My commentary is below the video.
The Ghost Dance was a “round dance” that was part of a religious movement in 1890 that was started by a Paiute Indian named Wovoka also known as Jack Wilson, a name he adopted after his father died and was taken in and raised by a rancher by the name of David Wilson as a teen and worked there well into adulthood. Now Wovoka’s father was a medicine man and Wovoka was learning from his father but Wovoka was also known for having visions. Wovoka was well versed in Paiute traditions and religion but while being part of the Wilson family he was also taught the Bible and Christianity.
In January 1889 Wovoka had a vision during a solar eclipse. Wovoka’s vision showed the return or resurrection of the Paiute dead and that the white man and all that he has brought and done to the Indians would vanish and that the Indians and buffalo return to the days before the whites. Wovoka believed this could only be done by doing the Ghost Dance and living a righteous life. Wovoka was a pacifist and encouraged his follower not to harm the whites and continue to work with them. I believe Wovoka incorporated Indian beliefs with Christianity and some have said even as far as that Jesus would return as a Indian to bring about Wovoka’s vision. Wovoka’s vision and Ghost Dance began to gain attention from other western tribes who then sent representatives to meet and learn from Wovoka.
Now these tribal representatives returned to their tribes after learning the Ghost Dance, songs and prayers. Many tribes made changes to the song, prayers and even the dance so to fit into their traditions. But it was the Lakota Sioux who went further. Many Lakota by this time were highly resentful to the wasicu, which in Lakota means non-Indian and not “fat taker” which is “wasin icu” but wasicu overtime did become a derogatory and is associate with “greedy” or “untrustworthy”. Lakota were also resentful to the US Government and corrupt Indian Agents. We need to remember this 1890 and Custer’s last stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn which the Sioux killed Custer and massacred the US 7th Calvary was only about 13 or 14 years earlier. So the Sioux felt that they were still paying for that. Sioux were eventually forced on to the reservation due to lost of their main food resource the buffalo which were hunted nearly to extinction for their hides and bones by whites with the encouragement of the Government so that the Plains Indians would lack their number one resource and the cattle ranchers how want the buffalo and Indians gone for their land to raise cattle.
By February 1890 the Federal Government decided to break it treaty with the Sioux and breakup their reservation into smaller reservation and divided up the Great Sioux Nation. Even thought the Government tried to teach the Sioux to farm they did take into account the difficulty to farm in the Dakotas at that time. So at the end of the growing season of 1890 with poor precipitation and extreme heat the Sioux were unable to have any kind of substantial harvest. But the Government simply accused the Sioux of being lazy and they cut the Sioux’s supply rations and now that the Lakota didn’t even have the buffalo anymore they began to fear that they might starve. So the Lakota saw the Ghost Dance as a last hope but where Wovoka want a peaceful conversion the Lakota saw it differently.
The Lakota took the Ghost Dance and created specially designed shirts which were said to give the wearer special powers and protects the wearer from bullets. The Lakota reservation’s Indian Agents became increasingly worried about this movement and those who wore special magic shirts that they thought were bullet proof on the reservation and two great tragedies came to pass. The first was that the Sioux reservation Indian Agent suspected the great Sitting Bull was behind it or may soon join it. On December 15, 1890 the Indian Agent sent a group of Indian police to take him to custody but as they were trying to arrest Sitting Bull’s supporters began to gather around and when Sitting Bull began to resist and member of supporters raised his gun and shot the head officer who in turned shot Sitting Bull in the chest then one of the Indian police shot Sitting Bull in the head. By the end of the skirmish 9 Indian police and 7 of Sitting Bull’s supporters were dead as well as the great Sitting Bull. For trivia purpose apparently in 1983 Sitting Bull was baptized into the Roman Catholic faith.
The second tragedy of course was December 29, 1890 the Massacre at Wounded Knee. Of course story about what happen on the day depends on which side is telling it. This is what we do know. 200 members of Sitting Bull’s band left the Standing Rock Agency where Sitting Bull lived after hearing the death of Sitting Bull and fearing reprisal went and joined Spotted Elk (aka Bigfoot) at Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Then on December 23rd Spotted Elk and his band along with 38 members of Sitting Bull’s band left for the Pine Ridge Reservation to seek protection under Red Cloud. But on December 28 they were intercepted by the 7th Calvary and Spotted Elk and his 350 followers were taken to Wounded Knee Creek which the rest of the 7th Calvary joined up bring the 7th’s numbers to 500 and the Indians’ at 350 with 120 of those being women and children. Well the US Calvary began disarming the Indians and here is different stories about who shot first happened. But in the end over 150 Indians were killed out of that over 60 were women and children and as for the Calvary over 30 were killed some speculate that many of that 30 were from friendly fire due to crossfire.
The Ghost Dance seemed to vanish after Wounded Knee. Perhaps it been turned into another round dance. I only heard of only one tribe still doing it. Interesting the Navaho never accepted the Ghost Dance due to cultural fear of ghost and dead. Even today Navaho Indian Police will get calls by elder Navaho and/or traditionalist if they even think they hear something they believe is a ghost and the Indian Police will come out and investigate. As Wovoka he passed way in 1932.
I thought this interesting regarding Ghost Dance Photos
Reading Photographs:
Imaging and Imagining the Ghost Dance: James Mooney's Illustrations and Photographs, 1891-1893
Thomas W. Kavanagh
UR
Friday, September 2, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Am I Old?
When does one realize that they are getting old?
Chorus:
The lead singer who wrote this song after being on a subway train with a group high school age teenagers. He said,
It suck when you begin to realize you’re not a teenager or even 25 anymore even though in you’re mind you think you still are. But one day you look around and see young people looking at you as if you’re old. I know I could go to a Alice Cooper concert or a Rob Zombie concert and there will be young people looking at me like what you doing here old man. Even though I was listening to Alice before they were born and Alice is 63yrs old or that Rob Zombie and I are the same age. Fact is that if I sat down with Alice or Rob I would have more in common with them than some 20 year old.
The song “Teenagers” to me is about the violence in the youth culture and that adults are to blame due to their lack of involvement in teenagers life and that we should be more involve in their lives even if they don’t want it. But involved not has either a policeman or as a best friend but as a parent or as a mentor. To me a parent’s job is to teach your child how to survive with out them, to understand the rules of one society and prepare them to be able to cope in the real world. To learn from mistakes and if they fall to always get back up.
When I was a school age teenage in the late 70’s and early 80’s I knew kids who had parents with guns and they would have never touch them nor would have brought them to school no matter how angry they were. We did carry pocketknives to school, which could be confiscated if a teacher saw you playing with it but usually you were warned to put it away. If it was confiscated you could get it back at the end of the day. Fights were rare and usually quick and weaponless. Most of the time students would jump in and break it up before a teacher got there. Reason is because their fellow students would break it up so the two who are fighting wouldn’t get in trouble. Teacher had no problem jumping in the middle of a fight because typically a student would not dare hit a teacher because they were taught at home and school to respect their elders. Don’t get me wrong I’m sure a few got hit in the heat of things.
But today it seems when a fight breaks out the surrounding students standby with their cell phone videoing it for the Internet. I too think adults are to blame because we are the one making the rules and produce media programs showing insane drunken behavior of reality TV. I believe children and teenager needs rules and boundaries that will allow them express themselves and be themselves but not violate others rights or peace. But adult need to lead by example especially by parents and teachers. It seems today there are parents and teachers who don't think they have an obligation to be a moral role model without regard of how it's going to influence young minds. Truth is those adults are lazy and self-centered.
I do understand how teenagers can scare me. We fear what we don’t understand and where I once could relate now I wonder who are these people. I’m sure all the things I felt then is about the same as today teenagers do. Most teenagers tend to be idealist because the lack experience in being in the real world unless they are in a very poor gang control area then its just a form hopeless survialism. Maybe what happens is as we get older and go through life we begin understand more and life becomes less fearful and more secure in our own skin and we begin to understand our parents better. As I say to my young adult kids, just because you’re an adult it doesn’t mean you’re grown up. The day you grow up is the day you realize you have responsibilities. Responsibilities to work, to family, to friends, to community and even responsibilities you don’t even want to have but you do. That’s the day you grow up whether it be at 20 or 50 and I know some who are in their 40s and still haven’t grown up because the won’t take responsibility and I’ve know 16yr old who had to grow up because they had to become responsible to support their mother and siblings after their father died.
