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autumnrain1268 at 3:42:41 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

'Abkhasia was the place where the traditional concept of “old” never took root. The word was banished, and in its place the long-lived pursued an ageless lifestyle-they galloped their horses, worked under the sun, and sang in choirs in which the youngest member was 70 and the oldest was 110. Abkhasia proved that growing older can be a time of improvement. Abkhasians toasted one another with the words, “May you live as long as Moses,” and they venerated the long-living as people who were achieving an ideal. By far the greatest advantage the long-living enjoyed was this: They trusted in their way of life. Abkhasians struck Western visitors as remarkably attuned to the rhythms of life, precisely what we have lost in this country. One gets the sense of a people who have reached a natural balance. Rather than struggling to break unhealthy habits, their culture had woven good health into their overall view of life. In his book The Methuselah Factors, American author and Abkhasia scholar Dan Georgakas wrote, “Vegetables were picked just before cooking or serving, and if meat was to be part of the menu, guests were shown the animal before it was slaughtered. Whatever the food served, all leftovers were discarded, because they were considered harmful to health. Such concern for freshness guaranteed that a minimal loss of nutrients took place between garden and table. Most food was consumed raw or boiled, with nothing fried.” In every society, expectations rules outcome. In a culture where wealth is the highest goal, the entire society will focus on making money, prestige will accrue to those who make the most, and the poor will be regarded as failures. The Abkhasia, a great value was placed on longevity; therefore the entire society felt motivated to live up to that ideal. In America, the reverse I true; old age is not valued, much less exalted. Huge differences divide the Americans and Abkhasian cultures. A lifetime of light eating and considerable physical activity is something we have to consciously learn again, but to fixate on those ingredients would cause one to miss the spirit of Abkhasia, which to me is far more inspiring as a motivation to survive to 100. This country has recently experienced an unparalleled boom in centenarians. We have won the struggle for longevity and now face the challenge of becoming a land where the long-living are still young.'

Adapted from The Essential Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2007).

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Creating the Next Society: Your Revolutionary Ideas Needed Now

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'The 'Is' No Way To Peace. Peace IS The Way.'

Welcome To Our World Of Peace. A Place To "Speak Peacefully"

About Topics That Are, "Happening In The World Today."

Articles of Interest, Open Discussion, 'Permitted!'

Peaceful Conduct to consider before posting consist of the following behavior guidelines:

Please do not Harass, Verbally Abuse, Threaten, Advocate Violence, or Bully another group member. Please be safe, be nice, or go in peace.

Thank You and May Peace and Kindness Be with You!

"Silence, they say, is the voice of complicity. But silence is impossible. Silence screams. Silence is a message, just as doing nothing is an act. Let who you are ring out, resonate in every word, every deed. Yes, become who you are. There's no sidestepping your own being or your own responsibility. What you do is who you are. You are your own comeuppance. You become your own message. You are the message."

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. (Leonard Peltier)

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autumnrain1268 at 2:56:16 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

"Silence, they say, is the voice of complicity.
But silence is impossible.
Silence screams.
Silence is a message,
But silence is impossible.
Silence screams.
Silence is a message,
just as doing nothing is an act.
Yes, become who you are.
There's no sidestepping your own being
or your own responsibility.
What you do is who you are.
You are your own comeuppance.
You become your own message.
You are the message.
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse"
Leonard Peltier

 

Post@ FlybyNews.com
Free Leonard Peltier

"Amnesty International considers Leonard Peltier to be a political prisoner whose avenues of redress have long been exhausted....Amnesty International recognizes that a retrial is no longer a feasible option and believes that Leonard Peltier should be immediately and unconditionally released." Documents show that although the prosecution and government pointed the finger at Peltier for shooting FBI agents at close range during the trial in 1976, for three years the prosecution withheld critical ballistic test results proving that the fatal bullets could not have come from the gun tied to Leonard Peltier. This trial also denied evidence of self defense. The U.S. Prosecutor, during subsequent oral arguments, stated: "we can't prove who shot those agents". The Eighth Circuit found that "There is a possibility that the jury would have acquitted Leonard Peltier had the records and data improperly withheld from the defense been available to him in order to better exploit and reinforce the inconsistencies casting strong doubts upon the government's case." Yet, a new trial was denied. Judge Heaney, who authored the denial now supports Mr. Peltier's release, stating that the FBI used improper tactics to gain Mr. Peltier's conviction. A good way to learn about Leonard Peltier is to read his book: Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance. For excerpts, see the following link, under article by Louise Erdich:

Time for Human Rights on Native Ground.

For more resources: Free Leonard Peltier!
Online Petition for Executive Clemency

{lobby Obama for his first 100 days}
http://users.skynet.be/kola/lppet.htm
News fit to transmit in the post Cassini flyby era
FlybyNews.com

for life's survival in the 21st Century

 

Ask Bush...

autumnrain1268 at 2:43:40 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

autumnrain1268 at 2:38:54 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Jun 26, 2008 5:46 AM
Subject: Leonard Peltier's Statement of 6_26_08
Body: June 26, 2008
Greetings my relatives,
I say relatives because you are all my family. I am honored, greatly
honored today that you would listen to my words and come together in
this way so that our future generations' will not forget what
happened here in this land.
You can't imagine how much I miss walking on the bare earth. Or
brushing against a tree branch or hearing birds in the morning or
seeing an antelope or deer cross my path. I have been here in federal
prison for 32 years; if you could imagine being in your own home
stuck in one room for one year without leaving it, multiply that by
32 and you might have some idea of how imprisonment plays on your
feelings. I really get tired sometimes living here in this cell, this
prison. Yet at times I feel really good because for some reason I
know that there are those out there who have prayed for me in some
way. And it helps me because there are moments when a peaceful
feeling will wash over me in my solitude.
I try to keep up with world events like the war in Iraq, where those
people are going through the same thing our Indian people went
through and over the same things. The US wants their resources and
they have divided those people against each other. Those children
over there and families for generations will still feel the effects
of that onslaught of destruction.
When I look at our own people's situation I see a people who have not
recovered from the destruction put upon them in the past. Today, the
greater society of America doesn't want to accept us for who we are
because we will always stand as a reminder of the immoral wrongs that
they do and have done all over the world, all in the name of
technology and progress. Our people have told them from the very
beginning about the consequences of mistreatment of individuals and
mistreatment of Mother Earth. There are history books that quote our
chief headmen and medicine people cautioning them about there
destruction of the earth and nature.
We know the first concentration camps America ever had held Indian
prisoners. The first biological warfare was used on our people with
poisonous blankets. The first atomic bomb dropped was dropped on
Indian land in Nevada. Today there are abandoned uranium quarries in
Navajo country that cause genetic defects on a lot of their people.
When you look into the past, America has used us Indians as their
social experiment. They tried to destroy us with boarding schools,
relocation, and even the first slavery practice was with American
people. However Indian people would fight or commit suicide than to
become slaves, and so they imported Africans.
Forgive me if I am repeating things you already know, but I just
wanted to bring these things up because these are the reasons behind
the Wounded Knee takeover in 73 happened and the shootout at Oglala
happened. Our people were not just taking a stand against this
government for themselves; they in essence represented Indian people
all across the Americas. Our resistance wasn't to kill anyone; our
resistance was to remain alive while we let the world know what had
been and what was being done to us, the Indigenous people.
I know for a fact from communication all around the world, that we
