Presenting Frances Moore Lappe 
 Event Date(s):
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 
Location:
Britt Ballroom
Southern Oregon University
Ashland, OR 97520
 Category:
Non-profit Event - PSA Eligible
 Event Type:
Author speaking event
 Details:
Come listen to and meet the woman who changed the way America thinks about food and polticis. From DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET (1971) to the recent DEMOCRACY'S EDGE, Frances Moore Lappe has drawn a bold picture of a stronger, healthier, more community-centered America. She is extraordinarily inspirational Tickets $12-20 (sliding scale) at Ashland Food Coop and Bad Ass Coffee in Medford. Your ticket also admits you to a wonderful post-party celebrating local food, drink and energy. Sponsored by JPR, The Ashland Food Coop and Peoples Bank of Commerce
 Starts:
7:00 AM
 Ends:
9:00 AM
 Sponsor:
THRIVE
 Contact:
Wendy Siporen by phone at 541/488-7272.

Here's a site with some lovely looking wooden realizations/fine art/carvings by Fred Rusher of a variety of crop circles and sacred geometry forms.

Over the weekend, I listened to an interview on New Dimensions with Sera Beak, author of The Red Book (A Deliciously Unorthodox Approach to Igniting Your Divine Spark). I like her perspective on spirituality, as well as her comment (paraphrased a bit) about "smooching your demons to death"; we gotta get creative when integrating elusive aspects of our shadow...

Kudos to the Academy Awards last night; two awards for An Inconvenient Truth! There IS hope when the importance of our environmental awareness and activism gets this much attention! ... particularly when we take to heart that we're interconnected (and several speeches last night emphasized this in different ways, with lots of gratitude).

We watched the awards with a couple of friends last night, and we were joking that next year, in addition to the comments about celebrities arriving in their luxury hybrid cars (almost seems like an oxymoron , perhaps they will comment on the sustainable, environmentally friendly fashions and jewelry... In the media glitter of superficial celebrity, there is plenty of evidence of real people who happen to work in that industry who genuinely care about their craft, as well as making positive contributions with it!

I've been compiling a list of interesting online media (video and audio streaming) for a project I'm working on, so here are a few of my favorites and recent finds:

www.consciousmedianetwork.com/home
http://www.newdimensions.org
www.soundstrue.com
www.emerald-energies.com
www.newrealitiestv.com
www.enigmatv.com
allaboutashland.com
www.visionofwellness.tv
www.HeavenToEarth.com
www.ufosandmore.com
www.eomega.org
www.lostartsmedia.com
www.insideedge.org
http://www.lime.com
http://www.hayhouseradio.com
http://bbsradio.com
http://www.modavox.com/7thwavenetwork (e.g. Daniel Giamario's Shamanic Astrology show on Fridays)
http://www.kpfa.org (e.g. Caroline Casey's Visionary Activist show on Thursdays)
http://www.kvmr.org (e.g. Haines Ely's Earth Mysteries show on Mondays)

I woke up with this phrase reverberating through my consciousness:
"I'm not attached to any of this ... where can our hearts meet?"

Here are a couple of links (thanks to brother Jim for the latter), in case you want automated bulletins to track earthquakes and solar flares. While we're at it, here's a couple other favorite sites to track wildfires, weather, map things and then see things from a lofty perspective at a variety of angles.

Thanks to Joline for this idea; a massive greeting card (with a huge number of signatures) to send to our troops supporting THEM, regardless of whether we support the administration's policies or timetables. This is the brainchild of peace troubador, James Twyman.

"A life without change is not a life; it is a stagnant pool. To change your mind frivolously is a cop-out. To change your mind under the direction of the wisdom of the heart is a brush stroke on the masterpiece you are delivering to the world." - Alan Cohen

Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures, peace is our gift to each other. -- Elie Wiesel

... and thanks to Helene for this one:

"Humor is one of the most serious tools we have for dealing with impossible situations." - Erica Jong

Here's a preview of a coming attraction

Thanks to Michael in Arizona for recommending this Artsy Slideshow with Pentagonal Symmetries and Architecture, along with some triangular, vesical and other interesting geometries.

Over the weekend, we attended a letter writing meeting in Ashland to let our elected representatives in Washington know that we want them to support HR 17 to fund our 15 soon-to-be-closed libraries throughout Jackson County. We also wrote letters to friends across the country, since this involves federal funding for many other related programs being cut.

Pardon the "soapbox" moment:

What are they thinking?
How can our government fund so many insane programs. while axing libraries, forcing their closure?
Talk about short-sighted!!!

We don't have kids at home, but we both use our local library frequently, always finding interesting books there, as do so many people of ALL ages. The idea of not having a public library seems like a completely neanderthal idea (no offense intended to neanderthals!)

