Pilgrim's Progress

My partner's dad died suddenly a week ago last Friday. Not unexpectedly (four cancers in 4 years) but when the pneumonia struck, it was over in three days. So it was off to NYC on Sunday, the funeral on Tuesday, and back to Sea-Tac on Thursday.

The newly deceased was Jewish and his bereaved wife (his third) is Italian, so you can imagine the funeral: a cross between Seinfeld and the Sopranos. Since I've been lately thinking that New York is synchromystically New Jerusalem, the trip began taking on a symbolic aspect - a sort of pilgrimage.

Why do I think NYNY is the new Jerusalem? Because archetypes repeat themselves, and Jerusalem is the archetype for the City of God - YHWHville. Getting past the bizarre idea that God even HAS a city, some may insist that the Jerusalem sitting in ersatz Israel is the "real" Jerusalem, but I say that even THAT city isn't the real one - being merely symbolic of the true, heavenly city. Symbols are pointers to a spiritual (trans-dimensional if you prefer) reality, they are not the actual reality.

The river is the key. The Hudson River (like the Jordan) flows directly south to end at the island of Manhattan, upon which sits Jerusalem. In order to enter the U.S., immigrants were obliged to disembark on Ellis Island, sitting in the Hudson River. Immigrants literally cross the "River Jordan" to the "Promised Land". We even have New Canaan lying across the river in Connecticut!

The Chosen People live in Jerusalem, and there are far more Jews in Manhattan than ever lived in old Jerusalem. Besides Jews, New Jerusalem holds Italians, Irish, Puerto Ricans and every other race and creed on the planet. Even queers are counted among the Chosen People. Maybe especially even queers.

Even though NYC is technically Holy (set apart), it is hardly righteous. It sits in roughly the same condition as Solomon's Jerusalem: apostasy, "Mystery Babylon". Marduk currently rules New Jerusalem, but I have hope that it won't be that way forever. God will redeem his holy city.

So with all that in mind, let the pilgrimage begin!

We flew Continental Airline's nonstop to Newark (New Ark), which was routine except for a moment of transcendent coolness. We were flying high above the clouds, in the company of two other airliners on the same route. What made it cool was that the atmospheric conditions caused condensation trails to form behind the planes, and I never knew this, but when they form, they create a brilliant white cloud aft of the wings. This makes the jet look like a comet or meteor, and we became three comets streaking east at 630 mph.

Our flight touched down safely at 3:00 in the afternoon, and after much confusion on the "Sky Train", we finally made it to the Payless car rental, where we picked up our H signifying Hyundai chariot. Apparently you need to pay more to get a car with a functioning suspension in NY. We stayed with friends of the family in Piermont, NY - on the Hudson.

On Wednesday we were let out on our own recognizance, so we took a morning commuter ferry from New Jersey to Manhattan, landing downtown at the World Financial Center. Ground Zero has become a gigantic construction project - the base of the Freedom Tower (of Babel). I would love to be a fly on the wall at the ritual laying of the cornerstone of THIS building.

We found ourselves in this interesting courtyard, I think it was the Winter Garden of 3 World Financial Center. The orderly rows of palms represent Egyptian temple columns, with the altar obscured by a massive emerald green curtain, conjuring the throne room of the Wizard of Oz as well as the Holy of Holies in Solomon's temple. What's behind the curtain?

We meandered to Wall St. and marveled at the temple-like buildings of the Lords of Finance. From there we trudged NE to the Southstreet Seaport, which is a cheesy tourist trap with one redeeming feature: a checker chariot catamaran water taxi offering rides around the Isle of Isis.

Super heroes are everywhere in Manhattan, especially Superman. Besides Jerusalem, NYC is also Metropolis and Gotham, and according to Disney's "Enchanted" (which I saw on the flight home) also Andalasia. Is there another city on earth where the mythic dimensions pile up so precipitously? Maybe one.

We took the A train north to Greenwich Village - the symbolic birth of gay consciousness. A lovely neighborhood, but gentrified to the point where only old queens can afford the rent now. Not much to see but nice brownstones. We stopped for lunch at a cheap but cool vegetarian burrito joint - I had the Route 66 burrito - yum. Next up, the Empire State Building!

I've been to the top of the Empire State once before - 25 years ago. Since then, it's made frequent appearances in my dreams. Usually, I'm in a valley, trying to get to the hill where the Empire State stands (in reality, Manhattan is flat as a pancake). I don't know exactly what the Empire State symbolizes for my subconscious, but I'll take a wild stab that it represents a father figure. In any case, going to the top was important to me on this trip. The journey wound up being remarkably unpleasant, because:

• The queues were long, but you expect that in NYC.
• The building was in the process of being renovated and most of the fabulous art deco/Emerald City detailing was hidden behind plywood and tarps.
• We were driven through an airport style security checkpoint!
• The monetizing of the captured audience was intense. Our serpentine course led us through a photography booth, a gift shop, and past NYC skyline map sellers who made carnival barkers look refined in comparison.

The Empire State is obviously a temple of sorts - a Masonic cathedral. I get the same feeling when I enter the Catholic equivalent. Interestingly, there is not one word in the entire New Testament about erecting great buildings to worship God. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, not brick and mortar. Whatever spirit motivates the construction of these monuments, I doubt its holiness. But somehow, the Holy Spirit MAKES these structures holy... at least in my imagination. I imagine the Empire State as a symbol of my God, and the map sellers become the money changers, defiling the temple.

The view downtown

The view uptown

When we finally DID make it to the top, the view was magnificent, which made the trial almost worth it. I noticed that a blind man had been lead to the top by his guide, and I wondered what that was all about. NYC sightseeing tours for the blind. Now that really IS hell.

After the Temple of the Sun, we continued north to the Temple of Mammon - Macy's. The miracle on 34th St. I've never been inside the real Macy's until Wednesday, and being the proper country bumpkin, I was suitably impressed. There must be more money flowing through that store in one day than the Seattle Macy's gets in a whole year.

A real cash cow

Grand Central Station was next, which has a fabulous Byzantine-Mithraic feel. We walked into the catacombs and rested our weary feet in a subterranean diner, sipping a beer. Subways and trains are the veins and arteries of the city, and I felt like a red blood cell taking a quick breather in the left ventricle.

After Grand Central, we walked through Rockefeller Center, which has even more gilded gods and goddesses on display. Hermes and Ceres adorn some side doorways.

"Zebras" grazing in front of "church".

The final destination of our pilgrim's walk was the Church of Knowledge: the Apple Store on 5th Ave & 59th St. a brilliant glass cube. The Adversary is called the Prince of the power of the air, so of course the latest Apple computer is called Air. Come to think of it, Nike also has a product called air - Air Jordan. Hmmm.

Ascension. All it takes is a Mac.

At 6:00, we caught a bus heading back to the midtown ferry landing, and returned to Piermont. On our way we stopped for a slice at Rudy's, and I noticed a decal on the front door - from an outfit that calls itself Hold The Door For Others.

Does the door close on 2012?

Crash Test Dummies

I'm listening to 'God Shuffled His Feet' by Crash Test Dummies (for the 900th time). I think that any band which paints itself into a masterpiece is very much in tune with Albion. Besides the heraldic poetry, I love the sexy baritone of Brad Roberts - my little Dionysian island in the sea of brave new Apollonian (apple's own) tenors.

The CTD really did get it. We, the human race, are the crash test dummies of the angels. We (the fleshy little emoticons of trans-dimensional beings) keep acting out their little dramas - the fucking queens. How many times do we need to see their vain triumph? How many times do we need to play their part? I am so fucking sick of the part.

Paul really DID get what was going on:

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! --Corinthians 6:2-3

Let ME direct. Honestly, I don't think I can do any worse. Wouldn't that make a great campaign slogan? "He couldn't do worse."

Rosebud

The final enigmatic word of Orson Welles' character in Citizen Kane is "Rosebud". What Welles meant to signify by it is a common enough debate, considering that his own explanation was so patently coy:

"It's a gimmick, really, and rather dollar-book Freud".

I seriously doubt it, considering head Hollywood magician Steven Spielberg plunked down $60,500 for the sled in 1982 - to hang above his typewriter.

Gore Vidal flirted with the truth in 1989, when he cited contemporary rumors that "Rosebud" was a nickname Hearst used for his mistress Marion Davies; a reference to a sensitive part of her anatomy.

Considering the fact that the name is attached to a vehicle of transportation - and a classically magical one at that - I think we can safely suppose that Welles DID mean to reference a hole, but he was thinking bigger (or infinitely smaller) than Miss Davies. Rosebud signifies the divine feminine, the Rosy Crux, the Holy Grail. Spielberg has a stargate talisman hanging over his typewriter! Cain (Paris) and the Grail (Helen), over and over and over again.

What I find endlessly (boorishly) fascinating is that holes are always feminine - even when found on men... as Jake Kotze points out: "The specific local of "Enchanted's" Stargate is through a MANhole in Time Square".

Every time a woman fucks her boyfriend with a dildo, another gay angel gets his wings. --Dan Savage

No Man's Land

I've always loved Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. As a teenager I read it more than once, I think long before seeing the Disney movie. To me, Captain Nemo (latin for "no man") was the good guy, and I couldn't imagine a better life than being a member of his swarthy, muscular, all male crew! The Nautilus was an invincible machine - powered with the same energy as the sun! How cool was that? The entire ocean was their uncontested "turf", and they had no need to go back to the land... ever. The land was the domain of stupid rules, stupid wars and stupid people. The sea was the domain of freedom, and even as a 14 year old I knew that was a good thing.

"The sea is everything... an immense reservoir of nature where I roam at will..." --Nemo

Ned Land (natch) represented the land, and handsome as he was, I still hated him. Here he was in paradise, and all he could think about was how to get off! It wasn't until I was much older that I realized his desire to leave was tied to his gonads. Ned needed to fuck, and there were no women on board the Nautilus. Of the three Nautilus "rescuees", Ned was the driving force to leave, to mutiny.

Ned is a harpooner; a whaler. A whale is of course Leviathan - the Behemoth of the sea. Moby Dick was Ahab's nemesis, and a metaphor for fate, or God (fate with an agenda). Ahab's enemy was a sperm whale, invoking the masculine. The sperm whale literally dines on giant squid (Kraken) so when the Nautilus is attacked by a Kraken, we see it as it really is: a great phallic "whale" which has just swallowed Ned! Ned always considered himself the cock of the block, no wonder he didn't much appreciate it.

Ned becomes Pinocchio and Jonah, and even Han Solo, swallowed by the giant space slug.

Disney's 1954 version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was probably the first Steampunk movie. The Disney Nautilus featured reptilian plating that evoked a great metal Ichthyosaur - a sea dragon. It even had a "rose" window with the distinctive Flux Capacitor motif. James Mason played Nemo, so as usual, we have a Mason playing God.

Nemo is the prototype Bond Villain - a man bent on saving the world by destroying it. Driven by vengeance and empathy for the oppressed (being personally familiar with the evils of so-called civilization), maybe he figured that he couldn't do any worse than the status quo. (That's always been my beef with the Super Heroes - all they ever manage is a restoration of the already appalling status quo.)

"They lack vision." --Darth Sidious

One of my favorite Bond movies is The Spy Who Loved Me, which features megalomaniac shipping tycoon Karl Stromberg and his ultra-cool submersible headquarters, "Atlantis". Besides trips to the pyramids, Ringo's wife Barbara Bach as agent "Triple X", and the iconic (rear engine) Lotus Esprit car-submarine, the plot revolves around Stromberg's new super tanker, the Liparus. The Liparus literally "swallows" nuclear submarines as if they were sardines - Stromberg's base is in Sardinia. Another whale tale.

The Nautilus' namesake is a cephalopod whose shell forms a logarithmic spiral - an expanding fractal. It is a predator that feeds mainly on shrimp and small fish - sardines. A model of the Ouroboros?

As Steve Willner points out in Ouroboros, CERN, and a Trip Through the Water Door, "galactic alignment" is all about Ouroboros. Maybe it's time I get in touch with my inner Jonah.

NOTES:

Apparently, Jules Verne was a suspected homosexual. No wonder I like his books.

The Safety Dance

This pic from Thomas Waugh's 'Out/Lines and Lust Unearthed' (via Unnatural Devotions... again!) Reminded me of the 'Herndon Ritual', AKA 'Let's all put a condom on the phallic god':

In the name of safety, the U.S. Naval Academy is considering an overhaul of one of its most bizarre traditions: the annual ritual in which a thousand first-year midshipmen struggle to conquer a 21-foot granite obelisk coated with 200 pounds of lard.

The Herndon Climb has occupied a hallowed place in Naval Academy tradition for decades. For members of the plebe class, the climb represents what a former midshipman called "our final exam of all finals." The starter gun fires, and the plebes, working together, race to replace a blue-rimmed sailor's cap, known as a "dixie cup," with a midshipman's cap.

The scene is unforgettable to those who watch, as the sweating, grunting, red-faced midshipmen at the bottom, their arms linked, support a human pyramid surging to the top of the monument. The pyramid often collapses, but the plebes invariably make it to the top whether it takes them minutes or hours. --Washington Post

In the Name of Safety

Twinkerbelle

You shall know them by their fruits, as it is written, not by their words. Fraudulent so-called, born-again, spirit-filled Christ-ians. Are you spirit-filled, brother? What am I - a divine Twinky? --Watchman

The above from a rant by a Christian nutter (which I am also, so we're bro's) and I had to laugh because yes, that is exactly what he is - a snack with a creamy filling. I pretty much love every sync there is about Twinkies:

• Twink is gay slang for a young, boyish (Appolonian) male.
• Owned by Kansas City-based Interstate Bakeries Corporation.
• In Latin America, Twinkies are sold under the name "Submarinos" ("submarines" in Spanish due to their shape roughly resembling said vessel) by the Bimbo brand - not making this up.
• Banana creme was the original filling.
• The cake is flipped before packaging, so the rounded yellow bottom becomes the top.
• The Twinkie Defense.

What's long and hard and full of seamen?

The Hudson River Virus

I've never watched even one episode of Big Brother, but thankfully, Doug at Unnatural Devotions is a fan, and since I'm a fan of Doug, it all works out. There was high weirdness goings on last week, and perhaps none higher or weirder than on Big Brother. I suspect VALIS, but call it what you will.

Sirens, masturbation, exorcism, holy water, viral infection and tin foil hats are all featured in one very strange episode. The transcript is posted at the bottom (lifted from UD, thanks Doug).

In a nutshell, virtual prostitution and flagrant public masturbation has made Josh and Natalie believe there is evil in the house, so they conduct an impromptu exorcism. Tin foil hats are donned as worries of alien mind control are voiced. Chelsia even wears a spaghetti holder on her head - a rather obvious attempt at protection from the 'Flying Spaghetti Monster'. Chelsia also made the most interesting statement of the entire evening: "It’s the fucking Hudson river virus, they're coming for us."

What Is the Hudson River Virus? It’s from the dystopian CBS serial drama Jericho, which aired right after the PoV episode of Big Brother 9. HRV is a disease about which the government is warning the people of Jericho.

Jericho (the world's oldest city) was the first city conquered by the ancient Israelites after they crossed the River Jordan into the Promised Land. The Israelites were an invading horde that made the walls of Jericho come a tumblin' down. Joshua (Yahshua, Jesus) led the battle of Jericho.

Henry Hudson (1570? – 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. His place of birth was London, England. He is presumed to have died in 1611 in Hudson Bay, Canada, after he was set adrift, along with his son and seven others, by his crewmen following a mutiny. --Wikipedia

Curiously, the Hudson River echoes the path of the River Jordan by flowing directly south from northern headwaters. It appears to end directly at Ground Zero.

You could say that God was also the victim of a mutiny - the angelic rebellion. HRV = Hudson's revenge. Viruses, even with today's advanced medicine, still easily breach the "walls" of our defenses, and it makes me wonder... just how low will Jesus go? A virus? That is so fucking sneaky! So Trojan horse. Just think, you may ALREADY be infected with Jesus nanobots! Maybe the Red Cross can help.

Episode Transcript

Note: The siren/alarm they're talking about in the transcript is a siren that they were warned about by the show's producers earlier in the day: apparently a siren will go off in the house at any moment and all the houseguests have to go to the living room for a surprise when they hear it. Getting this news apparently caused nerves to frazzle. To say the least. --Doug

11:45PM BBT: Natalie scares Josh telling him "EVIL" is in the house and told him that Allison gave James and Chelsia hand jobs for votes and that Matt will be attacked by it! [Eric ed. Quick! Someone call Ghostbusters!]

