TruthIsFreedom

Dr. King and Keeping the Dream Alive

2012-01-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

Today, celebrates the birth of an inspirational leader--Dr Martin Luther King. Regardless of your view of the man, he did achieve much for humanity during his time and beyond, all without violence.

The fourth day of April 1968 was one of the saddest in my life, though just a young boy. It marks the assassination of this great leader. To this day, I am still moved in my heart to hear one of his speeches.

Inspired by Dr King's dream--unity of humanity--it became mine, even at that tender age. That message still cries out for adherence, perhaps more so than ever as more mongers of war and violence from politicians to extremists continue to reign.

How does the advancement of unity for global humanity begin?

Let's examine our history, for if we don't know our past, we cannot adjust the present in order to realize our future. First, humanity remains under the taught misperception of separatism, perhaps worse than ever. This falsity of thinking has perpetuated a multitude of schisms in the unity of mankind for thousands of years. The divisions between people are as varied as there are nations, religions, and cultures. Without new insight, new vision, and new direction, the human race will persist in this course of division, just like an infected wound left to fester. Our future under such mis-guidance looks bleak.

The external authorities of government and institutions of religion have taught the tools of separatism to us, breeding schools of faulty learning and skewed societal values. However, these modes of thinking no longer serve the needs of humanity in the new millennium. It is time now for us to de-condition the separatist false beliefs from the mind and re-emerge as the unified entity that is humanity. We are one species among many on this planet. We can choose to respect the cultural diversity offered to each other and live in the light of harmony, or not.

In the immortal words of Mother Teresa, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other".

What is the next step?

The responsibility for change rests upon each one of us. Through education and awareness another way of thinking, living, and being emerges to dissolve the barriers erected between people. The choice is yours; that is the unexercised freedom of humanity; that is your freedom. As a member of the human race you are free to choose to continue the destruction caused by centuries of conditioned divisional beliefs or you may choose to create the future that humanity deserves--the future you deserve. The future that your children deserve.

As the famous writer, Napolean Hill, wrote: "The power of thought is the only thing over which any person has complete, unquestionable control".

No longer do we need to look for an external leader to guide us in this activism, as Dr King once did. We know the rhetoric. Each of us becomes the leader by assuming self-responsibility for our thoughts, decisions, and ultimately actions.

Is it easy? No, of course not.

The task set before each one of us is to look within and begin to dismantle the structures of separatism created by authorities interested in the continued dis-empowerment of all people. The technique is as old as time: divide and conquer. But now, people have within their grasp the ability to decide whether or not to go along with the illusion of division.

From that place, one can choose to listen to the conditioning, and obey, or we can choose to unite against these forces. Then, maybe every fifteenth of January (his actual birthday), we can come together in honor of Martin Luther King and march on our capitals in the name of non-violence until our politicians hear the voice of humanity. Perhaps with tolerance and awareness, we can develop and advance the physical reality of universal citizenship without regard to creed, skin color, religion, ideology, or socio-economic status.

Let's bring the dream to life. Thank you, Dr King.

I say, "Untied or united--the difference is only the position of the 'I'".

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Celebrate America's Independence

2011-07-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

Spy Thriller Deadly Exchange Offers New Look at Nation’s Roots

Treat yourself for Independence Day with the award-winning espionage thriller Deadly Exchange by Geoffrey M. Gluckman. The novel offers a riveting espionage adventure with a compelling view of the past, present, and future of United States politics, corporate America and a technological nightmare.

Jennifer Chance, a world reknown motivational speaker, joins forces with a former counterintelligence agent to thwart a plot by a large American corporation intent on using radio frequencies (RFID) to subdue and control the United States populace.

Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence is an important theme throughout the book, reemphasizing the keys to a great nation in these times of terror threats, enhanced security and diminishing freedom.

“Jefferson paved the way for the foundation of a great nation. The self-evident truths that Jefferson spoke of have eroded. My novel, while a thrilling adventure, also offers the hope of a return to greatness for a nation in peril”, explains Gluckman.

One corporate employee who wished to remain anonymous was so affected by this novel that she claims, “Deadly Exchange will change how you look at your boss, your job, and even your existence”.

“...moves along at the speed of light. The excitement starts on page one, and keeps going till the final sentence...” –Simon Barrett, Blogger News Network, Reviewer

“...this is a fantastic book! ...a love story intricately entangled with a devious, take-over-the-world story.” –Desiree DiFabio, www.book-club-queen.com/review
,
Fiction award-winner, 2009 Los Angeles Book Festival (awarded February 2010)

Available on iBooks, Nook, & Kindle—only $2.99!
Also available from any fine bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

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Elected Officials--what's wrong?

2011-06-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but does it seem as if our elected leaders aren't doing their job?

Let me explain.

Much of what is heard from our politicians constitutes blaming someone else for problems that all of us face--no jobs, poor economy, two wars.

Republicans point the finger at Democrats and the President. Democrats blame Republicans. Tea Party people blame President Obama, the media, and anyone else.

Isn't finger pointing a childish expression?
Certainly, it must be ill-suited for our so-called leaders, in Washington and elsewhere.

Personally, I don't want any politicians that blame others.

How about you?

Another mystery: Why can't the Democrats and Republicans put their differences quietly aside and work things out? Isn't that the reason they were elected? Isn't their duty to serve the needs of the nation? The people?

We're all in this together. And remember, the mandate from 1776 is government for the people, by the people.

So, let your Congressman hear you.

best wishes for all

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Tracking Devices & Jesse Ventura

2011-05-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

This past week and the one upcoming herald interesting news, both of which confirm elements woven into Deadly Exchange, the award-winning spy thriller. First, it is revealed that Apple (and Google, of course) and other apps for smartphones are tracking your whereabouts (see New York Times, Sunday, May 1, 2011, front page). Second, the May 2nd release of Jesse Ventura's new book, 63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read, confirms the CIA program to alter human behavior.

The latter has been declassified for some time, which only means something else is classified and being utilized. Nevertheless, Mr. Ventura presents copies of the actual documents. Now, some may consider him a little off, but prior to his governorship of Minnesota, he was a SEAL for 6 years. Neither post allows one to be...well you decide.

The news item about tracking is alarming, but not unexpected by this author (and many others). However, I have been told by Silicon Valley insiders that privacy as we know it shall soon Rest In Peace. Sorry to share that casket, but then you probably suspected it already.

Check out Jesse Ventura's book. It should be interesting, if nothing else.

To find out what the future may hold, get a hold of
Deadly Exchange, available at any fine bookstore, and Amazon. Also on iBooks, Nook, Kindle:-) Enjoy!

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R U Connected--the Business of "Friending"

2011-02-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

I don’t know about you, but I’m a little worried about the state of humanity.

All this business about “friends” on the multitude of social media websites scares me.
(True, it does have benefits as witnessed during the demonstrations in Iran, and more so in Egypt.)

Yet, still I’m concerned.

Why?

First , because while these sites offer convenient ways to stay in touch, it’s not real. It represents a virtual connection (granted, better than none).
When was the last time you sat down and enjoyed a relaxed, heartfelt chat with a dear friend, perhaps over coffee or tea? Add to that, this conversation took place without interruption from someone’s smartphone, signaling an email, a text, a Tweet…(you get the idea).

Second, many of the so-called “friends” on these sites, you probably have never met in person. (Personally, I try to only add people I truly “know”, in the sense of having met or having had significant discourse.)

How many of your Facebook friends would be there for you in an emergency or crisis, such as a financial bind, or a death of a loved one?

Finally, and most disturbing to me, social media has been invaded by corporations, under the guise of seeking “friends” (read that as customers). “Friending” has become the hot business of the 21st century.

Make no mistake: it is the rare corporation that truly cares about you, rather their interest lies in what your purse or wallet contains. Furthermore, regardless of how friendly their social media site appears, they are selling something.

Do true friends try to sell you something every time you get together?

Is it not that real friends are there to listen to you, to share with you, even laugh over a funny anecdote?
(I hope so.)

In the immortal words of Mother Teresa:
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

With that, put down your phone and connect with a true friend (in person) today.
Heartfelt wishes to all☺

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Holiday Gifts

2010-10-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

I've heard that the holiday gift buying frenzy has started earlier this year, according to ABC World News (28 Oct 2010).
So...Deadly Exchange: A Novel makes a great gift for all the thriller-readers on your list.
Most recently, it won an award for fiction at the 2009 Los Angeles Book Festival (awarded February 2010). It was runner-up to the Grand Prize winner, Liz Balmaseda, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.
Visit my author page at: www.amazon.com to view graphic images of scenes from the novel.
Well, happy shopping to all!!

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Would You Like Some...Answers?

2010-09-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

There once was a young man who trekked the world far and wide in search of answers to his questions. One question in particular plagued him, yet he had found no one that knew the answer.

So, he continued his travels, easing his frustrations to some degree along the way.

Eventually, after much time had passed, he stumbled upon a monastery in the high mountains in some remote region of the East. In fact, the place was a lamasery, home to a secret sect of lamas, who had lived there for centuries, hidden away in the ranges of Tibet.

After a few months of preliminary observation by the lamas, and much dishwashing by the young man, he was accepted as an initiate into the mountaintop order. An initiate spends five years in lamasery duties and activities before formal acceptance into the sacred rights of the lamasery.

This initiate period afforded the young man time to study ancient texts in the library and ask questions of other initiates, as well as some of those within the brotherhood.

While he learned patience, he was still no closer to answers that he longed for, especially to that one question.

Nevertheless, the days and nights passed in the serenity of the high Tibetan plateau. He learned new skills—to cook, to play the flute, and to be even more patient.

One day a brother of the lamasery came to the young man and told him that he would be inducted into the brotherhood, if he so chose.

The young man, who had now gained in years, accepted.

With inductance, not much changed in the day-to-day endeavors atop the mountain. Peace and calm lingered like orographic clouds around jagged peaks. However, he did acquire a mauve robe tied with a gold-colored cord. In addition, he was granted a few hours with the High Lama, who reputedly was one hundred and fifty years old.

At last, thought the new brother, I will get answers to my questions, or at least to the most important one.

As the allotted day for the session with the most esteemed Lama approached, the young man’s anticipation became almost unbearable.

At the prescribed hour, he entered the High Lama’s residence, a separate building from all others atop the mountain, and was ushered into a great hall that exuded both incense and mystery. At the far end sat the High Lama, his long, thin beard almost reached his belly. Despite his purported age, the leader of the order appeared well groomed, with an olive complexion that seemed to glow.

As instructed, the young man took a seat upon a hand woven carpet at the feet of the High Lama and waited. To speak before one was invited could bring harsh punishment, so he had been told.

As he waited, much to his surprise, tranquility came over him, despite the fact that none of his questions had been answered. Inn truth, the questions, whether verbalized or not, usually kept him in a state of relative anxiety.

At last, the High Lama spoke. “I am glad you have come. I am aware that your frustrations still linger, even here in our little paradise.”

“You see,” said the young man, “before coming here I searched the world over for answers to particular questions, but found that none knew them.”

The High Lama remained silent for some time. For so long in fact that the young man thought he’d fallen asleep.

Finally, the High Lama opened his eyes, which sparkled with ambient light, and said, “Perhaps I may be able to assist you. Ask me the question that you most wish to have answered.”

Ecstatic, the young man sat in shock for a moment. The choice of which question to ask was easy, for it had plagued his mind for years and years.

He shrugged, and said, “How do I find contentment, High Lama?”

Again, the great leader and sage of the lamasery fell into an extended repose, which again appeared quite reminiscent of slumber.

For the young man, who teetered between hope and despair, all he could do was practice patience.

Again, the High Lama’s eyes opened, revealing a light that now twinkled. “As with many of life’s troubles, the solution is much simpler than the process.” He paused, stroking the tentacle that served as a beard. “The answer to your question is: stop asking questions.”

The End

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Independence Day: Spy Thriller Ignites the Discovery of Lost Secrets

2010-07-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

July 3, 2010 -- Washington, D.C. — Some will read it for the action and intrigue, some for the technology, and others for fun. However, award winning (2009 Los Angeles Book Festival) spy thriller, Deadly Exchange, by author Geoffrey M. Gluckman (www.geoffreygluckman.com), offers readers much more. A riveting espionage adventure that spans the globe, the novel unfolds within the walls of corporate America. It takes you back to the roots of America and propels you into the near future of a technological nightmare.
In a time of terror threats, enhanced security, and diminishing freedoms, Deadly Exchange (www.deadlyexchangethenovel.com) strikes at the heart of the keys that founded a great nation. A perfect choice for the Fourth of July and the birth of a country.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

Some of the most famous words in the history of democracy, and part of the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, these words contain forgotten truths about the United States of America. They represent a creed of which all Americans can be proud, and adorn the marble walls that surround the magnificent statue of their author, Thomas Jefferson, located in Washington, D.C.

In Deadly Exchange, the main character, Jennifer Chance, a world-renowned motivational speaker, visits the Jefferson Memorial, looking for inspiration for her emancipation from a corporate position where nothing is what it seems. Only weeks remain before Lectures And More, Inc., a company representing the world’s top motivational speakers, launches its latest technological advance: a mind-altering radio frequency device sold as a work-site enhancement product. The deceptively altruistic Ulrich Rogers spearheads the company and its reeducation programs, incorporating the presentational prowess and charm of Ms. Chance, who is on the brink of realizing some deep secrets, ones that certain people in power do not want her to know.

Plunged into a twisting chase to escape the clutches of Rogers and his former espionage henchmen, Jennifer seeks help from Frank Revere, an enigmatic former government counterintelligence agent. But the question of who to trust continues to dangle in Jennifer’s mind, and a deeper deception lurks in the shadows.

“[Deadly Exchange] can change how you look at your boss, your job, even your life,” says one corporate employee, who wished to remain anonymous.

Brief Synopsis: Technological-rich corporate espionage thriller reveals lost secrets of the USA. Brimming with suspense, mystery, action, and even romance, Deadly Exchange uncovers the roots of a nation and leaves the reader thinking.

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Another Oil Disaster and Legal Violation

2010-05-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Once again, oil has created another horrific situation. Not so long ago, the hunt for oil in Iraq led the Bush administration into an armed conflict. The U.S. is trying to extricate itself from that oily mess.

Now, the BP oil pipeline is still leaking millions of gallons of crude into the Gulf. No one is exactly certain about the amount of gallons seeping into the ocean. But it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to be a scientist, or very intelligent at all, to know this is not a pleasant scenario for ocean life, coastal communities, and the planet in general.

Even worse, no one knows how to stop it. Thus, inanity enters.

How does a company get approval to operate something that they don’t know how to stop if an emergency occurs?

This one fact defies common sense.

It seems to me that our leaders and governments are either tremendously negligent or incompetent. Perhaps, those two things are that different in the end.

Let’s review: just over thirty years ago, the Exxon Valdez (a supertanker filled with oil) spilled over ten million gallons of crude into Prince William Sound, off the coast of Alaska. In response to that, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 was created in large part to prevent such recklessness from happening again.

The Oil Pollution Act (OPA) provided new requirements for contingency planning by both the government and industry, called National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). It stipulates a three-tiered approach:

“1) Federal government is required to direct all public and private response efforts for certain types of spills.

2) Area committees—made of federal, state, and local government—must develop detailed location-specific Area Contingency Plans.

3) Owners-Operators—of vessels and certain facilities that pose serious threat to the environment must prepare their own Facility Response Plans.”

I took the liberty of highlighting number three above since BP has admitted that they had no emergency response plan. And yet, the government gave them approval for the oil recovery operation anyway.

On the premises of national laboratories and experimental centers, security clearance aside, no one is permitted to be there if one does not have the training to effectively deal with an emergency.

It appears from the 1990 OPA that both government and industry have failed us, not just the U.S. citizens, but the people of Earth, by acting irresponsibly.

Sources:
www.epa.gov/emergencies

www.en.wikipedia.org

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Stories R Us

2010-02-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

Every day each of us adds to our personal adventure, otherwise known as life. Yes, you are the author, director, producer, and star of your very own story.

Storytelling began long ago, perhaps when humans began to communicate with each other. Listeners would gather round a storyteller, being drawn into the tale through the magic and enthusiasm of the speaker. Long ago, the story may have been about a great hunter or warrior. Later, stories evolved, taking on many forms, such as comedy, romance, and tragedy. The story form altered as well, leading to performances acted upon a stage for others.

Perhaps the enigmatic, ever-changing nature of narration is the reason for our enchantment with a good story, especially being told one. These days the story, or ‘buzz’, takes on many shapes and sizes, most notably condensed. For instance, twitter offers 140-character installments to millions, while other social media sites allow greater verbosity. These micro-stories seem to have eclipsed the Internet’s former king—blogs (like this one).

With the rise in electronic book readers, such as Apple’s iPad, Sony’s eReader, and Amazon’s Kindle, the system of storing stories may be on the verge of a monumental change. However, the format doesn’t matter. The key is that a story shares a secret with us that pique our interest. It used to be that a story required a beginning, middle, and an end. But all that may be up for debate.

Personally, I love a good story, one that has great (of course, flawed) characters, plotting, appropriate voice, and perhaps a sprinkle of mystery. It doesn’t need to be a detective style mystery, just something hidden, waiting to be discovered. Really, it could be about anything, such as the evolution of codes through the millennia.

With my first novel, Deadly Exchange, it was writing itself unconsciously for many years before I realized it. Once I consciously began to write the story, the words streamed onto the page, most of the time. Nevertheless, it being my first work of such length, I tooled away on it for years, getting help from various sources to improve all aspects of the story and the craft of storytelling. Most of that time, I enjoyed the process and the writing as it flowed forth. Each character piped up for their part.

These days, many non-fiction books are telling wonderful stories for readers to enjoy, whether it’s a biography, a history, or a memoir. I would say, whatever the format of preference, the story enchants and charms us with a character, facts, or mystery.

Deadly Exchange won Honorable Mention in Fiction at the Los Angeles Book Festival. It is available in soft cover and electronic editions.

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Dr. King and the Dream Still Live

2010-01-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Wolves in Peril by State Governments

2010-01-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

Despite the promises made by President Obama on March 3rd, 2009, the Endangered Species Act has not been restored to its proper function, all degraded by the Bush administration. Most American are not aware of this due to other distractions deemed more important, such as a struggling economy and job market. (Both of which I am not dismissing, by any means.)

Point in fact, the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, delisted wolves from the act three days after the President’s pronouncement.

Such erosion of the thirty-year old Endangered Species Act deserves attention, especially as it has led to the current slaughter of wolves in numerous states, including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Wolves were purposefully re-introduced in many of these areas to help restore natural ecosystem balance. For instance, in Alaska, where the state manages for caribou and moose populations for the enjoyment of hunters who pay for licenses, the furry, four-legged predators helped reign in the excesses of caribou herd, also known as 40-Mile. But then, by the 1990’s caribou numbers dipped too low, due to hunting and natural factors, including wildfires in their habitat. By 2002, caribou numbers rebounded to sustain man-made and natural activities.

However, in 2003, Alaska began chemical exterminations of wolves. Five years later, the state expanded the previous predator-control zone, which now surrounds Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. Furthermore, the state has not only authorized hunters to shoot wolves on site, but employs state officials to shoot the wolves (predators) from helicopters and planes. By March of 2009, 200 wolves were shot and killed. The state had to suspend the harvest because hunters couldn’t find more wolves to eradicate.

This seems far from Darwin’s natural selection. In fact, some of the killed wolves were part of a radio-collared pack in a longitudinal twelve-year study by the National Park Service.

According to law, parks like Yukon-Charley Rivers are set aside to protect wildlife, specifically wolves. But wolves are roamers and are not aware of the boundaries that humans have set for them. Another system of management, if it can be called that, needs to be devised. Perhaps the state could begin to offer tourist adventures, where people pay to enjoy the beauty of the state, including all the indigenous species. This has been done in many other countries, such as Costa Rica and Africa.

The aerial hunting and excess slaughter of wolves, predators purposefully re-introduced to their native habitat as part of a thirty-year recovery program, is also taking place in Yellowstone National Park and other regions of the Northern Rockies. Despite the fact that ranchers are reimbursed for losses of livestock, the killing continues, producing numbers in the thousands in several states.

Moreover, perhaps the words of American naturalist, John Muir, express it best: “when we try to pick out anything [eliminate] by itself we find that it is bound fast by a thousand invisible cords that cannot be broken, to everything in the universe.”

In other words, wiping out a top predator in a region can seriously imbalance that ecosystem, which numerous studies have already shown. Such policies by these state officials reveal that they are putting their pocketbooks before sustainability. The latter is no small matter that implicates all of us, including our children and our children’s children.

If humans are going to continue to try and manage wildlife, then let us do so from an informed, scientific basis grounded in biology, not political and economic agendas.

Sources:
National Park Conservation Association
National Geographic, September 2009
Robert Busch. Wolf Almanac, 2007 edition
Washington Post articles
National Wildlife Federation, 2007

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Will the Real Sarah Palin Please Stand Up?

2009-12-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

Many politicians are adept at the ability to present multiple realities to their constituents, depending on the audience present. But, perhaps, this goes too far.

Ms. Palin has changed her tune, once again. While governor of Alaska she had supported the need for dealing with the reality of climate change, even going so far as to to set up a special committee.

Now, having quit that post, in a recent Washington Post Op-ed piece, she has switched sides, claiming that the economic impact of carbon emission reductions called for by President Obama will be counterproductive to economic growth.

Let me see if I get this straight, economic enhancement is more important in the short run, than responsible stewardship of the planet in the long run. Last time I checked, this is the only planet in our solar system available to us, our children, and our children’s children to inhabit.

If you recall, earlier in the fall, a deeper look into Palin’s life revealed some inconsistencies, some even diametrically opposed.

For instance, the person and lifestyle she informed us about during the McCain presidential campaign of 2008 is in stark contrast to the facts revealed by would-be son-in-law Johnston in his expose in Vogue.

Johnston portrayed her as a child in parental clothing (and public office), such as not caring for her family. Whether all of his gems of insight into the real Sarah Palin are true wil be investigated, certainly. Nevertheless, the portrait painted by Palin for the public appears to be just that, a work of art.

Nevertheless, more surprising is the reaction of Republicans, especially her politcal base outside of her native state. In July, USA TODAY Gallup Polls found the support for her as a national political candidate quite strong, upwards of 67 percent nationwide. Some conservative talk show hosts, including Mr. Limbaugh and Bill Bennett, claim she is still a viable presidential candidate for the Republican party in 2012.

This is completely puzzling to me, and hopefully to many of the Republican politicians on Capitol Hill. Let’s examine the facts:

1) She is launched into the public eye after being selected as Senator McCain’s running mate in the 2008 Presidential election. Prior to that, no one had ever heard of her.

