Gaia: The Cosmic Connector

It's been too long...a great book review for you...

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:40:54 GMT

Sorry for the long time between posts. Here's a new one for you...

Happy holidays,
Jeff

Joanna Macy is at the forefront of a positive view regarding "change" when it comes to noting the extreme changes already in progress and set to accelerate even more. She holds a "spiritual" view that not so ironically comes from a background in both systems theory and Buddhism. While not an absolute belief, her perspective is a likely positive one she calls "The Great Turning".

July 2007

Dear People,

Every once in a while a book comes along that excites me so much no friend escapes hearing about it. I passed it immediately to Fran who took it on our mini-vacation in the Sierras last week. As passages were read aloud beside the Yuba River and talked about on mountain trails, I found myself digesting the book more thoroughly, like a cow taking her food through all four stomachs.

It's Paul Hawken's new book, Blessed Unrest--and it's about the Great Turning, though he doesn't use that term. He calls it "the movement with no name." Though this movement is global in its sweep and unprecedented in its scope, it's as invisible to politicians and mainstream media as the ground under our feet. Without any leader, guru, unifying platform or ideology, it arises locally in small discrete endeavors and astronomical numbers, "like blades of grass after a rain." It manifests through people, groups and networks acting "to save the entire sacred, cellular basis of existence--the entire planet and all its inconceivable diversity." Sound familiar?

As we discover in the Work That Reconnects, it takes a shift in perspective to bring new phenomena into view. For Hawken it was the dawning realization of the sheer quantity and variety of nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations arising in our time for the protection of life. Following a hunch, he started compiling lists, indices and databases, and soon estimated their number as well in excess of a million. Sprouting from the ground up without any apparent coordination, and interweaving to collaborate without any central authority, their concerns embrace the full range of environmental causes and social justice issues. "Social justice and attending to the planet proceed in parallel; the abuse of one entails the exploitation of the other… Our fate will depend on how we understand and treat what is left of the planet's lands, oceans, species diversity, and people."

And in learning to do that, our greatest present resource lies in the practical wisdom of those native cultures still managing to survive the assault of corporate globalization. "The quiet hub of the new movement--its heart and soul--is indigenous culture. Just as a wheel cannot turn without a stationary hub, the movement reaches back to the deep and still roots of our collective history for its axle. For indigenous people, the relationship one has to the earth is the constant and true gauge that determines the integrity of one's culture, the meaning of one's existence, and the peacefulness of one's heart." Some five thousand of their distinct cultures are still seeking to protect their homelands, which constitute one fifth of our planet's land surfaces. Their contribution to humanity's survival is not their lifestyle so much as their experiential knowledge diligently gleaned from generations of interaction with the natural world.

We are fully capable of learning from these primal traditions thanks to teachers that have graced our own, more recent history. Hawken gives me fresh appreciation for the brilliance and relevance of Emerson, for example, in helping us re-find our place in nature; and his chapters on contemporary science do the same with engaging clarity. Here, as he interweaves recent discoveries in biology and immunology with global activism in defense of life, I find the book's greatest and most startling gift.

After describing the extraordinary intricacy and effectiveness of our body's capacity to protect itself, he says this: "The immune system is the most complex system in the body… The movement, for its part, is the most complex coalition of human organizations the world has ever seen."

"The hundreds of thousands of organizations that make up the movement are social antibodies attaching themselves to pathologies of power. Many will fail, for at present it is often a highly imperfect, and sometimes clumsy movement. It can flail, overreach, and founder; it has much to learn about how to work together, but it is what the earth is producing to protect itself." (my underlining)

"Five hundred years of ecological mayhem and social tyranny is a relatively short time for humanity to have learned to understand its self-created patterns of systematic pillage. What has changed recently is the use of connectivity. Individuals are associating, hooking up, and identifying with one another… They are forming units, inventing again and again pieces of a larger organism, enjoining associations and volunteers and committees and groups, and assembling these into a mosaic of activity as if they were solving a jigsaw puzzle without ever having seen the picture on the box."

"But immune systems do fail; this movement most certainly could fail as well. What can help preserve it is the gift of self-perception, the gift of seeing who we truly are… What it takes to arrest our descent into chaos is one person after another remembering who and where we really are."

Cheers and blessings to you all in the Great Turning,

Joanna Macy

“In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy.” – Jean Paul Getty

Extraordinary New Biofeedback Software Produces Striking Imagery

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:21:34 GMT

http://brainpaint.com/

Green Investment Opportunities

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:05:48 GMT

I will occassionally suggest some interesting green investment ideas for those on this pod who are interested.

I believe some of the best investment opportunities exisit within the Socially Responsible, Green and LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) sectors. Here are a few worth checking out...

