Natasha is a Swiss born artist living in Miami and performing there and around the world. Her appearance at TED last year featured excerpts from her one-woman show, UP WAKE, that integrates sound, computer generated images and a live stage performance. Her performance is amazing and her empowering concluding comments on the video are powerful. I have extracted them so readers can appreciate their depth. Enjoy!

“A bitterwseet, funny, tragic world with existentialist shades of Samuel Beckett and especially Marcel Marceau.     “Octavio Roca, Miami New Times

There is a revolution
It’s a human and technological revolution
It’s motion and emotion
It’s information.

It’s visual, musical, sensorial, conceptual, it’s Universal

It’s beyond words and numbers:
It’s happening.

to create intelligent, meaningful and extra-ordinary work.

It’s now.

Natasha Tsakos
president and founder of ZERO llc
Learn more about Natasha at natashatsakos.com

Jo Davidson is a singer-songwriter and podcaster with some great guests, Here’s one.

How do you find the guru even in the relationships that drive you crazy?

How do you handle difficult co-workers, family members, friends? When someone really pushes your buttons, what do you do?

What about in politics in America, and the hatred we see between Fox News and CNN and all of us who seems to be on opposing sides of any issue or belief?

How can we take our strong feelings, use our energy to create internal healing and true change in the world? It is extremely easy for me and maybe for you too, to get trapped in the meaningless cycle of agitation, attack, and anger.

How do we eradicate stupidity, ignorance and evil in the world without become a part of the problem in the process?

I love this quote by Elizabeth Kubler Ross

“All Anger is an Expression of Grief.”

Underneath our anger, we find sadness. Fear. A combination of the two, says my guest this week. This is not a book of cliches. I try to steer clear of those. This is a book that will open you up to a whole new way of seeing the relationships in your life, whether they are close personal ones, or broader social ones.

One love One Soul One Love One Heart by John Welshons
*****To listen to this episode for free- click on the link below!*****

I hope you will take some time to tune in, hear his voice, give yourself some space to really dig into these ideas!
http://www.zentertainment.org/podcasts/zentertainment66.mp3

You can also read a transcript of the interview here: (although listening is more fun)!
http://www.zentertainment.org/josblog.php

For many months, the GEO600 team-members had been scratching their heads over inexplicable noise that is plaguing their giant detector. Then, out of the blue, a researcher approached them with an explanation. In fact, he had even predicted the noise before he knew they were detecting it. According to Craig Hogan, a physicist at the Fermilab particle physics lab in Batavia, Illinois, GEO600 has stumbled upon the fundamental limit of space-time. “If the GEO600 result is what I suspect it is, then we are all living in a giant cosmic hologram,” he said. Our everyday experience might itself be a holographic projection of physical processes that take place on a distant, 2 dimensional surface. Read more…

From CharityFocus.org and Daily Good.

Supreme Court allows China and others unlimited spending in US elections

By Greg Palast | Updated from the original report for AlterNet
Thursday, January 21, 2010

In today’s Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Court ruled that corporations should be treated the same as “natural persons”, i.e. humans. Well, in that case, expect the Supreme Court to next rule that Wal-Mart can run for President.

The ruling, which junks federal laws that now bar corporations from stuffing campaign coffers, will not, as progressives fear, cause an avalanche of corporate cash into politics. Sadly, that’s already happened: we have been snowed under by tens of millions of dollars given through corporate PACs and “bundling” of individual contributions from corporate pay-rollers.

The Court’s decision is far, far more dangerous to U.S. democracy. Think: Manchurian candidates.

I’m losing sleep over the millions – or billions – of dollars that could flood into our elections from ARAMCO, the Saudi Oil corporation’s U.S. unit; or from the maker of “New Order” fashions, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Or from Bin Laden Construction corporation. Or Bin Laden Destruction Corporation.

Right now, corporations can give loads of loot through PACs. While this money stinks (Barack Obama took none of it), anyone can go through a PAC’s federal disclosure filing and see the name of every individual who put money into it. And every contributor must be a citizen of the USA.

