maryannkaufman

[maryannkaufman]

Something Old Something New and even Newer

People talk about the end of the world and people rising from the dead at that time. However, people have been rising from the dead since there has been life one way or another on this planet, AND at the same time, life is being created and destroyed with purpose and again with no purpose and just random chance.

Consciousness is real, but sowing the seeds of chaos and duplicitness is purposeful. Not all those that are conscious is focusing on destruction. In fact, I would say, most are not.

However, something is definitely off about the news. Things do not make sense if one has memories from 1960s and 1970s that are clear, with a logical cause and effect framework. It's as if, the game has become more complicated. I won't say randomized, because I do not see that yet.

For example: the military boats and subs off of Cuba. Are they there? Are they not there? I cannot imagine Russia or any foreign power we are at odds with just going into the Carribbean passing through American and other country's waters like the UK and what? It's fine with everyone? Wouldn't it be neat if it was? but what does this mean? That somehow there is a world where Russia and America are more on the same page than not politically because WE BOTH have VERY similar problems? With Climate change, this wouldn't surprise me.

So either, they aren't there and it's a seed of duplicity by someone or they are there and as nuclear vessels with rockets, we are supposed to believe they don't have nuclear weapons? OK. Um... because we run around on our nuclear subs without nuclear weapons? Those nuclear subs ALWAYS have some kind of nuclear weapon was my understanding. It would be great if this has all changed!!!

In the middle of this somewhere, however, I'm not totally unconvinced that it is only AI or bad reporting and not a group of college students who are into the machine making stuff up and scenarioizing, eating pizza and laughing their heads off at all the reactions to all the misinformation. Somewhere...

If that latter paragraph is true, think of the power these teens and 20 somethings would have, much more than influence because they would be literally 'writing' and "creating" digitally the 'reality' that people gather their information from, especially, political advisors.

Whatever runs on a computer tied to the net is malleable and open to outright falsehoods. Satellites, mainframes, personal PCs, personal phones, banking, media, media and oh, yes, media.

Is there a game that would be available in the last three years that has indirect sets of moves like this? Not cause and effect directly? More complicated than chess, perhaps, but similar in that there is a long game in it.

Is it AI? Is it something more? I'm betting something more. What do you think?

[maryannkaufman]

I am sure there is God and that I am Loved

Even in the darkest days, which is not the past two months where I was told that my oldest child was trangender by my oldest child, where I fell down the stairs and my kidneys, ribs, hip and foot was severely bruised and then I was physically assaulted by someone I was trying to help for 2.5 years, it was not my darkest days. My darkest days are the days of complete breakdowns where I don't know reality from non-reality. I'm not angry at the person who assaulted me. Somehow that was part of God's plan for him and myself. One reason I do know is because he couldn't progress any further with what I could do for him. He did amazingly well and I hope he does well with the people who are professionals and who are hopefully going to help him, if he will let them.

No, even with all of this, it wasn't the darkest of days. In the middle of the beating, God rescued me from harm. My vision filled with light, and all I saw was a nightgown that I had on with yellow background and red flowers. Then I was back in this world, falling to the ground.

Other things I learned at the same time are:

I have to make time for friends and family and I am starting to. I consider God to be an integral part of my family and a part of me, and a part of each of my children, friends past, present and future, and the community of the biosphere which includes all living things.

Music and Art are an integral part of the soul and spirit.

Plants and Animals, God Bless them, give us a reprieve from the idiotic constraints of social expectations. In short, some of the things they do and can do are purely amazing, which might explain why human beings are often so weird. To understand why that last sentence is funny, you have to actually know me in person.

Have a good week.

[maryannkaufman]

Which race has the most usheltered homeless in the US.

White. Are you surprised? While minority groups experience homelessness at a much higher rate, in which blacks come in third while Native Hawaian and Island Pacific are first, and second, the total number of homeless people in the United States that remain unsheltered are highest among whites. It should be noted that whites and asians have less of a percent of their population that are homeless than either blacks or native americans.

