Tonight Paradigms comes from Alaska!

Paul Pike is a musician originally from Newfoundland Canada, a Mi'kmaq man, a parent, grandparent, and a substance abuse counselor. Great interview, fantastic music!

Josh, part of Occupy Anchorage and Occupy Fairbanks, talks about some of the challenges facing Alaska.

Tonight at 8 PM Eastern http://wbkm.org and http://paradigms.bz

Here is where I am today.

There are numerous irons in the fire for Paradigms and for my teaching, and today I am at a pause. Nothing is happening today. Foundations are laid and now we will see what happens.

There is an overwhelming amount of information about things that are going wrong in governments, in policies, acts of cruelty, acts of stupidity; the presidential grandstanding and election theater in the US, the ongoing fighting for freedom around the world, more repression, more economic pressurization, more militarization. On it goes. All of it, from Wal-Mart to cluster bombs to riots, and it’s only just begun, this period of worldwide transition transformation, starting off with the ugliness one expects from dying empires, and hopefully leading to some creative kind effective sustainable new systems.

It is the dark time of the year and I am feeling tired. It is not cold and snowy here yet but hopefully it will be. I just want to sleep and dream and eat and hibernate and gestate the next season’s ideas, form the seeds for new creativity in the spring.

I am also tired of the human bullshit, all that stuff I listed above. I mean, really, this is the best we can do? So much foolishness, people lusting after power and things and status and all this meaningless nonsense, losing sight of (if they ever had it) the bigger picture. And the willingness to cause suffering in order to make money. That is really just sick.

The US Senate has now passed a law allowing military arrest and detention of anyone in the US, declaring that the “homeland is now part of the battlefield.” That’s pretty fucking scary sounding to me. The President can veto the law. I hope he does. If he signs it then the next phase of fascism will be set into motion.

This coming Sunday Paradigms will be about positive music and Gratitude. I would love to include as many peoples voices as possible expressing gratitude in their own way. If you are interested, please call 802-232-4205 and leave a message. You can say your name, or not, and then just speak or sing or whatever you like to express your gratitude. I might answer the phone in which case you won't leave a message, we will get to speak together and I will record your expression.

My Gratitude to all of You!

love,
Baruch

http://paradigms.bz
http://wbkm.org

Here is something I don't understand. A man, veteran of one of our government/corporate wars, shoots himself in the head in a public park in Burlington and no one is talking about the implications of that. What does it mean that this man, one of so many veterans who commit suicide, chose to do this in a public place? What is the statement? Obviously it is a cry of terrible pain, but is it more? When a monk or a nun immolates themself in Tibet it is seen as a clear political message. Why is that type of analysis missing in this situation? It is easy to say "Oh the occupation is unsafe, look what happened" but what we should be asking ourselves is "what does it mean about our way of life that a veteran kills himself in a public park?"

Addendum November 16

I was mistaken. The man who shot himself was not a veteran. I still think that there is a bigger picture to look at when someone kills themself in a public park.

It is a sunny day in San Francisco. I hear the cars going by on Bush Street below me. The friends I am staying with have gone out for a bit and I am working on my radio show for tomorrow, responding to students and enjoying the change in perspective one can receive taking a break from the day to day, traveling.

It has been nearly 7 years since I sold my house, closed my therapy practice, and went on sabbatical. I feel a sense of coming full circle...or at least the sabbatical coming to an organic resting place, transitioning into something else.

There is a body of work in my past; as a therapist, as an educator, as a producer and host of a radio program. I’m in my 50’s. I am starting to perceive a sort of cohesive quality to all of what’s come before. It’s all coming together, my past gathering itself into something whole, forming a new starting point where I can draw from my past learning and go forward. I’m feeling more excitement and inspiration than I have in a while.

If I have one piece of wisdom to share, one piece of advice to give, (something I benefit by remembering!) it’s this. Never underestimate the value of true friendship.

Tonight I will attend the 32nd annual Spiral Dance! Tomorrow night I will share some of that on my radio show. If you are hungry for magic, tune in!

