CT-247 CORNETSTONE TRAVELER OCT. 21 ‘14

Hi all and welcome to another exciting and thought provoking issue of this bi-weekly newsletter, The CORNERSTONE TRAVELER. Also available on the web at cornerstonetraveler.com

mid-Hudson Valley news: The city leaf peepers are still in the area as evidenced by the heavy traffic up and down Main Street in New Paltz. The leaf peepers are here even though the mid-Hudson Valley is past peak in terms of foliage color. The leaves are mainly falling everywhere.
It bothers me when I see Christmas decorations before Halloween. It was bad enough when the stores put the Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, but before Halloween ? Will theses decorations go up before Labor Day then before Independence Dat? I know this is not really mid-Hudson Valley news, as it most likely is happening all across the country, but it still bothers me all the same.
I have to ask where was that extreme cold that the Farmers Almanac predicted for September. Despite what the publisher of the Farmers Almanac claim, I don’t really think their predictions of the coming weather are accurate at all. I know I have had to use my furnace barely at all and it is mid October.

observations: I have been listening to the conservative radio and T.V. talk shows like Limbaugh, Hannity and O’Reilly spew their verbal venom about the Ebola virus, trying their best to pin the problem on the President, yet where were these same people when President Ronald Reagan did not believe there was a problem with HIV or AIDS? Though the number of people infected with HIV numbered in the thousands? This was not as they would have you believe a gay disease. Witness Arthur Ashe who died from AIDS because the blood he was given during heart surgery was infected with the HIV virus.
Banning people from entering America from Western African nations will not protect the American public. This virus can enter the America from an indirect means. So who is fooling who?
I am starting to believe that people like Limbaugh, Hannity and O’Reilly are hoping for a mini outbreak in a city to downgrade the Presidents image.
What about the enterovisus d68 that has killed seven people, mainly children? Or. the Hanta virus from mouse droppings that has killed far more people? Where are their voices of these viruses? Nowhere because they cannot pin these on the President.

sports: The Jets lost a close one to the Patriots this past Thursday 27-25 when a field goal in the final seconds that would have put them in the lead was blocked. This was their fifth straight loss.
The Giants lost to the Cowboys 31-21
The Knicks are now preseason of the NBA.
The Rangers are 3-3 in the Atlantic Division of the NHL.
The World Series starts tonight in Kansas City with San Fran visiting the Royals.
other: As with all previous issues of this newsletter, everything is either copyright protected or copyright pending.
The history of P&G’s follows this newsletter from the 1930’s to almost the present
And following this history of P&G’s is part II of that long short story I wrote called The BOOK. I hope you like it.
Thank-you – Rik McGuire

History of P&G’s continued to the present

From 1925 – 1945 a number of diverse businesses occupied the building. These included Carols Clothing Store, Atkins Drug Store, Schaffert Real Estate Office, Marie Shop and Dicks Bar and Grill among others.
In 1947 Dicks Bar and Grill was purchased by two Lake Mohonk employees, Pat Cafferty and George Jayne. Legend has it that neither told their wives of their intention to purchase the business. They immediately changed the Grills name to Pat and Georges. Among it’s loyal customers it was simply P&G’s.
One of the best things to happen to P&G’s occurred in 1961. An ex Dodger player named Stormer Nickerson became a bartender. Stormy as he was affectionately known became something of a legend. His heart, quiet good humor and generous spirit made P&G’s the one place that welcomed all from the harsher outside world into a refuge for college students, business people, local characters and even for a while, in the 1960’s, bikers. According to one source. “They weren’t as rowdy a crew as you might expect because although he was quiet, Stormy commanded and got respect.” His professional baseball background made him a natural to pitch batting practice for the New Paltz College teams and he did so for a number of seasons. One college fraternity considered P&G’s their private domain. The scene of everything important, news, views, camaraderie and especially humor was always evident at P&G’s.
After the St. Helens volcano erupted and news reports discussed the possibility of ash fall out across the U.S., Stormy came to work to find the staff dressed in garbage bags and metal kitchen colanders on their heads. Since no ash was reported on anyone, Stormy reasoned the
attire had been affective by making everyone laugh their ash off.
In June 1991, after 30 years, Stormy retired from P&G’s. He died in June of 1994. From his casual humor that lingers, to his Chile recipe that is still served and the kind memories often repeated by his many friends, Stormy is still here.
In 1969 Edwin Beck bought P&G’s. His first weekend as owner was completely successful. The following weekend, however, the place was deserted. A disheartened Beck couldn’t understand what he had done to alienate everyone so quickly. He was relieved to learn it was simply a matter of poor timing. Everyone was away and wallowing in a farm in Bethel NY. A music festival or something.
Ed Beck never spent time worrying. He looked across Main Street and up Platekill Avenue, seeing thousands of thirsty college students who, for the most part remained on campus. Taking a good supply of liquid refreshment, Beck went to the campus and gave the students (all legal in those days) a new place to call home. He transformed P&G’s from a neighborhood bar into a local institution.
The face of Beck’s personality had much to do with the continued success of P&G’s, the place was fun. One oft quoted story about Beck concerns a young P&G’s enthusiast who wanted to be just like Beck when he grew up. It is reported that Beck in all humility replied. “Well you can’t do both.”
The name Pat and Georges was officially changed to P&G’s in the 1980’s by Ed Beck and his son Mike. In 1985, Mike bought out his fathers interest. In 1994, he undertook extensive renovations, making the building exterior appear as it did in 1900, when it was the Casino.

