My mom, the atheist, died peacefully

Loved her in her stylish snake skin coat

If you are wondering why i didn't post last week it was because i had to travel out to California suddenly as my mother was ailing.  She died peacefully at the age of 82 early last Monday morning surrounded by family.

What an incredibly lucky woman she was, she knew she had had enough of life and told all those she loved that she was ready to die. She told the doctor straight to his face that she would not be hospitalized any more and was ready to go. She showed no fear, had no pain and died in her sleep just like she always wanted to.  Her three kids and those grandchildren that lived close by were there to help her pass on.

The family cycled in and out of the bedroom for 26 hours, always leaving one in attendance to let her know she was loved and that it was Okay to leave us. Not once did she moan or cry out and when her sisters called from Europe she opened her eyes to acknowledge their voices.

My mom was an atheist, but it took her a very long time to finally embrace it.  All her life she had questioned her Christian upbringing but could never quite let it go because of an over-riding guilt complex that had been instilled at a very young age.  When she was in her 70’s she finally said enough and then claimed it was the most liberating experience she had ever gone through. The day she told someone she was an atheist she said it was like a chain being released from her throat, the freedom was exhilarating.

i’m writing this because i had a friend that told me my mother’s passing would not go well because she hadn’t been saved, but that she still had time and could rectify it.

She always wore that hat

i want to let that friend know that a good death comes without much pain, a good death comes when it takes place in the home with children and family, a good death comes naturally after a long and well-spent life, when the deceased has made peace with loved ones, when they are at peace with themselves and when they are at peace with their own death.

All the things that could have gone wrong didn’t. The whole universe was definitely in our court. It got me to California in time, it stopped the policeman from holding us up when we were clearly breaking the law by driving too fast, and it helped us navigate numerous other incidents that could have snowballed after she passed. Not a one of us practices religion regularly.

Her punk rock hair do and stylish glasses

So for those out there that believe, i just want to say that there is another way that is just as rewarding for the whole family and comes without all the dogma.  If fear is keeping you religious here is a tale that is free of fear but full of love, understanding and a peaceful passing.

i loved my mom and i'm really going to miss her.

ta daa lists

In my e-mail this morning.

This year we're going to experience four unusual dates. 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that's not all...Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born -now add the age you will be this year, and the result will be 111 for everyone...!! This is the year of Money..!!! This year October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Saturdays.


This happens only every 823 years... These particular years are known as 'Moneybags'... The proverb goes that if you send this to eight good friends, money will appear in the next four days as is explained in Chinese feng shui Those who don't continue the chain won't receive.. Its a mystery, but its worth a try.
Good luck...

Looks like the South West doesn't it, but its Jacks Bay and a beautiful Kestrel

So what do you think, do most people start the day start off with plans for accomplishing various goals on their to do list?  Do you think we all do this or are there some out there who never make a list but function just fine?  i tend to think we all have a to do list, even if its just waking up, turning off the alarm clock and getting ready for work. 

All over the internet you can find ways to organize yourself, 25 to do lists to stay productive, learning how to create a functional to do list, real simple to do lists, and how to follow through on your to do list.

Yum, Yum my favorite fruit

Personally i like the ta daa lists the best. i get a kick out of making a list and seeing how fast i can get to the ta daa part.

Ta daa’s are nothing more than doing what you said you were going to do. If you start off knowing you will never get to the ta daa, don’t put it on the list.  Don’t create failure, its really pretty simple.

Yesterday i was with some really nifty ladies that were talking about tapping. If you haven’t heard of tapping it is a method that is used to reduce stress and free yourself from negative feelings and beliefs. To do lists have the capacity to throw us all into the negative feeling realm, but ta daas can save you. i haven’t ever tried tapping but the two ladies i was with both use it and find it beneficial.

So this morning while opening up e-mail i had a notice from tapping solution. Most times i delete these notices but i decided to open it up and see what was up because i had just been discussing it yesterday.

Full Moon in Frederiksted

Anyway the piece in my inbox had everything to do with what i was going to write about today so i’m copying and pasting it here so you can all enjoy it.

1. General Overwork and Overstress
   
   Karate Chop:  Even though I’m totally overworked,
   really stressed out and have WAY too much to
   do.... I deeply and completely accept myself
   
   (Repeat the above phrase three times while
   Tapping on the karate chop point)***i’m not sure what this means but i think you are supposed to tap on all these spots while thinking about the phrases. The tapping should be rhythmic.
   
