The Canyon Chronicle-November 25, 2022 (Vol. 3, No. 23 ) -www.thecanyonchronicle.com

Mountain Lodge with large guest apartment, and studio!

Nestled under trees, in the peaceful Cheney neighborhood, you will find a welcoming country home. The simple life. We all crave it. Here, you’ll find it. An easy drive up Cheney to a cedar clad A-frame. Sunlight streams across hardwood floors in the 3 bed, 2 1/2 bath main house. Beamed ceilings shelter. A stone fireplace warms on cold winter days. A granite, stainless steel, and wood kitchen is open to the great room. Large windows and French doors are flooded with sunlight throughout the day. A newly landscaped, mostly flat yard, is perfect for gardening, lounging, playing. Wide decks, front and back, bring your life outside, to bask in the sun and gather with friends, a perfect perch for toasting the setting sun. Upstairs, a romantic main suite with angled ceilings, a soulful travertine en suite, with jetted tub, and views that enchant, is your retreat. Another large bedroom wrapped in windows, a second bath, and a charming small bedroom, all with the classic, angled beamed ceilings of a mountain home, complete the scene. The home shows the hand of craftsmen and is surrounded by patios, fruit trees, a bougainvillea draped stair, all with views of the wild mountain chaparral. Below the main house, a spacious 2 bedroom apartment with its own patio, welcomes guests, or provides income. A garden arch, covered with passionfruit vines, leads through a gate to the big, private, back garden. Roses and jasmine scent the air. A seasonal creek is crossed by a simple wood bridge. The garage has been converted into an oversized studio, with a large storeroom attached, and is the perfect work from home space. Take a dreamy siesta in the shade of the trees. You are close to all Topanga has to offer, the shops and cafes, the beach, and nearby secret trails into Topanga State Park. Horses and Peacocks are some of your neighbors. You are nurtured here. Inspired. Peace is in the air. Breathe it in.

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Off-the-Wall Thanksgiving

National Day Calendar (NDC), where we often go for details about historic national days, surprised us this time with National Absurdity Day (November 20). In addition to being grateful for our blessings every day of the year, this gives us carte blanche to be “seriously absurd.” What fun it could be to carry the concept through the holidays to relieve boredom or distract rambunctious kids or contentious relatives during family gatherings. The NDC is “still researching” the history of this holiday that “started as a philosophical movement called Absurdism and bloomed into this marked calendar event, during which anyone is allowed to follow their most preposterous whims (Please keep safety in mind).” NDC does, however, offer an educational aspect to being silly: a classroom. For instance, take Problem Solving. Instead of arguing politics, it suggests solving the world’s ridiculously absurd problems— include the kids, please, for dragons, weird robots and ETs—by taking a topic from a newspaper article like Miles Erickson’s interview about UFOs with Preston Dennett on pages 8-9 (another way to recycle The Canyon Chronicle), and have each person offer their most absurd solution. NDC even has a classroom that provides an Absurd Problem Solving worksheet and links to resources: nationaldaycalendar. com/classroom-absurdity); edutopia.org; and Medium.com. We’re coming into the multi-holiday countdown to 2023, so there’s plenty of opportunity to practice. Happy belated Thanksgiving, dear readers. We are so grateful for you. We are also grateful for our new ARTS contributor Sarah Spitz, who introduces herself on page 10.

Cinder Finds A Home

The adorable story of Cinder, the kitten whose arrival we published in our “Thinking Out Loud” Halloween montage (“Halloween on Bonnell Drive,” The Canyon Chronicle, Nov. 11, 2022.) had some errors. I owe an apology to my all-forgiving neighbor, Cris Lilliedahl for misspelling his first name. The kitten was about two weeks old when she was found and it was Elena (not Ilini, the neighbor up the street) who first took the kitten as she had formula. It may not seem important enough to make a fuss about, but as journalists, if I’m to include myself as such, we are bound to certain cardinal rules, in this case, that of checking with your sources, then double- and triplechecking. Well, that part got lost in the shuffle of production and we want to make it right. We are well into the season when we acknowledge our blessings of family, friends and a scrappy kitten named Cinder who found her loving home.

To read the corrected, slightly expanded version, visit thecanyonchronicle.com and select the November 11th edition in the Archive, page 3.

—Flavia Potenza

Publisher / Editor

Flavia Potenza

Creative Director Nira Lichten

Senior Reporter

Annemarie Donkin

Advertising Manager

Jenise Blanc-Chance

Creative Consultant Eiffel Nazaryan

Contributors

Linda Ballou

Joel Bellman Pablo Capra Kathie Gibboney Sarah Spitz Paula LaBrot Kait Leonard Amy Weisberg Kim Zanti

Copy Editor / Distribution Ellie Carroll

Contact US editor@thecanyonchronicle.com

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Topanga, CA 90290 (310) 460-9786

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The Canyon Chronicle is an independent community newspaper published bi-weekly by Canyon Media, Inc.©2020. All rights reserved. thecanyonchronicle.com

“After the Rain.” Photo by

Adler. ‘I sat down for breakfast the morning after two days of rain and this beamed through my kitchen window just-washed and luminous. I picked up my iPhone and gave it my best shot.”

Alan

SCE, Smart Meters, Solar, and You

By Lee Rhoads

When the August 10th Los Angeles Times article, “Edison gave bad info on time-of-use cost,” reported that Southern California Edison (SCE) claimed that “Homeowners were getting a new rate plan, but the cost of electricity wouldn’t change,” I was, to say the least, disturbed.

This is about the newer Smart Meters that many Topanga clients refuse to accept, preferring to keep their tiered billing program.

WHAT IS TIME OF USE?

Everyone used to have analogue meters in a glass globe with a wheel spinning inside. The more power you used, the higher the priced tier you were given. If you were in a low tier, you’d be charged less per kilowatt hour; heavy use would be charged in the third tier.

Some years back, the utilities wanted to encourage users to avoid the afternoons when most air-conditioning is run. People could do their wash, charge their electric cars, and other nonessential activities early in the morning, or in the evening when demand was not so great.

This seemed like a good program, as Edison didn’t want to build multi-million-dollar generators

that were only used five or six hours a day.

The original time-of-use also worked wonderfully for those with solar, as a photovoltaic system generates much of its power during the afternoon. Peak Hours were set up for 1 to 5 p.m. with the highest charges, which meant those with solar would be paid credits at the PeakHour rate making their solar more cost effective. Those without solar were promised no increase in monthly bills, but it hasn’t turned out that way.

When the utilities saw so many people saving money with solar, they decided to make the New Peak Hours: 4 to 9 p.m., when solar systems are not producing. That’s an impossible time to avoid as the sun is down, lights go on, you’ve just come home from work, open the fridge and make dinner. It’s hard to wait until midnight when the super offpeak rates apply!

