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Archive for the ‘New Norms’ Category

On Ownership

August 22nd, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

hordingI woke up many days ago and started to wonder, what would life be like if simple concepts that we take as laws never existed. One of these concepts was “ownership”.

The current human system of living is based on the concept of “ownership”.

Let’s just take a moment to examine what ownership can lead to:

Ownership of things ->

The concept of property ->

Exchange, barter and money ->

Concentrated abundance and lack ->

Wealth & security vs. lack & insecurity, rich and poor ->

Working hard, innovation, competition to own property ->

Greed, hording, over abundance ->

Living for money, in seek for security and living for money, in seek of power ->

Security & power = “more ownership” ->

Unfairness, un-equality, abuse, war, crime, injustice, lies, greed, selfishness & the control and “ownership” of the ultimate property, “people”.

In summary, the invention of the concept of “ownership” lead to the creation of the idea of “rich” and “poor”, amongst many other generally negative ideas (war, taking over property of others, greed, control).

In order for a few to become wealthy, rich, secure, powerful and owners of the most property, the concentration of property must be with the wealthy, it follows that many others must “lack” in “monetary wealth”, security, power, and ownership.

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Many native people lived in communities that shared things. They did not understand, respect or seek “profit”.

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Jesus once said:

…I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24)

The saying was a response to a young rich man who had asked Jesus what he needed to do in order to inherit eternal life.

Jesus replied that he should 1- keep the commandments, 2- sell all his possessions, 3- give the money to the poor, 4- and then follow Jesus. The young man was unwilling to do this. Jesus then spoke this response, leaving his disciples astonished.

Read more…

Green Routes! Local Eco-Friendly Tourism

July 31st, 2010 Ethan Z 2 comments

I found about this cool website today. It is worth sharing with you..

The Green Routes website is an easy-to-use tool to help you find one-of-a-kind places to eat, play, shop, sleep, and learn. Use the map to find a destination, or add filters by clicking the categories above. You can also search or highlight selected routes for traveling. Enjoy!

green-routes
(click to visit Green Routes)

You can explore “Journeys with first nations” and find out how you can visit a ton of “first nation” locations to learn about their food, culture, sustainable projects and history, make new friends plus much more. Here are some of the places you can tour:

Anishinaabe Culture Center and Gallery, Becker County Historical Society, Becker’s Resort, Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce and Hwy 2 Welcome Center, Cass Lake Museum and Lyle’s Logging Camp, Chippewa National Forest – Blackduck Ranger District, Dennis Banks Native Products, Eagle View Organics Farm, First Week Boutique, Forestedge Winery, Great River Pizzeria, Historic Holmes Theater, Historic Winnibigoshish General Store and Resort, Ice Cracking Lodge & Resort, Lake Country Scenic Byway, Lakes Area Farmers Market, Lakes Processing, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Fitness Center, Leech Lake Tribal College, Maplelag, Minwanjige Café, Mississippi Headwaters Hostel, Muskrat Coffee Company, Native Harvest/White Earth Land Recoverey Project, New Horizons Resort & Lodge, Northern Adventures Guide Service, Northern Lights Casino Gift Shop, Palace Casino Gift Shop, Sahkahtay Indigenous Preservation Society, Spirit of the Forest Enrichment Center, Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, White Earth Public Transit, White Earth Tribal and Community College Extension, York’s Log Cabin

Visit now: journeys.greenroutes.org

You want to explore more?   Nation-wide? .. Visit places such as:

Buffalo Lake Farm & Flea Market, Fairfax Farmers Market, Fieldstone Vineyards, Great Plains Designs, Hector Farmers’ Market, Jeffers Petroglyphs, Moonstone Farm, Morgan Creek Vineyards, Olivia Farmers Market, Putting Green, Renville County Historical Society, Renville Farmers Market, Tatanka Bluffs B&B and thousands of other eco local-tourism options!

Simple!

Find these and more here: www.greenroutes.org

Don’t buy into polluting, blind, commercialized, hyped-up, profit-centered tourism!

Find a local location worthy of your time and money, make new friends, vacation consciously, align your travel plans with your morals and values.

Read more…

On Built-in Meanings & Change

July 30th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

Hi again!

Here are a few thoughts for you to consider today:

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The more the old systems reveal their inadequacies the more people will believe change is needed. Every thing that happens is an opportunity. Everything is neural, if you define it as positive you get a positive effect.

NOTHING has a built-in meaning.

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love,
Ethan

Yes, ET’s are real and they are here

July 25th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

European Exopolitics Summit 09 – Stephen Bassett

For the past five decades the human race has been caught between two worlds, two paradigms. While millions of people worldwide have come to understand they are not alone in the universe, that an extraterrestrial presence has become manifest about the planet, the governments of the world, frozen in place by fear and indecision, have been unable to publicly engage this new reality.

