Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine

[H2O Man]

"Love is the only thing which will give an answer to all our problems. …Be alone, sometimes, and if you are lucky it might come to you, on a falling leaf, or from that distant solitary tree in an empty field." – J. Krishnamurti

This afternoon, at 2 pm est, the History Channel is showing the 2-hour documentary "1968 With Tom Brokaw." It is difficult to tell the story of what was the most turbulent year of the 20th century in two hours, but this program does a pretty good job.

The Tet Offensive; the Democratic National Convention; MLK, RFK & LBJ; the music; Ali and Black Power; and Mayor Daley, George Wallace, and Richard Nixon.

If you weren’t alive back then, or are too young to remember, watch this show. It’s worth two hours of your time. If you are among those who remembers those events, even if through a haze, it is an intense program, a distant solitary tree in an empty/cluttered field.

The documentary, which is a companion piece to Brokaw’s book "Boom: Voices of the Sixties," is available on DVD, if you aren’t able to watch it this afternoon. I think it is a good show for this weekend.


"There's nothing you can do that can't be done
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung
Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy
There's nothing you can make that can't be made
No one you can save that can't be saved
Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time
It's easy

"All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

"There's nothing you can know that can't be known
Nothing you can see that isn't shown
No where you can be, that isn't where you're meant to be
It's easy

"All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Love is all you need
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need"
--John Lennon (1967)

[spanone]

1. that year was one body blow after another...i remember it well

thanks for the heads up.

[H2O Man]

9. I watched it

earlier today, and it still seems unreal that so many events were crammed into one year. It's funny how a film clip or a verse from a song brings memories back.

[patrice]

2. I've seen that. You're right H2O Man.

I can't think of another video-medium that puts it ALL together the way that one does.

1968, the year that my First Spouse and I married and set out on a 29-year Love journey, in which, amongst children and Family, motorcycles also had an important role. In fact, I was never quite sure if he had to choose . . . . :-) He's gone on ahead now, but I expect to see him again someday.

Thanks for the reminder! Love IS all there is, H2O Man. :hug:

[H2O Man]

11. It was the fuel

that allowed people to go forward in the face of so many destructive forces in that era. Lots of good lessons in that documentary for the younger generation.

One of my best friends stopped in moments after I read your response. He is going to repair a spot on my roof -- he put a new one on for me two years ago, and the corner of one piece of plywood lifted. Anyhow, he graduated in '69, and we had a good talk about the "old days," and the very real potential to finish the mission. He noted that we need the younger folks to do the heavy lifting, but we can still add a lot on the effort. He said the single most important thing is to keep a positive attitude.

[SpiralHawk]

18. The celestial signature for the late 60s and everything was the conjunction

of Uranus and Pluto. Those two planets have moved onward in the sky, and are now coming into orb for what would be termed their Waxing Square (90-degree configuration), which will take place over the next few years from early Aries (Uranus) to early Capricorn (Pluto).

What's that all mean, Mr. Natural? A hell of a lot more than I am going to try and type up for DU. Suffice to say the 'very real potential to finish the mission' is symbolized by this waxing square. It ain't over yet. Much further to go. It's all about to come back into sharp focus.

Excelsior.

[H2O Man]

20. Thanks.

I hear you. My normal brother is an astrologer. Not as capable as one of my best friends from DU, who tells me things that I pass on to him every now and then.

[Me.]

29. My Understanding Is

That it will take until 2017 for the change/s to be complete. Is that yours as well?. Interesting how that will be at the end of an 8 year Obama administration.

[patrice]

39. Most important also to earn the trust of, and learn how to trust, the young.

[walldude]

3. Not to get off topic but the Beatles catalog is being remastered

and gets released 9/9/9 if you have heard the remasters they did for the Vegas "love" show then you know they did an amazing job. I can't wait.

[H2O Man]

13. That's not "off topic," at all.

It's right on target. The Beatles' music was such an important part of that era.

As a person who still has every Beatles record from when they first came out, and who has added a lot of others over the years since, I'm really looking forward to the new releases. Best music ever, in my opinion.

[bulldogge]

14. off topic

Today is the day Paul announced the beatles were breaking up I believe? (1970?)

[H2O Man]

22. April 10, 1970

is when Paul publicly announced he was leaving; it was a week before the release of "McCartney."

John described it best as a cartton strip that starts with four guys on stage; next, three leave; finally, Paul announces the break-up.

[Me.]

4. "even if through a haze"

And to what might you be referring? :evilgrin:

[H2O Man]

15. I forget.

Or plead the 5th.

[Me.]

30. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

Try telling that to the fuzz.

[panader0]

5. I was 18 and had a memorable year.

Krishnamurti, Lennon and Morrison--you know how to pick 'em.

[H2O Man]

17. Strange time

to be 18.

Have you seen the film? I'd be curious to hear your impressions of it. And I think others here would, too.

[TexasObserver]

6. One minute, the nation was watching UH v. UCLA play for the basketball championship ...

In January of 1968, the first nationally televised NCAA basketball game was UH, led by Elvin Hayes, versus UCLA, led by Lew Alcindor aka Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Days later, the Tet Offensive began. Weeks later, the siege of Khe Sanh signaled further US weakness in Vietnam.

Then MLK was assassinated, then LBJ announced he would not seek reelection. Gene McCarthy and Bobby Kennedy surged forward. I joined the military and went off to basic. And before I completed basic, Bobby Kennedy was assassinated.

That was barely five months into 1968.

In July, the Democratic Convention blew the lid off in Chicago, and a full scale Social, political, and racial divide was being dealt with in the country.

[loudsue]

8. And we never finished what we started.

Corporations..."the establishment"... now owns our legislatures all across the country, and in the biggest one of all.

We let them win that one.

[H2O Man]

25. Right.

I agree.

[H2O Man]

19. Right.

The Women's Movement also reached a new level that year. It was as if everything was happening at once.

I think that when LBJ withdrew in late March, many people thought there was a real possibility of the country moving forward. But a few days later, King was killed, and then a lot of cities went up in flames. The lines were drawn. RFK's candidacy might have led to healing, but the he was killed, too.

Certainly one of the most intense years in this nation's history.

[GliderGuider]

7. 1968 happened in Europe as well as the USA.

I was a teenager in Paris that year and got swept up in the May student riots at the Sorbonne. I still have two cobblestones I picked off the street barricade shown in the photo below. Later we travelled through Prague and experienced the last week of the Prague Spring, and then over the border in Ukraine we saw endless trains with flatcars carrying Soviet tanks waiting to go in.

Those were glorious, intense, passionate times indeed.

[H2O Man]

26. Thanks.

You are right, of course. It was an important year around the globe.

[bananas]

35. Central and South America, too

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tlatelolco_massacre

[Jazzgirl]

10. I remember that year vivdly.

It was very turbulent and I was living on a military base. My parents were both teachers on the base so we were able to live on base too. My Mom and I had the room MLK had at the Lorraine Motel reserved for that weekend. We always got that room when we went there because it was the nicest. Something happened and we had to cancel. We almost had a riot at the school I went to because of the assassination. Racism was rampant, riots.....

Thanks for the heads up Mr. Waterman.

[H2O Man]

27. "House Burning Down"

Jimi Hendrix wrote the song "House Burning Down" as a message after King was assassinated. It still holds up, today.

[TahitiNut]

12. 1968: The year the US responded to the Tet Offensive by drafting TahitiNut.

:hide:

[H2O Man]

16. Have you seen this film?

I think that you would like it. If you can get here within 2 hours and 30 minutes, we can kick back and watch it. Then you'll be here for the HBO boxing on Saturday.

One of these days.

[TahitiNut]

21. Now, that's an idea. But it'd be a 6-hour drive even if I crossed Ontario.

(sigh)

Not having an up-to-date passport, I'd have to swing down to Toledo, Erie, Buffalo, NY Turnpike and east. But it'd be nice ... including a "Nostagia Tour" of the Finger Lakes region. It's been over 25 years since I left the Rochester area.

[H2O Man]

24. We should make plans.

It would be fun to sit out near my pond, and watch the fish and the wildlife.

Yesterday, I got word that one of my closest friends, also a Vietnam Vet, is dealing with a serious illness. I'd love to introduce the two of you.

[Nickster]

23. Thanks for the heads up, I just scheduled it remotely for my DVR. Looking forward to it.

[H2O Man]

28. I'm confident that

you will enjoy it.

[H2O Man]

31. Oh, no!

Patrick Buchanan says it was the worst year in our nation's history.

[DemReadingDU]

32. There were a lot of protests then

What happened to all those student activists? Where are they now? Why aren't they out there protesting our taxmoney being used to bailout the banks?

[H2O Man]

33. Good question.

There are definitely some active, concerned students. But it would be great to see more organization among campuses, and more public, peaceful demonstrations.

[DemReadingDU]

34. But where are the 'boomers' now?

When they were young, many were protesters. But what are they doing now? Too busy working? Golfing in retirement? Vacationing in exotic places? It seems so odd to me that such a large group of people were so active in 1968, and hardly a peep now.

And it would be nice to see more organization among campuses with younger folks in public peaceful demonstrations.

I sometimes feel many have become sheep being led to the slaughter.

[GliderGuider]

36. Speaking just for myself

I took about 25 years off after my last acid trip (from the mid '70s until September 12, 2001) to make a living, marry and divorce a couple of wives (expensive hobby, that) and do the materialism thing. Some of my friends actually raised children in that period, though I didn't. I was working for a company at the very tip of the high tech bubble when it burst in 2000, and that combined with 9/11 and a stolen American election to give me a wakeup call. I've spent the time since then figuring out what's actually going on here and deciding how I wanted to respond to it. I finally realized I didn't want to follow in the footsteps of Derrick Jensen, Edward Abbey or Ted Kaczynski, so I settled on Buddhism -- compassion is much easier on the soul. The world needs to wake the fuck up, so I've decided to help it along, one sentient being at a time.

I get the impression that there are a lot of post-modern Bodhisattvas appearing out there. I've also discovered to my relief that while it's very easy to sell out, it's a lot harder to stay sold.

[patrice]

41. Fallen Catholic here who has found a "home" in The Bhagavad Gita and chanting. . .

Aum namah Shivaya!

[patrice]

40. Boomers are a significant part of our local resistance, really, they're the work-horses.

Often the fewer, or less, of something there is, the more powerful it is, 'cause without that "little" bit there would be nothing at all.

The question is, the determining factor is, whether, whoever those few are, whatever that small factor is, however little "little" is, is it clear in itself, or is it mistaken somehow about who/how/where/when it is whatever it is.

[Danascot]

37. On the topic of 1968 and Beatles music

I highly recommend the film, "Across the Universe". I've watched it a dozen times and every time the impact grows more powerful. The performance of "Let It Be" in the movie is one of the most moving things I've ever seen on film.

[rosesaylavee]

38. Will have to catch it another time or

perhaps rent the DVD. I may have mentioned before - my parents kept the television news off from 1967 to about 70. My only source of news as a kid was the Weekly Reader at school. I don't know what I would have done if I had young kids in the house then but I would like to think I would have sat them down and given them a snap shot or overview of what was happening in the world. Not knowing is not helpful to a kid when you can sense that the adults are upset, nervous and/or angry about world events. I say this not for you but others reading this to consider.

My radio was confiscated for a time too because I made the mistake of absentmindedly singing Lay Lady Lay at the wrong moment. Oops. :P

[FarLeftRage]

42. For me personally, 1968 was the worse year of my life

And that is all I'm going to say...