Click the boot to see the video trailer and more at Red Deer Press. If you find this an unsettling view of teenage girls then I suggest you consider all that’s been written about their physical and psychological cruelty. Science fiction has nothing on the daily reality strutting through school hallways everywhere.
Rustle: I think of all the clicking, whirling cams, the screens and monitors, the hidden mics tracking our movements when we least suspect it–the never knowing when they’re watching. And I surrender to my own inevitable defeat. A tear rolls down my sorry check as I flashback to the Treason Times. I rememory all those twisted cores, those poor broken specimens struggling, impaled on their death sticks, waiting for the pain to end. Our ancestors, the human mothers who bore us, ridiculed ’til the very last milli and Beyond. That’ll be me soon. Sniff.
O thank you, Red Deer Press for your “…respect for the intelligence of the reader at every level…”–WOW–when’s the last time you read that in any American Publisher’s mission statement? Like NEVER! I mean what American media outlet of any sort has any respect for the intelligence of its audience??? Red Deer Press is a Canadian operation–smirk, smirk. Come on, be honest. I’m willing to entertain any suspects dishing up tomes to feed the intelligence hunger of Americans anyone is willing to offer up. Is it fair to argue that the fact that books in any form are still being produced by American publishers for the market is a good sign that we’ve not been entirely written off as complete morons–yet? Big Big Sky is definitely not mental junk food for a dumbed down Young Adult audience. The very talented Kristyn Dunnion makes the most of every page to infiltrate and stretch the imagination of whoever picks up this totally engaging novel which raises a multitude of issues about blind obedience, genetic manipulation, love, leadership. loyalty and survival of the fittest–”Decline, Deform, Disobey.” This is one hell of a science fiction/fantasy adventure into uncharted waters and beyond for the all female crew of a StarPod of young assassins: Rustle, Loo, Solomon, Shona and Roku. Dunnion creates a tightly controlled world of young people trained by ScanMans to exterminate other humans. Then Dunnion turns the tables on the core group and soon they’re deep in a swim for their own lives to the lands beyond the mountain of total mind control. There’s good language craft fun with all the lingo Dunnion devises for this unruly passel of rampaging lasses as the plot unfolds from the shifting perspectives of each. You don’t have to be a teenager or a female to jump into this novel and enjoy it immensely. Keeping an open mind about love relationships and science fiction could be a tad useful at the onset–until the characters themselves yanky yank you into their world of troubles and tribulations and transformations. Ever dream of becoming a big bird? How about an amphibian? What’s your control freak conformity factor? All is fair in love and war, right?
I’m eagerly awaiting more of Kristyn Dunnion’s wicked writing wonders. I promise to share with the other girls nice nice.
Click image designed by Donovan Pete to use as cover on facebook.
Regarding Fort Defiance meeting to discuss SB 2109:
Posted on Navajo Truth SB 2109 facebook page along with the photos, links, observations and thoughts of many other people. http://www.facebook.com/#!/navajotruth
via Bonnie Jean Canyon:
The police presence at the Fort Defiance meeting was intense and intimidating. This was mentioned by more than one person when the public was allowed to address the NNVP and other officials. I feel it was uncalled for and excessive. Im still trying to figure out why they also needed 2 or 3 fire trucks and also 3-4 ambulances? They must know already just how strongly the people are opposed to this? All the emergency response vehicals took up so much space it was very difficult to find parking. There was a pretty good turn out but it was after 5 that people started showing up even though the meeting started at 4 and Im assuming its because most work until 5. They ran out of chairs and many remained standing for most of the meeting. I feel the power point slide show they presented was meant to sell the bill more than it was to educate and inform. The people present strongly opposed the bill and many who wished to voice their concerns and ask questions were not allowed to speak. I was very happy to see young people in attendence including 2 that came all the way from Phoenix to speak and also a student from Dine College. At least 3 people spoke up towards the end and called out to the NNVP that they had not been allowed to speak. Once again proof that more forums are needed and also that more time should have been given to the public to speak and ask questions. It seems that most feel, that despite the claims of all the uncertainties of letigation, most would rather continue the fight for water claims in court than to waive them and settle.