The BOOK ( Part II – The present)

Cliff stayed at his townhouse in Boston for over a month, working almost tirelessly on compiling his notes. He slept four or five hours each night and only left the townhouse to buy groceries and other essentials or he would spend every morning at a local Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts for a much needed boost of caffeine with a double or even quad espresso. He went to the university to check in with the Archeology Department Chairman and his sabbatical. He decided it wouldn’t be wise to tell anyone of his find of the fabled Book. He wanted to have everything written and ready for conjecture and criticism when he finally released what he had learned from The BOOK.
He was certain there would be many who would wonder of The BOOK’s authenticity and even it’s relevance to history and the present.
He knew religious leaders throughout the world would come down on him hard with criticism condemning The BOOK as heretical and blasphemous. He couldn’t be concerned because he knew that what was written in The BOOK would diminish their standing as religious leaders. Like he should care. All he wanted to do was finish the compiling of the numerous notebooks he had accumulated and then go back to the church in the Pyrenees.
It would be a lot easier this time because he knew when he had to go, Marcellus had arranged for the peasants in the village at the base of the Pyrenees to take him by horse drawn carriage to the church so he wouldn’t, as he had previously, have to trudge for two months through the Pyrenees to find the church that held The BOOK. He wouldn’t need to walk because of the previously arranged transportation by horse drawn carriage from the base of the Pyrenees to the mountain top that held the church.
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He said goodbye to everyone he knew when he knew he had to go to the church. They all wondered what he had discovered in the Pyrenees that intrigued him so much. He only smiled when questioned then shook his head. “I can’t really reveal to you what I have learned until I have finished.” He said.
It was especially hard to say goodbye to his love interest, Jessie. He really wanted to marry her and would when his studies of The BOOK were completed. He didn’t know why she remained loyal to him because he had been away for so long and was about to go away again. But she insisted she would be waiting for him.
He didn’t have much grant money left, so he took the cheapest flight to Spain. It was a twelve hour flight from Bostons Logan airport to LaGuardia to London and finally to Madrid. He found whatever transportation he could to the base of the Pyrenees. He found the village at the base where he would be taken by horse drawn carriage to the church at the peak of the mountain.
But before the villagers took him to the church, he was given a feast and a place to stay for a few nights and where he could bathe.
The villagers thought that much of him because they knew he was reading the fabled book they only whispered about among themselves. Even the patriarch of the local church was there at the carriage to shake his hand and wish him well.
It was a half days ride up the rough trail to the church. They had left before sunrise and were at the doors of the church by noon. The trail was rough and steep. There were times when Cliff held his breath as the carriage wheels neared a precipitous drop of hundreds or even