You know of the Galapagos. Perhaps you've even visited. Here's a unique opportunity to invest in the third cruise ship of a successful tour operator taking visitors to this crown jewel of green destinations.
http://www.garyascott.com/2007/08/27/

NADVF (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=nadvf.ob)
Natrally Advanced Technologies is a sustainable fabric/clothing company with an interesting possible kicker-they are researching and developing a new process (Crayler) that will convert hemp, a notoriously course fabric into one as soft or softer than cotton. This would be a disruptive breakthrough since cotton is one of the highest users of pesticides in the world.
The stock has moved from $.45 to $1.15 and backed off to $.72 where it appears to be rebasing so might be a good spot to make an initial purchase. You can also order their bamboo t-shirts which I find to be some of the softest t's I've ever worn.

GAIA (http://www.gaiam.com/) (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=gaia)
In case you don't know, Gaiam recently purchased Zaadz. They are the premier LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) brand, having coined the term. The do over $200m/yr and Steve Case (AOL) has invested $20m in the company. They sell nattural lifestyle producs and are the largest distributor of yoga videos in the world. The stock just made new highs Friday and today and my sense is it belongs in green portfolios. Apparently fund managers agree since 93% of their stock is held by institutions. The stock is currently selling around $21 and appears poised to continue making new highs. My sense is it could double over the next couple years as they add additional natural lifestyle brands to their portfolio through acquisitions.

LULU (http://lululemon.com) (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=lulu)
Lululemon is an amazing story. Started in Canada by a sports clothing entrepreneur, this chain of 50+ yoga stores carrying their proprietary brand utilizing wicking fabric has become Wall Street's new hot stock. Originally priced at $12 and raised to $18 due to demand, the stock opened at 26 and went to 39. Currently selling at $33 and valued at over $2 billion, it appears this one appears to be on the fast growth track for the next few years. It's come off its highs and might be a good one to buy on dips.

Green Schools and National Geographic's Green Newsletter

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 15:26:54 GMT

Schools should be non-toxic, clean and beautiful...Now some are...

http://www.goodmagazine.com/section/Features/education_by_design

and even National Geographic is getting into the act...

http://www.thegreenguide.com/

Vilcabamba II

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Sun, 20 May 2007 17:34:58 GMT

Vilcabamba Glimpse #36

Home In The Middle Of Shangri-La

By Jeff Hutner

A home is a sacred vessel for the soul, a safe place to return to, a sanctuary from the assault of the world. Finding one’s true home is like finding one’s true calling. Sometimes one knows very early who he or she is and for others the search may have no ending.

For many years, I searched for a place I could call home. My travels took me to Australia, Bali, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and finally Ecuador.

In 2005, I moved to San Miguel de Allende, a lovely Colonial city of 80,000 with 8,000 Americans, Canadians, and Europeans, cobblestone streets and more cultural events per capita than many larger cities.

I rented an apartment with a view of the mountains from two balconies, met some wonderful people, wrote articles for the English paper and attended art films at the library. Almost every night, one could hear great music, attend art openings or enjoy a dance company from Russia or India. I stayed three months before I realized that it was too late in the development cycle. Home prices, while still reasonable compared to the US, were rising rapidly as more and more people discovered SMA, named one of the best places to live in the world. The exhaust fumes from diesel buses, trucks, and an increasing numbers of cars compromised the city’s air.

I returned to the valley of Ojai, California, I had departed from, which is one of the most livable towns in the US. Orange and avocado groves, the oldest classical musical festival in the US, lots of writers, artists, actors, filmmakers, producers and people looking for a small town without the pretentiousness of Santa Barbara or the busyness and density of Los Angeles, but accessible to both when desired. I have some great friends there including Ingrid Boulting, an actress, artist and yoga teacher with whom I produced many wonderful music events; Zubin and Shahastra Levy, two of the most creative people I have ever known on whose non-profit board I happily serve and for whom I have consulted on several of their new businesses; and my wonderful landlords, Julian and Susan Lange, acupuncturist and OMD respectively.

I am writing this letter from Vilcabamba, Ecuador, a “Valley of Longevity”, that has one of, if not, the highest concentrations of residents over 100 in the world. In June of 2005, my good friend Joe Simonetta visited Vilcabamba at my suggestion. Joe had been searching for a place he could call home outside the US and had researched many Central and South American countries. In one of our conversations, he mentioned he was looking at Ecuador. I had recently heard from an acquaintance who had moved to Vilcabamba and was attempting to put a group of 12 friends together to purchase a 600+ acre ranch that had come on the market. A developer from Quito wanted to build 400 homes on the property that would have ruined the character of the beautiful valley and the owner of the property was looking for another buyer.

