"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death. "
Thomas Paine

Monday, December 5, 2011

A Wish For Everyone for Every faith

                                  At this very moment, for the people and the nations of the earth, may not even the words disease, famine, war and suffering be heard; but rather may their moral conduct, merit, wealth and prosperity increase and may supreme good fortune and well being always arise for them.
         This is whats written on flags that hang over my door. Many people have seen the flags but have never stopped to read the words. Its a simple prayer for everyone. No division of faith, no if you believe you get this. Just a simple prayer that everyone's life, regardless of faith, will get better. Is it not a shame that we don't wish others, even those who are different then us, good fortune without expecting them to think, pray or live like us?
We were all born, every human being on this planet, with out prejudice, religion, political feelings, hate or jealousy. We had to learn all that from our different influences. When each one of us were born all we wanted was to be happy and really that's all we want now. We just let all those petty negative things get in our way. Believe in this prayer, believe in happiness and light. Let go of the negative the small, the petty. When someone hurts you or is negative towards you. Be compassionate, forgiving, look at the person in sadness, because that is the cause for hurtfulness. Happy people don't say negative things, they don't hurt others. Think before you say or do something that's negative or hurts. Your life will improve, you will make a positive difference in your community and your world. You will be a happier person

Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Coney Island Polar Plunge

  I was in Sedona Az. over the Halloween weekend. One night while in the condo, I thought I would check out last minute deals on Expedia. Then I thought I would check out where and when some of my favorite bands were playing. Turns out Gov't Mule is playing at the Beacon Theater on New Years Eve. Since my Mom lives in Brooklyn, I have a free place to stay. I quickly looked for a reasonable plane ticket, never expecting to find one, but after playing around with the dates a ticket was had and tickets quickly bought for the concert. Over the next few days, I looked on line at what else to do as I usually do before going to New York. There is SO much to do that if you don't do some research you can waste a lot of time. As I was looking a site about the Coney Island New Years Day Polar Plunge came up. I thought what great fun and you know there will be some alcohol involved! Ha,ha!!!!  After looking into it, I found out it was for this great cause. The whole thing is to raise money for Camp Sunshine. A camp run mostly by volunteers for sick kids and their families. You should check it out at www.campsunshine. What a great thing I thought. Not only am I going to have a hell of a time but I can also start off the year doing something good for someone else. So I would like for you to join me, if we all donate just a little we could make a big difference for these sick kids.
      Donate at  www.freezinforareason.com
click on coney island plunge
then click on fundraiser page
you will see  Coney Island
just under that you will see Allen, Eddie, click on this
then click on Donate now
Thanks now in advance for your support in this very great cause

Saturday, November 19, 2011

The least that can be done!

         I talk a lot about contributing and volunteering! I also know how hard it is when your trying to raise a family, work and make it in today's economic climate. There is one thing that you can do, you can change things by the way you spend your money. Like it or not,  Money powers the world. When your shopping look for companies that display the 1% for the planet sticker. That way you know these companies are dedicated to helping the planet by giving 1% of there profits to charitable organizations. If you own a business and your making a reasonable profit you should join this group. Also look for items that are endorsed by the Rainforest Action Network. That way you know that product was sustainably harvested and  the workers are fairly treated. I must admit the products are a little more expensive but I also find them better quality. The coffee I buy goes on sale from time to time and that's when I tend to stock up on it. The more you support these groups and companies through your buying decisions the more companies will join and the better life will be for the planet and the future of our children.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

"I Shook Up the world"

     Just finished reading an article about Muhammad Ali. It reminded me of when I used to watch him fight.
He claimed to be the "Greatest"! Was he the greatest boxer? I think so, but it is debatable.
     I think he was the greatest, not for his boxing but because he stood by his principles no matter what. Here was a guy that grew up when, here in America the land of the free, a black man was supposed to be humble and bow down to the white man. I remember hearing people my age and older call Ali an upitty loud mouth nigger. He stood against that oppression no matter what happened. When he won gold medals in the Olympics  he threw them in the river to protest the hypocrisy and racism in America. When he was drafted in to the army to go to Vietnam and fight an unjust war. He stood up to it, faced prison time and was stripped of his world boxing title. He stood by his principles no matter what and yes, he changed the world! I wonder how many of us are willing to stand up against wrongs that the powerful are doing to line their own pockets with silver and gold while so many are struggling to make ends meet?  I wonder how many of us that love nature and all its beauty are willing to stand up against the powerful that would pollute and strip our lands of its natural resources?

