Think Globally, Act Locally's topics - tribe.net

BPA and canned foods

2010-01-02T16:02:07Z

I recently saw an online article titled, "foods the experts won't eat" or something to
that effect. One of the items was canned tomatoes due to BPA being used in the
lining material. Concerned, I wrote to three food producers about this, one national
and two regional canners. I got fast responses with basically the same "canned"
messages that their products were safe and there is no current alternative to BPA.
What are peoples thoughts on this? Is BPA the lead of the 21st century?

I'll post this on the Trader Joe's tribe and see what people think there...

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

WNBR, beaches, and street fairs need YOU

2009-12-05T00:44:13Z

At a riot, with no lawyers but those Tim Daly inhales up his corporate butt, events are predictable.

Got Clint? His movies are hot prophecy, layered, artistically.

Got Stanford? Seen Josey Wales? FLYBOYS? Dogs named 'Bo?' Hounds named 'Mac?' Safety, FIRST?

No, you do NOT have SAFETY, FIRST, but hey, pull Rudy back from the ondeck circle, ONE TIME, or suck a Zep into the deck, ruthlessly demolishing the new house, of the Bronx bombed-out bombers, to be.

Yanked down, Stanford football is on the way, back upward, after Walsh's demise. Clint spans DeShaun Jackson, for 'DJvu,' in Dirty Harry, see also THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, where young Jeff Bridges spans all the engineer-student blonde buddies I had, at CAL, dressed in an old-style version of today's Key West Dude Shirt, which was an invitation, for a bullet strike.

Got WAR? The bad, old railroad is hauling cattle, meat, and ashes, all night and day.

Sure you do, WWII and a half. Got each other? Sure we have!

Check me out. I am an anti-punk media person, for reform of fascism, or deconstruction, of illegal persons and media, LIKE ISRAEL.

The NSA and CIA prevented the FBI from noting how the 911 terrorists were IN THE USA, ready to do dirt, known.

GET DEJA VU, or lose all.

I know THIS: The Ming Empire decommissioned its White Fleet, April 6, 1437.

They left an armorer with the UK, to share triangular arrowheads, in use since the 1st Emperor, with Elizabeth I.

Liz didn't pay very well, so off to France went the crossbow, also in service since Emperor I. But this caused a real stir, as in European War.

Isabella of Spain sent Columbus, who reported Chinese and a way to Cathay, pronto. But this explained why all the gunpowder, plus.

The European thieves took gold, land, and all the natives they could kill, and wonder why the Mayan Calendar is so like the I-Ching. Duh.

When that calendar is up, in 2012, look to get sued by PRC, since you rioters kept calling the natives, 'INDIANS,' while abusing them.

PRC suffers standing US invasion, since the CIA ran B-24 Liberators, from Tibet and Taiwan, inciting the Korean War and taking of Tibet.

Since Panmunjon talks stalled, PRC acquires US debt in bad faith, since Inchon and the retreat by the UN, to Parallel 38.

Natives in America and Chinese in Taiwan and PRC need to get to ME, to sue, if you need standing or an explanation, about class actions.

I support S142192 CSC, den.12/13/2006, with C07 01399 SBA, USDC Oakland, which must issue, on hearing, against bills of attainder and all illegal construction, anywhere!

So where are YOU? Do you shake-up, and SUE? Push it up, game on, shing-a-lingers.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Asparagus Documentary

2009-11-16T14:51:12Z

http://www.asparagusthemovie.com/

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=asparagus+stalking+the+american+life&aq=0&oq=asparagus+sta&aqi=g10

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

1111 members

2009-09-21T01:59:03Z

Well, i'm big on thinking globally and acting up locally, so when i saw this tribe had 1110 members, i realized i needed to join right away!

And i will try and post more meaningful threads from now on.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

Legalize Hemp and Cannabis in California

2009-09-14T02:48:29Z

Hi Family,

Right now there are two competing signature drives to put Cannabis legalization initiatives on the ballot in California in

November 2010.

One is found at www.taxcannabis2010.org

The other is found at www.CaliforniaCannabisInitiative.org

Please look carefully at the text of both laws (the text of each is finalized) and make up your own mind which one you support.

I am supporting www.CaliforniaCannabisInitiative.org because our law will protect Cannabis users from discrimination in

healthcare, employment, and housing. It is a full legalization measure for industrial hemp and recreational cannabis which will restore full human rights to Hemp farmers and Cannabis users all across California. Of course supplying Cannabis to children will remain illegal just as it is today. Driving vehicles under the influence will remain illegal just as it is today. Cannabis users will still be fired from their jobs if they show up to work impaired.

There are two parts to our plan. The first part is to publicly post and personally distribute our "Freedom Lover's Call to Arms" in order to recruit volunteers. This document is available here-

www.imgur.com/dbU83

The second part of our plan is to ask everyone who volunteers to make a pledge for how many signatures they can collect in

the next 30 days or so. 15-30 signatures is a good number. If enough volunteers show this level of commitment we can succeed. You can probably get that number from your family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors without having to solicit in public too much. This is an "out of the closet" movement. We will have to proudly advocate human rights for responsible, honest, hard-working Cannabis smokers in order to convince legitimate people to support us. I can supply stickers equivalent to each persons pledge number. These stickers can be used to generate interest and be given to voters who sign the petition. Here is the sticker design-

www.imgur.com/2cjvb

Feel free to distribute and use these images. Just don't copyright them.

We have 145 days in order to get the number of signatures that we need. Our petition is hot off the press on 9/11 and we

have started collecting the first signatures yesterday 9/12.

We are polling 56% public support for Cannabis legalization in California which menas that this is an initiative which is not doomed. Its time has finally arrived; we are at the tipping point right now. Now is the time to do this and to do it right. We may only get one chance. If a law which is not exactly what we want is implemented then we may lose our critical mass and our ability to set it right.

I believe that less adults will smoke cannabis after it is legal. This is the case in the Netherlands where it has been

available over-the-counter for 30 years yet only half as many citizens (percentage-wise) smoke as do citizens here. My economics professor has taught for years that prohibition has not succeeded in decreasing usage by increasing penalties. Instead it has destroyed lives and families without substantial benefit to society. After legalization hard-drug usage will decrease due to a "separation of the markets," a decline in the price of Cannabis relative to hard-drugs, and the restoration of honesty and common sense in drug education. Violence, thievery, and the incarceration of honest people will decrease as well. I also believe that a well regulated market will decrease the availability and appeal of cannabis to children. In fact teenage Cannabis use in California has fallen steadily since the passage of Proposition 215. Furthermore the adults who smoke Cannabis after legalization will be better able appreciate the majesty of nature in peace and unity without learning to fear and disrespect authority figures. This will be better for their spirits and better for society. Finally the human rights of legitimate medical Cannabis patients will be better protected than they are today. Legalizing Cannabis will create a safer, healthier, and more humane California for us all to live in.

If you want to help me in any way please contact the CCI campaign at www.CaliforniaCannabisInitiative.org or write me at
deep_space_underground@yahoo.com I give you my encouragement to modify this message if necessary and distribute it to anyone who might help on any forum or by any mechanism.

Love,
-Fully Committed

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

looking for people to help us create our self sufficient, renewable energy driven, organic homestead in France

2009-09-10T10:45:43Z

We are looking for people to help our communal dream become reality...

French Manoir / farm in Normandy with organic kitchen garden, 2 fields of 2 hectares, chickens etc..We now want to create Biosphere/Geodesic dome, full organic self sufficiency aiming towards being carbon neutral and using renewable energy. We are looking for people interested in the technological side of self sufficiency as well as running a small organic kitchen garden. Creative people welcomed, We are both musicians, non smokers, not drinkers. The house contains a studio and we work developing and recording bands and artists..,Ideally we would want to feed ourselves and our clients with vegetables and food from the farmstead. Over the years we have had quite a few WWOOFERS (world organic farming volunteers) which has proved successful but unfortunately most people are only available for a few weeks or months as this organisation is more geared for shorter stays, we are looking for someone, or a couple who would like to become a more permanent part of our team.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Free Day party @ Los Angeles State Park -Sun sep 13th

2009-09-05T22:06:55Z

Free Day party @ Los Angeles State Park -Sun sep 13th
Invitation goes out to all artist who wish to bring some of there beautiful Art to display or just come hang out and enjoy some tasty beats with good friends and family...
For more info get at us @nelsonnonstop@yahoo.com or just show up, we will be there at 9am music starts at 12noon...

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

BAN MIND CONTROL/ DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS TORTURE AND ABUSE

2009-09-02T18:34:14Z

I know this sounds like science fiction or a conspiracy theory, but it's not. It is a complete reality and a huge danger to humanity. Please check out the following petition and sign it. As crazy as this may sound but mind control energy weapons is a reality. Millions of people are suffering from the mental abuse and torture of these weapons that are not openely talked about or known, or "declassified." The abuse is largely sexist and racist and targets people who are of certain ethnicities... primarily who are not white. The abuse is deliberate, cruel, and is done by directing energy beams, via satellite or other means, onto the body/person/ brain of the individuals targeting certain centers of the brain to elicit responses or actions. The companies, military, governments who are doing this also use sound weapons to direct sounds, subtle or not, vibrations and energy in the mind or environment of the victims to harrass, abuse, and control the actions of these individuals. Whether they are able to do control the person or not, they definitely abuse and severely mentally and psychologically hurt the victims.

BAN MIND CONTROL/DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS TORTURE AND ABUSE

To: the President of the United States, Members of the U.S. Senate and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, see more...your Governor, Members of your State Senate, Members of your State House, the President of the United States, Members of the U.S. Senate and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Started by: Soleilmavis L

WE CONCERN ABOUT THE ABUSE AND TORTURE OF THE FOLLOWINGS :- DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS; NEUROLOGICAL WEAPONS; MIND CONTROL WEAPONS; BODY AND BRAIN MANIPULATION WEAPONS; PSYCHOTRONIC WEAPONS; SPACE WEAPONS; NON-LETHAL WEAPONS; COINTELPRO; ANDany other unacknowledged or as yet undeveloped means inflicting death or injury on, or damaging or destroying, a person (or the biological life, bodily health, mental health, or physical and economic well-being of a person) through the use of land-based, sea-based, or space-based systems using radiation, electromagnetic, psychotronic, sonic, laser, or other energies directed at individual persons or targeted populations or the purpose of information war, mood management, or mind control of such persons or populations.Please help to ban abuses and tortures of above-mentioned weapons.
Yours Sincerely,
Soleilmavis
peacepink.ning.com

"Mailtem" members of THE WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN AGAINST the (secret) Abuse and Torture That Uses Mind Control, Directed Energy Weapons and Manipulation Weapons on Every Living Being.
peacepink.ning.com/forum/to...m-members

1.

This petition ends on Dec 31.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 6 replies

September, 2009, Chalk for Peace Event

2009-08-12T22:09:03Z

A fun way to involve artists young and old alike in local communities everywhere.
http://www.chalk4peace.org/

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Anyone like reggae?

2009-07-14T02:14:15Z

Anyone out there who likes reggae music might want to take advantage of my neighbors free offer. Their bands name is "Ras Sparrow" and at least for a limited time (if not forever), they are offering a free download of their latest recording "Zion Town". Ras Sparrow is one of the hottest up and coming reggae acts on the Big Island of Hawaii. Their first publically released recording "Good Seed" has gone up to #1 on island radio, and they are gaining quite a following locally. Radio stations on the other islands have discovered "Good Seed" as well, and they have been invited to play on Maui and Oahu later this year. So check them out and get your free download now while the offer still lasts.

http://www.myspace.com/rassparrowdailybread

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Perimeter Fencing : Closure of Golden Gate Park by Outside Lands

2009-06-06T13:38:24Z

When
21 AUG -- 3 SEPT 2009 (and in 2010--2013)

Where
21st Ave -- 44th Ave: Most of the West End of GGP: Polo Fields, Speedway, Lindley, Marx, Little Speedway Meadows, and the connective areas

Whom
All unauthorized users

How
Chain--link fencing

What to Do
Spread the word about our loss of access to GGP, the displacement of fauna, and the destruction of flora
by letter, word of mouth, phone, email, text, etc.

Call your supervisor: 554-5184; 554-5163 (fax); 554-5227 (TTY)

Call SF Rec and Park: 831-2700

Attend the Public Meetings
8 June, 7pm, Zephyr Coffee House
11 June, 7pm, Taraval Police Station
15 June, 6pm, Grace Luthern Church
18 July, 10am, Sunset Rec Center

Like last year, Another Planet Entertainment plans to displace San Franciscans from Golden Gate Park. For about two weeks San Franciscans and visitors are getting kicked out of huge portion of GGP by a private entity so that it can make a profit. Chunks of time and space like this are going to add up quickly. Say good bye to Speedway Meadows and hello to the Walmart greeter ....

When
21 AUG -- 3 SEPT 2009 (and in 2010--2013)

Where
21st Ave -- 44th Ave: Most of the West End of GGP: Polo Fields, Speedway, Lindley, Marx, Little Speedway Meadows, and the connective areas

Whom
All unauthorized users

How
Chain--link fencing

What to Do
Spread the word about our loss of access to GGP, the displacement of fauna, and the destruction of flora by letter, word of mouth, phone, email, text, etc.

Call your supervisor: 554-5184; 554-5163 (fax); 554-5227 (TTY)

Call SF Rec and Park: 831-2700

Attend the Public Meetings
8 June, 7pm, Zephyr Coffee House
11 June, 7pm, Taraval Police Station
15 June, 6pm, Grace Luthern Church
18 July, 10am, Sunset Rec Center

[keywords: Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, Golden Gate Park, Chain link fencing, public property, privatization, SF Rec and Park, Disaster Capitalism, open space, public domain, public funds, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Another Planet Entertainment, Polo Fields, Speedway, Lindley, Marx, Little Speedway Meadows]

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

New Report on Organic Soy Released!

2009-05-18T21:07:20Z

Hey all! The non-profit I work for (The Cornucopia Institute) just released a super report on organic soy, along with a scorecard that rates the integrity of all the organic soy products on the market. Please visit their site to check out both – some really important and helpful information in it. Well-researched.

Site: www.cornucopia.org

link to report: http://www.cornucopia.org/2009/05/soy-report-and-scorecard/

link to scorecard: http://www.cornucopia.org/soysurvey/

Below is also the press release we sent out about it, for those who may be interested.

Thanks! Contact us if you have questions!
Lynn

May 18, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Mark Kastel 608-625-2042
Charlotte Vallaeys 978-369-6409

New Report: Many Organic Soy Food Brands
Importing Beans from China

We no longer trust these imports to feed our pets
They have no place in organics

Cornucopia, WI: Tremendous growth in the organic soy foods industry has occurred over the last two decades as consumers seek healthy dietary alternative sources of protein. Many companies touting their "natural" or "organic" soy brands have found favor in the supermarket. A new report, released this week by The Cornucopia Institute, lifts the veil on some of these companies, exposing widespread importation of soybeans from China and the use of toxic chemicals to process soy foods labeled as "natural."

The report, Beyond the Bean: The Heroes and Charlatans of the Natural and Organic Soy Foods Industry, and an accompanying ratings scorecard of organic brands, separates industry heroes—who have gone out of their way to connect with domestic farmers—from agribusinesses that are exploiting the trust of consumers.

Part of the meteoric rise in organic food sales has been built on the expectation from consumers that organic foods support a more environmentally sound form of agriculture and one that financially rewards family farmers through their patronage. "Importing Chinese soybeans or contributing to the loss of rain forests by shipping in commodities from Brazil just flat-out contradicts the working definition of organic agriculture," said Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst at The Cornucopia Institute.

Through a nationwide survey of the industry, onsite farm, and processor visits, plus reviews of import data, Cornucopia assembled a rating system aimed at empowering consumers and wholesale buyers with the knowledge necessary to support brands that respect the fundamental tenets of organics.

"The good news in this report is that consumers can easily find, normally without paying any premium, organic soy foods that truly meet their expectations," said Charlotte Vallaeys, a researcher at Cornucopia and the primary author of the report.

One company that had an excellent opportunity to meet consumer expectations by supporting the growth of organic acreage in North America was Dean Foods, makers of the industry's leading soymilk, Silk. Instead, after buying the Silk brand, Dean Foods quit purchasing most of their soybeans from American family farmers and switched their primary sourcing to China. This cost-cutting move helped them build their commanding soy milk market share using soybeans of questionable organic certification from China.

“White Wave (the operating division of Dean Foods that markets Silk and Horizon organic milk) had the opportunity to push organic and sustainable agriculture to incredible heights of production by working with North American farmers and traders to get more land in organic production, but what they did was pit cheap foreign soybeans against the U.S. organic farmer, taking away any attraction for conventional farmers to make the move into sustainable agriculture,” said Merle Kramer, a marketer for the Midwestern Organic Farmers Cooperative.
And now Dean, the $11 billion agribusiness behemoth and the nation's largest dairy concern, has quietly abandoned organic soybeans in most of the Silk product line, switching to even cheaper conventional soybeans without changing UPC codes for retailers or lowering pricing to consumers.

After reports from cooperative and independent natural foods retailers around the country Cornucopia visited a Whole Foods store in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin and found only one of 25 Silk soymilk products was organic. "This is a radical departure by a brand that was widely viewed as an organic market pioneer," lamented Kastel.

Cornucopia's Vallaeys warned: "Health conscious shoppers should no longer associate Silk with organic, and should seek the green USDA Certified Organic seal when purchasing soy products.”

"As a vegetarian, for health and ethical reasons, I am appalled that some large corporations are profiteering on my trust in their brand," said Joan Levin, a Chicago consumer who says she is fiercely committed to organics.

Meanwhile, highly committed companies like Eden Foods, one of the country's largest organic soy foods producers, Small Planet Tofu, and Vermont Soy work directly with North American organic farmers.

“Small Planet Tofu has bought organic soybeans from me and other farmers I work with for the past 17 years,” said Phil Lewis, an organic farmer in Kansas. “This relationship is priceless, because I know that I can count on them even if I have a bad year with droughts or floods,” Lewis added.

“The top-rated companies that nurture relationships with American organic farmers should be rewarded in the marketplace. We hope that organic consumers will use Cornucopia’s soy scorecard when deciding which organic soy foods to buy,” said Kastel.

Some soy food makers that did not participate in the scorecard study may have been hesitant to share their sourcing information because they also buy organic soybeans from China. “Their reluctance to disclose their sourcing information makes sense, given the USDA’s weak oversight of certifying agents working in China,” noted Kastel.

The USDA waited five years before sending auditors to China to examine the practices of that country’s certifying agents. And even when in China, the USDA’s auditors visited only two farms in the entire country. On these two farms, they found multiple noncompliances with U.S. organic standards. USDA auditors also discovered that Chinese-based organic certifying agents did not always provide a translated copy of the U.S. standards to clients who apply for organic certification.

The Chinese findings support concerns that American farmers have raised for years, which is that organic imports from China may not always be held to the same strict standards as American crops. They also raise serious questions about whether Chinese farmers are adequately informed about the USDA organic standards and requirements.

“If the reputation of organic food is impugned through illegal and fraudulent activities in China, and an incompetent level of oversight by the USDA, it will be the domestic farmers and entrepreneurs that built this industry who will be harmed,” added Kastel.

Hexane: The Dirty Little Secret of the Natural Soy Foods Industry

Behind the Bean also exposes the natural soy industry’s “dirty little secret”: its widespread use of the chemical solvent hexane. Hexane is used to process nearly all conventional soy protein ingredients and edible oils and is prohibited when processing organic foods.

Soybeans are bathed in hexane by food processors seeking to separate soy oil from the protein and fiber of the beans. It is a cost-effective and highly efficient method for concentrating high-protein isolates. But hexane is also a neurotoxic chemical that poses serious occupational hazards to workers, is an environmental air pollutant, and can contaminate food.

Residue tests reveal that small amounts of hexane can and do appear in ingredients processed with the toxic chemical. The government does not require that companies test for hexane residues before selling foods to consumers, including soy-based infant formula.

"Consumers who are concerned with the purity and healthfulness of their food should continue to seek out organic alternatives as part of their diet and support the many high-integrity brands outlined in our study," Vallaeys stated.

The full Cornucopia Institute report, or an executive summary, including the scorecard of organic soy brands, can be found at www.cornucopia.org

- 30 -

MORE:

Pacific Foods, another major organic manufacturer, for example, puts a “Certified to the Source™” seal on its organic soymilk packages, yet refused to share with customers and Cornucopia researchers any sourcing information. Additional Cornucopia research of available import databases indicates that Pacific Natural Foods buys hundreds of thousands of pounds of organic soybeans from China. "Obviously, Pacific Foods knows their customers well enough that they felt sharing this information openly with them would not reflect well on their reputation," added Vallaeys.

"When consumers choose to invest in organic food, they think they are choosing a safer and more nutritious product for their families,” said Cornucopia’s Kastel.

Dean Foods has also been the subject of industry scrutiny and USDA investigations for their dependence on giant factory farms, some with over 10,000 animals, producing "organic" milk while violating federal standards.

The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit farm policy research group, is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Their Organic Integrity Project acts as a corporate and governmental watchdog assuring that no compromises to the credibility of organic farming methods and the food it produces are made in the pursuit of profit.www.cornucopia.org

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Ed Rosenthal takes Time 4 Hemp PLUS Audio remarks from President Obama!

2009-05-07T03:02:20Z

Featured writer in CANNABIS CULTURE and SKUNK magazines as well as the author of more than a dozen books on growing marijuana - Ed Rosenthal takes 'Time 4 Hemp' and it's free to download at http://www.Time4Hemp.com Also included in this segment are audio recordings of President Obama talking about his use of marijuana and his approach to the War On Drugs.

Musical artists (in order of appearance):

Luke Scarmazzo - Pato Banton
Red Dirt - The Blaxicans

Please pass this information on to everyone you feel would enjoy this show.

Keep Strong!
Casper Leitch
Host/Creator: Time 4 Hemp
http://www.Time4Hemp.com

P.S. - Time 4 Hemp has a MySpace group - if you'd like to join, visit:
http://groups.myspace.com/ATime4Hemp

If you have time to surf the net, take a minute to say 'high' to all our friends at the Marijuana Music Awards:
http://www.marijuanamusicawards.com and
http://www.myspace.com/marijuanamusicawards

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Closure of Golden Gate Park: Outside Lands

2009-05-02T15:51:34Z

(Unofficial Public Notice)

When
21 AUG -- 2 SEPT 2009 (and 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)

Where?
Polo Fields, Speedway Meadow, Lindley Meadow, Marx Meadow, Little Speedway Meadow, as well as the adjacent connective areas will be closed to the public

To whom
All unauthorized users (e.g., persons with(out) dogs, nature lovers, bikers, runners, writers, picnickers, artists, Parcourse exercisers, scientists, poets, et al.) will be denied access to the areas above for at least 12 days

How?
Chain--link fencing

Why?
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival (3 days)

What to Do?
Realize this closure will efficiently serve as a basis for future closures in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013

Spread the word about our loss of access and the gradual privatization of our park by letter, word of mouth, phone, email, text, tweets, blogs

Complain specifically to your SF district supervisor: Phone: 554-5184; 554-5163 (fax); 554-5227 (TTY); Post: 1 Carlton B Goodlett Pl., San Francisco, CA 94102; Email: board(dot)of(dot)supervisors(at)sfgov(dot)org

Participate in the Planning Meetings to be held 60/30 days before the festival as explained by your district supervisor

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

His Holiness the Dalai Lama : introduction, current international schedule, resources

2009-04-28T02:51:38Z

Keywords : HH The Dalai Lama, public Dalai Lama talks on world peace, Dalai Lama resources and current schedule, Nobel Peace Prize, universal human [ secular ] ethics, deep permaculture ethics.

Summary: Provided here is (1) the current tour schedule for His Holiness the Dalai Lama [ for California Massachusetts, New York, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, India, Germany ], (2) an introduction to the life and work of HH the Dalai Lama, (3) book references and resources, and (4) curriculum vitae.

HH the Dalai Lama:
“Never give up.
No matter what is going on.
Never give up.
Develop the heart.
Be compassionate.
Not just to your friends but to everyone.
Work for peace in your heart and in the world.
Work for peace and I say again:
Never give up.
No matter what is happening.
No matter what is going on around you.
Never give up.”

Introduction:

All Our Relations. Mitakuye Oyasin.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is one of the pivotal figures of our time. He is, more than anyone else that can be presently named, a world citizen and world teacher.

His work in ethics, human rights,world peace, psychology and education, Buddhist teaching and East West relations, is second to none in our generation.

In addition to a Nobel Peace Prize and the US Congressional Gold Medal, HH the Dalai Lama has received scores of honorary Doctorates ( in Laws, Philosophy, Human Letters, Divinity, Buddhist Philosophy, and so forth ) from major teaching centers worldwide. These include Columba, Brandeis, Universite de Paris, Benaras Hindu University, Hebrew University Jerusalem, U California San Francisco, and Rissho University Tokyo. He is an honorary citizen of Canada, of Roma Italia and so forth.

He speaks worldwide and has published more than seventy two books.

He is one of the most respected and revered persons on the the planet. On one visit to New York City some years back, forty thousand people turned out to see the Dalai Lama in the park.

When the Dalai Lama give the Highest Yoga Tantra initiation ( abhisekha ) of Kalacakra, the attendees sometimes number 100,000 or even 200,000. HH the Dalai Lama has given this initiation thirty times in different parts of the world. In addition to being a master of the Great Seal ( Mahamudra ) lineage of Buddhist tantra, he also gives initiations of the Great Perfection ( Mahasandhi, Atiyoga ), for example in London, in San Francisco, and Paris.

You can see him this year at public talks in several areas, such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Europe, and India. A current schedule is provided below.

I have seen HH the Dalai Lama give extremely worthwhile empowerments in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and represented him to the State Legislature of Hawaii in 1993, where he was invited to give a talk, and did. I have listened carefully to him conferencing with Hawaiian elders in public and was struck by the care and attention he gave in listening to others, and in asking questions.
HH the Dalai Lama has written extremely important books on psychology and ethics, and I recommend these to the general public for self-help purposes, and also recommend some of his books to those committed to public service, especially in the area of multiculturalism, international human rights work, and the international Green Party movement.

Because of the profound confluence of modern events, global economics, environmental issues and human cultures, the importance of broader and deeper human co-operation becomes more and more important.
To obtain a broader and clearer understanding and principles for working with these most important issues, studying the secular works of the Dalai Lama is of great value and importance.

Similarly, His Holiness is one of the few people who can and does speak for the diverse Buddhist populations and traditions worldwide. He has taught senior Japanese tantric Buddhist gurus of the Shingon lineage in their country, for instance. His Holiness is a paragon of the Buddhist renunciate order ( bhiksu-sangha ), of Buddhist scholarship, and of the Mahayana Great Way lineages, all of which are profoundly universal.

