The Power of A Badge

DEA officer stops at a ranch in Texas , and talks with an old rancher.

He tells the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs."

The rancher says, "Okay , but do not go in that field over there," as he points out the location. 

The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, " Mister,  I have the authority of the Federal Government with me."  

Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the rancher.  

"See this badge?  This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... On any land.  No questions asked or answers given.  Have I made myself clear?  Do you understand? " 

The rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores. 

A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life chased by the rancher's big Santa Gertrudis bull...... 
 
With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he'll get gored  before he reaches safety.  The officer is clearly terrified.

The rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs..... 

" Your badge.. Show him your BADGE ! "

Don't Mess With Old Floks

HOW TO CALL THE POLICE WHEN YOU'RE OLD

George Phillips of Meridian , Mississippi was going up to bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the back door to go turn off the light, but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.

He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?" He said "No." Then they said

"All patrols were busy. You should lock your doors and an officer will be along when one is available." George said, "Okay" He hung up the phone and counted to 30.

Then he phoned the police again.

"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I just shot them." and hung up.

Within five minutes, six Police Cars, a SWAT Team, a Helicopter, two Fire Trucks, a Paramedic, and an Ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence, and caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the Policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you shot them!"

George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!" (True Story)

Don't Swim In My Pond

Hello everyone. As you can see it has been a while since I posted here. I have been out of circulation because of some health issues but I am now doing better and growing stronger each day. Thanks to everyone who emailed me while I was down and out.

Once again a reason not to mess with us old folks

Skinny Dipping...

An elderly man in West Ohio had owned a large farm for several years with a large pond in the back.

It was properly shaped for swimming, so he fixed it up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some apple and peach trees

One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond and look it over as he hadn't been there for a while.

He grabbed a 5 gallon bucket to bring back some fruit As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women Skinny-dipping in his pond.

He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end.

One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!"

The old man frowned, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked..."

Holding the bucket up he said, “I'm here to feed the alligator.”

Worth Listening to

Children's Bill Of Rights

Poem to MOM

My son came home from school one day,
With a smirk upon his face.
He decided he was smart enough,
To put me in my place.

'Guess what I learned in Civics Two,
that's taught by Mr. Wright?
It's all about the laws today,
The 'Children's Bill of Rights.'

It says I need not clean my room,
Don't have to cut my hair
No one can tell me what to think,
Or speak, or what to wear.

I have freedom from religion,
And regardless what you say,
I don't have to bow my head,
And I sure don't have to pray.

I can wear earrings if I want,
And pierce my tongue & nose.
I can read & watch just what I like,
Get tattoos from head to toe.

And if you ever spank me,
I'll charge you with a crime.
I'll back up all my charges,
With the marks on my behind.

Don't you ever touch me,
My body's only for my use,
Not for your hugs and kisses,
that's just more child abuse.

Don't preach about your morals,
Like your Mama did to you.
That's nothing more than mind control,
And it's illegal too!

Mom, I have these children's rights,
So you can't influence me,
Or I'll call Children's Services Division,
Better known as C.S.D.'

Mom's Reply and Thoughts

Of course my first instinct was
To toss him out the door.
But the chance to teach him a lesson
Made me think a little more.

I mulled it over carefully,
I couldn't let this go.
A smile crept upon my face,
he's messing with a pro.

Next day I took him shopping
At the local Goodwill Store.
I told him, 'Pick out all you want,
there's shirts & pants galore.

I've called and checked with C.S.D.
Who said they didn't care
If I bought you K-Mart shoes
Instead of those Nike Airs.

I've canceled that appointment
To take your driver's test.
The C.S.D. is unconcerned
So I'll decide what's best. '

I said 'No time to stop and eat,
Or pick up stuff to munch.
And tomorrow you can start to learn
To make your own sack lunch.

Just save the raging appetite,
And wait till dinner time.
We're having liver and onions,
A favorite dish of mine.'

He asked 'Can I please rent a movie,
To watch on my VCR?'
'Sorry, but I sold your TV,
For new tires on my car.

I also rented out your room,
You'll take the couch instead.
The C .S.D. requires
Just a roof over your head.

Your clothing won't be trendy now,
I'll choose what we eat.
That allowance that you used to get,
Will buy me something neat.

I'm selling off your jet ski,
Dirt-bike & roller blades.
Check out the 'Parents Bill of Rights',
It's in effect today!

Hey hot shot, are you crying,
Why are you on your knees?
Are you asking God to help you out,
Instead of C.S.D.?

Listen To Our Elders

Elder's Meditation of the Day - June 1
"You have to have a lot of patience to hear those old people talk, because when they talk, they talk about motivation, the feeling, the unsound that is around the universe. They explain everything to one understanding. They bring it all together, and when they finish, just one word comes out. Just one word. They might talk all day, and just one word comes out."
--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA
We need to be careful about judging the old ones when we talk. At first they may not make sense to us. Maybe we'll say they're old fashioned and don't understand. But the old ones do understand! When they speak, listen very carefully. Often it will take weeks or maybe even years before we understand what they are really saying. This is the way of Wisdom. We need to listen, listen, listen.

Great Spirit, today, open my ears so I can hear the Elders

These Daily Meditations come from Whitebison.org
to subscribe to them go to
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

What Are We Doing To Our Grandchildren

Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 28
"The land is a sacred trust held in common for the benefit of the future of our nations."
--Haida Gwaii - Traditional Circle of Elders
The Creator made the Earth to support life so that life would continue to reproduce, everything would support one another, and future generations would have the same benefits of supply and beauty as the generations the proceeded them. This cycle will only continue to the degree that we make choices and decisions for the future generations. Today, we are too greedy and selfish. We are cheating our children, grandchildren, and the children unborn.

Creator, let me see the consequences of my decisions, and show me how to make healthy corrections

These Daily Meditations come from Whitebison.org
to subscribe to them go to
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Listen to the Night

"If you listen close at night, you will hear the creatures of the dark, all of them sacred - the owls, the crickets, the frogs, the night birds - and you will hear beautiful songs, songs you have never heard before. Listen with your heart. Never stop listening."
--Henery Quick Bear, LAKOTA
The night time is full of life, full of song, and full of beauty. Have you ever gone outside at night and listened? One has access to serenity and peace. At night all our senses change their roles. Because we can't see, our hearing is much stronger, our smell is even more enhanced, our sight is different. We are able to join nature through sounds and smells, through the songs of the night birds, and through the night winds. We can close our eyes and experience interconnectedness in a different way. Try it tonight and experience oneness with the Creator. These Daily Meditations come from Whitebison.org to subscribe to them go to http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Perfect Gift For Your Wife

ONLY A MAN WOULD ATTEMPT THIS

Pocket Tazer Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife.

A guy who purchased his lovely wife a pocket Tazer for their anniversary submitted this:

Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Julie.

What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse- sized tazer. The effects of the tazer were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing the intended victim adequate time to retreat to safety....??

WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home.

I loaded two AAA batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button and pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arc of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs.

AWESOME!!!

Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.

Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right? There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target.

I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?

So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and tazer in another.

The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water.

Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries.

All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and (loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-A batteries) thinking to myself, 'no possible way!' What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best.. .?

