tim on almost everything like rum!)#sep/ oct 2017 “so … · tim on almost everything (like...

TIM ON ALMOST EVERYTHING (LIKE RUM!)# SEP/ OCT 2017

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sv INTREPID

1972 Islander 36

Intrepid was sailed by Zac Sunderland, the first person under the age of 18 to sail solo around the world. Sunderland completed his trip after 13 months and 2 days at sea on July 16, 2009 at age 17.

Currently undergoing some major renovations for its second circumnavigation, this time by current owner Tim Brill.

Follow along on our website / blog, www.sailintrepid.com

WD13127

KG7QMT

“SO THIS IS LIFE”

A New Beginning

To say that I am frustrated with our modern lifestyle is an understatement. Money has become our new God. Bankers our new prophets. We don’t live, we only exist under the whims of unelected bureaucrats and their mouthy marionettes! Time for a different approach towards my life.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, its time to

pause and reflect.

Mark Twain

http://www.sailintrepid.com



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Improbable History: (America, here we go again)

(Biting our fingernails and thumping our heads)

Banks basically take your money, lend it to your neighbor, charge her a steep interest rate for the use of the loan, keep most of the interest for themselves, and then pay you what little is leftover. We continue to get bamboozled by banks, but take no action to change. As long as we continue to promote money as debt (do a google search) and are enslaved by that most fraudulent of all private banks, the Federal Reserve System (yes, it is a private bank and not part of the United States Government - hard to believe, eh?), we will never regain control of our debts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTUY16CkS-k&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl47z2g2EvI&feature=related

"Forgive me, I must start by pointing out that three years after our horrific financial crisis caused by financial fraud, not a single financial executive has gone to jail, and that's wrong." Charles Ferguson, “Inside Job.”

Executive Order 11110 was issued by John F Kennedy on June 4, 1963. He died before it was enacted.

The World:

(It's not flat anymore)

"To the shores of Tripoli," much has changed since 1805, Yup!

(The Myth of Freedom)

In a technical sense, myth refers to how a group of people define who they are, and not something that is necessarily false. In America, that is Freedom. Freedom towers to freedom fries, that’s all our pressitutes talk about. Yet the reality is that we are not free. In fact, all activity is typically prohibited by law unless you obtain prior permission by some unelected bureaucrat or their mouthy marionettes. I used to think flying airplanes was the epitome of freedom, but it too has evolved into a tightly controlled endeavor. Heck, even if you want to hike in the woods or climb a mountain, you need a permit, ie. permission by the king. Any more, the only truly free activity may be offshore sailing. Which is probably why I’m drawn to it!

Here is a good watch:

http://academyofideas.com/2017/06/psychology-of-conformity/








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Fractured Metaphysics:(What's it all about)

ON ADVENTURE

Henry David Thoreau’ s Walden As a former instructor with the outdoor experiential education program called “Outward Bound,” Henry David Thoreau was our most popular quoted author.

Thoreau wrote: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.” (Henry David Thoreau , Walden)

Perhaps one can make some sense of the inner psyche of adventurers, like Henry David Thoreau, if one understands adventure as more than a journey in geography, as a journey in meaning and consciousness: A process of achieving greater awareness of one's needs in order to fulfill one's potential as a human person. “ The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation,” wrote Thoreau in Walden (Henry David Thoreau , Walden)


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The transcendent experience of some great adventure is the vehicle that allows the adventurer to express in sensible form what is beyond all form and expression. The adventure itself becomes a symbolic self-expression of the meaning of the whole of reality and man's place in it. This was Henry David Thoreauʼs great experiment. "There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star." Walden can only be completed by its reader.

Despite initial conceptual differences between what will be expounded as a Spirituality of Risk and the inner psyche of Adventurers, their insight of authentic life is fundamentally similar. I intent to show that these views partake a similar transcendence myth as well as eternal concepts. I took inspiration from Henry David Thoreau, whom I consider the first American author to consider what makes a life authentic, worth living.

