Many people have asked me, where do you get your news? I always tell them "Everywhere!" That seems a little non-descript in hind sight so as a challenge to myself, I am going to share with you the sources that I look at and at times my opinion of them. All the links are to stories that I have read. Many times while reading one story, I find another on that page that interests me and that may lead me somewhere else and so on. 
Information is as addicting as any substance I know of. It makes you smarter and more critical of what is going on. A friend once told me, always consider your sources. Find at least five of them on the same subject, then ask yourself "why do they want me to know the things they are saying?" After that use what you know, and decide for yourself what the truth of it all is. I am always open to hearing new ideas and alternative perspectives. We are all on the same planet, yet we see things so differently. I want to be aware about the why's. There are so many things that are kept out of our collective consciousness and I feel that by becoming more informed and educated about how things work in this world that at least I can make my life experience my own.
So it's Black Friday today, the news says. I just shake my head. I can't stand crowds and I am not celebrating any commercial holiday.  I see all those people that are so happy to be shopping and then look at the ones that are all intense and angry. Some have camped there for days like here! And then some refuse to allow tents. I've been hearing about the fights breaking out, and that somebody used pepper spray against people in the crowd injuring up to 20 people. It was over an XBox.
I have to admit that made me wonder what kind of crime they are going to charge her with, because that will be useful to the Occupiers out here that need to level charges against the OPD and now the UC Berkeley PD. 
In Occupy world... The local powers surrounding the movement lately have made a big deal about the health and safety of the public and the protesters. But when the Occupy Oakland group tried to have some Porto potties delivered this is what ensued. Thanksgiving Thugs.  For today, the group has planned some early holiday festivities to keep them out of the cold and mostly away from police. They are calling for a "Lack Friday." This move has inspired the "Tea Party" to sponsor their own "buy cot Black Friday"
 in an attempt to bolster the flailing banks all over the world. Somehow they actually think that giving money to large corporations will somehow bring jobs back to our communities. Not surprising these are the same people still promoting Santa Clause to young republicans.
Things are starting to heat up with several countries surrounding sanctions threatened against Iran on the suspicion of their having a nuclear facility. Russia is being made out to be the bad guy in this one and I suppose we will find out eventually if that's true. But it seems that this issue is a case of Fine! We don't wanna play with you either! The thing that really stands out to me is that this is almost 2012 and supposedly we've been supplying them with information that we weren't obligated to provide them with since at least 2007. Go bureaucracy! Not saying that Russia isn't frighteningly more and more involved on the wrong side of politics, Just that our tolerance of their actions might mean a serious disaster for significant parts of out planet. Our own citizens are at risk in this. 
The Drug War has claimed more victims. Wonder how many of the weapons being used to execute citizens are coming from the ever mysterious undercover op know as "Fast and Furious?" I know, I know, don't do drugs and then people won't kill you right? I wonder if you've ever taken a prescription med from your doctor that included some kind of pain medication? Or maybe an antidepressant? Guess the thing that gets to me is that in one way or another a very small group of people is having a big influence on our overall life expectancy. 
Something that brings out my survival girl side are stories like this one. Knowing that our water supply is something that has to be purchased is bad enough, but finding out that whole communities are running out, makes me think I need more barrels so I can be prepared for shortages longer than just three days. But then when I see stories where our government is using molehills to enforce cyber security? And I think, maybe I shouldn't limit the ways I use my common sense and where. 
In case you were wondering, if you find radiation in your yard, you should not contact G. E. about it, (They make most of it) they won't come take it back. 
In case you need holiday shopping ideas but are short on cash, here's a way to leverage other"resources" you might find lying around. I wish that more people would consider gifting time or skills and maybe resources. Those kinds of things would bolster our communities and our families in so many different ways. Consider what this world could be like if we did things like time banking. All in all we have many more resources and talents than we often give ourselves credit for. Maybe we'll figure it out. Till then, Be Well my Friends~

Occupy Oakland and the whole Occupy Movement

This past week has been absolutely fabulous for me. I have so much feeling going on about it and as usual so much to say.
Since it began back on September 17th on Wall Street, I have been watching with rapt attention to Occupy Wall Street. Even before then, I have been watching other movements loosely gathered together and thrown at us by the MSM (Main Stream Media) as the "Arab Spring." I have been fascinated by the emergence of people suddenly realizing that our very lives have become unsustainable due to a situation that has to be corrected. There isn't any letting the system fall down as if it will go away. That is silly thinking. We can and we will fix these issues. What I see that we cannot do is continue to ignore them or take anyone else's word as to what is causing them. I only took a couple of the following pics, there were many brave photographers taking most of these shots. I tried to stick to photos that were taken while I was watching the same scene and at the same time.

On Tuesday, my hubby and I headed down to the Occupy Oakland rally that took place the evening after the Occupy camp at Oscar Grant Plaza was raided in the early morning hours by Oakland Police officers.

 The meeting was being held at the library on 14th and Madison. We got off at the 12th street BART and walked to the meeting along with an SF Occupy protestor who was coming to Oakland from another rally. She told us that her daughter was in jail in San Jose from a raid co-ordinated at the same time and in the same manner as the Oakland raid had been. We heard similar stories out of Atlanta, Baton Rouge, and Austin, Texas.

We got to the library as the meeting was starting and there were a few people milling around and it was very peaceful but it was tense. People began talking about what was happening during the Occupy and how they were upset that such a peaceful and rightful protest could be brutally usurped by people who were supposed to protect them. The woman with the cream scarf, tie dyed shirt and brown down jacket is homeless. She spoke telling us about the attitude and generosity of the occupiers. She talked about being fed, and that people listened to the things she had to tell them and treated her for the first time in a long time, like she mattered.

As she was speaking two news helicopters showed up and we began using the call and response system in order for as many listeners to be able to catch the messages. Next sirens were heard coming from all directions and the intersection above became a mass of officers in the streets on foot and half a dozen motorcycle units. They didn't stop where we were, they fanned out to strategically planned areas that they believed would protect the plaza from being retaken.

We found out later that there were over 500 officers brought in for this "riot" and that it cost the city a few million dollars. Sadly enough, at the time they were violating people's human rights to protest, the city council was voting to shut down 5 schools in the city for a 2 million dollar deficit.


After a show of force by the police we decided to march. Some wanted to take back the Plaza, but more of us wanted to take the protest to the streets to raise awareness and encourage others to join us.

Many military veterans that were with us, wanted to talk to the officers, explain to them that they didn't have to just follow mindless orders. Attacking protestors is wrong, it doesn't matter if you call them something else like criminals or rioters, it does not make it true. This movement is in 85 countries world wide.

As we continued to march, the police presence increased and there was a scuffle in the intersection between protesters that wanted to march by the jail, and police who had been told to stand in their way.

We made our way up and down blocks and came back to the plaza.

Do you notice who is ready for the tear gas? At this point, someone "in charge" got on a loudspeaker and told us that they were declaring us unlawful and they would begin using tear gas and arresting us in 5 minutes. They repeated some penal code that defined us as rioters. At first we sat down, but then we decided that we would march. There was no point making it violent, we were protesting, not rioting and we wanted our protest to be heard and seen. Why make it easy for these guys?

Five minutes later, the police shot tear gas into the oncoming back of the march all of whom had not heard the previous warnings yet.

This woman in the wheelchair was behind us about a block when they shot tear gas at her. Another person passed out and when others tried to help more canisters were shot in their direction. You can see them on the ground behind the two figures on the left side of the picture.

The people below, are carrying out Scott Olsen, a Marine veteran who was there with us, standing in front of the officers asking them to be peaceful and stop the violence against others.

Scott Olsen was taken to the Hospital in critical condition, with a skull fracture. He is currently in stable condition, but his attack has taken on a deeper symbolism to this movement. It has shown others everywhere, that America is not what she should be, and no where near what she can be yet.
This movement is not stopping. I am not stopping. I know, along with the millions of others in the streets being seen, and the millions who don't feel it is safe to join us yet, we are changing this world we live in.
It won't be easy, and it is going to take some time, but it won't be the same tomorrow as it was last week. The tide has turned and the tipping point is now. I hope we can all survive the ride.
 There will be much more to add to this conversation. And many more pictures, hopefully no more blood.

Why I care

Very often I get overwhelmed in my life by feelings. I get enraged at injustices. Intolerant at ignorances, and disgruntled by disconnectedness. I want for a better life for all of us and there are too many people making excuses about why we cannot make things better for everyone.
Regularly in conversations I get called all sorts of names when I offer up my perspective. I feel only sad for those people because they don't really have any real understanding about how things work. I could tell them, show them pictures, find articles all day long and it won't change their views. It is sad to me. I know that if they would lay down some of their faulty defense lines that they would be in control of their decisions instead of being forced to react predictably.
We are not free in this world to make our own determinations and decisions. The ideal is that we should be, but we do not practice it anywhere as part of our real lives.
We are marketed to, corralled, divided and put into categories with out even being aware that it is happening, much less how or why it is achieved.
I want to see this stop in our world. I want people to start being aware of their beliefs and feelings and examining them deeply to understand them. I know that there are many excuses and rationalizations for this not happening, but once more people than just the ones I can reach out and touch can start to get it, I have faith that it will be impacting in a very real way.
When people start to become aware of the way that they are thinking and feeling, they can begin to make other connections as well.
When I began my process of relearning myself, I found that I have many neural pathways that are attached to false ideas and boundless assertions. I had to be willing to accept that I was full of shit a lot and I didn't know why. By making that acceptance, I could be aware enough to identify where those pathways might have been built and why they were stimulated to network themselves in that manner. When there was a part of my history that made me come to an incorrect conclusion, I could discard it and supply the new information. In a way it works like patches do in programs. This process is something I use for myself regularly. By identifying stimuli, I can understand the response and even replace it.
I have long been a skeptic of Darwin's survival of the fittest theory. Not because what he says is not correct, it is because it is oversimplified and dismissive of surrounding stimulus. Being fit is not an arbitrary thing in nature that just picks and chooses. It is a very organized and methodical procedure. It is a balance of stimulus and response, all the way to the cellular level. When the environment provides a stimulus, there are a multitude of responses.
This throws a curve a Newton's law that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Sure. There are also a myriad of other reactions that may not be opposite, but harmonious and unequal. There may even seem to be no response. By recognizing this, one can start to see that there are cycles of stimulus and response and that they aren't all disastrous and definite, but they are identifiable.
It is my hope that we can start to begin to free ourselves from the unwanted responses in our lives by identifying the stimuli to them. I love this world, and I believe that is a valuable stimulus.

So now what?

It seems that things are melting down pretty steadily and I often find myself simply shaking my head and wondering if the ride gets more exciting, or just annoyingly dizzy? I went grocery shopping and stocked up on a few things. I have recommitted to storing some of the fruits and vegetables by dehydrating them. I have one 50 gallon drum full with pure water. I don't know for sure that our economy is collapsing, but if I saw an EKG with as much volatility as the stock market is showing, I'd start pullin shit out for a code and give the ER a heads up. I will agree that I have to question the motives of a rating agency anyway, just because of their existence and potential power, combined with a small staff and the current investigation going on in their Italian office, but I also know, that when people start seeing their only means of income going down the virtual drain, many of them tend to try to protect what's left. I heard the media guy say that this looks like 2008 all over again, well to us little folks too big guy. I watched my 200 dollars hemorrhage down to 84.00. I don't want to watch that all over again, and being told that I could have rebalanced my stocks afterward made me glad I didn't really know where these vile gameplayers meet to play virtual games with my once real money! I do not think this is a time to get into metals either, that won't feed or shelter you if you are broke like me. Planting a few extra things in some dirt will give you far more value for the money. Stay Alert campers, stuff's just gettin interesting!

Watching the Stock Market Crash?

I keep my eyes glued to the headlines looking for more clues. Unemployment payout is down about 50,000. That means that many people just lost their income. The debt ceiling has exceeded our net worth, no investments means no jobs creation, which means people are emptying out their portfolios, trying to hunker down. Nobody mentioned that the reason EU's stocks are down is also the reason Russia is calling us parasites, and why China is panicked (evidenced by their silence). What happens when the next wave hits and 100,000 people have to rely on retirement and savings accounts? See, this is where capitalism begins to look alot like a gambling addiction and they are playing with a stacked debt. I'm going to go weed my garden and look up new ways to cook beans. 

Empty Nesting

My children have gone for their vacations and I miss them very much. I keep getting messages asking how much I am enjoying the quiet. Not at all truthfully. They shared laughter and life in this house, something I am craving in their absence. I am proud of the ways that they have grown and matured this year, I watched them change dramatically. I worked hard to encourage them forward even against their own strong stubborn wills. I believe parenting is an active role, that requires consistency and a sense of humor. Anger is useless, things never get better while people are angry. My kids impress me. They are insightful and often wise. They challenge me and let me know where I am not paying attention. I am lucky because I have a fabulous partner who is right by my side to help in whatever way he can. He claims he doesn't know anything about parenting, but he has the most important thing I can think of, he remembers what he felt like as a kid. Most parents throw away that information along the way. I couldn't because I was only a kid when I became a parent, and no matter how much that pushed me into grownup territory, it still didn't make me an adult any sooner. Maybe even later. At any rate, I've been able to grow up with my kids and I feel thankful and blessed for that. So I miss them like crazy, and it's too quiet here.

Welcome to My Kitchen

Hi! I'm the PotTart. This blog is a personal endeavor to encourage myself to write more frequently and of the things I think about. I have alot to say about many different things and very often I rant about a thing or two.

I am not impervious to criticism, but I don't mind reasonable points of view, and love to have a good hearty argument here and there.

I was raised in a large blended family that practiced the Mormon religion. When I became an adult I overcame that addiction in order to pursue a few other ones, sometimes more than one at a time. My current  practices include medicinal cannabis advocacy, active parenthood, and following my heart. I follow politics and I vote. I pay attention to the financial markets and have recently filed bankruptcy. I spent the last decade and a half working in emergency medicine as a medic and am now working as a consultant for a home hospice agency. I have an incredible amount of passion for life and the human race and I spend hours devouring news stories from everywhere the internet can reach. I am a student again, working toward a degree in biotechnology, and plan to keep going toward a focus in psychiatry and neuroscience. There is so much world and life out there and our lives are not long enough to let us experience it all, but I for one, want to get in as much of it as humanly possible, because that's all I am, human.