Stephen Bassett, is a lobbyist, activist, commentator and columnist. He is the founder of the Paradigm Research Group and the Executive Director of the political action committee, X-PPAC. His work has been referenced in, among others, the Washington Post, Washington Times, New York Times, Legal Times, Christian Science Monitor, National Journal and O’Dweyer’s Washington Report. He has been featured in documentaries and a guest on numerous radio programs addressing the “Politics of Disclosure.”

In this highly spirited and passionate interview, Stephen calls on every citizen to demand the proof of extra terrestrial life that we intuitively already know exists. Get ready to be inspired and motivated!

Why Do People Think It Is Ok To Waste Food?

July 18th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

Food for thought,

Why Do People Think It Is Ok To Waste Food?

Leave your answer in a comment

The Real Jesus

July 16th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

Why do people think Jesus had a European looks (long soft blond hair and green/blue eyes)?

jesus

The above photo is the face of Jim Caviezel, who plays Jesus in the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” is similar to many modern-day images of Jesus.

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Do you remember your childhood memories of Jesus?

Do you remember seeing images of him in bibles, posters, Sunday school literature or seeing conceptualization of Jesus in statues?

If you are White or Hispanic, Catholic or Protestant (even Orthodox or Evangelical,Born Again, Baptist etc) you just may remember a blond Jesus with long hair.

One famous image of Jesus was a painting by Warner Sallman, called “The Head of Christ” (1940). It showedd Jesus with flowing blond hair and blue eyes. He’s clean-looking, safe, passive, and even feminine to a degree.

This is Sallman’s Jesus:

Jesus_Sallman_sm

Let us take a look at more conceptualizations of Jesus from around the world,

real-jesus

jesus7

b-jesus-triumphal-entry1

The image above is from a popular Children’s Bible (popular in the 70′s), Jesus had blond, blue-eyed Jesus throughout

jesus_christ-766742

jesus1

faces_black_jesus3

The image above is of Jesus is from Ethiopia, from the 17th or 18th centuries.

Read more…

Which Effects The Other, Media OR Culture?

July 15th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

Food for thought,

Which has more effect on the other, media outlets (movies, TV shows and ads) or real life (main stream media)?

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My view is that media has a bigger effect on culture than culture has on media. Simply put, people see it on TV, in fashion shows, in music videos, in ads, done by celebrities, owned by modern-day mystical figures, adopted by friends … and people mimic.  Media has the upper hand on culture, not vice-versa.

What do you think?

Leave your answer in a comment.

Why Do People Worship Idols?

July 12th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

why do people worship sports figures?
why do people worship celebrity?
why do people worship leaders?
why do people worship capitalism?
why do people worship the stock market?
worship2
why do people worship money?
why do people worship rich individuals?
why do people worship material items?
why do people worship vane concepts?
why do people worship figures?

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why do people worship idols?

why do people even care

about

these

?

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leave a comment with your response

Why Do People Think Eating Breakfast Means Eating Cereal?

July 12th, 2010 Ethan Z 2 comments

Why do people think that eating breakfast means eating cereal?

leave a comment with your answer.

Dump Your Water If You Want To Go In & Then Buy Water From Me!

July 11th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

Sponsored Ads:

Thanks for your patronage. Article starts below:

BasilicaI went to the Basilica Block Party yesterday. If you know me then you know I am not big on parties, concerts, loud music, etc.. I was invited to go so I went. People were much better well behaved than I expected, I think Minnesotans are generally nice and polite and this contributed to the party situation. Maybe the fact this was a Basilica party also made a difference. The music was fun, especially the Barenaked Ladies band (the Chinese Chicken song).

What I did not like was how party admission volunteer staff had everyone get rid of any food or beverages (including water). I understand that they would like people to not bring food or alcohol or even soft drinks, but water is a different story.

I felt that asking people to get rid of their water was an overreaching rule (and a wasteful one). They were filling trash container after another with bottles of water and other drinks, a huge waste.

I did not have my own water bottle with me, so I did not have to get rid of anything. But, had I had water I would have felt very uncomfortable doing that and probably would have refused.

Once I was inside the fenced, barricaded “camp” you could only buy water from a few places and each bottle was sold for $4!  A $1 bottle for $4!

I call this an abuse of power, even extortion. It also felt like an infringement on my human and constitutional rights. Further, you could buy food and beer from many vendors, water was only available at a couple places, no free (fountain) water was available.

What If I said No?

The next time I go to a party I will take my water bottle with me, and I will refuse to throw out my water. If they insist I do, I will say I need it because of health reasons. If they say “no” I will ask for FREE water inside. If they say “no”, I will write about it here again and will then consult with an attorney to see if I could take legal action.

As far as I am concerned what they did was extortion in order for me to buy water from them at their inflated prices.

You may have to wait a few years before I get to try this, since I rarely go to parties like these.

To the Basilica of Saint Mary I say, “please do not extort me again”. Just, “stop it, now”.