   Eyebrow: Way too much to do...
   Side of the Eye:  My “to-do” list is a mile long...
   Under Eye: When will I ever get it done?
   Under Nose: I’ll never get it done...
   Under Mouth: I’m overworked and stressed out....
   Collarbone: When can I relax?
   Under the Arm: I can’t seem to relax
   Top of the Head: Too much to do...
   
   (Repeat the above phrases a couple of times,
   you can throw in your own phrases as well, and
   when you feel significant relief, move on to
   the positive phrases)

   

   Fort in Frederiksted

   
   Eyebrow: I chose to relax now...
   Side of the Eye: I chose to REALLY relax now...
   Under the Eye: I’ll never get it ALL done...
   Under Nose: And that’s ok...
   Under Mouth: I chose to slow down and take a breath...
   Collarbone: I am not my “to-do” list...
   Under the Arm: I am good enough no matter
   what I get done...
   Top of the Head: I chose to relax and let it go now...

Seems easy, give it a try and maybe you will get to the ta daa today.

TA DAA!

Food and Water Safety

Sejah Farm

Over at the Food and Water Watch website a new videohttp://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/ has been put up that alerts all of us living in the US to be aware that some of the safety protections we take for granted are being threatened by this new Congress. 

Independent of each other President Obama and Congress have both proposed cuts in their budgets to food and water safety. “The House GOP budget slashes $88 million from the USDA's meat safety inspections and $241 million from the food safety budget of the Food and Drug Administration, and slashes nearly $2 billion from the Environmental Protection Agency's funds for water infrastructure—money critical to keeping drinking water clean and sewage-free.” This drastic cutting is all going on while retaining subsidies that benefit large corporations and now not paying for three wars.

Cutting up the Jelly Nuts

"Food and Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control."  Their Mission Statement

"At least 14 Americans died and many thousands became ill from tainted meat, spinach, peppers, peanut butter and eggs in recent years," Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food and Water Watch, said in a press statement. "Now, Washington is seeking to slash the budget for our food and water protections, which will put more people at risk."

Eating a Jelly Nut

There are all sorts of cutbacks on inspections that are getting the ax under the Republican budget. Cattle that are slaughtered may carry more E. Coli, salmonella and other bacteria’s without adequate inspections occurring. Food in the supermarkets may go inspection free because cutting the Food and Drug Administration by $241 million could mean 8,600 inspectors out of a job.

Yum Fresh Dolphin

Only one percent of the imported food is inspected as it is. As more and more of our food comes from other countries, the gutting of these food and safety departments leaves us all at risk.  The Centers for Disease Control has reported that one out of every six Americans gets sick each year from food-borne illnesses, how many more will that increase to without inspectors on the front lines? How much does that cost in medical expenses that are unnecessary?

No one company will ever do the job that government can perform in ensuring safe, edible food and drinking water. Relying on companies to recall their own tainted food is a fool’s errand. Remember the corporations that sold peanut butter, chicken, pork etc. until they got caught? Selling food that is substandard may be good business if you can get away with it, but its not good for the population as a whole.

Cocao

Regulations, inspections, and fines are a necessary part of government to keep spoiled and infected meat,contaminated water, and e-coli riddled vegetables out of our homes. Without government playing a role in protecting these public resources all of us place ourselves and families at greater risk of illness and or death.

When you see your representatives cutting these vital services, call a halt. We can slash and burn in other areas of the budget, but food and water safety should be a priority for all of us.

rain

In the water at Green Cay squall a comin

i’m going to rain on the parade with a little history that refutes the talking point concerning how this nation got to where it is today. For the record, Business did not do it alone. For so many the interactions of government and private enterprise in churning our historic economy is minimized in favor of private enterprise being the sole creator so to speak.

Many don’t know that the United States of America would not be where it is today without government and private enterprise working together.

Elk Horn at Green Cay a National Park

Lets take Alexander Hamilton for instance. When he was Treasury Secretary of the US government he instituted programs that would churn the economy. Harbors and river navigation were integral to moving goods from point A to point B.  Hamilton understood that for business to thrive smuggling had to be under control. Then as now smugglers detested customs collectors and like all business people everywhere they avoided paying duty (taxes) on their goods.

