Calm + Serene + Breathtaking...| It was the music!

~By Debra J. Gordon

Music is very suggestive.  Here's a true story to exemplify what I mean.

Years ago when Tower Records was in business, I visited one of their locations in the Metro Atlanta area central to the financial hub of town. It was hot and I do mean hot and in the heart of five o'clock traffic.  Car horns blasting, bus fumes a'smoking -- and if I recall, my gas tank was on near empty. You know the kind of day I'm describing, right?  

Well anyway, although I'd pulled a long day on my feet at work, I just had to buy the new Yanni CD.  So instead of heading to the gas station, I made a bee-line across two lanes of traffic and pulled into Lenox Square shopping center, off one of the many Peachtree Street thoroughfares. Buying gas had become a secondary mission at the time.

When I entered the store, the a/c was most refreshing 'cause like I said, it was a sticky-hot-in-the-South day outside; at least  98 degrees.  But only seconds after entering the store, what I then noticed was how silent the store was. How still everything was; like the calm found in Heaven. 

It took my breath away. 

Directly ahead of me was a guy that could have been a Sumo wrestler who had a bald head and was tattooed up the arms like crazy.  Next to him, by contrast was a skinny little guy dressed in a black leather vest (even in the heat), chains hanging from his pants pockets which held his wallet in place (keys dangling too)... who had dyed-red hair before it was popular. I suspect he may have lived in the then hip, Virginia Highland's area which was only one MARTA (rapid transit) station away.   As I continued walking back to the enclosed listening sound room, I passed by an elderly couple in the country western section staring at a Travis Tritt CD.  She, a slight woman with perfectly coiffured dirty blonde hair and really bright red nails, seemed to be  transfixed on the cover-- while hubby the dutiful husband, held onto her handbag wide receiver style.

And as I looked over the horizon of the store, EVERYONE was not saying a word... busy at task... each into his/her own little world... and I wondered why?  

 

It was the music.

The store was broadcasting a newly released meditation CD. And no matter how diverse the people in the store appeared to be, we were all responding to the vibes of this beautiful music. Amazing how such a simple thing can invoke harmony and unity. 

Seems like that was decades ago.  Our world wasn't in such turmoil then.  Today however the world could use a bit more meditative music.  And I wish it could be just as easy today as it was back on that day in Atlanta, to depart an ample dose of goodness in the World-- as one unknown musician's CD accomplished, back on that blistering evening in Atlanta.

. . .

It's 1:52am.  As I reflect on the fond memories above and for the assurance that 'all is well,'  Yanni's "At the Acropolis," was indeed worth the purchase.

###

First published:

©2013, By Debra J. Gordon, 10 July '13

https://wordladydjg.wixsite.com/gazella/meanderings

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A Thing Doesn't Go Away Until the Last Thing Is Disclosed | The Tuskegee Experiment 2014!

This is an open letter and call to action-- to my many compassionate friends: 

When time permits, I need your help in the form of 'sharing the link of a dear friend' …with key people in your network.  Will you please 'Friend' and 'Like' Valerie's Facebook page linked here?

----
I've added a new project on my plate and am advocating for a lifelong friend, who's Dad is a living survivor of the Tuskegee Experiments. There are probably many more survivors out in the World and the government would more than likely prefer to keep this under wraps.  We need to locate these “subjects” because they all need the right kind of health care and explanations for what surely must be subsequent ‘mysterious medical ailments’ they and their off springs may have.  

Tuskegee test subject being "injected" in unsanitary conditions 

All those long years ago in Macon County, Alabama, our Leaders may not want us to know that students enrolled at Tuskegee Institute, unmixed from any military or war, like my friend’s dad, Mr. Ford-- were also injected. They were simply enrolled students and therefore, a very convenient subject. 

As I listen to Valerie tell her story while Mrs. Ford quietly sits to our side, I remembered the emotional outbursts her Dad would make when we were kids.  When he took a nap, we were careful to walk softly and keep quiet so as not to alarm him. Valerie’s Dad was only a Freshman when injected.  When I look at the documentary videos for what we know today as the Tuskegee Experiments (see video below), it saddens me to see these “injections” were given in an uncontrolled, unsanitary environment… in the middle of sharecrop fields or in the middle of a dirt road!  Can you imagine this in present day society?

I'm helping my friend Valerie, a Spelman political science major and Harvard grad-- design a website this week and I’ll let you know the link later. Until then, here's her FB page-- which we'll probably convert to a business Page soon.