Joe decided to visit the ranch. He did and two days later made an offer which was accepted and subsequently purchased the ranch. Joe began to plan a community. One month later, he sold his home in Sarasota, Florida and returned to Vilcabamba. I visited Joe in October 2005 and toured the property which at that time was almost completely overgrown with lots of dead trees, brush, broken bottles, dusty and gutted roads, and an abandoned sugarcane mill filled with bats flying around the ceiling. I left wishing Joe the best and wondering what it was going to take to make a project of this size and complexity happen. Knowing Joe is a special kind of man with degrees in Business, Architecture and Divinity, I trusted he knew exactly what he was doing and had the experience, vision, creativity and passion to make it work. He did, and within a month had found a US partner to help turn his dream into reality. And most importantly agreed to leave about 60% of the land intact for horse and hiking trails.

I returned to Vilcabamba and Joe’s ranch, Hacienda San Joaquin, a few days ago to discover one of the most amazing transformations I have ever witnessed. What I found was a gate house and beautiful entrance with yellow flowers growing up its walls; a crew of sixty men that had been as high as one-hundred, each of whom Joe knew by name; almost three miles of new paved roads with light poles every 50 yards; three water reservoirs fed by state-of-the art pump houses; beautiful roadside stone walls, exquisite mountain and river quintas (country estates) with white fencing or natural tree lines as boundaries, and lots from less than an acre to twenty acres. Of the fifty-six lots being offered, three quintas and ten lots have been sold or reserved to date and several people will be breaking ground for their residences within the next month with the first home ready to move in by December.

In addition, there is an equestrian and hiking center with two stables, forty beautiful stalls, and a riding ring; miles of mountain riding and walking trails being created; two volleyball courts complete with a shaded spectator gallery and umpire chairs; an organic ranch store and café; an organic garden filled with papayas, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli and corn; three fish (tilapia) ponds; Joe’s nine horses and ten others owned by a friend, all grazing on the property along with Jenny, a filly Joe took in when its mother abandoned her (Jenny subsequently required surgery for a hernia and is now galloping and jumping for joy in one of the paddocks!). Joe’s two loving dogs Rose and Emily; his cats San and Joaquin; a home being used as a visitors center and guest house both with exquisite custom made furniture by Vilcabamba craftsmen; and many more details too numerous to mention.

Joe gave me a tour of his magnificent creation the day following my arrival and along the way showed me several lots that I liked. A little later, he took me to lot 12A, one of the last available spectacular mountain and valley view lots in the development. It was love at first sight. I absolutely knew then and there that I had to purchase that property, move to Vilcabamba as soon as possible, rent a place, and design and build a home with Joe as architect. The great news is that building costs in this Shangri-La are about $35 per square foot for high quality construction as Joe’s home interior, exterior, and custom-built furniture demonstrate. After many years of searching, I finally found the place where I wanted to live. I can’t imagine living in any better place on earth.

"When you surrender to what is, and so become fully present, the past ceases to have any power. The realm of Being, which had been obscured by the mind, then opens up." - - Eckhart Tolle

I have noticed since being at the ranch that I spend more time being fully present. Nothing else exists here except serenity and beauty...all else can be left behind and life begins to be lived from a place of immense freedom from the past and from any expectations about the future. It reminds me of one of my favorite book titles, Freedom From the Known by Krishnamurti. Perhaps it is the immersion in so much nature at one time and the lack of electronic pollution, television, radio, cars, and planes. The silence is stunning. In its embrace, I am whole and home again. In this place, it is possible to discover and celebrate the unity of my existence with that of the infinite creation of which I am a part. From this place of unity, personal expressions can flow effortlessly. I look forward to re-launching New Paradigm Digest, an online journal (that I write) from here.

Others who have come to Hacienda San Joaquin, felt the magic and purchased or reserved lots include Don Henderson and Sylvia Dandurand from Brooksville, Florida; Jim Davidson from Denver, Colorado; Robert and Leslie Pelland from Toronto, Canada; Wally Meili, also from Canada; Johnny and E-Anne Baker from Salisbury, England; Stella Natarova from Baltimore, MD; Stephen Amsden & Susan Teague, Woodland Hills, CA; Virginia Street from Sahuarita, AZ; Christine Putnam and Susan Pritchard from Santa Fe, NM; and Victor Hugo and Olga Marina Cueva from Loja, Ecuador. Every day, more are coming.

Hacienda San Joaquin was featured on May 14, 2007 in International Living, a monthly newsletter with a subscriber base of 400,000. Lee Harrison who wrote the article and owns a home in Vilcabamba wrote “…this is the best run project I’ve seen—and I’ve seen dozens throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s well planned, well executed, well managed and imaginative. It’s well backed and the infrastructure is 95% complete so is not dependent on sales.”

Joe and his business partner, Carl Wescott, recently began Phase Two of Hacienda San Joaquin. This phase includes a world-class mountainside hotel with breathtaking views and an exquisite riverside health spa, together named Sunrise at Hacienda San Joaquin. The hotel is planned to feature small guest cottages and larger homes that will be sold and managed for owners.

