Prius with Power

When I sold my 96 Honda Civic and bought a used 2002 Toyota Prius (hybrid) I thought driving in the slow lane would be the price of fuel efficiency. It strained to get up to highway speed and passing was out of the question.

Not so no moe! My Prius now has zip -- with the same good gas mileage. Before I noticed the increase in power I could feel that it was running smoother. And I plan on improving my fuel economy even more. According to independent SAE testing, I will get at least 13% better mileage after using it in several tanksfull. Check out how with (ME)2. Click the link. It's for real.

Realization: Freedom of Choice

I guess most people don't give it a lot of thought when social custom pulls toward compliance. Keeping the peace has its priority. But there is a question often posed on grand occasions, that gives me pause to consider. The occasion is The Wedding. The question is in a form of the following: Who gives this woman to wed?

Hmmm…

In weddings of the past, our culture has gone along with this rite, in support of the woman giving her love completely to her husband, forsaking all others—especially the parents, breaking the apron strings & tying a new knot. And since the first days of feminine liberation, the balancing question of, Who gives this man…?, made it all okay in the minds of most.

But is the question still as valid? Was it ever? To my mind, it’s not, when looked at in the bigger picture. In most of the Western world, arranged marriages are thought to be backwards. I believe they do have a valid place in some cultures, but not in mine. And we are all somewhat a product of our culture. Freedom of choice is purported to take precedence here.

Who gives this woman to wed?

I’d have to answer:

No one. God gave each of us the freedom to decide on our own choices in life and love. My daughter has chosen well.

There Is a Higher Calling

I'd like to add my voice
as one who is a citizen of the universe,
not a country.
Citizens do not start wars,
do not retaliate when wrong is done them,
do not take away the lives and property of others.
Citizens may defend against those who are not civil.
We may grieve when those among us are taken from us.
We may apologize
for the non-civil who live among us
and act in non-civil ways.

Citizens of the universe love all life
and want the highest good for all.
Please do not judge us
by those who claim to lead us.
We are led only by
the Universal Force of Love and Light.

And one day that Force will prevail.

Only the godless claim their god's greatness
as justification of war.
The non-civil really do not know God at all.
They act in their uncivil ways
because they have experienced
so little love in their lives.

What can we do for peace?
There is but one answer:

Love.

(Thank you, Rhi, for the inspiration.)

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If you are an on-line travel shopper, you know that it takes time to peruse the many discount travel sites and airlines, etc., for the best deal available. For several years now, we did just that to book our trips. Sometimes we have spent hours, even days, finding what we could afford. Now the search engine on Share the Sun does this all for us in a matter of minutes. It pulls up, for example, all the flights for our desired time/destination, with the cheapest on the top. Clicking on a choice puts us right into the booking site, whether it is a discounter (like Expedia or Orbitz) or the airline (Northwest, United, etc.). Sometimes the cheapest isn't the best option (lay-overs, red-eyes, etc.) but there are dozens (or hundreds) of flights to look at--all on one site. Also with the filter options we can enter the number of stops and the airline name if we want to limit it.

World Ventures, the creators of the search engine, is a travel agency in Dallas, Texas. Their internet web functions are still in the beta stage of development, so there are on-going improvements. If you should experience any problems, or have questions, please contact us. Try out a travel search. They are unlimited and always free, even if you book.

Have Fun!

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On Ann Coulter

There are whacked out people everywhere. It's good to know where they are to avoid their wrath and blundering, but I prefer to tune to those with higher consciousness. Getting caught up in the base emotion of hate, greed, righteousness, etc., just breeds more of it. I personally don't "pray" for anyone in the traditional sense, but give a more universal and detached blessing. E.g., May the Blessings Be. I believe the Source of Life operates by a master plan, and that all will eventually support it. Those who don't know, and operate against it, and of course those who know and do the same, will eventually face the effects of their own actions. The Law of Cause and Effect (karma) is the justice.

We all need a hug. And we all have access to the Source of Love. Those who don't know that will someday (some lifetime) learn.

Here is today's quote from the Eckankar website:

God loves Soul rich or poor. God does not necessarily love the poor more. God loves Soul. We can enjoy the things of this life and support our family with material goods with no feelings of guilt.

--Harold Klemp The Language of Soul

And my poem this morning on River-Tree Whispers:

Today's Gift

. everyday is a gift . but this one is sung from the trees . by full-feathered chorus line . and a squirrel . all song and nuts for the storm in the night . could have woke the dead . but i slept . sound in its lightning . nothing . but love and blessings . this earth . and its gift delivered . in light and sound .

I know this world is a harsh environment for Soul much of the time, but by practicing what I know is right, and using tools like the HU chant, I get by pretty good. :)

Thank you, Barbara, friend and artist. You make me think. See Barbara's work at Truthseeker.

On Volunteer Service -- Giving

What I learned from volunteer service: It's better to give than receive. Because you can't give without receiving.

Bird Flu: What Real Science Says

Though my last post was an attempt to present truth in a humorous way, truth is no laughing matter. Please use common sense and pursue with reason those sources of fact that are credible. Don't be spoon-fed by the media. Besides those that will profit from the scare are professionals who can prepare you with the straight story and common-sense action. Dr. Joseph Mercola is one. His view on the subject gives links to the real story, which you'll want to read, as well as alternatives to the actual health threats.

The Blogger Gods Know (who is really stealing my choices)

Well, my blogger passion is poetry, but sometimes I like to post other ideas, resources, etc. in this blog. So sometimes I put together a piece the best I can, knowing it's not done yet, and save it as a draft, hoping to get back to it soon. But, POOF! It disappears into some black hole in the blogisphere. SCREAM! It's like the blogger gods are saying, "Get back to your true mission."

So for now, let me just post this in an attempt to out-wit the gods:

Did you know that if you live in Vietnam, the country that is most "devastated" by a disease (that effects winged animals, and in rare instances humans too), you would have 5 chances in 10 million of dying from the dreaded disease?

The US population is 281,421,906. The annual number of those demised due to a related form of the dreaded disease is 36,000. That's up from 20,000 in their previous estimate. Hmmm. Let me do a little comparison math.

+ + + / ** - = % =, etc. . . .

Okay. This is worse than I thought. Even if the lower 20,000 figure is accurate, if I live in the US (and I do), I have a thousand times greater chance of kicking the big B by the common form of the illness, than if I live in Vietnam and croak like a common chicken farmer. That's if all the VN deaths were in one year. How long has this ailment been around? Oh man!! And I thought the Vietnam War was bad. I grew up on a farm and thought nothing of my chicken-tending duties. What danger did I put myself in? I could have been attacked by one that winged its way from Southeast Asia. Never can tell who in the population is a foreign imposter :)

I better play it safe. I'm checking on the cost of a move to the land of rice paddies and free-range poultry.

Oh, and if you want to see who's getting rich on a certain medical hoax and scare, try a google search for the name of our sec of defiance :) and the name of the well-known farm-a-sue-tickle drug for treating dreaded disease. You may find the results a bit rummy.

Then again, if you would like to just mind your own business and live wherever you be, you might increase your chances of survival with the essential oil blend called Thieves. It is how I have avoided my usual winter illness the past 3 years. You can visit Share Essence to peruse what really works.

There’s Something We Have to Show You, Mr. President

Have you seen the news clip of the president’s visit to the 3M plant in Minnesota, Thursday, February 3rd?

Poor guy. He just wanted to brag on the company by displaying one of 3M’s innovations—the Post-It Note. When he couldn’t make it stick to his podium, my heart sank. Why didn’t someone brief him on the operation of this device?

There must be an appropriate publication at 3M’s corporate headquarters for the effective operation of the Post-It note. Or could it be that its simple use is self-evident?

Certainly not! Our President?

Surely there must be a Government Printing Office publication for the device. But checking GPO’s website (http://www.gpo.gov/) a search on Post-It, showed no matching documents. Even entering IAD for Impermanent Adhesive Device, knowing the government’s penchant for acronyms, gave no matches.

Then I even Googled the query. But “instructions for post-it notes” only referenced instructions written on Post-It notes. Now that’s a concept! Maybe the last leaf on a Post-It pad should be an always-at-ready user guide. Let me suggest some easy-to-comprehend wording for such a directive:

1. This device is designed for writing on the top side. That is the side facing up when the face of this instruction sheet—if still attached to the Post-It note pad—is placed face down.

2. After recording desired communiqué, peel off gently, being aware of the potential for self-inflected paper cuts to thumb or forefinger.

3. Choose a clean, smooth surface within view of intended readers of your memorandum.

4. Attach your Post-It note message by pressing lightly its top surface while the back is in contact with object on which it is to be mounted. (Note: The back side is that which has a tacky strip along one edge. See warning in #2 on paper-cut hazard.)

This last point is most important, Mr. President. Please study these instructions carefully before your next speech. This common, but puzzling office product need not confound your mission with further embarrassment.

Reaction, Response, Infusion with Consciousness

I must apologize for this lengthy post. For some, like myself, it may be too much for casual reading. I realized after some time of blog surfing that I prefer quick hits of a paragraph or two, and poetry of short verse, etc. Blogs of short entries are the ones I return to most often. Life is too full for rambling meanderment. But I feel this view is worth the longer perusal.

With the state of civilization spiraling into the sub-layers of consciousness, there is a broad range of acknowledgement, from passive response to reactionary violence. A culture of war, greed for money and power, and corruption in business, government, even agencies of human service seems to be at an all time high. What are we to do today?

Some are greatly depressed and see a hopeless future. Others ignore the turmoil, hoping things will turn around before the situation demands personal acknowledgement in severe form. Then there are activists, some quite peaceful, and others in various degrees of civil disobedience. At the extreme end, those who see armed revolution or terrorist attacks as the last resort, are at the center of much turmoil today. War and sacrificing of human rights seems to be the solution of those in power. Is there a more balanced response by we the people whose government (in the USA) was formed to serve us?

Those of a higher standard know that ultimately the primary solution is an uplifting of consciousness. Doing nothing or reacting with resistance or retribution are really ineffective in the larger scheme of things. If civilization on the planet can be uplifted at this stage of evolution, it is by strengthening our divine connection, or reconnecting with our source. This, I believe, is the higher response, and will even mitigate the effects of those who only mouth support for truth and justice?

Yet too often, it seems, there are those claiming the highest truth as their driving force, but ignore the problem in the name of non-reaction. Neutrality or detachment may be good in a spiritual sense, yet lack of acknowledgement or compassion for the suffering of others is not the response of the spiritually evolved.

Facing the problems of this world with appropriate action does not mean meditating in our caves of spiritual contentment out of harm's way. Nor does it mean that the dollars we give to a worthy cause, or the votes cast for a candidate, or letters written in defense or objection to some policy will necessarily change the world. These are human actions which are all too often misguided or misdirected once enacted. Misappropriation of funds, voting results manipulation, and media smoke and hype too often result in the opposite result of intent. And even if our objectives are fulfilled, we are merely human and even the most well-meaning are wrong much of the time. It is part of the human condition. Mistakes are how we learn best.

But as human beings, we live and learn and operate in complex realms. The physical forces of our environment, cultural elements, both social and intellectual, as well as our religious and spiritual beliefs, all modulate our effectiveness on this planet. The range of these parameters is unlimited. How does planetary consciousness evolve? The same way it spirals downward: by participation of its populace. If some choose to participate less, they will have less effect. If those who claim to be of higher consciousness choose not to participate, those of the other ilk will tilt the ramp a bit more downward. When we intentionally shine the light toward others, the radiance becomes more brilliant.

Whether voting, charitable giving, or communicating by word or dollars spent has a perceived beneficial effect or not, it is conscious intent that is ultimately manifest.

I vote, I give, I write, not to change the world, but as a human form of expression that is modulated with divine intent. I have declared myself a channel of love for all life. When I go to the poles to vote, it is not because I believe the candidate or initiative of my choice is the best option. Often I am very unsure about that. But rather, I act within the system to infuse the process with Love. This, I believe, is necessary to reverse the forces opposed.

Withdrawing from all matters outside the realm of ones own spiritual reality is little better than reacting to the ills of society with dramatic resistance and revolt. Attempting to accomplish change in a reactionary way is ineffective spiritually. It actually feeds the opposing force on a psychic level and defines their enemy. Is not the way of love -- infusing our action with a higher law, the Law of Love -- the means to raising human consciousness? We human beings, fallible and imperfect, are what the Supreme Being has to work with. I will not say: Currently out of service.

Intent is useless without action on the field where the game is played. Know you are loved and pass it on.

What do you think? Does your spiritual path support you in loving all God's children? I'd like to hear from you.

Way to Go, Deborah

I know I haven't posted here in some time--I've been having too much fun on my poetry blog River-Tree Whispers. But there is a lot more to say, and verse is not the only way. Here is a special soul I'd like to introduce you to.

Deborah is a friend who may be writing the last pages in her journal of her journey with cancer. It is a joy to know we can live to the end with no regrets and even look forward to the new adventure. Read Deborah's words of peace (Scroll down to the entry of Jan. 24, 200.) and maybe look at life a little differently. I hope to bid farewell in as fine a form.

Deborah,

How can I say I'll miss you when you've given me so much I'll always have. Your cheer and blessings will forever touch the lives of those you know.

See you later, my friend.