The Time Is Now. The Place is Earth. The Tipping Point is Real.

Get informed. Raise your voice. Use your talents. Reach out and engage however you can. Do not put this on the back burner. Do not wait for another day. Do not wait for more time. There is no more time. The time is now. The place is Earth. It’s the ONLY home you’ve got. Finding water on Mars is of no use to you or me or anyone’s children.  We can’t just f—the Earth and fly away into space. Star Trek is not reality. Scottie will not be beaming anyone to a nice safe place–and definitely not to any quaint islands whose people are watching the sea rise even as I type.

400 ppm CO2 is here to stay while all of us are alive.

Climate Change is real. It’s happening now. If you’re not feeling it yet, you will. I guarantee it.

~~~

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Honor The Earth ~ The Village is Growing: Standing Rock

Need a lift? Some heat relief? A good read? Get your mind in the boat: Read The Boys in the Boat

It’s Friday and everyone is itching to chill out so I’ll get right to the heart of this post: Treat yourself and read The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. This is a true story of HEART–true character, “boys” who were men whom current athletes can not match on any level. Yes, I have seen the 2016 Olympics and found them sorely wanting. In a time when ego and individual effort is all the rage it’s impossible to even imagine that a group of nine “boys” could swing like none other. I knew nothing about rowing until I read this book. I knew more than I wanted about the Nazis. I knew about the Depression and the Dust Bowl. I knew about Jesse Owens. But I knew nothing about this incredible rowing crew. Swing is now more than a style of Jazz and dancing for me. It’s not often that I re-read a book but I’ve read the race scenes several times because they’re so damn exciting. Nothing I’ve seen –ever– in the Olympics can compare.

For the romantics there’s even a love story. Actually there’s a lot of love in this story.

The Boys in the Boat

Much thanks and appreciation to PBS’s American Experience episode The Boys of ’36 which turned me onto Brown’s book.

The Boys of ’36 Chapter 1

Watch, read and be uplifted.

M-I-B = Mind In Boat  ~~ rowing mantra

 

Going where NO politician has ever gone. The Urban Farming Guys are on an epic concrete hope for the future roll in KCMO–and beyond.

I had other plans for a post today –until I checked my email and found a missive from The Urban Farming Guys. Timing is everything. The Urban Farming Guys have been busy–very busy. And they want to keep on being very busy in the urban core and beyond. UFG are doing what no politician has ever done–create a world of real possibilities. They are grassroots in ACTION. They’ve got an ambitious plan underway and they need OUR help to make it so. See what they’re up to now and if you’re impressed please share/donate/reblog–in other words, help however you can right now because the clock is ticking.

Without further ado:

 

The Urban Farming Guys YT

Crowdrise 

UFG website

The time is now.

These guys are the real deal. Please spread the word.

All Packed and Ready to Go Forth and Conquer Yourself? Yeah, It’s Journey Time.

The Journey is such a deceptive phrase because it implies a beginning, middle and end when there really is none.  One thing leads to another and then to another so there’s always an ongoing journey — an infinite plot-line, if you will, that never reaches any conclusion. If it did then entropy would set in, and that would be the end of, well, everything as we know it. On the other hand, that might not be such a bad thing for cleaning slates and starting over from scratch.

*

Roads and travelers come in all shapes and sizes–literally and figuratively.

Keiko Matsui ~ The Road  album title track.

*

Into the Wild ~  LP – Live, of course. Whistle with her, if you can. I dare you. 🙂 So says moi, who can NOT whistle at all.

 

Rust and Bone soundtrack  I Follow Rivers ~ Lykke Li ~  Who’s up for a hard-core, edgy and no punches pulled journey into love?

*

Blank Maps ~ Cold Specks.  If someone has found the kiosk with the life maps, please announce it on the intercom for everyone’s benefit.  Thank you.

 

*

Into the Wild –Eddie Vedder ~ There are a number of videos with this music connected to the film by the same name.  I decided to stick with the focus on Vedder’s voice and lyrics.

*

Why Across the Universe?

Because of all the concrete and abstract journeys it contains: a young man’s journey from home to find his biological father; journeys of the heart and mind; journeys into and out of the war machine; journeys of friendship; creative journeys and spiritual journeys. The film is pretty much jam packed with a lot more than great Beatles’ music, though that alone is reason enough to give it some of your precious time–if you’re a Beatles fan, of course.

Across the Universe ~ I Want You 

*

A great survival story is a great survival story—that’s my response to those folks who have issues with the source material for this film.  Frankly, I just don’t give a damn.  Considering the way serious political history is constantly abused, misused, spun, and misrepresented by some film industries, I can’t get worked up about whether or not everything in this film is factual or not.

The Way Back ~  Tibet by Burkhard Dallwitz

*

I’ve served  The Thin Red Line on other occasions–sigh. Listen closely and let Private Witt speak for himself.

The Thin Red Line ~ The Swing Scene

