PhilipHarris's Blog

This is not about race; it’s about oil and lessons not learned, warnings not heeded, opportunities lost and a future that is black. Have you noticed that the news is filled with accusations, promises of investigations, commissions being formed, warnings of prosecutions and basic finger pointing? What is the subject of all of this attention? Obviously, it is the Deepwater Horizon on-going disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

There should be no need to recount the events or to even bring you up-to-date on the planet’s worst environmental disaster since the Biblical flood. Just turn on the news and get all of the latest. My concern is not the loss of entire ecosystems, how many millions of gallons of crude are destroying the entire way of life of the Gulf, how the spill will get to the East Coast and perhaps Europe, the senseless loss of wildlife along with their homes, habitats and breeding grounds, or the economic destruction of the Gulf. Rather, my concern is whether or not the finger is pointing in the right direction.

It is certainly easy to point toward BP. And, there is no question that at some point, they will pay the piper. There are also those who made faulty equipment and who failed to ensure that all such equipment would work at such depths. Of course, we do not want to forget those who issued permits when all facts were not known and compliances not guaranteed. Without doubt, heads will roll, jobs will be lost, and fines paid. One must remember, however, that those with financial power, at least historically, never really lose power of money.

America, and most of the world, is at the crossroad of a major crisis. But is the crisis oil spills or something more fundamental? Here is the crux of the matter; we have developed a universal culture of blaming others for our woes. As a result, we have a companion mindset that says problems like oil spills, climate change, refugees, peace, pollution and other pressing world problems cannot be solved by the common person because it is beyond the scope of their ability and power to do so. As long as we point the finger at another, we think we are free from guilt and not responsible for the solution of problems. But let’s be clear, our insatiable appetite for oil, power, and throwaway consumer goods has allowed the rampart rape and pillage of the very home on which we live. As long as our cars run, the lights come on, the food is on the shelves and we can get the latest disposable gadget, the purveyors of black gold can do as they will. Certainly someone is watching them and, if a problem occurs, ‘someone’ will deal with it.

Critics of such concepts as the Law of Attraction like to point to such disasters as genocide, disease, oil spills, rape, and a wide range of other seemingly disasters and argue that “certainly people do not attract these things to themselves?they are much too horrible.” Ah, the pointing figure syndrome strikes again. Clearly, people do not let dictators rise to power. Clearly, we do not let nations commit genocide. Clearly, we do not so over consume so there is food for all. Clearly, we do not consume the majority of the world’s energy resources. Clearly, we treat all with respect and dignity and help all in need so there is no need for crime. Clearly, oil companies are greedy and they get away with all sorts of machinations, but that’s not our problem. Clearly, someone else is always responsible for the troubles in the world and there is nothing we can do about it.

In way, all of the above are what are called “memes.” If you haven’t done so, I highly recommend reading “The Virus of the Mind, by Richard Brodie. A ‘meme’ is a unit of information in a mind that influences events such that more copies of itself get created in other minds. A virus of the mind is something that infects people with memes which, in turn, influence the infected people’s behavior in such a way that the virus spreads. Dictators are experts in the use of memes to alter public behavior, as are corporate advertisers. After all, look at all of the new diseases that exist and look at all of the stupid things people buy because they are convinced they must have those things. This is how those who ‘know’ use the Law of Attraction to get rich. This all brings us back to the oil spill in the Gulf. The reason that the oil rig is there in the first place is because we have been convinced we must have oil; that we must get it at all costs so the Arabs can’t control us or turn off their supplies, and that even if there is a disaster, it happens and there is nothing you can do about it because you really need the oil.

When we point the finger, we must discover that we are pointing in a mirror. We let ourselves be controlled and manipulated by the masters of memes. We bring into our lives that which someone else says we must have. As a result, the Law of Attraction is fulfilled and we attract what we deserve, what we think, what we fear. There is a growing sense of futility, an emerging blackness in the American psyche. It is a mind virus that is spreading everywhere. Biologists tell us that one of the leading causes of evolution is environmental stress. There are those who also say that humanity is on the verge of a spontaneous evolution. While change does not require negative stress, it does seem that humanity only rises to the occasion when we are faced with disaster. Such disasters are now happening in the environment, the economy, in religion, education, politics, and in nearly every aspect of human life. Many forces are flowing together in what appears to be an interesting 2012 scenario. Perhaps we will wake and discover that we do not have to “suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Perhaps we will discover that if we can create such gross injustices to ourselves and the place that we live, then we also have the ability and the power to create a world that makes sense.

The following is a list of major oil spills and disasters. Perhaps if we recall that the Gulf is not the only place that we have allowed such destruction, we will wake up and end the madness.

