Work of Art: An Intention of Flowers is now available!...

Be sure to pick up a copy for the Kindle or wherever ebooks are sold. And look for the paperback and audiobook coming soon!

Author's Note: Three New Titles Close 2017...

Heaven Enough - coming soon!...

On a beautiful, spring afternoon, a broken man stands at his wife’s funeral and hears the words, “Heaven Enough.” Thus begins a poem about longing, about wishing for something more. "What would it be like if I had heaven enough?" it reads.

 

Matt Murphy reads these words for the first time at his wife's funeral. After a death shrouded with mystery, it is the first time he learns that she wrote poetry. He and Diva were married for nearly twenty years, yet he did not "know" her. A poet and lover of culinary delights, she is struck by a car and killed instantly—randomly—on the wrong side of town.

 

When her brother, the "monk," appears for the funeral, Matt is set on an unprecedented course. The two find Diva's computer filled with preparations to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Over 2600 miles from Mexico to Canada...and she was leaving without her husband.

 

Matt takes it upon himself to hike the trail and sprinkle her ashes along the way. What happens in the first two hours is dumbfounding.

 

What happens next changes his life forever…

Work of Art: An Intention of Flowers - Cover Reveal...

Oily pavement.
Thick tempera paint.
A parking lot filled with history, fear, and regret.
A young man named Joseph Arillo sits in the parking lot and paints the pavement with flowers.
And Andy Hollis steps in it.
As the new art teacher at Santa Ana High School, he’s too curious about Joseph’s Flowers and unravels both of their lives in his pursuit for answers.
He learns that it’s all part of a rite of passage, an absurd test started by Joseph Arillo’s father, the suspiciously world-renowned artist named only Tom. Which also connects to the drama teacher at Santa Ana High, Katie Bustos. Whose daughter, Desiree, may or may not be dating Joseph. Who is putting himself in danger from a local gang, the lot’s mysterious history, and the police.
Andy puts himself in danger of losing his job, his home, and his freedom. If he can’t solve the riddle of Joseph’s Flowers, both of their lives will go up in smoke – despite any help from Winny, the old, Slovakian bureaucrat at school, or his students, or Tom himself.
But is Tom trying to help? And is Joseph really up to his father’s test?
And is Andy really fit to be a teacher? He doesn’t understand kids, can’t get to school on time, and… doesn’t appear to care about art or families or anything. But Joseph’s Flowers will challenge everything Andy believes: about himself, about the world, and most importantly of all about art.
Before Andy and Joseph are finished, they will witness the power art has to provide inspiration, to waken our hearts, and to shatter everything you ever believed about humanity.
An Intention of Flowers is the first book in a 5-book series, modestly titled Work of Art, about growing into the person you always wanted to be, making the most of what you have to give and not just what you have, and the power in each of us when we chose to be ourselves.

Look for Work of Art: An Intention of Flowers coming soon in ebook, paperback, and audiobook!

The Last Road Trip. Part 9: Roseburg to Vasquez Rocks...

Heaven Enough. Coming Soon...

Men Are The New Women...

The Last Road Trip. Part 8: Bend to Roseburg...

The Last Road Trip. Part 7: Bend to Bend...

Do We Owe Anything To Citizens Who Don't Own Houses?...

That Last Road Trip. Part 6: Reno to Bend...

Standing on the Precipice of Old Age...

The Last Road Trip. Part 5: Reno...

The Last Road Trip. Party 4: The Devil's Postpile and Beyond...

The Last Road Trip. Part 3: Lone Pine & Mount Whitney Portal...

Trump Zombies Unite!...

Movie Pitch #7283003255...

Zombie movie but (and here's the twist) instead of zombies the afflicted turn into Trumps.

Night of the Living Trumps!

The Walking Trumps! (Although that might be a stretch.)

If you hear someone you love tell you, "You're going to love being bitten. This is the best plague. It's a wonderful plague"... RUN! And, whatever you do, don't let him tweet!

Starring...

A series of empty tangerine skins as Trump.

A whole lot of morons as the American voter.

And Scarlett Johansson as the only reason guys would watch.

This summer is gonna be Trump Season!

The Normalization of Guns and Banality of Fear...

The Last Road Trip. Part 2: Onyx Peak to Wrightwood...

White People Taking a Knee...

The Last Road Trip. Part 1: Prologue...

I'm back!...

Coming later this fall...

Fixing the System (People are Idiots)...

The Johnson Amendment & Christian Arrogance...

"Still there is water." Optimism and The Rule Book...

The death of innocence and the completion of my new novel...

Going Independent as an Author...

Breaking the Writing Speed Limit...

A Taste of The Rulebook: Everything is a Blessing on the PCT...

The 2017 Ken La Salle Channel trailer...

Two Decades/Two Wives: Mad About You...

The Rules for Life are here!...

What are the Rules for Life?

Find out now on your Kindle - and coming soon in paperback and audiobook!

The World's Worst Backpacker hikes Black Star Canyon...

Just to Clarify: In God We Trust???

Say Goodbye to Old, White Men...

Just to Clarify: Are you better off?...

A Brief Introduction to Illumination...

Dynamic Pluralism: There's always a reason to go to war...

At the March for Science in Fullerton...

Fine Dining on the PCT..

Cowboy Camping for the First Time on the Pacific Crest Trail...

The World's Worst Backpacker on the PCT: Scissors Crossing to Warner Springs...

Just three weeks until the Pacific Crest Trail...

Illumination Trailer #1...

Just one month until I hit the PCT...

Preparations for my 2017 PCT hike continue...

Illumination is coming this week...

Everything you may have heard about enlightenment, which I call Illumination, is based on hearsay derived from metaphors too out of date for most people to fully understand. That is why I have reinterpreted the metaphors for the 21st century, making your path to Illumination easier to follow than ever!

But I wasn’t always Illuminated. I was born a Christian, born again, brought to Atheism through critical thought, and only found my way through Buddhism after a decade of hard work. Illumination was not found by following what I had been told but by searching deliberately. If you want to see the kingdom of heaven, you have to actually look.

Illumination is the essential ingredient missing from much of western religion and atheism is not designed to help you find it. Though it fits well in the atheist system – Illumination requires no god or worship – Illumination should be sought by Christians as well, for a more complete understanding of where they fit in the universe.

Because, as it turns out, Illumination (or enlightenment) is not as difficult to find as you might think. Heaven (or Nirvana) is all around you; you just need to know where and how to look. Understand such concepts as Samsara, Reincarnation, Karma, and Sunyata in ways you probably never imagined, ways that enrich your life – the only one you’ll ever get – so you don’t spend all of your time expecting it in a life after this one.

Illumination can be as simple as a change in perspective or as difficult as the destruction of the self, comprehending the significance of your own insignificance. But you can do it right now without dogma, without authoritarian rule, and without god.

Look for Illumination coming this week in ebook, with paperback and audiobook versions available soon!

Illumination is coming soon...

And now, the cover of Illumination, coming soon in ebook, paperback, and audiobook.

If you want to see the Kingdom of Heaven, you have to actually look.

Dawn Helps Save Wildlife???...

Women's March Santa Ana...

Look familiar?...

An extended look at Dynamic Pluralism: A Revolution in Ethics...

At Trump's Inauguration Try Ipecac...

Preparing for the PCT - Part 4!...

How Are We To Survive Trump?...

Dynamic Pluralism is coming soon!...

After more than a decade of work, I am pleased this morning to finally be able to share this...



In the history of philosophy, there have been many theories about ethics but none have been straightforward enough to understand and use in everyday life. That ends now with Dynamic Pluralism.

Dynamic Pluralism presents a system of ethics that is not only easy to understand and easy to use but beneficial to the lives of those who do so. Dynamic Pluralism filters out the philosophical jargon so popular in academic circles and structures ethics so it is accessible to everyone. Not only does it present and understandable system of ethics but it also shows the reader how they can use ethics to create a better world.

Dynamic Pluralism casts a clear and defining light on the challenges of our century – war, overpopulation, climate change, energy dependence, equality, and much more – and illuminates our path into a brighter future.