The aim of spirituality is to illuminate my experiences in depth and situate these experiences within my articulated vision of reality. It is to make sense out of my experience as a whole, insofar as this is possible by the light of divine reason. It means discovering the basic relations which link me to the four great wholes or ultimates in reality: the self, as the unitary center of all my experiences; society, as the community of other human persons like myself, within which I come to understand my humanity; the cosmos or nature, the material universe as the framework of all my experiences in this present form of my life; God, as the ultimate condition of intelligibility of all things (provided I come to the conviction that I can and must affirm His existence). In other words, we all assume a personal definition of life, and our role in life. We embroider a meaningful understanding of life; a process of achieving greater awareness of one's needs in order to fulfill one's full potential as an individual. Existentially, the stakes are high; our

spontaneous acts of inquiry and speculation, give rise to the imaginative possibilities and moral


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passion that help define a spirituality of risk. Thoreau, the Harvard divinity student understood this sense of individual spirituality. Like his mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau writes:

“Why level downward to our dullest perception always, and praise that as common sense? The commonest sense is the sense of men asleep, which they express by snoring. Sometimes we are inclined to class those who are once-and-a-half-witted with the half-witted, because we appreciate only a third part of their wit. Some would find fault with the morning red, if they ever got up early enough. "They pretend," as I hear, "that the verses of Kabir have four different senses; illusion, spirit, intellect, and the exoteric doctrine of the Vedas"; but in this part of the world it is considered a ground for complaint if a man's writings admit of more than one interpretation. While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and

fatally?” (Henry David Thoreau , Walden)What makes life valuable, real, complete, authentic? What makes life authentic vis-à-vis God?

A spirituality of risk responds to these questions in terms of the tension between individual passion and communal good. Thoreau asked that exact question is his now famous Walden thesis statement: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” I never get tired of reading that passage. It resonates like a perfect orchestra.

Consider the spirituality of Soren Kierkegaard. Life is full of obstacles, severe tests or trials; your experiences are crucibles that prepare you to make a Leap of Faith. For Kierkegaard, this

Leap of Faith establishes the basis for religious commitment and, to him, authentic life.

Consider Keirkegaard's use of the Abraham Myth. Start with an ordinary worldview that strives for order, structure and a special sense of holiness. The Abraham myth places Abraham on Mt. Mariah

asked by God to sacrifice his oldest son (the oldest son allegorizing a link to the past, to


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God and order). The absurdity of believing; yet Abraham broke with tralatitious morality and followed God's commands. How are we to re-act to this story? How much of Abraham's experience could we assimilate as ours? Abraham's moral passion enabled him to make a leap of faith, and in doing so defined his existence in a completely new way. Thoreau states the same idea:

“Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” (Henry David Thoreau , Walden)

What makes life valuable, real, complete, authentic? What makes life authentic vis-à-vis the cosmos? A spirituality of risk responds to this question in terms of the tension between natural science and spirituality. Again Thoreau: “Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones. Any nobleness begins at once to refine a man's features, any meanness or sensuality to imbrute them.” (Henry David Thoreau , Walden)

Teilhard de Chardin asks how do you know yourself. In 1959, there appeared the English translation of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's The Phenomenon of Man, followed one year later by The Divine Milieu. In these books Teilhard de Chardin stressed the point that the future growth of man as a moral and religious person depends on his relationship with the world (the cosmos). The experiences that man has with the world not only may, but also must be integrated into one religious experience, if religion is to say anything significant. Engagement with nature contributes to the growth of the human person, not only as a citizen of the world but also as a spiritual being destined for an eternal life. Man's involvement in worldly activities constitutes a religious value; man must develop a


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cosmic piety and a respect for the cosmos, and this outlook must be integrated into spirituality of nature and of the human person.

Again Thoreau: “I delight to come to my bearings -- not walk in procession with pomp and parade, in a conspicuous place, but to walk even with the Builder of the universe, if I may -- not to live in this restless, nervous, bustling, trivial Nineteenth Century, but stand or sit thoughtfully while it goes by.” (Henry David Thoreau , Walden)

A spirituality of risk does not have a distinctive subject matter, but it does have a distinctive point of view. It considers that the illumination of authentic life happens when one takes risks; when one makes the commitment, at least implicit and in hope, to the radical intelligibility of reality.

In our attempts to illuminate our experiences we must say something that is recognized by ourselves, and perhaps by society. A myth speaks about societies most important things. A transcendence myth, a koan, a journey, is recognizable as a rite of passage from our present experience of the aforementioned four great wholes or ultimates in reality to a deeper a sense of completeness or wholeness concerning our lives.