Hamilton asked Congress to commission a fleet of vessels that would patrol offshore and stop the flow of contraband and keep tallies on goods coming into American ports. This new service of revenue cutters would later morph into what we call the Coast Guard. Everything that moved on the water was fair game for Hamilton’s revenue taxes and as a result of his attention to detail he improved harbors, dredged rivers and kept pirates at bay with “government money” so commerce could flow.

Octupus at Cane Bay

Hamilton beefed up river navigation, sent out survey crews to explore water borne paths to the Pacific and created safe new paths for commerce to move west(the Lewis and Clark expedition was initiated under Hamilton) and although they never found a river path that would connect the Pacific and the Atlantic they did initiate new trails that would become major arteries in the movement of goods across our nation.

Octopus Eyes. Can you find him?

“After Hamilton’s initial forays into the west, dozens of other expeditions were sent out, from after Lewis and Clark, right through the 1850s, when the Army assisted or outright ran surveying expeditions to select the various routes for transcontinental railroads. The transcontinental railroads themselves were capitalized by massive grants of public lands in the west. And before those, the earliest railroads in the East were almost all surveyed, planned, and built by officers of the Army Corps of Engineers, which was the ONLY repository of knowledge of civil engineering in the country, so government had a huge hand in expanding commerce.

“The evolution of transportation continued through the centuries, with wagons and stagecoaches, flatboats, canals, steamboats, and railroads providing increasingly efficient, ever faster service.” Weingroff

"Modern metal working machine tools were developed in the early 1800s in the national armories. Their contractors, in response to a War Dept. requirement for interchangeable parts for firearms, came up with the new methods for making tools.  Studies have shown how the foremen and supervisors of these armories spread out into other companies, creating the modern metal working industry, and eventually leading DIRECTLY to the breakthroughs in systemization of industrial production by Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.

Ocean at Green Cay

Maritime steam navigation relied heavily on the discoveries of Admiral Benjamin Isherwood of the Navy's Bureau of Steam Propulsion in the 1840s-50s.

The automobile age was made possible by the Good Roads movement, which directed local, state, and federal governments to grade, maintain, and pave roads and highways. Then there was the Interstate Highway System begun in the 1950s by Eisenhower.  Today without our system of highways and interstates, manufacturers would spend obscene amounts of money moving their goods on private toll roads.

The aircraft industry was almost totally dependent on military funding at its beginning. This industry was basically created and underwritten deliberately by federal air mail programs.

Radio, at first called wireless telegraphy, was almost entirely funded in its industrial infancy by the Army and Navy.

Green Turtle at Cane Bay

Computer technology was developed under the auspices of the Army and Navy for purposes of gunnery control. After World War 2, the Navy in particular informally sponsored Seymour Cray and his development of super-computers. The internet, of course, began as the Defense Department's ARPANET.

For some in this nation it is extremely unfortunate that they continue to close their eyes to the vast improvements government has made on American lives.  That government has contributed and worked hand in hand with business to move this nation forward, needs to be hammered home.

We were not a wealthy Nation when we began improving our highways... but the roads themselves helped us create a new wealth, in business and industry and land values... So it was not our wealth that made our highways possible. Rather, it was our highways that made our wealth possible.

Thomas H. MacDonald
Chief, U.S. Bureau of Public Roads

Today we need to understand that government has a real place in moving the economy forward. We need government to invest our tax dollars in renewable energy, to invest in drug research and science, to invest in education and a whole host of other things that benefit all Americans. Private enterprise cannot do it alone.

Nurse Sharks at Cane Bay

Drowning government in a bathtub will not be good for America, we need government and as soon as we realize this as a nation we will begin to move forward again.

Notes: The list of government created aspects of our lives after Hamilton i copied from other sources. i unfortunately lost who to credit it with.

American Jobs at risk

People have different asset management skills. For some saving for the future is an integral part of their lifestyle whereas for others just getting the basic necessities paid for is an overwhelming burden. Those without a formal financial education are at a disadvantage and experience a lack of funds more frequently.

A lack of funds is becoming more and more pertinent as income instability and income inequality raises its ugly head. As the rich become richer, the middle class is getting squeezed at a rate not seen since the 1930’s. More and more people that had been living comfortable lives are experiencing a reduction in income.  The middle class in particular experienced a 4.8% drop in income between 2000-2009, this during a Republican dominated government.

