Taking Leave of 2008

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Its a bitter cold New Year’s Eve. The kind that makes it just little harder to muster up the warmth of heart I’m looking for in order to take my leave of such a bittersweet year. I want to say farewell and good riddance; because the bad seemingly far out-weighed the good.

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All the news-related programs this week, offered their perspectives and looks back at a very "bumpy year." That's an understatement at the very least. Where there seems more loss than gain, it's hard to wish the past year well, save for the historic message of change elected to bring us all back from the brink and depths of despair. That’s a lot to heft upon the shoulders of one man [and his team], and he dare not let us down. Especially while the whole world watches.

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But— already I digress!

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So, aside from all my health-related issues, which I will not discuss here [not wanting to give them any more power than they already command], here’s how I saw [and in no particular order] some of 2008.

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Many of my former co-workers lost their jobs this year; the transfer off shore [to India], is now complete. I don't know their fates, but it will be difficult to find anything comparable in what has been deemed a 'dying town.' But-- I wish them all well.

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The price of gas at the pumps piqued to record highs and then fell back within a more satisfying reach. It is currently on the rise again though; albeit slowly. And I believe one cannot claim supply and demand [I don't care how much China and India factored in], or the scarcity of crude as cause and effect, [which translates to excuses], when numerous reports verified 'record profits' which exposed a greater reality. Now we're faced with the Saudis' threat to reduce the output of barrel because the American consumers 'are buying less.' Well, good for us! Unfortunately, there's little doubt that the line between those who had no choice and those who made a conscious effort to cut back, is severely blurred.

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Unpredictable storms brewed and raged throughout 2008. And the remnants of Ike blew hundreds of miles inland; wrecking havoc upon unsuspecting communities. Though not even in the same league with what Texa suffered, many endured weeks of state or county-wide power outages. An apartment complex across the street, has yet to repair the missing shingles on numerous rooftops.

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Nationally there were record high temperatures and with such an early onset of winter, there are already record lows and more power outages. Crops failed, and food hording were declared world-wide. And riots played out in the streets. Locally more crops than we know were lost by farmers who redirected their profits, almost over night, and sold their harvests for alternative fuels sources instead of sustenance. I lay no blame here. They've families to feed, bills to pay, and land to protect. But we all know how the pricing of the basic of necessities skyrocketed in seemingly as short a period of time.

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2008 saw the Boomers came of age and in record numbers they filed for their Social Security benefits. Shamefully, the vast amount of those aging will remain without medical and proper health care for a long time to come.

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It would seem no one is going to be held accountable for the horrendous housing fiasco. Yes, far too many people have been living well beyond their means and are paying the ultimate price. But, no one can tell me they weren't taken advantage of and there is not the first criminal act that still needs ferreting out, and brought into the proverbial light of day.

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We all watched as Wall Street struggled and stumbled and ate away at untold dreams; both greedy and benign. The market plummeted and rose again; tettering and tottering. I refuse to use the word volatile. It's thrown around so nilly willy by those who want to impress the impressionable. The stock markets are not as fickle or unpredictable as they would have the masses believe. I worked a few years in financial backing and know better. And there are those who believe the market is already dead; that we're merely being fed false numbers to keep us calmed.

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Countless retirement accounts are now lost. Insurance companies subsequently fell to their knees, and were raked on the coals when they were caught flaunting bail monies at luxury resorts. Banks closed or merged. Million and Billionaires were single handedly bilked out of their financial empires. A French financier committed suicide as a result. Let's see how that weighs upon the perpetrator. And the Bailouts are still being defended. We'll see how history records the eventual true outcome.

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My question regarding 2008 is what exactly were the private-jet-faring, top three auto big boys planning to do had there been no failures and bailures? Had not the first bailout even been considered—much less offered—when and/or how else were they going to relay just how bad things are for the American automotive industry? Regardless of what they’ve been handed, out of taxpayer pockets—on however tarnished the platter—tens of thousands of people are still going to lose their jobs. This is inexcusable!

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Numerous cities are going bankrupt, and global markets are in jeopardy. And pundits, and President alike, continue to waiver, and refuse to commit to whether we're actually or already in a recession. Each individual will need to make up their own mind. But the simplist definition of recession is: a temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced. Call me naive, but I think we've got it nailed!

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The key word in that phrase would be "temporary." As it relates to what? The Great Depression? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the President Elect already indicated there's no easy or "quick" fix down the forthcoming long road to recovery. And there are plenty of experts suggesting this "recession" is going to get much worse. How much longer can they not call it what it is and expect us to find them a reliable source of information?

