The Aliens Have Landed!

Funny sounds

Rapid movements

Flapping

Gurgleygook

They run

They fly

Huge bodies take off

Through the forest

The first one I ever saw

Came up to my window

Peering in

Soon to be shocked at what he saw

What did he see?

Hypnotized By Authority "Figures"

We need to own our own minds [and bodies/spirits/souls]....

"We begin life with the world presenting itself to us as it is. Someone - our parents, teachers, analysts [...religious/"spiritual" leaders, economists, politicians,...] - hypnotizes us to see the world and construe it in the right way. These others label the world, attach names and give voices to the beings and events in it, so that thereafter, we cannot read the world in any other language or hear it saying other things to us. 

The task is to break the hypnotic spell, so that we become undeaf, unblind and multilingual, thereby letting the world speak to us in new voices and write all its possible meanings in the new book of our existence. 

 Be careful in your choice of hypnotists" - Sidney Jourard

Be careful in your choice of hypnotists."  - Sidney Jourard

Canadians Say They "Care" About The Environment

"The environment" is a big concern for Canadians, according to polls. Yet, in terms of act-i-on, of all the OECD nations, Canadians are near or at the bottom. Not only do they/we use more energy per person than any other nation - including those energy hogs [sorry piggies] - the Americans! And while we may be more "educated" about things like climate change, it makes no difference.

At a local grocery store today, chatting with a friend...we noted that the parking lot was full and no one was walking or riding their bikes. And while people say they want clean air and trim bodies - where's the effort?  Also noted how wimpy Canadians are! Sure the Tim Horton's commercial boast about our rugged toughness - but as a CBC Doc reported Canadians are wimps and want to flee to Florida! Btw, some Americans loved the Doc - stupid Canucks!

And what/where is this thing called "the environment" or "nature"? The problem is we see our-selves as separate. In fact, we are very connected. And as some like Chopra note, quantum physics reveals that even at a very basic atomic level there is connection.

All we have to do is stop, think, feel, smell...see that exhaust from the car....smell that exhaust....where's it go? What impact does it have on other humans and nonhumans? Vital to this discussion should be the topic of the energy/pollution to MAKE the car. And how many died to get the cheap oil for it? Did the Americans not invade Iraq for oil? Oops - I'm mistaken - they went there to free the people. Foreign powers all-ways invade other countries [breaking UN international laws] because they care. Though 2000000 children, women and men died...well...they did their best.

[Let's not mention the devastation from "ethical oil" from the Tar Sands. Wait one second while I get my blindfold on]

When will people here start acting out the Obama chant "do the right thing"?

While we think we are so good...so caring...so smart...so deserving/entitled...what will create change? When will we be sane? Is it not insane to destroy one's habitat?

What is most disturbing that those who know about pollution, war, etc. still don't ACT on what they know. Christ Hedges recent talk apparently hasn't affected much change. How do people build up their knowledge yet not change? Why is act-i-on not as or more important than stocking ones' shelves with the right books?

Will we ever really do what the UK punk band Flux Of Pink Indians titled one of their albums Striving To Survive Causing The Least Suffering Possible?

Check out the $100 [cost of 1 or 2 fill-ups!] vehicle - "even" in the "harsh" Canadian winter! Note all the veges/fruit that can easily be carried - even riding up a mountain!

Bugs "Doin' it"

everywhere i look

the bugs are on top of each other

and they ain't eating each other

well i don't think they're into that

just the ‘ol in-out

the lady bugs are doin' it

the potato bugs

the striped cucumber beetles

bastards!

not only are they reproducing to eat my plants

they get to have FUN while they're at it

what about me?

Murder in the name of Christ

I ride by and see the mass destruction

Done in the name of Christ-mass

I see all the killing

I see the terror

The death in the name of Christ-

Mass destruction of our planet

In the name of hollow convention

In the name of “pleasing” every one

But the earth is not pleased

The earth does not celebrate

She weeps as she is murdered

“Oh well, uh, they’re grown for the express

Purpose of being cut down for Christ-mass

So I feel totally justified in using it for

2 weeks and then sending it to the landfill”.

Grown to be killed

Trees, turkeys,…

Does this justify the killing?

Does this justify the polluting?

If we grow/raise children to be thrown

Into factories is that justifiable?

If we raise our children to go and kill others

[In the “righteous” name of war] is that justified?

If…

Five little gummies

Sitting on the table

One screamed out

And pooped in my navel

My vegan pussy

Who said cats don't like veges? When you consider the crap in the cheap dry food....or the bizarrely expensive "good" food....why not just be creative. He now eats, along with some fish, beans, rice, quinoa or whatever I'm eating! [mixed in with the dry food]. Check it out - pussy eating organic hubbard squash grown by moi! :)

Well I was going to upload a video but the agreement is very scary! So here's a pic for now...but the video is great!