To you, the readers, if you had similar experiences I’d like to hear from you, please leave a comment below. If you are a representative of the Basilica I’d love to hear from you, do leave a comment below.

Thanks!

Have Another Drink. Why?

July 11th, 2010 Ethan Z 2 comments

3d human with a red question markI constantly find myself seeing things differently than people I am with. Cultural norms that people accept as divine laws to live by amaze me every single day. I remember asking “but why” as far back as my memory goes. I probably asked “why” as a baby before I could even talk.

I’d see people do a certain thing, say certain things,  or react in certain ways, then I’d ask myself “why”? I asked why because the actions did not seem positive, or seemed lacking in judgment, logic, or respect. Asking “why” meant that something did not make sense to me.

If I verbalized my questions I usually heard unsatisfying answer, most of the time  the answers went like this: “because that is the culture”, or “because it’s in the bible”, or (this may be my favorite one) “because this is what people do”. Some may call you “weird” for questioning “what people do”. Years went by, my questions never got an answer.

Today, I have much more insight into human reasoning and behavior, coupled with love and understanding. Thanks to hypnosis, varied life experiences and guidance, I understand why people do things better.

Understanding something doesn’t mean I agree with it though. It also doesn’t mean I stopped asking “why”. I continue to ask “why” now purely from sheer amazement.

One simple, yet very common example that I came across recently was being at a party, with alcoholic beverages, and seeing a gal tell her friend “have another drink.”  When the friend indicated a “no”, the gal insisted and asked again trying to be more persuasive.

This made me shake my head in disagreement, I probably gave the persons a shocked look as well. I hide my opinions less than I used to do as a kid, some people don’t like that. I don’t care.

Replace the alcoholic beverage seen here with food, fashion, cars, work, computer games, opinions, actions, pretty much anything that a person (a groups, an institution, organization etc) may ask you to do (or think) because they think “it is cool”, or because “it is the way people do things.”

Now, if you take a moment to think about this, you may start notice how common this example is.

If your friend was a true friend, she/he would RESPECT your wishes and opinions. When you say “no” to any idea, a “real friend” would immediately respect your “no”, they will smile and move on to another issue out of sheer respect for you. It’s true that your friend my have the idea that drinking more means “you are having more fun”, she/he may want to see you have more fun based on their understanding of “having fun”, but if you said “no”, for whatever reason then a “no” is a “no”.

You do not need persuasion, you do not need someone to tell you how to have fun. YOU are the one having fun, you decide what fun is to you.

When your gut feeling, desires, or simple leanings go in one direction, if you are happy doing a certain thing, and are then faced with a friend (or anyone for that matter) telling you that this is “not how people have fun”, be bold and say “No.”,

“This is how I have fun.” “This is how I enjoy life”.

Read more…

All Life Is Math – But, What Is Math?

June 16th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

All life is biology. All biology is physiology. All physiology is chemistry. All chemistry is physics. All physics is math.

Dr. Stephen Marquard

I ask, then, WHAT is Math??

Billions Of Earth-Like Planets In Our Galaxy

June 3rd, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

Extrasolar-PlanetsIt is worth remembering that our galaxy alone has billions of Earth-like planets, and these earths are “[not only] probably habitable but they probably are also going to be inhabited”

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Galaxy has ‘billions of Earths’

There could be one hundred billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy, a US conference has heard.

Dr Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Science said many of these worlds could be inhabited by simple lifeforms.

He was speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago.

So far, telescopes have been able to detect just over 300 planets outside our Solar System.

But, based on the limited numbers of planets found so far, Dr Boss has estimated that each Sun-like star has on average one “Earth-like” planet.

This simple calculation means there would be huge numbers capable of supporting life.

Not only are they probably habitable but they probably are also going to be inhabited,” Dr Boss told BBC News. “But I think that most likely the nearby ‘Earths’ are going to be inhabited with things which are perhaps more common to what Earth was like three or four billion years ago.” That means bacterial lifeforms.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7891132.stm

The caption below was written in November 2004.

Other Earths

So, after having compiled a bestiary of exotic planets, many the size of Jupiter and locked in a deadly embrace with their star, what are the chances of the planet-hunters identifying rather smaller, sedate rocks upon which life might actually get the chance to evolve? It’s not as if these planets are likely to exist in minute numbers: current estimates [Using the Drake Equation] border on there being 30 billion terrestrial planets in our Galaxy alone [this is an article from 2002]. The odds of finding such planets lengthen a lot when one considers that these planets would have longer years and cause much smaller wobbles in their star’s position.

The odds shorten again the longer we look for these planets. Hot Jupiters tend to get found simply because the radial velocity method is most sensitive to their kind. It’s only now that smaller planets are being found, although none of them are likely to harbour life. Adopt a different method of detection, and we might start to see terrestrial planets, instead of inferring their presence.