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Though we can argue the degrees to which we've been swayed, lied to, fooled, and/or bought, We The People drooled over [and why not!] the Stimulus Package developed to keep the threat of said questionable recession at bay. We readily accepted those checks that went out across America; in hopes of igniting our floundering economy. Still, tens of thousands of jobs were lost, and it’s said those 'they' people are hiding the real numbers so as to not incite a panic. All the while the ranks of homeless grow; in such a rich and powerful country.

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The shear volume of massive product recalls is staggering; and continued holding offshore manufactures to task. Almost nightly the evening news reports on more shootings, bank robberies, and muggings. And the holiday shopping figures for 2008 hit a low not seen in decades. Subsequently, it's been declared that many establishments may not be around for a redo next year.

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In the midst of much of the above, whether you loved or hated them, felt obliged to vote for or against them, it was the year of women in politics. But! The country remained true to the male of the species and elected a new president, and still made ground-breaking history. While I will NOT miss the political campaign ads, Thank God, there are no more campaign ads! none of the above is anything we are able wave at, graciously, and say good-bye.

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But, as with each new day, there is a new beginning. Out with the Old, in with the New. Right? Well, n-n-n-not so much. The clock may well be a ticking. And symbolically another cycle is about to begin; giving us another calendar year to get it right. Again! But 2008 has no choice but to follow and dog us into the next, and will long after we after we are newly distracted by the next chink in the chain of reality.

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Though the benefit of the doubt isn’t always given for the intelligence of mere mortals, and much of the above was either foisted upon or duped out of us, [all acts of nature and weather aside (alright! There are those who claim the weather is being controlled, but that's a whole other Oprah show!)] neither are we blameless. As I indicated earlier, too many of us have lived far too long beyond their means. Many also have turned a blind eye to those we believed we could trust, or wallowed in what's perceived to be out of our control, and enabled those we put in charge or allow to lord over us.

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How much should we look to others? And what rests within individual realms of personal responsibility?

"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." ~Mother Teresa

Many are mere hours away from making resolutions that fall largely by the way a month or three down an all too familiar road. And there seems a greater need, in the days to come, that the typical resolutions simply won’t meet or satisfy. But we human beings are a hardy lot. Yes, we can be fooled, mislead, and misjudged. But we can also be generous, graciously wise, and wonderfully grateful for what or who is left in our individual and collective lives.

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It is said we are our brothers’ keeper. And I am forever reminded of the indigenous axiom: Mitakuye Oyasin! Lakota for: We Are All Related or All My Relations.

"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning." ~Ivy Baker Priest

I concede I didn't speak to all of the notable events of 2008, much less present what I did in the proper order. Chronology was never a factor. And they were pulled from a memory that is less than perfect these days. [I forgot to ask Santa for a new memory card.] The point I aspired to allude to is how does one wish another Joy and Prosperity in the midst of so much being suffered? How do we keep our hearts lifted in the course of such continuing strife?

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Granted we have the right to mourn that which we grieve, and grief is not restricted to the lose of life. But each does so in their own way and time. It's not a thing to pencil in one's planner. And it's rather difficult to comtemplate a farewell to that which is so far from being resolved. So. To what can we truly say, "Good-bye?"

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There’s much to be said regarding the power of positive thinking, or in this case wishing someone well. So-- Let's say good-bye to that which we cannot change. Let's say good-bye to that which didn't work out right. Let's say good-bye to that which simply no longer matters. And know that come what may, regardless the race, faith, cultural prophecies, travesty or tragedy, we all face this New Year and same tumultuous world. And in the end, each being responsible for the other, we are all in this together.

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Many Blessings to you all, for a more joyful year. May your hearts find and know songs of true Peace.

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Merry Christmas to One and All

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These are my favorite songs at Christmas. Enjoy!

What Child is This?

O Holy Night~Josh Groban or O Holy Night~Celine Dion

or

O Holy Night~Trans-Siberian Orchestra

[take your pick of the versions]

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Wizards of Winter~Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Carol of the Bells~Trans-Siberian Orchestra

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Do You Hear What I Hear?~Carrie Underwood

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Little Drummer Boy~Josh Groban

Blessings to you all on this day of days

Dear Santa

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Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night!

My Seasonal Prayer

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I wish for all
a wonderful holiday season
filled with peace, joy, and
the bountiful love of family and dear friends.
May you all know safe roads for your journeys
and may those far from home
find warm hearths upon their returns.
May the spirit of the season live on in all hearts.
And may the new year ahead
hold many blessings in store.

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Blessings to All, L.L.

The Gift of Rainbows

Yes, Fall is ablaze. But while such a vibrant season is still relatively young, it's a happening of the summer past I wish to share. It's not without a reasonable amount of frustration [and interruption] that I finally got it posted. I had the Word doc up in edit mode the same day the remnants of Ike blew up and across the state of Ohio. I believe we're calling it the great Wind Storm of 2008. Recent stats show it will be more costly than the Xenia tornado, in 1974. But I digress!

