Published on Sep 11, 2014
Soundtrack of the 1986 West End play 'Time - The Musical'.

Music: Jeff Daniels
Lyrics: Dave Clark and David Soames

Transcript:

Beauty...

Truth...

Love...

Freedom...

Peace...

These are your ideals.

There is not one person on the entire planet Earth who, in his right mind, doesn't want these in his life.

So where do you go wrong?

To find the solution, we must first identify the problem.

Perhaps you wonder how much free will you actually have when you see yourself, for example, saying and doing hurtful things that you don't really mean.

Why can't you seem to stop?

You want to, you try to, your intentions are good. Is it habit or is it lack of understanding that keeps you bound to the pull of destruction?

The mineral sources of energy upon your planet are almost depleted and yet the two greatest sources of energy remain almost untapped -- the sea and the sun.

Furthermore, you seem content to allow the aggression of the weak by the strong.

You seem content to allow a great part of your world to starve whilst for economics' sake food is left to rot or be destroyed.

You seem content to allow the obscenity of the maimed and crippled who have to cope with broken lives after each confrontation of force.

Your East and West have never even made the effort to conquer the basics necessary for people of different cultures to exist in harmony; that is, to respect your opposite's culture and -- what is more important -- their way of thinking.

Even in your own life your thinking is not in order.

These facts do not inspire confidence, do they?



Stand before me on the sign of infinity... all you of the Earth.

With the granting of the Law of Probenation comes the application of change.

I will give you the key.

And with this knowledge, please realise, comes the responsibility of sharing it.

I will show you the way.

It's very simple.

Throughout the Universe there is order.

In the movement of the planets, in nature and in the functioning of the human mind.

A mind that is in its natural state of order is in harmony with the Universe... and such a mind... is Time-less.

Your life is an expression of your mind.

You are the creator of your own Universe -- for as a human being, you are free to will whatever state of being you desire through the use of your thoughts and words.

There is great power there.

It can be a blessing or a curse -- it's entirely up to you.

For the quality of your life is brought about by the quality of your thinking
-- think about that.

Thoughts produce actions -- look at what you're thinking.

See the pettiness and the envy and the greed and the fear and all the other attitudes that cause you pain and discomfort.

Realize that the one thing you have absolute control over is your attitude.

See the effect that it has on those around you, for each life is linked to all life and your words carry with them chain reactions like a stone that is thrown into a pond.

If your thinking is in order, your words will flow directly from the heart, creating ripples of love.

If you truly want to change your world, my friends, you must change your thinking.

Reason is your greatest tool, it creates an atmosphere of understanding, which leads to caring, which is... love.

Choose your words with care.

Go forth...

with LOVE.

From Kryon Book 6: Partnering with God (Practical Information for the New Millennium)
Page 338

"Work on a system where your planet’s countries may all exist within their own cultural systems, but where there is a commonality of value and trade. Work on a system that will allow you to agree on what your assets are worth to each other…You never have to have a central world government to be a planet of uniform consensus."

 ~ KRYON, through Lee Carroll, the Original Kryon Channel

Image © Mauricio Lima / AFP
A new study could have enormous implications for conditions such as autism and schizophrenia. It claims that the immune system affects and even controls social behavior.

Blocking a single type of immune molecule in the brain of a mouse caused abnormal behavior that would go away once the molecule was restored.

It may not sound like a monumental discovery at first glance, but researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine believe that this means that our immune system controls such fundamentals as our desire to interact with others.

The implications go so far as to suggest that immune system problems contribute to an inability to have normal social interactions.

"The brain and the adaptive immune system were thought to be isolated from each other, and any immune activity in the brain was perceived as sign of a pathology. And now, not only are we showing that they are closely interacting, but some of our behavior traits might have evolved because of our immune response to pathogens," explained Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, chairman of UVA's Department of Neuroscience. "It's crazy, but maybe we are just multicellular battlefields for two ancient forces: pathogens and the immune system. Part of our personality may actually be dictated by the immune system."

What the researchers are suggesting is that in the course of evolution, we engage in the social interactions necessary for the survival of the species, while developing ways for our immune systems to protect us from the diseases that accompany those interactions.

Social behavior is beneficial for pathogens, as it allows them to spread.

This story in its entirety can be read here.

Armed with shovels and sacks of cold asphalt, Rome's residents fill potholes. Defying rats, they yank weeds and bag trash along the Tiber's banks and in urban parks. Tired of waiting years for the city to replace diseased trees, neighbors dig into their own pockets to pay for new ones for their block.

Romans are starting to take back their city, which for years was plundered and neglected by City Hall officials and cronies so conniving that some of them are on trial as alleged mobsters.  In doing the work, Romans are experimenting with what for many Italians is a novel and alien concept: a sense of civic duty.

One windy recent Sunday morning, Manuela Di Santo slathered paint over graffiti defacing a wall on Via Ludovico di Monreale, a residential block in Rome's middle-class Monteverde neighborhood. Men, perched on ladders, used mechanical sanders to erase graffiti on another palazzo. Women and children swept up litter, filling black plastic trash bags provided by the city's sanitation service, which is only too glad to have someone do the job for free.

"Either I help the city, or we're all brought to our knees," said Di Santo.

Splotches of paint stained a blue bib identifying her as a volunteer for Retake Roma, a pioneer in an expanding array of citizen-created organizations in the past few years aimed at encouraging Romans to take the initiative in cleaning and repairing their city.

Local politicians had been in cahoots with gangsters, shady go-betweens and corrupt city hall bureaucrats, prosecutors allege in investigations that have led to dozens of arrests since 2014. Some defendants are accused of using Mafia-like methods of intimidation to get their hands on lucrative public-works contracts.

Rome's last mayor, who failed in the Herculean task of cleaning up Rome literally and morally, was virtually forced to quit halfway through his term in 2015. Until mayoral elections this June, the Italian capital is being administered by a government-appointed commissioner, under a formula similar to what happens when Italian City Halls are under the grip of organized-crime syndicates.

Retake Roma, which does cleanup projects all over the city, has been enjoying a surge of citizen support, especially since the explosion of the scandal in 2014 led Romans to realize that much-maligned city services like transport and sanitation had been used for patronage jobs for years.

With prosecutors still combing through hundreds of municipal contracts to expose even more alleged kickbacks, payoffs and other corruption, and processes to award contracts are scrutinized under tightened City Hall anti-corruption measures, services for the public have been deteriorating further. Trash piles up. Potholes sprout like weeds, tripping up pedestrians and sending motor-scooter drivers into nasty spins.

Gaetano Capone, who serves on a local district council, joined some 30 neighbors one spring Saturday to rake up broken beer bottles, soda cans and cigarette butts from outside a commuter train station. Volunteers at the local Monteverde Vecchio 4Venti Neighborhood Committee paid a gardener to cut down waist-high weeds.

Romans "understand that the city machinery doesn't work anymore," said Capone.

Calls and text messages pour into Cristiano Davoli's cellphone from citizens alerting him to ominously widening potholes on their block or routes to work. On weekends, Davoli and four helpers — an off-duty doorman, a graphic artist, a government worker and a retiree — who call themselves "Tappami" (Fill Me Up) load their car trunks with donated bags of cold asphalt and fan out.  "Sometimes it's the municipal traffic police who call me," said Davoli, a shopkeeper.

After the first anti-corruption arrests, Sicilian anti-Mafia magistrate Alfonso Sabella was summoned to Rome for the hastily created post of city legality commissioner to get a handle on just how badly corruption, favoritism and ineptitude infected City Hall.  "It was worse than I thought," said Sabella, who was frustrated that his office wasn't assigned more personnel.

Starting with the run-up to the 2000 Holy Year, when government funds flooded the Italian capital to prepare for millions of extra pilgrims, "big projects became popular" with politicians, recalled Sabella. "If you do maintenance on city buses, nobody notices; if you make a new metro station, yes."

Rome's mass transit system is roundly scorned. Not infrequently, passengers have to yank shut doors after drivers pull away from bus stops as malfunctioning doors fail to close, with riders perilously close to falling out of the bus.