Arrogant Dick-heads [rich of course]

Today

Dick head _____ spewed off

About how recent research is usually wrong

It’s impossible to have a reason-able

Dia-logue is disrupted – no never begun

Because people, like him,

“think” they know it all

Yet all they know is their anger and

Emotions of pride, fear and arrogance

Know-ledge is not valued

Emotions – EGO is all that drives

These people

But are they people?

Or just regurgitating machines

That just “care” about their vacations

In poor, hot countries

I’d like to see them survive outside their guarded resorts

And guarded hearts and closed minds

Take away their fast cars

Many big screen tv’s

Huge steaks

Big mouths

And little, little mean hearts

Take them out of their comfort

[oh so comfortable] zones

And they might collapse or start

To see the evil of their ways

What can we do?

What can we do to keep what is left of the air, water, land? Can you drink the water from the river near you? How many die from cancer-related deaths from breathing the air in your area? Cancer rates are amongst the highest in Southern Ontario - as are the pollution stats! Doesn't a light go off when you get "smog days" in the spring [or ANY time?!!!].

What can we do when politician "work" for the large corporations, such as the oil industry - as this poster reveals at a protest last Spring about the shipment of Tar Sands bitumen to Ontario:

But let us not complain if we drive everywhere and make a market for fossil fuels. Surely they will come from the Middle East instead. And let us not forget the estimated 2,000,000 who died as a result of attacks from the U.S. Perhaps we need to think of the dying children, women, men, plants, air, etc. as we demand convenience and ease!

"Give me convenience or give me death" they chant! Isn't it odd that church goers [or temple goers or shoppers or us all!] forget that James, the brother of Jesus condemns living in luxury and self-indulgence [James 5:1-6 NIV]:

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. ² Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. ⁴ Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. ⁵ You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.^{[a] 6} You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

Wow! And most of this cult-u-r-e worships wealth and unlimited "growth"! Oh, and sales....yet this speaks to the demand of justice - fair treatment of workers! Farm labourers have all-ways been ripped off! Hence, even more so the need for unions/protection. And we need to demand their rights - and be willing to pay more for food and other goods - so that the workers don't have to cry out to God in agony. 

Using chemicals also leads to more suffering of the workers as they usually don't have protective gear. Regardless, chemicals devour the organisms in the soil, pollute run off waters and then we eat them. Hmmm - do you really trust someone who is making money off these when he says "Oh don't worry, the amount is so small...". Of course this ignores the cumulative effect of many different sources of them and the combinations of them! Common sense: if the chemical kills insects, weeds, etc....hmmmm. how can that be good for me [or the soil, micro-organisms, etc]?!!!

So....let us bow in shame and change our selfish ways! [And demand our politicians, businesses etc. also do - get involved - change yourself and the world!]. Don't bury your head or body in the dirt like Mr. Toad! Or you or others [if you are the rich] will be devoured - metaphorically like this chipmunk!

Yum - Pesticides, Carbon And Foot-prints

We sure are demanding as North American consumers! We want our summer fruits in the winter. Not only does this not employ local farmers, but the transportation causes immense pollution - especially for those things flown here. Such is the case with strawberries. While things grown here may also be contaminated with toxins nicely called [but not labelled! - keeping us in a place of illusion and bliss] pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and the like - imported crops may have been grown in/with chemicals banned here [though they could have actually been produced here!]. 

So where are Health Canada, Department of Agriculture, FDA, etc, hiding when it comes to growing with toxins here, importing food grown in them or exporting the chemicals? We'll discuss that later....and perhaps also how Stephen Harper can allow the exportation of asbestos from Canada when it is, without argument, deadly. Oh yea....business as usual....

Back to crops, like strawberries. Picking them fresh in season not only supports local growers, is a fun experience, connects us to the land, each other and farmers....they taste so much better! So how do we have them in the winter then? Freeze them during the summer!

Now let's get serious! The carbon footprint for locally grown ones: 150g C02e [or 600g per kg/270g per pound]. Compare that with those grown out of season and flown in or grown locally in a hothouse: 1.8kg CO2e [or 7.2kg per kg/3.3kg per pound].  With a footprint of over 10 times that of locally grown in season berries, let's hold off or head to our freezer! Figures from How Bad Are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything by Mike Berners-Lee.
 

Gurgle Gurgle speaketh the lake!

Ah the wonders of cold, ice, water....A few shots of my rink...which gurgles as the ocean in Tarkovsky's Solaris http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solaris_%281972_film%29.  

The "art" of winter - the joy to see the Creator's work...to experience the world vs. bitching about the cold!

 No artist can match what is there already:

The Great Grey Owl Swoops.....

Winter also brings the likes of the great grey owl. Majestic with a wing span of 52", length of 27" and yet only weighs just over a kg! A little scary as it swoops down to "the hunter" though. Yet the bird "experts" say no need to worry - cats have claws! :)  Yet this bird will attack 5kg rabbits!

Green Houses And The "Hunter"

While some scream about the cold in Canada, others have hope and hoop houses to keep the heat in and the food comfy. It helps to have a hunter to catch those that might otherwise eat the goodies: