The Wrex Files

Integral thinking in the White House?

2012-01-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

I would describe this statement by the President as "integrally informed." Through the definition of democracy, he respects the fact that the universal perspective transcends religious-centric thinking.

Antonio Damasio: The quest to understand consciousness

2012-01-08T22:41:00.001-08:00

Oh the places you'll go

2012-01-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

The Great Basin

2012-01-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

Tides come in, tides go out. Right Bill?

2012-01-06T17:43:00.001-08:00

From the ISE program

2012-01-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

by Alex Grey

Bye, K-Jo

2011-12-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

Zeitgeist 2011: Year In Review

2011-12-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

twitter and blogger: embed fellows

2011-12-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

Embedding this tweet, y'all.
— Kevin Reid (@kevwrex) December 16, 2011

Play it like this

2011-12-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

facegroove

2011-12-08T18:31:00.001-08:00

2011-12-02T21:23:00.001-08:00

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Yao Ming Face

2011-11-29T23:18:00.001-08:00

Retired NBA star Yao Ming has started his own Napa Valley wine company Yao Family Wines.

How did I feel when I heard this?

Well said

2011-11-28T20:42:00.001-08:00

I agree

2011-11-28T17:04:00.001-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity"

- Albert Einstein

What are the protests about?

2011-11-21T14:43:00.001-08:00

The Empathy Deficit

2011-11-20T19:40:00.001-08:00

by Georgia Logothetis

Article

...while it's easy to shake the hand of a supporter at a county fair and move on, it's not easy to shake off the narrative-changing protests that are still taking place across the country. Whatever the end result of the protests, they can and have caused members of Congress to perk up their ears and, at the very least, listen. Some members of Congress will give OWS protestors the same amount of attention Gingrich gave to the Greek workers during that luxury cruise. Others, however, will afford the movement and its growing voice a longer listen. Perhaps that sliver of sympathy is all we can expect out of this Congress. Perhaps that's the best of a bad situation -- until we get OWS to occupy seats in Congress and bring true representation to the 99%.

2011-11-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

President Yudof responds to campus protest issues

2011-11-20T16:11:00.001-08:00

University of California President Mark G. Yudof today (Nov. 20) announced the actions he is taking in response to recent campus protest issues:

I am appalled by images of University of California students being doused with pepper spray and jabbed with police batons on our campuses.

I intend to do everything in my power as president of this university to protect the rights of our students, faculty and staff to engage in non-violent protest.

Full letter

Are you in the 99%?

2011-11-20T01:09:00.001-08:00

by ptvan via

Occupy the skies

2011-11-19T11:25:00.001-08:00

Video of Occupy messages projected on the Verizon building in New York City yesterday:

2011-11-18T19:04:00.001-08:00

Content Curation

2011-11-14T17:30:00.001-08:00

This is a fancy term for the idea that you can use your Twitter account/blog to share content and thoughts that you find online which your audience may be interested in. If you have a strong sense of what you will Tweet/blog about and know that people care about it, you can get followers based on continuously publishing quality content about that subject. As the Internet becomes more and more crowded, people who curate and share great content will be more and more valuable.

Unreal

2011-11-13T17:54:00.001-08:00

Time lapse sequences of photographs taken with a special low-light 4K-camera by the crew of expedition 28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station from August to October, 2011.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space | Fly Over | Nasa, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

Tilt shift time lapse Burning Man 2011

2011-11-11T22:45:00.001-08:00

Here is an amazing film from Burning man.

Foster

2011-11-08T21:48:00.000-08:00

Whimsy for Wendys!

2011-11-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

I am very proud of Diane - she is now a published author! Buy the book here.

Bill Moyers is right on.

2011-11-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

Transcript from a speech delivered by Bill Moyers at the 40th anniversary celebration of Public Citizen, the legendary nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent consumer interests in government.

Americans have learned the hard way that when rich organizations and wealthy individuals shower Washington with millions in campaign contributions, they get what they want.