American architect Tom Rankin organizes river bank cleanups by Tevereterno, a volunteer group dedicated to making the Tiber, which winds through the heart of Rome, more pleasant for strollers and cyclists. He noted that Retake Roma was inspired by an American who cleaned up the Rome building where she lived, exposing Romans to a deeply rooted American tradition of working together for one's community.

Sweeping sidewalks on Via Ludovico di Monreale, Brunella Fraleoni, who is married to an American and previously lived in the United States, pondered a moment when asked why pitching in with neighbors to clean streets is only just catching on in Rome.  "The idea of fixing up something is very poorly rooted in Italy. Maybe it's because we're used to ruins," she said with a wry laugh.  Then she turned serious. She and her neighbors were out there, she said, to "inspire public opinion. Not just cleaning to clean."

If you saw someone on the street sitting next to a sign that read "Ask A Muslim," what would you ask?

Sebastian Robins has probably heard it before. He and his wife Mona Haydar have gained local fame in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for setting up a booth on the street and fielding questions from strangers about all things Islam.  "We were really afraid the first time, up to the point where we considered notifying the police," Robins told Fusion about the couple's unconventional idea. 
"I never really realized how people stared at you," he would tell his wife.

Robins, a white American, converted to Islam in 2012 after meeting his wife, a Syrian American Muslim from Flint, Michigan, on a trip to New Mexico. A few months ago, in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, the two of them started putting up their booth around town "to conquer fear through conversation," as Haydar put it. The couple's idea has been successful beyond their imagination, helping them spread love and awareness and even inspiring others around the country to do the same.  "We love it if you can just break bread with us," said Haydar, who offers free coffee, donuts, and flowers along with her conversation. "Take a moment out of your day and hang out with us."

The couple said they felt the need to reach out to their community for open dialogue amid heightened security fears and Islamophobic comments from Republican politicians. "Post Paris and San Bernadino, I had never only felt the fear of going out, but kind of this incredible impotence and depression," said Robins. "It was the first time I was afraid in my own country."

His own education about Islamophobia had come from his wife. "It's been a huge reckoning for me," said Robins about his marriage. "Re-examining my place in society, and what it means to be a white, straight, educated, upper middle-class male in society. I knew these things through studies, but to experience them through Mona's eyes...it's pretty amazing."  "I never really realized how people stared at you," he would tell his wife when they started spending time in public together. 

The booth idea, the couple said, was inspired by an episode of This American Life in which an Iraqi refugee traveled the U.S. with a "Talk to an Iraqi" sign to encourage dialogue about the Iraq War.  Haydar and Robins, 27 and 43, first set up in front of a high school and a library in Cambridge, a relatively diverse college town. They thought it would be the safest place—and close to a bathroom, too. Little did they know who had attended that school. "The booth was in front of the school where the Boston Marathon bombers went to school. We had no idea," said Haydar. But the coincidence spurred thoughtful conversations.

Most of all, the couple wanted people to see that they are typical Americans. "We are normal humans living our silly and mundane lives as parents to a two-year-old, who change diapers and cook eggs in the mornings," said Haydar."We certainly do not want to convert anybody," added Robins.

Not that everyone who stopped at the booth had a positive comment. Some people confronted Haydar about wearing "an oppressive thing" on her head, referring to the hijab. Robins was surprised by that, he said. "Here we were in Cambridge, home of Harvard, MIT and all the prestigious universities, with very smart people and I was amazed how the media effectively creeped up into people's minds," he said. Haydar said that it's a matter of perspective. "My perspective is that hijab is liberating, whether you see that as me being brainwashed or not," she said.

Haydar was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. She met Robins in 2013 on a trip to New Mexico for a summer course. They fell in love after meeting on a mountaintop. "It was my birthday. I ventured up the mountain and Sebastian was sitting on a bench. He was the first one I saw there," said Haydar.

Haydar recalled the time she told her parents that she was marrying a white man. Arab expatriates tend to marry each other; the idea of marrying an American isn't very popular within the community due to cultural and religious differences. "It was definitely not an easy conversation with my parents. But when they met him, everybody knew and felt that it was right," she said. The couple now lives in Massachusetts with their two-year-old son.

