A few gems from film "The Examined Life"

1. We are all finitude and fallible
2. There is more courage required in looking into the recesses of our own mind than for the soldier on the battlefield
3. Let's dump romanticism on it's head: instead of attaining 'everything' or a point of all knowing at some point in our lifetime as if there were nothing else to get, it is our trying to learn, grow and try however incompletely toward something greater that is the beauty of life.

BOYCOTT!

Boycott the following places for condoning human rights abuses: Swedish Medical Center and Safeway Industries! Do not buy into the lies that I started it all. It is not in me to start anything negative. Yes I helped whistleblow at contractor's requests and tried to stop abuses in the company--sticking my neck out for other's as well as eventually myself; people need to not be afraid to stand up for what they know is right! I take a lot of abuse before I started to say anything. Now days I'm not passive-aggressive on any level; take as little abuse as possible, am diplomatic and communicate directly instead of holding it bottled up inside (I had no one in the past I could go to for help or would listen, except for ex- CPC Case Manager Joshua Canady, a wonderful person, who still didn't know a lot of the story). At some point looking for the silver linings in extremely difficult, prolonged horrible situations can help oneself survive--even grow until too much happens. At that point burnout and exhaustion will occur. By that point, it may be too late. People, open your ears to those in need, extend your shoulders as other's bleed. Thank you. It can help prevent devastating problems to people in the present and their futures...

REAL CHANGE in our world

Please make time to purchase and read REAL CHANGE on a weekly basis as I now believe it is the only way to get any realistic news in our city. Save The Seattle Times for starting your camp fires this summer--yes it may still have a use. Thanks again!

People please help block this house and senate bill!

Please help block HR 1877 and S 808 as these bills will hurt thousands of desitute and homless families and people from federal aid they need. (HEARTH Act of 2009).

Thank you, many other's will too!

Attention Tim Burgess/Nick LaCata/Governor Gregoire 2-12-09

I just want to say I support you and all you are trying to do in very difficult times. I just have some requests that hopefully will enable us to weather an economic storm that frankly looks a bit hard to surmount for some time to come. Here's my two cents toward positive support for our infrastructure:

1. Please increase funding for social workers, social services and teachers in general; do not cut these services; these workers are critical to helping a community transition through extremely difficult economic times when people are freightened about losing their jobs, have lost their jobs, can't figure out how to get jobs, feel very disenfranchised. There is no way I understand to prevent growing homelessness. Communities really need to come together and work together. We need to all be supportive of one another's needs. This definately includes professionals in our communities who are trying to help; they deal with very complex issues around multi-cultural needs, the Mayor, the City Council, merchants and business sector, schools, severely lacking social services, etc. Please do not cut funding for these professionals. Perhaps, increase funding for training to deal with the complexity of the situation--psychologically, socially and economically. Can we include realistic courses on economics based in hard reality for Junior High Schools, High Schools, and Colleges to help us prepare for current times as well as our shared furure as citizens. Help prepare our youth beyond basic home ec. courses. Some schools are probably already doing this. Let's make sure this is required and provided for everyone!

2. Can we open up more churches as shelters and their parking lots and have tents and sleeping supplies and hygiene supplies ready for people's needs in their communities? Can civic centers be used for this need also?

3. Encourage the community to use extra unneeded resources for community (ie., food, beverage, toiletries, supplies, etc.); find ways to coordinate most efficient delivery of supplies for shelters, outreach organizations, people on streets, etc. We have enough organic produce and food to keep everyone in need fed easily many times over from restaurants and stores.

4. Employ the military and citizenry to help rebuild the infrastructure (increase Habitat for Humanity, housing, streets, sidewalks, clinics, shelters, etc.) in our city.

5. Expand health care for families and individuals in need; this includes mental health needs which will be heavily on the rise and taking in those already in need overlooked by our system. This would also include alternative and preventative medical coverage including healing types of massage, herbalism, etc. which will help us stay healthier and prevent more future illnesses and ultimately cost us less in the long run. We need to have naturopathic medicine put to rigorous standards and measurements by the FDA (also, eliminate all aspects of fast tracking drugs!). What I am asking is for all insurance coverage (including state DSHS Medicare insurance) to cover alternative medicine.

6. More forums where citizen's ideas can be heard and possibly used.

7. Inrease ways and budgets to stop identity theft--increase funding for this beyond what is already being done.

8. Protection from increasing scams; increase awareness as this will be continually on the rise.

9. Please pass a bill for 'No Bullying in the Workplace' and make sure it has teeth. We need to put an end to entrenched sociopathic people in power niches; they ruin really good worker's lives and ultimately hurt companies. It would help to save good workers from being cruelly targeted and having their live's potentially ruined by office politics. People need to be justly treated, their productivity and trust will increase dramatically. If someone proves to be incompetent on the job, they will be layed off or fired for the correct reasons instead. Let's try to put an end to lies, backstabbing and office politics.

