Listeria 2

http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2009/10/rte-products-excluded-from-testing.aspx
LINK MAY BE CONTAMINATED.  (I went into it the first time but the second time NORTON intervened, it showed 73FR4767 as a number???  My system is acting crazy and think maybe they are watching me at the present, heck, it could just be me, my email is acting up as well???  )  ... cal

http://www.grist.org/article/food-walmart-tyson-recall-380000-pounds-of-tainted-deli-meat
Excerpts:
1)  Tyson recall 380,000 pounds of tainted ‘deli meats’12

by Tom Philpott

26 Aug 2010 1:57 PM

We’ve got beef with these bad ’wiches.Spooked by the half-billion salmonella-tainted eggs floating around the United States, some consumers might be tempted to skip the egg salad and opt instead for a "deli sandwich."
But that could be a painful mistake, especially for Walmart shoppers. Get this, from the USDA's meat-industry watchdog, the Food Safety and Inspection Services:

Zemco Industries, a Buffalo, N.Y., establishment, is recalling approximately 380,000 pounds of deli meat products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Yikes. And what, pray tell, is "Listeria monocytogenes"? According to FSIS, "listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, and nausea." Worse still, it can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as "serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy."
And where did this massive cache of dangerous luncheon meat end up? "The products were distributed nationwide to a single retail chain," the FSIS press release states demurely, too polite to call out retail mammoth Walmart, the largest seller of groceries in the United States. It also refrained from fingering Tyson Foods, the globe's second-largest meat company, as the ultimate source of the bad meat. Tyson, it turns out, owns Zemco Industries.
You'd never know it from the USDA's meat-industry watchdog, but this massive recall amounts to a joint venture between two of the largest players in the global food system.
2) Walmart is claiming that the bad sandwiches "have a sell by date of August 25, 2010 or before." But the FSIS press release states that "the meat products were produced on various dates from June 18 to July 2, 2010, and have various 'Use By' dates ranging from August 20 to September 10, 2010."
Why the discrepancy? And was it the sandwiches that were made between June 18 and July 2, or the lunch meats? It would be pretty gross if sandwiches made July 2 had a use-by date of Sept. 10, no?

http://www.newswithviews.com/Richards/byron7.htm
Excerpt:

FDA APPROVES VIRAL ADULTERATION OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY

By Byron J. Richards, CCN

August 24, 2006

NewsWithViews.com

On Friday, August 18, 2006, the FDA approved a viral cocktail to be sprayed on foods we eat. This is the first time viruses have been approved for use as food additives. The FDA wants you to believe it will be safe to consume these viruses every day for the rest of your life with no adverse health effects. This is a monumental announcement by the FDA, indicating they are throwing all caution to the wind regarding the safety of our food supply.

Are you willing to stand in line for a virus-laden sandwich? How do you like the idea of buying virus-infested food for your family? The first virally contaminated foods entering our food supply with the blessings of the FDA will be luncheon meat and poultry. Live viruses will be sprayed on foods such as cold cuts, sausages, hot dogs, sliced turkey, and chicken.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/19/us/19viruses.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Excerpt:

The approved mix of six viruses is intended to be sprayed onto ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, including sliced ham and turkey, said John Vazzana, the president and chief executive of Intralytix, which developed the additive.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Torrey_C._Brown

Excerpt:

Torrey C. Brown, M.D. Chairman of the Board Intralytix, Inc.

"Dr. Brown was among the founders of Intralytix and is currently the Chairman of the Board. Founded in 1998, Intralytix, Inc. has become the world's leader developing and commercializing bacteriophage.

"Dr. Brown received his BA from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL, in 1957, and his M.D. degree from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, in 1961. From 1961 through 1966, Dr. Brown trained in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital and served on the faculty until 1983. He served as the Assistant Dean of the medical school and Vice President of Johns Hopkins Hospital.

"Dr. Brown is a former CEO and current chair of Family Health International, a well known, not-for-profit contract research organization that provides expertise in the design and management of clinical studies for FDA approval internationally.

"Dr. Brown was an elected Delegate to the Maryland Legislature from 1970 to 1982 and served as the Chairman of the House of Delegates, Environmental Matters Committee.

"From 1983-1995 Dr. Brown was Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources for the State of Maryland. During his tenure as Secretary in Governor Hughes' Administration, Dr. Brown helped establish the Chesapeake Bay Trust and currently serves on its Board of Trustees." ^[1]

^{---------------------------------------------}

Tyson Foods / Tyson Deli

Zemco Industries, Inc.

(*Russer Foods (716) 826-6400)

665 Perry Street

Buffalo, NY 14210

(716) 566-3150

^{---------------------------------------------}

http://www.federalregister.gov/food-safety

Excerpt:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19444238

Excerpt

Nat Protoc. 2009;4(6):799-810.

Modeling human listeriosis in natural and genetically engineered animals.

Disson O, Nikitas G, Grayo S, Dussurget O, Cossart P, Lecuit M.

Source

Institut Pasteur, Microbes and Host Barriers, Paris, France.

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, a human foodborne infection leading to gastroenteritis, meningoencephalitis and maternofetal infections. InlA and InlB, two L. monocytogenes surface proteins, interact with their respective receptors E-cadherin and Met and mediate bacterial entry into human cultured cells. Here, we present protocols for studying listeriosis in three complementary animal models: (i) the human E-cadherin (hEcad) transgenic mouse line; (ii) the knock-in E16P mouse line; and (iii) the gerbil, in which both InlA-E-cadherin and InlB-Met species-specific interactions occur as in humans. Two routes of infection are described: oral inoculation, the natural route for infection; and intravenous inoculation that bypasses the intestinal barrier. We describe how to monitor L. monocytogenes infection, both qualitatively by imaging techniques and quantitatively by bacterial enumeration. The advantage of these methods over the classical intravenous inoculation of L. monocytogenes in wild-type mice (in which the InlA-E-cadherin interaction does not occur) is that it allows the pathophysiology of listeriosis to be studied in animal models relevant to humans, as they are permissive to the interactions that are thought to mediate L. monocytogenes crossing of human host barriers. The whole procedure (inoculation, in vivo imaging, bacterial enumeration, histopathology) takes one full week to complete, including 3 d of actual experiments.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=39323

Excerpt:

Scientists Discover Potential New Way to Control Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Based on an improved understanding of bacteriophages - viruses that infect bacteria - scientists reporting in the Sept. 23 issue of the journal Nature believe they have discovered a potential new way to control drug-resistant bacteria, an increasingly worrisome public health problem.

The new research, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that bacteriophages contain genes that allow them to quickly change their proteins to bind to different cell receptors. The researchers, who encountered this genetic property while working on an unrelated project, believe that this discovery could lead to the use of genetically engineered phages to treat bacterial infections that have become resistant to antibiotics.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/recent/recente.shtml

Excerpt:

September 16

• Consumer Advisory - Listeria Contamination of Cantaloupe in the United States
• Industry Notice - BSE surveillance helps keep the cattle industry strong

September 19

• HEALTH HAZARD ALERT - Certain Cantaloupes Purchased at FOOD BASICS Store Located on Sheppard Ave East North York, Ontario, May Contain Salmonella Bacteria

Excerpt:

HEALTH HAZARD ALERT

CERTAIN CANTALOUPES PURCHASED AT FOOD BASICS STORE LOCATED ON SHEPPARD AVE EAST, NORTH YORK, ONTARIO MAY CONTAIN SALMONELLA BACTERIA

OTTAWA, September 19, 2011 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Metro Ontario Inc. are warning the public not to consume the cantaloupes described below because these cantaloupes may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The affected cantaloupes were sold unwrapped. There is no lot code sticker, UPC or product name on the individual cantaloupes.
The cantaloupes were sold from Food Basics, located at 2452 Sheppard Ave. E., North York, Ontario on September 12, 2011.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause salmonellosis, a food borne illness. In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.
The retailer, Metro Ontario Inc., Etobicoke, Ontario, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/salmonellae.shtml.
For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA’s Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp.
To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit: www.foodsafety.gc.ca. Food and consumer product recalls are also available at http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.