Vilcabamba is about an hour’s drive from Catamayo, which is a fifty-minute flight from Quito, which is an under four-hour direct flight from Miami. Vilcabamba is a thirty-five minute drive from Loja, a town of 140,000 with two universities and is known as the music capital of Ecuador.

To have finally found the place I can call home is the most wonderful gift of my life. I feel totally at peace here and look forward to sharing my discovery with my closest friends and family. It’s not Vilcabamba by itself, mind you, as wonderful as it is, but the intoxicating combination of a world-class community with a year round temperature range of 60-80 degrees, the sheer majesty of the Andes, the sound of the Vilcabamba River, the butterflies and flowers, an ever changing symphony of clouds and sunlight, and the silence of this peaceful valley that has captured my heart and soul.

Leaving will be hard but knowing I will return soon to live in this paradise is a blessing. I took some video while I was here and will be sharing that with friends in Ojai, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles. I am hopeful that I can be the Pied Piper to bring some more wonderful people to be part of one of the most beautiful and affordable developments in the middle of the real Shangri-La.

Jeff Hutner

jefhut@gmail.com

________________________

While Jeff was at the ranch, he videoed Don Henderson, who owns property L9A at Hacienda San Joaquin. Don talks about the ranch. The less than two-minute video can be viewed at http://youtube.com/watch?v=lcnZvJ2iGEA

Please note that all former Glimpses can be viewed at http://www.vilcabambahomes.com/glimpses/intro.html

Best, Joe J

www.VilcabambaHomes.com

Jeff Hutner, L12A.jpg
137K View Download

Vilcabamba

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Sun, 20 May 2007 16:28:09 GMT

I have just returned from a life altering trip to Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Well, to be more exact from Hacienda San Joaquin in Vilcabamba. I have found Heaven on Earth, have reserved a lot and am planning on moving to a otel while I pay off my lot and build the first structure, a 600 foot guest house. Down the road, I'll add a main house and perhaps an infinity pool.

My lot has a 180 degree view of the ranch's valley and the Andes. The weather is about as ideal as anywhere on the planet-60 to 80 degrees year round and the growing season is the same. The water is reputed to be some of the best in the world--perhaps the reason that as a percentage of people over 100 years of age Vilcabmba ranks first in the world.

Joe Simonetta, the developer is hardly your typical real estate developer. He has degrees in divinity, business and architecture and is the author of great books including The Heroes Are Us, Seven Words That Can Change the World and his most recent and timely, Religion: An Obstacle to Human Progress which I just finished and highly recommend. (http://www.lulu.com/content/229990)

International Living, a publication with 400,000 subscribers looking for retirement or second home opportunities, last week wrote up Hacienda San Joaquin and called it the best conceived and managed development in Ecuador and beyond. I agree. You can check out the ranch at www.vilcabamaqhomes.com and I will shortly post a video I took of my property and one other, Joe's guest house and a tour of the property. I will post a link once that's posted to Google Video. I will also post the International Living piece and a Glimpse that should be released today of my impressions of HSJ.

Who knows perhaps you or someone you know might want to join me in this true paradise.
If you would like more info, please feel free to write Joe and let him know I suggested you write. joe@vilcanet.net

More soon...

Mystery of Souls-Great New Group and Transportive Music

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:55:23 GMT

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1112871010488269685

I taped the CD Relase Party in low light but the quality of the music comes through.... This is beautiful ethereal music that takes you away...enjoy...

visit their site to hear all the tracks...

http://mysteryofsouls.com/

2007 DESIGN SCIENCE LAB-Submit your great world changing ideas!!!

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 01:27:51 GMT

ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT TO APPLY FOR THE 2007 DESIGN SCIENCE LAB

Do you have an idea, a plan, an invention that you think could change the world...or do you want to work with others to develop one?

The application deadline for the 2007 Design Science Lab is May 1st. If you want to be a part of this year's team act quickly - we have only 13 spots left!

The DSL is a rigorous, hands-on training in the problem solving methodology called Design Science pioneered by Buckminster Fuller and other visionaries. Participants engage in a whole systems and anticipatory approach to develop strategies to solve global and local problems within the frame of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The 2007 DSL will again be facilitated by Medard Gabel of BigPictureSmallWorld.

To get a sense of what the program is like, please watch our short movie below:

To learn more about the program or to start an application please visit: www.designsciencelab.org.

David Spangler on The Law of Attraction

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:20:06 GMT

Beyond Attraction by David Spangler

The law of attraction is a powerful force in manifestation and life-shaping. But what exactly is it? What is the law of attraction? We could sum it up by saying that "like attracts like," but we know from experience that "opposites attract" as well. If I hold a particular thought or image in my mind, will it actually attract the physical manifestation of that thought or image to me? Maybe. Certainly we have experiences in which this is so. But we also have experiences where this does not work. And if we think about it, this is a good thing, for we may well not want to attract everything that passes through our thoughts and imaginations.

A friend of mine once said that worrying was praying for what you didn't want. If the law of attraction is as powerful as it is sometimes made out to be, then indeed I should worry about my worry thoughts, for they will likely bring to me what I'm worrying about! But a little reflection shows that this doesn't happen. In fact, I know several people who are classic worriers, but they never actually manifest or experience the things about which they are concerned or which give them fear. On the other hand, there are those whose worries really do come to pass, just as the law of attraction would suggest.

This same thing happens in a more positive vein. Sometimes, we do attract exactly what we have been imagining, visualizing, or thinking about (and when that happens, we may discover it wasn't what we really wanted!). But at other times, all the positive visualizing, imagining, thinking and feeling doesn't have any effect at all.
A principle cannot be a law if it works sometimes and doesn't work at other times.

We could say that the reason for this mixed record of success and failure is that we are not using the law rightly or adequately. If I fail to attract something, the fault must lie with me, not with the law of attraction. This may be true; it's certainly worth examining. But ultimately this becomes a disempowering approach. We can waste energy blaming ourselves or blaming life for what happens and never come to a clearer, deeper understanding of why or how to make things better.

I think of the "law" of attraction as part of a broader principle which might be called the "law" of coherency. This law may be stated in this way: life tends towards coherency. It configures to what is.

So, I may wish to attract something, but it is not coherent with other aspects of my life or with my life as a whole.

In the case of my friend who was a worrier, he worried with his mind but he was very loving with his heart. He lived a generous, compassionate, loving life, always gracious to others, always supportive and giving. What he manifested in his life—what he attracted, if you will—was coherent with that larger dimension of generosity and love rather than with his worrisome thoughts.
Another reason the "law" of attraction doesn't always work—or works in a way we don't understand—is that we often have too constricted a view of ourselves. Using the law of attraction, we picture ourselves as little magnets drawing stuff to us. But we are more complex beings than that. We are deeply woven through relationships and interconnections and interdependencies in a fabric of life. The pattern of my relationships is as much a "body" for me as my physical form is; it certainly is an energetic field through which I engage with the world. How I craft my relationships, both with those close to me and casually with people I meet, through my behavior, my energy, and my thoughts and feelings affect the "shape" I present to life. My mental energy may seek to attract a certain result, but usually it is my overall energetic "shape" that will determine how life configures to me and what will manifest.

Likewise, the "law" of attraction can be seen from too personal a perspective, that is, in terms of what we attract. But there is a corollary to this principle, which could be called the "law of the attracted." This arises because we are not always the ones doing the attracting. Sometimes we are, or are a part of what is being attracted.

For example, I was in a bookstore once and had a strong impulse to buy a particular book, not at all an unusual occurrence for me! But in this instance, I already owned the book. Why would I want to get a second copy? But I obeyed my intuition, bought the book and put it in my car. I then went off to a group gathering I was scheduled to attend. There I met a woman who told me she'd been trying to manifest a book but just couldn't find it. As it turned out, it was the very book I had just purchased for the second time. I had been an instrument in her manifestation, but had I not heeded my intuition, I could have broken the chain of her attraction. In effect, I was attracted into that chain, becoming a link in her successful manifestation.

If we think about it, we are all links in many chains of manifestation and attraction. That is what life is about. If I focus only on my own needs and wants, I can diminish my participation in this great community of life. If I am concerned only with attracting, I end up presenting a very small shape around which life can configure.

The law of attraction taken by itself can become a very transactional, very linear relationship with life. It lacks the participatory breadth and depth of a more holistic view, one that thinks in terms of coherency and wholeness more than attraction and getting. It is true, we attract what we are, but what we are is more than just the power of attraction.

The Shift is Coming (final corrected)

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 19:33:46 GMT

Yes, its time for The Shift of the Ages and its coming to a theater near you later this year. I
had the privilege of meeting and more recently working with Steve Copeland, Producer/Director Les Carney, Co-Producer and Line Producer; and Melodie Miller, Producer and meeting the great group that shot and is editing this very special film.

What the Bleep explored the frontier of science and sprituality and how thoughts can affect reality The Secret, continued on the power of thought and was featured on Oprah so brought that not so secret idea to a much larger audience.

The Shift of the Ages is a far more profound film that is a wake up call from a 13th generation Mayan Elder to humanity to stop the ecocide and move into our natural state of connecting to all of life. With much of humanity living in fear and poverty, it is time for us to start giving rather than taking, cooperate rather than compete and live in unity rather than separation.

When we embody the oneness underlying the illusion of separation that is perpetuated by those in power for their gain at the expense of the many, we may live to see a blossoming of the human spirit and a release of creativity unlike anything we have witnessed in our lifetimes.

Don Alejandro comes with a message of hope rather than the end of the world. Yes it is an ending but it is also a beginning. The beginning of love replacing fear and of a concern for the interconnected web of life.

A newsletter will soon be available at the Shift website (http://shiftoftheages.com). Do yourself a favor and sign up for it within 30 days. That way, you can keep posted on the latest developments and know when it will be opening.

If Zaadzters are serious about changing the world and I know they are, , this film was made for us. Go and check out the trailer and know that this is a film with the potential to truly change lives and the world.

Right now you'll have to take my word for it but later on this year you'll discover for yourself if I am right in my evaluation.

If you know of anyone that might be interested in providing financial support to this wonderful project, please go to the site and be in touch with Les Carney.

I will update you here on any major developments. A tour of Mayan Elders is planned and again the community will have an opportunity to help bring them here...more on that soon...and look for a pod to be up soon by Steve Copeland that will provide insight into the mind, heart and soul of a young filmmaker who wants to make a difference with his life and film.

I am delighted to connect the Zaadz community.

The Last Mimzy

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 02:22:22 GMT

THE LAST MIMZY The last Mimzy is the most recent film by screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost) that tells the story of two children and their encounter with a magic box they discover in the ocean at a rental home on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. As the contents of the box, highly sophisticated bio-electric inventions of a dedicated scientist from another time disguised as toys and rocks become part of the children’s lives, the children begin transforming. Their parents are at once fascinated and deeply disturbed by these changes. Mimzy, one of the toys is disguised as a rabbit, the same rabbit that was part of Alice Through the Looking Glass one-hundred years earlier and is the vehicle through which the sister learns deeper truths programmed by the scientist. The brother also receives knowledge of higher forms, wins a science fair with an extraordinary invention and intuitively draws mandalas which play a central role in his growth process as portals into another time and space dimension. There is an intelligence and wisdom in these children rarely seen in film. They are the teachers of their parents, the other adults in the film including the local Director of Homeland Security in Seattle and of course the audience. Mimzy is part of a new genre of film that has emerged over the past few years some call spiritual or transformational film. Recent small budget movies like What the Bleep, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, The Celestine Prophesy come to mind. And large budget film like What Dreams May Come is one example from Hollywood. Each was a good effort in its own way and delivered audiences that mainstream studios and distributors were not aware of at the time. Being attuned to trends albeit a bit late, Hollywood is now more actively exploring the genre and Fox for example has recently released its first film from its newest brand, Fox Faith. No doubt, there are many films in development that will explore and expand the category and inevitably produce its first blockbuster that touches alternative and mainstream audiences alike. One possibility is Shift of the Ages (shiftingages.com), a documentary by Lake Elsinore, California based producer-director Steve Copeland that will provide audiences the rare opportunity to visit with a 13th generation Mayan Shaman sharing his deep wisdom and visions with humanity. Shift will be released this summer. It seems things are getting better and better and worse and worse, faster and faster and that ours is a time when anything is possible and nothing is certain. Therefore, stories that inspire and empower rather than targeting our fears are more needed now than ever. New ways of seeing and understanding the world are desperately needed to help humanity shift from its addictive and unconscious slide into ecocide and help celebrate a new elevated collective consciousness steeped in wisdom that transforms, heals and restores our planet and ultimately has the potential to create heaven on earth. The Last Mimzy is a beautiful filmic gift for our time. It’s message is one of hope and empowerment in a time of disillusionment in many children and adults. It would be a wonderful thing if it develops great word of mouth and is seen by many families - for in sharing the experience and message of this film, both children and parents can come away having learned several useful principles and opened the doors of possibility that may instantly or one day translate into real world benefits. When films are able to entertain and catalyze discussion, exploration of ideas and positive change in the real world, their deepest purpose has been served. It was screenwriter Eleanor Perry who once said that “film is such a miraculous medium, it should be on the side of the angels.” With The last Mimzy, her wish has been realized.

Sustainable Hemp Farming in California...