10. We need more low income housing! Create economic incentives for private companies as well to invest this way in real estate.

11. Do not shut down more of our libraries! Yes, Mayor, we are literate and use them all the time.

12. Make public restrooms available all over the city for everyone and try to convince restaurant owners to open their restrooms again to people who need them and can not afford to purchase something. As everyone knows, people will urinate etc. anyways--only it may be in less acceptable areas if you prevent them from available restrooms. Do not spend money on expensive toilets for the public that we know can be misused. Try to do this as best we can. Thanks.

Thanks so much for your time and please email your legislature on behalf of these issues!

--Aaron Crosetto

Ponderosa

When we kiss the abyss
and see water reflecting beauty,
a puddle jumper blowing bubbles
rippling puddles amidst the city.
Frog jumped off his slimy heap,
nothing more rattled than a tiny branch.
Water skimmers skirting eminent splash.
A dog looks up, sideways
Lids at half mast,
spying a kitten with uncertain love.
Dog days are not all bad
you see...
Feline relaxes, pawing dandelions
while mice dance the "fated" ball;
It is time for frog to call it a day
giving a satisfied croak
while fly stood up tall.

Together a kiss so synchronous
Father Time foretold, where
someday a bullfrog bard paired
with the rapier wit of a winged sidekick
will complete this tale told...
Together hoppin' along, singin' that song
"side by side".

All life renewed again,
refreshed in a tiny gully, backyard friends,
dappled by shady trees
defeating all doubt
that Fall will be the final call
on summer's sunny ground.

Great local people to read and get to know...

Read 'Adventures in Irony' and Reverend Rich Lang's column in REAL CHANGE; Please support Trinity United Methodist Church as they do so much for our community; Attorney William Broberg helped out WTO protesters, etc.; Kerry Bramhall and Russell Kirth wonderful lawyers and advocates!! And to everyone finding a way to help one another in consciousness raising, economic needs and in heartfelt support where needed!! Thanks for making Seattle a much better place!

the united states of complacency?

Smiles and donating your time to help others will help brighten the world. Forgiveness is the result of one's heart reflected through the soul...

United States of Hypocracy

"I'm not going to be lied to any more"
Why do you coral them into street corners called Hell?

Nobody chooses to live in Hell
Were you born into Hell, too?
Does your school teachers teach hell to you,
for lack of a real answer?

We knew the futility of the drug war in the '80s
Police work stopped being done, how's that you say?

Juke the stats, baby
Juke the stats, and there'll be a promotion for you...

The kids of Havenotville see through the economic lie
Ask them on the street corner if they see through the lie that always will be
"the truth" for you and I.

The moneyed interests cast off the black, brown and poor
"We don't need them any more", any more;
You're allowed to be discarded by the law; the centurions
now can coral you and let you kill each other off...
Lowers population and improves the stats of those with jobs,
"don't be soft on crime", sweep sweep them into the corner gutter

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, problem with this??
"Are you a socialist!?"

Everybody needs a sense of national, economic shared purpose...
Change the law: decriminalize drugs or legalize them--take as much blood out of it as you can, let those of us go
to rehab and job programs so we can rebuild the abandoned
unions and working classes; do it now! Return our purpose!
Even if the good ol' US of A doesn't need them anymore...

Anymore...your self feels this to it's core core
Not gonna take it anymore? What are you gonna do for for?
Sustenance.

Will it change? Have you been threatened to the point where
you will put your neck on the line?
They will try to placate you with a few table scraps
and then they will lie lie lie

Irony is the new reality...If you subscribe to an institution
you believe in, it will find a way to betray you. BETRAY YOU.

What say you? What say you now? Tired of the business model whore?
Rotten to it's core...but there's still more money more more more,
not your's. though. Yeah, they're getting richer as we breathe

Your trusted officials will juke the stats so you assuredly will not
know the truth any more
Waves of fraud will continue to erupt until journalism is restored, but
the oligarchy doesn't want us to have power any more any more...

What can we draw from our street corners any more? our empire teaches us
to be rotten to the core core core

We should love one and all, care for even thief and plunderer, what is different as
we are one one one under the sun on that street corner, let us say a prayer
for us all...so we may salvage a future for laborers and recycled plunderers
Together, yes on the street corner, we'll settle the score
and maybe reincarnate what we once stood for...
We should keep demanding an answer for one and for all;
Weren't we guaranteed some rights once; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? How about outside the good ol' US of A as well?

I'm not going to be lied to anymore.

Hopeful evolutionary leap...

What is the root of all human evil? A: What humans do with 'Mammon'. Therefore greed and ownership are truly an obsurd notion. Once we let go of having to own and prescribing to rugged individualistic notions, then we can share and work as a TEAM. This is a key notion to understand. Our country has proven that Kleptocracies* will only benefit a tiny percentage at the TOP. Do not allow group denial of this situation to permeate your thinking; it will eventually ruin you and your family's future. As well as your country's future as well. Well regulated capitalism (remember Mr. Nader, Adam Smith, etc.) with aspects of isolationism--where it can be applied, works. We need to rebuild the middle class and the blue collar middle class--remember the American tax base? Repeal NAFTA. Idealism only for now, yes. It can be made realism many years down the road...


