The Great Reset

In the course of human events, one often needs what we might think of as a a page break, a place to catch our breath, change our behaviors for a moment and briefly do something physical intead of what we were doing before. If we seem to be running on a treadmill, this might take the form of stepping off, going to the rowing machine for a while. If we have been riffing on a certain tune in out heads for a while, perhaps a change of station. When studying hard for finals, why not take a half hour to watch a favorite show or listen to a favorite piece of music, with the books closed? It often can be a great way to revive when times get tough, take a break or change oyur activity level even for five minutes! When we need a more significant break, often we cannot know why or how long it will need to be, but we just know, instinctively, to put down those tools and walk away, before mistakes are made that cannot easily be erased. In very real ways, covid-19 has provided an opportunity as well as a hardship. Many of us have had more time off in the past year than we have had in our entire adult lives. This may provide such a page break for our culture, perhaps all of humanity.
My part in this is to stir the pot of course. This viscous social space and time are liable to stick to the bottom of the pan without folks willing to stir things up deeply and vigorously. https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-80-acres-of-wisconsin-for-outdoor-school The 100% volunterer not-for-profit that my wife and I and a handful of friends created to teach eco-ehtics is twenty years old and we have lots of great projects that attest to our unconventional approach. We have helped to plant over sixty thousand native trees across Northeast Wisconsin in forty or more locations. We have planted over a hundred acres with native perennial food crops, medicinal plants and plants used as dyestock for natural dyes. We have hosted hundreds of events to share what we know about living more sustainable lifestyles, from plant-ins to composting lessons, biochar classes and square foot ECO-Tours. We have presented informaion to thousands of readers around the world through digital media and when people ask what we charge, we often just ask them to give what they can afford. When we plant a tree, it is the best one suited to each particular location, not a specimine tree that stands out against a background of native trees, but what literally belongs there. We have used several techniques to get free trees to plant, and often, now, we only plant tree seeds, becaus etheir roots experience far less trauma when th eseedlings can start where they will eventually grow. We have stood the paradigm of commercialism on end, not asking for money as much as to be seen, to be heard as we speak for the trees. We have led canoe trips down some of the most pristine as well as some of the most impacted rivers around, participated in Earth Day events and been involved regionally in diverse groups that advocate for th egreat Lakes generally and renewable, clean energy and pro-peace groups as well. I was trained as a teacher in a time when the jargon was all about knowledge skills and attitudes. Knowledge lives in your mind but can exist without outward evidence, skills only exist as action and can be seen, practiced, perfected and can only be made your own through repetition and attitudes, like knowledge only exist internally, although sometimes they can be plain to see, because they are reflected in many of our actions.
This group, these projects, have never been expected to be as important as they turn out to be. In our experience, nothing done as a group can ever be fully appreciated until much later. Creating memories and the deep sort of knowing that our tours engender has such long term impacts that generations down th eroad, ther emay be benefits completely unrelated to the time or place, bu tsomething heard or seen will bring back information or ideas that resurface at just the right moment, or help imform an action that has become instinctive, bu tthat has th epower to teach someone else. Living amongst such a technologically focused society, there is something that deeply enriches us when we love a plant's roots into the soil, easing them down so they are comfortable in the world they will inhabit for many years and whose very life changes the world around them for the better.
Only once per century has Mother Nature felt it necessary to still humanity with a deadly virus of this severity. It comes to us to make the best of what we have, that means with the deadly virus as well. As Cat Stevens wrote so eloquently, "Take your time, think a lot, why think of everything you've got; for you will still be here tomorrow but your dreams may not." In this Great Reset we are being granted a chance to change everything we have known, reevaluate whether it served us, decide wha tto leave behind and in very real ways what we are going to create. Let us not shirk from th echallenge, but put our foot down firmly and move forward. As was drilled into me as a child, I say to everyone now, we can all have total freedom, but only if we are willing to be supremely responsible. We cannot have one without the other.

This is a photo of a simple tool caddy, easy to make, keeps long-handled tools at hand and easy to organize. This rack can be adapted to your needs but I learned of it from a props person on a touring show. when you need th ewhole village to get to the implements, quickly, this is a great way to have them handy an all in one place. Please share this blog with friends. share our go fund me page widely. We don't have any time to lose! If not now, when? If not us, who?