2) In looking at her political experience, which is limited to a few years as the governor of Alaska, there is not much depth at all. Evidently, this lack of experience does not faze her followers in the least.

3) In her resignation speech, she pointed a finger at the media as the reason for her early departure from office. True, she and her family have been featured in the media, both traditional and online, often as comic relief. But isn’t that what it means “to be in the public eye”. If she can’t handle it, then what would happen if she were to assume a much more visible office? Furthermore, aside from showing a tendency toward victimness, such a reaction simply teaches others to not take self-resposibility.

4) Finally, the biggest harbinger of Palin’s potential inability to represent the people at any level in U.S. government is her resignation itself. Is this what we want from our would-be leaders? To quit when the going gets tough? Is that what her followers would want if she were in a higher office, such as President?

At the end of day, I am not anti-Republican or anti-Democrat. Rather, I am for politicians that truly serve the people, not just the ones who they represent, but all citizens. Remember, our government is based on the power of the people as represented by elected officials.

Sources:
USA TODAY
CNN
Vogue
Washington Post

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Polar Bears, Arctic Oil, Climate Change, and Our Future

2009-09-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Have you seen any of the images of a lone polar bear swimming in the Arctic Ocean?

For me, it is one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen, certainly equal to small baby seals being bludgeoned to death by humans wielding clubs. Why? Because of the desolation of an animal forsaken by circumstances that are beyond its control.

Nevertheless, he paddles on, passing small blobs of ice that are too insignificant to hold his weight. Fortunately, polar bears can swim up to 60 miles in a day, but even that feat is becoming too little as the polar ice cap continues to shrink.

Since 1980, the polar ice in the arctic has shrunk by almost 50 percent, from three million square feet to 1.8 million square feet[1]. The importance of this fact seems lost on the public at large, including myself at times, because the science is tricky to comprehend.
Simply put, not only is the Arctic home to polar bears and the Inuit people, it is paramount to our survival as well. That beautiful white ice reflects 80 percent of the incoming sun’s rays, which helps keep Arctic temperatures cooler. So the less ice, less reflection, thus it gets hotter. This produces a negative cycle resulting in thinner ice or less overall ice coverage. In fact, this cycle has been in effect for the last twenty years with temperatures creeping upward. Initially, the rise in temperature was due to high or low air pressure changes, but now the increases are the result of excess greenhouses gases[2].

Why should we care? Because, just as an injury to your knee affects the rest of your bodily movement, increased temperatures in the Arctic results in weather changes in lower latitudes, such as warmer winters, and storm irregularity and severity. More importantly, it is a harbinger of things to come.

The five Arctic governmental powers (Russia, U.S., Canada, Denmark, Norway) should be alarmed by this trend. Instead, as the polar ice cap melts, they are positioning themselves for new opportunities to obtain Arctic fossil fuel resources. Studies show that the Arctic may hold nearly a quarter of the Earth’s natural gas and oil. This fact has created a flurry of territorial fights, like children squabbling over play area in a sandbox. These claims are governed by the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea, especially where there overlapping territory occurs [3].

It appears that climate change awareness has risen both within the general population and the government, but our leaders have not stepped up to guide us[6].

Many scientists the world over have said that the time to act on climate change is now. We cannot delay.

Shouldn’t our leaders see this as an opportunity to make this one of the finest hours of humanity?

What does it take for humankind to change its ways?

Instead of thinking about yourself, your family, perhaps we need to think like the Native Americans: let us think of seven generations in the future. Let them enjoy the Earth as we do now.

The welfare of all life, not just human existence, but all life is in our hands. Become a steward of the Earth, despite any fears you may have about being seen as different by those around you. True, our task is not an easy one, but it is a sacred responsibility.

What you can do NOW:
• Write/call/email your U.S. senators

… and deliver this message:
My name is _________________ and I’m calling from [Your City] today to remind you, my senators, that climate change poses an unprecedented threat to human communities, fish and wildlife habitat and the natural resources we depend on -- resources like clean air and water -- and recreational opportunities such as fishing, hunting, boating and hiking.
As someone who cares about wildlife and the irreplaceable value of our natural world, I ask Senator [Your Senator’s Name] to pass climate change legislation that will:
• Significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and
• Provide 5% dedicated funding from the funds generated under the bill to safeguard fish, wildlife and the natural resources that we need to survive.

Fast Facts on Wildlife and Global Warming
• Scientists warn that mid-range climate warming could cause 20-30 percent of the Earth’s plants and animals to go extinct between now and 2050. [4]
• One out of every 20 jobs in America is linked to wildlife related activities.[5]

Sources:
[1] National Geographic Supplement, May 2009, (data current to September 2008).
[2] http://www.globalchange.gov/images/cir/pdf/ecosystems.pdf
[3] National Geographic Supplement, May 2009, (data current to September 2008).
[4] United Nations Environmental Programme 2007. “IPCC Synthesis Report: Risks And Rewards Of Combating Climate Change.”; Sagarin, Raphael. 2002. “Historical Studies of Species’ Response to Climate Change.” In: Wildlife Responses to Climate Change: North American Case Studies. Ed. Terry L. Root and Stephen H. Schneider. Washington DC: Island Press. Pg. 39.
[5] Outdoor Industry Foundation. 2007. “The Active Outdoor Recreation Economy. A $730 Billion Annual Contribution to the U.S. Economy.”
Available from: http://www.outdoorindustry.org/images/researchfiles/RecEconomypublic.pdf?26

www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25666.html

www.nationalgeographic.com

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The Tour de France

2009-07-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year again, Christmas in July for me. The Tour de France is happening July 4-26, 2009). With only a few days into racing, the excitement is fantastic. No, not because Lance Armstrong has returned after a three and a half year retirement, but he does add to the action.

To me, I think the Tour de France is the toughest sports event in the world. It requires tremendous individual athletic and mental ability, team unity and skill, and the strategic intelligence of a chess player. It takes place over a three-week period matching the top cyclists against one another as they race through a variety of countries and terrain, including both the Pyrenees and the Alps. Furthermore, most race days during the event are more than one hundred miles.

As an avid cyclist I’ve been a devoted fan of the race for more than two decades, usually watching everyday. I love listening to the expertise and stories shared by the commentators, Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, and Bob Roll (Bobke). Phil has presided over the race for 37 years.

See the riders, legs pumping, and the beautiful scenery ignites the fire within to ride. Never content being a spectator, I enjoy the participation. In fact, in 2003 and 2004, I created my own little Tours (of Vancouver, BC), where I rode a percentage of the distance that the TDF competitors raced each day. I tried to match the terrain to the particular race day. For instance, if it was a mountain stage, I rode in the mountains (of course, not the Alps). If it was a time trial, then I did that, too.

Watching a sporting event, whether the TDF or the World Cup (for me), stimulates the desire to enjoy that sport in reality. What a great way to get motivated! (And, dare I say, it proves that not all television watching causes deterioration of body balance and muscular function.)

Ask: What sport/activity do you enjoy? What motivates you to actually do it?

The key is to find what ignites your passion and use that as a motivator.
Trust me, staying motivated to exercise is essential to maintaining optimal health and well-being.

So, get out there and play!

(this is a duplication of the Body Balance & Well-being blog--remember I'm busy watching the Tour)

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National Train Day May 9, 2009

2009-05-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

Riding the Rails

The rocking motion is what you notice first, other than the freedom to move about at will. No seatbelt signs. No pressurized cabin and air. Just rocking and swaying. It lulls you and comforts you into its pace, a slower pace.

Train travel (www.amtrak.com) provides incredible comfort with seating at a fraction of the cost of comparable seating on an airplane. As a delicious added benefit, there are no security lines.

A train ride allows you to actually see the land upon which you are traversing. Birds alight from feeding. A small hill nudges through low-lying clouds. Each nuance of the landscape reveals itself slowly, like a lover of many years.

And the train trundles along. The vastness of the land unfurls before you with each new glimpse through the panoramic windows.

Some vistas, depending on the train route, are breathtaking. Others are eyesores. Within a glance, there lies garbage dumped by those who have forgotten to respect the land. A second later, large pastures come into view. Cows graze freely, while horses roam, all back dropped by greens and browns of distant hills. The land bares its true self unabashedly, as if to say, ‘This is who I am’.

Trains are not a means of conveyance for those in a hurry. Train travel is for plodders, dawdlers, and wanderers. Trains also serve those who enjoy letting go and allowing another to do the work for you.

Trains and travel upon them evokes a sense of history, yet allows for the use of all items of modern life, such as mobile phones, computers, and the like. Simultaneously, you talk on the phone and notice the Main Street of some long forgotten town passing by.

Drivers of cars on the nearby highway can be seen toiling away to unknown destinations, keeping constant vigil for other vehicles, and changing lanes. All the while, you sit back, relax, and enjoy the rocking, the sweet sway of the train. Choo choo.

All aboard!

Resources:
Amtrak: www.amtrak.com

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The Economy, Afghanistan...and the Planet

2009-04-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

The dismal economies across the globe continue to hold much of the world’s attention. Perhaps rightly so.
President Obama and his administration are hard at work to correct what they can within the U.S. The President has ventured across the seas to Europe in hopes of getting increased cooperation from leaders there. The mending of fences battered by Bush’s reign flowed forth with Obama’s forthrightness and charisma.

Nevertheless, European leaders balk at helping the new war efforts aimed at Afghanistan. First, the European banks are more strapped for cash than American ones, though the Europeans won’t admit that.
Second, the Europeans know all too well the history of military aggression into Afghanistan. President Obama and his administration would do well to heed European reluctance, or at least talk with the Russians, who spent ten tough years there, only to give up in the end. Of course, it was America that gave weapons and training to the Afghani fighters then.

Moreover, if our intelligence community is to be trusted, then our targets, Al Queda and friends, hide out in Pakistan, not mountainous Afghanistan.

Finally, despite these pressing issues, and the incessant bailing out of potentially failing businesses with taxpayer money, many people forget a more critical issue—the planet.
Regardless whether one believes in global warming or an impending ice age, the one truth remains that Earth is the only inhabitable planet in our solar system. It needs our care (on a daily basis), not our recklessness, if we want it to continue to support us and our children and our children’s children.

I bring this up as a matter for increasing consciousness and intention, for caring that is. It would be incredibly inane to destroy the only home that we have, along with its delicate ecosystems.

The increases in the human population continue to threaten Earth’s stability. If my sources are correct, then the human population has tripled in the last one hundred years. This is staggering to say the least.
If that figure is true, then it is no wonder that greenhouse emissions have increased--more CO2, more cars, and more industrialization. Not to mention the advancing super-technological society, this has skyrocketed in the last thirty years and shows no signs of slowing down.
This digital revolution appears to be ever captivating to old and young, especially the latter.

As a result, people have forgotten the beauty and profundity that simple nature offers every second of every day. And it’s all free. What a gift in economic hard times!

Perhaps shutting off televisions, computers, mobile phones, and stepping outside would be a good idea, and not just for the power grids. Take a little walk, find some nature, and give thanks and praises to this sacred planet that supports each one of us every day without asking for anything in return.
Marvel at how birds fly and float through the skies above. Wonder at the grace of geese and ducks drifting effortlessly upon the water. This is a chance to appreciate nature. Sure, it can be harsh sometimes, but even a winter snowstorm leaves a beautiful blanket of white for a while.

Try it! See how good you feel!

