Are We Fuk'd Update

Richard returned to Shi Shi Beach last Thursday, equipped with my Geiger counter and his video camera. While he found no detectable levels of radiation, his overall findings cannot completely dismiss Fukushima fallout adversely affecting our local ecology. Here's a link to this post for deeper insight: http://toweringcrane.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/this-beach-looks-fukd-part-2/

From the time we can comprehend our modern world, we're taught we're separate from one another and from the Earth. Therefore it stands to reason why we fail to comprehend the extent of our impact on each other and our planet.

While a chaos theory such a the butterfly effect may have yet to be proven fact, most of us are aware even small actions can have dire consequences. We would all be terribly remiss to not acknowledge Fukushima has released something harmful into our environment. Whether it's a little or a lot is moot.

All nuclear operations, whether for civilian or "defense" purposes, produce an extremely harmful byproduct; highly concentrated radioactive toxins. After seven decades of nuclear weapon and electric production, humanity still has yet to develop a way to neutralize toxic waste. To forge ahead with nuclear anything without a way to render the hazardous byproduct as harmless is just grossly negligent and criminally irresponsible.

I want to say confidently we deserve better. I can say confidently our world deserves better than us, to be infected by humans, a highly destructive specie. If our Earth seems angry at times, it's with good reason. Be assured the world is not against humanity so much as we are against ourselves and the world if our specie continues on our present course.

Our very first step is to wake up, collectively, and realize we have serious problems. Then, and only then, will we be able better ourselves. Earth, like the human body, was formed with a seemingly magical ability to heal itself. If we haven't already adversely impacted the planet's ecology past its point of no return, we can take measures to allow our world to heal itself. This begins with each of us, our willingness to honestly see our mistakes without judgment and fix what we've broken. Let us not be defined by our problems, only by how we overcome them.

Cloud Seeding in the News

This afternoon I was driving back home from the office when I heard a news story about cloud seeding, also known as weather modification, on National Public Radio's All Things Considered. Here's a link to the report: http://science.kqed.org/quest/audio/in-dry-year-california-looks-to-cloud-seeding/

California has been experimenting with cloud seeding to increase precipitation since the middle of last century. The problems with this are:
1) This program costs millions of dollars annually, and it's still unknown whether there's any benefit
2) A non-organic chemical is deployed into the air and subsequently the surrounding environment which is toxic

The chemical used is silver iodide. While silver compounds are reported to be "much less toxic than other heavy metals," the reality is these compounds are still toxic.

Science appears to be getting desperate to solve problems such as water scarcity, which is directly linked to human consumption. It doesn't take a well educated person to understand pumping harmful chemicals into our environment will only further damage our resources, ecological and human well being overall. Instead of continuing to push the envelope on how far our environment can sustain human development, why don't we look at more ways in which we humans can limit our demands/burdens on our world?

Morning Inspiration

As I perused through Facebook this morning, I ran across a post that really struck a positive chord. Here's a link to it: https://www.facebook.com/debby.crawford/posts/10152105661382319

The synopsis is this woman's home sustained severe water and electrical damage while she and her family were away on vacation. Their neighbor who was checking on the home discovered the problem, and had their plumber shutoff the water. The woman and her family returned home a day earlier than planned to deal with the problem, and find a new place to live.

The woman today received the following message:
"On this day of your life, Debby, I believe God wants you to know......that earthly possessions are not what you came here to gather. Do not worry about your earthly possessions. Place your attention on your heavenly goal--the evolution of your soul--and you will find peace even while on earth. You will not have to think but a second to know exactly why you received this message today"

Incredibly inspiring sharing of wisdom, at least I think so.

Our culture leads us to believe he or she who has the most toys wins. Wins what exactly? Even those who allegedly have so-called everything, fortune, fame, etc., they at times are still unhappy and unfulfilled. What fulfills us is that which lifts our spirit.

"A meaningful life is not being rich, popular, being highly educated or being perfect ... It is about being real, being humble, being strong and being able to share ourselves and touch the lives of others. It is only then we could have a full, happy and contended life." - Unknown

I'm certain that's what every human desires, to have a full, happy and contended life.

