stephanie brail

I’ve been concerned since the Japan quake that things would get pretty bad with the nuclear disaster at Fukushima. My worst fears have been that Japan would be rendered into a nuclear wasteland. Back in March, I thought I might have been overreacting or blowing things out of proportion, but my fears were not unfounded.

Months later, Japan has finally admitted that three reactors went into full meltdown right after the earthquake. Now, there’s talk about a “melt through,” which is a politically correct way of saying “China Syndrome.” Where is this in the mainstream news? Instead of covering Fukushima, some news outlets requested volunteers to go through Sarah Palin’s emails, only to find out – golly, gee whiz! – she really was just doing her job. (Anthony Weiner, on the other hand, appears to be more interested in taking pictures of himself than working.)

Here’s the missed opportunity in all this. (If you can call the worst nuclear disaster ever in history an “opportunity.”) The United States of America has not one, not two, but 23 nuclear power plants that are the same design as the Fukushima plant currently spewing radiation into the environment. These plants, designed by General Electric, were known to be flawed back in the 70s, although modifications have been made since. What are we doing about these aging power plants? Last I heard, one was given a 20 year extension past it’s originally-planned lifespan.

By the way, that article I just linked to was from MSNBC, which until recently, was majority-owned by GE…and GE still has a large stake (49%) in MSNBC’s parent company NBC Universal. GE was also a major donor to Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Which kind of goes to show you, if you think Fox News is the only corporate-run major news network, or the Republican party is the only corporate-run political party, you may need to follow the money more.

My point is? All of this might explain – just a little – why none of our elected leaders in America are stepping up to the plate and responding to Fukushima crisis in any measurable way. Not one. We’re not being told about radiation coming our way (the EPA stopped monitoring it). We’re not being told about our own nuclear power plants that are aging and need to be replaced. Never mind the nuclear power plants that are in harm’s way, with some in major earthquake zones and others at risk due to inland flooding.

We’re also not being given clear leadership about what America’s energy future is going to be. What are we going to do about our aging nuclear power plants? What we are going to do about creating energy if we do deem that nuclear power just isn’t worth the risk?

Neither political party has any sort of real solution to our energy problems. The Republicans just chant “drill, baby, drill,” without acknowledging the possible oil crunch coming our way due to peak oil (not that anyone in politics would admit to peak oil). And the Democrats only pay lip service to alternative energy. All of this talk in the 2008 election about green jobs – where are they? We’d be happy to have jobs, much less green ones.

We probably need an “all of the above” solution – involving more drilling (unfortunately) and alternative energy – if we are going to continue to fund our costly energy-sucking lifestyles. But our leaders aren’t willing to come together to solve the problem. They just want to bicker and name-call. (Or waste time taking half-naked pictures of themselves in the Congressional gym.)

The Tragedy in Japan…and Beyond

But our energy problems pale in comparison to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Japan right now. Millions of people are potentially at risk of radiation poisoning. Their government is lying to them. There’s the potential for all of Japan to become a wasteland thanks to Fukushima. Radiation may be contaminating the groundwater there:

Meanwhile, here in America, radiation is hitting the West Coast. Maybe not enough to panic, but enough to be concerned. According to nuclear expert Arnie Gunderson, people in Seattle inhaled approximately 5 “hot particles” per day in April:

What can you do? Well, if you are in Japan, I feel for you. I would suggest that if you had the money and resources to move away now, even temporarily, that you might consider that. In the least, you’ll need to take extra care of your health by eating right, taking lots of vitamins and anti-oxidants to fight radiation damage, and possibly using safety measures such as masks outside depending on where you live.

In America, good health measures can help. But beyond that, let’s look at finding ways to respond proactively rather than sitting around waiting for our own aging nuclear infrastructure to decay and end up becoming problematic in the coming years.

Stay informed, demand more from your politicians and media, support alternative energy (yes, even you conservatives – there are alternative energy businesses you know!)…and otherwise…??

PRAY.

I actually started writing this energetic weather report the day before the Japan earthquake…actually, maybe not even 12 hours before it. I ended up getting sidetracked writing about the extreme partisan divide in America and didn’t finish the original post. So it’s easy to say, after the fact, that I had a feeling about Japan…perhaps you may be skeptical, but I really did. Here’s what I wrote on March 10:

My intuitive radar is up, and I’m not the only one. Many empathic, sensitive people are wondering if something bad isn’t going to happen very very soon now.

Now, bad stuff happens all the time. Every day you can read the news and find something bad going on around the world. For example, the Middle East is in total turmoil right now. While I certainly hope more democracy is a result of the protests, the danger is that extremists will win the day. And it’s not good that protesters are being shot and insane madmen like Qaddafi are blowing up oil fields.

So course, some of the unease we’re feeling is due to the uncertainty on the world stage. But I am also wondering if some “big event” may not go down soon, if not a natural disaster, then something man-made that might be pretty shocking. Let’s hope that feeling is wrong.

Well, unfortunately that feeling was not wrong. That Japan earthquake is a huge deal, not just because of the lives lost but because of the current nuclear threat. Yet, I didn’t have this sense of unease prior to the Haiti quake of 2010, and many more people died in Haiti. Was my intuitive radar not working last year? (Perhaps due to all the bad energy I was picking up in Los Angeles?) Why would I pick up on one quake but not the other? Will the Japan quake end up being more devastating in the long run due to a meltdown at a nuclear reactor? I hope not.

My initial gut feeling when I heard the news of the Japan quake was that there was still something more coming. I actually felt that “something more” was possibly a human-made event. I also feel more quakes are to follow, and I am still keeping my eye on Southern California, which has become extremely unstable seismically since the 2010 Easter quake along the border with Mexico. I still feel like there’s something more in the works. I’m not sure what. So buckle up.

Energetic Moods and Trends
These energetic weather reports aren’t really meant to be psychic predictions, by the way. It’s more about the feeling of the “energy” in the air. You do not necessarily need to believe in psychic anything to buy into the idea that we all collectively have “moods” as a species. So with that, let’s look at the current collective moods:

1. Anger and Politics. Increased anger in America with widening political divides that involve demonizing the other side – and both right and left are guilty of this. Concurrent to this is a sense that a lot of people (like myself) are getting a bit fed up with the “lot of them” and tired of the political bickering. It’s almost a comedy when some conservatives believe that the left wants to take over America and make it into an authoritarian socialist state, when at the same time the some liberals think the right wants to take over America and make it into an authoritarian fascist state. Both sides fear the other side wanting an authoritarian takeover and a loss of basic rights. (BTW, this is why some libertarians say the true political measurement should not be right vs. left but authoritarian state control vs. individual freedom.)

The danger with the fear and anger, if left unchecked, is that it could lead to civil unrest and violence. The counter-pull of people wanting to find a middle ground is a positive thing, however, and there’s room right now for a moderate political leader to come forward for 2012. This politician (possibly a woman?) could really be the “uniter” that Obama promised to be but did not deliver upon. This is a long-shot but there is a chance. (This person, by the way, could be a Democrat. I am still not convinced Obama will actually end up being the presidential candidate for the Democrats.)

2. 2012 Fears and the End of the World. Fears over the world ending are ramping up. It’s one thing when you hear a friend making a comment that maybe the world will end in 2012, and they are not totally serious about it. It’s quite another when a mainstream website such as CafeMom publishes fears that the Japan earthquake is a fulfillment of Mayan prophecy and could the end be near? OK, folks, let’s calm down and stop giving the Mayans so much credit. These are people, let’s not forget, who actually performed human sacrifices to appease the gods. If they did that, why on earth do we think they were smart enough to predict the end of the world?

Now. The one thing that the Mayans were right about is that we’re entering into a new astrological phase. This has to do with the positions of the constellations in relation to the earth. Could this mean that we may be entering into a new phase of humanity? Possibly, if you believe the stars have any influence on us. But that’s not an ending. Some new age people actually believe this is a new beginning and a period of enlightenment.

Still, there is this undercurrent of fear around 2012, even though I’d wager most people don’t take it very seriously. But it has the weight of mythology on it, and each time a disaster like a big earthquake hits, it gets people a bit riled up. This, along with the economic uncertainty, is certainly contributing to an overall “mood” that is a bit pessimistic and anxious. Unfortunately, such moods can become self-fulfilling prophecies, and a little more optimism might not be a bad thing right now.

3. Earth Energy and Changes. Along with the 2012 stuff, many people believe we are undergoing earth changes, or that Mother Earth aka Gaia is making shifts because she’s trying to send us humans a message – stop raping the planet! I’m not so sure about that. We’re not really experiencing any more earthquakes or natural disasters than normal – we just have a lot of people on an increasingly crowded planet, which means we’re going to have more casualties when the earth acts up.

Take a look at the historical data for the largest earthquakes with the most casualties – the worst was back in China in 1556, and 830,000 people died!

Now. We have been putting a lot of stress on the planet with our population, so we may well see some “earth changes” that are caused by humans. I’m not talking about global warming so much as I am things like the big patch of floating plastic in the Pacific Ocean. Or plagues of bunny rabbits in Australia, because they were wrongly imported there by settlers.

4. Economic Collapse Fears. There is one big thing going on in America that is contributing to our pessimism, and that’s the rotten economy and fears of an impending collapse. While the majority probably still don’t believe that an actual, literal collapse of America is imminent, they do sense that something is wrong and this is fueling the partisan anger I mentioned above. I don’t sense the optimism in America that was there when I was growing up. Even in the cynical 90s, there was a lot more optimism than there is today. This is course could end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.

Unfortunately, I see a lot of people preparing for a collapse by stocking up on food and whatnot, but I do not see a lot of people taking initiative to fix things. There is also the peak oil crowd, which claims that we’ll be running out of oil soon and this could mean the end of Western Civilization. The irony is that, if they really believed this was going to happen, you’d think they’d be clamoring for alternatives. Many of the peak oil folks have unfortunately thrown their hands up in the air and said that no alternatives will make up for oil. So I guess giving up is the better option? Curious.

The Common Thread
The common thread in all of these points above is a sense of powerlessness, despair, and fear. (Ultimately, the political anger is fueled by fear and a sense of powerlessness.) Meanwhile, there are powerful people out there who want to take advantage, and if they see a populace that is pliable, fearful and victimized, they’ll be more than happy to take advantage.

It is for these reasons that mindful, self-actualized people should be doing double-time on looking towards building a better future for us all. There is an opportunity here to shift the energy from fear to optimism. We need true hope, not the hope that is packaged up in a political campaign. I’m not suggesting that we put our faith into miraculous solutions to our very real problems. We need to acknowledge our problems, but not get sucked down into despair, or get swindled by easy answers. We may have a bit of a struggle ahead of us, but the world will go on.

I think we are all intuitive, so what I share here are some intuitive feelings and then some stuff that’s purely pulled out of thin air. I don’t claim to be a “psychic.”

2011-2012: I’m not posting any specific 2011 predictions right now (maybe at the beginning of January), but I’ve noticed a lot of intuitives getting very nervous about something “big” happening next year. Part of me wonders if we’re all just collectively freaking out because we’ve bought into the Mayan calendar story (2012 is just around the corner!!!), but I also know logically that the economic mess we are in is probably not going to end well.

I do agree something shocking and unexpected will happen next year. What is that shocking and unexpected thing going to be? I can’t tell you! If I could, it would not be shocking nor unexpected!

Now…I do feel a dark cloud is coming in over America…the energy is not good but we in part create that energy. So I’m thinking about ways to inject some pro-active, positive energy into all the doom and gloom. I don’t know about you, but I’m not taking the possible collapse of America and life as we know it sitting down.

WikiLeaks & Cyberwars: The cyberwars have begun. (They are also referred to as “data wars.”) “Hactivists” (the combination of “hacker” + “activist”) are hackers who are using their skills for protest. In response to the shutdown of WikiLeaks accounts, hacktivists have been hitting Mastercard, PayPal, and Amazon’s websites. This is just the beginning, I feel, and if the government/corporate oligarchies continue to smack down on free speech, you can bet the hactivism is just going to increase.

After all, who actually runs the computers and networks of the government and corporations? Computer nerds, who are often anti-authoritarian and not tied to social approval like CEOs and politicians are. I would not be surprised if hactivists shut down the country for a day…but of course, when that happens, more smackdowns will occur and then more protests. All of this will be an excuse for more governmental control, which will end up stirring up more anti-government sentiment and so-on and so-forth. Things could get super messy and disruptive.

Alternative Internets: With the above in mind, I expect that alternative Internets will start cropping up that are beyond corporate/government control. I didn’t make this up – years ago I read about an idea for a peer-to-peer Internet run on wifi from personal computers. Not only do I think there will be an Alter-Internet someday, but a variety of Internets, some of which will be set up for people who have a particular interest (such as gaming). Some will be open and some will be encrypted so only those who have the codes can enter. These Internets will be vital to maintain freedom of speech and help organize people when and if governments get out of control.