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:47:04 GMT

71% of Californians Support Changing State Law to Allow Hemp Farming; Hearings on New California Hemp Bill AB 684 Scheduled for March 27 SACRAMENTO, CA (March 19, 2007) – Vote Hemp, the nation's leading grassroots organization working to give farmers the right to grow non-psychoactive industrial hemp to be made into everything from food to clothing, paper, body care, bio-fuel and even auto parts, has released a new poll of 801 likely California voters about industrial hemp. The telephone poll has a 3.5% margin of error and sampled likely California voters from February 22-26. The survey was conducted by the respected research firm Zogby International on behalf of Vote Hemp and five manufacturers of hemp food products, including ALPSNACK, French Meadow Bakery, Living Harvest, Nature's Path Organic Foods and Nutiva. The poll results, released today for the first time, confirm there is strong support for reform on the issue of industrial hemp. A total of 71% support changing state law to allow farmers to grow hemp, including 46% who strongly support and another 25% who somewhat support changing state law so California farmers can supply manufacturers with hemp seed, oil and fiber. Presently, U.S. companies must import their hemp raw materials from other countries. Over the past several years, the California legislature has passed various resolutions and bills to permit farmers to grow industrial hemp. AB 684, the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act, is authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine) and will be heard in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, March 27. If passed and signed into law, AB 684 would regulate commercial industrial hemp farming in California. Today more than 30 industrialized nations grow industrial hemp, many of them exporting it to the U.S. Hemp is the only crop that is illegal to grow here while being legal to import. Sales of hemp food and body care products have grown rapidly in recent years, fueling an expansion of hemp farming in Canada where farmers grew more than 48,000 acres in 2006. Poll questions and results regarding industrial hemp farming policy and consumer attitudes on hemp products and nutrition can be viewed online here. There is evidence of strong support among both men and women and both self-identified liberal and conservative voters on this issue. Among California Republicans, 60% support changing state law on hemp, compared to 74% of state Democrats. Support was also high among all age groups, ranging from 54% of 18- to 29-year-olds to 82% of 30- to 49- year-olds, 74% of 50- to 64-year-olds and 60% of those over 65 years old. Assemblyman Mark Leno, who introduced AB 684 in February, said that "the Zogby poll underscores that California voters of all political persuasions support changing the senseless policy of importing industrial hemp while prohibiting our own farmers from growing it." About Vote Hemp Vote Hemp is a non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp. Industrial hemp is non-psychoactive, low-THC varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant. Web site: http://www.votehemp.com

Love-making Gets Green Light

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 07:49:05 GMT

MISTY HARRIS - CanWest News Service (Canada)

You just can't make this stuff up.

You've heard of green cars, green tourism and green weddings. Now Canadians should ready themselves for green sex.

For those who like to make love to the soundtrack of the global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth, Greenpeace has released a list of strategies for "getting it on for the good of the planet," suggesting "you can be a bomb in bed without nuking the planet." TreeHugger, an online magazine edited by Ontario's Michael Graham Richard, has just published a guide on "how to green your sex life." The famed adult store Good Vibrations announced last week they would no longer sell sex toys containing phthalates, controversial chemical plasticizers believed by some to be hazardous to humans and the environment alike.

And throughout Canada and the U.S., people who want to pleasure the planet can now buy everything from bamboo bed sheets to organic lubricant and "eco-undies."

"Green living is getting sexy," says Jacob Gordon, author of TreeHugger.com's recent green guide for the bedroom.

"Even a year ago, people wouldn't have been nearly as receptive to this kind of thing. ... But, as the importance of living green gains traction in our culture, people are willing to take things like that a lot more seriously."

Most environmentalists will agree the mainstream success of the Al Gore vehicle An Inconvenient Truth has helped give climate change the pop-culture sheen it's currently enjoying. Indeed, global warming is a cause to which everyone from Diesel apparel to Vanity Fair magazine and Starbucks are pinning their marketing efforts.

And if shopping to save the planet is trendy, having sex to clear your conscience is at the cutting edge.

"It feels like people are just waking up to the fact the planet is suffering under our uses of it," says Rebecca Denk, business manager for the adult toy store Babeland. The U.S. company, which sells to Canadians via Babeland.com, just introduced an "Eco-Sexy Kit" featuring a phthalate-free vibrator, soy massage candle, a natural lubricant with no animal-testing or derivatives, and condoms.

"We have to look at every piece of our lives, including our sexuality, and ask: How is this healthy for me, and how is this healthy for the planet?" says Denk. "Hopefully, we're all becoming better global citizens."

Other ways of "greenwashing" the bedroom, as outlined by TreeHugger and Greenpeace, include turning out the lights, not buying PVC or vinyl accoutrements, ensuring S&M paddles are made from sustainably harvested timber, using organic massage oils, showering together, using bamboo bed sheets (they come from a rapidly renewable resource and are said to be "super sexy"), and wearing lingerie made with renewable fibres such as hemp (Enamore), bamboo (Butta) and other organic goodness (GreenKnickers, Buenostyle, Peau Ethique).

Gordon notes there's even an eco-friendly adult website dedicated to naked vegetarians, appropriately called Veg Porn.

Camille Labchuk, speaking on behalf of the Green Party of Canada, gives the movement two green thumbs-up.

"The general concern for trying to live lightly on our planet has transferred into all areas of people's lives," says Labchuk, the Green party's press secretary. "So, even though what goes on in our bedrooms as a nation is somewhat hidden, we know that's somewhere people want to green-up."

Drugmaker With a Heart...

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:47:24 GMT

French Drugmaker Launches Cheap Malaria Pill for Africa

Financial Times (U.K.)

French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis has launched a new cheap and easy-to-take combination pill to fight malaria that could help reduce deaths from the killer disease in Africa, it said on Thursday.

Sanofi is working with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative - a group backed by charity Medecins Sans Frontieres - and will sell the drug at no profit for less than $1 for adults and 50 cents for children under five years old.