This teacher is one of our very very best, be you a psychologist or academic, a diplomat, a tantric yogi, or a Buddhist practitioner. He has completely revolutionized Buddhist teaching, parts of popular modern culture, the understanding of international diplomacy and so forth in our lifetime.

This is someone who actually embodies many of the key principles of the United Nations treaties on human rights, and also the key Buddhist Mahayana principles and teachings. It is important to note that the Mahayana Buddhist principles and the principles of the UN human rights work are essentially identical. There are universal principles that take us all forward, individually and together. In Buddhist Sanskrit these terms are, for instance pratitya-samutpada and karma. Now you know.

The final point I wish to put forward to all is this: the Dalai Lama believes in all of us as people who *already* have sensitive human hearts that can be educated and developed, and he shows all of us a very real and practical way forward, a way based on self-understanding, listening and mutual respect, and patient co-operation.

You could do worse, and please remember that due to impermanence, this elder teacher will not live forever. It is not clear how anyone anywhere can replace him.

I see no real alternative to respect and co-operation for the common good, because we are one world. For this broader and deeper reason, and not specifically because he is a Buddhist guru, I support this teacher. He was not allowed by their government to attend a recent peace conference in South Africa, but he is available to you, and he is here for All Our Relations. May he live long and may his brilliant consciousness reach many many more.

Thank you,
KT, Rio Earth Summit Green Party organizer and so forth

In partial fulfillment of my formal Mahayana teaching responsibilities.
Sarva mangalam! Siddhi rastu!
[ May it be auspicious! May there be accomplishment! ]

John David Bartoe, Challenger 8 NASA space mission, July 1985:
“As I looked down, I saw large river meandering slowly along for miles, passing from one country to another without stopping. I also saw huge forests, extending across several borders. And I watched the extent of one ocean touch the shores of several continents. Two words leaped to mind as I looked down on all of this: commonality and interdependence. We are one world.”

Some of the following materials are taken from
http://www.dalailama.com/
Published books and multimedia materials are available at libraries throughout the world, and from Snow Lion Publications at
http://www.snowlionpub.com

From the official web site:

“Universal Recognition

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems.

“His Holiness has travelled to more than 62 countries spanning 6 continents. He has met with presidents, prime ministers and crowned rulers of major nations. He has held dialogues with the heads of different religions and many well-known scientists.

“Since 1959 His Holiness has received over 84 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion. His Holiness has also authored more than 72 books.

“His Holiness describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.”

“Three Main Commitments in Life
“Firstly, on the level of a human being, His Holiness first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their life happier. His Holiness refers to these human values as secular ethics. He remains committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone he meets.

“Secondly, on the level of a religious practitioner, His Holiness second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world's major religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other's respective traditions. As far as one truth, one religion is concerned, this is relevant on an individual level. However, for the community at large, several truths, several religions are necessary.
“Thirdly, His Holiness is a Tibetan and carries the name of the Dalai Lama. Tibetans place their trust in him. Therefore, his third commitment is to the Tibetan issue. His Holiness has a responsibility to act as the free spokesperson of the Tibetans in their struggle for justice. As far as this third commitment is concerned, it will cease to exist once a mutually beneficial solution is reached between the Tibetans and Chinese.

However, His Holiness will carry on with the first two commitments till his last breath.”

Upcoming Schedule
2009
Lecture in Santa Barbara, CA, USA on April 24: His Holiness will give a lecture on The Nature of Mind organized by the University of Santa Barbara at the UCSB Events Center. Contact Website: www.religion.ucsb.edu/dalailama/
Public Talk in Santa Barbara, CA, USA on April 24: His Holiness will give a public talk on Ethics for Our Time organized by the University of Santa Barbara at the UCSB Events Center. Contact Website: www.religion.ucsb.edu/dalailama/
Public Talk in Berkeley, CA, USA on April 25: His Holiness will give a public talk on Peace Through Compassion organized by the University of California, Berkeley at the Greek Theater. Contact Website: www.berkeley.edu

Public Talk in Boston, MA, USA on April 30: His Holiness will give a public talk to the Harvard University Community on Educating the Heart organized by Harvard University at the Memorial Church. Contact Website: www.harvard.edu
Inauguration of The Dalai Lama Center on April 30: His Holiness will inaugurate The Dalai Lama Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by giving a talk on Ethics and Enlightened Leadership. Contact Website: www.thecenter.mit.edu
Panel Discussion in Boston, MA on May 1: His Holiness will participate in a panel discussion on Meditation and Psychotherapy – Cultivating Compassion and Wisdom organized by the Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education at Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Contact Website: www.cme.med.harvard.edu/index.asp?SECTION=CLASSES&ID=00292525&SO=Y
Teaching in Boston, MA on May 2: His Holiness will give a teaching in the morning on What Is Buddhism & Commentary on The Four Noble Truths organized by the Tibetan Association of Boston at the Gillette Stadium, Foxboro. Contact Website: www.bostontibet.org
Public Talk in Boston, MA on May 2: His Holiness will give a public talk in the afternoon on The Path to Peace and Inner Happiness organized by the Tibetan Association of Boston at the Gillette Stadium, Foxboro. Contact Website: www.bostontibet.org
Public Talk in New York, NY on May 3: His Holiness will participate in a conversation with Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and moderated by Pico Iyer on Wisdom & Compassion for Challenging Times and organized by The Tibet Fund at The Town Hall. Contact Website: www.tibetfund.org

Teaching in New York, NY on May 4: His Holiness will give a teaching on The Quintessence of Compassion organized by The Tibet House at The New Beacon Theater. Contact Website: www.tibethouse.org
Public Talk in Albany, NY on May 6: His Holiness will give a public talk on Compassionate Ethics in Difficult Times organized by the World Ethical Foundations Consortium at the Albany Palace Theater. Contact Website: www.worldethicalfoundations.org

Teaching in Copenhagen, Denmark from May 30 & 31: His Holiness will give a day and a half teaching on Nagarjuna's Commentary on Bodhicitta (jangchup semdrel) & Kamalashila's The Middling Stages of Meditation (gomrim barpa) at the Bella Center. Contact Website: www.dalailama.dk
Public Talk in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 31: His Holiness will give a public talk on Peace Through Inner Peace at the Bella Center. Contact Website: www.dalailama.dk

Public Talk in Reykjavik, Iceland on June 2: His Holiness will give a public talk on the topic on Values, Attitude and Happiness at the Laugardalsholl Sporting Arena. Contact Website: www.dalailama.is

Teaching in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on June 4: His Holiness will give a teaching on Shantideva’s Chapter 6 on Patience from A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life at the Rai Congress Center. Contact Website: www.dalailamanederland.nl
Public Talk in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on June 4: His Holiness will give a public talk on The Power of Compassion At A Turbulent Time at the Rai Congress Center. Contact Website: www.dalailamanederland.nl

Teaching in Kaza, H.P., India from July 10 to 12: His Holiness will give three-day teachings at the request of the Sakya Monastery in Kaza. On July 10 His Holiness will give a Buddhist teaching (topic yet to be decided). On July 11 and 12 His Holiness will confer the Avalokiteshvera Initiation (chenresig wangchen).

Teaching in Frankfurt, Germany on July 30 & 31: His Holiness will give a day and a half teaching on Kamalashila's The Middling Stages of Meditation (gomrim barpa). On the morning of July 31 he will confer an Amitabha Empowerment (opakmey jenang). Contact Website: www.dalailama-frankfurt.de

Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
[ University Aula, Oslo, 10 December 1989 ] :
Your Majesty, Members of the Nobel Committee, Brothers and Sisters.
I am very happy to be here with you today to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace. I feel honored, humbled and deeply moved that you should give this important prize to a simple monk from Tibet I am no one special. But I believe the prize is a recognition of the true value of altruism, love, compassion and non-violence which I try to practice, in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha and the great sages of India and Tibet
I accept the prize with profound gratitude on behalf of the oppressed everywhere and for all those who struggle for freedom and work for world peace. I accept it as a tribute to the man who founded the modern tradition of non-violent action for change Mahatma Gandhi whose life taught and inspired me. And, of course, I accept it on behalf of the six million Tibetan people, my brave countrymen and women inside Tibet, who have suffered and continue to suffer so much. They confront a calculated and systematic strategy aimed at the destruction of their national and cultural identities. The prize reaffirms our conviction that with truth, courage and determination as our weapons, Tibet will be liberated.
No matter what part of the world we come from, we are all basically the same human beings. We all seek happiness and try to avoid suffering. We have the same basic human needs and is concerns. All of us human beings want freedom and the right to determine our own destiny as individuals and as peoples. That is human nature. The great changes that are taking place everywhere in the world, from Eastern Europe to Africa are a clear indication of this.
In China the popular movement for democracy was crushed by brutal force in June this year. But I do not believe the demonstrations were in vain, because the spirit of freedom was rekindled among the Chinese people and China cannot escape the impact of this spirit of freedom sweeping many parts of the world. The brave students and their supporters showed the Chinese leadership and the world the human face of that great nation.
Last week a number of Tibetans were once again sentenced to prison terms of upto nineteen years at a mass show trial, possibly intended to frighten the population before today's event. Their only 'crime" was the expression of the widespread desire of Tibetans for the restoration of their beloved country's independence.
The suffering of our people during the past forty years of occupation is well documented. Ours has been a long struggle. We know our cause is just Because violence can only breed more violence and suffering, our struggle must remain non-violent and free of hatred. We are trying to end the suffering of our people, not to inflict suffering upon others.
It is with this in mind that I proposed negotiations between Tibet and China on numerous occasions. In 1987, I made specific proposals in a Five-Point plan for the restoration of peace and human rights in Tibet. This included the conversion of the entire Tibetan plateau into a Zone of Ahimsa, a sanctuary of peace and non-violence where human beings and nature can live in peace and harmony.
last year, I elaborated on that plan in Strasbourg, at the European Parliament I believe the ideas I expressed on those occasions are both realistic. and reasonable although they have been criticised by some of my people as being too conciliatory. Unfortunately, China's leaders have not responded positively to the suggestions we have made, which included important concessions. If this continues we will be compelled to reconsider our position.
Any relationship between Tibet and China will have to be based on the principle of equality, respect, trust and mutual benefit. It will also have to be based on the principle which the wise rulers of Tibet and of China laid down in a treaty as early as 823 AD, carved on the pillar which still stands today in front of the Jokhang, Tibet's holiest shrine, in Lhasa, that "Tibetans will live happily in the great land of Tibet, and the Chinese will live happily in the great land of China".
As a Buddhist monk, my concern extends to all members of the human family and, indeed, to all sentient beings who suffer. I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and com¬passion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion.
With the ever growing impact of science on our lives, religion and spirituality have a greater role to play reminding us of our humanity. There is no contradiction between the two. Each gives us valuable insights into the other. Both science and the teachings of the Buddha tell us of the fundamental unity of all things. This understanding is crucial if we are to take positive and decisive action on the pressing global concern with the environment.
I believe all religions pursue the same goals, that of cultivating human goodness and bringing happiness to all human beings. Though the means might appear different the ends are the same.
As we enter the final decade of this century I am optimistic that the ancient values that have sustained mankind are today reaffirming themselves to prepare us for a kinder, happier twenty-first century.
I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that together we succeed in building a better world through human under-standing and love, and that in doing so we may reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings.
Thank you.

[ end posting ]

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

Hi, I'de like to meet you!

2009-04-16T05:21:12Z

I have come here to help in building a stronger online community. Through building a community electronically via the internet, we are one step closer to uniting the world. My hope is that this is a big step in the right direction, one toward peace and understanding among the people of the world. Let us build bridges of understanding together! I firmly believe it is up to all the people of Earth to create a better world, not corporations, politicians, and other demagogues. Now we have the means to do so and make no mistake this is truly the dawning of a new age!

So visit my profile if you like, say hello, add me to your friends, and just communicate in general. I am also contributing to a blog if your interested; www.riseupforthenewday.net. Remember there can be no community without communication!

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Dreaming the NEW American Dream

2009-04-04T17:29:36Z

California poets Ava Bird & Rex Butters, and....

Santa Cruz artist Russell Brutsche - Karen Kwiatkowski of Virginia

Protests to stop immigration raids ... and more.
____________________

http://www.newamericandream.net

The New American Dream

What's New?

* Karen Kwiatkowski column
* Ava Bird poetry
* Rex Butters poetry
* Gary Mennie poetry

Columns:
Sherwood Ross — why not shut down a few prisons in the United States as well?
Mickey Z — Americans are cowards, too comfortable, will never-ever-not-in-one-million-years revolt-or-even-bother-to-stand-up — no matter what the rich folks do to them.
Lydia Sems — It's The American Dream that is the problem.

and more from Jack Saunders ...

Resistance:
* Planned civil disobedience in Minnesota to stop raids against immigrants
* Protests at Creech AFB against U.S. drone terroristic activity
*100 days of protest against Guantanamo to culminate

All this, Northern Exposure, The Big Lebowski, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights ... a certificate for free toast ... and more.

Join us.

The New American Dream
Dude.
... because ... Sister Mary Anne told us, "There are no wrong questions, if you don't know the answers."

... from the Dream Team

http://www.newamericandream.net

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Redrock drilling

2009-02-21T03:35:23Z

As you may or may not know, the BLM and Bush Administration is trying to auction off oil and gas leases in Redrock wilderness in Utah (Dinosaur National Monument, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Capitol Reef National Park) this Friday 19 December.
Whether or not you're a resident of Utah or have been to these places, please register your opposition and spread the word.
If you'd like, here is a link to the NRDC's form letter; all you have to do is fill in some spaces.

http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/stop_wilderness_giveaway

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 3 replies

Channel G

2009-02-03T04:21:29Z

Come check out the Ginormous Love of Channel G!
We promote the sustainable solutions of non-profits around the world,
and here at home.
http://tribes.tribe.net/channelg

Red Feather- building straw bale houses for elderly, homeless Native Americans.
watch video here:
www.channelg.tv/video.php

Join our Tribe, and help spread the Good word!!
http://tribes.tribe.net/channelg

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Eco Couture – Buy Local, Save the Economy and The Planet

2009-01-20T21:39:44Z

Wear Your Values

Coco Chanel once said “Fashion is not something that exists only in dresses. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

At the end of its journey clothing and fabric scrap takes up a huge amount of landfill. Add to that the environmental costs of packaging, transport, color dying, printing, and laundry and it creates a dangerous and enormous carbon footprint. This is the reason fashion designed with recycled materials comes as a welcome new fashion trend. There are countless ways to reduce your fashion carbon footprint and rebuild the economy. The choice is ours to support local designers and in turn save the planet and create jobs.

“Several studies have shown that buying from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community and creating jobs. Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution. Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our communities, provide the most jobs to residents.“ Source: sconnect.org

RecycledForDancing.com designs by Deborah Paulino are collectable works of art that show the nature of transformation, and draw attention to the human connection to one another and the environment. Combined are an array of fabrics from different eras and areas of the world that are either surplus, recycled or vintage.

The reconstruction process starts with hand washing the fabrics in oxygen bleach, then looking at the fabric, shape, color, then sketching out a design. Often several pieces are used to make one piece of clothing and it can take time, sometimes weeks searching through thrift shops, to find the right elements that compliment each other. Once all the elements are in place the construction takes place, then fittings and finishing touches - sometimes tailoring alterations, other times embellishments such as beading, appliqué, or distressing. When the garment is finished and ready for retail, it is then steam cleaned for any leftover dust and allergens and de-wrinkle and refresh the fabric. The results are one of a kind sincere works of art that are well-made, timeless, and fun to wear. For more info please visit http://www.recycledfordancing.com and check out the latest Winter 08/09 Collection

Retail Store Locations for Recycled for Dancing

Recycled for Dancing
Studio By Appointment:
Haight Ashbury, San Francisco, 94117
Phone 9 am to 6 pm: 415 420 5871
http://www.recycledfordancing.com

Distractions
1552 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
Walking - Upper Haight, Between Ashbury and Clayton
Open 11 am to 7 pm - 7 Days a week.
Phone: 415 252 8751

Trunk
554 Haight St.
San Francisco, California
Walking - Lower Haight, Between Steiner and Filmore
Open 11 am to 8 pm Wednesday to Monday
Phone: 415 861 5310
http://www.pandorastrunk.com

Jalina's
19 E Blithdale Road
Mill Valley, California
Phone: 415 388 4682

Arara
665 San Jose Ave.
San Francisco, California
Walking - between 28th and 29th / Bernal Heights -Noe Valley
Phone: 415 756 5826
http://www.ararasf.com

“On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock.” Thomas Jefferson

For more info please visit http://www.recycledfordancing.com and check out the latest Winter 08/09 Collection.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Channel G!

2009-01-11T15:16:23Z

Please check out Channel G.
Join our tribe,
and help spread the Good word.
Thanks!

http://tribes.tribe.net/channelg
http://www.channelg.tv
http://www.myspace.com/channelg

video: http://www.channelg.tv/video.php

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Eat Local America: August 2008

2008-12-20T22:11:00Z

Is your local food co-op taking part in the 2008 challenge? Mine just directed me here, so I thought I'd pass this along:

http://www.eatlocalamerica.coop/
Eat Local America Blog | Eat Local America

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

Time 4 Hemp celebrates the Holidays with an All-Star line-up 4...

2008-12-20T20:19:09Z

...you to party with, and it's free to download at http://www.Time4Hemp.TV

You and your friends are invited to big the holiday party at 'Time 4 Hemp' and smoke out with the remarkable guests who dropped by to share in the fun!

Joining in for this event are (in order of arrival):

Neal Smith - Vice-Chairman of Indiana NORML

Jack Herer - Author of 'The Emperor Wears No Clothes' considered by some to be the Bible of the Hemp Movement

Steve Hager - Creative Director of 'High Times' magazine

Chris Conrad - Publisher of 'The Leaf' newspaper and founder of the Business Alliance of Commence in Hemp

Mikki Norris - Editor of 'The Leaf' newspaper and founder of the Cannabis Consumers organization

Josh Schimberg - President of Texas NORML

Ethan Nadelmann - Founder of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA)

Alison Myrden - one of the first 20 people in Canada to be granted permission by her government to use Medical Marijuana

Steve Bloom - Publisher of the on-line magazine, 'CelebStoner'

Lynnette Shaw - Co-author of California Proposition 215

Keith Stroup - Founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)

Eddy Lepp - Marijuana Farmer and Hero of the Marijuana Movement

Paul Krassner - Author of 'Pot Stories For The Soul' and one of the comic geniuses of the 20Th century

Ed Rosenthal - Author of several marijuana grow books and featured writer for 'SKUNK' magazine

Gatewood Galbraith - One of the Founding Fathers of the Hemp Movement

Tokin' Tam - A Founder of the Global Marijuana Music Awards (GMMA)

Peter Christ - A Founder of the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition organization (LEAP)

Holly G. - Colorado activists and medical marijuana user

Marc Emery - Publisher of 'Cannabis Culture' magazine

Jodie Emery - Editor of 'Cannabis Culture' magazine

Featured Musical Artist (in order of FIRST appearance):

Emerald Night - Kenny G - Shirley Bassey
The Killing Time Band - Cannabis Chorus - Afro Man
Jet Baker - Adam Sandler - Brian Setzer
Kevin Bloody Wilson - B B King - Chief Greenbud
The Tall Brothers - Rubber Band - Lana Brown - Willie Nelson

Please pass this information on to everyone who you know would enjoy the programs and have yourself a HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND A GREAT NEW YEAR!!

Keep Strong!
Casper

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Ecological Impacts of Big Solar Energy

2008-12-02T00:46:29Z

While I support solar energy, I support it on rooftops and in disturbed areas. If we go with the Al Gore economy, we will be giving up hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands. Big solar farms will end up scraping up many square miles of ecosystems and destroy much of the biodiversity of this planet. Most solar power will be wet cooled parabloic trough systems which require 6 acre feet of water per megawatt. This will dry up springs and destroy many dry adapted species like the desert tortoise. Don't be fooled by the "green" economy. The green economy means massive development in the southwest. If it were really green, it would not destroy so much habitat. Check out this web site I found: http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/SolarDesert.html. It really talks about the ecological impacts of green energy. You can also comment to the Obama Administration at : change.gov/page/s/energyenviro. Tell them not to ruin our public lands with green energy.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

GAFFNEY: Treasury submits to Shariah

2008-11-15T18:52:54Z

GAFFNEY: Treasury submits to Shariah

"The U.S. Treasury Department is submitting to Shariah - the seditious religio-political-legal code authoritative Islam seeks to impose worldwide under a global theocracy.

As reported in this space last week, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Robert Kimmitt set the stage with his recent visit to Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich Persian Gulf states. His stated purpose was to promote the recycling of petrodollars in the form of foreign investment here.

Evidently, the price demanded by his hosts is that the U.S. government get with the Islamist financial program. While in Riyadh, Mr. Kimmitt announced: "The U.S. government is currently studying the salient features of Islamic banking to ascertain how far it could be useful in fighting the ongoing world economic crisis."

"Islamic banking" is a euphemism for a practice better known as "Shariah-Compliant Finance (SFC)." And it turns out that this week the Treasury will be taking officials from various federal agencies literally to school on SFC.

The department is hosting a half-day course entitled "Islamic Finance 101" on Thursday at its headquarters building. Treasury's self-described "seminar for the policy community" is co-sponsored with the leading academic promoters of Shariah and SCF in the United States: Harvard University Law School's Project on Islamic Finance. At the very least, the U.S. government evidently hopes to emulate Harvard's success in securing immense amounts of Wahhabi money in exchange for conforming to the Islamists' agenda. Like Harvard, Treasury seems utterly disinterested in what Shariah actually is, and portends.

Unfortunately, such submission - the literal meaning of "Islam" - is not likely to remain confined long to the Treasury or its sister agencies. Thanks to the extraordinary authority conferred on Treasury since September, backed by the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the department is now in a position to impose its embrace of Shariah on the U.S. financial sector. The nationalization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Treasury's purchase of - at last count - 17 banks and the ability to provide, or withhold, funds from its new slush-fund can translate into unprecedented coercive power....

... After all, the object of Shariah is the supplanting of our government and Constitution, through violent means if possible and, until then, through stealthy ones. Islamists, having secured footholds via their parallel societies, inevitably use those to extend their influence over Muslims who have no more interest in living under authoritative Islam's Shariah than the rest of us do. Inexorably, it becomes the turn of non-Muslims to accommodate themselves to ever more intrusive demands from the Islamists...

It is known as submission, or dhimmitude."

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/04/treasury-submits-to-shariah/

;

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

Save Southern Oregon Old-Growth Forests Now!

2008-11-14T17:08:54Z

Please take just a couple minutes to call or write the governor of Oregon today- he is the only person standing between the passing of this truly disastrous and sweeping assault on our public forests. If we can hold this off 'til Bush is out of office 100,000's of acres may be saved from the chainsaws!

The Bush Land Management Legacy

When the BLM released the WOPR (Western Oregon Plan Revision) draft plan in 2007, 30,000 members of the public commented; over 90% asked the BLM to save the remaining older forests, protect clean drinking water, and concentrate forest management on restoration and thinning small trees to protect communities from wildfire. The BLM ignored this common ground, common sense approach to forest management.

More of the Same

The final plan will: 1) remove BLM forests from the scientific framework of the Northwest Forest Plan; 2) ramp up clearcut logging across hundreds of thousands of acres; 3) remove streamside buffers that protect clean water and fish; and 4) log some of the last remaining older forests in western Oregon.

By The Numbers

The WOPR will increase logging by nearly 400% compared to current logging levels; get over 70% of the timber volume from clearcutting; shrink streamside reserves by 50%; add 180 million tons more carbon to the atmosphere compared to no logging (equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 1 million cars driven for 132 years) and result in 1,300 miles of new roads.

Take Action today!

The Final Plan outlines a destructive management strategy that KS Wild and our allies will continue to challenge, and we need your help. Under law, Governor Kulongoski is allowed a 60-day "consistency review" period that began last week. Governor Kulongoski is the only elected official standing between the Bush Administration and western Oregon's forests and salmon. It is imperative that the governor hears from you today! Let him know you appreciate these public lands - that you visit them, recreate in them and value them for the wildlife habitat, water and climate services they provide. If you live outside of the state, please join Oregonians in contacting Oregon's Governor and remind him that these are public forests - entrusted to the government to manage on behalf of all Americans.

This is a very unpopular proposal from a very unpopular administration in their 11th hour. Help us stop WOPR in its tracks!

Please contact Governor Kulongoski and ask that he help protect all of Oregon’s remaining public old-growth and not promote clearcutting on our public lands. Urge him to reject the WOPR and tell the BLM to come back with a plan that moves us forward in the forest.

Governor Kulongoski
Phone: 503-378-4582
Snail mail: 160 State Capitol, 900 Court St., Salem, Oregon 97301-4047;
Email online: www.governor.state.or.us.

Visit www.kswild.org/ to send or view a sample letter to Governor Kulongoski.

Thank You!

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

THIS is the fastest way to build the world we need!

2008-09-26T17:41:47Z

We have a huge, idealistic, smart, practical "movement" going, over on Facebook: The Next Step Together. There are more than a thousand folks in the group now, About 100 joining daily. There's proposal on the table to run our own presidential "election", and we are trying to enroll the entire world! Join us and bring in all your friends! It's all about acting PRACTICALLY, QUICKLY, WITH HUGE NUMBERS... So job ONE is getting EVERYONE IN!

Learn about the Next Step Together at http://nextsteptogether.net
Join the Next Step Together Group on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=24568801853

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. -Mahatma Gandhi

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

THIS is the fastest way to build the world we need!

2008-09-26T17:19:13Z

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

FREE MP3 with RON PAUL, BARACK OBAMA, JOHN McCAIN & LOTS OF MUSIC!

2008-09-14T09:00:41Z

Enjoy a real Texas ho-down in celebration of the 2008 Global Marijuana Music Awards and the 3RD ANNUAL 6TH ST SMOKE-OUT hosted by Texas NORML in Austin on September 20th. One of the organizers of this event (a leader in the TX-NORML chapter and founder of the organization Out Grow Big Bro.), Hector Sanchez detailed all the excitement when he sat down and took Time 4 Hemp. It's FREE to download at http://www.Time4Hemp.TV

Not only is it Time 2 Vote for the winning songs at the GMMA - it's Time 2 Vote for a new President of the United States. That's why, in this segment you hear directly from the Democratic candidate, Sen. Barack Obama and the Republican candidate, Sen. John McCain as to where they stand on medical marijuana and the War On Drugs.

You also hear Texas Congressman and former Presidential candidate, Ron Paul discuss the Marijuana Bill that recently went before United States Congress.

If you get the chance to visit the http://www.Time4Hemp.TV Video Vault, you can download these segments as well as many others) and send them in e-mails to your friends and community leaders!

Musical Artists Featured (in order of appearance):

The Individuals
Jet Baker
Johnny Reefer Seed & Afro-man
Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys
Jr. Boogie
Donovan and Afro-man
Love and Rockets

Please pass this information on to everyone who you feel would enjoy it.

Keep Strong
Casper Leitch
Creator/Host: Time 4 Hemp
http://www.Time4Hemp.TV

Time 4 Hemp cell phone Website:
http://www.Time4Hemp.mobi/

"The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know"
President Harry Truman

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Has environmentalism gone too far? Hell no.

2008-08-28T23:46:51Z

Seriously, there's a debate about this? Sigh... of course there is.

The debate: http://www.helium.com/debates/168344-have-we-gone-too-far-with-environmentalism
My resounding no: http://www.helium.com/items/1162237-environmentalism-global-warming-environmental-movement-sustainable-sustainability-green

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

The green way (literally) to improve indoor air quality

2008-08-21T05:53:41Z

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/952779/top_ten_houseplants_for_controlling.html?cat=32

Seriously, this is cool - spider plants reduce toxins in my home. I love this.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Eco Couture

2008-08-19T23:19:48Z

Hi, I'm seeking like minds.

I grew up designing and making my own clothes since a little girl, and apprenticed with Mirage in Melbourne, Australia’s largest CMT house for major Oz designers; before studying fine art at Heatherleys in London. I was also sponsored by Mirage and a runner-up in the Australian Fashion Awards. Then I traveled and lived in a few different countries and got into planet activism and events, then running an online arts community, then helping manage festivals. Now current fashion has caught up with the designs in my head and the ideals in my heart and I recently returned to designing eco-friendly wearable art.

The stuff I’m now designing and reconstructing are Eco Couture, individual one-off’s made from recycled and vintage fabrics. My design skills are coming back and improving with each collection batch. Sketches and photos of recent experiments are up at http://www.recycledfordancing.com plus I already have clothes in 2 boutiques, addresses are on the site under Retail Stores.

I also do custom stage gear; before working on festivals full time I actually did costumes for Music TV dancers, musicians, and theatre. I had a few designs on national TV way back when, on long running music TV show called Countdown. And I designed costumes for a whole Bertolt Brecht play at the Chelsea Playhouse in London, plus whole wardrobes for nightclub dancers and contemporary cabaret, and fire dancers for festivals in Byron Bay.

My current designs are inspired by San Francisco and Japanese street fashion, as well as European Couture and Burning Man. For me it is sculpture using textiles with a wearable framework and chaos, I take something that I see and mix it with something else that I see, each piece inspiring the next piece. Anyway take a peek at http://www.recycledfordancing.com for art’s sake, and keep me in mind when you are thinking of new additions to your wardrobe or recycling your wardrobe.

Thank you for being here.

Deborah Paulino

Eco Couture

http://www.recycledfordancing.com

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Join the "No Meat Week" campaign: Help stop global warming!

2008-08-19T10:55:16Z

http://www.thepoint.com/campaigns/no-meat-week-help-stop-global-warming

Did you know that if every American who eats meat daily decided to have one meat-free day a week, it would be the equivalent of taking 8 million cars off the roads?

• Animal agriculture causes about 18% of global human-induced green-house gas emissions

• Livestock produce 30-40% of total methane gas emissions

• Livestock occupy 30 percent of ice-free land on the planet, a major cause of deforestation

• Industrial meat production relies heavily on fossil fuels through fertilizer manufacturing and global transport

The emerging global warming crisis requires both personal change and industrial accountability. In addition to energy conservation, each of us can also limit our contribution to global warming by eating less meat and calling for a more sustainable livestock industry.

The goal of this one-week meat-fast is to provide a platform to raise awareness about how meat-consumption directly contributes to climate change.

Join now at:

http://www.thepoint.com/campaigns/no-meat-week-help-stop-global-warming

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

Have space, will green :)

2008-08-11T17:59:59Z

www.associatedcontent.com/article/945801/seattle_capitol_hill_community_rallies.html

A bunch of Hill folks get together to fundraise for a park to be on John and Summit.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Coming hard times and WSJ warning to stockpile food??

2008-07-25T02:53:09Z

Hello everyone,

I'd like to get your thoughts about what the Wall St. Journal is predicting as hard times to come. They are putting this in financial terms because they are all about finances. But there are warnings in this about food shortages, etc. I'm talking about the following article:

finance.yahoo.com/banking-b...the-Pantry

I do not want to eat canned foods or processed foods. But I'm wondering how wise it might be to ignore these kinds of articles. One of my friends has been stockpiling and warning me for a few months now. Her mother went through the depression and she thought that might be the most important thing we can do to help ourselves.

I knew when I was a teenager that we were headed for disaster because of overpopulation. It was certainly obvious to me, even as I lived in Idaho, which was a somewhat rural state at the time. So I refrained from breeding any more consumers. It was my contribution to humanity and the planet. But I never thought I'd see something like this happening by the age of 57.

Let's talk about this, please.
Lynne

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 9 replies

"STOP BOMBING BIG ISLAND OF HAWAI'I".

2008-05-15T01:03:33Z

This petition was brought to my attention over the "Care 2" social network. I do not know if non memebers will be able to get in to sign, since my computer goes there automatically, so if someone who tries it can leave some feedback if there are any difficulties or solutions, it would be a great help. The promo copy came as follows...

I have just read and signed the petition: "STOP BOMBING BIG ISLAND OF HAWAI'I".

Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 1000 signatures - please sign here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-bombing-big-island-of-hawai39i

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.

Mahalo Nui Loa

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Heartwood Forest Council in Ohio -- Burning Issues: Climate is a Forest Product

2008-05-08T01:29:34Z

Heartwood Forest Council in Ohio
http://www.heartwood.org/forestcouncil/index.html

Save the Date for the 18th Annual Heartwood Forest Council, Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26, 2008, to be held at Boy Scout Camp Oyo in the Shawnee State Forest near Portsmouth, Ohio.

Online Registration coming by next week. Download PDF Brochure: http://www.heartwood.org/forestcouncil/brochure.pdf

We would like to invite you to the 18th annual Heartwood Forest Council, to be held Memorial Day weekend, May 23-26, 2008, at Boy Scout Camp Oyo in the Shawnee State Forest near Portsmouth, Ohio. Hosts for this years event include Heartwood, the Buckeye Forest Council, Save Our Shawnee Forest, Voices for the Forest, Meigs Citizens Action Now!, Protect Biodiversity in Public Forests, and EarthWatch Ohio. The theme of this year's Forest Council is "Burning Issues: Climate is a Forest Product."

What is the Heartwood Forest Council?

The Heartwood Forest Council is the largest annual gathering of citizens from across the Eastern, Midwestern, and Southern United States who care about the health and well-being of our nation's forests. This will be the second time this event has taken place in Ohio, the first being at Camp Oty Okwa in 1992. We will focus on threats to our region and to human and community health, in an atmosphere of collaboration designed to form stronger personal and organizational connections. While addressing the issues we face and celebrating the work that we do, the Forest Council offers participants an opportunity to identify lasting solutions and proven action steps that will move us as a community toward a shared vision of a healthy, just, and sustainable society.

The program will begin the afternoon of Friday, May 23, and continue through mid-day, Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day), and will be interspersed with ample social time, leisure, lively local music, dancing and great food. The Forest Council will be family friendly - kids of all ages are encouraged to attend.

This year's Forest Council will explore how we can nurture sustainable local and regional networks and a culture of cooperation and care. Together we will identify viable alternatives to the dominant economy and its toxic legacy of waste and prepare ourselves with the knowledge and tools to protect ourselves, our communities, and our planet. The program will consist of three days of workshops, discussions, keynote speakers, and field trips. Key program elements will include:

* Forest Issues: public lands management, roadless and other special areas, prescribed burning on state and national forests, genetically modified trees, sustainable forestry and low impact logging, land certification, and land management strategies and opportunities including the value of non-timber forest products.
* Coal, air, energy and climate issues: coal mining and processing, including mountaintop removal, room and pillar, and longwall mining, coal-fired power plants, air pollution and global climate change. We will also talk about resurgent efforts to promote nuclear power, the alternatives to fossil fuel such as wind, solar and hydropower, and the connections between forests and energy production including cellulosic ethanol and biomass.
* Sustainability issues: creating viable communities and taking responsibility for our own future; localized economies, permaculture, local and regional food production and distribution, alternative energy and transportation, traditional uses of plants and their preservation, religion and environmental protection, alternatives to the corporate control of food and seed supply; and how to sustain our minds, bodies and spirits as we seek environmental justice and transformational change.

18th Annual Heartwood Forest Council Program

Theme: Burning Issues Climate Is A Forest Product

Program Tracks:
1) Forest Issues
2) Coal, Energy and Sustainability - Positive Alternatives

Where: Camp Oyo Shawnee State Forest - Ohio

When: Friday, May 23 to Monday, May 26, 2008

Weekend Schedule:
Friday, May 23 General Goals: Introductions and Reunions

Afternoon hike - Shawnee State Forest/Park Hike
led by Kevin Bradbury - Regional Manager Shawnee and Adams Lake State Parks.

5:30-7:00 Dinner: Vegetarian Gumbo with tofu hot
dogs, brown rice, roasted asparagus, Salad
greens, vegan Cornbread, Strawberry shortcake.

7:00-9:00pm - Forest Council welcome:
Ernie Reed - Heartwood
Barb Lund - Save Our Shawnee Forest
David Maywhoor - Buckeye Forest Council

History of the Shawnee Forest:
Shawnee Nation Reflections - Dr. Cora Tula Watters
Lower Scioto Valley history Dr. Andrew Lee Feight
Flora and Fauna of Shawnee - Kevin Bradbury & Jenny Richards -

9:15 til? Campfire behind the dining hall for
planned and unplanned music, and spontaneous revelry

Saturday, May 24 General Goals: Explore the
Issues: Follow one of the tracks or do some of both:
Forest Issues - physical and economic issues
Coal, Energy and Sustainability - Positive Alternatives

6:30 - Bird Hike, Yoga Stretch or Polarity work

7:30-9:00 Breakfast: Baked Omelet with asparagus,
feta, ramps, fresh herbs with green tomato salsa,
Vegan Paw Paw cornmeal pancakes OR vegan Paw Paw
Buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup,
Tempeh/potato sausages (vegan) or sun choke latkes, Fruit

9:00-10:30 - General Introduction to the
workshops’ “burning issues” by the leaders of the workshops.

10:30-10:50 Break

11:00-12:30 Forest/Energy Issues Workshops Session 1
(The session 1 workshops will be repeated in session 2.)

Forest Issues Choices:
#1 introduction to Forest Ecology,
Prescribed Burns, Clearcuts, and certification.
#2 Introduction to Forest Economic.
#3 Specific Economic Study: Green
Fire/Heartwood Economic Impact Study in the Wayne National Forest.
#4 Prescribed Burning Issues (for those
already somewhat knowledgeable on this issue.)

Energy Issues Choices:
#1 Introduction to Local and Regional
Coal Issues & explore the whole coal cycle.
#2 Introduction to the Community Impacts of Coal.
#3 Issue of Coal Fired Power Plants, led by John Blair.
#4 Nuclear Power Issues

12:30-1:45 Lunch: Tempeh sloppy Joes, Raw Snow
Peas, Spring Potato salad with mint and peas

1:45-3:15 Forest/Energy Issues Workshops Session 2
Repeat of all Session 1 workshops.

3:15-3:30 Break

3:30-5:00 Forest/Energy Skill Building Workshops Session 3
#1 Tree Climbing Dale Wallace,
#2 Forest Monitoring David Maywhoor,
#3 Waste Issues Where Does It Go? Jeff Stant,
#4 Climate Issues 1Sky - Liz Butler,
#5 Working with Municipalities to Stop Coal Fired Power Plants,
#6 Market Campaigns Alliance for
Appalachia, Dogwood Alliance, ForestEthics
#7 Bio Mass Issues Mike Ewall and Denny Haldeman

5:00-6:00 Self Reflection Time or Movie Time or
Therapeutic Touch or Body Recuperation Massage Polarity Work

6:00-7:00 Dinner: Crumbs Bakery Ramp pasta with
Chris Schmiel's wild mushroom pasta sauce,
Roasted Veggies, Arugula salad w/ Raspberry
vinaigrette dressing and Italian bread, Vegan Tiramisu.

7:00-8:30 Music and Keynote Speaker
Music by Steve Free
Speaker Harvey Wasserman, Solartopia: Our Coming Green-Powered Earth

9:00-11:00 Music and Dancing: John Simon and Friends
11:00 Music and Dancing continued: Mothman

Sunday, May 25 General Goals: Sustainability & Cooperative Strategies:

6:30 Bird Hike, Yoga Stretch or Polarity work

7:30-9:00 Breakfast: Warm, fresh, homemade
granola, rice or cow’s milk, fruit, yogurt & biscuits with soy protein gravy.

9:00-9:20 Introduction to the Day’s Activities & Announcements

9:30-10:45 Sustainability Workshops Session #4
Sessions to introduce these topics:
#1 Introduction to growing Ginseng -
Chip Carroll with United Plant Savers! and Randi Pokladnik
#2 Principles of Environmental Justice Charlie Fredrick
#3 David Coyte Small Scale Hydropower,
Solar Power and Wind - Third Sun Solar and Wind,
Geoff and Michelle Greenfield plus Mark Donham
#4 Community Rights-Based Organizing and
Local Democratic Self-Governance Shireen Parsons
Session for people who want to work on (participated in) these topics:
#5 Emerging Corporate Campaigns RAN Alliance for Appalachia
#6 Permaculture Successes Rhonda Baird
#7 Successful Community Models ACE-Net,
Community Food Initiatives-CFI, Lost River
Community Coop, Pine Mountain Settlement School .

10:45-11:15 Break

11:15-12:30 Sustainability Workshops Session #5
This is a repeat of Session #4 workshops

12:30-1:45 Lunch: Black Bean Soup, Portuguese
corn bread, green salad w/shredded roots & miso
dressing or vinaigrette, pawpaw sorbet.

Also during lunch - Chris Schmiel Paw Paw Plenary

1:45-5:00 Field Trips, Hikes and workshops either at the camp or off site.

Off site field trips / hikes:
Shawnee Forest led by John Howard and Cheryl Carpenter
Permaculture Farm Field Trip led by Robert Klouman
At home composting led by Liska Kunn, her property is next to the camp.
Rock Run, part of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System

Tree Identification - at the camp may be one or
two sessions held - times to be announced

2:00-3:30 Workshops - Sustainability Session #6
#1 Principles of Environmental Justice
#2 Ohio Student Environmental Coalition
Matt Reitmann, Sonia Marcus, Head of Ohio
University's Resource Conservation Office -
"Tackling Climate Change on a College Campus"
#3 Current Corporate Campaigns Scot
Qaranda, Dogwood Alliance & Linda Wells, ForestEthics

3:30 4:00 Break

4:00-5:30 Workshops - Sustainability Session #7
#1 Body Work Chris Keller
#2 Self Care… “Cloud Watching On A Horizontal Plane”

5:30- 7:00 Dinner: Veggie Curry with coconut
milk, vegan cole slaw, chocolate cake &
strawberry coconut milk ice cream (vegan).

7:00 7:30 Keynote speaker: Nancy Stranahan -
Arc Of Appalachia Preserve System

Sunday evening activities will be at a farm next
to the camp where alcohol is allowed.

7:30-8:30 Heartwood Benefit Auction & Keg Tapping Ritual

8:30 until? Talent Show! Danny Dolinger Master of Ceremonies

Monday, May 26 General Goals: Cooperative Strategies and Action Planning

7:30-9:00 Breakfast: Wild mushroom frittata;
parsnips & potato hash; vegan biscuits with hemp
& poppy seeds and nutritional yeast gravy; fruit.

9:00-10:30 Discussions about Future Actions and
Campaigns and key note speaker Brock Evans.

10:30 - 10:40 Break

10:40- 11:30 Presentation by Albert Bates, author
of Post-Petroleum Survival Guide and Cookbook: Recipes for Changing Times
or
10:40- 11:30 Memorials and Megan Hollingsworth grief work/ discussion

11:30 to 12:30 Closing Circle: Final thoughts, big ideas, and looking forward

12:30-1:30 Lunch: The weekend’s culinary hits revisited

1:00 Collective Action and Memorial Tree Plantings

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

PLEASE WATCH = "IN LIES WE TRUST" = IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE

2008-05-05T10:00:17Z

PLEASE WATCH = "IN LIES WE TRUST" = IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE
Join the "TRUTH REVOLUTION"..

http://www.restoretherepublic.com/component/option,com_seyret/task,video\
directlink/Itemid,40/id,559/

TORRENT WITH extras
http://www.mininova.org/tor/1375455

PLEASE READ "A Truth Soldier"
http://danieltowsey.blogspot.com/2008/02/truth-soldier.html

Make copies and share them with people you care about, make some and write
"PORN" and leave copies in malls and other places...

Only the truely informed will have any chance..

Please join "conspiraciesclub' It's loaded with thousands of Articles,links,Videos, Documents and more.. http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/conspiraciesclub/

and for Canadians please go to "canadianconspiraciesclub" to learn about Bill C-51 before it's to late http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/canadianconspiraciesclub/

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Executive Order to re-build Sustainably

2008-05-03T15:14:05Z

Executive Order to re-build Sustainably

I was just thinking with the recent bouts with tornadoes. Plus, the Hurricanes of Katrina and Rita a few years back plus other natural disasters. Why don't we organize a petition or mandate of some kind to re-build using only environmentally friendly products and install more sustainable energy systems? Rather than re-building exactly the same way, here's an opportunity to implement the positive environmental changes we'd all like to see come about.

What are some of the most effective ways to bring this about? Nows the time what with the Presidential election coming up in a few months.

Would you suggest a Petition, demand an Executive Order or what?

What are your thoughts?

--------------------

Check this out...

"After the tornado, the city council passed a resolution stating that all city building would be built to LEED - platinum standards, making it the first city in the nation to do so. Greensburg is rebuilding as a "green" town, with the help of the non-profit organization created to help the residents learn about and implement the green living initiative, Greensburg GreenTown[6].

Here is an account of the green projects on the towns official website:

Information and Resources available for residents and businesses to consider during the rebuilding process.

http://www.greensburgks.org/recovery-planning/green-or-sustainable-resources

http://www.greensburggreentown.org/links/

Wouldn't be great to see this done on a national and a global level!?!?

;

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

The Nappy Challange

2008-04-13T02:24:26Z

So many mother's have had the challenge of guilt free disposable nappies that are environmentally friendly for our planet and for our baby. Well here are some brands that are biodegradable are now available:-

Moltex Disposable Biodegradable Nappies by Moltex

NEW and IMPROVED Moltex Eco Nappies are 80% biodegradable so they are a better alternative for the environment and for your baby.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

These nappies are beneficial for the environment as they are:

The thinner liner reduces the resources used to make them.
Are packaged in a fully compostable bag.
Don''t use the harsh chemicals such as bleaches, brighteners, perfumes etc.
New Features:

Manufactured with more than 50% renewable resources from controlled cultivation.
Absorbent core now includes a new biodegradable granule keeping your baby drier while making the nappy thinner and so reducing the resources used.
Breathable protective film which is 100% bio-degradable.
Better design to give a closer fit under baby''s legs and improved performance.
These features mean that the baby benefits from optimum performance - dryness, breathability and a perfect fit. All the new features to make Moltex nappies perform better while making a bigger difference for the environment.

They are also beneficial for babies, particularly those with eczema or sensitive skin as there are:

No Perfumes - ordinary nappies may contain bleach residues or synthetic perfumes. These chemicals may react with the baby''s urine, causing a smell not found when the Eco Nappy is used.
Use Tea Leaf Extract in the Core to help with odour control. The tea leaf has also proven very effective in protecting against fungi, viruses and yeast, ie nappy rash. It contains cell constructing substances eg vitamin A, vitamin B and vitamin C which are essential for cell metabolism.
No Bleaches or Brighteners, no lotions and no antioxidants.
So with fewer chemicals used, there is less burden on your baby''s skin and on the environment.

Moltex nappies, like conventional nappies, do however use sodium polyacrylate gel crystals that help absorb the moisture. There are some concerns about this if it gets on baby''s skin. If you are looking for a gel-free nappy, look at our Tushies range.

*Safeties Nature 100% Biodegradable Nappies *

This is an Australian Invention, 9 years in the making, and is the worlds first 100% biodegradable disposable nappy. With a unique Cooling System and fabric outer, (not plastic!), these nappies are 100% biodegradable - and are fabric not paper!
They are affordable for everyone and are available in 4 Sizes:

Newborn 3-6kg pkt 36
Infant 5 10kg pkt 32
Crawler 6-11kg pkt 28
Toddler 10 - 15kg pkt 24

Each packet contains biodegradable nappy bags

PRODUCT INFORMATION:
This is a major breakthrough for the planet, for parents and for our babies. People have asked for a guilt free disposable nappy for a long time. Well, here it is and its competitively priced so its affordable for everyone.

The product has been scientifically tested and in normal conditions breaks down in less than six months. However, due to the arid conditions of Australian landfill, it is estimated that Safeties will break down in these dryer conditions within 6-8 months, depending on soil conditions. Included in each pack of nappies are 100% biodegradable disposal bags, which the nappies must be placed in when, disposed of.

The nappy is like any other conventional disposable and is priced competitively with the leading brands however, unlike our competitors whose nappies are paper based, Safeties is fabric based, making it incredibly soft.

Safeties Nature Nappy also has significant health benefits. Unlike conventional brands that use chemicals to draw moisture away from babies' delicate bodies, the nappy uses a grafted polymer to natural starch technology that ensures liquid is naturally and quickly drawn away from the skin, thereby reducing the risk of nappy rash and more serious conditions that result from traditional absorption methods.

Product testing has been overwhelmingly positive.

Safeties are as absorbent as the leading brands and will suit most babies for day and night use. The nappies' unique cuff system and flexible design ensures babies are less irritated and restricted when wearing the nappy.

Please select your size from the dropdown menu above!

*Tushies Disposable Eco Nappies by Tushies*

Tushies disposable nappies are a great alternative to mainstream nappies. They are Gel free (ie no sodium polyacrylate crystals), latex free, dye free, perfume free, and contain non-chlorine bleached woodpulp. They also have some cotton so their cloth-like cover creates increased softness, and an extra thick gel free padding for your baby.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 15 replies

Join in a project with artist Mel Chin, anyone? Environmental/Human concerns...

2008-04-12T21:31:20Z

see:

www.fundred.org/

and the password is:

paydirt

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Save the date! 07/13~ Sustainability Salon

2008-04-04T19:48:28Z

I know I'm new here, and its tacky to post an event, but its going to be so much fun!
Grin*

Event Date: SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2008, 2PM-5PM
Venue: PARKWAY THEATRE, 1834 Park Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94606
Cost: FREE
Contacts: Promise privately for more details

Sustainability Salon:
Not the same old “Gloom and Doom”

The NGD Committee is hosting a multi-media teaching event. The public is invited to attend this free Salon, which will feature a mixture of video clips, moderated discussion, and a free-ranging Question & Answer session covering many current topics.

Video content will include portions from ‘The Story Of Stuff’ (featuring Annie Leonard), ‘What a Way to Go’, and the latest documentary-in-progress about the Center Las Gaviotas in Columbia.

Discussion content will center around themes raised in these videos, and include:
-Consumerism and Local activities
-Peak Oil-Petroleum and Food / Overpopulation issues
-Systems Thinking and the Design Revolution for business and home life

In other words, this event will focus on solutions that are available today, and local ways SF Bay Area residents can take steps to improve the situation at hand.

Panelists slated to appear include members of Bay Area Localize, Back To Earth Organic Catering, Post Carbon Oakland, Friends of Gaviotas, the Design For Better Living Collective, the Sustainable Business Alliance, the Bucky Fuller Institute, SWT Energy.

Sponsored by the NGD Committee and the Parkway Theatre, this event promises to open doors and spark new connections between area residents who are sick and tired of feeling like nothing can be done. In fact, there’s lots going on right now, and the Sustainability Salon will be the place to learn more.

The Parkway serves food and beverages of many kinds. For a full preview of their menu, go here: www.picturepubpizza.com For more about the NGD committee, visit google-groups and search under ‘Design-For-Better-Living’.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Earth Hour - Saturday, March 29th from 8 pm to 9 pm

2008-03-28T14:32:26Z

This year's Earth Hour - taking place on March 29th (Saturday!) from 8-9 pm local time. Nearly 200 cities spanning the globe and millions of individuals and businesses (form mom-and-pop joints to multinational corporations) have pledged to take part by turning out their lights for this symbolic hour. Organizer, World Wildlife Fund is encouraging people to use the time to engage in eco-friendly activities.

From candlelight dinners in San Francisco to glow-in-the-dark ultimate frisbee at the Illinois Institute of Technology, it's a time to get eco-imaginative. To see how you can get involved, visit http://earthhour.org.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Survival Center

2008-03-17T16:25:38Z

Survival Center

"Obvious something serious is happening politically, economically, geologically and environmentally. How you prepare for these changes will determine your well being in the very near future. It is about the Future — yours. Are You Ready?

It is our individual responsibility to get ready and be prepared for any emergency that may come our way. We have already seen that no group or agency is standing by to come and "save" us.

The Survival Center has the Knowledge and Experience to assist you in preparing for most any emergency that may come your way.

New "Basic Preparedness" The 3 DVD Home Study Course -

""Basic Preparedness" the preparedness book, an American Classic, and Now "Basic Preparedness" The 3 DVD Home Study Course takes you inside the Why's and the How-To of Being Prepared To Be On Your Own for Extended Periods of Time.

If you are really, really, really serious about being prepared for what ever may come your way, and want to be prepared to be on your own for extended periods of time, then this 3 DVD series and the book “Basic Preparedness” is a must have. This is One of a Kind.

This 3 DVD Preparedness series Home Study Course is a 6 hour overview of the Why’s and How-To of getting Prepared. It was filmed before a live class. Only One of its kind!

You have to Want to be Prepared for what ever may come your way and you have to Want to Survive.

“Basic Preparedness” The 3 DVD series is 12 sections plus an addendum and a Mini tour through the Survival Center Store.

The book “Basic preparedness” is used as the text book for the Class.