Last Night's Dream

My husband and I were in a newer townhome either on NW Capitol Hill or otherwise near to Seattle's Eastlake neighborhood. We had a view of Lake Union from across Interstate 5. A seaplane coated in branding representing one of our local lifestyle TV news programs took off from the lake, buzzed the freeway and the home we were in while spraying some sort of fog out its tail. I noticed the window before me was open, so I closed it just before the spray hit. It was like a crystallized or frozen sort of white foam. This must be some form of chemical. I thought it a good idea to find something to collect a sample in, so I went into the kitchen and fumbled around looking for an airtight container. It was then when I awoke ...

Interpretations
Airplane (no definition for Seaplane found): To see an airplane in your dream indicates that you will overcome your obstacles and rise above to a new level of prominence and status. You may experience a higher consciousness, newfound freedom and greater awareness. Perhaps you need to gain a better perspective or wider view on something. If the airplane is taking off, then it suggests that an idea or plan is about to "take off" and be put into action. It may also represent your need to get away and escape from your daily life.

Chemicals: To see or use chemicals in your dream, signifies that you are undergoing some transformation and individuation process.

Window: Looking through a window represents insight and attitude towards life. What you see out the window, whether it's a positive or negative view, suggests how optimistic or pessimistic you are in general. To see windows in your dream, signifies bright hopes, vast possibilities and insight. To dream you are looking out a window, signifies your outlook on life, your consciousness, point of view, awareness and intuition. You may be reflecting on a decision and seeking guidance. Or you need to go out into the larger world and experience life.

Purpose

Lately I've felt more and more drawn toward having a more profound sense of purpose in my life. Even as a child I had envisioned serving a greater good.

With so much that ails our world and humanity, it's really challenging to choose where to begin focus one's positive energy. Is it in the direction of what's most urgently needed? Is it in the direction of what will have the greatest impact?

For me, I think it's starting small and gravitating toward what I'm most passionate about. So far what I feel most impassioned by is love, truth and the dissemination of both.

Love is the greatest and most challenging of all. Love requires us to love ourselves and others especially when appearing to be least deserving of it. It requires one to relinquish ego altogether and purely come from the heart.

Truth is elusive in our time of corporate-owned mass media. Sometimes we get a little truth. Sometimes we just get what we get and it's not true at all. A lack of truth is the price we all pay for not paying directly for content itself.

I'm just going to continue sharing thoughts, and we'll see where this leads ...

Choosing Belief

Just a brief follow up to the previous post "Seeking Truth." Those mired in belief create their own truth. I felt it important to acknowledge this. In essence, we each create our own meaning of life. We can choose to believe people are inherently good. We can choose to believe people are inherently bad. We can choose to love people. We can choose to condemn people. Ask yourself to the core of your being, what kind of a world do you wholeheartedly want to live in?

Verum Quaero "Seeking Truth"

Truth is most often used to mean in accord with fact or reality,[1] or fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal.[1]

Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a conjecture or premise to be true.[1]

I'd like to make some clarifications about these two very well known English words; truth and belief. Truth is fact, which can be proven. Belief is an idea requiring blind faith absent any requirement of evidence. This distinction is of particular importance in cases where religion is applied upon governance. In this application, those rooted in belief are usually delusional about the truth, acting as if these two words were one in the same. They are not only not the same, they are very different.

The belief perspective is a wreckless one contrary to what religious doctrine itself states about misrepresenting or not telling the truth. Many religious organizations would refer to the practice of misinformation or not telling the truth as a lie and/or sin. Interesting the word "lie" is contained within the word "belief." Just an observation.

For a society of people to function in a healthy manner, the public must be able to make choices based on a broad spectrum of information rooted in truth. Anything less than the truth is grossly negligent, depriving people of justice and basic human decency.

So my question to you, do you believe government tells you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God? If government were being completely truthful and always acting with utmost integrity in the best interest of the people it serves, why would our government repeal American citizens' rights to free speech set forth in the United States Constitution through such "laws" as the "Patriot Act?"

Patriots (also known as Rebels, Revolutionaries, Congress-Men, or American Whigs) were those colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies that violently rebelled against British control during the American Revolution and in July 1776 declared the United States of America an independent nation. Their rebellion was based on the political philosophy of republicanism, as expressed by pamphleteers, such as Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Paine.

