The Revolution Begins: June 14th

A date has been set for the big demonstration in New York City.  This is not centrally organized.  This is called for through AmpedStatus.org by Anonymous.  Will it happen?  Want to do something on that day?
What can you do in support of a movement to stand up to the small group of very, very, rich people in America who can and do BUY our government so that it ignores the people who created that government and kisses big money's ass instead.  For that matter, they buy any government they can get their hands on.  And they do not care  to build a sustainable, healthy worldwide human community.  We are simply meat on foot and in the way.  They do not care.  Read.  Learn.  Study.  Discuss.  Develop your Personal Power.  Develope your collective power.
http://ampedstatus.org/prepare-for-revolution-the-empire-state-rebellion-begins-on-june-14th/

This Is Self Explanatory

Truth Out, Thom Hartman & His Book & Videos

OK you all.  I love this website.  And I really like this guy.  I've been reading his book, Unequal Protection: How Corporations Became "People"- and How You Can Fight Back, which is excerpted on the website along with a short video for each installment.  Of course, I like to read.  I suck up info like a vampire craves blood.  But I realize it takes time.  Serious, non-fiction reading is a bit time consuming when a person could instead, spend some free time with a great novel or even Si Fi.  Believe me, I do that too.

So, I recommend Thom Hartman's videos for anyone who chooses not to tackle the whole book.  They aren't too long.  Often only a bit over four minutes, usually less than ten.  Even better, they are clear and simple to understand.  Which I think is important.  Yes, the problems of the human race on this planet are complex and it seems understanding what is wrong with our country is too complicated to get a handle on.  But those feelings of helplessness might possibly be encouraged by those that would rather we didn't take the time to see what is happening to us.

Often the simple truth isn't really that hard to explain or understand.  How a specific "truth" works and how to actually deal with the truth can be harder to figure out, I agree.  But first you need some simple facts in order to make some decisions about how to live your life.  Do you really want unknown powers  acting on and effecting your life, your health & well being, your work, your spirit, family, community, the environement without understanding what is going on?

The United States was established as a Democracy which was a pretty radical idea at the time.  The people are supposed to create and run our government to serve and protect us.  But that means we have to pay attention if we are going to make sure this country functions for the wellbeing of the people.  Watch one of these videos.  See if you want to know more.

This is a link to his book online and each section has a video. You may also find these on YouTube.  The link is in my link list.    
http://www.truth-out.org/unequal-protection-how-corporations-became-people-and-how-you-can-fight-back68387

More About Sustainable, Organic Farming in Africa

Again in my web wanderings I found an inspiring website called Global Oneness Project.  Seemed a bit New Age but it is very practical.  It is concerned with changing the "story."  Changing the way we function on the planet by raising our awareness.  They produce short films which can be downloaded for sharing.  They will even send free DVDs for showing to groups.  Here is one that speaks to my previous posts about sustainable small farms.  It is about 30 minutes long and beautifully produced.  The website has many other films of various lengths and subjects.  Check it out:  http://www.globalonenessproject.org/videos/athousandsuns  

The Cost of Biofuels

This article is even shorter than the previous one I suggested.    It is about a plantation in Africa that wants to grow a biofuel crop and export the fuel to Europe.  Big profits for Big Agribiz, with destruction of indigenous culture and bio-diversity as the cost.   Read the article first which is above my comment.  This article provides a good contrast to the one below which talks about how much food we can grow on small farms using more traditional and organic methods.  This article gives an example of Big Agribiz' approach to land use.  Read both and you have the pros and cons spelled out clearly.
http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=4012&cpage=1#comment-12865

What Is Social Ecology?

Here is a wonderful article that I wouldn't exactly say answers the question, what is ecology.  I believe it is part of a longer piece.  But I found it brought up some good points.  Possibly I will be able to get back to this and give some of my own thoughts on the subject.  But for now, it is a short read.
           And check out the blog itself, "Green From Below."  It seems to be inactive since 2008 but, it has links to other blogs etc. which I think I'll explore.

http://greenfrombelow.wordpress.com/murray-bookchin-what-is-social-ecology/

Eco-farming Can Double Food Production in Ten Years

Here is a link to an fairly short article at Climate and Capitalism about a report from the United Nations.  There you can also find the link to the report itself.
http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=3917&cpage=1#comment-12727

“To feed 9 billion people in 2050, we urgently need to adopt the most efficient farming techniques available,” says Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food and author of the report.

“Today’s scientificevidence demonstrates that agroecological methods outperform the use of chemical fertilizers in boosting food production where the hungry live — especially in unfavorable environments.”

Here again is the same old problem.  No corporation can actually make any money/profit from this kind of farming.  The only people who might possibly make a living in this way are small farmers who take their extra produce to market thus making food available to their local communities.  And we have been taught that "small" anything has no importance.  The life and work of simple individuals can't possibly have any real relevance to the well being of the planet.   
       As long as "Agribiz" has the money to promote it's destructive and wasteful method of food production throughout the world, no one is going to hear the thrilling and exciting news that small farmers can feed the human population safely, healthily, effeciently, and less destructively than Big Corporations.  And there will be little money for research, education, cooperation, dissemination of information, and other types of support.  
      We need these facts to find a home in the human psyche.  We need this story in our reality, an image of small farmers being powerful and knowledgeable enough to feed our species.  We need to know that we have had that ability all along.  We never needed Factory Farming to move us off the land, especially in developing countries. 

Quote: From a Favorite of Mine

Howard Zinn wrote: "The struggle for justice should never be abandoned because of the apparent overwhelming power of those who seem invincible in their determination to hold on to it. That apparent power has, again and again, proved vulnerable to human qualities less measurable than bombs and dollars: moral fervor, determination, unity, organization, sacrifice, wit, ingenuity, courage, patience."


I was checking out facebook and stumbled on Howard Zinn's page.  (Talk about a guy with sex appeal!)  Zinn has passed on at a time in history when we could use his presence.  But for you readers out there, check out his books. Here is one which has several of his essays. http://www.sevenstories.com/book/?GCOI=58322100126600
The best know of his books is, A People’s History of the United States.  And try to see the documentary film that came from this book,  The People Speak.  I saw this on TV one day and was totally inspired!  I had always wished there was more history about regular people instead of armies, rulers and empires.  Zinn says that it is us guys at the bottom that make history!

The Zeitgeist Movie

Well, I finally got to see "Zeitgeist: The Movie."  Several weeks ago I found a flier for this movie tacked up on a telephone pole by my back gate where I go out to my car and leave my recycling/trash.  It was pointedly facing my back door so I kind of figured whoever put it up knew I would want to see The movie.  I wasn't able to make that viewing and when I tried to watch it online, I was too technically challenged to pull it off.  But on AmpedStatus' network someone started a Zeitgeist Group and I checked it out.  They actually had it there to watch.  It is over two hours long but is pretty inspiring and informative.  I'm not sure I quite agree with some of their vision for a better future, not that it isn't fine but I tend to see a need for a more "local" focus for farming and production and possibly a bit more hands on than the writers of the movie.  I kind of think working with the physical world with your own two hands is rewarding, good for the brain and good for your spirit. 

I find many comments on the website to be a bit negative, focusing on how angry and frustrated people feel but not on a vision for how things can be better.  In response I left this comment about the "the rich guys" in power:

"Remember, their "money" is basically only paper for their game of power. WE are the ones who run the country. WE feed one another. We care for one another. We make what we need. We serve each other. We clean.  We renovate.  We teach. We learn. We repair, make, grow things, nurture.  We care for the weak.  We heal. We run the infrastructure. We drive the equipment, mine the metals, run what factories are left, build the buildings. We do the work. Most of us work for small businesses owned and staffed by our neighbors. “THEY” don’t produce anything. We need a great deal less than “they” have convinced us we must have. Most of all, we don’t need them.

