tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220213652011-07-08T14:53:03.580+12:00This is yesterday's future... the moment we have been waiting for and co-creating with our imagination, thoughts, words, deeds, fears, hopes, desires - and our silence.James Samuelnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1901100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-23383126478401558222007-08-23T06:24:00.001+12:002011-03-04T07:07:33.278+13:00

I have moved my focus to bring forward more solutions information. If you have read enough of the extensive content of this blog, to sense that there is trouble afoot, you may appreciate some of the things I have found and posted at my main site: www.jamessamuel.co.nz  Come on over :)

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-58934846680170623782007-08-23T06:17:00.000+12:002007-08-23T06:23:33.422+12:00

As I sit here, far away from the madness of the US matrix, I feel I have a perspective advantage that would be difficult when being as close to the struggle as the makers of this clip are. I watched this clip - and appreciate them putting it together.However, will the plea to the other networks amount to much, if "another 9/11" false flag operation is played out on the people of America? An

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-8740066358852797532007-08-12T14:43:00.000+12:002007-08-12T14:55:53.831+12:00

Kim and I witnessed this in Zimbabwe last year, but didn't realise how pervasive it was until we read this...By Chris Nelder I've been watching and waiting for these signs for about five years now: Not just high prices and declining exports, but the slowing of commerce, interstate trucking and air travel, food shortages and similar indications. But the actual feeling of peak oil didn't really

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-84196381553017380212007-07-26T06:25:00.000+12:002007-07-26T06:32:56.938+12:00

ABC NewsJOHANNESBURG — The Elders, a new alliance made up of an elite group of senior statesmen dedicated to solving thorny global problems, unveiled itself today in Johannesburg. The rollout coincided with founding member Nelson Mandela’s 89th birthday. After a grand entrance, Mandela, the former South African president, announced the rest of the Elders. The members include Desmond Tutu, South

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-89716219600591994612007-07-21T12:38:00.000+12:002007-07-21T12:56:56.596+12:00

An inspiring storyRob Hopkins of TransitionCulture.org explained to Global Public Media's Andi Hazelwood about the UK's Transition Movement towards relocalization. Includes great discussion on local currency. On relocalize.net, check out the new Google map of groups.Watch it on YouTube.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-52967984216309457082007-07-04T06:46:00.000+12:002007-07-04T07:05:55.232+12:00

ZEITGEIST, The Movie - Official Release"They must find it difficult...Those who have taken authority as the truth,rather than truth as the authority."- Gerald MasseyThe definition of the title, Zeitgeist, is "the spirit of the age," This film (1hr 56min) pulls together many valuable ideas, and questions some basic assumptions about our society with research and logic that is compelling,

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-64553810292299628412007-06-28T12:35:00.000+12:002007-06-28T12:44:36.596+12:00

From Harvey Jones: The article below was in our local newspaper last night. Eketahuna is a small town of only about 1,000 or less people, nearby my home town of Pahiatua (pop 3,000).There has been a running down in New Zealand of various local services. At Eketahuna the local community are taking things into their own hands. A few years ago the petrol station burned down and none of the oil

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-73276374335246477022007-06-14T22:16:00.001+12:002007-06-14T22:30:28.331+12:00

Kelpie Wilson Interviews Jason BradfordJason Bradford is a PhD evolutionary biologist who studied the effects of climate change on cloud forests in the Andes under the auspices of the Missouri Botanical Garden and other institutions. But in 2004 he switched his focus from study to action by initiating a remarkable community organizing effort in his new home town of Willits, California, called

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-29923374503982171262007-06-08T22:35:00.000+12:002007-06-08T22:36:20.561+12:00

I have passed this to a few friends and they all found it to be helpful in understanding the con that is the present economic system. Check it out and see if it doesnt change the way you look at banking and the entire social structure that is built on "modern day economics."

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-28525883248401815992007-05-16T09:11:00.000+12:002007-05-30T10:49:01.929+12:00

A new mechanism for focusing light on small areas of photovoltaic material could make solar power in residential and commercial applications cheaper than electricity from the grid in most markets in the next few years. Initial systems, which can be made at half the cost of conventional solar panels, are set to start shipping later this year, says Brad Hines, CTO and founder of Soliant Energy, a

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-8902761319896254832007-05-15T19:16:00.000+12:002007-05-15T20:35:55.822+12:00

The author of the following piece describes himself as follows:I am a Canadian activist who is concerned about interlocking environmental issues. My environmental interests began as a skeptic (I describe myself as a "Summa Cum Laude graduate of the Bjorn Lomborg School of "Don't Worry, Be Happy"), but I've become alarmed by the number of interconnected resource, environmental and social crises

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-43431214921430593652007-05-04T13:26:00.000+12:002007-05-04T13:28:42.644+12:00

Former Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska won Best of Show at the Presidential Debate in South Carolina. To quote Richard Moore, "How rare to hear real sense from a politician in the mainstream media."

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-20709582001109131382007-05-03T21:56:00.000+12:002007-05-03T22:06:45.128+12:00

Here are visuals with the original soundtrack - very uplifting . . .Whenever life get you down, Mrs. BrownAnd things seem hard or toughAnd people are stupid, obnoxious or daftAnd you feel that you've had quite enu-hu-hu-huuuuffJust remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolvingAnd revolving at 900 miles an hourThat's orbiting at 19 miles a second, so it's reckonedA sun that is the

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-78227049836554843602007-05-03T21:28:00.000+12:002007-05-03T21:34:14.095+12:00

PARIS, April 26, 2007 (AFP)Much of western Europe is seeing record temperatures for April which has led to a growing drought threat in many countries. With temperatures in northern France well into the upper 20s Celsius (70s Fahrenheit), the average is more than 10 degrees Celsius (15 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal for April, according to Meteo France, the national weather office. Belgium

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-33409651300318206122007-05-03T21:20:00.000+12:002007-05-03T21:26:17.281+12:00

Darn it - this one just wont go away. The official story is being shot full of holes. The world must wake up soon, or dive deeper into denial - what a hard choice. The trouble with waking up is that it comes with responsibility for doing something about what we learn.Ignorance or denial are easier - carry on, no need to change or confront things we don't want to believe.Sorry to have to do this

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-55191722159701050162007-04-09T21:14:00.000+12:002007-04-09T21:34:47.662+12:00

I just watched this one tonight. Happily I found it has already been posted on Google video, so I didn't have to.From the Indy site where you can buy the film: It explains how the world's economic system operates in terms of a crazy and very unfair game that children are playing, and so it captures the imagination of its viewers.A fantastic video to help understand the politics and economics of

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-83880201399858024762007-04-09T11:01:00.000+12:002007-04-09T11:22:19.432+12:00

A quote from David Holmgren's recent book:Permaculture,Principles & Pathways Beyond SustainabilityBecause of the high-energy nature of the modern world, each person, especially in rich countries, has much greater power and impact on nature and society than any previous -- or probably, future -- generation. Estimates of the resources that a person in the rich world commands are in the order of 100

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-90800800083631221182007-04-06T15:26:00.000+12:002007-04-06T15:45:28.519+12:00

New solar cells developed by Massey University don't need direct sunlight to operate and use a patented range of dyes that can be impregnated in roofs, window glass and eventually even clothing to produce power. Researchers at the centre have developed a range of synthetic dyes from simple organic compounds closely related to those found in nature, where light-harvesting pigments are used by

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-77306335325635817812007-04-03T22:24:00.000+12:002007-04-03T22:40:07.107+12:00

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-68965654978058280542007-04-01T13:15:00.000+12:002007-04-09T11:05:23.348+12:00

This makes for a very interesting read. I am not sure where I stand with this information, but it is a view not often expressed. However I did find the following quote via this article: Everyone, regardless of your position on global warming or the environment, must take into consideration the solutions that we are being given, as well as the forces behind them which

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-30783456350840038872007-03-29T10:00:00.000+12:002007-04-06T15:45:13.612+12:00

The project is applying to use part of the tidal mouth of the Kaipara Harbour in northern New Zealand to generate electricity using submerged marine turbines. Crest Energy plans to generate power for 250,000 NZ homes, or 200 MW, by harnessing about 2.5% of the power of the tidal flows in to and out of the Kaipara Harbour.For a rapid understanding of the Crest

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-85508755965798573392007-03-26T08:17:00.000+12:002007-03-26T08:51:47.457+12:00

I was so impressed by this, that I have posted it here in its totallity.This is not my work. Please visit Richard Neville's site for more...--------Journal of a FuturistBy Richard Neville - Mar 7, 2007 Cans Seurat, 2007 - Digital C print, 72x110"Depicts 106,000 aluminum cansthe number used in the US every thirty seconds.16 reasons to be cheerful 1. The public has long been ahead of

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-91949903086839682012007-03-17T09:50:00.000+13:002007-03-17T10:09:05.062+13:00

I continue to post the occasional piece on this subject because it seems that there is an opportunity here to show that like the emperor who wore no clothes, the dominant media is naked and struggling to maintain its legitimacy.Despite the glaringly obvious flaws in the official story (myth) of 911, the media is hanging on desperately to its original and flawed position of supporting the quickly

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-27981233708479007632007-03-12T08:45:00.000+13:002007-03-12T09:18:35.967+13:00

Total U.S. debt is 3.5 times GDP, a level never seen before. The second highest level was 2.9 times in 1929 [does this date ring any bells?]. Read more...And for a longer article on the current level of US debt, go here.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-64957807397186597182007-03-09T12:12:00.000+13:002007-03-09T12:34:05.964+13:00

This was sent to me by a couple of people yesterday. It is brief and very well done...Talk is rising of a ‘clash of civilizations’. But the problem isn’t culture, it’s politics – from 9/11 to Guantanamo, Iraq to Iran. This clash is not inevitable...From avaaz.org

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-48406134354997073782007-03-09T07:26:00.000+13:002007-03-09T07:44:12.934+13:00