Photo from Renaldo Chapman–on Navajo Truth SB 2109 facebook–Security at Fort Defiance meeting.
For some insight into the land, people, history and political economics involved in this issue consider this article at – Izilwane –Connecting the human animal to theglobal ecosystem–
“Belonging to the Land, Part One: The Elders of Black Mesa” by Zoe Kransey
Our Water Rights has a hard copy letter writing campaign underway. For information on SB 2109 and HR 4067, and the addresses for snail mail visit www.ourwaterrights.org
These videos from Bruce Parry’s Arctic series on the Tar Sands offer a certain perspective on the Tar Sands oil issue for everyone. Some folks may not appreciate some of the content. But people do seem to speak for themselves–including the woman who “hasn’t read the script.” Questions are raised about ethics, responsibility and our relationships to the land and water and the lacks thereof. No solutions are presented. But it’s clear that every person who drives a vehicle plays a role in the oil industry’s continuing existence. We need to get our minds out of the boxes of conventional thinking if we’re really going to save Earth and create a sustainable future worth living on the only planet we have. We need to do more than just stop another Keystone Pipeline from being constructed across America. We need to shut down the Tar Sands completely. We need to implement alternative energy sources and create new means of transportation that are not dependent on oil. This needs to happen today–not 5, 25 or 50 years from now. We have the knowledge. Do we have the will?
Earth Day musing: Yes, that little dark streak near the top is a human. We are much like ants on Earth. Unfortunately in many ways we’re lethal ants destroying everything in our path.
For those of you suffering from limited attention spans please do not let the length of this video deter you from hearing Patricia’s speech given at the Indigenous Environmental Network Conference on the Rights of Mother Earth Restoring Indigenous Life Ways of Responsibility and Respect. There are several important things well worth learning in her speech and replies to questions. One very significant element is how a village of 1,200 has developed international alliances for support of all kinds. I think it’s an art many others need to foster in their own communities. We need to make the most of our common ground in order to protect Earth. Respect, support, communication, tolerance for our differences are not easy to acquire. If the only thing we have in common is a love for Mother Earth–then we better make the most of it. Unlike the Nature Conservancy I think we need to do a great deal more than enjoy picnics outside in order to ‘celebrate’ Earth Day. The Tar Sands operation is just one hard harsh reality we need to face head on. Now, when it’s possible to picnic on the Tar Sands site then that would be something to celebrate indeed. We’re a long long way from that picnic. Presently I don’t think we’d be welcome at the Tar Sands site unless our baskets contained a few tons of solid gold currency.
Dine’ poet Luci Tapahonso’s “Dust Precedes the Rain” seems appropriate for both a tip of the cyber hat to April as National Poetry Month –and to focus on the joys of water, especially rain–water that falls from the sky.
“The water from the sink is no good for making pottery.
It just ruins it,” my children’s Acoma grandmother would say.
Thereafter she sent the kids to replace the full bowls of rainwater
that had filled since it began to rain.
Her son said that when he was a child, the rain smelled
and tasted so good–he and other kids played outside,
laughing and running around–and they stopped once in a while to lick
the cool adobe walls . The sides of the smooth houses were
fragrant and nurturing. From atop the mesa at Acoma Pueblo,
it is possible to see almost seventy miles in each direction.
It is the same on the reservations surrounding Phoenix.
Long before the rains come, the gentle desert wind
carries the scent of rain, wild plants flutter anxiously,
and pets frolic, acting silly. To the west, the thunderheads
loom dark and full. Thin waves of dust precede the rain,
rolling tumbleweeds and bits of paper, and the children run and skip,
allowing the wind to push them along. They yell and laugh.
