For Mayan Out Loud

It is the eve of the first day of winter, the winter solstice, and the birthday of our dear and beloved daughter in-law Anoush.  Happy birthday Anoush!  

 It is also the eve of the day the world is supposed to end according to the Mayan calendar. 

There has not been the intense interest and discussion on this end of the world prediction.  It seems to me that previous end of the world predictions were taken much more seriously and discussed.  Maybe I have simple been too busy.  Maybe there have been too many false scares, to many cries that the sky is falling, so we have become immune to doomsday prophecies.  I am in the same state of mind.  I am

Just a year and a half ago, many were seriously anticipating The Rapture on May 21, 2011.  That day came and went with nothing happening except for the making Harold Camping, the primary force behind the non-event, look like a fool. 

There have been some great quips, tweets, facebook posts, and graphics that people are having fun with.  Greg Nigosian was offering an "out of my Mayan sale" for some of his software products.  Greg Hosharian posted the following on facebook:  "It was nice knowing you all just in case this is our last day on earth!  Ha ha this is so silly."

Maybe I spoke too soon!

I am typing this at 10:24 in Chicago.  It is already December 21st in many other parts of the world.  Nothing has happened... yet.  The Mayan calendar never did predict the time zone in which it would all begin.  I would assume that since the Mayans were in what is Guatemala and Mexico today, the end would occur in that time zone.  So, I have a few hours left.  Maybe the end will not come at the stroke of midnight today but rather sometime before the stroke of midnight tomorrow.

I might have a scotch to sip on as I contemplate the possibilities and low probabilities.

So, what was with the Mayans.  They did not seem like good folks in the movie Apocalyto which I have watched over and over again.  Their leadership was portrayed as mean, manipulative, barbaric, and yet very good astronomers.  Of course, they did not have television or the internet to distract them.  They just had the heavens to watch.  I have been to their magnificent temples in Tikal.  I have climbed those temples.  I was impressed with the precision in which they placed them so they would line up perfectly at solstices, equinoxes, the comings and goings of comets, eclipses both solar and lunar, and who knows what else.  It is no wonder we take their calendar so seriously.

I wonder what the next end of days day will be?  May I suggest, September 3, 2077.  Why that day?  Am I a shaman?  A seer?  A reader and interpreter of the heavens?  No.  Simply, it is a random date that is most like after I am gone and thus I will not have to deal with all the buzz about the date.

My two favorite graphics of this event or non-event were posted on facebook.  I just love the weather forecast.  I also like the similarity of the Mayan circular calendar to the Oreo cookie.   Maybe there is some mystical runic connection between the two.  Probably there isn't.  Most people commented that their faith was in the Oreo over the Mayan apocalypse.  Ah, the power of brand marketing.  As the oracle said in the movie The Matrix, "have a cookie, you'll feel better."

 

 

12-12-12: Come and Gone - Now What?

One has to love these kinds of dates.  They are cool and easy to remember.  People get get married on such dates to make their anniversary dates both special and easy to remember.  Expectant women hope their children are born on such dates so that they will have way cool birthdays.

           But really, beyond the easy to remember and all around coolness, what is so special about these dates?   There is nothing really mythical or magical about them.  The day is special on our calendar because of the number pattern but probably just another day on the Chinese and Jewish calendars.  These special dates are set depending on when the zero was set for the calendar numbering system.  Ours BC/AD system is based on the birth of Christ even though that is celebrated on December 25th and not the first day of the year which is when it should logically be.  If that were the case, 12-12-12 would have been six days ago... or is it six days from today.  It really is relative.  Let’s not even bring the whole Leap Year thing into this.

There were postings on facebook and elsewhere that made everyone stop, think, and appreciate this day perhaps a bit more.  The message was:

You just realized...12-12-12 is the last repetitive date we will ever see.

It began with the second New Years Day of this century, 01-01-01, and we have had one every year until today.  There have been twelve of these.  I remember a lot of people wanting to get married on 07-07-07.  The Beijing Olympics began on 08-08-08.  Now, there will be no more for most of us.

Wait... how about February 2, 2022.  Isn't that 2-2-22.  It is not exactly repetitive, but it certainly has that feel about it.  Eleven years one month and one day after that, some of us will see 3-3-33 and so on.  The frequency will be less but these dates will be as memorable and meaningful as any we have seen thus far this century.