Let’s name this for what it is: Democratic deviancy defined further downward. Our politicians are little more than money launderers in the trafficking of power and policy – fewer than six degrees of separation from the spirit and tactics of Tony Soprano.Why New York’s Zuccotti Park is filled with people is no mystery. Reporters keep scratching their heads and asking: “Why are you here?” But it’s clear they are occupying Wall Street because Wall Street has occupied the country. And that’s why in public places across the country workaday Americans are standing up in solidarity.

Must read article

Occupy the Present

2011-11-05T22:23:00.001-07:00

Stem-cell pioneer takes aim at M.S.

2011-11-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Interesting

...if it’s successful, this treatment also could be amenable to treatment of multiple sclerosis, which is a brain auto-immune disease, where one’s own immune system attacks the brain, and causes scarring. We would use the same approach to reverse the scarring, remove the scarring. This is one of the greatest challenges in central nervous system regeneration research.

article

BG-12

2011-10-21T16:11:00.001-07:00

Biogen MS trial data robust; shares jump | Reuters

"BG-12 may be a valuable treatment option for MS patients, combining strong efficacy, a favorable safety profile and oral administration," said Dr. Ralf Gold, a trial investigator and professor at St. Josef-Hospital/Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany. "Preclinical research has shown that BG-12 has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects."

Stuff the ice chest

2011-10-18T20:33:00.001-07:00

New Method Isolates Best Brain Stem Cells to Treat MS

2011-10-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

Article summary

-- A precise method has been developed that prospectively isolates just the stem cells that can treat multiple sclerosis and childhood diseases caused by the brain's inability to make myelin.

--After analzying genes in different stem cell types, the scientists searched for and found the genes that were most likely to differentiate into stem cells that make myelin.

--The human stem cells were then successfully injected into the brains of mice with MS.--The new method brings the prospect of clinical trials that much closer, the scientists say.

article

Join the fun at Reid Family Vineyards

2011-10-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

Signing Party

2011-10-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

"Since the Macintosh team were artists, it was only appropriate that we sign our work. Steve came up with the awesome idea of having each team member's signature engraved on the hard tool that molded the plastic case, so our signatures would appear inside the case of every Mac that rolled off the production line."

article

You were saying?

2011-10-08T18:39:00.001-07:00

The Inaugural Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture with His Holiness the Dalai Lama this morning.

2011-10-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

A Google + hangout!

2011-10-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will have a conversation with Archbishop Desmond Tutu by live video over a Hangout (Google+'s video conferencing platform) as part of the Inaugural Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture in Cape Town, South Africa, on October 8, 2011, starting at 10:30am South African time (GMT+2.00). A link to the Google+ Hangout will be available approximately 20-30 minutes before the event begins.

We won't see this on FOX

2011-10-06T22:25:00.001-07:00

February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011

2011-10-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Image via CrunchBase“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life,” Jobs said. “Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the resultsof other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

-Steve Jobs

Gaming to save the world problems. Blissful Productivity.

2011-09-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

500 million gamers now. 1.5 Billion gamers in the next decade. Gamers always believe in the possibility of an epic win. Gamers are super-empowered, hopeful individuals. Use these skills to solve real world problems.

Couldn't resist

2011-09-26T09:52:00.001-07:00

Unbelievable Isolations

2011-09-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

Pumped Up Kicks - Dub

A live globe

2011-09-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Kiva has released a data visualization video showing what happens when 620,000 lenders fund 615,000 people in need around the planet. The video starts out slow, with just a couple data points, but quickly bursts into a hive of activity.

Intercontinental Ballistic Microfinance from Kiva on Vimeo.

There Is Nobody Who Got Rich On His Own

2011-09-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

When Elizabeth Warren speaks, we all should listen.

Dr. Dan Siegel at Wisdom 2.0 Youth

2011-09-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Wisdom 2.0 Youth Conference this weekend was just what I needed. It was great to visit the Computer History Museum in Mountain View .A conference centered around mindfulness and meditation is naturally going to include a lot of that.

The presenters had really good stuff to say. I enjoyed Dr. Dan Siegel whose mission is to "provide a scientifically grounded, integrated view of human development for mental health practitioners, educators, organizational leaders, parents, and others as we promote the growth of vibrant lives and healthy minds."

I was intrigued by his concept of the healthy mind platter. From his website

The Healthy Mind Platter has seven daily essential mental activities necessary for optimum mental health. These seven daily activities make up the full set of “mental nutrients” that your brain and relationships need to function at their best. By engaging every day in each of these servings, you promote integration in your life and enable your brain to coordinate and balance its activities. These essential mental activities strengthen your brain's internal connections and your connections with other people and the world around you.

His integral view resonated strongly with me.

Related articles

The Transcendence Artist Project

2011-09-19T16:47:00.001-07:00

Enjoy this photo slide show from "The Transcendence Artist Project" which took place in the spring of 2009 at The Gertrude Pearlman Theatre in Punta Banda Mexico. For more information, visit The Transcendence Theatre Company

The Revolution will be Twitterized

2011-09-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

Fascinating Forbes article:

Executives can’t hide from the outrage. In the Netherlands earlier this year a social media campaign against bankers’ bonuses focused on Amsterdam-based ING. People began threatening en masse to withdraw deposits. CEO Jan Hommen voluntarily waived his upcoming $1.8 million bonus and ordered all company directors to do the same. British Prime Minister David Cameron recently proposed shutting down social media during riots like those that brought chaos to the U.K. recently. But Google Chairman Eric Schmidt replied to that idea in an interview in the Guardian with advice that applies equally to CEOs: “It is a mistake to look into the mirror and try to break the mirror. Whatever the problem was [that caused the riots] the Internet is a reflection of that problem. If you have a problem, use the Internet to understand what the problem is.”

Must read article

On this day 10 years ago, Donald Rumsfeld admitted that the Pentagon could not account for $2.3 trillion in transactions.

2011-09-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

"According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions," Rumsfeld admitted.article

Louder

2011-09-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

Transcendence, California

2011-08-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Preface: I am furious about the budget cuts affecting California State Parks. The parks are part of our identity and a source of untold value. The closure of public land is absolutely unacceptable. John Muir, Henry David Thoreau and Teddy Roosevelt would not approve.

My good college friend Brian is performing with Transcendence Theater Company. They have a goal of relocating the company to Wine Country. The company is hoping to work with California State Parks to produce a theatrical season starting the summer of 2012.

The following is from their website. I would love to help fill the seats for them.

October 1, 2011, Jack London’s Beauty Ranch will come to life with the sounds of Broadway.

Broadway performers from such hit shows as 42nd Street, Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys, and Hairspray will present an evening of music and dance to benefit Jack London State Park.

Jack London State Historic Park, once home to and now a memorial for the famous writer and adventurer best remembered for his novel Call of the Wild, is one of 70 California state parks set to permanently close by July 2012 due to state budget cuts.

Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Valley of the Moon Natural History Association, a non-profit volunteer organization that supports Jack London, Sugarloaf Ridge, and Annadel State parks.

We invite you to enjoy the beauty of Jack London at dusk. Pre-show picnicking at The Beauty Ranch begins at 5pm. Bring your own dinner or pre-order delightful French cuisine from Chloe’s French Café by clicking here. Signature wines from local wineries as well as additional food and beverages will be available for purchase. The concert begins at 7:30pm in the spectacular Kohler & Frohling winery ruins where you will experience the magic of musical theatre under the stars.

In addition to supporting the park, this special evening will introduce The Transcendence Theatre Company. Transcendence Theatre Company is a group of artists with Broadway, National and International Tour, and film and television credits. The company is hoping that this one-night event will grow into a continuous way to support Jack London State Park. Transcendence Theatre Company plans to establish residency in Sonoma Valley to build a professional theatre company that specializes in producing Broadway musicals, concerts, and community outreach programs in an outdoor setting. They are hoping to work with California State Parks to produce a theatrical season starting in the summer of 2012.

Transcendence Theatre Company hopes to bring a new stream of continuous support and revenue to the park, and thus play a part in keeping Jack London State Park open and thriving during these shifting economic times.

You simply won’t want to miss this extraordinary evening.

Buy a ticket Have a great night, and help save California State Parks at the same time!

Related articles

Really, CNN?

2011-08-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Take a good look at where the "violence" is taking place:

I had to create this:

LXD: In the age of the Internet, dance evolves:

2011-08-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

HA

2011-08-13T09:33:00.001-07:00

Spirit Exploration in the Modern Age

2011-08-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

I am excited to attend three great expansive events in the coming year.

Wisdom 2.0 Youth
Sept 17 2011
Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California

Teachers, educators, parents, mindfulness teachers, and others discuss the need to balance the "inner technologies" of wisdom, awareness, and compassion with cell phones, computer games, and social networks.

While pushing away and renouncing all modern technology is seen as pointless and unnecessary, likewise does a life where family members spends the majority of each evening glued to their individual screens, and where kids cannot sit still and need constant external stimuli to keep them entertained.

The Wisdom 2.0 Youth Conference explores this balance and asks the question,

"How do adults embody the very qualities we want to pass along to the youth in our life?"

Integral Spiritual Experience 3 (ISE3)
Dec 28 - Jan 1
Pacific Grove, Ca

This extraordinary event is the largest Integral Spiritual practice event ever created. Featuring over 60 hours of live event content including keynote addresses, plenary sessions, morning & evening practice sessions, entertainment & live performances, large and small group activities and shared meals. ISE 3 curriculum and design is held within the integral spiritual framework – the most inclusive and robust evolutionary spiritual teaching humanity has ever produced.

Identify and examine major stages of evolutionary creativity as it manifests in individuals and in the larger integral community.
Examine how creativity arises when we begin to disengage from the mind, yet requires the skills that only a disciplined mind can cultivate.

Discover the many facets of personal and collective creativity, and look at the way creativity manifests in the evolution of consciousness itself.
Explore how creativity appears to a visual artist, a musician, a writer, or any other artistic pursuit.
Explore the nature of integral creativity and how ideas actually emerge from integral consciousness.

"Be my creative partner in the healing and transformation of the world. Evolve consciousness, and fix the broken places with Me – because I cannot do it without you. I need your service. My gift to you in love," whispers God in our ear even as She caresses our heart, "My gift to you is to make you my partner and allow Myself to be – at least in part – dependent on you!" - Marc Gafni

Wisdom 2.0 Conference
Feb 23 - 26 2012
Mountain View, Ca

The Wisdom 2.0 Conference is a one-of-a-kind event in Silicon Valley that brings together people from a variety of disciplines, including technology leaders, Zen teachers, neuroscientists, and academics, to explore how we can live with deeper meaning and wisdom in our technology-rich age.
The conference addresses the great challenge of our age: to not only live connected to one another through technology, but to do so in ways that are beneficial to our own well-being, effective in our work, and useful to the world.

Stem Cells YO!

2011-08-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Article

UK scientists getting ready to work on major international trials to investigate the safety and effectiveness of stem cells in slowing, stopping or reversing brain and spinal cord damage in people with multiple scleroris (MS) have received £1 million in funds from the MS Society and the UK Stem Cell Foundation (UKCSF).

Many scientists believe this unique international collaboration will significantly reduce the timescales for finding out if stem cells are safe and effective in treating MS.

Fault Lines

2011-08-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

Our Broken System

2011-08-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Sagan Series (parts 1 and 2)

2011-07-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

We are the United States of America, the greatest country on earth. We don't default.

2011-07-28T17:51:00.001-07:00

The Empathic Civilisation

2011-07-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

Smart Guy

2011-07-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

A human being is part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

-Albert Einstein

Roshi Joan Halifax at Newark Peace Education Summit

2011-07-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

Love and compassion are not luxuries, they are necessities for the human species to survive.

H.H. The Dalai Lama

Not Good

2011-07-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

"You've got the Speaker walking away from the White House -- astonishing in and of itself -- the next step is meltdown in the markets."

article

ISE

2011-07-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to "respond to the great invitation and obligation to discover our own unique creativity, in the service of all that is good, beautiful, and true."
at ISE 2011-2012

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Marty, Chris and my dad - for sponsoring my experience. Thank you!!!!!

