Notes From A Bear's Journey

    The other day I celebrated turning 69, my yin-yang birthday; to infinity and beyond as Buzz Lightyear might say (is that even possible, to go "beyond" infinity?)  Without getting too carried away, I am hoping that this year marks one of balance for me, a year ahead of give and take, and of good and evil positioning themselves in order to gain balance.  As Wikipedia put it:  In Ancient Chinese philosophy, yin and yang is a concept of dualism, describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another...Yin is the receptive and Yang the active principle, seen in all forms of change and difference such as the annual cycle (winter and summer), the l andscape (north-facing shade and south-facing brightness), sexual coupling (female and male), the formation of both women and men as characters and sociopo...

The comet Neowise ; Photo: NASA     Some people who have been in a near-death situation have reported that they saw a bright, often white, light, warm and welcoming as if it drew them closer and closer to a new part of their life.   One thing is certain and that is that whether it is true or not, we will all find out the answer.  Of course, that may also be the simple version since our ability to see color is severely limited when tested against an animal which is far more advanced in that field such as...a hummingbird.  Wait, what??  Smithsonian was a bit more blunt about it, saying that when we compare ourselves to hummingbirds, we're basically colorblind.  Said part of the article:  The study results suggest hummingbirds—and perhaps all bird, reptile and fish species that possess the fourth type of UV-sensitive cones—experience a world awash in extra colors humans can’t imagine including UV-green, UV-red and UV-yellow.  For birds, th...

Cars lined up at a food bank; photo: William Luther, San Antonio Express     Distraction is the key for the magician or illusionist, the left hand keeping your eyes glued while the right hand does the switching.  But even among the "experts," there are tricks of the trade, an example being the famed duo Penn & Teller hosting a show titled "Fool Us," which is now entering its 7th season.  Those lucky enough to "fool" the duo not once or twice but three times, receive a token trophy and an openong spot in Penn & Teller's Las Vegas show.  What I found both amazing and disheartening was how many times I was fooled (about 99% of the time) only to hear Penn & Teller tell the performer that their "trick" was too easy to figure out ( Masters of Illusion is a similar show which features a variety of magicians from around the world).   Watch the birdie, as they say, and prepare to be entertained.   ...