Gaia Community: Joy Bringer's Blog

Top 10 Heroes for 2008 ~CNN.com

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:24:18 -0000

CNN launched its second annual global search for ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary deeds in February. The network has aired weekly CNN Hero profiles of those people, chosen from more than 3,700 nominations submitted by viewers in 75 countries. A panel made up of world leaders and luminaries recognized for their own dedication to public service selected the Top 10. The Blue Ribbon Panel includes humanitarians such as Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, Kristi Yamaguchi and Deepak Chopra.

The diverse group of honorees includes a Cambodian activist who offers free schooling to children who work in Phnom Penh's trash dump; a Georgia prosthetist-orthotist who provides limbs and braces to hundreds of people in Mexico; and a Virginia woman who tapes video messages from incarcerated parents for their children. "Our Top 10 CNN Heroes are proof that you don't need superpowers -- or millions of dollars -- to change the world and even save lives," Anderson Cooper said.

Each of this year's Top 10 CNN Heroes will receive $25,000 and will be honored at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," airing from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on November 27. Hosted by Cooper, the Thanksgiving night broadcast will culminate with the announcement of the CNN Hero of the Year, selected by the public in an online poll. iReport.com: Tell us about your hero Continuing through November 19, anybody can log on to CNN.com/Heroes to participate in the poll. The person receiving the most votes will receive an additional $100,000.

In alphabetical order, the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 are:

Tad Agoglia, Houston, Texas --
Agoglia's First Response Team provides immediate help to areas hit by natural disasters. In a little over a year, he and his crew have aided thousands of victims at more than 15 sites across the United States, free of charge.

Yohannes Gebregeorgis, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia --
Moved by the lack of children's books and low literacy rates in his native Ethiopia, Gebregeorgis established Ethiopia Reads, bringing free public libraries and literacy programs to thousands of Ethiopian children.

Carolyn LeCroy, Norfolk, Virginia --
After serving time in prison, LeCroy started The Messages Project to help children stay connected with their incarcerated parents. She and volunteer camera crews have taped roughly 3,000 messages from inmates to their children.

Anne Mahlum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania --
On her daily morning jogs, Mahlum used to run past homeless men. Today, she's helping to transform lives by running with them, and others as part of her "Back On My Feet" program.

Liz McCartney, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana --
McCartney moved to New Orleans to dedicate herself to helping Hurricane Katrina survivors move back into their homes. Her nonprofit St. Bernard Project has rebuilt the homes of more than 120 families for free.

Phymean Noun, Toronto, Ontario --
Growing up in Cambodia, Noun struggled to complete high school. Today, she offers hundreds of Cambodian children who work in Phnom Penh's trash dump a way out -- through free schooling and job training.

David Puckett, Savannah, Georgia --
Puckett started Positive Image Prosthetics and Orthotics Missions -- PIPO -- to provide artificial limbs and braces and care to people in southeastern Mexico. Since November 2000 his mission has helped more than 420 people, free of charge.

Maria Ruiz, El Paso, Texas --
Several times a week, Ruiz crosses the border into Juarez, Mexico, to bring food, clothing and toys to hundreds of impoverished children and their families.

Marie Da Silva, Los Angeles, California --
Having lost 14 family members to AIDS, the Los Angeles nanny funds a school in her native Malawi -- where half a million children have been orphaned by the disease.

Viola Vaughn, Kaolack, Senegal --

The Detroit, Michigan, native moved to Senegal to retire. Instead, a group of failing schoolchildren asked her to help them pass their classes. Today, her "10,000 Girls" program is helping hundreds of girls succeed in school and run their own businesses.

There are so many ordinary and extra-ordinary people that never make the headlines & do not even get noticed & DO deserve to be named 'heroes' Feel free to share any stories & people that you know of that have made a difference in y/our life.

Celebrate, Accelerate AND DANCE as if no one is watching

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:42:51 -0000

2 short movies that have smth in common - Celebration. Though in different ways.

The first One, by One.org marks the progress on the Millennium Development Goals to date and encourage further, faster commitment going forward - Acceleration.

The other one "Where the Hell is Matt?" - In just a month since its online release, it has been viewed by more than ten million people. After 14 months of traveling in 42 countries, it's the story of a guy named Matt doing the gratitude dance with a cast of thousands around the globe ... from the streets of Mumbai to a rock formation in Ireland to a tulip field in Netherlands!

"Matt is a guy who decided to quit his videogame programming job and travel the world. At each of his locations, he dances. A simple, silly, and happy dance. WE love it."

EnJoy & Dance, DaNCe, DANCE! here NOW :)

Zeitgeist Addendum Movie & Movement

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:55:41 -0000

If you have seen the original Zeitgeist - great - you will be more than glad to know that the sequel known as Zeitgeist Addendum is just out and available for viewing online for free or for ordering the DVD for $5 from www.zeitgeistmovie.com. If you have not seen it yet, then I really recommend that you do dedicate 2 hours of your time for the new one for it has a really amazing things to share. The original movie is also available with an interactive transcript and multitude of languages subtitles so that we can spread it to our international friends and networks. (Try to disregard some shortcomings as the frequent switches to audio and completely black screens - nothing wrong with your computer :)

Directed, written, shot, musically produced & edited by young and talented director Peter Joseph, both movies have won the Best Feature Award of the Artivist Film Festival in Los Angeles for two years in a row, (the latter been awarded and announced yesterday on Oct 5 btw). The web site and the creators are inviting us to view, download and share widely by various methods including Google video, torrent file and their web site.

The Zeitgeist Addendum movie consists of 4 distinctive and inter-related parts:

1. "The Web of Debt" - Ellen Brown, www.webofdebt.com

2. "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" - Robert Perkins, founder of www.DreamChange.org

3. & 4. "The Best that Money Can't Buy" - Jacques Fresco, visionary and founder of "The Venus Project" & his partner Roxanne Meadows, www.TheVenusProject.com

Parts 3 & 4 of "Zeitgeist: Addendum" offers a possible way out of our recurring cycles of boom and recession, famine, poverty, corruption, a declining environment, and territorial conflicts where peace is merely the interval between wars. It outlines an attainable, humane social design of the near future where human rights are no longer paper proclamations but a way of life. Based on the visions from the book "The Best That Money Can't Buy", by Jacque Fresco, it is a challenge to us all to work towards a society in which all of the world's resources become the common heritage of all of us.

You can also download a fascinating 73 page intro to the Venus Project "Designing the Future" as a free pdf download here.

Here's a brief description of the movies from the creators:

"Zeitgeist, The Movie' and 'Zeitgeist: Addendum' were created as Not-for-Profit expressions to communicate what the author felt were highly important social understandings which most humans are generally not aware of. The first film focuses on suppressed historical & modern information about currently dominant social institutions, while also exploring what could be in store for humanity if the power structures at large continue their patterns of self-interest, corruption, and consolidation.

The second film, Zeitgeist: Addendum, attempts to locate the root causes
of this pervasive social corruption, while offering a solution. This solution is not
based on politics, morality, laws, or any other "establishment" notions of human affairs, but rather on a modern, non-superstitious based understanding of what we are and how we align with nature, to which we are a part. The work advocates
a new social system which is updated to present day knowledge, highly influenced
by the life long work of Jacque Fresco and The Venus Project. "

And some of my thoughts about it:

The insights in the first half about the truly fraudulent nature of the financial system and the continuous absurdity of spiraling greed, manipulation, 'corpotocracy' and corruption are augmented by the visions and possibilities described in the second half of the movie, where Jacques Fresco and Roxanne describe the possibility, promise and possible transition to a new resource-based economy where even the notion of money could become obsolete. The concrete and pragmatic suggestions at the very end of NOT supporting the system and being the agents of change individually and collectively may well become a centerpoint and driver to a much larger movement for massive change.

A short section of the movie deals with demythologizing the whole terrorist scare by pointing out that only 68 Americans have died from terrorist acts in 2007 while twice as many have died from peanut allergies alone, but the US government is still spending 6600 times more on terror than on heart failure problems which is the leading cause of death.

Very interesting and notable are the sections dedicated to the clean and sustainable energies and the enormous potential and availability and at the same time our continual ignoring and failure to harness them esp. solar, wind, water, tidal, and the huge repercussions of the yet untapped and so cheap and readily available geothermal power.

There is much more to and in it than I can describe, that is why viewing, discussing and sharing these movies is the best way to start. Thanks to Maria Galenza for the timely alert & to Peter Joseph & hist team for their amazing creation and mission!

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH & Carpe Risum (Seize the Laughter) ~

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:51:29 -0000

There is too much seriously dysfunctional sh*t*uff all around to NOT be laughing it off!

Time to WakeUpLaughing & expose/fix the ELectile Dysfunction of this too messy matrix. Who better to start the laughing in the Now by making even Time a thing of the past than Swami Beyondananda - watch & belly laugh ad infinitum! :)

The man of understanding finds everything laughable. ~ Goethe ~

Ready to split his sides with laughter.~ Miguel de Cervantes ~

He who laughs, lasts. ~ Mary Pettibone Poole ~

So I have 2 requests 4 you:

1. Share some-ANY-thing that makes you LAUGH - joke, story, music, picture, video, art...

2. Translate LIVE, LOVE & LAUGH in your and/or another language that you know & share it here so that we can come up with a fun list in many/all languages.

in Bulgarian - LIVE, LOVE & LAUGH = Живея , Любя , Смея се!

in Latin LIVE, LOVE & LAUGH = Digero, diligo, rideo or = ACTUM, AMOR, RISUM!

......

Life, Love and Laughter & everything in between! Even magic for the kids!

Donavon Frankenreiter - Life, Love & Laughter video below if it does not play :)

Carpe Risum! (Seize the Laugher!!!)

D a r i n / a :)

Religulous - Witty, Hilarious & Audacious!

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:28:56 -0000

I rarely get so excited about movies but Religulous is one NOT to miss!!!