Mark Toney, executive of The Utility Reform Network (TURN) said, “People have a right to be upset, when they are told one thing and it turns out to be something else.”

Edison claims to have switched 2.2 million customers from standard “tiered rate plans” to “time-of-use” (TOU) with only 609,000 opting out of TOU. Were Edison’s customers clearly told a smart meter may cost them more for the

same power?

Congress just approved the Energy Security and Independence Act of 2022, that would “invest billions of dollars to reinvigorate domestic clean energy.” Will Congress address the utilities that are trying their level-best to discourage individually owned solar and energy storage batteries?

The claim that TOU billing will save customers money is not supported by any trustworthy data. The argument about TOU savings should be backed by real numbers!

YOUR OPTIONS

If you are upset by the sleight-of-hand by Edison, call SCE customer Service at (800) 6848123, and request your analogue meter be restored. It will cost $75 to change meters, and $10 a month to pay for a meter reader to come to your house, maybe every other month, to save labor costs.

If you have solar, you must accept the Smart Meter; if you don’t, I would advise reverting to an analogue meter.

For further assistance with your new Edison bills or possibility of solar and batteries, Lee Rhoads can be contacted at: Leesolarconsulting@gmail.com; (310) 487-5750, mobile; (310) 455-2958, Topanga office.

Sheriff’s Crime Report

CRIME STATISTICS

Noteworthy Incidents for Topanga included:

• Deputy Rick Baldi, Malibu/ Lost Hills Station Community Relations Team reported that a residential burglary occurred in the 3200 block of Van Allen Place. The suspect(s) climbed the roof to access the master bedroom window, which was shattered to gain entry. The master bedroom, closets and bathroom were ransacked.

• A domestic violence incident was reported in the 1700 block of Topanga Skyline Drive. The suspect assaulted his girlfriend for unknown reasons.

Figures are for serious crimes in the Topanga area for the month of October 2022.

Schoolhouse Scoop

By TECS News Team

The season of gratitude is in full swing at Topanga Elementary Charter School (TECS), with parents, students and teachers all being acknowledged for the crucial role they play in the community.

The TECS annual “Giving Week” took place in early November, with appreciation shared with those who have contributed to the continued growth and nourishment of the school and its students.

Teachers were all given $500 from Topanga Enrichment Program (TEP) funds to spend on improving their classrooms as recognition of their continued hard work. This is part of a broader initiative to enhance the campus, which includes plans to invest in developing and stewarding the site’s outdoor spaces, which are rich in educational and ecological opportunities.

Parents were thanked for their generous contribution, including monetary donations to the school’s “Giving Fund,” and the precious time they devote to supporting staff on campus and helping at fundraisers. A new enterprise to engage the talented school community was launched in the form of the “Family Support Survey,” which asked parents about skills and assets they have that could be utilized to further enrich the experience of TECS families.

The seasonal drive to increase fundraising awareness also brought the return of the annual “Giving Fund” contest. A competition was underway to see which class could achieve the highest participation in the fund, the primary source of fundraising to pay for the classroom aides and specialist science, art, physical education and technology instruction that LAUSD does not cover. Families are asked to contribute $1,200 per child to the “Giving Fund” each year, but this is just a guideline with all parents encouraged to donate whatever is feasible and meaningful to them. The first class to reach 100% participation in the fund—regardless of the amount donated—will win a class party to

remember for all its students.

TEP board member Isabelle Millar said, “The holiday season offers the perfect opportunity to thank our community for all they do to support and enhance the experience of everyone involved in the school. Whether it’s parents donating their money and time, the devotion of our inspirational teachers, or the wider canyon community offering their support in the form of resources and sponsorship. It’s heartwarming to see how the Topanga family pulls together to help achieve our goals.”

TEP is the school booster club and aims to raise more than $250,000 each year to pay for enrichment education for all TECS children.

For those looking for ways they could contribute to the school, please contact the TEP board at: TEPBoard@topangaelementary.org

Young Stars Sparkle in Xanadu Jr. Musical

Students from Topanga Elementary, Manzanita, and Pali High united to perform the fall community play, the magical musical adventure Xanadu Jr., at the TECS auditorium.

Local non-profit FOCUSFish, which works to improve the health and wellness of its community through creative play and the arts, were behind the production, adapted from the 1980 musical fantasy film starring the late, great Olivia Newton-John.

The 1980s-inspired performance was a smash hit, featuring charttopping tunes, disco balls, leg warmers, and other highlights from the glittering decade.

FOCUSfish executive director Kristy Beauvais said, “I am so proud of how the cast stepped into this vintage piece and revived the choreography, fashion, and pop music of the era. It was so joyful to see how happy they were in the material.”

FOCUSfish is looking forward to bringing more popular musical adaptations to Topanga, with a performance of Mamma Mia! by local youngsters scheduled for next fall.

PHOTO BY KRISTY BEAUVAIS

Watch Us Grow at TECS!

By Amy Weisberg, M.Ed., NBCT

Children are a lot like gardens. When they are nourished, they grow and though the growth may be imperceptible and may seem slow, but when they are ready they surprise us with their knowledge.

My students are four and five years old, and in my class—their first big school experience—they are navigating social-emotional skills and learning skills needed for their academic learning including fine motor skills, listening, and how to learn together in a classroom. In August, they arrived with wide-open eyes, ready like little sponges, to soak up everything. They developed friendships and we established relationships together. They started out needing a lot of direction and in the past three months, they have developed independence, learned to help each other, and learned from each other. They have learned to find their way to the cafeteria, hiked to the amphitheater and created familiar games of pretend. Participating in projects and activities together has helped forge their relationships and opened their eyes to the possibilities of learning at Topanga Elementary Charter School (TECS).

This past spring, fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Kelly Welch and I wrote a Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant, and while we were finalists, we did not get the grant. However, as

finalists, we were eligible for a Lettuce Grow Farmstand Tower Garden Grant! I immediately said, “Yes, we are interested!” In August, our Farmstand arrived and with the help of our TECS garden angel, Tony Vitullo, the garden was set up on the Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten (TK/K) yard. It needed access to water and a plug, both of which we had.

A week later, our seedlings arrived and our Big Buddies (Mrs. Welch’s fourth-grade class) helped us plant the seedlings. The pre-sprouted seedlings are non-GMO, pre-grown plants that are quickly ready to harvest. The garden is hydroponic, using 1 gallon of water per week and nutrients are added weekly. We planted zucchini, peppers, mint, basil, kale, small tomatoes, arugula, and green onions.

A Room K parent volunteer, Jenny Atkins, has been helping weekly, testing the Ph balance of the water, and adding nutrients. We have learned a lot about plant placement for the best harvest, and we have some critters that ate our tomatoes, but the children enjoyed tasting the zucchini we harvested. All the children took home a little bag of basil and the next day we talked about how we used the basil in a recipe that night.

