According to French news reports hundreds of hippies are trekking to a small French village in order to await the arrival of aliens.

This might be funny if it wasn’t true. There are no reports on what the hippies may have been doing – or smoking – before they decided to make the trip to the village of Bugarach, but we can all imagine that something must have been causing their desire to see aliens to manifest itself at this particular time.

The news reports say the hippies arrived at the village to await aliens they say will emerge from inside a mountain when apocalypse strikes. There’s no indication of how the hippies or the aliens would have survived doomsday, but the aliens must be made of hardier stock that the hippies that are awaiting them.

Boom For Tourism

There are some 200 “New Age” believers who have taken up residency at the base of the Pic de Bugarach mountain and local officials expect upward of 100,000 people to visit the mountain before Dec. 21, 2012 when the group believes the world will come to an end. Already this year, about 20,000 people have made their way to the peak — about twice the number of hikers all of last year.

The group believes that on this particular date for the apocalypse, aliens with come out of the mountain and take with them any nearby humans. Take them where? That’s not being revealed, so it’s conceivable that the hippies may find themselves being utilized for an alien meal, perhaps.

“The apocalypse we believe in is the end of a certain world and the beginning of another,” said one of the hippies, who has lived in a wooded area near the forest for several years. Maybe he needs to leave the woods and get in touch with some kind of real life – a visit to Paris perhaps.

Local officials are concerned about the influx of hippies and others. The mayor of the village has alerted national authorities of the situation because he is worried there might be a mass suicide. That would certainly qualify as a bummer, dude.

So, what happens if the aliens don’t arrive? Will the hippies go back to their idyllic ways? Will life in their French village ever be the same? Who, knows. Maybe we should all just break open another bottle of vino and wait for the whole thing to blow over.

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9. Sinclair’s Bay, Caithness – Scotland is hard to imagine that one of the finest beaches adorn even misty shores of Scotland , is not it? However, Sinclair Bay we get another obvious example where reality exceeds imagination. Only 4 miles south of John O’Groats, sparkling waters and pristine sands of Sinclair’s Bay, detached directly from the Caribbean , not in Caithness. Bordered to the north and one south of the sixteenth century castle, beach offers a spectacle of unparalleled life, with flocks of gulls, plover and other sea birds and seals hunted groups of killer whales.

Even near the beach, is to be found famous Scottish castle Ackergyll Tower . Most local names are of Norwegian origin, and in memory of frequent armed confrontations in the past, spent between darjii Scottish and Viking invaders, visit Northhalds Viking Centre. The beach is famous among fans and bird watching, and nearby hotels organizes fishing trips at sea can turn anytime memories. 

8. Shell Beach, Isle of Purbeck – Dorset again in Europe, British Isles, we find a new top range have not heard many Romans, but that is treasured holiday destination among international tourism. Isle of Purbeck, located near of Dorset, is – in fact – a peninsula , but because it remained in the local lexicon as names island, tourist brochures still is suffering under the improper name. Island feeling is reinforced by Purbeck’s narrowness, which many people may seem like a piece of land distinct, lost at sea.

The area remained preserved lugul the time and seems separated from the reality of a XXI century Britain . The only elements of this man and civilization consists in browsing wanderer on the horizon a few yachts. Otherwise, peace and quiet! Beyond the huge beach, dotted here and there with cards seabird, is well hidden, the only local area entitled, of course, Shell Bay Bar & Restaurant. From prejama its savor a sunset on the English Channel, is a performance unmatched! 


7. Whiteheave, Withsunday Islands – Queensland, Australia
If someone would start looking for candidates for the title of most beautiful beaches in Australia, would surely find dozens of beaches to contend for this title. But if they get to Whiteheaven, the rest would certainly look counter- candidates. And given that this continent across the globe has been blessed by nature with many pieces from shore and water that would make everything fade saw the Romans through Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey …

Imagine the finest and whitest sand in the world . Well, Whiteheaven beach sand is white and even finer! The beach is surrounded by tropical forest which unites practical horizons. At least, this is the visual sensation. Warm waters, clear, colored blue, and sky merge with the few islands that are seen in the distance. It is both difficult and expensive to get here. But once you set foot in this small and exclusive paradise, must remember that any escapade in the ocean, either swim, fishes, do surfing or snorkeling, do not necessarily have to dress (a) in complete swimming suit . This to avoid any sting from the small but deadly blue jellyfish , which for 6 months makes its appearance in bathing beach waters. Another thing, the only way to get here is to obtain a residence permit from the Airlie Beach Town, the ones who release such acts tourists. It is not easy, nor cheap. 

6. Arambol Beach, Goa – India ”There is nothing in the world worse than being a loser who sits on the beach of Third World countries, wear slippers, wearing a psychedelic shorts, smoking a fucking grass and pretending to live in full expansion consciousness “, the ironic play at Alabama 3 in hilarious song” Is not Going to Goa ”. Even they?

In fact, piece of paradise in Goa has always sparked controversy and scandals . Connoisseurs swear by hand in the fire that those who are just envious detract not afford ever to hit this gem in the Indian Ocean. For many, Goa is the Holy Grail that gathers all the gentle hedonism of the world, spiced with the hippiest all generations , who refuse to awaken to the realities around us. Goa will remain forever peaceful nonconformist capital (Western dreamers young and confused invaded Goa since the early 70s of last century), the seasonal expats and style of trance music that draws its name from this place where even the gods have forgotten of their mission, inspired by the unique atmosphere …

Imagine a Vama Veche in her good times (until ‘93) to the tenth power, and all are far from reality the dream of Goa . And the pearl of what it is Arambol Goa, the northernmost beach of the Indian state. Arambol you are amazingly complex reveals extensive beaches, interspersed occasionally with rocks in fantastic shapes and coconut forests. Old hippies who came here ever since the Beatles ruled the charts, will tell stories of their comrades who fell victims Understanding real leopards and sharks. 

5. Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar Island – Tanzania complex in Kenya and Tanzania beaches is considered the most exclusive travel agencies as the most searched all over Africa . Come to be clean sand, so fine that it literally shatters under your feet? Zanzibar Island is the jewel of the East African coast . Since ancient times, there was the unofficial capital of African trade in spices. The island is adorned with a single maze in the world, known as Stone Town, and houses on its shores no less than 30 beautiful beaches than the TV ads.

One of the most beautiful beaches in Tanzania is at Nungwi , situated in northern Zanzibar. Coastal line is continued in one form smooth, flowing, which is lost in the glare sapphire waters of the Indian Ocean.Advantageous silver sands and coral forms a natural habitat still intact, extremely rich and creatures that stretches miles towards the ocean. Dotted with small fishing villages that have remained for centuries, Zanzibar coast brings a sense of time lost in a heavenly! 

4. Anywhere in Palawan – Philippines title is not exaggerated at all, because everywhere you walk in Paladin, you can not predict which corner of the world you find attractive.Location fascinated and still fascinates many people. Although the action of “The Beach” by Alex Garland was set by him in Thailand, the writer has sought inspiration in this location in the Philippines. The reason? Well, many who traveled to Thailand in the past decade, tourists motivated by the desire to find your own island paradise, says the reality is below expectations. Luxury Islands in Thailand were converted into reserves exclusive common man accessible only by boat flies over them, present them as, in most cases, completely forbidden.

On the other hand, the Philippines enjoys more than 7,000 islands and so many virgin beaches, inviolate the man that is very easy to rent a fishing boat on a sum of nothing and surf as your own to explore the islands.Group Tagalog archipelago of islands in the West is described even by locals as the last frontier of their country. I would say that Palawan Islands are incredibly exotic, if any, of course, for comparison to exotic! is a dream archipelago consisting of thousands of limestone islands, crossed by underground rivers, adorned with bizarre rocks covered by tropical forests lush and garnished, of course, beaches whose sand is dazzling white. most popular beaches are those of Honda Bay, Cannon Island, Bat Island and Starfish Island , but the real challenge is to discover your own Palawan islands. The natives believe that the most isolated places on the beach, accompanied by the best diving places in the world, the blood remains Island Reserve. On the other hand, are the most luxurious resorts in El Nido. You choose! 

3. Porto da Barra, Salvador – Brazil If big cities of the world could boast of their top beaches, it would scroll the Bondi Sydney, Los Angeles Venice and Rio de Janeiro Copacabana and Ipanema. And since I arrived in Brazil, let us pause a bit and the most beautiful beaches that adorn this country with the continent scale.

Brazil’s oldest city, Salvador, Porto da Barra beach hide. Situated at the entrance to Bahia de Todo os Santos Bay, the beach is adorned only with a small and stylish white colonial fort and with the Catholic Church also swallow, perched on a small hill. Otherwise, landscape enchants us with picturesque boat parade fishing and the few young locals who bathe here. Empty. The waters are always calm, clear and incredibly clean. For a country that has over 7,000 miles of beaches facing east, Porto da Barra is not only the most beautiful beach in Brazil, but due to its orientation to the west, also great some magnificent sunsets. 

2. Tayrona National Park – Colombia Tayrona is considered by many tourists and journalists specializing in travel as the most special beach around South America Nobody expected such a beach occur suddenly, after about 40 minutes walk through the forest difficult The Tayrona National Park that borders magrove. If one expects to find here a genre Caribbean beach with calm blue waters, white sand and possibly some wooden huts for tourists, is wrong. From the first second you set foot in Tayrona beach you hit grand vision of a landscape: a great many times angry wild throw huge rocks the size of blocks. Around rocks, Jaffa is some dunes beaches that seem real the desert, where displaced Amazon jungle to fight with the ocean.

1. Las Islas Cies, Galicia – Spain beaches span the mind when now, Alas regard to the Mediterranean, Mallorca or the Canary Islands, and is not it? Crowded donate if you like it if sunbathing chaise lounger next. Initiate if the sky for the category “Hello world ‘Spain Offered kept secret on the mob of eyes. This vorbis or Some landslides glimpse of paradise, hidden eg if isolated wild coast of Galicia province of Spain near Portugal in Granite. Acoli, bathing waters of the Atlantic, or jewelry existed in nature. To reach the Healthy embrace she should stay in the boat, small fishing village of Bayonne, the Las Islas Cies islands Intended.After approximate 40 minutes by motorized boat of apple, oh never lets Matt in THE exclusionary beach in Spain. Once or perfect pirate hideaway, enclosed housing Foster recently, or intro-reserve is natural can actually inspired as of right, to frame such as if untouched wild fury of property developers. And life on the island of Naked mind, allowing access for tourists donated in this months fruit.    

Good life lovers come here in June, July and August for the perfect holiday spending days around the sand dunes of Praia often Rodas , who conceals a quiet lagoon-green transparent water. Locals call it improperly “Beach of the Caribbean”, but the title is hardly a compliment. Most tourists who visited the Caribbean and then they stopped in Las Islas Cies in Spain say that location is high above the beaches and the Caribbean. According to specialists in quality sand beaches, the sand here is the finest in the world, feeling goal being that of foot steps on a field of soft cotton . And the lucky ones who come here can be accommodated in one location area, a complex shaded by tall pines, overlooking the ocean.

In winter grannies usually wear less colourful and mostly dark clothes but in summer you can see all spectre of kinky colours on them.

Headscarf is an unbound element of every granny image

Grannies in Russia are mostly overweight so they dress like sultans to hide their figures. 

Another element of grannies cloth is winter boots. Grannies in Russia wear them almost all year long and put them away only in summer heat. They look this way:

I was born near the tail end of the baby boom generation. My dad worked in a factory and my mother stayed home. We were quite poor but I didn’t know it because I always felt secure. My childhood was spent in Southern California in a house surrounded by fields and orange groves.

