I believe congratulations are in order.
Kudos to the only man on the planet who can inspire gunfire and multiple bombings less than 24 hours after his arrival in Iraq. Some people might think twice about traveling when they are aware of the violence they seem to inspire in the very wake of their existence, but not our VP.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/17/iraq/main3942256.shtml
If there were an award given to a person who darkness follows like a thick shroud of secrecy veiling motives and actions both, it's obvious recipient would be Dick Cheney. Let's call it the Warmonger Extraordinaire.
I wondered what the 'Dark Lord' himself might be up to in Iraq. I was pretty certain it didn't involve diplomacy (what's that?), but had no idea exactly how many lives would be lost to suit the hidden agenda of the Halliburton hero. I didn't have long to wait.
Not one week after VP Cheney left Iraq, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (who had done almost less than nothing since he's been in office) ordered a crackdown on Basra's "criminal gangs", the militias that have run the south of Iraq since the war began. I don't know if you've been reading the papers, but it's not going so well.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/31/iraq/main3981072.shtml
Iraqi and American officials have hailed this move to "finally take on" the Shiite militias, many of which are, according to today's Philadelphia Inquirer "without question deep into oil smuggling, extortion, murder and robbery." They might also have added that the primary target of this mission was Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army (previously funded by US in order to maintain 'peace and stability' inside Iraq so that US forces could concentrate on putting down the Sunni insurgency 4 years ago).
Prime Minister al-Maliki has called them "outlaws" and "worse than al-Qaeda". This even though every attack against Iraqi and US forces in Iraq is nearly always attributed to al-Qaeda, especially in the last 6 months.
What they didn't mention was that al-Sadr's Mahdi Army feels it has been unfairly singled out, as they are the Shiite rivals to al-Maliki's own Islamic Shiite government forces(as well as better armed and trained military forces) and that they have huge popular support leading up to the provincial elections this fall. Needless to say, they are very anti-American, and against what they feel is continued unwanted US occupation of their country. They have called for a cease-fire and a 'standing-down' for now, but refuse to turn their weapons over to a government that will not commit to a date for US troop withdrawal, but only to "a state that can throw out the occupation."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/29/iraq.main/
The facts of the ensuing week-long battle, (Iraqi forces assisted by American and British troops with air and ground support) show exactly how weak and incapable the Iraqi government forces are of protecting themselves against dissident militia forces within their own country. Which means we can't leave any time soon.
This also points out the effectiveness and support that al-Sadr's movement commands, that they are being targeted now only when the Sunni insurgency has been weakened sufficiently to assign troop support to Basra.
US officials fear things are not going as well as they had imagined. US military intelligence analysis found that the Iraqi forces control less than a quarter of the city, and have reported that at least 40 members of Iraq's national police have turned in their uniforms, kept their US issued weapons, and are now fighting for al-Sadr in Baghdad.
It also seems to me that there are yet other hidden agendas here that are not reported about, or even realized. That somehow we are also trying to play both ends against the middle...not just by switching support, sides, and money based on the ebb and flow of the insurgency and counter-insurgency in Iraq, but that the real motives are not even on the table. I keep looking around to see Karl Rove in the background, and instead only find the murky darkness of Dick Cheney.
The CNN story is the only one I've read that even mentions that Basra is not only Iraq's second largest city, but it's chief oil port. We cannot possibly control the oil flow in and out of Iraq if this port is held by al-Sadr and his militias. And I'm forced to wonder, was this one of the goals all along? Was this meant to be a large scale occupation (read: quagmire) from day one?
And if we can't get the oil out prior to this administration losing power, then making certain that we are once again embroiled in the internecine affairs of a divided Iraq will cement the flow of cash and support to energy giant Halliburton, and keep US troops locked in a deadly and unwinnable war. http://halliburtonwatch.org/
There is nothing clean about this war; no mission to be accomplished aside from the energy companies and the current administration's hidden agenda. No way to win, and no easy way out.
So, just for fun, let's review the statement by our government that the militias that we are trying to destroy are "without question deep into oil smuggling, extortion, murder and robbery." Now lets look at the mirror this presents to us.
Oil smuggling: something we are desperately trying to do, but have been prevented so far by armed militants. But you can still count it if you understand that the US is using Iraqi oil to fuel all it's vehicles, etc. But I'm sure we are keeping a close count on our usage.
