‘Letter to Progressives’ Shares Cautionary Message
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Entrepreneur, investor and lifelong educator David Parker refers to his new book, A San Francisco Conservative, as “a letter to progressives,” and in it, his message is clear.
“Stop trying to tax. Stop trying to distribute. And stop trying to solve problems by spending money,” Parker said in a recent interview.
In his book, Parker discusses both ends of the political spectrum and everything in between, and he reminds readers that the timeless principles of economics are essential to the preservation of American democracy.
Parker went back to school at age 50 to gain a deeper understanding of these enduring ideas — and the missteps of nations that deviated from them — to write A San Francisco Conservative. Just as his first book, Income and Wealth, provided readers with a thought-provoking examination of the foundations on which this nation’s freedom rests, his latest book also serves as a message of reassurance and challenge to the conventional political thinking of the day.
The issues Parker addresses are those he has focused on for more than half a century, throughout his 40-year career as a teacher in San Francisco public schools. In A San Francisco Conservative, he reminds readers that “crises” have affected the American economy numerous times over the nation’s history — but they pass.
Parker provides well-researched support for his belief that economic opportunities always exist. He cautions that government leaders — especially those who identify themselves as progressives — are jeopardizing the very democracy that has produced prosperity.
Themes covered in A San Francisco Conservative range from education to taxes and the political process itself. Parker challenges the widespread belief that a “conservative” (whether a resident of San Francisco or elsewhere) lacks empathy or a personal commitment to help those who are less fortunate. Government programs supported by many in today’s progressive movement to counter this misunderstanding merely increase the nation’s deficit in dangerous ways, Parker says.
Parker began his career in education at the age of 24 and served students at San Francisco’s inner-city public elementary schools for four decades as a music teacher, followed by 10 years as a volunteer. While pursuing his career in education, Parker became a successful real estate investor. It was success in business that focused his writing, teaching and career as a professional musician. Parker spent 20 years as a member of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, then 20 years as leader of the Dave Parker Sextet, which twice headlined the San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Festival. His essays have been featured in The Economist, The Financial Times and prestigious law journals.
Scheduled to coincide with the publication of David Parker’s playfully titled newest book, A San Francisco Conservative, a new podcast series sharing that title showcases Parker’s views on the proper role of government and how individuals can arrange for the principles of a free-market economy to work in their favor. As the podcast’s co-host, longtime journalist Tom Martin, has noted, “David Parker’s scholarly approach to the study of political economy provides much-needed historical context to important topics dominating the news, including the progressives’ call for dramatically increased government spending.”
A San Francisco Conservative: David Parker Essays Volume Two Publisher: Waterside Productions ISBN-10: 1956503064 ISBN-13: 978-1956503067 Available from Amazon.com and anywhere books are sold
Trish Stevens Dea Shandera-Hunter Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone.
Retired Army Captain Calls Out Those Who Profit From War
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Severely disabled war veteran and retired Army Captain Allen B. Clark knows all too well the consequences of being a war casualty. An enemy attack on his Green Beret camp in Vietnam in 1967 resulted in the amputation of both of his legs below his knees. After 15 months of rehabilitation, 20 surgeries and eight years of psychotherapy, he went on to live a rewarding and fulfilling life. But questions haunted him. Why and how are wars really initiated? Are there underlying motivations unknown to the general population and especially to the warriors?
“Members of the military fight to take care of each other, not for glory, and little do we know the behind-the-scenes characters who profit from our dedication to our nation,” Clark said.
In his book Soldiers’ Blood and Bloodied Money: Wars and the Ruling Elites, Clark shares the results of his extensive and concentrated research. His findings, drawn from sources published as far back as 150 years ago, point to individuals and institutions throughout history who have fostered and fomented horrendous wars, including arms merchants; religious entities and their leaders; politicians; international bankers; media titans; and lawyers.
With a special focus on the American Revolution, Civil War, Spanish-American War and the “Banana, Banker and Oil” wars in the Americas, Soldiers’ Blood and Bloodied Money aims to reveal the political, financial, business, religious, social and propaganda truths behind the initiation of wars.
“These truths illustrate that we young patriots, who have gone off to fight in wars, are merely pawns in a much larger chess game of life — a game where the captains and kings and knights and bishops are the ones who often profit immeasurably in terms of financial gain or increases in power,” Clark wrote in his book. “Meanwhile, we perish or suffer immense physical and emotional wounds from which many of us never heal.”
