Have you ever also noticed that certain topics are prevalent with the media or in films, or books? For example, all the talk on space exploration and NASA branding on clothing? It is everywhere- Elon Musk and SpaceX, random satellites supposedly reaching new distances, and billionaires pushing for space exploration.
Then, there are movies and shows like Ancient Aliens and Buzz Aldrin pushing the exploration agenda. On SpaceTalk, Aldrin declared that rocket fueling stations in space are the single most important thing to Human Beings…really? Rocket fuel…like more oil (or uranium or products derived from these substances) but, now in space? Naturally, it makes sense that this retired astronaut is pushing exploration but, it also sounds like he is lobbying for another industry… Neil Armstrong has died but, I don’t recall him saying much of anything (I always found Armstrong’s silence and expressions very interesting…his lack of eye contact and how he was able to stay out of the spotlight). He was the one I admired, as a kid. So, I noticed him.
Earth still has challenges to solve.
We have so much to explore and to further understand on Earth, like our oceans, Antarctica, curing cancer and other diseases. We still don’t really acknowledge how the Pyramids and other structures were made. We still have starving people, school shootings and so many other challenges…why is money going towards space exploration while we still use practices that pollute our home- Earth? Why would we want to contaminate or pollute the outer areas of space anyway? It seems we are choosing to run from the problems created on this planet (“planet” is an interesting word, when you look at it.). Or, is it about something else…?
BTW, NASA is a part of the federal government…I’m writing this because, I still hear people saying it is a private entity- The NASA administrator is determined by the president and confirmed by the senate. NASA falls under the executive branch. If you vote, it may be good information for you to know.
If we are really interested in space exploration, I have some questions:
- If we face challenges sustaining ourselves without harming the environment then, how are we able to make the leap into space without creating the same outcome somewhere else? It would seem that Earth should be the standard by which we prove our readiness for leaving.
- If Russia and the U.S. work together (quietly) on the International Space Station, why is there so much political drama portrayed with these two, on Earth? The funding involved with this space station makes this so-called troubled relationship look interesting, to me. A part of me questions the true relationships between nations…I start questioning a lot of things. You know, war is a very profitable industry. It is well known how much war boosts some nations, economically. Of course, it helps to be on the “right” side. Watch for momentum that feels off. For those of you who have traveled or have an inner circle with people from different countries, you know first hand that the idea of a “right” side of a war is blurry and highly subjective. This is in part because so called facts are reported different in different countries…but why? How could anyone know what 100% of the truth is? In other parts of the world, people are dying over what we hold to be 100% truth and therefore “just cause” …. of course, this is a bigger topic than can be covered in a bullet.
- Do you ever wonder how much money (and taxes) is involved in this space endeavor? I wonder what else that money could be used for…
- Many people admire the so-called space geniuses. What are these people doing for humanity right now, that isn’t directly lining their pockets? These people are described with such admiration…Sometimes, what I see is that they are passionate about making money and they have the charisma for it…Let’s be careful who we admire.
- I keep hearing people talk about Ancient Aliens. This show came out ten years ago and they have been running the same info on a loop, with different episodes. I’ll be honest, I used to binge watch this show, in between writing papers and working. I have noticed some things with this show. 1) There is a lot of anti- government sentiment- no surprise and 2) There is a lot of talk about higher beings being all the same- taking advantage or worse and occasionally teaching us…with words like, “the Gods.” There is a lot of agenda that doesn’t necessarily push away from weaponry and space exploration…what if ET’s are as diverse as human beings. Why is everything made black or white, good or bad? Discernment is important. It isn’t always taking a side from the angles and perspectives we have been given…rather, opening our eyes and coming to our own conclusions. Watch for momentum that feels off. Can I say something crazy? What if the “ET” activity on Earth is actually the grown up super rich misbehaving? How much do you know about what people are capable of? How much do any of us know what our science is truly capable of- how could we know, truly? For you and me, it is unknowable.
- Politics is a revolving door of people who serve in very temporary seats. We are frustrated with the faces yet, I often wonder what the typical politicians are truly privy to. What do they actually know? When you think about your jobs, how much did you learn at a job you spent a few years vs. a job you spent 10, 15, 20 years? What if you were constantly distracted by twitter, the news, approval/popularity poles, shut downs (because they get away with not showing up to work during temper tantrums). Am I suggesting another group of people are involved from behind the scenes? From a psychological perspective, yes- I don’t see how D.C. could function otherwise… I should be clear, I don’t think people in politics are inherently bad. I just don’t think they are always working in our best interest without conflict of interest. Many times, lobbyist and industry seem to be playing by rules that are unfair to the rest of us. Of course, we consent to it in different ways…but with our numbers, that could be different. We are not powerless. As I see it, this country is functioning in the way it does because we get up and go to work in the manner we are told, everyday consistently and every year. This country functions upon our labor. Have you ever really thought about it? The stores, restaurants, offices- open because managers, clerks, staff show up. The banks open because the tellers, people in IT and loan officers show up. The teachers are the most important people at a school in the everyday weekday. The firefighters, the nurses and doctors… We are taught to feel like we must show up to be productive members of society- NO SHUTDOWN for us OR ELSE. But, we haven’t been making the rules and they don’t seem fair to nearly all of us.
Momentum easily builds for chosen areas of interest and it spreads through the masses. Sometimes building momentum feels off or forced or just premature…people can get carried away with the hype surrounding whatever.
Sometimes, what I see looks like embedded marketing or product placement. People are subtly “warmed up” to a topic or product until it has become more mainstream and accepted. It becomes a part of the zeitgeist. An important key to remember is that this tactic is subtle and usually unnoticed by the intended audience…embedded marketing and product placement happens a lot in movies, music, even books. Easy examples of this are the brands we see, like the watches or purses celebrities wear. In music videos you see brands of alcohol or brands of headphones. A lot of you know this is product placement. The not so obvious examples of this involve emotions or sentiment on various topics. Kids are great for showing us how this works. Have you ever seen your child watch a show then, copy the behavior of one the characters? Sometimes, our children even want to wear something a character was wearing. It is happening with the adults too. I know you don’t need examples, just think about what success looks like…the brands, the ego, the idea that we have paid help like housekeepers (because if we are conventionally successful we are too busy slaving away to take care of our own home or kids). Our ideas on Gender, our ideas on being good Americans, being evolved, how we define relationships and, even how we define ethics, are influenced by the images and sounds that surround us. It is so prevalent and even invasive. We have become desensitized to all of the messages coming at us everyday. Many times, if you ask people, “Who are you?”, they will describe someone they admire or want to be like. Or, they will label themselves and proceed to describe that label- usually in a predictable way. “I am a mom. I raise my kids and my day involves cooking and cleaning.” Vs. “My family calls me Bear. I am curious and always interested in exploring and living in a more free, healthy way.”
Another question I ask myself, “Why are networks and channels being bought so aggressively? Have you ever looked to see who has ownership in the media? It actually looks like monopolies are legal, now. From a legal standpoint, a precedence has been set for buying companies like yours, if you have a good lawyer… you too can have your own monopoly for the high cost of buying a judge! Oh, I mean you could “merge” with other companies…be sure to say “merger” in the U.S. It makes everything okay and acceptable. The Semantics game is important in law and in business and in politics. Speak with the right words and you can own the world!
Go within yourself to know truth and the good life. I know all celebrities can’t be the same but what drives a lot of them is different from what drives me and a lot of you.
Look around and see what you notice.