Real ID is an unconstitutional "National ID" that ends state and personal sovereignty. U.S. Senator Rand Paul has introduced the “Safeguarding Personal Information Act” (S.2769) to fully repeal Title II of the REAL ID Act. Contact local U.S. Representative and U.S. senator and ask them to support this bill. TAKE ACTION TODAY
He massacred trees: White man arrested in Downtown L.A. chainsaw tree mystery
(KTLA 5) April 23, 2025: A man has been arrested in connection with dozens of city-owned trees in Los Angeles that were cut down with [an electric] chainsaw over the Easter Holiday weekend. The suspect, Samuel Groft, 45, was arrested [on eight counts of] felony vandalism. [His crimes may cost the city more than $300,000 dollars to repair, but will a spend a penny of that on buying seeds to plant many additional trees to install in our concrete jungle?] KTLA's Mary Beth McDade reports. Details: DTLA chainsaw tree massacre suspect in custody
Broadleaf. Evergreen. Conifer. How well do we really know our trees? Now we have a goal for National Arbor Day. Visit the arboretum.org in Los Angeles (by boat, not plane, like Greta Thunberg).
NOTE: National Arbor Day always falls on the last Friday in April, but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates throughout the year based on their best tree planting times, which varies widely. For example:
What one madman did in LA, we can all undo by getting out and helping nature (arborday.org).
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Plant a tree, preferably one native and appropriate to the region.
May we suggest using an acorn to produce an oak? And avoid watering its stem, but rather water around it to encourage it to grow strong roots far and wide.
What better way to celebrate Arbor Day than to plant our very own tree? It's an incredible experience watching a tree grow over the years.
Why did the Buddha love trees so much?
One mark of goodness (Buddhist skillfulness, wholesomeness, unselfishness, selflessness, nongreed, letting go, generosity, loving-kindness, giving, dana, compassion, thoughtfulness) is "planting trees the shade of which we will never sit under" because they take so long to grow. Why should we be unselfish? One good reason might be to look around and realize that we have shade because of the kindness of others (Native Americans, land caretakers, and bhumma-devas or woodland fairies and angelic light beings) who came before us. That should be reason enough. But this reflection may also help: Just as we cannot harm others without simultaneously harming others, we cannot help others without simultaneously helping ourselves. It may not be obvious, but that's just the way it is by a natural regularity we can call karma, the law of receiving back in kind what we put out into the world, not only immediately but also after a long time.
It's an unbelievable feeling knowing that we made it happen. Don't print this article! Deforestation is a huge problem with many implications, and reducing our paper usage is the most immediate way to make a difference.
We can go a step further by seeking out brands with sustainable business practices (not just greenwashing by corporations and the PR firms they hire to sell sell sell), and by adopting strong composting and recycling habits.
Siddhartha awakened with the help of this Bo tree
EDITOR'S NOTE: Let's not just recycle the way they do in Hollywood. Let's precycle the way they have been doing in Berkeley for decades. What's that? It's considering where something is coming from, what waste it is producing by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Pre-cycling is thinking ahead of time, maybe even thinking out for seven generations like the Indigenous peoples of America, the Native American tribes, and the Buddha spoke of doing. The Buddha said that? When asked about benefiting the deceased by the "transfer of merit," the Buddha explained that we have relatives. And if we do something for one who is not in a place able to receive it, it will still benefit our other relations out for seven generations. It's an odd coincidence to mention seven if the two are not related, so either they both knew something or the Buddha's teaching reached the Americas just like American historians like Edward P. Vining (An Inglorious Columbus) and Rick Fields (How the Swans Came to the Lake) have documented happened centuries ago. How can we "transfer" good karma because isn't "karma" one's own doing? Yes, it is, but it can be transferred in this way, according to the Buddha. There are worlds one may be reborn into that provide little to no opportunity for doing good. If one has a deed done on his or her behalf AND one appreciates, approves, applauds, and rejoices on account of that, then that one so doing is producing lots of skillful (good, meritorious) mental karma. And that will be of benefit there in that place. Only some places allow for this transfer to take place, but the Buddha said that our "relatives" extend out for seven generations, and with so many beings involved, it is impossible that we would be without being in just such a place to receive our transferred karma. So it will not go to waste, and who knows? It may be that we find ourselves reborn in such a destination needing help and overflowing with gratitude (like the "grateful dead") when a relative does something good on our behalf.
