Jared Diamond and youth. WWJDD!

JD spoke this morning at the World Bank, and it was GREAT. He outlined his book, Collapse, making points like "the world can't support current consumption, let alone if the third world catches up and starts consuming as we do, which is currently 32 times what they do" palatable to this crowd fo elites. And in Q&A asked for young people "who will be around in 60 years." I've never seen anyone respect young people here! I'm telling you, I went from admiration to fierce loyalty for that. He also declined to give the WB a "grade," saying he wants to learn more. Maybe a diplomat, but more of a scientist, really. A refreshing way of being that's like oxygen in this truth-starved political climate.

White House and Pentagon Wise Up

http://riverhouseepress.com/WordPress/
From an old prof of mine.
"We witness here learnings from the school of hard reality, the results of deadly encounter with the limits of force as a tool for security. "
Gratifying. I suppose it doesn't help to say "we told you so."

glass half full

A habit of complaint and negativity has crept up on me unawares. These are the things I've been committed to being, since 2002:

Unstoppable creativity and contribution
Powerful, present, and satisfied
"things count"
Radiant peace
Trust and vulnerability
Standing for people's greatness
Surrender
Immediate outstretching and intentional impact
Complete and reliable
Being true to my heart
Content and available

Present, complete, powerful contribution
Love

Being peaceful and loving seems to result in light and humorous behavior, and in a lot of gratitude. (I think gratitude might be a basal emotion, sui generis, irreducible, etc.)

Anyway, these are the things I declare myself to be, and whatever is not in alignment with them will be pitched as detrimental to my quality of life.

This is the kind of awareness fasting can bring. I am on day 3 of what my housemate calls "juice-fest."

The resigned leopard

The feeling in his eye says that he is not free. (Also you can see a straight line reflected, probably a fence.) And there's nowhere for him to escape to. My point is not that it's wrong to capture wildlife. I guess I wonder if it is still possible for anyone to be free, and what that would look like, other than the fire of strong but false beliefs. The eye is longsuffering without being completely hopeless or miserable.

Does anybody let their heart get broken anymore? Things are so bad that we'd rather just say they aren't.

Maybe they aren't. Maybe there is no "bad," only different. "I like the milder winters," a Wisconsin man confessed.

It's just not the world I'd hoped for. We could have done something about problems I knew about when I was seven years old, other than making them worse. There are more minorities in jail, more chemicals, more trash, more wars, a bigger gap between the rich and poor, fewer species. And it seems like less, not more, will and commitment to change. Next post will be about where the glass is half full...

Products I heartily recommend

Z-Coil shoes.
I became incredibly excited the first time I saw these. Imagine having a large futuristic spring on the heel of your shoe! Some people think they look "special," but those people will see when inexorable fashion forces sweep the nation and everyone wants a coil on their heel. Plus, they absorb all shock and cure back and hip and foot trouble. The styles are a bit wide for a really sleek look, except for the hiker, and you need a half size smaller than normal. Expensive, til you realize you'll be wearing them at every opporunity, then it works out to a few cents a wear, and probably better joints when you are 80. These bodies have to last us, you know. I think mortality will be the subject of my next post.

Pharmacopia.net body care
For purity (natural and organic) and soul-pleasure (aromatherapy essences) and to avoid the chemicals you put on yourself with just about anything else, these products are an Answer. Maybe chemicals don't bother you (I am very bothered, and feel it is unfair that their production has never been put to a vote, since we have to share the ecosystem), but these are still really luxurious. Four clean blends, in lotion, hand cream, body wash, etc, and long-lasting soy/cotton candles. Make body shop seem overproduced and candy-like.

Try this for starters: ginger oil for massage (HIGHLY recommended), lavender bath salts to relax, rosemary lotion to wake up, lavendar hand cream bc you put it on often and every time it's a relaxing thing (but rosemary stimulates and can be clarifying too), soap in any blend, bc the base of the soap is the thing - it will make your skin feel incredibly good, and a candle in whatever blend you like best, I think lavendar is most popular and soothing.

Thayers Rosewater and witch hazel toner
Some Wholefoods carry several varieties of witch hazel. This one makes your skin feel and smell great.

The Landmark Forum and Advanced Course
landmarkeducation.com
If you need a jump start on creating your life. Changed my life and happiness permanently. Just ignore the hardsell aspects; everybody has to make a living. Still a priceless product/experience.

Zestra
A female friend reports it works wonderfully.

