On the Edge of 09

I passed a quiet Christmas with my friends Shanti and Tony in our peaceful home in California. We did the usual of sleeping late or as late as we could outside of our normal sleep schedules. We gathered in the living room with our two shitzus and opened an array of gifts. However, this Christmas was unique for me in other ways. It was only the second time I had been away from my family for this holiday. The first time was in Chicago and I was completely alone on Christmas day. It was very lonely and I vowed never to be in that situation again. I think I didn't fly home because of lack of flying money. This year, as then, I chose not to go home because I have very recently moved to California from Florida. However, unlike in Chicago, I felt loved and cared for on Christmas morning. I was with people who wanted me with them, just like family. Also, this was the first year ever that I was delighted by everything I received. There wasn't a single item that I wanted to return or wasn't right for me. It's not about the gifts, but it's disturbing when those closest to you don't know you well enough to give want you like. After the gifting was over, we went out for brunch at the local IHOP, not because it was our first (or second, or third, or any) choice but because it was open. Later we went to see Milk at the cinema in Ventura. We had set out for Santa Barbara but couldn't find a cinema playing it at a convenient time nor a warm place to hang out while we waited. So we drove through the hills and along the coast just to see what we could see until we made our way back down to Ventura. Just prior to slipping into our cinema seats, we made a pit stop at Starbucks for something warm. The day was chilly and overcast with periods of light, misty rain. I loved the movie. Have you seen it? It's kind of a docu-drama based on the life of Harvey Milk (played by Sean Penn) who was a gay rights activist in the 60's, 70's, and 80's until he was assassinated by a jealous coworker. His remarkable life was cut short like so many others who strive for change but his life's work should never be forgotten. It's sad that we are still fighting for gay rights in this country today. It's inconceivable to me why people seek to see the differences between us instead of that which brings us together like our humanity, our culture, our nation. The right to love and care for another and benefit from another should not be subject to public vote. It should not be governed by laws. So we continue working on that and other pressing matters. After the film, we went back to our house and watched another film called Blume in Love starring George Segal and Susan Anspach. It's basic premise was man falls in love, man cheats on wife, wife leaves him, man sows wild oats, man seeks out wife who has her own life, man wants wife back, man rapes wife and impregnates her, wife takes man back. It wasn't as crude as it sounds from my mini description but that was the basic story.

And now we sit on the edge of 09, five days from going over. I wonder what the new year will bring but without any trepidation. I know I'm where I'm supposed to be and my life is sweet.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Be.

Equality Speaks for Itself

Please Don't Overfeed the Fish

President Barack Obama

Find Your Inner Element

I took the "Chinese Elements" quiz on gURL.com
I am... Fire The ancient Yin-Yang scholars saw fire types as adventure-seekers who like constant change. Do you love a good party--and sometimes getting into a little trouble? Fire people have a way with words and friends enjoy listening to their stories nearly as much as they enjoy telling them. Read more... What chinese element are you?

La Conchita's Driftwood Tree

In California we do it differently

In California everything is different. The ocean is on the other side, there are mountains and hills, the weather is warm during the day and downright chilly at night, it's the surfer capital of the world (alright, maybe Hawaii is), it's the home of the movies, and the place where countless careers, corps, and trends start and end. It's also the place where Christmas trees can be seen made out of driftwood. In La Conchita, where I live, the community collects driftwood from our own semi-private beach and creates a neighborhood tree which we put up in the middle of town. This is the first year I've been able to take part in this tradition and I feel honored to be a part of this unique tradition.

Merry Christmas California Style!

Gautam Buddha

Thank the Universe for Good Friends!

I have been so blessed with the most amazing and giving group of friends a person could have. This has been true all my life and I know it will continue to be so. I try to be the kind of friend I want others to be for me and the Universe returns to you what you send out to it. One only has to put this idea to the test to see the results. However, the principle of getting back what you put out is not what this post is really about. I just wanted to take this moment to thank all my life long friends for being there when I needed them and for letting me into their lives.

Shanti, Tony, Maria, Lisa, Celia, Christina, Lock & Suzanne, Matt, Bonnie, Fred, Heather & Boris, Jacque, Jamie, Micah, Lisa K. & Mike, Lila, Ruthann, Tamara, Karen, Rob & Jim, Paul & Nicole, Koa, Karma & Zen, and so many others.

Thank you all and Happy Holidays!

All I want for Christmas is a man for me!

Dear Santa,

This year there is only one thing I want which should really make it easy, so easy, for you to provide. Well, okay, it's not so much one thing, it is one item, well, one person. Yes, I want a person, well, a boyfriend. As you may or may not know, since I don't write you all that often, in fact, I'd say I haven't written you in many, many years. Probably the last time was, well, hm, I must have been eightish. I'm now forty-one and still bloody single. Sorry, but come on. Surely there's someone out there for me. Surely. I'll describe him and you can make him. Okay? Now, let's see.

1. love me, want me.
2. be open to Buddhism, Reiki, and herbalism.
3. have a great smile and dig my sarcastic humor.
4. care about other people as much as, or more than, himself.
5. be creative in whatever he does and support my creative pursuits too.
6. be ruggedly handsome like those dreamy handymen on HGTV.
7. be as adventurous in his own backyard as he is in the world.
8. be at least as tall as me, if not taller. So 6'3"+.
9. have blue or hazel eyes. Eyes I can loose myself in.

I think that'll do it. Surely you of all people can provide this one, small gift by December 25th. Can't you? Thanks in advance! I'll be sure to leave organic oatmeal raison cookies out for you. I know you love them best.

Tia Meer in her organic Garden

Story below.

Florida Couple Gets Off the Grid

A couple living off-grid by the shores of the Econlockhatchee River, Florida, are about to be featured in an upcoming issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, which has about 2.7 million readers.

“They found us on the Internet,” said Tia Meer, 28. “They sent an entire crew here and spent five hours. My face hurt from smiling so much.”

Oprah Winfrey’s crew found Terry Meer and Tia Silvasy Meer down a leaf-strewn gravel path, their home sitting on 10-foot concrete stilts.

Remote Technology

They built the little log house in east Orange County and added an array of solar panels. Its galvanized metal roof is equipped with rain catchers that send water into a cistern. And with water from a well to augment what’s stored in rain barrels, they are effectively free from modern utilities.

They can still surf the Internet at night with laptop computers and use cell phones driven by batteries.

Ecomagination

Tia Meer is the founder and president of the Simple Living Institute, an Orlando group started in 2002 to promote a less-polluting lifestyle. It promotes ideas such as using reusable cloth shopping bags and growing vegetables.

“If you look back just 60 or 80 years ago, most people living in Florida grew most of their own food and were fairly independent,” she said. “We say, why not go back to that?”

Tia Meer said the couple hatched the idea back when they were students at the University of Central Florida interested in the environment.

Terry Meer learned long ago about conservation and making do with less. He was born in Miami on a sailboat; many of his younger years were spent living on the boat with his parents, three siblings and a dog.

“On the boat you learn to conserve everything, especially water,” he said.

It has taken the couple about 18 months of nights and weekends — and free labor from friends — to build the Florida Cracker-style house with a wraparound porch. The traditional design also includes tinted, double-pane windows with argon gas between the panes for extra insulation. The walls are sprayed with synthetic-foam insulation, so it takes very little energy to keep the house warm.