I am not as partial to these repetitive dates as I am to sequential dates.  Next year, we have November 12, 2013 and the year after that December 13, 2014 which, respectively, are 11-12-13 and 12-13-14.  Consider May 5, 2015 or June 12, 2018.  They will be multiple days i.e.  5-10-15 and 6-12-18

If we expand to Pythagorean Triples, a vast majority of us will 5-12-13, 8-15-17, and 7-24-25.  Maybe we should make consecutive prime numbers special.  The next two of these are 7-11-13 and 11-13-17.

A bigger deal has been made of March 14th the past few years.  It is called Pi day because it is 3.14, the first three digits of the irrational number Pi.  March 14, 2015 will be 3.14.15 which is the first five digits of the famous number.

So, all is not lost.  There is no shortage of interesting and memorable days coming up in the next few years even if you are not a mathematician.  I am not sure anyone, but me, will be posting this on facebook.

Dave Brubeck

     We moved to Wilton, CT in June of 1990. Aram and Armene’ began with the Wilton Public Schools in September of that year. Aram was in fifth grade and among his many activities, he joined the school choir. In those early days of commuting to New York City, I was trying to acclimate to a new job and was not often home early enough during the weekdays to attend very many school activities. I was home early enough one day, however, to attend one of his choir concerts. Perhaps I had spent the day at the Juran Center which in those days was based in Wilton.
     The concert was held in the gymnasium of the Middlebrook Middle School. The audience, parents and families, were seated in those gymnasium bleachers that telescope out from the wall. There were risers for the choir and an upright piano for the music teacher to accompany the students. The students marched out and took their places. A tall scruffy haired bearded fellow, about my age at that time, also came out carrying an electric bass guitar. He sat next to the piano and plugged into an amp that I had not noticed. I was wondering why there was a bass player but just figured it was another teacher who wanted to contribute to the musical offering.
     The teacher made some announcements and introduced the first song. I was enjoying the choir and glad I was able to be there to see my son perform and participate. I believe it was during the second selection that I noticed and was impressed with the bass player. He was not dominating but supporting and enhancing in a most creative and expressive way. When the selection ended, I turned to my wife and said, “you know that bass player is really really talented.” She responded, “He should be, that is Chris Brubeck.” 

“You mean as in Dave Brubeck?”
“Yes that is his son.”
I responded, “Wow... cool”

     “Dave is sitting over there and that tall boy standing next to Aram is Ben Brubeck, Chris’s son and Dave’s grandson.” Dave Brubeck and his wife were sitting just across the aisle. He looked like he was enjoying the concert every bit as much as I was if not more.
     I never really got to know Dave but Chris and I became acquaintances as we attended many school events in the ensuing years. I thought it was pretty cool that me, a weekend warrior of a musician, was living in the same town as such great, well known, and personable musicians.
     When I heard that Dave had passed away this morning one day before his 92nd birthday, this memory became vivid and I thought I would share it. As we Armenians say, may God illuminate his soul.

November 2012: The Patina Lifestyle

I was having breakfast with a friend earlier this month.  We are both turning 60 in 2013.  We were discussing the reaching of this next milestone in our lives.  We talked about the physical changes involved in aging.  We talked about wrinkles and liver spots.    We talked about losing hair where we really want it and... the sprouting of hair in places where it is most unwelcome.  There is also the graying of the hair everywhere.  Actually, at this point it is pretty much gray.  There is the need for glasses and both of us are teetering on the edge of needing hearing aids. 

We talked about our parents and the foibles they are facing.  We laughed about how they can drive us crazy.  My friend wondered if and when our children will look at us in the same light.  I suggest to him that they probably already see us in some combination of being old, slowing down, losing it, and driving them crazy. 

Everyone is concerned about looking good.  Looking good often includes looking youthful.  For many, this concern has become an obsession.  There are those that color their hair.  Many of us workout and fight to stay trim.  If they can afford it, cosmetic surgery is not out of the question.  Faces are lifted.  Tummies are tucked.  Stomachs are banded.  Eyes are lasiked. 

We talked about how we would never do most of these things.  First, we were not that vain or that obsessed.  Second, we cannot be bothered with coloring our gray and thinning hair.  It is an expense that we prefer to avoid and a routine we could easily do without.  Lastly, we decided the wrinkles and other markings of age have been earned.  They show our age.  They show our passage.