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Though we survived another mild drought, the landscape in my little part of the world looked dry and brittle. I ran the air conditioner more than I would have liked, but health concerns make that a given; regardless the electric bill. And one thing I noticed this year is [which gave thought to not having seen them last year] there were no fireflies! That made me quite sad. It would seem we are losing the fireflies much the way as we've lost the honeybee. [Lights out? Experts Fear Fireflies Are Dwindling]
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Back in August, the high winds of a storm took down several main branches of the beautiful crab apple tree across the street. Split it right in half. I judged my first signs of spring by that tree. Now it’s gone. The half left standing was felled, cut up, and hauled away a few days later. A cable line broke that same night leaving the neighborhood without cable TV, the internet and/or digital phone service [depending on one's package or bundle] for more than a day and a half.
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Lightening has never bothered me. But on that night, as I opened the back door to go out and drive my car into the garage, a bolt flashed and streaked across the sky overhead, just in front of me. I froze in the pouring rain. After a moment, I turned around and came back inside. That was ju-u-ust a little too close! It literally scared me back inside and I had no desire, whatsoever, to go back out. The car (though I’ve no way to afford another one) was on its own.
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A few days later, August 7th to be exact, more storm clouds blew in and across the evening sky. Though the day’s forecast hadn’t called for any significant rainfall they were dark and menacing nonetheless. I’d spent the better part of the day up here in my studio cleaning up some unfinished projects; putting certain things away and readying new ones.

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I sat at my sewing table pulling fabrics together for a new quilted pillow case, for one of the pillows I keep on the chairs in the kitchen, when I heard a light rain begin to fall. Since I hadn’t gotten around to changing out the music CD, I had only the noise that filtered in through the window behind me. I took a quick look over my shoulder and then went on about my work; fully expecting the usual downpour.
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There’s something soothing about the sound of a gentle rain. As an equally genteel breeze wafted through, it carried a scent that beset my senses; that rare fresh air clean that accompanies such a shower. I’d not smelled that kind of fresh air in a long time. I turned around, drew it in deep and savored it. You don’t get air like that a storm. And that seems all we experience of late; storms. Though it continued to drizzle the neighborhood stood dappled with sun. Another thing I’d not witnessed in a while; rain while the sun still shone. I smiled and then turned back around to the collection calico fabrics.
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What happened next I can’t fully explain. Nothing distracted my attention from the task at hand. No sudden noise, rhyme or reason. I merely turned back around and there it was, right outside my window. Not one but two brilliant, bold, and striking rainbows. A double, both-arches-in-complete-view, rainbow.
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Before you scroll down to look for one, or post a comment asking where one is, I had the Nikon IN MY HANDS. I went and pulled it from its bag in the closet and returned to the window. I raised up the screen, had the camera strap double wrapped around my left arm, and I set up the shot. I pressed the shutter release button. Nothing. I refocused and pressed the button again. Nothing. Again. @#%&! The batteries were dead. And I had not the first spare.

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Yes. I dwelled on the disappointment, but then thought, No matter! I sat there content merely in jaw-dropped wonder; overwhelmed with the sheer joy of it's presence. It struck me at that very moment that it’s quite simply impossible look upon a rainbow and frown. Or scowl. I also thought on how they've sparked countless imaginations for millenniums. I thought of their place in myth, legend, and the covenant with Noah after the great flood. [Genesis 9 11-17]
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I also realized how easily, in this harried world, it could have gone unseen. Afterwards I questioned what even made me look out the window in the first place? Their want to be experienced? Oh. I truly believe they wanted to be seen. They wanted someone to notice they were there. And I wanted someone else to see them as well. I wanted someone to walk down the street and wonder why I hung out my window, so that I could point, “at the rainbows!” I wanted to see someone, anyone, walk through their front or back doors so that I could yell, “Turn around and look at the rainbows!” But no one did.
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They was so close. So vivid and full. I could see each band of color perfectly. I’ve never seen the like. So striking and beautiful it’s something I’ll never ever forget. And quite frankly, I don’t want to. Yes. I know they are easily explained by Science. I get the whole rain + air + sun + refracted and reflected light = a rainbow. And because of the optical effect one might not even be seen by someone on the other side of the street. And, what I felt as I gazed upon it goes beyond the standard of such a discipline. They filled me with a childish sense of wonder.

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What is most important from that moment? I knew them as a thing Nature bestows upon those who chance to see; a gift to its beholder. That makes it more than a mere act or by-product of a natural occurring event of nature. And the gift is to the soul and the sense of the greater wonder of it all. That I consider it boarders on the spiritual drove my desire to put the experience into words. That makes it more than what Science can satisfy.