  My parents were young and my dad had a record player that I was fascinated with. It had a huge turntable covered in felt and it was built into a case that had a lid and could be latched. That record player had a wonderful, unique smell that I will always remember. It looked something like this:

  He had a stack of vinyl 45 records that were so exciting. Mostly Elvis Presley, but I also remember Bob Luman, Bobby Darin, Ferlin Husky, Johnny Cash and Jimmy Rogers. Since a 45 had a big hole in the middle, it was necessary to keep a supply of spindle adaptors. Without it, the record wouldn’t stay centered on the turntable.

  We had a black and white television and TV was free, although programming was pretty limited. There were no video games or internet. Our telephone was a corded rotary dial type and we had only one for the whole house. It was ok though because back then, kids spent a lot of time outdoors and parents didn’t worry much about kidnappings and such. We climbed trees, played kickball, and ate oranges and walnuts all day long from the trees around the neighborhood.

  Sodas were sold in tall glass bottles back then which could be taken, when empty, back to the store and exchanged for money. My sister and I would collect them and when we had enough, we would redeem them for penny candy. We could easily come away with a good sized bag full of a variety of candy and gum. Later I would pay at the dentist’s office.

  In 1964, the Beatles landed in America and although I was only 5 years old, I fell in love with them. There were plenty of cartoons on TV, but my favorite shows were Shindig, Hullabaloo and Bandstand. These were all musical variety shows that featured the popular stars of the day and teenagers dancing.

  The fashions of the time were nearly as exciting as the music. The girls were wearing go go boots, bell bottoms and mini skirts, while the boys were sporting long hair and clothes with paisley prints and stripes.

  Popular toys were Tonka trucks and Barbie dolls. I wanted a Barbie but I got Midge instead. She didn’t seem as glamorous as Barbie.

  Other toys that were heavily advertised were the Slinky, which is still sold today, Wheelo and Gaylord the Bassett Hound. I owned Gaylord and I seem to remember he required a lot of batteries, so when his power ran out, that was the end of playing with him. By pulling on his leash, he would be triggered to walk, with a lot of motor and gear noise I might add.

Gaylord        Wheelo

  I’m very happy I was born a baby boomer and I would not trade it for anything else. Things were far from perfect but it was a good time to grow up. Much progress has been made since then in science, medicine, civil rights, technology and general knowledge as it should be, but I will always feel nostalgic for the simpler life of the sixties.

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One of the reasons the hippie movement grew as quickly as it did was that because of the environment created by the war in Vietnam. The nation’s involvement in the Vietnam War was not looked upon favorably by the country’s youth, giving them a cause to /unite and a motive to join the counterculture. During the 1960s, America seemed to be heading in a good direction, shown by the victory of the civil rights movement with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Not long after this, in 1967, the amount of U.S. troops in Vietnam increased from 385 to 500 thousand, creating tensions around the nation which eventually led to violence. (Braunstein & Doyle p.251) To the hippies, the Vietnam conflict represented everything that was wrong with their society, and all the reasons they had to reform it. The war acted as the unifying force for hippies by giving them all a common enemy. The hippies blamed the “maturity and denial of youth” for all of the violence and discrimination they fought against. For this reason, they fought by posing as “flower children”; peaceful, innocent, and young, mocking the aggression of the establishment. (Braunstein & Doyle p.252) The hippies’ style of fighting without violence made a statement against the norms of their society and their nation’s leaders.

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Another reason the movement grew at the rapid pace it did was that American youth at the time felt a natural duty to rebel against those in charge. They rebelled whenever needed in response to injustice; whether it was against parents, teachers, the government, the man, or society as a whole. Students at the University of California, Berkeley began the Free Speech Movement in the fall of 1964, triggered by a University ban on promoting off-campus political activist groups and causes on school grounds. After a year of opposing the University and their police with unprecedented protests, the students won. Their right to protest government activities, free speech, and academic freedom was returned with an acknowledgement of said rights. (Kaiser 153)  Another way hippies rebelled against their parents and society was by abandoning their values and creating a lifestyle in complete opposition to them. While some saw the way the hippies’ lived their lives as self destructive, the hippies’ believed that living in the fashion of their parents, constantly being unhappy; working towards the future and towards living longer, was truly the self-destructive choice; a waste of life. “Valuing the future over the present… sustained the ‘rat race’ value system that prized lifelong competitiveness, materialism, and avarice” (Braunstein & Doyle p.257)

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In addition to the hippie movement’s major impact on its era, it had a great deal of influence in the years to follow. Their counterculture’s legacy was it’s influence on the arts and societal values. Many contemporary music styles were derived from those of the hippies and their movements’ most prominent artists. Some of the counterculture’s most prominent artists fought for equality simply by being themselves. Teens were seeing black artists like Jimi Hendrix, female ones like Grace Slick, and unattractive ones like Janis Joplin creating their favorite music and were becoming more accepting. The hippies advocated for the general acceptance of people by fighting for equality and putting great value on individuality and diversity. Haight Ashbury became a gathering place for hippies during the Summer of Love in 1967. Years later San Francisco has one of the highest gay populations in America and is a focal point of the gay rights movement. This universal tendency towards acceptance has found its way through the years into modern society. Another big hippie ideology passed on to our generation was their value of youth as a mental state and their resistance to maturity. During their brief time in the White House, “John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline spearheaded the youthful style and aesthetic that eventually became the zeitgeist of the decade.” The youth attitude of the love generation created a culture in which adults started trying to look young and hip like their children instead of kids trying to look old and mature like their parents. (Braunstein & Doyle p.245). In America especially, the youth define the culture; adults pick up on trends such as social networking and texting from their children instead of children picking up trends from adults. The   counterculture of the 60’s contributed positively to the generations that followed it through its musical contributions and values.

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The hippie counterculture grew a large following to its radical belief system whose influence can still be seen today. If it were not for the hippie movement, our world today would lack a lot of great music and a lot of the progress our culture has made towards equality and acceptance. The hippies were a group who fought for a future they believed in, one of peace and love. Although some hippie’s just liked to party hard and continued to vote for republicans who opposed hippie values, for the most part their intentions were good and their efforts a partial success. The hippie counterculture proved to be one of the most unique societal rebellions ever.

It’s all nice but I’m not a huge fan. Way too much alienation. Without TV or internet keeping us “connected” the masses would have already rebelled.

You can call me a communist or a hippie and I would probably agree with you to some extent, because I believe the best kind of society is much smaller, and where everyone works together.

Keep in mind, this what humans did for most of their existence. Hunter gatherers, then agricultural tribes, this is what people did for thousands of years. The European whites came and fucked things up just like they always do and a few centuries later we go from hunting wild boars to paying 3 bucks at a hot dog stand.

Now someone says, “Hey I love, modern technology. The human race is evolving, not going backwards, you shmuck. You can go live in the jungle with caterpillars, I’m perfectly happy here texting my bff’s before we go to world of beer and try to pick up bitches.”

Okay, fine, my proposal is not to totally burn shit down, but to downsize. Drastically.

My ideal society is small. A little village, in the mountains if you will. Everyone knows each other and everyone’s equal. There’s no money in this society. Instead, everyone is trusted to take what they need and provide their contribution to the community. Everyone works hard by day, and at night we get together at the village square and socialize, dance, have spiritual ceremonies, have wild sex, drink, smoke weed, etc. Only about 100 people tops live in this village. Families live in small houses, and the houses are close together, no more of our suburban castles. Modern technology would still exist but it would all be greatly downsized. Power would be generated either from the sun, or turbines down the river. No oil or fossil fuels necessary.

One day I intend to develop a society like this. Hell stuff like this probably already exists, but I imagine it’s more of a slum like area than a healthy, vibrant village.

Now also keep in mind that this is ideal. This is assuming there won’t be those greedy motherfuckers who try to rule the village while oppressing the weak. This is assuming that people won’t steal, or murder, or take advantage of this very liberal community.

Unfortunately this village assumes the best of human nature, but unfortunately reality paints a picture of heirarchies, and rules, and politics, and other assorted bullshit. It’s funny how the system set up to prevent corruption from the masses is so corrupt in itself. Again, the dark side of human nature.

The Dow opened with a plunge of 500 points plus. It is getting worse each day and everyone is nervous. The last thing I read was telling us all not to panic. Of course the American people are beginning to panic. The every day man and woman are the ones who get hit the hardest in the recessions and we are now entering the next one. So what happens in a second recession worse than we are now?

For many people it is going to be a disaster of financial and health issues. Required medication is going to go by the way side, because it is not affordable. That means more deaths from high blood pressure, heart attacks, mental cases of depression leading to crime and murder, an overwhelming amount of depression in adults and children, hunger in record numbers and more.

Food banks are already overwhelmed and cannot provide enough for those who use them. They are not used by the lazy loafer or someone taking advantage of the system. The food banks are used by adults on medication they cannot do without and have no money left to buy food, by mothers and fathers with children trying to keep a roof over their head, by individuals that have suddenly had all their adult children and grandchildren return home because they have lost everything.

Businesses have moved out of this country leaving it a non producing society. Companies that employed whole communities left for another country and pay cuts. Since they are now overseas they cut their own cost and make bigger profits. The American consumer pays a higher price for import of products and services. Large companies from America are placing their business manufacturing firms outside of our own country. Many Americans have left to work for American companies in other countries in order to maintain a life style for their families, away from our current recession and the new one to follow.

The first thing to do is stock up on canned goods. By winter food prices will soar and become too much for a family with no income to afford. Even friends will not be able to help feed loved ones, because they will be hungry. Learn to make soup. Stock up on the main ingredients and a few spices. Can produce, dry fruit and stock up on grains. Including yeast for making bread or begin a sour dough starter.

Start gathering for living off the grid, because in order to keep a home you may have to give up electricity and other amenities. You will have a roof, but that is all you will have. Make sure you have enough blankets and learn to create new clothes from the old clothes or piece you have. Buy an extra pair of shoes from the thrift store and put away for the time your current pair wears out.

As for Christmas gifts, just be thankful you have your family with you and celebrate with a great feast, a few home made gifts and make it practical. Home made candy and mixes can be fun, taste great and fill a need while being practical. This is going to be a hard recession to recover from for everyone. Stock up now and prepare for a time when cash is extremely limited or not available at all.

Good luck to everyone and may our country recover in time to keep our nation of baby boomers from reverting back to hippies.

After my long trip to Portland, Oregon; a few buses, and a few hitchhiked rides later I found myself exhausted from walking, glowing from inebriation and cold from the forty degree late June, Washington air.  Though it had been a long trip, I shook off my discomforts, and was suddenly stunned as I observed the new environment.  The parking area—a gravel road with many off shoots—was packed with tie dye Volkswagen vans, and buses, along with many cars, the Junkers and the luxurious.  News crews, police, and forest rangers could be spotted here and there, and attendees of many classes, were all about.

As I walked down from the trail head, complete strangers were welcoming me home and telling me that they loved me.  Although it was strange, I responded with a more quiet and awkward ”I love you too”—and in my head, a voice saying “maybe”.  I smiled and moved along, After several odd encounters with these loving strangers.  

While walking through the trail, leading to the “main circle” I spotted many camps and unconventional kitchens, beclouded by conifers, with the exception of dark blue tarps strewn about.  Cardboard signs Labeled camppaths:Tea Time, O.B. Camp, Hobo Alley, Polar Bear, and on and on; each with there own purpose.  Tea, coffee, pastries, popcorn and even herbal medication were provided, and all you need is a “blisk” or a cup to put it in or lungs to inhale. 

There isn’t a monetary system there.  Everything you can get and everything that you can push is done through bartering.  I was excited about this.  You can move up withitems fairly easy if you just have the motivation to yell, and walk around for a bit.  One of the easiest ways—If you do not have many items withyou to trade—is through what is called a “random pocket trade”.  You can take any small item in your pocket, yell the magic words, and catch a “fish” that will trade you something random in their pockets.  Sometimes you end up witha useless nothing, and sometimes you end up with a good tradable item.  I did this often, because I was one of the many that came unprepared.  I noticed this way of bartering while camping in Hobo Alley withthe rest of the strays of the gathering.  I started mimicking the strategy, will the small beads I had unintentionally brought withme.  I ended up with many different random items: bigger beads, candies or “zoo-zoos”, string, coins, a little Buddha statue, and even pocket trash a couple of times.  It was exciting and new, and I became addicted to it.

Everyday I spent there, from June 28 to July 8th, was musical.  Drums, flutes, didgeridoos, guitars, banjos, violins, saws, and even some spoons permeated the air, in colorful patterns.  These “monsters” and “dirty hippies”, as they are often called, were pretty talented.  I would often sit by the “main circle” at night and stare into the fire, imagining that the music, growing louder, held sway over the fire.  It seemed mystical, and at the same time I could imagine how the animals might find it daunting, and stayed as far away as possible.  I could picture them all circling around the area, far away from the noise, with their gleaming eyes piercing the dark, just like in some cartoon, or cheesy horror movie.  Nothing seemed to matter though.  The stresses of society were slowly leaving me.  I was starting not to think about it anymore.  The only things that mattered were the next trade, the next kitchen, the next fire, the next drum circle and the next breath.  It was a feeling of aliveness, and not many said it, but everyone knew it.  Beautiful.  So much so, that I didn’t think about all of the trash that we creatures were creating.

Trash was the one big problem I noticed, with this event.  When you’re having a party in a delicate National Forest, and invite twenty to twenty-five thousand of your ”friends” and “family”, realize that things will get destroyed, and there will be a lot of trash.  This became apparent to me, only after I left the forest.  Even as I passed a fifty foot long snake, ten to twelve foot high, pile of garbage, I didn’t think about it.  I was thinking too much about how society would feel again after being in this magnificent place with all of these extraordinary people that deem society, capitalism, and cities as the wrong way.  I understood the reason they felt this, especially after my experience.  There was a happiness there; a freedom, that you don’t usually feel in a big city, with a big job, and a big house, with the long arm of the law.  I saw how these things could become burdens, and understood them quite well. 

They did as much as they could do to clean.  This required a specific group of people to pick up trash, and even asking people to stuff trash—if they were to see it on the ground—in their pockets.  They did this from dusk until dawn.  After having twenty-thousand people in the Forest; eating, drinking, crapping, and cooking in all day and night long, it becomes hard to manage.  Everything there was wonderful, and it felt great, but to know that something so delicate and beautiful as the forest was being affected, it became difficult to understand what was truly right. 

As a few days passed, after I had left the Gifford Pinochet Forest behind I thought about the way of the world—surfaced again—and the things I had learned at the gathering.  The harmony and music was beautiful. The landscape and people were wonderful.  The vibes and visuals were mystical.  And overall, the lifestyle and ideas were lucid.  I look back and still see myself there with, no clue, staring into a drum controlled fire, and a smile on my face.  Though I hope these events will continue, because they are fun, and educational; I hope that they will eventually move into habitats that are more resilient to human activity and consumption.  Overall it was a good experience, and one worth the curiosity; that needs much consideration about location, and fragility.  I learned a lot about the possible peace between human beings; happiness without money and the enjoyment of nature; the thrill of danger, and the disappointment of waste.  Maybe one day we can all learn.    

The demons then came with darkness in their hearts, although they dressed in white satin and velvet. Amongst us they flowed lies and deceit were spread. Bringing greed , selfishness and poisonous herbs controlled by establishment crows dressed in black who a smile never graced their sour faces.

We waited on Quinn to rescue the Eskimos and all the rest, he never came. Along the watchtower to spie the land searching and looking for a rescuing hand.

