What’s your favorite color? Another banner year. Of football and art.

Dear Friends,
When I came to Oklahoma, everybody told me I would have to declare whether I was orange or crimson. They weren’t talking about my aura. They were, of course, talking about football. OSU or OU. Now, I admit, that if you show me anything in the color orange, I will probably buy it, which is why I had plenty of strangers back-slapping me with a smile after I moved here, since I have lots of orange clothes…only to receive puzzled looks when I said I’d just been to OU (crimson), job-hunting.
I confused them even more when, after finding out why they were so jolly and then so perplexed, I explained I don’t like football. Many a person shook their head and said, “Well, you’ll just have to get to like it and then choose.” Choose what? Why, crimson or orange, OU or OSU.
Now I confess I just don’t get football, and I never did. I am an aging hippie, and I still don’t get why grown men want to run around on a field and try to knock each other down, violently. Having known some folks whose lives were threatened by the sport, I really don’t get it. I think I only went to one football game in high school and that was because my mom had made me a very cool outfit for fall. Although she made it for me to wear to football games, and although I loved the outfit (had my high school graduation picture taken in it), I just wasn’t interested in football games. I’m still not.
You can imagine the yawn for me when the Super Bowl came to town. I fortunately had one retail job (bookstore) where it was my job to create Anti-Super Bowl parties for the bookish, non-sporting types. This always drew a crowd of women looking to escape the testosterone-filled chips-and-beer party at home. We had chair massages, invited romance authors, ate strawberries dipped in chocolate. And joked about men. (You know how women can be!)
I lucked out that most of my boyfriends, although big burly guys, cared more about music and art than sports. In fact, it’s through some of them that I heard stuff that made me like football even less. (Some were forced to play because of their size.) Although I understand the positives of teamwork and working hard toward a goal, I still can’t relate to the “beat ‘em up” mentality nor the fact that coaches would scream and belittle their players. That is another thing I just don’t get. You don’t have to abuse people to make them men…or a women.
Now, I’ll tell you the truth. I get it now, that some folks, my dad included, never could understand the worth of art. My dad thought art was a waste of time and couldn’t make you a living. Although I disagreed with him then, his attitude somehow sunk into me, and I regret to this day that I didn’t become an artist. But I understand what he was saying, which is that he didn’t get the worth of art anymore than I got the worth of football.
Sometimes I think it would be preferable if football and certain other games were used instead of war, kind of like in the James Caan movie “Rollerball” from 1975. Younger folks may remember the 2002 version with LL Cool J and Chris Klein. But, even so, soccer fans in Europe react to that extreme during and after certain important games. I say “important”. They aren’t, really. But if football games were used in place of war, I guess they would be important. And then, of course, Oklahoma would be at war with Texas. And then, of course, I’d stop wearing orange in public, just in case…
What are your thoughts?
By the way, here’s a reminder that we are going into a year such as we haven’t had since 1928. Although there will be some growth, we can expect things to get pretty rocky and rebellious around Memorial Day. We have two and a half years coming of pressure from relationships—or the law. It started the end of last year, which was why you saw so much talk about marriage, cheating, and the like on the “large stage”, as I like to call it. And of course, the Patriot Act clamp-down is back on for the next couple of years. I tell people, to go with the flow and use the energies in a good way: write a book and get published, go to relationship therapy, OR go to law or design or even beauty school! This is a time to practice meditation (and mediation!) and harmony within, so it will be reflected around you.
If you feel you’re spinning your wheels, be patient till March and then the floodgates will open. We will have period bursts throughout the year and the first/second week of March and the end of May/beginning of June will be tough. If we can make it through that, we can make it…so hold on! I usually say Life is like surfing…sometimes it’s calm, sometimes the waves are rocky, and sometimes it’s the Big Kahuna. For the next couple of years, I shall liken life to riding a bucking bronco. Sometimes you get a dud, but beware, because this next may be the ride of your life. So HANG ON TIGHT!!!
Have a great month! And enjoy the Super Bowl Day, whatever you do!
Love ya,
Andrea (the Booklady)

Home Home on the Range...for the Holidays

Bet you've been wondering about me...or not!

I've been livin' in my little house on the prairie, had an absolutely smashing garden this year (so much so that I'm probably going to write a squash cookbook), and have recreated a 1920's art house in my little corner of the world. In the past year, I lost my beloved doggie Deva, moved, started working the "Coast to Coast" shift, and had some great times learning about do-it-yourself-ing and gardening/yardwork with my super-amazing parents. Mom and Dad and I just hosted the HMR 163 Marine Reunion in October. Veteran helicopter pilots (called the "Ridgerunners") from the Korean War and their lovely wives came to OKC to find out Okies ain't hokey! Our joke on them! We had a fabulous time showing them some cool things (Chihuly glass, an incredble Western art--fine art--museum, the Winnie Mae plane that Wiley Post flew 'round the world in 8 days) and some intense things (the Murrah Building Memorial to the OKC bombing) and a revitalized and beautiful, thriving downtown that is completely PAID FOR. I've had people tell me they are sorry for me that I live here, but ya know, as long as they got Guinness here, it's okay with me! I'm not being deprived, let me tell you. And if you are a football nut, this is the place to be. I'm not, but I love the Big Sky and the red dirt. (and it's cheap to live here.)

It's been a crazy couple of years, and I want to reassure you that the hardest part--the not-knowing, the no-logic/no solution part of living since 2007-- is going to shift in January to bring a year of opportunities for all of us. We just have to make it through November and December, and the end of the year promises to be a testy time with friends and loved ones. For some of you, it will bring you to the breaking point, and for others, it will force you to expand and grow! And I mean more than just the waistline! As they say, when one door closes, another one opens, and although there will be some door slamming this holiday season, there's going to be some great wide open spaces coming in January, and we'll all feel some relief that we haven't felt for two and a half years.
Yes, we still have some pressures, but the sun's gonna shine, and the trees are gonna bud for us sooner rather than later, so have hope!

That said, with the rocky rockin' holidays ahead of us, please do your best to be kind to the people not only in your home but also on the frontlines of retail and service occupations. I just finished a one and a half year stint in a service occupation call center doing tech support, and it wasn't pretty. Sometimes those people who you hang up on, swear at, or get frustrated with are struggling to help you and to hang onto a job. I received weeks of training, but nothing could have prepared me for the things I heard on the other end of the phone--- people having sex, physical abuse, even kidnapping--while on the phone! I learned swear words I never knew, and, true to call center protocol, continued to say, please, thank you, yes sir, no ma'am while customers screamed threats at their children, employees, and me. Never hung up.

What I want you to know is how difficult that job can be. In that environment, our tools for helping you the customer were so poorly configured, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack to get the answer to your issues. Not your problem, I know, but it definitely was OUR problem, and we got very little help to solve the issues. We spent alot of time trying to teach customers to say we solved something we didn't solve! (surveys, ya know!) The people who fix your TVs, computers, websites, and phones over the airwaves really have to have fabulous memories and amazing mental and emotional stamina. Your service people--even the ones helping you with your catalog or online orders--are being timed, listened to, recorded, browbeaten, and pressured at work to sell or be fired, fix it or be fired. Try fixing a network from your chair at home in front of the TV. Can't do it? Why not?
Because we all know we're asking the wrong person to fix it. I think that's the worst thing--not the being timed, not even being pressured by bosses and abused verbally by customers. Unless you are an engineer, you can't conceive of the sequence of myriad technical events that have to occur to enable me and you to get on the web to search something or make a phone call in 2 seconds. Folks, I wish I could have helped you. We all wish we could have helped you. And you really made my day when I was able to help you. But life in those jobs is hell. It's like being in prison. You are locked inside this building, being taped, recorded, video-ed, eavesdropped, written up, punished, threatened, taped, recorded, and threatened again. And that's even if you ARE doing your job, showing up to work, and being friendly and helpful to customers and fixing their problems. And not hanging up.

Next time you grouch because of a long line or having to repeat something or because a customer service person doesn't seem to understand you, please be kind. First off, maybe they really don't understand you!!! It's not their fault that the company out-sourced. It's not their fault that the company fired all the knowledgeable people for ridiculous reasons and provided the newcomers with a maze of indecipherable tools. It's no reason to yell, because getting louder doesn't make anyone understand you better. No reason to swear, because swearing isn't explaining the problem. No reason to grouch, because you're wasting everyone's time, including yours. Explain it again, and if that doesn't work, ask for your service person to get help from their supervisor. Be a kinder, gentler customer. Your customer service rep may have had bad news today, may be pressured, and may be just plain tired after a hard day. Wouldn't you want the same respect?

I have been in customer service industries a long long time, so I can be critical of certain behaviors too (like someone not doing their job), but if a person is trying, please give them a break and also mention your gratefulness for their efforts. It goes a long way towards making all of our days better ones. And you know, we can even use the tactics called kindness and patience at home! Think how that could change the stress of this holiday season!

That said---
Have a wonderful holiday! Yes, I'll say it, Happy Holiday! Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy New Year! Happy Yule! Happy Hannukah! (I'm not being politically correct. I'm just being NICE. How 'bout you?)

Love ya (truly), Andrea
the Booklady

Please try these stations to get some real news in your day: http://www.kpft.org , http://www.alternativeradio.org, http://www.fsrn.org (Free Speech Radio news), and http://www.freespeech.org. These organizations provide news untainted by commercials and corporate pressure.

Make a difference for Christmas: Go to http://www.wn.org or http://www.heifer.org and give someone a livelihood for Christmas.

"Let Love in. Send Love out."http://www.loveinloveout.com http://www.activateoklahoma.com http://www.creativequills.com
http://www.activatehouston.com http://www.myeccentricaunts.com http://www.thebooklady.info http://www.communicateok.com

For the contrary, how does your garden grow?