I'm now directing this "steam" to support those who ARE supporting the libraries, and encouraging others to do the same - focusing on the outcome as thought it has already happened!

Here is a page talking about the issue, another about how you can help locally, and a link to the Jackson County library system and our beautiful local Eagle Point library, the cultural hub of our community. I also posted a prior entry on the blog about the rally we attended in Medford a couple weeks ago here.

If you want to support keeping libraries open and MANY other worthy government programs, here is a link to an article about H.R. 17, and links to your Washington representatives and senators to contact them for support. Also please thank Representatives Peter DeFazio and Greg Walden for introducing this bill, and others who are supporting it!

Here is a file with some example text to send to your representatives:

SaveOurLibraries

Last night we were at our friends house and had the opportunity to watch the Celestine Prophecy a second time, and I enjoyed it even more than the first time. The film is true to James Redfield's popular novel about 9 important insights that are key to our personal and planetary unfoldment. As one example, how we relate to each other energetically (either as generators/contributors or needy consumers) makes a huge difference in our lives on every level. Finding our inner resources is key. We are all designed to be contributors, the "secret" to feeling gratitude and abundance.

Here's a neat clock (done in Flash); thanks to Art in Medford for this one...

Here is a neat video about over a hundred horses rescued in the Netherlands last fall by a few courageous pioneers. Kinda reminds us to be pioneers wherever and whenever we can! Thanks to Sherry A. for this link.

While looking for references for the existing ISBN number (after discovering that the new system has 13 digits) for my Sacred Geometry Design Sourcebook, I found some interesting gems like this page with interesting references to Vedic Math, 1/89, Fibonacci, Pi and synchronicities.

A friend sent me a story today about a woman who planted daffodils over many years (photo below) which reminded me of "The Man Who Planted Trees", (an animated documentary about the life of shepherd Elzéard Bouffier) who planted oak trees in Europe over many years. The "take home lesson" on this day when we celebrate the heart is that our kindnesses may accumulate over many years of persistent effort, patience, and consistency into something truly beautiful.

I'm watching and listening to a marvelous DVD I borrowed from the Rogue Valley Metaphysical Library (RVML), one of thousands of superb titles available to its patrons. Here's a quote from this fascinating DVD that gives a flavor of the direction:

"We humans are highly malleable to our expectations, belief systems and intentions." - William A. Tiller, Ph. D.

This particular title covers (among other things) ... Slater's experiment with inversion glasses and how, after a few weeks adjustment, the subjects saw things "right side up" (even though the images presented to their retinas were "inverted" by normal standards – then within a similar time frame, after removing the glasses, subjects were gradually re-trained to see things "right side up" again. I had heard of this experiment before, and I also have a similar personal anecdote (though not as dramatic!) of learning and then unlearning (quite comically at times to folks in this country watching me, I'm sure) how to use turn signals and windshield wipers on the "other" side of the steering column in New Zealand (the side of the road was actually much easier for me than the silly controls

Tiller also talks about IIEDs - Intention Imprinted Electrical (oscillator) Device, his consulting work with the HeartMath Institute, astonishing scientifically verified modified pH of water in controlled experiments (demonstrating the principle of quantum entanglement), and LOTS of other amazing things!

I've been savoring the first read (of what I'm sure will be many reads) of Sacred Number by Miranda Lundy, published in John Martineau's wonderful series, Wooden Books. If you want an overview of the heart of why number is SO much more than a means toward mundane ends (not that I have anything against counting beans! , check out this lovely book. Like all the gems in the Wooden Books series, this one is also exquisitely illustrated with Universal geometric archetypes. Its prose that weaves together a remarkably diverse cultural and historical collection of numerical principles and examples from nature, both macroscopic and close to our dimensional home turf. It is a splendid excursion into the cultural precendents for holding numbers in mystical esteem, with a wealth of imaginative directions to explore. Highly recommended!

