Look Up

Troy and I enjoyed an unseasonably warm Solstice, going for a walk in the woods next to the Kennebec River. I was delighted to see a clearing in a circle of enormous trees in this beautiful place. The ground was perfectly flat and covered only with a layer of golden brown leaves rustling below our feet. An azure sky over our heads was framed with the bare branches and cut in half by a thin white chemtrail. As we walked we saw natures humor at work, one of the huge trees was sporting a perfectly formed single breast, complete with an erect nipple.
Long vines twisted around each other and hung for what seemed like miles from the tops of the canopy. One ancient wooden resident, as big around as a Volkswagen Beetle had been equipped with an ominous sign that warned “keep away” and another cautioned “look up”. Indeed, large branches as big as telephone polls were caught up in the limbs precariously, having fallen to their suspension from old age and heavy ice and snow. To have been hit on the head with one of these would have surely meant a trip to the hospital or even death! The water rushed next to us in the river, I was enjoying the unusual magical quality of the surroundings, it was a beautiful holiday.

But on a serious note, the activism seems more important than ever. So many people are struggling with finances these days. The report that many Sears and Kmart stores are closing is a canary in a coal mine. Several friends have told of nervousness about getting laid off or having phones shut off. I’m sure everyone has heard of the homeless shelters filled to capacity and over flowing with families that used to be sitting around the tree, exchanging gifts just a few years ago. If you still have a job, be extremely thankful and think, really think before you make comments about people who are out of work being lazy or irresponsible. People who never thought they would be in this position are now finding themselves looking for a job, sending out applications and resumes by the dozen and getting surprisingly .....no response for even an interview. It is really easy to make those at the loosing end the scape goat and complaining about welfare mothers needing to comply with drug testing. After having participated in the Occupy movement at 4 different locations and talking with many many people about their opinions, in addition to looking into Occupy’s origins as one of George Soros’s projects, I have come to the conclusion that many Americans are waking up to the enormous deceptions that we have fallen prey to. It is good to see so many young people participating in activism and getting out to try to do something not only for themselves, but for everyone. Whether everyone involved is genuine in their motives is still a question in my mind. Why was this planned for the end of the year, putting thousands at risk for frostbite? Its proximity to the primary election seems more than coincidence. Now, just when the guy that everyone said didn’t have a chance in hell of winning the GOP nomination, is rising in the polls, the Iowa GOP caucus has been moved to a secret location, using the threat of Occupy protesters as an excuse! I am confused because one of the things that Occupy should be looking for is an end to ...yes I’m going to say it again, the Federal Reserve! As a person who used to get my information on who to vote for from the mainstream media, I have to admit that I have learned things I never imagined could be true in our country at this point in time. But the old saying “those who forget history are condemned to repeat it” has never been more true. I’m sure that the indigenous people who were here never dreamed they were going to be massacred, then portrayed as evil savages on a thing called a television a couple of hundred years after they all but vanished from the landscape. The scenes of hundreds of people rioting ........to get a pair of sneakers this past week was surreal. Who is behind the mayhem here? How people can be manipulated into such a grand scheme of chaos, all the while thinking “ this can never happen to us” is puzzling to me.

Not to throw a metaphore in your face, but the beautiful walk in the magical forest made me think about how easily we can all be distracted by the serene, the erotic, the complacent scenes in our everyday life, all the while forgetting to “look up” at what danger can be lurking right over our unsuspecting heads. The rotten branches that were once part of a vital living tree can, in an instant, come crashing down. Voting is a right that my great great grandmother might have wished for and too many people forget that life was very different for average people just a few generations ago. I was appalled to view a youtube clip of US representatives reaching to cast votes for those not in attendance during a 2008 Texas Legislature session right in plain view. This is an important upcoming election. To move the Iowa caucus to a secret location because of protesters seems a bit overblown. Don’t protesters show up at these things as a matter of history, as a matter of free speech? My wish for the coming year is that the population of this country can step up to the plate and demand that elections at any level be conducted in an open accountable atmosphere. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much deception going on in our government that we all need to wake up, look up and be aware of what is possibly going to fall from the sky onto our heads.