Natalie and Josh go running around house with two bibles (Josh has Precious Moments bible) and praying in each room (this is crazy!) Josh is freaking out; Natalie's eyes are bigger then normal. They are saying "no evil in and back away evil, all evil out. "We have enough evil in, send evil out!" Natalie reads from bible. Josh is throwing holy water (Which Josh/Natalie creating by sticking their hands in it and reading from bible then praying.) at everything. They start with Front door then DR door. Chelsia follows them at this point. They then bless the SR do and the SR itself. Chelsia is a laughing. Chelsia tells them nothing happened and laughs.

Natalie and Josh head to boat room and bless it. They focus on the "Evil Bed”. Finally they bless the Laundry Room. Josh throws a lot of Holy water. Nat says her nipples just told her the alarm will sound between 4am-8am. Chelsia follows them again after hearing this. They go to Memory Wall and bless the Power of Veto medallions. Chelsia leaves them. Josh gets on his knees.

In bedroom Matt is in his boxers, standing jerking off, then James does as Ryan, Allison, & Chelsia, Shelia laugh.

Midnight... Josh and Natalie are now wearing aluminum foil on their heads. Matt sees this and goes running back to the others and says they’ve gone crazy. Natalie goes and blesses James and Chelsia's bed. James is still jerking off and she’s throwing water on him as Allison and Chelsia watch. Natalie runs and tells Josh "the siren has made everyone masturbating fools." Josh: "We're the only sane ones." Natalie: “Everyone else has lost their minds."

In the Back Yard Matt tells Ryan about Natalie and Josh, and that Chelsia was jacking off James.

In kitchen a naked James walks by still masturbating! Nat says "Oh god unbelievable this house is crazy. This masturbating house we live in." James goes outside and sits down NAKED by Matt/Ryan who tell him to wear underwear. James goes back inside and waves at Nat (now with hands) Josh gets sick in garbage can. Nat freaking out and pours the cup of holy water on door handle. James goes back outside and sits down on coach wearing sock on his penis only.

Inside Chelsia says Adam's masturbating again and says he does every 5 minutes. Nat & Josh tell her they're wearing hats so aliens can’t affect their brains. Nat heads outside. Matt calls her "psycho". Nat tells Ryan/Matt/James they will die from evil but she & Josh will be safe... Now Chelsia is wearing a spaghetti holder on her head. Matt calls Nat a freak. "How can u wear that on TV?" Nat: "How can u & James masturbate on TV?" Josh heads outside. They all take off her hats. Josh, Chelsia, & Nat get into Hot Tub in underwear.

12:20AM BBT: Adam heads out. Ryan says he’s going to be up all night. They all talk about porn, sucking cock, fingers in things, and all sexual things. Chelsia hears sirens in distance (outside studio) and Chelsia says "it’s the fucking Hudson river virus, they're coming for us." They all agree tonight is eerie. Chelsia you watch the siren will go off every night. They talk about going to sleep with fans or TV on. Ryan tells Matt he was on late 3 minutes of Showtime2 jacking off [ ed. : he wasn’t, they were following the holy water group.] They then talk about past sexual things in house.

12:30AM BBT: Talk about religious stuff they did. Ryan: "What holy water did u use?" they explain to him what it is. They explain to him "the body of Christ." Matt says "the little circle things?" they ask each other about their faith. Chelsia & Ryan explain to James about Catholicism and that he was the devil for masturbating. Ryan says: "Even Priests can’t have sex." James goes running naked inside. Adam, Chelsia and Ryan follow laughing.

Josh swims all alone in Back Yard in Hot Tub.

James lays naked in bed. Chelsia covers him up and lies down with him. Natalie puts on bra & panties and lies down in bed with Matt. Ryan gets into bed with Allison.

End of transcript.

Oz Ark - Driver Wanted

This little red school bus landed in the neighbor's driveway about six months ago. It's sat there parked, gathering moss ever since. It's hard to imagine a more red balloon-like vehicle. It is (of course) a Chevy.

I know very little about the neighbors, except that they're fundies, and that they're exceptionally dour. They don't talk to us (hell, they won't even allow eye contact!) - we suspect it's because they know we're fags, but we can't say for sure.

Personally, I think the red balloon has been parked in the church's garage for 2000 years, and they're afraid to take it out for a spin. But you know what they say: Use it or lose it.

Jesus is Gay

And not so far away. By Gael.