A transcendence myth also implies intentionality. The purpose of life is to guide oneself freely toward this deeper a sense of completeness from within. It means seeking some sort of integration of our lives' multiple goals around a central question: what is the real thing? The interesting theme to be found in spirituality of risk and among adventurers is that this process towards authentic life does not happen to us. Rather it involves action on our part; an experience, and if the experience is strong enough, possibly to be followed by a transformation, a transcendence, to some deeper illumination or understanding about our life. Consider the relation of the pre-interpretation of a significant experience, the experience, and the post-interpretation of the experience.


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How can we intellectually account for the radical discontinuity in our interpretation of this experience? Our lives are forever changed! Again, Thoreauʼs Walden thesis statement eloquently states this essential fact of life.

How do we live a fully human life, under any circumstance? How ought we to conduct our life, possibly opening us up to a world of transformation and transcendence? Thoreau would argue to engage in life as an active participant, not a docile spectator. “As I have said, I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.” (Henry David Thoreau , Walden)

We introduced a spirituality of risk in terms of a tension between individual passion and communal good and again the tension between natural science and spirituality. In order to make sense of this inner tension; to make sense of the theme of journeying and meaning; to make sense of completeness or wholeness about one's life, they transcend a normal interpretation of their experiences and experience an eternal aspect of what they are doing in the temporal world.

Keirkegaard's moral passion which leads him to the leap of faith as the basis of religious commitment and authentic life; Teilhard de Chardin's sapience that every being is beautiful if we can penetrate to a concrete vision of its inner splendor; Henry David Thoreauʼs insight into confrontation, direct experience, simplicity, solitude, non conformity and nature; the adventurers insight that there exists some eternal greatness in the passage of temporal events, all bespeak a similar transcendence myth that help illuminate their understanding of their life and their relationship with the before mentioned four great ultimates in reality.

Their experiences are not only illuminated, but become pedagogical as well: Experience the eternal aspect of what you are doing in the temporal world; Have the courage to accept your life; Do


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the best you can under all circumstances.

Thoreau writes: “We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical

aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us in our soundest sleep.” (Henry David Thoreau , Walden)

The 19th century German philosopher, Fredrich Schleiermacher, speaks of world consciousness and God consciousness as two complementary facts of human existence that have to grow in relation to each other. This tension as the basis for an understanding of authentic life seems to differ in intentionality. The transcendence myth seems to be more God consciousness in a spirituality of risk, and perhaps expectantly, more world consciousness with our adventurers. But what does this mean. Is it fair to address the same type of questions to both groups; should one talk about authentic life, transcendence myths, and pedagogical and eternal concerns with adventurers. It seems to me that the answer is yes. We can address similar questions. The world of the spirituality of risk proponents and of the adventurers is one and the same. However the ordering and consequent intelligibility of these worlds seems from different directions. One seems to be reflecting on the convergence of particular experiences until some insight helps illuminate their understanding of authentic life. The other seems to reflect on some hidden intelligibility suddenly made known. Henry David Thoreau seems to bridge both groups.

“To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school, but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust. It is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically.” (Henry David Thoreau , Walden).


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We started this discussion by proposing there was no difference in the vision of authentic life between a spirituality of risk, as envisioned by Kierkegaard and Teilhard de Chardin, and adventurers, like Henry David Thoreau. We argued that Henry David Thoreauʼs Walden experiment bridged the gap by understanding life as both a journey and experiment. Focus on this life; past and future are things that distract you from living now. Adventuring is not only a journey in geography, but also a journey into consciousness, a search for the real thing, for authentic life.

Finally, from Walden: “I have learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in favor of a more liberal sense, and he will live with the license of a higher order of beings. In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundation under them.” (Henry David Thoreau , Walden)

My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.

Desmond Tutu


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Mr. Know-it-all: (My Unsolicited Commentary)

No truth in American politics is more conclusively proven and more assuredly predictable than the results of your casting a vote for a Republican or Democrat: more government bureaucracy, more governmental regulations, more government spending, more government debt; and a more bleak future for the working citizens who must support that Republicrat / Democan machine. Those politicians have all done the opposite of what they said they would do, so consistently that it is a foolish person who believes any of them. It is time to stop learning the same lesson every election.

Those political parties always blame each other for the increasing failures of government, and in that regard they are both correct. Neither will take ACTION to reduce the government morass.

The basic, nonpartisan programs of government that actually benefit the people in general are no longer getting the tax funding that is diverted to special interest bureaucracies of the two political parties. As though by some unspoken agreement, each Party criticizes the other with generalized terms, then takes no real ACTION against government waste and abuse.

Government debt, waste and abuse created by the Democan / Republicrats have piled up so deep that there will be no quick fix. The correction is going to be a long, hard task. We have to start now, or our children will ask us, "Why?.

Street Talk: (Our Guest Commentary)

In another case of local bureaucracy overreach, the Reno Stead Airport (RTS) has enacted their new “GAMS,” General Aviation Minimum Standards. Amongst other things, RTS now claims that being a FAA certified flight instructor or mechanic is not good enough, you now need their (RTS) prior authorization and approval to ensure you are, in fact, qualified. So much for the

Federal Aviation Administration. Who knew !


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HOW TO INSTALL A HOME SECURITY SYSTEM

1. Go to a secondhand store and buy a pair of size 14--16 men's work boots.2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo Magazine. 3. Put four giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.4. Leave a note on your door that reads:"Bubba,

Bertha, Duke, Slim, & I went for more ammo and beer. Be back in an hour. Don't mess with the pit bulls. They got the mailman this morning and messed him up bad. I don't think Killer took part, but it was hard to tell from all the blood. Anyway, I locked all four of 'em in the house.

Better wait outside. Be right back. “Cooter"(Author Unknown)

A Word on Words:

(Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat)

The House is Quiet Now:

! Ours was one of those houses where all the kids would hang out. My two sons and all their friends. I went broke feeding them all! I participated in their conversations. I enjoyed their silliness. But they grew up and began their own lives.

The House is quiet now.

" We still chat often. It is the highlight of my day! I lost my house in a foreclosure and moved onto my sailboat. My friends tell me its my time now. I’m looking forward to sailing around the world. I have my youngest son’s stuffed animals with me. They are a great crew. It seemed like it happened all so quick. They grew up and began their own lives.

The House is quiet now!


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If only a minority of people are wealthy, why do we follow what the majority of people do financially?


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About me:

(Our Editor and Publisher)

I am a 58 year-old divorced male. I am extroverted, Intuitive, Assertive, and Love to Think. I guess I’m the ultimate devil’s advocate. But sometimes that will come off as being argumentative. I am a single parent and live with my 2 teenage boys. I have another son, my oldest, who lives with his wife and my 4-year old grandson a few miles away. I used to fly airplanes for a living, but now its time to pursue my long awaited sailing adventure! I’ll get back to flying in several months.

I was an infantry officer in the US Army, traveled extensively as an international mountaineering guide, ran for the US House of Representatives, been imprisoned for civil disobedience, been shot at, drank some beer and was present when the fat lady sung. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and an MA in theology. I am an adventure junkie at heart. I love to travel, ski, camp, hike, mountain bike, Tae Kwon Do, mountain climb and sailing! Flying is in my DNA. But so is sailing. I am currently planning a world circumnavigation sailing trip to begin in October 2017.

Other Not-Very-Important Stuff:

(Jokes, Aviation, Interesting Facts)

The term rule of thumb comes from the old English law that men couldn't beat their wives with anything wider than their thumb.

American poet Edgar Allan Poe was once thrown out of West Point Academy in 1831 after showing up for inspection stark naked.

A monkey's skull wrapped in leather and paper was used as a soccer ball in the very first World's Cup Soccer Championships in Uruguay.

Ants never sleep in their entire life.

The most common name in the world is Mohammed. Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

In 1386, a pig was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child.

Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.


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Your Comments

Come on, someone must have an expert opinion.

Send to: [email protected]

Grandma’s Advice

Approve of yourself.

Your limitations are just in your own mind.

Lighten up and have fun.

Don’t be angry.

Release yourself from entitlement.

Take a different path, but be ready for criticism.

Keep your eyes on your goal.

Remember to make yourself feel good.

Do what you want to do.

TRAVELS WITH TIM

From November 2009 until June 2010, my family and I embarked on a world trip. You can check out our trip blog at

www.brillfamilyadventure.blogspot.com

This is some unsolicited advice about some of the places we visited.

Around the World in Shorts

Belgium - "Beer and Snowy"

Our first stop was Brussels, Belgium. We took the Eurostar train from London and arrived Brussels a few hours later. The train was uneventful, except that with all our luggage (like our skis), it was a pain to navigate through the station. The European culture must be such that people would rather walk on you, than render any help. I guess we were just raised differently. We were just glad Eurostar was not on strike. Arriving at the train station in Brussels, we met an old friend of ours. He arranged for 2 taxis to bring us to our hotel. We decided on the Sheraton Hotel properties whenever we could to maximize our hotel stay "points," which we hope we can now use at a later date for a few free stays.