[maryannkaufman]

The Power of the Dog

In interesting movie, but one in which the media misdirected the public, which is interesting in its own way. The real horror was not the rancher Phil, it was Peter, a truly horrific person, if not a sociopath, then certainly a psychophath. The ending which claims that 'all is well' because the reign of the unpleasantness of Phil was over is a truly deceptive ending. The horror of Peter has just begun.

If you haven't seen the film, nothing I have said will make sense to you. If you are going to see the film, nothing I have said will give anything away before the movie gives it away. Fabulous writing.

[maryannkaufman]

Why Am I A Vegetarian?

I am a vegetarian for the following reasons.

1. My daughter became one and it was easier to cook for two than one at the time.

2. I was traumatized by the murder of a fish.

3. The earth needs at least 15 percent of the earth's population to be mostly Vegetarian or Vegan or reduction by 80 percent of meat in their diet in order to reduce the number of farm animals and return some of the agricultural areas to natural ecologies. It's the reduction of natural habitat that is killing us right now. Currently, we are at 5 percent of the global population are plant based.

But it's hard to be vegetarian or vegan if you do not know what to eat, how to eat well in that kind of diet.

So I have an idea.

If 1/7th of the world population that had a regular omnivour diet (meat twice a day and an egg for breakfast) cut their meat consumption by 80 percent (you still get to eat the egg for breakfast), or tried vegetariansism or veganism and did it for a year, that would help.

So here is a possibility.

When New Year's Day lands on the day you were born, that is your Earth Diet year. For one year, you practice either 80 percent in the reduction of meat/week you have been eating, or you become vegetarian or you become vegan for that year. And then the other six years, you can go back to what you were eating before. You might find you like some of the benefits and say only go back to eating half the meat you were eating before. Or not. But the good thing is, it gives agriculture the break it needs to get processes, land space and animal numbers more in keeping with sustainability. This helps everyone.

[maryannkaufman]

Why We Need Lions Fetching the Paper and Other Funny Headlines

If you listened to most of the sensational news (it is unavoidable to at least see a headline or two), they would have you convinced that

It's the end of the world in every possible way. But it's not. I know it's not. If people are really truthful with themselves, they know it is not.

But when a day is really frustrating or news is less than a "Yay" moment I remember funny headlines that I also read that day, like a Lion seen in the early morning hours with a paper between its teeth. Now some might leap to the conclusion that it ate the paper person. But I'm not leaping to that conclusion. Rather, I like to think of it as a rather well trained lion helping to deliver the papers, or fetching the paper for the person he/she lives with.

Cats can be taught to fetch and they like their special routines like anyone. Further Lions are really not pets as they can take care of themselves without humans. It's just easier for them to eat more often with us.

For example, with all the goods and services available today, even Garfield, the cat, could be self-sufficient, though not without some well trained humans knowing how to fetch. Ordering Lazagna through a cell phone on Grub Hub and/or Uber Eats does kind of level the playing field somewhat. :)

[maryannkaufman]

Welcome Christmas 2021

The people’s around the world have not been through so many changes for decades.  Natural disaster, war, COVID19, Zika, Rebellions, Changes of Governance, threat of war, supply chain problems, labor shortages, and Climate changes have resulted in everyone now understanding that no one is immune to some aspect of the negative impacts of any one of these, or more than one.

No matter WHAT circumstances you find yourself Christmas Comes anyway to all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sta2KzWVjW0 

[maryannkaufman]

Guardians of the Sweetness in Life

[maryannkaufman]

Who has watched the Olympics?

What was your favorite event?  What team were you most impressed with? Which athlete diserved a purple heart and who deserved a medal of honor?

I like gymnastics so I usually follow that.  I think that Simone Biles deserves a medal of honor.  It’s tough to admit that you’re having mental health problems and then come back and medal in the same week.  There is such a stigma about mental illness, but that woman is a champion in so many, many ways starting with her race, and her struggles now in handling stress and anxiety.  She’s amazing and truly a role model for so many people today.

[maryannkaufman]

WHO, Boosters, and Pandemic’s

I know it’s a topic people are just sick of. “Sick of” get it?  Ok, bad pun, but probably, and sadly true anyway.  How much bad news can we take about natural disasters, COVID variants, policy delays, and pandemonia about water?