We live in a world without a working system of ethics available to all people and this explains how and why the United States has ended up with a President-Elect like Donald Trump, a man bereft of ethical clarity, a moral compass, or any sense of justice. Dynamic Pluralism defines ethics, morals, and justice so that we may all understand them, what happens when we live without them, and how they should be used to create a better world.

Dynamic Pluralism is not just a book of philosophy. It is a Revolution in Ethics. It is a system for creating a new world based on ethical treatment, fair and fulfilling relationships, and a future in which we can finally live in peace.

Dynamic Pluralism is coming very soon in ebook, paperback, and audiobook!

I'm through buying new music...

Only 4 months until the PCT...

How are we to stand against trump?...

Preparing for my 2017 Pacific Crest Trail journey... Part Three!...

Welcome to the Great American Shit Show...

The civics lesson we should all take from this election...

My 2016 California ballot...

Why isn't it illegal to harm a tree?...

Let's get rid of The Pledge!...

Preparing for my 2017 PCT Attempt - Part Two...

Why GMOs are harmful and how Monsanto profits from your apathy...

Talking About What Trump Isn't...

Preparing for my 2017 Pacific Crest Trail Journey... Part One...

(After Donald Trump's Visit) Dear Mexico...

Fellowship, authoritarian dictatorships, and the “Good” that Christianity does...

Holding accountable the idiots who are always wrong!...

Things I Love: Ted Danson has me Bored to Death!...

Post-Conventions. Saying NO to Hillary AND Trump...

The Last Black Man...

Do ANY Lives Matter?...

So, why do we celebrate Independence Day, anyway?...

Apple Absolutely Sucks...

The First Five Minutes of The World's Worst Backpacker...

It's 2016 and we're still "Supporting" the troops...

Women are vile creatures...

The World's Worst Backpacker on the Pacific Crest Trail...

That's a strange use for a barn...

Pacific Crest Trail preparations and Living Hard...

What can we learn about someone who refers to children as "super predators?"...

There's been some talk online recently (or, at least, since last night) of Hillary's use of the term "super predator." Was it a racial slur or wasn't it?

 Tell you what. Let's take race out of the equation and just focus on what we know. We know she was referring to "gangs of kids." So, let's assume that, instead of black kids, Hillary was referring to all kids. That all kids/any kids/any child/your child was a "super predator." Seen in this light, I believe that race is not the biggest issue here. I don't believe any child should be referred to as a predator of any kind.

 But hey, that's just me. I don't have kids so I probably have no idea what I'm talking about. But I'm not voting for someone who had the poor judgment and shortsightedness to say something like that to begin with.

Can you be a victim of your own success?...

I can hit the PCT but I'll never jog again...

Look kids! It's Ricochet Num Num!!...

Ken La Salle Addresses the Vaginal Orgasm... (just like a man)...

Just about a month until I hit the Pacific Crest Trail... Maybe...

Trouble in the Emergency Room...

The Fallacy of Environmental Protection...

It’s the “Too Late To Be A 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Preview” Preview...

The question of Hillary...

I've spent a lot of time considering the question of Hillary Clinton and if I would vote for her if that became an issue. And, of course, I can think of a lot of reasons why I wouldn't: how she's taken money from big banks and private prisons, how her message of "leave everything as it is and don't hope for anything better" is about as cynical as anything I've recently heard, how she has supported just about every use of our military no matter the cost, and on and on.

But if you were to ask me today why I simply cannot support Hillary, I would have to say that Hillary strikes me too much like the kind of candidate the Republicans used to run: one who pays lips service to the needs of the many while protecting the interests of the few.

The choice in any election is never between the two most popular candidates. Telling me it's either her or Drumpf just tells me you've misunderstood the choice. The choice is between what your conscious, along with any system of ethics or morality you choose to follow, will allow. Mine just simply will not allow me to vote for this candidate.

2016 Academy Award Predictions... from someone who hasn't seen a single one of the films...

Two months until I hit the Pacific Crest Trail...

Torn Rotator Cuff...

Ding Dong! Scalia is Dead!...

Why We Should End Black History Month...

Super Bowl 50 and a bag of crushed Doritos...