The lilting sounds ae carried eastward by the blowing slants
of rain–their laughs and shouts caught in the leaves of sturdy trees.
They linger in the crevices of small hills and arroyos
and finally swirl into the slopes of the purple mountains nearby.
It must have been the same when the Hohokamiki lived here
where the expressway crosses over. The children played
in the dust- charged breezes, shouting and running in circles,
and when the rains began, they paused, their faces turned upward
to taste the cool clean rain.
Their quiet gratitude for brimming pots of water remains
now in the crumbling re-buried walls fo their small homes.
The still concentration with which they painted pottery
remains in the small toys and tiny woven sandals that are unearthed:
their spirits remain in the dry grains of dirt
that were dug up by shovels, backhoes, and bulldozers.
This is evident in the persistence of the bright wild plants
that push their way out of the dry ground.
This is evident in the new growth that springs up
along the arroyos and streams following sudden rains.
This is evident in the island of peaceful silence
that the museum cradles amid the city’s frenzy.
This is evident in the restless energy of the busloads
of children who visit the old homes of the Hohokamiki today.
They recognize the old history that is theirs.
They recognize the old history that is ours.
@Luci Tapahonso, “Dust Precedes the Rain” from Blue Horses Rush In, University of Arizona Press
Please meet some of the people who form the Black Mesa Water Coalition. Roberto Nutlouis and others attended the Indigenous Environmental Network Conference on the Rights of Mother Earth in April. They’re deep into water issues in Navajo and Hopi Country and creating Green businesses to support their traditional communities working to develop sustainable economies. Since they are a part of these communities they have a vested interest in their future. We are all a part of the community of Earth. So we are all connected. We are all related.
Seems it could be a long and very HOT summer in the land of the Dine and Hopi–and I’m not talking about solar heat. Sorry no sheep or plastic water bottle math lessons in this video. Just a full body reality check. When’s the last time your grandparents protested?
yourstorydigital filmed and edited this video for everyone to SHARE! So please share it widely to help prevent the theft of Navajo-Hopi water rights. I hope I’m as lucid as Peter McDonald if I ever reach 83 years of age. Got sheep? Need water. Ain’t got sheep–still need water. Why give away what you need to live for others to waste? Who needs another coal mine? Who needs another mall? Who needs another subdivision for snowbirds? Genocide comes in many forms–taking away water that gives life is one way to kill people. Once the water is gone then so will be the people and all other living things. Tell Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl to take a hike down a Peabody Coal Mine shaft.
What more do you need? Nudge, nudge–Earth Day is every day.
NOTE POST UPDATE REGARDING THE DISAPPEARANCE OF PETER MCDONALD’S GREAT SPEECH. THE FOLLOWING WAS POSTED ON YOUTUBE BY YOURSTORYDIGITAL APPROX 12 HOURS PRIOR TO THIS NOTE:
“Dear Friends,
I have been asked to remove Chairman McDonald’s speech by his family. I must respect their wishes. Please do not distribute any copies you may have made. Thank you for understanding. Susan”
PERHAPS THIS INDICATES ANOTHER REASON WHY SB 2109 NEEDS TO BE STOPPED? AT THIS POINT IN TIME I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER. BUT NOW I’M WONDERING EVEN MORE ABOUT THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THIS WATER RIGHTS ISSUE IS OPERATING.
Another ‘update’–scroll down to Mario’s comment for another excellent video link!!! Thank you!!!!