They cannot sell us those things most important for our happiness and well being such as security, interdependence, healthy food, good rewarding work, being needed and respected by our community, a sense of value or self worth, community, mental and physical health, safety from violence and war, peace, time with our children and friends, a healthy planet or biosphere. But we can provide these things. As a country, we have the knowledge, the know how.  We need to spread a different “story” than the one we have been told for several centuries. We need to imagine a different reality. We need to remember what the we the people do every day. A revolution doesn’t help that much if we don’t know where we are going. Help others see our potential."

I just watched the first one below so I don't know about the others.  If you go to AmpedStatus.org  they say there are six.

YouTube sources:
Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guXirzknYYE (updated in 2010)
Zeitgeist: Addendum (2008): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EewGMBOB4Gg
Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com provides links to Vimeo sources for all three.

Quote: Be Heroes in an Army of Construction!

Congress is not preparing to defend the people of the United States. It is planning to protect the capital of American speculators and investors.... Incidentally this preparation will benefit the manufacturers of munitions and war machines.... Strike against war, for without you no battles can be fought! Strike against manufacturing shrapnel and gas bombs and all other tools of murder! Strike against preparedness that means death and misery to millions of human beings! Be not dumb, obedient slaves in an army of destruction! Be heroes in an army of construction!

-Helen Keller at Carnegie Hall January 5, 1916

A Video For Your Viewing Pleasure

I guess I am letting myself spend a chunk of the day, checking out my favorite sites and finding new ones.  In light of the information about AmpedStatus.com in the post below, I thought you might enjoy this video about Anonymous.  The group is making it possible for AmpedStatus.com to maintain a new social network.  After seeing this I would love to get more info. about Anonymous.  I love hearing about what they have been up to.  Here is the link to an exciting video with an inspiring story.
http://vodpod.com/watch/5745368-who-is-anonymous?u=ampedstatuscom&c=ampedstatus

Facebook Bought by the Big Banks

Have you thought about the fact that the revolution in Egypt was brought about with the help of social networking sites such as facebook and twitter?  And since then, both these important social networking sites have been bought by the very same big banks, JP Morgan and Goldman Saks, that brought the world economy to its' knees?  Couriouser and couriouser.

AmpedStatus.com is an independent news site.  This is what they have to say about themselves.
"AmpedStatus.com is reader funded. Unlike most other so-called independent" news sites, we are not funded by partisan foundations or political organizations. We are not a mouthpiece for either wing of the Two-Party Oligarchy. We are fiercely independent and committed to citizen empowerment through the dissemination of critical information."
Their website began being attacked several weeks ago which caused them to be unable to stay online and eventually caused over 100 other sites to go down as well.  Needless to say, their server decided not to carry them any longer and the cost of trying to do that for themselves was prohibitive.  Check out this video to find out what happened.
ampedstatus.org 
And while you are there, become a member of their new social networking site. This is a site not owned by big money and hopefully will not ever be. 

Some New Websites and Blogs about Money and Banks

Her is some important information about how for-profit banks and all those greedy, wheelers-dealers that helped cause our financial crises manipulate and create money in order to take us all to the cleaners.

It isn't hard to understand.  It all makes sense if you think about it.  North Dakota has had a state bank for decades that was created to SERVE THE PEOPLE of the state.  That is its' mission.  It is also not facing a deficit.  It never took part in the practices that almost destroyed the global economy.  And apparently, several other States are considering establishing their own banks.  So I am posting a couple of websites to check out.  Prepare to experience flashes of insight!

 http://publicbanking.wordpress.com/

http://www.concordresolution.org/article.htm

http://www.webofdebt.com/articles/state_bank_option2.php

Beautiful.....

Check out this link, watch the video, take a break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Nxhaw_tZ4