Olympe de Gouges: She Dared and Lost her head!

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Gailstrail

Why look back? What’s in the past worthy of mine time?

Confucius said,”Study your history and you may define your future.”

I believe Confucious made a good point. To me, our past seems like a tsunami blanketing the Earth! For myself, I’m curious and audacious. Much as I know Olympe de Gouges lived her life. Imaginative. Creative. Strong. I would have loved to have set and shared a cup of tea or wine. As a would-be farm girl, I fear we would have traveled in different circles. However, I’m sure our paths would have crossed.

Looking back I discovered the documentary ‘The Ascent of Woman’ and became captivated by the story of Olympe de Gouges. She fought for the Rights of Women most of her life and was found guilty of sedition and executed (they chopped her head off) by guillotine at 4 PM on November 3rd, just 18 days after Marie Antionette. The ultimate price to pay for speaking out.

Olympe de Gouges wrote and published the “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Citizen” modeled after the “Declaration of the Rights of Men and of the Citizen. Olympe extended the same Rights of Men to Women. Asserting that women had the ability to reason and make moral decisions, establishing that emotion and feeling were a virtue. That woman was not just the same as a man, but his equal.

French women fought in the French Revolution, yet, were denied French Citizenship. Rage comes to mind. No wonder they stormed the castle.

Liberty Leading the People, EugÃ¨ne Delacroix, 1830, Louvre, Paris

Today, France has a special place for burying its favorite men—the Pantheon, built in 1790, a giant, marble mausoleum to honor the greatest Frenchmen. Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau, a scholar and early leader of the French revolution, was the first man to be buried there. Since then, the mausoleum has been filled with 73 bodies. Only one of the honored dead is a woman: Marie Curie. But now, France has announced it will add two more women to the Pantheon.

So glad I stumbled upon Olympe de Gauges. I’m spurred on. I’m so outraged by what I find in the past…much seems outrageous, ludicrous, immoral and unjust. Thank you Olympe de Gauges. You are brave. You are strong. You are special.

Un-Choking the Planet, Reading labels, and Ditching the Dryer Sheet!

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Gailstrail

Who the heck has time to know about this stuff? Right. Well, there are a few of us out there. If you are reading this, you’re probably someone who reads labels. However, If you’re like most, you’re cramming as much as you can into your day, don’t like shopping and do it as quickly as possible

Think about it for a minute. If 7.4 billion people, give or take a billion here or there, are using Dryer Sheets, what are those sweet smelling toxic chemicals doing to those we hold dear…and life as we know it?

This thought about dryer sheets came to mind after reading about Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change agreement. His decision angered me. Then, while I was separating clothes into what I could dry quickly outside and what I would throw in the dryer, I reached for a half a dryer sheet, which I seldom use. Bounce was on the shelf. Concerned sustainability advocate that I am, I wondered why I had Bounce, and what the heck is in it? I’m sure this would be the last thing Trump would ever think about!

Bounce label reads,

“Safe for all washables, but is not safe for use on children’s sleepwear or other garments labeled as flame resistant as it may reduce flame resistance. Keep out of the reach of toddlers and pets to avoid accidental ingestion.Bounce contains Cationic softeners and perfume.

A variety of toxic chemicals found in fabric softeners, including chloroform, benzyl acetate, and ethanol (currently on the EPA’s hazardous waste list). In a study performed by Anderson Laboratories, and published in PubMed, mice were exposed to air containing the fumes released by several types of fabric softener pads. The mice exposed to these fumes showed irritation of eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, and some developed severe asthma-like attacks. The results provide a toxicological basis to explain some of the human complaints of adverse reactions to fabric softener emissions.

How about this ‘science’ President Trump? Does it matter? What do you think? Is it okay? Do you need to have your own ‘study’? I’m still pissed off with you about your denial about the human race having anything to do with climate change. Do you even know what our climate is made up of?

As an asthmatic from childhood (I ran behind trucks spraying DDT through alleyways), this doesn’t sound good. Researching further, I found my way to Alex Scranton’s ‘Women’s Voices for the Earth’. Nice website. Alex is looking into lots of cleaning products and gives detailed reasons why using some dryer sheets is not a good idea. Thank you, Alex, for doing the research and putting such a great post and website together. Alex says,

“Ditch the Dryer Sheet. Some contain harmful chemicals – including hidden fragrance chemicals that lots of people are sensitive to – that vent off into the air we breath and rub off on our clothes and then onto our skin. Yikes! And the kicker is that dryer sheets aren’t even necessary to our laundry – so they’re just an extra source of exposure to toxic chemicals”

So, if you take the time to read the label you’ll find out most of those dryer sheets going into 7.4 billion peoples, give or take a billion here or there, dryers is poisoning all the air you suck in, the water quenching your thirst, and the land growing your food. Despite what Trump says, the planet is gasping! Isn’t this behavior like ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’?

Serious choices require slowing down long enough to read a label. Doing so is essential to changing the fate of life as we know it. It’s serious business. Despite what Trump says, the planet is gasping! Isn’t this behavior like ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’?

I’m fairly sure that slowing down is not what the government, industry and corporate power have in mind for us. But, slow down we must. I know, I know, many of you want the glitz and glimmer that all the magazines, radio and television ads say you need more and more of while going as fast as you can and that you like how soft those dryer sheets make your clothes.

Okay, I’m ranting. The problem being is that tiny dryer sheet used by 7.4 billion people, give or take a billion here or there, is choking me, you, your kids, your furry friends, and our home. We can no longer rely on government or industry to get rid of all the poisons in our food, water, air, and land? We have to do the work.

Vote with your dollar! If you must have a ‘dryer sheet’ buy an alternative one. They’re out there. They don’t contain noxious chemicals! They don’t poison you, me, kids, furry friends and they do not choke our planet! And let’s face it…industry only listens to the microchip in your debit or credit card and the cash in your wallet!

Happy ‘Ditch the Dryer Sheet’ trails!

“The World is a Filthy Bachelor Pad that Needs a Woman’s Touch”!

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Gailstrail

So says my new found friend Laura Egan. And as Bob Dylan sang, ‘The Times They are a-Changin’. Women (and some enlightened men) are rising up everywhere. The broom in hand is held by Wild Women! We’re cleaning up men’s mess by becoming engaged in community, city, state and national government.

Do look back! It’s important for each of us to get a deeper grasp of humanities situation and where we come from.

Our centuries of imitation gives proof of men at the helm. In their childlike behavior, they plotted a course of war and destruction. While the other half of the world’s population were kept quiet and subservient. The crushing truth, we needed both men and women to navigate a more sustainable course. Humanities naivety has created as my friend says, “a filthy bachelor pad that needs a women’s touch” and the world’s undoing.

However, here’s a ‘wake-up call’!

The Organic Food Industry has grown 3400 % in last 20 years! No industry has ever achieved such phenomenal growth.
Solar energy jobs are growing 12 times as fast as the US Economy.
America’s Wind Industry is reaching record highs.

The customer base fueling sustainable industries are intelligent and growing in number. We demand a sustainable approach to everything. ‘Putting all one’s eggs in one basket’ has never worked out well. Back off fossil fuel. We have alternative and safer ways to do fuel our world. Back off Pharmaceutical Industry, we have nature, clean food, and bodies that are capable of healing themselves if given optimum care and nutrition! We who fuel the sustainable industry are a new group of pioneers. Pioneer’s who are taking the time to listen and learn before we leap and make messes.

The Outdoor Life Conservation Pledge, written in 1946 defines what this ‘pioneer’ looks like. The pledge is short and to the point.

“I pledge to protect and conserve the natural resources of America. I promise to educate future generations so they may become caretakers of our water, air, land and wildlife.”

Wild women and that new breed of men have a moral compass which dictates bringing to the forefront our feminine nature, doing little harm to our body and learning what gives us optimum well-being. Just ask Tom Brady, football hero at age 39 about knowing his body and what it means!

I propose a new pledge for our nation. Let’s combine the Pledge of Allegiance with the Conservation Pledge. It gives us a more balanced perspective! The last revision of the Pledge of Allegiance took place in 1954…we’re way overdue for a new revision!

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I pledge to protect and conserve the natural resources of America. I promise to educate future generations so they may become caretakers of our water, air, land and wildlife.”

Just a side note for all you ‘wanna be wild women’, there’s a Wild Woman Conference!

We understand our connectivity to all life. We are learning our place in our connectivity. We do not have dominion, we are caretakers. We are kind and look for harmony, not war. We are communicators. Get on board!

And yes, ‘The Times They are a-Changin’. As a sustainable life advocate, I’m continual discovering the changes in myself and the sustainable direction people are insisting upon. And, as my new found friend says, “The World is like a filthy bachelor pad that needs a women’s touch”!

Happy Trails!

Women Are Coming: Nurturing the World

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Gailstrail

Outrageous! Women have had it. We are hitting the streets, the halls of government and are saying ‘no more’. We are changing the course of our nation and the world. We will no longer be a party to what Market Watch has defined as human nature. It may be men’s nature but not women’s nature. Paul B. Ferrell says:

“There really is only one answer: Deep inside we love war. We want war. Need it. Relish it. Thrive on war. War is in our genes, deep in our DNA. War excites our economic brain. War drives our entrepreneurial spirit. War thrills the American soul. Oh just admit it, we have a love affair with war. We love “America’s Outrageous War Economy.”

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) — Yes, America’s economy is a war economy. Not a “manufacturing” economy. Not an “agricultural” economy. Nor a “service” economy. Not even a “consumer” economy.

Ask the so-called ‘ordinary’ human how they feel? What’s important? What they would like to change in their life. I guarantee it would have nothing to do with going to war. It would be much more personal; like having a home and food on the table.

I’m 73, I’ve worked all my life; still working. My fear comes from not getting a raise in my Social Security, from the fact that I will never get to stop working, from the homeless eyes I meet on the street, from the lines of people at the food bank, from the starving people of the world and from the violence and anger on the streets of our nation.

Did you know the United States as of September 2014 was in 134 wars around the globe. Do these wars help you meet your mortgage? Keep you well? Have anything to do with your daily life?

War has been our ‘go to’ answer for centuries and men have been pulling the trigger. We need to look at outcome and results. War is not working for the majority of us. War does not benefit the majority of our citizens. The main beneficiary:

“America may be a ticking time bomb, but we are threatened more by enemies within than external terrorists, by ideological fanatics on the left and the right. Most of all, we are under attack by our elected leaders who are motivated more by pure greed than ideology. They terrorize us, brainwashing us into passively letting them steal our money to finance “America’s Outrageous War Economy,” the ultimate “black hole” of corruption and trickle-up economics.” – Market Watch, 2008

Those who would do harm to life on this planet must be stopped. However, life on this planet takes many forms. We need to re-evaluate our priorities about whose life we are protecting and how we are protecting it.

Men have kept us in an ‘Age of Imitation’ long enough. Woman are coming into their time and are bringing our world out of perpetual war and into nurturing life. It’s what women have always done. Nurture. It’s an innate part of our being. It’s our nature and in our DNA.

The Next Big Thing: The Most Fascinating and Fantastic Machine in Existence

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Gailstrail

“The human body is the most fascinating and fantastic machine in existence. No one understands all of its many mysteries; and no single source can do justice to its many parts.” – World Education

The majority of the human race have little knowledge about how truly incredibly we may be. Our body is made up of millions of synchronized single-celled organisms. Each cell doing a specific job, taking on every exposure.

Our body has the ability to heal itself, and, if given optimum maintenance; clean food, air, water and education about optimum maintenance of our body, who knows how incredible we may become. Everything we eat, breath and drink either benefits and works with our millions of organisms or our millions of organisms are at war with what we put into our body. Our societies wellness or dis-ease is a reflection of our industry, the products we’ve allowed into our world and our intellect or lack of.

Our body is of nature. Unfortunately, humans do not demand the time needed to understand what or how to be of nature. Some believe what they do is consequential only to themselves; that what they do is Insignificant and unknown to others. This belief is a symptom of an uneducated society.

The life-giving forces which are abundant in nature are our birth rite. We are the most logical choice to insure the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants. It’s not just an obligation and responsibility; it’s a matter of life, death, and everything in between! We are equipped with an innate memory of everything which came before us. We just have to access it. Sweep out the chimney so to speak.

Once the memory of ‘everything that came before’ is awoken, survival seems obsolete. A ‘flourishing’ planet seems more appropriate. It’s not just a choice, it’s who we are meant to be; flourishing. Demanding what is right and just in the world is not just an obligation or responsibility, it’s who we are… male adolescence is done. ‘Just getting by’ will no longer do. We are so much more than a workforce in industries hunger for competitiveness. We are significant with brilliant possibilities.