Oil Spills and Disasters

The following list includes major oil spills since 1967. The circumstances surrounding the spill, amount of oil spilled, and the attendant environmental damage is also given.

1967-March 18, Cornwall, Eng.: Torrey Canyon ran aground, spilling 38 million gallons of crude oil off the Scilly Islands.
1976-Dec. 15, Buzzards Bay, Mass.: Argo Merchant ran aground and broke apart southeast of Nantucket Island, spilling its entire cargo of 7.7 million gallons of fuel oil.

1977-April, North Sea: blowout of well in Ekofisk oil field leaked 81 million gallons.

1978-March 16, off Portsall, France: wrecked supertanker Amoco Cadiz spilled 68 million gallons, causing widespread environmental damage over 100 mi of Brittany coast.

1979-June 3, Gulf of Mexico: exploratory oil well Ixtoc 1 blew out, spilling an estimated 140 million gallons of crude oil into the open sea. Although it is one of the largest known oil spills, it had a low environmental impact.
July 19, Tobago: the Atlantic Empress and the Aegean Captain collided, spilling 46 million gallons of crude. While being towed, the Atlantic Empress spilled an additional 41 million gallons off Barbados on Aug. 2.

1980-March 30, Stavanger, Norway: floating hotel in North Sea collapsed, killing 123 oil workers.

1983-Feb. 4, Persian Gulf, Iran: Nowruz Field platform spilled 80 million gallons of oil.
Aug. 6, Cape Town, South Africa: the Spanish tanker Castillo de Bellver caught fire, spilling 78 million gallons of oil off the coast.



1988-July 6, North Sea off Scotland: 166 workers killed in explosion and fire on Occidental Petroleum's Piper Alpha rig in North Sea; 64 survivors. It is the world's worst offshore oil disaster.
Nov. 10, Saint John's, Newfoundland: Odyssey spilled 43 million gallons of oil.

1989-March 24, Prince William Sound, Alaska: tanker Exxon Valdez hit an undersea reef and spilled 10 million–plus gallons of oil into the water, causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Dec. 19, off Las Palmas, the Canary Islands: explosion in Iranian supertanker, the Kharg-5, caused 19 million gallons of crude oil to spill into Atlantic Ocean about 400 mi north of Las Palmas, forming a 100-square-mile oil slick.

1990-June 8, off Galveston, Tex.: Mega Borg released 5.1 million gallons of oil some 60 nautical miles south-southeast of Galveston as a result of an explosion and subsequent fire in the pump room.

1991-Jan. 23–27, southern Kuwait: during the Persian Gulf War, Iraq deliberately released 240–460 million gallons of crude oil into the Persian Gulf from tankers 10 mi off Kuwait. Spill had little military significance. On Jan. 27, U.S. warplanes bombed pipe systems to stop the flow of oil.
April 11, Genoa, Italy: Haven spilled 42 million gallons of oil in Genoa port.
May 28, Angola: ABT Summer exploded and leaked 15–78 million gallons of oil off the coast of Angola. It's not clear how much sank or burned.

1992-March 2, Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan: 88 million gallons of oil spilled from an oil well.

1993-Aug. 10, Tampa Bay, Fla.: three ships collided, the barge Bouchard B155, the freighter Balsa 37, and the barge Ocean 255. The Bouchard spilled an estimated 336,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil into Tampa Bay.

1994-Sept. 8, Russia: dam built to contain oil burst and spilled oil into Kolva River tributary. U.S. Energy Department estimated spill at 2 million barrels. Russian state-owned oil company claimed spill was only 102,000 barrels.

1996-Feb. 15, off Welsh coast: supertanker Sea Empress ran aground at port of Milford Haven, Wales, spewed out 70,000 tons of crude oil, and created a 25-mile slick.

1999-Dec. 12, French Atlantic coast: Maltese-registered tanker Erika broke apart and sank off Britanny, spilling 3 million gallons of heavy oil into the sea.

2000-Jan. 18, off Rio de Janeiro: ruptured pipeline owned by government oil company, Petrobras, spewed 343,200 gallons of heavy oil into Guanabara Bay.
Nov. 28, Mississippi River south of New Orleans: oil tanker Westchester lost power and ran aground near Port Sulphur, La., dumping 567,000 gallons of crude oil into lower Mississippi. Spill was largest in U.S. waters since Exxon Valdez disaster in March 1989.

2002-Nov. 13, Spain: Prestige suffered a damaged hull and was towed to sea and sank. Much of the 20 million gallons of oil remains underwater.

2003-July 28, Pakistan: The Tasman Spirit, a tanker, ran aground near the Karachi port, and eventually cracked into two pieces. One of its four oil tanks burst open, leaking 28,000 tons of crude oil into the sea.