thousands of feet.
When they finally arrived at the front door of the church, he breathed a sigh of relief and was met by Marcellus who welcomed Cliff enthusiastically.
“I knew you would return, but I didn’t expect you so soon.” Marcellus said.
Cliff could only smile. “There is something about The BOOK that intrigues me greatly.”
“And that is?” Marcellus asked.
Cliff could only smile again and nod. “There has been speculation of a First Civilization of man before the modern homo sapiens arrived. And I have wondered if maybe they wrote The BOOK. What do you think?”
Marcellus just nodded his head. “I know who you are talking about. And yes there has been speculation of their influence with The BOOK, but there is no definitive evidence of these early peoples, if they exist or existed. So, I can’t give you a definite answer. Just follow me to the dinning room and we’ll have a lite lunch and discuss this further privately.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Cliff agreed.
In the dinning room they had a lite lunch of finger sandwiches of meat and cheese. Cliff thought the mini sandwiches to be delicious especially with the offered horseradish mayo. There was also iced espresso which Cliff downed cup after cup.
All during this lite lunch, he and Marcellus discussed the First Civilization beings. Marcellus explained that the knowledge of these people had been born at the time of Charlemagne, the roman Emperor, who brought what was a new civilization to Europe.
Charlemagne was a thoughtful ruler who thought deeply of these early, pre homo sapien peoples.
“But we know very little of these peoples?” Cliff asked.
Marcellus smiled. “Actually they were written about in the Bible and were called Nephilims or the Holy Ones. But they were only mentioned once in the entire Bible, in Genesis 6:2. It has been speculated that instead of another name of God, Moses used Nephilims just once. Others speculated that Moses was referring to those magical beings from the sea.”
“Can they still live and exist?” Cliff asked.
Marcellus laughed. “If they do, they keep themselves well hidden from prying eyes. I am under the impression that they will expose themselves when they think the time is right.”
It was Cliff’s turn to laugh. “Yeah. Winter solstice, 2012.”
“You know much of that future day? Don’t you?”
Cliff nodded. “I’ve written a few articles in Archeology magazines and other like minded magazines of my thoughts of this date.”
Marcellus smiled. “I know because I have read everything you have ever published.”
“How?” Cliff asked.
Marcellus looked up to the ceiling and pointed. “God and The BOOK.”
“You know, I Have studied this future date quite extensively from the early Mayans to Nostradamus to modern day soothsayers. It seems no one can see past this date of the Winter Solstice, 2012 and I believe it to be as the Mayans speculate it will be the dawn of a new age.” Cliff explained almost professorially as if he were teaching at the university
Marcellus nodded. “Yes. I have read everything you have published and I agree. It
will be the dawn of a new age.”
Cliff took a sip of his espresso and said. “A Mayan high priest or prophet thought a god like deity will appear before the people of earth and cast judgement on us all.”
Marcellus had to smile. “That prophet was correct. God will cast judgement on us all and God is not pleased that we have worshiped greed. I believe there will be a drastic shift in the poles of earths society. Many people will suffer when they learn that their greed is counter to the will of God.”
Cliff finished his last finger sandwich, swallowed and said. “Then you believe as I do that there won’t be an apocalyptic end, but rather an apocalyptic change in the values of the peoples of the earth. That the wealthy on earth who essentially control everything with their wealth, will find themselves at the bottom looking up at the skilled craftsmen who build and construct our world with their skills.”
“Yes. I believe you to be correct.” Marcellus said. “But we won’t know for certain until the winter solstice of 2012.”
“We agree.” Cliff said as he rose from the table. “I take it that my room is the same as before?” He asked. “I need to relax after the long and grueling trip here, especially the last eight hours.”
“Of course.” Marcellus said. “You can find your way?”
“Of course.” Cliff said as he left the dinning room with his duffle bag of clothes. But before he left, he gave Marcellus a ring binder of the notes he accumulated from his first visit and printed from his lap top.
“You might want to review what I have written so far. And you can offer some
suggestions or changes.” Cliff explained.
“I will read them as you rest and I will give you my critique when you come down for dinner.”
“Sounds good to me.” Cliff said as he prepared to climb the stairs to his room. “I’ll see you at dinner time.”

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Cliff got to his room and was pleased to find a fire in the fireplace. The room was warm enough that he could strip down to his shorts and t-shirt and lay on his bed to rest. He started to doze almost immediately, he was that tired.
He woke two hours later, feeling completely refreshed. He went to the bathroom to splash water on his face and comb his hair. He then walked down the stairs in his jeans, flannel shirt and knee high moccasins where he was met by a smiling Marcellus.
“I read what you have written of The BOOK so far while you rested and I am impressed with your insight into the meaning and value of The BOOK.”
“And?” Cliff prodded.
“You could have written more of the Nephilims.” Marcellus instructed.
“How? There is nothing written about them except for once in the Bible and a few
novels. What more could I have written because there is not much out there about them? I only
learned they were called the Nephilims today when you told me so. Previously I just referred to
them as the First Civilization”
Marcellus waved for Cliff to sit down. “You might stress that the Nephilims or Holy Ones are a precursor to the human civilization and they could very well help God judge us, if they still exist.
Cliff nodded. “I could. But what I write would be pure speculation and nothing more.
Very few people would take what I will write seriously. In fact they could very well condemn
everything I write as fanciful theories and what not.”
Marcellus nodded. “Yes. You are probably correct, but you must write of The BOOK and you will because you have already written it according to The BOOK.
“So you know I will write more of these people, the Holy Ones, because it is written in The BOOK?”
Marcellus smiled. “Yes. Because it has already been written. You only have to fulfil your obligation to The BOOK.”
“And if I don’t?”
“You will. Trust me because The BOOK has already written that you will.”
Cliff stood back, rubbed his chin and thought. “Are you trying to tell me that my actions are like the pre-destination of the mid nineteenth century religious preachers. That everyone is pre-destined to be who they are because of the will of God? I hope not. Because I rejected that theory when I was in high school. So am I predestined to write of these people, the Holy Ones?”
Marcellus shook his head. “Of course not. You are not pre-destined to do anything. But
you will write of the Holy Ones because it is your nature to do so and The BOOK is cognizant of
this. Trust me.”
They had a lite dinner and after he finished, Cliff went directly to the library without
asking permission from Marcellus. Marcellus could only smile when he saw Cliff enter the
library with determination.
Cliff went through the library door and saw the ancient leather bound Book on the dais,
where he left it many months ago.
Cliff walked deliberately behind the dais to read The BOOK. He opened the cover and the first page, in long hand and calligraphic like script was written:

