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January 2008
Feature Stories
Conscious Capitalism
Microfinancing the World’s Poor
Capitalism, the free exchange of goods and services, is the economic framework in which we Americans run our lives. We buy goods and services for our well-being and that of our families. In turn, we sell items and services (through self-employment or an hourly or salaried job) in the marketplace. We set aside money for our retirement, contribute to health insurance plans and invest in companies in the public trading arena that are in line with our financial needs and ethical standards. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the opening up of China and other Asian countries to global trade Continued...
The Peaceful Warrior
Interview with Dan Millman
Vision Magazine: You have just published a new book,
Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior (New World Library, 2006) and the movie
version of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior received rave reviews when
it came out last year. The book version of Peaceful Warrior continues
to be read by millions of people all over the world. Why do you think
this story continues to attract people almost thirty years after it was
originally published?
Dan Millman: The term peaceful warrior has a timeless quality that speaks to every human being. I believe that each of us is a “peaceful warrior” in training,
Astrology January 2008
Capricorn:
High Priestess (4 of Pentacles)
12/22-1/20: You may need to shift your perspective
a bit in the New Year, from relying on what you already know and have
to trusting your intuitive, receptive side. If you have been feeling
off-center lately, it could be that your focus has become consumed with
either the illusion of security or the morass of your worldly affairs.
Find a way to withdraw from the activities of everyday life and to realign
with your inner self. The New Moon offers a period of deep reflection.
Use this time to reconnect with your deepest fantasies. Do something
creative! Continued...
Visionary Artist
Ingrid Sundberg
Viewpoint
The Power of Small Actions
I'm sitting by my father's side, waiting for him to pass. I hold his
hand day and night, watching every breath, listening to every sound,
and feeling the remaining warmth of his body. He was well loved— and
there is no shortage of family and friends who come or call bearing
blessings and support these days. My greatest solace, however, is knowing
that Buddhist monks and nuns in the Himalayan mountains will be praying
for his peaceful transition. Continued...
Reviews
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365 Inspiration |
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Grandma's Brown Cookies |
Mind States
The Ancient Maya
The movie Apocalypto portrays the ancient Mayan as savage and violent
worshippers of gods that demanded human sacrifice and torture. According
to contemporary Mayan elders, this is a sadly distorted picture of
the essence of Mayan culture. In fact, one of the most well known and
respected independent researchers of the Mayan cosmology Continued...
Community and Clan
We have all seen those hand painted wooden Russian Matroyshka dolls—where the smallest figure is nested inside the hollow center of a slightly larger doll, which in turn fits inside the next largest and so on. Similarly, we as individuals nest within a family that naturally exists within a clan or clans of sorts. And the clan we nest within is in turn an element of a vast human society, existing in relationship to the larger community of all life on earth. Continued...
New Year New Potential
We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room-by-room, drawing
up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year,
to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not
looking for flaws, but for potential. —Ellen Goodman
Throughout history, people have kept track of time. From the Aztecs
to Caesar, history showed us various attempts to make sense of time. Continued...
Living Arts
Wire Basket Art from Africa
It began in the early 1990s in the South African coastal region of Kwadulu Natal. As the story goes, a night watchman was alone at work in an office building. He was there for the weekend with not much to do, so he began to look at the walls of the rooms that he was guarding. He noticed that colorful plastic wiring ran along them. Being a weaver himself, he let his imagination run wild. “I can make my imbengi [beer pot cover] with this,” he thought and immediately began ripping the long, colorful chords out of the walls. Continued...
A Filmmaker’s Story: Steven Scaffidi
It’s hard to discuss a Global Community without exploring the ways
in which this “Community” has been created in our modern consciousness.
The significance of film in forming the 21st century reality cannot
be ignored. Documentary filmmakers use this medium along with their
own ingenuity, skill and resourcefulness (often times in lieu of big
budgets) to present the issues of our times with creativity and passion.
A rising star in this genre is New Orleans-based filmmaker Steven Scaffidi,
owner of Ghost Rider Pictures. Scaffidi’s award-winning films Execution
and The People’s Story-Forgotten on the Bayou, are scheduled for release
to the public in 2008. Continued...
LifeQuake™
Ask the LifeQuake™ Doctor
Dr. Toni Galardi
Dear
Dr. Toni:
I have created a number of different innovative products, owned several businesses
and have been successful at all of them—that is, until I reach a certain point
of boredom and lose interest. Then I take my eye off the ball and start making
mistakes in my management decisions. This pattern has ultimately been very costly,
financially speaking. Truth be told, I would really like to be a writer but I
can make more money as a businessman than I can as an artist. What do you suggest
I do, Dr. Toni, to resolve my boredom issue?—Frustrated Artist Continued...
Human Rights
Shadowy Acronyms
The Dark Side of Free Trade Agreements
Instigating the outsourcing of jobs from the United States, promoting
public health threats, and increased immigration would be political
suicide for any politician or political entity. Yet almost every year,
Congress passes free trade agreements that create all of these problems
and more—and the public is letting them get away with it. Continued...
Holistic Products
Kava King Brings Kava To The Mainland
Kava. The name evokes images of the tropics and talkin’ story with
friends at the local ‘Kava Bar.’ On mainland U.S.A., people relate
mostly to Piper Methysticum (kava’s scientific name) in capsule or
tincture form. Many praise its positive effects on sleep problems,
stress, anxiety, even fibromyaligia. In Polynesia, however, kava has
been used for the last 3,000 years as a social beverage. With the aim
of promoting kava’s more social function, Kava King, a company that
distributes unique herbal products of the highest quality, introduced
its line of kava blends over ten years ago. Continued...
Holistic Health
The Five Seasons of Health
Each year, we witness the changes that occur in nature with the coming
of each season—even in relatively mild parts of the world like Southern
California. Our own bodies go through shifts and changes with the cycles
of the planet as well. The phases of chi (energy) that give birth to
the universe and its transformations form the five seasons with their
personalities, characteristics and influences in our lives. Continued...
Experience A Miracle:
The Miracle Mastery Conference
This year I will spend more time nurturing myself; I will exercise
more; I will start a new business. Each January, we write our New Year's
Resolutions on scraps of paper and tape them to our bathroom mirror.
We write about them in our journal and recite them as a mantra every
morning before breakfast. How long does it take, however, before the
commitment to our future goals and self-improvements begins to wane? Continued...
Change Your Life with One Simple Test
So many of us eat well, exercise and utilize herbs or other holistic modalities to maintain a healthy body and life. Now, in addition to a healthy lifestyle, there is a diagnostic test that is safe and could literally save your life. It is called thermography, which is high-resolution imaging using infrared light. Continued...
Greek to Me
Recipe For An Ailing Community
©2007 by Michael Raysses
They say that all great relationships are predicated on honesty. Or really sophisticated, well-executed deception. In any case, I am opting for candor. In that spirit, I have a confession to make: I’ve never traveled outside of the contiguous United States. That is, of course, unless I count my time spent on the island of Nantucket while participating in a historically accurate reenactment of the capture of Moby Dick. The bottom line is that I feel I have as much standing to write about global community as I do about time travel. Continued...
Hawaii
Big Island Bootcamp
The Big Island of Hawaii is known for its volcanoes, waterfalls,
dramatic surf and lush, tropical scenery. But what about the arts?
Actually, this largest of the Hawaiian Islands is home to numerous
artistic projects of all kinds, including film. One artist who is
contributing to the growth of art on the Big Island is author/editor/filmmaker/consultant
Cristina Salat. From deep within the lush rainforest near Volcano
National Park, Salat is training a new batch of independent filmmakers
on how to make movies using ingenuity, skill and their own inner
resources. Continued...
Earthwatch
EARTH
TALK:
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: I’m looking for a job and would like to find a position at a company that is either marketing a green product or service or that is seriously trying to improve its ecological “footprint.” Where do I look?—Beth, via e-mail Continued...
Culture
Celtic
Trails
Ancient Lineages and Ley Lines in Scotland
I am a tour operator by default, based in Scotland. My love of nature, indigenous cultures and landscapes led me in 1999 to set up Celtic Trails, which has gained a reputation for being more of a facilitating organization for people on a quest for ancient knowledge rather than merely a tourist enterprise. When I began my business, I was interested in Celtic matters—being as I am of completely West Coast Irish stock! I discovered there were many early sites in Scotland that held vestiges of the abodes of Celtic saints, and surprisingly few local people seemed aware of them. Continued..
Vision Cafe
Buddha for You and Thai Food Too
Ever wanted to buy a Buddha but didn't know where to look? Buddha-for-You in San Diego claims to have "the largest selection of Buddha in California." With a statement like that, how can a Buddha-lover resist? From the moment I walked into the Buddha-for-You store, I knew the claim had to be accurate. Continued...
Plays By Young Writers
Watch out Shakespeare— the newest and hottest playwrights in California are here! Join in the fun when the Playwrights Project presents the twenty-third season of Plays by Young Writers at the Lyceum Theatre, Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego from February 2 to February 10, 2008. The event highlights the best submissions to the Playwright Project's California Young Playwrights Contest. Continued...
The Angel's Depot
In San Diego County alone, there are over 50,000 senior citizens living below the poverty level. Many are malnourished and must choose between buying food or medicine each month. The Angel's Depot has provided humanitarian relief to over 267,000 elderly individuals in San Diego County since it was established by founder and director Susan Stames Hall in June, 2006. Continued...