A fun collection of computer animations of automated musical instruments

Last night I had a dream that appears to be a synthesis of yesterday's (and last week's for that matter) experience, including the blog post from yesterday about Joyeux Noël & The Secret on Oprah. I dreamt that I was spiralling around (ah, just realized the geometric symbolism a hillside in Georgetown, California where I built a geodesic dome in 1978. In the dream, I walked through the wooded area (where there are also pines in "real life") past a number of individual, separate buildings and dwellings. Then I arrived at the top of the hill (where in "real life" our Creative Dynamics metaphysical study group, headed by the late Floyd Edwards, author of Symbolism of the Great Seal of the United States, had intended to build a common building for study, healing, spiritual exploration, etc. but never materialized). In the dream, I saw a large building, apparently made by interconnecting previously separate smaller buildings – I like that symbolism! I walked to the edge of a small cliff (we called the 40 acres in Georgetown the "Far Cliffs" after a reference in the book Jonathan Livingston Seagull) and looked down to where my dome home was in "real life", but now (in the "dream") there was a building devoted to spiritual history or something like that, near a small river flowing past. The feeling of the dream was that there was to be a new wave of involvement as this facility (double meaning) was re-discovered (like "The Secret") and integrated (like Joyeux Noël). The other powerful metaphor for me was that the center (literally and figuratively in the center or heart of the acreage) was what was overgrown with weeds by decades of neglect, but now (I moved a small section of already down barbed wire fence out of the way so no one would be harmed by it) was poised to enjoy a renaissance.

Tonight we watched two seemingly unrelated programs on our tell-a-vision (as our Swami friend) likes to call it. – The first was a superb film we watched via NetFlix, Joyeux Noël (released in 2005) and the second was Oprah's program from earlier this week about "The Secret" DVD (currently enjoying a wave of popularity) and a panel of some of the folks featured on the DVD.

I already posted a blog entry last Christmas about the music of John McCutcheon which originally introduced me to the story of Joyeux Noël about a decade or so ago. Tonight we finally got to see the film, and it was worth waiting for! Joyeux Noël is a powerful film. On the surface, it documents (with minor artistic license, which is why I classify it as a documentary in the spirit of the film) the cease fire of 1914 among the Scottish, French and German soldiers, initiated by the healing power of music. I'm impressed with this film on many levels, starting with a great story about how soldiers are brainwashed from an early age to hate. As the song goes, when will we ever learn? The film quickly moves to the drama of World War 1, and even though the violence isn't excessive, I wouldn't recommend the film for children for that reason; besides, children already KNOW that war is insane! The film gives a very sensitive portrayal of the stark contrast between the desire to dutifully obey the militant dictates of a culture gone mad and the spirit of interconnectedness that is our natural state – one where we intuitively want to share photos of loved ones, food, wine and support with ALL. Here is where the film goes beyond being merely a great historical monument to a lapse in the insanity that great art (in this case the romantically engaged couple singing beautifully on the battlefield) can initiate. The metaphor applies right here, right now. It applies to the current world geopolitical situation very eloquently. It also, most importantly, reminds us to declare an inner cease fire, a truce between the personal ambitions and internal struggles we face every day and recall the inner serenity, joy and kindness, where the distinction and polarization between "self" and "other", between "we" and "they" disappears. If this film touches you emotionally and spiritually as it did me, we can smile together knowing that the world is waking up from the nightmare of separation, the illusion of lack and "not good enough". ... BTW, don't miss the director's comments which are also quite inspiring!

"The Secret" is an introduction to the Law of Attraction, a sublaw of the Seven Hermetic Laws of Truth detailed in the Kybalion. I enjoy hearing dialogue about these ancient laws or principles, which have been around before the pyramids in Egypt, before there was a planet to build on... My primary caution for viewers is that the emphasis of this video (and the interviews on Oprah and Larry King) still seems to be on how to achieve external results such as material wealth, radiant health, harmonious relationships. There is, of course, ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with any of these worthy ambitions. Ironically, the video and TV interviews persistently shift from the Neville's "Feeling Is the Secret" first principle (particularly the innate love of self as co-creator, inseparable from all creation and the allowing of gratitude with abandon) to the results that accrue from these feelings. I AM grateful that this information is getting out to the masses. At the same time, I appreciate Oprah's reminder (paraphrased) that we've "known it all along".

I just finished watching a re-inspiring video featuring former astronaut, Brian O'Leary speaking at a conference in Portland, Oregon on the New Energy Movement. He was the third speaker (I had fun writing about his work here in 1995) for our New Frontiers group. O'Leary commented how changing our energy picture is pivotal to creating a sustainable world, and at the core of this issue is the nature of consciousness, intention, and our collective passion for making the planet a better, safer, saner, more lovely place.

