We are often led to believe we need the bigger home as we seek status as we seek to be in competition with one another. I think tiny homes can be efficient.
TV producer and Internet-video personality Kirsten Dirksen invites us on her journey into the tiny homes of people searching for simplicity, self-sufficiency, minimalism and happiness by creating shelter in caves, converted garages, trailers, tool sheds, river boats and former pigeon coops.
I look at this vast world in a vast universe and notice how tiny we truly are, not only the world but as a species. We are just dots, just specks among specks and we continue to go on living not truly living. As we have chosen to live in such a destructive way leaving nothing but a destructive path. I share this video of Carl Sagan who shares a similar thought. Please share.
Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there—on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.
— Carl Sagan (1934-1996)
Here is a speech from the movie The great dictator which was released in 1940,
The Great Dictator was a political satire, condemning Hitler, Mussolini, the Nazis, and anti-Semitism. It was Chaplin’s first full-sound production and was nominated for five Academy Awards. The film tells the story of a Jewish barber (Chaplin) who is mistaken for a dictator he resembles and is asked to take his place. At the film’s conclusion, he rejects his position as emperor and gives an impassioned speech that has become one of the most famous in film history.
Charlie Chaplin didn’t say much in his movies—but the first time he really did, it was amazing.
A really thought-provoking speech that was an intricate part in changing how I viewed the world and I believe everyone should watch this.
A speech about tolerance, love, kindness.
A speech about caring for others, stopping greed, war, and hate.
It’s now 76 years old—but, the Charlie Chaplin Great Dictator speech has never been so timely, resonant and on point.
Watch the video, and then read the speech in full below.
Read it, absorb it, share it, live it.
Without music in the background (Music in the background below)
With music in the background and imagery
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business.
I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone – if possible – Jew, Gentile – black man – white.
We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that.
We want to live by each other’s happiness – not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another.
In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone.
The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.
Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.
We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.
Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.
Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind.
We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity.
More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost….
The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together.
The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men – cries out for universal brotherhood – for the unity of us all.
Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world – millions of despairing men, women, and little children – victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.
To those who can hear me, I say – do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed – the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.
The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people.
And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. …..
Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes – men who despise you – enslave you – who regiment your lives – tell you what to do – what to think and what to feel!
Who drill you – diet you – treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder.
Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men – machine men with machine minds and machine hearts!
You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate – the unloved and the unnatural!
Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!
In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” – not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you!
You, the people have the power – the power to create machines. The power to create happiness!
You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.
Then – in the name of democracy – let us use that power – let us all unite.
Let us fight for a new world – a decent world that will give men a chance to work – that will give youth a future and old age a security.
By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power.
But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will!
Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfill that promise!
Let us fight to free the world – to do away with national barriers – to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance.
Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.
Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!
In my opinion, I agree wholeheartedly no what Graham Hancock states in this wonderful TED talk which was banned from their youtube channel.
We have a right to put what we want in our bodies and to explore the inner depths of our own consciousness.
I also agree that psychedelics should not be taken for recreational purposes or for fun, but to use them responsibly and as a tool to aid us in further developing ourselves to be better beings.
“If we as adults are not allowed to make sovereign decisions about what to experience with our own consciousness, while doing no harm to others, including the decision to use responsibly ancient and sacred visionary plants, then we cannot claim to be free.” – Graham Hancock
Here is a video from the 1940’s entitled Democracy at Work in Rural Puerto Rico about agriculture in Puerto Rico, This 40s film, made by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Extension Service, chronicles the services the Extension Service provides to rural Puerto Rican families, including training in better farming methods, help with starting home-based businesses, and starting 4-H clubs for the kids.
According to an editorial review on Amazon,
“Democracy at work in Rural Puerto Rico, is a propaganda piece to teach the world what democracy offers for places like Puerto Rico and how much they and the United States have gained from the alliance. When it is not reminding the audience how wondrous democracy can be, the film shows some compelling statistics and customs of Puerto Rico, including a traditional country dance complete with music and smiling Puerto Ricans. Made when tensions were reaching a boiling point with Europe in the 1940s, the narrator also claims Puerto Rico has strategic importance in fending off enemies. This is an informative, albeit slanted, look into the culture and customs of Puerto Rico.”
It’s a flash from the past and a look back at how agriculture was a big part of Puerto Rico, where everyone grew food, where as now they are dependent on imported foods and dependent on food stamps and welfare.
Massive amounts of rich land goes unused as the people have forgotten about the foundation this island was built upon. Before they had their farmers market, now those are replace with mass amounts of fast food joints as the people forgot about real food.
I truly believe the richness is in the land, but like then, people would prefer for an outside company to buy off all the land, in order for them to work for a pittance for that company. Just like the sugar cane industry that presided here during those times.
I mention on another one of my blog post that cannabis hemp could be the new sugarcane, but again people have to regain control of the land and rebuild the foundations. Stop waiting on governments and corporations to lay the foundation out for you. The power is in your hands.