Individuality and Democracy: A Way of Life At Sudbury Valley School, students from preschool through high school age explore the world freely, at their own pace and in their own unique ways...Through self-initiated activities, they pick up the basics; as they direct their lives, they take responsibility for outcomes, set priorities, allocate resources, and work with others in a vibrant

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-12295613031904961562007-03-08T09:26:00.000+13:002007-04-06T15:48:22.973+12:00

For two years we had been blessed with an amazing clifftop home on the sunny side of an equally amazing island. We have been enjoying sunrises and sunsets all year round.While there, we were gifted with the arrival of our baby Zuva - born in a yurt we erected on the edge of the cliff as a birthing room. It would be reasonable to ask, why would we move? Well, we had both sensed that it was time.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-49376060037113530002007-03-04T12:49:00.000+13:002007-03-04T12:53:02.166+13:00

Ooops!What happened here? Here's the claim:"On September 11th 2001, BBC World reported at 4:57pm Eastern Time that the Salomon Brothers Building (more commonly known as WTC7 or World Trade Building 7) had collapsed. (4:30)This even made the 5pm EST headlines, what is bizarre is that the building did not actually collapse until 5:20pm EST.9/11 was unusual enough, without BBC World being able to

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-91964212866702181302007-02-23T07:23:00.000+13:002007-02-23T07:40:24.219+13:00

Let's see if this sort of approach helps people see through the dominant media's bias. Perhaps this is the sharp point of the wedge that undermines Fox, and other dominant media channel's position, as the source of reliable news?Imagine what will happen as more and more people realise that the dominant media is just that, dominant? Imagine the social change that will come as numbers of people

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-77922358931676435772007-02-15T11:32:00.000+13:002007-04-06T15:45:13.615+12:00

At the beginning of January I posted an article from this company.It seems that Solar maybe finally becoming cost effective - ie as cheap as grid power! Thin-film solar films are more than 100x thinner than silicon-wafer cells and thus have major materials cost advantages. Roll-printing production processes are simple, robust, and more than entire order-of-magnitude faster in throughput

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-68475206752764831102007-02-04T09:31:00.000+13:002007-02-04T10:33:15.082+13:00

Much of my time over the last few years, has been spent pondering just how we can connect to one another in these challenging times.Everyone has their own story of struggling with different views, but recently this question has been prompted again for me by the 'development' of a neighbouring property. The scale of the work being done, which I am told is for a holiday home that will be occupied

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-56846726097024906642007-02-03T09:31:00.000+13:002007-02-03T10:39:41.733+13:00

Things are bit busy at the moment, but given this is Saturday and I notice I get a lot of visitors over the weekend I thought you might enjoy these two items, that relate well. They are both reasonably lengthy and come at the same issue from different angles.Paranoid shift by Michael Hasty... I worked at the CIA myself as a low-level clerk as a teenager in the '60s. This was at the same time I

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-14938834427790218692007-01-28T17:03:00.000+13:002007-01-28T21:09:55.232+13:00

. . . on "the property" of a person who expressed upset at my sudden appearance. I was bemused by his response to my landing on the big open grassy area in front of his house. In my 11 years of paragliding people are generally intrigued at watching someone swoop around above their homes, and enjoy talking about it when given the opportunity - after all flying like a bird is one of man's oldest

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-91521513575279358492007-01-27T13:37:00.000+13:002007-01-28T17:43:33.519+13:00

After posting the last item on the economic takeover of Aotearoa, I got to thinking about property rights and our relationship to this 'concept' we find so mightily defended in the West. After all it is only a convention - albeit one that most Westerners agree on - that if we 'own' property we have certain rights.Globalisation and Autonomy: "Are there other ways to imagine human-territorial

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-7351985352039587042007-01-27T11:08:00.000+13:002007-01-27T12:13:52.477+13:00

When I opened up this email from Christoph Hensch I was more than a little concerned. I am witnessing this trend directly and personally here on Waiheke Island, where I live. Northern hemisphere refugees, wanting to escape the social, political, and environmental degredation of their countries, are arriving with pots of overseas money and buying up large.Awareness is the first step.Foreign

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-917412311463724152007-01-20T09:49:00.000+13:002007-01-26T21:11:51.995+13:00

Did I tell you that this year is my year for focusing on food? Specifically local food production in all its wonderful and diverse forms. I see us using the great breadth and depth of wisdom and knowledge we have, so we can begin to enjoy an abundance of healthy and vibrant, locally grown food fit to nourish our souls. I see a generosity of spirit as one after another land owner or land

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-10880941275286173192007-01-19T15:56:00.000+13:002007-01-19T16:01:15.527+13:00

Here is the 34 minute video compilation that Derek and I put together with the help of a dear friend and video editor. It is a collection of short clips from six current documentary films describing some of the challenges that face us as a species. They are organised under the headings of Peak Oil, Economic Collapse, Climate Change and Responses to these. Here is a list of the films and a

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-52297003531094015672007-01-13T20:08:00.000+13:002007-01-26T22:24:46.633+13:00

