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About me:
Just a wild and crazy guy livin' it up!!! Can mankind today have lives not centered on wealth and power? Do we as the populace of earth have a responsibility of protecting it from ourselves? Why do the governments that administrate the populace not enact policy that will ensure the healthy existence of its people? All of these questions are unknown, although until now they have all been answered “not a chance in hell, my friend, not a chance in hell!” Much of the negative aspects of our so-called advanced civilizations have come from the idea that the environment can sustain anything, this problem is reinforced by widespread indifference and religious beliefs regarding the earth as a waypoint in the journey to heavens and therefore what happens here now is seen as irrelevant. Because of these ideologies, as well as the imposition of what will be for many a drastic change in the way of living, has given the majority of the population a general apathy towards our environment. Yet the earth is the only planet that we know of that can sustain life. We could compare ourselves as astronauts and this biosphere-spaceship is our home, if the spaceship is damaged there is no way we can survive. Our environments health is a direct reflection of our population’s health. Our oceans streams and lakes are polluted much of the land is covered with concrete or poisoned with chemicals. Many species of plants and animals are becoming endangered an extinct at an alarming rate. All of this and more are directly caused by our “modern” cultures disconnectedness from the earth and nature. Our homes and cities are artificial environments that presently put enormous strain on the planet. Although many non-abrasive building and living styles are currently available and practical only a minute percentage of the industrialized portion of the population make use of them. Unfortunately major industries have been formed monopolizing the process of creating everything from our homes and transportation to our food, making it hard to live without supporting the destruction of nature in one way or another! Do not be too discouraged for there are many ways one can easily reduce the negative affects of our consumer-based culture. Living off the land with minimal amount of damage that allows nature to cope and recover without difficulty has been in practice longer than recorded history. Only recently have we destroyed our environment enough to cause major long-term damage, and presently we are doing so at a frighteningly fast and increasing rate. Scientific research has confirmed that environmental stability is achieved through organic diversity. Living in unison with these biological elements is sustainable living or Permaculture, permanent agriculture. In the natural world, total resource efficiency is accomplished by managing waste for productivity and balancing its consumption with contributions from each of the elements in the system, research has revealed that stability is achieved only through an intricate network of connections between elements in the total system. Therefore the more functional connections a system has, the more sustainable it becomes. Picture yourself living in a home that is blended into the natural environment surrounding it, using the exclusive characteristics of the terrain to its benefit. Your home is naturally heated and cooled, power is generated from such renewable resources as wind, sun and, water. Integrated into the adjoining landscape are water systems where food is being grown without the need for harmful chemicals. Waste is transformed into fuel and nutrient rich soil increasing productivity and decreasing cost. This is no dream, working with nature in an efficient and economical way homes and communities just like this have been built all over the world. Designing human ecosystems that model the examples of multi-function and inter-connection that is seen in nature is the Key to our survival. Methods of site analysis and evaluation are used to interpret the patterns of the landscape and discern the best system for that specific environment. Because our society has a one size fits all system for building our living and working spaces are built in a way that is detrimental to the surrounding land. Working with nature in an efficient and economical way Permaculture design treats the artificial environment and the natural environment as a whole. Houses are designed for optimum solar advantage and are carefully sited. Crucial agricultural land and wilderness are protected. One of the major objectives in Permaculture is to develop simple biological alternatives to reduce the need for the expensive and resource consuming demands of high technology. Straightforward things such as proper shading can reduce cooling costs; limitless other similar examples are available. A garden of fruit trees, shrubs, roots, berries, nuts, vegetables, and vines, together with livestock are selected to mimic natural assemblies; each plant and animal benefits the other, providing a permanent and maintenance free resource system. Comprehensive water and soil conservation planning are integral to any sustainable design. For water conservation roofs, and the landscape is used for harvesting run-off water. Reservoir and cistern structures are constructed to collect this run-off and convert flooding problems into helpful resources of drinking water and low cost irrigation. The whole design is centered on working with nature, not against it. It is key to not use natural resources unnecessarily or at a rate at which they cannot be replaced. The greatest contribution you can make is to take responsibility for your own actions, to look after your surroundings, and connect with the people around you in your community. We all have special abilities, talents and passions, and we can use them to transform our everyday lives, environments, and communities for the better. Simple steps can be taken right now that will help to reduce our impact on the earth, and decrease the amount of money we need to earn to live. Eating less meat and processed food, or none at all is better for our health and can save considerably on food costs. Eating locally grown food wherever and whenever possible reduces the need for excess packaging and transportation costs, less transport equals less pollution. Install a rainwater harvesting system for watering your yard and garden as well as many other uses, for water is a part of all life on this planet. Become an ethical shopper, read the labels and investigate alternatives to products that are harmful to the environment. Recycle and find new uses for old things! These are just a few examples there are millions of things we can do just talking about the issue with friends or writing a paper or article is a good start. Whether we believe of it or not, the world surrounding us is continually changing. Some would want to keep everything the same, but history, paleontology, and commonsense tells us that everything has changed, is changing, and will continue change. In a world where we are losing forests, species, and whole ecosystems, we must do everything in our power to protect what natural recourses we have left so generations to come can enjoy a healthy and pleasant earth. If we merely stand by and watch as our environment is destroyed we will lose everything, instead I implore you do something! Today it is easier to communicate than it has ever been before, satellites and other technologies have made it possible to be in the middle of the ocean viewing the news from a multitude of countries at the same time while receiving an e-mail and talking on the phone. The spread of information is most definitely a good thing for many reasons, such as its contribution to medicine and agriculture. Information is what we form our opinions and base our decisions on; some is gained through our experiences, environment, and schooling while the rest comes from the media. Although the media does provide information, the majority of information given through the media is accompanied with a slant or angle depending on the source. Also the media is an outlet for entertainment and advertisements; it is in these areas where we are bombarded with the most messages. This onslaught of commercial messages has not only increased in volume in the last few years, it also has also become much more sophisticated and resourceful, finding more clever methods of persuasion. They overtly tell us how to dress, what to eat, what music to listen to. Not so obviously they persuade us what is cool or in style, how men and woman should act, or even what is good and what is evil. Just a few corporate conglomerates such as AOL, Time Warner, Viacom, News Corporation, Vivendi Universal, Bertelsmann AG, and The Walt Disney Company control most of the media. These corporations have their hands into every corner of the media, everything from Television and Books to Music and Film. Having such large and dominant companies behind the media makes it nearly impossible for small independent companies to compete or even exist. Because corporations and not the people control the media we find things being left out and not reported in order to protect the companies that sponsor the sources of information. Due to this lack of truth much of what is really going on in the world is either not reported or distorted making it very hard to trust. We know that information is the collection and communication of facts and knowledge as well as the basis of all of our rational decisions and opinions. In the United States, freedom of the press is an inherent right, guaranteed by the first Amendment of the Constitution. Censorship therefore should not be an issue here, however is our media really free? The laws of our government and corporate influence significantly determine what makes it onto our television screens and into our newspapers every day, particularly in times of war. Today such legislation as the Patriot Act endangers our freedom of speech and the trustworthiness of the information being given. Alternate news sources sometime illustrate the missing or distorted information, yet people still run even the smallest of independent news organizations; with people come opinions and agendas. Unfortunately in our consumerist resource-devouring corporate system the only way to truly know the accuracy of the information given, one must rely on ones ability to gather information from a large amount of dissimilar sources as well as determining what kind of slant, angle or agenda is accompanying it and reducing everything into legitimate information. Entertainment is anything that is produced and or performed for the amusement of people; it can also be filled with an amazingly huge assortment of messages. Today entertainment is overflowing with countless negative stereotypes and unseen messages telling the viewer to be a consumer of their products. Stereotypes reinforced by the media make it hard for people living in the real world to avoid being labeled because of appearances, preferences, or way of life. Making huge resource consuming cars seem glamorous and exemplifying disproportionately wealthy lifestyles creates an appeal that entices people into consumption without contemplation of the eventual outcome, definitely a negative thing for our spaceship called earth. Entertainment is usually performed with good intentions; yet today most of the sources of our entertainment come from companies absorbed with one thing, profit, this can engulf even the most harmless of entertainment such as sport or theatre. Advertising is the promotion through public announcements of something such as a product, service, or event, etc. We are flooded with advertising everywhere we go, there are ads in movie theaters, on buses and subways, at public parks, in restrooms, on ATMs, and even in schools, just about everywhere you can find an advertisement for one thing or another. The average American sees around four hundred to six hundred ads per day; its no wonder why kids still learning to speak can ask for the newest toy. It is true that a large percentage of advertising is focused on the youth, although everyone is accounted for when advertising is concerned. What makes us purchase products and how we can be made to consume more is one of the most studied subjects in America and much of the world. Business has made the effort to commercialize and the commoditization of anything and everything a priority. This only leads to the further degradation of America and all other people and cultures in the world. The lifestyle of consumption encouraged by the mass media is ultimately unsustainable, and it is definitely extremely harmful to us as citizens of earth. The devastation done to fulfill what America and other resource-devouring consumer-based countries is rarely exposed. Although why would a commercial media system whose most important goal is to make a profit through advertising revenue have any interest in revealing the true effects and risks of unchecked consumption. Basically the more we consume, means more profit for the corporations which means more money being spent on advertising, a viciously dangerous cycle. Challenging the commercialization of our environment and daily life is one of the most urgent issues of our time. We cannot always trust what we see, hear, and read in the media, because the companies that control it now prevent any information that will harm profits to be publicized. It is also important to remember the fact that the media uses much of the entertainment broadcasted as a venue to advertise, and inundate the viewers with messages that cause the observer to consume more. Thanks to the Internet and nonprofit as well as underground media it is becoming easier to get a wider range of sources of information, allowing one to cross reference making it easier to get trust-worthy information. In spite of everything it will always be up to the conscious viewer to continuously question what they are being told, because one never can be sure that what they see, here, and read is the truth. As Socrates said “a life without question is a life not worth living”. There are just a few people with to much power in this world, and at this time these people control the majority of the power. These people are the most comfortable, although they are comfortable because they are making the rest of the world uncomfortable, this must change! The spread of information and the small steps to stop corporate power will someday bring to an end these giant evil self-justifying chimeras, it may one day succeed in changing the disparaging growth of the network of global corporations that is spreading like a rash over the skin of our planet, but not soon enough for we already have an excess of such companies. This will not stop Globalization for Globalization is inevitable, what must happen is the evolution of Globalization itself a socially and environmentally conscious corporation must evolve. Something more is needed to stop these profit driven evils, a revolution is needed led by a figure head created from one of these corporate chimera leaders who has changed sides. Evolving their evil corporation into a new globally friendly one to set an example to the world with a new kind of Globalization demonstrating how the future could look like with incredible beauty and reverence for people and the earth. This would instigate an immense change, although it may be a little to idealistic. Although without such a prophet emerging to take up the fight for humanity and the earth it may be hard to stop these destructive visions of globalization held by the Neo-liberalists but it is not impossible. What must be done now is we the discontented people who are not happy with the corporately polluted world must become our own local prophets creating a revolution in the way we live setting examples and guidelines for our friends and neighbors that show a global consciousness of our actions. This is a war, not a war fought with weapons but a war that is fought with ideas and dreams, the ideas and dreams of a sustainable planet must win over that of corporate world domination or else the human race is doomed .We must bear our teeth with discontent for the evils beasts of business that we live with! We must speak out against the kind of Globalization that ruins the lives of an unimaginable amount of our planets inhabitants and destroys the very environment we must live in. It is up us to the people who are informed to spread the information we hold like unstoppable wild fire, for information is the key to ending the wicked Globalization we are seeing now, in order to save our planet! It is up us to do all of the small things, recycling, shopping consciously, and not buying stock in corporations who don’t take responsibility for their actions, all of these things and more must be done. In order to change the destructive path that Globalization today is leading we must not support it more people must live off the grid so to speak, more and more people must break away and live out of reach from the Mcworld virus! Every Living thing must die. If it grows, spawns, or is born it will eventually die in one way or another, it may be killed, it may die in an accident, or it may merely die of old age. The dictionary says destiny is “something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.” To me destiny is determined by your disposition. How you react to situations and the choices you make are not predetermined, for instance I prefer Vanilla over Chocolate if I were in an Ice Cream parlor, given the choice I would chose vanilla, it’s not my destiny or fate that made me pick that flavor its my previous experiences. The same can be said for love; almost all relationships start out with an attraction of the physical sort, the relationships that last also have a deep mental attraction as well. The Standards we make for ourselves to what is attractive comes from our environments. Finding Love is largely finding someone who is as attracted both mentally and physically to you as you are to them, finding that person is up to you not fate. The average mutt is more loyal than any man will ever be. Honor is the combination of four things honesty, fairness, integrity, and dignity. Being truthful is the largest part of being honorable. Without being honest one cannot retain any of the other characteristics that accompany honor. In America honor comes after greed, selfishness, and deceitfulness, and sometimes not at all. If the majority of America was honorable there would be almost no crime, it would be close to an ideal utopian society. Although in truth honor is not very important in America, other things such as money and power undermine any hope for honor. America may never be honorable but it can make an Honest effort and that is the first step in the right direction, until then prepare for an unhappy painful life with too much B.S. in America. Bravery and courage are noble instincts, they can’t be learned or taught, these instincts may only be strengthened through experience. Bravery and Courage are inborn quality of the mind and spirit, the ability to face fear, danger, and difficulties with dignity and the appearance of control over ones emotions. I am not particularly brave or courageous rather more “stupid-brave’ as my friends would say, rushing into situations I have not examined properly measuring the risks and benefits. In most cases this works out and is seen as a courageous or brave action but occasionally it fails and I am made to look a fool. Personally I respect those who are truly and nobly brave, those people in my life are usually my role models, not only in those situations that demand a courageous person but even in every day life for it takes courage to face life with a positive attitude and make the most of what you have, always, or almost always being positive (nobody is perfect), is probably one of the hardest things to accomplish and this takes more bravery than I will ever have. The images I would chose to define life would be as follows in this order only. A picture of a sunrise, a new born, a stillborn, a dew covered forest in the morning, a young monkey clinging to the back of its mother, a dead calf being butchered for veal, a beach at noon with seabirds flying and eating fish, a small bird caught in the clutches of a hawk, a couple filled with love together in a sunny park, a placid lake in the afternoon, a ship with scared crew battling for survival in a violent storm, a happy family enjoying a meal at home, a forest fire, great pristine mountains in the distance, a cat with a cornered mouse, a dog with a cornered cat, a cat and dog sleeping in each others warmth, a cool breeze as it flows over a field in waves with the evening light playing tricks with shadows, an old man dying on the streets with a beautiful sunset in the distance, and a dark panther stealthily stalking it’s unsuspecting prey in the dead of night. Passion is a wonderful emotion it brings joy, happiness, and love into almost anyone’s life when experiencing it. My passions come in many different forms, I embrace all of them every chance I get. Sailing is my escape it clears my head and never fails to give me a smile even in the most adverse conditions. Art is my mirror the scenes I devise reflect my thoughts and myself. Women ‘o’ those devious creatures of mystery, excitement, and filled with so much love, what can’t I say about women, one thing is for sure without them life is not at all worth living. Music, that beautiful rhythmic beat that fills the air lifts the spirits and causes uncontrollable movement. Sleep that wonderful necessity of rejuvenation and mind exploration. Eating another great necessity that brings joy and fun to every day. And of course love, who can’t be passionate about love. I am passionate about all of these things and more; there aren’t enough things in this world to be passionate about. Life itself is the most valuable gift that anyone could ever receive and almost everything is worth living for. All experiences in ones life are important and worth living for even death, if one must live just to die that is enough because death itself is wonderful and great. I can’t even imagine life without the knowledge that some day, maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe in years to come, that I will die. Every thin must die but first in order to die, maybe just for an instant, one must live and living is a n almost continues barrage of experiences and all of them even the most painful and sad are worth living for. More so than anything else love is worth living for, be it unconditional love from family and true friends, or love of a partner, love for something that impassions you, or even the love of the physical or material. All of these loves are worth living for and I would sacrifice anything and everything for them. In school we get the smallest taste of what is in life. We reed a very small selection of literature, a nano sliver of the incredible abundance of writing that is out there. We study only the most straightforward topics, we learn a little how things work through sciences, we learn how to communicate with various language arts and social studies classes. Most of All though school prepares one for the work force training the student to be on time, respect, or even fear of their superiors, how to meat a deadline, something I have yet to learn, and most of all how to take orders and instructions without debate or explanation. If school is designed to educate it is a flawed design and needs a total rethinking and overhaul but I fear that society is to close-minded to ever except that our education system is that bad, rather they will only make small adjustments to remain up to date with all that bureaucratic nonsense! I don’t have any solutions for the school systems problems but it is necessary to bring its faults up as much as possible maybe if the population sees its sheer stupidity something can be done. I apologize if I have made you upset. I respect your beliefs and I am not saying you are wrong! I am merely trying to explain my beliefs. Although I have faith that our metaphysics, “What is reality? ”, is very similar the system we rely on to explain everything is elementarily different. Because the systems are different we may never be able to describe what we see, here, touch, smell and think in a way that makes sense to each other. The mind and body are defiantly two different things yet it is unknown if the mind can exist without the body, this is an analogous of how I think. There is no one truth, there are many different truths, man has tried to measure existence nevertheless reality exists without man. Let us not worry about such trivial things and live our lives as allies. Agreeing to disagree when it comes to some things and moving on. When it comes to morality and ethics, which are the basis for the majority of decisions, I believe we are nearly identical. What is it, this, and thatWhat is this unspecified species of thought? This is itIt is as obvious as the unseen stop sign Concealed in full viewPerfect it sits fresh Above mounds of that which isThis something is nothing Not anything but everythingThe plant shuts down All power is lostThe stone sprouts anew That is all this isSomewhat boring Never tiresomeIt sways in waves of red brick Dripping of distant waterNot tiring of the relentless cycle ............................................................ ............................................................ ..............Hmmm I think I said too much!