Manufacturing Consent will teach you only about consumption and egoistic self-centeredness; we really can live more simply and with less. EGO must be put continuously in check in order for such a thing to happen. Racism, sexism, and other isms will diminish and people will become more connected. There were native cultures who succeeded on this level. We can too. Our country has become quite decadent in it's attitudes, the "have's" feeling they have entitlement to so much, while most everyone else has so little... (This includes US Citizens, sweatshop workers, majority of citizenry in other countries, slavery and sex trade, etc etc). Look at the negative, even sociopathic behavior of our CEO's. Consumerism is consuming us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Ownership is necessary for essential items and some fun, hard earned items wanted to one's personality; sharing is useful for most other things. Continual accumulation of "stuff" does not lead to happiness. It only feeds negative, addictive habit patterns. How do we each take steps to throw off this yoke of social engineering of "selfishness" that tells us how to covet and remain divided from our neighbors? How do we self-educate beyond prescribed agendas and curriculas by our lacking education centers rooted in old models? What are the essential building blocks? That answer is innate and requires we learn outside the grid to a degree. We support each other's strengths and build up each other's weaknesses into strengths. It's the basics I try to do in vocational social work. This is team work supporting each other in the growing process. We are allowed to make mistakes; this relaxed approach can build confidence and relax the mind to become more effective in it's thought processes. Find the people in your organizations who will work with these ideas and try to grow this network. Yes it will take some time. Old habits and power niches take time to undo.

Ownership is an outdated, false notion when taken to our extremes. As long as we have it, there will be endless crime, wars, incarcerations, terrorism, etc. If you want to hoard, there will always be BIGGER fishes behind you waiting to gobble you up! This can not be disputed if we are to learn from history, sociology, economics, business tactics and politics. Think about what it is you really want out of life and feel you need to own? And do you want to be socially engineered into fearful, complacent corporate drones (not to mention manipulating each other for limited power niches) heading toward fascism--which is about where we were...maybe still are? Think again...it is your own ability to control your own thoughts no one else can control that will be your real place of power from which you can work toward a common, TEAM-oriented goal/s. Many indians, only a few needed chiefs; much less disparity and bureaucratic levels. Believe it or not free thinking will prevail and self-motivation will be enhanced.

*read 'Germs, Guns and Steel' by Jared Diamond

INTOLERANCE

I wished my cars climbed trees,
to heights rarely traveled--
To love all members of life
I must completely surrender,
no longer an expectation
in return.
Why is there so little love
in this marvelous Tree of Life?
Politics with deep roots,
all with different vices.
Consumer love won't suffice,
nor ego proving their cars
are bigger and better.
There is no resistance
at tree tops,
no confusion of stop and no
in an imposed web of entrapment...
Life offers little breaks,
for beauty's sake we see
silver linings, giving without pining--
or else we fall from a branch
crushing so many on the way down,
breaking anything different
plunging through broken windshields,
twisted mangled masks,
snarled and dying. Inside.

MAY I SERVE YOU?

Through service we grow
in love, deeper and deeper
for so many we touch unaware.
Every so often we must step
back, and then
leave plateaus for higher mastery.
Is this what growing into the mystery
is?
God always suspending us over the abyss
with a child's hands

Angrezi

straddling barstools in an unkown room
spilling whiskey down my trowsers
into a lousy spitoon, too young to be this soused
while lies fade into another room...
leaving me out of earshot of their conspiracies,
pitting my uncertainty of strength
against a gang of cloaked cowards in devil masks
Slandering life itself!

Here we go again,
Here we go again,

said a tired salty self still too young, while a roach
climbed to drown in my drink, for me.
It's cheaper than human sacrifice.

I can not follow, where is this strangerland?
'cause my body keeps eating my muscle to survive...
I'm afraid it's all the strength I have left. In the death zone.
Who calls me from this ouija board of germane astrology
where the only real untruths rot and fester
in that other room; just out of earshot, sometimes not,
planned for me after I was kicked out of holy womb.

Since I was old enough to climb a bar stool,

There I go again,
There I go again,

Into the drink of seething froth
paid for from that other room.
Cheers laddies!
to that darker side as I moon, humor is my toungue
liquid courage proffered
to the sage next to me straddling his deep, dark spitoon--
it's meant for them
in another time, another lie, another room.
Was I a citizen of our Rome, burning,
imprisoned in this tomb?

We both raise a toast, discerning whom,
alien bloodbrothers trapped in this strange bed we must lie
drink of truth we must endeavor to write
on bathroom walls,
only the janitor's are listening, while frustratedly
cleaning the walls