All of these things are Global, by the way.  So for those Americans that think we had it worse than others, no, we didn’t and are not.  

Literally, its time to share.  Share the COVID vaccines to those countries who absolutely need it right now.  I am asking that boosters (third shots) in countries that have an over 70 percent of their populations vaccinated hold off on boosters until October 1.   All other countries that are having supply problems are asking for is 10% of the poorest countries vaccinated with donated vaccines.  They need at least 25% vaccinated actually. 

 It’s the mutations that are going to really keep us on our toes until the vaccine percentages are completed.  If people had lined up for the vaccines in the first place and if people had gotten the most effective vaccines to all countries to cover 60 percent of their populations, and if people had distanced and masked, this entire post wouldn’t be happening as the threat would have had much less ability to spread and would have died out more or less by now.

[maryannkaufman]

Truly Briliant.  For people who worry a lot about what beings other than homo sapiens might perceive, don’t.  I know it’s tempting, but honestly, it seems unlikely that the lives, failures, differences, etc are going to be less overloading than social media.  I mean can you imagine if a person had perfect telepathy?  Talk about getting lost in thought!  Honestly, it’s more a vibe thing.  It’s more, is someone in distress?  It doesn’t matter who the someone is or what species they are really.  Of course, I do not speak for everyone and all species, just like one person cannot speak for all humans.  No one is being a voyuer that has a life. There is wire tapping for that, texting, billions of cell phones, and social media searches and scrubbing already.  

tumblr tuesday: shower thoughts

Shout out to those of you who wonder out loud on the internet. (And then come home from work in the evening to a bajillion notes from people with takes you hadn’t even considered on a topic you haven’t even thought about since making a half-asleep text post ten hours ago before your first coffee of the day.) Shout out to you and only you. And to these folks who have had some thoughts worth thinking:

thank god for skin! without it we would simply be peeled limes with complicated emotions

@decaffeinated-hoe does not need caffeine to have thoughts or write them down on the internet. We’re truly blessed!

caligula was a pretty fucked up guy, but in his defense if everyone called me a nickname that meant “little boots” i’d also probably execute a few people

@thoodleoo serves delightfully acerbic hot takes on the ancient Romans.

I think women in ponds giving out swords is a fine system of governmence actually. May i have one

@swordlesbianopinions is fairly straightforward: Here is a lesbian who likes swords and wielding opinions, which she does freely and, might we add, rather well. Bravo!

‘how kafkaesque’ i say waiting in line at the taco bell. you think im talking about the alienating bureaucracy of waiting in a single file line for food premade in another state but actually im talking about the dead cockroach in the corner

@mariowiki​ likes sea creatures with lots of skin. She has been here forever and still manages to be funny, which is kind of impressive, honestly.

And here, to round us out, is an elephant seal in desperate need of a shower (if not a thought.)

[maryannkaufman]

Losing My Hearing

The announcements at the train station are played so loud inside the train station, that all conversation has to stop because NO ONE can hear the other even if they yell. Sometimes they play without ceasing for 45 minutes. This is a clear violation of OSHA laws.  But these are the conditions I have to work in.  I do not mind the lack of air conditioning.  I do not mind when trains go past, even though they are loud, because that’s a train and that’s how it is and it’s only a few minutes and it’s every half hour or so at most and I’m indoors and it’s not as loud as inside as outside.  But I mind the repeated announcements that play over and over sometimes for as long as 45 minutes so loud that no one can hear another.  And if it doesn’t play, there is a woman who comes over the speaker, and ramps the volume so high, the speakers crackle and no one can understand what she says anyway.  

I can hardly wait for the train station to be redone and those dreadful speakers taken out and new ones that are compliant with OSHA rules along with smart IT boards displaying put in when the next train is coming and what track.  CTA can do it.  And with GPS, which is accurate to 6 square feet, METRA can do it too.

As a result of three years of this for 7 hours a day, I’m losing my hearing.  I have to play volumes in my headphones now on a louder setting to hear anything in my right ear (and that is two doctor’s fault as well as METRA’s) because of infection after infection due to pulling on my ear.  It’s a condition called  dermatillomania.   

