I and many other people have commented and posted pics of this year’s Beltane (May Day celebration) held in the East Mountains near Albuquerque.
It is the third time in 11 years that it snowed at Beltane, but the first time it snowed on all 3 days of the event. I am proud of the other vendors. We all just zipped up our booths when the weather turned bad, and reopened when the snow stopped. The last day it just snowed nonstop, so we broke down our booths in a heavy wet snow. Keeping all our goods dry was almost impossible.
The next event for me and many other merchants is the SCA al-Barran’s Outlandish held May 26- 31 at Torrence County Park east of Albuquerque. Medieval and Renaissance dress are the norm. I hope people like the hand made period tunics that we will be selling.
Politics is a few words. The new Arizona immigration law is just plain racist. Most of the violence attributed to all immigrants is in fact due to a relatively small number of drug dealers fighting among themselves to control a lucrative drug trade. Native born Americans love their illegal drugs, and so the fight is on to exclusively supply them to us.
Cinnamon Dazzle now offers basic Renaissance tunics. These are hand made in the USA from 100% cotton gauze and come in small, medium and X-Large sizes. Colors include burgundy (shown here), green and white. These tops make a perfect item for SCA, Pagan, Renaissance and other festive events. Both men and women can wear them. Cost is $30 each.
2012 and Independents
I’m not really in a ranting mood, but here are two topics that deserve further analysis.
2012 is supposed to be the end of the world according to an ancient Mayan calendar. Too many New Age believers (including some Pagans) are taking this prediction as gospel truth. I don’t. Some day this earth may get smacked by a large asteroid. The resulting chaos will end life as we know it. By why should this happen in 2012? The paths of asteroids, meteors, and other cosmic debris can be predicted years ahead. No scientists have said that 2012 is a year to worry more about cosmic debris.
I remember 2000, a year for which may dire predictions were made. Nothing happened! Now the same New Age crowd is telling us to worry again. I will not.
Independents
An increasing percent of the US population defines itself as politically independent. That means they are equally likely to vote for Republicans as Democrats. Apparently they ignore opposing ideologies of the two major political parties.
The Republicans (if you believe their rhetoric, which I do) want to return the US to the laissez faire capitalism of the 19th century. Government would not be involved in health care, social security, welfare, unemployment benefits, etc.
The Democrats are timidly promoting a form of social democracy that is found in much of Europe. The government’s role as the provider of social services would be greatly expanded. This is not socialism. Capitalism thrives in these countries, but it has to comply with more government regulations. Most of these protect the rights of the workers employed by privately owned industries.
Endless conflicts result when elected the Republicans and Democrats each stand on their opposing principles. There are few elected independents, so that any attempt to increase the role of governmental services is automatically opposed by all elected Republicans. When Republicans had the majority, attempts were made to privatize social security. Fortunately, the Democrats successfully opposed this reduction.
I say that the governmental stalemate is made worse by Independents who think that by voting for the best “man or woman”, regardless of party, they are improving our politics. It is the ideology espoused by the candidate, not their charming personality, smile, or appearance that matters.
Pick your side and fight for it I say. Enough for now
I am actually surprised that some form of health care reform passed. That it was so close shows how entrenched big business (and many small businesses) are in the political process. Eventually 32 million more people will be insured. That leave 16 million uninsured & covering them is the next goal.
In Albuquerque, we have just had a sensational story about a young woman who stabbed to death a man along a trail in the foothills. She told that police that she was a Wiccan and had used a “Wicccan dagger” to kill the man, who she feared was going to rape her. No body in the local Pagan community (which includes Wiccans and other variation of modern Paganism) knew her.
She claimed that they were heading to a Wiccan Beltane celebration. However, this religious holiday happens around May 1, not March 22. A lot of us wrote to the various media and objected to the portrayal of this as a ritual murder.
Gradually the police agreed. Now this is just another murder case and the woman’s claim of self-defense will be considered on their own merits. The police chief acknowledged that no connection between the Wiccan religion and this woman could be established.
Two positive outcomes are good reason for being thankful at this time of year.
Today, March 22, begins the countdown for Beltane (a May Day celebration). Ordering new clothing, jewelry, sarongs, statues, etc is on my mind. We traditionally vend at a large private May Day celebration held in the East Mountains near Albuquerque. In a few weeks we will have our Beltane stock in house and available for sale.