2004-Dec. 7, Unalaska, Aleutian Islands, Alaska: A major storm pushed the M/V Selendang Ayu up onto a rocky shore, breaking it in two. 337,000 gallons of oil were released, most of which was driven onto the shoreline of Makushin and Skan Bays.

2005-Aug.-Sept., New Orleans, Louisiana: The Coast Guard estimated that more than 7 million gallons of oil were spilled during Hurricane Katrina from various sources, including pipelines, storage tanks and industrial plants.

2006-June 19, Calcasieu River, Louisiana: An estimated 71,000 barrels of waste oil were released from a tank at the CITGO Refinery on the Calcasieu River during a violent rain storm.
July 15, Beirut, Lebanon: The Israeli navy bombs the Jieh coast power station, and between three million and ten million gallons of oil leaks into the sea, affecting nearly 100 miles of coastline. A coastal blockade, a result of the war, greatly hampers outside clean-up efforts.
August 11th, Guimaras island, The Philippines: A tanker carrying 530,000 gallons of oil sinks off the coast of the Philippines, putting the country's fishing and tourism industries at great risk. The ship sinks in deep water, making it virtually unrecoverable, and it continues to emit oil into the ocean as other nations are called in to assist in the massive clean-up effort.

2007-December 7, South Korea: Oil spill causes environmental disaster, destroying beaches, coating birds and oysters with oil, and driving away tourists with its stench. The Hebei Spirit collides with a steel wire connecting a tug boat and barge five miles off South Korea's west coast, spilling 2.8 million gallons of crude oil. Seven thousand people are trying to clean up 12 miles of oil-coated coast.




2008-July 25, New Orleans, Louisiana: A 61-foot barge, carrying 419,000 gallons of heavy fuel, collides with a 600-foot tanker ship in the Mississippi River near New Orleans. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel leak from the barge, causing a halt to all river traffic while cleanup efforts commence to limit the environmental fallout on local wildlife.

2009-March 11, Queensland, Australia: During Cyclone Hamish, unsecured cargo aboard the container ship MV Pacific Adventurer came loose on deck and caused the release of 52,000 gallons of heavy fuel and 620 tons of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer, into the Coral Sea. About 60 km of the Sunshine Coast was covered in oil, prompting the closure of half the area's beaches.

2010-Jan. 23, Port Arthur, Texas: The oil tanker Eagle Otome and a barge collide in the Sabine-Neches Waterway, causing the release of about 462,000 gallons of crude oil. Environmental damage was minimal as about 46,000 gallons were recovered and 175,000 gallons were dispersed or evaporated, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
April 24, Gulf of Mexico: The Deepwater Horizon, a semi-submersible drilling rig, sank on April 22, after an April 20th explosion on the vessel. Eleven people died in the blast. When the rig sank, the riser—the 5,000-foot-long pipe that connects the wellhead to the rig—became detached and began leaking oil. In addition, U.S. Coast Guard investigators discovered a leak in the wellhead itself. As much as 25,000 barrels (1,050,000 gallons) of oil per day were leaking into the water, threatening wildlife along the Louisiana Coast. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano declared it a "spill of national significance." As many as 1,000 people and dozens of ships and aircraft were enlisted to help in the cleanup. BP (British Petroleum), which leased the Deepwater Horizon, is responsible for the cleanup, but the U.S. Navy supplied the company with resources to help contain the slick. Oil reached the Louisiana shore on April 30, and there was widespread consensus that the spill would dwarf the Exxon Valdez in terms of environmental damage.

Source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001451.html

Perhaps the best way to defeat an opponent or to throw them off track is to create a state of confusion. It is a tactic that has been used since the beginning of civilization by religious leaders, political tyrants, politicians, corporations, political parties and just about any organized group seeking to further its own ends.  In the time of Jesus, religious orthodoxy confused the people and the Romans by claiming that Jesus said that he was God. In World War I the Germans thought to confuse the allies by attacking France via Belgium.  In World War II great efforts were made to convince the Nazis that the invasion would not occur at Normandy.  Today, it is clear that corporations and special interests seek to confuse the public on a host of issues that they simply do not want to be addresses.

What is the best way to derail health care reform?  Easy, claim that the proponents of such reform will take away benefits from the burgeoning ranks of senior citizens.  Add to that a pinch of government death committees, claims of higher costs and lack of choice and the average person will shy back from any meaningful reform.  Of course, such claims do not have to be true; they just need to make the headlines which are more than ready to accommodate sensationalists’ claims. 

How about global warming and climate change?  It is clear that special interests, the oil industry in particular, do not want to change their business and profit as usual method of operation.  With ever mounting evidence that the planet is facing some kind of major change, the best strategy is to confuse the public, and even politicians, by condemning the data.  Find one flaw, like the Himalayan glacial rate of melt, and then argue that all of the climate change data is wrong and suspect.  Throw in a southern snow storm and one can easily argue, “See, the planet is getting cooler, not warmer.”  It is like poor Johnny who gets one answer wrong on his test so the teacher assumes that all of the answers must be suspect also.  Despite clear and irrefutable data and on–the-ground observations, corporations have managed to create an air of skepticism around any climate change or warning trend.  They have managed to throw into the background any headline about all of the glaciers that are rapidly melting, loss of major water supplies, severity of storms and droughts, rising sea temperatures (December was the highest sea temperature on record), ocean acidification, crop failures, rising sea levels (even in Rhode Island and Florida), and growing climate chaos.  By pointing to a couple of years of cool weather, they have managed to take any attention away from a temperature line that is still going up and up.  Oh, did I mention the Northwest Passage and ice free arctic waters? 

What about the economy?  Moneyed interests have managed to steal billions of dollars from the public, make record high profits, pay ludicrous bonuses, foreclose on millions of homes, increase profits by not re-hiring and then getting away with putting holds on regulatory reform or any legislation that is geared to protecting the consumer.  How do they manage this?  Simply put, by confusing the issues.  They claim that Obama is not creating jobs (How many people can he hire at the White House anyway?), his policies are anti-business and job growth (Of course they have no problem taking the billions for their own purposes), regulation would destroy the free market (What free market?), and that if you want the best, you’ve got to pay.  Of course, it is the “best and the brightest” that created the economic mess in the first place.

The best part of “confusion” as a strategy is that what you say does not have to be true.  You do not need supporting facts and figures.  You do not have to justify your claims to the public or the politicians.  You do not even really have to lie.  All that is required is that you create skepticism and uncertainty.  These conditions grind the decision making process to a halt.  Few politicians will support a worthy and valid cause if, by some chance, they may be blamed if the cause becomes faulty.  If you can create the question, “What if you are wrong,” then you have succeeded in toppling or paralyzing your opponent.  It is easy to convince others to “take it slow,” and to be cautious, particularly if votes are involved. 

The “State of Confusion” is a wonderful place for special interests.  By raising the specter of possible error, such interests can achieve their goals and spend very little doing so.  They can fund a study, put a scientist on the payroll, give a grant to a medical institution, or bankroll an economist to create doubt and inaction.  One would think that with all of the information that is available, people could see through the smokescreen.  Although, special interests can even flood the internet with confusing information.  Perhaps if time was of no concern, this would not be as big an issue.  But time lost means jobs lost, lives lost and a climate that might have a hard time supporting human habitation.  Tick, tock.  So how confused are you?

Farmington resident co-editing nonfiction anthology

FARMINGTON - Farmington area resident, UMF graduate, poetry and greeting card publisher Cynthia Brackett-Vincent is co-editor (with Carol Smallwood) of the just-released nonfiction anthology, Contemporary American Women: Our Defining Passages.

This exciting collection addresses women’s issues and will also provide a unique, dynamic much-needed new text for college/university Women’s Studies classes. Summary: “This unique collection includes over fifty articles by more than thirty-five diverse American women who revisit, celebrate, and share defining moments in their lives. Readers will see the universal in milestones of body, mind, family, career, and personal empowerment-whether joyous or difficult, chosen or unexpected, common or rare. These are poignant passages of women, told by talented and award winning writers: intimate glimpses into the lives of our sisters, friends, aunts, mentors, wives, grandmothers, partners, mothers, daughters-ourselves.”

Early Praise for Contemporary American Women: Our Defining Passages:

“Even though this collection is about contemporary ‘American’ women the stories are universal. As I read each, I can see myself in them.”
-Supriya Bhatnagar, Director of Publications at the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, editor of The Writer’s Chronicle

“This collection reveals those intimate moments that change women’s lives: the ways we tough it out, break down, and become whole again.”
-Arlene L. Mandell, Pushcart Prize nominee. American Association of University Women’s short-story contest winner, 2008.

“These experiences exemplify the range of passages that existing anthologies have yet to address in a single volume. The authentic, often lyrical prose speaks to a broad audience within and beyond academics.”
-Diane LeBlanc, Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of College Writing, St. Olaf College; Bechtel Prize winner.

Available from Amazon.com, the publisher’s website (AllThingsThatMatterPress.com), and soon in select bookstores. 268 pages; ISBN 978-0984259434; Paperback; $18.99.

It has turned out that the first two books of the WAKING GOD TRILOGY have become prophetic. With a plot set in the current time and near future, the books have plotted a course that exposes the seeds that humanity has sown and the bitter fruits of the harvest. In a sense, the books are a reflection of the mass consciousness. Those familiar the "web bot" prophecies will understand that predominant human thought creates the predominant human reality. This 'fact' has been revealed in the quantum physics where we are told that clearly, mind shapes the world in which we live.

WAKING GOD is somewhat post APOCALYPSE. Of course, contrary to religious scare tactics, apocalypse means revelation, not the end of the world. In fact, Book II, THE SACRED ROTA, actually picks up after the world ended in 2012. Oh, I should mention that the world, also contrary to religious fanatics, does not end in 2012. However, this is a significant event that forever alters the course of human evolution-the manifestation of the GOD SEED-a genetic mutation that activates that alters humanity. A little too sci-fi? Not really. In fact, there is a lot of new information floating around talking about "spontaneous evolution." In WAKING GOD, we maintain that our mitochondrial DNA contains latent genetic code that will activate to change life on earth. I would advise that you research the mitochondria, a strange source of power that contains its own DNA and which, somehow, become a part of living cells. Science does not even really know how it got there-the plot thicken for alien theory enthusiasts. Sorry, the 2012 event is not revealed until Book III-now in preparation.

For those of you not familiar with the story, Adam, the metaphor for the god seed DNA, is dreaming himself into our physical reality and seeks a physical birth. this event is opposed by the angels, with michael as their leader, as his birth would negate the need for 'messenger' services. The plan is supported by Lucifer, a.k.a. Mantrella in the books, and is seen as the champion of humanity. This is obviously a total reversal of dogma. Actual, 2012 will be a total reversal of dogma.

So, if you were living in the world of WAKING GOD, which you are, what events would seem likely to occur in 2010? Here are the prophecies.

-Continued economic turmoil. Any notion of a recovery is merely a spin to try to prevent consumer panic and total economic collapse. Much of this will come to light in 2010. Despite so called recovery on Wall Street, read alternative news sources like the Huffington Post and you will see that our bread and butter small banks are in deep trouble and continue to close.

-The American dollar will continue to lose ground and do not be surprised if it no longer serves as the of world trade. This collapse will deal a harsh blow to the American consumer.

-Despite outrage, big firms and banks will continue to rob from the poor to line the pockets of the rich. All legislation to date has done nothing to stop their greedy appetites but the well will begin to go dry. By the end of 2010, most will be wondering what the hell happened.

-In Politics, one cannot help but feel sorry for president Obama. A man with vision and the right ideas will be thwarted at every turn. The compromises he has had to make on health care will cost him the left and the right basically hates him. Any environmental legislation will be a joke. Our lack of leadership in this front will lose the U.S. its position as world leader. China and Russia will push us to our limits to fill the void and do not be surprised by new tensions between China and Russia. The EU will try to come to the forefront but it lacks the consensus to do so, not to mention the lack of a powerful leader. The UN will grow in power to try to resolve world trade and political disputes. The West will lose its capacity and welcome as any kind of world police. Other global issues will require a world approach to try to solve and more power will gravitate towards the UN. Of course, it will be too late. The failures of world summits to make any meaningful gains has sown the seeds of failure.

-Refugee issues will grow and many lives will be lost.

-Climate change will increase in voracity, ferocity and impact. At this point, the cause may not matter. But world leaders, or lack thereof, will fail to effectively plan for crop failures, floods, droughts and sea rises. Tensions and conflicts will begin to rise over these issues.

-Religious conflicts and turmoil will continue to spread. The continued polarization of religious thought will create violence as dying dogma tries to survive. Alternative spiritual thought will continue to grow but may come to blows with religious organizations. The death of the Pope will create massive and survival issues for the "Church."

-New astronomical events will not be pleasant. Recent reports of an increase in solar radiation, even though there have not yet been a lot of sunspots, and the passage of the helium galaxy through the milky Way-yes, this is happening now-look it up-This happened 70 million years ago and ended an earth age and started a new one. Quantum physics will reveal a breakthrough truth.

The above events have their roots in what has been happening in recent times and which are portrayed in WAKING GOD. These events will occur in roughly the 2010 time frame as a sort of prequel to 2012. The prophecies are not meant to cast a shadow or doomsday scenario. It is the contention of WAKING GOD that these events are necessary to activate the god seed. Almost all evolution stems from environmental stress-we will have plenty of that.

Few of these events had to happen. Nostradamus, the Mayans, the Hopi, DaVinci and others gave us ample warning. We have let these events occur because we have thought ourselves impervious to our own thoughts and actions. But as basic science has told us, for every action, their is an equal and opposite reaction. Recent polls have shown that while Americans believe there is climate change, they do not see it as serious enough to do anything about. We were warned in the 60's by Rachael Carson about our polluting ways. We have let ourselves be brainwashed by the collective marketing of Wall Street and have ignored resource depletion. We have certainly not been our brothers keepers. So what do you really expect? The best way to get through all of this is to keep the light at the end of the tunnel in sight. Do not give into fear. Prepare, but be willing to share.