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Christmas Lights

     So.....if you know me, you know I have no problem stringing up party lights any time of year. But what is with these people putting up Christmas lights, now, even before Halloween?  What happened to Thanksgiving? It wont be long before people are putting up Christmas lights after labor day!  Don't these people know that by Christmas it wont be anything special. We will be so tired of seeing the lights that we will be begging them to take them down.
Here is a better idea,  since the lights are supposed to represent the light of Christ at Christmas and Easter, why don't we just go ahead and leave the tree and lights up from Christmas until Easter and then we can celebrate Christs whole life in one long 5-7 month season depending on lent of course!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Roundabouts

Roundabouts at intersections are very popular in the towns of Colorado.
   I just got back from Sedona Az and down there they have put that into overdrive. I figure who ever sold them or designed their road systems gave them a deal on roundabouts. You know, like buy two get one free. They are everywhere. In my little jeep its like a ride at the fair. In one place they have two not more then a car length or two apart. I started going around and around after about ten minutes I was so dizzy I had to pull over and get some ice cream, then I got one of those freezer headaches. I was dizzy and had freezer burn  all at the same time. I started seeing colors, it was like being on acid........... twenty minutes later I did it all over again! Ha,ha, ha,ha, ha!!!!! 

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Are you a meat lover? Then you better read this!

    I'm a meat lover that flirts with being a vegetarian. I just love those juicy nibblets of delectable meat that is liver and fatty meat that you should only eat in small portions, after all "pork fat rules" as the saying goes. I also know that eating a diet of mostly raw fresh foods with lots of color and fiber is best for you and over the years have tried to include more and more vegetables and fiber in my diet.  Now after what I heard on the radio a couple of days ago and after a little more research I might stop eating any kind of meat except for what is considered organic or free range. I just found out that on April 15, 2011 a study came out that tested 136 samples of meat in grocery stores. Of those tested 47% tested positive for staff bacteria. Of that 47% , 52% were the strain that is resistant to antibiotics. Further study shows that since 1982 there have been 30 major outbreaks of e coli. I find it interesting that also in 1985 mad cow disease showed up for the first time.  Seriously! Am I the only one that thinks our meat industry might be going down  the wrong road? There seems to be a direct correlation between the growth of big industrial farms and giant feed lots with the outbreaks of these potentially very harmful bacterias. I ask you, Is our food supply safe? Is the way our food  handled, grown and managed in the best interest of the health of the people? Or is our food supply managed with just consideration for the dollars and cents? Do you know where that tomato, cut of beef or fruit that is in your refrigerator comes from? 

Friday, April 15, 2011

Libraries A Great Institution

           One of the greatest institutions in this country is its library system. I’ve been in libraries all over the country. All have internet, most are free and don’t ask for any kind of ID. If your out on the road and lonely you can spend a day in a warm toasty place with smiling people, clean bathrooms and get lost in books and magazines that take you anywhere you want to go. The library in Boulder has aquariums. Grand County which is where I know reside has very small towns. They are not doing the best. Store fronts are empty a lot of houses and business for sale. The libraries are mostly new and refreshing. In Granby the library has chess boards . All the libraries have comfortable sitting areas and the staffs are very friendly. The library in Kremmling has an after school program and the librarian walks the children the two or three blocks from the school to the library. They all have free programs and free movies. You can check out a guitar or key board and a video or book to go along with it.  Starting in May there is an online program called “prospector”. With it you can request just about any book or video made. There can not be enough good things said about our library system and we should all support it when ever possible. 