Dear Friends-
I never thought I'd see the day when I would become a gardener. I'm really not the sort of gardener my parents are. I plant ideas and let concepts grow. That's really my forte: communication. I like to see ideas spread like wildfire, and I like to teach people about how much easier communication can be if they "seed" a conversation with "good vibes" beforehand. Is that the hippie in me talking?
I was such a pacifist as a kid that I rebelled whenever my parents wanted me to weed the garden or go pluck the dandelions out of the front lawn. A la Machaelle Wright, I thought dandelions had a right to live, just as much as the grass did, and I dreamed of planting a nice furry yellow lawn right in the middle of the neighborhood, where grown men poisoned bees, birds and other wildlife with toxic weed killers. I looked forward to a lawn gone to seed with fluffy floaties infiltrating the perfect green velvet of the holier than thou weed bigots. They wanted me and my dandelions out of the neighborhood. Well, in my dreams. Meanwhile, M & D sent a sullen daughter out into the front yard with the forked dandelion digger.
Anyway, as gas prices soar and so goes the price of everything else, including groceries, I have decided to become a gardener, in the interests of budgeting and self-preservation. Since we all know that it's unlikely that the price of anything is going to go down, and that the powers that be have set their sights on $8/gallon gas prices, we have to do something. Planting a garden is one of my solutions to rising prices, and it's also my way to get natural stuff in my body, instead of all the preservatives and unpronounceable junk in today's foods. Frankly, life was a lot easier in Houston, what with Central City Coop and Whole Foods and Central Market. But here in farm coun try, it's a little more difficult, believe it or not. I am grateful that some things are cheaper here, and that there is less pollution, but it is much more of a challenge to get the basic food items I used to have, so cheaply and so easily found in the city.
Good news is, my parents are farmers. So when they moved back into their house, they planted fruit trees immediately (cherry, peach, pear), and we all have gardens going. I have a bean plant, some pepper plants, and radishes rising, although I planted a bunch of other things too. We're late in our planting, so it may be pot luck as far as what comes up. And of course, we are dealing with ME, not the sort you want planting your garden!

But anyway, we recently had a mini-family reunion, and all the beautiful 80 year old ladies (and I am not kidding!) were reminiscing about their childhoods, and I just thought, "We are going to have to go back to that." What a concept! Living the sustainable, earth-responsible life. Native Americans have been doing that forever, and a lot of other folks too-like poor people, the world round! Could you survive all by yourself, without the modern day conveniences? Could you feed and shelter yourself?
I think reality TV host Jeff Probst and producer Mark Burnett need to do a version of "Survivor in the City" or "Survivor Down on the Farm" (well, they did that with the kids last summer!) and see if these people could survive as homeless people in the city or as farmers out on the Plains. Could you? What would happen if it were just you and the elements? That's the way life was, once upon a time, and just how resourceful are you?

On thing is sure; Mother Nature is making herself heard lately, and because of that, I think people are beginning to think twice and three times about where they stand in the scope of things. We have to get down and dirty at some point, because we could use and abuse ourselves right out of existence. The good news is, that although we are animals, we have brains, and we can communicate, so we have some advantages in that we can make conscious choices to conserve and caretake.
I like Machaelle Wright, because she believes that all living things have a right to existence, but that we have to listen to, respect, and communicate with each other. Machaelle is an unusual person in that she has done research (check out http://www.perelandra.com) on co-creating with wildlife and nature, and she believes she communicates with them, and that they listen. For a whole new look at life, I suggest reading her autobiography Behaving As If The God in All Life Mattered. That will change your vi ewpoint on what's going on with earth changes, upheaval, and storms as well as global warming. I reject a recent email that I received saying that Mother Earth was "purging" lately, which to me seems such a Westernized view that people are being punished for something. Come on, now!
As an astrologer, I guess I view life as a cycle, and Earth as a planet does not qualify storms or earthquakes as "bad" or as "purges". And if you think God is involved in it, why would God punish the poor and not the "wicked"? Seems to me there are other places that should have gotten the old "heave-ho", if that's the case, and I won't bore you with my list of places that should have been "purged", but suffice it to say, they are alot closer to home. Really, that's really rude of me or anyone else to say, because we are talking about the loss of life here, and these people are someone's family members. How about some compassion here?
As I heard someone mention on the radio yesterday, "it is God's will," and then he said, "but I haven't figured out why yet." One thing I do know is that it's making people re-think their connection to Mother Nature, and that can only be a good thing. I've always felt that if we were smart enough to screw it up, we're also smart enough to fix it. And in either case, Mother Earth doesn't care. She'll do what she does: revolve, evolve. The question is, will you?
Plant your garden, sing to your plants, and grow.

Gotta go!
If you want to take one of my surveys on "Love & Age", go to: http://www.loveinloveout.com/Surveys.html
If you want to find out about improving your Love quotient, go to: http://www.loveinloveout.com/Love_Gods___Goddesses.html
If you want to know all about Soulmates, go to: http://www.propheticeye.com/Soulmates.html .

I also now have my Election predictions and latest World & Local predictions online, so have fun surfing! Check out the World predictions, because I did predict the earthquakes & a tsunami, but to be fair, I thought that the problems with Tibet were worse. I will have new Middle East and USA ruminations online later in the week. To check out the future, go to: http://www.propheticye.com . P.S. I want to reiterate that astrology is NOT a psychic science. It is a science of forecasting, based on planetary positions, more like weather forecasting. I'm just reading maps when I do it. It works, though!!!
http://www.propheticeye.com

Love ya,
Andrea
If you need a consultation or reading, please contact me by emailing me back at the address above, or call 713.301.9843, and leave a message.

In need of a website?
Have you been putting it off because of the time and expense? Don't wait any longer! I can give you an inexpensive but effective and attractive looking website for a low dollar figure within a couple of days! Every business or service needs a website these days to make a statement. A website can give a new business or service the credibility it needs! Ask about my quick website services, and if you buy one, you'll get a free email account linked to your web name! Call me, call me!!! 405.375.3803 or email me at booklady@communicateok.com .

Featured KPFT Program of the Week: Century of Lies
Tuesdays, 11:30am-Noon. Dean Becker of the Drug Truth Network delves into the truth about the drug war via interviews with judges, scientists, doctors & authors to encourage listeners to investigate the Century of Lies. This show also has a regular installment of Government "Drug War Facts" from Doug McVay. http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/

Logon to http://www.kpft.org and click on "Listen Now!" in the upper right hand corner. I suggest listening on your computer at http://www.kpft.org .---Andrea

Find KPFT at 90.1 FM, online, 24 hours a day. Please donate at http://www.kpft.org and click on "GIVE NOW". You can listen live online at this same address. Your work day will never be bored while you are listening.
You can also hear Alternative Radio programs directly by logging on with your computer to http://www.alternativeradio.org . Would you like to get some REAL NEWS for a change, without having to leave the United States?

News Feature "Iran: All Options on the Table" featuring Scott Ritter
George W. Bush proclaimed, "The action and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States." That was part of executive order Bush issued extending the national emergency with respect to Iran. The leaders in Washington and those that would replace them frequently chant in unison that when it comes to Iran: All options are on the table. Iran is virtually encircled by American military forces. It has not threatened the U.S. So why would America attack? Seems nutty, right what with Iraq and Afghanistan? But Tehran has always been in Washington's gunsights.
Scott Ritter is a former Marine intelligence officer and a veteran of the first Gulf War. He served as a UN weapons inspector in Iraq for seven years. He's an expert on weapons and arms control. In the lead up to the attack on Iraq, Ritter openly questioned whether Iraq had any weapons of mass destruction. He is the author of Frontier Justice and Waging Peace. His latest book is Target Iran.
Where recorded: Boulder, CO Date recorded: 18 Jan 2008

You can download these programs or purchase them on CD at http://www.alternativeradio.org .
Activate!!! Help us get RESULTS!
RESULTS is a nonprofit grassroots advocacy organization committed to creating the political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty. RESULTS is committed to individuals exercising their personal and political power by lobbying elected officials for effective solutions and key policies that affect hunger and poverty. RESULTS Educational Fund is committed to educating the public, the media, and leaders about issues related to poverty and hunger in the United States and abroad. We hold public forums, train citizens in democracy, hold media conference calls to share the latest information, and produce quality oversight research to determine the effectiveness of programs for the poor. RESULTS Educational Fund is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Watch RESULTS' new video "Everyday Heroes" to quickly learn about how RESULTS works to empower citizens to speak out powerfully against hunger and poverty in the U. S. and around the world.
Our vision is of a world where persistent hunger and the devastating impact of poverty no longer cripple the chances of individuals and families to sustain themselves, thrive, and contribute their talents to the world in which they live - where all people have a fair chance at success. A 1976 report by the National Academy of Sciences reported that we possess all of the resources, structures and technology to end hunger in a single generation, but that the political will to make it a priority is missing. We envision a world where citizens actively voice their concerns to their elected officials and thereby choose the policies and priorities of their governments, and we work toward a world where the end of hunger and the worst aspects of poverty has become an international priority.
E-mail: results@results.org Address: RESULTS Educational Fund, 750 First Street NE, Suite 1040, Washington, DC 20002
Telephone : RESULTS (202) 783-7100 RESULTS Educational Fund (202) 783-4800. Who To Go To: Christine Naylor, Executive Director, cnaylor@results.org. Automatic monthly donations initiation or changes: Glynda Featherstone, gfeatherstone@results.org
Major Gifts, Planned Gifts, Grants, Foundations: Glynda Featherstone, gfeatherstone@results.org Grassroots Fundraising: Gwen Garcelon, ggarcelon@results.org
Activate more!!! Be selective when you buy gas.
Thanks to Ed Griffing for giving me this info. To find the cheapest gas in your area, go to
http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx and plug in your zip code. A map will come up with the cheapest place closest to you. In addition, please check out this list of oil and gas companies. I suggest that you pick the one that is most suitable for you and support that gas station. The following is also from Ed:
The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor. An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS. Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis...
This is Andrea speaking: George Bush who has been pals with the Saudi royal family forever is currently visiting with his buds right now. Since both families have been in the oil and gas business together, do you really think he's asking for them to lower the price of oil? Come on, now! And the Bushes have been arms dealers since Grandpappy Bush, so that's something to think about. And a reminder that of the 9/11 hijackers, 15 were from Saudi Arabia, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one from Lebanon, and one from Egypt. Zero from Iraq, zero from Iran, zero from Palestine, zero from Syria. Hmmmm.. ...

These companies import Middle Eastern oil :
Shell.......................... 205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco......... 144,332,000 barrels
Exxon /Mobil............... 130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway... 117,740,000 barrels
Amoco............................62,231,000 barrels

Here are some large companies that DO NOT import Middle Eastern oil: Sunoco, Conoco, Sinclair, BP/Phillips, Hess, ARC0, and Citgo All of this information is available from the Department of Energy. Each is required to state where they get their oil and how much. AND DON"T FORGET TO DRIVE 55, if you can't ride your bike or take the bus!
Green Action: Live like there's no tomorrow! Live the sustainable life!
In Houston, visit http://www.sustainliving.org/. Visit there to find out MORE!!! The following is from the Sustainableokc.org website.
Live Responsibly
What does it mean to live responsibly? It means living with a minimal impact-including using fewer natural resources, reducing waste, and considering the quality of life that future generations will experience when making your own lifestyle decisions.
You can start off by measuring your ecological footprint, an estimate of the amount of land needed to support you given the choices you make in life. The average American uses more resources than available. How do you measure up? While lots of behaviors affect the size of your ecological footprint, three biggies stand out. If you want the biggest bang for your buck (or time), try changing these three things:
1. Green your residence. You can "green" your home in a lot of ways. Increasing energy efficiency, using recycled and reclaimed materials, and landscaping naturally are three examples. Browse these websites and you're sure to find a wealth of information. In our neck of the woods, we have local chapters of the US Green Building Council and the AIA Committee on the Environment doing great things. Wanna go all the way? Get your home LEED certified.
2. Green your transportation. We all hate filling up at the pump. The cost, the smell, the guilty conscience... So cut back! Ride your bike. Take the bus. For goodness sake, walk! If you must drive a car, try to combine errands in a single trip, carpool, and buy a fuel efficient car (a hybrid is a good bet-just make sure to check the mpg's). If you still drive a big SUV there may be hope for saving your poor soul, but it's getting slimmer by the day.
3. Green your food. Love food? We do too! And so does the earth, especially when it's vegetarian, locally-grown, and organic (in that order of preference). Try slowly reducing the amount of meat you eat because it takes a lot more natural resources (especially water) to produce meat than veggies. While you're at it, buy locally grown. Not only is it fresher, it's much more earth-friendly. Consider the fact that the average food item you buy at the superm arket has traveled 1500 miles to reach your plate-that's a lot of carbon emissions. When you buy locally, you'll be supporting the local economy and eating fresher and healthier. And don't forget that your own garden is the A+ of locally-grown!

Read this Book!
Here's a great book for your teenagers: You Don't Have to Learn Everything the Hard Way: What I Wish Someone Had Told Me by Aunt Laya Saul. Aunt Laya covers everything a teen has to deal with: subjects like beieving in yourself, trusting yourself, defining your boundaries, failure, regret, drug abuse, alcohol, sex and sexual abuse, suicidal thoughts, and relationships of all kinds. When I read the clips from her book, I wish I had her book when I was young! Heck, I wish I had it as a married person!
If you want to check it out, go to her website at http://www.auntlaya.com or you can order her book from Amazon.com by plugging in "Aunt Laya" in your search.

Big Talk/Small Talk, & the Past is your Present

Friends & Neighbors & Best Buds, Happy Spring!
Most places have some cherry blossoms and wisteria, azaleas and daffodils and lovely redbuds. So, enjoy!



I have a friend who I met online named Jordan. He goes to Rice U. in Houston, and he and a friend started up this cool online deal called “Big Talk”. Having been in the singles biz for nearly a decade, I have oft heard the refrain, “I hate small talk!” That’s mainly because singles hate to go ask somebody where they’re from or what sign they are, and business networkers hate to ask people, “What do you do?” There’s a purpose for small talk, though, and that is to help us learn how we are connected. In those little threads in which we find commonality, like having gone to the same high school, loving Hawaii, or growing up in a similar part of the country, we find not only comfort but companionship, and friends.



My friend Jordan, however, is a man after my own heart, because he has “Big Talk” on his mind. Nearly two years ago, I started this email newsletter and started bringing up odd subjects for people to think about and consider. I have gotten many love letters and plenty of hate mail too, but the best thing is, I got some 10,000 people across the country talking and sometimes “activating”. And that has been my goal all along! So whether you just donated to the food bank, started using some Law of Attraction techniques, started meditating, watched some alternative news, or shot me an email telling me to go You-Know-Where, the journey has been wonderful.

Now I encourage you to join Jordan by chiming in on his project called “Big Talk”. He won’t be asking what your sign is—he’ll leave the astrology to me! But he will offer you lots of forums in which you can shoot the breeze. (One of my blogs is called, El Shamal, “Shoot the breeze, not people.”)

The idea of “Big Talk” takes the idea of introductory small talk UP several notches. Strangers don’t normally discuss things like race, religion, or the meaning of life when they first meet. Joining into Big Talk is like jumping into a big pool and doing a Cannonball!!! You know what I mean! It’s against normal communication patterns to go from “Hi, my name is Andrea” to “My position on race in this country is…” It’s almost considered impolite, and under certain circumstances, it would be. But with Big Talk, as with my weekly email newsletter, we drop the formalities and go for the gusto! And the cool thing is, it’s invigorating and exciting, energizing and meaningful, can be deep and heartfelt, and causes this wonderful sharing thing. Very cool.



Jordan and his friend Nick first started getting into the concept of making their everyday “Big Talk” into something they could share with family, friends, and MORE. The “MORE” part was really BIG. They were trying to figure out how to get people to join into deep and meaningful conversations despite their fear, apathy, prejudice, doubt, and lack of time, among other things. Think of how many times you have avoided getting into a conversation about race, religion, or politics, because certain disagreeing people were in the room. Sometimes, when we discuss subjects that are either unpopular or have been slanted by the media in a certain way, folks immediately get out the boxing gloves—or ball bats! We want to discuss things like ladies and gentlemen—or, at the very least, like the British Parliament (know what I mean? ;) but not like European soccer fans.

Anyway, at Rice, with the encouragement of Professor John Stroup and the funding of the Boniuk Center for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance, Jordan, Nick, and webmaster Will started up the Big Talk website, which you can find at http://www.betweenaduck.com . There you can become a fellow Big Talker by joining the fray. Once a month, they pick one question, and discuss it to death, no holds barred. Don’t ya just love it?! The March question is “How does race impact your life and society, and how should it?” You might still be able to get your words in, if you go there right now… Jordan, if you are out there, please send me the April question, so I can get that ball rolling! The goal of Big Talk, according to the website is... “to give people a better understanding of themselves and their world, and to cause a greater appreciation of different cultures and viewpoints.”

So, I encourage you to go to http://www.betweenaduck.com and chat it up, big style!



Meanwhile, here is what I want to share this week…

I heard a smidgin of a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech on the radio this week, and I thought, “Wow, you could change the venue from being about Vietnam to being about Iraq, and it would still make sense.” I have included some snippets of the speech here. What do you think? To read the whole thing or to hear it, go to http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm . Yeah, it was called the “Breaking the Silence” speech. I could go for that. Being a Big Mouth Big Talker myself.



…This I believe to be the privilege and the burden of all of us who deem ourselves bound by allegiances and loyalties which are broader and deeper than nationalism and which go beyond our nation's self-defined goals and positions. We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the victims of our nation and for those it calls "enemy," for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers…

…And as I ponder the madness of Vietnam and search within myself for ways to understand and respond in compassion, my mind goes constantly to the people of that peninsula. I speak now not of the soldiers of each side, not of the ideologies of the Liberation Front, not of the junta in Saigon, but simply of the people who have been living under the curse of war for almost three continuous decades now. I think of them, too, because it is clear to me that there will be no meaningful solution there until some attempt is made to know them and hear their broken cries…They must see Americans as strange liberators....

...What do the peasants think as we ally ourselves with the landlords and as we refuse to put any action into our many words concerning land reform? What do they think as we test out our latest weapons on them, just as the Germans tested out new medicine and new tortures in the concentration camps of Europe? Where are the roots of the independent Vietnam we claim to be building? Is it among these voiceless ones?...

Now there is little left to build on, save bitterness. Soon the only solid physical foundations remaining will be found at our military bases and in the concrete of the concentration camps we call "fortified hamlets." The peasants may well wonder if we plan to build our new Vietnam on such grounds as these. Could we blame them for such thoughts? We must speak for them and raise the questions they cannot raise. These, too, are our brothers.

...This is the message of the great Buddhist leaders of Vietnam. Recently one of them wrote these words, and I quote:



“Each day the war goes on the hatred increases in the heart of the Vietnamese and in the hearts of those of humanitarian instinct. The Americans are forcing even their friends into becoming their enemies. It is curious that the Americans, who calculate so carefully on the possibilities of military victory, do not realize that in the process they are incurring deep psychological and political defeat. The image of America will never again be the image of revolution, freedom, and democracy, but the image of violence and militarism (unquote).”



...Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role our nation has taken, the role of those who make peaceful revolution impossible by refusing to give up the privileges and the pleasures that come from the immense profits of overseas investments. I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin...we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.

...A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies…

...A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa, and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say, "This is not just." …

...A true revolution of values will lay hand on the world order and say of war, "This way of settling differences is not just." …

...America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way in this revolution of values. There is nothing except a tragic death wish to prevent us from reordering our priorities so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war…

...We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. And history is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate. As Arnold Toynbee says: "Love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damning choice of death and evil. Therefore the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word" (unquote)…



AND LASTLY, MLK SAYS, ...We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today.

WELL, I MUST ADD, TODAY IS YESTERDAY. Historians know that we are doomed to repeat the past if we don't learn from it.



Gotta go!

If you want to take one of my surveys on “Love & Age”, go to: http://www.loveinloveout.com/Surveys.html

If you want to find out about improving your Love quotient, go to: http://www.loveinloveout.com/Love_Gods___Goddesses.html

If you want to know all about Soulmates, go to: http://www.propheticeye.com/Soulmates.html .

I also now have my Election predictions and latest world & local predictions, as well as individual predictions for April online, so have fun surfing! http://www.propheticeye.com/Elections_2008.html

Love ya,

Andrea

If you need a consultation or reading, please contact me by emailing me back at the address above, or call 713.301.9843, and leave a message.