In August, most of my TK students were four years old, the age of many of the fourth-grade students who were in my class when they were small. They are very eager Big Buddies and it

has been a joy to watch as they build relationships together and participate in activities such as gardening, reading together, creating art projects, writing projects together, and we are beginning to learn winter songs for our winter holiday program. The TK kids are so excited to see their Big Buddies around campus and the fourth-graders love to stop by to say “Hi!” at dismissal. These relationships are so special and, together, Mrs. Welch and I enjoy planning activities for the children.

We will be harvesting the remainder of our crop before Winter Break and cleaning the Farmstand in preparation for winter planting when we return. The Lettuce Grow (lettucegrow.com) company sells the seedlings and offers seasonal bundles of plants for specific areas to ensure-a

good harvest. We are all excited to see what we will plant next!

TECS is also gearing up to plant in our raised garden beds recently filled with soil and compost, and the drip system is repaired and working. Each class in Transitional Kindergarten, first, second, and fourth grades, will have a raised bed. The classes in Room 6-10 will use the container gardens located outside their classrooms. All the children will enjoy a garden experience with parent volunteers and the School Safety and Beautification Committee is looking into a more official garden program and teacher.

As we work toward our school goals of respect, responsibility and good citizenship, it is so wonderful to have our Big Buddies and mentors!

Faculty Spotlight

Santa Monica College: Making Higher Education Affordable

Our three-acre campus—SMC’s first in Malibu— includes a two-story educational building with dedicated science and computer labs, a 100-seat lecture hall with sloped seating for music and film, an art studio, open floor spaces for dance and yoga, general classrooms, a conference room, a community room, outdoor study spaces, and an interpretive center to tie into the rich and varied coastal features nearby. SMC will offer courses in Art, Biology, Creative Writing, Early Childhood Education, Psychology, and more!

SMC will offer four types of classes at the Malibu Campus: Credit – Classes for credit that can be used toward an Associate degree or transfer to a four-year college.

Noncredit – Short-term vocational and workforce preparation courses and certificates.

Emeritus – Free noncredit and adult education courses specifically oriented to the interests of older adults.

Community Education – Low-cost classes, seminars, and workshops.

Visit smc.edu/malibu to learn more.

Catherine Tirr

Emeritus Professor, Drawing and Painting

Catherine Tirr is an England-born artist whose work has been shown in England, Iceland, Japan, and the United States.

She studied fine art at Chelsea School of Art and Design in London, received the Stowells Trophy at London’s Royal Academy of Art, and relocated to the U.S. on a scholarship to Cranbrook Art Academy in Detroit, Michigan. She had several successful exhibitions in Detroit, then moved to New York, where she was granted awards by The New York Foundation of the Arts and by Materials for the Arts (MFTA).

Since her move to Los Angeles, her work has been shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Hammer Museum, as well as the SMC Emeritus Art Gallery.

SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dr. Louise Jaffe, Chair; Barry Snell, Vice Chair; Dr. Susan Aminoff; Dr. Nancy Greenstein; Dr. Margaret Quiñones-Perez; Rob Rader; Dr. Sion Roy; Catalina Fuentes Aguirre, Student Trustee; Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph.D., Superintendent/President Santa Monica College, 1900 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90405

SANTA MONICA COLLEGE MALIBU CAMPUS

Left: Seedlings planted in August by fourth grade students, Big Buddies to Kindergarten and TK students, were quick to grow in the Lettuce Grow Farmstand Tower Garden.

Right: Fourth grader Maya Benveniste, Big Buddy to Transitional Kindergartener Aspen Childers, sampled the zucchini they grew.

PHOTO BY AMY WEISBERG

By Miles Erickson

It was by chance that I came upon a book titled “UFOs Over Topanga Canyon,” which sent me down a rabbit hole that ultimately introduced me to the subject of this weeks interview: Preston Dennett, the author of “UFOs over Topanga Canyon,” who has written 20 books, as well as more than 100 articles about aliens, cryptids, and UFO’s. He’s regarded as a leading expert and authority when it comes to all things Alien.

Miles Erickson: In your book, “UFOs over Topanga Canyon” you mentioned calling the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriffs station and telling them about your UFO sighting. What was your experience like dealing with law enforcement about UFOs? Are they helpful, dismissive? Do they take the sightings seriously? In the book you mention them as being pretty forthcoming with information, which I found surprising.

Preston Dennett: When I found out that Topanga Canyon was a UFO hotspot, and that people were calling the officers to report their encounters, I called the sheriffs station, informed them that I was a field investigator for the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), and would it be okay if I gave them my name and number so they could refer to me anyone who might call them to report their encounters. To my delight, they agreed and I soon began receiving calls. They became a great resource and proved to be very helpful in my investigations. However, I do know that some people who called and asked them if anyone else had called, they told them no, which wasn’t true. I do have sympathy for the Lost Hills Sheriffs because they were dealing with a phenomenon that is controversial and not easy to investigate. It was clear to me that they did take these calls seriously, and that a few of the officers not only believed but had their own encounters. Considering the subject matter, I think that overall they did a good job dealing with it.

ME: Can you summarize the experience that turned you into a true believer? What sent you down this road?

PD: Before 1986, I was a huge skeptic of UFOs and Extraterrestrials (ETs). But on November 17, 1986, there was a nationally televised story of a UFO sighting over Alaska. According to the news report, Captain Kenju Terauchi of JAL airlines and his crew sighted two massive UFOs that paced their jet for many miles and was not only viewed with the naked eye, but also caught on radar. I was shocked to hear that a commercial pilot had the audacity to report his sighting and wondered if perhaps he really had seen something unusual. I began to ask around and received a huge shock. I discovered that my brother and his two friends had seen a UFO while driving down Reseda Boulevard. My sister-in-law and her two friends saw strange glowing objects over Van Nuys Reserve Air Force Base. A good friend had seen a UFO with his friend on Mulholland Blvd. overlooking the San Fernando Valley. Another friend (a pilot and flight instructor) and her friend saw a UFO from her home on Tuna Canyon. At the time, I worked in a business office in Woodland Hills and was amazed to find that three of my co-

workers had also had encounters. I had another family member who had seen “gray” ETs (“Grays”) face-to-face, and a co-worker who had a “missing time” encounter. This was a huge shock. These were people I loved and trusted. I knew they weren’t lying, which meant they really had seen UFOs.

I began to look into the subject, reading UFO books, attending conventions and joining organizations. I became a field investigator for MUFON and began researching my own cases. I soon uncovered many more cases, several that occurred in my home town of Topanga Canyon. My first article on this subject was published on the cover of the Topanga Messenger. I began writing articles for other magazines and journals, going on radio and TV to talk about my investigations. After ten years of research, I put out my first book and haven’t looked back since!

ME: What was the most crazy, out-of-this-world (pun intended, I guess) experience you’ve personally had with aliens? What’s your most interesting anecdote regarding aliens?