Just for reference, the following are the web bot predictions:

Dire Web Bot Predictions
source: www.coasttocoastam.com
Here are some of their web bot predictions for the
remainder of 2008, 2009, 2012 (and beyond):

* 2008 - In late March, look for massive
unemployment to take hold.
* 2008 - During the summer, a backlash against the
US government could involve a call to hold the
elections early.
* 2008 - As the housing industry continues its
collapse, there could be a seizure or lock-up of the
ability to transfer property.
* A "fuzzy revolution" could involve squatters or
collectives moving into empty or foreclosed homes.
* 2008 - In October, there'll be a major stock market
crash or a climate event that has a disastrous effect
on the economy.
* 2008 - There could be a major bank failure, possibly
involving a foreign bailout that is reneged upon.
* 2008 - 2 Earthquakes or Tsunami possible in
December.
* The governments are quietly preparing for untold
future calamity while focusing media attention way
from earth's real problems to trivial aspects such as
politics and popular culture.
* 2009 - Well known people will start suddenly
disappearing without explanation.
* 2009 - Earthquakes may damage dams and/or much
unprecedented flooding may occur.
* 2009 - People in rural areas will begin arming
themselves heavily and hoarding weapons and
ammunition.
* 2009 - Spring or Summer - A "global coastal event"
or process (possibly a tidal change) will involve a
rise in sea levels that will knock out oil refineries and
severely hamper sea ports.
* 2009/10/25 : A big crisis is kicked off. It could be that
Israel bombs Iran, or that Swine Flu goes into a level
of extreme lethality. 10 days later, in relation to this
crisis, the Obama administration will be thrown into
chaos. When Israel bombs Iran, they'll use a nuclear-
tipped bunker buster that will hit something
unforeseen underground. As a result, a radioactive
cloud will form that will pollute and sicken Southeast
Asia. This will cause much of the world to turn
against Israel.
* 2010/??/?? : The "Death of the Dollar" will be a
continuing trend, with a hyper inflationary period and
banking crises/confidence losses that will begin in
August 2009.
* 2010/08/?? : In South America, they'll be large or
mass sightings of UFO-related phenomena. A video
crew will interview an escapee from an internment
facility. The young bald man will later be revealed to
be a "non-Terran" human.
* Sustainable living will be the only way to survive the
upcoming economic change and food shortages.
* 2011/04/?? : "Global Coastal Phenomena" will be
gradual, the situation could be disturbing for many
people. Unusual movements of the Moon brought on
by anomalies in the magnetosphere could cause
coastal disruptions.
* 2011/05/?? : The magnetosphere problems could
lead to ultraviolet scorching of food crops. Grain
crops will fail, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere,
leading to food riots in the winter/spring. Specifically,
they'll be riots in Rome that will spill over into the
Vatican.
* 2011 - Extra-terrestrial aliens presence and/or
warfare possible.
* There will be an untimely demise for millions by
2012, brought upon by some combination of
pandemics, economic collapse, breakdown of health
care and unknown energies from space.

A WORD TO THE WISE IS SUFFICIENT!

There were no “startling new secrets” in the SyFy show about 2012 that was hosted by Lester Holt.  Neither has the History Channel show, “The Nostradamus Effect” shed any new light on the prophecies regarding 2012.  The fact of the matter is, these shows may end up in a self-fulfilling effect.  Basically, they have it all wrong, again.

 

Both shows are adding to the atmosphere of fear regarding 2012.  If you follow the trends in quantum physics, it is becoming increasing clear that the ancient were right all along; form follows thought.  The shows basically portray three scenarios: the world will come to an end; 2012 will be a new beginning; or, nothing will happen and December 22, nd 2012 will be just another day.  The basic reason that these shows have it all wrong is because they are interpreting prophecy form a religious point of view.  The Christian Armageddon is popular headline and scary images of death and destruction makes for wonderful bylines and sound bites.  However, such interpretations are false and misleading.  The Mayans were not Christian.  The Hopi were not Christian.  The I Ching is not Christian.  Further, seers like Nostradamus and DaVinci and even Newton, while immersed in a dogma controlled culture ruled by the Church, were all mystics and members of mystical organizations.  Their writing were couched and coded in the religious terms of the day because, to do otherwise, meant a nice hot stake.  Even John’s Revelation has been misrepresented.  The true meaning of apocalypse is not Armageddon, but rather to reveal, uncover, and has been said, knowledge revealed.  How better to boost lagging tithes and fill emptying pews than to scare people into believing that the Day of Judgment is at hand.  Even Jesus said, “Judge not.”  These same scare tactics have been used throughout history to frighten the uninformed into the folds of religious dogma and to create meek sheep that do as they are told.  The sad past, like the wolf and red Riding Hood, is that the shepherds are, in fact, the wolves.

