8.20.2015
26 Top Jewish Leaders Back Iran Deal in New York Times Ad
Mass Action Stops Giant Coal Diggers of Europe's Biggest Polluter (PHOTOS)
8.19.2015
Day 14. Okay, here's the deal. I remain marooned in Ocean City Maryland
Okay, here's the deal. I remain marooned in Ocean City Maryland expecting a part to fix the broken rear axle Friday morning for a Friday installation or at the latest Saturday, I hope. Though it could be delayed until Monday. On Monday at the latest I expect to depart on the 325 mile journey 2 Organic transit to do what is necessary to restore the elf to pre theft Joyride trauma in Washington DC, prior to my full cross-country journey. It looks like I am about $700 short, or one-third short, of what is needed to be done at Organic transit. I will make the journey anyway, I expect, because two-thirds of the work is better than none. But the remaining one third is definitely not frills. And it will be wonderful if funds come forward that permit some or all of that remaining third to be done.
If you would like to contribute please let me know the amount so that I can do final planning.
8.18.2015
***** Day 13, general update
Day 13, general update. I remain in Ocean City Maryland, marooned by a broken axle on the rear wheel of the elf. Thankfully, the elf has remained functional but it would be unwise for me to travel from here, where I have cultivated a relationship with a very nice and able bicycle mechanic, until I secure a replacement part from the manufacturer. I suspect that in no time in my last 8 years of human rights activism have I had a more productive 10 days or so. The campaign I am waging is deeply touching people every day. Ocean City is not a small area and yet every day someone will come up to me and say, oh, I am so glad to see you, I saw your vehicle several days ago, & I so much wanted to find out what this is all about. Or something to that effect. Spiritually, and intellectually, these have been easily the most productive days that I have had in many many years. I think part of it is this community in Ocean City. Nice, simple, honest, hardworking people. I expect before long to be in more of a Bible Belt situation and the hostility that I may receive both on climate change and on Palestine could literally be life threatening. A risk that I do not hesitate to take. It continues that I have no money for food, no money for lodging, so that I can husband what resources I have and/or that I receive for further investments in the elf which I am using as an extremely long distance vehicle, unlike anyone else on at the moment. Anyone whose spirit resonates with this campaign and wishes to see it go forward and would like to make a donation, now, literally today, would be a good time to let me know. I need to make a monumental decision today, Wednesday. -- Sent from Fast notepad
8.15.2015
***** What was Jesus purpose? Was it to make us Christians? Was it to make us Loving?....My study, my experience......
Palestinian lawyer on hunger strike over Israeli detention policy falls into coma
I was “part of a terror organization,” says Israeli pilot turned activist
8.14.2015
Rejecting the Iran deal will be high-cost, Jack Lew writes in the NYT
New program aims to keep homeless off the street
Meet the doctor bringing cheap, 3D printed medical devices to Gaza
8.13.2015
Day number 8. Anonymous commented on my blog, you need to get more sleep, you know. My reply: By far the most difficult part is being so tired. To be unwelcome everywhere at all times....
Day number 8. Anonymous commented on my blog, you need to get more sleep, you know. My reply: By far the most difficult part is being so tired. To be unwelcome everywhere at all times is immensely stressful and taxing on the system. I am not complaining. I am adjusting. I think that being unwelcome and being tired is probably central to what I am being called to do. I didn't realize that's what I was being called to do but I am very clear that it is. No, being tired and unwelcome is not my goal but it is a byproduct of my goal which is to travel the country trying to wake people up to the needless murder of our children's future.
It is nice to hear from you
"Homelessness never left town because somebody gave it a ticket," Tars says. "The only way to end homelessness is to make sure everybody has access to affordable, decent housing."
Youth Sue Obama Administration For Allowing Climate Change, Violating Constitutional Rights
8.12.2015
Day 7: 1st of what I expect to be many encounters with police... If you look comfortable and vulnerable... you are a target...
Make no mistake, this was a very nice young officer. Truly. Nice young man, smart, professional, human, decent.
...And, doing what those of means, who ultimately pay his salary want, keep those without means... out of the way. And, to his credit, he did that as reluctantly and sparingly as he could.
My bad. I should have realized I was being too comfortable... two hours on the edge of a low traffic sidewalk working on computer, gathering late afternoon fusion energy, air-drying, out of view, my rotting feet.
Had I been more alert, not sure what I'd have done differently... moved after an hour probably.
Lesson learned.
Maryland does NOT LIKE BIKES! Maybe it is the same with all states, but surely rural Maryland. OK in elitest, liberal communities, maybe.
Familiarity, in this sick society. does in deed, breed contempt.
In Jesus' day, too.
Day 7. Blessed are the poor for they are wealthy in their heart, their spirit, often times.
Day 7. Uh oh. My feet are rotting.....