PD: After learning that many people I knew had seen UFOs, I really wanted to see one myself. I began camping out at night when people reported UFO activity, hoping to see one. Several times I saw strange lights. But in 1994, I met a woman who had regular contact with UFOs. I asked her if she could take me out to see one and she agreed. She telepathically asked the ETs to appear and to my amazement, they did. She took me to a rural location off the 210 Freeway outside of Pasadena one evening. We hiked out in the hills to a predetermined location, and no sooner had we arrived than a giant UFO showed up. It was an enormous spherical object, about the size of a house, totally silent, and covered with scintillating gold lights. It hovered about fifty feet away and about fifteen feet (or less) above the ground. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We both stared in awe as it hovered silently for about twenty seconds, then it slowly drifted away before suddenly zipping faster than I’ve ever seen anything move, off toward the southwest and disappeared. It was amazing.

Over the years, I’ve heard many fascinating stories about UFOs and ETs. One really interesting case involved a real estate agent turned psychologist who was driving through the Watchung Mountains of New Jersey one evening when she crashed her motorcycle. She had already had many strange experiences with UFOs and ETs throughout her life, but nothing could have prepared her for the ETs showing up on that lonely mountain road immediately after she had crashed. She wasn’t hurt, but her motorcycle had been damaged and she couldn’t get it started. Two strange figures showed up dressed in white jumpsuits. They were thin with bald heads and dark eyes. They said nothing as they picked up her motorcycle and repaired it. They stepped away, motioning her to get on her bike. They had rescued her! It was a very strange case. But there have been others equally bizarre.

In 2006, a teacher from O’Fallon, IL, described how she was out jogging with her dog early one morning when her dog stopped in its tracks and looked ahead on the road. She looked up, too, and saw a 15-foot-tall figure which she first thought was a man on stilts. But as it walked under the street-lights, she saw it was a praying mantis humanoid. She knew she wasn’t imagining it because her dog saw it too. So there are a lot of very strange cases. Another occurred on June 14, 1992, in Topanga when a couple called the Lost Hills Sheriffs to report that a UFO was following their car only to come swooping down, send a beam down on them and pull their car up into the sky. So, yes, many interesting encounters.

ME: Tell me more about the woman who was speaking telepathically to aliens. Do you recall any details about the nature of her abilities? Did she speak to them in her dreams? What where her solo encounters with them like?

PD: The woman I mentioned who was having regular contact was very psychic. I saw her perform many psychic abilities, including healing, clairvoyance and more. She communicated telepathically with the ETs and would sometimes relay messages from them. Her encounters started out to be quite traumatizing, but she soon got over her fear and her encounters became healing and spiritual. She was healed by the ETs of a malignant cyst.

ME: Do you think aliens live among us, disguising themselves as humans? Voting in elections for the candidates that best represent the Alien agenda? Stealing American jobs?

PD: There are many cases where people have seen ETs in places you’d never expect, such as gas-stations, casinos, subways, convenience stores, schools, train stations and more. These include not only Grays, but weird humanoids, and almost-human-looking beings, but usually described as having weird eyes, extremely pale skin, wearing strange jumpsuits and other bizarre details. In some cases, people thought they were seeing regular people, only to have them suddenly appear in front of them as a Gray alien. There are a surprisingly large number of cases like this. If it were just a few, they’d be easy to dismiss. I have no evidence that they are voting in elections or stealing our jobs, but yes, it does appear that some might actually be living among us.

ME: You’ve written 20 books about UFOs. Have you been contacted by the government, i.e., Men in Black, or aliens who had an interest in your research? There are plenty of classic alien encounters that are followed up by accounts of Men in Black showing up to destroy the evidence and commit intergalactic witness tampering.

PD: When I first started investigating UFOs, I was shocked to learn that our

This week the Listening Party is getting slightly more long distance, as we go interplanetary with Preston Dennett.

own government is perpetrating a massive cover-up of UFO evidence. While they are studying the subject in secret and are gathering evidence, they use our tax dollars and spend an enormous amount of time, money and effort to study this subject while at the same time telling the public that UFOs don’t exist, and if you think you saw one, you are hoaxing, hallucinating or misperceiving. Only recently has this changed, but even now the cover-up is still in place. This is not speculation, and is easily demonstrable with documents released through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). We now have enough documents from virtually every intelligence and military organization in the USA to prove the coverup and government interest in this subject.

When I started investigating, I was visited a few times by strange men in suits who asked all kinds of questions about my research. While investigating the Topanga Canyon wave of 1992-1994, I received a phone-call from a gentleman claiming to have a Top Secret clearance who worked in Satellite mapping. After asking if I was the one who was doing UFO research in the area, he told me that I should stop, that what I was doing was dangerous, and that I could get hurt. I asked him why and how, and he evaded my question and said that the UFO subject was not what I thought it was. I asked him what it was, and he again evaded my question and said that I didn’t know what I was getting into, and that besides, there’s no paydirt in it. That seemed weird to me. If there’s no paydirt in it, how could it be dangerous? After talking in circles for a few more minutes, he finally hung up.

I always wondered about that, because at the time, I was having all kinds of phone and mail problems. While interviewing Topanga witnesses, the phone would often start to become staticky, and I would hear weird clicks and buzzing noises. And when I sent out articles about UFOs to various magazines, they would come back to me with the envelopes opened. A few times while speaking at conventions, I was approached by gentlemen who looked like classic CIA agents, complete with expensive suits, slicked-back hair and mirrored sunglasses who would start asking me what new cases I was working on. Once while speaking before a UFO group about the Topanga encounters, one of these stooges was in the audience, and stood up and tried to debunk the cases I was presenting, saying they were caused by weather phenomena. I think he was probably one of the government Men in Black. So, yes, some limited government interference, but so far, no alien Men in Black. (Knocks on wood)

ME: In your book about alien encounters in Topanga, you discussed how most alien sightings in the canyon take place “where the canyon is at its lowest,” presumably Old Topanga. Why would that be a hotspot?

PD: All of Topanga Canyon and the Santa Monica Mountain Range seem to have a huge amount of activity, but for some reason, the center of Topanga is most active. The area around the center, the S-curves, Trippet Ranch up Entrada, Old Canyon…lots of cases seem to cluster here. I can only speculate why. Topanga is very rich in quartz crystal, though I’m not sure why that would be a factor. Perhaps it’s because at the time, Topanga was a fairly remote area surrounded by a lot of wilderness, which would hide them from the glaring lights of Los Angeles only a few miles away. Topanga has all kinds of deep canyons where UFOs can hide out. I’ve speculated about the possibility of a secret UFO base in the canyon, or perhaps off the coast, as many people have seen UFOs (or USOs, unidentified submersible objects) coming in and out of the coastal waters. The truth is, I don’t know, but for some reason, Topanga Canyon has been a hotspot for many years. Cases reach back to the 1920s, and are still going on. There is something about this area that is drawing UFOs there in disproportionally in large numbers. It’s a real mystery.