The DVD Chapters are:

1. Introduction
2. Children
3. Bird Flu & Pandemics
4. General Preparedness
5. Food Storage
6. Grain Mills
7. Water, Water Storage, Water Filters
8. Home Canning
9. Medical - Kits & Supplies
10. Mini Field Trip
11. Self Defense
12. Shelters, Above & Below Ground
Addendum
Mini Tour through The Survival Center’s Store

http://www.survivalcenter.com

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Engaged Ethics and Democracy Vs. the Total Society and the Rule of Arbitrary Law : Examples and References ( from Tribe Ethics and Morals )

2008-03-16T22:19:39Z

Title "Engaged Ethics and Democracy Vs. the Total Society and the Rule of Arbitrary Law : Examples and References" ( from Tribe Ethics and Morals )

Keywords : universal human rights and "well-ordered societies", John Stuart Mill, United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and related treaties, Total Society ( Medieval Christianity, Radical Islam, Stalinism, Fascism, etc. ), internationally oriented democracy, Nobel Peace Laureates HH the Dalai Lama and Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, Rio Earth Summit, Dr. Vandana Shiva and sustainable environmental democracy, prosocial behavior, Aquarian Conspiracy.

Summary: This is an brief overview of some of the main principles in universal human rights as related to Total Societies, with some key references to significant people and books. It is based on the concept that arbitrary and oppressive social order, whether politically or religiously based, is self-contradictory, unstable and irresponsible by definition, and that history shows Total Societies to be inherently dangerous and destructive, and that they can and must be fought when overly aggressive.

A counterpoint is outlined in terms of John Stuart Mill, key United Nation treaties and the necessity of balancing shared human and social concerns based on global interdependence and "inalienable" human rights ( as advanced primarily by references and citations to be followed up by interested readers ). The basic ideas of universal rights and responsibilities and "sustainable environmental democracy" are then put forward together. These are promoted as a necessary alternative to any and all total societies and as an alternative to advancing social and cultural destruction throughout the planet.

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759; (b1706 - d1790)

"Concepts such as truth, justice and compassion cannot be dismissed as trite when these are often the only bulwarks which stand against ruthless power."
Aung San Suu Kyi, elected leader of Burma ( presently imprisoned by military junta ), Nobel Pease Laureate

"No defeat baby, no surrender."
Bruce Springsteen

"Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always." -- Mohandas K. Gandhi

"Today's world requires that we accept the oneness of humanity. . . In the context of our new interdependence, considering the interests of others is clearly the best form of self-interest." HH the Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Laureate and Mahayana Buddhist teacher

Re TMIbo on Tribe Ethics and Morals:
"Evil is as evil does. I would define evil as that which seeks chaos over order. Or destroys order to create chaos, take your pick."

K T answers
Democracy is a kind of "social chaos", compared with Fascism, Stalinism, Medieval Roman Catholicism, and "Radical" Islam ( e.g. Afghanistan under the Taliban ), and the People's Republic of China. Those latter systems are all about social control of the many by the few, and their capabilities for crushing human rights are renowned throughout the world and throughout history. They also don't work, as history has shown again and again by the collapse of totalitarian regimes.

Know this: where books are burned or banned, individuals and groups are or will be jailed or banned or tortured or even burned to death. The Christian Middle Ages were also known as the Dark Ages, and a lot of the history represented the subjugation of pre Christian beliefs and lifeways, including the Burning Times, and also official Ex Cathedra opposition to scientific thought and research.

Thus, there is an obvious and inherent set of problems in elevating social order AS SUCH over AND ABOVE basic human freedoms such as democracy and freedom of speech, and that clearly includes so called moral or idealistic systems of belief or "faith based societies". . . even though basic freedoms are also problematical in practice.

So, a social system based on psychological or cultural control of private persons, one which opposes freedom of thought or belief( intellectual anarchy etc. ), will eventually progress towards tyranny unless opposed. It has happened all over the world in different ways. This is a now a major problem in the world today, with the rise of broadly based low-intensity to medium intensity paramilitary attacks on democratic societies and institutions worldwide.

We all have to pay attention to this, or eventually humanity can lose much or most that has been gained in progressive human culture and society, because progressive society and culture can be restricted or banned outright, as happens in one party or one religion states and social orders.

The first problem is
What is the social recourse for mistakes or bias or unlawful behavior by a ruling social order?
The second problem is
Who shall decide which kind of social order shall prevail?
The third problem is
What shall be done when a ruling social order determines to make war on another, outside social order?

After all, every one can see that Fascism, Stalinism, Medieval Roman Catholicism, and Sunni Islam, and Post-Marxist Chinese "Communism" are all fundamentally incompatible! Who then is to rule? "There can be no agreement on the basis of exclusivist dogmas. Each excludes the other." ( K T )

So to this we can add a fourth problem: Isn't it true that while claiming to support and maintain order, totalitarian systems actually create massive chaos and destruction?
This is clearly demonstrated in Cambodia under Pol Pot, in Afghanistan under Mullah Omar and the Taliban, in Germany under Hitler and the Third Reich, in Russia and Eastern Europe under Stalin, and in China under Mao during the Cultural Revolution.

And that is why the United Nations, following World War II, in 1948 approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ( See http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm ) This reads in part,

"Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people. . ."

The "order over chaos" social alternatives to democratic society and human freedom, whether derived from religious or nationalist or internationalist dogma, ALL fully fit the definition of Total Society, in which the individual has few or no rights, and the state claims basically arbitrary control over the most essential aspects of human life and freedom.

This is a crucial point : absolutist or primarily one-sided social control is a form or mechanism that can be "religious", or "nationalist", or "internationalist". The *process* is what matters, *not* the dogmatic content per se. Such a process is what distorts and even destroys human society, specifically and especially while claiming to promote "coherence" and "order" and "harmony". Violent and arbitrary oppression of many diverse people both near and far is by definition the opposite of those claimed values.

That is, an authoritarian-leaning society or Total Society, to the extent that it is authoritarian or Total in practice, is
a) NOT well-ordered society
b) NOT designed to advance the good of its members and
c) NOT effectively regulated by a ( truly ) public conception of justice.

"Justice" means "rights" and the balancing of rights through corresponding responsibilities among people. This is well developed in the writings of John Stuart Mill. But a Total Society is one in which rights are arbitrarily abridged. It was not so long ago that the Civil Rights movement ( 19th and 20th C. ) brought upheaval to the American South.

Ironically, it was a broad and ever larger set of American citizens who worked for peace and freedom for blacks in the Southern states for blacks ( often illegally or under direct attack by police ), and many blacks were Christian but still oppressed by a basically Christian society / slave system that was clearly worse than Imperial Rome. In Rome, slaves could read and write, and some were Greek scholars. In the American South, black Christian slaves were not allowed to learn to read and write ( the Bible, etc. ) by their Christian masters. So that is an example of a Total Society in recent American history, and one that was conclusively overthrown.

In the above example, it is clearly unfair and therefore unreasonable that some Christians were allowed to go to school and some were not. That's arbitrary abridgement. Basic rights means no arbitrary abridgement, i.e. that the laws and basic rules of fairness apply throughout society, to all human beings.

The main point here is that laws and social systems are always distorted in total Societies, that basic rights are arbitrarily abridged so that the few apply law to the many, while basically remaining above the law. And that is the opposite of a reasonable civil society, whether it is Medieval Catholicism or Nazi Germany or black slavery in the American South or Stalinist control of Eastern Europe.

Rights fundamentally opposed by large scale religious and political organizations can include some or all of the following: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Association and Assembly, Freedom of Worship, Freedom of Political Self-Determination through Elected Representation. ( In fact, the Vatican did not formally acknowledge the legitimate rule of democracy until 1962. )

A key example of abridged rights is the "establishment" of Nazi rule in Germany. This was *not* authorized in the national German legislature, as many think. In fact, the National Socialist regime came to power in significant part by literally holding the German legislature hostage until that body resigned to Nazi rule. It was a state coup. How is that so called "order" IN ANY WAY legitimate? Since it is not, we can all agree that order and law are *not* the same thing as legitimacy, and can in fact promote the opposite.

Thus, a total society can be established by a social force that works like organized crime, and since large scale crime is inherently antisocial, this is contradicts the most basic notions of a well-ordered society.

When TMIbo ( on Tribe Ethics and Morals ) says "I would define evil as that which seeks chaos over order", this is a deep self contradiction. Clearly, the National Socialists sought "order", and their appeal to the German people was to lead the people from economic chaos and national weakness to strength and power. The Nazis represent an evil will to power, a power that claimed to protect the people from weakness and anarchy, but evil and self-defeating because universally destructive.

Historical perspective matters greatly in this discussion, and so do the perspectives of those who have worked long term and very effectively for peace and freedom, such as Mohandas Gandhi and Albert Einstein.

Dr Einstein said:
"Politics is a pendulum whose swings between anarchy and tyranny are fueled by perpetually rejuvenated illusions."
"The unlimited desire for ever greater power seeks to become active and aggressive wherever and whenever the physical possibility offers itself."
"Democratic institutions and standards are the result of historic developments to an extent not always appreciated in the lands that enjoy them."

TMIbo publically and clearly elevates "order" over "chaos", and we can all agree that the problem is not limited to Nazi Germany or to any one specific time or place. Feudal Totalitarian Christianity, Total Society in many Islamic Nations, National Socialism and Stalinist Dictatorship of the Proletariat emphasize "order" over "chaos" ( i.e. non-Christians or Freethinkers, the so-called "International Jewish Conspiracy", feminists and those who seek freedom from Islamic rule or jihad, etc. ).

We know this because all these institutions historically have emphasized war and bloodshed to subjugate or completely eliminate opposing positions, individuals, groups and even whole societies. Up through and including wholescale genocide. The Twentieth Century was largely largely dominated by Total Societies and their massive efforts to reshape the world into their own images, up through and including unlimited warfare ( along with contervailing forces such as the Allies in World War II ).

A casual, rough estimate of the 20th Century destruction of unarmed civilians under Communist rule ( in Russia, China, Cambodia ) runs from fifty million lives to eighty million lives, perhaps more. How is that "well-ordered" ? Yes, there is a strong sense of "order" in Marxist Stalinist rule, but the cost is astonishingly severe. And Communism still failed in Russia, throughout Eastern Europe, and so forth.

The same is true of Fascism in Spain and Germany. Yes, the Fascists ruled ( established and maintained complete "social order" ), but The Third Reich fell most spectacularly, even after amazing efforts to establish control over all of Europe, and so forth. Even after all the bloodshed of World War II, which claimed over thirty million lives.

Thus we can see the repeatedly demonstrated truth of Gandhi's statement that tyrants eventually fail. This means, more generally, that no Total Society ( such as Medieval Roman Catholicism, or Fascism, or Stalinism, or Radical Islam ) is inevitable, stable, or unassailable.

I argue the reverse: I will argue that all total societies, including Post Marxist Chinese Communism and Radical Islam, are inherently unstable and are doomed to failure. One basic reason for this is very simple: the more a violent social order succeeds, the more other societies will become concerned and seek to counterbalance naked aggression.

Another fundamental reason is that oppressive social orders fail to develop the potential of many or most of their members. For example, about 51% of the world's population is female, yet women are oppressed by Total Societies. ( See "The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith", by Irshad Manji, and "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. )

That total societies are inherently unstable is demonstrated by much historical evidence. This is true of Ancient Rome and Medieval Spain, which were based on continuous conquest, which cannot always proceed. It is structurally true today becasue of fundamental ( and basically unresolvable ) problems within Post Marxist Communism and within Islam ( e.g. the Sunni Shia divide as seen historically, as well as in present day Lebanon, Iraq, and so forth ).

It has never been shown that any culture based on war or conquest is ever really sustainable as a whole. Although Sunni Islam and Shia Islam are both quite powerful today, they are not unified, and for many centuries they have fought each other. Thus to a significant extent, they weaken themselves and each other in overall terms.

Devolution of imperial power is well demonstrated in major cases, with the development of near democracy or effective democracy asa replacement. Witness the development of self-rule in India and the many countries which became free of 16th century Spanish rule ( see http://encarta.msn.com/media_461518061/spanish_empire.html ), or free of the British Empire and so on.

It is quite clear that the overall progression of human societies from the time of the Protestant Reformation to today is characterized by several trends:
1) the breakdown of large scale total societies, such as Medieval Catholism and royalist rule;
2) the breakdown of colonialism and international imperial rule;
3) the tremendous and widespread development of human rights efforts and organizations ( including nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs ) and progress towards universal human rights as principle, as model, and as main priority for large scale societies.

This is due to many major economic, cultural, and international factors, including the global rise of literacy and freer more powerful forms of communication and networking ( e.g. the internet ). It is also based on tested working models of democracy that balance rights and responsibilities through transparent and equitable means. These social models are in turn based on well developed definitions of "social contracts" as advanced by John Stuart Mill and others.

The point is to find and uphold a balance based on freedom and responsibility, consciously and mutually addressed. The claim is not that people and groups will in general come to "mutual understanding and consonance with other people" ( Einstein ), but rather all will have to come to terms with fair and reciprocal standards of rights and responsibilities which favor nor one group and which are as little arbitrary as possible, paricularly in terms of negative rights ( non-interference ).

But Non-interference is the opposite of social control as defined by any Total Society. Therefore it is in the interest of the many to seek the opposite of any one model for a total society. When the many can and do work together effectively, or at least begin to work together, then movement towards a total society can be slowed, or reversed, and basic freedoms strengthened or reestablished.

This means negotiated rights and responsibilities through a civil order that
a) accords equal rights to all individuals by default as a matter of course;
b) is negotiated through a system of law that is always independent of any specific political party ( e.g. the US Bill of Rights and the US Supreme Court );
c) is always independent of any specific religious system ( separation of church and state ), i.e. that fundamentally rejects Judaism, Christianity, Islam etc. as foundational to society and social agreements;
d) actively promotes peace and co-operation and democracy in all parts of the world
( e.g. the United Nations and interventions by democracy-backed peacekeeping forces - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacekeeping ).

Furthermore, it also means, in our time,
e) the basic idea of "sustainable environmental democracy" as an alternative to any and all total societies based on squandering resources needed for future generations. This basic concept is called "intergenerational equity", or equity between generations. This has been developed by for example the Rio Earth Summit ( 1992 ) and environmental democracy has been advanced in particular by Dr. Vandana Shiva ( see following references ).

"Universal responsibility" and "universal human ethics" have been well communicated by for example HH the Dalai Lama, a Buddhist teacher awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He says
"Human beings by nature want happiness and do not want suffering. With that
feeling everyone tries to achieve happiness and tries to get rid of suffering, and everyone has the basic right to do this. In this way, all here are the same, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, Easterner or Westerner, believer or non-believer ... and so on. Basically, from the viewpoint of real human value we are all the same."-- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight."

( See also The Global Community & the Need for Universal Responsibility - by H.H. the Dalai Lama, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 1990. )

The point is that this kind of ethic is strongly prosocial, it actively seeks peace and freedom for all, not just this group or that. The alternative, isolationist viewpoint fails, just as failing to address the Nazi threat would have been a tragic failure for the US and others, just as failing to address the threat of Taliban style Islamic rule can become a major problem for any and all democratic societies.

HH the Dalai Lama belives in and works for peace. But peace is very different than pacifism. The Dalai Lama makes it very clear that he definitely supports the war effort that destroyed National Socialism in Germany. So did Dr. Albert Einstein.
Peace therefore is not the absence of war per se, it is the active promotion of freedom and democracy, including sometimes, acts of defensive warfare.

This is acceptable by definition at the United Nations, and it is only fair. It is universally agreed theat there is a need to fight for peace and freedom. This has major implications today in dealing with long-term aggressive and expansionist social orders that develop by swiftly or incrementally burying human rights. These must be dealt with using "scalable response".

There are several principal sets of documents that frame and illuminate the issues of negotiation based civil society. These include
1) "On Liberty and Utilitarianism" by John Stuart Mill
( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill and http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill/ ) ;
2) the founding documents and historical development of democracy in the American Colonies, esp. the sources of American style democracy in the Iroquois Confederacy;
3) the founding documents and historical development of the United Nations
( see http://www.unhchr.ch/map.htm );

To these I would add several additional current sources:

1) information on Nobel Peace Prize Winner Aung San Suu Kyi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi
see also the book "Freedom From Fear and Other Writings", by Aung San Suu Kyi
http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Fear-Other-Writings-Revised/dp/0140253173

2) information on the Nobel Peace Prize Winner HH the Dalai Lama
( e.g. "The Global Community" http://www.dalailama.com/page.75.htm )

3) The Rio Earth Summit documents and process
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Summit

4) information and books related to Dr. Vandana Shiva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandana_Shiva

5) Aquarian Conspiracy, by Marilyn Ferguson
http://www.amazon.com/Aquarian-Conspiracy-Marilyn-Ferguson/dp/0874774586

But politics is not something that happens "out there". Professor Todd Gitlin famously pointed out that "politics isn't where you stand on the issues, politics is how you live your life". And that necessarily involves personal principles, models and priorities, not mere acknowledgement of social "realities" and "concerns". This is why I claim that the Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi are relevant. I will offer some words from Aung San Suu Kyi and Marilyn Ferguson on the inner ethic of progressive social change.

Freedom From Fear Speech, by Aung San Suu Kyi
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Burma/FreedomFromFearSpeech.html

". . .Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear ofdeath, fear oflosing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure.

"A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.

"The wellspring of courage and endurance in the face of unbridled power is generally a firm belief in the sanctity of ethical principles combined with a historical sense that despite all setbacks the condition of man is set on an ultimate course for both spiritual and material advancement. It is his capacity for self-improvement and self-redemption which most distinguishes man from the mere brute.

"At the root of human responsibility is the concept of perfection, the urge to achieve it, the intelligence to find a path towards it, and the will to follow that path if not to the end at least the distance needed to rise above individual limitations and environmental impediments. It is man's vision of a world fit for rational, civilized humanity which leads him to dare and to suffer to build societies free from want and fear. Concepts such as truth, justice and compassion cannot be dismissed as trite when these are often the only bulwarks which stand against ruthless power."

. . . . this is . . . For All Our Relations, and not least for the Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi. Sarva mangalam.

K T

"Our past is *not* our potential. In any given hour, with all the stubborn teachers and healers of history who have called us to our best selves, we can re-choose, to awaken. Awakening brings it's own assignments, chosen by us, unique to each of us. But whatever you have thought about yourself, and however long you may have thought it, you are not just "you". You are a seed, a silent promise. You are the conspiracy."
Marilyn Ferguson, the Aquarian Conspiracy

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Free Energy Celebration!

2008-03-13T04:14:51Z

We are organizing a free energy celebration and are looking for any participants or ideas for orchestrating such an event. The idea is to inform the masses about the benefits of free energy for communities and our environment and the repression of free energy by certain governments/corporations. We plan on using pamphlets, movies, music, public speakers, dvds, floats, and food to create an effective celebration and appeal to a diverse group of people. It's time to take matters into our own hands and defend the defenseless!

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

LADWP

2008-03-10T23:01:28Z

I just went online this weekend to the green energy section of the LADWP website and switched my house over to 100% green energy. It was easy, (and with my small energy usage) it wouldn't cost that much. http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp000851.jsp It was so easy to switch over I wanted to see if my fellow tribers took this important first step as well!

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Looking for an Earth Woman Friendly community?

2008-03-10T22:56:50Z

There is a Meeting of the Kindred Spirits coming up March 29th! And
we do need to see some more Positive well integrated Female Energy in
this group who can work closely with others.

http://edenvillage.net/18.htm

We are still looking to organize a group of volunteers to
help out some good folks one day out of the week, with some
organic gardening and we still do need someone to take Minutes
at the next meeting.

It would be possible, I would think, if there is a single female or
two out there who is cool about living closer to the Earth then
I may be able to provide a place for you to live, for
maybe 6 months out of the year up where I live in Northern
California.

If you can simply come to our next meeting on March 29th. - T

http://edenvillage.net/18.htm

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Conspiracy History compilation DVDs torrents

2008-03-06T12:48:39Z

**************************************************

Greetings to all my relations.

This is the last step of our project History Watch. If History is
defined and known by the texts, we can now add to this definition the
recorded events of the filmed archives. Animated images are harder to
deny than printed words. Our objective is to spread out freely some of
the little broadcast, even hidden informations about our collective
History.

We put online a collection of 391 documentaries and other selected and
recut videos, to offer to a wide public the best of the infos
available on the net in english and in french. If you are interested,
you have the time, the right equipment and connection, all you have to
do is open the joint document and decompress it if needed (but normaly
your system should do it automaticaly). You'll find therein nine links
that will open the torrents for the nine DVDs we compiled (around 4.6
Gig each, for a total of a little over 41 G, being over 100 hours of
videos).

Otherwise, you can go directly to btjunkie.com and search for these titles.

11 Septembre 2001 - 9-11
Bush family & friends
Capitalist & Communist regimes
Capitalist conspiracy
Mind Kontrol - Secret Programs
New World Order - Secret Societies
Secret services - cover up - covert ops
Secret weapons - UFO
Terrorism Theories propaganda

Torrents are a system of peer to peer data transfer. The more people
download a torrent, the faster it spreads and the longer it stays on
the net. If you don't have a bittorrent software, we suggest that you
download uTorrent on utorrent.com. If you want to participate in
facilitating the diffusion of these infos about our collective
History, download these torrents on as many computers as possible,
whether it is in cybercafes. It takes one or two minutes to open up
the links and the downloading will keep proceeding on its own.

Please spread this out, take part in this action for social education
on a planetary scale. Thanks.

For more info: watch.history@gmail.com History Watch

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Dr. Tim Leary, Elvy Musikka and Los Marijuanos take Time 4 Hemp!

2008-02-25T18:57:41Z

Three great free downloads can be found at http://www.Time4Hemp.com

Time 4 Hemp TODAY - Elvy Musikka is one of only four living Federal IND patients who is receiving medical marijuana from the United States Federal Government. She was granted access to legal marijuana because of eye problems that include glaucoma. After hearing the remarkable interview we did with Deborah Busemeyer, the Communications Director for the New Mexico Department of Health, Elvy made it a point to take some Time 4 Hemp.

Music artists featured in this segment are:
Elvy Musikka
The Individuals
Lynnette Shaw
Angeline
John Denver

Time 4 Hemp MUSIC - Los Marijuanos are the new breed of Mexican Pro-Pot-Poets with 8 years under their belt they have been half way around the world. Two time (13th and 14th Annual) High Times Cannabis Cup performers in Amsterdam, Also 2 year co-headliner for the great Seatle Hempfest performing next to Kottonmouth Kings, Sir MixALot, Daz & Kurupt and Badazz from the Dog Pound and others, 5 year leaders in the Million Marijuana March in downtown Chicago, IL plus dozens of hemp fests featured in multiple magazines which include: High Times, The Source, Murder Dog, Ill Tip to name a few. Performing always for the cause, Los Marijuanos have also been featured on the Latin Throne DVD. With their strong R&B hooks sung by PonyBoy and the stories of real life situations of the Barrio and to end the drug wars and for the legalization of Marijuana this group cannot be silenced. Lots of great music from the band is included in this segment.

Time 4 Hemp CLASSICS - Dr. Tim Leary, pop icon that taught a generation to 'Drop Out, Tune In and Turn Off' took Time 4 Hemp in 1991 for one of his very last ever interviews before his death. In this interview, Dr. Leary is in rare form and very animated.

Please pass this information on to everyone you feel would enjoy hearing any of thses interviews.

Keep Strong!
Casper Leitch
Host:/Creator: Time 4 Hemp
http://www.Time4Hemp.com

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The Story of Stuff

2008-02-23T23:56:56Z

A friend passed this to me and I have been showing it to everyone,
especially those who need it.
I showed it to one of my classes at school.

www.storyofstuff.com/
The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

just wanted to share,
love n' peace
yellow

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2008 Communities Conference at Twin Oaks Community

2008-02-19T18:14:27Z

My name is Suede and I live at Twin Oaks Community in Louisa, VA. This year I'm co-organizing the Communities Conference at Twin Oaks for my 2nd year, though the conference has been happening for many years now. Thought I'd post some basic info on the conference for those interested in learning about community, expanding knowledge or just meeting new people. Feel free to contact me with any questions about Twin Oaks or our conferences.

In Community,
Suede Machete

Here's the info:

The Communities Conference is a networking and learning opportunity for anyone interested or involved in co-operative or communal lifestyles. Join us for a weekend of sharing and celebration!

Friday August 15 through
Sunday August 17, 2008
$85 (sliding scale) includes
meals and camping

With workshops and events focused on
~ Intentional relationships
~ Group process
~Collective child raising
~ Creating culture
~ Forming communities
~ Sustainability
~ Appropriate technology
~ Community economics

Music
Dancing
Slide shows
Campfires
Swimming
Magic
More!

Respond to:
Twin Oaks Communities Conference
138 Twin Oaks Road, Louisa, Virginia 23093
540-894-5126

conference@twinoaks.org

For More Information, check out our website:

www.communitiesconference.org

Twin Oaks also hosts a Women's Gathering! Check that out at :

www.twinoaks.org/community...index.html

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Good Collection of Important Websites

2008-02-13T03:38:51Z

Dear Friends,

I found this important website which has links to all daily use Important Websites.

http://ihome.rapidmile.com

I recommend you to put it as your HOME PAGE and take use of it daily.

Also feel free to forward to your friends

Regards,
Namrata

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 3 replies

keep HOPE alive!

2008-02-08T01:41:34Z

LisAnne,

Your blog post "the HOPE of stemcells!" to Cal Poly Mustangs For Obama has been approved
by the group administrator.
Please go to the link below to view the group.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/CalPolyMustangsForObama

Thank you.

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Zeitgeist The Movie

2008-02-07T16:48:53Z

Filmed by Peter Joseph. One hour 56 minutes long. Made to inspire people to start looking at the world from a more critical perspective and to understand that very often things are not what the population at large thinks they are.

Truely ground breaking and likely to be one of the most inflential movies of the decade.

www.zeitgeistmovie.com

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

Eckhart Tolle: Allowing for the New Earth to emerge..

2008-02-07T03:43:50Z

great video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx526pO9UV0

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Congestion Pricing Poll

2008-01-31T16:39:38Z

The SF Business Times asks: Is it fair to ask users of a resource -- Doyle Drive, in this case -- to pay for it through a toll? Give them your opinion by visiting http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/poll/

If you are not familiar with the SF Bay Area, Doyle Drive connects Golden Gate Bridge traffic to San Francisco.

From http://www.sfcta.org/content/view/275/94/

Doyle Drive is the primary highway and transit linkage through San Francisco, between counties to the south (San Mateo and Santa Clara) and to the north (Marin and Sonoma). As a multimodal corridor, Doyle Drive currently carries:

91,000 weekday vehicles
17,000 weekday transit riders
127,000 weekday persons in cars
144,000 weekday persons in all modes
To put this in perspective, the entire 74-mile Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system carries about 250,000 passengers per day.

Doyle Drive serves many non-work related trip purposes, particularly on weekends (tourism and recreation). But on weekdays, it is most heavily used for work trips, which account for 88% of total use during peak hours and 48% during off-peak hours.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Marc Emery, Prince of Pot, takes Time 4 Hemp!