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Oil Lands in Utah

2008-12-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

Haven't President Bush and his administration done enough harm to the country already?
One look at the economy and the answer is easy. Of course, he's not entirely to blame.
Yet, a continued military presence in Iraq at a cost of billions of dollars per month doesn't help. Are we safer? Perhaps. But still at the mercy of other types of terrorists--OPEC ones.
Bush's answer is to give away oil rights to companies in some of the most beautiful areas this country has left.
Is that the legacy he wants to leave before he exits office?
Is that what we, patriotic Americans, want him to do with our land?
I, for one, do not. The majesty of Arches National Park is one of the most incredible sights we have.
It is not for Mr. Bush to give away, regardless of the state of our oil reserves. this is our land, not his to do as he wishes.
Maybe the answer comes from finding/developing alternatives to the massive oil consumption that runs rampant on the planet. Given the option, I think many people would rather use some other form of alternate fuel, rather than be dependent on the black liquid, especially when it makes foreigners rich.
Finding and drilling more oil in protected areas of our country is not the answer to the current energy crisis.
Currently, oil barrel prices are low, but OPEC (an organization entirely controlled by countries not so friendly with the U.S.) is preparing to reduce production, which will again reduce supply, thus raising the price per barrel 100%.
We are being played big time by these oil wielding nations.
Let's bring our energy future under our control by weaning ourselves off not just foreign oil dependence, but oil dependence in general.
I know it is a complicated issue, but isn't the earth, our home, worth it?
Remember the words of Chief Seattle: "The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth."
The reality is if we screw this up, we will mostly hurt ourselves. The earth has been here for billions of years, we have not. So this is about a positive energy and lifestyle future for us, for our children, and for our children's children, that is in harmony with the planet.
Happy Holidays to all!!

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The Book that the U.S. Government Doesn't Want You to Read

2008-08-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

FORMER FEDERAL AGENT USES EXPERIENCE
TO CRAFT ESPIONAGE THRILLER:
Abunga.com Features Author Geoffrey Gluckman to Chat with Fans Aug. 27

WHO:	Geoffrey Gluckman, author of the gripping spy novel “Deadly Exchange.” Drawing from his training experience as a federal agent and CIA recruit, Gluckman wrote “Deadly Exchange” with a genuine understanding of the criminal mind and a suspense-filled pursuit. Gluckman also used his expertise as an exercise physiologist and international lecturer to weave real life experiences into his fictional story. Full of wit, mystery and danger, “Deadly Exchange” chronicles a corporate mega-firm out to control the minds of America’s work force using a high-tech product decoy. A deceptive villain and charming, yet fragile, heroine make for a story that leaves readers on the edge of their seats wondering who they can actually trust.
WHAT:	“Authors at Abunga” Online Chat with Geoffrey Gluckman, the fourth author to be featured on the newly-created chat series by Abunga.com, an online bookstore offering family-friendly materials.
wheN:	Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008 11 a.m. – Noon PDT / 1 – 2 p.m. CDT / 2 – 3 p.m. EDT (LIVE) At www.Abunga.com/AuthorsAtAbunga
DETAILS:	In addition to “Deadly Exchange,” Gluckman has authored numerous works of poetry, short stories and fiction. Currently, he pens feature articles for various print publications in the U.S., Canada and Australia. A fitness and biomechanics expert, Gluckman created the Muscle Balance and Function Development® (MBF®)education system. He is also credited with initiating the postural and functional exercise trend now commonly practiced in North America, which stemmed from a ground-breaking article in Shape Magazine (November 1994) that featured him and one of his fitness regimens designed for women. In 2000, he appeared on the “Body by Jake Healthy Lifestyles” television show as a featured functional fitness specialist. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Abunga.com offers more than 1.6 million family-friendly book titles, savings through distributor-direct prices and support to nonprofit organizations by donating 5 percent of each transaction to a customer-selected charity. For more information, visit www.Abunga.com.

www.geoffreygluckman.com
Available from major bookstores, such as Barnes & Noble, as well as online retailers
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McClellan Calls a Spade a Spade

2008-05-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Finally, someone within the Bush Administration has enough guts to speak the truth, at least of his experience. As former press secretary, Scott McClellan, may know something. In his memoir, What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception, he reveals secret truths of the Bush Administration.
For instance, he's calling the Iraq War a sham and unnecessary, especially after no Weapons of Mass Destruction were found. He's identifying the Bush tactics as propaganda, such as the administration's strategizing for the war in 2002 and trying to sell the public on it. The actual invasion didn't occur until a year later.
Maybe this could signal the presence of WMO, Weapons of Mass Obfuscation. Maybe we need to bring some democracy to the White House.
Oddly, none of the news media interviewing McClellan have asked why Bush wanted to invade Iraq, other than the obvious noble reasons that we have been inundated with--spreading the gift of democracy.
Perhaps it is a coming to fruition of the People for a New American Century's(PNAC) plan since 1992 to secure a foothold in the soil of oil. Several members of this group have involvement with the Bush Administration.
The Bush Administration is now calling McClellan 'disgruntled'. Okay, fine.
He probably is when he sees the death of our young men and women piling up and billions of dollars a day being wasted. But does his disgruntled state mean that what he has revealed is any less true?
If McClellan were a former employee in a large corporation and had revealed some secret illegalities, he would be called a whistleblower.
If he dressed poorly, carried a camera, and made documentaries of government injustices, he might be called Michael Moore's brother.
The point is that it is more than about time to stop kowtowing to an administration that is less than honest.
McClellan, as former press secretary, held a perfect position to know what spin U.S. citizens were being fed. Just imagine if someone with a higher security clearance came forward.

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Smoking is Alive and Well in Spain

2008-05-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

While the days of sitting in smoked-filled Parisian cafes are gone, it still thrives in Spain. At least in Galicia (the northwestern region above the border with Portugal). (Pictured: small plaza in Santiago de Compostela)

Being a non-smoker and coming from the homogenized North America (now including the UK, France, and other European countries that have joined the indoor smoking ban), I can’t say that it bothers me. I’ve always felt that it added to the European charm, except in a few Viennese cafes where the smoke hung above the patrons like indoor clouds.

As usual, it seems as if everyone smokes. Those that don’t are probably tourists. The widespread use of tobacco in Europe is certainly aided by the lower cost. In addition, the lifestyle plays a role, especially in Spain where the focus is on celebrating life and partaking of pleasure, not bad pursuits.

For the most part the attention of Spaniards is not directed toward health and fitness. That doesn’t mean that they don’t walk, ride bicycles, and play football (soccer). Of course they do, and they smoke and drink too, often until sunrise of the next day. The same thing occurs in other European cities, such as London, Koln, Copenhagen, and North American ones as well.

However, in Spain there is a difference--far less aggression. The focus of such late-night frivolity is pure and simple fun. It helps to have that daily break, usually between noon and four, to rest up, but many don’t use those hours to sleep. Instead, they conspire with friends to congregate in the plazas well-bordered with cafes (and often as not--no cars).

The above scenario is true for all regions of Spain, which I have had the good fortune to visit. For years, sitting at a Spanish cafe in a plaza I wondered what was the source of what the French call, joie de vivre, which the Spanish so embody. The key appears to hinge upon the fact that unlike North America and England and Germany work is not the focal point.

Beyond that I still don’t know the magic element, but it certainly makes for an enjoyable life among the people of the Iberian peninsula. Perhaps other countries could begin to emulate?

Viva Espana!

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REAL ID, REAL TYRANNY?

2008-04-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Though it may come as a surprise, the true effects of the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001 have not yet been felt. The Bush administration’s plan for a safe America (and everywhere else) continues to unfold with the REAL ID Act. This act, passed in 2005, establishes a directive for a tamper proof ID system, hence the birth of a national identification card coming to your wallet very soon.

After years of careful deliberation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a decree to all states: participate by May 11, 2008 or your residents will be denied the use of a driver’s license to board an airplane or enter a federal building. (States can request an extension to the deadline.) This legislation, while seeming to protect U.S. citizens from terrorists, illegal immigrants and would-be con artists, further complicates the already hassled experience of travel, even if you don’t venture abroad. Such legislation stemmed from the purported fact that 18 of the 9/11 hijackers held fake driver’s licenses and identifications with 364 aliases.

Under the rules of the Act, any American born after December 1st, 1964 will be required to get a driver’s license with enhanced security measures in the next six years. The cards will contain three layers of security features chosen by each state from a menu of multiple security measures. However, a radio frequency identification (see resources: Asset Tracking, June 2006) microchip will not be part of the regular menu selection. An RFID chip may be added as part of the Enhanced Driver License option, provided by Digimarc. The states of Washington and Virginia are moving forward with RFID implementation.

Are three security features enough?
Many state licenses have more than that already, and are compliant with REAL ID, such as New York, Virginia, North Carolina, and California.

“Ideally, there should be 12 to 20 separate security features on a license,” says Reed Stager, Executive Vice President, Digimarc Corporation. This company supplies 32 states with secure state licenses and has advised DHS on security enhancements.

Nevertheless, by 2014, any person wishing to board an aircraft (or enter a federal building) will need a piece of identification that complies with the REAL ID Act requirements. An exception is made for those who will be 50 years or older by that time, as they are deemed less of a threat. It also gives more time to states to comply with the regulations, which will include everyone by the year 2017.

If three features are not enough, as expressed by the security experts I have contacted, then what is going on?

The true reality, REAL ID requires states to check immigration status and Social Security Numbers of applicants for driver’s license. The government states that such a check against government records ensures the validity of information. This is an attempt to prevent false documentation from breeder documents, such as foreign passports and birth certificates, which is the real problem.

Objections to REAL ID and such procedures have come from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and numerous states, as well as several websites, such as www.unrealid.com. There is also a blog: stoprealidnow.

Seventeen states, including Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Nevada, and Hawaii, have objected to the measures required by REAL ID, mostly due to the financial burden the Act places on a state’s budget. The initial expected costs associated with REAL ID compliance were $14 billion, though that has since been cut to $3.9 billion.

The ACLU’s opposition is much more critical (www.realnightmare.org) and centers around the sharing of information required under the Act between governmental departments and between state bureaucracies, which could leave many exposed to greater risks of identity theft.

“[REAL ID] is the first-ever national identity card system,” according to official ACLU documents.

The enactment of the REAL ID Act by the Bush Administration could be the first overt act of tyranny. This same administration states the U.S. military presence in Iraq is to help establish a democracy. Yet, under the guise of national security, which includes the National Security Agency spying on its own citizens (see Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act), REAL ID could be directly undermining one of the key tenants that once made the U.S. a great nation—right to privacy.

So, will the citizens of the U.S. be safer, and yet less free?

In the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin, “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Resources:
American Civil Liberties Union. www.aclu.com.
Department of Homeland Security. www.dhs.gov. (January 11, 2008)
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/fisa
Benjamin Franklin. 1759. Historical Review of Pennsylvania.
Geoffrey M. Gluckman. June 2006. "Asset Tracking" www.geoffreygluckman.com (as published in Credit Union Business Magazine)
Reed Stager. 2005. Digimarc Corporation, Beaverton, OR. www.digimarc.com
www.secureidnews.com (March 14, 2008)

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Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-03-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

It strikes me as extremely odd that not a single country with athletes attending this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing have even hinted at a boycott.
Why a boycott?
Well, let's look at the history of invasion, repression, and torture, especially as far as Tibet is concerned. Of course, the U.S. would be hard pressed to boycott consider their track in wars waged in the last half century, especially the last five years in Iraq.
With China, we also have repression of media and access for journalists, which was pledged by the country's leaders in the 2001 bid as the Olympic host. It was further stated that the games would play a role in shaping better human rights, which to their credit has happened with new work week hour limitations that began January 1, 2008. However, I guess Tibet doesn't figure into that equation.
Again, it seems that few, if any, countries are willing to stand up for important principles, such as human rights. The appearance on the world stage with possible medal wins is more important than integrity.
Such was not the case in the past. For instance, numerous countries boycotted the 1972 Olympics in South Africa due to their governments treatment of some 20 million black Africans. 1980, President Carter boycotted the Olympics in the U.S.S.R. because of their recent invasion of Afghanistan.
Have the principles of the major governments of the world deteriorated that much in just 20 years?
Well, one method of protest we in the West can do is not to watch the games on the television.
Let's hope Vancouver's spot in the light in 2010 fares much better.