An Active Week

Sorry to you folks who have been following, I have had an amazingly busy week of interesting events to post but the crash of my computer made it difficult to post. Our friend kindly installed Linux and got me up and running so I am able to fill you in.
Monday I picked up my car, previously disabled during a cross state trip and $400 later, I was heading towards Westbrook to see Noam Chomsky. I originally became familiar with Mr Chomsky in the early 2000s while finishing my BA at Vermont College. His ability to speak in a language that was easily understood about subjects that were hard to understand won me over quickly. I was very interested in his film Manufacturing Consent which showed, among other things, how the mainstream media buried the details about arms spending on the back pages of newspapers. The film is worth watching and I especially liked the way a visual was used to demonstrate the inequality of news coverage by actual physical cutting out of news articles and laying them end to end. At the time I was amazed to learn how much money was being spent by America in Israel. I found John Schoeffels book Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky, a collection of his work, writing and lectures and I was riveted. This man is a linguist by profession and uses his understanding of language to point out how easily humans can be manipulated when it comes to absorbing information. I have watched him on Free Speech TV and Democracy Now and he always makes me think. I was thrilled when Troy spotted a Face book post stating that he would be speaking in Westbrook. Thankfully, my car was operational and I was able to make it. I invited my Goddess daughter, a woman I have grown to love not only for her calm loving nature, but also for her insight into many of the same interests I have. She brought her son and nephew, 15 and 16 years old and I was excited to have some new minds listening to my hero, Mr. Chomsky.
Then we ventured down to yet another Ron Paul event, the grand opening of the campaign headquarters in Falmouth. There were over a hundred people crammed into a small space, by my estimates. Lots of signs to take and post on your lawn, lots of literature to hand out. The same two young gentlemen who had headed up the event in Augusta previously were present on this night in their suits and ties. There was a variety of people attending and to pigeon hole anyone in this crowd would be difficult. The number of young people was encouraging. While I was stuffing my face with delicious artichoke dip inside, a young man approached Troy and asked “ Aren’t you Troy from We are Change?" He called a friend on his cell phone and said “Hey I am here with that guy Troy from We Are Change!", and asked someone to take his picture with Troy. Proof that all of the hard work that has gone into the effort has had an effect and is worth the time and trouble to spread the word. We ran into other supporters we had seen previously, and made some new friends. We heard some good information and tips for those who want to make a serious effort to get this guy elected. He is the only candidate that wants to end the Federal Reserve, a private, for profit corporation that few people know about, an illegal institution that has stolen billions of dollars from American tax payers with the blessings of just about every elected politician that is in anyway connected with it.
A couple of days later we headed to Augusta on what had been a nice sunny fall day, to do what is called a sign wave. By the time we got there the sun was setting and the temperature had dropped. I wish I had just found Troys gloves and put them in my bag when he insisted he would be fine without them. A group of about 5 people greeted us on the edge of the roundabout, already having been there for a while with their signs. I had a nice hand painted sign left over from another sign wave that Troy had attended earlier, that read “Honk 4 Peace". Thankfully hot coffee helped with the brisk temperature we endured. While he was taking photos, who should appear but the same young man who had approached Troy the night before. He had seen us while driving by and stopped to join us! Wearing only a thick wool shirt for a jacket and bare hands, he stood for the duration while people waved and honked and tried to avoid an accident on the roundabout. If a few more people know that someone is willing to get out and spread the word, perhaps they will look into this candidate, perhaps they will look into any of the other candidates and do some research and decision making on their own. We have good reasons for backing Dr. Paul. I don't expect anyone to vote for him just because they saw me waving a sign, or because I endorse him. What I would love to see is more people taking an active role in what is going on by paying attention and knowing how these things spin. I was confused about his stand on several issues but by attending events and functions, talking to people and familiarizing myself with the available literature and online information, I feel like I can use my critical thinking to make a good decision. If I can do it, anyone can.