2008-01-30T04:53:04Z

Marc Emery is called the 'Prince of Pot' and claims to have sold more marijuana seeds than anyone in the world. To date, no one has disputed that claim. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, he is the founder of Cannabis Culture magazien, and considered by the U.S. government to be the biggest drug kingpin in history.

Just days before embarking on his 16-city 'Farewell Tour Across Canada' (and a few short weeks before entering prision for a 10-year stay), Marc was nice enough to sit down and take Time 4 Hemp.

Featured Music Artists:

The Individuals
Muck Sticky
Negative Index
Bob Marley
John Lennon

If you get a few minutes of free time, check out my new MySpace Time 4 Hemp Group Site at:
http://groups.myspace.com/ATime4Hemp

Please be kind enough to share this information with everyone who you know would enjoy these free downloads.

Keep Strong!

Casper Leitch
Creator/Host: Time 4 Hemp
http://www.Time4Hemp.com

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Vote to support a free Community WaterBaby Clinic!

2008-01-18T23:47:56Z

Please cast your vote to support my project of facilitating a free monthly WaterBaby CranioSacral Therapy Clinic in a therapeutic warm salt-water pool in my community!

http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/1225-WaterBaby-CranioSacral-Therapy-

This grant will be able to fund my training in AquaCranial and rental of a therapeutic pool for a years' worth of free community clinics for babies, pregnant women, and new parents.

Please support this project - every vote counts!

Thanks!

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Destroy the Great Pyramid before 2012!!!

2008-01-04T02:10:27Z

You and me are living in a peculiar time wouldn't you agree? Many people feel they might actually become witness to the End of the World (or, as we know it). If you have pondered this also, you might want to keep reading. I'll try to break down, in common language, why I think we live in 'special' times, what I think will happen, and what I think we should do.

Mayan Prophecy:

For as long as humans existed, they have at certain points in time believed the End of the World had arrived, when nothing actually happened. This is for some proof enough that the whole end-of-the-world thing is nonsense, and needs no further investigation.
How can anyone look into the future anyway? Not so difficult actually, we do it all the time. The only things you need in order to look into the future is knowledge of cycles, and experience with the cycle. You know the cycle of your washing machine, the processes it goes through, and how long it takes. You can look into the future and estimate if the sun will still be up to dry the laundry, since you know about that cycle as well. People look into the future all the time, and plan their actions according to knowledge of cycles like pregnancy, menstruation or the seasons. If a cycle is longer that the general life span of a human being, the information about the cycle is recorded on a medium, to pass on to future generations, which is exactly what the ancient civilizations did.
Those tablets, documents and artworks become like a road map of time, especially if positioning of stars and planets have an affect on our human experience, which a lot of scientific evidence suggests, and 'spiritual' people firmly believe. The Mayans were such believers, and speak of a cycle 25,800 years long with a certain point within that cycle where our Sun will line up directly with the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. According to their calculations, this event, which they call the "Sacred Tree", will occur on December 21, 2012.
Is it the 2nd coming of the sun? Is the "New World Order" the antichrist? There is a heap of different perspectives on this 2012 subject online, and I leave it up to you to make your own conclusions. I'm not even sure if this has been backed up by science and astronomy,
but we only need to learn here that if at least the Mayans seemed to believe this to be true, and recorded it, perhaps others do too.

One Truth:

This demands that they believed there was ultimately One Order and One Truth to the way of the Everything, Universe, or whatever you wish to name it, much like every religion does, even science. I believe so too, and I assume that many different cultures and religions contain fragments of knowledge of it. Many 'different' cultures and religions have shared such truths and recycled them, or purposefully changed them to fit an oppressive agenda. Is it a coincidence that even Iran's leader Ahmadinejad firmly believes the awaited Mahdi is near, and many christians are preparing for Jesus' 2nd coming? Also we now have a prophet in the form of Al Gore, with his doomsday scenario's, as our global corrupted and dysfunctional leadership is preparing for world war 3. The internet has blasted open total access of information, and it seems as if we are living in the times of revelation. The worlds religions grow stronger, with more fanaticism than ever, inspired by each other's hatred, violence and repression, back in full force since September 11th. The U.S. Government is becoming increasingly more violent and oppressive towards the American people, and other nations, with permission of governments worldwide.
Many people strongly believe 911 was like Nero's Rome, and Hitler's Reichstag, an attack on us, from our leaders. An attack on our civil liberties, gathering momentum, but from who and why?

Rotten Apples:

Unfortunately, our planet seems te be controlled by a small group of people, which has passed that control down for generations. They controlled the land and orchards as royal families in Medieval times, and now they control it through finance, business and government.
The knights who collected the physical taxes with their swords are now outfitted with handcuffs, guns and computers. You see, all these hundreds of apples they claimed ownership of, start to rot in a couple days, and they can't eat them all themselves. So those who claim to own land and the fruits it bears, need an exchange medium that doesn't rot, like metal coins or paper bills. The concept of exchange is based on the presumption that a human can own land, fruit or even other life like cattle. A sad delusion; the only thing we own on this planet is our body. And we really don't even seem to own that, as it is required to report in the factory for 'employment', or on the battlefield for 'deployment'. How is it possible that humanity allows this?

The Pyramid:

In order for a few to control so many, they use hierarchical structures of authority, creating pyramids of possession and power, and reflect that in every aspect of society. In the military, in schools, homes, sports, companies, etc. you are positioned somewhere on the pyramid; most people start at the bottom, a few people are born at the top. It is evident that our planet's abundance is greedily controlled with these pyramids and it is evident to me that together with the "property-illusion" this is the only real problem this planet faces. All other problems are mere symptoms. war, starvation, poverty, crime, and even many seemingly 'natural' problems like disasters, diseases and extinction of species. All these are after effects of the growth of these pyramids, as people desperately try to climb them, trampling those below them, including Mother Earth. The bigger the Pyramid, the more possession and power for those at the top, and the more degrading and miserable the situation at the bottom is. People that rise to higher levels on the pyramid, or are born there, are not likely to give up their position as they know what awaits them below. People like you and me, with generally 'normal' lives, but not so much compared to the lives of people in Somalia for one. With a system like this, the most uncompassionate, unemphathetic people around rise to the top, or are born there and raised by these intelligent psychopaths. Of course the ramification of the pyramid shape is that most people are at the bottom, carrying the heaviest weight, putting the ones on top in a fragile position. They need to keep those at the bottom distracted from looking up, so they create distractions.

"We versus Them"

One of these is fascism, the highly delusional, contagious and effective -"we" versus "them"- syndrome. Some examples are Christian vs. Muslim (marketed heavily since 9-11), Nazis vs. Jews, Humans vs. Animals, or "consciousness vs. matter". In reality All is ultimately One, and variety in this Universe is created through subdivisions of polar opposites. For example, the subdivision of a human being is Male/Female, opposites indeed, yet when you zoom out one level, you will conclude they are both the same thing. The strength of the pyramid relies on the belief of those below in the illusion of separation. All violence, murder and massacre is the result from this concept of we vs. them, or even "we vs. everyone else", and these ideas are propagated through scriptures, religions and media.
Not only does it serve the divide & conquer technique, but it also gives people enemies to fear, and leaders to run to for security. Another scheme they use to distract us from looking at the top of the pyramid, is by giving mindless & destructive entertainment, elevating the artists involved to 'star' heights, and giving them a great abundance of wealth. Millions of dollars for something as fun as acting in a movie, or recording and performing music, while those behind the conveyer belts get minimum wage.
This way, us below might consider a higher position on the pyramid something that people deserve in relation to their talent and great work. As young children we always look at other people for inspiration and guidance, and most of us have had their idols.
Some of these 'celebrities' are so special that they have many talents, and appear in music, movie, tv and videogames. This leads a child to believe that there's a range of specialness to humans, and their success in live will depend on how special they are. They give us rags-to-riches stories so we think the ones at the top deserve to be there, while in actuality they are there because of their lack of emotional sensitivity, and their successful efforts of keeping the pyramid's base distracted from looking up.
Because the answer to all our problems is up there, out in the open, at the top of the Pyramid.

The Elite:

Those who do look up, speak of an Elite, that is secretly planning global control; a story so cliché you might chuckle here, perhaps the reason why it is so cliché. There are all kinds of stories out there as to the origins of these families, including alien DNA bloodlines and such, and again I leave it up to you to make your own conclusions. It is however worth mentioning here that many people believe that those at the top of the pyramid have always generated the major wars from both sides, and that World War III will not be any different.
Is it possible that a multi-generational elite is working towards a global empire? Is this something you witness around you? You might live in Europe, and have witnessed the change of currency there. All money was collected, and exchanged for the Euro. Who collected the money, who printed the new money, and for who? How do they know how much to print? Who decides the value of an apple? It was them, at the top of the pyramid, and it shows how big the pyramid already is. Now they are working on the "Amero" in the US, and I'm sure we'll get universal medical care soon, with required microchip implant mind you. Yes, it is possible, if not likely, that this 'obscured' elite exists, and there is a lot of valuable information on this subject online. Wasn't it Bush Senior himself who in September 11th 1990 coined the term "New World Order"? What? 11 years before 11-11-2001 when the big 11 in new york was attacked? The same 11 as in the $ symbol, or the two pillars of Solomon? What's up with these 11's?

The Rabbit Hole:

For as long as man existed, it has discovered truths about the world he lived in, truths about reality. Truths such as the inevitability of death, or that fire is warm, truths which he can use to plan his activities. With these pyramid structures it becomes possible to keep knowledge at the top hidden from those below. People are "initiated" to this knowledge when they are considered 'ready' by those above them, who know they need successors. The elite certainly uses knowledge of reality for their agenda on a material level, with advanced weaponry, telecommunications and machines to name but a few, but they also seem to believe in a non material level - the paranormal, witchcraft and magic stuff. Even though Bush Junior pleads us to not allow ridiculous conspiracy theories, he himself is part of the Skull and Bones society. I'm sorry, but having a secret club with skeletons and secret meetings is more ridiculous than the people wondering about them, unless you guys have some really cool secret knowledge - which makes conspiracy theories all but ridiculous.
There is reason to believe that the elite at the top of the pyramid uses occult knowledge on numerology, astrology, symbolism, ritual and even sacrifice, besides modern technology, to increase their chances of success. One look on your dollar bill will tell you.
Actually, many people worldwide firmly believe in this spiritual world, and even though always opposed by science,
string theory and quantum physics seem to move into the spiritual domain. It is as if science deals with the separateness of everything, and spirituality focusses on the interconnectedness of everything, yet upon further investigation this is just a spectrum of polar opposites meeting in the middle. I think the popularity of the 'scientific' atheist perspective is a result of the military campaigns against the Gnostics, Cathars, and of course the burning of "witches" on the stake, which pushed personal spiritual experience into the dungeons of the pyramid. It seems as if those above us at the top of the pyramid don't want us to find out the Truth. If that's the case, perhaps that explains why the world is being so radically changed by them, perhaps because the Mayans were right about 2012,
and they want to have their global Pyramid ready for this mysterious date.

Religion:

If you are a devout Christian or Muslim, or any other organized religion, you will probably feel that you already know the Truth, since it is written in your holy scriptures. But do you really feel with your whole being that it is the Truth that the Almighty Creator has written those books for us? There are a lot of very disturbing, conflicting and violent passages in those books, as well as some beautiful teachings.
Can you find it in your heart to give the Almighty the respect He/She is due, by believing he gave us free will, imagination, a conscious and intelligence, among all the other things we need to try to make the right decisions in our unique situations? I personally believe that the All is so glorious and perfect, that creation is perfect, has been, and always will be, and doesn't need an instruction manual. It doesn't need a Great Flood for Plan B. And yet, with all these 'blasphemous' thoughts, I still feel a strong connection with the All. Is it possible the All will create this connection with anyone seeking it, regardless of religion, culture, ritual or intention? I believe so, and I suggest to the devout among you to consider an even closer relationship with the All, where you truly believe in the perfection and glory of the almighty.
Where you don't have to invent strange excuses for the derogatory, hypocritical, and violent characteristics attributed to your god through the scriptures. Where you don't have to be afraid of laws written on paper, but gratefully use your free will to make the decisions you feel are in correspondence to the way of the All. And where you respect God's decision to give each individual a spark of life and free will, confident that all roads lead back to him, live and let live. "Your freedom to punch ends where my nose begins."
Perhaps not for you, but for millions of people around you, these scriptures have done more wrong than good, and need to be taken less seriously. I'm suggesting that your connection with the All will increase if you have faith in yourself, and start filtering the scriptures for what they are worth. Have faith and trust that the All has made you in his/her image. That you are a tiny holographic cell of the All, and as such have all the answers safely stored within. Findings of modern technology support the idea of a holographic, fractalized universe, with "Sacred Geometry" woven throughout it.

Atheism:

On the other side of the spectrum we find the atheists. They wonder why scriptures and religion have such a strong hold on so many people? I think that is because they feel a connection, a connection with the All. Some atheists argue none of it is real, but these people feel the connection is real, and don't want to let go of this feeling. We are all connected, regardless of what vile and disgusting scripture, behaviour or worship people surround it with. Instead of denying this connection, we should argue that people can let go of the scriptures without losing this sacred connection. We all are perfectly capable of living together harmoniously if we live in accordance to the logic and flow of the All. We need to use a balance of logical intelligence and emotional intuition, to filter the crap of the scriptures of all traditions,
and the Truth and Order of the universe will emerge, and set us free.

The Solution:

The only things we need to do is to stop supporting the Pyramid, and realize that property is theft, as Proudhon noted,
that the fruits of Mother Earth belong to all of her inhabitants equally. Bloody revolutions don't work. Revolutions have to come from within, for people just need to drop their destructive habits. We need to realize we are all connected, and that separation is an illusion.
I believe, and many others with me, that the All is the ultimate Parent, and has ensured we all can always "call back home", from wherever we are in the universe. The phone will always be answered. There are telephone booths all around us, all we gotta do is pick up the phone, and the All will comfort us, guide us, teach us, and make us laugh, or it will help us through the darkness back into the light. The call might not always be pleasurable, there might be tears, letting go, fear, self-reflection, and such. But if you prepare for the call, and surround yourself with your loved ones in a comfortable and familiar environment, I believe your phone-call with the All will be productive and helpful. I don't suggest a prank-call. The telephone booths I am talking about here are Entheogens.

The Light:

Did you know that the only organism that can break down nuclear waste is a Fungi? A mushroom basically? Did you know you have a neurological landscape that looks like mycelium? That your brain neurons and astrocytes are similarly arranged to the mycelia network? A.k.a the mushroom's underground web below the forest floor? These patterns are even discovered in outer space, between solar systems. Quantum 'String' theory speaks of a similar web. Or how about this one - that all humans, and probably loads of animals, produce DMT naturally in their physical body? And scientific study suggests this DMT is responsible for spiritual experiences and the alien-abduction phenomena humans experience? With meditation techniques, you can probably trigger the secretion of DMT, and feel drastic emotional or mental changes. DMT is also the active ingredient of Ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew people have consumed for years.
There are those that suggest the small photonic light your DNA transmits is the light people see inside, while under the influence of DMT. Will the coming photon-belt launch a psychedelic DMT trip, as part of the DNA-upgrade, wheter you like it or not? And did you know a full grown amanita muscaria might resemble a cup, and hold some psychedelic rainwater? You could walk through the forest, pick it up and drink from it, leaving some people to suggest this magic mushroom might be the fabled 'Holy Grail'. In the past, the US Military tried LSD on soldiers to see if it could be useful for mind control, but they discovered instead that LSD made people 'enlightened', more aware of the interconnectivity of everything, aware of the Truth. Soldiers dropped their guns, and picked up flowers in awe of the beauty and glory of God. Psychedelics like MDMA continuously proof very beneficial in trauma therapy and humans with terminal diseases. The psychedelic African root Iboga is extremely powerful against addiction, curing some heroin addicts instantly. The benefits of the Marihuana plant are seemingly boundless.

The Darkness:

Why is it the liquor stores, pharmacies, and streets are flooded with all kinds of drugs, except for Iboga, Peyote, Amanita Muscaria, Psylocibin, Ayahuasca, LSD, Salvia Divinorum, etc. etc. Except for the "psyche-delics", the "mind clarifying" plants? Because the international "War on Drugs" is a war on psychedelics, and has resulted in the world we see today. In light of the hypocrisy of this war, I dare to state we need to re-connect with these psychedelics. I believe it is the most basic of solutions, and they are way more safe than cigarette's, pharmaceuticals, crack and alcohol. I think it is especially important for our younger generations, as it is the ultimate right of passage, if done with the proper respect, education, care, timing and love. We all long back to our 'childhood happy carelessness',
and I suggest the only reason we've lost it is because we were not given our rites of passage, our psychedelics. Instead we get schools with pyramid structures, where some teenagers feel so disconnected that we see more suicidal massacres nowadays.
Most of these kids were on anti-depressants, not MDMA or Ayahuasca. At home a perpetual horse-and-pony show is blasted onto billions of retina's worldwide through television, internet and handhelds, solely for the purpose of misdirection and distraction. Will Brad Pitt ever marry Christina Aguilera? I believe a good psychedelic trip will benefit people and families, and the internet provides sufficient information for all to do it safe and wisely. Perhaps instead of prozac, try and and visit the forest's pharmacy. Mother Nature's pharmacy.
You go to her for your food, so what's wrong with her medicine? Who tell us they are wrong? Right, those above you...
Believe in your own judgement, not in the judgement of those above you. It's your choice.
Even though I believe people need to "call back home" more often, I strongly discourage the macho "getting F'd up!" approach. "How many do you dare to eat?" is the same as "How fast do you dare to drive this car?", and will get you in trouble. It is this sort of reckless carelessness that results in a "bad trip", and if you aren't like this, the chances of having one of the most wonderful times of your life are huge. A great mindset, a comfortable familiar setting, the right dose, the right choice of psychedelic, proper preparedness, a company of people that you completely love and trust, and an experienced "trip-sitter". These are the ingredients that will almost certainly guarantee a good time, and inspire you for a lifetime. If we want, we can drop the pyramid, and pick up the pieces. Drop our money, and share the abundance. Us below will have to welcome those that fall down from the top with open arms, if we ever want to make something really beautiful on this planet. Entire industries and avenues of 'employment and deployment' will evaporate, and we need to welcome back everybody that drops their weapons, or had a part in such destructive or meaningless industries. The wealthy need to give up their wealth, and the poor need to forgive them, a tough process with which the clarifying and connecting properties of psychedelics can help. With voluntary mutual cooperation we can turn this planet around.

2012:

If nothing happens, we might by then have established paradise on earth, and happily look forward to the year 27,812. If something great happens, we will be ready to integrate it into our sustainable earthly paradise, and take it to the next level. If the earth explodes, we'll meet again. Either way, there should not be a Great Pyramid of Tyranny in place, I assume, and we should all dedicate the next years of our lives to the destruction of the Pyramid, the New World Order, to the best of our individual capacity. This is the moment billions of humans have talked about for millennia... now what are you going to do? If something as huge as the realignment of our planet with the center of our galaxy can't make us all synchronize a global effort, then what will? We need to have a good look at the Pyramid, not at global warming. Distraction, remember?

-------------------------

I dedicate this Tribe to the creation of a mycelium-like network of humans that are ready and willing to climb down the Pyramid together, and build a paradise on the ground as equals. I have faith that we have all the knowledge and infrastructure we need to solve all the problems that emerge from this drastic change. Maybe 10 years from now Buckingham Palace will host art galleries, live music, restaurants, libraries? Do you dare to dream of a Global Paradise?
Share your dreams here with us, and let's make it happen!!!
http://tribes.tribe.net/destroy-the-pyramid

Love,

Ramon

PS: The Great Pyramid in Egypt doesn't need to be destroyed imho :)

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Think cosmically

2007-12-26T21:15:28Z

think cosmically, and at the same time think globally, and act locally.
just a thought.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

Healing Through Storytelling

2007-12-24T18:40:29Z

Everyone,

One of our greatest means of healing from emotional trauma and getting through turmoil is by telling our stories. Particularly when dealing with losses and grief - storytelling is a spiritual salve. I am working to enliven and preserve the African Griot storytelling tradition below and hoping folks will support our community effort.

Griot Soul Films, an Oakland-based non-profit film company dedicated to producing complex film images of Black and Black Connected communities, and providing community members tools and training to do the same.

Our current project community funded and we've gotten a lot of positive press both nationally and internationally. We need more community involvement and the Winter Holidays are a great time to connect! We need your support...

Please check out our website at www.griotsoulfilms.org and our trailer at www.afterellen.com/blwe/12-14-07

....and consider making a holiday donation of any size. Our long term vision is to create a bank of holistic stories, both narrative and documetary, told with integrity which spark healing, critical dialogue, and positive community action.

Thanks for taking the time!!!!

DJ

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Ohio Secretary of State confirms 2004 election could have been stolen

2007-12-17T16:57:49Z

Ohio Secretary of State confirms 2004 election could have been stolen
by Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
December 14, 2007

Ohio's Secretary of State announced this morning that a $1.9 million official study shows that "critical security failures" are embedded throughout the voting systems in the state that decided the 2004 election. Those failures, she says, "could impact the integrity of elections in the Buckeye State." They have rendered Ohio's vote counts "vulnerable" to manipulation and theft by "fairly simple techniques."

Indeed, she says, "the tools needed to compromise an accurate vote count could be as simple as tampering with the paper audit trail connector or using a magnet and a personal digital assistant."

In other words, Ohio's top election official has finally confirmed that the 2004 election could have been easily stolen.

Brunner's stunning findings apply to electronic voting machines used in 58 of Ohio's 88 counties, in addition to scanning devices and central tabulators used on paper ballots in much of the rest of the state.

Brunner is calling for widespread changes to the way Ohio casts and counts its ballots. Her announcement follows moves by California Secretary of State Deborah Bowen to disqualify electronic voting machines in the nation's biggest state.

In tandem, these two reports add a critical state-based dimension to the growing mountain of evidence that the US electoral system is rife with insecurities. Reports from the Brennan Center, the Carter-Baker Commission, the Government Accountability Office, the Conyers Committee Task Force Report, Princeton University and others have offered differing perspectives that add up to the same conclusion.

Coming in the state that decided the 2004 election for George W. Bush, Brunner's confirmation of the electoral system's vulnerabilities adds huge new weight to the charge that the Buckeye State's vote count was stolen.

In a series of investigative reports dating to well before the 2004 election, the Columbus Free Press and Freepress.org have documented several dozen different means used by the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign to steal the official 2004 vote count.

The final official tally for Bush---less than 119,000 votes out of 5.4 million cast---varied by 6.7% from exit poll results, which showed a Kerry victory. Exit polls in 2004 were designed to have a margin of error of about 1%.

In various polling stations in Democrat-rich inner city precincts in Youngstown and Columbus, voters who pushed touch screens for Kerry saw Bush's name light up. A wide range of discrepancies on both electronic and paper balloting systems leaned almost uniformly toward the Bush camp. Voting procedures regularly broke down in inner city and campus areas known to be heavily Democratic.

In direct violation of standing federal election law, 56 of Ohio's 88 counties have since destroyed all or part of their 2004 election data. The materials were additionally protected by a federal court injunction in the King-Lincoln-Bronzeville federal civil rights lawsuit (in which we are attorney and plaintiff). To date, no state or federal prosecutions have resulted from this wholesale destruction of presidential election records, including 1.6 million ballots, cast and uncast, needed for definitive auditing procedures. However, two Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) election officials have been convicted of felony manipulation of an official recount. The Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the state's largest newspaper, recently editorialized that there is "no evidence" the 2004 election was stolen, but omitted mention of the destruction of the electoral records by more than half the counties in the state. The Plain-Dealer and other mainstream media have consistently ignored findings by the Free Press and others indicating widespread manipulation and theft of the kind Brunner has now confirmed was eminently do-able within the Ohio system.

Brunner says "the results underscore the need for a fundamental change in the structure of Ohio's election system to ensure ballot and voting system security while still making voting convenient and accessible to all Ohio voters." Among other things, she advocates replacing touch-screen machines with optical-scan units that include a paper balloting system.

The study was managed by the Battelle Corporation, and conducted by Columbus-based MicroSolved Inc., SysTest Labs of Denver along with a consortium of academic subcontractors. It was reviewed by a dozen county officials, and included scrutiny of voting systems produced by Election Systems & Software (ES&S), Hart Intercivic and Premier Election Solutions (formerly Diebold).

Brunner is the Democratic successor to Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell, who administered the 2004 election as Secretary of State while also serving as state co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign. The report comes as part of her pledge to guarantee a fair and reliable vote count in the upcoming 2008 presidential election.

Under Blackwell, Ohio spent some $100 million installing electronic voting machines as part of the Help America Vote Act, passed by Congress in the wake of the scandals surrounding the 2000 election. Former Ohio Congressman Bob Ney, HAVA's principle author, now resides in a federal prison, in part for illegalities surrounding his dealings with voting machine companies.

Blackwell, who was defeated in a 2006 race for the Ohio governorship, outsourced web hosting responsibilities for the 2004 vote count to a programming firm that also programmed the web site for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. Blackwell's chosen host site for the state's vote count was in the basement of the Old Pioneer Bank Building in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the servers for the Republican National Committee, and the Bush White House, were also located.

Brunner has now recommended that all Ohio's voting be done on optical scan ballots, with reliance on central tabulation. Voters with disabilities could use AutoMark machines with bar coding devices that allow the marking of ballots with little or no additional assistance.

"It's a testament to our state's boards of elections officials that elections on the new (federally) mandated voting systems have gone as smoothly as they have in light of these findings," Brunner said.

Conversely, it is also a testament to the ease with which the 2004 election was stolen by election officials who had clear conflicts of interest aimed at keeping George W. Bush in the White House.

--
Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman are co-authors of HOW THE GOP STOLE AMERICA'S 2004 ELECTION & IS RIGGING 2008 (www.freepress.org) and of WHAT HAPPENED IN OHIO? (The New Press) with Steve Rosenfeld. THE FITRAKIS FILES are available at www.freepress.org, where this article first appeared. Wasserman's SOLARTOPIA! OUR GREEN-POWERED EARTH, A.D. 2030, is at www.solartopia.org.

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2007/2920

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Volunteer opportunities with an oakland based organization fighting gentrification

2007-12-10T23:41:37Z

Do you have an interest in social justice and community organizing?

Come volunteer with
Just Cause Oakland!

Who we are: Just Cause Oakland is a membership-based organization building a powerful voice for Oakland's low-income tenants and workers. Our mission is to create a just and diverse city and region by organizing Oakland residents to advocate for housing and jobs as human rights, and to mobilize for policies that produce social and economic justice in low-income communities of color. You can find more information on our work at www.justcauseoakland.org.

Who we want: We are looking for reliable, flexible volunteers with a commitment to racial and economic justice to help support our work organizing against displacement and gentrification. We love volunteers with some experience in community-based organizations, but are also committed to providing training and support to first-timers as well.