I need your help in spreading the word to 'key' persons in investigative journalism, advocacy, good government sources, progressive media outlets who will pick up this story and run with it. Valerie's goal is to secure better health care for her Dad who is currently in a VA hospital as well as for those persons Worldwide, who may not know ...still... they were included in this horrific experiment.  I say Worldwide since the Tuskegee Experiments were also performed on unsuspecting persons in Guatemala, Cuba and I believe a few more outlying areas in the World.  This too is a little known fact.

ADDITIONALLY, according to former President Bill Clinton's infamous 1997 apology, many physicians were also wrongly accused of participating in this experiment and I believe this glossed over ‘fact’ should be more noted. 

A thing doesn't go away until the last thing is disclosed. And it's just simply  T.I.M.E.  for our governments to add a much lacking ingredient absent heretofore from "For the people by the people" doctrine, and that is—to know what it means to be human ...and governance accordingly.  A responsible government can only be had when our leaders seek a bit of humility and go forward with integrity of Spirit.  

Enough is enough and it is  T.I.M.E.  to do the right thing. Thanks for reading friends.  P.S. If you're new to my rants and ramblings get more here by subscribing.

~Debra (@djgTheMediaLady)

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Transformational Seeds for the Universe | Facebook Event

"You are Love" ... know that!

Sometimes all it takes to right, wrong behavior is good timing and the right person to come along with a good message.  Not to be confused with a messenger, mind you.  I mean a real person with something to say—designed to break through the false evidence appearimg real, ...the silence, ...denial, ...embarrassment, ...folly and every manner resistant to change.  A pathway to real truth and humility-- as it were.


And this brings me to the indelicate subject of HUMAN TRAFFICKING.  Just the name makes my skin crawl ***like fingernails on a chalkboard***.  I have to tip my hat to the advocates, members of law enforcement, volunteers, fellow journalists, etc., who do give a darn about eliminating this dis-ease from the Earth.

SOMEBODY has got to do it!
SOMEBODY has got to write about it!

So, in an effort to do my small part to help abate this ugly thing known as HUMAN TRAFFICKING and to also return to my first love of writing and disseminating magical information out into the World, I’ve created a Facebook event-- so that I may inform you of the following. ~djg

Post Script:  No need to wait!  Edit is complete and you may now access article and vast resources for HUMAN TRAFFICKING via "The Topography of Human Trafficking | ...Is Not A Business model, It's A crime!" 

[READ HERE]  Non-profits have permission to share under the Creative Commons License.           Be sure to take the test on the inside-- "Slavery Footprint: How many slaves work for you?

The Topography of Human Trafficking 

...'is not a business model, it's a crime!'

 

See Also:
HUMAN TRAFFICKING | Less We Forget What It Means To Be Human by Debra J. Gordon




If you’re not on my ‘List’ already, please subscribe here  Simply pop in your email address in the form and you're all set. "You are Love" ... know that!  ~djg

---

See the following book resources on the inside:

THE SLAVE ACROSS THE STREET. by Theresa Flores

SEX TRAFFICKING: A Clinical Guide for Nurses, by Mary De Chesnay, PhD RN 

NOT FOR SALE: The Return of the Global Slave Trade & How We Can Fight It, by David Batstone

 [Media Contact: themedialadydjg@hotmail.com]

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This is what happens when you shoot your living room wall | Women's rights at issue--

America has come to know of a brave young woman by the name of Marissa Alexander ...and not for a very good thing. Marissa isn't a bad person, let me make that very clear.  But for the reason we know her name, I've got some choice words to address the unimaginable and outrageous situation Ms Alexander finds herself in. Civility. What has happened to civility?

Marissa Alexander

Us females-- married or not, are all Marissa Alexander and injustice in America seems to be alive and well. Complicated by antiquated or poorly crafted laws with loopholes yielding hung juries, unending gridlock and expensive litigation-- in Marissa's case, injustice has grown an ugly energy and is slanted (again), toward victimization of the female in need of help. Why do we re-victimize the victim?  Why?


BREAKING: Prosecutors Now Seeking a 60-Year Sentence for Marissa Alexander's Alleged Warning Shot | --by Amanda Marcotte, SLATE, filed 04 March 2014


Here's the story.  Imagine this...  A woman named Marissa, as it were, was "cornered" in her garage-- whilst an aggressor was in a nearby room of her residential home.  The aggressor was her spouse but this dynamic can also be applied to any intruder. Realizing her only escape route would be to once again find herself in the presence of the aggressor, she was left to her own devices to overcome the situation and find safety.  Her escape plan didn't quite happen as she'd expected.