Diva Cup
Medical grade silicone. You'll never have to buy another tampon. Takes some practice to use.

Relief Riders International
http://www.reliefridersinternational.com/february05.htm
A friend's adventure travel company, guides horseback or camel carrier rides to deliver medical supplies to impoverished villages in India.

The Inner Journey Retreat
innerjourneyseminars.com
For opening the heart to great gushing gouts of love.

Books about the world
Collapse. Also his other book Guns Germs and Steel. Also Daniel Quinn's books, not because they're good fiction. About violence: Gil Bailie, James and Carol Gilligan, Sandra Bloom. About how screwed up charity is: The Road to Hell, Lords of Poverty.

Powered by Peace retreats
usoni.com

Pumpkin cookies
Vanilla cake mix, stick of butter, can of pumpkin. Frost with cream cheese icing. UNBELIEVABLE.

Peacekeepers
Lipstick and such for charity (womens empowerment) and with non-health-depreciating ingredients. Need to find this link...
See also Larenim mineral makeup. And No Miss cruelty free nail polish.

Google Earth
A free download. Type in any address and get amazing 3-D satellite images you can turn and tilt and zoom. Be prepared to waste hours.

GSE
Grapefruit Seed Extract. Natural antibiotic. Ten-fifteen drops in water or juice.

to be continued...

gratuitous advice on eating

Breakfast is my new favorite thing to champion. I used to be too lazy to bother and then hunger would build and I'd gorge myself in the evenings. Now I eat breakfast and feel very self-congratulatingly self-nurturing, in a good way.

Here is what to eat to prepare your body for a fast:

http://chetday.com/ultrawdiet.html

It's actually lots of food so you can keep your regular schedule, but while you fast plan to lay around. Even a juice fast won't give you the energy you need to go go go. Which is part of the point. Reasons to fast, off the top of my head:

-To up the ante when you are a serious activist trying to change something wrong with the way the world is going and the usual channels haven't worked.
-To slough away superfluous distractions to remember your purpose and values.
-To seek guidance for your path from the spiritual realm.
-To purify your system and prolong your life.
-To quiet your spirit and face your fears.

Read The Fasting Path for the characteristics of different juicables and in-depth info on fasting, really an interesting read.

Fasting isn't to lose weight. The better method is not to eat anything after 3pm for a few weeks. You don't feel deprived bc you're eating whatever you want early in the day - and burning it. Saves $ too. Simpler than counting this or cutting out that. It's only hard for the first couple of days or on special group occasions. And because you're eating breakfast, you have the energy to take a run every day on top of other fun stuff (bike as conveyance, walk don't drive, bellydancing or yoga or whatever class.)

Facilitation skilz

I am a strong believer that everyone who uses the force should wear a nametag.

Christianity ain't what it used to be

http://www.womensaynotowar.org/article.php?id=719

MLK video at Code Pink.

world not going as ordinary person hoped

I read this while crashing from a cookie batter high:

http://uk.oneworld.net/external/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.amnesty.org%2Flibrary%2FIndex%2FENGAMR510082006
http://us.oneworld.net/external/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oxfamamerica.org%2Fnewsandpublications%2Fnews_updates%2Fnews_update.2006-01-04.6977033848
http://us.oneworld.net/external/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ens-newswire.com%2Fens%2Fjan2006%2F2006-01-10-07.asp

You know, the world is not turning out as I had hoped.

Deciding to control everyone and be the only superpower at any cost was a bad choice. Dehumanize people, spend trillions of dollars more than the oil we're trying to control is worth, civilian deaths and ruined lives, soldiers getting shot at, creating enemies, no $ for quality of life at home, knowing you're part of an imperialist (getting more totalitarian?) state, and part of a world based on violence and environmental destruction (60 degrees today folks, January 12).

\'m not really simpleminded, but it does seem like we\'re too in it to see it clearly, we\'re being the people you look back on and go "Didn\'t they see it coming? Why didn\'t they do something?" (If there\'s anyone left to look back.)

I know a lot of people ARE "doing something."

I\'m really not simpleminded or apocalypse-oriented. Well maybe a little too apocalypse-oriented, sometimes. It\'s just SO sick sometimes. The Gauntanamo stuff makes me SICK.

How worried can we afford to be on a day to day basis? But then _at what point_ can we no longer afford NOT to be? And then, where is the rallying point or leverage point amidst all the complexity? I sometimes think it might have to do with telling the right stories.