Volunteer opportunities include: Giving rides, administrative support (including data entry, copies, helping the office run smoothly, etc) campaign research, tech support, media tracking, fundraising, Spanish translation and interpretation (native Spanish speakers especially appreciated), and more! We hope that volunteers will make a commitment of 6 - 8 months and be able to do between 2 - 4 hours of work a week. Most activities will fall on Monday through Friday, but Saturday events and activities are also fairly frequent.

Interested? Contact us at victory@justcauseoakland.org

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Ed Rosenthal - a founder of High Times Magazine - takes Time 4 Hemp!

2007-12-09T20:13:55Z

Would you please help get the word out about 'Time 4 Hemp' - the new Potcast series that's free to download from http://www.Time4Hemp.com

I've worked hard to put together some great podcasts designed to feed brains the truth about Marijuana and its’ many uses for paper, fiber, fuel, and medications. What's more - the thing that makes these shows so great are the guests!

There are 3 PotCast's being offered – free – at http://www.Time4Hemp.com and all can be subscribed to through iTunes should you like. EACH SEGMENT HAS LOTS OF GREAT MUSIC INCLUDED!

You'll also find nearly 100 great songs and more than 80 interesting videos you can freely download from the site.

The first PotCast series, 'Time 4 Hemp - TODAY' features segments that were recorded in 2007 and are offered in audio format only.

Currently featured is Ed Rosenthal - (one of the founders of High Times Magazine). Ed is recognized worldwide as an authority on marijuana. In his thirty-plus years as a cannabis expert, he has written or edited more than two dozen books about marijuana cultivation and social policy, which cumulatively have sold over one million copies. He is a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society and the Garden Writers Association of America. He has also served as an expert witness on marijuana cultivation in State and Federal trials.

If you have time, check out some of the past interviews released in this series:

Tere Joyce (From the NBC hit series, 'Last Comic Standing');
Keith Stroup - (founder of NORML);
Steve Hager - (Editor of High Times Magazine);
Allen St. Pierre - (Dir. of NORML);
Steve Bloom (former Editor of High Times);
Jack Cole (Founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition);
Gatewood Galbraith (Author and candidate for the Governors office of Kentucky);
Carl Olsen - (founder of Iowans for Medical Marijuana); and many more.

Interviews SOON to be released:
Marc Emery - (founder of Cannabis Culture Magazine);
Dale Garrienger - (Dir. of California NORML);
and Andy Dick (Comedian).

The second PotCast series, 'Time 4 Hemp - MUSIC' features segments that were recorded in 2007 and are offered in audio format only.

There aren't many outlets for talented musicians to be heard who sing about how wonderful marijuana is - Time 4 Hemp is trying to change that.

This week, Neal Smith (of Indiana NORML) takes Time 4 Hemp to discuss a variety of marijuana-related-topics including how to pass a urine test. Music featured in this free download is from the CD entitled: 1967 - written and recorded by; Mellow The Band.

If you have time, check out some of the past interviews released in this series:

The Individuals - (7 time winners of the Marijuana Music Awards - 5 Global and 2
American);
Muck Sticky - (check out his new CD ‘Bob-O-Link Cove');
Lynnette Shaw (Hemp Activists and song writer);
and meet our new friends from Marijuana Radio.

The third PotCast series, 'Time 4 Hemp - CLASSICS' features segments that were recorded and televised in 1991 and are offered in audio format only right now but will soon be released through http://www.Time4Hemp.com in video format.

‘Time 4 Hemp’ was the first television series in the history of broadcasting to feature marijuana as the main topic of discussion. Featured in this series are:

Willie Nelson - (Super Star);
Dr. Tim Leary - (Author and Pop Icon);
Jack Herer - (Author);
Kevin Zeese - (co-founder of the Drug Policy Foundation); as well as all the founders of the Marijuana Movement.

Please be kind enough to share the http://www.Time4Hemp.com URL with everyone who you know would enjoy these free downloads.

Keep Strong!
Casper Leitch
Creator/Host: Time 4 Hemp - http://www.Time4Hemp.com
Time 4 Hemp Cell Phone Website - http://www.Time4Hemp.mobie

You can find the MySpace Time 4 Hemp Community Group at:
http://groups.myspace.com/Time4Hemp

You can find the TribeNet Time_4_Hemp Community Group at:
http://tribes.tribe.net/time_4_hemp

You can find the Yahoo! Time 4 Hemp Community Group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Time4Hemp/

Time 4 Hemp YouTube Video Channel:
http://youtube.com/profile?user=Time4Hemp

You can find the YouTube Time 4 Hemp Community Group at:
http://youtube.com/group/Time4Hemp

You can find the Yahoo! Time 4 Hemp Community Group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Time4Hemp/

"The only thing new in the world is
the history you do not know"
President Harry Truman

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

BE educated!

2007-12-06T20:31:06Z

Tens of thousands of petitions, thousands of phone calls, dozens of petition deliveries—the candidates have heard you loud and clear. You never let up and now they have answered.

Visit our new On the Record website to watch the candidates' video answers to the questions you've been asking. Try our comparison tool that lets you decide which candidate has the most effective plan to end extreme poverty and global disease.

http://www.onevote08.org/ontherecord?id=164-3028032-nV5vbc&t=2

The On the Record site features each of the candidates' personal video responses to ONE members and short summaries of their plans on:

Reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis
Eradicating malaria
Improving child and maternal health
Achieving universal primary education
Cutting in half the number of people without clean water or enough food
For months, ONE members have been asking the presidential candidates to pay attention to the plight of the voiceless millions, struggling to break the cycle of poverty. When it comes to getting these issues into the middle of the debate over America's role in the world, we haven't taken no for an answer.

For the first time ever, the entire presidential field is debating these issues and coming up with plans that recognize the challenge and the opportunity we have to build a better future for the world's most vulnerable people. The result is a huge victory for you, our members and for the millions of people around the world living in extreme poverty.

The candidates' detailed responses to our questions show that they are tuned into these issues like never before.

Check out what they are saying:

http://www.onevote08.org/ontherecord?id=164-3028032-nV5vbc&t=3

This focus on fighting extreme poverty and global disease couldn't come at a more critical time. We're only one month away from the Iowa caucuses and the candidates know that 2.4 million ONE members are comparing their plans and looking for leadership, as we make up our minds on who to support in 2008.

This ability to compare the candidates on the issues and hear directly from them is exciting, no doubt. But breaking news from the front lines of the fight to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic around the world puts this campaign in a whole new perspective.

Numbers released in the last week show that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is currently providing life-saving antiretroviral treatment for approximately 1.4 million people in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean who would otherwise go without. At the same time, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is reporting an 88% increase in the number of people to whom it is providing ARV treatment to in only one year.

In 2002, it is estimated that only 50,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa were being treated with these life-saving drugs. It was your voice and the voices of millions of other Americans that made these advances possible, by showing our leaders in Washington that we're paying attention to and voting on issues related to global poverty.

http://www.onevote08.org/ontherecord?id=164-3028032-nV5vbc&t=4

Through On the Record, we have the chance to make a more informed choice than ever before. This year, we'll go into the primary season with more knowledge and more confidence that extreme poverty and global disease will be central to the 2008 election.

Thank you for your voice,

Josh Peck, ONE.org

ONE.ORG | BLOG | PRIVACY | SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE | CONTACT US | ABOUT

On The Record is a project of ONE Action to educate voters about the presidential candidates' plans on issues of importance to ONE Action's members. Only 501 (c)(3) activities are funded by The ONE Campaign.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

World AIDS Day

2007-12-01T05:11:57Z

Tomorrow is "World AIDS Day" The very least we can do is to remember.

http://www.worldvision.org/get_involved.nsf/child/worldaidsday_2007_general?Open&campaign=105418140&cmp=KNC-105418140&source=goog&keyword=aids%20day

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

posts didn't go through! CA AB 1735

2007-11-24T00:31:54Z

sorry about the mulitiple posts ~ the first two didn't go through.

if you haven't heard about CA's new law, AB 1735, which will effectively make it impossible to purchase raw milk in CA, please read my blog here on tribe.
even if you don't live in CA, eat raw milk, or eat dairy at all, this bill affects you and your healthy food options.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

Humancar on TV

2007-11-19T20:35:30Z

Promote sustainability!
Put your money where your mouth is!

Tonight on "Invention Nation" which will feature HumanCar airs 10:30 p.m. (pst) on the Science Channel. It will repeat at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and at 3:30 p.m. Sunday!

www.humancar.com.

Check out this link to see some of our publicity:
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071119/BIZ0102/711190360/1011&nav_category=

Check out:http://www.greenteamtv.com, http://www.greenearthvision.com, http://agreenevolution.blogspot.com, http://www.seriousyurts.com, http://www.greenmatecafe.com

Don't forget to PRE-ORDER!

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

An Immediate End To The Iraq War Is Possible!

2007-11-18T23:06:01Z

I am posting this very short message to say to all of you that an immediate end to the Iraq War is possible. It takes your collective will and desire. It is possible to immediately end the Iraq War, if people wanted such to come about.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

Tuva Camp 2008

2007-11-17T21:11:07Z

Dear Friends

Thank you for your interest to our music.

Last summer we held a throat singing camp in Tuva.

We had 14 students from around the world - 8 of them were from the US, 2 from Australia
2 from Denmark, 1 from France, 1 from England.
After arriving in Tuva, the students spent 1 week in Kyzyl, the capital city.
They were able to see many tourist attractions, see a Tuvan shaman,
and attend the Naadym - National Harvest Celebration.

The students then went on to spend 1 week in the deep taiga, with members of the Tuvan throat singing group Chirgilchin,
learning various styles of throat singing, traditional Tuvan instruments, as well as the Tuvan language.

This summer, we are trying to get 2 groups to go to Tuva again, in either June or July.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Please check our photos made by Russell Roesner - our student.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bertdanger/sets/72157602427847575/

Thank you
Alexander

www.purenaturemusic.com
www.chirgilchin.com

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

3 movies on Post Cheap Petroleum Cuba

2007-11-14T20:15:11Z

3 movies on Post Cheap Petroleum Cuba

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=4981871524314644822&q=peak+oil
Cuba The Accidental Revolution PT-1
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5350731284170267256
Cuba The Accidental Revolution PT-2
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-3045843288423571289

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
thescarface1989
52 min 46 sec - 30-Sep-07
for Video iPod/Sony PSP

In 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba experienced an 'energy famine.' Transportation and agriculture virtually came to a stop due to lack of diesel fuel and fertilizer shortages. This film explores what changes were put in place. The makers of the film "The End Of Suburbia" went to Cuba to explore it as a test case for what the conditions after Peak Oil would look like. This is that story.

This documentary takes you through various aspects of life in Cuba - Economy, transportation, health-care, agriculture, education - and explores how they dealt with the dramatic reduction of fossil fuels to a mere fraction of their pre 1990 levels. It was nice to meet the people, see the sights, and hear the sounds. The overall feeling was that the Cubans had improved the quality of their life (after a difficult "Special Period"). Their health was better, greater sense of community, better food and healthier land. I was left with the question: Why should we wait until we run out of oil? Let's do it now. The part that I did not expect was how it challenged my understanding of the difference between a Communist country and Capitalism. Did you know that a greater percentage of Cubans own their own home than in America? More farmers now own their own land? Sort of turns the notion of what a "Free-Market" is on its head! Check it out

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=4981871524314644822&q=peak+oil

Cuba The Accidental Revolution PT-1
thescarface1989
45 min 37 sec - 17-Oct-07
for Video iPod/Sony PSP

Cuba: The Accidental Revolution are two one-hour documentaries celebrating the country’s success in providing for itself in the face of a massive economic crisis, and how it’s latest revolutions, an agricultural revolution and a revolution in science and medicine are having repercussions around the world.

Cuba: The Accidental Revolution (Part 1), airing Sunday, July 30 at 7 P.M. on CBC Television, examines Cuba’s response to the food crisis created by the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989. At one time Cuba’s agrarian culture was as conventional as the rest of the world. It experienced its first “Green Revolution” when Russia was supplying Cuba with chemical and mechanical “inputs.” However, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 ended all of that, and almost overnight threw Cuba’s whole economic system into crisis. Factories closed, food supplies plummeted. Within a year the country had lost over 80% of its foreign trade. With the loss of their export markets and the foreign exchange to pay for imports, Cuba was unable to feed its population and the country was thrown into a crisis. The average daily caloric intake of Cubans dropped by a third.

Without fertilizer and pesticides, Cubans turned to organic methods. Without fuel and machinery parts, Cubans turned to oxen. Without fuel to transport food, Cubans started to grow food in the cities where it is consumed. Urban gardens were established in vacant lots, school playgrounds, patios and back yards. As a result Cuba created the largest program in sustainable agriculture ever undertaken. By 1999 Cuba’s agricultural production had recovered and in some cases reached historic levels.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5350731284170267256

Cuba The Accidental Revolution PT-2
thescarface1989
45 min 37 sec - 17-Oct-07
for Video iPod/Sony PSP
In Cuba: The Accidental Revolution (Part 2), airing Sunday, August 6 at 7 P.M. on CBC Television, we learn that the country has been blockaded since 1961, but today Cuba has the highest quality of life in the region, the highest life expectancy, and one of the highest literacy rates in all of Latin America.

With the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, Cuba lost the foreign exchange needed to pay for expensive drugs and medicines. As a result, much of Cuba’s medicine today is based on medicinal plants. These are grown on farms, processed in small labs and made available to patients through an extensive network of medical clinics. Today Cuba’s advances in alternative medicine could have important consequences for other countries around the world.

Cuba boasts other firsts as well: The Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Havana is regarded as the flagship biosciences lab in the developing world. Cuban scientists are working on an HIV vaccine, a meningitis vaccine, a Hepatitis C vaccine, and other pharmaceuticals.

Cuba has also embarked on a program of medical internationalism. There are 25,000 Cuba doctors serving in 68 poor countries around the world. The Latin American School of Medical Science has 10,000 students from developing countries primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean. They are educated for free with the understanding they will return to their home countries to practice.

Fidel Castro has survived many perils and at 78, he is rumoured to suffer from a number of afflictions. As his health declines the world wonders: what will become of Cuba’s Green Revolution after he is gone? Even now Castro presides over a political system, which although socialist, has an economy where bartering and quasi-entrepreneurial practice seemingly influence many trades and professions, including the “green” sector. There is also ever-increasing pressure from Canada and European nations for the U.S. to come to terms with Cuba’s political dissent

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-3045843288423571289

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

NCEF! Media sabotaged! Hijacked by lone wingnut! Accused of fraud and embezzlement!

2007-11-07T03:51:13Z

NCEF! Media in Humboldt County, Ca. is accused of fraud and donation embezzlement. Caution! Do not support this lone wingnut's scam! Other legitamate groups exist in the area. Caution! Do not be fooled by NCEF! Media and his fraudulent outreach. Shunka Wakan exists completely seperate from any active affinity group. Read about how he perpetuated a lawsuit under the guise of EF! against a legitamate environmental nonprofit:

Dog Days
From: http://northcoastjournal.com/100407/cover1004.html
October 4, 2007
Money On Trees

Big cash nearly fell into Shunka Wakan's lap. Other Earth First!ers are kinda happy it didn't.

by Heidi Walters

As the jury trial for the civil suit Kathryn Miller v. the Trees Foundation puttered to a start last week inside Courtroom 3 at the Humboldt County Courthouse, Shunka Wakan — a key witness for the plaintiff — spent mornings sitting on the hard wooden benches in the long hallway outside the courtroom. During breaks, Miller's attorney Linda Mitlyng, would come out of the courtroom to join him. But otherwise, as other people and their legal affairs swirled around him in a warm, odiferous bath of humanity, Shunka sat alone. Or, sometimes, he stood alone, straight-spined, his small, stocky body swallowed by the huge, stiff blue suit out of which his newly shorn, razor-scraped bald head poked vulnerably — as if, at any moment, the suit could gulp once more and he'd disappear completely. Always, he clutched a paper folder with a wolf's face on its cover.

The North Coast Earth First! Media guru had shaved off his woolly rust-tinged brown hair and beard the night before jury selection started, after discussing it with attorney Mitlyng. Now, it took an uncertain moment to recognize him. Then, of course: Shunka's light blue eyes in the pink-pale face, Shunka's closed-lip smile, Shunka's trademark husky murmur, "Mm-hmm, for sure," in response to a comment.

In Courtroom 3, the amiable but no-nonsense Judge Christopher Wilson's domain, the fate of a $185,000 donation dangled. Would the plaintiff, donor Kathryn Miller, prevail in her claim that the defendant, the Trees Foundation, was not in fact the intended recipient of her generous gift? That Shunka Wakan's NCEF! Media Center and the treesitters were? Or would the Trees Foundation convince the jury that, in fact, the money was intended all along for Trees, with no instructions attached for funneling it elsewhere?

Richard Idell, left, who is defending the Trees Foundation against a lawsuit filed by Kathryn Miller, confers with Doug Wallace, community support coordinator for Trees. Photo by David Lawlor.

In her opening arguments, Miller's attorney, Mitlyng, said the case came down to "fraud and broken promises." "She believed [Trees] would hold [the money] in trust, for the benefit of North Coast Earth First!" said Mitlyng. The defense's attorney, Richard Idell, countered in his opening argument that the donation was an unconditional gift and Miller never wrote letters of instruction — as Miller claims she did. "Ms. Miller ... didn't do anything. She took the check [from her mother's estate] and flipped it over and wrote on the back, 'Payable to the Trees Foundation,'" said Idell.

Miller's claim sought the return of her $185,000, plus interest.

Out in the hallway, Shunka waited to tell his side of the story. Maybe he thought about the magical donation that never materialized, and now probably never would. Maybe he thought about the other times he'd been in this courthouse — dozens of times, along with other activists, often before Judge Wilson, answering to charges of trespassing and other forms of civil disobedience in the woods. Likely, he wondered when they were finally going to call him in to testify — it was taking forever in there. He'd even sent out an e-mail prematurely to the several hundred subscribers to his NCEF! online group erroneously announcing he would be first up to testify.

By the end of Friday's court session, Miller was still on the stand. Perhaps Monday it would be Shunka's turn. Whenever it was, he would be testifying on Miller's behalf; but he wasn't a party to the lawsuit. And in the end, after hearing all of the evidence, the jury would be determining who was telling the truth about intentions and letters of instructions. Shunka was just there to provide context and evidence in a contract dispute.

But to a number of forest activists, including a half dozen or so who appeared in the audience last Friday to watch the trial unfold, that context matters more to them than the legal questions. They say this lawsuit has placed a strain on the environmental community that could do as much damage as an ill-felled redwood that takes down other giants in its descent. They disapprove of the lawsuit, and they blame Shunka for it. And, they say, it's just another example of how Shunka has commandeered the North Coast Earth First! identity and used it for purposes that nobody else in the amorphous but consensus-driven local Earth First! movement has agreed to.

"For a lot of us, when we read about the lawsuit, this is kind of like Shunka on trial," said long-time forest activist Deane Rimerman last Friday, calling from Olympia, Wash. "And, to what extent is he worthy of that money?"

Kathryn Miller wanted her money to go toward saving trees, she said on the witness stand last Thursday. The slender 59-year-old was dressed in a pink print skirt and white sweater, with her gray-streaked dark hair pulled back into a neat, thin braid tinted slightly green. (Little did the jury know that Miller had spent the night in jail, in blue jail duds, and then had been "dressed out," in court lingo, in her street clothes before being escorted into the court by the bailiff. Miller had been arrested the week before, on Sept. 17, when she arrived in civil court for the pre-trial readiness hearing; according to the misdemeanor criminal charges filed against her, Miller allegedly had made annoying phonecalls to Barbara Ristow of the Trees Foundation all hours of the day and night.)

On the stand, Miller described how she became an activist. She remembered how, when she was a child in Orinda, her mother decided to stop spraying the beautiful oak trees on their property after reading Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. "And then, when my son was 9, we were watching the news on TV about the Chernobyl nuclear power plant meltdown. And my son said to me, 'I wish I'd never been born. I don't think I'll get to live a full life.'"

She protested the building of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. She started a peace action group in the late 1980s in San Jose. She did nonviolent protests at the Nevada Test Site. And in 1990, she came up with some of her fellow protestors to help set up the camp for Redwood Summer, and to take part in demonstrations. She's been on and off involved in Earth First! actions in Humboldt ever since, she said, including huffing in supplies for treesitters and huffing out their garbage. She'd also, at one point, bought a condo in Arcata.

In 2004, Miller sold her condo and bought an acre of farmland, already planted with coffee, in Guatemala. She put in fruit trees to shade the coffee. That same year, her mother, who lived in Sonoma, died. "The last time I saw her was in 2003," said Miller. "She told me when she died, she was going to leave me some money. I told her I'd use it to further my work for the forest. And she was pleased, because she loved the treesitters and the forest."

Shortly after learning of her mother's death, Kathryn Miller sought out Shunka Wakan in front of the food co-op in Arcata, where he "tabled" to raise funds for the North Coast Earth First! Media office — selling T-shirts, and stickers, offering pamphlets, accepting donations. She'd known Shunka for about five years, she said.

"I said to him, I was going to inherit some money: What was the best way to get that to the North Coast Earth First!?"

In the spring of 2005, Shunka Wakan was floating above the treetops. "I was so excited," the 32-year-old said in an interview a few weeks ago, sitting inside his tiny but colorful North Coast Earth First! Media office in Arcata, walls covered in art and topo maps — including one of Buckeye Mountain, where in 2000-2001, during the "Mattole Free State" action, Shunka and others hiked 14 miles through waist-high snowdrifts to save trees.

Kathryn Miller, he recalled, had come up to him excitedly as he walked along the sidewalk outside the Arcata Co-op and said, "I just donated $185,000 to North Coast Earth First!'"

She'd talked to him the year before about making the donation — she'd said she was anticipating an inheritance from her mother's estate, and she wanted to make a big donation to his group. He'd told her to make it through the Trees Foundation, which handled the NCEF! Media office's finances through an arrangement that had been established years ago. (The Trees Foundation is an umbrella organization formed in 1991 to assist smaller environmental groups. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, it can accept large, tax-deductible donations on behalf of affiliates, and provide professional resources. And it can lead large campaigns, like the one to save the Headwaters Forest back in the '90s.)

Well, now she'd finally done it.

Miller and Shunka agreed to meet at Fiesta Café in Sunny Brae, so she could tell him how she wanted the money spent: She wanted, straight away, for someone to organize a mediated workshop for the local Earth First! activists on ageism and sexism, issues she thought were fracturing the movement. And, she wanted the bulk of the donation to help support the forest activists who blockade logging roads and hunker up in ancient redwoods to fend off loggers' saws.

Not long after, Shunka was on his way to have lunch with some folks from the Trees Foundation, where they'd talk about Miller's wishes.

"Our media outreach was going to get a big boost," Shunka said. "The donation would keep the EF! office going for many years. So I walked into the Wildflower Café feeling elated, thinking we got all this money."

Barbara Ristow and Doug Wallace of the Trees Foundation were there. "I was super excited," Shunka said, "and I said, 'This is great, this big donation. Isn't it wonderful?' We ordered food, and still I'm all excited, talking about the money, but I notice they're looking nervously at each other. [Finally], they said, 'Well, we're just shocked that you think this money was for you.' And I was like, 'I just met with the donor, and that's what she said.' And they're like, 'Well, let's go ahead and plan the workshop and deal with that later.' I remember that, because it put me at ease."

After that, Shunka said he gave Trees a list of people he thought might benefit from the mediator-run workshop. "Some were people I knew had beefs with me, but I was willing to bring 'em into the circle and talk about it."

According to some vague accounts, the workshop was a disaster. One person who was there claims that Shunka, at one point, pounded his fists on the floor, blustered, then got up and stormed out, yelling as he walked away. Shunka says that's overblown.

"The letter from Kathryn Miller to Barbara Bristow said she wanted the mediation to be a safe place, safe to be emotional," he said. "And I think people are saying 'I freaked out.' The freak-out reports are exaggerated. It's just part of this ongoing character assassination. People say I was 'red-faced.' But my face is naturally red."

In late 2005, while Shunka was in Seattle, a friend called him from Arcata to say a woman had come by asking for the office key. She had a list of equipment she wanted to take away. The friend didn't give her the key.

When Shunka got back from Seattle, he discovered his reimbursement funds from Trees had been "frozen." He also learned about a letter someone in the NCEF! movement had circulated for signatures and then sent to Mark Knipper, who handled the Trees Foundation transactions for the NCEF! Media office. It said, in essence, "We don't want Shunka running EF!"

"I called the Trees Foundation," Shunka recalled. "I was sick, it was the middle of the winter, I'm trying to table, it's raining, it's cold. And Barbara Ristow told me, 'You just need to have a meeting [with the other Earth First!ers] and come to a group consensus on what the Trees Foundation funding should be used for."

The meeting never happened — nobody could agree to meet, said Mark Knipper, also in an interview last week. Knipper is a social worker and a long-time activist who had been the contact person between Trees and NCEF! Media. "So it ate itself," Knipper said. "And although I'm former Navy, a mariner, I said I'm not going down with this ship. So I divorced myself from it ... and signed it all back to Trees."

The NCEF! Media office was dropped from the Trees Foundation altogether.

Shunka and the NCEF! Media office never did see any of the big donation. Miller didn't even know that, he said, until she phoned him up in the summer of 2006, more than a year after she made the donation, to ask about a guy named "Jungle," who had been reported as missing on the NCEF! hotline. Miller was spending much of her time in Guatemala now, where she was raising fruit trees; after she'd made her big donation, Hurricane Stan had struck — she spent the ensuing year mopping up the mess.

First, Shunka told her Jungle was still missing. Then he told her about the money.

"I said, 'Yeah, they told me it wasn't for us,'" said Shunka. "And she said, 'I meant for all of it to go to you guys.' She sounded real upset. And I was like, 'I knew it! I knew it!'"

Shunka tried to sue Trees in small claims court, but it went nowhere.

Miller filed a claim against the Trees Foundation on Oct. 5, 2006, in Humboldt County Superior Court, seeking the return of the $185,000 plus interest so she could distribute the money herself.

And if she wins? "She may just spread it out more," said Shunka. "She's got tree planting ideas. Maybe she could buy a grove. She'd maybe not give it all to Earth First! this time. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Trees blew for us."

On an uncomfortably hot afternoon last week, four forest activists who'd agreed to an interview for this story — Jeff, Shaggy, Sparrow and Farmer — sat on the ground at the Arcata Marsh next to a log bench on which a teeming crew of red ants worked a splintered notch. Someone had come along here in 1999 and carved a grouping of faces — bearded, grimacing, possibly mourning faces — onto the log and signed it Daniel. The carving had been drenched in red paint, and burnished by years of sitters.

