Contemplation or Passing Thoughts

In periods of my life I catch myself wandering aimlessly through life. Simply going about my own business without much thought or consideration. When I come to that realization I usually feel a sense of guilt, or panic. How could I go through life without deep contemplation, analyzation, and consideration? Shouldn't I spend time exploring my thoughts and questions regarding life's big mysteries? Shouldn't I bog down my mind with doubt, isn't the world a complicated mess? As the crest of that wave finally peaks, I am once again faced with the beautifuly calm and simplistic expanse of life as it is. Nothing more, nothing less. Zazen...

Pain

People feel and experience pain differently. I broke my pinky toe once, just walking to get a drink of water and BAM! Broken. That hurt, a lot. I have a friend who fears he is losing his fiance'. Surely I know not what pain truly is.

Blue What Now?

U.N. declares Ecuador's Galapagos Islands in danger

POSTED: 2:51 p.m. EDT, June 26, 2007

Story Highlights

• UNESCO says tourism and immigration a threat to Ecuador's Galapagos Islands
• Islands home to unique animal species that inspired Darwin's ideas on evolution
• Ecuador's president declared the islands at risk in April

QUITO, Ecuador (Reuters) -- The United Nations on Tuesday declared Ecuador's Galapagos Islands in danger as booming tourism and immigration threaten giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies unique to the archipelago.

"They are threatened by invasive species, growing tourism and immigration," the UNESCO's world heritage committee meeting in New Zealand said a statement.

The volcanic islands, 625 miles (1,000 kilometers) west of Ecuador's coast, inspired British naturalist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Maria Espinosa said the committee's statement "will help the government's efforts to solve the complex problems of the Galapagos."

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa declared the islands at risk in April and has vowed to impose more rigorous population restrictions and temporarily suspend some tourism permits.

The islands' growing tourism has lured thousands of workers' from the poor mainland to work in construction, restaurants and cruise ships.

Some bring nonnative species such as goats who compete for food with centenarian tortoises.

"This is a good thing because it will highlight the islands' problems," said Linda Cayot, a science adviser with Galapagos Conservancy. "It will push not only Ecuador, but conservationist groups to support work there."

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Seeds of Peace

By NATASHA T. METZLER
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - At Georgetown University, Aaron Shneyer put together a Jewish-Arab band and falafel dinners to help students from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide find common ground. Now he's heading to Jerusalem where he'll use pop and hip-hop music to promote peace.

The 23-year-old guitar and bass player with one album under his belt is one of the first four recipients of a new Fulbright fellowship designed to recognize the potential for music to advance cross-cultural understanding. The fellowship was created by the State Department's bureau of educational and cultural affairs and mtvU, MTV's college network.

The other scholars include a Harvard University grad who will travel to South Africa to create a documentary film on marching bands comprised of underprivileged youth, and two students whose musical studies are tied to their different heritages _ Jamaican and Cambodian.

Shneyer, who grew up in Rockville, Md., has been working for years with Seeds of Peace, a group that fosters communication between youth from cultures that are in conflict. Most recently, he spent five months after his 2005 graduation working with Seeds of Peace in Jerusalem and will head to the organization's camp in Maine this summer.

For his fellowship project, Shneyer plans to select five Israeli and five Palestinian students in Jerusalem to compose and study music together and possibly perform.

"I believe that when it comes down to it, everyone wants the same thing," Shneyer said, adding that he thinks music can be a way to express this common desire for peace.

MtvU will help Shneyer and the other fellows communicate with American students by posting videos, blogs or podcasts online. Shneyer says he hopes it can educate his peers about a region that "all of the news we hear about is very negative."

Larnies Bowen, another recipient, hopes her project will "increase awareness that there are people of African descent in Latin America and that they are a thriving group."

Although Bowen, 22, is not a musician, she has sung in both gospel and classical choirs for years. A recent graduate of New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Bowen plans to research Panamanian contributions to reggae music as a path to understanding the dual identities of West Indians living in Spanish-speaking countries.

"I want to use music as a way of telling their stories that aren't being included in mainstream culture," Bowen said in a phone interview.

She also plans to create a compact disc or Web site with audio clips of Panamanian musicians narrating the history of their culture, which could be used in Panamanian schools.

Bowen, of Jamaican decent, said she grew up listening to reggae in Washington, where her father was involved in the musical community.

Similarly, Phally Chroy, a graduate film student at Temple University, received a fellowship to study music from his Cambodian heritage.

Chroy, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and later came to the United States with his family, said he grew up wondering, "Am I American or am I Cambodian?"

