Had a dream last night. This was kind of it, kind of . . . thought about calling it The Presence of Mind but wanted to go more with The Treachery of Mind, based on Magritte's the Treachery of Images. So there you go.
'Tis an examination of reality and perception, what we perceive versus what is. The mechanics behind perception, reception, analysis, etc. It was an interesting dream, to say the least.
'Tis an examination of reality and perception, what we perceive versus what is. The mechanics behind perception, reception, analysis, etc. It was an interesting dream, to say the least.
I just discovered the true origin of Santa Claus and (what do you know) I love him even more!
I made the following image inspired by this fun article on the TRUE origins of our Christmas traditions on Shamanic Evolution.org:
http://www.shamanicevolution.org/writings/shaman-claus-the-shamanic-origins-of-christmas
I made the following image inspired by this fun article on the TRUE origins of our Christmas traditions on Shamanic Evolution.org:
http://www.shamanicevolution.org/writings/shaman-claus-the-shamanic-origins-of-christmas
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM DANIEL MOLER.COM!!!
RED MASS is now available on Shaman's Market.com, the leading web marketplace for shamanic supplies, books, music, etc. Thank you Bryan Bigelow and the Shaman's Market crew for the support!
Purchasing from Shaman's Market is a good way to go as this is a merchant that supports the work and life of the Q'ero Indians in Peru, the sacred ancestors of the Inca. I have a great love for Q'ero, so go to Shaman's Market and spend some money for a good cause: www.shamansmarket.com
Purchasing from Shaman's Market is a good way to go as this is a merchant that supports the work and life of the Q'ero Indians in Peru, the sacred ancestors of the Inca. I have a great love for Q'ero, so go to Shaman's Market and spend some money for a good cause: www.shamansmarket.com
Here are some pics of the first official RED MASS Book Signing! Thank you everyone for coming out! And thank you Barbara Criswell, John, and Mark from Aquarius, such wonderful and gracious hosts!
Signage at the front of the store!
My daughter Ella helping me set up...she was very particular about how the books should be set up!
There's me waiting for customers with a ghost. To the right is "Seeing Red", a painting by Susan Sykes inspired by RED MASS. To the left is my new ad for the RED MASS sequel: GHOST DANCE.
Me and my chilluns.
And the crowds start coming in....
Pretty fun time! Lots of good people and conversation! If you missed the event, Aquarius purchased some copies to put on their shelf! Thank you all for your support!
RED Mass is now available for sale at Barnes & Noble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-mass-daniel-e-moler/1033011918
I will be at Aquarius Bookstore in Kansas City from 3pm to 5pm on Sunday, October 9th. I will be doing a little reading from the book, Q & A, and then signing copies. Bring a friend and you can enter a drawing to win a FREE copy!
You can RSVP on the RED MASS Facebook fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=241166279253789
You can RSVP on the RED MASS Facebook fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=241166279253789
My friends Clint and Cassie Krause release their next edition of Don't Walk in Winter Wood. A short story contribution by....me. Yay! Support your local independent RPG genius by buying this game!
My good friend Clint Krause is an excellent independent game publisher and owner of Red Moon Medicine Show. His next big RPG hit is Don't Walk in Winter Wood and I was asked to provide a story/fable to contribute to the material in the latest edition. I dug up an old tale from college that was inspired by Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" (shortened to Clint's 1,000 word specifications of course). I had to rewrite it and give it a harsher ending....if I can dig up an e-copy from somewhere (original was actually written on a typewriter and much longer) I'll post it sometime soon as well. But for now, here's a nice little piece of short fiction to help you get ready for the coming Fall season!
Mr. Buglesude or The Devil of Winter Wood
Don’t go near the cursed place of Ol’ Grandfather Hughes!
It was one of those irredeemable autumn twilights when young Mr. Sydney Tedlock decided to take a privy stroll into Winter Wood. Ol’ Grandfather Hughes had warned him, bellowing through purple, toothless gums: “Don’ be lally-gag’n ‘round yonder wood back there now! Tis wild country ou’ there! Liable tu git yerself inna heap o’ trouble!” Young Sydney was lackadaisical, innocently oblivious to caution. Grabbing his favorite stick by the old shed, he took flight down the hill and into the wood.
Young Sydney swiped a path through the thick brush with his trustworthy oak rod, forging his own path through the suffocating growth of nature. The moon was rising slyly through spaces between the trees. He sang an old victory song, a battle-chant from many wars ago: “I pounce the stately wicked…to break the evil thicket…of conquering marauders…that spit on God the Father…I know I’ll be in heaven…when I kill seventy-seven…” He continued to roar his triumph until he was interrupted by a subtle sonance deep in the woods. He paused to inquire, the sound rose gradually in volume, like deep tubas wailing underwater. Soon, the entire area was filled with such hoarse baritones that Sydney felt goose bumps rise on his neck.
Then, it stopped. Before young Sydney had a chance to excuse the occurrence as his imagination gone awry, he heard his name called.
“Mr. Tedlock, what brings such a fine selection of gaiety to my neck of the woods?”
The man was barely over half of Sydney’s size. His resplendent grin was outlined by an intricately curled mustache and charcoal lips. His top hat and coat were made of maroon suede, with gold trim. Like a stately aristocrat, he was propped against a walking stick resembling a candy cane. Young Sydney licked his lips at the overwhelming scent of peppermint. He would have carried on the conversation had he not noticed small flashes of movement catching the corner of his eye. He whipped around to find only empty brush; it seemed as if there were unseen things scurrying all around him.
“I asked you a question, Mr. Tedlock,” the little man grew impatient by the boy’s inability to focus. “I do expect an answer! Am I being just, or just plain rude! I will give you my name…..Mr. Buglesuede, it is!”
“I’m sorry, sir,” young Sydney began. “I…I haven’t been out here before. I didn’t know anyone lived out here. I thought Grandfather Hughes owned all the land.”
“So one thinks,” Buglesuede threw his hands in the air. “Always forget I’m hiding in the weeds to spoil the crop, do they? But this is our business! There is a tax to pay, Mr. Tedlock, for crossing paths on my territory!”
“But…but I have no money to pay a tax, Mr. Buglesuede!”