Friday, April 8, 2011

Crop report

  If you read my blog on "Monsanto" being the devil, you may recall I mentioned the danger of our present system of big farms and monoculture. I get a produce report emailed to me by one of my food suppliers. the most recent tells me that there will be a shortage of potatoes. It seems the farmers in Idaho didn't plant as many potatoes as the had in the past, then they had a bad year for their crop resulting in less yields of potatoes. The shortage actually started with the larger baking potatoes but now everyone is trying to compensate by buying the smaller potatoes which has created a shortage in them. It will only affect the consumer in the pocketbook but I suspect some of the smaller growers, even with crop insurance and government subsides, will be driven out of business. this would be less likely to happen with a diversified farm.

Given the present state of our governments finacial situation, I think this is a valid question

    If  pro is the opposite of con. Is congress the opposite of progress???????????

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Arms Merchant or Peace Merchant

     I was happy when I heard that President Obama wasn't going to let our involvement in Libya turn into another Iraq. Yesterday I heard a snip of one of his speeches on the radio and was disturbed to hear him say we might supply the rebels with weapons. We don't know who these rebels are or their background. If you look at our history , our government doesn't have a great record of who we support. We trained and armed Osama Bin Laden. we supported the Sha of Iran and the list goes on.
     Why do we have to be the arms merchant and police force of the world?  I say we need a new mission, a new direction. We need to be the merchant of peace. We need to start being the merchant of education, of seeds and trees. In this age and time dictators run their course and eventually a new crowd comes along and throws that dictator out. The only way to break the cycle is for the people to want our way of life. All the bombs in the world didn't bring down Communism. It was the desire of the people to want our way of life. That's what the people of Mexico want that are coming over here illegally. A better way of life. why not instead of building walls and fences we spend that money on education and helping the people build better lives in their own countries. Why don't we build bridges instead of fences? Why don't we export peace instead of weapons?    

Friday, March 18, 2011

"Monsanto" is the devil and corn is the devil's diet

Or at least that’s what these three video’s I just watched would make you believe.
        I just watched: “King Corn”
                                “Food Inc”
                                 “The Future of Food”
       Very eye opening. Working in the food industry, I knew of some of these things but these videos really bring to light and make you think about how our food and farms, like all other areas of our lives are being corporatized and manipulated by big business. "Monsanto" is going after small farmers whose crops have been pollinated with their genetically engineered seeds by the wind for patent infringement. While our government is subsidizing large corporate farms to grow just one crop, mainly corn. Its pushing the small family farm out. While they put corn syrup in EVERYTHING , even batteries giving us cheap unhealthy food that is making us fat and sickly. The facts these videos give about the diabetes rate and the obesity rate and the time table at which it all coincides with the corn syrup entering the food supply is a real eye opener. I know from my own experience of trying to get high fructose corn syrup out of my diet,  it is almost impossible. Next time you go to the grocery store read some labels on the stuff you are buying. Its crazy, even bread and yogurt.
      Then there is the possibility of crop failure, all those millions of acres of corn gone, farmers losing their farms. Can you picture something worse then the “Great Potato Blight” of Ireland, it could happen, I really don’t know the chances, maybe they are small, but its still a chance.
      I suggest supporting your local food co-op, supporting your local farmers market, buying from your local farms when ever possible. Buying grass fed beef, free range chicken, naturally raised and wild meats when ever possible. READ the labels on the products you buy from the store. Look for brands that don’t have corn syrup or sucrose. Support “Farm Aide”
    Watch these videos
      

A Law I Can Get Behind

“In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
        From the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy
     I love that! What if everyone and all nations lived by that?
I’ve been using “Seventh Generation” products for some time now. I just love that whole philosophy.
     Consider this: If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of 112 sheet virgin fiber paper towels with a 100% recycled product we could save:
                                                                                            568,000 trees
                                                                                             205 million gallons of water, a years supply for over 1,600 families of four
                                                                                             1.4 million cubic feet of landfill space, equal to over 2100 full garbage trucks.
        This is not hard to accomplish folks. The recycled is not any more expensive then the virgin fiber. We just need to be mindful of what we are buying and what we can accomplish by what we buy.
                                                                                          

Thursday, March 17, 2011

"Tao of willie"

