The Unlikely Buddha

The Erlking rides tonight,  His steed's hooves silent as the night.  He calls to the children,  Luring them to their doom. "Come with me, my child,"  He whispers in their ear.  "Come with me to the land of faerie,  Where you will never grow old." The children are drawn to his voice,  Like moths to a flame.  They follow him into the woods, Never to be seen again. The father rides after them,  But it is too late.  The Erlking has claimed his prize, And the children are lost forever. Sweet dreams children! Unlikely Buddha ©2023

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body, running from the brain stem to the large intestine. It is also known as the wandering nerve because it branches out to many different organs and tissues. The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming the body down after a stressful situation. The vagus nerve has many important functions, including: • Controlling the heart rate • Regulating digestion • Stimulating the production of saliva and tears • Slowing down breathing • Boosting the immune system • Reducing inflammation • Improving mood • Alleviating anxiety and depression The vagus nerve can be stimulated in a number of ways, including: • Yoga and meditation • Deep breathing exercises • Singing • Playing a musical instrument • Exposure to cold • Vagus nerve stimulation therapy (VNS) VNS therapy is a minimally invasive procedure that involves implanting a small device in the chest that sends electrical impulses to the vagus n...

The Lazarus Group is a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group that has been active since at least 2009. The group is known for its sophisticated cyberattacks, which have targeted a wide range of victims, including financial institutions, cryptocurrency exchanges, and governments. The Lazarus Group has been linked to a number of high-profile cryptocurrency hacks, including the theft of $620 million from the Ronin Network in April 2022. The group has also been accused of using cryptocurrency to finance its operations, including its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. The Lazarus Group is a major threat to the security of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The group's sophisticated cyberattacks and its use of cryptocurrency make it difficult to track and prevent its attacks. How does the Lazarus Group use cryptocurrency? The Lazarus Group uses cryptocurrency in a variety of ways to carry out its cyberattacks and finance its operations. Some of the ways that the gro...

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe   was a prolific writer who produced works in a variety of genres, including poetry, prose, and drama. He is also considered one of the greatest figures of German literature. And considered as one of the most depressing German poets. Goethe suffered from depression throughout his life, and his poems often reflect this. Some of his most famous poems, such as "Erlkönig" and "Mignon," are deeply melancholic and explore themes of loss, death, and despair. Goethe's most famous poem is "Wanderers Nachtlied" (also known as "Der Wanderer") and  was written in 1780 and is considered one of the most important poems in German literature. The poem is about the speaker's experience of being alone in nature at night. It is a meditation on the meaning of life and death, and the speaker's search for peace and understanding. Here is an English translation of the poem: Above the mountaintops is peace, Beneath the forest deeps...

In physics, there are two main branches of research: theoretical physics and empirical physics. Theoretical physicists develop mathematical models of physical phenomena, while empirical physicists test these models with experiments. I believe that it is essential for empirical physicists to have a strong foundation in theoretical physics. This is because theoretical physics provides the framework for understanding and interpreting experimental results. Without a solid understanding of theoretical physics, empirical physicists may misinterpret their results or draw incorrect conclusions. For example, consider the case of the Higgs boson. The Higgs boson is a fundamental particle that was predicted by theoretical physicists in the 1960s.  However, it was not until 2012 that the Higgs boson was finally detected by empirical physicists at the Large Hadron Collider.  The discovery of the Higgs boson was a major breakthrough in physics, and it would not have been possible without th...

For those of you who think I look familiar, that's possible. Once  while stuck in NYC due to a pilots strike which precluded my flying home to Phoenix for a week, I was chosen during a cattle call to 'play' a dead body on  ' NYPD Blue .' (episode 261) After 6 takes and the director insisting I not smile again, I said "But maybe he's happy about dying" and being that it was that last episode of the show ever, he  said "that's a rap."  Yep, that was me. Live your dream!  Unlikely Buddha 2023

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation's Report Card , is the closest thing to a national standardized proficiency test for grade school students in the US.  NAEP is a federally funded program administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). It is a nationally representative assessment of what elementary and secondary students in the United States know and can do in various subject areas, including reading, mathematics, and science. NAEP is not a mandatory test, and states and districts are not required to participate. However, many states and districts do participate in NAEP, and the results are used to inform educational policy and practice. NAEP is administered to a nationally representative sample of students in grades 4, 8, and 12. The assessments are designed to measure students' proficiency in a range of academic skills, from basic to advanced. NAEP results are reported as percentages of students performing at...