It's odd - - one of the most natural parts of human existence is continually characterized as being UNnatural. How many times have you heard - - or uttered - - one of these phrases:

"It wasn't his time!"

"She was so young..."

"It isn't fair."

Why would humans be different from any other animal on Planet Earth? In all species, animals get sick and die - - often very young. All species experience cell mutations that sometimes turn into cancer. The young in many species are hunted and killed by predators. Young and old and everyone in between get hit by cars or falling boulders or snow-burdened tree limbs. Why is death natural when it occurs in the rest of the animal kingdom, but not when it occurs among humans?

Why does it seem to be such a surprise when it happens?

One of the few predictable elements of our lives is that they'll eventually end - - the how and the when are generally surprises, but there's no if.

Many times, I've heard people say that they can't stand to go to funerals because they're "creepy" - - wuh? How can one of the most natural and awesome of transitions be creepy?



People in the United States live MUCH longer now than they did 50 years ago - - despite that fact, there's a much greater focus on extending life even further. "Health epidemics" in the United States - - the UNITED STATES, where we have clean water and social assistance! - - are continually being declared by this or that researcher and the media. How much should humans' lives be extended? Does that really serve the planet well? Will the planet allow it?

This death-aversion is new. Nothing seems to assuage it fully - - religion, reason, research. When did we lose our appreciation for death?

Here's my theory - - the more urbanized the U.S. becomes, the less we'll be in touch with the cycles of nature that very clearly include death. When you're not working the soil - - watching the crop start, flourish, and die - - you forget. Death happens in a plethora of forms; all of them are precious opportunities to give to someone else without expectation, to deepen understanding of self and others and nature, to see the circle close while knowing that it's opening again somewhere else. Death is necessary to maintain a balance on the planet.

It's constant - - it wields absolute power over our frail mortal frames - - why fight so hard?

Grab your gavel and play "YOU Be the Judge"! Double jeopardy? Ignore it! Defendant is also a victim? Who cares! The important thing in this game is that YOU are right and someone - - anyone - - is wrong and wrong forever no matter what they try to do to make amends. Judge away - - you're pure as the driven snow, right? Oh, you're NOT? Then you're next at the defendant's table, maggot.



"Good People"
by Jack Johnson

You win, it's your show now
So what's it going to be?
Because people will tune in
How many train wrecks do we need to see?
Before we lose touch
And we thought this was low
Well it's bad, getting worse….

Where'd all the good people go?
I've been changing channels and I don't see them on the tv shows
Where'd all the good people go?
We've got heaps and heaps of what we sow

They got this and that with a rattle a tat
Testing, one, two, man whatcha gonna do
Bad news misused, got too much to lose
Give me some truth now, whose side are we on
Whatever you say
Turn on the boob tube, I'm in the mood to obey
So lead me astray
And by the way now…

Where'd all the good people go?
I've been changing channels and I don't see them on the tv shows
Where'd all the good people go?
We've got heaps and heaps of what we sow

Sitting around feeling far away
So far away but I can feel the debris, can you feel it?
You interrupt me from a friendly conversation
To tell me how great it's all going to be
You might notice some hesitation
Because it's important to you, it's not important to me
But way down by the edge of your reason
It's beginning to show and what I really want to know is…

Where'd all the good people go?
I've been changing channels and I don't see them on the tv shows
Where'd all the good people go?
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

They got this and that with a rattle a tat
Testing one, two man whatcha gonna do
Bad news misused give me some truth
You got too much to lose
Whose side are we on today, anyway
Okay, whatever you say
Wrong and resolute but in the mood to obey
Station to station desensitizing the nation
Going, going, gone

Oh, it's highly unlikely to be just a WORD on status offenses - - this class of juvenile crime just drives me absolutely bat-shit. There's only one population subset that is singled out for age-related crimes, and that's young children and teens who are under 18 years of age.

Status offenses are "crimes" only due to the age of the offender and not on the offense per se. Examples include:

* Minor in Possession - Tobacco

* Minor in Possession - Alcohol

* Runaway

* Truancy

Someone over the age of 18 cannot be charged with being a runaway or a truant. Adults can drink and smoke with impunity - - but if you're a child as defined by law, you can be charged with a legal offense that may result in a court appearance and sanctions.

In the state of Colorado, children between the ages of 10 and 17 are eligible to be charged with offenses (under age 10, behavioral issues are dealt with through the human services system, for the most part). So, a 10 year old could get their hands on some cigarettes and receive an MIP-Tobacco ticket from law enforcement. In my judicial district, that same 10 year old could have those charges filed in District (state) Court; the District Attorney would screen the alleged status offense and determine whether or not the case should go to court, be routed to Diversion, or be dismissed.



Conceivably, a 10 year old smoker could wind up in District Court, at risk of being placed on Probation. For smoking. Something adults do every single day with no ramifications except to their long-term health.