Competition for jobs is happening on a global scale rather than on a strictly local level. There is now an equal lack of the right circumstances(demand) for job growth all over the country. Employment is moving in a negative direction, becoming less secure rather than more secure. There are fewer good paying jobs available like the ones we used to think of with pension benefits, health insurance, and retirement. Today we see less and less of these jobs being offered.

"There is mounting evidence that economic growth is less effective in reducing poverty in the face of rising trends in inequalities," Danesh-Yazdi said. "These forces combined have created a world where young people without privilege and wealth are unable to get a foothold in the labor market, and older persons whose proportion throughout the world is increasing rapidly enjoy less and less security for a lifetime of work." The US is moving faster and faster in a negative direction.

According to job statistics there has been an uptick in employment levels lately but we still won’t see the economy getting back to 5% unemployment levels until approximately 2033 according to the Americans for Progress website. Those who state that everyone can find a job are delusional, there aren’t enough jobs available to employ everyone that is looking.

Conservatives in the House have proposed cut backs in spending all across state and federal governments. These cuts in spending will directly impact jobs all across America and may do considerable damage to an economy still reeling from the banking excesses of 2007-2008.

Goldman Sachs estimates that the Republican controlled House proposed cuts to spending could reduce economic growth by 1.5-2%. Now does this sound like the gang that believes in creating jobs?

Getting the economy to roar, getting people to spend and demand services means creating more jobs, not cutting back on jobs.

The American Society of Civil Engineers says we need to spend over a couple of trillion dollars over the next five years just to upgrade our infrastructure to where it should be. This means investing in roads, bridges, water systems, electrical systems, communication systems, schools, hospitals etc. Could the private sector come up with this kind of investment that we need now, trillions to upgrade? I don’t think so, but it is something government has the capacity to do. Those who always discount government need to wake up.

Republicans complain about taxes, small government, deficits and the free market, well it’s a sham. Government size exploded under Reagan and G.W.Bush. Deficits grew under Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II.  The “free market” has consistently caused income inequalities, huge market volatility and severe financial collapses.  “In fact, the Great Recession we are now climbing out of should have been strike three for the Free Marketeers.  Strike one was the Panic of 1893 and the depression which followed it.  Strike two was the Great Depression of the 30’s.  In all three cases, these collapses were preceded by conservative, laissez-faire policies featuring deregulation, low taxes and weak governments.” John Atcheson

Giving money back in taxes to people who don’t need it is doing grave harm to our nation. We are looking at more job losses, more off shoring, more reductions in hourly wages, just so some can make obscene profits.

Taxes are shared social investments that yield significant benefits for all segments of society which in many cases outweigh the cost, they are not some abstract burden.

Think where this nation is headed, if we continue down the conservative path we could be looking at an oligarchy staring us in the face. i don’t think any of us want that, remember we are all in this together.

Doing your part

Hybrid Hibiscus

i pick up little snippets from around the web that may or not have any meaning for you but did for me when i collected them.

Recently i read a piece by Robert F. Kennedy that explained why Canadians had voted against allowing FOX to have access to their TV bandwidths; apparently truth is very important in Canada and FOX coincidentally has a problem with truth.

The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) prohibits the broadcast of false or misleading news.  This law was passed to prevent political parties from spreading propaganda and as a result Canadians enjoy an exemplary level of news and journalism. Canadians are some of the most informed in the world.

  

Squid

“Political dialogue in Canada is marked by civility, modesty, honesty, collegiality, and idealism that have pretty much disappeared on the U.S. airwaves. When Stephen Harper moved to abolish anti-lying provision of the Radio Act, Canadians rose up to oppose him fearing that their tradition of honest non partisan news would be replaced by the toxic, overtly partisan, biased and dishonest news coverage familiar to American citizens who listen to Fox News and talk radio.” R.F. Kennedy

Here in the US we used to have a law(The Fairness Doctrine) that required news stations to present both sides of any topic.  The law required news outlets to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable and balanced.  Equal time was not a requirement of the law.

Roseway passing by

PBS’s Lehrer News Hour is one of the few that still make an effort to let both sides have air time.  In 1987(during Reagan’s term in office) the FCC abolished the Fairness Doctrine claiming that it was unconstitutional.

Today, there is no law on our books demanding that news stations tell the truth.

On to another subject from the Associated Press:

NATO apologizes for killing 9 Afghan civilians. . . Local officials say nine boys, ages 12 and under, were killed as they were gathering firewood. . .Top NATO commander Gen. David Petraeus said the coalition was "deeply sorry" for the tragedy. . .

Gentle Winds

Hmmm is this a lesson in how to make friends and influence people or is this a sure way to make more enemies?  How would “deeply sorry” feel to you if that was one of your children?

Next up…..last Saturday over 100,000 people came out to support union workers in their fight to keep collective bargaining on the table in Madison,Wisconsin…all over the rest of the country thousands of supporters turned out in their cities and towns but if you were watching CNN, FOX News, or MSNBC you wouldn’t have known so many people were concerned. It seems whenever liberals demonstrate it is not news but when conservatives demonstrate it’s all over the news, i wonder if it has anything to do with those corporations being anti-union?

i was having a talk with my husband last night about the problems with budgets all over the nation when he rightly pointed out that teachers, firefighters, policemen and other hard working government workers are not responsible for the current government deficits. In this politically charged time of demonizing government workers the fact that Wall Street caused the economic recession seems to be left out of the hard discussions.

Another Squid

Balancing the budget on the backs of these government workers who had nothing to do with the state we are in and will cause more job losses seems misguided. Why aren’t we discussing cracking down on tax loopholes and tax dodgers or the special interest tax breaks given to corporations some of which have paid no tax at all?

So to end this piece i picked up this anonymous quote:

Why is it that a 3% tax increase for the wealthy is considered "socialism" and
an 8% wage cut for the middle class is "doing your part?"

Taking in information

Christiansted

Well these past few weeks have been interesting internationally and right here at home. 

Today i thought i’d just make mention of things we might like to be paying attention to but may not have the time to investigate.

Europe…Increasing investment in green technologies could give Europe’s GDP a €600 billion boost, according to a report by Germany’s Institute for Climate Impact Research. Twenty four hour strike grips Greece, clashes erupt. Europe rushes to pull foreigners out of Libya.

Middle East…Tunisia and Egypt have deposed their dictators. Bahrain, and Yemen are working on getting rid of theirs. Saudi Arabia is nervously watching as are the other countries in the area.

Africa… Libya, Gaddafi says he will not go and government forces fire on civilians. Somalian pirates have resorted to killing which is a new twist in the kidnapping business. East Africa is pushing the Nile Basin countries to work out a cooperative agreement. In Nigeria crude oil production has risen to 2.6 million barrels a day. Rwanda is doing tests on an anti-HIV gel that has been approved, it is hoped the vaginal gel will reduce the risk of HIV infection among women.

Helmet Shell

Asia… The Philippines celebrates 25 years of the people’s revolt. Malaysia is going ahead with the first solar power plant. National rice production is fine says the Indonesian government. Mobile users in Bangladesh cross 70 million.

USA…There are 1.5 billion credit cards in use in the US according to the census bureau.  "The average amount owed on credit cards by 46% of owners is $15,788.00. YIKES! "Average household debt in the United States has now reached a level of 136% of average household income".

The drama in Wisconsin has spread to Indiana, New Jersey and Ohio where labor unions are standing up against conservatives who have vowed to crush their right to bargain collectively. This is our homegrown uprising and one has to question how any taxpayer is harmed personally by teachers, policemen, firemen and others fighting for their rights and benefits.

Green Turtle

Latin America…Brazils ex President Lula being probed for administrative misconduct. Mexican president claims US isn’t doing enough to help fight drug cartels. Amazon Indians in London to stop dams they say will destroy them. UNESCO claims Machu Picchu needs fewer tourists. Venezuela denies giving refuge to Gaddafi.

Australia and New Zealand…The death toll from the devastating earthquake has risen to 75 with 300 still missing, a state of emergency has been declared. Western Australian coastal communities avoided major damage as a Category 2 storm barreled through. Residents in southern New South Wales have been urged to take extra precautions against mosquitoes after a rare and potentially fatal virus was detected near the Victorian border.

News impacts all of us in different ways.  If it appeals to the emotions the audience may be likely to suffer pangs of compassion or empathy like we have recently seen with the events in Egypt.  If big news happens close to home those who may know some of the victims can feel a direct link to the events that occurred as we saw with the recent floods in Australia. Any disaster, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes can bring up long repressed Post Traumatic Stress Syndromes in those who have experienced a similar event.