Martial Law: Are the TSA body scanners preparing us for martial law? I don’t sense martial law coming in for all of America, but I do feel there will be civil unrest in some cities that will end up creating a de facto martial law when the National Guard gets called in. I really do have a bad feeling about the future of Los Angeles, which is one reason why I left.

President Palin? I think Palin may run for 2012, but I don’t think it’s her time to president. Strangely enough, I think she still has a good chance of being our first woman president, but maybe in about 20 years, when the country will be hugely different (maybe even organized differently), the zeitgeist will have shifted dramatically, and those people who have been rabidly anti-Palin will frankly have bigger and better things to worry about, such as their gas rationing under Peak Oil.

For some reason, I see Palin reinventing herself in the next 10-20 years as being an advocate for the poor. That might sound strange…but understand that she still won’t be pushing for government programs, but trying to get people together to help people in need. When the economy collapses, a lot of middle class will become poor, so poverty will become a huge issue for a lot of Americans. When Palin takes up this banner, people will perceive her differently. (Do not ask me where this strange idea comes from, as I said, I am pulling some of this stuff out of thin air.)

Obama Retiring: I don’t see Obama as president in 2012. I do not feel he will be assassinated (so don’t worry about that), though I always felt he would die somewhat young (more due to his health from his cigarette addiction). I don’t see him being president past this term, perhaps because he chooses not to run again. But I also feel there will be a lot of shocking, bizarre, crazy things that will happen in the next presidential election, so how this all falls out will be nothing that we could have possibly predicted.

Economy: The Powers That Be will continue to try to prop up the dollar, the banks, and the economy through short-term measures that will ultimately result in a lot more long-term pain. All of this will result in major financial crisis for the globe (and all of this may have been orchestrated). Will there be a United States dollar in the future? Hmmm maybe. But don’t put all your eggs into that basket. This is why there has been such a rush for gold and silver, though there’s no guarantee anything is safe. Your best bet is to look beyond the mainstream media spin and start reading the econobloggers such as Karl Denninger, who really lays out the corruption in colorful language and takes everyone to task, including Democrats, Republicans, the Tea Party, everybody.

OK, those are my current predictions…if you have any others you want to share, please do below!

The ACLU is helping a guy in Arizona fight for the right to fly a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag on his home. At issue is the Homeowners Association (HOA), which is making a stink about the flag. The “Gadsden flag” as it is also known, has been popular in the Ron Paul movement as an icon for constitutionalists. Now it’s also used by many Tea Party members, though the man in question claims he’s not involved with the Tea Party.

Of course, this is not the first instance of an HOA going overboard, but unfortunately, this may be a trend. Yahoo News reports that HOAs are trying to ban these flags around the country. While flags may be a sticky issue (what should you do if someone wants to fly a Nazi flag in the neighborhood?), HOAs seem to have gotten too much power in recent years.

HOAs are also making it hard for people to do practical, sustainable things such as hang laundry out to dry in the backyard, start a garden, or keep chicken on their property for food. As we hit peak oil, the ability to have your own garden may not just be a luxury but a necessity.

I’s not just the HOAs that are the problem. Governments in several Western states, including Utah, Colorado, and Washington, have banned the collection of rainwater in rain barrels, claiming that the water is being “diverted” from other places that might need it.

Rain barrel water and the right to hang a flag on your home may not seem like big deals, but as Mike Adams writes:

Today, we’ve basically been reprogrammed to think that we need permission from the government to exercise our inalienable rights, when in fact the government is supposed to derive its power from us. The American Republic was designed so that government would serve the People to protect and uphold freedom and liberty. But increasingly, our own government is restricting people from their rights to engage in commonsense, fundamental actions such as collecting rainwater or buying raw milk from the farmer next door.

Today, we are living under a government that has slowly siphoned off our freedoms, only to occasionally grant us back a few limited ones under the pretense that they’re doing us a benevolent favor.

HOAs and governments are more than happy to nitpick and slowly chip away at freedoms. But in order to navigate the changes ahead, we’ll need as much room as possible to try to create a new and better world. Let’s try to create a future that is more open and free, not less.