        I just finished a wonderful little book called the “Tao of Willie”, a guide to the happiness in your heart. Now, I don’t want you to think I’m a gushing fan of Willie Nelson. I have listened to his music since the 70"s and have seen him in concert a couple of times, I admire what he his trying to do for the small family farms but I’ve never been a huge fan and the only thing I knew about him was when he got in trouble with the IRS and his pot bust.
        This book is surprisingly filled with a mix of ancient Chinese wisdom, home spun cowboy wisdom, bad jokes and a look into having a wonderful happy life. In many ways it mirrors the way I feel about life and if I ever wrote a book on the same topics, much of it would be the same. 
     It’s a GREAT read!!!!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Riots in Cairo vs American Idol

    On 2/10/11 I stopped into the local bar and restaurant for a drink and a salad. There weren't many people there maybe ten or so. They have two televisions behind the bar. One was tuned to a news channel which was showing the latest happenings in Egypt. The other was tuned to "American Idol".
     I don't watch much TV  but I do know that something big is happening in Egypt. Something that could have a big effect on all of us, especially if  radical Muslims took over the nation. The crazy thing is that everybody was totally glued to "American Idol". I personally was astounded. Are people so disengaged about whats going on in the world? Are they so distracted by shiny baubles to be caught up in something that doesn't amount to a hill of beans. I have always been amazed at how the news media treats "American Idol" like its the biggest news sensation there is but this is just  crazy.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Taxi Drivers as Cops????????

    It was reported over the public radio that the police in Denver Colorado are seeking cab drivers to report suspicious activity and now I hear that the Government is seeking to continue some of the "Patriot Act". Specifically the part that makes it easy for the government to place wire taps and spy on business.
   I have a real problem with this. Do we really have to spy on each other? What constitutes "Suspicious activity"?  Does this not hark back to the days of communist Russia? Is our society so morally corrupt that we need  to constantly watch out for the other guy and report everything to the authorities?  Does this not seem like right out of George Orwell's 1984 or V for Vendetta?
   Where will it end? With Secret Police and check points on our road ways?
I consider myself a patriot but I don't think there is anything patriotic about the "Patriot Act" and the more laws that are made that invade our personal freedoms, the more we all will become criminals. This Shit is important! you need to lend your voice and your opinion in any way possible.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

    I received this in an email and its such a good list. I think the world might be better off if we all lived by it.
THIS IS SO AWESOME....READ IT EVERY WEEK!!!    AMAZING...

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The
Plain Dealer
, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written . My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:"
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a ha ppy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple..
24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
26. Always choose life.
27. Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
32. Believe in miracles.
33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
36. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
41. The best is yet to come.
42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
43. Yield.
44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.




--







Friday, January 28, 2011

       "We have it in our power to begin the world again." Thomas Paine
                It seems to me that we have all these modern conveniences and time saving machines but we have less and less time. It seems to me that before we had all this "stuff" we had more time. For those of you of a certain age, you might remember a time when a lot of business closed mid day on Wednesdays and everything was closed on Sundays. Sundays were a time family's visited each other and did things together. Yea, if you were a kid it might be a pain in the ass to go see that distant aunt or uncle, but there were always cookies and other delights along the way. Looking back, I wonder what happened to that. No wonder we have a lack of respect for life. Were is the moral rudder for this country? It is so easy to cut your self off from the world these days, they say you are connected but your not. You can talk to some one in Australia but you don't know whats going on in your own neighborhood. It seems that all these shiny electronics actually disconnect us from our own communities and families. Its sad to see a van go down the road with the kids glued to the monitor on the back of the seat in front of them. They are missing so much, disengaged from their parents and all the scenery around them. I embrace this technology just like everyone else, but I also think its the devil in disguise if not used right.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Are you an Illegal Alien?

