Miri was born at the foot of the Himalayas, foretold to become shaman of the Adi people, her advice sought often when illness gripped the land. Her hut was east of the Upper Siang valley, found by the natives only when the need was great. That seemed odd since it was hard to miss, of [...]

One ironic moment in life happens when parents are faced with their teenage kids wanting tattoos inked on their young limbs with unregulated paint, often made with lead and used for industrial purposes. A place to pause, evoking a distant memory. Dismayed, gazing oddly at your children saying, “And what have you been smoking?” Tattoos [...]

Ga-Gorib sat at the edge of a round deep chasm in the ground. A monster of indescribable proportions. Arrogant and angry, he aimed to taunt all who passed as if he had nothing better to do except seeking over-confident heroes to betray their good sense and cross the line. Ga-Gorib would growl, “I’m so ugly, [...]

Dependencies are tricky, not at all what one imagines until trapped, unable to remember what it felt like to live without the habit. Tolerance of delay in gratification defines behavior and ability to deal with stress wherever addictive personalities are a factor, especially if smoking is only one of many dependencies expressed. Failure is always [...]

“Although there are many examples of ‘matri-focal’ societies, matriarchies are hypothetical. None that exist can be found, past or present except in some insects, spiders, ants and elephants. No reason for its existence can be found other than women replacing roles of men lost to war.” Von Bralispth The struggle to understand the differing natures [...]