*

~~~

Where have Bear and the others gone? Let’s find out.

Bear ~ http://bearspawprint.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/journey-music-themes/

Maddie ~ http://1earthunite.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/%e2%99%aathe-journey-where-do-your-tracks-lead-music-themes/

So far we’re all on different tracks. Oh yeah. No visas required. Yet.

Johnny ~ http://johnnyojanpera.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/music-theme-journey/

Lisa, Lisa ~ http://undergroundenergy.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/music-theme-the-journey/

the incredible red dot lady herself ~ willowdot21 ~ http://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/the-journey-musical-theme/

~~~ Like Johnny said, there are 7 billion life maps out there and none of them are the same. In other words, all our journeys are unique with this musical theme.

~

ps. This is subject to massive revision without notice. 🙂  Don’t forget your meal tickets.

Feel free to offer some detours of your own.

History ~~ Ouch–It Hurts! ~~ What’s Columbus Got To Do With Anything In 2014?

 

 

 

ACT I:

~In 1482, Columbus sailed the ocean blue~

He was Bad News for the Taino People ~

But some people don’t want to think about that reality.

~Why not?

Because then they’d  have to learn a new history.

~Ooops–but isn’t history supposed to be true and honest?

Depends on who is using which facts to support which version of what happened.

~Are you saying people manipulate facts to suit their own agendas?

Me? Why would I ever say something like that? It might be politically incorrect, and we can’t have that, can we?

~Hmm, but what’s Politically Correct for one group isn’t necessarily PC for another group. And people do have a tendency to abuse PC everywhere in order to create conflict and sometime even abuse other people who had no intentions of abusing anyone. There’s been some very rough irony involved in demands for PC over the years.

No way! Who would do something like that?

~Who doesn’t? Come on, look at the conservative media, the scared shitless media, the controlled media, the alternative media, the foreign media, the underground media, the social media–everyone spins everything to suit their vision of reality, right?

Do you think that’s what pissed off those high school kids in Colorado so much that they pretested in the streets about changes in what history would be taught?

~What do you think?

I’m not sure yet. But–I do recall what happened in Arizona with the Mexican-American Studies program being shut down because it presented a different viewpoint of history than what the TPTB wanted taught in schools.

~Hey, are you saying there’s a conspiracy to teach lies in American schools?

Look, I don’t go in for conspiracy theories.  But I don’t think this is a coincidence either.  Maybe it’s just like minds acting out in similar ways.  Or not.

~ Like minded people, right. Ah ha.

ACT II:

Lie. Lie. Lie.

Deny lying and lie some more.

Because if the truth is known the people might rebel.

There’s a very good chance they’ll refuse to be cannon fodder.

They might even learn other languages in order to talk to the rest of the world about issues that affect everyone.

Or not.

ACT III:

*

*

Howard Zinn on Honesty In History

*

Humor ~~ Warning! Contains Sarcasm, Irony and Questioning of Authority

If you’re still in the dark about the history curriculum issue in Colorado:

http://www.vice.com/read/colorado-students-are-fighting-a-patriotic-white-washing-of-us-history-929

As for the Mexican-American Studies Program in Arizona, check this out from Buzzfeed’s David Noriega:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/davidnoriega/arizona-schools-chief-ousted#35ypfte

 

Epilogue:

Am I spinning the facts? Me? No way.  Why would I do something like that?

P.S.

A few of the many Italian things I really like:

Friendly Italian people

Pizza

Florence, Italy

Pasta

Sandro Botticelli, artist ~ http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/botticelli/

~~No, I’m not going to talk about the Pope or the Vatican. One should never discuss religion. It’s very Un-PC. Or it used to be. I’m not sure anymore.

 

 

 

The Journey ~ Upcoming Music Theme ~ Where Do Your Tracks Lead?

After a little kibitzing with The Bear about who wants to do what and when, I’ve selected The Journey as the Music Theme for next Thursday, October 16, 2014. Yeah, we’re slip-sliding the order of things from one line-up to another simply because we can.  So without further explanation or ado:

We experience many kinds of journeys in our lifetimes. Some are outward ones that anyone paying attention can observe and others are inward and invisible to others.

