9 Years Old: 9/11 Changes

"It's the economy stupid." "It's the jobs stupid." "It's the Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Conservatives, Cuba."

"It's Communism." "It's Socialism." "It's Capitalism." "It's Castro, Chavez, Obama, Bush, Americans."

"It's the Chinese." "It's the Russians." "It's the Jews, Muslims, Christians, Whites, Blacks, Mexicans, Japanese."

"It's Men, Women, Teens." "It's the generation gap, gen X-ers and Y's, Millenials and Boomers."

"It's Beethoven, the British Invasion" "It's all the shaking and gyrating." "It's not enough shaking and baking." "It's Rock, Rap."

"It's Alcohol, Cigarettes, Drugs, Guns, Over/Underpopulation." "It's the Axis Evil, Hopelessness, Fear."

"It's interest rates, inflation, over spending, over saving, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and the snack food industry."

"It's the Auto Industry." "It's Outsourcing, Offshoring, Protectionism, Globalization, the Dollar, Euro, Yen, Yuan, Pound, Peso exchange."

"It's Fat Cats with deep pockets." "It's Welfare recipients with no pockets." "It's Wall Street." "It's Main Street." "It's the A/Bi/Hetero/Homo/Transsexuals." "It's Walmart."

"It's the NRA, ACLU." "It's the Unions." "It's not enough Unions." "It's the Schools."

"It's deforestation, global warming and not global warming." "It's the Oil Industry." "It's the Fashion Industry." "It's the Fed."

"It's taxing too much." "It's not taxing enough." "It's the City Folk, Country Folk, Village People."

"It the Southern states." "It's the Northern states." "It's the Midwest." "It's California, Arizona,Washington." "It's Hollywood, NASA, the Pentagon."

"It's too much Surplus, too much Deficit." "It's the Great Depression, Global Recession."

"It's the Housing Bubble." "It's the Dot-com Bubble." "It's the Asian Contagion." "It's the Greek Contagion." "It's the Politicians, Economists, Businessmen, Lobbyists." "It's the Pharmaceutical Industry." "It's TV."

"It's the Internet." "It's Porn." "It's Video Games." "It's Gambling." "It's Sex and the Media."

"It's too much sugar and candy." "It's Mad Cow Disease." "It's Swine Flu." "It's Bird Flu." "It's the Plague." "It's Yellow Fever, HIV/AIDS." "It's West Nile Virus." "It's DNA."

"It's NOT ME, it's YOU!" "It's not YOU, it's ME!" "It's not US it's them!" "IT'S BIG FOOT." "IT'S ALIENS." "IT'S LEPROSY!!!" "IT's...

There are so many IT's we can choose from to make excuses, sense of or to lay blame for our and others' actions. On what is happening at home and all around the world. In that no one country, people or group is alone. What an astute and growing population there is globally in the art of finger pointing. That it is being past down generations like a precious heirloom should move us inside from ORANGE to RED ALERT. One can only imagine how our human race may appear in the sight of LIFE beyond the parameters of our solar system. God, Deity, Creator, etc. The Alert Systems some may have in place. Perhaps something like this...

The Human Security Alert System

It's hard to blog about New York City and not make some commentary about the September, 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. How once upon a time you road the trains and the only security you expected to see was your Finest NYPD blues. The shock to see Armed forces in camouflaged fatigues joining their league underground. The initial shock, comfort and discomfort to see so many armed and ready. And joining the ranks of service dogs for the blind and disabled, the dogs on duty to sniff for bombs and collateral materials. Thinking that some day the heightened alert would end and their services would no longer be needed. At some point I think most NY'ers came to the realization that our reality was forever changed. This it the New, New York. Troops, bag checks and all.

The amount of hatred, bitterness, resentment, violence and oppression people have and exert towards others all around the world is astounding. That it continues to be perpetuated among generations alarming. Have we learned nothing from these tragic events? The commonalities we all share? The life forces that bind us? Is there no longer enough sense of humanity to turn the bad tide around or shore up against it?

December 21, 2012 the Mayan's predict will be the end of the world as we know it. Some say with the increase in natural disasters year over year some major cataclysmic event will unfold, others that the end is the end of an age bringing forth another. An awakening of human consciousness. Perhaps a rebirth. A joining of all across the world as ONE PEOPLE. We are after all, ALL related? We all start life off the same. A small,  blastocyst, unfolding. Cells differentiating to form inner organs, frame, nervous system brain and flesh. We are touched by the same universal events of life, birth of a child, unions by individuals, death. Cause for joy, celebration, tears.

Blastocyst

There are many events throughout New York City held in remembrance of 9/11 filled with speeches, quiet moments for reflection, interfaith prayers and music. From Memorial Floating Lanterns Ceremony to Tribute of Lights.

It is a happy-sad day. So many of us have or know someone who has the story to tell of how a lost wallet or keys or some other delay that morning is the reason the breathe of life still rises within, or of others who died or are sick today because they were exposed to contagions in the air. We must use remembrances as opportunities to build bridges, fill the gaps that divide humankind, with love and compassion, patience and understanding. Tolerance. Otherwise it is all for naught.

Next year it will be a decade gone by since the terrorist attacks. Seize the day, the opportunity to reach out to your neighbors to learn about another culture, faith, philosophy, way of life. Seek out to engage in random acts of kindness indiscriminately each and every day. Set out to be a brick in the foundation of a humanity united across divides and let's see the difference all can make in the coming year. 9/11 Changes.

Today I woke up listening to songs filled with messages of hope, calls for peace and reflection. John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance," is beautiful in its simplicity of word, poignant in message as heartfelt today as when it was recorded in the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal 41 years ago.

Turbulence Mix

Turbulence

by Maureen Baraka Bonfante

Shimmy, Shimmy

SHAAAAKE!

Like a chicken cutlet

getting breaded in a zip-lock,

by a hungry man.

I am not big on the concept of fleshy, multi-celled organisms being enclosed in metal containers, in single unit or en masse and shooting out to the space above the clouds. "I can feel and be very close to the Creator from down here. Thank you very much!" Whether these vehicles-slash-temporary dwellings (depending on the length of your travel you may be dwelling in them) weigh a few thousand pounds like a Cesna or close to a 100 tons like a Boeing seems unnatural. Give me horseback or bicycle, a great pair of boots or sneakers, I'll get cross country. Backpack strapped, instead of strapping down to a coach or first class padded seat. Eventually. In a few months. That's the way man was designed to travel. Use those legs!

Ahhh, but the joy of travel by today's modern man. Metals forged and blended with a variety of resins, fabrics, and other components into vessels of different shapes, sizes and modes of transporting fleshy masses from Timbuctoo to the Galapagos. The science. The ingenuity. The training of all involved from project development to final product daily launches. Where would we be without them?

It's 2809 miles from New York City to San Diego. Walking at a pace of 3 miles per hour, 10 hours a day you could get there in 94 days and if you bike 40 hours a day 70 days, but you'll need lodging and that can get pricey. Amtrak with transfers, 4 days at a cost of $272 one-way. By car with a team of drivers to hit the road with you, keep the car in go mode and shape, driving non-stop, 43 hours. Forget about the GA$! And who would think of subjecting a horse to carrying ones weight for such a long journey? Where would you stop to get feed and a stable? Lush open plains for grazing?

"Ze plane, ze plane," shouted Tattoo as guests flew in to "Fantasy Island," that is ze way to go!



 *******
Left to right: Herve Villechaize (Tattoo) and Ricardo Montalban (Mr. Roarke)
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What spectacular views of creation await you!

  San Diego (right)

San Diego Coastline (left). Sky before turbulence begins (right)

And then there's the turbulence. What to do, what to do, if you aren't a fan of roller coasters, heights and being confined to a chair or being boxed in for any length of time, but travel by plane you must? Nothing, just let go and relax! Trust in the skill of the pilot and crew to get passengers safely to point B. A prayer, some meditation can't hurt either. Some people like to talk about the movement of the plane to their travel companions. "Wu-ooh! Did you feel that one?" "Oh my God." "I remember one time..." Others drink, if they were fortunate enough to get one in hand before the shimmy shaking commenced. Sleep. Read. Watch the mini-back seat or over head TV. Listen to some music.

As the English Playwright and Poet, William Congreve penned in Act 1, Scene 1 of  the tragedy "The Mourning Bride" (1697), spoken by Almeria, the Princess of Granada:

"Music has Charms to sooth a savage breast,

To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak."

Music works, but just what kind is a question of taste and mood. For my ride back to NYC from San Diego the other day I choose Acoustic Singers, most on guitar. I call the following sampling of tunes I listened to in between reading, TV viewing, napping and munching, my Turbulence Mix, courtesy of Jet Blue, (xm) radio. The title of Jacqui Naylor's song "Easy Ride From Here," set the neurons off to a positive frame of mind. All had deep, rich, engaging lyrics, music and singing. Enjoy.

Easy Ride From Here, Jacqui Naylor

LINKS OF INTEREST

"  Do you have a fear of flying?"

Check out Les Posen's Fear of Flying Weblog for great tips. Understand the dynamics behind turbulence, why it is not unsafe, methods to reduce flight anxiety and more.

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"The Mourning Bride" by William Congreve

Miscellaneous:

"Timbuctoo" sometimes written "Tim Buck Two"- is a slang expression used to refer to something far away. "All the way from Timbuctoo." Timbuktu is a city in Mali on the edge of the Sahara. A key post on the trans-Saharan caravan route for trade of gold and salt and Islamic scholarship. It is also a town in California in Yuba county, off the Yuba River and depending on what version of the story you follow it was named for or by an African American miner, who was originally from the Mali city. Either way, today unfortunately it is just a ghost town like many in the United States. With no push for preservation, its presence in the American landscape is fading fast.

More on Timbuktu

At the behest of his father nineteen year old Alfred Tennyson submitted a poem on the subject of Timbuktu for a contest and his poem "Timbuctoo" won. Here's a sample:

(Lines 1-9)

I stood upon the Mountain which o'erlooks
The narrow seas, whose rapid interval
Parts Africa from green Europe, when the Sun
Had fall'n below th' Atlantick, and above
The silent Heavens were blench'd with faery light,
Uncertain whether faery light or cloud,
Flowing Southward, and the chasms of deep, deep blue
Slumber'd unfathomable, and the stars
Were flooded over with clear glory and pale.

(Lines 215-224)

     I am the Spirit,
The permeating life which courseth through
All th' intricate and labyrinthine veins
Of the great vine of Fable, which, outspread
With growth of shadowing leaf and clusters rare,
Reacheth to every corner under Heaven,
Deep-rooted in the living soil of truth;
So that men's hope and fears take refuge in
The fragrance of its complicated glooms,
And cool impleached twilights.

For more on this and to read his poem at length go to http://www.pathguy.com/timbuc.htm

Light A Candle and Pass Its Light

Candles  

By Maureen Baraka Bonfante

It,

burns.

Now.

For yesterday.

For todays and tomorrows.

Undulating,

like the gymnast's silk scarf in dance.

Flicker, Flicker. Sway.

Carried by and put out, by the the air.

Ignited. Igniting.

Apple, vanilla, cinnamon, lilac, orange, rose.

Wedding Day.

Birthday numero uno or one hundred.

Held in tribute or silent protest.

Power outages. Crises.

Combustion => Fire.

Small. Contained.

Guiding lights.

Trick or not.

LIFE!

Them.

They.

She.

He.

Us.

I.

Candles. Life. That is what my buddy Ms. S and I chatted about during lunchtime on Wednesday. She was asked by a member of her congregation to prepare a birthday tribute, message to commemorate the special day. It was about candles, hardships, ones triumphs, personal and spiritual growth through struggles faced, gemmed by scripture, etc. And sacrifice. In order for a candle to issue light, a sacrifice must be made by the wax. It melts away until nothing remains, holding the wick in place, housing the burning flame safely for man to hold. If fuels the flame and protects the wick from burning too quickly. It makes the light last as long as it can. Candles are simple but amazing systems of light.

Ms. S and I talked about how we get light from others, through sharing thoughts, feelings, counsel, comfort. Sometimes it's just being there, being positive. And how after feeling a new from the light we receive, it passes on. Naturally, without thought, as the heart beats, as the lungs breathe to sustain the body's life. A positive domino effect, which steams from the smallest gestures at times. Her candle message inspired by a friend who helped her choose a motif and saying for the birthday card. Her sharing of the message she prepared and how it came about inspiring me.

Haiti's Earthquake

Twenty hours earlier, January 12th, 4:53PM a 7.0 earthquake, 13km (8.1 miles) deep, struck the nation of Haiti. In a few short minutes, the time it takes to get your morning coffee, pick up a sandwich, wrap, pizza for lunch, or afternoon snack for tea time, the foundations supporting the people, infrastructure of the poorest nation in the northern hemisphere was wrecked unmercifully.

I don't want to comment much on the absurdities people in positions of high influence in political, religious and other arenas are spewing and feeding to others through various media. There is a nation of 9 million hurting next door to US!!! Body spewing blood like a broken fire hydrant, dying from starvation and disease. Politicking, pandering, and profiteering (not just monetarily), drinking in "ego" shots, on the blood of the victims of Haiti's quake. These are defective candles.

Pictures of Hope and Devastation

Top: Spanish rescuer with 2 year old Redjeson Hauston and father Claude at right. 
Boy reaching out for H2O (AP).

Bottom: Girl crying after the quake, picture by Tequlia Minsky, NY Times. Bodies (AP)

The world is filled with pain and suffering, but we CAN CHOOSE how to react. Bystander? Participant? Ostrich with head in earth? With compassion or empathy? What the world needs now is to get as many candles lit, passing light on and on, like an Olympic torch.

Neil Young's song "Light a Candle" conveys a beautiful message, fitting for the times we are living in, marking the dawn of a new decade in our human history. Following the lyrics and video clip are two others I found were a good compliment as today is Martin Luther King Day. One brought to my attention by my friend Mr. A (another example of passing the light), "Lean on Me," by Playing For Change (Peace Through Music) by a group of campers and volunteers at the Anaheim YMCA at Camp Fox in Catalina Island, CA, the second "Students remember 'I have a dream' speech," at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

As we reflect on our lives, in what has come to pass let's remember the little ones who will be the leaders and caretakers of the nation of Haiti. Who like our children have dreams we can help come true.

Light a Candle 

by Neil Young

Instead of cursing the darkness, 

light a candle for where we're going.

There's something ahead worth looking for.

When the light of time is on us,

we will see our moment come,

and the living soul inside will carry on.

It's a chance to give new meaning,

to every move we make,

through the caverns and the caves where we come from.

When the light of dawn is on us,

we will see what we can be,

and the ancient ones will sleep an easy sleep.

In the hallways of the ages,

on the road to history,

what we do now will always be with us.

It's a chance to give new meaning,

to every move we make,

in the caverns and the caves where we come from.

Instead of cursing the darkness,

light a candle for where we're going,

there's something ahead worth looking for.

When the light of time is on us,

we will see our moment come,

and the living soul inside will carry on.

Light a candle in the darkness

so others might see ahead.

Light a candle in the darkness when you go.

Links of Interest 

Helping the Victims of Haiti's Earthquake  

Doctors Without Borders  

http://doctorswithoutborders.org/  

Habitat for Humanity: Disaster Fund To Help The Victims Of The Earthquake in Haiti

Charity Navigator: Listing of US charities egaged in works within and beyond borders.

Unicef: Help the children of Haiti

Science Facts Behind The Quake  

Hypo-theses  

http://hypocentral.com/blog/

United States Geological Survey

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010rja6.php#details

Neil's Garage 

http://www.neilyoung.com/ 

New's from Neil's Garage  
http://www.neilyoung.com/news/index.html 
 
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