Hello everyone to whom I’ve been AWOL for so long. Just have been pre-occupied with streams of Occupy online and other things offline. Hope everyone is well and is surviving whatever winter is throwing your way weatherwise. It’s COLD here but nothing to complain about. Looking forward to visiting many blogcasas very soon. Something that came up in a recent occupy livestream chat was the lack of comprehension of word ‘play’ on the part of many Americans. Apparently our educational system offers NO appreciation of the finer points of the English language and hence our sense of humor is stunted by our lack of appreciation for clever turns of phrases. Some of you poets will probably beg to differ on this account. But–believe me it is a valid a concern time and time again in many occupy chats where random segments of the global population consort daily. Some humor simply does not come across well in text. Others fail to comprehend multiple meanings of words. And there are many forms of self-expression from individual communities that take time and patience to decipher. This goes beyond the texting genre. Though that also comes into play in the chat stream in various incarnations. Best thing to do when at a loss is to ask for definitions–some are obvious, some bewildering and others very enlightening and useful. It’s an ongoing exercise in communication on a global level. So–when I use the word “wicked” to herald the new year –I have a variety of meanings and associations with “wicked” that vary from slang to formal dictionary traditional meanings–very cool and wonderful to downright evil. While hoping 2012 is indeed a wonderful and exciting new year for everyone in all the possible positive ways this is tempered with the awareness of the president signing the National Defence Authorization Act on New Years Eve when many people were paying NO attention to this potentially evil little legislative ‘delight’. So–while every ‘new’ year brims with creative positive potential it also brims with all sorts of new negative hatchings as well. And so it goes…..
For the moment–Chocolate truffles for everyone! But don’t you dare fall asleep under the table this new year or there may be hell to pay……. Mic Check!
Doing an internet search of NDAA ought to bring you up to speed fairly quickly. You might want to have your favorite libations or comfort foods handy while discovering what’s happened.
A continuing complaint about the Occupy Movement is lack of focus and vague demands. Apparently some folks are hearing impaired and have serious trouble reading. Maybe that’s due to the lackluster education system in America? Or is it selective hearing and intellectual denial? Indeed none of this fits well into 30 second mainstream news coverage soundbites. Probably because the issues are too big and complex and hence mainstream news mentality FAILS dramatically with anything requiring their attention beyond 5 minutes viewing span. It’s clear many people still think this movement is a ‘joke’ that will vanish with winter snows and freezing temperatures. Well, even if the symbolic tents do disappear via snow or police action–the people involved have not and they will not be invisible nor silent — even if corporate controlled mainstream media continues their puppet plays.
While much protest music has come from the past, for example, John Lennon’s “Imagine”, there are new songs being written too.
Recorded LIVE at Occupy Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland December 10, 2011 “Foreign Lands” by Matthew. Thanks to Liam of The Fingals channel, for the video.
To protest the recent Budget Cuts on the backs of the people who did not create the continually swelling economic disaster The Spectacle of Defiance and Hope filled Dame Street with scarlet in many forms–including spoken word.
Spectacle march and proclamation
Temper Mental Miss Elayneous held nothing back on December 3, 2011.
Confused? Maybe Curly can help clear up a concept or two.
If that doesn’t work maybe Peadar O hlci ‘s song “Occupy Public Spaces” will do the trick.
Recently a “pigeon” delivered a letter of Solidarity to Occupy Dame Street from Occupy Philly. So it seems fitting to connect this post about Occupy Dame Street with a tip of the tubes to Occupy Philly with their fierce Foreclosure of Wells Fargo on November 18, 2011. If this action had aired LIVE on any television station in Philly as it did on Livestream—how could anyone who suffered foreclosure in Philly not have joined Occupy Philly at Wells Fargo?
Oh yeah, they stayed! And look who WAS watching:
That’s not an American accent, is it? O my, Occupy unites the world?
Violating copyright births bad karma---imagine a mad hacker you'll never see coming--nor catch going. Respect = my work is my work and your work is your work.
Everything posted here is my work, copyrighted, unless otherwise noted. Comments aside. Om
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Click the boot to see the video trailer and more at Red Deer Press. If you find this an unsettling view of teenage girls then I suggest you consider all that’s been written about their physical and psychological cruelty. Science fiction has nothing on the daily reality strutting through school hallways everywhere.
om mani padme hum jewel in the lotus wahupa qi prana universal life energy