About the Author The Honorable Allen B. Clark is a 1963 West Point graduate and PTSD survivor who lost both legs below the knees in 1967 following an enemy mortar barrage while serving in Vietnam. He is a recipient of a Silver Star, America’s third-highest decoration for Gallantry in Action, a Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
He has served as a special assistant to the governor of Texas and as the Assistant Secretary for Veterans Liaison and Program Coordination, and Director of the National Cemetery System in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1993, he was recognized by the Military Chaplains Association with its National Citizenship Award. He is a frequent motivational speaker. In early 2018, Allen received the Patriot Award from the Greater Dallas Military Foundation, and later that year, he received the Sons of the Flag Legacy Award.
Camaraderie on the World Stage: Dear Barack Traces Extraordinary Political Alliance
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United by a belief that democracy could uplift the world, former U.S. President Barack Obama and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel formed a friendship that transcended their disparate political views, connecting in a way that enabled them to navigate their countries through some of the most challenging events of the 21st century. While most political pundits knew about the partnership these two created, few knew the full story — until now.
“Their relationship was by no means linear,” said author and activist Claudia Clark. “They had their differences. The important thing is that despite their differences, they came out on top. They came out stronger because they had enough respect for one another.”
In Clark’s new book, Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, she gives readers an inside look at one of the great political friendships of the modern world, as told through key moments that shaped the 21st century.
Obama was a left-leaning Democrat, Merkel a member of Germany’s far-right Christian Democratic Union, yet together, they found a way to help heal the fractures that existed between the U.S. and Europe at that time.
Dear Barack is a thoroughly researched exploration of the parallel trajectories that led to Obama and Merkel meeting on the world stage, and the trials — both personal and political — that they confronted in office. In the leaders’ own words, the book details such events as Merkel’s historic acceptance of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and the 2013 NSA spying scandal, demonstrating the highs and lows of this extraordinary alliance.
A story of camaraderie at a global scale, Dear Barack is a “fit-all” in terms of politics and shows that it is possible for political adversaries to establish bonds of respect — and even friendship — in the service of the free world.
Claudia Clark is an author, speaker and activist focused on social justice and democracy. In 2017, Clark and her husband moved from California to Germany, where she served as the national Get Out the Vote (GOTV) coordinator for the Democrats Abroad Germany chapter from January 2019 to May 2020. Clark has several advanced degrees, with a focus on social work, women’s history and labor relations. She lives in Berlin, where she is conducting research for her next book.
For more information, please visit https://www.claudiaclarkauthor.com.
Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel Publisher: Disruption Books ISBN-10: 1633310574 ISBN-13: 978-1633310575 Available from Amazon.com, Disruption Books and Claudiaclarkauthor.com
Trish Stevens Monica Daniels Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Has Humankind Ever Been More Broken Than Now? Writings of the Late Dr. Noomen Preach ‘Connectedness’
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Does it sometimes seem as if political parties, the country and perhaps the entire world has fallen into an unprecedented morass of divisiveness and animosity? Read the news, turn on the TV, listen to the radio or just eavesdrop on conversations. Has there ever been a time when civilization was any less agreeable? Can anything be done to help fix this rampant and dangerous antagonism?
Author and scholar Dr. Pieter Noomen wrote at length about his belief that “all is connected,” and although he passed away three years ago, his writings are still available to all, free, anytime, on his website (www.wordsforall.org). Among the 12 “booklets” he posted is one he called “Connectedness.”
“If on your inner level you do connect with the universal sphere, boundaries blur,” Dr. Noomen wrote. “You then experience that your universal links are not vague or impractical at all. You can hook up to a world that poses no threat and lets you know and feel that.”
Dr. Noomen’s writings speak largely about his belief system and often refer to messages he said he received from a higher power, but his words can resonate with all, regardless of faith. The booklet on “connectedness” is written in first-person, with the “I” being the higher power that he believed spoke to him.
He begins the booklet thus: “One of the most amazing statements I make is related to this ‘all is connected;’ not that the fact itself that all is connected is surprising, as you observe it on earth … but indirect all-connectedness makes good sense. You and, say stars, are separate worlds; yet what is in between serves as link. And so it is with everything. All that exists is acting in the same play of being. Let the word play conjure a sphere of playfulness, team spirit and adventure.”
That may sound like Pollyanna wishful thinking in 2022, but what if the Russians and Ukrainians, the pro-life and pro-choice folks, the Republicans and Democrats, and all the other so-called diametrically opposed groups could look at civilization as one big family?
“Truth has ways to overcome confusion, to a point of restoring clear vision,” Dr. Noomen wrote. “For this, you’ve the whole eternity at your disposal. So do not worry or panic. Realize the sixth component of being well-connected is already a part of you. For present humans, this connectedness is severely disturbed. And it shows. Yet, in you, ‘all is connected’ waits to be recognized and be applied positively.”
Born in the Netherlands, Pieter Noomen worked as a psychotherapist and staff member at a Los Angeles church. He completed doctoral studies in theology and pastoral psychology at the Free University of Amsterdam and became senior minister of three Protestant churches.
An example from Dr. Noomen’s Wisdoms of the Week from his website, as we continue to hold out hope that better days lie ahead:
“It seems scientifically proven that laughing is good for our health. (I still regret that I can’t even tell a joke. Sorry!) Yet I know a source that always lets me smile inside. That happens when I realize how awesomely great the universe is and how tiny I am. And much more, when I realize that this Totality of all, Life in its full volume, is essentially a love reality.”
Trish Stevens Gloria Gonzalez Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 281.333.3507 Main [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
25 Years in a Cult: Former Follower Draws Readers Into Disciple Mindset
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Radhia Gleis didn’t wake up one day and decide to join a cult. That’s not how it happens, she said.
“It has nothing to do with intelligence or education,” she explained in a recent interview. “It has to do with being in the right (or wrong) place at the wrong time when you’re in a state of searching for something, and someone comes along who meets that need.”
Her powerful new book, The Followers: “Holy Hell” and the Disciples of Narcissistic Leaders: How My Years in a Notorious Cult Parallel Today’s Cultural Mania, articulates the complexity of how she fell under the influence of the charismatic leader of the Buddha-field cult. The Holy Hell reference in the book’s title is a nod to the 2016 Buddha-field cult documentary, in which Gleis appears.
A nutritionist, biochemical analyst and educator, Gleis says her post-traumatic stress, forever entombed in her psyche, is repeatedly triggered by the characteristics of current political and cultural leaders, prompting her to explore her past decisions through a much broader lens that sheds light on the blind spots — and dangers — of groupthink.
The Followers lays the groundwork by skimming Gleis’ upbringing in Hollywood and tracing the steps of her life when, at age 14, she began to crave a deeper sense of spirituality. She spent the next 12 years searching for nirvana, and at age 26, she found what she thought she had been searching for. Gleis draws strong parallels between her devotion to a cult leader — an authority — whose damaging behavior and influence she willfully ignored, and the followers of other narcissistic authorities. She goes into detail about the characteristics of narcissists and explains the “feedback loop” that sustains the disciple-narcissist dynamic.
Gleis weaves together her personal experiences with reflections on a number of thought-provoking topics, including the search for a higher truth, cults, groupthink and mind control, authoritarian leaders, malignant narcissistic personality disorder and sociopathy, the American schism, and how an intelligent, well-educated person may find herself under the control of a narcissistic sociopath.
Author Radhia Gleis has been a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, CCN, MEd. biochemical analyst and educator for over 33 years. She has appeared as a featured guest on numerous radio and television shows including Fox News, Austin. She hosted The Health Revolution and Let’s Get Healthy on Talk 1370 AM, KLBJ, and The Wellness Connection podcast on Voice America. She was the host and executive producer of three YouTube series: Wake up America; How the Body Works; and The Natural Way. She was featured in the internationally viewed movie, Holy Hell, which was broadcast on CNN and named one of Sundance Film Festival’s and Netflix’s top 10 documentaries. It can now be viewed on Amazon Prime.
For more information, please visit www.radhiagleis.com, or follow the author on Twitter (@radhia_gleis).
The Followers: “Holy Hell” and the Disciples of Narcissistic Leaders: How My Years in a Notorious Cult Parallel Today’s Cultural Mania Publisher: Sage Card Publishing ISBN-10: 1737125803 ISBN-13: 978-1737125808 Available from Amazon.com, BN.com and Audible.com
Trish Stevens Kay Williams Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Gripping Exposé Draws Alarming Parallels Between Cult Dynamics and Today’s Political Landscape
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How does an intelligent, well-educated person find herself under the control of a narcissistic sociopath? It’s a question that Radhia Gleis didn’t begin to ponder until after she’d spent 25 years in the Buddha-field cult. Why had she made the choices she did at the time? And why do so many others become followers of authoritarian leaders?
“What makes people give up their will, their sense of right and wrong — give up their moral compass and family ties for a person or an ideal?” Gleis asks.
A nutritionist, biochemical analyst and educator, Gleis says her post-traumatic stress, forever entombed in her psyche, is repeatedly triggered by the characteristics of current political and cultural leaders, prompting her to explore her past decisions through a much broader lens that sheds light on the blind spots — and dangers — of groupthink.
Her powerful new book, The Followers: “Holy Hell” and the Disciples of Narcissistic Leaders: How My Years in a Notorious Cult Parallel Today’s Cultural Mania, draws strong parallels between her devotion to a cult leader — and authority — whose damaging behavior and influence she willfully ignored, and the followers of other narcissistic authorities. The Holy Hell reference in the book’s title is a nod to the 2016 Buddha-field cult documentary of that same name, in which Gleis appears.
The Followers lays the groundwork by skimming Gleis’ upbringing in Hollywood and tracing the steps of her adult life when, at the age of 30, she fell under the influence of the charismatic leader of the Buddha-field, known by many names, including Michel, Andreas, The Teacher or Reyji.
Gleis weaves together her personal experiences with reflections on a number of thought-provoking topics, including the search for a higher truth, cults, groupthink and mind control, authoritarian leaders, malignant narcissistic personality disorder and sociopathy, the American schism, and how an intelligent, well-educated person may find herself under the control of a narcissistic sociopath.
Author Radhia Gleis has been a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, CCN, MEd. biochemical analyst and educator for over 33 years. She has appeared as a featured guest on numerous radio and television shows including Fox News, Austin. She hosted The Health Revolution and Let’s Get Healthy on Talk 1370 AM, KLBJ, and The Wellness Connection podcast on Voice America. She was the host and executive producer of three YouTube series: Wake up America; How the Body Works; and The Natural Way. She was featured in the internationally viewed movie, Holy Hell, which was broadcast on CNN and named one of Sundance Film Festival’s and Netflix’s top 10 documentaries. It can now be viewed on Amazon Prime.
For more information, please visit www.radhiagleis.com, or follow the author on Twitter (@radhia_gleis).
The Followers: “Holy Hell” and the Disciples of Narcissistic Leaders: How My Years in a Notorious Cult Parallel Today’s Cultural Mania Publisher: Sage Card Publishing ISBN-10: 1737125803 ISBN-13: 978-1737125808 Available from Amazon.com, BN.com and Audible.com
Trish Stevens Carmen Jeffreys Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Former Buddhafield Follower Shares Unvarnished Truth About Cult Life
(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.)
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Radhia Gleis spent 25 years of her adult life in the Buddhafield cult, under the influence of a narcissistic sociopath known by many names: Michel, Andreas, The Teacher or Reyji. She escaped the psychological prison of cult life over 12 years ago, but the emotional scars remain. The post-traumatic stress, forever entombed in her psyche, is repeatedly triggered by the characteristics of political and cultural leaders of today, prompting her to explore her past decisions through a much broader lens that sheds light on the blind spots — and dangers — of groupthink.
“What makes people give up their will, their sense of right and wrong — give up their moral compass and family ties for a person or an ideal?” Gleis asks in her captivating new book, The Followers: “Holy Hell” and the Disciples of Narcissistic Leaders: How My Years in a Notorious Cult Parallel Today’s Cultural Mania, giving a nod to the 2016 Buddhafield cult documentary Holy Hell, in which she appears.
The Followers lays the groundwork by skimming Gleis’ upbringing in Hollywood and tracing the steps of her adult life, when, at the age of 30, she fell under the influence of the charismatic leader of Buddhafield.
She draws striking parallels between her devotion to a cult leader — an authority — whose damaging behavior and influence she willfully ignored, and the followers of other authoritarian leaders, both past and present.
Gleis weaves her personal experiences with reflections on a number of thought-provoking topics, including:
• The search for a higher truth • Cults, groupthink and mind control • Authoritarian leaders • Malignant narcissistic personality disorder and sociopathy • The American schism • How an intelligent, well educated person may find themselves under the control of a narcissistic sociopath • Cognitive dissonance • The three basic types of people who join cults • The power of words/influence of media
Informative, raw and irreverent, Gleis’ book shares the unvarnished truth about cult followers from the viewpoint of a former follower still grappling with the consequences of her choices.
Author Radhia Gleis is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, CCN, MEd. biochemical analyst and educator for over 33 years. She has appeared as a featured guest on numerous radio and television shows including Fox News, Austin. She hosted The Health Revolution and Let’s Get Healthy on Talk 1370 AM, KLBJ, and The Wellness Connection podcast on Voice America. She was the host and executive producer of three YouTube series: Wake up America; How the Body Works; and The Natural Way. She was featured in the internationally viewed movie, Holy Hell, which was broadcast on CNN and named one of Sundance Film Festival’s and Netflix’s top 10 documentaries. It can now be viewed on Amazon Prime.
For more information, please visit www.radhiagleis.com, or follow the author on Twitter (@radhia_gleis).
The Followers: “Holy Hell” and the Disciples of Narcissistic Leaders: How My Years in a Notorious Cult Parallel Today’s Cultural Mania Publisher: Sage Card Publishing ISBN-10: 1737125803 ISBN-13: 978-1737125808 Available from Amazon.com, BN.com and Audible.com
Trish Stevens Marta Riley Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
