Randy Rainbow is back with a new Video:
THAT DON! - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody
That was one of the best Randy Rainbow videos of all. I love them all, but this was fantastic.
Thank You!
I thought the recent skit on SNL was so funny. Alan Dershowitz Argues for Trump Cold Open
A book was recommended to me by Cash Peters: "a little book about believing: The Transformative Healing Power of Faith, Love, and Surrender" So far it's really engaging!
This is to sadness, loss, and unspeakable grief:
when you have no words for the wounds.
When your body is as hollowed out and dark as a jack-o-lantern in November.
Gathering Light
for winter
-Jeanette Encinias
When you have no words for the wounds.
When your body is as hollowed out and dark
as a jack-o-lantern
in November.
When you have lost your north, your south,
your east and your west
stay still.
Words for the pain are forming
beneath the skin of your patience.
Your body is gathering light for winter.
Your compass is emerging through water.
Sometimes dying is the only way to live again.
It may take all your stories away.
It may hunt and kill your pride
so you are left with nothing
but questions and space
howling into the night
What next? What now? What for?
This is when grace
pours her warm milk
into your wounds
and advises you to rest.
To steal the secrets of sorrow
and learn her heavy song
so that you can become an instrument
of resilience, turning ever forward
with more than you were born with.
For isn't holding hands with sorrow
a bridge?
Dying while you are still alive
birthing your next self
and courageously
beginning anew.
From Dan Rather today:
How do you balance normalcy against the backdrop of what is taking place in Washington? How do you pack your kids’ lunches, make Super Bowl plans, check the air on your car’s tires when the Senate has rubber stamped the very type of actions our founding fathers feared could threaten our republic?
These are not only questions for our times. In moments of crisis there is always a struggle between life going on and responding to the import of the moment. Do you fight for what is right, organize, mobilize, and pledge an all-out effort at the ballot box? Or do you gather for a neighborhood barbeque, head to the church social, take a walk through the woods with your partner? I believe this cannot be considered a binary option. You do all of these things.
Even during World War II, there still was a World Series. Even during Vietnam there were school plays. Even after 9/11 there was time for coffee with a friend.
Many see today an assault on our democracy, and our humanity. To push back against those forces means not giving up on either front. To be sure fear is a potent tool for autocrats, but so is cynicism. Those who seek to divide us can be held accountable in elections but they can also be defeated through affirmative acts of kindness.
I look out at this great nation and see much that is broken. But I know that every day millions upon millions of my fellow citizens set out to lead purposeful lives, to help others, to be empathetic members of their communities.
One thing I have seen about this country over my life is that change happens, and it can be dramatic. Most of that change has been for the positive. Step out of the bubble, turn off the TV, put your phone in the drawer, and take a deep breath. Focus on what is around you. And focus on what needs to be done for the future.
Another thing I have seen over my life is no president is bigger than the country. Some have forgotten that. And the American people have invariably reminded them.
Another thing I have seen over my life is no president is bigger than the country. Some have forgotten that. And the American people have invariably reminded them. -- Dan Rather via Laura F.
Love this. Thank you for posting.
I'm attaching the Simon & Garfunkel song, Sound of Silence performed by the group, Disturbed. I'd never heard this version until some of you spoke about it yesterday on the "Impeachment of DT" thread. Powerful and hauntingly beautiful. I've played it a few times since yesterday, and I tear up every time. Thank you for sharing it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4
WOODSTOCK by Joni Mitchell
I came upon a child of God
He was walking along the road
And I asked him where are you going
And this he told me
I'm going on down to Yasgur's farm *
I'm going to join in a rock 'n' roll band
I'm going to camp out on the land
I'm going to try an' get my soul free
We are stardust
We are golden
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
Then can I walk beside you
I have come here to lose the smog
And I feel to be a cog in something turning
Well maybe it is just the time of year
Or maybe it's the time of man
I don't know who I am
But you know life is for learning
We are stardust
We are golden
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
By the time we got to Woodstock
We were half a million strong
And everywhere there was song and celebration
And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation
We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devil's bargain
And we've got to get ourselves
back to the garden
© 1969; Siquomb Publishing Company
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5D3iT4BhbQ
Midnight in Washington - Impeachment Zero Hour
Don't buy the storyline that nothing we do matters. WE MATTER.
I spent my morning yesterday listening to the Hamilton soundtrack. I admit I cried several times while listening to it. Just the beauty of the foundation of our nation. I prayed to our founding father to protect the nation they build and bring wisdom to those in charge. I got the answer that we will be okay. That all though things seems scary right now we will make it through. America has seen this and worse before and have come out strong than ever. Whether it's one more year or four more it's a lesson that must be learned. The following song stuck with me I think it's how we feel about trump at the moment. (forgive me for taking liberties and drawing the parallels within the text of the song to our current situation.)
Washington On Your Side - Hamilton
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Washington on your side
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Washington on your side
Every action has its equal, opposite reactions
Thanks to Hamilton (Trump), our cabinet’s fractured into factions
Try not to crack under the stress, we’re breaking down like fractions
We smack each other in the press, and we don’t print retractions
I get no satisfaction witnessing his fits of passion
The way he primps and preens and dresses like the pits of fashion
Our poorest citizens, our farmers, live ration to ration
As Wall Street robs them blind in search of chips to cash in
This prick is asking for someone to bring him to task
Somebody gimme some dirt on this vacuous mass so we can at last unmask him
I’ll pull the trigger on him, someone load the gun and cock it
While we were all watching, he got Washington in his pocket
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Washington on your side
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Washington on your side
Look back at the Bill of Rights
Which I wrote
The ink hasn’t dried
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Washington on your side
So he’s doubled the size of the government
Wasn’t the trouble with much of our previous government size?
Look in his eyes!
See how he lies
Follow the scent of his enterprise
Centralizing national credit
And making American credit competitive
If we don’t stop it we aid and abet it
I have to resign
Somebody has to stand up for the South!
Somebody has to stand up to his mouth!
If there’s a fire you’re trying to douse
You can’t put it out from inside the house
I’m in the cabinet. I am complicit in
Watching him grabbin’ at power and kiss it
If Washington isn’t gon’ listen
To disciplined dissidents, this is the difference:
This kid is out!
Oh!
This (...) isn’t somebody we chose
Oh!
(He's) (...) keeping us all on our toes
Oh!
Let’s show these Federalists (Republicans) who they’re up against!
Oh!
Southern motherfuckin’— Democratic-Republicans!
Oh!
Let’s follow the money and see where it goes
Oh!
Because every second the Treasury grows
Oh!
If we follow the money and see where it leads
Get in the weeds, look for the seeds of
Hamilton’s (Trump) misdeeds
It must be nice. It must be nice
Follow the money and see where it goes
It must be nice. It must be nice
The emperor has no clothes
We won’t be invisible. We won’t be denied
Still
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Washington on your side
Delightful nighttime video capture of two playful buddies in the wild: coyote and badger who are known to hunt together. Coyote playfully turns to badger as if to say, hey, come on! Then the two buds amble off together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bICTWNRrGE&app=desktop
I didn't know where to post this. Joaquin Phoenix acceptance speech from the Oscars covers so much. It covers the fact that we are all one. We are all connected, he sees commanality. He spoke about how not one race or species or gender has the right to use and exploit another. He spoke about what humans do to a cow when it gives birth and how the milk intended for that calf is in our coffee. He gave a moving tribute to his late brother, River.
I took much away from his speech, it sent waves of love through me. His brother's words are ones I wish to share as a mantra: "Run to the Rescue with Love and Peace will Follow".
Thank you Joaquin and River.
@triciact, I felt the same. Understanding the interconnectivity of all beings is one of the secrets the Tibetans monks have said one of the two "weapons" heart warriors will need to save the world from the dark forces. It is the basis for being intuitive - that we are all connected. We can read each other, including the trees and the animals, because we ARE each other.
I have had now two strong dreams about consuming dairy and poultry over the past year which I posted here. In one dream, which was about poultry, the gist was that I could not eat the food unless I went out and killed the animals myself. Spirit's message was not to ever pretend that I hadn't killed an innocent being when I consume animal food.
I tried to give up dairy. Encountered problems with getting adequate nutrition given digestion challenges. Many plant-based foods have sugar chains in them that some people can't digest. My kids have also tried to go vegan and have lapsed back into vegetarianism. I am going to try again to stop the dairy. There must be a way to find plant-based foods to sustain me.
I understand the need/desire to do so. I must confess though that I am not a vegan or vegetarian. I feel that some people have an easier time becoming one than others. It's part of our chemical makeup at this point and age in which we start this quest makes a difference. I'm not saying you should not continue the quest, just that we must do what we can without sacrificing our health. We will all get there some day I do feel, but in the meantime some will do so very successfully and others will not.
I must confess that for me, I choose not to completely, but yes I do feel badly about it. Perhaps if I were in my teens or 20's -just much younger, and was given the tools we have now, I think I would have at least been a pescatarian. I am, however, eating cleaner, less meat, fish as my main protein source, organic poultry on occasion. I like the almond/cashew milk the best so far, however I can't seem to give up cheese at all.
I try not to eat red meat often at all, but convincing my extremely carnivore husband is really tough. I bought beyond meat burgers to try soon but he turned his nose up to it. Though he will eat it and I assume quibble about it.
As I was reading through the recent postings in “The Impeachment” thread, I could feel the despair and angst that many are experiencing now. (I know, I know; these are dark and trying times.) In addition to the heartening words from Jeanne and other, I offer the following words, which some may find soothing. During a recent meditation/prayer
(part) of Psalm 23 came to me. That was a surprise, since it has been many years since I had recited those words in church. If fact, I had to look up what I had heard since I didn’t consciously remember the psalm. According to the New York chapter of the Edgar Cayce organization (A.R.E.), “Edgar Cayce Prayed the 23rd Psalm every day. He said it was a prayer of protection, for it wrapped one with the Love of God Conciousness”.
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
@lilinoe, thank you for posting Psalm 23. I've always loved and am comforted by it.