Thanks Michael for inviting me over to watch this video with you. Wow!Peter Proctor is the lie to the belief that "I" can't do much to change things for the better. I would love one day to know that I had done one tenth of what this man has done to benefit the human community.This film will screen at the Waiheke community cinema on January 30th.If you are lucky enough to live on Waiheke Island,

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-25493603625033689962007-01-09T08:03:00.000+13:002007-04-06T15:45:13.617+12:00

She is a sweety, a soft blue, round and solid. Born in 1956 with lots of life in her yet, she has outlasted many new cars that have cycled in a few short years between the production line and the scrap heap.As my friend Tom said after we had towed her home, she is an iconic piece of New Zealand history, and deserves to be honoured. When I first arrived in New Zealand in 1968, there were an

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-69988887349416505712007-01-07T06:42:00.001+13:002007-04-06T15:47:33.354+12:00

Sitting at the beach yesterday, I listened to some debate about the possible health benefits and possible dangers of choosing to add flouride to people's diet, through tablets or flouridation of municipal water supplies.I decided to do some research for myself and while there was a volume of information in the form of articles and essays presenting it's pros and cons, I found this video was a

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-30622652322803242572007-01-04T10:15:00.000+13:002007-01-04T11:21:51.671+13:00

Outspoken, clear, eloquent, passionate, and revealing! Keith was bold enough to refer to the the war profiteers, the building of detention centres, a $125 million courtroom complex at Guantanamo Bay complete with restaurants, and the need for war to sell more humvees. Too bad about human life, but there's too many of them and they are just "dumb stupid animals" anyway according to Kissinger -

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-46974101561002402842007-01-03T16:31:00.000+13:002007-04-06T15:45:13.620+12:00

Nanosolar is on track to make solar electricity: cost-efficient for ubiquitous deploymentmass-produced on a global scaleavailable in many versatile formsNanosolar has developed proprietary technology that makes it possible to simply roll-print solar cells that require only 1/100th as thick an absorber as a silicon-wafer cell (yet deliver similar performance and durability).The technology

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-69339498021980736812006-12-31T20:58:00.000+13:002007-01-03T12:52:08.321+13:00

Helen Dew in her potato patch - another liberated lawn.She recently sent me some Leek seeds, with a note to "Sow leeks now, for good sized crop in winter. Love, Helen" I got them in some seedling pots on New Years eve. Thank you Helen for this lovely gesture of support, you are an inspiration.Here are the pots with Helen's leek seeds in - protected from the birds and the drying effect of the sun.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-22314889924871496572006-12-30T21:07:00.000+13:002007-01-09T08:22:15.723+13:00

ConnectednessFor the last couple of weeks I have been reflecting on where my attention and intention have been focused for the last couple of years, and contemplating where I want to focus in the coming year. During that time I have been delighted to have received a number of emails and been party to some conversation with friends and acquaintances who have been sharing at a deep level, and

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-83927990264519017732006-12-25T09:42:00.000+13:002006-12-25T09:47:30.909+13:00

My friend Ted from Nelson, pointed me to this video. It is on youtube and I first watched it on the Transistion Culture blog.It is a great example of the benefits of avoiding a them-and-us approach, as peak oil activist and local authority representative (both from Portland) sit side by side on a sofa and talk about preparing for peak oil. Exemplary stuff.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-85417779756696508202006-12-23T16:58:00.000+13:002007-01-28T18:23:59.246+13:00

Here is a clear description of the commons, how they have been exploited, and the importance of reclaiming them as the common asset they are for us and future generations.I first came across some background to this process which took it out of the abstract in an article by Derek J. Wilson.From 1770 to 1830 some 3,280 enclosure bills were passed putting into private hands for private gain more

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-32545159208624105632006-12-19T15:16:00.000+13:002006-12-19T15:26:49.137+13:00

Here is a Quicktime audio file that is worthy of your attention if you are curious about the way forward, and how we will manage our affairs in the coming years. It has long been my opinion that the way forward will come from the ground up, rather than top down. The Center for Wise Democracy has developed a social invention called the "Wisdom Council," which provides a new systems approach to

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-91940594940221928782006-12-19T11:13:00.000+13:002006-12-19T11:18:04.821+13:00

In 2003, the Hubble Space Telescope stared, for a little over 11 days at a rather unremarkable section of sky. The results were humbling ... all on a universal scale.The Deep Field/Ultra Deep field images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope represent the farthest we've ever seen into the universe. Looking at these images, one cannot help but be humbled by what they mean. At a glance, they show

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-55588555959483292152006-12-15T09:15:00.000+13:002006-12-15T09:31:16.450+13:00

I have been adding a few posts recently, to a site called "Imagine Waiheke."Please do drop in there sometime, have a squizz, and leave a comment if you feel moved.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-56950573514899543222006-12-11T21:36:00.000+13:002006-12-11T22:03:57.728+13:00

Snow and sleet are falling on two bushfires burning in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.ABC Radio, Nov 15 THE news report was almost flippant, something that could happen only in Dorothea Mackellar's land of drought and flooding rains. Later that evening, two weeks from summer, Sydney had its coldest night in more than a century. Pentagon delays chemical weapons disposalarmytimes.com The

