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Reality Based Language

Greetings from Berlin. As I sat down for breakfast with Tim this morning, the term faith-based community some how came up. Naturally, this was followed by the term reality-based community. He loved the both and laughed through much of the meal.

As he read through the wikipedia entries for both these terms, I started talking about Frank Luntz.. do you know that name? Well you should, because he is and was a key figure in manipulating YOU. (by you im talking mostly to Americans right now)

Yes all those terms you think nothing of these days… insurgent, death tax, culture of life… these are the types of terms this man helped make part of the public conversation on issues. His specialty is taking something, especially a government policy or a proposed policy that would normally upset you and changing it into a name that makes you feel safe and comfortable. Examples: Logging = Healthy Forests Iniative, Drilling for Oil = Responsible Energy Exploration, and apparently Global Warming = Climate Change.

As I sat there going over the art of manipulating the truth and people, that familiar frustration came back. Did this really happen? Did this guy, working for the government, really take words that describe bad practices and policies and twist them into something more acceptable? Even now, it is hard to believe, but he did.

Here’s a link to a video illustrating some of his work.

Many have praised Luntz for his ability to do this. I consider him an accessory to mass murder and various other crimes.

Off to Berlin

I have a few hours to sleep before catching my internet-hitchhike to Berlin. Two podcasts in the can after two great interviews today, but for tonight I leave you with a photo.

More once Im safely at my friend Tim’s in the city that I so love to visit.

Follow Law, Not the Law

It is an interesting era to live in, this age of new and better uses for the internet, as some people get it and some people.. well.. don’t yet. By interesting I mean sometimes it is exciting and enlightening, while other times it is extremely frustrating feeling like the guy who came from the future to tell everyone important information and no one will listen.

But I’m not from the future, I just live relatively close to the cutting edge when it comes to information and journalism. (or so I tell myself)

Therefore I like to share with all of you who are out there. A mix of individuals, some old friends, some new friends, some have never spoken to me before, and others see me all the time. You look to me for some reason, and the least I can do is bring some new ideas to light and recommend those who I consider to be essential sources for knowledge.

One such source relates to the world of law; JURIST. This is a blog from the University of Pittsburg that covers all the big legal issues going on in the world. Every day or so I run down the list of latest posts in their feed and follow their sources. Sometimes this leads me to a new story, or helps me to reach a more informed opinion on issues as far off as the new constitutional provisions in Kazakhstan or the mass release of improperly sentenced juveniles in Texas. Either way it concerns me as a citizen of the world who values social justice and human rights.

So if you’re in to these types of values… make sure to subscribe to JURIST.

Building Bridges in Mississippi

Took the journey to Amsterdam Noord today, to say hello to a visitor from Long Beach Mississippi. Yup, one half of the wonderful couple that I stayed with on the gulf coast, is here in Amsterdam for a few weeks.

As we sat down and started to run down all the updates about people, places, and anything under the sun, she mentioned that the famous bridge between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian was just re-opened. (if you’ve never seen images of the bridge in ruins like fallen dominoes, it is pretty amazing)

I was pretty excited to hear the news. While so much of what I saw in Louisiana and Mississippi, seemed so hopeless, and so completely frozen in time when it comes to rebuilding… it is great to hear that such a vital bridge has been reopened.

As I drove from New Orleans to Long Beach, I of course, couldn’t take that bridge as it was still being rebuilt. I didn’t even get near enough to look at the construction work. But when I eventually make my return to the Gulf Coast, I have definitely made myself a promise to not only go see what rebuilding is taking place in Bay St. Louis, but also, I intend to drive along the bridge and hopefully feel some sense of excitement that rebuilding can and is taking place somewhere.

Happy Birthday Malcolm X

Malcolm X, a man who’s life and words shape how I see the world, would have been 82 years old today. Every month or so, I take out my collection of audio files and video clips, or I sit down and watch Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, because I continuously find new meaning and inspiration. Today, as I sat watching and listening to all these things in honor of his birthday, I’ve been thinking alot about how he changed in his life, and how his world view evolved after he went to Mecca. I wonder if I too will one day look back on some experience in my life as my “Mecca”.

In celebration of his life, one of the great video clips of his return from Mecca.

bmtv48 Miccosukee Land Co-Op Visit Part II

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Second part of my 2 part vlog from my visit to the Miccosukee Land Co-Op. With my guide and friend, Dave Bightbill of RadioMacGuys.