Babel: The multilingual, multicultural online journal and community of arts and ideas

I wouldn’t exactly call myself an environmentalist but when some hotshot private corporation or any government entitites try to manipulate any food supply in liue of  higher monetary gain, then I have a problem with that.  I previously blogged about the “adding” of the chemical “melamine” in milk in China in my blog entitled “The Food Crisis: Adding Insult to Injury.”  Now here comes another one – it’s in rice.  I have encountered the term GMO (Genetically-Modified Organism) used in corn after a rough campaign by the school where I used to teach.  The provincial government in Negros Occidental, Philippines, assured the public back in 2006 that no GM corn are shipped in the province.  But last year, I read a news about it that some GM corn were said to have been found in one warehouse.  It’s not hard to believe how something like that can pass through the government’s lenses, especially when graft and corruption is a major trade in some parts of the world.  Really sad. Money over conviction. Money over Public Good.

Here comes another one – GM rice.  I love rice and even my husband loved it.  We have it in every meal.  Heck, we even got ourselves a rice cooker here! Back home, “rice” was regular white long grained rice that was Php24.00 per kilo.  Here, we get a 5 lb Jasmine rice called “Mahatma Jasmine” (Thai rice) at Food Lion for less than $7 and the 25 lb at Sam’s Club for like $17. The first few attempts we had of getting affordable rice was a disaster- low grade rice that never seemed to grow soft after 10 minutes of boiling. Now that we found the kind of rice we wanted (and smells good, too!), we are sticking to a kind we want. So basically, everybody can assume that I am very particular about my rice.

Greenpeace has been in the forefront about campaigning against GM (um..not General Motors).   According to a Greenpeace report, Bayer (try to remember bug spray), a German company, has  genetically-manipulated rice in order to withstand toxic doses of a pesticide called glufosinate.  Well it’s toxic so it means that it’s harmful to living organisms.  Since Bayer is based in Germany, naturally the European Union has a say whether they would agree to the import of GM rice. If they import GM rice, then farmers will plant GM rice. This means, in the near future, we would be eating GM rice, as they would now be available for sale in supermarkets everywhere.

So now you know why it’s very frustrating to make people understand that “better invention” doesn’t necessarily mean “better for humankind.”  Okay, so Bible classes would tell us “go feed the poor” and the next thing we know we are doign a lot worse by feeding them GM rice.  What is safe to eat then? And heck! What’s next?!?

You may go to this link for more information from Greenpeace: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/genetic-engineering/hands-off-our-rice/hands-off-our-rice

Below is a concrete explanation of GM rice:

My favorite part in the “Sound of Music” has always been “How do you solve the problem like Maria?”  It’s a part of a song that seems to have buried itself in memory.  Two years ago, I met this wonderful friend named Maria from Romania. So that sort of triggered a memory of that song and I eventually told Maria about this.  Even when I was in high school, Music class started with “doe a deer a female deer...” or “when you know the notes to sing…” I actually could hum the latter and play the piano (without learning it) by just listening to myself hum. Then during a trip to North Carolina with my husband to meet some wonderful folks, we got into this topic about Sound of Music and Julie Andrews‘ career – from Mary Poppins to Sound of Music.  We were basically talking about Julie Andrews‘ accent and how prim and proper she was when she talks.  But when the guys blurted out that she has a “potty-mouth” I was like “what?!?”  I don’t exactly know how that topic came up but that was coming from a Scottish friend.  Between grasping that tidbit and the guffaw after that, I forgot to ask how our friend knew.

Anyhow, I am mentioning Sound of Music because I got this email from my friend Maria and she sent me a video of  how 200 dancers went to the train station in Antwerp, Belgium and basically “rocked the house” with the tunes in “Sound of Music.”  Thought I’d share these little “coincidences” and it might just trigger some good ole memory (and why I am blogging about it now).  I wonder how many out there have watched the Sound of Music over and over again? Well here I am – guilty!

You can also watch it from this link: http://www.flixxy.com/antwerp-central-station-sound-of-music.htm

msbeeee posts what has to be some of the creepiest adverts ever seen. Ew.

I have heard about this rendition that Jon Schmidt did with Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” from the movie “Romeo + Juliet” (well starring Clare Danes and Leonardo di Caprio) and “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay.  It was a superb rendition! It relaxes you – sort of calming.  I remembered attending my nephew’s piano recital last May 2 at Texas Tech University and remembering how I learned to play the piano by myself  years back- learning to read notes from Music class at school and then listening to the rhythm of a song intently.   I would always combine one piece with another and just be silly and play it.  So listening to Jon Schmidt rendition made me thoughtful as it is a unique ability to combine two pieces and make it sound so fun. Well, I’m a fan now!