“I am no dictator, for Saturn’s sake,” Mr. Buglesuede hissed. “I just want what’s mine, like anyone else! And you, boy, take note: Young Tedlock, age of 10 years, 10 months, 5 days, and a few hours, is cited for Involuntary Trespassing: tree bark fudge and pollen cakes!” He tapped his cane twice on a slab of rock. In a magically swift motion, followed by a trail of nauseous pollen, Mr. Buglesuede drew a roll of parchment from his maroon sleeve and unraveled it before the daunted young Sydney.
Young Sydney began to read it: “This covenant (i.e. –treaty, i.e.-transaction) is in the interests and associations of one young Mr. Sydney H. Tedlock, age 10 years, 10 months . . . under the allegations and accusations . . . Trespassing (tree bark fudge and pollen cakes) . . . by elongated ward and predecessor of Elysium Sniffleborks and Chopsticks, Mr. Buglesuede (meritorious and merited of the Ménage) . . . the defendant shall hereby acknowledge said accusations and carry out the given sentence . . . shall embark upon himself the privilege and rite of giving upon the Ménage one soul within the confines of one speculum jar . . .”
Young Sydney’s jaw dropped, “Wait . . . I’ve already signed this?”
“My, my,” Mr. Buglesuede peered curiously over young Syndey’s shoulder. “It appears you have! How eager of you!”
“Oh dear,” poor young Sydney wailed. “What am I to tell Grandfather? He’ll rightly be furious with me this time! I’m sure to be getting another beating . . . for giving up my soul of all things!”
With a snap of his fingers, the parchment rolled itself up and slid into Mr. Buglesuede’s coat sleeve. “Now, young Mr. Tedlock, the contract merely states a soul. Yours specifically does not need to adhere to the said regulations. You could . . . steal somebody else’s, if need be.”
Young Sydney speculated about the many ins and outs of such a conundrum: if Grandfather Hughes were to know that young Syndey had fallen into this quagmire, surely he would be beaten once again. If, however, he were to give up another soul in place of his, he could do as his Mum used to say before she died: plow two fields with one horse!
“You have until tomorrow evening, my young sprout,” Mr. Buglesuede bowed a deep and gentlemanly bow. He lifted his head, and with a wink vanished as soon as blink. Just like that, he was gone.
It was the next day when young Sydney Tedlock had come into the village to report the passing of Ol’ Grandfather Hughes to the proper authorities. The coroner had determined the cause of young Sydney Tedlock’s elder passing was (he coined nervously) “unnatural.” Young Sydney was too young to live alone on the farm and was sent away to a distant aunt. It is said he grew dismal and wretched in the coming years and eventually became retarded in his intelligence. “Possessed of devils,” the reverends say. To this day nobody dare goes to Ol’ Grandfather Hughes’ farm, which sits desolate and dilapidated. Its fields are depreciated, parched, and wrought with famine. It’s only neighbor . . . the dark and somber trees of Winter Wood.
RED MASS has an advertisement in the latest issue of Evolving Magazine, as the first attempt to officially market the book! Hopefully, this will generate a little more revenue and I can start focusing on bolstering my marketing campaign! A big THANK YOU to Connie "Crash" Humiston, Jill Dutton, and all the other folks at Evolving!
The ad can be found on page 12 of the Septmeber 2011 issue of Evolving, Volume III, Issue 7. You can see an online version of Evolving here: http://www.evolvingmagazine.
The ad can be found on page 12 of the Septmeber 2011 issue of Evolving, Volume III, Issue 7. You can see an online version of Evolving here: http://www.evolvingmagazine.
RED MASS just became available on Amazon.com:
If you have an account on Amazon, feel free to swing by and purchase the next addition to your personal library: http://www.amazon.com/RED-Mass-Agency-Novel/dp/0615512925/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313441499&sr=8-1
RED MASS is available for purchase on the CreateSpace eStore! Click on the link and add it to your cart!
https://www.createspace.com/3623977
https://www.createspace.com/3623977
I got my proof back from CreateSpace last week. I hated the way the cover looked when actually printed out (which is why the option of ordering a proof is top-notch). So, I realigned some things, used a new photo of the same design, changed the tint (CreateSpace tint comes out a little darker) and resubmitted. I just got back proof #2 today and I am gasping with joy! This ... is ... it! This is my book! Three years of blood, sweat, and tears!
Look very soon for the RED MASS release! As in, a day or two....
(Happy jumps!)
Just recently, I embarked upon my paqowachu, the vision quest to encapsulate my Pachakuti Mesa apprenticeship. I will not go into details about my vision, I am sure that will manifest in who I am and how I express myself over time. I will, however, post some photos of the areas and logistics.
I went to the Great Sand Dunes area in Southern Colorado, the Sangre de Cristo range. Below is a pick of the Dunes, looking to the North/Northwest. The Sangre de Cristo arch around from the North to the Eastern side fo the Dunes, forming a peninsula of fourteeners. The jagged peaks to the left are Crestone. It was Crestone Peak that originally called me to the area, though is not my primary apu (mountain lord).
This is Mount Herard. I had some questing there to do before I set off for Blanca, my primary apu. Herard called for my blood and sweat and toil. Go Herard...
Then I set off for Blanca Peak, in the Eastern peninsula, the Southern most section fo the Sangre de Cristo, and the Eastern Gate of the Dine (Navajo) Nation. Blanca is said to be fastened to the Earth by lightening.
Blanca is the left, though just looks smaller because the range to the right is closer. I have no idea what the peak on the right is called, so I just called her Mount Moraya, after my new medicine kitten at home.
I went far up the mountain. Here was my view when I settled. You can barely see Blanca on the left.
Better shot...this was my view of Moraya the whole time, facing East. Moraya was my beacon to Blanca, because Blanca is much too high and treacherous to get any closer to.
When I turned to the West, this was my view of San Luis Valley (though my direct view was a little more to the South, didn't get a great pic at the time....was busy questing).
There were many wonderful confirmations throughout the trip. Here was a random hovel in the rocks on the side of the road leaving San Luis Valley. Perfect resonance with my experience.
And Garden of the Gods on the way out through Colorado Springs. Ancestors are heavy there...a lot of good medicine when the tourists aren't around.