The Present as it is Today!!!

He turned the page and started to read.
Cliff read the thoughts of the western leaders who were trying to come to grips with the terrorist threat. They all seemed to understand that they could arrest all of the known terrorists known by the intelligence agencies and fill the country’s prisons to overfilling, but there still would be a terrorist threat.
After about ten pages he started to read the thoughts of terrorists. He learned that many
if not most were frustrated that their views on the world at large were essentially ignored by the leaders of many mid-Eastern country’s like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and a host of
others. They thought that they could make a powerful statement if they attacked a strong nation
like the United States, hence 9/11. The thinking was the best way to get attention was to cause murder and mayhem very much like Timothy McVeigh at Oklahoma city. Or groups like the
White Aryan Surpremists killing those they thought thwarted their aims or the newly resurfaced
Neo-Nazis. They all thought the same that murder and mayhem will give them the recognition they so desired and deserved.
Cliff had to close The BOOK because his eyes were so tired and he needed to sleep and
have a fresh go in the morning.

He woke before dawn the following morning because the sun had not broken the eastern horizon. He went to the bath, had a long hot shower. As he showered then dried himself off and dressed, he thought of what he had read the previous day and wondered when he opened The BOOK in the morning, would it be the same?
He went down the stairs dressed in his usual jeans, flannel shirt and knee high moccasins with a heavy jacket because he thought he needed to walk around the castle and think about what he had read the previous day. He stopped in the dinning room, spoke with Marcellus briefly and had an extra large cup of espresso. He then left the castle to roam around the grounds outside the walls to collect his thoughts about what he had read the previous day. As he walked and observed the castle walls, the gardens and vineyard, he wondered what more The
BOOK would reveal of the Present.
He walked longer than he had planned because though it was somewhat chilly in the high
mountain air, he was very comfortable in his heavy jacket.
He finally decided he had to get back inside the castle and read. He hoped he would be able to read for four hours as he looked at his watch and noted it was only 12:00p.m.. He thought that if he read the four hours, he would have an hour to rest in his room before dinner time. Though he knew dinner would be served any time he desired, but thought it better to have dinner at a time to better accommodate Marcellus, as he was the teacher of The BOOK.
He went to the fifteen foot door and wondered how he could open it without help from the inside. When he got to the door and was prepared to knock to announce his presence, the door opened with a smiling Marcellus welcoming him inside.
“How did you know?” Cliff asked
Marcellus looked to the ceiling of the night time sky. “God.” Was all he said.
Cliff nodded as he went to the library. “I’m going to read for another three or four hours then go upstairs to rest. Just come for me when dinner is ready.”
“Of course.” Marcellus said.
When Cliff got to the seat behind the dais and he sat down, he opened the ancient leather bound Book to the first page and read the thoughts of American politicians on both sides of the patrician aisle.
His first impressions of the thoughts of these political big wigs was that they seemed more interested in what was good for the party and what was good for America was a secondary
concern. It didn’t seem to matter which party, the good of the party was their top most concern. Though the Republicans were most driven by what was good for the Republican party that was
their top concern. This was most relevant after they had lost both houses in Congress and the
Presidency.
Then he started to read the thoughts of the common people and how they listened to
radio talk even if they suspected or knew that the radio talk show hosts were lying to the
listening public, but they listened anyway. As Goebbels once said: If you tell a lie long enough it becomes the truth.
He closed his eyes after he closed The BOOK and let himself doze while seated behind the dais. His eyes were that strained from reading and his copious note taking.
When he opened them and reopened The BOOK, he read the thoughts of many televangelists. And the hidden thoughts of these televangelists made him realize that if Jesus ever appeared before them, He Jesus, would be ignored or blasted as a religious heretic or worse. They knew from reading of the Bible that Jesus hated greed and taught that money did not gain entrance to heaven if you were rich and greedy. He knew that Jesus saw how greed affected the society. He knew the present day televangelists couldn’t be bothered with worry of the under privileged as long as they, the poor contributed to their television ministry.
The reading of the thoughts of these televangelists caused Cliff to tire and he knew he needed to go to his room and rest, more importantly rest his eyes.
He bid Marcellus good night before he climbed the stairs to his room. He noted that a fire was blazing in the fireplace, giving off enough heat the he could strip down and take a warm, or

