ODDS & ENDS

* Denis Delestrac gave me a DVD of his new award-winning film Pax Americana and the Weaponization of Space while we were in New York City. He told me not to put it on the Internet. But for the first time I was able to watch it all the way through and it is indeed a very good film. The voices of the pro-weaponization of space crowd are also featured in the film which is part of what makes it so effective at telling the story and helps make the case that we are in big trouble. My favorite scene is Loring Wirbel driving through Colorado Springs showing Denis all the big new weapons corporations/bases that now provide jobs for 1/3 of the people in that city. We just have to hope Denis finds a U.S. distribution deal soon.

* I have started work on our next newsletter, Space Alert, which is long overdue. I had been waiting for Obama to release his new space policy, and the U.S.-Russia START Treaty to be finalized, and for the NPT Review Conference to happen. By now I have stacks of articles to wade through which is always intimidating but once I get passed the emotional blockage of that I whip through it pretty quick. My favorite part of the newsletter process is finding small bits of items that I put in a section called Odds & Ends (toilet reading I like to call it). Last night I was picking out the photos and cartoons that will be added and writing the captions. Deadline is May 31 if you would like to send me anything.

* We are now in spring here in Maine so gardening time has come. We have our garlic, peas, potatoes, beets, carrots and some squash in the ground. Going to wait a few more days to add more things. Nights are still a bit too cool for tomatoes.

* Our artist friend Maureen Block found the house in the woods she has been dreaming of so she moved out last weekend and yesterday Amanda Hoag and her three-year old daughter Amelia moved into our Addams-Melman House. Amanda has been a community member of the house since we moved in more than three years ago so she feels right at home. Maureen organized the "All Species Day Parade" in Brunswick last week and the police say about 1,000 people showed up - mostly kids in costumes of different animals. Our house members went and carried the ocean and were surrounded by fish (felt right to do that as the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster -more than a spill - is heavy on my heart.) The intention of the parade is to get young people to become more connected to nature. Was a beautiful event.

* Back to the oil disaster - how many people will go to jail over this? If this is not the epitome of corporate malfeasance then I don't know what is. Why did Obama keep the video of the undersea pipeline gushing oil from the public for so long? Why is the government not pressuring BP stronger than it has been? Why is Congress moving to limit the amount that oil corporations can be held liable for in such disasters? Does anyone now doubt that our government is controlled by these greedy, dirty, self-serving corporations? Is evil the right word to describe these corporations that are literally killing our Mother Earth? Of course we should be boycotting BP, but shouldn't we all be looking hard at how we use oil?