Time to Get Off the Sofa

Mary asks us to discuss solutions, then DO something. Because, yes, the situation is critical.




YES        

Yes, climate change is real and it is primarily human caused.  Soon it will be out of control
Yes, inequality is real and the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer at an increasing rate.
Yes, most of us are worse off than our parents were and have little hope of economic growth.
Yes, unemployment, underemployment, low wages, poorer working conditions are increasing.
Yes, money rules elections - the political system is irrelevant.
Yes, multinationals are unregulated and uncontrollable.
Yes, US infrastructure is in deplorable condition, approaching that of third world countries.
Yes, college is un-affordable for all but the rich and college loans are oppressive.
Yes, huge agricultural conglomerates dominate our food supply and negatively affect our health.
Yes, capitalism depends on continual consumerism, with little or no social benefits.
Yes, capitalism depends on unemployment and low wages.
Yes, democracy is dead.
Yes, human rights are at risk in the US.  Violations of human rights starts with US government.
Yes, our educational system is very confused, and federal government controls too much.
Yes, our economy is destroying our environment.
Yes, China will out-grow, out-consume, and out-produce the US.
Yes, the industrial age is over and we are in the communication age, with less economic output. 
Yes, we are at the limit of available fossil fuels, and other resources.

So now what?
So now what do we do?

•        Accept the consequences with a huge collective sigh - ‘oh, well.... there is always change!’?
•        Protest, march, occupy, petition, rally, write letters to the editor or politicians, speak up at community meetings, organize community groups, use alternative currency?
•        Practice individual life-style behavior - recycle, re-use, slow food, low consumerism, organic gardening, buy local, weatherize home, install home solar or wind energy systems, down-size, purchase hybrid/electric car, use public transportation or bicycle, lower thermostat, use smart-house technology, car-pool?
•        Withdraw - commune living, home-schooling, off-the grid, back to nature, don’t vote, smoke/ use drugs, hoard, join a survival group? 
•        Don’t worry, there are great new technological solutions coming soon: smart cities, giant off-shore tidal wave power generation, giant wind or solar farms? 
•        Act charitably, share, give, raise funds for good causes, reach out to neighbors? 
•        Revolt, rebel, overthrow the government, secede from the US, blow up Fort Knox?

Mary Brenner

Recent Events from NEK99% and at The 99 Gallery and Center

The gallery is currently showing some paintings from the large collection of Seattle artist Donald Peel's "Dream Series".  The show will be up until June 30. Stop in any time to view the art, have a cup of coffee, borrow a book from our library or use the wifi. We are open most afternoons from noon or 2 PM depending on the day of the week. The gallery has a new number 802-323-7759.

   "Painting Tuesdays with Mary" continues Tuesday afternoons from 2 to 4 PM. Call first to confirm 802-323-7759. This is a chance to visit with other artists and share your work. Mary will provide watercolor instruction for those interested in getting started in this medium.

   NEK99% will be back out at the Fish (the statue of the fish in front of the Hebard Building on Main Street) in Newport at noon on Fridays with signs, info or just to talk with people about any issue people are concerned about. (Someone will be there even if weather suggests cancellation would be a good idea.) We will be videotaping people's concerns for You tube, the NEK99% Facebook page and NETV. All are welcome to come.

   Last but not least, NEK99%'s internet engineer Marina Brown has developed a vtwiki site using software provided by Wikimedia. The wiki is user-driven information--radical in a subtle way, because information is people owned and controlled and all have equal access (but see the submission guidelines, there are a few rules.). Check out vtwiki.com and become and editor!

What's This?

   It turns out that Mary Brenner, in addition to being a terrific watercolorist, also has a master's degree in rural economics. This naturally leads to her to be curious about the alphabet soup of organizations who are supposed to be helping places like the NEK improve their lot. Mary, and others of us here, have some concerns:
   These groups are mostly funded by tax dollars at various levels. That means your money, sums in the hundreds of thousands, even millions.  So where is this money going? The people who make these decisions are not elected by you and me. They are appointees. Who are they? Who are they connected to? How do they decide how to spend our money? Where do they spend our money? Are average people in the NEK actually benefiting? Is there waste and duplication of services? Mary has found that getting information about these things is very hard indeed. There is a huge lack of transparency shrouded within a bureaucratic nightmare of organizations. Do you have ideas, or information?  Register your comments here or on Facebook at NEK99%. And stay tuned!