Steel pan

News creates controversy.  News that involves conflicts or new legislation which will induce readers to take sides can polarize a community. Although most news sources see their role as a public service they still need to make money to survive and many times may editorialize their position on the issues. Where you get your information is important to your understanding of the issues; if you are only getting it from one outlet you are apt to be missing all the various sides and i would highly advise busting out of your rut.

Up above i picked short sound bites that most of us can read and absorb quickly. But in one piece i expressed two opinion's that i slipped in. Propaganda can be based upon facts which are skewed in such a way as to influence your opinion.  If what you are reading only tells one side of the story, you could be basing your decision making upon faulty information.  

i definitely have an agenda here at this site, i’m not a journalist just a lowly blogger who is interested in explaining that we humans are more alike than different. Explore the internet, go to sites you don’t usually go, broaden your horizon and break out, read the oppositions pieces and see if your mind isn't changed by the new information you take in. Don't depend on one or two places to get all your news and opinion pieces because you don't want to be making decisions that could be detrimental to your future and your childrens.

ley lines

An overcast morning saluted us with some mild swells and air and water had that wintry bleak feel. 

The sun peaked in and out as the wind blew and chilled our scantily clothed bodies.  Four of us swam out in visibility that wasn’t as spectacular as it could have been. 

Looking to the first buoy we established our ley lines that got some of us there faster than others. 

Ley lines you say?  Isn’t it lay lines like one would use in sailing. You know “Lay lines” the ones that are the straight line tracing the course following which a boat can reach an upwind mark (the shortest course to reach the target).

No, i mean ley line the one that brings you to some mystical energy. Some force that guides you in to a place where you can experience a random event. Some people believe that ley lines and their intersection points resonate a special psychic or mystical energy.  Hmmm you must be thinking.

My favorite fish can you find him?

People that don’t swim always ask if we just race all the time.  i explain that we usually stop for any number of reasons including turtles, flashy fish, unusual formations or anything odd looking.  If we haven’t stopped at all on the way out to the first buoy then it has probably been an uneventful swim and highly unusual. We derive a lot of energy out of these swims be it physical, spiritual, psychic or mystical.

This morning at the first buoy we got to talking about “Obamacare”, single payer health insurance, and a host of other things that involved ideology from both sides.  Up until recently i have been the only “bleeding heart liberal” with a “fiscally conservative” mindset.  i’m always beefing up the conversation with tidbits my fellow swimmers were unaware of.

Anyway we left that buoy not having finished the conversation but needing to get going.  i’m sure some of us had thought that by the time we got to the second buoy our thoughts would be more concise and we could continue the discussion by revealing points we had previously omitted. Out came our new ley lines and off we went.

Sea Fan

By the time we reached the second buoy we were to be silenced by the arrival of five gorgeous dolphins that wanted to play. Unfortunately i had left my camera at home thinking if the sun wasn’t out the picture would be dull, my mistake.  Those dolphins’ two mamas with children and one huge male swam so close to us i could have gotten beautiful pictures.

The kids rolled on their backs showing off their white bellies while the mamas nodded their heads.  The male, who was longer than me, got into a vertical position right in front of me, nodded his head and then played.  He was as frisky and happy as was one of the children who stayed with us the longest. We of course trilled our excitement and kept up with them as long as we could.

Elated, spiritually and physically we gushed over how lucky we had been to swim with them while heading to shore. i think we all genuinely felt we had been touched by something special.

We acted as a group, we experienced as a group and we shared as only groups of people can do. Those that are usually in our group but weren’t there today missed out.  Our group was benefiting from a positive environmental encounter with a species different from our own and we were all feeling the glow.

Society’s beliefs have consequences for the population at large.  We know this from our most recent experience with an economy that almost went into free fall. This morning our talk was about repealing “Obamacare” tomorrow it will be about something else, climate change, the deficit, poverty, education, wars and peace but you know we will still feel connected and act as a group.  

i believe in social safety nets, i believe in the common good, my friends do and they don’t. Unfortunately we only have time in our jam packed lives to listen to sound bites concerning the issues.  Back on shore we returned to expressing our views on "Obamacare" before splitting up.