Here's the thing. No one wakes up in the morning and decides-- I think I'll shoot my living room wall today. So, what's the story? Marissa fired a "warning shot" and the bullet became lodged in the wall. What could have happened between two adults and in the presence of [their] children, which would rise to the level of causing a woman to flee (i.e., abandon?) said little persons and fear ultimately for her safety over the safety of persons who couldn't speak or defend themselves?  Does anybody even care? Will this condition be the basis for the prosecution at retrial?  Did Marissa believe that securing a weapon would prove beneficial to ensuring safety for her and the children?  And if that be the case, would her 'tactical maneuver' show any favor to Marissa's defense?

What would you have done?  Weather you're in a 'odd' relationship with someone or not, do you have an escape plan and would you have the presence of mind to utilize such a plan in the heat of the moment?  Get one.

This is one of many very important messages you've got to hear. Can you walk with ease from your bedroom to the kitchen-- blindfolded? Practice it.

Pretend you're up for the part-- J Lo in "Enough!"  Get a strategy.

In retrospect and as advocates and women everywhere, watch this "justice" unfold in the court room, Ms Alexander may have been better off actually shooting the husband in the leg-- for then, their may have been justification of a more reasonable arrest; because of --harm done to another (self defense or not)-- rather than, say, being arrested for shooting the living room wall.

In her original trial Marissa was 'sentenced to 20-years for three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon-- one for her husband and two for his children who were in the room at the time, to be served consecutively.'   Except now, she may be facing up to 60-years in prison if convicted again in a Florida retrial, which begins in July of this year.

"...Sometimes things in life happen that allow us to understand our

priorities very clearly.  Ultimately you can see those as gifts."  --Mariska Hargitay

As I blue line this article for publication, I wanted you to know an spisode of LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS is running on my TV in the next room and 'Olivia Benson' is giving the guys hell (like she always does).  So I thought it would be fitting to add in the above quote from actress, Mariska Hargitay. I don't know what 'gift' God is handing Marissa Alexander through this experience.  I do know that from my own personal experience with domestic violence and the ongoing egregious behavior done women by others, this madness has got to stop!  Our World must return to a state of civility and know what it means to be human.  I'm also holding out that in Marissa's retrial, twelve members of her peers will slant toward "reasonable" punishment based on the severity of the crime! 

We must decide today... that... we must do better.  There's so much work to be done to end unrest in our homes, townships, municipalities, states, the world... for this bad behavior can translate into the halls of our courtrooms.  Please take a quick second to look at the diagram below, showing the warning signs of abuse. Negligent behavior is always in plain sight.  We must not ignore the signs nor should we make light of and/or dismiss obvious circumstances surrounding those who seek help.  The least that could be done is to refer reporting parties to community resources or advocates.  Judges and Officers of the Court will thank us for being more civilized toward one another.   ~djg~

You may also like:
Hungry: The Truth About Being Full
Mariska Hargitay | Joyful Heart Foundation
Human Trafficking | Less we forget what it means to be human

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Why Thinking Differently Is Your Greatest Asset | The Hidden Factor

"Learn how-to tackle problems with the right mix of individuals, drive innovation and identify conditions in which diversity trumps ability."   

The need to avoid collapse for group problem solving has never been more critical. The complexity of challenges faced by today’s “creative class” has produced a new reliance on teams.  A group with diverse experience and education, can often more effectively provide solutions, by bringing a myriad of viewpoints to the table.

Life requires making smart predictions at every turn.  Top-performing companies, universities, and innovation centers are increasingly finding ways to encourage a greater exchange of ideas among their staff.  Whether you’re in a leadership position or striving to advance your career, this 24 thought provoking-lecture (eCourse) will teach the most discerning of individual …YOU,… to “see around the bend” and to analyze decisions from multiple perspectives.

The Hidden Factor: Why Thinking Differently Is Your Greatest Asset is your opportunity to learn the strategies that make you a more diverse thinker and position you to break down institutional silos and build robust, effective teams. The Hidden Factor even has practical benefits beyond the workplace-- from determining which house to buy to where to invest your money and more!

WATCH PREVIEW:   

The Hidden Factor: Why Thinking Differently Is Your Greatest Asset
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Human Trafficking | Less we forget what it means to be human

A recent Google search yielded 78,100,000 'hits'

for human trafficking... this is unacceptable.

[VIDEO] -  Human trafficking.  This is a BIG subject for me.  I've got a 'burning in my soul to help those affected by human trafficking-- if only to add my 'voice' and reasoning.

The underbelly works on supply and demand along with the facilitator (and their many operatives).  Not meaning to be crass, trafficking is but a business product gone real wrong.  And like all faulty products under a manufacturer’s recall, you’ve got to tweak it a bit.  But in the case of human trafficking, instead of tweaking with a future roll-out date, we want to abate it’s stronghold if not eliminate it completely.  Consider the following--

To “fix” this manufacturer’s recall, we have to decide it’s something that needs to be fixed  -AND- for the right reasons because that too, makes all the difference in the world.  We’ve got to see the merit in ensuring tragedy does not repeat itself.  Period.  Not because some well-heeled individual ‘got caught’ sampling the product.  In the case of human trafficking, we repair and prevent because it’s offensive to humanity, the Planet and it’s an affront to our Higher Power.

It therefore is key that we throw out the old and begin again.  It is key, that we approach from a different slant by deciding to eliminate the inherent emotional attachment and reassign it instead, a new thought process—a new business model, if you will.  This new way allows us to empty our minds and redirect from the 'human' aspects (of trafficking, et. al.), as we analyze and build a new design model known as ‘cause and effect.’  I think the forensic psychologists will agree; as is math an exact science—so too is cause and effect.

 

I do realize it would be almost rude to deduce something as horrific as human trafficking down to an X - Y - Z science and I also don’t mean to be indelicate; but our previous efforts to abate human trafficking have been slow as molasses.  They’ve yielded zip – nada – nothing!  For the purpose of resolution, we must find the prudence in cutting through the highly charged and offensive maladies brought on by mankind.  In detaching, we can set those elements aside and better align with just Cause—because-- it’s required of us now. 

Less we forget what it means to be human. 

It really is simple.  To truly rid the World of her array of underbelly products, we could be bold and begin with a simple acknowledgement of the age-old, proverbial, elephant in the room.  The System.  Just WHO in fact, are we kidding?  I’m sure you and I are no different from the next reasonably intelligent consumer and would agree with the following:  

…that we’d much rather live in a world where we know there’s a sincere entity who is “buffering” us from those who attempt to mismanage the System (mismanagement being the operative word), rather than continuing to operate as though the System is an illusion.  

Less we forget what it means to be human. 

Within the constructs of said System there are thousands of professionals who work tirelessly and are equally incensed by the horrors of human trafficking. Antiquated legislation can’t keep up with the savvy tactics of human traffickers and often, is more frustrating to law enforcement personnel than it is helpful—not to mention how ambiguity ties their hands. Moreover, I believe our contemporary ‘world leaders’ hate the System just as much as ‘we’ do. Most enter politics to make a difference and rise upon the world stage because of the successes they achieve in that rise. They didn’t sign up for fighting lions and tigers and bears. And so, to function for ‘WeThePeople’ and still deal with the underbelly, the majority find themselves at some point having to opt-in by default, into working within the confines of a hidden brigade; working in tandem, albeit not-so-secretive anymore.  Oddly, this is just fine by me because as I said, I want to know that SOMEONE is charged with managing the possible mismanagement of the ‘other world.’

I fear for my grandkids and for their grandkids.  I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired of all-things-gone-wrong-in-the-World!  Call me a get-to-the-point,  lofty thinker?  I don’t mind.  Call me an innovative thinker?  I certainly don’t mind.

It’s about resolution vs. revolution because 'for the record,' some have forgotten what it means to be human. 

RESOURCES - ORGANIZATIONS (Wikipedia)

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Espionage and Covert Operations | Real World, not the Movies!

Spying has often been referred to as the world's

"second oldest profession"

Espionage and Covert Operations: A Global History is your chance to take a detailed and unforgettable tour of the millennia-long history and enduring legacy of this top-secret subject-- SPYING.  In 24 thrilling lectures, survey how world powers have attempted to work in the shadows to gain secret information or subvert enemies behind the scenes.

Hidden deep within the daily workings of governments and civilizations is a secret world of mystery, danger, and intrigue. A world where deception is a form of art. Where people are never who they say they are. Where the tiniest observation has the power to save an empire or spark a global war. Welcome to the world of the spy—a world that most of us associate with popular fiction and film but the true story of which is more fascinating, surprising, and important than you could possibly imagine. 

WATCH VIDEO: 

Espionage and Covert Operations: A Global History

Indeed, to truly comprehend the forces at work in international politics, whether at the dawn of civilization or among today's sophisticated world powers, one must understand the secret role of espionage and the shadowy world of covert operations. While much of world history has been shaped by the dramatic exploits of men, women, and organizations devoted to the perilous tasks and undercover missions that are part of a spy's life, this is real world insight!  [MORE]

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