eye opening to be sure...Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories & Photos ..A MUST SEE!

Anna Baltzer presents...

Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories & Photos

This was an eye-opening 59 minutes to be sure and then the hour after with a handful of folks who showed up was very helpful. My question to this moment is “what is the end game?” so far, all I can come up with is it’s a natural resource grab by a group who is dominating some of the people who have been living and using the resources of the region also. Palestinians have been designated “the other” in the same way other groups of indigenous peoples have many times in the past. As I have explored more at Anna Baltzer’s site, I have seen a movement that I can really stand with. Oh and I really recommended the 2 clips from her quest appearance on Jon Stewart that are linked from her home page.

As a human community I believe we have to constantly recognize each other and stand with those who stand for the common human values we share. It is my belief that humans everywhere want the same things. We all want to live on planet earth with enough water, food, shelter, safety and our communities are the ways we can work together for that life for all humans.

I was very touched by a Jewish woman visitor from New York who attended. She was very knowledgeable and she introduced the word “genocide” and said that she rarely did that because it immediately took on a life of its own and ended any discussion. It’s hard not to ask the question when you witness the living conditions of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. I put myself in their place and I can’t even imagine getting through one day. I travel freely at any time I choose. Just having to wonder if it will take 30 minutes or 8 hours to work 25 miles away seems unimaginable and this is a daily fact for many Palestinians. Not knowing if me or my family would be able to reach a hospital if we had an emergency, because it was on the other side of a checkpoint (aka roadblock, in my world), is chilling.

I am horrified that my tax money is going to support a country continuing to violate human rights and my country continues to block UN efforts to hold Israel accountable.
I will be exploring what ways I can be part of the Boycott/Divestment/Sanctions movement. It is the nonviolent organized movement that makes sense and gives hope for our human future.
Thank you Code Pink Rebekah for bring this to us.

this issue of Newsweek explains alot to me......we are not getting the facts about what is happening there.

more Michael Ruppert

i have certainly got this date on my calendar for the screening of new work by Michael at the Pickord Film Center.... he continues to be one of my heroes .... answering charges that he is a conspiracy theorist, he says "I don't deal in conspiracy theory, I deal in conspiracy fact."

thank you thank you Michael !

wake up world......and i will continue my quest to meet my neighbors and network for our local community.

Collapse

Thu. 1/21 TBD
Fri. 1/22 TBD
Sat. 1/23 TBD
82 minutes • 2009 • USA • In English • Unrated

Official Website

Reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, EW:

You'd be hard-pressed to find a movie that channels the anxieties of our time with the power and terror of the documentary Collapse. For 82 riveting minutes, Michael Ruppert, a former Los Angeles cop who became a rogue investigative reporter and author, sits in what looks like a brick bunker and talks about where he thinks the United States is now headed. It's not a pretty picture, but it is not a naive one either. The grippingly articulate Ruppert is like Noam Chomsky as a wry pundit of doom. In 2006, he predicted the current economic crisis, and his startlingly detailed foresight seizes your attention. So you'd better believe that you're sitting up and listening when he starts to talk about ''peak oil”…A-

Read the rest of the review.

"DENIAL STOPS HERE: From 911 to Peak Oil and Beyond"

I just rewatched this and it was still so powerful. This man, Michael Ruppert, has been in the battle for a long time. The movie, made in 2005, is brutally honest about where we find ourselves as humans living together on planet earth. I believe the most honorable thing we can do is seek and speak the truth. Michael’s integrity and tireless, selfless willingness to share with all of us is most admirable. Thanks for not giving up and extending your hand for all who are trying to figure out where to go from here.
The film ends with what, for me, was a very hopeful message. We are not alone. We are the paradigm shifters. We are the map makers. There is a lot of work to do. There are so many talented, good hearted people in all of our communities. There is huge change ahead. There is going to be a lot more sharing if we are lucky enough to get a go at it. It would be great to think my grandchildren could have the opportunity for a healthy life on planet earth.


the movie at amazon



Michael Ruppert's blog here......

