Posted on 12/19/2008 8:51:41 PM PST by EveningStar
That happened to me on a foosball table. As the ball traveled I could see a line ahead of it showing its direction and the gaps between the opponents men looked huge. I stopped everything that came my way and slammed in scores with no effort. My buddies were amazed and the guys we were playing thought I was a ringer.
I was a fine arts major, during a time that was very wide-open, as far as this sort of thing. How I came out the other side a conservative Christian sometimes amazes me, when I reflect upon it. There are things that I regret, and things that I don’t, but it was all informative.
What I do know, is that space and time are not exactly what our senses, exquisitely designed thought they may be, allow us to understand. The Bible and science are in seemingly rare agreement here. What was it that Einstein said, about people not being able to handle everything happening at once? Matter is mostly empty space.
That’s not to say I’d ever advocate the use of such substances. It should be taboo; most people are completely unable to deal with it, and could very well harm themselves or others. The latter part of the sixties bears this out.
My first brush with politics came when friends opened my eyes to the anti-gun lobby. From my upbringing it was immediately apparent that anyone who wanted to disarm you wants to harm you. I didn't fully embrace Republicans or fully reject Democrats at that point but there was no denying who was working to kill the 2nd Amendment. That was about 1980.
Then came Rush Limbaugh who really opened my eyes about politics across the spectrum of issues. Then I met the man who would later become my Buddhist teacher. With his own life experiences and Buddhist principles being impressed upon me I soon found Rush too soft on conservatism for me.
That was my path politically. It also is my path spiritually and it ties up the loose ends that those old psychedelic experiences open up but don't explain. As you alluded to; space and time are an illusion. But you can't just drop the concept of space and time while living in a body of meat. Without clear guidance (and a lot of study and practice) an abrupt meeting with that greater reality can drive you insane or get you squashed by a Mack truck. And LSD is as abrupt as it gets and there is no preparation for it. A fairly stable mind can handle LSD and survive without real harm but no one knows if they have that stability beforehand. Very dangerous and I don't recommend it either.
It’s great! Thank you!
As a kid I knew Doc was good but never knew he was odd. From Wikipedia:
According to Ellis:
I can only remember bits and pieces of the game. I was psyched. I had a feeling of euphoria. I was zeroed in on the (catcher’s) glove, but I didn’t hit the glove too much. I remember hitting a couple of batters and the bases were loaded two or three times. The ball was small sometimes, the ball was large sometimes, sometimes I saw the catcher, sometimes I didn’t. Sometimes I tried to stare the hitter down and throw while I was looking at him. I chewed my gum until it turned to powder. They say I had about three to four fielding chances. I remember diving out of the way of a ball I thought was a line drive. I jumped, but the ball wasn’t hit hard and never reached me.[4]
Attempting to hit every batter in the Cincinnati Reds lineup on May 1, 1974. In an effort to prove a point to teammates, Ellis hit Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen in the top of the first. The clean-up batter Tony Perez avoided Ellis’ attempts, instead drawing a walk, and after two pitches aimed at the head of Johnny Bench, Ellis was removed from the game by manager Danny Murtaugh. Ellis’ box score for the game reads: 0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.[5]
Better life through chemistry. Better.... but shorter.
traitor
I wasn’t clear — I meant with the Pirates.
Stargell had liver disease as well?
Nope, I’ve been bleeding pinstripes my whole life.
I skipped school more than once to go to Wrigley Field. Went to Opening Day, 1969, when Willie Smith hit the game-winning homer. Place went nuts.
Later that summer, skipped Driver's Ed to go to a Cubs' game. Kenny Holtzman pitched a no-hitter.
One might conclude from this that skipping school ensures an exciting, memorable Cubs victory.
I guess those road trips really were that...
They wore those cake box hats for waaaaay too long, IMHO.
The Pirates of the late ‘60s and through the 1970s were a remarkable team. What fans noticed about them—beside the fact that they were good—was that they had a lot of black and Latin-black players. In fact, in a game in September 1971, for the first time ever in baseball history (and maybe the last time), they started a lineup with all nine black players. (The pitcher was Dock Ellis.)
Nowadays they're playing like a AA Minor League team.
thank God for the Stillers and Penguinos.
Only AAA here in Buffalo — the team that was supposed to come here ended up in Montreal, now in Washington. My Dad was an inveterate Yankees fan ‘til he passed on (a sentiment NOT shared), and so Saturday PM baseball on TV was a staple in our house.
I can actually count the number of MLB games I’ve attended on one hand, mostly across the border in “Tranna”. There was one field trip to Pittsburgh in the summer of ‘78 where we saw the Giants play the Pirates; Ellis was long gone by then but I do recall Bert Blyleven pitched that day, and that SF won the game towards the end. (Not being able to remember much more can probably be attributed to the “beer” served in the stadium there...)
Don’t forget the Candy Man.
When the Pirates were a powerhouse, their unis were way cool.
After they faded, the unis were just silly.
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