Posts Tagged ‘NPR’

Eyewitness Testimony is Gold

20/05/2022

By Randall Richards
Mountain Spirit Media
It’s one thing to read the newspaper, or watch the evening news, or listen to national radio (or NPR in the U.S.) and to think that this is “the news”, that “this is reality”. I’m here to say, – No it’s not. One learns to crack the hard shell of that paradigm once one considers, possibly, just maybe, that these sources are not “the whole truth” or, are not “All Things Considered” as they claim. You learn to break the trance once you realize that there’s much more that they’re actually omitting. Check out the Hegelian Dialectic, (or this link ): where public debate is confined to a range of issues between limits of right and left, but not beyond those defined boundaries.
Here in New Zealand, (and worldwide) it’s becoming glaringly clear that the media establishment is panicking because its citizens, and even some of its reporters, are fed up with being told what to think and what to say on air. It’s also obvious that creators of the news cycle promote an agenda akin to selling an old used car. They roll out talking points and subjects like an old merchant selling wares that nobody wants.
For example, take the recent rollout of the hit pieces regarding New Zealand’s alternative media, (which is a collection of citizen reporters), who did their best to cover what happened during the Wellington protest. They didn’t do a perfect job, but damn close. Were they unbiased? No, most of them were there because they cared about removing unjust mandates and restoring some common sense and freedom. But they were truthful in reporting of what they saw. How do I know? I was one of them, and I saw others doing good work. In the age of the internet, the truth will come out, eventually. The New Zealand official Mainstream media’s clumsy attempts at the protest, and these recent days to produce absurd hit pieces on those reporting accurately, do nothing more than erode their own credibility. Their actions are nothing more than temper tantrums from a cornered and wounded animal, – Oh sorry , a dinosaur.
Take for example Marcus Lush’s comment on IHeart Radio. “The amount of traffic on Facebook misinformation pages even eclipsed that of pages operated my NZ MSM outlets combined – receiving 357,089 and 247,620 interactions respectfully on March 2, 2022”
One of my fellow open-minded friends adds, “And that’s just comparing FB to FB, there are other platforms as well.”
Eyewitness testimony is gold. Each day at the Parliament grounds in Wellington, thousands saw one thing, only to be shown a completely dishonest accounting on the evening news and other media. Not only that, but events were clearly staged, such as “The car squealing into a crowd” event, which was a set-up. The media were invited to be present for the show. More on that from personal interviews I’ve conducted with people that were right at the car, and saw the whole thing. Can’t argue with that one.
More on these latest feeble attempts:
“NZ’s “Disinformation Dozen” drove 3/4 of fake news chatter.” (Another friend in the alt media thinks it’s time we adopt “The Dirty Dozen” moniker)
The video clip in this piece, of some official-looking talking head news anchors, makes me nauseous.
Their featured pundit in the piece is Kate Hannah of The New Zealand Disinformation Project. I feel like contacting her and asking, “Do you actually believe what you’re saying, or are you being paid?” Well, part of the answer appears to be the latter, as Planet B Media reports “The Project received $4 million from the Governments Tertiary Education Commission and $4.2 million funding from the Marsden Fund.”
Sorry to repeat but, let me put it more simply, If you’re in MSM and doing this sort of reporting, you’re either being played or being paid.

And this lovely attempt at truth:
“Alt-Right and Conspiracy Theories have ‘Grown in the Shadows'”
Really? I’ve had unbelievable reactions from friends in the US that think we must all be Trump supporters and all right-wing racists. On a personal note, while I do agree, Trump has done some obviously good things, he’s still pushing the “vaccine” though. You you know a man by his enemies – so time will tell in the end. My point is, many of us who agree with what he has done don’t fit the stereotype imagined by my friends who have drunk the mainstream Kool-Aid. Again, anyone who was actually at Parliament grounds saw that there were good people there, a cross section of NZ humanity, fathers, mothers, whole families, young and old, farmers, Maori, and lawyers, hippies, and yes, there were even meditators (see image below), yoga practitioners and musicians. One thing they all had in common was, they simply wanted the government to come out and speak to them about the mandates, and they wanted it all to remain peaceful. The guy behind this article above actually has a title, “Disinformation Researcher.”
And this just came out in yesterday’s The Press, from Christchurch, NZ:

Really, a guy in a tinfoil hat as evidence of our craziness? Don’t you think you might want to get some context to this image?

Back to the Disinformation Project: It turns out they have been watching us through foggy-colored glasses: This, from their home page:
“The Disinformation Project is pleased to release a new working paper discussing the occupation of Parliament grounds from February 2022 – March 2022. Download it here. ” I can’t wait.
The good news is there are critical thinking reports like this from The Looking Glass. Their title: Meet the new thought police: the ‘Orwellian’ researchers working to pathologise dissent. I like that.
More from that report:
“The propaganda war is heating up, and we need to respond with coherence by unravelling their disinformation with good argument and proof, even though the elites are not listening ….The public is. We need to treat the public with respect and as adults who can think for themselves, something the government and media is not doing. So just check the card is not belittling. Here are a couple of good responses to the Disinfo Elitist view that we should all share ONE narrative (their one) to wash your brain out.”
And this recent piece by Ian Wishart entitled: Your right to be wrong: how far does it go?

I was a “stringer”, a photojournalist, for United Press International in New Hampshire, (US) where all the presidential candidates would rifle through on their whistle-stop tour on their hopeful way to the US Presidency. I had a fleeting thought on the first day of the protest when my family and I arrived by ferry from Picton on New Zealand’s South Island. It briefly occurred to me, I should contact UPI again, and see about reporting for them, what I knew would be an important event. Then it dawned on me of course, that they would never accept what I would report. So I started a Telegram channel instead. More on the take-down of my content on that channel in a later post.
And why is eyewitness testimony gold? Because all those who were at Wellington, who saw what they saw, and then, saw “The News” report a completely unrealistic, (sorry, untrue) version of what happened, headed back to their homes throughout New Zealand, and told their friends and family what they actually saw. That is game over.
They say it only takes a fraction of the populace to affect change for the good. Evidently US independence from the crown was started by only by a handful of the colonists before a shift in critical mass happened that changed history.

This is the Gadsden Flag, originally flown over The US’s first four naval ships in the war for US independence. It was first raised by John Paul Jones

A Chinese proverb states, “May you live in interesting times.” That we do. It’s time to walk your truth, in a peaceful way, and not care what others think of you. Good luck.
Editor’s Note:

You can find out more about Randall Richards, & Mountain Spirit Media at www.mtnspirit.nz/msm
Mountain Spirit Institute is a US 501-c-3 non-profit in the US
Mountain Spirit NZ is an off-grid retreat centre based near Wanaka, NZ

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Posted in Focus on MSI People, Global Politics, Mountain Spirit Media, New Zealand, NWO, Open Mind Project | 1 Comment »

Maple Syrup Builds Up in Trees

01/04/2011

A downturn in the maple syrup market is having harmful side effects for trees in northern New England. For the first time in decades, the maples are remaining untapped, with sometimes-dangerous results.

At right: Maple-syrup maker Ryan Tilley braves a forest aflame with exploded maple to tap his trees.
Hear the mp3 story here.

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Posted in Climate Change, Conservation, Environment, MSI News, Sense of Humor Perspective, Sustainable Living/Communities, Your Food Supply | Leave a Comment »

America’s World View

07/06/2010

The U.S. citizens’ perspective of the world might not be quite as bad as depicted in this map, but I feel it may be close. While although “we are all one”, and Americans have the best of intentions, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

In a recent NPR interview, a few large truck and SUV drivers were asked if there were any connection to their driving habits and the Gulf oil spill, and, did they feel any remorse. They said “no”, they still needed “to get to work, and deliver the farm goods”.  We’re all part of this problem, even the Amish, most of  who don’t drive. They still need and send deliveries sent by truck.  As Tolle asks, “Are you cleaning up the mess or contributing to the problem?

Back to the American perspective. This map illustrates the longstanding isolation and provincial perspective that seems unique to the USA. Just across the border in Quebec, the world view is, more worldly. The U.S. is  a young country full of many, but not all, who still think we’re on top of the world. It’s understandable. Our continent stands alone, our controlled media* and corporatocracy has perpetuated a tunnel vision for many years that is catching up to us. This narrow vision that has been sold to us,  effects not only our global view, but our environmental abuse, and our imperialistic tendencies.

At Mountain Spirit Institute, our mission is to broaden the American perspective. See our programs on Peru and the USA/Peruvian Music Exchange where a bit of Peru was brought into the schools and communities in the Northern U.S.