Go ahead and have that eggnog

Hello blog followers.Thanks so much to those of you who have purchased tree ornaments from us, please know that you are helping to keep us safe and warm this winter. A couple of things here that overlap, being ; spending money during the holiday on a local, completely USA made product ( the glass ornaments I use are made by what has to be one of the last manufactures of holiday decorations in the country, Krebs of New Mexico) and a documentary I recently viewed, Invisible Empire, A New World Order Defined. Actually there is another layer to this post, a piece I reposted on Facebook the other day about the factories that employ, no employ isn’t the right word, enslave people, often children, to make the plastic toys that will be under many many trees this month. Way back when Troy and I were kids, we were happy to search through the Sears “wishbook” and speculate about what we might be able to ask Santa for. I remember considering many different choices and circling my favorites, Easy Bake oven, Barbie Dream house, chemistry kits or a new bike. We usually got one large gift, a few other smaller items, some candy and pajamas or a winter coat. We were happy with what we got and spent the day playing with our new toys, wearing the new clothes or hand knit slippers and having dinner with the family. The big difference between those days and now is that back then the toys came from factories here in the USA, Kenner, Ideal and Mattel to name a few. Kid’s parents went to work in those factories, and bought other American made product with the money they earned. I am sad, to say the least, that things have gotten so out of hand. Children will be unwrapping tons of plastic goods not made here, but in China, which is a fact of life that we have gotten used to. I hate the look of amazement on the faces of young people when I share my memories of American made toys, for it seems that many of them can’t remember a time when everything available for sale in a store wasn’t imported. I was horrified to view a video clip of conditions in China which showed children complaining about the hours they were forced to work in factories creating toys for Disney and McDonald’s but even more dismayed when only 2 facebook friends “liked” the post, both of them men, by the way. Don’t blame me, but if I had shown a picture of a dog wearing a Santa suit manufactured in one of these factories, I bet I would have received many comments about how cute it was. I am not a big holiday celebrator anyway, but I have had a problem with the massive onslaught of plastic toys from China since my own son was a small child. Anyone remember the poisonous paint scare a couple of years ago? Did you think about it when you were shopping? Were you aware that a percentage of toys we buy are made by children enslaved in factories overseas? Does it bother you enough to not make a purchase? Are you angry at me for ruining the spirit of the season, and your holiday cheer?
This leads me to the documentary, Invisible Empire, A new World Order Defined. Perhaps I should give us a break from the conspiracy theory and just relax with a nice eggnog instead. Call me paranoid, but the new holiday, Black Friday just won’t let me forget to use my critical thinking. Spending seems to be the biggest holiday activity of importance now. According to NPBN statistics broadcast this morning, when any of us spend $100 at a local business, it brings $58 back to the local economy whereas the same amount of money spent at a chain or big box, only returns $33. I personally doubt that $33 amount, thinking it is probably lower. But forget the local economy for a minute, forget the ethical conundrum of using child labor for our own holiday pleasure. What has happened in China can and is happening here in the good old US of A. It is happening so slowly and we are being conditioned to accept it as a marvelous thing to be able to buy so much stuff for so cheap. How wonderful that we don’t have to bother with parking in downtown, locally owned stores buying goods that provide jobs for other Americans. The mega-corporations that own those Big Box stores have been planning the demise of small town shopping for decades for one reason, it makes them a shit-load of money. I’m not talking about some well-to-do executives who will be sipping the finest champagne on New Years while, we will be lucky to afford a 12 pack of Bud light. I’m talking about The Bilderberg group again, the people who see themselves at the top of that pyramid depicted on the back of the quickly vanishing dollar bill. Anyone still shopping with dollar bills? Probably not because your credit card is a much more efficient way for “them” to keep track of you and your address, bank account and income level, and match it up to who you used to be before you got in line for a microchip to be implanted under your skin.
Ok, roll your eyes and call me a crazy conspiracy theorist but what do you think the people of China were thinking a few decades ago? “ I can’t wait until they build that new factory so I can send my kids there to work as slaves to make toys for unsuspecting Americans?” I have often wondered what goes through the minds of those people as they scramble to make their quota of Micky Mouse plastic sunglasses or maybe I am dating myself here. It is probably Little Mermaid pocketbooks now that fall apart just like mommy’s does when she tries to make the mortgage AND pay for gifts under the tree because she no longer has a job!
As a nation we spend more time watching football than investigating our government’s support of things like NAFTA and it’s local and far reaching global effects. We spend more time watching the food channel than we do thinking about the chemicals that we are forced to eat everyday in the form of additives and pesticide, put there so that someone, somewhere can again, make a shit-load of money! If one person watches this documentary or any of the information I link to, this blog will be worth the time I took to write it because one more person will be thinking about what is REALLY happening to this country, slowly but surely by design. I’m sorry to ruin your day or your holiday spirit but I felt it only fair to not keep this to my paranoid little self. If it leaves you wondering how to celebrate your holiday I do have a suggestion. Seek out people who need and deserve a hug, some of your time, a visit from a friend. Give yourself permission to leave the guilt behind about not spending enough on someone’s gift and replace it with the knowledge that you have given of yourself and your time, something that won’t enslave a child living in a dorm halfway around the world. And educate yourself. Again, don’t agree with me if you want, after watching the documentary.Go ahead and have that eggnog, you might need it, but please don’t look the other Way.

Ron Paul and Tree Ornaments

The Ron Paul meeting was interesting to say the least. I haven’t been this involved in Politics since the early 90s when I attended a meeting for Angus King. I was first introduced to Ron Paul and his “radical” ideas like the belief that we should stay out of other countries and take care of business first here in America, by a close friend with a sharp mind. I am not in favor of his stand on abortion, I am pro-choice in spite of never needing to think about having an abortion, instead, needing fertility assistance which many anti abortionist people are against. I am most impressed with Ron Paul’s call for an investigation into the Federal Reserve, the private, for profit corporation that prints the money we use and loans it back to us with interest. As a homeschooler that went to work in a public school, I am familiar with working within a system that I don’t necessarily agree with. Picking and choosing the issues that are most important has worked for me. If we can do something about the oppression that this financial institution has imposed on the American public, everyone will be better able to make better decisions where the other issues are concerned. I attended the meeting to inform myself, first hand, what was going on. A couple of We Are Change friends joined us at home for spaghetti and conversation after the meeting and I was pleased to have my opinion listened to and considered. At my age, I have learned to be a good listener, to be patient, and consider all sides of an issue and why people might be thinking the way that they are. I also sold one of my lighthouse tree ornaments, so I considered the day a good one all around.

Speaking of ornaments, I have revived a small business venture that I started when my son was small. After waiting so long to be a mom, I was reluctant to hand him over to a babysitter to go to work and started painting Maine motifs on a variety of objects, settling on glass tree ornaments as the best sellers. My return to my home state and the dismal job market everywhere made the light bulb go off to return to what I was doing here when I left. Unlike most of the successful artists operating here, I didn’t “spend my summers” here, I was born here. In fact when it was suggested that I put a lighthouse on a tree ornament, I thought it was the stupidest thing I had heard. “What does a lighthouse have to do with Christmas?” I was so familiar with the giant utilitarian towers, I failed to sense the mystique they held for those who don’t see them every day. If you are reading this blog, please check out my Etsy store that Troy spent all day setting up. Patient……he is a very patient man indeed.

Which brings me to my next issue. I watched the frightening movie, End Game produced by Alex Jones. Remember George Orwell? Ever read Brave New World in high school? This appears to be an alarmists view of things, but there is no denying that the Bilderberg group exists, that the Georgia Guide Stones are real and that, again, we are all distracted per someone’s plan by shopping, sports and TV, and the majority of people are still happy to dismiss this as a crazy conspiracy theory. I was led by example to think for myself, never was part of any group to follow and I encourage you to watch and consider the possibilities. Think It can’t happen to you? Troy was amazed to find his, and all chapters of WeAreChange, admittedly an organization calling for investigation into 9-11 facts, to be on a list of “patriot groups” by the Southern Poverty Law center. Now I am in favor of people in the south who are affected by poverty to have legal representation, but this place has put an organization that I believe has the right to question what our government does in the category of “extremist. To quote the SPLC “Generally, Patriot groups define themselves as opposed to the “New World Order,” engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme anti government doctrines.” While they have fashioned a disclaimer that they are not necessarily a hate group, this sight claims to be against hate and this list, which includes WeAreChange is found under the category of “fighting hate.” Knowing what I learned from the Stanley Milgram obedience experiment and