You may be warned that it turns religion on its ear, that it is offensive and even blasphemous. You may even be urged to boycott it for it is a pain in the ... eyes & ears!

Actually I think, feel and believe that it is one of the funniest movies - witty, hilarious, irreverent and audacious altogether! And even uplifting amid all else!

Directed by Larry Charles ( "Borat” & “Curb your Enthusiasm”), the movie follows political humorist and author Bill Maher as he travels around the globe interviewing people about God and religion. Known for his astute analytical skills & irreverent wit, Maher brings his fresh honesty to an unusual spiritual journey. His talent as comedian shines through as he interviews Christians, Jews, Muslims, Mormons and parodies even Scientology in Hyde Park in this unbelievably funny portrayal of the religious species from the point of view of a skeptical and outspoken non-believer.

His one-man stand-up parody of the mainstream religious fundamentalism is a refreshing and highly entertaining showcase of the many hypocrites and frauds on both ends of the spectrum. His secular-humanist and often approaching atheistic attitude contrasts sharply with the incredibly naive, gullible and extreme opinions, beliefs and behaviors, wonderfully emphasized with hilarious annotations, sarcastic subtitles and funny movie clips.

His smarts, humor and talent is surprising with a continuous flow of stories and characters is a never-ending spectacle with the most appropriate of titles - Religulous. It would be amusing to follow it with a 'Politigous' sequel where the incredulities and laugh-ability of the socio-political scene could be put to another well deserved front stage ridicule. Overall this ridiculous dissection of modern faith is much more than hearty smiles and belly laughs that it offers throughout.

What a great way to illuminate the toxic impact of faith and religion in our troubled times than by exposing and ridiculing the hilariousness of our beliefs, behaviors and blunders and engaging us in discussions and gatherings to share much more than the memorable lines and unforgettable jokes.

Here are several more takes on this unique and provocative movie:

"In this Borat-meets-Michael Moore world tour of religious extremism, which encompasses Jerusalem, the London Underground, the Hague, an African-American megachurch in North Carolina and an ultra-Orthodox Jewish village in suburban New York, Maher is pretty good at making boobs and fanatics look like boobs and fanatics," writes Andrew O'Hehir, introducing his interview with Maher at Salon.

"Religulous is going to piss off a lot of people, including some diehard secular humanists," warns Dennis Harvey at SF360. "The movie's frequently hilarious yet ultimately dead-serious cry is for 'Rational people [to] come out of the closet' lest people who 'make a virtue out of not thinking, of [trusting in] fantasy and nonsense' bring about a 'religion inspired nuclear disaster.' Such global catastrophe might not be the desire of your average, peaceably faithful Ned Flanders or Apu Nahasapeemapetilon next door. But it doesn't seem to bother much those many fanatics of several faiths, some owning heavy weaponry, who think apocalypse is nigh and a good thing too."

Watch more comments, clips, interviews and videos about the Religulous movie.

For some of us the content under the surface may be considered 'preaching-to the choir' entertainment, yet Bill's quick, funny and smart approach in immersing us in this ridiculous kaleidoscope of believers goes way beyond the cheap jokes and nasty humor that we are surrounded by and invites to take a seriously funny look at ourselves and all the beliefs that we take for granted in and out. In short - Time to ‘Religule’ ourselves while having well needed laughs at our own expense and for our own innertainment. EnJOY & share your Religulous experience. If you still have doubts which Bill sells a lot - click to see the trailer first. Small spoiler - Still LOL :)

XDRTB.org & 37 pictures that the world must see

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:20:32 -0000

Over the past year, hundreds of individuals and companies associated with TED have collaborated in a major TED Prize project, launching today, to raise global awareness of XDR-TB. (extremely drug resistant tuberculosis)

I choose to share these photographs for they are shocking and moving. They highlight the awful disease XDR -TB, a new and deadly form of tuberculosis that is threatening to become a global pandemic.

By viewing and passing on this link we can help to spread awareness, which is the first step to halting the disease. XDRTB.ORG (http://www.xdrtb.org/)

This is a race between the ability of a deadly, mutated bacteria to spread, and our ability to spread awareness first. Health authorities know what needs to be done, but politicians and the public at large don't have XDR-TB on their radar.
That's what James Nachtwey's powerful TED Prize wish is all about.

Tonight, and over the next few days his breath-taking pictures are being projected at scale in public places in some 50 cities all over the world. Details are here under 'Where to Watch'. If you are lucky to be in one of those locations and can actually watch them live - please share the experience with us.  

Time magazine is running a 7-page, cover-promoted feature in all of its global editions published today. Many other media are on board to support the effort, including Boston Globe, The London Observer, Youtube, and Wired.com.

The next step is yours. Everyone is invited to spread the word. You can forward this blog, write, broadcast, talk with your family, friends and networks. You can quickly add your name to the advocacy effort by clicking the 'Sign' button here.

Let’s support this worthy cause and bold wish and make a real difference for all the XDRTB victims.