As a group, Patriots represented a wide array of social, economic, ethnic and racial backgrounds. They included lawyers like John Adams and Alexander Hamilton; planters like Thomas Jefferson and George Mason; merchants like Alexander McDougall and ordinary farmers like Daniel Shays and Joseph Plumb Martin.

It occurs for me as dishonest and arrogant to label an act which repeals our basic freedom of speech, among many other constitutional rights revocations, as patriotic. Our founding fathers fought valiantly in small numbers, sacrificing everything for freedom. Is history repeating itself? If so, how and at what point can we break this highly unproductive and volatile pattern of freeing ourselves only to once more find ourselves oppressed?

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." - Dr. William Ellery Channing, Sri Chinmoy Ghose, Jimi Hendrix 

Heavenly Stream & Are We Fuk'd?

Yesterday afternoon my acupuncturist administered me the "Heavenly Stream" treatment, saying most of his patients aren't healthy enough to receive it. This is really great news, especially for someone who has been suffering from chronic autoimmune disease/hypothyroiditis for more than a year.

I'm told in Chinese medicine the spleen is responsible for even distribution of energy throughout the body, and this treatment goes effectively to the heart of this. After receiving this treatment, I was advised to do things that support the Heavenly Stream.

"Such as?" I naturally asked.

"It's different for everyone," my acupuncturist said. "For me I find yoga very helpful. Things that really lift your spirit."

I felt a bit spacey after leaving the Sacred Garden Healing Center. On our way home my husband and I (still so fun to state that) did a bit of shopping at our favorite little consignment shop at the edge of Downtown Seattle. We found a couple gorgeous ceramic pieces, ones he had been eying and I had considered purchasing him for Christmas. I digress ...

Slept really well last night, a full eight hours. And I don't recall post treatment having much if any food sensitivity, which is a first in well over a year. Feel like I have my wizard of an acupuncturist and the Heavenly Stream to thank for these blessings.

To stay on course with the treatment, and because it's one of my New Year's resolutions, I did a 20 minute sitting meditation first thing this morning. Quickly recalling how luxurious it is to meditate, I feel like I should be able to keep with my intention and engage in practice for at least a few minutes each day.

Shortly after concluding this morning's practice, I noticed some chemtrails right over my home and neighborhood. For some reason I was driven to snap a photo of it.

(Sorry, I can't get this image verticle.) Notice the white trail in the center of the photograph. This is a view looking from my home out across my back garden around 9 AM on Jan. 4, '14.

From what I've read, and who knows what sources one can rely on in this day and age, chemtrails are distinguished from vaportrails because chemtrails linger for quite some time. I've also read the chemicals take about a day to fall back to the earth from their approximate 15,000 foot altitudes where they're released into the stratosphere. The chemicals commonly used in chemtrails/cloud seeding/geo engineering are aluminum, barium, bromine and strontium; all highly toxic to terrestrial life.

I've learned to notice with curiosity. So I did a little more chemtrail research today. Many would discount this topic as conspiracy theory. I'm pretty sure those people are either serving the ruling class or they are like most of us who really would rather not acknowledge their lives could ever be deplorably disrupted.

Then there are those, like myself, who take a wholehearted interest in nature and cannot help observing how much hazier our skies have become. "The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle," as the song goes. In the past couple decades, the last 10 years especially, this verse has nearly become a lie along with a nostalgic antiquity.

One media piece I viewed about chemtrails had a clip from the film The Road. That film has periodically haunted me since I first saw it a few years ago. I used to wonder how the world died since the film doesn't delve into it. Since learning about chemtrails, I'm now of the mind this film may be an uber poignant and timely commentary about the incredibly stupid or diabolical practice of geo engineering. Stupid if those responsible are doing this in the name of global warming. Diabolical if those responsible are doing this in the name of planetary population reduction and/or proliferation of foods engineered to resist these horrific toxins. My greater point is the realization of how plausible, even tangible, it is for humanity to kill our beautiful world.

I'm writing this in a way to be alarmist, just not in the way you might be thinking. I want to raise awareness, not fear. It would be natural for anyone to have fear around such a doomsday scenario. The ruling class wants us to be afraid. Fear paralyses and weakens the people, which makes the people easy to control.