I worry about going deaf.  I will miss music the most especially singing and dancing to music.  I will miss the bird song in the morning.  I will miss the chirping of crickets and frogs in the evening and the mews of my beloved cats.  I won’t be able to see movies in theaters or go to plays.  I might not hear my grandchild’s voice and never know what it sounds like in the future.  I used to have hearing so accute before I started this job that I could hear at 16,000 hrts.  I never wore headphones or earbuds.  I never played music loud.  Now, I am going deaf because I wanted a job, and no one would hire me because I have anxiety.

If I become so deaf that I cannot hear my customers, that will end my ability to work as a barista as well as owning the cafe.  I know the former owners, who had a different station agent that didn’t do that, and worked 7 years before me had their hearing intact.

Maybe it will recover when I do sell the business to another, but I won’t do that until they remodel or rebuild the train station to OSHA work environment standards and there is a station agent, or whoever is responsible for the looping of announcements and the volume so that it doesn’t happen anymore.

[maryannkaufman]

Health and Longevity: Urban Farming and Gardening secrets.

It’s very simple.  In a food web, that which kills small animals eventually kill large animals and humans are midsized.  Cancer has a lot to do with environmental toxins.  Longevity has a lot to do with eating fruits and veggies every day, and lots of physical work, not smoking, and good sleep.  Mental health has a lot to do with keeping mental stress down to a minimum, this includes emotional stress.  When you have people trying to stress you out, realize, that they are bad people who love picking on those they perceive as less than them.  Not many are less than those who are bullies, and those that love making life hard for people, and those that oppress others for whatever reason.

When things start getting too much, gardening and urban farming in the old ways, the best of permaculture is exactly what the doctor orders and mother nature too.  Work out your frustration and anger.  Realize that family is more important than anything as are good friends and those that are there for you, regardless of good times or bad.

To get through tough times, it’s simple.

1.  Your relationship with God is first and foremost.  Recognize who you are and that if you are here, you have a place in this world and a reason for being here.

2.  Your family.  Keeping them together and allowing children breathing space and respecting your parents are key.  Don’t forget to plan for good times.  Watch for excessive time lags in comparison to other parts of the family, and make sure you get together with those family members.

3. We are to be good stewards of the earth.  So far, many have been miserable stewards of the earth.  It’s more work starting out, but once the land, water and air heals, it’s more supportive of you as you get older and to your children.  Teach your children to be good stewards, and they will continue to nurture those around them, no matter what the species of plant, animal or biome.  We keep looking for aliens, and yet fail to see all the ‘non-human’ sentient creatures (as alien as it gets) around us.

4.  Be good samaritans to those around you.  Tnis has NOTHING to do with party, affiliations, wealth, race, or any other cultural device that is used to try to divide people.  This is all about the wisdom, “There but for the Grace of God, go I.”  

5.  Don’t forget to laugh at life’s idiosyncracies. Don’t let poverty, wealth, politics, conflict, etc.  get in the way of everyday miracles and joys that is available to observable for anyone.

And last.  USE the Brain God gave you.

[maryannkaufman]

Proposal for a Trans Global Highway, 2006.

by Frank Didik, 2006

The road outlines are tentative and are designed to utilize the existing highway grid. Thus many more arteries than illustrated above, would be connected to the backbone of the Trans Global Highway. Not clearly shown in the map above is that North America and Asia are to be connected by the Bering Strait Tunnel

[maryannkaufman]

Happy Easter

There is God and Angles and Saints and people and souls of goodnesss everywhere.  One things is that while the Archangels names are known by some religions (and sometimes there are different names for the same Archangles as well as the son of God at least during that time period).  Yes, death helps bring forth new life and renewed life while ending suffering if someone cannot get well.  People pass on all the time.  To heaven, to family, to other lives and sometimes they take a break for awhile and sleep.  But when they wake up, they have a new life and may not know who they were but are enthusiastic to be a part of who they are.