On the beach dreams were dissolved , dissipated into the quickening breeze, taken from us like a spirit departing.While white swans swam on the pond in the park.

It was the early sixties the beginning of the Hippie revolution. Everyone was talking “love not hate” “Peace not war”. Our government was getting us involved in another war. This war was half way around the world in South

Viet Nam. We were to help South Viet Nam fight off the approaching Viet Cong. It sounded alright on paper and

wars always seemed to help a political career.

This war was fought differently then any other war the U.S. has ever gotten into. We were never allowed to take

the offensive, we were never allowed to attack, we were in a defensive mode and we were told to stay that way.

You can’t win a war that way and in the mid Seventies we lost the war. The Viet Cong over ran everything and chased us out.

Enough about the war. That was not what I wanted to talk about. I want to talk about the boys that were sent

over there and became men while they were still in their teens. I also want to talk about the nurses and the doctors

that worked around the clock patching up our soldiers.

Viet Nam is mostly jungle so to help our soldiers fight, our government came up with something called Agent

Orange,which when dropped from airplanes would destroy all the foliage and make it easier to find the enemy.

Agent Orange also destroyed people, our own people as well as the enemy. The symptoms very anywhere from

nerve damage to cancer. It also affects the children of those affected. Many children were born with birth defects

linked to Agent Orange.

Alcohol and illegal drugs were plentiful in Viet Nam so many of the soldiers came home hooked. As in most wars there were atrocities that many would love to forget but can’t. A lot of these atrocities occurred when officers,

seeking to make a name for themselves, would over step their authority and order soldiers to do things they

should not.

After the soldier spent his or her time in Viet Nam you would think they would come home to a heroes welcome.

most came home to no welcome at all. The protesters were not getting anywhere with the government so they

decided to try a new tactic. They went after the soldier. They would tell the soldiers they were wrong for being

there and encourage them to go AWOL. This really destroyed the moral of our soldiers. When the soldiers came home they were all but forgotten. In fact the soldiers were made to feel like the enemy. Some people would even spit on or hit the soldiers. a few got beaten to death just because they were wearing their uniforms.

Today many of our Viet Nam vets are living on the street unable to cope with civilian life after returning from

Viet Nam.

When the Viet Nam Wall was built in Washington D.C. it did a lot to help the Viet Nam veterans, finally they

were getting the recognition they deserved. Then they built 3 moving walls. So that everyone in the country would

get a chance to see the wall and remember.

I remember a part of a TV show I saw a long time ago. I have forgotten the name of the show. There was an old lady who wanted to see the Viet Nam Wall and find her son’s name but no one would take her. Finally the male lead drove her to the wall. They found the name but it was too high she could not trace it. So he got a ladder that was there so people could reach the top names. She said she couldn’t climb up the ladder someone will look up my skirt. She told the man to do it for her. He said no this is something you have to do. He also said no one would look up her skirt. So finally she climbed up the ladder and traced her son’s name.

I saw the moving wall twice. Each time I was awed by the size of it and all the names on it. I know many of my friends have their name on that wall and it saddens me.

I have never hid the fact that I was in the Air Force form July 1970 to July 1974. I went in the Air Force hoping

that I would not have to go to Viet Nam. I hate guns and didn’t want to carry one. I didn’t think I could ever make

myself shoot another human being even to save my life.

I have always been sadden by the lack of respect our returning soldiers got during that time. I used to hate

veterans day because I was always reminded of the lack of respect the public showed the Viet Nam vets. Then 10 years ago people started thanking me for serving my country. Even strangers when they find out I am a vet come up and thank me. Everytime someone thanks me it makes my day. The Viet Nam vets are finally being recognized and I am happy.

Oh by the way. because I was never in Viet Nam so I cannot call myself a Viet Nam vet. The Government calls me a Viet Nam era vet. I was Sgt. Arnold Edwin Nelson Jr. USAF. It doesn’t matter what label the Government gives me. I was proud to serve my country then and I am still proud of my service to our great country.