Also, I am somewhat amazed that a health care bill actually passed congress. As I understand it, people such as my step-son Eliot will qualify for government subsidized health insurance in a couple of years. He has been busy starting his own business for the past couple of years. Paying for his own health insurance was not a realistic option. A young healthy adult may spend $300 or more a month for a minimal policy. An adult with any prior medical problems may spend double that or not qualify at all.
This health bill is far from perfect, but it is a start for the US to join the rest of the developed world where universal health insurance is a right taken for granted. Let’s hope that this becomes the case here within the next ten years. All the conservatives who now take the government’s Medicare and Social Security for granted may well assume that government-sponsored health insurance is a basic right as well.
Finally we are getting out to vend just as the weather warms. This Saturday and Sunday, we will be set up in the lobby at the Sandia Courtyard Hotel near Eubank and I-40 (just behind the Owl Cafe on Eubank).
The event is Oritenal Potpourri , a series of belly dance workshops given by experienced teachers. The vending are is free! Hope to see some local folks there.
Jump into Spring with our colorful tops, sarongs and decorative jewelry.
On the political front, I am seeing ads again against universal health care that are sponsored by the insurance industry. The ads try to make people worry about a trillion spent over ten years on health care. Never mind the we are spending a trillion a year on foreign wars now! Reducing the latter expense would free up money for something more useful, such as health care.
I know that this has been a record winter in much of the US. Here in Albuquerque, we had three months of below normal temperatures, but little snow. The surrounding mountains had plenty of snow. Now temps are hitting the 60s and Spring is coming, regardless of how many cold spells we get.
We just received a shipment of colorful rayon clothing from Karuna Arts. These colorful tops, catans and banners scream Spring. Check out the Karuna section on our webpage.
On the political front, I remain a little optimistic that some form of health care reform will actually pass congress. At best it will be a half-step. At worst, nothing will change and 30 plus million American will still be uninsured. The vested interests (basically the health insurers) have succeeded in scaring people away from reform with their ad campaigns.
After watching politics for 50 years (yes I supported John Kennedy in 1960 when I was too young to vote), I am still amazed how a few deceitful ads can scare people away from a good idea. With that idea I will close this post.
Since I last posted a blog, some new people have signed up to follow this blog. Welcome!
This blog has promoted our business Cinnamon Dazzle, and also has included my generally liberal opinions. Running a small business and being liberal are not inconsistent. The proper role of government is to ensure a level playing field for all businesses large and small. Without government intervention, the big businesses will gradually change the rules to their benefit and squeeze out small businesses such as Cinnamon Dazzle.
The Federal government’s role as an impartial regulator has been compromised by the excessive influence of the corporations, who can afford expensive lobbyists and campaign donations. They have gradually packed the regulatory commissions with supporters. Enough said.
On another topic, we are actively updating the Cinnamon Dazzle web store (www.store.cinnamondazzle.com) & are ordering new clothing , jewelry, statues & trinket boxes for the upcoming vending season. The showroom at our house on Madison St SE is also open by appointment (Call 505-268-9159).
The past week I have updated the Cinnamon Dazzle webpage to make it more current. Once again I have started to learn more about SEO. Some ‘experts’ are claiming that a simple computer program can do all the SEO you need for a fraction of the cost of real SEO workers. I still want to learn more SEO, since our webpage depends on it.
On other topics, what are so many people afraid of real change? Every tiny country in Europe has universal health care. Here the profit making interests of the private insurance companies trump universal health care. Making more money is their goal, and denying coverage to those who might actually need their insurance is the best way to achieve this goal.
We are heading into a season that should be a happy time for all. Cool crisp weather, seeing friends & family members you really like, and shopping for the Holidays, of course. However, the pressure can be excessive to find that perfect gift for a distant second cousin (who you never really liked, and never see outside the Holidays).
We, naturally, would like you to shop our webpages this season, but please control your life and time by concentrating on gifts for those you really like. The rest can get gift cards.
We recent adopted two new playful kittens (the entire litter). They remind us of how simple and enjoyable life can be. Eat, sleep & play, and then do more of the same.
I and many other people have commented and posted pics of this year’s Beltane (May Day celebration) held in the East Mountains near Albuquerque.