Featured KPFT Program of the Week: BrokenBeatz
BrokenBeatz is a fast paced wall-to-wall Drum and Bass mix show featuring scorching live sets, exclusive guest DJ mixes, and interviews with some of the top international names in the genre. BrokenBeatz always features a cutting-edge playlist, regularly including tracks from a truly global range of Drum and Bass producers and MC’s. Expect to hear host, DJ Pmaz, spinning an eclectic range of D&B selections ranging from deep liquid-soul grooves, dance floor mashups, old school ragga-jungle, and plenty of intense dubplate business. For more info check out www.brokenbeatz.org , and be sure to lock on each and every Sunday morning, 4am-6am CST to catch BrokenBeatz live and direct, and exclusively featured on KPFT Houston, 90.1FM. Tuesdays 3-6am.
Logon to http://www.kpft.org and click on "Listen Now!" in the upper right hand corner. I suggest listening on your computer at http://www.kpft.org .---Andrea

Find KPFT at 90.1 FM, in Houston, 24 hours a day. Please donate at http://www.kpft.org and click on "GIVE NOW". You can listen live online at this same address. Your work day will never be bored while you are listening.
You can also hear Alternative Radio programs directly by logging on with your computer to http://www.alternativeradio.org . Would you like to get some REAL NEWS for a change, without having to leave the United States?

News Feature Blackwater: Mercenary Army, with featured speaker Jeremy Scahill
A hidden story of the U.S. war on Iraq has been the use private contractors, a shadow force almost as big as the American army. The major company operating in Iraq and raking in millions of dollars in taxpayer money is Blackwater. The well-connected North Carolina-based firm is the elite Praetorian Guard of the so-called war on terror. Blackwater and other private armies apparently operate with no supervision or oversight. Their crimes go unpunished. Gen William Caldwell, the top spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, said: "Contractors are out of our lane, and we don't comment on them." Jeremy Scahill is the author of the bestseller "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army" He is the recipient of the Polk Award for journalism. He is a frequent contributor to "The Nation" magazine and "Democracy Now!"
Date recorded: 7 May 2007 Where recorded: Boulder, CO

You can download these programs or purchase them on CD at http://www.alternativeradio.org .

Activate!!! Helping the Homeless
The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate and advocate for the needs of persons who are homeless through support and coordination of services. In 1982 at the request of then Harris County Judge Jon Lindsey and Houston Mayor Kathryn Whitmire, the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, Inc. (the Coalition) was founded by area homeless social services for an exploding number of people who were homeless that were emerging as a result of local economic deterioration. In 1988, the Coalition incorporated as a 501(c) 3. The Goals of the Coaliton include, but are not limited to, establishing, maintaining, providing and assisting those entities that serve the needs of people who are homeless though advocacy, education, information exchange, collection of current and accurate data relevant to homeless issues, identify gaps in homeless services and develop solutions to meet those needs, coordination of public and private resources, and dispensing information and referral sources to those that are homeless or at risk.
Things You can do...
• Support existing programs with time and money. • Use your area of expertise and share your skill. • Get your School, Church or Business Involved. • Build Homes for people that are homeless. • Help with job training to create permanent solutions. • Hire someone who is homeless. • Write to local, state and federal representatives. • Teach your children about the problems of homelessness. • Treat people that are homeless with respect and understanding.
You can volunteer to help the homeless at any of these organizations: JOHN S. DUNN CENTER, Aids Foundation of Houston (AFH), SEARCH, Emergency Aid Coalition, www.volunteerhouston.org, End Hunger Houston, Catholic Charities, Fort Bend County Women's Center, The Furniture Bank, The Star of Hope, Crisis Intervention of Houston. You can mail a donation to: CFTH, Attn: Finance Department, 811 Dallas St, Suite 821, Houston, TX 77002 Or make a donation by telephone at 713-739-7514. This website has lots of info: http://www.homelesshouston.org/hh/Default_EN.asp
Green Action: Drive a Clean Machine.
Go to http://www.h-gac.com/human-services/airchecktexas/default.aspx OR http://www.nctcog.org/trans/air/act/ to find out how you can get some money to turn in your old cloud-emitting car and get a new clean vehicle. The AirCheckTexas Repair and Replacement Assistance Program is designed to help vehicle owners comply with vehicle emissions standards to reduce ozone-forming pollutants created by on-road motor vehicles. It addresses the highest polluting vehicles and provides an incentive for citizens to contribute to the regional air quality solution. The AirCheckTexas Repair and Replacement Assistance Program expanded to offer more financial assistance to more vehicle owners. You may be eligible to receive vouchers for $3,000 toward the purchase of a newer car or truck and $3,500 toward a hybrid vehicle from participating auto dealers. Up to $600 for repair assistance is available. Check it out!!!!

Truth, Lies, & Mirrors on the Wall!

Calling all y'all!

There’s a lot of talk lately about truth and lies lately. Who’s telling the truth, and who isn’t? Roger Clemens? Eliot Spitzer? Hillary? John McCain? But is truth absolute? Should we give people a break if their behavior is not the best, not the most noble? Should we overlook certain deficiencies or faults in certain people if they appear to be a good guy or a good gal in other respects? Well, I do think there are some truths that are absolute. When Bill and Monica and Roger and some of the others meet their Maker (and friends & relatives) in the hereafter, there won’t be any room for excuses. At the pearly gates, it’ll be, didja do it, yes or no? Well, really, since I think God is Santa, the door will either be left open or locked shut when some of those folks get there. And they already know whether the guy with the white beard will leave them coal or a key at their demise. It's rather pointless for us to worry our pretty little heads about it, because they know who will be sweatin' bullets at the final roll call.
So here’s another question, how responsible do we have to be to other people and for other people? Can we lie our asses off and still go to Heaven? Can we cheat on our spouses or significant others and still not take credit for their hurts or betrayals? Can we treat people any way we please?
Well, here’s something to remember: yes, we ARE responsible for ourselves, our actions, and our words, even if we lie. And if the world around us gets upset for what we do or say, whether lie or truth, that too is our baby. Since it’s our baby, we gotta care for it.

Highly spiritual folks know that we create everything about the world we see, even those so-called "betrayals". We literally ARE responsible for the stuff that goes on around us, because what you see around you is the result of your thinking, choices, and actions. Mirror mirror on the wall…Yes, that person in your life who you don’t like is a reflection of YOU. That situations that keeps coming up that put you in this fix is about YOU.
If you are truly spiritual, you know that there’s no use blaming anybody else for anything, because you created everything, fixes and fiestas.

In fact, you don’t have to be spiritual to know this: you just have to be a responsible person or a person of integrity. Well, many of you don’t even need to have integrity all the time, but you do have to have a good head on your shoulders. My dad never understood why some people lead such screwed up lives, because he claims, “Those things never happened to me!” When I was young, I thought that some people just had bad breaks or “bad luck” in their lives. My dad made choices that were good for his family. I’m not saying life was always smooth sailing, but my dad is a responsible man who lives by his principles.
And my mom, she is my best teacher about speaking the truth. Speaking truth may not always be the easiest path, but there’s a freedom in it. For one thing, you don’t have to keep track of your lies. For another thing, you are never weak as long as you speak the truth. Truth is a major sword of empowerment. When you speak it, you can never be hurt, because things are the way they are. But most people can’t handle telling the truth or hearing it. They think they’ve gotta tell a little white lie for kindness or a big fat lie of omission in order to prevent hurting others, and yet telling the truth, to me, is the highest form of showing responsibility and integrity. As Harry Truman once said, “I never gave anybody hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.” This is sometimes the way it is, when truth-seekers and truth-speakers meet those who approve of lying or at least those who indulge in it. Telling the truth clears the air. Doesn't the Bible say, “the truth shall set you free?”

Speaking the truth is the best example of taking responsibility for your action and words, and you don't even have to defend yourself! Your words and actions WILL BE your truth. This is something that seems to be lacking in today’s headlines, leaders, and in our own daily lives. Everybody’s going, “He said/she said. He did/she did.” Blame. Let’s blame everyone but ourselves. These are not people who are living in truth, either practically or spiritually. Are these the people we want to be "responsible" for our country?

If you open your mouth once to put the blame on someone for something in your life, you are not facing the repercussions of YOUR OWN choices and actions. If you use anybody or anything (parents, the stars, bad luck) as a scapegoat, you are not paying attention to YOUR OWN "burden of blame". There is only one person who creates your life: YOU. God (or the universe or Santa) makes it possible for you to do this. He gives you a big canvas, a paintbrush, a bunch of paints, and then says, “PAINT!” What did YOU paint today? How have you painted your life? How have you painted your future? Nobody else did it; nobody else does it. Only YOU.

Life is about choices. If you are living with mean, angry, bad people, MOVE. If you hate your job, QUIT. If you aren’t having fun, START. Maybe it’s not all that simple, but maybe it IS. And nobody said simple is EASY. It’s not your partner keeping you in that miserable apartment. It’s you who has chosen to stay with him or her in that misery. It’s not your parents who kept you from “being a success”. You chose not to be a success. Or, maybe, just maybe, you ARE a success, but you’re not judging yourself by the right terms. And those terms are: what do you want in your life? A house, 2 kids, a picket fence, and weekends off to be with your family? If you have that, you ARE a success. You may never have a title or a degree or a six digit salary, and you may never have a mansion, but your life IS a success if you have the things you’ve always wanted. And if you really want those other things, it’s never too late to go for it. I once knew of a fifty-five year old woman whose husband dumped her, so she went back to college to become a lawyer. I also heard recently of a hundred year old man who always wanted to learn to read, and so he did. I myself am 55 and just got my college degree a couple of years ago. It was fun! I didn't sleep for about 3 years, but it was fun!
It’s NEVER too late to fill your life with the actual pursuit of your dreams, because half of the pleasure is the process of getting there. So, no excuses. No scapegoats accepted here. And no victims.