Gandhi's B-day & The International Day of Non-violence

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:35:29 -0000

Last year the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe the International Day of Non-Violence each year on 2 October – the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, (Gandhi Jayanthi) who helped lead India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

Featured above is a gaggle of Gandhis - Indian School children dressed as Mahatma Gandhi who participate in a peace march in the northern city of Amritsar in India.

Few of Gandhi's impactful quotes:

Hate the sin, love the sinner.

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.

When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

You must be the change you want to see in the world.

The Mountain, the Forest & the Trees & Out of the Crises ~

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:36:27 -0000

We all know the saying about the trees and the forest and I am tempted to take this analogy even further. Amid the falling trees and the dying forest we sometimes fail to see the avalanche and the volcanoes threatening to erupt from the top of the mountain which happens to be Gaia and our global economy and living space. My view is that we should let the dead trees BE the catalysts and nutrients for the new growth just like it is in nature that leads to the sustainability of the old forests and the harmony of the mountain.

There are several pieces from various sources and blogs I wanted to share with you for they were eye- & mind-opening for me and prompted me to take action that I was not intending before. Hope you will be too!

But before sharing these important messages, here're several of mine that came from within:

The significance of the economic crisis which is part of a much bigger global crisis on all levels, is not limited to the US, but is global in scope and too disastrous to allow to happen and deepen in severity. The call and need for ALL of us to think AND act differently has never been louder and more urgent. We really have to SEE ourselves and the world around us in radically NEW ways and resolve our challenges in new, deeper and smarter ways. We need to SEE things, events and ideas from a holistic perspective, from a higher awareness of their impact on each and all of us, AND ACT accordingly so that this set of new values, higher consciousness and respons-able behaviors can transform the prevalent current toxic way of thinking, living and being.

What is really needed is for each and every one of us to do AND bring their best, to summon his/her highest self and BE the change by example and by sharing the deepest and brightest of our ideas in finding solutions that will be aligned with the future we want to co-create for us and the generations to come.

I think, feel AND believe that we as humanity can avoid all the doom and gloom scenarios that we are bombarded with on an hourly basis, by being and acting together like we never did/have before, fusing our inner knowledge of who we are and acting from the wisdom of our interdependence all-together.

I envision that we can turn the planetary alarms from being the real concern of the few to being the daily action of the many and thus facilitate the transition through co-operation and learning rather than through disasters and pain.

Above is a very telling picture of the external debt by country from an amazing web site that I recommend you peruse widely because of its incredible data and country comparisons & stats on a variety of issues from economy to energy, to poverty, education, ecology and ___ 'you name it" called NationMaster.com What this chart shows is the sad fact that the external debt of the European countries is even higher than the exorbitant one of the USA esp. when taking into consideration the difference in population numbers. If we sum up just the debt of UK & Germany that would be over $12 Trillion for about 145 million joint population, compared to the $10 Trillion of US debt for 300 million in population. Staggering numbers that are just beginning to capture the actual enormity facing us and the generations ahead...

And here is another short and staggering summary of the 'big picture' by Joan Veon (you can read the rest here) (thanks for the Understanding the Financial Crisis link Robert):

"To give you an idea as to where our country is with debt, as of September 2008, the U.S. federal debt totaled approximately $9.7T, or $31,700 per person. However when the unfunded liabilities such as Social Security, Medicare, and other social programs are added in, our total debt grows to $59.1T or $516,348 per household. In 2005, the total personal debt, consisting of mortgages and consumer loans was estimated at $11.4T, with total U.S. household assets, including real estate, totaling $62.5T. (Wikipedia, United States public debt). This leaves approximately a $3T difference between our liabilities and our assets.

Why it is Americans can't forgive themselves the interest on the debt? We don't owe it to "we the people," we owe it to the Federal Reserve and to foreign governments in the form of U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. Currently the top four foreign owners of our debt include: Japan at $592.2B, China at $502B, United Kingdom at $251.4B, and oil exporters at $153.9B. Other countries include Brazil, Caribbean Banking Centers, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Russia, Norway, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland."

Thanks to Albert for blogging about the Spiegel article on"America looses is dominant economic role" with plenty of interesting takes, facts and opinions on the international reverberations of the economic events unfolding in the US as we write all this.

Here's another side of the situation and prompts for specific action in a letter from Michael Moore (thanks doolang)

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=235

Share how you are dealing with and/or envisioning the way out/in of all this.

Insights about Autism - In My Language ~ Amanda Baggs

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:46:59 -0000

Meet Amanda Braggs. An astounding person who has surprised, inspired and amazed me in sooo many ways and has opened my mind and heart to comprehend better what it is to be autistic and brought so many insights as how we could be communicating and interacting so much better altogether. I think you will be amazed too! (Thanks to Darin/Doolang for starting all this)

Learn more about Amanda and her incredible interests and intelligence directly from her blog - http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/

In Amanda's own words:

" I am a non-speaking physically disabled and autistic woman who’s lived in institutions, whose income comes from a disability check, and whose services are funded by the state. I am and have been exactly the sort of person who is meant when these awful concepts are used. I and the people I know and love are people, not burdens and ballast and wastes of space and money. All these ideas do is dehumanize us, and in contrasting these words with my real life I hope to show how wrong they are when applied to anyone.

