Category Archives: Home

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

Earth Talk, Home, Humans, Planet, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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!

Nurturing: It’s in Our DNA

Earth Talk, Food, Home, Humans, Planet, Wild World, , , , , , , , , ,

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. Using Economic Growth as the single measurement of Well-Being and success maybe men’s idea and nature but not mine or the majority of women I know.

“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.” – Paul B. Ferrell, Market Watch

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 not having to work two and three jobs just to break even, 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 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 the 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. Women 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.

Happy Nurturing Trails

 

 

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

Animals, Earth Talk, Food, Home, Humans, Planet, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Know Thyself“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,

“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 2014

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

Home, Humans, Wild World, , , , , , , , , , , ,

erma-bombeck1Confucius 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 choose 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 run 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 that deny our true ‘ultimate’ human nature.

How does one become ‘ultimate’? How do we find that superiority to cleave to? Perhaps we might think of what a superior or ultimate education for all looks like? 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 that would bring enormous change to the world we live in.

Our education should reflect only ‘the best of its kind’? Isn’t 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 government officials creating a consistent mandatory curriculum foundation throughout our nation based on the ‘human body system’. 

The foundation I speak to is a part of history we left behind and did not ‘imitate’.  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),  This message was carved over the mythical tomb of Apollo. These ancient sages surmised that to ‘Know Thyself’ creates a rippling effect. They 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.”

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

Education World says:

“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 how our bodies work 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 sum up the reason why we know so little about the human body system. “To address the critical issues of U.S. competitiveness and to better prepare the workforce,”

Imagine what a different world this would be if we were not focusing on ‘preparing a workforce’. What if we understood how to optimally maintain our bodies? Pursuing optimum well-being 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 (as 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

Home, Humans, , ,

Barter system2“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’.

water heartHow 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?

moneyWe 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:

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

City of Colorado Springs: Homelessness and Poverty

Earth Talk, Food, Home, Humans, Planet, Wild World, , , , , , , ,
Tree Guard in Stratton Open Space
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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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

The Power and Politics Behind What We Eat

Food, Home, Humans, ,

superstock_1538r-7008

The more I read about pet food; the more I learn about human food and how the two are connected; which in turn brings me to the power and politics behind what we eat…and, more importantly three simple things you and I can do to make positive  changes! 

This story does not have a pretty beginning and is scary…however, I’ve fond that facing my fear does something amazing; I find myself feeling confident and strong. I love this kind of experience and keep coming back for more! So hang onto your hat and join me in facing some ugly and distasteful things that go on with our food. Think of it as ‘life and death’! And, we get be the hero of the story.

Ever wonder where dead animals go? Probably not. I didn’t until I started looking at why some pet foods were being recalled. I decided to be brave and go deep into the ‘why’. Don’t bury your head. We can get through this together and I promise there is a ray of hope at the end.

The classified ad read:

Help Wanted: person to operate bobcat mini-dozer; loading ‘raw material’ into a 10-foot-deep stainless-steel pit; operate giant auger-grinder.

Looking for work? Does this sound like your kind of job? You discover at the bottom of this ‘stainless-steel pit, a giant auger-grinder begins to turn and you hear popping bones and squeezing flesh. This is a gruesome nightmare! Who does this kind of job? I’ve been trying to find out the job title for the person who does this job. In one recent article I read these jobs are held by: Bandanna-masked men; undocumented workers from Mexico doing a dirty job that no one else wants to do. I wonder where these jobs are, what kind of pay …and where these ‘raw materials’ come from.

Continue reading The Power and Politics Behind What We Eat →

What’s Nipping at Your Heals?

Animals, Home, Horses, ,

helicopter1 horsesThere’s so many different things that can be nipping at our heals. For me, it’s animals on the run, furry little beasts that share my home, a friend with cancer, another friend who says I should write a book, Tai Chi, holidays, and how to juggle it all.

