Amazing….The amount of “stuff” that is coming at us daily,  in some cases bringing  to light the issues and concerns of the day and in others….well  just plain confusing and distracting the hell out of us.

GMO?, FDA?, CIA, CDC, ABC, 123, Monsanto, Anonymous,  ET, Birth Certificates, Fluoride, Iran, Chemtrails, Aspartame, Raw Milk, Homeland “Security,”  The Federal Reserve?.. far too much to sort out,  particularly given the fact that its a world of sound bites and ADD tailored distractions.

Just when you think you have gotten someone’s attention……….Hey look! Its a guy with a couple of monkeys tattooed on his stomach  :0…

This my friends is NOT the 100th Monkey

Side affects include, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of appetite, thoughts of suicide and a general desire to check out

Cancer and only 1 Calorie

What you don’t know can and will hurt you…they say its great..gunna save the World, but they wont label it, promote it or advertise it….imagine that as bad as Pharma is (a death every 19 minutes) its on TV adverts all the time. GMOs?……. no where in sight

Occupy Something...anything

CME .... In coming, end of electronics, modern civilization, your thoughts..everything.

Fat Sick and Nearly to McDonalds....and I'm lovin it?

I'm mad as hell and I'm not taking it any longer...

If God did not intend for people to eat cows, then why did he make them out of meat?

A notorious conspiracy theorist, have you seen the stuff they post? I mean really this guy believes the Mayans knew about leap years! How could they? They had not even been invented yet...so you know the Mayan Calendar is off by one day every 4 years so the end of the world already happened.

Is it a bird, a plane? No Chemtrails....a lot of us have seen them right? Many have by now and a number of people are getting really aggravated by looking up and seeing skies like this. Well consider this...they have been happening for quite some time, years in fact...they have been overhead for at least 10 years or more. Yet many of the people who acknowledge them now did not see them before. Yet they are and have been in broad daylight right over our heads? Consider WHY we did not see them...plain as day now...why were we not "noticing" them before? Interesting point...what else might be going on right in front of us that we are not "seeing?"

 

Give me a "Like"...stop by my page and "Like" me. I really need your "Like." ...Don't I?

“There is no single truth and few if any absolutes”

Where are we Now?……and what are we doing here?

Certainly can be a deep question….. but the point is, its a pretty basic question too.

I pondered all of this and some of the above…as I returned to Sedona from Los Angeles on Interstate 10 I was held up for over 45 minutes at the AZ border. Plenty of time to be with my own thoughts as the Border Patrol was apparently conducting a Raw Milk search and seizure or something, including vicious looking dogs and automatic weapons.

It’s mind pollution…plain and simple…we can’t properly evaluate information when it appears along side the questionable and absurd.

In this age of Detox (there is one for everything) its time to consider the mind/body/spirit detox in the interest of better vetting your reality. This and perhaps a more structured approach to dealing with the information/soundbites that are headed our way at ever increasing speed and volume.

Earth and the Next Society are in the process of making some changes to our social network presence that will hopefully represent in a meaningful way, us doing our part to better represent information we think is important.

At least to the extent that you will be able to separate stories about GMO labeling from Tattoos of Monkeys and the like.

Details are forthcoming,  but you should begin to see it emerging into the virtual reality/non-reality we experience together in the coming weeks.

Ultimately you have to decide what information resonates with you…things you feel are important enough to appropriate focus, time and your consideration.

Hopefully we are and will be useful…its our intention to build this together with you,…the Next Society..so that we may determine collectively ….where we are going
from here….

Oh, and about that Mayan Calendar thing and the conspiracy theorist mentioned in the above, contrary to garbage that was shared and pretty much went viral on Facebook a week or so ago…the Mayan long count calendar IS the most accurate timekeeping system on the planet. 200ths of day more accurate than the atomic clock. Even with this information readily available to anyone who might wish to go find it, the story of how they were unaware of “leap years” still got tons of traction…

Michael

Play this if you are into it

 

 

Amazing how time is just flying by these days is it not? The relationship to time is getting harder to define.

Clearly it seems we almost universally are suggesting we have little time to deal with all we are presented with as each day passes.

Here is a thought :

As the experience of each moment disapates into what we percieve to be the past, perhaps reconsidering how we define reality is in order if we are to have any hope of dealing with it.

This cat Ervin Laszlo had it right when speaking of the “Reality Revolution.” His was an interpretation based on pragmatic cause and affect rather than a divine or universal catalyst, but it really amounts to the same thing.