Right on

2011-07-19T21:32:00.001-07:00

Nice form

2011-07-15T21:10:00.001-07:00

Harmony

2011-07-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Embracing the Way, you become embraced;
Breathing gently, you become newborn;
Clearing your mind, you become clear;
Nurturing your children, you become impartial;
Opening your heart, you become accepted;
Accepting the world, you embrace the Way.

Bearing and nurturing,
Creating but not owning,
Giving without demanding,
This is harmony.

tao te ching

Just peel

2011-07-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

— Alan Watts

The Grand Rapids LipDub (NEW WORLD RECORD)

2011-07-14T12:52:00.001-07:00

Cutie Patootie: The Fall of Western Civilization.

2011-07-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Diane at The Dew Drop Inn for finding this gem.

Here's why I love the internet. And question some mothers:

Here's the original performance:

You take 'em both and there you have

2011-07-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

Today

2011-07-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Le Flâneur (music by The XX)

2011-07-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

by Luke Shepard

Le Flâneur (music by The XX) from Luke Shepard on Vimeo.

Quadrant Development in The Social Digital Age: How's It Going?

2011-07-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

This article references the Integral Map Theory

I'll start with the questions because I have no answers:

How does our current landscape of social network technologies interact with the integral model?

Are the quadrants balanced? I don't think the theory claims that all four quadrants expand or progress at the exact same rate. Looking at the new incarnations of networks and new technologies, I think it would benefit everyone to examine the phenomenon that is social media - through an Integral lens.

Obviously , the physical capability to participate in the networks has grown tremendously, so the upper right is clearly expanding. This fact is evidenced by the smart phone you or your child is using. The physical hardware and processor speed enables the connections faster than ever. Also in the physical realm are communication satellites and digital cables webbing around the surface of the globe.

Social structures, or systems, can form and exist entirely in these interwebs. Relationships online are now very easy to create - usually around shared interests (which is a far more effective aggregator than traditional demographics will ever be, in my opinion) Now, humans are able to build relationships maintained by sharing mutual trust. This trust is displayed by propping up others (retweeting, klout+1, etc.) Respect can be gained by the way we treat other people's brands, personally or professionally. So clearly the expansion taking place in the lower right is tremendous.

I think we should pay close attention to what is, and has been, going on in the upper left. As I see it, our internal existence, our human spirit/conciousness, is actually rising to the challenge of keeping up with the expansion of the other quadrants. It may not be obvious, but I see it. Many minds are waking up to a sense of oneness, of interdependent "I-ams". Until only recently this was purely conceptual. And not very popular with Ronald Reagan. You would be considered a communist hippie for preaching about sharing one spirit and valuing togetherness. Interestingly, it turns out the hippies had the right idea. As huge new networks are able to connect and interact, our internal conciousnesses are able to expand rapidly as well. What does that look like? Good question. We are watching the human spirit make large evolutionary leaps. The Temple on the Playa is a perfect example of wide reaching spiritual expression.

What remains is the collective internal, the lower left. Our moral development. Our shouldn'ts and shoulds. How do we treat each other? How we treat members of our group. Do we hide behind anonymous commenting in order to hurt others with a different view? How are bad guys using the internet? Do we have a responsibility to crowd-source our morality in the digital age? Good question.

Does this still apply?

2011-07-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; It is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.

-Franklin Roosevelt

Jim Carrey Introduces Eckhart Tolle

2011-07-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

We are all influencers

2011-07-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

"We are our voices. We are our voices. That is who we are. That is the story of us.
Maybe it's less of a story - maybe it's more of a song."

Ivy Plus 2011 Thinks Big Presentations - Adam Miller, Stanford

So Considerate.

2011-07-01T18:42:00.001-07:00

Integral Life

2011-06-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

An integral life is total freedom to be who you already are.

A life where peace and passion come alive,

Providing a place for everything.

Better relationships with

friends

strangers

lovers

your career

your own blood cells

A life with more effectiveness and more purpose.