 

In following these shows, and of course the new movie, 2012, the world is destroyed several times over.  So, if this is what happens, live, drink and be merry, for in 2102 all will be lost.  There will be wars, famine, pestilence, nuclear destruction, 30,000 foot tidal waves, super volcano explosions, massive earth quakes, massive solar radiation, tectonic plate shifts, polarity shift and, oh yes, a 1,000 years of peace.  There is no question that the images are dazzling.  But again, get enough people believing this, and they may actually cause it to happen.  Keep in mind, much of our current economic crisis is attributed to the lack of consumer confidence, a thought form that may well prevent any serious economic recovery.

 

The script of the skeptics is equally absurd.  According to them, December 21, 2012 will be just another day.  Actually, it may be just another as Mayan calendar expert, Carl Johan Calleman says that the real end date is October 28th, 2011.  This notion is supported by acclaimed author James Redfield of “Celestine Prophecy” fame.  In fact, according to Calleman, energies are already flowing to our home planet and the recent world upheavals are offered as evidence.  What bothers me most about skeptics is that they tend to skeptical about everything.  It is that head- in- the-sand mentality that is disturbing.  They believe that global warming and climate change is a hoax; the economy would be just fine if government would leave it alone; insurance companies have our best interests at heart; poor people deserve to be poor; and, if there is global warming, there is plenty of dollars to made in them there thermometers. 

 

Be as skeptical all you want that a sudden change will happen on a single.  But you know, volcanoes blow in a single day.  Earthquakes cause tsunamis in a single day.  Empires have fallen and risen from a single battle on a single day.  People are born and die on a single day.  This raises a point.  In the books “Waking God” and “The Sacred Rota,” a main protagonist by the name of Andrew talks about ‘precipitating events.’  These events are single moments when history changes, even the lead up to the event may have occurred in days, weeks or even years. The assassinations of Lincoln, Kennedy, King were precipitating events; a single moment that changed history.  The start of World War I, the A-Bomb, and the fall of the Berlin Wall were such events.  To deny that this planet and all that dwell therein are not in the throes of massive change is ludicrous.  The economy, religion, education, health care, the environment and the very fabric of society are on the verge of some kind of massive change.  Does this mean destruction?   Does it mean the end of the world?  Do we base our future on the ranting of hell, fire and brimstone pulpits?  Do we hide our heads in the sand and go the way of the Dodo?  Is this what all of the ancient prophecies tell us?  Will the final precipitating event be December 21, 2012?

 

Like I said, if you buy into the doom and gloom Armageddon scenario, go out and have some fun.  It will all be over soon.  The greatest disservice of presenting this interpretation is that it generates the powerful force of fear.  This fear may well be the undoing of humanity.  But this is not the message of prophecy.  The message is one of hope and transformation.  The prophecies herald out the old and make way for the new.  Yes, the loss of ‘worn out dogma’ will be painful to many.  We are no longer able to stay ‘comfortably numb.’  Too much is happening and it is happening at an ever increasing rate.  The prophecies all point to a ‘precipitating moment;’ a moment that will forever alter the way we perceive the world.  The momentum has been building for some time, but a ‘day’ will come where all must change.  The seers tell us that, just as in quantum physics, what we believe, we will see.  What we seek, we will find.  The door that we knock on will be opened.  What we ask for, we will receive.  The prophets also tell us that we must beware of which doors we approach and what beliefs we cling to.  They tell us that we have finally journeyed to the end of the old ways and that to continue in those ways courts disaster.  We choose, that is our birthright, choice.  A great Avatar once said, “Fear not.”  Do not be mislead by the false prophets of doom and do not be misguided by those who would have you be led as sheep.

The silence is deafening.  I just came in from feeding the horses and cleaning out the stalls.  My wife, Deb, has gone to do some errands.  This would have been the first day in six months that we could have gone out together for a simple thing like getting groceries, but we figured someone needed to be here to take the phone calls.

 

Normally, Deb would be gone early Saturday mornings.  It was the only time she could get out of the house for a break.  At least I got to go to work every day, but Deb works at home.  When I came in this morning, gone was the drone of the oxygen console and the blaring sound of the Today Show.  The morning coffee and breakfast with Ma is gone.  The making fun of the stupidity of people in the news is gone.  Only silence. 