The two-in-one pill is designed primarily for Africa, where a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds, but an amended form is also in the works for Latin America, South East Asia and India, where there are different types of malaria.

The new medicine is a fixed-dose artemisinin-based combination, or ACT, that is more convenient and less expensive than currently available drugs - and is seen as far more effective than older chloroquine treatments to which resistance is now common.

Malaria, caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes, kills at least a million people every year and makes 300 million seriously ill. Ninety percent of deaths are in Africa south of the Sahara, mostly among young children.

Sanofi's product - which combines artesunate, a derivative of artemisinin, with the older antimalarial amodiaquine - will be manufactured at a Sanofi factory in Casablanca, Morocco.

NO PATENT

In an unusual move for a drugmaker, Sanofi has decided not to patent the medicine, leaving the door open for generic companies to copy it and produce their own cheap versions.

Bernard Pecoul, executive director of the non-profit DNDi group, said the strategy would maximise access.

"This product will be available on a large scale for two reasons -- first, because Sanofi-Aventis will use their considerable distribution in Africa and, second, because they have accepted non-exclusivity, which means we will have multiple sources of production very soon," he said.

The inappropriate use of old drugs like chloroquine has contributed to the current high death rate from malaria, prompting the World Health Organisation to call for use of ACTs that can fight multi-drug-resistant strains of malaria.

Artesunate-Amodiaquine Winthrop, as the new drug is called, has already been registered in 10 African countries, in addition to Morocco, and 10 million treatment courses are expected to be sold this year, Mr Pecoul added.

It will be available next month in Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mauritania, Guinea and Gabon, with other countries following.

The no-profit preferential price will apply to sales to public organisations, international institutions, non-governmental organisations and programmes promoting access to drugs in pharmacies in countries where malaria is endemic.

The medicines will also be sold at higher prices in private markets.

Switzerland's Novartis AG already markets an ACT drug called Coartem, but malaria experts say there is a need for additional medications to fight the disease in poor countries.

Bill Drayton at Google-The Epitome of Social Entrepreneuring...

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 04:18:17 GMT

You may have already seen the following presentation by Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka, one of the most successful social entrepreneuring funding organizations in the world. They have funded 1700+ individuals around the world. The story is one of the most inspiring I have ever seen. One local success is leveraged globally. Brilliant, elegant and high impact. For Zaadzters who want to change the world, this is food for the soul. And naturally enough its posted at Zaadz.

http://team.zaadz.com/blog

Scroll down to Social Entrepreneurs:Architects of Social Enterprise and click on Google Video.
Enjoy!

Empowering Child Philanthropists

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:18:58 GMT

Once a year, consider giving your children $100 they have to give away. Knowing it's a lot of money, they will be careful how they use it. Make it their job to find out who in the community is doing things that they feel good about, and then decide who will get the money, and why.
Once they decide, have them tell you the story and write a check to the person or organization and have them gift it to the recipient. If they have a checking account, they can write the check themselves.

Giving away money, even if it is only ten or twenty dollars, is a tremendous way for children to learn about the positive work people are doing right in their own neighborhoods. It helps them get out of their comfort zones, ask around, talk to people they wouldn’t normally talk to, and ask questions about what the problems are and what people are doing to make them better. Everyone wins. Kids learn about the community, about the power of giving, and people in the community, who are often volunteering their own time and money, feel that their efforts are seen and honored in some way.

This exercise may be repeated as often as possible. It cannot possibly fail. You do not need to wait for holidays, and you don’t need children. You can do it yourself, on any day you like.

The Da Versity Code Launches Eco Diversity Awareness Campaign

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 01:52:30 GMT

My friend Marshall Lefferts was part of a team that today launched an online awareness campaign for The Da Versity Code. Created in association with the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, the campaign highlights the importance of bio-diversity to the well being of ourselves and our planet, and the threats to various key ecosystems caused by human impacts. Here's the link: http://www.daversitycode.com Marshall recently released a wonderful new cd of world music with great medlodies and rhythms...check it out at http://www.mysteryofsouls.com

FDA Approves Laser Device That Regrows Hair!! Seriously...

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:58:19 GMT

Amazing new device has 90% user approval, 12 week money back guarentee...check it out at http://www.lasercomb.net

Big Picture TV Offers Takling Heads Talking Sense

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:06:03 GMT

Here's an excellent site that has more conscious and sustainable content than I've seen in a long time. Perfect info for Zaadzsters. Enjoy!

http://www.bigpicture.tv

Optimistic Video of Climate Change Looking Back from the Future..

http://newparadigmdigest.gaia.com — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:50:03 GMT

Feeling a bit upset about the climate? Here's a viewpoint we don't usually see and some actions you can take to help make it a reality...BE THE CHANGE....

http://www.climatecounts.org