I call these 3 days, "Beer and Snowy, " let me explain. With over 100 different types of fantastic tasting beer, Belgium has the best beer in the world. There, enough said. Sorry Bud. Pair the beer with some authentic Belgium Waffles, and you can't go wrong. I hope my doctor is not reading this, I will deny everything. I don't understand why we cannot make similar waffles here in the USA, or beer for that matter. Certainly we have the ingredients, but they are so good over there.

The city of Brussels, the surrounding area and the people are wonderful. Patient, friendly, and most speak fluent English. For history buffs, the war memorials give you a chill. They are impeccably maintained and honored. I just wish that someday we can figure out a way to solve our problems without wars.

We took the train to see the Herge Museum in Louvain la Neuve (www.museeherge.com/), the author of the famous Tin Tin comic. Tin Tin, the reporter, and his faithful wire fox terrier, Snowy, travel the world on adventures. My then 10- year old, Cody, fell in love with the series, and with Snowy. We purchased a Snowy stuffed animal at the museum. Snowy became Cody's travel companion and confidant for the rest of our adventure.

(more on page 16)

The sinews of war are infinite money Cicero

http://www.museeherge.com

http://www.museeherge.com


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Another don't miss sight was the futuristic building, the iconic Atomium (http://atomium.be/). Built for the 1958 Worlds Fair of Brussels, its unique architectural design should not be missed. As with all our subsequent places we visited, too much to see and too little time.

Our next stop was Switzerland. The TGV (TGV trains hold the world’s friction rail speed record at 357 mph (575kmph) from Brussels to Geneva, then onward to Cugnasco, a small town in the Italian speaking Ticino Canton of Switzerland.

Switzerland - "All Business"

If you are used to American style multi tasking, don't look for it here. The Swiss are serious about Switzerland. This storybook land of mountains, Heidi and chocolate is 100% serious about maintaining a standard of living and a lifestyle that is second-to-none. The country is immaculately clean, and expensive!

Our trip brought us to Switzerland three different times. Our first time was to the town of Cugnasco, halfway between Bellinzona and Locarno, in the Swiss Ticino Canton. We did have a rental car available which made getting around easier, but the Swiss rail system is fantastic. Clean, efficient and dependable, these trains are the envy of the world. We stayed at a family house, with a few daily chores. Cooking our own meals was a great way to save money and experience the locals while food shopping. The local Italian food and gelato is great. We left our ski equipment here while we were exploring Italy, Greece, Egypt and Dubai.

Christmas was spent in Davos. We managed to get two adjoining hotel rooms with an interconnecting door. Not like home, but acceptable. Cody drew a picture of a Christmas tree and we put our gifts under the picture. Davos is a pretty area, but limited night life, limited shopping and real aggressive German skiers.

We went to Verbier in March. The weather was fantastic, the rental chalet was much better (and cheaper) than any hotel, and the skiing was great. Verbier was much better than Davos....

(next issue more Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Egypt and Dubai)

Question Everything !

"Things I Learned (sometimes the hard way)"

Don't tell your wife she packed too much.Forget "pre-paid" vouchers. They were a waste of time and money.

Get a GPS with your car rental.Don't try to cram too many sightseeing tours.Use your ATM Card, don't bother exchanging money into local currency.

Mail souvenirs home.Pay your bills online.Bring a lap top computer

http://atomium.be

http://atomium.be


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As a teenager I used the phrase, “So this is life.” Perhaps prophetic, who knew I would be beginning a story of living life outside “the box.” Connecting with our “Three Great Relationships,” (myself, my God and other people - our next issue), an adventure is a transformative experience that ought to be taken by all.

Take risks: physical, emotional and spiritual. Don’t be afraid to fail. Someone once told me fail means “first attempt in living.” You only live once, so cast off your shackles and take that first step to the unknown.

I am incredibly thankful for the friendships and advice from total strangers and kindred spirits. JOIN US and continue to inspire people around the world to suck the marrow out of life and follow their dreams. So this is life !

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Links / Classified:

sv Intrepid www.sailintrepid.com

Brill Aerosports www.brillaerosports.com

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you,

then you win.”— Mahatma Gandhi



http://www.aerobaticcompany.com

http://www.aerobaticcompany.com

tim on almost everything like rum!)#sep/ oct 2017 “so … · tim on almost everything (like...

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