Overall, a perfect trip. Again, can't really go in to it, but maybe I'll do a painting soon that speaks more the essence of the journey. Llankay munay yuyay yachay hunuy...
I went to the Great Sand Dunes area in Southern Colorado, the Sangre de Cristo range. Below is a pick of the Dunes, looking to the North/Northwest. The Sangre de Cristo arch around from the North to the Eastern side fo the Dunes, forming a peninsula of fourteeners. The jagged peaks to the left are Crestone. It was Crestone Peak that originally called me to the area, though is not my primary apu (mountain lord).
This is Mount Herard. I had some questing there to do before I set off for Blanca, my primary apu. Herard called for my blood and sweat and toil. Go Herard...
Then I set off for Blanca Peak, in the Eastern peninsula, the Southern most section fo the Sangre de Cristo, and the Eastern Gate of the Dine (Navajo) Nation. Blanca is said to be fastened to the Earth by lightening.
Blanca is the left, though just looks smaller because the range to the right is closer. I have no idea what the peak on the right is called, so I just called her Mount Moraya, after my new medicine kitten at home.
I went far up the mountain. Here was my view when I settled. You can barely see Blanca on the left.
Better shot...this was my view of Moraya the whole time, facing East. Moraya was my beacon to Blanca, because Blanca is much too high and treacherous to get any closer to.
When I turned to the West, this was my view of San Luis Valley (though my direct view was a little more to the South, didn't get a great pic at the time....was busy questing).
There were many wonderful confirmations throughout the trip. Here was a random hovel in the rocks on the side of the road leaving San Luis Valley. Perfect resonance with my experience.
And Garden of the Gods on the way out through Colorado Springs. Ancestors are heavy there...a lot of good medicine when the tourists aren't around.
Overall, a perfect trip. Again, can't really go in to it, but maybe I'll do a painting soon that speaks more the essence of the journey. Llankay munay yuyay yachay hunuy...
My manuscript and cover submission to CreateSpace is complete and accepted! The great thing about CreateSpace is that you can do it all yourself (costs way less, practically for free). The hard thing about CreateSpace is that you can do it all yourself (formatting can be a bitch). I would like to thank especially Genevieve Margherio at Red Lemon Creative (www.redlemoncreative.com) for assisting me with the cover formatting! I could not have done it without your generous expertise, Genevieve!
All in all, so far in my self-publishing process I do recommend CreateSpace as they are very easy to use and provide a ton of options for all types of creative projects: books, comics, music, films, etc. There is alot of debate about it either way in the self-publishing community, but I gathered in my research that it is overall best to purchase your own ISBN. Mick Rooney, author of To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish? had this to say in an on-line forum on the subject of ISBNs:" The publisher of the book is the person/company whose name the ISBN's are registered in. So, you would need to buy and use your own ISBN's to properly self-publish - in effect, only an author can actually self-publish. Even creating your own internal and cover files and listing your own imprint on the title pages and back cover will still result in database and online stores listing the book as published by CreateSpace, once a CreateSpace ISBN is used." So, that's what I did. It's a bit extra money, but worth it.
The other benefits of using CreateSpace is the venues of distribution. My book will be on Amazon, the largest book distributor in the world. But, they also give you a free webpage to promote your book. I actually get more proceeds if people purchase the book through that web page, but that's fine. I can send people there first through my marketing material, but Amazon is fine too. Either way, whatever gets it out there. Here is a screen-shot of the webpage provided....authors can modify slughtly with their own banners and changing the text coloring, and background if needed:
I will send the link out once the book is completely ready. CreateSpace is printing the first copy now and sending it to me for proofing. I have a chance to look at it in its final form and make any last minute changes if necessary. Can't wait to see it! Over all, I'm enjoying the CreateSpace experience and would recommend it to anyone.
Stay tuned for the Red Mass release. There will be a book signing/release party at Aquarius Bookstore in Kansas City soon....will get that date out there as soon we get it pegged down! Cheers!
All in all, so far in my self-publishing process I do recommend CreateSpace as they are very easy to use and provide a ton of options for all types of creative projects: books, comics, music, films, etc. There is alot of debate about it either way in the self-publishing community, but I gathered in my research that it is overall best to purchase your own ISBN. Mick Rooney, author of To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish? had this to say in an on-line forum on the subject of ISBNs:" The publisher of the book is the person/company whose name the ISBN's are registered in. So, you would need to buy and use your own ISBN's to properly self-publish - in effect, only an author can actually self-publish. Even creating your own internal and cover files and listing your own imprint on the title pages and back cover will still result in database and online stores listing the book as published by CreateSpace, once a CreateSpace ISBN is used." So, that's what I did. It's a bit extra money, but worth it.
The other benefits of using CreateSpace is the venues of distribution. My book will be on Amazon, the largest book distributor in the world. But, they also give you a free webpage to promote your book. I actually get more proceeds if people purchase the book through that web page, but that's fine. I can send people there first through my marketing material, but Amazon is fine too. Either way, whatever gets it out there. Here is a screen-shot of the webpage provided....authors can modify slughtly with their own banners and changing the text coloring, and background if needed:
I will send the link out once the book is completely ready. CreateSpace is printing the first copy now and sending it to me for proofing. I have a chance to look at it in its final form and make any last minute changes if necessary. Can't wait to see it! Over all, I'm enjoying the CreateSpace experience and would recommend it to anyone.
Stay tuned for the Red Mass release. There will be a book signing/release party at Aquarius Bookstore in Kansas City soon....will get that date out there as soon we get it pegged down! Cheers!
Final book cover is about one day from being done! Working on a few more last-minute edits to the text. Have already started a series of marketing collateral. Here is a first version of a book mark for advertising.....may tweak the actual image, but I like the idea.
After a year of sending off queries to literary agents and big-time publishers, I figured out how many hoops I would have to jump through in order to get someone to even consider looking at my submission. I promised myself I would give it a year...not to get a "Hey, I'll publish you!" response, but to at least get a non-templated response with some actual feedback or criticism. I got none. Even talking to some agents (the Book Doctors from Pitchapalooza) they explained the game of agentry in which I would have to go out of my way, devoted full-time to kissing some stranger's ass to even get them to think about looking at my work. I work full-time. I'm a full-time parent. Plus, I have a life I'm not willing to give up to hit the "big time." So, I said forget it.