It’s very strange that June 14, 1992, was such a momentous day for UFO activity in Topanga. Even recently, I’ve talked to witnesses who were in Topanga on that night and saw strange activity. At latest count, there are more than 30 independent witnesses who viewed activity from about a dozen different locations. I’m not sure what was happening with the UFOs. Perhaps there was a mass evacuation from a secret underground or undersea base. Perhaps there was a major contact event. I can only speculate. All I know is that with so many witnesses seeing UFOs on that night, it’s undeniable that something momentous and unexplained occurred on June 14, 1992.

ME: You’ve researched hundreds of alien encounters. If aliens have been visiting our planet frequently for many years, why do you think the general public isn’t more aware of their existence? Why isn’t there a relationship between the everyday person and these aliens?

PD: It’s amazing to me that with so much UFO activity, encounters aren’t front page news, being taught in schools, and studied by mainstream scientists. I think there are a few reasons for this. One is because there is, in fact, a ruthless and well-funded cover-up of UFO information. The media is tightly controlled and for a very long time, refused to talk about UFOs.

Thankfully, things are getting better, but there is still a ridicule factor. Which brings me to the other reason: most UFO witnesses do not report their encounters. The vast majority of people who see UFOs don’t tell anybody,

especially if it involves more than just a sighting, such as a landing or an onboard UFO experience. Only about one person out of a hundred will call the police, Air Force, or a UFO organization to report their sighting. They are afraid of ridicule, of losing their jobs, of being thought naïve, gullible or a weirdo UFO nut. The UFO cover-up has effectively halted the progress of ufology for decades. Now, however, things are changing. There are dozens of UFO books published each year. There are lots of TV programs and podcasts featuring the subject. Everyone has heard of UFOs and now even the government is talking. The time is approaching when the UFO cover-up will end and we will have disclosure. It’s happening now. Only then do I think we’ll have open official contact and that the ETs will show themselves to humanity at large.

ME: Regarding a government UFO cover-up, would you say that the stigma attached to believing in UFOs is the result of government propaganda? I can’t believe I’m using this as a source but there’s a Fox News interview with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) where he talked about how people in the military are treated after reporting UFO sightings, basically saying that the government’s reaction was to send them to a psychologist. Would you care to comment on that?

PD: Yes, he’s correct. When evaluating UFO reports, Project Blue Book officers would spend lots of time investigating cases with obvious prosaic explanations such as Venus or weather balloons. With cases that were clearly genuine “unidentifieds,” they would attack the credibility of the witness. There was a case in Nevada where a military officer came upon three landed discs along a desert highway. There was no chance that this was anything but real UFOs, so Blue Book questioned the psychological stability of the main witness. This was one of the tactics they used to debunk the phenomenon.

ME : What steps do you think need to be taken in order to build cohabitation between humans and aliens here on earth?

PD: There are many obstacles preventing open official contact with humans and extraterrestrials. It is our own war-like ways, our tendency to shoot first and ask questions later, our fear and discrimination of anyone who looks different from us that is keeping the ETs from showing themselves publicly. UFO contactees have been told that we are violent, corrupt, divisive and spiritually unevolved. We are polluting our planet faster than we can clean it up. We are electing leaders who are covering this subject up and who do not have our best interests in mind. If a UFO shows up, military jets chase it away. Until we can learn to allow love, truth and compassion to guide our actions instead of fear, greed and division, we are not ready for open official contact. It’s time for humanity to grow up. We’re getting closer. I feel that most people are probably ready. I know I am!

ME: So you think that the aliens who have been visiting us have reservations about contact because, compared to them we’re primitive, violent, and corrupt? Do you think the ETs are above that? That the ET society is something like we see in Star Trek, where society has risen above things like poverty, racism, war, etc?

PD: Yes. ETs are not only technologically advanced, but also spiritually, morally, ethically and psychically evolved. They have moved beyond war, politics, religion and discrimination.

ME: I know you have a book that touches on this, but what are your feelings regarding other cryptids? Do you believe in Mothman? Big foot? Skin Walkers?

PD: Cryptozoology is a subject I avoided researching at first, because I was afraid it was opening a can of worms. I was afraid Bigfoot might be real. But then I got my first Bigfoot case, and I knew if I wanted to be a real researcher, I had to at least look at the evidence. And, as I feared, there was a lot of it. I soon started getting other reports of Bigfoot, and after doing my homework, it was clear to me that, yes, people all over the world have been reporting Bigfoot encounters for hundreds of years.

The evidence for Bigfoot is overwhelming. And this led to research about other kinds of cryptozoological creatures, such as lake monsters, sea serpents and more. I have no Mothman encounters, so I’m not sure about that. Not sure what to think about Skin Walkers either. But it’s clear that there are all kinds of entities out there, ghosts and spirits, Bigfoot and wildmen, angels, possibly even fairies and nature spirits. I’ve since interviewed people who’ve had paranormal encounters of all kinds, near-death experiences, OBEs, precognitive dreams, ghostly encounters and more.

For those who don’t believe in such things, I have a challenge for you: ask your family, your friends, your co-workers. Ask them if they’ve ever had any strange unexplained encounters, or paranormal experiences. I think you might be surprised.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Preston Dennett is undoubtedly an interesting guy and got me thinking: if everybody is seeing aliens, why can’t I? There has to be somebody, like the telepathic woman who, if aliens do exist, could introduce me. If this many people have had anecdotal experiences with aliens, there has to be a hotspot to stake out or a person with an alien locked in a cage in their basement...some way to get alien face time has to exist.

I want to believe! (X-Files Theme Plays)

UFO researcher and author Preston Dennett.

Exploring LA’s Cultural Landscape

By Sarah Spitz

I like to think that culturally speaking, LA and I grew up together. I moved to California at the age of 12 as the Music Center was nearing completion. Arriving at KCRW in 1983, I was privileged to wander through MOCA before the art was hung; I attended The Getty Center groundbreaking and later produced the on-site live radio broadcast for opening day. I took a hard-hat tour of Disney Hall when it was still in scaffolding, and produced the live opening night festivities from that now-established concert hall. And I covered Cirque du Soleil’s first US performance for NPR’s Morning Edition, when the then-young Canadian troupe helped launch the first Los Angeles Arts Festival that, alas, has gone by the wayside.

Over the years I familiarized myself with some of the lessheadlining institutions, especially smaller theaters like The Odyssey in West LA, following it from Bundy Drive at Santa Monica Blvd. to its now decades-long permanent location on Sepulveda at Mississippi Ave. I attended performances at the ambitious Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice, the adventuresome Ruskin Group Theatre at Santa Monica Airport, and the ever-daring City Garage at Bergamot Arts Station, to name just a few.

Sadly, I also watched as the Santa Monica Museum of Art moved out of Bergamot Station (after leaving its original location at Edgemar Center) to become the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in the

Arts District downtown.

But Bergamot still hosts a large number of vibrant galleries with a wide range of artworks, including the incomparable Peter Fetterman Gallery featuring the world’s best photographers, William Turner Gallery’s championing of local contemporary painters, ROSEGALLERY’s broad-ranging shows featuring visual and ceramic arts, and the quirky Lois Lambert Gallery and Gallery of Functional Art, where you’ll find unique artworks on the walls and floor alongside one-of-a-kind gift items just in time for the holidays.

The Storied Philosophical Research Society

Despite my familiarity with these places, it’s only recently that I’ve discovered an amazing institution that is an event space, a library for exploration of occult and esoteric practices, with lectures, classes, films, musical events and more. If you’re intrigued by the metaphysical, meet the storied Philosophical Research Society (PRS) in Los Feliz.

Founded in 1924 by scholar and prolific author Manly Palmer Hall, it’s a repository of multicultural wisdom sources and a center of learning beyond the ordinary. The designated historical-cultural site was designed by architect Robert Stacy-Judd, and is “dedicated to the ensoulment of all arts, sciences and crafts.” This stunning complex sits at the corner of Los Feliz and Griffith Park Boulevards, and hosts a multitude of public events, like these two, immediately upcoming: Thursday, December 1. As LACMA prepares to open “Another World: The

Transcendental Painting Group, 19381945” on December 18, featuring works by Agnes Pelton and others who demonstrate how abstraction can be used in service of the spiritual, PRS presents “Transcendental LA: Agnes Pelton, Dane Rudhyar, and the New Age in LA.”

Artist Agnes Pelton (1881–1965) and astrologer-musician-artist Dane Rudhyar (1895-1985) are names both obscure and famous. Close friends for over thirty years, Pelton has emerged as a leading figure of 20thcentury American metaphysical art while Rudhyar—in addition to his substantial musical, artistic, and philosophical efforts—is thought to be the most influential theorist of, and most prolific writer on, modern astrology. Artist, educator, and theosophical researcher Michael Carter (MFA, Claremont Graduate University) will discuss the uniquely Southern Californian genesis of Pelton and Rudhyar’s creative achievements.

On Friday, December 2, there’s an in-depth conversation with LA’s own legendary modern choreographer Raiford Rogers. For over four decades, Rogers has presented some of the most lyrical and kinetic modern ballet in the country, working with collaborators such as Charlie Haden, Terry Riley, Sandra Tsing Loh and others. There’ll be a screening of a recording of Rogers’ latest work, the gorgeous and luminous “Seeds of Rain” (2022, 40 min.), with musical compositions by Philip Glass and Zbyněk Matějů—featuring organist Mark Alan Hilt and pianist Helena Suchárová-Weiser.

The Penelopiad at City Garage

Discover the many public events at PRS and join the email list: prs.org

Meanwhile, for a timely play, post-Dobbs decision (SCOTUS’ decision overturning Roe v. Wade), check out City Garage’s The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), a retelling of “The Odyssey” from the point of view of Odysseus’s wife, Penelope, and her twelve maids, who were hung by the returning “hero.” It takes place in Hades where these thirteen spirits are trapped for all eternity, telling and retelling their story like angry furies, unable to find redress for what they suffered at male hands. Visit citygarage.org for tickets and information. Last three shows: Nov. 25, 26, 27. City Garage is located at 2525 Michigan Ave., Building T1, Santa Monica, CA 90404.

In the months to come, I’ll share reviews, previews, maybe the occasional interview and tell you what to be on the lookout for in LA’s vast cultural landscape.

Sarah A. Spitz is an awardwinning public radio producer, retired from KCRW, where she also produced arts stories for NPR. She writes features and reviews for various print and online publications.

Agnes Pelton,Winter, 1933, Crocker Art Museum Purchase; Paul LeBaron Thiebaud, George and Bea Gibson Fund, Denise and Donald C. Timmons, Melza and Ted Barr, Sandra Jones, Linda M. Lawrence, Nancy Lawrence and Gordon Klein, Nancy S. and Dennis N. Marks, William L. Snider and Brian Cameron, Stephenson Foundation, Alan Templeton, A.J. and Susana Mollinet Watson, and other donors, 2013.54.

Photo by Miriam Geer.

,

Spotlight for Two

By Miles Erickson

This playlist is available on Spotify, search my username, Mileserickson-354, New songs will be added every two weeks.

• TV Dinners, MJ Lenderman

• Sex and Candy, Slothrust

• Once More For The Ocean, Slothrust

• Someone Get The Grill Out Of The Rain, MJ Lenderman

• Body Paint, Arctic Monkeys

TV Dinners, MJ Lenderman. I had reservations about making the content of this week’s volume essentially a spotlight for two specific artists, but the objective of this column is to discuss what I’m currently listening to, and lately, I’ve been enamored with MJ Lenderman and Slothrust. So let’s go ahead and Start with “TV Dinners.”

What do you call this genre? Nu Country? Neo Honky-Tonk? I never thought I’d be talking about how much the beat of a line dance song slaps. Lenderman isn’t quite a contemporary of artists like Waylon Jennings or Merle Haggard. Honestly, his country inspiration seems like it comes from TV sitcom, King of the Hill , more than anything else. Sort of a spiritual successor to “Old Town Road,” MJ

Lenderman’s “Knockin’” is one of the most interesting EPs I’ve heard in a while.

Sex and Candy, Slothrust Slothrust’s fantastic guitar playing adds an acute depth and maturity that heightens almost every song they touch on their cover album, Show Me How You Want It to Be,

elevating songs like “Sex and Candy” and “Happy Together” in a way that brings the original songs to their full potential. Slothrust approaches these songs from a completely new direction, doing “Baby One More Time” by way of “War Pigs” and “Happy Together,” in a way that makes it sound like it was written by Panic! At The Disco.

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The only songs that don’t really come out of this album for the better are “Electric Funeral” and “Let’s Stay Together,” mostly because they’re not approached as creatively.

Body Paint, Arctic Monkeys . This song, this album, took a while to grow on me. I haven’t been crazy about an Arctic Monkeys album since before AM. Me being the only person on the planet who didn’t like “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High.” I think Alex Turner probably feels the same way as his other band, The Last Shadow Puppets, that is clearly the project that gets all the love and attention. With “Everything You’ve Come to Expect” and “Age Of The Understatement” being as good as their titles are long and annoying to type, “Body Paint” is clearly the standout of this album, but that’s not saying a whole lot. The album is definitely a spiritual successor to Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino, which is a bold move considering that album was maybe their most disappointing commercially.

Miles Erickson is a recent graduate of CalArts, published author. Long Distance Listening Party’s vague intention is to discuss topics framed in the context of what I’m currently listening to.

Gorgeous newly built 3 bedroom, 3 bath, plus a bonus room home in Topanga Canyon. Enjoy panoramic Canyon and City views from the over 900 sq. ft.

Entertainment deck! Beautiful spacious chef’s kitchen with custom shaker cabinets, large center island, quartz counter tops, and stainless appliances. Gated community features a pool, spa, gym, recreation room, and a playground. Located just minutes from shopping, restaurants, hiking trails, and Malibu’s most beautiful beaches!

Rude Interruptions

Bob Dylan’s Jukebox

by Joel Bellman

“The Philosophy of Modern Song,” the title of Bob Dylan’s new book, may sound like a tendentious academic tract or undercooked master’s thesis, but it’s neither. Imagine sitting across from Bob Dylan in a quiet corner of a smoky bar, knocking back shots and gradually getting looped as he rambles on about the songs he’s loved, been inspired by, stole from, or just awed by the craftsmanship and passion. A few hours would probably teach you more than you’d learn in a couple of years in a typical classroom.

Here’s Bob, pausing in his eulogy for Warren Zevon and rhapsodizing about the song “Dirty Life and Times” on “The Wind”— the album Zevon recorded as he was dying of cancer—to pay homage to Ry Cooder’s subtle and heartbreaking accompaniment:

That’s Ry Cooder playing here, and Ry Cooder is a man with a mission. There was no road map when he was trying to figure out the connection between Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Alfred Reed, the place where conjunto met the gutbucket blues, where even a jake-leg could do a cakewalk.

One of the cool things about being Bob Dylan is that you don’t have to give a damn what anybody thinks of your musical taste or your literary style. You’ve got nothing left to prove; you already proved it nearly 60 years ago before you’d even hit 30 back when the grandparents of today’s social-media “influencers” might have heard “the voice of a generation” the first time around. Jimi Hendrix may have covered you back in the day, but now you can wax eloquent about Vic Damone, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, and Dean Martin, and who would dare argue? About Perry Como, Dylan writes: [He] lived in every moment of every song he sang. He didn’t have to write the song to do it. He may have believed the songs more than some of the people that wrote them. When he stood and sang, he owned the song and he shared it and we believed every single word.

Exhuming the 1947 Bing Crosby recording of “The Whiffenpoof Song,” he declares: This song is the grinning skull. An in-crowd song, a song with a pedigree, a song in the Social Register. Not meant for the middle class to understand—seems to house a deep dark secret…It paraphrases Kipling and lists a couple of songs no one’s ever heard. A lot of bones and skeletons in this song. Even the word ‘Whiffenpoof’ is a word to dispel spirits, and the melody is ancient—the last gasp, the beginning of the end.

Some years ago I picked up a double CD anthology titled “John Lennon’s Jukebox,” containing songs that Lennon had collected and stocked in a KB Discomatic portable jukebox. Apart from a lot of both classic and obscure pop recordings, its main appeal is not as just another oldies collection, but as a glimpse into the psyche and emotional inner life of one of the leading popular songwriters of the 20th century. And that’s exactly what’s at work here in Dylan’s “Modern Philosophy” book, along with an engaging freewheeling narrative lacking in the Lennon compilation. It’s a fast read; some of the pieces are as short as two or three pages, and none run more than seven or eight pages, including evocative pictures befitting a coffee-table book like this. I made myself a streaming playlist of the 66 selections Dylan writes about, and most of the essays can be read in the time it takes to listen to the accompanying song.

One of the most appealing aspects of the book is the way a favorite song will send Dylan off on a reverie of free association that can meander in ever-widening circles until, before you know it, you’re right back at the center again. Writing about the Drifters’ “Saturday Night At the Movies” (a minor follow-up that recycled the melody from their better-known “Under the Boardwalk”), Dylan addresses not the group or the song, but the subject matter, American movies and moviegoing.

Along the way, he name-checks the anti-heroes

of such classic American films as Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Dirty Harry, Super Fly, Taxi Driver, Little Caesar, The Public Enemy, The Wild One, Rebel Without a Cause, Ace In the Hole, On the Waterfront, High Noon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and 12 Angry Men

“America has always been a great melting pot but there are a few things that have been created here and then given back to the world,” he writes. “It may be fun to drive a Ferrari, but Detroit will always be the automobile’s home. Admire the French violinist Stéphane Grappelli, but King Oliver, Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong will remain the beating heart of jazz. Fellini, Kurosawa, and other foreign directors may be great, “but we all know where the film industry got its first slap on the ass and drew its initial breath.”

Many of us already knew of Dylan’s admiration for singer-songwriters like Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings. But here’s Dylan commenting on a truly deep track, a cover version of Stephen Foster’s “Nelly Was A Lady,” one of the 19th-century popular composer’s lesser-known tunes, from the 2004 tribute anthology,“Beautiful Dreamer”:

Stephen Foster is the counterpart to Edgar Allan Poe. This is one sweeping song that is designed to make anybody who’s ever lived a life just lie down and weep. A lot of sad songs have been written but none sadder than this. Both the lyrics and the melody.

Alvin Youngblood Hart’s is as good a version as you’ll ever hear…The guitar turnarounds are a slow cakewalk between heartbroken verses, loss shared on the front porch. The tune will stay in your head long after you have forgotten the story and every time you hum it a tear will roll down your cheek.

My father adored Stephen Foster and introduced me to his music. I would have loved to hear what he thought of this version which is, as Dylan said, a real heartbreaker. When I inherited Dad’s CD collection after he died in 2009, I found the copy of this Foster anthology that I’d gifted him with several years earlier, still unopened. But that’s OK. I’ll never know what Dad would’ve thought of it, but like so many other songs I know he loved, it carries special meaning for me, and Dylan explains why.

Music, he concludes, “is of a time but also timeless; a thing with which to make memories and the memory itself….Music transcends time by living within it, just as reincarnation allows us to transcend life by living it again and again.”

Broken Chains

By Paula LaBrot

Thanksgiving is my favorite, least materialistic holiday. Presence is required, presents are not. It is a time of connection, something we have dearly missed over the years of pandemic isolation. There is not much warmth in a virtual hug, however heartfelt it is. I can’t wait!

The celebratory heart of Thanksgiving Day is the gathering of family and friends to share an abundant, sumptuous meal. Whether in a formal, sit-down setting or a potluck buffet feast, the food ends up on our plates after a long, complicated journey to our tables. What we call a supply chain includes the whole journey that a product like food makes from its origins to its final destination. The World Economic Forum defines a supply chain as “the network of people, companies and modes of transport that order and produce goods and deliver them to warehouses, shops or even right to our doors.”