"One thing that really helped me a lot was the music. It helped me make a lot of sense about how my mom and dad act toward me and the community," the 25-year-old said in a phone interview from the airport before leaving for a pre-fellowship trip to Cambodia _ his first visit back to his native country.

Chroy plans to document the musical culture he said was nearly pushed out during the murderous reign of the Khmer Rouge.

"This music is part of a community of people who almost lost their identity," Chroy said.

James Collins, 23, also plans to document a musical movement by shooting a film about a South African organization, the Field Band Foundation, which teaches young people how to play and perform in a marching band. His goal is to teach percussion for half the day and spend the other portion filming the lessons.

His film will likely follow foundation bands around the country preparing to face each other in an annual competition, with a focus on four groups outside Johannesburg, Collins said.

He learned about the foundation during his tenure as president of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, in which he played percussion for four years. He wanted the orchestra to travel to South Africa, but was unable to raise the funds. Nevertheless, Collins stayed in touch with the foundation and planned to work with them after graduating from Harvard this spring.

"I just saw the way that we, the orchestra, used music to make people happy," Collins said in a phone interview from his family's apartment in New York City. "I wanted to be able to do that on an even larger scale."

Representatives from both the State Department and mtvU said they plan to continue the program.

The first four recipients will begin their fellowships in the fall. Applications for the next round are now open and will be accepted until Oct. 19.

___

On the Net:

Fulbright Fellowships: http://www.us.fulbrightonline.org

Everything is Everything?

My New Favorite Nat

By Mel Antonen, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - A few days after celebrating Thanksgiving, Dmitri Young faced death. A diabetic, he spent three days in intensive care at a Fort Lauderdale hospital with blood-sugar levels that could have caused a coma, organ damage or death.

"I really thought I was gone," Young says. "I was throwing up every 45 minutes. Before the ambulance came, I felt like I was in a wind tunnel. It was like I was free-falling, and everything was whizzing by me. Everything was flashing before me. My heart was racing. I was going in and out.

"But I'm still here, and my story's not done."

Young's story is full of dramatic twists. He started 2006 as the designated hitter for the Detroit Tigers and now is the Washington Nationals' first baseman with the third-highest average (.333) in the National League entering Monday.

In between, his career fell apart. Young says the diabetes caused mood swings and weight gain. He went through a divorce, a two-month absence to be treated for alcohol addiction, a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence and a career-low .250 average that led to his September release from the Tigers.

He couldn't watch the Tigers play in the World Series, even though a judge ordered that he stay in Detroit. While fans celebrated their first World Series appearance since 1984, Young went into hiding.

"The hard part was I was stuck in Detroit," Young says, "and I didn't get to see my kids."

The Tigers gave him an American League championship ring, but he gave it to his dad, Larry, an airline pilot, to store.

"He was hurt, so he couldn't play," Tigers shortstop Carlos Guillen says. "But everyone in baseball has problems. We have to learn how to separate them from the field. It's easy to say, not so easy to do. Experience helps, and we learn from our mistakes.

"I'm glad he's doing well."

The Nationals opened a three-game series against the visiting Tigers on Monday, and Young has vowed to show his former team he is a new man.

"They are going to see the player they let go," he says.

Staying focused is key

After leaving the hospital last winter, the 33-year-old thought his baseball career was finished. No teams were interested, so he planned to spend time watching his brother, Delmon, play for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and tour the country in an RV.

"I was going to start in California, go up the coast and watch my sister (Deann, who plays first base) play softball at Oregon State," he says. "Then I was going to Washington, cut across to Idaho and Montana and see the buffalo roam."

But in February the Nationals called with an opportunity. General manager Jim Bowden, who had Young as a player from 1998 to 2001 with the Cincinnati Reds, made no guarantees Young would make the club.

At spring training in Viera, Fla., Young worked out with the Nationals' minor leaguers and was buried on the depth chart behind first baseman Nick Johnson, who was expected to miss the first two months of the season with a broken leg. Travis Lee retired, prospect Larry Broadway didn't emerge, and Young was named the opening-day first baseman.

Since dropping to a season-low .225 batting average on May 5, Young is hitting .432 (48-for-111). He's hitting .380 with runners on base and tied Andre Dawson's club record with hits in eight consecutive plate appearances from May 31 to June 1.

"Can this guy hit or what?" Bowden says. "He hit at least .300 in every year he was with the Reds. He knows he made mistakes. I know his heart, his character, and he deserves a second chance."

Young says the best thing that happened to him was working out with the Nationals' minor leaguers during spring training because their work ethic inspired him. After practice, he answered their questions and spoke openly about his troubles. "There's no shame. They can learn," he says.