It’s 5 degrees. My terrier is unprepared for the cold and doesn’t have the proper coat. He’s perched on his crate and looks longingly at the birds and squirrels who feed out the window. I let them (my golden too) walk a block to the mail box and before we return to the house the terrier is already limping. I ordered him a winter coat and now think he needs booties as well. Now when I let them out there back in a flash…I think they get it.

My friend has really bad cancer. Her doctor says she should get her ‘affairs in order’. So I wonder how do we approach this with her. I go to sleep at night thinking how I would cope with such a task…not to mention the knowledge that I’ve little time left. I’m not sure what my friend has or has not done. My head goes reeling and I know there is no way I can imagine how she feels. Real or Not Real? The difference is mind boggling. There is a ‘team’ of friends who are coming together to support her in whatever way we can. Another friend says we should do a conference call and make a list of what needs to happen and who can do what. I think it’s a very good idea. Perhaps there is already a list out there. I shall see. Turns out there are hundreds of lists of things to do before one dies. Here’s one link

My friend Carol says I should write a book. I can almost count on one hand the number of people who read at The Way of Animals. I might say The Way of Animals is a book. There’s a title, content is listed; however, the content is apparently not compelling. Not slick enough. Not intriguing enough. Not ‘fast and furious’ enough. No fantasy. Where’s the ‘matrix’? Perhaps the characters could stand some embellishment. Ah, that does seem to be the ticket. Fantastic heroes and villains who leap off the page! Not a bad idea…it’s certainly worked for others. I could call it fiction! Does anyone since a ‘comic book’ in the making? This guy is one of my favorites. How cute is he? He represents the 1% of the 1% who control our world!

superstock_1538r-7008

Now all I need to do is to go through the different articles and create characters. How fun is this? Anyone want to join the search? If so, ‘Subscribe’ (top right) and let me know. This may or may not be the correct approach, I’m sure someone, probably many someones, have written books on the proper approach to writing a book. However, I don’t want to spend my time there. I’d rather just write and create characters.

Now what was the focus of this ‘post’ about? Well, I started out explaining the ‘nipping’ at my heals. We’ve all got things nipping. Want to share some of what’s nipping at your heels?

Happy Trails!

Understanding Climate, Catastrophic Consequences and Changes

Earth Talk, Home, Humans, Planet, Wild World

Earth boyClimate seems like such a complicated issue…or do we make it so simply to keep from taking the appropriate steps to correct our behavior. Catastrophic consequences to humanities bad choices is leaving the worlds population with options we would rather not consider. However, we must not only consider, we must act now!

“Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.” – Mark Twain

It is way past time in developing a World Policy for cleaning up human kinds mess…isn’t that the function of the ‘Climate Talks’? Though it may be inconvenient and costly, the world’s population has to ‘bite the bullet’. Each country, according to their ‘tons of co2 emissions’ pays! Heavy $ fines per ton…which would lessen as we clean up our act. We could also create ‘heavy $ incentives’ for those who reach certain levels! It’s really pretty simple. However, as always the ‘power players’, those with the greatest impact and who would receive the heaviest fines are not willing to create such a plan! No surprise there.

“Rising global temperatures lead to other changes around the world, such as stronger hurricanes, melting glaciers, and the loss of wildlife habitats. That’s because the Earth’s air, water, and land are all related to one another and to the climate.” –  Climate Concepts, a Students Guide to Global Climate Change

We all bought into this mess, so we all have to clean it up!!!! Nobody seems to want to pay for their mistakes and take responsibility for climate deterioration. It really is ‘simple’. We all live here, we all must be responsible stewards of the planet. Anything else is trying to skip around the truth!

“The best discoveries we make are when we step out of our comfort zones.” – Erin Pettit, Global Warming: NG Live!: Erin Pettit: Glaciers on the Run

Breaking down and identifying who holds the most responsibility is fairly simple. We have more than enough data to do so. Some will pay more for their part, others will pay less. We can also create rewards or incentives, jobs and a budget for people all over the world to help make these changes happen.

WE are ‘already there’ (past the point of no return). We’ve all witnessed the consequences of our actions. We’ve already opened that door and it can not be closed. The best we can do is understand, take what we have learned and do differently; adjust to the changes already occurring and minimize further destruction by stopping what isn’t working!  WE act now or, what’s the saying, continue to ‘bite off our nose despite our face’!

Happy Trail Cleaning!

Americans Just Wanta Have Fun!

Food, Home, Humans, , , , , ,

“The American public does not want to be uplifted, ennobled–it wants to be amused.”

–Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935). novelist. social worker. and teacher

Alice was a poet, journalist and political activist. And, some sort of visionary, from where I stand. She was among the first generation born free in the south after the Civil War, she was one of the prominent African Americans involved in the artistic flourishing of the Harlem Renaissance. Alice and I have much in common. She knew what many of us are aware of…I wonder what she would think if she were here today?

Who doesn’t want to escape? You work hard all day, at a job you’re not crazy about; for a boss who doesn’t appreciate how brilliant you are; then you come home too exhausted to cook; so you through an empty of anything nutritious excuse for food into a microwave; which kills any remaining nutrition; or you open up a carton of ice cream hoping to stop that ineffable hunger you just can’t seem to reach!

Even when you are aware of the diabolical account of how four Anglo-American agribusiness giants plan world domination by patenting life forms to gain worldwide control of our food supply and our lives; remnants of how we controlled the Indians’ comes to mind, ‘destroy their food and you control their destiny’! Dealing with all this reality is just too darn daunting! Isn’t it?

A recent New York Times article reports; “The average American spends more on entertainment than on gasoline, household furnishings and clothing and nearly the same amount as spent on dining out, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.” It’s been estimated by the Twentieth Century Fund that Americans spend 40 billion dollars per year for total recreation expenditures in the United States.  Personally, I believe that’s a conservative figure and agree with Alice; we’re on an ‘amusement ride and we don’t want to get off’‘. I also believe that keeping the population entertained is high on the list for those few men who control all our lives. Contemplating this, I tear myself away from a recorded segment of  ‘American Idol’!  Me, I’m just another would be victim. But I will not go quietly!

William Engdahl’s book ‘Seeds of Destruction’  is a diabolical account of how four Anglo-American agribusiness giants plan world domination by patenting life forms (GMOs) to gain worldwide control of our food supply and our lives. This review is in three in-depth parts. Part I was published and is available on this web site.

Today, government subsidies for agriculture in the industrialized nations of North America, Western Europe and East Asia (Japan and South Korea) is over a Billion Dollars a Day! Did I mention this is just the subsidies. Oh, and I’m pretty sure that the organic farmer is not the recipient of any of these dollars. You might ask why; inquiring minds want to know…including mine.

I’ve just ordered the ‘Seeds of Destruction’ and am excited to get it in my hands. It will be interesting to see if the book reveals some correlation between what I discovered during my 10 years in Washington.

I’m interested in what our great leaders and writers in the past thought about our country and the direction we took and are taking. President Woodrow Wilson made a disturbing statement; what’s more disturbing is knowing what to do with the knowledge that “The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men”. President Woodrow Wilson said upon reflecting on the passage of the Federal Reserve Act.

“I am a most unhappy man, I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world. No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominate men”

And then President Thomas Jefferson said:

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks…will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered…The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.”

Sometimes I feel like drowning myself in ‘fun’. I don’t want to face the realities I dig up. But then the fun gets to feel so shallow and empty. What should I be doing with my time? What do I have the energy to do with my time? The majority of us are under paid and work long hours just to barely get by. The majority of us are so under-nourished we don’t have the energy to complain, much less the fortitude to make a change. And then there’s this emptiness inside, and no entertainment and nothing we eat seems to satisfy it!

Entertainment sometimes gives a true picture of what is really going on in government and what some of our politicians think about those of us who voice our opinions and disagreements. For instance:

Francis steps onto the street and encounters an irate screaming citizen the police have handcuffed to a light pole and says; “Nobody can hear you, nobody cares about you, nothing will come of your screaming, why don’t you let these nice gentlemen take you home.” 

House of Cards, Season 1, Episode 2 at 4:29 minutes

Pages: 1 2