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Question Authority! John McWethy Would Have

2008-02-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

Sadly, former ABC news correspondent John McWethy (1947-2008) died in a skiing accident in Colorado on February 6, 2008. It is a sad day indeed, for he was the type of news reporter that often asked that critical question, “why”, even of those elected to power.

This trait seems to be lost in this day and age of media hype and media diversionary tactics. McWethy was inside the Pentagon on 9/11, and continued to cover the war on terrorism for the next few months. As ABC News’ chief national security correspondent he frequently challenged the military representatives with tough questions, tempering them with objectivity.

As America takes the journey towards another national election, hopefully a fair one, it must be remembered that voting is not enough. The key for all U.S. citizens is to hold our elected officials accountable. After all, it is “government by the people, for the people”.

Hence, the importance of the “why” questions, as McWethy would have asked them, comes into play.

For instance:
1) Why are our Congressional representatives wasting time on hearings about steroid use by major league baseball player, Roger Clemens?

2) Why are we (the nation) spending so much on the war in Iraq when the majority of citizens do not support such action (and haven’t for several years)? (This is your tax dollars at work.)

3) Why are we still allowing our civil liberties to be eroded (see REAL ID Act—fuller details in next blog) in an attempt to increase safety from terrorists? If we recall the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin from 1759: “They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

These are just some of the questions that need to be asked (perhaps too late for Mr. Bush) of our leaders.

Whether you choose Obama, Clinton, or McCain, this election, the most important issue is accountability to the citizens of the USA, who entrust these leaders with power. It is up to us (We, the people) of this great nation to restore, even demand, that our leaders respect the wishes of those they represent. Let us not be led down another road of fear-induced policy making.

wwww.geoffreygluckman.com

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Texas Television and the Big Illustrator

2008-01-29T15:25:00.001-08:00

“It comes out of the Virginia swamps, cool and slow, with a back that’s narrow and hard to master,” sang Jim Morrison of The Doors (Texas Radio and the Big Beat), some forty years ago. That song played over and over in my head as I sojourned to East Texas and the infamous Pulpwood Queen’s Girlfriend Weekend (January 17-19) that showcases authors, both bestsellers and hot newcomers.

I am in the latter category (Deadly Exchange) and was fortunate enough to meet wonderful people, including the incredibly talented and funny Nicole M. Kelby (Whale Season), Lynette Shirk (Wild Women Throw a Party), chef extraordinaire, the ever-alluring Andrea Portes (Hick), and TimRaglin, an illustrator of immense talent.

I struck up a conversation with Tim, as we sold our respective books next to each other. The covers of Tim’s illustrated children books captivated my eyes. He depicts animal charactures, often dogs and cats, as well as others from his imagination, all in adorable and unusual ways. In The Curse of Catunkhamen, which he wrote and illustrated, the wonderfully crafted creatures leapt off the page, as if by magic. The expressiveness and depth conveyed by Tim’s artistry is truly awe-inspiring.

Without a second thought, I offered up my money to purchase a book, even though I don’t have kids. To me, his illustrations are pure artwork. I imagine very few children who wouldn’t want a poster of one of the scenes from his books on their wall. It would be a launch pad into another realm, one filled with mystery, magical creatures and unlimited possibilities.

Tim, who lives in Independence, Kansas, has illustrated books for many authors and publishing houses. Now, he is branching out and telling children his stories with his illustrations. And I must say, even for this adult author of espionage fiction, Raglin’s stories are as enchanting to the mind as they are pleasing to the eye.

For an interview with Tim Raglin, visit: www.rickeypittman.com
(on his blog)

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Kathy Patrick’s Pulpwood Queens Deserve Their Crowns

2008-01-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

Hidden (though less so these days) in East Texas is the quaint, ghost-laden town of Jefferson. For this scribe, author of Deadly Exchange, I ventured there for a three-day book event known as the Pulpwood Queen’s Girlfriend Weekend. Little did I know what was in store—pure, unadulterated fun. It was a time warp experience, akin to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, except to benefit literacy.

The ever-energetic Kathy L. Patrick, author of The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life, began her book club, which celebrates literacy for all. Now, the Queens have spread throughout North America with new book club chapters cropping up left and right.

This year, some thirty authors attended with the caliber of N.M. Kelby (Whale Season), Ellen Baker (Keeping This House), Kim Sunée (Trail of Crumbs), and Andrea Portes (Hick), among many others.

Along with Melanie Wells (My Soul To Keep), I was one of two thriller writers. Most of the other books (superbly written) feature wonderful, quirky characters that populate small southern town-life.

The big celebrity of the event was former Czech supermodel, Paulina Porizkova. Her first novel, A Model Summer, draws upon her past career and offers a rare glimpse into the treacherous world of high fashion through the eyes of a fifteen year-old protagonist. Wonderfully written, it ends the commonly held belief that women like Paulina are all beauty and no brains. In fact, I was fortunate to share many scintillating conversations and meals with Paulina, her friend and soon-to-be-author, Lorna Graham, and our intrepid Jefferson companion, Bill Smith.

To her credit, Paulina catered to all the photo requests and attention by admirers with all the grace one would expect, and none of the attitude that some celebs display. Perhaps such groundedness is due to the stability of her 23-year marriage to Ric Ocasek, of the Cars. However, she would probably say it also stemmed from being an avid reader.

As Kathy Patrick does every year, the head queen guided everyone to varying states of euphoria. Love and adoration blossomed throughout the weekend, despite a poor showing by the media and lower then usual attendance numbers.

The pinnacle of the East Texas experience was the “Ball of Hair” (formerly the “HairBall”, but someone had staked a trademark claim on that). The theme for this event was “Hairspray” (1962), which meant costumes, glitter, and extravaganza galore. The gala offered fantastic music by The Moon and the Starz, featuring Richard Bowden (of Linda Ronstadt fame). Awards were given to the best theme-dressed/styled Queens and to one guy, who danced his way to the front in wild attire.

It appeared that a riotous time was shared by all. For me, I’m happy to say that the Queens honored this writer with the coveted Timber Guy 2008 trophy for my imitation of a buck-toothed brother of Buddy Holly. Words alone cannot express the depth of my gratitude and love to all those in attendance, especially those spectacular Queens—true royalty.

For more pics: www.geoffreygluckman.com, www.pulpwoodqueen.com, or visit me on MySpace for some pics. If not posted yet, check back soon. It'll be worth it!

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Independence Day: Debut Spy Thriller Ignites Discovery of Lost Secrets

2007-07-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

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Washington, D.C. — Some will read it for the action and intrigue, some for the technology, and others for fun. However, Deadly Exchange, by Vancouver-based American author Geoffrey M. Gluckman (www.geoffreygluckman.com), offers much more than all of these. A riveting espionage adventure that spans the globe, the novel unfolds within the walls of corporate America. It takes you back to the roots of America and propels you into the near future of a technological nightmare.

“Ultimately, the story reveals a treasure that no government can deprive of any citizen,” states Gluckman, who drew from his experience as a federal agent and exercise physiologist.

In a time of terror threats, enhanced security, and diminishing freedoms, Deadly Exchange (www.deadlyexchangethenovel.com) strikes at the heart of the keys that founded a great nation. A perfect choice for the Fourth of July and the birth of a country.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

Considered by some as the most famous words in the history of democracy, these words contain forgotten truths about the United States of America. They represent a creed of which all Americans can be proud. They are part of the preamble to one of the most impressive documents ever written, the Declaration of Independence. They also adorn the marble walls that surround the magnificent statue of their author, Thomas Jefferson, located in Washington, D.C.

In Deadly Exchange, the main character, Jennifer Chance, a world-renowned motivational speaker, visits the Jefferson Memorial several times, looking for inspiration for her emancipation from a corporate position where nothing is what it seems. Only weeks remain before Lectures And More, Inc., a company representing the world’s top motivational speakers, launches its latest technological advance: a mind-altering radio frequency device sold as a work-site enhancement product. The deceptively altruistic Ulrich Rogers spearheads the company and its reeducation programs, incorporating the presentational prowess and charm of Miss Chance, who is on the brink of realizing some deep secrets, ones that certain people in power do not want her to know.

Jennifer alone holds the key to unveil Rogers’s plot to hold America hostage using Lectures And More’s newest device. Plunged into a twisting chase to escape the clutches of Rogers and his former espionage henchmen, Jennifer seeks help from Frank Revere, an enigmatic former government counterintelligence agent. But the question of who to trust continues to dangle in Jennifer’s mind, and a deeper deception lurks in the shadows …

“[Deadly Exchange] can change how you look at your boss, your job, even your life,” says one corporate employee, who wished to remain anonymous.

ISBN: 978-059542046-9
Available at any fine bookstore, or online outlets, such as, www.bn.com

Biometrics: Profiling the Future (Part Two)