Dry January

I had known that quitting drinking was a relatively common thing to do as a New Year Resolution, but I always thought peole just fell off the wagon at different times. Having never heard of this limited liability engagement, or temporary quitting, it really created a mind storm when I heard. There may be a girlfriend or two that I should have given up for a month, to see how our relationship would age, but I was too young, just inexperienced enough, or maybe just ddin't care to, to know. I have never been a daily drinker, not even while at college. Since alcohol was never my favorite reason to get together, hang out or something to focus a lot of attention on, whether it was there or not never seemed to bother me. Since I did know that some of my friends did like it more than I, being sure to have drinks for parties was always part of planning, but certainly not the main objective. For instance, when we hosted our 1984 Party, which, of course, was in 1984, we recreated the opening scene from the book for each of our guests in turn and making sure we had enough Victory Gin and Victory Cigarettes for everyone was a top priority.That wasn't as much about the alcohol as the story. If a friend would take charge and bill it as a magerita party, or a daquiri party,of course, it made booze shopping easier, but beyond making sure the booze matched the theme, it was mostly just background. My friends and hand-chosen family as well as our relationships were far more important to me.

This brings me to my reqalization this year. First, I have always disliked the end of year push that most not-for-profit groups do just before New Years. Double matching and triple matching donations, trying to get people to commit before the end of the tax year. It always feels like that sort of pressure being exacted during the holidaze is a bit, how can I say it, car salesman-ish. this year, because I found out about this interesting thing, Dry January, what if it could be used as a force for good? Here's a simple thought experiment. What if, the thousand or more friends that I have met and loved, shared and cried with over the years were to take the Dry January events to heart. What if, they donated whatever money they would save over that month to the land purchase? How much would that be? Well, I'm not really in that close contact with my friends, because of covid-19 and all, so to think I have any idea how much they are drinking would just be silly. however, I have heard that alcohol sales generally increased greatly because of the pandemic. Let's just say, with me maybe having a few glasses of wine per week, or a few mixed drinks, I've probably got a budget of about ten dollars a week in drinks. At the end of a four-point two-five week month would have an extra $42.50 from my estimated booze budget to spend or share at my discretion. I used to drink a case a week of Huber Bock. Today that would cost $22 per week so when I was drinking the most, a month's worth of Huber Bock would have cost, in today's market, about ninety-three dollars and fifty cents. That would be a huge help toward building our outdoor school! If you are considering, or better yet, if you have pledged to do a dry January, please consider contributing what yo0u save on alcohol this month to our land purchase. It isn't often that our choices can directly change the world around us and it is even more likely that you will follow through on the pledge if you can see the results and actual benefits that come from your sacrifice. Please, let me know if you are interested, if yo uhave your own good Dry January stories or if yo uhave any idea how I could have not known about this apparently common thing for more than fifty years. also, please don't say because I grew up around too many alcoholics, who never even considered giving up drink fo rany length of time, much less an entire month! I already knew that! to prepare myself for writing this, I even said the little mnemonic device to figure out if January is one of the "long months" which it turns out, it is! If you have decided to stop drinking for the month, I appreciate that and wish you the very best in your absinance. If you do indeed save money by not drinking, let me re-post the link to our gofundme page, you could be part of saving 80 aces for our outdoor school! https://gofund.me/52fa3b77 If you are suspicious about links, check out the go fund me site and search my name, Tony C. Saladino My first update includes the Powerpoint slide show that I use to teach th eclassroom portion of my biochar classes and anyone who contributes at least fifty I offer to spend up to two hours explaining any of the materials or helping to translate the class into a useable form. May abundance find you during the New Year, wherever your path may lead!

Go Fund Me Campaign

We are beginning outreach and organization to establish an outdoor school in Northern Wisconsin. In the few weeks since announcing our intention, half a dozen teachers have come forward who want to share skills and bring our facility to life! We are offering our compltete biochar education package to anyone giving over a hundred dollars toward our goal. If you check out the link, you can even see that we have put up a slide share of the powerpoint presentation we use for our biochar class free of charge. If you use this information, w do ask that you reimburse us in a way that feels appropriate.

