I'll be chairing a open round table discussion on the potential of starting a Pagan Eco-Village in Oregon at the Pan-Pagan Gathering, Sept. 24-26 out on the central coast (Waldport-Seal Rock-Newport area).

We have had at one end, 40+ years of Intentional community building and sustainable living happening in the counter-culture movement and 40+ years of growth in the modern Neo-Pagan community. It's time we brought the two together and begin a new chapter in the direction of the Pagan community. We have grown enough now that I feel we have something to offer the larger community. In this trouble economical time we the People of the Earth tribes can offer society a healthy alternative to their corporate urban consumer lifestyle.

I hope many of you will join me this September where the Earth, Sea & Sky meet and discuss the possibilities for our future.

The Pan-Pagan Gathering is put on by Ancient Light ( www.ancientlight.info ). Oregon central coast's finest Pagan shop. Join Ancient lights Facebook ( www.facebook.com/ancient.light ) and keep up on future events. And if you happen to be passing through Seal Rock stop in and visit. Anja loves to meet and talk with folks.

Details will be out there soon on the Pan-Pagan Gathering. I'll keep you all posted as I get details.

P.S. Pagan musicians are highly encourage to come to this event. If you are interested in playing a actual gig contact me at jlobos65@yahoo.com. No money do I have, but fine hospitality will be shared.

I am looking for 3 riders out of Santa Cruz for a slow trip to Portland, OR. I'll be jumping from Arcata to Ashland to Eugene to Portland. I like to leave late Tuesday night 3/30/10

I get along best with hippie/punk types. Have roof space and straps for packs. No dogs or drama. Need help with gas. If you don't have money that's OK as long as you can busk or hustle along the way.

You can reach me via email at: jlobos65@yahoo.com or find me at SubRosa Cafe, downtown Santa Cruz. I can be found there if I'm not out busking on my mandolin on Pacific.

I'll head out to Arcata tomorrow night. So if you are in Arcata and want a ride north hit me up.

BUCHAREST, Romania - At first, fans politely applauded the Roma performers sharing a stage with Madonna. Then the pop star condemned widespread discrimination against Roma, or Gypsies — and the cheers gave way to jeers.

The sharp mood change that swept the crowd of 60,000, who had packed a park for Wednesday night's concert, underscores how prejudice against Gypsies remains deeply entrenched across Eastern Europe.

Despite long-standing efforts to stamp out rampant bias, human rights advocates say Roma probably suffer more humiliation and endure more discrimination than any other people group on the continent.

Sometimes, it can be deadly: In neighboring Hungary, six Roma have been killed and several wounded in a recent series of apparently racially motivated attacks targeting small countryside villages predominantly settled by Gypsies.

"There is generally widespread resentment against Gypsies in Eastern Europe. They have historically been the underdog," Radu Motoc, an official with the Soros Foundation Romania, said Thursday.

Roma, or Gypsies, are a nomadic ethnic group believed to have their roots in the Indian subcontinent. They live mostly in southern and eastern Europe, but hundreds of thousands have migrated west over the past few decades in search of jobs and better living conditions.

Romania has the largest number of Roma in the region. Some say the population could be as high as 2 million, although official data put it at 500,000.

Until the 19th century, Romanian Gypsies were slaves, and they've gotten a mixed response ever since: While discrimination is widespread, many East Europeans are enthusiastic about Gypsy music and dance, which they embrace as part of the region's cultural heritage.

That explains why the Roma musicians and a dancer who had briefly joined Madonna onstage got enthusiastic applause. And it also may explain why some in the crowd turned on Madonna when she paused during the two-hour show — a stop on her worldwide "Sticky and Sweet" tour — to touch on their plight.

"It has been brought to my attention ... that there is a lot of discrimination against Romanies and Gypsies in general in Eastern Europe," she said. "It made me feel very sad."

Thousands booed and jeered her.

A few cheered when she added: "We don't believe in discrimination ... we believe in freedom and equal rights for everyone." But she got more boos when she mentioned discrimination against homosexuals and others.

"I jeered her because it seemed false what she was telling us. What business does she have telling us these things?" said Ionut Dinu, 23.

Madonna did not react and carried on with her concert, held near the hulking palace of the late communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said Madonna and other had told her there were cheers as well as jeers.

"Madonna has been touring with a phenomenal troupe of Roma musicians who made her aware of the discrimination toward them in several countries so she felt compelled to make a brief statement," Rosenberg said in an e-mail. "She will not be issuing a further statement."

One Roma musician said the attitude toward Gypsies is contradictory.

"Romanians watch Gypsy soap operas, they like Gypsy music and go to Gypsy concerts," said Damian Draghici, a Grammy Award-winner who has performed with James Brown and Joe Cocker.

"But there has been a wave of aggression against Roma people in Italy, Hungary and Romania, which shows me something is not OK," he told the AP in an interview. "The politicians have to do something about it. People have to be educated not to be prejudiced. All people are equal, and that is the message politicians must give."

Nearly one in two of Europe's estimated 12 million Roma claimed to have suffered an act of discrimination over the past 12 months, according to a recent report by the Vienna-based EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The group says Roma face "overt discrimination" in housing, health care and education.

Many do not have official identification, which means they cannot get social benefits, are undereducated and struggle to find decent jobs.

Roma children are more likely to drop out of school than their peers from other ethnic groups. Many Romanians label Gypsies as thieves, and many are outraged by those who beg or commit petty crimes in Western Europe, believing they spoil Romania's image abroad.

In May 2007, Romanian President Traian Basescu was heard to call a Romanian journalist a "stinky Gypsy" during a conversation with his wife. Romania's anti-discrimination board criticized Basescu, who later apologized.

Human rights activists say the attacks in Hungary, which began in July 2008, may be tied to that country's economic crisis and the rising popularity of far-right vigilantes angered by a rash of petty thefts and other so-called "Gypsy crime." Last week, police arrested four suspects in a nightclub in the eastern city of Debrecen.

Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia also have been criticized for widespread bias against Roma.

Madonna's outrage touched a nerve in Romania, but it seems doubtful it will change anything, said the Soros Foundation's Motoc.

"Madonna is a pop star. She is not an expert on interethnic relations," he said.

___

AP Writers Alison Mutler in Bucharest, William J. Kole in Vienna and Nekesa Mumbi Moody in New York contributed to this report.

I finally reached my dream. Me and my fiance just bought a 1955 GMC PD-4104 Greyhound bus. It was a conversion bus, but the last owner decided to strip it and rebuild it and never got around to the rebuilding part. Runs strong as a bull. Strong engine and body. Lots of conversion work plans for the inside. Was converted but the guy gutted it to rebuild. Everything is still in place though. Water and septic tanks, propane setup, most plumbing setup and has toilet installed. Has hot water heater/tank. Still has full size fridge, double sided stainless steel sink, stove/oven & washer/dryer. Have to rewire and so forth. Will set up a blog journal to track our progress with it for folks later.

Can't believe we manifested this gem. This is my long time dream come true.

Anyway, money is tight and we have a online store if people want to help us convert it at www.shady-grove-designs.com

I worked long and hard to get this site up. But it is finally up and my girl has been busy filling it up with designs. Right now I'm working on the Shady Grove Bookstore. Then I'll be working on the Shady Grove Woodshop. I'm building portable altars, chests and my new project is small faery houses for gardens.

Anyway check out my store site and tell me what you think at: www.shady-grove-designs.com

So yah! I found my Earth Mama and am homesteading with the love of my life in Waldport, OR. We are fixing up the 1+ acres we are on but dream of a 10 acre spread.

I have started a Handyman business and soon will have a new chainsaw with different size blade. What for you ask? Well I live in the woods next to the ocean. I have miles of beautiful Oregon coast to collect driftwood for my woodcraft. I'm a carpenter by trade. I figure I'll take a chainsaw out in the woods and find old big tree stumps and take slices off of them to create beautiful altars with them and driftwood and sell them on me and Rachel's new online store (which I'm working on) called Shady Grove Designs. I like to point out I designed and created our logo.

I put a copy of my different Adobe photo shop & graphic art programs on Rachels laptop and one day I was complaining that I could not find any decent Awen or Druidic stuff and she started creating some. I turned her on to Cafepress and Shady Grove Designs was born. Below are a few links to some of her designs if you are interested. I am still working on all the descriptions on Cafepress as well as a website to tie all the pages in together as well as a place to showcase my woodworks.

So anything you buy from our store helps support us and improve our land and save towards our bigger plot. We plan to build a hobbit style house like this: www.simondale.net/house

As soon as I get the site up I'll post it here.




www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt

www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt1

www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt2

www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt3

www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt4

www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt5

www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt6

www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt7

www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt8

www.cafepress.com/ShadyGroveArt9

P.S.
We also plan to open a bohemian style coffee shop called "Brighid by the Sea" next to a Pagan shop in Seal Rock called "Ancient Light".