Humanity has had the means to destroy ourselves and the world along with us since the dawn of the atomic age, probably even before. So why haven't we? It's fairly common knowledge the developed and developing nations are harming, even in the process of destroying, the planet's ecology; our habitat.

Here's the good news. If we have the power to destroy, we also have the power to create and restore. Think of all the incredible marvels humans have brought into reality. Our ideas first exist in a stream of consciousness. It takes just one person to tap into that consciousness, take hold of an idea and then take action to bring forth the idea into existence. Just the very thought we can restore our planet's ecology already creates the possibility of this being so.

Further into the day I did a yoga practice, which was very rewarding. Upon beginning my practice, I felt very heavy. Upon completing my practice, I felt very light/uplifted. Yet a short while later I stumbled upon a friend's concerning post about his recent trip to the Washington coast. A more elaborate version exists on his blog, which is entitled 'This Beach Looks Fuk'd:' http://toweringcrane.wordpress.com/2014/01/02/this-beach-looks-fukd/

The images are telling and disturbing. In his social media post, Richard relayed his discovery and put a call out for a Geiger counter. He received nearly 50 responses, including my offer to lend him mine. He phoned tonight, is coming by to pick it up this week. He'll then head back to the coast to take some readings, especially around this pink/purple slime he encountered along with the numerous aquatic carcases.

Richard is a recent cancer survivor. His query into Fukushima radiation washing ashore isn't about being alarmist. Most of us are well aware there's a lot of misinformation about this and likely a greater lack of information our governments are consciously withholding from us. Having the health challenges he's overcome, Richard is naturally very sensitive about these subjects. From my own experience I can very much relate to and appreciate this.

Elevated radiation is a fact of life since we first learned to split atoms. We've been living in a world with radiation for decades now. So some low level radiation may not be harmful. Thus getting more information is a matter of understanding our reality as it actually exists. Maybe there are measures we can take to mitigate risk and exposure. Ignorance isn't always bliss, though I'm pretty sure it mostly is (smiling).

During our conversation I relayed to Richard my recent toxicology screen, which revealed I have an elevated level of cesium. He asked which one, and I'm pretty sure it was either 137 or 134. He wants a copy of the report, which I should be able to get him in the coming week. Depending on what he finds at the coast, he may put together a short film about this.

From our conversation I gathered Richard and I have a similar mindset. We're both truth seekers, and the truth we seek is merely to be aware of what's going on in our world. We care. We give a shit. We want to help. He put it this way in one of his social media comments in response to his post about his coastal findings:

"... what we can do is stop buying into this paradigm of thinking which says the people governing our planet really have our best interests at heart, and that there might be other options for doing business on planet earth. Events like this will hopefully help people realize we need to stop giving them power - the amounts of radiation aren't important. What's important is no longer accepting a status quo that could kill us all eventually," wrote Richard, adding ...


"I think the bigger problem is us on a spiritual and moral level - letting big business dictate our mental, social, and ecological health. It puts us in these unnecessary crises (sorry, don't know the plural for crisis). I had cancer - and what fixed it was acknowledging the serious of it and then doing EVERYTHING IT TOOK TO FIX IT. That's something I don't see happening with Fukushima, and that's why I do think its a problem. Are there some doomsday scenarios? Sure. Everyday is doomsday these days. But there also opportunities to change. The chinese word for crises is 'Dangerous Opportunity.' That's what we have here I'm afraid."

For some time I've been pondering how I can contribute to a healthier world. Perhaps my way of contributing has been right in front of me for quite some time. I'm inspired by virtuous purpose. We'll see where the road leads ...

Are we Fuk'd? Possibly. Are we fucked? As long as humanity maintains sensibility, optimism and takes action from the heart, the possibility of a healthy future absolutely exists.

As I reflect on the Heavenly Stream, and think on ways I can support my treatment, eureka! I love sharing stories through the written word. More to follow soon.

Happy Newly Weds!

What an uber challenging, wonderously blessed & love-filled year 2013 has been! The year began as the previous year had ended, with chronic autoimmune illness. While I can't say I'm 100 percent healed, I have done an incredible amount of healing. The healing has taken an enormous amount of effort, expense and a complete dietary lifestyle transformation.

Most incredible of all, I married my husband in the thirteenth hour of the 11the day of the 12th month of the 13th year in this young millennium. 