After much research I'm going to go with CreateSpace as a self-publisher. It is by the far the cheapest option (if you do the formatting and cover yourself, which I am) and you get automatic distribution on Amazon (the largest in the biz). Its only fallback seems to be Amazon's buy-over of recyclable ISBNs, which prevent one from moving to other distribution channels and can cause all sorts of headaches. So, I purchased my own ISBN (thank you Mom and Dad) and Red Mass is already registered as a book in the database.Of course, as with most self-publishing, I will be responsible for the marketing.
I've spent the past week formatting the text to CreateSpace's uploading specifications (a major bitch) and now working on the final formatting specs of the cover (even more of a bitch). But I think within a week or so the product will be fully loaded into CreateSpace. They will take a few weeks (or maybe months) to review and make sure it's not pronography or anything, then send me a draft copy for my own review. After that I send whatever changes I do or do not have and then.... TA DA!!! I'll have a book!
I'm in discussions to have another distribution channel through Shaman's Market (http://www.shamansmarket.com) which will be a perfect audience for Red Mass. Also, the owner of Aquarius Books (http://www.aquariusbooks.com) Barbara Criswell has talked with me about doing my first book-signing/release party. Much in the works.
Will keep updating when I can. In the meantime, here is a preview of the back cover. Cheers!
After much research I'm going to go with CreateSpace as a self-publisher. It is by the far the cheapest option (if you do the formatting and cover yourself, which I am) and you get automatic distribution on Amazon (the largest in the biz). Its only fallback seems to be Amazon's buy-over of recyclable ISBNs, which prevent one from moving to other distribution channels and can cause all sorts of headaches. So, I purchased my own ISBN (thank you Mom and Dad) and Red Mass is already registered as a book in the database.Of course, as with most self-publishing, I will be responsible for the marketing.
I've spent the past week formatting the text to CreateSpace's uploading specifications (a major bitch) and now working on the final formatting specs of the cover (even more of a bitch). But I think within a week or so the product will be fully loaded into CreateSpace. They will take a few weeks (or maybe months) to review and make sure it's not pronography or anything, then send me a draft copy for my own review. After that I send whatever changes I do or do not have and then.... TA DA!!! I'll have a book!
I'm in discussions to have another distribution channel through Shaman's Market (http://www.shamansmarket.com) which will be a perfect audience for Red Mass. Also, the owner of Aquarius Books (http://www.aquariusbooks.com) Barbara Criswell has talked with me about doing my first book-signing/release party. Much in the works.
Will keep updating when I can. In the meantime, here is a preview of the back cover. Cheers!
It's been a while since I've done a Tripland cartoon, a series which I wanted to put out more regularly. But, as I read the latest editorial by my favorite columnist Ted Rall today, I got inspired. You can read the article here: http://www.rall.com/rallblog/2011/06/08/syndicated-column-being-nothingness-and-anthony-weiner
The particular quote by Ted Rall that inspired this episode of Tripland: "I would love to live in a country in which lying to the public was cause for resignation. It sure would make for a lot of vacancies in government. But we don’t–and it seems weird to hold a sexter to a higher standard than a warmongering mass murderer."
Enjoy!
My article "The Universal Heart" has been published in the UK hard copy magazine, Sacred Hoop! You can go to their website and purchase a hard copy or a downloadable version: http://www.sacredhoop.org/
Notice I got a cover blurb: "Facing Fear." Below are the cover and Table of Contents. Thank you Niccholas Breeze Wood and everyone at Sacred Hoop for the opportunity!
Notice I got a cover blurb: "Facing Fear." Below are the cover and Table of Contents. Thank you Niccholas Breeze Wood and everyone at Sacred Hoop for the opportunity!
Given to me in a recent medicine journey, an homage to San Cipriano.
Aho Mitakuye Oyasin.
Aho Mitakuye Oyasin.
I haven't written for a while. And to those that do follow my site and pay attention, I apologize for that. My reasons for having no creative output have been many.
I have spent the past few months going through a job change and waffling between the realms of fiction and non-fiction, trying to settle on a plantation of imagination in which to thoroughly engage myself in. And, of course, as soon as I was ready to settle . . . . . BOOM!
Last Thursday our children came home from school (John Diemer Elementary) with a letter in their backpacks from the Superintendent, Dr. Gene Johnson. Dr. Johnson had informed us--through a stream of jargon so alarmist you would have thought he got his playbook from the "shock and awe" methodology--that the school's HVAC system had undergone an extensive failure and the school would have to be shut down. That's right . . . shut down! The plan would be to merge the children into another elementary school (Trailwood) that was already at 80% capacity by the Fall. The only other option, according to Dr. Johnson, was to fix the system estimated at $200,000, which (according to the tone of the letter) could be unlikely due to time contraints, age of the building, etc.
I was pretty upset, to say the least. To be perfectly honest, one of my children thrives in the tiny, tiny classroom sizes at Diemer: already having a enough trouble maintaining academically as-is, merging with Trailwood Elementary would have made it the largest elementary school in the Shawnee Mission School District and my child would have drowned! So, I had a personal agenda! Not to mention that Diemer is right in the middle of the neighborhood; no major roads connect to it, so it is easy to walk our children to and from school without having to worry about heavy traffic. Furthermore, our neighborhood is already being wracked by closed store-fronts, empty lots, a declining economy that is just waiting to collapse from negligence. I feel like if I need to explain the intricacies of a closed school's impact on an already failing economy (proptery values, etc.) then you probably don't deserve to even vote. It's not a partisan or political issue. It's a socio-enomic issue.
So, my wife and I went on a walk. And when Rae Anna and I go on walks, usually magic happens. Things come out of it.
We weren't going to let this happen!
Within five minutes of getting home, Rae Anna had created a Facebook Group page, "Save Diemer," and I had contacted a few parents at Diemer to network for the oncoming reisistance. By the next day, we had news crews at our house, hundreds of fliers passed out all over neighborhood, and over half the school ready to volunteer for the cause.
We had a weekend to prepare. On the following Monday, the Board of Education and Superintendent wanted to host a townhall-style meeting to explain their reasoning for the possible shutdown/merger, as well as receive community feedback. We all came together in solidarity (not just Diemer but also Trailwood parents) and did our research on the District's budget, brought awareness to the entire community, and developed a specific and unified response to request the Board to vote in favor of spending the necessary funds to fix Diermer's HVAC system and keep the school open. We organized a peaceful demontration walk from our school to the location of the meeting, as well as getting professionally made signs quoting "Save Diemer," on top of all that. All within a weekend.
And the result? The Board had no choice (in a gym full of over 600 passionate, unified tax payers) to commit to fixing the school and keeping it open. Let no man or woman ever question the quote from cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
But the real struggle now begins. The Board never voted. And in our recent past the same Board made the same public promise to keep the Nall Hills school open, but then secretly voted to close it, causing an economic disaster for our community. We have to keep our eyes on the District; additionally, keeping everyone's interest, attention, and dedication on the matter will prove to be the biggest challenge yet.
I do want to recognize the core group of parents that MADE this happen: Rae Anna Moler, Juan Heath, Stephanie and Ben Clayton, Mark Reed, Jim and Michelle Pointer, Darian Dusin, Carmen VanBooven, Michael Owens, Gavin Fritton, Lisa Coleman, and many, many more! I applaud all of you for your leadership, your tenacity, and your heart! It is the greatest high not watching, but being a part of a community coming together to save itself from destruction. It is my hope the energy can continue and we can start taking charge of forming our own future, instead of leaving it in the hands of disconnected politicians with money on the mind.
I have spent the past few months going through a job change and waffling between the realms of fiction and non-fiction, trying to settle on a plantation of imagination in which to thoroughly engage myself in. And, of course, as soon as I was ready to settle . . . . . BOOM!
Last Thursday our children came home from school (John Diemer Elementary) with a letter in their backpacks from the Superintendent, Dr. Gene Johnson. Dr. Johnson had informed us--through a stream of jargon so alarmist you would have thought he got his playbook from the "shock and awe" methodology--that the school's HVAC system had undergone an extensive failure and the school would have to be shut down. That's right . . . shut down! The plan would be to merge the children into another elementary school (Trailwood) that was already at 80% capacity by the Fall. The only other option, according to Dr. Johnson, was to fix the system estimated at $200,000, which (according to the tone of the letter) could be unlikely due to time contraints, age of the building, etc.
I was pretty upset, to say the least. To be perfectly honest, one of my children thrives in the tiny, tiny classroom sizes at Diemer: already having a enough trouble maintaining academically as-is, merging with Trailwood Elementary would have made it the largest elementary school in the Shawnee Mission School District and my child would have drowned! So, I had a personal agenda! Not to mention that Diemer is right in the middle of the neighborhood; no major roads connect to it, so it is easy to walk our children to and from school without having to worry about heavy traffic. Furthermore, our neighborhood is already being wracked by closed store-fronts, empty lots, a declining economy that is just waiting to collapse from negligence. I feel like if I need to explain the intricacies of a closed school's impact on an already failing economy (proptery values, etc.) then you probably don't deserve to even vote. It's not a partisan or political issue. It's a socio-enomic issue.
So, my wife and I went on a walk. And when Rae Anna and I go on walks, usually magic happens. Things come out of it.
We weren't going to let this happen!
Within five minutes of getting home, Rae Anna had created a Facebook Group page, "Save Diemer," and I had contacted a few parents at Diemer to network for the oncoming reisistance. By the next day, we had news crews at our house, hundreds of fliers passed out all over neighborhood, and over half the school ready to volunteer for the cause.
We had a weekend to prepare. On the following Monday, the Board of Education and Superintendent wanted to host a townhall-style meeting to explain their reasoning for the possible shutdown/merger, as well as receive community feedback. We all came together in solidarity (not just Diemer but also Trailwood parents) and did our research on the District's budget, brought awareness to the entire community, and developed a specific and unified response to request the Board to vote in favor of spending the necessary funds to fix Diermer's HVAC system and keep the school open. We organized a peaceful demontration walk from our school to the location of the meeting, as well as getting professionally made signs quoting "Save Diemer," on top of all that. All within a weekend.
And the result? The Board had no choice (in a gym full of over 600 passionate, unified tax payers) to commit to fixing the school and keeping it open. Let no man or woman ever question the quote from cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
But the real struggle now begins. The Board never voted. And in our recent past the same Board made the same public promise to keep the Nall Hills school open, but then secretly voted to close it, causing an economic disaster for our community. We have to keep our eyes on the District; additionally, keeping everyone's interest, attention, and dedication on the matter will prove to be the biggest challenge yet.
I do want to recognize the core group of parents that MADE this happen: Rae Anna Moler, Juan Heath, Stephanie and Ben Clayton, Mark Reed, Jim and Michelle Pointer, Darian Dusin, Carmen VanBooven, Michael Owens, Gavin Fritton, Lisa Coleman, and many, many more! I applaud all of you for your leadership, your tenacity, and your heart! It is the greatest high not watching, but being a part of a community coming together to save itself from destruction. It is my hope the energy can continue and we can start taking charge of forming our own future, instead of leaving it in the hands of disconnected politicians with money on the mind.
Grrrrr.....
News Clips:
For my fellow mesa carrier bruthas and sistas:
Rolling out magic
Wind blowing, feel the friction in the air
Crisp as pithy adornment
Atmospheric pressure
Pin-prickle goose bump hair rising on the back of your neck
Have you asked for the storm?
Look to the West, where the Awkikuna stir it up
Stand naked out in the field, open your arms
Open your heart
Wait for the humidity to rise, then friction collide
Dualistic polarities; positive, negative
Negative, positive
Yang and ying; ride the middle current
30,000 amps of luminous charge
Feel the nanoparticle dance on your epidermal shell
The campo medio angle
A voltage of light, and punch, from Indra’s wand
Potential gradient upper ionization of true power
Output rapid flicker in 300 millionths of a second
Concrescence initiation on the high ridge of experience
Akashic Record smack down kiss and embrace
All packed in one supersonic acoustic shockwave of 36,000 degrees
Hotter than Inti Tayta on a good day
And you, I, electromagnetic radioactive conductors
Crystalline filters of positive/negative intergalactic intercourse
Potentiality of polarization effect seamlessly ionizing the air around us
Spilling over to the next village in a cumulous convoy
Strobe light flash, Thor hammer thunder crack
From upper to lower, in smash stroke staccato ribbon
From northwest to southeast, collecting, resolving
Coalescing into a fountain of Om Shanti transition
Bearing the wounds of a healer’s spherical grace
Magnetic field current solemnity inherent charge
Mama Killa regulator soothing the fervor
Drink heartily from the village of the heart
Yield, and honor the bolt’s destination.