Take a hike -- the good kind! Hiking is a great escape from the doldrums of everyday life, and it's an activity that's great for people across a wide age range.
Where better to do it than out in nature? "Forest bathing" is a practice of doing it in the buff or at least scantily clad to absorb the dappled sunshine and negative ions as the trees and green environment exhales after breathing in what we exhale. It's an opportune time to be mindful rather than worried all full of discursive thoughts.
Why We Love National Arbor Day
The Buddha, ready to pass away into final nirvana and make an end of all rebirth, walked faraway until he came to twin sal trees, reclined between them, and bid the simulation farewell.
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Natural beauty is one reason. With so much of our population living in big cities, it's easy to lose sight of nature's greatness and splendor. Sniff a frangipani. Inhale the sappy ooze of a pine. Behold a cherry blossom.
Our planet needs love. Despite some disagreement about whether or not global warming is real and the fault of irresponsible corporations and thoughtless consumerism, there's no debating that keeping our planet healthy helps to keep us healthy. We avoid polluting, so let's avoid over-consuming.
There's a lot to love about a holiday that helps make our planet a better place. There's a global movement with over 40 nations having their own version of Arbor Day. Therefore, it's safe to say that this holiday is worldwide.
We've got a lot to be thankful for when it comes to trees, so it's only natural that so many cultures have their own day to celebrate. Source: National Arbor Day
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MyOutdoorLife, April 19, 2025; KTLA 5 News, Los Angeles, April 23; 2025; NationalToday.com, April 25, 2025; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly
Redefine Meat has gone on to partner with Europe’s largest meat importer, Giraudi Meats, allowing for an expansion across multiple countries.
The brand is now available at numerous restaurants Europe-wide, adding a record 70 new food service customers during this year’s Veganuary campaign alone.
In the United Kingdom, Redefine Meat has joined forces with gourmet food distributor Classic Fine Foods to make its products available at high-end restaurants across the country.
GlobalMarketing Manager Ayala Meidan Rimoni told us more about the company’s ongoing expansion and innovations.
Which products are available for hospitality and food service and where?
Redefine Meat’s portfolio of new-meat products is unique in today’s market, both for stand out quality and moreish taste, and how extensive the range is, especially compared to other brands.
We have two lineups, one catering for retail and the other Redefine Pro Series for food service, which currently includes over ten products.
Together with our brand-new category of pulled meats, launched late last year, these include the Redefine Premium Burger, Lamb Kofta, Beef Mince, Pulled Beef, Pulled Pork, Bratwurst, Merguez Sausage. and Beef Flank.
More recent additions include established nationwide chains like The ASH in Germany, the steakhouse chain Loetje in the Netherlands, and the popular craft brewery BrewDog in the UK.
For a full list of locations, see here...
Shungite stone Electro-Magnetic Field (EMF) radiation test
(Shop LC) Watch what happens when we put Shungite crystals in front of a highly radiant object like a cellphone and Wi-Fi transmitter (router). Is it possible that a simple stone with a complex underlying matrix (nanotubes, fullerenes, quasi-spherical carbon atom arrangements, 98% carbon content) has any affect at all as measured by scientific instrumentation? Would a metallic aluminum "tin foil hat" provide more protection? A silver strand (threaded) cloth shield or Faraday cage might be better. Subscribe. Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest.
Can shungite protect us from EMFs?
(ScottiesTech.Info) Shungite is a natural stone from Shunga, Russia, composed mainly of carbon that many people use to protect themselves from EMFs such as Wi-Fi, 5G, targeted attacks, microwave radiation, and so on. But does it really work?
Pyramid-shaped chunk of Shungite (Wiki)
It turns out that most of the information available on the internet appears to be dead wrong. First of all, getting "real" Shungite is more difficult than one would imagine. Most people are buying an amalgam with little Shungite mixed in.
Scottie does a few simple tests in this video to show that no, Shungite does not appear to absorb EMFs. However, it does reflect or partially block them -- but only when it's directly between the antenna and an organic body. [It might be good to surround ourselves with living house plants.]
There are still tons of people who swear by it. What's going on here? Should we keep using our Shungite?
How to make the perfect "tin foil hat" (protective shield) using science
(Dr. Michelle Dickinson) I've seen some tin foil hats being made recently, and it struck me that their designs aren't very effective. I thought I'd help by explaining some of the key scientific principles needed to make the perfect shield for [protection of the brain from electromagnetic radiation coming off cellphones, cell towers, Wi-Fi, and screens of all kinds that emit electromagnetic fields].
My so-called "plastic-free" life. I tried it for a month. Here's what happened...
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Single-use plastic (Jill Replogle/LAist)
My family of four gave up single-use plastic for the month of January. I mean, our execution wasn't perfect, but we gave it a good shot.
Why did we do it? We did it because 450 years-to-never is the estimated time it takes for some plastics to break down in the environment -- and because scientists estimate more than 18 billion pounds of plastic winds up in our ocean every year.
Microplastics have been found in the air we breathe and the water we drink. It's been found in the stomachs of deep sea creatures, birds, and turtles. It pollutes beaches and rivers and, well, just about every ecosystem on earth.
And while recycling is great, as plastic waste researcherJenna Jambeck says, "The most sustainable thing you can do is not generate the trash in the first place."
Plastic has many important uses, no doubt. But covering the plastic fork that I didn't need in the first place is not one of them, at least not for us.
So we tried going cold on single-use plastic during the month of January. Here's how it went. More
(Dino Astengo) WARNING: Naughty bits may be visible! Not safe for perverts and daters!
World Naked Bike Ride: Los Angeles
When and where?
What I look like when I'm really naked!
Clothing optional every June in DTLA. The 2016 ride is on Saturday June 11th. The exact location is released wnbrla.org and on facebook.com/wnbrla the evening before the ride.
The ride is FREE, created by volunteers for awesome nude riders. If you want to help, contact WNBR about volunteering and help with the Amazon wishlist.
(Kim Yuna) World Naked Bike Ride WNBR London 2015 - Highlights
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Why and who?
Danger: Beware of police (RoyalBlumpkin)
Put a stop to our indecent exposure to cars and the pollution they create! World Naked Bike Ride is a global grassroots movement connected only by a determination to be naked and ride bikes on WNBR Day.
Ride in celebration and jubilation to deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world to the masses. Feel the wind on your skin. Join hundreds of naked friends in a free, non-sexual, fun bike ride! All are welcome, from the shy to the bold, bikers, skaters, rollerbladers. Every age, shape, and color. Bring family and co-workers. More
(Timeout.com) Angelenos, let it all hang out. The World Naked Bike Ride 2016 hits LA with its bare-as-you-dare dress code to fight "indecent exposure to cars." World Naked Bike Ride: LA
FILM: "Free the Nipple"
A group of fearless women fight for their right to go topless in public as they smash societal taboos one bare breast at a time. Based on a true story, this spirited satire follows New York City activists Liv and With, who take their crusade for gender equality from the streets of the urban jungle to the courts. More than just a movie, "Free the Nipple" has launched an empowering real-life movement, inspiring women across the globe to take back their bodies.
† MPGe is miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent and represents the miles per amount of energy of a non-gasoline fuel that is equivalent to the amount of energy in a gallon of gasoline. For an EV or PHEV, 33.7 kilowatt-hours of electricity represents the same amount of energy as one gallon of gasoline.
‡ The Chevrolet Volt is ranked based on a combined electricity and gasoline value of 60 MPG.
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Israel’s Redefine Meat is known for its unique “new-meat” technology, said to be able to replicate any cut of meat in plant-based form.
The brand is now available at numerous restaurants Europe-wide, adding a record 70 new food service customers during this year’s Veganuary campaign alone.
Which products are available for hospitality and food service and where?
Low carbon footprint? The most fuel "efficient" cars use no gas at all (teslamotors.com).