Have a personality problem with somebody? Look again, because that person is showing you YOU. That obnoxious woman who bumped into you in the grocery store? Is she showing you your own obnoxiousness or the part of you that allows yourself to be pushed around all the time? It’s one or the other, and sometimes both! Remember, she was chosen especially for you, just like the prizes in the Newlywed Game. She was placed in your path to show you something about yourself, so did you get the message? Or will it have to happen again? How many times will it happen until you finally get it?
And whenever you accuse someone of something, beware! You are almost certainly talking about yourself! My big lessons have to do with pushy, over-nearing people. They are teaching me to be mighty ornery, because I have played the victim much of my life. They are also teaching me to say no and set boundaries and to tell the truth. Even though I shudder when I see certain people coming, I know they are me, or they are for me, and they have something to teach me. The ones who don’t listen—what do you think they have to teach? How about the ones who have to have the last word? Sound like anybody we know? ;) It’s about learning balance. We take something of the toughness and something of the vulnerable and find the balance. Everybody knows that bullies are bullies because they feel weak and insecure at basis. So, don’t get angry; get even. Even-tempered and balanced, that is.
The other thing I have to say (always a lot!) is: treat people how you wish to be treated. If you have a lot of ugly-tempered people in your life who don’t respect you, then I have two questions for you: how’s YOUR temper lately? (They’re only showing you YOUR anger, and what others show you will get more violent, the more you try to hold your own temper down—take some “safe anger” lessons! Are you giving them respect? “I can’t respect her; she’s a no-good poor example of a co-worker” blah blah blah. Yes, you can. Respect her, that is. She is a human being with basic human rights. No matter how you think she performs as an employee or behaves as a person, respect her. If you don’t respect her first, you will never get respect from her. Ever. This is what keeps most of us at odds with others: we refuse to give people their basic human rights, because we’re too stubborn.
Another significant lesson from such a scenario is that it’s telling you that you don’t respect yourself, if you allow disrespect in your life. So there’s your choice: respect her and see how things change, just like a miracle, or continue the situation where you allow disrespect. At any rate, you’d better look deeply at the issue of respect in your life, and face some of the truths about it.

Believe me, giving people basic human rights can change your life. Not only that, it often changes theirs! More than once I have worked with co-workers who had the reputation of being rude, stubborn, and even mean. I decided immediately that these were individuals who needed a lot of love and a lot of respect, because they didn’t have any for themselves. I “targeted” them and promised myself that I could love and respect than longer than they could be obnoxious to me. I remember even telling one guy that I could love him longer than he could be a jerk, because I knew that he really wasn’t one. Well, I’ll tell you, about face.
This man ended up loving me and I loved him, and we are still the best of friends. He still doesn’t get along with everybody, but we have a deep loyalty to each other born out of being real with one another, being vulnerable, being human. Every “tough case” co-worker was never tough for me, because I knew what they needed. So everybody else would complain about this one or that one, but this one and that one used to love to see me and I loved to see them too! They treated the others who still dissed them behind their back with scorn, but not me. Why do you think that is?
This is not to say that I haven’t had any problems with people. We all do. But it’s the ones that bug me the most that teach me the most—about myself, about loving, about accepting people. One of the wisest angels in my life was my little east Texas Granny, who once told me that in her life she learned two things: to forgive everyone their trespasses and to love people for who they are. Of a particularly overbearing person, she said, “Remember, he don’t mean nothin’ by it; that’s just his way.” Now there’s a bit of East Texas-style unconditional love, if I ever heard it. And that’s the truth.

Love ya,
Andrea

Featured KPFT Program of the Week: Border Crossings
Wednesdays 10:00 - 11:00 PM. News and events from South Asia.Border Crossings features current events, music, and community activities in the broad context of South Asia. Our mission is to provide entertainment, unbiased information, and in-depth analysis. A central component of the show is interviews with local and international writers, artists, journalists and political activists. A regular show consists of recent news and commmentary, music, Houston area cultural events report, and a featured topic for detailed discussion that includes interviews with experts and listener phone calls. It is hosted by Jaspal and Nusrat with production assistance from Krupa and other volunteers. .This show offers open discussion of important local issues as well as issues of relevance to South Asians and the World. It also promotes interactions between people from different South Asian countries and local population. We have no political agenda except to support secularism, understanding of different religions and cultures, and peaceful coexistence in the world.
RECENT SHOWS: have included discussions with Astronaut Sunita Williams, constitutional lawyer Neal Katyal, Pervez Hoodbhoy on Iraq, Houston Council Member Gordon Quan on Iraq, Anita Gaines, Director of International Students Office at the University of Houston on SEVIS registration system, Attorney Imran Mirza on immigration registration program, and Ahmed Rashid on Afghanistan. You can hear some of these shows by visiting their website at http://www.bcrossings.org/

Logon to http://www.kpft.org and click on "Listen Now!" in the upper right hand corner. I suggest listening on your computer at http://www.kpft.org .---Andrea

Find KPFT at 90.1 FM, in Houston, 24 hours a day. Please donate at http://www.kpft.org and click on "GIVE NOW". You can listen live online at this same address. Your work day will never be bored while you are listening.
You can also hear Alternative Radio programs directly by logging on with your computer to http://www.alternativeradio.org . Would you like to get some REAL NEWS for a change, without having to leave the United States?

News Feature How TV Exploits Its Audience and Advertising & the End of the World
Sut Jhally on the Media in 2 different features. In a 1958 speech, legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow said about TV, "This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and even it can inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it is nothing but wires and lights in a box." Imagine if Murrow were around today with all talk shows full of hot air, vitriol and salaciousness. That box is a delivery system for media corporations to sell eyeballs, audiences, to other corporations called advertisers. That's the political economy of TV. Viewers are bombarded with ads wrapped around inane programming. The box has great potential as Murrow says, but it is barely approaching it. TV is more of a device to get people to buy things they don't really need. Sut Jhally is Professor of Communications at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He is the founder and executive director of the Media Education Foundation and the author of The Codes of Advertising. He co-directed the critically acclaimed documentary, Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear and the Selling of American Empire. Where recorded: Amherst, MA Date recorded: 8 Mar 2007 You can download these programs or purchase them on CD at http://www.alternativeradio.org .
Activate!!! Run, walk, and ride for a charitable cause!
As spring approaches, make sure you have scanned for a great charity event in which you can participate--either by getting your exercise or by volunteering! No matter what your level of ability, you can participate for a cause. To find a charity, think of a disease or issue that has meant alot to someone near and dear to you. You may have known someone with MS or breast cancer, or you may remember how hard it was for you to come up with the money to go to college. Search online for the events going on near you. In the Houston area, preparations for the MS-150 bike ride from Houston to Austin are now underway. There are loads of bike rides that happen before the MS-150 that are training rides that still benefit groups from high schools to elementary schools to other charitable groups. The walks and rides are available in all lengths and for all abilities. The website for the Texas ride is http://www.ms150.org/ms150/. The closest ride in Oklahoma is the Frisco to Fort Worth ride. The website address is http://dallas.ms150.org/dallas/ There is another ride in Texas that goes from San Antonio to Corpus Christi. You can find that ride by going to: http://biketothebeach.ms150.org/btb/ Bike riders in Oklahoma can join the Flower Power Bike Ride in Muskogee, OK. They will offer bike rides from 10-100miles. Contact joel@muskogeeparks.org. To find a fun run or runners group near you, go to http://www.rrca.org and see their national groups. Enjoy, and have a blast helping others!

Green Action: Check the Pollution levels in your city and then email a friend!
You can go to http://www.scorecard.org and plug in your zip code, and find out what hazards are in your neighborhood. I live in Harris County, in the Heights, (where aging hippies and queens go to die! ;) ) and here's what it says about that: " In 2002, this county ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of total environmental releases." Oooh, doagie, now I know why I need to be in OKC. I used to hack like a recovering smoker every time I went to see my folks north of Austin. By comparison, where I am in Oklahoma has a very low hazard. Woo hoo! You can feel it, and you can see the stars in the sky at night!
Harris County was among the worst in Total environmental releases, Cancer risk score (air and water releases), Noncancer risk score (air and water releases), Air releases of recognized carcinogens, Air releases of recognized developmental toxicants, and Air releases of recognized reproductive toxicants.

Here are the Texas companies that are contributing to this. The number one cancer risk in Houston is caused by release of carbon tetrachloride. These companies are responsible: Facility Name City Pounds of CFC 11-equivalents GB BIOSCIENCES CORP. in HOUSTON, OXY VINYLS L.P.in LA PORTE, VCM PLANT in LA PORTE, SYNGENTA CROP PROTECTION BAYPORT SITE in PASADENA, DOW CHEMICAL CO.in LA PORTE, LA PORTE ATOFINA PETROCHEMICALS INC. - BAYPORT HDPE PLANT in PASADENA, REDDY ICE #312 in SOUTH HOUSTON, FOAM ENTERPRISES in HOUSTON, DU PONT LA PORTE PLANT in LA PORTE, GLOBAL OCTANES CORP.in DEER PARK, CLEAN HARBORS DEER PARK L.P. in DEER PARK, OXY VINYLS L.P. - DEER PARK C/A in DEER PARK, DEER PARK REFINING L.P. in DEER PARK, POLYTHANE SYSTEMS. INC.in SPRING, CROWN CENTRAL PETROLEUM CORP., HOUSTON REFY.in PASADENA and CELANESE LTD. CLEAR LAKE PLANT in PASADENA.Isn't it funny that one of the major polluters is named "Clear Harbors" and, of course, Clear Lake isn't "clear", as we know.

In Oklahoma, here are the worst polluters. While OKC air is among the best in the country, there has been some releases into the water.Here are the folks polluting the Oklahoma City area. 1 DOUBLE EAGLE REFINERY CO. 2 FOURTH STREET ABANDONED REFINERY 3 MOSLEY ROAD SANITARY LANDFILL 4 TINKER AIR FORCE(SOLDIER CR/BLDG 300) To fnd out what pollutants they are releasing and to write to them about it, please go to http://scorecard.org and plug in your zip code. Then go to "threats" page.
From the Scorecard.org website: You can Take Action.If you are concerned about toxic chemical releases and waste generation in your area, the Environmental Defense encourages you to take action. For facilities that rank in the worst 20% in terms of TRI emissions or waste generation, Environmental Defense is currently providing a free fax service to let you tell these companies your concerns, and request answers to your questions. At your request, a message is sent by fax to the facility at no cost to you, with the facts and figures for that facility already included. You can tailor the message any way you want.

Discussion Forum is the place to air your views, ask questions, or give answers about local chemical pollution, polluters and pollutants. This forum is for discussions about polluting facilities that are profiled in Scorecard, or any other local sources of pollution that concern you. Find out what people are saying about a company, or meet others working on environmental problems in your community.

Scorecard lets you send an email message to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of efforts to improve the Toxics Release Inventory. It also links you to volunteer opportunities and directories of environmental organizations in your area, so you can join with others to work on local toxic chemical problems. And it connects you to information about how to prevent pollution and about the tools other communities have successfully used to reduce pollution.

Facility InformationIf you want to contact a industrial plant directly about its chemical releases and waste generation, Scorecard gives you the contact names and phone numbers for the local plant, as the company itself reported them to TRI.

Please go to http://www.scorecard.org to find out where your community stands! That's your green action for the week!

True Love and Goo Goo Eyes

Dearly Beloveds and Friends---

Have you missed me? I am missing you, that's for sure, as I write from wintry weather on the Plains. I'm in the throes of home decorating and although I enjoy things like stripping wall paper and painting, I feel a bit lonely out here. It was a Valentine's Day without all of you, and that, I regret! The world has been a bit crazy, as I promised in my January email, and even though I know the train is coming, sometimes there's no way to prepare for it. Even if you know the guy is waiting in the alley for you, sometimes all the karate classes in the world, a big hard baseball bat, and even a high-powered gun won't help. In astrology, as in life, prayer is the only thing that can save you, and in this case, I was praying, all right! Sometimes I drag my feet when I don't want to do something, but the train comes on nonetheless. So, heck, I just got on the train, and I hope it goes somewhere fun. So far, so good.

Although I have so much political stuff to write about, without even mentioning any of the candidates, I thought I should give you all a break and write about LOVE, as we are at Valentine's Time. Prayer and LOVE are the great healers. All those folks finagling with the The Secret or love potions and money spells need to know that LOVE is the thing that brings you what you REALLY want. I mean, the Love you have inside you, not that stuff you see on "Millionaire Matchmaker". The fastest way to achieving Love is to BE loving. And there you have it! No spells or wishes required!
But times have changed, and while some things stay the same, the nature of relationships is changing. Partnerships are no longer meant to be ownerships or power trips or even codependencies. A new kind of partnership and a new kind of love is here. (or is it so new after all?) The partnerships are becoming open and equal with more independent individuals, and the new love is unconditional, or as my friend Rosie used to say, the kind of love that states “I accept you” instead of “I love you”.
This being the case, I hope we will stop seeing maudlin movies that show two people who can’t live without each other. Well, of course, you CAN live without each other! What did you do for the first twenty or so years of your life? Personally, I find certain romantic dramas portray folks who are obviously severely dysfunctional. Persons who stare into each other’s eyes continuously while the world passes them by are not exhibiting love, but probably are showing the effects of what I call “karmic charm”, and what the Eva Peirrakos' Pathwork books call Eros. This is an immediate and heightened level of attraction where the beloved appears golden in every respect. I say, give it a few years! In some cases, only a few months are necessary for the spell of Eros to wear off, and then, so does the so-called “love”. Obviously, it never was love in the first place, because love is NOT this romantically blissful entwinement so often depicted in movies, dramas, and books. What’s demonstrated is really just infatuation. And, really, who wants that?
Okay, I see a few of you raised your hands. Y’all are obviously immature, narcissistic egos or needy love-starved, just-dying-to-be-codependent souls. Or maybe you’re just lonely and want to be adored for a while. But, listen, all is not well in Pedestal Land, because eventually one of two things happens: you fall off your perch, OR it dissolves under your feet. And that’s when infatuation is no help to you, because it and its magnetic power are no longer there. So then what do you do? Hope for another adoring pal to become enamoured of you? Go after another “Love Fix” yourself? But remember, it’s not even really love; it’s a synthetic replacement that disintegrates the first time you show your true colors.

Then there’s those of you who like being UNDER the pedestal: the doormats, the foot wipes. Y’all are addicted to loving, to adoring even the most obnoxious folks. And yet, remember again, this really isn’t loving: it’s an addiction to being a victim, to being used, and is probably a behavior learned in childhood or at least an attitude adopted at that time.
I know you’re asking, “Well, if such blind adoration isn’t love, then what IS real love?” The realest kind of love is often that of a parent for a child, the unconditional variety that says: I love you no matter how you are, even if you misbehave, get dirty, wet your pants, eat with your hands, and get bad grades. I love you whether you’re fat or thin, plain or pretty, smart or not, and no matter what you believe or whatever you do. This is the ideal kind of love that we should have for a mate. Now I admit that some of us are hard tested by our loved ones at many times. They do makes us mad (or sad) sometimes, and I’m certainly not suggesting that you seek out a Significant Other with a bladder problem. But truth be told, if you really do love someone and they are the incontinent sort, you’ll bring them some “Depends” with their next bouquet of flowers. Yes, even that will not stop you from loving someone if you really do.
Now I know y’all hate advice, but I’ll give it anyway, and then you can choose to ignore me if you’re ornery and like to do things the hard way. So here it is: you can’t change people. They can only change themselves. So if you want love in your life, you’ll have to love people the way they are. If there’s something you don’t like about your latest gal pal or boy toy, and if you REALLY want love in your life, then you’d better learn to love that thing you don’t like, because it’s there for life, for better or for worse. And when you can love that person the way he or she is, even when they are being The Ultimate Jerk, without losing your own identity, then you’ve got it: TRUE LOVE. And if you can stick with your Significant Other throughout the bad times as well as the good, then you’ve got it. True Love. How about, can you love this person if they gain weight, lose their hair, get a disease? If yours is an unequivocal “yes!” then you’ve got True Love.
And what if your answer to one of those questions is NO? Maybe you need to learn something about what True Love is. Or maybe that person just isn’t the one for you. One thing’s for sure: it’s not True Love. True Love isn’t dreamy eyes; it isn’t physical lust, and it isn’t personality addiction. In the movies, we like to see pretty people, lustful and dreamy, who “can’t live without each other”. These people are, for one thing, imaginings, and for another, sick imaginings. I have a friend who has refused to let her female children watch Disney movies so they won't be misled about women's roles by them. I like that idea, actually!
More important today is the individual who is just as comfortable being alone as with others: a well balanced, fascinating person who is interested in something (not just focused on or “living for” someone) and who feels good about who he or she is. If you think another person is going to “fill up the holes in you", you are sadly mistaken. Besides, I can’t think of anybody more annoying than a so-called Prince Charming who can’t look at anything besides me and who needs to call 5 times a day for contact. I was married to someone like that, and it wasn't fun, or love, either. Sweet words won’t sway me if I know they are bullsh** (or if I know it is clingy BS).
How to gain a girl's attention? Ben Franklin knew: pay homage to her mind, and then you'll get the rest of the body. Or, I say to both guys and girls, just be yourself. Don’t try to impress me. Just be you. What are you interested in? Talk about it, and talk about yourself, but not too much. Guys whose only topic of conversation is themselves are plentiful and boring too; remember to keep the conversation two way. That means we can talk about me too, but again, not too much.
Just be an interesting person to do stuff with, whether it’s to talk or not to talk. Sometimes it’s great to have a partner just to be quiet with. You don’t have to try hard to find the perfect pal or to be one: just be genuinely you, and you’ll naturally attract the perfect partner. If you try too hard or push too much, you’ll only set your potential partners running away, so let people know that “what you see is what you get”. If they like it, they’ll stick around all on their own without you having to get out a collar and chain. And don’t lie about you are, what you like, etc. If you like at all, you are up the S creek, because you won’t attract a real or lasting match for yourself, and besides, you’re bound to get found out eventually. Never try to be someone you’re not.
One thing more: you don’t really NEED a relationship. It’s nice, it can be fun, comforting, even exciting, but the main person on earth that you need to get to know is YOU. When you’ve accomplished this and enjoy your own company and can be fine with solitude, THEN you’re really ready for Real Relationship and True Love. In the relationship biz, we know that love needs can be met in many ways, with family and friends, with meaningful and purposeful work with others, even with pets!
But a love partnership these days is about becoming a true partnership, two individuals each leading exciting lives and then sharing the excitement with each other when they get in each other’s company. Partners are each other’s moral support group, cheering one another on to accomplish their individual dreams, which may or may not happen to coincide with each other. But if the True Love is there, it doesn’t matter if the paths are different. The freedom of unconditional love is a commitment to allow each other to pursue desired paths, come what may. Even Mom and Dad did that, in their own way.
For those of you who haven’t yet found this highly idealistic state in life and for those of you who think this is all a bunch of hooey, here’s a little mud in your eye: For all I’ve said, every person you’re with is already your perfect partner AT THIS VERY MOMENT IN TIME, no matter how screwed up they (and therefore you too) are. Every partnership is holy, whether we think we feel love or whether we don’t feel any at all, because our relationships are showing us every day how we are progressing (or not) on the path of life. How are you doing? Look at your relationships with others, and you will see reflected back at you your own personal progress and self-growth. That said, I hope you are respecting others and that you are requiring that they be respectful of you, even while you love them with all their flaws. And that, my friends is LOVE.

Have a great week! For those trying reach me, email me back at the email address above, or call my cell phone and leave a message (713.301.9843). All readings will have to be done by phone, and that is indeed possible, as I do this for people all over the world all the time. For other stuff, email me. God bless the internet and the cell phones!!! What did we do twenty years ago? We got in our cars and drove or wrote letters. But then, gas was cheap, and stamps were too!

Love ya,
Andrea

Featured KPFT Program of the Week: Blues Brunch on Sundays
11 AM - 2 PM. on KPFT radio. "Blues Brunch is a blues show representing the only form of music that knows no boundaries be it color, religion, national origin, or other. It is music that was created by blacks in America reflecting their suffering as slaves and laborers. With that said and since part of our mission is to foster peace among the peoples of the world, I feel this show through its music and its diversity, has succeeded and continues to succeed in bridging the gap between listeners of this world, whomever they may be... This is the reason I had when I first started doing this show ages ago, and I'm sticking to it!"--Nuri Nuri, "The Big Bossman". This award-winning show is produced and hosted by a foreign guy, a Palestinian Moslem at that! Logon to http://www.kpft.org and click on "Listen Now!" in the upper right hand corner. I suggest listening on your computer at http://www.kpft.org .---Andrea

Find KPFT at 90.1 FM, in Houston, 24 hours a day. Please donate at http://www.kpft.org and click on "GIVE NOW". You can listen live online at this same address. Your work day will never be bored while you are listening.
You can also hear Alternative Radio programs directly by logging on with your computer to http://www.alternativeradio.org . Would you like to get some REAL NEWS for a change, without having to leave the United States?