Somehow, I’ve awakened memories of who I am meant to be. The memories come rushing in and the never ending knowledge causes me to demand what is right and just in the world. What’s ‘right and just’ is clear. Do no harm. Respect all life. Be kind. Integrate those principals into development.

Women are taking our rightful place in world management. As we take the helm we navigate a more sustainable course. Not only pledging allegiance to our flag, but pledging allegiance to our land, water, air, and wildlife.

We are more than a workforce. We are significant with brilliant possibilities and like any olympian, we must have time to train. Each of us is significant and deserve greatness. As soon as the majority of humanity admit and subscribe to this belief; put on some breaks; slow down, the sooner we heal our planet and those who live here.

Education World says,

“The human body is the most fascinating and fantastic machine in existence. No one understands all of its many mysteries; no single source can do justice to its many parts.”

What do you think? Look around. Departmentalization and standardization in education are choking every bit of creativity out of our children; giving focus to certain things, minimizing the importance of other things and leaving some things entirely out.

Education should mirror the human body and work in synchronization! I believe the Ancient Sages, from Greece. They were philosophers, statesmen, and law-givers. They laid the foundation for western culture and gathered in Delphi to inscribe in stone, “Know Thyself” at the entry to its sacred oracle and believed:

“Self-knowledge is all-encompassing. What is learned on one scale of experience can be applied to all scales. It is the highest form of knowledge, surpassing all other knowledge. Self-knowledge is also timeless, which means that what is gained in one era, benefits all subsequent generations.”

What influenced these sages’ to chisel in stone? Why was Knowing Thyself so important? Why didn’t I hear about ‘knowing thyself’ in any of my curricula? Philosophers have been philosophizing about ‘Know Thyself’ for centuries. Is it too late for us to know ourselves?

Knowing the human body was not included in my studies until the eighth grade and avoided what was uncomfortable, the reproductive system was pretty much taboo. And, what about those millions of synchronized single-celled organisms with each cell doing a specific job, taking on every exposure? No one said anything about them being important!

Self-knowledge surrounds everything: All life. Having self-knowledge integrates all other knowledge; reading, writing, arithmetic, science, etc.. Self-knowledge is timeless. What we learn in one era, benefits all generations that follow. This was the message of our ancient sages. Just as our 21st Century educators admit,

Is this our new norm in the 21st Century? I want to feel good. I want my family and friends to feel good. I want to find out what is possible. As much as I’ve tried to be kind to myself over some 40 years, I’ve been battling unseen forces and toxins we’ve been producing for decades. These toxins have manipulated my essence, your essence and taken much of our nature away.

Continual education about my body has set me on a new path. I want to change our education’s focus. I want to change much of our industry. Playing catch up is difficult and time-consuming. However, we are the logical and only choice for this journey. Shaping our future is a tough job.

A few sustainable steps each of us can take:

coordinate rides and errands with a friend.
ride the bus.
ride a bicycle.
buy organic products.
engage in governing.
run for water commissioner
run for city council
run for mayor, governor, senate, congress, president
learn as much as you can about how extraordinary you are

We can no longer afford to skip educating ourselves about what makes us extraordinary and how we get there. We owe it to our society to do ‘justice to our many parts’. We can no longer afford to be thought of as ‘ordinary’ when we each have the potential to be extraordinary! We can no longer give so much control over our bodies to doctors, pharmaceuticals and much of industry.

Happy not so ordinary trails!

Age of Imitation

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Gailstrail

I’ve been thinking about ‘education reform’ for many years. Doing research, talking to teachers and looking at the most important curriculum that is being skipped over or entirely left out. A curriculum which would bring enormous change to the world we live in.

Confucius said,”Study your history and you may define your future.”

“In the age of imitation, many outwardly follow along with things and inwardly fail to clarify their minds. Even if they do great works, they are not ultimate. In general, it is the baseness and vulgarity of the people with whom they associate that makes them that way.