For some inspiration I’ve turned to the film Sin Nombre for a music selection because there are both outward and inward journeys undertaken by its characters.

Sin Nombre Soundtrack

~~

 

Dots? Did he say “dots”? Why yes, he did.

She Creates @eva

~

slate white or black blank

dots everywhere solar flares

midnight she creates

~

Why?

It’s all about the DOTS, of course.  Since much of my art is composed of tiny dots–a technique called stippling--Michio Kaku’s little chat about his new book caught my attention. Once I lay eyes and hands on The Future of the Mind hopefully I’ll have more to say about it than the fact that my curiosity is highly aroused by Kaku’s notions.  What’s brewing in your mind?

~

The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku

Knopfdoubleday

~~

Michio Kaku’s official site –>> http://mkaku.org/home/publications/about-the-future-of-the-mind/

An excerpt from the book:   http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/excerpt-the-future-the-mind

On March 22, 2014 at 3 pm ~ UNIFY for the Love of Water

UNIFY ~ Love Water on March 22  because nothing lives without it. Nothing. Not even the corporations.

UNIFY Love Water 

 

 UNIFY

Published on Mar 16, 2014

Water Unifies us All. On March 22nd, Join the world in the Synchronized Global Water Ceremony. At 3:00pm in your local time and 3:00pm pacific. UNIFYing with the world to restore our relationship with this sacred medium of life.

No Water, No Life. Know Water, Know Life.

UNIFY.org is a platform create to support the emergence of the Spiritual Renaissance happening on the planet.

LoveWater is a year long campaign that will transform our specie’s relationship to water in every way possible.

Join us as we catalyze a global movement of beauty, love and truth.

Go to http://www.unify.org to learn more.

Deepest Blessings to you,

http://www.UNIFY.org

Go Like our Facebook Page!
http://www.fb.com/unify

Register your Events at:
http://www.unify.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance of South Dakota for bringing this event to my attention. The  Clean Water Alliance continues to fight the Powertech Uranium Mining Company in South Dakota –>  http://www.sdcleanwateralliance.org/

The “Final” Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) issued by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the proposed Dewey-Burdock uranium mine is substantially deficient. The mine, proposed by Chinese/Canadian company Powertech Uranium, would use 9,000 gallons per minute of groundwater from Black Hills aquifers, contaminate area water, and open the door for eight other uranium companies that have an interest in the Black Hills.

A Blank Hills Clean Water Alliance Press Release warns that the NRC has put the cart before the horse – they have published a “Final” SEIS – and chosen a final alternative for project design – before they have completed the cultural resources analysis. This analysis is required by law to be completed before this document was issued. The SEIS notes that the analysis is “ongoing.” This relegates the cultural studies to afterthoughts, and necessarily limits NRC’s ability to protect these important resources.

The NRC is accepting public comment on the Final SEIS in the form of limited appearance statements. You can make your voice heard – click here to learn how.

 

Winter Soldiers ~ Illusion versus Reality ~ Walt Disney Studios Runs Amok? Or What?

What’s in a word? What does a name signify? If you call a thing by a certain label does it make it so? For the life of me I cannot understand why a film is titled Winter Soldier and contains a character by that name when the term has nothing at all to do with the historical reality associated with the term Winter Soldier.  From the information I’ve gathered so far online there seems to be absolutely no connection at all between the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the historical and contemporary Winter Soldiers of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan telling the public about war crimes.  I find this a tad unsettling while seriously doubting there will be any ongoing social media dishing of this misappropriation of a phrase which designates American veterans as there was of The Lone Ranger. There was a ton of chatter about all the things ‘wrong’ with The Lone Ranger –all of which went on while blatantly ignoring the movie’s outright attacks on genocide, manifest destiny and the military industrial complex. I came across some comments regarding a clip from a portion of the real Winter Soldier testimony in which people were considering the effect of the Captain America film on the reality of the veterans known as Winter Soldiers. Once the movie is seen by millions who pay little attention to historical events, the term Winter Soldier will be coupled with a character from a movie with absolutely no meaningful connection to the Winter Soldiers of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Is there any greater insult to people who have the courage to speak the truth about war? Hmm, ooops I shouldn’t have asked that question, because I’m sure there are greater insults. Have no doubt that the FBI and/or the CIA could top such an insult with ease.  