I actually wanted to download the music format of this and hoping to upload in my ipod (without resorting to P2P sites). It seems like the free download was temporarily postponed due to some legal matters, according to the site.  Copyright issues, I assume. The rendition/combination of two songs can be genuinely unique for the artist as the artist who combined and created something new. But the other means to come up with that genuine, artistic piece was not wholly owned by the artist. I think obviously that is where the legal aspect come in. I’d say personally, both Taylor Swift and Coldplay may even get more recognition for their songs due to this special rendition.  Wouldn’t this rendition by Jon Schmidt then be categorized as a “remake” – where some artist would sing an old song and record it again under a new label/artist?

I await the mp3 download. So watch out at http://www.jonschmidt.com/catalog/index.php

The YouTube video is below. You may also watch it at Tangle: http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=4c06065c76d3284dc3dc

I  sent a posting recently to the ISOC PH mailing list – just sort of an observation I had while trying out Wolfram Alpha.I tried it and just spontaneously typed weather information in my city. To my surprise, it gave me a “Wolfram|Alpha isn’t sure what to do with your input..“  According to the BBC article I read about Wolfram, it should return annotated pages rather than list of sites. Instead I got a “…isn’t-sure-what-to-do-with-your-input.”

So I did another search and key in “value of pi,” after Gonz, an ISOC PH member, told me that Wolfram is quite good with computational information.  I actually got the answers to my query and not just links to sites. I got the value of “pi” in decimal, fraction and in other representations. That was cool for me since I didn’t have to browse through several sites just to find answers.  I was even thinking that if only we had Wolfram during college days, I wouldn’t have to dig into my notes, decipher my handwriting (and get some answer or formula wrong with my own handwriting that I couldn’t understand!) and just use the Internet instead.

My husband told me that if we need some information, we can “wolf” it now instead of “google” it.

Here’s the BBC article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8052798.stm
Wolfram Alpha: http://www.wolframalpha.com/

And they have the nerve to put a picture of soup being served?!  There goes my appetite…

As a busy traveler and a history and culture buff, I’ve prided myself on making deep preparations for trips overseas, and it has paid handsome dividends.  Zach Dunkin at Indystar.com writes on how one can avoid some of the faux-pauses that less-experiences travelers endure.

And to think they call Americans prudes, hah!

HT: Breitbart.

My dear blogging compatriots, this news comes as a treat! Kindle will be opening up their machines to instantly download RSS feeds from your favorite blogs, so it may behoove you to submit your links (or just do what I do and read it for vanity’s sake!). HT: MediaBistro.

by James Schwartz

TKO! Yet here I am standing.

Through our carnage and through our calm.

I hear one voice in storm and Psalm.

Sacred scrolls of henna fonts.

A Global Era Renaissance.

Connected consciousness. WE ARE ONE!

Longfellow in Levis: the day is done.

Of queer quills and pink ink.

A pretty boy poet to make you think.

Of equality. Diversity.

And what he really means to me.

March with PRIDE. Love awaits.

Open your mind. Stop the hate.

Free your foes. Remove your muzzle.

We are all a piece in the puzzle.

For you science geeks out there, Google has come out with yet another toy for us to play with. Read more about Google’s Sky Map here.

I am blessed (though I’m sure every child says this), with the best Mother on Earth.  She has had to put up with the crazy visions of her son, and she managed to give me the support only a knowing Mom can give her nutty offspring.

In honor of all Moms everywhere, here’s a slice of history many people would love to forget, but Al Jolson had a hell of a voice.  It’s spliced in this clip, singing “Mammy.”

by James Schwartz

Holy! Hark hatred from ordained voice.

Homophobia is an ornate choice.

Chance encounters in the V.I.P. pew.

Sunday exile is nothing new.

Superiority in str8 sexuality.

Queers bashed sating pack mentality.

No desire in my sleepless night.

But for the mere minutes before flight.

In every nation hate holds sway.

Charmed in a waltz of the cobra’s ballet.

Hate is a serpent spawned by men.

Only slain by the poet’s pen.

Leave the ruins. Love awaits.

Open your mind. Close the gates.

Free your foes. Remove your muzzle.

We are all a piece in the puzzle.

The lady responsible for giving the planet, as well as the Disney character, its name, has passed away.  She was 90 years old.

A couple of antiquities peddlers are busted after being caught with an ancient relic documenting what looks to be a business transaction.  Read more here from the BBC.

Dear friends from the Tower of Babel, your scribe has not left you.  I’ve been dealing with some rather serious issues in my abode, and I seem to have everything under enough control so that I can blog for you again!

My gift today is from the Mosaic Art Source.  For those of you who have an appreciation of mosaics, tiles and works of gorgeous Byzantine, Alhambran Spanish and Moorish architecture, this site provides plenty of samples of various work to soothe your eyeballs with.

This is a delayed posting about the Remote Participation video. Anyhow full information about the IGF remote hubs and the video link is found below, as posted in the ISOC PH portal.

http://www.isoc.ph/portal

This is my blueprint for my open courseware project. It is not yet fully finished but I do wish to finish developing it.

