Greetings from
The Publisher . . .
The New Year Brings "New" NewsHappy New Year!
I usually like to look at resolutions and the changes I want in my life this time of year, take inventory in a sense, but the most prominent thing on my “list” this year is to have time to do a list. I have to add that I've also noticed it's often useful to look at how the things that I want to change may be serving me too.
It's not really like I have to work on what to list—it's not a lot different —more writing, meditating and exercising and less eating, move ahead with some things I've been wanting to do at The Light Connection and the house and the garden and simply put—do the things I enjoy doing the most more often. The good news is all the above are useful and enjoyable. It's the specifics that bog me down and take time—the planning and priorities.
So I got help. This issue has two articles on changes to make for the coming year. Amanda Collins offers several changes we can make based on the principles of Feng Shui. Liv Kellgren writes about visioning boards and tells us how to make one for 2009. An interview with Cheryl Richardson looks at Extreme Self-Care. The THEO group, and Sheila and Marcus Gillette, add their perspective to our changing times. Help has arrived.
I have to wonder how people can get bored. There is so much going on to notice—even if it's just watching how much the world is changing.
I was just reading about houses in Germany that are passive solar homes, catching the sun's rays for heat and light. They have lots of windows and emphasize insulation to keep the temperature controlled. There are backup radiator-type heaters in case of emergencies, but they are normally turned off all year. No heat is needed and the air is well circulated. With energy efficient appliances, the homes use about the same amount of energy we use when we blow dry. Germany's government is adapting this to government buildings.
So many amazing possibilities exist for us now.
The present consensus is that the most promising form of biodiesel to replace corn ethanol and petroleum-made diesel fuel can come from algae. As some of us know first hand, you can grow it in a pond in your backyard. The supply is virtually unlimited—no carbon footprint and cheap.
It's amazing to me what's around the corner. The hope is we'll look in those directions more now—and if the government isn't, we remind them. We have a better chance than ever before to emphasize alternative energy and even—hopefully—have more medical breakthroughs through DNA and embryo research. Imagine, here it is 2009 and science's turn to be reborn.
Even in the middle of what is being called “bad times” there is a greater sense of hope that we can make some real changes and move towards energy independence.
It will probably be a challenge. There's no instant gratification with these long term changes. There are many who have interests to protect that will fight any change. Some even want to move backwards towards nuclear energy, but isn't it true that the only ones who figured out what to do with the radioactive nuclear waste—the plutonium—are terrorists who want it to make WMDs? Who else wants it? Need another reason? Nuclear plants also make great targets for terrorists.
It must be a guy thing to want to build bigger and bigger dams, electric plants, Twin Towers, etc., which are big targets and an easy way for terrorists to effect a lot of us at once. Knocking out our electricity would be pretty tough if saboteurs had to go door-to-door knocking out home solar units.
While we can all hope things in Iraq are winding down, we can't ignore that we've “collateral damaged” many civilians with families who have long memories and too often, not a lot to live for except getting revenge.
And it's not totally over, but it was disappointing to see the PUC support the Sunrise Power link. Now that we know that many of the recent fires that devastated parts of San Diego were caused by electrical power lines, I wonder if that means the PUC will be joining SDG&E as codefendants in future lawsuits. Then again, they are a California agency. No money there.
I have to say it's amusing to me seeing the inconsistencies in our policies—or in other words, lack of common sense—in our governments and the world. I know there's enough going on worldwide that is tragic enough to keep us either angry or in tears all the time; but I have to think we were given a sense of humor to survive it all. We should—and have had to a lot in recent years.
Have you noticed what's going on in the news lately? Several of the headlines make me wonder where some people have been—especially when it's the media and called news.
Last month there was a front-page declaration that the money being spent in Iraq has been mismanaged! Who would have thought that?
I also read that the agencies that were supposed to oversee Fannie May and Freddie Mac weren't paying attention! They and the FDA, those watching Wall Street, and just about every other “regulatory” agency were lax in watching those they were being paid to watch.
Does anyone really buy that? They just didn't care—or care to ruffle the feathers of a potential future employer—a form of being paid not to watch. They didn't notice? And the major media didn't either?
Does anyone else find China puzzling? Here's a county with toxic air, toxic water, milk, food, toys and basically, everything they keep or export is either bad for you or kills people and pets. So why do they have more people than any country in the world? Wouldn't you think they'd be dying off? Maybe the media is about to wake up on that next. Not sure.
I think the biggest irony has to be what the bailed-out banks acknowledged the other day. The government gave the banks money to buy up troubled assets. In addition to other necessities such as executive perks, the banks are now actually spending it on troubled assets—just not theirs. They are buying other banks that are in trouble, i.e., banks that are troubled assets themselves.
Almost as big as the bailout was the airing of the Flying Shoes of Baghdad on TV recently. I don't know how we ever thought we could bring such a different culture around to our thinking. It's difficult with the language, a shortage of translators and especially idioms, which would explain the shoe mix-up. Wasn't the expression—the idea—to give Bush the boot? Not throw shoes? Lost in translation once again.
Some have even suggested that this is evidence of Bush's success in bringing democracy to Iraq. Now that the shoe-thrower has become a national figure, he is being encouraged to run for political office. They're discovering what it takes to get elected.
It should be interesting to see what the next few months bring with the economy and new Administration. Don't forget to read the article on the economy by David Korten about that.
I think the trap is to assume the new President will do all the right things—just like we might do them. I think it might even be more frustrating to have the candidate you vote for win because it brings expectations and upsets when he makes a different move or appoints the “wrong” people.
I decided I'd wait and see what they do. The great news is that there are many issues to look at and discuss. I hope we don't keep rehashing old news. We definitely have the chance to redefine ourselves and our direction. Probably good to take part in that—not assume it's all taken care of—and voice what we want.
Have a Great Month,
Steve
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