Hyperinflation

I've been reading "The Hyperinflation Survival Guide: Strategies for American Businesses."

At shadowstats.org you can find Hyperinflation Special Report from 8 April 2008.

From that report, a definition of Hyperinflation:

Hyperinflation: Extreme inflation, minimally in excess of four-digit annual percent change, where the involved currency becomes worthless. A fairly crude definition of hyperinflation is a circumstance, where, due to extremely rapid price increases, the largest pre-hyperinflation bank note ($100 bill in the United States) becomes worth more as functional toilet paper/tissue than as currency.

more to come . . .

On Immunization ~ Ongoing Record

25 May 2009

Obama Administration to Implement Government Flu Shot Program??

From Catherine Austin Fitts Blog

• CDC Asks for Public Comment
  
• Recommended Sites for Flu Information
  
• Swine Flu: What I Believe
  
• Now Legal Immunity for Swine Flu Vaccine Makers
  
• Nuremberg Code and Declaration of Helskinki on Vaccines

Vaccines/Autism Connection

Keenly Observing

I don't listen to the news everyday. No TV. No newspaper. But plenty of internet. There is always input. It's not always interesting or notable. But I am very up on the idea of KEEN OBSERVATION.

I typed in 'keen observation' in a search of Google images and came up with the one you see here. Why did that image come up? We could discuss that very thing. I entered the same words in a regular search and got...blah blah. A lot of words. What am I looking for?

I put the words in the title of this blog. Did you notice that? Well, good! You're on your way to becoming a keen observer. Ok then....

Words Today ~ 18 May 2009

• Star anise in Tamiflu; to deal with swine flu
• WHO addressing polio; when were we last mass immunized for polio? (my Mom had polio as a little girl resulting in two sized feet, 4 1/2 and 8 1/2)
  
• "Horse shit, sailor." ~ The poet, Ezra Pound
  

Peace

Peace, in the sense of absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.~ HH the Dalai Lama

MOVIE NIGHT @ The Center

Jesus Christ Superstar
~~Saturday FEB 3rd~~
Do you remember it? The film adaptation of the 1970 rock opera will be showing at The Center.

WHEN-----> Saturday, February 3, 2007
TIME-------> 6:45pm (film time: 1:47hr)
WHERE---> The Center / 427 E Center St~Kalispell
ADMISSION-----> FREE

It's a rousing story and the the music has been unforgettable for me. It appeared from the background and became a part of my waking day recently. I downloaded the album from iTunes (there are several -- I picked up the original studio recording) and ordered the DVD.

Check out Wikipedia's review at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Christ_Superstar

Here's an image of the
album cover of the 1970
release.

The film may not be appropriate for small children, but young adults are most welcome. We have back-jack chairs and blankets. If you want to bring low-lying camp chairs that would work. We have a big screen TV for easy viewing. You are welcome to bring your own popcorn.

***** A N D *****

Get in on the ground floor of the next event at The Center: "Escaping The Matrix Series ~ How We the People Can Change the World." An exercise in democracy.

Hope to see you all there!

Anais

Movie Night @ The Center

When: THURSDAY, July 13th
Time: 7-9pm
Where: At The Center / 427 E Center Street
Cost: FREE Admission
Note: Adults ONLY Please

LOOSE CHANGE, 2nd Edition is a documentary about the events of 9/11.

It is a well-done, thought provoking film. You can download it from the internet. I purchased the DVD from the Loose Change website to support the efforts of the individuals who stepped up to bring this to a wide viewing audience.

--You don't have to believe in evidence; it stands on its own.

This is a statement from the producers:

The information in Loose Change 2nd Edition
is widely available to the public.

We have done nothing extraordinary in terms of research. We also do not take credit for these people's hard work.

Also, take nothing we say at face value.

We highly encourage you to research this information yourselves and come to your own conclusions.

In closing, keep in mind this movie was put together with limited to no resources, and absolutely no intention of the success it has garnered.

Now, we are simply trying to learn from our mistakes and move on to produce a Final Cut, hopefully due out later in 2006.

_____

I hope to see you here.

Anais

Where is The Center?

Got into this new interactive map thing -- CommunityWalk . You can put these maps inside blogs but it's too late (or early) now for me to get that one going.

For now if you don't know but want to know where The Center is click here to see the map.

That be it.

anais

Wikipedia Question???

Anyone reading this in the greater Flathead Valley familiar or working with Wikipedia? Kalispell, Montana is there! It's pretty cool.

Open source architecture. There isn't any end to human imagination and the desire to show it to everyone. I really love it.

I have also been looking at RSS news feeds. What are they? I see the little buttons on a lot of things. Anyway, I signed up for one...NewsIsFree. It uses Lussumo Vanilla -- a "simple, extensible web forum."

I had no idea! But I have lots of ideas!

So back to the question....Wikipedia. Let me know please. We need to form an alliance.

anais

Report: Movie Night! @ The Center

The showing of The Power of Community Cuba documentary went well. There were thirteen of us at The Center on Sunday afternoon for the viewing and a lively discussion.

The film had its own impact. Some said it was good to see that a whole country of people could make changes necessary after their 'peak oil' situation. We wondered what the follow-up of the story is and if the film accurately represented what happened for most Cubans, not just for those filmed.

The documentary was produced by The Community Solution. They have links to some very good slide shows: "Energy Modeling," "Community -- the Best Solution,"and "Cuba--A Peak Oil Country."

These were our discussion points:

--Are we hooked on oil?
--How does that look here in Kalispell, Montana"?
--What is our own energy footprint?
--What does community mean to you?
--Do you know your neighbors?
--Have you experienced major change before?
--How did you respond?
--Do you know how and what you are supporting when you:
Do your banking
Pay your grocer
Pay your taxes

RESOURCES

-- Emotional Freedom Technique: www.emofree.com ~ Gary Craig's website; downloadable manual and lots of testimonials

-- The Community Solution: http://www.communitysolution.org/index.html ~ The people who put together The Power of Community film. Many PowerPoint slide shows with well-presented information on Peak Oil, Energy Solutions, Community, etc.

-- Food First – Institute for Food & Development Policy: http://www.foodfirst.org/history ~ See “Cuba's New Agricultural Revolution: The Transformation of Food Crop Production in Contemporary Cuba at: http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/devreps/dr14.html

-- AERO (Alternative Energy Resource Organization): http://www.aeromt.org/ ~ With a 30-year history in Montana, AERO has played a huge part in education and support of alternative energy. They are Regional Coordinators of the international Buy Fresh / Buy Local movement (http://www.aeromt.org/buylocal.php).

-- Solari: www.solari.com ~ Solari means “to relieve anxiety through illumination.” Solari bylines are: Who's your farmer? Who's your banker? Where's your money? Lots of resources – places to start.

Still the question remains: what motivates people to take action? It's different for each individual and for every place. It's a question that really needs to be at the top of the list in talking about any action. What revs my engines and gets me going?

After a swing around the room with introductions and impressions of the film, we did some 'tapping.' The EFT process mentioned topmost of the Resources above. What did we tap on? Our set-up statement was: Even though I don't know how I can do it I......

So we don't know how to do IT -- whatever it is. I submit that a large chunk of the not knowing has to do with our own emotional blocks, fears, apprehensions, doubts, etc., etc. Clear those out and the unknown becomes the known replacing frozen inaction with positive forward movement.

...and move we will. Stay tuned.

anais

Don't Forget MOVIE NIGHT!

A Documentary Film
About One Nation's Answers
to a Problem That Changed
All of Their Lives
(See post below for details.)

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

Sunday, May 21st
4pm to 6pm ~ $7 per person

Children Welcome with Parental Supervision ~ Yogi Tea Served

The President, The Dixie Chicks & Troops on the Borders

I am 'feeling' the state of our nation this morning. It could be because I listened to NPR with talk about troops on our southern border, or opening up today's truthout editorial talking about the Dixie Chicks, Valerie Plame & Bush., or hearing about flooding in the eastern US, kids out of school because of impassable roads and that being a problem (the kids being out of school.)

I wasn't aware of the situation with The Dixie Chicks although the situation came about in 2003. Here's an excerpt from the editorial.

The Bush-on-the-sidelines cases are illustrated by what happened to the Dixie Chicks, a three-woman country-western band that has faced three years of boycotts because lead singer, Natalie Maines, criticized Bush as he was stampeding the nation toward war with Iraq.

During a March 10, 2003, concert in London, Maines, a Texan, remarked, "we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas." Two days later - just a week before Bush launched the Iraq invasion - she added, "I feel the President is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world."

With war hysteria then sweeping America, the right-wing attack machine switched into high gear, organizing rallies to drive trucks over Dixie Chicks CDs and threatening country-western stations that played Dixie Chicks music. Maines later apologized, but it was too late to stop the group's songs from falling down the country music charts.

On April 24, 2003, with the Iraq War barely a month old, NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw asked Bush about the boycott of the Dixie Chicks. The President responded that the singers "can say what they want to say," but he added that his supporters then had an equal right to punish the singers for their comments.

"They shouldn't have their feelings hurt just because some people don't want to buy their records when they speak out," Bush said. "Freedom is a two-way street."

This is pretty outrageous and I am sure not an isolated action.

Troops on the border feels like the next step towards blocking the incoming AND the outgoing -- everyone -- illegal or not. Military. It makes my stomach twist.

And the kids I had an idea for. What if under circumstances where schools are closed and kids are out and about, parents not at work either because of the kids or the circumstance -- what if we called it an 'alternative education day'? What could kids learn when school is closed because of floods? A whole lot, and it could be fun. Bottomline is it's an opportunity for creativity for everyone. I would like to see it.

And right now I'm thinking about what I can do right here where I'm at -- no acts of god happening (yeah, right!), gas still flowing, sun shining, food in stores and my fridge.

How can I make myself and my community stronger?

I have ideas......


Right now I'm working on Solari. Take a look at Solari.com. Who's your farmer? Who's your banker? Where's your money? Not idle questions but under the Solari model, the subject of projects of discovering the answers to. I'm working on it.




anais

Movie Night @ The Center

A Documentary Film
About One Nation's Answers
to a Problem That Changed
All of Their Lives

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
Sunday, May 21st
4pm to 6pm ~ $7 per person

Children Welcome with Parental Supervision ~ Yogi Tea Served

"Try to image an airplane suddenly losing its engines. It was really a crash"... A crash that put Cuba into a state of shock. There were frequent blackouts in its oil-fed electric power grid, up to 16 hours per day. The average daily caloric intake in Cuba dropped by a third... So Cubans started to grow local organic produce out of necessity, developed bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers as petrochemical substitutes, and incorporated more fruits and vegetables into their diets. Since they couldn't fuel their aging cars, they walked, biked, rode buses, and carpooled."

In 1989-1990, things changed drastically for Cuba. Before then the country was the centerpiece of the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance. Due to societal transformations in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, COMECON as it was known, was dissolved. Cuba was faced, almost overnight, with a drastic shortfall of imports, and the disappearance of preferential markets for its own principal exports. (See a full report of this in the Food First sponsored "Development Report No. 14 - Cuba's New Agricultural Revolution: The Transformation of Food Crop Production in Contemporary Cuba", by Laura J. Enriquez, or the shorter article published in Harper's Magazine in June 2005 titled "The Cuba Diet".)

The hour-long documentary about how Cuba dealt with this new situation was produced by The Community Solution and it is getting very good reviews.

So how would we react under similar circumstances? Why should we are about Cuba? Is 'peak oil' affecting us? How will it when it does?

There are many who say we are on the verge of changes -- very big...no HUGE changes.

I feel this is true but none of us knows for sure what the future will hold. What I do know is we are being presented with the opportunity to learn something. And then to take a look at our own community, our own family -- our own individual lives most importantly. Now, we can make our own decisions. Under duress of 'the HUGE change' this may be more difficult, or almost impossible. I really don't believe anything is impossible. Our options are as wide as our imagination and our ability to manifest our own destiny.

So the film is being shown. All are welcome, including children (with parents to watch them.) I've ordered some comfortable chairs for sitting on the floor -- you can bring a blanket or pillows if you wish. I will serve hot Yogi Tea.

Space is limited so a call or e-mail ahead of time will assure a seat. If we have too many people for one afternoon, we can play it again the next.

If you have a group that would like to see the film, please let me know.

The Center contact information is:

427 East Center Street ~ Kalispell, Montana
Phone: 406-756-3458
E-mail: ana_starr@yahoo.com

Look forward to seeing you there and to hearing your thoughts.

Anais

Happy International Women's Day

Life is strange sometimes. I did a search of Wikipedia (the free online encyclopedia) for International Women's Day and nothing came up. Slip of the finger, maybe it wasn't time for me to find it yet, who knows! At any rate, it's there -- a lot of information on this day. Go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day.

Here is a quote about this day from www.un.org:

International Women's Day (8 March) is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.

So what can we do today to express our solidarity as women on this planet at this point in time wherever we’re at?
We can celebrate close to home – our daughters, mothers, grandmothers – say thank you, say I love you, say you are beautiful, say you are powerful – say I am with you.

We can express our power in this global community by speaking out on issues important to us like world peace, respect for mother earth – like ACTION – not just talk. Take a look online. There are peace petitions you can sign, groups you can connect with. We will be heard. We must speak up.

It is with great love and respect that I forward this message to you. And blessings on this beautiful new day.

Anais

Women's Day founders Zetkin and Kollontai took part in the most famous International Women's Day—the March 8, 1917, strike "for bread and peace" led by Russian women in St. Petersburg. The February Revolution, as it became known, forced the Czar Nicholas II to abdicate.

Christmas Eve

It's the day before Christmas. My little town is moving -- all over -- people in cars, on foot, in stores, on streets, everywhere. I'm not there. I'm in a quiet space listening to poetry, Hafiz and Rumi. I wondered how many people in how many countries celebrate Christmas. I asked Jeeves but there were too many answers and I decided I didn't need to know. I get on the pensive side when confronted with serious consumerism. And that's what Christmas has been to me for some time -- food for thought.

Bob Muth admins a local mailing list. He writes well with passion and steadfastness and includes peace writings and related information. Two nights ago he passed on one of Mary Oliver's poems titled "Wage Peace." I quite often save the posts and tuck them away in my electronic library. Three phrases of her poem are part of the impetus of my life's current activities:

• Remember your tools
• Don't wait another minute
• Wage peace

May we all take these words and words like them, find them in our lives, practice them in our hearts and wage peace there. There is no time like today.

WAGE PEACE
Mary Oliver

Wage peace.
Wage peace with your breath.
Breathe in firemen and rubble,
Breath out whole buildings and flocks of red wing blackbirds.
Breathe in terrorists and breathe out sleeping children and freshly mown fields.
Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.
Breathe in the fallen and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.
Wage peace with your listening: hearing sirens, pray loud.
Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.
Make soup.
Play music, learn the word for thank you in three languages.
Learn to knit, and make a hat.
Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,
Imagine grief as the outbreath of beauty or the gesture of fish.
Swim for the other side.
Wage peace.
Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious.
Have a cup of tea and rejoice.
Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Don't wait another minute.
Wage Peace.

Peace be with you all, family, friends, neighbors.
Anais

The True Cost of Food

We had a good turn out on Sunday afternoon for the Sierra Club film animation "The True Cost of Food." Some questions came up; some were answered.

In question was the veracity of the "real" cost of food (steak and tomatoes) for instance. They can't be real with just simple calculations. Are expenses already built in to the cost of salable items? I plan to write to the Sierra Club and ask them a few questions.

It was a vibrant group with a good representation of ages and therefore, experiences. The aspect of eating local food has not always been a question. Not too long ago we could go into a grocery store and actually identify local products -- we maybe knew the growers or producers, and maybe even at one time had taken a field trip to their farm as a school activity.

Where's the money? The difficulty of the finances of raising a family and the issue of affordability of good food was discussed. Why are locally grown products more expensive? They don't have to travel so far, if the product is organic, expensive herb/pesticides are not used.

Do local growers know how much it costs them to produce a head of lettuce? It seems to be a basic business question -- I would really like to hear the answer.

What about government subsidies? We looked to see what the USDA-Montana Ag Stats book (p14, Economic section) had to say on the subject. This is the quote:

A comparison of selected Montana industries shows agriculture continues to outpace other industry sectors by $801 million. Crop cash receipts for 2004 increased to $961 million, up $162 million or 20 percent higher than 2003. Livestock cash receipts increased in 2004 to $1.3 billion, an increase of $169 million from 2003. Government payments decreased 21 percent in 2004 to $282 million, down from $356 million in 2003.

Government payments -- what type -- Federal, State, how much of each and how applied. More questions!

And where is the money?

More later...........

Donations for Anderson Family

An account has been set up for donations to the Anderson family at Parkside Federal Credit Union (504 Railway Street; 862-2652) in Whitefish.

Anais

Questions about Soren's Fundraiser

Please post any questions you may have about Soren's fundraiser here. Someone will get back to you.

Thanks!

Soren Anderson Family Fundraiser

On November 16, 3 1/2 year old Soran Anderson was severely injured when he fell from a 2nd story window. Friends and fellow community members would like to help during this during this difficult time as there are extensive uncovered medical bills and lost wages.

A FUNDRAISER FOR THE FAMILY IS SCHEDULED:

Where: Wasabi Restaurant / 419 Second Street, Whitefish
When: Monday, December 5, 2005
Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

$25 Donation Requested

Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages are being donated by local restaurants/merchants.
LIVE & lively local music provided!

The Center BLOG News WELCOME

Hey the latest and greatest! A blog for The Center. Now I just have to get it to all who want to know what's up here, upcoming here....where we're going.

It's coming.

Anais