From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog
With the arrival of Peak Oil, the curtain has closed on Act 1 of the drama Petroleum Man. What will happen in Act 2? Chekhov said, "If there's a gun on the wall at the beginning of the play, by the end it must go off." In the world's nuclear arsenal are many guns on the wall. If life copies art, will there be an Act 3 in which the players, having learned their lesson the hard way, live sustainably? To explore these and other questions... FTW's Act 2 Blog. Read, comment, take heart! Orkin

Hemp and the Rule of Law

This is a great movie documenting the absurdity of our corrupt, insane inhuman drug policy. and hemp isn't even a drug!!!! As i like to say, you could drive up to a high school with a truckload of the stuff and no one would give you a second glance. Hemp could turn out to be one of the most valuable national security crops if we ever take the blinders off. So many useful products could be made from a crop that grows as a weed if left to it's own devices. As we deplete the fossil fuels and other resources of the planet, it would be great to have a top notch fiber to make the things we use to improve our lives. Car bodies could be made out of it (it's that good) and when the car were done we could compost them instead of sending them to the junkyards. we will need this fiber for so many things.

Jim Hightower writes a very insightful history of our folly war on drugs that continues to exact a high price on our society and our fellow citizens.

Hemp and the Rule of Law
A Documentary Film by Kevin Balling
“The best video treatment of this subject to date. Make the most of this video, show it everywhere”. Dave West, Ph.D. Plant Breeder. Director, Hawaii Industrial Hemp Project“It's an incredible DVD! Every member of Congress should see this video. If you watch it and don't think that hemp farming should be legalized then you weren't paying attention. It's so good that I would show it to my grandfather without any reservation.”. Tom Murphy, Vote Hemp“If you're wanting to learn more about the possibilities for industrial hemp in the United States, you could hardly do better than this DVD”. John Roulac, Author of “Hemp Horizons” and owner of Nutiva hemp foodsThe video is beautifully done. An excellent presentation of this important topic. This is a truly fine educational tool”. Gale Glenn, Vice Chair, North American Industrial Hemp Council “A clear and concise synopsis of the history, benefits and future of industrial hemp”. Candi Penn, Executive Director, Hemp Industries Association“Balling blends current events with history, creating a fine example of documentary filmmaking in a brisk 55 minute package” Winston-Salem Journal

SYNOPSIS
Blending history with current events, "Hemp and the Rule of Law" traces the crop’s legendary past in U.S. agriculture and chronicles the politically-charged debate to return the crop to American farmers. Thirty-one countries including Canada, England and the European Union now grow hemp. Although it has no psychoactive potential, hemp shares the same plant family as marijuana (cannabis). The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration makes no distinction between hemp and marijuana, and the United States remains the only industrialized country where farmers are not permitted to grow it. "Hemp and the Rule of Law" addresses renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, national security, the War in Iraq, and examines hemp’s role in achieving a “green” industrial future.

more on this film here

upcoming movie event

We, (Transition Ferndale, a sub-group of Transition Whatcom), are showing “the Power of Community” "how Cuba survived Peak Oil” on December 7th (Monday) at the Ferndale Whatcom Educational Credit Union. WECU

We will gather from 5:30p to 6:30p for a potluck, for those who want to, with the movie starting at 6:30p. Bring your own plate and utensils although I will have a few things available.

I am working on the skills, tools, and equipment I have to share. We can discuss/share and inspire each other with our ideas before and after. Perhaps we can start our Transition Ferndale listing. People should feel free to bring anything they would like to share. (ie: I have extra copies of films that could be loaned out)

a must see: Burning The Future: Coal in America

We should all see this movie. Since 50% of our electricity comes from burning coal,
we should know who is paying the highest price to enable our current use. This movie is so powerful. What is happening to the people of Appalachia, living in the world's 2nd most diverse forest on earth, is a crime. The people need our help ....

just for fun....Jack Johnson

i will be preordering the movie and cd!

Rethink Afghanistan

I just saw the film Rethink Afghanistan with a small group of other humans. There is absolutely nothing to be accomplished there with more military engagement. I am unclear what our military occupation has ever been about. Only a humanitarian mission could improve anything for the humans in Afghanistan. I guess you could make a case for an international law enforcement mission if it was the instigator of 911 you wanted. Hard to make that case in light of the fact that Osama was offered and our government refused him.

We should immediately cease funding the military industrial complex. I was horrified at the inhumanity we are visiting on the humans in this part of the world. Only when begin to show concern for the humans who live where earth’s natural resources and the routes to bring them to us are located, will we give the humans everywhere a chance to continue life on earth. This is the legacy I hope to leave for those who come after. If we don’t learn how to life within our means no one, including our children and grandchildren, will enjoy life on earth. Considering that we are 4% of the world’s population, using 25% of the planet’s resources, we have an opportunity to really make a difference.

If we stop using earth’s dwindling resources to fight over earth’s dwindling resources and build infrastructure we can pass on the legacy of a good life on earth. The humans in Afghanistan want the same things as we do. They love their families just like we do. The images in this movie are heartbreaking. And the fact that my tax money is funding this congressional military industrial complex adventure is abhorrent.


thank you, Rebekah, our Bellingham Code Pink , for showing this film.

sign to demand civilian solutions for Afghanistan here


I include this 10 minute segment from the film that addresses the plight of women in Afghanistan. If you watched corporate media during our occupation you would believe the myth that freedom is on the march and women are enjoying their lives as never before.

Bombs will kill women in Afghanistan
Posted by robertgreenwald on July 8th, 2009
Self immolation is a method of suicide by lighting oneself on fire. According to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, self immolation has never been such an epidemic in Afghanistan as it is today. This is one fact that leads people to the sobering reality that our efforts in Afghanistan have done nothing for the vast majority of women there.



full post here

one of my all time favorites.....the Power of Community

I must not forget one of my all time favorite movies, the Power of Community. I saw this movie after being introduced to the peak oil concept in 2004 at a screening of The END of SUBURBIA. The people of Cuba have lived the “beyond fossil fuels” age, albeit artificially induced. The have a lot to teach the rest of the world if we open up to the possibilities. One of my favorite moments in the movie was this quote “we have one earth and it belongs to all of us.”

I see us needing 5 things: air, water, food, safety, shelter and community is the only way we can do it. We all have something to contribute. I believe the future will bring more sharing if we choose the legacy of life on planet earth for those who come after.

The people of Cuba found a way to reinvent their lifestyle during what they called “the special period.” They had higher fossil fuel input in their agribusiness than we did when the Soviet Union fell and they lost a large part of their imports. The United States increased strict embargos during this time, making this worse. People lost weight, suffered shortages and had challenges in every part of their daily lives.

The Cubans adapted and now people who produce food (organically and locally) are the highly respected members of the community. They demonstrate how to pull together and make sure everybody makes it. I love this movie and will continue to show it and put it into the hands of anyone who will watch it.

Just ordered 3 more.

Prepare to live differently!!!! a great article by Richard Heinberg: Fifty Million Farmers

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's economy went into a tailspin. With
imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. It is an unusual look into the Cuban culture during this economic crisis, which they call "The Special Period." The film opens with a short history of Peak Oil, a term for the time in our history when world oil production will reach its all-time peak and begin to decline forever. Cuba, the only country that has faced such a crisis – the massive reduction of fossil fuels – is an example of options and hope.
much more information here...

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father

this movie is heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. the worst and best of the human is on display. Andrew's friends and family made me love him and them. they continue to work to change laws to protect innocent people from those who may be dangerous. this trailer brought back the memory of watching the film with my sister. i am sobbing and she says, "it gets worse"

Statement from the Filmmaker
I wish that I had never had the opportunity to make this film. I wish that my friend Dr. Andrew Bagby was alive and well and that I was blissfully ignorant of the lessons I've learned along this journey. Alas, this is not the case. When bad things happen, good people have to take what they've learned and make the world a better place, and that is precisely what I hope this film will do – make the world a better place.
..............In the last phone conversation I ever had with Andrew, he asked me if I'd ever heard the Garth Brooks song "Standing Outside the Fire". I hadn't. He said the song reminded him of me because "I've never thought of you as standing outside the fire." After he died, I was bequeathed Andrew's copy of the album. The chorus is:

Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire

I hope this film will inspire lawmakers and citizens everywhere to take a look at themselves, decide what they stand for and do their best to live a life they can look back on proudly. We are alive. We have the opportunity to do and achieve anything we can imagine. For those who are just surviving – and for those members of the Canadian governmental systems who scrambled to save face in the wake of this tragedy rather than admit error and take positive action – I hope it will inspire them to go forth, use their power for good and jump into the fire.

I hope that you will join me on what has been the most rewarding journey of my life. I believe we can make the world a safer, better place.
Kurt Kuenne
.....
full statement

a good review by Brian Orndorf over at DVD talk

THE FILM
The experience of watching the documentary "Dear Zachary" is like trying to put together a complex puzzle inside a roaring jet engine. Eschewing a liberal, meditative approach to reverse engineer a murder, "Zachary" instead pours its heart out over the screen, piloting with unfiltered rage and tears as filmmaker Kurt Kuenne embarks on a distressing odyssey to decipher just who would want to kill his lifelong friend, Andrew.
When 28-year-old Andrew Bagby entered into a relationship with 40-year-old Shirley Jane Turner, Andrew's immense community of friends and family felt a distinct unease with this strange woman. Beloved everywhere he went and blessed with a rare inner fountain of goodwill and humor, Andrew eventually came to agree with the majority opinion and hoped to break up with Turner one night before heading over to a friend's house. The next day his body was discovered riddled with bullets, with Turner fleeing to Canada soon after to avoid prosecution. What ensued after the grisly murder makes up the bulk of "Dear Zachary," and it's a story that's not easily forgotten. The senseless death of Andrew Bagby is only the prologue to Kuenne's film: a clenched, tireless love letter to Andrew's infectious spirit as well as a cinematic exorcism of sorts, clearing away the demons that surrounded his final days.
full review

THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI....all thumbs up!

i love this film...took it to the sister retreat and it was loved there too....and my sister who will not be seeing Dear Zachary (too much kleenex) stayed awake and survived this poignant human story....i will see this one again many times.....

THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI
Lost in painful memories, eighty-year-old Japanese American artist Jimmy Mirikitani lived on the streets of Manhattan, resisting any human connection or assistance and obsessively pursuing his art. Among his lovely, lyrical drawings of cats could be found darker, angrier images that revealed a troubled past. In early 2001 film artist Linda Hattendorf noticed Jimmy and his work, and slowly a tentative friendship emerged that would change both of their lives. When 9/11 engulfed Soho in toxic smoke, Hattendorf took Jimmy in to live with her, and an extraordinary journey began which gradually gave the artist the courage to confront his past in the World War II internment camps and embrace a new life. This is a story of remarkable compassion, courage and transformation that unveils the wounds of war at the same time it celebrates the power of human connection and healing. Winning over 20 Festival awards, including Tribeca, this jewel of a film is storytelling at its very best.

check out trailer at Ironweed Films here

Other films in this release PILGRIMAGE LOST AND FOUND

must see...end mountaintop removal NOW !!

i just recieved my copy of this powerful collection from Christians for the Mountains. the people of the Appalachian Mountains need us all to help stop the destruction of their home. i have ordered extra copies i hope to put copies in the hands of my Christian friends so, hopefully, we can all stand up and save this 2nd most diverse forest on planet earth and home to some amazing folks. the legacy of this beautiful place and the wisdom of the people of these mountains is priceless.
wake up america!!

Christians for the Mountains presents


The Mountain Mourning Collection
produced by B. J. Gudmundsson

Portraits of the Human Spirit featuring Traditional Appalachian Music
Includes “Mountain Mourning,” “Look What They’ve Done,”
and “Keeper of the Mountains.” View Previews

In the Southern Appalachian Mountains, a coal-mining process known as Mountaintop Removal is devastating God’s creation. And global warming is being accelerated by Mountaintop Removal. Demand for electricity overshadows weak environmental laws. Coal industry profits outweigh quality of life. As our oldest mountaintops vanish, the people are left behind. Having paid the highest price – they are abandoned in what is called “the sacrifice zone.” These are their stories.

Christians for the Mountains is a non-profit, grass-roots organization that encourages the preservation of God’s Earth and its human communities. We call upon Christians, church communities and people of conscience to join us in advocating for personal responsibilities and public policies that conserve the use of earth’s resources and address abusive coal extraction processes.

“The Mountain Mourning Collection” is a powerful viewing experience. For those who are familiar with mountaintop removal these films evoke strong emotions while being affirming and hope inspiring.

“Mountain Mourning” is the feature film of the collection. It gives an overview of the basics of mountaintop removal within the context of the Appalachian culture.

“Look What They’ve Done” and “Keeper of the Mountains” included on the DVD, are stories told by persons directly affected by mountaintop removal mining. Mountaintop removal is not an abstraction. It adversely affects the lives of real human beings. These films capture Maria Gunnoe’s and Larry Gibson’s love of mountains and mountain folk and also their pain and anguish over the devastation of the land and its people. These films should break a heart of stone.

Also on this DVD
“A Call to Action” which is a short message from Christians for the Mountains co-founder, Bob Marshall.

“Bringing Down the Mountains” excerpts. The film is a project by Pennsylvania high school students that can inspire young people to engage pressing issues of our time in order to make a positive difference for their future.

Christians for the Mountains provides more information about their efforts to stop mountaintop removal as well as a Viewing Guide and “5 Ways You Can Make a Big Difference” on their website:

ChristiansfortheMountains.org

info on DVD here

a must see film...A River Of Waste

not for the faint-hearted. i was left with our report card on our industrial food chain and deep shame for the legacy we are passing to those who come after. i will urge our congress critters to immediately adopt European standards for our industrial food production. ....this movie shocked, angered, and had me sobbing in my swivel rocker.

shitting in the air, land and water is no way to leave planet earth for our kids and their kids and their kids....hope the Cree Prophecy is not our destiny.

wake up america....

A River Of Waste - Laurels - Synopsis - Trailer


SYNOPSIS A heart-stopping new documentary, A River Of Waste exposes a huge health and environmental scandal in our modern industrial system of meat and poultry production. The damage documented in today's factory farms far exceeds the damage that was depicted in Upton Sinclair's novel, The Jungle, a book written over 100 years ago. Some scientists have gone so far as to call the condemned current factory farm practices as "mini Chernobyls."
The European Union stands virtually alone in establishing strong health and environmental standards for the industry. In the U.S and elsewhere, the meat and poultry industry is dominated by dangerous uses of arsenic, antibiotics, growth hormones and by the dumping of massive amounts of sewage in fragile waterways and environments. The film documents the vast catastrophic impact on the environment and public health as well as focuses on individual lives damaged and destroyed.
As one observer noted, if terrorists did this, we would be up in arms, but when it is a fortune 500 company, it is just "business as usual."
In 1906, public outrage at the scandal exposed by Sinclair led to major reforms that cleaned up a corrupt and dangerous system. It is the hope of the filmmakers to mobilize a similar public outcry for reform.