Ultimate

'Nuff said.

Penultimate

Once I was told that Penultimate meant the next to the last one. Let us hope this is not so.

Too Many Worms

A fine mist descends from the grey sky as I pull into the parking lot for the Bluebird Cafe, my favorite restaurant. I open the car door and almost step on a worm. It has been raining and the poor creature has had to leave its burrow to avoid drowning. I try to pick it up with my fingers. My victim writhes and shrinks trying to get away. After dropping her (him?...aren't worms hermaphrodites?) several times I slide my car key beneath her and lift her into my hand. I walk to an island of grass in the parking lot and carefully deposit my ward and head back toward the restaurant. I almost step on another worm. Once more I perform my key scrape rescue and free another annelid from almost certain death. Yet again I turn toward the restaurant and yet again I see another worm, actually two more. A scrape of key and a few steps saves the pair. And, yes, you guessed it...as I turn toward the restaurant a third time there are more worms. This process is repeated several more times before hunger overcomes my altruism and I make it to my favorite table...the one in the corner, framed with two huge windows. The sun glints on the table top and Laura comes over with a cup of coffee and a place setting. I order eggs and bacon and consider the fate of worms.

How many worms should I have saved? Should I have spent my morning saving every worm I could find? Should I have not even bothered to save one? Did I in fact save any? I noticed several robins watching my activities very closely. Did my efforts simply make a robin breakfast buffet?

The arrival of eggs and bacon interrupts my woolgathering. I dine on aborted chicks and slices of an animal said to taste the most like humans (some cannibal tribes once called humans "long pig" because we taste like pork). Where is my sense of morals now? Are chicks and pigs less noble than worms? I have no answer for my hypocrisy of saving worms while dining on pigs. I can offer no explanation or rationalization for my worm saving behavior. I realize that it is impossible to save all the worms and thus in one sense my efforts are futile and insignificant. However, even though my actions were a failure in the grand scheme of things...even though they were hypocritical in that I saved one creature while eating another...they still may have some importance and value. Just ask the worms I did save.

Dorothy

She sits in Uptown Bill's each morning dispensing words of wisdom.

"I'm here because I'm not all there."

I am glad that she is here. The warmth of her smile is beyond my knowledge and her laughter brushes the spiderwebs from my heart.

Thank you Dorothy.

Cirque de Dale

This picture has many dots. Some people call them stipples. I do not.

This picture started out to be many things to many people. Poor picture. It does not know that no one can be everything to everybody without ending up in the hospital. Wait. Perhaps that is its plan. In the hospital you eat three times a day and sleep in a clean bed. The way things are going with the economy perhaps the picture simply wants a bit of security. The hospital is not my cup of tea but who am I to judge others?

Sometimes my brain chases dots across a page. Sometimes dots are blue. Sometimes purple. Sometimes pink. Sometimes black. Other times the page is blank and so is my mind.

Keira and Caroline

This is a picture of my granddaughter Keira and my daughter Caroline. They are beautiful. I can't think of anything else to add.

Joe and Keira

Joe and Keira are looking at you. Well, actually it is just dots. Joe and Keira are in Florida. They probably do not even know you are looking at them.

This was supposed to be funnier. It is not.

JAX Beach Dunkin Donuts

I drew this while I was in Dunkin Donuts in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Must have been something it the powdered sugar on the donuts.

Confused Cow

This cow is confused...unless it knows how to eat snow. But then, it had the good sense not to drive around taking pictures of confused cows.

Strange Image from My Point of View

This image is strange. I mean it no offense by calling it so. I also am strange. But then strangeness depends on one's point of view I guess. I once had a point of view. I cherished it deeply. Then one day my point of view poked me in the eye. We parted ways after that. I have not heard from it for some time. Rumor has it that my point of view migrated to Rio De Janeiro and learned Portuguese. I have no way of verifying that fact. If you happen to encounter my point of view someday, please let it know that I wish it well in its new life.

I Sing (Poorly)

A friend challenged me to sing the British national anthem, "God Save The Queen". Foolishly, I accepted the challenge. Apologies to music lovers around the world, and to all my British friends.

Bill's Fly

This fly is out of perspective for the size of the table. It is much too large. In order to match the perspective of the fly the table would have to be larger than a city block. My ego is much like the fly.

Blue Lamp

This is a picture of a lamp. Trust me.

Scenes From The Mall

I spend a lot of time at a place called Uptown Bill's Small Mall. Uptown Bill's is a place that helps people with disabilities. It helps them start and run their own businesses and it gives them a safe place to just "be". We even let "normal" people come in - as long as they buy something! ;-)

These are some of the people who hang out at the Mall with me. Apologies to long time viewers of my blog for the repetition.

Dr. Tom

Here is Dr. Tom Walz, former Dean and current Professor Emeritus of the University of Iowa School of Social Work. He is the founder of the Mall. Our lives would be very much poorer without him. All of us love him very much. He loves himself very much as well.

Miss Dorothy

This is Miss Dorothy. She keeps Dr. Tom in line. At least she tries too. Here she is holding up her keys. I know it is difficult to "see" the keys. Dorothy uses her key chain to store all the dozens of "momentos" and toys that she has collected over the years. Trust me, there are keys in there somewhere.