the Stanford prison experiment, ground breaking research into how easily minds can be manipulated to do harm to others when under coercion, I am starting to believe that we could be awakened in the middle of the night and wind up “camping with FEMA.” Call this radical, call it paranoid, thinking for yourself is going out of style faster than legwarmers and spiked hair. No one has really listened to my opinion before, so I have enjoyed being able to form it on my own. Critical thinking is in short supply, I’m sure I have many people shaking their heads, but I have to put this stuff out there to consider. Don’t agree with me if that’s what works for you, but look at the information and decide for yourself.

Lunch with the Fockers

The lunch with the Fockers went amazingly well. Of course Troy was nervous at first but Mom broke the ice by inadvertently flipping a piece of her fish sandwich on the floor, which sent me into fits of laughter. He was his usual charming self while chomping down his grilled chicken sandwich, pulling out my chair, and telling adorable stories about appearing in stage productions of The Nutcracker. We discussed politics and home improvement projects seamlessly. Mom and Dad were all smiles as they got in their car, and we breathed a sigh of relief to have successfully won them over as a couple.

Meanwhile, troublesome news articles available after having mainstream news media live streams pulled from the internet, a fact that has Troy consistently irritated throughout the day….from Alternet.org

Concerning the Wall Street bailouts which totaled $7.77 trillion (That’s a lot of presents under someone’s tree!) “The secret funding, provided at below-market rates, gave Wall Street banks an additional $13 billion in profits. (That’s enough money to hire more than 325,000 entry level teachers.)” The bigger Wall Street becomes, the more government they can buy. Henry Paulson, Bush’s Secretary of the Treasury, met with his former colleagues at Goldman Sachs to alert them about pending nationalization of the giant mortgage companies, the ones that manipulated loans for all of those abandoned houses in our neighborhoods. A particularly irritating excerpt, quoted from Les Leopold’s critical article believed that we should be encouraged to admire the Wall Street folks, that they were infinitely smarter and more able to make wise financial decisions than we are. We are called an illiterate mass and in the next breath it is suggested that we should give them our support, and that there is nothing wrong with insider information or hiding the truth from government because congress cannot be trusted. Excuse me, according to Leopold, these assholes cost Americans 8 million jobs in a matter of months. Occupy’s message may be confusing to some, the days of the camps may be numbered, but this is at the heart of the problems we all are facing, in my humble opinion. Check out the article for yourself at Alternet.org

Also on our minds as we work on our small business adventure…..the Big Kill bill is being voted on today….Troy says S1867 is the most dangerous bill since the Patriot Act. Our contact at Occupy Augusta has been posting about this on Facebook for days now. Has anyone heard about this in between commercials for electronics and luxury goods we are compelled to buy to celebrate the birth of “The Savior”? Basically, this bill makes it legal for the government to imprison individuals indefinitely without charges or a trial. If we ever needed a savior, it is in these times.

Terrorist, it seems have easily disguised themselves as do gooders and those that feel that they can do our thinking for us. They are not holed up in a far off land, they walk the streets in suits and ties. Perhaps you smiled and wished one a “Happy Holiday” today. For what it is worth, we are heading to Augusta this evening to participate in a Ron Paul supporters meeting. His ratings in the polls are all over the place, depending on where you look. He has been called dangerous and ignored in debates. Personally, I feel that getting involved and making decisions for myself, based on a variety of sources is far better than sticking my head in the sand and pretending that none of this is happening.