This blog is about assorted ideas, but most will have something to do with human rights, autistic liberation, disability rights, and so forth."

This is Amanda's public youtube channel Silentmiaow, which mostly contains videos made about autistic liberation and disability rights, for the autistic self-advocacy website autistics.org. It also contains a few more personal videos of her. Videos are captioned (ever since she learned how to do it) because, aside from considerations about making things as accessible as possible, several of her blog readers are deaf or hard of hearing.

Amanda also co-created a video with Dave Spicer - A Way of Describing Autism, where they compare the different forms of autism with great analogies with stones and their shapes, forms and qualities.

"Dave Spicer's analogy of autistic people to different kinds of unusual rocks. (He wrote the words, I did the video. Used his words with his written permission."

Also see Amanda's Happy Dance and her own comment on it:

"This video is a response to "Exuberance" by ShinyMetalBrain. The happy dance I always want to do when I'm in a really good mood. And how I couldn't be trained out of it by a guy determined to pathologize it. And yes this was filmed while IN that flappy/bouncy sort of mood.

One of Amanda's favorite quotes and now among mine too:

You keep finding all the reasons to close the door
You keep minding that we’re too many to ignore
We may seem in the gutter from up there where you are
Maybe you don’t know we still see the same stars

— Donna Williams, from the song “Beautiful Behavioural Mutations” on the album Mutation

Thank YOU Amanda! You inspire and change us in and out by amazing example. We would love to see you present your ideas widely and even at conferences like TED.com so that larger influential audiences and people with the a desire and ability to make change can be deeply impacted and moved to action by your ideas and being!

I DARE You & The Girl Effect

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:47:31 -0000

Well,

in this case I think/feel that these little videos are worth more than all the words I can ever write. In a sequence of events and synchronicities involving Siona's letter, Darin/doolangs' moving new blog and the amazing Girl Effect, I was moved too to share these stories and have us DO smth about it/them. It could be as simple as spreading them, writing to whoever can affect the outcome, participating in the new forthcoming One Laptop Per Child programand sending one or many laptops to those girls and boys that need them most or any other thing or act that you find resonates with you...

So I DARE You to see, share and save... And be a change in action if you want/can.

You can start by watching this short movie from Girl Effect.org

And then see this with open heart as you do....

and if you still want to clarify what is the connection b/n girls, children, women, health, money and global economy and prosperity watch this eye-opening Gapminder talk from Hans Rosling about the leading cause of death among young women which happens to be... PREGNANCY! (Maternal Mortality worldwide stats presented like never before)

For more heart wrenching details and statistics about this important issue you can download a free report Girls Count. A Global Investment. & Action Agenda

The Gaiafield project & WiseUSA'08 Teleconference Events

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:10:59 -0000

I recently found out about the The Gaiafield Project and WiseUSA 'O8 that offer various opportunities to make a difference by joining with people all around the world in a number of upcoming WiseUSA 'O8 global meditation and prayer programs.

There is an interesting lineup of guest spiritual teachers in the WiseUSA 'O8 Teleconference series, including Marianne Williamson, Lynne Twist, David Spangler, and Gabriel Cousens M.D. Some of the events are highlighte above, to see the full schedule, click here.

“The Emergence Program is a series of Talkcasts from October 1 – 24 designed to use subtle activism to nurture America’s heart and soul with some of America’s leading socially-engaged spiritual teachers. To access the next Talkcast in The Journey Begins series, simply click on the text in the green button on this page! (If you can’t see the green box, go here or just call-in: (724) 444-7444; Call ID 24753# then 1#.)

For more ways & ideas about how to participate in WiseUSA 'O8, click here. To find or post a WiseUSA 'O8 event, or to connect with other WiseUSA 'O8 participants, cllick here.

Share your thoughts, feelings & experience if you feel like. EnJOY! :)

The Second Glance ~ Soul Biographies & Nic Askew

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:16:16 -0000

Our Gaia friend Nic Askew who inspires us continuously with his great short movies that DO something through his Monday9amtv, has relaunched with his NEW Soul Biographies web site and several NEW amazing movies that are more than worth seeing & sharing.

Here's one of them that moved me and will probably move and inspire you too.

It is 'the second glance' starring David Roche, 8.11 min

FILM INTRODUCTION

‘ … perhaps true beauty is something that draws our attention at second glance, once the judgement of a first glance has realised it’s mistake.’

You can befriend Nic here on Gaia, on Facebook and/or directly on his web site & blog

For more of his older and wonderful movies available in his movie archive and available to see online

the current password for the access to all film & audio is -password. all lowercase. EnJOY & Share! :)

Eve Ensler on In/Security ~TED & on Sarah Palin

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:02:26 -0000

One TED Talk video on Security & Insecurity and one interesting article "Drill, Drill, Drill" on Sarah Palin WORTH reading & watching from Even Ensler, a playwright, performer, feminist & activist, most popular about her Vagina Monologues. The Vagina Monologues' success helped Ensler to create V-Day, a movement to stop violence against women and girls, which has so far raised (and donated) more than $60 million for campaigns that raise awareness and take direct action toward preventing violence and protecting abused women (by building safe houses, for example). Ensler has also drawn praise for The Good Body, a play that cuts to women's obsession with their appearance, and her book Insecure at Last, a scathing look at the measures being taken in the name of safety.

What do you think makes the polar bears turn green btw?

Feel free to comment and act accordingly. :)

DRILL, DRILL, DRILL

by Eve Ensler

I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was
a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of
drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a
particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or
their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have
never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that
they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar
bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life
trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence
against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the
Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people
who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of
Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical
to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving
the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls
options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence
and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous
choices of my lifetime, and should this country chose those
candidates the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in
so many areas that America may never recover. But what is equally
disturbing is the impact that duo would have on the rest of the
world. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen
the clownish, the inept, the bizarre be elected to the presidency
with regularity.

Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor.
In her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets
better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The
melting of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the
pollution and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is
fighting to take the polar bears off the endangered species list. The
earth, in Palin's view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves
and the bears are here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to
be taken and plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As
she said herself of the Iraqi war, "It was a task from God."

Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion. She does not believe women
who are raped and incested and ripped open against their will should
have a right to determine whether they have their rapist's baby or
not.

She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control. I
imagine her daughter was practicing abstinence and we know how many
babies that makes.

Sarah Palin does not much believe in thinking. From what I gather she
has tried to ban books from the library, has a tendency to dispense
with people who think independently. She cannot tolerate an
environment of ambiguity and difference. This is a woman who could
and might very well be the next president of the United States. She
would govern one of the most diverse populations on the earth.

Sarah believes in guns. She has her own custom Austrian hunting
rifle. She has been known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot
hundreds of wolves from the air.

Sarah believes in God. That is of course her right, her private
right. But when God and Guns come together in the public sector, when
war is declared in God's name, when the rights of women are denied in
his name, that is the end of separation of church and state and the
undoing of everything America has ever tried to be.

I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this
election in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the
future not just of the U.S., but of the planet. It will determine
whether we create policies to save the earth or make it forever
uninhabitable for humans. It will determine whether we move towards
dialogue and diplomacy in the world or whether we escalate violence
through invasion, undermining and attack. It will determine whether
we go for oil, strip mining, coal burning or invest our money in
alternatives that will free us from dependency and destruction. It
will determine if money gets spent on education and healthcare or
whether we build more and more methods of killing. It will determine
whether America is a free open tolerant society or a closed place of
fear, fundamentalism and aggression.

If the Polar Bears don't move you to go and do everything in your
power to get Obama elected then consider the chant that filled the
hall after Palin spoke at the RNC, "Drill Drill Drill." I think of
teeth when I think of drills. I think of rape. I think of
destruction. I think of domination. I think of military exercises
that force mindless repetition, emptying the brain of analysis,
doubt, ambiguity or dissent. I think of pain.

Do we want a future of drilling? More holes in the ozone, in the
floor of the sea, more holes in our thinking, in the trust between
nations and peoples, more holes in the fabric of this precious thing
we call life?

Animal Anthem ~Sixth Sense, The Tree Whispered ~Katherine Estelle

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:55:46 -0000

More inspiration from our lovely Gaia friends for all of us to share & enjoy!

Meet amazing Katherine Estelle Eveningstar & her wonderful "The Tree Whispered" fusion of beautiful poetry, images and art from the heart & beyond.

Then be moved by Sixth Sense's newly 'unleashed" Animal Anthem " WHEN I LOOK INTO THESE EYES" invoking his deep creativity, talent for music and love for the animals.

Find out more about his fire within at ANIMAL ANTHEM HAS BEEN UNLEASHED

Feel free to befriend them & share these wonderful videos & creations! Yours too! :)

Meet Robin Rice & BE Inspired

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:33:03 -0000

More than a year and a half ago I introduced you to our Gaia friend Robin Rice through her inspiring meditation movie – “There Is Nothing Wrong With You”. And I want to bring her and her beautiful books, movies and energy again for she never ceases to delight, inspire and amaze me. You can see why.

Robin walks her talk, shares her gifts & lives her truth. She offers a rare combination of authenticity, visionary mentoring & intuitive healing that reveals & empowers the feminine in unique ways. Her books DO heal and her movies & gatherings MORE than inspire. She is a creative weaver of contemporary & ancient soul knowledge that can open the head & heart simultaneously to the truth of who we are. An awakened, wise & beautiful woman in & out!

Her revamped web site Be Who You Are has an abundance of surprises – her multi-media library has her latest visual, audio & video creations and she is offering all of us @ Gaia her incredible 2 books “Venus for a Day” & “A Hundred Ways to Sunday” for free if you send her an email. Don’t miss to immerse yourself in the Beauty and Healing short movie of hers and delight in her unique shared values jewels, where you will find stories and quotes that may bring an Aha moment.

One of her passionate endeavors is the Shamanic apprenticeship she offers to few lucky ones of us. Each year, Robin takes on as many as eleven apprentices who work with her one-on-one weekly, in a group setting for three, 3-day weekends over the year, and through bi-monthly group phone classes. Travel to Ecuador and/or Ireland (optional) and a group community service project are also part of the program. To learn more, you can contact Robin directly at Robin@BeWhoyouAre.com or call her 443-458-5236.

One of my favorite quotes of hers:

“I have always said that we only need to heal until we realize that we have been just fine all along. My greatest joy is when someone I am working with really gets this--and says, plain and simple, "I'm done fixing myself." Then we can really get on with things, forgetting the healing, and beginning the revealing.” ~ Robin Rice ~

And if you resonate with what you found so far I invite you to read “The Philosopher’s Stone”, one of her latest articles from her ezine & explore the rest. You can meet her in person in one of her famous “Wine, Chocolate and Conversation That Matter” gatherings or virtually on Facebook, LinkedIn and Youtube. Feel free to greet, befriend and surprise her!

From Guns to Roses in the Bulgarian Valley of Roses

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:48:54 -0000

A pronoic article & great news from the beautiful & mystical land of Bulgari a. EnJOY! :)

(To learn more about Bulgaria & its hidden jewels, pristine nature & attractive places you can watch a series of short videos on youtube or explore lots of panoramic pictures)

Bulgarian valley turns from guns to roses

By Justyna Pawlak

KAZANLAK, Bulgaria (Reuters) - Just as the sun breaks through the mist shrouding Bulgaria's Stara Planina mountains, hundreds of villagers hustle through fields of rose bushes to pick fresh blooms still damp with morning dew.

Their tranquil valley in central Bulgaria has blossomed in recent years as European Union cash and a global boom in organic beauty products containing rose oil helped revive their centuries' old industry.

Providing a livelihood for a poor area known for decades for making AK-47 rifles, the region famous as Rose Valley is a source of the edible fragrance capsules popular in Japan and the gentle aromas in therapeutic creams sold in Europe.

It also gives Bulgaria a chance to show its beautiful side as the country struggles with corruption and organized crime, and has potential to attract nature-loving tourists.

With roughly 2 tonnes of annual production, Bulgaria is the world's second largest producer of rose oil after Turkey.

But the villagers' race against the sun to pick the moist, pink flowers that produce the oil is becoming more urgent as they say climate change is making the valley hotter and drier.

"Roses like cold nights, dew in the morning and hot days in spring," said Nedko Nedkov, who runs a research institute on roses and rose oil in Kazanlak. "It puts them under stress and they react by producing oil. The more stress, the better. But now, there is not enough dew, sometimes there is none. The roses are becoming too thin."

Bulgaria's rose oil, with its strong aroma that sweetens perfume from brands such as Chanel and Dior, is considered by many in the cosmetics industry to be the best in the world and costs as much as 6,000 euros ($9,413) a kg.

Each spring, hundreds of villagers haul thick plastic bags filled with scrunched-up rose blooms out of the fields and onto trucks that quickly ferry the flowers to distilleries.

The roses are then dumped into vats of water and boiled for hours, with 4 tonnes of petals yielding 1 kg of precious oil. In the 1980s and 90s, when the climate was cooler and the roses more moist, the same yield needed closer to 2.8 tonnes, said Nedkov.

"These bushes are our children. We put a lot of hope into them," said Aiten Topalova, 38, who owns a small field near Kazanlak, the capital of the area known as Rose Valley. A warm breeze wafted the aroma of roses and chamomile from nearby fields as she pulled blooms out of the prickly bushes shortly after dawn.

ROSE PILLOWS

While roses are still wilting in water vats, exuding an odor that becomes pungent before turning sweet again in the distilling process, oil buyers are already striking deals.

"We've been importing Bulgarian rose oil for 60 years," said Yoshikuni Yamamoto, head of Japan-based Yamamoto Perfumery Co., which imports rose oil for making edible capsules.

"Japanese people are very concerned about their body smell. They swallow one capsule and a week later they smell of roses," he said. "Even their pillows do."

In addition to enriching perfume, rose oil is popular with the cosmetics industry, particularly if grown organically. Brands like Germany's environmentally-friendly Dr. Hauschka rely on its therapeutic qualities.

"The environmental impact is harsher now and people's skin is getting thinner. Rose oil gets rid of irritations," said Antal Adam, head of public relations at Wala Heilmittel GmbH, the firm that makes Dr. Hauschka products.

Industry associations contacted by Reuters could not offer scientific evidence to support this claim, but other makers also say rose oil's antiseptic properties help soften the skin.

Dr. Hauschka's Rose Day Cream, on the market since 1967, has fans among stars such Madonna and Julia Roberts, Adam said: his company encourages farmers in Afghanistan to plant roses instead of poppies, buying up the harvest to curb heroin trade. "We blend oil from different countries. Like whisky," said Adam. "The stuff from Afghanistan is very promising."

FUTURE OF THE VALLEY

Under communism, the Rose Valley was home to Bulgaria's arms industry and a crucial source of the iconic AK-47, or Kalashnikov, assault rifle to the Soviet bloc.

Since 1989, its now-privatized Arsenal weapons maker, which employs 5,000 people, has won a tender to supply the Iraqi army with light machine guns and makes arms suitable for use by NATO, which Bulgaria joined in 2004.

But orders cannot match communist-era production levels, industry officials say. Roses may be the valley's future.

With its fragrant fields and an idyllic landscape -- scattered with herds of goats and tombs dating back to the ancient Thracian civilization -- the Rose Valley could become a popular tourist destination.

Much like parts of the French region of Provence with their vast lavender fields, it could attract travelers hungry for mellow surroundings and some solitude.

But residents are concerned that a tourist construction boom could overrun the valley, in the way it has recently damaged seaside and skiing areas.

Environmental damage from construction has become a curse of the country's economic development as corruption, murky land deals and lack of oversight plague industry.

"I don't want Bulgaria to freeze up but you see what happened in Bansko and Sunny Beach," said Filip Lissicharov, who runs a farm near Kazanlak, referring to popular Bulgarian resorts crammed with concrete hotels.

Beyond the specter of unchecked construction and climate change, which Lissicharov said has made weather in the valley more unpredictable than ever in recent years, farmers are also struggling with soaring energy costs and labor migration.

Paradoxically, he said, traditional family-based agriculture may be the solution for farmers who need labor at short notice.

Hot weather and decreased rainfall mean fresh blooms have to be picked quicker than before. In season, more than 50,000 pickers are needed.

"There are not enough pickers, workers prefer to work in Germany and France. And small farmers can get their family to pick roses," said Lissicharov.

Foreign cash may also be on its way. Officials from the French town of Grasse, which hosts much of the world's perfume industry, visited Kazanlak in June to discuss joint projects and potential plans by French investors to buy farmland.

The mayor of Kazanlak is also hoping to build a rose oil attraction park to bring in tourists. For now, the Rose Valley shows a softer side to the country (whose beauty is yet to be internationally appreciated)...

Thanks to Good News Network & Reuters for the story's details.

The Joy of Hiking, Mountains & WIldflowers ~

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:38:47 -0000

After concluding our epic 80 mile hiking trip through the Pasayten wilderness in the North Cascades and the amazing experiences we had, it is a good time to reflect and share some insights and highlights from it. The weather btw was quite varied - all the way from swiftly changing sun, clouds, rain, snow, hail & to an unforgettable thunder & lightning storm on top of Devil's Dome. The abundance of and sheer beauty of the many meadows of gorgeous wildflowers is impossible to describe and even the many pictures will not do them justice. Being away from it all, walking through dense forests, open ridges, alpine woods and being constantly surrounded by one of the most memorable rugged mountain peaks was a reward in itself. Sharing camps, fires, fun, stories and smiles was priceless... Some of the moments of this Three SMarts epic journey along the Three fools trail and Three Fools peak (these are the real names) are captured & shared in our flickr gallery.

Anyway here are some thoughts for food or vice versa. :)

Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move,

my thoughts begin to flow.

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.

~ Wallace Stevens ~

The night walked down the sky with the moon in her hand.

~ Frederick L. Knowles ~

Solvitur ambulando, St. Jerome was fond of saying.

To solve a problem, walk around.

~Gregory McNamee ~

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

~ John Muir ~

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.

~ John Muir ~

If you are walking to seek, ye shall find.

~ Sommeil Liberosensa ~

Don't let people drive you crazy when you know it's in walking distance. ~ Author Unknown

Now shall I walk or shall I ride?

"Ride," Pleasure said:

"Walk," Joy replied.

~ W.H. Davies

So we DID, enjoyed it & found much more than we ever sought. How about you - where have your feet & your soul taken you recently?

UP!!! was the first word I spoke & the Spirit of Aloha

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:55:38 -0000

I think/feel/believe that the first word I uttered was "UP!!!" - trying to express my desire to be lifted up & fly! I always enjoyed the feeling of being airborne, light and free. That is why may be few years back I started a tradition of doing a new air-related experience every birthday starting with a tandem sky dive on my 30th b-day and then following with a free fall, bungy jump, paragliding, motorless plane soaring, flying trapeze & more. I did it again few days back with my soulmate Darin in Maui where we ziplined & parasailed together in unforgettable few minutes with a smiley parachute. I wish and invite you to try any of those for they are much safer than they sound & the experience & Joy are indescribable!

In the spirit of ALOHA which in Hawaiian embraces everything from Hello and goodbye to love, caring, sharing, goodwill to all and is defined as a way of life, I was delighted to find that in their wisdom saying: "He manu ke aloha, a ohe lala kau ole" = "Love is like a bird, there is no branch it does not perch upon." And also

"The power of Love gains FULL Flight when You give it WINGS."

Mahalo Nui Loa to all of you for helping/making our journey in Maui so special!

May we fly on the strength of our heARTS & the wings of our dreams as we do!