But under today’s Supreme Court ruling that corporations can support candidates without limit, there is nothing that stops, say, a Delaware-incorporated handmaiden of the Burmese junta from picking a Congressman or two with a cache of loot masked by a corporate alias.

Candidate Barack Obama was one sharp speaker, but he would not have been heard, and certainly would not have won, without the astonishing outpouring of donations from two million Americans. It was an unprecedented uprising-by-PayPal, overwhelming the old fat-cat sources of funding.

Well, kiss that small-donor revolution goodbye. Under the Court’s new rules, progressive list serves won’t stand a chance against the resources of new “citizens” such as CNOOC, the China National Offshore Oil Corporation. Maybe UBS (United Bank of Switzerland), which faces U.S. criminal prosecution and a billion-dollar fine for fraud, might be tempted to invest in a few Senate seats. As would XYZ Corporation, whose owners remain hidden by “street names.”

George Bush’s former Solicitor General Ted Olson argued the case to the court on behalf of Citizens United, a corporate front that funded an attack on Hillary Clinton during the 2008 primary. Olson’s wife died on September 11, 2001 on the hijacked airliner that hit the Pentagon. Maybe it was a bit crude of me, but I contacted Olson’s office to ask how much “Al Qaeda, Inc.” should be allowed to donate to support the election of his local congressman.

Olson has not responded.

The danger of foreign loot loading into U.S. campaigns, not much noted in the media chat about the Citizens case, was the first concern raised by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who asked about opening the door to “mega-corporations” owned by foreign governments. Olson offered Ginsburg a fudge, that Congress might be able to prohibit foreign corporations from making donations, though Olson made clear he thought any such restriction a bad idea.

Tara Malloy, attorney with the Campaign Legal Center of Washington D.C. says corporations will now have more rights than people. Only United States citizens may donate or influence campaigns, but a foreign government can, veiled behind a corporate treasury, dump money into ballot battles.

Malloy also noted that under the law today, human-people, as opposed to corporate-people, may only give $2,300 to a presidential campaign. But hedge fund billionaires, for example, who typically operate through dozens of corporate vessels, may now give unlimited sums through each of these “unnatural” creatures.

And once the Taliban incorporates in Delaware, they could ante up for the best democracy money can buy.

In July, the Chinese government, in preparation for President Obama’s visit, held diplomatic discussions in which they skirted issues of human rights and Tibet. Notably, the Chinese, who hold a $2 trillion mortgage on our Treasury, raised concerns about the cost of Obama’s health care reform bill. Would our nervous Chinese landlords have an interest in buying the White House for an opponent of government spending such as Gov. Palin? Ya betcha!

The potential for foreign infiltration of what remains of our democracy is an adjunct of the fact that the source and control money from corporate treasuries (unlike registered PACs), is necessarily hidden. Who the heck are the real stockholders? Or as Butch asked Sundance, “Who are these guys?”
We’ll never know.

Hidden money funding, whether foreign or domestic, is the new venom that the Court has injected into the system by its expansive decision in Citizens United.

We’ve been there. The 1994 election brought Newt Gingrich to power in a GOP takeover of the Congress funded by a very strange source.

Congressional investigators found that in crucial swing races, Democrats had fallen victim to a flood of last-minute attack ads funded by a group called, “Coalition for Our Children’s Future.” The $25 million that paid for those ads came, not from concerned parents, but from a corporation called “Triad Inc.”

Evidence suggests Triad Inc. was the front for the ultra-right-wing billionaire Koch Brothers and their private petroleum company, Koch Industries. Had the corporate connection been proven, the Kochs and their corporation could have faced indictment under federal election law. As of today, such money-poisoned politicking has become legit.

So it’s not just un-Americans we need to fear but the Polluter-Americans, Pharma-mericans, Bank-Americans and Hedge-Americans that could manipulate campaigns while hidden behind corporate veils. And if so, our future elections, while nominally a contest between Republicans and Democrats, may in fact come down to a three-way battle between China, Saudi Arabia and Goldman Sachs.

*********

Greg Palast is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.” Palast investigated Triad Inc. for The Guardian (UK). View Palast’s reports for BBC TV and Democracy Now! at gregpalast.com.