My project title is OPEN COURSEWARE FOR ONLINE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE TO KOREANS:
https://wiki.mozilla.org/User:Rustan108#Open

by James Schwartz

I have heard tell of blood and family.

In the spotlight I can’t see.

I only sow the sound of silence.

A Scriptured quote an act of violence.

There is work to be done, I know.

In the clubs we groove and grow.

Through the rain of falling glitter.

A Rennaissance via Twitter.

A toast to the Twitterati.

To Glitterati, Literati.

EQUALITY UNDENIED.

In the clubs we have cried.

O Pastor! Master new PRIDE and grace.

Wipe homophobia from your face.

Turn to your Manuel, do not fix,

2: Samuel 1:26.

I am a participant in the Open Education Course by Mozilla Foundaton, partnering with Creative Common and Peer to Peer University. This is a great initiative for showcasing “openness” in the Internet. The old cliche of “information is free” was like a motto for the movie “Antitrust” starring Ryan Philippe. I actually let my students see this movie during class and led their thinking towards this aspect of information being free. One student of mine asked me during class if the character in the movie played by Tim Robbins was how Microsoft “monopolized” systems. It was actually a thought in which I never influenced that kind of thinking. But the point of the matter is letting students “think” and see great importance and values placed in “openness” in the Web.

The Mozilla Open Ed Course outline can be accessed at this link:
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Education/EduCourse/Outline

by James Schwartz

He cannot come out of hiding.
Squardrons of homophobia await.
Today saw escalation in the fighting.
Squadrons of hetero hate.
He cannot come out as before to play.
Parading about a Bahgdad cafe.
Dancing the Iraqi night away.
With boys the color of cafe au lait.
Beauty silenced with false desire.
The enemies step grows bold.
Wine, sodomy and gun fire.
The desert night grows cold.
Marching boots, A sudden knock.
A whispered prayer, A ticking clock.

DO SOMETHING! http://iraqilgbtuk.blogspot.com

So, finally, after almost 3 days of traveling to get to Virginia, here I am nestled in our humble abode. It was 14th in the Philippines when I left and it was still 14th when I arrived in San Francisco.  It’s a good thing I’m so used to traveling but this time I can say I need a break from traveling after being in Taiwan and in Charlotte, NC to get “home.” The weather is cold for me, although it’s spring, and I guess I have to get used to it. Each night since I got here, I can hear the owl hooting from 9:00 PM onwards, the squirrels running around the roof every morning and saw my first deer this morning.  I don’t know if I should be annoyed with the squirrels.

Just taking it easy for now…

APNIC stands for the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre. The Internet Governance Pulong (”pulong” is a Tagalog word that means “meeting”) was held last February 24, 2009 in Manila in conjunction with the APNIC 27. This event formally presented the rejuvenation of ISOC PH (Internet Society Philippines Chapter). Below is the link for the meeting details and transcripts for the meetings.

The details below will be an overview of Internet Governance in the Philippines, as well as in the Asia Pacific.

http://meetings.apnic.net/program/igov/index.html

More information about ISOC PH can be found below:
http://www.isoc.ph

ISOC Philippines at APNIC 27 Meeting:
http://isoc.ph/portal/2009/04/isoc-philippines-at-apnic-27-meeting/

Invitation to Join ISOC PH:
http://isoc.ph/portal/2009/04/invitation-to-join-isoc-philippines/

It stressed me a lot when I read this article in BBC that urges students to study twitter instead of History. Web 2.0 tools are great teaching/learning aids but it shouldn’t replace real school subjects.

I’ll let you guys think about the article below. I’m at a lost of words thinking about it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7962912.stm

The Humble Telescope is designed as an interactive civic sculpture that brings the wonders of space down to earth and into our cities, to encourage us learn more about the universe and perhaps appreciate our own world a little more.

Inside the telescope exists a 3D simulation of our entire known universe. Pointing the telescope in any direction immediately shows us what exists in that area of space, so now we can get a greater understanding of where the planets are and where we live in the Milky Way.

- Link.

Via FreshMoCo: Link.

~ Karl Jones

Mt. Redoubt (March 2009)  photo by Brentwood Higman

‘Angel of Change’ is my name for this spectacular photograph of  Mount Redoubt, Alaska exploding awake again with fire and lightening early morning March 28, 2009. Awesome!!! Can you see the angel, heart and angel fish? Beloved Creator gives us more messages and indicators.

The angel is a messenger heralding change through the fire of transformation and transmutation who says, ‘It moves, ALL IS WELL, you are a Divine Child of God.’ The lightening heart emerging from smoke says, ‘FEAR NOT beloved… you are Loved, always taken care of and eternal’. It reminds us to Love all and do all through and with Love.’ The angel fish says, ‘HAVE FAITH things are not what they appear. Fish show us Independence, Potential and Adaptation. When swimming upwards fish indicates Spiritual evolution. The angelfish tells us angels are always around. It guides us to assist others in need… by helping others we help ourselves.  The explosion of Redoubt indicates there will be doubts projected and doubt will intensify. The mountain says, ‘HAVE NO DOUBT, hold the visions of the future you wish to collectively create… they are made manifest! The message: fear nothing, have faith, hold your visions without doubt, love self, others and the process itself, help each other, all is well and in transformation. In the end all will be new, fresh an unlike anything seen to date. Whoo Hoo… might as well let go and enjoy the ride!

Weather.com featured the photo above with the caption:

1:43 pm ET Incredible volcano lightning photos: These are pictures taken on March 28 of Alaska’s Mount Redoubt volcanic eruption. The volcano has been erupting for several days now but has recently evolved into a different eruption pattern.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

Compelling, beautiful, idiosyncratic:

“A collection of accidents that happened while working on maps and other graphics.” Posted by Matthew Bloch, graphics editor for the New York Times. Link.

Shown above: “1917 map of Beijing (after trying to use spline-based georeferencing in ArcGIS).”

Via Dinosaurs and Robots: Link.

~ Karl Jones

‘1st January’ photograph by Shugaley Pavel

A Vision for A New Earth

• An Earth where chaos matures into growth and reality is a soul harmony vibrating to Love in synchronicity.
• Knowing through radical trust, silence and stillness that the dark is pierced by the Light, and fear and ignorance transformed into insight, love and wisdom.
• New leaders with spiritual vision unashamedly inspired by a loving connection to all life and a passionate caring for self, humanity and the environment lead the world to an unanimously agreed upon charter of peace.
• Religion is no longer fought over, but honored as expressions of divinity.
• Borders vanish to form one Circle of Light one earth – one vision – one garden – one economy – one humanity.
• Diversity is celebrated within the uniqueness of each individual’s culture, race and heart.
• Generosity and gratitude replace greed, and the desire to accumulate out of fear of scarcity, is replaced by knowing that all is provided for.
• Spirit is acknowledged in the radiance of each person’s being beyond all illusions.
• The creative potential of each person’s abilities unfold into expressions of joyous creations.
• All learning celebrates soul development, character, creativity and imagination.
• Sound, thought, light, feeling and color are understood as
  palettes of creation to manifest reality.
• Love is fostered as the elixir of life and Joy the blueprint for achievement.
• Beauty, compassion and forgiveness weave perception and create connection.
• Infinity is grasped as an awakening into the ever evolving mystery of the Now moment.
• Time is seen as a fractal of Infinity where the Now locates,
  attention focuses and intention directs.
• Nature is Light. Light is the interplay of the dance of particles in the known cosmos of Love. Light is the breath of The Divine.
  In Light, are the codes of all life playing a symphony of Love.
• Love is all there is. As you are in your heart. In Peace. In Love. Know that you are loved beyond measure.
• Know that we are in a New Earth where we all celebrate our magnificence.
• Dream it and it will Be.

~Author Unknown

Amazing photograph and wisdom… thanks for the visions!!!

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

dan-ayido-houedo by Romuald Hazoumé

Xeni Jardin writes:

While I was in Benin over the last couple of weeks, a local BB reader pointed me to some interesting contemporary artists from this region. Probably the most well-known of these, internationally, is a man named Romuald Hazoumé who transforms salvaged materials into symbols of spiritual power.

Hazoumé has residences in the capital city of Cotonou, and in nearby Porto Novo near the Nigerian border. He is of Yoruba ancestry (which means his grand-folks were from Nigeria, I presume), and grew up in a Catholic family, but like many Beninois, also lives in touch with his voudun roots.

Starting in the mid-1980s, Hazoumé began creating works made from a locally ubiquitous type of plastic container — I’ve heard them referred to as “jerry cans?” Basically, you see them everywhere in Benin, used and reused and reused to store everything from palm oil to water to gasoline.

- Xeni Jardin @ Boing Boing: Link.

See also:

• Romuald Hazoumé
• Benin
• Ouroboros
• Kekulé

~ Karl Jones

by James Schwartz

After hours passion unites, ignites room.
Silken musculature, metered desire.
The groaning bridal bed with groom on groom.
Love’s spirit sings sonnets, Lust’s still higher.
Of unrestrained rain, drenched a capella.
Unattired, unabated, understood.
Unrequited under night’s umbrella.
As if unquenched Uranian love could.
Our after hours of unmasked hours.
Unschooled, unclenched Uranians lie.
Alone unraveling, untold heights high.
Ungrounded gyrating, felled flesh and feet.
Still unfilled by the still when our lips meet.

by James Schwartz

I have heard tell of blood and family.
In the spotlight I can’t see.
I only sow the sound of silence.
A Scriptured quote an act of violence.

Can we agree to disagree?
Now I know that I am free.
A heart preoccupied with love.
Unreachable in azure above.

The Pastor your Master of disgrace.
Homophobic shame smeared on your face.
I cannot miss what I do not know.
But I can learn, love and grow.

I know the hour is too late.
For heart, floor and debate.
So turn to your Manuel, try to fix.
2 Samuel 1:26.

‘Rare Pink Elephant Baby’ photograph by Mike Holding

Everywhere… all around… more and more gifts from Creator. Signs we move… we progress. Heart shaped galaxies, pink dolphins, sun halos, comets… more. Now this very rare, sweet, beautiful, albino, pink, baby African elephant. Amazing!

Elephant represents – compassion, loyalty, strength, intelligence, discernment,  commitment, astuteness, memory, longevity, power and peace. Pink is the color of Universal Love, love of self and others, harmony and inner peace; and a developed heart chakra (Anahata). Elephant in Buddhism represents mental strength; the white elephant is a powerful controlled mind that eliminates all obstacles on the path. It is said that Buddha was born as a white elephant in a previous incarnation. Ganesh, the white elephant Hindu god removes obstacles and brings peace and inner knowing. A pink elephant shows us how… eliminate obstacles through love.

A pink elephant is great gift indeed… it shows Creators Love for us and blesses our unfolding. Indicators: keep faith, remember love of self and others, bring peace to all, discern what brings harmony, be strong and clear of mind, develop heart and inner knowing. 

March 20, 2009 – A pink elephant caught on camera.  A wildlife cameraman took pictures of the calf when he spotted it among a herd of about 80 elephants in the Okavango Delta (Botswana). Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants. Read more at BBC.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

“Intelligent mistakes seem like failings on the part of the AI, but are actually carefully calculated ways of throwing the game that make it more entertaining for the player.”

Computer chess expert Steven Lopez describes how in human versus human chess, it’s acceptable for a high-ranking player to give a much lower ranking player an advantage at the start of the game by removing some of his pieces from the board before the game begins.

When the game starts, the master player and the novice player are still playing to the height of their abilities, and yet the game is more evenly balanced. The master player does not have to play “stupid” in order to give the novice player a chance.

However, humans playing against a computer do not like to be given an advantage in this way, and prefer to play the full board against an AI opponent of approximately their skill level.

The programmers of Fritz hit upon a solution that involved the AI deliberately setting up situations that the human player could exploit (with some thought) that would allow the human to gain a positional or piece advantage. Once the human player gained the advantage, the AI would resume trying to win.

At no point here is the AI actually dumbed down. If anything, there is actually quite a bit more computation going on, and certainly more complexity.

The goal of the AI has shifted from “win the game” to “act like you are trying to win the game, but allow the human to gain a one-pawn advantage, and then try to win.” The AI needs to be more intelligent in order to appear less intelligent.

- Mick West @ Gamasutra: Link.

See Also …

Liden, Lars. “Artificial Stupidity: The Art of Intentional Mistakes,” in AI Game Programming Wisdom 2, Charles River Media, 2004.
http://lars.liden.cc/Publications/Download/2003_AIWisdom.pdf

Lopez, Steven. “Intelligent Mistakes,” Chessbase News, 2005.
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2579

~ Karl Jones

‘Galactic Love’ photo  by NASA’s Telescopes

‘Galactic Love’ is my name for this spectacular capture of two merging galaxies called NGC 6240. It’s a great flying heart! What beautiful colors, blues, pink and purple with a core of golden white… painted with streaks of infrared light. WOW awe inspiring! Thank you beloved Creator. Love is everywhere and ever expanding.

March 16, 2009: A new image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope offers a rare view of an imminent collision between the cores of two merging galaxies, each powered by a black hole with millions of times the mass of the sun. The spectacular image combines visible light from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and infrared light from Spitzer. It catches the two galaxies during a rare, short-lived phase of their evolution, when both cores of the interacting galaxies are still visible but closing in on each other fast. Read more at NASA Newsroom.

~Bonnee

Maya Lin has a new exhibit at Washington’s Corcoran Gallery of Art.

It grew out of a desire to take what I do outside and bring it inside …. I thought, what if I could bring a hill inside – take it up to the ceiling, maybe even let people walk on it. … These works are asking us to pay close attention to the world around us.“

- Maya Lin, via The Baltimore Sun.

Maya Lin @ Wikipedia.

~ Karl Jones

Wayraman by Manatial

Beautiful panpipes and flute telling a story of love. Sweet!

Manatial, The Mystic Sound from the Andes, Song: Wayraman, Album: The Secret of the Dancing Spirits DVD, Video produced by: AylluRecords. Recorded in Salasaca, Ecuador. Official website: manantial-productions.com.

Manantial are Indigenous musicians from the Kichwa-Salasaka community in  Ecuador. They present a magical connection between ancient and present cultures through song and dance. Members include Alberto Jerez, Kjulliar Jerez and Carlos Jerez  from Salasaka-Ecuador.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

Amy: “We’ve got Jeremy Melcamp from Borders here today — and he’s got something really special for us.  Now, what am I holding here?