Less confusion and less fear

In order to be. And to become.

Integral Life

Where growth enthusiasts make sense of everything.

A history of the universe in sound with Honor Harger

2011-06-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Bodhisattva Vow

2011-06-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

May my consciousness and my behavior be of service to all beings in all worlds liberating all into the Suchness of this and every moment.

Absolutist Fallacy

2011-06-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

The following is an excerpt from Integral Life Practice

Attempting to balance the four quadrants is is the goal of integral living. Each quadrant exists without prejudice. If any of the four quadrants are favored exclusively, given favor over the other three quadrants, the result is an extremism.

Each quadrant manifests it's absolutist extremism differently:

The upper left quadrant (I-space/internal development) taken to it's extreme is Extreme Idealism. "Conciousness is THE reality."

The upper right (It-space, external) taken to it's extreme is Extreme Scientism.
"Matter is THE reality."

The lower left (We-space, internal) taken to i'ts extreme is Extereme Postmodernism.
"Culturally constructed meaning is THE reality."

The lower right (Its-space, external) taken to it's extreme is Extreme Systems
"The cosmic web of life is THE reality."

The goal is to tame all of the extremes so they can work together.

That cannot be had for money

2011-06-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

For money you can have everything it is said. No, that is not true. You can buy food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; soft beds, but not sleep; knowledge but not intelligence; glitter, but not comfort; fun, but not pleasure; acquaintances, but not friendship; servants, but not faithfulness; grey hair, but not honor; quiet days, but not peace. The shell of all things you can get for money. But not the kernel. That cannot be had for money.

Arne Garborg, 1851-1924
Norwegian Author and Journalist

Look

2011-06-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

Image by DanAllison via Flickr"Look. This is your world! You can't not look. There is no other world. This is your world; it is your feast. You inherited this; you inherited these eyeballs; you inherited this world of color. Look at the greatness of the whole thing. Look! Don't hesitate - look! Open your eyes. Don't blink, and look, look - look further."

-Chogyam Trungpa

60 seconds

2011-06-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

GO-Globe.com created an infographic showing what happens online in 60 seconds

via Design You Trust

Chris Wallace (Fox News Sunday) interviewing Jon Stewart is a must watch

2011-06-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

"How crazy is it when politicians are a joke and comedians are taken seriously?" - Will Rogers

Integral Content Curation

2011-06-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this post is NOT to tell you that Ken Wilber views the world with integral awareness.

Nor is it intended to discuss Wilber's notion that everything we know, on this planet, can be placed in one of four categories, or quadrants.

What it IS intended to do is describe the function of the Integral Content Curator. This unique curator locates and provides content from all four quadrants.

Integral content is information curated by humans who approach life from an integral perspective.

Integral content varies widely in scope. Themes come and go, memes appear and disappear, questions are asked and lessons are learned. Internal spiritual exploration is valued as highly as new tech gadgets. Our innate human morality is required to keep developmental pace with the exponential growth in new networks of connections in the smart phone age.

Integral content is not grouped by any one theme. This content is collected and shared for the purpose of recognizing and experiencing the balance required of the four quadrants in our daily lives.

Integral Content Examples
Individual Internal Existence (I)
Content examples:
Spiritual Development, Personal Blogs, Wisdom Traditions, Behaviorism, Yogic experiences

Individual External Existence (It)
Content examples:
Technology Advancements, Music, Cool Gadgets, New Software, Physical Products

Group Internal Existence (We)
Content examples:
Morality, Rules, Right and Wrong, Online Behavior Expectations, Politics, Education

Group External Existence (We)
Content examples:
Social networks, New Channels of Connection, New Ways of Connecting Humans, Building, Strengthening and Maintaining Relationships)

A Curator of Integrated Content recognizes and respects all four categories. Since our life arises in, and as, all four quadrants we can interact and engage integrated content with more balance and awareness.

Steve Jobs Presents to the Cupertino City Council 6/7/11

2011-06-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs addresses the Cupertino City Council requesting permission to build amazing new Apple Campus.

Fascinating

Big in Japan

2011-06-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Twitter announced today their alliance with Yahoo! Japan - rolling out integrated real-time results pages.

From the announcement on the Twitter Blog:

Twitter's mission is to instantly connect people everywhere to what's most meaningful to them. We believe that a partnership with a strong web platform such as Yahoo! Japan will help us fulfill this mission for the Twitter Japan community.

I think I am an Information Flâneur

2011-06-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

While reading through the N.Y. Times review of Eli Pariser's book The Filter Bubble, I came across and amazing term: information flâneur.

The review states:

"[Pariser] argues in a somewhat romantic vein, should not be content as mere passive recipients of tweets, pokes and bytes; they should aspire to become what some Internet scholars call “information flâneurs,” treading the unbeaten paths in cyberspace and defying the narrow categories stealthily assigned to them by Web services."

I dug a deeper it this concept and found this amazing study by the Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary. The Information Flaneur - A Fresh Look at Information Seeking [PDF]

I think I am an Information Flâneur. Are you?

If you have a Swiss bank account, now might be a good time to withdraw.

2011-06-10T22:53:00.001-07:00

(Reuters) -The United States and Switzerland are in advanced talks on a multibillion-dollar deal that would let several Swiss and European banks join a common settlement and avoid potential U.S. prosecution for helping wealthy Americans dodge taxes, senior persons briefed on the matter said.

New Death Cab For Cutie: Codes & Keys

2011-06-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Buy on Amazon

Amy Poehler's Hilarious and Insightful Commencement Speech to Harvard's Class of 2011

2011-05-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Native American Code Of Ethics - author unknown

2011-05-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often.
The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.
~
Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path.
Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem
from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.
~
Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others
to make your path for you. It is your road, and
yours alone. Others may walk it with you,
but no one can walk it for you.
~
Treat the guests in your home with much consideration.
Serve them the best food, give them the best
bed and treat them with respect and honor.
~
Do not take what is not yours whether from
a person, a community,the wilderness or from a
culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.
~
Respect all things that are placed upon
this earth – whether it be people or plant.
~
Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes and words.
Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them.
Allow each person the right to personal expression.
~
Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative
energy that you put out into the universe
will multiply when it returns to you.
~
All persons make mistakes.
And all mistakes can be forgiven.
~
Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind,
body and spirit. Practice optimism.
~
Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us.
They are part of your worldly family.
~
Children are the seeds of our future. Plant
love in their hearts and water them with
wisdom and life’s lessons. When they
are grown, give them space to grow.
~
Avoid hurting the hearts of others.
The poison of your pain will return to you.
~
Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the
test of one’s will within this universe.
~
Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual
self, Emotional self, and Physical self – all need
to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out
the body to strengthen the mind. Grow
rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.
~
Make conscious decisions as to who
you will be and how you will react. Be
responsible for your own actions.
~
Respect the privacy and personal space of
others. Do not touch the personal property of
others – especially sacred and religious
objects. This is forbidden.
~
Be true to yourself first. You cannot
nurture and help others if you cannot
nurture and help yourself first.
~
Respect others religious beliefs.
Do not force your belief on others.
~
Share your good fortune with others.
Participate in charity.

Egyptian and Tunisian Revolutions in Carl Sagan's "Earth the Pale Blue Dot"

2011-05-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

Spain leading on energy

2011-05-21T20:48:00.001-07:00

i carry your heart

2011-05-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

i carry your heart with me(i carry it
in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for your are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

—E. E. Cummings

Good Luck, Class of 2011

2011-05-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

Arianna Huffington

The road ahead is definitely rockier than the Class of 2011 imagined it would be. But while this may be the most debt-burdened graduating class in history, it's also the most tech-savvy, the most connected, and the most engaged.

This year's graduates need to embrace this, and build on it, looking for innovative ways to do well for themselves while doing good for others. And, while they're at it, they should use these attributes to help hold our leaders accountable, and keep them from turning away from the mess they've made -- with so many missed opportunities and perverted priorities.

Space Shuttle launch captured by airplane passenger

2011-05-17T22:40:00.000-07:00