Obligatory Review

 Happy end of the calendar year again. I'm having more than a little bit of trouble giving it the sad send off that most years get. I'm actually a bit worried about giving it the old heave-ho. Similarly, rather than the New Year being represented this year by a baby, as it has been in the past, quite a few of us seem to understand that it is much more likely to be a baby pterodactyl or giant "baby" chick that may grow bigger than human size and eat us. There is certain trepidation that comes of existential angst. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I'm a decade or more into my second half-century of life. I doubt that's it. I do understand that my contraction just there could be misinterpreted but in my efforts to shorten the string of characters, I guess I was willing to be a little vague. Please, grammar police, let this transgression slide as long as I am willing to explain myself. Later.

No, seriously, I want to do the proper send off of 2025, but the best course of action would be to have a virtually complete do-over, except with the Administration and Congress abiding by the Constitution. For readers that either have not read the document, or live under a different system of government, there are subtle differences between founding documents of other nations. I get that. However, I have to abide by what mine says. Stepping outside the limits set by whatever form of government you live under requires certain sacrifices to be made. I honor whatever form of self expression you are allowed.

I always try to side with the pro-side of issues that I have to deal with and make decisions about. Instead of thinking about boycotts as anti-such and such business practice or human rights issue, I think about the something better I do want and how to spend dollars upholding that possibility. See, every dollar, euro or yen we spend is a vote. Better that it be "for" something rather than going into what we all know we don't want. Feeling, seeing and understanding the idea of dollars being votes is even more dangerous and necessary when it is in a country that has forsaken humans and their one person, one vote tenet, used to allocate political power in our nation. In fact, a single Supreme Court Decision has upended that traditional interpretation with one that has twisted both the idea of citizens and whose "voices" are heard in an extremely different way. Corporations are now allowed to spend unlimited dollars and it is still considered "speech". 

One dollar, one vote demands that we pay much closer attention to the things we buy. I always remind people to check out the free scientific information at Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) their Skin Deep database can help guide you to products that are safe and effective that also don't ship money to corporations who don't care about toxic ingredients in personal care products. This group is so fantastic that I urge everyone to use their online database to search you water quality as well. They have a zip code searchable database, again free. The one New Years resolution that I wish everyone would commit to is to treat your body well. you deserve it! Make sure that you have good clean water, healthy food and clean air to breathe. We the People of the entire planet deserve health and safety.

A brief biochar message: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9a8bmiOc-g&t=20s 
Thank you Joan for asking such good questions! I'm sorry that I was a bit late getting through...I'm digitally challenged.

Young Warriors

 Each generation confronts a slightly different version of the same problems. Throughout time we have had those who wish to exploit and enslave others for the sake of enriching themselves. That fact may never change. However that does not mean that the best thing to do is put your hands in your pockets and buck up under the pressures exacted upon you by the forces which seek to exploit you. The people of Ukraine have said for years, that Oligarchs see us (We the People) as shit they grow their money in. We are but vessels used to bring them their ever-expanding booty. Pirates, by definition could only take the ship and it's contents, oligarchs exact their blood money one drop at a time throughout many generations of your family tree. Until and unless we determine that we have had enough, they will continue to exploit even the most minute chinks in our armor.

 
More than two decades ago, I was privy to a long and detailed conversation amongst a group of about twenty High School-aged young people and although what they were talking about was far outside my own experience, it held an integrity that is rare in the world we are seeing unfold around us. Remember, no oligarch-owned media empire will educate us about things we need to know to fight them. These young people, who are now heads of households, were talking about how to value corporations and how to behave, knowing that some corporate entities were funding fascism, undermining communities like their own or exploiting the workers or ecological resources. They directed and selected where to shoplift and what corporate entities to "attack", whether through deception, or misrepresentation, outright theft of resources "owned" by those corporate entities and/or disruption techniques designed to cripple them. Please understand that I cannot advocate illegal behavior unless it stops an even greater crime from being perpetrated. I understand why some feel they have no other choice, but I will not advocate for anarchy.

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However, I do understand what emotion, reason and morality motivates people who will fight to the death for their community, those who would practice malicious compliance to allow the oligarchs to fail, which they have always done and those patriots who let their own integrity lead them to the choice to let their rank incompetence operate within oppressive systems. Instead of turning in your fellows as the government is telling you to do, turn in those at the top. Don't buy or patronize any of the oppressors tools. The only language they speak is money. We can no longer afford to give it to them, it has only made them spoiled and to believe that they are entitled to their privilege. In a case I am very much aware of, ULINE Corporation's owners flooded fascist organizations with many tens of millions of dollars between November Elections that gave the win to Biden and January Sixth, when conspiratorial forces, at the behest of "their president" attacked the Capitol, police and our elected representatives in order to "Stop the Steal" which is a fiction of convenience for the oligarchs. Election lies alone have done more damage to our nation than any foreign army ever has. The packaging giant makes money on everything you see that has their logo on it.

Please share this with those real people, those you love and care about, those who can see that they are being lied to in order to support a system that hurts us all. Speak out, speak truth to power, through any platform you can find.