THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME IN 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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It will be  more of the same lies and deceptions in 2016 with the Plutocracy in full control and the truth a scarce commodity. Of course, the ultimate truth is that God is love, or a loving plan in action, and our ultimate destiny is being in sync with that loving plan from a place of gratitude and service. Maira Kalman and Rick Meyerowitz, NY Times, sketch out the 22 most likely scenarios for 2016 but #22 appears to unfortunately be a forgone conclusion and we may eventually have to resort to #16 to survive. Of course, I have a New York Times quiz for you which should generate a few knowing smiles as well as a poem of hope: Allen L Roland, PhD

 

 

                                     

 

 

 #22

 

SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME ~ http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/01/opinion/Kalman-Meyerowitz-Op-Art.html?emc=edit_th_20160101&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=65700837&_r=0

 

Hillary in a plutocrat pant suit ~ Hypocrisy That Knows No Bounds

"Hillary shows all the classic characteristics of a plutocratic enabler. She’s a dedicated corporatist and a devout global imperialist. She really believes that we can lead the world by achieving military victory in the Iraqi-Syrian Frontier despite all evidence to the contrary. She really believes that with proper guidance the utterly ruthless American health care industry can be made kinder and gentler."  

Marc Ash, RSN  http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/34160-focus-eight-more-years-of-plutocracy

 

"If you’re one of the millions of Americans who think Hillary Clinton would make a lousy president, then pat yourself on the back because she pretty much proved it yesterday. In a presentation to the Council on Foreign Relations, Clinton made it clear that if she’s elected in 2016, she’s going to drag the country straight to war.  Invoking the same imagery as her ideological twin, George W. Bush, Clinton fulminated for more than an hour and a half on Syria, war, terrorism, war, no-fly zones, war, radical jihadism, war, and “metastasizing threats”, whatever the heck those are. Oh, and did I mention war?"

Mike Whitney / ICH   http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article43482.htm

 

"The world is once again being subjected to a Hillary Clinton campaign, with all the showmanship, pomp, hype, lies and distortions that the candidate is famous for. Her coronation seems to be a foregone conclusion, unless someone (anyone?) steps out of the shadows as then Senator Barack Obama did in 2008 and derails the speeding Hillary train".   Counterpunch/Robert Fantina ~ https://theuglytruth.wordpress.com/2015/10/16/hillary-clinton-hypocrisy-that-knows-no-bounds/ ~

 

Here's my favorite telling glimpse of war hawk Hillary caught between CBS TV takes commenting  jokingly on the cruel assassination of Muammar Gaddafi on October 11, 2011  ~ video ~  "We came, We saw and He died"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtH7iv4ip1U

 

 

 

 # 16

 

 

 

In the same spirit of truth, honesty and good humor going into 2016 ~ here's the New York Times New Year's quiz, which should generate a few smiles.

 

Here's two of the 13 questions ~

1.   In her final statement of the last 2015 debate, Hillary Clinton concluded …

• “May the Force be with you.”
• “We need to discuss the restroom issue.”
• “Have I mentioned I’m a grandmother?”

5.    Jeb Bush told CBS that he’s happy with his current standing in the presidential race, but that he “really hated” it when …

     •    He was in front.

     •    He had to stand next to Donald Trump at two debates.

     *    People made fun of him for saying Margaret Thatcher’s picture should be on the 10-dollar bill.

 

Here's the quiz ~ http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/02/opinion/collins-our-new-year-quiz.html?emc=edit_th_20160102&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=65700837&_r=0

 

A Year of Hope 2016

Ada Aharoni – TRANSCEND Media Service

Despite our wars, despite our tears,
Despite our furtive fears
We welcome the smiling year of HOPE.

The power of women and children for peace is rising,
Democracy and the Internet are spreading,
Global poverty has been cut in half –
Never have ordinary people, like you and me,
Had more power to face challenges

And to decide our own fate of Nonkilling.
We’re poised on the edge between
Our oldest fears of terror and  war
And our deepest dreams of peace.

We face a choice – to rise to this moment in time
And be the PEACE we want to see –
It all depends on us, for we peace- lovers
Are the largest global community!

War is not democratic, and we have to catch it
By its ugly ears and drown it into
The vast ocean of violent history forever.

We peace-lovers are the parents of hope
And hope is the game changer in life.
Hope is the wing on which we rise
It is the map of how and where to fly
To throw Terror and War from the top of the cliff
Into the historical stormy ocean.

In this New Year, let’s hurry to joyfully embrace
The golden sunbeam of Hope gladly waltzing
To the music of a moving Chopin Waltz
Toward twinkling Global Peace.
____________________________________

Ada Aharoni is founder of The International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace-IFLAC. She is an Egyptian-born Israeli poet, writer, lecturer and peace researcher.

 

New year's blessings and good luck in 2016 ~ we'll need it.

 

Allen L Roland, PhD
http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-shape-of-things-to-come-in-2016.html


Heart centered spiritual consultant and advisor Allen L Roland can be contacted at  allen@allenroland.com Allen is also a lecturer and writer who shares a weekly political and social commentary on his web log and website allenroland.com. He is also featured columnist on Veterans Today and  guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net

 

MY LIVING WILL / UPDATED

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allen L Roland at 81

Since I’m approaching 82 and partially disabled with a military service related condition, it’s time to update my Living Will along with a promise ~ inspired of course by the irrepressible Paul Rudnick of the New Yorker: Allen L Roland, Ph.D

 

"Me and Merle were talking, ain't many of us left ~ We were chuckling about that. Where'd everybody go? The fact he and I are still here is probably a miracle in itself"~  Willie Nelson (age 82) speaking of his friend Merle Haggard

 

Those of you who have not read the New Yorker’s Paul Rudnick’s My Living Will written on April 25th, 2005 should check it out for it’s the hilarious inspiration for My Living Will.  

MY LIVING WILL / ALLEN L ROLAND

1. If I should remain in a persistent vegetative state for more than 30 days, I would like someone to pay my rent.

2. If I do not respond to pinches, pinpricks, rubber mallets, electric shock or other medical stimuli, please don’t take it personally.

3. If my death is particularly dramatic and worthy of a movie ~  I would like to be played by Harrison Ford.

4. If my doctor pronounces me brain-dead, I would like to see the latest Adam Sandler movie.

5. If there is a family dispute over my medical condition, it must be settled with a boxing match.

6. I do not wish to be kept alive by any machine that has a 5,10 or 20 dollar change setting.

7. In lieu of flowers or donations, I would prefer a fireworks show.

8. Assume that, even in a coma, I can still hear discussions about my life, my loves and my struggles.

9. If I remain motionless for an extended period and utter only guttural, meaningless sounds, I would like it set to music and submitted for an Emmy.

10. At my memorial service, I would like my clergyman to begin his eulogy with the words “I suppose, in a way, we all misunderstood Allen.”

 

It’s very healthy to laugh at death particularly because it’s inevitable and it’s really just another chapter here on earth which may or may not have a sequel ~ dependent on whether we denied or surrendered to love ~ which leads me to my final comment as well as sincere promise;

Dr. Eben Alexander, in his bestselling book Proof of Heaven writes about his near death experience and says the same thing about what lies beyond death ~ in essence, it’s all about love;

Proof of Heaven,  p. 71 ~ “If I had to boil this entire message down to one sentence, it would run this way: “You are loved.”  And if I had to boil it down further, to just one word, it would (of course) be simply: Love. Love is without doubt, the basis of everything.  Not some abstract, hard-to-fathom kind of love, but the day-to-day kind that everyone knows – the kind of love we feel when we look at our spouse and our children, or even our animals.  In its purest and most powerful form, this love is not jealous or selfish, but unconditional.  This is the reality of realities, the incomprehensibly glorious truth of truths that lives and breathes at the core of everything that exists or that ever will exist, and no remotely accurate understanding of who and what we are can be achieved by anyone who does not know it, and embody it in all of their actions.  Not much of a scientific insight?  Well, I beg to differ.  I’m back from that place, and nothing could convince me that this is not only the single most important scientific truth as well.”  See 7 minute video ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AGNnOk6dhA

What Eben is suggesting is the very real possibility of consciousness existing beyond the physical realm and being able to influence the physical realm that does not necessarily contradict the known laws of physics ~ since quantum mechanics, if not proving this idea, at least makes it theoretically possible.

11. Since I am a firm believer and have demonstrated in my heart centered work and personal life that the Near and after Death experience is, in reality, a state of love and soul consciousness (the Unified Field)  that exists not only beyond time and space but also beneath our deepest fears and a state of ego consciousness ~ I promise that I will personally appear to and thank each person who has touched my heart during my brief time on Earth after I pass on ~ including brother and sisters as well as all former loves and close friends.

Both my mother ( see post  http://www.veteransnewsnow.com/2011/05/07/allen-l-roland-memories-of-my-mom-on-mothers-day/ ) who died and 1958 and my twin brother ( See post  http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/08/20/eulogy-for-my-beloved-twin/ ) who died in 2014, have appeared to me in a joyful after death experience ~ so I look forward, with great delight, to reminding these people still alive of how close they were to my heart here on planet Earth. Most of them already know this but this will be a special reminder that my love is actually a state of love and soul consciousness that exists beyond time and space.

It will be also be my reminder to them that God is love and manifests itself not only as a loving plan in action but also as an evolutionary process with which we all participate as co-creators ~ if we have the courage to say YES to ourselves and our dreams and not be controlled by fear.