I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, 'don't do it stupid,' reasoning that a one second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad.

I decided to give myself a one second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and . .

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD . . WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION !!!

I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again.

I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs.

The cat was making meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a picture frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to avoid getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living room.

Note: If you ever feel compelled to 'mug' yourself with a tazer, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one second burst when you zap yourself! You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor..

A three second burst would be considered conservative?

IT HURT LIKE HELL!!!

A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape.

My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. The recliner was upside down and about 8 feet or so from where it originally was. My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I had no control over the drooling.

Apparently I pooped on myself, but was too numb to know for sure and my sense of smell was gone. I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head which I believe came from my hair.

I'm still looking for my nuts and I'm offering a significant reward for their safe return!

P.S. My wife, can't stop laughing about my experience, loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it!

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid !!!

Sacred Ceremonies

Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 20

"...the sacred ceremonies given to us by the Creator are the Heart of our existence. These ceremonies are our first duty."
--Traditional Circle of Elders. NORTHERN CHEYENNE

Hidden in the ceremonies are many truths, many principles, many guidelines for living— our access to the Unseen World, healing and visions. Because the Indian People didn't have schools or books, the Great Spirit gave us Ceremonies. The ceremonies are handed down from generation to generation to learn their meaning. Today, many Indian People live in cities or urban areas where it's hard to learn the ceremonies. We need to go to the Elders and learn the ceremonies so we can pass them on to our children.

Great Spirit, teach me the Secrets of the Ceremonies.

These Daily Meditations come from Whitebison.org
to subscribe to them go to
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Change Is It A Good Thing?

Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 17

"If the Great Spirit wanted men to stay in one place He would make the world stand still; but He made it to always change..."
--Chief Flying Hawk, OGLALA SIOUX

The Elders tell us change occurs in two directions. They say, "That which is built is constantly being destroyed; that which is loose is being used to build the new." In other words, change is constantly going on. Many times we hear people say, "I hate change." Does it make sense that the Great Spirit would design people to hate it? The Great Spirit designed people with change abilities such as visioning, imagery and imagination. Maybe we need to learn to use these tools and then we'll look forward to change.

Great Spirit, today, let me see the harmony of Yours, truly changing world

These Daily Meditations come from Whitebison.org to subscribe to them go to
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Kids In Church

This has been going around in emails and I am sure some of you have see it already. It still puts a smile on my face and I thought some of you could use a smile today so here it is.

3-year-old Reese :?
'Our Father, Who does art in heaven,?
Harold is His name.?
Amen.'?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?

A little boy was overheard praying:?
'Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.?
I'm having a real good time like I am.'?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?

After the christening of his baby brother in church,?
Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.?
His father asked him three times what was wrong.?
Finally, the boy replied,?
'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home,?
and I wanted to stay with you guys.'?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?

One particular four-year-old prayed,?
'And forgive us our trash baskets?
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets...'?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they?
were on the way to church service,?
'And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?'?
One bright little girl replied,?
'Because people are sleeping.'?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3..?
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.?
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.?
'If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,?
'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'?
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,?
' Ryan , you be Jesus !'?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?

A father was at the beach with his children?
when the four-year-old son ran up to him,?
grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore?
where a seagull lay dead in the sand.?
'Daddy, what happened to him?' the son asked.?
'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dad replied.?
The boy thought a moment and then said,?
'Did God throw him back down?'?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?

A wife invited some people to dinner.?
At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,?
'Would you like to say the blessing?'?
'I wouldn't know what to say,' the girl replied.?
'Just say what you hear Mommy say,' the wife answered.?
The daughter bowed her head and said,?
'Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?'?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?

I've lsot my keys. No, you haven't they are right in front of you

by Andrew Goodman

How many times have you declared something lost (like your keys), scoured the whole house and then found what you were looking for directly in front of you? It happens regularly, and is almost invariably associated with the words: "It's lost, I can't find it".

How can it be that something clearly sitting on the table in front of you seems to disappear? Something you were sure was in your pocket. But even after emptying your pockets you find nothing. Later, after you've forgotten about it, you find what you were looking for right there in your pocket.

It's really all about belief and expectation. Belief and expectation is what makes your life happen the way it does. In the same way that if you believe your keys are lost you wont see them, if you do not believe something, you will not see the evidence to back it up. Your beliefs have not come to you overnight, they are the process of years of life and millions of thoughts, the same is true of your expectations.

If, rather than saying, "I've lost my keys", you could distract yourself for ten minutes and forget that you'd lost them, they would probably show up. This is easier said than done, but it does work. If you continue to think and believe that your keys are lost, or that you are always losing your keys, then they will continue to elude you, because as far as you believe, they are lost.

Not very often do people take this simple common example and extrapolate it further. The main topics we are all interested in are Love, Health and Wealth, and our beliefs on these subjects are very important to us. If you have been convinced by the world around you that you are ugly, unlovable, poor, stupid or fat, and you hold these beliefs, then it will be difficult to be other than this without changing your beliefs. Furthermore, you may be asking the universe for things to help you get out of this predicament, and still missing all the opportunities that come along, because your beliefs mean that you can't see them.

If you think that as you get older, your body is going to age and wrinkle and deteriorate until you are in hospital with plastic tubes up your nose, this will probably be your experience. It needn't be this way, however. If, because of a string of bad relationship, you are always left by your lover for someone else, your belief will attract men who help you to reinforce this belief. Admittedly some of our beliefs are formed by the lives that we live, but we can can change them with a little effort. What kind of beliefs do you hold on the subjects that are important to you? Do you believe that to become rich you have to put others down, that you must work long and hard at a job that you dislike? Do you like these beliefs and where they're leading you?

As far as life is concerned, we get to choose, and the world will back up our beliefs with solid evidence. Those who rise above the masses and excel in their chosen field understand this. They invariably have strong, unwavering minds, and an ability to focus on subjects which are important to them, on things that they want. They also have a determination to keep at it no matter what. This trained focus on thoughts forms their beliefs, which they end up living.

If what I'm saying is true (and of course it is), then we can decide what we want to believe, and live it. It is true that you will end up living your beliefs, but beliefs are formed over a long period of time and it takes focus and training of the mind over time to change beliefs, and as the majority spend most of their time focussed upon what is happening around them rather than what they would prefer, the evolutionary progress of society as individuals, is inevitably slowed.

A belief is a thought that you keep thinking long enough that it becomes the place you go to most readily on whatever subject. So as you focus on a thought long enough, you start to attract evidence that backs it up, and eventually, you believe it yourself and start living it in your life. You set the tone with your thinking and beliefs and let the world show you stuff that matches it. Most people do this the other way round, observe and get more of what they are observing etc.

When things are looking a bit wobbly economically, it is important to keep an eye on where we want to go, and not get so bogged down in the detail. Unfortunately the UK press is about the worst offender when it comes to depressing, negative news anywhere in the world. If you want to know why our recession is worse than any other, look no further. If you don't look at where you want to go, you will not move in that direction. Argue all you want for reasons why you can't do something, but know that they are your limitations, and yours alone. Realise that you alone are in charge of your life, and you need to focus on what you want, to get to where you want to go.

If most of the UK believe we're in a recession, then we are in recession. If most believe that we're recovering, then the economy is on the mend. What is economy if not the people's perception of value? It may be happening on a grass roots level, with individuals living their own lives, their own little recessions, but if millions think similarly, you have a recession. That doesn't mean that there is no money available, but that through their beliefs, people literally cannot see opportunities that lie right in front of them, because their beliefs say otherwise. If you're convinced that nobody loves you, your ideal life partner could come up to you, showing clear interest in you, and you wouldn't have a clue what was going on. You wouldn't be able to see it, even if it was right in front of your nose.

About the Author:

Andrew Goodman is a freelance chartered engineer with a keen interest in the lighter side of life. If you have enjoyed this article, visit Happyhappyhappynews.com for more of the same and some positive news articles, and subscribe to the site feed for regular updates.

Nature's University

Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 13

"But the great spirit has provided you and me with an opportunity for study in nature's university, the forests, the rivers, the mountains, and the animals which include us."
---- Walking Buffalo, STONEY

What we really need to learn is how to live life. Nature is the greatest university when we want to learn about balance, harmony, the Natural Laws and how to live life. But we will never learn unless we spend time in the "living university." Nature is full of examples, lessons, and exercises about life. Nature will help humans learn. Nature will help humans heal. Nature will help with Medicine, knowledge and healing. The reason our Elders are so wise is because they have attended the right educational system - nature's university.

Great Spirit, help me to become wise.

These Daily Meditations come from Whitebison.org to subscribe to them go to
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Stand By Me

This is worth listening to if you have not already. I really enjoyed it. There are a lot of talented people in the world who do not get noticed.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

Thanks
Bo

10 Ways To Have A Healthy Child

No, I did not write this and yes, I copied it from somewhere. The information needs to be passed on so I decided to post it here on my blog. It is good stuff.

Top Ten Ways to Help Children Develop Healthy Habits

1. Be a positive role model. If you’re practicing healthy habits, it’s a lot easier to convince children to do the same.

2. Get the whole family active. Plan times for everyone to get moving together. Take walks, ride bikes, go swimming, garden or just play hide-and-seek outside. Everyone will benefit from the exercise and the time together.

3. Limit TV, video game and computer time. These habits lead to a sedentary lifestyle and excessive snacking, which increase risks for obesity and cardiovascular disease.

4. Encourage physical activities that children really enjoy. Every child is unique. Let children experiment with different activities until each finds something that he or she really loves doing. They’ll stick with it longer if they love it.

5. Be supportive. Focus on the positive instead of the negative. Everyone likes to be praised for a job well done. Celebrate successes and help children and teens develop a good self-image.

6. Set specific goals and limits, such as one hour of physical activity a day or two desserts per week other than fruit. When goals are too abstract or limits too restrictive, the chance for success decreases.

7. Don’t reward children with food. Candy and snacks as a reward encourage bad habits. Find other ways to celebrate good behavior.

8. Make dinnertime a family time. When everyone sits down together to eat, there’s less chance of children eating the wrong foods or snacking too much. Get the kids involved in cooking and planning meals. Everyone develops good eating habits together and the quality time with the family will be an added bonus.

9. Make a game of reading food labels. The whole family will learn what’s good for their health and be more conscious of what they eat. It’s a habit that helps change behavior for a lifetime.

10. Stay involved. Be an advocate for healthier children. Insist on good food choices at school. Make sure your children’s healthcare providers are monitoring cardiovascular indicators like BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol. Contact public officials on matters of the heart. Make your voice heard. Go to www.yourethecure.org

For more information go to www.americanheart.org

Secret Message

When NASA was preparing for the Apollo project, they did some astronaut training on a Navajo Indian Reservation.

One day a Navajo elder and his son were herding sheep and came across the space crew.

The old man, who only spoke Navajo, asked a question, to which his son translated. "What are the guys in the big suits doing?"

A member of the crew said they were practicing for their trip to the moon.

The old man got really excited and asked if he could send a message to the moon.

Recognizing a promotional opportunity, the NASA crew found a tape recorder. After the old man recorded his message, they asked the son to translate. He refused. So the NASA reps brought the tape to the reservation, where the rest of residents listened and laughed, but they too refused to translate the elder's message to the moon.

Finally, NASA called in an official government translator.

He reported that the moon messages said, "Watch out for these guys; they've come to steal your land!"

Boarding School Journey For Healing

I don't usually pass things like this on but I believe this is important enough to let you know what is going on. I personally know this organization and believe in what they are doing. I know that they would not send this out unless it was absolutely necessary and that the money will be used for what they say it will.

We all have said at one time or another I wish I could help change things or bring about healing and here is your chance.

Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness – Urgent Funding Appeal

The Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness, a 40-day, 6,800-mile cross-country journey to 23 present and former Indian school sites, is scheduled to begin very soon onMay 16, 2009. It will be led by the Sacred Hoop of 100 Eagle Feathers and it will carry the message that historical trauma can be healed - and prevented from being passed on to yet another generation - through a willingness to “forgive the unforgivable.” Daylong workshops are planned at the school sites to share educational information about the schools, encourage open discussion in a facilitated talking circle format and to conduct healing ceremonies involving local tribal elders and mental health professionals to release the unresolved grief that school survivors and/or their descendants may still be carrying from trauma experienced at one of the schools.

An increasing body of evidence shows that intergenerational trauma is connected to suicides, substance abuse, domestic violence, child sexual abuse, family break-ups and diabetes which continue to plague Native American communities today. The Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness will help begin the healing process in Native communities around the country.

Despite vigorous fund raising efforts, we find ourselves well below the mark that we had hoped to achieve in terms of donations required to complete this journey. Many Native Americans have sent letters and comments sharing first-hand experience in terms of historical trauma and how critically important this journey is to them. Perhaps you have experienced the devastating effects of unresolved grief yourself, or have seen one of your loved ones affected by trauma.

Please take a moment to imagine how your support of at least one mile will assist White Bison in promoting healing and forgiveness among Native Americans across the country. Will you please help by donating $18.79 for one mile? If funding a mile isn’t within your means, even a small donation of $5.00 will help tremendously.

It is not too late to help, if only you act now. Your support of this historic Native American healing journey is greatly appreciated! Please make at least a small contribution and let the healing begin!! Your tax deductible donation can be easily made one of several ways:

Check or money order payable to:

White Bison, Inc.
6145 Lehman Drive, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80918.

Call our toll-free number, 877-871-1495 and we will be happy to take your donation over the phone via Mastercard, Visa or American Express.

Visit our secure website at www.whitebison.org for donation via PayPal

Thank you very much for your consideration of this request.

In Wellbriety,
Don Coyhis
President – White Bison, Inc.

No Understanding of Sacred Matters

Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 30

"Modern civilization has no understanding of sacred matters. Everything is backwards."
--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW

Modern civilization says, don't pray in school; don't pray at work; only go to church on Sunday. If you don't believe what I believe, you'll go to hell. Deviancy is normal. Our role models cheat, drink and run around; these are the people in the news. The news sells bad news; no one wants to hear good news. Kids are killing kids. Victims have little protection. Violence is normal. Leaders cheat and lie. Everything is backwards. We need to pray for spiritual intervention. We need to have guidance from the Creator to help us rebuild our families, our communities and ourselves. Today, I will pray for spiritual intervention from the Great Spirit.

Grandfather, we pray for your help in a pitiful way.

These come from Whitebison.org to subscribe to them go to

http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

New Weight Loss Program Exercising With A Horse

You are guaranteed to lose weight and inches off you waistline using this exercise program. Most exercise programs charge you to learn how to use weight. After much deliberation and thought we decide that since this program is so effective we would give the instructions away free to the general public. Not only would be doing a service for you the reader but we would also help the horse population in the world that is standing around in a pasture giving them a chance to participate in helping people lose weight.

Here are the weight loss instructions. Now I know some of you may be saying, “Wait a minute when you ride a horse the horse gets the exercise and loses weight not the person riding.” This is one of the myths that has been passed around by non-horse owners over the years that is not true. Follow these instructions and lose weight.

It is important that you have the right partner to exercise with and horse selection is an important part of this fitness weight loss program. Most horse owners have a horse that fits the qualifications and if you do not have one I am sure it will be easy to locate a horse in your area that the owner will be glad to sell to you. Hopefully, they will not have read this post and have not raised the price of the horse. You will find that most people who own a horse that is suitable will be more then generous when letting you acquire the horse. Most of the owners will insist on a no return clause on the purchase of the horse.

The horse you want cannot be a quiet, well-broke, gentle as a lamb eager to please type horse. With the right horse you will receive a full body workout while raising your heart rate to the optimum level.

Here are the instructions for the full body weight loss fitness plan.

Once you have a suitable horse it is preferable to workout in the mornings. It is cooler and also it insures that you will not run out of daylight before you complete your daily workout. As you go through the instructions you will understand why you might run out of daylight.

The first step is to tone your chest and upper-arm and to begin to raise your heart rate. First you get the halter and lead rope for the horse and hold them behind your back as high as possible and enter the pasture where the horse is. Walk toward the horse with one hand extended in front of you and the other behind your back. After one or two times the horse will understand that it is exercise time and will do its part.

Walk slowly toward the horse softly speaking kind words to the horse. The well trained exercise horse will let you almost touch it before turning and walking away. Continue to approach the horse and the horse will repeat the moving away. Sometimes if it is a relatively cool morning the horse will turn away, kick its hind legs into the air and expel gas letting you enjoy the smell of processed grass in the morning.

The horse will continue the walk away routine until it senses that you are suitably warmed up physically and mentally and then will switch to running away just fast enough so that you cannot keep up and not catch it.

If your fitness level is high you can continue to chase after the horse to keep your heart rate up for a better workout.

At this point you can stop carrying the halter behind the back and sling it around at the end of your arm when trying to stop the horse. Remember when one arm tires switch hands to ensure a balanced arm workout.

Most people at this time will want to lean forward place their hands on their knees and take deep breaths. This also helps keep the sweat from you forehead from running into your eyes.

After you heart rate slows a little in most cases the horse, with what appears to be a grin, will walk over and allow you to put the halter on allowing you to move on to the next exercise routine.

If the exercise horse is well trained it will have done its part and rolled in a mud puddle to cover itself with mud that has to be removed. If it has not rained in a few days and the water trough did not run over use your imagination as to what liquid was used to create the mud. Continue the upper body work out by using a brush to completely remove the now as hard as cement mud.

Next is the stretching, bending and toning routine. For this part of the program you will need a hoof pick to clean the horses hooves with.

Bend down and pick up one of the hooves while working on your reflexes. You must be prepared to move quickly if the horse takes its hoof back and stomps. The horse in a spirit of cooperation will do this several time to make sure you are working on your reflexes. If you are not practicing using your reflexes the horse will place its hoof firmly on your foot to remind you.

Pick up the hoof with the knees bent to protect your back. The horse to increase pressure and benefits from this routine will very carefully lean over on you for support while you are holding the hoof. Remember the horse is only doing this to benefit you. Repeat routine 3 more times, pick up hoof, horse leans, support horse while cleaning the hoof.

Now it is time to stand up again. Relax you will not permanently be in a bent over position it only feels like it.

Next you must apply insect repellant to yourself. Get the insect repellant and spray on the horse while holding the lead rope. The horse will circle so follow it. Spray follow, spray follow, now you are getting the hang of it. When you get to the right spot in the circle the spray will automatically be applied to your body by the wind. A nice chant is appropriate at this point. Most people will chant, “Whoa you (any word or words you feel appropriate) Whoa!” This helps the lungs get treated by repellant if you are inhaling, chanting and spraying at the same time. Great lung work out.

Now comes the saddling. The way this is done is place a saddle blanket on the horse. Turn around and pick up the saddle. Turn around with saddle in your hands and realize blanket is off the horse. Turn around and place saddle back on rack. Turn around and put blanket on horse. Repeat at least 10 times while continuing with chant from the previous routine. Remember to move your feet while trying to place the saddle blanket and saddle on the horse for a lower body routine. Remember blanket, pickup saddle, put saddle down, blanket while chanting. This gives you an upper body and lower body workout.

Now you should have your heart rate up, and be sweating. At this point is perfectly okay if you are no longer softly speaking nice things to the horse as it is an expected part of the routine. Also you can shout what you want to say to the horse as it will help your lungs build strength and clear out excess but repellant.

This routine looks much better if done to music. It is the mounting routine. Place your left foot in stirrup, Hop, Hop, Hop as horse moves, left foot down. Breathe deeply. Left foot in stirrup, Hop, Hop, Hop left foot down. Repeat. An alternative to this which works your back a little more is to get a bucket, place it beside the horse, with your right leg step up on the bucket. Start to place your left foot in to the stirrup. Step off the bucket and move it close to the horse again. Repeat.

When the horse feels the time is appropriate and that your heart has exceeded the target rate it will quit moving and allow you to mount.

At this point it might be necessary to sit down on the bucket and take deep breaths while thanking the horse for the great work out. I am sure you will find the appropriate words to use to express yourself

After this work out riding is optional and many people feel that not riding and getting in the hot tub with a cold beverage is preferred.

Again all of this greatly depends on the properly trained horse and I am confident that there are horse owners in your area who will be more then willing to allow you to purchase one of their well trained exercise horses.

Anyone that has owned more then a couple of horses have owned one that would be great at this.

Wounds That Never Heal

Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 26
"If those bad words come, I let them come in one ear and go out the other. I never let them come out of my mouth. If a bad word comes in your ear and then comes out of your mouth, it will go someplace and hurt somebody. If I did that, that hurt would come back twice as hard on me."
--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA
What do we do with temptations when they come? What do we do when we hear gossip? What do we do when we hear bad things? If we hear these things and pass them on we will not only hurt the other person, but we will do harm to ourselves. We must be careful not to hurt others. Whatever we sow we will simultaneously reap for ourselves. We must be accountable for our own actions.

Great Spirit, today, let no words come from my lips that would hurt another.

These come from Whitebison.org to subscribe to them go to

http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

The Great Mystery

Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 25
"In some mysterious and wonderful way you are part of everything, Nephew. And in that same mysterious and wonderful way, everything is a part of you."
--Nippawanock, ARAPAHOE
In order to experience this, we must be aware of how limited our senses are—eyes, ears touch, smell, taste. These senses help us to function in the Seen World. What we see is interpreted by our minds and put inside our belief system, and this can become our reality. But there also exists an Unseen World. In this world we experience connectedness; we experience the mystery; and we experience another whole point of view. If we pay attention to both the Unseen World and the Seen World, our belief systems will print in our mind a new and wonderful reality. We will see and know we are a part of everything.

Great Spirit, today, give me the knowledge to know this mystery.

These meditations are from White Bison

http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Makes Sense To Me

This makes sense to me and I am over 50 so bring it on I will do my part.

This is from an article in the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper on Sunday
February 9, 2009.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/article973953.ece

The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the
Economy?"

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy. Instead
Of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money
On lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can
Call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. - Pay them
$1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following
Stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto
Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing
Crisis fixed..


It can't get any easier than that!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes...

A Cricket In New York City

Shhhhhh! Can You Hear It?
A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York City, walking
near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the
streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxicabs
were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the
city were almost deafening.

Suddenly, the Native American said, "I hear a cricket."

His friend said, "What? You must be crazy. You couldn't possibly hear a cricket in all of
this noise!"

"No, I'm sure of it," the Native American said, "I heard a cricket."

"That's crazy," said the friend.

The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then walked across
the street to a big cement planter where some shrubs were growing. He looked
into the bushes, beneath the branches, and sure enough, he located a small
cricket. His friend was utterly amazed.

"That's incredible," said his friend. "You must have superhuman ears!"

"No," said the Native American. "My ears are no different from yours. It all
depends on what you're listening for."

"But that can't be!" said the friend. "I could never hear a cricket in this
noise."

"Yes, it's true," came the reply. "It depends on what is really important to
you. Here, let me show you." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few
coins, and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, with the noise
of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head
within twenty feet turn and look to see if the money that tinkled on the
pavement was theirs.

"See what I mean?" asked the Native American. "It all depends on what's
important to you."

This was sent to me by Bear Warrior http://www.freewebs.com/yona-adatiya/index.htm


What is important to you? What do you listen for? Do you take time to be still and listen? If not start.

Everyone Is Here For A Reason

This is a great daily meditation put out each day by an organization called http://whitebison.org. You can get the daily meditations in your email by subscribing here http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 19
"We all come from the same root, but the leaves are all different."
--John Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA

We all come from one Great Spirit but we are all different and unique. Nothing in the Great Creation has a twin that is identical. Even children that are twins are different. Every single person is extremely special and unique. Each person has a purpose and reason why they are on the Earth. Just like every leaf on a tree is different, each one is needed to make the tree look like it does. No leaf is better or worse than the other—all leaves are of equal worth and belong on the tree. It is the same with human beings. We each belong here and do things that will affect the great whole.

Great Spirit, today, let me see myself as a valuable contributor to the whole.

Elders Teachings Each Day

For those of you that are into learning from Native American Elders there is a great daily meditation put out each day by an organization called http://whitebison.org. You can get the daily meditations in your email by subscribing here http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

It is a great service and I enjoy reading them each day. Makes me stop and think sometimes which is good. Take a minute and read about what whitebison does. I believe in what they are doing and support them.

Here is the meditation for today April 18, 2009


Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 18
"Our people don't come in parts. Either you are Indian, or you are not."
--Nippawanock, ARAPAHOE

We really need to take a look at how Indian People are talking about Indian People. We say there are Rez Indians, Traditional Indians, Urban Indians and Breeds. This type of thinking will keep us separated. An Indian is an Indian, a brother is a brother, a sister is a sister. We are all related. Today, let us respect ourselves and our people. Today, let me realize Indians are Indians.

Great Spirit, let me see the Unity of the People. Indians are Indians.

An Old Trick

Recently a routine Yakama, Washington police patrol car parked outside Pete's tavern. Late in the evening the officer noticed a young tribal man leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing.

After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five vehicles, the man managed to find his car, which he fell into. He was there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine dry night) flicked the blinkers on, then off, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more vehicles left. At last he pulled out of the parking lot and started to drive slowly down the road.

The police officer, having patiently waited all this time, now started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, promptly pulled the man over and carried out a breathalyzer test. To his amazement the breathalyzer indicated no evidence of the man having consumed alcohol at all! Dumbfounded, the officer said "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the Police station this breathalyzer equipment must be broken."

"I doubt it," said the man, "Tonight I'm the designated decoy." Aye!!!! Old tribal trick!!?

He Quit Talking To You

This was written by David Macrae in 1870. (It Says 1870 not 1970)

What he talks about still holds true about us today. Some people have a hard time understanding why we do what we do. In this case we can say we learned it from our Great Grandfathers and Mothers. Because of what Mr. Macrae talks about we get labeled standoffish, uncaring, hard to deal with and other labels.

I posted this in response to a question that I received from someone about a Choctaw relative of mine who quit talking to them.


Americans at Home
By David Macrae
1870

pp 185, 186

... if you helped an Indian in distress he would generally do as much or more for you in like circumstances.

The engineer of one of the lake steamers in Western Canada gave me the following pleasing fact from his own experience :

— " One day I met a wild Indian in the woods very downcast. The nipple of his fowling-piece had broken. He was far from his people, and, without his gun, he had no means of providing for himself. I screwed the nipple out of mine, found that it fitted exactly; and, as I had others aboard the steamer, I let him have it. He thanked me and went off into the woods. Next morning, before the steamer started, he came on board with some very fine game for me ; and he has never let a season pass since without paddling down in his canoe, sometime during our running season, with some little present of game or fish to show that he has not forgotten what I did for him."

Indians are said to remember injuries much longer than kindness, and have probably got more of them to remember. They are proud also and very easily offended. I remember, while lounging with a friend at the door of a hotel, an Indian woman made her appearance with a basket of native bead-work for sale. The gentleman beside me, without waiting to see what she had, waved her off. The woman stopped, and with a look of magnificent scorn turned away. I was sorry that she had been hurt, and called on her to come back and show us what she had, but she deigned no response.

An Indian cannot be bargained with like another man. If you want him to carry you across a river, he will shove off in his canoe till an arrangement is made that pleases him ; and if, in trying to make an arrangement, you offend him, he will paddle stoically away, and no entreaties or promises even of whiskey and tobacco (the two things that tempt an Indian most) will bring him back, or so much as make him seem to be any longer conscious of your presence. You can very rarely engage Indians for money to be guides or servants. They will go with you as companions, and will not refuse the money given them ; but if you do or say anything to offend their pride, and make them think they are regarded as menials, they will leave without a word, and without the slightest regard to the difficulties of your position. If you ask them to clean your boots, they will decline without any indication of being offended, but in the morning you find them gone.

Remember this was written in 1870 and uses the language from that time. Mr. Macrea also reflects the attitude toward our people in the 1870s. So no nasty emails. I didn't write it. I only say that our attitude has not changed. Offend us, look down on us and we are out of here.

The Fire

Here is a poem that I wrote a few years back that I thought I would post here for you to read.

The Fire

By Bo Tipton

Come my brothers and sisters,
come everyone of Mother Earth.
Come and sit by the fire
with the night surrounding us.

Watch the flames push the smoke
upward toward the Creator.
Our hope is deep
as we send these prayers
to ride the smoke.

Sit quietly, listen to the sound of the wind,
hear the crackling of the fire,
the sound of family and friends,
share their happiness.

The warmth we feel comes
from this sharing of love,
not just from the fire.

Look closely into each others eyes.
What do we see?
What we see in their eyes
is that which has made us who we are.

Close your eyes my brothers and sisters,
and listen to the wind,
see the flames lift higher.
Listen to the songs of our ancestors.

The songs offer so much when
we open our hearts to their words.
Only if we listen and
learn from their wisdom,
can we grow as a people.

Inhale the aromas around you,
smell the wood burning,
the rain in the air
and the smell of Mother Earth.

The drum begans to reach deep into our spirits
and as our hearts join the drum
the drums beat shakes Mother Earth
like when the buffalo and deer ran.
Reminding Mother Earth that
we remember and still care.

Taste what has come to our lips.
Taste the tears of joy that come from our eyes.
They are the tears of the past, present and the future.

Then we realize, that like the drum
that beat so strong,
the beat of our own hearts
are uniting as one people
in Peace, Love and Harmony…

Grandfather Eagle has a gift.
It is a glimpse of the future,
because we remember and learn
it is good.

How To Get Bucked Off A Horse With Style

1) Make sure that someone is watching. Why get bucked off is there is no one around to watch. This way, you will have provided comic relief for the day. Making someone laugh brings joy into their life. Besides if you have witnesses they will do a better job of telling the story later than you will.

2) Make sure that included in the group is
a) Someone you want to impress
b) Someone who you do not like and you do not want to give them something to talk about
c) Someone you are interested in who likes you
d) Your best friend who will fall over laughing and is sure to make the appropriate comments to make everyone laugh.
e) If you have children or grandchildren make sure they are present so that they can tell the story when the adults think it is not the appropriate time. The children or grandchildren will be able to tell the story and lighten the mood at things such as funerals, hospitals, their school, when you see someone you haven’t seen in years and other inappropriate times. Also having children present helps the story spread faster.

3) When you get bucked off do a good job of it. Don’t just kind of fall off the side of the horse but make a show of it. Here is you chance to give people a memory that they won’t forget, so seize the moment. If you can talk the horse into falling over the top of you without hurting you that might work and really looks spectacular.Remember if the people watching have been around horses before you have to out do what they have seen before. You want to achieve the greatness that when stories about buck offs are told your story is not the first one told but is the, "That is nothing you should have see the time", story.

4) As an added element you can grab for something to hold on to and miss it. Very Important,do not stay on the horse after the first good buck. If you ride the horse while it bucks you take away from the story of what happened.

5) Wear your best clothing. Do not do this with work clothes on if you want it to be remembered. Wear that new hat for the horse to step on. Be sure and wear you favorite shirt or blouse so it will get torn. Don’t forget your best pants so that you can get a stain that won’t come out. (See Step 11 For Stain)

6) Make sure you have a horse that can buck. Riding a horse that as a young colt dreamed of making the National Rodeo Championships as a
bucking horse will help. Not one that just crow hops but one that can put his head down and reach between his legs and grab his tail as he is going up and then does a fast 360 spin before he hits the ground would be nice. A spin helps your hang time. (See Step 10)

7) Make sure that everyone is watching. Someone popping a balloon, a car backfiring, two cats fighting under the hoofs of your horse are ideas that will help them to turn so that they do not miss anything and can so that they can describe it in detail later. Be creative on ideas to get their attention.

8) Make sure that no expects the horse to buck. Your horse should have been behaving and working nicely so no one is expecting it to buck. The more relaxed the horse seems to be before this happens the longer it will be remembered. If it is expected then the time they will spend retelling the story will be drastically reduced.

9) When the horse makes the first buck trying to set a new high jump record for horses be sure to let out the loudest scream possible. Scream like a very hairy man getting his private parts waxed. That will get their attention. When the neighbors two miles away come to see what is wrong then you know you did it right!

10) When flying through the air be sure and try to achieve the best hang time. The longer time you are the air with your arms and legs moving as fast as possible the more this will be remembered and the longer you best friend will tell the story. Here is where you get to shine and build lasting memories for your audience so fly like a bird, move your arms and legs and scream as loud as possible.

11) Now as in any Olympic gymnastic sports the landing is important.

a) Pick your landing spot carefully.
b) On your way down if you take a quick second to notice where you are landing it will improve the time that people will remember and talk about you getting bucked off.
c) Since you have your best pants and shirt on if you can land on that spot
where your horse relieved himself just minutes ago it helps.
d) If the horse manure is cool and the pile is steaming this also helps them
remember your performance.
e) When you land try to land on the nice steaming pile of horse manure on your back with a dull thud. The sound from the dull thud landing carries further and will not break the laughing like landing with the sound of a popping melon.
f) When you land on the steaming pile try to land on the small of your back
so it gets on and stains both the pants and shirt/blouse.
g) When your best friends pace off the distance the manure squirted out from under you, landing on your back on the pile will help you achieve a longer distance for everyone to remember.

12) In the last second of the performance if you feel that you did not do your best during the buck off and need a spectacular landing to really make wonderful memories for your audience pull the face first into the manure landing which is guaranteed to please your audience>. Not only is it an audience pleaser but it also adds a certain element when the person you are interested in, that is watching, finally decides to kiss you and as the magic moment draws closer for the locking of lips they get a mental image of the landing and where you face was. Wonderful stuff.

13) Now last but not least is the grand finale. As you are laying on the ground with multiple scraps, bruises and other injuries raise whichever arm will move wave your hand, say, “I’m okay”, and ask someone to check the horse.

Done right the story will be retold the rest of your life and on into the next generation. It will be remembered as the buck off of all buck offs and will be your 15 seconds of fame.

Stand By Me

This was sent to me by Jim Bradley a friend of mine from Bardstown, KY and it is worth taking a minute to listen to.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

Thanks
Firebear

The Praying Bear

A White Man who did not believe in Creator was taking a walk through the woods.

What majestic trees!
What powerful rivers!
What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.
As he was walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7 foot grizzly charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the Atheist cried out, "Creator help me!"

Time stopped.

The bear froze.

The forest was silent.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky, "You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don't exist, and even credit for creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?"

The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a believer now, but perhaps could you make the bear a believer?"

"Very well," said the voice.

The light went out.


The sounds of the forest resumed.

And then the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together and bowed his head and in a very human voice spoke, "Lord, bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty, Amen."

Horses Ass

A farmer got pulled over by a state trooper for speeding, and the trooper started to lecture the farmer about his speed, and in general began to throw his weight around to try to make the farmer uncomfortable.

Finally, the trooper got around to writing out the ticket, and as he was doing that he kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around his head.

The farmer said, "Having some problems with circle flies there, are ya?"

The trooper stopped writing the ticket and said-"Well yeah, if that's what they are-I never heard of circle flies."

So the farmer says-"Well, circle flies are common on farms. See, they're called circle flies because they're almost always found circling around the back end of a horse."

The trooper says, "Oh," and goes back to writing the ticket. Then after a minute he stops and says, "Hey... wait a minute, are you trying to call me a horses ass?"

The farmer says, "Oh no, officer. I have too much respect for law enforcement and police officers to even think about calling you a horses ass."

The trooper says, "Well, that's a good thing," and goes back to writing the ticket.

After a long pause, the farmer says, "Hard to fool them flies though."

Write In Sand

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

Do we need to erase any stones?

The fourth Cherokee Prophecy

A Cherokee Prophecy – Cherokee

This was sent to me by my wife a Cherokee.

I am not sure where it comes or if it is from the Cherokee as I have not heard it before but what it says is the fourth prophecy is true.

It is told that, in the early days of the Old (Cherokee) Nation, seven wise and holy men went together to a certain valley in the Smokey mountains to seek knowledge of the future.

Of all the people in all Seven Clans of the Cherokee these seven men were the most truthful, most selfless, and most heedful of the needs and well being of all the Tribe. They carried the medicine deerskin and medicine tobacco, and did all the holy things along the way.

And when they came to this certain valley, they spread out the deerskin in the center and prayed, saying they came with humility, to seek truth and to share it with the people.

Then they blew smoke over the deerskin, each in turn, and they watched the smoke trails for a sign from the Spirits.

And the Spiritss came down from the heavens and spoke, and they showed the seven Holy Men images of what life would be like in the future.

And when the Spirits were finished, the Seven Holy Men went and prophesied to the people the marvels that they had been shown.

The first was that men would someday fly in the air.

The second was that the tracks of the Cherokee people would someday lead west to the valley of the Mississippi , never to return.

The third was that there would be schools to teach important knowledge to all the people.

But the fourth prophecy was that in the future, young people would return from the schools, and point rudely to the old men of the tribe, and claim that what the old men said did not matter -- because they knew nothing.

The people considered this last prophecy for a long time, and talked in Council and among themselves, but they were never able to determine what great wisdom might be taught in these schools that the children should point to the old people and talk in this way.

Nevertheless, WE ARE NOW IN THE FOURTH PROPHECY!

Do We Need Ceremony In Our Lives

The desire to have ritual and a sense of belonging in our life is one of our main drives and is often overlooked. The lack of ritual is a cause of many problems in our lives.

We each have an inherent desire for ceremony or religion of some type in our own life. We need ritual to feel balanced. An absence of religion is not an absence of religion. It is only the absence of an organized religion. Many times we will create our own rituals without knowing it. People seek ritual in their life and many times if they cannot find it they withdraw and this becomes a type of ritual in itself.

Desiring ritual in our lives is not the same thing as desiring a supreme being in our life. Those are two different aspects even though many times having a supreme being in your life leads to rituals. Even people who do not believe in a supreme being seek ritual in their lives. The absence of a mainstream religion can be a ritual in itself.

Three words to consider are religion, spirituality and ritual. Ritual is interchangeable with ceremony. I will call it a ceremony here.

Ceremony can take many shapes and forms without people realizing that it is a ritual. Take someone who never fails to watch Monday night football. Each Monday they will get out their favorite food, beverage and many times even wear special clothing. It may be a hat, a jersey or even certain clothes they consider lucky. They may include a certain group of people who gather to watch the game. Even if they do not gather a group each week they will still follow the same ceremony each time they watch the game.

As with any community with the joining of outsiders to the group there is always a screening process. You wouldn’t invite someone who hates football to come and watch football on Monday night. Leaders within the community or group approve or disapprove new members. If you watch football at a friends house and you want to bring someone else you always ask and get approval first.

Within the community and during the ceremony there are requirements for accepted wear. If you are watching a football game many people will wear their favorite jersey or what they perceive as their lucky clothes.

There are accepted greetings between members of the participants in rituals that are not the same as greetings for non-members. There are also consequences for withdrawal or betrayal of the community.

Some other examples of ceremonies would be youth sports and the culture that surrounds it, joining of social sites on the Internet, belonging to a musical group, following a famous musical group, the huge annual ceremony when people gather to watch the Super Bowl.

Another example of this would be the drug culture. The clothing, the signs used for greeting, the way they fill a pipe when it is used, the preparation of the drugs, the acceptance of others into the group and the consequences if you leave or betray the community. Although it can be argued that the chemical dependency plays an important part in this but ritual also plays an equal part.

One of the reasons that drug rehabilitation often fails is not only the chemical dependency but the dependency on the familiar ritual within the community. When people are rehabilitated there are not ceremonies and the sense of belonging to replace the ones lost. Because of the lack of community after rehabilitation in conventional rehabilitation that is the reason that spiritual groups or groups like AAA with their weekly meetings have a better success rate at rehabilitation then others.

Even homeless people have a community and ceremonies in their life with a hierarchy who oversees them. The ritual and hierarchy will change with each area that they travel to or by where they live within an area. There are accepted rules of behavior and a sense of belonging. Go to the camp of the homeless in a major city and you will quickly see the community and if you’re accepted you may witness some of the evening ceremonies which are maybe as simple as gathering to talk and drink.

Some of things that rituals have in common are:

A process to join the group

A sense of belonging

Rules to follow

What is accepted and what is not accepted behavior.

What to wear and bring when attending a ceremony

A sense of betrayal when someone that belongs to the group no longer conforms

A leadership within the group even when it is informal and not clearly defined

Acceptable and non acceptable clothing

Vocabulary that is just for the group

Status symbols

The need of everyone to do their part

All this is to replace the loss of the sense of belonging to a village or community and the rituals that go with the community. Not many generations ago we were members of small communities with all the rituals that go with it. Even in big cities older people speak of the sense of community in the neighborhoods that they grew up in. They speak of the elders that would sit outside each evening and talk, of the festivals within the community and much more.

Ceremony and ritual are part of our makeup and we continue to seek it out even if it is something as simple as applying makeup or shaving in the morning. We call them habits but many of our habits have become rituals in themselves.

To not acknowledge that we need communities and the rituals that go with the community just as our ancestors did leaves a sense that something is missing.

Each of us has to decide what the ceremony in our lives will be and where to find it. What is right for me is not necessarily right for someone else. When we learn to foster a sense of belonging within our families and group of friends and recognize the need for ceremonies our lives and relationships can began to heal and grow.

Not having the sense of belonging and ceremony leads to many of the suicides in our societies especially in youth.


What I wrote here is what I have been taught and come to understand over the last few years while watching the resurgence of pride in our Native communities. Seeing the change that programs like what http://whitebison.org is doing, teaching our people how to have pride in our community, heritage and ceremonies is helping to bring healing to people.

You do not have to agree with me and that is your right. These are words that have come to me and I wanted to share with you.

Want To Jump On The Trampoline

This might prove interesting if you jump on it but it would definitely be a good place to go hunting. Now you know why when you are in the woods hunting you cannot find any bucks. They know where to hide during hunting season.

A Frickin Elephant

The Things A Teacher Hears

My five-year old students, are learning to read.

Yesterday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said,

"Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"

I took a deep breath, then asked..."What did you call it?"

"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"

And so it does...




" A f r i c a n Elephant "

Hooked on phonics!

United States Credit Crisis

Here is a good video about the current credit crisis here in the U.S. It is a good explanation. The only thing I saw was that if an individual tried to do what the big corporations do they would probably end up in jail.


The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Native American Boarding School March

There is a great organization called White Bison. Their website is whitebison.org

White Bison works to help bring about healing among our American Indian family with their wellbriety program. They also have a daily email they send out with words from our elders. To subscribe to it go to http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/subscribe.php?Submit=Subscribe It is worth reading everyday.

Here is the one for March 16 that I thought was great as usual.
Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 16
"Each of us must know in our minds and believe in our hearts that even though we are different, you are like me and I am like you."
--Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA
One of the definitions of humility is having an awareness of one's own character defects. To recognize and acknowledge that one has imperfections is being humble. We should never pray for ourselves unless by doing so it would help another person. To have self-importance puts self first and this is not humble. We each have strengths and we each have weaknesses. Both the strengths and weaknesses are sacred. Life is sacred. We learn sacred things from weaknesses also. Therefore, all lives are developed through trial and error, strength and weakness, ups and downs, gains and losses- all of these are part of life and life is sacred.

Great Mystery, let me see and know about the sacredness of life.


On May 16th 2009, White Bison will begin a 40-day, 6,800 mile cross-country journey to present and former Indian School sites. It's goal is to promote awareness, dialogue and forgiveness among Native peoples for the historical trauma of the Indian Boarding School Era which began in 1879. You can go to whitebison.org to find out how to take part or how to help support what they are doing.

Those of you that have said I wish there was a way to learn more, to take part or to help here is your opportunity.

Sweat Lodges

By Paula Bidwell

This is a talk about “Inipi” or Sweat Lodge Ceremony. In Native American traditional ways we learn by listening to our elders talk and tell stories. This article is meant to be just that. I will tell the story as my teachers did and then at a later time I will add more to the knowledge.
Imagine we are sitting around a fire maybe at Powwow or maybe Sun Dance, or even in our own backyard. The hour is late and everything around us is still and quiet except for the crackle of the wood burning. A voice begins to speak….
Did you know there are different types of Inipi (Sweat Lodge) ceremonies? Many think the Sweat Lodge is only for cleansing and purification. But, this is not true; there are many kinds of Inipi or Sweat Lodges.
There are Sweat Lodge ceremonies held when a relative has died. These help the deceased person cross over to the other realm. They are usually held for four nights. Night is the time for the spirits of the deceased or “Wanagi”. After the sun goes down, and especially between midnight and pre-dawn, they wake up and are moving around. The four days is the time when the newly deceased is able to communicate important messages and to say their goodbyes. These Sweat ceremonies are also for the mourners to end their official time of mourning. Which is usually 13 moons or approximately one year. The ceremony for the end of the time of mourning is called “Wasigala” and can be done without the Sweat Ceremony.
There are also Sweat Lodge ceremonies for the healing of illnesses. These are called “Doctoring Sweats”. These ceremonies may only have the patient and medicine person in the lodge. The rest of us would stay by the fire and pray or be busy in the house cooking. Or sometime there may be a few singers and other people close to the sick person inside the lodge.
Most of us have been to Sweat Lodges that contact the Tunkasilas or ancient beings for advice and guidance during difficult and perilous times. It is said that in the Sweat Lodge we meet the Tunkasila or elder spirits half way. These sweats are usually very hot. They make us so uncomfortable that we are forced to stay in a state of prayer, which is very far removed from our everyday busy worlds. This is how we meet the Tunkasilas half way. Some us don’t eat or drink so that we are even further removed from our material world. Many of us let our hair loose and unbraided or untied. This is another way to remove us from the material world. We are not concerned with how we look. That is why your elders may tell you not to wear jewelry, or make-up.
Then there are Sweat Lodges for activating, renewing or cleansing of sacred objects, medicines or canunpas (sacred pipes). In the case for cleansing, these are very serious ceremonies. It means that something has happened to the sacred object that has harmed or weakened it. The need to cleanse a sacred object is a very sad thing. Many tears are shed during these ceremonies. For the renewal of a sacred object or medicine is far less serious and is a little like breathing fresh air into it and letting the sun shine all over it. Activating a sacred object is another serious ceremony. It is necessary when a person takes the responsibility of carrying a canunpa (sacred pipe) for the people. This is best done where the Buffalo Calf Pipe resides in Green Grass, South Dakota. Although, I have heard of it done in other places when necessary. Activating other types of sacred objects or medicine can happen anywhere, but usually takes a Medicine person to conduct the ceremony.
Sun Dance Sweat Lodges are especially for the people preparing to Sun Dance they are held frequently during the time of preparation. Sweat ceremonies are also held during Sun Dance for the Dancers and for the people attending.
Hanbleceya, or as you may have heard it, “Vision Quest” Sweat Lodges are held during the one to four year preparations leading up to the Vision Quest. Also they are used just before the person goes on the hill for Hanbleceya (Vision Quest). And they are used immediately when the person comes down from the hill. As an important note, I have used the term “Vision Quest” only because it is so popular and understood by many. But you should know that in Lakota, “Vision Quest” is not the translation for Hanbleceya. The real translation is “Crying or Praying through the night”. Ceya means both crying and praying as they are considered the same thing.
Wopila (Gratitude) Sweat Lodges. These are usually held within a year of a healing or another blessing. A big feast is held afterward and gifts may be given.
These are the most common Sweat Lodge ceremonies, but I’m thinking maybe some of you are wondering how to become a Sweat Lodge leader? This is a natural question. I will tell you how it happened to me. It took many, many years of attending the Inipi with my elders; listening to their stories, taking their words to heart and paying attention when they wanted to teach me. As the years went by I was given a variety of “rights” such as making sacred canunpa bags and medicine pouches, making a ceremony fire, cooking sacred foods, fixing eagle feathers for naming ceremonies, rights to ceremony songs and many others. But before I received the rights to anything I was instructed in all the history, the details, the materials, the origins of the songs and anything else you can think pertaining to the particular skill.
When I was around 35 years old, I received a sacred canunpa from my grandparents and asked to carry it for the family and all our relatives. I accepted. Then when I was visiting an elder relative and attended her Sweat ceremony, at the start of the Sweat she announced to the attendees that I was her equal and that I would assist in conducting this ceremony. Later, I was asked to conduct a Sweat ceremony for some elder women. After the ceremony I was told that I would be conducting these ceremonies the rest of my life. And I have.
This may sound all very complicated and almost impossible to achieve. But, this is how it happened for me and is not necessarily the way it is for everyone. My training was very strict and very lengthy. I hope I have not discouraged anyone. I live off the reservation now and attend Sweat ceremonies that are conducted by someone who although, Indian, never lived with his people or received any traditional training. He received a vision and that is the way he conducts his ceremonies. I attend and respect his ceremonies. They are powerful and serve the true purpose of an Inipi or Sweat Lodge ceremony, even though he wasn’t traditionally trained as I was.
You are all my relatives.





This was written by Paula Bidwell. She has a website at http://www.nativetalismanart.com Not only does she explain things in a good way she is an Artist who makes some beautiful stuff. Take a minute and check out her website. I know she would appreciate it.