Happy Saturday, dear friends. Yesterday, I went to get gas, in my very efficient car, and the price was $2.99 a gallon for the first time in many years. I did a little cheer in my head, and then I got a bit angry at the fact that the cost was moderated by something other than supply and demand. True, we want to move away from fossil fuels, but the basis for the pricing of many different commodities involve speculation on future prices.
The cost to make things certainly shifts, but not by all that much. The prices change because of investment gambling, and that irritated me. Then I started to think about how I am doing the same thing with the future.
I think on the future and all the wonderful changes I wish for Nova Earth and all her inhabitants, and I invest in that model with my love, my joy, and my imagination. We all want to move in the right direction and are making personal energetic investments in the future. I think that is a pretty good bet.
Today, we shine some light into dark places and unrest around the world, and we temper that with compassion and beauty.
Suspected Islamist Bomb goes off in Nigerian Mosque during morning prayers.
Please send love and light to Nigeria, which has been experiencing great unrest. Three separate bombs went off at the central mosque in Kano during morning prayers on Friday. Area hospitals have been overrun with many injured, and the death toll continues to climb past 100.
While no one has claimed responsibility for the explosions, three suspected attackers were lynched by the crowd after the attacks. Authorities believe that the Boko Haram group is responsible. This extreme group has killed over 13,000 Nigerians in its quest to impose Islamic law in Africa’s top oil producing nation.
Explosions Kill 100 Nigerian Worshipers at Mosque in Kano by Mustapha Muhammad for Bloomberg News
Continuing Ferguson protests clash with Black Friday shopping across the US.
Protests against the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown shooting case, collided with retail shoppers on Friday across the US. Demonstrations were planned in over 40 cities, according to a website which aggregates Ferguson-related protest activity.
Shoppers were bombarded with signs that told them to stop shopping and get out into the streets and protest. Organizers focused demonstrations in suburban areas to bring the unrest to people who might not understand that it effects their lives and rights too.
Clashes between protestors and police occurred in many cities and some retail locations locked their doors, with shoppers still inside, to avoid any damage.
Moving on…
Violence in the US is at much lower levels than citizens perceive.
Andrea Scully shared this great link with us. If you look at the news on main-stream media, you might think that violence is escalating in the US. The truth of the matter is the exact opposite.
Over the last two decades, violent crime in the US has been cut in half. Statistics from the FBI paint a vivid picture of significant decreases in all facets of crime.
Research from the National Crime Victimization Survey, which records personal data about victimization, shows a 67% decrease in reported violent crimes since 1993.
The perception also taints larger citie,s like New York, that are thought to be very unsafe. The actual crime rate in New York is far less than many smaller cities in the US. Researchers believe the in-depth coverage of individual violent incidents on the news are significantly raising fear levels among the population, and this contributes to the perception that crime rates are increasing.
California town begins the Hope Village mobile tiny house project to support homeless.
This is another great link from Andrea! San Luis Obispo is a small coastal California town. A group of tiny house enthusiasts have just completed a model mobile unit that they lovingly call “the Cow.” Their goal is to create a village for veterans and homeless folks who are under-served within the community.
For about $2,500, volunteers and those who need housing, will work together to create safe tiny homes for those in need. The program is hoping to get new volunteers who can learn how to build the tiny homes from expert craftspeople, and have everyone working together for the common good.
Hope’s Village of SLO: Tiny Homes for the Homeless on Tiny House Talk
Human compassion is an inborn trait.
Society, has historically ingrained the belief that humans are evil. This belief has benefited large institutions, which set out to teach humans how to avoid their base nature and become good, for a price. Even philosophers and writers have harped on this issue throughout the ages.
The truth is, humans are compassionate animals. Research indicates that compassion, and the innate desire to help others, is genetically based and has assisted the human race to survive and flourish. This article details the basis for the compassionate instinct, and helps to bring relief around self-castigation and judgment.
The Compassionate Instinct by Dacher Keltner for the Greater Good Berkeley EDU
And finally…
Watch the ocean breathing.
This awesome little video comes to us from Greenpeace. Using time-lapse photography, of beautiful tidal locations, they demonstrate a breathing ocean. I found it very soothing and enlightening. They share that much of our atmospheric oxygen comes from the oceans.
Time-lapse tidal video from Greenpeace on Wimp
That’s the news for today. Have a relaxing day and do something silly and fun. I hope to see you back here tomorrow for Feel Good News!
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex