 Years Young with You
I Married the Girl of My Dreams
I married the girl of my dreams
First dreamt of her
Back in 1974
Eight years later
she walked off a bus
and into my life
It All Began in Berkeley, California
SONY DSC
It all began in Berkeley, California
in the spring time of 1974
one fateful afternoon
I was nodding off
in my high school physics class.
And saw her in my dream
I Looked Up
I looked up
and saw a tall, beautiful Asian woman
standing looking at me.
She was the most beautiful women
in the universe to me
I screamed out, who are you?
She Disappeared
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
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 Dream .
Always the same Dream .
She was saying something
in a strange language.
Then one day
I had the dream
and knew that she was in Korea.
I Knew She Was Waiting for Me
I knew she was waiting for me
I chose to go Korea
In the Peace Corps,
Somehow knowing
That I would meet
her there.
One Day I Had the Last Dream
One day I had the last dream
It happened in the morning
A year after the Peace Corps ended
A month before I planned
to leave to return
to the U.S. for graduate school
That Morning Early in the Morning
That morning early in the morning
I had the last of these dreams.
This time I understood her.
She said,
“걱정 마. 우리는 곧 만날 것이다. “, “geogjeongma. ulineun god mannal geos-ida. ”
“Don’t worry. We’ll meet soon.”
I Was Born Again That evening
I Was Born Again 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 was speechless.
I did not know what to do.
Wanted to tell her
How could I tell her that
Hey, you are the girl
I have been dreaming about
Over the Course of the Evening
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.
My New Life Began the Next Day
My new life began the next day
The next day she came to the gate
Of my base where I was teaching
She said that she had to speak with me.
I told to wait in the library
for about an hour
I Would Cancel Class
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 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
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
Crossing over into our world .
She Found Me In 1974
She found me in 1974,
But it took until 1982
For us to actually meet.
And it has been 35 years
Since we met in the physical sphere
Or 43 years since the dream began
And I still recall the dream
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
In the Beginning of the World
In the beginning of the world
I saw you there
Walking off that bus
And that was the beginning
Of my life with you
And the end of the rest of the world
63 Years Young with You
I am 63 years young
63 years around the sun
37 of those years
I have spent
With my Dream Girl
the love of my life
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)
Cheating Death Updates
The Acadamy of Hearts and Mind will publish three of my poems in their next issue. The poems are ” Lost Illusions Stripped Away,” “7th Extinction Event”, and “the Last Bee Ends Humanity’s Reign”. They also published “Cheating Death 22 Times.” Cheating Death Updates include audio clips.
Cheating Death Updates – here they are
Lost Illusions Stripped Away
Illusions stripped away
I look at myself
63 years old
In reasonable health
Living with my wife
Retired living overseas
Writing a blog
Getting poetry and short stories published
And don’t understand
Why I can’t be happy
Political news infuriates me
And causes stress
president trump
Perhaps it is time to just let go
Don’t worry about things
That I can not control
Be content with what I have
Help manage our real estate
Write in my blog
Be more positive
Optimistic
And reflect on what I have
The end of humanity’s reign
Of supremacy on earth
Came about with the death
Of the last bee on earth
Scientists had been warning the world
For a number of years
Of the dire consequences of the collapse
Of the insect world
Especially the humble bee
That played such a vital role
In keeping many plants alive
The bees were eaten by birds
And the birds were eaten
By other animals
Without the work of the humble bee
Commercial agriculture collapsed
Causing widespread famine
Across the world
Scientists rushed to the rescue
Deploying robot bees
An GMO bees
But to no avail
The fix was in
And humanity’s goose
Was cooked so to speak
And with the collapse of agriculture
Came the collapse of urban civilization
And the end of urban civilization
Led to billions of people
Facing starvation in the ruined cities
Some rich people bounded together
And build vast underground cities
Where they continued the experiment
Of robot bees and GMO bees
But nothing worked
And humanity’s long descend
Towards extinction began
It all happened within a few years
One day everything was normal
Scandals, wars, threat of wars
Economic turmoil
Endless infotainment news
Three years latter
50 million rich people
Were living in caves
Along with 150 million slaves
The end of humanity
Caused the rests of the world
To gradually recover
The bees were never consulted
They had no role to play
Just the humble workers
Who had fed the world
But they were no more
Plants evolved
Other ways to survive
And the world went on
Without the human overlords
Who remained huddled in their caves
Dreaming of one day
Returning to reclaim the world
Just as the bible proclaimed
they also published last year my personal essay, “Cheating Death Twenty Times” reprinted below
Cheating Death Updates: Cheating Death Twenty Two Times
MIND ESSAYS, NON-FICTION
“Cheating Death 20 Times
By Jake Aller
In my 62 trips around the sun, I cheated death 20 times. These are the true stories. If I ever meet the grim reaper I’d like to ask him why he spared me all these times.