On the surface of the world right now there is
war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time,
something else is happening underground
An inner revolution is taking place
and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution.
From the inside out. From the ground up.
This is a Global operation.
A Spiritual Conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.
You wont see us on the T.V.
You wont read about us in the newspaper
You wont hear about us on the radio
We don’t seek any glory
We don’t wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles
Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes
in every country and culture of the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys,
in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands
You could pass by one of us on the street
and not even notice
We go undercover
We remain behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done
Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way
During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night
is where the real work takes a place
Some call us the Conscious Army
We are slowly creating a new world
with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy
Our orders come from the Central Spiritual Intelligence
We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~
Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites
Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness…
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways
with our own unique gifts and talents
Be the change you want to see in the world
That is the motto that fills our hearts
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the
power of all the oceans combined
Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates
shall be moved in the centuries to come
Love is the new religion of the 21st century
You don’t have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it
It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings
Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you
We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have.
All are welcome
The door is open

Brian Piergrossi                                                                                                                                                                                      http://brianpiergrossi.com

Since 1933, the International Rescue Committee is most often among the first to arrive on the scene, providing emergency assistance at the outbreak of a crisis and is working with partners on the ground in Haiti to rescue lives. Their integrity is second to none and they were the subject of a moving documentary film that has won several awards and serve the world in many ways in over 50 countries. An awe inspiring organization. Here are IRC’s rankings from several rating organizations.

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHILANTHROPY
GIVES THE IRC AN A+.

THE FORBES INVESTMENT GUIDE NAMED THE IRC
ONE OF 10 GOLD STAR CHARITIES.

BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE NOTES THE
IRC MEETS ALL 20 STANDARDS.

To make a real difference in Haiti, saving lives and reducing human suffering, you can make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here.

Like many kids, Joe Sohm received a camera as a gift from his parents. He went on to become history teacher and ultimately combined his love of history and photography becoming one of the leading photographers of Americana in the world. He has logged over a million miles in traveling through 50 states over 30 years amassing a collection of 28,000 images.

His stunning images have appeared in National Geographic, Newsweek and Time Magazine, and were featured prominently in ‘The Choice 2008,’ a PBS Frontline documentary on the presidential campaign.

Now 1300 of his most compelling photographs along with 21 of his insightful essays are available in his beautiful master work tabletop book, Visions of America. The photographs in this book combine to reveal a compelling visual mosaic of the faces and places of democracy. The book’s forward is written by legendary travel writer Paul Theroux and Visions of America received an Independent Publishing (IPPY) Gold Medal for excellence. The U.S. State Department is considering using Visions of America as a goodwill ambassador gift and it may soon be featured in the USA Pavilion in Shanghai.

What is notable about Visions of America is its inclusiveness. I once heard a philosophy professor conclude his lecture with the idea that inclusiveness is moral and exclusiveness amoral. In a country that has recently been divided politically, it is refreshing to be reminded of the myriad colors of diversity that is at the heart of America. This is not an accident. In his dedication, Sohm let’s the reader know that “My intent is to honor all through images and words, and I hope I have done so.” In my opinion, he has succeeded magnificently.

And, Visions of America does not take a political stand. Rather it is again, inclusive and apolitical, sharing instead our collective heritage and the hopes and dreams of our Founding Fathers and all Americans since. Sohm provides readers with a clear window on the American experience that inspires and empowers. Visions of America captures what is best about this country and represents an important document that can be passed along to future generations.

The book is the centerpiece of several other multimedia experiences that includes a photo symphony that is being performed by symphony orchestras around the world. With a score by Oscar nominated composer Roger Kellaway,  four original songs written by Kellaway and Marilyn and Alan Bergman, two of the top lyricists in the world, and narration by Clint Eastwood, excerpts from the photo symphony will next be performed in Shanghai with Patti Austin performing one of its songs.

An IMAX version is currently in the planning stage with the Philadelphia Orchestra performing the full soundtrack along with Eastwood’s narration and Kellaway conducting.

