Announcement from The Refreshment Center's founder, Gabrielle Jones-Price
Greetings, patrons and visitors.
As this challenging year draws to a close, I'm reminded of many lessons I have learned in the last decade. What continues to resonate is the love and compassionate generosity of activists during Occupy. Men and women who have done the heavy lifting of inner work required to handle the terrain of truth and the beautiful audacity of souls that carry it: to believe we can change things for the betterment of all.
Or as the writings in my practice might phrase it, "Om mani padme hum."
I'm also reminded often of a quote from the introduction written by Michael C. Ruppert, in his book, Crossing the Rubicon:
"Miracles can happen without our permission."
I can attest to that, personally. They happen when we least expect them, often when things seem darkest. Hence the saying, 'It is always darkest before the dawn.' I'm certain we can agree that we are bearing witness to a dark time, the very Rubicon that Michael worked hard to warn us all before we crossed it. He painstakingly created a map of the 'big picture' that many have seen and far too many have yet to discover. Those who recognized where this map could lead, struggled to comprehend the lunacy of how we got here, myself included. One thing is certain ... the work is just beginning.
Mike told us before he passed that there was no longer a map for what happens next. For some souls, uncharted territory is exciting and for others, scary. More than a few traditional native stories have prophesied of such times but their messages also included compassion and doing things in a sacred manner. I've always felt that it is important to know where we came from in order to understand where it is we're going.
I'm not talking about one nation's story. This is far bigger than this country's narrative in scope, which makes the current media landscape in the US little more than a minefield.
I believe that Mike's map is vitally important right now. Just as the oldest maps known to humankind are key to understanding our planet, our history, ourselves -- and especially our mistakes. That we're repeating many of those mistakes is a testament to the size and scope of propaganda and brainwashing that has occurred and continues in the wake of a collapsing paradigm. From the burning of the Library of Alexandria, to the dark ages of Catholicism and now the police/surveillance state, Graham Hancock's statement rings out like a bell: "We're a species with amnesia." Unfortunately, we've even forgotten recent teachable moments in history.
With your help, the project I'd like to undertake which received Mike's blessing in 2012, and the copyright holder's permission this year, is akin to what Ray Bradbury would have us all working together to do in his prescient, dystopian tale, Fahrenheit 451.
"We're Remembering."
TRC has a green-light. It needs your support to put the pedal to the metal.
The Scope of the Archival Project
Earlier this spring, I was honored to be asked to act as an administrator for Michael C. Ruppert's official fan page as well as archivist at the official book page for Crossing the Rubicon. The second honor being bestowed as a consequence of actually reading the book and also having permission from Mike to use any excerpt from it in 2012, after interviewing him at his then home in Sebastopol, California.
This year, I also helped to keep Mike's archives at From The Wilderness online for posterity and research for other investigative journalists. [Big thanks to all who gave, as it is now hosted for the next five years!] The URL however, had to be changed as the cost of keeping the original was too high and other solutions were not presented. Three administrators, including myself, made the decision to go with the .net instead of the .com. [Please spread the word.] Afterward, we decided Mike's legacy shouldn't be held hostage because someone neglected to renew. This occurred after the hosting fees were already raised and paid in full.
Needless to say, the frustration was palpable as the archival project had to be placed on hold until these things were corrected. After consideration by the copyright holder, two administrators are now in control of the host site and URL renewal. It will take a great deal of time to fix and update code on top of the archival work for Rubicon [video/audio excerpts are also planned]. Please note that nothing on the From The Wilderness site that was originally written by Mike will ever be changed, only fixing the search function [a sorely missing tool which aids in navigating the site], researching and replacing old/broken links and the ability to find the site in web searches.
All of this work is a sobering honor. I viewed Mike as a mentor who later became a friend who encouraged and applauded the work TRC did as an indie outlet during and after Occupy. I traveled down the coast from Portland to Phoenix in a 1980 Ford Bronco without heat or a radio when I landed my interview with Mike. Those were heady days, full of energy, possibilities and camaraderie. Bridges were built across borders, continents, among political ideologies and homes and hearts opened wide to a truly engaged human community. We were States United, seeing with clarity and openly discussing common enemies: the 1%, the banks and the MIC.
I'm sorry to say many media bridges have burned since. More were set alight after Mike's passing. I slowly began to feel about Occupy the way Hunter S. Thompson did recalling the sixties anti-war movement [paraphrased] "with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark—that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back." That's all I will say on the matter for now. Too much work has been left undone that could properly honor Mike's early sacrifices and contributions before Collapsenet.
TRC aims to honor these works specifically with this project. I'm certainly not alone in feeling he deserves that.
TRC aims to honor these works specifically with this project. I'm certainly not alone in feeling he deserves that.
With clear vision, Mike helped many of us also see more than the jingoism behind 'the 1%'. He perceived the deepest part of the state and knew its shadow all too well. He lost a great deal more than a reputation because of its existence. Whether anyone believes the deep state is real or doesn't, is no longer my concern, nor should it be yours. I assume anyone familiar with Mike's work understands that this has been proven. Those familiar with his and other whistleblowers' investigations recognize the deep state members and missives. All other conversations that deny its existence are naive at best and tread icy waters of panic and inaction at worst. Others are simply sleepwalking or drunk with arrogance, like the blokes at the bar on the 'unsinkable' Titanic.
We need to make way for those earnest souls who understand that the landscape has changed, irrevocably. Young people are waking from the American Dream and finding it is a nightmare. They need to know this did not start with Mr. Trump. For grown people to believe that is beyond naive and qualifies as willfully ignorant. The information that Mike provided in both his book and his website, are an inoculation against this willful ignorance.
The problem this project will tackle is updating the outdated. The links in the book and on the website are old, many are broken, often leaving no trail of source material that Mike worked so hard to vet and share. It will take a yeoman's effort, not unlike pouring through recent leaks without a team. MSM is loathe to do that and likely does not pay anyone to do it. They wouldn't be reported accurately anyway, as it isn't in the interests of the deep state to do so.
The days of cherry picking need to go in the dustbin of history, along with Ed Bernays' PR spin that brought us the not-so-new phenomenon of 'fake news'. Anyone familiar with Bernays calls 'fake news' what it has always been called: propaganda. It has also infected the trusted halls of science and higher-learning, leaving vital information under-reported or ignored altogether.
This project is a way for us to honor Mike's work by 'paying it forward.' I have the patience, the will, the equipment and the team to make this happen for young, liberty-loving people who will need this information. Mike was very proud of the work he did at From The Wilderness and of his book, Crossing the Rubicon. Future journalists, writers, and historians should have access to the gifts he left us and we can celebrate them by ensuring they are actively updated. Our team needs resources to cover the hours it will take to see it through.
TRC has been granted permission. We need you to be the miracle.
You may donate through the Paypal link below. TRC will share future excerpts here, on our FB page and of course, on the official FB Crossing The Rubicon page. Audio and video excerpts will be announced in future. Funding will also help us host uploaded audio for download.
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Thank you for reading and check back for more TRC exclusives from Crossing the Rubicon.
Please find links to previously released excerpts below with footnotes, which are the bulk of the work for this project. Crossing the Rubicon is over 700 pages long with upwards of 1,000 footnotes requiring updating since its 2004 release. From The Wilderness web links are estimated at double or triple that amount. Mike's administrative team sincerely appreciates your support of his legacy. TRC does not receive commission from sales of Crossing the Rubicon. Book sales help the administrator who granted permission to TRC to share excerpts and official web hosting duties.
Jan. 8, 2012: Petroleum Man
Jan. 9, 2012: A Simple Exercise
Jan. 20, 2012: Unholy Trinity / Part One
Jan. 21, 2012: Unholy Trinity / Part Two
Jan. 22, 2012: Unholy Trinity / Part Three
NEW: Dec. 20, 2017: Business With The Bin Ladens: The Real Saudi Arabia || Part Two
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TRC features media analysis, social critiques and spiritual refreshments focused on the socio/cultural impacts of a post-9/11, post-carbon, ponzi scheme world teetering on the edge of mass awakening or mutually assured destruction.
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