Pre-sent. Each and every moment up to now has led to this very moment, now this one, etc. The struggles of past generations to survive in the face of genocide, starvation, disease and crippling conditions has assured that we each have, locked in our DNA the keys to survival and the ability to thrive. I write often about the nature of power and control, how it leads to abuse and neglect, and how that can lead to intergenerational abuses and handicaps, but within that context, we each need to become adults at some point and transcend the horrible past conditions, the abject poverty in which the vast majority of our human species has lived under. Poverty of spirit, poverty of the physical realm and poverty of information to base decisions upon. five hundred years ago, or even just one generation back, there were those whose best idea of a way forward was to slap down any new ideas that might erupt, punish and shame those who stepped out of "proven" ways of behavior which were dictated by, typically, the upper classes of days gone by.
Our genetic memory continues to flow through time, but the best chance we have for shaping the future is this very second. The changes and improvements we make in our outlook, perspective and the "status quo" shape the future as surely as our ancestral family tree all the way back to Africa has.
The humanitarian urge that all human being are born with were beaten out of them as part of their training. judging people by color, class or general appearance has a long history among our species, however, the longer we study human beings, the more we realize that any limitations we project onto others are most likely ours as well. There is a well known psychological process known as projection. Of course, no one likes to think about it, because it is like a mirror reflecting our own inner and often subconscious world. When I was a young man, there was a practice I first read about in a magic book, in which you stand before a mirror in very low light. Sometimes the viewer would light a candle on the far side of the room so that the light would flicker and wane, creating moving shadows on your face, allowing you to "see" different aspects of yourself in the half-light. The darker sides of yourself were supposed to become visible during the exercise, but in fact, the seed of the idea is what probably spawned the "visions" that could be seen. for some, the frightening and horrible visage of a demon or hideous creature would make itself "seen". The way projection works is that the things that are difficult to see in ourselves can make themselves seen in others easily. You don't need a mirror, you don't need to dim the lights or search amongst shadows. Like a film projector, or a cell phone being projected through a magnifying lens onto the wall, we can see the apparitions alive and given form in the guise of "others".
We can see this exhibited daily in and around us ad infinitum. Yesterday, President Bill Clinton made some comment about what a criminal The Donald is. His namesake foundation pockets 85% of the millions they receive from foreign governments for favors, yet someone else is the criminal. The treasonous SOB sold the equity that had been built up over generations to fund Wall Street executives resulting in the financial crisis and housing crash that we still have not seen the end of. Billionaires are doing better than ever, yet We the People are as poor as ever. This is why i take a long view of my own failings. I really want to get to the bottom of the deeper questions and the hidden meanings of my own words. I see greed, but there is part of me that wants to get something for nothing as well. Instead of picking other people's pockets, or fleecing them in the stock market, I plant seeds. These tiny packets of genetic information are designed to pay back at exponential rates, which is quite a bit like getting something for nothing. I practice, for the most part, no till horticulture, pushing seeds into soft Earth that i have made over the years out of the hard packed clay that i found in my yard when I bought this place more than a decade ago. I try to forgive the faraway bankers that take the majority of my income for they do not understand the fact that we have more than we can use all around us.
Just three weeks ago, my wife cam to me with a couple handfuls of potatoes that were beginning to sprout in the refrigerator. I figured they were a total loss for food, but she encouraged me to plant them into parched soil.
"They seem to want to grow" she said.
I took them and placed them in beds that had not produced much this season and were going over to weeds. I got a few handfuls of peas from the handful of seeds that i had spread, but I was not willing to weed and water the beds which were just built this summer. The soil had been compacted, abused and when I first started the bed, I had to first remove buckets and buckets of trash and contaminants from the area, so I didn't have much hope for serious production in year one. The only real changes to the abused and neglected soil I have made so far is to add a bit of compost and In each two by two foot section (there are six) I added a different amount of biochar, to experiment with different application rates.The peas, that I planted earlier this summer responded as expected. Those whose soil had more biochar added did better, produced more peas per pod and tasted decidedly sweeter. That soil, although still very damaged held more moisture and the plants were more resistant to drying out between water applications. Making things even more difficult for the plants was the fact that we did not have the water barrels for rainwater collection hooked up until a few weeks ago, so the potatoes planted in the same place will have much more regular levels of soil moisture.
The material that I put in the ground as potato starts was so close to looking like compost that I was not sure they would even be able to get plants going from the little potatoes. One even had the tell tale smell of rot that led me to throw it into the compost, but the twenty or so small bundles of genetic information had put out root hairs at just the right time. Even though the soil was like dust for the first week or so after they were planted, I watered them twice a week to try to get them to grow. now, this week, there has been a change in the weather with fall rains beginning. This weekend, we are supposed to get perfect temperatures and the moisture of the past week has led to dozens of little sprouts. When any organism comes through harsh conditions and manages to thrive, it looks to the casual observer as if a miracle has taken place, but this is the way of the world. Seeds can lie dormant for years in the soil and then, the right conditions present themselves and they begin to grow.
Culturally the same thing is possible. The ideas and influences that led the hippies to advocate for peace and the meaningful work that could be found in organic agriculture, the arts, humanities and in cooperative living arrangements were antithetical to the greedy self interest of prior generations, but now, the elders have had those experiences and the odd people out are the ones who strive to get ahead of everyone else at all costs. The latent longing for self-actualization and giving back to our community and the wider world is no longer thought of as "communistic" but deep green and ethical, except from the perspective of the oligarchs. The media outlets that have been purchased by the wealthiest class are loathe to admit that their time has come and the old-way systems that gave rise to their billions is coming to a close. Exploitation and extraction economies can only lead to desolation and waste. Mining regions worldwide often look alike, because when they go bust, deep depressions are the rule. There is now a Renaissance taking place in locations as diverse as L.A. and Detroit, Dayton and Atlanta, Milwaukee and St.Louis. The seeds of change were planted, now they are starting to grow.
Many of our cities have experienced out migration. Over the past few years I have seen dozens of moving vans taking families and their belongings away from my town. The city is actually emptying out as people find the grass to be greener elsewhere. Our current far right wing Governor has shifted so many jobs away from our state as to defy counting. Each cut in jobs trickles down to the shoe stores, the markets and even the retirement homes. Schools are seeing their enrollment drop and the tax base is shriveling up too. Economic shortfalls continue to negatively impact the government services that led to a higher standard of living for everyone. The cost of living increases combined with stagnant or falling wages puts undue stress on more and more people over time. however, these pressures are pushing the majority in the right direction. Those struggling with how to stay afloat in difficult economic times often start buying more food locally, spending less time in their cars, planting gardens, etc. When I moved here over ten years ago, we were the only people on our block with a garden, now nearly everyone grows at least a patch of a few veggies.
Even my friends who rent are looking for garden patches in the yard that have been grown organically. If they can't find that, they look for large pots or containers to fill with dirt, so they can at least grow some of their own food. Those who are involved with building community, helping their neighbors and raising the next generation to value peace and true security are no longer branded as "dirty hippies" or "flower power" Pollyannas, they are seen as elders with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Again, except by the media outlets who are very slowly coming to understand that just ignoring the majority will not make them go away. One of the last bastions of old way thinking to fall will be the concept that all politicians are crooks. To this end I am still running for Congress. Again, no time like the present. I have started a Go Fund Me site to raise funds for a tour bus that will bear the name of the campaign Saladino 4 District 8, which many will remember covers most of Northeast Wisconsin. The time has come to grow, change and reward those who have been walking the talk for the last thirty years. Those who know me and understand where I am coming from also realize that there is no buying me, no way to get me to support corporate welfare, no way that I would be swayed by the uberwealthy or their lobbyists. I promise to do what I can to change things for the better and would like each and every one of my readers to do the same. We certainly deserve the opportunity to try.
Our genetic memory continues to flow through time, but the best chance we have for shaping the future is this very second. The changes and improvements we make in our outlook, perspective and the "status quo" shape the future as surely as our ancestral family tree all the way back to Africa has.
The humanitarian urge that all human being are born with were beaten out of them as part of their training. judging people by color, class or general appearance has a long history among our species, however, the longer we study human beings, the more we realize that any limitations we project onto others are most likely ours as well. There is a well known psychological process known as projection. Of course, no one likes to think about it, because it is like a mirror reflecting our own inner and often subconscious world. When I was a young man, there was a practice I first read about in a magic book, in which you stand before a mirror in very low light. Sometimes the viewer would light a candle on the far side of the room so that the light would flicker and wane, creating moving shadows on your face, allowing you to "see" different aspects of yourself in the half-light. The darker sides of yourself were supposed to become visible during the exercise, but in fact, the seed of the idea is what probably spawned the "visions" that could be seen. for some, the frightening and horrible visage of a demon or hideous creature would make itself "seen". The way projection works is that the things that are difficult to see in ourselves can make themselves seen in others easily. You don't need a mirror, you don't need to dim the lights or search amongst shadows. Like a film projector, or a cell phone being projected through a magnifying lens onto the wall, we can see the apparitions alive and given form in the guise of "others".
We can see this exhibited daily in and around us ad infinitum. Yesterday, President Bill Clinton made some comment about what a criminal The Donald is. His namesake foundation pockets 85% of the millions they receive from foreign governments for favors, yet someone else is the criminal. The treasonous SOB sold the equity that had been built up over generations to fund Wall Street executives resulting in the financial crisis and housing crash that we still have not seen the end of. Billionaires are doing better than ever, yet We the People are as poor as ever. This is why i take a long view of my own failings. I really want to get to the bottom of the deeper questions and the hidden meanings of my own words. I see greed, but there is part of me that wants to get something for nothing as well. Instead of picking other people's pockets, or fleecing them in the stock market, I plant seeds. These tiny packets of genetic information are designed to pay back at exponential rates, which is quite a bit like getting something for nothing. I practice, for the most part, no till horticulture, pushing seeds into soft Earth that i have made over the years out of the hard packed clay that i found in my yard when I bought this place more than a decade ago. I try to forgive the faraway bankers that take the majority of my income for they do not understand the fact that we have more than we can use all around us.
Just three weeks ago, my wife cam to me with a couple handfuls of potatoes that were beginning to sprout in the refrigerator. I figured they were a total loss for food, but she encouraged me to plant them into parched soil.
"They seem to want to grow" she said.
I took them and placed them in beds that had not produced much this season and were going over to weeds. I got a few handfuls of peas from the handful of seeds that i had spread, but I was not willing to weed and water the beds which were just built this summer. The soil had been compacted, abused and when I first started the bed, I had to first remove buckets and buckets of trash and contaminants from the area, so I didn't have much hope for serious production in year one. The only real changes to the abused and neglected soil I have made so far is to add a bit of compost and In each two by two foot section (there are six) I added a different amount of biochar, to experiment with different application rates.The peas, that I planted earlier this summer responded as expected. Those whose soil had more biochar added did better, produced more peas per pod and tasted decidedly sweeter. That soil, although still very damaged held more moisture and the plants were more resistant to drying out between water applications. Making things even more difficult for the plants was the fact that we did not have the water barrels for rainwater collection hooked up until a few weeks ago, so the potatoes planted in the same place will have much more regular levels of soil moisture.
The material that I put in the ground as potato starts was so close to looking like compost that I was not sure they would even be able to get plants going from the little potatoes. One even had the tell tale smell of rot that led me to throw it into the compost, but the twenty or so small bundles of genetic information had put out root hairs at just the right time. Even though the soil was like dust for the first week or so after they were planted, I watered them twice a week to try to get them to grow. now, this week, there has been a change in the weather with fall rains beginning. This weekend, we are supposed to get perfect temperatures and the moisture of the past week has led to dozens of little sprouts. When any organism comes through harsh conditions and manages to thrive, it looks to the casual observer as if a miracle has taken place, but this is the way of the world. Seeds can lie dormant for years in the soil and then, the right conditions present themselves and they begin to grow.
Culturally the same thing is possible. The ideas and influences that led the hippies to advocate for peace and the meaningful work that could be found in organic agriculture, the arts, humanities and in cooperative living arrangements were antithetical to the greedy self interest of prior generations, but now, the elders have had those experiences and the odd people out are the ones who strive to get ahead of everyone else at all costs. The latent longing for self-actualization and giving back to our community and the wider world is no longer thought of as "communistic" but deep green and ethical, except from the perspective of the oligarchs. The media outlets that have been purchased by the wealthiest class are loathe to admit that their time has come and the old-way systems that gave rise to their billions is coming to a close. Exploitation and extraction economies can only lead to desolation and waste. Mining regions worldwide often look alike, because when they go bust, deep depressions are the rule. There is now a Renaissance taking place in locations as diverse as L.A. and Detroit, Dayton and Atlanta, Milwaukee and St.Louis. The seeds of change were planted, now they are starting to grow.
Many of our cities have experienced out migration. Over the past few years I have seen dozens of moving vans taking families and their belongings away from my town. The city is actually emptying out as people find the grass to be greener elsewhere. Our current far right wing Governor has shifted so many jobs away from our state as to defy counting. Each cut in jobs trickles down to the shoe stores, the markets and even the retirement homes. Schools are seeing their enrollment drop and the tax base is shriveling up too. Economic shortfalls continue to negatively impact the government services that led to a higher standard of living for everyone. The cost of living increases combined with stagnant or falling wages puts undue stress on more and more people over time. however, these pressures are pushing the majority in the right direction. Those struggling with how to stay afloat in difficult economic times often start buying more food locally, spending less time in their cars, planting gardens, etc. When I moved here over ten years ago, we were the only people on our block with a garden, now nearly everyone grows at least a patch of a few veggies.
Even my friends who rent are looking for garden patches in the yard that have been grown organically. If they can't find that, they look for large pots or containers to fill with dirt, so they can at least grow some of their own food. Those who are involved with building community, helping their neighbors and raising the next generation to value peace and true security are no longer branded as "dirty hippies" or "flower power" Pollyannas, they are seen as elders with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Again, except by the media outlets who are very slowly coming to understand that just ignoring the majority will not make them go away. One of the last bastions of old way thinking to fall will be the concept that all politicians are crooks. To this end I am still running for Congress. Again, no time like the present. I have started a Go Fund Me site to raise funds for a tour bus that will bear the name of the campaign Saladino 4 District 8, which many will remember covers most of Northeast Wisconsin. The time has come to grow, change and reward those who have been walking the talk for the last thirty years. Those who know me and understand where I am coming from also realize that there is no buying me, no way to get me to support corporate welfare, no way that I would be swayed by the uberwealthy or their lobbyists. I promise to do what I can to change things for the better and would like each and every one of my readers to do the same. We certainly deserve the opportunity to try.
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