Author: Ray Jason

NAPALM GIRL ANTI-WAR FILM

by Ray Jason

With our world drowning in so much senseless war and bloodshed, I have recently been thinking about finishing a project that I began several years ago. It is a short but powerful anti-war film that combines my personal Vietnam experience with the immortal message of the Napalm Girl.

However, my film-making skills are very limited. But Fate smiled upon me, and a professional film editor anchored near me a few weeks ago. After developing a friendship, I mentioned my long-dormant project.

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A VOYAGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

by Ray Jason

Life is a voyage. For both the Individual and Society, there will be times of serene sailing and smooth seas, and times of terrifying winds and troubled waters.

Since the very beginning of my Sea Gypsy days, nearly FORTY years ago, I have approached every new expedition out onto The Wide Waters deliberately and cautiously. I would carefully evaluate the risks versus the rewards.

In this essay, I will use that same measured approach to examine the current storm-wracked Voyage of Western Civilization, to see if there are any light-houses of Hope amid the raging wind and waves.

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SOME CHEERFUL REFLECTIONS ON … DEATH

by Ray Jason

There are some topics that are never discussed in “polite company.” Fortunately and deliberately, I have surrounded myself with “impolite company.”

My friends and I will wonder about the Grassy Knoll. We will question the free-fall speed of the Twin Towers. We will ponder the implications of the Dancing Israelis. In fact, on a really bold day, we might even dare to discuss the JQ.

But even in my eccentric circle, we do not talk about The Big D – DEATH. This intrigues me since I perceive it as just an organic part of The Big L – LIFE.

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ARTIFICIAL IS NOT INTELLIGENT

by Ray Jason

I have a very unusual perspective on Life. Perhaps this is the reason:

Ray lives in his sailboat.

His sailboat lives in the Ocean.

Therefore, Ray lives in the Ocean.

I have been alone at Sea for voyages that lasted as long as 30 days. During those times, my only companions lived in the Sea and the Sky. I was isolated from normal, human contact. There was no TV, no Internet, no texting.

But I did have abnormal human contact in the form of books. Great thinkers and writers were my crew-mates. Being far from the frenzy and low-grade lunacy of the Modern World, I could ponder their thinking, their eloquence, their wisdom.

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THE SHADOW SAILOR GOES FULL … RETREAT

by Ray Jason

This is fiction … or is it?

                                                    *******

This time the Shadow Sailor found me.

Usually, I spot him hidden away in some rarely visited cove here in The Archipelago of Bliss. Although his modest 42-foot sailboat is over 30 years old, he keeps her in very good shape. Her only unusual features are a large array of solar panels and a satellite communications dome.

When I first met him, I asked him about these incongruities. Since he barely knew me, he told me that he was an avid “gamer” and was constantly competing via the Internet with opponents scattered all around the world.

Later, when I had earned his trust, he revealed the true reason for his over-sized communication package. He was dedicating himself to trying to unravel “How the world REALLY works.” The SatCom system allowed him to do his research via the World Wide Web from very remote anchorages and even from the middle of the ocean.

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THE SEA GYPSY TRIBE – 2024 UPDATE

by Ray Jason

For over a decade I have been encouraging people around our Watery World to form Sea Gypsy Tribes. My belief is that they are the best defense against any catastrophe that may overwhelm Society. Here is my 2024 update.

The basic concept remains the same. Essentially, it provides all of the survival benefits of land-based emergency “prepping,” but with the significant advantage of not being stationary.

Human history proves that when people have to choose between starving and marauding, they always attack. Having an ocean-ready sailboat, properly equipped and stocked, allows one to “Flee to the Sea!”

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THE QUEST FOR INNOCENT JOY

by Ray Jason

When I need to recharge my “Faith in Humanity” batteries, I sail to a quiet little nearby cove. Then, I sit on deck each morning, happily waiting for a boatload of Innocent Joy to pass by.

It is a small cayuco being rowed by two boys. Also onboard are two sisters who are singing and clapping their hands in time with their songs. They are on their way to school, which is about a mile across the water.

The children live in a modest house on the shore of the lagoon. It was not built by contractors. It was the work of their father and some uncles and some neighbors. Their mom washes their clothes by hand with rain water that they catch from the roof of their house. She dries them in the sun.

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THE QUEST GROWS DARKER

by Ray Jason

My personal Life Voyage was greatly inspired by two titans of sea literature – Joseph Conrad and Herman Melville. They wandered the Wide Waters, not just searching for riches and adventure, but also seeking deep awareness of the human condition.

They concluded that many men have a tragic tendency to succumb to the worst elements of their nature. Although there is a smattering of virtue motivating some of the characters in their novels, largely the books describe a dark and disturbed human landscape. Sadly, I now perceive the literary villains sailing those pages as only mildly malevolent, compared to the Malignant Overlords that we battle today.

Certainly, there have always been aberrant humans who want to dominate and even destroy others. Much of History is a sickening cavalcade of conquerors with an obscene lust to rule the world. That has not changed. But what is now different is their ability to achieve their hideous desires.

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WHERE DOES THE QUEST LEAD?

by Ray Jason

Does taking the Red Pill inevitably lead one down the path to the Black Pill? Or is there an escape? And if Society seems destined for a grim, totalitarian future, is it at least possible for courageous Individuals to evade that fate?

Since beginning my Sea Gypsy Philosopher blog ten years ago, my goal has been to decipher “How the world really works.” In the first essay of my “Quest” series, I provided a Summing Up of my decade of research. My prognosis was not good.