A Little History of the Supply Chain

According to schwab.com, “Starting in the 1970s, the rise of the shipping container revolutionized global trade. These standard-sized corrugated steel boxes can stack on ships and fit on truck beds—and dramatically lowered the cost and time to transport goods. This enabled businesses to shift production to lower-cost destinations overseas, and source materials and components from just about anywhere. Globalism…, while these developments helped make many goods more affordable, the system wasn’t prepared for the shock of COVID.”

During the COVID supply chain disruption in the USA, consequences have included shortages (toilet paper), rationing (only one to a customer), prioritization (hand sanitizer over baby wipes) and reduction of stock items (baby formula). Suppliers closed or downsized. There were huge labor layoffs as production waned.

International shipping was halted, diminishing supply from international sources.

A Global Disruption Turns Very Dangerous

We can be very thankful on Thanksgiving that we still had food to eat during COVID here in the USA. My son, Dr. Ben LaBrot and daughter, Sky LaBrot, have run a medical relief non-governmental organization (NGO) called Floating Doctors (FD) for the last eleven years. In Panama, where Floating Doctors continued servicing 24 very remote island communities during the pandemic, FD discovered severe weight loss among the Ngabe Bugle people. They were starving! There was no food. Along with medical care, FD was able to deliver beans/rice/ cooking oil/ baby formula—over 750,000 meals— thanks to our supporters. Those communities were saved, but all around the world, many people were, and still are, suffering from starvation. The Russian/ Ukraine war is a disaster for the world’s food supply.

Last June, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed gave a dire warning of the unprecedented world hunger crisis we are facing. “We must stabilize global markets, reduce volatility and tackle the uncertainty of commodity prices. There can be no effective solution to the global food crisis without reintegrating Ukraine’s food production, as well as the food and fertilizer produced by the Russian Federation into world markets—despite the war. To avert a food availability crisis in 2023, we must restore fertilizer availability, especially for small holder farmers now.”

It’s not only about food. In the South China Seas, shipping supply chains have been disrupted by Chinese war ships conducting military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. This and the world’s soaring demand for electronics have disrupted the delivery of semi-conductors used in digital equipment all over the world. There is a serious computer chip shortage. This affects production and repair of cars, computers, cell phones, TVs, medical devices, anything digital, even

cryptocurrencies, What a mess! (Thank goodness for Intel, a chip maker, who has factories here in the USA!)

In the United States, so far the most dangerous and stressful shortage we have had because of supply chain disruption has been the baby food debacle. This winter, it will be the unaffordability of heat and heating oil supply issues. We are currently experiencing shortages in the medical sector, including medications like Ozempic for diabetics and contrast material for CT scans and MRI’s and chips for CPAP machines. Compared to the rest of the world, however, we are very lucky.

What to Do?

Just as ecology is a science describing the interconnection of all life on earth, so supply chain economics is a way to understand and tread carefully through the inter-connection of global trade. To me, this suggests two things.

First, our approach to energy and international trade policies must be thoughtful and long-range. The consequences of our economic decisions need to be mapped, just as we map the environmental consequences of policies regarding our land and water resources.

Second, we need to increase our domestic development and manufacturing to the point where, in the event of global disturbances, we can be self-sufficient. The supply chain crisis is a perfect place to blend the best of the true conservative and true liberal ideas to find balance for our country’s economic policies.

On that note, I’m going to harvest some of our delicious Anna apples and make a self-sufficient pie for the gathering of the clan. When we sit down to eat, I will be so thankful to all along the food chain who made our dinner possible.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers! A prayer for stable supply chains for all the peoples of this earth! A prayer for all things to be connected in peace, love and balance!

Vamos a ver.

Astrology

Warm Fuzzies for the Holidays

By Kait Leonard

Thank the stars (and the lunar nodes) that we’re out of eclipse season! But December refuses to go gently into 2023!

The year’s finale brings the forward movement of Neptune, the ingress of Jupiter into Aries, and of course, a Mercury retrograde to ring in the New Year. Around all of that, we have a divided month with the first two weeks dominated by planets in expansive Sagittarius, and then shifting for the end of the month into restrictive Capricorn.

December opens with the Sun, Venus, and Mercury in the most optimistic sign of the zodiac, Sagittarius. Wherever this falls in your chart, you should experience an all-is-right kind of feeling. This is a time to communicate with loved ones, make plans for the holidays, and let your light shine. To add to the sparkle, this planetary party will be communicating with Jupiter and Neptune, both in their glory in Pisces, so expect this area of your chart to light up as well. Of course, nothing this year has been simple, and this configuration comes with one possible hiccup. These planets will form a difficult aspect to the retrograding Mars in Gemini, which will be with us until January 12th. Use a bit more caution in the sign of the twins until the planet of aggression and tension turns forward.

The other big news for the first week of December is Neptune, the planet of spiritual union and idealism, but also illusion and delusion, will be turning direct in his home sign of Pisces on the 3rd. This energy should clear up some of that foggy feeling that’s been lingering since June. Expect to see things more clearly, communicate more easily, and experience a renewed sense of union with your people. And with Neptune’s connection to

Venus in Sagittarius, warm fuzzies all around!

Uh-oh! Remember that pesky Mars retrograding through Gemini? Guess where the Moon is going full on December 7th? There’s going to be a lot of energy in the social sign of the twins. But with a little advanced planning, it is possible to get some positive payoff out of this intense period. The Full Moon is a time of releasing that which no longer serves us. Retrogrades support reconsidering the topics associated with the planet, in this case the anger of Mars. This may be a beautiful time to let

go of old grudges or even current disputes that aren’t leading anywhere good.

Then prepare for a jolt on the 20th when Jupiter, the planet of exploration and expansion, enters Aries, the sign of impulsivity. Wherever this happens in your chart, you may find that you’re no longer able to take things slowly. You’ll be willing to fight to manifest your dreams and ready to jump head-first into your plans. Woe to the person who stands in your way. So while Jupiter’s journey through Aries might not be gentle, it may be a brilliant one. This energy sticks around until the middle of May. Just imagine how much you can make happen during that five-month period.

The New Moon occurs on December 23rd in the sign of Capricorn. This is fantastic energy for building foundations. For many people, plans have faltered during eclipse season. If that’s the case, let the Moon support launching the project while Capricorn helps you build from the ground up. This may sound a little daunting coming right in the middle of the holiday season, but make a start. What you do during this energy will grow as the Moon travels through her waxing phase.

As December moves on, so does the energy. The planetary party in optimistic and expansive Sagittarius that opened the month will shift into conservative Capricorn. This movement peaks with the Sun’s ingress into the sign of the goat on December 21st. Happy Yule! And Merry Solstice! This season invites us to come inside and spend long evenings with family and friends. It’s a time illuminated by the hearth fire, a time for sharing cocoa, cookies, beautiful memories, and dreams of the future.

Just make sure to get all your merry-making in before December 29th because that’s when Mercury turns retrograde. Happy Holidays!

PHOTO BY TARYN ELLIOTT