We humans want the same things, a world of contented healthy children, families, communities, and natural systems.  We usually get along just fine as long as we aren't trying to control something. Cultural stories are used to shape our understanding and our choices. Today the choice is “Obamacare” or repeal of this care.  My cultural story is different from my friends even though we want the same things. The choice we are presented with by our government is limited because both create outcomes that will not benefit the population at large. Some of us find this a problem and some of us don't.

So what is it we all want...we all want the same things peace, contentment, prosperity, safety, healthy outcomes, strong families and communities.  What will benefit the population at large is what we all want even though we don't always recognize this.

My question to my friend is if single payer insurance would benefit you more than purchasing health insurance on the open market why in the world would you fight against it?

Change through peaceful protest

Those Egyptians in the streets are the real people. They represent people all over the world that want freedom and democracy and are willing to go out into the streets and protest peacefully for their rights.  Even in the face of thugs sent out to foment discord they held strong.  Their triumph goes against all the propaganda spewed by the powerful all over the world that change can only come about through violence. 

This is a complete slap in the face to those who believe the gun is mightier than the soul of a nation. The Egyptian people are now directly involved in creating a new future for Egypt and themselves; they wanted change and they persevered in the streets to get rid of a regime they considered out of touch.

Rulers are measured by how they treat the governed; Mubarak failed to gain the complete trust of his people.  He failed over and over again with his dictatorial mandates, his tyranny, repression and torture and the people have had enough.  The people in the streets haven’t just told Mubarak to leave they also told Al-Qaeda that violence is not the way; they have proved Al-Qaeda wrong. They have shown that peacefully demonstrating can bring about positive changes.

The people hope Mubarak is gone for good. i’m still apprehensive about those he left in place, they are the old guard still operating under a police and military mind set.  i hope the Egyptian pro-democracy campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei is right about what he told the Associated Press. "This is the greatest day of my life. The country has been liberated after decades of repression," He said “he expects a "beautiful" transition of power.”

If the actions of the protesters over the last two weeks are any indication of a will to move forward without violence, the odds are in their favor.  If the military steps aside and lets the different factions unite to create a new government then the people of Egypt have every right to expect a “beautiful transition.”

Our President last night had the moral courage to stand with the Egyptian people and i applaud him for it.  Here is the speech he made.

Statement of President Barack Obama on Egypt

The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.
As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles. We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy. To that end, we believe that the emergency law should be lifted. We believe that meaningful negotiations with the broad opposition and Egyptian civil society should address the key questions confronting Egypt’s future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair.
We therefore urge the Egyptian government to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step by step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek. Going forward, it will be essential that the universal rights of the Egyptian people be respected. There must be restraint by all parties. Violence must be forsaken. It is imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality. The voices of the Egyptian people must be heard.
The Egyptian people have made it clear that there is no going back to the way things were: Egypt has changed, and its future is in the hands of the people. Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly represent the greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian society. We have seen young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian join together, and earn the respect of the world through their non-violent calls for change. In that effort, young people have been at the forefront, and a new generation has emerged. They have made it clear that Egypt must reflect their hopes, fulfill their highest aspirations, and tap their boundless potential. In these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere, and they must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of America.

dance of the strandbeests

Green Cay

A friend sent me a link to go and view a contraption that lives on the beach. Both of us being water/beach people,  i guess this friend thought i would appreciate all the time and innovation the creator had put into it, plus the fact that it resided on a beach.   

i did.

Then i sent the link on to other (water/beach people) that i thought might enjoy it.

Cramer Park

After doing that i decided that even though we aren’t all “beach people” others might enjoy this contraption just as much as i did.  The more i thought about it the more people i came up with, and although not “beach people” they still might find a connection and send it on to people they think might enjoy looking at it.

Of course, before including it here i had put in even more thought and the categories of people that might enjoy it grew. Those who like the wind and what it can move came to mind; those into airplanes, gliders, sailboats etc;  anyone that builds things would be into this contraption because it is constructed out of PVC pipes and walks on its own, i felt sure they would be curious to see it. 

Lawyers, playwrights, scriptwriters and computer geeks would be sure to love these critters coming up with all sorts of ideas for futuristic movies or games, just by taking a peek at it.

Southgate Beach

Artists, architects and engineers of all types would appreciate the design.  Parents, teachers and anyone involved with educating or raising children could see this as a way to open minds to the possibilities that are available all around us.  Even medical people used to fixing our broken bodies could find enjoyment in the bone structure (legs, knees and feet) visibly moving along the beach.

Truck drivers used to driving big mammoth hulks of metal down the highways of this nation would probably find this walking graceless mess respectable in its good natured design. It might not be the weirdest thing they have ever seen on their travels but i'll bet they call it “cool”.

Coakley Bay Pond

What i like about it is its appeal to everyone i could come up with.  i can’t think of a single person that wouldn’t think these creatures were amazing feats of artistic ability and unusual engineering.  Who wouldn’t find this creation odd and yet strikingly functional.  This moving design made from some of our most basic materials will act as a full-blown connector set; connecting us all up to marvel over the amazing talents of Theo Jansen.

i love that, i love the connection. i love the ability we all have to guide each other through use of this medium. i love that it happens each and every day in our in-boxes, in our surfing of the web and in our daily communications through social sites. i wonder how many people will go on to research more or look at other innovations after viewing these creatures.

Theo Jansen is the designer of these beach animals’s that feed on wind, avoid dangers and escape from the sea. His idea is that these animals will not need food but will be able to survive on their own.  He claims that they can carry heavy loads, can hunker down during storms, and will move of their own volition.

You’ve got to go look at these things.

http://www.talkingscience.org/2011/01/the-dance-of-the-strandbeests/

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/theo_jansen_creates_new_creatures.html

Egyptian protesters

Mubarak is confined to a prison at this moment; a prison of his own making. He tried, yesterday, to project a facade of competence, control and power but he failed.  The Egyptian people rejected his lopsided compromise to remain in power until the elections, even with Mubarak saying that anarchy will occur if he is not allowed to finish out his term.

He must be one of the most miserable of men at this moment, hiding his fears while trying to exhibit the stability of a ruler who has not lost his people. He is a slave, a slave to his legacy which has been wrecked by those he thought he ruled. He is not his own master any more; he is a puppet being manipulated by everyone he has ever come in contact with.

The events of this past week have galvanized the world.  Mubarak has not been first in exhibiting kindness and justice, it is his people who are demanding a new way; a way that rids the country of corruption, terror and fear, and they are trying to accomplish it using peaceful means.

What does this say to those of this world that believe change only comes at the end of a gun? What does this do for those out there that think violence is the only way?  Will something occur to destroy this image of peaceful dissent? 

Unfortunately today there appears to be conflicts between Mubarak thugs(those too intent on violence to be regular people)and anti-Mubarak peaceful factions which have been the bulk of the protesters for the past week.  Some of us watching this believe it to be an engineered conflict;  one that will establish reasons for the police and military to crack down on all the people gathering around the country.

This morning i saw this written in a comment thread about the Egyptian uprising on the Daily Kos that a typical tactic of a repressive government is to infiltrate with “supporters who disguise themselves, join the crowd of protesters and create havoc.  Then the government/uniformed police/military can step in to "restore order" and "protect private property."  This also leaves western governments (US/Britain/France/Germany) and other autocratic (Israel/China) regimes free to claim that the protesters were infiltrated by  leftists/anarchists/communists/Muslim fundamentalists and an orderly transition of power (same regime with different faces) was in jeopardy.

Make no mistake, the people have the power, all rulers know their position is tenuous when they have lost their countrymen.  These people that are marching day in day out want the right to choose. They are defying the curfew to show that they are not afraid of the military, they want change and they are willing to demonstrate to get it. Even without the internet, the railroads etc. the people are getting their message out, they are becoming more unified. They are working together to keep the areas clean, to tend to the sick, to feed those who are hungry. The people are happy, they have found their voice and they don’t want to lose it again. They are working against those that would use violence to break up the crowds.

Some of the agitators have been captured by anti-Mubarak protesters.  You have to ask why men riding camels and horses are the ones creating violence and havoc? Why would Mubarak supporters immediately indulge in violence instead of peaceful opposition after a week of watching peaceful protesters? After being searched some are appearing to be carrying police id’s.  Apparently everyone carries an id that says on it what your job is, so they can identify Mubaraks security forces immediately.

If Mubarak really believes in change and wants to be a part of that change he should stop his security forces and supporters from injuring the people who have been demonstrating peacefully.  If there are pro Mubarak people who disagree with the anti-Mubarak forces they should also be out demonstrating peacefully.  An attack upon peaceful protesters is not the way to rule a country. What is happening today reflects badly upon Mubarak.  It is not the way to go out of power.