Because that article was posted on January 1st, it was surrounded in the Alt-Media world by many New Year’s forecasts. Lots of commentators provided predictions that were considerably more optimistic than mine. So, I decided to elaborate more fully upon my fears for the future.

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ONE MAN’S QUEST

by Ray Jason

My quest was simple. I wanted to figure out “How the world really works.” Even as I began this task, I recognized that it was probably impossible.

Take, for example, the two most monumental events that had occurred during my lifetime – the murder of JFK and the attack on 911. These were indisputable turning points in human history. The world was different the next day.

Given the magnitude of these horrors, one would expect an enormous effort to discover what had actually happened. But those who should have been searching for the Truth, were erecting a barricade of Lies. Instead of honesty, we got “magic bullets” and “box cutters.”

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THE SEA GYPSY TRIBE ENCYCLOPEDIA – PART TWO

by Ray Jason

PART TWO

The first essay in this series, which you can find here, was re-posted at many websites. The “comments” sections at those blogs generated some very lively discussions. So much so, that it makes sense for me to clarify my mission.

I am NOT trying to convince large numbers of people to abandon their lives ashore and adopt the full-time cruising lifestyle. Instead, my goal is to inspire those who are already living aboard their sailboats. My hope is that I can encourage them to band together with other like-minded sailors who believe that society-wrecking catastrophes might lie just below tomorrow’s horizon.

Groups of 5 to 8 boats, when properly prepared and equipped, have an excellent chance of surviving – and even flourishing – despite any emergency. There are 100s of anchorages scattered all around the world filled with self-reliant sea gypsies.

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THE SEA GYPSY TRIBE ENCYCLOPEDIA

by Ray Jason

For more than a decade I have been promoting a concept that I call The Sea Gypsy Tribe. The idea is that Humanity is living in an increasingly chaotic world with the possibility of extreme catastrophes looming just beyond the stormy horizon.

I firmly believe that the best way to escape from any type of emergency, is in a well-prepared, ocean-capable sailboat, along with a small group of like-minded sailors in their boats. During the last 10 years at my blog, in about a dozen essays, I have carefully described various disasters and then explained how sailing vessels can effectively respond to them.

My sincere hope is that none of us ever have to deal with such extreme situations. It would be terrific if none of us ever had to react to a currency collapse or a cyber attack or a balloon armed with an EMP! But a wise, old mariner once advised me to “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst!”

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MY CHRISTMAS GIFT TO GRETA

by Ray Jason
Greta,
      You don’t know me, but we share something in common that is very special. That something is enormous and powerful and beautiful and elemental. That something is Mother Ocean.
       I too have spent long periods of time at sea. My longest ocean passage was 30 days, sailing my little 30 foot boat from Hawaii to San Francisco. In my case, I was also doing this alone.
       So you have experienced something of extraordinary magnificence. You have glided – or on difficult days – pounded – across the Wide Waters. Very few people have ever done this. To be hundreds of miles from the nearest humans, in the gigantic vastness of the Sea, can teach a person just how tiny we are compared to the mighty eco-systems of our watery planet. And looking up at the immense dome of stars, with the clarity of deep-ocean darkness, reinforces that lesson in humility even more.

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A MESSAGE FROM LONG VIEW BAY

by Ray Jason

When The Darkness shrouds my spirit, I sail off to Long View Bay. I anchor behind a massive reef that hides itself below the surface and silently tames the waves. Because there is a vast expanse of shimmering water surrounding me, it feels like I am floating in the open sea. And yet it is completely calm. This tranquility soothes my soul. This long view sharpens my perception.

There is also powerful symbolism in this place. The dominant feature of our planet is its … wetness. This is what distinguishes us from the innumerable dry and lifeless stars gliding above us. Our Wide Waters are elemental. And so I have come here to ponder things that are … fundamental.

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WE DON’T HAVE AMNESIA – SO YOU WON’T HAVE YOUR AMNESTY!

by Ray Jason

This is my response to the recent article in THE ATLANTIC magazine entitled “Let’s Declare a Pandemic Amnesty.” I have a superior idea. Let’s arrest, try and prosecute those who committed Crimes against Decency, Common Sense and Humanity.

The essay is written by Emily Oster, who most definitely was not an innocent bystander during the WuFlu Paranoia Op. In fact, she might easily qualify for the Obnoxious Karen Hall of Fame. In her Twitter comments she sounds like a kindergarten teacher scolding us for breaking our crayons. Here are some examples:

“I think governors should consider a short term lock-down over Thanksgiving week”

“If you’re pregnant and un-vaccinated, get vaccinated.”

“Maybe vaccine requirements for things you want to do – domestic air/train travel, work, sports events. Yes.” Continue reading “WE DON’T HAVE AMNESIA – SO YOU WON’T HAVE YOUR AMNESTY!”

THE CIRCUS – A CHICKEN – AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT

by Ray Jason

For several years I have been haunted by a simple photograph that I saw only one time. The image itself is not complicated, and yet its deeper meaning has eluded me and taunted me – like a riddle inside a dream.

In the photo we see a few children waiting in line at the ticket booth of a traveling circus. But instead of paying with money, each of the youngsters is offering something of real value. One has a basket of eggs, another a loaf of bread, and the third child is holding a live chicken.

The reason these kids are not buying their tickets with cash, is because they are trapped in the hyperinflation nightmare of Weimar Germany in the 1930s. We have all seen the black and white pictures of fathers pushing wheelbarrows full of Deutchmarks to the store with the hopes of feeding their families. Continue reading “THE CIRCUS – A CHICKEN – AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT”