The "Flipside" of "Unbroken" and "the Great Zamperini"

I just watched the film "Unbroken," the amazing true story of Louis Zamperini.  

Wow.  What an amazing journey and path this man was on.  After watching the film, I really wanted to see Watanabe, "the Bird" speak - and found the following clip from 60 Minutes.


First it's Watanabe in his own words - the clip I'm showing is the one where the translation was reportedly done improperly by 60 Minutes the first time around, and a translator clarifies what he had to say. The differences are subtle but important.

Watanabe says clearly that "(You) Caucasians consider beating and kicking as cruel (torture)."  Meaning, it's not the same for me.  Then he goes on to say "If Zamperini says these things happened, they must have happened."  Completely disassociating himself from the acts of torture.

Gee where have I heard the same words said in defense of torture before?  Let's see... could it be... Dick Cheney?  Here's where he says " "It's not torture if it prevents another 9/11." "We did what had to be done." At least Watanabe didn't claim that what he'd done to Zamperini was justified.




But it's exactly the same.

"It's not torture if we're doing it to save our people."

But let's go beyond that.  The key moment in this story happened after Louis Zamperini returned home and was haunted by nightmares of killing "the Bird" out of revenge for his cruelty.

He went to see Billy Graham speak, who counseled him that forgiveness would alter his path and journey.  And as he says in this 35 minute interview, I highly recommend watching this if you're a fan of the book and film, that the idea of forgiveness caused him to stop dreaming of The Bird, or having nightmares about him.



(it's 35 minutes, highly recommend this Bob Simon award winning short film made for the Olympics)
That the act of forgiveness, or the thought of compassion towards him allowed him to alter his path and journey.  

Science would tell us that the altered the shape of his amygdala with that meditative thought.  That's what the research shows out of Richard Davidson's clinic at the University of Wisconsin.  That a single meditation on compassion can change depression in a human being - and that meditation, or forgiveness to his enemies, caused Louis Zamperini to emerge from his depression a new person.

And now comes the Flipside part.  In "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" volume one, David Bennett talks about his Near Death Experience where in his "life review" he saw that the negative acts of his life reverberated like ripples on a pond.  

But David experienced those acts from the point of view of the victim - so when he was kicking the shit out of a guy in a cowboy bar who made the mistake of making a pass at him earlier in his life, David experienced the blows, the blood, the humiliation all from the victim's point of view.  He said he experience that negativity, plus all the hatred from everyone in the bar who joined in on beating this poor fellow up.

So let that sink in for a moment - that every blow that the Bird rained down on Louis Zamperini, he is likely experiencing that now - all of the pain and suffering that he engendered during his lifetime.  Imagine the feeling of experiencing all of those blows at once - and not only do you experience it, but all of the people in your soul group experience it as well (according to David's account, which was later examined under clinical conditions at the University of Virginia by Dr. Bruce Greyson, and finally reconfirmed during an LBL that David had years after the event, but helped him see it with clarity.)

And conversely, all the joy and happiness and compassion that Louis has created in his life through forgiveness, is reverberating for him now - just as David Bennett (in "Voyage of Purpose") experienced when viewing the positive acts from his lifetime.


So by living this extremely difficult lifetime, and then forgiving those who trespassed against him, Louis Zamperini has given us all a gift that keeps on giving.  The lesson of compassion, the gift of forgiveness.  It not only heals us, but it reverberates throughout the universe as a positive healing wave.

But don't take my word for it, it's in the science. All that's required is to look for it.

Congratulations to Ms. Jolie and her crew for bringing this film to the planet and allowing his story to be one of healing for those that are able to embrace it.  I'm sure Louis is enjoying it from where he is now... back "home."

The Jewel Tree Meditation of Flipside

Just a couple of notes of merriment. 

 
The audio version of "It's a Wonderful Afterlife Volume Two" is now live and online.

It's also available in Nook here:

Volume One is available in Nook here:

And available in audio here:

It's a particularly hard time around the holidays when your loved ones are far away, either in spirit or physically.

There's a Buddhist meditation about that, and perhaps giving yourself a taste of that can be helpful.

Put yourself in a calm place, or a place where you feel calm.  That could be a Starbucks, or a lake or a pond, or in your chair while you're reading up on the latest online news.

Sit back for a moment and breathe.  You know what I mean.  Literally, sit back, take a deep breath and let it go.

Stressed from shopping?  Stressed from getting gifts?  Stressed from giving gifts? Stressed because there's no money to give gifts?  (Sing it).  Stressed because everything seems a little bit more heightened at this moment?

Take a deep breath.  Let it all go.

Look around you.  What do you see?  Did you ever notice that particular thing before?  What's it doing in your field of view?  Did my suggesting you look at it bring it into view, or was it always there and you just didn't consider it?  Could be a photograph, or a pencil, or a person sitting on the other side of the coffee shop.  (I met my wife in a Starbucks, and in 20 minutes, after realizing how much we had in common I said "Let's just skip down and get married and have a couple of kids."  She was convinced I say that to everyone at Starbucks.)  But I digress.

Breathe in.  Listen to what sounds you might be able to hear.  Are they unique?  Annoying?  What are they really? Waves of sound just coming your way?  Let them pass through, don't attach anything to them.

Breathe in.  And then breathe out. 

Now, here comes the fun part.  Don't do this while driving.  Imagine yourself sitting by a pond somewhere, the most beautiful lake you've ever seen.  Then imagine a tree coming out of that lake.  A magnificent tree, and hear the sound of the leaves as it rises out of the water.  Birds come and land on your tree. The sun is at the right height to really allow you to see this tree.  Feel the warmth of the sun, listen to the sound of the birds.

Then in the center of the tree put the happiest person you know.  It could be someone alive or dead, doesn't matter. Just put them there in the tree.  Gaze up at them, and let them gaze down upon you.  Welcome them to your tree.  

And then open up a channel from your heart, straight up into the tree, like a laser beam of light.  Let it hit that person in the center of the tree and light them up with love.  And it starts their engine as well, and they return that love to you.  Could be anyone - your mom, your dad, your most sacred deity, your best friend - whoever it is, shower them with that unconditional love.

(Funny, it's the most common thing I've heard in NDE's and LBL's - a sense of "unconditional love."  As opposed to "conditional love?"  That would be.. "Uh, yeah, I love you... but...")  I digress.
 
And now put everyone you love around this person and do the same with them.  Open up the iris of this beam of light and allow them to return it equally.  Feel that intense love coming from you and then it returns more powerful, stronger than before.

Then put around your loved ones from near and far, alive or dead, people you see on a daily basis, who may be sad or unhappy, or stressed.  Put them up there too, why not?  It's a tree for the masses.  And then finally after them, put up there the people you really don't like, or can't stand, or believe that you hate.  Or that you believe hate you.  (Because hate is a relative thing - the person you "hate" in middle school may become a best friend later on in life).  

They're startled to be called into your tree, but they like the light.  They like the feeling up there. So you've got this magnificent tree in front of you, filled with your loved ones, friends and acquaintances.  

Then put gifts in each one of their hands.  Could be anything - it's free! - you just imagine it and hand it to them, and see that look of happiness, gratitude, or love coming from them.  It's your gift to them.  Didn't cost you anything but the time it took to read this blog.

Give love freely.  Feel the vibration of the return that comes to you.  Breathe in that golden healing light that showers you, breathe out as much healing energy and light as you can muster.   

And then, just for fun - turn the healing light to snow - let it blanket everyone.  They aren't cold, just startled by the white flakes falling on them.  Healing snow, melting into their hearts, making their gifts turn white.

Then slowly one by one thank them for appearing in your life, or your tree, and then allow them to dissolve, until you're back to your most beloved... and thank them for taking away all your pain and stress today, because that's a gift from them to you.

Merry Holidays, Happy New Year.

(This is a Martini modified version of the Jewel Tree Meditation of Tibet, taught me by Robert Thurman while we were in Tibet.  You can watch him give it in Tibet here: or get a copy of Journey into Tibet here:)

The Life and Death of an American Sniper

Reading the advance reviews of "American Sniper" and this Marine's life and death, I'm moved to write about another couple of snipers from a "Flipside" perspective.  

Although James Blake Miller didn't have 160 kills to his credit, he did say something unusual in this article, published in 2004 by the "LA Times." referring to the story which published a photo of him (below) where he was smoking a cigarette and dubbed "the Marlboro Man."

from the article:

"Miller talked about killing the enemy.

"To try to live with that . . . how do you justify it, regardless of what your causes are or what their causes are?" he said.

"To see somebody in your sights and to pull that trigger, it's almost like you're with them, seeing their life flash before their eyes as well as taking it. It's an insane connection that you make with that person at that point."

The original article:

Marine Whose Photo Lit Up Imaginations Keeps His Cool

November 13, 2004|By Patrick J. McDonnell | Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

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FALLOUJA, Iraq — The Marlboro man is angry: He has a war to fight and he's running out of smokes.

"If you want to write something," he tells an intruding reporter, "tell Marlboro I'm down to four packs and I'm here in Fallouja till who knows when. Maybe they can send some. And they can bring down the price a bit."

Such are the unvarnished sentiments of Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller, 20, a country boy from Kentucky who has been thrust unwittingly and somewhat unwillingly into the role of poster boy for a war on the other side of the world from his home on the farm.

"I just don't understand what all the fuss is about," Miller drawls Friday as he crouches inside an abandoned building with his platoon mates, preparing to fight insurgents holed up in yet another mosque. "I was just smokin' a cigarette and someone takes my picture and it all blows up."

Then this happened:

Los Angeles Times Photographer Offers Update On Marlboro Marine

At the end of April 2006, I returned home from a few days of down time with my husband to a surprising email from a small New York publishing firm. Ig Publishing said that they were interested in putting out a book on combat PTSD. Would I write it?

The following month I set about fashioning a proposal for what would eventually become Moving a Nation to Care and began reaching out to possible interview subjects for the project.

It didn't take me long to know without any hesitation whose story I needed to open the book with: James Blake Miller, aka the Marlboro Marine. I'd begun covering the issue of combat PTSD and our returning troops in September of 2005 and Miller made a deep impression on me when he came forward only a few short months later, in January 2006, to tell the world of his struggle with PTSD.

He was so honest about his experience in the many interviews he gave, and so clearly carried no other agenda than simply wanting to help destigmatize the diagnosis he'd been given. Dr. Robert Roerich, who eventually contributed Moving's foreword, was in touch with Miller at the time that I was working on my proposal and contacted him on my behalf.

And then this:

Rolling Stone's Article: 

By Jenny Eliscu | April 3, 2008

Blake Miller can't stand cats. He didn't always hate them, but that was before Iraq; before he fought in the battle of Fallujah; before the first enemy soldier Miller killed lay, rotting in the street for three days, his remains picked over by a hungry cat that had crawled inside the dead Iraqi's hollowed-out chest. Miller's life divides like that, into then and now. Before November 9th, 2004. Before the photograph.

Related

Back to Baghdad: Life in the City of Doom

On that day, as Miller paused for a smoke during a lull in the fighting, a photographer from The Los Angeles Times captured the battle-weary Marine with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Miller's face was smeared with soot and sand and blood and war paint, none of which could camouflage his bewilderment and exhaustion. The image was soon plastered all over the news, appearing in more than 150 publications worldwide and earning him the moniker "Marlboro Man." Overnight, the photo made Miller an unwitting icon, a symbol of the indomitable spirit of U.S. troops, the heroism and virility of the American fighter. The New York Post ran the shot – later nominated for a Pulitzer Prize – under a simple headline: SMOKIN'.

That was then. These days, Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller spends much of his time sitting on the floor of the run-down trailer he keeps as a residence behind his father's house in the tiny coal-mining town of Jonancy, Kentucky (population 297). This is his favorite spot in the trailer, where he reclines against an easy chair whose upholstery has turned a dingy nicotine brown. From here, Miller can anticipate any possible threat, keep an eye on all avenues of approach an enemy might take. As cigarette butts overflow in the ashtray and empty beer bottles collect around him, he silently cycles through procedures the Marine Corps drilled into his head: defend, reinforce, attack, withdraw, delay. He knows it's only seven steps to the front door, but he worries whether his truck has enough gas to make an escape. He wishes someone had told him that "there may come a time when all that shit you learned, you might not be able to turn it off."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/the-troubled-homecoming-of-the-marlboro-marine-20080403#ixzz3MeqJBzEI  

A short film about James:

I'll bet Mr. Miller will have an unusual experience when he watches this film "American Sniper" (if he chooses to do so" and I hope someone follows up and asks him about it.)

Which brings us to "American Sniper."

According to his book, Chris Kyle had the most kills of any sniper in US History. According this his book, he saw Iraqis as less than human to put it lightly, (“Savage, despicable evil. That's what we were fighting in Iraq”) and their deaths a necessary task in order to protect his fellow Marines.  

I'm not judging this perspective, or making it into a pejorative - he did his job extremely well.  Set aside the facts for a moment; we should never have invaded Iraq, he should never have been asked to stare down a site at children, women or Iraqis in the first place.  Set those details aside, because he was asked to do a job, and he did it extremely well.

Unfortunately, Chris was murdered in cold blood - which is an odd term, because in terms of the "Flipside" we're told over and over that people don't die - that they performed their roles on the stage of life, with varying degrees of success. So no one dies for "no reason."  There is a reason, and we just aren't privy to it. (Unless someone close to the victim does an LBL session with a Michael Newton trained therapist - which I've found is a place where people can ask any question and get them answered in such a way as they truly feel they know the answer.)

But in the case of Chris Kyle  they had just begun to make a movie about his life when he was killed. And not by a disgruntled Iraqi, but by a US veteran, a Marine who suffered from PTSD.  Chris was trying to help this soldier overcome his own damage done by the war, and it killed him.

To give this story some perspective, it's repeated in the research in "Flipside" and "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" that in both NDEs and LBLs people often experience a "past life review" where they go over all the things they've done, good or bad, and are able to experience first hand the pain they've inflicted, or the souls they've helped.  And in these sessions we also find accounts of how a person's death at the hands of another may have been "contracted" or talked about, decided upon, prior to coming to the planet.  

These repeated assertions (thousands of sessions, I've filmed 25) make it very difficult for anyone to judge another's path - unless they're literally in their shoes, or in their soul group.  We can't judge either the sniper or the person they're shooting - other than to come to the conclusion that they've come together for some reason that only they can understand.

Perhaps to save the lives of their loved ones - the sniper saving the lives of his loved ones, and the person being shot trying to save the lives of their loved ones.  

It's rare to have the opportunity to examine these issues, and I applaud the filmmakers for making this film which will certainly allow people to see the dilemma for themselves.

For those of you looking for a connection between me and the work, the only one I can point to is that my pal Luana Anders worked with Clint Eastwood on his television show, and she said "he was the most beautiful human being I'd ever seen in my life." 

But back to this discussion of snipers - those folks that we ask to kill in our names, whether it be via a drone attack or on the field of battle.  They're a particular type of person, and since the 18th century, and later the Civil War these "sharpshooters" have been known for their uncanny abilities.

But in terms of the research in "Flipside" and "It's A Wonderful Afterlife" I'm friends with one sniper who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the Army Rangers and military advisor, David Parke, and he's now become a hypnotherapist trained in the Michael Newton method of between life therapy.

Dave's a terrific, warm person, and needless to say he's had an unusual time coming to terms with - that's not the right term, perhaps coming to transform what his country asked him to do  - and is now helping people understand their own motivations for actions in this lifetime.

So here are three examples of people that have served on our nation's behalf.  

A sniper whose life was devastated by the actions he committed, a sniper who believed with every fiber of his body that he was doing the right thing on his way to setting a record, and a sniper who set aside his rifle and focused on his ability to help and heal other individuals.

Unusual paths all. I bow in deep respect to their difficult choices. My two cents.

 

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David Parke

David Parke is an executive and organizational coach specializing in helping individuals and organizations gain strategic clarity and create new outcomes.  As a former Army Ranger, David is no stranger to overcoming adversity, dealing with hardship and helping others find their own inner strength. 

• There's more to you than meets the eye. Learn to authentically express it to the world.
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Overwhelming fear leads to confusion, uncertainty and depression. It narrows our view of the world and closes off the possibility of living a happy and purposeful life. When we are held back by fear we constantly doubt ourselves and our abilities. This fear shows up in our careers and our relationships, casting a shadow over everything and diminishing our dreams.

Colbert Conquers Death! Goes Flipside!

Colbert conquers death! 

He goes "Flipside" around 10:27.  Faced with the knowledge he's killed death (as in "Its a Wonderful Afterlife" volume 2 where Robert Thurman does the same) he makes a bucket list of things he wants to do in the afterlife (including eating things in buckets). 

He gets into a chariot with his soul group, driven by Santa, a unicorned Abe Lincoln and... Alex Trebek (!) who says about the existential questions of life and death: "All of life's important answers must be in the form of a question." ("Why are we here? Are we really here?") 



In the finale, everyone who's ever been in the life of the Colbert Report's sings "We'll meet again" - pretty much the same thing people claim about the afterlife during NDEs, OBEs and LBLs - seeing all your loved ones again in a display of unconditional love and reverie... (except those who are busy elsewhere, like Billo Reilly). 

Loved  the reference to the ending of Dr. Strangelove, which includes this Flipside tune:

 "We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when. But I know we'll meet again some sunny day. Keep smiling through, just like you always do, Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away. So will you please say hello to the folks that I know, tell them I won't be long. They'll be happy to know as you saw me go, I was singing this song. We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when. But I know we'll meet again some sunny day. Keep smiling through, just like you all ways do." 
 


A fitting end. Colbert Report is dead, but it lives on. Just as we do.

My appearance on the show Friday

Here's my appearance on the show Friday, while it's still available...

A Shot of Martini

I look like I had too much coffee. I did.

Talking with my old pal George Noory on Friday.





As a way of prep, for me and for you dear reader, let's recap.  Who is this guy Rich Martini?

Just a filmmaker.  Grew up in Chicago (Northbrook), home of John Hughes, who went to my high school. Came out to California on a coin flip, went to USC film school, where I met my pal Luana Anders, who was a spiritual person, who got me a job working for her pal Robert Towne, one of the greatest writers of all time.

I wrote and or directed 8 theatrical films, most of them you haven't seen, I know you haven't seen them, because no one has.  But they're all children of mine, and I'm proud to say I can sit and watch any of them today, this very moment and be amused, laugh out loud, or get emotional over something I was trying to convey.

"Dialog coach" on "Movers & Shakers"
Walter Matthau and Charles Grodin pointing to
where all the donuts have gone.

I went to work for Charles Grodin in the 90's, helping produce segments for his show, and later, worked for Phillip Noyce on a couple of films, including "Salt."  I also started writing and researching what happened to Amelia Earhart after she disappeared, thanks to a prompt from an old pal from Northbrook, Abbie Adams Yaffe.

That's turned into a 25 year story - continuing to dig so to speak, last year I went to Saipan and uncovered 15 new eyewitnesses.  People who claim their mom or dad, uncle, or they themselves saw the tall aviator dressed in men's clothes on their island before the war began, which resulted in her passing.

But of course, if you've read any of Flipside, or Its A Wonderful Afterlife, you know that she's not dead. She's just not here. 

And how did I come to that conclusion?  Well, I had a visit from my old friend Luana, and from there I began researching the field.  I found the work of Dr. Michael Newton, a psychologist, and his books that detail the 7000 cases he's had over his career. I interviewed him and other therapists trained in his method of deep hypnosis, called "life between life hypnotherapy."  Turns out all the clients said pretty much the same things about the afterlife.  I detailed that journey in the documentary "Flipside" and the book of the same name.

But as I was talking about the research, I spoke to scientists who were on the cutting edge of consciousness research.  And the stories from people under hypnosis seemed remarkably similar to those who've had near death experiences.  

I spoke to a number of scientists about their work and research, and then continued to film people under deep hypnosis, and then found people who'd had both an NDE and a between life session (LBL). I found remarkable similarities in all their accounts.




Dr. Bruce Greyson UVA is in the book, talking about NDEs.

And like the Earhart research, I tried to stay true to a simple concept.  "What did you see? " "What did you feel or experience?" "What did your family or loved ones say?"  And then sought to corroborate their stories by finding whether or not they lived where they said they did, or spoke to their relatives about their experience, or any other evidence that shows people are likely telling the truth.

For example, when I interviewed Dr. Newton I also got the opportunity to interview his wife, and she was able to corroborate much of what he said.  But what was key to her interview was her saying "He allowed me to listen to the tapes."  And when she heard these accounts of the afterlife, so remarkably similar, knowing the backgrounds of who these people were, how there was little or no ability to find these this information in public - she knew her husband was onto something.

Just found this online - 9 Minutes of Dr. Newton talking about his work.


So I've been filming people during these 6 hour sessions. So far I've filmed 25. (Many with Scott De Tamble, lightbetweenlives.com) Most of them I've chosen, because I know they're skeptics, or they're not aware of this research, or have no property to sell. Then I make sure that no one could guess who these subjects are - so I take out the possibility of gaining something from the experience.  I eliminate the problem inherent in hypnosis - a patient wants to cure something, they go to a person who wants to cure them.  

In this case, they're not looking for any cures, and the hypnotherapist has no idea who they are or why they're there (other than a phone conversation that loosely goes over what they might want to explore to maximize the benefits of the session).

And then I transcribe the session, edit them for content, and present them as they were filmed.  So anyone can see the same thing that I've seen. Here's the trailer for the film "Flipside": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK7vndjaUJg





Last year I asked people to donate whatever they could for the creation of the last book on a gofundme site.  It meant that I was able to finish the book and research and do those things that take time to compile this information.  So THANK YOU for all your support. My family appreciates it!!

It allowed me to present this work in the most unadulterated way that I can, without hype or bravado - because the content of what people say during these sessions is literally mind blowing.

So George and I are going to be talking about how Near Death Experiences closely resemble between life sessions.  How the hallmarks of NDEs which have been studied scientifically under scientific protocol, are remarkably similar to LBLs which have never been studied under scientific protocols.  How the cutting edge ideas of consciousness as told by Dr. Greyson, Neuroscientist Mario Beauregard and Gary Schwartz PhD in the book, can be linked up with what people are saying during a near death experience or while under deep hypnosis.  There you go. We don't die. And "Bob's your uncle."

If George Noory's recognition of this research as something worthy to examine encourages you to examine it, I think that's fantastic.  I've posted at least a dozen book talks, so if you want to hear any of it explored further, for free, check out my youtube page MartiniProds - and subscribe if you care to, as I'm told once I hit 5,000 followers I can get youtube to sponsor a channel.  Wouldn't that be fun?  All Flipside all the time.  The film "Flipside" is available at Gaiam TV (and DVD at Amazon).

Also, I didn't plan to talk about Earhart research, but George asked me to stick around for an extra hour.  Some folks have questioned my sanity about this topic - I've posted excerpts of my interviews with people on Saipan at www.earhartonsaipan.com - where you can see for yourself what these people have said on camera.  And finally, here's three US veterans who spoke to me about what they saw.

At some point, you have to wonder - why are people so skeptical about this information? Is it uncomfortable?  Why?  As I've said - Amelia is not dead. She's just not here.  So if the quest to find out what happened to her and her plane, why not just ask the people who claim they saw her or saw the plane? In this case US MARINES WHO ARE NOT PRONE TO LYING:



Feel free to leave any questions you might have - my email is like the youtube account - martiniprods at the place that owns youtube - gmail.  