More on that when I post my review of Betty Medsger’s very unsettling book, The Burglary. It’s an unsettling read for what it reveals about the totally corrupt character of the FBI under J.Edgar Hoover. If you can imagine a law to break, the FBI broke it. I digress,  more to come on the book later.  Back to misrepresentation, illusion and manipulated delusions of Marvel Comics characters. Superheroes can be so enthralling. They’re also very unreal.

Now if anyone sees the Disney film and finds a connection between the illusion and the reality, please do not hesitate to share it.

Wait–could it be the concept of brainwashing? Could it? Let’s consider that possibility…hmmm. Why not? It’s a connection. Or is it?

My thanks to Wikipedia for the factual information and links that follow.

On with the show.

What does this illusion: 

Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Information about the film  via Wikipedia     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America:_The_Winter_Soldier

Steve Rogers’ best friend, who has reemerged as an enhanced brainwashed assassin after being thought killed in action during World War II.[12][7] About the character, Feige said, “Winter Soldier has been methodically, almost robotically, following orders for 70 years.”[13] Stan, who has a nine-picture deal with Marvel Studios including his appearance in The First Avenger,[14]endured five months of physical training to prepare for the role and did historical research stating, “I dove into the whole Cold War thing. I looked at the KGB. I looked at all kinds of spy movies, and all kinds of documentaries about that time, and what it was about. I grabbed anything from that time period. Anything about brainwashing.”[15] Regarding Bucky’s transition into the Winter Soldier, Stan said, “You know, the truth of the situation is although he looks very different and there’s different things about him, it still comes from the same person. I think you’ll get to see that no matter what. I think part of my goal here was to make sure that you see an extension of that version but just a different color of that same version in a way. I think he’s still the same guy; he’s cut from the same cloth.”[16]

have to do with this reality?:

Winter Soldier Investigation via Wikipedia   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Soldier_Investigation

The “Winter Soldier Investigation” was a media event sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) from January 31, 1971 – February 2, 1971. It was intended to publicize war crimes and atrocities by the United States Armed Forces and their allies in the Vietnam War. The VVAW challenged the morality and conduct of the war by showing the direct relationship between military policies and war crimes in Vietnam. The three-day gathering of 109 veterans and 16 civilians took place in DetroitMichigan. Discharged servicemen from each branch of military service, as well as civilian contractors, medical personnel and academics, all gave testimony about war crimes they had committed or witnessed during the years of 1963–1970.[1][2][3]

With the exception of Pacifica Radio, the event was not covered extensively outside Detroit. However, several journalists and a film crew recorded the event, and a documentary film called Winter Soldier was released in 1972. A complete transcript[4] was later entered into the Congressional Record by Senator Mark Hatfield, and discussed in the Fulbright Hearings in April and May 1971, convened by Senator J. William Fulbright, chair of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

~~~

Democracy Now! Coverage of Winter Soldier

Promote Liberty

Democracy Now coverage of the Winter Soldier event in Washington DC-Testimony of the Iraq Occupation

&

Via Wikipedia : Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan was an event at which more than 200 U.S. military veterans and active duty soldiers,[1] as well as Iraqi and Afghan civilians,[2] provided accounts of their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. The event was inspired by the Winter Soldier Investigation of 1971. It was organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War, and held from March 13 to March 16, 2008, timed for the fifth anniversary of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland.[2] 

The “Winter Soldiers” of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan

NRUN65·

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