To date, over 100 conversations have taken place at the booth over donuts and coffee, said Haydar. People were happy to see a Muslim couple on the streets extending a hand and willing to talk, she said. "Suddenly we had all these people thanking us for what we were doing," said Robins. People came up to the couple to talk about everyday things, like "making breakfast and the weather," said Haydar.  "We stepped out of our comfort zone and it paid off. We went and did something that took a lot of guts for us," said Haydar. "We didn't feel safe and we did it anyways because we believe in love. We believe that the world is a generous and beautiful place. Period."

People nationwide have reached out to her for advice about setting up booths in their own cities.

It is difficult to fathom the kind of hardships he must have faced in recent years, which is what makes this story so powerful.  If you can bless another while going through your own storms, no matter how intense those storms are, that really says something about you as a person and the human heart in general.

His story is making its rounds across the internet after a picture of him serving food was posted on social media. Apparently, he spends his own money doing this selfless work, despite being unable to find a steady job. He is currently living off of the German government, which is providing Syrian refugees 359 euros a month.

The Invisible Borders That We Create

The conceits of mankind are strange indeed. We seem to have this inbuilt need to draw invisible borders and imaginary lines in order to separate 'us' from 'them.' We have become a species numb to the pain, hurt, and suffering of others. I wish I lived in a world where kindness and generosity were foremost in our hearts — a world where, if someone were suffering, there would always be someone there to help. What bothers me even more is that we already have the resources and potential to provide food, clothing, and shelter to every human being on the planet. It doesn't have to be this way. The money spent on war alone could solve these issues in such a short period of time, yet we've become so wrapped up in the system, in politics, and in our own greed, that we are unwilling to drop these experiences in order to thrive.

The story above is a great example of what makes human beings so special. All of us have that light within our hearts; we are born with it. No child is born racist or with hate in their heart — these attitudes develop from our experiences in this life. Our minds can be shaped and moulded to think a certain way, and negative experiences or influencers can leave their mark. That being said, all of us, including those who have done what we call the 'worst' of acts, have love in their hearts. We all have that spark within us; some of us have just become disconnected from it, and that's because we've forgotten how to live together on this big beautiful planet of ours.

Service to others provides the greatest nourishment to the soul. It is a spiritual food which nothing material can replace, and it represents the true meaning of wealth, so I hope these words inspire you to do something good, to help a fellow human being. Because the truth is, you may be the only one who ever does. Next time the universe presents you with an opportunity to help another being, take it, or go out and create that opportunity for yourself.

The rest of this story can be found here.

Due to the inaction of state and federal officials, thousands of people in Flint have been exposed to unsafe levels of lead in their water. Now a group of union plumber are taking matters into their own hands.  On Saturday, 300 plumbers from unions across the country descended on Flint to install new faucets and water filters for free. Many Flint residents needed new faucets because their existing faucets were so old they could not accommodate water filters provided by the state. 

The effort was co-ordinated by the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry, known as the United Association. The fixtures were donated by the Plumbing Manufacturers International.

For some in Flint, however, even new faucets with modern water filters won't be enough to fully abate the lead contamination. New tests released recently revealed that, in some Flint homes, the levels of lead "exceed the ability of filtration systems handed." The filters can safely remove up to 150 parts per billion of lead. Some Flint homes were found to have lead levels of more than 4,000 parts per billion.  Residents of Flint, however, are still encouraged to use the filters. For most homes, they will work.

Every activist has read the increasing number of stories where homelessness is being criminalized, as if simply being homeless isn't punishment enough. However, there is a rising tide among all walks of life that is beginning to view homelessness in a very different light.

As a sinking economy and the criminal actions of the banking elite are leading many middle class, stable families into abject poverty, it is becoming much easier to identify with the less fortunate the closer their plight appears to be. Defenders of the homeless are becoming much more vocal now. We have seen some amazing examples recently of people moved to help those in need through programs such as an artist who paints and sells portraits of the homeless and gives them the profits; a former homeless man who gives back to the homeless by selling book reviews and buying food to share; or the inspiring story of a community organizer who used his own faith to connect with those from other faiths in a common cause of feeding those in need.