Truancy is an even more fascinating status offense - - for hard-core truants, schools eventually resort to the court system, which can sentence truants to serve TIME at a secure facility. Kids as young as 10 years old have been sent to JAIL for skipping school, which is a crime solely based on the age of the alleged offender.

Here are some jail/prison facilities in the state of Colorado:


Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center


Gilliam Youth Services Center


Mount View Youth Services Center

These are jails and prisons. They are home to a variety of youth offenders from across Colorado and they typically house the most serious offenders - - kids who've been found guilty of sexual assaults, armed robberies, manslaughter, felony theft. Imagine a truant of ANY age being sentenced to spend time in this type of environment. For skipping school.

These procedures within the juvenile justice system are themselves criminal. A particular age group has been singled out and slapped with discriminatory laws - - the party line is that these laws were created to protect kids, but the reality is that the public doesn't know what to do with truants, runaways, and substance users. Kids are paying for the laziness of the institutional programs that are supposed to be helping them.

THAT'S a crime.

Today is your birthday (c'mon, everybody - - singalong with the Beatles!), and soft, gentle, happy, grateful, rueful reminiscences are bouldering around my brain.



You may never know how much things changed after I fell for you - - I realized that not only COULD I love someone post-divorce, but I WANTED to love someone. I felt beautiful again; I remembered how much I love the rollercoaster. You woke me up - - it doesn't matter anymore how it all ended because the effects have lingered.



A little shard of my heart will always love you. Weird music, even weirder movies, absolutely freaksome literature, and great practical jokes will always call you to mind. On your birthday and evermore, I wish you love and laughter and learning and soft landings.......

Off belay.

Living in Colorado ALWAYS feels like a gift, but never more so than last Saturday night.



PeaceJam started right here in the metro Denver area, with some local activists joining up with the Dalai Lama in an effort to raise an entire generation of peacemakers. The Dalai Lama recruited some of his buds, all of them recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, and those Laureates became the heart and soul of a program that is now international and millions strong.

Every year, PeaceJam holds an international conference; this year, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, PeaceJam invited 10 Nobel Laureates to participate in the activities - - and they DID. Denver was host not only to 3,000 kids representing 31 countries, but also was the temporary home of TEN Nobel Peace Prize winners.



Would ya LOOK at those FACES???? Well, on Saturday night, I laid down some $$$$ for excellent seats to not only look at those faces but hear their words. Wayf of Stream of Consciousness, are ya jealous yet?

All 10 Nobel Laureates spoke:

* Oscar Arias
"We must talk about human security, security against disease, hunger. ... As scary as terrorism is, there are far scarier threats to human security that receive only a fraction of the attention."

* Mairead Corrigan Maguire
"Our ability to do great things is sometimes you get it wrong. But we are capable of doing great things. To change the world, you've got to believe in yourself."

* Jose Ramos-Horta
"The poorest are the ones that are affected most, through impoverishment and the lack of access to medicine and other basic benefits from the state. When a regime is punished with sanctions, it is not willing to take money out of its budget for the army to make up for the loss in social sectors. So there will be less money for education, for poverty alleviation and so on."

* Betty Williams
"Take your country back!"

"An eleven year old is smarter than your president!" (Speaking about an 11 y/o who started an orphanage)

* Adolfo Perez Esquivel
"The people of the United States have to stand up. You have to stand up and say no to war, to say no to torture, to stand up and say no to the invasion of other countries. We are all peoples, we are all brothers and sisters, and we have to learn to live in unity and solidarity."

Rigoberta Menchu Tum
"Our society is not only the human life, it's also the flowers. These flowers have life. The rivers, the mountains, our mother Earth, all of that is also life. ... This world, it is very a materialistic world."

* Shirin Ebadi
"When people are oppressed all their lives and they are deprived of their most basic human rights, they may lose control and set fire to a world where they themselves and others may die. When 80 percent of the wealth of the world belongs to 1 percent of the world, how can we expect peace?"

* The Dalai Lama
"So, listen, listen, this is good: I usually believe our action - with clear vision - is more important than prayer."

"As far as compassion is concerned, we all have the same potential. So think. Think properly, calmly, and, then, as I mentioned earlier, with self-confidence. And also create more friends. Then you become a superhero."

* Desmond Tutu
"You [U.S. citizens] are some of the most incrediby generous people! Your philanthropy is fantastic! How about exporting your generosity instead of your bombs?"

* Jody Williams
"Peace is not a dove. Peace is not a rainbow. Peace is not 'Kumbaya' and bad poetry. ... When you talk about a different world, a different kind of global security, you're talking about hard work."

They were amazing, inspiring, a wonderful reminder of the power of one.

But you wanna know the coolest part? The PeaceJammers. This throng of 3,000 kids from all sorts of cultures and religions screamed and yelled for the Nobel Laureates like they were Green Day.

These kids know who the REAL rock stars are.....