Interestingly, there is a good market for fashion and furnishings that have an old and well-worn look about them.  We no longer buy brand new blue jeans that take a really long time to break in and then they last a really really long time.  Today, we buy blue jeans that are already broken in.  They are pre-washed and look worn.  They are more comfortable and we pay more for them than denim that has not been pre-washed. 

Oriental rugs have long been popular.   Really fine rugs can be very expensive but they can easily last over a hundred years.  Today, however, there is a market for very old really worn almost threadbare rugs.  These rugs are extraordinarily expensive.

The same applies to a certain class of furniture.  Sure, you can buy a brand new leather chair or couch in which the leather is uniform in color and looks perfect.  The chair or sofa over the years will gradually wear get that Ralph Lauren "life well lived" look.  Why wait?  Again by paying a premium, we can buy a chair and couch that are brand new but look fifteen to twenty years old. 

We realized that people want to look young but will pay a premium for this weathered and aged look.  Well worn is well admired.  We thus decided to choose another word for the graying and wrinkles that come with age.  Why should we value this in our clothes and furnishings but not in ourselves?  We decided to use the word patina.  That is what we look for in aged and worn leather.  Why not embrace our own patina that naturally comes with our age.

My Parents:  My parents, Aram and Manoushag, take great care of themselves.  They eat well and exercise.  They both look great in their 80s.   They embrace this lifestyle and it has paid off for them.  My father had an aortic valve replaced on June 25 of this year.  It was quite a serious surgery.  His surgery and recovery went very well simply because of his lifelong focus on health and fitness.

They do not try to hide their age at all.  They embrace a simple lifestyle.  My mother has never colored her hair.  My dad simply shaves his head.  They are not obsessed with trying to look younger.  They are dedicated to taking care of themselves.  They eat right, they get plenty of rest, they exercise, and are committed to this simple and effective way of life.

As a result, they look their age.  They are good looking at their age.  They look good but they do not try to hide their age.   They have wrinkles.  They have the blemishes and spots on their skin that are inevitable.  We were with them over the Thanksgiving holiday and I had to admire how good both of them looked.  My Dad particularly looked dapper to the point where he could model for octogenarian fashions. 

There are many other people who are doing the same thing as my parents.  I am always bringing up my friend Ara Topouzian.  I am certain that just before getting to this paragraph, he is licking his chops to chastise me on another rambling bambling letter.  So, to diffuse him, let me note that while Ara is more like me, his father, Armen, is exactly like my parents.  He embraces the same simple lifestyle and has achieved the same wonderful results.

My parents and Armen have that patina of age I am talking about here.  It is indeed a lifestyle.  It is an economical lifestyle to boot.  They are an example that I know I should follow.  It must also be noted that my parents and Armen are not unique.  There are countless number of people who do the same.  Maybe, quietly, it is a movement that is growing:  The Patina Lifestyle.

Bridget Bardot vs. Joan Rivers:  I have always been fascinated by Bridget Bardot who turned 78 this past September.  Of course, I was fascinated with her when was a sex kitten in the 1950s and 1960s though I only really noticed in the late 1960s.  What fascinated me the most, however, was her decision to retire in 1973 at the age of 39.  She understood that her youth was fading and wanted no part in trying to prolong it.  I think she was also tired of the constant attention and handling.  She was tired about being obsessed over by fans and her managers in the industry.  She also wanted to focus on her real passion that developed at that time:  animal activism. 

As her intensity and dedication to animal activism increased, she paid less and less attention to her physical self.  She was most definitely a pin-up girl in her modeling and acting heyday.  In her retirement she became the poster child for what famous actors and actresses of yesteryear look like today.  These comparisons are always popping up on the internet and the most striking, negative, comparisons are highlighted.     In one sense, compared to her days of being called a sex kitten, she looks horrible.  From another perspective, she has just let nature take its course.  After years of being poked, prodded, curled, coifed, dyed, colored, and made-up, it is apparent she simply no longer cares.  Bridget Bardot has jowls and a wrinkled neck.  Her hair is always unkempt and, if colored at all, is always showing roots.  It is hard to believe that it is the same woman who personified the term sex kitten. 

She opted for patina and only cares to focus on her cause.

