Here’s the latest….

Funnier mktdaf

Funnier: What “tech support” looked like when I was a young monk….

Most of you know that through the years, I have been a scribe of some sort (writing, copying, composing & de-composing), and in other lifetimes had a go at it as well, mostly re-writing onto scrolls & such.

In this lifetime, I also do tech support with my clients’ server needs and other computer stuff, and the most important part isn’t what I know (I used to think that was WAY important), but what my customers need and to find the gaps that they have that need to be filled.

Consider this (below) a documentary for your edification, about the way it was, back then. The original is in Norwegian, translated by a Swede named Oscar in to English. You’ll get the idea. Not a lot has changed. (Especially if you’ve had to explain things to your parents.)

Starpeople mktdaf

Starpeople: Duck! Asteroid comes close this weekend…

Little note - this weekend's asteroid won't "flame on" unless it hits the atmosphere, which NASA says is unlikely. Still pretty doggone close, though....
Little note – this weekend’s asteroid won’t “flame on” unless it hits the atmosphere, which NASA says is unlikely. Still pretty doggone close, though….

From Space.com:

Earth is about to have a close encounter with a house-sized asteroid on Sunday (Sept. 7), when a space rock discovered just days ago will zoom by our planet at a range closer than some satellites. But have no fear, NASA says the asteroid won’t hit Earth.

The asteroid 2014 RC will safely buzz Earth at 2:18 p.m. EDT (1818 GMT) on Sunday. At that time, the asteroid will pass over New Zealand and fly just inside the orbits of the geosynchronous communications and weather satellites orbiting Earth about 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the planet’s surface, according to a NASA statement. During its close pass, 2014 RC will be about 21,126 miles (34,000 km) from Earth’s surface. That’s about 10 times closer to the Earth than the moon.

“Asteroid 2014 RC was initially discovered on the night of August 31 by the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, and independently detected the next night by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope, located on the summit of Haleakal on Maui, Hawaii,” NASA officials said in a statement.

Here’s the rest of the story.

Thoughts mktdaf

Thoughts: A little of both, and a lot of both

It's all in how we see others, and how we see ourselves in others....and sometimes we don't agree with how others see us.....
It’s all in how we see others, and how we see ourselves in others….and sometimes we don’t agree with how others see us…..

Lately, I’ve been noticing a few folks around me are telling me how bad the world is, and you know, sometimes they’re right. Others tell me how amazingly good it is, and you know, sometimes they’re right, too. Can we be honest & have both?

This is the first lesson ye should learn:

There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, it doesn’t behoove any of us to speak evil of the rest of us. This is a universal law, and until one begins to make application of same, one may not go very far in spiritual or soul development.

From the Akashic Records, with Edgar Cayce

Thoughts mktdaf

Thoughts: Paying homage to Vincent….

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Sure – click on the picture to see it larger….

Part of the way you know Vincent Van Gogh did a super job with “Starry Night” is all those starry nights you & I have seen and whispered, “Bet that’s what Vincent saw!”

Alex Ruiz created the work above (you can see more of his work here) and here’s what he says:

I’ve often wondered about how the night sky looked to Van Gogh when he painted ‘Starry Night.’

This is an homage to him, and to his painting, one of my all time favorites. We see him standing here, looking up at the night sky…probably in awe, as he wondered how he would capture the beauty he saw. As well, this was the view from the sanitarium he was staying at, as it’s well known that the poor guy was quite mentally troubled. (For the record, it’s believed he painted this from inside the sanitarium, but I didn’t want bars on my image!)

I wanted this piece to be somewhat magical and fantastic, not just a normal night painting. Hence the large moon, large stars, transparent clouds etc., yet keeping a mostly realistic feel to it.

If you see the original painting, you see so much motion…it’s as if he saw the vibration on all the objects, and that he captured the wind! Thanks for looking, and I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

VanGogh-starry_night_ballance1
Starry Night, by Vincent
Uncategorized Writings mktdaf

Writings: One year. Cool ’nuff. Carry on….

164249_10200402013985678_21633603_nWell, you’ve been with me for a while now,  so you know the story.

I love it, a year after getting “The World According to Brother Ian” going, that somewhere between 250-400  people check into this blog each day. Some of you write me, occasionally you comment beneath each posting, sometimes you hit  “like” on Facebook, and most days I just post it & you just read it. That seems to be the usual rhythm.

I feel lucky.

There are three pastors, one priest, five nuns, and at least one monk who troll this blog for sermon ideas, essay ideas, and (one said)  jokes.

One of my songs ended up being used at a peace rally, another for a lullaby by a traveling band with a baby, and another has been played at seven different weddings that I know of. I love the idea of everyone singing along.

One teacher friend of mine said she occasionally uses ideas she gets here for story prompts in her language arts class.

Sometimes people write to me and tell me something that’s posted made them cry. Others laugh, think, react, and occasionally drop me a note that I am barking up the wrong tree.

But at the end of the day, it feels good to have this little place that you & I can meet and swap stories. You inspire me day by day with the words and pictures we share.

Thanks for being there… and let’s keep this thing going.

Thank you for your love and support, and as it says in the Ten Most Important Things, thanks for working with me to heal & share.

Blessings, dear heart –

Brother Ian

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Starpeople mktdaf

Starpeople: The Milky Way, through arbutus (madrona) branches

Chris in action....photo by CT, himself.
Chris in action….photo by CT, himself.

You already know I’m a superhuge fan of  Chris Teren – his amazing eye for capturing the natural world with his lens is shown here, in this video he made one night on Stuart Island, in the San Juan Islands. He says this video was created out of 650 still images shot in July 2014, and put to music to create this movie. 

And then….wow! Thanks, Chris!

Music credit: “Oh K.” by Black Ant – thanks to www.freemusicarchive.com

Like Chris on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerenPhotography
See more of Chris’ work here: http://www.terenphotography.com

Thought for the day…


"When you arise in the morning,  think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."
-- Marcus Aurelius

About Brother Ian

brother ian in actionOver the centuries, Brother Ian has been collecting stories & information & discourses for the purpose of elevating the human condition as needed, dissecting it when necessary, and building the case for hope.

In the spirit of noting that organized crime, organized baseball, organized labour, and organized religion tend to engender controversy & occasional discord, I promise to be neither organized or critical of those who are.

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©2013-2025 • Ian Byington • Friday Harbor, WA USA & Victoria, BC Canada