Life to me is and has always been a great adventure ~ the Poet and teacher Patrice Vecchione reflects on what it's like to be alive in this great adventure where chaos and seeming confusion often lead to clarity;

"To be alive is not primarily a linear experience. It's a mix of dreaming and running to the store for a quart of milk. Our lives have depth, in part, because we can't make sense of everything. Life doesn't make sense; it's more complicated than our linear way of knowing. Mystery and spirit run through our days like rivers and sustain us. Life is a blend of possibility and impossibility... From chaos comes clarity. It was there all along. You just couldn't see it. To come to clarity, you have to enter the chaos. Dive in or enter inch by inch. Confusion is not a bad thing."

 

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”  ~ J.K. Rowling,

Allen L Roland, Ph.D
http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/my-living-will-updated.html

 

 Heart centered spiritual consultant and advisor Allen L Roland can be contacted at  allen@allenroland.com Allen is also a lecturer and writer who shares a weekly political and social commentary on his web log and website allenroland.com. He is also a featured columnist on Veterans Today and  guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net

 

 

THE UPLIFTING CARTOONS OF CHARLES BARSOTTI 1933 -2014

 (Click on Cartoons to enlarge)

Charles Barsotti died this week at 80 years old but his New Yorker cartoons touched myself and millions of others with their wonderful quirky sense of humor and imaginative insights into profound truths which were both delightful and thought provoking. His presence will be sorely missed for his cartoons provided much needed solace in our chaotic ego driven world: Allen L Roland

I love the New Yorker not only for its in depth reporting but also for its staff of excellent cartoonists who seemed to fully capture the themes of our times ~ but my favorite was Charles Barsotti whose simple sketches spoke volumes about the human state we live in and always brought a smile to my face.

 How about this one for truth-seekers ~ which includes myself.

 

 

Or this one about our fear driven society ~

 

 

The artist in his nest ~ 

 

 

Charles Barsotti, a longtime cartoonist for The New Yorker. Credit C. Michael Barsotti

Charles Barsotti was a gentle soul in a dysfunctional world and his cartoons brought a knowing and uplifting humor onto this troubled planet for more than 40 years. He was living his dream for he was a doodler as a child and his parents encouraged him to follow his passion. Almost 1,400 of his cartoons appeared in the New Yorker, and many more were published in The Atlantic, The New York Times and elsewhere and all of them, I am sure, touched a chord as they most certainly have with me.

 He leaves behind his wife, son, four daughters, three grandchildren and a sister but also the profound legacy of knowing that he struck a meaningful chord with many of his readers and brought a smile to countless human beings who were delighted to see the world through Barsotti's insightful childlike eyes.

 Here's my favorite  ~

 

 

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 
Allen L Roland

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-uplifting-cartoons-of-charles.html

 

 Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and heart centered spiritual counselor Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private Skype consultations at allen@allenroland.com

 

Allen L Roland is also a lecturer and shares a weekly political and social commentary on his web log and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net

 

 

 

MY LIVING WILL

Since I'm approaching 80 and probably living on borrowed time, it’s time to write my Living Will ~ inspired of course by the irrepressible Paul Rudnick of the New Yorker: Allen L Roland

Those of you who have not read the New Yorker's Paul Rudnick's My Living Will written on April 25th, 2005 should check it out for it's the hilarious inspiration for My Living Will. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/04/25/050425sh_shouts

MY LIVING WILL / ALLEN L ROLAND

1. If I should remain in a persistent vegetative state for more than 30 days, I would like someone to pay my rent.

2. If I do not respond to pinches, pinpricks, rubber mallets, electric shock or other medical stimuli, please don't take it personally.

3. If my death is particularly dramatic and worthy of a movie ~  I would like to be played by Javier Bardem. 

4. If my doctor pronounces me brain-dead, I would like to see the new Adam Sandler movie.

5. If there is a family dispute over my medical condition, it must be settled with a boxing match.

6. I do not wish to be kept alive by any machine that has a 5,10 or 20 dollar change setting.

7. In lieu of flowers or donations, I would prefer a fireworks show.

8. Assume that, even in a coma, I can still hear discussions about my life, my loves and my struggles.

9. If I remain motionless for an extended period and utter only guttural, meaningless sounds, I would like it set to music and submitted for an Emmy.

10. At my memorial service, I would like my clergyman to begin his eulogy with the words “I suppose, in a way, we all misunderstood him.”

It's very healthy to laugh at death particularly because it's inevitable and it's really just another chapter here on earth which may or may not have a sequel ~ dependent on whether we denied or surrendered to love.

Allen L Roland

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-living-will.html

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private Skype consultations (allen@allenroland.com )

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his web log and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net