"Freedom is a privilege, enjoy it." ~A. Najwa
Sunday, February 20, 2011
& it was GOOD
Transparency: The Rise of Walking and Biking
Source: GOOD infographics
It's summer, and you may be seeing more people out on the street walking and biking. But it's not just because the weather is nice. There are more people walking and biking year round, and the Department of Transportation is responding by dramatically increasing the amount of money spent on projects for pedestrians and cyclists. This is a look at the rise of foot-powered travel in America.
SOURCE: Department of Transportation
A collaboration between GOOD and Part & Parcel.
"It's good Earth stewardship, and good stewardship over our own public resource dollars." ~Peter Daniels
Be sure to check out this fantastic article = )
Be sure to check out this fantastic article = )
50 Ways to Use Less Oil
Feature Photo:
>Seattle Municipal Archives/ Photo above: “I love the smell of burning petrochemicals in the morning.”
Hmmm, weird caption. To read more & to learn tips about what you can do to use less oil you can find the rest of the article at: The Matador Network.
The Power of Dreams
"It takes a special individual to start out a dreamer, develop into a believer and end up an achiever." ~Qaadir
What is a Dream
that you're willing to work toward?
Finding Beauty in an Unexpected place...
This was definitely on my bucket list. I'm glad to see that it doesn't make me as weird as I thought...
Photo Essay: Exploring Sewers, Utility Tunnels, and Catacombs Around the World (Part 2)
11. Paris Catacombs
A self-portrait while exploring the ossuaries of the Paris Catacomb
12. Knickerbocker Sewer, NYC
One of the largest sewers in the world when it was built in the 1880s, this one runs underneath Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
13. Salle Egyptienne, Paris Catacombs
Perhaps the most beautiful of all the cataphile-decorated spaces in the underground complex.
14. Old Croton Aqueduct, NYC
New York’s first water supply tunnel, now unused except by the roots of many trees.
15. Tyburn River sewer, London
The Tyburn River was an important waterway from the beginning of London’s history, originally flowing into the Thames by Westminster Chapel.
Click here to see the top 10
Photo Essay: Exploring Sewers, Utility Tunnels, and Catacombs Around the World (Part 2)
Source: The Matador Network
11. Paris Catacombs
A self-portrait while exploring the ossuaries of the Paris Catacomb
12. Knickerbocker Sewer, NYC
One of the largest sewers in the world when it was built in the 1880s, this one runs underneath Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
13. Salle Egyptienne, Paris Catacombs
Perhaps the most beautiful of all the cataphile-decorated spaces in the underground complex.
14. Old Croton Aqueduct, NYC
New York’s first water supply tunnel, now unused except by the roots of many trees.
15. Tyburn River sewer, London
The Tyburn River was an important waterway from the beginning of London’s history, originally flowing into the Thames by Westminster Chapel.
16. Utility tunnels, St. Paul, MN An incredible labyrinth of tunnels extends underneath St. Paul.
17. Park River, Hartford, CT
The Park River is the largest urban underground river I’ve been in, and the only one I’ve been able to canoe through.
19. Sewer, Rome
Rome’s sewer system still includes sections of the old Cloaca Maxima from the days of ancient Rome, a sewer now more than 2,000 years old.
20. Tibbetts Brook, Bronx, NYC
The old Tibbetts Brook, now running underground in the Bronx.
The Park River is the largest urban underground river I’ve been in, and the only one I’ve been able to canoe through.
18. Roosevelt Island smallpox hospital, NYC
The view from the abandoned smallpox hospital on Roosevelt Island in New York.
The view from the abandoned smallpox hospital on Roosevelt Island in New York.
19. Sewer, Rome
Rome’s sewer system still includes sections of the old Cloaca Maxima from the days of ancient Rome, a sewer now more than 2,000 years old.
20. Tibbetts Brook, Bronx, NYC
The old Tibbetts Brook, now running underground in the Bronx.
Click here to see the top 10
Friday, February 18, 2011
Like an Angel Off the page...
"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
—Louisa May Alcott
Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose Wisely!
“Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the hell with sugar and spice.” -Bethany Hamilton
& FYI
“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher
Authenticity
"Isa" as performed by Berea College Afro Latin Percussion Ensemble
photo credit goes to Kim Nguyen
"Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks--we will also find our path of authentic service in the world." — Parker J. Palmer
Wee Wee Weeeeeehhhh; All the Way Home
"Change and growth take place when a person has risked themselves and dares to become involved in experimenting with their own life." - Herbert Otto
lOl. you've been warned = P *
Tis Better to Ask for Forgiveness than Permission
Timothy Leary said, “Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.” But how can women ever truly have it all? Is the idea of "having it all" a construct we use to compare ourselves that deprives us of our own happiness?
James Oppenheim said, "The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet." This has led me to question whether the way that women define happiness, love & other constructs override what we already intuitively know -- that our best choices come from the decisions we make. And that happiness, love & other constructs are inevitably a choice.
I tested this theory using nutritional cognitive behavior reconditioning (something I just made up) to try and eradicate myself of some of my gender & race based limiting beliefs ( or toxic behaviors). And I've found that transition difficult. So I've been reinforcing those choices with biochemical conditioning. I've found that rewarding healthy choices with biochemical boosters (e.g. tea mixed with safflower oil, granola with flax, or "magic cupcakes," etc.) has been much more effective than trying to motivate myself with any little tidbit that man has ever said, save this:
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." -Einstein
My experiments with nutritional cognitive behavior reconditioning are primarily based upon an experiment I read in Amit & Maggi Goswami's book Quantum Creativity: Waking Up to Our Creative Potential about dolphins and the use of reward theory to train these mammals to not only learn new tricks, but to also create incentives for these creatures to adapt new tricks using their own creativity to gain these rewards. It's a heady read, but definitely recommend for anyone looking to broaden their skills and creative outlets.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Choose to Love
I have way too much ♥ in my life to be a Valentine's Day grinch. So this Valentine's greeting goes out to all my wonderful friends out there, especially those who are single and loving it. (^_^") May you find love anywhere you look.
How are YOU contributing to an experience of LOVE in the world today?
How are YOU contributing to an experience of LOVE in the world today?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Evidently, Heaven tastes like this...
After spending the first few minutes of my morning sucking the crumbs out of the wrapper, it appears to me that I should have left them in the oven longer. They turned out to be a cross between red velvet cake and chocolate molten cake --or what I like to call "a little piece of heaven." I think they make movies about food like this.
Recipe:
1 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
1/3 cup of safflower oil
1 1/4 cup water
3 tbsp of milled flax seed
+ an additional 9tbsp of water
1 insulin shot
Frosting
1 container tofutti better than cream cheese
smart balance light (the vegan one)
confectioners sugar to taste
Preheat oven to 350. To prepare the egg substitute, combine the flax & 9 tbsp of water and let sit until flax soaks a bit of the water in. But don't worry if it all doesn't look like oatmeal; just go on ahead and follow the rest of the directions on the Duncan Hines box. Whip with a fork and then a flat spatula until you get a nice silky smooth consistency.
Whip tofutti & smart balance with a fork until light & fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar slowly until you get the amount of sweetness you desire. I went for an amount that was light but rich.
The topper was made from crushed ginger bread graham crackers that I had left over from Christmas.
I also do this thing where I apply a thin layer of frosting over the cupcakes and set them back in the oven just long enough for the frosting to sink into the cake. Then I go back over it with the rest of the frosting and add a garnish.
It gives the cupcakes less of that commercial quality but makes them appear to be more rustic. And the flavor of the butter cream icing saturates the cupcake more without overwhelming the dish.
These seem to be a great way to beat the winter blues. The safflower & flax act as serotonin boosters. They were such a hit this term that for a couple of days I was getting stalked by my friends for my "magic cupcake recipe." I'm considering featuring them in a bake sale to raise money for a summer study abroad trip.
“If you take the game of life seriously, if you take your nervous system seriously, if you take your sense organs seriously, if you take the energy process seriously, you must turn on, tune in, and drop out” ~Timothy Leary
For more information about serotonin in food, click here:
To fall is not to fail
I'm not afraid to fall
It means I climbed up high
To fall is not to fail
You fail when you don't try
I'm not afraid to fall
I might just learn to fly and
I will spread these wings of mine
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Mubarak Uprising
Frankly the videos from the following article are the most compelling coverage of of civil unrest I've seen in a while (and I've seen a lot of really touching stuff --it is black history month after all):
Egypt's Mubarak resigns as leader
11 February 2011 Last updated at 17:15 ETsource: BBC NewsVice-President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on state television
Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as president of Egypt, after weeks of protest in Cairo and other cities.
The news was greeted with a huge outburst of joy and celebration by thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square - the heart of the demonstrations.
Mr Mubarak ruled for 30 years, suppressing dissent and protest, and jailing opponents.
US President Barack Obama said that Egypt must now move to civilian and democratic rule.
This was not the end but the beginning and there were difficult days ahead, the US president added, but he was confident the people could find the answers.
"The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard," Mr Obama said. "Egypt will never be the same again."
"They have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day."
Continue reading the main story
Wise Words of Wisdom
"Don't waste love! If u don't have a guy to love, love a dog or something...." ~B. Nurieva
Kindness: Not just for killing anymore!
"Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom." ~ Theodore Isaac Rubin
Modern racial caste in America
Are US Prisons the New Jim Crow?
--and how does this link to the current anti immigration and anti terrorism movements in the United States?
lecturer Michelle Alexander
--and how does this link to the current anti immigration and anti terrorism movements in the United States?
Heck NO!!!
click here for a larger image (then simultaneously hold down ctrl+ until you can see the image)
reblogged from SEven Seagulls
Black Motivational Posters
this is probably the only way you could ever chain me to a cubicle and keep me sane...
brought to you by The Black Art Depot (my new favorite poster store)
A few of my other favorite works include:
Frederick Douglass
Harriet Tubman
Marcus Garvey
George Washington Carver
Malcom X
Martin Luther King Jr
Angela Davis
Assata Shakur
You Do?
“Custom made wedding bands with waveform of couple’s own voices. ”I do” Ring offers a unique opportunity to own a timeless representation of your partner’s voice. Any words can be recorded to make a ring.”
reblogged from Seven Seagulls
Road to Ocarina
I was looking for some good ocarina flute solos and stumbled across folk music from the Andes. I think I'm in love.
it began here:
which was awesome but i had difficulty on my journey. here are some of the other things i discovered along the way:
i didn't dig the vocals as much in this one, but i admittedly got sucked in by the percussion & the theatrics. --well actually the ocarina solo was also really badass.
This one was my favorite
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
1 bill down ....
image source: KFTC
image source: KFTC
Senate Bill 6 has drawn passionate debate. Tuesday, a rally in Frankfort drew hundreds of protesters who called the bill racist and costly. The bill would allow police to ask a person's illegal immigration status during a "lawful contact." An immigration lawyer says the bill would create five new criminal laws not seen at the federal level.
But immigration attorney Marilyn Daniel said, "Federal law does not make it a crime to be in the United States without legal status. It is not a crime. What this bill proposes would make it a crime in Kentucky...This is stepping way beyond what federal law does."
Hopkinsville's police chief also spoke Wednesday, saying training departments on how to determine immigration status would be costly. He also worries about jail overcrowding, racial profiling, and alienating witnesses.
excerpt taken from: Fox41.com
image source: KFTC
“I cannot begin to understand how our legislators thought that a bill as harsh as SB6 was the answer to whatever they perceived our immigration issues to be,” third year law student Sarah Mills said. “This bill will not solve any of our immigration problems. What it will do is cost the tax payers of Kentucky millions of dollars at a time when we absolutely cannot afford it.”
UK Kentuckians for the Commonwealth said in a statement that it “disdains legislation that would fund racial discrimination at the expense of the taxpayer.”
The bill has passed in the Senate and is currently before a House Committee.
One amendment to the bill does, “require an unauthorized alien to have been arrested prior to being turned over to federal authorities,” according to the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission.
image source: KFTC
“I think the worst part of the bill is section 8 which makes it a crime to ‘transport’ an undocumented person,” Mills said. “I believe that this section was put in to target their documented family members and charitable organizations. There are no exceptions for school bus drivers, ambulance drivers, church transport, lawyers, no one except police who are transporting them to jail.”
People from all across Kentucky are expected to attend “Stop SB6” Lobby and Rally Day in Frankfort.
excerpt taken from: Kentucky Kernel
Rumor has it from off the record sources that the powers that be don't want to lose "the help" so they were most adamant about keeping the bill from passing. turns out MONEY happens to be the most influential advocate. well in any case, the trouble's over in KY for now.
unfortunately, for other states it's going to take a little more effort to get the ball rolling.
exerpt from:ColorLines
Mississippi State Senate passed SB 2179, a measure that allows law enforcement officers to check a person’s immigration status during a traffic stop or while enforcing other laws. In doing so the state became the first legislature to make good on its talk of passing a law that mimics Arizona’s SB 1070.
image source: DreamActivist
After Arizona, why are 10 states considering immigration bills?
Given the anger sparked by Arizona's immigration bill nationwide – including protests and calls toboycott Arizona – the campaign promises of Colorado gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis could be seen as a bit of a surprise.
to read more of this article: click here
As a follow up Politico did an article about:
Gov. candidates in 20 states that endorse anti-immigration laws
click here if you'd like to read more...
"BUT EVEN MORE INSPIRING ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO FIGHT AGAINST THIS AMORAL & UNJUST LEGISLATION TO GIVE BACK HUMAN DIGNITY TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE CERTAINLY EARNED THOSE RIGHTS" ~phiG
Of course none of this would be possible without the heartfelt efforts of these guys...
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