However, the guardian angels of the living do not always have a name or know of their name, but they are aware they are there.  One guardian angel in particular was upset by this for awhile.  So I gave her the name of Grace.  That seemed right as someone said that Grace and Frank was a comedy to watch.  I met Frank, not his real name, but the name fits well him well.  I think of him as Frankincense, perhaps also appropriate given his possible herritage, he is not yet wise as the wise men from the Easts thousands of years ago, but will understand more in life and may develop better direction as a result for himself, his family and his children.  Wisdom comes through time, experience and learning.

[maryannkaufman]

The Social Factor in Planning

This country is hurting a lot.  There are days I would love to have a foundation of my own to mend the hurts in my community as I’m made aware of them.  

Homeless people in need of community, shelter, good balanced nutrition and vaccinations

The Flowerbed program in need of help maintaining and watering two flower beds next to the train station (I’m going to do that as my gift to Glen Ellyn this year).  Because it was too hard to get water onto the train station platform, they abandoned those two beds. But I’m there and I can do it this year. 

People need a botanical break in the winter in Northern States.  If I had the money, I would create one that was richer in plant life than what I have going on now.  The dry air and cold and dark makes people just want to go to bed, especailly if there isn’t anything to do or go see.  This just gets worse for people in their 50s and 60s assuming they are not up biting their fingernails waiting for their teenaged daughter or son to come home in one piece.  That’s not an exageration, my husband and I have had more than one call at 1 or 2 in the morning because of an injury or car trouble, accident or illness.  Most parents have.  A botanical garden to just destress, breath in the fragrance even the winter, better still with a cup of hot coffee, tea, chai, or favorite beverage.  20 minutes in an indoor garden can do a lot for a person.

People need to read something or experience something other than crisis news or violent shows or shows that are monochromatic at least half of the week.  You know what I mean.  I kind of like Fringe.  It has a range of characters.  I liked that the guy ‘in charge’ is black.  That the brilliant scientists is absolutely nuts and loves taking care of the cow in his lab.  Yes, a real cow which he enjoys milking.  That the male protagonist is brilliant, but not really quite law abiding, etc.  The lab assistant is of mixed race and female and puts up with everything but with a definite, you people are crazy but I’m going to have mad skills way past all my peers attitude.  I love her name too, Astrid.

Music and dance is like an international, multi-cultural, multi-species language.  Even an AI and robots can do it.  I kid you not.  While some people say it’s the ‘End of Humanity.”  You know what?  Watching dancing military and cleaning robots made me laugh and it was neat to watch.  Suddenly, I’m seeing possibilities that I hadn’t before.  When we go to other worlds, it’s going to be virtually if we can live long enough to send robots there.  

In my coffee shop, inside the train station, I love providing a musical break to passengers and residents of the suburb in which I live.  Zach and Jonathon

Somebody asked me if I believed life existed on other planets or other solar system.  I had to ask “Do you mean carbon based with bodies?”  Because the answer to that is, “I do not know.”  As far as other life that is intelligent without bodies that look like ours or some dramatic sci-fi alien flick?  Yes.  Yes there is, even within this solar system.  Even on this planet.  Non-human intelligent life.  There is no ‘belief’ about it.  It just is.

[maryannkaufman]

Discrimination of Assigning Guilt towards White People

I am a person of white herritage.  However, my family has never owned slaves, nor domestic servants.  We have been servents, endentured and otherwise.  We have come up from the bootstraps, farming, odd jobs, trades, teaching, clergy and business.  Nor, has any of the businesses that my family has been a part only employed white people nor only educated white people.  To put a broad label as that all discrimination and enslavement and attrocitites were ONLY done by white people is a myth.  Why am I saying this?

Because I’ve met plenty of black, white, asian and native american biggots over the course of my lifetime.  Stumbling blocks have been biggotry over GLBTQ, mentally ill people, mentally deficient people, old women, women, those with AIDS, those with Cancer, etc.  

This idea that only whites are responsible for the model minority is ridiculous.  I’ve seen plenty of labels as I grew up such as “The model student.”  The model researcher” “The model christian”  And asian culture themselves value perfection. etc.  As far as the non-violent aspect of it, Ghandi himself used that to the success of India’s freedom.  

I’m tired of people deciding that if you’re white, you need to apologize for being so.  We have as much control over being white, as you have control over being black or asian or NA etc.