even scalding shower. After he finished with the shower, he dried himself off slipped into the warm caress of his bed, but he couldn’t sleep because his mind was on the recent thoughts of
present day people in The BOOK. As he thought of this, his mind wandered to the First Civilization of Earth. Those beings who brought science and thought to the new emerging homo sapiens.
His last thoughts before he lapsed into sleep was who these beings were and where they
were or if they had become extinct.

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He met Marcellus the next morning in the dinning room and he had a couple slices of toast with butter and jelly with his espresso. They talked for almost two hours. They discussed the First Civilization that pre-dated “modern man”. And they both wondered who these people, beings were and where they went.
Cliff explained to Marcellus how maps of Antarctica were found that predated any exploration of the vast continent. And that these maps showed a rocky shore line of Antarctica that had to be tens of thousands of years old. And considering no known explorer ever made it to Antarctica before 1820 , it was wondered who designed these maps. He also explained that there were maps of the oceans with latitude and longitude markings century’s before modern man devised such markings on maps . And how the prime meridian , now through England went through Giza, Egypt.
He also explained how the current Mayans, Incas and African peoples described a people emerging from the sea in flowing robes and taught them science and thought. He told of a Chinese philosopher and thinker who described these beings and he wrote his thoughts 2700
years earlier this thinker, Lau-tzu wrote:

The Ancient Masters were subtle, mysterious
profound, responsive.
The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable
But it is unfathomable, all we can do is describe,
their appearance
Watchful. Like men crossing a winter stream, Alert like
men aware of danger
Courteous, like visiting guests, Yielding, like ice about
to melt.
Simple like uncarved blocks of wood

Many scholars of the ancient world attributed these beings to be from the legendary Atlantis that disappeared those many years ago.
Both Cliff and Marcellus wondered if Atlantis had existed and produced this First Civilization or Holy Ones described in the Bible. They were unsure because there was no
evidence anywhere that Atlantis existed except for the almost identical pyramid shapes that were constructed around the world by primitive peoples.
These pyramids by the primitive peoples were not definite proof that Atlantis once exited, but the ancient myths of Kings coming from the sea to teach the peoples was only more fodder of these Holy Ones.
“I guess I can only learn of these people if I read the final chapter in The BOOK, the
future, as it has been written.” Cliff said with a sigh.
“Do you really want to risk that?” Marcellus asked. “Remember what I told you of others who have read the future and how they had to be hospitalized because they read of their own
deaths?”
Cliff waved his hand. “I have that covered. If I see my name anywhere, I will skip to the next page. Or maybe I will close The BOOK and wait for what more is written and I have to read.”
“If you are comfortable with that then I won’t persuade you against it.” Marcellus said.
Cliff looked up from his espresso. “You read where I was to come here and read The BOOK. So you know more than you are willing to say, such as my future death.”
Marcellus only shook his head. “No. I have only read to the point when you would arrive and write about what you have learned from The BOOK.”
“That’s it? Nothing more?” Cliff implored.
Marcellus looked down to the table. “Sorry. I can’t read further because I feared for you.”
“Why?” Cliff asked. “I already almost died twice. The first when I crashed my
motorcycle and the second when I had small cell lung cancer in the third stage. So I guess I am
prepared to die.”
Marcellus shook his head. “No I fear what you will learn of the future and how it will affect you and your new bride.”
Cliff looked up from his espresso. “You know Jessie and I plan to marry?”
“Of course. It was written in The BOOK.
“Then The BOOK must be accurate because I plan on marrying Jessie when I get
back to Boston, within the next week or so.”
“When will you comeback to read the third chapter of The BOOK.” Marcellus asked
hopefully.
“After the honeymoon and we have established ourselves in a house near Boston. By then she will know how I discovered something of great archeological and historical significance.
And I am sure she will wish me well when I return here to read the final chapter of The BOOK.”
“Only if you are so certain?” Marcellus reminded him.
“I am.”

9:28 p.m.
2/1/10
@P&G’s