This is precisely what the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) telescope is designed to do. This instrument comprises four space-based telescopes flying in formation. Their light is combined in such a way as to vastly increase resolution. One of the indicators that TPF will be looking for is the presence of elemental oxygen in a planet’s atmosphere. All oxygen in our atmosphere is there because of photosynthetic organisms: plants and cyanobacteria. Oxygen is therefore a key signature of life6.

TPF is not due to fly until 2015 at the earliest. In the meantime, Earth-based telescopes will get bigger and better, and astronomers will be able to observe for longer wobbles than they currently can. Even if we can’t see the little green men yet, we’ll have a much better idea of where they might live.

Source: H2G2 extrasolar planet hunting

Read more…

The Blind Spot Documentary By Adolfo Doring

May 27th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

Blind Spot is a documentary film directed by Adolfo Doring that discusses peak oil and our dependence on fossil fuels.  This is a link to its official website. The website describes it thus:

Blind Spot is a documentary film that illustrates the current oil and energy crisis that our world is facing. Whatever measures of ignorance, greed, wishful thinking, we have put ourselves at a crossroads, which offer two paths with dire consequences. If we continue to burn fossil fuels we will choke the life out of the planet and if we don’t our way of life will collapse.

According to one review, “It makes ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ look like a sitcom”.

The movie features interviews with William Catton Jr., Max Fraad Wolff, Richard Heinberg, Kenneth Deffeyes, Albert Bartlett, Roscoe Bartlett, James Hansen, David Pimentel, Joseph Tainter, David Korten, Jason Bradford, Elke Weber, Mary-Ann Hitt, Terry Tamminen, Ted Caplow and Derrick Jensen.

The movie is available for purchase as a DVD and online to stream on a few websites or download as a torrent. The movie is about 1.5 hours long.

“If we lived in a rational world, inhabited by rational human beings, viewing Blind Spot would be a mandatory prerequisite to taking any federal oath of office in the coming year. Were that to happen, there might be hope that the USA would resume world leadership and our renewed influence would be used to redirect ourselves and the world away from the unsustainable path upon which we plummeted along throughout the 20th century, mistakenly regarding the adventure as unmitigated progress. “

-William Catton Jr., author of Overshoot,
Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Washington State University

“Blind Spot rides currents of beauty and sadness, ultimately landing with a
catharsis that comes when truth has been told.”

-Jason Bradford, founder of Willits Economic Localization

“The next few decades aren’t going to look like the last few-not at all. And the sooner we come to terms with that, the better. This documentary is a good place to start.”

-Bill McKibben, author of “The End of Nature”

”Beautiful, crucial, straightforward, brilliantly woven images, words and music.”

-John Stauber, author of “Toxic Sludge Is Good for You”

Read more…

Just Published: Validation From State Representative That President Eisenhower Knew Of Extraterrestrials Presence

May 12th, 2010 Ethan Z 1 comment

I mentioned in a previous article that the Mr. McElroy was to tape and publish a testimony validating a meeting between president Eisenhower with extraterrestrials. The youtube video has just been release!!

Former Legislator Makes Taped Statement on Un-Released Eisenhower Brief Henry W. McElroy, Jr Regarding the Presence of Extraterrestrials in the USA

.. it informed President Eisenhower of the continued presence of extraterrestrial beings here in the United States of America.   The brief seemed to indicate that a meeting between the President and some of these visitors could be arranged as appropriate if desired. The tone of the brief indicated to me that there was no need for concern, ..



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrK2YgfjnHo

This is the transcript to the speech made on May 8, 2010, at Fort Monroe, Virginia

Gateway to Freedom

Hello, I’m speaking with you from Fort Monroe, Virginia.  We’re also known as The Gateway to Freedom.

We sit right next to a little town called Phoebus, Virginia.  Interestingly, they call themselves The Gateway to the New World.

Phoebus sits inside of Hampton, Virginia whose motto is First from the Sea, First to the Stars.

Read more…

Categories: New Norms, Politics Tags: , ,

Former State Representative To Validate Eisenhower Met With Extraterrestrials, Next Saturday May 15th!

May 9th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

former-rep-new-hampshireNEWS:

A couple weeks ago a friend told me that the former house representative New Hampshire, Henry McElroy, was preparing to make a statement to nation validating a meeting between president Eisenhower with extraterrestrials.

“He saw the brief to Eisenhower, the government showed it to all politicians”…

This announcement, by coincidence, is going to be made from Ft Monroe, Va.  Also known as “The Gateway to the New World”

Today,

The news was:

We have filmed the video. It is being produced for YouTube. There will be a website available with the transcript of the speech available both on my site and on YouTube.

And,

The public has been waiting for a formal statement from the government

On the existence of extraterrestrials.

At the current time,

A former

State Representative

for

New Hampshire

Has agreed to come forward and address this issue.

We expect to have this video online by May 15th, 2010

Once the video is on youtube you are encouraged to share it with others.