(shoot me an email or post if you wanna discuss )

Anyway rather than bore you with a ton of babble  I quote Mr. Laszlo :

“Our reality is shifting because the human world has become unstable and is no longer sustainable. But the Reality Revolution harbours a unique opportunity. This decade is the first in history that offers the choice between being the last decade of a fading, obsolete world or the first of a new and viable one.”

A wake up call to some…and taken quite literally should suggest…get busy people there is much to do.

But what exactly do we do? And how can we get it done when we cant even seem to manage time in a legitimatly useful and productive way. I know its a problem. I am in it everyday. As the confusion and disorientation of thought rises, productivity decreases and we are left swimming in a world of disfunction that spirals in its own convolusion.

We, Earth and the Next Society, are no glaring exception with all that we have in the works at the moment. The intention seems clear but the process is anything but.

Those that have been keeping a keen eye on “Next Society” activity are aware that we are committed to creating a platform of information, conectivity and community where conscious and like minded business, people and next society solutions to life problems are concerned.  We are not just about “putting the message out there” that could prove to be useful, but on only one level as we see it. We rather are mindful of the massive tasks that await us all in terms of what is needed for our species to make a go of it and have a legitimate future here.

In addition to music and related endevours, we have chosen to focus our attention on many critical areas necessary for us to make this next society thing work. Intrinsic requirements and value rather than fiat based crap that ultimatly does not serve the greater interests of humanity.

What does this mean? It translates to Earth and the Next Society being activily engaged in helping build awareness and value in the many emerging solutions, people, their work and companies. Those that are genuinely interested in creating intrinsic value…for all of us. We presently cover tons of topics on our Facebook Page (if you have not been by for visit please do and feel free to participate http://www.facebook.com/#!/EarthandTheNextSociety) and this is really about bringing all of this into view for as many people as possible. This will grow into a full platform, the realities of the food system, personal health and wellness, empowerment etc. its all about information and discovery in the interests of real solutions.

It boils down to making informed choices and decisions about everyday life.

. Choices that not coincidently also emancipate and empower us as they in the process resolve our dependency on corporate/industrial products and lifestyle. A lifestyle we ultimatly realize is at the core to many of issues we face daily. Imagine that.

In summation we intend to expand upon what we presently are doing in the interest of playing our part in building the Next Society.

We are in the process of building a platform and information portal that along with our being a band, making music, spreading the word with relevant intel about our times and circumstance, will be a resource hub for info, dialogue and direction for Next Society alternatives…turning you on to concious companies and people with like minded ideas is the name of the game…you know any? Are you one? get in the mix with us….

and..uh, what was that? Oh the music…what are we doing right now? Well glad you asked…certainly don’t want to overlook that…I mean its what we do.

“Live Earth” our live album is out…you can find it on iTunes should you feel compelled to have a copy of your own and are into supporting us in that way.   The guys have been busy remodeling the studio space in prep for working on the next album. The space is nearly ready and we are amped to get in there and start working. Have tons of new ideas and songs to get on. Its really exciting as it will be the first time in the studio with this lineup of the band. Really looking forward to it as there is most certainly much added vibe, texture etc. starting to come out and these guys are an incredible blend of talent. Amazing stuff ahead. ….stay tuned…

Its your time, Your move…Can you dig it?

Michael

Earth and the Next Society is the creative project birthed by musician and songwriter Michael Shields. Created as a platform of expression and to provide the voice of reason regarding the issues that are currently relevant in the modern times of disorder and uncertainty.  Earth and the Next Society create music to remind us as human beings who all speak the universal language of music to look in ourselves and find our own inherit wisdom and act on it to help better ourselves as a society. This mantra quickly grew in popularity and Shields enlisted the help of an incredible entourage of fellow musicians that brought their own personal style to the collective, producing a distinctive sound that has its roots deeply embedded in the Golden Age of Rock music and beyond. Earth and the Next Society is comprised of Shields on vocals and lead guitar, Jimmy Mack on bass, David Bedell on drums and Tom McMillian on keyboards.

Shields’s musical journey began at a very young age, clearly fascinated by classical music as a child and decided to explore his vocal abilities and guitar shortly thereafter. As a teen, Shields became an integral member for a number of bands and at the tender age of 19, created his first major project ‘The Comets’. Described as straightforward Brit Power Pop, The Comets became a formative group that defined the college radio format, a seminal movement that heavily influenced the music scene that would ultimately flourish in the 1980s. Shields’s commented on his newfound radio stardom “I can remember waiting almost daily for the mail to arrive with chart lists from scores of stations playing our songs. It was seriously exciting stuff.”  The band continued to play live shows almost religiously as they continued to build a solid following. However, their lacking attrition started to become noticeable and at the bands peak of artistic effort, the three members including Shields were lacking the emotional fuel necessary to keep the collective together. Nevertheless, Shields looks back fondly on his time in The Comets“We were a three piece band, just guitar, bass and drums. But we accomplished quite a bit with the format. We never felt short on sonic vocabulary.”

It wasn’t until 1989 that Shields’s went on to create his next full musical creation “the Method”, a band based on Post Modern Rock aesthetics. He says “This project was a must for me. I had to do it. Had things to say, most of them about emerging ecological issues and topics but in many respects it’s an early insight into what would be the musical message that has become a life’s purpose for me.” The sound of The Method brought a mixture of postmodern introspection and new age soundscapes that left Shields often compared to the pioneers of alternative pop rock, David Bowie and Peter Murphy. He notes that “The Method sonically was textural; I can go into hours of explanation as to the modality of the creative process with the band. It was not by any means a guitar band, but rather an amalgam of all instruments sonically embedded into layers of texture. It often was difficult to discern guitar from the keys. The voice on top of this textural environment was the focal point.” Due to ongoing frustration in the band regarding musical creativity and varying approaches, Shields left the band as his interest waned.

Perhaps deterred by his turbulent time in The Method, Shields began work on a new solo album in 2001,only to decide to not release the work and ultimately shelve his latest material. However, as years went on Michael began evolving a musical identity that would bring his musical voyage full circle. “I went right back to what got me into playing music in the first place. Classic Rock influences that were just dying to get out if you know what I mean.” Michael conveys with the wryest of smiles. The result, “Earth and the Next Society.” “This project feels more natural to me than anything I have ever done. Its sounds that way to me as well. It all just came together, finding the right players, creating and developing the material it all seemed right. “

On board with Michael Shields’s creative ensemble is bassist Jimmy Mack. An accomplished musician in his own right, Mack has performed and recorded with the musical legends of his time including Sly and the Family Stone during the mid 70s and for four years toured nationally and international with Edwin Starr And Starrchild in1978 to 1982. Mack went on to tour with Hiroshi Takabo in Japan as a piano/bass duo, remarkably selling out every performance. In 1984, Mack began collaborating with Christian and Soul music great Jon Gibson. Recording and touring together for four years, they recorded the albums “On the Run” and “Change of Heart” with M.C. Hammer making a feature cameo. Both records produced number one hits on the CCM charts. Mack performed a number of times on the tour for “Change of Heart” with the most notable performance when for the first time, M.C. Hammer yelled out on stage to the audience “I need some help from my ace, Jimmy Mack on bass!” Since that crucial performance, Jimmy has been known as “jimmy Mack” ever since.

Continuing to record and tour through the years, Mack highlighted that one of his proudest moments was performing with Richie Havens at the original Woodstock site for the Bethel 25th anniversary Woodstock concert. Cementing his rock legacy, Jimmy himself was inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame in 2004 for making a lasting and substantial contribution to blues culture. At his induction, Jimmy was described as “a living blues legend.” Jimmy joined the Earth and the Next Society in 2011, continuing to contribute to the music scene he maintains so much passion for.

Joining Shields and Mack is David Bedell on Drums. A professional drummer, instructor and recording artist, Bedell quickly realized his life’s calling at the age of 7 and has pursued a career in music ever since. Because of his incredible talent and fervor for his craft, David has played venues all over the world including dates in China, Brazil, Japan and Bahrain and is a member of the Arizona Blues Hall of fame. Appearing in a myriad of rock magazines including Drum Magazine, 22nd Century Rock and Metal Edge and with a number of video performances to his name most notably MTV “Headbanger’s Ball” and Fuse Mobile, David has found a home for his talents as an vital member of Earth and the next Society.

Rounding out the quartet is Keyboardist Tom McMillian. Tom initially gave up his pursuit in the music industry to follow his other passion, working with troubled teens. He then started his professional ‘day gig’ as a licensed marriage, family and child counselor. But as it is for most musicians, their passion for music will always be their calling. Tom explains, “It was as if I woke up one day realizing that some part of me was missing”. So in the early 1990’s, Tom began his quest back to live performance. Now, as a two-time nominee for the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame, Tom has joined forces with Earth and the Next Society, “It is as if I have come full circle”, Tom says. “I must be one of the luckiest people alive. To be a part of an original neo classic rock project that embraces what I do, with the instruments that I play, and with the calibre of talent involved, it just doesn’t get any better than this.”

Earth and the Next Society is part of the Blue Pie Family of Artists. For More Information on Blue Pie Please Visit www.bluepie.com.au