It is like the case of insects: if they gather on an ox, they do not fly more than a few paces; but if they stick to a swift horse, they can chase the wind and pursue the sun, simply because of the superiority of what they cleave to. So students should always chose carefully where they will stay, and always go with good people. Then eventually they can cut off error and bias, approach balance and right and hear true words.” – Zen Lessons, The Art of Leadership

Extraordinary. I could not agree more. History is full of examples of our ‘age of imitation’. Humanities trail through history reflects how we imitate what we think is ‘ultimate’. Dictionaries define ‘ultimate’ as ‘the best or most extreme of its kind’.

Our society has chosen to ‘fly only a few paces’. Look at our history of warring. And yes, we are the ‘most extreme of our kind’ and the ‘best’ of our kind. However, given our history, the majority of us do not ‘approach balance and right and hear true words’. We are still warring on every continent. Sickness and disease runs rampant. We majority have chosen to imitate a part of history that benefits only a few. And the ‘benefits’ are mostly unsustainable. We cling to a history which teaches ‘error and bias’. Inequality is everywhere. Poor choices which denies our true ‘ultimate’ human nature.

What does an ‘ultimate’ education look like? Shouldn’t our education reflect only ‘the best’ of its kind’? Isn’t it our species, as thinking beings, moral obligation to make it so? Education of this kind will heal the planet and its inhabitants; create well being, joy and harmony. This is what I want. Lofty thoughts? Perhaps. Perhaps not. You may say, ‘how the heck can we do that’?

Education reform begins with our creating government officials who create a consistent mandatory curriculum foundation throughout our nation based on the ‘human body system’. We need 100% of our citizens participating in their governing.

The foundation I speak to is a part of history we left behind and did not ‘imitate’. ‘Know thyself’. Why did we ignore our ancient scholars? They believed to ‘Know Thyself’ was important enough to carve the message in stone, (imagine the time it took to carve one letter), they did not have lightning speed communication. This message was carved over the mythical tomb of Apollo. These ancient sages surmised that to ‘Know Thyself’ creates a rippling effect. They believed:

This is the consistent mandatory curriculum foundation I want to see throughout our nation. Why?

Education World admits:

“The human body is the most fascinating and fantastic machine in existence. No one understands all of its many mysteries; and no single source can do justice to its many parts.”

How can our society know so little about the human body in the 21st Century? Well, it is understandable when our National Science Standards curriculum’s focus is:

“To address the critical issues of U.S. competitiveness and to better prepare the workforce, A Framework for K-12 Science Education proposes a new approach to K-12 science education that will capture students’ interest and provide them with the necessary foundational knowledge in the field.”

The first 14 words sums up the reason why we know so little about the human body system. Imagine what a different world this would be if we understood how to optimally maintain our bodies. It would change industries. Understanding how to optimally maintain our bodies would eliminate poisons in the world, our diets would be different, how we live would be in harmony with all life. Isn’t this what we want? Changing our focus in education will shake fortunes and will be fought ‘tooth and nail’! For once we understand ourselves (supreme and ultimate beings) we will not want what is being shoved down our throats.

A teacher friend writes:

“Learning about our bodies and how they work is one of the most important things we can learn in science class. I think I’ve learned more about it once I needed to understand how my body was malfunctioning (and that of my friends & family). There’s no standard that addresses “you are what you eat.” I wish I could create lessons about “stop eating processed foods because….” or “an acidic body, cancer, and you” or “there are wheat flour and sugar in everything you eat” or “eat organic or else.” You get the jest, I’m sure. Our 7th graders have been studying the different systems in our body this semester, but it really is just an intro-level. I was lucky enough to be given a lot of control over the curriculum teaching in bush Alaska so during biology I emphasized (read-spent more time on) the human body systems.”

I could give the reason why this has happened and is happening, however, most know and it’s a topic for another discussion.

Happy non-imitation trails!

Monetary systems: Flat Money, Barter, Gift Economy

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Gailstrail

“Study your past if you want to define your future.” – Confucius

Bartering has a long history. I’ve been bartering in one way or another all my life. Interestingly, when I looked ‘bartering’ up I found out that ‘there is no evidence of a society or economy that relied primarily on barter. Non-monetary societies operated largely along the principles of gift economics. Remember the movie ‘Pay It Forward’, well, someone knew their history or were able to tap into what ancient sages believed: ‘What is learned in one generation is passed onto the next’.