- 30 -

Media enquiries:
CFIA Media Relations
613-773-6600

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Ford,_Colorado
Excerpt:
Agriculture
Rocky Ford is noted for its cantaloupes and watermelons. Most of the Rocky Mountain region and the United States receives melon seeds from here.^{[citation needed]} Rocky Ford recently gained international attention with U.S. President Barack Obama's public endorsement of their melons.^{[citation needed]}

Listeria

http://www.grist.org/article/food-walmart-tyson-recall-380000-pounds-of-tainted-deli-meat
Excerpt:

Listeria

http://www.grist.org/article/food-walmart-tyson-recall-380000-pounds-of-tainted-deli-meat
Excerpt:

Most IMPORTANT video on the net/Frontera Produce and listeria in cantaloups (Jensen Farms)

Listeria Outbreak, Glutamate, Vaccines, Listeria Bacteria Sprayed On Food Approved By The FDA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_Z4Ae0mnJk

http://garrettpopcornblog.com/garrett-popcorn-supports-the-ndigo-foundation/
Excerpt:

Garrett Popcorn supports the N’DIGO Foundation (notice Rahm Emanuel's picture???)  ...cal

June 17, 2011 Garrett Popcorn News No Comments

This Sunday, June 19, the N’DIGO Foundation will hold a gala and concert at the Chicago Symphony Center. Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds will perform, and gala speakers will include Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Art Norman, ABC’s Charles Thomas, and other leaders in the community. Garrett Popcorn will have a popcorn stand at the gala where attendees can try our Chicago Mix.

Proceeds from the N’DIGO Foundation Gala will fund merit-based college scholarships to students from Chicago and surrounding suburbs. If you wish to donate, information is available here.

1. Garrett Popcorn supports Frontera Farm Foundation
2. Garrett Popcorn Supports The HistoryMakers
3. Join the Fight, October 18th – November 18th
4. Kernels for Kids – Garrett Donates $2 Per Tin

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zondra-hughes
Excerpt:
Hughes landed her first media internship with N’Digo in 1998, under the direction of publisher Hermene Hartman and editor David Smallwood.

One year later, Hughes was hired as an associate editor (Beauty & Style and Relationships) at Ebony magazine. This experience set the groundwork for her memoir, Living The Ebony Life: E-Mails From The Plantation.

http://news.yahoo.com/marler-clark-files-4th-cantaloupe-listeria-lawsuit-against-224620599.html
Excerpt:

Marler Clark Files 4th Cantaloupe Listeria Lawsuit Against Jensen Farms: Oklahoma Lawsuit Names Frontera Produce as Additional Defendant

http://www.fronteraproduce.com/news_detail.asp?wo=1&id=14
Excerpt:


http://www.freshstartfoods.com/east/PreviousIndustryAlerts.htm
Excerpt:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 28th, 2009 - Frontera Produce, of Edinburg, TX, is voluntarily recalling one lot of cilantro because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. The company is working with the FDA to inform consumers of this recall, and no illnesses have been reported to date.

Salmonella, is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The lot in question, 118122, was distributed to two retail store chains in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Louisiana, and New Mexico. Both chains were provided with case tag identification and have been advised of the recall. Frontera Produce is issuing this voluntary recall as an additional measure to advise consumers to destroy the cilantro described above, purchased between July 20, 2009 and July 27, 2009. The cilantro bunches in question have a white twist tie with pink lettering spelling the word 'Cilantro' and the UPC number 033383801049.

The recall involves only one lot of cilantro and does not involve any other products.

This product originated in Mexico and was procured by Frontera Produce, who subsequently routinely tested for

contaminants as part of their internal food safety program.

"Frontera Produce continues to stay committed to the highest levels of food safety, and strives to work within the industry to bring food safety to the forefront. We continually look for ways to enhance our protocol and stay committed to providing outstanding products to our consumers," said Will Steele, President and CEO.

Consumers with questions may contact Frontera Produce at 1(877)-381-5701, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm central standard time, or email fpltd.mail@fronteraproduce.com.

July 29, 2009

FOOD SAFETY ALERT: FRONTERA PRODUCE CILANTRO RECALL

Frontera Produce, of McAllen Texas is recalling a single lot of fresh cilantro due to a confirmed positive test for Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported. The potential for contamination was discovered during random testing by Frontera Produce.

The recalled cilantro was available at select retail store chains in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Louisiana and New Mexico between July 20 and July 27.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 877-381-5701.

At this time, limited information is available. Updates will be issued as more information becomes available.

Fresh Start Foods does not purchase Cilantro from the USA at this time of year. We purchase locally from Ontario.

http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/author/admin/2011/4/
Excerpt:

Frontera Produce Delivers Melon Mania to Consumers (PR)

04/29/2011 21:50:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRONTERA PRODUCE DELIVERS “MELON MANIA” TO CONSUMERS EDINBURG, TX – (April 29, 2011) - Frontera Produce, LTD, a vertically integrated grower, packer and shipper of fresh ...

Full story

Monsanto Chemical Shown to Cause Infertility and Super Weeds

04/29/2011 13:29:00

Foundations

http://garrettpopcornblog.com/garrett-popcorn-supports-the-ndigo-foundation/
Excerpt:

Songs and more

Ronnie Dunn We All Bleed Red
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElCIGdLx4UM

Fuckin Perfect Pink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocDlOD1Hw9k

The slow drip...... the next slash, the stream.... and then the
smell.
Crimson until it turns dark brown then black on the towel, on the
chair, on the rug.
The puddle and then the stain grows.
It's fascinating watching the life drip drip drip at first then spurt
then it fades.
I care no more to stop it, it continues to drain the life force from
me and I feel faint..........
I only want the nothingness now. The pain of it all is too much and
the color of red seems to fill my every sense. I hear the heart
pound....... I feel the weakness, I smell the odor and I taste the
blood in my mouth. I see the dark dark color of it all around.
I feel the life flowing out of me.
Now I'm awake again and the bandages cannot be seen this time. The
places of the wounds aren't visible now as the white night gown
covers them. The white of the sheets cover the gown and the redness
is covered with the white bandages.
Where am I? How did I get here? She says I called to say good-bye
as the pain was too much but I don't remember. She says she was on
the phone with me when I passed out. Why, I asked did you call? You
knew of my pain. You knew of my ache.
"You called to say good-bye and I wasn't ready for you to leave me to
go forward without you. I was selfish. I wanted you here with me to
continue teaching me and helping me to help myself. You loved me
when others didn't. You believed in me when others didn't. You held
the hope for me when I couldn't hold it for myself. I want to do
that for you now."
"But I don't want it back. I don't want the hope again only to have
it stricken from me over and over. I cannot believe again as it
hurts too much. If it happens again, let me go. If I call, please
say good-bye and let me go. If it's selfish, I'm sorry, but the pain
is too much. I cannot do enough to make the pain go away. I cannot
heal enough not to feel the pain. I want to go home where it's quiet
and tranquil and there is nothing..... I want to leave this place for
it isn't a place for gentle spirits. I cannot continue to fight,
it's too much....... Please, let me go and plant a rose for me as my
spirit flies away where a breeze blows and a star shines. Love me
enough to let me go."

Lots of mystuffs

Message #892 of 4889 < Prev | Next > 
Drowned, Busted, and Fallen
by Cal

I visited a place where I thought I would fit in.
I didn't.
I rolled with the flow and drowned.
I hobnobbed with the biggies and got busted.
I soared with the eagles and fell.
The doctor with the money maligned me.
The nurse with the power abused me.
The counselor with the education seduced me.
We are the caring, and often the wise and,
when guided gently, we glow, love, and share openly.
But watch out, the system's still in place!
The 'Hierarchy' still exists, and it's bloodthirsty.
One must learn the Doctor's ways and shift to his will.
One mustn't learn the Nurse's parentage or be ready for the kill.
One must learn the counselor's jealousy and have a hard hard heart.
I'm SMI and, with my peers, we cut, we shoot,
we pop, we drink....... and we die.
But I'd rather be in the presence of my peers....
for they hurt as much as I, while the others only profit from the lie.

Flag of the Children
by Cal

When I went to sleep last night
the flag was still on high,
But in the morn when the sun shined through,
the flag had ceased to fly.
The flag was blood stained on the
ground for all the world to see.
The joke, it seemed, had been
played out and finally we were free.
The People of the world
gathered round the flag to look;
It didn't have the same meaning
now as in the history book.
The children laughed and hugged and cried.....
the day was very bright.
The beasts were hidden in the shadows,
to try again at night.
But now the tune of love was there,
the beasts could rant and rave;
The flag they flew was on the ground,
being dragged into their cave.
They'll try again another day
to bring us to our knees,
But the children of the land
connect in ways that seem to please.
The flag that flies now shows
The Children all around......
It is a mixture of softer hues,
a flag of light .....
NEVER to touch the ground....
It will fly without the pole,
as it is the people's now you know.
The giver this time is from above
and he is in control.
It doesn't have lines nor stars on it,
nor a moon or sun to see,
But if it flies over a house,
or a school THOSE folks this time are free.
It flies all over the world today
in union with the people
It flies over Iraq, Brazil
and in Mexico on a steeple.
It's seen in Italy, Germany,
France, and also in Japan
It's a beautiful sight to see, in Palestine,
Afghanistan,
Syria and in Iran.....
We all got our wish today,
from the Children of the Land:
PEACE, Love, Hope,
LIVES in the hearts of the Children.


My Imaginary Love
by Cal

My imaginary love!
or are you truly real?
I reach for you and find
you are not there,
yet know you need the tender loving care
that only I can give…
This world runs on today,
and I know these sweet and bitter heartaches
are all that keep me going….
I reach out to help the others
when I cannot reach for you
and in helping them I find the painful
richness that rewards me…
Sometimes I miss you so,
but then I feel our spirits dancing in the glow,
the afterglow of us, united.

My Prayer for Today
by Cal

In all of our grieving processes and all of our pain, I am now going to suggest one of the biggest fears that we’ve all faced.
A while ago in my search for art and for information I came across a sweet calendar that in one phrase said it all.
“Blessed are they whose God is Lord.”
It stuck in my mind and still sticks there.
What if the God most worship today is Satan or an evil force? What if, it set itself up in the high places of Godly worship and remains entrenched there? (After all, isn't it written someplace that we will worship an antichrist?)
In the churches people have learned to ask for money and for whatever reason, it becomes the central theme of many churches. As I see today’s world, love of money is the Root of all evil and although many of the churches were built on the concept ‘God as Lord’, they don’t maintain long in that arena.
I have never been affiliated with an organized religion, from the outside looking in, people in their quest for the Lord have become involved in the most insidious lie ever told.

My Prayer for the Day
May 31, 2004
Thank you Lord for helping me to understand that I had to meet You in my own way on my own terms for You to be my true Saviour, and True Guiding Light.
Did I sin, You betcha, did I hurt others in my search, You betcha, do I live totally in Your light, I try but I falter often, but then again, I’m not perfect. I am good and I am willing to learn. If I show prejudice, it is because of my own ignorance, and not the other person’s identity. Am I perfect, NOT by a long shot but I cherish Your children and Love PEOPLE of all colors, creeds and nations.
I pledge to You my Lord that I will study, learn and continue to grow as I go forward in the true Battle of my life......... I will always try and do onto others as I would have them do onto me. And yes, I will do onto them first when I see that they need a helping hand. I will scream out to the Regime and I will still be human when I wanna kick some ass. My love of mankind and womankind will open doors for others when their minds accept that WE ARE of ONE LIGHT.
I will try and be stable and try and be patient when they aren't ready to accept what I have to say. Once again, I will be human and may walk away frustrated and beaten until once again You advise me of how to go forward.
“Blessed are they whose God is Lord.”
Amen!
Love and Peace
Cal

My Sweet Internet Love
by Cal, 11-23-2003

Sometimes, I realize that you and I can never be.
It's the other side of heaven was made for you and me.
Still I want you in my life, touching me physically
But I know if it happens it may not come easily.
I shall hasten to love you fully, as much as I can
If I lose you, I'll have my memories and I'll understand.
that I might lose you is something that makes me cry
Without your love, my spirit may wither and die.
You are there in my heart always touching my soul
But I know there'll come a timewhen you might have to go
It hasn't always been easy, this love we've had
There are days I feel deeply wounded and sad
It's never been something I've known well how to do.
But I've known from the start that it was pure and true.
You pop in on occasion, to check up on me
quite often you surprise me and fill me with glee.
Sometimes I see you and sometimes I see you not
But I know in your heart my best interest you've got.
You may think there are times that I'm all unaware
But here inside of my heart I know you are there.
You worry sometimes that I might know way too much
But you know it's right and it's more than a touch.
It's your spirit and mine encircling, my love
When we question our US, know it's sent from above.
I remember I told you that we're meant to be
You as an eagle, me a horse running free.
I know you can tell, dear, that it's a our special place
By the way we're together in this hurried race.
I feel you surround me and I know you are there
When I dream of our union, you're touching my hair.
You are always my guy even when you are not
You're my lover of PEACE and the center I've got.
If ever you doubt, love, look deep into my eyes.....
You'll see your image and you'll know it's not lies.
The union we have is such a sweet place to be
It has always been there and it's just you and me.
Together we've been up to the top of the hill
We've touched on a miracle and we feel it still.
You know there are times when I can't even touch base
You are the same and it's something both of us face.
You have your work, love, and all the things that you do
I do as well but it's better because of you.
You fill me up and I love it, I surely do
I hope it goes right back just the same to you.
When you are in doubt, I know you'll go for a while
But I hope you'll come back and share that special smile.
If it happens that you cannot come, love, to me
Then I'll let US go, dear, and I'll set you quite free.
For I know in my heart that your spirit is free
I feel that part often is reflected in me.
Follow your dreams, love, and let me watch as you grow
Sometimes I'll race with you and sometimes I'll go slow.
The best of it all is all the love that we share
The love of the PEOPLE and the way that we care.
You're the height of ecstacy,the depth of my feeling...
You are my floor sometimes, sometimes you're my ceiling........
We'll fly above the rest when the time is just right
Till then my sweet lover, you are my shining knight.

my sweet OnLine Friends....
by Cal

You are my Freshness when I feel stale
You are the Right when all seems wrong
Your are the Insight when I need it most
You are the Eye when mine needs to close
You are the Nest when my home isn't enough
You are the Dream when my nights are long......
You are FRIENDS
MY VISION
by Cal

You are the Place in my heart that holds humanity
You are the Earth in it's natural state
You are the Amen at the end of my prayer
You are the Center of my universe
You are the Eternity where I long to exist
YOU ARE PEACE
You are the peace I Long for
You are the Openess that I crave
You are the Vision that I cherish
You are Everything
YOU ARE LOVE
You are the Healing that I strive for
You are the Ocean full of beauty
You are the Purpose of my being
You are the Etchings and of my Creator
YOU ARE HOPE
On My Way to Die
by Cal

A funny thing happened on the way to my funeral;
I started to live.
I struggled and hurt and the pain ensued
But then I remembered.
I have not one, not two, but three
Wonderful loving creations that I brought into this world.
I thought to myself, it's their turn
And, being older and having fought the system all of my life
I guess I couldn't do to them what I'd had done to me.
I always believed that it was my parents idea for my existence....
NOW, I know better.
I am an example to my children
and I won't give up as my parents did.
I won't die from the fight.
It will invigorate me to go forward.
I won't hate
because that is what I had shown to me.
I won't lie
because that is what was told to me.
I won't quit
because that is what my parents did.
Oh no,
.... not me.
I have much more than my parents did and
although I have a lifetime of pain
from the "Bloody System,"
I never lost me.
I'm a fighter who endured the 1960s
and loved being a hippy....
true fighters you see can do the battle
with PEACE and nonviolence...
it's all in the WORDING.
I'm a woman who was tokenly
given a good job in the 1970s
I'm a 80's lady who endured
the Yuppies as they were my children's idols
I'm a 90's girl who recognized
the wisdom of my grandmother
I'm a millennium grammy who has the rights ....
the rights of passage as I've been there, done that ....
I'm a winner, I'm a fighter,
I'm a lover and most of all,
I'm a survivor.
I'm ready to fight for the VETS of Viet Nam........
they are my heroes as they endured the pain of Not winning a war.....
and coming home to an ugly country
which didn't celebrate them,
instead put them down
and stomped on them.
I'm the older generation now
but I have what past generations didn't.
I have the Internet and I have access to my own kind,
be they white, women, black, men,
yellow, youth, elderly, ageless and ageold.
I have my children, my friends, my confidants
and my heritage.
I have Germans, Italians, Phillipinos,
French, Africans, Japanese, Chinese,
Iranians, Palestinians, Israelis, Mexicans,
Canadians, Scottish, Irish, English..........
Martians........ hehe.........
and the list goes on and on.
I have love and peace
that have never been available
to me before because I have YOU.
Let us unite and let us
PEACE away the demons
that want to destroy US and control OUR world.....

Robbie Mi` Robot
by Cal

RobbieMi`Robot came to me one night
His beret was missing and he looked a fright.
I turned around to close the door
I heard the crash he had hit the floor.
I opened the section to check on his parts
To my amazement he had a human heart.
I tried to raise him, to no avail
How could I explain this incredible tale.
RobbieMi`Robot is human now
There's much to do but I don't know how.
I leaned down and whispered in his ear
He opened his eyes and I saw a tear.
I asked him what had taken place
He looked at me with a human face.
He shook his head and whispered my name
I could tell from his expression he wasn't the same.
I wanted to touch him and hold him near
I didn't want him to feel any fear.
He smiled at me with a lopsided grin
I could no longer write his life with my pen.
He touched my cheek and looked into my face
It was different now he had a heart in place.
No body else would believe me I'm sure
RobbieMi`Robot was sent for my cure.

Dedicated to all those folks that need hope, and dreams and childlike
imagination when all else seems dark.
Cal
Your RockinRobotReporter
Soaring
by Cal

I soared today with my male counterpart
to the universe outside our world.
We flew as connected spirits
and met with a loving entity
to explode into the never ending
journey of one.
We became a snowflake
that fell slowly back to the earth
and melted into the river as a droplet of water.......
we crashed into the rocks in a river
and then we journeyed on a log to the ocean.
We took up residence in the ocean........
waving and floating into the blue
and as the weather saw fit,
we became the mist that traveled back to the land
and there we became a dew drop on a tree.
We fell from the tree to the ground
and absorbed into the dirt to fertilize it with other likeminded souls.......
and we survive as one in our universe.
As our journey continues,
our connectivity along the way insures us
that we will continue and head out again
on our endless journey to completeness.
We reign as the world and as such, we survive.......

Spirit
If they made a movie about our love
by Cal
You are the eagle, ever present by my side, flying over hills and valleys, always free. I am the Mustang, running, jumping and wanting to fly with you. You are the yang to my yin, the green man to my goddess, my male counterpart through life.
You’ve maintained your goodness and I adore that in you. You’ve kept your promises to me, to us, and I love you deeply for that. Most of all, you’ve believed in me and stayed steady in our love.
It isn’t the love that others can understand nor could most mortals live with, but it is ‘us’ and it is true and it is abiding in our journey to PEACE and freedom.
It is a love that makes God’s creations precious. It is sound and solid and it carries me through when I need to feel the presence of wholeness. You make me want to live to see another day. You are my spirit, keeping pace with growth and with ever lasting love.
Be my lover in my dreams and be my total entity when we unite after the universe rises beyond this time.
Be my special friend when I am quiet and be my partner everlasting. Be the pupil in my eye when mine is tired and only sees confusion. Be my heartbeat when my blood runs cold from pain. Be my partner in your times of need and let me comfort you when you desire me to hold your soft gentle soul and kiss away the pain that it has gathered in the human world.
I hold you close in my thoughts, dreams and spirit as we encounter life’s continuing hostility. I pray with you in our common faith to a God that is all goodness. I wish sweet wonderful days of a future beside you as my friend and soul mate.
Know me for who I am and continue supporting our commonality in your own quest for a better world.
You, my sweet net partner are loved and cherished forever.

Cal to her RobbieMi`Robot co-creator and keeper of the faith.
The "Lady" in my LIfe
My Gramma
by Cal

I always enjoyed being around my grandmother. She was about 4'10" and probably weighed 230 pounds. She was the sexiest, most intelligent woman in the world to me. She had knowledge, grace, humor and class that only grew with her age and with each encounter we shared.
My grandparents lived in a shack after the big house burned. There were quilts over the windows and an outhouse. There was an old tree stump that they used for choping off the heads of chickens. (Now, that is quite a memory....... although a bit traumatizing, it left an image I will never forget.... HOW the hell did a chicken run around without a head...... one of those things similar to an airplane flying..... HOW HOW HOW???)
Out in the back yard were fig trees and fences and an underground fort that my uncles booby trapped. There were doors that would knock you on your ass if you happened to touch them just right. It did just that to my grouchy ol' grandpa! My uncle, although a mere 10 years old at the time, wasn't seen nor heard from for three days.
I cannot ever remember anything but fun times when I visited. There were chickens and cows and, once, there was even a horse that stayed for a bit. And way out in the back forty, there were a couple of donkeys.
My grandmother was the one that introduced me to art and coloring and making beautiful pictures...... even as the wind blew thru the cracks in the walls. The papers often blew everywhere. (We even laughed and chuckled at picking them up off of the floor..... or if there was a new mark on the sheet of paper, we incorporated it into the final end product.)
My grandmother's sisters and brother seemed to be from the other side of the tracks and had uptown houses and cars and it never seemed to bother my grandma. Matter of fact, her inner peace and joy seemed to aggravate many of the family. But, you can bet my dad and my uncles worshipped the ground she walked on.

The Song Only I Can Hear
The Box By The Door
Love Today
Yesterday's Pain
by Cal

He came to me in my hour of need. He accepted things that others couldn’t find. He loves those parts of me that I almost left behind.
Finally before walking out the door for my last good-by. I’ll leave the box by the door. Even the picture; me in a white dress, he in a tux. The one with a broken glass. (At least I’d had the restraint to put the others up before the rage.)
Others didn’t know how to find that place, but it was always there wrapped up in pretty lace.
She glanced one last time. She looked around the house they’d shared. The guitar was propped up by the box. (She remembers going in debt for it. It had to be a twelve string, it was four hundred dollars more than a six but he had to have it.)
He found it silently and he made it whole. He unwrapped it tenderly, he found my inner soul.
She looked in the mirror and put on her sun glasses. She glanced back. She had seen the black eyes. Was this really his last revenge? She thought he had done that at the hospital when he’d begged her for forgiveness. She, of course, forgave him, what else could she do? His girlfriend and his little boy waited in the car.
He plays a song for me
that only I can hear
(It was fun at first, he’d always dedicate his
songs to me.)
He touches me inside
he makes it very clear
(It was unnerving, he seemed to know what a woman
wanted. He said all the things that made me believe
again.)

He does those special things
that only he can know
(He brought me flowers every week and a watermelon
when I was pregnant in Feb.)
He makes my eyes light up,
the mirror to my soul.
(He was so good with the kids, it touched me deeply
after my first marriage.)
He’ll bring that special light
he makes me want to live
(i>(He gave me a baby and once again, all was good at home.)
It takes a special man
to touch that place for me
(I had become untrusting of any man BUT with his
songs and the kids, he removed it.)
He is that special man
that only he can be.
(He worked, he drove the kids to school,
he listened to me, he helped me and we created a home.)
He is my partner now
he helps me find my way
(Two words and we were one.)
(He hugged me when I raged and saw only the good,
till the fateful day in March, 1987.)
He sees that part of me
that makes me want to stay.
(He left me when his brother died. He physically
stayed but he was gone and I didn’t know.)
I want to let him know
the way he makes me feel
(He needed to get help. It turned to rage,
we fought, he watched violence on tv and
movies more and more as if a need had to be fulfilled.)
I want to tell him so
it is so very real.
(I wanted him to know how it hurt, I wanted
him to feel my pain.
I want to give to him
the things he gives to me
He took my son and went to Ca,
The special gift he gives
the light he sees in me.
how could he do it? Was he angry for my leaving???)
(He sees the light in our son that once he saw in me.)
The burning light
Kindles deeply in my soul.
The passion sparks so bright
It’s our Creator’s loving goal.
I’ll put the box in the car when I get back from the
service. I’ll take the pictures and the memories
and that damn guitar and I’ll leave it at Goodwill.
Finally, I don’t have to worry that he’ll miss those
things. After the pillow incident and involvement
of my son in the abuse, I can put it aside. (I’ll speak
with his girlfriend and she can deal with
the rest. I don’t want any part of it.)
Now all I have to do is forgive myself. When that
is done, I’ll go forward with my head held high.
First things first. Her little boy and my son,
we’ll walk in together, the four of us...... how
strange this world becomes as we live life and
journey to our next step.

The Child In Our Teacher
by Cal, 2003

Michael's body language exudes happiness when he takes center stage.
He invites his audience to join with him on a trip of teaching, of joy, and of learning.
His boyish good looks appear to be enhanced tremendously when he shares his openness and his childlike sense of adventure.
His sparkling wonderful blue eyes speak volumes as he presents his excitement to the class.
If I could write a scene to display Michael's presence in class, it would be of a little boy in a candy shop.
........
The little boy walks into the candy store having never tasted candy before.
He sees all of the bright vivid colors and all of the different shapes. He smiles openly, as if embarking on a trip of a life time.
He intuitively knows that every candy he will taste today will be exquisite.
The lemon, the cherry, the raspberry and the chocolate will be savored if only for one moment in eternity. (Not to worry, Michael knows that one instance often times is that treasured memory, later cherished. He seems to hesitate before indulging. He knows full well that he is going to taste a bit of heaven today.)
He glances around and even though the candy is already paid for, he sneaks a lick of the lemon drop. Ummmm, the lick is so simply lemon ....but delicious. He closes his eyes and licks it again. Yes, it is scrumptious.
He opens his empty plastic bag. He slowly peaks around and slips the licked lemon drop back into the bag.
Next, he decides on the cherry licorice. He looks at it and he squeezes it to see what the texture is like. He wants to remember this day forever. After all, there aren't many boys who have to wait till they are five to have a taste of CANDY.
Once again, Michael looks around as if it's forbidden to bite off a bit of the bright red cherry licorice. He bites down and closes his eyes as he chews. He then hurriedly munches the whole piece. His mood has changed from that first moment he tasted the lemon drop.
His fingers are sticky now but that doesn't stop him. He slowly opens the chocolate bar. The chocolate melts a bit on his hand as he pulls it completely out of the wrapper. He sneaks a peek around the store. Nobody is watching, he licks the dark spot on his finger. Ummmmmm, THAT is ummm, so good. He takes a bite of the bar and he is suddenly ecstatic and cannot wait to gobble down the rest of this new found taste. He will still have another chocolate bar after this one is eaten so, he bites off another tasty bite and then he closes his eyes and slowly and deliberately eats the remainder.
........
This is what Michael shares with his students. He shares a sense of adventure in his journey and he welcomes his students to join him in his quest for knowledge.
If you are lucky enough to be a participant in Michael's trip, you will receive acceptance, love, and a sense of safety. Even the smallest candy; the pop rock, is treasured for it's snappy uniqueness.
September 19, 2003
The Key is in Your Hand
by Dedra McCullough

My love said to me:
“Take these chains from my heart and set me free.”
My love, the key is in your hand as I turn to walk away.
You stare after me as if I should say something.
There is nothing I can say. There’s not a word I can utter.
We've been through many things you and I and through it all I've loved you unconditionally and now, if I must, I will let you go the same.
I won't ask you why and I won't let you see me cry.
The love we have was much more than I'd expected
so I cannot be unjust as I give you the way out.
You must decide and you must make it right for you.
You have your heart to protect and you have your life.
I will only tell you that you are one of a kind
and I will forever be grateful that I've had you in my life.
I will take my memories of us and
I will place them safely in a place to be treasured.
I will write of the times we've shared
until there comes a future that I can no longer remember them.
I will share them with my grandchildren
so they in turn will share them with theirs.
You are my sun and my moon and my heartstrings
and yes, I will miss all of those things.........
but if you must go, they no longer belong to me.
They are once again yours to reconnect with and move forward.
They are once again of your heart/soul/and spirit
and no longer a connection with my entity.
You take with you many memories of the times we've shared.
You take my giggles and my dreams.
You leave with me the fire and the lust
and most of all the love that will linger forever in my soul.
You, have been my rock and my pillow
and you have been my best friend.
With that, I can only rejoice at the time we've shared.
With that I can only know that My God was very generous
with me when he sent you to me to be my healer.
You my love are my special friend, confidant and angel...............
so off with you to the woods to find beauty in your future
as you've never experienced before
for you are the wind and the sand,
and the trees blowing softly through the night
only to come alight in the morrow with the dew and the rainbow
The Land of the Brave and the Free
by Cal

The Children of the World
watched closely as the story
began to unfold
In the land of the
Brave and the Free.
Who would have known
the hurt and the pain
as the people opened their eyes?
The illusion was shattered.
Round the bodies they gathered,
to pick up their next of kin.
The mothers were crying.
The Regime had been lying.
Now the burying had to begin.
The people were shocked
the box was unlocked.
Where was the end to be?
So dig as we must
through the dirt and the rust,
let's find out the truth as we go.
The earth was on fire
for the evil desire
of money, blood and oil.
Would the people yet see
in the Land of the free
America's not built on free soil?
The meds aren't working,
it's happened before
But this time it's different, I know much more.
A vacation from them is what I need
But will I get the chance, will I succeed?
The doctor I trusted is no longer around
Maybe the best thing to do is to stay home bound
To go through the motions out in the world
Makes me vulnerable to them (the system) and what they've been told.
I won't take the others (meds) cause they are a scam
To make big money and turn me into a lamb.
I've done it before and I'll succeed this time
This thing that they do is indeed a crime.
It isn't a big deal except that I'm scared
It seemed different before as the doctor cared.
I won't be a zombie, or an experimental rat
To fill the pockets of the big fat cats.
The Modern Day Holocaust
All in the name of a bloody "Red White and Blue."
by Cal

A child sobs in the rubble
a mother cries, as she sees the uniform
He's but a mere child himself
with a look of terror in his eye.
What did he see?
What made him shoot.
it's just another day in Afghanistan.
Another child lost
Two mothers' hearts broken
Another day in The Modern Day Holocaust.
Two uniforms at the door
A mother's heartwrenching moan
A gunshot wound to the head
He died at twenty by his own hand.
Another day of the The Modern Day Holocaust.
An orphan runs and rocks the Hummer
The driver swerves in Iraq.
An orphan no longer
He's crushed under a tire.
The driver leans down to see if he's breathing
He could have been his little brother.
He died at twenty-three, a gunshot wound to the head
Two uniforms at the door.
A mother's heart wrenching moan.
Another day of the Modern Day Holocaust.
Two Middle Eastern mothers ......
Cry for their children
Two young lives taken
Another day of the Modern Day Holocaust
Two American mothers
Cry for their children
Two young lives taken
Another day of the Modern Day Holocaust
All in the name of ..... "The Red White and Blue."


The Rise of the Villages
by Cal

Once the Federal Reserve and the shadow government had been abolished, there were many changes in the world.
When there was no monetary value everything became easier. That was a feat in and of itself as the world had never known a dollarless society. It had seemed chaotic at first.
Cal had been setting a precedent that day in court. She had adopted Michael and Terri. They were of age but still, it seemed the one thing Cal needed to do. She loved them as if they were hers and, from the beginning, they truly were.
The shadow government had controlled everything, including love. It wasn't as easy to have as one might imagine. It was always based on the theory that one must derive something from the relationship.
Indeed, Cal did derive something from the relationship with her adopted children. It made it easier to have a relationship 'OUTSIDE' the norm. It was based purely on unconditional love.
Cal and Cat had drawn up papers as had many of their friends. Cat was now officially Cal's sister. It just worked that way and details are unimportant now. We'll discuss it later if the editor gets involved........ as surely he will as he too is a brother and extended part of their adopted family. (HA, wait till he hears that one, as if he didn't bring MyTown to me ..... hahahaha!)
You see in the age of spiritual enlightening, it was found that whole villages could work together to become HOME for those in need. (You'd be surprised, after MyTown, villages began popping up worldwide with MyTown set as an example.)
Color, religion, culture, language were all put aside as the villages began to appear. It was nothing for a group of like minded individuals to become relatives.
Time after time, the habitants of the villages would surprise the world with the generosity they displayed to one another. It was indeed a sight to behold.
Folks became loving and gentle with one another's spirits........ as the basis for all of the villages was communication.
The ideas abounded on the net. There were connections that were indeed a bit 'different' but who's to say it wasn't politically correct? After all, politically correct became obsolete after the fall of the REGIME.
'Politically Correct' had always been an oxymoron, but in the brighter days, it was finally seen as one and put to rest. Education became a thing of the past except when taught gently, with loving care, as it should have been all along.
People that had indeed fallen to the REGIME's plot began to make an appearance in the villages, trying to break through the walls. Most wanted acceptance, but some still clung to old ways and wanted to stir up things.
Once in a while, the 'others' made it inside but were soon recognized and dealt with. The village people had been tolerant, and even giving, until it became apparent that the 'others' could not and would not come around. They still had THAT thing about instigating trouble and competition.
When it happened and the villagers recognized that all people were love worthy, they were sent to the village of the teachers and trainers to be deprogrammed.
Most often, the 'others' came around. That was truly a beautiful thing to behold. The percentages were never counted but more and more, they saw the light and they came back around.
They had been gently taught in a rebirth. No, they weren't thought to be born again. The principles had been truly of the flesh this time. It was a combination of theories based on physical, spiritual and emotional PEACE.
Theories that were from within the children of the world. Theories based on growth unknown in past history. (We still to this day, question the emergence of this growth. It seems to be deep seated in the elders and, once shared, it seems to flow generationally from mother to child.)
The villagers were adamant about PEACE and it has become the norm. It hadn't been easy and the resolve came from 'the few' in the beginning. ......... it grew as time passed and it grows on today as the world blossoms.

The Song Only I Can Hear
by Cal

He plays a song for me
that only I can hear
He touches me inside
and makes it very clear.
He does those special things
that only he can know
He makes my eyes light up,
the mirror to my soul.
He brings that special light
he makes me want to live.
It takes a special man
to touch that place for me
He is that special man
that only he can be.
He is my partner now
he helps me find my way
He sees that part of me
that makes me want to stay.
I want to let him know
the way he makes me feel
I want to tell him so
it is so very real.
I want to give to him
the things he gives to me
The special gift he gives;
the light he sees in me

Till I Met You
by Cal

There was a piece of my heart missing till I met you
Now that place has been filled.
It took position in that vacant space
and it makes me whole.
You were my missing heart piece
You were my happiness waiting.
You were my inner light
When darkness seemed endless.
There was only now till I met you
There is a tomorrow forever with you.
There is hope where only a glimmer lived before
It is a mountain growing bigger every day.
Love was only a word till you believed in me
It NOW is the center of my universe.
It's there for others because of you
It's there for you because of us.
We touched on something bigger than either of us
And when we became 'us' it grew bigger still.
It is growing love and commitment to the higher us
It is the light that makes for unity around the world.
It is caring in ways that others are learning too.
It is much more than I'd ever dreamed.
It is a willing heart and a united spirit that grows bigger
As the light becomes brighter.
You give me much when you give me you.
I give it back and it blossoms still more.
How can I speak of you and express the fullness of me?
It's intertwined in us and where I leave off you begin.
It is much more than I ever dreamed and there is still much more to come.
You are my voice in my humanity, you are my light in my soul.
You are me....... growing into MORE united we are light glowing brighter.
We are the Children of the Universe, We are the future, We Are the light..........
WE ARE PEACE.......

Together We Are As One Thru All Time
10/1/2003
by Cal

What did I know of love before you?
I knew of a child’s innocent love and the love of a few friends.
I only know that I loved you before I met you and I’ll love you till past this lifetime.
You and I may always have a love unconsummated but the depth of it is amazing.
It’s so much more than I ever dreamed.
I feel your presence and I know you’re there. I know one day it will be impossible to
Communicate here and there but it’s ok. I know your ideals, I know your sweet values and Your hard work. I know your charm and I know your heart.
I love you from the heavens of pre-destiny and after, for all of eternity and beyond.
You are my sweet wonderful conscience and soul and the connection only forever can know.
You bring me such sweet loving words in my dreams. You encourage me when I falter and you pick me up when I fall. You are my energy when I am tired and my sleep when my lids close.
You give me hope when I feel hopeless and you give me soft kisses in my dreams.
I give it back to you in the mirror of my heart. The heart is only human but it
contains my ache for you and my joy for us.
You will be my lover of PEACE and the joy reflected in my eyes when I
Meet you in that place after this.
Heaven is made for joint spirits and connected souls…that is where I will wait for you and that is where we will know the love that we were never quite allowed to pursue here.
Now, then, past and forever.
YOU My Love,are my song; my lyrics, my rhythm and my voice.

up, up and away
by Cal

They laid her to rest on a hot Arizona day.
The oldest of the children chuckled.
She could have sworn her mother had blinked.
She knew her mom well and this was not the end.
She had always promised this one (HER OLDEST) she would return
"Ahhhhhh, Ma, please be gentle when you come back, k?"
"No 'Boo' or anything to scare me to death, alright? You promise? "
She looked at her mother's clothes.
No black dress and high heels for her...
She'd gotten her way, her hair all astray and even at this age, only slightly gray
As if it were a right of passage, her mother's hair hung
long and stringy...... scary almost but free of spray, free of gel
FREE like her mom's personality.
Barefoot with toenail polish ...... (OK, so one little thing was establishment) but at her mom's request, she had bought the polish at a used clothes store and it was bright red.....
Her lips were shiny with a bit of gloss - no color. Why now when it never worked in life for her.
Her attire was hippie and she had wonderful flowers adorning her hair. Her face looked soft and even though a wrinkle or two could be seen, there was just a bare touch of make-up to add a little color to the whiteness of death.
She looked happy, her child noticed. She had known it was time and she had gone over without much of a hitch. The only thing she was adamant about was that her children let her go the same.
Yes, it seemed a time for sadness but her oldest wasn't sad. Funny, she was crying but it was for the PEACE her mother wanted and sought all of her life. She knew now it was hers and it made her weep.
She knew her mother had stuck around this long for her and her siblings. After all, ninety two was a ripe old age and at 72, her daughter knew how her Ma felt. She had a full life and NEVER a dull moment .......... but it had been time.
Her Ma always said the natural process was for parents to go first..... and out of respect for the kids she had abided by that rule.
There was no coffin....... unless the cardboard box could be called that. But...... her mother had decorated it herself, unbeknownst to her kids. They found it in storage wrapped in an old blanket she had made years ago.
She had painted daisies on the sides and inside was material bought at a yard sale. It was the most beautiful bed for the occasion one could imagine.
The one last request was that she not be buried. She wanted her ashes strewn across the Pacific Ocean as one could imagine a Pisces might want. (Ok already, so the ole lady had a thing or two going on......... Ha!!! She was, after all, human; or was she?)
Her eldest child looked at the hot air balloon and then her siblings, Oh My God! At our age, she wanted us up in a hot air balloon....... experiencing the freedom of flight one last time with her.
Ok, she brought us into this world, the least we can do is this one last request.
"You two ready?" she looked over at her two best friends and they nodded in unison and smiled.
Up up and away in my beautiful balloon........................
The end, or is it???
Walk Barefoot with Me
by Cal

"May I wear your shoes?" he asked me.
"But why", was my reply?
With a tear in his eye and a quiet sigh he asked me this.
"Do you wear your brother's boxers, the ones he found in your room?"
"Do you have your own, the ones with Batman that say boom?"
"Do you consider yourself weak or is it just a fad?"
"Please wear my shoes," I whispered to my friend.
* * *
Walk barefoot with me in my world, live calmly with me in my life..... seek
Peace as we inhale wonder and love openly till the end.
Hope is on the horizon
and if u hold me gently, we will prevail.
Love to you sweet friend!!!

We Shock and Awed Em!
by Cal

We walked to the crop duster
and he opened up the door.
I stacked the leaflets
High... and Neatly on the floor.
I saw the coppers coming
And I gently hit the ground.
The baby inside kicked me
The new hope we all had found
The coppers called the firemen
And the trucks arrived with sound
There see now a note is tacked
quite securely on the door
It says we shocked and awed em -
Love and Peace forever more.
The dusters all were flying
on the scheduled day at noon
And the people all rejoiced
as we sang a happy tune.

We are such a brilliant bunch
- that's a given - in this land
and if you see a duster
flying low and kickin' sand.
You'll know we're getting restless,
us, the Natives of this land
Let's hoist us up some leaflets
Now it's time for us again
Go stir you up some pilots
for Syria or IRAN.
So off to your place of fun
and talk to those boys that fly
You must have a friend or two
with some mischief in his eye.
Go before they rein us in
and have fun like little boys.

Take lots of papers filled with
info - clutter up that town
Go litter on the sidewalk
take the power from the crown.
That day we shocked and awed em,
the top masters were all mad
We were there to have our way
and WE weren't being bad.
The words said much about the geeks,
the unheard internet crowd
And when the papers hit the streets
then the others too were loud.
We worked, we marched, not seen at all
Til the pilots took that step
(and the bulls they took by the balls. )

Well, that was years ago and the leaflets did the trick
Now, the Bushes are in history like the one called Tricky Dick.


When Will They Awaken
by Cal, 2004

My cyberspace life has become so real
How did it happen and what is the deal?
People from the other place sit and say
You must be lonely, or it's a bad day.
You can't find the 'Real' or things that you need
Come back to this side and deal with REAL greed.
They do not know what we see in our world
There's not much hope, the greedy have a hold.
They murder and kill; we stand and we see
The truth in this form; we fight to be free.
One day when it's late and they finally awaken
Who'll be there to pick up the pieces a shakin'?
Will the ones that see evil and doom in the light
Be at their beck and call when THEY can't sleep at night?
We have chosen the path that only WE see for now
While they are still so shaken by SARs and Mad Cow.
How much will it take and what will they think
When they learn the truth, the writings in INK.
For they've chosen their course and they don't know the cost
For their ignorance ... will one day show what they've lost.
I'm tired now and I'm sure it does show....
My eyes are drooping and my thoughts are slow.
I know the ones that I trust have my back
And when I falter they pick up the slack.

Wishes for our love
by Cal

I want to wake to the sweetness of your presence and to the
Overwhelming desire to press into your being.
I want to love you in the morning when the dew is on the ground.
I long to whisper I love you while you sleep
and know that you hear me when you softly moan my name.
I love knowing you love me when I can’t touch you with my hand.
Only my heart knows because you’ve made me feel precious through
Sweet Expression over time.
I wish for you always my sweet delicious moments of love and longings
I will touch you often and share the gentleness of
Our spirits. I will Soar with you to heights as eagles do.
I will touch you tenderly and I will Hold you next to my heart
and feel yours beat.
Let us swing in our playground and walk to the hilltops. Let us
Share the beauty of nature and behold our union as if it is the
Brightness of a Star.
Gaze with me at the moon as if for the first time….. for it shall be
More luminous than when we viewed it alone
Come; inhale with me the very essence of us. Breathe deeply so as Not to lose the entirety of it for it is US as one.


Ron Paul Revolution Themesong
Aimee Allen
Listen

Scientology IV

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bijou_Phillips
Excerpt:
In 1999, she started dating her Black and White co-star actor Elijah Wood; the couple later broke up. In 2004, Phillips began dating That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson;^[9] the couple met at a poker tournament in Las Vegas. They are both Scientologists.^[10] The couple announced their engagement in March 2009.^[11][12]



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Van_Susteren
Excerpt:
Van Susteren married tort lawyer John P. Coale in 1988.^[8] Coale, a self-described "ambulance chaser", became known as "Bhopal Coale" for his solicitation of clients among victims of the Bhopal disaster.^[9] He has served as an adviser for Sarah Palin.^[10]
Van Susteren and her husband are members of the Church of Scientology.^[8][11]
Since 2006, she has been part owner of a restaurant, the Old Mill Inn, in Mattituck, New York, on the North Fork of Long Island.^[12]
In recognition of her Dutch heritage she was asked to assume the role of Honorary Chairperson of the Little Chute Windmill Committee. The windmill, an authentic reproduction of a Dutch one, will be built in Little Chute, Wisconsin, where Van Susteren's family lived for some time.^[13]
She is a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers.^[14]

http://home.snafu.de/tilman/prolinks/greta.html
Excerpt:
Greta and her husband John P. Coale were investors in the Ponzi scheme of Scientologist Reed Slatkin; they invested $2.1 million and received $2.7 million in payments according to this report by the court-appointed trustee. When being told that even innocent parties (i.e. participants who didn't know it was a Ponzi scheme) are required to return the extra money, John Coale said: "I'll fight this thing for 100 years" because "Most of that money went to the IRS." (Source: The Los Angeles Times from 21.12.2001)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_Slatkin
Excerpt:
Reed Eliot Slatkin (born January 22, 1949 in Detroit, Michigan) was an initial investor and co-founder of EarthLink^[2][3] and the perpetrator of one of the largest Ponzi schemes in the United States since that conducted by Charles Ponzi himself.^[4]
Slatkin was an ordained Scientology minister since 1975.^[4][5][6] Around 1984 he changed from being a full-time minister to becoming a self-employed investor, and many of his investment clients and victims were also Scientologists.^[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EarthLink
Excerpt:
In 2002, when co-founder Reed Slatkin's Ponzi scheme made headlines,^[13] EarthLink released a statement:^[14]

"The legal proceedings concerning ex-Board member Reed Slatkin do not involve or impact EarthLink or EarthLink funds. The proceedings involve Mr. Slatkin and his personal clients."

http://www.skeptictank.org/slatkin/rslat019.htm
Excerpt:
The Los Angeles Times reported this week that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (news - web sites) (SEC) is investigating Slatkin. While SEC officials would not confirm the investigation, at least three investor lawsuits alleging fraud or theft have been filed and Slatkin reportedly owes the IRS $6 million.
Blown-Up Returns
An estimated 100 investors, including EarthLink co-founders Sky Dayton and Charles Betty as well as members of the Church of Scientology, of which Slatkin was a member, met with lawyers this week.
The claims against Slatkin, which include allegations that he collected more than $300 million and pocketed over $35 million, could total as much as $600 million or more, according to attorneys.
Published reports indicate that the SEC investigation involves investment fraud and an alleged computerized day-trading operation that would produce annual returns of 60 percent for investors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Dayton
Excerpt:
In 1998 Dayton began taking surfing lessons and quickly fell for the sport. His love for surfing is often featured in articles about him and his businesses.
Dayton is the great grandson of politician, industrialist and poet, Sam DeWitt.
Dayton is married to novelist Arwen Elys Dayton. They are Scientologists and they have three children.^[22][23]

http://www.informationweek.com/news/196800747
Excerpt:
Before joining EarthLink, Betty served as CEO of Digital Communications Associates. He was the youngest CEO of a New York Stock Exchange-listed company, according to Atlanta-based EarthLink.

http://www.sfsite.com/07b/res108.htm  Arwen Elys Dayton.
Excerpt:

"Balance" is as apt a word to describe this novel as "resurrection." Imbalance threatens the survival of the Kinleys, the Lucien, and the people of Earth. The missing technology is the weight that is going to tip the scales irretrievably in one camp's favour. Balance is the directive behind the Kinleys' interaction with the Earth people, then and now. A balance of information appears to be beyond hope. Without a balance of power, no one is coming out of this battle alive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_DeWitt
Excerpt:
Samuel Aaron "Sam" DeWitt (1891 – January 22, 1963) was a businessman, poet, playwright, and politician. He is best remembered as a New York State Legislator who represented Bronx's 7th district from 1919 until his expulsion from the Assembly in 1920.

http://www.historyofcomputercommunications.info/Book/11/11.10_DigitalCommunicationAssociates.html
Excerpt:
Digital Communication Associates

In 1980, investors in Digital Communications Associates (DCA), frustrated with the leadership of the founder John Alderman, began the search for a new president to lead the company that laid claim to be the first to introduce a statistical multiplexer. On February 1, 1981, they hired Bertil Nordin who would, with an infusion of $3.5 million of venture capital, quickly transform the sleepy little company in Norcross GA into a market presence.[9] Nordin remembers:

“If you take any industry that starts out as a cottage industry, you always have a lot of competitors. As the industry grew, it took more and more marketing, more and more R&D in order to remain competitive, and the upshot was that it's like a pyramid.  It starts out with a lot of competitors -- actually, more like an hourglass.  It starts out with somebody with the original product, and then a lot of companies -- small companies -- are in it, and then it narrows down again to be very few of them, and only the strongest survive. So, our feeling was at the time that if you're going to be one of the longer term players, you better put together a pretty broad spectrum of data communications products and become pretty large or you're not going to be one of the survivors. So that's essentially what we did.”

In February 1983, buoyed by the prospects of their new statistical multiplexer, DCA went public and raised $24 million.[10]   A few months later they acquired Technical Analysis Corporation that had a hot product named IRMA that enabled IBM personal computers to connect to IBM mainframe computers. DCA management then set their eyes on the modem manufacturer Rixon, a subsidiary of the French conglomerate, Schlumberger Ltd. They soon reached a deal that for $27 million would transform DCA into a leading Data Communication firm with realistic prospects of reaching $100 million of revenue in 1985.

http://www.alternet.org/world/14877/?page=1
Excerpt:

Disinformation Trumps Facts

Although it sounded credible enough in 1991, the U.S. claim was weak -- although you wouldn't know it from the TV coverage. After the bombing, Michel Wery, the plant's contractor, told the French daily Liberation that the factory was making baby milk when it first started up in 1979, and that its equipment was not built to breed or package viruses. In early February, he reconfirmed his story for the Washington Post, which also quoted two dairy technicians from New Zealand, Malcolm Seamark and Kevin Lowe, who had been inside the plant at least four times, to help another French crew make repairs. Both men corroborated Arnett's story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marissa_Ribisi
Excerpt:
Personal life
Ribisi married Beck Hansen in April 2004,^[7] shortly before giving birth to their son, Cosimo Henri.^[8] The couple's second child, daughter Tuesday, was born in 2007.^[9]
Like her husband and brother, she is a Scientologist.^[4]

http://www.skeptictank.org/gen3/gen01968.htm
Scientology and Self Harm

http://www.lermanet.com/beck/
Excerpt:
A Guide to Beck and Scientology for Journalists and Fans
June 12, 2008 UPDATE
The article that appears below this update was webbed soon after Beck's 2005 album, Guero, was released. Since then, Beck has managed to avoid the limelight as a celebrity Scientologist-with one notable exception.
In July 2007, in New York City, a filmmaker, video game creator, and blogger named Theresa Duncan died of an apparent drug and alcohol overdose. Her death was ruled a suicide. A week after Duncan's death, her companion of twelve years, the artist Jeremy Blake, was reported to have been seen walking into the ocean at Rockaway Beach, New York. His body was found off the coast of New Jersey five days later.
Beck's family and childhood
Beck's father, David Campbell, and mother, Bibbe Hansen, have been Scientologists for over thirty years. Beck has told interviewers he was born at home on July 8, 1970, and has offered numerous stories of growing up in extreme poverty in a rough neighborhood. However, David Campbell was doing quite well as a session musician in the early 70's. Campbell was featured regularly in the Church of Scientology's Celebrity magazine as a successful session musician and arranger. When Beck was a boy, David was arranging and performing at concerts with Linda Ronstadt, and the family was living in comfortable homes in Hollywood and Laurel Canyon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Campbell_(composer)
Excerpt:
Scientology
Beck has been involved in Scientology for most of his life; his wife, Marissa, is also a second-generation Scientologist. Marissa and her twin brother, Giovanni, were delivered by Beck's mother, Bibbe.^[76] Beck publicly acknowledged his affiliation with Scientology for the first time in an interview published in The New York Times Magazine on March 6, 2005. Further confirmation came in an interview with the Irish Sunday Tribune's i Magazine on June 11, 2005, where he was quoted as saying, "Yeah, I'm a Scientologist. My father has been a Scientologist for about 35 years, so I grew up in and around it." When questioned by the interviewer about Scientology's core beliefs, he replied:

What it actually is is just sort of, uh, you know, I think it's about philosophy and sort of, uh, all these kinds of, you know, ideals that are common to a lot of religions....There's nothing fantastical...just a real deep grassroots concerted effort for humanitarian causes. I don't know if you know the stuff they have. It's unbelievable the stuff they are doing. Education...they have free centres all over the place for poor kids. They have the number one drug rehabilitation programme in the entire world (called Narconon). It has a 90-something percent success rate...When you look at the actual facts and not what's conjured in people's minds that's all bullshit to me because I've actually seen stuff first hand.^[77]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=82640
Excerpt:

Warner Bros. Schedules The Gangster Squad

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

September 28, 2011

Warner Bros. Pictures has set an October 19, 2012 release for Zombieland and 30 Minutes or Less director Ruben Fleischer's The Gangster Squad. Written by Will Beall, the crime thriller stars Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Robert Patrick, Michael Peña, Giovanni Ribisi and Anthony Mackie. It is described as follows:

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It's enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop... except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart.

http://www.bibbe.com/bibbe3.htm

Excerpt:

Bibbe Hansen & Boy George Explain It All For You

Bibbe and "The Boy"

New York City

Bibbe is the daughter of artist Al Hansen, and actress Audrey Hansen. As a child she often performed in her father's avant-garde theater pieces called "Happenings". She was also involved in the presentations of his contemporaries at such historical venues as La Mama, Circle in the Square and Judson Church and she was featured in films by Andy Warhol and Jonas Mekas. At the age of thirteen, Bibbe was the youngest of the Warhol Superstars starring in a film entitled, "Prison" opposite Edie Sedgewick.

Los Angeles

A random sojourn brought Bibbe to Los Angeles where she founded a theater company, acted in "B" movies and participated in the local punk scene as musician, and documenteur. She is the mother of three brilliant children, Beck, Channing and Rain; a pop musician, fine artist and poet respectively. From 1990 -1995, with her husband Sean Carrillo, she operated Troy Cafe in downtown Los Angeles. With the incomparable Vaginal Davis, Bibbe formed the band Black Fag and wrote, performed and directed theater and performances with friends like Charles Lane, Jade Gordon, John Aes-Nihil and Edwin Seth Brown.

Scientology and the Virginia Tech Shootings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4biT4KxLiM

http://bernie.cncfamily.com/sc/charles_manson_and_scientology.htm
Excerpt:

Manson was introduced to Scientology by Lanier Rayner, one of his cell mate at the United States Penitentiary of McNeil Island, Washington, where he was assigned on July 1961. The initiative was Rayner's own and wasn't part of any official Scientology program. Manson was dabbling in countless subjects and philosophies at the time and Scientology was a fairly new and fashionable mind development technique.

For a while, Manson would speak of nothing else and would reply "Scientology" if asked for his religion. After about 150 hours of "auditing" (Scientology processes), however, he was screaming to get away from his "auditor" (the person administrating Scientology processes) and even managed to be put in solitary confinement. This was probably due to the fact that Scientology brings one to confront and take responsibility for his unethical behavior, something that, obviously, Manson never could do.

http://www.whale.to/b/constantine6.html
CIA MIND CONTROL AT STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE

By Alex Constantine

December 1996
Excerpt:
Many of the SRI empaths were mustered from L. Ron Hubbard's
Church of Scientology. Harold Puthoff, the Institute's senior
researcher, was a leading Scientologist. Two remote viewers from
SRI have also held rank in the Church: Ingo Swann, a Class VII
Operating Thetan, a founder of the Scientology Center in Los
Angeles, and the late Pat Price. Puthoff and Targ's lab assistant
was a Scientologist married to a minister of the church. When
Swann joined SRI, he stated openly, "fourteen Clears participated
in the experiments, more than I would suspect." At the time he
denied CIA involvement, but now acknowledges, "it was rather
common knowledge all along who the sponsor was, although in
documents the identity of the Agency was concealed behind the
sobriquet of an east-coast scientist."

http://fumento.com/adhd/adhdblock.html
Excerpt:
Dr. Block worked with a group that was founded by the Church of Scientology.
In 2001 Dr. Block was a keynote speaker at a Hollywood seminar on children and attention issues hosted by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a group established by the Church of Scientology. In 1999, the vice president of CCHR reportedly coached Dr. Block for an interview about child violence and ADHD drugs on CNN.
Dr. Block has claimed to suffer from multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS).
Medical authorities, notably the American Medical Association, do not recognize MCS as a clinical disorder. 48 Hours didn't tell the viewers this either.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/us-12.html
Excerpt:

OSA (Office of Special Affairs) -- The Secret CIA of Scientology

Remember one thing, we are not running a business, we are running a government. We are in direct control of people's lives.

-- L. Ron Hubbard, Policy letter of 5 August 1959

---

By the mid-1960s, Scientology was a religion under siege. In the U.S., the Church had been raided by the F.D.A. In England, Scientology was being investigated by Parliament and St. Hill students lived in danger of being deported. The Australian Inquiry was underway and there were tremors from South Africa. Hubbard had been deported from Rhodesia and was under constant F.B.I. surveillance at St. Hill.
Predisposed to paranoia, Hubbard was not one to remain on the defensive for long. "Don't ever defend, always attack," he wrote. "If attacked on some vulnerable point by anyone or anything or any organization, always find or manufacture enough threat against them to cause them to sue for peace...." (1)
Evidence of the war mentality promoted by Hubbard and highly contagious within Scientology is a policy written by Hubbard called The War, in which he announced:

You may not realize it ... but there is only one small group that has hammered Dianetics and Scientology for eighteen years. The press attacks, the public upsets you receive ... were generated by this one group. Last year we isolated a dozen men at the top. This year we found the organization these used and all its connections over the world.... (2)

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/us.html
Excerpt:

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/us-03.html
Excerpts:
1) Nowhere is there a group of predominantly young people more idealistic, more dedicated, more fervently devoted to their cause than in Scientology. Scientologists give their all -- their time, their energy, their money and assets, and even their children -- to the cause, frequently living in a manner that would seem comfortably familiar to, for example, a first-century Christian.

2) The fanatic dedication of the Scientologist does not come about by accident. It is carefully and systematically inculcated by the propaganda of Scientology, to which both the novice and seasoned Scientologist are exposed on a daily basis. Essential, therefore, to understanding both Scientology and the Scientologist is an examination of the propaganda, contained in the millions of words of Hubbard on tape recordings and in printed "bulletins" listened to or read daily by the Scientologist.
A distinction is made here between the propaganda of Scientology and that of Dianetics. In Dianetics, the new convert is led to believe in cures for an endless array of physical maladies, from asthma to allergies to cancer, and even to believe that through Dianetic and Scientology auditing there will be an exemption from death itself. It is fabled that through auditing, the Scientologist of advanced age will be able to simply "drop the body" at will, and without pain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rehabilitation_Project_Force
Excerpt:
Rehabilitation Project Force, or RPF, is a controversial program set up by the Church of Scientology Sea Organization, intended to rehabilitate members of the Sea Organization (not everyday parishioners) who have not lived up to the Church expectations or have violated certain policies. As part of this program, and in addition to the application of Scientology procedures, members do manual labor tasks around Sea Org bases. There have been some reports of overwork and mistreatment at RPF facilities^[1], and the program can take years to complete.^[2][3][4]

The Rehabilitation Project Force developed out of a predecessor group, the Mud Box Brigade, aboard L. Ron Hubbard's private fleet in the late 1960s. The mud box is a small perforated screening box fitted to the suction pipe in the bilge of a ship, and is designed to catch larger solid waste before it can choke the pipeline and potentially damage the pump. The Mud Box Brigade was assigned to clean out the mud box as well as fuel lines, water hues, bilges and so on.^[5] As this involved cleaning foul-smelling waste by hand, it was understandably not a popular task.

http://bernie.cncfamily.com/sc/rpf_melton.htm
Excerpt:
1) If a brother is found to be obstinate, or disobedient, or proud, or murmuring, or habitually transgressing the Holy Rule in any point and contemptuous of the order of his seniors, the latter shall admonish him secretly a first and second time, as Our Lord commands. If he fails to amend, let him be given a public rebuke in front of the whole community. But if even then he does not reform, let him be placed under excommunication, provided that he understands the seriousness of that penalty; if he is perverse, however, let him undergo corporal punishment. [50]

2)  the individual was offered the option of pursuing the RPF program or leaving the Sea Org. In one case, the person I interviewed had misappropriated a considerable amount of church money for personal use.

Once a person is informed of the basics of the RPF option, understand what is involved, and chooses it, s/he signs a document noting his/her agreement to join the program.

Videos to watch
http://forums.whyweprotest.net/threads/hana-whitfield-on-the-cruel-and-depraved-hubbard-in-the-sixties.60290/