Close up of Dorothy's key chain.

Happy Lynn

This is Lynn Borders. She opens the Mall and runs it Monday through Friday from 7 - 10 a.m. She often plays a brain-teaser game. She says it helps her keep her mind agile and quick. Perhaps I should play the brain-teaser game. But then what would I do if my mind were agile and quick? The shock might be too much for my system.

Boppin' Bob

Here's my friend Bob. He works at the Mall many times throughout the week. He is kind, friendly, and has a great sense of humor. He's a good role model. I have a pretty good sense of humor but I am not always good at the kind and friendly part. Oh well. I will have to make up the gap with my good looks and great singing voice.

Dave's Chair

Chair At Dave's Restaurant

This is the seat of a chair outside of Dave's Restaurant at the corner of Linn St. and Iowa Avenue in Iowa City, Iowa, Zip Code 52333, United States of America, Planet Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy. It waits patiently for the bottom of a person interested in eating Ethiopian cuisine. It is very clean.

Blue Brains

Some people said they thought this was a self portrait. I was insulted. This fellow has no mouth. I have a mouth. Besides that his brains are blue.

A Jarring Picture

Someone said that this picture was "jarring". I suppose it is jarring. It also is very colorful. Children, let us focus on the colors. That way we can be saved.

IMG009

My scanner named this picture "IMG009". I cannot tell if this name stands for "Image Number 9", or if it stands for "I'm GOO 9". I do not understand the name. That is okay. I do not understand the image either.

Coffee Lid

This began as a lid on a cup that held a special coffee that I had never tasted before. The light bounced off the lid. It went through my eyes to my brain. My armed jiggled and this is the result. I am not sure that special coffee is healthy for me.

Secret of Love

Larry burst into flames when he found the secret of true love. This phenomena has happened to me many times. You would think that my skin would be very tan from all the fires rather than pasty white. Luckily I remembered to wear suntan lotion. I recommend something with a SPF rating of 20-30, depending on the intensity of the romance.

Iowa City Street

I am in Iowa City. These are pieces of Iowa City I saw from Tate's Coffee shop across from the Iowa City Library. It is not unusual for me to see things in pieces. Integration is difficult for me.

Parthenids

Parthenids inspired this picture. I do not know who the Parthenids are...but their taste in art is questionable. I shall do my best to resist their inspiration in the future.

Pieces of Starbucks

This image came from a triple venti no-whip Mocha (TVNWM). Too many TVNWMs can cause brain damage. I am planning a class action suit. Email me if you suffer from TVNWM-itis.

Too Much Coffee Again

When I created this picture it made sense to me.

Now it does not.

The picture will have to find its own meaning.

It will have to become an existentialist.

Strange Trees

These trees are facsimiles. It is a rare breed of trees. They are not very viable.

High Society

This lady does not look happy. I don't know why. All she has to do is to lay around all day. I mean after all, how hard a life is it to be a picture? She had better behave or else I will erase her.

Bored

I have no idea why I created this. Boredom is a source of strange creations. Perhaps you will be bored enough to click on image, view a larger version and read what I have written on the drawing. Perhaps not. In either case I am too bored to care. I will go take a nap now.

Man In Plaza

This picture appeared to me while sitting in a coffee shop. I did not ask for it. It just came. Sometimes pictures are very forward...pushy even.

On The Nature of Cats

This picture is about the nature of cats. The caption reads:

Soon the cats will come,
On their tiny little feet.
They will lick their bottoms.
It will not be pleasant.

At the top are three cats. The last one is saying, "Why am I always the last one?" The first one, on the peak of the line, is saying, "Meow."

Why these cats are saying these things I do not know. They did not ask for advice. They did not even ask for permission to speak. I think they are rude little beasties. Don't you?

My friend, Scott Parker has suggested an alternative version of the poem that I like much better:

Soon the cats will come,
On their tiny little feet.
They will lick their bottoms.
For tasty little treats.

Unfortunately, the cats have hidden the picture. I cannot change it. Pesky cats!

Unfinished

This picture is not finished. At least that is what I thought when I looked at it months ago when I put it aside. The other day when I saw it again...it was finished. It seems to have a mind of its own.

Domo Arigato Japan

I made this picture while thinking of my visit to Japan. I met some very kind people while I was there. I do not know why the Japanese lady is leaning to the left in my picture. Maybe she is confused by the purple sky behind her head.

Explosion

Maybe I had too much coffee. This morning I feel like bursting from my skin. I am fairly certain that this would be unpleasant. I will wait until tomorrow.

INDIA Day 1 Mumbai

Hey everybody. I am in India. Here is my first video. More to come.

This lady had a large bottom. Her friend did not have a large bottom. She is sitting in a blue chair. Her friend is floating in air.

I have it on good authority that this is how insanity begins.

December Morning

A video from my ride the morning after Christmas

Curtains and Things

Photographic odds and ends.

Dale Out West The Movie

September 2006. First trip to the West.

DOTS

Some of my art work.

Daily Intelligence Briefing???

