"President Bush just vetoed a bill that would have prohibited the CIA from "harsh interrogations" which included the torture of water boarding. In doing so, Bush again flaunted the US Constitution which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. For centuries the US has been the beacon of democracy and social justice for all the world to see. In vetoing this bill, Bush has shown the world that the US condones torture. Hopefully, the world will see that Bush does not represent the American people (he certainly doesn't represent me). Nevertheless, I consider Bush to be a blot on the history of America. May his memory die with him. Bush is a man who is contra to everything that America stands for. For shame, Mr. Bush, for shame. I wonder what's next for this despicable man. How about sawing off the uplifted arm of the Statue of Liberty?"
Richard Russell, Dow Theory Letter

"During twenty-two years of confinement (in a Chinese gulag), although I could not remember the sixty four gua (hexagrams), I fully comprehended the Tao of I, the essence of the I Ching, which holds that when events proceed to their extremes they give birth to their opposites. Every day I read the official six-page newspaper as carefully as I could, not missing a single word. As I saw the situation of my country deteriorating, my heart became lighter. I knew after the long darkness there would be a dawn. When the darkness grew darker and darker, the dawn drew closer and closer."
Taoist Master Alfred Huang, The Complete I Ching

Facing East

Long days and nights continue
under the present tyranny;
injustice has become the norm,
every form of poor substance
replacing value and merit,
abuse of the powerless so horrific
even to contemplate becomes a poison.
Like a bloated animal
it is best not to prod
but allow inner corruption
to complete the beast’s fate.
Awaiting opportunities for return
I rest in the darkness
and face east with hope.
I cannot sense the planet turning
but observe movement by the stars.
With the season winter,
the nights yet long,
I use my faith like an anchor
to purchase a hold
and look toward the morning.


Editor: The shamans of old described the vast matrix of Earth’s interconnected life force as the wyrd and their communication and influence transcended the limits of time and space as we know them. However today we have the Internet, the global medium of connection which like the wyrd brings all events and people into the potential of collective awareness. Posting the articles that follow are intended to “tremble the wyrrd” as the shamans of old would say, to allow the influence of an intelligent awareness to be known amidst the pervading controls of ignorance and oppression.

Candace: I leave it to the reader to visit this page of Don's to check which articles he has up this week, but I wished to leave his introduction to the list above, as part of the teaching in this piece of his, complete with his poem, Facing East.