Categories: New Norms, Politics Tags: , ,

NASA Using Color Therapy

April 23rd, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

colortherapyThis article about a NASA technology utilizing LED lights to help plants grow in space and humans to heal on Earth. Results are remarkable in healing wounds, this device is small, light weight and doesn’t consume much battery power due to the use of energy efficient LED.  The light seems to be “increasing energy inside cells“. It was found that “skin and muscle cells grown in cultures and exposed to the LED infrared light grow 150 to 200 percent faster than ground control cultures not stimulated by the light”

This is an AMAZING article, about a technology, tested and proven to heal people. Definitely a main-stream project, including laboratory and human trials, approved by the U.S. FDA and funded by a NASA Small Business Innovation Research contract.

This article is from the year 2000,  yet I don’t see main stream doctors and hospitals using this color therapy technology to heal wounds people today, how come this device or similar ones are not being sold in stores?

The article mentions that Dr. Whelan’s findings will be summarized in upcoming issues of Space Technology and Applications International Forum 2001 and in The Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine and Surgery.

I have more questions:

Was this study mentioned in these journals? Would the FDA approve a device like this to be sold to the public? What would the AMA think of this device?

If you have read about this study somewhere else or have further info please leave a comment. Thanks!

Title: NASA Space Technology Shines Light on Healing

Doctors at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have discovered the healing power of light with the help of technology developed for NASA’s Space Shuttle. Using powerful light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, originally designed for commercial plant growth research in space, scientists have found a way to help patients here on Earth.

Doctors are examining how this special lighting technology helps hard-to-heal wounds, such as diabetic skin ulcers, serious burns, and severe oral sores caused by chemotherapy and radiation. The project includes laboratory and human trials, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and funded by a NASA Small Business Innovation Research contract through the Technology Transfer Department at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

“So far, what we’ve seen in patients and what we’ve seen in laboratory cell cultures, all point to one conclusion,” said Dr. Harry Whelan, professor of pediatric neurology and director of hyperbaric medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “The near-infrared light emitted by these LEDs seems to be perfect for increasing energy inside cells. This means whether you’re on Earth in a hospital, working in a submarine under the sea or on your way to Mars inside a spaceship, the LEDs boost energy to the cells and accelerate healing.”

Dr. Whelan’s findings will be summarized in upcoming issues of Space Technology and Applications International Forum 2001 and in The Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine and Surgery. Other related peer-reviewed journals have published articles on Whelan’s medical research with light-emitting diodes.

Dr. Whelan’s NASA-funded research has already seen remarkable results using the light-emitting diodes to promote healing of painful mouth ulcers caused by cancer therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy. The treatment is quick and painless.

Read more…

Summer, The (Lawn Chemicals) Allergy Season

April 19th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

sneeze2Many may sneeze here and there during the spring and summer seasons due to pollen, dust, and other particles in the air. Sneezing is our body’s natural response for protecting itself against harmful particles in the air. Most blame the plants and nature on their allergic reaction. In this article I hope to share one often overlooked allergen, that is not only sneeze-inducing but also potentially hazardous to health.

I am sensitive to the smell of chemicals, especially those sprayed on yards and lawns. When I visit a home improvement store, I literally cannot walk down the isle where pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers are shelved. If I find myself in close proximity, the smell disgusts me and can even make me feel sick, not to mention I start to sneeze.

The harmful and annoying effects of these chemicals seems to often be missing in the mainstream awareness. I rarely hear talk about lawn chemicals and that throat burning chemical smell unique to these chemicals, how they are over used, abused, and often confused with the notion of a healthy lawn.

As I drove to work this morning, I could see chemical spraying vehicles from a local company proudly proclaiming “true green”. A sobering and sad reminder that summer is here. Don’t get me wrong, I adore summer. I loath the chemicals used in the summer.

I got to work, parked my car next to a lawn that was reeking with the chemical smell. As I exited my vehicle heading to my work place I sneezed.

Everybody wants that truly green lawn, right? Wrong, I don’t. I never use chemicals on my lawn, it is not the greenest, nor the prettiest, but that is not my concern. I value safety and doing no harm to others and nature more than a green lawn. My lawn is not polluting your air, making you sneeze or poisoning your air.

When you use chemicals on your lawn here is what you are doing: You are paying factories to make synthetic poisonous chemicals, tons and tons of them (due to consumer demand). You then pay them to package these in plastic containers (plastic waste), ship them all over the US (green house gases due to transportation). You follow that by doing your consumer duty, you grab the chemicals and spray them over your land. If you want better results, you pay a little more, and you get a vehicles assuring you “true green lawns”, this vehicles is one super pray bottle, it is filled with chemicals that should they be dumped in a pond would kill all the fish. You watch as they proudly spray that poison over your grass, you think it’s a small price to pay for the result, my beautiful green lawn is just around the corner. You also may believe the lie that your grass is safe to touch, lay down on, walk barefoot on, within 3 days or a week.

