November
14
2012
Put A Label On It!!!
Why Proposition 37 failed to pass in this year’s election process boggles the mind? Is it because the big multi-national companies, such as Monsanto, General Foods and other co-horts spent a fortune on ads to mislead the public about the facts concerning GMO foods that simply the proponents of Proposition 37 were out-spent? So it always comes down to money, and not the safety of what’s good for the general public.
Please watch this video and hear from others on what you should know about genetically modified food – it’s like having Frankenstein over for dinner.
Watch: Just Label It
Now, join the rest of the human race and let’s demand that the government forces the manufacturers of genetically engineered food to put labels on their products!
We owe it to our children and the future of civilization!
October
17
2012
Obama had fire in his belly tonight. He spoke like a true leader with conviction and clarity. Now that’s the spirit of Obama that I became entranced with four years ago. All Mitt did during this evening’s Town Hall debate was repeat over and over again about how the last four years of the President’s term has not turned around the economy, increased jobs and reduce the deficit. He had nothing new to discuss other than his 5 point plan which is basically the same pudding that was served to the American people 12 years ago. And from what I understand, Mitt is a big supporter of off-shore drilling and building pipelines – more oil, less alternative energy.
We, as Americans, need to support the President for four more years so he can take us out of the Dark ages and put our country back on track. WE knew it was going to be a rough road when he took office, and considering the pile of crap he inherited from the Bush administration, the President has done extremely well. Moreover, he does not come from old money like “W” or George W’s father, and therefore, doesn’t have the financial muscle to advocate support for his policies. And Romney, a self-made millionaire, who will take care of his own, will more than likely protect the 1 %, and let the 99% fend for themselves. I, for one, don’t trust anything that comes out of Mitt’s mouth. I mean how he embellishes and distorts the truth is really just plain “weird”.
Our President’s back is against the wall, and we, the common people must re-elect Obama again for the next four years. We need to let him finish what he has set out to do.
October
12
2012
| The next time you need to buy a present for someone whether for a child or an adult, consider giving them the unique opportunity of fostering an orphaned elephant or rhinoceros? Instead of buying more toys or things that they will eventually grow tired of, this is the kind of gift they will treasure forever. |  |
| For Christmas I received such a gift. I am one of many sponsors of a baby female orphaned elephant named Dida who lives at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. A group of railway workers found her trapped inside a manhole. She was only four weeks old at the time. Her mother and family were nowhere in sight. If she had not been found by these concerned men, she would have faced certain death inside the manhole or would have been eaten by the local tribes who consider elephant meat a delicacy. |  |
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| After the baby elephant was pulled out of the manhole, the workers notified the Sheldrick Trust and soon a group of Keepers from the organization went out to retrieve little Dida. She was flown to the Trust Nursery in Nairobi where she is being properly nurtured and cared for. Through the support of the Sheldrick Orphan Project young elephants and rhinoceros are placed in a nursery where they are fed a particular milk formula, receive 24-hour care by the many keepers of the Trust, and are in close contact with the older orphans that become the baby’s extended family. This is a very crucial stage for the newcomers, as it provides the familial bond that is vitally necessary for their emotional well-being. |  |
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| With the help and devotion provided by the generous people of the Sheldrick Trust Orphan Project, the life of a young elephant or baby rhino that has lost its mother and family will receive the proper care and nurturing for the orphan to grow up and eventually be released back into the wild. This selfless act is also vital in sustaining the necessary growth of the elephant and rhinoceros population for without programs like the Orphan Project they would certainly meet a premature death and both species would always live under the threat of extinction. |
| Elephants are one of the most amazing species of animal life on the planet. Their emotional and familial instincts are so closely related to humans that some of these baby elephants can easily die of a broken heart if they aren’t quickly cared for. The time for senseless slaughtering of these magnificent animals must come to an end. No more poaching and butchering for ivory. No more acts of mutilation for the rhino’s horns. No more culling and mass murdering of these magnificent animals simply because their natural habitats have been dramatically reduced and had crossed boundaries with that of humans. Join the many caring people of the world who want to bring an end to the senseless killing of these majestic giants. |  |
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| You can help now. For in depth information about fostering an orphan elephant or rhino, visit the website of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust at: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org and see how easy it is to become a foster parent. This is a very special honor and one that will generate awareness of our animal kingdom and the great responsibility we have to protect them. |  |
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All photos of orphaned elephants and rhinoceros are copyrighted by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Organization.
February
13
2012
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No I didn’t attend the 54th Grammy Awards ceremony – but I did watch it, and there were a few high points of the event that were praise-worthy. The first being Willie Nelson singing Coldplay’s “ The Scientist” for the Chipotle commercial that aired – it was classic! Then the Chipotle commerical itself was superb (check it out). And what about Adele winning all six of her nominated categories? Epic! Congratulations Adele, may your voice always be strong and may you carry on singing in that authentic style of yours that is so rich and pure.
The other memorable moments at the Grammy’s was Jennifer Hudson singing “I Will Always Love You” in memory of the true diva goddess, Whitney Houston. Whitney’s songs will love on and so will her voice – we love you, Whitney — RIP . Last but not least, Macca and his super cool friends ripping a classic medley from the Beatle’s – Abbey Road album to close the show was a classic ending. Plus it was great to see Joe Walsh picking those strings again.
Now for the obvious odd moments at the Grammy’s – why were so many props needed to support these musicians? The Grammy’s is not Broadway. These are musicians and singers who use their instruments to entertain us. I’ve never seen so many stage props at a Grammy event. Thank goodness for Adele’s performance which was actually staged sans props and half-naked dancers. Then, OMG, Nicki Minaj delivering what was (IMO) a very surprising and most bizarre (provocative) act somewhat synomous to the Exorcist movie. And, I certainly didn’t understand a word she uttered – I guess that’s because she was possessed — wonder what the Catholic church has to say about that act? And then there were all these duets that didn’t really match up. For instance, Rhianna and Coldplay – didn’t get that one! And pairing up the venerable Tony Bennett with Carrie Underwood wasn’t exactly a hit – I’m not an expert but I do have a musical background and there was just no chemistry at all. At least two of my fav female artists Bonnie Raitt and Alicia Keyes bested the duo acts when they paid tribute to the late Etta James singing her classic “Sunday Kind of Love” — they were on it!
Paying homage to the living legends who have entertained people for decades is a very good thing to do at these award ceremonies –because they’re the pioneers. They’re the ones who paved the way for the new generation of musical geniuses. Watching the surviving members of the Beach Boys giving us a preview of what they will be performing during their 50th Anniversary Reunion tour was touching – one does really miss those good old days when Dennis Wilson was beating the drums to the Beach Boys singing the epitome of California life. Their music still lives on, and Mike Love still looks cool in his classic baseball style hats. Kudos to Maroon 5 and Foster the People for their rendition of the Beach Boys classic “Surfer Girl” hit song – painful to listen to, but they did try!
And what about Glen Campbell – he’s another living legend who needs to be remembered for his countless hit songs. I thought Blake Shelton did a great job in his rendition of “Rhinestone Cowboy” and there was a moment when he actually sounded like Glen Campbell – well done!
There are so many talented people waiting to be discovered, and there are many great performers who have been discovered, and then there are the legends who have inspired and paved the way for the new generation of talent – thank you for giving us your voice, your music and your heart!
January
20
2012
I am always amazed at how certain past events stand out in my mind as if it had just happened a few months ago rather than decades. And in those between bits of my earthly existence I can’t recall no matter how hard I try. It makes me wonder whether those memorable events are the signposts that guide or prod us on a certain path, and the everyday bit — the chore, the grind of living life, is like breathing – we just take it for granted and it happens on its own.
There are many who believe that before we are born our soul makes definite choices as to what it wishes to learn, so that we may burn off our karma and fulfill our destiny or “true purpose”. The dilemma of course is to know what is our destiny and how to go about fulfilling it? I’ll bet there’s very few of us with little or no clues as to what we have committed to do in this lifetime, and perhaps that is where fate has a significant part to play. Fate calls us to attention and knocks us back onto the path when we stray too far from our true purpose. Fate is that unseen force that can seem harsh and impulsive. Sometimes it can shake us up which seems unjust, but often times it is through hardship that we can be led back onto the right path. So is destiny something preordained for our soul and is fate something that seemingly happens to us to keep us from straying off the beaten path?
I would like to think that life is much finer than just burning off karma. If it were as simple as that, then all of us would inevitably tread carefully on this journey, and think clearly before we act or react to person, place or thing. I have honestly asked myself this question: “If I had known from the outset what lessons I needed to learn in this life, would I have done anything differently thus far?” This is the gazillion dollar question and one which I have no answer. I want to believe that life is unfolding as it should. Yet there are those obstacles I call “meisms” that have ostensibly kept me from realizing my “true purpose”. The meisms are conditioned habits from when we were young that keeps us bound to the self-conscious or self-centeredness that makes the world revolve around the “ME”.
Therefore, like an archaeologist, I must go digging into the past, and like any process that is worthwhile, the task requires considerable patience and courage — patience because it can be a long and arduous process, and courage because it requires one to face or see some event or incident that had caused great pain or suffering and had seemingly been swept under the carpet. Once I see it — is it as simple as just “letting go of it”? Is it as easy as emptying the bin of unwanted or useless data from the computer so the computer can operate faster and more efficient. Perhaps so, but I won’t know until I can actually face it head on. Afterall, everything, and I mean everything is a projection of the mind, as well as pre-ordained. So if my mind is responsible for projecting my reality, then my mind is also responsible for projecting its destiny. And if that is a truth, then letting go of the past should be quite painless. We’ll see!
Stay tuned . . .