Joan Rivers is the exact opposite of Bridget Bardot.  Joan Rivers has had so much plastic surgery that her before and after photos are equally dramatic.  Instead of going from sex kitten to grandma, Joan Rivers has gone so-so looking to bordering on the ridiculous because the skin on her face is so taut. Her looks are exaggerated.  Her face has been pulled back so much, she looks windswept, no, wait, hurricane-swept. 

What does it matter really what Joan Rivers or Bridget Bardot do?  Everyone is free.  We are free to spend all our time looking young and youthful or we can spend all our time doing something else.  We are after all living in parts of the world that are for the most part tolerant and free.

OK.  Bridget Bardot may not be the best model for this.   She has gotten increasingly more bizarre in recent years with her political views.  Maybe Katherine Hepburn or Jessica Tandy might be better examples. 

Uniformity and Entropy:  There is another strong factor in society.  It is a movement toward uniformity.  What was it Joni Mitchell wrote and sang, "give me spots on my apples but save me the birds and bees?"  We are obsessed with everything looking pristine, unblemished, perfect, and uniform.  We cannot even have carrots that look like they do coming out of the ground.  You can never really get all the dirt out of the crevices.  We can never clean them up enough so that they do not look the roots that they are.  So what have we done, we shave and grind them into almost uniform pure orange pieces and call them baby carrots.  Sure, part of it is saves the effort of cleaning fruits and vegetables but it also makes them look more appealing.  It seems that patina is not appetizing.  

When I was a mere child and first learning about the world, I was not happy to learn about the constant change in the world.  It really made no sense to me that things wore out, broke, rusted, or decayed.  I thought the world should be perfect.  I am not sure I got this idea but it was a very strong feeling.  Perhaps, it was being the first generation to grow up with television or being raised in a time when people really believed that they could conquer and master nature.  This feeling lasted until I took a physics class in high school and learned about the concept of entropy.  Entropy is a complex topic that can be quite involved and mathematical.  What I most remember is that one interpretation was that nature tends to move from order to disorder.  Disorder and randomness is the state of equilibrium.  At least this is how it seemed when I first learned about this concept.  It made sense and defined things in a way that I was more accepting of how the universe works... not that the universe cares one way or another.

In this light, the aging process, the graying, wrinkling, and wearing out all makes sense.  Patina is a natural progression and can be admired and valued rather than abhorred and avoided.  We have all seen photos of people who have lived the simple agrarian lifestyle that look so good in their later years.  They look noble and we can't look at those photos without thinking "that is the way to age!" and “their lifestyle is the way to live!”

Yet, we are conflicted.  We are constantly bombarded with images of what beauty and glamour are.  The recurrent images are those of youth, beauty, and unblemished metrosexual uniformity.   The twist is we are made to believe that our choices with parameters make us unique.  Yes, I chose the turquoise LaCoste polo and you look equally individual in your Ralph Lauren taupe one.  Wait, we are both wearing jeans... no worries, your shirt is tucked in and mine isn't.  

No matter how hard we try, we do tend to wear out.  Entropy always seems to win in the end.

The Patina Lifestyle:  Patina also implies an aging and graying with style and grace.  It is akin to something we might call managed entropy.  A leather chair does not get that valued patina from abuse.  You don't leave an expense leather chair out in the rain and elements to get that desired patina.  If you do that, the chair will be destroyed.  To get that desired patina, you have to take care of it.  The patina comes gradually over the years through consistent use and wear.  People are the same.  To get that desired patina, we have to age and gray with style and grace.  We have to take care of our physical selves.  We all know people who have done that and witness and admire the results they get. 

As has been written in this letter many times before, we know what to do.  We know what it takes to get that patina discussed in this letter.  It is living well.  It is eating properly, getting a proper amount of rest, managing stress, and exercising.   There was an article I just read about the people on a certain Greek Isle living 10-12 years longer than the US average.  The advice is not anything revolutionary.  It is basically what we all know and find so hard to do.  It is what is listed above.

There is also mental and personality patina we should all be striving for.  It is a mixture of wisdom and attitude.  Our personalities need to reflect our years.  Mental patina needs to age and gray with style and grace.

This concept of patina applied to human beings could catch on.  Remember you heard it here first.  I envision an entire liberating movement for people.  Avoid surgery.  Stop coloring your hair.  Live right and develop a patina you can be proud of.  Age and gray with style and grace.  I foresee infomercials with those fake popielesque audiences  clapping and cheering at each minor revelation of the Patina Program.  We need a tagline that is catchy and pithy.