      You know we, as human beings, are quick to label people, especially if they are different from ourselves.
       Lets look at the words Illegal Alien for a minute. First off I don't know of anyone who was illegally born. Its been joked about but I know of no one who crawled out form a rock. So.... can a human being be illegal? Are there really Aliens living among us? Some believers in UFO's might think so, and I might be one of those people. But I've not seen any aliens. So is the term Illegal Aliens a correct term. What about: Disadvantaged people without papers trying to better there selves. A little wordy I admit, but I think it is better representative of the situation.
     Lets look at the history of the United States before we start pointing fingers. First off, except for the Native Americans, we are all decedents of people who came from somewhere else trying to better their selves. With each new wave of immigrants there has been prejudice and strife. the Africans who were enslaved, the Chinese and Irish who built the first railroads with picks and shovels were seen as lower class as well as these "Garlic Eaters" the Italians. Now the Mexicans. The only thing is that our borders were pretty open until the last 30yrs or so. Now you can't even leave the country with out a pass port. So, of course people are going to try to come in to this country with out the red tape that has been put into place. Red Tape that my grand father and your relatives did not have to go through. There is another thing to consider. Much of America used to be Mexico! Colorado, much of Texas, New Mexico(HELLO!), Arizona and California.
        I just think there is a different way of looking at things. Do we constantly have to bully people? Do we really need all the laws that are only infringing on everyone's freedom.
                          The Terrorist have won! They have made us a nation of paranoid racist. Anyone that does not adhere to the party line is not patriotic.  I ask you when will it end? When will one of us be called Alien or worse because we think a little different, speak a little different, act and dress a little different?      

Sunday, January 23, 2011

qoute for today

"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again…" -- Mahatma Gandhi

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Review of DVD: "I Know I'm Not Alone

                This video was made in 2002, right at the height of our occupation in Iraq, so it is a little dated.
   It is still a very powerful film. It is thought provoking and touches all the emotions. It shows, in a way, what someone dedicated to peace and understanding can do with just a guitar. It also shows that we are all just people wanting the same thing. Everyone should see this film. On top of all that, while I checked out the movie from the library, if you buy the dvd the proceeds go to building play grounds for kids in war torn areas.

Are You Religious?

        Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of god.
"We can bomb the world to pieces but we can't bomb it into peace." Michael Franti
         I just have never been able to wrap my mind around some religious peoples support of war and lack of understanding for anything different then themselves.
         I don't know of one religion that supports war.
      We call our selves a god fearing nation. If so and especially if your a christian. How can you support war or even the death penalty? How can you be intolerant of someone who is different from you? The bible says Thou shalt not kill, love your neighbor, don't judge.
        All religions tell you in one form or another to treat others as you would want to be treated.
     It would seem we are anything but a god fearing nation. We try to force our way of life on others who are different from us. We are at least one of if not the major arms dealer in the world.  Prejudice and intolerance runs rampart in the country.
         Here's a question for you. What if we had spent just as much time teaching Osama Bin Laden how to feed and take care of his people as how to fight the Russians?  Here's another thing. For those of you who remember communism and the Berlin Wall, it was not bombs and war that brought down communism, it was consumerism. They wanted our way of life, our Levis and other products they couldn't get.
       Peace, teaching, love, compassion, understanding, nurturing and giving are the way of a truly god loving people.

Friday, January 14, 2011

A Call To Action

           This country was founded on the principal that everyone should be involved in the running of the country. Since then we have let our government get so big that a lot of us feel like we have little say in its running.
         I am here to tell you that's not true. We each have a voice and there are those that will listen. It is part of your responsibility as a member of a free society to be involved. It is part of your duty as a member of a free society to be actively involved in your community. If you are angry with something in you local, state, or central government or in society you don't like, then don't just sit around a gripe about it. Write a letter! Its easier the ever with the internet. Write your local paper or politician, hell you can write the president or most anyone else and its so easy with email.
          This really works! In the past I was part of a writing campaign and boycott that changed the way they fish for tuna to reduce deaths of Dolphins. I have had 2 letters published by USA TODAY! If an amateur like me can get a letter published or be part of a movement that changes the way an industry does things then so can you!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

our civil rights

  Our civil rights are constantly under attack. I just recently heard that in 35 states, Colorado being one of them, that if you are arrested they can immediately check  to see if your a legal resident. Where does it end? You don't even have to be convicted, all you have to be is arrested.

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