PRESIDENT BUSH'S PERSONAL COPY OF DECLASSIFIED DAILY INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING FOR AUGUST 6th, 2001

Easter Sunday Statement by the President

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, and Happy Magical Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Day. Yesterday, after weeks and weeks of listening to nosey reporters whine while my approval ratings sank into the crapper, I made a decision – which despite the fact that I said I'd never do it should NOT be interpreted as a Kerryesque "flip-flop" – to release one of my super-secret Presidential Daily Briefings. Now this particular PDB, entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US," was read aloud to me by Condi Rice on August 6th, 2001 – the same exact day I was due to leave for my first of many well-deserved month-long vacations at my luxury ranch in Texas. Well today, I trust that the American people will agree I did the right thing, when after glancing over that ridiculously vague memo filled with specific references to a domestic al Qaeda attack, I promptly skipped town for thirty fun-filled days of golf, jogging, and naps. Thank you.

Wonder When It Will End?

The Faces of War

War only creates more war.

The Day King George Was Crowned...

God?

Richard Dawkins on BBC News

Excellent

George W on Jeff Foxworthy Roast

Torture In American Prisons Under Bush's Watch In Texas

Guess we know where Abu Ghraib started...Texas!

Dale Out West THE END

This is the Nebraska national forest. Many years ago there were many trees in Nebraska. Some of the trees (like the Nebraska mountains) migrated elsewhere out of boredom. The rest were eaten by Lumber Cows: a rare bovine species with a love of bark and twigs.

Well...actually the tree on the right is the forest. The tree on the left is one planted by Homeland Security. The plan is that the tree on the left will become large enough to hide the tree on the right (aka the Nebraska National Forest) from terrorists. Terrorists will not be able to see the forest for the tree.

Homeland Security has good intelligence that the Nebraska National Forest is one of the top targets on Al Qaeda's hit list. The forest is being targeted by WMDs that Al Qaeda got from Iraq?...or was that Iran?...or Pakistan?...or North Korea? It seems that the entire world has WMDs and they are angry at us. I am glad that Homeland Security has the presence of mind to proctect a treasure like the Nebraska National forest.


The Iowa sunrise...the best sunrise because it is home. And that's all I have to say about that.

Dale Out West Part 13

This is the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. Many Mormons were there. I did not take their pictures. It is believed that taking a Mormon's picture steals their soul. Sorry Mormons...I apologize. I could not help myself. The devil made me do it.

This picture is of the Bonneville Salt Flats. Many world speed records have been set there. The only vehicles I saw there were the campers of rednecks who ignored the signs asking them not to drive on the Salt Flats. Sorry rednecks...I apologize. I could not help myself. A Mormon made me do it.

This mountain is in Utah near Salt Lake City. It migrated here from Nebraska. Sorry Nebraska...I apologize. I could not help myself. A redneck Mormon made me do it.

This Utah Mountain is an illegal immigrant from Nebraska. The mountain picks fruit and sends most of its money back to Nebraska. Sorry immigrants...I apologize. I could not help myself. A hillbilly from Arkansas (aka Dale Hankins) made me do it. He will be punished. He will not be allowed to eat purple hull peas (his favorite) for a month.

Dale Out West Part 12

This mountain is in Wyoming. I believe that it moved there from Nebraska. Nebraska is too flat and boring for mountains.

This Wyoming Mountain also moved from Nebraska. Real estate prices are soaring in Wyoming. Many mountains have migrated there.


This sunrise if from Nevada. Where did it come from? Can you guess? Correct...it migrated from Nebraska.

Dale Out West Part 10

These rocks are at the bottom of a stream. They are under six feet of water. The water is very clear. It is not clear why I took a picture of rocks.

This fallen redwood tree is at least 300 feet long. I think 300 feet is the length of a football field. I do not think that this redwood could play football. It is dead.

This is a mountain in Nevada. The white line in front of the mountain is a salt flat. The white thing in back of the mountain is a cloud.

Dale Out West Part 9

These trees are in the Stout Grove of the Redwood National Forest. This is about the top third of the trees. The lower two thirds were too shy to be photographed.

This is the grove of redwoods George Lucas used for the Ewoks scenes in Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi.

This is another view of the Ewok (aka Stout) Grove. I waited for the Ewoks. I waited for Mr. Stout. They never showed up.

This is a rock and stream in front of the Stout Grove. The rock is over 30 feet high. It is about 150 yards in front of the trees. This gives you some idea of the height of the trees...and the rock.

Dale Out West Part 8

This is the Pacific Ocean in Washington or Oregon. I can't remember. Neither can the Pacific. It was very foggy making it difficult to be precise about our location.
This huge rock stands on the Oregon coast. It never gets tired.
People call this place the Devil's Churn. I do not know why. I saw neither Devil nor butter. People are silly. The rocks trees and water did not ask for new names.

Dale Out West Part 7

These flowers were outside my window in Crescent City. They bloomed there very quietly so I could get my rest before exploring the Red Wood Forest.
This fern was dying on a tree trunk near and Oregon Beach. As a last act of kindness it posed for my camera.
This bee is feeding on a flower near an Oregon Beach. The flower did not seem to mind.

Dale Out West Part 6

The Yellowstone River Canyon is awe inspiring. I cannot think of anything funny to say about it. There were many white haired old people looking at it. They were very funny - huffing and puffing up and down the trails. Wait a minute...I am a white haired old person!

Here we see a white haired old person enjoying the sun.

Pretty colored water. Pretty colored rocks. I got very tired of saying oooh! and aaah!

This water is falling down into the river below. Guess it got tired of being up so high. I know I did.

Dale Out West Part 5

Their are many hot springs in Yellowstone. Old Faithful is the largest. When I arrived to see it I was told that it would erupt again in 60 minutes. It actually erupted in 60 minutes and 15 seconds. I think its name should be changed to Old Fickle.

Dale Out West Part 4

I visited Wall Drug in South Dakota. Wall Drug was started by offering free "ice cold" water from their well. Judging from the size of this rabbit the well water evidently also contains growth hormones. I believe that this rabbit is from a subspecies called the Jack-a-lope.

Dale Out West Part 3

The first picture is of the mountains in northern Wyoming. They are majestic. The second picture is of me. I am not majestic. I am hairy.

Dale Out West Part 2

These pictures were taken in the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. I do not know why they are called "Bad". I did not see any misbehavior during my visit.

Dale Out West Part 1

Here I am in the Badlands. I am staring into the distance. What am I looking at? I cannot tell. It was too distant.

I am proud of this photo. I took it myself. I was going to ask some other tourists to do it for me but they ran away. Evidently the sight of me staring into the distance is frightening to other tourists. And small children. Also dogs. Perhaps even chickens. Oh well.

The Problem In Iraq

"The problem in Iraq is that people are being killed," said Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld in an interview on NPR this morning. Expressing anger that he had not been told of this development sooner, Rumsfeld said he will launch an investigation to find out who had been keeping the information from him.

"I had no idea...no idea at all that people were being killed," said Rumsfeld, "and believe me when I say 'heads will roll' when I find out who is responsible."

An anonymous Pentagon source revealed that Rumsfeld has suspected that people were being killed for some time. However, recent news reports of dozens of people dying caught the secretary by surprise. Evidently Rumsfeld thought that his new design for a "rapid response" military would allow war without death.

Rumsfeld says he is considering taking back all bullets from US troops. "I previously cut back on armor for humvees in order to lower the likelihood of US soldiers killing people. Clearly that was not successful. I am left with the unhappy choice of taking back all the bullets. Our troops will maintain their rifles. They can display them prominently. This show of force should be sufficient to deter the Iraqis. After all they are a cowardly people."

Richard Perle: Ugly Hair; Ugilier Ideas

Yesterday I saw a movie called, Why We Fight. It included an interview of Richard Perle, one of the key architects and supporters of the foreign policy that landed us in Iraq. His comments disturbed me. The gist of what he said was that the American character has changed; that most of us now support the Bush doctrine of preemptive wars. He said this is a good thing because it only makes common sense to kill those who would kill us before they have a chance to do so. The example he used to justify this thinking was that if someone was going to shoot you and you knew it in advance, you would shoot them.

Perhaps this is so. Perhaps we are doomed to believe that we “must do unto others before they do unto us”. For me the difficulty with this model is that it makes two false assumptions:

1. It assumes that I can, with certainty, predict the actions of another human or group of humans.
2. It assumes that killing those who would kill me will not harm innocent bystanders, and further, that this will not turn their friends and relatives into people who will want to kill me.

I lack Mr. Perle’s certainty on these matters.

With regard to the first point, I am not confident that I can know in advance that someone is going to harm me. Many times in my life I have been in conflict with someone only to find that we later become friends after talking through the cause of our conflict. How this might play out if I faced a potential killer on a dark street corner in a dangerous city I do not know. Perhaps there would be no opportunity to talk. Perhaps I would be dead. Nevertheless, my preference would be to try and talk even in this situation. Otherwise, I run the risk of what I consider a greater tragedy…taking a life unnecessarily. Perhaps, just perhaps there is a slim chance that I can talk to my potential killer and avoid death. Perhaps there is a bit of tenderness in him for how my death would affect my friends and family. Perhaps he would show me mercy. I hope he would. I hope I would show him mercy.

I am one of the fools who still chooses to believe that love and tolerance are always preferable to fear and vengeance. This is not because I believe all people are “good”. It is because I do not believe in my ability to judge such things as good or evil with certainty. For me life is not black and white; a binary system…at least not one I am capable of judging. Some of the most “evil” people I have met later turned out to have much “good” about them. My belief in love and tolerance is a practical matter. My life works better and I am happier when I practice love and tolerance rather than fear and vengeance. That is enough reason for me to practice love and tolerance. I prefer a short life filled by trying to act with love and tolerance to a lengthy one where I act on the principles of fear and vengeance.

This brings me to the second assumption underlying the Bush/Perle preemptive war doctrine – that we have the ability to kill the “evil doers” without harming innocent bystanders. Clearly this is not the case. Thousands of civilians die in all wars. Wars are not a precise business. Terms like “surgical strike” and “smart bombs”, “human shields” and “acceptable collateral damage” are lies. When I hear about a surgical strike on the enemy target and that there was acceptable collateral damage I can lull myself into believing that I am listening to reports of rationale humane activities. But if I am honest I must ask myself, “How humane is it to kill women and children?” and “How rational is it to mimic the actions of those who I call evil?” How rational is it to propose that the way to stop fear and vengeance is to engage in fear and vengeance? If I kill my potential killer on the street corner at night will not his injured children, friends and family seek vengeance on me? If I attack all who appear to threaten me will I not find myself alone, with only my fears to comfort me?

So, much as I respect Mr. Perle’s years of experience and vast knowledge, I must disagree with him. Not all American’s believe his idea that it is better to go to war with others before they go to war with us. I for one do not and I know there are others like me. The preemptive war doctrine sounds too much like the model used by other failed empires and the tyrants that ruled them. On a personal note, even if Mr. Perle and his kind decide to pursue lives based on fear and vengeance I cannot afford to do so. When I practiced this in the past it landed me in a mental institution. I have no desire to return.

Iris Eating Deer

Last summer I planted some Iris...transplants from some raised by my Grandmother Hankins. The deer ate them. I hated the deer. This spring the Iris grew and bloomed anyway. One of the blossoms is 8" tall and 7" wide. I no longer hate the deer.

I Don't Know What

This is a pix taken on a trip with my friend David. We went to the Coralville resevoir. As you can see, the photo has been heavily manipulated...just like my brain. I used software on the photo today and LSD on my brain back in the 1970's. Oh well. David said he enjoyed the trip.

Iowa City Tornado April 2006

Clearly Meaningful Fog

The other morning fog sat on the road. I drove through it anyway, not really sure where I was going. I ended up in Iowa City. There were friends there.

Mickey Mouse Remembered

This is the Mickey Mouse phone that lives at Uptown Bill's Small Mall.

Mickey, Mickey, Mickey. What ever became of you? Once you were king of the silver screen. Now children hardly know you. So much for fame. Then again you still have your looks.

Piggly Wiggly

This is a sign from a Piggly Wiggly store in Sikeston, Missouri. Piggly Wiggly was the first store to let (make?) customers pick out their own groceries. Before the "Pig" people waited while clerks picked out the things on their shopping lists. Now we can go get stuff ourselves without having someone wait on us hand and foot. Thank you Mr. Piggly Wiggly.

At Little Rock Zoo

This is me and Rejeanne at the Zoo in Little Rock this past February. The animals were glad to see us. Several of them "did their business" for us. We found the Fox particularly fragrant.

Ms Dorothy's Party

This is me and Ms. Dorothy at Uptown Bill's Small Mall in Iowa City. We often "party hearty" at Bills. Sometimes we even eat chocolate.

Buddha's Hippocampus

This Buddha was sitting in an Iowa City shop window. Why? Only Buddha knows. I once went to Japan to study about Buddha...I was not a very good student. When I was getting ready to return to Florida a priest quoted the Bible. I thought it was odd that a Buddhist would quote the Christian Bible but then I was not myself when I was in Japan. Maybe I have never been myself. I don't know, or really care anymore. Like I was saying...the priest quoted the bible passage about wine skins:

Luke 5:37,38 No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’"

I don't understand what the priest was getting at, but as I said, I was not a very good student. I no longer worry about ideas like new and old, much less wine. It has been my experience that worrying about distinctions like old and new causes me pain. Whatever I have in front of me must be sufficienct or else I will be unhappy. If I am new and long to be old I will be unhappy. If I am old and long to be new I will be unhappy. If I want that which I do not have then I will always be unhappy. I wrote a poem about this idea when I got back from Japan. It was written in Iowa City, an old wineskin of mine, about what I felt that day, definitely new wine since I was in a manic fit (or at least so I am told).

Old and New Wine

The old wine can be made new.

Plum blossoms can become buds.

Shiva can learn to waltz to "Also Sprach Zarathustra"

Vasque hiking boots can be the key

For me

To set free

That which is in me

Finding A Place

Is this lamp trying to be a tree? I do not know. Does the tree wish it were a lamp? Don't know that either...being neither lamp or tree. Guess I did too much acid back in the 70's.

Southern Women

I was made from Southern Women.
Mattie Jean’s blood flows in my veins.
Aunt Maysel’s grit stiffens my spine.
The joy of Aunt Pat’s chocolate pie shines in my eyes.
Grandma Hankins gave me laughter.
And most of all Grandma Mac gave me my soul.
Their blood, grit and soul have long departed.
Motes in God’s - eye returned to the stars.
Yet their spirit remains.
Lifting me from darkness,
When I would fade to nothing.
Shaping my path when my feet lose their way.
Yes Southern Women made me;
from the red Arkansan clay.

Balloons

Thinking of balloons. Or is it balons? Or baloons? Or ballons? I bet the balunz don't care.

Chair Lottery

Who is going to sit in the chairs? Who lives in this purple and yellow room? Who? I ask you! Who?! Please send your responses to daleshankins@yahoo.com and win a chance at a magnificent prize.

Bluesman Jack

I met Bluesman Jack at Tony's Grill in Iowa City, Iowa. He is not there anymore. His face has finished sliding off the page.

Tree And A Poem

This tree lives in my memory. It's parent lives in Iowa City. Happy tree.