We are even seeing people of conscience openly defying oppressive laws to draw a line in the sand that says: if it becomes illegal to help one another on our own terms, we simply have no freedom left to celebrate.

Feeding the homeless has also gone from the concept of a "handout" of money to allow people to buy whatever meager sustenance they can find, to realizing that if people are going to have any chance of turning their financial situation around, they must be physically and mentally fit to do so. A key cornerstone to building oneself back up again is nutrition ... and if it's "free" nutrition, then all the better!

An organization in Atlanta is calling themselves Task Force For the Homeless and should be highlighted for their message and their tactics to restore dignity and prosperity to those who have fallen on hard times. They have chosen to combine two essential approaches to reverse the conditions which afflict the homeless the most: not having access to healthy food, and not being able to connect with others who are working in structured way to engage in practical solutions.
Enter the organic community rooftop garden.

The rest of this article can be read here.

Are you aware that in the United States, nearly 40% of the food produced is tossed into the trash? As it makes its way to the landfill, 795 million people in the world wonder where their next meal will come from.

It’s ridiculous – as well as disheartening - which is why activists around the planet are doing their part to help reduce food waste and feed others with the discarded scraps.  This is exactly what Adam Smith, founder of The Real Junk Food Project, is doing in Armley, Leeds.  The social entrepreneur has created an empire of ‘social cafes’ through which to cook up stews, casseroles, soups and cakes with the unwanted products from supermarkets, independent grocers, and food banks.

The most unique aspect of the business model is that it has a “pay as you feel” rule. This policy encourages patrons to pay what they feel they can pay. If that amounts to nothing, then they can work for their meal.The Independent reports that in only 10 months, Smith has helped feed 10,000 people on 20 tons of unwanted food. In addition, he’s raised over 30,000 pounds (UK).

Since its success, forty-seven other similar style cafes have popped up in Manchester, Bristol, Saltaire, Los Angeles, Brazil, Warsaw, and Zurich.  In the United States, a similar grocery store called The Daily Table transforms unwanted or ‘expired’ leftovers into perfectly nourishing and tasty food for customers. The founder of that endeavor is Doug Rauch, the former president of Trader Joe’s.

It’s difficult for entrepreneurs inspired to repurpose food to carry out their vision, as in many areas of the world, retailers can be prosecuted if they sell food after the use-by date. The ‘best-before’ date is allowed, which is why Smith’s organization wants the law to be changed to prevent supermarkets from disposing of so much food at the fear of prosecution.

Thankfully, progress is being made. Earlier this year, France made it illegal for supermarkets to purposely waste food. Stores must now donate unsold food to charity, for animal feed, or for farming compost.

Unfortunately, groups like Smith’s are often looked down upon because they seek food others deem not optimal for consumption. With a change of perspective, however, everyone might come to understand that a good share of food thrown into dumpsters is perfectly edible. Recognizing this sooner rather than later would benefit everyone on the planet.

In Britain, food prices have risen 47% since 2003, which is quite high compared to the United States’ 30.4%, reports The Independent. Germany’s food inflation is 22.1% and France’s is 16.7%.  When people struggle to afford the basic necessities in life, you can be certain there’s a fault – if not many – with ‘the system’. The Real Junk Food Project is an amazing concept and business model which will, hopefully, inspire other social cafes to sprout and blossom, as well.

This article (In 10 Months, This Cafe Has Fed 10,000 People With 20 Tons Of Unwanted Food ) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com

Kelly McEvers : NPR : 11 Dec 2015

© Cayce Clifford for NPR : Homeless camp in Utah

A decade ago, Utah set itself an ambitious goal: end chronic homelessness.  As of 2015, the state can just about declare victory: The population of chronically homeless people has dropped by 91 percent.

The state's success story has generated headlines around the country, and even The Daily Show With Jon Stewart looked to Utah to understand how the state achieved its goal.  In fact, Utah still has a substantial homeless problem. The overall homeless population is around 14,000.