Great New Community Resource for the NEK and Vermont

   I'm really excited about this new resource set up by our own Marina Brown, a NEK resident and internet engineer, using free software provided by Wikimedia, the folks who bring you Wikipedia. It's called Vtwiki.com (not .org or .net) and it is a "wiki" site which is  open to be added to and edited by anyone, like Wikipedia, but it's just for Vermont entries. There is no end to the useful info that contributors can enter and there is no cost to anyone!

   You can make entries without setting up an account, just refer to the "help" section on how to do it. If you want to upload photos, you can, but must set up an account. This is to make anyone uploading inappropriate photos traceable. Other than that, anything inappropriate will be removed by other users or editors (eg: review comments, like "I ate there and it was terrible" are not appropriate, as stated in the guidelines.) This is for information, not opinions. It's also not meant to take the place of other sites, so someone wanting to include an entry on facts and figures about a town can just include a link to another site with that info. This site is perfect for info that might be too regional or specific to make it into Wikipedia, for example famous people in your town's history, town lore (how about an article about Memphre?), or local features of note (how about best hiking trails near your town?). 

   Business descriptions and photos are appropriate as well as links to organizations' web sites in your area. Social service agencies can enter a description of the services they offer and how to get in touch with them. This can be truly one-stop shopping for everything you might want to find out about an area. 

  Remember the old saying "Many hands make light work."? This crowd-sourced project is just that! All of us sharing information about what we know best, in an electronic format that is easily expandable. 

  Please share the news about this resource with others. And visit the site at vtwiki.com  and enter something about your town, business, or organization!

Free Class on How to Use GIMP

GIMP (GNU  Image Manipulation Program) is a free, open source program that does many of the things Photoshop does, but  is, well....free (really).

Information is where it's at today. Electronic communication has truly democratized information, at least as long as we can preserve a free and open internet, which is probably the number one important issue of our age. Information can spread rapidly on the internet like never before, making it harder for those with power to hide the results of careless,greedy or brutal behavior.

         

 But we live in world so awash in information that grabbing people's attention for your event, cause, enterprise or idea is difficult. Image manipulation programs like GIMP put creating eye-catching  graphics within the reach of anyone with a computer.

This class introduces people to the concept of open-source software, software which is developed and improved by programmers all over the world who love programming. Why is it free? Because not everybody believes that making a profit is the be all and end all of existence! Lots of people believe that information should be open to everyone. That's also why our classes here at The 99 are free.

The class is called "GIMP Basic Skills" and will allow you to make a variety of cards, flyers, brochures, or invitations to publicize your event, cause or business and will be be held at The 99 from 1-4 PM Saturday, April 12. Computers will be available for you to use, or you can use most laptops running Windows Vista, 7 or 8 or Linux programs like Ubuntu or Debian. Even if you don't have a home printer, you can e-mail or post your creations on social media.

                                               

SOMETIMES
I am convinced that political leaders take positions that are morally reprehensible because they mistakenly believe in a ‘real-politik’ approach that gives an overall design of ‘success’ or ‘growth’ or ‘stability’ rather than a humanistic approach that promotes fairness, sustainability, or justice.  How do we teach them that they are wrong? 
Mary

Agenda 21

AGENDA 21   
WOW
I must have been asleep not to have heard of all this - very interesting and very controversial.  I did some research on the web and listened to a tape of Rosa Koire.  I looked up the books by Glen Beck (some of them are fiction).  Rosa knows what she is talking about.  Glen Beck is a sensationalist.  Both are conspiracy theorists.  The Agenda 21 has all the buzz words for a sustainable society.  The anti-communitarianists see creeping authoritarianism and supra government control. 

I wonder that some of this is similar to the Industrial Wind Towers controversy close to home in that the ‘good’ purpose of building non-fossil fuel based energy sources is cooped by profit making industrial outsiders who dupe unsophisticated local communities with pea-shell games and outright bribery.  It is another case of saying all the right things to get control and profit. 

I do not see that anything is going to stop globalization.  I also see the tools of community infiltration and organization being inserted into some very controversial changes WITHOUT real ‘community’ understanding or approval.  There will be a trade-off between privacy and property rights versus ‘community good’.  But this trade-off will benefit the already rich at the expense of the rest of us.  And it should not ever be forced in a democracy,  albeit ever so subtly through legal fiction, planning boards, guidelines and other pressure tactics.  I hate to lean on ‘democracy’ (such a misunderstood concept that is mostly an emotional label) to oppose such social planning.  I would rather be wary of who wins and who loses and what do we need to do to avoid the worst excess of someone else ruling us without our knowledge or consent.

I would love to have a seminar or forum on this issue here in Newport because I am now aware of just how frightening the excesses and misunderstandings can be. 

Suggestions
Mary Brenner