"It kind of reminds me of the memorial for Gypsy," said one of them. "With the red paint."

Gypsy was the forest name of David Nathan Chain, who in September 1998, during an Earth First! action at Grizzly Creek, was crushed to death by a tree felled by an enraged logger. Farmer, actually, was there — he was just 16, but had a year of activism already under his belt. And Shunka was there — it was Shunka's first forest action.

Farmer, Shag, Sparrow and Jeff first made it clear that they spoke for themselves alone, although they participate in various forest defense affinity groups: Farmer works for the Mattole Wildlands Defense Group now, watchdogging the California Department of Forestry for new timber harvest plans, and keeping an eye on a Pacific Lumber Co. watershed analysis. Shag, who saw his first redwood about five years ago, helps keep the Fern Gully treesit village in Freshwater functioning. Jeff, who grew up in the high desert, and fell in love with the woods, works with the Nanning Creek treesit just outside of Scotia, as well as other groups. Sparrow, who was drawn to forest action because the cultural landscape was "like a folktale" he couldn't resist, is with the Fern Gully affinity group. These groups are all part of the Humboldt Forest Defense Association, a collective with a website but no formal structure.

The HFDA sprang into being six years ago — about the time the entity called North Coast Earth First! had essentially dissolved. It would take a book to describe that drawn-out dissolution — a book of lost causes, won causes, waning media interest, Judi Bari's death, Gypsy's death, ego-spurred squabbles, interpersonal catastrophes, a war overseas, hurricanes. And while the HFDA activists might still cherish the Earth First! name — the movement — in their hearts, it's now been further complicated by what you might call the Shunka effect.

"I still feel in many ways solidarity with the greater Earth First! movement abroad," said Farmer. "But in this county, in this climate, if you say you're with the North Coast Earth First!, many people associate you with North Coast Earth First! Media."

Shunka revived the North Coast Earth First! office around 2002. And he did what previous office managers had done — tabled, put out news releases, wrote articles for other publications. But it wasn't like the old days, in the '90s, when hundreds of people were getting arrested in forest actions and the jail support phone and legal resources were in constant use.

Shunka first worked in an office in Eureka, then later moved to Arcata. He called his outfit the NCEF! Media Center. For a time, he and other "affinity groups" tried to work together. But he alienated some people. He took over the North Coast Earth First! website. He controlled the North Coast Earth First! email list of 300 or more subscribers to the news alerts. He sent out press releases on his own.

"I felt the North Coast Earth First! Media Center was a unilateral effort on Shunka's part," said Farmer. Whereas, in the old days, "spokespeople were decided on by the group. And if you wrote an article it was passed by everyone. I feel Shunka appointed himself spokesperson at some point."

Many also claim they've been subject to a lashing anger from Shunka.

"I won't work with him because I pledge nonviolence in my actions," said Shag. "I don't believe he pledges the same thing. He has exhibited violent behavior towards me and towards other activists in my presence."

"He's a bear," said Jeff, making claw-fists with his hands.

But the sad thing is, all of this infighting probably has done nothing to help the actual trees. And the mediation workshop Kathryn Miller wanted didn't fix matters. Now, there was her lawsuit.

"When I heard about this lawsuit, I thought, the Trees Foundation does not deserve to be attacked in that way," said Farmer. "There's much bigger issues that need to be dealt with — with Maxxam and old-growth logging. ...If you look at Fern Gully and Nanning Creek (the Bonanza timber harvest plan), there's hundreds of old growth acres still standing whose fate is unclear."

Shag put it more bluntly: "If [Miller] knew Shunka and wanted to get the money to North Coast Earth First! Media, she should've given it to Shunka. But if she was trying to get it to treesits and forest defense, then the money went to the right place.

"My problem is this whole representation thing. There's people in the trees — how do you know who to get the money to, to help them?"

Shunka knows that a lot of fellow activists aren't happy with his role in the donation dispute. He also knows how some people talk about him and say he's hard to get along with. "I'm just standing up for the truth," he said. "And people don't like it. To me, it feels like a small clique of people who don't like me. I feel a lot of love and support in this community."

He certainly doesn't come off right away as someone who's angry, or who lashes out, or who locks the office and doesn't let people in. Why, recently, he helped a young woman hook up with the treesitters so she could learn the ropes. (Shaggy said that's proof Shunka doesn't have direct connections with the people doing direct action; but you can't deny it's a connection.)

It's probably a bad idea to ask Darryl Cherney, one of the founders of the local Earth First! movement, what he thinks of Shunka Wakan, whose real name is Jason Wilson. (Shunka tells a story of how he was named by a Lakota medicine man on the banks of the Cheyenne River in South Dakota in 1995. "Shunka Wakan," meaning "great dog," is only part of it. There's a secret part after that — altogether, his name means "the humble man called horse.")

"Shunka's a wingnut," Cherney said over the phone last Friday, sounding cheerfully vitriolic. "I have a 10-verse song about Shunka."

Here are the last few verses:

Who's at the co-op spanging a donation
Shunka, Shunka
Who's got a lawsuit 'gainst the Trees Foundation
Shunka, Shunka
Shunka, Shunka
Who's gonna keep on fighting the fight
Shunka, Shunka
With four of his friends at swimmers delight
Shunka, Shunka
Shunka, Shunka (Shunka voice: It's the last of the revolution)

There's no other word for it but "mean." But Cherney and Shunka have history — not all of it sour. Cherney said Shunka laughed when he heard the song, at least the first time.

"I met Shunka in 1998," Cherney said. "And I know he knew Julia ["Butterfly" Hill, whom Shunka had come west to find]. That was a good thing, helping Julia. That was good Shunka."

Cherney had even pushed for Shunka to go to Houston to talk with Charles Hurwitz, whose Maxxam Corp. bought out the old Pacific Lumber company back in 1985 and quickly became the forest activists' number one villain. Shunka went.

But now? "The current status of Shunka and me," Cherney said, "is that Shunka has sent me five or eight or nine e-mails threatening to sue me. Shunka is a joke."

Cherney can talk for hours about the problems he's had with Shunka over the years. His main point, though, is what has Shunka done for the trees lately?

"My question is, where's your topo maps?" he asked. "Where's your wilderness preservation proposal? Where's your lobbyist team in Sacramento?"

It has to be that, on some level, even the people in the movement who don't like Shunka understand somewhat where he's coming from. So he's emotional. Passionate. Perhaps he's caught up so completely in the cause he can't let go. Or, who knows — maybe he's a phony, like he accused Knipper of being back in 2005.

But being a forest activist comes with perils beyond the obvious physical ones.

"I'm really trying to have compassion for Shunka, even though he's kind of attacked us," said Susy Barsotti by phone from Laytonville a couple of weeks ago. Barsotti is president of the Trees Foundation board, and she says the lawsuit has held Trees hostage, unable to function fully. "I've been mystified and dismayed that he's participated like this in the suit. But Shunka witnessed Gypsy's death. And I think he may have post-traumatic stress syndrome. I don't think he's recovered from it. And that can affect your behavior."

A number of people mentioned this, actually, about Shunka. And he often refers to Gypsy's death himself. In an article titled "What Luna has taught me," posted on the website of Julia "Butterfly" Hill's organization, Circle of Life, Shunka writes: "I decided to commit to doing ground support after witnessing the death of David Nathan "Gypsy" Chain on September 17, 1998 ... I remember looking across the valley as we hiked up that day, seeing the rolling hills of forests and clear-cuts, and thinking out loud, "That's why we're here!" Seeing Gypsy's life taken from him, and then seeing the corruption and lies of the Humboldt County Sheriffs ... really opened my eyes to the situation our old-growth forests face."

Later, he did ground support for Hill in her second year in Luna. And in the same article on her website, something else Shunka writes indicates how ready he was to devote himself to a cause: "Being on the support team was the top priority in my life, and I was happy knowing that everything else revolved around when I'd be needed for the next supply run. I never felt lost because I knew what I was doing. That was a feeling I had not felt in years, between feeling dissatisfaction with life in college, and then more dissatisfaction with life as a minimum-wage worker after college. Before joining Julia's ground support team I was unhappy, even to the point of tears, wondering if my entire life was going to be a minimum-wage nightmare ...."

Pure devotion, without benefit of a little hypocrisy, could drive anyone batty. Deane Rimerman, the activist from Olympia who said it is Shunka who is on trial, said it's not uncommon for intense, stressful movements like Earth First! to produce an army of walking wounded. And he's been around, in forest actions up and down the coast, for long enough to know; he was the one, in fact, who "got the maps and led the first hikers up to the hill" to the Gypsy Mountain campaign and Luna treesit.

"In the forest activist movement, there's very little that's rewarding," Rimerman said. "There's a lot of post traumatic stress syndrome. All of us get it. Once you've been through the court process, and the jail process, and seen 1,000-year-old trees get cut down that you really cared about and thought you could save — it's devastating."

That alone, setting aside the troubles with Shunka, could explain the many rifts that have occurred within the local EF! ranks over the years. Josh Brown, who moved to Humboldt in 1995 right before the peak of the Headwaters campaign, said one of the unique qualities of Earth First! is that it "is primarily a youth movement."

"A lot of people that come through are young, are passionate — and it's a wonderful thing," he said. They get thrown into leadership positions quickly — and then they get burned out. Many move quickly on to other things. Brown stayed in longer than most. "When I left [in 2001], I was 30 years old. And I'd been a full-time activist since I was 18."

Paradoxically, said Brown, the youthful draw and the departure of seasoned activists leaves the movement with "no elders to kind of sit around and coach the [new kids]."

The movement also draws strong personalities, he said. Tenacious ones, too, like Shunka's.

"Shunka, I think he really does have a big heart," said Brown. "And I think he does care for the forest."

Last Friday, following the morning session of Miller v. Trees, a group of the Humboldt Forest Defense Association activists stood on the courthouse steps talking. The door opened, and Shunka walked out and down the steps toward the group. They didn't greet him. After a time, he tried to talk to one of them, Jeff. Jeff walked away. Shunka followed him, then stopped and talked to another guy. Then he stood alone again.

From: http://northcoastjournal.com/101107/news1011.html

Trees Foundation Wins

October 11th, 2007

The jury in the civil case Kathryn Miller v. the Trees Foundation decided in favor of Trees, after deliberating all day Tuesday. (See "Money on Trees," Oct. 4).

Miller is the long-time forest activist who inherited a bundle from her mother and then signed $185,000 over to the Trees Foundation. In her lawsuit, she claimed she had intended the money to be passed through Trees to one of its affiliates, North Coast Earth First! Media, run by Shunka Wakan. She claimed she had made her intentions clear, verbally and in writing, and that Trees had agreed to the conditions, then broken its promise and kept the money. Trees denied making such promises, and said it had never seen any letters or heard of instructions to give the money to NCEF! Media. (Also, somewhat relatedly, in criminal court on Tuesday Miller pleaded no contest to charges that she had made annoying phonecalls to Barbara Ristow of the Trees Foundation.)

So, that's that. Now, there are only the pieces to pick up.

For Shunka Wakan — featured in last week's Journal as a central figure in a messy nest of infighting that has fractured the current ranks of local Earth First!ians — it could be a long, lonely patching together of lost friends and broken alliances. Not only did he and Miller lose their attempt to retrieve her donation, but now he's been banned from the North Coast Co-op.

Yes, that happened last week. It was Thursday, around 4:15 in the evening, and two activists with the Humboldt Forest Defense Association were tabling — hawking brochures and such — outside the Co-op. It's an activity Shunka himself has spent many a day doing in that very same spot, raising cash to pay for his NCEF!Media outreach work and other causes. And, well, these two fellows, Jeff and Farmer, were on Shunka's shit list, now. They'd spoken gently, but unfavorably, about Shunka's doings in the North Coast Earth First! arena — said he lashed out at people, said he commandeered NCEF! resources, and so forth. Here's a snippet of Jeff's account of what happened, which he sent to the NCJ in an e-mail on Friday:

"Shunka was removed from the Arcata Co-op yesterday after a scuffle with myself and another activist around 5 p.m. Well, he wasn't exactly removed, but APD was called. He was asked to leave after threatening to flip over the HFD donation table while stating he was 'like Jesus in the marketplace ...'"

Sue Coulter, manager of the Arcata Co-op, recounted on Friday how an employee walking by heard the argument and went inside to get her. "So I went out to talk to [Shunka], because it's not the first time we've had problems," she said. "Most of the time, he's fine. Most of the time, I stick up for him." One time, she said, she even called the police to protect Shunka after someone had threatened him. "But he gets into arguments. I tried to talk to him. I told him to leave. ... He was causing a scene, right by the door, and I can't have it. He refused to leave. ... I said, fine. I went into the store. He followed me into the store, and he was still yelling at me, 'Oh, now you're going to call the police on me.'" Coulter called the police, but Shunka left before they arrived.

Shunka, waiting in the courthouse for the jury verdict Tuesday, said Coulter did indeed ask him to leave and he did, indeed, refuse to. As for the HFD tablers, he said he merely asked them why they had Trees Foundation literature on their table. "I said, 'Why do you want to represent these people?'" And then, he said, "Jeff accused me of embezzling — he said this in public. He said, 'You've embezzled thousands of dollars from the Earth First! movement through the years.' And I complained to one of the employees who was walking by. Because that's serious, accusing someone of embezzling."

But Shunka said the whole thing's yet another attack on him. "I don't consider I was yelling. We were talking. I'm an emotional person, I concede to that. I speak from my heart. I don't scream at people. I would love to — but I don't."

In his email, Jeff with HFD predicted Shunka would leave town within weeks, if not sooner. But at the courthouse, even before the verdict, Shunka said he wasn't going anywhere.

"I'm just going to continue to run the Earth First! office and continue to call Humboldt County home," he said. He's also going to write a letter to the Co-op, complaining about how he gets scapegoated and booted out of there even when other people, he says, are the culprits. And, as for the Miller v. Trees case, he said, he and Miller may now take their complaint to another venue.

-- Heidi Walters

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Public Service Questionaire: Citizens Fighting Back for Their Rights

2007-11-06T22:32:13Z

Anyone ever heard of this before? I was wondering what your thoughts on it might be. An enews article came to me today and after reading it I did a google search for the form (Public Service Questionaire) and found a lot of interesting info on it.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Anyone here into Raw

2007-10-31T00:51:41Z

Has anyone seen the trailer for "Raw For 30 Days"? It's a documentary about six people, who normally eat fast food, who decide to go 100% raw for a month. It features interviews with doctors, experts, and raw foodists including Gabriel Cousens, David Wolfe, and Woody Harrelson.

I am new to raw foods and very interested in hearing from others who are raw foodists and people who are trying to change their lives for the better. Many people in my family have diabetes and I have changed my diet and gone raw to prevent myself from also getting diabetes.

The trailer on Youtube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSuqCMld00w

There is also a new two-disc DVD set that is available for order called RAW FOR LIFE, which is a encyclopedia of Raw Food, perfect for beginners like me and Raw Food enthusiasts. I have found it to be very helpful, as I have been transitioning to raw foods. It’s about how to live raw, the Raw Food philosophy, why to eat a raw food diet, important medical facts and nutritional information. It’s a very practical guide to becoming raw and staying raw.

Visit the Raw For 30 Days site at:

www.rawfor30days.com

Another great resource I have found is the Raw Summit site, which is at:

www.rawsummit2.com

I joined for the first Raw Summit and found it very helpful and interesting and it’s FREE!

Who here is raw?

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 8 replies

Looking for Loved Ones? / Calif. wildfire victims / aid sought

2007-10-25T20:20:10Z

Looking for Loved Ones - Safe and Well: Safe and Well is a nationally accessible website, developed as a free community service by the American Red Cross, that provides a way for individuals affected by a disaster (within the U.S.) to list themselves as "safe and well." Then, loved ones can check on the status of their family and friends. Register and connect at 1-800-RED CROSS or www.redcross.org.

Orange County Rescue Mission is accepting all non-perishable donations and gift certificates to restaurants Monday through Friday between the hours of 8am and 6pm Map to Orange County Rescue Mission. They are also asking groups to organize canned food drives, for more information please visit www.operationoc.org

Wildfire Volunteer Information
If you would like to help please do not attempt to go to the affected areas. Trained first responders are in place and assisting where needed. Intentions may be for the best but going to evacuated or hazardous areas only slows efforts and creates distractions.

Below please find additional resources which may be useful to people affected by the fires:

• County of Orange Public Information Hotline: 714/628-7085

• 2-1-1 Orange County (resources and connectivity): 2-1-1, or on a cell phone dial 1-888-600-4357

• Orange County Fire Authority (fire containment/evacuation information): 714/573-6000 or www.ocfa.org

• San Diego Update Hotline: 619/570-1070

• San Bernadino County Public Information Line: 909/355-8800

• Food Donation Drop Off Sites (as of 10-25-07):

Community Action Partnership Food Bank (12640 Knott Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92841)

Second Harvest (426 A Almond, Orange, CA 92866)

Rescue Mission/Village of Hope M-F 8am-6pm - non-perishable food or gift certificates for food (1 Hope Dr., Tustin, CA)

• Donation of Goods (as of 10-25-07):

Goodwill (check your phone book for your nearest location.) When your donation is designated for fire victims, Goodwill issues vouchers to Red Cross. These vouchers are then distributed through Red Cross disaster service centers to individuals affected by the fires.

Community Action Partnership Food Bank - accepting personal items, hygiene kits (toiletries, shaving kits, etc.), diapers, clothing, household goods (12640 Knott, Garden Grove, CA 92841)

Working Wardrobes (11614 Martens River Circle, Fountain Valley, CA 92708)

The American Red Cross of Orange County is staffing its emergency operations center around-the-clock and is working to assist our communities with Red Cross services as needed. Thank you for your support.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Help save our old-growth forests!

2007-10-21T20:39:38Z

Hello,

Many of you may not know that in August 2007 the Bush Administration introduced the Western Oregon Plan Revison (WOPR) to change the Northwest Forest Plan and proposes to greatly alter the management of the remaining old-growth forests in Oregon. Did you know that only 3% of the ancient forests in the United States are still standing today, and they are all in this area of Oregon that the WOPR affects? The WOPR will affect lands managed by the BLM and are proposing the following changes:

1. Doubling the amount of old-growth forests that are available for clear-cut logging from 25% to 50%. That translates into clearcutting more than 110,000 acres of 120+ year old trees in just the first decade.
2. Open to logging over 200,000 acres of protected areas bordering streams and rivers which would destroy water quality and ecosystems in these waterways.
3. Remove protections for over 250 vulnerable plant and animal species, some listed under the Endangered Species Act , if their protection would hinder logging operations in these areas. In other words, logging would take precedence over saving endangered species already being protected.

Something I did not know until recently is that there is some consensus on both sides of this issue that timber needs can be accomplished in sustainable ways by focusing on thinning in previously logged areas. There is no need for these old-growth forests to be sacrificed!

Could you please help save these last remaining ancient forests before it's too late?

A decision will be made on WOPR in December 2007, just 4 months after this proposal was made. And citizen comments must be received by Nov 8, 2007. The organizations working to defeat WOPR, including Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (www.kswild.org), feel strongly that WOPR can be defeated if citizens speak out against this proposal. Please go to:

www.oregonheritageforests.org/citizenguide

There you can learn more about how wrong this proposal is, why there is a good chance to defeat it, and will also give you a link to send your comments to the BLM with a copy sent to KS Wild and to Oregon's congressional delegation. Your email matters! Please help save these old-growth forests in Oregon no matter where you live.

Thanks for reading this. It's so important and we only have until November 8, 2007 to act!

Calliope

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

NYMAA General Assembly 9, NYC, Oct 28. Dont miss it!

2007-10-21T18:41:16Z

Mark your calendars! NYMAA General Assembly #9, Sunday, October 28th, 2007.

_______

Calling all anarchists, anti-authoritarians, horizontalists, and grassroots activists! Come join us as we plant the seeds of the anarchist century!

Mark your calendars: You are cordially invited to the Ninth General Assembly of the New York Metro Alliance of Anarchists / Alianza de anarquistas del área metropolitana de Nueva York (NYMAA).

Date: Sunday, October 28th, 2007
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Place: The Red Root Community Space, 2407 3rd Avenue, Suite 3R, Bronx, NY (see directions below)

On March 4, 2006, 65 radicals, revolutionists, and anarchists came together in an historic gathering and founded an explicitly anarchist organization--the first of its kind in NYC in nearly 100 years! Since then, much has been accomplished, yet much more must be done in order to forge a lasting anti-authoritarian presence on the streets of New York.

In order for the ideas of horizontalism and revolution to firmly take root among broad swaths of people, anarchists need to band together for the purpose of initiating and nurturing a wide range of projects. NYMAA's aim is to help build momentum and contribute to a genuine movement of resistance and liberation that can ultimately uproot the brutality of authoritarianism, capitalism, and oppression.

Along those lines, NYMAA has arguably initiated the largest upswing in anarchist organizing that this city has seen in a very long time, marking as its accomplishments a number of ongoing projects, groups, and campaigns. This is truly a historic time, as we continue to build anarchist communities and projects while connecting and facilitating communication with other radical and revolutionary groups and organizations.

You can read more about NYMAA and familiarize yourself with its basic organizational structure (we strongly encourage this) by visiting: http://www.nymaa.org

Proposals and other agenda items for the General Assembly are welcomed. Please e-mail them along with any RSVPs (especially if you're bringing
kids!) to: nymaa-comms [at] riseup [dot] net

Food and beverages, as well as childcare, will also be provided.

History / Herstory in the making! Don't miss it! See you there!

_______

Directions to the Red Root Community Space: Take the 4/5/6 to 138th Street in the Bronx. Walk to 3rd Avenue. If you took the 4/5, turn right onto 3rd Avenue from 138th Street. Coming from the 6, turn left onto 3rd Avenue. Walk four blocks until you get to Dimitri's Garden Center, on the right-hand side of the street.

Google maps position: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=2407+3rd+Avenue&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=48.956293,57.480469&ie=UTF8&z=16&om=1

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Free MP3 with Keith Stroup - Founder of NORML

2007-10-20T17:55:04Z

Eight hundred thousand people were arrested in 2006 on marijuana related charges. Today, every 41 seconds someone in America is arrested on a marijuana related charge.

On September 15, 2007 - Keith Stroup (founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws - NORML) was one of those arrested.

This was the second time for Keith to be arrested on a marijuana charge. He recalled getting busted with joint on him while crossing into Canada during the 1970s in an exclusive interview with Casper Leitch when he sat down and took 'Time 4 Hemp'. Download it for free at http://www.Time4Hemp.com

Also - If you get time, you might want to get your fee downloads of the following 'Time 4 Hemp - TODAY PotCast' interviews:

Allen St. Pierre (Dir. of NORML)
Steve Hager (Editor of High Times Magazine)
Steve Bloom (Former Editor of High Times)
Jack Cole (Founder of LEAP)
Gatewood Galbraith (Author)

EACH SEGMENT HAS LOTS OF GREAT MUSIC INCLUDED!!

Interviews SOON to be released:
Ed Rosenthal
and Marc Emery

Don't miss the free downloads on the 'Time 4 Hemp - MUSIC PotCast':

This week, we turned over the controls to the hard working activists at MarijuanaRadio.com because we think everyone should discover their great work! (It just so happens that our host was a guest on this segment!) Tune in and tell your friends about: http://www.MarijuanaRadio.com

And, if you get time, you might want to get your free downloads of the following 'Time 4 Hemp - MUSIC PotCast' interviews:

The Individuals (7-Time winners of the Global Marijuana Music Awards)
Muck Sticky (Check out his new CD ''Bob-O-Link Cove')
Lynnette Shaw (Hemp Activists and song wirter).

Many of interviews from the television series have been released through the PotCast series, 'Time 4 Hemp - CLASSICS' and feature:

Willie Nelson (Super Star)
Dr. Tim Leary (Author)
Jack Herer (Author)
Kevin Zeese (co-founder of the Drug Policy Foundation)

I’ve worked hard to put together some great podcasts designed to feed brains the truth about Marijuana being used for paper, fiber, fuel, and medications. What’s more - the thing that makes these shows so great are the guests!

Please be kind enough to share the http://www.Time4Hemp.com URL with everyone who you know would enjoy hearing what they have to say.

Keep Strong!
Casper Leitch
Creator/Host: Time 4 Hemp
http://www.Time4Hemp.com

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

A Studio in the Woods (New Orleans)

2007-10-14T19:10:09Z

http://www.astudiointhewoods.org/about.htm

Brilliant!

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

Permaculture Credit Union

2007-10-13T16:38:18Z

Permaculture Credit Union: http://pcuonline.org/index.html

want to know why credit unions are so much better than banks?: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9050474362583451279

want to know more about permaculture?: http://www.permaculture.org/nm/index.php/site/index/

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

Global Dimming?

2007-10-09T13:02:39Z

Anyone else catch this PBS NOVA program?
Scary stuff!

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 5 replies

Fall Ecology and Harvest: An Intergenerational Exploration

2007-10-03T02:44:29Z

Scholarship and Worktrade available. Please call 541 937-2567 ext.116 or email nature@lostvalley.org for more information.