But the real question is; have we let an untrained dog off the leash? Many “parents” today will allow a minor do things that in my day we couldn’t do until you were over 18 and living in your own place unless your parents were old hippies even then they would draw a line. Will young people today be able to grow up?
I think it’s important to be young at heart but be real about it. There just some things our aging bodies can do anymore. I use to be able to stay up all night and then go to work but oddly it just doesn’t seem to be the smart thing to do anymore.
UR
Chorus:
"They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me"
The lead singer who wrote this song after being on a subway train with a group high school age teenagers. He said,
"That was the first time I felt old...I was nervous and I was a target. I felt like I had become a parent figure or part of the problem."The lead singer at the time was probably around 28 years old.
It suck when you begin to realize you’re not a teenager or even 25 anymore even though in you’re mind you think you still are. But one day you look around and see young people looking at you as if you’re old. I know I could go to a Alice Cooper concert or a Rob Zombie concert and there will be young people looking at me like what you doing here old man. Even though I was listening to Alice before they were born and Alice is 63yrs old or that Rob Zombie and I are the same age. Fact is that if I sat down with Alice or Rob I would have more in common with them than some 20 year old.
The song “Teenagers” to me is about the violence in the youth culture and that adults are to blame due to their lack of involvement in teenagers life and that we should be more involve in their lives even if they don’t want it. But involved not has either a policeman or as a best friend but as a parent or as a mentor. To me a parent’s job is to teach your child how to survive with out them, to understand the rules of one society and prepare them to be able to cope in the real world. To learn from mistakes and if they fall to always get back up.
When I was a school age teenage in the late 70’s and early 80’s I knew kids who had parents with guns and they would have never touch them nor would have brought them to school no matter how angry they were. We did carry pocketknives to school, which could be confiscated if a teacher saw you playing with it but usually you were warned to put it away. If it was confiscated you could get it back at the end of the day. Fights were rare and usually quick and weaponless. Most of the time students would jump in and break it up before a teacher got there. Reason is because their fellow students would break it up so the two who are fighting wouldn’t get in trouble. Teacher had no problem jumping in the middle of a fight because typically a student would not dare hit a teacher because they were taught at home and school to respect their elders. Don’t get me wrong I’m sure a few got hit in the heat of things.
But today it seems when a fight breaks out the surrounding students standby with their cell phone videoing it for the Internet. I too think adults are to blame because we are the one making the rules and produce media programs showing insane drunken behavior of reality TV. I believe children and teenager needs rules and boundaries that will allow them express themselves and be themselves but not violate others rights or peace. But adult need to lead by example especially by parents and teachers. It seems today there are parents and teachers who don't think they have an obligation to be a moral role model without regard of how it's going to influence young minds. Truth is those adults are lazy and self-centered.
I do understand how teenagers can scare me. We fear what we don’t understand and where I once could relate now I wonder who are these people. I’m sure all the things I felt then is about the same as today teenagers do. Most teenagers tend to be idealist because the lack experience in being in the real world unless they are in a very poor gang control area then its just a form hopeless survialism. Maybe what happens is as we get older and go through life we begin understand more and life becomes less fearful and more secure in our own skin and we begin to understand our parents better. As I say to my young adult kids, just because you’re an adult it doesn’t mean you’re grown up. The day you grow up is the day you realize you have responsibilities. Responsibilities to work, to family, to friends, to community and even responsibilities you don’t even want to have but you do. That’s the day you grow up whether it be at 20 or 50 and I know some who are in their 40s and still haven’t grown up because the won’t take responsibility and I’ve know 16yr old who had to grow up because they had to become responsible to support their mother and siblings after their father died.
But the real question is; have we let an untrained dog off the leash? Many “parents” today will allow a minor do things that in my day we couldn’t do until you were over 18 and living in your own place unless your parents were old hippies even then they would draw a line. Will young people today be able to grow up?
I think it’s important to be young at heart but be real about it. There just some things our aging bodies can do anymore. I use to be able to stay up all night and then go to work but oddly it just doesn’t seem to be the smart thing to do anymore.
UR
Monday, August 15, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Anarchy in the UK
Hmmm, such nice young ladies.
Apparently what started out as a protest about a police shooting is now about an anarchy, that they can do what they want. But really this is all about stealing and vandalism.
You know what I’ve heard this before.
Of course this rioting is destroying local businesses and these teenagers and twentysomethings have just put more people on the government dole. Not to mention the people who are now homeless because of the fires. Now the government will have to support more people.
Nice going morons. That’s right you’re not anarchist or protesters you’re morons or thieves.
But then this is what happens when the people become to dependent on the government to take care of them.
The problem with socialism it depends on taxing the workers so the worker can have benefits. So if enough people don't work and not pay into the system the system will fail. So then if there are jobs and young people of that country choose not to work for what ever reason then the government will bring in foreign workers to work so that they can pay into the system to support the non-working with healthcare and financial aid which use to be mostly the retired, elderly, disabled, sick, homeless, unemployed but now having the foreign workers paying the taxes and if young people do not enter the work force to pay their fair share you have more people needing the system that can’t get enough worker tax money due to disproportionate amount of workers to non-workers and the government still paying for benefits it can’t afford. And just taxing the rich in socialism will not sustain any country for very long, unless it’ s very small population and of that you have a large population of wealthy and limit immigration into the country.
Socialism today is the people pay taxes to the government for benefits and services. If people don’t pay or pay enough then the government can’t provide.
UR
Monday, August 8, 2011
You Can Pay More Tax If You Want
I always love when a wealthy celebrities and liberals says taxes should be raised on the wealthy.
Let’s take Matt Damon. Apparently he doesn’t feel that he pays enough tax. Click and see the full video interview and the article of “Matt Damon on debt limit: ‘I’m so disgusted,’ ‘it’s criminal’ the wealthy are not paying higher taxes”
by Nicholas Ballasy July 30 (NicholasBallasy.com)
Then there is Author Stephen King, apparently he also doesn’t feel he pays enough in taxes. See the article and video of “Stephen King Eloquently Rips Into the Tea Party, Taxes, Reagan” 3/10/11 from nymag.com
First, I want to say I enjoy Matt Damon’s movie and Stephen King stories and I believe they are both very talented individuals and deserve every dime they make.
Now that being said, I wonder if they know that they can always pay more Federal or State taxes. There is no law saying you can’t pay more tax if you want.
This is how it works. You do your taxes and if you don’t think you are paying enough tax then you simply write out a bigger check. Now if the IRS sends it back saying you over paid then you send it back and say keep it. But most wealthy celebrities have accountants and the accountant’s job is to save the client money in the form of paying fewer taxes by using deduction, tax credits, write offs and finding loopholes. Now all the wealthy celebrity has to do is tell their accountant that they want to pay more tax and just tell them not to take any deduction, tax credits, write offs and loopholes. Of course the accountant might think your crazy but as long as you have enough money to pay them they should do it.
So it’s pretty simple, but the question is will wealthy liberals who think the rich should pay more taxes take the lead and voluntarily pay more taxes? Or do they feel it’s the government’s job to force them? Why should you feel that if you want to pay more tax that the government should come take it, why not just give it if you feel you owe more?
Here are other ways to give the Federal government more money.
1. How the Obamas (and the Guilty Left) Can Pay More Taxes
2. Gifts to the United States
Even if you live in a State that has no income tax you can give the State money or if State tax is based on property tax you can cut a bigger check.
Maybe if all the wealthy Liberals in this country voluntarily pay more taxes maybe then the “evil” rich will feel that they should too. But don’t be a hypocrite and only be willing to be paying more tax when it’s a Democrat in the Whitehouse but not if it’s a Republican.
So to all you wealthy Liberals and Celebrities liberals, even though I believe in your right to freedom of speech but there is an old saying; “You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk.” Or maybe this one is more appropriate; “Either put up or shut up.”
UR
Let’s take Matt Damon. Apparently he doesn’t feel that he pays enough tax. Click and see the full video interview and the article of “Matt Damon on debt limit: ‘I’m so disgusted,’ ‘it’s criminal’ the wealthy are not paying higher taxes”
by Nicholas Ballasy July 30 (NicholasBallasy.com)
Then there is Author Stephen King, apparently he also doesn’t feel he pays enough in taxes. See the article and video of “Stephen King Eloquently Rips Into the Tea Party, Taxes, Reagan” 3/10/11 from nymag.com
First, I want to say I enjoy Matt Damon’s movie and Stephen King stories and I believe they are both very talented individuals and deserve every dime they make.
Now that being said, I wonder if they know that they can always pay more Federal or State taxes. There is no law saying you can’t pay more tax if you want.
This is how it works. You do your taxes and if you don’t think you are paying enough tax then you simply write out a bigger check. Now if the IRS sends it back saying you over paid then you send it back and say keep it. But most wealthy celebrities have accountants and the accountant’s job is to save the client money in the form of paying fewer taxes by using deduction, tax credits, write offs and finding loopholes. Now all the wealthy celebrity has to do is tell their accountant that they want to pay more tax and just tell them not to take any deduction, tax credits, write offs and loopholes. Of course the accountant might think your crazy but as long as you have enough money to pay them they should do it.
So it’s pretty simple, but the question is will wealthy liberals who think the rich should pay more taxes take the lead and voluntarily pay more taxes? Or do they feel it’s the government’s job to force them? Why should you feel that if you want to pay more tax that the government should come take it, why not just give it if you feel you owe more?
Here are other ways to give the Federal government more money.
1. How the Obamas (and the Guilty Left) Can Pay More Taxes
2. Gifts to the United States
Even if you live in a State that has no income tax you can give the State money or if State tax is based on property tax you can cut a bigger check.
Maybe if all the wealthy Liberals in this country voluntarily pay more taxes maybe then the “evil” rich will feel that they should too. But don’t be a hypocrite and only be willing to be paying more tax when it’s a Democrat in the Whitehouse but not if it’s a Republican.
So to all you wealthy Liberals and Celebrities liberals, even though I believe in your right to freedom of speech but there is an old saying; “You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk.” Or maybe this one is more appropriate; “Either put up or shut up.”
UR
Saturday, August 6, 2011
What the Hell!
Remember a week ago everyone was in a panic that if we did get the debt ceiling increased passed we were going to be downgraded? So after days of name calling along and negotiations and at the eleventh hour our government pass a bipartisan bill that would save us from debt ceiling apocalypse.
Well, what happen? The S&P downgraded us from AAA to AA rating because of our spending and we did cut enough spending in the bill. Our geniuses were able to offer up 2 trillion cut but apparently unaware S&P wanted 4 trillion cut. Oops!
This administration just doesn’t understand. I know President Obama wants European style of socialism but I guess President Obama also wanted European style debt rating as well.
Nice job guys. You know we wouldn’t want a balance budget or anything.
Let this poor simple guy give you in Washington a few suggestions.
1. Balance the budget.
2. Cut spending. Congress and the President could start with taking a 25% cut in pay. Then stop the earmarks, pet project funding and keep cutting everything even office supplies and make Social Security, Medicare and military the last to be looked at for cuts.
3. Flat income tax.
4. A .5% to 1% national sales tax. So we can get taxes from underground economies legal or illegal.
5. Lower the corporate tax to compete with other countries but make it flat tax with no loopholes or extensions.
6. Loosen up on regulation and paperwork that stifle the creation of small business.
7. Get away from banks and get them wanting to loan again.
8. Stop bailing out failed States. They need to learn to budget themselves.
9. Stop funding research studies such as Chinese hookers drinking, penises, pig farts and so on. Look if they can’t get private funding then nobody cares.
10. Maybe get rid of Fanny Mae & Freddy Mac.
I’m sure I could go on and I'm not saying these are good ideas but at least they're something.
Stop the politics and the parties ideologies and begin to represent the country.