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What does it say about an event that makes one want to pick up a pen and share it with mere words? Is it simply where I’m at in my life? I sat there not wanting to lose what I knew to be so fleeting. Though I remember thinking, well that just made my day! it could easily have gone unseen. No. A force incited these words and I knew these rainbows to be a gift. It was my double rainbow. My joy and I’ve claimed it.

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The very notion of the want of being noticed brought tears to my soul. I wept for such a want. It was no mere act of nature. There was a spirit to it; strong enough to make me write these words and share it someone else.

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I can emphasize the grandeur of it all as I may. Anyone reading will either chose to believe me or push it off as hyperbole. To say I’ve never seen the like is the greatest understatement I can make. Hence my ill-fated trip for the camera. And why should I feel this experience is of interest to anyone but me? Because it filled me with the kind of joy I hope might be contagious. Though it’s up to each of us to find our own, I can’t be faulted for trying to show the way.

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I sat that evening and watched my gift fade from existence. The second and lesser arch faded first; left of the sky to the right. The bolder of the two began fading as well. Simultaneously, the last of the murky clouds drifted in to cover it over, and I was left with but a fractured view. Once the bits and pieces were gone from sight, I lowered the window screen and reluctantly turned away.
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With that reluctance comes my words. These are my echoes and my sharing. My not wanting others to miss out on what this world still has to offer. It’s a knowing that lost in all the vast amount of misfortune: global natural disasters; massive ill-health; scandals; jobs sent off-shore; political wranglings; theft and murder; price gouging; golden parachutes; puppy mills, factory and fur farms; famine; unchecked genocide; war and threats of war, annihilation, and assassinations; shaken and radical faiths; untold lies and shades of the truth; numerous looming prophecies; financial crises; along with varying degrees of conspiracies [NWO, webbot predictions, HAARP, etc.] and/or pending doom [lack of sunspots and solar winds, pole shift, etc.]; (insert breath here— ) there are still rainbows.

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Take time out of your busied days and look for them!

Many blessings, L.L.

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Earth Day Letter ~ 2008

Well, in the Ohio Valley, the various ornamental pear trees are abloom. Some are even losing their pedals to the breezes of the day. And to many, the forsythia is the quintessential sign that Spring is finally here.
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We equate this season with rebirth and renewal; a hope for a better year than last. But already wildfires and unseasonal tornados have raged in the U.S. There are riots in other countries due to lack of food stuffs and soring prices (or as with rice, stockpiled and exports withheld). Crude oil is out of control, and news articles warn that our water supplies are either tainted and/or at risk.

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Old growth forests are being felled and burned at an alarming rate and numerous species of animals are endangered. All because the greatest of predators cannot control their growth, greed, consumption, and/or humanity. Happy Earth Day, indeed!

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I’ve read it’s said this “is the Green’s High Holiday.”
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Make no mistake; this is no holiday to me. I am neither a Green nor an Environmentalist. Though I haven’t physically hugged a tree of late, I do claim to be someone who cares about what is happening to that which we sustains us.
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I posted the following quote recently:

Some day the earth will weep, she will beg for her life, she will cry with tears of blood. You will make a choice, if you will help her or let her die, and when she dies, you will die too. ~John Hollow Horn, Oglala Lakota

Is that what’s going on these days? Are we nearing the end times? Or is this all just the natural changes Earth periodically goes through? Is man even to blame? Or is it the sun’s meteorological disturbances? Is it something we can all understand or is it beyond us? Do we truly know the facts or are we being duped?
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One thing I do know, I’ve maintained for several years now, the seasons have changed. Recent springs have come early and ended sooner than they should. By the first week of June, 2007, the grasses were all but dead. Front yards in the Ohio Valley were brown. Well, those whose owners decided to not waste the water on a green lawn.

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There were record high temperatures and droughts. Fall was a month late in coming. I know because it's my favorite time of year. And winter had extreme rises and drops in temperature; literally from one day to the next and over night. I have no degree in forecasting weather, but I know none of this is right. It's also part of the Hopi Prophecies. [See: The Prophecies of the Hopi & The Forces of Purification]
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This year, by mid April, wild fires have already raged, we’ve had out-of-season tornados, massive rains and flooding, pharmaceuticals lace our water supply, we’ve had temperatures 10-15 degrees higher the yearly average [It's not supposed to be up to 80 degrees right now.], and just a few days ago, the earth trembled under our feet. [See: Scientists: Even Bigger Quake Could Hit Midwest - read the comment by: Alboday]

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I was awake at five-something that morning. My girls and I heard the building shake. I didn’t know what had happened at the time, but they were clearly unsettled and disturbed by the undefinable noise. Later in the day, as I sat at my desk, my monitor shook in front of me during an aftershock. Are these the rumblings of things to come?