We had planned to tie the proverbial knot earlier in 2013, and had not planned to move. Life clearly had other plans for us, including the sale of the condo we were renting, and of course my health challenges.

Our marriage plan had always been to elope with our officiant, our dearest friend Margo, to our home in Mexico where T proposed to me in March of 2011. Of course I said yes. We wanted our ceremony to be very intimate and authentic with as little pomp and circumstance as possible. We also very selfishly wanted the day to just be about us and our love we share vs. being about other people, which would be contrary to the point. Yes, completely outside of the typical “norm.” We would then have a celebratory reception with our beloved family and friends in Seattle a few weeks following. Both the move and health challenges took priority. So our union was placed on hold, unjustly pending better health …

As I continue working diligently to recover, I gained clarity about living each day fully with intention. Unbeknownst to T, our special day would commemorate nine years since the first time we laid eyes on one another in the same space we were first introduced, almost to the day.

In early December 2004, we were introduced by our business chamber’s executive director at an event hosted by the Seattle 5^th Avenue Theatre’s Producer’s Club. The week prior to the event Louise gushed about T to me. I had always thought of her as the Jewish mother I hadn’t ever recalled asking for and loved anyway. Unbeknownst to either of us at the time, this very business as usual event may very well have altered the course of both our lives because of one uber socially involved yenta.

That our plans were on hold indefinitely, it was only natural for one of us to wonder whether his fiancé still held to the same intention. Coming to realize this, I spent the following weeks planning, in secret, a day which would make my intention clear and hopefully sweep T off his feet.

On Wednesday, the 11th of December, 2013 just before one o’clock in the afternoon, I lured T to the Producer’s Club via one of T’s clients, top Seattle event guru Stephanie Solomon. T was expecting to meet with an out-of-town bride to begin brainstorming her wedding invitations. When he arrived, T was a bit thrown off as I greeted him at the door to the Producer's Club.

I brought Terry into the heart of the club and sang ‘Somebody’ by Depeche Mode to him. I then sat him down, got down on one knee and asked whether he would do me the honor of sharing a life together. When T said yes, photographers then entered and captured T’s surprise. I then asked if he wanted to tie the proverbial knot right then and there. He clamored, stating we needed Margo, my mom and his sister. I then called for the ladies to bring out our attire. My mom Patty (from Coeur D’Alene) and our dear Margo (from San Francisco) walked into the room bearing our formal attire along with his sister Missy. The rest is history, nearly.

Margo (pictured left) orchestrated an exceptionally beautiful ceremony. Just prior to the ceremony, and completely uncoordinated, both T's sister and my mom gave us something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

My mom took out a beautiful piece of embroidered fabric with the letter A monogrammed on it. It was my Great Grandma Mimi's handkerchief. Mimi gave this to my beloved Grandma when she got married. My Grandma gave this to my mom when she got married. And my mom gave it to me. My heart swells.

 

Our hearts full of love, everyone’s eyes glistened joyfully. After we said our ‘I do’s,’ we posed for some photos at the theatre, at Kerry Park and then our party met up at one of Seattle’s finest dining institutions, which opened just for us. We had an early supper in El Gaucho’s private wine cellar with a beautiful bottle of champagne T’s client Stephanie had awaiting our arrival. How she knew what we were doing after the theatre still puzzles us to this day.

After a delicious early supper and some cake, we said our farewells and headed to our suite at the Four Seasons where our dog Millie had been anxiously awaiting us. The hotel even gave her turn down service. We enjoyed treating ourselves to the hotel’s spa and a couple's massage, took Millie on a long walk around downtown (viewing the marvelous spectacle of holiday lights), did some shopping (thank you gifts for our bridal party at Tiffany's). We rode Seattle’s Great Wheel, which was a bit dizzying and spectacular nonetheless. All-in-all we had an exceptionally fine, even perfect, day in every way.

T has been asked several times if he was OK with me just doing what I did. He said he wouldn't have changed a thing. While I wouldn't change anything either, I would absolutely have loved for my late Grandma to have been physically present. This may seem odd, much of me feels as though she was there with us, not just in spirit, helping guide the day's events in perfect harmony.

A day well lived is a day fondly remembered, always ...