 

Silence can be your friend, but it can also be unnerving.  Memories come flooding back to fill the void left by the absence of noise; horses whose gallop will never be heard again; dogs whose tails no longer knock over curios, and tongues that no longer lick the face; goats, pigs, cows and chickens who no longer add to the morning symphony at sunrise.  And, of course, family and friends whose presence no longer grace your life and who have moved on to that unknown netherland.   Then there are the should’ves, wish I dids, if only’s, that surface from the depths of some dormant cells in the cerebrum. 

 

Irene McCollett, age 78, transitioned on October 30th, at 10:42 a.m.  She passed in her bed at home with Deb holding her hand.  The transition went as both Irene and Deb had discussed on several occasions.  It was peaceful, no pain, and full of grace and dignity.  I had written a previous story on this topic where I provided some of the details of the situation but let me quickly recap.  Irene had COPD.  Two and half years ago she moved in with us as she was not taking care of herself.  She was on 02 24/7 and she was not taking her medications.  Her diet was atrocious.  Since Deb was the only one who worked from home, we gladly took her in.  Last May, she had a bout with pneumonia and we almost lost her.  However, they discovered she had mesothelioma and she only had about one quarter of lung capacity.  They gave her six months and she was put on home hospice care.  Irene was still functioning.  While she often lost her short term memory, she was still able to go to use her portable pot, she ate fine on her own and was still capable of enjoyable conversation.  Basically, she was still fun to have around.  For a home care giver, however, it meant that one of us had to be home at all times.  Over time, this does take its toll.  Offers to give us break were non-existent.  Family can be funny that way.  The few two times we had someone stay with her, she basically had panic attacks.  To Irene, Phil and Deb were the only ones who could care for her.  So, even though Hospice does provide a relief service, we were unable to use it.  There was a nurse, Maria, that Ma and both of us came to love and Ma did let her stay with her so we could go out for breakfast.  That was about a month ago.

 

About ten days ago, Ma came down with early signs of a cold, a deadly virus to someone in her condition.  She was on anti-virals immediately.  It made her cranky and irritable.  After the course, however, she did seem better.  She began to eat like a pig and was her old-self.  Then, on Thursday morning, the 29th, Ma would not wake up in the morning.  Nothing we tried worked. Her 02 levels were all over the board.  Maria came out and spent a better part of the day with us.  We love her dearly.  Irene was stabilized, although still sleeping. She would react to conversation by twitching or shaking her head, but seemed unable to open her eyes.  Maria told us that she may, or may not come out of it.  It was not a coma, just a deep sleep.  Later in the day, Don, her deceased husband of over 20 years, told me to put on some 40’s music.  Be as skeptical as you want, but that is what happened.

 

The house seemed to be filled with people dancing.  It was as if Don was simply going to dance her into the light.  As some family members came over, ones that did not have ‘time’ when she was functioning to come and visit, several actually said they felt “presences” of other people.  Deb said that her Dad grabbed her hand and spun her around in dance.  Way cool.  With company gone and the music off, Irene was resting comfortably.  Deb slept beside her that night.  She hoped that she would still come around.  Truthfully, I felt she was essentially gone; most of her spirit went with the last dance.  It was not a restful night for Deb.  She spent lots of time just watching her mother.  She did not want to break the pact, that Deb would be holding her hand at the end. Come morning, Irene’s breathing was very shallow.  Maria came out, and the four of us sat with her and waited.  Deb then saw her father and mother walk off into the light, hand-in-hand.  Skeptics will say this was the imagination at work.  But you know what?  Life is just the imagination at work.  Several moments later, without a twitch or a spasm, Irene had left.

 

Yes, there was crying.  But there was also laughter and joy.  Deb saw what she saw and was happy.  Ma left the way they talked about.  Gone were the struggles to catch a breath.  Irene’s face was glowing, worry lines were gone; she seemed angelic, at peace and happy.  Deb and Maria bathed Irene and put her in a dress.  It was comical.  Irene was not very cooperative.  And so, the phones calls have been made, arrangements with the funeral home were done months ago, and on Tuesday, the 3rd, Irene’s physical body will be placed beside her husband’s.  I look at her room and see her ‘stuff.’  And you know folks, it is just stuff.  Some will be given, some will be tossed, it’s just stuff.  ‘Stuff’ has caused wars and terrible misery for billions.  When it is all said and done, the fight for stuff, the greed, the avarice, the economy, Wall Street, the stimulus, the Middle East, it’s only about stuff.  When the generals, politicians and Wall Street executives’ die, some will ask, “What should we do with the stuff?”

 

Home hospice can be tough.  Even with the help, little of which one should expect from family, it tries the patience.  But, when it is all said and done, we would not have done it any other way.  It will teach you not to fear death.  It will teach you what is important in life.  And so, Goodnight Irene, we’ll see you in our dreams!  Thank you for being a part of our lives.  We love you and will not forget you.