Rolling out magic
Wind blowing, feel the friction in the air
Crisp as pithy adornment
Atmospheric pressure
Pin-prickle goose bump hair rising on the back of your neck
Have you asked for the storm?
Look to the West, where the Awkikuna stir it up
Stand naked out in the field, open your arms
Open your heart
Wait for the humidity to rise, then friction collide
Dualistic polarities; positive, negative
Negative, positive
Yang and ying; ride the middle current
30,000 amps of luminous charge
Feel the nanoparticle dance on your epidermal shell
The campo medio angle
A voltage of light, and punch, from Indra’s wand
Potential gradient upper ionization of true power
Output rapid flicker in 300 millionths of a second
Concrescence initiation on the high ridge of experience
Akashic Record smack down kiss and embrace
All packed in one supersonic acoustic shockwave of 36,000 degrees
Hotter than Inti Tayta on a good day
And you, I, electromagnetic radioactive conductors
Crystalline filters of positive/negative intergalactic intercourse
Potentiality of polarization effect seamlessly ionizing the air around us
Spilling over to the next village in a cumulous convoy
Strobe light flash, Thor hammer thunder crack
From upper to lower, in smash stroke staccato ribbon
From northwest to southeast, collecting, resolving
Coalescing into a fountain of Om Shanti transition
Bearing the wounds of a healer’s spherical grace
Magnetic field current solemnity inherent charge
Mama Killa regulator soothing the fervor
Drink heartily from the village of the heart
Yield, and honor the bolt’s destination.
I have finally completed my first spoken-word (sometimes singy-songy) CD: Burlesque.
I started it about a year ago and it went on hiatus until around the new year. 2010 really became my year to finish my novel R.E.D., so that was priority. Though as the winter months came I started listening a lot to my friend the Honorable Reverend Dr. Daniel Levi Copp's music from Clear White Light Sites and watching him pump out album after album and....I got inspired. Burlesque is a stream-of-consciousness foray into the weird and the absurd; an attempt to pull back the curtains on the carnival of my subconscious. Some of the lyrics come from poems from way back in college, some are more current musings I pulled from my journals. There are a couple of actual songs on here, as well.
Most of the music is from Garageband because I lack the talent and skill to produce my own music, though there are a few tracks you can hear my guitar, drums, and other mixtures of sound. I hope to collaborate with the Honorable Reverend Dr. Daniel Levi Copp on the next one, where Garageband would not be needed. Once I get the CDs manufactured I may/may not have a release party, but will most definitely be posting them on a Daed Thread webstore.
We'll see . . .
As I collect a few years here and there under my hat I'm beginning to notice not a lot of people have a best friend. I'm not talking about the person you frequent the clubs with, gossip with, and just as soon find someone else to talk to on the phone kind of friend. I'm talking the real deal. The pal that will let you crash on their couch....no matter what. The one that doesn't just encourage you to find trouble, but finds it with you! The kind that will stick through the muck and shit with you no matter the circumstances.
Not only that, but I'm beginning to notice not a lot of people will even have this kind of best friend....and it be a lifelong friend! I'm beginning to see how lucky I am.
I don't even recall the time I first met my best friend. I do know our parents frequented the same Midwestern, God-fearing church together. I do know our parents would take turns babysitting each others' kids. I do know my best friend used to play with my older brother, until he figured out I was a little more willing to traverse the ends of imagination and adventure. And that was somewhat the beginning.I cannot even begin to measure the limits of magic, meanderings, shenanigans, mischief, horseplay, tomfoolery, and even fortune we have encountered since.
When we were but dorky small-town brats, we thought that we were going to make it big! We planned to someday move to New York, knock on the door of Marvel and/or DC Comics, and change the entire state of worldly events (or so we believed). Who knows if we'll still have a chance to pitch our awesomeness to some aged and disgruntled comic book creator, waiting for the next great idea? Regardless, our New Vision, to me, was an entire world away from reality; our own little backyard nobody could touch....no badness from the real world could reach it! It was ours, and that was enough!
So, without further ado (and seeing as how I have no money currently for a real gift this year) I give you a glimpse of what this imaginary world of New Vision Comics may or may not have been (honoring, of course the gaudiness of the Liefeldian '90s....otherwise known in comicdom as "The Dark Ages"). A little bit of that trio of good-natured boys on a road trip, baking their own little piece of the Akashic pie . . .
Not only that, but I'm beginning to notice not a lot of people will even have this kind of best friend....and it be a lifelong friend! I'm beginning to see how lucky I am.
I don't even recall the time I first met my best friend. I do know our parents frequented the same Midwestern, God-fearing church together. I do know our parents would take turns babysitting each others' kids. I do know my best friend used to play with my older brother, until he figured out I was a little more willing to traverse the ends of imagination and adventure. And that was somewhat the beginning.I cannot even begin to measure the limits of magic, meanderings, shenanigans, mischief, horseplay, tomfoolery, and even fortune we have encountered since.
When we were but dorky small-town brats, we thought that we were going to make it big! We planned to someday move to New York, knock on the door of Marvel and/or DC Comics, and change the entire state of worldly events (or so we believed). Who knows if we'll still have a chance to pitch our awesomeness to some aged and disgruntled comic book creator, waiting for the next great idea? Regardless, our New Vision, to me, was an entire world away from reality; our own little backyard nobody could touch....no badness from the real world could reach it! It was ours, and that was enough!
So, without further ado (and seeing as how I have no money currently for a real gift this year) I give you a glimpse of what this imaginary world of New Vision Comics may or may not have been (honoring, of course the gaudiness of the Liefeldian '90s....otherwise known in comicdom as "The Dark Ages"). A little bit of that trio of good-natured boys on a road trip, baking their own little piece of the Akashic pie . . .
Happy 35th Birthday, Aaron Conaway! In the words of Brian Steel, "It's been real!"
(Ahem....Aaron, you can pick up the only framed print at your local Daed Thread household. Foil-embossed cover optional. Just follow the hippie smell off I-435, turn right when you see dancing Oompa Loompas...)
culture
"Chemo or Cannabis: How Would You Like to Treat Your Cancer?" Published in Cannabis Culture!
8:10 AM
I wrote an exclusive interview with Len Richmond, director of "What if Cannabis Cured Cancer" and it has been published in Cannabis Culture Magazine. I want to thank Rob "Sage" Amerine and Connie "Crash" Humiston for opening the door and giving me the opportunities that lead to this publication. I could not have done it without them. Here is the full interview (or follow the link): http://cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2011/01/27/Chemo-or-Cannabis-How-Would-You-Treat-Your-Cancer
It is one thing to kill a cancer cell, but the real question wracking science’s collective brain is: can you survive the treatment?
This is the central concern regarding how we approach cancer, the plague of modern times. Len Richmond’s documentary “What if Cannabis Cured Cancer,” narrated by Emmy award-winning actor Peter Coyote, is a well-researched account of the chemical benefits of the cannabis plant. Interviewing a multitude of doctors and researchers across the world, “What if Cannabis…” explains how certain compounds in cannabis, including THC, attack only cancer cells while actually protecting healthier ones. And here is the real kicker: with incredible results! However, its healing effects are not limited to just cancer. Cannabis contains compounds that work holistically with the entire human body on such conditions as epilepsy, bipolar disorder, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, neuropathic pain, depression, leukemia, and more.
The documentary also outlines the misinformation campaign by both government and media as to the ill effects of cannabis on users. For instance, it is an eyebrow raising revelation that not a single recorded death has ever been attributed to cannabis, while it remains a Schedule I drug—along with heroin and meth—under the Controlled Substances Act.
But, it’s not just the plant that’s having a tough time in the world. Len Richmond has tried earnestly to get the medical community to be involved in the amazing amount of research he’s uncovered in his film:
“I contacted the John Wayne Cancer Institute,” he says. “To offer researchers a chance to look at my film. The PR guys said I had to write to the individual researchers. So, I got all their information, emailed them, and offered them a free copy of the documentary. There was not a single response. Weeks later, I sent a follow-up email, again offering a free copy of the film and asking “Are you really so sure that you're right that you're not even open to entertaining an alternative point of view?’ Well, then I got a response: ‘Don’t you email us again! We’re not interested!’ It’s crazy! Chemo therapy is hurting people. It makes me angry. It’s a scandal, the way cancer is being treated in this country as a profit-driven industry. “
Despite having sporadic acceptance in the mainstream medical arena, Richmond’s film is gaining an enormous amount of success in the medical marijuana community. People are excited about the evidence contained in his documentary, and with good cause. “What if Cannabis…” creates a convincing argument on how and why marijuana should be seriously considered as a cancer-curing agent. To get a little more to the heart of the issue, I talked to Len from his home in L.A. for an in-depth look at how the film came to be:
Len, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Well, I’m a sixties hippie who, among other things, marched against the Vietnam War. I started smoking dope in the sixties, of course. I remember how I first started, I was dating this woman because I was trying to be straight and fit in. On our first date, she held out a joint. I told her I didn’t wanted to do anything that might make me lose control, but she said, ‘This stuff will change your life, it will open your mind! You'll discover things about yourself.’ I thought, ‘What?’ I couldn’t understand the concept at first. But, of course, she was right! A few months later I came out.
I later moved to London to be with a boyfriend and started writing sitcoms for BBC and British television. There was one particular sitcom that I decided to put all of my sixties radicalism in it, marijuana, making fun of religion, and gay liberation. It was called “Agony” because it was about a “Dear Abby”-type of advice columnist who could fix everyone else’s problems but could never fix her own. It was very popular, very funny, and was one of the first shows to depict the main characters smoking marijuana casually and celebrating healthy gay relationships. Later, CBS bought the rights to it and broadcast an American version called “The Lucy Arnaz Show” but it was terrible. The CBS writers took out everything that made Agony so good: the gays, smoking pot, the radicalism, the left wing politics. It was soon after that I got heavily into the Gay Liberation movement. I started promoting gay rights – and getting laid a lot.
What inspired you to make “What if Cannabis Cured Cancer”?
My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and wouldn’t let the doctors do anything to her. Of course, this freaked me out, along with the rest of family. But, she did a lot of research and found various herbs that she felt would help her. So, after four years of treating herself, by focusing on a vegan raw food diet and using anti-cancer herbs like Mistletoe, she had actually shrunk her tumor! I was amazed! So, I got inspired to make the documentary film “Everything Bad is Good: Healing Yourself in a World of Medicine Gone Mad,” where I interviewed people who had cured themselves of cancer with natural remedies. This is when I started to really get into the idea of natural healing outside of the medical world. Through my research on this film, I stumbled onto a few cases where marijuana was used as a curing agent and just dug deeper. As I soon discovered, there was quite a bit of evidence beginning to surface.
Some of the things going through my mind were, ‘Am I going to get attacked? Are people going to want to destroy me because I'm raining on their parade? There is a whole industry and makes a good living off the drug war.’ Well, it’s been exactly the opposite! People are complimenting the research . . . the evidence is there! I've become a bit of a working class hero taking on the establishment. My early hippie dreams of making a better world are coming true!
For instance, just the other day I was emailed an old article titled “Smoking Marijuana Causes Testicular Cancer.” I started investigating the research done on the study and even the doctor was who hired to conduct the study said don’t read too much into it, the results aren’t conclusive, the amount of people in the study were so small it is difficult to even pinpoint a correlation, and of course we don't know if the control group was telling the truth about their past drug use. But that's not the way the press reported it. And, of course, the study was funded by the folks who wanted to prove that pot is bad for you.
In your film, it is discussed that the primary compounds in cannabis that work as the curing agent are the endocannabinoids. Can you tell me a little bit about endocannabinoids and how they may be able to treat cancer?
The first guy I interviewed for the film, Dr. Jeffrey Hergenrather, started treating patients with cannabis and they started to get better. And what he told me was, whether you smoke marijuana or not you have marijuana-like substances in your body. It is naturally in your body, you are born with it, and it is called the endocannabinoid system. I thought, ‘What? I need to find out more about this!’ Endocannabinoids are found in our nervous and immune systems and have an almost identical structure to cannabinoids found in cannabis. These two compounds act as a sort of lock and key for each other in your body—a chemical reaction—that becomes beneficial, forming into modulators of good health. Endocannabinoids act as tumor regulators, mood regulators, anti-depressants, anti-inflammatories, and the list goes on.
What is being discovered is that some people do not have enough endocannabinoids in their system. You see, you get a massive dose of endocannabinoids in your mother’s milk, if you’re breast fed. It’s one of your immunity boosters as a baby. What Professor Robert Melamede (in the film) believes is that there are endocannabinoid-deprived people and there are endocannabinoid-endowed people. Those that are endocannabinoid-endowed have healthy systems, are more adaptable to change, and therefore are more open-minded. In the same way, those that are endocannabinoid-deprived have weaker systems, therefore more fearful of change to their environment. So, endocannabinoids are not just interesting in how they can heal the body, but are also indicators into how one lives their life! This is a whole new field of information I didn’t even get to touch on in the film. But I will in my next.
Here is the main reason we need cannabis. We are overwhelmed with toxins in our environment: chemicals, pollution, even our own thoughts. The endocannabinoids that we are born with need help. The cannabinoids and endocannabinoids find each other and are like, “Oh . . . Hi bro!” and they hook up and are stronger in fighting diseases. It is a more protective way to survive from all the things that are in an onslaught against us. Cannabis stimulates your survival mechanism. Really, cannabis smokers can be the luckiest, happiest people on Earth!
What I remember from the film, and what you have eluded to here, is that endocannabinoids are holistic as well. They are not just for fighting tumors, correct?
For one thing, they are mood lifters; they lift you out of depression. When you’re not busy being depressed, it helps you to survive. So, endocannabinoids are all about survival. The threat, I guess, is all the pharmaceuticals we would put out of business. If you can do so many healing things with this one plant, it’s an enormous threat to our pharmacy system. Almost every drug I’ve researched comes with an enormous amount of side-effects, some of them even fatal. You put yourself in the situation of a catch-22. Get rid of such-and-such symptom but accept the risk of a host of others. The only side-effects with marijuana are you may lose a little short-term memory for a while and you may bump into some things while walking around at home.
Amidst the compelling evidence, why is the mainstream media not jumping on this? And why in the media, is the reporting on the research is mild at best?
We have to acknowledge there's a lot of fear out there about cannabis. People are afraid of losing control; particularly religious people. They have to control everything in their life, or the house of cards falls apart. Marijuana is a threat, it’s unpredictable. And, cannabis makes you question why you wouldn’t want to do anything that doesn’t make you happy. It does get you to leave jobs, leave marriages, to make moves and changes in your life that you aren’t usually willing to make.
Other countries seem to be where the cutting edge of research is being done on cannabis treatment of cancer. Is cannabis a big legal issue in other countries or is cannabis seen as a viable alternative?
It’s much more accepted in Spain, than many other countries. It’s not really treated like a criminal offense; they are very liberal about it. Italy, on the other hand, is a whole different story. I have a friend in Italy who has cancer, but can hardly get marijuana at all because he is scared of being arrested. Most of the countries are still treating it like a serious criminal offense. I can say most of the foreign orders I get for my film are from Canada. They are a huge pot-smoking country. I also get a lot of overseas orders from the Netherlands, obviously.
One direction for the pro-cannabis movement is to get cannabis removed from the Controlled Substances Act. What is your perspective to getting this done?
One thing I am going to do is to get copies of my film to members of Congress. I got Americans for Safe Access (ASA) to agree to hand-deliver them to one hundred Congressmen and Congresswomen; they are just waiting for the right time, what with the latest election and change in seats. My hope is that there is a Congress person out there who knows someone with cancer—a relative they love— and it becomes a life or death issue, instead of just an issue about an illegal drug. Basically, I think that if we can get one well-known person who has cancer to treat themselves with cannabis instead of chemo and they survive and prosper, then maybe that will begin to wake the country up. But, you know, it probably has to be a celebrity or nobody will give a damn.
Do you see the recent failure of Proposition 19 in California a set back?
No, because a fair number of pro-marijuana people didn’t want Prop 19 to go into effect. It criminalized some things that weren’t criminal before. Such as, there was a bit in there about having to get written permission from your landlord to smoke cannabis in your rented home. I don’t want to have to ask permission from a landlord to smoke in my own backyard!
One sentiment expressed in your film is that if cannabis is legal there is less money in it. So if it is more lucrative when illegal, should it ever become legal? Given what the pharmaceutical industry could do to such a product, would you even want it to become legal?
Look, I’ve been busted for smoking pot in England. I’ve been arrested, fingerprinted, and photographed. And at that time even the police woman who arrested me said if I wouldn’t have smoked on the street, I wouldn’t have been arrested. ‘Do it in your own home,’ she said. I don’t want a police woman, who has no idea of the benefits of cannabis to tell me how to conduct my medical treatment. The people who are rabidly enforcing cannabis laws are scared little people. Marijuana gives them the perfect excuse because they are fearful of freedom and change and use us as a scapegoat. So, yes, I say please legalize it. It would be nice to have that paranoia gone. I think it will definitely be legalized before too long because a lie can’t live forever.
Really?
Yes, because the older generation will soon be gone. And I say this as a member of the older generation. 7 out of every 10 people I know smoke pot. And not just the kind of person who you would think smokes pot, but neighbors, coworkers, normal people. It’s like the gay lib thing . . . come out, come out, wherever you are!
What other kinds of activities are you involved in regarding the issue of cannabis legalization?
Just using my film. Getting the documentary out there; getting it to lawmakers and the establishment medical community. Now I have a weapon I can use. I’m not really the kind to go out and picket with signs. My film is my weapon I use to affect change.
“What if Cannabis Cured Cancer” can be purchased on Amazon.com and followed on Facebook.