October 13-14, 2007 (Saturday-Sunday)
at Lost Valley Educational Center, Dexter, OR

We invite people ages 12 through 112 to join us to learn about fall ecology, indigenous tradition, and the harvest season here in the western Cascade foothills. Throughout this weekend of presentations, discussions, and activities, we'll explore how we can learn from one another and pass ecological wisdom and insights back and forth between generations. The schedule (subject to change) is as follows:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 morning: indigenous traditions and their modern applications
9-9:30 am: introduction/welcome circle
9:30-10:30 am: Esther Stutzman (Kalapuyan storyteller)
10:40-11:30 am: presentation and discussion circle featuring Bill Burwell (Kalapuya researcher), Jerry Hall (ethnobotanist, Lane Community College), Dharmika Henschel (ethnobotanist/musician), Jude Hobbs (Permaculture teacher and designer, Agroecology Northwest), and Rick Valley (Lost Valley land steward, Permaculture teacher and designer)
11:30 am-12:10 pm: break-out groups
12:10-12:30 pm: concluding morning circle
12:30-1:30 pm: lunch

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 afternoon and evening: seasonal harvest activities, ecological restoration, ecovillage development, youth initiatives, and bioregional culture
2-4:30 pm: tour (Rick Valley) and hands-on harvest- and land-related activities
4:45-5:45 pm: Alison Rosenblatt (NextGEN--Global Ecovillage Network)
6-7 pm: dinner
7:30 pm on: music (Dharmika Henschel and others), sharing circle about traditional seasonal celebrations, stories, poems, networking

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 morning: school gardening, youth, and horticultural exploration
7:30-8:30 am: breakfast
9-9:30 am: morning welcome circle
9:30-9:50 am: Sharon Blick (former director, School Garden Project)
9:50-10:10 am: Jen Anonia (Food for Lane County Gardens Program Manager)
10:10-10:30 am: Heiko Koester (Permacultural landscaper, Eugene Permaculture Guild)
10:40-11:20 am: Sarah Kleeger and Andrew Still (Seed Ambassadors Project)
11:30 am-12:30 pm: discussion
12:30-1:30 pm: lunch

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 afternoon: autumn ecology and ethnobotany
2-4:15 pm: talks and walks with Dave Kofranek (lichenologist), Tobias Policha (ethnobotanist, Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany), Heiko Koester, and others
4:30-5:30 pm: closing circle

Conference registration fees, including four organic vegetarian meals, are $105 for students 12 and above, $135 for non-students. Overnight lodging ($30) and camping ($10) are also available. We are offering a $10 discount/rebate from your registration fee for each paying registrant who first heard about the event through you, or who cites you as his or her primary influence in considering attending. A limited number of worktrade scholarships are available (for an application, follow the link within the online registration form at www.lostvalley.org/fallecology/registration). If space allows, we will also accept single-day attendees for $80 Saturday only, $65 Sunday only (or, for students, $65 Saturday only, $50 Sunday only.) See www.lostvalley.org/fallecology for updated event details, or contact Fall Ecology and Harvest Event, 81868 Lost Valley Lane, Dexter, OR 97431, (541) 937-2567 x116, nature AT lostvalley.org.

brochure: www.lostvalley.org/files/Fall%20Ecology%20and%20Harvest%20brochure.pdf
poster: www.lostvalley.org/files/Fall%20Ecology%20and%20Harvest%20poster.pdf

Cosponsors:
Lost Valley Nature Center
Lost Valley Educational Center’s 87 acres include oak savanna, natural meadow, stream and riparian areas, ponds, extensive forest lands in various states of maturity, gardens and orchards. Our diverse habitats and several miles of nature trails offer unique environmental education opportunities. Lost Valley Nature Center sponsors walks and public events (like May’s Native Plants and Permaculture Gathering) to help nature-lovers learn from the land and from one another.

NextGEN
NextGEN is a global network organized by young adults concerned with issues of sustainability. We hope to inspire you with examples of viable and positive choices for the future. We offer opportunities for action through conferences, educational workshops, and direct experience in communities. Our international support network develops connections among activists and encourages resource sharing.

Excerpts from May’s Native Plants and Permaculture Conference Proceedings:

Bill Burwell: At the start of each harvest season the Kalapuyans would have a first gathering ceremony. The spiritual leader of each winter village site would harvest a few articles of each resource, bring it back, prepare it in a ceremonial way, bless the plants or animals that were responsible, and then the regular harvest could begin. The first gathering ceremony was very important to them, and it was practiced all throughout the Kalapuya culture, religiously. Their belief was that all plants and animals, including humans, were part of the same format. As above, so below. Just like humans, plants and all animals had families, and then beyond the families they had communities.

There’s one word I know of that was utilized all the way up and down the Willamette Valley, the lower Columbia, and into the Salish area in Washington: Tamanawas. It’s been translated as spirit power. People who went out on a vision quest were looking for their Tamanawas. I think what it really related to was a person’s ability to interconnect with all the rest of nature. I’ve collected a number of tales of the people going out into the woods to find a particular medicine, and their ability to find this medicine came from the ability to plug into that certain plant and interact with it. The plant actually was the teacher of the person who was going out on the search.

Jerry Hall: When we started learning our language, songs began coming to us. There is the belief that songs are just in the ether or in the air, and they select somebody to come to at a time in that person’s life. … My experience is that singing evokes something from us that is beyond talking and gives expression to prayer.

I feel that nature is really part of the home and that people related that way five hundred years ago. People knew where everything was and they took care of it.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Food vs Fuel

2007-09-28T10:44:40Z

I just came across this article today:

http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSL1187947920070911?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews

I'm quoting two key bits from this article that I'm responding to and would like to know who and why anyone either supports what this article says or thinks it as much bollocks as I do.

"When acidification, fertilizer use, biodiversity loss and toxicity of agricultural pesticides are taken into account, the overall environmental impacts of ethanol and biodiesel can very easily exceed those of petrol and mineral diesel," it added.

"The OECD therefore called on governments to cut their subsidies for the sector and instead encourage research into technologies that would avoid competing for land use with food production."

...Acidification, fertilizer use, biodiversity loss, pesticides, etc. are all happening ANYWAY in conventional agriculture.

Not only does HALF of US food go to waste per year* but the US government actually PAYS farmers NOT TO FARM** to control market prices. Meanwhile, millions of people continue to starve in other countries.

* http://foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?id=56340&n=dh330&c=%23emailcode, http://www.metro-region.org/article.cfm?articleid=5563

** "the (US) government pays farmers several billion dollars not to farm (Ervin, 1992)." http://dieoff.org/page55.htm

We have more than enough land to produce our food AND our fuel, and this in no way adds to the environmental impact currently made by our agricultural practices.

The given environmental benefits of biofuels aside, we would also be saving *BILLIONS* of dollars by not needing to deploy our military across the globe to secure petroleum resources AND we'd be saving hundreds of thousands of lives lost to war on BOTH sides, which is PRICELESS.

There's no reason we have to choose between fuel and food on our abundant land, and there is simply NO WAY to argue the benefits of petrofuels over biofuels!

End of Story.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 6 replies

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it

2007-09-27T13:09:31Z

http://www.messiahlutheransterling.org/symbol24.asp

The symbol of ST. JOHN is the eagle, because from first to last his Gospel soars on eagle's wings to the very throne of heaven. The figures near the bottom of each window are merely decorative.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14, NKJV).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17, NIV).

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:24-25, ESV).

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Sustainable Planet

2007-09-26T09:12:59Z

Sustainable Planet
http://solargreenenergy.blogspot.com

Enjoy the video clips

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

OT: New Freegan Tribe forming

2007-09-24T18:36:55Z

http://tribes.tribe.net/ef0f2448-2f81-4704-a66a-fda79c08384f#

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Why are people still so adverse to accepting climate change and the use of alternatives?

2007-09-24T04:05:31Z

I don't get it.
Why are people STILL adverse to accepting global warming, and even more adverse to accepting human-caused global warming?
I just don't get it.
I run into people, some of them on Tribe, who STILL want to argue that "even if" global warming exists, that "it hasn't been proven that its caused by people".
I DON'T wish to start that argument here. I'm still too worn out from the last one I was in.

I just don't know why people are still thinking like that.
I'm a scientist, spend alot of time outdoors, and am a pretty observant person.
So I just don't get how people aren't on the same wavelength.
Its as if they think the world is flat.
And there is no use 'arguing' with those people.
I can send them 20 billion links and explanations, and they still wont' believe it.

The other day I posted a topic / link on another tribe about reducing pollution, encouraging solar use, etc.
I was shot down with replies that all this talk about Global Warming is "hysteria" and that "we don't even know if its caused by people".

Its pretty hard to advocate change when people wont even discuss alternatives, and refuse to accept climate change.
??

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 17 replies

would this be of interest?

2007-09-16T11:46:54Z

Hi Tribe,
I have been asked to help produce a 9 day natural building/permaculture event on a new piece of land just south of the Baja border.
I am looking for feedback on all aspects including value,interest and curriculum.
please respond to scottankenypdx@gmail.com
Here are the details...

Oct 27 – Nov 4

Imagine a revolutionary oasis built with your very own hands
as you exercise in natural building and whole system design principles.

Imagine a community of passionate people learning what it means to be human beings,
immersed in an environment of self-expression, of listening, and of appreciation,
while they build beautifully and sustainably.

Introducing GiraSol (Sunflower), a new permaculture settlement breaking ground in November 2007. We invite you to be a part of this amazing experience by participating in a nine-day course designed to bring you competency in Permaculture and Earthen Building Methods.

Imagine yourself as part of that community…Living. Building. Playing.

This nine-day intensive design/build studio will combine natural building techniques (cobb, adobe, stone, straw/clay, passive/active heating systems) with presentations, discussions, exercises, and fun field trips.

GiraSol’s ground-breaking workshop will provide training in regenerative village design, natural construction and permaculture theory while establishing the GiraSol information center through hands-on work. The design will integrate a century-old adobe structure into a whimsical new building, seemingly sprung from the canvas of a Maxfield Parrish painting.

Led by mOceaN (Mark Lakeman), Lydia Doleman and Martin Shulke of Portland’s City Repair Project, the GiraSol Intensive will take place from 10/27/07 to 11/04/07. We will be camping as a group in the beautiful Baja desert, and all meals will be provided.

Basics

Location: GiraSol is a 200-acre parcel situated in Valle de las Palmas (Valley of the Palms), about 20 miles south of the U.S./Mexico Border and 30 miles from the Pacific Ocean between the major cities of Tijuana, Ensenada & Tecate. This new Center is on a vast tract of beautiful land in the valley, along a road from Ensenada to Tecate which is currently under construction. This road will bring unprecedented real estate development to this relatively undisturbed agrarian area. GiraSol strives to be a jewel in the Baja landscape by providing an example of sustainable community design.

Course Description: You will receive training AND become competent in the following areas:

1. regenerative village design and earthen building methods
2. biomass accumulation and use, plastering
3. roof framing
4. integrated landscaping
5. water catchment, re-use, and finishing methods.

Construction will be accompanied by discussions of the ecological features and benefits of each building phase. Through two field trips we will explore the local community by travelling to a wildlife preserve and taking part in Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Daily Activities

6 a.m.
7 a.m.
8 a.m.
8:30 a.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
4–6 p.m.
6:30
8–10 p.m.
Moving Meditation
Breakfast & Daily Overview
Discussion of Daily Work Focus
Begin Field Project Work
Lunch and Siesta at the Lunch Palace
Village Design Discussion
Resume Filed Project Work
Communal Dinner
Evening Presentation/Discussion, Fire Circle

Dates: 10/27–11/04, 2007
Cost: $450

Reservations & Questions: Contact Scott Ankeny at 503.853.9376 or e-mail: scottankenypdx@gmail.com
Curriculum

There will be two tracks of education running at the same time.
Each student will be involved in both activities of building and landscaping

Day 1: Check-in, Orientation, Dinner, Campfire/Permaculture & GiraSol Overview
Day 2: Foundations, Biomass Accumulation*, Dialogue—Strategies and Practices
Day 3: Building Adobe Walls/Other Earthen Building Methods, Village Design & Community Building
Day 4: Adobe Walls, Water & Biomass Accumulation, Swales, Dialogue
Day 5: Plastering Walls, Swales, Natural Building
Day 6: Roof Framing, Tree-Planting in Biomass-filled Swales, Dialogue
Day 7: Field Trip (Ocean), Food Systems, Village Ecosystems, Spa & Special Places
Day 8: Roofing and Water, Water Catchment/Systems, Eco-Intervention
Day 9: Finishing & Systems, Visioning
Day 10: Completion, Afterparty, Departure

*Biomass piece will include the whole process — from mulching to retain rainwater
to improved soil structure resulting in increased food potentials.

Order of Construction
Foundation, Walls, Windows/Doors, Plaster, Framing, Roof

Evening Presentations
GiraSol: Story and Overview
Global Challenge, “Anti-Virus” Plan
Village Design
Inherent Nature
Case Studies of Successful Eco-Centers

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

Help protect Oregon

2007-09-11T20:40:33Z

Vote yes on Measure 49 this Nov.

Measure 49 will fix measure 37 which was advertised as an effort to protect the property right of individuals who wanted to build a few housed on their land if the law allowed them to do so whey they purchased the property. We voted for it but what we got out of 37: 7,500 claims for development covering over 750,00 acres of Oregon land much of it in protected forest and farmland, and in areas that ave limited groundwater for the families and wildlife that are already there. This sprawling development as a documented potential cost of $15 billion to Oregon taxpayers.

Measure 49 will protect the property rights of small individual landowners by allowing them up to 3 houses on their property if the law allowed it whey they bought their land.

They may also build up to 10 homes if they can document an equivalent financial loss and the extra houses are not on prime farm or forest land and do not threaten water supplies.

Measure 49 will also protect the places the make Oregon special. It will keep huge housing subdivisions, strip malls, and industrial developments out of areas where thy simply don't belong.

Facts on Measure 37
Both Hood river Valley and central Oregon are particularly hard hit by Measure 37. Hood River, Wasco, Jefferson, Deschutes and Crook counties have a total of 671 Measure 37 development claims, covering over 112,000 acres. Fore the sake of comparison, the entire city of Portland covers 85,,952 acres of land.

Example: Pumice NMine and Subdivision in Newberry Crater. LPP Resources Limited Partnership
This claim would put surface mining, geothermal power production and development of a 157 lot residential subdivision in the Newberry Crater National Monument. Otherwise, LPP demands over $200 million from taxpayers.

Example: Mining Operation on Protected Forestland
51 acres of protected forest would be converted into a miner extraction operation near Hood river.

Example: $513 Million compensation Demand to Tom McDonald
Demands taxpayers pay over $513 unless he is allowed to build a subdivision and a destination resort on 5,000 acres

Example: A single subdivision of over 15,000 acers Aspen Valley Limited Partneship
Aspen Valley demands $10 million in compensation if they are not allowed to subdivide over 15,000 acres into more then 3,000 lots.

Example: Mt. Hood Meadows
Developers have proposed a project to convert 891 acres of forestland high on the flanks of Mt. Hood into over 900 recreational housing units. This land includes a watershed which provides drinking water for over 25% of Hood River County. Otherwise, the developers are demanding cash compensation on development rights on public land.

***WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP PASS MEASURE 49. CALL 503 282 1904 OR GO TO WWW.YESON49.COM***

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

Hi Guys,

2007-09-11T18:12:13Z

Hi Guys,

I have added an Energy Efficiency section to my website- Comments/Suggestions would be great.

Link: http://www.worldofrenewables.com/EnergyEfficiency/index.html

Grant Rowe

World of Renewables
grantrowe@worldofrenewables.com

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

USGS predicts polar bear extinction within decades

2007-09-10T23:18:14Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6986980.stm

This isn't breaking news, since many sources have been saying this for years.
However, its important to see the USGS (part of the US govt!) admitting it.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

NEW TRIBE...WARTIME

2007-09-01T21:48:41Z

This is a tribe to explore the Worlds Wars, Battles, and Conflicts
We hope that history does not repeat itself
http://tribes.tribe.net/542c9b86-93b1-4b12-bc96-a754f89c5e8e?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5B542c9b86-93b1-4b12-bc96-a754f89c5e8e%5D

FOLKLORE AND MYTHOLOGY
http://tribes.tribe.net/b9b544af-89e5-4aa7-8dec-c917f83c3bd7?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5Bb9b544af-89e5-4aa7-8dec-c917f83c3bd7%5D

Religious and Spiritual Art (Apparitions

http://tribes.tribe.net/eb5f7908-cda1-40f9-9648-e8b00b84292f?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5Beb5f7908-cda1-40f9-9648-e8b00b84292f%5D

Famous Quotes and Short Stories tribe
http://tribes.tribe.net/8644c865-e362-4b4d-917e-a8ca42c4fd9d?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5B8644c865-e362-4b4d-917e-a8ca42c4fd9d%5D

BIRDMAN - tribe.net:

http://tribes.tribe.net/25a1f4a7-b777-4adf-8c62-1f418aaf0d64?current=tribeallposts&set=y#tabs

Subliminal Messages and Propaganda - tribe.net:
http://tribes.tribe.net/e388baea-51eb-417f-9390-06fe37f92e41

PROPHETS and VISSIONARIES... WE ARE... - tribe.net:
http://tribes.tribe.net/bac54dd7-c43a-45c5-a716-6d241843a31f

SongWriters
http://tribes.tribe.net/963b1f92-281c-4bcf-b395-325a809d1b54?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5B963b1f92-281c-4bcf-b395-325a809d1b54%5D

AMAZING ART

http://tribes.tribe.net/29104d87-26ac-4a27-a01c-ac24e71ecf8a?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5B29104d87-26ac-4a27-a01c-ac24e71ecf8a%5D

Folk Art and Pop Art ( Folk- N- POP )

http://tribes.tribe.net/95d03c97-1166-4b76-88ea-d1b3ae450e28

The Prophecy of Magog - tribe.net:
http://tribes.tribe.net/d64e82b0-72ef-4c72-b5e7-299383c1d4e0

WARTIME
http://tribes.tribe.net/542c9b86-93b1-4b12-bc96-a754f89c5e8e?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5B542c9b86-93b1-4b12-bc96-a754f89c5e8e%5D

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

e-Newswire Special Alert - Conserve Energy Now!

2007-08-30T19:59:26Z

I got this important email from a colleague at the Bay Area Green Business Program today. Please act on it and also tell your friends in California:

Hello e-Newswire readers,

Hot and humid weather has sent energy demand to critical levels
across the state. The California Independent System Operator
(California ISO) issued a Stage One Electrical Emergency yesterday,
and it expects electricity demand to be even higher today
(August 30) making it crucial the everyone participate in
conservation efforts.

Please take action to conserve energy:

- Turn off all unnecessary lights
- If you must use an air conditioner, turn it up to 78 degrees or higher
- Postpone using major appliances until after 7:00 PM

To view the full California ISO press release visit:
http://www.caiso.com/1c49/1c49e0481df90.pdf (PDF document)

For continuing coverage, visit the Power Plug blog:
http://www.fypower.org/news/

Thank you for flexing your power!

- Justin Gerdes, e-Newswire Editor

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

hey all

2007-08-29T18:05:19Z

Hey all,
Started a tribe to promote and discuss all renewable energy sources.

Its called Renewable future

Please join if interested

Grant Rowe
www.worldofrenewables.com

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 2 replies

Green Builders in Tampa Bay Region

2007-08-24T18:09:01Z

I am looking for Green Builders in Tampa Bay and Lakeland, florida Markets. Can arange end users.

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 1 reply

Protest the North American Union!!!

2007-08-17T00:33:10Z

Come and protest the "amero" AUGUST 18th at 1 p.m. at Seattle Center!!!

Read below for more information...

Opposition Builds to the North American Union
author: onthewingsofhelios
August 20-21, 2007 the leaders of Canada, the United States, and Mexico will meet in Montebello, Quebec to attend their semi-secret third Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America summit meeting to advance the North American Union that is already rapidly being established without the involvement of congress or the knowledge of citizens.
Connie Fogal of the Canadian Action Party was on the Alex Jones Radio Show at infowars.com yesterday to discuss the upcoming meeting in Montebello, Quebec, and where the press and public are NOT welcome.

A 25 km (18 mile) security perimeter will be established around the town of Montebello to keep reporters and demonstrators from bringing attention to what is going on; however, many reporters and protesters plan to go there anyway, at least to the perimeter.

A demonstration protesting the meeting and the North American Union will also be held in the United States at the Seattle Center in Seattle on Saturday, August 18, at 1 PM.

In March 2005 George W. Bush and the leaders of Canada and Mexico signed an agreement to form a security and prosperity partnership for a North American "Community." In other words, they agreed to build a North American Union, but while the agreement received little media coverage at the time, it would take another year for even those following the news closely to begin to the significance and scope of the agreement. Every one of our governmental departments was joined with an appointed spp.gov working group that is rewriting regulations and laws to merge the three governmental systems into a regional government. Congress will serve largely to rubber stamp laws as they are presented by these unelected committees, as is now the case for legislatures in the European Union countries.

According to Connie Fogal of the Canadian Action Party, the spp.gov agreement was a political coup d'etat. It was a take over of the executive government of North America with a transfer of power into private unelected committees following the Soviet model. It was, as radio talk show host Alex Jones says, "Red Dawn in slow motion."

The idea of a North American Union might sound innocent enough or even like a nice idea unless you understand the form of government being set in place. It is worth setting aside time to study what is going on and the difference between the Soviet-style system of appointed committees being set up as opposed to the constitutional system set up by the Founding Fathers with elected government and representatives that serve the people, separation of powers between those who make the laws and those who administer the country, and separation of power between the federal government and the states. The American system was set up to insure that the power remained with the people and could not be taken over by a group who might seize control of government. Of course, the ultra-rich and their self-serving think tanks and agents would prefer to simply take over and have their self-appointed committees decide how we will all live. It will be the middle class and average citizen who will have to make sacrifices of freedoms, rights, and their standard of living.

It is worth noting that without the helpful event of September 11 and the pretext of a lurking enemy, these changes necessary for the North American Union such as the umbrella government of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act, the National ID Card (internal passport), "North American Community", which have long been planned could never could have been justified.

Thanks to the effort of activists such as Connie Fogal in Canada, CNN's Lou Dobbs, investigative reporter Dr. Jerome Corsi and his book the Late Great USA, and Alex Jones' documentaries and radio show in the United States, the word is starting to getting out about the take over of our executive branch by the private interests who control the Council on Foreign Relations. We need to see the larger picture of the events of September 11 and how they have been used to justify take over plans that have long been in the works.

The North American Union did not just spring from September 11 as some kind of sudden bust of inspiration. It was planned and plotted for years by a small group of ultra rich who want to run the world. It's up to the people to speak up for their own selfish interests and to support the US Constitution and Bill of Rights and a government that represents and serves the people.

Banker David Rockefeller, honorary chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations, the private think tank that planned the North American Union, with a model of his early project: his Twin Towers.
PICTURE tinyurl.com/2flkue

REFERENCES:

CAP/PAC Leader calls the SPP a "hostile takeover" of the apparatus of democracy
August 2, 2007 tinyurl.com/23t7wt

Discussion of North American Union

Jerome Corsi, writer of the book, The Late Great USA
October 2, 2006
AUDIO tinyurl.com/yvfot2
Start at 5 minutes for Dr. Jerome Corsi and his analysis of the plans for the North American Union.

Interview with Dr. Jerome Corsi
VIDEO
youtube.com/watch

THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS (CFR) PLANNED THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION

VP Dick Cheney talks to David Rockefeller and the Council on Foreign Relations
VIDEO tinyurl.com/2wkcbl

New World Order Chieftains Openly Discuss Dismantling US Border and Bringing Us into the Pan-American Union
June 10, 2005 Links to other articles tinyurl.com/2z6nab

THE CANADIAN COUNCIL OF CHIEF EXECUTIVES (CCE)

The Canadian Council of Chief Executives, a council of the top 150 corporations in Canada ,is dominated by the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States.

Dismantle the border, CEOs say
Make it an 'internal checkpoint,' council argues in citing security and trade concerns
January 14, 2003 tinyurl.com/2x2z97

SECURITY AND PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP OF NORTH AMERICA (SPP)
It has been described as a hostile take over of the executive branches of the three countries of North America.
www.spp.gov/

Task force urges creation of 'Fortress America'
Increase police, security co-operation, create common external tariff
March 14, 2005 tinyurl.com/funao

President Quietly Creating 'NAFTA Plus'
May 24, 2006
gothinkblog.com/

The American Union is Already Here
June 20, 2006 tinyurl.com/2a9fhh

Canada, the United States, and Mexico... a possible merger?
June 20, 2006 tinyurl.com/ruh9u

A SUPER HIGHWAY WILL BRING GOOD OFF-LOADED IN MEXICO TO THE US AND CANADA

NAFTA Super Highway Map
October 2, 2006
PICTURE tinyurl.com/23xy8o

Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway
June 12, 2006 tinyurl.com/hakrn

THE CURRENCY WILL BE THE AMERO

The Plan to Replace the Dollar With the 'Amero'
May 22, 2006 tinyurl.com/gjt24

London stock trader urges move to 'amero'
Says many unaware of plan to replace dollar with N. American currency
November 2, 2006 tinyurl.com/yu6nuc

LOU DOBBS IS ONE OF THE FEW IN THE MEDIA REPORTING ABOUT THE NAU

Lou Dobbs Discusses CFR Plans for a North American Union
Week of July 19, 2005
VIDEO (4:08 min )
tinyurl.com/2sgath

CANADIAN, US, AND MEXICO POLICE AND MILITARY ARE MERGING

Canada-US troop deal 'close'
August 29, 2002 tinyurl.com/2zmlta

Cop wins RCMP settlement after highway search
Jan 28 2005 tinyurl.com/3k347

Armed Mexican Troops Invade US
Eyewitnesses: Under cover of aid, combat ready soldiers roll into Texas
September 8, 2005 tinyurl.com/c23mv

OPPOSITION TO THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION PLANS

Stop the Security and Prosperity Partnership
stopspp.com/stopspp/

Stop the North American Union
www.stopthenau.org/

Canadian Action Party
tinyurl.com/25obxs

contact phone: 604-872-2128

Corridor Watch www.corridorwatch.org

Texas Toll Party www.texastollparty.com

U.S.-Mexico merger opposition intensifies
July 10, 2006 tinyurl.com/pb4nq

THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS A SOVIET-STYLE GLOBAL GOVERNMENT

The Creation of the Global Union
March 13, 2006
VIDEO tinyurl.com/m9d7n

What is wrong with merging the three countries of North America into one regional government? Those in the know, such as a former Soviet dissident warn of an EU Dictatorship, and the North American Union will follow the same model.

Former Soviet Dissident Warns Of EU Socialist Dictatorship
March 2, 2006
tinyurl.com/jgl3d

This might be an explanation of Communism that you have not heard before: a plan by the super-rich for taking over large regions and their resources.

Book: None Dare Call It Conspiracy
reactor-core.org/none-dare.html

found at portland.indymedia.org/en/200...6.shtml

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

out of control with "no touch" policy in schools

2007-08-13T14:29:21Z

Touching is an essential part to healthy human development and expression. However, in attempt to keep safety and order officials at Kilmer Middle School in Vienna, VA have made all touching against the rules. This is extremely detrimental to normal psychological development. In addition, it is avoidance of common adolescence problems, and is miseducating the students on what is appropriate. Help convince the school officials to find a better way to educate and support their students!

I have developed a petition via the care2.com petition site so we can help this school board discover better options. I am so grateful for all the work our public schools do, but feel they need our help sometimes, too. I hope this petition will become a catalyst for other public schools that informally have this as a policy.

Please read, sign, and pass on (at least pass on to those who may be interested). Thank you!
petition - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/help-revoke-the-quotno-touchingquot-policy-at-kilmer-middle-school-in-vienna-va
news article about Kilmer school - http://www.npr.org/blogs/news/2007/06/dealing_with_va_schools_total_1.html

Peace,
Lynn

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 4 replies

Jamaica: not just ganja and reggae

2007-08-04T10:14:04Z

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5277094596195828118

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies

Has everyone voted for impeachment yet?

2007-07-31T19:40:55Z

Hi guys,

Let's do the single best thing for our country at this stage - and vote for impeachment. You can sign your name to the list at www.impeachbush.org, and together we can make sure this president and his vice president go down for their disgrace to the country!

posted in Think Globally, Act Locally - 0 replies