Extortion: Well, it's not extortion, but bribery when you pay off certain people not to set off bombs, shoot at US troops, kill their own citizens or start a civil war.
Murder: Do we know how many dead-but-innocent Iraqi civilians there are? Has anyone assessed the 'collateral damage' yet?
Robbery: Other than the original loss of $9 billion taxpayer funded US dollars?
Is there is similar pattern here, or am I just crazy? How can we ever win a 'War on terror' that we promote on a daily basis?
Yes, as I see it, this special warmonger award has only one possible recipient; Dick Cheney. And I'm certain that, although not my personal belief, there is a special place in hell reserved for all murdering, torturing, conniving, thieving warmongers and their supporters.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Tibetan Protest-Day 7
Well, the protest march from Dharamsala was officially off after only 12 miles when the Indian police arrested all the demonstrators.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/WireStory?id=4442505&page=2
There are apparently 350 other people walking from Northern India who say they will evade police and press on. I wish them hope, admire their courage, and will send them whatever energy is necessary to continue this peaceful protest to bring attention their plight. It seems this inexorable movement towards freedom is gaining momentum despite China's violent crackdown, the unintended complicity of the Indian government, the tacit acceptance of China's 'right' to hold the Olympic Games by the Dalai Lama, and the insipid and lukewarm response to it's citizens being murdered of the Tibetan government, and the Tibetan government-in-exile.
There is obviously wisdom in an exiled governing body distancing themselves from the events in Tibet; not wanting to be associated with the anger and violence perpetrated by some of the protesters there. Both the government and Dalai Lama are stated to have a very moderate (read:ineffective) approach. But where is the balance between the two sides?
If being 'moderate' means to make statements from afar while keeping the status quo, waiting for the international community to act (laughable if it weren't so pathetic), or for China to suddenly realize they are terrorist dictators who murder and torture their own people (will never happen) then please, call me a revolutionary.
Protesting is not meant to be negative or complaining. Pro means 'for', or in favor of. Test means 'to speak' or 'to testify'. So protest means 'to speak for'. I think of it as having the courage to stand and speak the truth, despite the consequences.
Today the Dalai Lama he has called on the international community to step in and investigate the reported deaths of hundreds (not the 10 officially reported by the Chinese Government) of people since the protests began on Monday.
An excerpt from the latest news today by the associated press:
Five groups that say they represent tens of thousands of exiled Tibetans are planning to march from India to Tibet ahead of the Beijing Olympics to protest against China's rule in Tibet.
The groups have said they would not seek approval from the Dalai Lama, who has a more moderate line and says he wants autonomy for Tibet, not outright independence.
On Saturday, the Dalai Lama's office said the spiritual leader had only asked non-governmental organizations to remind the international community, and the Chinese people, about Chinese repression in Tibet and urgency of the situation in the Himalayan region.
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=4412859
Perhaps the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader can find his way to a 'middle path'? Is it not preferable to take some action to stop the suffering of Tibet, rather than become complicit with the Chinese government in allowing the grave injustice of cultural genocide to be continually perpetrated while ineffectually calling on 'someone' outside of the situation to step in? Why NOT call for a boycott of the Olympic games? Especially if you're already being accused of it? What is gained by non-action in this situation?
I don't wish to judge; I just really don't understand.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/WireStory?id=4442505&page=2
There are apparently 350 other people walking from Northern India who say they will evade police and press on. I wish them hope, admire their courage, and will send them whatever energy is necessary to continue this peaceful protest to bring attention their plight. It seems this inexorable movement towards freedom is gaining momentum despite China's violent crackdown, the unintended complicity of the Indian government, the tacit acceptance of China's 'right' to hold the Olympic Games by the Dalai Lama, and the insipid and lukewarm response to it's citizens being murdered of the Tibetan government, and the Tibetan government-in-exile.
There is obviously wisdom in an exiled governing body distancing themselves from the events in Tibet; not wanting to be associated with the anger and violence perpetrated by some of the protesters there. Both the government and Dalai Lama are stated to have a very moderate (read:ineffective) approach. But where is the balance between the two sides?
If being 'moderate' means to make statements from afar while keeping the status quo, waiting for the international community to act (laughable if it weren't so pathetic), or for China to suddenly realize they are terrorist dictators who murder and torture their own people (will never happen) then please, call me a revolutionary.
Protesting is not meant to be negative or complaining. Pro means 'for', or in favor of. Test means 'to speak' or 'to testify'. So protest means 'to speak for'. I think of it as having the courage to stand and speak the truth, despite the consequences.
Today the Dalai Lama he has called on the international community to step in and investigate the reported deaths of hundreds (not the 10 officially reported by the Chinese Government) of people since the protests began on Monday.
An excerpt from the latest news today by the associated press:
Five groups that say they represent tens of thousands of exiled Tibetans are planning to march from India to Tibet ahead of the Beijing Olympics to protest against China's rule in Tibet.
The groups have said they would not seek approval from the Dalai Lama, who has a more moderate line and says he wants autonomy for Tibet, not outright independence.
On Saturday, the Dalai Lama's office said the spiritual leader had only asked non-governmental organizations to remind the international community, and the Chinese people, about Chinese repression in Tibet and urgency of the situation in the Himalayan region.
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=4412859
Perhaps the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader can find his way to a 'middle path'? Is it not preferable to take some action to stop the suffering of Tibet, rather than become complicit with the Chinese government in allowing the grave injustice of cultural genocide to be continually perpetrated while ineffectually calling on 'someone' outside of the situation to step in? Why NOT call for a boycott of the Olympic games? Especially if you're already being accused of it? What is gained by non-action in this situation?
I don't wish to judge; I just really don't understand.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Where is the Dalai Lama?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080315/ap_on_re_as/china_tibet
He's not here, though maybe his presence would bring the world's attention to this matter in a way that these brave young activists who very well may be walking to their death never could.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4458675&page=1
100 activists led by Chime Youngdung began a 6 month, 1,500 mile walk from northern India all the way to the Tibetan border. They have been in exile in Dharamsala, and believe it is time to go home.
My prayers are with them. Maybe their spiritual leader will acknowledge their peaceful walking protest, and step forward to help them change the status quo the exiled goverment has lived with for the past 48 years.
He's not here, though maybe his presence would bring the world's attention to this matter in a way that these brave young activists who very well may be walking to their death never could.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4458675&page=1
100 activists led by Chime Youngdung began a 6 month, 1,500 mile walk from northern India all the way to the Tibetan border. They have been in exile in Dharamsala, and believe it is time to go home.
My prayers are with them. Maybe their spiritual leader will acknowledge their peaceful walking protest, and step forward to help them change the status quo the exiled goverment has lived with for the past 48 years.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Poisoning our Planet...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080309/ap_on_re_us/pharmawater_i
Or perhaps we should call it unintentional drug use?
I used to think using drugs to 'maintain' health was just a matter of personal choice until this story broke about the remnants of pharmaceutical drugs in our water supply. In our drinking water. Our already processed drinking water.
And not just one or two, but multiple combinations of drugs found in the drinking water supplies of all the major cities tested. Not limited to the US, but in cities all over the world.
This is absolutely frightening...and completely unacceptable.
Six years ago, I made a conscious decision to utilize alternative healing methods and treatments as a primary path of wellness, and western allopathic medicine secondarily. I have never regretted this decision, though I still get infuriated monthly when I have to pay a large insurance company the equivalent cost of a new luxury car payment each month for 'health care' I don't use, that doesn't recognize the therapies I do use as valid and covers none of my out-of-pocket expenses.
I do not take medications unless absolutely necessary. I have a disdain for the big pharmacos, and their quest to own the world through medicating the populace. With hundreds of billions of dollars in sales a year (2006 info) $196.2 billion in the US alone, it seems nearly everyone is living better through chemistry.
http://www.metrics2.com/blog/2007/02/06/global_pharmaceutical_sales_grew_5_to_386_billion.html
I don't choose to take pharmaceuticals, but it appears I get them in multiple doses daily when I bathe, eat or drink anything whether I want to or not. Heart medications, cholesterol lowering drugs, antibiotics, blood pressure meds, birth control, hormone replacement, antidepressants...you name it, we've got it in our groundwater.
