A point about the Occupy Wall ST movement

A worth while read from Isabell Moore, about the Occupy Wall Street movement and how we all are in this crisis together.  We can either run from it or learn from it and certainly we can all do something about it.  This is not about Hippies and Anarchists, this is about honest people wanting to be part of society.  Isabell's blog was sent to me from a cousin of mine living in San Francisco who has been part of the movement to honor humanity with social justice for all. 

We are not a great nation until all of us are strong.

here's an excerpt follow this link to read the whole blog:

October 7, 2011

Dear [Paternal, Maternal & In-Law] Extended Families,

As many of you may know (or may have noticed on Facebook!) I’ve been getting really super excited about all this “We Are the 99%” and “Occupy Wall Street” stuff.  Coincidentally as these protests have been spreading, it’s been at the same time that we’re covering the American Revolution, the French Revolution and the Haitian Revolution and all of the incomplete uprisings before and after each one in the community college history classes I teach.  Its making me remember that no one knew the Storming of the Bastille was going to happen a week or even a day before it did.  Of course during the French Rev, few people were talking about slavery in French colonies, the French role in taking Native lands and women were written out of the Declaration of the Rights of Man.  And the French Revolution began and ended in terrible violence, which is something I don’t want to see again.... read on

A Defense of Pragmatism

A Defense of Pragmatism ~by RTod When I was in high school I briefly embraced Communism. I did so for all the reasons white suburban 16 years olds often do: Communism was defiant and rebellious, seemed at first blush to be “fair,” and having Che Guevara on your t-shirt impressed more girls than the Up With People logo. (Added bonus: I had no money so any redistribution of wealth was definitely going to be a net gain.) As I grew older I did what most other WASPy kids that embrace Communism do: I abandoned it when it became clear that Communism in real life did not match Communism on paper, and that in order to believe that it did you had to be dogmatic to the point of irrationality. A pretty common path, really. The difference between myself and others that have travelled this path is that as I’ve grown older I have come to similar conclusions about pretty much every other political ideology. In fact, I’ve gone one step further: I have come to believe that ideological dogma of any kind – when used to steer public policy – at best keeps us from finding the best solutions to problems, and at worst creates problems that are even worse. I am starting, in other words, to embrace a philosophy of pragmatism as I get long in tooth. To state the obvious: This does not make me popular with people who like politics. I would say that pragmatists are often dismissed out of hand at the League, but this would be myopic; pragmatists are often dismissed out of hand everywhere. I had always assumed pragmatism was viewed as a fairly benign in a useful but low key and non-threatening kind of way – kind of like a tea cozy. However, since I have started calling myself a pragmatist in political discussions I have been surprised to find wonks of all stripes regard me in a way similar as they might a bedbug infestation. So I have asked the esteemed editors of the League if I might offer my own defense of – and call for -pragmatism. I do this for two reasons. First, I think that pragmatism deserves a bigger and more formal voice in these discussions than it normally gets. Second, I think of my pragmatism as a work in progress, and so I welcome the criticism and counter-points I know this group will serve up. (Who knows, maybe after this is over I will be convinced to renounce pragmatism and declare myself a neo-techno-acrachno-libertariacrat or some such thing.) First off, a definitional point: When I think of pragmatism, I am not intending it to mean “devoid of values.” I just don’t think of any specific political philosophy as being a core value. (For a fish-in-the-barrel illustration, Rush Limbaugh would list conservatism as a core value. And he really means it; after Obama’s election he famously declared that he would rather see the country go into financial ruin under Obama’s watch than see the new administration’s policies work and make the country prosperous again. That’s being true to your values.) While I recognize most people do list their political ideology

Click to read more ...

Aubrey Lynch Arts Educator

Cathy’s Question

I had a thought about one of my favorite questions that Cathy aka NYCsubwayGirl asks regularly. “What inspires you?” I was thinking that what inspires you today may terrify you tomorrow and that is okay. In fact, when the thing that drives you begins to frighten you, this is a sign that you are alive and pushing towards your fullest self. You finally started that business and you know in your heart that the only way for it to grow is to quit your day job. That’s pretty scary. Or, maybe you have lost your job and the hobby you did for fun is now looking more and more like the way to make a living. Not so bad until it comes time to figure out how to make money doing it. How about this one? You’ve been at the same job forever and you know it is time to go. You have no idea where to go or what to do but you know you can’t stay where you are. Deep stuff. So many of us are living these realities including me! What should we do? Look to our inspirations. There is light there.

However, I find that inspirations aren’t so inspiring if we attach outcomes or goals to them. In my current life transition I have faced this a lot. I turned to my inspirations and found fear where I once saw possibility because there was an expectation that these inspirations were supposed to do something for me, propel me forward into the next phase of my life. The most important thing that I could have done was to notice this way of thinking and turn the lens just a bit to refocus.

Remember, while you are looking to inspiration look FOR inspiration and nothing more. Does that make sense? I mean, look for inspiration and expect to find it but just leave it there before you like a sunrise. Inspiration will be everywhere. When I caught myself and did this, I even found inspiration in my fears.

In fact what would it be like to look for inspiration in each other, in each other’s eyes while expecting it to be there? If we all did this right now everything would change. We couldn’t think of hurting someone purposefully if we looked for inspiration in them. What would it be like to look for inspiration in the eyes of our enemies? There’s a scary one. Not an easy thing to do. However, even the thought of doing so starts to open the mind. Okay, I’m pushing the envelope here but we’re going to have to if we hope to get our planet back on track. This need for global awareness starts within each one of us. We can do this.

So what inspires you when you expect to see it? I would guess almost everyone and everything...

Update on Monday, June 6, 2011 at 5:21PM by NYC Subway Girl

check out a part 2 clip from Aubrey and my conversation in LIRR Station

Aubrey Lynch stopped by LIRR station while I was performing. In this clip he describes what he's up to now. Another spontaneous interruption provided us with a touching moment. This month Aubrey is my guest blogger   

Check out Aubrey's What's Your Inspiration? clip. See how he has taken a career of dancing, choreography, and producing to now mentoring and using dance art to heal people.

Erin McHugh One Good Deed

Welcome to the blog that mirrors the eponymous book I’m writing: a journey of one year, performing ONE GOOD DEED a day for one year. I’ll post a couple of the deeds per week here, and hope you all will enjoy the reading, or, better yet, join me in trying to do just a little bit better, one day at a time. And if you do, recount them here, would you? I’d enjoy seeing them.

Erin McHugh is a former publishing executive and author of twenty books, including the brand new snarky midterm elections volume COFFEE, TEA OR KOOL-AID: Which Party Politics Are You Swallowing?, and THE L LIFE: Extraordinary Lesbians Making a Difference, a photo essay on lesbian heroines. She lives in New York City and South Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

Follow Erin McHugh on Facebook or on Twitter as @ErinHere.

peacefully and happily Living Off The Grid

Here's John's story:

T  H  E    F  I  E  L  D    L  A  B

Welcome to the Southwest Texas Alternative Energy And Sustainable Living Field Laboratory!

Have you ever thought to yourself, " How would I do it if I had it to do all over again?"  Usually this thought only pops into your head when you are about to die or your life is in ruin or perhaps during a midlife crisis where family and job stress suddenly takes its toll.  This feeling is usually accompanied by mounting debt and an overwhelming feeling of being trapped in the life you have chosen.  Tension in the world, an unstable economy, high fuel prices, and mind numbing popular culture may also add to this feeling of utter futility.  For me, it was a little bit of all of the above but the real tipping point was the death of my father last year.  That made me sit down and take a serious look at where my path has led me and how I could best proceed to live a fulfilling life and honor his memory. 

Several years ago I began experimenting with alternative energy.  I feel that the technology today has advanced enough and the costs have dropped to the point where just about anyone can make the move to off the grid living.  This just happened to coincide with discovering accounts of pioneer life of some of my relatives from over 100 years ago.  Their lives were difficult back then, but I sensed a feeling of great joy and accomplishment in overcoming hardship - where hard work payed off and living life was a fulfilling experience.  I began to envision my life as a pioneer in the 21st century,  and have chosen to follow that path.  

In taking inventory of my life to this point in time, I believe that over the years I have picked up just the right skills and mentality to live my dream of how I would do it if I had it to do all over again.  I suddenly found myself at the perfect point in my lifetime to go for that dream.  Rather than spend the rest of my life busting my ass so I can afford all the modern, pre-packaged conveniences that our "advanced" society provides - I am putting that energy into providing for all my own needs.   To quote some new friends of mine who have also chosen this lifestyle,
" Every day, we get up, have coffee with the early morning, do chores, then get on with whatever project we have going… there’s often a choice. We go to bed tired, but very happy and peaceful."

I began my journey in December 2007.  Along for the ride was my trusty old dog, Goldie.  She was with me at the beginning of construction out here in the desert - my constant companion.  At 17 years of age, she had multiple health issues and finally had to be put down in March.  She was a great pal and a real trouper.  Her favorite pastimes here in the desert were sleeping in the shade, constantly keeping me within eye site when awake, and eating coyote poop.  Goldie is buried out here on the property and I hope that when GoogleEarth updates the satellite photo of my area, you will be able to spot the pyramid that marks her grave.

John and Goldie

the Field Lab blog by John Wells

John has an artists eye in everything he sees.  As a photographer his images capture a magical world he has created. check out his lovely postcards.

Need just a little bit of what wide open space looks like?

When the allure of cramped apartment living has worn off, when you've been bumped one too many times from texting pedestrians, and grimy post winter potholed NYC streets is just too much to bear, check out John's live webcam

Penelope Green of the NY Times traveled to visit John and published his story in last weeks NY Times Home section.  I love the idea that John lives quietly with 500k+ virtual visitors, living through his eyes and seeing how one man decided he could change his life and create a magnificent happy and peaceful world.  He blogged about me too.