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-36466867465860206122006-12-04T16:26:00.000+13:002006-12-04T16:37:20.249+13:00

You may have read the posts on his book: From Empire to Earth Community. Here's a short preview clip from his slide show . . .The full slide show can be purchased from Peak Moments.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-71507529066192588482006-12-03T10:54:00.000+13:002006-12-03T11:03:06.132+13:00

Written by Jan Lundberg PDF of the entire article Culture Change Letter #145,November 27-29, 2006 What we can do about passing the energy tipping point? The energy tipping point has been reached, just as a system such as the climate has been found to have a critical threshold that some scientists believe has probably been reached. Obviously, climate disaster is much more ominous than the

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-18259559998637789642006-11-19T08:27:00.000+13:002006-11-19T09:35:16.351+13:00

Life-based activities are things we can do because we are alive. They include, for example, appreciation, empathy, friendship, love, art, music, dance, sport, parenting, looking, listening, smelling, touching, tasting, thinking, meditating, scholarship, service, etc. Rather than diminishing with use, life-based activities tend to become stronger and more rewarding through use. While industry is

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-32918652705639257002006-11-18T08:05:00.000+13:002006-11-18T08:16:03.031+13:00

I just came back inside after stepping out to feel the wind that has been howling for most of the night. It is gusting over 60Km/hr, as measured by my handheld wind meter. While it is not as strong as the 120Km/hr winds of nine days ago, which shut down the Telecom Tower in the city, it is still far more than I recall.The words, "So you don't believe in climate change?" popped into my head. I

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-90512426787271641902006-11-15T10:01:00.000+13:002006-11-15T10:14:27.291+13:00

"As China grows -- at the current rate it's growing, in twenty or thirty years -- and becomes the number one largest economy in the world, I think China may become our nemesis."Former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich on NPR's "Marketplace" show.And here is a response to this statement, from unknown source: One would think that Mr. Reich is a pretty smart guy -- former Rhodes Scholar (same

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-2151584808056480002006-11-05T21:04:00.000+13:002006-11-05T21:18:37.957+13:00

This was reported last year - Jan 06, 2005Icebergs in New Zealand waters for first time in 57 yearsNew Zealanders complaining about unseasonal summer rain in recent weeks have received proof of changing climatic conditions after icebergs were sighted in local waters for the first time since 1948. The icebergs were see in the Southern Ocean, about 700 kilometres southeast of the South Island, the

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-15585680821570952112006-11-03T18:36:00.000+13:002006-11-03T18:48:50.907+13:00

By Guardian Unlimited Mark Oliver is blogging today (Nov 2) and tomorrow from the 13th Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival on some of the dozens of current affairs films that are showing. "Oil is the excrement of the devil ... oil is the bloodstream of the world economy, oil is the blood of the dinosaurs, blood of the earth." This is from the opening of A Crude Awakening: the

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-28929977029725859802006-10-27T22:25:00.000+13:002006-10-27T22:27:47.729+13:00

Derrick Jenson: One of the primary fictions that governs our lives is that we are in any meaningful sense free. Our way of life is predicated on freedom, and is freer than any other way of life that has ever existed, we tell ourselves endlessly, drearily, compulsively, as sleep-deprived we look out the window at the concrete walls of a subway tunnel, on a cattle car carrying us too slow yet too

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-83027608637780250842006-10-24T14:35:00.000+13:002006-10-24T14:38:54.936+13:00

Costello seeks orderly $US withdrawal John Garnaut Economics Correspondent October 18, 2006 TREASURER Peter Costello has called on East Asia's central bankers to "telegraph" their intentions to diversify out of American investments and ensure an orderly adjustment. Central banks in China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong have channelled immense foreign reserves into American government

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-51450321394505234952006-10-23T11:58:00.001+13:002006-10-23T13:15:21.819+13:00

It is amazing to witness a country descend into fascism before our very eyes. The only thing that seems to make such things possible, so that we only see them when we look back fom a vantage point in history, is that human beings seem to have a remarkably short memory. We consistently fail to connect the dots and see the changes as part of a big picture. Yesterday marked the signing of the

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-298689345192519212006-10-21T17:06:00.000+13:002006-10-21T17:13:15.075+13:00

Few people know that I truly began my career as an investigative reporter with the 4-1-1 Blackout (it occurred at precisely 4:11pm) of August 14, 2003. Jack Casazza, lifetime member of the IEEE, told me in a phone interview in 2003 that the commission that investigated the blackout was effectively involved in a cover up. Casazza has been on six such panels investigating blackouts in his career.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-29782799251532124562006-10-19T19:44:00.000+13:002006-10-27T22:14:33.346+13:00

I first posted information on this film back in early June. Well it has just hit the public domain. You can watch the entire film here at Google. And if you dont have time for the whole thing, then enter the search "freedom to fascism" in Google Video or You Tube. It will bring up lots of short (4-10 min) clips from the film.I will work to get this into the Waiheke Cinema very soon! Here is the