The chronically homeless, on the other hand, are a subset of the homeless population that is often the most vulnerable. These are people who have been living on the streets for more than a year, or four times in the past three years, and who have a "disabling condition" that might include serious mental illness, an addiction or a physical disability or illness.  According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, that represents about 20 percent of the national homeless population.

By implementing a model known as Housing First, Utah has reduced that number from nearly 2,000 people in 2005, to fewer than 200 now.

The whole story can be read here.

A British soldier who had his leg blown off by a bomb while serving in Iraq has taken the internet by storm after his Facebook post attacking Islamophobia went viral.

Chris Herbert (left), who served in the British Army in Basra, Iraq, lost his right leg when a bomb went off next to his Land Rover in 2007.  One of his comrades, Private Luke Simpson, died in the attack, while two other soldiers were also injured.

Herbert, who was 19 when he suffered the life-changing injury, took to Facebook after complaining that he was "getting frustrated" with people expecting him to be racist after losing his leg.  He told those holding the entire Muslim faith responsible for terrorism to: "Get a grip of your lives, hug your family and get back to work."

The post has been shared [over 171,000] times and has been hugely popular on social media.  (Read post here.)

Herbert, who lives in Portsmouth, on the south coast of England, said he took the decision to speak out after an "Islamophobic group tried to recruit" him as a poster boy for their organization.  He says that upon his return to the UK he was abused and discriminated against on a number of occasions by "white brits".  Herbert added: "A White brit pushed my wheelchair away from a lift so he could use it first. "(Although a lot of people helped in my recovery! I don't hate white brits either! hahaha)."

"Blaming all Muslims for the actions of groups like Daeshe and the Taliban, is like blaming all Christians for the actions of the KKK or Westboro Baptist Church," he added.  "Get a grip of your lives, hug your family and get back to work."

The post has drawn widespread praise on Facebook and Twitter. One friend, Alastair Campbell, wrote beneath the comment: "Amen brother - you've hit the nail on the head, and it couldn't have come from a better bloke."  Another friend, Alex Elbourne, added: "Your words ring true Chris. Don't ever let the haters get you down. Don't ever let anyone tell you what you should think. I am proud to call you a friend."

US Army Secretary John McHugh announced this week that American women will be soon forced to register for the draft upon their 18th birthday just as men are. Army officials said that the move was in the spirit of "true and pure equality," but with the country wrapped up in dozens of unpopular wars it seems more like equal oppression than equal opportunity.

Currently, US citizens are not forcefully conscripted into military service, but not long ago the draft was a very real thing, and like the flip of a switch it can be imposed at any time that the government fails to recruit enough people for their wars. 

A recent ruling to open more combat roles to women inadvertently opened them up for selection for the draft.  McHugh said that universal draft registration will be a normal part of American culture before we know it.  "If we find ourselves as a military writ large where men and women have equal opportunity, as I believe we should," he said.

Not only are the wars currently taking place around the world totally inhumane and illegitimate, but the very concept of conscription is nothing more than slavery, forcing someone to do something against their will. Not only that but a mandatory draft would put people into a dangerous situation and force them to kill against their will, which is wrong for both men and women.

With no end in sight for the wars across the Middle East and now Africa, it should be no surprise that bringing the draft back would definitely be on the agenda.

Equality of freedom and equality of opportunity is something that people of all races, genders and ethnicities deserve, and this is a direction that humanity should move in. However, equal oppression is something entirely different, and when one social group is oppressed, we should work to free them from oppression, instead of shifting that oppression onto other social groups and calling it equality, as the US Army has done this week. Instead of celebrating the fact that the draft can be forced onto anyone, we should be working to abolish the concept of a military draft.

Check out Murray Rothbard's classic essay on conscription below:

In this lecture segment, Terence Mckenna discusses what he considered to have been Timothy Leary’s most powerful words, “find the others.” In a world polluted with ego, gender, race, social status, greed, et cetera, it is important that those who are attuned to the higher vibrations are interacting with one another in order to stay emotionally afloat and motivated despite the corruption, racism, and misogyny our species is putting each other through.