Thanks for tuning in.

Coast to Coast AM This Friday!!!

Set your alarm clocks!

This Friday, December 12th, yours truly will be talking FLIPSIDE and ITS A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE and perhaps some other stuff, depending on time allowed on COAST TO COAST AM WITH GEORGE NOORY.

If I forget to mention something, it's the THANK YOUs for all the folks that helped me put together this latest edition - it's MASSIVE - two volumes of research into the afterlife, interviews with scientists, interviews with hypnotherapists, interviews with people who've had NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES, discussions about the latest research into consciousness, talking to people about the afterlife and showing HOW THE REPORTS ARE RELATIVELY THE SAME.

Relatively?  Yes, it appears that my experience in the afterlife is going to be different than yours.

Your experience in the afterlife is going to be different than mine.

However, there are some hallmarks we are both going to experience, including "reconnecting with your loved ones, and the people who've been incarnating with you for millenia."  We are going to experience (at some point) a feeling of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. We are going to meet with our "spirit guide" or "guardians" who help us through each lifetime.  We are going to visit the library of souls, or the akashic records and see where we've been and contemplate where we might be going.

IT'S NOT SET IN STONE.  We have free will.  We can adjust to the circumstances.

We might want to hang around on the planet to take care of our loved ones.  It's allowed, we have free will.  We might want to go to some isolated place to be away from everyone else to contemplate on all the negative actions of this lifetime.  It's allowed, we have free will.  We might want to rejoin our friends and loved ones "back home" because they've been watching and waiting for us.  We might want to spread love and help others.  We might want to just play with our pals, and not worry about anyone or anything else.  It's allowed we have free will.

IT'S ALLOWED.  WE HAVE FREE WILL.

We choose our parents, we choose our lifetime.  We choose the stones in our path that we learn to go through or around, so we can turn the stones into gold.  We turn adversity into victory.  Not everyone, not all of us. But that's what the stones are there for.  Not to annoy you. But to ennoble you.

So tune in if you can, this Friday Dec 12th at 10 PM Pacific Coast time.  Here's a link to Coast to Coast AM.

Post by Rich Martini.

Sister Cities - Windy City White City

Here's a documentary I created about the Sister City program: Chicago (Windy) and Casablanca (White). 

Layalina Prods presents, written and directed by Richard Martini; "White City, Windy City." In the Eisenhower era, the Sister City program began pairing cities from across the globe with cities in the U.S. Two of the oldest members are Casablanca (White City) and Chicago (Windy City). 

This is the pilot episode for a series that would focus on the similarities of cultures, rather than their differences. For example, Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country, yet was the first country to recognize the United States as a country. The head of the Jewish museum in Casablanca is interviewed, and he talks about the history of Moroccan tolerance. 

Casablanca considers itself a "melting pot" for all religions as does Chicago In this documentary, the Imam of the largest Mosque outside of Mecca is interviewed and his sentiments echo the same words that the Mayor of Chicago has when asked about the Sister City program. There are many females working in positions of power in Moroccan society there are interviews with a female Judge, Member of Parliament, and a Doctor who detail what it's like for a woman in their country. 

There are interviews with Casablancans living in Chicago and Chicagoans who live in Casablanca. The former Mayor Richard M Daley is interviewed, and the documentary looks at the long cultural history between both cities.  Enjoy!

This program is available through Layalina TV. For more information please contact President of Layalina, Leon Shahabian. (Layalina Productions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public diplomacy initiative based in Washington, D.C., that develops, produces and distributes television programming throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Inaugurated in March 2002, Layalina aims to dispel negative stereotypes of the other and help increase mutual understanding between the U.S. and Arab-speaking countries. The organization's following has been notably bipartisan, with leading foreign policy veterans and media experts from both Republican and Democratic backgrounds making up the organization’s Board of Directors and Board of Counselors including Henry A. Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Sam Nunn, and former President George H. W. Bush.)