Indian people inspired many other indigenous people to stand up and
defend themselves because of our actions. I have gotten letters from
all over the world where people said "if the native Americans can
stand up to people like that being in the belly of the beast, surely
we can do likewise in some way.
I recognize that my being here isn't all about me; my continued
imprisonment in essence serves as a warning to others willing to
stand up for their people.
The US has violated their own constitution they violated the treaties
we had with them, they violated all kinds of moralities to bring
about my conviction. The average non Indian American either doesn't
know or couldn't care less. As long as they can keep their high
standard of living our struggles mean nothing to them. Most recently
other nations have raised the issues of America's mistreatment of the
people in the concentration camp in Guantanamo; issues of lack of a
fair trial, issues of physical, mental abuse and of sanctioned
torture of prisoners. I want to also mention that our people were the
first to be tortured by this government and we were the first to be
victims of scalping by the Europeans. The colonizers were paying for
our men, woman and children's scalps.
I may sound angry in what I am saying, but all this goesback to why
we are here today. We must not forget what has happened in the past
but we must also find a way to heal from those things that have
happened and be stronger in the future. We need to heal our families;
we need to heal our family's structures so that what happened to our
people in the past can't happen to us again. For several generations
our children were shipped off to boarding schools which destroyed
their understanding of family and family responsibilities, and you
think of the statistics today facing this, they don't have to kill us
anymore with guns, our children and adults both are killing
themselves.
Again, like I said before we have not healed from the destruction
that was put upon us, I know each one of us can be better than what
we are, it takes effort, it takes getting back to our ceremonies, it
takes getting back to our respect for one another, the earth, the
Creator and our respect for our brothers' and sisters' vision. It
takes men being men and being strong fathers and uncles and
grandfathers and brothers, not just as a matter of birth but as a
matter of responsible behavior. It also takes our women to stand as
the strong mothers they were meant to be and the sisters,
grandmothers and aunties.
We need to repair ourselves and not wait for some grant from the
government to tell us or guide us in our recovery. We need to take
that responsibility ourselves and mend the sacred hoop.
Again I want to say as I have said many times in the past, though my
body is locked into this cell, my heart and soul is with you today.
In closing I would like to acknowledge the great loss of my brother
Floyd Westerman, a tireless advocate for Indigenous rights I'm sure
that he as well as many others, who like him devoted their time and
energies to better the conditions our people face, are here with us
today in spirit. We have no guarantees of the time of our own passing
but until that time or my time I will miss them greatly as I miss you
my family. Be kind to one another, and remember my words; for I have
spoken to you from my heart of hearts. And you will always be in my
prayers.
In the spirit of Crazy Horse and every Indian man or person that
stood for their people,
Doksha
Leonard Peltier
89637-132
USP Lewisburg
US Penitentiary
P.O.
Box1000
Lewisburg, PA 17837-1000
http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/who.htm

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How much water should you put on your lawn? Tips on keeping your lawn healthy. By Robert Durgy. Special to the Press. Created: Saturday, June 21, 2008 12:17 PM EDT.

'Diseased lawn samples that come into the Plant Diagnostic Lab at the University often have one thing in common, they come from a lawn with an irrigation system. Watering the lawn is supposed to help, right? So, why are irrigation systems the common theme among sick lawns? As is true with many things, it’s not what you have, but how you use it. I think everyone knows plants need water to survive. That’s the easy part. When and how much, that’s the hard part. I never water my lawn. That’s because I have a shallow well that sometimes runs out of water during summer droughts. If I have to choose between watering the lawn and taking a shower, I’ll take the shower. But, that also means the lawn goes dormant and turns brown. I also have many gardens. Those do get water when absolutely necessary because I value the gardens more than the lawn. The point is that it’s a judgment call based on what you care about. What’s not a judgment call is that all plants need water to survive, whether it’s grass, vegetables or ornamentals. The two mistakes that cause much of the disease I see in the lab are watering too frequently and watering at night. It is typical to run irrigation systems daily whether the grass needs it or not. This is asking for trouble. Irrigation systems can be expensive, $3,000 to $5,000 even for a small lawn. But that doesn’t mean you have to run it every day to get your money’s worth. If you are going to water your lawn this summer, you have to choose how you are going to do it. Overhead sprinklers are cheap and easy to set up but they can be cumbersome and time consuming when watering a large lawn. They’re probably best if you are watering only when absolutely necessary. If routine irrigation is what you want, it might be worth the investment to install an underground system. It is not difficult to do yourself. Before watering, you have to pay attention to the weather. Grass needs about one inch of water per week for healthy growth. If we get that much from rain then the irrigation system should not be used. If weget half an inch, you may only need to irrigate once that week. Rain gauges are a cheap investment toward a good lawn and conservation of water. There are some other aspects of weather that should be minded, also. Temperature and humidity both influence how much water is in thesoil and how much water the plant needs. Cool temperatures and cloudy skies lower the evaporation of water while hot temperatures and clear skies with low humidity increase evaporation. Water evaporates out of the soil only when it is hot. If the temperature is cool, the moisture stays in the soil and remains available for the plants. Typically, irrigation doesn’t need to begin until the hot weather of the summer. Even recently when the weather has been hot, we have had enough rain so far this month so no extra irrigation has been needed. Another important step toward proper irrigation is to know how much your sprinklers are putting out. Place several empty tuna fish cans out where the lawn is irrigated. Let the system run for 15 minutes. Measure the depths in each can and average them. Then add or subtract time to get the proper application rate. For example, say the average in the cans was one-quarter inchin 15 minutes. If you run the irrigation twice a week for half an hour you get the required one-inch per week. At the same time you are testing the application rate, you can also examine the lawn to make sure the water is getting into the soil. You do not want any puddles or excessively wet areas and run-off. Most soils in Connecticut are well drained so this will not be an issue but it is still important to check. Compaction from heavy mowers also decreases water penetration. Irrigate in the morning between 5 and 10 a.m. It will be cool enough so that the water has time to penetrate into the soil without losing any to evaporation. But it will also allow the sun to quickly dry off the foliage. Water resting on plant tissue over night will increase the risk of disease problems. Consider skipping the morning irrigation when heavy dew has been on the lawn all night. Finally, consider the effect the irrigation has on the environment and your wallet. By watering properly, you can conserve water while still having a healthy landscape. Don’t waste water by over-applying or not knowing how the irrigation system works. Be sure the water hits the lawn, not the driveway or sidewalk. Grow varieties of grass that tolerate dry conditions such as fine fescues and turf-type tall fescues. Increase the water-holding ability of your lawn by increasing the organic matter. Don’t bag your clippings; leave them to decompose. This will also reduce your need for fertilizer. Mow at a height of three inches. This will increase root growth and keep the weeds in check.'

For questions on this or any other gardening question, call the University of Connecticut Home and Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271.

autumnrain1268 at 9:28:57 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

 

Update: USMC Disciplines Two Marines in Connection with Animal Cruelty Video

Late last week, the United States Marine Corps announced that it had disciplined two Marines for their participation in the cruel killing of a puppy while stationed in Iraq. Lance Corporal David Motari and Sergeant Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion received Non-Judicial Punishments, the details of which are protected under the Privacy Act. Based in Hawaii with the 1st Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, Lance Cpl. Motari will be discharged from the Corps for his role in the incident.

These two Marines’ deplorable behavior received widespread attention after a video of their actions appeared on the Internet on March 3. As previously reported in ASPCA News Alert, the clip depicts one of them tossing a helpless pup off a craggy cliff.

The Marine Corps Base Hawaii issued a statement last week denouncing the incident, claiming “the actions seen in the Internet video are contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine and will not be tolerated.”

The ASPCA distributed a press release on March 7 urging the Marines to release its findings about the episode and encouraging the public to voice its outrage. Thanks to the overwhelming response of citizens and public officials alike, Lance Cpl. Motari and Sgt. Encarnacion’s casual disregard for life did not go unexamined.

“The ASPCA has the highest respect for the brave and difficult task charged to the men and women stationed in Iraq,” says ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. “But as a just and humane country, we must protect the rights of all those who are defenseless, including animals. We appreciate the Marine Corps' thorough investigation of this repugnant act."

Please join us in our mission to help all animals live happy and healthy lives by signing our pledge to fight animal cruelty.

autumnrain1268 at 4:13:46 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Adapted from The Path to Love, by Deepak Chopra (Three Rivers Press, 1997).

autumnrain1268 at 10:00:01 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own