Regenerative agriculture demonstration, carbon smart farming and protection of resources will be at the top of our list. All on-site guests will have to be willing to live by Leave No Trace Ethics. The skills we need are changing rapidly and understanding that learning new things can only benefit us in quality of life is becoming more and more appealing for our guests! ECO-Tours of Wisconsin has helped thousands of people learn practical ways to reduce their ecological footprint while helping life thrive in ways that will live on for generations!

Biochar?

Preparing for the Equinox

The balance between winter and summer is about to occur in my temperate climate. The ice has gone out of the soil, we received five inches of snow a couple days ago and it is melting from both the bottom and the top. In a couple weeks, the sun will be up exactly twelve hours and down, for the same amount of time for just one day, then, summer will continue to add moments to the brighter side of each day. Many places in my country are about to set the clocks ahead. Originally Daylight Savings Time was intended to save candles by letting Americans retire early, thus reducing the need for artificial light, saving time, resources and money. Today, it is a vestige of the eighteenth century that typically makes no important contribution to our lives. Artificial light is immensely cheaper and electric rates typically drop at night so any benefits have fallen prey to technology.

This year, the Equinox came and went while I was working.

This photo is from last Summer's festival season. I look very much the same, but this week had no hat and dressed all in black to run tower spotlight for Les Miserables. We had French guests at our airbnb during the time I was doing the show and it was just one of many odd coincidences that have taken place already this Spring.



However, the energy of the season is undeniable. I am making new beginnings in several ways, the swollen buds are beginning to break as it were. The sap is running like crazy in the maples and the birds are returning.

One thing I want to remind everyone about is the Earth Charter. The organization spearheading the adoption of it worldwide is at earthcharter.org. Another invaluable resource is Environmental Working Group (EWG), especially their online resource Skin Deep. There is no better resource for information about commercial personal care items. Finally, check out the app called Buycott, it helps you make sound decisions based on issues that are important to you when you shop.

Native BE-ing

It is well to remember that as the Sun begins the march toward spring and eventual summer, Humanity is turning a corner as well. We have had long dark nights in which we were told that the wealthy were in their station for any number of reasons. We have had a variety of excuses made for the uberwealthy. Like the emperor who wears no clothes, the rich liked anyone who could validate their station, and their defenders and supporters still trump up excuses for them. The rationale for the rich has ranged from claiming lineage from Gods, to being "chosen" by them to rule. Later, when those excuses were discovered to be the furthest things from truth. The 99% were told that these wealthy families had our best interests in mind, that they were smarter or deserved more wealth simply for being "good". They were told that the best and brightest had to be Ivy League or perhaps elevated by genetic aptitude.

This link has been created everyculture to educate and inform.

The link is to a site that describes the Iroquoix Confederacy. They had found a way to be led by a representative democracy. In fact the United States of America based their government design, at least in part on the native, "tribal" form of governance.

One crucial part that was involved in governing the Iroquoix nations was that the Grandmothers were the ones who voted, when the whites stole the idea, they let white, male, mostly wealthy landowners do the voting. Those interests are very different than those of the Grandmothers. Whereas, grandmothers would be best able to identify the hot heads and more sensitive leaders, they are the ones uniquely situated to know the bullies and their victims, who need protection and what investments have the greatest benefit over time. Businessmen on the other hand, can only be interested in their particular portfolio, the value of their holdings, next quarter earnings etc. Grandmothers take a longer view. Seven generations is a thing, not just a saying.

I, for one, am ready to go back to the true American Experiment and I intend to outline it somewhat in this post. We are nearly a generation into this Century, and have hardly been inspired in our treatment of it. I think that it is plain to see, we need a new way of looking at the government and the social, economic, environmental and political landscape we all share. I have a plan to greatly scale down the Federal government and simultaneously restore much more autonomy, character and wealth to states, rather than continuing to encourage money to influence politics, as we do today. This would be accomplished by dividing the U.S. of A. into thirteen bioregions. These would function much like the original thirteen colonies. Congress would be severely reduced in size, but would benefit from the cuts. To make sure that no undue pressure was placed upon these federal representatives, they would not be allowed to entertain the overtures of any paid lobbyists. Instead of fundraising half their time, they would be liberated to interact with constituents, not lobbyists. This way the Federal government could concern itself more with ecological and water conservation, air quality and soil fertility in ways that are important to the stability of the planet, the ability to enhance abundance in each bioregionally distinct area. The way arbitrary lines have been drawn across the nation, there are many places where people have no say over how their water has been treated before it gets to them. By dividing the nation this way, the Senate would be reduced to 26 representatives, two each from the thirteen biregional "colonies", much like the framers wanted. This appeals to the smaller government crowd and changes the dynamic from huge masses of rich white males to a more representative democracy.

 The most vast by land area would be the Mississippi/Missouri/Arkansas basin. The Great Lakes Basin, although it covers parts of eight states, and the entire Great Lakes Watershed is not much bigger than the lakes themselves, (making air quality paramount for that region) would be another of the thirteen. Appalachia/Allegheny mountains a third. Colorado River drainage would be another, The Desert Southwest, The Pacific Northwest, the Intermontane region, the drainage basin of the Great Salt Lake, would constitute four more, bringing us more than halfway with seven bioregionally defined "colonies". Hawaii, with the massive areas of Pacific Ocean would be a state that is also a bioregion, unique in virtually every way, Alaska, the same. Eastern Gulf states would be a bioregion, including westward draining Florida, bringing the total to ten, The eastern seaboard would be split into two zones, bisected between North and South, again based on watersheds, combined with latitude, roughly splitting in half, near Virginia Beach and the area defined by the Rio Grande drainage including the western Gulf of Mexico, would round out the thirteen.

In this re-envisioning, the The U.S. House of Representatives would be, similarly, representatives of more discreet watersheds within the greater whole, primarily as they can be referenced to population as well. Some territories or districts would be large in area, but slight in population but others would have large populations, but still be based on a relatively small watershed. We have seen some of the difficulties that can happen along borders, indeed, tragically they are the invention of humans. Perhaps if we started acting like thirteen colonies again, things would get better.

State boundaries alone currently represent 25,802.4 miles of territory. Even though bioregion boundaries by nature meander more, less than half as many boundary miles would be required to delineate thirteen eco-colonies. The emphasis on bioregions would make explicit the need to reform our geologic, energy, environmental, cultural similarities and to capitalize in regional similarities rather than focusing on being so many, often divisive "states".  Of course, we could retain much higher quality representatives if we had to pay far fewer of them! Again, the goal of limiting our nation to thirteen units of federal governance, which the "conservatives" say that they desire, yet it would emphasize ecology and sustainability as many "liberals" would like. Paring down the numbers of representatives to about half, would yield several benefits. This would greatly reduce or eliminate the need for large subcommittees, The full body would not be nearly as unwieldy as the current one. Instead of having 535 Congressional members, 435 Representatives and 100 senators, the Senators would be reduced to twenty six and the representatives would be capped at 100, allotted based on population of each bioregion.

No bioregion would be allowed fewer than two Representatives. Because of the small numbers of representatives, every effort would be made to insulate them from lobbyists. Because there would be far fewer individuals in Congress, their finances would be far easier to inspect/audit. There is absolutely no reason but for greed and deceit, that someone making a couple hundred thousand dollars per year on a government salary should be becoming a multi millionaire on side deals and golden parachutes from industry. We are even seeing pre-employment pay-outs for services to be rendered in the future, this is not the American Way. I have spoken with thousands of individuals who agree, the system as it is formulated today is severely broken and these changes address many of the concerns people have about how far awry our government has drifted. Not only would there be a stipulation preventing those who had served in government from taking positions in the very industries they had formerly regulated, but there would be limitations on corporate executives being s"elected" to serve in government. There need to be, with this new approach, strong campaign finance regulations helping to keep the corporate beggars away from our representatives. Many have proposed these sorts of things in the past, but we need to assure that our elected representatives are free of corporate allegiance and needless interference from the influence of lobbyists.

Clarity Of Purpose

Without a true sense that we are exhibiting, upholding, or helping to create a worth-while part of the environment in which we find ourselves, we are like ships, untended and without  adrift. In our part of the universe, it is only a matter of time before things start to destructive. For some, their dedication to family makes that group better off, so that can be something to help hold you to admirable standards. sometimes the things we deem a moral or societal 'good" can get us through.others, for completely identical reasons will forge alliances to further causes and that assures them that they are part of something more sublime than a single lifetime. how we reach out to grasp hand holds on each of our environments, may differ, but it always satisfies a basic human need. to feel part of something greater.