Once these chemicals have been manufactured in the factory (thanks to consumer demand) they are here to stay. When these are sprayed on your grass, so much of this chemical vapor goes into the air, on your trees, on your house siding, into your windows; the air blows this chemical residue on to your neighbors property, onto their vegetable garden, and into their open windows. The chemicals on the grass or in the soil don’t stay there either; sooner or later rain will push these chemicals down into the soil and eventually into ground water, it will pollute the soil for many years and ground water for decades. If you live close to a lake or marsh rain will wash off the chemicals into the lakes drastically effecting the ecosystem, killing fish increasing algae and effecting those who eat the fish and swim in the lake.

One often missed point, is that once you cut the grass, as the mower chops the glass and shakes it violently, these chemicals are released into the air again. Ultimately, the use of these chemicals and the impact they have on nature contributes to weakening people’s immune systems and causing cancer.

If you have children, seriously reconsider chemicals in your yard and lawn. Grass is very attractive, don’t turn it into a poisonous trap for your kids.

Respect your neighbors, you most likely do not throw trash into your neighbors house, yet you are ‘ok’ allowing the release of poison into the air that gets, not only inside your house but, into your neighbors house. If your neighbor is me, you may hear me sneezing as I smell this nasty chemical odor.

In the past I used to curse at these lawns when I sneezed, rather than thinking or expecting a ‘bless you’ I’d utter a curse. I’d blame the lawn, the property owner or ignorance. Today as the summer nears and the chemicals are again unleashed, I sneezed, I did not curse this time; I said “bless you” to the lawn.

Read more…

Change The Way You See, Not The Way You Look

April 15th, 2010 angela englund, cmt No comments

changethewayyouseeAs I was scanning my eyes over the buffet of bumper stickers plastered  to the passenger side of a car, this one jumped out at me.  I had never seen that before!  Never heard that before, never thought of that before-  “What does that mean to me?” I wondered, and toyed with the idea in my head.   Immediately my mind showed me an image of a person, being bombarded with information and opinions, mainly mass media: magazines, television, newspapers, radio, advertisements, etc.  Then i thought of a parent, pointing their finger at their child, telling them they are not enough of this, they are too much of that, etc.  Then we can bring in religion.  And societal ‘norms’.  And culture.  And the list goes on and on…

I thought of how quickly we tend to compare ourselves to each other, to the status quo, to what everything “out there” is telling us.  We are constantly being told how to be.  We are being told how to look FOR the world and how we should SEE the world.  So we don’t always see the truth about ourselves.  Most people have maybe never even pondered , let alone remembered that WE ARE FINE THE WAY WE ARE.

You may not like your body, you may not like the way you appear to others, you may look in the mirror and resist what you see, whether it’s your face, your skin, your hips, your hair, but

YOU ARE FINE THE WAY YOU ARE.  Take a deep breath.  Take a load off!  Can you feel any relief from this possibility??

It’s easy for us to get overloaded and mislead by everything around us.  But the truth of you is inside you- always was, always will be, You cannot lose it.  You’ve just forgotten it’s there.  I am a bodywork practitioner, and that’s why I LOVE doing massages for people- it chills us out, quiets us down, in body and mind, allowing our truth, each individual’s deep well of wisdom and uniqueness, to easily float closer to the surface, eventually permeating out into what appears to be beyond the boundary of our bodies- into what we call ‘reality’

When we stop fussing, mussing, worrying over and trying so damn hard to look good, be ‘appropriate’, make a positive impression and be accepted by people, and we instead put our intention and focus on feeling peaceful, grounded, centered in our True Self’s awareness… we just naturally shine!  And we become magnetic- to other people and to what we want.  That’s hot.  It’s attractive!  And innate within us- patiently waiting, right now, to flood every cell of you and influence all the ways you go about and interact with the world: through your thoughts, words and deeds.

Take a deep breath.  Instead of trying to fix or change what you’re seeing, just let it be.  This goes for your body, as well as any and every situation in which you could ever find yourself.   When we let it be,  it can then have the space and opportunity to change, right before your very eyes.  If it doesn’t change, then at lease your concept of it will-  Cuz everything starts within, behind the eyes.  What ideas and perceptions you hold inside, determines what your eyes will see outside.

Botox, make-up, the right clothes, cologne, teeth-whitening kits, most personal care products- don’t even care of us at all-they are toxic and poisonous.   What most people put on and in their bodies is an underlying  futile attempt to help us feel whole.

Wholeness starts within.  Seek within.  Change the way you see things, and worry less and less about how you look on the outside.  Go to the core of you, the truth of you, which nothing can alter, and will not be masked for much longer. Things are really shifting right now on our planet, are they not?!   We are being called now ,to change the way we see each other, our relationship to the planet, and our connection to what many refer to as God.  Through this fresh way of seeing, we are making manifest heaven on earth.  Heaven floats within you!

May you blissfully float in and exist from the Heaven within you.

~Namaste~

How You Can Change What You Want To Change Right Now!