What do you think about this map? We invite your comments.
*“Cause when they own the information Oh, they can bend it all they want”. John Mayer
Thanks to Amanda Richards for sending this map my way. She was a little apprehensive about my posting this, but I thought, “Heck, our readers have a good sense of humor”.

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Posted in Conservation, Environment, Fair Trade, Holistic Living, Sense of Humor Perspective, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »

The Global Student

11/06/2009

Global Student Alyssa Lanz

Global Student Alyssa Lanz*

Forget the SATs. Forget the “top college” rat race and high-priced American schools.
Writer Maya Frost says it’s time for American students to go global, look abroad, and get a global education, for less.   Everybody knows the straight and narrow, up-and-out formula for American success: good grades, good scores, good college, big debt … good luck.
Many in countries throughout the world know the value of thinking and behaving in terms of “global community” as evidenced by the numbers of foreign students, but American’s have tended to be more insular compared with our global neighbors.

Recent guests on NPR’s On Point in WBUR in Boston with Tom Ashbrook’s, were Maya and Tom Frost, who say “Forget it. There’s a better way. And the path leads abroad — early.”
Stay home studying for SATs and taking on college debt, and you’re guaranteed nothing in this topsy-turvy economy. Go abroad — as early as high school, especially for college, they say — and you’ll find low tuitions, big adventures, and the future.
Listen to the interview: A new American way in the world. Going global, right from the start.

Global Student
Global Student

The book is called: The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition, and Get a Truly International Education
Chapter One’s title is: “Creative, Not Crazy, Our Family’s Story”,
It starts with a quote from Thomas A. Edison – “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.”

Frost’s opener starts, “In the summer of 2005 my husband and I decided to sell everything and move abroad. There’s nothing too unusual about that these days-except that we had four teenage daughters at the time, and the youngest of three were about to enter their freshman, junior and senior years of high school. This book is about the lessons they learned, and the loopholes we discovered –while shepherding our kids through high school, into college and beyond.”  She goes on, “Luckily, we stumbled upon a number of affordable, accessible, and stunningly advantageous strategies that American parents anywhere can use to help their kids get both an enriching education and perspective-shifting international experience. Sweet bonus: they add, “We saved a couple hundred thousand dollars in the process.”

She writes, “We’re not on a crusade of any kind and our exodus wasn’t spurred by fear, exasperation or legal problems; it was simply a matter of following our instincts in order to give our kids what we felt would be a series of amazing opportunities for learning and creativity.” Frost says that when others hear their story, “they can’t help but make assumptions about us. Some we found hilarious.” She adds,  “We had a ton of money and/or serious connections.” Their answer..”Hoo-boy! That’s a good one.” They had “no bonus, corporate cushion, windfall or an uncle who died.”

Mt Spirit students in Peru
Mt Spirit students in Peru

Another assumption was that “we were oddball parents”, Their response is: “Quirky, They think we must have been the kind of people you whisper about at parent meetings or avoid when you run into them in the grocery store.” They add, “The boring truth is that we were nice, normal people, leading ordinary lives.”
Another assumption was that they were disconnected or just plain miserable where they were.  Their response: “Well, no more than most people living in suburban America. Another assumption they encountered:  “Our girls were enmeshed in a scandal at school that necessitated a quick exit to protect their social standing.”  Their response was “Sorry- no gossip here.”

Frost says in her book that they had two  “harebrained” ideas.
One,  that they needed to become “flexible and innovative in order to be prepared for an exciting future full of all kinds of impossible-to-predict opportunities.” Harebrained idea number two was that “we wanted our daughters to develop empathy and responsibility in order to become upstanding global citizens.”

Mountain Spirit Institute’s experiential programs in the USA, Peru and New Zealand are about getting students out into the world. Our webpages devoted to Peru cultural immersion for university students have information on college credit, logistics, curriculum  and connections.

Check out some blogs written by young Americans spending time abroad here.
Read Maya Frost’s special message to students here.

Image#1, Credit: mayafrost.com
Alyssa Lanz poses for a snapshot in Egypt while studying at the American University in Cairo, taking classes in Arabic and political science, and working with New Women’s Foundation, a research center in Cairo focusing on women’s rights.

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Posted in Books, Experiential Education, Holistic Living, Inspirational People, Leadership, Quotes, Traveling | 2 Comments »