8.10.2015
Day five ride for creation. Breathtaking kindness, decency, humanity, generosity. Breathtaking. 52 miles actually. Blown out tire in the middle of nowhere. Incredible kindness from an early 60's auto worker. Breathtaking humanity from a right, impoverished, soon going to college American young man.
8.08.2015
***** Day two ride for creation... Kafka Twilight Zone. This was nearly insane. At 6 in the mornin the very kind senior young police officer at the major Maryland Transportation Authority station informed me that I had been misinformed, we do not transport bicycles of any size over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.....
Check out my 36.3 mi Ride on Strava: http://app.strava.com/activities/364386229
***** Day two ride for creation... Kafka Twilight Zone. This was nearly insane. At 6 in the mornin the very kind senior young police officer at the major Maryland Transportation Authority station informed me that I had been misinformed, we do not transport bicycles of any size over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. By his answer it was clear he had never heard of such a thing. I was not despondent. It takes a pretty severe body blow for me even to notice. But I noticed. It surely was a sobering thought that the other side of the Chesapeake was 20 minutes away by car and I needed to instead go 4 days north and south around the bay. as I reported earlier Google Maps absolutely says that there is no alternative to going all the way around the bay for a bike rider. I wish I could report that I was at that point clever, hopeful, resourceful or some other positive characteristic. I was none of those. I simply realized that I was facing an additional 4 days to get to Ocean City Maryland unless I found a way. I totally assumed that the officer was correct. I simply calculated that it was worth sitting down with the Internet before getting on with my inevitable additional 4 days. . Well, there is a way, So well hidden, so invisible, that fewer than three dozen people find it in any year according to the owner.. Kent Island transport. I called them. He was very vague and rushed. 15 minutes later as I was sitting on the curb this fella presents himself, I'm Steve, your bike is bigger than I thought. I'll be back. Half an hour later he was back with a large pickup truck. He and I hoisted el Fusion into the back of the truck and also the trailer and 20 minutes later I was across the bridge. So bizarre. Twilight Zone. For your enjoyment, please, think about this.
Maryland laws apparently prevent bicycles from traveling on state roads because they cannot keep up with traffic. In parts of the state they very carefully maintain bike lanes. But on the route from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge they assume that few if any people will know of this transport company so they provide neither bike lanes nor many routes for bicycles. When I lied to Google and said I was already on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake it gave me a bike route. 15 minutes into the ride I lost the GPS signal. Whether it is because T Mobile did not have a tower in the area or because my tablet lost the signal I don't know. But for 3 hours I sat in the equivalent of a large Wawa and could not figure out how to get from where I was toward Ocean City Maryland on a bike legal route and route 50 is a major highway that I was right by and it is terrifying for a cyclist. I finally thought to restart my tablet, did so, and I had the GPS back. You have heard stories about people being trapped in an airport for decades because they lost their passport. This is what it felt like for me. It was extremely bizarre. None of the people in the store during those three hours that I asked believed there was a legal way I could get from where I was toward Ocean City, and this includes a very nice sheriff who came in. he suggested that I watch for a state police person to come into the store as he said they do, and when after 3 hours I had not seen one I was about to try and get one on the phone but had the last minute thought of restarting my tablet. Well, GPS was back, google gave me a bike route, & I was on my way.
Last night I pedaled until I couldn't pedal anymore. That was about 10 o'clock in the middle of the endless beautiful Maryland farm land between the Chesapeake and the Atlantic. I was on a highly traveled route as everyone from Washington was going to the shore. But by 10 o'clock things were slowing a little bit. I was looking for a place where I could sit and sleep, or even lay down on my question next to health fusion, and saw nothing. So bizer. twilight zone. New paragraph
Finally I saw some flashing lights announcing construction ahead but immediately past the lights there was no construction so that was my spot. I SAT up and slept for an hour. My legs screaming in discomfort awakened me, I put my sleep mat down away from the road but exactly next to El fusion and slept quite peacefully, except for legs in pain, until 5:30 when my alarm awakened me and I was on my way.
There has been very little, virtually no, sunshine on the trip up through this day two. No Fusion from the sky to me recharge. I traveled only about 36 miles that whole day.
Something occurred to me that really amazed me. What occurred to me is that the work of saving humanity, at which I will fail, but but which I will attempt with my last breath, has nothing to do with the speed we are told is necessary for high achievement in this sickest of all cultures of ours. Here I am, several advanced degrees, decades of experience and practice of moving much faster than anyone else intellectually, emotionally, physically... Here I am averaging 10 miles per hour, traffic racing past me at highway speed inches from me, realizing, that neither I, nor anyone, could be much more effective than I am. The point I realized is that changing the spirit of humanity, which is the only way we can save creation, has nothing to do with physical speed and may be inversely proportional. the work of changing the spirit must be done with great speed, immediacy, urgency, passion... Now... But that the fastest route to that may be the equivalent of the original Wright brothers plane, moving at a glacial pace through Maryland and Delaware farm country.
el Fusion and I without direct effort are eliciting deep, passionate, meaningful, relevant encounters with people that are drawn to the spectacle in a very deep way. These are extremely productive days for me. They are extremely affirming of the path that Creator has me on. and, of course, possibly thousands of people driving slow or fast past el fusion and they are also having substantial encounters with another way of being that is sustainable and not destructive of the planet. I am amazed and delighted with the productivity of this campaign.
A fellow about my age, he said he lives on a boat on Kent Island, approached me in that large Wawa parking lot as I was working on the elf while batteries charged inside. I answered his questions about the elf, explained, as I I always do, that although the elf is a wonderful vehicle I need it as much as I need a bullet in the head. I explained that for me I would much rather be sitting in the Library of Congress reading, but that is not what is needed of me. I further explained as I usually do on this trip that everything I have to spend is tied up in the elf, no money left for food, no money left for lodging, that I expect to fail but I refuse not to try with my last breath. moments later we were inside and he was ordering me a sandwich, a cookie, and one of those health food drinks. He was clearly taken with what I was doing, inspired, and wanted to contribute. I gladly accepted. I usually am having 1 2 or 3 such encounters per day.
Iran is not an 'existential' threat to Israel - no matter what Netanyahu claims
8.06.2015
Day 1: So sad, so joyful....
So sad, so joyful.... I am so profoundly sad with what we are doing to Earth in every regard. There is kindness, as I describe below. Tragically, so far, it is way too little, way too late. It never occurred to me to stop in Annapolis. I lied and told Google Maps that I wanted to go to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I had to lie because if I told it I was going to Ocean City Maryland it knows that bicycles are not allowed on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge what it would have done is sent me 100 miles south or a hundred miles north around the bay. What I hope I know that Google Maps does not know is that the police take cyclists across the bridge putting the cycle on the trailer. Even a cycle as large as hell fusion. I was told this by the one friendly bike shop in DC I have found quite to my shocked as I found nothing on the internet about this please service. Tomorrow morning I expect to find out if bike shop was correct or not. 32 miles into my trip from Washington today I noticed Annapolis. It was total clouds most of the trip, and even if it had not been, this final half of the trip was through beautiful forest and the shade would have prevented much of the fusion energy from the sky exciting the solar panels. So I decided to come to Annapolis to hopefully find an affordable coffee shop and for the price of coffee plug in for couple of hours as I ran one of the batteries dry yesterday afternoon and today. Asking several people if they knew the city and the first two or three and to be tourists as clueless as I I found a local couple sitting on a bench looking for a bus and they directed me to what turns out to be the coffee shop I was looking for I'm sitting across the street from it now. The young man at the counter said sure to me charging my batteries in the shop even though I would be sitting outside with the elf. I was told that the meter maids are pretty aggressive in this town. I showed him a picture of the elf and near immediately he said you accept donations to which I replied yes. Here is 2 dollars. I gratefully accepted. I asked him if at closing time they ever had expired food that could be purchased at a good price. He did not mind the question and said maybe. An hour later I went back to check with every and said, now that I have $2 for breakfast, you know where one can get a good breakfast at a good price here in town. He said here! I looked at the wall and the cheapest breakfast sandwich I saw was $5. I don't remember why he said what he did but he said hold on a moment, return with free bagels in his hands, and said what kind of breakfast baked bagel do you want me to make you right now. I said, no, you are doing too much. He insisted. When I gratefully took the breakfast sandwich I gave the $2 to the tip jar. He early happy about that but I insisted. Such kindness. When I first arrived even before I went in the coffee shop the street space that I saw was two doors down from the coffee shop in front of an upscale restaurant. I parked there and two young servers were standing outside, I ask them if I was likely to get in trouble. They said that the meter maids were pretty aggressive. The angelic young lady of the two ask about El fusion I explained to her elfusion and the journey. I said, please don't mind me saying this, but if one of your customers leaves some food scraps I have no money for food or lodging and that would be quite helpful to this journey. She did not mind me asking. I explained that another shop was letting me charge my batteries and that I would be around for another couple of hours. An hour later, I had stepped away from El fusion, and when I return there was a large container of fish and chips on the seat. Such kindness. Almost no one I have spoken to thinks that the police will take l-theanine across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Actually, no one thinks they will. I expect to go there tonight anyway to what appears to be the point where they block cyclists from going over, sleeping in or around the elf, I hope, and learning in the morning weather another hundred miles added to my drive or not. For breakfast I'll be having the sandwich that kind young man made for me. -- Sent from Fast notepad