I would, of course, have to host the thing hawking the entire program which would include books, videos, meals, bottled water, bicycles, athletic shoes and apparel, yoga wear, sunglasses, hats, t-shirts, and whatever else I can think of.  I would trademark copyright incorporate the program.  There would be a website and a logo.  I am thinking about using the Greek letter rho, ρ, as the stylized p.  There would be double symbolism as rho is used to represent the linear correlation coefficient in regression analysis.  We are correlating, of course, good living with good aging.  

If this is going to happen, I will have to get some plastic surgery, hair plugs, and a stomach band so that I can look the part as the godfather of this movement.  I would, of course, have to take several before and after photos to use in advertising and in the book.  I know, this is totally against what I have laid out here, but this has to be done in the grand tradition of good old fashioned US marketing and not having to practice what one preaches especially when revenue is involved.  Well, this last bit is more a topic for a future letter.

Graceful aging and graying to us all! Embrace the Patina Lifestyle.

ρ

I'm Just Sayin'

We hear this phrase all the time:  I am just sayin’. I am not sure where it came from or when it became so popular.  It is the perfect caveat or follow-up for unsolicited advice that probably will not be heeded.   I’m just sayin’.  

The unsolicited advice is usually given when someone is doing something incredibly bone headed or blatantly dangerous.  As the bone headed one may take offense at the advice, we can just tag on this last sentence, I’m just sayin’, and Voila! all offense is removed.  I’m just sayin’.
.  
I don’t think you want to go poking around those live wires with that screwdriver... I’m just sayin’.  

Pounding on the computer probably won’t fix it and might damage it more... I’m just sayin’.  

It is apologizing without actually apologizing and without actually taking what was said back.  By tagging I’m just sayin’ to the offensive comment the recipient is appeased... while in fact we are actually re-emphasizing our point.

Guy #1:  Look at that bee-hind on that babe!
Guy #2:  Dude, that’s my sister!!
Guy #1:  I’m just sayin’

Why is Guy #2 not totally irate at this point?  How is it all OK after the offensive point was re-emphasized by these three magic words?

Maybe these words, this phrase, should be used in International diplomacy.

President of Country X:  Our embassy in your country was just overrun and blown up.
Ambassador of Country Y to Country X:  Our people believe you insulted the spirit of our country in your speech last night.
President:  Are you freaking kidding me?
Ambassador:  I’m just sayin’.
President:  Well OK then.  Wanna grab some lunch?

Imagine how much better the world would be if bandied this phrase around a lot more.

I have used the phrase more in this posting then I have have ever uttered it in conversation.  When I do use it, I dip it and deep fry it in sarcasm, which has no effect because of the incredible diffusing power of this phrase..

It will come as no surprise that I am not the first person to blog about this.  One Lynn Margolies PhD posted a piece titled “Defending Against ‘I’m Just Saying’ and Other Verbal Annoyances on PsychCentral.com.  She provided what she called “empowering comebacks” to I’m just sayin’:

• “I know – and I’m ‘just responding’ to what feels like an insult.”
• “I know – but the fact that you are ‘just saying’ something offensive doesn’t make it less offensive.”
• “I know – and what you’re ‘just saying’ is offensive Hey, I’m just saying.”
• “I know – and I’m not sure you recognize that what you’re ‘just saying’ comes across as critical, hurts my feelings, is insulting, etc.”
• “I’ve thought this through and I’m comfortable with what I’m doing. I’m not seeking input on this.”
• “Thanks for your input, I’ll take it under advisement.”
• “Thanks for your input. I’ll let you know if I need any additional opinions on this.”

I’m sorry Dr. Margolies but if you snapped one of these off to any of my buddies after they said “i’m just sayin,”  they might respond promptly and briskly with a STFU!  I’m just sayin’.