Five Childhood Illnesses Hit me at age Six
I was a preemie. Born two months early. They had just developed oxygen tents for preemies and I was one of the first babies they saved using that technology, so in a way even being born meant that I had cheated death. The doctors thought that I would develop severe medical conditions. They were right; I have had bad eyes, bad teeth, and a residual learning disability from birth. And I had a weak immune system to boot. When I was six years old, I missed almost all the first grade and had to repeat the first grade because I developed all the childhood illnesses at once. I had whooping cough, pneumonia, the flu, German measles, and regular measles, chicken pox, and mono all in that year. And hay fever to boot. for me once I recovered I was in good health for years except for seasonal allergies in the fall and spring.
Typhoid Fever Almost Kills Me in Korea
I graduated from high school and college and mostly was healthy, no major issues other than colds, the flu, and seasonal allergies. While I was in the Peace Corps training, we did a hike in the mountains in the East Coast of Korea. We stopped to drink water from a stream. I developed severe diarrhea and a fever. I was rushed to the local hospital and transferred to a hospital in Seoul. I had developed Typhoid fever, one of the last such cases in Korea as the Koreans had largely eliminated the threat of Typhoid Fever given the overall improvement in the country’s infrastructure. The doctors at first could not figure it out, but in the end, they figured it out. I spent four weeks in the hospital missing a lot of my crucial language training. The Peace Corps offered me the opportunity to go home or transfer to another Peace Corps program but opted to finish the training and my service. During the stay in the hospital, I was a celebrity of sorts – the only foreign patient and the nurses and doctors stopped by to practice their English with and I practiced my very rudimentary Korean as I flirted up a storm with the pretty nurses.
Guardian Angel Saves Me in Korea
I have always been a skeptical person, and not much of a believer. I have never been a Christian. I have always been an agnostic or even an atheist. But one day many years ago I experienced an event that changed my perspective on life. Since that time, I have become a believer in guardian angels that look after us in this corrupted world of ours. I can’t explain what happened that day, other than to realize that there are stranger things in life than we can imagine and that someone or something was looking out for me that day.
In 1990, I was living in South Korea teaching ESL for a Korean University and government, and Asian studies for the University of Maryland for military forces stationed in Korea. I was living in Seoul with my spouse who was a U.S. army officer, newly assigned to Korea. She was born in Korea and was, in fact, the first Korean American female officer to be assigned to Korea. We had been married for about six years having met in 1982 and had a whirlwind romance, marrying two months after we met. That is the subject of another story though.
One spring day we took a trip to the east coast of Korea. It was about a five to six-hour journey by car. My wife was driving because I did not drive due to bad vision and because I was afraid to drive in the chaotic driving environment in South Korea. We left Seoul about 11 am and by 3 pm we were halfway to our destination, Soraksan which is the number one mountain park in South Korea. It was a fine Spring day, just perfect weather, and we were both looking forward to taking a few days off.
Just outside of the town of Wongju, the freeway backed up and there was heavy traffic ahead of us. I saw a sign for the Wongaksan National Park which I had never visited before and I told Angela, let’s get off the freeway and check it out. I felt something telling me we had to exit the freeway that moment. I had a premonition that something bad was coming down the freeway and we were heading right into it.
We never forgot that day. And to this day almost thirty years later I often think back what would have happened if I had ignored that warning in my head and had insisted that we keep going to what would have been our death.
Almost Hit by a Train in Korea
While in my first tour in Seoul, Korea I joined the Hash House Harriers. The hash was an international drinking club with a running problem as they put it. The Hash started in colonial Malaysia and spread around the world. Mostly expat Americans and British. The runs ended with beer drinking, ritual punishments and British style jokes and bawdy not safe for work and not politically correct humor. I thought it was a lot of fun, but it was certainly not for everyone.
One day we did a run down by the train tracks. I was running along listening to music and did not hear the train approaching. I jumped off at the last moment barely avoiding being killed by the train.
Afterwards, I said that I had cheated death yet again, not knowing that my real experience cheating death was waiting for me a few years down the road.
Mutant Drug Resistance Staph Infection and 14 Operations Almost Kills Me
The event that changed my life was a simple decision. One morning I decided to go for a jog. It was dark outside and I thought that I knew the path. I made a strategic miscalculation and fell down a five-foot gap in the bushes where I thought was a series of steps.
I shattered my heel in a million pieces. I made it back to my room, called 9-11 after an hour when I realized my foot was broken. I called my wife as well. I was a foreign service officer newly returned to DC for my first assignment in DC after working five years overseas in Korea and Thailand. She was an army officer stationed in Ft Sam Houston, San Antonio Texas.
The ER doctor bandaged me up and told me that I needed surgery and after surgery would be bedridden for at least four months. We opted to do the surgery in Texas and we arranged for me to fly using a wheelchair assistance. By the time I arrived the swelling was so bad that we had to wait a week to do the surgery.
The Air Force doctors wanted to try an experimental procedure using shark cartilage as a replacement bone material. A few days after the surgery I developed a fever and went back to the hospital and they discovered I had a staph infection. They treated me with IV antibiotics and opened the wound area and cleaned it out and replaced the cartridge. Then sent me home to recover. I had to take antibiotics for four months.
I went back to her house. She got me an internet account and I learned how to surf the net and read a lot of stuff online. I could not stand watching daytime TV. We did not have cable service. We rented a movie nightly and I watched movies every day and surfed the net and read some books she bought me as well.
Her dog, Jason, was a cute dachshund that was bilingual – Korean and English. He became my best friend for the four months I was out of commission. I called my office once a week to check in.
Once I returned to DC, I stayed there for almost a month and commuted by crutches. I was amazed at how cruel drivers were. Many people cursed me for holding up traffic as I could not walk across the street with the green light which seemed to be timed to allow for only Olympic 50-year dashers to get across the street in the allocated time. Then on the metro not once during the couple of weeks I commuted by metro was I offered a seat once during the entire time and I often had to stand on my crutches the entire trip. and several times people rushed by me yelling at me to get out of the way on the subway stairs.
I went one day to the old Walter Reed Army military hospital in DC for a routine check up on a different issue – a cist on my arm that I wanted to be removed. The doctor noticed that I was running a fever, quickly realized that the infection had returned, and I was back into surgery the next day.
My wife came out that weekend to see me in the hospital. I ended up having 12 more operations as the staph infection had become MDR. I had an IV inserted in my stomach and went through intensive vancomycin the nuclear bomb of antibiotics for four months. The final operation was a bone graft from my hip after they finally realized that the shark cartridge would not work.
My wife had to argue with the military doctors to allow me to stay in the hospital for an additional month. They wanted me to stay on the IV antibiotics, but I had to report in twice a day for blood work. She pointed out that I would be home alone and could not drive to the hospital but would have to go back and forth by metro and bus. Two hours each way. So, I stayed on until June.
I stayed sane by reading a book a day. During that year I read almost 300 books and started a daily journal. This was pre-internet and there was no wi-fi in the hospital, so I was on the State Department’s email distribution and personal email during the entire time I was there, and it was also pre-Face Book days. I went to the hospital library every day and got another book. The doctors were amused as every morning I had another book to read. I also watched lots of TV becoming hooked on the X files. I watched it frequently with the elderly black night janitor who was a big fan. He was also a conspiracy nut. He introduced me to the “reptilian overlords” conspiracy theory and speculated over who might secretly be a “reptilian overlord.”
My fellow patients were all army troops – everyone called me major as they could just not comprehend that my wife was the major and not me. One of my fellow patients was recovering from an accident and had gangrene and was facing amputation and a divorce.
Another soldier was back in the army. He and his wife had inherited half million dollars and left the military and spend two years enjoying the high life and blew through almost all the money, so he went back into the military then had an accident and was recovering from a broken leg as well. This was the 90’s so there were few military injuries, most of the patients were there for me due to a freak accident that broke their legs, arms, or back.
My best friend who was an actor in town for a season visited almost every day. My wife came for most of the surgery and many friends who had heard where I came for a visit. But I was cut off as this just before everyone got email and there was no internet in the hospital. Finally, I was released as Angela got assigned back to DC.
I went back to work. And things were going okay. I returned to work and my life. The fibromyalgia was a chronic condition but when I went to India and discovered yoga it became manageable. The arthritis was chronic, but I eventually quit taking anti-inflammatory drugs and learned to just deal with the pain. Every four months I must see a foot doctor to debride calluses that build up. Then in 2007 almost ten years after the accident I developed hammer toes and had to have four operations to smash my feet back into shape. Ten years after the operation I was faced with chronic pain due to the fibromyalgia and arthritis and some limited mobility but was recovering enough to resume daily walks.
1996-1997 was my personal year of hell. The year in the hospital changed my life. Afterwards, I felt that I had been given a new lease on life, almost as if I was given bonus games in the great video game of life. And despite my constant pain, I was just happy to be alive, and to still be married and to still have a high-powered job. I had read 300 books in one year. I started keeping track of my reading and movies and never came close to that record.
Guardian Angel Saves Me in Texas
While I was in Texas recovering from my extended illness, I had an incident like the guardian angel incident in South Korea. I had gone to Texas to recover from the accident and the first two operations. I wanted to go back to work. In retrospect, I should have asked for a few more weeks to recover. It was December and San Antonio where my wife was based was experiencing rare winter weather. The roads were covered with ice and commercial flights were closed but the military was still flying, and we had booked passage on a medevac flight.
While driving to the airport, Angela and I started talking about the weather and she had just explained to me what to do if we encountered black ice and boom we encountered black ice and she instantly reacted appropriately because we had just discussed it. Something had told us to expect ice on the road. We totaled the car but walked away unhurt. I went back a few days later but in retrospect should have stayed behind for a few more weeks. They might have caught the staph infection before it spread out of control.
Weird Parasite Could Have Killed Me
After enduring 14 operations and nine months in the hospital, I had developed intense chronic pain and after going to many different doctors was diagnosed with fibromyalgia as well as arthritis due to the operation. I also developed a frozen shoulder syndrome and had to have a steroid shot. While I was in the hospital undergoing the 14 operations, the internal medicine doctor told me that there was some other infection going on. He eventually found out that I had a rare parasite that I had picked up in Thailand. He had asked me whether I had spent time in Southeast Asia. I told him that I had indeed spent time in Thailand. He said,
“Well, I know what is causing the symptoms.”
While I was in Thailand, I had fallen into a canal during a Hash House harrier run. This parasite was benign, but I should take some medicine to get rid of it. If I ever had a steroid shot for any reason, the parasite would expand to the size of a basketball and then kill me within one hour of taking the steroid. I noted this in my journal and commented that this might be proof that God if he existed, had a morbid sense of humor for if he created the universe what was the point of creating this parasite? Fortunately for me, due to the persistence of that doctor, they discovered the parasite before I had the steroid shot.
Ending up in ER due to Mutiny among my stomach flora
One day in the fall, when Angela my wife who was on a business trip to Korea, I developed strange symptoms. I could not eat or drink anything, but my stomach blew up as if I were pregnant. I called a taxi and made it to the nearest military base ER at Ft Belvoir. I was admitted to the ER and spent two weeks there recovering from an acute GI tract infection. Apparently, the nine months of antibiotic treatment had so disturbed my internal microflora that bad bacteria had killed off the good bacteria. They told me that was a side effect of taking IV antibiotics like vancomycin and that doctors, in general, don’t do a good enough job of monitoring people after being discharged after extended anti-biotic usage. Someone should have warned me that this could have happened. In any event, the doctors said that I had waited more than an hour I would have been dead.
Dengue Fever in Barbados
My last serious illness occurred almost eight years ago. I was stationed in Barbados and my wife had just retired from the U.S. Army and had joined me. Her niece was also staying with us for a while. One day we went to tour a famous gully. We got there late in the day and there were mosquitos there. We were not too worried as malaria and zika virus were very rare in Barbados as was Dengue. What were the odds that we both would get one of the few cases of Dengue fever in Barbados that year? Well we both came down with it and my niece had to take care of us for a few weeks as we recovered. Everyone at the Embassy was afraid that we had gotten SARS which was the epidemic of concern that year. When we told them we had dengue, everyone just shrugged and told us to take a few weeks off.
Final thoughts
I don’t often talk about that year I was in the hospital and 22 times I cheated death, but when I do, I tell people that it changed my life in so many ways and that I was a far better person because of the operations and the year in the hospital. Every day I wake up and feel alive and thankful for that for I felt that I had cheated death at least 14 times that year. People often ask me why I am always so cheerful. My standard answer is that after cheating death 14 times every day is a bonus day and I am determined to make the most of it. The pain is there, and I just must cope with it the best I can without taking drugs for it. I have cheated death at least 22 times in my life. And I remain an optimistic happy go lucky kind of guy. After all, I have been through I know that every moment is precious, and I feel that I am living a bonus round in the video game of life. Still waiting to meet the Grim Reaper and ask him why he allowed me to cheat death so many times.