2007-06-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile
It appears that technology is forever reinventing itself, if not minute-by-minute, than day by day. With such rapid change comes the challenge of citizens of every democratic nation to keep up, and not allow innate rights to be lost. Though not a new development, as far as technology goes, RFID is currently being employed in new ways that may threaten a person’s right to privacy.
Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID)
Miniature computer chips attached to tiny antennae, called RFIDs, are capable of broadcasting their data wirelessly to anyone with a RFID reader, such as tollbooth speed passes. These systems originated in the 1940’s when the government placed transponders on planes to identify them as friendly. Today, these devices do not require line of sight for scanning, unlike a bar-code. Within the wireless range of a reader, hundreds of tags may be read at the same time.
The launch of the Virginia state initiative has drawn much criticism from privacy advocacy groups, especially the American Civil Liberties Union (www.aclu.org). As with digital watermarks, these devices can store important identification data, such as date of birth, social security number, a digital fingerprint copy, and even 3-D facial information.
At present, these chips are imbedded into the document surface, known as smart cards, and implanted beneath a person’s skin. Three types exist: high frequency (850-950 MHz and 2.4-5GHz), middle frequency (10-15 MHz) and low (100-500 kHz). Security applications will most likely use the low frequency, which have shorter broadcasting ranges.
While 20 or more companies are involved in bringing this technology to market, the ringleader is Applied Digital Solutions (ADS) of Palm Beach, Florida (www.adsx.com), maker of the ‘VeriChip’. It is a syringe injectable RFID about the size of a grain of rice.
Company documents state it is a transceiver “that sends and receives data and can be continuously tracked by GPS”, which they successfully demonstrated in 2000 at an investor launch. Each chip carries a unique ID number and can be activated by an external scanner, which causes a signal to transmit the data to a telephone number, the Internet, or a storage device. The electromagnetics of muscular contraction power the device, which is eventually surrounded by natural tissue after insertion. The company claims that this chip is superior to biometrics because it is impervious to tampering.
Since 9/11, Richard Sullivan, former CEO of ADS, has suggested an unusual sort of profiling method, whereby sub dermal chips could be placed in all foreigners entering the US, thereby replacing green cards and “allowing officials to monitor their activities better”.
However, RFIDs have numerous disadvantages, most of which center around the failure to truly provide greater security and safety for law-abiding citizens. For instance, breeder documents, such as birth certificates, from which all identification documents are made can still be counterfeited, especially foreign passports. Therefore, with such a false origination document a valid card (chip) could be attained, giving a potential terrorist free and clear access to an otherwise restricted area. Furthermore, enhanced technology would only increase the value of fraudulent collaboration, such as occurred in Virginia and Florida where Department of Motor Vehicle employees accepted payment for false documents.
Benefit for law enforcement personnel and efforts?
With over 240 valid designs for driver’s licenses in the United States, the ability to determine authenticity can be challenging, even to law enforcement officers.
“Machine-readable technology, such as digital watermarking, will allow officers in the field to quickly recognize a false or altered ID and take appropriate action,” states Stager of Digimarc.
Others in the industry say that these security features will make criminal identification more precise for background searches or for comparisons to an established “watchlist”.
“The ability to verify information in a matter of minutes is a huge advantage for our troopers,” says Col. Tom Nesbit, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, a state that adopted watermarking one year ago.
These new technologies hold great promise, but certain obstacles impede their effectiveness.
“The main limitation at present is the limited bandwidth size for transmission of data to a patrol car’s computer,” states Paul A. Sadowski, Network Manager, North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, a division of North Carolina State Highway Patrol. “Very few, if any, state trooper vehicle computers get pictures [drivers license].”
North Carolina’s State Highway Patrol is conducting a pilot study for the Department of Highway Safety to overcome deficiencies in the telecommunications structural network.
The exact benefit of such enhanced security features, whether biometric or RFID, remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: officers in the field will eventually be trained and equipped with another technological device to use in the course of their routine workday. The old “eyeball” method of driver license inspection will be replaced with machine-assisted scanning, such as during a traffic stop. Perhaps the old methods of profiling will soon be a thing of the past, too.
No matter the technologies employed, facial or voice recognition, fingerprints, hand geometry, or retinal scans, these are merely tools. They must be combined with human intuition, reason, and honed decision-making skills to be effective against any would-be threat. So far, human intuition is the only thing computers have not been able to emulate.

Resources:
Digimarc Corporation www.digimarc.com
Applied Digital Solutions www.adsx.com
American Civil Liberties Union www.aclu.org
A4Vision www.A4Vision.com
Geometrix, Inc. www.geometrixinc.com
2007 ©Geoffrey M. Gluckman www.geoffreygluckman.com
(Author of Deadly Exchange, a corporate spy thriller.)

Biometrics: Profiling the Future (Part One)

2007-06-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

Years ago, during my agent-in-training days, I stood next to the Agent-in-Charge (AIC) at one of the US Custom’s desks for deplaning passengers. It was a slow day at Dulles International Airport, so for practice we ran the drug dogs over the baggage from an inbound flight from Heathrow. Per se, none of the passengers fit our current profile at the time--narcotics trafficking. Furthermore, the passengers had arrived on the Concorde.
A curious incident occurred involving a thin, middle-aged man of medium height wearing a tweed cap atop gray hair. He had taken a Declaration form, but didn’t fill it out. Instead, approaching the Custom’s counter, he beckoned to the AIC, and said, “Would you, dear?”
To my surprise she began to run through the questions. When the monetary declaration came up, the man stated he had on his person $40,000 in cash.
To my untrained ears this was certainly a red flag. After all, hadn’t our instructors at the training center drilled into our heads to follow through on irregularities, and most of all listen to our gut?
With the continuing digitization of government-issued documents, the world of profiling is about to be turned on its head. The science of biometrics--stored personal data such as fingerprints--is creating a revolution. The way people are processed for identification, verification, or given restricted access, in and out of public and private structures, will be forever changed.
As of this year the US State Department plans to issue several hundred employee passports embedded with this type of date storage device. This will be a test of new technology already in use by Australia.
But what about on the national level?
So far, twelve states have adopted implementation of enhanced security measures on state-issued documents, such as Minnesota’s use of a reflective row of loons that seem to float over the driver’s license surface. The new licenses also include an invisible digital watermark detectable by a computer or police scanner, and a ‘status check’ for all immigrant drivers. These are just a few of the features to prevent fraudulent duplication and aid in positive identification. In the next year Virginia will be the first to incorporate a radio frequency identification device (RFID) into state licenses.
The horizon of state-issued identification envisions increases in the multilayered approach of security features, of which biometrics is just a part.
“Ideally, there should be 12 to 20 separate security features on a license,” says Reed Stager, Vice President, Public Policy, Digimarc Corporation of Beaverton, Oregon (www.digimarc.com).
Security measures come in both overt and covert forms. Overt are visible to the naked eye, while covert are not. Examples of overt are a bar code, a magnetic strip, a hologram, a sturdy polycarbonate lamination, a ghosted duplicate image, a kinegram, and a reflective image, such as Minnesota’s provided by 3M Company of St. Paul (www.3M.com). Covert features are laser engraving, ultraviolet and infrared images, and digital signatures and watermarks (see photo).
“Digital watermarks are covert digital security features that transform multiple elements of driver licenses, such as photo, into machine-readable security tokens,” says Stager.
These marks contain a digital code, which could carry other pertinent security demographics, and even tri-dimensional (3-D) facial biometric information.
Biometrics
The primary biometric factors are fingerprint, retinal (iris), 3-D facial, and hand patterns. Originally developed in the late 1990’s at Bauman University in Moscow, Russia, 3-D facial recognition technology raises the bar in the identification and verification arena. At present the product is only available from A4Vision (www.A4Vision.com) and Geometrix, Inc. (www.geometrixinc.com), both of San Jose, California. The former company appears to be the technological leader.
In brief, based on A4Vision technology, the 3-D process involves a camera the size of a cigarette pack (see photo) that projects an invisible structured light (near infrared) pattern onto the subject’s face, revealing the face's surface geometry, which is captured on streaming video at 30 frames per second. The addition of another axis of measurement--depth--allows 3-D to measure point to point, such as forehead to cheekbone (see diagram). This step takes only three seconds.
Next, that face pattern is plugged into an algorithm to generate a 3-D "mesh" created from measurements smaller than a millimeter. Then, a biometric template -- based on bone structures that don't change over time -- is created from the image and is stored in the database, requiring only 4 kilobytes (see diagram). Thus, the information may be imbedded into a digital watermark or RFID tag.
Identification (one to many) is performed by matching the biometric template against an enrollment database. Verification (one to one) is accomplished through matching the biometric template against a template stored on a smart card.
“3-D systems are merely computers that mimic the natural way for humans to recognize one another--the faces,” says Grant Evans, CEO of A4Vision.
Currently, most state-issued licenses have a 2-D facial photograph, which has been easily thwarted despite increased industry efforts at fraud protection. 3-D facial technology proponents claim to solve the shortcomings of the 2-D photo, which relate to a dependence on ideal lighting, camera angle, and amount of facial hair. While 2-D photos are less accurate than fingerprint or iris recognition, it is the current standard the world over and cheaper to implement.
Despite the lack of a 3-D facial photograph database, there is value in identification and verification using this new technology because a 3-D image maps back to stored 2-D images, and improves accuracy.
“For example,” says Evans, “if someone suspected of criminal activity presents a 2-D drivers license photo, a 3-D image of the same individual will provide data points about the 2-D image, verifying that the holder is the same person in the 2-D photo. In other words, it makes it harder to fake it.”
Nevertheless, drawbacks to 3-D do exist, such as the absence of completed broad scale testing, especially in areas of wide surveillance. However, in 2003, the system produced a 90 percent success rate at a test run at Logan airport. In addition, as with 2-D, false positive identification is possible, where a face is recognized in the database, but it is not the correct person. Finally, 3-D facial biometrics is not as accurate as fingerprint or iris, but 3-D requires the least amount of cooperation from the person being assessed. It is considerably cheaper than retinal scan systems. Another benefit of these systems over the 2-D is the ability to capture the required facial information while a target is in motion. Perhaps most importantly, facial biometrics can’t be reversed engineered to produce the original face.
Iris recognition may be the trademark of sci-fi thrillers, but these systems are real. In essence, the scanner reads the person’s iris pattern, which is as unique as a fingerprint. This type of system requires more time and becoming comfortable with the technology, a laser passing over one’s eyeball. Moreover, it is not conducive to processing high volumes of people.
Fingerprinting began in the 1880’s with the scientific research of Sir Francis Galton, a British anthropologist. Fingerprints are the most common form of definitive identification and have the widest established databases. Even identical twins do not have the same fingerprints. Again, the process requires full cooperation of the individual, which many object to for reasons of religion and hygiene. In Europe, the use of fingerprints is limited due to the potential for identity theft. In California, this method of identification has been combined with 2-D photos on state-issued identification cards since 1990.
Overall, one type of biometric is not better than another. Instead, it is application dependent, i.e., mass screening versus restricted area access. Most often the combination of several types, such as face with finger, iris with finger, are required to maximize security and reduce fraudulent attempts.
By the way, the man with the forty grand cash was actor Richard Harris.
(In Part Two, I will cover RFID, including sub-dermal devices for humans.)

Resources:
Digimarc Corporation www.digimarc.com
A4Vision www.A4Vision.com
Geometrix, Inc. www.geometrixinc.com
2007 ©Geoffrey M. Gluckman www.geoffreygluckman.com

Resurrection or Irony?

2006-04-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

With Holy Week just past, perhaps it's a good time to take stock of the present situation. This week gives cause for celebration and devotion by followers of the three major religions, Christianity, Muslim, and Judaism. Yet, these three continue to be the driving force (governments aside) behind the majority of conflict on the planet. Sadly, this has been the case for at least two thousand years, but who’s counting.
Where is the tolerance, compassion, and love preached by the founders of these religions?
To know it, is to show it.
Next, let’s look at the “war on terror”, primarily waged by the U.S., though forces of the other G-8 countries assist secretly. To date, one person (Moussaoui) has been brought to trial since September 11, 2001. Oops, I erred. On March 2, 2006, a New Jersey federal court convicted six animal rights activists, using the anti-terrorism law for the first time.
Not only ironic, such a record is shameful, especially for the world’s most dominant superpower. Not to mention the billions of taxpayer dollars spent since the inception of this nebulous war.
Third, at present the death toll of Americans in the Iraq War stands at almost the same number as were killed in the Twin Towers attack. (Let’s not even consider the number of innocent Iraqis killed.)
Is it just me, or does this seem ludicrous, at best?
Furthermore, how can the U.S. expect to accomplish anything in reference to the “war on terror” when almost all our resources are tied up in Iraq? Need I remind anyone, this war was based on lies and deception or misinformation, at least.
Is it not a last resort to shed blood for any reason, no less one based on dubious facts?
Even more ironic, the true threat of WMDs in the Middle East has revealed itself--Iran. Now, with outright verbal refusal to U.N. compliance by Iran’s president, the U.S. decides to cooperate with the U.N. Security Council. Yet, with Iraq, the U.S. spurned such diplomacy.
Finally, a little history, three years ago the Bush Administration likened the invasion of Iraq to America’s own revolution. Certainly, Saddam Hussein was a tyrant to his people. However, to compare the American Revolution to forcing democracy down Iraq’s throat boggles the mind.
If you recall, America’s tyrant was an imperialistic Britain, whereas the Iraqi tyrant was their leader. Furthermore, when assistance came from the French, it was requested by the American colonies. I don’t recall any Iraqi citizen or faction asking for assistance.
Perhaps the American Revolution succeeded (though we may need another) because it came from within the hearts and minds of its citizens, rather than wrought by some overbearing, agenda seeking, external force.
It has been said: life is full of irony.
Remember: our country was founded on, “Government by the people, for the people.”
Let’s resurrect that integrity!
© 2006 Rare Earth/Geoffrey M. Gluckman

The Future is Now

2006-03-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

The Next Two Hundred Years: Part II

Must we embrace unification? Must we embrace change? No, despite what we are taught to believe, we do not "have to" do anything. In fact, I strongly urge you to not take any action from a place of perceived authority, whether internally or externally derived.
The key for the next couple of centuries and beyond is the shedding of authority either imposed from outside or from within ourselves. The interesting aspect of this statement is the governmental stance in the evolution of Earth and its inhabitants. As we enter a universally cosmopolitan age, the truth will revealed to those who ask for it.
Many facts have been withheld by the governing bodies of this globe to ensure the preservation of their authority over the people. These secretive governmental actions are not conspiratorial, instead just overly protective and fear based. The government fears the loss of control over the citizenry. Under the guise of a noble war against terrorism, the current administration has deployed the Patriot Act, which furthers the limitation of freedoms--the very thing we so proudly proclaim to other nations. The message then becomes: Freedom is good, unless it threatens our agenda. (Such capriciousness does not belong in a government of a free society.)
The weakly founded justifications for certain laws, taxes, and various other forms of disempowerment that we have grown "accustomed to" shall crumble as the might of unification rises from ashes long burnt. Perhaps the immortal words of the prophetic Bob Marley fit best here: "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds". There has been no other time when these words ring truer to anyone willing to listen.
The process for unification within ourselves will only be as difficult as we make it. As a result, it may be beneficial to begin by sitting yourself down and doing a check-up on the elements that form your being. The list needs to be comprehensive and include both assets and weaknesses, like a financial inventory. The intent is not to be overly critical with yourself, rather to obtain a better understanding of where you are at right now.
Why take the time to do this?
Perhaps the answer is as simple as the words of Pato Banton: “Physically fit to socialize/Mentally fit to realize/Energetically fit to eternalize.”

The areas of the list may include (though not limited to):

1) Physical Fitness-this includes all aspects of your physical being. Cardiovascular, Biomechanical, Nutritional, Structural Integrity Development, Strength, Flexibility, Mobility

2) Emotional Fitness-assess your current state of stress or distress, motivational assessment of behaviors, openness to feeling your emotions regardless of kind, frequency, and intensity (this does not mean always acting on them)

3) Mental Fitness-assess where you are with what you know. Are there things you’ve always wanted to learn, research, explore? Are there attributes about you that you’d like to change? The choice is yours.

4) Occupational/Professional Fitness-Do you love what you do? If not, ask yourself: If money were no object, what would I love to do for work?

5) Community/Social/Family Fitness-Is the level of sharing in your life where
you want it? Do you feel isolated? Lonely? What increased social avenues are you willing to explore?

6) Spiritual/Religious Fitness-Does your religious or spiritual practice have an element of real world practicality? Does the "intangible realm" of life become a physical world reality (if that is your intent)? Are you overly involved in the church, thus no time for other activities?

7) Energetic Fitness-assess energy level. Do those things you love, those that nurture you.

There could be more divisions or different names but the list is meant only to serve as a guideline. After taking a day or so to complete your inventory, ask yourself:

Am I living the quality of life I want?

Am I laughing as often as I wish?

Do I feel love for myself, others, and for nature that I want?

In the end, whatever path you choose, or processes that you endure, you finish at the same place: wholeness.
Perhaps, unification is the feeling of wholeness within, which has always been there, but we simply didn’t feel it or we chose not to acknowledge it.
My guess is that your definition of unification is the most important one for you.

© Rare Earth/Geoffrey m. Gluckman 1997/2006

What Will the Future Look Like?

2006-03-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

The Next Two Hundred Years: Part I

The next two centuries and beyond present humanity with one of the richest periods for growth and, simultaneously, a stupendous task for each and every one of us. Conceptually, it is a simple process with practicalities steeped in the mires of complexity. It is the time for unification within each individual, long upon us. However, the beginning of the twenty-first century brings this experience to a climatic necessity.
What does unification mean?
One definition of unification may be described as no longer getting in one’s own way. Another way to look at it is the joining together of the masculine and feminine energies within each person's electromagnetic force field. In order for internal harmony to commence, the elements first must be recognized. By recognition, I mean, awareness of the presence of the masculine outgoing(yang) energy and the presence of the feminine invoking(yin) energy existing in all things.
Despite the Western cultural habit of dividing items into male or female groups, all living organisms have energetic properties that contain both. Optimally, these flow continually with a dynamic balance, i.e. homo sapiens included. Dynamic balance may be viewed as a self-adjusting level within the organism. Just as the money you owe is more than you have, usually it balances out.
This process of unification for humanity is not a new concept and can be divided into two subgroups: Unification within the individual and unification among all people.
The two are interchangeably linked to create the dynamic whole of human evolution. For instance, if we wish to cooperate harmoniously as a populace indigenous to Earth and possibly, even desiring to join the citizenry of the universe, we must create an inner harmony inside the body we inhabit.
How does one begin, no less complete such a task? Better yet, what does it mean?
If you are a female, the holders of true power among mankind, then perhaps ask yourself: do you embrace your femininity? Or do you harbor envy of the males around you? Do you love the very essence of being a woman? Have you found your inner Romeo to the Juliet within you?
If you are a male, the keepers of the true strength when wielded from the heart. Do you handle your sword of strength harshly? Do you try to influence others through intimidation, fear, or physical force? Are you sensitive to the gentle touch of giving and gratitude? Are you able to cooperate with those around you? Are you open to receiving help, if needed? Do you view females of the world as objects of pleasure? Do you embrace your male essence, like a loving queen admiring her king?
The two preceding paragraphs offer ways to examine our learned perspectives of masculine and feminine energy management. I refer to these examples as learned because of the unconscious replication of environmental influences each person is subjected to during the early years of development. The lessons absorbed, either consciously or not, at a young age shape how each person manages one’s energy and how one reinforces such learning throughout one's life, especially if one chooses to avoid looking at repeated patterns in one's behavior or feelings.
This is not to discount genetic factors, rather to accept both factors as influential in developing who you are today. At this time, genetic replication is in its infancy, while numerous methods exist for reframing one's mind, body, and Real Self. The easiest step towards any sort of restructuring is simply becoming aware of yourself. By this, there is a need to look beyond the clever facades and masks that you may wear depending on the day, function, hour, minute, or second.
Simple awareness may be the single most powerful mechanism for change. Yet if the tools for awareness are handled improperly they may become escapes. Awareness may be embodied as the lack of denial, such as feeling uncomfortable emotions, ones that you’d rather run from. On the other hand, denial may be viewed as the lack of awareness, such as wanting to lose weight, but unwilling to reduce ingesting junk food.
These states of existence (awareness to denial) appear on a continuum that is at least three dimensional, not just a circle but a sphere that can be likened to an onion. The peeling of the thin, flaky, outer brown skin provides an initial "Aha" for us to digest. As the layers are penetrated the revelations become less surprising (sometimes), more palatable, and often profusely more profound. We are less resistant to change, in fact even welcome it, as it releases us from the weights we have placed upon our overburdened shoulders. Feeling the joy of this invisible burden miraculously lifted reveals the youngster beneath.
Is this not a natural wonder of being human?
The profoundness that surrounds the receiver is like a fine fabric, a warm, cozy universal comforter.
Where do we go from here?
Part II: Next Week
Copywrited © 1997/2006 Geoffrey M. Gluckman
For more, visit: www.geoffreygluckman.com

Are You Alive?

2006-03-11T19:51:00.000-08:00

The "Living" Being

Take a moment and reflect back to the last time you asked yourself, 'Am I content with the life I am living?'
I mean truly content in the sense of a feeling that fills every nook of your being like a satisfying meal fills the belly of a starving man. Contentment may be defined in many ways by many people, however all the other definitions of the word are meaningless compared to the feeling of this state of being within yourself.
In these pressuring times of spirituality, New Age terminolgy, traditional religious monstrosity, there lies within all of us a dormant sensitivity in need of a bit of refreshment. This gem of contentment is the feeling of the complete unified wholeness of your being.
Humans appear to have long suffered under the delusion of inadequacy and feelings of insufficiency. In fact, for thousands of years man has ingested both conscious and subliminal messages about his or her inadequacy as a human being. The three primary sources for such teachings continue to be governmental or ruling bodies, educational institutions, and all forms of spiritual refinement including the major religions, some teachings of the occult, and more recently the New Age Movement.
Is this a shocking statement?
Then ask yourself this: 'What is the best way to maintain control over others?' The answer is either purposely or accidentally creating the illusion that the person is not yet complete or whole from the start. The reference does not pertain to biological facts, for the human being is the only mammal born with an incomplete central nervous system. Rather, the essence of humans is perfectly complete on a sensory receptive and energetic level.
However, the conditioning of the masses has been to believe that man is insufficient or inadequate and that imperfectness will be corrected through some external means. The result becomes a lifelong pursuit for external realities or truths that are mere illusions, in other words never existed. More simply, the pursuit of the "more", especially in materialism, has replaced contact with a feeling of completeness in the human being. Most world cultures have sought to undermine the power of humankind through a complex guantlet of conditioning that creates and feeds the belief in a person that he or she is not adequate. One example is promoted by both the business and educational realms, a Bachelor's Degree is no longer sufficient and the would-be student must seek even higher education--a Master's Degree or a Doctorate.
Some or most of us have been unknowingly conditioned to believe we are less than divine or that this person is more priveleged than that person. However, these beliefs are falsities propagated by numerous false authorities in order to disempower. The individual has been coaxed to give away his or her power to an external authority or reality.
Feeling your contentment with who you are in the flesh right now may strip away some of the voices that drive you to achieve or strive for more money, greater success, or inner peace. The simple, unabashed truth is you are already whole, wonderfully complete, unified, and at peace, though false beliefs of insufficiency block your ability to feel that reality.
Presently, the problem swirling around so many of us seems to be the replacement of knowledge that comes with feeling in our bodies with concepts and ideas that do not impart any sense of reality to our existence. For instance, media beguiles some into thinking they are hungry through the use of tempting advertising, but this is not real, like the ache of an empty stomach in need of food. The desire or want for things external to our beings further disempowers our health and wellbeing. Have you ever felt dissatisfied with yourself, and then attempted to seek something in the external to make you feel better? Once attained, it falls far short of what one feels within.
Even the practice of meditation with an intent, such as merging with your higher self, unconsciously sends the message to yourself that you are not whole. This creates a rebellion against that untruth. Perhaps an unfelt rage seethes within the walls of your being as you disrespect yourself with such nonsense. Your greatest riches remain, as they always have been, those that cannot be held in your hands.
Each of us has been endowed with the immense wealth of a sensory-motor system, yet we learn to emphasize the outgoing aspects of this dual information system. Chattering endlessly, constantly in motion, either physically or mentally, a person often misses the most joyous aspect of oneself--the flow of feelings, energy, and warmth that runs through one's system every second of every minute.
Pause for a moment and ask yourself, 'What is the only asset that cannot be taken from me?'
Got an answer yet?
The only thing is the ability to feel and yet the daily habits of many people purposefully are geared to trashing that treasure. Drugs, including alcohol, exercise, TV, computers may all be but little escapes from the joy of feeling, not just the ‘good stuff’, but the pain, sadness, fear, and anger experienced by many everyday.
The preachers of inadequacy try to convince you to believe that you are not sufficient and this conditioning also acts to block the learning of ‘how to feel’ the wonders brought to the fingertips, ears, eyes, nose, tongue, and our heart. Remember, a belief is a choice created within the mind, whereas a feeling within your body is a reality. A person can choose either to feel the sensation in your body and perhaps meet the need behind it, or not.
Here’s a practice when you have a moment.
In the course of the next day, try to observe yourself and see what actions you take without feeling a true bodily need for them, or which actions and decisions are motivated by your false beliefs of inadequacy and insufficiency in the "living" being you are right now. It may take a bit of work to apply such awareness to yourself and remember every action is a choice, even non-action. Every feeling and sensation is a divine right that may not be taken from you by anyone, only given away by you. Every feeling is a joyous celebration of truly being alive. If you feel angry, enjoy it, though the choice to act on it is just a possibility and your action is subject to the universal laws of actions and consequences.
Relax, maybe you have just come here to this wonderful planet to learn ‘how to feel’ and learn to love, not just others, but yourself. Start by loving yourself and let that be the message you infect others with on a minute by minute basis.
Finally, is not enjoying all of your feelings the highest form of self-love and self-acceptance that you can give to yourself?

Copywrited 1998 Geoffrey M. Gluckman

For more visit: www.geoffreygluckman.com

Lest We Forget

2006-03-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

(Previously published February 2005, San Diego Espresso Newspaper)
Lest We Forget

By Geoffrey Gluckman

The end of the year is often a time to reflect on the past, perhaps both near and distant. In early December, President Bush visited Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, which signaled a political move to mend fences with our neighbor to the north, yet it left a disturbing impression in more than one mind.
During one of several meetings with the Prime Minister, the President said, “I’m the kind of fella who does what I think is right and will continue to do what I think is right. I will consult with our friends and neighbors, but if I think it’s right to remove Saddam Hussein for the security of the United States, that’s the course of action I’ll take”.
Are those the words of a democratically elected official?
Isn’t our great country founded on, “government by the people, for the people”?
Are these the words one would choose to try and re-establish cooperation with someone, no less the leader of another friendly country? For Canada, in Bush’s eyes, has been less than agreeable on the US war effort in Iraq, the proposed weaponization of space for the protection of North America, and same-sex marriages.
To me, the incredibly disturbing part of the re-election of President Bush is the lack of comments from any opposed persons in the House or Senate, as well as the media. In fact, he is now Time’s Man of the Year. Perhaps it is as David Suzuki stated in a recent article (Common Ground, December 2004), any form of criticism of the President or of U.S. policy brands one as “anti-US”. Obviously, the 52 percent majority that voted in Bush have bought this rhetoric, but what of the other 48 percent? This lack of vocalization scares me for it reminds me of another man who rose to power in another country not so long ago, and used the cloak of terror to quiet the masses. We must study the past to not repeat it.
In 1932, Adolf Hitler legally manipulated his way to power in Germany, though he did not win a majority in an election. After some of his party members set fire to the Reichstag (parliament) in early 1933, an emergency decree offered the Nazi party legal authority to prohibit assemblies and arrest people on suspicion of treason. By March of 1933, the Enabling Act passed into law, which gave the government full dictatorial powers, suspending basic civil and human rights for four years. In effect, through legal means and covert manipulation, Hitler destroyed the German constitution, thus bringing the population under the rule of fear. By July 1933, the Nazi party outlawed freedom of the press, labor unions, and any other political parties. Individuals were shot or jailed on suspicion alone. Ultimately, he put his master plan into effect--the cleansing of society.
Most of us know the rest of that story.
Today, Bush’s administration opposes same sex marriages. Something supported by voters in eleven states. However, is it an issue of values or human rights? Are not persons of gay orientation as human as heterosexual persons? Do not all people possess the same rights?
It seems that a ban of same sex marriage, even if supported by a majority, is a violation of one’s constitutional rights, if not basic human rights. The singling out and repression of a group within a society is not an unexplored road. It is also not one that a nation such as the United States should embark on, if it is truly to be a beacon of democracy.
Do you see history repeating itself?
Perhaps, you think I’m exaggerating?
Let’s examine a little bit of history, which can be split into pre-9-11 and post 9-11.
Before 9-11 civil liberties flourished, most important of which was the writ of habeas corpus. This critical piece of law requires a person or agency that detains another to present the detained person before a court, especially in order to determine the lawfulness of detention.
After 9-11, with the introduction of the Patriot Act, this was suspended for anyone suspected of having any part in terrorism. Now, at least 1000 people, including some kids, are being held at the Camp Echo complex within the US base at Guantanamo Bay. These individuals are accounted for and have guaranteed access to the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC). However, a recent Washington Post article (December 17, 2004) reported that a secret prison exists within that camp. This CIA-run facility, which stemmed from a presidential directive approved by administration lawyers, allows undisclosed prisoners to be held outside the normal conventions of warfare.
For a nation that claims to be the guiding light of democracy the world over, this strikes me as quite incongruent. To employ non-democratic means to maintain democracy clearly shows something askew, yet this is part of the current administration’s master plan.
This plan, which was formed at least as early as 1992 and known as Defense Planning Guidance, was developed by Paul Wolfowitz, current Deputy Secretary of Defense. In this document, the plan states, “America must not only be the world’s policeman or its sheriff, it must be its beacon and guide. Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival. This is a dominant consideration underlying the new regional defense strategy and requires that we endeavor to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources would, under consolidated control, be sufficient to generate global power. These regions include Western Europe, East Asia, the territory of the former Soviet Union, and Southwest Asia....Finally, we must maintain the mechanisms for deterring potential competitors from even aspiring to a larger regional or global role.”
Endorsed by the Project for a New American Century (PNAC), a non-profit organization with the goal of global leadership by America, eight years later the plan became President Bush’s foreign policy.
September 11, 2001 joins December 7, 1941 as a day etched in the memory of most Americans. Yet, much later, after the wheel of fear began to roll, subsequent evidence shows that our intelligence services knew of the attacks in advance. The debate continues as to whether the attacks were allowed to happen or not, a tactic used numerous times in America’s past. Nevertheless, a new bill revamping of our intelligence network just passed through Congress, supposedly carrying our hopes for protection with it.
Using the terrorist attacks to mobilize the citizenry into fear-based paranoia, the “War on Terror” commenced. This has allowed Bush’s administration to accomplish two things: unlimited funding for defense spending from Congress (current debt at $7 trillion), and a comfortable segue into the war in Iraq.
On the first item, it must be noted that an entire book was published in 1986, entitled, War Without End: The Terrorists: An Intelligence Dossier, which the title sums up what the western world has to look forward to for some time to come.
This military action led to the disarmament of Iraq, despite strong evidence that weapons of mass destruction didn’t exist. In fact, now, there appears to be much evidence both here and in the UK that the existence of WMD’s was fabricated to enable the dismantling of Hussein’s regime. Granted, Hussein was no saint. Nevertheless, to remember the detrimental effects of trying to establish a US-backed government in the Middle East, one need only go back to the placement of the Shah of Iran on the throne in 1953 by the CIA, then fast forward twenty five years to the revolution that occurred there.
But in the present case of Iraq much more is at stake, if the Defense Planning Guidance document is to be believed. It offers an unequivocal means of securing a US foothold in the Middle East soil of oil, not the media-touted liberation of Iraqi people. The President’s oil friends have long wanted a US pipeline to run from the vast oil fields of the Caspian Sea region through Afghanistan into Pakistan. This US controlled supply of crude will eliminate the possiblity of the US being at the mercy of inflated oil prices from China, Russia, or an unfriendly Iran.
Terrorism is a peculiar weapon to wield, no less define.
Is it not the implied or actual use of fear to manipulate others to do or not do something? If so, then Bush and Bin Laden may be more closely linked than Michael Moore has shown.
Perhaps real terrorists are those in authority, perceived or not. Until we cease the lamentation of atrocities that we did not resist when we could have, we will not truly progress and ultimately evolve.
Carl Sagan once said, “If we can’t think for ourselves, if we’re unwilling to question authority, then we’re just putty in the hands of those in power.”
It is time for the silent to speak.

Copywrited 2005 Geoffrey M. Gluckman

Peace Activism Makeover

2006-03-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

Peace Activism Makeover

The fourth day of April 1968 was one of the saddest in my life, though only four years old. It marks the assassination of a great leader—Martin Luther King. To this day I am still moved in my heart to hear one of his speeches (listen at www.npol.org).
Inspired by Dr. King’s dream—unity of humanity—it became mine, even at that tender age. That message still cries out for adherence, perhaps more so than ever as more mongers of war and violence, from Bush to Hutu extremists, continue to reign.
How does the advancement of unity for global humanity begin?
Let’s examine our history, for if we don’t know our past, we cannot realize our future.
First, humanity remains under the taught misperception of separatism. This falsity of thinking has perpetuated a multitude of schisms in the unity of mankind for thousands of years. The divisions between people are as varied as there are nations, religions and cultures. Without new insight, new vision, and new direction, the human race will persist in this course of divisiveness, just like an infected wound left to fester. Our future under such mis-guidance looks bleak.
The external authorities of government, institutions of religion have taught the tools of division to us, breeding schools of faulty learning and societal values. However, these modes of thinking no longer serve the needs of humanity in the new millennium. It is time now for us to de-condition the separatist false beliefs and re-emerge as the unified entity that is humankind. We are one species among many on this planet. We can choose to respect the cultural diversity offered to each other and live in the light of harmony or not.
In the immortal words of Mother Teresa, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
What is the next step?
The responsibility for change rests upon each one of us. Through education and awareness another way of thinking, living, and being emerges to dissolve the barriers erected between people. The choice is yours; that is the unexercised freedom of humanity; that is your freedom. As a member of the human race you are free to choose to continue the destruction caused by centuries of conditioned divisional beliefs or you may choose to create the future humanity deserves--the future you deserve.
As the famous writer, Napoleon Hill, wrote: “The power of thought is the only thing over which any person has complete, unquestionable control.”
No longer do we need to look for an external leader to guide us in this activism—we know the rhetoric. Each of us becomes the leader by assuming self-responsibility for our thoughts, decisions, and ultimately actions.
The task for the modern day peace activist is to look within and begin to dismantle the structures of separatism created by authorities interested in the continued dis-empowerment of all people. The technique employed is as old as time: divide and conquer. But now, people have within their grasp the ability to decide whether or not to go along with the illusion of division.
From that place, one can choose to listen to the conditioning, and obey, or we can choose to unite against these forces. Then, maybe on the next April fourth, we can assemble together in the tradition of MLK, march on our capitals in the name of non-violence, and have the voice of humanity heard by our politicians. Perhaps with tolerance and awareness, we can develop and advance the physical reality of universal citizenship without regard to creed, skin color, religion, ideology, or socio-economic status.
Let’s bring the dream to life. Thank you, Dr. King.
I say, “Untied or united—the difference is only the position of the ‘I’”.
Copywrited 2006 Geoffrey M. Gluckman/Rare Earth

For moe visit: www.geoffrreygluckman.com