1963?

The weekend was a busy time for Hate in Washington D.C.

This from McClatchy Newspapers:

"Demonstrators outside the U.S. Capitol, angry over the proposed healthcare bill, shouted 'nigger' Saturday at U.S. Representative John Lewis, a Georgia congressman and civil rights icon who was nearly beaten to death during an Alabama march in the 60's.

"The protestors shouted obscenities at other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, lawmakers said.

"They were shouting, sort of harassing,' Lewis said. 'But, it's okay, I've faced this before. It reminded me of the 60s. It was a lot of downright hate and anger and people were downright mean.'"

In other words, the weekend was not a banner day for civil discourse.

Most people will just tsk-tsk the name-calling and let it go. But the weekend's news presents a classic teachable moment. It's not 1963; it's 2010 and we should demand more of ourselves and our fellow citizens.

Let your kids know what happened over the weekend. Let them know what it looks like when adults behave badly. While there's no excuse for the uncivil behavior the nation witnessed, maybe some intelligent teaching can keep it from happening again.

falling whistles

Check out the story behind Falling Whistles.

Help bring light and awareness to the atrocities occurring in The Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Help start a conversation...

boys are forced onto the front lines before they are big enough to carry a gun.

Their only job is to blow their whistle and face death.

fouryears.go

We are at the beginning of a great adventure...

Check out FourYears.go, watch their amazing video.

A campaign to change the course of history. Really!

In four years we can create a future to match our deepest longing and greatest dreams.

Redirect humanity's current path. Go from self-destruction to sustainability.

Do it now. Don't wait. Get it done by 2014

Portfolios of the Poor

How do the world's poor live on $2 a day?

The authors of Portfolios of the Poor spent a year living in some of the world's most humbling slums to bring you the answer.

Check out the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation article on the book.

Charles Moore

Photojournalist, Charles Moore, died last week at the age of 79.

Moore braved physical peril to capture the images that helped gain national support for the civil rights movement.

The photo above was taken by Moore in Birmingham in 1963. As civil rights demonstrators lie on the sidewalk to protect themselves, firemen hose them down with high pressure jets of water (100 lbs of pressure per square inch). One disgusted fireman said later, "We're suppose to fight fires, not people."

Powerful Days: The Civil Rights Photography of Charles Moore

Yoga for Inspiration

Tara Stiles describes a quick routine for inspiration.

Maybe someday I'll master the backbend!

:)

Best Documentary

The Cove, a covert film about the capture and slaughter of dolphins in a rural Japanese village, won the Oscar for Best Documentary.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, The Cove will be turned into an ongoing series for Animal Planet. The series is tentatively titled Dolphin Warriors.

Hopefully, all this exposure will end the brutal dolphin trade.

Text 'Dolphin' to 44144 for more information.

Thank You and ...

I am a fan of Seth Godin and his Blog, Seth's Blog.

I just finished his new book, Linchpin, and am inspired to "be an artist" in everything I do.

Here is a wonderful excerpt from his book:

Thank You and...

If you appreciate a gift, consider saying, "thank you and..."

Thank you and I dog-eared forty of the pages.

Thank you and I told your boss what a wonderful thing you did.

Thank you and here's a record my band and I recorded last week.

Thank you and you made me cry.

Thank you and I just blogged about what you did.

Thank you and here's a $20 tip; I know it's not much, but it's all I can afford right now.

Thank you and how can I help you spread the word?

Thank you and can you teach me how to do that?

Thank you and you changed me forever.

What are we feeding our kids

A fantastic article/video looking at childhood nutrition called Seriously, What is a Funyun?