April 10th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

who am IA great suggestion:

You can change what you want to change right now if you want to.

No excuses, no reasons, if it doesn’t change it’s your choice and you must deal with that.

There’s nothing, no-thing, preventing you from changing in the way you wish to change now, not your upbringing, your history, past lives, nothing!

There is nothing holding you back from becoming who you desire to be, except for the choices you make about who you believe you are.

Those things do not hold you, you hold you.

Nothing is holding you now that you do not want to be held by for your own reasons.

You can’t blame any other person, entity, energy, past. The blame game is gone, no excuses anymore

By: Bashar

Deepest Fear

February 24th, 2010 Ethan Z 1 comment

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves: Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” 

 Marianne Williamson

Stop The Toxic Sulfide Metal Mine in Minnesota

January 29th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments
I just received this email and am sharing it here with you.  Please consider taking action now!

Subject: HELP, please: Comment by FEBRUARY 3 on PolyMet’s Draft EIS – first proposed toxic copper mine

My dear friend of Minnesota’s environment and public health,

Can you take just a couple minutes to help save Minnesota lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater from the first serious threat of pollution by toxic Acid Mine Drainage from copper-nickel mines?  Here’s a quick-and-easy webform provided by our friends at Organic Consumers Association:  http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1839

TWIN-CITIES COMMENT-WRITING WORKSHOP  this Sunday:

Also, you and anyone you  know who might be interested are invited to attend this special comment-writing workshop Sunday, January 17, 1-4 PM in St. Paul.  Please refer others, even if you’re not likely to attend.  It is a private meeting for contributors to substantive public comments on the draft environmental impact statement, hosted by WaterLegacy.org.

This is a limited opportunity, with comment period set to close *February 3*, 2010. Your comments are critical to the project receiving the scrutiny it deserves. It would create toxic acid mine drainage for hundreds or thousands of years.

Register NOW. Be sure to state your topic(s) or area(s) of interest in the DEIS.
http://www.mepartnership.org/mep_calendar.asp?cal_id=3510

All levels of citizen participation are welcome. Some would just like to sign a form letter and hand it in. Some would like to pick a narrow topic and write comments in one hour, or stay for the duration and write extensive comments. We held a similar workshop in Cloquet last weekend, which was very well-attended and productive.  Many completed and either emailed or mailed their comments that day.

You will benefit by learning from other citizens, background and technical documents, information about PolyMet and the environmental review process, and tips to make your comments most effective. We can provide talking points and drafts.  We will facilitate according to your needs.

Professional input will be available and more is welcome.

NOTE:  Even if you may not feel comfortable submitting written comments on the EIS directly, your expertise would be very beneficial.

Meanwhile, you can demand that DNR provide adequate public participation in the environmental review process. Specifically, ask for 1) extension of the comment period from only 90 to at least 180 days; 2) more convenient and interactive public hearings around the state. Email: Stuart Arkley MDNR stuart.arkley@dnr.state.mn.us <mailto:stuart.arkley@dnr.state.mn.us>

Read more…

On Peace

January 26th, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

Peace …comes within the souls of men when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the Universe and all its powers, and when they realize that…the center of the Universe… is really everywhere, it is within each of us.

—Black Elk, Oglala Lakota, 1947

Windows of Brimnes (Poem)

January 3rd, 2010 Ethan Z No comments

After a while, the United States is simply too much: too much religion and not enough gods, too much news and not enough wisdom, too many weapons of mass destruction – or, for that matter, private destruction (why search so far away when they live right under our noses?), too much entertainment and not enough beauty, too much electricity and not enough light, too much lumber and not enough forests, too much real estate and not enough earth, too many books and not enough readers, too many runners and not enough strollers, too many freeways, too many cars, too many malls, too many prisons, too much security but not enough civility, too many humans but not enough eagles. And the worst excess of all: too many wars, too much misery and brutality – reflected as much in our own eyes as in those of our enemies.

by Bill Holm

Elders Speak – Listen to Native American Prophecy

December 30th, 2009 Ethan Z No comments

Very valuable – must watch:

Christmas, It’s The Time To Be Stress Free!

December 21st, 2009 Ethan Z. 2 comments

xmas2It is sad how people experience stress during the holidays, but things don’t have to be this way!

The shopping, driving, mailing out greeting cards, going to the post office, budgeting, traveling and seeing relatives. Sounds familiar?

I want to tell you now, that you can change this. You do not have to be stressed. In fact, you can be happy and make a bunch of other people happy.

You do not have to navigate crowded malls, get stuck in traffic, drive long distances, deal with airports and air travel, worry what gifts to buy, wrap gifts, mail gifts, send cards… nothing! Yes, you can simply say “no”.

Many alternatives to the commercialized, stressful, costly and polluting norms exist. Consider finding a bunch of friends that are close to your heart and locale (in your same state or region) and spend time with them.