He told them to stay away from alcohol, and "Do whatever it takes to get to the big leagues. Keep your eye on the prize. You have to know how to handle yourself professionally."

Young says he didn't do that in 2005 as his troubles started mounting. He drank beer and vodka.

"My problems were stacking up, and I didn't know how to handle them," he says. "I thought the alcohol would alleviate the hurt, but it didn't. All it did was make you have a headache the next morning.

"I don't know how many drinks I would have. It depended on the night. It was always a lot, but there was no number. I didn't count. I would go home and drink after a game. I'd drink until I'd fall asleep."

Now a different man, player

Young says he wasn't meant to play baseball last season.

He says the problems taught him about himself.

He learned from the divorce to always put his kids first. He didn't get to see his three kids - Owen, 10, Damon, 8, and Layla, 5 - last season, and when he arrived in spring training he talked to them on the telephone but didn't invite them to camp.

"I didn't want them to see me in spring training because I wanted them to wait and see the finished product," Young says. "I wanted them to see me at my best."

Now they are. Young is the leading candidate to represent the Nationals at the All-Star Game on July 10 in San Francisco. After that, Young could be a nice addition for a contender looking to improve its offense before the July 31 trade deadline.

"We're always looking at the future of our club," Bowden says, "but we like Dmitri's work ethic, passion and what he teaches our young players."

Young doesn't worry. He's feeling good and has joint custody of his kids, so he sees them regularly. That's all he thought about in the hospital intensive-care unit.

"If that wasn't going to be a wake-up call, there would never be a wake-up call," Young says. "I changed, and not just half-way. I did a full turnaround. I'm not going to miss a second chance."

Romans 12

Romans 12 Read This Chapter

12:1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, ^F73 by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual ^F74 worship.

12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, ^F75 but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God�what is good and acceptable and perfect. ^F76

12:3

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

12:9

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

12:10

love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

12:11

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ^F77

12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers

Removing Love

This angers me beyond words.

Let's desensitize our youth as much as possible!
Give me a break...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/17/AR2007061701179_pf.html


Va. School's No-Contact Rule Is a Touchy Subject

By Maria Glod
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 18, 2007; B01

Fairfax County middle school student Hal Beaulieu hopped up from his lunch table one day a few months ago, sat next to his girlfriend and slipped his arm around her shoulder. That landed him a trip to the school office.

Among his crimes: hugging.

All touching -- not only fighting or inappropriate touching -- is against the rules at Kilmer Middle School in Vienna. Hand-holding, handshakes and high-fives? Banned. The rule has been conveyed to students this way: "NO PHYSICAL CONTACT!!!!!"

School officials say the rule helps keep crowded hallways and lunchrooms safe and orderly, and ensures that all students are comfortable. But Hal, 13, and his parents think the school's hands-off approach goes too far, and they are lobbying for a change.

"I think hugging is a good thing," said Hal, a seventh-grader, a few days before the end of the school year. "I put my arm around her. It was like for 15 seconds. I didn't think it would be a big deal."

A Fairfax schools spokesman said there is no countywide ban like the one at Kilmer, but many middle schools and some elementary schools have similar "keep your hands to yourself" rules. Officials in Arlington, Loudoun and Prince George's counties said schools in those systems prohibit inappropriate touching and disruptive behavior but don't forbid all contact.

Deborah Hernandez, Kilmer's principal, said the rule makes sense in a school that was built for 850 students but houses 1,100. She said that students should have their personal space protected and that many lack the maturity to understand what is acceptable or welcome.

"You get into shades of gray," Hernandez said. "The kids say, 'If he can high-five, then I can do this.' "

She has seen a poke escalate into a fight and a handshake that is a gang sign. Some students -- and these are friends -- play "bloody knuckles," which involves slamming their knuckles together as hard as they can. Counselors have heard from girls who are uncomfortable hugging boys but embarrassed to tell anyone. And in a culturally diverse school, officials say, families might have different views of what is appropriate.

It isn't as if hug police patrol the Kilmer hallways, Hernandez said. Usually an askance look from a teacher or a reminder to move along is enough to stop girls who are holding hands and giggling in a huddle or a boy who pats a buddy on the back. Students won't get busted if they high-five in class after answering a difficult math problem.

Typically, she said, only repeat offenders or those breaking other rules are reprimanded. "You have to have an absolute rule with students, and wiggle room and good judgment on behalf of the staff," Hernandez said.

Hal's parents, Donna and Henri, say that they think Kilmer is a good school and that their son is thriving there. He earns A's and B's and, before this incident, hadn't gotten in any trouble. Still, they say they encourage hugging at home and have taught him to shake hands when he meets someone. They agree that teenagers need to have clear limits but don't want their son to get the message that physical contact is bad.