How do we go deep into ‘living from the heart’? Here’s hoping you’re a ‘Taoist’ or a serious ‘Christian’. What we find in the world can be tiny and amazing. Love comes unexpected. Love comes with a whiff from the kitchen or a scent of pine as we trek through the forest. All the while we look for ways to lighten our load; cut expenses, get things done and maybe find joy.

I love history, and now it’s so reachable. And just as Confucius said, ‘studying our history defines our destiny’. To me, it’s evident sentient beings have changed very little. We are like children who refuse to listen. We let the lessons of the past lay silent. Much of what we do simply does not work. How do we dig ourselves out?

We live in a time of the ‘shrinking dollar’. Jobs are almost non-existent and we try to ‘tighten our belts’, in far too many instances, without starving. We struggle to find blame. Truth is, we’re all somewhat responsible for our circumstance. Responsibility reaches far and wide. We each participated or did not participate in someway to bring us to this juncture.How can we make things easier on ourselves?

This may sound simplistic, however, increasing our bartering efforts may just be a tiny tip of how we dig out. ‘Hard times’ will not take care of itself. Some seem embarrassed when offering to barter. There is nothing to be ashamed of; societies often turned to ‘bartering’ when in a time of ‘money crisis’. And, we certainly can’t argue about the ‘money crisis’ we’re in.

In case you are unfamiliar with the bartering system; it is a method of exchange by which goods or services are exchanged for goods and services without using a medium of exchange like ‘money’. It’s usually ‘bilateral‘ and has always existed along side monetary systems. Most cultures of the world have based their ‘exchange system’ on ‘flat money’. And look at what most culture are experiencing!

Just to recap. The dollar bill is all but disappeared, it’s time to look at other strategies and integrate more of our heart into the economy; which may include a combination of ‘monetary systems’; flat money, barter, gift economy and looking at new ways of supporting each other. Let’s increase our efforts to do these things. Let’s think ‘outside the box’ a little more. We all know jobs are limited. The feed back about our circumstances seems bleak! But we humans are incredible, we always seem to get up after a fall.

Here are some things we can do to make life easier:

Go over your expenses and cut back everywhere you can. I keep checking and finding things to cut back on.
Barter whenever possible.
Practice ‘gift economics’, mix it up.
Get back to a more ‘need based’ economy as apposed to ‘want based’ (Century of Self).
Call everyone you are doing business with and see what specials they might offer.
Do more outdoor activities; hiking, camping, picnicing, etc.
Support your Parks.
Scrutinize every dollar you spend. Do I really need this?
Be prepared for great things to happen.

City of Colorado Springs: Homelessness and Poverty

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Gailstrail

Tree Guard

September 3, 2015

Honorable Mayor Suthers and City Council Members,

I understand your dilemma with regard to the issue of people displaying themselves in what you have deemed as inappropriate places and in inappropriate manner.

It saddens me to see our beautiful city streets filled with poverty and homelessness. No one in our nation or the world should be living in such a manner! We the people have been lazy. You only have to look at our voting records and the state of so much dis-ease in the world to see how little involvement citizens have taken in governing ourselves better.

It is everyone’s job, not just yours to find positive and long term solutions to homelessness and poverty. We are not alone in this struggle. Our entire nation struggles with this scourge on our planet. Now, our city has an incredible opportunity. We can become a beacon in this endeavor; if we all put our heads together and take time.

I believe you could postpone acting on ORD 9.2.112 and give the citizens, businesses and organizations of Colorado Springs an opportunity and time to assist you in coming up with more positive and long term solutions.

I have a few idea:

Lets get our community businesses (Home Depot for instance) and people who have graciously contributed to Habitat for Humanity to rise to this emergency by creating more housing for the homeless.
Lets began a City of Colorado Springs Work program which many of the homeless could fill; With this creative effort our tax dollars would be spent to give people pride and encouragement. Good will goes a very long way to keeping peace and justice! Much more so than jail and fines.

These kinds of ideas are what is needed. Ideas which bring positive and long term solutions. I want to live in a city that shines and is a beacon for other cities. Colorado Springs can be that city if our focus and attention address the root causes of poverty and homelessness.

Thank you,

Gail Black

Limbo Dancing and Raising the Bar!

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Gailstrail

It’s happening folks! Humanity is raising its’ consciousness bar, our dollars are talking and businesses are paying attention.

Due to our technological advancement, we can mobilize, organize, and connect with more people faster than ever! The information we are sharing is making an enormous impact on our culture. Good changes are occurring. We are ‘walking our talk’. A couple of recent events:

Thanks to Investor Demands, Wendy’s Will No Longer Be Slinging Soda to Kids

Wow! Maybe ‘kids’ can slow down. Who knows what will happen when they do…and who the heck are these ‘investors’, I want to shake their hands’.

“Wendy’s joins McDonald’s, Subway, Chipotle, Arby’s, and Panera as the newest quick-serve restaurant to remove soda from its kids’ menu.”

‘Hat’s off’! Bravo! Good work! Well done! Brilliant!

Dude, They Found Your Carnitas: Chipotle Solves Its Pork Crisis

“Thanks to Niman Ranch’s emergency supply of humanely raised hogs, the meat will be returning to your burrito shortly.”

I don’t eat pork, just can’t. However, Chipotle is deffinately marching to its’ on kind of business drum…personally I’m excited about their ‘beat’. Who knows what else Chipotle has in mind. I’ve a suspicion. You’re going to see more and more ‘Organic farmers’ at their doors! I’d also like to know more about Niman Ranch’s pork farm. I want to say thank you for rearing his pigs humanely and find out where else he sales his humanely raised pork.

We’re discovering and educating ourselves faster than ever about the good stuff. Our dollars are having a huge voice. It’s a language all industry understand and our dollars are changing our businesses.

It’s our ability to mobilize and organize and to get information out about these changes which are raising our bar on the kind of food we want. Whether it’s a ‘consciousness shift’ or for some other reason. It’s incredible to witness.

Hats off to all you ‘nerds’ for creating this technology!

The organic industry, and it is an industry, has a different consciousness, it’s an industry about sustaining the world with nourishing and growing without non-toxic chemicals, rearing healthy and happy livestock. Want a fun job and lasting job. Become an ‘organic’ anything it’s a sustaining and growing industry, growing faster than any other food industry!

Industry may not listen to just one of us, but when we put our voices together, we will be heard. Oh, one more ‘hats off’ Here’s to all the ‘tree huggers’ who never give up!

Happy Tree Hugging Trails!

My Dream

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Gailstrail

My Dream

is that we be more realistic about how many humans our world can sustain. Do we need to continually manipulate nature to support a population who seem to believe there is no boundaries to how many people our world can sustain? Are the consequences we are witnessing not enough evidence of our mis-guided nature? Introducing poisons’ into the world to manipulate agriculture and feed an over-populated world; when you think about it, it’s a craziness.

My dream is that we are more thoughtful in our approach to bringing more and more humans to the the planet.

Is sex a form of entertainment? Is your only claim to fame having a baby…then our world is doomed! The challenges our children face are greater than what we adults in our mis-guided actions can presently correct. It’s appalling that we would bring more children here; believing life will be better for them and they can correct our mistakes. Is it fair to bring children into a world which is bursting at the seam and scrambling to sustain an already over-populated world which is continually at war, with systems of government who work for the rich? Governments who view it’s population as mere resources and pawns and care so little that every society has poverty and suffering…and its’ citizens say, ‘It’s okay that we have poverty and suffering, it’s always been this way’!

is that our development stops creeping in on wildlife habitat; that we continually expand spaces which acknowledge our inter-connectedness with nature and wildlife. My dream is for spaces that celebrate this connectedness; exciting and joyful places; places where bird songs, babbling brooks and the wind through the trees supply much of the entertainment we crave. Am I delusional?

My dream is that Offices’ of Economic Development and Public Finance around the world offer environmental incentives which have an extremely high tax break for people and business who want to move here and NOT drain or poison our resources, employee locally; and not destroy wildlife and natural habitats. Wildlife does not understand the ‘concrete jungle’ that keeps crumbling the land.

My dream is that all governments make education (free for everyone) and infrastructure (including agriculture) their priorities.

My dream is that everyone accepts their responsibility as a steward to our planet and understands what being a steward means: Setting aside our ‘wanting’ to look at what is ‘needed’.

Is this a crazy dream?

The Way of Animals

Life Connecting to Each Other and the Planet