Burning Dreams

"Street of Dreams" Destroyed by Fire

3/3/08 - Officials suspect the Earth Liberation Front in series of morning fires that destroyed three homes and damaged two more at a "Street of Dreams" development north of Woodinville. There were no reports of injuries from the unoccupied homes. --Seattle Times

The Heartbreaker is on a roll. Hit it Pat:

Heartbreaker, by Pat Benatar.

Uruk Hai School

The value of sychromysticism is its ability to divine a repeating myth out of the media ether - pattern recognition. As syncsters show over and over again, the immensely popular sci-fi/fantasy myths are far more than entertainment - they are formerly secret doctrine and sacred ritual being trundled out to the light of day - "hiding in plain sight" behind the light sabers. As we unlock the symbolic keys, we essentially become self-initiating Freemasons - members of a club without actually taking the oath - though I have a feeling that oath is coming.

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. --Matthew 5:33-37

How perfect that this warning against secret "Hermetic" societies begins on the 33 verse; and even includes a reference to black and white.

Last week I was reminded at The Secret Sun that a palm is a symbol for Christ, and another piece of the puzzle fell into place. In The Quest series, I've talked about how Sauron could logically be playing the Father (Yahweh) in LOTR, which could mean that Saruman is playing the role of the Son. A clue is the phonetic similarity between Sauron and Saruman - echoing the similarity between Yahweh and Yahshua (Jesus).

Uruk-hai and fan.

Saruman creates an army for Mordor called the Uruk-hai. Fearsome cross-breeds between orcs and men who proceed to lay siege to Helm's Deep - climbing the walls of the fortress. which sounds oddly like:

They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks --Joel 2:7

The Uruk-hai wear Saruman's mark painted on their foreheads:

Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God. --Rev 7:3

As we all know, Saruman harmed plenty of trees during the creation of the Uruk-hai, and his mark was a white hand, or in other words, a palm.

Borderline

I made an eight hour visit to Canada yesterday - a quick trip over the border for a meeting, then back again. That sounds hilarious coming from me - as if I were the sort of person invited to cross-border business meetings all the time - which I'm not. But this once, it happened. My X boss from my X company (recently filed Chapter 11), is scratching around for business, and he's decided I'm crucial to his plans (he rants and waves his hands and I attempt to make drawings of his visions to sell to investors). So I get an offer I can't refuse and three of us are off to British Columbia to meet with potential clients.

Canada has always been a 'through the looking glass experience' for me: everything is totally familiar, and everything is totally different - almost like a dream. Vancouver is like an idealized queer Seattle - Just the same, except they allow naked go-go boys in the bars. Ever since 911, the growing U.S. fascism has also made Canada seem like a safe haven if/when the shit really hit the fan.

We drove up in Frank's car: "the red sled", a 2002 Chevrolet Impala. I'd been looking forward to this trip ever since I realized the syncrotic (syncratic?) significance of the Chevy bow tie with Darth Vader AKA Jesus. To me, Frank's Chevy was a red balloon/dirigible/grail/star gate, and we were heading for Oz/the Promised Land! It only got better after I realized that Frank shared his last name with the LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin - twin of the ill-fated Hindenburg!

The meeting had been scheduled twice before and then broken, but this time it held - to be had on the 29th of February. So even that was cool: we were meeting on a day of the year that didn't even EXIST most of the time.

So we headed off, with Frank the captain of our fate. I rode along, Frank doing all the talking (as usual), I'm just a sync processor. We breeze through customs, heading north. As we drive by the vast BC green houses, Frank tells us about a customer who was one of the first BC Hot House tomato growers. Double H duly noted. For a while we follow a white Chrysler 300, and he comments how much he admires that car. On the way back, we follow another white Chrysler 300, and he notes the coincidence. I note the Spartan reference.

We arrive at our destination - the Crossroads Best Western. Our potential customer is a small aluminum boat builder - Kingfisher boats. The Fisher King is a Merovingian term, but also refers to Jesus - the fisher of men. The meeting was typical in the extreme, and at its end, we'd won another client. We pack up, and head back over the border.

Frank drops me off at my car, I drive on home, and absolutely nothing has happened, and nothing has changed. Yet somehow, I feel like something has. Like a mission was accomplished - as if I were a secret agent crossing the border carrying info for the resistance. I really am borderline.

"Ask, Believe, Receive". Another message from HH. Don't tell Oprah.