"How do kids learn what's right and what's wrong?" Henri Beaulieu asked. "They are all smart kids, and they can draw lines. If they cross them, they can get in trouble. But I don't think it would happen too often." Beaulieu has written a letter to the county School Board asking it to review the rule.

Hal's troubles began one day in March when he got up from his assigned cafeteria table and went to a nearby table where his then-girlfriend was sitting. He admits he broke one rule -- getting up from his assigned table without permission -- and he accepts a reprimand for that. "The table thing, I'm guilty," he said.

A school security officer spotted the hug and sent Hal to the office, where he was cited for two infractions. He was warned that a third misstep could lead to in-school suspension or detention.

School officials said that the girl didn't complain and that they have no reason to believe the hug was unwelcome.

Hal said that he and his classmates understand when and how it is appropriate to hug or pat someone on the back in school and that most teenagers respect boundaries set by their peers. Today, his seventh-grade year ends as school lets out for the summer. Next fall, he hopes Kilmer officials reconsider the rule.

"I think you should be able to shake hands, high-five and maybe a quick hug," he said. "Making out goes too far."

Dung

A monk asked Ummon: `What is Buddha?' Ummon answered him: `Dried dung.'

-The Gateless Gate

Roots Reggae w/ Jazz Improv

Groundation is rare treat for any listener, but esspecially fans of deep roots reggae.
I highly reccomend "Hebron's Gate" for those looking for the jazziest of their releases.

The lead singer taught one of the only college courses focused on reggae out in California from 1999 to 2001. Very unique style and sound, merinate.

Check em out:

www.groundation.com

Letter Created Animals

You have to check out this great use of flash and typography...thanks Chuck

http://www.bemboszoo.com/Bembo.swf

Pancakes

If you haven't google image searched the word "pancakes", I think you should.

Sky Farm?

You can't make this stuff up man.

Toronto Sky Farm

From Treehugger.com

We previously showed Chris Jacobs' vertical farm design for New York and Pierre Sartoux's Living Tower from Vertical Farm; Now we present Gordon Graff's Sky Farm proposed for downtown Toronto's theatre district. It's got 58 floors, 2.7 million square feet of floor area and 8 million square feet of growing area. It can produce as much as a thousand acre farm, feeding 35 thousand people per year and providing tomatoes to throw at the latest dud at the Princess of Wales Theatre to the east, and olives for the Club District to the north. Thankfully it overwhelms the horrid jello-mold Holiday Inn to the west.

The First Post discusses skyscraper farming:

t's a tempting proposition - no more weather-related crop failures, diseases spread by livestock, or runoff polluting water sources. Not to mention locally-grown produce for the residents of central London, Manhattan and Tokyo, eliminating the environmental costs of transport (with fresher lettuces to boot).

Skyscraper farms can operate year-round with artificial lighting, so, on average, one indoor acre is the equivalent to between four and six outdoors, and companies are vying to reap the financial rewards that come from this increased efficiency

Looking Backward

Knowing the consequences of further actions one still moves forward inevitably bringing suffering to existence.

The Gateless Gate

To tread the sharp edge of a sword
To run on smooth-frozen ice,
One needs no footsteps to follow.
Walk over the cliffs with hands free.

The Gateless Gate

Sopranos Finale

*Spoiler Alert* Do not read if you are waiting to see the finale.

Interesting debate:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/12/tv.sopranos.ending.ap/index.html

Too Easy

June 11, 2007, 9:32PM

Woman named Butts charged with theft of toilet paper from Iowa courthouse

Associated Press

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — Police blame a woman named Butts for stealing toilet paper from a central Iowa courthouse, and while they're chuckling, the theft charge could put her in prison.

"She's facing potentially three years of incarceration for three rolls of toilet paper," Chief Lon Walker said, stifling a laugh as he talked to KCCI-TV about Suzanne Marie Butts. "See, I can't say it with a straight face."

Workers had noticed the rolls disappearing from the Marshall County Courthouse much faster than usual, Walker said.

Butts, 38, was caught last week after an employee saw her taking three rolls of two-ply tissue from a storage closet, Walker said.

Butts insisted it was the first time she'd pilfered toilet paper, but she declined to answer further questions on her attorney's advice.

The fifth-degree theft charge, a misdemeanor, normally carries a sentence of less than a year in jail. But Butts could face more time if convicted under the state's habitual offender law because she has prior theft convictions.

Walker did not know why Butts was at the courthouse, but said that she did not work there.

Empty Mirror Quote

Is a cloud a member of the sky?