Now that my health and energy levels are starting to improve in a fairly steady and consistent manner, I'll have more news soon about what I plan to do in the community with this newfound energy, and what I encourage others to join me in accomplishing. In the meantime, I want to share some information and reflections about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

My last entry was about the "Don't Just Vote, Get Active" campaign. I should have more news on the active portion of that equation for you soon. In the meantime, I have the first official endorsement of a political candidate that I've made since starting this blog.

In 2008, I encourage you to vote for Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente for President and Vice President. I also encourage you to vote for any Green Party candidates who may be running in your area.

Back in 2004, there was a campaign by the CrimethInc. Ex-Workers' Collective and its allies called "Don't Just Vote, Get Active." This campaign argued that whatever our thoughts may be on voting versus non-voting, we should still focus the bulk of our enegry on direct forms of action rather than the indirect approach of voting for candidates. Rather than asking politicians or businessmen to act on our behalf, we should reclaim our power by engaging in directly democratic community organizing and forms of demonstrations which achieve direct results (i.e. interrupting systems of oppression in some direct way rather than asking that they be interrupted). This campaign was an effort to find common ground between people who see voting as endorsement for a corrupt system versus those who see it as a strategically important tool in seeking social change.

Don't Just Vote inspired a lot of people and mobilized a lot of them into action. Some of them voted; some of them didn't; all of them sought ways to participate more directly in the political process. Sadly, Mr. Bush was "re-elected", and Don't Just Vote faded from prominence. But I'd like to take a moment now to rehash and retool some of their arguments for the current context and issue a call to action of my own.

This fall must be the season for mindless pawns of bureaucracies to throw unexpected wrenches in the gears of my life. First it was the Facebook ban, and now it's Gaia's Orphans. Yes, that's right folks -- I have once again been harassed for putting the word "Gaia" on a T-shirt.

Ecstasy.

No, I'm not talking about the drug. I'm talking about the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual experience of an all-consuming bliss that is both immanent and transcendent in nature. I've been feeling this again lately, so I thought I'd share what I feel.

For over two hundred years, the President of the United States has taken the time once per year to deliver an address to Congress about the state of the nation. Sometimes, this was simply a written message that was read to Congress by a messenger. Other times, it has been a speech delivered personally by the President himself. Ever since the term of Franklin D. Roosevelt, this address has become widely known as the "State of the Union" address.

So... this entry is half book review and half call to action. The book is "Standing Up To the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times" by Amy Goodman and David Goodman. And the action... well, that's for you to decide. But you'd better make it good if you want to end up in Amy's next book!

Now that another year of my life has come and gone, I find myself thinking deep thoughts about life, death, the meaning of it all, and the direction that I"m headed in. The lessons that I've learned lately and the thoughts that I'm having lately will lead to some definite changes in the way that I approach social and ecological projects. I'll have more news on that soon, once I've sorted out more of the details. In the meantime, I have a bit to say on the importance of health and wellness in any quest for personal empowerment and/or social transformation.

I am pleased to wish you a happy Spring Equinox! At 12:48 AM CDT, the sun crossed directly over the equator. From this point forward, our days will be longer than our nights, and the flowers and buds of Spring will be flowering and budding all around us. This is a time for new life, new hope, deep healing, and reawakening passions and pleasures. HOORAY FOR SPRING!

On a sadder note, I am dramatically less pleased to announce that today is also the 5th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. About 4,000 U.S. troops -- our family, friends, and neighbors -- have died in this war, and many thousands more have been wounded, permanently disabled, or otherwise harmed. I would cite how many Iraqis have been killed or wounded, but as the illustrious General Tommy Franks said, "We don't do body counts." The number of Iraqis killed and wounded, though, is many times higher than our own losses.

So take a moment, if you will, to bear witness to the horrors of war that have been unleashed and sustained by certain heartless men in Washington DC and their accomplices across the nation. Take a moment to mourn for the fallen, and take a moment to act in some way to ensure that this occupation will end, the killing will stop, and our family, friends, and neighbors will come home.

But once you've taken your moment to bear witness, and to mourn, and to act, remember that today is the Spring Equinox -- a day of new life, new hope, deep healing, and reawakening passions and pleasures. Remember to be joyful on this day, because after all that the war mongers have already done, we must not let them take the joyful celebration of Spring away from us. This is not their day; this is our day, and this is the Earth's day. Go outside, enjoy the warmth and the sunshine, and celebrate the fact that even with all of the troubles in the world, the land is still teeming with the exuberance and excitement of Spring.

Seize the Day! Spend time with the ones you love, explore the great outdoors, and enjoy all that life has to offer! This is our moment in the sun, and we should enjoy it while it lasts...

Spring is upon us! The days are longer; the snow is melting; the sun is shining; the temperature's rising; and it looks like the worst of the winter weather has finally broken. As the sun and the warmth return to the land, I find my energy returning. My heart is filled with a new sense of hope, and my goals and visions and plans are returning to the forefront of my attention with a renewed sense of urgency.