News Feature The Terror Dream with Susan Faludi 9/11 was a double hijacking. First the actual event, and then the political hijacking engineered by an assortment of neocons, theocons, chicken hawks and born-again imperialists. Within weeks Afghanistan was attacked and occupied and plans were underway to invade Iraq, even though that country had nothing to do with 9/11. America, muscular and robust, fights wars and threatens others with military action. And something was happening on the home front as well. There was a revival of so-called traditional values and gender roles. Men defend and protect and women stay home and raise kids. It was like old times. Masculinity was back. And feminism was put in its place: on its back and in the kitchen. Political theater kicked in with pseudo-macho presidents swaggering on aircraft carrier flight decks to fables about Jessica Lynch. Did fairy talesreplace reality? Susan Faludi is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Her articles appear in The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Nation. She is the author of the bestseller Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her latest book is The Terror Dream: Fear & Fantasy in Post-9/11 America.
Where recorded: Portland, Oregon on October 19, 2007
You can download this program or purchase it on CD at http://www.alternativeradio.org .
Activate!!!
WOW, Day of Action and WOW! Walk for Women 2008On International Women's Day let's cause a stir! Join our WOW! Day of Action and help us celebrate women around the world. Here's how to get involved! Whether you join us in person and walk our fun, one-mile walk, or walk virtually from your location - you can be involved in this event! WOW! Parties for a Cause. Gather some friends together and have some fun, while at the same time supporting the work of WOW! Plan one March 8 or any day during March. Become a WOW! supporter! Any donation made during February or March this year will qualify you as a member. Please join us! See what our friends and colleagues are doing on March 8! Join Work of Women (WOW!) @ World Neighbors on International Women's Day for our first annual Walk for Women. WOW! @ World Neighbors supports World Neighbors entire mission, including activities like women's savings and credit groups, leadership development, water projects, and community and reproductive health. It also goes to the crucial work of social change - of supporting communities to work together, identify solutions to their needs and involve members equitably in contributing to and benefiting from the development process. It challenges men and women to be creators and participants in a culture of hope and empowerment, and to share equally in the fruits of their investment. By participating in this event you will be making a difference in the lives of women throughout the world. Go to: http://walkforwomen.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=265302 or http://www.wn.org for more on World Neighbors.For info about how to do a Party for Women instead, go to: http://www.workofwomen.org/Party-for-Change.php
Help help help! Darfur: Aerial bombings and attacks lead thousands of civilians to flee to Chad Geneva/Birak-Tchad -Medicins Sans Frontieres is extremely concerned by the fate of civilians remaining in targeted areas and requests unhindered access to these populations. From February 8 to 10, the Sudanese army, assisted by militias, launched a large offensive in northwest Darfur. This military offensive, one of the most violent over the past few years, resulted in an immediate population displacement and the forced interruption of all medical activities in Seleia where MSF had been running a health centre project since 2006. Our team present in Chad, the neighbouring country, confirms that at least 7,000 new refugees, including Sudanese staff from MSF, reached the area of Birak after fleeing the towns of Abu Suruj, Sirba and Seleia now emptied of their population. This is only a fraction of the civilians directly affected by the offensive which are estimated to be around 50,000 people. According to the refugees, the attacks started on February 8, with aerial bombardment by military planes and attack helicopters. Testimonies of refugees tell the horror of the violence they were faced with. "We saw the soldiers surrounding our town before they started looting our houses setting them afire," said one of the inhabitants of Seleia who arrived in Birak region. The compound of the MSF team was attacked and looted, despite the fact that many women and children had sought refuge in the medical structure. Furthermore, the displaced population reports being further attacked, threatened and looted by roaming militias, while en route to Chad during the night. The refugees in Chad have gathered around villages, under trees, and have nothing but the clothes they wore when they fled. The MSF team has taken charge of some of the wounded in need of urgent medical care. The immediate priorities are to provide access to clean water and distribute shelter blankets, as the area is particularly cold and windy, and to set up medical consultations. "MSF is extremely worried about the fate of those populations that were left behind," said Huub Verhagen, MSF Head of Operations for Chad and Sudan. "Many families have been separated during the attack and are without news of those who remain in Darfur." Access to the region north of El Genina has been systematically refused to our international staff in Sudan since mid-December 2007, despite reports of deteriorating humanitarian conditions and the need to carry out a rapid health assessment after the recent attacks. MSF is deeply concerned by the situation and requests to all belligerents free and unhindered access to the populations in dire need of emergency assistance. MSF medical teams have been working on both sides of the border between Chad and Darfur-Sudan since 2004, providing care for populations directly affected by the conflict. In Seleia, MSF provided a range of medical services including antenatal and surgical care, with an average of 1, 500 consultations per month. In mid-December 2007, the international staff in Seleia was temporarily evacuated but had since then repeatedly requested administrative authorizations to return to the area. (taken from the MSF website)

Please help by donating at this online location: http://www.msf.org/msfinternational/donations/OR learn how you can volunteer at: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Green Action: Go to your Extension Service now for info on planting!
Yes, folks, it's that time of year to get to work planting your "Carbon Credits"! You can get a soil sample test from your Extension Service as well as a complete list of what's good plantin' for your area. In Oklahoma, contact your County Extension Service at your local County Courthouse or logon to: http://www2.dasnr.okstate.edu/extension In Texas, go to http://texasextension.tamu.edu/ to find out where your local office is. The websites have lots of great info. Texas AgriLife Extension Service offers practical, how-to education based on university research. It's available to any resident of Texas. You may read it in the newspaper, hear it on the radio, attend an Extension workshop, order a publication, or just call your county Extension office! Get planting, and if you've never done it before, now's the time!

True Love and Goo Goo Eyes

Dearly Beloveds and Friends---

Have you missed me? I am missing you, that's for sure, as I write from wintry weather on the Plains. I'm in the throes of home decorating and although I enjoy things like stripping wall paper and painting, I feel a bit lonely out here. It was a Valentine's Day without all of you, and that, I regret! The world has been a bit crazy, as I promised in my January email, and even though I know the train is coming, sometimes there's no way to prepare for it. Even if you know the guy is waiting in the alley for you, sometimes all the karate classes in the world, a big hard baseball bat, and even a high-powered gun won't help. In astrology, as in life, prayer is the only thing that can save you, and in this case, I was praying, all right! Sometimes I drag my feet when I don't want to do something, but the train comes on nonetheless. So, heck, I just got on the train, and I hope it goes somewhere fun. So far, so good.

Although I have so much political stuff to write about, without even mentioning any of the candidates, I thought I should give you all a break and write about LOVE, as we are at Valentine's Time. Prayer and LOVE are the great healers. All those folks finagling with the The Secret or love potions and money spells need to know that LOVE is the thing that brings you what you REALLY want. I mean, the Love you have inside you, not that stuff you see on "Millionaire Matchmaker". The fastest way to achieving Love is to BE loving. And there you have it! No spells or wishes required!
But times have changed, and while some things stay the same, the nature of relationships is changing. Partnerships are no longer meant to be ownerships or power trips or even codependencies. A new kind of partnership and a new kind of love is here. (or is it so new after all?) The partnerships are becoming open and equal with more independent individuals, and the new love is unconditional, or as my friend Rosie used to say, the kind of love that states “I accept you” instead of “I love you”.
This being the case, I hope we will stop seeing maudlin movies that show two people who can’t live without each other. Well, of course, you CAN live without each other! What did you do for the first twenty or so years of your life? Personally, I find certain romantic dramas portray folks who are obviously severely dysfunctional. Persons who stare into each other’s eyes continuously while the world passes them by are not exhibiting love, but probably are showing the effects of what I call “karmic charm”, and what the Eva Peirrakos' Pathwork books call Eros. This is an immediate and heightened level of attraction where the beloved appears golden in every respect. I say, give it a few years! In some cases, only a few months are necessary for the spell of Eros to wear off, and then, so does the so-called “love”. Obviously, it never was love in the first place, because love is NOT this romantically blissful entwinement so often depicted in movies, dramas, and books. What’s demonstrated is really just infatuation. And, really, who wants that?
Okay, I see a few of you raised your hands. Y’all are obviously immature, narcissistic egos or needy love-starved, just-dying-to-be-codependent souls. Or maybe you’re just lonely and want to be adored for a while. But, listen, all is not well in Pedestal Land, because eventually one of two things happens: you fall off your perch, OR it dissolves under your feet. And that’s when infatuation is no help to you, because it and its magnetic power are no longer there. So then what do you do? Hope for another adoring pal to become enamoured of you? Go after another “Love Fix” yourself? But remember, it’s not even really love; it’s a synthetic replacement that disintegrates the first time you show your true colors.

Then there’s those of you who like being UNDER the pedestal: the doormats, the foot wipes. Y’all are addicted to loving, to adoring even the most obnoxious folks. And yet, remember again, this really isn’t loving: it’s an addiction to being a victim, to being used, and is probably a behavior learned in childhood or at least an attitude adopted at that time.
I know you’re asking, “Well, if such blind adoration isn’t love, then what IS real love?” The realest kind of love is often that of a parent for a child, the unconditional variety that says: I love you no matter how you are, even if you misbehave, get dirty, wet your pants, eat with your hands, and get bad grades. I love you whether you’re fat or thin, plain or pretty, smart or not, and no matter what you believe or whatever you do. This is the ideal kind of love that we should have for a mate. Now I admit that some of us are hard tested by our loved ones at many times. They do makes us mad (or sad) sometimes, and I’m certainly not suggesting that you seek out a Significant Other with a bladder problem. But truth be told, if you really do love someone and they are the incontinent sort, you’ll bring them some “Depends” with their next bouquet of flowers. Yes, even that will not stop you from loving someone if you really do.
Now I know y’all hate advice, but I’ll give it anyway, and then you can choose to ignore me if you’re ornery and like to do things the hard way. So here it is: you can’t change people. They can only change themselves. So if you want love in your life, you’ll have to love people the way they are. If there’s something you don’t like about your latest gal pal or boy toy, and if you REALLY want love in your life, then you’d better learn to love that thing you don’t like, because it’s there for life, for better or for worse. And when you can love that person the way he or she is, even when they are being The Ultimate Jerk, without losing your own identity, then you’ve got it: TRUE LOVE. And if you can stick with your Significant Other throughout the bad times as well as the good, then you’ve got it. True Love. How about, can you love this person if they gain weight, lose their hair, get a disease? If yours is an unequivocal “yes!” then you’ve got True Love.
And what if your answer to one of those questions is NO? Maybe you need to learn something about what True Love is. Or maybe that person just isn’t the one for you. One thing’s for sure: it’s not True Love. True Love isn’t dreamy eyes; it isn’t physical lust, and it isn’t personality addiction. In the movies, we like to see pretty people, lustful and dreamy, who “can’t live without each other”. These people are, for one thing, imaginings, and for another, sick imaginings. I have a friend who has refused to let her female children watch Disney movies so they won't be misled about women's roles by them. I like that idea, actually!
More important today is the individual who is just as comfortable being alone as with others: a well balanced, fascinating person who is interested in something (not just focused on or “living for” someone) and who feels good about who he or she is. If you think another person is going to “fill up the holes in you", you are sadly mistaken. Besides, I can’t think of anybody more annoying than a so-called Prince Charming who can’t look at anything besides me and who needs to call 5 times a day for contact. I was married to someone like that, and it wasn't fun, or love, either. Sweet words won’t sway me if I know they are bullsh** (or if I know it is clingy BS).
How to gain a girl's attention? Ben Franklin knew: pay homage to her mind, and then you'll get the rest of the body. Or, I say to both guys and girls, just be yourself. Don’t try to impress me. Just be you. What are you interested in? Talk about it, and talk about yourself, but not too much. Guys whose only topic of conversation is themselves are plentiful and boring too; remember to keep the conversation two way. That means we can talk about me too, but again, not too much.
Just be an interesting person to do stuff with, whether it’s to talk or not to talk. Sometimes it’s great to have a partner just to be quiet with. You don’t have to try hard to find the perfect pal or to be one: just be genuinely you, and you’ll naturally attract the perfect partner. If you try too hard or push too much, you’ll only set your potential partners running away, so let people know that “what you see is what you get”. If they like it, they’ll stick around all on their own without you having to get out a collar and chain. And don’t lie about you are, what you like, etc. If you like at all, you are up the S creek, because you won’t attract a real or lasting match for yourself, and besides, you’re bound to get found out eventually. Never try to be someone you’re not.
One thing more: you don’t really NEED a relationship. It’s nice, it can be fun, comforting, even exciting, but the main person on earth that you need to get to know is YOU. When you’ve accomplished this and enjoy your own company and can be fine with solitude, THEN you’re really ready for Real Relationship and True Love. In the relationship biz, we know that love needs can be met in many ways, with family and friends, with meaningful and purposeful work with others, even with pets!
But a love partnership these days is about becoming a true partnership, two individuals each leading exciting lives and then sharing the excitement with each other when they get in each other’s company. Partners are each other’s moral support group, cheering one another on to accomplish their individual dreams, which may or may not happen to coincide with each other. But if the True Love is there, it doesn’t matter if the paths are different. The freedom of unconditional love is a commitment to allow each other to pursue desired paths, come what may. Even Mom and Dad did that, in their own way.
For those of you who haven’t yet found this highly idealistic state in life and for those of you who think this is all a bunch of hooey, here’s a little mud in your eye: For all I’ve said, every person you’re with is already your perfect partner AT THIS VERY MOMENT IN TIME, no matter how screwed up they (and therefore you too) are. Every partnership is holy, whether we think we feel love or whether we don’t feel any at all, because our relationships are showing us every day how we are progressing (or not) on the path of life. How are you doing? Look at your relationships with others, and you will see reflected back at you your own personal progress and self-growth. That said, I hope you are respecting others and that you are requiring that they be respectful of you, even while you love them with all their flaws. And that, my friends is LOVE.

Have a great week! For those trying reach me, email me back at the email address above, or call my cell phone and leave a message (713.301.9843). All readings will have to be done by phone, and that is indeed possible, as I do this for people all over the world all the time. For other stuff, email me. God bless the internet and the cell phones!!! What did we do twenty years ago? We got in our cars and drove or wrote letters. But then, gas was cheap, and stamps were too!

Love ya,
Andrea

Featured KPFT Program of the Week: Blues Brunch on Sundays
11 AM - 2 PM. on KPFT radio. "Blues Brunch is a blues show representing the only form of music that knows no boundaries be it color, religion, national origin, or other. It is music that was created by blacks in America reflecting their suffering as slaves and laborers. With that said and since part of our mission is to foster peace among the peoples of the world, I feel this show through its music and its diversity, has succeeded and continues to succeed in bridging the gap between listeners of this world, whomever they may be... This is the reason I had when I first started doing this show ages ago, and I'm sticking to it!"--Nuri Nuri, "The Big Bossman". This award-winning show is produced and hosted by a foreign guy, a Palestinian Moslem at that! Logon to http://www.kpft.org and click on "Listen Now!" in the upper right hand corner. I suggest listening on your computer at http://www.kpft.org .---Andrea

Find KPFT at 90.1 FM, in Houston, 24 hours a day. Please donate at http://www.kpft.org and click on "GIVE NOW". You can listen live online at this same address. Your work day will never be bored while you are listening.
You can also hear Alternative Radio programs directly by logging on with your computer to http://www.alternativeradio.org . Would you like to get some REAL NEWS for a change, without having to leave the United States?

News Feature The Terror Dream with Susan Faludi 9/11 was a double hijacking. First the actual event, and then the political hijacking engineered by an assortment of neocons, theocons, chicken hawks and born-again imperialists. Within weeks Afghanistan was attacked and occupied and plans were underway to invade Iraq, even though that country had nothing to do with 9/11. America, muscular and robust, fights wars and threatens others with military action. And something was happening on the home front as well. There was a revival of so-called traditional values and gender roles. Men defend and protect and women stay home and raise kids. It was like old times. Masculinity was back. And feminism was put in its place: on its back and in the kitchen. Political theater kicked in with pseudo-macho presidents swaggering on aircraft carrier flight decks to fables about Jessica Lynch. Did fairy talesreplace reality? Susan Faludi is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Her articles appear in The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Nation. She is the author of the bestseller Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her latest book is The Terror Dream: Fear & Fantasy in Post-9/11 America.
Where recorded: Portland, Oregon on October 19, 2007
You can download this program or purchase it on CD at http://www.alternativeradio.org .
Activate!!!
WOW, Day of Action and WOW! Walk for Women 2008On International Women's Day let's cause a stir! Join our WOW! Day of Action and help us celebrate women around the world. Here's how to get involved! Whether you join us in person and walk our fun, one-mile walk, or walk virtually from your location - you can be involved in this event! WOW! Parties for a Cause. Gather some friends together and have some fun, while at the same time supporting the work of WOW! Plan one March 8 or any day during March. Become a WOW! supporter! Any donation made during February or March this year will qualify you as a member. Please join us! See what our friends and colleagues are doing on March 8! Join Work of Women (WOW!) @ World Neighbors on International Women's Day for our first annual Walk for Women. WOW! @ World Neighbors supports World Neighbors entire mission, including activities like women's savings and credit groups, leadership development, water projects, and community and reproductive health. It also goes to the crucial work of social change - of supporting communities to work together, identify solutions to their needs and involve members equitably in contributing to and benefiting from the development process. It challenges men and women to be creators and participants in a culture of hope and empowerment, and to share equally in the fruits of their investment. By participating in this event you will be making a difference in the lives of women throughout the world. Go to: http://walkforwomen.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=265302 or http://www.wn.org for more on World Neighbors.For info about how to do a Party for Women instead, go to: http://www.workofwomen.org/Party-for-Change.php
Help help help! Darfur: Aerial bombings and attacks lead thousands of civilians to flee to Chad Geneva/Birak-Tchad -Medicins Sans Frontieres is extremely concerned by the fate of civilians remaining in targeted areas and requests unhindered access to these populations. From February 8 to 10, the Sudanese army, assisted by militias, launched a large offensive in northwest Darfur. This military offensive, one of the most violent over the past few years, resulted in an immediate population displacement and the forced interruption of all medical activities in Seleia where MSF had been running a health centre project since 2006. Our team present in Chad, the neighbouring country, confirms that at least 7,000 new refugees, including Sudanese staff from MSF, reached the area of Birak after fleeing the towns of Abu Suruj, Sirba and Seleia now emptied of their population. This is only a fraction of the civilians directly affected by the offensive which are estimated to be around 50,000 people. According to the refugees, the attacks started on February 8, with aerial bombardment by military planes and attack helicopters. Testimonies of refugees tell the horror of the violence they were faced with. "We saw the soldiers surrounding our town before they started looting our houses setting them afire," said one of the inhabitants of Seleia who arrived in Birak region. The compound of the MSF team was attacked and looted, despite the fact that many women and children had sought refuge in the medical structure. Furthermore, the displaced population reports being further attacked, threatened and looted by roaming militias, while en route to Chad during the night. The refugees in Chad have gathered around villages, under trees, and have nothing but the clothes they wore when they fled. The MSF team has taken charge of some of the wounded in need of urgent medical care. The immediate priorities are to provide access to clean water and distribute shelter blankets, as the area is particularly cold and windy, and to set up medical consultations. "MSF is extremely worried about the fate of those populations that were left behind," said Huub Verhagen, MSF Head of Operations for Chad and Sudan. "Many families have been separated during the attack and are without news of those who remain in Darfur." Access to the region north of El Genina has been systematically refused to our international staff in Sudan since mid-December 2007, despite reports of deteriorating humanitarian conditions and the need to carry out a rapid health assessment after the recent attacks. MSF is deeply concerned by the situation and requests to all belligerents free and unhindered access to the populations in dire need of emergency assistance. MSF medical teams have been working on both sides of the border between Chad and Darfur-Sudan since 2004, providing care for populations directly affected by the conflict. In Seleia, MSF provided a range of medical services including antenatal and surgical care, with an average of 1, 500 consultations per month. In mid-December 2007, the international staff in Seleia was temporarily evacuated but had since then repeatedly requested administrative authorizations to return to the area. (taken from the MSF website)

Please help by donating at this online location: http://www.msf.org/msfinternational/donations/OR learn how you can volunteer at: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Green Action: Go to your Extension Service now for info on planting!
Yes, folks, it's that time of year to get to work planting your "Carbon Credits"! You can get a soil sample test from your Extension Service as well as a complete list of what's good plantin' for your area. In Oklahoma, contact your County Extension Service at your local County Courthouse or logon to: http://www2.dasnr.okstate.edu/extension In Texas, go to http://texasextension.tamu.edu/ to find out where your local office is. The websites have lots of great info. Texas AgriLife Extension Service offers practical, how-to education based on university research. It's available to any resident of Texas. You may read it in the newspaper, hear it on the radio, attend an Extension workshop, order a publication, or just call your county Extension office! Get planting, and if you've never done it before, now's the time!