A poem for today. It is kind of happy.

A woman's tears open my deepest wounds

Resurrecting a child buried by his mother's pain

"Yes Mamma...I love you Mamma...Please no Mamma."

I fall into a timeless hell but do not die

Seeing no one to judge me I walk on

May women keep their tears

I have enough of my own

Liquid Glass

I have been told that glass is a liquid rather than a crystal. If it is a liquid then it does a pretty good impersonation of a crystal.

Daily Bread

In mute wholesomeness the bread sat upon my plate...

I ate it anyway.

Bush Hell

This Bush was outside in the Iowa winter bothering no one. Cruelly, I captured its image, twisted it with Photoshop and have now shamefully exposed it to the world. I am an investigative reporter, I surely shall go to Bush hell.

New Fiesta

We did not have enought plates for everyone so we bought two new sets of Fiestware. It is the new Fiesta. It is not the old, authentic Fiesta. The food tasted okay anyway.

Christmas Corner

Last year the materialism of the season was too much. The torment of presents was too much. This year, thanks to Rejeanne, there is room in the corner for a small tree. A corner is enough I think. It is big enough to be a reminder of the happy parts of the season yet small enough not to overwhelm me. Thank you Santa Rejeanne.

Stonehenge

Me at Stonehenge. Guess I thought I saw something meaningful. There were many rocks there. Merry Christmas.

Chicago Building

It is late in the day in Chicago. Only one person is still working in this building. Can you see the light? I once worked in such a building. I don't do that anymore. I have seen the light...and many other strange things.

Mysterious Curtains

This image orginally started as a picture of some curtains. I believe they are the ones we had in our house in Florida. But then I have been mistaken about what I believe many times in the past.

Tired Purple Flower

Looks like how I feel about now - dried out and a bit crispy around the edges. Late night.

State Flower of Iowa

Whatever

Green Heart Leaf

Fairytale Rose

Early Christmas

Artificial imagination. Photoshop manipulation. Visual masturbation.

Gingkos On Pavement

A friend once told me that you will live forever if you find a Ginko leaf growing in the shape of a funnel. These ginko leaves are not shaped like funnels. They will not live forever. They will have to settle for looking nice against the asphalt.

Fall Finale

What can be said about fall? Nothing that fall gives two hoots about I am sure.

First Snow - Nov. 2005

I will look back on this picture and wonder why I took it. But right now the flakes are beautiful. Some of them are the size of...of...of...well, large fluffy snowflakes.

Rejeanne's Chicken

RDA, my life partner and wife, made this chicken. The chicken is plain. RDA is not

Dr. Science - Stone People's Life Cycle

Stages of the Stone People’s Life Cycle
(© Dr. Science)

The chart above depicts the life cycle of the Stone People, creatures I first discovered while on a trip to Japan. Dr. Science is a person who lives in my head and thinks that he knows a lot. Email me if you have more interest in the Stone People, and Dr. Science. I have more of their adventures available to those who are interested in this sort of thing.

The following describes the contents of the pictures on Dr. Science's chart. You may want to print out a copy of the chart to look at as you read the text. It will make things clearer.

1. Vacancy: This stage in the cycle is not comprehensible by humans. Stone People themselves only grasp it dimly - they are conscious of themselves during the vacancy stage but are not cognizant of their surroundings. A black hole is the closest humans have come to understanding the state called vacancy.
2. Particles: Similar to Black Holes, the vacancy emits streams of radiation containing sub-atomic particles. Humans have begun to define these particles using super colliders. The Stone People enjoy being particles very much – while in this state they are able to freely disappear and reappear and change their composition at will. Also, the bounds of time do not apply to them while they are in this state.
3. Hydrogen: Some particles combine to form protons and electrons which are the basis for the hydrogen atom. Hydrogen is the basic building block of our universe. The Stone People do not like this state. While they are hydrogen, their consciousness is bound to the hydrogen atom and hydrogen has very little going on. Hydrogen is atomic monogamy - one proton and one electron. That is why it is so anxious to turn into something else.
4. Sun: The heat and gravity of the Sun (or suns) fuse the hydrogen atoms into progressively heavier and heavier elements. The Stone People like being in this stage. They say it is like visiting Florida after spending a cold winter in outer space.
5. Elements: The elements humans have defined in their periodic table are but a few of the total elements available for the Stone People to inhabit. Ever the jokester, Mr. Science draws cartoons to represent the elements that are not known to humans.
6. Our Universe/Life: This is the Stone People’s favorite stage. While here they can physically change their shape into any form of life currently hanging around. Further, they can migrate between our universe and the infinite other universes available. They inhabit a multi-verse. They have the freedom they had in the particle state plus the pleasure of interacting with an infinite variety of other conscious life. Additionally, while in this stage the Stone People get to play the role of gods with humans. They try to guide us with people like Zoroaster, Moses, Krishna, Jesus, Buddha and the like but we are stubborn and refuse to relax. We keep trying to figure things out. The Stone People are touched by our child-like insistence on placing ourselves at the center of everything and seeing ourselves as the most important beings in all dimensions for all time. The Stone People don’t understand us but they love us anyway.
7. Decomposition: Strictly speaking, decomposition begins for the Stone People (and us humans) as soon as they enter this universe and life. The Stone People (and some humans) do not fear this process. They simply see it as a natural transition to the next stage. The Stone People do not understand the tragedy of Hamlet, for them it is like a Monty Python skit. When they read the line, “Alas, poor Yorick!” in Hamlet, they crack up.
8. Atoms: In this stage, the form Stone People inhabited in this world returns to atoms and eventually to boring hydrogen once more.
9. Particles: In this stage, the Stone People get one last chance to party before returning to the mystery of vacancy (see stage one). It is sort of like New Year’s Eve for them.
   

Picture of Nothing

This was a picture of a leaf. Then I used the sharpen and bas-relief filters in Adobe Photoshop. Now it is a picture of nothing. Still, I find it pretty to look at.

Minnesotan Sleeper

I saw this man at a coffee shop in Minnesota. He tried and tried but he could not stay awake. It was around lunch time. I guess he should have had the expresso.

Purple Flower

This flower exists only on paper. I hope that it does not experience identity theft.

Eggs In Blue

Smelling eggs is not fun. Eating them is.

Self Portrait

A self portrait. Not very attractive I must say. I must have had gas that day.

Dancing Shoes

Long ago I danced. I seem to have forgotten how. The shoes appeared in my head as I was walking one morning. They seemed to want to dance. I put them on paper. Perhaps they will dance soon. Perhaps I will dance before they do.

RDA Rose

This rose decided to be pink. I do not know why. Because it made the choice for pink it is now immortalized on the internet.

RDA Leaves Part Deux

Leaves for RDA

REPOST from July 20 - Dream

My pictures are done with ink pens on archival paper. Most of the time, like with this picture, I simply start making dots and let them go where they will. I sometimes sketch out the image in pencil before beginning and then erase the pencil after I have captured the image in ink.

The originals generally are 8.5"x11". It takes anywhere from a few thousand to over 1 million dots (an average of 100 dots per minute) to fill a page.

If you like the image use it as you wish. I like hearing from people who use my pictures - mailto:daleshankins@yahoo.com

Toronto Lady

Another Iowa City day. I saw this lady in Toronto and brought her home. She has difficulty with cars.

Strange Leaves

Fall Weeds

These blond weeds knew they were posing for a picture. I told them several times. Despite this they allowed an ugly stick to jump in front of them.

Patches and Romeo

Something witty was supposed to be written here but it was not. Our cats, Patches and Romeo, looked very hard for the witty saying but they could not find it.

Grandmother Hankins loved Iris. She planted hundreds and often ordered rare varieties from overseas. For many years after she died the Iris stopped blooming. In the last year or so they started blooming again. No one knows why...

I often walk. I have walked hundreds of times, sometimes overseas. Last month I did not walk as much. But in the past few days I have started walking more. I don't know why. My walks are not as pretty as an Iris. Grandmother Hankins loved me anyway.

Bluebird (Repost from 7-19-05)

Last October, to help deal with changes in my life I began to make pictures. This is one of my more recent efforts. I will load more. Please use this image as you wish. If you like it please make a donation to my favorite non-profit - Uptown Bills Small Mall at uptownbills.org. They help handicap people create and run businesses.

Morning

Morning in Iowa. If you call 4 AM morning. Some people call it night.

When I was younger I used to want to sleep late. Now that I am older I like to wake up very early. I am excited to still be breathing I guess. I never expected to live this long. I did not ask for it. It is not my fault. But since I still am alive I guess I will make the best of this day. I will try to use all the parts of me - mental and physical - that are still working. It beats the alternative.

I took this picture of a yellow Iris at my Father's house in Arkansas. I do not know its name. It does not know its name either. I asked it but it did not reply. It is still a pretty flower. Guess names are not that important.

Tribes

This is a repeat of a post from my original blog which died and is now slowly being reborn.

I am a tribe, part of a tribe and someone who needs freedom from tribalism.

I am a tribe of one because I can only speak, or try to speak, what is true for me. When I try to speak for others or give them advice on how they should behave I cease to be who I am and try to become a leader, teacher or priest. This is dangerous for me. Several visits to institutions and countless vain arguments have taught me at long last that I have no particular talent for, or interest in shaping the lives of others. If I do influence others these days it is due to a remnant of ego that I cannot shake. I am trying to get better. Please excuse me when I relapse.

In a way, this blog site thing is a relapse. Ego certainly is involved in releasing my thoughts into the vastness of the electromagnetic sphere – sending out a virtual “message in a bottle”. My only excuse is that writing is one of the things that I must do every day as a prophylactic measure against my return to the hospital. I have chosen to put these writings (drawings, photographs, etc.) on the internet because some friends say they like them. I like writing. My friends like reading what I write. Perhaps we are codependent! Maybe we need therapy!

I am part of a tribe or many tribes depending on your point of view. I am member of the tribe of animate beings. I am warm blooded and have an endoskeleton. I am a mammal. I am a human being. I am an inhabitant of earth, in the Milky Way galaxy, etc. I am white. I was raised Southern Baptist. I have attended university. On and on, the number of tribes seems to be infinite. This should be a beautiful thing and it is except that each tribe seems to want me to hate or, at a minimum dislike, all the others.

I appreciate the value of tribal loyalty. If I had not had loyal tribe members in my past I would not be here. A solo human on the plains of the Serengeti would have had trouble staying out of reach of the lions. When my ancestors roamed the earth in little groups they formed tribes to stay alive. They killed members of other tribes in order to survive, and let’s face it - often for greed and the pure pleasure of exercising the power of life and death over another.

The system evidently worked fairly well for small groups. If we didn’t like our tribe or we ran into a tribe too powerful for our tribe there was always the option of running away. There was always another place where there were no other tribes – at least of the human variety.

I no longer have that option. If 9/11 taught me anything it was this – I am part of one global tribe whether I like it or not. I must learn to accept you and your differences. I must make some attempt at treating you with love and kindness or I will become extinct. When I drive my SUV at 70 on the interstate I must be aware that I am angering those who do not have SUVs or even highways. It used to be that the “have nots” were fairly powerless and far, far away. Now with the internet, airplanes and telecommunications the “have nots” are my next door neighbors. Also, as 9/11 showed, the “have nots” now have the capability to reach anywhere they wish. If I bomb them, they can bomb me right back. If I hit them in the face, I am in fact hitting myself.

At times I long for the good old days. Days like in the westerns where the good guys wore white hats, the evil doers wore black hats. In my dreams, life was simpler then. But it was also much harder. They had no SUVs.

What to do? Returning to the good old days is not possible without giving up many of the comforts I have grown used to - comforts that others eye jealously. When someone in a stone hut, without indoor plumbing, watches television they see the wide difference between my world and theirs. An ad for an air freshner does not play will to the stone hut crowd. Guess I will have to look for ways to help them get their own Fabreeze, or better yet learn how to get along without Frabreeze, drive at 55 rather than 70 and save a little more of the Earth’s resources for other members of my tribe. I hope that I am successful.

Right Path

I often wonder about finding the right path for my life. I have wondered and wondered. I have studied and studied.

I once tried to study Christianity - for 18 years. I once tried to study from a teach who said he taught True Buddhism.

I have concluded that I am not a skilled student and that I lack the discipline for serious study. I no longer try to study.

Much of my time today I spend making dots. This is my first dot picture. I made it at Tony's grill in Iowa City, Iowa. The people there said they liked it so I gave it to them. It hangs on their wall.

I like toast better than my attempts to study religion. Toast tastes better and it is crunchy. I guess I am a better student of toast than I am of religion. Not so bad really. In the end we are all toast anyway. I hope that the eternal essence, God, Dharma, whatever will give me a little butter every now and then.

ANTS Are Small

This was originally posted on 7-17-05 - I am gradually reposting items from my orginal blog that died.

Was thinking about the size of ants...very small.

Wondering if they ever think they are at the top of life's pyramid like humans do.

Then I decided this was a silly thought.

Of course they do - that is why we must kill them.


Things to do today:

1. Call Bill Ives about blog conference this fall - Bill has a great site - http://billives.typepad.com/portals_and_km/
2. Go to Lowe's and check up on status of new blinds.
3. Arrange Hawaii. - it is such a mess.
4. Call David about his blog and set up time with Steve.
5. Make new list...this one is too long.

Night Light

There is an artist named Shrigley who lives in Glasgow. I looked at his book this weekend. It made me laugh. It made me angry. Now I do not worry about Shrigley anymore.

This is Dorothy from Uptown Bill’s Small Mall. Each morning she cleans the alley behind the mall. No one asks her to do it. No one compliments her or pays her for doing it. Dorothy is a great teacher. Maybe someday we will figure out what she is teaching.

Dorothy is very brave – sometimes the alley is very smelly. I am not very brave. I walk through the alley quickly.

Hawaii Couple (Originally Posted 7-13-05)

THIS WAS POSTED ON MY OLD BLOG BEFORE IT CRASHED. FOR REGULARS - APOLOGIES FOR THE REPEAT.

REJEANNE AND I IN HAWAII

Aren't you thrilled for us? We did have a good time. We stayed at the Ohana Reef Lanai - a wonderful place. Hi Tim! I will go back to Hawaii someday soon.

Christian Wisdom

Driving home from Dad’s I saw this truck. It is a garbage disposal truck. I am confused by the name of the company.

Does this company use Christ to promote its business? Does this company dispose of Christians? Are there too many Christians? Are there too many people calling themselves Christians? I do not know the answers to these questions. I lack wisdom. I wrote a poem to explain my lack of wisdom…

Wisdom comes wrapped in pain.
Razor chains circle a pretty box.
Blood tipped fingers struggle with the lock.
Unlocked, the box has nothing within.

Each box holds another – an endless game.
Inside each box there is more of the same.
Scarred hands again wrap wisdom’s box.
Wisdom crawls to new lovers of locks.

Let wisdom’s chase pass me by…
Let nothing stand between me and the blue, blue sky…
May I find no need to study life’s meaning.
May I see clearly past all dreaming.

Just Me (Originally Published on 7-12-05)

Just Me

AAARGHHH!

My template has been corrupted and I must copy and repost everything that I want to save.