Jeremy: We call it Book.  Now Amy, try to find the plug on there.

Amy: I don’t see one!

Jeremy: That’s because Book is the new wireless platform that never needs to be charged.  Now, go ahead and turn a page.

Amy: The pages are really turning!  And … there’s different words on each one!

Jeremy: It’s got an intuitive, touch-based interface that we’re very proud of.

Amy: This could be huge, but … where are people going to keep all their Book?

Jeremy: That’s the best part, Amy.  Book works with the shelves you have at home.

- Link to Penny Arcade.

~ Karl Jones

Zen Meditation video by TheWisdomWarrior.com

When life has over taken and is controlling you, step back… breathe… watch, listen and allow this lovely quieting video to bring a space of quiet respite. A place to regroup, center, quiet and empty the mind. Enjoy the peace.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

Return of the Ancestors, Wisdom Gathering, Sedona, AZ April 18^th – 28, 2009

An important gathering is about to occur. I thought you might find it of interest. ‘Return of the Ancestors’ is happening April in Northern Arizona. Here is  information about the gathering:

500 years ago the Mayan Ancestors wrote out on stone prophesies for the upcoming years creating the Mayan Calendar.  With only four years left of the Mayan Calendar, many people fear the end of the world, but it is not predicting the end of the world in 2012, but the start of a new era.  To usher in this new era The Institute for Cultural Awareness is holding a sacred pilgrimage in Northern Arizona beginning Earth Day Weekend, April 18^th – 28, 2009. 

Indigenous Elders and Future Wisdom Keepers are coming from every corner of the world to share their wisdom and prophesies.  Will help us heal and follow in their ancestors footsteps as prophesied, creating new guide stone tablets of prophesy for the upcoming 500 years…the world has awaited a renewed life’s plan.

This gathering is fulfilling a great Mayan prophecy, When the Eagle once again flies with the Condor, a lasting peace will reign in the Americas and will spread throughout the world to unite humanity. 

To find out more visit ICA website. A Ho!

~Bonnee

‘Rare pink dolphin’ photo by Capt. Erik Rue

When I lived on Kauai I often would sit alone and watch the dolphins playing just off shore. One day while pondering a particularly difficult life situation a dolphin caught my attention. He jumped out of the water and spun in circles then dove out of sight. He repeated this again and again while making joyful noise. When we touched consciousness I was showered with Love and happiness and received the message ‘There is only Love, play dear one, nothing is of import which leaden the heart.”

A pink albino dolphin! What a glorious gift from Creator. Dolphins represent manna, breath, play and Oneness. Manna is energy… the essence of Creator which is present in all Creation. Breath is life, taking in and renewing Manna which sustains body; keeps it alive. Through the rhythm of breath we may begin to sense energy and intensify our connection to God. Oneness is our Divine connection with everything… ‘all that is’. Pink is the color of Universal Love, love of self and others, harmony and inner peace; and a developed heart chakra (Anahata). Our pink dolphin gives us indicators (a road map) to guide us as we expand spiritually. Indicators… link with Creator for answers, commune with nature, remember Love and Oneness, be mindful of bodily energies and breath and spread waves of laughter, joy and love into the world. Thank you for your glorious indicators beloved Creator. A pink dolphin… indeed!

Pink dolphin photograph taken by Captain Eric Rue on Calcasieu Lake in Louisiana. You can see more of Erik’s photos of the pink dolphin at Calcasieu Charter Service.

Kari Pugh, Mad Mariner daily boating magazine writes, “Albino dolphins are rare. Only three have been spotted in the Gulf of Mexico since 1994 and there have only been 14 sightings around the world since 1963. But albino dolphins that appear to be pink are unheard of, says Patricia Rosel, a  NOAA marine biologist who studies the genetic glitches found in bottlenose dolphins.” You can read the whole article at Mad Mariner.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

Mo Ghruagach Dhonn sung by Julie Fowlis

Lovely, clear and sweet, Julie’s voice is just beautiful. I enjoy listening to her sing this ancient Gaelic love song about a man’s search.

Julie says of the song,

“This is a North Uist love song which I heard for the first time in the house of Kate-Ann MacLellan in Hùna, North Uist (Scotland).”

Julie Fowlis, Song: Mo Ghruagach Dhonn , Album: Cuilidh  (2007), Label: SPIT & POLISH  Official website: www.juliefowlis.com

Mo Ghruagach Dhonn (My Brown-haired Lass) Gaelic lyrics in English:

Hi ho ro, my brown-haired lass,
whose beauty becomes more beguiling.
The deep love I have for you
has left me sorely wounded.

Your letter arrived on Tuesday
Telling of what was to be.
It told that your ship would arrive
in Glasgow without delay.
When I read this,
I immediately headed for the Broomielaw.
I saw the ship carrying the jewel,
the maiden, approach.