Here is a pertinent quote from the video that resonate with me:

"Quantum physics tells us, beyond any reasonable doubt, that there is a cosmic dance of interaction going on, that is instantaneous – that we're all interconnected – we are One in this Universe."
– Brian O'Leary, PhD

I'm sitting in the deli section of the Ashland Food Co-op, where I frequently make a weekly pilgrimage for groceries. Only tonight, rather than moseying through the beets and bananas, I'm sitting on a wooden slatted chair with my trusty PowerBook here perched on a little round table with a brushed metallic finish (adorned with hundreds of little "scientific jewelry" disks as they used to be called). I'm making good use of my time to finish an outline for a proposal I will deliver with a new friend this weekend (it's quite exciting, details to follow!) to a local board of directors about an idea whose time has come. Meanwhile, I'm savoring the ambience of congenial folks pushing grocery carts around the aisles of mostly organic bounty, a handful of deli patrons, and the rather sporadic intercom voice requesting "grocery, line one". Meanwhile, just outside the window, a few folks browse around the always-full 4-sided kiosk with an assortment of flyers about events primarily about raising consciousness about one facet of life or another. Another young woman, probably a student at Southern Oregon University, eats something from a white cardboard deli container while perusing the funny page, and two other guys at different tables exhibit similar activity; the headline of one paper reading "Pushing on without mom brought healing"... a little vignette of the cafe vibe of our local co-op, which just announced plans to expand into Medford soon. I think I come here to shop as much for the kindred spirit community of the place as I do for the quality of the nourishment I take with me.

Today Nancy & I watched the Colbert Report on Comedy Central (our usual comic relief du jour, along with the Daily Show which precedes it). Stephen interviewed Wendy Kopp of Teach for America, and I was inspired by her vision of luring bright, enthusiastic recent college graduates to give 2 years of service in the educational arena to those who might not otherwise have that advantage. Then I read in "Good To Great and the Social Sectors" by Jim Collins (just mentioned this in yesterday's post) ... you guessed it ... Wendy Kopp of Teach for America. Collins touted her efforts as someone who held to the "Hedgehog Concept" of finding 1) What you're passionate about, 2) What you can become the best in the world at, and 3) What drives your resource (energy) engine. I suppose this isn't TOO astonishing a synchronicity, given my interests and the media I'm attracted to, yet it's still fun to have a few minor "Aha" moments now and then.

In response to learning about the Oregon Mentors (see my post from 24 January 2007), I discovered a sequel to Jim Collins' Good to Great, a monograph about the Social Sectors, and it reminded me not only of the importance of expanding one's criteria for personal (and organizational) excellence from just $ to ALL resources being in balance (hooray for that notion!) and also a renewed discipline for doing what you love (here's a link to our dear and insightful friend Dean Shrock, who wrote a great book entitled, "Doctor's Orders: Go Fishing" about the medical ... and just plain happiness ... imperative of doing what you love!

Here's a quote from the monograph that I'm posting to remind myself to keep the focus, that perhaps you, my reader, might find useful, too! (I just love to explore too many interesting avenues and adventures!)
"Social sector leaders pride themselves on "doing good" for the world, but to be of maximum service requires a ferocious focus on doing good only if it fits with your Hedgehog Concept. To do the most good requires saying "no" to pressures to stray, and the discipline to stop doing what does not fit."

Today we decided to go for a Sunday midwinter drive in the Rogue Valley to one of our favorite breakfast spots, the Breadboard in Ashland, followed by a leisurely meander through the back roads around Phoenix & Talent, taking pictures of orchard signs and enjoying the unseasonably pleasant day. Here's a snap of some cattails, spreading their wispy genetics across the terrain... a lovely morning!

Over the weekend, I borrowed a couple of great videos from RVML about free energy technology. As Tom Bearden explains on one of them, the premise is that we are in an open system, not a closed one, so the absurd notion of a "perpetual motion machine" isn't considered... Both videos talk about modern physics with folks like John Hutchison (levitation), Moray King, Dennis Lee (low temp. phase change systems), Dr. Eugene Mallove, Thomas Valone, Viktor Schauberger (vortices), Walter Russell, Bruce DiPalma, Dr. Brian O'Leary, Paul Pantone (GEET processor), Thomas Bearden (I didn't realize that Maxwell's 4 equations are just excerpts by Heaviside from his original 20 quaternions that hold the keys to many discoveries, according to Bearden), Troy Reed (magnetic motors), Paramahamsa Tewari (more free energy technology) and of course, Nikola Tesla...Here are the videos; definitely worth looking into if you use energy or live on a planet that does: Free Energy: The Race to Zero Point DVD
New Energy Series Vol 1:Tom Bearden

We have a fun tradition (nearly unbroken) of watching the "Groundhog Day" movie (highly recommended) every year; it seems to improve with each viewing; or maybe we're just getting the message with repetition

I've been pondering how much time and energy is expended on the pursuit of money, and it occurs to me that (not that it isn't important to have an effective medium of exchange – I've worked on developing a local currency in Nevada County, Calif. a few years ago, for example) ... perhaps we might do well to focus on the optimum medium of interchange – kindness, unconditional acceptance, tolerance, or whatever we might want to call it... not that the label is particularly important... Imagine what our world would be like if kindness was practiced with as much passion as material ambition seems to be at present!