In the meantime, Joe is touring community theaters and colleges with his one man live Visions of America multi-media lecture.

To learn more about Visions of America or to order your copy of  Sohm’s magnum opus, visit his website, Visions of America.com and to watch an informative PBS interview with Joe, click here.

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“Each of us is totally unique — just like everyone else.”
– Swami Beyondananda

In the spirit of secular humorism, I hereby declare my vows and intentions for 2010: I’m on a mission from me!

That mission can be best expressed as “fomenting an up-wising.” In these evolutionary times when the old is crumbling before our eyes and the new is being born, my new motto is “wake up laughing, and wise up loving.”

While some have jokingly called it “Dances With Wolves in outer space,” it is clearly a “movie for our times,” that puts a planetary life-or-death issue right in our collective faces: Will we be ruled by the 3M’s (materialism, money, and the machine) or the 3L’s (Life, Love and Laughter)?

Or, in Swami’s words, “Do we live by the Golden Rule, or die by the rule of gold?”

Go see the movie, and feel the up-wising rumbling under our feet … there is an awakening awareness that this epic spectacle represents exactly where our human condition (and inhuman conditioning) has brought us right now, and that the choice we face is not just as individuals, but as a species.

Thanks to this “blockbuster” movie, we may indeed see some significant blocks busted. The message to offer as we invite friends, neighbors and family to see this film is, “this is us, this is here, this is now.” It’s time to pull our collective heads out of our collective you-know-whats, unplug from reality TV and attune in to the greatest action adventure of all time: reality!

And guess who’s in the hero’s role in this amazing true story? We are, individually and collectively. With the survival of our species at stake, it is now necessary for us to use our intelligence intelligently, and think like a species. As Avatar suggests, it’s time to put life and love in charge, and have structure and protection in humble service — instead of the current situation, where the human spirit is held hostage by a predatory machine.

Mission … Possible!In these transformational times, and on the threshold of a new year, I hereby dedicate myself to life, love and laughter.

First, my mission is to see my book and CD, Spontaneous Evolution hit the top of the pop charts, and not just because I co-wrote it. We need a new story that weaves the truths of ancient wisdom with the understandings of modern science. Since thought precedes manifestation, the more aligned we are with a holistic understanding of our past, present and future the more easily we will live into this new reality. Reading or listening to (yes, Sounds True has put out a 5 CD set) Spontaneous Evolution will help!

Along these lines, we have gathered a team to establish the “Heartland Community” as “the place Spontaneous Evolution goes to evolve.” More about that this coming spring …

Meanwhile, I would like to deeply thank the World Puja Network for hosting the Heartland Security Radio show this past year. While I will be focusing my energies elsewhere in 2010, these interviews are all archived and will be available for a year. If you missed them, now is a chance to go back to hear lively conversations with leading edge thinkers and doers on the work they are doing to move the evolution along. Hear them here.

Join the Up-Wising, and Preserve Our Right to LaughAnd finally … at a time when we need both laughter and awakening in our political system and a transpartisan movement to overcome the partisan trance, in 2010 we will be re-launching the Right To Laugh Party (“One big party, everyone is invited … all for fun, and fun for all”) with a fun and surprising campaign to take us beyond artificial divisions and help reestablish the power of “We the People.”

Yes, an amazing connection was made in our recent visit to the Florida Keys with Sir Peter Anderson, Secretary General of the all-in-fun yet “lively serious” Conch Republic, and my friend and associate, Joseph McCormick of the Transpartisan Alliance, and founder of the Reuniting America campaign. You can hear a lively interview with Sir Peter, Joseph and the Swami on KONK radio here.

While the campaign will be officially announced this spring, if you’d like to find out how you can foment up-wising through the Right To Laugh movement even before the official launch … well, Uncle Swami wants YOU!

If you’re ready to bring light, love and laughter to the endarkened corridors of power, and you’d like to find out more about the new and reconstituted Right to Laugh Party, just respond to this email and write “Right to Laugh” in the subject line.

Now more than ever, the laugh we save may be our own.

Wishing us all a truly NEW New Year!