I saw a phenomenal video that included most of two breasts, during feeding time. It certainly was not pornographic, but it was something I had seen many times before. Bare chested nursing allows the child to individuate and assure themselves of hundreds if not thousands of discreet elements. The assurance that nursing gives children, at first is mostly about the mouth and the other nipple is not as important, but the fingering of the second nipple by the child reminds them that their realm extends further than their own mouth. Too many powerful people today have not been assured of that enough. I have no proof that they were "cut off" too soon, or if they were born in the time when doctors were really pushing formula, but I digress. Knowing the hand is capable of doing the same thing as a mouth, over there, is the beginning of spatially exploring the world.

Parents know that babes often grab at their genitals. I have seen babies that hurt themselves and developed compassion for the nipples they squeezed real fast. again I digress. The educationally important aspects of this video were profound. It does not hurt that I also made contact and became associated with others who are in the pro-intact genitals for all humans demographic. Understanding the perversion of sexual violence that is being inflicted on the majority of boys born in the U.S.A. I have always advocated for leaving boys intact as well as girls. I don't care if you sexually abuse a child strapped down with Velcro, with a sterile knife and with a white coat on, or not, you are a criminal in my book. My purpose is to share as many different avenues to the public to lead back to, explore and realize the true schism between humankind and nature that exists. We can debate endlessly about what issues might need to command our most vigorous activities, but first we must grapple with reality, truth and the very "nature" of what we call being alive, responsible adherents to natural law.

My primary focus is on fusing as many disparate elements into the crucible, each element resonating or emulating a part of the future I envision, forming an amalgam that combines the humanity of not sexually abusing children "for their own good", ever again, ever; Combined with the foresight to look seven generations into the future. If any idea violates the rights of future generations to enjoy the planet like our own ancestors did, it must be rejected. This sort of awareness convinces humanity as a species, that creating waste that will be around for millennea to move some atoms today is a fools bargain. My world has been post nuclear since i learned of this demonic and despotic subsidy of now by sacrificing our collective future. Einstein realized it, almost immediately upon publishing his E=MC2 revolution. that is why he worked to prove the Unified Field the rest of his life, he thought that he could stop people from going nuclear if there were to be proven, mathematically a "god".

My own clarity of purpose developed when I was just young. I realized both the truth of what the scientists and hippies were saying...We are all stardust...and that love is truly the answer. Now, we are poised on the verge of fifty years later and scientists are still having to "prove" that breastfeeding continues to have benefits up to two years, and that the easiest way to turn loving, compassionate, helpful and cooperative children into psychopaths and sociopaths is to abuse and/or neglect them. Can we please just meld these ideas in our minds? Is it too much to ask? Don't hurt anyone is the first and only rule we really ever needed to learn. Pretty much all our other lessons boil down to that.

"Healing the rift between humankind and nature" is how I declared my own purpose when I was just seven years old. I'm nearly into my eighth seven year cycle since then and each time through the wheel, i break off and chew another bolus of years, adding to my repertoire and facility with language, with understanding, with enlightenment. See, teachers never stop learning. i have the same excitement as the seven year old boy when I am studying and learning, that is how my mind reaches out and touches the world around me. The four biochar students that I have had from Africa have taught me as much as I have taught them. Through the technology of the internet, we are brethren in the revolution that is not being televised. for fifty years those who have known the truth have been biding their time, waiting for the world to change as the Gen X anthem said it. The times have changed, and not, for good.

I teach biochar classes to all who are interested. In one sense it is the best way to physically heal the Mother, Earth, from whom all good things flow, and boy do we sure need that now! I am even willing to skype to a group of people and I'm working on a video outlining the process and steps to make fabulous char into boutique biochar. I am also turning every dollar raised by these efforts to me campaign for U.S. House of Representatives, representing Northeast Wisconsin. If you would like to support my campaign for congress, send money through Paypal at account number tnsaladino42@hotmail.com. If you would like to get further information on making biochar, please e-mail me at the same address.