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-78262499261254151492006-10-17T14:40:00.000+13:002006-10-18T06:48:39.578+13:00

The work to reveal the facts behind the events of 9/11 continues, and as this film points out, is a pivotal issue in understanding many world events. The introduction focuses on Peak Oil and helps us see why it is understandable that we slip easily into denial of the facts - the implications are simply too great. Highly recommended... For those who prefer to read the information contained in

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-76052556788894893572006-10-13T09:32:00.000+13:002006-10-17T15:10:02.566+13:00

But it doesn't make the news!Why? Because the suspects are neither Arab nor Muslim. A retired Grange dentist is accused of being part of a bomb plot after a record number of explosives were seized in a Lancashire town. David Bolais Jackson, 62, of Trent Road, Nelson, was arrested on Friday in the Lancaster area after leaving his Grange practice for the last time.Jackson was charged with being in

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-41550287951561734912006-10-09T20:21:00.000+13:002006-10-09T20:28:38.086+13:00

Though mass consciousness is currently imbued with the notion that genes control the character of our lives, the results of the Human Genome Project completely undermine the long held concept of genetic determinism. Once thought to be in the domain of the genes, the control of health and behavior are now dynamically linked to the environment, and more importantly, our perception of the

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-68926655794469339412006-10-06T18:13:00.000+13:002006-10-06T18:16:27.730+13:00

India Digs Deeper, but Wells Are Drying Up India is using groundwater so rapidly that some areas have already run out. In a village in Rajasthan, above, the state sends in water by train.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-8136824632420331642006-10-06T10:23:00.000+13:002006-10-06T10:26:38.797+13:00

Taken directly from Earth Future's web site - September 2006.CRISIS IN THE AMAZON I wish you didn’t have to read such news in a small newsletter like this, when it should be hammered across the front pages of the world’s newspapers. I wish I didn’t have to write it at all. The Amazon rainforest, home to a fifth of the planet’s

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-53742133606098582912006-10-04T10:53:00.000+13:002006-10-04T10:56:05.561+13:00

A Growing OpportunityUrban agriculture takes root in empty lots and abandoned spaces Don Butler The Ottawa Citizen Sunday,June 18, 2006Argentina's 2001 meltdown hit the city of Rosario hard. Fully 800,000 of its 1.2 million residents were plunged into poverty because of widespread unemployment caused by the economic crash. To cope, the city, located about 300 kilometres northwest of Buenos Aires

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-26588041994752660742006-10-04T08:26:00.000+13:002006-10-04T08:37:57.712+13:00

Hi Helen, I was up at 6:00 this morning to meditate, and was drawn to spend an hour transplanting seedlings from a tray into pots of six seedlings in each. I now have 60 healthy Loose Leaf Mixed Lettuce seedlings, and to my amazement I have only taken from one fifth of the tray! Just one of those packets you sent me held 300 viable seeds. What abundance!It was delightful contemplating what a

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1159506102779597082006-09-29T16:38:00.000+12:002006-09-29T22:00:24.310+12:00

We Don't Need Themby Joe CarpenterNovember 2, 2005But the proles, if only they could somehow become conscious of their own strength, would have no reason to conspire. They needed only to rise up and shake themselves, like a horse shaking off flies. If they chose, they could blow the party to pieces tomorrow morning. Surely, sooner or later, it must occur to them to do it? And yet . . .-- George

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1159128476969045692006-09-25T07:52:00.000+12:002006-09-25T20:30:10.003+12:00

This documentary, recently posted by its makers on google video, must surely be the most professional undoing of the official story. A calm, gently spoken female voice explains in easy to understand terms, each detail of the collapse of the three towers. 90 minutes of pure demolition evidence and analysis, laced with staggering witness testimonials. Moving from "the myth" through "the analysis"

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1158952925576465422006-09-23T07:18:00.000+12:002006-09-23T18:43:30.756+12:00

Why We Will Succeed at creating sustainable ways to live.Creatures with far less capability than humans have lived on Earth for tens of millions of years. We should expect no less. This link looks at qualities that should enable our kind to live on Earth until the sun burns out. It also identifies why our prospects sometimes look bleak.Why Humans Should Survive:Thumbs: our ability to hold, carry

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1158830806371356742006-09-21T21:22:00.000+12:002006-09-21T21:28:45.703+12:00

I have copied the following in its entirety from Peak Oil News and Message Board - James-- 0 ---This post is about the coming social quake about to transform the entire world like nothing ever before.I have often said that Peak Oil will go down as the biggest event in human history since Noah's Flood. And I have said that it is a paradox that hardly anybody noticed either one before it was too

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1158386515744830762006-09-16T17:52:00.000+12:002006-09-17T08:11:52.783+12:00

The melting of the sea ice in the Arctic, the clearest sign so far of global warming, has taken a sudden and enormous leap forward, in one of the most ominous developments yet in the onset of climate change. Two separate studies by Nasa, using different satellite monitoring technologies, both show a great surge in the disappearance of Arctic ice cover in the last two years. One, from the Jet

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1157891858995923312006-09-11T00:19:00.000+12:002006-09-11T00:41:05.973+12:00

Aside:Forgive me Richard,for taking your headline word for word, but it got my attention . . . maybe it will get a few more.Here are the opening lines of the article, written by Mark Whitney. August 30, 2006Pop Goes the Bubble!The Great Housing Crash of '07 This month's figures prove that the so-called "housing bubble" is not only real, but that its cratering

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1157663979631250992006-09-08T09:08:00.000+12:002006-09-08T09:28:40.160+12:00

Robert Greenwald was the director of one of the first eye opening films I had the good fortune to discover about two years ago - that film was Outfoxed. He has been going hard with a dedicated team and has put out many more films exposing the corruption and madness that is particularly evident in the western cultures of our modern day world.The latest film "Iraq for Sale" has just been released

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1157144173440423572006-09-02T08:43:00.000+12:002006-09-02T20:06:40.553+12:00

How far can we push the illusion?So much of the population don't sense that there is a spiritual world beyond the three dimensions, but two dimensions!How desperate have we become that cardboard and ink can console us?I am grateful to these snippets of the madness we have come to accept as normal.From boston.com local newsMaine National Guard members in Iraq and Afghanistan are never far from the

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1157053754836225962006-09-01T07:42:00.000+12:002006-09-01T07:53:53.983+12:00

Here's a new clip from youtube which gives the other story of the disaster that you didnt see on TV.Prediction: Lebanon will be rebuilt before New Orleans is.Instead of providing help to the tens of thousands of poor people who were stranded in the city after the federal levees collapsed, the government spread propaganda:"There's rioting... there's looting... the city is too dangerous to bring

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1156362354108959622006-08-24T07:37:00.000+12:002006-08-24T07:49:20.866+12:00

Looking at the bright new shiny, and shrunken, coins I wonder if any one else notices how much they have devalued? A friend pointed out to me the similarity between the bright new shiny copper 10c piece, and the 1c coin we used to have - the main noticeable difference is that the new one has a zero on it the old one didn't. Is that how much value the money has lost?I hear the cry: "It's too

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1156058000538614922006-08-20T19:03:00.000+12:002006-08-20T19:15:15.030+12:00

Destroying the demand for oil and gas is one possible strategy to address Peak Oil - albeit a deceptive one which hides the truth.The following brief excerpt from Michael Kane, writing for Michael Ruppert's From The Wilderness Publications has a different perspective on the "liquid bombers" arrests and the consequences which have eventuated. Demand destruction has been discussed in both

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1155671247204794342006-08-16T07:36:00.000+12:002006-08-16T07:47:27.223+12:00

When we see how our actions effect the planet and our life support systems, why don't we change what we do?Derrick Jensen has this to say: Jensen: If your experience is that your water comes from the tap and that your food comes from the grocery store then you are going to defend to the death the system that brings those to you because your life depends on that; if your experience is that

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1155289647822221832006-08-11T21:40:00.000+12:002006-08-11T21:51:39.946+12:00

Do a search on youtube for "peak oil" and you will find a wide range of clips - serious and comedy, professional and amateur, archival footage and animation. This one is quite hip:I only wish there were at least some videos to show people how to grow food without dependence on oil. I'll keep looking.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1155112136443645652006-08-09T20:21:00.000+12:002006-08-09T20:34:08.050+12:00

There is so much being written about the present level of conflict and all too often the history is forgotten. This 10 minute film clip from the film "We - the unauthorised" gives some eloquent background to the issue, which I found very helpful.Another clip which shows a well educated and no nonsense British MP - Mr Galloway, ripping apart the assumptions of his interviewer's questions and

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1154313154321416102006-07-31T14:21:00.000+12:002006-07-31T14:34:53.843+12:00

Half-Hour HurricanesSt. Louis's July 19th Ultra Storm By DON FITZ As clips of hurricane-strength winds uprooting trees across St. Louis in late July made national news, many commentators spoke of the awesome power of nature. But this storm was not an act of god. It was an act of Exxon-Mobile and its friends. And they are not gods, even if they are treated as such by the White House. Where were

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1154205055341028562006-07-30T08:16:00.000+12:002006-07-30T08:47:08.243+12:00

Catherine Austin Fitts is a woman who has been deep inside the money and political system and understands how it works. I was led to read the article referred to below after reading this critical appraisal of Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth"In this extensive article she reveals detail after detail, all fully known and available if anyone wants to check her sources. This cartoon says it all

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1154055263470389392006-07-28T14:51:00.000+12:002006-07-28T14:54:23.480+12:00

If you are wondering if there is another post coming soon, sorry you will have to wait - Kim and I have been busy. :)

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1153785122731571622006-07-25T11:42:00.000+12:002006-07-25T11:55:39.256+12:00

It is hard to be in the middle of a process that we trust will bring a new and healthy child into this world, and not be touched, moved, and feel a twinge of desparation at the state of the world we are inviting her to.We cannot bear to watch the continuous carnage. We cannot bear to hear the screams of children. We cannot bear to stand by as the United Nations and the G 8 abrogate their

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1153639901372964212006-07-23T19:10:00.000+12:002006-07-23T19:38:45.846+12:00

It is my humble opinion that the changes necessary to the create health and well being in our society and the world, will come from changes we make in our individual and personal lives.It is simple and requires no personal change, to point the finger at one or a group of powerful "others" and highlight their failings. Unfortunately this approach is widely accepted. However it requires us giving

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1153222099138070832006-07-18T23:27:00.000+12:002006-08-16T08:00:24.943+12:00

A friend made this 5 minute video clip in three sleepless days after watching a documentary related to Peak Oil, 911, resource wars, global warming and resource wars. I hope you like it.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1153172756212883252006-07-18T08:27:00.000+12:002006-08-16T07:54:03.433+12:00

Dear friends and readers of this blog. I have been busy recently in another world, hence the postings here have been little less frequent of late. It's not that there isn't a lot to write about - there is plenty. In fact, it seems that change is the essence of our era, and it is coming at us at a pace that at times leaves us stunned - or turning to denial for respite.As I write, the leaders of

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1152932165561485332006-07-15T14:49:00.000+12:002006-07-15T14:59:47.836+12:00

Is it possible we might have to roll up our sleeves in the coming days and get used to sweating? Muscle power is renewable energy. The following article from Yes! magazine speaks to two examples of how others have faired in response to a sudden energy descent, something we can surely expect in the not too distant future.That peak oil is coming is no longer a question. It’s only a matter of when.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1152607371420482662006-07-11T20:00:00.000+12:002006-07-14T08:40:02.830+12:00

I have posted a few articles on this subject, but felt it was time to bring the information all together in one place. Today I watched an excellent piece of investigative journalism which screened on Australia's ABC Television yesterday. I hope our own New Zealand TV get inspired to share this information with the people soon!This post will be a work in progress. I will keep updating it with

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1152575411689966752006-07-11T11:48:00.000+12:002006-07-11T11:52:01.573+12:00

After watching this you may feel that we are not as significant as we tend to assume. And that in fact we are a simply one point on a continuum, which stretches in both directions to infinity!

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1152098960140361262006-07-05T23:18:00.000+12:002006-07-06T09:27:57.160+12:00

When I saw this representation of human kind's discovery and subsequent consumption of oil it became clear that it is just a blip in our human evolution. The fact that oil has been around since we were born, doesn't affect the reality that in a few short years we will have used it all up. Make no bones about it - the fight is on, over control of the last scraps, because the society as we know it

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1151864773900285402006-07-03T05:46:00.000+12:002006-07-03T07:13:25.546+12:00

Robert,You really are a creative, energetic and passionate man and I am delighted to know you a little.Thank you for keeping me in the communications loop, this is really appreciated. I delighted in reading about your number eight wire, creative money saving solutions. You have been and continue to be highly effective in the business of disseminating information.I understand your frustration at

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1151750498330220232006-07-01T22:10:00.000+12:002006-07-01T22:46:40.893+12:00

I read this outloud to Kim tonight, awed at the extent of destruction we wreak on each other in the name of righteousness. . . I can't come close to the eloquence of Virginia Tilley's writing, so I will stand aside. But for one sobering moment, as you read this, imagine yourself in the position of these people:On the excuse of rescuing one kidnapped soldier, Israeli is now bombing the Gaza Strip

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1151703804933410242006-07-01T09:33:00.000+12:002006-07-01T10:09:59.546+12:00

I don't wish to be a wet blanket on a man's dream - having ridden on this thing last night and met Pete, the man behind the dream, I have huge respect for the energy it has taken to manifest this. But really, do you honestly think, as I suspect many hope, that we are going to maintain the status quo of consumption levels by shifting to bio-fuels.Our grain reserves are dropping every year, as

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1151609670270022582006-06-30T07:16:00.000+12:002006-06-30T07:34:35.843+12:00

Thanks to everyone for continued support to the community garden and the food exchange stall. Roberta and Millicent attended the food exchange stall last weekend and had a stead flow of produce being exchanged as well as a healthy volume of interest in the concept of sharing in our abundance. This week Robin is back on the stall, which will continue to be setup inside the hall for these winter

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1151288933440203052006-06-26T14:06:00.000+12:002006-06-26T14:29:31.946+12:00

The maturation of Matt Simmons, energy-industry investment banker and peak oil guruSource and entire article "Maybe the enemy is us... Grow food at home." - Matthew R. Simmons, June 20, 2004, at the Pentagon-sponsored seminar series Energy: A Conversation About Our National Addiction It does not take long for people who study peak oil to see some heavy implications of the end of abundant oil.

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22021365.post-1150971536141842492006-06-26T10:07:00.000+12:002006-06-26T14:05:37.830+12:00

“Perhaps the greatest flaw in the Peak Oil movement’s current operating paradigm is that, a part of the movement at least, instead of building lifeboats in the face of an immediate disaster, is delusionally focused on trying to build alternative-powered luxury liners that operate just like the paradigm we as a species need to be abandoning.Not only is this a futile effort, it may well be

James Samuelnoreply@blogger.com0