Give people good words, give good wishes, give hugs, give love, give smiles, do good deeds, be extra relaxed, open doors for people, plant trees, etc.. The sky is the limit. You do not have to venture into these pesky malls.

You have the power to save money, save the environment, save yourself from headaches and have a greater more positive impact this season by being a better friend to yourself, to others and to nature.

Yes, YOU have to power to keep things simple. To say no. To start new traditions. To be unique.
Consider giving a donation to non profit organizations, give the Gift of Microfinance , be selfless, serve others, or make some good food and invite people to eat.

Consider spending time alone in meditation, in counting your blessings, in reflection, in prayer, in adoring Nature or a candle’s flame. Take a walk on a trail, go alone or take a loved one, if it’s cold bundle up and go out, adore the snow, adore the sky, adore the trees, spend time with your God or Nature.

Make the new years, Christmas, solstice or Yule a time to be good, truly good to yourself, to nature and to other people.

If you celebrate Christmas, this year remember that Jesus said “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” and “sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Rid yourself of materialism and stress, keep things simple, honest, spiritual; you will be happier and make others happier while saving a bunch of trees, reducing your carbon and waste footprint and feeling better than ever for having done what you KNOW is right, not what you are told is right.

Remember, you are not alone.

Blessings, Love & Wisdom

This Holiday Season, Give The Gift Of Microfinance

December 19th, 2009 Ethan Z 1 comment

Rather than buying gifts, packaged in boxes, wrapping them & mailing them out (think of the carbon and waste produced as a result), how about giving the gift of hope and opportunity to people via micro-finance or micro-credit?

This season, you can help others find hope and start businesses in the US or around the world with a small financial gift!

Learn more here:

Find more on how you can support charitable efforts

Castor Oil, A Forgotten Medicine?

October 25th, 2009 Ethan Z. No comments

I remember hearing my grandmother talk about how castor oil was used in the old days, especially when children got sick, had stomach aches or pretty much any ailment.  I know my aunts and mother hated the taste of this Oil. They would reluctantly drink some, braving the discussing taste. But, the logic was, and remains, that the taste meant this was good for you. They all believe, while the taste was horrible, that Castor oil did have a positive healing outcome.

I never had the pleasure of trying Castor oil. But I was curious, I found some at a local store and I was considering trying some, but the warning on the bottle that mentioned ‘external use only’ deterred me from ingesting it.

Besides the stories I heard from my grandmother, pretty much I did not know anyone else that used this oil as a traditional remedy. I understand how disgusting the taste could be, but I can’t help but wonder if this is oil is does in fact work, and if its effectiveness and usefulness in healing has been forgotten.

Middle easterners used it in the old days to deal with ailments, it is apparently effective on skin and acne and modern day medicines do contain elements extracted from Castor oil.

Have you or anyone you know used Castorl oil for medicinal purposes?

Here’s what Wikipedia says on Castor oil (retrieved 10/25/2009 6PM CST):

Castor oil in food

In the food industry, castor oil (food grade) is used in food additives,[13] flavorings, candy (e.g., chocolate),[14] as a mold inhibitor, and in packaging. Polyoxyethylated castor oil (e.g., Cremophor EL)[15] is also used in the foodstuff industries.[16]

Medicinal use of castor oil

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has categorized castor oil as “generally recognized as safe and effective” (GRASE) for over-the-counter use as a laxative, with its major site of action the small intestine.[17] However, although it may be used for constipation, it is not a preferred treatment.[18] Undecylenic acid, a castor oil derivative, is also FDA-approved for over-the-counter use on skin disorders or skin problems.[19]

Castor oil penetrates deep into the skin thanks to its molecular weight, which is low enough to penetrate into the stratum corneum. Castor Isostearate Succinate is a polymeric mixture of esters with Isostearic Acid and Succinic Acid used for skin conditioning, such as in shampoo, lipstick and lip balm.[20]

Ricinoleic acid is the main component of castor oil and it exerts anti-inflammatory effects.[21]

One study has found that castor oil decreased pain more than ultrasound gel or Vaseline during extracorporeal shockwave application.[22]

Therapeutically, modern drugs are rarely given in a pure chemical state, so most active ingredients are combined with excipients or additives. Castor oil, or a castor oil derivative such as Cremophor EL (polyethoxylated castor oil, a nonionic surfactant), is added to many modern drugs, including:

Read more…

How Much You know

October 12th, 2009 Ethan Z. No comments

People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Giving Up TV

October 4th, 2009 Ethan Z. No comments

My TV broke 3 weeks ago. Since, I’ve had much more time for quietness and for reading. I am getting more stuff done and am flipping books like a lean mean reading machine. I do watch movies or certain TV episodes online on websites that offer streaming, flash and divx movies. But I can easily now read more, which is good since I am currently studying for the GMAT test, reading the book “Relearning to See”, taking a hypnosis class. Not to mention my day job. Life is busy, I am glad the TV doesn’t work!