The steeply pitched metal roof has wide overhangs to protect the porch from sun and rain and shade the interior during the hot summer months.

It has cost them about $150,000, in part because they’re building it themselves.

Tia Meer kept her day job at Lake Front Design as a native-plants expert, helping property owners identify and remove invasive plants. Terry Meer took a year off from running his Orlando-based consulting company, Alternative Concepts, which designs energy-efficient systems for new and existing homes.

Heat comes from a small wood stove. In the summer, they plan to cool their bedroom with a single-room air conditioner. The design of the house — including the pitched roof and 10-foot pillars — creates natural cross-ventilation.

Organic Gardens

They also have five organic gardens, a small mushroom farm, a composting area and fruit orchards — including mangoes, avocados and tangerines — on the property.

They recycle everything. Even water from their showers gets piped to the banana grove.

“We hope we can educate and inspire people,” Tia Meer said. “This can be a better, simpler life. We can grow our own food. Power our house. Everything we need we have right here.”

The Meers built the 1,024-square-foot, one-story house to demonstrate that people can live comfortably and still leave less of an impact on the environment.

“We want to show people that it’s possible, so what better way than for us to do it ourselves,” he said.

They’re getting their wish and a national audience.
Section:

* NEW PIONEER — by spy_vondega @ 11 Dec 2008

My Front Yard

Okay, it's not really my front yard but it is directly across the street from my neighborhood and the residents do have a private tunnel to it. It rocks!

Just Pretty

I luv trees. This walk actually bordered the railroad tracks on one side and the ocean on the other. I came this way on the way to the seal beach below. It doesn't even seem like the same day.

Far Below the Seals will Go

I found this beach while hiking along the Carpinteria bluffs which is a protected refuge. There are signs all along the cliffs warning people not to startle the seals who are very shy. You can't see any seals in this pic, but they're out there. I saw a pair playing in the surf.

Man lived Here for 8 Years!

The local story from our landlord Rob is that a bohemian, off-the-grid, daily surfer and fisherman built this driftwood hut on the beach and lived in it as his daily residence for eight years. Inside there is a fire pit, two stumps for chairs, and about 10 square feet of living space. Cozy.

Ajahn Brahm and Buddhist Sensuality

Sex invariably spells trouble, says Dalai Lama

LAGOS (AFP) – The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual and temporal leader, on Friday said sex spelt fleeting satisfaction and trouble later, while chastity offered a better life and "more freedom."

"Sexual pressure, sexual desire, actually I think is short period satisfaction and often, that leads to more complication," the Dalai Lama told reporters in a Lagos hotel, speaking in English without a translator.

He said conjugal life caused "too much ups and downs.

"Naturally as a human being ... some kind of desire for sex comes, but then you use human intelligence to make comprehension that those couples always full of trouble. And in some cases there is suicide, murder cases," the Dalai Lama said.

He said the "consolation" in celibacy is that although "we miss something, but at the same time, compare whole life, it's better, more independence, more freedom."

Considered a Buddhist Master exempt from the religion's wheel of death and reincarnation, the Dalai Lama waxed eloquent on the Buddhist credo of non-attachment.

"Too much attachment towards your children, towards your partner," was "one of the obstacle or hindrance of peace of mind," he said.

Revered by his followers as a god-king, the Dalai Lama arrived in Lagos on Friday on a three-day visit following an invitation from a foundation to attend a conference. He has made no political speeches in the west African country.

He leaves Friday night for the Czech Republic and then on to Brussels to address the European Parliament before heading to Poland, where he is due to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The 73-year-old Nobel Peace laureate has been a mainstay on the diplomatic stage ever since he fled his native land for neighbouring India in 1959.

Still based in northern India, the Dalai Lama has increasingly been in the spotlight since protests in Tibet turned violent in March this year, just months before the Chinese capital Beijing hosted the Summer Olympic Games.

Regarded by his many supporters outside China as a visionary in the vein of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his accent on non-violence to achieve change.

However, he is reviled by the Chinese government, which has branded him a "monster" and accused him of trying to split the nation.

http://www.marionpolkfoodshare.org/

Libra Horoscope Good for All on this Thanksgiving Day

Just follow your mood today, and wherever it leads you will be the right place for you to be. If you're feeling depressed, you're feeling depressed for a reason -- so don't try to cheer yourself up. And if you're ecstatically happy, you're ecstatically happy for a reason. Do not try to make yourself feel a certain way -- especially for the sake of making other people comfortable. They can deal with you however you are, as long as you are your usual polite self.

Once Again, Florida's Anti-gay Adoption Ban Ruled "Unconstitutional"

For the second time this year, a Florida Circuit Court Judge has ruled that Florida’s 30-year-old adoption ban is unconstitutional.

Today, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman declared Florida's anti-gay adoption ban unconstitutional. In the 53-page ruling, Judge Lederman said, "It is clear that sexual orientation is not a predictor of a person's ability to parent.''

As a result of today’s ruling, Frank Gill, a gay man from North Miami, will move forward with the adoption of his two foster sons, 8 and 4 year-old half brothers, whom he has raised since 2004.

Gill was represented by the ACLU of Florida while the Florida Attorney General's Office, representing the Department of Children and Families, opposed the adoption. Representatives of the Attorney General said they would file an appeal.

This past September, Florida Circuit Court Judge David J. Audlin Jr. also ruled Florida's infamous, anti-gay adoption ban "unconstitutional."

In his ruling, Judge Audlin said the ban violates the Constitution's separation of powers by preventing decisions from being made on a case-by-case basis, and for the betterment of each child. He added that the ban contradicts state law by singling out one group for punishment. Most importantly, Judge Audlin declared that this adoption was clearly in the child's best interest.

The adopted 13 year-old, who also has special needs and learning disabilities, has been raised in Key West by his openly gay foster parent since 2001 when the Department of Children and Families placed him there. Social work studies highly recommended the adoption, stating it was a "loving and nurturing home" with fair discipline and financial security. The boy has also testified at a recent hearing himself, saying that he wants the man to be his "forever father."

Equality Florida has been working with our legislative allies in Tallahassee for the past 3 year to undo the harm caused by Florida’s anti-gay adoption ban. We are working toward the day when "best interest of the child" is the only criteria judges use to place children in loving, nurturing homes.

Today's ruling adds one more crack to the crumbling, bigoted foundation on which Florida's disgraceful, 30-year-old anti-gay adoption ban rests.

Nepal's "Buddha Boy"

Nepal 'Buddha Boy' returns to jungle

KATHMANDU (AFP) – A young man believed by followers to be a reincarnation of Buddha has returned to Nepal's jungles to meditate alone, police said Saturday, as scholars cast doubt on his supporters' claims.

Known as the "Buddha Boy," Ram Bahadur Bomjam, 18, became famous in 2005 after supporters said he could meditate motionless for months without water, food or sleep.

"Bomjam went back into the jungle late Friday and all the devotees have left," police officer Gobinda Kushwaha told AFP from Neejgad, a town in Bara District, 60 kilometres (37.5 miles) south of Kathmandu.

The "Buddha Boy" reappeared earlier this month after supporters said in March 2007 that he was going to meditate for three years in an underground bunker, although he was spotted on two occasions.

For the last 10 days, he has been blessing thousands of devotees who came daily to the site in dense jungle close to Neejgad.

The president of the Nepal Buddhist Council said claims by his supporters that he was a reincarnation of Siddartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, were not credible.

"We do not believe he is Buddha. He does not have Buddha's qualities," said Mahiswor Raj Bajracharya, president of the Nepal Buddhist Council, a centre for Buddhist study and research in Kathmandu.

"He may have achieved great heights in meditation, but that alone does not make him a Buddha. A Buddha needs life experience, a young man who has not seen the world at all cannot be a Buddha," said Bajracharya.

Despite being officially secular under the new Maoist government, Nepal -- where around 80 per cent of people are Hindu and 11 per cent are Buddhist -- remains a deeply spiritual place.

"This is a country where people worship idols and stones, and everyone educated or not believes in the supernatural," the Buddhist scholar said.

Some 7,000 people gathered Friday to hear the youth speak.

"Materialism has brought forth fear, worry and disputes and has created war in this country. One should follow religion and philosophy for inner happiness," Bomjam told the crowds in a 15-minute address.

People joined a six-kilometre (3.75-mile) queue to be blessed, a wait that 43-year-old farmer Singha Bahadur Tamang said was worthwhile.

"This is a miracle and he is the reincarnation of Lord Buddha himself," said Tamang, who traveled eight hours by bus to hear Bomjam speak.

"I've been here for the last 10 days and the feeling is amazing. I really feel at peace here," he said.

The head of the committee that organises events around Bomjam insists he survives without food and water.

"We have never seen him eat or drink and we believe he's a god in human form," said Bed Bahadur Thing, president of the Buddha Jungle Meditation Conservation and Prosperity Committee.

At the height of Bomjam's fame, a French TV crew filmed the youth eating fruit and an AFP correspondent caught him napping.

On Friday, visitors to the jungle site put money into collection boxes, though Thing declined to say how much had been collected.

"Many people say we're just doing this for the money, but we have expenses for volunteers, food, security and maintenance," he said.

"After he has gone back into the jungle, we will make our accounts public."

by Sam Taylor, Sat Nov 22, 4:31 am ET

California Dreaming

Our final day on the road, I drove approximately 400 some odd miles. Shanti pulled a rare turn and woke up long before the sun. We both got going really early so we could make it to the house by early afternoon. The driving was relatively uneventful except for the mounting traffic as we approached Los Angeles. Our route had us skirt the worst parts of the city but we couldn't escape all of it. However, what a delight we were to find when we pulled into our new community. It's literally nestled into the side of a hill with the ocean on one side. La Conchita is a very small and eclectic community of unique homes and mobile homes placed hodge-podge over about 3-4 acres of land. The residents are all very friendly and we have a nice mix of artists, surfers, retired folks, and others. There isn't any commercial enterprises in the community at all. We are literally on the cusp of Ventura County and Santa Barbara County and the next closest town is Carpinteria. Each of the little beach towns around us have a unique character and lots of charm. On different days throughout the week, we can find a farmer's market wit a wide variety of organic produce. There are also the usual mix of commercial groceries and a wide variety of independent shops and restaurants. On our first night here, our neighbor took us to this cool frozen yogurt place called Yum Yum Frozen Yogurt where you make your own sundae your own way, like a salad bar, and then the cost is by weight. Mmmmm! Shanti loves that there are lots of vegan and vegetarian restaurants. One place in Carpinteria feeds the community for free on Thanksgiving. The whole area is stunning and the view from our balcony is of the Pacific. It's all good.

Day 5: We're not in Florida Anymore

Waking in New Mexico was like having your life given back to you after a long prison sentence. I awoke with a renewed sense of well being and began to feel as though we were really going somewhere. I got up kind of early, as usual, while Shanti slept for awhile more. I met the crisp morning air with the girls in tow and we took a leisurely walk around the hotel grounds. Later, after we all got going, the girls decided to hang out in the truck while Shanti and I went to the (We still believe and support segregation) Cracker Barrel for a light breakfast. Yesterday's drive was relatively uneventful as we breezed through desert landscapes and waved to passing saguaro cacti. We were blessed with peaceful landscapes, good weather, and light traffic. As we went through Tucson AZ, we saw some amazing mosaics created on highway overpasses and houses that actually complimented the landscape like an extension of the earth itself. The desert is wide open and desolate with small pockets of people scattered throughout like pioneer settlements of the old west. It was so nice not to see any urban sprawl or sign of suburbia. Of course the day was not without mishap. At the start of the day, we pulled into a gas station and got the truck a bit too close to the gas pump. Somehow we managed to get a pole between the back of the truck and the front of the car dolly. It looked liked those Chinese puzzle rings. It took lots of team work to get us out of that one and back on the road.

"Right, go right!"
"Back up, s-l-o-w-l-y."
"Extreme right."
"Stop!"
"Back up."
"Stop!"
"Extreme right."
"Stop."
"Come look."
"What should we do?"
"Back up."
"Stop!"
"Back up."
"Please Buddha."

And then at the end of the day, we decided to roll on through Tucson and look for overnight lodging on down the road. As we came through Gila Bend AZ looking for 85 North, we made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in the middle of nowhere on some frontage road. We had been in this predicament before when we encountered a border patrol station and had to back up then too. Thankfully, this time we could turn around and as we headed back into Gila Bend, we came across the coolest kitsch motel called The Space Age Lodge. Finding this place was such a treat as I had featured it in a book I worked on when I was in publishing in Chicago. The book was called Roadside Americana and featured all kinds of roadside attractions across the U.S. This very motel in Gila Bend was one of those stops. Weird. The place is like something out of the Jetsons (decor wise), kind of what was thought in the 60s to be space age. Fun. We pigged out in the restaurant surrounded by murals of NASA space walks and pictures of the space program. Later, I crashed like a lost flying saucer into peaceful dreams at last.

Day 4: Strangers in a Strange Land

Another small town somewhere in the deepest pits of Hell. This was the setting at the start of our fourth day in Hell. Admittedly, the terrain began to improve as it became deceivingly like Arizona, lots of mountains and sage brush. Although we also encountered more road kill than I've ever seen in one place. It was very disturbing. Thankfully the traffic was pretty light in this region of Hell. People are either trying to get out or aimlessly driving around. At one point, we entered a forest of windmills. It was kind of amazing. Huge monolithic turbines covering mountain tops but sitting listlessly in the dead air. There were miles of them but they seemed like some forgotten relic of another age. We stopped for a brief respite, probably right in the middle of Hell, at a "pleasant" and warm hilltop poop & piss place. Shanti took pictures of the mountain in the background and then one of the dogs and me. We set a goal for Las Cruces, New Mexico no matter what. We had, HAD, to get out of Hell that day. I can't tell you how miserable the energy is in that state or how it pulls down one's resolve and overall well being. We took "run for the border" to a new turbo-charged level. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, which is all of Hell, we stopped briefly at an IHOP for grilled tilapia. This was the only healthy meal we had had since leaving Florida on Friday. Our food fare has been predominantly pizza and snacks. Uhg. Anyway, we finally hit the El Paso county line and were momentarily elated except for the fact that El Paso itself was still a million miles further down the road. Slowly the traffic began to build as we followed a long stream of red brake lights into El Paso proper. If you've never been to this border town of Hell, I recommend never ever going there. I've never seen such a depressing, dirty, and sleazy place. It was like a run down Vegas or something out of Blade Runner. Dark, dreary, polluted. We put on the Reiki both for protection and to clear a way through the ever thickening traffic that seemed to want to close us in forever. Whether it was the Reiki or our own sense of hope, or both, we soon found ourselves nearly on the other side of the city and the exits began dwindling down to 1. When we finally crossed over into New Mexico, it was as if the energy all around us lifted. It was a gift of the Divine. I literally got chills up and down my spine just moments into New Mexico. As we made it to Las Cruces and saw a sign for a La Quinta, we decided not to fool around trying to find any other hotels. We knew from our first night on the road that La Quinta's were dog friendly and nice places for a night's rest. Shanti received some amazing good fortune from a complete stranger who gave her a coupon to get the room for a song. I think she sang This Land is Your Land or may be it was Kumbuya. We eventually settled in our room with Caesars salads, oatmeal raisin cookies, WiFi, and cable TV for a good nights rest. Thank you god!

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama will make his historic fourth visit to the University of California Santa Barbara in April 2009

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give two lectures at the UC Santa Barbara Events Center, on Friday, April 24: “The Nature of Mind” (9:30–11:30 a.m.) and “Ethics for Our Time” (2:00–4:00 p.m.).

This will be the fourth visit His Holiness has made to UC Santa Barbara, and the first since an endowed professorship – the XIV Dalai Lama Chair in Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies – was created in his honor in 2001.

All events are open to the public. Please see the Program/Tickets page for information on attending the lectures, and to purchase tickets.

Please Send Reiki and Love to Victims of CA Wildfires

Santa Barbara News-Press

California firefighters make gains on fires
JUSTIN PRITCHARD, Associated Press Writer
November 17, 2008 2:11 AM

DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (AP) - Firefighters aided by Mother Nature continued to make gains early Monday on three raging wildfires that reduced hundreds of homes to ash and cinders and forced thousands of residents to flee in Southern California.

Ferocious Santa Ana winds finally abated after fanning the blazes that have destroyed more than 800 houses, mobile homes and apartments since Thursday night from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and counties to the east. In all, the fires burned more than 35,000 acres or 55 square miles.

In Orange and Riverside counties, the fires chewed through nearly 24,000 acres and were pushing toward Diamond Bar in Los Angeles county. A major aerial attack on Sunday raised containment to 19 percent.

Meanwhile, a 15 square-mile fire that hit hard in the Sylmar area of northern Los Angeles on Saturday had moved into the Placerita Canyon area of the rugged San Gabriel Mountains and was burning vigorously, but well outside the city. It was 40 percent contained.

The Santa Barbara-area fire that swept through tony Montecito has burned 3 square miles and was 80 percent contained.

Far away from the flames, the gains may not have been readily apparent. The smell of smoke pervaded metropolitan Los Angeles. Downtown skyscrapers were silhouettes in an opaque sky and concerns about air quality kept many people indoors. Organizers on Sunday canceled a marathon in suburban Pasadena where 8,000 runners had planned to participate.

Officials warned of another bad air day on Monday, and classes were canceled at dozens of schools near the fire zones in Orange County.

Many evacuees began the agonizing process of making their way back to their destroyed homes.

Starting Monday morning anxious residents of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar, where 484 homes were destroyed by fire early Saturday, will be allowed to return to inspect their property. Firefighters were able to save about 120 other homes in the community, but many were badly damaged.

Cadaver dogs had been searching the burned units to determine whether anybody perished during the fast-moving fire, but so far no bodies have been found, police said.

Tracy Burns knew her Sylmar home was gone but still wanted to get into the gated community to see what remained.

''Even those of us who know there's nothing left, we want to go in and kick over the rubble and see if we can find something, anything,'' Burns said.

Tears welled in her partner Wendy Dannenberg's eyes as she echoed: ''If I can find one broken piece of one dish - anything, anything at all.''

AP-WS-11-17-08 0509EST
All Content Copyright © 2008 Santa Barbara News-Press / Ampersand Publishing, LLC unless otherwise specified.

Day 3: The Freeway is Closed

Alright, I think I'm getting the hang of Shanti time. In Shanti time, no one wakes until well after sunrise and there's really no action until nearly noon. So, somewhere around 11 we got back on the road with the intention of making it to El Paso. Unfortunately, in order to get to El Paso, one must first pass through San Antonio. Now, I can't explain why or how it is, but each time Shanti takes the wheel, we drive through very trafficy urban environs with bad roads and confusing thoroughfares. Yesterday it was ...

No Dogs Allowed in Houston

and today it was ...

The Freeway is Closed in San Antonio.

For real. Traffic came to a complete stop and we gazed in shock at the long, very long, to the distant horizon, long ass line of traffic sitting in the Texas sun going nowhere. I think we edged about a foot every five minutes or so. Then the lanes began to diminish and of course the lanes we were in were the ones you had to vacate. Now, you know what it's like trying to get across tight traffic in a car. Now imaging doing the same thing in a mini-semi. No one wants to let you across and even though you could just barrel on over, you don't want to damage other cars in the process. Needless to say, it involved a lot of nail biting and pigging out on absolute crap cause there's no such thing as good food when you're on the road. As we edged along slower than the slowest snail, we came upon an exit and Shanti believed there must surely be a way around this mess and anything would be better than the mess we were in. So we exited, took a left, and headed up a mountain toward an out of season Six Flags park and a remote Westin Resort and Spa. I volunteered to go inside the resort and ask for directions. What I didn't know is I would need directions to just find my way around the resort. Sadly, after locating the concierge desk, I learned there's no other way around the nightmare on I-10 and that one must simply endure for two miles and then freedom can again be had. I then asked if the hotel allowed dogs.

"No".

So back down the mountain and back into the painfully slow traffic we crawled. We didn't know it at the time, but in a short while we would enter some of the most beautiful landscapes I had seen yet. The land stretched out in a big yawn, the skies opened wide, and we rode long, wide hills. I became peaceful, the dogs settled down, and Shanti snoozed. We decided to stop for the night in Sonora where the only restaurant in town was Pizza Hut. I've never eaten so much pizza in my life than I have over the passed three days. Ah well, tomorrow is another day. Stay tuned for more on

Shanti, Michael, Karma, and Zen's Incredible Cross Country Trip Out West Extraordinaire.

Day 2: Entering the First Ring of Hell

Early Saturday morning, Shanti and I got off to an early start. Actually, much earlier than Shanti would have preferred. We knew it would be a long day but we had no idea how long. We started off down I-10, Shanti in the cockpit and me with the dogs. There wasn't much to see through the first tank of gas that day but after refueling and switching places, we entered Louisiana and the ground sank into the marshes while the highway was supported on stilts. It was fascinating and disturbing. It was clear why the hurricanes have such a devastating affect on this part of the country. I kept up a good pace, going much faster than the tow dolly suggests we should. 55! Good Buddha, no one goes that slow anymore. For the most part, the other drivers respected our BIG wheel status and gave way when needed but some (a lot) insisted on passing on the right and nearly causing quite a few accidents. Most of these drivers seemed to be from the area. Hm. At one fairly magnificient point, we crossed the Mississippi River which was very big and very muddy. Later that day, after we once again returned to dry land and refueled again (poverty creeps in through gas bills), switched places, and Shanti took us into Texas, where we found ourselves in a miasma of twisting highways, big trucks, smog, and the birthplace of the oil business. Gross! The roads were in a perpetual state of disrepair and the traffic increased almost after crossing the state line. We decided to make our way to Houston for the night but after cruising around trying to find a pooch friendly abode, we struck out at every turn, nearly having another accident because some fool took a quick left in front of Shanti who nearly forgot her Buddha nature. We realized the Universe wanted us to get the hell out of Hell and quick. So we meandered on down the road looking for a manger for this Christ consciousness hippy, his friend Shanti, and the babes. We came to a little no-where town outside of Katy Texas and rolled into the first place we could find. The Executive Inn. Don't be fooled. It's a basically a trucker's stop and a virtual fleabag. Okay, maybe I'm being harsh. The management was very nice and didn't charge us for the dogs. There was a fairly decent pizza buffet in town for just $4.99 a person. Mmmmmm! And ... surprisingly ... WiFi in the room. I almost didn't even turn on m y computer because it never ocurred to me we had it here. It's 10:40am now and we have to be out by 11. Gotta go. Check back tomorrow for more on the incredible adventures of Shanti, Michael, Karma, and Zen as they try to escape the deepest rings of Dante's Inferno a.k.a. Texas.

Day 1: Whatever you do ... Don't back up!

Shanti and I got off to a very good start. After getting the townhouse in Satellite cleaned up and having an encounter with the landlady and her "friends"(a.k.a. potential new tenants) and being generously treated to brunch by Bonnie and waiting for the appliance rental company to pick up the washer and dryer, we were able to get going. I drove all the way to Gainsville and then Shanti took over until it got dark. I took over again and we enter an absolute downpour with lightning dancing across the sky somewhere between Tallahassee and Pensacola. We decided to stop overnight in Pensacola but once we were within the city limits, we saw that Mobile was just a short hour away so onward we went for the Florida border. Shanti made some calls and landed us a great room in a brand spanking new La Quinta with free WiFi, flatscreen TV, very mod, and ultra comfortable. Relaxation and rejuvenation was nearly insight.

We set out on this journey, we conquered everything, and we had arrived in Mobile Alabama.

We pulled into the lot and parked in front of registration. Shanti went in to settle up on the room while I hung with the girls in the truck. Shanti returned shortly thereafter, snacks and room keys in hand, and we were on our way to park. Here's where things went kinda south to sucksville. As we went around to the back of the hotel to park, we also encountered a deadend with no room to turn around. The one dreaded thing we were warned by multiple parties not to do was back up when your pulling a vehicle on a tow dolly. We tried and the car went the oppposite of whatever we needed it to do. We both became very frustrated. I wanted to disconnect the car from the dolly but Shanti said "No way." When we were at our wits end and the girls were getting used to the idea of spending the night in the car, Shanti decided to call Penske for help. They sent some outsourced tow dude out to save us. He came, he fiddled, he saved. I can't really say what he did but it had something to do with the chains wrapped around the axle. Whatever. He got the truck and dolly out of a very tight situation and turned around so we could continue our cross country journey in the morning. Check back next time for more of

The Great Shanti-Michael Cross Country Express.

On the Road Again

Strange how quickly things happen sometimes. A few weeks ago, my friends Shanti and Tony had said they may be moving to Santa Barbara, CA. I was disappointed that they would not be around anymore because we had become such good friends. Also, Shanti is the founder of the Brevard County Buddhist Fellowship and very active in the local peace movement. Her presence would be dearly missed by many. A few weeks went by and there was no definitive news but more urgent rumblings that a move may be eminent. It was during this eminent period that Shanti suggested I go with them to SoCal. Of course, I was immediately on board but I wasn't entirely sure Tony was. After all, he married Shanti but not all her friends too. Anyway, some more time passed and then this past Saturday they came into the Herb Corner to tell me that the move was for sure and I was definitely invited. Now, they also told me we would have about three weeks to complete the move. However, the very next day Tony had already hit the road because his new employer wanted him there yesterday. Okay. Later that afternoon as I was enjoying the most delicious curry chicken with my dear friends (Bonnie, Matt, and Don), I checked my messages and found one from Shanti. She tells me that we have to be out of town by Friday because of a release clause in their townhome contract. "Friday," I said very perplexed? Today is Monday and we have already sold and given away many miscellaneous items from the now infamous, "get out of town," townhouse. I have yet to inform my family, friends, or work that I must be on the road by Friday. This Friday! Funny how things happen. So, keep coming back to check out my manifested reality to see how my life goes from the East to the West, coast that is, and what new adventures I encounter along the way.

PEACE

Obama Wins!

Exercise Your Right to Vote Today

If the past eight years were not enough of a reason to get you out to your local polling place today, then I humbly request you do it just because it is your right to do so. Over the past eight years, many of our rights as Americans (and human beings) have been challenged and rescinded under the guise of patriotism. The actions of the current administration have had wide reaching effects not just on our own people but across the world. Whether we like it or not, America is a major player in world politics but in order to keep our standing, we must relearn how to play fairly with our neighbors. In addition, America's education and health care ranks as one of the worst nations in the world. If we want to improve our actions to the world then we must improve the way we treat ourselves.

America has never been a single race nation and was never meant to be.
America is not a single social status and was never meant to be.
America is not a world conquering empire and was never meant to be.
America is not the world police and cannot dictate to other nations how best to serve their own people based on our example when our current example is that of a war mongering empire that attempts to police the world!

If there is a single race on this planet who deserves our full attention then it's
the human race.

It's time we ceased looking at the world as them and us.
It's all us.
This election is not about political power. It's about renewing the people's spirits.
It's about remembering who we are and our purpose on this planet.
It's about changing our focus from world conquerors to world humanitarians.
Let's set an example that other nations will want to emulate rather than the example that other nations fear and revile.

Whatever you choose to do today, please get out and vote.

Boomerang

A few months ago, I went to Unity of Melbourne to see my friend Fred Goodnight speak and enjoyed the service so much that I continued going on a regular basis. On one Sunday soon after, the awesome band did one of their many very original songs called Boomerang and I never forgot how much it affected me. The song is a reminder to each of us that we are all here for a purpose, even if we don't know right now what that purpose is, because "like a boomerang, it will come back to you." After going to Unity for many weeks, hoping the band would perform Boomerang again, I finally went up to Julia, the pianist, and requested it. She said they would do it the following week. That was yesterday and it was just as poignant as the first time. Today I have the pleasure of sharing the words to this enigmatic song with you.

Boomerang

Every little thing that you say and do
Just like a boomerang, it will come back to you
All the love you give, if you want it to
Just like a boomerang, it will come back to you

It will come back to you
It will come back

Every time you fight against something new
Just like a boomerang, it will come back to you
Every single thought that you hold as true
Just like a boomerang, it will come back to you

It will come back to you
It will come back

Round, round like the seasons
Like dark into light and day back to nighttime now
Circles, completion
Like rain to the river to the ocean returns to the sky

After you were born you forgot what was true
But like a boomerang, it will come back to you
You may not recall what you came here to do
But like a boomerang, it will come back to you

It will come back to you
It will come back

All that you desire when you ask it to
Just like a boomerang, it will come back to you
It may seem like a fortune sailing out of the blue
But like a boomerang, it will come back to you

It will come back to you
It will come back
It will come back to you
It will come back

Other than the Pres, who should We Vote for?

Every time there's an election, I find myself going to the polls somewhat unprepared and not entirely informed. It's my own fault, I know, but keeping abreast of the presidential candidates is hard enough without having to know the judges, commissioners, and constitutional amendments up for change too. Anyway, this time around I wont be left unprepared. I found a great site for Florida that lists all the folks on the ballot, what they stand for, what they've done, and what they plan to do. It also breaks down all the proposed changes for the state constitution and what each really means for the every day person. The site is sponsored by the Community Empowerment Organization (We’re committed to making sure every member of our community has the information to make an informed vote at the polls.) and I want to thank them for translating the political blah-blah into something I can make an informed decision on.

Children Singing about Voting

My friend Maria sent me this link to a school chorus that has created a song about the presidential election. It's so cool.

Kid's Political Jam

You Light Up My Life

Obama Shines

Sometimes living in Brevard County Florida can be kind of discouraging. Being as liberal as I am, a registered democrat, and a practicing Buddhist, it can be depressing to drive around town and see sign after sign for McCain/Palin. Don't get me wrong, there is quite the contingent of democrats and others who are choosing to make the change we crave in this country and are supporting Obama/Biden. But it's the ones who literally advertise their choice for change when they live in an area that is heavily in support of no change that warms my heart and gives me hope. In fact, that is the very word that is emblazoned in lights on top of a particular house in Satellite Beach. HOPE. Oh and Obama is lit up in red, white, and blue too.

Dear Brave Resident,

Thank You!

No on 2 gets Big Corporate Support

Tell Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida -
"We Have Your Back"

When the largest and oldest health insurance provider speaks out against Amendment 2 people listen. And Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBS-FL) has been speaking out against the deceptively named "marriage protection" amendment quite a bit.

Their clear and public stand has earned them high points for courage and integrity but it has also earned them the animosity of the far right backers of Amendment 2.

Since publicly announcing their opposition to this discriminatory amendment, BCBS-FL has been targeted by the far right. They stood up for all Floridians and now we need to stand up for them.

Far right backers of Amendment 2 are already starting challenges to municipalities' domestic partnership benefits. David Caton, of the Florida Family Association, has already started laying the groundwork to challenge partner benefits that the City of Tampa provides to police officers, firefighters and all municipal employees.

Proponents of the Michigan amendment claimed that it was only about marriage - just as those pushing the Florida Amendment are now doing. Then, those very same people turned around and challenged Michigan Domestic Partner Benefits programs and stripped away the rights and benefits of thousands of couples.

Write to BCBS-FL today and tell them how much we appreciate their principled stand.

"Amendment 2 is going to have a major impact on our ability to provide benefits for domestic partners, and we're opposed to anything that gets in the way of providing benefits." Randy Kammer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida



Emergence of the Amero

A few months ago, I wrote about a life changing movie called Zeitgeist that I had seen through my friends of the Brevard County Buddhist Fellowship. One of the many eye opening moments revealed in this must see documentary was the introduction of a new monetary system known as the Amero which sounds like Euro, yet it's no joke. Below is a quote from the website Amero currency regarding the state of the U.S. economy and plans that are already in place to reformulate not only the money we use but the expansion of our borders as well.

"The United States economic condition now abysmal, the stage is set to realign and redesign how our national business is conducted. It has been suggested the U.S. Government nationalize the mortgage and banking industries. It has long been suggested our medical system be nationalized. Higher taxes, fewer services and wider borders.

The Security Prosperity Partnership of North America is a U.S. State Department reality. The proposals include minimalizing borders between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, creating a continental perimeter border for defense, technologies reducing the necessity to inspect inbound import cargo and tolling the superhighways on which we and the mystery cargos will travel."

Times Square by Julian Beever

Frog by Julian Beever

Coke by Julian Beever

Girl on Mat by Julian Beever

Julian Beever is a British chalk artist who creates 3D chalk drawings on pavement using a projection called anamorphism that creates the illusion, or Trompe-l'oeil. His street paintings appear to defy the laws of perspective. Besides the 3D art, Beever paints murals and replicas of the works of masters. He is often hired as a performance artist and to create murals for companies. Beever is interested in advertising and marketing, as well. He has worked in the UK, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the USA and Australia. Many people have speculated that his work is a result of digital photo editing. These images are actually authentic. He also has some very nice wall murals.

Reiki II

This past Saturday, I had the amazing opportunity to receive Reiki Level II Attunements that were taught and given by Shanti Johnson of the Brevard County Buddhist Fellowship. The class was held at Unity of Melbourne in an intimate room used for manifestation prayer work at the back of the building. There were about 11 people in the class from various walks of life. We had counselors, teachers, artists, caregivers, a retired gentleman, and others. Shanti's teaching style was very easy to follow and helped create a warm and comfortable atmosphere for this exciting process. She provided detailed information from her own experience as a Reiki practitioner and licensed esthetician in the state of Florida and completely covered all the legal ramifications of practicing Reiki in this state. In many ways, her class went above and beyond what one would typically encounter in a Reiki II class. She role played a client visit with a Reiki practitioner for the students to see how an actual Reiki session may be run. Everyone appreciated the time and effort she put into the class and the sense of camaraderie she helped engender amongst all who were present. Just prior to the attunement process, Shanti's friend and Reiki Master, Tom prepared the way with a guided meditation that took us to a very deep meditational level and opened a channel for the attunements. Many participants stated they had profound experiences both during and after receiving the attunements. Some carried a deep level of relaxation for the remainder of the day while I became charged up and needed to expend excess energy. One participant went through a physical detoxification.

For anyone who may be interested in learning or receiving Reiki for themselves, family, friends, or others, I highly recommend Shanti Johnson. You can contact Shanti through the Brevard County Buddhist Fellowship website. Of course, I'm also available and would enjoy sharing Reiki with you too. I can be reached via email at michael.staples@yahoo.com or at The Herb Corner and Learning Center. I'm also a certified herbal practitioner and can work with you to create an herbal protocol to support complete wellness without pharmaceuticals.

Child's Logic

A little boy goes to his dad and asks, 'What is Politics?'

Dad says, 'Well son, let me try to explain it this way:

I am the head of the family, so call me The President.

Your mother is the administrator of the money, so we call her the Government.

We are here to take care of your needs, so we will call you the People.


The nanny, we will consider her the Working Class.

And your baby brother, we will call him the Future.

Now think about that and see if it makes sense.'
So the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what Dad has said.

Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him.

He finds that the baby has severely soiled his diaper.

So the little boy goes to his parents' room and finds his mother asleep.
Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny's room. Finding the door locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the nanny.
He gives up and goes back to bed.

The next morning, the little boy says to his father, 'Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now.'

The father says, 'Good, son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.'

The little boy replies, 'The President is screwing the Working Class while the Government is sound asleep. The People are being ignored and the Future is in deep shit.

How I Saved John McCain

Last Friday, after a busy day at the Herb Corner, I was sitting in my car and making a few calls before heading out to my Buddhist fellowship. I noticed a man arrive at the bus stop and begin looking over the bus schedule. He called out to me and asked if I knew the name of that particular stop. I didn't and he went back to waiting. After I completed my calls, I started the engine and backed out of the space I was in. At that point, the man at the bus stop waved in my direction. I rolled down the window and he asked if I could take him to the King Center. I said I couldn't take him all the way but I could get him closer than he was at that moment. He declined and decided to wait for the bus. I continued on my way out of the parking lot but as I approached the stop sign to make my turn out onto Babcock Street, I glanced at the clock and noticed I had enough time to give him a ride all the way to the King Center after all. I called him over. He approached readily and carried a very large black duffel bag. He was wearing a long sleeve white cotton t-shirt and grey sweat pants. He also had on white socks and sandals. He got in the passenger seat and we went along our way. I noticed he didn't put on his seat belt and for some reason it disturbed me. I asked him to please put it on and he complied. As we drove along towards US1, he began to tell me he was on a mission from god.

"I've been sent on a mission from god," he said.

"Really, what's your mission," I replied.

"God has told me that man should not kill another.

"That's a good message," I responded while looking at him quizzically.

"He has also told me that those who support the killing of others should be killed."

"Really."

"I see you are a Buddhist," he said as he motioned to my beads and the OM symbol hanging on the mirror. I was also wearing a Brevard County Buddhist Fellowship t-shirt.

"Yes, I practice Shin Buddhism. We certainly believe in the sanctity of life."

"I am on a walking quest. I have been walking since Miami and I will go all the way to New York."

"Wow, where are you from?"

"I'm from Colombia but now I live in Miami with my family. My father works in oil and I told him his money has the blood of innocent people on it and I can no longer work for him. He was disappointed but I must follow my mission," he rambled out.

I didn't say anything but just focused on the drive. I realized he didn't need any promptings from me, I was a captive audience. He went on to tell me how enlightened he had become and that I had a lot of learning yet to do before I would see the world through his new vision. I inwardly hoped I'd never succumb to such a vision. He saw the world as having only two kinds of people. Good and Evil. The good could live and the evil must die. He felt confident that god would tell him which was which and then god's will be done. At that point, I was feeling very uneasy.When we reached the intersection of US1 and Aurora Road, about four cops on motorbikes appeared and halted all traffic in the east/west lanes and those going north. They allowed those coming south to continue and seemed to be trying to clear the southbound lanes while also not allowing anyone to go north either. My passenger continued to ramble about his mission but I was distracted by the cops. He seemed a little uneasy and kept looking at the clock.

"Are you going to make your event," I asked?

"No, it's already over."

Just then we heard a voice on one of the police radios say that they were at Parkway. Other drivers who were waiting beside me began to speculate that the police were chasing someone south on US1. My passenger kept urging me to just go on but I told him we could not go until the police gave us the signal to do so. A driver on his right wondered allowed what could this be.

"It's John McCain," my passenger said to me.

"What's he doing in town," I asked?

"There was a rally at the King Center. I was going there to share my message from god."

I shared the information with the other drivers around me that we were being held up for McCain's entourage but nothing about my passenger. No one around me seemed aware that he was even in town and all were annoyed that we should be held up for him. It was about then that we saw the first flashing lights in the distance and it was at that very moment that I got goose bumps from head-to-toe. This very creepy feeling overcame me and a sense of foreboding was strong. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my passenger step out of the car and I watched him walked calmly around to the back of the vehicle. Everyone around us were concentrating on the coming entourage of cops and limos. Something in me told me to lock all the doors which I did immediately. My passenger attempted to access the rear hatch but was unable to. He seemed perplexed and uncertain. I motioned to him to get back in the car. As he did so, the last of McCain's cars passed us by. For a moment he seemed upset but then he settled back into his seat as we continued on our way. I drove him the rest of the way to the King Center but continued to feel uneasy the whole way. He said he was going to get his bag and just stand in the car's path. I didn't say anything to that. What was there to say? I just wanted him out of my car. After arriving at the King Center, there were tons of cars leaving the area and people milling about. I dropped him off adjacent to the main entrance. I made sure he collected all his belongings and wished him good luck in his mission. As I watched him walk away, my uneasiness did not go away. I began to look around for some type of security personnel but none were to be seen. Once I got back on the road, as I still had to get to my fellowship, I decided to call my friend Maria for her advice and take on the situation. She convinced me to report him to the police just to be on the safe side. Strangely, it was only after making the report that my uneasiness subsided. I don't know whatever happened to my passenger. I never heard anything about him or from the police. I don't know if he was simply disturbed or truly a threat to John McCain. Maybe he was on a mission from god. Maybe he was on his own mission. All I know is what I felt and the signs I read in the situation. May all be well.

If you're not already familiar with Amendment 2 you will be soon. It's up for a vote come November and it's to change the Florida constitution to reflect that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. It would not only ostracize all gay men and women from ever having their unions recognized (there is already a law on the books called the Defense of Marriage Act) but it would also keep anyone who isn't legally married from receiving partner health benefits, inheritances, tax benefits, and/or making health decisions for a loved one. This umbrella would also include long-term friends and others who have made decisions for those they care about but are not married to. No matter what you may feel about gay men and women and other types of life partners, everyone deserves the right to be able to care for those we love and be protected when it's needed most. I support a NO vote on Amendment 2 and I hope you will too.

Did You Know?

This is a cool media ad that my friend Maria sent me. It's kind of the scoop on technology in the world today and a bunch of miscellaneous facts about the U.S. and other nations. Check it out.

http://release.theplatform.com/content.select?pid=x7aVOMrlfkkijQwcLllwk6WjB5JE0zrF

A Walk in the Park

After almost a week of daily rains, we finally had a warm and sunny day. I decided to put it to good use and get in a long hike through Wickham Park. After a quick shower and my morning meditation, I slipped out into the pleasant morning air and made my way down to the ground floor. I went out the back of my building and along the lake (pond) behind where one can regularly see ducks, ibises, and other birds taking their morning swim. I crossed over Post Road and into the park. Once inside I began encountering all kinds of friendly animals. The first was a Great Blue Heron who was patiently waiting along a canal bank for passing fish to be caught for its breakfast. I greeted it with the honor such a great bird deserves. We exchanged glances and tips of the head but no words were spoken. Heron is patient, quiet and wise but rarely has anything to say. Very soon after, as I made my way through thick palm fronds, I encountered a gentle turtle enjoying the cool morning shade. At first it shied from my approach and retreated into its shell but after I stopped to share my presence, it slowly came out to share its own. Turtle has been on this earth for so long that it relishes in the most minute detail and always takes its time. We as well took our own sweet time together before I moved on.

Along the way I encountered quite a number of unusual mushrooms. I'm fascinated by the mysterious fungi but I don't dare disturbed its artful poses since you never know who it may be aligned with. Some shrooms can be doors to other realms while others can swiftly take one to their grave. I admire its uniqueness and respect its privacy.

Further down the path I took, I came upon a pair of Mourning Doves. Surely this was a good omen if ever there was. They cooed not a sound nor flew off when I approached but sat watching me as I passed under their perch above. The Mourning Dove teaches me grace and its song inspires me. I thanked them for their presence and continued on through the park. Down the way from the doves perch, my path was crisscrossed by a wayfaring dragonfly. It flew up and down, backwards and still on the air. It came to tell me that life was meant to be explored and we are supposed to forge our own way. I thanked it for its wisdom and it soon was on its way. It was around this point that I was startled by a small sleeping dragon. Now, I'm not very conversant in dragon lore but I know one when I see one. Anyone who thinks dragons are extinct or just beasts of imagination obviously never encountered one. There's no telling how long this one has been around, probably hundreds of years. It's size was small, probably near 15 feet from head to tail and its body was camouflaged to look like a pile of pine needles. This is one of the many unique traits of dragons that they can match their bodies to their surroundings and thus hide in plain sight. Dragon teaches me, even in slumber, that one does not have to be seen to gain others respect. Respect comes from one's bearing, spirit, and presence as much as whatever accomplishments one has made. I silently and carefully acknowledged the dragon and moved on. Now I'd like to be able to say I next came upon a murder of crows just because I love that phrase but in fact it was a flock of blackbirds making quite a ruckus. Blackbirds are another one to bring good omens to those aware enough to see it. They told me I was moving into deeper levels of spirit and what was once mysterious would become known. Sounds like a bad fortune teller, I know. But it makes sense to me because of the path I am on and I am not so foolish as to ignore the prophecies of blackbirds. It wasn't until the end of my hike that I met a most auspicious creature. Under a large shade tree, amongst a gathering of white ducks and mallards, was a lone peacock. It's not often one comes across such a magnificent being as this out in a park. The peacock stood very still as if in pose and then would continue to fluff its plumage or take the gentlest of steps and pluck seeds from the grass. Occasionally, it would raise up its neck and look around the area like a grand monarch looking over his land. I sat in awe and honor of Peacock for a long while. Someone else, not too far away, played a relaxing tune on a guitar. I felt as though I was being allowed to sit with Peacock and its court. It taught me humility in the presence of Nature and a universal oneness with all sentient beings. I felt completely at peace and wanted to stay all day. However, I was soon visited by Red Ant(s) and had to bid my farewell. The way I experienced my walk in the park is also the way I strive to experience my walk in life. I seek to learn from all who have something to teach and share my spirit with all.

Space Coast Progressive Fest

Made in China

Urgent Appeal: Torture Survivors at Risk of Abuse, Death after Daring Escape from Labor Camp

Falun Gong adherents held incommunicado, families also arrested and beaten

26 Sep 2008

“Masanjia is known as one of the most brutal forced labor camps in the country where detainees are regularly tortured with electric batons, beaten and raped.”

New York (FDIC)—A group of Falun Gong adherents from Liaoning province are at grave risk of torture after being arrested following a daring escape from Masanjia labor camp in August, the Falun Dafa Information Center warned on Friday.

On August 11, adherents assisted Cui Dejun (崔德军), a practitioner detained at Masanjia labor camp, in escaping from the camp’s hospital where he was being held after suffering abuse. According to sources inside China, Cui was then taken to the nearby provincial capital Shenyang and placed at the home of Yu Ming (于溟), a 37-year-old adherent also held at the camp.

Two days later, agents of the Public Security Bureau broke into the house and arrested Cui and others present, taking Cui to an unknown location. In the meantime, guards suspecting that Yu may have aided the escape have also moved him elsewhere, ignoring his scheduled release date of September 2.

“Masanjia is known as one of the most brutal forced labor camps in the country where detainees are regularly tortured with electric batons, beaten and raped. These peaceful religious believers should never have been there in the first place,” says Falun Dafa Information Center spokesperson Gail Rachlin.

“That Cui escaped and may have told the world of the horrors taking place in Masanjia has sent the Chinese communist authorities into a panic. Based on the past experience of Ms. Gao Rongrong’s case and the use of incommunicado detention, Cui and Yu’s lives are in grave danger.”

In a widely publicized incident in 2004, Ms. Gao Rongrong escaped from Masanjia and photos of her face disfigured from electric baton shocks spread around the world (news). She was arrested shortly after and according to Amnesty International, died in custody in 2005 (news).

Like Gao, Yu and Cui have both been victims of extreme torture in the past, including being shocked with electric batons on their genitals, being subject to other forms of sexual abuse, and being forced to squat in an iron cage for three months. As recently as June, Cui had fallen unconscious and become incontinent.

Cui and his wife Gao Zhuo were both arrested in July 2007, along with seven of their employees who practiced Falun Gong. All were sentenced without trial to labor camp terms of 1.5 to 2 years. Yu has spent eight of the past nine years in labor camps because he continues to practice Falun Gong.

Family members and bystanders also targeted

In their efforts to catch Cui and retaliate for his escape, the Chinese authorities have also targeted the families of Cui and Yu. According to sources inside China, when agents of the Public Security Bureau broke into Yu’s home on August 13, they badly beat Yu’s nephew, and arrested him along with Yu’s wife Ma Li and his young son, leavingYu’s ten-year-old daughter Yu Zhenzhen at home by herself. They were all reportedly released several days later.

On August 14 and 15, police in the cities of Dalian and Wafandian then arrested Cui’s brother and two sisters-in-law. Cui’s brother and his wife, as well as one of their employees, were detained at the store the couple owns. The women were released shortly after, but the men’s whereabouts remain unknown.

The Falun Dafa Information Center is providing leads and phone numbers related to the case (see below) and urging human rights groups, foreign journalists and other members of the international community to:

• Conduct their own investigation into the case.
• Call Masanjia and Wafangdian officials and demand proof that these individuals are not being tortured.
• Apply pressure on the Chinese authorities to ensure the safety of those arrested and their immediate release.

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Masanjia “re-education through labor” camp:

For background on the camp, see: http://www.humanrightstorch.org/news/2008/07/27/masanjia-labor-camp/
Main numbers: 86-24-89210822、89212252、89210454
Masanjia Camp Chief Zheng Mingqiang: 86-24-89216801 or 86-24-89212321 (Office)
Reformatory Chief Wei: 86-24-89212261
Political Head Gong Lian: 86-24-89216802(Office)
Masanjia Forced Labor Camp operator: 86-24-89210074

No. 1 Camp (for male prisoners)
Chief Zhang Guangbin: 86-24-89295031
Deputy chiefs: 86-24-89295032, 89295033, 89295035

No. 1 Division (division where Cui Dejun was originally held)
Wang Xiaofeng, head, No.1 Division: 86-24-89210406,
Wang Shuzheng, deputy head of No. 1 Division: 86-13982207608 (cell)

No. 2 Division
Leader Gao Zongzhi: 86-24-89295057
Deputy Chiefs: 86-24-89295058, 86-24-89295059

Wafangdian:

Lei Shuqing, Wafangdian City Police Department chief: 86-411-85611666 (office)
Guan Jichuan, Deputy Party Secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee in Wafangdian, head of local 610 Office: 86-13998512139 (Cell)
Zhang Hua, Director of Wafangdian City Supervising Team (Detention Center): 86-411-85569991 (Office)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER

Contacts: Gail Rachlin (+1 917-757-9780), Levi Browde (+1 646-415-0998), Erping Zhang (+1 646-533-6147), or Joel Chipkar (+1 416-709-8678)

Fax: 646-792-3916 Email: contact@faluninfo.net, Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/