I have just launched an IndieGoGo campaign for Paradigms! This is an opportunity for people to support the show, including making it possible for me to take on an intern to help with research and to learn how to create their own programming. I'm pretty excited! Check out the campaign here.

Like many people I am watching what’s happening in the world, from extreme weather to extreme politics to extreme human-made environmental disasters and cruelty...the list goes on and on. I am wading through my own personal distress to stay aware of the bigger picture. I am not alone in this.

I said to a friend yesterday “I used to be so organized, now I wear pajamas to go out visiting or to town to do errands.” It is all I can do to keep track of what is in front of me, let alone the bigger broader concerns.

I see the possibility, still, of another world than the one we have made. I can see a world where people are kind and think about the wellbeing of others, and the Earth. I see a world where people treat non-renewables with great care, reuse everything, where the words “garbage” and “trash” are obsolete. I see a world where everyone is valued for what they can contribute to the common good. I see a world where the conglomerates we now call “government” and “corporation” no longer exist, and where sociopaths are cared for while being prevented from seeking or achieving political or economic power. I see a world where war is unthinkable, where every birth is wanted and every death acknowledged. My vision is broad and deep and far reaching. I know that many others have such visions.

I have foreseen and written about what will happen with humans on Earth if we do not change our behavior. I’m sure that many others have had these experiences as well.

The question I see before me now, always, is not what are my politics or who do I sleep with (no one currently) or whether or not I support abortion rights, it’s about finding ways to participate which support the common good. That can mean helping a friend or helping someone I don’t know. I am fortunate that my paying work is in alignment with the value I hold of supporting others in their learning and in becoming more conscious of the life of the Earth. It is a small contribution but I know that at least some of the people who take my classes do go on to use what they learn. But it doesn’t feel like enough. Maybe there is no “enough.” I suspect that is the case.

In contemplating all this I always come to the same cognitive dissonance. I understand intellectually but do not “get” how people can make decisions that are so heartless. Obama is set to decide (he has already decided) whether or not to approve an oil pipeline from the Alberta tar sands to the Gulf of Mexico. It is already clear that this would be an environmental disaster, an economic nightmare, and will continue the process of enriching a few while impoverishing many. Obama, and the rest of the US political establishment, have made it clear time and again that they do not care about the people, they do not care about the Earth, they care about money and power and political expediency. This pipeline is just one example of thousands which point to the psychopathic mindset of those “in power.” At some point, maybe sooner than later, “The People” will have had enough. Something will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Here in the US so many are inured, numb, stressed by just surviving, they can barely even think about resisting the forces that are coming down on them, so I don’t know what that last straw could be, but it seems inevitable.

In the meantime, we do what needs to be done, and we find inspiration where we can.

Rough couple of days. Anniversaries can be brutal. The last few days have been the 7th anniversary of my mother’s murder. I don’t know about you but for me this kind of thing is like being run over by a train. Twice. It’s not a cognitive emotional process it is visceral, cellular, autonomic. Now it is the end of the day. Seven years ago tonight the worst was over, or at least the initial shock. I still feel like I am in shock seven years later. I thought that somehow perhaps magically the number seven would lessen the intensity but it didn’t. Oh well. Next summer I am going to plan for this very differently.

I know a lot of friends and family have been thinking about this in the last few days and I feel the love flowing between us, amongst us. Gratitude.

We've been in the new place for a week. Phew! I feel myself decompressing from what was really an unhealthy abusive situation; grateful to be out and processing the experience. Anger, disappointment, betrayal, incredulity, pity, compassion, frustration...so many feelings and thoughts all winding down to a sense of relief.

The new place is funky, nice, warm, dry, not moldy, not stinking of cat shit, no weird oppressive energetic pall. It's good. It's sad to not have the wonderful garden outside the door, but next summer we will.

I am watching a documentary about Harry Nilsson. It's out there to watch for free, check it out. This guy felt a lot, experienced his pain, and was brilliantly creative. He took whatever it was that was inside him and brought forth music that affected the world, still does. Perfect timing for me right now, feeling depleted and not overflowing with creative inspirations.

Ah, it's all a process!

The last month has been completely about making this move, thus no new radio shows lately. I am looking forward to recharging and getting back to Paradigms. Next Sunday, August 14, the P.M.P. Band will be on Paradigms live in the studio. Tune in, it should be a lot of fun and good vibes!

As my housemates and I prepare to move, I am processing a lot of feelings about this experience. Once we are out of here it will be easier to move forward. I am learning more about boundaries, about how overly trusting I am, and once again about how there are people who are just not aware of or don't care about integrity, who say one thing and do quite another. In this world at this time, with all of what's going down, I am clear that my energies are best spent with people who are congruous, honest, and who care about others, so that is who I choose to be with.

Many thanks for all the love and support from friends and family through this!

I'm looking for a place to live! I'd like to find a cabin or small house for 1 or 2 people and my dog, with electricity, running water...the basics. I am, unfortunately, in a situation where it would be best for this to happen sooner than later as my current landlords have proven themselves not to be people who follow through when it comes to making the building watertight, etc. In any case it doesn't work for me.

Any and all leads would be appreciated!

Time for some reflecting. Last night WBKM aired the 79th episode of Paradigms. I’m feeling very good about the show. The guests are amazing wonderful people engaged in meaningful activity in the world, and music is such an energy mover; I feel a sense of accomplishment which is satisfying. I wish more people would listen to the show because I think they’d get so much from it. Tell all your friends!

It’s a slow spring arriving in Vermont this year. North America is receiving so much water right now, and we are no exception, so that means flooded lakes and rivers, and here at 1500 feet above sea level it means sodden ground, cooler temperatures, and a slow start to the growing season. There are now three adults living in this space, and Zack the dog. We are building the three bedrooms though. Framing happened on Saturday and is 80% done. Then it’s a matter of doing the dirtcrete floors, framing in the doors, putting up the wall coverings, wood between the rooms and glass and wood facing into the common space. Wiring for electricity and internet will go into each room, and then we can move in! The ceiling needs to be insulated and surfaced too. There’s a lot to do. At the same time we are preparing more beds in the garden, planting, and once the ground dries out a bit we will get part of the hillside plowed to plant a big 3 sisters garden in. The two hens, with their two roosters (thank goodness we got rid of the other 5 roosters, it has made everything better for everyone here) provide probably 10 eggs a week. Friends have been giving us perennials so we have planted a bunch of things up in the new orchard; lavender, bee balm, strawberries, raspberries, currants, roses.

Sharing this space with these two women is interesting. It works pretty well in that we are all respectful of each other, everyone does their share, and we are different enough that we cover different areas of maintaining the living space and a livable vibe. It will be good to get the bedrooms built though.

My housemates and me are planning on building a cordwood and masonry round house with round bedrooms built of the same material attached as pods going up the side of the hill a little. I also want to put a 12’ yurt up at the top of the hill near the orchard as a quiet space. The visioning is going well, and we are doing the work of sharing as we go along with each other and with the people who live in the other side of the earthship, and finding how to blend their visions of what is to happen here with ours. Some of that goes easily and some of it includes coming up against the little square blocks we all have in our minds. It’s definitely a learning experience, but it is working, and so far it’s worth the energy.

I’ve reduced my media consumption lately. The trends are clear, the issues of humans engaging in unethical immoral activity continue to be present, the same people are doing the same terrible things, I don’t need every detail right now. I feel that I am making more of a contribution by focusing on “my work” than by doing anything else.

Zack the dog has been here for over a week now. He is amazing. Everyone who has met him so far has been blown away by how sweet and present and well mannered he is. He is like another person in the house, except that he’s a dog. He’s a Samoyed and they are very special beings. He’s recovering from being mauled, so he has some scabs but they are starting to fall off and he is clearly enjoying his new home.

May we all find ourselves with the resources, the people, and the will to respond intelligently and kindly to what is in front of us.

Today I feel angry. I am angry at Americans. I am angry at the surprise so many feel when they realize that this country has been taken over by fascists. What the hell did you think was going on when Bush was illegally put into office? What the hell did you think was going on when Bush invaded Iraq, or when Obama maintained the Bush policies of torture and rendition? Come on people, wake up!

The republicans have been planning this takeover for years. Republican governors and legislatures are passing draconian laws, vilifying poor people, giving more tax cuts to the rich, allowing the corporations to blatantly buy elections, disenfranchising voters, etc. and democrats are complicit. Both democrats and republicans are essentially one corporate party, in case you haven't figured that out yet.

It is great that middle class people are finally feeling the squeeze and going out into the street. Finally! What took you so long?? You were too comfortable with your TVs and computers; your liberalism that allows you to feel like you are off the hook for the carnage this country has been wreaking around the world. Guess what...you are NOT off the hook, you are hanging on the hook like a piece of meat, and the wealthy maggots of Wall Street and "Government" are feeding on your carcass. They will eat every bit of you until there is nothing left. That is the price of complacency.

If people in this country are serious about reclaiming government and about refusing fascism, the time to act is now. We do not have the luxury of complacency, of waiting to see what will happen next because it is happening now.

Tax the poor masses to enrich the wealthy few. Exterminate the people of the middle east and northern Africa so we can take oil and other wealth from the land. Disassemble education, health care, any assistance, so that Americans will be poor and stupid and sick, and easily manipulated. That is the game plan that has been enacted by the republicans with the aid of the democrats, and it is working.

If my words make you uncomfortable, good. Maybe you'll do something instead of being a "good German" who sits back while the shit goes down.

And if my words piss you off, good. Maybe your head will clear and you will see through the haze. And if you decide that I am the problem because I am saying these things, go look in the mirror. There you will see the problem.

Communication. We are about to enter one of this year's four periods of Mercury Retrograde, which means the planet Mercury is moving away from us effecting electronics, machinery, communications, scheduling and timing...some people believe in this stuff, some people don't.

Communication is a huge part of my life and I think all of our lives. Most of my work life has involved communication through speech and writing with other humans. Words. I think I am pretty good at using words to convey meaning. I have always found that it takes a great deal more intention and more words to accurately convey my thoughts than I would instinctually use, so I am very often engaged in the exercise of translating my own internal shorthand into a form that others can hopefully receive with my message intact. It's easier with writing because I can take my time, edit, proofread, but speaking with people is different. There is no editing once a thing has been spoken.

In this time of political uprising, communication is critical to effective constructive change. I encounter, over and over, people working for the same things but slowed down or stymied by ineffective communication. Often it seems that emotional reactivity is what's skewing the communication. That's the thing I find myself working on perpetually. And I see the same thing in others.

Here's to mindful communication!

Please watch this, the whole thing.

I do this radio show Paradigms every week, well most weeks. Sometimes I haven't got a show so I don't force it. But it's most weeks. I continue to amaze myself.I don't know how many people are listening, but I am putting out some good stuff that offers a lot of ideas and inspiration and real solutions for what ails us as a society, as a world. The quality of communication coming from guests on the show is so satisfying for me. I hope others are feeling fed. I sure am.

For instance, the show that will air on WBKM tonight. Usually I do interviews and combine them with music. Tonight is a broadcast of the panelists at yesterday's Town Meeting in Montpelier Vermont hosted by Senator Bernie Sanders. The topic was corporate personhood. The panelists were radio host and author Thom Hartmann, president of Public Citizen Rob Weissman, Professor of Constitutional Law Cheryl Hannah, State Senator Ginny Lyons, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream.

Anyone who listens to this show and checks out some of the links at the show's website will be educated on the history and ramifications of the Citizen's United decision, and will have tools to help reclaim this country from corporate domination. I hope a lot of people get involved!

Today I put together this Special Report on what's going on in Madison, Wisconsin.

I am plagiarizing myself. Facebook is interesting. I continue to meet interesting people and have provocative conversations. I just want to save some of my own thoughts here, and share them.

Regarding the political model of "right" and "left" this is a binary either/or model which doesn't work. What if, instead of a 2 dimensional set of axis points we have 4 dimensions, include space and time...then what are the possibilities? It is easy to think in terms of the individual. We live in an individualistic society. But if you pull your consciousness back, out, up, and become a witness to this planet, you can see that this is just a field of life, one pond, and the ecology of this pond has the same cycles that any pond has. Different nutrients are available, different species thrive on different things, and as nutrients are consumed and become something else, the life forms adapt or die off and new ones take their place. It's an ongoing process. The fact that we have consciousness means we can to some degree choose our direction. If we think in terms of the space we live in, and the way time progresses, look at what resources are available and at what cost, and turn to human inspiration and creativity as a synergistic whole rather than focus on the acquisitions and accomplishments of the individual to the exclusion of the group, then what happens?

What's happening in Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee, with the attempts to bust the unions from the republican legislatures and republican governors, that will not happen here in Vermont. What is happening here that is connected, however, is the presence of these weapons manufacturers. Vermont is part of the war machine because we allow military industrialists to use the resources of this state (people, electricity, etc) for their gain. If people can see the connection between the breaking of the middle class, the war the republicans have declared on the US (and yes Dems too) and the presence of the military industrial complex in our state, perhaps people in Vermont would rise to the occasion and demand an end to their presence here. I know a lot of people will cry jobs and money, but look at the price?

Poor working and middle class people vote for republicans against their own interests because they are hypnotized by the right wings BS. The family values christian stuff resonates with a lot of people because they are scared. Back in, oh 1935, the Germans were scared, and boy did they want someone to blame for their problems, and their chancellor served them up a number of scapegoats...sound familiar? We are the chosen race blah blah blah...same line as the right or should I say white wing. Concentrate the wealth, blame the poor but exploit them and increase their numbers, etc.

A 15 yr old girl in St. Albans, I think it was, got away from two mid 20's males in a white van...good for these girls! Hey all the men out there, it is our job to let each other know that this shit is not OK! Tell your sons, your brothers, your friends, your fathers. When you see or hear another man being an asshole towards women, call them on it! By not naming this and calling each other on it, the really sick men imply a tacit permission. This must stop.

A corporation is a legal entity that is staffed by people. Most corporations are designed to be self perpetuating. Unfortunately since a corporation is not a person but a group of people following the mandate I just described, corporations lack the ability for empathy, and easily become psychopathic in their actions. We see that clearly in major corporations around the world and in governments which have become, essentially, corporations that serve other corporations.

The sun is shining through the clouds. It’s in the high 20’s F outside, not really cold. Occasional snow floats down from the sky. The stoves in the house are keeping it warm in the earthship, around 50 F.

I am in a period of time where I am working on projects and awaiting/inviting inspiration for others. There are no demands on my time. It’s quiet. I feel pretty raw. I am aware that I am avoiding a lot of feelings; of grief and frustration, and anger. Through the wonders of modern technology it is possible to avail oneself of lots of information, which is made available through corporate political and individual filters, about what is happening around the world today. The mental snapshot that is aggregated in my mind from the information I receive, is a distressing one. Really distressing. Of our people, my people, the other humans, with whom I share more similarities than differences, so many are in dire straits, through natural occurrences and human made ones. Humans are inflicting violence upon each other and upon Earth. The violence takes many forms, from outright physical violence to economic, psychological, and spiritual violence, violation. And earth is changing, in part due to human activities and most likely, as part of natural cycles.

Here I am doing what I can from within this context. I manage to touch a lot of people even being in a singular location. That’s a gift, a responsibility, and some solace. The ocean of feelings though is not reduced in quantity or scope or depth, and I have to gauge and measure and take care not to avoid it entirely but not to drown in it, not to be flooded, so that I can keep functioning. I imagine many people feel similarly.

It is a certainty that my friends and family are what keeps me going. I am sustained by you, both literally in terms of physical support, and in those unquantifiable ways of love and connection. That fills me with joy actually. My life is a great example of a journey into a more interconnected existence.