The drugs that people electively choose to take are not completely absorbed by the body, and up to 10% can pass straight through into the water supply. Water processing treatment is NOT designed to remove these undesirable leftovers. There is also the un-elective use of steroids and antibiotics used on farm animals in order to bulk them up, and keep them 'healthy'. There were much higher levels of these drugs found downstream of large areas where animal waste is introduced into the groundwater.
Our government has responded with assurances that the water is safe, and these drugs are at minute levels.
Sure....right. I also believe that industries can always self-regulate for the betterment of mankind. And in Santa Claus, but I digress.
The real truth is, no one knows how this will affect us in the long or short term. Over time, even low doses of multiple meds can affect your immune system, kill fish, produce unforeseen changes in the sex of small animals, etc.
Before you go looking for some bottled water to drink, keep reading. Spring water comes from a ground source. Most bottled water is unfiltered, and is not usually purified. And get this...are you ready for the kicker? Even if it says it is purified, the industry is not regulated, and only reverse osmosis purification removes these drugs from water. They don't list how the water was purified on the label, you have to call the company for that.
Since I doubt I will be able to convince people that they don't need to take multiple drugs daily (especially over the protestations of the docs who've sold out to big pharma), I've decided to take matters into my own hands. Literally.
As a Reiki master, I was aware of the ability to send gratitude and energy into my food and drink. I think I just got lazy, thinking that organic food was OK, and that I really didn't have to go through that effort all the time. I was wrong!
There was a symbol I received four years ago in a journey. It was received from an ancestral force, and he explained that it was to transmute water. This symbol would allow the water to receive love energy, which raises the vibrational level of the water, and changes the very structure of the molecules. Dr Masaru Emoto has written multiple and timely books on the subject, so I won't go into it here.
http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Power-Water-Masaru-Emoto/dp/1401908764/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205670347&sr=8-1
I've decide to utilize this symbol, and pass it on to anyone who might be interested. As we continue to poison our environment, and the waters of our planet, we will need to rely not only on technology, but on the very energy that is in and around us in order to flourish.
Many Blessings.
Or perhaps we should call it unintentional drug use?
I used to think using drugs to 'maintain' health was just a matter of personal choice until this story broke about the remnants of pharmaceutical drugs in our water supply. In our drinking water. Our already processed drinking water.
And not just one or two, but multiple combinations of drugs found in the drinking water supplies of all the major cities tested. Not limited to the US, but in cities all over the world.
This is absolutely frightening...and completely unacceptable.
Six years ago, I made a conscious decision to utilize alternative healing methods and treatments as a primary path of wellness, and western allopathic medicine secondarily. I have never regretted this decision, though I still get infuriated monthly when I have to pay a large insurance company the equivalent cost of a new luxury car payment each month for 'health care' I don't use, that doesn't recognize the therapies I do use as valid and covers none of my out-of-pocket expenses.
I do not take medications unless absolutely necessary. I have a disdain for the big pharmacos, and their quest to own the world through medicating the populace. With hundreds of billions of dollars in sales a year (2006 info) $196.2 billion in the US alone, it seems nearly everyone is living better through chemistry.
http://www.metrics2.com/blog/2007/02/06/global_pharmaceutical_sales_grew_5_to_386_billion.html
I don't choose to take pharmaceuticals, but it appears I get them in multiple doses daily when I bathe, eat or drink anything whether I want to or not. Heart medications, cholesterol lowering drugs, antibiotics, blood pressure meds, birth control, hormone replacement, antidepressants...you name it, we've got it in our groundwater.
The drugs that people electively choose to take are not completely absorbed by the body, and up to 10% can pass straight through into the water supply. Water processing treatment is NOT designed to remove these undesirable leftovers. There is also the un-elective use of steroids and antibiotics used on farm animals in order to bulk them up, and keep them 'healthy'. There were much higher levels of these drugs found downstream of large areas where animal waste is introduced into the groundwater.
Our government has responded with assurances that the water is safe, and these drugs are at minute levels.
Sure....right. I also believe that industries can always self-regulate for the betterment of mankind. And in Santa Claus, but I digress.
The real truth is, no one knows how this will affect us in the long or short term. Over time, even low doses of multiple meds can affect your immune system, kill fish, produce unforeseen changes in the sex of small animals, etc.
Before you go looking for some bottled water to drink, keep reading. Spring water comes from a ground source. Most bottled water is unfiltered, and is not usually purified. And get this...are you ready for the kicker? Even if it says it is purified, the industry is not regulated, and only reverse osmosis purification removes these drugs from water. They don't list how the water was purified on the label, you have to call the company for that.
Since I doubt I will be able to convince people that they don't need to take multiple drugs daily (especially over the protestations of the docs who've sold out to big pharma), I've decided to take matters into my own hands. Literally.
As a Reiki master, I was aware of the ability to send gratitude and energy into my food and drink. I think I just got lazy, thinking that organic food was OK, and that I really didn't have to go through that effort all the time. I was wrong!
There was a symbol I received four years ago in a journey. It was received from an ancestral force, and he explained that it was to transmute water. This symbol would allow the water to receive love energy, which raises the vibrational level of the water, and changes the very structure of the molecules. Dr Masaru Emoto has written multiple and timely books on the subject, so I won't go into it here.
http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Power-Water-Masaru-Emoto/dp/1401908764/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205670347&sr=8-1
I've decide to utilize this symbol, and pass it on to anyone who might be interested. As we continue to poison our environment, and the waters of our planet, we will need to rely not only on technology, but on the very energy that is in and around us in order to flourish.
Many Blessings.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
GrandMother Drum
There will be a GrandMother Drum 'Prayerformance' in our area on Sun. April 13 from 10am-1pm.
The mission of the GrandMother Drum International Peace Project is to travel around the world as a symbol of the heartbeat of love that connects all nations and all races of the human family. From a vision of indigenous grandmothers and many hands of the multicultural Alaskan community, GrandMother Drum promotes peace and unity through the global language of music, dance, cultural and healings arts under the umbrella of the Whirling Rainbow Foundation. http://www.whirlingrainbow.com/
The largest drum of its kind in the world, the seven-foot diameter GrandMother Drum took over a year to construct, and has over 1500 strips of wood, two hundred crystals inlaid in its kettle base and is covered by one giant buffalo hide. All this combined produces a phenomenal sound that not only stirs the soul, but has a tremendous healing effect on the body.
GrandMother Drum is a living, beating symbol from the hearts of the grandmothers that we are all one people, that Mother Earth is our one country, that love is stronger than fear, and that peace and freedom are the birthrights of all humanity. The drum is the centerpiece of creating celebrations that honor the unique gifts and spiritual traditions of the diverse cultures of the human family with the theme: The Heartbeat of One Family, One Earth. The dynamic multicultural performances share an explosive mix of thundering primal rhythms, irresistible music and dance.
"When people of diverse cultures are beating together around a thundering seven-foot heartbeat, they get it," says drum keeper White Eagle, "They remember who they are and what is really important- caring, sharing and respecting one another. GrandMother Drum is electrifying-she is absolutely contagious!"
For tickets, contact www.SusanDuvalSeminars.com
The mission of the GrandMother Drum International Peace Project is to travel around the world as a symbol of the heartbeat of love that connects all nations and all races of the human family. From a vision of indigenous grandmothers and many hands of the multicultural Alaskan community, GrandMother Drum promotes peace and unity through the global language of music, dance, cultural and healings arts under the umbrella of the Whirling Rainbow Foundation. http://www.whirlingrainbow.com/
The largest drum of its kind in the world, the seven-foot diameter GrandMother Drum took over a year to construct, and has over 1500 strips of wood, two hundred crystals inlaid in its kettle base and is covered by one giant buffalo hide. All this combined produces a phenomenal sound that not only stirs the soul, but has a tremendous healing effect on the body.
GrandMother Drum is a living, beating symbol from the hearts of the grandmothers that we are all one people, that Mother Earth is our one country, that love is stronger than fear, and that peace and freedom are the birthrights of all humanity. The drum is the centerpiece of creating celebrations that honor the unique gifts and spiritual traditions of the diverse cultures of the human family with the theme: The Heartbeat of One Family, One Earth. The dynamic multicultural performances share an explosive mix of thundering primal rhythms, irresistible music and dance.
"When people of diverse cultures are beating together around a thundering seven-foot heartbeat, they get it," says drum keeper White Eagle, "They remember who they are and what is really important- caring, sharing and respecting one another. GrandMother Drum is electrifying-she is absolutely contagious!"
For tickets, contact www.SusanDuvalSeminars.com
Sunday, March 2, 2008
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