The people of this island have to start to grow food and the people need to start working together as they did back then. Start producing again to regain their own dependence and it all starts with agriculture.
Back then these life skills were passed down from generation to generation. Now nothing much is being passed down but the skill to be dependent on governments and corporations.
Instead of investing in Iphones, maybe the people should be investing in gardening tools. I made a challenge which could be found here entitled donate land in exchange for food. I stated that there were many people, especially those who study agriculture, who wants to grow with no land and people with lots of land but not growing.
I think we must share the land so that we could share the food. Time to stop being dependent on corporations and governments and start depending on each other. In solidarity. UNITY!
Here is another video from 1950′s and a blog where I compare the 50’s to now and ask the question what has happened.
Leave comments down below, I would like to hear from you. Peace, love, unity, FREEDOM
Here is this short, well done film campaign by WWF, I am nature. For WE ARE NATURE. It is something I always repeat though out my blog and vlogs. I believe we lost connection to nature, lost connection to the beauty that this Earth and thus we have lost connection with each other as we have now become walking corpses devoid of life.
Do we truly appreciate this gift of life that we have or do we go on to waste every minute of every second that we have on the mundane. Do we truly live life or do we just simulate how life is lived?
In I AM NATURE we reflect on the nature of us. Right now and in the moment. Not by the number of likes on our Facebook pages and not by the unopened mails in our in-boxes but rather through the art of personal reflection.
WWF aims its message directly to you, personally and direct. The viewer is pulled in by the powerful symbolism and imagery of the story, shown here in reverse. The film brings to life the still and natural beauty of nature and reminds us to take a step away from the hectic of everyday life. It awakens our born and inherited love of the outdoors. “I am Nature” is you. Is us. Make a change and get out there!
“I’m not my dozens of unread emails, I’m not my to-do list, I’m not the likes on my Facebook profile, and I’m not the fast food on my lunch break. I am the leaves falling on my shoulders, I’m the grass beneath my feet, I’m the wind blowing through the trees, I’m the water flowing between the stones, the soil running between my fingers. I’m the choices I make,”
Enjoy the video, leave comments below on what you think of the video, Do you think we are nature ?
In some ways this video reminded me of a poem I wrote which could be found here entitled My definition of life.
A 4 part , but great documentary, the century of the self illustrating the way we are manipulated into becoming a world of consumers. We have allowed our subconscious to continually be controlled. We are told what to buy, how to dress, and ultimately how to live our lives.
Do you ever stop to ask yourself if your thoughts are your own or do you wear what you wear because it was your choice or do you wear what you wear because it was subliminally sold to you to wear.
Are your choices your own and I think that is something we have to be deeply aware of, as I think we have a society wearing layers that are not their true selves, as society has become diluted in this artificial materialistic world.
Synopsis: Adam Curtis’ acclaimed series examines the rise of the all-consuming self against the backdrop of the Freud dynasty.
To many in both politics and business, the triumph of the self is the ultimate expression of democracy, where power has finally moved to the people. Certainly the people may feel they are in charge, but are they really? “Century of the Self” tells the untold and sometimes controversial story of the growth of the mass-consumer society in Britain and the United States. How was the all-consuming self created, by whom, and in whose interests?
The Freud dynasty is at the heart of this compelling social history. Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis; Edward Bernays, who invented public relations; Anna Freud, Sigmund’s devoted daughter; and present-day PR guru and Sigmund’s great grandson, Matthew Freud.
Sigmund Freud’s work into the bubbling and murky world of the subconscious changed the world. By introducing a technique to probe the unconscious mind, Freud provided useful tools for understanding the secret desires of the masses. Unwittingly, his work served as the precursor to a world full of political spin doctors, marketing moguls, and society’s belief that the pursuit of satisfaction and happiness is man’s ultimate goal.
Each part of the 4 part series is an hour long. This video added them all together.
Happiness Machines. Part one documents the story of the relationship between Sigmund Freud and his American nephew, Edward Bernays who invented Public Relations in the 1920s, being the first person to take Freud’s ideas to manipulate the masses. (First 58 minutes)
The Engineering of Consent. Part two explores how those in power in post-war America used Freud’s ideas about the unconscious mind to try and control the masses. Politicians and planners came to believe Freud’s underlying premise that deep within all human beings were dangerous and irrational desires.
There is a Policeman Inside All of Our Heads, He Must Be Destroyed. In the 1960s, a radical group of psychotherapists challenged the influence of Freudian ideas, which lead to the creation of a new political movement that sought to create new people, free of the psychological conformity that had been implanted in people’s minds by business and politics.
Eight People Sipping Wine In Kettering. This episode explains how politicians turned to the same techniques used by business in order to read and manipulate the inner desires of the masses. Both New Labor with Tony Blair and the Democrats led by Bill Clinton, used the focus group which had been invented by psychoanalysts in order to regain power.