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Throughout 2006 and 2007, polar bears became the poster child for global warming, and Al Gore, with An Inconvenient Truth, made it an acceptable topic of conversation. All across the TV, people were (and still are) talking about going green. It would seem the argument for global warming over. Though a number of people have stated it emphatically, it's not. The nay-sayers aren't contesting whether or not it's real. They can't. Because it can no longer be covered up.

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Though there are those who say we're heading for another ice age instead, the overall argument is whether climate change is a natural occurrence (something to be explained away by past earth cycles), or the harm done by man. That would be the greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions; our carbon footprint. I don't want to forget they're also arguing its instead the affects of solar activity and/or flares. [See: Global Warming Not a Cosmic Swindle]

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In the following article: Global Warming: The Cold, Hard Facts?, Timothy Ball asks, “So how has the world come to believe that something is wrong?” Well, I'm guessing because something compelling is going on--telling us otherwise--and we chose to believe it's true; that climate change is real.

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For decades scientists struggled to warn us. And we heard them silenced by those of differing agendas. On various message boards where the subject comes up, for every one or two who believe climate change is man made and offer up their articles and voices of proof, there are those who follow immediately after touting it’s not; relying on their own evidences of the truth.

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Global Warming or Just Hot Air? A Dozen Different Views provides a number of educated opinions (one or two possibly somewhat arrogant--you be the judge) but failed to mention global warming being man’s modification and control of the weather.

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There are those who believe man is utilizing Telsa-based magnification technology. Simply put, man’s been screwing around with the weather and not telling us about it. Also, what we understand as those chemtrails in the morning skies, are actually maneuvers meant to correct the damage. The problem is, the chemicals being dumped were meant to reduce the ill-effects of man's tampering with Nature. But, instead they mix with what’s already wrong in the air and rain down ill health upon the masses.

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That's slightly different from the largely believed version that these trails are laced with barium, aluminum, and ethylene dibromide; heavy metals, biological and nuclear aerosols. Some believe we're being tested on; aerially. Others believe it's a way of culling the human herd. .

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I see chemtrails outside my window on a regular basis. Just a few days ago, I woke to a beautiful clear blue spring sky. Less than an hour later, I looked out again to find it criss-crossed with lines. I took a few pictures that day. I even captured an image of a jet lacing a new trail.

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Most simply believe these are natural vapor trails. But they’ve not paid attention to the difference between the two. And the problem is we're left to ourselves to squabble and decide what's the truth. There are people who refuse to be outside when they see these unnatural clouds in the sky.

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The article also doesn't mention anything about the fast approaching 2012, or the gravitational pull from approaching stars and/or planets. Take your pick. There is the Red Star/Kachina and the Blue Star/Kachina. If you read the Hopi Prophecy articles above, you already understand the significance. And there are recent astrological correlations, i.e., red dwarfs, Hale Bopp comet.

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But there's also Planet X and/or Nibiru (widely accepted, already identified by NASA). Some say Nibiru is now only half the size it was the last time its orbit crossed Earth's. But it will still do some serious off-axis damage nonetheless. Another faction claims it's been destroyed and we've nothing to worry about. But! We earthlings are on our own. If we want change, it's man's responsibility to do so.

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The evidence is equally compelling. Or is it? Arguments abound these days about Global Warming being nothing more than an elaborate hoax; with certain figures, in the grand scheme of things, set to profit the most. [See: The Year the Global Warming Hoax Died and there's a whole website dedicated to The Great Global Warming Swindle.]

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I read the stories. What I’ve provided here is but a significant few. No wonder people are either confused, don’t care, or just plain complacent. It's difficult to know who or what to believe. Is it merely determining whether Global Warming is a natural cyclical occurrence or man induced? Is it a pending calamity? Is it all a smokescreen and propaganda? What’s the real hoax?

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Do those who do nothing simply not want to be responsible for the massive changes necessary to help reverse and put things right? Do we even have another 10 years to reserve it? [See: No improvement in climate fight since 2006 film: Gore & Apocalyptic Climate and Global Ecological Warnings Justified]

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Is it beyond human control? Do we simply wait until a mysterious planet/star draws closer and forces Earth off its current axis and see who survives? Because if it's that, than we have less than five years and reversing it doesn't factor in. Or, why should we even care when our own government shows no visible signs of concern? The US has literally snubbed their noses at recent global conferences, i.e., Kyoto Protocol. And things are not fairing well at present. [See: Climate change talks 'heading for trouble']

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And what about those polar bears?

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I know from personal experience, that we as human beings can be quite endearing. I experienced that for the many years as the organizer of a corporate drive for school supplies for Native American children on Indian Reservations in the Dakotas. The kindness of my fellow employees never ceased to amaze me.

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And when we know what we do is truly going to make a difference, we open our hearts to others to the point of miracles. Though world wide, certain responses to the Katrina disaster were the most shameful, there was also an over abundance of good will. A thing that can also be taken advantage of.

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Are Polar Bears rightfully an indicator of the growing global threat? Or have our emotions been played? And to what end?

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Click on the image to the left. This video says the polar bears are not in danger.

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But there are numerous articles of recent, that speak to their plight and dwindling numbers. Canada's polar bears in dire straits: WWF, states: "Research is showing that increasing numbers of Beaufort Sea polar bears are starving and walking all the way to Russia, or far inland, in search of food," Ewins said. Increasing numbers of the bears are being killed as they forage wider for food and come into contact with human settlements. An emaciated mother bear and her two cubs were shot dead by Canadian police in early April at the community of Deline in the Northwest Territories, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of the Arctic Circle.

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It should not be ruled out that there are those who prey on the good intentions of well-meaning people. But if real, is it better to suffer the environment and a species to extinction, to satisfy our never-ending need for oil? [See: See the following petition: Chill the Drills - Protect Alaska's Polar Bear Seas & Interior Dept. announces further delay of months in decision on listing of polar bear as threatened]

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I've said it before, it would be unconscionable for us to let a thing die when we know we could make a difference. How will the children of our grandchildren think of us if we to let it happen otherwise?

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So what do we do? Who and what do we believe? I believe there are those using the issue for profit. Which sadly defeats the efforts of well-meaning people honestly concerned about the environment; those who are caught in the middle of making sacrifices for what they perceive as necessary changes. I believe there are those who go looking for the truth and end up confused. I also believe that we know just enough about the truth of things to make some of our efforts more hazardous than good. [More on that, later!]

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Bet no one expected all of this in this year’s letter!
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Last year, to some, I prattled on about the birds outside my window. But I also spoke of it as being my way of giving back to Nature. I have always honored the Winged Ones on Earth Day. I can only trust that some took on a similar responsibility; that a few set up their own back yard sanctuaries.
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This year, given what the questions and concerns posed above, I suggest we take nothing for granted. We need do what we know is right for the earth upon which we live. We must be observant of its needs. For I believe the earth does indeed weep.
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In closing, I found the following Earth Day video and would like to share it with you. It's short; less than 6 more minutes of your time. Just click on the frog. And then decide what you're going to do.

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Thank you for visiting and sharing my echoes.

Blessings, L.L.

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This played in the background

as I drafted this post.

Photos: Earth Day greeting and marsh frog, by L.L. Abbott, EarthSong Photography ~Copyright 2008

Time for the Pumpkin to Go

Toward the end of Summer, 2007, when all the new Fall garden accessories start to show up in the stores, I found this adorable terra cotta pumpkin bird feeder. There are two large sections cut away; leaving a perch on say the east side and another on the west side. I love to decorate for Fall so I thought I would extent my celebration to the birds. I hung it on a low branch of the pine tree, came inside and wondered how long it would take for anyone to venture in and dine.

Within half an hour the Chickadees were there. I was so pleased. They're so charming to watch as they hop around inside and forage. The sparrows, however, took quite a bit longer; several months to be somewhat exact. I was decorating for Christmas by the time I noticed a sparrow inside. I had to wonder, who were the few who finally made the brave decision to check it out?

Once they had though, I hadn't the heart to take it down. I left it there throughout Winter. And there would be two to three feeding at any given time. It hosted many who visited my humble sanctuary. I've looked throught my window on rainy days and found one or another just sitting in there; out of the elements.

I looked out one afternoon and found a squirrel stuffed inside. I noticed the south end first. A long fluffy tail hanged droopily from one entrance of the pumpkin, while the front feet and head rested comfortably just outside of the other. And no! I figured by the time I went upstairs and came down with the camera, he or she would be long gone.

Yesterday, now that Spring and Summer lawn and garden ornaments are abloom, I found a little hanging dish feeder in the shape of a leaf. I thought this would make a great substitution for the pumpkin; which desperatly needs to be cleaned and is, quite frankly, no longer in season. So, after I refilled both the cedar and thistle feeders, I emptied the seed from the pumpkin into the leaf and hung it from what's left of the same pine bough.

I haven't seen or even heard the Chickadees lately, so it's up to the Sparrow Clan. I'm waiting, albeit patiently, to see how long it takes for another little sparrow to think outside the box and light upon the brown terra cotta leaf and partake. The seed is as much in plain sight as the seed I scatter for those who feed exclusively on the ground. Today is Day Two. There are still no takers.

Thank you for visiting and sharing my thoughts, L.L.

These are MY Words ~ Part II

My last two posts, Never Get It Back and The Coming Year ~ 2008, touched on the importance of the words we speak. I believe now, more than ever, it is important to speak for those whose voices are rarely heard, and whose cries of pain have too long been ignored.

Prior to drafting and completing this post, I sent the following information [an email by the same title; hence Part II of the title] to friends and acquaintences hoping to convince them to watch Earthlings, just as I had the night before.

EARTHLINGS is a feature length documentary about humanity's absolute dependence on animals (for pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research) but also illustrates our complete disrespect for these so-called "non-human providers." The film is narrated by Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix (GLADIATOR) and features music by the critically acclaimed platinum artist Moby.

With an in-depth study into pet stores, puppy mills and animals shelters, as well as factory farms, the leather and fur trades, sports and entertainment industries, and finally the medical and scientific profession, EARTHLINGS uses hidden cameras and never before seen footage to chronicle the day-to-day practices of some of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit. Powerful, informative and thought-provoking, EARTHLINGS is by far the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the correlation between nature, animals, and human economic interests. There are many worthy animal rights films available, but this one transcends the setting. EARTHLINGS cries to be seen. Highly recommended!

Most were unaware that held back on inundating people with more email than they might want to receive. Today I risked, "Enough already!" I also knew they could simply click on Delete and believe, 'She'll be none the wiser.'

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As I woke this morning and lay in the warmth of my winter blankets, I contemplated the images I'd seen just hours before, and better understood the words, 'We've let this happen.' After I fed my little ones and traversed the snow-covered ground to throw out seed for the birds, I sat at my computer and decided to risk those relationships.
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I conveyed the need for us to no longer ignore the cries of pain we'd chosen not to hear, and admitted to being truly ashamed in front of those who would ask, 'how have you let this happen?' And only after watching Earthlings, could they begin to understand how I'd come to those conclusions.
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I relayed I understood how we're all so enveloped with what's going on in our lives, and they'll want to make an excuse for why they don't have time for this. I warned it is NOT something to watch at their desks during a lunch break. And admitted my eyes were still swollen from the tears that I cried the night before. But I simply couldn't go on with the rest of my day until I decided what I was going to do.

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I know the affection many people have for the animals in their lives and that most don’t want to see these kinds of things. Neither did I. But I do believe unless you’re actively out there in the trenches, fighting for their rights, we're guilty of indifference to those we feel we have no time for.

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Though I'm a vegetarian, I've been naive enough to believe there is some degree of humanity involved in some of these processes. Hence the need to know of how it’s really done. I adore those happy California cheese cows, out there dodging rain clouds and/or checking out the new babes. And can only trust there is truth in their advertising and that they DO know a better life than those who live otherwise.

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I'm not claiming any kind of perfection! Disheartened doesn't begin to describe how I felt, recently, when I found out I had things in my pantry and linen closet, from companies [like Iams and Fresh Step] that still test on animals. I clearly have some new shopping to do.

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See: Adding My Voice, where I've posted some of the petitions I've signed recently. [see THIS PRODUCT TESTED ON ANIMALS. And here, for information to help: Take Action regarding downer cows for human consumption.]

When I much younger, I learned my mother's brother-in-law couldn't bring himself to eat pork after visiting a slaughter house. He still ate hamburgers, steak, and chicken, but that was ok because he hadn't seen them butchered.

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Bear with me here, I want to draw a parallel here. About a year ago I saw actual footage of a soldier being shot. He didn't fall to the ground the way they do in the movies. One moment there was life. In less than the next, he collapsed in a hovel on the ground, like the strings of a marionette had been carelessly cut away. I had channel-hopped on to a program already in progress. Did I want to see that? No. Am I glad I did, if for nothing else, to better understand the arena he walked? No. That’s a little perverse. What it did do though, is empower me to argue that maybe these are the images of war we need to see, because this is what war is.

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I offered the above revelation with respect to what it is we really need to know about the world in which we live. Is ignorance bliss? Are we truly better off not seeing the truths? Would I have been moved to do what I'm doing now? Are my words really going to change anyone’s mind? To anyone reading this post, or those who’ve already seen Earthlings, these words will seem nothing more than a proverbial sermon to a choir. Most people reading this, regardless whether they do or don't want to watch it, do already get it. But had I not watched this, I wouldn't have written these words.

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As I write this I’m forced to consider, how we should regard the people who run these factories, industries, research facilities, fashion houses, and the like? Who are the people with such little regard for Life? Who are these people who wield the final heartless blows? If' I'm not to judge least I be judged, how can I ask, "How can you do this?"

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How does anyone with any kind of conscience, sit and pluck the feathers from a living bird? How can anyone have absolutely no regard to, 'Something that's heading off to be slaughtered and eaten anyway? So, who cares? Why do you care?'

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Too many people know I'm not even that interested in eating those veggie burgers. You know, the ones designed to make vegetarians look more like they fit in? I don't eat beef, pork, chicken, or fish.

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I care!

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What is it that we risk by putting ourselves in the position of responding to, 'Well you people want the puppies and kittens; the prime rib; fast foods; fashionable leather coats, boots and handbags; yadda, yadda, yadda. How do you think it all gets there?'

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Like this?

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There are a number of restaurants that removed Foie Gras from their menus recently, due to industry practices. [see The Foie Gras Controversy which explains the procedure (of which you see in, Earthlings) and Puck removes foie gras from menus] If we continue to basically do nothing, the inhumanness continues. And I use inhuman because I'm not sure— inhumane no longer seems to pass on the value it should.

Oxford English Dictionary defines:

inhuman • 1 lacking positive human qualities; cruel and barbaric. 2 not human in nature or character.

human • 1 of, relating to, or characteristic of humankind. 2 showing the better qualities of humankind, such as sensitivity.

inhumane • without compassion for misery or suffering; cruel.

humane • having or showing compassion or benevolence.

Sorry for the academics, but sometimes we need our memories jarred.
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What's the old adage, "We are what we eat?" It would seem we've ingested an undeniable amount of cruelty along the years, as well. How does that set in anyone's stomach? And by watching this documentary it’s rather clear that the fish many chose to eat, because it's believed to be healthier, is more hazardous to our collective health than AIDS.

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It's not enough any more to say, 'I treat my animals well.' That does nothing for the ones who still suffer. 'I'm a vegetarian and I shop with a social conscience.' I'm a vegetarian too. Watching what we shop for isn’t wholly enough any more. So we shop for the faux leathers and furs instead of the real thing. That's nothing but a double-edged sword. It makes those with the money and means, who simply won’t settle for the fake, all the more determined to own what's real. Shopping for the non-real thing isn't good enough any more. To answer those who say, 'but they're not an endangered species, they're raised for this.' Yea! That makes it all the more reasonable. I don't remember seeing, 'we love it here,' in the eyes of those foxes or raccoons.

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We’ve wasted far too much time giving absolutely no thought to how anything arrives in the local grocery store. We've bought too far into the convenience of things. Our days are full, hectic, and filled with our own struggles to survive. But that’s an excuse that just isn't good enough any more. And for those who refused to watch it, because they don't want to see such "negative images" [There were several, so anyone reading this far in-- don't think you're being singled out, but--], that's a cop-out! And it simply isn’t good enough any more!

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I adopted my cats, Lucy and Pearl, from the local Humane Society about two and a half years ago. Until today, I'd never given thought to where they'd been prior to seeing their little faces, the day we met. They'll be three years old in April. They're my loves and of recent, my saving graces. I shutter to think how they could have been rammed into a cage, with as many others as would fit, to suffer 20 minutes of dying in a chamber filled with gas. There's got to be more humanness to us than that.

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When I started to watch Earthlings, Pearl was curled up in my arms. When mere tears progressed to jerky shoulders and chest heaves, she eventually rose up and hopped to the floor to lie on my feet. About an hour into the film, I looked away from the screen and found her sitting, hunkered down, about a foot away. She looked as uncomfortable as I felt. I wanted to take a break and go to her. But I didn’t. I watched it straight through. Because, I knew-- if I’d clicked on the pause button just once, I most likely won’t have clicked to restart it again.

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Remember, I said above I'm not perfect. It's not like I didn't know about euthanasia, or cattle prods, or seal clubbing. And I did claim a certain naivety regarding slaughterhouse industry standards. But I believe we ALL must give more consideration the next time a couple of steaks are grabbed up at the produce counter; eggs are placed in the grocery cart; when we reach for a purse or wallet; try on a new leather coat; or sit down to watch the next animal-related sporting event; to just exactly how it all gets here. And those who continue to remain silent about what it is we truly know, are equally guilty of the torture and inhumanness. [something I would not have said prior to watching Earthlings] Because I fail to see anything human about sticking an electrocution rod up the back end of a fox, so that someone can have a fur collar on their new coat.

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This is about each and every one of us taking on the responsibility of change. If we do and/or say nothing, then nothing will ever change.

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So here I've set, still unable to continue with the usual goings-on of the day, until I crafted out the words I trust will make others take on actions of their own. These are the most difficult words I've ever chosen to write. Making words I'd spent time crafting just the day before, completely unimportant and irrelevant. And all I can do is trust they do not fall upon deaf ears.

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I closed the above-mentioned email, with the following words:
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February is a time when our thoughts and hearts are usually guided by what we know as Love. These are MY words; guided by what I understand as Love. I hope you choose as I did, to summon up the courage to watch what you won't want to see, and then give thought to what you're going to do.

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Blessings, L.L.