UR
Well, what happen? The S&P downgraded us from AAA to AA rating because of our spending and we did cut enough spending in the bill. Our geniuses were able to offer up 2 trillion cut but apparently unaware S&P wanted 4 trillion cut. Oops!
This administration just doesn’t understand. I know President Obama wants European style of socialism but I guess President Obama also wanted European style debt rating as well.
Nice job guys. You know we wouldn’t want a balance budget or anything.
Let this poor simple guy give you in Washington a few suggestions.
1. Balance the budget.
2. Cut spending. Congress and the President could start with taking a 25% cut in pay. Then stop the earmarks, pet project funding and keep cutting everything even office supplies and make Social Security, Medicare and military the last to be looked at for cuts.
3. Flat income tax.
4. A .5% to 1% national sales tax. So we can get taxes from underground economies legal or illegal.
5. Lower the corporate tax to compete with other countries but make it flat tax with no loopholes or extensions.
6. Loosen up on regulation and paperwork that stifle the creation of small business.
7. Get away from banks and get them wanting to loan again.
8. Stop bailing out failed States. They need to learn to budget themselves.
9. Stop funding research studies such as Chinese hookers drinking, penises, pig farts and so on. Look if they can’t get private funding then nobody cares.
10. Maybe get rid of Fanny Mae & Freddy Mac.
I’m sure I could go on and I'm not saying these are good ideas but at least they're something.
Stop the politics and the parties ideologies and begin to represent the country.
UR
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Common Sense Anyone? Anyone?
Well you have to read this yourself.
11-year-old saves baby bird’s life, gets fined $535
This is one of those stories that make you wonder what ever happen to common sense. Look I have nothing but respect for law enforcement including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service they all have an incredibly tough job. But some times the law agencies gets little over zealous and seem to lose their common sense when dealing with people.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claims it to be a clerical error and that the agent and State Trooper “had gone to inquire about the health of the woodpecker. At that point, they determined that no further action was necessary.” See I don’t think the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would have sent a State Trooper with the agent if it was a simple inquiry. State Troopers are usually sent along as back up if they are serving citations or warrants because of the chance of possible violence. So to me it’s obvious the were told to serve a citation. Now I don’t know who wrote up the citation whether it was the agent they ran into or when they called in to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to report the incident and the release. Why the agent didn’t take the citation the her superiors and explained?
But what is really sad is how events like this could affect and young girl and her trust in the system.
This also reminds me of other incidents as such the story of a 10-year old girl brought her lunch to school and a small kitchen knife to cut it.
Or the story of the 12-year old Girl Arrested for Doodling.
Each of these incidents were over reactions and a lack of common sense but what affects could these have on these children when it comes to trusting authority, law enforcement and the system of justice we like to believe in?
Incidents like these only end up embarrassing law enforcement agencies, an embarrassments that could have been avoided with a little common sense.
UR
11-year-old saves baby bird’s life, gets fined $535
This is one of those stories that make you wonder what ever happen to common sense. Look I have nothing but respect for law enforcement including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service they all have an incredibly tough job. But some times the law agencies gets little over zealous and seem to lose their common sense when dealing with people.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claims it to be a clerical error and that the agent and State Trooper “had gone to inquire about the health of the woodpecker. At that point, they determined that no further action was necessary.” See I don’t think the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would have sent a State Trooper with the agent if it was a simple inquiry. State Troopers are usually sent along as back up if they are serving citations or warrants because of the chance of possible violence. So to me it’s obvious the were told to serve a citation. Now I don’t know who wrote up the citation whether it was the agent they ran into or when they called in to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to report the incident and the release. Why the agent didn’t take the citation the her superiors and explained?
But what is really sad is how events like this could affect and young girl and her trust in the system.
This also reminds me of other incidents as such the story of a 10-year old girl brought her lunch to school and a small kitchen knife to cut it.
Or the story of the 12-year old Girl Arrested for Doodling.
Each of these incidents were over reactions and a lack of common sense but what affects could these have on these children when it comes to trusting authority, law enforcement and the system of justice we like to believe in?
Incidents like these only end up embarrassing law enforcement agencies, an embarrassments that could have been avoided with a little common sense.
UR
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