"A Deeply Fractured Country"

      It is election night.  I am, like so many in the US, ensconced in front of the TV watching to see how the Presidential Election unfolds.  It is increasingly leaning toward Obama to be re-elected.  It also so looks like the House of Representatives will stay with the Republicans and the Senate will be Democratic.  We may be in for another four years that will mirror the last two years i.e. stalemate.  That is not what I want or what I believe we need.
     This is a very close race for an incumbent.  The victory will certainly be important and key, but it is not a mandate for the winner.  The parties have to learn to work together.  I am not sure they can do that.
     Romney made a great showing.  He ran a an aggressive and well funded campaign.  He adapted like Clinton did to the polls to secure his parties nomination.  Romney moved from moderate to conservative to placate the leadership of the party which is more extreme than the American people want.  The Republicans and the TEA Party lost three close senate elections in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Missouri.  I think the real loser here is the TEA Party and hardline Republicans.
     It was just announced that Ohio has gone for Obama.  That secures the re-election of the President and marks the end of the Romney run.  No Republican has ever won an election without winning Ohio.  Romney has not bucked that trend.  Ohio went to Obama.  Ohio is a midwestern state that is mostly white and working class.  Obama's bailout of GM and Chrysler resonated well here. 
     Savannah Guthrie of NBC just stated "He now governs a deeply fractured country."  This would have been true no matter who won tonight.  This was a tough and hard fought election.  It was a grotesquely expensive election.  It was an election that strongly polarized the people.  Half the people are now happy.  The other half are probably depressed and besides themselves wallowing in the belief that the country is about to take a few more giant steps toward socialism.
     It is time to pull together.  This country has problems that need to be solved.  We need a unified government.  We need a sound budgeting and governing process.  We need to define what kind of country we want to be. And I mean economically and militarily more than anything else.  What are we aiming for?  What can we afford... and not afford?  Do we have the resolve to do this?  Or, are we just going to keep our collective heads in the sand and believe that we will miraculously recover to the better times of the Reagan and Clinton administrations.  
     This last recession brought us to this new normal.  No matter what anyone says, I believe that Obama's so called "socialist nationalization" bailouts of the auto and other industries kept us from an all out depression.  The government is also out of most of these investments and, if I am not mistaken, at a profit.
     We, all of us, who have been bickering at dinner tables and in social media, should now demand of whoever represents us to work together.  This means dusting off words that we seem to have forgotten the meaning of:  Compromise, Consensus, and working for the common good.

Day of the Dead

     It is November 1st.  It is All Souls' Day, the day after Halloween.This has always been a special time of year in these northern climes.  It is a definitive time the marks the end of summer and the start of winter.  The harvest is over, the leaves are off of the trees, and the air had a definite wintery feel to it.
      I might be imagining this but it is not the first year that I have experienced this feeling.  I recall the same feeling on many November firsts in my life extending back to my childhood in Detroit.  I never felt it quite as strong in Connecticut as I did in Detroit and as I did today in Chicago.
Why did Halloween and All Soul's Day happen at this time of the year?  Many others have felt something special about this time of years beginning centuries ago.  Back then I can only imagine, without all the diversions of today, people were more attuned to the environment and changing seasons than we are today.  
     The end of the harvest and the last leaves off of the trees, had to give the landscape a barren feel but yet a fresh, still alive feel.   It is a feeling between just at the cusp of life and death.  It is a time of definitive transition.  It is a seemingly perfect moment of the year where the natural melds for an instant with the supernatural.  It feels like a time where the living can sense the souls of the dead.
     Perhaps I am projecting to much.  I will freely admit that possibility.  But I think not.  While the seasonal transition is definitive the melding of the natural and supernatural is much more subtle.  My feeling and rationale may not be so off base.
     An internet search and tour, provided the following.  Historically, this goes back to the Druids who divided the year into two parts:  the light part and the dark part.  Today, the day we mark as November 1, is the day that marks the end of the light part of the year and beginning of the dark part of the year.   They believed that communication with the dead was more possible at this time of the year as this time of the year marked the thinning of the space or distance between the worlds of the living and the dead.  They celebrated with bonfires and dressing up in costumes of animals which has led to the dressing up we do to this day.
      The pagan roots of this time of the year would not die.  So as happened in many parts of Christendom, what was known as the Day of the Dead became All Saints Day or All Souls Day.  This change was done in the 7th century by Pope Boniface IV.
      This feeling quickly subsides.  In a few days after this cup, whatever feeling I felt today passes and live resumes its normal routine.  There is something about this day.  i sensed it before and I sensed it again today.  Were the Druids right or am i just a victim of a lifetime of Halloween marketing and hype.  I really don't know.  But, I believe I was somehow tuned into something different today.