When I held out my hand
you turned  with a slight smile and
uttered a couple of words
which left me sleepless many nights

You have the loveliest hair,
neither black, nor red nor fair,
but the colour of the most beautiful gold,
yellow, braided and curled. 

I would write for you with a pen.
I would cultivate  for you with a plough.
I would captain a ship for you,
brown haired lass of the deceiving eyes.

You are skilled at working wool
and at writing on blank paper.
But if you have gone overseas, to Australia,
goodbye to you.

I will no longer be in despair.
I’ll grab a new one by the hand.
Solomon, the wisest man who lived,
had many sweethearts

Julie Fowlis born 1979 in North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides Scotland is a folk singer instrumentalist who sings primarily in Gaelic. She won the Horizon award at the 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and Folk Singer of The Year at the 2008 awards.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

by James Schwartz

Should Old Order schwartz,
Stake Ireland’s green,
A hunter by hue of kelley.
Their literary name,
By the media game,
Would be perceived as Shelley.

by James Schwartz

O Muse! I no longer mourn morning’s death.
The hour grows late, no reason for leaving.
The air growing thick with throat and breath.
In state of undress, foggier breathing.
Only one moon for so many poets.
Do I dare ask for more? You shut the door.
Stealing my senses and taking my coat.
Making up miles and days away we bore.
Moonlight white the night. Moonlight white the gloom.
Midnight vespers, jasmine, sodomy.
Poetry conceived as fruit in my womb.
My moonlit ghost you are a god to me.
Mists and mornings melt into our pale tomb.
The black of day glittering in your room.

Artful and practical at the same time: I like it a lot.

From Instructables.

Via Apartment Therapy.

Via Boing Boing.

~ Karl Jones

by James Schwartz

In winter’s night the Poet’s heart.

Recalls soul’s flight to depart.

To the March morn waiting for.

The Poet to pen the night before.

In every doorway lies a poem.

Yet only one direction driving home.

A collision of his str8 pubbing.

And my queer disco clubbing.

Lost and found lips perchance.

Intertwine to dance to trance.

Airwave by Rank 1.

The sound of our scape begun.

In doorways and lilac night charms.

Of harem and haven in his arms.

The perfection of men goes to show.

In the dark all poets glow.

In every doorway lies a poem.

In his wilds I build my poem.

Of muse and ink and literary labor.

And all our dreams we sink and savor.

‘Regresa a mi’ sung by Il Divo

A beautiful, sad, moving love song, passionately sung by Il Divo.  Longing for love lost. The line, ‘My life turns off without you by my side’ touches me. We often merge our lives so completely with another that when other is gone we turn off or shut down. Sometimes it takes years to come alive again… to become some semblance of what we were before the relationship… forever changed, altered. We may review… as a result grow and become more through love. Life is meant to be poignant… Love is always a Divine gift.

A dear friend once said to me, ‘I would rather be without love than to accept something ordinary.’  I believe, Love is never ordinary when it comes, treasure it in all its’ forms.  No one… nothing is ordinary, nor is anyone or anything special. Everything is sacred and Divine… everyone Perfect as they are… nothing better, nor worse.. just is. Accept what is given and be filled with joy… a choice. The dance of life and love is full of experiences and choices… a smorgasbord of sensations and feelings. Flow with life… appreciate, accept what is and be grateful for breath. We are given what we need in every moment… relationships, family, friends or sacred time to ourselves… discerning what enhances. Searching leads to more searching, an endless quest… a good game like every undertaking. Fun. Play well. What seems mystical to one is simply life unfolding for another. Everything is a blessing from God… life, love, body, home, family, friends, animals, food, nature, breath… everything! Thank you, thank you, thank you for Love, beloved Creator! 

Il Divo, Song: Regresa a Mi, Album: Il Divo – Il Divo (2004), Label: Sony BMG, Music video: 2006 Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Sony BMG Music UK (c) 2004 Simco Limited exclusively licensed to Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Limited. Official website: www.ildivo.com

Regresa a mi (Return to me) lyrics (Spanish) in English (translated by elmarto-ga):

Don’t leave me like this
Speaking only of you
Come and give the smile that went away back to me
One more time to touch your skin and deep to sigh
Let’s recover what has been lost
Return to me

Love me once again
Erase the grief I experienced when you left
when you parted from me
Tell me yes
I don’t want to cry
Return to me

I miss the love that went away
I miss the happiness as well
I want you to come to me and love me again
I can’t go on if you’re not here; you have to arrive
My life turns off without you by my side
Return to me, Return to me

Il Divo (Italian for ’star or or celebrity’) was created by music manager Simon Cowell. They are a multinational operatic pop vocal group. Members of Il Divo are singers: Carlos Marín (born October 13, 1968 in Rüsselsheim, Germany, raised in Madrid, Spain), Urs Bühler (born July 19, 1971 in Willisau, Lucerne, Switzerland), David Miller (born April 14, 1973 in San Diego, California but grew up in Littleton, Colorado), and Sébastien Izambard (born March 7, 1973 in Paris, France). They sing in English, Italian, Spanish, French and Latin. Il Divo was named the Most Multinational UK No.1 Album Group in the 2006 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

‘Three Little Birds’ sung by Connie Talbot

Sweet, fun and happy, makes me smile. I love the lines, ‘Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright.’ How true!  Worry stems from thinking about past/future, usually something which has not yet manifest. Worry is fear-based (FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real or Future Expectations Appearing Real). It’s not yet become reality, so is assumed or expected. With our powerful thoughts backed with by feelings we make what we dwell on real. So remembering, ‘Don’t worry cause everything’s gonna be alright’ helps us take a deep breath, step back from ‘whatever’ and know we are ok. Right now we are ok! Thanks for the happy reminder. I just found Connie today on youtube, what talent!

Connie Talbot, Song: Three Little Birds, Album: Over the rainbow (2008), Label: AAO Rainbow Recording  , Official website: www.connietalbot.com.  ‘Three Little Birds’ originally made popular by Bob Marley.

‘Three Little Birds’ lyrics:

Dont worry about a thing,
cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Singin: dont worry about a thing,
cause every little thing gonna be all right!

Rise up this mornin,
Smiled with the risin sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin, (this is my message to you-ou-ou:)

Singin: dont worry bout a thing,
cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Singin: dont worry (dont worry) bout a thing,
cause every little thing gonna be all right!

Rise up this mornin,
Smiled with the risin sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin, this is my message to you-ou-ou:

Singin: dont worry about a thing, worry about a thing, oh!
Every little thing gonna be all right. dont worry!
Singin: dont worry about a thing – I wont worry!
cause every little thing gonna be all right.

Connie Talbot born November 20, 2000 in Streetly, West Midlands, England is a child singer. She began singing at age 2 and rose to fame in 2007 after her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. She’s also in the newest Guinness Book of Records as the youngest artist to ever be in the UK Charts.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

by James Schwartz

(with Shakespearean Dedication)

TO THE ONLIE BEGETTER OF
“THE LESSON OF LOVE”
MR. S.K. ALL HAPPINESSE
AND THAT ETERNITIE
PROMISED BY
OUR EVER-LIVING POET
WISHETH
THE WELL- WISHING
ADVENTURER IN
SETTING
FORTH.

In my poeticly cooling brain.
An angelic aftermath of spring rain.
Showering, flowering tranquility.
Love’s truest grace in humility.

His morning smile an awakening.
His singular embrace.unbreaking.
A fire of rekindled length.
Unfurling in my new strength.

The feeling of two hearts sealing.
A tribal, mystic rite of healing.
Bruised limbs, congealing to stand.
By dual embrace of heart and hand.

Love untested lies invested.
Now ours is tried, untested.
Humanity’s humility harks to learn.
The lesson of love in life’s return.

by James Schwartz

In my library the fire is dim.
I yearn and long away from him.
To sing sonnets, fancy fiction.
Or philosophy in the kitchen.

To ponder poems, sing him songs.
Not lose myself in city throngs.
To sit and bask as though a cat.
Not catch my coat, hunt my hat.

And as I rhyme these new lines.
I re mine good times, old wines.
I recall his Old World spread.
As a lover I am well fed.

In my library fires absorb.
The room awash in iced white orb.
Awaiting French friction, denim diction.
Or philosophy in the kitchen.

Glorious Indicators… we move!

Beautiful green comet Lulin is currently located in the night sky between Saturn and Regulus and is moving backwards (never observed in a comet before). Photo taken by astrophotographer John Nassr in the Philippines.

Astrologically… Comets are usually seen as signs of things to come… predictors. On February 23, 2009 Lulin was at its’ closest position to earth, on the 24th it made it’s first naked eye appearance during New Moon (time for creation) in Pisces (seeing beyond material to other realms). Significance: Lulin is an awakener… moving backward suggests turning within. The timing suggests motivation to awaken, seeking answers beyond tactile senses. Inner creation, beyond material to other realms. As well on the 24th Lulin conjoins Saturn (time and material reality) which is in opposition to Uranus (technological innovation, energy and radical change). Significance: Lulin’s alignment suggests an awakening…. reexamining our beliefs about time and material reality and urging radical change. The green color of Lulin suggests healing in areas it impacts. Lulin helps us to collectively recognize our material and energetic impact on all that is… then heal, lessen or eliminate that impact. ‘The current green movement?’ As well it urges us to look at our beliefs and stretch beyond. Lulin was discovered because of a collaboration between Taiwanese and Chinese astronomers. So it carries the energy of working together. Perhaps it offers a solution to current world crises – heal our differences, turn within for answers and collaborate.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan